Seventh Sunday after Trinity - July 26, 2009

The Church Season of Pentecost
The Seventh Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (July 26, 2009)

“INTO EDEN”

Readings:
Psalm 33:1-11
Genesis 2:7-17
Romans 6:19-23
Mark 8:1-9

Sermon Form Deductive

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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 Old Testament Lesson from the 2nd chapter of Genesis, especially the following verse:

Genesis 2:7-17 (NIV)

7 the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

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

There are so many interesting revelations revealed in this scripture from Genesis. “The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breathe of life, and the man became a living being.”(v. 7) The text states, “God formed the man,” but the detail of that word “formed” reveals more meanings, it can mean, potter, molded, maker, to form, fashion, and frame, or to be predetermined and preordained. We confess each Sunday that God is indeed the creator of the heavens and the earth. But even more glorious than that, here in Genesis we hear of man being formed, molded, and fashioned by God’s own hand. God took extra care to take that “lump of earth”(Luther) and He transformed that lump into the “forefather of our race.”(Franzmann, Vol 1, p. 31) From dust, a lump of dirt, was Adam made. In Hebrew, ground is called Adamah, so Adam is formed from Adamah. And from dust formed into a man, God breathed, and that dirt became living man, who was the image of God. Then God lovingly placed Adam,

“INTO EDEN”
(I – Man’s journey puts himself outside of Eden)

In fact that reading says it twice, and Luther made a point of it too, that is that Adam was, “created outside of Paradise; for the text states that he was brought or placed into Paradise before the creation of Eve, who Moses here points out, was created in Paradise.”(AELW 1:91) Interesting, isn’t it that Adam was created outside the garden and that by none of his own reason or strength God placed Him into Eden to take care of it. And because God did not want Adam to be alone, from within the garden God created Eve. I suppose that some here would quickly agree that men are from dirt and women are from paradise. But, not so fast, as it was Eve who first ate from the forbidden tree and with whom Adam joined in that forbidden meal. All too soon their journey into sin led them outside of Eden.

Yet the world which Adam and Eve lived was created by God. The first living couple was created in the image of God and that first couple marred themselves by their own sin and by their own actions. And that sin caused their journey from paradise to death, a death which we inherit for from that sin we die too. That is what we believe as Christians. But not all who are around us believe that God is sole source of all that is created nor is He any part of creation at all. We’re under constant attack from the media, scientists, and scholars who cannot get their minds into Eden. To them it is journey of the unwarranted, unproven, and un-measurable, simply put it is a fairy tale. One of the latest atheistic scholars who does not wish to defend his disbelief responds with these words, “Somebody who thinks like the way I do doesn’t think theology is a subject at all. So to me it is like someone saying they don’t believe in fairies and then being asked how they know if they haven’t studied fairyology.” So he says, case closed, no need to talk or think of God’s creation of the world. No need to consider God’s creation of man, and His creation of all things. No that journey into mythical Eden, is like studying a fairytale. Funny isn’t it? For it would seem that the non-history of non-believers has somehow repeated itself. For it was satan who first denied God as he slithered into Eden the home of the perfect first couple. Then satan enticed Eve, with the words, “Did God really say?”(Gen. 3:1) And all too soon that couple’s hands were stained by the forbidden fruit. Their disbelief caused them to doubt, and that doubt was sin, and that sin caused their journey out of Eden.

In Eden, Adam and Eve chose the one thing they were told they could not have. Today the people around us tell us that we are to believe in everything and that the belief of God is one thing that you should never have. We are told that if we have faith, then we are weak, mindless, and needy. We are told if we stay outside of that fabled Eden, we will save ourselves from believing in fairies and fairytales. Rather we should graze mindlessly on all that is in this world and we would all be much happier. The mantra for today is that believing in everything is okay, but believing in Christ is not okay. And quite frankly we as Christians fall for those droning mind numbing messages that are drilled into our heads. God is bad, and good is perceived. Religion is for the sad, and prosperity for those who do not believe. Sadly, in beginning we were faced with the temptation, “Did God really say?”( Gen 3:1) and now in these last days we are told, “there is no god who has a say.” Instead we are told, if you want what is “pleasing to the eye and good for food”(v. 9) then work hard. Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. Place your feet on your neighbors back and push him down. Then when the time is right push off and dive into a paradise better than Eden because it has been formed by your own hands. Join the strong willed, and indifferent who bid you to come into a new paradise. Come journey into the new-world Eden where new man-made theory has pushed out untested belief.

“INTO EDEN”
(II – Christ’s journey puts man into the heavenly Eden)

Repent. For in this world we cannot by our own reason or strength put ourselves back into the paradise of Eden. Scholars will always scoff at the biblical account of the beginning and they will always be too focused on their self-defined present reality to know what their future holds. Not so you. For God has placed a greater Adam into His world corrupted by sin and disbelief. As we are told in scripture, “in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Cor. 1:22) Through the journey of our lives we add our own sins which add to that which we receive from that first Adam. Scripture tells us, “45The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. (1 Cor. 15:45, 47) The first Adam, the man of dust dies, but the greater Adam, who is Jesus Christ, journeys from heaven to earth for us. Christ comes into this world because the paradise of Eden still exists. Christ journeyed to the cross, so that all our sins would be set aside. All the pain, sorrow, grief, and despair that we face in this world is conquered by Jesus on that cross. Jesus drags us out of the dirt of this world and He breathes life into us. Christ’s Word combined with the water in baptism picks you up out of the grasp of sin, death and the devil, and places you in His presence and that is paradise. On the cross Jesus gave His body and shed His blood for you. Even today you when eat and taste His true body and blood, truly this very day you will be with Him in paradise. God lifted a lump of dirt from the ground, He breathed upon it and gave life to the man Adam. God once and for all lifted up His Son Jesus Christ onto the cross, and there Jesus took His last breath, and in so doing Christ gave back to you paradise. Rejoice, for in Christ your sins are forgiven. In Christ you are given the promise that upon your last breath, He will lift you up and place you in Eden which is an eternal paradise, a place in which you will surely never die. Amen.

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Sixth Sunday after Trinity - July 19, 2009

The Church Season of Pentecost
The Sixth Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (July 19, 2009)

“United in Newness”

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

Sermon Form Deductive

+INI+

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

The text for is as recorded in the 6th chapter of St. Paul’s letter to the Romans,

Romans 6:1-6 (NIV)

1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—

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

Everyone who is baptized into Christ, has been and is united with Christ. We are united in His death, and will be united with Him in His resurrection. We hear this word united used a lot in our daily life. Our country belongs to the United Nations. Although it appears difficult at times to determine which countries we are united with or why we would even want to be united with them. We live in the United States where we have some things in common with other states and in some things we have nothing in common at all, yet we are somehow united. Although, if we watch the news we are told that we are really only united with the states that are just like ours. We live in a society which tells us that if people should so desire, and they obtain a blood test, and they pay a fee, they can be united in marriage, but only the money really counts for much of anything. At least that’s what we are lead to believe. Although, not every person, every state, or even every country agrees upon who should be united in marriage. While the people, states, and countries all around us don’t agree what united really means, the inspired words God given to us by Saint Paul in our reading are very clear. “All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death”(v. 3) and because of the glory of God the Father, “Christ was raised from the dead.” (v.4) Although we who are in this world may not be united by many things, those who are baptised are completely united because they have been,

“United with Christ in the Newness of Life”

(I – We are united in our death to sin, vv. 3-4)

At the beginning of this church year we cheerfully united our thoughts and prayers and focused them upon the newness of life of a young Christ child. That child Jesus Christ who was and IS God wrapped in swaddling cloths, found lying in an animal’s feedbox. In the season leading up to Lent we gathered around the manifestation of God who is Jesus and was born into this world. Jesus, grew “in wisdom and stature.”(Luke 2:52) This man Jesus is King David’s Lord and greater Son and sits on David’s throne forever and He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, who holds our humanity perfectly before God the Father. And this was the same Jesus Christ who instructed the apostle’s to “baptize and teach.” (Mt. 28:18-20) Now Saint Paul asks us, “don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?”(v. 3)

How does this happen? “Baptized into death, and buried through baptism.” Last Sunday we baptized a baby, Vallorie Wallace, on Friday we baptized Genevieve Johnson. And yesterday Genevieve was married here to Kurt Kimmerly. And when we gathered around the baptismal font Friday night our ears heard the spoken Word of God and our eyes saw but a splash of water. But, I would venture to guess at the very moment of baptism, that virtually no one is thinking of crosses and crucifixions, death, dying, and burial. But, you know we really should. We should hear those words spoken in the baptismal liturgy. We should also hear all those words of death and dying. Words like “The hard-hearted Pharaoh and all his host died in the Red Sea.” And the words referring to Noah and his family who were saved in the flood, “eight souls in all.”(LSB Holy Baptism, p. 6) We should remind ourselves that if only the eight in Noah’s family were saved from the flood, that everybody else in the entire world died. And maybe we should also remember that because of the disobedience of Adam all who live will die. We are indeed united to Adam’s sin. Because, his sin is our sin and sin causes our death. It sounds a bit confusing, some live, some die, everyone dies, yet all who are baptized live forever. And you know what is even more confusing? All those statements are true at the same time.

Luther said, “this whole life is nothing else than a spiritual baptism which does not cease till death, and he who is baptized is condemned to die.”(LW 35:30) All who are baptized are, “condemned to die.” Because all who are baptized put on the second Adam, Jesus Christ who buries our sin and puts sin to death. It is Christ who, “sanctified and instituted all waters to be a blessed flood and a lavish washing away of sin.”(LSB) In Baptism we are united with Christ, and we are put to death with Him. And just as Jesus could not be held by the grave, we too are raised with Him from the dead. He raises us from the darkness of sin and death, “through the glory of the Father, so that we too may live a new life.”(v. 4)

(II – We are united by being made alive to God through Christ, vv. 5-6)

In Holy Baptism we have died to sin and in baptism we are all united by being made alive to God through Christ. And we ask, “How does all this happen?” We are told that it happened when our old sin infested nature was made alive, when our old self was crucified with Christ. Dead yet alive, it makes no sense. If we had the lack of sense to pinch a corpse, it would not move away, nor would it respond. And so how are we to understand that pinch of water which we receive in baptism? We know that our daily desire to sin does not move away, and neither do we respond. Shouldn’t it be true, if baptism crucifies sin then, that which is crucified should remain dead? The answer is yes. But it was Jesus Christ who was crucified, He was nailed to a cross. And there on the cross Jesus Christ died with all our sin. Jesus Christ was dead and because of Him our sin is also dead. Yet on the third day Jesus Christ’s body rose from the dead, and our, “body of sin was done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.”(v. 6) In baptism, we are united with Christ’s, “death and we are united with His resurrection.”(v. 5) In baptism Jesus Christ washes us with the “water included in God’s command and combined with God’s Word.”(SC)

In the baptism last week the child Vallorie Wallace was united with Christ. In the baptism on Friday Genevieve was united to Christ. In the Wedding yesterday Genevieve and Kurt were united with each other, yet in their baptism they were already united in Christ. And all of you are united with Christ too, when you were baptized in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And there in baptism we are united in the newness of Jesus’ life as He speaks these words to you, “The almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, has given you the new birth of water and of the Spirit and has forgiven you all your sin and He will strengthen you with His grace to life everlasting.”(LSB Agenda, p. 16) And that is indeed a newness of life which will last forever and evermore. 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
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The Rite of Holy Matrimony - The Wedding of Kurt & Genevieve Kimmerly

The Church Season of Pentecost
The Rite of Holy Matrimony
Kurt Calvin Kimmerly – Genevieve Frances Johnson
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (July 18, 2009)

“Two Will Become One”

Readings:
Ruth 1:16-17
Ephesians 5:1-, 2-33

Sermon Form Deductive

+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 Ephesians, especially the following verse:

Ephesians 5:1-2, 22-33

1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

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

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God and His Church to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in Holy marriage.

Kurt, and Genevieve, dear family and friends,

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

This is a wonderful day in which Our Lord Jesus Christ offers His blessings to you both. Up until this day you two were a couple. Now, here in the sight of God, the two of you become one. And the very Word of God, as given to us by St. Paul tells us, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”(v. 31) Then Paul goes on to say, “This is a profound mystery.”(v.32) And that probably would be an understatement for those gathered here today. For today in this very church, we are blessed to have a very high concentration of engineering type people. And so that equation that was set forth for us, the two become one, is indeed a profound mystery. But even as I speak, all those engineering wheels are turning, and all the possible solution sets are being worked out. But quite frankly, none of those mathematical answers will even be close to solving the mystery, nor will they end up be correct.

For we as humans want God to play by our rules, by our own equations, and our theorems, We try to force God into a recognizable package, because we don’t want mysteries. So rejoice, Kurt and Genevieve, for it is no mystery that today, and even since the day you were born, God has had a plan for you both. God’s love has brought the two of you together and today that is abundantly apparent.

Yet because your two lives began so many miles apart, it may not have seemed so very apparent that your paths would cross and intertwine, and that you both would be standing here together as one on this day. While your lives began and unfolded miles apart and you eventually you met in college and became a couple. Time has passed and eventually you have grown together facing various challenges of varying degrees, like the how and where of jobs and homes. In fact today you still face together the solving of an incredibly difficult challenge, and that would be the equation, N + 1 cars is always better. I ask your forgiveness, I can’t help you with that one, so I’ll pray that someday that you will be able to come to a good solution for that one. But even greater challenges and equations have already been solved for you by God. For the two of you this day will become one, and even greater still you are given the promise by God that this equation will last for an eternity. For in the waters of your Baptisms, you were made as one in Jesus Christ. In Baptism you were both claimed by God and made part of His Holy family. There, in the waters of your Baptism God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, gave you both the promise to be together with Him for all eternity.

Yet God is before and beyond all eternity and that indeed is a mystery to us. It can also be a mystery that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to undo all the sin of this world. For Jesus came into this world as an infant, just as both of you did, and it was here that He grew and became a man. And just like you both, Jesus Christ was baptized. And because of Jesus Christ’s life included His journey to the cross...sin, death, and the devil have been conquered. And we know that it is true for scripture tells us so. So it may be a mystery to us why Jesus would come here for us. But God gives us the answer to that question too, by saying, “8 God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”(Rom. 5:8)

God loves you both so much that He gave His Son Jesus Christ to die for you. He gives you that gift freely to you both, just as He would give that to all who live and breath in this world. One man, Jesus Christ died for many, so that they may never die, but rather see eternal life. Many equations may come before you this world. Some may be solved, and others, like your N + 1 number of cars, may never be solved. Challenges may face your marriage, there will be good days and bad, there will be sickness and health. But also know that from time eternal God has brought you to this place. God brought you both together and the two of you have become one. So in reality the greatest of all equations, the greatest of all mysteries is solved. For God brought Jesus Christ into this world for you, so that together in Him you may have eternal life. Amen.

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Fifth Sunday after Trinity - July 12, 2009

The Church Season of Pentecost
The Fifth Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
The Baptism of Vallorie Marie Wallace
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (July 12, 2009)

“A Great Miracle”

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

Sermon Form Deductive

+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

At Vacation Bible school a few weeks ago the children sang “I will make you fishers of men, fishers of men, fishers of men, I will make you fishers of men if you follow me.” It’s very difficult to even say those words, so much easier to sing them. That song, “Fishers of men” is a very simple song that children can learn immediately and will long remember. The idea and focus of that little song is simple enough like the scripture we are given for this days Gospel lesson. Jesus says to the fisherman, “From now on you will catch men.”(v. 10) But do not be fooled, while this encounter with Christ does include a lake, some deep water, boats, fish, and nets, this is not an epical long-winded fish story about one that got away. Neither is this scripture a transcription of those who were lured into a trap by deception. None of these fishers of men swallowed any hooks by their own efforts. In fact, when Jesus Christ spoke, the future disciple Peter responded with a failed story of men who threw their nets an entire night and all their efforts had gained nothing. But that was then. Soon the nets would be full, for it would be Jesus who would teach about their failures of the past, and about all that would be. But first the class was shown,

“A Great Miracle”

By hearing the Word from his master, Peter again let down his nets and soon they were filled to capacity, even to overflowing. So full were these nets that they were straining and breaking from the weight of all the fish. At Christ’s direction, Peter and the other disciples had moved out into deeper water and they had a miracle catch of food that would nourish their bodies for just a day. Unknowingly Peter, and the other disciples there that day, had become the subject of an object lesson. What does that mean? An object lesson is a lesson in which a teacher uses a physical object familiar to all the students to help them understand the deeper meaning of more important lesson. So on the shores of the Lake of Gennesaret, which is to us known as the Sea of Galilee, became the perfect setting for a deeper lesson set in a miracle.

Christ ordered the disciples out into deep water for that lesson. And when the great catch occurred Peter was astonished. Yet Peter did not revel in the magnitude of that catch. Nor did he gather the fishing team together to do a victory dance, or try to multiply this one day success into a sales pitch for their fishing group. There is no puffing out of the chest as a result of worldly accomplishments and victories. Rather, Peter does what we do to this very day, he falls on his knees in reverence to that miracle which has been performed before him. And upon his knees he makes a confession, saying “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”(v. 8)

Peter had seen the great catch and he made an instantaneous response. A deep response with clear and reverential body language, and with clear language in the words he spoke. He kneeled before Jesus and admitted that he was a poor miserable sinner. It is acknowledgment of sin in words similar to those which we still confess to this very day. Words like that of the Psalm written by King David, “Where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Ps. 121:1-2)

And Jesus replies to Peter as He replies to us this very day, “Do not be afraid,”(v. 10) meaning “Quit being afraid.”(v. 10) Yet these words of Christ have a meaning beyond this moment in time. For just as Luther said, “Our work produces and bestows nothing. Yet it is necessary as a means through which we may receive what God gives. The disciples must use their hands to let down the nets and to draw them in, if they wish to secure anything and must be willing to do so. Yet they are obliged to acknowledge that their labor did not bring about the result, otherwise they would have succeeded in the first place, without Christ. He therefore permits them to make a sufficient trial, and to discover by experience that the toil of this entire night has been in vain and to no purpose. ”( Luther’s Church Postils 2:2:151)

To this very day, with sweat on our brows, we trick ourselves into believing that our thoughts, plans, and profiles are the best way to increase our catch here in this place. Yet to some it would seem that we have toiled in vain throughout many a dark night and that our nets are still coming up empty. Even so, there are still miracles occurring every day. In fact you will all witness more than one miracle this very day. And one of these miracles includes water, though it is not the deep water of Jesus’ miracle. No this is water that is very shallow, but it is not a shallow miracle. The miracle you will see today will be the baptism of Vallorie Marie Wallace. And in that baptism a bit of water will be combined with God’s Word which will provide the promise of an everlasting life. Not a miracle performed by the hands, but a miracle performed by Christ’s command to baptize. Yet we would still like to somehow take credit for that miracle, didn’t we do just a little?

No, we didn’t in fact it was all the work of the Holy Spirit. Those shallow thoughts of self salvation give way to the deeper lesson that applied to Simon Peter and the disciples and still applies to us this very day. For though we would like to think it so, “success does not come through our own effort, skill, or diligence “(ibid, Luther) People are not hooked by various forms of bait, and baptisms are not a result of our efforts. It is by the Word of God alone. People, no matter what age, are drawn to Christ by the work of Holy Spirit, in the proclamation of God’s Holy Word. Scripture even tells us so for, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”(Rom. 10:17)

In fact if you think of that little song, “I will make you fisher’s of men.” It is better to think of that song in terms bringing in those fish with nets rather than by pole and hook. For the Fisher’s of men like the apostle’s, like you and like me, tell the good news about Jesus. And people are brought to faith, not caught by faith. They are brought to the knowledge of their Savior Jesus Christ.

So are we called to tell the good news of Jesus? Yes of course we are, just like the disciples were, called by Jesus. But God brings people to faith in the hearing of His Word and confirms that faith in the water of baptism. God keeps and refreshes that faith by giving us the work of His Son Jesus Christ, who went to and died on the cross for you. And He gives you that victory in His body and blood, in the sacrament of Holy Communion, just as He will later today.

So this day you will hear, see, and receive many miracles. You will heard the miracle of God’s word, you will see the miracle of a child being welcomed into God’s forever family, and you will receive the true body and blood of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. The hearing of the Word, the baptism, and the receiving of Holy Communion all Wonderful miracles. God is here in this place, in your presence drawing you to the deeper meaning of His love for you. Do not be afraid of God’s miracles. His miracles are gifts for you, they’re free, no special skills, equipment, or effort is necessary. It’s all done and paid for by Jesus Christ who died for you on the cross. In fact, Jesus not only gives you a miracle for every day, He gives you an everlasting miracle, which is the promise of eternal life from this time forth and forevermore. Amen.

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Fourth Sunday after Trinity - July 5, 2009

The Church Season of Pentecost
The Fourth Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (July 5, 2009)

“A Good Measure”

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

Sermon Form Deductive

+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

Be merciful, do not judge, do not condemn, forgive others and give generously to them. A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher. Measure enough good out and it will be measure back. Isn’t scripture great? A to do list. A wonderful list of things to do and all will be okay. So if indeed that is a list, we quickly want to check off each item. How soon can we get our good measure? A quick check in the mirror will show that there is neither plank nor speck in our eyes, so let’s move on to bigger and better things. Why not let the world share in our reflection upon what Christ has said. In fact, dish it out in good measure. Be merciful. Point out all your neighbors faults, foils, and indiscretions. Come, take it upon yourself to lead those around you safely away from that which they are, or that which they will become. Lead everyone before your eyes to the to higher ground upon which you now stand. That is our desire, it is our nature. For by nature we want to check it off and dish it out. We have learned from what we have seen, and from what we have heard. And since no speck blocks our vision of right and wrong, we have obviously been given marching orders to give out all that we have taken in. Now, we are free to offer and share our own life’s worth of rebuke, correction, and time earned experience. Of course it is to help those who are not like us. And we tell ourselves that our motives are pure. We’re only doing this only because it is good for everyone else to see and to know what we have learned. And you know, if they would only listen, soon they would measure up and be just like us. We say, follow me, I am the leader, I know, listen to me and I will show you the right way. Unfortunately, that saying soon becomes, follow me, I am the leader, um, which way did they go?

Blinded by the cares of the world, it seems that people do not want to hear about Christ. So we shake down our heads, and we become angry. It’s so simple, why won’t they listen? We followed that list Christ’s made exactly, to a T. We say we did everything God has told us to do. Yet, we are still baffled that it seems we have gained nothing by living our exemplary Christian lives or by telling others about Christ. And quite frankly, truth be told, there’s not much response for us, for proclaiming kindness and mercy. We’ve done all that giving and the forgiving, people don’t listen to us and by the way what’s in it for us anyway. What was it again that we we’re supposed to receive? It seems that the world has pressed us down and shaken us to the bone, taken away our health and happiness, and dumped in our laps lives overflowing with immeasurable worries and insecurity. Maybe that wonderful “to do” list isn’t living up to it’s promise. And at the end of the day how is our anger and frustration measured out anyhow?

Recall that in the Old Testament Jonah was called upon by God to go to Nineveh and preach before the wickedness of that city. But Jonah turned from that order by God, and went instead to Tarshish. And you all know how that turned out, he was swallowed by a great fish. And from inside of that fish Jonah prayed the psalms, which he knew by heart. Jonah was spat out onto the beach and that is probably all that we remember about Jonah. But that is not all there is to know for he was again called upon by God to go and preach to the wicked in Nineveh. And by God Jonah proclaimed their death and destruction. Surprisingly they turned from they ways and were not destroyed. And Jonah? Well, at the end of the day, he was still angry because God didn’t smote those Ninevites like Jonah wanted. They didn’t get their full measure of Jonah’s wrath and so he was mad at God for having mercy. Jonah was so mad that the very last words we hear from him, were, “I am angry enough to die.”(Jonah 4:9) Neither the Ninevites nor God had not measured up to Jonah’s expectations.

Repent, for with planks lodged in our eyes we will always fail to see that we cannot by our own reason or strength measure up to God’s expectations. Neither will we see that the people around us will live up to our expectations. And God, well He will never live up to our expectations either, for in fact He does just the opposite He dies to exceed to exceed our expectations beyond measure to overflowing . Jesus said, “I've not come to condemn the world but in order to save the world. The person who rejects Me and does not receive My utterances has that which judges him; the Word which I have spoken that will judge him on the last day." (John 12:47-48) On the last day God’s love for you in Christ Jesus is not blind. For Christ leads us from the pit of death to eternal salvation.

Jesus speaks to you saying, "Deal generously with people and God will reward you." Go ahead and go out and lead the blind, and give to the poor, and don't be judgmental but speak words of grace to those who need it. Christian living flows from God’s grace, but this is not the way of salvation. These generous deeds don't save us,

Jesus Christ did save us by allowing Himself to be emptied upon the cross so that we may be forgiven our sins and filled to overflowing by His grace. God through His Son Jesus Christ freely gives you salvation in more than a full measure, and no list need be completed. God’s full measure of grace is given to you as a promise in water combined with the Word in Holy Baptism. In the Sacrament of Holy Communion, Jesus Christ offers you His true body, which is grace beyond measure. He pours out His blood so that your cup runs over.

In Christ, sawdust and planks are removed, your sins are forgiven and you see Him clearly. You are judged by a merciful God, who is not blinded by your sins, but rather looks to Christ to see that you are not to be condemned. And because of what Christ has suffered for you, you will not be given death but rather eternal life, just for His good measure. Amen.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
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Third Sunday after Trinity - June 28, 2009

The Church Season of Pentecost
The Third Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (June 28, 2009)

“The Love of the Father”

Readings:
Psalm 103 verses 1 - 13
Micah 7:18-20
1 Peter 5:6-11
Luke 15:11-32

Sermon Form Deductive

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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 15th chapter of St. Luke, especially the following verse:

Luke 15:31-32 (NIV)
“ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”

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

There is a saying that goes something like this, “Their belly is full, but they’re still hungry.” This saying means that there are different kinds of hunger. Meaning, you can be full of food, yet still be hungry for the greater things in life. Maybe that’s more easy for us to understand, for in fact we are hungry for the people, places, and things of this world that would make our lives much, much better than they are now. In the Parable of the Lost Son we not only hear of that hunger for things, but we also hear of a man who was driven so low that he would hunger for the food of pigs. Quite an adventure for this young man, from the love of his father, to the love of his father’s money. From the short lived happiness of from found wealth and wild living, to be faced with famine in all aspects of his most basic human needs. None of what happened for that young man was the way he thought it would play out. In fact, he might even think that he didn’t get what he deserved with every move he made and if he thought that he would be right. And actually, if you really think about it, both sons in this parable are two faced. So why isn’t the title of this parable more appropriately “The four faces of the two sons?” Yes the parable is about those sons, but it is even more about,

“THE LOVE OF THE FATHER”

This parable is compelling. When we hear it we are often asked which brother in this parable would we be? Would you be the brother who took the money and squandered it? Or would you be the brother who stayed home? Careful how you answer for the older brother who was quick to throw stones in his inherited glass house. We do know that certainly not many of us would be like that father. Giving away his estate knowing that it was going to be frittered away on wine, women, and song. And then the sheer audacity of that father to welcome home the wayward son. Most parents would be inclined to point to the door and say get back out there your on your own now.

But the parable begins with the younger brother who knew of his fathers love, yet longed for a life that his father couldn’t give him. He didn’t want what he had. He wanted everything that was outside of what his family had. In fact this younger son longed for a life of sin and he has enough audacity to ask for his father for his share of the inheritance. But even stranger still, the father gave it to him. And to further compound the situation scripture tells us that the father divided the estate equally between the two sons. So really, the older brother had his inheritance too. Both sons received their inheritance long before their father’s death. Meaning they not only received early, but they also received it long before there was any obligation for that transfer of wealth.

So maybe a better question might be, “Why didn’t older brother speak up sooner?” Why didn’t he honor his father and wait for the inheritance to come with the passing of time? Why didn’t he acknowledge that his father would love him so much that he would give everything away for his sons? So, actually it is the older brother who puts on his second face before the younger. For the older brother says nothing, he just takes his portion, and does so without comment. So, in reality the older brother’s sin is by default, by silence and it is greater than it appears. For as the older brother he would have received a double portion from the father. The fact that the elder son agreed indicates that he too alienated himself from his father. He may not have said it as bluntly as his little brother, but his agreement shows that he was thinking along the same lines.

No matter how obtuse this parable may sound it is indeed an accurate picture of a father dealing with his children out of his for them. For this is how God the Father deals with His children. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, (Mt. 5:45) "He makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." Martin Luther built on that thought in the explanation to the fourth petition of the Lord's Prayer, "God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil people …" In His grace, God provides the inheritance of creation, our needs of body and soul, to all people. Even the most wicked person on this earth still has their food, clothing, shelter, and is offered the knowledge of the truth. The world sees this as insanity. Our sinful nature wants our daily bread now. We want that thing that would make us happier, make us equal to the person next door, that would give us everything that is out there, at the expense of everything God has promised us.

And so in the parable the next humiliation is the father's action to take the younger son back into the family. A man of wealth and prestige never runs anywhere, but this father did. He ran to meet his wayward son as he came home. This was an act of humiliation by the father. This father runs to his son, falling on his neck with kisses, replacing his rags with royal robes, placing the ring of authority on his hand, and inviting the community to a welcome home party.

Furthermore, the father saw the son returning from a distance. This father was always actively looking for his son. The father was able to run to his son and overwhelm him with grace before the son could get one word of repentance out of his mouth. Jesus' description of the father's actions is a portrait of complete and total grace, of unconditional love. The father's actions would overwhelm the son in the parable, but would also totally surprise those who were listening to the parable.

The prophet Isaiah wrote, "We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away."(Is 64:6) Never the less, like the father of the parable, God humiliates Himself to bring us back into His family. He washes us in baptism and covers us with the righteousness that Jesus Christ earned with His death on the cross. He humbles Himself in order to announce that we are His beloved children. He invites us to celebrate with Him the holy meal of the Lord's Table that strengthens our starving faith. We become heirs once again to a new covenant of grace that supersedes the covenant of the law.

The final humiliation of the father happens in His gracious reaction to the elder son's anger. The father actually pleads with the older son to attend the party. The elder son actually responds by loudly accusing the father of treating him unfairly. He insults his father by arguing with him in public and by not addressing him as father. The elder son even refuses to acknowledge his brother instead calling him, "Your Son." Furthermore, he refused to celebrate with his father and brother.

In the face of this furious attack the father graciously and affectionately replied with a repetition of the invitation. But the older son is still indignant that his father would invite an admitted adulterer and philanderer back home. Yet the father loved both sons. And he welcomed both of sons to the feast. The father is the absolute picture of unbelievable love and grace.

Jesus never tells us what happened to the older son. But the Pharisees and the scribes who were listening to Jesus would recognize themselves in the story. Just as we too recognize ourselves in the story. When Jesus told the parable the end of the story had not yet happened. But the end of the story did come. God was willing to humiliate Himself in love for them. God still invites them to the feast. Did they rejoice over the dead who are alive again - the lost who are found? Did they see that the celebration was also for them? Did they see the Father’s love for them?

Repent, for we have all strayed. We have taken the things of this world and left our thoughts of the father behind. Yet in the face of all that we have done, we still have a loving God who willingly suffered humiliation for us. When we would want to squander the Father’s love, He gives us more. In fact He gives us it all, He gives us His Son. And His love draws us to Himself. He comes to us, He opens His arms, and the Father welcomes us home forever and ever. Amen.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
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Second Sunday after Trinity - 06-21-09

The Church Season of Pentecost
The Second Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (June 21, 2009)

“The Feast in the Kingdom of God”

Readings:
Psalm 34 verses 12 - 22
Proverbs 9:1-10
Ephesians 2:13-22
Luke 14:15-24

Sermon Form Deductive
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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 14th 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

The Gospel lesson in Luke today is one for which there are many repetitions and variations throughout scripture. Jesus was teaching of salvation, and His explaining so more views, more lessons, and more repetition all help to give the hearers the best opportunity to hear and understand. In this lesson Christ is speaking to one person, yet all who “overhear” Christ’s reply will hear the lesson too. That is the way Jesus intended it to be, today you will overhear the same lesson too. And the setting for this lesson is the house of Pharisee. You’ll probably remember this Pharisee who was questioning Jesus with regard to the what could and couldn’t be done on the Sabbath. It was a back and forth discussion about “places of honor”(Luke 14:8) around a table, and inviting those people to the party who “can’t pay you back”(Luke 14:14) And so hearing all this discussion a man steps up to Jesus and says, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the....

“Feast in the Kingdom”

Now the man making this statement was probably thinking that it would be big honor to be invited to this great feast. After all, think about who would be there, probably everyone important. Evidently Jesus' host customarily invited only his relatives, neighbors and wealthy friends to dinner. They were the people who would return the invitation with another invitation. But, true children of God do more than that. Jesus told His host that he should also invite the poor, the maimed and the blind. These are people who would not be able to repay their host. Remember Jesus said, "You will be blessed because they cannot repay you. And what's more you will be repaid when the just rise from the dead."(v. 14) God rewards the deeds of His children.

This week we had invited guests in our church. These were guests who did not pay the church, neither is it expected that they ever will. Yet for all those who participated and helped in our Vacation Bible School. They know that we hosted many who had not heard the Word of God. Yes we did in fact have feasts of food, but more than that we learned about Jesus. We said prayers before our meals, prayers in church, and we talked about Jesus, Christ, God’s Son, Savior. And quite frankly for quite a few of these children, this week they were taught how to pray. Fold your hands, bow your heads, close your eyes... And by the end of the week they knew their memory verses, they went home with a big bag of crafts and goodies. But more than all that, we heard from parents and grandparents that these children went home with a song in their hearts. And for a few they couldn’t get them to stop singing those songs. And most importantly of all these children heard about Jesus Christ. They learned about baptism, they learned about their savior who cared for them very much.

And so it may be asked, what’s in it for us? Well some of the children were back from last year, some we may see now and again, some may never come back. But that is not the point. More than hotdogs and pizza’s were served at this simple and lowly banquet feast, in fact the main course was learning about Jesus Christ. These children are not high rollers, we didn’t make networking connections that will help us to gain something we need. Just the opposite. We invited children to hear of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit was at work here, causing these children to hear about Jesus. And their parents heard about Jesus too. The Word has been planted in their ears, and it is always up to the Holy Spirit to work faith in those who hear God’s Word. From a financial point of view, from a time invested point of view, the investment may not seem worth the effort. But remember, inviting these children is important. Even in the parable of the sower God chose to plant seeds in soil that may not have had a good return. That is not our choice, to decide who we should share the Gospel of Christ, rather it is a reflection of our faith that we should share the Word of God with whomever we meet, at every opportunity we are offered. We are not given to pick and choose which banquet we are going to attend based upon who is going to be there. Regardless of their station in life or their age. we are called to proclaim the Gospel. And for all who helped, whether hear physically, whether time donated, ore even if these children were included in prayers all those deeds do not save them, but indeed God does reward them.

Jesus once said, “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” (Luke 6:38)

The point of this is, that the master in Jesus’ parable invited only influential people he knew, yet all his invitations met with excuses. One said he bought a field and had to go look at it. He bought a field without looking at it? Another bought five yoke of oxen and had to try them out. He bought all that livestock without looking at them? Another said he just gotten married and couldn’t come to the dinner. A newlywed couple turning down a free meal? And what of all these people and all their excuses? Well in fact as it turns out, they were lame ones.

But the parable was not really about a dinner, it was about a heavenly banquet feast. God sends out His messengers, that would be you and me, again and again into all places seeking all kinds of people, no matter how poor or how useless they may appear, whether they are young or old, whether they are healthy or lame.

And Jesus also warns us in this text to repent. We are told that God is very angry with people who give Him empty excuses like the sinful men of this world who very foolishly often reject God's invitations to the dinner feast of the Gospel. But even then God urgently keeps on inviting them. If these people continue to reject God’s Word they will not taste the dinner either in this life nor in the life to come.

In the hearing of God’s Word people are brought to faith. In the gift of faith and by God grace He shows His desire to have His house full. In sending His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins on the cross he pens our heavenly banquet invitation with Christ’s own body and blood. In the water combined with His Word in our baptism with are assured that we will have a seat at that feast. In Holy communion we eat Christ’s body and drink His blood which is the Holy Supper of our Lord, and indeed is a foretaste of the feast to come. By human hands, we prepared a small banquet feast for a dozen young children in the here and now. Yes they went home with a song in their hears. But even greater still they went home with the knowledge of Jesus, Christ, God’s, Son, Savior. And with that knowledge the Holy Spirit guides them to a greater heavenly banquet feast. Imagine the Heavenly feast which Christ has prepared for them and for you. For all are blessed beyond measure and Jesus says to all, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” Amen.

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