Sermon Sept. 23-24, 2023

Title: Bound in sin, joy in Christ!
Text: Phil. 1:12-14, 19-30

Facebook live: Bound in sin, joy in Christ!

27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, … standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,

In the midst of trial, look outward and proclaim Christ.

Trials are never easy. We’ve all faced them. At times there seems no way out, and there may not be. So, how do we deal with the times in life that the good report doesn’t come and we see what really is before us?

Paul writes:

12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.

My friend and former coworker David Monaghan’s, mother-n-law was in that position being diagnosed with advanced Leukemia a number of years ago.

When she found out she didn’t live very long and while still in the hospital, the word came to us that she joyfully shared her faith in Jesus and the eternal hope with those she came in contact with.

The Holy Spirit used her to proclaim the good news and blessing of Jesus’ sacrifice to all she came in contact with, nurses, doctors and other patients. She couldn’t help herself but to tell others the Good News - because she knew that the time was short, and that God’s word and working of the Holy Spirit does not come back void.

Paul begins his letter to the Philippians in this way with this same hope.

Saying in a sense,

“I may not get another chance so please listen to me now!”

13 [because] it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.

That God’s purpose in suffering is not for the reason of suffering, but to advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ so that others may believe.

From Paul’s letter to the Romans:

3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Rom. 5:3-5

And writing now to the Philippians:

14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

There is a boldness that come from the Holy Spirit - in the midst of suffering that is truly from God and by the working of the Spirit so that the eternal hope in Jesus is proclaimed to all.

In the midst of trial, look live a life of faith in the gospel.

There is also a confirming joy that we live during our trials.

This reality was for Paul a time to rejoice. To thank God!

Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,

When we pray, we know what we want.

Nobody puts on the prayers – praying for bad test results!

We know that whatever the possible outcomes are, that we want the good ones, good health, sickness mitigated, problem fixed, and life restored.

Paul’s hope is a bit different:

He hopes simply that, Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

I believe we all want that too, but that is not an easy hope or an easy prayer.

In the midst of trial, we suffer in the hope of the resurrection.

That is, we look to what has been proclaimed and what is promised – Jesus risen from the dead and the victory he won. Proclaimed first to the spirits in prison:

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, - the hope of our resurrection -being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 1 Peter 3:18-19

Or, as the Creed says:

He descended into Hell.

The third day he rose again from the dead.

Paul brings this hope to the Philippians:

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.

How many times do we not see that? The opportunity to live for Christ? Death, we know will come eventually so let us make full use of the time that remains!

Yet which I shall choose, Paul says: I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.

Not that death is better, but because of sin it is what it is.

But because of the resurrection, the sting of death has been swallowed up in victory. There is hope, not in death and rest from our trials, but hope in Jesus and his victory in our place.

24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

Paul knows the work that awaits and he is eager to be about it.

Paul knew that his work was not done. He knew that he needed to be about the work of the Lord - so he had confidence that he would continue to make a difference for the gospel through his life and proclamation.

Many in our church do take the time to live for Christ now.

Writing letter to shut-ins.

Remembering birthdays of members.

Helping with food for St. Paul’s

What else could be done?

Adopting one of the children at church and remembering them in your prayers, and sending them a note of encouragement. Sending a card for their birthday – and as such being an adoptive grandparent and mentor to them.

As a church we could get a team together to provide a meal for St. Paul or possibly Grace Centers for hope and the Pontiac Rescue Mission?

Putting together visiting teams to visit a shut-in monthly.

All of these things and others can shine Christ’s light and love on those in need.

27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 2

In our mid-week Bible study in Joshua, we learned that Joshua sent 2 spies to spy out the land over the Jordan that the Lord was giving them.

We can send care teams, two by two, to spy out the problems in the world that the Lord has given us to care for as, neighbors loving neighbors, so that the word of the Lord might bring hope to all who hear!

8 … not being frightened in anything by your opponents. This [being] a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and [this] from God.

Paul concludes in our text for today:

29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

The conflict remains but even greater, we have the promise that we who hold to Christ have the assurance of his grace and peace.

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. John 3:16-17

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

Amen

Sermon Sept. 16-17, 2023 - Pastor Terry Nelson

Title: Forgive Your Brother and Sister from Your Heart!
Text: Matt. 18:21-35

Facebook live: Your Brother and Sister from Your Heart!

  
21 Peter came up and said to [Jesus], “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.

Sermon Sept. 9-10, 2023

Title: Have faith like a child!

Matt. 18:1-20

Facebook live: Have faith like a child!

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Some years ago, after I finished one of our Sunday services, I was standing in the Narthex greeting the people by the door as they came out of church. It was a time of joy and laughter, hugs and handshakes as was the norm for that time. As I stood there, little four-year-old Atarra Rich walked out, looked at me, waved and said, “Hi Jesus!”

It’s funny. I laughed as did those who heard it. But in reality Atarra didn’t see me – Russ, or even Pastor Tkac.

In the robe and stole she saw the one called to be Christ’s under shepherd, here at Peace.

She saw Jesus and heard his word proclaimed.

Though she might have not heard and understood all that was proclaimed. God, by the working of his Spirit as one baptized and marked as God’s redeemed, she recognized Jesus by faith.

Today in our lesson we learn of this faith and that to be a true Disciples of Christ one must first:

Be childlike in faith and love!

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

Last week we talked about being a disciple of Jesus and picking up our crosses to follow Him. The bearing of one’s cross can in this life lead to death, or as Jesus said:

“… whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

But, the disciples start talking among themselves wondering who, among them, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? The work of Satan and their own sinful pride were at work as well as the pride of life.

Though they had been discussing this privately Jesus knew what had been going on and in the gospel of St. Mark asks them specifically in chapter 9:

“What were you discussing on the way?” Mark 9:33b

So, Jesus, as has been his way teaches again the disciples an important lesson. He calls a little child to himself so as to illustrate the point in a very tangible way. St. Mark goes on to say that Jesus took the child in His arms [Mark 9:36] and we could understand the Lord’s comfort to this little one as he places the child in their midst saying,

“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

To this we need to be reminded to be childlike in faith and love!

Sinful pride can become arrogance.

During the Battle of the Wilderness in the Civil War, Union general John Sedgwick was inspecting his troops. At one point he came to a parapet [which is a low protective wall or earthen defense along the top of a trench or place of concealment for troops], over which he gazed out in the direction of the enemy. His officers suggested that this was unwise … and perhaps he ought to duck while passing the parapet. "Nonsense," snapped the general. "They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist--." And as his words fell silent … General Sedgwick fell to the ground, fatally wounded.

Today in the Word, August 30, 1993.

How too our own sinful pride can drop us once again to the ground of dirt and sin back into our own filthy rags from which we have been washed clean and made righteous in the blood of the Lamb. Pride can cause us to look at who we are in the Kingdom, and what status we hold or to even look at others with prideful arrogance. Jesus says that:
5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,

Those who trust Christ with simple faith have Jesus and receive all that Jesus has promised.

Luther says,

Consider Christ himself, how he draws little children to him, how urgently in Matthew 18 he commends them to us and praises the angles who wait upon them, in order to show us how great a service it is when we train the young properly.

LW Vol. 45 pg. 372

As we consider our regular worship, social distancing, pandemic, school and all that our normal life use to be and we hope will be again, we also need to get back to the holy work God has given us to do,

To, train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. Prov. 22:6

The responsibility even from the time of infancy calls parents of those who have been brought to faith in baptism to not let these little ones who believe in me to fall … back into the sinfulness they were born into … before being called to faith in Jesus Christ by the working and power of the Holy Spirit.

You have a Godly calling as a parent to raise your child in the faith, especially if they are baptized and to make sure that they are brought to God’s house for worship, where Christ gives his gifts of word and sacrament.

Also, the good work done by many in VBS helps all of these little ones by God’s Holy Spirit to see Jesus and to stay connected to him.

We all have, in Christ, a Godly calling to keep children connected to Jesus and his word.

Paul says in Ephesians 4:

27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Eph. 4:27-32

Be childlike in faith and love!

By childlike faith, God in Christ has given you faith in Him and life!

He has lifted you up as a little child giving you comfort and peace in him.

He has placed you in the midst of the world as his disciple to shine the light of Christ.

He has given those under your care - joy to teach them about Jesus and his love.

He will bring forth, by faith, those who believe in him so they too can confess as the church confesses …

“You are the Christ the Son of the Living God!”

Be comforted and joyful as little Atarra was, who sees in God’s church, word, and gifts, Jesus!

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

Amen

Sermon Sept. 2-3, 2023

Title: We deny self in Christ’s mercy!
Text: Matt 16:21-28

Facebook live: We deny self in Christ’s mercy!

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Death is part of life. It’s heartbreaking. We see those we love … no more.

At times we can anticipate death and prepare for its arrival. Other times death is thrust upon us when we least expect it - leaving little or no time to prepare for the loss, confusion, and sorrow that is left behind.

At times death is met by denial.
No way! I don’t believe it! I was just with them!
Or … it is met with the sad question, “What’s in it for me?”

In our gospel for today and immediately following Peter’s confession of faith from last wee, Jesus began to show his disciples [and to prepare them for death … his death] that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
Death was real for Jesus. He knew it would come; he knew his purpose in our redemption … but his disciples didn’t yet fully understand.

Certainly Peter didn’t.

For what a change we see in Peter, as he goes from confessing: “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.” Receiving praise from Christ for his good confession revealed to him by the Father through the working of the Holy Spirit to in the span of 4 short verses saying:

“Never, Lord!” … “This shall never happen to you!”

So much for building the church on Peter the man as the stern rebuke of the Lord confirms …

23 … “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me;
But also for each one of us (you and me) as we too wrestle with the Saint / sinner dichotomy within us both redeemed in Christ and bound in sin.

So, Jesus tells Peter:

“For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Human concerns though, are real; especially when they affect us and we’d rather not think about the one major human concern that we all have - death and the consequences it brings.

As one loved one said to me after the funeral of her deceased boyfriend:

“We didn’t make plans for this. This was so unexpected.”


We are a self-aware people and many look to self when death is near.

For me as a pastor and for those under my care, it can be heartbreaking. I am always reminded of those blessed departed souls – family and Peace members - that are no longer here having departed to be with the Lord.

Planning for a funeral for we who remain has changed because many who take care of the affairs of the deceased are no longer active church members themselves or at times even believers, so the emphasis has gone:

From the pastor and the church - to the funeral director and funeral home

From the reality of death seen in light of Christ and his resurrection - to a simple celebration of life

From death as our enemy - to death as our friend at times even over age and sickness

From the congregation of the saints - to simple family and friends

From the resurrection of the body imperishable - to the immortality of the soul

From burial - to cremation

Rev. William Cwirla Reformation Insights into the Pastoral Care of the Sick and Dying

These are just some of the changes I’ve seen inside and outside the church and as one who gets to proclaim Christ, to member and nonmember funerals alike, the trend has become similar.

Death becomes sanitized, life accomplishments heralded, and pictures of a life well lived celebrated.

It is good to celebrate life, it is a gift of God ... but so is eternal life.

But Jesus says in our gospel:

26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

For the Christian, sin and death has been killed with Christ’s death. And we who have been brought to faith in Christ have been raised with him in his glorious resurrection to a life eternal. So, as we deal with the impending death of a loved one or think about death and that reality that waits in our own lives, how should we think?

Martin Luther in a letter to his dying mother thought this way and wrote in this way:

“Dear death, dear sin, how is it that you are alive and terrify me? Do you not know that you have been overcome? Do you, Death, not know that you are quite dead? Do you not know the one who has said to you, “I have overcome the world?”

Luther’s letter to his dying mother (Letters of Spiritual counsel)

Death is not good and death was not God’s plan … for you.

Death is a result of sin and the fall and we are born in sin and born to die.

How else could we understand the lunacy that is this broken and corrupt world we live in? - Who desire to kill children that are alive in the womb and the elderly whom society deems less than useful through abortion and euthanasia?

But there is good news for we who hope in Christ! We have overcome death because Christ has overcome death triumphing over it at the cross for you and me.

Our church, like the whole Christian church on earth, is a dying church; and I don’t just mean declining members that we see in the pews or online in the earthly sense, because for us - death – closes the temporal exposing the immortal. We depart this life for the life eternal.

42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. 1 Cor. 15:42-44

Our hope is in Christ, whether we depart this life to be with the Lord at death or the Lord returns to gather you and me, the wheat into his barns, we will be and we have the guarantee that we will be raised with the Lord and will be with the Lord forever.

Those whose hope is not in the Lord, have no hope at all.
As Luther writes in his preface to the Burial Hymns:

“Since they are beyond the pale of faith in Christ, they must either, cherish this temporal life as the only thing worthwhile and hate to lose it, or expect that after this life they will receive eternal death and the wrath of God in hell and must fear to go there.”

LW 53:325-326

It is in keeping with the text of our gospel today where Jesus says:

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life [in this temporal and broken world] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake [by being made God’s child through the working of the Holy Spirit] will find it.

In keeping with that joyful understanding of losing our life for Christ’s sake and receiving life eternal as we in this life take up our own cross, l will recite again the 3rd verse from the wonderful hymn:

708 Lord Thee I Love With All My Heart.

3 Lord, let at last Thine angels come,
To Abram's bosom bear me home,
That I may die unfearing;
And in its narrow chamber keep
My body safe in peaceful sleep
Until Thy reappearing.
And then from death awaken me
That these mine eyes with joy may see,
O Son of God, Thy glorious face,
My Savior and my fount of grace,
Lord Jesus Christ, my prayer attend, my prayer attend,
And I will praise Thee without end.

Text and tune: Public domain

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

Amen