Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI Sermons

The Third Sunday after Epiphany - Life Sunday - January 23, 2012

2012-01-23T12:04:00.000-08:00

The Third Sunday after Epiphany
Life Sunday
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (January 22, 2012)

Readings:

Psalm 110:1-4
2 Kings 5:1-15
Romans 1:8-17
Matthew 8:1-13

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Grace, Mercy, and Peace be to you from the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

(Overwhelmingly the text of Rev. Paul Sajban from the “Lutherans for Life”
website: http://www.lutheransforlife.org/store-life-sunday-2012/ )

The text for today is as recorded in the Holy Scriptures in; Deuteronomy 30:19b, Ephesians 1:3-14, John 15:12-20, Matthew, 18:10 Psalm 139, Jeremiah 1 & 32, Luke 1, Genesis 25, Galatians 1, Hebrews 2, Proverbs 6, Exodus 20, Revelation 20 & 21, and 2 Kings 17

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We live in a land where we have the freedom to make many choices. We may not always be able to make all the choices our country gives us, but they’re available to us as part of the American Dream. Some choices are fairly easy to make. Other choices, however, cause us to rack our hearts and our souls and our minds to make them. We can think of a family gathered in a hospital room faced with choosing whether to disconnect machines which keep their mother or father or loved one alive. That is not an easy choice. Through prayer and consultation of God’s Word in the Holy Scriptures and with the help of a pastor such a difficult choice will be made. Not all though would use these good resources to make a choice between life and death. Sometimes it comes down to human reason, without consulting God’s wisdom to make these most difficult decisions regarding life. We do know that man’s reason and intellect fail, but God’s wisdom and His Holy Word never fail us. So the Christian looks not unto their own standard of wisdom, but submits to the wisdom which flows from God.

That said, not all Christians will consult the Lord either, because no Christian is perfect. We live and breath and walk in a fallen world. Truth be told, Christians and non-christians alike fail to even consider consulting God and His Holy Word, when it comes to such things like choosing a career, a spouse, a church home, or making very serious life-changing decisions. Sometimes we resort to consulting our fickle feelings or even consult the world’s wisdom to make our choices.

This is not new, it has been an ongoing problem for all God’s people. God spoke through Moses and said, “…choose life, that you and your offspring may live” (Dt. 13:19b). Those words are just as valid for the people of God today as it was in Moses’ time. God’s timeless Word speaks to us today. And our choices will affect not only us, but will also affect our children and grandchildren as well. Our children learn from their parents, and sometimes they learn more than we wish they would. How many times have you heard, “Do what I say, not what I do”? For children not only see and learn from the good we intend to do, but also learn from the bad, the evil, and the sin that we do. We pass on to our children things like impatience, quick tempers, bad language, disrespect for our nation’s leaders, unforgiving vengeful hearts, and everyday we disrespect God’s commands and His laws. And if we don’t show much concern for learning and knowing God’s Word, then how in the world are our children going to understand the importance of God’s Holy Word? And then have the audacity to condemn and cajole our children for not coming to church, or not reading their Bible. And though we say it in our hearts, “This should not be,” we find ourselves choosing sin rather than God’s way much too often.

Today, we ponder what God in His Holy Word says about human life. We want to pass on to our children a Godly respect not only for their own life, but also for the life of the unborn baby, the elderly, the sick and the dying, and a respect for the life of a person who doesn’t think their life is worth all that much. Unless parents inculcate a reverence for Godly wisdom into their children, then the only wisdom they’ll have to learn from is that from a broken and sinful world. A world which seeks self-centered halve-zees who want to proclaim their own wisdom over God’s and make everyone who disagrees with them feel like they are halve-not idiots. To choose from man’s wisdom and opinion is to choose from the broken and death affirming foolishness of this world. To choose from man’s wisdom is to argue “it’s my choice” without ever quoting one single verse of Holy Scripture. The proud statements of, “I demand my rights”, “It’s my choice” and “I don’t know what the Bible says but I believe” all stand hand in hand as the poster children of the foolishness of sinful man. For they all place the ideals of foolish men, above God and His righteous and Holy ways.

We have to teach our children to see and hold their lives and the lives of others as precious, because God does. That our children would know that they are loved and kept in loving care by a most gracious God. How obnoxious are we that we would teach them that it is important to choose clothes, and shoes, and food, how to brush their teeth, and how to study hard, yet we fail to teach them of God’s good gift of life? And that is exactly where we teach our children that God’s Word doesn’t matter.

And we have the audacity to ask, “Who is this God who wants to force His choices on us anyway?” What’s behind God’s choice for you? His Holy Word; “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery…” (Dt 7:6-8).

You will hear many arguments for the right to choose death. And if that person who would support the pro death agenda is a Christian, then one may only ask, where does it say that in Holy Scriptures?

God’s choice proceeds from His perfect love for every single sinner, whether they be affluent or poor, educated or illiterate, or whether they be of the least or greatest of all people. How can we not put unborn babies in this category, God loves them? How can we not put grandma with Alzheimer’s who no longer recognizes her children or grandchildren into this category, God loves her? How Can we put the woman who sinned by having an abortion or the father of an unborn child who insisted on it to his pregnant girlfriend in this category? Sin is always unacceptable in God’s eyes, yet God in His compassion, offers forgiveness for all our sins.

The worth of God’s people is not determined by the measure of their failures in their own eyes. But rather the Lord reaches out to those who may bring themselves to the precipice of death, or be tempted by the devil, this world and our sinful flesh and God says to them, “You are worth the greatest and best gift in the cosmos, the death of My Son in exchange for your life. You are not a failure, My greatest gift is for you is the sacrifice of my only begotten Son. The Apostle Paul said, “Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1 Tim 1:15). No one in this room is without sin. These words fit each and every sinner including you and me. We are the least, but in our heavenly Father’s eyes we are the greatest.

We have been saved from eternal death and then we turn around and have the audacity to say, yep I’ve been given the gift of eternal life, but this or that life just doesn’t count.

We too often fail to acknowledge and respect the life God which has given each of us and we fail to show Godly mercy toward the lives of our neighbor. It happens when we sit by idly while hearing or endorsing abortions, euthanasia, and suicide while they are all going on all around us and we make no witness against it. God’s Holy Word tells us, “You shall not murder.” Yet we tear down our neighbors, through bitter words, gossip, unfriendly actions, and lack of an active caring responses and acts of mercy when see our neighbors in need. It means that we should care for those children who have not been aborted, for mother’s and fathers who fly in the face of worldly wisdom and do not choose an abortion. We should be there for them, to help and support them in every physical need.

This is Life Sunday, but everyday is Life Day. The small “g” god of the world says, “Choose death,” when that god speaks to a scared and pregnant woman and offers her the option of abortion. The true God of Life says, “Choose life. I will be with you, I have redeemed you and your little unborn child for life.” The god of this world says, “Choose death.” to a teen who has faces broken relationships, an unloving home, who is scammed by the devil and this world believes they bear the burdens of life. The true God and Savior of Life says, “Choose life. I will be with you. I will never leave you nor will I forsake you. I gave My life for you.” The small “g” god of this world says to the aging parent who feels that they are a burden to her children, “Choose death. It’ll be better for everyone if you did.” The God the Father and Author of Life says, “Choose Life. Your worth is not determined by what you can no longer do, or what others think you can no longer do, but rather by how much you are worth in My sight for to you I have sent My Son for your salvation.” The worth of human life to the god of this world is non-existent. There is a term coined in the 1930’s called “Leben Sunwertes leben”, meaning “Life unworthy of life”, which begs the question, who gets to choose which life is worthy of life. Are the young unborn unworthy of life, or just inconvenient? Are the elderly unworthy of life, or just inconvenient? There is no satisfactory answer possible through human eyes, reason, or wisdom. The worth of life is through the revealed wisdom of the One true God of Life, who sees our life won for us on the cross and in an empty tomb.

Hear the voice of Jesus Christ the Savior calling to you, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go bear fruit and that your fruit should abide…” (John 15:16). Our fruit of life abides as we abide in Christ Jesus our Savior. Jesus speaks against the wisdom of this world who choose death because it is the easy way out, life brings complications, an unwanted pregnancy, the inconvenience of the lives of those who are allowed to be born or of the lives of those who we think are allowed to live too long. The wisdom of God mocks inconvenience, every life is sacred no matter the status. The wisdom of God goes beyond inconvenience for He gives you His Son unto death. And for that great gift you should not feel inconvenienced to help those who have the strength to go against conventional wisdom and bravely uphold the wisdom of God and choose life. Much has been give to you and much is required of you, offer help, offer time, offer money, and if you can do no other offer prays.

Comfort comes to you in the body and blood of the crucified and risen Christ brings you life through the forgiveness of your sins. Jesus laid down His life for you, that you may lay down your life for your neighbor including your brothers and sisters in the faith, for those who have not yet heard Jesus’ Word of Life, for your family, your friends and the stranger who may cross your path. Therefore, do not hesitate to choose life, that you and your offspring may live in Christ day by day here in time. Jesus Christ did not hesitate to give you abundant life, and for your life He gave His life as the perfect sacrifice that you may live for an eternal life in His Name. Amen.

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The 2nd Sunday after Epiphany - January 15, 2012

2012-01-16T14:29:00.000-08:00

The Church Season of Epiphany,
2nd Sunday after Epiphany,
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (January 15, 2012)

Readings:
    Exodus 33:12-23
    Ephesians 5:22-33
    John 2:1-11

+INI+

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

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 2nd chapter of St. John, especially the following verses...

John 2:1-11 (ESV)

1 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

So Far the Text

Jesus Christ attends a wedding in Cana, and there He blesses the wedding party with His first recorded miracle, changing water into wine. You’ve heard this miracle repeated at quite a few weddings. Jesus, His apostles and His mother all in attendance and all who are present are blessed. But how and why did we come to find ourselves in a reading about a wedding in Cana? The book of John begins with the words, “In the beginning.” And in the beginning of the book of John, or as it is written in Greek, According to John, meaning The Gospel of Jesus Christ according to John. But, how do we get to the wedding feast on time? Jesus brings us there by manifesting Himself into this world and into our lives. John the author of this book speaks of Jesus Christ who is the Light coming into the world. And after the Light comes into the world and then John records that Jesus is baptized in water by John the Baptist. The next few verses of the book of John cover the few days in which the disciples were chosen and then three days later, that is the sixth day, we are in Cana.

It is the account of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in six days culminating with Jesus “[manifesting] His glory”(v. 11) at this wedding. And on the sixth day, “God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”(Gen 1:28) In the beginning God created the world in six days, and on the sixth day He blessed man and woman. In the account of the six days of Jesus’ life John brings us to the wedding in Cana, where Jesus Christ both God and man blesses a man and a woman who are to be wed.

But we still seem to be left with a question. For John does not expound upon the conversation between Jesus and His mother, wherein Mary states to Jesus, “They have no wine.”(v. 3) Had Mary forgotten to whom she was speaking? Did she not remember all the angels, the incarnate birth, the boy Jesus in the Temple teaching and speaking with the elders of the church? And why does Jesus address His mother as “woman.” Today that term is derogatory, but in that time it would be an answer of respect, sort of like Ma’am. But this response along with the next creates a new question, Why does Jesus say, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”(v. 4)

Like Mary Jesus’ mother, we may wish to command, rather demand that Jesus to help us. And sometimes His response to us creates new questions for us. When He say to us, "My hour is not yet come." Or right now might not be the right time for Him to step in and transform our lives into something new. We don’t understand, we ask more questions. Why, why Jesus did you not answer my prayers today? In this life we live, everyday is not always a time of joy. Sometimes, it would seem that the Lord hides His face from us, and we are in sorrow. Sometimes, we think Jesus acts as though He forgets us, and for us there is tribulation. Sometimes, the wine of joy is hidden from our lives. At the wedding feast in Cana running out of wine would be a great disgrace. We do not have the power to do what Christ has done for us and in our sin are left with shameful disgrace and loss.

We do not want to believe that this is what we deserve. But, truthfully we neither deserve the blessing of the abundant wine, and for that matter not even a cup of stale water to slake our thirst. All our deeds, our planning, and our effort always fall short of the glory of God. And although we attempt to make a good appearance before others, put on a happy face, the Old Adam still dwells within us, our sinful nature ruins every good work.

In the times when you are overtaken by sorrow, challenged by failing health, driven to tiresome despair, when the world has challenged you beyond what you may bear, it is not Christ who has abandoned you. Instead, you are always pointed to true joy and is Christ’s miracle gift for you. You will not always to be happy in this life, but Jesus is always standing nearby, ready to help. We do not pray to Mary, but we do pray like Mary, we pray that Christ would remember us.

So we deserve no wine and we deserve no miracle. But even in spite of ourselves, Christ desires to give us the abundant wine of His joy, undeserved as it is. We are the pleasure and delight of His loving heart. Jesus does not want to give us what we deserve, rather He gives us what we do not deserve and that is eternal life.

At the wedding in Cana Jesus Christ did perform His first miracle changing water into wine. And the master of the feast told the bridegroom, “you have kept the good wine until now”(v. 10) The bridegroom and the bride shared the blessing of the wine together.

And so it was and so it shall be. In this life you have the presence of Christ, you hear the His Word comfort in His Word proclaimed. You are baptized with the Water combined with His Word. You are chosen, the Holy Spirit give you the miracle of faith and grace without cost or effort by you. But all this was won for you at great cost this miracle for you. For Christ’s time did come. Jesus stood before the rulers of this world, and did not perform a miracle to save His own life. Rather He went to the cross and performed a miracle to save the lives of all the lost, including you and me.

Jesus Christ is the Bridegroom, the church is His bride. He brought you to the waters of your Baptism. He changed the water into wine, and “on the night when He was betrayed, in the same way He took the cup after supper and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them saying: Drink of it all of you; this cup IS my blood of the New Testament which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” Focus not on what you think or what you want, or want you want for, in this life, rather focus on all that you have been given in the miracle of eternal life.

Jesus Christ is the bridegroom and you and all believers throughout the world are the church His bride. Jesus Christ’s time had not come at the time of the wedding of Cana, but His time did, has, and will forever come for you. The bridegroom and the bride share the abundant blessing of the wine together here in time there in eternity, forever and ever. Amen.

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

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The 1st Sunday after Epiphany - January 8, 2012

2012-01-09T11:40:00.000-08:00

The Church Season of Epiphany
1st Sunday after Epiphany
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (January 8, 2012)

Readings:
    Psalm 50:1-15
    1 Kings 8:6-13
    Romans 12:1-5
    Luke 2:41-52

+INI+

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

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 2nd chapter of Luke, especially the following verses...

Luke 2:41-52 (ESV)

41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. 43 And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44 but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. 46 After three days they found [Jesus] him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” 49 And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. 51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

So Far the Text

Last Thursday was the twelfth day of Christmas, Friday was was the day of Epiphany. Epiphany means manifestation, and so a continuation of the Gospel of Immanuel, God With Us. But as we hear in the Gospel lesson, the boy Jesus is not where his earthly parents thought He should be. The Gospel tells us that they were in “great distress”(v. 48) and wouldn’t you be too if you hadn’t a clue where your twelve year-old was after searching for Him for more than several days? All who have children or who have been asked to watch over children can relate to the sinking feeling of a child who is not where everyone thinks they should be. If it is true that absence causes the heart to grow fonder, then most certainly the corollary to that saying for children would be that the absence of a child makes the heart more fainter. Where is Jesus?

One day of travel toward home and the child comes up missing, then three days of searching. Where is Jesus? Frantically asking the people in the group, and everyone who knew Him, where is Jesus? And His parents did find Him in the Jerusalem Temple, and when they did find Him they were “astonished.” That reaction is predictable, astonishment, relief, then once the good news sinks in a bit, the grief is relieved, the hammer comes down, “Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.”(v. 48) Astonishment and then distress. It’s easy for us to relate to that kind of feeling. Relief and angst. Many of us have uttered similar words to our own children, “Thank God you’re okay”, followed shortly thereafter by “What in the world were you thinking?”

But, why was the boy Jesus missing in the first place? How in the world was Jesus not accounted for in that large caravan of people as they set out homewards? Why did Mary and Joseph even need to turn around and seek Jesus? Today Children Support Services would be called or we would strive to find the root cause of this event then begin retracing steps. These words give a clue, “His parents…supposing Him to be in the group.”(v. 44) It’s apparent that they had not “Fixed their eyes on Jesus.”(Heb 12:2) And so they had to seek after Him. Where is Jesus?

Martin Luther said of the Christ child, "If we want to seek and find this child, we must believe the Word, stick to it, and not allow ourselves to be diverted from it. If we disregard the Word, the offense has already occurred. For this child is so humble and wretched to look at that it is impossible for one to approach by one's reason, apart from the Word." (Luther)

Maybe you’ve been seeking to find Jesus. Maybe you think He is absent from your life. Maybe you, in your distress to find Jesus, have become more and more frantic. Maybe you are attacked by thoughts of things you have done. Sins you have intentionally committed, sins which you have committed by by not doing that which you should have done. Maybe to you the world seems to be closing in on you because your health is not what it once was. Maybe you’ve come to the conclusion that you can’t make it any longer on your own reason and strength. So you beg, you plead, and you are astonished. Where have my friends gone? Where is my respite in this life? How can I endure? I can’t take it anymore. Where is Jesus?

“[Jesus] said to [His parents], “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”(v. 49) But His parents didn’t understand the words spoken from the very Word of God. Maybe it’s because we don’t understand the Words of Jesus so we ask the question, Where is Jesus? Maybe it is because we neither want to understand His words nor do we want to obey the Words which He gives to us in the Holy Scriptures. Sin causes us to lose perspective. To trust in ourselves, to trust our own words, our own thoughts, and our own reason. We walk away from the One source of comfort which we are given, the Gospel, the Good News, the very Word of God. Luther said, "The greatest and foremost skill - no matter who the person is - is to cling firmly to the Word and conceive of the things of God in no other way than as the Word tells us. For this reason we should accustom ourselves to know nothing about God and Christ apart from the Word of God.” Yet we still ask, “Where is Jesus?” “Where is Jesus when I need Him?” “Why isn’t He here for me now?” Jesus speaks to you, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” (Mt. 8:26) and “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”(v. 49)

Repent. For it is not Jesus who has moved farther away from you. He has not left you, nor will He ever forsake you. In obedience to His heavenly Father, Jesus is in His Father’s house. He has never, ever, lost track of you along your winding way of life. In fact He is always with you even to the end of the age. In your baptism you were sealed with His Name, and in the water combined with God’s Word, you are saved. In the Holy Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ, He is not lost, He is here in the bread and wind, the body and the blood, for you, for the forgiveness of sins. Do not be afraid of the things of this world which cause you become lost, tired, afraid, weary, downtrodden, weak hearted, or in distress. Jesus could say, “What in the world are you thinking?” But He does not, rather He lies down on the cross, He dies for you, He lives for you, He gives you eternal life. Where is Jesus? His is in the Word, for you. He is in your baptism, for you. He is in the Holy Supper, for you. Didn’t you know? Jesus Christ, the child in the crib, the boy in the temple, the man on the cross, Son of God and Son of Man, was obedient to His Father even unto death. Where is Jesus? In His Father’s house, that is where Jesus is, and by His promise there in the Father’s house you too shall also be, forever and ever. Amen.

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

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The First Sunday after Christmas - January 1, 2012

2012-01-09T11:07:00.000-08:00

The Church Season of Christmas
1st Sunday after Christmas
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (January 1, 2012)

Readings:
    Genesis 46:1-7
   1 Peter 4:12-19
    Matthew 2:13-23

+INI+

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

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 4th chapter of 1st Peter verses 12-13

1 Peter 4:12-19 (NIV)

12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” 19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

It’s a New Year, time for new ideas, new commitments, new visions, and new dreams. That is all part and parcel of what is known as the American dream. We dreamed, as a nation, of the freedom of religion, where you could be any religion you wanted and practice any faith freely, and no one could or would do anything about it. You are free!

That is a great dream, freedom of religion without persecution. Yet Jesus promised that if we faithfully followed Him, the world would hate us and we would be persecuted. World history has demonstrated the accuracy of that prophecy. Sadly, Christians in every age, and in every corner of the world have been hated and persecuted for their faith. Even here, in America, it is considered narrow-minded and rude, not to mention hopelessly backward, to stand firmly on one's faith and not go along with the socially approved ecumenical spirit of our times. Anything in our culture is okay, except, of course, standing firm on the faith once delivered to the saints. If you stand firm in the true Christian faith you are ridiculed, mocked, verbally assaulted. And in other places in the world, people are dying for simply calling themselves "Christian".

St. Peter speaks to us by saying; “do not be surprised!” He was talking about "the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing." It is hard to stand firm in your faith, and confess Christ. Family members will tell you to get off your high horse. Friends will tell you to keep you religion to yourself - and will distance themselves from you if you don't. Employers may tell you that your faith - and it symbols - are not welcome around the work-place. People will find things to criticize and nit-pick on you because you are supposed to be something special, better, without any flaws, real or imagined. Perhaps bigger things will happen among us as persecution in time - we cannot tell. One thing we do know, our faith is not welcome out in the world, and not really even among others who style themselves as "Christian."

At this time of year when an old year has ended and a new year has begun, we often look back on our lives. I'm sure many of us will recall when a time of trouble or suffering strengthened our faith in God. A seeming setback turned out to be an opportunity for better or happier employment. A chance meeting brought you to your husband or wife. In fact it was not chance at all, rather God's gracious working in your lives.

Sometimes the events that happen around us don’t always go the way we want, and maybe we would like to be like Joseph, Mary and that tiny Christ child and flee persecution by going to another place and another country. But, in those times when we can't make sense of things, when there seems to be no valid purpose or meaning to what's going on in our lives (and that happens to us all at one time or another), know that Christ has made you His own.

There is nothing in all of creation that can separate you from Him and His love. In fact, the Lord comes so near to you with His love that He actually gives Himself into you in the Sacrament of the Altar. He imparts to you His very own life with His body and blood. If the almighty Lord would go so far as to take on your vulnerable human flesh, to die in the flesh and shed His blood, and then give you His resurrected flesh and blood for the forgiveness of your sins, then certainly you can trust Him even in those times when there seems to be no reasonable answers to your questions.

So, when your faith and your confession brings ridicule or any other pain on you from the world around you, do not be surprised. It is likely to happen, and Jesus predicted it. It is our call to strive to avoid bringing this persecution upon ourselves. It will find you of its own accord. Remember that this is part of the plan of God, and remember that those would thwart the Word of God will ultimately bear the fruits of their evil, unless they repent. Remembering the pain of ridicule and persecution, we should be eager to spare our attackers the pains they are bringing on themselves by bringing them the good news of Christ and forgiveness. There is hope that a New Year will bring us peace and prosperity. Certainly this congregation has been blessed beyond measure throughout its time. We look ahead with faith and joy to see what we can do this year guided by the Holy Spirit to speak God’s Word. And we pray that when persecution or trouble or pain does come our way, our faith will not fail, we will pray, and entrust our souls to God. We pray that a New Year will bring us great things, at the same time our prayers have been answered before we pray them. For God has given us His Son Jesus Christ, who brings us a new life, and to eternity with Him. Amen.

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

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The Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord - December 25, 2011

2012-01-09T10:55:00.000-08:00

The Church Season of Christmas
Christmas Day
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (December 25, 2011)
One Year Series

Readings:
    Micah 5:2-5
    Titus 3:4-7
    Luke 2:1-20

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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 is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 2nd chapter of Luke, especially the following verses:

The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

It is always exciting when Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, we celebrate the birth of Christ on the traditional day of His birth. How glorious is that? Regardless of the calendar date, we celebrate Christ’s birth as the shepherds did that first night. It is indeed glorious. Glory to God in the highest are is the words the angels spoke. Glory is a common word occurring over 400 times in the Old Testament. It is a description of God's awesome splendor and holiness. He is the God or King of Glory. Sinful man could not behold this glorious God. Moses feared when God appeared in glory. In the New Testament "glory" is used in to describe God's visible revelation of Himself to man. When the glory of the Lord shone around the shepherds they were afraid. But he said: "Fear not for I bring you good news." The revelation of God’s makes men unafraid. By faith we look forward to the glorious appearance of the great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself in our stead. When God became man, man believed in his glory although he could not yet see it. As scripture notes, "We beheld His glory," "We were eye-witnesses of His glory." The Apostles saw Him transfigured, revealing the glory of God. We see God's glory in Jesus' miracles. Jesus and the Father glorified each other when Jesus died and rose for us. "Glory to God in the Highest" means that Jesus is your Savior. Now His is the glory. When we die we shall be glorified. Romans.

And the angels spoke of peace on earth, and we often heard the saying, “peace, peace but there was no peace” When man fell into sin there was no peace between man and God and no peace among men. Sinful man is dead in his sins but he is worse than dead because he is at war with God and man. Man causes wars and rumors of wars. But Jesus says: "Do not be shaken, for these things must be, but the end is not yet." Awful things will happen. But the Angels proclaim: "Fear not. There is peace on earth." Peace is not a state or a condition. God wills peace for the whole creation. But when you have the peace of God you will have strife with yourself, friends, co-workers, or relatives. But even then you have peace with God. For Jesus says: "My peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled nor let it be afraid." And, "I have said these things to you so that in Me you have peace. In this world you have tribulation.

Luther oft repeated this peace of scripture for the comfort of others, “But be cheerful, I[Jesus] have overcome the world." Though we were dead in sins, the Chris child makes us alive, forgiving us all our sins. He wiped out the handwriting against us. He nailed our sins to the cross. Christ Jesus is our peace. He is the king of peace. His gospel is the gospel of peace. The peace of God, Christ's gift, protects us. Justified by faith, we now have peace with God through Christ.

And let us not also forget, good will toward men. Have you ever thought about all the talk of the magic of Christmas as revealed in the eyes of a child? And as we grow older we lament the loss of that kind of feeling for Christmas. But, God's good will, who is His Son is also hidden to the wise but revealed to the babes. The arrogant world does not know the Son. Yet the repentant sinner does know the Son. Why did you become a Christian? Because of a decision? No, no. But only because of the good will of God's saving will in Christ Jesus. Because of His good saving will God will’s you in Christ Jesus to save you eternally.

We set aside holidays and special days to reflect upon the Glory of God. In Christ His glory is here for you, each and every day. We needn’t do a thing to receive it. In Christ there is peace on earth. Not because sinful men lay down their arms, but because Christ laid down His arms on the cross. There Jesus gives us the promise of eternal peace. In freely giving us His Son Jesus Christ God shows us His good will toward men. Glory, Peace, and Good Will. Brought to you this day not by the efforts of men, but by one baby boy born this day who is the very Son of God. Look as you may for this gift under a tree or in the machinations of man and you will not find it. This baby boy is a different gift, it is THE gift of God, the One who finds you. This baby Jesus finds you and brings you to Glory, gives you everlasting peace, and delivers you to rest with Him in the presence of His good will for time everlasting. Amen.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen

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Eve of the Nativity of Jesus Christ - December 24, 2011

2012-01-09T10:37:00.000-08:00

The Church Season of Christmas
Eve of the Nativity of Jesus Christ
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (December 24, 2011)

Readings: Matthew 1:18-21

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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 is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 1st chapter of St. Matthew, especially the following verses.

Matthew 1:18-21 (NIV)
18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.” 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

“This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.”(v.18) On this evening of blessed expectation these words recorded by St. Matthew give answer to countless questions which mankind has asked for centuries. “How could [One who is]infinite reside in a womb? How could He that contains all, be carried as yet unborn, by a woman?"(Chrysostom) It is unfathomable to our minds, that the Virgin Mary held in her womb what the whole world, the whole universe, could not contain. Yet so many years ago on this very night the unimaginable became reality, the Father sent His Son, the infinite had became incarnate, and now the timeless was born into human time.

Jesus, “was appropriately born contrary to the law of human nature because He was beyond nature.”(p. 13 Ancient Christian Commentary Vol. I-a, Mt. 1:18) Christ was with the Father and the Holy Spirit from infinity and so He was with the Father when all of King David’s Fathers were begotten. Now Joseph the Son of David hears news of the Son who had begotten him.

But Christ came not to be the son of these Father’s. Rather Christ the son, the child of Bethlehem chose to adopt the people of His family. Not only Joseph and Mary, not only the Jews but the Gentiles, Christ who came once for all people. He was the one of whom Isaiah spoke who would be called Immanuel, “God with us.”(v.23) The Christ child was born to save His fathers and us His sons and daughters.

Is that enough for you for this night to recall the Christ child or is it that you want your Christmas back? The one from your childhood, the one you can’t seem to find anymore? The one lost as you lose the race for a spot at the mall. The Christmas that slips away as you become busier than ever, but satisfied less and less each year. Where has that Christmas of old gone? It is still here and it comes for you in a form most unobtrusive, small, and weak.

On this night as we recall the holiest of holy nights, cast your eyes upon a manger. Cast your eyes on the glow of a child who brings wonder and joy to you. Stop and look at the lights, smell the aroma of the Christmas celebration. The child in the manger is Jesus, Immanuel. The glow of the child is from the dimly lit manger. The aroma of Christmas is that of Frankincense and myrrh.

You are His people. He is God with us. The Christmas of your past is not lost, it never was, it never will be. This Christ child, is Immanuel, “God with us.” Mary this day gives birth to Jesus Christ and He gives us new birth in His Name. Though our memories of the joy of Christmas past may fade away. We know that there was joy there in family, friends, and tradition. But even more so, the Christ child brings you into His eternal family, God With Us, God will never leave nor forsake us, Jesus who will be with us to the end of the age. Oh holy Child of Bethlehem, cast out our sin and enter in, abide with us, Our Lord Emmanuel. Amen.

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Advent 4 - Rorate Coeli - December 18, 2011

2011-12-19T06:37:00.000-08:00

The Church Season of Advent
Advent 4 - Rorate Coeli
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (December 18, 2011)

Readings:
        Psalm 111
        Dt. 18:15-19
        Philippians 4:4-7
        John 1:19-28

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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 is as recorded in the Gospel reading of St. John the 1st chapter, especially the following verses.

John 1:19-28

19 Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ." 21 They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No." 22 Finally they said, [to John the Baptist]"Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.' " 24 Now some Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" 26"I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie." 28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Jesus arrived on Christmas once, about two thousand years ago. Yet His presence is with us now continuously, even to the end of the age what a blessed comfort that is. For wherever two or three are gathered, there is the Lord, incarnate in the flesh that He got from the blessed Virgin Mary. So He is not really arriving on Christmas. He is already here.

Yet we in the Church still exercise a centuries' old tradition of preparing for Christ’s arrival. We know that we need to be reminded that His presence among us is no small thing, and we should be examining and preparing constantly. After all, He will also return again.

So then what can we do to prepare? Well, let's look at what John did. When he was questioned by the Jews, he gave His testimony. And John said was is, "I am not the Christ." And he said, "I am the voice of one crying, 'Make straight the way of the Lord.'" And John also said, "There stands One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."

How do we simplify all these quotes by John? We could summarize it this way: "The Lord God is among us in human flesh, and I am not Him. I am not worthy of Him, for He is eternal and infinitely greater than me." And that is a confession that we all can make. We are all sinners who are not worthy of Christ. We all fall short of the glory of God. He is here already, but we are not well prepared in thought, word, and deed. Our preparation stinks.

“Make straight the way of the Lord”, John said. And if our preparation is us cleaning up our lives and doing better, then we have mucked it up pretty badly. Or worse, if we think that we have done a pretty good job cleaning up our lives then we are really not well prepared.

Thank heavens our preparation does not consist in our own efforts. But God Himself prepares us by sending messengers before Him who get us ready. The road of life is not straight, though we always seem to hear that we should get our lives on the straight and narrow. The road of life is not straight, it is more like a summer time on a Michigan Highway. There are twists and turns, detours and accidents, making the wrong choice in where we should be, being in the place we shouldn’t be, disappointed when some runs into us, disappointed in ourselves when we run into someone else, our cars breakdown unexpectedly. Sound familiar? For every one of those highway challenges put yourself and your life, and your challenges in those same sentences. And we end up with, I have sinned in thought word and deed, by the things we’ve done and the things we’ve left undone. And so how are those twisty complicated challenges of life to be dealt with? How is this road of life made smooth by the end of the season?

Well think of it this way, How do you get ready to meet a really important person? The first thing you do is take a shower and get clean. God thinks the same way. He cleans us up by giving us His washing of regeneration and renewal. He purifies us in the best bath there can be. John was the first human messenger through whom God gave out this washing. The Jews recognized that this Baptism of John was something new, not like their traditional ritual washings. John was preaching a Baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

The Jews recognized that John was claiming great power and authority for this Baptism. So they asked him why he Baptized, if he was not the Christ and not Elijah and not the Great Prophet prophesied by Moses. John said that he was preparing the way for the Lord, and the Lord was the important One, not John. The Baptism John gave was the preparation for the coming of God in human flesh.

So it is today. The forgiveness of God that He gives in Baptism has prepared you for Christ's coming. As He comes among us in Word and Sacrament, and as He soon will return on clouds of glory, you must be found ready - and thank God, you already are! For you are washed, you are cleansed, you are sanctified in Christ Jesus your Lord. In Baptism, you are made a straight and level road. Your life is set in order, so that all the rough spots of your life and potholes of your iniquities are made smooth by repentance and forgiveness; not that your life is perfect, but that God sees it as perfect.

This power of Baptism is the same for John as it is for us. The power is in Christ and Him crucified. It is the same power that raised Christ from the dead. The events by which God redeemed mankind were a future thing for John, since the Blood of God's Son had not yet been shed for the world. For us, that event is already accomplished and sealed by His death and Resurrection.

You are Baptized into Jesus Christ’s His death. You are buried with Christ so that you will also be raised with Him. Therefore, He has prepared you by covering you with the robes of His righteousness. Jesus Christ gives you the ultimate, immaculate perfection as a gift. His goodness is bestowed upon you in these holy waters, like the most beautiful clothing anyone could ever wear.

So we are prepared for Christ by washing up and getting dressed in our best clothes. Both things happen in Baptism. Therefore, you are ready indeed, though there may be unsettling twists and turns ahead of you, have faith. In the end of the season, Christ will come again. The road has been made straight, your salvation is secure. The true preparation was made in Jesus Christ’s redemption. The path to eternal life is made straight. Rejoice in the coming days as you hear of the road to Bethlehem, rejoice each day that Jesus Christ cares for each of you. His incarnation was not for a just day, rather it is for you each day as He comes into your lives. John cried out in the wilderness the Good news of Jesus Christ what blessed knowledge we have that Jesus Christ who cried out for you on the cross so that all those who believe and are baptized, there is nothing ahead of you that will take you away from the road He prepared for your eternal life. Amen

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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Advent 3 - Guadete - December 11, 2011

2011-12-12T12:40:00.000-08:00

Advent 3 - Gaudete Sunday
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (December 11, 2011)

Readings:
    Is. 40:1–11
   Psalm 85
   1 Cor. 4:1-5
   Matthew 11:2-11

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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 is as recorded in Philemon the 4th chapter and Psalm 85 which we just read, and it is why this Day is called Gaudete:

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Let your forbearance be known to all, for the Lord is near at hand; have no anxiety about anything, but in all things, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. Lord, you have blessed your land; you have turned away the captivity of Jacob."

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

For those of you not familiar with the church calendar, today is traditionally known as "Gaudete Sunday." Gaudete is Latin for "rejoice." Today we light the pink candle on the Advent wreath, reminding us that today is a little bit different from the rest of Advent. Advent is a season of repentance, not many know that but think of it this way, why would we need the babe in Bethlehem if we were already free from sin? Yes we say Jesus is the reason for the season, but too often we forget the reason why Jesus came to us—not to simply be a cute little baby in a manger, but to die for our sin. Yet, this is also why we take a little timeout in the midst of this penitential season to remember the joy of our salvation; the joy of God's grace, which is ours because of Christ alone. Now you can also see why it is ever so more special that the newest member in God’s forever family Easton Sonntag was baptized today and we rejoice.

But what exactly do we celebrate and rejoice over today? Do we rejoice over something that happened almost two-thousand years ago? Do we rejoice over something that happened just a few minutes ago with Easton? Well it is a bit difficult to be excited about something that happened long before we were around. It's hard to get excited about stuff that happened one year ago, let alone two thousand years ago. Much easier to get excited about a baptism today. Yet, do we rejoice over the fact that Christmas is less than two weeks away? Maybe that is true for some, but it also means that there's less than two weeks of Advent left. And nobody really enjoys the whole repentance thing. That's human nature. Being reminded of your sin and the fact that you're not as good or squeaky-clean as you think you are is kind of a drag. A whole month of it can really bring you down, especially when the rest of our culture is pushing consumer happiness, joy, and Christmas cheer. But John the Baptist preached repentance in the wilderness, and Jesus Christ’s first sermon spoke of repentance too.

So, Gaudete – Rejoice Sunday: What exactly are we to rejoice over today? New members, successful fund raisers, baptisms? The answer is found in Scripture, and it's amazingly simple and clear. We rejoice today because the reality of salvation through faith alone in God's grace alone because of Jesus Christ alone is an eternal, ever-present reality. It's our reality.

And what is reality? Have you seen the signs of Christmas? You know like; "Jesus is the reason for the season," "Keep Christ in Christmas," or “You are the reason Christ came into this season.” Or how about; "Christmas: The Birth of Jesus—When God came to earth." All of them okay, but really, none tell the whole story.

When did Jesus come to earth? It may seem like a trick question, but it's not, and that's the problem. You see, Jesus didn't just advent with mankind two thousand years ago in a little stable in some backwoods little village on the outskirts of the Roman Empire. He did come to be born, to die as an all-redeeming sacrifice. But again that’s not the whole story, Jesus will come again in all His glory. Christmas is also supposed to remind us of ALL this blessed news.

But wait…there's still more to the story. How is mankind saved during the time between Christ's first advent in a manger and His glorious return on Judgment Day? Has God left us to fend for ourselves? Absolutely not! Salvation has never, is never, and will never be about what man can do for himself. Salvation has always and will always be about what Christ does for us. Notice the order and tense of the wording, does for us, not did for us? Like He did for Easton baptism and salvation is what Christ does for us, we are baptized how comforting is the Word of God.

So, listen again to the words of our Old Testament lesson for this morning. "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.” Is 40:1 Comfort. There are two ways of looking at comfort, one of them is all feelings and emotions, with nothing behind it but a good heart or good intentions. The other way to look at comfort is to actually do something about what is causing the discomfort, grief, fear, or pain, and make it better. Right now, we need the second sort of comfort. We need to know, and we need to see, and we need to feel comfort from the pressures and dangers around us.

But Jesus says to you, "Your sins are forgiven," and that is pure Gospel and Gospel means the Good News of Jesus Christ. That’s comfort worth rejoicing for. And this comfort doesn't rest upon us or our opinions it come from Christ Himself, a gift for you. And this gift isn't a fad or a fashion or some other time bound tradition. This is the Word of God. For Easton, for Bridgett and Ryan, for you and for me, this is the truth of God. This is the gift of God for you. This is the Gospel, and it is the power of God for salvation to all who believe!

Look around. The Word of God made flesh whose birth we anticipate is actively at work among you today in His Word and His Sacraments. Nothing has changed, we rejoice that Jesus Christ’s the Word is still actively working life and forgiveness and salvation to us.

That is comfort and joy. That is why we Gaudete (rejoice) this day and every day. Christ the Lord, the Word of God made flesh, continues to be faithful and true to His Word, "I am with you always, to the very end of the age." The reality of Immanuel—God with us—isn't just a past-tense or future-tense thing it is and will always continue to be. Christ the Lord continues to advent with us, presently and actively saving us from our sin, calling us to repentance and comforting us with His Gospel promise that "It is finished." Rejoice in Lord today Easton Sonntag, Rejoice today all who are here this day. Rejoice in the Lord always and be comforted, for the anticipated Christ did come into to this world for His people. For Jesus Christ brings us to His kingdom where we will all “rejoice in the Lord always,” and even forevermore. Amen

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

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Advent 2 - Populus Sion - December 4, 2011

2011-12-07T07:55:00.000-08:00

In my absence the Rev. Jonathon Bakker, from Zion Lutheran Mt. Pleasant, MI delivered the Word of God. We thank Zion Lutheran Church for their graciousness in allowing Jon and his wife Anne to be here this day. We thank Jon and Anne for all that they do in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Populus Sion Luke 21:25-36
Second Sunday in Advent, 2011 (Historic)
Our Savior Lutheran Church
Midland, Michigan
Pastor Jonathon Bakker

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord, Jesus Christ, Amen. The Holy Scripture for our consideration this day is the Gospel from St. Luke.

'And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.' Then He spoke to them a parable: 'Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.'

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Christmas is coming. Are you ready? Many shoppers on 'Black Friday' were out and about to ensure that they will be prepared with gifts for their loved ones. More and more homes are decorated on the outside already, and the Christmas tree lots are officially open for business. Few of us might be ready, for instance, if we were to look at the calendar and see that Christmas was tomorrow, but we really know that it is still three weeks away. We have time and maybe even a plan to have everything ready and in place so that when Christmas does arrive, we can joyfully spend it with our loved ones sharing gifts, traveling to see family, and eating a feast or two. We don't have to be ready today for Christmas to be here tomorrow - December 25th is plenty of time. We'll be ready.

There is also another kind of preparation that is worthy of consideration; the Preparation God's church makes to commemorate of the Nativity of Christ in the manger at Bethlehem. In our Lord's humble entry into this world; He came under the Law to be the sacrifice for our sins, and we are prepared for this through the penitential season of Advent. Singing Advent hymns, praying collects that stir up our hearts to repentance and faith, and hearing the Word of the Lord rom the Gospels all make us ready to celebrate our Lord's birth on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Advent may strike us by surprise most years, coming on the heels of the Thanksgiving holiday, but there is no reason to panic during Advent, because this is the time for preparation. It is as Luther himself wrote in the 13 verse of his Christmas hymn, 'From Heaven Above to Earth I Come':

Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child
Prepare a bed, soft, undefiled,
A quiet chamber set apart
For you to dwell within my heart

God alone makes our hearts ready to receive the Lord throughout this season of Advent so that come Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we will celebrate the Incarnation of Christ with joy. We'll be ready.

If only it were so easy to prepare for the second coming of the Lord. It is described in today's Gospel and the reading says it all. The Lord is coming. Like it or not, ready or not, He is coming. This is the only passage of Luke in which he speaks of the signs that will accompany the end of the world, and they are not the things humanity is hoping to see. The signs of His coming are startling. Signs in the sun and moon and stars, anguish in the nations of the earth, the sea and its waves roaring, and the hearts of men failing for fear of what is coming on the earth. Then, all of humanity, whether they have saving faith in Jesus Christ or not, will see him descending in a cloud with power and glory.

We know from the Creed that when He returns in glory, our Lord does so to judge the living and the dead. Like a book that is opened up for all to see, there will be no more secrets for any of us. The things we have hidden rom our parents, our spouses, and even from our friends and enemies will not be concealed anymore. When our Lord returns, He will be the judge of all.

Yet, He also tells us that when we see these things begin to take place, we ought to look up and raise our heads, because our redemption is drawing near. Take heart, dear Christians. It almost sounds fanciful to our ears, but our Lord is reminding us that His judgment is not ultimately about the things we have done or not done, but about what we have believed. Luther tells us that the irony with this passage is that those who ought to be afraid of the Lord's coming, unbelievers, are not afraid, and those who ought to be rejoicing, believers, are instead terrified.

What Jesus promises in this passage is a whole new world which will accompany His return; a new Creation that will not be subject to the corruptibility or passability of this sinful age; a new Creation populated by the whole Christian church of all times and all places. The heavens and the earth will pass away, but Jesus' words will never, ever, pass away. Just as you know the summer is coming when the leaves begin to appear, so also know that the Lord is coming when these things take place.

Jesus also tells us to beware, because the day will come suddenly. Unlike preparing for Christmas Day in both church and society, when we know that there is time yet before December 25th to make ourselves and our churches ready for the celebration, there are no more warnings yet to come from the Lord before His return. The rich man could not send Lazarus back rom the dead to warn his brothers and family of what was to come. They had Abraham, and we should expect nothing different. We had Jesus. The Lord died on the cross and was raised rom the grave. The time to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ is not on our deathbed; it's not twenty years from now; it's not even tomorrow. Our days are numbered, friends. We may not have a deathbed. We may not make it twenty more years on this earth. We might not even make it to tomorrow.

Preparing for the coming of the Lord is not something we can mark on the calendar and set up a long to-do list so that we are ready by that date, and it is not something we can put off until later - it will come unexpectedly. We are called to be prepared to meet the Lord every single day! We prepare for the coming of the Lord by hearing His enduring words and receiving the gifts He gives through them. The white robes of his righteousness are the only clothes in which we can stand before the Lord and His Holy Communion is the only food that will sustain us into eternity. So as we once again prepare for Christmas through Advent, let King David's prayer in Psalm 39 also be ours.

"Lord, make me to know my end,
And what is the measure of my days,
That I may know how frail I am.
Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths,
And my age is as nothing before You;
Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor.
Surely every man walks about like a shadow;
Surely they busy themselves in vain;
He heaps up riches, And does not know who will gather them.
And now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You."

We may not know how many days we have on this earth, we may not know how frail we are, and we may not even know who will gather the riches we have heaped up. But in faith, we confidently wait for the Lord in whom we have the hope of eternal life.

To Christ alone be all the glory, forever and ever, amen.
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus our Lord, amen.

Advent 1 - Ad Te Lavavi - November 27, 2011

2011-11-30T10:40:00.000-08:00

The Church Season of Advent
Advent 1 – Ad Te Levavi
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI November 27, 2011

Readings:
    Jeremiah 23:5-8
    Psalm 24
    Romans 13:8-14
    Matthew 21:1-9

+INI+

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

The text for today’s message is as recorded in the Gospel lesson from the 21st chapter of Matthew, especially the following verses,

Matthew 21:1-9 (ESV)

Now when [Jesus and the Disciples] drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

The is how the very Son of Son of God came into Jerusalem for the final time way back then. Humble, riding on a donkey. It is the same way Jesus comes to you now, humble to save you. And it is a good thing for you that He does. For when He comes the final time, in His glory and victory, the saving is over. But that is for a day yet to come, this is now.

To a sinful world, Jesus’ coming is anything but good looking, it was not understandable then, not on a war horse or chariot, but on a donkey, or in a stable. That is how Jesus comes to you now, in ways that are not understandable, especially to the sinful world around us, for He comes to us now in water, He comes to us in Word, He comes to us in bread and wine. For, you see, Christ is the Son of God and He exists to make the Father known to us. Everything He does is about the love of His father for each and everyone of you, He comes for us sinners one and all.

Jesus did not come to see what He could get from the world or from you. He did not come to show His superiority to everybody else. He did not come to prove Himself to you. Jesus did not come because you let Him into your heart. Jesus did not come because you thought you found Him. Jesus came to give His life to the world. Jesus came to serve you out of His superiority to provide for what people lack. Jesus came to sacrifice Himself for you.

That is Advent. Jesus, the Son of God, coming for you in His humbleness, to do His Father's will and be here for you. So if it is not you who discovers Him, or who allows Him into your hearts, then the next logical question is, where are I in that grand parade? Am I paving the streets with palm branches, am I singing hosanna, am I donating the donkey for the parade? Just what part do I play? Well, the fact of the matter is that if there were a part for us to play we would be tempted to say the donkey which Christ's disciples have loosed from sin for Jesus to ride as He reveals Himself to the rest of this sinful world. As the old saying goes when two people struggled to team up in the horse costume, to paraphrase, Jesus is the head, and all we have to do is be ourselves. Lest you take offense at that, remember I said we. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, we are the sinners in need of Christ.

Remember when the Pharisees saw Jesus, and they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus answered and he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mt 9:11-13)

And so Jesus demonstrates who He is and what He has come to do for all as He rides a lowly donkey. But who has believed this report? Certainly we live in a sinful world and not many believe what Jesus has said, what He has done, or why He has come for us. Jesus comes yet He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we and our world continue to hide our faces from Him, like the crowd in His last days; “he was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” (Is. 53:1-5)

In these busy days are you ready for a humble Savior, or are you looking for one who will overcome everyone who utters a false word about such a Savior? We are sinners and we are not humble, in fact we are anything but humble. We are self centered and self occupied. Life is all about us. We live in a world where people step over a dead fellow man in a shopping center in order to get a 20% discount on some personal “thing.” We want what we can get, we beat whom we must beat. We strive to prove anything about ourselves that we can to impress others or even to God. Can you imagine if Christ’s triumphant entry was into one of our Malls on Black Friday? He would be knocked down, stripped of His robe, pushed to the side, and arrested for not being handicapped and having a non-service animal in a public place.

And so it is, that our Lord must come to each sinner in the world in which he lives to call them to repentance. Into this kind of world, amongst less than humble sinners rides our Lord Jesus Christ He comes to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'" You must be humbled by the Word of God to recognize, receive, and believe this Jesus is here for you.

St. Paul asks, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?” As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!" But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?" So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Jesus sits upon a lowly donkey, the image of lowliness, that then is our role. Jesus’ called and sent servants to cover the filthy rags of our self-righteousness with Christ's robe righteousness in Holy Baptism. Jesus sits upon our lowliness and rides with our sins into the true Jerusalem, His city of peace, the Church. But Jesus did not need us as a beast of burden to carry Him to Jerusalem, our effort is nothing, rather by His body and blood He carries our sins to the cross and ultimately us to the new Jerusalem.

For if Christ were riding upon us, it would be impossible for us not to love our neighbor and do good works that serve and benefit him. And thus, as Jesus rides along with you during your daily lives speak so the multitudes may know of that, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee." What? Can’t talk about Jesus? Don’t know how? Just start talking, remember God has made plenty of other…”donkeys” talk, why not you and me?

This how God's kingdom comes to those who are not yet in it, just as it came to you and me, by the hearing of the Gospel. Jesus comes for one, He comes for all. Even right this very moment He is coming to the world as He rides with you in His city of peace on earth, His holy Christian Church, where good will towards all your fellow man is expected. Because only in His church does He come to you and loose you from the bonds of sin as He does this very day. Behold, your king is comes to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden. Amen.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
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Latin names for Advent Services

2011-11-30T10:24:00.001-08:00

A repeat every year but always good to review:

In case you were wondering about those Latin words for the Sundays in Advent....

Advent I
Ad Te Levavi
from Psalm 24
in Latin = Ad te levavi animam meam
in English =Unto thee have I lifted up my soul

Advent II
Populus Sion
from Psalm 30
in Latin = Populus Sion, ecce Dominus veneit et ad salvandas gentes
in English =People of Zion behold, the Lord is coming to save all nations

Advent III
Gaudete
from Philemon 4
in Latin = Gaudete in Domino semper
in English = Rejoice in the Lord always

Advent IV
Rorate
from Isaiah 45
in Latin = Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustrum
in English = Drop down ye heavens from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness

Thanksgiving Eve - November 23, 2011

2011-11-30T10:22:00.000-08:00

The Church Season of Trinity
Thanksgiving Eve, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (November 23, 2011)

Readings:
    Psalm 67
    Deuteronomy 8:1-10
    1 Timothy 2:1-4
    Luke 17:11-19

+INI+

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

The text for today is as recorded in the Epistle Lesson from the 2nd chapter of 1st Timothy especially the following verses:

1 Timothy 2:1-4 (ESV)

1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

It's very easy to give thanks for the things going our way. But, when the "going gets tough," the tough seem to turn against God, where is He now? The concept of actually thanking God tends to get more and more distant from our minds as the "going" gets tougher and tougher. It's very easy to forget about all that we have, and instead get hung up on what we've lost or don't have. It's far easier to blame God in these difficult circumstances than it is to offer Him thanks and praise.

Think about that for a moment. We understand what it means to give thanks to God for all that we have. It should be a real "no-brainer" for tomorrow. We should understand what it means to give thanks to God for all that we don't have, like the “bad" things such as terrible sickness, homelessness, bankruptcy, violence, etc. At least we remember to give thanks to God when He spares us from these terrible tragedies. We give thanks for those absences in our lives, and we need to be careful in doing so. Such "thanksgiving" can be a real slippery slope into sin. Remember: A certain Pharisee gave thanks for the absences in his life too, giving thanks that he wasn't like the tax collector. But what about those other absences? What about those things we really do want and ask for and don't receive? Have you ever given thanks to God for Him saying "no" to you? I have never heard anyone give thanks for not winning the lottery.

This leads to another question: Why? Why should we give thanks to the Lord, especially when the chips are down in life? Think about the lesson again, we’re not told to give thanks unto the Lord because He has really given all we want. There's nothing in here at all about putting our thanksgiving on some sort of sliding scale that works makes us pray more if we have more.

It would be easy to ask how many of us here this night are thankful for "everything" God has given you. Be truthful, and if you are you know that you’d be more thankful if you didn't have those bills coming in, or those aches and pains, or the fear and uncertainty of not knowing whether or not you're going to get a paycheck next week?

So why do we give thanks unto the Lord? Because, “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”(v, 3-4) It is what God desires, not what you desire that is the reason for the season, as the old saying goes.

Jesus has seen fit to bless you with all that you have in this life. Don’t forget to share that bountiful grace with someone else tomorrow. Share the wonderful Gospel message of life and salvation with those who don't yet know it or believe it so that they, too, can share in our redemptive, Christ-centered joy. God desires the death of no man. He desires that all may believe and have life in Him, which is why He sent His one and only Son to die for the sins of the entire world. Take a little time out of each day and simply say "thank you" to your Lord and Savior for all that you have and all that you are, from all you have received through free and unmerited gifts from Him.

Sometime between the time you fight over the turkey leg or eat that second piece of pie, or turn on the Lions game and pull the handle back on the bark-o-lounger, remember not only to give thanks for the abundance of daily bread you have this one day per year called Thanksgiving. Remember to also return thanks to God for Jesus Christ, because of His giving we are able to endure this life, to laugh to cry, to stuff our faces with the most awesome foods from years of family tradition. And as the family grows the seeds and stories of tradition seem to grow too. And you know the best family traditions are the ones that are easily shared. Share your blessings from God, for you have been given much.

Tomorrow most of us will stop at nothing to put on a feast that will satisfy us for a day. Everyday God in Christ Jesus provides you with the feast of victory that will satisfy you for eternal life. For you, it may appear like a simple recipe, a baptism wherein water is combined with God’s Word, a Holy Communion where bread and wine are combined with the very Words of God. In fact, it would be simpleton’s to think these are recipes. For these gifts did not come easily, they came from Jesus Christ who died on the cross and rose again. Jesus Christ gave His life so that we may have the assurance of eternal life in His Name, more than just tradition, or any great recipe, “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior.” Thanks be to God. Amen.

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The Last Sunday of the Church Year - November 20, 2011

2011-11-22T12:55:00.000-08:00

The Church Season of Trinity
The Last Sunday in the Church Year, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (November 20, 2011)

Readings:
    Psalm 149
    Isaiah 65:17:25
    1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
    Matthew 25:1-13

+INI+

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

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 5th chapter of St. Paul’s 1st letter to the church in Thessalonica, especially the following verses:

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

“Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord, my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” While some of you may be more familiar with Luther’s morning and evening prayers as written out in the catechism, you’ve almost certainly heard this very simple prayer at some point in your life. And of course your ending to this prayer probably varied, ours generally continued with, “God bless mommy and daddy, Elizabeth, Alicia, Alexander, and all who are around me. Amen, Stay in bed.” I guess we said it that way so many times it just became part of the ending. In Luther’s evening prayer the closing is, “let you holy angel watch over me, that the evil foe will have no power over me.”(SC) Both prayers bring the close of our day to a bright focus, that is that God will watch over us at the close of our day, which for any one of us could also be the close of our lives.

Darkness is and always has been associated with darkness, death, and evil. We do not like to be out in the dark walking down streets alone, it’s just not safe. So we avoid walking alone at night in strange places if at all possible. "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!" It is the element of surprise that makes us fear, we can’t see as well in the dark as we can in the light.

And so St. Paul takes this idea of darkness and light, safe and surprise and he tells the church in Thessalonica, “let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.”(v. 6) Not as easy as it sounds. Jesus told His disciples to do this very thing in the Garden of Gethsemane, “[Jesus] said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And shortly thereafter as He bowed to God’s will in prayer He returned and, “He came to the disciples and found them sleeping.”(Mt. 26:38&40)

“Let us not sleep.”(v. 6) Obviously an impossible task. For the disciples in the presence of the Son of God Jesus Christ, could not stay awake for a few moments, neither could Paul’s hearer’s and we too can’t stay awake for an endless string of hours upon hours we must sleep. So St. Paul is talking here about our lives in the world, his admonition doesn’t mean our every day need for sleep, nor is he talking about the endless sleep of death. But, here St. Paul speaks about “a life in sin, which is a life in darkness. Those in Christ, the light of the world, are awake and sober.” You beloved saints of God, because of the grace and faith sealed upon you in your baptism, walk in the light of the sun, so all of you who walk in the light of the Word of God, Jesus Christ, are "children of the day.”(v. 5)

Boy wouldn’t that be a great place to end, except one or two of you are thinking, “Wait a minute, didn’t I hear you say that only sinners come to church? Something is not adding up here.” And you would be right and St. Paul would be right too. For all who walk in the light of the Word of God, are indeed children of the day. But just like the seasons and the time of the year especially now, the darkness seems to come very early, in fact earlier each day. We slip and we fall our faith wanes like daylight as we approach December days. We sin daily, and that is taking the Light of Christ out of our lives. In fact, we often think of sin, in kind of a mitigating way. We want to think that we are Christian, and holy and we have all these holy lights on lives. Wherever we go there is always light, look at me. But we sin by not speaking kindly of our brothers and sisters. Oh, that’s just one light that went out, I’ve got plenty more. We sin when we curse and swear, “Oh everybody does that, if that’s all you’ve got to talk about, I’ve plenty more lights than that.” We sin, by holding false Gods, by being so busy we can’t spend time to read God’s Word, to attend church, to share the Word of God with others. We think our lights slowly go out as we feel the effects of sin in our bodies which are attacked and ravaged by very real aches, pains, disease. But, how many lights do you have? Do you have enough lights to avoid the darkness that will envelope you when the last candle goes out? Truthfully the answer is no, we do not and we can not by our own reason or strength fight the battle of the diminishing light. In fact, the truth is worse than you thought, for each sin, puts all your lights out, all at once, completely, dark dark, no shadows, no sounds, no touch, no taste, no smell, utter and complete separation from the world which we want to create. Where we have all the money, no enemies, no debt, every toy, perfect health, no crying, no pain, no anguish, no fear, no darkness.”

Repent for St. Paul said, “While people are saying, “'There is peace and security,' then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”(v. 3) These are dark words which warn of sudden, utter, and hopeless ruin and despair for those who put their hope in this world, rather than in Christ. It has been said, “Do not, while present prosperity smiles upon you, forget its certain end, lest adversity without end succeed it” (St. Bernard of Clairvaux SLSB, p 56). By human reason and strength, no one can escape God’s righteous judgment and scrutiny (Ps 139:7–10). Only those sheltered in Christ will escape God’s wrath, which will come upon all those who have broken His righteous Law. Our candles are like a heap of wax, your ability to make light is like a box of wet matches, by our actions and inactions, we are left in despair and utter darkness with no way to make light.

But you are not left in the darkness of your own despair. Christ Jesus, is the light of the world and He has made you belong to the day. You have put on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of the hope of salvation in the waters of your baptism. In the light of Christ you are as a people who walk in the light of the sun, for you walk in the light of the Word of God, Jesus Christ, and you have been made the children of the day.

Let us walk in holiness and righteousness so that we may not be ashamed when our Lord appears to judge our work. The Lord who has chosen you for salvation and died for you on the cross will be on our side on the final Day of Judgment. Recognize that there is a Day of Judgment for us a day casting to the darkness or the eternal illumination in the presence of the Son of God. The day of the Lord may come like a thief in the night but you are children of the day. We pray the way we are taught, God’s will be done. We share the Good News of Jesus Christ who is the light of the world. Are prayers are answered by Jesus Christ who brings the close of our everyday even our final day into a bright focus. That is that God will watch over us at the close of our day, which for any one of us could also be the close of our lives. And no matter when Jesus comes, He will come for you in comfort and joy, to lay you down to sleep and He your soul will ever keep, when you die you shall then awake, for Jesus died for your eternal sake. Amen.

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The Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity - November 13, 2011

2011-11-16T15:00:00.000-08:00

The Church Season of Trinity
The Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (November 12, 2011)

Readings:
    Psalm 8
   Genesis 1:1 – 2:3
   Ephesians 6:10-17
   John 4:46-54

+INI+

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

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 4th chapter of St. John, especially the following verse:

John 4:46-54

46 Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. [Jesus said]48 “Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,you will never believe.” 49 The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus replied, “You may go. Your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.” 53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and all his household believed. 54 This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come from Judea to Galilee.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

What does it mean to believe? Do we need to see clouds in the sky in the form of Christ? To see a curtain move in a still room? Do we have to have a wonderful dream or a scary nightmare in order to believe? Today we hear that Jesus talks to a man of great standing. Royalty in fact very well to do. This man knew of Jesus went to him because he had heard of Him.

This royal man’s son was sick. We don't know what illness he may have had, but it sounds that is could have been potentially fatal. The official appeared to be completely out of options and he went to see the local miracle worker. And so when this man came into Jesus’ presence Jesus looked inside the man and saw that there was no real, saving faith yet, just primarily desperation.

But apparently the crowd was also indifferent because Jesus speaks to them first before He speaks to this royal man, saying, "Unless you see signs and wonders, You will not believe." But the man was desperate, and begged, "Sir, come down before my child dies."

And then Jesus’s blessing is simple, "Go your way, your son lives." No earth shattering decrees, no thunder, no lightning. No bone chilling voices in the dark, no palm reading, no good luck, just the Word of God proclaiming blessings and healing upon a man’s dying son, which ultimately comforts his father too.

And so, on his way home, a walking of 20 or 30 miles, his servants met him with the happy news that his son was better. So of course he asked at what time the boy began to mend, and they said it was about the seventh hour and that it was just about at that time that Jesus had said to him that his son was going to live. And the next sentence seems kind of odd, ". . . and he himself believed, and his whole household."

How many times have you asked God, “to just show me something, anything so I know you’re hearing me. Please just let me know that you’re hearing my prayers.” But our faith is weak. We want concrete signs, actions, immediate action by God. Why doesn’t God solve my problems right after I pray? Truth be told, most of our conversations with God, probably go something like this.

[God] “I love damn sinners.” [Us] “Hey God this is me, I’m a damn sinner.” [God] “I love damn sinners.” [Us] “Yes, God I am a damn sinner.” [God] “My child, I forgive you all your sins.” [Us] “You would forgive me? Even with all I’ve done?” [God] “My child, I forgive you all your sins.” [Us] “That’s great! I’m forgiven, I’m forgiven.” [God] “Your salvation is secure, share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone you meet. Forgive as I have forgiven you. Go and sin no more.” [Us] “I’m sorry I didn’t catch that last part, ah am I still forgiven?”

The man in the reading suddenly believed, only after having heard that his son was recovering. Our experience of faith in Jesus Christ is often similar. The Holy Spirit creates faith in us by the Word of God. That is instantaneous and completely by God's power, but our experience of it, our consciousness of it often feels more like this man's path. We start with a need and a wish and not much else - and then when all else fails, we try God. We believe the Word of God, sort-of, when it tells us of the love of God, and we put God to the test. We don't really expect God to keep His promises, but we try Him out in situations where we don't have too many other options anyhow. It seems only when God proves Himself to us, so we believe. But in a biblical context belief and trust are almost synonymous words. So we believe God when He does what we want, but do we trust Him to do what is best for us, even if it is not what we want?

So what does it mean to trust in God? It means more than simply saying that the Word of God is accurate or factually true. It means living in confidence about God and in God. It means answering your fears with God's promises and with the knowledge that God loves you. It means doing what you know to be right even if it doesn't seem safe or practical or popular.

So then, do you believe, and do you trust? Then you put first things - God's things - first. Do you trust God enough to risk looking unusually religious? Do you trust God enough to find contentment in His will and His love for you, no matter how painful or troubling you may find your life to be?

We could ask if that royal man really expected that Jesus could heal his son, or if it was a test to see if Jesus could or would. So maybe when he prayed to Jesus, he was doing a "just in case" prayer. You know, just in case God is listening, and just in case He is interested, and just in case He wants to help, then I will pray. Do you pray like that, or do you pray with confidence that God will answer?

Looking for God to create signs and wonders just to convince us that He hears us is really just faithlessness. Nowhere has God promised what such a faith expects and looks for, but there are a lot of teachers and preachers selling that sort of doctrine.

Rather faith built on trust responds to life knowing that God is in charge, and He will do everything He promised, not just the 'go to heaven' stuff that you cannot see or use in your day to day living. Look at Communion it is prepared for you morning. What is it? Does your hunger for it reflect a casual human sense that this is a fine thing we do in church on the second, fourth, and fifth Sunday, or does it reflect that God, in Christ Jesus is here for you is forgiveness, and that Christ is coming to you personally to transform you and give you eternal life? Is this Sacrament the medicine of immortality for you, or just something religious that we do? Do you count it as precious and hunger to receive it as often as you may, finding strength and refreshment for your soul here. Are you hearing Christ’s words, “Do this often” or are you doing this Communion thing only as often as you please?

Do you hear what I saying? In some way, we are all hurt, sick, frustrated by people, the world and even our own actions or inactions. The miracle is before you, take eat, take drink, you have been made well Lean on God and trust, believe, have faith, in Him and not trust our own wisdom, or strength or understanding. When we live in faith by doing everything in the light of that faith, ruling our actions and our words and our attitudes by our trust in God and our hope in forgiveness and the confident expectation that we will rise from the grave to live forever.

The man in the Gospel saw Jesus in action, and understood that Jesus is God — and that He cared for him and his family. He trusted from that moment on that Jesus could and would take care of him, his family, and his needs. You, too, can let every pain, every crisis, every need rest in the hands of Jesus. You can trust Him to love you, keep you, and save you, and raise you from the dead to everlasting life. This faith is more than just believing that that it is true, it is believing that it is for you, and that God counts you precious to Himself and He watches over you, and will bring you through all things safely. And when you trust God, you won't need signs and wonders, and the conversation between us and God becomes much shorter…more like this…[Us]“God, your will be done.” [God] “I have given you my only begotten Son, your salvation is secure, and the timing of your healing is when you hear my Holy Word, when you receive the Sacraments when you know my love for you in giving my Son for your sins, you are forgiven.” Amen.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
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All Saints Sunday - November 6, 2011

2011-11-10T11:54:00.000-08:00

The Church Season of Trinity
All Saints Sunday
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (November 6, 2011)

Readings:
    Psalm 149
    Revelation 7:2-17
    1 John 3:1-
    Matthew 5:1-12

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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 All Saint’s Day is as recorded in the 5th chapter of St. Matthew, especially the following verses:

Matthew 5:1-12

[Jesus] 1Seeing the crowds, He went up on the mountain, and when e sat down, his disciples came to him. 2And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Saint Matthew records the Gospel, that is Good News, of Jesus Christ and His salvation for us. Saint Matthew by inspiration of the Holy Spirit gives us the words of Jesus Christ which is the Word of Life for us. From Jesus’ incarnation to His death and resurrection, it is all in this book. Today we hear in the Gospel reading the beginning of Jesus’ first of five discourses or sermons. And these words are probably some of the most heard, most remembered, and most beloved of all Christ’s sermons. How could the man Saint Matthew but be humbled to write down Christ’s words, how could a man but be humbled to preach about Christ’s sermon to His beloved people?

Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, Blessed are those who mourn, Blessed are the meek, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst, Blessed are the merciful, Blessed are the pure in heart, Blessed are the peacemakers, Blessed are those who are persecuted” More often than not, these words of Jesus Christ which we know as the Beatitudes are preached as Law, meaning these are only things which we must do. Some preachers have even gone so far as to call these the “Be” “Attitudes” meaning you must “Be” all these things. Again your ears should hear the Law in that sentence, because the word “must” will always come back to bite you, to leave you uncertain. Because “must” is always quickly followed by, “how much”?

A few years ago, a tour group was led on a path in the small town of Eisleben, Germany, headed to a tiny church, the one where Martin Luther was baptized. That tour group was energized, and somewhere in the midst all their conversations on the way to that church, the question arose, “I wonder if we’ll see the baptismal font where Martin Luther was baptized?” The group was led into that small church and in the front and center was indeed a baptismal font. Quickly everyone went to take pictures but all too soon they were disappointed to find out that that particular font was almost brand new. But, the tour guide added, there is a font in the chapel at the rear of the church. Again the crowd moved, 43 people squeezed into a small chapel to look and see Luther’s font. Hope rose when it was announced that this font was indeed the right age over 530 years old. But it too was not the font the group sought, in fact the location of the font they desired to see was unknown. Disappointment, they would not be able to see, or to touch, or to be in the presence of Luther’s baptismal font.

Oh how misguided and misdirected the thoughts of these people. They looked for God’s grace in a carving of stone, or of eight sided hunk of wood, or some kind of image orchestrated and etched by their imagination, looking for fonts in all the wrong places. Each of you has had that desire to seek out some kind of font which will fulfill your dreams. Whether it be a font of money to pay your bills, or taxes. Or maybe a font with the power to avoid paying taxes. Or maybe a font which will provide all the medicine you need to put away your suffering from all aches or pains. A font which will cripple your enemy or at least cause them to stumble. A font which will cause the pastor to preach a sermon the sermon you wish, instead of the one you need. A font to make that pastor see himself in his own words. A font of imagination which would be a glorious spectacle before the world and make them all people come into and join this very church. “Hope springs eternal” the poet Alexander Pope would say, but for us, it is a hope that God would give us a font, to put all that troubles us and all who trouble us away. But that is not a font, it is a wishing well a place in which to throw the coins of our despair, but a place which would not reveal our reflection. But that is a false hope looking for the magic of a font made wishing well.

The words taught in the Beatitudes to the disciples are the ones they and we need to hear. The first word of the beatitudes are, “Jesus opened His mouth and He taught them saying”(v. 2) And the Words from His mouth did not mislead, there is no false hope here. Jesus Christ’s words are a wellspring of salvation which point to Himself, which give you faith and bring to you to the baptismal font of eternal life. Beatitude literally means happy, fortunate, or blissful.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,” but you would not be happy if you were poor. Like the rich man who came to Jesus, and Jesus asked him to give away all his possessions and follow Jesus. But the rich man bowed his head in shame and walked away. If we must be poor, just admit it, you cannot be poor, you cannot give all you have away for Jesus. What would you do, how would you survive? But Jesus had nowhere to lay His head (Mt 8:20) except ultimately on a cross and He did so for you for the forgiveness of all your sins.

And we could go down the list, reflecting how none of these Beatitude blessings are the way we would like to be blessed. And in a rush to find one thing we can accomplish by our own reason or might, we might overlook the fact that the first eight of these Blessed’s are directed to they, whoever “they” might be. But the ninth talks about you and me, and the you is us and the me is Jesus Christ. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”(v. 11)

Jesus no longer speaks about the impossible tasks that “they” must accomplish, no Jesus says you and me. Jesus’ suffering effects your suffering, He suffers for you, He becomes poor, for you, He becomes all things, for you. And because Jesus Christ has given His all, including His Body and Blood, for you, you in turn will suffer for Him and not only that you will, “ Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”(v. 12)

On this All Saints day do not be misdirected as to how you will achieve Sainthood, what you must do, what you must complete. You need not wish for a font to fulfill your dreams, rather in your baptismal font you have received life and salvation beyond your greatest whim or wish. For the size or shape, or historical magnitude of the font does not matter. Rather it is the Word of God, combined in and with the water which makes it a baptism. And that baptism makes you holy, and holy is the definition of a saint.

God in Jesus Christ through the revelation of Holy Spirit the scriptures reveals that we are never closer to heaven on earth and our sainted loved ones than we are in the waters of holy baptism and in the Sacrament of Holy Communion and with Christ. For in those sacraments you have a foretaste of the bliss which the saints enjoy in heaven. Share that joy with all whom you meet, it is not only your duty, but your obligation. For why would you who experience a foretaste of heaven not want to share that joy? In Baptism in Holy Communion and we are in communion with all who truly believe Christ’s Words “this is” and we sup with all the blessed saints who have gone before us. Searching for the font to solve your every dream is futile, rather Christ has found you, and brought you to faith, and gives you life eternal, and so we receive the first sermon of Jesus Christ, which speaks of the Law and ends with the His Gospel “your reward is great in heaven.”

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
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Reformation Sunday - October 30, 2011

2011-11-10T11:48:00.000-08:00

The Church Season of Trinity
Reformation Sunday (Observed)
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (October 30, 2011)

Readings:
    Psalm 46
    Revelation 14:1-6
    Romans 3:19-28
    Matthew 11:12-19

+INI+

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

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 11th chapter of St. Matthew, especially the following verses:

Matthew 11:12-19 (ESV)

[Jesus said]12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear. 16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates, 17 “ ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Today we note the 494th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Our banner here in the chancel reflects Luther’s Rose. Here is what it means as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther explained it, “Grace and peace from the Lord. As you desire to know whether my painted seal, which you sent to me, has hit the mark, I shall answer most amiably and tell you my original thoughts and reason about why my seal is a symbol of my theology. The first should be a black cross in a heart, which retains its natural color, so that I myself would be reminded that faith in the Crucified saves us. "For one who believes from the heart will be justified" (Rom. 10:10). Although it is indeed a black cross, which mortifies and which should also cause pain, it leaves the heart in its natural color. It does not corrupt nature, that is, it does not kill but keeps alive. "The just shall live by faith" (Rom. 1:17) but by faith in the crucified. Such a heart should stand in the middle of a white rose, to show that faith gives joy, comfort, and peace. In other words, it places the believer into a white, joyous rose, for this faith does not give peace and joy like the world gives (John 14:27). That is why the rose should be white and not red, for white is the color of the spirits and the angels (cf. Matt. 28:3; John 20:12). Such a rose should stand in a sky-blue field, symbolizing that such joy in spirit and faith is a beginning of the heavenly future joy, which begins already, but is grasped in hope, not yet revealed. And around this field is a golden ring, symbolizing that such blessedness in Heaven lasts forever and has no end. Such blessedness is exquisite, beyond all joy and goods, just as gold is the most valuable, most precious and best metal. May Christ, our beloved Lord, be with your spirit until the life hereafter.”

It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly 500 years since Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk, an ordained priest of the Roman Catholic church, challenged the powers of the known world by tacking those 95 thesis to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. There he questioned the authority of the Holy Roman Catholic church and King Charles Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. And to this machine of churchly and governmental authority Luther’s challenge was met with words similar to that which Christ spoke in our Gospel lesson, “He is a demon.”(v. 18)

When Luther was confronted by excommunication which by nature included threat of death, Luther stated, "Unless I shall be convinced by the testimonies of the Scriptures or by clear reason ... I neither can nor will make any retraction, since it is neither safe nor honorable to act against conscience." He also famously is said to have added, "Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen." Against all odds, Luther stood on the Word of God and not the word of men. On this day of remembering the Reformation it is all too easy to think of Luther, and to quote Him or to insult and belittle those who opposed him. But if he were here today, that would not be Luther’s point. Rather Luther would point to Christ just as he did in that seal.

Jesus said to the crowd gathered around Him, “12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. ”(v.12) John the Baptist preached, prayed, and pointed to Christ. And for this proclamation John his head became a birthday bidding gift of Herod’s niece. Herod like the crowd either did not believe the prophecy of John or he chose to ignore it.

And Jesus paints the people around Him in the same light, like children who want to call the tunes and feel snubbed when their partners do not want to dance with them. But we humans are quite fickle, aren’t we? We do not want to hear about Moses and the Ten commandments. We don’t want to hear about the destruction of all of God’s people who failed to listen to the prophets. We do not want to hear John the Baptist say to us, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”(Mt. 3:2) That’s Law and it’s all to stern, isn’t it? Can’t we just have the Word of God and the Gospel the way we want to hear it, without so much pain, suffering, and violence?

Well, truthfully, if that is what we proclaimed, all Gospel and no Law, then we would be changing God’s Word in scripture to meet our needs, and we see that happen throughout scripture. From Adam and Eve, to the church in Luther’ time, man has been quite consistent in turning from the whole of God’s Word and wanting only to hear the portions we want to hear. And quite frankly the first desires in Garden did bring about suffering and the violence of death. In this world we know of violence we suffer from it for we live in a fallen world and we feel the results which are pain, suffering, and ultimately we too shall one day die.

But lest we be depressed, by all that we face, hear again what Christ said, “The kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.”(v. 12) Jesus Christ suffered the ultimate violence for us as He died on the cross. His suffering and death overcomes our all our pain, all our suffering, all hate and angst that we face in this world.

Today we celebrate the Reformation not out of party spirit nor because we hate Catholicism or because we enjoy bashing the pope. We celebrate the Reformation in a spirit of grateful humility that God still allows His good news of forgiveness to be preached to us, and we ask that He would preserve His Church on earth for the sake of Christ, so that many more might hear the pure doctrine that God forgives sinners all by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and all that is a free gift, no strings attached.

So today, in remembering the Reformation we are reminded that we do not find salvation in the promises or works of men, traditions, or feelings. We do not find the promise of salvation in the scribbled words written on a piece of paper tacked to a church door by a man named Martin Luther. We honor Luther for standing up against incredible forces and we stand here today to confess that our salvation is revealed in Jesus Christ nailed to a cross. Salvation is promised by Christ, and confirmed in your Baptism, there you died to sin and now live to Christ. Today in the Holy Sacrament of our Lord, Jesus Christ pours Himself out for you in His body and blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus Christ is the eternal Word of God to whom all Holy Scripture points. Today, we fondly recall the beauty and details of Luther’s seal placed on a banner and the memory of that door to the Castle Church in Wittenberg. But even greater still, for all eternity we will recall the Gospel Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. For Jesus Christ is for you the seal of your salvation and He alone is for you the one and only door to eternal life. Amen.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
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The Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity - October 23, 2011

2011-11-10T11:39:00.000-08:00

Church Season of Trinity
The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (October 23, 2011)

Readings:
    Psalm 34:8-22
    Deuteronomy 10:12-21
    1 Corinthians 1:1-9
    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 Lesson from the 1st chapter of 1st Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 1:4-9

I thank my God always concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

The thought is inescapable, if you read the Scriptures. You have to want to miss it to miss it. Strangely, though, many people who claim to be Christians and claim to believe the Bible miss it, or ignore it. It is one of the most comforting thoughts that the Bible teaches, and yet it is, to be quite frank, somewhat unsettling for many people.

What is it? By “it”, I mean to say that our faith and our lives in Christ are the work of God and not our work. We receive them as gifts of the grace of God. We often feel as though we are doing something, that we make choices and we make it happen, but it is the consistent witness of Scripture that our participation in Christ - in faith, in being a member of the Church, of continuing in faith - is the gift of God.

We do make choices all by ourselves. That is the unfortunate part. We make choices like missing worship because we think we have something more urgent to attend to. We choose to doubt God's good will - that it is good, or that it is right. We choose to listen to the voices of society - or family - around us and place emotion before doctrine, our sense of things before what God's Word tells us, and how things look to us before what the truth is from God. We choose to try to justify ourselves for our sins rather than repent of them, and confess them, and allow Christ to justify us. Yes, we do make choices, but when we do so under our own wisdom and power, we are invariably making sinful choices. The good stuff is God at work in us, and faith is his gift.

That is why St. Paul begins this short piece of 1 Corinthians with thanksgiving. I thank my God always concerning you. He knows that its God's work all the way. They are who they are because of God. They believe because of God. They not only are what they realize they are, but Paul wants them to know more, that there is so much more to it than it seems at first blush. But His teaching begins with the thanksgiving.

He thanks God for the grace of God which has been poured out on them. Since it is grace, it obviously cannot be anything but a gift. That is so because grace is that undeserved favor of God. It is seen first and foremost in the forgiveness of sins. That is not the specific grace that Paul is focused on, here, but whenever we approach the idea of the grace of God it is good to remember that Grace starts with forgiveness.

Paul is thankful for the grace of God given to us in connection with Jesus Christ. That is, of course where all grace is connected. In our text, Paul is talking about how, by the grace of God, we have been enriched in Christ. The specific riches of which he is writing about are in speech and knowledge. What the grace of God has enriched us in is everything concerning Christ and salvation - not necessarily absolutely everything. God has taught us about Christ, and taught us how to speak about Christ. Worship and the confession of our faith is a good example. The best worship is when we say back to God what He has said to us first. That is why so much of our worship is drawn directly from the Bible. We con-fess, we speak with God, and say what He has said first.

Paul talks about how the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in the Corinthians. That confirmation is their faith. That they believe is confirmation of the Gospel Paul preaches. The Corinthians also seemed to have had a number of the more remarkable gifts of the Spirit as a validation of the Gospel message they had heard. Paul directly addresses the issue of the gifts of the Spirit in later chapters of this letter, and he appears to bringing the topic up right here at the beginning of the letter. But he is not speaking about the Corinthians having special gifts that no one else has, or that some churches lack. Their faith, and the church among them, is the confirmation of the testimony of the Gospel concerning Christ among them - as it is for us.

The testimony of God’s Holy Word concerning Christ is that He had died on your behalf, suffered for your sins, and has risen from the dead bringing forgiveness and life and salvation to you. The only confirmation of that good news is the Holy Spirit at work in you, creating and sustaining your faith. The congregation gathered around you is the confirmation of the testimony of Christ. Nothing else would actually work. Think about it. The children of Israel saw the great plagues that struck Egypt, they had the pillar of cloud and fire, they heard the voice of God at Mt. Sinai, and received the gift Manna six out of every seven days for forty years, and yet they wandered. They committed idolatry. They refused to believe the Word of God about the promised land. Signs and wonders can only do so much. Even being a witness to the resurrection of Christ, as the Jews of Jerusalem were, did not make the difference for them. For confirmation of the Word of God concerning Christ, only faith, and the church He has assembled for over two thousand years, can serve.

Paul then asserts that the Corinthians were not lacking in any gift. That didn't mean that they had everything they could imagine. They didn't. They had everything they needed. Every gift that the church needed to be the people of God and to do the things God had planned for them to do was already given to them. They were not lacking in any gift needed to await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Likewise, we do not lack any gift needed for us to accomplish what the Lord would have us to do while we also await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. That revelation, of which Paul writes, is what we call 'the return of Christ to sum up the ages', and to judge the quick and the dead, and to bring us all home to eternal glory with Him. We await that revelation eagerly, as Paul says. We want no more sin, or sorrow, or sickness and death. We look forward to that final step in our salvation which brings us to the fullness of the promises of God. The troubles of this life are wearying, they wear us down, they cause our minds to be distracted and we become dismayed. We get to the point where we eagerly await that day when they are ended.

Paul also promises here, by the Word of God, that our Lord will confirm us to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. While we await His return, we have the promise of the Lord to continue to keep us in forgiveness, so that when He comes, we are found to be fit for heaven, righteous with His righteousness, and blameless in day of judgment.

Every step of our lives our pilgrimage through life as the children of God is the work of God. He has seen our need for rescue from sin, and worked out or salvation. The story is older than any of us here, but the wonder of it is still the same, God conceived the plan to be both the just Judge, and the one who justified the sinner through Jesus Christ. The soul that sins is justly condemned by divine justice, and yet, it is redeemed and forgiven and given eternal life of the righteous by the same divine justice - and the plan and the work of putting that plan into action is God's work all the way. Now He brings that good news to us, and proclaims it to those who are powerless to respond, and so God creates the response, and gives us faith by His own power and work, forgiving us and cleansing us, and strengthening us through both Word and Sacrament, and holds us in faith, as well. He works in us and works every good thing we do through us by His power, and rewards us as though it were our work, when, in fact, we would be utterly undone if He were not sustaining us minute by minute. It is no wonder Paul began this passage with thanksgiving, and ends it with the confession that God is faithful.

God is faithful because He has called us into fellowship with His Son, and He sustains us in it. It is that very faithfulness of God that we depend upon for both our physical life and blessings, and our spiritual life and well-being. Paul writes about all of this both to give the Corinthian church a reason for thanksgiving, and to comfort them in the midst of whatever they will have to endure, for God is faithful. They do not need to worry about the future or the challenges that it may bring. They can and will succeed and hold fast to the faith - and we too can and will hold fast to the faith and succeed in all that God has planned for us to accomplish - because it is God's work all the way. Amen

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The Seventeeth Sunday after Trinity - October 16, 2011

2011-11-10T11:30:00.000-08:00

The Church Season of Trinity
The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (October 16, 2011)

Readings:
    Psalm 2
    Proverbs 25:6-14
    Ephesians 4:1-6
    Luke 14:1-11

+INI+

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

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 14th chapter of St. Luke, especially the following verse:

Luke 14:1-11 (NIV)

1 One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. 2 There in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy. 3 Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” 4 But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him away. 5 Then he asked them, “If one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?” 6 And they had nothing to say. 7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Jesus joins a gathering as a guest and it is He who is being carefully watched by the host who is a Pharisee, and other guests the experts in the Law all waiting to see if they could catch Jesus being ill-mannered regarding the Law of the Sabbath. In front of Jesus was man who was very ill, “suffering from dropsy.”(v. 2) today called congestive heart failure. The sick man had a sick heart. The Pharisees and Lawyers had sick hearts too, today we would probably call their condition, religious hypocrites. Meaning the Pharisees appeared outwardly very religious, but in truth they were just as sick in their hearts as the man with dropsy.

And seeing the sick man Jesus asked, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not” Jesus anticipated the response, knowing it was unlawful to do much of anything on the Sabbath, unless of course they had checked in with the proper authorities to make sure that they were using the most precise technicality to skirt the rules and law. So in anticipation of their tricks and questions regarding His healing on the Sabbath, Jesus asked, “If one of you has a son or a donkey or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?”(v.5)

But the Pharisees and Lawyers could care less whether their son, or anybody else made it out of the well, rather they were too busy trying to take care of their own self image. In those times you didn’t get to be called a prominent Pharisee without a little bit of hard work and a lot of chest pounding. But, whether at that point they realized it or not, in two swift sentences Jesus had humbled them. Because He had directly challenged these high and mighty technocrats of the world. Because by the healing on the Sabbath He had brought them low, cut them down to size. Jesus lifted up the skirt of the Pharisees robes of prominence and exposed their arrogance. They didn’t want work to occur on the Sabbath because it broke their laws, even if it meant helping others.

So many times we look at these lessons and we want to see how our world fits into them. What about me, how does this little bit of Bible reading help me to be better to do better? And when we spend our time thinking about us and we we miss the whole point of the Gospel. This is the Good News about JESUS FOR us. So again, “If one of you has a son or a donkey or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?”(v.5) The truth is not a single one of them, not a single one of us would hesitate to do whatever we had to do, what we had to get done no matter what day it was. Pulling a relative out of a hole is probably the last excuse we would use for missing worship or missing an opportunity to be holy than though on the day we should be gathered with God’s people to return worship for our Lord. Just ask anyone and out will come a long list of excuses of why they couldn’t make it to worship, even though there are so many opportunities to come to return thanks for God’s gifts.

Now if you think THAT is the point of this Gospel lesson you have been again misled. That pointing out of our avoidance of reading God’s Word, studying God’s Word, missing the proclamation of God’s Word, is NOT the POINT! That is only pointing out the law. Now let me point out the Gospel, for there are two words we use in this sentence which could translate differently, and that is the word pit for well and raise up for fall into. The Gospel is not about you, it is about Jesus For YOU. Only God would send His Son Jesus to descend into the pit of hell for the remission of our sins, and only God would raise His Son up so that we would be forgiven. This scripture is not about what we should do, but rather what God in Christ Jesus has done for us. The Pharisees would have saved their donkey, but in truth it was God who not only saved their …donkey… He did more than that He saved the entire world from eternal death.

The Pharisees were so focused on rules and laws and pointing to their own accomplishments that they could exhibit no true humility. They were so busy watching others break the rules, finding fault with others actions, condemning others lives, pointing, cajoling, and grumbling, that they could not see that in their actions they had already broken the laws they sought to keep. Their outward words and action really only reflected a cynical hypocrisy punctuated by the exclamation mark of sarcasm. Yet sadly if those Pharisees of old were able, they would point right back at us because we join them each and every day, by all that we have done and all that we have left undone, we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves, and so we are called to repent.

For there is only one who exhibits true humility, and it is He who came from heaven and “being found in the appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross!”(Php 2:8) And through the cross of Christ, ‘God who knows our sin and pride’(Prvbs 3:34) yet He, still freely gives us His grace. You who “humble yourself before the Lord, He lifts you up.” In fact He has already lifted you up, for in the waters of your baptism all your pain, your worry, and your sins were set aside, you have been “raised from the dead so that you may live a new life.”(Rom. 6:4) And today you have received from Jesus Christ the forgiveness of sins, which renews, refreshes, and strengthens your faith.

In pride the Pharisees would have indeed pulled their oxen or donkey from a well even if it meant breaking their rules of the Sabbath. But God sends to you the Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus Christ and through His humbleness we who are weak of heart stand in His presence. For Jesus Christ frees us from the depths of our sin. Jesus lifts us from a world of despair and in so doing we land on our knees, and He blesses us with His forgiveness, and with His infinite humility. Amen.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
+SDG+

The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity - October 9, 2011

2011-11-10T11:21:00.000-08:00

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

+INI+

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.

+SDG+

The Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity - LWML Sunday - October 2, 2011

2011-11-10T11:13:00.000-08:00

The Church Season of Trinity
The Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
LWML Sunday
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (October 2, 2011)

Readings:
    Psalm 146
    1 Kings 17:8-16
    Galatians 5:25 – 6:10
    Matthew 6:24 - 34

+INI+

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

The text for today is as recorded in the Old Testament Lesson from the 6th chapter of Matthew, especially the following verses:

Matthew 6:24-34 (NIV)

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

In June, at the Lutheran Women's Missionary League convention held in Peoria, Dr. Ken Klaus, Lutheran Hour Speaker Emeritus, spoke to the assembly. The theme was "Being with Jesus - Living on the edge" and pastor Klaus shared his first impression of the theme with these words: "When I first heard the theme, Being with Jesus - Living on the edge, for a second I imagined the LWML President bungee jumping off a mile-high bridge."

I have to confess that I myself had second thoughts about that theme - especially the "living on the edge," part. When I first heard that phrase my immediate thoughts were of an old publicity slogan, "there is no such thing as negative attention." I thought of all the celebrities who were constantly making headlines because they were constantly finding creatively stupid ways to be offensive. They often say such people are living on the edge. It seems as if such people are addicted to testing the limits of offense and shame. I have to admit that the first thought that occurred to me was "living on the edge" meant seeing how offensive you could be without getting caught.

But you know when you think about it the story of the gospel has always been offensive. Listen to this account from the life of Jesus: [Matthew 13:54-57] Coming to his hometown [Jesus] taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?" 57 And they took offense at him. It suddenly occurred to me that Jesus was living on the edge from the very beginning of His public ministry. People took offense at Him.

The prophets of old knew that people would take offense at Jesus. The Holy Spirit inspired Isaiah to write, [Isaiah 8:14-15] "[The LORD of hosts] will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken." Through the prophet Isaiah, the Holy Spirit told Israel that their future Messiah would be a stone of offense. He would live on the edge.

All too often we forget that Jesus lived on the edge. People constantly took offense at Him. But then wouldn't you be offended if someone said you were a hypocrite; a blind fool; a blind guide; a tomb full of dead bones; a serpent; a viper; sentenced to hell; and a prophet killer? (Matthew 23) If you don't like offensive preaching, then you certainly don't want Jesus to be your preacher. He lives on the edge.

Living on the edge with Jesus means understanding that we are actually being defensive when we find Christ offensive. It means understanding that we are the ones who have offended God. It means understanding that we deserve punishment both in time and in eternity. It means understanding that our offense at Jesus is a dangerous arrogance.

Living on the edge with Jesus means understanding that [Luke 19:10] the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. Until we understand that we are lost, we will take offense at Jesus. We begin to understand that we are lost when the Holy Spirit works faith in us. When the Holy Spirit works faith in us, we stop taking offense at Jesus and start confessing our offense against Jesus. When the Holy Spirit moves us to repent of our lost condition, we are living on the edge with Jesus.

We can learn what it means to live on the edge with Jesus as we examine three special days in the life of four special women. These women are Mary, the mother of James and Joses; Joanna, wife of Chusa, the steward of Herod; Mary Magdalene whom Jesus freed from seven devils; and Salome, the mother of James and John.

These women had lived on the edge as they stood at the foot of the cross. Most of the people Jesus had healed were not at the cross. Most of the apostles were missing as well. Never the less, these four women were there.

They would keep Jesus' mother company. They would stay and hear what Jesus had to say. Others might pass by mocking and maligning Him, but they would stand fast. They gave their widow's mite of faithfulness and loyalty. Surrounded by hatred, they showed love.

Keeping watch the women would have noted the moment of Jesus' death. As long as He lived His body would have writhed, would have gasped for air, would have struggled, strained. But when death came, His body would have grown still and silent. When one of the Roman guards thrust a spear into His heart, it was an unnecessary anticlimax.

Courageously they watched as His corpse was taken down from the cross; bravely they watched to see where He was buried; sadly they noted the preparation of His body was richly, but incompletely done. That was when they pledged: "After the Sabbath we will return and finish the burial properly."

At Sundown on Saturday, when the Sabbath was over, they gathered the spices necessary to finish Jesus' burial and, on Sunday morning, they set out toward His tomb. There they intended to offer their final respects to someone whom they had loved.

As they approached the tomb they were astonished to find Jesus' grave was open. Surprised, shocked, stunned? Their minds must have had thousands of thoughts as they tried to cope with the fact that the body of their friend and master was gone. The one thought that did not occur to them was the Jesus might have risen from the dead. That was because the simple, unassailable truth is this: people who are dead for three days don't come back to life. Dead is dead. You know it; I know it; these women knew it.

Fearing the worst, the women gathered their courage and respectfully, slowly, tentatively entered Jesus' grave. The Gospel of Mark says what happened next. It tells us, "They saw a young man sitting on the right side of the walk-in tomb. He was dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed." I can understand why. Mark continues, "And he said to them, 'Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen.' " Christ has risen! For the women it meant their Friend, their Rabbi, their Master, their Teacher, was also their Savior.

A living Lord appeared to them and entrusted these women with a mission: tell the disciples Christ is risen. (He is risen, indeed!) That truth meant they would always be living with Jesus. It meant they would always live on the edge.

Today, 2,000 years later their mission is yours — their message is yours. The Savior lives and that means you who live with Him will also live on the edge. You live on the edge because the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ still cause offense.

I say that because you, dear friends in Christ, live in a land where the U.S. Supreme Court begins every session with the words: "God save the United States and this Honorable Court!" But Erica Corder, a valedictorian in Monument, Colorado, can't speak about Jesus. Indeed, Erica was told she wouldn't get her diploma until she apologized for having said: "If you don't already know (Jesus Christ) personally I encourage you to find out more about the sacrifice He made." The generic God mentioned on our money is OK with our culture, but the sacrifice of Christ that earned our salvation offends our culture.

You live in an age where living with Jesus means you live on the edge. Take a look at the media. If you do, it won't take too long before you realize almost every pastor or priest shown on the screen is a platitude-spouting prude or a pathetic pervert; most Christian parents are portrayed as undeniably dense and church people are intolerant, ignorant idiots. On the news the scandals of Christians are publicly paraded, repeatedly rehashed, criticized, and condemned.

You have what the world needs. It is time to stand up and proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins to the world. It is time to confess that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. This salvation may offend the world, but it brings comfort to those who mourn at the graveside of a loved one. This salvation may offend the world, but it promises us that Jesus will carry us through the hard times in this life. This salvation may offend the world, but it guarantees eternal life to all who believe in it.

It is time to ask the world, "What do you have to offer which is better than Jesus? What can provide a better foundation than the Christ?" We are God's witnesses telling any and all who would listen, the wonderful blood-bought truth which saves. Amen.

+SDG+

The Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity - September 25, 2011

2011-11-10T11:00:00.000-08:00

The Church Season of Trinity
The Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (September 25, 2011)

Readings:
    Psalm 119:9-16
   Proverbs 4:10-23
   Galatians 5:16-24
    Luke 17:11-19

+INI+

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen
The text for today’s message is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 17th chapter of St. Luke, the following verses,

Luke 17:11-19 (ESV)

11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit

What a wonderful exposition of grace, salvation, mercy, and worship. The Words of scripture are always enlightening and joyful to read, yet even what a greater joy when our ears, so often filled with self-righteous thoughts, hear how the scripture screams through our ears and shatters our inwardness by the densely packed words reflecting the mercy of our Lord. Truth is, His mercy and grace is always there and is only by His Word do we hear of Jesus who sets us free from all that ails us. The setting of this Gospel lesson from the beginning piles on the despair that is related to the challenges we face in life, the ones which we see no way to overcome.

While leprosy is not really a disease that we are familiar with in modern times, it is still a excellent metaphor for sin. Sin, like leprosy, requires healing which can only come from outside you. No one has ever cured themselves of leprosy just like no on can or ever will be able to cure themselves of sin.

And leprosy is a disease which cannot be ignored. For if you ignore it, then it only gets worse. Again, the same as sin, although you try to heal yourself, you give it the old college try, you cannot defeat sin by any action of your own. But we say, What if I just don’t think about sin, maybe it will go away. Maybe I won’t sin anymore or maybe if I do sin it really won’t be sin, because I know I’m not supposed to sin, but God forgives right? God will just wink and I’m good to go thank God He understands what I’m up against.

Well, God certainly understands sin, but He can’t stand sin. Sin is repulsive before God. Nothing unclean is able to stand before Him and live. But what can we do? We’re going to die anyway wink, wink, nudge, nudge, God will understand the challenges of what I encounter.

As Jesus was walking along he encountered 10 lepers, He healed them all, but only one returned to give thanks and that one was a foreigner. That one who returned was a Samaritan who was therefore was a foreigner, a non-Jew, a non-believer. The word translated as “foreigner” here, ἀλλογενής, is only used once in the entirety of the New Testament and literally means “other born”. It is this one Leper who is “other born”, a stranger, of another race, someone who in reality could not do what Jesus told him to do. Because a non-Jew could not go to “the priests and show himself”(v. 14) And this truth is born out even further as we know the only other known recorded use of the word ἀλλογενής, other born in all of history was used on a sign at the temple in Jerusalem. It was , “the famous Jerusalem Temple inscription μηδένα ἀλλογενῆ εἰσπορεύεσθαι;” which roughly stated, “no one other born may go in or out.” So this one Leper could not go to the Temple built by the hands of man to be healed, to be cleansed, to be verified as ritually clean.

But remember what this leper first said when he saw Jesus, “Jesus, Master have mercy on us.”(v. 13) And the words he used in Greek you know and have spoken here in church, for he said Eleison Me, remember, it. Kyrie Eleison, Lord have mercy? This is the exact scripture where those words come from which we repeat to this very day. Eleison me, have mercy on me. And so this foreigner receives that for which he prays, that is cleansing, healing, and the mercy he prayed for “Elieison me”.(v. 16) And all these blessings are delivered by hearing the Word of the God from the Word God who is The Great High Priest, Jesus Christ. For Christ is The One who was “other born.” who Himself “was made man” by the speaking of the Holy Spirit into the ear of a virgin. And so it is only by the free gift of pure grace from the very lips of our Lord Jesus Christ that faith turns this “foreigner” around. What does it mean to be turned around, well that is exactly the word for repentance, to be turned around. And so he returned and came before the presence of the Lord. He fell on his face at the feet of Jesus and then gave what? He gave Eucharist, thanksgiving to Jesus Christ. Thus, the One Jesus, who would “take away the sin of the world” gives access to the very Temple of God, to this leper who faced an incurable disease.

It is indeed sad to note that most people who call themselves Christians only call upon the Lord when they need Him. And it is also indeed sad that once they receive what they ask, they never bother to thank Him. They never bother to show any sort of gratitude. They get their handout and keep on running. But do not be deceived. God is not mocked. What will happen when God removes His gracious Hand from you if you believe that you can control His mercy? You will wither and die.

Repent. Believe once again what God's Word says about our Savior, Jesus Christ. Saint Paul tells Saint Timothy: This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. You can't argue with Saint Paul, he was a filthy, rotten sinner, just like you and just like me.

However, the Gospel, that is the Good News is that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Jesus did not come into the world to save grateful sinners, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” Jesus suffered pain and scorn from the same people He came to save from their sin. Jesus could have removed His gracious Hand from His beloved children. He could have paid for the sin of Gentiles only, or Jews only. Nevertheless, Jesus suffered unbelief and ingratitude, just as He does today. Jesus suffers unbelief and ingratitude, but does not cease to offer His deliverance from the distress of sin.

Jesus laments that only one out of the ten lepers returned to give Him honor and praise. Luke adds, and He was a Samaritan. It's amazing how often the Samaritans upstage the Jews in the Gospels. Two weeks in a row the Holy Gospel has a Samaritan doing something he shouldn't. Jesus tells the Samaritan, Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.

What is the way he should go? He goes in the way of the Lord, the Way the Truth and the Life. He goes walking with Jesus to the new Jerusalem for the Temple is no longer a guilding but the body of Christ for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Jesus takes the Samaritan's greatest infirmity, his sin, and puts sin on His own back, walks to Golgotha, and dies for it. Jesus does the same with your sin, too. Jesus takes your infirmities and diseases, that which scares you, that which ails you, and especially the infirmity of your unbelief and the disease of your ingratitude, and Jesus dies for all that on the cross. By Jesus Christ you are healed, you are forgiven.

You are made well not by your own actions but by the absolution of your sin. And so you journey with Jesus through this life, washed clean in Baptism, fed with His True Body and Blood in the Holy Supper of our Lord, he Eucharistic blessing. And you are pronounced clean from the leprosy of sin in Absolution, dying in His Name in order to rise from the dead when He calls you forth on the Last Day. In the meantime, Jesus' healing Word powered by the Holy Spirit speaks through you when you show gratitude to your neighbor to Eleison them, to have Mercy on them. This gratitude shown to your neighbor is a fruit of faith. It shows that the healing medicine of Christ is at work in you. His medicine given in the Word and Sacraments.

The Lord Jesus Christ keeps His Church in His perpetual mercy. He takes away your infirmities and makes you whole. You are no longer are you a leper, an outcast, an other born of sin. You are part of the family of God. You are clean. Your faith, a gift from a loving and gracious God, not something you earned on your own, has saved you. An eternal gift from the Jesus the One has been bestowed upon you by Him who died and was resurrected from the dead, for all who would believe in Him. Jesus speaks to you, Be not incurable anymore, “Rise and go your way, your faith has made you well.”(v. 19) Amen.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
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The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity - September 18, 2011

2011-11-10T10:53:00.000-08:00

The Church Season of Trinity
The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (September 18, 2011)

Readings:
    Psalm 32
   2 Chronicles 28:8-15
   Galatians 3:15-22
    Luke 10:23-37

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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 is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 10th chapter of St. Luke, the following verses,

Luke 10:23-37 (NIV)

23 Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” 25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Our Gospel reading is known as “The Parable of the Good Samaritan.” Everyone knows this one, even people who have never read the Bible are probably familiar with it. It is so well known that even the words “Good Samaritan” have made their way into our vocabulary. When someone stops to help a traveler with a broken down vehicle, the person stopping is called a “Good Samaritan.” And though most of the people who go by and don’t bother to stop, we all very much want to be like the Good Samaritans who stops and help us, in fact that is what we are called to do. But, just like the Priest and the Levite more likely than not, we make our way to the other side of the road so that we can pass on by. Jesus first told this parable to an expert in the Law in the presence of the disciples about an unfortunate man, found on the road who was left half-dead.

In our Gospel lesson Jesus knew the intent of these questions by the so called expert in the Law. Jesus knew the lawyer wasn’t really asking any of his questions for any of the right reasons. Because the lawyer after engaging in a discussion, the real reason for him asking all those questions soon became apparent.

In fact, the first question asked by the lawyer is very telling, he asked, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”(v.25) Usually there are only two reasons to ask a question, either you know the answer and want everybody to know how smart you are, or you don’t know the answer and really want to learn.

So why did the lawyer ask the question in the first place, if he already knew the answer? The text gives us the answer, “He wanted to justify himself.”(v. 29) So Jesus told him a parable which spoke of life and death and half-death. It was a parable which talked about a half-dead man. Ironic, quite frankly, for the man that Jesus was telling this to thought he was alive by his own actions and would live because of his own actions. Truth be told the lawyer listening to the parable was worse off than the man on the side of the road, because the lawer was, “dead in his transgressions.”(Eph 2:5)

And greater still is how we today hear the parable with our own confident smugness. Oh yes, we say, I would have helped that poor unfortunate man. We look at our lives and only think of the good that we have done. Yet somehow we forget all the words which we have spoken in anger, and the lack of charity we have toward our fellow man. We peek out of the side of our eyes at someone else and think of what a hypocrite they are. We forget the angry slip of the tongue, the Sunday morning golf outing. And just like the lawyer, at the end of the day we believe our charity outweighs our sin, we justify our actions, and expect that we live a good life because of all that we have done. It is a reality that this medicine of life leaves us half-dead.

But the real question remains, “What must we do to inherit eternal life?” Repent. Know that there is nothing we can do, there is no list which we can complete which will give us justification for all eternity. For it is a miracle that only one man lived a perfect life on this earth and He lived it so that you too may live with Him. There is nothing we have done, there is nothing we are doing, there is nothing we will ever do to justify ourselves, because Christ has already done all that needs to be done, and He freely gives you the inheritance of eternal life.

By our own efforts and the life we live, and by all our sins, we take our place next to the priest, the levite, and the lawyer in the parable of the Good Samaritan. The lawyer implied that maybe not everyone was his neighbor. And yes we do stand there right next to the lawyer because we too want to pick and choose our neighbors, liking some and hating others, but in no case do we love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves.

We thank and praise God that he has been merciful to us. That He loved us so much, He gave us His one and only son, Jesus Christ. In Holy baptism, by the water combined with God’s Word we are freed from the condemnation of the Law, the guilt and power of sin, and the power of the devil and death. By the faith, which we are given through the work of the Holy Spirit we are bound to love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves. Like the Good Samaritan we are called to show mercy to the needy and miserable, no matter who they may be. Because Christ first did this same thing for us, He loved us the needy and the miserable. By His actions, Jesus Christ loved us so much that He gave His life to conquer death, and in so doing Jesus gives us the assurance that we will inherit eternal life. Amen.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
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The Twelfth Sunday after Trinity - September 11, 2011

2011-11-10T10:41:00.000-08:00

The Church Season of Trinity
The Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (September 11, 2011)

Readings:
    Psalm 146
    Isaiah 29:17-24
    1 Cor. 3:4-11
    Mark 7:31-37

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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 is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 7th chapter of St. Mark

Mark 7:31-37 (NIV)
31 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. 32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man. 33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. 34 (Jesus)He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”). 35 At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. 36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37 People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

There is a lot going on today. It is the tenth anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and Pennsylvania. Hijackers flew two planes into the twin towers and one plane into the Pentagon and there was also a third plane that was set to strike yet another building, but crashed because the passengers on board resisted the hijackers. We certainly want to take a moment sometime today and think about these events.

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus loosed the tongue which the devil had tied and opened the ears that the devil wished to stop. Christ had come for this purpose and He continues this work among His people. He is the Helper of suffering mankind and desires to heal all afflictions with which the devil burdens us, and to drive Jesus away from us. It would be all too easy to remember 9/11 and say the devil won on this day.

But Christ shows us that He opens ears and unbinds tongues. He seeks to perform this work daily in His church against the devil. It is a physical fact that God gives sound ears and tongues to those opposed to His Word, but only for Christians is this spiritual fact true, that He opens ears and looses tongues. For we Christians must hear His Word with our ears and confess with our lips. St. Paul writes to His beloved timothy these words, “Command and teach these things. Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

This is sure, that we have our salvation alone through the Word of God alone. What would we otherwise about God, about our Lord Christ, His sacrifice, and the Holy Spirit? To this day the greatest miracle and mightiest work is giving a person ears that gladly hear God's Word and a tongue that honors God.

Whether we face the biggest tragedy in our lifetime like 911 or have seen bigger tragedies or if it is jut the biggest tragedy of the day, God stirs our tongues and causes us to speak, as St. Paul says, “For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”(Rom. 10:10).

So it is through faith in Christ we come to have forgiveness of our sins; and our confession should also follow. We must not be mute, but speak what we believe in our hearts. And again as St. Paul wrote to Timothy how we should speak as pastors, “Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach.”(1 Tim 3:2)

Now hear of our Lord’s unusual performance in this Gospel reading. The people bring the poor man to Him, asking that Jesus should place His hands on him. With all His care, Jesus takes him aside from the crowd, places His fingers into his ears, spits, and in this way loosens the man’s tongue. Then Jesus looks up to heaven, sighs, and says, “Ephphatha!”, meaning be opened.

We must note why the Lord employed such an unusual routine and procedure in this miracle. He surely could have affected this miracle by a simple worked, for again and again in the Gospel that it merely requires His Word to cause something to be done, and it is done. Lazarus, Jesus woke up with a word. To the palsied man Jesus said, “Stand up and walk.!” But with the deaf and dumb man He does not proceed in such a short and simple way, but takes unusual steps.

Our Lord employs such vivid action here for the sake of the spiritual miracle. He wants to demonstrate how great an effort is required to cause a deaf man to hear and a mute man to speak. He wants this lesson to be remembered. He shows us that if we are to be loosed from the devil’s bonds and posses ready tongues and good ears, this can happen only through the external Word and preaching. We must, first of all, hear the Word, not neglecting Baptism or the Sacrament either, and the Holy Spirit will then be present to free the ears and tongues. And if the message is not conveyed properly the message is lost.

It is true that we all must be on guard against the fantastic spirits who despise the external Word and Sacraments, or those who would wait until God speaks to them in the heart. But Jesus says, “No, here is My finger, the external Word, the spoken and preached Word that must sound in the ears’ My spit which must moisten the tongue. In this way My work proceeds rightly.” We see this wherever the external Word has free course and is delivered according to scripture and conveyed like a healing salve exactly and directly to the location it is needed. There Christians will be found, for as goes the shepherd, so go the sheep.

We should all take care to be found on this path and gladly hear God’s Word. Without the true inspired Word, God does not reveal Himself in your heart. To see and know Him can happen only through the external Word and through the Sacraments. The Holy Spirit works in no other way. Proclaim that Word to those in need of hearing it, share it, hear it in this place, and beyond these walls, with those who are around you by your actions and deeds.

While we all live in this world, we live in a war zone. We are both sinners and saints. One of the battles in that war pits our natural desire to nurture a grudge against our holy desire to forgive. Only the reconciliation with God that Jesus provided through His death on the cross gives us the victory. Once again, we see that God does all the work. It is His forgiveness working though us in Word and Sacraments that forgives our brother. It is His forgiveness that gives us the victory and reconciles us with God and our brother forever and ever. Receive the healing power of God’s forgiveness, it lifts you from the depth of the deepest and darkest despair. Ephphatha, be opened, come hear, come eat, come receive Christ’s forgiveness, Christ alone makes you well to eternal life. Amen.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
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The Eleventh Sunday after Trinity - September 4, 2011

2011-09-19T12:41:00.000-07:00

The Church Season of Trinity
The Eleventh Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (September 4, 2011)

Readings:
    Psalm 50:7-23
    Genesis 4:1-15
    Ephesians 2:1-10
    Luke 18:9-14

+INI+

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

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 18th chapter of St. Luke, especially the following verse:

Luke 18:9-14 (NIV)

9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

How we worship affects what we believe. The reverse is also true. What we believe affects how we worship. We can see this principle in the parable. The pharisee prays from what is in his heart. He is full of self-righteousness, so he prays a self-righteous prayer. The tax collector is filled with repentance by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, he prays a repentant prayer.

We can also see this posture of worship from experience. If someone in their heart does not really believe that they are a poor, miserable sinner, then they will get tired of confessing these words in the liturgy. If a person thinks that the love in their heart is the most important thing in worship, then they want to sing about how much they love Jesus. If a person sings songs over and over about the love in their heart, then they will forget about repentance, or at best, repentance will become shallow, not heartfelt.

But if we keep ourselves in the historic Divine Service handed down to us by centuries of saints before us, then we will keep confessing these important Biblical truths. We are wretched beggars who must cry out to God constantly, "Have mercy upon me, the sinner." But we should make sure that we do not confuse prayer with the means of grace. In other words, a person is not forgiven because they pray for it. Although God surely gives forgiveness in answer to the prayers of His saints, it is not the prayer itself that earns us forgiveness. Jesus is not saying that the tax collector was forgiven because of the great fervor and sincerity and humility in his prayer.

We know this for certain because not everyone who is sorrowful over their sins and prays for it is forgiven. Many pagans pray to the wrong god for forgiveness. Many Americans suddenly decide to get religion and pray to God. They may even name Jesus, yet not have faith in His sacrificial death. Even sorrow over your sins is not enough. Think about it, Judas was very sorrowful over his betrayal of the Jesus. Yet he received no forgiveness, since he had no faith. Without faith, there is neither true prayer before God nor is there forgiveness.

The prayers of both the pharisee and tax collector took place within the context of atonement from the true God. In the Temple of God, there is no doubt to whom they were praying. More than that, their prayers would take place at the time of the morning and evening sacrifices. Those were the times that public, individual prayer was allowed in the Temple. So there was before their eyes the true God's covenant, that is agreement of forgiveness through the shed blood of lambs and goats.

But in this Parable only one of them prayed out of sorrowful humility and awareness of the magnitude of his sins. Only one of them looked upon God as the only possible Savior from the incredible weight of his overwhelming sins.

The other one believed that he is not that bad. Sacrifice would only need to take care of a few small mistakes in his life. Overall, he was a pretty good guy, or so he thought. But no one is a pretty good guy before God's Law. The tax collector saw things as they truly are. We are very great sinners, each one of us. We should see things as Saint Paul did, who said, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." In the words of the tax collector, we are "THE sinner," not just "A sinner". There should not be a sinner greater than us in our eyes. We should approach the throne of God with the awareness that we are most unworthy that He should listen to our prayers.

Yet He hears, nonetheless. We beg Him, "Have mercy upon us," and He grants what we ask. What we are asking for, along with the tax collector, involves more complicated church words like "propitiate" and "conciliate" and "expiate." We are asking that God pay the price for the incredible weight of our overwhelming sins. The only price that can satisfy God's anger against sin is the sacrifice of a pure, innocent Lamb. There can be only one such Lamb. Christ alone could be the propitiation for your sins. He alone silences the wrath of God against the magnitude of your sins by shedding precious Blood and dying in perfect innocence. Only He could atone for your sins by sprinkling His Blood upon you.

This He has done. Therefore, the Father does not see your sins. They are covered up by the Blood of the Lamb. Because of the sacrifice upon the Cross, the Father has declared you righteous in His eyes. He has done it even today, as He delights to do it as often as He can. He has declared you righteous in this Divine Service, and every Divine Service where the pure Gospel is proclaimed. He has declared you innocent in your Baptism, in which you were Baptized into His sacrificial death. In His Holy Supper, He also bids us eat the sacrifice of the Lamb, whose true Body and Blood are received by our mouths.

For Christ is the sacrifice. Christ is the propitiation for your sins. He also is the true Temple. He is the presence of the true God Jehovah, since He is the same Lord, one with His Father. Where He is, there holy saints are gathered to worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth. Therefore, you also are the Temple, since you are one with Christ, and He with you. You dwell in Him, and He in you. You are a holy building not made with human hands, one Church with all the saints on earth and in glory.

Christ could only be these things for you because He claimed for Himself the most humble place. Even though He had no sin, He was willing to be numbered with us sinners. More than that, He became sin itself, since He carried all sins upon His shoulders on Calvary. He became THE sinner, taking the guilt of all and the punishment of all. And by His wounds, you are healed. In His suffering for your guilt, you are declared innocent.

Therefore, you are going home from this House of God justified today. For to all whom He has given the gift of repentance, He has also declared righteous. So depart in peace today, since your sins are forgiven you. Amen.

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The Tenth Sunday after Trinity - August 28, 2011

2011-09-19T12:25:00.000-07:00

The Church Season of Trinity
The Tenth Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (August 28, 2011)

Readings:
    Psalm 92
    Jeremiah 7:1-11
    1 Corinthians 12:1-11

+INI+

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

The text for today is as recorded in the New Testament Lesson from 19th chapter of St. Luke, especially the following verse:

Luke 19:41-48 (NIV)

41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” 45 Then he entered the temple area and began driving out those who were selling. 46 “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” 47 Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. 48 Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Christ our Lord could see the destruction coming. His heart was not unfeeling. As He had lamented in sorrow when He brought the cataclysm upon Noah's world, so He wept over Jerusalem. As the holy prophet Jeremiah had wept over Jerusalem, so the holiest prophet of all, Jesus Christ, shed tears at the oncoming bloodshed.

Christ shows us that He deeply regrets the sins of men and their punishment. He takes no pleasure in the death of the godless, but that the godless convert from their evil ways and live. He finds no joy in the damnation of those who reject His Word. He would much rather give life and salvation. Here we see Christ's tears rebuke those who think that God desires the death of some, or that He keeps them from being saved. Our Lord is not such a God who delights in the death of anyone. He is not hardened and cold against the sins and impenitence of unbelievers.

On the contrary, He desires that we take warning from His tears, so that we might also repent. He wants us to follow the example of the Ninevites who repented and were rescued from downfall and ruin. But so many of the Jews rejected God's will for them and resisted the Holy Spirit. In the same way, so many people today have contradicted and blasphemed God's Word. So many have rejected the Word, making themselves unworthy of it. Therefore, as both temporal and eternal punishment fell on the Jews, so it will fall upon any of us who treat this Word with disdain.

For Christ was not only lamenting the physical, earthly misfortune of the Jews that would happen when the city was destroyed. Much more, He saw the eternal punishment that would fall upon them. In spite of His preaching and teaching, those who would not repent would have to face the visitation of His wrath. For when Christ comes to men, He visits them with grace. But if they will not receive it, He gives them instead His punishment.

So you must be diligent today to listen and heed this Word. Today is also the visitation of Christ among you. Here He is offering you His own deeds that give you the forgiveness of sins. Here is grace and justification and eternal life. Therefore, sincerely repent, rejecting your sins and life as worthless to earn salvation, and cling instead in trust to the precious work of Christ for you. For the same tears of Christ should move you to repentance.

What terrible agonies the damned will experience when they realize that the Lord God so passionately called them to repentance and life, and how Christ worked mightily to earn their salvation - only to have them reject the precious gift! The Lord keep you from that fate, as instead you seize Christ and His Cross as your only salvation.

No one naturally has the right kind of heart to repent. As Christ said, "Now it is hidden from your eyes." That is, the natural man does not receive the things of God. The human heart is most crooked and deceitful, as in the time of Noah. Our heart does not sympathize as it should with our neighbor. Too many times, we do not see a brother's distress and mourn over his condition, as Christ did. Too often, we also push away from ourselves the sacred Word, thinking that we have enough and need no more, as if we sinners could ever have too much.

So Christ comes riding into your hearts as He did into Jerusalem. He comes in a humble way, in His Word. He has snatched you from the jaws of sin and brought you to repentance and reconciliation with God. For the Word gives you Christ Himself, and He is the only medicine for your sick souls. He is the food for your starving spirit.

But if you reject this medicine and this food, how will you escape death? He has sent down to you manna from heaven. If you despise the Bread of Life, how will you escape His wrath? The Lord will not treat kindly those who reject His mercy. Therefore repent, since the kingdom of heaven is here.

Where repentance receives this Word, it is the sword of the Spirit that protects against the devil, the world, and the flesh. For the Word gives Christ and Him crucified. The Word sprinkles upon you the Blood of Atonement, shed for you. If you are covered with the holy Blood, how can satan or anyone destroy you?

But where a soul refuses to repent, there the devil will build fortifications around him and besiege him with a vast army of sins to invade that soul, until it is utterly destroyed. That person will think that he is safe upon the foundation of his good works. Yet those works will be cast down, so that what was thought to be a strong wall will have not one stone left upon another.

But for you, Christ has come. He has visited you with His grace and His Spirit. He has poured out His forgiveness upon you and soothed your soul with the medicine of salvation. So God has done all things for you. Nothing is left. All is accomplished. Rest secure in Him and in the sufferings and death of His Son for you. Amen.

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The Ninth Sunday after Trinity - August 21, 2011

2011-09-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

The Church Season of Trinity

The Ninth Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (August 21, 2011)

Readings:
    Psalm 51:1-12
    2 Samuel 22:26-34
    1 Corinthians 10:6-13
    Luke 16:1-13

+INI+

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

The text for today is as recorded in the New Testament Lesson from 16th chapter of St. Luke, especially the following verse:

Luke 16:1-13 (NIV)

1 Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’ 3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— 4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’ 5 “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 “‘Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. “The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.’ 7 “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ “‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. “He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’ 8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. 10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? 13 “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Christ our Lord speaks of the money and goods of this world as "unrighteous mammon." We should not misunderstand what He is saying. He does not mean that the physical blessings we have are somehow evil in themselves. Even money itself is not the root of all evil. Rather, it is love of money that is the root of all evil. In themselves, each creation of God is a good gift from His loving hand. Yet Christ speaks of them as unrighteous mammon because they belong to this unrighteous world. They are only temporary blessings, as opposed to the eternal blessings in the world to come.

Since they are temporary, do not get too attached to them. Do not hold onto them. Spend them freely and generously. You are not owners, but only stewards of God's gifts, and must give account for your stewardship. So we rightly examine ourselves. Are we giving generously, as God has generously given to us? Or are we too often selfish and self-centered? I do not only speak of giving to the Church, although that is indeed a command from God. But in many other ways we are to think of our vocation and remember how God wants us to give of our substance to others. If we are husbands, then our substance is to be for our wife; if a father, then for our children; as citizens; and so forth. This does not mean that we must never use the blessings we receive for our own pleasure, as if any enjoyment in life were sinful. Certainly not. Yet we must be certain first and foremost to take care of those for whom God has given us responsibility. In fact, to use blessings also for our own care and enjoyment helps to keep us healthy and happy, and therefore more able to care for others. We should not feel guilty for the responsible use of God's blessings to us, since it is His intention that we take joy from His good creation.

Of course, we should never think that we are giving our money or property in order to earn eternal blessings. We know that Christ alone gives us our heavenly reward. It is so easy to slip into this mind-set. If a person gives generously, then we might say, "Surely they are going to heaven!" Yet that is not necessarily the case. If we forget this, then we may get confused by the words of Christ in our Gospel, "They will receive you into an everlasting home." This cannot mean that our works of charity earn us a place in Paradise. It also does not mean that we will win people into the kingdom by the persuasion of our charity. Our works earn salvation for neither us nor for our neighbor. Yet our works done in Christ will follow us. On the Last Day, witnesses will rise up to praise us for the deeds of sanctification that the Spirit produced in us. In so doing, they will not really be praising us, but praising God who created these works in us.

As the story of the sheep and goats shows, these are works done by believers to Christ Himself. So in truth, it is God through Christ who receives us into eternal dwellings. It is not as though we must convince a jury picked from among our peers. There is only one Judge, and He is only pleased with His Son. So all who are in Christ will enter eternal glory. But as we examine our lives according to our sinful flesh, we find that we have failed to be as charitable and generous as we should. Our hearts have sometimes been stingy, no matter how loving we try to be. Although we hold the example of Christ before us, yet we fail to live up to His perfection. Too often we give grudgingly or bitterly or with thought of reward.

In truth, we are not worthy of the mercy of the Father. But that is what mercy is - love given to the unworthy. So we see the perfect Giver only in God. He always spends generously. He gave away His prized Treasure, which was His beloved, only-begotten Son. Christ in turn spent Himself. He gave His life away generously into death and has given to you more than could be imagined. He has canceled all your debts. You owed to God an eternity of slavery because you could not pay back the debt for your sins. Yet Christ has written down in God's book that you are free of all debt. You are paid in full by the Blood of your Savior.

When we have failed to give freely, He gave with the freedom of pure grace. His generosity has covered up the selfish fruits of our flesh. His Blood has covered and erased our lack of charity. Now He has given eternal goods to you that are not bound by this temporary world of unrighteousness. No, His blessings do not fade or rust. He has given a new heaven and a new earth. He has given physical blessings that you have not seen yet - perfect food and drink, perfect life and health and body, and a perfect home in which to enjoy His blessings.

You cannot even understand how great the blessings are you are to receive. But consider this: that your reward was earned by the sufferings and death of Christ. Since that price is infinite, then your reward is also of infinite value. Therefore the glory of the resurrection that awaits you will far exceed all expectations. This Christ has earned for you, by the Father's free gift of mercy. For this is the charity of God, that He has freely given to us poor beggars all that we could ever need, and far more.

+SDG+

The Eighth Sunday after Trinity - August 14, 2011

2011-08-16T08:25:00.000-07:00

The Church Season of Trinity
The Eighth Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (August 14, 2011)

Readings:
        Psalm 26
        Jeremiah 23:16-23
        Acts 20:27-38
        Matthew 7:15-23

+INI+

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

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 7th chapter of St. Matthew, especially the following verses:

Matthew 7:15-16 (NIV)

15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16You will recognize them by their fruits.”

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit

The worst thing a person can do is cause someone else to do is doubt the Word of the Lord and the Sacraments. They are the foundation of saving faith. More than that, the Lord’s Word and His sacramental Gifts are the Gospel. They are not just things that tell us about God’s mercy and love. That is how we are forgiven, rescued from death, protected from the devil and evil, and brought safely through this life to the life of the world to come. No, for without preaching and sacraments, there is no knowledge of salvation or comfort from God or hope in Christ.

That is what the Christian Church has consistently taught for 20 centuries. That is what every Christian must believe in order to be safe and secure in the holy ark of the Church. The proclamation of the Lord’s mercy, in baptism by God’s Word combined with the water, and the consumption of the Lord’s own body flesh and blood, these are the only means of salvation and the only things faith has to hang onto. Anyone who calls them into question, who causes someone to doubt these words and gifts of God, who says they are not valid and certain or beneficial or that they don’t matter, or who causes even the littlest child who believes in Jesus to question his faith – it would be better for them if a millstone were hung around his neck and they were drowned in the depth of the sea.

Anyone who does these things – anyone who causes the faithful to question their faith in the Lord and His promises tied to preaching and the Sacraments – that person is a false prophet. False prophets are not easily identified fanatics, they are not all raving lunatics. Neither are they people who urge you to worship Satan. A false prophet is anyone who says to you, “peace, peace” where there is not peace; anyone who lures and entices you to believe in yourself; anyone who says, “Here is your help, your better way to Christ”; and anyone who undermines your trust and confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ. These are all false prophets that our Lord both warns us about in today’s Gospel, and He urges us to avoid to avoid them.

Jesus says, “Beware of them, for they come to you all pretty and nice, speaking soothingly, and with kind words, promising help from God and giving you what seems so comforting. But they are wolves in sheep’s clothing. They seek only their own gain and comfort. They speak only the fantasies of their mind. They tell lies – either purposefully or not. Or, at least, they skirt the Truth, and that the only truth is Jesus Christ Himself. Their desire is not to comfort you, but to control you. They offer a false hope since it is not based on God’s Word so they end up destroying your soul.”

And, of course, this begs the question, “What is truth?” Truth is our Lord Jesus Christ. It’s not just that He tells the Truth. Our Lord Jesus is Truth in the flesh. Everything apart from Him is a lie or a dream. Any substantial and essential Truth both traces back to Him and relies on Jesus Christ.

False prophets not only work against Christ. They also urge you to believe truths that don’t matter; truths that will not help you. What good is it to know that two plus three equals five if that truth cannot begin or sustain your life? What good is it to figure out all kinds of truisms and axioms and philosophies, if they do not bring you back from the dead?

The Truth is Christ Jesus Who truly does fight for you against every evil, Who truly does deliver you from your past, Who truly does help you in every life-threatening need, and Who truly can and does bring you through death to life – now, in the waters of Holy Baptism, and later in the grave. He is Truth, and whoever causes you to look anywhere else, to anything else, for comfort and hope and peace – that person perverts the truth and replaces it with a preaching of what is false and empty. “Beware of them,” our Lord says.

But don’t simply watch out. For there is also no good in going on a witch hunt for false prophets. Cling to the Truth instead. Take Jesus at His Word. Believe Him when He says, “My promise is true. My blood truly does forgive you. My flesh is your life. My Word truly is your strength, your comfort, your hope, and your salvation. Everything else will fade away, and all other truths will fail you in death. But God’s Word is sure, His promises never fail, and He always come through for you – if not now, then certainly in the end when it matters most.”

What is our prayer? Is it that we get the wisdom, the magic eyes, the brilliance to pick out the truth from the lies? Is it to isolate ourselves from others in fear that they may be false? Is it to become fanatics who cling to conniving, mesmerizing preachers? Is it that we get the ability to understand all sorts of signs and wonders? No. All of that is also false.

Our prayer is that the Lord God would continue to grant us His Holy Spirit – the Holy Spirit Who brings to your remembrance everything Christ Jesus said, the Spirit Who leads you into all Truth. It is only by the Holy Spirit, Who comes by the preaching and by the Sacraments, do you believe the Lord’s holy Word. Without the Lord you can do no good thing. We desire to live according to His Word and will. So we pray Thy kingdom come with the confidence that God’s kingdom comes by His Spirit whenever we hear His holy Word and receive His blessed Sacraments as He gives them to us by His ordained ministers. We rely on these truthful Sacraments and that truthful Gospel knowing that in them we both receive Christ and live in Him. Not by false prophets telling you how to grow a church or grow your faith. But by Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit, who gives you your faith freely ad brings you to eternal life.

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit
+SDG+

The Seventh Sunday after Trinity - August 7, 2011

2011-08-16T08:21:00.000-07:00

The Church Season of Trinity
The Seventh Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (August 7, 2011)

Readings:
        Psalm 103 verses 1 - 13
        Micah 7:18-20
        1 Tim 1:12-17
        Luke 15:1-10

+INI+

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

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 8th chapter of St. Mark, especially the following verse:

Mark 8:1-8

1 In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, 2 "I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. 3And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away." 4And his disciples answered him, "How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?" 5And he asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven." 6And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. 7And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. 8And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Jesus said to them, "I have compassion on the crowd, because they have remained with me now three days and do not have anything to eat." This great crowd that followed Jesus seemed to be a very foolish crowd. They did not properly plan out their days journey. They did not pack the right amount of food for their travels. There were no fast foods or chain restaurants to count on. This crow had not thought about considerations for food. What was important to them was Jesus Christ, and Him alone. They wanted to remain with Jesus. Oh that we would be so single-minded. But, when we are challenged to follow our Lord even in our hardships, are we able to turn away for fear of hunger or want?

In the midst of their hunger, Christ looked upon that crowd as He looks upon us. He saw their need that they suffered for His sake, and Jesus was moved to compassion. His compassion is stronger and better than anyone else's. Christ had a deep affection, a pity for the people, a tender mercy toward their need. He acted upon that compassion by giving them food in the wilderness, and by a miracle of multiplying loaves and fishes.

But, were the disciples compassionate? Well, the text does not make the content of their hearts clear. They seemed confused, and did not understand how Christ could satisfy the needs of all those people. But their lack of understanding did not mean that they did not also feel compassion. Maybe they did.

Whatever pity the disciples felt for the crowds, it could not compare with the pure and perfect love of the Savior. Without Christ’s love and His power, their compassion, no matter how sincere, would be unable to do anything. Yet Jesus Christ makes the disciples participants in His merciful deed. He gives them the loaves and the fishes to hand out. They become the distributors of His miracle. They become the hands and feet for His compassion.

Surely there was no one among the crowd who refused to eat the bread because they thought that the disciples were not compassionate enough. And if such people existed, they might even be correct. The disciples surely did not have as much compassion as they should. Yet the gift of Christ was real and miraculous nonetheless, and exactly what the crowd needed. To refuse the gift of Christ because of what they supposed was in the disciples' heart would be the greatest of all foolishness.

No one has enough mercy in their soul, or in their hearts toward another. At our best moments, we feel for others and their needs, and sympathize with their pain. But there is always impurity in us. We are never loving enough. However glorious our emotions and works of charity may seem to us, they are always spoiled and rotten because of our sinful nature.

May we never go around judging each other's hearts as to how much love is there. We cannot even see each other's hearts. Our motives are hidden from one another. Any attempt to judge another person's emotions is automatically breaking of the Eighth Commandment. Let us focus instead on the heart of Jesus Christ. His heart is perfect. His compassion never ends and is never spoiled. He always sees our needs and supplies exactly what helps us.

What may still disturb us is that He gives His perfect gifts through other people. In our Gospel text, He did not pass out the miraculous bread and fish, but assigned the disciples to do it. In the same way, Christ gives us vocations in which we are to work and serve. All of our vocations really amount to us carrying the gifts of Christ to others. We become the hands of His compassion.

And maybe the most obvious vocation may be that of preacher. In a preacher’s vocation, we are to give you the gifts of Jesus Christ, which are perfect and wonderful. And we do so by proclaiming His Word. Christ Himself does not appear before you to speak. Instead, He uses a man to do it.

So, should you inquire into my heart to see whether I have enough tender mercy? Save yourself the trouble. Take my word for it. I do not have enough. My love falls short, since my heart is spoiled by sin. I am a man like any other. I am a sinner, right down to my heart. But that does not matter in my vocation. Although I should strive to love, my love is irrelevant to the gifts that you receive. I am merely the man who carries the gifts to you from someone else. The food comes from Jesus Christ.

The Word I preach is the compassion of Christ. He is the miraculous Bread of Life that you are fed. He gives strength to all who are weak and fainthearted upon this wilderness of life.See how great His tender mercy is! He sees your greatest hunger, which is the hunger for righteousness. In yourselves, you are empty and need to fill yourselves with holiness. But who could get enough holiness to satisfy all these people? You cannot find holiness for yourselves. You cannot buy it or produce it by your hard work. You cannot trade anything for it. So you might have starved, completely empty of righteousness.

Yet Christ has miraculously produced the feast of righteousness that you need. He has given you His Word that declares you righteous. This precious Word gives all you need, because the Word gives you Christ Himself. Jesus completely fills you, because the holiness of Christ overflows with infinite grace. Remember, “My cup runneth over...?” Of course this bread is something produced by death. The wheat must be plucked and crushed and ground and baked. So your Savior was betrayed and scourged and crucified, and finally burned with a baptism of fire upon the Cross. The wrath of God for sinful man fell upon Christ, until He died in bitter agony.

Because of Jesus suffering and death, He is the perfect Bread of Life for you. He is the perfect One who gives you life. Jesus stops the death of sin that would have destroyed you. You would have been lost in a worse wilderness than any on earth, hotter and more desolate than any desert, the very furnace of hell. But He Jesus Christ your precious Savior, who suffered that furnace in your place so that you never will endure that suffering. You are saved.

Yet Christ is more than a Savior who died once for you, and now He is dead and gone. No, Jesus is the Living Bread. He is risen from the dead, and can never die again. So you also, who eat the Living Bread by faith, are also immortal. You are alive forever with Jesus Christ. Although your body may sleep in the ground for a time, it will also rise, never to die again. This is compassion, for you by Jesus Christ. This is the Word and promise of Christ the Lord for you. Let no one doubt it, for it is binding to all eternity. “Ad they all ate and were satisfied” forever and ever. Amen.

In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
+SDG+

The Sixth Sunday after Trinity - July 31, 2011

2011-08-16T08:16:00.000-07:00

The Church Season of Trinity
The Sixth Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (July 31, 2011)

Readings:
        Psalm 19
        Exodus 20:1-7
        Romans 6:1-11
        Matthew 5:17-26

+INI+

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

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 5th chapter of St. Matthew, especially the following verse:

Matthew 5:17-26 (NIV)

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. 21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. 23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. 25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

To understand this passage, you must know what was wrong with the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. What is righteousness? It is being free from guilt, and sin, it is not something you earn, but are given by the work of Jesus Christ. So the problem here was not that the Pharisees were obviously evil. If you saw their behavior, you would think that they were good men. These were the respected people, the ones looked up to as prominent members of the community, known as moral examples. They were very careful and zealous to follow painstaking rules of behavior.

But those rules were a part of the problem. The scribes and Pharisees had a multitude of extra commandments to help them obey the commandments of God. They thought that they were being extra-righteous by following extra commandments.

But the extra commandments were actually lowering the bar on their obedience. That is, their rules of behavior made the commandments easier to obey. Not that the commandments themselves were really easier to obey; it was only that the scribes and pharisees convinced themselves that, by obeying their rules, they were obeying the commandments. But their rules actually softened the commandments of God.

However, God does not want His commandments easier or softer. His commandments are perfect the way they are. They are hard and difficult for a reason, namely, to show you how much you need Christ and His Cross.

In today's Gospel lesson, Christ gives the example of the Fifth Commandment. The Lord said, "Thou shalt not murder." The Pharisees and scribes thought that, as long as they did not actually murder, they had kept the Commandment perfectly. But Christ showed that murder does not only take place in an outward action of bloodshed. Murder happens in the heart when you are angry without just cause. Murder happens in your mouth when you call someone an idiot or a fool. Most sinners have used far harsher words and names than "idiot" or "fool". Christ says that anyone who uses even these relatively mild words or has angry thoughts has broken the Commandment, and is in danger of hellfire.

The scribes and Pharisees did not understand this. Likewise, few people today understand it. The spirit of the scribes and Pharisees pretty much rules our land. According to Jesus Christ, to be worthy of entering the kingdom of heaven you must have a righteousness that goes beyond a shallow, superficial obedience to the commandments. Your righteousness must go all the way to heart and lips, which are the two hardest things to control. No Pharisee ever had that kind of righteousness. No man at all had or ever had had that kind of righteousness, save One an that is Jesus Christ.

We too fail to keep this Commandment. Yet Christ the Lord, the perfect Man who is God, has kept this and every commandment of God, in hand and heart and lips alike. And here is the good news for you: He has given away His righteousness as a gift. He lets His perfect obedience count as your righteousness. Therefore, although you deserve judgment and hellfire, instead you receive innocence and life. For your righteousness does indeed exceed that of the Pharisee and scribes, since your righteousness is the exact holiness of Christ, the Lamb without blemish. You are as pure and innocent as He is, in God's sight. You are clothed in His righteousness.

Because you have this superior righteousness from Christ, you are able to risk much and suffer much for your neighbor. Christ gives one example of this. He says that if you are offering your gift at the altar and suddenly remember that your brother has something against you, go and first be reconciled with him. Now, if you are at the altar, perhaps receiving Holy Communion, and suddenly got up in the middle of it and left, what would people think? They would certainly wonder what was wrong. As people often do, they would surely talk and speculate about your sudden, strange behavior. So, to follow this kind of directive from Christ, you must be willing to subject yourself to embarrassment and ridicule.

You see, it is not only when you are at the altar. Christ is saying that, whatever the circumstances, you should try to reconcile with your brother, even if it means risking inconvenience and shame. You can only make such extravagant risks if you are safe in Jesus Christ. Your reward is in Him, not in what you can gain in this life. So it is nothing for you if you are rejected by men and treated scornfully, since your sure and certain reward is so great in heaven. If men deride you in their eyes, what is that to you? For the eyes of the Father look upon you with approval because of Christ. Nothing can take that away, not any amount of shame and humiliation you could suffer.

For Christ our Lord did no less. Because He desired reconciliation with you, He was willing to suffer the ridicule of men. He accepted the shame of the Cross and the humiliation of being treated as a horrible sinner. He considered all that as nothing compared to the great glory of winning sinners back.

So He received all the murder of all people. Not only was He put to death most unjustly, since He never committed any crime. But He also received upon Himself all the murders of men, from the slaughter of Abel to the abortions of our day. All the murderous anger of every sinful heart struck Him upon Calvary. The hateful words said to any person anywhere were heaped upon Him. Yes, even your hateful feelings and words as well were placed upon your Lord on the Cross.

You have heard it said that “God helps those who help themselves.” The same person who penned that quip is the same person who wrote this one, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” Yes, Ben Franklin wrote those words, they are not found or even implied anywhere in the Bible. Ben Franklin points to those helping themselves to their own right way in this life, to their own righteousness, which is exactly what Jesus Christ s teaching against in this reading fro Holy Scripture. Jesus knew the scriptures and He knew that they say, “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.”Jer. 17:5, and they say, “He who trusts in himself is a fool.”(Prov. 28:26)

Not you, nor I, nor Benjamin Franklin, but only Jesus Christ, has received all the punishment and guilt. Jesus has paid the debt you owed, to the very last penny. We can not pay the debt of our own sins, but Jesus was more than willing to do so in your place.

Now there is no judgment to fear. There is no punishment yet to receive. The Judge, the Lord God Almighty, has already ruled in your favor. You are declared innocent now and for all time. No one can take that judgment away. For you are NOT saved by any penny you earned, your are not saved by helping yourself, you are only saved by the unearned grace of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ came to help those who cannot help themselves.

And that is exactly what righteousness is. It is being judged innocent and right in the eyes of God. This has been done for you. Your Advocate, Christ Jesus your dear Lord, has spoken in your favor, and no one can overthrow the words of this Great King. He never calls you hateful or mocking words. In love, He only calls you holy and precious and innocent. He has spoken it, and His Word endures forever.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
+SDG+

The Fifth Sunday after Trinity - July 24, 2011

2011-08-16T08:11:00.000-07:00

The Church Season of Trinity
The Fifth Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (July 24, 2011)

Readings:
        Psalm 16
        1 Kings 18:11-21
        1 Cor 1:18-25
        Luke 5:1-11

+INI+

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

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 5th chapter of St. Luke, especially the following verse:

Luke 5:1-11 (NIV)

1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, 2 he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he [Jesus] said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

There are tremendous advantages to living in this time in history. We enjoy comforts that were unknown to the world, or even unimagined, just a few decades ago. We do not live in the world our parents grew up in. We have not experienced the world they knew, and we do not have the tools to live in their world. So we sometimes struggle to understand the world that is on the horizon before us. We live in a world of technology and electronics and all sorts of creature comforts.

But just for a moment imagine a world without cell-phones, without computers, without television, without electric, without gas. I know, I know some of you are saying, "I can do that. I don't have a computer, and I don't use those modern contraptions all that much anyhow." Now imagine that your car doesn't work because the computers in it are disabled - and almost everything in a modern car is computer controlled - even the brakes and the transmission. Imagine life without air conditioning or central heat. Imagine having no refrigeration at all, and having to go back to ice boxes and to do without quickly perishable foods we are so accustomed to today. I know some of you lived like that as children, but we are not children any longer, and we have grown accustomed to our luxuries. Many of our neighbors have never seen a non-technological world, and they would panic, if they were to be confronted with such a life, and it may be coming soon.

The world that lived before those advances is the world in which the Scriptures were written and in which they were read for centuries. That world would seem totally unnatural to us, and yet it must inform our understanding of what people were saying when they wrote in the past, because they had no way of imagining the world as we live in it today. Even in that world, the Christian faith was not a natural thing. In our text, Peter describes how a Christian should live and conduct himself or herself. He describes a pattern of behavior that is simply not natural for sinful man.

What Peter describes sounds wonderful, "let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead." Wouldn't that be nice? But where have we ever seen this sort of thing? Harmonious? We get along pretty well, but if the group is much larger than our congregation, divisions and contentions seem to arise quickly, and over the most insignificant things, at times. We can do sympathetic and brotherly things most of the time, but even at that, when someone pushes us too far or for too long, we become impatient and unsympathetic in a hurry. Even kindhearted seems do-able, but I know that some people are more kindhearted around me, than they are with some other people. So, these are qualities we can show now and again, and here and there, but to be consistently and always so is something we have trouble with.

The truth is, these qualities are to be the consistent qualities of the child of God. And then we would be humble in spirit. But, humility is just not natural for most of us. Sin finds its strength in our desire to put ourselves first. We want to succeed. We want to be comfortable. We like to be right. Then Peter says, "not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead" and now we know that we are in trouble. It is one thing to be nice to those who are nice to us, but when they get up in our face, we want to shut them down. We have been taught not to take "stuff" from others. Getting them back, returning the 'favor', and zinging them in return is more our style. Do unto others before they do unto you. But blessing them when they are rude and crude to us? That is just not natural - nor is it easy to do. It is not easy to do it once or twice, but to do it consistently? That's totally unnatural.

We are called by the Word of God to live up to a standard that is beyond us. It means telling yourself that the proverbs of your youth were wrong. You do not put number one first. That is the natural way, the way that appeals to our sinful nature. But rather we are to put someone else first - pretty much everyone else! This is a kind of living and set of behaviors that is totally unnatural for us. It must find its power in Christ, not in you. It is given to you. Even then, it requires exercising what God gives you - humility, love, and faith. That is probably why humility of spirit was named first.

If you had the text right in front of you, you would notice that the next verses are all in capital letters, which means that Peter is quoting or paraphrasing the Old Testament: "LET HIM WHO MEANS TO LOVE LIFE AND SEE GOOD DAYS REFRAIN HIS TONGUE FROM EVIL AND HIS LIPS FROM SPEAKING GUILE. AND LET HIM TURN AWAY FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD; LET HIM SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT. FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE UPON THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ATTEND TO THEIR PRAYER, BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL." Peter quotes that because it is in the only Bible he has, and it shows us that these ideas, these rules for living as the children of God, are not new with the New Testament. It is the way it has always been. Being the faithful child of God is always counter-intuitive and contrary to our nature and not natural to our responses. That is because sin is our nature and quite natural to us, even as believers.

And, although it is totally unnatural to us as sinners, this unnatural behavior is natural to our nature in Christ. It is part of our nature because it is His nature. He lived for us, and not for Himself. He died for us, because He did not deserve death by Himself. He paid the penalty of the wrath of God against us, and rescued and redeemed us from sin and all that we have deserved. Peter refers to that when he writes, "for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing." The blessing we inherit is forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation. He is also indicating that these ways of conducting ourselves are not optional, or just suggestions. They are the conduct of the Children of God. They are not laws in the sense that you must do them or you will miss the mark and not get to go to heaven. They are law - for they tell you what you are to do and how you are to be - but they are descriptive of those who actually are the children of God. If you blow these off and do your own thing, you simply demonstrate that you are not the child of God, and you are not going to inherit that blessing.

He who means to love life and see good days - the child of God - refrains from speaking evil or guile, which means any sort of dishonesty. He turns deliberately away from evil and does good and seeks peace. He does it because he knows that such is the way of beloved of God, and it carries the promise that the Lord is attentive to their prayers, as well. Those who cannot bring themselves to do these things, or who choose to do evil - in an on-going way - put themselves at odds with God and reject His mercy and His grace.

Peter asks the question, “And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?” Doing good is usually not a problem. Everybody appreciates being treated well and honestly. This should make this conduct a no-brainer. But the truth is that it is so totally unnatural to sinful man that it does draw the ire and hatred of some, simply because they hate what is holy. There is even a common proverb about that, "No good deed goes unpunished." It is not Biblical, but it is true enough. Holiness draws the fire of the servants of the Old Evil Foe. Peter knows that and God inspires him to write about that truth too. But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Peter quotes the Old Testament again, and he reminds us that it has always been so. Faithfulness to God is never the majority opinion. But we, like the people of old, are to trust God and not fear them. Now hear the words of Jesus Christ, Matthew 10, "And do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

That speaks to self-control, self-sacrifice and the love of others. And of course this sort of self-control and self-possession again is totally unnatural. But it is not unnatural for our God, for He has given us His Son Jesus Christ, who knew self-sacrifice and who knows love for others because He not only lived it He died for it too. And this gift of God, is given to you through the Word and Sacrament. Like every gift from God, He gives it to us to take it out and use it. It doesn't overwhelm you and force you to behave - at least not usually, but God gives you the power to do so, and teaches you in His Word and guides you by the Spirit. It is in your hands to do it, as the faithful, chosen, children of God in Christ Jesus. If you try and fail, we rejoice that we have a Savior! He forgives you and props you up again and invites you to do it right this next time. None of us does this perfectly, but we can grow in this difficult thing too by simply practicing being the holy children of God that you have been called and created anew to be in Christ Jesus. And in Christ Jesus you are given the promise of an unnatural life and death, for in this life you die in your baptism so that you may live eternally. Thanks be to God for that gift of His Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
+SDG+

The Fourth Sunday after Trinity - July 17, 2011

2011-08-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

The Church Season of Trinity
The Fourth Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (July 17, 2011)

Readings:
    Psalm 138
    Genesis 50:15:21
    Romans 12:14-21
    Luke 6:36-42

+INI+

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

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 6th chapter of St. Luke, especially the following verse:

Luke 6:36-42 (NIV)

36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” 39 He also told them this parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher. 41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

And to begin this sermon, on the great reversal of God, in believing that Word of God, you have received every good thing. You have received all the benefits that Christ won for you on the cross. You have forgiveness. You have life. You have salvation. The devil is bound can no longer accuse you. You, like Lazarus, are rich. You, like Lazarus, will live with your Savior forever. So far the Word of God.

So, the beginning is reversed in the end, the blessed sinner is in heaven. The unrepentant sinner is in Hell. Christ who is perfect takes your sin and reverses you so that you are given eternal riches. So today the sermon is preached backwards, listen and you will hear what I mean.

But you are not like the rich man, and you are not like the Pharisees. You have heard Moses and the Prophets, and they are sufficient for you. You have not seen in person the miraculous signs that abounded in the first century. You have not personally seen Jesus cast out demons and raise the dead. You only know of these things through the Word of God that you have heard and read and believed. You have Moses, the Prophets, and the Apostles. You have the Living Word of God, for you which is greater than your sins and gives you eternal life.

When Abraham, in heaven, heard the rich man’s first request, the rich man shows a glimmer of compassion. But even then, it is not compassion for Lazarus, the man he ignored for years. The rich man had compassion for his family. Send that beggar Lazarus to warn my brother’s about what is to happen to them. Not much real compassion there.

We are all in the same situation as the rich man and Lazarus. We receive every good gift in Christ only listening to the Word of God. But in addition to this we have the evidence that Jesus did rise from the dead, and that evidence is overwhelming. But even knowing the at our Lord’s tomb is empty is not enough if we are unwilling to listen to the Word of God. If we do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, we are like the Pharisees, like the rich man, of whom Jesus was teaching.

The rich man was different. Though Christ shed His blood for him, the rich man wants nothing to do with that poor itinerant preacher from Galilee. The rich man is satisfied with what he can get for himself. But actually the rich man has nothing in this life. Oh he has good clothes and good food, and everything that a man could possibly want, but when he dies he loses all this because he did not have the treasure beyond imagination. And that treasure is the Good News proclaiming salvation in God’s Word. So the rich man was really not so rich indeed.

Lazarus had listened to God’s Word. In that hearing of the Word God the Holy Spirit created faith in his heart which held onto the Old Testament promises. Because of this Lazarus had the riches of heaven, both in this life and the life to come, Lazarus was rich beyond measure.

True riches both in this life and the next have only one source. They come from the cross of Christ. It is there that God suffered for all that we deserve to suffer and has died our death. It is there on the cross that our sins have been forgiven, death has been destroyed, and the devil has been robbed of his power.

In fact the richest man in the parable is Lazarus. Lazarus is the second man in the parable, He sits at the doorstep of a man as rich as Bill Gates. But appearances are deceiving. The one who is weak is really strong, the one who appears strong, is shown to be weak. The rich man has many servants who are actually fed better than the beggar. The rich man has food, lodging, and actually had listened and Moses and the Prophets, but he had not heard what they said, for him. He remained selfish, stingy, and ungrateful he had it all but he had nothing, he is poor in many ways. He does not see any reason to be connected to the church, he thinks he has enough success on his own.

Our Gospel lesson this morning presents us with a story that as repeated itself in various ways ever since our Lord first told it. Not all of the details are always the same, but all the basic elements are usually there in Christ’s teaching. In this parable, there are two men, one rich in the world, one rich in the gifts of God. You were born poor just like Lazarus. In your baptism you were made rich. Though the trials and travails of this world make you look poor by human standards, you are made infinitely rich by the God-man Jesus Christ. It is the great reversal, Christ has taken your sin, and offered His life, His death, and His resurrection, so that you are given the riches of eternal life. Amen.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
+SDG+

The Third Sunday after Trinity - July 10, 2011

2011-08-16T06:18:00.000-07:00

The Church Season of Trinity
The Third Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (July 10, 2011)

Readings:
    Psalm 103 verses 1 - 13
    Micah 7:18-20
    1 Peter 5:6-11
    Luke 15:1-10

+INI+

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

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 15th chapter of St. Luke, especially the following verses:

Luke 15:1-10 (NIV)

1 Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

A problem with parables is that our sinful flesh loves to interpret them in a law-oriented way. Meaning we read a parable and think, "What does this parable tell me I need to do?" So the parables are used to lay guilt trips on those other people who are not doing enough. All the while, our sinful flesh pats itself on the back for a job well done because we think we have been obedient.

The parable of the lost sheep has been abused to lay guilt trips on people by telling them that they need to go out and find more lost sheep. And if you are not, then you do not have a heart for the lost. This is not the purpose of either of these two parables, or of the parable of the prodigal son that follows our text. The real purpose is to show how wrong the Pharisees and Scribes were to grumble and complain that Jesus was receiving sinners and eating with them. What Jesus said was, there is much rejoicing over every sinner who repents.

He does not say, There is much rejoicing over every believer who goes out and finds lost sheep. It is not that bringing lost sinners to repentance is a bad thing. That is simply not the point of the parable. Christ gives neither instruction nor command to find lost sheep. Nor is Jesus here trying to kindle a fiery desire in people to win lost sinners. The Pharisees were already very diligent at trying to win over converts. Jesus described them as traveling land and sea to win just one person. The problem is, they were not winning their converts to true repentance, but to their own self-righteous religion.

Meanwhile, the tax collectors and sinners were eagerly drawing near Jesus to hear Him. They were not there to hear Him chat with them. No, He was doing what He always did: He taught the Word. The Word, both Law and Gospel, was driving their hearts to repentance. So these tax collectors and sinners were the lost sheep and lost coin in the parables. It was them that Jesus was receiving.

The Pharisees, on the other hand, rejected the Word, as they had just rejected the Baptism of John. Because they thought that they needed no repentance. They thought they had done no wrong, or had never sinned. Of course, there is no man, woman, or child who does not need repentance, and the Pharisees should have known that from Scripture. But they refused to listen to Christ, and they refused to repent.

But in the face of that our Lord graciously taught any Pharisees who would listen, Jesus sowed the Word generously. He was seeking even the Pharisees and Scribes, because they were lost sheep as well. Who else are lost sheep? Every one who needs to repent, that is, all who need to be found by the Shepherd. Everyone needs to repent, even if they already believe. We must keep repenting our whole life long. As soon as we decide that we do not need repentance, we become Pharisees who reject the Word. Lost sheep include any people who do not have faith. This can be someone who once had faith but fell away. It can be someone who has not yet heard the Gospel. It can be a little infant at the beginning of life, or an old man at the end of it.

Christ desires that all repent, that is, that they have sorrow for sin as well as faith in Him for salvation. But no one can repent except by the gift of God. Lost sheep and coins cannot find themselves, just as dead sinners cannot conjure faith from their will. It takes the powerful Word of Christ to bring the lost to repentance. So the one who finds the lost is Jesus, every single time. You may happen to be the one through whom He works this miracle, but Jesus is the one who receives sinners. You and I do not have that power. The Word on our lips has the power because it is the Word of Christ who seeks the lost.

Yet we should remember that we are lost sheep. Our sinful nature is no less lost than it ever was. Although Christ found you, you are still a wandering sheep. Although He has cleansed you from every sin, yet your crooked heart still tries to stray. We must repent. Once we have begun repenting, we do not cease until there is no sin left to repent of, which can only happen at the Resurrection of all flesh.

So remember this: Christ Jesus seeks the lost. He receives sinners, which is the same as seeking the lost. For He has accepted you on the basis of His own righteousness and suffering and death. He went looking for you on a hill full of darkness and bitter death. He searched through a thorny land, and even allowed thorns to pierce Him. He climbed down into the dark valley of the shadow of death to carry you out into the light again. He crushed the head of the awful wolf that was going to devour you. He lifted you onto His shoulders, and not only you, but also the heavy weight of your sins. He took the burden of your guilt on the cross and paid for it with His Blood.

Then He swept you clean from all your sins by washing you with water that was holy and pure. He lit the lamp of His Word to shed His light upon you. For He also sent His Spirit to give life to your dead soul by His spoken Word. Jesus found you and has claimed you again as His own. This is Christ, the Great Finder of the Lost, who receives sinners and eats with them. He is not ashamed to share His fellowship with you. You are not too sinful for Him, since He has covered your sins with His Blood. He is with you at every earthly meal, and also desires you to share the heavenly meal at this Altar. No one deserves this meal. Yet He offers it to wretched sinners.

He will also share His eternal banquet in the New Heaven and New Earth. He will meet you there and speak to you face to face, in all His glory. But there you will no longer be a sinner, since you will be cleansed once and for all by the Spirit of God. There God the Father will also reveal His face to you. For it was not only the angels who rejoiced over your repentance, but even the eternal God of the universe overflowed with joy over you, the lost sinner He has found through His Son. Amen.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
+SDG+

The Second Sunday after Trinity - July 3, 2011

2011-08-16T06:14:00.000-07:00

The Church Season of Trinity
The Second Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (July 3, 2011)

Readings:
        Psalm 34 verses 12 - 22
        Proverbs 9:1-10
        1 John 3:13-18
        Luke 14:15-24

+INI+

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

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 16th chapter of St. Luke, especially the following verse:

Luke 14:15-24 (NIV)

15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” 16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ 19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ 21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ 22 “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ 23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Christ our Lord gives some samples of why people miss the banquet of the Father's grace. One man says, "I cannot come to the banquet. I just bought some land - now I have to go inspect the land." What kind of a person would buy some land, sight unseen, without checking it out to make sure he is not purchasing some swampland or a garbage dump? But the land was not really the reason - this was simply a silly excuse to avoid the king's banquet. Another man says, "I just bought ten oxen. Now I have to go see them." Another silly excuse. Would you buy ten cows before you even know what they look like? They might be dried-up bags of bones with one hoof in the grave. You might as well say, "I just bought a car. Now I have to go test drive it."

We all have silly excuses to avoid church. "I don't like the pews." "Someone hurt my feelings." "You stand up and sit down too much." "There are sinners and hypocrites here." "I'm doing fine in my life without it." "It's the one day I get to sleep in." “It doesn’t make me eel good.” What do they have to do with receiving the all-gracious Word of the Father? Christ Himself has offered to serve us the wedding banquet. Would we rather sleep through it? Would we rather miss it over some discomfort we feel that has nothing to do with the grace of God?

But that's what our sinful flesh wants to do. It wants to magnify and inflate some reason until it's the most important thing in the world, when in reality it is only a silly excuse. There is only one thing that is the most important thing in the world, and it is here in this House.

But the last excuse Jesus tells us of is the most devastating because it is the most reasonable. A man says, "I am on my honeymoon. I cannot come to the banquet." Now, marriage is a great and holy union created by the Almighty God. Jesus strongly upheld marriage. It seems that surely a honeymoon is more important than attending a banquet.

Earthly unions of family and friendship are legitimate and real and important. But the Great Marriage Feast should be more important than everything else.Now, let me be very clear. I'm not talking about temporary and brief absences from worship. For example, if a family member is in the hospital and you miss worship to be with them, no one would condemn you. But when we find ourselves kept from God's banquet over and over, or when family members draw us to another church that does not teach the pure Gospel, then there is a real problem. Jesus said, "He who loves father or mother or son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." Here is Christ, serving us in this place. He must never be less important than family or friends.

Yet it is so difficult when family members and friends are drawing us away. It is so heart-wrenching when feelings of love and loyalty pull us away from the Divine Service. The reason it is so hard is that our hearts are not set upon the things of God as they should be. In the end, even family is only an excuse to take us away from Christ and His banquet.

Consider what is here - the banquet of the King of the universe! The food is eternal life received in Christ. The drink is forgiveness from all our sins in His Blood. How silly our excuses are compared to attending the Great Banquet of all banquets! The bright Light of lights in this place outshines every earthly reason that might draw us away. For this place is everything. Here is life. Apart from the Church of God, there is only death.

Yet so many use silly excuses to stay away. Why? Why stay away from the greatest treasure in heaven and earth over silly excuses? But that is the whole point of Jesus in the parable. The excuses are silly because they are not the real reason. There is only one real reason found among us, deep in our heart of hearts: We are self-righteous Pharisees. We don’t feel that we need this place and this Word. We feel like we are okay by ourselves. So we can take the Lord’s Supper or leave it. We do not want to be bothered with the banquet because we might have to admit that we actually need something. We think that we are just fine.

But, in the parable, the King is enraged by mankind's self-righteous rejection of His Banquet. After all, He has given His only-begotten Son into death for us! Why would we treat Him as less important than our silly, petty excuses?

So the King sends out His messengers to the poor, the maimed, the sick, and the blind. He invites the homeless people who sleep in the hedges and the ditches beside the road. These are the people who will enter His Banquet of eternal life. They are not strong. Instead, they are broken down and despairing. They know that they are not righteous. They know that they are horrible sinners. If you want to be the strong people who stand on their own two feet and need nothing, then you will be the Pharisees who reject the Banquet. But the lowly and the weak and the sick who cannot come to Christ by their own power are the ones who enter into eternal glory.

We are the spiritually crippled, yet you are the ones who come to the Marriage Feast. You are homeless and outcast. Yet God has called you to be His honored guests. Those who think themselves strong (but really are weak) - will never taste His Supper. Those who find excuses to reject Christ will not enter His presence.

But you will, because you are the chosen of God, the lowly who are lifted up into the highest place of all. So God is the Host who acts like a crazy man by inviting the homeless and the cripples to His marriage! Who would do that? What kind of lunatic would actually invite strangers who live in the streets, and cripples out of the hospital wards, who have to be carried on stretchers or led by the hand because they are blind? We do not invite such people to our weddings.

But thanks be to God that He does not act as we do. Instead, you who are sick, who were strangers to Christ because of your sins, have become the honored guests who sit at the right hand of the King in His glory. He has accomplished all this upon the Cross. He has made all men equal to Himself by dying on Calvary. He has absorbed all the spiritual sickness of man. Then He poured out to you His glory and holiness and divine life and health. He has made you one with Him, the Son of God, to enjoy His Great Feast without end.

The Feast was completed upon Calvary with His last breath. He said, "It is finished!" The Wedding Banquet of the Lamb has been finished and completed. Indeed, it has already begun in every house of God where the Gospel is preached purely and the sacraments administered rightly. The Royal Banquet is already here.

And although it was our stupid, silly excuses that put Christ upon the Cross, yet it was also the Cross that erased your excuses. In His Word, He has given you His invitation to the Royal Banquet. More than that, He actually carried you into the Banqueting Hall since you were too crippled by sin to accept the invitation or come to Him. Yet He lifted you up with His Spirit and brought you in, because He desired that you, His beloved, should share all good things that He has won for you. He has given you who were spiritually homeless an eternal home that no one can take away.

Today we eat and drink the foretaste of the Eternal Wedding Banquet. The Body and Blood of Christ is spiritual food that belongs to the New Age to come. We sip at sinless glory in this cup that holds His Blood. We taste unending life and health in these wafers which are His Body. These are the immortal food placed upon our mortal lips. The Banquet is ready. Blessed are those who are called to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
+SDG+

The First Sunday after Trinity - June 26, 2011

2011-08-16T06:04:00.000-07:00

The Church Season of Trinity

The First Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (June 26, 2011)

Readings:
    Psalm 33:12-33
    Genesis 15:1-6
    1 John 4:16-21
    Luke 16:19-31

+INI+

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

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 1st John the 4th chapter.

1 John 4:19-21

19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot[a] love God whom he has not seen. 21And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Jesus said, "Whoever loves God must also love his brother." And by the word "brother," John does not only mean our literal brothers. Our brother is anyone to whom we can show love through our vocations, especially those brethren in the faith. Towards these people, we Christians should excel at love. We are not to be absorbed by ourselves and our own desires, but rather concerned for the well-being and needs of those around us. We are to love selflessly and willingly.

So how are we doing? Have we been loving? Perhaps our first response is, "Yes, we are doing pretty good. Maybe not perfect, but not bad." A poor response says, "I love a lot! Look how loving I am!" Such pride does not sit well with love. Instead, love enjoys praising the qualities of others, while covering itself up. Yet there is an impulse inside us to think of ourselves as very loving. We elevate our love in our own eyes. But that is to love ourselves, not our brother.

We are also tempted to think that love is merely an emotion in the heart. When people examine themselves to see if they love, they are feeling for a feeling, to see if they get a warm emotion when they think about warm emotions. We Christians should not be satisfied with such a shallow kind of love. We should not only try to cultivate a loving feeling towards others. Much more than that, we should strive to be loving in thought, word, and deed. Far from being only a matter of subjective emotions, love is measurable and objective. God gave us a guide to test our love, called the Commandments.

Some people think that the Ten Commandments are not much of a standard, and they want some bigger and better way to show love. But the Commandments are more than enough. If anyone masters them, then they are already in Paradise with the Lord. The summary of the Commandments is love. Love God, and love your neighbor. If you kept all the Commandments, then you would have perfect love, if that were possible.

So here are the things we ought to do, and those we should not be doing. We should not despise or anger our parents and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them. Have we obeyed our parents, even when they are not looking, and even when we think they are wrong? Do we gladly obey the laws of the land? We also should not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body, but help and support him in every physical need. Do we harbor anger in our hearts against people, or use hateful words toward them? Do we support abortion, in either direct or indirect ways? We also should lead a sexually pure and decent life in what we say and do, and husband and wife love and honor each other. Are we pure in our thoughts and desires? Do we treat attractive people as if they were objects? Do we view marriage as a gift of God, and treat our spouse honorably?

We also should not take our neighbor's money or possessions, or get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his possessions and income. When a financial transaction nets us more than we should receive, we pocket the extra and think we have it coming to us, even though we are upset if we are shortchanged. We also should not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way.

We all know that gossips are destructive. But when we do it, we think that we are only passing on information. I could go on and on. Let this suffice for now. If anyone thinks they have mastered even these parts, then they are simply not paying attention.We want to say, "Sure, I sin now and then, but at least my heart is in the right place!" Brothers and sisters, to sin means to not have your heart in the right place. Every sin is a failure to love. Our hearts, far from being places of beauty and light and warmth as we imagine, are instead full of darkness and sin.

If we try to stand before God on the basis of our love as so many people try to do, then we will fail. We could never do enough to satisfy the demands of love. There is always more to do. We can never love enough, no matter how hard we try. Yet we Christians stand before God as we will stand on the Day of Judgment, with confidence and certainty, because we do not stand upon our love, but upon the love of God.

The only absolutely pure love in the universe is God's love, for He is love. You can rely on that love. Trust in it, believe upon it, bet your eternal soul upon the love of God. That love will never fail you. We can know this for certain because we see that love on the Cross. We do not have to imagine or speculate on what God's secret attitude in His heart is towards us. No, this is the love of God, that Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior of the world, gave Himself into suffering and death for you. This He did, not when you were loving and good, but when you were a loveless sinner.

That [point to Cross] is love. Love is the Son of God bleeding His precious life-blood for sinners who did not deserve Him. Love is Christ rejected by the Father. Love is all that Christ did, even though no one will ever be able to pay Him back even a thousandth of what He has freely given. Love is the wounds of Christ. Love is His crown of thorns. Love is the nails hammered into innocent flesh. Love is made complete in the cry of Jesus, "It is finished!" At that moment, His love for mankind was perfect and complete. That is the love He shed upon you, to buy you back with His Blood.

Now we stand ready for the Judgment. Indeed, we are already judged and found innocent, because we are declared innocent by the Great Judge. All our lives are seen by God as one continuous action of love, because our lives are seen through the Cross, and through the love of Christ. Therefore, having been loved this much, shall we not be stirred in our hearts to live loving lives? Since Christ worked mightily with His every breath to love us, shall we not strive to love Him and our neighbor? There is no fear in our love, because we are already saved by the love of God. We are free to love generously and recklessly.

So the Lord creates love in us. He makes us love one another. He guides us to make no mention of how worthy someone is of our love, since God loved us when we were His enemies. He leads us to count no cost in our love, for we could never suffer a loss even a millionth of what Christ suffered on our behalf. So He labors unceasingly to cleanse our love from the impurity of our sins by putting to death the old Adam in us, until that great Day when the Holy Spirit shall complete our purification by raising us in sinless bodies, and we shall love with a true and flawless heart. Amen.

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

AMEN
+SDG+

Holy Trinity Sunday - June 19, 2011

2011-06-20T10:55:00.000-07:00

The Church Season of Easter
Holy Trinity Sunday – Father’s Day
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (June 19, 2011)
One Year Series

Readings:
        Isaiah 6:1-7
        Romans 11:33-36
        John 3:1-17

+INI+

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

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 3rd chapter of St. John, especially the following verses.

John 3: 14-17
14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Today is Father’s Day, how appropriate for it is also to be Trinity Sunday. This is the last great celebration of the church year before we enter what is known as “common time” It is true, we all have father’s some better than others, some really wonderful, some not so hot, but we all had a father whether he was who we wanted him to be or if we even knew him at all.

For my part, I had a great Dad, I miss him. He was a great man, he was not perfect, but in my eyes he was great. And though he was short, yes even shorter than me, He was an athlete, a runner a 10.1 in the hundred yard dash in high school, a golden gloves boxer, a walk-on for college football and basketball at the University of Cincinnati, a Phd and school superintendent for over 40 years. He taught me to play ball, to play tennis, ping pong, chess, and he gave me a love of wanting to win. My dad was so competitive that he never let us win at anything, if you won, you won because you beat him. I was the only child to beat him at chess and ping-pong and when I won those games he promptly throttled me every time we ever played after that. He stood by me when I succeeded in life, he stood by me when I failed. My father gave me many gifts, some good some bad, but the true gift my father gave me was when this brilliant man could no longer remember his name, where he was, nor why he was there.

And when I saw my dad lose his greatest attribute, his memory, his mind, his ability to love my mother…I was mad at God, very, very mad. Why would God take away my dad’s mind? I struggled during his so-called declining years, but my Father in Heaven was to teach me through my father on earth, one more very important lesson.

For what got me over the "hump" of my personal struggle with my Dad's condition verses God's ultimate wisdom was this... It so happened that my mom was being baptized at the age of 81, my sister and niece 3 generations same day, was that which happened on that day. My dad did not know where he was nor why, but when the time in the service came for the Lord's prayer, he quietly folded his hands and spoke that prayer word for word. It was a revelation for me, he was not suffering, it was I. In my world his intellect by which he made his living was gone. But God provided mercy to me through my father by showing me that faith remains when all else fails. How blind was I not to see that faith had already made my dad well. How blind was I to see that my God, my Father in heaven, was showing me mercy through my father here on earth. The mercy giver, became the mercy receiver. God turned my world upside down, mercy from the unexpected, mercy from the weak, and even more than that ultimate mercy from a man on a cross.

"What mercy God showed to our race,
A plan of rescue by His grace:
In sending One from woman's seed, The One to fill our greatest need-
For on a tree uplifted high His only Son for sin would die,
Would drink the cup of scorn and dread To crush the ancient serpent's head!"
"The Tree of Life, #561, The Lutheran Service Book verse 3"

About a month ago in Joplin, Missouri, it was a normal Saturday, except that seniors had just had their graduation commencement at high school. People were shopping or relaxing. Then the biggest tornado in over 50 years in the U.S. hit. Where there was once order, there was now chaos. 200 mph winds flattened houses, stores, school, and offices. Cars were whisked away. A tractor trailer was wrapped around a tree. 154 people died. Many more survived, but lost all their possessions. I'm sure there's a lot of people who said, if there is a God, why does he allow this to happen?

God is a god of order, not chaos. When he created the universe and our world, he moved things from chaos into order. In the creation, God said, “26Let us make man in our image, after our likeness….And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”

In the beginning the earth was without form and void. God separated the waters into earth and heavens. There was darkness, and God created light. Each of the six days God brought order, to the plants, to the birds and fish, to the kinds of animals on the land. God made people, and gave them authority over the animals.

When he was finished, he looked at everything, and it was very good. He made everything, but he ordered it as he wanted. There weren't any tornadoes, or hurricanes, earthquakes or devastation. We don't see Adam and Eve living in fear of being eaten by lions or dinosaurs. There's no death, no disease, suffering, or fear, for these are the things of chaos, not of order.

God created us to live in relationship with him. He made us able to have relationships with each other. He made us to rule over the animal world and use natural resources. All of this is order.

For over 5000 years we have accepted the idea that God is a God of Order. No one believed that the world was created broken and chaotic. But in the past 150 years a new idea of God has appeared. Instead of order, the theory of evolution preaches a God of chaos. Evolution is an idea. It says that mutations over millions of years explains the origin of all the complexity of life.

Have you ever experienced a mutation? I know some of you have. We usually call it cancer. When cells mutate, it is not a pleasant experience. It almost always causes suffering, disease, and death. Yet evolutionists say that given enough time, mutations are the reason for the order we see in the world around us.

Some people say that God used evolution to create the world we see over millions of years. Why then did God look at the world and say it is good, when for millions of years it has suffered disease and death? If God used evolution to create, then he is the author of death. When something like the great tornado of Joplin happens, or when a man looses his mental ability, it shows us that the world is no longer the way God created it. Sin, disobedience to God's order, caused disorder in the created world. Chaos has broken through, and chaos brings suffering and death.

Perhaps you've experienced the effects of chaos in your life. Sin brings disorder between us and God, between us as individuals, and disorder into our personal lives. We grow angry, discontented, and selfish. We live in conflict with God, and with each other. We lose sight of God's order and settle for chaos.

God revealed himself in the Holy Trinity by acting to restore our lives and creation, so that once again they are very good. You can see the Holy Trinity working in the Creation account. "Let us make man in our image." The Spirit moving across the face of the waters. The Gospel of John says of Jesus that "All things were made through Him[Jesus]."

The nature of the Holy Trinity was fully revealed when the Father sent the Son into the world to be conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus, through suffering and death, restored the image of God to us. By His resurrection he began the new creation where God's good order is restored and the chaos of sin is removed.

Whether your earthly father is here or in heaven, whether you have good memories or bad of that man, know that you have a loving Father in heaven. One who gave His only Son for you, and you of that love through the Word by the work of the Holy Spirit.

And so rejoice that you are a new creation. You have a new birth and renewal by baptism. "Make disciples of all nations, baptizing in Name of Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”

There will continue to be chaos in the world. storms, fires, and calamities, wars and bloodshed. There will be earthly father’s who love, and those who make dreadly mistakes. But also know that when the Jesus comes again, we will experience an ordered creation again when Christ raises us from death and restores creation.

I hope you can see that the Lord made the world a very good place. It was ordered according to God's will. The fall and sin brought chaos into our lives and all creation. But God acted in Jesus to restore order. When Jesus became one of us, He revealed the Holy Trinity—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, when He saved us. Through that Triune Name and water God has made us His children right now in Baptism. While we live in a world of disorder we also look forward to the Last Day and to the resurrection. And while it would be heavenly to play another game of chess or ping pong with my Father, or to meet and enjoy any of those people whom I love who have proceeded me in the faith, the joyous reality is that we will all be too busy worshipping our Lord and Father as we live and serve our Father who is in heaven, with the Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

+SDG+

The Day of Pentecost - June 12, 2011

2011-06-20T10:48:00.000-07:00

The Church Season of Pentecost
The Day of Pentecost, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (June 12, 2011)

Readings:
    Psalm 143
    Genesis 1:1-9
    Acts 2:1-21
    John 14:23-31

+INI+
Grace, Mercy, and Peace be to you from the Father,
and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The text for today’s message will be from the Gospel lesson, from St. John the 14th chapter, especially the following verses:

John 14:23-31 (ESV)

23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. 25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

“This is the history of the day. The festival we call Pentecost originated thus: When God led the children of Israel out of Egypt, he had them to celebrate the Easter festival the same night, and commanded them to celebrate it annually, as a memorial of their exodus out of Egypt. Counting from that day, they journeyed in the desert for fifty days, to Mount Sinai, where the Law was given to them by God, through Moses. Hence they celebrated the festival we call Pentecost. For the little word "Pentecost" meansthe fiftieth day. It is to this festival that Luke has reference. When the fifty days after Easter were past and the disciples had celebrated the event of God's having given the people the Law on Mount Sinai, then the Holy Spirit came and gave them a different law. We celebrate the festival, not because of the old, but because of the new event, because of the sending of the Holy Spirit. Therefore we must offer a little explanation and show the difference between our Pentecost and the Pentecost [of the Old Testament].”(Luther – House Postils)

The Israelites walked for 50 days after the Day of the Passover. And at the end of those 50 days they found themselves at the foot of Mt. Sinai. There the Israelites received the Law from God, they named it the “Festival of Weeks” and later that was given the name Pentecost or “Fiftieth” day after the Passover. And that’s not all, it was to be a yearly celebration. How strange to our modern ears to think of a yearly party or national holiday set aside to celebrate the extremely stringent rules that God sent to Moses for those people to live by. Walking 50 days to get new laws to tell you how to live. Just reminds how lucky you are to be a Christian and a Lutheran as you are reminded in the Small Catechism, “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.”(SC) It surely is a good thing each and everyone of you still has that catechism verse memorized.

The Holy Spirit often seems like the shy member of the Trinity because He does not point to Himself. His role is to point us to Christ. In this way, the Holy Spirit establishes and strengthens faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Because the Holy Spirit constantly points us to Jesus, He often seems to fade into the background.

Never the less, on this day, the Holy Spirit lets us know that He is around. There is the sound of a great wind and the appearance of tongues of fire. The image of the tongue not only gives us a feeling for the general appearance of these little flames, but it also is symbolic of the organ that will be most affected by this outpouring of the Holy Spirit on this day. The Apostles will be able to explain the salvation story of Jesus Christ in languages they had never spoken before. Therefore, on this day, we take some time to consider the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

First of all, the Holy Spirit is not some sort of impersonal force. For example: The Bible speaks of grieving the Holy Spirit [Ephesians 4:30], and the consequences of lying to the Holy Spirit [Acts 5:3-5]. The Bible regularly portrays the Holy Spirit as a personal being and not as an impersonal force. The Holy Spirit is a person just like the Father and the Son.

Although we normally talk about creation by speaking about God the Father, the Holy Spirit participated in the creation along with the Son, says so right there in the first chapter of Genesis. He is a member of the Triune God and fully equal to the Father and the Son in the glory and majesty of the eternal God. He is not a junior partner in the Trinity.

One of the other misconceptions that some people have about the Holy Spirit is that He didn't really do a whole lot until the day of Pentecost. In the account that follows today's reading, the Holy Spirit used Peter's sermon to bring the crowd to a state of repentance. The account in Acts describes the crowd's repentance this way: [Acts 2:37] When they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" Basically, their sin absolutely terrified them.

Peter then supplied the forgiveness in Jesus' name. [Acts 2:38] He said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The account goes on to tell us that the Holy Spirit added about three thousand souls to the church that day. With these signs, the Holy Spirit certified the Apostles as the men chosen by Christ Himself to begin the process of proclaiming repentance and the forgiveness of sins to the nations of the world.

So we see the work of the Holy Spirit. It is the role of the Holy Spirit to work faith in the heart. This faith is not just a feeling of peace, but it is trust in Jesus Christ. Faith is the means by which we hold onto the gifts that Jesus Christ earned for us - the gift of righteousness that Jesus earned with His holy, sinless life - the gift of forgiveness that He earned for us with His holy precious blood and innocent suffering and death - the gift of certainty in the promises of God that Jesus demonstrated with His resurrection from the dead - the gift of eternal life with Him that Jesus promised when He said He would return to take us to Himself. All these gifts and more belong to us only because the Holy Spirit has worked the miracle of faith in us.

On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit certified the words of the Apostles as the true teachings of Jesus Christ. With that certification we can know for certain that the Holy Spirit inspired their words so that all of the scriptures are the inspired and revealed Word of God which is completely true and free from error. We can trust the words of the Apostles, not because they were such great people, but because the Holy Spirit supervised them as they wrote.

By the power of the Holy Spirit, the prophets of the Old Testament and the Apostles of the New Testament provide us with the message of God. The first part of the message is the Law and it is terrifying, for from the Law we learn of our helpless sinful status before God and the eternal punishment that we deserve because of that sin. The second part of the message is the ultimate comfort, for it tells us that God did not leave us to suffer but sent His only begotten Son to suffer and die in our place so that whoever believes in Him will not be condemned, but will have life eternal. This is the message that the Holy Spirit certifies with the wondrous signs of Pentecost. Amen

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
+SDG+

The Seventh Sunday of Easter - Exaudi - June 5, 2011

2011-06-06T08:58:00.000-07:00

The Church Season of Easter
The Seventh Sunday of Easter - Exaudi
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (June 5, 2011)
One Year Series

Readings:
        Ezekiel 36:22-28
        Psalm 51:1-12
        1 Peter 4:7-14
        John 15:26 – 16:4

+INI+

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

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 15th chapter of St. John, especially the following verses.

John 15:26-16:4 (ESV)

26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. 1 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Last Thursday we celebrated the Day of Ascension. When Jesus ascends into heaven, the disciples were full of joy. It is not the reaction we expect. Jesus is gone. He won’t appear among His children the way He appeared those thirty-some years that we read about in the Holy Gospels. The disciples should be sad. All they have are His Words and their memories.

So it is with us when it comes to our Lord’s Ascension. Ascension Day is one of the principal high feasts of Christ. It’s a feast full of joy and anticipation. There is joy because Christ will come again the same way He left us. There is anticipation because the promised Paraclete as it is written in Greek, or translated Helper, or Comforter, He will soon come to kindle the fire of Christ’s love in His bride, the Church.

Yet we treat our Lord’s Ascension as if it’s nothing special. Jesus is gone. Everybody look busy. Now that he’s gone, we can go on living our lives as if He were never here with us. Our Lord promises the Helper. But sometimes we fail to see much help in the Church today. Saint Peter says in the Epistle, be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Peter pictures a Christian congregation that loves one another. God’s children take care of each other, using the talents He gives them to bear one another’s burdens. Nevertheless, hospitality without grumbling and ministering to each other as good stewards sometimes does not happen. We know when someone isn’t speaking to someone else. We could be helping each other with the talents God gives us, but there’s always the chance that our talents will go unnoticed. On the other hand, perhaps someone will take advantage of our gifts, expecting someone else to bear a burden for good.

The reality is in God’s Holy Church, there is no need of large bank accounts, fancy cars, and continuous revival meetings to see faith in action. This is a Spirit-filled congregation. The Holy Spirit here witnesses not of Himself, but of Jesus Christ. Consider the Helper as one pointing back to our Lord. The Paraclete, the helper, the comforter, does not want to separate “true” Christians from “false” Christians through some sort of miraculous sights and sounds. The Paraclete comes to call us by the Gospel, enlighten us with His Gifts, make us holy and keep us holy in the Christian Church to life everlasting.

There is no better comfort than Jesus Christ. Jesus wins the victory over sin, death, and hell for you. His blood covers your sin, giving you His righteousness. Jesus ascends into heaven so you too might ascend with Him in body and soul on Judgment Day. As Christ reigns in heavenly joy, so shall you live and reign with Him. This joy is yours now through faith. This joy in its fullness is yet to come, when Jesus descends as He ascends. Jesus gives you forgiveness, life, and salvation in His Holy Supper. Jesus goes on your tongue, into your body, and into the world as you live according to your calling in life. He loves us with an undeserved and everlasting love. You show your neighbor this love through works of mercy as evidence that faith lives in you.

But we see that left to their own devices, the disciples were bound to fail. With the Spirit of Truth Who proceeds from the Father, the disciples will witness everything they saw and heard concerning Jesus Christ. They saw everything our Lord did. Their eyewitness account makes them true apostles of Christ. What they saw and what they heard, they will proclaim to the ends of the earth. We walk in their footsteps. None of us, unlike the Apostles, witnessed our Lord doing marvelous signs. We have the sure and certain Word of God that proclaims Jesus’ victory over sin, death, and hell. The Christian Church preaches Jesus Christ and Him crucified. This is the comforting witness the Holy Spirit sends us.

We pray that Christ’s ascension is not a time of worry, doubt, anger, and frustration. Christ’s ascension is a time of expectant joy. As we hear in Psalm 27: “Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud. Your face, Lord do I seek; hide not Your face from me.” The Lord does not hide. He shows Himself in Word, water, bread, and wine. When you see these Holy Things, you know and believe the Holy One of God is present not in an “I’ll be here for you” way. He is truly, bodily, certainly present. Jesus is here today to take away your sin and doubt, replacing them with everlasting life. Jesus is here to give you the sure and certain hope of comfort that comes only from the Spirit of Truth.

We pray that the King of Glory would not to leave us without consolation but send us the Spirit of truth Whom he promised from the Father. The promise of the Holy Spirit’s coming on Pentecost is the coming of consolation among the Christian Church. The Spirit’s consolation is Jesus Christ, truly present in preaching, in Baptism, in Absolution, and in His Holy Supper. Instead of sadness, the Church rejoices because Jesus abides with us in the simplest of ways. With His simplicity there is profound joy; the joy of forgiveness and new life, and we hear that through the Holy Spirit who conveys the promise won by Jesus Christ.

Alleluia, Alleluia, Christ is Risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen.

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
+SDG+

The Ascension of Our Lord - June 2, 2011

2011-06-06T08:30:00.000-07:00

The Church Season of Easter,
The Ascension of Our Lord, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (June 2, 2011)

Readings:
        Psalm 110
        2 Kings 2:5-15
        Acts 1:1-11
        Luke 24:44-53

+INI+

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

The text for today’s message will be from the Gospel lesson as recorded in the 24th chapter of St. Luke, especially the following verses:

Luke 24:44-53 (ESV)

44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” 50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 3 and were continually in the temple blessing God.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Alleluia! Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen.

The paschal candle has been lit these forty days since Easter, but today we extinguish it for the rest of the year. Now this candle will stand next to the Baptismal Font, it will be lit for each Baptism and it will be placed next to a casket for each burial. All this reminds us that we are baptized and buried into Christ our risen Lord. Paschal means ”pertaining to the Passover” or “Easter” therefore it is a symbol of the Resurrection, that our Lord has ascended into heaven to bless us from there.

Today we celebrate Jesus Christ’s ascension into heaven. On that Ascension day Christ led His apostles to Bethany, He blessed them and then He ascended into heaven. We can only imagine what the apostles were thinking. We know that good byes are always hard when the person you love is going away. We have all shed tears when we say farewell to someone we won't be seeing for a while.

We all recall the loss of a loved one, a mother, father, or other close relative who has passed away. We can recall the pain of the loss. We are overcome with tears for the loss of that person, at the same time we rejoice for what God has done for our loved one. So in those times we are sometimes sad and afraid.

It was surprising for the disciples when Jesus' last days on earth came. Yes, he had told them ahead of time that was going to be delivered into the hands of rulers, crucified, die, and rise on the third day. But when it happened they were still surprised and afraid. Emotions got the best of them, and even the brave ones, like Peter, ran away and denied knowing the Lord.

Yet, when those same apostles saw Jesus alive, their faith was restored. Scripture tells us that Jesus, "showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God." (Acts 1:3) During all these appearances the apostles put their trust in Jesus again and He forgave all their doubts and unbelief.

Even on the day Jesus ascended to heaven, He was still teaching his followers. Our text says "he opened their minds so they could understand the Holy Scriptures" (Luke 24:45). Jesus gave them the ability to understand the Bible, and that He had fulfilled all that was written about the Messiah. Nothing more needed to be accomplished. Salvation for the world was complete. From then on, any person who asked God for forgiveness in the Name of Jesus would get it. Nothing more can be added to what Jesus had done.

And while Jesus' work was finished, the disciples work was just about to begin. They were to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came to them. Then they were called upon to preach the message of repentance and forgiveness in his Name to all nations.

And Christ's commission to his disciples continues today. We must continue to repent of our sin and believe the good news that Jesus forgives and restores us to God the Father. There is no area of our life that we can allow to be off limits to God's Word. God's Word cannot be altered, we much preach it just as we receive it from the printed page.

Jesus has ascended to heaven, but He is not distant from us. He sends us the Holy Spirit through the church's preaching and administering His sacraments. We ask Jesus to open our minds to understand the Holy Scriptures as He did for the first disciples. In them we find the meaning we need to guide our lives as servants of God.

At the Ascension of Jesus, the church said goodbye to the face to face contact with Jesus. Now, through the preaching and sacraments which He instituted, the Holy Spirit brings Christ to us in means that are hidden, yet powerful. We are to use this time God has given us to prepare for Jesus' return. There are so many souls to be reached, and there is so little time. While we may weep that Jesus has ascended, His incarnation has won for us joy beyond all understanding. While we are here we bask in the joy of salvation won, yet that does not mean we should rest and do nothing. Christ has won salvation for all and graciously we are called to proclaim that salvation to the ends of the earth. There are no sad goodbyes today. Yet we still may ask, ‘what of those tears we shed for those family and friends who have gone before us in the faith?’ The answer is that when we join Jesus Christ in His heavenly home He, “will wipe away every tear from [your] eyes.”(Rev 21:4) No pain of loss or separation will remain. In fact, there is no separation, for even in Christ’s ascension, He has told us that He will still be “with us even to the end of the ages.”(Mt. 28:20)

So when you see the unlit Christ candle here at the altar, remember that Jesus has indeed ascended to heaven, and there Jesus is our heavenly high priest who brings our prayers to the Father, and He rules over His church with grace and forgiveness. And for us that grace and forgiveness is the knowledge that Christ’s victory over death is won and He gives to us the promise of eternal life. Amen.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen.

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
+SDG+

The Sixth Sunday of Easter - Rogate - May 29, 2011

2011-06-01T07:06:00.000-07:00

The Church Season of Easter,
Easter 6, Rogate, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (May 29, 2011)

Readings:
        Psalm 107
        Numbers 21:4-9
        1 Timothy 2:1-6
        John 16:23-33

+INI+

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

The text for today’s message will be from the Epistle lesson as recorded in the 16th chapter of John, especially the following verses:

John 16:23-33 (NIV)

23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Alleluia! Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen.

The words from our text are spoken by Jesus on Maundy Thursday, before He went out to the Garden to pray and to be betrayed. After the Supper, and after Judas had fled to do His dirty work, Jesus had a sort of farewell speech, then He prayed all of John chapter seventeen (called Jesus' High Priestly Prayer), and then they went out to the Garden of Gethsemane. And so what we hear today is just before Jesus went to pray and He tells His disciples to start praying in His Name, and promises that God the Father will hear and answer their prayers.

The hard part of this text is to remember that Jesus was speaking to His disciples. While we now also hear these promises, we are not the original audience. Those disciples were accustomed to Jesus being there with them in the flesh. This text comes in the middle of Jesus warning them that He was going away, and they would not see Him, and their hearts would know sorrow on account of that. These disciples were accustomed to asking things of their Lord Jesus Christ and receiving something in response. They were not accustomed to asking for video games, toys, new cars, or candy bars, but when they asked Jesus a question, He answered. When they wanted to eat, they ate, sometimes that happened in a miraculous way by the Words of Christ and at His command.

Jesus was telling them that when He left them, they were going to have the same relationship with the Father that they had with Jesus. They would not be praying to Jesus, but to God, and He would deal with them just as they might expect Jesus would. He would answer. Whatever it was that they needed, God the Father would provide. Jesus even made the point that He wasn't going to have to intercede with the Father for them, in order to get what they needed, but the Father Himself would listen and answer their prayers because He loved them!

But now Jesus was about to go away from them. They weren't understanding that too well, but Jesus knew that they would need to know what He was telling them, and very soon. So, Jesus tells them to start praying, and He promises them that God will listen and answer, “ask, and you will receive.”

That promise is for you, too. And, you can pray about anything. There are times in our lives when things go so well we forget to pray. Or maybe we remember to pray, but we pray about really "spiritual̓ things because life is going okay. You can pray. You need to pray - and not just pious little phrases, but heartfelt cries to God about life and about sin and about all of the things that matter to you, even if they are going just great for the moment. But let's face it, things almost never go that well, and certainly not for all that long, in this world we have sin and tears. For those times when things aren't going well, God has given you the divine right of prayer.

But most of you may not have thought of it but you’ve been free to pray all of your life, so perhaps you don't understand how big a deal this is. You’ve lived in a country where you’re allowed to pray, allowed to worship. On this day we honor those people who fought for your right to pray. For those who served our country and gave their life so that we could pray. Jesus said, “13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”(John 16:13) The men and women who are honored this day, did not know you as a friend, yet they still gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country and we thank God that He gave us those people. And though too us nothing could seem to be greater than our fellow men and women giving their life, even greater still is that Jesus laid down His life for you, so that you may live.

And so the door for prayer has been opened for you because Jesus died for you, taking your sin from between you and God and opening up the channels of love and blessings and communication. The cross is the sign that God loves you, and the empty tomb of Easter is your assurance that God will hear you and answer every prayer, and bless you. That is what praying in Jesus' name means. It is a result of the Gospel. By raising Jesus from the dead, God declared that what Jesus had done was sufficient, and even more, and now nothing stands between you the believer and God, so you pray.

We have been given the right of prayer because Jesus died for us. God will hear us because our sins no longer stand in the way. God will answer for the sake of the suffering and death of His own Son. That is at least part of what we mean when we say that we pray in the name of Jesus. It isn't just saying the words, "and this I pray in Jesus' name", as though they were some sort of magic words. No, prayer in the name of Jesus is acting on faith, specifically acting on our faith, and the doctrine of our faith — which is to say on the truth of our faith.

But then, Jesus tells us that God doesn't respond just because of what Jesus did, but because of His great love for us. Jesus doesn't have to intercept our prayers and bring them to His Father, acting as the mediator for the petitioner. The Father listens to our prayers, and He answers them because He loves us — and He loves us in particular because we have believed in Jesus.

And for those of us who believe, we have God's promise to hear and answer! We have His invitation to bring all of our troubles to Him. The words of Psalm 50 remind us to, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver you!” And St. Peter reminds us, “Cast all your cares on Him, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7. These words are God's invitation to you, along with the words of Jesus in our text, to come to Him in prayer in times of trouble; to call upon Him for strength and endurance in times of fear; to give your worries to God and let them go; to pray for help when you are feeling helpless, and to ask God to help you unwind and relax in times of stress.

In every need, you have the gift of prayer, and you can be utterly certain that God the Father listens to you with compassion and concern because He loves you! And we know that love is genuine, because of Jesus, because of the cross, where He died for sins we committed, to take the death that we deserve off of our shoulders; and because of the empty tomb which proclaims that God has accepted the sacrifice of His Son in our place.

So, in times of worry, pray. When it doesn't seem that there is any way out of your troubles or even the greatest predicament of the moment, you can pray. When sorrow seems as though it will swallow you alive, you can pray. In every time and in every situation, remember the love of God for you, and the words of Jesus in our Gospel, and, Pray!

Therefore, pray. Pray often. Pray with confidence. Never give up on prayer. Take advantage of the love of God for you - because that is precisely what He wants you to do. And know that God hears your every prayer, and He has answered your prayer in giving His Son Jesus Christ who delivers you to eternal life. Amen.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen.

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
+SDG+

The Fifth Sunday of Easter - Cantate - May 22, 2011

2011-06-01T06:43:00.000-07:00

The Church Season of Easter,
Easter 5, Cantate, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (May 22, 2011)

Readings:
        Psalm 66, v. 1-8
        Isaiah 12:1-6
        James 1:16-21
        John 16:5-15

+INI+

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

The text for today’s message will be from the Gospel lesson as recorded in the 16th chapter of St. John, especially the following verses:

John 16:5-15 (NIV)

[Jesus said] 5 “Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. 7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10 in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. 12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen

Alleluia! Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen.

Today's Gospel comes from the upper room where Jesus and His disciples ate the last Passover. In a few hours they would be in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus would soon be arrested and taken before Annas and then Caiaphas, the high priest. The next morning, Jesus would stand before Pontius Pilate. He would spend much of the next day on a cross and in less than twenty-four hours, Jesus would be dead and buried in a borrowed tomb. Then on the first day of the next week, Jesus would bodily rise from the dead.

We, with our 20 /20 historical perspective, know that all these things will soon happen to Jesus. Jesus … knew that they would happen. The disciples … DID NOT. Jesus had told His disciples that these things would happen, but the disciples weren't ready to understand what Jesus told them. There is a tension and a drama that arises from the fact that Jesus must prepare His disciples for events that they can't understand until after they have happened.

The Gospel of John brings out this drama and tension as John gives an account of Jesus' words in that upper room. John the Evangelist dedicates five whole chapters of his Gospel to those words. Jesus, in His great love for His disciples, is giving them preparation and comfort for the upcoming ordeal. Even though the disciples don't understand - even though the disciples will endure terror and sorrow during these events - even though the events of the next few days will overwhelm them - the words of Jesus will sustain them through this ordeal.

Today's Gospel begins at an unusual place in those dramatic and comforting words. Jesus took a few moments to look out beyond the next few days. He was looking forward to a time when this frightened little band of disciples would be the Apostles of His church. They would be the ones who transmitted His teachings to the next generation with their speech and, out into the ages, with their writings. He also knows that they will not be prepared to do this until after they have witnessed His crucifixion and resurrection. Jesus was looking at the work that the Holy Spirit would do among these disciples.

Jesus said, "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now." It wasn't that Jesus' teaching had been incomplete. He had taught them everything that they needed to know. It was just that they couldn't receive the full benefit of that teaching until after they had witnessed His death and resurrection.

Jesus then told the disciples that by the power of the Holy Spirit they would understand the things that Jesus had taught them. He said, "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth." With these words, Jesus assured His disciples that the Holy Spirit will cause them to remember everything that Jesus had taught them. They would remember and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, they would finally understand. The Holy Spirit would amplify and deepen the things that Jesus had already taught them.

In just a few weeks, we will celebrate that special day of Pentecost, that is the day when the Holy Spirit revealed Himself with miraculous signs. The words of Jesus we hear today point forward to the day when Jesus began to teach through the power of the Holy Spirit.

It is easy to understand why these words were so important to the disciples, but why are these words important to us? How does it help us to know that the Holy Spirit deepened their understanding? How does it help us to know that the faith of these disciples matured under the guidance of the Holy Spirit?

The fact of the matter is that we too must acknowledge the work performed for us in the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Just as the disciples doubted, denied, and abandoned their savior, we too, fail to live up to God's commands as we live out our lives. Just as the disciples repeatedly failed and needed forgiveness, we too, need forgiveness for all our sins. Jesus earned that forgiveness for us with His perfect life and His suffering and death on the cross. We have the assurance of that forgiveness through the resurrection of that same Jesus. We have the comfort of Jesus with us through His ascension. We have all these things, but they do us no good if we do not know about them. That is where today's Gospel gives us such comfort.

Jesus has promised that the Holy Spirit will help the disciples, not only for their benefit, but also for our benefit. We are the recipients of the teachings of those disciples as we read their writings. Jesus' words in today's Gospel tell us that the teachings of those disciples are the very teachings of Jesus Christ Himself. They are the teachings of Christ because Jesus Himself tells them, "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth." This promise of Jesus to the disciples assures us that their teachings are the truth.

That means that, through their words, we can learn about the holy life that Jesus lived for us. We can learn about the torture that Jesus suffered for us. We can learn about His death for us. We can learn about His resurrection for us. We can learn about all that God's love accomplished through Jesus Christ for us. We learn that, although we sin much every day, it is all forgiven for Jesus' sake.

That means that the entire Bible is the Word of Jesus. Since Jesus is both God and man - that means that the Bible is the Word of God. Since God is perfect, His Word is without error. We can trust it.

What is the main message of this Holy Word of God? Peter said it well at a time when many were abandoning Jesus. Jesus said to the Twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?" (John 6:67-69) Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." The Bible is God's love letter to us in which He gives us the words of eternal life. The Bible does not say, "God so loved the world, that he gave us the Ten Commandments." The Bible does not say, "God so loved the world, that he showed us how to live." The Bible does say, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

The words of today's Gospel tell us that these words of love and eternal life through the Holy Spirit's gift of faith in Jesus Christ are absolutely trustworthy and true. We can participate in Jesus Christ and live with Him forever. Amen.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen.

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
+SDG+

The Fourth Sunday of Easter - Jubilate - May 15, 2011

2011-05-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

The Church Season of Easter,
Easter 4, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (May 15, 2011)

Readings:
        Psalm 147:1-11
        Isaiah 40:25-31
        1 Peter 2:11-20
        John 16:16-22

+INI+

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

The text for today’s message will be from the Gospel lesson as recorded in the 10th chapter of St. John, especially the following verses:

John 16:16-22 (NIV)

16 “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.” 17 Some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”

Alleluia, Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Just how long is 'a little while'? Do you ever remember when you were young asking your parents a question of great importance? Like...Mom, Dad, when can we go? In a little while. How long before we get home? Just a little while. When can I eat my candy, when will we stop for ice cream, when will it stop raining, can I ride my bicycle now? The answer always seemed to be, "in a little while." But no matter how many times you asked and no matter how many times your parents answered, “a little while” always seemed to feel like an eternity. But, you know, we are not the only ones who have had trouble with that answer “in a little while.” The disciples did not understand it either. In fact they admitted to each other that they didn’t know what Jesus was talking about.

We all know that that little phrase, "A little while" can be and usually is, a deliberately ambiguous term used to refer to an unknown period of time. It could be minutes, hours, days, months, or even years long. And usually it also means that we’re going to have to suffer a bit before the coming time of great joy.

When Jesus used this phrase, He was indeed speaking about the life of the Christian. He expected, His disciples would understand that He was pointing to His death and resurrection. So the words certainly fit. The joy, the sorrow, the new joy that describes what they went through in that short period. But the message was also about the life of every Christian.

The life of every Christian has assorted sorrows. Sorrow over sin, sorrow over being caught in sin, sorrow over the corruption of the world around us, sorrow due to the persecution, sorrow over loss, pain, conflicts, and just over the flat out evilness in the world. At the same time every one of you also knows that this life is not a life of never ending sorrow. We know there are common joys of life. We have families and friends, good times, and the pleasures of life. But with every pleasure there also comes the potential for a sorrow. There are times we feel only the joys, and we rejoice and thank God easily. Then there are other times when we feel the sorrow and that’s when we want to blame God or wonder why we think He is absent from us.

Some of our sorrows are because of what we have done, and some of them come to us for what we have not done. Perhaps we did something that, upon reflection, we regret. Perhaps we did something enjoyable and realized later that we did something other that we ought to have done - or merely could have done. These are the "guilty" pleasures. Everyone feels them, to some extent.

And sometimes our sorrow leads us to repentance. That is the will of God, that we should know that we should not feel smug in our sin. Reflection upon our lives brings sorrow for what we have done. Such sorrow is the purpose of the preaching of the Law. The Law always accuses, so that we may know our sins, repent, and eagerly look for a Savior who forgives us from our sins. The goal is that we may realize we have the Savior that we need in Jesus Christ, who on the cross, paid for our sins and redeemed us.

There is also sorrow of persecution even though we know there has always persecution, it doesn’t make it any easier. But remember Jesus said, "In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." The people of this world persecuted Jesus, so why should we expect anything less? The only ones excepted from this hatred and persecution are hypocrites - you know, unbelievers who parade about as Christians but who are not. True believers will suffer tribulation and persecution, that is to say, sorrow for being the disciple of Jesus Christ.

And when that persecution comes for you it will manifest itself into your lives in many forms. Some will face social discrimination, some mocking, some will face gossip, and some will face vicious attacks for standing firmly on the Truth. You may face criticism for speaking about morality and for an unwillingness to compromise the Word of God. Some Christians have and will face physical assault, beatings, and even death. Others may face financial ruin, and many face hardship in every phase of their daily lives. Some of these tribulations you have experienced some you have not. But when any of it happens it is painful.

All these are examples are the sorrows of which Jesus spoke about, the ones that we would have for "a little while" in our lives. That "little while" is our life here on earth. While we live in this world of sin and pain and sorrow, we will have sorrows.

But that little child in us still wants to ask the question, how long must we sorrow? I don’t know, “just a little while.” Some people have short lives, some live long lives. But what I do know is what follows our sorrows and that is joy.

For Jesus died and lived that “little while.” In His “little while” in our midst He preached and taught, He healed, He cried, He suffered on the cross died and was buried and rose again on the third day. Our sins have the consequence of punishment and death, but Jesus has paid the price to erase our sorrows. He died our death, the death that the Law of God demands for sin. Now we are given the everlasting life that His holy life earned for us. In Jesus Christ, we are given a life beyond pain and sorrow, without any further sickness or trouble, a life with no end and no death. It is the gift of God in the Gospel, received and possessed by those that know about it, and take God at His Word and trust in Him with all their heart, and all their strength, and all their mind, and all their life. In other words, it is freely given to those who believe.

This life in glory with Christ this is the joy of which Jesus spoke. This is the joy that your present sorrow will be turned into. You will close your eyes in death and open them in the presence of Jesus Christ with great joy! It will be the joy of the transformation from death into life, and from this world into the world of glory with Jesus and life - and even resurrection of our old, tired bones - except in that resurrection they will no longer be old - or tired, but renewed and refreshed and transformed and outfitted for eternal life.

We cannot defeat these sorrows by our own works or efforts, and for that we rejoice for they have already been conquered. The victory is ours, through Jesus Christ. We cannot stop their present destructiveness, although we can refuse to participate in it or help it along. We are called to bear the cross, faithfully and hopefully. We are called to trust in Jesus Christ, that all that He has promised is true, and that He will not allow us to bear more than we are able to endure.

One day, everything will be clear and plain and obvious to us. On that day we will have and will understand the great joy of salvation. Then all of this joy combined with sadness, happiness with challenge, will all make sense and be worth it! That is the day of great joy toward which we look forward.

On that day, we will look back and see that it was just a little sorrow and a lot of joy! In just a little while, we will see Jesus. Jesus promised His disciples that their sorrow would turn to joy. Like them, we too shall taste tears. Because Jesus promises us that our tears in the end will become joy. Jesus said, "Therefore you too now have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you." Therefore, do not sorrow for whatever makes you anxious about any “little while” that you must face. Know that Jesus Christ gave up His life for you that His grace may endure in you for much, much more than a little while, in fact it won’t seem like an eternity, it will be an eternity, for you. Amen.

Alleluia, Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

+SDG+

The Third Sunday of Easter - Misericordis Domini - May 8, 2011

2011-05-11T11:22:00.000-07:00

The Church Season of Easter,
Easter 3, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (May 8, 2011)

Readings:
        Psalm 23
        Ezekiel 34:11-16
        1 Peter 2:21-25
        John 10:11-16

+INI+

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

The text for today’s message will be from the Gospel lesson as recorded in the 10th chapter of St. John, especially the following verses:

John 10:11-16 (ESV)

11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

Alleluia, Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The love of Jesus Christ for us, is not like a good shepherd, He is the good shepherd. Jesus tells us of His love from the very first sentence of the reading, “I am”, with those very words God spoke to Moses from a burning bush, even as His people were still held captive in Egypt. God called Moses from his vocation as a shepherd of sheep, to a shepherd of God’s people. You’ll remember how that worked out for Moses, what could be called a rag-tag band of Israelites were led from captivity in Egypt to the promised land via a very winding path. At times it was not the path they wanted nor they would have predicted. But the shepherd led them according to His way, not their way. God would remind His people of His way through the words of the prophet Isaiah, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.”(Is. 55:8)

But just how far will this shepherd The Shepherd of God go to protect His flock? As it turns out, more than humanly possible. A lot has been said about shepherds, you’ve heard most of it before. The good shepherd, “knows His own, and His own know Him”(v. 14) He knows that left to their own devices, His flock would wander according to their own desires. Oh look over there, something better to eat, oh look over there something better to drink, oh look over there greener pastures, it looks like the shepherd has His head turned now I can cross over to the other field. And all that leading by ones own thoughts invariably leads to, oh wait a minute I’m lost, confused, I’m being attacked, where is that shepherd when you need Him, oh please come get me out of this mess, how in the world did this all happen to me. We are all that lone sheep, we are indeed all the ones who have strayed. We are the ones who have cast ourselves headlong into the challenges that attack and tear our lives apart. And we did inflict this wound upon ourselves in looking for something better, in looking beyond what the Good Shepherd would have for us.

It was indeed Adam and Eve that looked beyond the wisdom of God in the garden. While God had given them all the best more than they could ever imagine, they still somehow imagined that they wanted more, something different from what God had given them. So they wandered away from God’s Word, and willingly trudged along the path of their own desires. A new and better fruit, yes that’s what the serpent offered, so what if I try the fruit? What does anyone care what I do? It’s not hurting anybody so why can’t I make up my own mind? No matter what the thought process was, the result was not good, straying from God’s Word by the first couple has given the world the result of death. And to this day, the straying from God’s Word results in death for every person in the world. For everyone who dies, dies because of sin, whether young or old, whether pious or perverse, whether dainty or diabolical, whether loving or lascivious, there is only one way to receive payment for sin, and that is, “the wages of sin is death.”(Rom. 6:23) So then, who is this they who are the sheep who wander from Gods flock? It is everyone of those who receive their wages, and since all die, it means we all have sinned in what we have done, and by what we have left undone. Each and every one of us is a sheep who has gone astray, who has stretched their neck through the fence for the wild oats on the other side. Each and every one of us is the sheep who has gone astray who has looked to the left and to the right, to sneak through the hole in the fence just to get a taste of something that looks better than what we think is given us.

Don’t see any fence, enclosure, or sheep pen? It is indeed there, and you do know that it is there too. For that boundary was given to you, and actually it is given into your memory whether you would heed it or not. For that boundary is given to you by God and it is the Ten Commandments. God has given you a seamless barrier in the words, “You shall have no other gods”, yet you strain through that fence by making trying to make yourself a god, thinking you are cute, wise, and knowledgeable. And invariably you start out by creating an elusion of a gap in that fence by saying, “did God really say” or “I don’t know what the Bible says, but I think” or “God didn’t really mean that” or “A loving god wouldn’t be so judgmental, therefore I think.” And if all that weren’t bad enough, there are those sheep, who have fake shepherds who would not only cast a blind eye to those kinds of thoughts and words, but they would jump right through that hoop right ahead of their sheep.

And who are these fake shepherds of whom Jesus Christ speaks, these hired hands? Well come on, it must be those Pharisee’s or Sadducee’s that were always attacking Christ, those so called Israel’s leaders who were motivated more by their own self-interest than the care for the sheep. But Jesus said, “He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.” (v. 12) The hired hand does not guard flock, but rather in times of trouble instead flees from them to save himself. These actions too become reality by various means. The hired hand can abandon the flock by not defending God’s Words. The shepherd flees his flock by allowing the ideas and whims of the world to form his ideas. The hired hand shepherd leaves the flock when they allow those to criticize God’s Word by calling it doctrine, by giving in so that we can all just get along. The hired hand does not, “Preach the Word; [and is not] prepared in season and out of season; [to] correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.”(2 Timothy 4:2) The hired hand casts a blind eye to sin, by not calling that which is evil, evil, by not calling that which is sin, sin. By snickering at that off color joke. By the use and misuse of God’s Name in vain. By evil thoughts about those who are deemed not like us or with us. By not preaching the full council of God. By saying homosexuality is okay because it hurts no one. By saying abortion is a woman’s choice, not against God’s choice. By allowing some to say the Bible is not inerrant. By not defending a six day creation. By allowing the idea of evolution to seep into the creation account. By defending the action of the world based in the idea of democracy rather than from the very Word of God. And all these are given away by the hired hand Shepherd, whether by saying nothing, or by nodding in silence, or whether by actively agreeing. The hired hand flees his flock by His activity and inactivity and in the end, everywhere that evil shepherd went the sheep were sure to go.

Repent, for we are those sheep who would go astray and who would rather be led by likes of life’s hired hand shepherds. Our own way always seems to be the best way, our reason seeks to justify the path through the fence of God’s commandments. And once we have rejected the capstone in the fence’s gate left to our own devices, we do not look back. We do not gauge our actions against scripture, we do not seek the Good Shepherd, we seek the wide path, and we seek the easy path. That way no one is offended especially us. But that path leads to destruction, both for the hired hand and those lost sheep.

But do no despair. “There will be one flock, one shepherd.”(v. 16) This flock will know their shepherd by Name and by His voice. And the sheep hear the Good Shepherd, each time the scriptures are read. The sheep know the Good Shepherd because they feast on His true body and His true blood. The sheep know the Shepherd because He is with them in their baptism. The Good Shepherd does not change His banner, nor His mission statement, nor His ideas of right and wrong because a breeze has turned the weather sock. Nor does the Good Shepherd follow the flock by leading them by the latest fad to make Himself more like His fellow men, or just because that is the easiest path with the least resistance.

Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd who feeds His flock not by opinion, but by His forgiveness. Jesus lays down His life so that all who would wound you His sheep, may be healed by the promise of everlasting life. Jesus Christ will never leave you. Jesus Christ will not be shaken, lost, shattered, nor will He allow you to be scattered by the forces of this world. This Good Shepherd did not take the easy path, nor the popular path. The Good Shepherd took the path to the Cross, where He was brutally crucified, He died, and on the third day He rose again, for you so that you would not be led by the ways of the world to everlasting death. Rather Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, lays down His life so that you will not be of this world, but rather have the promise of living eternally with Him in His heavenly kingdom, forever and ever. Amen.

Alleluia, Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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The Second Sunday of Easter - Quasimodo Geniti - May 1, 2011

2011-05-11T11:19:00.000-07:00

Pastor away on vacation. The Rev. Russell Zimmerman proclaimed the Word of God to the Congregation in pastor's absence.

The Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord - April 24, 2011

2011-04-25T11:43:00.000-07:00

The Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord
Easter Morning,
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (April 24, 2011)
One Year Series

Readings:
    Psalm 118, verses 1 to 29
    Job 19:23-27
    1 Corinthians 15:51-57
    Mark 16:1-8

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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 is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 16th chapter of St. Mark, especially the following verses.

Mark 16:1-8 (NIV)

1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” 8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

He is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!

It is the miracle proclaimed to the ages! An angel in a white robe sits atop the tomb and proclaims to the Mary the mother of Christ that “He has risen” and that “He is not here.”(v. 6) And there with Mary the mother of Jesus was Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome. And the first words that they hear as they approached the tomb are words which are often first said by the angels when speaking to humans, “Do not be afraid.” At the news of Christ’s impending birth, Mary ponders the words of an Angel who said, “Do not be afraid”(Luke 1:30) Now she stands pondering the perceived death of her son and again she is told, “Do not be afraid...for He has risen.”

And so today as we rejoice in amazement just as Mary did in the fact that the tomb of Christ was indeed empty. And today we repeat the words of the angel of God, proclaiming “He has risen!” The Prophet Job had said it would be so, “I know my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand on the earth.”(Job 19:23-24) Those ancient words of Job, “I know that my Redeemer lives” we love to sing as we rejoice.

We rejoice for in Christ’s resurrection from the dead, He wins for us our resurrection. We who have been made perishable by the sin of Adam and Eve, and in our own sin, will one day be raised from the dead, “We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed.”

But sadly and all too often, our hearts and minds are stuck in the things of this world, the things of the here and now. We convince ourselves that these things like Christ’s resurrection, like our baptism, like Holy Communion don’t really effect our lives. For we have all experienced too much pain and too much misery in the paths which we have walked and in world we see before us. And so we trudge along seeking for something different, something new and something better. Something which appears to us to have some sort of substance. Something real. We ask questions which demand answers. Like... How can you possibly offer any type of comfort to a mother who has lost a child? He is Risen. How can you comfort a wife or husband who has lost their spouse? He is risen. How can you comfort the seriously sick or those who are faced with dying? He is risen. How can you console the walking wounded, the down-trodden? He is risen.

Listen closely, the answer to all your concerns and cares are in those very words. Alleluia, that Christ IS risen. The resurrection is not a onetime event like when we look somewhere back in time, somewhere in the depths of our minds to fondly recall a special memory of a meal, or toy, or of special place. No these days, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday, especially remind us Christ is much more than all of that. For He IS risen, and He promised to be “with us always, even to the very end of the age.”

Jesus Christ is risen!

“He lives to silence all my fears;
He lives to wipe away my tears;
He lives to calm my troubled heart;
He lives all blessings to impart.”(LSB 461:3)

Though beaten, scourged, bloodied, and crucified on the cross..He is Risen, to impart His blessings to us, not somewhere back in time. He gives us His blessing each and every day. He gives us our daily bread, He forgives us our trespasses, and by His death and resurrection He delivers us from the evil one. He gives us His blessings in the waters of our Holy baptism. Wherever there is the Word of God there Christ is. Whenever Christ is there, there His church is. Christ’s church does not depend on the action or inaction of us humans, it is not people who make or break the church, it is Christ who makes the church, and it is Christ who makes the sinners of this world into the saints of His eternal world.

Whatever you expected to find on this day, know that Christ is risen, Christ IS risen, indeed. You can be as confident of your resurrection as Jesus is risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity. Our preaching is not in vain. Your faith is not in vain. Your sins are forgiven. There is hope in this life, hope in your death, hope for eternal life with God, hope for a new creation. And it all hangs on this little sentence: He is risen!

Jesus Christ comes to you this very day, for He is Risen. He comes to you in your baptism, for He is Risen. He comes to you in the Holy Supper of our Lord, for He is Risen. Alleluiah means to you, “Praise ye the Lord,” and because of Christ’s death and Christs resurrection you are given the promise of spending eternity doing just this, praising the Lord! Thanks be to God!

He is Risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluiah and Amen!
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

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Easter Vigil - April 23, 2011

2011-04-25T11:32:00.000-07:00

The Church Season of Lent,
Easter Vigil – The Service of Light
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (April 23, 2011)

Sermon Form: St. John Chrysostom, Homily 89
“Spiritual Gems from the Gospel of St. Matthew

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

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Matthew 28:1-9 (NIV)

1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.

“The [women] had seen an astonishing thing that was unheard of, an empty tomb, where they had previously seen [Jesus] placed. The reason He also brought them to have sight of Him was that they might become witnesses to both, the tomb and the Resurrection: they did not entertain the idea that someone had taken Him, with so many soldiers on duty – only raising Himself. Hence they both rejoice and are astonished, and they receive the reward of so much attendance on Him, being the firs to see and bring the good news, not only of what was said but also of what was seen. So when they left in fear and trembling, “Lo, Jesus met them and said, Greetings. They clasped His feet,” running to Him with surpassing joy, and receiving by that touch a sign and assurance of the Resurrection. Perhaps one of you would like to be in their place and lay hold of the feet of Jesus? You can even now if you want to, laying hold not only of feet and hands but also of that sacred head by receiving the awesome sacrament of the Eucharist with a clear conscience. Not here only, though: you will also see Him on that day when He comes in that indescribable glory and with the ranks of angels, provided you are ready to be merciful. You will also hear not only that word, “Greetings,” but as well those others, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world.”(Mt. 25:33) Be merciful, then, so as to hear these words.”

You are blessed in your Baptism. Your inheritance of indescribable riches now await you. These riches are not hidden in a tomb, you will not find them there. The tomb is empty. The bounty of Christ seeks you, it can not constrained by the darkness of a grave. Early in the morning He greets you. He draws you not to a cave, but to His table. Christ’s body and His blood greet you with eternal riches here in time. His sacrifice once for all bring you eternally to Himself, there in eternity. Amen.

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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Good Friday - April 22, 2011

2011-04-25T11:28:00.000-07:00

The Church Season of Lent,
Good Friday Tenebrae
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (April 22, 2011)

Readings:
        Psalm 22
        Luke 23:32-34
        Luke 23:39-43
        John 19:25-27
        Matthew 27:45-46
        John 19:28-29
        John 19:30
        Luke 23:44-46

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

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Isaiah 53:1-6

Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

This is the day of Christ’s crucifixion. Crosses and crucifixes make us uncomfortable—and well they should. We do not like to look at them and should we be forced to look at see that big cross before us we squirm more than little bit. It is simply too painful to look upon our Lord’s suffering. It is too painful to know the reason for His suffering is us. Therefore, we shudder as we sing these words:

Mine, mine was the transgression,
But Thine the deadly pain. (LSB 450:3)

For in the darkness of that first Good Friday, the totality of human sin—from the first sin of our first parents to the last sin of the last human being who will ever live—all of it was gathered up, pressed together, and then off-loaded onto this Man Jesus. He bore the whole weight of it and owned it as His own. Thus He also bore its penalty—both temporal and eternal death.

Look upon the cross of Christ. See His wounds, the nails impaling His hands and feet causing them to stick to the beams of death. See the blood running down His face from the thorns. Behold the quivering mass of His mutilated back as He is forced to rub it against the tree, pushing up against the nails in a death and life struggle to take in a breath of sinful air, to stop breathing so that we may breath life. Look, seek, realize: this wounded Man, the God-Man Jesus Christ is dying in agony, and He is not suffering for a single solitary wrong that He has done. Jesus Christ’s whole life was only love for you. He was the only human being who completely loved the Father with all His soul, with all His might, and His neighbor as Himself. Yet it is because Jesus is love that He is now pinned upon that tree. This man, this love incarnate will not leave the sinner in his sin. Love takes that sin upon Himself. Love is wounded to grant us healing. He is offering atonement for all the wrongs that we have done.

Yes, it is still so hard to look a crucifix in the face, for it is hard to accept the truth we sing:

Lo, here I fall, my Savior!
’Tis I deserve Thy place. (LSB 450:3)

Yet we look—we fall on our knees before His bleeding image and we ponder it. It is good that this sad image is imprinted on our hearts and in our minds, so that we may carry it with us wherever we go. So that we may have that image before our closing eyes, in the moment of our death. For when the moment of your death comes to you, Satan will press you hard. In that moment above all, he will seek his last chance to snatch you away from God forever, and he has a powerful weapon to use. The cunning serpent minimizes sin when he would lure you into it with temptations, but then he maximizes your sins in your memory in the last hours of despair. When death is coming for you, satan will happily replay in your mind your many sins. The sins you have forgotten and the sins you have denied committing. Satan will taunt you causing you to doubt that you are a Christian. He will declare you unfit for the kingdom of God. He will tell you that you are his and that you willed to be his with every sin you committed. And all those sins will be playing all the while in vivid detail and color before your eyes as you are struggling for your last breath to avoid your death.

And that is why it is so important to train yourself now in this life to look upon the crucifix. It is why St. Paul said, “we preach Christ and Him crucified.”(1 Cor 1:23) For to gaze upon the cross is to behold your Savior’s wounds, and to hold them close to your heart, counting them as your most precious treasure. In the hour of your death, they will be your only weapon against the despair invoked by the enemy. In the agony of Christ you will be able to look at all of your sins as the accuser brings them before your eyes, and you will be able to acknowledge their hideous nature as an irrefutable testimony to your countless failures. But against them all you will set another image: the image Isaiah holds forth for us today—the image of the Crucified One. And it is this image that will shatter the devil’s attempts to draw you into despair the moment before your death. And so we sing:

Hold Thou thy Cross before my closing eyes
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies
Heav’n morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me. (LSB 78:6)

The image you want before your eyes as they are closing in death is the image of the Son of God in His last agonies, fully owning and answering for your every one of your sins, pouring out His blood to blot out the accusations of the Law that Satan would use against you. For awful as your sins are, each one has been accounted for, covered over in innocent blood, the blood of your Lamb, your Jesus. It was said, “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony”(Revelation 12:11). In that hour, you will say with boldness: “Lord Jesus, you are my righteousness, just as I am your sin. You have taken upon yourself what is mine and have given to me what is ours. You have taken upon yourself what you were not and have given to me what I was not” (AE 48:12).

Thus you indeed will be prepared for death when the image of the Crucified One hangs before your eyes and you know that His life is now your righteousness; His death, your forgiveness; His wounds, your healing; His sufferings, your crown and glory. You have been, you are loved by God. God in the flesh, Jesus Christ, He is your dearest Friend, and He would make you His forever. Look upon His cross boldly, confidently, continually, and you will see, that He is yours, and you are His. Amen.

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

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Maundy Thursday - April 21, 2011

2011-04-25T11:17:00.000-07:00

Holy Week - Maundy Thursday
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (April 21, 2011)
One Year Series

1 Corinthians 11:23-32 (ESV)

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

“On the night when He was betrayed.”(1 Cor 11:23) That night, is this night. The Passover was at hand, 14 were in the room that night, the 12 disciples and Christ. But who was the fourteenth? St. John gives us the answer, “During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,”(John 13:2) Satan lurks about, even in the upper room at the institution of the most Holy meal.

Just a bit of irony there, that in the beginning God gave the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, “every tree and seed in its fruit...to have them for food.”(Gen 1:29) Then Satan came lurking about to offer a seed of doubt regarding the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Now on this night a meal is served again and in the presence of the Son of God, Satan is back, lurking about to tempt and lead Judas to betray his master.

St. Peter, one of the twelve, who sat at that same table listening to the institution of the Lord’s supper, yet he would later write, “8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith,”(1 Peter 5:8) Again ironic, for Peter wrote those words only after he himself had not resisted and he deceived himself and was devoured. For shortly after that last supper on the night that Jesus Christ was betrayed, Peter too would fall to the guile of the devil, a rooster only need wait a short time to crow before Peter would be deny his lord and master.

This night was the night when there would be a new and better paschal meal. For on this night a meal was forever set aside, the remembrance of that meal of the hard, unleavened bread, the bitter herbs, the lamb roasted to dry toughness, and the lamb’s blood painted on the doorposts. That meal was done in remembrance of the night of judgment and death as God sought out the blood for under the blood of the lamb, you we’re always safe. Death passed over. And without the blood of the lamb you were dead. It was neither safe nor salutary to deal with God apart from that blood of the lamb. Satan was escorted from the meal when the blood of the lamb was spilled.

Now, Jesus the Lamb of God reclines at the head of a table with His disciples, His Twelve, His Israel, plus the odd evil one who was again sent out. It is now a new feast, the Lord’s Passover. It is the same meal in which we eat this night. All too soon the blood of the lamb would be spilled and the body of the lamb of God would have mercy on us as He intervened to rescue us from slavery to sin, death and the evil one. And to conquer the unwanted guest of sin and temptation, Jesus was made a curse for us. He died upon His cross, giving His body and shedding His blood for the remission of our sins. This Lamb was without blemish or defect. He had no sins of His own, but borrowed ours so that He could die to bring down the ancient curse of death and to end the Father’s wrath against all sin and every sinner. That body of Christ was the sin-offering for you and for me. And Christ’s blood is the sign and seal of our redemption.

And when we eat the bread and drink the cup of this supper, we do not do this lightly. For here in this supper we are to be in communion with the body and blood of Christ, the Lamb. satan is not welcome here. It is for this reason we hold Holy Communion sacred, as St. Paul warned, “27Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.” (v. 27-30) satan still prowls and lurks about, wooing to decieve those who would not receive the Lord’s Supper rightly.

And rightly understood, Jesus serves you in this Holy meal, not by the way of example but the way of sacrifice. He takes the bread of the Passover meal, that meal of the hard, unleavened bread of affliction that the Israelites ate on the fateful night of freedom. Jesus He gives thanks, and breaks it into pieces, and hands a piece to each of His disciples. The morsel grants them admittance, acceptance. “This is My body, which is given for you” (Luke 22:19). His words tell what we could not know for ourselves neither by the science of our reason nor from any of our senses. This bread is Jesus’ sacrificial body, which He would later that day give unto death on the cross.

Jesus then takes the cup of wine after supper. He lifts it up, He gives thanks, and gives each of His disciples to drink. “This is the new covenant in My blood” (Luke 22:20). The blood of the new covenant is given to drink as wine. Here the wine finds its ultimate purpose, Jesus delivering His blood to the disciples’ lips, and binding all those who drink of His cup in a blood covenant. That covenant includes you as you drink His blood of life for, “The life of the flesh is in the blood” (Leviticus 17:11). Where the blood of the Lamb flows, death passes over. Satan is not invited in, in fact He is cast out. This is the food of immortality in the eating and drinking, of this Holy meal we live forever.

He gives His all to you, to save all of you. Nothing stands outside His forgiveness. Nothing can separate you from this self-giving, self-sacrificing love. No greater love is there than this servant love that lays down His life for another. In His Supper, at His table, He lays before you the gifts of His cross and says, “These are here for you. Do this for My remembrance.”

And from this food and drink you arise refreshed, renewed, restored—in faith toward Him and in fervent love toward one another. Faith trusts in Christ alone; love bends down in service of the neighbor—both friend and stranger. Faith receives Jesus’ service; love seeks to serve Him in the least, the lost, and the lowly of this world. Faith receives the washing of sin; love washes the feet of a fellow sinner. Faith remembers His love; love remembers His service, even to death, for you.

So take heart this night. The death and destruction, gloom and doom of the devil may loom and lurk on every side, but everything that troubles you and all that robs you of your joy is eclipsed tonight in this banquet feast of love. Satan has coerced and cajoled you to be comfortable in your sin, He whispers in your ear that it is much better to be comfortable in your sin than to be invited to the Lord’s Supper. And indeed we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. Of our own merit we could not sit in the presence of our Lord, we could not taste the fruit of the vine, nor the bread of life. And truthfully we sin all the more when we think we live lives good enough to deserve the Lord’s Supper.

Repent, for the invitation to the Lord’s Supper is not based on your merit, rather it is an invitation inked with the blood of Jesus Christ. Eat and drink here not because of you goodness and grace, but humbly receive this life giving meal because God loves even the undeserving, and that would be you and me.

Rejoice that Christ came into this world and gave His life so that you may receive forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life. You are invited in because you have received the free gift of faith. You are invited in as you have been made one of Christ’s own in the waters of Holy Baptism. In the institution of this meal the betrayer was at hand, but was bid by Christ to leave His presence. Tonight you are invited to this meal, in remembrance of that night as Christ invited you to stay with Him. Come eat. Come drink. This invitation is in Christ’s own Words, “given and shed for you.” Whether here in time, or there in eternity, in the end, there will be no satanic party crashers, just the promise of eternal life and a heavenly banquet feast prepared by Jesus Christ just for you. Amen.

Palm Sunday - April 17, 2011

2011-04-21T05:55:00.000-07:00

Holy Week – Palm Sunday Procession - Palmarum
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (April 17, 2011)
One Year Series

Readings:
    John 12:12-19
    Psalm 118:19-29
    Zechariah 9:9-12
    Philippians 2:5-11
    Matthew 26:1 – 27:66

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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 is from the Gospel lesson from St. Matthew the 26th chapter.

‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

It’s Palm Sunday how wonderful to wave those Palms again! How great to see the cross process into the church how wonderful to think of that crowd so happy to see Christ the Messiah come into Jerusalem. “Hosanna”, they shouted meaning, “Save us please!.” Hosanna is an exclamation aimed toward a ruler who has the power to save. And of that day of Christ’s triumphant entry it has been said, “from Galilee and Capernaum Jesus traversed the land up to Jerusalem, and on this day rode into the city on a donkey. Jesus wanted to be in Jerusalem for the Passover, and there take over His kingdom, even as kings and princes make their entries so that the whole country may pay them homage and swear allegiance.”

The thoughts of kingdoms, allegiances, Kings and princes are all but foreign to our ears except from our hazy memories of our history classes reminding us of our British forefathers. But, of course, more recently we have begun to entertain the thought of a royal wedding as we watch the celebration unfold on T.V. But, all the prim and proper eloquence, the bowing and allegiance to a queen or king is no longer part of any special event for us here in America. Yet with the memories of kingdoms slowly fading away like the dew on the morning grass, we still gladly every day still pray, “For Thine is the Kingdom.”

Over and over we say those words, so much so that at times it comes off our lips without even engaging our minds as to what we are saying. “For Thine is the Kingdom.” What exactly are praying for or do we even know what we mean by what we say? But today is different, times have changed, while the word “thine” is mostly only used in the “Lord’s Prayer” we still know internally that means “yours is the kingdom”.

But enough grammar, today is Palm Sunday. This day of celebration does indeed resound with our history, tradition, and our memories from the past. Some of you, many of you, will remember the waving of the Palms from the time when you were little children. And you’ll also remember that after the service those palms made their way home, some to be laid upon a dresser, or laid across a top of a picture, or on the mantle all as a reminder, that Palm Sunday was the day of Christ’s arrival into Jerusalem. And to Christ we say, “Yours is the Kingdom.”

Yes, so many years ago, Christ did lead that procession into Jerusalem to the shouts of “Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest, blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest.” That day it did look, sound, and feel like the Kingdom was Christ’s. The crowd was already assembled for the Passover feast, the palm branches in their hands and shouts of praise on their lips. But, where does this journey go? Where will the Messiah lead us? Is Your kingdom through those gates leading into the streets of Jerusalem?

Looking back, it was foretold by Zechariah of this triumphant parade, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”(Zech. 9:9)

Oh but what a difference there is in that kingdom of Christ from the ones our eyes see today. Rather than pomp and circumstance, banners, and royal chariots surrounded by guards with tall hats, this Christ-King is quite different. For in the Christ-king we see a humble servant, riding on a donkey. We see a “ruler who does not rule a realm where men gather wealth and property, nor conducts wars, nor does this ruler become rich and powerful in this world. and All those things are the marks of worldly kings”(Luther Palm Sunday 1534) But is this the kingdom of Christ?

Well, we know, “Worldly kings are concerned with people managing their house and home, governing lands and subjects, acquiring money and property, becoming rich and powerful, and all of this is for the present time. But, the Christ-king, on the other hand, wants us to know how to inherit the kingdom of heaven, how to be saved and become eternally rich, so that we may finally enter a better life.” This king who comes to us, lowly and riding on a donkey gives us greater riches than can ever be found in the world. Our bodies will be beautifully restored, there will be no sadness, nor weakness, nor sickness, but only everlasting health and happiness.

How wonderful the thought of a king who would rule in justice and righteousness, not serving himself but rather serving His servants. But this is not the kind of king that the people wanted to process through the gates of the old Jerusalem. Those cheers would soon fade, the Hosannas and the palm branches once cheerful, fresh and green would become dry and fade. The Christ-king before them was not like they thought he should be. No, this was not the worldly king that they had created in their minds. No handsome stead, no golden saddle, no flags, no trumpets sounding, nor entourage to make way for the king. And the sad truth of the matter for this crowd is that the flashy king for whom they wait will never come. Some in that crowd died waiting for their political savior, and even sadder still is that some today still wait for that kind of Messiah. At the gates of Jerusalem the words in Proverbs are left forgotten, words which advise, “Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord, but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.” (Pvb. 8:34-36) The Kingdom of the Christ-King does not appear to the eyes of the world as a strategic military maneuver, rather this Kingdom is established in stark contrast of the one who rides into Jerusalem to praise and adulation this one is willing to be crucified. Christ’s Kingdom is His only as the one who dies, who is raised from the dead, and then He ascends to occupy His kingdom.

Repent, for this Christ-king overcame sin, death, and the devil for you. And by His body and His blood, He sweeps us clean of all our filth, so that all who believe in Him are made righteous and blessed. All of us are but lowly dregs and beggars of the world, we are all sinners who defile ourselves and all those around us with our words, our actions, and our deeds whether done or undone. It is for these, it is for us, that God’s Kingdom is established. This Christ who came for you is not like worldly rulers. He did not come to amass treasure and property to flaunt before the world. He did not come to make public appearances, nor to flaunt treasure troves of silver and gold. No, Christ came as our beggar-King, riding on a donkey, just as foretold by the prophets just as promised by God to Adam and Eve. And His Kingdom is won for you at the high cost of God’s only Son, who died for your sin.

And His kingdom, Christ’s Kingdom is not of this world, His treasures and riches won for you are not here on this earth. But what He gives you here does bring you to eternal life. By the power of His Holy Word, by the Sacraments, by faith, His kingdom has come for you, yesterday, today, and forever. And to reach that kingdom one does not look within themselves, rather they look to Christ to see that they are baptized into His Name and through Him they have attained eternal life. In your baptism you may proclaim in the face of all that faces you, “I am a baptized Christian. I am blessed with the riches of eternal life by my King who serves me, even unto His own death.”

We pray those words over and over, “for Thine is the Kingdom,” but unlike the palms of last year or yesteryear this kingdom never fades nor crumbles. Christ told the disciples how to pray, to say, “Our Father who art in heaven. Christ also told us as we meet to receive His blessings to “do this.” Meaning receive the Lords true body and blood each time you gather. You must never grow weary of praying the “Our Father” every day. You must never grow weary of often receiving the forgiveness of sins in Holy Communion. For if we see that prayer, or if we see God’s gift of His body and blood as something to be done as a matter of rote ceremony. Then indeed we have joined the crowd in that Jerusalem of old, who at best just came out for a parade, and at worst came for a ruler who would conquer the troublesome governments of this world. That kind of kingdom would have all the pomp but fails in every circumstance.

Rather rejoice in your prayer, “for Thine is the Kingdom.” For in that Christ-king we may reach forward, palms in hand, and be lifted upward into Christ’s everlasting kingdom. It is for that future for which you were baptized, it is for that future for which you receive His forgiveness, it is for that future for which you receive His Word, it is for that future for which you receive His body and blood. It is for that future that we pray “for Thine is the kingdom” for we pray that we may stand on the streets of the new Jerusalem, with new restored bodies, rejoicing and waving palm branches, and evermore shouting for the true Christ-king, “Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest, blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest.” Amen.

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

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