Sermon June 26-27, 2021

Title: By faith in Christ, you are given life!
Text: Mark 5:21-43

Facebook live: By faith in Christ, you are given life!

41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement.

Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin or your selfishness.

But in that casket--safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable...The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers of love … is Hell.

C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves, Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc., 1960, p.169.

Because of Christ’s love … he died for you, and because he died … he too was raised on the third day, and because he was raised we can have confidence that:

21 And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea.

Jesus did not stay put he went among the people and they followed him.

22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 23 and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death.[my heart is wrung and nearly broken] Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” 24 And he went with him.

One of the rulers of the synagogue comes to Jesus because his daughter is at the point of death. He knows that if he does nothing she will die and be lost to him forever. He has obviously heard about Jesus … the healings that he has done and is convinced that Jesus can heal her and can make her well, so he seeks him out and falls at his feet to implore him to come, so that she may be made well and live.

Jairus has faith in Jesus and trusts Christ Jesus to give her life and Jesus went with him.

Life, death, love and faith all at work and all connected to Jesus.

By faith in Christ, you are given life!

Now we have the story within the story. The woman who was ill.

Any ladies here who can relate to that?

She suffered a discharge of blood for 12 years.
She suffered under many physicians.
She was no better but in fact worse.

I’m sure there are many men who have their own illnesses that can relate to this story as well.

Illness [cancer, bladder, prostate etc.]

She had heard about Jesus. The teaching the feeding of the multitudes and casting out of demons. For you and me illness is a demon of sorts that torments and you live with for days, months, or even years.

She didn’t even feel worthy to approach the teacher publicly but thought if I can sneak through the crowd, no one will know, and I can be healed – just touching the hem of his garment and all my problems will cease!

Immediately! She felt the flow of blood dry up and she was healed!

Jairus by faith publicly sought Jesus’ help for his daughter.

The woman by faith in secret sought Jesus’ help for herself.

The disciples, the crowds, Jairus, the woman - whether a storm on the sea of Galilee from our gospel from last week, or a father who is seeking help for his daughter, or a woman with nowhere else to turn, or you and me in the trials of this life broken in sin and death. Jesus is the one to turn to for hope, healing, peace and comfort.

Jesus said, “Who touched my garments?”

33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

Tell Jesus everything.

By faith in Christ, you and I are given healing, peace and life!

Here comes the bad news:

35 While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”

Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.”

The world says there us no hope.

Jesus says trust in me. Only believe!

[And taking] the child's father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was.41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement.

By faith, Jairus trusted his daughter to Jesus and she was raised from death to life.

By faith the woman trusted that Jesus could cure her.  

And also, by faith parents bring their children to the waters of Holy Baptism so that they too might be brought from death to life. Here they receive God’s mercy as they are buried with Christ and raised to newness of life in Baptism.

The apostle Paul articulates this in his letter to the Ephesians in chapter 2 when he writes:

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

The parents faith in Christ's command and promise. The child is given faith  to believe by the working of the Holy Spirit connected to the water in Holy Baptism.

By faith in Christ, you too are given life!

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

Amen

 

 

Sermon June 19-20, 2021

Title: Christ cares and brings Peace!
Text: Mark 4:35-41

Facebook live: Christ cares and brings Peace!

37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But [Jesus] was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

There is an old saying ... a very old saying from 42 B.C. that says:

“Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm.”

Publius Syrus (42 B.C.)

[Monica and the kids and I boating]

35 On that day, when evening had come, [Jesus] said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him.

A bit of a caravan of boats began crossing the Sea of Galilee, the one with Jesus and a few others. There was no preparation or additional provisions just Jesus as he was and those with him going to the other side as evening was upon them.

The crowd that had heard Jesus speak the parables he shared were left behind and Jesus was tired – probably from the day and all the speaking but also true man born of woman … sharing our humanity. We know this because as the storm arose and the waves were breaking over the boat …

38 [Jesus] was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

The storm was upon them, it was evening, the boat is filling and Christ is sleeping. Were those with him fearful or did they think that Jesus just didn’t care? Or, was it both …

Ill.

I remember when my children were little during thunder storms they wanted to be with Monica and me. If it was night time. They wanted to sleep with us for comfort or to have us with them. Now that they are older when the storms come it our dogs that need comfort. A few weeks ago when the storm came on a Friday night they wouldn’t leave me and Abby climbed into my lap – all 115 pounds of her – shaking like a leaf while Chloe sat by my side getting petted.

Why worry … when you can trust. It is like a rocking chair … it gives you something to do but doesn't get you anywhere.

Source Unknown.

We all fall victim to the thought that Jesus doesn’t care about our troubles. And in the storms of life, we all fear that God is silent, uninterested and unaware.

We worry because we don’t know what God intends and even assume that we are set adrift during the storms of life to fend for ourselves.

At times, as a pastor, I am called upon to bring peace and stillness to a raging heart and a life looking for answers … in the midst of the storm … or called to bring comfort as life’s trials rage and the answer is always Jesus.

Our lives are divided into the temporal and the eternal; the here and now, in contrast to that heavenly home that waits in the future.

For some the eternal comes all too soon, for we who are left behind to grieve. But the eternal is as real as our life now though it is yet to come. We walk by faith and not by sight.

Jesus as both true God and true man, while sleeping in the boat, was in control. In the midst of the storm, he had all things under control and as with you and me … we are held in the palm of his hand, and he promises to never leave us nor forsake us.

Ill.
Some years ago while making a shut-in visit, I visited a member that had a care giver who was a Christian from another denominational background. Every time I visited, the caregiver always seemed to be burdened with the signs of the end times and she worried about when Christ would return. She always had some radio show on or prophet she was listening to, following the signs that pointed to when Jesus would definitely return.

I am so thankful that the Lord by his Holy Spirit always would give me a word of calming comfort to those I visit during the storms of life.

A scripture or word of peace that came from the Lord to calm the heart.

The lady I was visiting had some dementia and though her care giver was a relative she always seemed very concerned about Jesus and his return. My visits brought a word of comfort and the Lord’s Supper to our member, and are wonderful gifts and blessings for those who are shut in, confused, scared or simply need the calming of a troubled heart.

I told the care giver that God’s return is not terrifying to a believer because his word says:

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Heb 13:5

Not in the boat of our lesson or in the room I was visiting.

And, that Jesus says he will go and prepare a place for us, and will come again and will take us to himself, that where he is we may be also. John 14:3

And all the while the lady I’m visiting is saying:

“That’s right pastor, that’s right.” “That’s right pastor, that’s right.”

And I concluded as gently as I could:

Who knows, we may be called to our eternal rest even today … so the trials of life or Christ’s return for the Christian is not something to fear but to be joy in.

Because in the storms of life Christ cares and brings Peace!

39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Not just calm … but the word says a great calm!

40 [Jesus] said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Friends, there is no fear of Jesus or his return for we who know him and have been brought to faith. Christ Jesus has made us his own and has promised to be with us now and forever more. Comfort and peace follow us in the midst of the storm and we know that the peace of God passes all human understanding.

Have no fear.

[The takeaway]

Christ cares and brings Peace!

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit
Amen

 

 

Sermon June 12-13, 2021

Title: God’s mighty fortress replaces the broken tent of this life!
Text: 2 Cor. 5:1-10

Facebook live: God’s mighty fortress replaces the broken tent of this life!

5 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

The great evangelist George Whitefield was relating the difficulties of the gospel ministry to some friends. He said that he was weary of the burdens and was glad that his work would soon be over and that he would depart this earthly scene to be with Christ. The others admitted having similar feelings -- all except one, a Mr. Tennant. Noting this, Whitefield tapped him on the knee and said, "Well, Brother Tennant, you are the oldest among us; do you not rejoice to think that your time is so near at hand when you will be called Home?"

The old man answered bluntly that he had no wish about it. When pressed for something more definite, he added, "I have nothing to do with death. My business is to live as long as I can, and as well as I can, and serve my Savior as faithfully as I can, until He thinks it's time to call me Home." Whitefield accepted that word as a gentle rebuke from the Lord, and it helped him go on with his work calmly and patiently.

Our Daily Bread.

We are to go about our daily tasks in whatever vocation God has placed us as faithful servants of the word and to serve our neighbor which is God’s desire for each one of us. God has done all things for us in restoring our relationship with him but he uses us daily to serve the needs of others.

God’s mighty fortress replaces the broken tent of this life!

5 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Paul speaks here of the human body with the analogy of a tent. For those of you who enjoy camping - and I’m not one who enjoys camping - you may have experienced the fact that tents … don’t last forever.

Back in 1984 when my wife Monica was pregnant with Amy, we went camping with our friends Terry and Julie Stanley. We had camped the summer before and even though Monica was pregnant we went again. As we got to the campsite, we began to set up the tent. About half way through the process the seams started pulling apart and before long the tent literally fell apart at the seams. Those around us were getting a pretty good laugh at our misfortune. As we pulled one side tighter ... the other side would pull apart.

Evidently after camping the previous year, Terry had put away the tent wet instead of setting it up and letting it dry and the thread of the seams had rotted. So, to continue to have our camping trip another new tent had to be purchased. Not a great joy but we did finish our camping trip.
The hearers in Paul’s day would have been familiar with the wearing out of fabric of their own tents and here Paul connects it to the fabric of their own mortality.

2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked.

Our lives are like the vulnerability of being naked and exposed.

This weekend is the anniversary of what would have been my mother’s 91st birthday. June 13th 1930 seems so long ago, though my mom is ever on my mind. Eleanor Tkac passed away in 1988 at the age of 57 suffering the pains of cancer, and was called from this life to the life eternal in heaven way too soon.

At times the blessing of a long life is given and it seems to me these days that many are living into their 90’s, but for some, like my classmate in Jr. High school, Sylvia Kalaras, her life was cut short by a house fire in 1969 at the age of 14.

I still remember the details of her death in the basement of her home ... she couldn't get out. The principal of the High School lived next door to her and Sylvia got as close as a foot away from his hand so he could pull her through the basement window but fear caused her to back away for some reason into the smoke and he never saw her again. 52 years later and I still remember it like it was yesterday.

4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—

We all can attest to the trials of this life and at times being burdened, worn out and spent - not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, by God’s miraculous gift of the Holy Spirit to clothe us with a building not made by human hands so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by the eternal.

Through the Spirit we are pointed to our mighty fortress which is Christ Jesus our Lord!

5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

.There is a guarantee that we will receive the incorruptible when we put off the corruptible as our mortal bodies are clothed with immortality at Christ’s return.

Paul had told the Corinthians this in 1 Cor. 15:52

52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

But Paul adds in his second letter to the Corinthians that they are to be found clothed and not naked. That they are to be clothed in this life with Christ – first at their baptism – as the righteousness of Christ is given and marked as their own, and as they partake of the Lord’s body and blood in the sacrament of the altar, for the forgiveness of their sins and to have their faith strengthened.

But like the old dog sitting on the cocklebur ... at times, we’d rather holler than joy in the gift of God’s forgiveness in Christ. Missing out on the faith building God desires to do for us by his free gift.

But God, by his Spirit, won’t let us grumble long. As his church we are fed and receive the blessing that he intends for us, so that we can have courage and be confident.

7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

It is a comfort to know that when we leave this life and this body of death we are to be with the Lord.

It is the confidence that is proclaimed at funerals and as was proclaimed too many times over the last 6 months

While grace and faith are God’s gifts and while we earn nothing by our belief but simply receive the Lord’s favor; our neighbors, our children, and our friends need us to share God’s gifts with them, in word and deed.
Martin Luther says this in his Large Catechism to parents about the 4th commandment.

Parents should consider that they owe obedience to God, and that, above all, they should earnestly and faithfully discharge the duties of their office, not only to provide for the material support of their children, servants, subjects, etc., but especially to bring them up to the praise and honor of God.

The Book of Concord, LC, Tappert Pg. 388

9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.

By Christ’s work we have peace with God. This is a blessed gift and it is true that to depart and to be with Christ is far better but as Paul also wrote to the church at Philippi:

23I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

God’s mighty fortress replaces the broken tent of this life!

We live in this tent and serve until the Lord calls us home whether at 14, 57 or in our 90’s. It is not our concern to dwell on death for Christ Jesus has overcome death at the cross for you and by faith in him you have an eternity that awaits all who believe.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit
Amen

 

Sermon June 5-6, 2021

Title: Made new and forgiven in Christ, we confess the truth!
Text: Mark 3:20:35

Facebook live: Made new and forgiven in Christ, we confess the truth!

28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Pain ...

Having spent some weeks in the Gospel of John during the Easter season we now return to the Gospel of Mark as our reading directs. Jesus here is being followed by the crowd to his home – which was probably the house of Simon Peter where Jesus had been staying. You may remember that Jesus was going about healing the sick, casting out demons and feeding the multitudes … and they were following him, not so much for the message he proclaimed, but because they were hungry or had other needs. But even here it seems that the family of Jesus too was concerned even saying:

“He is out of his mind.”

Jesus had been pretty ordinary and for his family seemed like a normal person but now as his ministry begins, he is looked upon as a bit crazy or out of his mind by his family. Even we who follow Christ look odd to the world as we profess faith in Jesus and submit to the work of the Holy Spirit in us and walk and live our lives according to God’s teaching.

The scribes go so far as to accuse Jesus of being possessed by the devil, the prince of demons and being Satan himself, saying that his work in casting out demons is a direct result of being demon possessed. They denying Christ’s teaching and reject the revealing of who Jesus is - God in the flesh.
They and we, apart from faith may look at Christ’s claims and think it just too impossible to believe, that God became man and that the infinite can inhabit the finite and by his work we are forgiven and receive a righteous that is not of our own.

Made new and forgiven in Christ, we confess the truth!

Confusion and doubt are part of life. Wrestling with the truth of God’s word is something we all do and is something that has been done for 2000 years. And by the working of God’s Spirit in us we can know the truth. At time we may question God, or forget his commands and fall short. You’ve done it, and I’ve done it, and then by God Spirit we are brought to repentance recognizing our sin … and turning back to him who created us … we ask for forgiveness and are forgiven.

28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter,

This is of great comfort. All sins will be forgiven in Christ. So dear Christian you may rest in the peace and joy of the Lord.

29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness,

Never repents.
Never has faith.
Never is saved.
Never is Christ’s child.

… but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

The Scribes had a wanton disregard for the truth. They knew Christ, and like Nicodemus from our Gospel reading of last week who said, “Rabbi, we [even speaking for others of the Pharisees] know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

The scribes deny this truth and call Christ the devil. For this [continual denying Christ] there is no repentance because it is an ongoing and willful denial of the truth of who Christ is.
This is nothing new. In Jesus day his truth claims were rejected. The truths proclaimed by the early church witnesses were rejected as well and they were even persecuted. Luther worked to reform the church and to restore Christ and the free gifts of grace and faith that he gives by God’s Spirit to a church that was broken and fallen in works righteousness.

Today we still see God’s truth rejected for the truth norms of mans.

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them. Gen 1:26a, 27

What God created male and female Facebook now has 58 uniquely man centered gender choices to define yourself, if you wish to move beyond the biblical definition of male and female.

The focus on gender identity has been in the news and on our minds a lot. It has been embraced by many and called brave by some. I don’t wish to turn a sermon about Christ into a lament of the fallenness of our post-Christian worldview or the merits of being who we feel we should be rather than who God created us to be.

There are obviously many factors at play but ultimately it all becomes contrary to God’s word and once again places Christ and the Christian worldview up against man and a worldview broken and fallen in sin.

As Christians we don’t hold those who are being led astray by some or conflicted by the wages of sin, to a higher standard because we too are in the world and wrestle with the standard God has set and holds each one of us too.

10 as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.” Rom. 3:10-12

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Rom. 5:23

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 6:23

Made new and forgiven in Christ, we confess the truth!

28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter,

Christ brings to his followers the very good news that all sins in Christ are forgiven.

As the epistle reading for today comfort those first hearers, we too receive comfort.

13a Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

Daily as you remember as a child of God that he has called you to faith, given you his Spirit and has washed you in the waters of Holy Baptism being buried with Christ unto death and raised to newness of life. Daily live in the comfort of being a baptized child of God knowing that in Christ you have the forgiveness of sins and God’s favor on account of Christ’s work.
Made new and forgiven in Christ, we confess the truth!

God’s gift of faith and forgiveness in baptism for some, looks to be impossible as they look for the evidence of faith in the lives of the followers of Christ.

1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Heb. 11:1 KJV

Jesus came to save the world!

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit
Amen