Sermon for 6/28/14--Wedding of Nick McConachie and Courtney Volkman

Audio:




Text:

Forgiveness

John 13:34

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

It is from our Lord that we learn the true nature of marriage. Christ gave Himself, poured Himself out in suffering and dying for the sins of humanity on the cross. He is not meant to be merely an example of self-giving. After all, we can’t emulate Him. We are sinners. We can’t pay the price of our own sin. So we do not look on our Lord’s self-giving as a model to follow. Rather, devoid of any power of our own, we ask for His Holy Spirit to do that in us which we are unable to do. As Scripture says, “It is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” As the apostle Paul says, it is “Christ in you.” Being “Christ in you” to each other can make your marriage first and foremost a place of forgiveness.

Here’s an example: a man had made a fool of himself at a party. The next day he felt remorse for his actions and begged his wife to forgive him. “I do, honey,” she promised. But over the next few months, whenever something came up that displeased the wife, she would bring up the party incident. “I thought you forgave me for that,” the husband said. “Darling,” she replied, “I did forgive you—I just don’t want you to forget that I forgave you.” God’s forgiveness is not like that. When He forgives, He forgets. He does not keep a record of our sins, for His Son Jesus has taken them away. Therefore, you and I are called to “forgive and forget” daily. Humanly speaking, we may remember what happened, but God calls us to forgive and not keep on holding against the other person the wrong that happened.

The best of marriages requires constant forgiveness. Each day you walk as a man and woman forgiven by God, not because we’re doing a pretty good job in being a faithful, but because Christ has absorbed our sinful selfishness into Himself by His death on the cross. So forgiveness is the key to your new relationship of marriage. We are all imperfect; we are sinful human beings. In the intimacy of marriage, selfishness will get in the way. But because you love each other, because you are committing to each other for a lifetime, granting forgiveness to each other will keep your marriage strong.

As Scripture says, “Love one another as [Christ] has loved you.” That includes daily forgiveness. This is not an easy forgiveness, nor a plan to overlook sin. His holy calling to both of you is to be a “little Christ” to each other in thought, in word, and in action. When you sin against each other—and you will—don’t just express regret. Apologize, and then ask for forgiveness. And then speak that forgiveness to each other. When that happens regularly, the Holy Spirit will cause your love to grow, a self-denying love from Christ within you, a love that lasts for as long as you both shall live. 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.

LUTHERAN PURGATORY BOOK now available!

As most of you probably know—and by now you've probably heard me talk about it to the point that you're ready to beat your head (or mine) against a brick wall—I was a pastor without a congregation for over four and a half years. It was a horrible time in the life of my family, and I thank God every day that it's over. I've written a booklet about that experience, and I also share the experiences of other pastors who have experienced similar circumstances in their life. On any given day, we have over 200 of these pastors, and a number of these brothers in Christ have graciously shared with me the horrible conditions in which they and their families now live. God continues to be gracious and provide for His children. Now we, too, must show compassion to them in their need.

Lutheran Purgatory: Pastors Without Calls takes us through the whole story: how pastors become Candidates (which is another name for pastors without congregations), what happens right after they lose their positions, the day to day struggles they face with their families, and the long and hard road they face to return to parish ministry. We also see the difficulties they face once they do return to parish ministry—for the scars remain. Finally, I offer suggestions for steps the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod can take to minimize the problem. 

I don't plan on making any money off of this project. I wrote this to help educate our pastors and laypeople about this issue. I will offer a free .pdf download of this document, but any money that comes in to me (after Amazon takes their part of the royalties after expenses) from those who buy this book will be donated to an entity which aids such pastors: possibly the Augustana Ministerium, which has handed out over $172,000 in aid directly to pastors and their families in their need; or possibly Soldiers of the Cross, a program of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod which works through district offices to provide for pastors in need. 

FROM THE AMAZON WEBSITE: "The Office of the Holy Ministry within the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is in crisis. It is under attack from pastors who act like corporate executives and arrogant overlords, from bureaucrats who believe a pastor is a failure if he doesn't act like a corporate executive or a used car salesman, and from congregations who believe pastors are merely employees to be hired, evaluated, and fired. Too many pastors have fallen prey to these attitudes and the actions which follow. We call them Candidates, but these men and their families are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and they are suffering. These Candidates, pastors without congregations, suffer in the closest thing Lutherans have to purgatory. These are their stories. Lord willing, we can end their suffering."

To purchase a Kindle copy of this book for $2.99 (and each copy purchased will bring in $1 for charity), click this link: KINDLE EDITION OF LUTHERAN PURGATORY! Amazon Prime members can also borrow this document for free, and Amazon will give me a small royalty which will go directly to charity.

To purchase a print edition of this book for $4.99 through Amazon (and each copy purchased will bring in $0.84 for charity), click this link: PRINT EDITION OF LUTHERAN PURGATORY!

To purchase a print edition of this book for $4.99 through CreateSpace (and each copy purchased will bring in $1.84 for charity), click this link: PRINT EDITION OF LUTHERAN PURGATORY!

To download a FREE .pdf file of this book, which I offer so that money isn't a deterrent in the spread of this important information, click this link: DOWNLOAD FREE PDF OF LUTHERAN PURGATORY!

Please share a link to this blog post with as many of your friends and congregation members as possible! We need to get this information out! And please pray for these pastors and their families.

Thank you for your time and consideration.



EDITED TO ADD: 

GOOD REVIEWS FOR "LUTHERAN PURGATORY"

It's been just under two months since I released Lutheran Purgatory: Pastors Without Calls, and the response has been amazing! I have no way of tracking how may people may have downloaded the free PDF file. However, despite the fact that the book is available for free as a PDF file, over one-hundred people have paid for either Kindle or print versions. That means I will be able to donate over $200 dollars to aid pastors without congregations. That amount is a mere drop in the ocean of what is needed to help these pastors as they await the repair of this broken system, but even a drop can make a difference! I would like to thank everyone who has downloaded or purchased this book. I apologize for any typos or proofreading errors you may find. That's a danger of self-publishing, of course. As I find these errors (or as others point them out to me--hopefully gently), I will fix them in the Kindle edition and in subsequent print editions. I also hope to update the book in time. More pastors have shared their tales with me, and readers have shared questions or concerns about what I've written.

In the meantime, I have heard a lot of good things from readers who have shared their responses with me. You can see some responses on my Amazon author's page. In addition to these, I have seen responses on independent blogs and on Facebook, and I would like to share some of those with you, especially if you're wondering if this is worth reading.

"Stop whatever you are doing and READ THIS BOOK. Just remember, once you've read it, you can't unread it." -- Rev. Todd Wilken, host of Issues, Etc.

"This is non-fiction--scary non-fiction. ...We commend this for your reading, edification, and action, as the 2013 LCMS Convention acted in care and loving concern for pastors without a call." -- Rev. Paul Cain, host of the Liturgy, Hymnody, and Pulpit Quarterly Book Review blog

"This book should not only be required reading for members of the synod’s candidate committee. It should be read and placed on the agenda of the Council of Presidents. Pastors should make sure their DP’s have a copy. Ask them to discuss it with other District Presidents. Then follow up after COP meetings and see if they did so. Everything he says about what a pastor goes through is true." -- Rev. Lincoln Winter, host of the Musings of a Country Parson blog"

"Pastor Kornacki accurately describes the 'heavy, pressing emotions' (my description) that accompany these statuses. He accurately describes the inability to pray, to worship, and to otherwise participate in the life of the church. People who have 'been there' need to know they are not alone; and their feelings and responses are common with others. Members of the LCMS Council of Presidents and the Resolution 3-10a Task Force all need to buy the book and put it in their library. They have no excuse, because they can even get it for free to put on their laptops, or in PDF on their smart phone.They need to read this book carefully and then ask, 'How could this be happening to our own people? What is wrong here?' Because some of the cases cited describe improper actions by the District Presidents. Or in some cases, the actions are clearly unjust, even when the District President followed the Sohns 'Divine Dismissal' document. This book will open eyes to real problems to which many are clueless." -- Rev. Martin Noland, former Director of the Concordia Historical Institute, former Candidate

I hope that, should you read it or if you already have read it, you will send me your comments, questions, and concerns. Also, please keep praying for our pastors and their families who are mired in Lutheran Purgatory.

Thank you!

Sermon for 6/22/14--Trinity I

Audio:




Text:

Named Before God

Luke 16:19-31

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

The Lord tells us of the man who is rich in this life but poor in faith, poor in compassion, poor in sensibility toward his sin of greed, selfishness, and indifference—not only to his fellow man but, more importantly, to Moses and the prophets, to the Word of God. So easily do we find comfort in wealth, in health, in things. We rush past the poor all day. They may not be sitting by our driveways, licked by dogs. Of course we would not ignore a person in that plight. I’ve witnessed your earthly charity firsthand. But there is a greater charity. There's a world of people in poverty, with no one telling them the Gospel, no one carrying them to the healing font of Holy Baptism. Our own children are left lying at the gate, because we are too lazy, too self-absorbed, too busy with this life to bring them consolation of the Gospel in our homes. Too many see themselves as too rich to think the Gospel is a gift worth receiving. They are so satisfied in their sin that they don't beg for the crumbs of the Body and the Blood of Jesus. And even we who have done so are often unwilling, unable, or scared to share that bounty.

It’s not about money. Our Lord today is not preaching that having wealth is the fast track to hell. Nor is He preaching that lacking earthly wealth or health or kindness is the fast track to heaven. But, as Luther put it on his death bed, "We are beggars. That is true." Look at Abraham. Abraham was wealthy in this life. More than just money, he possessed his wealth in faith. In view of God's promise that He would send a Son, a Savior, Abraham did not consider even his son Isaac of such value that he would not trust more in what God said. And so, when told to lay his son upon the fire heap, that rich man confessed, "The Lord will provide a lamb for sacrifice." And God did provide: in this case, He gave a ram. Isaac went free. This is a picture of all poor beggars who have no hope but that God shows mercy, sending us His Son to die in our place.

But then our Lord speaks also of Lazarus, a man who possesses nothing but sorrow in this life, with sores and a few dumb animals to lick his wounds. But he also has a name. The rich man doesn't, at least no name that God will ever mention. But the name Lazarus means, "the one whom God has helped!" He is rich: rich in the Lord's forgiveness and salvation; rich because his only hope is that the Lord has mercy in Christ Jesus. He had only God's help to sustain him. That was enough; Lazarus is gathered into Abraham's bosom, gathered into closest communion with the saints.

So who is Lazarus today, dear people? Take comfort in this: you are. You are Lazarus because Christ is! Of all the poor, none emptied Himself out more than Our Lord. None took a deeper poverty, a greater shame. Not even His own people, who boasted in their fortitude and faithfulness, would show Him any comfort or mercy. Only a few women attended His wounds when He died. In Him, we are beggars before God, but we rejoice to be satisfied with crumbs from the Master's Table, waiting for the wounds of our sins to be licked by the mangy dogs in these silly white collars whom Christ calls to comfort us with His Word of Holy Absolution.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, you are wealthy. God has sent His Son who has died for you. Christ has washed you and clothed you in His robe of righteousness, more beautiful than Armani. It guarantees your names are known by God in heaven, written in the Book of Life. We should be nameless like the selfish man, but we aren't. We have Baptism, Absolution, the Holy Supper, and the preaching of Christ by Moses, the Prophets, the Evangelists and the Apostles. Because of that, we have a Name to trust above all other names. Indeed, “our help is in the Name of 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 6/15/14--Feast of the Holy Trinity

Audio:




Text:

Righteous or Loving?
John 3:1-17

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

Most people think of God in one of two ways. Some view God as a condemning God. They usually think this because they consider themselves better than others. They worship the mighty God we see in Isaiah: the divine Punisher, ready to smite sinners and burn them to ashes. Others view God as the forgiving, merciful God—a God so loving and so caring and so nice that He would never actually condemn anyone for anything. Sometimes we try to believe in and confess both: the angry God who punishes others, and the free-love God who would never condemn anyone—or at least, not us. Both of these are false gods, and believing either way about God will lead you to eternal death. 

Jesus says, "The Father did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him." With these words, Jesus teaches us repentance and faith, destroys our sins, and saves us for all eternity. Jesus did not come to condemn us, to keep a record of our sin. He came to save us by being lifted up on the cross. Jesus saves us by taking our sins away. He saves us by suffering and dying for our sins, by taking our sins upon Himself and suffering death to rid us of them. Jesus came to shed His blood to wash them away. God the Father doesn't send the Son to pound the nails deeper into our coffins, but to set us free from sin and death.

So now we don't need to worry about our sins, right? Now we don't have to figure out what our sins are. We can live however we want and do whatever we want, right? After all, we're forgiven. Right? No. The Law that God gives, the Commandments, condemn us. They show us clearly and plainly how we should love God and our neighbor. And the Commandments show us clearly that we do neither. Apart from Jesus, there is nothing but the Law, and the Law can only condemn you. You can't try harder to keep the commandments to make up for the ones you've broken. And if you live as if your sins aren't sins, then you despise Christ who died for them and show you would rather be under the Law. Jesus is teaching us what the world absolutely does not want to hear. In Him, there is no condemnation. Apart from and outside of Jesus, there is nothing but condemnation. No one outside of Christ will survive the judgment against them on account of their sins. No one who is in Christ will suffer the punishment of their sins because it has been taken and laid upon Jesus for your sake.

So the question is, do we want to try to deal with the Father directly? Or do we approach the Father through Jesus? Obviously, if we will be saved, there is no dealing with the Father apart from the Son. So how do we get to God? How do we deal with the Son? Jesus tells Nicodemus that the only way into the Lord's kingdom is to be born again, from above. To be saved from our sins means being born by water and the Spirit in the waters of Holy Baptism. It's not something we can do for ourselves; it's something that must be done to us and given to us by the Spirit. And He does so freely. From the font, the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, has rescued you. Absolution declares that you do not stand condemned for yours sins. The gift of the Supper says that Jesus' body and blood are given for forgiveness. With these gifts, you have the Spirit giving you Jesus and He brings you to the Father. Apart from Christ, there is no love of God, no grace, no mercy. Without Christ, there is only sin and death. But you are in Christ, in His church. With Him there is no sin and death, only forgiveness, life and salvation. If there's ever a doubt, ever a question, just look to the font, and there your doubts will be answered. 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 6/8/14--Pentecost

Audio




Text:

Means for Peace

John 14:23-31

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

God always works through means. He never just does stuff. He always deals with us and comes to us and blesses us through earthly things that have His Word and promises and gifts attached. Jesus tells His disciples that He has been commanded by the Father to save the world…and He does it. When the Father rescues us from sin and death, again, it's not some thunderous proclamation from heaven that we can't be sure we heard correctly. He sends His Son into this world, born of a woman, born to preach and heal. The sins of the world—our sins—get laid upon Him at His baptism, and He carries them to the cross. By His death on the cross, the sins of the world are wiped out. By His resurrection, the power of death is defeated. By His ascension, our salvation really is wrapped up in Jesus in the heavenly places. By His real, actual, physical existence in this world, the Son of God does the work of saving sinners. God works through means. He doesn't just magically make our sins go away. Through the means of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, the Father no longer counts our sins against us. You see? God works through means, through the real flesh and blood of His Son, to accomplish our salvation.

But the means don't stop there. Jesus tells His disciples that the Comforter will come and will remind them of all things that He said to them. This is fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit it poured out on those Apostles. And then the Apostles become the means. Sent by Christ, filled with the Spirit, they preach Jesus. They speak God's Word. Again, rushing wind and tongues of fire are all neat and exciting, but what is the end result? Through the voice of His chosen men, the Spirit speaks Christ's Word of salvation and forgiveness to sinners. This is the Christian Church, in which the Spirit is at work through means, preaching the Gospel and giving new birth to sinners.

This is Pentecost, when the Spirit comes upon Christ's church and gives us life! God works through means continually in His church, giving us Jesus by water, word, body and blood. But world doesn't want God and His gifts. The world wants to make its own way and do its own thing. And so it despises Christ and His Word. Just as some people laughed at the apostles on Pentecost, so now the world laughs at the Church and the preaching of Christ. It mocks the Good News that we don't have to try to save ourselves because we have a Savior in Jesus Christ. The world jokes and makes fun of those who believe their only hope and confidence is Christ and what He has done for us and gives us. And we’re all too happy to laugh along with them, lest we be thought of as foolish. But the joke is on us. The world runs from the gifts God gives through His church, and it starves to death apart from God's grace.

God works through means. He doesn't just do things out of the blue. He saves us by the blood of His Son. He delivers that forgiveness by the gifts we receive in the Church. By water, word, and body and blood, the Lord comes to us, blesses us, forgives us, and does what nothing else in the world can do: He gives us peace. Our Lord Jesus promises us: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled. Neither let them be afraid." Do not be afraid, for Christ has won all salvation for us. The Spirit has come preaching and washing and feeding the Church. And these are gifts, given from our heavenly Father for our good. 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 6/1/14--Easter VII

Audio:




Text:

Christ in Suffering

John 15:26-16:4

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

The greatest threat we will face is not from those who deny that there is a God, but from those who not only believe in a god, but think they are his chosen instruments to bring about his kingdom. Hear Jesus again: "The hour is coming when anyone who kills you will think he does a service for God." St. Paul, when he was still a Pharisee, was absolutely convinced he was doing God's Work by killing Christians until the Lord brought him to repentance, baptism, and faith. And then, instead of persecuting the Church, Paul suffered with her. Like Paul, we like to believe we can do great service to the Lord in our own ways, ways in which the Lord never asks us to serve. But we too will serve the Lord by suffering for the sake of His name. Though don’t suffer great trials here yet, Christians around the world are jailed, tortured, and even put to death because they confess the name of Jesus.

The one comfort we have in this world against all persecution, against all suffering, is that the Holy Spirit gives us Jesus, who speaks to us today, telling us that we will suffer, but also telling us to take heart because He has overcome the world. Christians suffer because Jesus suffered. But Jesus suffers to save sinners. Into a world that wants nothing to do with its Creator, the Son of God comes in the flesh to carry our sins to Calvary and drown them in His blood. Christ came, not to show His holiness and prove to the world how godly and holy He was. He came to demonstrate God's love for us by dying in our place on the cross. And He came not to set up an army of zealots, but to send forth preachers to extend His kingdom by the Spirit preaching through them and delivering the forgiveness of sins.

When you suffer, when you are sick, when you have trials and burdens, but most of all, when you suffer for bearing the name of Jesus—don't take any comfort other than what the Spirit gives you. Look to the preaching of Christ to comfort you against sin and death and persecution and suffering. Look to the waters of the font in which the Lord has promised to save and deliver you. Look to the comfort of Holy Absolution by which Jesus fills him the sinner forgiveness. Take comfort in the body and blood of Jesus which was given for you to keep you in the faith. Believe, dear redeemed in Christ, that your salvation, your standing with God, is anchored not in what great deed you do for Him, but in what He gives to you in His Divine Service of Word and Sacrament.

Ezekiel preached to the house of Israel which profaned God's name among the nations. They did so by following their own religious ideas instead of worshiping the Lord and serving Him by serving the people around them. Nevertheless, the Lord in His mercy rescued them, washed them and gave them new hearts. He has done the same for you. He has rescued you from this world, baptized you into Christ and given you a new heart and His Holy Spirit. Now, freed from trying to do false service to God, you can keep God's name holy among the people around you: by living in the forgiveness of sins, by clinging to the name of Jesus in suffering, by caring for those whom the Lord has placed in your life. The time is short! Christ will be here again soon! When you suffer and are persecuted for a faith which trusts only in Christ, then rejoice and remember Jesus' words! The Spirit who testifies of Jesus will keep you unto eternal life, until you receive the crown of glory that awaits you. Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! 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--The Wedding of Jeff Richelman and Penny Brown

No audio. Sorry. Someone (me) forgot to record it.

Insanity

I John 4:7

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text is Chapter four, Verse seven, of the First Letter of St. John, where John writes, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”

Some people would say, “You must be crazy to want to make marriage promises to each other in this day and age.” Today, you will promise to give yourselves to one another in “heart, body, and mind.” It doesn’t matter whether you are experiencing “better or worse,” “richer or poorer,” “sickness or health.” Today, you will promise “to love and to cherish,” to give yourselves to one another “for as long as you both shall live.” These sound like crazy vows to make. After all, no couple who has made these promises has perfectly kept them. No wife has perfectly respected and esteemed her husband. No husband has perfectly loved and cherished his bride. No marriage yet has been free from sin and selfishness.

What’s more, both of you has lived through the pain of divorce. What God joined together, man has put asunder. Vows that were meant to last a lifetime were broken. The worse overcame the better. Yet now you want to make these vows again. You want to unite yourselves as one flesh, to be joined together as husband and wife “for as long as you both shall live,” to unite your families as one family. Maybe you really are crazy.

Or maybe you understand sometime about true love. True love begins with Jesus, who loved you with a crazy love, an impossible love, a love that took Him all the way to the cross to forgive our sins. Included in that forgiveness is forgiveness for broken vows. Included in that forgiveness is forgiveness for failed commitment. Included in that forgiveness is forgiveness for all that has gone before. This is true love. What’s more, this is true commitment. Jesus did not stop on the way to the cross and turn away from His bride, the Church. Instead He went to the cross to make her, as Paul writes, “a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” This is true commitment. This is true love. And this love, this commitment, this forgiveness, is what brings you here today, to once again exchange vows, to rejoice that God has given you another chance at a lifetime of wedded blessings.

Jeff and Penny—if, indeed, you are crazy to be doing this again, then God, too, must be crazy, for He is the one who has brought you together. But truly, it is not crazy to believe that God has given you this love to share. It is not crazy to believe that your heavenly Father will give you even more love in the years ahead. Make your promises gladly. Commit to each other for a lifetime. Love each other, for "love is of God." 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 5/25/14--Easter VI

Audio:




Text:

Ask

John 16:23-30

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen. 

Most of the time, our lips aren't used for praying or for speaking well of others. They're used instead for grumbling. In the wilderness, the children of Israel had all the manna they could eat. God supplied them this heavenly bread to keep them from dying in the wilderness. But did they thank Him? Did they praise Him for this gift? No. They loathed the manna. They were sick and tired of it. They did nothing but complain against God and Moses.

What about you? Most of the time that words come out of our mouths, they are not words that worship God or build others up. They are words that grumble and complain about what the Lord has given us. When we open our mouths, it is not to ask God's blessing upon others but to say how awful they are. Brothers and sisters, repent! When the Israelites did that, God simply would not put up with it. If the children of Israel would not glorify Him and speak well of each other, then they were worth nothing but destruction. And so the fiery serpents came to bite and kill them. And if we keep running our mouths the way we do, we too can expect the righteous judgment of God.

So what hope is there for such sinners who speak like we do? For the children of Israel, a bronze serpent was lifted up. When they looked at it, they were saved from their snake bites. This bronze snake points us to Christ, who is lifted up on the cross for the sins of the world. Look to Him and be saved. Christ, with lips that spoke only purely and perfectly, carried upon Himself the sins of the world and every useless and worthless word we have uttered. On the cross, Christ's blood and water flow into the font to wash you clean—just as Briar, Eli, and Titus have been washed and made clean this very day. Now, when we are bitten by the snake, pierced by our sins, betrayed by our wagging tongues, we look to Christ, present upon the altar in His very body and blood, to be saved. Where Christ's Word and gifts are given, we may be certain that the Father of Jesus is now our heavenly Father too. Where the water and blood and Spirit are given to us, we can be certain that our Father has forgotten our sins and remembers our wasted words no more. Your sins are forgiven. Hear these words of life which save you!

Now because Christ has rescued us from sin and death, He has given us a far better use of our tongues than what we would make of them. Christ has rescued even our tongues for the worship of God and the service of our neighbor. Therefore He tells His disciples, "You won't ask me for anything, you'll ask the Father in My name and He'll give it to you." Whatever you ask the Father in the name of Jesus, He will give it to you. God Himself has promised to hear us for the sake of Christ. Could there be a more astounding promise? We have been given what the world seeks in vain to find—the ear of God. The religions of the world work overtime trying to figure out how to grab God's attention. You already have His undivided attention because you are in Jesus! Jesus, the Son whom the Father always hears and honors, now gives you the same place as sons of God to call upon the Lord.

When your mouth turns to evil and wickedness, and the Law sinks its teeth into your flesh and soul, then look up and behold Christ! Behold His blood and water in the font and on the altar to wash and cleanse the poison of sins from you. Then, lift up your lips, cleansed in Christ, in prayer and thanksgiving. Rejoice to ask your Father for anything and everything that will make you a good and faithful servant to God and your neighbor, for He will not fail you. Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! 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 5/18/14--Easter V

Audio:




Text:

Speak the Gospel Clearly

John 16:5-15

ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

How much of the confusion that exists in this world about the Christian faith is due to unclear speaking? We cannot really know, but it is a good bet that at least some of the confusion rests there. Of course, there are the mysteries of our faith which defy easy description. But when it comes to matters which apply directly to our salvation, those can be clearly spoken. Whether or not they are believed and accepted is another matter, one over which we have no control. But at the very least, we can work at speaking these truths in ways that are clear and faithful. The stakes are enormous. Misrepresenting and misbelieving God’s truth leads to damnation.

Jesus told His disciples that He was about to leave them. But it was to their advantage that He was going, because He would send the Holy Spirit to teach them. This brings to our attention a point of crucial significance. To speak the Gospel clearly and faithfully is no assurance that it will be heard and believed. Faithful hearing is the work of the Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit, the words of the Gospel are only words; they will say nothing. But when words are invested with the power of the Holy Spirit, they have the power to do exactly what they say they will do. When the Holy Spirit uses words to call us to faith, the power to believe is in those words.

And that is what our Lord Jesus wants us to understand. When the Gospel is spoken, mere words become Spirit-filled words, words with the power to do just as they say they will do. The words of the Liturgy we pray each week are Spirit-filled words which give us precisely what they promise. The words that come from this pulpit are Spirit-filled words which invite you to listen and enable you to hear them with understanding. The words of the Gospel you speak to your neighbors are words with the power of God to save and bless. This is why it is so important that we speak these words clearly and faithfully. These are the ways God hands on His message of love and mercy to sinners; through the words we speak. There is no substitute for clarity and faithfulness when speaking the words of the Gospel.

The essence of sin is rejecting the forgiving grace of God in Jesus Christ. To believe in Jesus Christ is to be saved from sin. To not believe in Jesus Christ is to remain in sin; to perish forever in sin. This is the Spirit’s work, a work He does through words. Only those who believe in Jesus Christ will escape the consequences of sin. This conviction of the Spirit will rightly crush the hearts of some and lead them to repent of their sin. Sadly, it will also harden the hearts of others who will resist the Gospel even more strenuously. The Spirit will do this through the Word of God. The work of the Spirit is to convince sinners that true righteousness is found only in Him who has passed from the cross to the right hand of the Father in heaven. And this work the Spirit does through the words we speak clearly and faithfully.

The Spirit teaches about true righteousness. True righteousness is only and always a gift of God’s grace. God declares us righteous, not because of anything we have done or ever could do, but for the sake of Jesus Christ who suffered and died in our place as the sacrifice for sin, and who rose from death to show us that His sacrifice was accepted by the Father in heaven. And now, Jesus told His disciples, He was about to return to the Father, which meant that His mission was complete.

But there is one more thing. The love of God is what lies beneath all that is said here about sin and righteousness and judgment: His love that wishes none to perish but come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved. And so we must also speak in a way that speaks convincingly of the love of God. You know very well that not only what is said is important; how something is said can be equally important. The Spirit will use the words we speak clearly and faithfully to convince the world of sin and judgment. But He will also use those words to communicate that His love and mercy shown in Jesus Christ is what He wishes to give them above everything else. It is for us, then, to speak not only clearly and faithfully, but also lovingly. For we ourselves have known this great love of God that forgives sin, gives the righteousness of Christ, and spares us from judgment that is yet to come. That is the work the Spirit has done with us; this is the work the Spirit would, through us, do with others. ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! 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 5/11/14--Easter IV

There's no audio, as we forgot to turn on the sound system. Sorry!

Tribulation and Joy

John 16:16-22

ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Jesus tells us that we will suffer tribulations which will cause us to sorrow. But He promises that there will come a time when this suffering will end. Think about the example our Lord gives, ones which moms certainly understand. When the time comes to give birth, it hurts! There is pain and agony and suffering, but then it’s suddenly over. The baby is born and the mother holds in her arms that little bundle of joy. Where did the pain go? It is overcome through joy and happiness. Our problem, though, is that when it comes to the serious sufferings in our lives, instead of awaiting the joy, we wallow in the misery of our circumstances. And the world laughs and rejoices! "Look at those stupid Christians! They think if they pray to their invisible God they'll stop hurting. Why don't they just give up on God and enjoy life!" And what the world says sounds pretty good! Who wouldn't want to be happy instead of miserable? But such talk is selfish. If the purpose of our having any religion is just to get rid of our own problems and suffering, then we won’t weep and mourn only in this life!

"A little while and you will see me no more. Then a little while and you will see Me." It would not be long before Jesus would be taken from the disciples, and they would be scattered. During that time Jesus would suffer for the sins of the world; He would suffer alone. Forsaken by His followers, mocked and tortured by his accusers, and finally even forsaken by the Father as He hung on the cross, Jesus would suffer. He weeps and mourns as He carries the sins of the world to His death. But then comes the victory! He is risen! The mourning and sadness of the disciples is turned into joy on that third day. The suffering that Jesus undergoes is painful for the disciples for a time, but that sorrow and suffering of Jesus is our salvation.

"A little while and you will see me no more. Then a little while and you will see Me." These words come true again, for again Jesus is not seen. He ascends to the Father and is hidden from the sight of our eyes. Yet the church sees Him again by faith in the divine and holy gifts. Surrounded by sorrow and weeping and mourning, we rejoice in the gifts Christ gives us and the joy they bring. We weep when we behold the world into which we bring children. But weeping is turned to joy at the font when water and the word make us children of the Father. We weep over our sins and iniquities and the things we have done wrong to offend God. Yet weeping is turned to joy by the holy and certain words of absolution, declaring our sins forgiven. We weep that Jesus is not with us as He was with the disciples, yet weeping is turned to joy as we behold our Lord upon His altar in His holy supper of forgiveness, life and salvation. Every day of our lives is an opportunity for sorrows and heartaches. Yet here in Christ's holy church we receive the gifts in which by faith you see Jesus, and the sorrow that comes upon you daily is turned to joy.

"A little while and you will see Me no more. Then a little while and you will see Me." There is yet one more time that Jesus words will come true. On the Last Day when He comes again, we who have not seen Him with our eyes will see Him face to face. All of our sorrows, sufferings, pain and sadness will be turned to joy, as if they never took place. This is the Christian life, dear brothers and sisters. As Christians, we suffer because Christ suffers, knowing that we will share in the glory He has received. That Day will come when Jesus returns. Pain will be just a memory; your weeping and mourning will be turned into joy. ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! 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: The Ransomed Shall Return

It had been over a year since I'd written a hymn, a fact which I've found increasingly distressing. I went to a hymnwriter's conference, and all of a sudden I couldn't write a hymn to save my soul. (It's a good thing I don't have to!) 

But the drought has ended...or at least, a little rain has fallen. This past weekend I attended a hymnody workshop hosted by Pastor Kirk Clayton and Zion Lutheran Church in Mascoutah, Illinois. The Reverend William Weedon, LCMS International Center Chaplain and the LCMS Director of Worship, was the presenter. His presentation opened with a quote from Isaiah 51:11a, which reads, "So the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing." That inspired me, and I immediately noted it in my notebook.

After feverish scribbling and a lot of prayer, this is what I've come up with. It's a very rough first draft, but I'm geeking over the fact that I've actually written something again. Your feedback is welcome and would be appreciated. By the way, Isaiah 51:9-16 is the OT reading for Trinity 24 in the one-year lectionary.

The Ransomed Shall Return

1. The ransomed shall return.

Rejoice, O Zion! Sing!

Redemption’s price for which you yearn

Is paid by Christ, your King.

2. Sing anthems to the Lord,

Your Rock of righteousness.

Find comfort in His holy Word,

In Him Who comes to bless.

3. The King shall make you whole.

His body and His blood

Will recreate your sin-parched soul

The garden of the Lord.

4. No more shall sorrow reign.

Your sighs shall flee away,

For your salvation shall remain

Though all the earth decay.

∆  5. All glory to the Lamb,

Who sets God’s people free,

With Father, Spirit—great I AM—

For all eternity.

© 2014, Alan Kornacki, Jr.

SM (66 86)

Tune: ST. THOMAS (LSB 814)

Sermon for 5/4/14--Easter III

Audio:




Text:

No Hirelings

John 10:11-16

ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen. 

“The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” Jesus says it twice. That’s a big deal. Jesus lays down His life for you. That’s how He saves you. When the satanic wolf comes to make a nice, tasty lamb chop of you, the Good Shepherd throws Himself before the wolf so that you are safe. When the devil comes to devour you in your sins, it’s Jesus the Good Shepherd that lays down His life for you and saves you. He is the one who chooses men to tend His flock. The fact is, we are surrounded by hirelings—plenty of false preachers who lead you to their own false Jesus. The preacher who is all about making your life better or easier? As soon as some disaster comes, he leaves you in his dust to be the devil’s dinner. The preacher who wants you to live a good life? As soon as your sins grab hold of you, he’s gone. How about the preacher who is so worried about love that he gives no attention to what Jesus teaches? He drives off the faithful preacher, and then he runs off when real conflicts over belief and teaching arise. There are plenty of hirelings; there is only one Good Shepherd, one true Jesus. And only faithful preachers—not hirelings—speak with His voice.

The Good Shepherd stays with you, guarding you, all the way to the cross where he lays down His life for you, His sheep. It’s not because you don’t wander off. It’s not because you wouldn’t let the wolf eat you. It’s not because you’re cute and cuddly. In reality, sheep are sinful and stubborn and stupid in sin! No. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for you because He’s not a hireling. You actually belong to Him. You are His sheep. You are His responsibility. And He lays down His life for you so that He can rise again and, having conquered death, lead you through the valley of the shadow of death. Sooner or later, you’re going to have to walk through that valley. If you were left to do it on your own, you’d never make it for the darkness and the wolves. But Jesus, the Good Shepherd, has gone that way. He’s been there. He knows how to get your through it because He’s walked it Himself. So when the time comes for you to take that walk, you don’t do it alone. He’s right there beside you, for He is the one who laid down His life for you. Preachers of the true Jesus, the true Good Shepherd, lead you to the Jesus who dies for you, for the true Jesus knows that you and your Old Adam have to die.

Let me say it again: the Good Shepherd lays down His life for you so that He can lead you through the valley of the shadow of death. He won’t let you be snatched by a wolf or some hireling. That’s why He gives you the still waters of your Baptism: to make you His sheep—just as He has made Briar, Eli, and Titus His sheep this very day—and to remind you that His death and resurrection are your death and resurrection. That’s why He gives you absolution and preaching: so that you can hear His voice from your pastor, telling you that the wolves—sin, death, and devil—won’t hurt you. He gives you the overflowing cup of His Supper, so that you can dine in the presence of your enemies and laugh at them because they cannot have you. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. That’s what He’s all about. Jesus being the Good Shepherd means that He keeps you safe from whatever could harm you as a sheep. His goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life, until you dwell in the house of the Lord forever. ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! 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 4/27/14--Easter II

Audio:




Text:

Believing

John 20:19-31

ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen. 

The Apostles and the generation of Christians with them saw Christ in the flesh with their eyes. But the rest of us, we have seen Christ by faith which comes by hearing His Word. True faith is faith in the Word. Jesus is the Word. His disciples believed in Him in part because of what they saw. They saw the Word. For the rest of the ages, it is ours to hear the Word. Jesus says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” This is our lot. This is our blessing.

Jesus tells His apostles, “As the Father has sent me so I send you.” With these words, He sends His apostles into the world to preach the forgiveness of sins in His name, to baptize and to teach, to absolve and to bind sins, to administer Chris's body and blood. It is through the ministry of the Apostles that the Spirit brings faith to those who hear the Word. It is the Gospel and Sacraments that bring us Jesus and bring us faith. It is through the Spirit who works by these gifts—through the Word, the water and the blood—that we are given faith which trusts in Christ and clings to Him.

The world does not understand this. Many who call themselves Christians do not understand this. There is no faith apart from Christ's Word and Sacraments. Christ does not come to us or deal with us or forgive us or give us life apart from the Spirit. There are many who say they don't need to come to church to believe in God or have forgiveness. There are many who are baptized but no longer come to hear God's Word. There are many who began receiving the Sacrament and now receive it rarely if ever. I don't want you to have any false impressions. Those who despise Christ's gifts and don't receive them are not to be considered Christians. We aren’t justified merely because we’re here this morning and others aren’t. It is just as easy to despise the gifts of God while sitting in the pew every Sunday, to act like the Pharisee who feels worthy because he is not like the tax collector. Repent of such thinking. Repent of such a faith.  

Repent of self-reliance; it is Christ who earns for us the forgiveness of sins. He does it by His perfect life and His obedient death. He does it by shedding His blood. He does it on the cross by the water and blood that flow from His side. See? He comes by the water and blood! That's how He died. It's how He comes to us now: by the water of Baptism and the blood of the cup in the Supper. He comes to us by the preaching and teaching of Scripture. When the Lord was raised from the dead, He breathed on His disciples and gave them the authority to forgive and bind sins! Jesus doesn't leave us guessing as to how we may have forgiveness! It's all there in the preaching and teaching of Scripture by which the Spirit gives us the forgiveness won by Jesus. No need to wonder about where to find Jesus: He comes to us in the waters of the font and the absolution spoken by our pastors. No need to look high and low. He's right there on the altar in His body and blood. His own Word and Sacraments give faithful witness. This is how He comes to us. This is how He forgives us and saves us.

Yes, the Apostles got to see Jesus with their eyes, but you have heard Christ and believed in Him through His Word and Sacraments. This faith clings to Jesus where He has promised to be: in His church, where His Word and Sacraments are given. Here and only here you can be certain that all Jesus has done, He has done for you. Here in His church, Jesus puts His Word, His water, and His body and blood in you. Do not doubt what you have heard. Instead, believe with the faith given you in Holy Baptism…for believing, you have life. ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! 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 4/20/14--The Resurrection of Our Lord

No audio this week. Sorry. Apparently I didn't turn the sound system on for either service. *sigh*

Arrangements

Mark 16:1-8

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen. 

We spend a lot of time thinking about death. When it comes for a loved one, we call family members and friends to share the sad news. We call the funeral home and arrange a meeting with the funeral director to set a date, arrange the obituary, to choose a casket and liner. We talk to the pastor to choose the hymns and readings, to ask for a meal in the church basement, to share stories of the life of the deceased and receive whatever meager comfort we will allow him to give. We call the florist. We sort through pictures of the deceased and remember the events and stories. We go through life expecting death. This is how we deal with it. It’s how we deal with the reality that a loved one’s body has ceased to function. When death happens, we mourn. We get angry and bitter. But we know it’s there, and we know we have to suffer it and put up with it.

Things haven’t changed very much. Like us, the Mary brigade and Salome went to the tomb the day after the Sabbath. They’d wept as they had prepared the spices to anoint His body. The only detail they couldn’t control was the big stone that had been set to block the entrance to the tomb. But when they arrived, they found the stone already rolled aside; the tomb was vacant. What would you do if the grave you went to put flowers on had been moved with no explanation? But the empty tomb does have an explanation. Christ is risen! That’s what the angel told them. And what’s more, it’s what Jesus said would happen long before.

Death is not something Jesus tolerates. We saw a foretaste of it when Jesus raised Lazarus. But when Jesus rose, death was overwhelmed. Christ is risen! So what do the women do? The leave in fear! They know how to deal with death, of course. But who knows how to deal with resurrection? Eventually it all comes out. Death is undone. Jesus appears to the disciples and the faithful. The resurrection of Jesus is that first little pull on the string that causes the whole ball of yarn to unravel. It begins with Jesus, and it continues to the Last Day when He comes again, when the trumpet sounds, when every one of you will rise from your graves to eternal life. Death will be completely unraveled! The death of Jesus robs death of its power. It is no longer permanent. His resurrection shows that He really did conquer sin, death, and the Devil. Sin leads to death. But Jesus being alive means death has been defeated; sin has been buried, left in the tomb. Your sin is forgiven. Your death will be undone; it is merely the gate to eternal life with God.

Baptism, absolution, the preaching of Christ crucified and risen, and the Supper of His body and blood—those are the ways in which Christ gives the Church to handle death. Through the victory of Christ, those are the ways in which we mock death, ridicule it, taunt it that it has no power. As the apostle tells us, Baptism means we have already died and risen with Christ. The body and blood of Jesus gives us life, and He will raise us on the Last Day. Christ is alive; His tomb is empty. And just like that, your grave is going to be empty on the Last Day. You will be alive to live forever.

For now, we face death. We decorate the graves of loved ones as those who mock death. Even in mourning, we taunt death—Death, where is your sting? Grave, where is your victory? It has no more sting. It has no more victory. It is only temporary. It is not life that is fleeting and short; it is death that will not last. We already know this, for the saints who have gone before join with us at Christ’s altar, and we feast with them on the food of everlasting life, the flesh and blood of the Savior. Christ has made all the arrangements necessary to deal with death. He has conquered it; it has no more power over you. Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! 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.  

Love Divine to be available for FREE!

My book "Love Divine," the first book of my "Thy Strong Word" trilogy, will be available for FREE on Kindle devices from April 26-28. If you haven't already read my books, this is a good way to break yourself into the series. Please share this message with your friends, your family, and anyone else you think might be interested.

Here's the description: "Romance and Lutheran apologetics come together as Justin Corwin, the pastor of St. Michael Lutheran Church in Carousel, New York, and Chaplain of the Carousel Fire Department, runs into Bethanne McCarthy, a detective in the Carousel Police Department--or rather, she runs into him. Justin is single and content with his life the way it is; Beth was widowed over two years ago, and she has finally found joy in life again. Neither has any intention of falling in love. As they get to know each other better, however, they begin to realize that the plans of men are nothing next to what God has set apart for them. How will their relationship affect their various vocations? How will he handle the danger of her profession? How will she overcome the guilt she feels for moving on with her life after the death of her husband?"

Click this link to listen to my interviews on KFUO's BookTalk about the Thy Strong Word novels.

Click this link to find a number of reviews that don't appear on the Amazon site.

CLICK THIS LINK to order Love Divine from Amazon.com. But WAIT UNTIL FRIDAY to get it for FREE!

Thank you for your time and consideration!

Sermon for 4/18/14--Good Friday (midweek series)

Audio:




Text:

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

John 19:30/Seventh Petition of the Lord’s Prayer

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

On Good Friday we delve into the darkest hour of human history. A fearful fight is going on between God and Satan. Obviously, the climax is close at hand. Finally, the air of suspense is pierced with the cry of the Victor: “It is finished!” Satan is overcome; his reign of terror is done. We Christians treasure the victory of Christ on the cross; it lies at the very heart and center of our faith. But it’s so easy to overlook the fact that our salvation did not come easily. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was waging war for us. Satan was the fearful foe. He had done everything possible to turn the whole world against Jesus. But he lost! Jesus won! And He won for us. And this is why we can pray with complete confidence this last petition of the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father…deliver us from evil.” “Father, let evil be ended, the devil be done” in our lives also!

    

Evil is ended; the devil is done! How we need to hear this over and over. Satan’s power and dominion has been crushed. And yet, our Lord permits him to prowl about this earth, as Peter said, “…like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” We have the freedom to choose his wiles and his ways. But thanks to Christ’s victory, we need never do that! The name “Satan” is derived from the Hebrew verb that means “to lie in wait, to oppose.” The word “devil” comes from the Greek word meaning “one who slanders.” These two names make his character and his role quite clear. He opposes everything good, because everything that is truly good comes from God. This he has done from the beginning, from the moment God finished His creation and called it “very good.”

    

From the beginning, Satan opposed the Father in heaven. At some point, the idea was born in Satan’s mind to oppose God openly, to fight it out with Him, and he managed to take some of the other angels with him into his evil plot. God has not chosen to reveal to us what happened, but we know that Satan lost. He and his horder were banished from heaven. His opposition to God had failed miserably and completely. He then opposed God’s creatures, the man and woman God had created. Though He could not get at God directly, perhaps He could do so indirectly by getting at God’s creatures. This time, Satan won the battle, and God was forced to curse those fallen creatures with death—one of Satan’s favorite words! At the same time, God promised Adam and Eve that One who would be born of a woman would crush Satan’s head. Centuries passed, and no doubt Satan felt that he was the winner. Men were born and died; hatred ran rampant on the earth; century after century was filled with hopeless futility. But then God sent His Son into the fray; the third and decisive battle was about to begin.

    

Satan stirred up King Herod to try and kill Him as an infant, but could not succeed. Later, as a full-grown Man, people flocked to hear Jesus speak about the Kingdom of God, and that He was the only way by which one could enter that kingdom. Finally, Satan found a usable tool in one of Jesus’ own disciples, a man named Judas, into whom he entered and whom he persuaded to betray his Master to the enemy. But that plan backfired, as well. Jesus, untouched by sin, refused to yield to Satan’s will. Jesus proclaimed the greatest victory the world has ever known, when He said, “It is finished!” And it was finished. Satan was finished. The problem of sin was settled. Death was doomed. Jesus took the initiative away from Satan by allowing all of this to happen. And even while the devil was nursing his wounds, Jesus descended into hell to proclaim His victory. And then He rose triumphantly from the grave. No longer would Satan have power over human life and death. Evil is ended; the devil is done!

What a cozy way to end the Lord’s Prayer and even our contemplation of Good Friday. But there is a danger here, too. We can become unconcerned about evil. Sin lies in wait at our doorstep, and we stumble over it again and again. Occasionally we spring to our feet, alert to the danger. Suddenly, out of the depths, we cry out “O Lord, deliver us from this evil!” Was it this our Savior had in mind when He taught us to pray, “Deliver us from evil”? Was it for these isolated instances that our Savior cried out, “It is finished”? Surely we know better than that.

We must rise from our knees and face a few realities. Evil is still very much with us; the devil still stalks his prey. And so, while thanks to our Savior’s victory, evil is ended and the devil is done, we still have a fight on our hands. As we come near the conclusion of this great prayer our Lord has taught us, we join with each other, and with our Savior Himself, to make this fervent plea, that our heavenly Father would deliver us from evil and from the devil who continues to attack our lives. Thanks to Jesus, our lives do not have to be controlled by evil and Satan. These mighty words, “deliver us from evil,” will topple Satan and His kingdom. And then, knowing that Jesus has won the victory, knowing that our Father has heard our prayer, with confidence we can pray, “Amen. It shall be so.” 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 4/17/14--Maundy Thursday (midweek series)

Audio:




Text:

Get Thee Behind Me!

Matthew 26:41/Sixth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer

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

What a strange way to pray about temptation: “Our Father…lead us not into temptation.” Couldn’t Jesus have done a better job of wording this? Perhaps we might improve the prayer by saying something like this: “Father, keep temptation from our doorstep,” or “Don’t let temptation ever touch us.” But this is not what Jesus said. In the Garden He did not warn His disciples, “Watch and pray so that temptation doesn’t come near you.” No, what He said was this: “Watch and pray lest you enter into temptation.” Again, we observe a very clear connection between the Lord’s Prayer and the Lord’s Passion. On this Maundy Thursday we want to take at look at ourselves in the light of the Passion of our Lord, so we can understand that we, too, are faced with temptation on all sides. We hear our Lord’s warning to His disciples, and we hear His command to pray about temptation in the prayer He has given us. All of this leads us to cry out, “Father, do not forsake us in Temptation.”

Temptations are inevitable. If Christ’ disciples were tempted and fell, and if our Lord Himself was tempted, who do we think we are to walk around with the attitude that it could never happen to us? We know about temptation. We know how Moses, and David, and Solomon succumbed to temptation. But when temptations converge on us, we sometimes fail to recognize that they have hit us, even when we fall to them! We can never hope to be exempt from temptation. In fact, Jesus prayed on the very night He was betrayed by one who was tempted and fell.

When our Lord Jesus Christ brought us to faith in Himself, He did not remove us from all the grit and grime of this life. Instead He set us right back in the middle of it. He did not demand that we give up our emotions and passions and loves and concerns of life. We were not puppets or robots. He has not commanded that we be confined in a kind of pietistic, sanctimonious isolation from life. No. We are to be “lights” shining brightly in a world full of temptations. Of course we must not walk into them deliberately. But neither do we have the right to pray, “Lord, keep all temptation from us.” The truth is, because we are children of the heavenly Father, we will be subjected to temptation all the more. After all, unlike unbelievers, we recognize them and want to overcome them. We want to say with Jesus, “Get thee behind me, Satan!”

Actually, temptation has a certain value for us. James put it this way: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience…Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been proved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” If our faith was never put to the test, we would either lose it completely, or it would become horribly weak. Of what value is a faith that has never been tested? And then, too, we must know the source of temptation. Luther described this as “the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh.” These sources of temptation attack us in different ways and at different times in life. Flesh and blood are no match for Satan. There is but one defense, and that is Jesus Christ.

Our Father in heaven knows us well. He knows our helplessness in facing and overcoming temptation on our own. Lovingly and willingly He offered His Son to become our flesh and blood Substitute. As we read in Hebrews: “We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Satan tried everything to get Jesus to succumb to temptation. He even moved men to nail Him to the cross. There the temptation was terrific. At the ninth hour of the day, Jesus experienced what it meant to be separated from the Father by a wall of sin. “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Had Satan won after all? Was Jesus weakening in His resolve to finish the Father’s work of redemption for us? The next moment He cries out again in great relief and triumph, “It is finished.” Once and for all, the work of salvation is complete, and by His victory we are set free from the sin we fall into when we give in to temptation. We pray, “Forgive us our trespasses,” and we know that in Him they are certainly forgiven. Now He bids us pray as well, “Lead us not into temptation.”

Of course, the flesh is weak. We confess that fact every time we pray, “Lead us not into temptation.” But as we pray, we can be absolutely certain that our Father will not allow us to enter into any temptation or trial that He will not also enable us to bear. As St. Paul said: “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” We will find such strength in Word, in prayer, and in that wondrous blessing of the very body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, given and shed for the remission of our sins. He who endured the great temptation to give us these gifts, He will not forsake us in temptation. 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.

New Blog for WWE Notes

I know that my followers are here for theology and personal items, and not all of you are WWE fans. Rather than clutter this page with WWE event notes, I decided to start a new blog. Here it is:

AjK's WWE Notes!

Enjoy!

Sermon for 4/13/14--Palm Sunday/Confirmation

Audio:




Text:
           

Is It I?

Matthew 26:1-27:66

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

This is Holy Week, and it is here that we see the worst of man. All the dark secrets of our hearts are exposed this week. We are there in Judas' betrayal, in Peter's denial, in the hateful crowd that chose Barabbas, in the cowardice and expediency of Pilate, in the cruelty of the Roman guard. But do not avert your gaze for shame. Instead repent and rejoice, for the Son of Man was lifted up to draw you to Him. It is your salvation, your adoption into grace, the bestowal of your Name and inheritance.

Do not be afraid to ask that question the disciples ask in the upper room: “Is it I, Lord?” Instead learn to say: “It could be me. I could be Judas, driven by greed. I could be Peter, denying Jesus in fear. I am capable of these things and worse. Yes, it could be me. I could be Judas. I could be Peter. I could be Pilate. I could ask for Barabbas and yell, 'Crucify Him!' I could be overcome by bloodlust, anger, and hatred.” Make confession, lest your faith grow cold and your heart turn to stone. Examine yourself. Ask, “Is it I?” And then leave it there. Leave it all at the foot of the cross. Rejoice in the death of Jesus. And then rejoice in the coming Resurrection.

His goodness and faithfulness are not derived from your obedience or loyalty. You were not worthy of His love, but He loves you anyway. It was His will to suffer your betrayal and abuse so that you would be spared. You ask: “Is it I, Lord?” And He says, “No. It is not. You are innocent. You are righteous and well-pleasing to the Father. The burden of all your guilt has been carried to my cross and buried in my tomb. Your sins are gone. The guilt is all Mine. The thorns, the scourge, and the nails have bled them out of Me; you are clean. You are not accountable in heaven for sins on earth. You do not pay the debt of sin. I paid it all. There is no more. I welcome you back again. I love you. Be at peace.”

Alexis and Chandler…in teaching you the Small Catechism, I’ve taught you two main points. The first is that you are a sinner. That’s easy enough to believe, isn’t it? In all that time we spent digging into the Ten Commandments, the Lord has made it abundantly clear that your every thought, every word, every action and inaction—your every breath—is tainted by sin. But all that follows is meant to express the second point, which is that God has done everything necessary to remove that sin from you. God the Father loves you so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross, carrying your sins, and then to rise again to raise you to new life with Him. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to deliver that work to you in the waters of Holy Baptism, where the Father made you His child and forgave your sins. Jesus taught you to call upon His Father as your Father. And then He feeds you with word of Holy Absolution and with His own body and blood.

Is this too good to be true? To answer that, think on Barabbas, a man guilty of vile crimes of treachery and betrayal. Yet he went free, pardoned of his crimes. In hatred the mob chose a murderer like him over the Lord of Life who had healed their sick, driven off the demons, and given back their dead. But the Father was not sad. He would not have it any other way. What they chose in their hatred, what they meant for evil, He meant for good. In the end it is not they who chose Barabbas, but God. God rescued Barabbas from his guilt and death penalty. Jesus switched places with him. It could not be any other way. By the condemnation, bitter sufferings, and death of Our Lord, God made all things new—and that includes you.

This Holy Week, let Christ heal your soul, bind up your broken heart, and restore your courage and faith. Do not weep for your Lord. Rejoice instead; sing Hosanna. The will of the Father is seen on the cross. The Name of the Father is glorified there. The Passover is done. The New Testament in His Blood is begun. And you are His—now and eternally. Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord; His mercy endureth 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.