Sermon for 4/23/23: Third Sunday of Easter

 

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Life Under the Cross

I Peter 2:21-25

 

 

ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

 

 

Living as God’s faithful and obedient children is no guarantee of a life free from adversity or suffering. On the contrary, those who confess as Lord the One who suffered injustice even unto death should expect nothing but the same as He experienced. But this is something we resist hearing. We have grown accustomed to quick fixes, to almost instant relief from pain, to lives that are largely carefree and unburdened when compared to previous generations. There is a gigantic gap, cultural and otherwise, between the Church of the Twenty-first Century and that of the First, when Peter wrote these words.

But there is one factor that unites Christians now with Christians then. To confess Jesus Christ as Lord means following in the footsteps which led Him to death. That shouldn’t come as a shock to you, unless you have made the mistake of divorcing the joy and victory of Easter from the pain and sorrow of Good Friday. There is only one way to the resurrection, and that is through the cross. Without fail, the life of faithfulness to God’s will is accompanied by the experience of suffering.

It could be no other way. In the eyes of those outside the Church, a God-pleasing life is seldom welcomed. Unbelievers will be quick to attribute evil motives to all that you say and do. You need only consider how the views of Christians are received these days in public discourse. We are nearly always accused of trying to force our “bigoted morality” on everyone else. Even so, Peter encourages us, “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evil doers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”

This ill-treatment is to be expected, for our Lord received the same treatment. “...When [Christ] was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten…” He suffered because He was the faithful servant of God all the way to the cross. Though He was reviled as a fraud and a deceiver, He did not revile the real deceivers. And as He told His disciples: “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. …If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of His household.” From our Lord’s example, we learn that suffering is the expected result of faithfulness to the will of God. Because you do that which pleases God, you suffer. But as Peter says, “…If, when you do good and suffer for it, you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps.” Persecution and ridicule of God’s holy ones is one of the ways unbelievers rebel against God. They try to get at Him by maligning you.

Experiencing suffering for doing the will of God is one of the marks of your communion with Jesus. You are “participating in the sufferings of Christ,” as Scripture puts it. He has set the pattern, and you follow in His footsteps. What He has endured, you can expect to endure also. Again, as Peter said: “In your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God...”

Ultimately, a God-pleasing life is marked by death. Death was the price our Lord paid to free us from our sin. Only by the Good Shepherd’s sacrifice of His own life have we, the sheep, been given life. This is among the great paradoxes of our Christian faith: life comes out of death. There can be no resurrection without the suffering of the cross. That is true of Jesus, but it is also true of you. You can live a life made right before God, but only when you have died. It means drowning in the waters of Holy Baptism. It means dying to those sinful desires that are at war within us. And that is where suffering comes in.

Suffering and death go hand in hand. Suffering helps us stay alert to that tempting self-delusion that we are no longer bound by death. But of even more importance, suffering and death are the twin signs of your baptism. Your baptism has drowned your sins and brought you forth to newness of life. You now have life with the One who gave His life for you, a life which gives purpose to the faithful suffering of those who would follow Christ in faith.

In Jesus Christ, faithfulness and suffering, cross and resurrection are brought together. And just as Jesus avoided none of this as He faithfully carried out His Father’s will, so we, too, need not worry about experiencing the same on the road to eternal life. It is what we are to expect as sheep who follow the Shepherd who gave Himself into suffering and death for us, that we might be His, both now and forever. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

 

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

Sermon for 4/16/23: Second Sunday of Easter

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Life for Dry Bones

Ezekiel 37:1-14

ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The faith of a child of God is threatened constantly by two dangers: on the one hand is the danger of overconfidence, and on the other hand, despair. It is to the second of these dangers that Ezekiel 37 speaks. In the chapter just previous to this one, God had assured His people that those who were in exile in Babylon were not gone forever. They would be delivered and return to their homeland. But those people were, understandably, so depressed by their situation that they found it difficult to believe that promise of God. “Our hope is lost; we are clean cut off,” they said. It was to reassure His people that God granted Ezekiel this remarkable vision of the valley of dry bones.

This valley was a picture of that whole community of exiles, dead and lifeless in their exile and despair. “Can these bones live?” God’s question to Ezekiel would normally be answered in the negative. After all, what can one expect from a bunch of dry bones? And that is why Ezekiel’s reply is so interesting: “O Lord God, you know.” In other words, only the One who made these bones to begin with can give them life again. Only the God who first made man from the dust of the earth could make something living out of that valley full of lifeless bones. But the Lord promised to do for these bones just what He had done for the dust of the ground formed into Adam’s body in the Garden of Eden. Remember those words from Genesis chapter 2: “Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.”

At the Lord’s command, Ezekiel spoke to lifeless bones, and a miracle took place. There was a rattle as bone came together with bone. Suddenly, the valley seemed no longer to be full of detached bones, but of skeletons taking on something that resembled human form. And God’s miracle continued: “And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them.” Tendons and flesh appeared, but the valley resembled a battlefield littered with corpses. God’s miracle was still not complete. At God’s command, Ezekiel continued to speak, and breath entered that army of corpses, and they came to life and stood upright. What did it all mean? Through this vision, Ezekiel saw how God would recreate His people, now apparently hopelessly lost in Babylon.

Compare Ezekiel’s account and today’s Gospel reading with its report of Thomas and his doubts. Thomas had not been with his fellow disciples the previous Sunday evening when Jesus had come to them, alive, in that locked room. He just couldn’t believe that Jesus could be alive. And just as God in His mercy gave Ezekiel and Israel a new hope in the vision of the valley of dry bones, so also Jesus mercifully returned for the sake of Thomas, that he might see Jesus alive, bearing the wounds of the cross, that Thomas would stop his doubting and believe.

And aren’t we often where Thomas was? One would think that, having celebrated the resurrection of our Lord just a week ago, we might have some immunity to such doubt and despair. But it isn’t long before the realities of life hit us squarely in the face, and faith often flees while doubt and despair rush in. It’s not long before we look at the financial figures and attendance numbers on the back of the bulletin and begin to worry again about our future.

Ezekiel did what God had given him to do. He spoke the life-giving Word to bring life to those dry bones. And isn’t that exactly how our lives ought to be described? We carry out what the Lord gives us to do, whatever that may be within our various callings in life, and He keeps His promises to us. The truth is, this is very liberating. Knowing that we are doing the Lord’s will is what solves the problem of boredom and drudgery. We are not just working for a paycheck; we are serving God and supporting our families as He has given us to do. We are not just studying; we are using our minds to the maximum capacity possible because the Lord has called us to be good managers of our intellect. And the Lord always keeps His promises to provide, to give hope and strength, just as He did when Ezekiel preached to those dry bones.

This vision points forward to more than just the return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity. Out of death comes life. From the death of Jesus comes life!—and not only physical life, but eternal life, for the One who died for us lives, never to die again! St. Paul referred to our Lord’s resurrection as the “first fruits of those who sleep.” His resurrection is the sign that there will be more to come. That day is certainly coming. The One who died and rose from the dead says to us, “Behold, I am coming soon.”

As we repent of our sin; as we receive in faith the gift of His resurrection, the full forgiveness of our sins; as we look forward to that great Last Day, we will find ourselves in the shoes of Thomas, no longer doubting, but confessing, “My Lord, and my God!” When God asked Ezekiel, “Can these bones live?” He already knew the answer. Not only can they live, but they live even now through faith in Jesus Christ, in a life that will know no end! ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

 

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

Sermon for 4/2/23: Palmarum, the Sunday of the Passion

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A Servant Exalted in Humility

Philippians 2:5-11

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

Today we remember our Lord’s sufferings and death at the hands of the very people He came to save. There is something about the sufferings of Jesus that makes us want to look away. We love the praises of Palm Sunday, and we will eagerly come to joyfully celebrate Easter. But Maundy Thursday and especially Good Friday, the darker days of our Lord’s suffering, will not be as well attended. It’s more than just the desire to skip services held in the middle of the week. The truth is, we want to see a triumphant king, not a suffering servant or a bleeding lamb.

St. Paul wrote that Jesus chose to be a suffering servant. He could have remained as He was before the Creation of the world: the glorious Son of God who had no flesh and no sufferings. Even when He became Man, Jesus was still God, so He did not have to suffer. He could have remained in the form of God. But He chose the form of a servant. He chose weakness, pain, and death.

We are approaching the day when God died. That is the offense of the cross, where Jesus, who is God, laid down His life. God by nature cannot die because He is eternal and immortal. Nor should God die, because He is everything good and loving and beautiful. The death of Christ is the death of God, and mankind does not want to face up to that horrible reality.

Through the centuries, people have tried to lessen the offense of the cross by saying that Jesus did not truly suffer there, that He only seemed to suffer. Others have said that Jesus was truly Man, but He was not truly God, and so God did not die. Others have gone even further, saying that Jesus was not only merely a Man, but He was also a sinner like us. Sinners die every day, so there is no offense in a sinner's death. But against all those false views of Christ, St. Paul declares that Christ was “in the form of God.” He fully possessed the majesty and holiness of the true God. He had the power and knowledge and immortality of God.

But Jesus made Himself of no reputation. He took the form of a servant by ceasing to use His powers as God. This is not to say that Jesus only appeared to be a Man, as if it was an illusion. Jesus was really and truly a human being, like us in every way except sin. Jesus did not become a sinner in His life, although in His death He became sin for us. That is the purpose of this Passion of Christ. He took on the form of a servant so that He could die a servant's death, to pay for the sins of the world.

Christ never ceased to be God, not even on the cross. But before His resurrection, He did not use His full powers as God. At times, Jesus did not know certain facts, even though He could have used His unlimited knowledge as God. Sometimes, Jesus was tired or hungry or thirsty, even though God by nature is never tired or hungry or thirsty. God does not bleed; God does not suffer; God does not die. But Christ, who is true God and true Man, bled and died for you, because He took the form of a servant.

When He suffered and died, the sinless God died in human flesh. The flesh of a sinner would achieve nothing. The death of an ordinary man would mean little to the world. But Christ Jesus laid down the flesh and blood of God on the cross, and so His death is everything. The cross—the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, God incarnate—towers over every event in history. On the cross, Jesus claimed solidarity with sinful mankind. He willingly made Himself one of us, even though He was holy and sinless. He was one of us, even though His divinity was unimaginably far above us. On the cross, Jesus embraced all of mankind, so that all of our sins and the weight of our guilt fell upon Him.

He came in humility to serve us by carrying the heavy burdens that belonged to us: the burdens of our sin, our death, and our damnation. But these burdens were not His to carry. He did not need to suffer. He chose to suffer. Christ Jesus, the only Man who could choose not to die, chose the worst death possible to save us. He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, when He could have ridden upon the backs of angels. That is the humility of Christ. That is the form of a servant. Jesus rides into Jerusalem to present Himself to God as the sacrifice to atone for the sins of the world. He lowers Himself to the level of a dumb animal whose only purpose is to be slaughtered. That is the form of a servant. The Son of Man, who looks like nothing but the pathetic son of a carpenter, is actually the great God who protects and defends the world, even when that world turns upon Him and kills Him. That is the form of a servant.

At this very moment, Christ remains a Man and also remains God. That is how He will be forever. But He is no longer in the form of a servant. Now He is highly exalted. Now saints and angels in heaven bow before the glorious Son of God, who shines before them in the unveiled form of God. Even now, we on earth mimic those above. Many saints here below bow the knee at His presence when He comes in bread and wine. Many bow our heads at the name of Jesus, for this is the name of the Lord of life who conquered sin and Satan. This is the name of the Lord, who freed you and me from our own death by dying Himself. One day, all knees will bow and all tongues will confess, whether they like it or not. Even Satan's black tongue will be forced to confess that Jesus is Lord.

So all creation praises this Lord and confesses His name, because He has suffered for you. He has died in your place. He took the form of a servant so that He who is God in human flesh could lay down His life on the cross for you. With heaven and earth, we give glory to His great name which is above every name: the name of Jesus Christ, Lord and God. 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 3/26/23: 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.