Sermon for 9/3/23: Thirteenth Sunday After Trinity

 CLICK HERE for the sermon audio.

CLICK HERE for the sermon video.

The Good Neighbor

Luke 10:23-37

 

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

 

 

Consider the futility of this lawyer’s words. He wanted to test the Lord. He wanted to see if Jesus would meet his standards. He asked: “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” But that question revealed far more than he intended. He thought he was being clever, but in fact, he showed his ignorance. Was there ever so naive a question from the lips of men? No matter how good you are, how badly you want it, how sincere you are, or how hard you work, you cannot inherit eternal life. After all, you weren’t born into it. You can’t do anything to inherit something. Inheritance is always the gift of birth.

Added to that, our Lord does not really take well to testing. He turns the question back to the lawyer: “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” The lawyer wants to know what to do, and the Law certainly tells him that. And to his credit, the lawyer answers Jesus without hesitation: “Love God and love your neighbor.” How easy it is to spit out these orthodox cliches. “Love God and love your neighbor.” We learned that in the Catechism. But then our Lord says, “Do this and you will live.” Do you hear the condemnation in those seemingly innocent words? Not one of us could dare say, “I have done it. I have loved God and my neighbor perfectly and without fail.”

Test the Lord, and you wind up in serious spiritual trouble. “Do this and you will live.” These words are actually a threat. The lawyer hadn’t done this; he hadn’t kept the Law. Apart from our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, no man has ever kept the Law. No one has done this, and so no one should live! There is no Law that accuses us more, no Law that makes us rage with more fire against God’s judgment. This lawyer is dead, and he knows it. He is afraid. But like the good lawyer he is, he looks for a loophole in the Law. He asks, “Who is my neighbor?”

Every Sunday School student knows the answer to the question: “Everyone is your neighbor.” Everyone. There are no exceptions. You have no excuse, no boast to make, and no one to blame. It is your fault, because if everyone is your neighbor, and you must love them all as the Law demands, then there is no hope. There is no comfort found in the Law. We get from the Law what we deserve. We have not loved God or our neighbor, and according to the Law, we will not live.

But Jesus does not answer that question from the Lawyer. Instead, He tells a parable, and then asks the lawyer which man in that parable was neighbor to the man in need. In the Good Samaritan, we see pictured that One who is nothing but mercy. He did what we could never do: He perfectly kept the Law. The priest and the Levite who walked on by could do nothing. But the Good Samaritan knew the cost, and He went into the ditch to get us anyway. He paid for everything, and He is coming back to redeem us finally and fully from this world of sin and death.

Then Jesus says, “Go and do likewise.” Does He mean that we will live if we help the man we find in the ditch, if we love all neighbors as ourselves? If Jesus means that we must simply return to the Law, then we are right back where we started, and this parable would serve no other purpose than to further condemn us. It would show us nothing about grace and the kingdom of heaven. But that cannot be the meaning of this parable. Jesus never leaves His people without hope. So then, what does “Go and do likewise” mean? It must mean this: “Go and be neighbored, be rescued by the One who shows mercy.” Yes, I know this is not the usual way we see the interpretation of this parable. You can check all the commentaries—even some of the Lutheran ones—and they will not interpret the parable this way. But Luther did. And he got it right. Don’t forget the lawyer’s original question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” That’s the question Jesus answered. There is nothing we can do. But at the same time, there is nothing we have to do.

Jesus, the Good Samaritan, is your neighbor. He has done what you and the Law could never do. He has had mercy. He didn’t have to. He was free of any obligation. But He was moved by His own compassion. He paid the price for all that was necessary to heal you. And that is what the Kingdom of Heaven is like. It is like an unexpected rescue from death by an outsider who, for reasons beyond human understanding, perfectly loves His Father, and He perfectly loves His neighbor. We see the Law fulfilled for us; we see the rescue we have received through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We see the One who loved us all the way to the cross. He is Christ, the good Samaritan, the good Neighbor: the One who had mercy. 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.

Synod Convention 2023 in Review

I wanted to take a little time to let all the stuff sink in. I didn't want to write immediately, because the cynic in me would have gone out with guns blazing. I hope I have a little more perspective on the whole thing now. Here is what I'm sending to the congregations in my circuit.

___________________________________________________

August 31, 2023

Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

As the duly elected voting pastoral delegate of the Southern Illinois District’s Electoral Circuit 9 to the 68th Regular Convention of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, it is my duty to offer a summary of the convention to those who selected me. You can find a number of viewpoints concerning the events of July 29-August 3, including a fairly comprehensive report on the results through Synod’s newspaper, the Reporter. As you may recall from my 2016 report, I must admit that I'm a little cynical about church politics—maybe more than a little cynical about church politics—so that will likely color my view of what took place.

The election of the President of the LCMS took place electronically in the month of June, and at that time the Reverend Matthew Harrison was re-elected to his fifth term. I believe President Harrison was the best candidate available. He is both a gifted theologian and a responsible churchman. I don't always agree with his decisions, but that would be true even if, God forbid, I was the one making the decisions.

Elections took place throughout the convention. In Synodical elections, one votes based on the biographies provided by the candidates. If you're fortunate, you know some of the candidates personally. In some cases, you seek the opinions of those who have personal knowledge of the candidates. Concerning the candidates with whom I had personal knowledge, the ones elected were people I trust. As is the case with any other kind of election, one must pray for those elected and hope they serve with integrity under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 

As far as the resolutions go, every convention has things that seem vital and things that seem like a huge waste of time. As a church body, we like happy news to fill the pages of the Reporter. Still, some of the resolutions had the potential to raise blood pressure, and it seemed from time to time like some delegates were playing parliamentary games to unduly slow the proceedings. But for the most part, the convention conducted its business at a deliberate pace and with a great deal of agreement in most matters.

Perhaps the most contentious matter brought before the convention was the attempt of the leaders of Concordia University Texas (CTX) to remove themselves from the authority of the LCMS. As I understand it, they don’t mind being aligned with the Texas District of the LCMS, but they don’t want to be under the direct authority of the LCMS as a whole. Whatever their motives, their actions are, in effect, an attempt to steal the Concordia University Texas name, reputation, and property which belong to the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. The President of CTX spoke at the convention, and he apologized for causing offense, but neither he nor the others involved have repented of their actions. The Synod in convention voted to call these leaders to repentance and urge them to return CTX to its rightful authority. (Since the convention, these leaders of CTX have refused to seat the rightly elected Regents elected to the Board by the convention. This is not an act which demonstrates repentance.)

In the midst of our grief over the discord with CTX and the closing of a number of Concordia University System (CUS) schools—Bronxville (New York) and Portland since the last convention—the Presidents of the remaining Concordias (besides Texas) spoke of their desire to be “more faithful and more tightly tied to the church, her confession, her teaching.” This was the end result of over two years of monthly conversations with the Synod Board of Directors, the CUS board, and the Presidents and Boards of Regents for the various CUS schools regarding the relationship between the CUS schools and the LCMS.

We also addressed Church fellowship. With great joy, the LCMS recognized and declared altar and pulpit fellowship with five bodies: the Evangelical Lutheran Church of South Sudan/Sudan, the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland, the Lutheran Church of Uganda, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine, and the Ceylon Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sri Lanka. Declaring altar and pulpit fellowship means that the LCMS is in full doctrinal agreement with these bodies. On a more solemn note, we also recognized the severing of altar and pulpit fellowship with the Japan Lutheran Church, a body which has officially begun to Ordain women into the Office of the Holy Ministry in opposition to the clear Word of God.

We heard about the current and growing shortage of clergy available to fill vacant congregations along with the growing shortage of Church-trained teachers for our schools, and we were introduced to the Set Apart to Serve initiative to address these shortages by raising up young men and women from an early age to meet these needs. We discussed matters of ecclesiastical supervision, which determines how district presidents interact with the pastors and congregations under their care. We also addressed various social issues—race, sexual abuse perpetrated by clergy, mental illness, persecution against those who live their lives in Christ, among others—seeking to approach these matters in God-pleasing ways,

The worship opportunities were excellent. Pastor Sean Daenzer, the LCMS Director of Worship, put together a splendid collection of services to remind the delegates that “we preach Christ crucified” in the midst of all the politics and bureaucracy. 

The next convention is scheduled for 2026, and it will be held in Phoenix, Arizona. While I’m always happy to serve when selected, I hope you’ll select someone less sensitive to the extreme summer temperatures in Phoenix!

If you have any questions about the convention or how I voted, I will happily give an account. The peace of the Lord be with you.

Respectfully in Christ,

Rev. Alan Kornacki, Jr.
Voting Pastoral Delegate, SID Electoral Circuit 9

Sermon for 8/27/23: Twelfth Sunday After Trinity

 CLICK HERE for the sermon audio.

CLICK HERE for the sermon video.

Willing to Hear

Isaiah 29:18-24

 

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

 

Reading is actually a relatively recent thing, as far as daily life is concerned. Before the invention of Gutenberg’s printing press in the mid-fifteenth century, there were very few books to be read. Most books before that were hand-written, often by monks in a monastery. Most people in those days weren’t even able to read. So how did people learn? They learned by listening. Family elders would speak their family’s history; priests would speak the Word of God as they had received it; and the people would listen and learn. So it’s more than a bit ironic that, in our day, with printed Bibles available everywhere, Biblical literacy has probably never been at such a low level. We may know the words, but we have a severe lack of understanding of what the Bible actually teaches.

As important as reading is, our greatest need is to hear. As valuable as reading can be, it does not replace hearing. The Bible never says that faith comes through reading. Rather, Paul tells us that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Yes, you should read your Bible constantly. The printed Word is a wonderful gift of God. But reading the Word of God is not a substitute for hearing that Word preached and taught. In the Scriptures, hearing is consistently how the Holy Spirit works the miracle of faith.

We need to be hearers. The problem the people of Israel had was more serious than that of the man in our Gospel. The man’s inability to hear was serious, for sure, but the deafness of those who are unwilling to hear is even more catastrophic. It is rebellion against God. It is the rejection how God would forgive and change them. And that refusal to hear the Word of God brought about Israel’s terrible troubles: their exile, the desolation of their homeland, their enslavement to the “terrible” and “scornful one,” as Isaiah described Israel’s enemies. God called to them; He pleaded with them; but they would not hear.

We are in the presence of the Great Physician of body and soul. And if we are really hearing, then we know that this diagnosis is not only Israel’s; it is our disgnosis, as well. God’s diagnosis in every divine service is a challenge to our hearing. Our need is to hear Him. But how often is our participation in the Divine Service little more than that of a bystander. And what is worse is that we hear this diagnosis and then reject it saying, “It’s really not that bad. I can hear well enough, at least, to get by.” Can you imagine that man in the Gospel angrily pushing Jesus away, remaining willfully in his silence? The deaf cannot hear. Like Israel, we all too often will not hear. We need God to do something that is truly miraculous to change us into hearers of the Word. We need it each time the Word of God reaches out to us.

“The deaf shall hear...” That is the promise of God. The way it happened for the man in the Gospel recalls how it has happened for us. This man had friends who brought him to Jesus. For most of you, it was parents who brought you to the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, where you were not only forgiven of sin and given life, but where your ears of faith were opened that you might hear the voice of your Savior. For others, it may have been a friend or loved one who brought you to hear the same Savior.

The power to hear; the power to believe; the power to live as a child of God—this power is available for all. It is offered now, in this moment of hearing the Word, to each of us. Our ability to hear is God-given, a gift of grace. Recall those words from the Small Catechism: “I believe that I cannot, by my own reason or strength, believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel...” Our ability to hear comes from God speaking to us. By the way, this is one reason why it is of the highest importance that little children are in church every Sunday. Each Sunday they are exposed to the liturgy, which is one of the most effective teachers of the Church. Even before they are able to read for themselves, the Word of God in the liturgy is teaching and nourishing their baptismal faith. Don’t think that, just because little ones cannot read or verbally respond the way adults can, the Holy Spirit is not teaching them in this way. He has ways of teaching we cannot comprehend—and not only for children, but even for the oldest among us.

This is the secret of how we are to hear in the Divine Service. The opening versicle of Matins displays this secret: “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.” We consciously converse with God in Scripture reading and sermon, in hymn and prayer. And then, with open ears, hearts, and lips, we receive the warning against spiritual deafness, and then gratefully receive the Gospel Word of forgiveness and life. Having heard the Word about our weakness, we hear the Word of grace. The deaf hear, the dumb speak, and, as Isaiah said, “The humble shall increase their joy in the Lord.” 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 8/20/23: Eleventh Sunday After Trinity

 CLICK HERE for the sermon audio.

CLICK HERE for the sermon video.

In Need of Mercy
Luke 18:9-14

 

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

For two thousand years, these two men have stood in the Temple of God. The one thought he was righteous, and the other knew he was not. The one looked at himself and thought, “What a great man I am.” The other looked to God and pleaded for mercy. These are the two ways: the way of death, and the way of life. So where are you? Are you the Pharisee or the tax collector? When you pray, is it really about you? Or is it about God? What does it mean, really, to be a Christian? Where do you think you stand before God? Are you proud of all your spiritual gifts? Or do you kneel and receive Christ’s righteousness? Do you think you are basically a good person? Or do you examine yourself in light of the Commandments and find yourself lacking any righteousness?

As we look at the Pharisee, there is one word that pops up over and over in our text: I. Hear again his words: “God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.” It’s all about him. He’s not like all of the sinners. He fasts as a sign of piety; he gives lots of money to the church. If this prayer sounds familiar, it’s possible that you’ve heard me say it. It’s also possible that you’ve heard yourself say it. In our basic selfishness, that is what matters to us. Everything in the church must be about me. Everything at home must be about me. I am the center of my universe.

It’s easy to spot that as wrong, but is that so different from so much of the self-help and self-empowerment stuff we hear about today? The power is within you. Use the Force. Trust your feelings. Follow your heart. Find your inner light. Live the purpose-driven life. Live your best life now. Whatever the fad or gimmick, it always comes down to convincing you that you have the power to change your own world.

The Pharisee went to the Temple to brag. He thought that worship was all about proving to God how great he was. We can see this in the story of Cain and Abel. They both offered God sacrifices, but Cain did so out of fear and unbelief. He believed that, because he was the firstborn, He deserved God’s favor. Abel believed that he was justified by faith. We all fall into this trap of bragging to God. The devil wants you to believe that it is your job to prove to God that you are worthy of His love. Satan knows that, sooner or later, you will remember that you aren’t worthy of God’s love on your own, and so you will fall into despair.

God is the one who makes us alive through Holy Baptism. It is His work always, and never ours. This is why the tax collector is the perfect image of the Christian at prayer. He recognizes who he is. The Pharisee publicly shames him, and the tax collector doesn’t deny it. He is a sinner. He is not worthy to enter into God’s house. But this sinful tax collector understands God’s true nature better than the Pharisee ever could. He knows that God’s nature is to show mercy and pity. That is God’s true character. So when the tax collector comes to God’s house to pray, He actually asks God for something. He asks for mercy, because God promises mercy to those who come to Him in repentance. Our God is rich in mercy. In the midst of death, He brings life. In the midst of despair, He brings hope. In the midst of heartache and sorrow, He brings the balm of His healing word to your soul. This is why the sinful tax collector could go into the Temple and plead to God for mercy.

We prayed in our Introit for the day, “God is in His holy habitation. He gives a home to the desolate.” This is God’s house. When you are troubled and full of pain, this is the place where He gives you a home. It is sometimes hard to believe that God actually dwells with His people, but He does. What kind of mercy would Christ be showing by staying far away from our troubles? This is why He comes down as Immanuel, God with us, to dwell among His people. This is why He raises us up with Him through Baptism in the resurrection from the dead. He does this so that we may sit together in the heavenly places with Him, so that we may come to know more and more of God’s riches and mercy.

Like the Pharisee, we can get so stuck on ourselves that it is hard to see the truth. But by His gifts of Law and Gospel, Christ shows you who you are, and He shows you who He is for you. With His gifts of Absolution, Baptism, and His own body and blood, He wipes away the old sinful man in you and makes you new again. Our Father sees you wearing the spotless baptismal robe of Christ’s righteousness, and He declares that you are perfect in His sight. Like the tax collector, you go home justified, made right with God. God’s mercy doesn’t stop when you walk out those doors. His mercy and love endure forever. At home, at work, at school, or at play, God’s merciful presence never ends. Come to this holy place, and receive again and again the words of life and forgiveness given to you by Christ himself. In the name of the Father and of the Son (†) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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

 

Sermon for 8/13/23: Tenth Sunday After Trinity

 Usually the sermon audio is a better representation of the finished product of the sermon than the video. This week, however, I was losing my voice during the Bethel service, when the audio is usually recorded. My apologies for the lacking vocal power this week.

CLICK HERE for the sermon audio.

CLICK HERE for the sermon video.

Blush and Believe

Jeremiah 8:4-12

 

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

 

 

Why do you blush? People usually blush because they are put on the spot or embarrassed. The blood rushes to your face because a truth has been told about you that makes you uncomfortable. But the people of Israel had become so accustomed to the blasphemies of the day that they were no longer able to be embarrassed. They had no shame for their false dealings, their covetous hearts, or their sacrilegious deeds. Even when a prophet like Jeremiah would call them to account, nothing could make them blush.

Is that not an accurate description of our society and culture today? You see and hear the dishonesty and even the immorality people are willing to peddle, and you have to ask if they know how to blush. Aren’t they at all embarrassed? Or does the media idol to which our culture kneels take away all shame?

And what about us: are we as bothered as we used to be by the positive rendering of immorality that is portrayed everywhere? When our children are brazenly exposed to drag queens; when abortion is celebrated as freedom instead of murder; when various churches cravenly follow society’s lead rather than Holy Scripture; does it shock us anymore? Do we blush when we are confronted by our own sin, or do we blame someone else? Do we lash out at those who call us to account? If we are not on guard, this godless attitude can gain the upper hand in our hearts. As Jeremiah prophesies: “No man repented of his wickedness, saying, ‘What have I done?’...From the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely.”

But let us also be on guard against the opposite error. When we see the corrupt and degenerate state of our culture, we can be tempted to stake our hope in our own moral efforts. Do you put your confidence in a belief that you haven’t succumbed to the ways of the world, that you have turned your life around? Are you confident that you are more spiritual than others? We can be tempted to think that our works and righteousness will keep us close to God and win His favor. Acting self-righteous like a Pharisee is just as bad, and perhaps even worse, than society’s mindless corruption. When you think about it, those who are self-righteous can’t blush either, because they feel they have nothing to be ashamed of. Religious conviction and spiritual passion are not enough. Too often, zeal and passion are nothing more than mis-focused attention on ourselves rather than on Christ and His death on the cross for us. Godly zeal is to be directed toward the life-giving Gospel and not only to the deadly requirements of the Law.

Think about what Paul said in our Epistle: “Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” Did you hear that? Christ is the completion, the absolute end of the Law. That doesn’t mean you are free to disobey the commandments, but it does mean that the entire Law is meant to point us to Jesus, to show us our need for Him to save us. All of the moral demands of the Law, of which we have fallen so far short, have been satisfied for us by Jesus. All of those regulations pertaining to the Sabbath and the sacrifices have found their fulfillment in Christ, the perfect sacrifice, who was offered up for our sins and raised again to give us life and Sabbath rest. Righteousness before God does not come through our efforts, but through Christ alone; not by works, but by faith in Jesus, the righteous One.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, think of the Gospel reading and ask yourself this: Do I recognize the time of my visitation? It comes to you this very moment. This is the hour in which Christ Himself is coming to you in the words of the saving Gospel now sounding in your ears. Blush and believe! Don’t assume that you will have forever to repent. “Behold, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation.” Believe in what the Lord has done to redeem you from your sin. Take refuge in Him and His words. Rreceive His righteousness.

Baptized into Christ, you have become a member of His body. You have no reason to blush any longer, for you are safe from divine judgment, protected by the One who took the judgment for you. These are the things that make for your peace: Word and water, body and blood, offered to you for the forgiveness of your sins, for your peace, for your rest. Call upon God. Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain 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.

HYMN: How Pleasant and How Sweet

FINALLY a spark of inspiration has hit me after nearly 9 months without. It’s not my best work, I don’t think, and it’s only a first draft, but I would welcome your help in making it better.

I’m currently attending the 68th Regular Convention of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, and the theme of this convention is “We Preach Christ Crucified.” I am not the biggest fan of the bureaucratic process, but I also acknowledge that this is how we as a body have chosen to walk together in a way that avoids anarchic chaos. Combining this convention’s theme with Psalm 133, this text has emerged.

Feedback is love.

How Pleasant and How Sweet

In honor of the 68th Regular Convention of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

1. How pleasant and how sweet 

To dwell in unity

As brothers joined in Christ, made one

For life eternally.

2. Anointed at the font,

Refreshed as with the dew,

We sing as one to praise our God

With anthems ever new.

3. Together we confess

Our faith in Him who died,

And as we gather, baptized saints,

We preach Christ crucified.

4. The day is coming soon:

Together we shall see

Our Savior, who has made us one,

For all eternity.

SM (66 86)

Suggested Tune: ST. MICHAEL (LSB 628)

Psalm 133; Life Together

Sermon for 7/16/23: Sixth Sunday After Trinity

 CLICK HERE for the sermon audio.

CLICK HERE for the sermon video.

The Perfect Life

Exodus 20:1-17

 

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

 

 

Imagine a world in which everyone gave honor and praise and glory solely to our God and Father in heaven. Everyone would be united in perfect love, receiving true love from God, honoring His name. We would pray in perfect unity and never misuse God’s name to promote lies. We would find spiritual rest together by receiving the Word of God in pure faith, never doubting His goodness. Parents and other authorities would be respected and obeyed. There would be no fighting, no murdering, no abortion, no euthanasia, and no hatred. Marriage would be between one man and one woman, and every couple would remain faithful to their vows. Theft would be unknown. Nobody would deal in lies or gossip, and we would be happy recounting the many good and wonderful things others have done. Everyone would be content with what he had and would not try to take advantage of his neighbor. What a wonderful world this would be, if only we would obey the Ten Commandments.

You don’t need to be a Christian to see this. People who don’t know Christ still know that a good life is a life of humility, mercy, purity, generosity, self-control, and faithfulness. People have by nature a basic understanding of God’s Law, and we call that knowledge “conscience.” God’s Law is written on the hearts of all people. It resonates with people of every religion. They know that these commandments are just; if we would only obey them, we would be living righteous lives.

The Law and the Gospel are the two main teachings of God’s Word. The Law, which we just heard summarized, tells us what we must do if we are to enjoy God’s blessings. The Gospel, which is revealed in Christ alone, tells us what Christ has done to win for us God’s eternal blessings. The Law shows us our sins and rightly condemns us for them; the Gospel shows us our Savior and gives us forgiveness of sins. The Law must be preached to sinners who hold on to their sins and refuse to repent of them. The Gospel must be preached to those who admit their sins and want to be rid of them. The Law can only accuse and condemn. The Gospel always forgives and saves.

We need to hear both of these. Without the Law, we cannot know or learn of our need for a Savior. Only when our sins have been exposed to our conscience can we receive through faith the forgiveness of sins that God gives us in Christ Jesus. The Law that God gave Israel on Mount Sinai is not what set Israel free—not from slavery in Egypt, nor from bondage to sin and death. Not one of us present today can perfectly keep God’s Law, and only in perfect obedience to the righteous Law of God would we be able to save ourselves.

This is why St. Paul calls us back to our Baptism: we live holy lives only as we are joined to the death and resurrection of Christ in Holy Baptism. God washes away our sins. This is how He sets us free. He places His name upon us in Holy Baptism. He kills our sinful flesh, drowning the Old Adam within us. He removes our sins from us as far as East is from West. It is precisely when you recognize your inability to keep God’s Law and place your trust instead in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus that you begin to do what the Ten Commandments tell you to do.

So look at these commandments God has given to you. Does your life correspond to what God says in these commandments? It does not. Do you perfectly love God? Do you perfectly love your neighbor? Of course not. So repent. Return to your Baptism, where you will find the righteousness that exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. It is the righteousness of Christ. It is reckoned to you. Jesus is your God; He is your brother and your Redeemer. He obeyed the law you disobeyed; He suffered the death you deserved for your sins. This good news, this Gospel, is God’s Word to you. It is His Word to you when your heart condemns you because the Law rightly judges you to be a sinner. The Gospel silences the judgment of the Law. Of course you can’t perfectly obey, so Christ did it for you.

Listen to the Gospel. Cling to your Savior with all the might you possess. Cling to your Baptism. Because you have been washed and covered with the baptismal robe of your Savior’s perfect righteousness, God sees none of your sins. Christ has covered them with His blood. He looks at you, and all God sees is His own dear child who pleases Him in body and soul. That’s the life of the Christian. It is the life God has given us in Holy Baptism, and it is a life worth living. 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 7/9/23: Fifth Sunday After Trinity

 CLICK HERE for the sermon audio.

CLICK HERE for the sermon video.

Defending Your Hope

I Peter 3:8-15

 

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

 

 

Jesus Christ instituted and established the Ministry of the Word when He sent out the apostles as His first pastors. The duties of this Ministry are simple: Christ’s pastors are to preach His Gospel and administer His Sacraments. This is the net that brings people into the church. The pastor must faithfully preach and teach the faith he has received from Christ. This teaching is from heaven. It is from the Holy Spirit. The Gospel and the Sacraments are the means by which the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the Holy Christian Church on earth. The Word does not come from men; it is Christ Himself coming to His people and serving them through His Called pastor.

When you receive the Word of God through faith, you have a hope living within you. It is true that we live with doubts, and sometimes the doubts can cause us real spiritual pain. But the Holy Spirit brings us confidence through the Means of Grace. When you begin to doubt your faith and wonder about your future and even question your salvation, the last thing you should do is to fade away from the Church. Instead you should run to worship every Sunday. The Gospel is not a dead letter or a myth devised in the hearts of men; it is the power of God to save you. God overcomes your doubts and replaces uncertainly with true faith.

The fact that God chooses to live within us in the midst of our sins and doubts shows us how much He loves us. He won’t abandon you in your need. We waver; we wonder; we doubt. But God keeps on coming to us in the Gospel. Baptism keeps on washing us; it remains the washing of rebirth throughout our lives. We aren’t born again only when we are baptized; we are born again daily when we drown all our sins and doubts in the life-giving washing with which the Holy Spirit has washed us.

This is also how you “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.” It may sound strange to sanctify God, as He is already holy. But God teaches you here to confess Him for who and what He is. And before you can confess what you believe to others, you must know yourself what you believe and in whom you trust.

Your faith ought to be the topic of the daily conversations of every Christian. It is not only pastors who ought to be interested in theology. When we talk about what we as Christians believe, we are talking about what’s most important. Are you ready to defend the faith when called upon to do so—even when a gun is pointed at you? Do you know why you believe what you believe? Where does your hope rest? How do you know you are going to heaven? Are you sure? There is nothing wrong with going to your pastor with questions about what the Word teaches. He’s your servant to speak the Word to you. But your pastor cannot believe for you. Faith is always personal, and it rests on the Word, centered around the death and resurrection of Jesus for your forgiveness. It rests on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Everything God teaches you is important. He doesn’t talk to hear His own voice. He wants you to receive His teaching as if you were hungry for it.

When Christians become fat and satisfied in their faith, they begin to lose interest in learning God’s Word. They take the truth for granted and even begin to despise the Word. They want something different, something to tickle their ears, something new and exciting. They tire of repenting of their sins; they tire of crying out to the gracious God who forgives them for the sake of Christ. They tire of the same old Law and Gospel preaching. They tire of the daily contrition and repentance to which God called them in Holy Baptism. There are so many unfaithful preachers today—so many Joel Osteens and Joyce Meyers and Benny Hinns, ELCAs and Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons and Muslims—because we sinners demand them. St. Paul predicted this when he wrote to Timothy, saying, “The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will raise up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”

In the face of these enemies of the Gospel, God calls on every Christian to defend the faith. It is your duty to ensure your pastor preaches only the pure Word of God, to make sure you and your family hunger and thirst for this Word. God calls on every Christian to defend the hope God has given him. It is our duty to confess Jesus Christ and His holy Word. When we do this, God speaks through us, just as surely as He speaks through pastors. We must speak not in a spirit of arrogance or pride, but in humility and fear. After all, we live by mercy, and it is only by God’s grace that we know the truth.

What is the reason for your hope? You must confess, even in the face of death, that your Savior, Jesus Christ, took away your sin on the cross and gives you eternal life in His Word and gifts. Do you believe that, dear Christian? Then confess it, defend it, and don’t ever back away from it. 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 7/2/23: Fourth Sunday After Trinity

 CLICK HERE for the sermon audio.

CLICK HERE for the sermon video.

Forgiven, Forgiving

Luke 6:36-42

 

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

 

 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is really giving a variation on the Golden Rule. Instead of saying, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” He says, “Do unto others as you would have your heavenly Father do unto you.” If you do not want Him to judge and condemn you in your sinfulness, then don’t you be judging and condemning others in their sinfulness. If you want God to forgive your sins and give you richly all things to enjoy, then let go of those grudges and put stinginess far away from you. That’s what it all boils down to.

But there is something inside us that doesn’t like this Word of God at all. There is something in us that enjoys judging and condemning others. There is something in us that is reluctant to let go of wrongs suffered, that enjoys playing the scene repeatedly in our mind’s eye to fan the flames of resentment and keep the bitterness burning. There is something in us that thinks Jesus surely got it wrong when He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

That something inside us is the Old Adam. He like to judge and condemn others because he is filled with pride. He thinks better of himself than he has any right to think. And the one sure way he has of raising himself up is to knock others down: to point out the failings of others, to gossip about and condemn our neighbors. And the old Adam wants to hold grudges and refuses to let go of the wrongs he has suffered because he is selfish. He thinks in his heart that, if he doesn’t look out for himself, who will? He doesn’t want to be a doormat that others will wipe their feet on. The Old Adam does not trust that vengeance belongs to the Lord, and that He will repay, as St. Paul teaches. Does that old fellow sound familiar to you? He should. He prowls around inside of you, like just he lives inside of me. And he wants to boss us around. He wants to run our lives. And he wants us to ruin our lives and the lives of our neighbors.

But we have been claimed by Another. We have been marked with the sign of the holy cross. Bearing that sign, soaked in the waters of Holy Baptism, we belong to the New Adam, to the crucified and risen Lord Jesus. We’ve been baptized into Him. His life has been given us as our own. Jesus did not come into this world to judge and condemn; He came to rescue us, because we were judged and condemned by the law as worthy of death. “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” He did not come to pay us back for the countless times we have risen up in rebellion against Him; He came to separate us from our sins by taking them from us and bearing them Himself under His Father’s judgment as He hung on the cross. “Father, forgive them...” was His cry. And all who take shelter under His cross in faith are forgiven, just as He said. His cross is like a great fortress that shields us from the righteous wrath of God.

Unlike the Old Adam with his distrust of God, our Lord Jesus Christ accomplished the work of salvation by trusting His Father. And His trust was not disappointed. Our Lord Jesus—the One who had not judged and had not condemned; the One who had forgiven everything, even to the point of laying down His own life—our Lord was raised on the third day, vindicated as the Righteous One, raised to the right hand of the Father to rule over all things.

His perfect life of trust is the life He has given us in our Baptism. He calls us to drown that Old Adam and his distrust of God. He calls us to confess that we have logs in our own eyes: logs of pride, resentment, stinginess, and—behind all of those—distrust. As you confess this to God and receive His forgiveness, you “take the log out of your own eye,” and you can finally be of some use to your neighbor. When you see yourself as a justly condemned prisoner who has now been given an undeserved pardon and reprieve, then you are a sinner who can serve others. You even get to carry the good news of that free pardon to other sinners, telling them of the forgiveness which the death of Christ has won for them. You get to be merciful, just as you have received mercy from God. You get to do unto others as your heavenly Father has done unto you” in Christ. We go out from this place with joy to live out the forgiveness we have received in 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.