Title: Christ is the Good Portion!
Text Luke 10:38-42
40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “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.”
Chuck Swindoll tells the story of a first grader that became curious because her father brought home a briefcase full of papers every evening. Her mother explained, "Daddy has so much to do that he can't finish it all at the office. That's why he has to bring work home at night."
"Well then," asked the child innocently, "why don't they put him in a slower group?"
C. Swindoll, Growing Strong, p. 213.
As we today think about all that we do, the things that need to be done and the little time that we have, let us remember that :
Christ is the Good Portion!
Now, in our lesson for today, the wonderful Martha and Mary story that we’ve all heard many times before, it seems that Martha gets a bad rap at times. Poor Martha, doing the work and all that she could to take care of the Lord’s needs, having welcomed him ( and those who were traveling with him) into her house while her sister Mary only sits at the Lord’s feet and listens to His teaching.
Jesus and his disciples had been traveling as the sending of the 72 prepared the way. The Lord’s peace obviously rested on this house as Jesus was welcomed in by Martha. Now, you know how things can go when you have guests, expected or unexpected. The visit may have been expected but the time of Christ’s arrival may not have been, and even if it was, I have yet to see a hostess who didn’t still fret over the preparation, making sure that all things were in order.
Martha was determined to see that the needs of Jesus and those with Him were met, I’m sure, with exceeding abundance and that Jesus was distinguished as a beloved guest in her house. Mary on the other hand knew who was now visiting in her home and she was not to be taken away from her Lord - no matter what earthly things needed to be done.
Paul Kretzmann speaks of it in this way:
We have here two forms of service, each done to the Lord, each with the best of intentions, the one with the work of the hands, the other in listening to the words of eternal wisdom. They need not clash, but have their worth.
At some point and as I’m sure you can relate - Martha gets frustrated with her sister. Martha is doing all the work by herself so that Jesus can be properly served in her home and she has lost all patience with Mary – who, I’m sure, remains oblivious to Martha’s dilemma.
She finally has had enough of it and in a tone that speaks of her frustration says:
“Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.”
Christ is the Good Portion!
We’ll I know my wife has been there and maybe you can relate. Guests coming over for something and daughter’s reading a book, son in his room and dare I say dad sitting in his chair … reading … eh homework … yeah that’s it homework … and Seminary homework if it makes my less than enthusiastic joy of cleaning up for family, friends … whatever … a bit more understandable and bearable.
“Would somebody please clean the upstairs bathroom!” might be a common command. “Russ, will you take out the garbage … and when you’re done with that please set the table?” Martha, I mean Monica, might be heard calling. I think to myself … “But, I’m reading Godly stuff here … and attending to my holy seminary duties … in a comfortable … reclined … position.” But being that I am the garbage man of my house I get up and do what I’m told.
Monica’s focus is on our guests, whom ever that may be, and that they get served in the best way possible. Me and the kids, a bit less joyful in service, even though we too want our guests served in the best possible way … we just don’t want to DO the work.
Now, I’m sure that if Jesus was coming to your house, you would all want to sit at His feet and listen to the wisdom that he has to say just like Mary … right?
Me responses might be:
“Well, the ball game is at 1:00 pm, I sure hope his visit doesn’t go too long and get in the way of that.”
“I’ll be at my friends … tell Jesus hi for me and I’ll catch Him next time he comes.”
“You know … I don’t really like him … He’s your friend … why does he have to come over anyway?”
These can be examples of how we all regard God and His word at times. It can be inconvenient to find time for God as there is always something else in life to do. But, the word of God that we have in our Scriptures today, is the same word of God that sat talking to Mary – the word made flesh - and the same comfort Mary received from Jesus, so that she forgot the cares Martha wrestled with, is the same comfort you too can receive by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Martha and Mary were both focused on Jesus but in different ways and the Good News that we learned from last week’s lesson reminded us that as followers of Christ God uses you as his in the world.
But you can’t lose sight of Jesus. You need to know him to be able to reflect him to a dying world. And while the cares of the world can consume you and me at times you must always remember that:
Christ is the Good Portion and the food for our spiritual life!
This past week we saw Martha and Mary in action. VBS was a joy for all and especially for me to serve at and to be able to see all the preparations that needed to be done to be ready for the kids and all those who came to reflect Christ to these children that were ministered to. Some were the Martha’s that made ready the space, food, games, set up the church and prepared the lessons. Mary’s only focus was Jesus and the message of hope and peace to those precious little ones given into their care. Together the setting and message of hope came together like the yarn of a beautiful afghan that these children can be wrapped in today, tomorrow and always because God’s word is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword. (Heb. 4:12)
Ill.
It is said that Cyrus, the founder of the Persian Empire, once had captured a prince and his family. When they came before him, the monarch asked the prisoner, "What will you give me if I release you?" "The half of my wealth," was his reply. "And if I release your children?" "Everything I possess."He said."And if I release your wife?" "Your Majesty, I will give myself." Cyrus was so moved by his devotion that he freed them all. As they returned home, the prince said to his wife, "Wasn't Cyrus a handsome man!" With a look of deep love for her husband, she said to him, "I didn't notice. I could only keep my eyes on you - the one who was willing to give himself for me."
Unknown.
As you think of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ remember He was the one who was willing to give His life for you. Not, that Martha’s preparations for Jesus’ visit were not good, but Mary couldn't see what needed to be done because her eyes were only fixed on her Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
41 But the Lord answered her, “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.”
Christ Jesus is the Good Portion!
Jesus Christ, the word made flesh, came down from heaven for you so that, 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2Cor. 5:21) The portion that you receive by faith is God’s righteousness and this is by the power of the Holy Spirit. And the portion that He takes upon himself is your sin which separates you from him. What God takes from you and gives to you is the eternal life in him that we who are in Christ share.
Christ is the Good Portion!
Like our opening illustration, don’t let this life consume you so that, Christ the good portion, is ignored while you go about all that needs to be done. Remember that it is He who has come to live, suffer and die for you so that in Him you might have life and have it to the full. Christ is the good portion and He has come for you so that you might live in Him.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Sermon July 13-14, 2013
Title: You are Christ’s hands in the world!
Text: Luke 10:25-28
25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “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.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
There is a cute story of a father and a daughter.
Laurie, when she was about three one night, requested Dad’s aid in getting undressed. Dad was downstairs and she was upstairs, and ... well. "You know how to undress yourself," Dad reminded her. "Yes," Laurie explained, 'but sometimes people need people anyway, even if they do know how to do things by themselves."
William C. Schultz, Bits & Pieces, December 1990.
The wisdom of a child is at times quite telling.
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. Shoot, 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 are Christ’s hands in the world!
You too, as we all do, 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.
645 baptized and 453 confirmed members here at Peace but we worship less than 100 on a weekend. Now granted some have moved away and some attend elsewhere and have not yet asked to be removed from the roles. 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. As we learned last week with the sending of the 72 they went 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.
400 plus 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.
You are and need to be Christ’s hands in the world!
Ill.
There is a telling story about:
Jack had been president of a large corporation, and when he got cancer, the corporation ruthlessly dumped him. He went through his insurance, used his life savings, and had practically nothing left. A pastor visited him with one of his elders, who said, "Jack, you speak so openly about the brief life you have left. I wonder if you're prepared for your life after death?"
Jack stood up, livid with rage. "You self-righteous Christians. All you ever think about is what's going to happen to me after I die. If your God is so great, why doesn't He do something about the real problems of life?" Jack went on to tell them that he was so despondent at leaving his wife penniless and his daughter without money for college. He then ordered them out of the room. Later, the elder insisted they go back and so they did. "Jack, I know I offended you," the elder said. "I humbly apologize. But I want you to know I've been working since then.
Your first problem is where your family will live after you die. A realtor in our church has agreed to sell your house and give your wife his commission. "I guarantee you that, if you'll permit us, some other men and I will make the house payments until it's sold.”Then, I've contacted the owner of an apartment house down the street. He's offered your wife a three-bedroom apartment plus free utilities and an $850-a-month salary in return for her collecting rents and supervising plumbing and electrical repairs. The income from your house should pay for your daughter's college. I just want you to know your family will be cared for."
Jack cried. He died shortly thereafter, so wrapped in pain and the death that this life is promised to bring. But he experienced God's love from a neighbor even while rejecting Him and it is hopeful that he repented and by the Spirit turned to Christ. His widow, touched by the caring love of others, and the gospel message of hope did turn to Christ, serving others as she had been served.
Death and the Caring Community by Larry Richards and Paul Johnson
God uses his broken vessels to be Christ’s hands in the world!
Christ uses you too. By God’s Spirit in you, He brings the message of hope to those who need to hear. At times it might just be a caring hand at a time of need because Jesus cares for all His children.
You care because Christ cares. He is the true help we all need in this sin covered world because Christ took the punishment of sin upon Himself you receive the cleansing bath in baptism marking you as a redeemed child of God. Though you still sin in this life Christ can use you and your hands for His work. By caring for other they see the caring love of God through you and as God’s word is proclaimed by the Spirit they believe in Him and are his child too.
You are Christ’s hands in the world!
God’s peace and healing comfort to you in the blessed name of Jesus!
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Text: Luke 10:25-28
25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “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.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
There is a cute story of a father and a daughter.
Laurie, when she was about three one night, requested Dad’s aid in getting undressed. Dad was downstairs and she was upstairs, and ... well. "You know how to undress yourself," Dad reminded her. "Yes," Laurie explained, 'but sometimes people need people anyway, even if they do know how to do things by themselves."
William C. Schultz, Bits & Pieces, December 1990.
The wisdom of a child is at times quite telling.
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. Shoot, 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 are Christ’s hands in the world!
You too, as we all do, 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.
645 baptized and 453 confirmed members here at Peace but we worship less than 100 on a weekend. Now granted some have moved away and some attend elsewhere and have not yet asked to be removed from the roles. 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. As we learned last week with the sending of the 72 they went 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.
400 plus 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.
You are and need to be Christ’s hands in the world!
Ill.
There is a telling story about:
Jack had been president of a large corporation, and when he got cancer, the corporation ruthlessly dumped him. He went through his insurance, used his life savings, and had practically nothing left. A pastor visited him with one of his elders, who said, "Jack, you speak so openly about the brief life you have left. I wonder if you're prepared for your life after death?"
Jack stood up, livid with rage. "You self-righteous Christians. All you ever think about is what's going to happen to me after I die. If your God is so great, why doesn't He do something about the real problems of life?" Jack went on to tell them that he was so despondent at leaving his wife penniless and his daughter without money for college. He then ordered them out of the room. Later, the elder insisted they go back and so they did. "Jack, I know I offended you," the elder said. "I humbly apologize. But I want you to know I've been working since then.
Your first problem is where your family will live after you die. A realtor in our church has agreed to sell your house and give your wife his commission. "I guarantee you that, if you'll permit us, some other men and I will make the house payments until it's sold.”Then, I've contacted the owner of an apartment house down the street. He's offered your wife a three-bedroom apartment plus free utilities and an $850-a-month salary in return for her collecting rents and supervising plumbing and electrical repairs. The income from your house should pay for your daughter's college. I just want you to know your family will be cared for."
Jack cried. He died shortly thereafter, so wrapped in pain and the death that this life is promised to bring. But he experienced God's love from a neighbor even while rejecting Him and it is hopeful that he repented and by the Spirit turned to Christ. His widow, touched by the caring love of others, and the gospel message of hope did turn to Christ, serving others as she had been served.
Death and the Caring Community by Larry Richards and Paul Johnson
God uses his broken vessels to be Christ’s hands in the world!
Christ uses you too. By God’s Spirit in you, He brings the message of hope to those who need to hear. At times it might just be a caring hand at a time of need because Jesus cares for all His children.
You care because Christ cares. He is the true help we all need in this sin covered world because Christ took the punishment of sin upon Himself you receive the cleansing bath in baptism marking you as a redeemed child of God. Though you still sin in this life Christ can use you and your hands for His work. By caring for other they see the caring love of God through you and as God’s word is proclaimed by the Spirit they believe in Him and are his child too.
You are Christ’s hands in the world!
God’s peace and healing comfort to you in the blessed name of Jesus!
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Sermon July 6-7, 2013
Title: Christ rejoices in the harvest!
Text: Luke 10:2-5; 16, 20
2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’
16 “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
There is a story of Jean Frederick Oberlin, a minister who served in 18th century Germany and France. You might recognize the name - as Oberlin College was named after him.
One winter, he was traveling by foot when he was caught in a severe snowstorm. He soon lost his way in the blowing snow and feared he would freeze to death. Despairing at his situation, he sat down not knowing which way to turn. Just then, a man came along in a wagon and rescued Oberlin. He took him to the next village and made sure he would be cared for. As the man prepared to journey on, Oberlin said, "Tell me your name so that I may at least have you in grateful remembrance before God." The man, who by now had recognized Oberlin, replied, "You are a minister. Please tell me the name of the Good Samaritan." Oberlin said, "I cannot do that, for it is not given in the Scriptures." The man responded, "Until you can tell me his name, please permit me to withhold mine."
Source Unknown.
Anonymity - which is the quality or state of being unknown or unacknowledged - is for many the way God uses those He calls to serve His greater purpose.
In the Gospel lesson today our Lord appoints a large number … 72 as our text reads to go in pairs, telling them:
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
As we learned last week in the Gospel lesson, Jesus was resolute as He set His face towards Jerusalem. His time on earth was moving towards the cross and his atoning and vicarious death for you. This sending of workers into the mission field would be no easy task as Jesus Himself says when He says, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. This calling and sending, for those 72, would bring the same anger and rebuke that was leveled at Jesus. Many who serve the proclamation of the Gospel today see and feel this as well.
The provisions for these who are sent fall to those who welcome them into their homes and this is where the Lord’s peace rests and remains. And this also should be the earnest prayer of all Christians, that the Father of all grace and mercy would send forth laborers into His harvest field, making many young men willing to heed His call into ministry … and those who are served by these men would willingly take upon themselves the joy and privilege of supplying their needs while attending to these duties.
Kretzmann Commentary NT Vol. 1 Pg321
16 “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
These messengers were sent to bring peace and healing to a dying world. They were sent with the good news that the Kingdom of God was at hand. The Kingdom of God was embodied in the incarnate God/man Jesus Christ and some would reject this good news … sending the dust of their town off the sandals of those sent in condemnation for their rejection. Though at times the comfort and peace of Christ is rejected … service to the Lord remains joyful and:
Christ rejoices in the harvest!
Peace and healing. Two wonderful and good things; but in our day to day not always appreciated or received. At times when we have peace we push others to the brink of anger, instead of taming our own tongue and keeping things peaceable. At times we break friendships and even sever families requiring God through repentance, to bring forgiveness and healing to those in need.
Christ’s rebuke though, to those who rejected His messengers in Chorizin and Bethsaida which were two towns, almost side by side, on the shores of Lake Gennesaret, though great miracles had been done in their midst, the words of eternal life and love out of the mouth of Jesus had made no impression upon them.
Even Capernaum, the Lord’s headquarters during His Galilean ministry, would receive the full measure of His wrath on the last day and be forcefully thrust down to hell.
Pretty sobering … and a word of warning here for us all …
Though Christ has called us to faith by word and sacrament and has been in our midst for years, decades, and even generations, in both the written and spoken Word of the Gospel; how often, is He (Jesus) neglected and overlooked in the homes of his children! No Scripture, or family devotion; and no regular church attendance for some; -- how might Christ’s rebuke to these cities reach into your home and mine as the dust of His judgment is kicked off His feet and settles at the feet of those who have turned from His loving call?
Kretzmann Commentary NT Vol. 1 Pg322
If you reject His love you receive his wrath. But even in the Lord’s rebuke there is hope.
Tyre and Sidon, heathen cities whom the Jews despised for their idolatrous practices and beliefs, Jesus said, would long since have repented, covered with sack-cloth, and ashes.
Though you fall and maybe even many times hope is in God’s work in you.
Ill.
Spending time in the hospital with some and in home visits with others recently, the truth of God’s abiding peace and comfort becomes evident. Families at these difficult times are brought back to the reality of life and death issues. Even in dire situations the Lord works on the hearts of those He loves.
As I visited with a family at the hospital I was asked how I went from working in the piano business to being the pastor here at Peace. I related the story of my mom’s dying from cancer in 1988 at 57 years of age and how the Lord used this time in my life to call me back into relationship with Him. I told the story of not knowing what to pray for and calling out in my grief, finding comfort in the Lord’s Prayer. I told the story of the Lord leading me through a strange path and a few churches to this place that I am at and serve. I was able to sing the good news that has been given me in Christ, to a family and house that is hurting as death nears and the peace of our Lord and savior Jesus is resting upon them and His healing touch is there to comfort and bind up the broken hearted.
Friends, the good news is really good news as the 72 returned rejoicing!
“Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”
But Jesus though he reminds them of the great power that they have in His name also cautions them …
20 … do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Christ rejoices in the harvest!
Martin Luther had this to say in his Lectures on Galatians:
Christ says, (Luke 10:20): “Rejoice that your names are written in Heaven.” When this is a joy of the Spirit and not of the flesh, the heart rejoices inwardly through faith in Christ; because it knows for a certainty that He is our savior and High Priest and outwardly we demonstrate this joy in our words and actions. The faithful rejoice also when the Gospel is proclaimed, and when many come to faith and thus the kingdom is increased.
Luther’s works Vol. 27 Pg.93-94
Christ’s joy is to bring peace to your house in Him. In Christ you receive the comfort of eternal life because His promise is to never leave you nor forsake you. (Heb 13:5)
Christ’s call is to:
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, as you 7 cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. And we are told to 8 be watchful, because the devil, your adversary, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Though he prowls, in Christ you have eternal security and Lord’s promise that your name is written in heaven.
In Christ you can rejoice that you are part of the His harvest!
While it is not important to know the names of those the Lord uses to bring His Gospel message to the lost. It is important to know that He knows you, and that your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life.
God’s peace and healing comfort to you in the blessed name of Jesus!
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Text: Luke 10:2-5; 16, 20
2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’
16 “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
There is a story of Jean Frederick Oberlin, a minister who served in 18th century Germany and France. You might recognize the name - as Oberlin College was named after him.
One winter, he was traveling by foot when he was caught in a severe snowstorm. He soon lost his way in the blowing snow and feared he would freeze to death. Despairing at his situation, he sat down not knowing which way to turn. Just then, a man came along in a wagon and rescued Oberlin. He took him to the next village and made sure he would be cared for. As the man prepared to journey on, Oberlin said, "Tell me your name so that I may at least have you in grateful remembrance before God." The man, who by now had recognized Oberlin, replied, "You are a minister. Please tell me the name of the Good Samaritan." Oberlin said, "I cannot do that, for it is not given in the Scriptures." The man responded, "Until you can tell me his name, please permit me to withhold mine."
Source Unknown.
Anonymity - which is the quality or state of being unknown or unacknowledged - is for many the way God uses those He calls to serve His greater purpose.
In the Gospel lesson today our Lord appoints a large number … 72 as our text reads to go in pairs, telling them:
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
As we learned last week in the Gospel lesson, Jesus was resolute as He set His face towards Jerusalem. His time on earth was moving towards the cross and his atoning and vicarious death for you. This sending of workers into the mission field would be no easy task as Jesus Himself says when He says, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. This calling and sending, for those 72, would bring the same anger and rebuke that was leveled at Jesus. Many who serve the proclamation of the Gospel today see and feel this as well.
The provisions for these who are sent fall to those who welcome them into their homes and this is where the Lord’s peace rests and remains. And this also should be the earnest prayer of all Christians, that the Father of all grace and mercy would send forth laborers into His harvest field, making many young men willing to heed His call into ministry … and those who are served by these men would willingly take upon themselves the joy and privilege of supplying their needs while attending to these duties.
Kretzmann Commentary NT Vol. 1 Pg321
16 “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
These messengers were sent to bring peace and healing to a dying world. They were sent with the good news that the Kingdom of God was at hand. The Kingdom of God was embodied in the incarnate God/man Jesus Christ and some would reject this good news … sending the dust of their town off the sandals of those sent in condemnation for their rejection. Though at times the comfort and peace of Christ is rejected … service to the Lord remains joyful and:
Christ rejoices in the harvest!
Peace and healing. Two wonderful and good things; but in our day to day not always appreciated or received. At times when we have peace we push others to the brink of anger, instead of taming our own tongue and keeping things peaceable. At times we break friendships and even sever families requiring God through repentance, to bring forgiveness and healing to those in need.
Christ’s rebuke though, to those who rejected His messengers in Chorizin and Bethsaida which were two towns, almost side by side, on the shores of Lake Gennesaret, though great miracles had been done in their midst, the words of eternal life and love out of the mouth of Jesus had made no impression upon them.
Even Capernaum, the Lord’s headquarters during His Galilean ministry, would receive the full measure of His wrath on the last day and be forcefully thrust down to hell.
Pretty sobering … and a word of warning here for us all …
Though Christ has called us to faith by word and sacrament and has been in our midst for years, decades, and even generations, in both the written and spoken Word of the Gospel; how often, is He (Jesus) neglected and overlooked in the homes of his children! No Scripture, or family devotion; and no regular church attendance for some; -- how might Christ’s rebuke to these cities reach into your home and mine as the dust of His judgment is kicked off His feet and settles at the feet of those who have turned from His loving call?
Kretzmann Commentary NT Vol. 1 Pg322
If you reject His love you receive his wrath. But even in the Lord’s rebuke there is hope.
Tyre and Sidon, heathen cities whom the Jews despised for their idolatrous practices and beliefs, Jesus said, would long since have repented, covered with sack-cloth, and ashes.
Though you fall and maybe even many times hope is in God’s work in you.
Ill.
Spending time in the hospital with some and in home visits with others recently, the truth of God’s abiding peace and comfort becomes evident. Families at these difficult times are brought back to the reality of life and death issues. Even in dire situations the Lord works on the hearts of those He loves.
As I visited with a family at the hospital I was asked how I went from working in the piano business to being the pastor here at Peace. I related the story of my mom’s dying from cancer in 1988 at 57 years of age and how the Lord used this time in my life to call me back into relationship with Him. I told the story of not knowing what to pray for and calling out in my grief, finding comfort in the Lord’s Prayer. I told the story of the Lord leading me through a strange path and a few churches to this place that I am at and serve. I was able to sing the good news that has been given me in Christ, to a family and house that is hurting as death nears and the peace of our Lord and savior Jesus is resting upon them and His healing touch is there to comfort and bind up the broken hearted.
Friends, the good news is really good news as the 72 returned rejoicing!
“Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”
But Jesus though he reminds them of the great power that they have in His name also cautions them …
20 … do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Christ rejoices in the harvest!
Martin Luther had this to say in his Lectures on Galatians:
Christ says, (Luke 10:20): “Rejoice that your names are written in Heaven.” When this is a joy of the Spirit and not of the flesh, the heart rejoices inwardly through faith in Christ; because it knows for a certainty that He is our savior and High Priest and outwardly we demonstrate this joy in our words and actions. The faithful rejoice also when the Gospel is proclaimed, and when many come to faith and thus the kingdom is increased.
Luther’s works Vol. 27 Pg.93-94
Christ’s joy is to bring peace to your house in Him. In Christ you receive the comfort of eternal life because His promise is to never leave you nor forsake you. (Heb 13:5)
Christ’s call is to:
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, as you 7 cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. And we are told to 8 be watchful, because the devil, your adversary, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Though he prowls, in Christ you have eternal security and Lord’s promise that your name is written in heaven.
In Christ you can rejoice that you are part of the His harvest!
While it is not important to know the names of those the Lord uses to bring His Gospel message to the lost. It is important to know that He knows you, and that your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life.
God’s peace and healing comfort to you in the blessed name of Jesus!
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Monday, June 24, 2013
Sermon June 22-23, 2013
Title: In Christ we have been set free and cry, Abba! Father!
Text: Gal.4:4-7
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
I read about a small boy who was consistently late coming home from school. His parents warned him one day that he must be home on time that afternoon, but nevertheless he arrived later than ever. His mother met him at the door and said nothing.
At dinner that night, the boy looked at his plate. There was a slice of bread and a glass of water. He looked at his father’s full plate and then at his father, but his father remained silent. The boy was crushed.
The father waited for the full impact to sink in, then quietly took the boy’s plate and placed it in front of himself. He took his own plate of meat and potatoes, put it in front of the boy, and smiled at his son. When that boy grew to be a man, he said, “All my life I’ve known what God is like by what my father did that night.”
J. Allan Peterson
In Christ we have been set free and cry, Abba! Father!
As the opening illustration points out, children are under the care of their parents. In ancient times as well as today the law places the well-being of children to the authority and care of their parents and guardians.
“At the time of Paul, the minor was legally about in the same position as the slave. No act of his had the sanction of the law, unless it was performed through his legal representative. He was under guardians, or tutors, and stewards, or trustees, until the time appointed of the father, who might even make a provision to limit the heir’s right to his property beyond the age of legal majority.”
Popular Commentary of the Bible P.E. Kretzmann NT Vol. 2 Pg. 245
Paul’s letter to the Galatians is an important letter as it points to the sufficient work of Christ Jesus over and above the demands of the Law that had been perplexing the Christians of Galatia. Though they had been recognized as Christians, and James, the head of the Jerusalem Church spoke of no circumcision for gentiles at the Jerusalem council, Paul in his letter has to once again distinguish faith from works.
25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, (no longer are you like a child or a slave under the care of a parent or guardian that will look out for your needs) 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. (Gal 3:25-29)
You too:
In Christ you have been set free and now can cry, Abba! Father!
Ill.
A husband and wife didn't really love each other. The man was very demanding, so much so that he prepared a list of rules and regulations for his wife to follow. He insisted that she read them over every day and obey them to the letter. Among other things, his "do's and don'ts" indicated such details as what time she had to get up in the morning, when his breakfast should be served, and how the housework should be done. After several long years, the husband died.
Now, before you applaud…
As time passed, the woman fell in love with another man, one who dearly loved her. Soon they were married. This husband did everything he could to make his new wife happy, continually showering her with tokens of his appreciation. One day when she was cleaning house, she found tucked away in a drawer the list of commands her first husband had drawn up for her. As she looked it over, it dawned on her that even though her present husband hadn't given her any kind of list, she was doing everything her first husband's list required anyway. She realized she was so devoted to this man that her deepest desire was to please him out of love, not obligation.
Source Unknown.
Here Paul distinguishes that the Law was a guardian before Christ came. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.
Your sinful nature sure wants to place you back under a guardian. It wants to take your freedom in Christ which has set you free from the curse of the law as was discussed in the sermon last week and bind you in bondage again to your sins that have been forgiven in Christ.
And many times, you who have been forgiven … stay bound to your sin … why? Oh, I suppose it is because we are sinners from birth and can’t let go of our guilt.
The Galatians too, as noted in the text have been brought back into bondage by the Jews who are zealous for the law. They have great zeal to keep what time and again they know they can’t keep but try and try they might. Many try at times to justify themselves instead of receiving the free gift of forgiveness found only in Christ.
But not you or me! We never worry about the law, regulations or requirements in our lives. As I start my new class, I’m not concerned with what the professor requires, what I should read or how I can best pass his class with a good grade … Do you see how we all are creatures of the law? We all need and love to follow regulations. The law is a natural for us and it is easy for we who love to have a list of requirements so we can measure how well we meet the demands, rules or even what the professor requires.
But, in Christ you have been set free and can now cry, Abba! Father!
There is good news for the Galatians from Paul with one of the most blessed texts that I know:
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
The truth is the Galatians had been set free but continued to climb back into their jail cell of the Law thinking that they can do what it demands. Christ has set them free by his all sufficient sacrifice. He paid for their freedom and nothing that they do can add to their freedom. It is finished as Christ Jesus said from the cross
These Galatians are sill Abraham’s offspring, called son’s of God through faith, when? At their baptisms when they … put on Christ. No longer, Jew or Greek, neither slave nor free … no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. This is salvation that binds no one to any work, but truly comforts all to the Good News that on account of Christ you are free from what the Law requires because Jesus came and kept the Law perfectly for you. The Law still has relevance though because it shows you where you fall short and stops you with the knowledge of right and wrong and even guides you and me in how we should live. But for Paul the message that he wanted to get across to the Galatians is that their freedom is truly free on account of Christ and His sacrifice for sin once and for all!
You are free! You are forgiven!
There is nothing that needs to be added to Christ’s work. All that needs to be added is you … called by the Holy Spirit to believe, having your name written in the Lamb’s book of life … you are Christ’s, forgiven because of His work and needing nothing more but the faith in His work that is given you by God.
There is a great quote by Patrick Henry that reads:
“I have now disposed of all my property to my family. Though there is one thing more I wish I could give them … and that is faith in Jesus Christ. If they had that and I had not given them a single shilling, they would have been rich; but if they lack that, and I had given them the entire world, they would be poor indeed.”
Source unknown
You are rich indeed because you have your heavenly Father’s love on account of Christ. Because of him you are forgiven and have put on Christ Jesus. The sin you were born in has been exchanged for the righteousness of Christ and you have received His fullness and love by the power of the holy Spirit.
Your meal of a plate containing a single piece of bread and a glass of water has been replace with a seat at the table of God’s banquet feast and you are full and satisfied because of Christ. Be joyful at His love for you in the knowledge that He has redeemed you, loves you and will keep you forever by the care of his Spirit.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Text: Gal.4:4-7
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
I read about a small boy who was consistently late coming home from school. His parents warned him one day that he must be home on time that afternoon, but nevertheless he arrived later than ever. His mother met him at the door and said nothing.
At dinner that night, the boy looked at his plate. There was a slice of bread and a glass of water. He looked at his father’s full plate and then at his father, but his father remained silent. The boy was crushed.
The father waited for the full impact to sink in, then quietly took the boy’s plate and placed it in front of himself. He took his own plate of meat and potatoes, put it in front of the boy, and smiled at his son. When that boy grew to be a man, he said, “All my life I’ve known what God is like by what my father did that night.”
J. Allan Peterson
In Christ we have been set free and cry, Abba! Father!
As the opening illustration points out, children are under the care of their parents. In ancient times as well as today the law places the well-being of children to the authority and care of their parents and guardians.
“At the time of Paul, the minor was legally about in the same position as the slave. No act of his had the sanction of the law, unless it was performed through his legal representative. He was under guardians, or tutors, and stewards, or trustees, until the time appointed of the father, who might even make a provision to limit the heir’s right to his property beyond the age of legal majority.”
Popular Commentary of the Bible P.E. Kretzmann NT Vol. 2 Pg. 245
Paul’s letter to the Galatians is an important letter as it points to the sufficient work of Christ Jesus over and above the demands of the Law that had been perplexing the Christians of Galatia. Though they had been recognized as Christians, and James, the head of the Jerusalem Church spoke of no circumcision for gentiles at the Jerusalem council, Paul in his letter has to once again distinguish faith from works.
25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, (no longer are you like a child or a slave under the care of a parent or guardian that will look out for your needs) 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. (Gal 3:25-29)
You too:
In Christ you have been set free and now can cry, Abba! Father!
Ill.
A husband and wife didn't really love each other. The man was very demanding, so much so that he prepared a list of rules and regulations for his wife to follow. He insisted that she read them over every day and obey them to the letter. Among other things, his "do's and don'ts" indicated such details as what time she had to get up in the morning, when his breakfast should be served, and how the housework should be done. After several long years, the husband died.
Now, before you applaud…
As time passed, the woman fell in love with another man, one who dearly loved her. Soon they were married. This husband did everything he could to make his new wife happy, continually showering her with tokens of his appreciation. One day when she was cleaning house, she found tucked away in a drawer the list of commands her first husband had drawn up for her. As she looked it over, it dawned on her that even though her present husband hadn't given her any kind of list, she was doing everything her first husband's list required anyway. She realized she was so devoted to this man that her deepest desire was to please him out of love, not obligation.
Source Unknown.
Here Paul distinguishes that the Law was a guardian before Christ came. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.
Your sinful nature sure wants to place you back under a guardian. It wants to take your freedom in Christ which has set you free from the curse of the law as was discussed in the sermon last week and bind you in bondage again to your sins that have been forgiven in Christ.
And many times, you who have been forgiven … stay bound to your sin … why? Oh, I suppose it is because we are sinners from birth and can’t let go of our guilt.
The Galatians too, as noted in the text have been brought back into bondage by the Jews who are zealous for the law. They have great zeal to keep what time and again they know they can’t keep but try and try they might. Many try at times to justify themselves instead of receiving the free gift of forgiveness found only in Christ.
But not you or me! We never worry about the law, regulations or requirements in our lives. As I start my new class, I’m not concerned with what the professor requires, what I should read or how I can best pass his class with a good grade … Do you see how we all are creatures of the law? We all need and love to follow regulations. The law is a natural for us and it is easy for we who love to have a list of requirements so we can measure how well we meet the demands, rules or even what the professor requires.
But, in Christ you have been set free and can now cry, Abba! Father!
There is good news for the Galatians from Paul with one of the most blessed texts that I know:
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
The truth is the Galatians had been set free but continued to climb back into their jail cell of the Law thinking that they can do what it demands. Christ has set them free by his all sufficient sacrifice. He paid for their freedom and nothing that they do can add to their freedom. It is finished as Christ Jesus said from the cross
These Galatians are sill Abraham’s offspring, called son’s of God through faith, when? At their baptisms when they … put on Christ. No longer, Jew or Greek, neither slave nor free … no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. This is salvation that binds no one to any work, but truly comforts all to the Good News that on account of Christ you are free from what the Law requires because Jesus came and kept the Law perfectly for you. The Law still has relevance though because it shows you where you fall short and stops you with the knowledge of right and wrong and even guides you and me in how we should live. But for Paul the message that he wanted to get across to the Galatians is that their freedom is truly free on account of Christ and His sacrifice for sin once and for all!
You are free! You are forgiven!
There is nothing that needs to be added to Christ’s work. All that needs to be added is you … called by the Holy Spirit to believe, having your name written in the Lamb’s book of life … you are Christ’s, forgiven because of His work and needing nothing more but the faith in His work that is given you by God.
There is a great quote by Patrick Henry that reads:
“I have now disposed of all my property to my family. Though there is one thing more I wish I could give them … and that is faith in Jesus Christ. If they had that and I had not given them a single shilling, they would have been rich; but if they lack that, and I had given them the entire world, they would be poor indeed.”
Source unknown
You are rich indeed because you have your heavenly Father’s love on account of Christ. Because of him you are forgiven and have put on Christ Jesus. The sin you were born in has been exchanged for the righteousness of Christ and you have received His fullness and love by the power of the holy Spirit.
Your meal of a plate containing a single piece of bread and a glass of water has been replace with a seat at the table of God’s banquet feast and you are full and satisfied because of Christ. Be joyful at His love for you in the knowledge that He has redeemed you, loves you and will keep you forever by the care of his Spirit.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Monday, June 17, 2013
Sermon June 15-16, 2013 Father’s Day
Title: On account of Christ you receive God’s favor!
Text Luke 7:48-50
48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Bill Cosby insists that there is a difference between Mother's Day and Father's Day. He says that Mother's Day is a much bigger deal because Mothers are more organized. Mothers say to their children: Now here is a list of what I want. Go get the money from your father and you surprise me on Mother's Day.
For Father’s Day, Bill Cosby gives each of his five kids $20 so that they can go out and by him a present—a total of $100. They go to the store and buy two packages of underwear, each of which costs $5 and contains three shorts. They tear them open and each kid wraps up one pair, the sixth going to the Salvation Army. Therefore, on Father’s Day he’s walking around with new underwear and his kid’s are walking around with $90 worth of his change in their pockets.
Today we thank the Lord for our dad’s and for all the blessings that we've learned from them. Many times dad showed us favor and kindness when we've messed up and today as well we can be thankful that:
On account of Christ you receive God’s favor!
In our Gospel for today Jesus is invited to dine with a Pharisee. Now, the Pharisees were a bit self-absorbed; if you remember the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector:
10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
Now, as Jesus is dinning a woman of questionable character- a woman of the city, a sinner, who is only at this place because she knew Jesus was there, begins weeping and wets his feet with her tears and drying them with her hair.
At some point in her life she made some wrong choices (any of you ever do that before?) The burden of her sin, she carried by herself, until the weight of the Law of God caused a repentant heart in her. Hearing of Christ’s presence in the house she came to honor Him in blessed thanksgiving, washing, kissing and anointing His feet.
Ill.
The root of this practice appears to be found in the hospitality customs of ancient civilizations, especially where sandals were the chief footwear. A host would provide water for guests to wash their feet, provide a servant to wash the feet of the guests or even serve the guests by washing their feet. A typical Eastern host might bow, greet, and kiss his guest, then offer water to allow the guest to wash his feet or have servants do it. Though the wearing of sandals might necessitate washing the feet, the water was also offered as a courtesy even when shoes were worn. Jesus even washes His disciple’s feet as a sign of humility in how they should treat one another.
As the Pharisee sees this he thinks to himself, “If Jesus really is a prophet, he would know that this woman is a low-life sinner of the worst kind and certainly not wish to be associated with her.” Many times we too lump people together with those whom they associate with.
Ill.
Father Mike was a young Priest when I was playing in the bars of Detroit in my early 20s. In 1978 he was newly ordained and installed at St. Francis Cabrini parish in Allen Park. One night as we were beginning to play our first set, in walks my friend Jeff and Father Mike. In talking with Father Mike between sets he related a bit of uneasiness at being in this place. After all the Priest was usually seen at church among parishioners. So here is Father Mike, among sinners, alcohol, smoke, drugs, fights and yes even Rock-n-Roll … done occasionally with a banjo and a red towel.
His thought, “Yes, I am a Priest but maybe here is where I should be bringing the love of Christ to those in need.”
This unfortunately seems to place the weight of some sins that are more public and seem greater in the light of our own vision to the hidden sin we all have and fight against daily. At times you and I, like the Pharisee, see the sins of others … while neglecting the plank in your own eye; thinking it a speck of dust you can just wash out yourself. This self-justifying, self-redeeming sin is a greater corruption than the public sin which is recognized and repented of allowing the cleansing ointment of the God/man to wash you clean in the tears of baptismal forgiveness.
Jesus places the plank squarely back in the Pharisees eye with his story of two debtors. One who was forgiven a debt that was ten times the others and asks this question of the Pharisee:
“ … Now which of them will love him more?”
If you like the Pharisee answer, “the one who has been forgiven the bigger debt!” you too would have answered correctly! The gift of forgiveness is truly a blessing when you recognize especially the magnitude of your guilt. Even the smallest of sin brings separation for eternity from our loving God. At no time could this woman in our lesson see a repair she could make. What she saw was Jesus; Only Jesus. She could only, through repentance, see the comfort offered in Him and the justifying gift and forgiveness He offered.
The Pharisee struggled because he didn’t recognize Jesus for who He is and also didn’t recognize his own sin of self-righteousness. Not needing Christ’s forgiveness in his own view the Pharisee was to be forgiven little and he loved little. But not so you who place your trust in Christ because:
On account of Christ you too receive God’s favor and the same gift!
The epistle reading for today from Galatians brings to focus the gift of God’s justifying grace in Christ Jesus.
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.
The woman at Christ’s feet would not be kept from the free grace offered by the Spirit through faith.
48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The sermon hymn Not What These Hands Have Done reminds us:
1. Not what these hands have done can save this guilty soul; Not what this toiling flesh has born can make my spirit whole.
2. Not what I feel or do can give me peace with God; Not all my prayers and sighs and tears can bear my awful load.
49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?”
Again the Sermon hymn frees you and me from the work of the Law and points us to the joy we have in Christ Jesus and His work.
3. Thy work alone O Christ, Can ease this weight of sin; Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God, can give me peace within.
4. Thy love to me O God, not mine, O Lord to thee; can rid me of this dark unrest and set my spirit free.
50 And then he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
The sermon hymn concludes with the gospel’s Good News:
5. Thy grace alone O God, to me can pardon speak; Thy power alone, O Son of God, can this sore bondage break.
6. I bless the Christ of God, I rest on love divine; and with unfaltering lip and heart I call this Savior mine.
Christ’s forgiveness is given freely to all who repent of their sins by faith, through the power of the Holy Spirit, trusting in Christ’s finished work. You are Christ’s not of your doing but of his choosing and he calls through the gospel of forgiveness by the Holy Spirit in word and sacrament. In baptism you have been call, washed and made God’s beloved child!
As we today celebrate our earthly fathers and all that they have meant in our lives, influencing who we’ve become … we too remember that as a child of our heavenly Father, brought to him through the work of His Son, our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, we have an eternal Father’s Day that we celebrate and joy in now and forever in heaven, Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Text Luke 7:48-50
48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Bill Cosby insists that there is a difference between Mother's Day and Father's Day. He says that Mother's Day is a much bigger deal because Mothers are more organized. Mothers say to their children: Now here is a list of what I want. Go get the money from your father and you surprise me on Mother's Day.
For Father’s Day, Bill Cosby gives each of his five kids $20 so that they can go out and by him a present—a total of $100. They go to the store and buy two packages of underwear, each of which costs $5 and contains three shorts. They tear them open and each kid wraps up one pair, the sixth going to the Salvation Army. Therefore, on Father’s Day he’s walking around with new underwear and his kid’s are walking around with $90 worth of his change in their pockets.
Today we thank the Lord for our dad’s and for all the blessings that we've learned from them. Many times dad showed us favor and kindness when we've messed up and today as well we can be thankful that:
On account of Christ you receive God’s favor!
In our Gospel for today Jesus is invited to dine with a Pharisee. Now, the Pharisees were a bit self-absorbed; if you remember the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector:
10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
Now, as Jesus is dinning a woman of questionable character- a woman of the city, a sinner, who is only at this place because she knew Jesus was there, begins weeping and wets his feet with her tears and drying them with her hair.
At some point in her life she made some wrong choices (any of you ever do that before?) The burden of her sin, she carried by herself, until the weight of the Law of God caused a repentant heart in her. Hearing of Christ’s presence in the house she came to honor Him in blessed thanksgiving, washing, kissing and anointing His feet.
Ill.
The root of this practice appears to be found in the hospitality customs of ancient civilizations, especially where sandals were the chief footwear. A host would provide water for guests to wash their feet, provide a servant to wash the feet of the guests or even serve the guests by washing their feet. A typical Eastern host might bow, greet, and kiss his guest, then offer water to allow the guest to wash his feet or have servants do it. Though the wearing of sandals might necessitate washing the feet, the water was also offered as a courtesy even when shoes were worn. Jesus even washes His disciple’s feet as a sign of humility in how they should treat one another.
As the Pharisee sees this he thinks to himself, “If Jesus really is a prophet, he would know that this woman is a low-life sinner of the worst kind and certainly not wish to be associated with her.” Many times we too lump people together with those whom they associate with.
Ill.
Father Mike was a young Priest when I was playing in the bars of Detroit in my early 20s. In 1978 he was newly ordained and installed at St. Francis Cabrini parish in Allen Park. One night as we were beginning to play our first set, in walks my friend Jeff and Father Mike. In talking with Father Mike between sets he related a bit of uneasiness at being in this place. After all the Priest was usually seen at church among parishioners. So here is Father Mike, among sinners, alcohol, smoke, drugs, fights and yes even Rock-n-Roll … done occasionally with a banjo and a red towel.
His thought, “Yes, I am a Priest but maybe here is where I should be bringing the love of Christ to those in need.”
This unfortunately seems to place the weight of some sins that are more public and seem greater in the light of our own vision to the hidden sin we all have and fight against daily. At times you and I, like the Pharisee, see the sins of others … while neglecting the plank in your own eye; thinking it a speck of dust you can just wash out yourself. This self-justifying, self-redeeming sin is a greater corruption than the public sin which is recognized and repented of allowing the cleansing ointment of the God/man to wash you clean in the tears of baptismal forgiveness.
Jesus places the plank squarely back in the Pharisees eye with his story of two debtors. One who was forgiven a debt that was ten times the others and asks this question of the Pharisee:
“ … Now which of them will love him more?”
If you like the Pharisee answer, “the one who has been forgiven the bigger debt!” you too would have answered correctly! The gift of forgiveness is truly a blessing when you recognize especially the magnitude of your guilt. Even the smallest of sin brings separation for eternity from our loving God. At no time could this woman in our lesson see a repair she could make. What she saw was Jesus; Only Jesus. She could only, through repentance, see the comfort offered in Him and the justifying gift and forgiveness He offered.
The Pharisee struggled because he didn’t recognize Jesus for who He is and also didn’t recognize his own sin of self-righteousness. Not needing Christ’s forgiveness in his own view the Pharisee was to be forgiven little and he loved little. But not so you who place your trust in Christ because:
On account of Christ you too receive God’s favor and the same gift!
The epistle reading for today from Galatians brings to focus the gift of God’s justifying grace in Christ Jesus.
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.
The woman at Christ’s feet would not be kept from the free grace offered by the Spirit through faith.
48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The sermon hymn Not What These Hands Have Done reminds us:
1. Not what these hands have done can save this guilty soul; Not what this toiling flesh has born can make my spirit whole.
2. Not what I feel or do can give me peace with God; Not all my prayers and sighs and tears can bear my awful load.
49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?”
Again the Sermon hymn frees you and me from the work of the Law and points us to the joy we have in Christ Jesus and His work.
3. Thy work alone O Christ, Can ease this weight of sin; Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God, can give me peace within.
4. Thy love to me O God, not mine, O Lord to thee; can rid me of this dark unrest and set my spirit free.
50 And then he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
The sermon hymn concludes with the gospel’s Good News:
5. Thy grace alone O God, to me can pardon speak; Thy power alone, O Son of God, can this sore bondage break.
6. I bless the Christ of God, I rest on love divine; and with unfaltering lip and heart I call this Savior mine.
Christ’s forgiveness is given freely to all who repent of their sins by faith, through the power of the Holy Spirit, trusting in Christ’s finished work. You are Christ’s not of your doing but of his choosing and he calls through the gospel of forgiveness by the Holy Spirit in word and sacrament. In baptism you have been call, washed and made God’s beloved child!
As we today celebrate our earthly fathers and all that they have meant in our lives, influencing who we’ve become … we too remember that as a child of our heavenly Father, brought to him through the work of His Son, our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, we have an eternal Father’s Day that we celebrate and joy in now and forever in heaven, Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Monday, June 10, 2013
Sermon June 8-9, 2013 Pastor's retirement
Title: Jesus will take us home!
Text: Luke 7:13-16
13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!”
When Christian Herter was governor of Massachusetts, he was running hard for a second term in office. One day, after a busy morning chasing votes (and no lunch) he arrived at a church having a Chicken barbecue. It was late afternoon and Herter was famished. As Herter moved down the serving line, he held out his plate to the woman serving chicken. She put a piece on his plate and turned to the next person in line.
"Excuse me," Governor Herter said, "do you mind if I have another piece of chicken?" "Sorry," the woman told him. "I'm supposed to give one piece of chicken to each person." "But I'm starved," the governor said.
"Sorry," the woman said again. "Only one to a customer."
Governor Herter was a modest and unassuming man, but he decided that this time he would throw a little weight around. "Do you know who I am?" he said. "I am the governor of this state." Well. She looked at him, "Do you know who I am?" the woman said. "I'm the lady in charge of the chicken. Move along, mister."
Bits & Pieces, May 28, 1992, pp. 5-6
As we prepare for our chicken BBQ I pray that we deal a bit more kindly and compassionately with one another.
In our gospel lesson for today we see the compassion of our Lord. Compassion can be defined as, a sympathetic awareness of another’s distress, together with a desire to alleviate it.
The bible is full of these opposites or contrasts. Darkness to light, blindness to sight, lost to found but nothing is quite as captivating as death to life.
In our Old Testament lesson for today the story is told of Elijah, the widow and her son. You might remember the story of how Elijah told King Ahab, who being the seventh King of Israel and reigning for 22 years, married Jezebel, and under her influence, built a pagan temple, and allowed idols into Samaria. Elijah the prophet warned Ahab that the country would suffer from drought if the cult of Baal was not removed from the land of Israel.
“As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”
So as the story continues, Elijah stays with this widow and her son, asks her for water and a morsel of food and assures her that the ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth.’ This all leads up to the lesson today where the son becomes ill, was so ill that he was not breathing … we all might say … that he died! Obviously, this would be very distressing to any mother and Elijah goes up to the boy’s room, stretches out on this dead body three times and pleads crying out to the Lord:
“O LORD my God, let this child's life come into him again.” 22 And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. (1Kings 17:21b-22)
In contrast, the gospel lesson for today tells of a funeral procession and this takes place chronologically right after the healing of the centurion’s servant from last week’s lesson.
“Soon afterward” we are told, so that directly after the healing of the Centurion’s servant, Jesus and His disciples, along with a large crowd, travel to the town of Nain. Here they come upon this procession leading to burial. The Jews typically buried their dead quickly after death.
Ill.
When I worked at ACORN building Components doing architectural drafting in Detroit in the mid 1970’s I worked with a man named Harold Adler. I saw Harold one Friday as I left work and said goodbye to him and his nephew Jess, as I went home for the weekend. When I returned to work on Monday I found out from Jess that Harold had passed away on Saturday and was already buried! Not unlike the account of our reading for today.
Biblical accounts of burial arrangements reveal that the Jews took great care in preparing the corpse. As with our Lord’s own burial, family and friends washed the body of the deceased, rubbed it with spices and fine oil, and wrapped it in cloths. The reading for today would have followed a similar procedure.
Jesus, seeing this, shows compassion at the death of this woman’s son and tells the widow:
“Do not weep.” 14 Then he came up and touched the bier, (Now a bier is a coffin together with its stand) and the bearers stood still. And Jesus said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.”
Now, can you imagine! This is not a sleeping man but a man that has died and been prepared for burial and in fact is being carried to the tomb. You can imagine in your mind’s eye the look on the face of the mourners after carrying a dead man and seeing this man rise from the dead – burial cloths and all.
In both stories today the young men … are given back to their mothers. For all of us, Mothers, Fathers, Sons and Daughters alike … we can take great comfort that in Christ:
Jesus will take us home!
So, if you’re a mother with a son or daughter or a father for that matter like me, do you hope and pray that your child life is blessed, and that they have a good life?
Well, sure you do; but, what about everlasting life? Some conclude that, “Well, they’ve been confirmed, I did my part, now it’s up to them.”
Many children young and old should be in Sunday school but for some reason they aren’t. Again it is not the well who need a doctor but the sick. I’m sure you – as would any loving parent - would take your child to the Doctor’s office, emergency room or wherever was necessary to make sure they received the care that they needed. So why would their Spiritual care be any different?
Ill.
The story that was all over the internet recently, was of the child in China that was found in the drain pipe … what an unbelievable story. This newborn had been brought to life and then found stuck and crying in a most unthinkable place. The latest update on the story says it was an accident?
The young woman who gave birth didn’t immediately say to police that she was the baby’s mother. Who keeps this info from the police? What do you suppose the chances of survival would have been for that child if no one had heard the cries?
Compare that to the spiritual birth of a child in Baptism. What chance does a child of God have to remain in the faith, apart from hearing the word of God, being taught all that the Lord has done … and receiving God’s continued gifts of word and sacrament? What might happen to the faith of a child who is left in this metaphorical drain pipe of discarded spiritual life? Could you even hear the spiritual cries for help?
Death is the consequence of sin and from this our physical life death awaits. But as we have already been raised from death to newness of life in our baptisms we have gone from death … apart from Christ, to a life born anew or from above in him. To allow this new life in Christ to die is the working of the devil and the sinful nature we all fight. But, by the working of the Holy Spirit through the word, God will keep you covered with the righteousness won by Jesus Christ at the cross and we can all have comfort that, in Christ and by faith:
Jesus will take us home!
Home … for many of us gathered here today, our faith was built in the spiritual home of Peace Lutheran Church being fed on word and sacrament through the faithful service of Pastor William Merrell. When Pastor Merrell retired it was the same day as my ordination … so his retirement took a back seat. Then we had our 50th anniversary celebration and once again his retirement was moved back. Soon after it was Lent and Easter so again let’s look at April or May. No, Confirmation is in April. But, all the while Pastor says … Nancy and I don’t want anything special.
So, what do you do for a man who has meant so much to us all, serving his Lord and savior here at Peace for 32 years! Well, I for one would not be standing in front of you today… if it were not for him. I found a Godly servant … an under shepherd who proclaimed Christ and the Gospel of forgiveness; who always illumined the light of the Gospel on the cross of Christ and never on himself. Who humbly served the flock here at Peace, feeding, caring and visiting those whom the Lord had place under his care.
In October of 2009 Pastor Merrell called me into his office to see if I might prayerfully consider entering the ministry and ultimately serving here at Peace. In hindsight, I’m humbled and honored to follow in (his) your footsteps which are quite frankly, all over this place because the footsteps that I follow … are Christ’s … just as they always were for you.
… and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!”
God has visited His people here at Peace because of faithful under shepherds who proclaim forgiveness of sins on account of Christ and the blessed exchange that removes sin and the guilt that leads to death replacing it with the pure white robes of Christ Jesus … that neither you nor I deserve.
But because Jesus is worthy … heaven is our home!
Death no longer has claim to you. Christ has named you in your baptism and washed you clean in the blood of the Lamb. During Confirmation it was a joy to have Pastor Merrell participate in the rite, giving a blessing to these newly confirmed members of Peace … being the instrument that God used to first (as Pastor later remembered that six of the eight confirmands, he first baptized) marking these babies as one redeemed by Christ the crucified and then to hear them confirm all that God has done in their lives- by faith. What a great blessing!
Jesus has confirmed our home and He has our room waiting!
Shortly our Chicken BBQ will feed our physical needs and we thank all who make this possible but today we thank Jesus for the faithful servant, and service of Pastor Merrell, who has fed and continues to feed the sheep wherever God calls him to serve whether in visitation or as a Chaplain for the Waterford Police. May God continue to bless you Pastor Bill and Nancy in all you do, wherever Christ leads. May you continue to be blessed as you have been a blessing to us all through Christ Jesus our living God who comforts the broken with the blessed Gospel of peace.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Text: Luke 7:13-16
13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!”
When Christian Herter was governor of Massachusetts, he was running hard for a second term in office. One day, after a busy morning chasing votes (and no lunch) he arrived at a church having a Chicken barbecue. It was late afternoon and Herter was famished. As Herter moved down the serving line, he held out his plate to the woman serving chicken. She put a piece on his plate and turned to the next person in line.
"Excuse me," Governor Herter said, "do you mind if I have another piece of chicken?" "Sorry," the woman told him. "I'm supposed to give one piece of chicken to each person." "But I'm starved," the governor said.
"Sorry," the woman said again. "Only one to a customer."
Governor Herter was a modest and unassuming man, but he decided that this time he would throw a little weight around. "Do you know who I am?" he said. "I am the governor of this state." Well. She looked at him, "Do you know who I am?" the woman said. "I'm the lady in charge of the chicken. Move along, mister."
Bits & Pieces, May 28, 1992, pp. 5-6
As we prepare for our chicken BBQ I pray that we deal a bit more kindly and compassionately with one another.
In our gospel lesson for today we see the compassion of our Lord. Compassion can be defined as, a sympathetic awareness of another’s distress, together with a desire to alleviate it.
The bible is full of these opposites or contrasts. Darkness to light, blindness to sight, lost to found but nothing is quite as captivating as death to life.
In our Old Testament lesson for today the story is told of Elijah, the widow and her son. You might remember the story of how Elijah told King Ahab, who being the seventh King of Israel and reigning for 22 years, married Jezebel, and under her influence, built a pagan temple, and allowed idols into Samaria. Elijah the prophet warned Ahab that the country would suffer from drought if the cult of Baal was not removed from the land of Israel.
“As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”
So as the story continues, Elijah stays with this widow and her son, asks her for water and a morsel of food and assures her that the ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth.’ This all leads up to the lesson today where the son becomes ill, was so ill that he was not breathing … we all might say … that he died! Obviously, this would be very distressing to any mother and Elijah goes up to the boy’s room, stretches out on this dead body three times and pleads crying out to the Lord:
“O LORD my God, let this child's life come into him again.” 22 And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. (1Kings 17:21b-22)
In contrast, the gospel lesson for today tells of a funeral procession and this takes place chronologically right after the healing of the centurion’s servant from last week’s lesson.
“Soon afterward” we are told, so that directly after the healing of the Centurion’s servant, Jesus and His disciples, along with a large crowd, travel to the town of Nain. Here they come upon this procession leading to burial. The Jews typically buried their dead quickly after death.
Ill.
When I worked at ACORN building Components doing architectural drafting in Detroit in the mid 1970’s I worked with a man named Harold Adler. I saw Harold one Friday as I left work and said goodbye to him and his nephew Jess, as I went home for the weekend. When I returned to work on Monday I found out from Jess that Harold had passed away on Saturday and was already buried! Not unlike the account of our reading for today.
Biblical accounts of burial arrangements reveal that the Jews took great care in preparing the corpse. As with our Lord’s own burial, family and friends washed the body of the deceased, rubbed it with spices and fine oil, and wrapped it in cloths. The reading for today would have followed a similar procedure.
Jesus, seeing this, shows compassion at the death of this woman’s son and tells the widow:
“Do not weep.” 14 Then he came up and touched the bier, (Now a bier is a coffin together with its stand) and the bearers stood still. And Jesus said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.”
Now, can you imagine! This is not a sleeping man but a man that has died and been prepared for burial and in fact is being carried to the tomb. You can imagine in your mind’s eye the look on the face of the mourners after carrying a dead man and seeing this man rise from the dead – burial cloths and all.
In both stories today the young men … are given back to their mothers. For all of us, Mothers, Fathers, Sons and Daughters alike … we can take great comfort that in Christ:
Jesus will take us home!
So, if you’re a mother with a son or daughter or a father for that matter like me, do you hope and pray that your child life is blessed, and that they have a good life?
Well, sure you do; but, what about everlasting life? Some conclude that, “Well, they’ve been confirmed, I did my part, now it’s up to them.”
Many children young and old should be in Sunday school but for some reason they aren’t. Again it is not the well who need a doctor but the sick. I’m sure you – as would any loving parent - would take your child to the Doctor’s office, emergency room or wherever was necessary to make sure they received the care that they needed. So why would their Spiritual care be any different?
Ill.
The story that was all over the internet recently, was of the child in China that was found in the drain pipe … what an unbelievable story. This newborn had been brought to life and then found stuck and crying in a most unthinkable place. The latest update on the story says it was an accident?
The young woman who gave birth didn’t immediately say to police that she was the baby’s mother. Who keeps this info from the police? What do you suppose the chances of survival would have been for that child if no one had heard the cries?
Compare that to the spiritual birth of a child in Baptism. What chance does a child of God have to remain in the faith, apart from hearing the word of God, being taught all that the Lord has done … and receiving God’s continued gifts of word and sacrament? What might happen to the faith of a child who is left in this metaphorical drain pipe of discarded spiritual life? Could you even hear the spiritual cries for help?
Death is the consequence of sin and from this our physical life death awaits. But as we have already been raised from death to newness of life in our baptisms we have gone from death … apart from Christ, to a life born anew or from above in him. To allow this new life in Christ to die is the working of the devil and the sinful nature we all fight. But, by the working of the Holy Spirit through the word, God will keep you covered with the righteousness won by Jesus Christ at the cross and we can all have comfort that, in Christ and by faith:
Jesus will take us home!
Home … for many of us gathered here today, our faith was built in the spiritual home of Peace Lutheran Church being fed on word and sacrament through the faithful service of Pastor William Merrell. When Pastor Merrell retired it was the same day as my ordination … so his retirement took a back seat. Then we had our 50th anniversary celebration and once again his retirement was moved back. Soon after it was Lent and Easter so again let’s look at April or May. No, Confirmation is in April. But, all the while Pastor says … Nancy and I don’t want anything special.
So, what do you do for a man who has meant so much to us all, serving his Lord and savior here at Peace for 32 years! Well, I for one would not be standing in front of you today… if it were not for him. I found a Godly servant … an under shepherd who proclaimed Christ and the Gospel of forgiveness; who always illumined the light of the Gospel on the cross of Christ and never on himself. Who humbly served the flock here at Peace, feeding, caring and visiting those whom the Lord had place under his care.
In October of 2009 Pastor Merrell called me into his office to see if I might prayerfully consider entering the ministry and ultimately serving here at Peace. In hindsight, I’m humbled and honored to follow in (his) your footsteps which are quite frankly, all over this place because the footsteps that I follow … are Christ’s … just as they always were for you.
… and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!”
God has visited His people here at Peace because of faithful under shepherds who proclaim forgiveness of sins on account of Christ and the blessed exchange that removes sin and the guilt that leads to death replacing it with the pure white robes of Christ Jesus … that neither you nor I deserve.
But because Jesus is worthy … heaven is our home!
Death no longer has claim to you. Christ has named you in your baptism and washed you clean in the blood of the Lamb. During Confirmation it was a joy to have Pastor Merrell participate in the rite, giving a blessing to these newly confirmed members of Peace … being the instrument that God used to first (as Pastor later remembered that six of the eight confirmands, he first baptized) marking these babies as one redeemed by Christ the crucified and then to hear them confirm all that God has done in their lives- by faith. What a great blessing!
Jesus has confirmed our home and He has our room waiting!
Shortly our Chicken BBQ will feed our physical needs and we thank all who make this possible but today we thank Jesus for the faithful servant, and service of Pastor Merrell, who has fed and continues to feed the sheep wherever God calls him to serve whether in visitation or as a Chaplain for the Waterford Police. May God continue to bless you Pastor Bill and Nancy in all you do, wherever Christ leads. May you continue to be blessed as you have been a blessing to us all through Christ Jesus our living God who comforts the broken with the blessed Gospel of peace.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Sermon June 1-2, 2013
Title: Christ is the author and perfecter of our faith!
Text: Luke 7:6-7
6 And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.
There is a tale told of that great English actor Macready. An eminent preacher once said to him: "I wish you would explain to me something." "Well, what is it? I don't know that I can explain anything to a preacher." He said.
"What is the reason for the difference between you and me? You are appearing before crowds night after night with fiction, and the crowds come wherever you go. I am preaching the essential and unchangeable truth, and I am not getting any crowds at all."
Macready's answer was this: "This is quite simple. I can tell you the difference between us. I present my fiction as though it were truth; you present your truth as though it were fiction."
G. Campbell Morgan, Preaching, p. 36.
Christ is the author and perfecter of our faith!
Who is Jesus? What is the truth? Do you believe? These and many other questions have been asked over the centuries. Last week we looked into the mystery of the Trinity, Father, Son + and Holy Spirit; the oneness of unity and the uniqueness of persons.
Today, in our lesson the question goes beyond the apprehending of the mystery of the Godhead to the truth of Jesus and His work.
2 Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him.
This Roman officer had a servant or a slave that was important to him. He valued his work or where he served and this servant was now near death. Now, the idea of losing a valued worker is nothing new. Smart business people know that it is better and easier to keep good workers than to find and train good replacements.
But in our story today the centurion certainly valued not only his servant but also the Jews and their religion, having built their synagogue and loving their nation.
There is the story of:
Ill.
"The German Oriental society, which was carrying on excavations in Egypt (in the late 1800s in), Babylonia, and Assyria, undertook the investigation of the remains of ancient synagogues in Galilee. Among these they excavated the ruins of the synagogue at Tell Hum on the Sea of Galilee, the probable site of Capernaum. Here they found the remains of a once beautiful synagogue which was probably built in the fourth century A. D. But, beneath this synagogue is the floor of a still older building. The last is probably the synagogue in which so many of the incidents of the ministry of Christ in Capernaum took place … even the one built by a Roman centurion."
Kretzmann NT vol. 1 pg.300
Now, this Roman officer had the elders of the Jews come to Jesus on his behalf to plead with Christ to come and heal this servant. The Jewish leaders feel that this centurion is worthy to have Christ come to him and they plede with Jesus … but look at the centurion’s own view of himself.
When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.
He knows that he is unworthy but by faith he knows too that Jesus can provide what he needs because:
Christ is the author and perfecter of our faith!
Do you ever feel unworthy? Do you feel lost at times? Do you even sometimes feel useless?
Ill.
When Irving S. Olds was chairman of the U.S. Steel Corporation, he arrived for a stockholders' meeting and was confronted by a woman who asked, "Exactly who are you and what do you do?" Without batting an eye, Olds replied, "I am your chairman. Of course, you know the duties of a chairman--that's someone who is roughly the equivalent of parsley on a platter of fish."
Bits and Pieces, June 27, 1991, p.7.
The bigger problem is: Do you feel worthy? Do you feel in tune with the world? Do you feel useful or maybe at times very important? This is a problem that is faced by everyone at one time or another. Do you take yourself too seriously? Do you think higher of yourself than you should? Do you think that if you don’t do it, no one else will and it won’t get done?
Sin causes us to overestimate our own worth and to diminish the worth of others. In the lesson today, this Roman officer knows that he is a man under authority and also has those who are under his own authority. He sends friends to Jesus to telling him:
“Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.” (Luke 7:6b-7)
This man recognizes the authority of Jesus Christ but more importantly he has faith to trust that this word of God, Jesus Christ, can heal his servant.
Do you fall short? Do you see your sin always before you? Do you do as Paul says in Romans 6:16-18 …
16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.
Servant or slave …? Either, you are a servant to sin and corruption and the working of the devil or you are a servant to the Lord Jesus Christ, by faith through the working of the Holy Spirit in you? The tension is there for all as we wrestle as both saint and sinner in this life and we all at times fallback into the sin nature that we all possess from birth, doing that which we don’t want to do, instead of that which we want to do. But the law of God which is written on our hearts is there to point us, as a mirror does to our sin, causing us to be burdened by guilt and by the Spirit’s work in us bringing us to repentance.
Through the Spirit’s work you once again see a savior who can meet your every need whether in sickness or health, rich or poor and as Paul reminds the Philippians:
4 Rejoice in the Lord always … 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Christ is the author and perfecter of our faith and the one who brings true Peace!
The centurion knew and trusted that through the word of the Lord his servant would be healed. True faith, not wavering and by God’s word he was healed. He saw in Christ the same one who as St John beheld in the vision on the Isle of Patmos in the book of Revelation:
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. (Rev. 1:17-18)
Death could not have conquest over the centurion’s servant because, in Christ by faith, spiritual death is conquered and new life is given through the working of the Holy Spirit.
9 When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 10 And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.
Christ is the author and perfecter of our faith and the one who gives eternal life!
Today you too need to recognize Jesus for who He is; the author and perfecter of your faith. He is the one who has taken away the sins of the world and in Him you have life eternal in Him. The good news is that through the working of the Holy Spirit you have been brought to faith and through the means of grace, of word and sacrament, you are continually built up in Christ being made holy in Him.
The truth we are given in Christ is not fiction. It is the true and blessed working of our Lord to redeem the lost. You have been forgiven and are him. Rejoice in the works of God!
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Text: Luke 7:6-7
6 And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.
There is a tale told of that great English actor Macready. An eminent preacher once said to him: "I wish you would explain to me something." "Well, what is it? I don't know that I can explain anything to a preacher." He said.
"What is the reason for the difference between you and me? You are appearing before crowds night after night with fiction, and the crowds come wherever you go. I am preaching the essential and unchangeable truth, and I am not getting any crowds at all."
Macready's answer was this: "This is quite simple. I can tell you the difference between us. I present my fiction as though it were truth; you present your truth as though it were fiction."
G. Campbell Morgan, Preaching, p. 36.
Christ is the author and perfecter of our faith!
Who is Jesus? What is the truth? Do you believe? These and many other questions have been asked over the centuries. Last week we looked into the mystery of the Trinity, Father, Son + and Holy Spirit; the oneness of unity and the uniqueness of persons.
Today, in our lesson the question goes beyond the apprehending of the mystery of the Godhead to the truth of Jesus and His work.
2 Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him.
This Roman officer had a servant or a slave that was important to him. He valued his work or where he served and this servant was now near death. Now, the idea of losing a valued worker is nothing new. Smart business people know that it is better and easier to keep good workers than to find and train good replacements.
But in our story today the centurion certainly valued not only his servant but also the Jews and their religion, having built their synagogue and loving their nation.
There is the story of:
Ill.
"The German Oriental society, which was carrying on excavations in Egypt (in the late 1800s in), Babylonia, and Assyria, undertook the investigation of the remains of ancient synagogues in Galilee. Among these they excavated the ruins of the synagogue at Tell Hum on the Sea of Galilee, the probable site of Capernaum. Here they found the remains of a once beautiful synagogue which was probably built in the fourth century A. D. But, beneath this synagogue is the floor of a still older building. The last is probably the synagogue in which so many of the incidents of the ministry of Christ in Capernaum took place … even the one built by a Roman centurion."
Kretzmann NT vol. 1 pg.300
Now, this Roman officer had the elders of the Jews come to Jesus on his behalf to plead with Christ to come and heal this servant. The Jewish leaders feel that this centurion is worthy to have Christ come to him and they plede with Jesus … but look at the centurion’s own view of himself.
When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.
He knows that he is unworthy but by faith he knows too that Jesus can provide what he needs because:
Christ is the author and perfecter of our faith!
Do you ever feel unworthy? Do you feel lost at times? Do you even sometimes feel useless?
Ill.
When Irving S. Olds was chairman of the U.S. Steel Corporation, he arrived for a stockholders' meeting and was confronted by a woman who asked, "Exactly who are you and what do you do?" Without batting an eye, Olds replied, "I am your chairman. Of course, you know the duties of a chairman--that's someone who is roughly the equivalent of parsley on a platter of fish."
Bits and Pieces, June 27, 1991, p.7.
The bigger problem is: Do you feel worthy? Do you feel in tune with the world? Do you feel useful or maybe at times very important? This is a problem that is faced by everyone at one time or another. Do you take yourself too seriously? Do you think higher of yourself than you should? Do you think that if you don’t do it, no one else will and it won’t get done?
Sin causes us to overestimate our own worth and to diminish the worth of others. In the lesson today, this Roman officer knows that he is a man under authority and also has those who are under his own authority. He sends friends to Jesus to telling him:
“Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.” (Luke 7:6b-7)
This man recognizes the authority of Jesus Christ but more importantly he has faith to trust that this word of God, Jesus Christ, can heal his servant.
Do you fall short? Do you see your sin always before you? Do you do as Paul says in Romans 6:16-18 …
16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.
Servant or slave …? Either, you are a servant to sin and corruption and the working of the devil or you are a servant to the Lord Jesus Christ, by faith through the working of the Holy Spirit in you? The tension is there for all as we wrestle as both saint and sinner in this life and we all at times fallback into the sin nature that we all possess from birth, doing that which we don’t want to do, instead of that which we want to do. But the law of God which is written on our hearts is there to point us, as a mirror does to our sin, causing us to be burdened by guilt and by the Spirit’s work in us bringing us to repentance.
Through the Spirit’s work you once again see a savior who can meet your every need whether in sickness or health, rich or poor and as Paul reminds the Philippians:
4 Rejoice in the Lord always … 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Christ is the author and perfecter of our faith and the one who brings true Peace!
The centurion knew and trusted that through the word of the Lord his servant would be healed. True faith, not wavering and by God’s word he was healed. He saw in Christ the same one who as St John beheld in the vision on the Isle of Patmos in the book of Revelation:
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. (Rev. 1:17-18)
Death could not have conquest over the centurion’s servant because, in Christ by faith, spiritual death is conquered and new life is given through the working of the Holy Spirit.
9 When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 10 And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.
Christ is the author and perfecter of our faith and the one who gives eternal life!
Today you too need to recognize Jesus for who He is; the author and perfecter of your faith. He is the one who has taken away the sins of the world and in Him you have life eternal in Him. The good news is that through the working of the Holy Spirit you have been brought to faith and through the means of grace, of word and sacrament, you are continually built up in Christ being made holy in Him.
The truth we are given in Christ is not fiction. It is the true and blessed working of our Lord to redeem the lost. You have been forgiven and are him. Rejoice in the works of God!
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
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