Sermon July 26-27, 2025

Title: Praying as the Lord teaches!
Text: Luke 11:1-13

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11 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”

Our Gospel lesson today begins with our Lord in prayer … a practice that we know from the scriptures, that He did very often.

Most of us know that prayer is – conversation with God – we talk to God about our needs and wants but find it hard at times to know how or for what to pray. This leads to the disciples in our lesson asking Jesus to teach them to pray and His giving of the Lord’s Prayer.

Martin Luther the great reformer was also asked by his barber, Master Peter Beskensdorf, how he prays?

Luther, not one for quick or short answers in spite of all that consumed his time gave his barber a reply … a letter of 40 printed pages! Titled “A Simple Way to Pray”, Luther delved into his deep understanding of prayer and all that the world, the flesh and the devil work at to keep you away from prayer and your conversation with God.
Jesus teaches his disciples:

“Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread,
4 and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.”

Martin Luther begins his letter to Master Peter by focusing on what he needs to do to be skilled at his vocation as a barber.

Luther says:

“A good clever barber must have his thoughts, mind and eyes concentrated upon the razor and the beard and not forget where he is in his stroke and shave.

If he keeps talking or looking around or thinking of something else, he is likely to cut a man’s mouth or nose – or even his throat.

So anything that is to be done well … ought to occupy the whole man with all his faculties and members. As the saying goes, He who thinks of many things thinks of nothing and accomplishes no good; How much more must prayer possess the heart exclusively and completely if it is to be a good prayer!”

Jesus says:

9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Prayer is a beautiful thing but one that has many obstacles.

The moment you wake up each morning, all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists in shoving it all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in.

C.S. Lewis

You and I know we miss the mark many times when we pray.

So do I … and so did our Synod President Matt Harrison. In one of his talks at a convention he told a story of when he first was elected president and of a visit with an old pastor, a bishop, of a partner church in Germany.

He said, “In his room was a kneeler that the old man obviously used very often. There were knee marks in the worn pad where he had spent many hours and the arm rest was indented as well. Also, the pages of the Bible were thin with the oil of the hands making them almost transparent.” President Harrison said, “Seeing that I thought to myself – I need to learn how to pray!”

It is one of the things that I resolved to do and to be better at as well. Prayer is something that must be done by you and by me as Jesus tells us to:

… ask … than to seek … and finally to knock.

Luther continues his letter to his barber with this:

It is a good thing to let prayer be the first business in the morning and the last in the evening.

Guard yourself against such false and deceitful thoughts that keep whispering: Wait a while. In an hour or so I will pray.

I must first finish this or that. Thinking such thoughts, we get away from prayer into other things that will hold us and involve us till the prayer of the day comes to (naught). nothing

You can’t know your heavenly father without communing with Him.

This is done by prayer as you ask, seek and knock and by hearing his word of reply as you partake of weekly worship, hearing the Lord’s word of Law and Gospel but truly being comforted by his holy absolution given by God through his means of word and sacrament.

I have been involved in ordinations and installations services over the years and many new pastors called from the seminary have been ordained into the office of the Holy Ministry with a beautiful service, wonderful music, the laying on of hand from the local pastor’s in attendance, and with much singing and prayer.

I look forward to that again this afternoon at Pastor-Elect Alex Hinojosa ordination and installation service at Prince of Peace in Farmington Hills.

When God calls a pastor to His church, He is calling a pastor to be His representative, called through the congregation to bring Christ and His gifts to His people. It was joyful to be involved and to celebrate what God has done and continues to do for his people and I know it will be a joy today as well.

As we think about our Lord’s words again in the Gospel for today regarding prayer:

11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

The Holy Spirit is given in abundance at these ordinations and installations because God wishes to richly bless His people with His gifts and the most blessed gift you can have is the gift of the Holy Spirit given to you … who works in you, faith in Christ’s finished work and keeps you pointed to Him so that on the last day you may stand firm in that faith unto life everlasting.

And by the Holy Spirit’s work in you from our epistle reading today bring the joyful gift of prayer to the Lord’s logical conclusion when it says:

10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

When you were born in sin the devil would have placed a sign upon your forehead that read "Dead to God," which means that you are dead in sin and dead you will stay. But, God in Christ has ripped that sign from your forehead and replaced it with a new sign that reads “Alive in Christ!”

Your sin has been paid through the cross that Christ endured for you, so that in Him you might have an eternity:

21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

Eph. 1:21

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

Amen

Sermon July 19-20, 2025

Title: We only need Jesus!
Text: Luke 10:38-42

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Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching.

We can only imagine the knock at the door.

Martha welcomes Jesus to her home. “How wonderful it is to see you, Lord!” She might have exclaimed.

“It is wonderful to be here!” Jesus might have responded to this welcome greeting from Martha

Martha had heard from her sister Mary that Jesus had come to Jerusalem and she asked him to be their guest. Not so different a situation then we might have with a guest coming into our house.

Come over and have dinner with us and rest a while.

Not because Martha and Mary had some problem that they wanted Jesus to solve, but because there was gladness and joy that she wanted him to share t with them so Martha reached out to Jesus in an time of happiness, she had called for him to come to their house when she didn't have a hundred or a thousand needs to bear.

We need to check as well our motivation for fellowship with the Lord. At what times do we call on him? Are they times of joy and celebration or can most of them be considered an emergency need or simply a time to dial 911?

When we're in the depths of despair.
There is the Lord and his divine ear that we reach out to.
When it's a cry for immediate assistance.
It is God's telephone number that we dial and run to.

And it is good to remember him in these times of need.

Life can bring those times of need. Fire truck, police car and ambulance are needed and called upon. We reach out and lament to God.

“Lord, help me!”

Is it though, only in times of great need that we call on the Lord or invite him into our lives?

“Hear me, help me, save me, spare me! Or even - Why me!”
Is that how we use Jesus? Is it the only time we call?

How often do you call God, remember and think of him or send him a prayer of thanks for the many blessings you have received? I need to do it more and so do you.

Lord it is so good to be your child? Thank you for always being with me and promising to never leave.

How often do you connect with Christ?
Do you begin and end you day with him?

The Lord’s prayer, The Apostles Creed, Luther’s morning and evening Prayer? Great places to begin and to connect with Christ.

Not because you want to say listen to me, be attentive to me, I have needs and you need to listen now, but to just say:

“Come Lord, Jesus, be my guest. Come, sit with me and rest.

Show me in your word. Bring your comfort, peace, and joys to me this day.

Do we only talk to God when we are crushed?
Do we only reach for the Spirit when we have some cross to bear?
Do we only pray when we're forced by the trials we face?
Do we ever knock at the saviors’ door so we might sit in the father's Lap as His child letting him comfort us by his words that bring peace?

40 … Martha was distracted with much serving …

Had the master come early when things weren't ready?

She was working very hard. She had to excuse herself, graciously, because she had things to do.

You know the feeling. Mary sits. Frustration abounds!

“Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.”

No longer is Jesus the guess but now he is the enforcer. Tell her to get up and do something. The look in the Lord's eyes couldn’t have been one of approval but of sorrow. What had begun joyfully in greeting was now consumed in the temporal. Here today and gone tomorrow.

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,

Jesus may have thought:

I didn’t come to cause you stress and a busy moment.

I didn’t come so that you would use your hands to wait on to me, but that my hands, presence and peace would come to administer to you.

All things seemed important to Martha.
At times, many things seem important to us.

We need to cast our cares on Jesus and we need to elevate to the highest place, and rest in the presence of Christ.

You need to do some clear and straight thinking.

What we do for the redeemer and the ministry of him is surely import and as James in his epistle reminds us, faith without works is dead.

So we do serve and help

That Christ has given us his Spirit into a beating heart is true. It is given so that we can shine “this little light of mine” as Christ has given to us, to those who need to hear about Jesus and see hope in this dark world.

Our witness needs to do that.
Christ is the one thing needful.

I will serve Jesus and I will serve - as we learned last week - my neighbor as myself.

Jesus doesn’t need my service - but my neighbor does.

When you and I stand before God's throne in paradise. This is what will really matter.

Not that I have taught for him in a Sunday school or Bible class, or sung for him in the choir, or hand Bells or pushed the buttons for CD or played the organ or even made evangelism calls. These are all but a fruit of what he has given us in him as his dear children. We can’t but help, and serve.

Through his love for us and through the work of his Spirit we know all that Jesus has given us by his life, death, and resurrection - so that we might have an eternity with him forever and the peace that passes all understanding.

Our deep love for him is that we remain focused on him in the good times and in the bad ones as well.

As Paul reminds the Philippians:

12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

But my neighbor might need me.

Some received miracles in this temporal world and we rejoice with them in these blessings.

A miracle of the Lord can save a life.
But the word of the Lord can save a soul.
A miracle of the Lord can give health for today.
But the word of the Lord can preserve faith for eternity.

How I prayed and hoped that the Lord would give are friend and member, Mark Bunarek the successful healing he needed in his surgery.

Unfortunately for us all he didn’t even get to the operating table. But I know that Mark held to Christ in good times and bad - sharing this wonderful verse from Job 19 at the committal for his dear mother only a few short years ago through tears at her committal service.

Job 19:24-26

24 Oh that with an iron pen and lead
they were engraved in the rock forever!
25 For I know that my Redeemer lives,
and at the last he will stand upon the earth.
26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
yet in my flesh I shall see God,

This eternity promised in Christ is the one thing needful.

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Luther views Martha's busyness as a representation of the distractions and worries of daily life. He acknowledges her good intentions but emphasizes that her focus on service can lead to anxiety.

Mary, sitting at Jesus' feet, symbolizes the ideal response to Christ's presence. Luther highlights her choice to listen and learn as the "better part," which he believes is essential for spiritual growth.

Luther concludes in this way his thoughts:

Christ himself says, “One thing is needful,” i.e., that Mary sits at the feet of Christ and hear his word daily. This is the best part to choose and it shall not be taken away forever. It is an eternal word. Everything else must pass away, no matter how much care and trouble it may give Martha. LW Vol. 53 pg. 14

Jesus, is the one thing needful!
God help us to see and desire this!

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

Amen

Based and Modified Concordia pulpit 1977 Rev Lester A Wolf

Sermon July 12-13, 2025

Title: Mercy and love are lived out in Christ!
Text: Luke 10:25-37

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37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

In our text for today we read of a lawyer who stood up to put Jesus to the test. Now, this is not to be a sermon which lifts up or puts down the noble profession of attorneys. But it is the word of the Lord and we can all learn an important lesson.

The question that is asked - “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” - is a bit odd. How do you inherit anything? It might have been more direct if he had asked, “What must I do to earn eternal life?” because that is the question so many what to know.

In my business background we we’re always taught to answer a question with a question so that you could better get to the real objection. So, Jesus, being the best at fleshing out the true meaning to the question that is asked of Him replies with a question.

26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”

Having the ball back in his court the lawyer recites the word giving a summary of the Moral Law correctly, according to Deut. 6: 5; Lev. 19: 18.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

And I might add that he probably said it with a bit of boastful pride too!

Well, finally getting to the real objection, Jesus turns the prideful attorney’s answer back on himself when He says:

“You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

The truth is, as Jesus quite rightly points out, no one, not even one who rightly knows the scripture can keep the Law of God perfectly.

To know the Law and to keep the Law is two very different things. And, this command to love your neighbor as yourself really pushes us well beyond what we can do.

Truth be told, for many of us we can’t even love ourselves, so how are we going to love others?

But, despite falling short God uses you and me, His children, and:

You and I also, tend to put Christ to the test.

It’s the same word of God today as it was for the Lawyer and the same requirements that God demands and at times many believe they actually love God and their neighbor enough.

According to current statistics, we have 194 baptized and 163 confirmed members here at Peace, but we average less than 55 on a weekend.

Now granted some have moved away and some attend elsewhere and have not yet asked to be transferred from the roles and many have departed to be with the Lord.

But many just don’t come, maybe thinking that they’ve loved God enough and like the lawyer ask: “And who is my neighbor?”

God works through means and for better or worse that’s you and me.

We are God’s hands in the world, bringing the love of Christ to a dying world and also to real people.

In last week’s gospel reading 72 disciples were sent out proclaiming peace and healing with the good news that the Kingdom of God was at hand.

Sometimes your neighbor needs a helping hand, when the ways of the world bring grief.

At times it is a prayer of comfort to let them know that you understand and will stand with them.
At times it might require a word of rebuke when they are going the wrong way in this life.

And as the church it might require a word of warning from us that to be away from God’s word and sacrament and the gift of worship and fellowship that He calls to participate in - may lead to no communion and fellowship with him at all.

Some of the members of Peace need a call from their neighbor.
If you care about a member that you know that doesn’t attend give them a loving call.
If they have needs look for ways to help.

Remind them that God will never leave them of forsake them even if they’ve forsaken the assembly here at Peace and have self-excluded themselves from the church and the gifts God so longs to give them.

Implore them to return as the Lord desires his children to be together where he is and to hear God speak!

Here listen to Luther:

“In times past we would have run to the ends of the world if we had known of a place where we could have heard God speak. But now that we hear this every day in sermons, indeed, now that all books are full of it, we do not see this happening. You hear at home in your house, fa­ther and mother and children sing and speak of it, the preacher speaks of it in the parish church — you ought to lift up your hands and rejoice that we have been given the honor of hearing God speaking to us through his Word.”

https://www.christianstudylibrary.org/article/luther-and-power-gospel

The gospel is God’s word for us to use and to bring comfort.

As Jesus said in gospel reading of the Good Samaritan:

36 Which of these three, - the Priest, the Levite or the Samaritan - do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

You go … is a directive for us all. To take Christ’s caring word to those how need its comfort. Physical care and spiritual care are needed by all.

The urban ministries of our district bring this care to those where they are.

St. Paul’s in Pontiac is one such place bringing the word, peace, and forgiveness to feed the soul of those in need but also the meals and physical needs of those in our area.

Our district is looking for new startups in mission and ministry but for those churches who can’t start new they suggest finding a ministry to support. St, Paul is that ministry that is meeting needs and we have been engaged for yours in partnering with them just for this type of outreach.

Again:

36 Which of these three, - the Priest, the Levite or the Samaritan - do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

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

Amen

Sermon July 6, 2025

Title: Rejoice with America! - Rev. Terry Nelson
Text: Isaiah 66: 10-14

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12 For thus says the LORD:
“Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river,
and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream;
and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip,
and bounced upon her knees.
13 As one whom his mother comforts,
so I will comfort you;