Sermon June 24-25, 2023

Title: The love of God overcomes fear!

Text: Matt. 10:5a, 21-33

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32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

The Bohemian reformer John Hus, who lived about 100 years before Martin Luther, was a man who believed the Scriptures to be the infallible and supreme authority in all matters of faith. He died, burned at the stake, for that belief in Constance, Germany, on his forty-second birthday. As he refused a final plea to renounce his faith, Hus's last words were, "What I taught with my lips, I seal with my blood."

Source Unknown.

The prospect of standing for what one believes is getting more and more difficult. Simple truths that have been understood for yours are being challenged. My truth … is the phrase of the day.

1 John 2:16-17 summarizes a bit of the dilemma:

16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

The last few weeks we looked at the calling of St. Matthew and the sending of the 12 Apostles out of their comfort zone.

They were sent to point the world to Christ!

10 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. 2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

This brings us to our Gospel reading today:

5These are the twelve that Jesus sent out, instructing them, …

But the bulk of our text today points to what await those who profess faith in Christ.

21 Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

The work of those who were sent would not be fun or easy. Persecution would be part of the lot of those sent. Not only would the world hate them but so too their family, brother, father children and so on. Christ says,

Have no fear of them … proclaim the truth!

28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Dot not … if you will, reject the working of the Holy Spirit.

It is the only unpardonable sin. To deny the gift of faith and to whom that faith points … to Jesus Christ our Lord, is the sin to which there is no repentance; for to repent one must recognize our sin and the working of the Holy Spirit in us.

The love of God overcomes fear!

The persecution of those who name the name of Christ is growing. It is and has been dangerous to those around the world and if not yet at our shores, it is now on its way to our shores and to our lives as well.

Today, the brokenness is laid bare for all to see and at times embraced, at least by the world and the worldview of many.

No more is Christ the way the truth and the life for those whose peace is found only in:

My way! My truth! And my life!

The persecution of those who proclaim the name of Christ is growing.

It is and has been dangerous to those around the world.

As of last Wednesday, 15 Christians were killed in Nigeria and 2023 looks to have the highest persecution in the last 30 years - according to World Watch. It’s Hard to believe!

Proclaiming Christ in our country too is being met with anger and only time will tell the extent of the persecution we all might feel.

So, what do we who are Christians do in light of this evil in the world?

Well certainly we pray but we also need to be in the world though not of the world.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said in a very poignant way as he was confronted with all that Hitler and the Third Reich were doing leading up to and including World War II.

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

He continues on in his book, The Cost of Discipleship:

“Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: 'Ye were bought at a price’ and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

The love of God overcomes fear!

It is the mission of the church as we learned to “Go and make disciples of all nations.” It is a mission of the Church at large, our own LC-MS and of we here at Peace as well. To make disciples, to proclaim Christ, to baptize and teach; It is a rough road, and a dangerous road. Many die along the way, in doing the work of proclaiming the gospel. But Christ says, Fear not!

29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

We have many sparrows next week coming for VBS. We show them Jesus in our service to them as neighbors and point them to the truth of who Jesus is as our savior and redeemer.

Christ has promised that where he is you too will be also. He has a room prepared and where He is you too will be also. And He gives you and me the work to do with this promise:

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, John 14:12a

I’d like to close with these words of comfort from Luther:

Now, since these promises of God are words of holiness, truth, righteousness, liberty, and peace, and are full of universal goodness, the soul, which cleaves to them with a firm faith, is so united to them, nay, thoroughly absorbed by them, that it not only partakes in, but is penetrated and saturated by, all their virtues.

For if the touch of Christ was healing, how much more, does that most tender spiritual touch, nay, absorption of the word, communicate to the soul all that belongs to the word!

In this way therefore the soul, through faith alone, without works, is from the word of God justified, sanctified, endued with truth, peace, and liberty, and filled full with every good thing, and is truly made the child of God, as it is said,

“To them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1: 12).

And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in and through Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior now and forever.

Amen

Sermon June 17-18, 2023

Title: Our reward is in Christ!
Text: Matt. 9:35-10:8 

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36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

In our gospel today:

35 … Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.

In the proceeding part of chapter 9 Jesus:

Healed a paralytic brought to him lying on a mat.
He called the apostle Matthew, the tax collector, to follow him.
He raised a daughter from death to life.
He healed a woman from bleeding who touched the hem of his garment.
He restored the sight of two blind men who asked him for mercy.

And cast out a demon from a man unable to speak who then spoke.

Our compassionate Lord went to those in need or they came to him.

He brought life where only death reigned.
He healed those who had been unable to be healed.
He restored sight and cast the demons away.

[Jesus] had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

We’ve talked a bit over the last month about the need for pastors and the churches that are without one and going through the process to self-evaluate. They are trying to be honest with themselves as their needs and church has changed.

One of the ladies from St. Mark’s that I visited was a member of Cedar Crest. She said,

“We tried hanging on too long and missed opportunities to join with others.”

Maybe yes, maybe no.

St. Mark’s and others are looking at that crossroad now and many churches, if not now facing that reality, might in the future. After all the church is the gathering of the faithful no matter where that may be.

The Twelve Apostles

10 And [Jesus] called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. 2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus 4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few

Each church in our circuit grows and falls as the Lord dictates. I think pastors are given calls to move the process along. After all we are creatures of habit. We would all stay put and do things just as they are unless moved along by the Lord.

5 These twelve Jesus sent out,

The 12 disciples were probably not looking for a change. They liked Jesus and were content to follow him and stay where they were. But he sends them out, taking them out of their comfort zone and giving them marching orders.

“Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.

Life and needs have changed for some of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Some are without a shepherd.
Some are watching on line.
Some can’t come or drive.
Some are in care facilities.
Some are dealing with cancer.
Some can’t do stairs.
Some are mourning the loss of a spouse.

Some of our Circuit Pastors are visiting other church members to help out.

We all, in compassion for the Lord’s sheep, are trying as best we can to serve God’s people as his under shepherds, where we are. I am thankful for all my brother pastors and their efforts.

No one size fits all here. “The times they are a changing,” as Bob Dylan once sang and we all have to have our eyes open to this reality.

Every year things change.
2023 is no different.

The hope is not to avoid change but to hold dear to the unchangeable Jesus.

Jesus is after all: The way the truth and the life!

Virus, pandemic, protest, Elections, our Synod convention, birth and death. Everything the world deals with the church deals with and the root cause, result and solution are the same.

Sin, death and Jesus

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

Whether like Peace member Jean Pilot, who rests in Jesus having finished the race in this life last month. Or, the myriads of Peace members and loved ones who have once blessed us with their presence in this life and now joy in Christ presence, the sting of death is real.

I went to a funeral today [yesterday] for John Carlton … etc. I went to visit Eleanor Brown … Life and death are a reality.

It hurts, It’s personal, it’s troubling, and it’s no respecter of age, race, gender, status or political affiliation. So, the mandate from Jesus to his disciples should ring in our ears as well.

38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Our prayers are for both the Lord to send laborers knowing that we might be called upon to be one of those to bring Christ to those in need.

While death is the result of sin, Jesus is the solution for sin.

Christ needs to be proclaimed in this life with or without pastors - not to diminish the concerns in this life but to illuminate the greater reality. All roads lead to death in this life, but only one way leads to peace and life eternal and that’s Jesus.

Our sermon hymn Christ Be My Leader from our hymnal LSB #861

It brings all of our concerns and in a wonderful way points to the Blessed Hope that Jesus is. Your hope, trust and security in this life is only for a while.

Let us rest in Jesus as the lyrics make clear.

Christ be my leader by night as by day;
Safe through the darkness, for He is the way.
Gladly I follow, my future His care,
Darkness is daylight when Jesus is there.

Christ be my teacher in age and in youth
Drifting or doubting for he is the truth
Grant me to trust him; though shifting as sand
Doubt cannot daunt me, in Jesus I stand

Christ be my savior in calm as in strife
Death cannot hold me for he is the life
Nor darkness nor doubting nor sin and its stain
Can touch my salvation; with Jesus I reign

God’s peace be yours now and always!

Copyright Timothy Dudley Smith 1964 Renewed 1992 Hope Publishing Co. LSB

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

Amen

Sermon June 10-11, 2023

Title: Your physician, Christ, has healed you!
Text: Matt. 9:9-13

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9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

You are known by the company you keep!

That is an old saying that points out the fact that who you associate with can impact how others think about you.

Matthew, a Tax Collector was working his trade. He was sitting at his tax booth and collecting from his fellow Jews – doing as it were - the dirty deeds of the Romans.

He doesn’t even make mention of his Jewish name, Levi, that we know from Luke’s Gospel.

Jesus passes on and says to him, “Follow me.” And Matthew rises and follows him.

You are known by the company you keep!

The money Matthew collected went to Rome, there was no benefit given to the people for paying the Tax. We might call it extortion in our day,

“Pay it if you know what’s good for you!”

Matthew got to keep a portion for himself and his family. That made him all the more despised among the Jews.

The people couldn’t do anything about it except to shun and ostracize those who were the tools used to oppress them.

Follow me Jesus says? Matthew does.

Some thoughts about Tax Collectors:

The Babylonian Talmud placed tax collectors alongside “murderers and robbers”
Baba Qama 113a; Nedarim 3.4

The rabbis taught that tax collectors were disqualified witnesses in court, societal outcasts, and utter disgraces to their own family.
see Sanhedrin, 25b

The rabbis excommunicated tax collectors from the synagogue.
Nedarim 3.4

Tax collectors weren’t allowed to exchange their money at the Temple treasury.
Baba Qamma 10.1

The rabbis even considered it lawful to lie in almost any conceivable way to avoid paying tax collectors.
Nedarim 27, 28a

https://www.evidenceunseen.com/theology/historical-theology/tax-collectors/

You are known by the company you keep!

10 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples.

Jesus and Matthew are known together.

Being known together is a two-edged sword. On the one hand, those who are well known and well liked can shine that light on others - but also - those of less than stellar reputations can impact others with negative thoughts and associations.

Years ago, when I was associated with my band, long hair and playing in a bar, a friend brought a young priest to see us play. As we talked after a set he said, “I wonder what my church members would think about me being in here listening to a rock band?”

In 1978, do you think it would have been looked upon as good or bad?

How about 2023?
How about your own pastor?
How about you?

You are known by the company you keep!

Later in Matthew’s gospel Jesus would be rejected in Nazareth, his own home town.

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?” Matt 13:55-56

Jesus was known by his home town, his family, and what he was doing in his public ministry.

Matthew is known with those whom he is associated – Tax Collectors and Sinners - those not of the approved class. Jesus now is associated with him and them.

Others were not so pleased.

11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

Asking in a sense,

“Is this Jesus, also a Tax Collector and Sinner as they are? Eating, reclining, and being in fellowship, together with them?”

Guilt by association was known then as it is now, and in the early church much continued to be made of it. Even the church Father Origen, had to refute the writing of the Jewish skeptic Celsus in the 3rd century who wrote:

“Jesus having gathered around him ten or eleven persons of notorious character, the very wickedest of tax-gatherers and sailors, fled in company with them from place to place, and obtained his living in a shameful and importunate manner.”

Whether today, in the third century, or in Jesus’ day, what Jesus did had impact.

Sinners abounded than as they do now. Who you associate with had impact then as it does now.

Being associated with Jesus will do two things:

It will connect you to the love of God found only in the God/man himself, Jesus Christ.

It will put you opposition to those opposed to Christ. Making you, their enemy.

Matthew was an enemy of the Pharisees and Jesus is, by association is as well.

So, listen:

12 But when [Jesus] heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus quotes, Hosea 6:6 desiring mercy to those who were anything but merciful. And Luke expands on the parable of the Lost Sheep:

7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Luke 15:7

For you and me as sinners, this is very good news, great news indeed. That Jesus the Christ came for you, reclines at your table, and is identified with you, a child of God rescued and restored by Jesus through his work, reclining at table with you and bringing the mercy and peace of God to you and to all who are sinners in need of a savior.

Christ has call you to follow him, he has entered into to your life and he reclines at your table by faith, through the work of the Holy Spirit and you Dear friends, are identified with him as his follower and a member of his household of faith to the glory of the Father!

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

Amen

Sermon June 3-4, 2023 - Trinity

Title: Disciples are sent to shine the light of Christ!

Text: Matt. 28:16-20

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16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Today we celebrate the work of our loving God - Father, Son + and Holy Spirit, the diversity of the Godhead and the unity of the Godhead. One God manifest or made known in three persons for the redemption of the world through the working of the Spirit until Christ Jesus returns.

Jesus had named a certain mountain in Galilee to His disciples, where He would meet them after His resurrection, but neither the time of this meeting nor the location of the mountain is known. It had been the Lord’s express command that they assemble there, and after they had received the confirmation of this word by the message of the women on Easter morning, they went to keep the appointment.

When He appeared before them, some of them fell down before Him in glad adoration, but others still were in doubt. They could neither believe the fact of His resurrection nor that it was actually their Lord who here appeared before them.

The speech of Jesus was friendly and intended to take away all apprehension.

His final commission is a wonderful bit of oratory – marching orders if you will. As He stands before them, in His spiritual body, true man as ever during His earthly life, but no longer in humility and weakness: all power in heaven above and on earth beneath is given to Him.

He is the almighty God, with unlimited authority. And since this is true, therefore they, in going forth, in doing the work of their apostolic mission, should make disciples of all nations. The whole earth should be their sphere of activity. And this discipling should be done by two means of grace.

First there is the means of making disciples by baptizing in the name of the Triune God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; into God’s name, as confessing the name which summarizes the entire Christian creed.

The second means of making disciples is that of teaching them to observe closely all things which Jesus has committed to His disciples, to expound or to preach forth to them the counsel of God to their salvation.

Not human notions - but the Word of the Gospel - the inspired Word of God shall be the content of all preaching in the Church of Jesus Christ, no more, no less. And if His commission is carried out in this manner, then His promise also will stand secure, that He will be with us all the days until the end of time.

When this age comes to its close, when He Himself will usher in the new age by the dawn of His Judgment Day, then only will the work of the Church have come to an end.

Kretzmann Popular Commentary of the Bible NT vol. 1 Pg 162

Just a bit of observation that I read which can be also applied to our congregation of Peace and its 60 years of mission and ministry in Waterford.

It is said:

"The longer a church has been in existence, the more its resources go toward its own preservation rather than toward outreach and evangelism. Our tendency is to design ministries that meet our own needs as opposed to the needs of those who have not yet entered the kingdom." - Alan Nelson

If you’ve been here at Peace for some years you know this truth.

It becomes evident real fast that the money needed to maintain this congregation and the basic costs of operation, take a greater portion of what is given than it used to, which leaves the mission and the ministry to those outside our church - who need to still hear the gospel message – unreached.

Sure, we support St. Paul’s in Pontiac for their food pantry, and this is a good and faithful outreach, but what about those in our community, how can we reach them and with what means?

The Great Commission is to

19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

It is through the sending of the Holy Spirit that the Christian church was founded and begun on the day of Pentecost, that we celebrated last Sunday, and it is through His working that it will continue to grow.

Martin Luther had this to say about the working of the Holy Spirit:

Such great things have the Apostles declared to us, through the Holy Spirit, who descended upon them from heaven, as even the angels would gladly look into. When this Spirit opens our eyes and makes us see what the Gospel is, we shall have an appetite for it and a joy in it, although we cannot behold it with bodily eyes, but must believe that we are partakers and fellow-heirs of the righteousness, truth, salvation, and all the blessings which God has to bestow. For since He has given us His only Son, that highest good, He will also, through Him, give us all good things, riches and treasures, whereof the angels in heaven have all their joy, and of which they are most desirous. All of this is offered to us through the Gospel, and if we believe we shall also have a similar desire for them.

Luther’s exposition of 1 Peter 1:12

God has called us as His body of believers here at Peace and through His work to make disciples, to proclaim Christ and his gospel, to baptize and to teach.

Our VBS outreach is one way you can help and get involved in the mission of this church. Tell a family with children you know. Bring a child of a friend yourself. Serve as a teacher or helper. Put up flyers, spread the news and God, through His Spirit, will bring those to faith in His way and in His time.

Some years ago I was serving at a senior residence in Waterford doing a small service and leading the people in a few hymns, readings, prayers and a message of teaching.

One man came up to me after the service and said,

“Pastor Russ, you’re not a typical Lutheran, are you?” To which I replied … “Well, I believe I am, what do you mean”

“Well, he said, Lutheran’s that I know seem more interested in keeping their faith to themselves but you seem pretty bold in proclaiming Christ.”

After a minute of thought I said,

“The Lutherans I know proclaim Christ and Him crucified. That is what I preach and teach at my church and that is the joy that those whom I serve cling to as well.”

It did give me pause though … Do we have a zeal for the lost? Do we take the gospel to those outside our walls or do we go home to our lives content to just resume our day-to-day existence until the next Sunday comes … whether next week, next month or next year?

Jesus Christ is our righteousness. It is He to whom the Spirit points and gathers those who will believe. Even when we think we fall short in our words and actions the Spirit uses the gospel to achieve His goals.

Our God, Father, Son + and Holy Spirit has seen to your redemption. God has called you by the gospel, given you faith to believe and by the Holy Spirit will keep you in the faith to your reward that awaits all who trust in Christ.

The Spirit of truth proceeds from the Father and the Son, for you!

May the Peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be and abide with you all now and forever!

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

Amen