The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity - October 9, 2011

The Church Season of Trinity
The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (October 9, 2011)

Readings:   
    Psalm 30
    1 Kings 17:17-24
    Ephesians 3:13-21
    Luke 7:11-17

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Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen

The text for today’s message as recorded in the Epistle Reading from the 3rd chapter of Ephesians:

Ephesians 3:13-21

13So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. 14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

In his letter to the Ephesians, Saint Paul shows his great concern for the saints that they should remain steadfast in the Gospel despite any trouble, despite any challenges they would face. In the case of the Ephesians, the temptation was to see the suffering that Paul endured, and to take offense at it, meaning the Way of the Christian was too hard.  Paul was imprisoned at Rome by order of the Emperor.  Surely some people said that if Paul were a true apostle, then Christ would not allow these calamities to fall on him, to be delivered into the hands of wicked men and at peril for his life.

Why doesn’t God just let him go?  How easy it is to fall into this kind of thinking!  Yet this thinking is not what Scripture teaches, but it is the lesson which we want to be taught.  We should know better.  After all, the very best man of all, the pure and gentle Lamb of God, was delivered to torture and death more vile than any other.  God does not work the way our reason wants to manipulate things.  He does not always outwardly and openly punish the wicked and reward the righteous.  In fact, the opposite often appears to be true.  The righteous suffer, and the wicked prosper.  This seems wrong to us, but it is the pattern of Christ, and the pattern of the Cross.

It is especially tempting when a pastor suffers to lay the blame on him.  "If he was a good man, this would not happen to him," they may say.  In this way, many people take offense. But Paul says, "Do not faint with weakness over my sufferings.  Do not be tempted to reject my teachings on account of what befalls me.  Whatever happens, whether good or evil, hold tightly to the Word of the Gospel."

This warning is necessary because satan and the wicked world desire to attack your faith.  They will do all they can to make the true religion look as shameful and undesirable as possible.  If you trust your eyes and your feelings, you will surely be driven away from Christ by the great terrors that are inflicted upon the Church. May the Holy Spirit give you courage to withstand every such attack, and faithfulness to hold to His Word, whatever else may come.

If you put your confidence in God, not in men, then it will not be as difficult.  You are not here to follow me.  I am poor, weak, and frail.  But the Word is the voice of God that you must follow no matter what happens to me.  The Word will not fail, but must always stand strong and true.

And a good lesson is to distinguish between the person of a preacher and the Word that he preaches. God is content to rule in this world, not in a visible way, with human wisdom or power, but through weakness.  At times, He seems to allow His Church to be utterly overthrown.  But we must see and confess the hidden reality, that He who established the Church will surely preserve it, no matter what your eyes may tell you.

Heed St. Paul's warning to the Ephesians.  Be encouraged by the promises of the Gospel, and hold fast to them, no matter what.

When people suffer in this Gospel ministry, it should not drive us away, but it is actually for our advantage and glory.  For God sees when you hold steadfastly to His Gospel, even in the face of great tribulation.  By His Spirit, these troubles work for the strengthening of your faith.  If your faith stumbled and fell at the least offense, then it would be no faith at all.  But God desires to forge and reinforce you, as Paul describes, in knowledge and love and power and faith.  Therefore, hold fast and do not flee from this Gospel.

More than that, in these trial filled and wicked last days, we are receiving a crown of glory in exchange for the tribulations that our faith must endure.  So, shall we cast away the promise of Christ’s glory because our eyes and ears are offended?  Shall we wander from God's truth simply because our heart does not like how His Gospel is treated?  What sense is there in that?

When it seems as if the pews are empty and the offerings are small, do not be discouraged.  Instead, remember that God has, in spite of ourselves, kept us in the true faith, in spite of our sinful flesh that wrestles against faith all the day long.  Do not worry, but give thanks to God.  We count the sufferings of this life as an honor, since we are carrying our crosses in the image of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But in the face of what our eyes perceive, let us continue to pray all the more fervently that the Lord would strengthen and defend our faith in trying times.  We are weak, but He is strong.  Let us never cease praying for one another.  God our Father, after all, is generous and loving to give us many blessings.  Every earthly father is only a pale shadow compared to the divine, gracious Fatherhood of God.  So we must not falter in prayer, but continue to believe that He listens and delights to give what we need, whatever our eyes tell us.

And the blessings God gives He pours out through the blessings of His Son and Spirit.  St. Paul calls these blessings "the riches of His glory".  For the Cross and Blood of Christ have purchased for you a greater honor and glory than any other.  God, in Christ Jesus wraps you and covers you with a robe of holiness and beauty which is without limit.  He has made you kings over the earth because you are the true sons of God. 

Jesus Christ gives you all this through the power and knowledge of His Holy Word.  The knowledge and wisdom of God has been revealed in His Son, crucified for us sinful beings.  This Gospel knowledge is not empty, useless information.  Instead, it is full of power to give you the benefits of what it says.  The Word has poured out upon you the strength of God to raise you out of the death of sin and give you the sure and certain promise of resurrection of the body to everlasting glory.

But all this power of God is not from our actions, the machinations of our minds, the nor the latest strategies of church growth and development.  If we believe in these then we are still weak and sinful.  We stumble often.  When you look upon these things in ourselves and others, you may be tempted to take offense, how can God do it better than us? Indeed, many will take offense, and there is no stopping it.  Yet the power of God is still with us in His Gospel.  As He keeps us steadfast in this Word by His Spirit, we will be filled with the power of God for salvation and life. 

Yet, even as we are sinful, we also abound in love as the Holy Spirit works in us.  There will be acts of love - for neighbor and brother and stranger alike.  We may not even notice the works of love that you or another Christian do.  Sometimes you must accept with faith alone that such fruits of faith exist.  If you notice such fruits in others, give thanks to God.  If you notice them in yourself, say, "I am only an unworthy slave," and confess your sins all the more.  For you have glory enough in Christ without seeking glory for your deeds.  Let Him glorify you in His time.

This glory of Christ for you is a great thing.  It is higher and wider and deeper than any of us can ever measure.  It passes all human knowledge and understanding. If you remain steadfast in this Word, He will open your eyes more and more by His Spirit.  He will show you the riches of His grace and strengthen you to persevere in times of trouble, so that you are not offended by what your eyes see. St. Paul wrote, “May [you] be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.”  Faith in our own actions to grow the church leads us to believe that we are god, God’s faith which gives us freely is much more abundant than that, for He leads us to the truth belief in Him alone and that leads us to the promise of eternal life. Amen.

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