Sermon for 7/24/22: Sixth Sunday After Trinity

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“Death and Life”

Romans 6:1-11

 

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

 

 

We often talk about an emergency as “a matter of life and death.” But as logical as that order may seem—life and death—St. Paul begs to differ. For you, for me, and for all the faithful of Christ, death precedes life. You die…and then you live. But how can this be? The evidence speaks rather powerfully to the contrary. We have all known faithful Christians who have lived, and then they have died. We have seen their lifeless bodies, perhaps even seen those bodies lowered into their earthly resting places. In response, St. Paul says, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried, therefore, with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

Throughout this text, St. Paul speaks much about our death as Christians. He speaks of crucifixion; he speaks of burial. And these things sound very strange to our ears because we don’t consider ourselves dead at all! To the contrary, we feel very much alive! Those among us who are few in years are full of energy and vitality, with no thought about ever dying. And those of us with more years, even more than we may care to acknowledge, still cherish life and prize it, and seek by all means to preserve it.

Still, St. Paul insists that death is the first order of business for us. Listen to what he says: “We were buried, therefore, with Him...” “We have been united with Him in a death like His...” “...our old self was crucified with Him.” “...we have died with Christ.” “So you must also consider yourself dead...” Of course, St. Paul is not referring to death in a merely physical sense. He means that Christians, through the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and through the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, are dead to sin and even to death itself. You are no longer under death’s awful power; no longer under the sway of the devil and his power of darkness, the ruler of the realm of death. And how has this happened? It has taken place in Holy Baptism. That is what Paul says. In Baptism you enter into the death of Jesus and receive from Him everything that His death has accomplished. And this is not just some symbolic dying on your part, but a real death that takes in everything that is Christ’s death!

What great comfort is found in your Baptism! Recall those wonderful words from the Small Catechism: “What benefits does Baptism give? It works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare. Which are these words and promises of God? Christ our Lord says in the last chapter of Mark: ‘Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.’”

Baptism works the forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness means that sins are gone, every last one of them, never to haunt or hurt you again. Baptism rescues from death and the devil. Baptism spares you from the consequences of death. Because you have gone through death with Jesus, you need never fear death again. Yes, you will experience physical death. After all, as Scripture clearly teaches, the wages of sin is death. Your body must enter the realm of physical death where it will rest, awaiting the call of Christ at His return to come out of the grave. But for you and for all the faithful of Christ, the death of the body is nothing more than closing your eyes to this world, only to open them again in your heavenly home, where the devil can never again reach you to taunt you and tempt you and hate you. Baptism gives you eternal salvation, a salvation that not only will not end, but will enjoy the unending presence of Christ Himself in all His fullness and with all the richness of His gifts! All of that is death for you! All of that is dying with Christ and being buried with Him in Holy Baptism, and all so that you might then rise to newness of life. And while that newness of life is certainly known in its fullness only in eternity, there is newness of life to be known now and to be lived now.

Newness of life is to be “in Christ,” to be truly alive with Him now! It is to faithfully walk with Him here and now because, after all, He is already walking with you. There is not a single step you take in this life that He is not with you. “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” That is His promise to you. And that is true above all when life and livelihood are threatened. Paul said: “If we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.” And that’s not just life hereafter. That promise is our present reality as well as our future hope. Present or future, it is all one life because there is but one Christ, who lives and reigns to all eternity.

And the very fact that we are united with Christ in His death and in His life means that we daily share in the blessings of His resurrection, even as it raises our lives now above mere routine existence. It makes of our lives something glorious, even though that glory might, for now, be hidden by suffering or affliction. It makes every day an opportunity to rejoice in that life which is the creation of the Holy Spirit, to open our ears to the life-giving and comforting Word of God, to raise our voices and our hearts in prayer to our heavenly Father who has given us His sure and certain promise that He will hear and answer our prayers.

And all of this is what makes life worth living and death worth dying, for death and life now means that there is life to come that surpasses anything we have known, anything we can now comprehend. Christ’s death is ours, and His life is ours, too. And we live eternally because He died and then rose to life again. 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 7/17/22: Fifth Sunday After Trinity

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Where Is God? Where Are You?

I Kings 19:11-21

 

 

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

 

Is anyone surprised that Peter falls down in repentant fear when he realizes he is in the presence of almighty God? It’s kind of difficult to ignore when your boat is sinking beneath your feet under the weight of the largest catch of fish you’ve ever seen in your life. Is anyone surprised that Peter left everything sitting on the shore and immediately began to follow Jesus? After witnessing such a powerful miracle, how could you not?! Well… not so fast.

In the Old Testament text, Elijah had just triumphed over 450 prophets of Baal in a huge God vs. Baal showdown; an all-consuming, fire-from-heaven display made it abundantly clear that God was completely in charge and Lord of all. Unfortunately, though, even after such a huge display of power and might, some people still refused to believe. That powerful miracle didn’t change a thing for some folks. In fact, wicked queen Jezebel sent word to Elijah, letting him know that by the same time tomorrow he would suffer the same deadly fate as those 450 Baal prophets he had just slaughtered. If something as powerful and miraculous as all-consuming fire from heaven and the subsequent slaughter of 450 false prophets won’t convince people to turn from their evil and turn back to God, then what hope does he have for any kind of evangelistic success in this foul and wicked place? In sorrow and fear, Elijah heads for the hills, eventually hiding in the cave. Elijah cries out to God and asks that God just end it now and kill him.

But you know the rest of this story. It’s when Elijah finally settles down in his little cave hiding spot that the very Word of God comes to Elijah and asks why he is not where God called him be. God frames it this way so that Elijah might repent. But Elijah didn’t repent. He wasn’t sorry for running away. When things didn’t go the way he had planned or thought they should go, he lost it. “Israel has rejected me and rejected You. They’ve torn down the altars and killed all your faithful prophets and are worshiping false gods. Now they want to kill me. There’s no hope for these people! There’s no point!”

This is when God tells Elijah to go stand outside on top of the mountain so that God can show him something. By means of mighty miracles and terrifying displays of power, God teaches Elijah a lesson about Himself and how He works. God very clearly demonstrates that He’s not in the mighty things that man looks to. He’s not in the mighty rock-shattering winds. He’s not in the terrifying earthquake. He’s not in the fire. God wasn’t in any of those huge, awe-inspiring, terrifying things. Instead, God whispers to Elijah in the faintest whisper.

We understand what God is telling Elijah, but do we understand it in our own lives? Might we miss the almighty presence and peace of God because we’re too busy looking for the mighty and miraculous instead of the lowly whispers already in our midst? You may not want to admit it, but it’s very easy to become weak in the faith when things aren’t going as great as we think they should. We always seem to need a sign or proof from God. His Word and Promise is never quite good enough for us. You may not want to admit it, but that doesn’t make it any less true.

It’s easy to point the finger at all those hypocrites. But what about you? Would the exercise of your faith in this fallen and sinful world be somehow different if God just gave you some kind of powerful miracle or display? Do you need a sign before you will fully commit to trusting in Him?  If you need proof, look no further than this cross! Here is where God in the flesh died! Here in the midst of all this terrifying tragedy and tribulation is the love that God has for you, on full display for all the world to see! Here is almighty God in the flesh, in the absolute last place you’d think to look for the Almighty. Yet here He is! “O, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God.”

Where does God call you to be? Maybe the better question is: Where do you flee when the trials and tribulations hit? Does God ever have to tap you on the shoulder and say, “What are you doing here?” Look to the font, the altar, the pulpit, and the lectern. Here is this same almighty God who conquered sin, death, and the devil. Here He is, in the lowest, simplest, and most unexpected, over-looked places. Here is where your God and Lord is! He’s right where He calls you to be! He’s right where He Himself promises to be. He’s right where He points you and directs you; He draws near to you in order that you would draw near to Him. Wars, rumors of war, plagues, fears of getting sick…none of that has ever kept God from His people.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ: Here is Immanuel, God graciously present even now in your midst…for you. May this real presence and peace of Christ be your desire, your assurance, and your peace all your remaining days and into all eternity. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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

Sermon for 7/10/22: Fourth Sunday After Trinity

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Greatness

Genesis 50:15-21

 

 

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

 

 

How do you measure greatness? What is your standard? Do you examine the sports reports? Do you look for greatness in the lives of those who have achieved high office in the country, the community, or even the Church? Can you measure greatness by popularity or good grades in school, by a job or salary earned? Do you measure greatness by academic degrees or impressive sounding titles? When you consider the twisted standards by which we tend to measure greatness, if you reflect on the struggle any undertake to attain greatness—in which even Christians are sometimes engaged—there surely can be no doubt that we have much to learn about how to measure true greatness.

“When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, ‘It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil we did to him.’” They remembered all too well their plotting to get rid of Joseph all those years ago. It had been impossible to tolerate the seeming favoritism their father had showed to Joseph. How could they forget the plans they had spun from their jealous minds; the deep hole, the plot to kill him, and the final compromise to sell him to those traveling merchantmen? The intervening years had done nothing to dim their guilty memories. They remembered it all. There was no greatness to be measured that day.

With their father gone, and Joseph with so much power, anything might happen. Perhaps Joseph would now even the score. The paralyzing fear that grips them is the bitter tragedy of evil and the high cost of sin. And isn’t it still that way for us? Our evil, our misdeeds, our harshness with others, our deliberate deceiving of ourselves and others, our scheming and our unholy plans that turn to dust and ashes—how frequently they come home to roost. And when they do, fear seizes our hearts.

The brothers, terrified for their lives, fall on their knees before Joseph. This whimpering, this twisting of arms, this persuasion by pressure and intimidation: this is not the measure of greatness. You must look to Joseph for that greatness, where the text says, “And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.” It may seem like a strange measure of greatness, because we have allowed ourselves to be persuaded that real men should never cry. Tears are the measure of weakness in those who are too soft for their own good.

Joseph wept, even as our Savior wept at the death of Lazarus. What need is there to suppress and hide honest feelings? Does God expect us to live in a world of make believe as though we were unaffected by life and death, by joy and sorrow, by pain and well-being? The Scriptures speak about your life as a child of God who lives by faith. “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice!” St. Paul wrote to the Philippians. And in his letter to the Romans, He offered this advice: “Weep with those that weep.”

Perhaps the most evident measure of greatness in Joseph is his readiness to forgive. He opens wide the door of reconciliation to his brothers by a genuine word of forgiveness that he speaks to the hearts of his brothers: “Do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” How different this world’s history might have been if more men and women, more children and young people, would have been willing to speak kindly, to offer words of forgiveness to others. So often, however, our pride, maybe even a desire to hurt, keeps us from speaking such good words to wounded hearts of our families, friends, and neighbors.

The life of our Lord Jesus Christ was, and continues to be, a demonstration of real greatness. He forgave those who wronged Him, whose hearts were troubled because of their own foolishness. Even from the cross, in spite of all the pain and agony, His first word was a word of forgiveness. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Today it is the same cheering word He still speaks to our worried hearts and guilty consciences. “Be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven.”

How do you measure greatness? It is always a pertinent question for preachers and teachers, for parents and children, for men and women, for old and young. It’s a meaningful question at all times, especially given the many confusing standards people want to use. Those to whom God has given newness of faith and life in Christ have eyes that can see the smallness of people for what it is, but who refuse to be made small by it. If you are looking for greatness, look for it not in those who are great by the standards of this corrupt world; look for it in those who possess the mind of Christ: who are not undone by adversity, but trust in the God whose judgments are right and who triumphs over evil. This God, who forgives so much, is the One who, through His Holy Spirit, creates in us the readiness also to forgive, just as He did in Joseph. That is the measure of greatness. May it please God that others would see that greatness in us. In the name of the Father and of the Son (†) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

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

Sermon for 7/3/22: Third Sunday After Trinity

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Faith and the Narrow Way

I Peter 5:6-11

 

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

It is the common theme among the unchurched—and even among those who claim to be Christians but refuse to attend worship—that the Church is full of hypocrites. “Yeah, you Christians talk a good game, but when the rubber hits the road, you don’t live your lives according to the Bible.” The accusation is that we don’t live up to the standard set before us in the Ten Commandments; that we don’t fear, love, and trust in God above all things; that we don’t love our neighbors as ourselves. And if we examine ourselves according to the Law of God, we have to admit the truth of the accusation. We are poor, miserable sinners. We sin in thought, word, and deed, by what we do and by what we fail to do. And sinners, even with the best of intentions, cannot perfectly live what we believe.

In the epistle, Peter is telling you that you must walk the walk of faith, that you must strive to live as the redeemed children of God, not as a spoiled child who takes advantage of a doting and doddering Father who allegedly refuses to show the discipline you deserve. No, the good works you do will not save you, nor will your refusal to do the evil works that tempt you. Nevertheless, you are supposed to live your faith in your daily life. You are supposed to display the love of God in Christ to your neighbors.

Jesus describes the way a Christian walks as a narrow and difficult path. Even the most gifted gymnast has difficulty walking on a balance beam. Anyone who has tried walking on a curb knows how difficult it can be to stay on a narrow path. Sometimes I can’t even stay on a sidewalk. And the daily walk with Christ is even more perilous because of the dangers on the way. St. Peter says that you must walk humbly, that you must remain alert, because Satan is always lurking about, ready to push you off the road and snatch you away. The writer of Proverbs says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” God has made you in His own image, and He wants to keep shaping you in His image, while the Old Adam wants you to be proud of your sin. If you are not constantly aware of that Old Adam, you will be so busy looking at a god who looks like what you see in a mirror that you will wander from the path God has set before you.

These dangers are real, and they may come when you least expect them. There are many who call themselves Christians, but they have stepped away from this narrow path, many without even realizing it. They may even continue to worship and do good works. But they no longer order their lives according to the Word of God. They have deceived themselves into believing they can serve both God and their own agenda. They have believed the lies and distractions Satan has set before them. They have looked at the Word of God and have tossed away those teachings that don’t harmonize with their own ideas and goals.

Do you hear those words and wonder if St. Peter is talking about you? For me, it would be a joy to toss away what the Bible teaches about gluttony. Paul wrote to the Philippians, “Many…are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly…” The Old Adam wants me to believe that I can fill my plate as many times as I want. Satan even tells me that I am honoring God’s First Article blessings by overindulging in the gifts of daily bread. But in reality, I am destroying the body God has given me, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit. What idol, what false god, is trying to lead you from the narrow path?

Standing firm in the faith and resisting Satan and your Old Adam will be uncomfortable. Peter acknowledges that as he says, “…The same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” It is true that such suffering is unpleasant on the narrow way, and your wisdom and power are never enough to perfectly resist the trial or endure the suffering. But your suffering is not permanent. God will end it in His good time. Meanwhile, He has given you the power of Christ. He has placed your feet on the path. He has prepared you for the journey by washing you clean and covering you with the robe of baptismal righteousness. And Christ has even become the Way for you.

And when you stray from the path, when you fail to live as you believe, He seeks you out and brings you back. He says to you, “Cast all your cares upon me, because you belong to me. I have won the victory. For the sake of My own suffering and death, I forgive you all your sins. I will always welcome you back to the path, and I will see you through that narrow gate. I give you new life, eternal life.” The God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, washes you with the bloody water from our Savior’s side and feeds you with His own body and blood to “perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” Through these gifts, and with His Holy Spirit who has been given to each believer, God will guide and strengthen and bless and keep you unto that final exaltation on the Last Day. In thanksgiving we pray, “To Him be the glory and dominion forever and ever.” 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 6/26/22: Second Sunday After Trinity

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Wisdom

Proverbs 9:1-10

 

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

 

God’s wisdom is unlike the wisdom of this world. God’s wisdom is higher and deeper; it is pure and undefiled. The book of Proverbs focuses on godly wisdom as the proper pursuit of every child of God. There are two “characters” portrayed consistently throughout the book—“Wisdom” and “Folly”—and the book describes their words and their works. In this reading, Wisdom builds a house and throws a feast. It is an invitation for all to hear and to learn the wisdom of God. St. Paul, in his First Epistle to the Corinthians, refers to Jesus Himself as our Wisdom. No doubt, the apostle has this text from Proverbs in mind. What can be wiser than knowing and believing in Him? What can be better than being fed by His Word and Sacraments? True wisdom, and the key to understanding the Proverbs, is found in Jesus Christ.

But this text reveals that the wisdom of God is sometimes a word of correction. In other words, true wisdom takes God’s Law seriously in all its severity. And a truly wise Christian will heed the Law. That doesn’t mean we do what it says, for we are sinners, rotten to the core. But the Law shows us our sin and drives us to despair; we recognize that we are lost and dead in sin. The Law tears down the walls of self-righteousness, burns down our flimsy house of excuses, exposes us as frauds, and drives us to our knees.

It is then that the Gospel does its work. Only when we are stinging from the Law does the balm of the Gospel soothe and heal. Only when we have tasted the bitterness of our own sins can we savor the sweetness of forgiveness. Jesus through His death and resurrection rescues us from the fires of hell and carries us on the wings of His mercy to our eternal home with Him. The Gospel, the wisdom of God, begins with faith in Jesus Christ; or as Proverbs puts it: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” True wisdom is to fear the Lord; true wisdom is to know the Holy One.

In John’s Gospel, there is an account that illustrates the difficulty of this divine wisdom. Jesus spoke hard words to a crowd of increasingly skeptical followers; these words were so hard, in fact, that many deserted Him. By the way, this ought to be of some comfort as we attempt to share the Gospel; even Jesus couldn’t convince everyone. Then He asked the twelve if they wanted to leave Him, too. But Peter confessed: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Wisdom starts with Jesus. Do you want to be truly wise unto salvation? Then fear, love, and trust in Jesus Christ, the One whose wisdom flows in the face of common sense. You don’t think so? Think on this: Love your enemies. Turn the other cheek. Forgive your brother when he sins against you, even 70 times 7. Take up your cross and follow. This is foolishness to human wisdom. When Jesus started talking about His cross, Peter rebuked Jesus and tried to talk Him out of it. But Jesus rebuked Peter, even calling him Satan. The wisdom of this world says we should avoid suffering at all costs. This is not the talk of faith; it is the language of unbelief!

It is hard to hear those wise words of correction without becoming scoffers ourselves, without hating the message or the messenger. The Lord calls me to be the messenger, and there are times I don’t want to hear or deliver the message. But true wisdom accepts the discipline of God’s Word; true wisdom humbly confesses our sins and seeks to do better. This is wisdom: to know the Holy One of God who took our punishment and guilt and shame, and who now gives us the new life of the child of God.

Such wisdom and instruction can be found only in God’s Word. We will, of course, be tempted to look for wisdom elsewhere. We will make all sorts of appeals to all sorts of other things. We will rationalize and excuse; we will listen to the advice of learned men; we will give ear to the tune the world around us is singing. As someone once said, “The gray areas are the devil’s playground.” We tell ourselves, “I know God’s Word says this, but...” And so the devil sows his seeds of doubt and destruction.

God warns us for good reason. The easy way is so appealing. Hearing the correction of God’s Word and knowing true wisdom is the hard way. It is all too tempting to do what you want instead of what God’s Word commands. The truth is, the Old Adam in you hates to turn away from sin. He has no desire to believe in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin. But the Holy Spirit calls and enlightens you to do just that. And while there may be no sinful fun, there is great blessing: the blessing of a clear conscience; the blessing of God’s approval because Jesus claims you as His own; the blessing of knowing God’s promises that, while life is often full of suffering and misery, you have a mansion in heaven that bears your name; the blessing of serving your neighbor with the love of Christ; the blessing of receiving His gifts of peace and certainty. And you have the greatest blessing of all: knowing the true Wisdom of God in Jesus Christ, who gives you the words of eternal life. Remain in Him and with Him always. 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 6/12/22: The Feast of the Holy Trinity

My apologies. It seems I forgot how to speak words this week, if these recordings are any indication.

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Understanding
Romans 11:33-36

 

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

 The God with whom we deal, the One in whom we believe—the blessed Holy Trinity—not only surpasses understanding; He defies understanding. He fits into none of those pre-conceived notions we may have about who or what kind of God He is. We like to think that we are sophisticated people—that, with all of our technology and our ability to find and retrieve information almost instantaneously, there is nothing we cannot know, nothing we cannot do, nothing we cannot manipulate, if we just have the proper information and the right equipment. But how do you stop a massive earthquake? How do you halt seemingly inevitable flood waters? And, more difficult still, how do you explain such things? For what precise reason do they happen? And why do they happen over and over again?

“Who has known the mind of the Lord?” Do you know it? Of course, you don’t. Oh, there is much you can know about God. This wonderful creation all around us reveals many things about Him. As David joyfully confessed in the Psalms: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.” Creation reveals a marvelous order, and the genius behind it, that tells us a good deal about God. But, do you know the mind of God? Are you able to search into the deep recesses of the divine mind to see what is there and to evaluate not only what He thinks, but also the way He thinks?

“Who has been His counselor?” God has never talked things over with me. Does He consult you before He does what He does? But you think He should, don’t you? Don’t you think that, given the things that have happened to you, He must not really understand what is going on with you? The Psalmist wrote: “He that keeps Israel neither slumbers not sleeps.” But don’t you wonder sometimes how true that is? There have been plenty of times when He must have been asleep—or, at least, wasn’t paying attention. Things have happened to you that brought pain and suffering, sorrow and grief. Many have been the troubles that could have been avoided if God had only talked to you first.

“Who has given a gift to him that it might be repaid?” Have you ever tried to make a bargain with God? How did that work for you? But God who gives to all life and breath and all things, without whom we can do nothing; we cannot place Him under obligation to us. There is no possibility for the human mind to search out the mind of God, to understand God’s ways and judgments. And so, we really are helpless; we are completely dependent on the goodness and the mercy of God. Left to our own devices, we will only make things worse than they were. But are we hopeless? That is another matter altogether. St. Paul’s words that close out this reading speak of the hope we have: “For from him and to him and through him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.”

“Who has known the mind of the Lord?” We certainly haven’t, but our Lord Jesus Christ came for that very purpose. Philip said to Jesus: “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” And Jesus replied, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” All that we need to know of the mind of God has been revealed to us in Jesus Christ and in all that He has done for us. His willingness to suffer and die, to lay down His life for us that we might be redeemed from sin and death—these reveal the mind of God to be one of love and mercy and goodness toward us.

“Who has been his Counselor?” God certainly has no need of our advice on how to take care of His world. What advice could we even give? What He has given us is the privilege of prayer, and the promise to hear and answer us when we pray. This is one of the great mysteries of our faith. Holy Scripture teaches us that, in His infallible foreknowledge, God knows all that will happen before it happens. But as the Lord said through the prophet Isaiah: “Before they call, I will answer, and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” It is not for us to understand how these things can all be reconciled. That is in the mind of God! It is only for us to believe that, as irreconcilable as this may seem to us, it is true.

“Who has given a gift to him that it might be repaid?” This is the way our world works, isn’t it? One good turn deserves another. It’s called “reciprocity.” But while we have God to thank for all that we are and have, He requires nothing from us! Instead, He has received the payment in blood by His own Son. The justice required by God was offered up by His Son in our place. And now, in faith, out of love and gratitude, we are able to return to the Lord praise and thanksgiving, together with all the gifts He has given us, that they might be used to serve Him.

And still, God remains the One who not only cannot be understood, but defies being understood. But we don’t need to understand. In Jesus Christ, the Triune God revealed all that we need to know, and all we need to believe for life now and life forever with Him. Truly, as Paul said: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out! 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 6/5/22: The Feast of Pentecost

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Pride and Pentecost
Genesis 11:1-9

 

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

 

The Tower of Babel was raised as a monument to man’s unbelief and spiritual arrogance. The godless purpose of its builders is quite clear: “Let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” They wanted to build a tower that would reach into the sky as far as the eye could see. They desired fame and a reputation of their own making. Like Adam and Eve, they wanted to be comparable to their Creator. They were very much like the great King Nebuchadnezzar, who looked around himself with an ungodly pride and said: “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”

When such pride possesses man, we see no need for a Divine Provider, no need for a gracious Savior from sin. And we still haven’t learned this lesson all these centuries later. Leaders and rulers of every description, even some within the church, still try to build their own kingdoms around themselves, as if this is the answer to every need. We continue to be surrounded every day with claims that not only must we save the world, but that we can do just that if we only apply our strength and intelligence. We can even create heaven on earth, if that is what we desire, if only we put our minds to it and put in the work to make it happen. We may be fooling ourselves, but we cannot fool God.

The people of Babel were defying the will of God, and they knew it. They knew the will of God had been expressed in the command God had given to Noah following the flood to fill the earth again with a righteous, God-fearing people. Until now, God had been exceedingly patient with them. He had allowed them to go on in their sin, hoping they would turn from their folly. But now the time had come for Him to intervene. The Lord, who is always merciful, even in judgment, could see that their efforts would only strengthen them in their defiance. But if their prideful unity was destroyed, then their ability to carry out any further ungodly plans would be permanently crippled.

And as is always the case when God decides to intervene in those plans of men that would defy His will, He was completely effective. They were compelled to carry out His will, even though that was what they were trying to prevent. It takes only a little imagination to picture the hopeless confusion that resulted.

Pride is often touted as a good thing. But when it comes to matters of the spirit—and how many matters in life aren’t spiritual in nature—pride is ultimately destructive. We are proud, even arrogant, in our rebellion against God. We mock and reject His gifts of life. That was certainly the case with those building the tower. The higher they went, the farther they took themselves away from the God of grace. In order to be rescued by God from their spiritual ignorance and arrogance, they had to be put in a condition where they were absolutely helpless. And so it is with us. We refuse to see the rescuing hand of God’s mercy until we realize that we can do nothing for ourselves.

So at Pentecost, God did something only He could do. He turned what had been a curse into a great blessing. The confusion of languages now became an instrument of God’s grace. The God who confused the language of the builders now overcame that confusion by His gracious power. He took unlettered disciples and made them instruments of salvation. He gave them the ability to speak in other human languages so that they could proclaim the Gospel to those who had come from all around the known world.

And this was, indeed, a rescue of the most extraordinary kind. These people heard Peter’s Pentecost sermon in a language they could understand: that the crucified, resurrected, and ascended Christ is the Savior and Lord of all. He who was so shamefully treated by the authorities had actually given His own life as the redemption price for the sins of the world. Unlike the tower builders of old, those who heard Peter that day were led to repentance. They were led to see the seriousness of their sin. And they could see that God’s judgment would ultimately deal with those who refused to believe in the Savior He had sent.

And this rescue offered for their salvation made no appeal to their wisdom, to their goodness, or to their strength. The burden was placed where it must be placed: on the grace and goodness of God. Peter later told them: “Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to Himself.”  This remains God’s method of rescue. As extraordinary as it may seem, God has taken the salvation of the world upon Himself. He has met His own righteous demands for us. And we are blessed with a rescue that spares us from the grip of spiritual arrogance, from unbelief, and from everlasting bondage in hell. For this, we thank and praise our gracious 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 5/22/22: Sixth Sunday of Easter

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Testing God

Numbers 21:4-9

 

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

 

 

For over 400 years, the people of Israel had lived in Egypt, much of that time in a bitter slavery. But that was over. In a unique and remarkable way, God revealed His presence to them in the pillar of cloud that led them by day and the pillar of fire to light up their night. And all along the way, the Lord provided for them. He fed them with manna. He protected them against the many perils of their journey. Still, their courage failed them frequently. They became disheartened and put God to the test. Why this change of heart toward God? Why did they begin to question God’s wisdom, mistrust His guidance, and discourage one another? Why did they become despondent and test God?

Why do we do the same? We, too, are God’s people. By the grace of God, we are making our journey from this earthly home, which seems so often like a kind of bondage, to our eternal home. God is gracious to us for the sake of Jesus. He daily and richly forgives all our sins; He guides and protects us and provides for us. In many perils, even some we don’t recognize as perils, He graciously preserves us. Through His holy Word and blessed Sacraments, He preserves and strengthens our faith. As we weekly gather here where His Word is proclaimed and taught to us, we also pray for grace and for guidance. As the Small Catechism says, “For all this…we thank and praise, serve and obey Him.”

But at the same time, there is no day in our journey to heaven in which we are not confronted with the danger of testing God. There is no experience in life—no joy or sorrow, no success or failure—that does not lead us to put God to the test. The devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh frequently entice us to test God. However disguised and clever the sin of testing God may be, however timid or bold it may be, however learned and courageous it may even appear to be, its consequences bring only ruin. The result described in our text is as certain as it is sudden.

“The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.” This response of God reminds us of the words of the apostle Paul: “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked.” It clearly shows that God is jealous and protective of His honor, and that this unusual way of dealing with the sin of testing Him is to be a warning, even to the end of days. But God, who warns us in His Word against testing Him, also graciously provides the necessary tools against testing Him. We can and should use these tools daily.

The people of Israel said to Moses: “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you.” The children of Israel repented of their sins. True repentance is a tool in our struggle against testing God. When we sincerely repent of the sin of testing God and seek His mercy and forgiveness—which He gladly and freely gives—there is also the implication that we intend to amend our sinful lives, to carefully watch over our hearts in regard to this sin. Repentance is responding to the pleading of the Holy Spirit in the Word of God. It must not simply be put off.

Again, our text says: “And Moses prayed for his people.” Moses did this at the urging of those people that he pray to the Lord to remove the serpents. As He anticipated their need, God had told Moses to make a fiery serpent and lift it up on a pole, and promised healing and life to all that were bitten if they would but look at the uplifted serpent. Prayer is another tool in our struggle against the sin of testing God. In our prayers, we ask God for help and strength. In times of severe affliction or trouble, we ask Him for a special measure of His grace. And we also pray for others, knowing that others, too, are in danger of testing God.

Just as Moses’ proclamation to Israel was to look to the serpent on the pole and receive healing, so too we are to look up in faith to the Christ lifted up on the cross. Faith is the only way to lay hold of the blessings of our Lord’s work of salvation: forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. Faith grabs hold of these promises as a blessed possession. Faith in God’s mercy was what Israel needed then; it is what we need now so that we may have the peace and the strength to resist the sin of testing God.

In our present age, the mockery of things holy and righteous, the ridicule of the grace of God in Jesus Christ, reaches new heights almost daily, it seems. And it is fearfully easy to succumb to the feeling that God is abandoning His world, and us, as well. Resisting the sin of testing God is, therefore, increasingly more difficult. The only answer, the only hope that we have, is to look to Jesus, to behold again what He has done to redeem us from sin and death, to know that the only way to resist the sin of testing God is to acknowledge that sin. Our only hope is to receive again the forgiveness Jesus has provided through His cross and His glorious resurrection. Thanks be to God for this priceless gift! Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

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