Sermons and Devotions

1st Sunday after the Epiphany – Baptism of Our Lord Pastor Nathan Fager
January 11, 2009 Risen Savior Ev. Lutheran Church
Paul Saves the Jailor’s Life
I. A simple answer to the biggest question
II. A simple response for the greatest joy
Acts 16:25-34
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” 29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.
This is the Word of the Lord.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Where’s the best place to do mission work? Our Wisconsin Synod has a short list of locations they plan to focus on. Right now China is on top of that list. For as difficult as it is to preach about Jesus there, I still think that is a good selection. Why? Because there are lots of people over there, a majority of whom have never heard of Jesus and, in fact, don’t even have a word in their vocabulary for the one true God.
Where else is a good place to do mission work? I just spoke recently to some seminary seniors who heard we will be sending two graduates to Russia. This past summer I spoke with a pastor who had been spending time in Portugal with his wife to learn the language spoken in Mozambique, another new world mission. Of all the corners of the earth, why would we choose to do mission work there? Because that’s where there are people who need to hear about Jesus.
In our Old Testament lesson today we heard about how the servant of the Lord would be a light for the Gentiles to bring salvation to the ends of the earth. Where did all that start? The one to bring salvation is our Lord Jesus. When he approached John the Baptist to himself be baptized, he marked the beginning of his earthly ministry. From the waters of that Jordan River, Jesus went out focusing primarily on the Jewish nation. This was the start of mission work that would bring salvation to the ends of the earth.
So where to next? Where would be the best place to do mission work? Jesus could not always carry his message himself, so he appointed the apostles. After their 3 years of training they were commissioned to go and make disciples of all nations. This too was a task that needed more workers. So the apostles went about appointing others to help in the church. But they needed to do mission work all over the world, so the church sent out missionaries. These men then took the message of salvation outside of Israel.
One such missionary team included two men, named Paul and Silas. As we catch up with them in Acts chapter 16, they have made their way for the first time into the area of Macedonia, modern day Greece. After not too long they enter into the city of Philippi. This was perhaps a rather intimating mission field, since there were very few Jews and a good number of retired Roman soldiers. But this too was a place to do mission work, because there were people there who needed to hear about Jesus.
As was common for Paul and for many of those who do mission work, there were intense highs and discouraging lows. At first things seem to be going well. The Word had attracted an audience. The Lord was opening the hearts of people to respond to Paul’s message. And then the devil is set loose. He takes hold of the first opportunity to send the city into an uproar. The missionaries are dragged out, accused unjustly, and punished with a severe beating. Then surely bleeding, bruised, sore, without anything to soothe their wounds, they are put in a prison dungeon with their feet painfully locked in wooden stocks.
I don’t know about you, but that may be a sign to me that God doesn’t want any more work done in this place. Things can’t get any worse than that, can they? Of all the places to do mission work it surely wouldn’t seem appealing bound and chained in a prison cell. This type of hardship rarely if ever happens where you or I do our mission work. But we still face despair, and for far less reasons. It may even take just one friend who doesn’t come when you invite them to church with you and you’re ready to throw in the towel.
Despair doesn’t even need to be when you’re doing mission work. There are many other situations that can leave you feeling helpless and defeated. The loss of control, the loss of a source of income, the loss of a loved one in death. These for us are like the beatings of the rod that met the back of Paul. Time after time we get beat down and left bleeding, bruised, sore, and without anything to soothe the wounds. Maybe a deep dark dungeon sounds appealing as a place you can get away and wait to die.
I’m sure the devil was dancing in the streets that night in Philippi. God’s work was being severely hindered. These missionaries were going to crawl into a hole and die. Or were they? The devil’s victory celebration was short lived. He had not sent these men into despair. They were not down their wailing in misery. Yes, they were bound and chained, but they were not gagged. They still had mouths and the strength to sing.
Echoing through the darkness came the sound that said to everyone who would listen, “We are not dead, we are not defeated. We have a message of victory, of life for all the living.” One hymn after another bounced off those cold wet walls. One prayer after another drowned out the cries of pain. When there could have been wails bemoaning bondage there were songs that spoke of deliverance.
How clearly the message was proclaimed of acceptance to God’s will, compassion for God’s enemies, and confidence in God’s power to help the weak. And just when the other prisoners were looking to know more about this Savior God, the ground starts to quake. Their hymns are muffled now as foundations are tested, locks are broken, chains are falling loose, and doors are flung open. Deliverance from the God who delivers.
For the prisoners the open doors lead not to escape but to the cell of Paul whose prayers had made this happen. But Paul felt no need to run away. He knew full well that if any of the prisoners escaped, the prison guard would be held accountable with his life. Paul leaving meant death for the jailor. He was not about to let that happen.
But open doors mean escaped prisoners. When the jailor sees this, he will surely think the worst. The devil who could not defeat these mission workers would instead put a strangle hold on this pagan. Panic would quickly lead to thoughts of suicide. When all seems lost, what is there left to live for? The rulers would take his life anyway so why not put himself out of that misery. This would have been an easy victory for the devil compared to his attempt to bring despair to Paul and Silas. But again the devil is left empty handed.
Paul shouts out just in time, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” And at that, the sword that would have taken his life was replaced by a torch to confirm that he had been saved. Paul was right, no one had escaped. There was no need to kill himself. This proud and merciless man who had put Paul into the stocks is driven to his knees in gratitude.
But why this man? Why not let him take his life and be done with it? What benefit to Paul could there be to save this man’s life? Surely these thoughts were running through everyone’s mind there, especially this jailor. Was Paul really that concerned about every life even those who apparently didn’t deserve to be saved? Why was life so precious? There must be something more.
The whole city that only a few hours before had been in an uproar over Paul and Silas were surely aware of Paul’s message. What started this whole mess was a girl Paul healed by driving out her evil spirit. She had at one time predicted the future but for many days had been calling out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved” (vs. 17). Perhaps this was why life was so precious.
Guilt ceased the jailor. He felt completely helpless before this God who had used an earthquake to free Paul and his companions. He was seized by a deep desire for deliverance. Paul must have the answer. He who was so accepting of his severe beatings. He who was so composed when the prison foundations shook. He who spoke and sung of a mighty God must have the answer. So he asks the simple yet fundamental question, “What must I do to be saved?”
I see no hesitation in Paul’s voice at this point. No thinking “Should I tell him or not.” No discrimation against this man who had caused him pain and suffering. I see in Paul the pure joy of knowing “Not only do I get to save this man’s life, I get to tell him about the salvation of his soul.” And here then is his answer, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”
This is the simple and powerful message of the gospel. “Believe,” that is to put your trust and full confidence in someone. “Jesus,” the object of that trust whose life and death made salvation possible. “And you will be saved,” delivered right here and now from that which Jesus has set you free, namely sin, death, and hell. When you do this, when you, by the power of God, believe, then salvation naturally follows.
After providing the simple answer to the biggest question Paul explains God’s Word further. After God made a prison cell a mission field, Paul now enters the house of this jailor and makes that his mission field. Here in the middle of the night he very naturally could have transitioned from God shaking the earth with power to God saving the earth with love.
And the gospel did its work. It entered that family’s ears and changed their hearts forever. Souls were saved and lives were changed. Pagan cruelty was replaced by Christian love. The jailor responded with joy. He led Paul and Silas to a place with water. There he washed their wounds and soothed their pains. And again, naturally, Paul would have transitioned to speak of a washing that brings the forgiveness of sins.
And after hearing the Word and understanding its blessings this family felt no need to wait but be baptized right then and there. And there in those waters connected with the Word a simple response found the greatest joy. Salvation had been sealed, faith sustained, and forgiveness granted. God through Paul had brought this man from death to life, from despair to overwhelming joy.
Now you tell me, where is the best place to do mission work? One answer may be, wherever God puts us. Because wherever you are, there are people who need to hear about Jesus. No one needs to die, not when Jesus came to bring life and salvation to the ends of the earth. Whether you are singing hymns of praise to God, praying to him for deliverance, or providing the simple answer to the biggest question, you can turn others to the joy of life.
You in your baptism have this same joy. This is a joy that joins Paul who later wrote in Romans chapter 8, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us (vs. 18)… God works for the good of those who love him (vs. 28)… If God is for us, who can be against us? (vs. 31)… Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? (vs. 35)… No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (vs. 37).” Amen.

You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first” (Revelation 2:4b-5a).

Do you remember falling in love… the way your heart pounded every time you saw your significant other… the little things you would do by passing notes, buying gifts, and holding hands… how life meant nothing when you were apart and life felt complete when you were together? For some these days are long gone, for others these days are yet to come.
Love, when it was first forming and growing, is worth celebrating. What will you do to get back to your first love? Maybe you’ll do something special for this Valentine’s Day. Maybe you’ll buy a special gift, dance to your song, or watch your wedding video. Maybe you’ll get a baby sitter for the kids and just be alone at least for a little while.
We don’t want to forget what love was like at first. We may even wish every day were like the days of our honeymoon stage. We want to focus on what was good, figure out how we lost it, and get back to the heights of love we once enjoyed. A young couple may be learning how to keep this love. After many years of a marriage a couple may need to work on love every day.
Where are you in your love relationship with Jesus? Have you forgotten how your heart pounded in sincere joy when the waters of baptism ran down your head? Have you let slip away the feeling of completeness when you are together with him in his Word? Is now a time when you should be focusing on what was good, figuring out how you lost it, and getting back to the heights of his love?
Sometimes individuals and even whole congregations need to be reminded of their first love. When Jesus spoke the words above for the believers in Ephesus he wanted them to rediscover their love for him. Jesus is telling us today that he is not okay with a mediocre, half-hearted, lukewarm kind of love. He wants our whole body, mind, and spirit to be dedicated to a relationship of love that soars on the highest of heights.
As you remember your love in your relationships here below, think also of your love for Jesus. Let your heart burst with joy to see him in his Word. Let your small tokens of appreciation proclaim again and again your sincere love for him. Let his undying love for you inspire you to remember your first love.
Amen.

“Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’” (Luke 24:36b)
Where were the disciples on the day Jesus said he would come back to life? They were behind locked doors afraid to show their faces in public. The gruesome public killing of Jesus was still fresh in their minds. Now for sure anyone who saw them would point them out and say, “Weren’t you with that Jesus character?” They simply weren’t ready with an answer, so they stayed inside and avoided the whole issue.
Where would you be if you were there on that first Easter Sunday? Would you be quick to throw your hat in with that Jesus character after all that happened to him? Or would you be one of the disciples staying inside and locking the door? There are plenty of reasons to stay inside. Plenty of questions running through our minds today that make it difficult to step out and face an accusing world.
But whatever it is that has you behind locked doors, hear what Jesus has to say. To his faith challenged disciples Jesus first says, “Peace.” People at that time used that greeting often when meeting someone. But what great significance there is to hear that word from this Jesus at this time. Jesus speaking means he is alive. Jesus speaking after being placed in the grave means that he has come back from the dead!
“Peace” has a whole new significance. “Peace” means there is now an answer to those who connect us to Jesus. We can proudly and confidently confess, “Yes, I am with that Jesus character. And you know what? He not only died but has come back to life for me!”
We aren’t sure how Jesus got into that room that day. Since his body was now glorified he must have just appeared there. But what did Jesus do when he left them? He unlocked the door and showed them there is nothing to fear in this world. Sure, there will still be accusers, skeptics, and flat out unbelievers, but they have no power to keep us locked up!
By faith we believe that Jesus has risen from the dead. We don’t have to wonder where we would be on that first Easter Sunday; wherever we are Jesus comes to us. He shows up unannounced and proclaims “Peace.” He unlocks the door and he shows us out into a world. And he sends us with a message of love, of hope, and of peace for all people.
Where will you be this Easter Sunday? Don’t be afraid to show your face in public. Don’t avoid the issue. Instead unlock the door and go out with a purpose. With a confident faith take the peace that you have from Jesus and pass it on. Christ has risen! He has risen indeed!
Amen.

Psalm 97:10a, “Let those who love the LORD hate evil.”
Every tongue has its likes and dislikes. If I were to ask you which are your favorite foods, you could quickly provide me with a short list. The same is true if I were to ask about your least favorite foods. There are just some foods that taste horrible. After trying something you really don’t like, you are reaching for something to chase it down and rinse out your mouth. We all have something we simply won’t touch, can’t stand smelling, and certainly never plan to eat again.
Now imagine the worst taste in your mouth and multiply it exponentially. If you can do that, then you are starting to understand what sin tastes like in the mouth of God. God hates sin. He wants nothing to do with sin. He won’t touch it, can’t stand to smell it, and never plans to allow it in his presence.
I wonder sometimes how serious we are about removing sin from our lives. Does every sin leave a bad taste in your mouth? Or have we over time acquired a taste for what God hates? Something that felt terribly wrong at first can be acceptable after trying it a few times. Then, it’s not so bad. Eventually we forget about finding something to chase it down and rinse it away.
Without God’s revealed Word to tell us what is right and what is wrong, we would each have a plate of different likes and dislikes. No one would know for sure what to keep and what to avoid. But with God’s revealed Word, we have no question what God likes and what God hates. If I truly love the LORD, then I will strive to hate what God hates.
The season of Lent started on February 25th. This is as good a time as any to examine ourselves in the light of God’s Word. When we do that, we will no doubt be brought to our knees in genuine repentance. We will be forced to admit our wrongs and plead for forgiveness.
The grief and shame Jesus accepted on the cross has freed us from our sins. He has washed away that bad taste in our mouth with his holy precious blood. That may seem like a grotesque picture, but there is truly nothing more pleasing to God than the sacrifice of a lamb without blemish or defect. Because of what Jesus has done our sins are forgotten by our forgiving LORD.
Today is as good a time as any to examine your diet. Are our likes and dislikes matching those of God? When the love of God rules your heart, you will see changes in what you like and dislike. You will acquire a taste for good and learn to hate that which leaves a bad taste in God’s mouth. Let us be serious about removing sin from our lives.
Amen.

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast” (Psalm 138:7-10).

“Where’d you go! I can’t find you!” a parent says in desperation, “He’s gone! He was just here a minute ago!” Frantically every clothing rack is checked. Then, as though it were supposed to be a game of hide-and-seek, two little feet are seen under the t-shirt rack. “There you are! Please don’t run away like that. I don’t like feeling that I’ve lost you.”
Have you ever been that kid, running just when mom or dad isn’t looking, finding the best place to hide just to give your parents grief? As kids, the game of hide-and-seek is always fun, even if no one else knows you’ve started to play.
Have you ever been that child, running away from God, thinking you can get away and be better off on your own? As much as a child likes to play hide-and-seek a child of God likes to think he can get away from God from time to time. You ignore that voice of conscience once again. You turn away from loving invitations. You plug up your ears when the voice of God comes calling, “Where’d you go?”
But, really, where can you go? A kid can easily hide under a clothes rack from his parents, but where can you go from God? Can you go up to the clouds or live with the stars and be away from God? Can you dive into the depths of the sea and be away from God? Can you sail to China or take a plane to Europe and be away from God?
Never will you hear God calling out to you to say, “I can’t find you!” In fact, according to the passage above, God has never left you! His presence has been with you no matter where you’ve been and will be with you no matter where you go.
That’s good news! You may not want him there when you want to run and hide, but you have no choice. He will not remove his love from you no matter how high your desires, how deep your desperations, or how far and wide your earthly wanderings take you. Right there he stands waiting to catch you when you fall. Right there he stands waiting to take you back and restore you as his child. Right there he stands waiting, always watching, guiding, and holding fast.
God too never wants to have the feeling that he’s lost you. Please don’t run away. Stand with him who always stands with you.
Amen.

Psalm 121:1-2 “I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

When we make the change to a new year a word that may come to mind is ‘commitment.’ Often our new year’s resolutions are not just one-time deals. They are goals that we set to be achieved over time. They are at times lifestyle changes that require new habits and routines. Whether or not you use the new year as a time to set new goals, you understand that it takes commitment to accomplish any goal.
The picture that comes to my mind is that of a runner. He has set before himself the goal of getting to the finish line. The first few steps off the starting block aren’t all that bad. He is still filled with energy for his new endeavor. But after a while the abundant energy starts to dwindle. He feels his legs grow tired, his lungs start to ache, and his motivation is deeply tested.
Will he keep running or give up and go home? Will he stay committed to his goal of getting to the finish line or convince himself that he was too foolish to ever hope for such a difficult accomplishment? Then the word ‘commitment’ comes to mind. He starts to tell his legs and lungs to keep going through the pain. He runs with purpose because he made a promise to himself and he plans to keep it.
When running the steps before you there may very well be tired legs, aching lungs, and tested motivation. Sometimes the easy thing is to give up and forget about your commitment. But where will you turn when you don’t want to keep running? You can try the whole ‘mind over matter’ thing and get through it that way. But why not use the most powerful and effective means possible?
The writer of Psalm 121 had a very clear understanding of how things get done. To help us stay committed, far better than the mind is the one who created the mind along with everything else in the entire universe. When help is needed, turn to the LORD!
All throughout the history of the world the Maker has been helping his people. What makes you think he won’t help you? When an answer to a prayer was needed most God was ready with an open and loving hand? What makes you think he won’t answer your prayers? When the strength to stay committed had been tapped completely the LORD stepped in and said, “Watch what I can do.” What makes you think he won’t use his power to help you?
The LORD has yet to let his people down. What we are by far too weak to accomplish he gets done for us. If our legs are too tired to walk he carries us. If we need the motivation to get to the end he puts his hand on our backs and pushes us along.
This new year turn to the LORD for help. Trust in his power to get things done. Let him change your life so that the habits and routines you develop all focus on him.
Amen.

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

When times are tight our list of ‘necessities’ grows shorter. We take time to think about every use of time, energy, and money and determine whether or not something really is necessary. This is a good exercise to consider because it forces us not only to shorten the list but also to determine what should come first, second, third, etc.
When times are tight it is hard to see things on our ‘need’ list go to our ‘want’ list, and even harder to see things on our ‘want’ list go to our ‘dream’ list. We don’t really want to back down from our wants and dreams; this implies that we have to write some things off as truly unimportant. We don’t really want to narrow down our list of needs; this implies that we have to change our habits and behaviors.
When all of this prioritizing happens we may come face to face with anxiety. We get frustrated with the way things are happening around us. We start to worry about when the market will rebound. We become apprehensive about the state of our economy. We are deeply concerned whether we can keep up our generous offerings to the Lord and his Church when we don’t even know where we’ll get next week’s groceries.
Anxious feelings are very natural when faced with hard times. But before you let despair get the better of you consider what Paul wrote to the Philippians. In the verse above, Paul reminds his fellow Christians that there really is no reason to be anxious about anything, not even when faced with hard times.
The reason Paul can encourage such peace of mind and heart is because we have a God who listens to our prayers. “In everything,” Paul says, “by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Not only does God hear us but he also promises to answer us according to his will.
This is a thought you can keep in mind this month of thanksgiving. Know that whatever your circumstance you can pray to God and ask him for anything. But when you pray remember to include a word of thanksgiving for what you do have. Life is not all about what we don’t have. There are always many things for which we can be thankful.
First and foremost we are thankful for God’s Son Jesus. We belong to our heavenly Father because Jesus went out of his way to make us his own. As children of God there is nothing that happens that is not going to work out for our good.
So be thankful in hard times. Be thankful that you have a God who is first and foremost on your list of necessities. Be thankful that even if you can’t have everything you want in this life you have a better life waiting for you. Be thankful that by prayer and petition you can present your requests to God knowing he will take care of you according to his will.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1).

When a child comes into the world a parent can focus on little else. If they are able, they will take vacation days just to be at home with their new son or daughter. To all their friends they have a picture waiting in hand to show as a proud mother or father. They get the word out to all of the family so everyone can celebrate and share the joy of a child newly born.
The pure joy of a parent for his child is the picture we have of the love our heavenly Father has for his children. He is happy to make it known that a child belongs to him. In heaven the angels rejoice at the baptism of every infant child just as they do at the conversion of every believing adult. This is a celebration where our Father proudly presents by name all those who belong to him.
The reason this joy is so great has much to do with the greatness of the pain before the joy. In birth a mother goes through extreme labor pains to bring a child into the world. After the birth the pain fades and all that is left is great joy. The pains the Father endured happened when he sent his Son, Jesus, to make salvation possible. Suffering led to death on a cross. But that pain was quickly forgotten when in victory the devil lost his grip of death on us. Jesus finished all the pain that was needed, and now by faith we are reborn. All that is left is pure joy that cannot fade. It is as if every day were the moment of our first breath, our first cry, our first look. Oh, what joy to be a child of God!
His joy to call us children now fills our lives as we call him Father. There is no better place to be than in the house of God. We are now in his service, no longer in the service of our enemy. We are now heirs of his kingdom, no longer kept prisoner by sin. We are God’s children, who can take that away? We are God’s children, who can make our joy any less.
When the troubles of this life seem to suck the joy from you, when the hardships make you wonder if it will ever get better, when the days get long and the devil gets intense, remember you are a child of God. Remember the love the Father has lavished on you. Remember that this life of pain and suffering is not worth comparing to the glory that awaits you in heaven.
God has made you his own. His great love for us moved him to send his one and only Son. Our great love for him moves us to treasure this relationship, turn to him in need, and consider nothing else as important as being a child of God.
Amen.

“I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4b)
Walk with me. I want to show you something very special. But as we walk I want you first to look behind. There you see only a few short steps. Yet that path is full of bends and curves, valleys and obstacles, both the easy and the very difficult. It surely wasn’t easy to get to the point we are now, but we made it. We kept our feet to the path and kept walking. Most steps were forward, some were slow others were fast, but they were all in the right direction.
What you see behind us is a path that is at least 10 years long. It was started by a dedicated group of Christians who saw a great opportunity in a village called McFarland. 10 years may seem like a long time to some, but for others that time has flown by. Yet even in these 10 years there have been challenges. When will we get our own church building? Who will lead us into the steps ahead? Where will the money come from?
But as you look at those steps, you are aware of countless blessings. You find that the church is not a building but a group of Christians gathered around God’s Word. You find that the Word has been preached in its truth and purity by well trained men. You find that, although there have been some cutbacks, the congregation has provided support to keep the doors open.
Most steps were forward, some were slow others were fast, but they were all in the right direction, God’s direction. He has taken this congregation by the hand and said, “This is the path you will take. It may not be what you expect. It may not be easy. But don’t worry, I’ll get you through and you will be better off going my way than the way you think is best.”
God has a way of making everything work out. Sure we may have slowed down, but we never stopped. We may have tripped up, but we never fell. We have been moving at just the right pace in just the right direction from day one until today. Will there be another celebration in 10, 20, 40 years from now? We don’t know. But if God wants there to be one there, who are we to get in his way.
God has been with us every step of the way so far and he will continue to work out our steps in the future. We can expect that where we go from here is a path that will have its own obstacles, burdens, and distractions. But the steps we’ll take have been taken by many others before us. This is a path that is well worn and obvious. So let’s go. Walk with me. Share with me the experiences, the joys and sorrows, the victories and defeats, the easy and the difficult. Put your hand in God’s hand and keep your feet on the path that goes where he leads us.
Amen.

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:3-6).
How many projects do you have going on in your home right now? Perhaps you are the type of person that once a project is started you can’t sleep until it gets done. On the other hand you might be staring at numerous projects that have been started with good intentions but have yet to be completed. The garage needs organizing, the walls need painting, the basement needs finishing, paperwork needs to be filed, and so on. But once you start you get distracted, tired, or simply lose motivation.
How will all that work ever get done? When you finish one job, what’s next on the list of things to do? Will we ever see our work in this life completed?
When the apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Philippian Christians he spoke of the great joy he had in his prayers because of the work being done among them. This, however, was a special work that did not involve building a worship facility, knocking on doors, or visiting the sick. Paul was not referring to the work that we as Christians tire in doing. Instead he has in mind the work being done in us.
Only through the powerful and effective working of the Holy Spirit have we come to have faith to believe. God in love found us and saved us from eternal death to live forever in heaven. This is the awesome work that Paul prays about with joy. He knows that God has started a good work that he will bring to completion.
God does not get distracted, grow tired, or simply lose motivation. God is not like us. God is competent, faithful, and reliable. If God says that he will keep us in faith until the day of Christ Jesus, then by all means we know absolutely this is true.
God is working on us right now. As we read and meditate on his Word in this devotion. As we share Bible stories with our children and grandchildren. As we go to the Lord’s Supper as often as possible. As we share our faith through word and action with the lost and dying souls around us. This is all part of God’s work.
Through a partnership in the gospel we all share in the work God does in and through us. God will bring his work of faith to completion in us and all those who believe. With God working in us we too can pray with the joy and confidence of Paul knowing God’s work gets done.
Amen.

“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

In the second and third petitions of the Lord’s Prayer we ask, “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” These are bold and confident requests of an almighty God, requests that Jesus gave us to speak, requests truly heard by God when spoken in faith. We pray this prayer together in church on Sunday. Perhaps you say it with your family daily during the week. For as often as we make these requests, do we truly expect God to give us what we need?
The words recorded in Matthew chapter 6 are Jesus’ words. The section in which we find verse 33 was when Jesus’ commanded us saying, “Do not worry.” He points to the birds of the air that lack nothing to eat and the lilies of the field that lack nothing to wear. If God can provide for them, will he not provide even more adequately for us?
Take, for example, an unexpected tax return check. That is money that will go toward food and clothes to provide temporarily for the needs of individuals and families. That is a blessing from God, an outpouring of his grace. How he provides for us will sometimes be different from one day to the next, but he never lets us down. Past experience tells us that God will provide all the things we need. Even in the face of evil that works against God’s kingdom coming and his will being done, the Lord will provide.
So why do we worry? Why do we let evil work against us and convince us that God is not a gracious and loving God? Why don’t we seek first his kingdom and his righteousness? As you answer those questions for yourself, you will only come to recognize your inherited weakness. We worry about food and clothes, about money and relationships, about markets and mortgages because we are sinful.
Total dependence and trust in God can never come from inside us. It must come from outside us. It must come from God. By grace, God has brought us into his kingdom and sends his Spirit to rule in our hearts. God has filled us with the righteousness which Jesus won for us. And now, God never kicks us out of his kingdom nor takes away this righteousness. That is his promise, a promise that cannot be broken.
By faith, God leads us to believe that when we ask we will receive, when we seek we will find. God’s kingdom and his righteousness are there. He provides for us ever so adequately with all things: food, clothes, and all your bodily needs. He strengthens us with the ability to totally depend and trust in him.
So then, say “thanks” to the God who takes your worry away. Cut him a portion of your check, dedicate you time and energy, but most of all seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. Find him first and he will take care of the rest.
Amen.

1 John 4:10-11 “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
What is love? Can you put your finger on it? Can you define it to your children? Can you differentiate true love from fleeting emotions? Love is something far greater than a four letter word; it is something far deeper than a fluttering feeling in your heart. Love, as defined by the source of love himself, is action.
“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” If you want to know what true love is, then look at God. He didn’t just say, “I love you,” and hope for the best. He didn’t sit up in heaven with a warm feeling in his heart. No, he took action. Love is action. Love is sacrifice. Love is forgetting about me and putting another first.
Knowing that definition of love, we have to admit that we seldom display true love. We have to admit that we are simply too selfish. We are not always ready to work to make someone else happy, to put our hands and feet and mouths into action that benefits someone else, to sacrifice for another person? Sometimes love is not put into action. Instead it is overcome by selfish, thoughtless, and hurtful action.
But God knows that since we are often such loveless people that he had to show his love to us first. God replaced our loveless actions with the ultimate act of love. He sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Jesus made us at-one with God by his suffering and his death on the cross. He stayed on the cross to die for no other reason than because he loves us. And he did this when we were unlovable. When the last thing we deserved was love.
What is love? Love is a beautiful thing when one person acts selflessly for the sake of another. And in view of God’s love for us verse 11 says, “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” Will your husband or wife be easy to love? Will your child be a perfect angel? We all know that love will not always be deserved. But with God’s love as your example you don’t need to wait for love to be earned. You just do it. You do it because love is action. Love is sacrifice. Love is forgetting about me and putting another first.
I want you to understand what love is. Love is God sending his Son to forgive your sins. And so love is action. Love is sacrifice. Love is forgetting about me and putting another first. Take this love from God, place it in your hearts, bring it to your home, and live it every day of your lives. And God who is faithful will see that you abound in this love for each other. Amen.

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
A good definition of integrity goes something like this: “always doing the right thing, even when no one is looking.” Often times there is not someone looking over your shoulder to make sure you are doing what’s right. Only taking what you’ve paid for from the store, keeping your thoughts pure about another’s spouse, picking up trash that someone left behind and throwing it away. These are just a few of the ways you can do the right thing when no one’s looking.
It’s important, though, to remember why we do the things we do. You miss the point when you do the right thing on the off chance you might get noticed. You miss the point when you do the right thing to feel good about yourself. I’m not saying those are bad motivators, they just aren’t the first on your list.
The commendation or good feeling you may get from doing the right thing is merely temporary. Over time it just doesn’t matter what you did or when you did it. The motivation that lasts, however, is the understanding that God takes notice of all that we do. Over time he remembers what you did and when you did it.
He sees everything. So, in a sense, there is never a time when no one is looking. We are in the presence of God more than just Sunday morning. We are before him offering all that we do to his glory every moment of every day. From the small, seemingly insignificant tasks to the grand and glorious acts of worship, they are all pleasing to God when they are done to his glory.
What we do on the outside, moreover, is an expression of what is true of us on the inside. If we have selfish motives when we do the right thing, God sees that. But if we have a heart of faith living to glorify God, he sees that too. In his love for us God forgives us for our selfishness and strengthens us to glorify him in all we do.
What God truly wants from each of us is a heart of faith. He wants us all to believe that Jesus is our Savior. He wants our lives to be transformed to his good and pleasing will. He wants us to always do the right thing, even when it seems no one is looking, because that is what God’s children do by faith.
It’s not about what you can gain. It’s not about earning a reward. It’s about laying our whole selves before God. How he will use us is up to him. But how he will use us is all for him, for his glory, whether we’re eating or drinking or whatever we’re doing.
Amen.

“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

In the second and third petitions of the Lord’s Prayer we ask, “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” These are bold and confident requests of an almighty God, requests that Jesus gave us to speak, requests truly heard by God when spoken in faith. We pray this prayer together in church on Sunday. Perhaps you say it with your family daily during the week. For as often as we make these requests, do we truly expect God to give us what we need?
The words recorded in Matthew chapter 6 are Jesus’ words. The section in which we find verse 33 was when Jesus’ commanded us saying, “Do not worry.” He points to the birds of the air that lack nothing to eat and the lilies of the field that lack nothing to wear. If God can provide for them, will he not provide even more adequately for us?
Take, for example, an unexpected tax return check. That is money that will go toward food and clothes to provide temporarily for the needs of individuals and families. That is a blessing from God, an outpouring of his grace. How he provides for us will sometimes be different from one day to the next, but he never lets us down. Past experience tells us that God will provide all the things we need. Even in the face of evil that works against God’s kingdom coming and his will being done, the Lord will provide.
So why do we worry? Why do we let evil work against us and convince us that God is not a gracious and loving God? Why don’t we seek first his kingdom and his righteousness? As you answer those questions for yourself, you will only come to recognize your inherited weakness. We worry about food and clothes, about money and relationships, about markets and mortgages because we are sinful.
Total dependence and trust in God can never come from inside us. It must come from outside us. It must come from God. By grace, God has brought us into his kingdom and sends his Spirit to rule in our hearts. God has filled us with the righteousness which Jesus won for us. And now, God never kicks us out of his kingdom nor takes away this righteousness. That is his promise, a promise that cannot be broken.
By faith, God leads us to believe that when we ask we will receive, when we seek we will find. God’s kingdom and his righteousness are there. He provides for us ever so adequately with all things: food, clothes, and all your bodily needs. He strengthens us with the ability to totally depend and trust in him.
So then, say “thanks” to the God who takes your worry away. Cut him a portion of your check, dedicate you time and energy, but most of all seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. Find him first and he will take care of the rest.
Amen.

“Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’” (John 20:19b).
Before Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection they were scared to death. On the one hand, they now had to deal with the Jews who had put Jesus to death. Perhaps they would be next on the list of those they wanted to hang on a cross. On the other hand, they had to deal with the sin they were born with and lived in every day. If Jesus was not their Savior, then they would surely face eternal death as a consequence to their sin.
We can only begin to imagine the thoughts that ran through the heads of the disciples before seeing Jesus alive. We can only begin to imagine the joy that filled their hearts to hear Jesus say those words, “Peace be with you!” There standing before them living and breathing was the one that was put to death and laid in a tomb. Jesus had come back to life.
Fear would have melted away when Jesus showed himself alive again. The disciples would now have the courage to stand up to the unbelieving Jews. The Master they followed was everything he claimed to be; he was the Son of God. What is more, they would have courage to stand up to the accusations of the devil. Jesus rose back to life proving that the sins of the world had been forgiven.
As we live today we too are surrounded by fears and uncertainties. We encounter many things that are out of our control. We may have reason to wonder what tomorrow will bring. People may be out to harm us. Satan may be leading us to despair.
But the same joy that filled the hearts of the disciples to see Jesus alive is ours. We do not have the first hand experience as they did, but we do have their eye-witness account recorded in God’s Word. We believe what they say is true with a heart of faith. Faith leads us to the place Jesus was buried to find an empty tomb. Faith opens our weary and tear-filled eyes to see a living and breathing Savior. Faith puts us in the room where the disciples stood in awe to hear Jesus say, “Peace be with you!”
We live today in the comfort of the resurrection. We have the courage to stand up to an unbelieving world because Jesus was everything he claimed to be. We have the courage to stand up to the devil himself because Jesus has forgiven all our sins. Fear is chased away. Satan flees from us empty-handed.
Live today in the comfort of the resurrection. Be at peace.
Amen.

“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24,25)
When was the last time you skipped church? Not when you were sick, or up north with family, or snowed in because of the weather. I want you to think of the Sunday when you had no good reason (or bad reason for that matter) to avoid coming to church. Did you miss it? Did you feel a little empty that week? Did you feel guilty for not coming to meet together with fellow Christians?
The devil has a blood-thirsty appetite to feed on weak Christians. One of his favorite meals is when he can get us away from love and good deeds. He just loves to see us avoid encouragement, both what we can receive and what we can give. He is overjoyed when we starve ourselves from the Word of God going hungry for the rest of that week. But he will be even hungrier the next week. He won’t stop until we have separated ourselves completely from a Christian life.
This was the message the author of Hebrews was conveying to his readers in Chapter 10 verses 24 and 25. He most surely had seen the negative results for those who gave up meeting together. He surely saw congregations fall apart and Christians fall away. He saw the Day approaching, the Last Day that approaches us all, and he saw the need for encouragement.
We all need to hear words such as these from Hebrews 10. They make us look at our lives to find ways to spur one another on toward love and good deeds. If God never inspired these words to be written, then poor attendance at church would be acceptable. Pastors wouldn’t need to spend hours in prayer for their straying sheep. Nor would you read devotions like this one. But God knew that words such as these are important. We need to be aware of the Day that is approaching.
It has been said: “The family that prays together, stays together.” This is true not only with your family at home, but also with your brothers and sisters in your congregation. And not only will we stay together here on earth, but we will also meet up again in heaven. We as Christians have eternal reasons to come together. Together we can pray and worship, learn and grow, encourage and be encouraged.
When Sunday roles around, think of it as another Easter morning. How joyful the women were to find an empty tomb. How happy they were to share that news with others around them. For us too the empty tomb on Sunday morning means that Christ has risen indeed! That is reason enough to celebrate the victor over death and the devil. No matter what lies the devil tries to put in your head, there is never a good reason to give up meeting together.
Amen.

“God, have mercy on me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13)
The church season of Lent begins this month on Wednesday, February 6. For us the Lenten season is a time to meditate deeply on the meaning of Christ’s suffering and death for our salvation. It is also a time to concentrate on the continuing importance of amending our lives.
In Luke chapter 18, Jesus told the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. As you recall, this involved a rather arrogant and prideful man who thanked God that he was not like other men. This man patted himself on the back for his great gifts to the church and all his outwardly religious acts. This was the Pharisee, a man known for his work in the church and his knowledge of the Law and Prophets.
In contrast to this man was a tax collector. He would have been known for the money he took away from people instead of what he gave to the church. He would have been known for his outwardly selfish acts instead of any great religious acts. Jesus says this second man would not even look up to heaven when he said, “God, have mercy on me a sinner.” He found no reason to pat himself on the back instead he beat his breast in sorrow.
So who had genuine repentance? Since we are not God, we cannot judge the hearts of others. But since the heart shows its true self through actions, we can come to a conclusion based on what we see. Jesus very clearly shows us that the man who humbled himself went home justified before God. The man who exalted himself only gained the favor of man, which truly counts for nothing.
Jesus’ point for telling this parable was to speak against those who were confident in their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else (see verse 9). This season of Lent is a good time for all of us to take a good long hard look at ourselves. Are we patting ourselves on the back for what we’ve done right or are we beating our breasts for what we’ve done wrong?
By telling this parable Jesus is not mandating outward words and actions to express our repentance. It is not the beating of your breast or the speaking of the words that are important. What truly counts before God is the humility of your heart. In genuine repentance God will see that your sins are tearing you apart, that you wish you had avoided that temptation, and that you are willing to amend your life to live according to his will.
The tax collector in Jesus’ parable went home justified before God. His sins were forgiven and he believed it. Because of Christ’s innocent suffering and death your sins are forgiven too. By grace and through faith we believe this is true. Let us this Lenten season take the time to meditate deeply on the price that was paid for our salvation.
Amen.

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
Who do you plan to go see this year? Will you go visit grandma and grandpa? Maybe you’ll go out to see a national park or monument? We may be eager to go see family. We may be eager to see the beauty of God’s creation. But are we always eager to see Jesus? Will we go out of our way to see “the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth”?
January 6 marks the day we call Epiphany. On this day we remember how the Magi from the East came to worship their newborn King. How far out of their way did they go? How willing were they to put the rest of their lives on hold to go see Jesus? We are not sure how far these men traveled, but we can assume that it was not just a weekend trip.
And then we think of the gifts they brought: gold, incense, and myrrh. This is more than your cute teddy bear or flower bouquet for a newborn. How much of their wealth were they willing to give to their Lord? How willing were they to put at Jesus’ feet expensive gifts fit for a king? We don’t know how much of these gifts they brought, but we can assume that this was a substantial gift.
We will never be able to repeat exactly what the Magi did when they went to see Jesus. Their dedication and love for Jesus was unique to themselves. But we each have our own way to show our worship and praise to Jesus. We all can learn to go out of our way to be with Jesus and listen to his Word. We all can learn to give lavish and expensive gifts from all that God gives us.
But going out of your way and giving large gifts is not all that this is about. Every day of the year, starting with the season of Epiphany, is about seeing “the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
The days and months ahead in 2008 will be filled with opportunities to see Jesus who is full of grace and truth. Worship on Sundays is only the start of the time we spend worshipping our King. We and our families can be filled with a deep desire to learn more about what Jesus has done to bring salvation to us.
May God bless you this year as you go to worship your King and share with others the glory you have seen, “the glory of the One and Only.”
Amen.

“Fear, Love, and Trust – Part 3”
“When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me” (Psalm 56:3-4).
The first commandment that God gave on Mt. Sinai went something like this, “You shall have no other gods.” Martin Luther, the great reformer of the 16th Century, provides a brief explanation of what this means by saying this: “We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” So then, what does it mean to trust God above all things?
Think for a moment about where you go when you’re scared. Most, if not all, of us seek the comfort of a loved one. On a stormy night children crawl in bed with their parents. During a scary movie a young woman squeezes tight to her fiancé’s arm. While sick and in a hospital bed a father calls his family to him.
There are many times when we are scared. And often we have a good reason to be afraid. Fear is very natural when the future is uncertain and potentially harmful. But is it wrong to be afraid? The Psalmist wrote, “I will not be afraid.” Can we have that same confidence?
When the young Virgin Mary received word from the angel Gabriel that she would have a child, she wondered how this could be (Luke 1:34). This was certainly a time of uncertainty that could potentially go bad. How would she explain to Joseph that she was pregnant? How would she be able to handle being the mother of Jesus? This would be a huge responsibility.
But we do not read that Mary was afraid. The angel explained to her that “nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). To Mary this was good enough. She didn’t need any more than that. She didn’t need extra money in her pocket to make her secure. She didn’t need a mortgage free house to live in with her new family. She simply and trustingly replied, “I am the Lord’s servant.”
As the Psalmist says, “When I am afraid, I trust in you.” Fear melts away when we know that we are in the comfort of our loving Father in heaven. Our God is able to do anything he wants. Nothing is impossible. Money cannot make you secure. Even family can let you down. But God never fails. He is with us whenever we are afraid providing answers to our prayers.
The baby born to Mary grew up and became the Savior of the world. God saw our need and provided a way to heaven. Our faith connects us to Jesus and his death on the cross for us. If God can provide for us in our greatest need how certain we can be that he will take care of all our other needs. If you are ever afraid, trust in God above all things.
Amen.

EVERY LIFE FOR CHRIST—-NAO Phase Four

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, grace and peace to you.
There’s a saying that goes, “Children should be seen but not heard.” Wouldn’t that be nice? If only our children would never interrupt the conversations of adults. If only our children would never talk back to a person older than they are. Quite often the case is that children want to be the center of attention. “Watch me,” or “See what I can do,” are commonly heard when a child has taken center stage.
The point of the saying “children should be seen and not heard” is that when in the presence of adults the child should be listening not showing off. But this is not to show our children they are unimportant. This is not to downplay the profound thoughts a child may have. Their simple understanding may at times be valuable and worth listening to. But at times it is best if a child learns from the adults around them.
By using the rule “children should be seen and not heard” adults take on a very important role. We do a lot of teaching with both our words and the personal example of our lives. This is true in our lives at home and at church. Wherever we are, we should think that little eyes are watching. They are learning behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs at all times. How important it is to teach about the important things in life. A child who learns this may someday share it with others, perhaps their own children.
Jesus too spent time with children. He would take a break from his adult company and let the children be seen and heard. He said once, ‘let the little children come to me and do not hinder them for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’ He taught children, and the adults around them, about the really important things in life – about believing in him and living for him. He showed that all people are important. And that we all have a very important mission to fulfill. This was a lesson Jesus taught again and again both to children and to adults.
But this was nothing new. Every life, young and old, is a life for Christ. Children have been learning that for thousands of years. From one generation to the next the message of believing in Christ and living for him has been preserved. Let me tell you about a little girl that had learned that very well. Listen now to 2 Kings 5:1-3.
Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”
They came charging into her village…the sound of those hooves would never leave her mind because they changed her life forever. She had heard about them and had learned to rightfully fear them. Those men were evil. They looted the homes and then probably burned them, killing the adults, maybe even her mother and father. They grabbed our little girl and hauled her off with the other loot, because little girls made good slaves for rich men’s wives.
We don’t really know whether her parents lived or died that day. But this we know: they had already made a significant difference in their young daughter’s life. They had raised her to know God and his word. She knew about God’s promises and even knew the name of God’s preacher in those days, a man named Elisha.
Now she is living in the land of those she had learned to fear. No loving parents around her, protecting and caring for her. Even the language is different. She’s a slave now. She knows what beatings are. She knows she has no choice but to do exactly as she’s told. And it would be so easy to hate every minute of her life, hate those who stole her future, hate this whole country she’s in, and despise her master and mistress, doing only what was required from her and aching for the day when she could escape. She hears no more words about the true God…only what she remembers from her parents. But God’s word had had a powerful effect on her.
Her master was a very powerful man as the top general in the army of Syria. God had even been using him to bring military victories to Syria. He was a tremendous soldier. However, he had leprosy. Leprosy is a slowly progressing bacterial infection that destroys the skin, peripheral nerves in the hands and feet, and mucous membranes of the nose, throat, and eyes. Sometimes the fingers and toes become mutilated and fall off, causing the deformities that are typically associated with the disease. You can imagine how much that man wanted to be healed of his leprosy. He probably contacted every doctor he could. Imagine the picture of this proud and powerful man, slowly losing his life to disease and can’t do a thing about it.
This slave girl could very easily have kept her mouth shut. She could have kept to the rule ‘be seen and not heard.’ She could have thought “It serves him right? He’s getting what he deserves for the kind of life he lives as a pagan and slave-owner?”
How do we respond to a cruel and unjust world around us? There is probably more injustice in our world today than you are aware of. In so many places it is hard to even teach God’s word. China persecutes many faithful Christians, in India, Hindu extremists burn Christian villages and kill the people there, and in the Muslim lands it is forbidden to speak about Jesus…they might even cut off your head if you do.
In our own country, godlessness is running wild. More and more of our young people seem to be losing their faith. They are being bombarded with constant messages that teach that God is either not real or not relevant. For many, POP CULTURE often replaces Christian culture and becomes the driving force in people’s lives. Jesus is absent from all this. How do you respond?
While our world has a great deal of sin and evil in it, that’s nothing new. In the days of our text, not only was Syria a pagan country, even the king of Israel, God’s own special nation, was a pagan! Yet God did not let his people nor his Church disappear from the earth.
Rather, he works through his word to help us see that the problem is within us. It’s our sin, our own personal sin that needs to be dealt with. The apostle Paul once wrote, “FOR ME TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN” (PHI 1:21). If you haven’t memorized that passage you still know that it’s true. And yet, it’s getting more difficult to LIVE YOUR OWN LIFE FOR CHRIST! Yes, we hate what’s happening in our own spiritual lives. Sure we wish there were more godly influences around. We find it easy to condemn the world, but powerless to make necessary changes.
You struggle to both read and meditate on God’s word…and your life is showing it. You know you should be sharing Jesus with everyone you meet…and you meet many people….but it’s become too hard for you to do it…and you offer the usual excuses: “I don’t know what to say…afraid I’ll say something wrong…I’ll look like a fool!”
Even your children or grandchildren don’t seem to know much of God’s word or care about it all that much….it’s become difficult to talk about God around your house… maybe they even turn away when you bring up Jesus. You are finding yourself too tired (or maybe too disinterested) to get involved any more in your church…you have the gifts… your family have the gifts… but even the guilt at letting God down is not motivating you any more.
Search your heart and see your sin. Sorrow will be natural as we grieve our pagan tendencies. All that we have left to do is repent. Together you and I turn to God for forgiveness. For when we confess our sins “he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 JN 9).
God does this for the sake of another Child servant. He too came from a different place. Only this Child was a perfect one, come from heaven to earth, God’s one and only Son: The Messiah that Elisha preached about. The promised Savior that our little girl held firmly in her heart. “He made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness"(PHI 2:7).
He carried out his servanthood to the max…as the One who took the evil, the guilt, and the sin in us and transferred it all to himself. He became sin for us and faced His Heavenly Father with the guilt of all squarely on his back, Hitler’s, Stalin’s, every Muslim extremist, and even yours and mine. And in his death, our sins were all covered, all paid for, all wiped from our account. What a life lived for us!
“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit” 1 PE 3:18. And that’s how we know, just as that little slave girl knew, that heaven is in store for us. We are going to actually get to meet her because Jesus rose from the dead, proving that his service, his sacrifice, was absolutely enough to cover us all.
God has worked the miracle of faith in our hearts just as he worked in that little girl’s heart more than 2800 years ago. He’s never stopped working faith…through his word! We believe in Jesus! And that faith has changed and is changing our lives. More and more we are realizing that the most important thing in this life is to know Him and then to show Him to others. In other words: Every Life for Christ.
Our little nameless girl in Syria was all alone with only God to help her, only her memory of the passages she had learned very young in life to strengthen her faith, and only a heart hoping for the Messiah, the long-promised Savior. And He is enough!
God was doing something in her life. Instead of cursing the general, she cared about him. Instead of playing it safe, she risked sharing her faith. Verse 3: She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”
A little slave girl in a foreign pagan country found the courage to speak. We don’t know how she knew Elisha would actually heal him. That must have come straight from God. But her mistress and her master…and even the pagan king were moved to respond. We can conclude that this little girl was believable…that she had demonstrated it time and again. Perhaps it was the loving service she gave this family, her Christian servant attitude of helpfulness. Perhaps it was her visible confidence in her Savior God, her faithful prayer life, her reciting some of her memory verses, her REALNESS as a consistent believer.
We don’t know. We give God the full credit for all this, as he was definitely using her as part of a plan far bigger than she was. The little girl’s words didn’t bring the great general to faith. Her life and words certainly had an effect on him. But it was later, through the miracle and the prophet’s words, that the general became a believer. Her words got him started on that journey! She not only knew; she was truly practicing Every Life for Christ…as a natural part of the life God had nurtured in her.
God wants to use all of us Christians in his great work of reaching people with the gospel! He gives us new eyes with which to see our world, just as he did with this little girl. Instead of hating the world and all the pagans around us, we see this world as one trapped in and by sin and the devil…. and everyone around us as precious souls for whom Jesus has already died. Sure, we’re tempted to keep our mouths shut. But for Jesus’ sake we want to share this life in Christ and heaven with this world!
This little girl’s life and witness and the rich blessing He gave to them provide a model for us. Powered by the gospel, each of us on our own, each of us together with our congregation, and each of us together with our fellow WELS congregations, work to teach and spread the good news of Jesus. Let that gospel start in us and continue through us all across this continent and around the world! Every Life is for Christ!
Amen.

19th Sunday after Pentecost Pastor Nathan Fager
October 7, 2007 Risen Savior Lutheran Church
Pursue Godliness!
I. Flee from the pursuit of worldly riches. (vs. 6-11a)
II. Take hold of your eternal blessings. (11b-12)
Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. (1 Timothy 1:2)
1 Timothy 6:6-12.
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
This is the Word of the Lord.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
What is the most difficult thing you have ever chased after? Did you go for your spouse-to-be, who at one point didn’t know you existed? Did you work at starting your own business? Did you take up ballroom dancing? Or perhaps you decided to engage in the toughest military training in the world? I haven’t done that last one, but I had a conversation with one who had. As we spoke about how he was able to do the intense training before becoming a Navy SEAL, there was one thing that struck me. His instructor once told him, “There is not one Navy SEAL who ever hoped he could get through; they all knew from the beginning that they could do it.” How true this should be for whatever we pursue. Our chase has to be relentless and determined, whether you are taking on the world with a gun or the back yard with your lawn mower.
As we listen to God’s Word for us in today’s lesson I am not going to tell you to run after a military position, but I do want you to learn that same relentless determination. You are engaged in a pursuit, but this is not for worldly fame or glory. You pursue godliness. Godliness is to live a life of faith in your Lord and Savior. In contrast to the pursuit of godliness there is a strong temptation to pursue worldly things. This pursuit will prevent us from pursuing godliness and it will only lead to ruin and destruction. But we’re not working for this life; we’re working for the life to come. And so Paul’s words of encouragement also speak to us. Pursue godliness as you flee from the pursuit of worldly riches and take hold of your eternal blessings.
The pursuit of worldly riches is a real and powerful temptation for all who live in this world. Materialism far outweighs godliness in what “America” values. So what is the attraction of worldly riches? The media portrays people who have every new product with happy smiles on their faces. The person who just signed $40,000 away for a new car looks satisfied with his purchase. In so many words, they say, “get more stuff and you can have the same satisfaction and happiness.” In America it appears that to pursue happiness is our right. The Declaration of Independence says our inalienable rights include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
So, are you happy? Do you have all the stuff you want? There is a sad irony in the pursuit of happiness by getting worldly riches. Greed will never be satisfied as long as there is something more to get. We put a word to this sinful desire when we were 2 years old and began the chant of “more.” Once we get what we wanted, the temptation for more points our attention at some other new stuff.
And what happens to all your stuff in the end? Verse 7 says, “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” When you pass a junkyard just think that at one time all that stuff was new. At one time someone spent money on that stuff. Now think about your stuff. Worldly things will come to ruin, won’t they? You won’t get to keep all your stuff. The only stuff you end up with is a box and a nice suit, that’s all. Naked of all worldly riches you came into this world and naked you will return. The pursuit of worldly riches does not bring lasting happiness even if you get what you want.
But if you pursue worldly riches you will see more than your stuff ruined. You will ruin your relationship with God. If you can’t be content, then your soul will plunge into destruction. Look at verses 9-10; “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
If you value worldly riches above all else, then you will be tempted to do anything to get them. Stuff costs money, and to get more stuff you need more money. So off to work you go for overtime hours instead of spending time for your family. Once your priorities are messed up it doesn’t matter how you get more money. You will cheat on your taxes, you will do work at half the effort and ask full price, or you will be dishonest in your work just so that you get every penny that you can. Will you be happy then? Will you be satisfied then? Or will your greed drive you to pursue more worldly riches?
If your sinful greed is allowed to continue then you will pierce yourself with many griefs. You will be lead to sin and not to repent. You will crowd God out of your life completely. If God goes second then you go to ruin. If you lead yourself away from faith in these ways then you get ruin and destruction in the worst way in eternal punishment. That is why Paul says to us all in verse 11, “But you, man of God, flee from all this.” Flee from the pursuit of worldly riches.
Too often we fail to flee from all this. I too struggle against my sinful nature to put God first in my life. If this happens, then repent. Let us turn to Jesus for forgiveness. When Jesus died on the cross he gave the ultimate sacrifice. All the sins of the world have been forgiven. Your sins of greed have been forgiven. Jesus has restored our relationship with God. He has given us eternal blessings in heaven.
And yet, it is still possible to have earthly happiness. But if happiness doesn’t come from eBay, then where does it come from? True happiness and satisfaction come from contentment. Please look at verse 6, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” True contentment is knowing that there is more to this life than the stuff we can get. True contentment is knowing that God has given and will give you what you need. Verse 8 says very plainly, “But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” What more do you need than what God has given you. God has blessed you and he will continue to bless you with all you need for life in this world.
We do not need worldly riches to fill our lives. We do not need to run after the things of this world. But there is something to pursue. God wants you to pursue godliness. When you pursue godliness you end up with so much more than if you pursued worldly riches. You end up in a box with a nice suit and the promise of eternal life. So as you turn away from the things of this world, place your focus on a heavenly goal. Have relentless determination as you take hold of your eternal blessings.
Paul gives us a short list to focus on in this pursuit when he says in verse 11, “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.” What Paul is saying here speaks to our daily life. No marathon runner ever got up one day and said, “I’m going to run 26 miles today.” He had to practice and prepare every day for months in advance. He has to eat right and be good to his body. A runner pursues the life of a runner.
A man of God pursues a life of righteousness, godliness, and faith. Your faith is living and active. Either your faith grows when it is exercised and nourished in the means of grace, or it becomes weak and out of shape from lack of nourishment. Make it your goal every day to wake up with the drive and incentive to exercise and nourish your soul in the Word. There you will find the strength to live a righteous and godly life.
Also, a runner does more than running. They climb stairs, ride bike, or swim laps. A man of God too has a variety of ways to train. In connection to the pursuit of godliness we pursue love. God has shown us his great love by sacrificing his Son. We are filled with love for God and others. We pursue endurance. God has made unbreakable promises to be with us. We endure suffering and hardship patiently trusting in him. We purse gentleness. God treats us with the greatest gentleness. We do to others as God has done for us. All this we do with the help of our Lord and with our eyes fixed on our heavenly goal.
Paul continues his encouragement when he says in verse 12, “Fight the good fight of the faith.” Every day your faith is challenged to slow down or quit. Your enemy is always attacking. He is after you with every intention to take you down hard. So get in there and fight. You are fully equipped with the full armor of God. You have the shield of faith. You have the helmet of salvation. You have the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Use what God has equipped you with to cut your enemy down. All these things will help you on your way to reach your ultimate goal.
Paul reminds us of this goal in vs. 12, “Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.” When Paul tells us to “take hold” he is not saying we don’t already have eternal life. Rather we are to focus our attention on receiving the benefits of our eternal life in greater extent. You were all called to faith just as Timothy was. When you received faith you also received the gift of eternal life. It is yours to hold on to because God loved you so much that he gave Jesus to be your Savior. Now, whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. The blessings you receive through faith will last into eternity.
Once you take hold of eternal life, never let go. If you take your eyes off the goal then you will start running the wrong way, and you face the danger of loosing that eternal life Jesus won for you. So don’t let go. Do what is necessary so that you do not lose your eternal blessings. Put your faith in Jesus who is with you every step of the way. Pursue godliness and take hold of your eternal blessings.
My Navy SEAL friend wakes up every morning with a weight on his shoulders. He has very high expectations to live up to. People know what he went through and count on him to go above and beyond the call of duty. Some days he must be no less than perfect. What an unnecessary burden this must be. Our lesson today to pursue godliness should not be a burden on your hearts to do anything to earn salvation. The Bible tells us that Jesus has done everything necessary for our salvation.
To pursue godliness is a privilege that you have as children of God. The love of God will lead us to flee from the pursuit of worldly riches so that we are content with what God gives to us. Then, with a clear focus, let us continue our lifelong pursuit of godliness and take hold of our eternal blessings.
Amen.
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God the Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)

18th Sunday after Pentecost Pastor Nathan Fager
September 30, 2007 Risen Savior Ev. Lutheran Church
What God Wants
I. All to be saved
II. All to live in peace
1 Timothy 2:1-8
1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. 7 And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles. 8 I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.
This is the Word of the Lord.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Oprah Winfrey is a popular daytime talk show host. On her show she always gives something away to every member in the audience. One gift that received particular attention was when she gave every person a thousand dollars. The cameras zoomed in on faces that were smiling from ear to ear. You can imagine the shouts of joy. It took a moment or two to quiet the audience down before Oprah could explain what she wanted them to do with the money.
She explains that everyone gets a thousand dollars not to keep for themselves but to give away. The faces in the audience looked awestruck. You can see their minds thinking, “You want me to do what with this money?” But sure enough every penny of that money was given away. Some simply went to charity; others went to individuals who needed help. Some of the guests came back to tell their stories. They were more grateful than they would have ever imagined. Oprah’s point hit home: there is joy in giving just as there is joy in receiving.
Today, I want to share with you a special gift. But this is more precious than silver or gold. This is a gift that has eternal benefits. In fact, it’s not even my gift but God’s. He has given to us the amazing gift of salvation through his Son Jesus Christ. But we can’t do whatever we want with this gift. It’s God’s gift and he has a particular will for it. The words of our lesson today will teach us what God wants us to do with his gift. We’ll see that he wants us to do more than accept it for ourselves; he wants us to use this gift for the benefit of others. There is joy in giving just as there is joy in receiving. God wants all to be saved and he wants all to live in peace.
The first part of God’s will that we must properly understand is his desire to save all people. Verse 4 says that God “wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” The first thing to clear up here is the word ‘men.’ I can tell you that Paul means more than the male gender. We might say ‘men, women, and children,’ or simply ‘mankind.’ The point is that we should think in broad terms here.
“How broad?” is the next question. How much of mankind, how many men, women, and children are we to think about? The answer lies in the small but powerful word ‘all.’ If you lived in the south you would understand this if I said, ‘All y’all.’ Not just some of y’all, but all y’all. These are simple words that have a simple meaning. When God says ‘all,’ he means ‘all.’ Not a special class of people; not a special race, gender, or age of people; not only some or part of the whole; ALL.
So what does God want for every man, woman, and child? First he wants all to be saved. He wants everyone rescued, set free, set apart, put in a place of safety. God wants all men to be saved. Now if this is the gift he wants us not only to accept but also share with others, then we must be clear on how salvation happened. We have to be clear on the time when God gave his gift to all mankind.
When did salvation happen? Now think about this and be clear. I’ll help you think it through. It was before your confirmation. It was before your first day in Sunday school. It was before your baptism. It was even before you were born. It goes back. It goes back to one time, to one man, to one act of substitution for all. Verses 5 into 6 proclaim, “There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men.”
All were saved when Jesus gave himself as a ransom. Previously held captive Jesus gave himself to set us free from sin, death, and the devil. Jesus gave himself to be born a man as human as you or I are. Jesus gave himself to a life of perfect service both to his Father and his fellow man. Jesus gave himself into the hands of his enemies to be brought to trial and sentenced to death. Jesus gave himself to the pain and suffering of God’s righteous wrath. Jesus gave himself to stand between God and the world and face what we had coming. Jesus then gave himself to die the death we deserved.
Because of this we call Jesus our mediator, our go-between, our intercessor. He saved a world that was powerless to save itself. Every single man, woman, and child, all y’all would be lost had Jesus not paid the ransom price for freedom. But salvation happened. God, who wants all people to be saved, saved all people when Jesus gave himself. And again, when we say ‘all’ we mean ‘all.’ Salvation happened for the world. This is universally true for all mankind.
What God wants is for all to be saved. He made that possible through Jesus. God also wants this truth to be known. For if it is not made known then no one can benefit from it. The flu season is fast approaching. The best way to avoid the flu would be to do what? Get a flu shot. The word now is that there will be enough flu vaccinations for all those who want one. But you can’t get the shot if you don’t know where to go. It’s important for those giving the shots to get the word out. Otherwise no one will benefit from the vaccinations.
Paul realized that he had been appointed with a special assignment. He had been given the knowledge of the truth. But this was not for him to keep to himself. He points out to Timothy in verse 7, “for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles.” He was a herald appointed to make an announcement handed down to him. He was an apostle appointed to go out and make sure everyone hears that message.
Having experienced salvation first-hand Paul teaches the good news of the true faith. God wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. How can they come to a knowledge of the truth unless someone teaches them. God did his part to save us, now we do our part to make that truth known to others. Like Paul we make this announcement handed down to us. Like Paul we go out to make sure everyone hears this message.
God has not told us that he will do this work by himself. The truth of salvation can only be made known through the hearing of the message. So that means we speak. But we must recognize that this is God’s message. We don’t proclaim whatever we think will work. If that were the case you would never point out another’s sins. We think people don’t want to hear that message. Who wants to be told that what they are doing is wrong? But this is not our message. God’s message speaks against sin and so must we.
Moreover, we don’t proclaim whatever kind of faith people want to hear. If that were the case you would hear many how-to sermons with great admonitions to live a better life. People want to hear what they have to do to get to heaven. Just give me the next seven step plan to happiness. But this is not our message. God’s message speaks of faith as a gift which no one can earn. God’s message speaks of salvation as something that happened outside of us not as something that happens when you believe it to be true.
The truth that we make known is God’s truth. We do not compromise it, marginalize it, or personalize it. It is what it is and has been for centuries. The message is the same the only thing that changes is the messenger. What God wants is the same the only thing that changes are those who want to hear this message proclaimed.
We do what God wants with what he has given to us. This too was Paul’s encouragement to Timothy. God also wants his people to live in peace. But peace in any area of life, be it as a congregation or as a country, should not be achieved at the expense of the truth of the gospel.
Let me explain. When we do God’s will by proclaiming his message people will respond. Some will want nothing to do with God; others will be moved by the Holy Spirit. The point is that not everyone will agree with the truth. Even among Christian organizations there are divisions. If we were only working for unity, then we could get it. But we are working for the truth and an often unintended result is division. Human opinions, human reason, ultimately human nature make unity difficult if not impossible.
But God wants unity. No, we cannot achieve peace at the expense of the truth, but we can unite with others who agree. We can work together toward common goals. We can worship together for the common good. As Paul writes to Timothy, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior.” And then in verse 8, “I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.”
United under the true faith we too will worship. Again, not as we want, but as God wants for us. So, maintaining God’s order, we are led by the men and not women. Maintaining God’s order, these men display hearts without anger or disputing. Maintaining God’s order, we pray for everyone and in particular those with authority.
Our God pleasing prayers are active, selfless prayers. They are active in that our minds do not go idle when we hear others pray. They are selfless in that we include many others as we approach the throne of grace. We can never pray for too many or ask too much. Our God pleasing prayers are such powerful tools for us to bring about the peaceful and quiet lives that God wants.
It is truly a blessing to see that our worship in the church carries to our life of worship. We don’t need to be in church to worship. The prayers we say here are only the beginning of your life of prayer. The good news we proclaim is only the beginning of your life of personal study. What we do here is only the start of your life for God who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
I told you at the start that I would share a very special gift with you all. This gift is more precious than silver or gold. It was a gift that was given to me and now I share it with you. This is not for you to keep to yourself but to use for the benefit of all others. As you go with this gift today know that there is joy in giving just as there is joy in receiving. Let your life be filled with the desire to do what God wants. Present yourselves willingly to the one who willingly gave himself for you. Know that God wants all men to be saved and he wants all to live in peace. Amen.

17th Sunday After Pentecost Pastor Nathan Fager
September 23, 2007 Risen Savior Ev. Lutheran Church
Jesus Shows Mercy to the Worst of Sinners
1 Timothy 1:12-17
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
This is the Word of the Lord.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
What comes to mind when you think of someone with great patience. Do you think of the talent scout who sits through countless auditions watching people who obviously don’t have what they’re looking for? Do you think of the mother with her young kids as she takes the time to lovingly discipline them when they step out of line? Do you think of a cancer patient who needs a transplant in order to live but is on a list that numbers into the hundreds?
In similar situations we may have a hard time being patient. It takes great self-control to not lose your patience. It’s much easier to leave the needle in the haystack, to lash out when there is disorder, or to give up hope that there will ever be a happy ending. Patience does not come easily for us. Patience is most certainly a fruit of the Spirit. We need divine help to be patient, sometimes from one moment to the next.
When Paul wrote to Timothy with the words of our lesson he spoke of the greatest example of patience. When faced with repeated slaps in the face, Jesus did not lose his patience with Paul. For the worst of sinners, Jesus showed mercy when he could easily have sent judgment. Because of this patience, because of this mercy Paul sees his life as a gift. Jesus gave him life and Paul can barely find the words to give thanks.
Our lesson today will not so much serve to teach us to be patient as to show the unlimited patience that Jesus has for you. As a result of this patience Paul’s life was turned around. You and I are no different. Jesus has patiently turned us around and we can barely find the words to give thanks. Today let us grow through the example of Paul to be servants of Jesus who shows mercy to the worst of sinners.
Let’s look again at verses 15-16, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.”
Twice we heard Paul call himself the worst of sinners. Do you know enough about this man to agree with him? There are some pretty sinful people in the world, what makes Paul think that he’s the worst? Well, before Paul became the great missionary that we know him as today he was the great persecutor of Christians. Paul openly confesses in verse 13, “I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man.”
We can get provoked to anger if someone slaps us in the face once. Paul had been a repeat offender. Time after time he went up to spit in the face of Jesus. The soldiers did it when Jesus was on his way to the cross. And now, after Jesus had ascended back into heaven, Paul steps in with even more severity. Anyone who followed Jesus was a target. He would persecute them mercilessly as a hunter chasing a wild animal. He chased them down, put them into prisons, and watched as they died for their faith. Obsessed he would go from one synagogue to another. He even went to foreign cities to persecute Christians. A violent man to say the least.
If Paul confessed to be the worst of sinners, then what does that make you and me? Not a saint to be sure! If you think you are any different than Paul, then think again. Yes, Paul acted in ignorance and unbelief, but that was no excuse. You and I know very well who Jesus is. But often we don’t see him as we should either. Our ignorance is no excuse.
In our own ways we join to slap Jesus in the face. Total disrespect leads us to walk out from here and leave Jesus behind. It’s a slap in the face to think “Oh, he’ll be there when I get back,” or “he’ll let this one sin slip, after all I’m only weak,” or “Jesus doesn’t need all my money, he can have what’s left at the end of the week.” Your continual poking and prodding are as insolent as the blows and insults heaped on Jesus on his way to the cross.
Do you know what service Jesus wants you to perform? Do you know how Jesus wants you to use your money and gifts? Do you know why you should come to Bible class? If you know and don’t act accordingly, then join me as we confess with Paul, “I am the worst of sinners.”
The worst should be treated as such. The worst player gets picked last. The worst fruit never gets picked at all. The worst meat gets thrown to the dogs. The worst of sinners deserves to be sent to burn in hell. But Jesus shows mercy to the worst of sinners. Paul writes in verse 15, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Jesus did not come to save saints or the perfectly holy. Jesus came to save sinners. It doesn’t matter who you were. It doesn’t matter who you are now. Jesus came to save you.
Jesus shows mercy. If Jesus can ask for God’s mercy on the fools who nailed him to the cross, then he can certainly show mercy to you. If Jesus can show mercy to the great persecutor of Christians, then he can certainly show mercy to you. His mercy is shown by unlimited patience. If you get lost, Jesus goes out to find you. If you are straying, Jesus goes out to save you from the wolves.
You could get lost every day of your life and Jesus will still call you back. You could spit in Jesus’ face every day of your life and Jesus will still forgive you. You can never reach the end of Jesus unlimited patience. The Greek word here can also be seen as ‘long-suffering.’ Jesus will suffer whatever persecution you throw at him and still offer you a chance to repent. Jesus shows mercy even to the worst of sinners.
Paul took Jesus up on the forgiveness offered to him. He trusted wholly in the message that deserves full acceptance. And it changed his life. Jesus turned him around to be a great missionary. He shared with countless people the good news that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. How grateful he was that Jesus showed him mercy and grace.
Paul struggled to find the words to say to give thanks for what Jesus did for him. It was the mercy of Jesus that led Paul to say in verse 12, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.” Then he says in verse 14, “The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” Paul recognized that his strength came from the Lord. Paul recognized that he was the last person who should be considered faithful. But Paul recognized that the Lord chose him. The Lord appointed Paul to his service to touch the lives of so many.
Words would never be enough for Paul. He had work to do, he had a service to perform, he a faith to live and love to show. For you and me words can never be enough. The Lord has appointed us to serve him, to do his work, to show our love. This all flows from a heart that was touched by the grace of our Lord. However undeserving we were, Jesus gave us the gift to believe. However undeserving we were, Jesus gave us the gift to respond.
Paul went out putting his life on the line. He faced the same persecution he once handed out. He endured great suffering because of the message he proclaimed. But he could do nothing else. He was in the service of his Lord. His faith could not help but produce love in his life. In this way people saw his faith. They saw him live his love for God. He was a faithful steward, a faithful servant in the service of the Lord.
The Lord considered Paul faithful because he made him faithful. Paul was a creation of his master. The Lord had no doubt that Paul would fulfill the service appointed to him. The same is true for you and me. We are each a creation of the Lord. He has hand-selected us to belong to him. He has shown us mercy and grace and given us the faith to believe. In the same way he gives us the love to respond.
Your life may not touch the world in the way that Paul’s did, but you never know. You never know how the Lord will use you in his service. The only way you can find out is by fully surrendering your faith-life to him. He will show you how to use not just a portion but all your money to praise and thank him. He will show you how to use not just a couple hours on Sunday but all your time to praise and thank him. He will show you how to use your whole life to praise and thank him.
The opportunities for service are there. We can never do enough for the one who never gives up on us. He’s not asking for percentages, he’s not asking for merit points, he not asking for numbers; he’s only asking for faithfulness. And the one who gives you strength will also consider you to be faithful.
The Lord who patiently endured our persecution, who also showed his mercy to each one of us, who then gave us an abundance of grace, faith, and love, who appointed us to his service, this same Lord is ready to receive our thanks and praise. We are truly grateful for the blessed privilege of being in the service of our Lord. He truly deserves all honor and all glory for being our gracious Savior. Let your life now and always reflect your thanks and praise to Jesus who shows mercy to the worst of sinners.
Amen.

The thanks for this mercy and grace in our lives cannot be expressed only with words. But I suppose if we were to try, our words may sound something like verse 17, “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

16th Sunday after Pentecost Pastor Nathan Fager
September 16, 2007 Risen Savior Ev. Lutheran Church
Jesus Wants Diligent Disciples
I. Ready to take decisive action
II. Willing to finish the task
Luke 14:25-33
25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29 For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.
This is the Word of the Lord.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
We make choices every day. What are some choices you’ve already made today?… What will we wear, what will we eat, will we go to Bible class, will I take Communion today, etc. Some of our decisions are important and impact our lives dramatically. Maybe not today, but one day you made the decision of the career you would pursue, the person you would spend your life with, the town you would live in, the church you would attend, etc.
Of all the decisions we make, it’s important to make good choices, to make your decisions wisely. To do this you need to know the costs and expectations of what you are about to do. You will determine whether or not you can pay the cost or fulfill the expectations. Then, if you can’t find the means in yourself and you truly want your choice, you will find a way. If you are serious about your decision, you will find a way.
Among all the decisions you make in your whole life, the most important is your decision for Christ. From our lesson today it is clear that Jesus wants us to make a decision. He wants us to know the costs and expectations of being a disciple. He wants us to be fully aware of what we are getting into as his disciples. If we don’t want anything to do with it, then we are free to walk away accountable for our own rejection. But anyone who comes to Jesus fully aware of what he wants and fully prepared to do what he wants can be his disciple.
Does that mean Christians have a choice? We certainly do! Unbelievers don’t have a choice; God’s Word clearly says they are powerless to save themselves. We cannot decide to become a disciple, but we can decide to continue to be a disciple. The life of a Christian, yours and mine, comes with many decisions. Making your decision for Christ means answering the question “Will we choose to do what God wants or choose to the easy, painless, worry-free path that leads to hell?” What’s it gonna be? Will you be the diligent disciples that Jesus wants?
Being a diligent disciple first of all means that we are ready to take decisive action. For his disciples Jesus gives two of the costs or expectations. In verses 26 and 27, Jesus says to the crowds traveling with him, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”
The first expectation from Jesus may come as a surprise to many of us. Jesus uses a very strong word when he says “hate.” He says more than ‘dislike’ or ‘disagree with.’ Jesus says ‘hate’ and he means it to the fullest extent: ‘have nothing to do with’ or ‘completely detest’ or ‘absolutely abhor.’ This is the polar opposite of love. This is the feeling God has toward sin and the sinner. This is the attitude a righteous man has toward the deeds of the faithless.
The striking aspect of Jesus’ first expectation is not so much the hating part as it is whom he tells us to hate: father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters. It wouldn’t be so off base if Jesus just said to hate unbelievers or to hate sinners. He is making a strong point here. If anyone, absolutely anyone, gets in the way of you being a disciple you have to hate them, to remove any bond or connection you have to that person. This is true even with your own family.
Now I love my family, I truly do. Family are those people for whom you would do anything at anytime. But as a disciple of Jesus I am ready to take decisive action. If I have to decide, to make a decision, between my family and my discipleship, Jesus wants me to choose him. The word ‘hate’ is so strong because my love for anyone else can get in the way, it can deter me, or distract me from my whole-hearted love for Jesus as his disciple.
Nothing should get in the way of your discipleship. Jesus says not even your own life. It is hard enough to hate our family; it is even harder to hate our own lives. We all have priorities, we all have goals, and we all have responsibilities. That’s a fact of life. But nothing is more important than the choices you make as a disciple. Priorities, goals, and responsibilities are all determined by what Jesus wants for us. Disciples will turn away from all others, even themselves, to come to Jesus. Nothing gets in the way, nothing deters or distracts, not even your own life.
Jesus won’t settle for distracted disciples he only wants diligent disciples who are ready to take decisive action. Coming to Jesus by forsaking all others is one thing, following Jesus by sharing what is his is also a part of discipleship. The action Jesus wants is illustrated by the picture of carrying a cross. Not just picking it up or holding it on your shoulders, but carrying it. One step in front of the other, walking your path, burdened with the weight of hardship and misery.
The crosses we carry as disciples are in step with the example Jesus gave us. As far as hating our family, Jesus too once turned away from his mother and his brothers. Undistracted Jesus continued teaching his disciples. Hating your family can be a cross you have to carry. As far as hating your own life, Jesus too once faced pain and suffering at the hands of his enemies. Fully capable of avoiding their taunts and jeers Jesus faced them head on. Hating your own life can be a cross you have to carry.
The picture of carrying your cross is familiar to Jesus’ disciples because we bear many hardships and miseries. The world hates us just as it hated Jesus for sharing the gospel. Temptations plague us just as Jesus was tempted in every way. Sickness and death bring sorrow and tears just as it did for Jesus. And yet Jesus took up his cross, he bared its weight, and he carried it as far as he had to go. Jesus wants his disciples to follow in his steps, to share what it his, to carry crosses.
Is Jesus asking too much? Is discipleship too extreme? Am I really supposed to hate what I hold most dear and show my love by doing what I hate? Being a disciple is not easy, you would agree with me, right? So what do we do when faced with something difficult? What do we do when the costs and expectations are high? Very naturally we walk away. I love my family and my own life too much to let them go. That cross is too heavy for me I don’t want to carry it anymore.
Jesus is clearly forcing no one’s hand to be his disciple. If you don’t want to follow, then go back. But realize there are consequences for rejecting discipleship. Jesus will separate himself from distracted disciples or those unwilling to finish the task. That consequence is eternal. Yes, you get your selfish life back, you get the easy road, but it only leads to hell.
Jesus wants diligent disciples. He illustrates his point in verses 28-32. He points to two individuals incapable of finishing their tasks. The first wants to build a tower. He won’t just dive right into his building project. He’ll first determine if he has enough to finish the job. Otherwise he will only lay a foundation and everyone will laugh at him. A disciple sets out to build up something grand in himself. He does not make a hasty decision because a Christ-like life is no small thing. After thoroughly considering the situation he will determine that he cannot finish the task.
The second individual is about to mount a military campaign. He won’t just send his troops into the battlefield. He’ll first determine if he has enough to secure a victory. Otherwise his outnumbered troops will be cut down and he will loose. A disciple sets out to strike down something hostile outside himself. He does not make a hasty decision because his powerful enemies are not easily overcome. After thoroughly considering the situation he will determine that he cannot win by himself.
So what do we have? We’ve got an empty checkbook to pay for a tower and a powerless army to win our battles. For this reason Jesus makes his conclusion saying in verse 33, “In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” Jesus says to give up everything you’ve got because it cannot take you through from start to finish. The best you can do is lay a foundation, so the best you can do is not start. The best you can do is be outnumbered two to one, so the best you can do is call for peace.
But Jesus wants you to build a tower. Jesus wants you to go to war and win the victory. Jesus wants you to be his disciples, so he wants you go give up everything. With no money to our name and no power to fight, Jesus fills us up with what we need. Jesus not only makes you his disciple but he keeps you his disciple. We have more than enough to finish the tower because Jesus paid the price in full. Your sins of selfish distraction have been forgiven. We have secured a flawless victory because Jesus has destroyed our enemies. They will still attack us but they cannot overpower us.
By grace, his undeserved love, Jesus takes on the tasks of discipleship with us. We build together with him fully capable to go from first brick to final tower. We fight together fitted to win the battle from first clash to final victory. He gives us tools and weapons we never could wield alone. Hand-in-hand we swing the hammer and hold the shield fully confident Jesus will complete the task he has started in us.
The Christ-like life is no small thing. Our powerful enemies are not easily overcome. But the life of a disciple is a tower we can build; it is a victory we can secure. With Jesus we face the difficult steps of discipleship together. He gives us focus when we are distracted by family or our own lives. He gives us strength not only to bear our crosses but to carry them as far as we have to go. He empties us of everything we have only to fill us up with his grace.
We now know the costs and expectations. Without the means in ourselves we confidently turn to Jesus in faith. The life of a disciple is your decision. By grace you are a disciple. By grace you will choose to remain a disciple throughout your life. By grace we diligently follow Jesus as his disciples – ready to take decisive action; willing to finish the task.
Amen.

Christian Education Sunday Pastor Nathan Fager
September 9, 2007 Risen Savior Ev. Lutheran Church
Build On the Rock
Matthew 7:24-27
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
This is the Word of the Lord.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
A well known fact about learning is that a person will learn better the more involved he or she is. The comprehension and retention rates go up the more active someone is in learning. For example let’s say I want you to learn about how to build a house. You will retain only 5% if I only speak and you only listen. That goes up to 10% if I show you and you watch me. From there you can retain 20% if you echo what I say to you. So far that has all been passive learning.
Where the real retention happens is when the student is active. 50% if you answer questions I ask you. 65% if you discuss the topic. 75% if you evaluate right from wrong. But the most retention happens when you are most active and that is 90% when you learn the material well enough to teach it to someone else. When it comes to learning how to build a house you will want the hands-on experience. You will want the hammer in your hand and opportunity to be as active as possible.
An education author once said, “It’s what’s learned and used, not what’s taught that counts.” His point is that your education is pointless if it is not used or put into practice. I could tell you how to build a house but a week later you would have lost all that information. Then, if you actually wanted to build a house, you may make many mistakes and the house would be worthless. It is important not only to hear but to put into practice what you hear.
Jesus did not write any books on the topic of education. But much of what he taught his disciples has been recorded by the gospel writers Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. We could very easily recognize Jesus as a great teacher. His classroom was wherever anyone would sit and listen. Whether that was in someone’s living room, out in an open field, or walking on the road. Jesus took every opportunity to teach so that his disciples would learn his Word.
The lesson before us from the gospel of Matthew is at the end of one of Jesus’ teaching sessions. We refer to this as Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Staring in chapter five through here in chapter seven Jesus speaks words for his disciples to hear. He teaches the beatitudes telling us how we are blessed. He calls us salt and light in the world.
He compares the self-righteous obedience of the Pharisees to the faithful attitude of a true Christian. He teaches about turning the other cheek, about going the extra mile, about loving your enemies. He teaches about humble and sincere prayer, about storing up treasures in heaven, and about true contentment. He teaches about judging others, about watching out for false prophets, and finally about entering through the narrow gate.
If Jesus taught all those things in one lecture, how difficult would it be to learn all of that? In fact, in our Sunday morning Bible study we are going to try to learn about all this in nine weeks, and that’s pushing it. So we have to wonder, if Jesus taught about all this, how did his disciples learn it? How did they comprehend and retain all that Jesus taught not only from the Sermon on the Mount but from every day walking and listening to him? The answer should be obvious to us. They did more than listening, seeing, or echoing. They did more than answering, discussing, or evaluating. They followed Jesus’ command to them and they put his words into practice.
Jesus taught his disciples about how to live. It only makes sense to take his words to heart, let them determine what you do, and use these words to teach others what you know. Each step to this wisdom is important. The first step is to get into the Word. How can you take these words to heart if you don’t hear them or study them? Our children who were just up front know that this means reading the Bible and listening when someone teaches it whether that’s in Bible class or Sunday School or on your own.
The second step is letting the Word get into you. How else can you improve yourself if you don’t put your education to use? Not one of us should like who we are now. At best we have a weak understanding of God’s will for our lives. On a good day we fall terribly short of putting that will into practice. We build our house but it is full of mistakes and totally worthless. But once the Word gets into you, once you really learn it, once you hear what God says and put it into practice your life changes. Once that Word is in you it will change who you are and what you do.
The power we get from Jesus and his Word makes our weak understanding strong. As the children heard before, the knowledge of Scripture makes us wise for salvation. It’s not the doing that brings us salvation. You can’t do anything to save yourself. Instead it is Jesus who has done everything through his perfect life and innocent death. Jesus has saved you and brought you forgiveness for all those times when you heard the Word but didn’t put it into practice.
The good news of this forgiveness is why we put Jesus’ teachings into practice. We respond with love for the one who loved us first. We are happy to do what Jesus commands. For he says in verse 24, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
We all want to be that wise builder, right? Who wants a house that’s going to sink into the sand? Anyone who knows anything about construction will tell you to build on a firm foundation. Otherwise you’ll end up washed away. The ground will give way with the first heavy storm and in no time the house will come down with a great crash. Poor preparation and planning can lead to total disaster. That house will be condemned and the owner will have no place to call home.
But a wise builder will choose a foundation that will not give in during a storm. With proper preparation and planning he can anticipate the water raining down on his roof, streams rising from below, and the winds beating on his walls. He can build a house that will stand firm and not fall with a great crash. He can be in a house that will always keep him safe and sound.
Which builder are you? From the outside all our houses may look the same. They may all look strong and sturdy to stand up in the storms. But when the test actually comes will your house remain standing? Now every house will stand. Some will come down with a great crash. If the foundation is not chosen wisely, then how can you stand firm in the storm?
The wind and rain are coming. Are you prepared? We’re not talking about a passing shower that just gets the grass wet we’re talking about a down pour. Hurricane strength winds, flash flood waters rising, windows rattling and walls bending. A true test to any house. Are you ready? When the storm hits is your foundation going to stand?
What’s being tested in your life? Is your marriage shaking and bending in the wind. Are the streams rising when someone you love gets sick or near death. Does the heavy water of depression or loneliness weigh you down? What’s pulling at your foundation? Are there misunderstandings or failing friendships? Are work and kids leaving you no time to improve yourself? Are you feeling the effects of guilt for something you did or something you didn’t do?
What’s your storm? What is it that is testing to see if your house will stand? Whatever it is don’t be afraid. Whatever storm is bearing down on you it will not bring your house down with a great crash. You are the wise builder. Your house has been built on the Rock. The wind and water can’t touch this Rock. It won’t budge. It is solid, firm, and true. You are built on Jesus and he will never fail you.
You are that wise builder. You have taken hold of Jesus and his words and put them into practice. You use the tools he gives you in that Word to put up a defense against any storm that seeks to bring you down. With Jesus as the Rock relationships can be mended. With Jesus as the Rock depression and anxiety can be overcome. With Jesus as the Rock your guilt has been taken away.
With Jesus and his Word we see the storms coming. And they will keep coming for as God’s Word says, “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). These are hardships we face not on our own, but with Jesus as our Rock. Bring on the storm, test me and see, my Jesus will not let me down.
Yes, because Jesus is our Rock we can say with the apostle Paul in Romans 8, “I am convinced that […nothing…] will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (vs. 38). Nothing can separate us from God’s love, no rain, no wind, no rising stream. We are in him and he is in us.
Being in the Word and putting it into practice is only the start. How blessed we are to go on to share with others how Jesus has helped us stand firm. If it’s not raining on you then you can help someone who is in the storm. You can teach them about your firm foundation, about how Jesus kept you safe and strong, about how you are standing today because Jesus is your Rock.
The process of a Christian’s education in the Word is life long. There is no topic not worth repeating. No class you can’t benefit from either now or in the next storm. No time that is wasted by opening up your personal Bible and listening to Jesus speak to you. I’m not saying you should study to become a doctor of theology, although that’s not a bad pursuit. All I’m saying is that we can all find a way to hear what Jesus says every day. We can all find a way then to put that teaching into practice.
In this way we will build on the Rock. We build a house that will not come down with a great crash. Through faith our house will stand firm on the foundation of Jesus. “On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”
Amen.

14th Sunday After Pentecost Pastor Nathan Fager
September 2, 2007 Risen Savior Ev. Lutheran Church
Enter through the Narrow Door
I. Make every effort you can…
II. Before the door is closed!
Luke 13:22-30
22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”
He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ 28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”
This is the Word of the Lord.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heaven is often pictured as a great house. Jesus once said, “In my Father’s house are many rooms… I am going there to prepare a place for you.” Perhaps we picture heaven like a great mansion of the rich and famous. Maybe you see a great castle with walls reaching to the sky. Many rooms, great banquet halls, a place for everyone to call home. An impressive sight for sore eyes to say the least.
When you see this house, how do you picture the door? Mansions have great double-wide doors you could drive your car through. Castles have entrances as wide as city streets. But what kind of doorway leads to heaven? In our lesson today Jesus tells us that this door is not wide and impressive but it is narrow. We cannot mosey on in through a grand entrance but must duck low and squeeze through a narrow door.
Jesus speaks to us today about this narrow door because he wants us in his house. Jesus knows this is the only way in, so he tells us to make every effort to enter through the narrow door. Without our efforts, without the faithful use of the means of salvation we may end up outside. The door is only open for so long. God will close it at the proper time and then it will be too late. Jesus wants for us to faithfully use his Word to guide our lives of repentance. In this way we too will be with Jesus in his house. Today Jesus says, “Enter through the narrow door.”
The words Jesus spoke were in response to a question brought to him. Someone wanted to know if only a few people were going to be saved (vs. 23). We are not given this person’s name. We don’t really know who this person was. Was he a Pharisee or a disciple? Or was he just one of the crowd coming to find out more about this Jesus? The point though was not his identity but his question.
Whether he knew it or not, his question had a potentially false motive. He could have come out and said, “What must I do to be saved?” but he didn’t. He wanted to know a number. “Are only a few going to be saved?” And if only a few, then why not many? And if many, then why not everybody? After all most people live pretty good lives and try. Jesus, what about those who try? How much effort is enough? Sure some try more than others, but shouldn’t everyone who tries be saved?
Jesus does not answer his question. It wasn’t worth answering. Instead Jesus gets right to the heart of the question. This was an opportunity to teach about entering the door to heaven. In a word of admonishment and warning Jesus says, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door” (24). Instead of worrying about the number, Jesus focuses on how an individual is saved. Jesus wants this person to worry first and foremost about himself. This is personal. This is about you and what you do to enter through the narrow door.
Do you know why Jesus calls this door narrow? Why he doesn’t just say, “Make every effort to get into heaven”? What’s the point of calling this door narrow? Think of it this way. When you get on a plane, the doorway is only so big. Tall people have to duck down. People with lots of carry-on luggage have to really squeeze. If people had all their bags with them, you could bet they might get stuck. But if you want to board that flight you have to get through the door. One way or another you have to get through the door.
The narrow door that Jesus has in mind is similar. It’s not easy to get through this door. Not just tall people but everyone has to duck down. And everyone has to squeeze, to get rid of excess baggage, to get rid of anything that might get you stuck. Jesus’ point is that getting through the door is not easy. It takes every effort to get through. In this way, then, it’s not for everyone. If it were easy, then everyone would do it. Not everyone is willing to make the effort to get through the narrow door.
Jesus words, then, speak right to us, don’t they? We have to ask ourselves whether or not we are making every effort to get through the narrow door. Are we ducking down and squeezing through by any and all means necessary? The Greek word Jesus spoke here is where we get our English word “agonize.” Jesus tells us to agonize, to really struggle. This word is often used for an athlete preparing for a competition.
For example, athletes will use any and all means necessary to secure a victory. Sprinters today wear tight fitting clothes and feather weight shoes. Swimmers even go to point of shaving off all the hair on their bodies to get as little drag as possible. They are conscious of anything and everything that could give their competition an upper hand.
Are we that conscious of what it takes to enter through the narrow door? Are we ready to use any and all means necessary to enter the house of God? Entering through the narrow door is not easy. If it were easy then everyone would do it. Not everyone is willing to make every effort to enter through the narrow door. You and I very easily can become complacent, indifferent, careless, or lazy. Without being fully aware of what we’re doing we can become too big to enter through the narrow door.
Before you can get through the narrow door you have to know what’s dragging you down and getting you stuck. If your pride makes you stand too tall, then you have to duck. If your self-indulgence makes you too wide, then you have to loose the excess. If your filthy rags get caught on the way through, then you have to throw them off. When you see what’s wrong, then you get rid of it. This is personal. This is about you and what you do to enter through the narrow door.
Jesus says to “make every effort,” to agonize, to struggle to enter through the narrow door. This is not for everyone because some will refuse to recognize their sin. They will keep the extra baggage until they find a door through which they fit. But there is only one door. And that way is narrow. There is only one way to secure a place in the house. The only way is through a life of true repentance.
Seeing sin for what it is is only the first step. Sorrow follows quickly after. Then comes genuine concern for getting through the narrow door. Then a heartfelt desire to throw off whatever hinders. Then your faithful plea to God to take that sin away. That is repentance. That is every day. That is every moment of living in this sin-saturated world. That is standing powerless before a gracious God. That is leaning on Jesus who took our place. That is falling to your knees before your Lord in willing obedience.
The greatest effort you can make is to realize that you can do nothing. Heaven is open not because you pushed the door open but because God made that option available. You get through the narrow door not because you stepped through but because Jesus took you by the hand and saved you.
The effort we exert, then, is to only to ensure that nothing will deter us from entering through the narrow door. And so we agonize. Not in order to obtain salvation, but because it is already ours. We agonize when God shows us our sins in the law of his Word. But our agony turns to joy when God shows us our Savior in his gospel. The good news is that Jesus gives forgiveness for our sins. Forgiveness is now yours not because you deserved it, but because Jesus gave it to you.
Because of Jesus the narrow door to heaven is open, but it will not stay open forever. Jesus’ plea is earnest because once the owner of the house gets us and shuts the door it will not be opened again. The time is now to enter through the narrow door. Jesus said to the stubborn and obstinate, “you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from’” (vs. 25).
Martin Luther once compared the good news of Jesus’ forgiveness to a passing shower. It “has its course and runs from one city to another; today it is here, tomorrow in another place.” The rain makes the ground moist and fruitful, but when it’s gone then nothing can grow. We are fortunate to have this rain on us. But those who are not faithful to use it will eventually fail to benefit from it. To a hard heart and stubborn sinner God may remove his grace in his life. Ultimately this will happen on the Last Day when all unbelievers are shut out.
From the outside they will plead their case. They will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets’ (vs. 26). But their punishment will be justified. For God knows who they really are. God will know that his Word was among them but they wanted nothing to do with it. God will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ (vs. 27).
Their consequence will be great. It will be true misery. It will be a complete loss of happiness and helpless despair. For as Jesus explains, 28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.” This will be the consequence for the many who tried but didn’t make every effort. This will be the consequence for the many who knew who Jesus was but didn’t want to follow. They will be left only to look on the joys they cannot have.
But we, on the other hand, will be there in the kingdom of God with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, all those to whom God has been faithful. By faith and struggling through repentance we too will enter through the narrow door. We will be the people who “will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last” (vs. 29-30). We will join believers from all over the world in celebration. We will partake of an unending joy. There we will stay never to be put out again for the door will be shut and we will be inside.
Don’t be on the outside looking in. Live a life of repentance to enter through the narrow door. Let the Word of God be your lifelong guide both to show you your sin and to show you your Savior from sin. Secure yourself in the house by any and all means necessary. Enter through the narrow door. Make every effort you can before the door is closed.
Amen.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matt 22:37).

The first commandment that God gave on Mt. Sinai went something like this, “You shall have no other gods.” Martin Luther, the great reformer of the 16th Century, provides a brief explanation of what this means by saying this: “We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” So then, what does it mean to love God above all things?

Love is a word that is often thrown around today for many things. For favorite foods “I love ice cream,” for favorite vacation spots “I love the north woods,” or even favorite people “I love Brett Favre.” If there is one thing that sticks out above all else for us we are accustomed to using the word ‘love.’

This is also true of close personal relationships. We have chosen to be with our spouse above anyone else and therefore say “I love you.” We bring our children into this world and they take a special place in our hearts and we say “I love you.” We count on our family to be there for us and in most cases we still say to our parents or siblings “I love you.”

God tells us through his Word that our love for him should outweigh our love for anything or anyone else. And yet how often do we show that love for him as we should? Joining in worship sometimes is a passing thought when we’re too tired or too busy. Opening our personal Bibles isn’t a thought at all when there’s so many better things to do with our time. Would your spouse appreciate it if you only spoke together for one hour a week? How would your relationship with your children be if you never told them “I love you”?

Our earthly relationships may quickly fail if we treated them as we sometimes treat God. But how blessed we are that God looks past our failures. He looks to the love Jesus displayed on the cross and remembers our selfishness no more. He forgives our sins for Jesus’ sake. God never stops loving us.

God brought us into this world for a specific purpose which he has in mind. He brought us into a relationship with him through faith when we were baptized and made his children. He holds our lives together giving us all that we need for our body and soul. He preserves us in this world so that we will be with him in the life to come. His love for us never runs out, never takes a break, never favors someone else.

Forsaking all worldly possessions and human relationships may not be easy. But God will help us to make him first and foremost throughout our lives. He is our first love, our only love. He is the one thing that sticks out above all else. In view of his mercy we are ready to choose him, to worship him, to love him above all else every day of our Christian lives.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).
The first commandment that God gave on Mt. Sinai went something like this, “You shall have no other gods.” Martin Luther, the great reformer of the 16th Century, provides a brief explanation of what this means by saying this: “We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” So then, what does it mean to fear God above all things?
It seems that every year there is a new scary movie that hits the theaters. I have seldom been a fan of scary movies, but others get a thrill out of a good scream. The dark and shadowy sets, the close up camera shots, and the unnerving music set you up for a jumpy ride. You sit on the edge of your seat only to get thrown back as your body reacts to sudden movement or sound.
This is what it’s like when we fear the Lord. Not that we are scared before God, but that we naturally know how to react in his presence. Just as we have physical knee-jerk reactions the same is true spiritually. Except our reaction isn’t to jump back into our chairs. Our spiritual reaction to the Lord is to bow down before a great and mighty God.
Does it make you scared to know that you have a great and mighty God? Perhaps when you think you are all alone it’s unnerving to think that God is right beside you. He sees what you do behind closed doors. He hears what you say even if it’s only a whisper. He knows what harmful, hateful, or lustful thoughts are going through your head at any moment. If you are living in sin, then we should definitely be afraid of God’s wrath.
But having a great and might God is truly a blessing for believers. We know that God does not punish us as we deserve. Instead, he punished Jesus in our place. This good news brings us to our knees before our great and mighty God. We bow down not out of compulsion but out of genuine respect to show our reverence to the God who loves us.
As we bow before God in reverent fear he picks us up to bless us. As Solomon wrote, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” God sends us spiritual wisdom and understanding in his Word. As diligent servants we set out to grow daily in that Word. In addition, he gives us countless physical blessings from his powerful hand. No other god can bless us in the same way as the one and only God. We truly want nothing more than to have this God as our God.
This fear will come naturally for you and me. We don’t need a sudden movement or sound to bring us to our knees. By faith we see clearly who God is. By faith we see clearly that our God is the one and only God. Before anyone or anything else he deserves our fear.
Amen.

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and what you have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you have learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:14-15).
Summer vacation is over. That’s right, it’s time to get back into the classroom and hit the books. If you aren’t going back to school this Fall, you most certainly can remember those days when school started up again. You made sure your bag was packed and pencils sharp. You poured over your schedule to see what classes you had with your friends. You met your new teacher who put you right to work.
Getting back into the routine of school comes as a disappointment to most children. Who wants to give up all that free time and sit in a desk most of the day? But just imagine what it would be like if school lasted 12 months of the year. You would get a week off here or there, but the routine of school would be constant and uninterrupted. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so hard to get back into a routine if you never got out of it.
The life of a Christian sometimes ends up like a child on summer vacation. You spend hours and hours of study learning from God’s Word. But then after Confirmation class is over, it’s vacation time. Or maybe you like the idea of having a different schedule in the summer. But instead of keeping the study of God’s Word a priority, you end up not even attending church regularly. Being a student of God’s Word is often put aside and overlooked as something less important.
Paul wrote the above words to Timothy, who was still a young man. He had received proper training to be a church leader and Paul wanted him to continue in that learning. No, not to go back to school, but simply to keep studying. Paul did not say he should take a summer vacation and then get back to studying. He did not say he should forget what he had learned and find something else he thought was important. He said, “Continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of.”
Paul reminds us to stay in the Word. This is no mere textbook you can pick up and put back down when you’re done reading it. This is “able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” Learning from God’s Word gives you more than a head-knowledge of who Jesus is and what he has done. It gives you a heart-knowledge that fully accepts this message and is willing to live by it.
If you have to get “back to school,” then now is the time! Get back into the saving Word of God. Use this month to get into a routine that puts the study of God’s Word as a priority in your day. Let this be a routine that is constant and uninterrupted. Continue in what you have learned!
Amen!

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
During the summer months many of us get the chance to take a vacation. We take a few days off work so that we can head out of town. Some may spend time with family. Others may find a nice spot to do site-seeing. And still others may just want to do nothing but lay on the beach.
The time we spend on vacation is often intended to be a time of rest and relaxation. We get away from the normal busy routine to recharge our batteries until the next vacation. It’s good to just get away. Even if your time off is just as busy as any other day, at least you are away from the daily stresses of life.
Rest truly is a blessing from God. He gives us the chance to recover from the many long hard days of working. Often that rest is just what the doctor ordered. We return from our vacation ready to face the busyness of life once again.
When Jesus spoke the words “Come to me… and I will give you rest,” he was not advertising for a nice vacation spot on the sunny Mediterranean coast. He was not promoting an all-inclusive resort that would cost you an arm and a leg. The rest that Jesus speaks of here is a different kind of rest. It is better than any two-week vacation you could ever dream of.
When Jesus invites us to come and receive his rest he speaks of rest for our souls. The burdens that weigh down on our souls are far greater than the physical labor of our day-to-day jobs. Often these spiritual burdens involve the powerful influence of the devil. This devious enemy wants nothing more than to heap guilt on us so that we break. He hurls temptations at us from every side. He schemes to get us to fall into sin when we least expect it and in places where we didn’t see it coming.
The daily struggle with our old evil foe is more than any one of us can handle alone. But with Jesus the devil is quickly and easily overcome. With the victory Jesus won for us on the cross the devil and all sin and guilt were destroyed forever. Jesus has taken this burden away for us. We need only come to him. For us who believe Jesus gladly and freely gives us rest for our souls.
This rest of Jesus is a rest that will never end. When we take all our worries and burdens to Jesus he never sends us back to them. He keeps us in his rest each and every day. He will continue to keep us in this rest until he takes us to our eternal rest. We who believe have no doubt about this. In heaven every last burden will be removed and we will find rest for our souls which no vacation spot on earth can give.
Amen.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins…

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
What do people look for in a church? Let’s just say for a moment that you’re not a confessional Lutheran. What kinds of things might you expect to find in a church? Most surely you would find someone who leads the people, like a pastor. Perhaps you would look for a good speaker or one who is outgoing. Another aspect of a church would be a place to gather. Perhaps you would look for nice padded pews or maybe a high church steeple. A third and important aspect of the church may be the people. Are the people welcoming and inviting, did someone learn your name, or is there a group you can get involved with?
Now, I asked you to think as though you are not a confessional Lutheran. I only suggested that so you could think of the non-spiritual aspects of a church. But it doesn’t take a confessional Lutheran to know what to look for in a church. You can find all sorts of leaders with all sorts of people in all sorts of buildings. But the difference between any other group of people and a church is that a church has a spiritual purpose for gathering together. You are not here because of the padded chairs. You are not here because of one particular leader. You are not here because of the people. You are here because this is where the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity.
Where the Word is taught will there be nice buildings? Not always, but most of the time, yes! Where the Word is taught will there be leaders trained to know and speak that word? More than likely, yes, and we would look for them to teach and preach rightly! Where the Word is taught will there be people? We would surely hope so! People who gather around the Word, that’s what the church is.
What kind of people, though, could we expect to be in a church? Well, here again we have to be careful what we think we can expect. In reality, all we really can expect is that these people will be people. Obviously we would think of them all as Christians, but God knows there can be weeds among the wheat. Very likely we want them to be friendly and welcoming, but that’s more a personality trait than what every Christian is expected to do. With this in mind, we know that the people who make up a church are still people. People who are not perfect, people who have powerful enemies, and people who all battle daily temptations.
Our spiritual enemies would love for us to live and act as though we we’re not Christians. The world, for one, would love it if we cared more about it than about our souls. Then we would be out to better ourselves while others are in need. The devil, another enemy, would love it if we only prayed and meditated on God’s Word for one hour on Sunday. The rest of the time would be his while we snuff out the fire till next Sunday. Our own flesh, a third powerful enemy, would love it if we gave into our natural desires. Then we could become numb to our conscience and do whatever makes us feel good. Our enemies love to see us fall short.
Not only do the people who make up a church fail to live rightly but also we are tempted to corrupt the pure Word of God. All it takes is for the pastor to slip into one false teaching, then the rest of the purity of God’s Word would be in jeopardy. How would you know if I, as your pastor, spoke the truth? How could you tell right from “well, that sounds right”? How can you keep the Word of God pure if you never open your Bible to check? How can you train your children to know right from “well, that sounds right” unless you as parents and grandparents teach them?
The people who make up the church do not live as God wants them to nor do they stay true to the Word. They are sinners through and through. And not people in some other church. I’m talking about you and me. But in the Apostles’ Creed we confess, “I believe in the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints.” We would not confess this gathering of Christians to be holy and saints, if they were only sinners. Remember that a church is made up of people who gather around the Word. The Word of God is no insignificant thing. The Word of God is the power of salvation for everyone who believes.
There is power in the Word, power to change hearts and lives, power to take what once was imperfect and make it holy. It is through the Word that sinners become saints. Paul writes to believers as saints, “From the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2:13,14).
In the Word, God reveals himself to us as a God of love. In the Word, we learn about Jesus, who he was and what he did. In the Word, we discover that the faith to believe in Jesus and the power to understand did not come from anything inside of us. Instead, we learn about the Holy Spirit and what he did to make us holy.
It was nothing you did to receive your salvation. You did not decide that this was true. You did not choose to have Jesus come into your life. You did nothing actively to accept this gift from God. You couldn’t, you simply weren’t able. God’s Word says, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).
You did not make yourself holy. That was the work of the Holy Spirit. God came to you, not the other way around. God’s Word says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (John 15:16). The only way any one of us could say, “Jesus is Lord” is by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3). He opens our hearts to believe. He plants the seed and makes it grow. He gives the power to the Word.
The Holy Spirit makes me holy by turning me around. This is what we call conversion. Before the Holy Spirit came we were on the way that only leads to hell. That was all we cared about then. Our eyes were on worldly things. Our ears were open to the devil’s lies. Our bodies did whatever felt good. But the Holy Spirit grabbed us by the hand and turned us around. He got our eyes off worldly things to see the road to heaven. He muffled our ears to the devil so that we can only hear the truth of Jesus. He teaches us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.
The Holy Spirit makes me holy by giving me a second birth. This is what we call rebirth or regeneration. We were born again. When water was connected to the Word at Baptism we started a new life. We didn’t enter our mother’s womb a second time, but the story is the same. Just as we did nothing to come into this life the first time we did nothing to be born again. Just as life changes drastically outside the womb so our life takes a drastic change from a life of sin to a life of holiness as saints.
The Holy Spirit makes me holy by bringing me back from the dead. This is what we call quickening or our first resurrection. Before the Holy Spirit came we were dead, no breath of life, no blood pumping through our veins, nothing going on in that gray matter between the ears – dead. You can’t tell a corpse to choose life. You can’t tell what is not alive to decide to live. But by the power of the Holy Spirit, who is God, the miracle of life takes place. Because of the Holy Spirit we have life now and in heaven.
This is what the Holy Spirit has done for you. He has turned you around, given you a second birth, brought you to life. This makes you a member of the Church. No, not this congregation, not this specific location. You are part of the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints. You are a member of an invisible church where only God knows those who are his. Along with all other true Christian believers you are holy. This is the church Paul spoke of when he said, “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:25-27).
Do you think of yourself in that way? Radiant! Without stain or wrinkle! Holy and blameless! No matter what you’ve done or how often you’ve done it, this is true. Because of the love of God, the work of Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit this is true for you. This too we confess to believe in the Apostles’ Creed when we say we believe in the forgiveness of sins. God does not see your sins. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed your iniquity from you (Psalm 103). He only sees saints in you. He only sees holiness in you.
The Holy Spirit makes me holy by not only creating faith to believe this is true but also by living in me and through me with his heavenly gifts. Yes, I have forgiveness. What is more I have peace with God. I have the certain hope of everlasting life. I have the joy that the world cannot give, where? Down in my heart, down in my heart to stay. I’ve got the love of Jesus. I’ve got the comfort of my God. I’ve got all these things as gifts of the Spirit, as fruits that grow from faith.
Through faith we stay connected to the Holy Spirit who keeps making us holy. We are not sent to find our own nutrition from the soil. We are not sent to find our own water to make us grow. The Holy Spirit comes to us and continues to see that we grow strong, that our roots grow deep and are nourished, that our fruit becomes obvious for all to see. Our strength and nourishment comes from his Word. The very Word the Spirit used to create faith he uses to increase our faith. We grow daily in his Word.
That is the benefit of this visible church. In this congregation you are surrounded by fellow Christians who also want to study the Word and make it their own. In this congregation you are led by a well-trained student of the Word who strives to teach and preach the Word in its truth and purity. In this and other congregations like it you have encouragement from the Holy Spirit to live a holy life.
People will always have their reasons for joining one church over another. Some people will want pretty buildings, others will want energizing programs. Although these are good in and of themselves, they are not the reason you are part of the church. You are part of the Christian church on earth through faith in Jesus. The Holy Spirit gave you this gift and continues to fill you with all good things. As you use the gifts given to you for the benefit of the church you touch the lives of the people in this congregation, a group of people who gather around the Word of God. Amen.

I believe in Jesus… who… descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
I imagine the day to be not much different than a day like today. A pleasant spring day in the month of May would have had comfortable temperatures and fair weather. Partly to mostly cloudy with a soft breeze. Flowers starting to bloom. The view from the Mount of Olives would have been clear to the top of the hill across the valley. The eleven disciples could easily look to the city of Jerusalem, where their Lord and Savior went to end his humble service to all mankind. After the cloud hid him from their sight perhaps their minds were racing back to the day Jesus came to them alive three days after his suffering, death, and burial.
Here they stood forty days after that miraculous resurrection. The surprising entrance and peaceful words from Jesus in that upper room were surely burned into their memories. There he stood in flesh and bones, not a ghost, but their risen Lord. They had no reason ever to doubt again his truly divine nature as God’s Son. They had every reason to trust that his worldly mission was finished and he was their Savior. Jesus was a man of his word and life was now waiting for them after death just as surely as Jesus came to life after his death.
How deeply their hearts ached to keep this Jesus with them. So much had changed in those brief three years. Their lives were turned around and heading in a totally new direction. Fishermen were no longer fishermen. A tax collector no longer a tax collector. After Jesus came into their lives everything was different. They were committed to following Jesus, listening to him, learning from him. But now he’s gone. He went up. Where did he go? What’s he doing? What’s the rest of the story?
The clouds above hid him from their sight. Surely they were still scanning the sky to see where he went. I see them speechless wondering who would be the first to speak. I see them motionless wondering who would be the first to walk away. Then they heard a voice say, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).
The voice of angels, sent to relay a message, sent to both explain and give us all a confident hope. They spoke of the place where Jesus went. Jesus was taken back into the heaven from which he came. He had no more reason to remain on earth. His mission was accomplished, his task completed. The humble service for which he was sent was finished on the cross. He paid the price for sin, breathed his last, and his body was laid lifeless in the tomb. After all this, the Father exalted him.
The details of Jesus’ exaltation are, again, confessed in the Apostles’ Creed. With confidence we confess these words printed on your bulletin insert: I believe in Jesus… who… descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead. With these words we confess to believe in a victorious march through the streets of hell. We believe that a lifeless body was brought back to live in glory. We confess that God the Father gladly welcomed Jesus back into heaven.
Oh what a celebration that would be. A triumphant king returning to his throne. The battle was over and the victory won. The shouts of praise and acclamation would surely be a magnificent sound to hear. It makes you wonder if those angels talking to the disciples missed any part of the celebration. And yet they had this important message to relay. With their words the silence was broken. With their words the feet of the disciples were set in motion. With their words the church was given a confident hope of seeing Jesus again.
But while they waited to see Jesus again, the disciples did not need to stand there looking into the sky. They could know where he was, what he is doing, and that he would come again. The angels made clear to them that Jesus was in heaven. So what then was he doing? Was he taking a break? Taking it easy? After all, his mission was completed. True enough, he had completed one task, but now Jesus assumes a totally new responsibility.
In heaven again Jesus has received great power. God’s Word says, “[God] seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion…. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church” (Ephesians 1:20-22). In order for Jesus to accomplish his new responsibility he was given power over all things. The powers of this earth belong to him. The powers of heaven belong to him. Everything has been placed under his feet for him to rule as he sees fit.
With this great power Jesus can do whatever he wants. And he wants nothing more than to use his power for the benefit of his church. There are two passages from God’s Word that tell us what Jesus does for us in heaven. The first is this, “If anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One” (1 John 2:1). When we know that Jesus rules everything for the church, that means of course the people who make up the church. That means you and me.
Our greatest asset is to have Jesus pleading our case in heaven because the people who make up the church are not always good people. Don’t think so much about the person sitting next to you. Think about the person who stares at you in the face when you look in the mirror. We all struggle against sin every day. It’s different for everyone. Some of us may struggle with standing up for what is right in the face of pressure to do what’s wrong. Others of us may struggle to be diligent in the study of God’s Word and prayer. Still others may find something better to serve than his Lord first and foremost.
These and so many others are the sins that we commit every day. But as we know and believe these sins have been forgiven. Our sincere sorrow and heartfelt desire to repent is met every time with forgiveness. God does not count our sins against us because Jesus stands up for us. He says, “God, you punished me in their place. Now let them live.” And God, who is faithful to his promises, hears our defense and gives us life.
This is our confident hope: that heaven is our home. The second passage that tells of what Jesus does for us in heaven is this: Jesus says, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2,3). Jesus knows we are coming, so he is there to get things ready. He is making our bed, setting our place at the table, opening up his house, making it available for us when we will join him.
Not only does Jesus make ready our home in heaven, but also he ensures that we will reach that blessed end. He surely creates the faith in our hearts to believe in him. He surely protects us from evil and delivers us from harm. He surely sends his Holy Spirit into our lives to preserve us in faith. Our greatest weapon is the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Our greatest shield is the faith we profess. As God’s Word say, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom” (1 John 2:1).
Our place in heaven cannot be taken away from us, not when we are cared for by our loving Lord Jesus. Our only concern is that we remain steadfast in him. And we know that this is our greatest concern for the end is coming soon. Either we will meet death in this life or we will still be alive when Jesus comes again. Whichever the case may be, the end can come at any time. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Matthew 24:42,44).
So he’s coming back. The angels said Jesus would come back just as we had seen him go into heaven. That means visibly. That means physically, powerfully, and in a magnificent display of glory. His primary task will then be to judge the living and the dead. He will no longer need to plead our defense before the Father; that time will be over. He will no longer need to prepare our place in heaven; on this day heaven will be filled.
Instead he comes to judge. All will stand before his judgment seat, every man woman and child who ever lived. Some will be judged guilty of eternal death because they do not believe. Others will be judged not guilty because of their faith in Jesus. As God’s Word says, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:18).
With only these two judgments possible should we not be busy preparing? But this means more than getting our own house in order, going to stand on a hill, and waiting for Jesus to return again. The angels didn’t say sit down and wait here. They asked, “Why are you standing here looking into the sky.” Implying that there’s work to do. Jesus said as the Father has sent me I am sending you. So go! And that’s what the disciples did. They went to share the good news starting in Jerusalem. Then after Pentecost the good news spread to Judea and Samaria. The good news went out to all nations of the world.
We prepare for Jesus’ second coming in the same way. We get our eyes out of the sky and set our feet in motion. We break the silence by sharing the good news right where we are and throughout the world. Our work will be done when Jesus says it’s time to be done. Either he will take us from this world in death. Or he will come again on the Last day and take all believers home with him forever. If you are ready to go, great! Now let’s work together to get others to be ready to go too.
Yes, Jesus has gone. He left this world visibly when he ascended into heaven. But he has not left us alone. He lives and reigns in the hearts of believers. Our exalted Jesus lives and reigns for me using his power for my benefit and for the benefit of the church. As we remember Jesus today in his state of exaltation we take comfort to know that heaven is our home. What is more we know he will come back and then on that day we can stand up, lift up our heads to the sky, and know our redemption is near. God bless and keep us all until that day through the grace and power of our Lord Jesus.
Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Five days ago was the day called Juneteenth. The celebration of this Day always comes in the middle of the month of June somewhere around the 19th. Has anyone here ever celebrated Juneteenth Day? If you haven’t, then you have missed remembering an important time in American history. This day has much to do with freedom for those who once were slaves. Abraham Lincoln had declared the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. However, the word didn’t reach the slaves in Texas until General Gordon Granger read the proclamation on the 19th of June, 1865, after the war had ended. We can only begin to imagine the celebration that would have erupted in Galveston, Texas, with such good news.
This newfound freedom was the most important thing for those slaves. A great victory had been won for their sakes. And as we know this victory came at a high price. An intense war was fought and precious lives were lost during our Civil War. And yet the result of this conflict led to a preservation of the freedoms that we as Americans hold so dearly today. God only knows what our county would look like today if we never set the slaves free.
How much does freedom mean to you? I would think we might take our freedom for granted. But this is only because we have never felt as though we had been without it. Who here can say he’s ever been a slave. Haven’t we always been in control of our own destinies? Haven’t we always been our own masters? Haven’t we always set our own boundaries and lived by our own rules? Well, have we?
It may come as a surprise to you when I say that each of us was born as a slave. Our slavery was far different than belonging to a plantation owner in the South. Our slavery called for a great and precious price to be paid in order to win our freedom. But this price could not be paid in silver or gold. Our slavery could not be overcome by any human effort. So what type of slave master had such a hold on us?
Let’s turn to God’s Word for the answer to this question. First we hear this, “Every one who sins is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). Who is the master here? Sin. And who is the slave? Everyone who sins. That’s a pretty big group of people. In fact you can safely say that this includes us all. Not one of us can claim to be without sin. That means each one of us has fallen short of God’s perfect will at one time or another. Only a perfect life deserves to be free. The rest of us, well, we belong to our slave master.
And what a slave master sin is. We all know how merciless and cruel this master can be. We are tormented day after day with whips and beatings, with guilt and curses. Sin has its powerful grip on us from which we cannot escape. Sin bends us to his will leading us to do what we know is not right. Sin is strong, strong enough to cause us more pain and suffering. Seldom is this felt physically, but our soul and spirit feel the brunt of the weight. A heavy burden is placed on our backs, a burden that weighs us down and holds us captive, the burden of certain condemnation.
Slavery is real for each one of us. We do what we don’t want to do. We want to give our firstfruits to the Lord, but we give the leftovers instead. We want to help share Jesus with our neighbors, but we leave that for others to do. We want to avoid places and people that promote bad character, but we join in because it’s fun and entertaining. We know it’s wrong but we do it anyway. And why? The reason is because you and I are slaves to sin. So easily we bend and give in to our master.
Sin, though, is only one of our masters. God’s Word points out another dark and powerful slave driver when is says, “Death came to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). If you think you can avoid sin, watch out, because you cannot avoid the inevitable consequence to your sinfulness, death. Death waits for us all. His greedy arms have taken in every living person before us, he will take each of us, and not one after us can avoid meeting death face to face. Not only physical death, but for the sinner awaits eternal death in hell. You cannot do anything to break free from these bonds. Death has you and will not let you go.
How bleak and dark is our walk through this life. We are slaves to masters from which we cannot escape. And if sin and death weren’t enough for you to realize your lost and condemned state, we have one more master who lords his power over us. God’s Word says, “He who does what is sinful is of the devil” (1 John 3:8). This powerful angelic being who was cast from heaven has no hope of heavenly glory. He has met his judgment and lives in the eternal torments of hell. He wants nothing more than to get us to join him there. One sin makes us his own. One sin causes rejoicing in this place of suffering. One sin is all it takes for your freedom to be lost and to belong as a slave to him who holds the power of death.
Every day the shadow of your slave masters looms over you. “Get back to work. You’re mine, and you’ll do what I tell you to do.” How great is our sinfulness. How costly is the price that will set us free. If you think you’ve got what it takes in yourself, you’re wrong. God’s Word says, “No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him – the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough” (Psalm 49:7,8).
What is the price to free a slave today? If you worked and saved your money, you may just have enough to pay for one man. I don’t know the going price for a slave and to be honest I really don’t want to know. But we can assume that the price to free every slave would simply be insurmountable. The lives that were lost to win the victory in the Civil War were enough to bring freedom for the slaves in our country. But what about the world? What if every person was a slave? What price could be given for us?
No man can fight and win the victory of freedom for another. No man, save one. This one precious life, when it was given, paid the full ransom price to redeem the lives of all people. By faith we know this precious life to belong to the holy Son of God. We confess to believe in this life that was given to set us free when we speak the words of the Apostles’ Creed. Again these words are printed on your bulletin insert and begin with the words, “I believe.” Please confess these words with me.
I believe in Jesus… who… suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
The great and powerful King of the universe came to take the place of us slaves. As God’s Word says, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). In order to pay the price of freedom Jesus had to give his holy, precious blood and endure innocent suffering and death.
The price that was paid to set you free was a price that was paid in blood. But this was not the blood of bulls or goats. This was the blood of Jesus. This was not the blood of some ordinary man. This was the blood of Jesus, Son of God and son of man. As the Son of God Jesus remained spotless and perfect. The blood he shed was totally without sin. God’s Word says, “We have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
Jesus was without sin all throughout his innocent suffering and death. Not one could claim him guilty of sin. When his disciples slept in the garden he did not lash out in anger. When his friend betrayed him to his enemies he did not fight back. When his disciples deserted him and denied knowing him he did not harbor hate. When he was falsely accused he did not point fingers back at them. When Pilate handed him over to be crucified he did not call down curses on his enemies. Throughout every beating, every slash of the scourge, every step burdened by his cross, every nail driven through his flesh, Jesus obeyed. He never departed one step from the will of his Father, whose will it was to punish Jesus in our place.
This innocent suffering and death makes his blood the most precious price that could ever be paid. And this precious blood was enough. God’s Word says, “You know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed… but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18,19).
No amount of silver or gold could ever set one of us free. But the blood of Jesus covered the price for us all. Jesus had no price to pay for himself. Instead he paid the price for the sins of all people. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
What could ever lead Jesus to do what he did for us? What would drive him to the cross and keep him there until he gave up his life? What would cause him to pay for every sin so that he could cry out in the end, “It is finished”? Believe me when I say it was love. “Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2). A love inspired payment of his holy precious blood and his innocent suffering and death was pleasing to God. His victory set us free.
No slave master can ever take ownership of us again. We have a new Lord, Jesus our victorious King. With Jesus as our Savior and Lord we are free from sin. The curse of the law that once burdened us has been lifted off. God’s Word says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13). The condemnation that loomed so dark and heavy has been removed. God’s Word says, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
With Jesus as our Savior and Lord we are free from death. Surely this body will physically meet the grave, but whoever lives and believes in Jesus will live even though he dies. Your soul has been saved from eternal death. There is now no punishment in hell. Instead we have a confident hope of eternal life in heaven. God’s Word says, “Our Savior, Christ Jesus… has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10).
With Jesus as our Savior and Lord we are free from the devil. God’s Word says, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8). His whip of death has been rendered powerless. His lies have been silenced. And his accusations cannot stand. Because of Jesus we have power to stand against our foe. Because of Jesus we have power to overcome our foe. Because of Jesus we have been set free.
We must not forget the price that was paid to win this victory. Our freedom came through an intense battle where a precious life was lost. How thankful we are to God who gives us the victory of Jesus. He gives the proclamation of our freedom. Let your life of service to your new master reflect your joy and thankfulness for your freedom. It is never to late to share this proclamation with all those who once were slaves but now are free. Let the celebration ring out every day for Jesus who was crucified, died, and was buried. Amen

Jesus Humbled for Me
I. A precious child
II. An innocent life

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Today as you know is Father’s Day. Today we get to show our appreciation to our fathers for what they do for us. We thank them for all the blessings we have in life because of them. Even the very gift of life itself. Although our fathers didn’t bring us into this world, they were a very integral part of the miracle of life. We can blame, I mean thank our fathers for half of the genes that make up who we are.
But we can’t thank our earthly fathers for the miracle itself. We know that our heavenly Father is responsible for that. God makes children they way they are from the moment of conception. He forms and crafts them every step of the way. He maintains that delicate balance that keeps them alive. He performs the miracle of life, something that modern medicine still cannot fully understand.
The life of a child is so precious. It truly is a miracle every time a new life is created. Today we focus on a special miracle of life. Today we look at select words from the second article of the Apostles’ Creed. These words again are printed on the bulletin insert near the top and start with the words, “I believe.” Please read these with me. “I believe in Jesus… who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary.”
How about that for a miracle of life? We can barely understand the miracle of our own lives. How much more miraculous is the child Jesus? With these words we confess to believe what cannot be explained. We only accept what God’s Word says and know that it is true. We only trust the angel Gabriel when he explains to Mary that “nothing is impossible with God.”
Yes, God can make this miracle happen. He can conceive a child by the power of the Holy Spirit. He can create life in the womb of a virgin named Mary. He can give his one and only Son as a free gift to mankind. God can become fully human. A miracle for sure! And more precious than anything we could ever hope for or imagine.
Although you cannot understand how this can be, like the young virgin Mary you simply believe it is true. Although you cannot explain it, you know how precious this life is. As God’s Word says, “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).
He was rich. He had it all. He had all the glory. Angels and all the saints standing around his throne worshipping him. Singing songs of praise. Shouting words to honor the Lord of lords and King of kings. He had all the power. Power to create a universe out of nothing with only his word. Power to set up kings and depose them. Power over the forces of nature and the creatures of the earth. Before he came to earth, as God, Jesus had all the riches of heaven. No hunger or thirst, no pain or suffering, no fatigue or anxiety. He was rich. He had it all.
Yet even “though he was rich, yet for yours sakes he became poor.” He put aside his glory. He went from being worshipped on the throne to being surrounded by barn animals as he lay in a manger. He put aside his power. Once able to do whatever he wanted he became perfectly helpless not even able to change his own diaper. He put aside the riches of heaven. His stomach would ache when he was hungry, his knees would hurt when he would fall, his eyes would grow tired and he would sleep. He was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor.
It’s true; God became a man. Jesus humbled himself to be one of us. Jesus, though, did not ever stop being God. We believe that he remained fully God at the same time that he was fully man. This is how God’s Word talks about Jesus. It says, “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9).
As God, Jesus could say, “Before Abraham was, I am.” As God, Jesus could know the hearts and thoughts of those around him. As God, Jesus could say, “Surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.” Jesus is eternal, all-knowing, present everywhere. He is all-powerful. He changed water into wine, healed countless people from numerous diseases, calmed raging storms with a word, fed thousands with so little, and as we heard in our gospel reading he even raised the dead. As God, remember, Jesus raised himself from the dead on the third day. The prophet was right when he foretold, “‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ – which means ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23).
With his truly divine nature Jesus became a man. He didn’t just take the form of a man; he was a man. As a man he started as an infant and grew up. He became strong undoubtedly working for his father Joseph as a carpenter in Nazareth. When he was hungry he ate, unless he was fasting. When he was tired he slept, even during a raging storm. When he was sad he wept, he grieved the loss of his friend Lazarus. Pain was real to him. Suffering was real to him. Agony was real. As a man, then, so was the death he died, as real as death is for you and me.
To believe that Jesus is only God or that Jesus is only man is to miss the truth. He is both God and man. He is what he is. How? We don’t know, we simply believe. We simply listen to the word of God Gabriel spoke to Mary when she asked the same question. He said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).
So he was rich. So he became poor. So this precious child was conceived in this miraculous way? So what? “So that you through his poverty might become rich.” If Jesus did all this to make us rich, what does that imply? Well, at one time we must have been poor. In fact, before Jesus made us rich we didn’t have a penny to our name. We were like those who want to win the lottery but never buy a ticket. We can’t afford to play. Therefore on our own we can’t do anything to win.
Before Jesus, we were the definition of “dirt poor,” worth the same if not less than a pile of dirt. Dirt is all we’re worth because dirt is all we are. “For dust you are and to dust you will return.” When that curse was spoken to Adam, God spoke of the consequence to a life of filth and worldliness. Dust we are. We came from this earth. Every day we live on this earth. And every day we live of this earth. The dirt of materialism, the dirt of immorality, the dirt of selfishness makes us who we are, dirt poor. The wages of these and all sins are death. It’s no wonder why we don’t have a penny to our name.
No one here or anywhere can pay the wages that he owes. No one can win the lottery since we can’t even afford to play. But this was the purpose of the precious child. Jesus came to make us rich through his poverty. With an innocent life Jesus owed no wages. In this way Jesus could pay what we owed and make us worth more than dirt. Through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection we are now as precious to God as a newborn child to his father. God’s Word says, “When the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive the full rights of sons” (Galatians 4:4,5).
For us and for our salvation Jesus came down from heaven. When the time was right Jesus came to live on this earth. With the same law ruling his life he lived in perfect obedience. As a young boy we see Jesus obedient to his Father’s will. After looking all over Jerusalem Mary and Joseph found him right where he was supposed to be, in the temple discussing God’s Word. When Jesus was thirty years old he went down to the Jordan to be baptized by John. This was backwards to the Baptizer, but Jesus explained this must happen to fulfill all righteousness.
Jesus was obedient to his Father’s will. He also shared that will with others. He called twelve men to walk with him and learn from him. He led these every day common individuals to understand the deep things of God. It may have taken them some time, but they eventually got it. Jesus shared God’s will with so many others. He forgave their sins. He healed their diseases. He taught them the very heart and will of God who wants all people to be saved. He did his work, he lived his life, he did it all in perfect obedience so that we might become rich.
Because of Jesus we are worth more than dirt. We have been made sons of God and heirs of eternal life. We began this relationship in Baptism. We are sons and daughters of our heavenly Father. We live in perfect unity and harmony with the king of the universe. We have his abundant love and faithfulness always present in our lives. And what is more, the riches of heaven now await us who believe. In heaven there will be no hunger or thirst, no pain or suffering, no fatigue or anxiety. By the grace of Jesus we are rich now and will be rich forever.
With faith in Jesus in our hearts we do not fear the dust that awaits this body. Through Jesus we have forgiveness for all our sins. Jesus forgives us for our dirty hearts and our worldliness. Jesus became a man to save us all and give us life. As it says in the book of Hebrews, “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil” (2:14).
Indeed Jesus was our substitute. But more than that Jesus lived as our example. The innocent life he lived is now the life we strive to live. As Jesus did, we want to keep our Father’s will. We want to be in his house growing in his Word. We want to live in our baptisms daily drowning sin away. As Jesus did, we also want to share God’s will with others. We want to play an active role supporting the training of future ministers of the gospel. We want to do our part to make his Word available to as many people as we can. We want to share the riches of Jesus, which he so graciously shared with us.
Jesus didn’t have to become a man. He could have stayed in heaven and left us to destruction. But his great love for us compelled him to do otherwise. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus became our perfect substitute fully God and fully man. By faith you know and believe that Jesus did all this for your sakes “so that you through his poverty might become rich.” Amen.

“Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God” (1 Peter 2:16).
What does freedom mean? During the days surrounding July 4th we celebrate our independence as a country. We gather as families for picnics and as communities for fireworks displays. We place our hands over our hearts and pledge our allegiance to our flag and the republic for which it stands or we sing our well-known national anthem. These days are spent celebrating freedom. So what does freedom mean?
It perhaps is obvious that freedom doesn’t mean we can do whatever we want. If everyone did whatever he wanted, then we would be surrounded by total chaos. Speed limits would never be followed. Taxes would never be paid. And kids would fill the parks instead of the classrooms. Isn’t it true that what we want isn’t necessarily what we need? We want freedom to drive as fast as we can, but we need limits and boundaries to maintain peace and safety. We want the freedom to keep all the money we make, but we need to support a government that exists to do us good. We want the freedom to run and play, but we need an education so that we can be a valuable part of society.
So, if freedom isn’t about doing whatever we want, then what does freedom mean? It’s interesting when we look at 1 Peter 2:16. This passage teaches us about what freedom means. In the same breath Peter tells his audience to “live as free men” and to “live as servants”. Very simply, freedom means doing what we want as long as we do what is right.
Our homes, our workplaces, and even our government each have their own boundaries for what we’re supposed to do. You stay in those boundaries and you are free to do what you want. But step outside those bounds and you will know why the Bible says they “do not bear the sword for nothing.”
Freedom in the life of a Christian then is doing what we want as we live as servants of God. We live as servants not to a cruel dictator but to a God of love. Out of his great love for us God sent his Son Jesus to set us free from sin, death, and the devil. Our former slave masters now have no control over us. We are free. Free to do what we want? Absolutely! Because we want nothing more than to serve the God of love who set us free. Free to use our freedom as a cover-up for evil? Absolutely not! We have been set free from the slavery to evil. Why would we ever want to return to that way of life?
So, celebrate your freedom! Do what you want! Live as free men, women, and children! Live as servants of God! Amen.

Series on the Apostles’ Creed – Part 2 Pastor Nathan Fager

Jesus’ Name Means Redemption
I. He is my Savior
II. He is my Anointed One
III. He is my Lord

“I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
What a great day for an outdoor service! The sun is shining. The trees are green. The flowers are budding. The birds are singing in the trees. Even the neighbors are out mowing their lawn. It’s just a great day to enjoy God’s beautiful creation. Last week we learned about our Creator and Preserver. God the Father puts everything into our lives and works everything out for our good. On days like today it’s not hard to count the many blessings of creation that come from his hand.
And yet, for as nice as everything is around us, this creation has been ruined. What we see is not even close to the way God created it when it was all “very good.” Sure, an oak tree may look the same as one on the earth at creation, but what we see today has all been infected with the same unnatural fate. God did not create a world for death and decay. But now every day has been numbered for the fish in the lake, for the birds in the air, even the trees and flowers will all meet ruin and destruction.
What is more, each of us will experience the same unnatural fate, namely death. I say that death is unnatural because when God created Adam and Eve all creation was perfect. Ruin and destruction came to all creation only as a result to the fall into sin. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God they brought a curse that infected all of creation. God’s Word says, “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).
That leaves us in a cursed, condemned, and ruined creation. We are each a part of that creation. Born into sin by the very fact that we are born from our sinful parents. Each of us is cursed, condemned, and ruined. We face the same fate as our parents because we are no different than our parents. The evil that saturates this world entices us to eat the forbidden fruit again and again. We learn very early that it just tastes better when you’re not supposed to do it. Each of our hands has taken hold of a way of life that only leads to death.
But a perhaps striking aspect of the account of the fall into sin is that God did not curse mankind before first making a promise. Because of sin God had every right to cast us from his presence. But because of love, undeserved mercy and faithfulness, God promised to send one who would crush the serpent’s head. God said to the devil, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15).
When we were too weak to save ourselves God promised a Savior. The second article of the Apostles’ Creed gives a name to the one who would crush the serpent’s head. When we speak these words we confess the name of the one who has become our Savior and our Lord. The opening words to the second article to the Apostles’ Creed are printed on your bulletin insert. Please confess these words with me now, “I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.”

Who here likes a good hero story? TV, movies, and comic books have all grabbed on to our interest in heroes. Some heroes are everyday type of people who help another person in need. Others we call super-heroes, those who have great strength or supernatural powers to help others. There usually is some conflict between good and evil. You may get caught on the edge of your seat wondering whether the hero will save the day. But then in the end good triumphs over evil and everyone is safe at least for a little while. The constant threat of evil coming back is what keeps the hero story going and going.
I’m talking about a hero today only because that is the type of person Jesus was. If ever you want a good hero story, this is it. Jesus, though, is better than any comic book or fantasy hero. The story of Jesus is absolutely true. He really came to be our Savior. In fact, did you know that the name ‘Jesus’ actually means ‘Savior’? Sure, the angel said it about his birth, “You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). And then after his birth the shepherds heard the angel announce, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).
That name ‘Christ’ marks Jesus as one with a very special task. ‘Christ’ means the same thing as the word in the Old Testament, ‘Messiah.’ It means ‘Anointed One.’ Jesus, the Christ, has been anointed for a special work, the job similar in purpose to those who were anointed in the Old Testament. Jesus came in order to fill a threefold purpose as Prophet, Priest, and King.
A prophet, very simply, is one designated to speak God’s Word. Jesus too would speak God’s Word. The good news he would proclaim would be like our hero who steps into the scene. Before facing up to his enemy he comforts the distressed by saying, “I’ll save you!” That is what Jesus did during his time on earth. He went from town to town declaring himself to be the Christ. The Prophet long awaited who would proclaim his saving message.
The second purpose for which Jesus was anointed was as a Priest. When we think of a priest we think of one who represented the people before God. Very often we think of the sacrifices made on behalf of the people. Well, when Jesus showed up he represented all those who needed a Savior. Jesus stood up on behalf of the world. He stepped in to stand between us and certain death. Instead of letting death take hold of us, Jesus gave a sacrifice. But no other sacrifice would do but the sacrifice of himself.
Jesus came to us knowing he would die, but he came anyway. In this way he led us into battle to fight for us, just as a king would for his people. As our King, Jesus took on our worst enemies. But the enemies that would easily have taken us were quickly destroyed. The head of the serpent was crushed. The sting of death was rendered powerless. The weight of sin was heaped on his shoulders and done away with. Sin, death, and the devil were left powerless to harm us. Our hero saved the day. Good triumphed over evil. But these enemies would never return, no other battle would be necessary. “For he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 7:27).
In order to do this Jesus Christ had to be a special person. Not that he could leap tall buildings in a single bound or be handy with the sword. In order to be the hero that we need Jesus would not be a mutation or a visitor from another world. In order to be our Savior Jesus had to be both true God and at the same time true man.
He had to be God, the true God, one with the Father and the Spirit from eternity, present at creation, boundlessly powerful, holy and absolutely perfect. When Jesus walked the earth he then couldn’t sin, he was God. Sure the devil tried his worst to tempt him to sin. But Jesus would not and could not be outdone by this evil angel. He was God. Perfectly capable to keep every command and requirement.
With this purely divine characteristic Jesus put himself in our very situation. He came born under the law as we are under the law. The very law that would condemn us he kept perfectly for us. He became our substitute, our human substitute. He had to be a man to take the place of mankind. One who would not only live as we could not but who could die as we very well can. Our great victor who came ever so humbly as a baby in a manger would end his life is the greatest act of service. God’s Word says, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
As a man he lived like we could not and as God he gave a price that covered us all. In this way Jesus has become our Lord. God’s Word says, “Now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life” (Romans 6:22). We have been set free from one master to serve an entirely different master. The one only wished our ruin the other only wishes to treat us with his love.
When we think of a hero we never think of him asking anything in return. A fireman pulls you from a burning building because that’s his job, to save lives. You don’t owe him anything for that. He acted not for reward but purely out a sense of duty. If this fireman had saved you, would he have to ask you to say thank you. I surely would hope not. You would be so grateful to him that you would do just about anything. How can you ever repay someone who saved your life? How much would you offer to give in return?
What if someone saved your eternal life? What if he rescued you not from a burning building but from the unquenchable fires of hell? The same is true with this hero. He asks nothing in return. He saved you because he wanted to save you not because he was seeking a reward. After saving you does he now have to ask you to say thank you? I surely would hope not.
Our response to the Lord who set us free from sin is to offer up in return all that we are. How could you ever repay the one who saved your life? How much would you offer to give in return? The service we render to our Lord is not a repayment but our way to say thank you. “Thank you for saving my life. I now give my life to you. Now show me what you would have me do.”
A life that pleases our Lord is a life of righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. We have been set free, free to be slaves. Free not to live for ourselves but for him who died and rose again. Free not to serve our own good but to serve him who gives us eternal goodness. The blessings of our loving God are all around us, even as we look around us today. His blessings are constant reminders of the ultimate blessing of Jesus.
With the words of the second article of the Apostles’ Creed we confess the one named Jesus, a name that means Savior. We confess that he is the Christ, a name connecting him to Old Testament prophecy and a name that declares him our anointed Prophet, Priest, and King. We confess that he is the Son of God the Father, sent on a love-inspired mission to pay a ransom price. Finally we believe that he is our Lord, whom we gladly serve with all our hearts and lives.
Maybe you never thought all that was in the powerful name of Jesus. Maybe you’ll have a few more things to think about when you speak these words of the Apostles’ Creed. Maybe you can use these few words to answer those who ask you, “What do you believe.” With these words you can tell them about the main character and central theme of all of Scripture. When you make these words your own they become your most precious treasure and the greatest gift you can give to anyone.
Amen

“The Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations” (Psalm 100:5).

Series on Apostles’ Creed – Part 1 Pastor Nathan Fager
I Have a Mighty Father
I. Who created me
II. Who preserves me

“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
This morning we start a series of discussions on one of our basic confessions. For the next seven weeks we will study the Apostles’ Creed. The words of this creed have become very familiar to us since we say them every couple of weeks in church. We say them so often it is important to know why we say them and what they mean.
So why do we speak these words? Well, by learning a basic confession like the Apostles’ Creed each of us will be able to give an answer to anyone who asks, “What do you believe?” Any response to that question would be putting words to the feelings in your heart. We simply call that a creed or a confession. These words can be whatever you want them to be; they’re what you believe. And so, confession is necessary for the expression of the faith in your heart. It is important than to have a clear expression of what you believe.
Thankfully, we don’t have to grapple for words to say. Tradition has handed down the Apostles’ Creed to us. These words have been spoken by Christians for almost two thousand years. We call this confession the Apostles’ Creed because it states what the apostles taught and wrote by inspiration. The Apostles didn’t come up with something totally new. Their message is in perfect agreement with the rest of Scripture. Here in these basic words we have an adequate summary of the basic gospel truths revealed in the Bible.
We will review these truths in the next seven weeks. But words such as these can never be left to collect dust. Not one of us should consider it an insignificant thing to review this public confession of our faith. I would hope that parents regularly teach these words to their children. I also hope that all of us spend some time on our own reviewing the truths expressed in these words.
The more we study the more we will grow in our understanding of our gracious and loving God. The more we dig for treasure in God’s Word the more we will be richly blessed. Each of us can strive for a thorough knowledge of the essential bits and pieces of an incomprehensible creator, redeemer, and sanctifier. This God is the one we remember on days like this Trinity Sunday. We hear again how our God reveals himself to us in three distinct persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. While at the same time he reveals himself as one indivisible God.
These three, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are the main focus of the Apostles’ Creed. In the three articles of this Creed we confess a Father who creates us, a Son who redeems us, and a Holy Spirit who sanctifies us. Today, then, we study what the Bible says about God the Father in the first article. These words are printed on your bulletin insert near the top and start with the words, “I believe…” I ask you now to join me to confess these words:
“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.”
In a couple of weeks we will remember our fathers on Father’s Day. This will be my first Father’s Day as a father. I am looking forward to celebrating the joys of fatherhood. At the same time I get to say “Thanks” to my own father. I’m not sure yet how I’ll show my thanks, but in some form or another I’ll show my appreciation for all my father does for me.
What will you thank your father for? Will you remember his strength for you when you were too weak to stand on your own? Will you remember his wisdom when you did what he said just because he said so? What about his unconditional love for you? Sure, fathers may not be the best at showing their emotions, but they still love their children. They never stop providing for what we need. They never stop taking care of the family. They never stop nurturing us and directing us on a safe and productive path. When we remember all that our fathers do for us we cannot help but show our appreciation.
This same relationship is present with our heavenly Father. In the first article we say we believe in God the Father. We use that title “Father” for a very special reason. We don’t call just anyone our Father. This word Father implies a close personal relationship. Better than any human relationship between a father and his child. When we call God our Father we are confessing to the most intimate connection any one of us could have.
Up to this point the most connected you’ve been with someone has been your mother. For nine months she carried you inside while you kicked and punched in almost total security. But where did those little hands come from? Or those little feet? Or that brain that would acquire so much knowledge and ability? You mother couldn’t actively make all that happen. But God did.
While you were kicking and punching God knew all about you. He knew how tall you would grow. He knew how smart you would be. He knew how productive you would be in life because he made you the way that you are. God’s Word says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:13-14).
In six days God made the heavens and the earth and everything in them. In the beginning it all came out of nothing by the working of his almighty word. God spoke and there was. He has been and always will be in connection with his creation. The stars he set in place, he makes them burn. The plants that grow from the ground, he makes them bud and flourish. The creatures that walk the earth, fly in the air, or swim in the water that’s all his handiwork as well. Ever since the time of creation when God said “Let there be,” each of us too has been a special creation of God.
So you think you’re not perfect? Well, that’s no mistake. God cannot make mistakes. Sure, he makes things interesting, and sometimes that means pain and hardship. But God has never removed his creating hand from man, his special creation, the crown of creation. With the same special care and concern God used to form Adam and Eve from the dust of the ground God has created you and me. How does that make you feel? For some I would hope you would feel happy to be so special. But for others, myself included, we may feel a bit of guilt. “Wow, God did all this for me. He made me special. And what have I done with his creation? When I think about it I have been unappreciative? Or maybe I have simply been a poor steward and therefore wasteful.”
How often does God’s goodness go into the trash? How often do we question God’s workmanship instead of giving thanks to God? Probably more often than we’d like to admit. Probably very often if we are honest with ourselves. But let’s move one step farther than being honest with ourselves. Let’s be honest with our Father in heaven. Repent if you need to. Reevaluate if you must. Trust not in your own strength but rest solely on his power to forgive you.
With the same almighty power God used to create the universe he could wipe us from the face of this earth. He could punish us with endless torment in hell for our misuse and displeasure of his creation. Instead God chose to make us a new creation. As carefully as he formed Adam and Eve from the dust of the ground God devised and carried out a plan to save us. Yes, the body will return to dust, but we do not die as people without hope.
Because of Jesus we are a new creation. Our heavenly Father had no problem showing his emotion. In his great love he sent his one and only Son. Jesus came as our Savior to right the wrong inherited from our first parents. Through him we have forgiveness of every sin. For Jesus’ sake we see mercies that are new every morning. For Jesus’ sake this body will go back to dust but this soul will live on forever through faith. In heaven we will regain the image of God. We will forever be perfect just as God created Adam and Eve in the beginning.
With a relationship like this we have every reason to call God our Father. He is the Almighty, the maker of heaven and earth, greater than any earthly father, more deeply connected than any other human relationship. His strength keeps us up when we are too weak to stand. His wisdom governs every direction our lives take by telling us what we should do. And what about his unconditional love? In love he provides all that we need for body and life. He cares for us. He nurtures us. He directs and protects us. When we speak the words of the first article of the Apostles’ Creed we confess, “I have a mighty God who created me.”
And what is more I have a mighty God who preserves me. God’s Word says, “The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing” (Psalm 145:15-16). Not only did God create all things, but also his almighty hand remains active. When God rested on the seventh day from his work of creating he didn’t sink into his comfy chair for the rest of time. His hand never stops richly and daily providing and preserving the needs of every living creature.
Where would you be without his preserving hand? Every creature, man or animal, plant or insect, depends on God for preservation. God has not only set rules that govern this world but he also holds them in place. Even the very delicate balance and harmony in nature is the result of God’s preserving hand. Seldom does God go beyond natural means to preserve us. But with his almighty power he can and at times will perform miracles to preserve us.
All things are given from his hand to us. All things are preserved by his hand in us. If only that meant the perfect peace and goodness that we want. Sometimes we can’t even make it through the day without coming face to face with evil. The hardships that came as results to the fall into Sin are present everywhere we go. There is pain in childbearing. We eat our food by the sweat of our brow. We should not be surprised to see these effects around us.
And yet we know that all things are under God’s control. For this reason the good we want may not be the good that God wants. When God allows evil and hardships to come to us he has a plan for that too. He does not mean to punish us. He merely cares for us as his dear children. As kids living in his house. Think for a moment how some kids think they have it rough growing up.
Father’s are always on their case making life difficult. When they step out of a very strict line then there are consequences. Kids have it rough. They get grounded, loose privileges, get put to work cleaning yards and doing dishes. If only life were easy. If only kids didn’t have to do chores or pick up their room. If only there were no consequences for our actions. We would all be happy, healthy and comfortable, right?
Every parent knows the need for discipline in a child’s life. Every house has strict rules to live by to keep everyone at peace. Rules are beneficial in that sense. Kids aren’t allowed to do what they want when then want. Valuable lessons are learned early in life and last into adulthood. If life were easy then life may be taken for granted. If a father doesn’t discipline his children in love then the child grows up with a greater chance for facing pain and suffering.
If we know this to be true of our homes then we can understand how this is true with the way our heavenly Father treats us. His goal is not to make more evil for us, but to make everything work for our good. God treats us like his dearly loved children. He does not want us to take his love for granted nor does he want to face greater pain and suffering. If we had everything we wanted, then we’d have no reason to look to God to provide for us. If we had all the peace we needed, then we’d have no reason to look to God to protect us.
The truth is that only God knows what evil and dangers surround us. His will to keep us protected will at times mean that we don’t get what we want. But we surely get what we need. When we need protection from evil, God is there with his guarding angels. When we need deliverance from harm, God is there to help us stand. Anything bad in our eyes has to be for our good, our heavenly Father would have it no other way.
When we remember all that our Father does for us we cannot help but show our appreciation. A thank you card would be nice, but a life lived in thanksgiving would be better. A song or hymn of praise would be fitting, but an unending song of joy fits better. An act of Christian service would be great, but a permanent servant attitude would be far greater. An hour of obedience to God’s will would be fine, but our daily humble obedience would be a better start.
We cannot ever thank, praise, serve, and obey God enough for all he has done for us. How truly blessed we are to know that for Jesus’ sake we have all eternity in heaven to try. Each day until our last we will benefit from the love of God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. May God our Father bless and keep us all with his almighty hand.
Amen.

The Day of Pentecost Pastor Nathan Fager
Jesus Sends the Holy Spirit
I. Who testifies about Jesus
II. Who teams up with us
John 15:26-27
26 “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.
The Word of the Lord.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Power comes in many forms. When an individual has political influence over many people we see that as power. When an athlete lifts weights with great physical strength we see that as power. When the forces of nature produce strong winds and heavy rains there too is intense power. On the day of Pentecost we see another form of power. This is a power unlike any other natural power. When the Holy Spirit came on that day we see a supernatural power. Those disciples gathered there began to speak so that the good news of Jesus could be heard. On that day alone thousands believed their message and were baptized. Now that’s power.
The power that we see on Pentecost was the result of a combined effort. The disciples would have had nothing to say were it not for the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would not have filled the disciples had Jesus not sent him to them. Jesus would not have sent the Spirit had the Father not given him for that purpose. And the Holy Spirit was not just a pawn in this whole ordeal, he actively let himself be given and sent. He actively worked in the disciples to speak a saving message. Then he worked through their message to create faith.
The combined effort we see on Pentecost has not changed in the church today. The Holy Spirit is still displaying great power. He is actively working in and through believers to create faith in the hearts of unbelievers. Our neglect to participate in this effort, however, limits the Spirit in his work. But as God’s people we know how blessed we are to have the Spirit in our hearts. Knowing this will help us continue the work we see happen on Pentecost. Today the Holy Spirit through the Word of God will empower us with his presence. We then work together with him to testify to the truth. Today we see how Jesus sends out the Spirit who testifies about Jesus and who teams up with us.
Before we focus on the team effort with the Spirit, it’s important to know who this team player is. Let’s look again at Jesus’ words in verse 26, “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.” From this single passage we learn a lot about who the Spirit is. He is the Counselor. He is sent from the Father. He is the Spirit of truth. Finally, he testifies about Jesus.
First as the Counselor, what does that mean? Do we go into his office and lay back on a long couch? Do we talk about our problems while he takes notes? Does he then lay out a detailed plan to make our lives perfect and happy? This picture of a counselor is somewhat different than the way Jesus pictures the Spirit he will send to his disciples on Pentecost. The Greek word here is ‘Paraklete,’ no not parakeet, ‘Paraklete.’ Perhaps another word we could use to translate this word would be “Advocate” or simply “Helper.”
The picture Jesus gives of the Spirit is more of a protector, a defender, or one who empowers another in a struggle. The battle facing the disciples is mentioned in an earlier verse. Here Jesus talks about how the world is going to hate the disciples. The world hated Jesus, so it only makes sense that it would hate those who testify about Jesus. The disciples were going to face the same if not worse persecution and affliction. Sharing their faith would never be easy.
So Jesus promised to send the Counselor. He would be their strength and shield. He would be by their side every step of the way. I think of him like a parent walking their child through a dense crowd. Not just holding the child’s hand but standing over him, protecting him, finding the safest path through, while never letting go. The dense crowd we walk through will not make it easy for us to pass. Without a Counselor with us we would easily get lost or run into the ground.
What a comfort to know we have a Counselor on our side. We know that he will not fail us because he has been given by the Father and sent by the Son. The second point we learn about the Spirit is that he is God. To only say that he comes from God would diminish his eternal essence. He is God. No different than a ray that comes from the sun is still the sun. No different than a stream that comes from its source is still one system. It’s hard, if not impossible, to come up with a perfect illustration, but I think you get the point. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have an undisturbed equality.
As God then the Spirit is not only boundlessly powerful but also his testimony is unquestionably dependable. Coming from the Father and sent by the Son he carries with him the very heart and will of God. He knows what God is thinking because he is God. He knows what God is feeling because he is God. When he testifies he speaks as God. In this testimony then he speaks about God and specifically the truth of Jesus.
If you’re following along, this then is the third point about the Spirit: he is the Spirit of truth. What’s so great about being the Spirit of truth? Well, this may be hard to comprehend because we are faced with so many lies. Ask your teenage kid what he did last Saturday night and you may know what I’m talking about. The tongue is one of the worst parts of our body. Sometimes it seems like it has a mind of its own. We know what the truth is, but to save punishment or embarrassment the tongue decides to say something else.
The Spirit won’t do that. He is the Spirit of truth. Not only can he never tell a lie but he always speaks the truth. I’m being redundant for a reason; the Spirit by our side is unquestionably dependable. His testimony will stand up under any and all scrutiny. His testimony does not contradict itself. His testimony is not tainted or sugarcoated to fit someone else’s palate. He is the Spirit of truth.
And not only is he the Spirit of truth, but also he testifies about the truth. Jesus’ last point about the Spirit in this passage is that he testifies about Jesus. To find the truth is to look no further than the person of Jesus. To know the truth is to believe nothing more than Jesus and his saving mission. To testify to the truth is to say no more than the truth of Jesus as the way to eternal life.
The testimony of the Spirit is clearly seen on Pentecost. Here the disciples were filled with the message of Jesus. This message and only this message changed the hearts and lives of those people that day. The Spirit continued his testimony as he spoke to the authors of Scripture the words to write through inspiration. The Spirit would continue his testimony as he works through that very Word of God. His testimony would be revealed in and through the apostles on the day of Pentecost and throughout their lives. His testimony would continue to be revealed in and through the Church, which proclaims the same message of the apostles.
The Holy Spirit is not a one-man show. He never has been and he never will be. On the day of Pentecost he needed the disciples to speak to unbelievers. As the church continued throughout the centuries his work has not changed. Even today the Spirit needs people, you and me, to testify to the truth. As Jesus sends out his Spirit the Spirit teams up with us who must testify.
Perhaps you’ve never thought of yourself as an instrument of the Spirit. Or maybe you always knew that about your life but never wanted to live up to that responsibility. It sure would make it easy if the Spirit would be a one-man team. If only he could take all the shots while we sit on the bench cheering him on. That would sure take the responsibility off my shoulders. I’m sure you wouldn’t mind that either. We would just sit back in our nice comfy chairs and let the Spirit do all the work for us. But that would be a lazy man’s wish. Instead Jesus says in verse 27, “And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.”
So I have to suit up and actually do something? I have to go through intense training to perform my best? I have to open my mouth and give my personal testimony? Well, if we don’t then the work of the Spirit will not only be impaired it will be nonexistent! The only testimony that will go out will be the result of a combined effort. Just think where we’d be right now if the disciples just sat in that room with flames on their heads and kept their mouths shut. Just think where the unbelieving world around us will be if we limit the Spirit’s work by keeping our testimony to ourselves.
Whatever reason you have for holding back your testimony is only an excuse. When you and I face that reality then we are one step closer to being a team player. If you have not repented of your idle tongue then now is the time. The unrepentant heart is condemned just as an unbelieving heart. Our only hope is in the real and true cross of Christ. In Jesus we are not left to die in our sin but to live forever in holiness. Our request for forgiveness will not go unanswered. Jesus has forgiven all your sins. The Spirit of God assures you of that. The Spirit of truth who testifies to the truth has changed your heart. You are now and will continue to be a child of God.
As a child of God you are also a team player. You have no choice, the testimony of your own forgiveness is now the testimony you make known to others. A living body cannot help but be alive. A lit candle cannot help but shine. A burning coal cannot help but give off heat. As a child of God, redeemed, restored, forgiven, you and I cannot help but give our testimony. It is only natural. The Spirit will not testify all alone, he teams up with us to respond to the gospel.
Together we become the total athlete. We strengthen and tone every muscle. Not just in our legs, not just in our arms, but our whole bodies, our whole lives. From the start of the day till it’s time to rest every moment is spent in testimony. We testify with all our words not just when we speak about Jesus. We testify with all our actions not just when we act in Christian love. We testify with all our thoughts not just when we meditate and pray on God’s Word. The Spirit teams up with us in all that we are.
Together we become the total musician. We play every note and every cord. We don’t leave one part out. We reveal everything about Jesus. We open to the Old Testament and testify to every promise given. We open to the New Testament and testify to every promise fulfilled. We testify to a loving God, to a willing Son, to a perfect life, to an innocent death. We testify to a risen Lord, to a living Savior, to an eternal life, to endless blessings. We are the instruments. Oh, what beautiful music we will make together with the Spirit!
With the cooperation of the Spirit anything is possible. An idle tongue becomes active. A spoken testimony becomes effective. The effect our testimony has on another will not always be the same nor can we anticipate what the response will be. When we testify someone else may believe. Praise be to God and the power of the Holy Spirit! Or when we testify someone may reject the Spirit’s testimony to their own condemnation. Our efforts will not affect either of these responses. The success of a testimony rests solely on the Spirit. The rejection of a testimony rests solely on the unbeliever.
With no burden of effectiveness we don’t bother to anticipate what a response will be. We simply become the tool and instrument to whomever the Spirit will speak. We don’t know if that person will be eight days old or eighty years. We don’t know if that person will be homeless or live in the best house in town. We don’t know where and when the Spirit will work. We only know he works where and when we give our testimony about Jesus.
Yes our testimony is necessary, but we know that this testimony is only natural for us. Together with the Spirit we will give a testimony that will never end but will endure forever. If those disciples had not gotten up to speak on the day of Pentecost it’s likely we wouldn’t be here today. But we know that they did give their testimony of Jesus. In the face of a world that hated them they spoke the truth.
The world will always hate Jesus. The world will always hate those who testify about Jesus. But that doesn’t change the Spirit whom Jesus sends to us. The Spirit has supernatural power. He has a message and he will always testify about Jesus. The Spirit has us on his team and we will always be his instruments. In the face of a world that hates him may Jesus continue to send his Spirit to empower us all to testify to the truth of Jesus. Amen

A trip to the gas station has become more and more painful. We see the total dollar amount go up to $30… then to $40… $50?… and we wonder when the tank will be full. I have found myself only filling up half the tank in hope that tomorrow gas will be cheaper and I can top it off then. With every 10-cent jump at the pump I am back to redo the budget just so that we can afford what has become a necessity.
Because of rising gas prices we may all become pessimists. The tank is half empty. It will soon run out and we have to go break the bank again. But what if one day when you’re almost on “E” you come to a station that says, “Full Tank Free for Nothing!” You may think to yourself, “This is too good to be true.” But as you get closer you see happy smiles on people’s faces instead of the normal frowns and frustrations. Wouldn’t you pull in for a full tank for free? Wouldn’t you tell everyone you know about this great news?
It’s highly unlikely that you’ll see anything like this from a gas station. Rarely do you see this kind of grace and mercy from the people around us. But this is exactly the type of grace and mercy Jesus has for us. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:7,10b).
Too good to be true? Not at all! Jesus gives us life and he gives it to the full. In his saving grace he met us on the road of life. Before he found us we didn’t have a drop of gas to go anywhere. We were dead on our own and without hope. But with his tanker of boundless love he pulls up to us, hooks up to our tank, and gets us going. And all this he does free for nothing, no roadside service fee, no hidden costs, no outrageous taxes – FREE!
Imagine how far you could drive with a gas gage that never went below “F”. How big would your smile be knowing you never have to pay a cent? How many of your friends and family would you tell of this great news about full life free for nothing?
We may yet be pessimists about the gas in our tanks. But with the life that Jesus gives we are eternal optimists. The life Jesus gives will never run out. Jesus is leading us out of this world into our heavenly home. Then, the pain at the pump and all other pain will be gone forever. How blessed we truly are to have life and to have it to the full!
Amen.

“When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.” (Luke 24:50,51).
It must be hard for a father to leave his wife and children to go on a business trip. It can be hard enough to be apart for a weekend how much more difficult to be gone longer. Thankfully today there are ways to keep in touch. For a father who can’t be home physically he can still send his love. He may have free night minutes on his cell phone to talk to his wife. He may have an Internet connection and a web camera so he can read a bedtime story to his kids. He can even send gifts or letters overnight in the mail.
Jesus had a very close relationship with his disciples. It must have been very hard for them to see him go. If only he could stay a little longer and remain with them physically.
But Jesus had to go. He had finished his work on earth and it was time to return to heaven. When Jesus left, however, he made sure to keep in touch with his disciples. Soon after Jesus’ ascent into heaven he sent the Holy Spirit to empower the disciples to be witnesses throughout the world.
What great blessings are ours because of our ascended Jesus! He is in heaven preparing a place for us, interceding before the throne of God, and ruling over creation. What is more, he has promised to be with us always to the very end of the age. The more we open our eyes to his acts of love around us the more we see our blessings from above.
Jesus is still with his people even today. Although he is not here physically, we can always find Jesus in his Word. We don’t even need a cell phone or web camera. All we need is right in our hands whenever we pick up to read the precious message of the Bible.
Jesus makes a point to keep in touch with us who are left to wait for his second coming. Although he can’t be here with us physically he never stops to send us his love. In joy we respond with faith, hope, and love. We could not ask for more than the blessings from above that Jesus gives us daily through his Word.
Amen.

“He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again’” (Luke 24:6,7).

“I promise” is a phrase that we tend to use sparingly. When asked if we can be somewhere or do something we are better off saying, “I’ll try,” or “I’ll do my best.” We really don’t know what the future will bring, so the best we can do is promise to do the best we can do.
We try not to make too many promises. A promise is a big deal. If we break that promise we risk loosing the love and trust of others. So much rides on the words we bind with a promise that we will do whatever we can to keep them and be true to our word.
Jesus was a man who made a promise and stayed true to his word. He had told his disciples what would happen. Jesus said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (Luke 9:22).
He had done the best he could to prepare their hearts. But they failed to comprehend or accept what he was saying. Perhaps this was a promise that they didn’t want Jesus to keep. It was just too much for them to think of their best friend and dear teacher enduring such things.
Whether or not his disciples wanted Jesus to stay true to his word did not stop him. Indeed Jesus suffered, died, and on the third day was raised to life. He kept his promise and did just as he said. The angel at the tomb undoubtedly took great joy to proclaim the beautiful message of Easter, “He is not here; he has risen!”
This Easter season we again get to run up to the empty tomb. There we rejoice in our risen Savior who stayed true to his word. This risen Savior deserves all our love and trust. We have no reason to ever doubt the words and promises of Jesus.
Amen.

1st Sunday in Lent Pastor Nathan Fager
The Word is Near
I. A Word of faith
II. A Word for all
Romans 10:8b-13
8 … “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
This is the Word of the Lord.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Two men got up in the temple to pray. The first man stood where everyone could see him. Then with a voice that everyone could hear he thanked God. “Thank you God that I am not like those who cheat, steal, and lie. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get. Thank you God that I am a better man because of this.” The second man also got up but stood by himself. In words that may have only sounded like a murmur he too prayed to God. “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” He did not pat himself on the back for doing good works but beat his breast in remorse for his sins.
Jesus told this parable to show which of these two men went home right with God. Jesus pointed, of course, to the second man. He had true fear of God and true faith in God. In a demonstration of genuine repentance he showed that God’s word was very near to his heart and his mouth. The first man, however, had gone so far from the word of God that he put his trust in himself. As we hear from Paul’s words to the Roman believers there is only one way to be right with God. We are saved not by what we do, but by the faith in our heart that shows itself through our mouth. As you hear from God’s word today let that word stay near to you that you all may let your mouth confess the faith in your heart.
Paul introduces our lesson by quoting an Old Testament passage which says, “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart” (Dt 30:14). If you were to look at this passage in its original context, you would quickly find out that the word referred to here is God’s word found in the law. It makes very good sense that the words of the law would have been on the hearts and mouths of the people. This culture depended on oral communication far more than we do today. The words would have been spoken by one to another. That word would have had an effect on the heart and the mouth would openly confess what the heart had come to know.
But in our lesson Paul is obviously not talking about the word as it is found in the law. He has made the switch to speak of the word as it is known in the gospel. Paul says this is “the word of faith we are proclaiming.” And we can see why he quotes this passage. This is his point. Just as the words of the law were readily available so also are now the words of the gospel as Paul and others would proclaim. Just as the law took effect in the heart to work on the mouth, the same is true of the gospel. The good news of Christ when spoken by one is heard by another. The heart receives what God offers through Christ and the mouth is prompted to speak.
This is the word that is near. This is the word, the preaching, the proclaiming of the good news to produce faith. The spoken word is the medium, the means to reach the heart. And Paul’s message then is a word of faith because as it says in verses 9 and 10, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”
With words such as these from Paul it is important to get his point about the word as it relates both to the heart and to the mouth. Keep in mind that Paul is showing the one way to be right with God, not by earning or doing, but by receiving. That is why Paul speaks of the heart. It is the heart that is touched by the word of faith. Paul says that it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, which means made right with God.
When the word goes out that God raised Jesus from the dead, the heart simply receives this good news. The heart rejoices to know that Jesus completed the work of deliverance. God sent his Son to save the world and that is what he did. Jesus gave his life on the cross to pay the price once for all. Then God raised Jesus from the dead. Jesus came to life to show his power over death. And not just his death, but also yours and mine. Just as Jesus was raised to life so we will live again after the Last Day.
Neither you nor I earn or deserve to have the word of faith near to our hearts. This is God making us right with God. This is then the content of the word of faith. God uses this message as the means to change hearts. But the heart is not the only part of you that is changed. Paul also speaks of the mouth, and for good reason. Paul speaks of the mouth because it is unquestionably connected to the heart. That which is inside must come out.
Picture, if you will, a nice warm sunny summer afternoon. The kids are out in the yard looking for a good time. You decide to take out the water sprinkler. So you grab the hose, connect one end to the house and the other end to the sprinkler, and turn on the water. Will the sprinkler keep that water all stopped up inside? Not a chance! The water will be thrown high and far for all to see and enjoy.
I hope you’re getting the picture. When the good news of Jesus reaches our hearts we are not going to stop it up. The mouth will open. The mouth will speak. The mouth has to reveal what is in the heart. The mouth is prompted to talk about this word of faith, to discuss it, to put it in his or her own words, to make it their own, to make a statement of what it believes is true. The mouth makes the heart’s confession.
So what then does the mouth say? Very simply put, Paul says that the mouth that has been saved will confess, “Jesus is Lord.” With those three words the mouth says a mouthful. It recognizes that Jesus, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, is Lord. As Martin Luther says in the explanation to the second article of the Apostle’s Creed, “He has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver but with his holy, precious blood and with his innocent suffering and death. All this he did that I should be his own, and live under him in his kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as he has risen from death and lives and rules eternally. This is most certainly true.”
This confession, this statement of what the heart believes, was spoken from your mouth the moment you were saved. For the majority I am referring to your baptism. In a special way the word of faith was in your mouth. You made your confession that Jesus is Lord. Now, granted, the words I just read were not publicly confessed until your confirmation, but that does not mean they were not on your mouth before then and every day after.
A believing heart and a confessing mouth always go together. A true heart of faith is never silent, it always confesses. Naturally we know the order to be believing then confessing. But this order is only a logical order and not an order in time. By that I mean that there was no time lapse between your heart receiving the word of faith and your mouth making its confession. They are two aspects of one reality. Two sides of one coin. Two separate acts but one life before God under the Lordship of Jesus.
“The word is near you.” This is the message Paul proclaimed to the Roman believers, but it is also the message that is proclaimed to you and me. Paul never intended the word of faith to reach only these Christians. Paul readily recognized how this word of faith is universal. This word of faith is offered to all people everywhere. Paul writes for us in verses 11-13, “As the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’ For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”
So what are you doing? What are you doing when you keep the word of faith to yourself? God makes it clear in Scripture that there is no difference between Jew or Gentile. And yet here we stand on one side and on the other side stands so many who appear to be blissfully ignorant. One of us may say, “My routine is just fine, there’s no need to make a special effort to speak out. And they’re over there doing their thing, so who am I to impose?”
So what are you doing? If you are here only for yourself then you are here for the wrong reason. It is my prayer that you are here to learn to open your mouth. Yes, open your mouth in praise to God for saving you from your sin of idleness. Yes, open your mouth to speak your confession. But with your heart filled with the word of faith open your mouth to tell everyone what Paul has reminded you today.
Again, Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him,” that is Jesus as Lord, “will never be put to shame.” Scripture also says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord,” that name is Jesus, “will be saved.”
Who are we to say who gets to hear this message and who doesn’t? Again, there is no difference between Jew or Gentile. There is no difference between your life at church and how you talk about your faith at work, school, and at home. There is no difference because the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him.
For those who are far from the word of faith we are ready to open our mouths. Not only are we saved when we call on the name of the Lord, but the same is true for everyone else.
With the word that comes from your mouth so many more will see that the word is near. It can be in their mouths and in their hearts too. But they need to know what word will come from a believing heart. Which word will your mouth share with them? You only have two options. Either you will offer life by living right, in which case you will only supply a hopeless promise for a sinner, or you will offer life by receiving the word of faith as a gift.
Rest assured that there is nothing anyone can do to earn or deserve to have the word near. The true comfort for sinners, of whom we all are the worst, is that Jesus is Lord. Jesus has rescued the world from sin and put us into a permanent place of safety. As we hear from Paul’s words to the Roman believers there is only one way to be right with God. We are saved not by what we do, but by the faith in our heart that shows itself through our mouth. The word is near! Let that word stay near to you that you all may let your mouth confess the faith in your heart.
Amen.

6th Sunday after the Epiphany Pastor Nathan Fager

Look, the Lamb of God!
I. See and believe (29-34)
II. Follow and learn (35-39)
III. Go and testify (40-41)
John 1:29-41
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.” 35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour. 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).

What do you see when you look at symbols in the church? The point of a symbol is not necessarily what you can see with your eyes, but more often it’s what you can see with your heart. What do you see when you look at the symbol of a picture of a lamb? Perhaps you think of Jesus who is the Good Shepherd, in which case you would be that lamb. Another way a lamb is pictured, as it is used today in our lesson, reminds us of how Jesus is that lamb. When you see that symbol you are reminded about the perfect sacrifice that was made by “a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:19).
The picture of a lamb has been around since the time of Moses and the people of Israel. The many sacrifices that were made served as constant reminders of the need for a perfect sacrifice. The prophet Isaiah too used the picture of a lamb when he foretold of the sacrifice Jesus would make. In our lesson today, John the Baptist used the picture of a lamb to vividly point people to Jesus and what He had come to do. John said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” The words of our lesson point us to Jesus today just as John did for his followers. The words and actions of those in our lesson will teach us all to do three things. First, see and believe! Second, follow and learn! Finally, go and testify!
To help you see the Lamb of God as he came to John that day, imagine yourself as one of the crowd who went out to the desert. It was probably another hot day. But the trip was worthwhile. Maybe you had been out there before; maybe this was your first time. But you will never forget what you saw that day. John the Baptist, the man of God, stopped whatever he was saying, stood straight up, and in words that everyone could hear declared, “Look!” So you turned with eyes wide open to see what he wanted you to look at. A man was walking toward John. Maybe it was another man who wanted to hear the good news about the Christ from the mouth of John. But no, John explains that this man is no ordinary man.
Now with eyes, ears, and heart wide open you listen to John give his testimony. John tells you about the sign he received from God. He goes on to tell you how that sign was fulfilled when the Spirit came down from heaven as a dove and remained on this man. John tells you everything he saw so that, even if you weren’t at the Jordan when Jesus was baptized to see it for yourself, in your mind’s eye you could see it all happening. John revealed to you everything he saw and now he tells you to “Look!” John wants you to see and believe that this man is the Son of God.
“I don’t see it,” someone else says and then walks away. “It can’t be true,” another replies before regretting the time he spent in the desert. “Where is the royal entourage? This can’t be the one.” They don’t get it do they. When John tells them to look, they can’t see. They can’t see that this is the one. He is the Christ we have all been waiting for. This ordinary looking man is the Son of God. He will be pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. No wonder John called this man “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” John saw through faith that Jesus would be a sacrifice.
Can you see? Is the picture of a lamb clear in your mind? As a Jew in Israel at this time you have witnessed the bloody sacrifice of a lamb in the temple. On more than one occasion you had seen a lamb without blemish or defect give its life on the altar. Why all this death? Why did the innocent have to be punished? Sacrifices were made because of the guilty, because you and I disobeyed God. We failed to keep God first in our lives. We failed to honor our father and mother. We kept hate in our hearts and let it ferment. We let our tongue speak blatant lies, hurtful words, and disgusting language. Because of our sin, death is the punishment. Sacrifice after sacrifice reminded us of our sinfulness and need for a Savior.
Can you see? Can you see and believe that Jesus is your Savior? Maybe you can picture it in your mind. More importantly can you picture it in your heart through faith? Without Jesus’ blood dripping before your face can you picture his sacrifice on the cross? Without your hand touching the wound in his side can you picture the price that was paid for the sins of the world? With only the words “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” can you see and believe? Your answer and mine resounds from a heart of faith, “Yes!” Yes, as John testifies he is the Son of God. Yes, he is my perfect sacrifice. Yes, I see and yes, I believe that Jesus takes away not only my sins but also the sins of the whole world. I no longer need to give another sacrifice because I see and believe that Jesus is my perfect sacrifice.
See and believe. That’s what God wants us to do in response to John’s words. Now with a heart of faith we are eager follow and learn from the Son of God. Jesus was now stepping into the scene. His public ministry had just started at his baptism. John knew the time had come to step aside and let people follow Jesus. So let us learn from God’s Word to do as those disciples did. When John points us to Jesus let us follow and learn. 35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.
Jesus knew why they followed him that day. Jesus could see into their hearts and know their intentions. But he still asked, “What do you want?” Jesus wanted to hear the disciples give their own reason for following him. They could have expected a number of things from Jesus like earthly prosperity, political power, or deliverance from their Roman oppressors. But what was their answer? Why did the disciples follow Jesus? Unlike Jesus we cannot see into their hearts, but we can judge their words and actions. The disciples focused their answer on Jesus. They wanted to know where he was staying because they were eager to follow. They called him Rabbi, which means Teacher, because they were eager to learn.
The question from Jesus is one we can all ask ourselves. “What do you want?” As you follow Jesus what do you expect to get? A sinful heart is quickly tempted to want a number of things, like peace in your life, freedom from hardship and trials, or some other special treatment for calling yourself a Christian. But you do not follow Jesus to get what you sinful heart wants or expects. Rather you and I follow Jesus so that we can learn to know Jesus better. So that we can learn from him whatever he wants to teach us. We follow Jesus so that we can learn about his great love and what he has done for us. We follow Jesus so that we may grow in our faith and our dedication to a Christian life. We follow Jesus so that we can learn to imitate his humble life as we serve him by serving others.
There are many ways in our life that we can live the life of a disciple as we follow Jesus. One of those ways is by sharing with others the same good news that was shared with us. We can all learn from Andrew’s actions and words the same eagerness, willingness, and desire to tell the world about Jesus. So then, just as Andrew did, go and testify. 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).
I’ve got it. Here it is, right here. So what next? What do I do with this little light of mine? Do I hide it under a bushel? No, I’m gonna let it shine. I’m gonna let it shine in places that only know darkness. I’m gonna let my faith shine as I share the wonderful message of the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
But is that my job? That’s why we have youth groups and evangelism committees. That’s why we called a pastor and a vicar, to go out and share the message, right? Absolutely, but that does not exclude you in any way. We all can take our message to our brother. By that I mean we all have people close to us in our families, schools, and workplaces. They all need to hear your message.
So, go tell your brother. If you don’t have a brother, find one. Take the gospel to the whole world. Let God’s Word encourage you today to go until you can’t go anymore. Use every means possible until you are spent. If you have time, give your time. If you have money, give your money to support the ministry. If you have encouragement, fresh ideas, or a welcoming smile, then you can give that too as you go into this neighborhood, this city, and the world.
When Andrew went out he had something to say. “We have found the Messiah!” This simple gospel message is a great example of what we too can say. You don’t need to have the Bible memorized. When you share your faith with others you need only to point them to the Word of God. Have them look at their lost condition as a sinner. Have them look at God’s encouragement to repent of their sins. Have them look at Jesus who alone can save them from the curse of death. Have them look at the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
Each of us can speak from a heart of faith about the peace we have through Jesus. Share the joy you have in your heart whenever God gives you an opportunity to do so. Be confident knowing that when you speak it is not you working on their heart, but it is God working through you. God will give you the strength to share his Word. Trust that the Word of God is powerful and effective. Be convinced that the Holy Spirit can work faith through your efforts, big or small.
John the Baptist’s words leave a timeless image of the Lamb of God in our minds and hearts. But the picture of a lamb is much more than a symbol in a church. Jesus really is that Lamb of God. Jesus really gave himself on the cross to take away your sins and mine. Jesus took away the sins of the whole world, and that makes the whole world our mission field. So then believe, follow, and testify in response to the words of John the Baptist, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

5th Sunday After the Epiphany Pastor Nathan Fager
Let Down Your Nets for a Catch
Luke 5:1-11
1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, 2 he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
What’s it take to be a good fisherman? I know that some of you can answer that better than others. You enjoy the sport of fishing and have probably acquired what it takes to be a good fisherman. Without a doubt you need the right equipment. In warmer weather you need a way to get to the fish, so you have a nice boat. You also need a way to find the fish, so there are all kinds of electronic locators. Then of course you need a way to catch the fish; you need poles, reels, hooks, bait, and a list of other essentials.
The fact of the matter is, you could have all that stuff and still not be a good fisherman. Without a doubt you also need a bit of experience. Where do the fish usually bite on this lake, during this month, at this time of day? You have to know by experience what bait is the best for which fish. Now, with all these electronic locators you have to know how to read them.
Finally, even with all the right equipment and a bit of experience I guess you still need a bit of luck. Sometimes just about anyone can be a good fisherman if they just have enough luck. For me to be a good fisherman I would rely heavily on luck. I need more advice for fishing than I can give. I have no problem asking for help. But others of us may. Would you struggle to take advice from someone with far less experience? Would it be hard to listen if you had fished in the best place at the best time and caught nothing? Would you take advice to go against your experience and conventional wisdom to fish in the worst spot at the worst time?
Ok, now you’re Simon Peter, the lifetime fisherman. You have all that it takes to be a good at what you do. You have a couple of good boats, a small crew of men, and some good strong nets. You don’t have electronic locators, but you know this lake like the back of your hand. Where’s the fish? Well, they’re in the shallows. When’s the best time to fish? At night, of course, even those who aren’t fisherman could tell you that.
Ok, now you’re Simon Peter, the new apostle of Jesus. You’ve fished all night unsuccessfully. Now Jesus wants to preach from your boat. Not a problem since the best fishing time is long gone. As the day gets long you’re probably planning your next night’s excursion. Then, around midday Jesus takes a break from his preaching. “Let’s go fishing,” he says, “and why don’t we push out to the deep?” As a new disciple of Jesus this is probably your first test. Your Master wants you to rely on his word to grant you success. “Ok, Master, even though we caught nothing at the best time in the best place I’ll let down my nets for a catch just as you say.”
Well, Peter, you didn’t do that bad on your first test. You went against conventional wisdom. You faced possible embarrassment from those on the beach wondering why you’re letting down your nets in the deep at midday. But really all you did was listen to your master. He gave you the simple command “let down your nets for a catch” and you complied. No props for you, this catch of fish is all about Jesus.
Only Jesus could have control over nature in this way. Only Jesus could fill those nets to overflowing. Only Jesus could say the word and perform such an amazing miracle. So much for conventional wisdom, so much for electronic locators, you could have all that it takes to be a good fisherman and never catch a fish. But with Jesus, great things happen in the most unexpected places at the most unexpected times.
What do you think of Jesus’ advice now? His simple command “let down your nets for a catch” now means a lot. It means that all I have to do is listen when he tells me “It’s time to go fishing.” It means that when Jesus gives the command he will supply the results. “But you no longer will catch fish,” Jesus says. “From now on you will catch men.” If Jesus can give success like this when we let down our nets he will surely give success when we share the good news. And so with full confidence you drop everything, your workers, your boats, your families, your homes, and you follow Jesus.
Ok, now you’re you, lifetime Christian and disciple of Jesus. The simple command given to you is the same one given to the disciples, “from now on you will catch men.” What kind of confidence do you have in your work? How willing are you to listen to Jesus when he tells you where and when to fish?
My fellow fishers of men, I join you in saying that it’s hard to take Jesus at his Word. I will admit with you that it’s discouraging to work at the best time in the best place and come up empty handed. We think we’ve got it all figured out until our nets come back empty. What’s wrong? Why aren’t we catching anything? Why aren’t our nets filled every time we let them down?
What do questions like these lead to? You and I are so close at times to losing all confidence in Jesus’ Word and doubting its ability to work miracles. Doubt creeps into our hearts where faith had previously been. There is a struggle for supremacy. Who will win out? Faith or doubt? When our faith is tested we cannot stand alone. The more we rely on our own ability to be productive the more we will come up empty handed. We will fish all night in the best places but catch nothing.
My fellow fishers of men, it’s not about you. If it were then you would have come crashing down long ago. If success depended on you then no one would listen. You have no power to change hearts. You have no power to work miracles. You have no power to add anything to the Word of God you share with others.
As Peter, let us fall to the knees of our Lord Jesus and say, “Go away from me, for I am sinful.” In your weakness turn to his strength. Turn away from your doubt and turn back in faith. As we humbly recognize our inabilities, Jesus lifts us up in confidence. As he said to Peter he says to us, “Don’t be afraid.” Don’t be afraid to ask for strength from your holy God, Jesus has freely welcomed you. Don’t be afraid to speak for Jesus, there is power in his Word.
Cast your doubt to the side and take up your nets again. Let them down for a catch. As we go out to catch men we take up the powerful net of the gospel. This is the same powerful means that changed our hearts for Jesus. At one point someone cast out the good news of Salvation through Jesus. We were caught in this net and pulled us into the boat from the sea of death to live forever.
In the same way we let down our nets for a catch. Whether or not we catch something is not up to us. Very simply put, we let down our nets for a catch and Jesus does the rest. With the same power he exerted over nature he will empower the work of our hands. Will we always see a boat that is overflowing? Not always. This is because spiritual things are invisible. The reaction of the heart happens where we cannot see.
As we learned from this great miracle of Jesus, he will work where and when he wants. We have no power to make the gospel work just as a fisherman has no power to make fish bite his bait. We very likely may come up empty handed after working in the best place at the best time. With the power of Jesus behind the good news we share we can find success in the most unexpected places at the most unexpected times.
Success from the Word of God is not a question of “if.” We let down our nets for a catch. We know that we will have success. The only questions are “where” and “when.”
My fellow fishers of men, we may not all have what it takes to be good fishermen. But you know that we have what it takes to be good fishers of men. What does it take to be a good fisher of men? Well, first you need the right equipment. You don’t need a church building. You don’t need a neon sign. All you need is the clear and powerful tool of the gospel.
Can each of us share the gospel, or do we need experience too? The only experience needed is what you discover each and every time you meditate on God’s Word. You know how God speaks to your heart when you are lonely and depressed. You know how God hears your words of praise and thanks. The experience you have comes from the ongoing relationship you have with your God. So you don’t know chapter and verse, that’s fine. But you know the good news of Jesus. At times it takes no more than sharing your personal experience.
And the rest we leave up to luck, right? Not in this case. Maybe for a novice fisherman, but not for a fisher of men. The reason people will open up to your message is because of the power in the Word. This is the power of Jesus who can work miracles. He can bring those who are dead in sin back to life. He can turn on the light of faith for those who wander aimlessly blind. He can bring peace to those who are by nature enemies of God.
There is no luck when you let down your nets for a catch. The power is in the Word. You have exactly what it takes to be a good fisher of men. Whenever doubt tries to climb back on board remember this miracle of Jesus. Trust that with the same power he used to catch all those fish he will give success to you. Simply let down your nets for a catch, and let Jesus do the rest.
Amen.

4th Sunday after the Epiphany Pastor Nathan Fager
Jesus Deals with Rejection
I. He speaks the truth
II. He walks away
Luke 4:20-32
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21 and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked. 23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’” 24 “I tell you the truth,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way. 31 Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. 32 They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
There’s something special about coming back to your hometown. People just seem to treat you differently. Some may like the fact that they watched you grow up. They have a sense of pride to know that you made something of yourself. Others may wish you had never come back. It depends on the kind of name you’ve made for yourself. If you had become a big politician, TV star, or sports player the town may throw you a parade. Then again, if you had become a serial killer, bank robber, or drug dealer the people may drive you out of town.
There’s something special about coming back to your hometown. People just seem to treat you differently. Jesus too experienced special treatment during his brief visit to his hometown of Nazareth. The people of this town had watched him grow up in the house of Joseph the carpenter. It appears, though, that they simply could not get past that fact when Jesus began to preach to them. It became very difficult, if not impossible, for Jesus to do his work in his hometown.
We don’t want to face the same kind of rejection as Jesus did, do we? There is a strong temptation to keep the truth of Jesus to ourselves when we know people will treat us differently. But when these people rejected Jesus, how did he respond? What was Jesus willing to do for these people from his hometown? As the Holy Spirit teaches us today from God’s Word, let us see how Jesus deals with rejection.
If you remember from last week we looked at the words of Jesus that lead up to our lesson today. Jesus had gotten up to read in the synagogue. They had handed him the scroll of Isaiah. From those words Jesus read, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.” After sitting down to speak Jesus told them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” The eyes of all the people were fastened on him. “This famous preacher now has a message for us.”
Verse 22 says, “All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips.” Jesus spoke before them as the fulfillment to Isaiah’s prophecy. The gracious words from his lips spoke of freedom, release, and restoration. Because of Jesus the world would not longer be slaves to sin, death, and the devil. This audience heard a powerful message from the one who was anointed by the Holy Spirit.
I imagine that Jesus was just as excited to speak these words, as the people were to hear them, at least at first. In the midst of their amazement over Jesus’ words they made sure to remember who this boy was. “Oh yea,” they say, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” “Well, sure, he grew up down the street. He helped build my house. He fixed my broken door frame.” We don’t know all that they would have said about Jesus. We just know that they caught a snag because they knew him as Joseph’s son.
“The carpenter’s boy has made a name for himself. Isn’t that nice. I suppose since he’s done so much for other towns that he’ll now perform great miracles here too. I mean, why wouldn’t he? This is his hometown.” Jesus responds to this kind of thinking in verse 23, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’” Why did they want Jesus to perform for them? Was it because they believed in him as the Son of God and their Savior from sin? Or was it because he was a hometown boy?
They caught a snag because they knew him as Joseph’s son. So what did Jesus do? Did he avoid the issue? Did he change the subject to something nonreligious? Not at all! Jesus speaks right to the heart of the problem and he speaks out with authority. Without any hesitation Jesus speaks the truth. Verse 24 says, “I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his hometown.”
This should not have come as a surprise to them, and Jesus points out why. Jesus illustrates his point by referring to two of Israel’s greatest prophets, Elijah and Elisha. Look at verses 25-27, “I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”
Jesus points out that these two great prophets were not accepted in their home country. Elijah was able to perform a great miracle for the widow of Zarephath and Elisha was able to heal the foreigner Naaman from his leprosy. If not among his chosen nation then God would show his mercy among the gentiles. If Jesus could not preach even in his hometown then he would go elsewhere.
Since it is as Jesus said, no prophet is accepted in his hometown, then why did Jesus go there in the first place? If he knew the people wouldn’t listen to him, then why did he open his mouth? Jesus very easily could have stayed out of the synagogue or even out of Nazareth altogether. That wouldn’t be that hard. You and I do something like that all the time. Although we can’t read hearts and minds like Jesus, we can tell when someone doesn’t want to hear us share our faith. And so we keep our mouths shut. Or we change the subject to something nonreligious.
Very naturally we don’t want to be treated differently. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking with the closest of friends or the stranger off the street. If I open my big mouth and start talking about Jesus they may end their relationship with me. Sometimes do we not care about our reputation more than our responsibilities as Christians? This is true especially in a culture that pushes not only tolerance but also acceptance of another’s beliefs. The devil is winning a huge victory when you believe his lie that you should not share your faith for the purpose of changing hearts and lives for Jesus.
Hell waits for those who do not believe in Jesus as their Savior. When we believe the devil’s lies then we deserve this eternal fate as well. But your stubborn heart and mute tongue do not need to stay that way. Because of Jesus we have a reason to speak. The suffering Jesus endured for his message in Nazareth was only the beginning. Jesus would later be rejected and ultimately put on a cross to die. But Jesus did not need to save himself. Rather he died for the sake of the world. He died for those people in Nazareth. He died for the sake of your sins and mine.
Jesus knows what it means to be rejected. And now because of all his suffering and death your sins are forgiven. Jesus suffered for every time you obeyed your hellish master. But now God no longer sees your failures day after day. We have one who speaks to the Father in our behalf, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. You and I now serve our Father in heaven. We are his to use as he sees fit.
When Jesus walked the earth he was on the mission appointed by the Father. The reason he went to his hometown was not because it was his hometown, but because it was one of the many places that needed to hear the good news. This indeed was a tough crowd, partly because they knew Jesus as Joseph’s son, but mostly because their hearts were hardened in unbelief. And yet Jesus opened his mouth and spoke the truth, no matter what the response would be.
Unfortunately, their response was quite bold and extreme. The unbelief in their hearts left the door wide open for the temptation to cause Jesus harm. Verses 28-29 say this, “All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff.” The eagerness and excitement to hear Jesus speak was over. They had heard enough. They were not content only to throw him out of town. They wanted to throw him off the cliff.
The riotous words pouring from their lips surely would have muted any plea on Jesus part to reconsider. As is true of all those who are dying, the heart of stone does not want the softening words of the gospel. They had rejected Jesus and his words. They had stood up opposed to God. They had shut the doors of their hearts in the face of the Holy Spirit. When all hope was finally lost, Jesus walks away. Verse 30 tells us how he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.
We’re not told of another time when Jesus returned to his hometown. Why? Not because Jesus had any less love for their souls. Only because they had their chance. They had heard Jesus’ saving message but in unbelief had rejected him as their Savior.
Put yourself in Jesus shoes, or rather his sandals. How would you feel to be driven out of town and taken to a hill with the intent of throwing you off the cliff? Even to the strongest among us I would say that you would crumble. Your confidence and strength would be shattered. You would take that as some kind of sign and never open your mouth again.
Thank the Lord that Jesus kept his strength. Even after an episode like this he keeps preaching. Verses 31-32 conclude our lesson by saying, “Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority.”
Jesus doesn’t skip a beat. For as quickly as he walks away from one town he is right down the road preaching his message again. And with no less, if not much more, authority amazing the people with his teaching. Not everyone would believe Jesus from here on out. Undoubtedly there would be others who would reject Jesus and his message. But he would not be deterred nor let their rejection stop him from sharing his good news with all people.
How do you deal with rejection? Do you get ready to tap out more quickly? Or do you learn from tough experiences ready to stay in the fight longer. If you have not had an experience as Jesus did then you can learn from him. Learn to be bold and confident no matter what the response will be. Learn that not everyone with whom you share Jesus will listen to your message. Learn that the world will hate you because you are different, because you are a child of God.
With the help of the Holy Spirit we will quickly discover that apart from preaching the Word, you and I do nothing. We do not make someone believe, that’s the job of the Holy Spirit. We do not make someone reject the message; each heart is responsible for his own rejection. Your job and mine is simply to tell the truth. To keep your mouth shut would be to perjure yourself in a lie. Tell the truth of Jesus as the Savior of the world. Tell that message again and again until your listeners are either with you in the book of life or against you ready to throw you off a cliff.
With the help of the Holy Spirit we don’t skip a beat. For as quickly as someone rejects the message we are right down the road preaching the message again. Even if no one listens, know that you’ve done your part. But we know that they will listen. God has promised that his Word will not return to him empty but accomplish the purpose for which he sent it.
Jesus’ suffering on this day was not only a part of his payment for sin but also an example to us. Our Lord Jesus knows that our toughest crowd will be those of our hometown. But we know that all people need to hear the message of Salvation through Jesus. So we will not hesitate to preach the good news not matter what the response. Let your hearts be prepared to deal with rejection as you constantly speak the truth to those who desperately need it. Amen.

1st Sunday after Epiphany – The Baptism of Our Lord Pastor Nathan Fager
We Recognize Jesus as God’s Son
I. Coming with power
II. Anointed with purpose

Sermon text: Luke 3:15-17,21-22
15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. 16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” 21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In Stage Theater it’s not uncommon for there to be numerous actors on the stage at the same time. Especially say for a musical when the whole chorus joins the main characters. It’s sometimes fun to let your eyes drift back and forth to see all that is happening in the scene. When all this is going on the audience can easily be distracted from the dialogue of the story. Directors may keep the unimportant voices down to a dull roar and their actions to no more than hand movements. The point is to show activity but not to detract attention from the main character.
The best way for an actor to be noticed is not to hang around with the chorus. Often you see much of the important action happen right at the front and directly in the center of the stage. Then if they really need to be noticed the director will dim all other lights and turn on the spotlight. There the actor stands with undivided attention on him. You have to be pretty important to deserve this kind of consideration. Only the main characters end up in this light.
Today’s gospel brings Jesus into the spotlight for the first time. Up to this point he had been waiting offstage. When Jesus appears it’s clear that he deserves to be front and center of attention. John the Baptist sets up Jesus’ character so that his listeners could recognize Jesus for who he is. Both John’s introduction and Jesus’ first big scene make clear to us that Jesus is God’s Son. As the Holy Spirit teaches us today we will recognize that Jesus came with power and was anointed with a purpose.
Before Jesus began his public ministry it’s possible the common person had only a vague idea of what the Christ would be. Would he just fit in with the crowd unnoticed or would he be eccentric and preach with a powerful message? It may only have taken one suggestion to influence the crowd around John the Baptist. All we know is that the people were wondering in their hearts if John was the Christ.
Who was this John the Baptist anyway? Well, he wasn’t the Christ. He made that clear in verses 16 and 17 when he said, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” It’s a good thing that John the Baptist did not have delusions of grandeur. He could have easily said, “Sure, I’m the Christ, now bow down and worship me!” But instead John recognized that the Christ would be the Son of God. John did not fit this description. Yes, he spoke with authority as a great prophet. Yes, he continually preached repentance. Yes, he baptized people for the forgiveness of sins, new life, and salvation. But he was not the Christ.
John was sent to prepare the way for the Christ. He was the great forerunner to prepare the people’s hearts. He recognized himself as no more than a servant, and a lowly servant at that. In fact, the humblest servant slave in the house compared to his master. The lowest slave in the house was responsible to wash the feet when his master came in from the dusty roads. Who would want a dirty job like that? John admitted that he was not worthy even to untie the sandals of the Christ. When compared to the great power of Christ John the Baptist was lower than low.
If Christ’s power would be so much greater than John’s, then what kind of power would this be? John compares the element nearby, the water used in baptism, with a far more cleaning element, fire. With water the best you can do is to scrub and rinse, but fire burns away any and all impurities. Fire permeates to separate pure silver or gold from whatever would contaminate. Christ would come with a baptism, a cleaning, in the power of the Holy Spirit’s fire.
That is a power that no man can wield. No one can control the power of God, except one who is God himself. If John’s audience was listening, they recognize that the Christ would be the Son of God. The appearance of Christ would bring about a new age of spiritual cleansing. The Holy Spirit would not be limited but would be sent out through the whole world. The time of preparation would end and all people would recognize the power of Christ as the power of God.
This cleansing fire shown brilliantly on the day of Pentecost. After the work of Christ’s redemption was complete the Holy Spirit anointed the apostles with power. In the languages of many nations the message of salvation was shared for all to hear. And so began an abundant outpouring of power through Word and Sacrament. The power of the Holy Spirit would cleanse the dirty heart of sin with the powerful fire of forgiveness, life, and salvation.
This power of the Son of God extends to us here today. The Holy Spirit has been sent to create and sustain faith in our hearts as well. Know that this cleaning is far more powerful than the water in the shower you took this morning. This is a cleansing fire that has purified your heart from sin. This is a cleansing fire that nourishes your very soul. This is power that Christ uses for the sake of his people after taking the stage.
John’s audience awaited Christ’s first appearing. We all wait for Christ to appear again at the last day. John points out that Christ stands ready to clear his threshing floor, with his winnowing fork in hand. We’ll get to Jesus’ first big scene in a minute. What John the Baptist refers to here is the big finale, the separation of the wheat from the chaff. On the threshing floor lies both wheat and chaff intermixed. The winnowing fork is then used to toss the mix into the air. The precious grain falls to the floor while the useless chaff is blown by the wind. The wheat goes into storage in the barn and the chaff goes off to the fire.
With the power that alone belongs to the Son of God the believers will be separated from the unbelievers. Unbelievers will be sent to the fire. Not to be annihilated but to burn in an unquenchable fire. A fire that lasts forever. These are the fires of hell. In hell there is no end to the torment and pain. The unquenchable fire will never burn out. On the other hand, believers will be gathered into our home in heaven. Just as the fires of hell will be unquenchable so the joy of heaven will be unending.
Christ, not John the Baptist, would have this divine power. John the Baptist would only preach about who Jesus would be. He waited and watched until the time came for Jesus to take the stage. The spotlight was ready to shine on Jesus for the rest of the show. As we’ll see now, there is no doubt that Jesus is the Son of God who was anointed with a purpose.
When Jesus took the scene he came as one of the crowd. He did not wear a fancy costume, nor did he have any distinguishing physical markers. And yet he did more than blend into the crowd, he was part of the crowd. He was a man just as any other man. He had flesh and blood. He had hunger and thirst. He had human emotions and human temptations. But as John proclaimed and as we’ll see in the remaining words of our lesson, Jesus is recognized not only as a man but also as the Son of God.
Verses 21-22 describe events surrounding Jesus’ baptism, “When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Jesus was one of the crowd. He was down by the Jordan River waiting his turn to be baptized by John. When the time came he was baptized. We don’t know exactly how this all happened but as any other baptism we can assume that there was water connected with the Word of God.
In all his divine power Jesus came to identify with us. It didn’t seem right. Even John the Baptist protested this. In another gospel account we hear how John wanted Jesus to baptize him. But Jesus responded that this was to fulfill all righteousness. Jesus knew his time had come. He was ready to willingly step into the spotlight and have all eyes on him.
The spotlight couldn’t have been any brighter. What happened next revealed to everyone that this Jesus was something more. Heaven was opened. The best way we visualize this is with a great light. What it looked like we don’t know, but it must have been amazing. The Holy Spirit descended on him. It’s fitting that the physical form he took has become a symbol of peace and love. Then, the voice of God from heaven said of Jesus, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
What that crowd saw that day was only the beginning of the great things Jesus would do. On this day Jesus was revealed as the Christ. In this amazing sight and sound when all three persons of the trinity were present Jesus was anointed for a purpose. The part Jesus would play in all this would be to fulfill all righteousness. Jesus was perfect for this part. As God he would live holy and blameless his whole life. Then, as a man Jesus would die. But as God Jesus’ death would count for the sins of the world. And on the last day Jesus will come again in bodily form as judge of all other men.
The day Jesus was baptized marked the beginning of his public ministry. This was a ministry he would perform for you and for me. Having received publicly the Father’s seal of approval Jesus was out with a purpose, to bring us salvation.
If Jesus had not done what he did for us, then our baptisms would have been pointless. Then the water would have been just plain water. There would have been no power behind the Word and no faith created in our hearts. But Jesus did what he was sent to do. He fulfilled the purpose he as anointed for. Now our baptism means something. It means forgiveness of sins, new life, and salvation full and free.
Our baptism connected us to Jesus. His death is now our death. His life is our life. The righteousness he fulfilled is our righteousness. Every day we live in this baptismal grace. Every day we remember how Jesus in his divine power washed us clean. Every Sunday we see this baptismal font and know that’s where it all started for me. Just as Jesus’ ministry started at his baptism, so also our individual ministries, our lives of service to God, started at our baptism. We live each day by faith, which our baptism created.
When Jesus took center stage we recognize one who is right for the part. When he came he fulfilled John’s words and came with power. And when he was anointed he was anointed with a purpose. As we celebrate the baptism of our Lord we see Jesus identify with the people he came to save. As these words in Luke’s gospel record we believe and trust that this man Jesus is the sinless Son of God.
Amen.

2nd Sunday after the Epiphany
Jesus, Be My Guest!
John 2:1-11
1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4 “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” 11 This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Whenever we sit down to eat a meal it’s a good time to say a table prayer. Many use the common table prayer, “Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest, and let these gifts to us be blest.” We may refer to this as common because we say it so often. It’s true though that whenever we use a familiar prayer we can easily be distracted from what we’re asking for. Our mind may rather be thinking about the food we’re about to eat and not the words we recite by memory. You realize you did this when halfway through the meal you ask, “did we say the prayer?” Then you know you weren’t paying attention. And so you take another brief moment and repeat the prayer, and this time you mean it.
What, then, does it means when we ask Jesus to be our guest? He’s not going to eat any of the food. In most cases there isn’t even an extra chair for him to sit at. I’ve heard of families setting another spot at the table for Jesus, but I don’t think they ever offered food to his plate. When we ask Jesus to be our guest hopefully we recognize something very wonderful about him. Today we’ll remember when Jesus came as a guest to another meal. This was actually a wedding feast. See if you can discover what Jesus reveals to us about himself by performing this, his first miracle and why we still today ask Jesus to be our guest.
Wedding celebrations can really be a big deal. A number of months are needed in order to make all the reservations, send out the invitations, and make sure everyone is entertained while they’re there. The more we deal with the more stress is involved. Will there be enough to eat and drink? Will the DJ show up on time? With so many things that could go wrong there rarely is a perfect wedding day. Sure the ceremony goes great, but then there is the reception. Have you ever been to a celebration when the food ran out? We can only begin to understand the embarrassment.
Our celebrations today are somewhat different than what Jesus would have attended on this occasion. Our parties only last a day or two, three if you count the gift opening. It is possible that at Jesus’ time wedding celebrations would have lasted a whole week. And we think we have it stressful. For us there is usually only one big meal. Back then the wedding coordinator had quite a bit more responsibility. Nothing could be worse than to run out at a time like this.
But that’s what happened. We’re told that the wine was gone. Not a very socially acceptable thing to happen. In fact, this would have been a serious offence. The bride and groom were looking at some serious embarrassment here. This is the last thing you want to have happen on your big day, or in this case big week.
Not a pretty picture. We’ve all been there. Maybe it was at a wedding celebration, or maybe it was at some other time when we were looking at the bottom of the barrel wondering what to do next. It’s gone? It can’t be gone. After planning and preparing, where has it all gone? Maybe you can recall a time when you thought this way about the money your checkbook. So much of what we do depends having enough money. After turning the last couch cushion and dumping the last cup holder in the car we’ve seen something very important run out.
Not everyone has been there with money, but you’ve been there. You’ve stared at an empty well when the love in your relationship is gone. You’ve run out of time and energy for your family when they need you most. You’ve spent sleepless nights and wearisome days worrying about tomorrow. You know how close you’ve been to total embarrassment. Where do you turn? When it’s all gone, where do you turn?
Mary, Jesus’ mother, turned to Jesus. She ran up to him and exclaimed, “It’s gone! They’ve run out of wine. Now what?” Good for you Mary, but not good enough. You went to the right place but you had the wrong intentions. We know this because Jesus turned to her and said in verse 4, “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”
Mary wanted what we want: instant gratification. The faster our society gets the more we expect instant gratification. Jesus rather teaches about the lesser know form of delayed gratification. There would be a time for Jesus to do something, but that time had not yet come. We’re not told how much time elapsed before Jesus performed this miracle. All we know is that Mary and whoever else was involved in the wedding planning had to wait. Even in the most embarrassing time, they had to wait.
Has Jesus ever had to teach you about delayed gratification? “Lord, it’s gone. You blessed me with so much and now I have none. Give me what I need.” Just like that it’s there, right? Not always. Even when we think it can’t get any worse, Jesus’ answer is “wait.” A humbling experience to say the least. And so we dig deeper. We work longer, harder. We do the best we can with what we’ve got until the time is right. In this way God opens our eyes to see that we on are his timetable, not the other way around.
Mary told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now she knows that Jesus would not perform on command. Jesus would wait to perform at God’s command. Now Mary opened her hands to Jesus. She could do no more, but Jesus could. As the mother of Jesus we know that Mary had full confidence in what Jesus was capable of.
Listen again to what Jesus did in verses 6-9, “Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water’; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them ‘Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.’ They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine.”
Jesus’ time had come. This was now the time to do something special for a special reason. First, what was so great about what Jesus did? It started as a typical request. Since the people are out of wine, then go fill some water jars and they can drink water. The servants were probably wondering what was so great about this fix. But whatever they were thinking they filled the jars. And they filled them to the brim. 120 to 180 gallons was a lot of water.
But this water would not be used for cleansing as the jars were intended or for drinking as someone may have thought. Jesus told the servants to take some of the water to the master of the banquet. He would approve it and then serve it to the guests. But it was just water, not bottled, not from a spring in Canada, just water. The servants would have been pretty confused about this whole ordeal. At least until the miracle happened. When the master of the banquet tasted what the servants brought to him, the water that had been turned into wine.
No, not watered down wine. Water that was turned into wine. And not just any wine. From this man’s reaction we find out that this was a choice wine, better than what had been served up to this point. And since the water in all six of those jars was turned to wine there surely was enough to go around.
As amazing as this all was, we cannot leave this story without knowing why Jesus did this first great miracle. Well, here Jesus was just helping out, right? There was an immediate need and he had the means to make things better. There was no wine and with Jesus’ miracle there now is plenty. Is that why Jesus did this miracle?
Maybe he did this to show that drinking wine is okay. He could easily have left the water as it is and suggested that everyone can have water with their food. But Jesus made the water into wine, so wine is okay to drink. There is no law that condemns the drinking of alcohol. The Bible does speak strongly against drunkenness and debauchery, but used responsibly, drinking is okay. Is this why Jesus did this miracle?
Fortunately, we don’t have to guess as to why Jesus turned the water into wine. Verse 11 tells us why. It says, “This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.” Jesus performed this miracle as a sign.
What are signs used for? Where do we see signs? A sign can be used to explain as well as to tell of things to come. Take for example a highway billboard sign. Very often these are used to promote a certain business. Others may be used to tell of upcoming events. Think also of street signs. You know how fast you can drive, what road you’re on, and where the next main attraction is. Signs are used to point at something very specific.
So Jesus also used this miracle to point. He pointed as something very special about himself. By performing this sign what did Jesus show? His glory. Not a “hey, I’m a real nice guy for helping out” but a “now you can see with your eyes that I have power as God.”
To really understand the significance of the revealing of the glory of the Lord you have to know about when God has done this in the past. Throughout the OT the Lord God has physically made his presence known. If you think about it you can come up with some very popular occasions. With Moses there was a burning bush, a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, smoke and fire on Mt. Sinai, and the cloud in the tent of meeting, just to name a few. Whenever he reveals himself God tells us something about himself. And yet every time he appears we are struck by his absolute majesty. How amazing it is that our holy God would care about us poor sinners.
It is truly amazing that Jesus came to this sinful world. Even more amazing is that Jesus did not come to seek honor on earth. Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world. He came so that we would place our trust in him and believe in him as our savior. This was the result for Jesus disciples who believed in him. They put their faith in Jesus. They understood that this demonstration of glory revealed Jesus as their God. By faith they accepted all that Jesus stood for and came for. They believed that Jesus was their savior from sin, death, and the devil. By Jesus’ death on a cross Jesus would finish all that needed to be done.
What an amazing guest Jesus was at this wedding celebration. A friend of the family who helped out in a time of need. A friend of sinners who reveals to us his heavenly glory. The glory of the Lord does not appear today so magnificently as it did in OT times or when Jesus walked the earth. But his glory still surrounds us. He reveals himself to us in so many ways. If you think about it you can come up with some very important occasions. Take for example your baptism through which God created faith in your heart. There is also the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper where he gives us his body and blood to eat and to drink. Then think about how magnificent God is revealed to us in his holy Word.
God still comes to us today to give us blessings for our soul. And as you know he comes to give us blessings for our body as well. “Come Lord Jesus be our guest…” is a prayer where we ask for his blessing. We ask him to come with his glory and with power. We ask him to abide with us at all times and provide what we need in life according to his will. By his grace he listens to our requests and answers us. Sometimes God’s time is not our time, sometimes his answer is wait. But even then we turn ourselves over to God knowing that he has a plan for our lives. He works all things out for our good.
Wherever you are right now in life, whether you have six jars filled to the brim or if you are starring at the bottom of the barrel, know that Jesus is here with his glory. In his abundant love he will take time for you and love you as his own. You and I then put our faith in Jesus. We put our trust in his ability to provide abundantly for all our needs for this life and for the life to come.
Amen.

“When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. They opened their gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.” (Matthew 2:10-11)
Christmas may already seem long past, except for those still paying off credit cards. We are now in the season of Epiphany, which lasts into the month of February. This season starts with the account of when the Magi saw the star and came to worship Jesus. From the Scripture lessons on these Sundays we hear of the way God’s glory was revealed through Jesus’ life and ministry.
This season is a season for giving. No, I’m not talking about giving candy and flowers on Valentine’s Day; rather we experience the gifts of God’s mercy each and every day. Throughout this time we are overjoyed at the child who was born in Bethlehem. We marvel at his preaching, teaching, and many powerful miracles. We see Jesus make the necessary steps that would ultimately lead to his death and resurrection.
This was the King the Magi came to worship. Although he was no more than a small child, yet they bowed down and worshiped him. They thanked God for sending his Son into the world for the Salvation of all who believe, both Jew and Gentile. The expensive gifts they gave showed their genuine appreciation for the gift God gave for them.
Each of us has the same blessings as the Magi. Our King went to war with the devil and he won the victory over sin forever. Death could not keep this conqueror in the grave. He rose as our champion. This great King now rules over us giving us unending blessings for our bodies and souls.
‘Tis the season for giving. We are overjoyed to know about God’s abundant love. Our gifts we bring to his side increase and overflow as we immerse ourselves in this love. No gift is too large. No expense is too costly. No sacrifice is too risky. All we have is ours from God. All we have is ours to give in acts of worship and praise, in thankfulness and love.
‘Tis the season for giving. Let us each day find the glory of God as it is revealed through Jesus. As we live in the mercy of God each day, let us find new ways to give back to God. Let us bring all our gifts to God throughout this season of giving.

A “weather rock” hangs by a rope from a tripod along a road on Washington Island in Lake Michigan. A sign is tacked up next to the “weather rock.” It tells how to use the rock to tell the weather. If the rock is wet, it is raining. If the rock feels cold, it is cold. If the rock is white, it is snowing. The sign continues on and on and at the end it reads, “The wonderful thing about this ‘weather rock’ is that it is not affected by the weather.” The implication is that we human beings are unlike the rock. We are affected by the weather and by our environment and by all of God’s creation.

Because we in this world are affected by cold and heat, prosperity and disaster, these words of 1 Chronicles are so comforting: “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours” (29:11). God is the creator of all things. Everything that is exists with his knowledge and by his creation. Because God loves us, all things created are for our good.

But sin has corrupted all things. Sin has ruined the goodness of God’s creation. But sin has not destroyed God’s love for all people. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

God loves us. He cares for us. He knows that we are not “weather rocks” unaffected by the storms and troubles of this life. Therefore, God gives us his promises found in his Word: “In all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28). “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

These are the promises of the almighty God who created all things and who governs all things. He loves us. We praise our almighty God for the comfort of his power which he uses out of love for our eternal good. “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.”

Let a little of the fright back into your Halloween.

Robby can’t sit still in school today because all he can think about is the monster costume he and his mom bought at Wal-Mart. What fun he’ll have with that costume! Casting spells on the easy targets of trick-or-treating in his neighborhood who wait behind lighted porches to give him candy. Lots of candy. Hiding behind a mask and traveling to a make-believe world in an instant - where his little sister can’t come. Oh, and scaring the bajeebers out of his little sister, too.

For Robby and the 40 million other potential trick-or-treaters in the United States this Halloween, the festive occasion isn’t really a scary one at all. It’s just fun. Even at the age of five years Robby has watched enough TV and played his fair share of X Box to know that Halloween is just another charade of fantasy. A game where you need to pretend a little bit. Nothing to be scared of.

The Celts of 2,000 years ago who initiated many of the present day customs we celebrate on Halloween would be appalled. Nothing to be scared of? Make-believe? For them, the time marking the end of summer, end of harvest, end of their calendar year, and beginning of the dark days of winter was all too real. They dreaded the spirits whom they were convinced would be roaming the streets on All Hallows Eve. So they placed gifts and treats by their front doors to pacify the spirits, protecting themselves from possible curses (the origin of our practice of trick-or-treating).

In the following weeks we’ll once again hear how we have commercialized, and therefore spoiled, Thanksgiving and Christmas. But what about Halloween? Truth be told, we’ve commercialized, and spoiled, Halloween as well. All the fun and festivity - some people even string orange and white Halloween lights on their home now - has robbed us of the real meaning of Halloween: fright!

Evil spirits are not make-believe fairy tale characters. The Celts had it right! They got scared for good reason. We lose that important feature of Halloween if we cover it up with costumes and candy. Because evil spirits (the devil is one of them) remain as real today as they were 2,000 years ago we have good reason to be afraid. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,” the Bible says, but against “the spiritual forces of evil” (Ephesians 6:12).

However, you have a better reason not to be afraid “so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground” (Ephesians 6:13)!

The evil spirits that exist today are angels gone bad. These are the spiritual forces of evil the Bible talks about, led by the devil himself. Ignoring this truth is opening the door for their surprise attack on your faith. Facing these spiritual forces is the way to stand your ground. And you can do that without being intimidated, manipulated, harmed, or, yes, scared. It doesn’t involve gifts, treats, or costumes, however, and that’s where the Celts had it all wrong. It involves Jesus.

Our fright of any evil spirits dissipates when we believe what the Bible says about their fright of our Savior Jesus!

Evil spirits know that God and his work of saving and strengthening repentant sinners is real. “The demons believe that - and shudder,” the Bible says (James 2:19). Apparently these evil spirits thought they had a good chance of ruining the work of God by confronting Jesus when he walked this earth. However, in more than one instance, their initial boldness turned into fear when it came time to square up against the Son of God. “Have you come to destroy us?” these spiritual forces inquired of Jesus, dreading the answer (Mark 1:24). The power and authority Jesus wields over spiritual forces of evil was proven once and for all when he descended into the devil’s domain to announce his victory over death, sin, and all the powers of hell itself (1 Peter 3:19).

Let a little of the fright back into your Halloween. No, that doesn’t mean traumatizing 5-year-olds with dreadful details of Scriptural truth about the devil that their simple faith can’t yet handle. But sooner or later Robby will be confronted with the spiritual forces of evil - temptation, world violence, guilt, another murder reported on the news, terrorism.

These evils may seem like they are having their way with our world. So it’s important for children, and adults, to celebrate the wonderful work of our Savior Jesus. To acknowledge that we don’t need to be scared of evil, because evil is scared of Jesus. “He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him” (Mark 1:27).

That’s a truth worth celebrating on Halloween and any day!

PRAYER: Jesus, the spiritual forces of evil around the world and in my life are all too real. Sometimes I try to ignore them, hoping they’ll just go away. But they don’t. With a faith that relies on your promises and a courage that goes forth with your very strength, enable me to stand my ground against any evil and even the devil himself. Amen.

As the temperatures drop and the leaves turn colors we know that it is time to prepare. With the cooler weather we drag out our Fall jackets and sweatshirts. After the leaves have finished changing colors their next step is to fall to the ground. And so we shake the cobwebs off our rakes and put our backs to work.
We all need to be prepared for the changing seasons. We would be in a bind if we only had summer clothes. Our yard would not look well kept if we didn’t have the tools to keep up with the changing seasons. To be prepared we store seasonal things away so that they are ready to be used when the time is right.
The way that we prepare for the changing seasons is also how we prepare for the changing situations in life. God’s Word says in 2 Timothy 4:2, “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.”
God’s Word is a storehouse of words for any situation just as our attics and crawlspaces that keep our seasonal items. Whenever we need Christmas decorations we go find them. The same is true with we need to correct, rebuke or encourage. We simply go to God’s Word to find the words we need in whatever situation.
Situations change all the time. For the one who thinks he is right all the time, God’s Word may show him that he is wrong. For the one who breaks the commands of God, we speaks words of reproach to bring her back to God’s ways. For the family that is struggling or the individual whose faith is weak, God speaks through his Word to give comfort and guidance.
We all possess the ability to use God’s Word in any situation. We may think we are not qualified because we have spent little time in study. But when the time is right God gives us the words to say. He lets the words pour from our hearts in ways we never thought possible.
And yet the more we immerse ourselves daily in the wealth of information the better we will be able help in any situation. As we study and grow in our faith and knowledge it will be like a well marked box in the garage. We know just which box to open to find the garden tools. So we will know which passage to turn to as we give correction, rebuke and encouragement.
The seasons will come and go, but God’s Word remains the same forever. No matter what the situation is we can always turn to God’s Word for the right thing to say.
Prayer: Heavenly Father teach me every day from your Word, so that when the time is right I will be prepared with the words to say. Amen.

King David started out as a poor shepherd boy. A shepherd’s life was hard and harsh, tons of work for very little pay. Many a time God helped David ward off a lion or a bear or a thief. Many a time God preserved David’s hide when he was running and hiding from wicked King Saul. Even when Saul was out of the picture, and David ascended the throne, his life still wasn’t secure. For the first seven years only two of the twelve tribes of Israel supported him. Later, his own son, Absalom, plotted a conspiracy that caused him to flee and once again go into hiding. But God came through. In faithful love he preserved his servant David, whose response is found in Psalm 145.

We know what David was talking about when he sang, “The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.” We know because we have all had those frustrating aches and pains that get us down and wear us out like arthritic knees and paychecks that don’t cover the bills and demanding bosses and car repairs that never end. Some of us could rattle off a full organ recital describing surgeries they’ve gone through.

But the very fact that we are living and breathing is a testimony that God still preserves us by guarding and protecting us from all evil and defending us against all danger, to say nothing of the fact that he richly and daily provides clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, land, possessions, and all that we own. “The eyes of all look to you and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” Praise God. He is faithful in preserving our bodies.

It’s interesting to listen to the response when you ask someone to list all the good things God has done for him or her. People often begin by reciting a long list of physical blessings, “Oh! I’ve got my health and a nice family and plenty to eat.” But when we stop and think about it, God preserving our bodies isn’t the best thing he has done for us. He is faithful in preserving our souls, too.

Are you troubled? Are you feeling guilty? In faithful love God will not press his heel down on your soul and keep it under pressure. In faithful love he will bring relief. In faithful love he will preserve your soul. The “Not guilty” verdict earned by Jesus has been transferred to your record. “The Lord is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.”

God is faithful. Today. Tomorrow. Forever.

PRAYER: Be here, God, when I need you most. Keep me safe. Guard me from evil. And take care of all my physical and spiritual needs. Then let me faithfully serve you as you save me. Amen.

September 11th offers a somber anniversary. Hardly anyone is not familiar with this tragedy. Since that dreadful day, questions still abound. “Why did it happen?” “How could a good God allow so many innocent people to die?” Without solid answers, these questions escalate to doubt, even denial. “How can I trust a God who seems so uncaring?”

Certainly you will face many difficult questions. Unfortunately, there are not as many answers. These have been veiled by the Almighty and Compassionate Father. In love, he says, “trust me.” Herein is the difficulty. Without faith, it is impossible to trust God. Without faith, the answers Jesus offers are incredulous.

This is why it is important to look past all the haunting questions, and trust in the answers Jesus reveals through his life and in his Word. Here is the solution for your hurts, your anxieties, and your doubts. Here is the only answer to the question, “how can I be saved?”

Listen to the precious words offered by Simon Peter. Rely on them. Rejoice in them.
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69)

Dearest Lord, give me the faith of Simon Peter. Help me confess you as my only Savior. Strengthen me to look to you when doubts and questions plague me. Fill me with your never-failing peace. Amen!

“Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.”

The US Department of Labor provided this quote as a reminder of why we celebrate Labor Day. This has traditionally become a day of parades, festivals, and recreation. This day is a chance for workers to take a break with their families and have a little fun. Every day Christians can thank our provider God for giving us the ability to work.

But what are we working for? We may work in order to get valuable job experience. Or we may work because we truly enjoy what we do for a living. Or maybe we just work in order to get paid. The jobs we have would be pointless if we did not receive something from the labor we provide. That is why labor movements were created, to ensure that the worker was rewarded.

Do you think that the Church needs a labor movement? Do we sometimes feel that we won’t get anything back from the work we do for the Lord? Are we working in vain? Labor Day does not recognize the time we spend for church. Labor Day does not pay tribute to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our church. And well, it shouldn’t!

The recognition that Christians receive comes in a form that is better than a parade or amusement festival. The reward Christians have is more than only one day of rest and relaxation. God’s Word tells us that our reward is the gift of eternal life in heaven.

1 Corinthians 15 is the great chapter in the Bible that talks about the resurrection. In this chapter we read of “Christ who died for our sins according to the Scripture, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (vs. 3-4). We also read that “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (vs. 20). Because of all this we believe that God “gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (vs. 57).

Therefore, when we work from day to day we look forward to our great reward. We can all take encouragement from God’s Word as Paul writes, “Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (vs. 58). The Lord’s great Labor day will be the Last Day when he takes all who believe to eternal rest. What a day that will be!

“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35

In the movie, “The Lion King,” the Lion named “Scar” wants to usurp the throne, and he’s recruiting the hyena’s to be his henchmen. His sales pitch? “Stick with me and you’ll never go hungry again!” That sounds pretty “human", doesn’t it?!

We humans are so easily focused on the things of this world, thinking that if we could satisfy earthly longings, that we could thereby be content: “If only I had more money in my retirement account, then I could be happy.” “If only I had a new/different job, then I could be happy.” “If only I could get that new car/house/dress/pair of shoes/x-box/video game, then I would be satisfied.” It never works.

For what we really need is food not for this world, but food for our souls. We need to know that our sins are forgiven, that we’re at peace with God. We need to know where we’re going when we leave this world, we need to have an answer to guilt, we need to have purpose in life.

And in Jesus we get all of those things. Jesus paid for our sins, Jesus washed our guilt away. Jesus opened the gates of heaven for you, Jesus established peace between you and God. Jesus - knowing more about him and spreading his Word to others - gives your life purpose.

So do you never want to be hungry again? Then feast! Feast on the Word, feast on the good-news message of Jesus, your Savior. And you’ll never go “hungry” again.

Prayer: O Savior, feed me! Lead me into your Word, that I might feast on the truths that my sins are forgiven, that I’m at peace with you, that I’m your eternal child. Use the Bible to bring eternal satisfaction to my eternal soul, that it might rest in confidence. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

People in Italy and people all over the world of Italian vintage are celebrating this week. The Italian soccer team won the coveted World Cup on Sunday. They won by a close margin over France. They were tied after regulation play, but won 5-3 in the shoot-out that followed. Those who scored the winning goals will now be national heroes in Italy.

The Apostle Paul spoke about pressing on toward a different kind of goal. He writes, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Ph 3: 14). As Christians the goal we are all pressing on toward is heaven. It will come for us after we die or after the world ends, which ever comes first. We need to “press on", because life is not always easy. The road to heaven is not smooth.
There are bumps and detours and big pot-holes the Devil puts in the way. But we need to be persistent in our Christian faith and life, relying on the Lord for strength and guidance and help along the way.

We also need to realize that the goal of heaven is unattainable in and of ourselves. Because we are beset by sin, we are ineligible for heaven. By nature we are on a road that leads to eternal condemnation in hell. But Jesus Christ has come to earth to take our place and to win the prize of eternal life for us. He did that be perfectly keeping all of the Law’s demands and then by offering His perfect life into death on the cross. That was a perfect payment for sin. And then He proved His victory by rising from the dead.

Thus we can look forward to reaching the goal of heaven, thanks to Christ Jesus. And the prize of eternal life, which we will receive, is better than any earthly prize. The Italians can celebrate winning the World Cup this year, but they could very well lose out to some other team next year. But the pleasures and treasures of heaven will last forever.

So press on toward the goal. Hang onto your Christian faith. And thank God for sending His Son to make you a winner.

Americans throughout our country are celebrating Independance Day this week. There are parades and concerts and fireworks and travel and recreation. It’s appropriate to celebrate Independance Day, because that was a huge day for us and our country. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independance was signed, which marked the birth of a new nation, where a republic could be established in which political and religious freedom could be experienced.

The Apostle Peter gives us a watchword for our Independance Day celebrations: “Show proper respect to everyone. Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, HONOR THE KING” (1 Pe 2: 17). When the apostle uses the word “King", he has in mind the government, the ruling body, which in his day featured a lot of kings. Since our system of government is democratic in nature, our celebration should denote a reflection of what it means to have political and relgious freedom. We need to honor our governmental leaders and pray for them.

It is good for us to be involved and active as Christian citizens. That is one way that we can “honor the King".
That means paying our taxes, obeying the laws of the land, exercising our right to vote, writing our representatives in congress and volunteering to help where we can in our community. As we work for the welfare of our nation as good citizens, it is a reflection of our love for Christ.

We always need to realize that Christ is the true King. He is the Savior King, the One who has defeated all of our spiritual enemies and won a great victory for us, a victory that results in eternal salvation for us. Our King accomplished this by dying on the cross for our sins and rising from the dead. We “honor the King” when we faithfully serve Him in our lives, give glory to Him and witness for Him. He is without a doubt the greatest King of all!

“We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. We have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown.

But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and strengthened us. And we have vainly imagined in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these things were produced by our own superior wisdom and virtue of our own.

Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God who made us.”

At first glance we might think that these words were spoken by someone today who has keen insight into the current state of affairs in our country. But, no, they were spoken by President Abraham Lincoln a century and a half ago. It is remarkable that some of the same ungodly conditions that afflict our nation today were also a plague in Lincoln’s day back in the 19th Century.

Our country has indeed been blessed by God with power and prosperity. Yes, there are some serious challenges today, especially with the high price of energy. But we are still a prosperous nation and people throughout the world view us as a world-leader. It is easy to become self-reliant, trusting in our own resources and ingenuity to solve all of our nation’s problems. That leaves God out of the picture, which is a huge omission. Many also leave God out of the picture by immersing themselves in lives of immorality and drunkenness.

We need to bring God into the picture by praying to Him often. Pray for our country. Pray that God would have more of an influence on our society. Pray that our leaders would make wise decisions that would better our country. Pray that the fall elections would be favorable to God’s will and Word. The Psalmist said, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Ps 33: 12). The more we pray to God for our country and the more God intervenes in our country’s affairs, the better off we will be, the better off our country will be. Pray that God will “bless our native land.”

We can never tell older people that life in Christ is a breeze. They know better from their experience. We can never tell young people living the Christian life will be a “walk in the park” for them. They will soon find out differently. The Lord never said that the Christian life would be easy. He never said that maintaining our Christian faith would be a snap. Sin still lives in us and the Devil is out there with his temptations and the world is there with its allurements.

So we need to work at maintaining our faith and living our life for Christ. That takes spiritual energy. Paul writes in the Bible, “To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me” (Col 1: 29). Becoming a Christian had not come easily for Paul. He came to faith the hard way. He learned the hard way how to love instead of hate. In the hard way he discovered that God always has the last word. And his Gospel ministry, though it brought many rich rewards for God’s Kingdom, was no cakewalk for Paul. He was frequently persecuted. Yet he kept laboring with great spiritual energy, realizing that Christ could energize him.

We all need to put spritual energy into our lives and labor for the Lord. No, it is not always easy for us. There are times when temptations to stray are powerful. And there are times when worldly people will mock or disdain us for our Christian principles. But we need to stand firm on God’s Word and continue to live our faith and witness for Christ.

The key for us is that we know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We are His forgiven sons and daughters. He has promised to be with us always. We do not have to walk the road of life alone. He will always be there for us to give us grace and strength. No matter if we are young or old or in between, we can serve our Lord with energy and vitality, thanks to the help that He will give us. We can be loyal to our Lord and can walk in His ways with all the energy and power that Christ gives.

One of the great words in the Bible is “redemption". In Colossians 1: 14 it states, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.” The word “redeem” means to buy back. What Christ did for the world reminded the Apostle Paul (who wrote the letter to the Colossians) of the release of a slave from his bondage through payment of a price called “redemption". The price was huge to a slave who received only a few coins for his own use. In the Roman world if a slave saved all of his little pocket money for years and years, he might be able to accumulate enough to redeem himself, to buy his freedom. Or he might get lucky and some kind benefactor might pay a price to redeem him from his slavery.

By nature all of us are in bondage. We are enslaved by sin and Satan. Someone had to pay a price to set us free. We could never pay that price ourselves. However, Jesus Christ did pay a price to redeem us. That price was not gold or silver. It was His holy precious blood. That blood was holy and precious, because He was the Son of God and had led a perfect life in our place. When He shed His blood on the cross, it was accepted by His heavenly Father as a sufficient payment for our sins.

The price to redeem us has been paid once and for all. There is no further price we must pay to make our salvation sure. We can have full confidence in the forgiveness of sins that is given to us and the eternal life in heaven that is promised to us. We are redeemed children of God. That also makes us free to serve Him out of thankfulness for His great redemption. We are most grateful to God for our precious redemption!

Hope is very important for all of us. Hope keeps us going, especially when times are tough. The highest hope of all that we have is hope of heaven. The Bible speaks about that: “The faith and hope that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the Gospel” (Col 1: 5).

We can have hope of heaven right now. We have that through the Gospel. The Gospel is the good news of salvation through Christ Jesus. It tells us that He made a perfect sacrifice for our sins on the cross and then rose from the dead to prove His victory. When we have faith in Christ as our Savior, we have a sure hope of eternal life in heaven.

That hope also stimulates us for this life. It gives us some incentive to want to live for the Lord and serve Him. It encourages us to show love for one another. It moves us to want to forgive those who wrong us, because we know we have a God who in love forgives us. And it makes all of our planning for the future solid and worthwhile.

The world we live in is quite unstable. The world is constantly changing. Moral values are eroding. People are dying. Many people have no hope, because they have no faith. But we do have hope…..in and through Christ Jesus. And that hope will keep us going…..and serving God.

This week we celebrated Memorial Day. It’s a national holiday, a day set aside primarily to memorialize those in the military who have died in service to our country. We commend them for their dedication and bravery. Memorial Day also is a time when families decorate the graves of loved ones who have passed away. People visit cemeteries and show their respect for their departed loved ones. They remember them.

There’s a Bible verse that tells us to remember someone else. That someone is Jesus Christ. The verse states, “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David” (2 Timothy 2:8). We have good reason to remember Jesus Christ. He is our Lord and Savior. He was born into our world-descended from the line of King David. He lived our life for us-perfectly-and thus fulfilled the Law of God. Then He took His perfect life and laid it down for us on the cross. He suffered and died there and in the process made a perfect payment for our sins.

Jesus also wound up in a cemetery. Following His death on the cross, He was laid to rest in a private tomb. But He didn’t stay dead. On Easter morning His spirit returned to His body. He became alive! And He rose triumphantly from the grave! Remember that. Remember His resurrection because it was such a great event in His life and has so much meaning. It was God the Father’s seal of approval on Jesus’ redemptive payment for our sins. It proved Jesus to be the Son of God. And it showed that He had conquered death. That’s something we benfit from in a huge way. It means that we, too, can rise from death to life. When our faith rests in Him as our Lord and Savior, we will rise to eternal life in heaven.

So you need to “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead.” There are many things in life that you are called on to remember-your Social Security number, your telephone number, the code to your garage door, and the birthdays of people close to you. But above all, you need to remember Jesus Christ, the risen Lord. When you hear His Word proclaimed in church, it jogs your memory of Him. The same is true when you read the Bible. And when you commune at His altar, you do it in remembrance of Him. Don’t forget those important activities this summer-worship, Bible reading, and communion. It will all help you to remember Jesus.

This week Thursday we are observing the Ascension of Our Lord. It has a place on the church calendar, but is often overlooked. It is a church festival, but is rarely celebrated. Most Christian churches do not have Ascension Day services. It’s too bad, because the Ascension of Christ was a huge event for Him and for us. It also was a happy event. You might think it would have been a sad event for His disciples who watched Him go up into heaven. You would think they would be sad at seeing Him go. They would miss Him. But, no, their sadness was overcome by feelings of joy. We are told: “While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy” (Lk 24: 51-52).
Why did the disciples have great joy? They knew that Christ had won a great victory over sin and death and that He was going to heaven to prepare a place for them. They also felt privileged to be able to proclaim His victory to others.

Christ could go back to heaven, because His work on earth was finished. He had fulfilled every Law of God. He had paid for the world’s sin by His death on the cross. He had proven His victory by rising from the dead. He had conquered the Devil. He had trained and commissioned His disciples to carry on His work. So now He could return home. He could ascend to heaven. And He could do so a victorious note. It was a joyous day for Him.

It also was a joyous day for the angels in heaven, who formed a huge Welcoming Committee for Him. They worshipped and praised Him as He returned home as a conquering Hero. The Bible also informs us that He assumed a throne in heaven, which is figuratively called “the right hand of God the Father". This was a positon of honor and power and authority. And from that lofty position He continues to rule all things in heaven and on earth.

The Ascension of our Lord is also an occasion of joy for us. It makes our own ascension sure. If we believe in Him as our Lord and Savior, we have life eternal in heaven to look forward to. Our soul will ascend there at the moment of death. Our body will ascend there on the Last Day, when it is raised up, restored and glorified. In either event that will be a joyful occasion for us. So be thankful for the Ascension of our Lord. Though it is not celebrated in a big way, it was a huge event for Him and for us….and a happy event.

Mankind’s search for a way to come closer to God is endless. There is no race or tribe on the face of the earth which has not engaged in this search. Even in a world where so many people seem to live only for themselves and don’t bother to even think about their relationship with God, we find that people still have some inner feeling that they owe something to someone outside of themselves. That’s part of our natural make-up and is called “the Natural Knowledge of God". People, if they are at all honest with themselves, will admit that there is a “higher power” and he has placed a law in their hearts which they ought to obey even if they do not want to and very often do not. And there is no place to hide from this God.

The problem is that every way to come closer to God which man himself has created is a dead-end. Since it is always man’s way and not God’s way, it ends in a dead-end street. Man cannot get beyond his own idea of God and His greatness, because mankind is “dead in trespasses and sin". The God which humans imagine or invent is always made in man’s image. And thus something big is missing….and that something is Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became man, lived a perfect life for us, and then took our sins upon Himself and suffered and died on the cross for them. He made us right with God and opened up a way to heaven for us. The Bible says, “By a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body” (He 10: 20).
Jesus opened up a new and living way for us to come to God. The curtain of our sin, which kept us from God’s presence, was torn apart, and in its place a living way through His death on the cross was opened for us. And when we are joined by faith to Him who is the Son of God, we become God’s children. So, yes, there is a way to God, a living way, and that Way is Jesus Christ.

Mother’s Day is a day that gets a lot of attention. It is a very popular day with the card industry, the florist industry and the restaurant industry. And it should be popular with everyone who has a mother. God gives us blessings through our mothers. When we were small and helpless God took care of us through the mother through whom He also gave us life. As we grew up, our mother provided us with support, encouragement and training. As we grow older we understand more deeply how our mother’s love was expressed in so many ways and how many sacrifices she made for us. This should make us feel thankful to God for our mothers.

Mother’s Day is set aside each year for the purpose of affording us opportunity to honor our mothers. We should give special honor and respect to our mothers on this day, because they have played such an important role in our lives. We can see them as part of God’s plan for us and part of His providence. They are indeed channels through which God’s love comes to us. So we do need to show gratitude to them, if or when we have opportunity. And we need to thank God for the gift of our mother.

Also when we reflect on the blessings of motherhood and family, it is a nice reminder to us that we are members of another family - the family of God. Jesus once said, “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother” (Mark 3: 35). All of us who believe are spiritual brothers and sisters of Christ. God is our Father in heaven. This is deep relationship, one that affords us blessings in this life and even greater blessings in the life to come, when we lay hold of our inheritance of heaven, which is ours because of the loving sacrifice on the cross by Christ, our Lord and Savior.

So on Mother’s Day be sure and honor your mother (or honor her memory). But also honor God who has given us a mother as a gift and also gives us the gift of eternal salvation.

We have now entered the month of May. It�s one of our favorite months of the year, as we enjoy all that spring brings. It�s also one of the busiest months. In May is the fishing opener�..and Mother�s Day�..and some proms�..and Confirmation�..and some graduations�..and Ascension Day�..and Memorial Day. May is also a time for you to finish all your spring projects at home.

But primarily May is known for flowers. April showers bring May flowers. That certainly is true this year. After all the rain we�ve had we now see a lot of flowers blooming along with the green grass and green trees and bushes. An old custom on the first of May was to pass out May baskets filled with flowers. Flowers are great! They look pretty. They smell nice. They brighten things up. They cheer people up. That�s why if you are in the hospital, some people will bring you flowers. Or when you get married or buried there will be a lot of flowers.

Flowers represent new life. And we can think of the new spiritual life we have, thanks to the death of Jesus Christ for our sins and His resurrection from the dead. The Bible says, �Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life� (Romans 6: 4). Because we know Christ as our Lord and Savior, we can serve Him with our lives. We can live our faith.

Jesus spoke about flowers in His famous Sermon on the Mount. He said, And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?� (Matthew 28: 20). The point Jesus was making was that God causes the flowers to grow and He cares for them. If He can take care of them, He certainly can take care of you.

We need to trust God. Trust Him to care for all of your needs. He is a strong and loving and providential God. He does care for you. So don�t worry so much. Also thank God. Thank Him for all the flowers and all the beautiful things He had made. And thank Him for the new life that you have through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Smell the flowers�.and be reminded of God�s goodness

The mills of God’s justice grind slowly. In Romans 15 Paul refers to Him as “the God of patience". The Psalmist portrays Him as “slow to anger". He writes, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love” (Ps 103: 8). Let no one, however, mistake God’s patience for a lack of strength or a sign of inconsistency or disinterest.

Noah and his sons worked for years on the ark. He not only set this symbol of approaching judgment before the eyes of the people, but Noah himself served as a preacher of righteousness. Men came and looked and laughed and scoffed. They reveled in every form of evil and excess, until the flood came and swept them all away. Through it all Noah remained patient. And God remained patient too. He actually gave the people of Noah’s day 120 years of grace. But they blew it! And then the rain came…and came….and came.

The rainbow in the sky assures us that God will never again destroy the world with a flood. But it will be destroyed again someday….by fire. In the meantime multitudes of people scoff at God and mock religion and crucify Christ anew - violating His commands and immersing themselves in materialism and immorality. But someday Judgment Day or death is going to overtake them.

God does not want anyone to perish, but when His great patience is stretched to the limit, He will ultimately punish all evildoers and all who do not believe. The warning lights of God’s Word are flashing. God is faithful and patient and slow to anger. But even He has His limits.

One of the most touching scenes in Christ’s life was His meals and discourses with His disciples in the Upper Room on the night before His death. Among other things He told them that He would be leaving them, which was disturbing news to them. But then He also told them this, “Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live” (Jn 14: 19). The unbelieving world would not see Christ anymore….not until the day of Judgment. But the disciples would see Him….in heaven.

And we will see Christ in heaven too! That’s part of the good news of the Gospel….and part of the Easter message. Christ has died on the cross to pay for our sins. And Christ’s resurrection proves that His payment for our sins did satisfy God’s justice. His resurrection also proves His victory over death. The grave could not hold Him, since He was/is the Son of God. And when He came forth alive, it set the stage for us to also rise to eternal life someday.

A missionary was exploring the back country of the Upper Amazon. He heard sounds of weeping and wailing.
When he peered through some bushes, he saw mourners hurling themselves to the ground, rolling on the ground, pounding their chests, pulling out their hair and crying out with loud shrieks. A death had taken place. This was a picture of utter despair and hopelessness. They had no Savior to cling to and receive comfort from. But we do….the risen Christ.

Job once posed this question, “If a man dies, will he live again?” (Job 14: 14). And then later he answered his own question with this beautiful statement, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God” (Job 19: 25-26).
We know that we will see our Lord someday…..in heaven. And we praise God for that life He will give us.
We praise our Redeeer….our risen Lord and Savior.

If you wrote a two screen long e-mail to a long distance friend and one whole page had to do with a single issue in your life at the moment, do you think your friend would get the impression that this issue is very significant to you?

Would you believe that almost half of the Gospel of John in the Bible deals with the final week of Jesus� life? About a third of the others gospels � Matthew, Mark, and Luke � are set aside for this as well. Pretty significant? What biography that you�ve read spends this much time on the last week of its subject�s life? Not even Martin Luther King Jr.�s biography does that, and he died a violent and meaningful death.

No wonder we call this week �holy,� a word meaning �special� or �set apart for a sacred purpose.� Something special is happening this week. Only two of the gospels mention the events of Jesus� birth but all four spend many pages recalling his last week. Here�s a synopsis:

Palm Sunday � Jesus parades into Jerusalem, the home territory of his enemies, and receives cheers of support from the Passover pilgrims in town for the celebration. This, according to his plan, bolsters his disciples for the upcoming trauma and also enrages his enemies to put the plans into swift motion for his death. Jesus weeps over the rejection he receives from those he would rather welcome into his love, makes his way to the temple and then retires to Bethany (a suburb village of Jerusalem) to stay with friends for the night. It is not yet time for him to be arrested.

Angry Monday � Jesus returns to Jerusalem and curses a barren fig tree and also the empty-hearted hypocrisy of those making money in the temple. He heals people and returns to Bethany again, since it is not yet his time to be arrested.

Busy Tuesday � As its name implies, Tuesday of Holy Week was nonstop for Jesus. He returns to Jerusalem, teaches in the temple, responds to those who question his authority, condemns those who rely on themselves to earn forgiveness, makes predictions about the fate of Jerusalem, prays to his Father, and generally instigates the displeasure of his enemies while bringing comfort to those who believe in him.

Silent Wednesday � there is nothing recording in the Bible about Jesus� activities on this day.

Maundy Thursday � from the Latin word for �command,� the word �Maundy� brings to mind the �new command� that Jesus gave his disciples in the upper room to love one another as inspired by his sacrificial love. He washes his disciples� feet, institutes the Lord�s Supper, reaches out to his betrayer, prays in Gethsemane, and is finally arrested.

Good Friday � Evidence that even the most terrible event in life can actually be good. God�s beloved creatures kill their maker and Savior. Jesus is put on Jewish trial, falsely accused, brought before Pontius Pilate, beaten, mocked, crucified, dies, and is buried. Before his death he declares �It is finished,� as a testimony to the completion of the work of forgiveness. He did it all and there is none left for us to do. That is what makes this Friday good. Though our forgiveness wasn�t cheap, it is and always will be free.

Holy Saturday, when the body of Jesus lies in the tomb, is only a brief prelude to the drama of Easter Sunday.

Journeying with Jesus to the cross and tomb this week, it�s hard not to see the might of the Roman Empire and the world�s most sophisticated religious system of its time battling against a solitary figure. Mocked by those he came to love and deserted by his most intimate friends, and eventually forsaken even by his Father, Jesus faces his most trying hour alone. Yet the Bible portrays the irony that Jesus himself is overseeing the entire process, knowing the fate that awaits him, for the cross has been his goal all along.

It�s a place you�ll want to go with him again for a very special week.

PRAYER: Dearest Jesus, the story I hear this week is a familiar one. If the intensity of the drama you experienced in your final week is dulled to me, I pray that you might find a way for me to experience once more its emotion, and urgency, and bloodthirst, and passion, and sacrifice, and tragedy, and love. Lead me on the journey of this very special week so that it becomes more important in my life. Fill my faith with wonder, with reflection, and with the confidence that you are the Lord of all and still my personal Savior. Amen.

Jesus frequently sought out people who were in trouble. With tender compassion He came to the weary, the worried and the sick to bring comfort, cheer and hope into their lives. He knew their problems were very real and were a result of sin. Therefore He said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (Jn 16: 33).

No one can deny that the world is full of trouble. That’s because sin is in the world and the Devil is active. With trouble comes anxieties, fears, irritating days and worrisome nights. Even we Christians are not immune. However, Jesus gives us the assurance that He will stand by us and will help make the burden lighter. He will give us the needed strength to stand up up under the load and be able to carry on with confidence and courage. And we can regularly pray to Him for His ongoing help and support.

Christ has overcome the world. He did so on Calvary’s cross where He gave His life into death as a payment for our sins. And He proved His great victory on Easter morning when He rose from the dead. He also has ascended to heaven where He has prepared a place for us, so we can share in His glory.

Knowing all of this we can take heart. We can be of good cheer. Yes, there will be some trouble for us to deal with in this life. But we can always have hope - hope of our Lord helping us and strengthening us when times are tough - and hope of eventual relief from all trouble when He takes us to our heavenly home. Thank God that we can take our burdens to Him who has already borne the biggest burden for us.

This is the week! This is the week when even the weakest Christians have some spiritual spark. It’s Holy Week, the most important week of the year for all of us who trust in Jesus Christ for our salvation. This is the week when we take a close look at the sufferings of Christ and see how they culminated on the cross where He died to pay for our sins. He died on Good Friday. We call it Good Friday, because it was good for us. He won eternal salvation for us.

Jesus is often called “The Lamb of God". In Isaiah 53 it speaks of Him being a lamb led to the slaughter. John the Baptist once pointed to Him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn 1: 29) In the Old Testament lambs were regularly sacrificed on altars as sin offerings to prefigure the perfect Lamb who would someday make a perfect sacrifice for sin. Those lambs that were sacrificed were required to be without spot or blemish and they were innocent victims. So also Christ was without spot or blemish, was perfect. He was innocent, but took our sins upon Himself and died for them.

There is a very interesting story about a little church in Scotland. During a renovation project some workers were doing repairs on the church steeple. One of the workers lost his balance and fell from that high point. But just then a flock of sheep was passing by the church. The worker fell on top of one of the lambs. It broke his fall. The lamb died. But the worker lived. They later carved the figure of a lamb on that steeple and to this day that church is called “The Church of the Lamb". Similarly, Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God, died, so that we might not suffer eternal death, but instead might have eternal life in heaven.

Christ’s victory over sin and death was assured on Easter morning, when He rose from the dead. He also tells us, “Because I live, you also will live” (Jn 14: 19). We share in His victory. Therefore we can look forward to life in heaven where we can share in what is called “the Marriage Supper of the Lamb". And Easter, which we will celebrate this coming Sunday, does celebrate His great victory. The Lamb who was slain has overcome all of His and our foes.

Jesus frequently sought out people who were in trouble. With tender compassion He came to the weary, the worried and the sick to bring comfort, cheer, healing and hope into their lives. He knew their problems were very real and were a result of sin. And He wanted to help. So He said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (Jn 12: 33).

No one can deny that the world is full of trouble. That’s because sin is in the world and the Devil is active. With trouble comes anxieties, fears, irritating days and worrisome nights. Even we Christians are not immune. However, Jesus gives us the assurance that He will stand by us and He will help make the burden lighter. He will give us the needed strength to stand up under the load and be able to carry on with confidence and courage. And we can regularly pray to Him for His ongoing help and support.

Christ has overcome the world. He did so on Calvary’s cross where He gave His life into death as a payment for our sins. And He proved His great victory on Easter morning when He rose from the dead. He also has ascended to heaven where He has prepared a place for us, so we can share in His glory.

Knowing all of this boosts our spirits. We can take heart. We can be of good cheer. Yes, there will be some trouble for us to deal with in this life. But we can always have hope - hope of our Lord helping us and strengthening us when times are tough - and hope of eventual relief from all trouble when He takes us to our heavenly home. Thank God that we can take our burdens to Him who has always borne the biggest burden for us.

Would you ever get invited to the White House for dinner? Probably not. Usually people that go there are famous, perhaps having won a national championship in a sport or something like that. But sometimes even the lowliest citizens get invited to the White House. Recently a devlopmentally disabled boy was invited to the White House. He had scored 20 points in a basketball game to the delight of many people.

Similarly, it’s not just the high and mighty who get invited to spend time with Jesus. He who is the King of Kings is also the Friend of sinners. He has given this blanket invitation, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”
(Mt 11: 28). This includes all of us who are burdened with the heavy load of sin and all the problems it causes. We can come to Him who is the Friend of sinners and seek His help and forgiveness.

We do not choose Jesus as our Friend. We can’t, because by nature we are dead in trespasses and sins. Jesus does the choosing. He came into our world to seek and to save the lost. He emphasized this truth in the Upper Room when He said to His disciples and to us, “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (Jn 15: 16). Out of grace God chooses us to be His own. This makes our salvation sure. Our Friend Jesus died for us while we were yet sinners, forgives our sins and calls us through the Gospel to be His friends forevermore.

We are currently in the season of Lent, which focuses on the terrible sufferings of Jesus Christ, which He willingly undertook as part of His mission to redeem us from our sins.
One of the worst forms of mockery was heaped upon Him when the Roman soldiers took a branch from the Jericho thorn bush, wove it into a crown and placed it on His head. They also put a reed in His hand and a robe on His shoulders. Then they sported with Him, falling down before Him and saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

Later the sign that was affixed above the cross of Christ stated, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews". His accusers meant that sign to imply that He claimed to be the King of the Jews. They didn’t really think He was a king. In fact, they tried to demonstrate that He was a poor excuse for a king.

But Jesus really was a King. When He was on trial before Pontius Pilate, Pilate asked Him if He was a King. Jesus replied affirmatively. But He also said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (Jn 18: 36). He was not an earthly King. He was a heavenly King.
He has conquered all of our spiritual enemies. He rules all things in heaven and on earth. In heaven we can picture Him wearing a crown of glory. And He can rightly be called “King of Kings and Lord of Lords".

We need to honor Christ as King. Praise Him! Serve Him! For best of all, He is our Savior King.

When Jesus was in the Upper Room of a house in Jerusalem on the night before His death, He surprised the disciples by taking a basin of water and a towel and then washing their feet. That was usually the job of a servant. Why was He, their Lord and Master, performing this menial task?! To teach them a lesson. The disciples had been wrangling over the question, “Who’s the greatest among us?” They were looking for seniority rights and special privileges - if not in this life, then later in heaven.

How patient Jesus was with the frailties of His disciples! Instead of simply lambasting them for their arrogant attitude, He taught them a lesson in a way that they would never forget. By washing their feet He taught them that it was more important to serve others than to lord it over them. And certainly if Jesus, their Lord and Master, could wash their feet, they should be inclined to wash one another’s feet. They should learn the value of service.

So should we. The footwashing also teaches us the valuable lesson that Jesus values service. We are not to lord it over other people. We are to serve them. That’s what the Christian life is all about - service. We are here on earth to serve God and to serve other people. That cannot be done effectively, if we think we’re better than others and demand that we be served. That’s not the attitude of Christ.

Christ had a servant attitude. It showed most dramatically, when He went to the cross. He dutifully carried out His Father’s great plan of salvation and willingly and lovingly laid down His life for us on the cross so that our sins might be atoned for. That was the ultimate act of service. And it was motivated by love. The Bible says, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15: 13). We are most grateful that our Savior was willing to serve us in this very special way. And we pray that we would take on His servant attitude and would effectively serve Him and others.

Lent begins this week with Ash Wednesday. During Lent we observe Jesus walking the road of suffering, a road that led Him to Calvary’s hill and the cross. We observe the horrific suffering that was inflicted on Him for our salvation. It grieves us to see that our sins caused this. Thus Lent becomes a season for self-examination, for penitence and for confession of sins. In Bible times people used to express their sorrow over their sins by fasting, weeping, rending (tearing) their clothes or by sprinkling themselves with ashes.

The prophet Joel once said, “Rend your heart and not your garments” (Joel 2: 13).
He spoke these words at a time when Israel was being punished by God because of their grievous sins against Him. There was a severe drought, a plague of locusts and an invasion of enemies. In this time of national distress Joel called for national penitence and prayer. It was a time to fast and weep and rend their clothes. But it was even more important that they rend their hearts, ie, practice inner sorrow over their sins and heartfelt repentence.

During Lent it won’t do much good for us to rend our garments. And even having ash applied to our forehead or fasting or giving up something are only marginal ways to observe Lent. We should rend our hearts in penitence for our sins against God and find mercy by faith in Christ Jesus. That’s what God wants to see out of us during Lent. We should say, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” And then be thankful that God is merciful and will forgive us,
thanks to His Son, Christ Jesus, and His loving sacrifice for us.

Will there be mild weather the first day of March? That would be great, but could that mean wintry weather at the end of March? You�ve heard the old saying that if March comes �in like a lamb, it goes out like a lion.� A lamb is a picture of meekness and innocence � nice weather. A lion is a picture of ferocity and violence � bad weather. Well�.we�ll see what comes.
Lent begins on Wednesday � Ash Wednesday. During Lent we can see Jesus functioning as both a Lamb and a Lion. John the Baptist once pointed to Jesus and said, �Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!� (Jn 1: 29). In the Old Testament many lambs were offered on altars as a sacrifice for sin. They were to prefigure the Lamb of God, the Messiah, who would make the perfect sacrifice for sin. Later, an innocent Lamb, Jesus, took our sins upon Himself and paid for them by suffering and dying on the cross.
Jesus also functioned as a Lion. In the Bible He is called �the Lion from the tribe of Judah�
(Re 5: 5). A lion is �the king of the beasts� and so also Jesus proved to be a King, a great King. Like a powerful lion Jesus proved His power by conquering our worst enemies � sin, death and the Devil. Most lions are brave (unlike the cowardly lion in �The Wizard of Oz�). Jesus was brave and showed great courage in allowing Himself to be mocked, beaten, scourged and crucified.
March will have a little of each � the lamb and the lion � weather-wise. We�ll have spring-like days and winter-like days. Jesus was both a Lamb and a Lion. And He had to be both. And we especially see that to be true during the Lenten season, which focuses on His Passion. Jesus was both the Son of Man and the Son of God. And He had to be both. He had to be man to suffer and die, and He had to be God to make that death count for all of us.
We don�t know what March will hold as far as being a lamb or a lion with the weather. We do know that Jesus Christ was both a Lamb and a Lion. And we thank God that He was!

The Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, have captured the attention of many of us. In some interesting ways we can make comparisons between the Olympics and the game of life. Many of the Olympic Games feature a race - downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, speed-skating, the luge and the bobsled. It’s important for the competitors to not only be fast, but also be under control and stay on the track. Similarly in the game of life we need to stay on the track, the straight and narrow track the Lord has laid out for us. That’s takes some control - some self-control and some Spirit-led control.

The athletes competing in the Olympics go through intensive training to prepare for it - 4 years or more of physical workouts and practicing certain routines. They have to be in good shape to be able to compete. Similarly we need to train for the game of life. God has given us His Word as a tool to use for this training. We need to read, learn, hear and study His Word to stay in shape spiritually. Prayer also helps as does exercising our faith by living for the Lord and serving Him.

The athletes from certain countries stand out in certain events - the Austrians in downhill skiing, the Norwegians in cross-country skiing, the Americans in speed-skating and the Russians in figure skating. But the greatest Champion of all-time is Jesus Christ. He set all the records. He ran the perfect race, led the perfect life when He was on earth. He made the perfect payment for sin when He offered Himself for us on the cross. And then He rose from the dead to prove His victory. When we believe in Him as our Lord and Savior, we become winners. The Bible says, “Whoever believes in him (Christ) shall not perish, but have eternal life” (Jn 3: 16).

The ultimate prize in the Olympic Games is a gold medal. A bronze medal and a silver medal are nice too, but gold is tops. Many a youngster dreams of someday standing on the victory stand at the Olympics and having a gold medal draped around his/her neck while his/her country’s national anthem is being played. For us who trust in Christ our prize will be not a gold medal, but a crown of glory. That means life in heaven, the place of total glory, permanent peace and fullness of joy. And that crown of glory will never fade away. The Bible says, “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away” (1 Pe 5: 4). A gold medal can get tarnished or even lost or stolen. But the crown of glory in heaven will never fade away, will never perish. That’s why it is called everlasting life. Thanks to Christ, the true Champion, we can look forward to that prize. It will be even better than a gold medal.

Valentine’s Day features the expression of love in many different ways. It’s a big day for the card industry and the florist industry and the candy industry. “Love is in the air” and it is always nice to observe and receive expressions of love. As people of God, we realize that even more important than loving our spouse or “significant other” is loving the Lord. The Bible accents that with the very 1st Commandment, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength”
(Dt 6: 5). It stands to reason that we love God best of all, because He blesses us best of all - with the forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation, which has been earned for us by His Son, Jesus.

Conversely, we are not to love the world. That’s a real temptation. And it can be destructive to our faith. In one of His parables Jesus told of some seed that was planted in the ground and then plants of grain grew up, but later they were choked by thorns and thistles and died. In applying this He said that “they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures” (Lk 8: 14). The concerns and pleasures of this world can overwhelm a person and can ruin your faith. That’s because you get so wrapped up in worldly things that you forget all about God.

The Bible says, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Tm 6: 10). It is, because it fowls up your priorities. If you love money, it will consume your thinking and planning. It will become your top priority and will cause you to be a worldly-minded person. It also will lead you away from Christ and His Word and His Church. That can be devestating for your faith.

So love your family and others close to you. Love the Lord most of all. But do not love the world. That will not pay off.

This coming Sunday, Feb 12, is Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. Among other things Lincoln is known for his honesty. He was even called “Honest Abe". When he was a young man working in a general store in New Salem, IL, he once walked 6 miles through the snow to return a nickel to someone he had mistakenly short-changed. Later Lincoln became one of those rarest of breeds - a lawyer and a politician who was consistently honest.

“Honesty is the best policy” in not only an oft-used expression. It also is something the Lord would like to see utilized in our lives. As the Bible states, “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor” (Eph 4: 25). We are to be honest in our dealings with other people - whether it be in business dealings or in our personal lives. We are to be honest in the words we speak, striving to consistently speak the truth and avoid the pitfall of lies.

We also are to be honest in our self-analysis, realizing that we are not perfect people. We sin daily and are accountable to God for those sins. When the Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Ro 3: 23), that includes us. Thus we need to honestly admit our sins and shortcomings to ourselves and to God. We need to confess those sins to God, trusting that He will forgive them. And we can be confident that He will forgive them, for His Son, Jesus, has died for those sins on the cross.

It pays to be honest - both in our speech and in our confession. When we’re honest, we’ll get along better with other people, and with God, who will forgive us for every sin.

This coming Sunday is Super Bowl Sunday. Thousands of people will be in Detroit to watch the Steelers take on the Seahawks and millions more will watch the game on TV. Football is probably the most popular spectator sport. Some have even called it �a religion�. That�s going a little too far and there are some significant differences between football and the church, as you can see by the chart below.

Football Church

1. Faithful attendance Yes ?
2. Are the workers praised? Yes ?
3. Few empty seats? Yes ?
4. Great enthusiasm for the cause? Yes ?
5. Those attending give large amounts of money? Yes ?
6. Weather has no bearing on attendance? Yes ?
7. Desire to sit close to the front to be close to the action? Yes ?
8. Do they visit you when you�re sick? No Yes
9. Do they help you with your family problems? No Yes
10. Do they point people to Christ? No Yes
11. Are they trying to keep people out of hell? No Yes
12. Will they comfort you, if you lose a friend or loved one? No Yes

Of course, a major difference between football and church is that football is meant to entertain while the church is meant to edify. But which is more important � to be entertained or edified?

The Super Bowl will feature a number of All-Pro players lining up on both sides of the ball. Our religion features Jesus Christ, the true MVP, the One who has won eternal salvation for us by His sufferings and death. Each member of the winning Super Bowl team will receive a special ring and also thousands of dollars. But someday that ring will become tarnished or lost and the money will be gone. Conversely, the prize which we Christians strive for is, as the Bible describes it, �An inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade � kept in heaven for you�
(1 Pe 1: 4).

So enjoy the football game on Sunday. But also take time for church. And especially enjoy your faith in Christ Jesus, which will bring you a lasting prize.

The Bible says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 Jn 2: 15). That’s easier said than done. There are so many material things in the world that have so much appeal to us - a nice house, a nice car and a fat bank account among the many things. But the more we feast on worldly things, the less we’ll feast on heavenly things and our love of the Father and our faith in the Savior will weaken.

It’s also easy to sell out to the world. In essence that’s what Esau did, when he sold his birthright to his brother, Jacob, for a bowl of lentil soup. We can’t blame Esau for wanting to eat something when he was hungry. But we can blame him for placing more importance to that one meal of food than to the important blessing of the first born, which in his case would have brought numerous physical and spiritual blessings.
Or think of Judas who placed his Lord on the bargaining table and said, “How much will you give me?” He sold out to the world and it cost him his soul.

Sometimes we are tempted to sell out to the world. Are we willing to sell the precious possession of the Gospel for something of only transitory value? Just like young people may sell out their purity in a moment of weakness, so people may sometimes sell out their church, their Bible, their God, and make shipwreck of their childhood Christian faith. And for what? For the world and for the acceptance and praise it might give.

Jesus once said, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Mt 6: 33). If you put earthly things first, you’re setting yourself up for a tragic ending to your life. If you put Christ and spiritual things first, you will have lasting happiness, including the birthright of eternal life in heaven.

“I will make you into a great nation” (Ge 12: 2). That is the promise God gave Abraham. Trusting in that promise, he left Haran and journeyed to Canaan. God repeated that promise to him a number of times. One bright night God told Abraham to look up to the sky and try to count the stars. That’s how innumerable his descendants would be.

But Abraham and his wife Sarah were childless and a number of years went by and no son was born. Both of them were getting up in years and with every passing year the fulfillment of that promise seemed more improbable. However, Abraham’s faith was great and he didn’t doubt the Lord. Finally his trust in God’s faithfulness was rewarded and a son was born to him and his wife.

At times we may face situations in our lives that are difficult to understand. We may even be led to believe that somehow God has forgotten about us. We may even pray to Him for help, but no answer seems to be forthcoming. But we need to know that sometimes God bides His time for some good reason, and when His plans are ready, He carried them out. Therefore no matter what problems or anxieties we may have, we need to maintain a high level of trust in the Lord. He is our Savior God, the One who keeps His promises, the One who will come through for us. The Psalmist put it well when he said, “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this” (Ps 37: 5).

When Abraham and Lot determined to separate from each other, since there wasn’t room for both of them and their flocks and herds in the same place, Abraham gave Lot first choice of where to go. Lot chose the most fruitful part of the country, the Jordan Valley, near the sin-infested cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. It turned out to be a disastrous choice. Though those cities were wealthy and filled with “all the comforts of home", they also were steeped in vile sins. The Lord ultimately destroyed those cities and Lot had to flee.

The Bible says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world” (1 Jn 2: 15). It is so very tempting to love what the world has to offer. We like nice things and conveniences. But where are our hearts? Are they in our business dealings, in our investments, in our social contacts, in the pleasures we seek? Where are our hearts? If they are with the world and things of the world, they are in the wrong place and we are headed for trouble.

Yet God is gracious. He gave Lot a second chance and sent His angels to lead him and his daughters to the hills and to safety. Thank God for the second chance He is also willing to give us. If we do go astray and fall prey to the temptations to love the world, God’s mercy and forgiveness are there for us and He can bring us safely back into the fold. We need to make Christ our “first love” and be very thankful for the salvation He has earned for us by His suffering and death. Then someday we can be part of the heavenly world, which is far better than anything this world has to offer.

The last couple of weeks have been great with some extra time off for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. That was true for the work force as well as students. It’s a lot of fun to have some time off. But now it’s back to work and school. That might seem to be a bit disconcerting. But it’s actually great to be back at work (and school). That really is one of our purposes in life.

The Bible says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord” (Col 3: 23). The Lord didn’t put us here on earth to just vegetate. He didn’t intend for us to be couch potatoes. He has endowed each of us with a certain amount of talents and abilities and interests. He wants us to use that in the work force. Then we are being good stewards of our abilities and are able to earn a living to support ourselves and our families.

Think of how God has gone to work for us. He sent His Son to earth (the incarnation, which we recently celebrated) to do the hardest work of all - the work of salvation. His work was full of pain and sorrow and suffering and death. But He accepted the challenge and went to work for us and won eternal salvation for us by redeeming us from the curse of sin. His work was the greatest example of service - service to all of mankind. As He Himself said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20: 28).

We also are placed here on earth to serve. We serve our Lord by witnessing for Him in word and deed. And we also can serve our Lord by serving other people. We can do that in our work. It’s good to look upon our work in that manner - as a service to other people. And you don’t have to be a fireman or a policeman or a doctor or a nurse to provide service to other people. It can be done even in small ways. A lot of it has to do with your attitude. You need to think of your work as an opportunity, an opportunity to serve not just your own needs, but the needs of others.

Thank God that you can work. It is part of God’s plan for you and provides you an opportunity to serve Him.

We are about to enter a New Year � 2006. So we might expect a lot of new things in the New Year, right? So what�s new in the New Year? In the old year the war in Iraq raged on. It looks like that will continue in 2006, although we are encouraged to hear of national elections in Iraq and some US troops being withdrawn. In the old year the price of fuel sky-rocketed. We will still notice very high fuel prices at the gas pumps and in our home utility bills. The month of December gave us a lot of cold and snow. The month of January will probably be much of the same. So what�s new in the New Year? Not much.
What about our personal lives? During the past year we all had our share of challenges and problems. That�s part of life in this sinful world. These challenges/problems may have come in the form of health issues, family issues or financial issues. Do you think we�ll get by �scot-free� of challenges/problems in the New Year? Hardly! And our own personal sins against God�s commands will be there again on a daily basis to plague us. So what�s new in the New Year? Not much.
On a brighter note�.how about God? He was there for us this past year on a consistent basis. He was, as the Psalmist put it, �a Refuge and Strength, an ever present help in trouble� (Ps 46: 1). Will He be there for us in the New Year to offer strength and guidance? Absolutely! And how about His grace and mercy and His willingness to forgive our sins? That was there last year. Will that be there again this coming year? You can count on it! Why can you count on it? Because the Bible says so and because Jesus Christ has made salvation sure to us by shedding His own life-blood on the cross to redeem us. He did that out of love. That love never changes. The Bible reminds us, �Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever� (He 13: 8). So what�s new in the New Year? In this case, thankfully, we can say, �Not much.�
Yet there are some things that will be new in the New Year. All of us will have some new experiences. And each new day the Lord gives us will give us a new portion of God�s grace and He will give us new strength for each new day. Also our new life in Christ will renew itself regularly as we regularly use His Word and Sacrament. And we can ultimately look forward to new life in the new world of heaven, thanks to Christ.
So what�s new in the New Year? Not much�.and a lot. And whatever may come, we trust the Lord to make the New Year a good year for us.

Christmas is a colorful time of the year. And there are certain colors that stand out. Red and green are the traditional secular colors of Christmas. And white is the traditional liturgical (church) color of Christmas. All of these colors can have special meaning for us, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior.

White is the color of Christ. It is the color of purity. And our Lord Jesus was and is pure and holy. That Baby lying in the manger was the Son of God. And He proved it in His life and in His resurrection. The Bible asserts that, “Who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord” (Ro 1: 4).

Red is a reference to His redeeming work. That Baby lying in the manger was our Savior. 33 years later He shed His blood on the cross to redeem us from the dreadful curse of sin. The Bible states, “The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 Jn 1: 7). Jesus’ blood could cleanse us, because it was holy and precious. It satisfied God’s justice and makes it possible for Him to forgive us our sins.

Green stands for eternal life. That’s why at Christmas-time we set up Christmas trees and hang wreaths on our doors. They are “evergreen", a symbol of everlasting life. That Baby lying in the manger came to earth to win eternal life for us. Scripture says,
“And this is what he promised us - even eternal life” (1 Jn 2: 25). This is the ultimate prize our Savior won for us - an eternity of bliss in heaven.

So white, red and green colors are indeed appropriate at Christmas-time. Let these “Colors of Christmas” be a reminder to you of God’s great plan of salvation.

As Christmas approaches, our thoughts zero in on the birth of Christ and we thank God for sending His Son into the world to save us. But we need to realize that God’s Son was also Mary’s Son. The Bible says, “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons” (Ga 4: 4).

No one else would do. Only God’s Son could be the Savior of the world. In Him alone there could be the holiness, the power and the unsurpassed love that were necessary to save sinful mankind. There is no man who could save even himself, let alone the entire human race. The price of our redemption could not be found anywhere but in heaven, in the person of God’s own Son. Only He could keep the whole Law perfectly and then give that perfect life into death on the cross as a full payment for our sins.

But the Son of God also had to be the Son of Man. And thus the incarnation became necessary. Through the power and work of the Holy Spirit the Virgin Mary conceived and gave birth to a Son, Jesus. God’s Son became Mary’s Son. And it had to be that way. Our Savior had to take our place under the Law and live our life for us. And our Savior had to take our place on the cross and suffer and die for us. He had to be a man to experience that. And so He did.

And so, as we zoom in on Christmas, we need to praise God for the gift of His Son, who was also Mary’s Son, and was born to save us. And we confess with Martin Luther in the 2nd Article of the Apostles’ Creed, “I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord.”

The glory of the Lord Jesus is revealed to us - not literally, but spiritually. Surely, as Jesus of Nazareth appeared to people in the closing days of His earthly life, there was little evidence of glory. Despised by the Jewish church leaders, rejected by society, abandoned by God the Father (while on the cross), He lived out His life in the shadow of shame. So where was the glory?

As He Himself looked ahead to the inescapable events of His suffering and death, He saw the outcome of glory beyond the dishonor of the cross and the grave. That’s why He said, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” (Jn 12: 23). He could already taste the sweetness of victory through the bitter dregs of defeat. He would accomplish the purpose for which He came to earth - the redemption of a world of sinners. The grain of wheat would die, but then it would live to bear abundant fruit. He would achieve victory over sin and death by His own suffering and death. And He would prove that victory in His glorious resurrection from the dead and in His ascension into heaven.

The seasons of Advent and Christmas may seem remote from the events of Holy Week. But Bethlehem and Calvary are inseparably connected. There is a link between the manger and the cross. The Son of Man was born to die. The glory of His birth demanded the glory of His death to achieve the glory of our redemption. This gives real meaning to these days of Advent. We praise and worship Him who is the Lord of Glory. And we look forward to that time when we can share His glory in heaven.

This past week we celebrated Thanksgiving Day. It�s one of our favorite holidays, as we feast on turkey, visit our family and give thanks to God for His many blessings. This year Thanksgiving Day was on Nov 24. It led us to think, �Exactly one month �til Christmas Eve!� That can be an alarming thought, as we realize we only have one month to get a ton of things done before Christmas.

But it also is a pleasant thought, because we should realize the close link between Thanksgiving and Christmas. What does Christmas celebrate? The birth of Jesus Christ who was sent by God to save us all from the curse of sin. We know that He completed that �rescue mission�, when He took our sins to the cross and suffered and died for them. That�s good news! And that should make us thankful. So Thanksgiving and Christmas link together.

The spirit of thankfulness should pervade our preparations for Christmas. We can show that spirit during this Advent season. The word �Advent� means �coming� and during Advent we focus on the coming of Christ, primarily His first coming at Christmas time. In that spirit of thankfulness we realize how good we have it, how we have been blessed by God. And in that spirit we send cheerful greeting cards to others, sing joyous Christmas carols, plan happy family gatherings and give loving gifts to others.

The Christmas season is frequently called a season of joy, peace and good will. It is all of that. We should have the same joy that the angel had when announcing the birth of Christ. �I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord� (Lk 2: 10-11). We should have the same peace the angels sang about. �Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests� (Lk 2: 14). And we should also show good will to others at Christmas time.

But Christmas is also a season of thankfulness. We thank God for His Christmas gift to us � His Son, born to save us. We thank God in our prayers, songs and praises. We thank God by worshiping Him. The season of Christmas is a time for thanksgiving. So there is indeed a link between Thanksgiving and Christmas!

You can hardly buy anything without seeing some advertisement on the packaging that proclaims the food inside to be better than all the alternatives. Either the fat content is lower, or the flavor zingier or the sodium lower � every label attempts to either tempt or guilt us into purchasing. Simply putting the phrase �new and improved� on packaging drives up sales … for a while. Eventually, consumers move on to another, virtually identical �new and improved� product, which means the packaging on the original product has to be redesigned yet again. It�s a never-ending process.

There are a few vendors out there who haven�t changed their packaging much since the product was introduced. Minor cosmetic updates to advertising icons like Aunt Jemima, Colonel Sanders and the Hi-C Punch Guy were all those companies considered necessary, because they recognized the danger in abandoning the symbols by which consumers recognized their products.

Stability matters; when people become ill or have an emotional down-time, they tend to buy comfort foods that haven�t been altered since they first learned to enjoy them. New and improved is exciting, but excitement is a momentary satisfaction; to be able to reach out for something unchanging is necessary for a grounded life.

So, the next time you hear a sermon that tells you nothing new, recall a Bible account that is the same old story, or the Bible class leader asks you to page to that one Bible passage again � or the next time you sing that familiar liturgical song or Psalm, say the Apostles� Creed or Lord�s Prayer, or help the kids memorize the same Bible passages you�ve known for years, then think how stability is better than novelty.

Save novelty for your computer gadgets, fashion jeans, and cup of Starbucks. God has something better.

This is Thanksgiving week, so it is a natural time to remind ourselves to give thanks to God for all His blessings. That should be “a given” and it’s easy to do when things are going well for you. But what about when things aren’t going so well? Here’s an interesting Bible verse: “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Th 5: 17). The Apostle Paul wrote these words to the church in Thessalonica. Both Paul and the Thessalonians had met with a lot of hostile opposition in getting the church started in Thessalonica. Circumstances were less than ideal. Yet they found reason to give thanks to God for blessing them in many ways, particularly through His Word.

Circumstances were also less than ideal for the Pilgrims when they first came to America. They had a lot of hard work clearing the land so they could build their homes and plant their crops. There were storms that disrupted them. Not all the Indians were friendly. Yet they were thankful for their new land and their new freedom and when they harvested their first crop they paused to celebrate with a feast and give thanks to God for all His blessings.

Life is never ideal for us, because of sin. There are setbacks and disappointments and losses and even tragedies that we must deal with. But in all of these circumstances we are to remain thankful to God. Why? Because He is always there to help, guide and strengthen us. And because He has already taken care of our greatest problem - sin. He did so by sending His Son, Jesus to redeem us. We are assured of eternal salvation. That is a constant and it should make us constantly thankful. Also we have so many other blessings from God. No matter what our circumstance, we would have to admit that our blessings far outweigh our troubles. So be thankful….this Thanksgiving Day….and always…..in all circumstances.

Sin is without a doubt the worst malady with which mankind is plagued. Just think of all the misery which sin has caused! If there would be no sin, there would be no aches and pains, no despair and misery, no failures and disappointments, no pain and sorrow, no war and bloodshed, no sickness and death, no fear and worry, and, most noteworthy of all, no fear of eternal condemnation.

The greatest blessing that can be bestowed on us is the removal of our sin. King David committed some terrible sins and he made the mistake of covering up his sins for over a year. It tore him apart, as he admitted, When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer” (Ps 32: 3-4). But then he confessed his sins to God and felt relief, as he said, “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’ and you forgave the guilt of my sin” (Ps 32: 5).

Forgiveness of sins is something to be truly thankful for, because it the greatest gift we receive and it is one we do not earn or deserve. Jesus Christ has won this forgiveness for us by His innocent suffering and death on the cross, which paid the debt of sin for us. This is why the major message the Church is to proclaim is the Law and the Gospel - the Law, so that we are aware of our sins and do confess them - and the Gospel, so that we see that we are redeemed by Christ and do get forgiveness.

Next week is Thanksgiving Day. We will be pausing to thank God for all the blessings He has bestowed upon us. As you do so, be especially thankful for the forgiveness of sins.

Sometimes we talk more about prayer than spending time in actual praying to God. We often promise people, “I’ll remember you in my prayers,” but then we fail to follow through with that. We often use the excuse that we’d pray more, if we weren’t so terribly busy. That’s actually a lame excuse.

Prayer is always worth taking time for. The Apostle Paul said, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful” (Col 4: 2). The life of a Christian should be a life of prayer. We should devote ourselves to it. It is both a privilege and a power, so we should use it on a regular basis. Prayer is part of being watchful. It keeps us in touch with God, so we are “on our toes” spiritually and ready for His calling. Thankfulness should also be part of our prayer life, as we remember to thank God for the many blessings He has showered upon us.

There are so many people we can pray for and so many things we can pray for beyond our own needs. Certainly this year with all the disaster we need to pray for the victims of those disasters. Also we need to remember our troops in our prayer as they continue to battle in Iraq. Our governmental leaders, often a target of criticism, also need our prayers, as they continue to make difficult decisions.

We also need to pray for the spread of the Gospel. Remember to pray for our missionaries and others who serve in the mission fields, that their proclamation of the Gospel would bear fruit. Also pray that the Lord would give us opportunities to share the good news with others and would help us say the right things at the right time.

As new life people are we pressing the portals of prayer? Probably not as well as we should. We need to set aside regular time for prayer.

This week we are paying special attention to the work of Martin Luther in reforming the church, since Monday, Oct 31, was Reformation Day. Although this day centers on his posting of the 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, in reality the reformation started several years earlier in his heart when he made his famous “Tower Discovery".

One day in 1514 Luther was studying the Book of Romans in preparation for his lectures on Romans at the University of Wittenberg. As usual he was in his private study, a room on the second floor of a tower attached to the Augustinian Monastery. As he worked his way through the first chapter he came to verses 16 and 17: “I am not ashamed of the Gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith, as it is written (Hab 2: 4), ‘The righteous shall live by faith’”
(Ro 1: 16-17).

Luther had always felt that “the righteousness of God” showed in God punishing sinners for doing wrong and he had to do something to appease God’s wrath. Now he discovered that the righteousness referred to here was something we could receive through faith in Christ Jesus, that God had already punished Him in our place on the cross, and we can now be declared righteous in His sight.

Luther called this “tower discovery” an enlightening experience. He compared it to suddenly seeing the light and seeing heaven opened to him. We today who bear the name Lutheran are thankful to God that Luther had this experience and that he subsequently fought to preserve and promote the truth of the Gospel. We today continue to cling to the truth of the Gospel - that we are made righteous before God, not by our own good works, but by the saving work of Jesus Christ for us. Thanks be to Christ…..and to Martin Luther.

In the year 1505 Martin Luther completed his studies for his masters degree at Erfurt University in Erfurt, Germany. He was preparing to become a lawyer, but also had some thoughts of becoming a monk. He spent several weeks of vacation at his parents� home in Mansfeld and then set out on foot to return to Erfurt. Enroute a severe thunderstorm came up. Luther found shelter under a tree. Suddenly a bolt of lightning struck near him and knocked him to the ground. In terror he cried out, �Save me, St Anne, and I will become a monk!� Soon the storm subsided and Luther safely completed his journey.
We should learn from Luther�s experience what not to do. He prayed to St Anne, a patron saint. We are told in Scripture to pray to God and Him alone. �Worship the Lord your God and serve him only� (Mt 4: 10). God alone can help us. We also are not to pray conditional prayers � e.g., �If you do this for me, Lord, then I�ll do something for you.� We can�t bargain with God or make deals with Him.
Yet we see how God used this incident, this storm, for good. Shortly after it Luther sold all his law books, dropped out of the university, and entered a monastery. He became a monk, then 2 years later was ordained as a priest, then became a professor of religion at the university. God shaped him for service in the church. And ultimately God shaped him to be the Great Reformer, as Luther fought for restoration of the true Gospel.
Luther contended that we are not saved by our own good deeds or by purchasing indulgences or by viewing relics. Rather we are saved solely by God�s grace through faith in Jesus Christ who has atoned for our sins on the cross. Scripture affirms this:
�We are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus�
(Ro 3: 24). We whose church is named after Luther continue to uphold that teaching today. So we can see how God used that encounter with the storm to ultimately bring good for His Church.
The southern part of our country has been nailed with storms this year. Hurricane Wilma is now taking its toll. Tropical storm Alpha is brewing out in the Atlantic. But God can bring good out of these storms, just as He brought good out of the storm for Luther. He can bring help and healing and a realization of His power. And He can teach valuable lessons through it, particularly not to put our trust in earthly things. And we can and should pray for those affected by the storms. Pray, not to the saints, but to our gracious Lord, to cast His providential hand over these people.
As Reformation Day approaches, we thank God for the work of Martin Luther in fighting to preserve the truth of the Gospel. We are thankful that the storm that threatened him turned out for good, and that we today can share in that good.

Here are some awesome words from the pen of the Apostle Paul, “Having been buried with him in Baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead” (Col 2: 12). God loved us enough to send His own Son to die on the cross for us. After being buried in the grave Christ rose from the dead to prove His victory over all of our spiritual enemies.

You would think it would be enough for us to know those basic truths, take them to heart and then share them with others. But we also are privileged to take part in these great events. By Baptism we are buried with Christ. Our sins are buried with Him. In the same Baptism we are raised with Him. God has made us alive together with Christ. So in our Baptism we are united with Christ in His death and resurrection.

Remembering our Baptism has great meaning for us. It reminds us that we belong to Christ. It is a source of strength to put off the old evil ways of sin. And it is a source of great confidence. Our Baptism assures us that we are alive in Christ and thus on a path heading for heaven. Thank God for our Baptism!

“In fourteen hundred ninety two Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” Those words came to our mind this week as we observed Columbus Day. It was high adventure for Columbus, first in trying to secure financing for his ambitious trip westward, then in actually sailing westward, when many thought the world was flat and he would drop off into oblivion. But he stuck by his plan and his 3 ships - the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria - eventually reached the West Indies.

Similarly, Abraham was told by God to travel westward to a new land. “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you”
(Ge 12: 1). It was high adventure for Abraham, as he traveled many miles to a land he had never seen before. But he trusted in God and God blessed Him. Among the many blessing that God promised him was this key one, “And all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Ge 12: 3). The Messiah would come from Abraham’s line and would bring salvation for all people. Abraham trusted in that promise.

And God kept that promise. He sent His one and only Son, Christ Jesus, to earth on a high adventure. His mission was to redeem mankind from the curse of sin. He trusted in His Father and was faithful to His Father and fulfilled His mission on Calvary’s cross.
We are most grateful for that and we trust in Him for our salvation. We also trust that He will be with us to guide us in all the adventures of life. He will be there for us to help us meet the challenges of life, just like Columbus met challenges and Abraham met challenges. God will be there for us and eventually will guide us to the new land of heaven.

There is a lot of talk today about “futures". You hear that a lot with the stock market and some people pay a lot of money for professional assistance in trying to access the future performance of certain stocks. Many other people are misled to consult astrologers and fortune tellers and psychics, wanting to know what the future holds. Also we are constantly encouraged to invest in annuities and insurance policies to help us plan for the future.

Yet we know that all plans for the future can be clouded by the fear of the unknown. An unexpected emergency or a personal crisis could occur. Or there could be a disaster such as a hurricane or a tornado, as we have vivid memories of lately. Or there could be a national disaster such as a terrorist attack. It’s easy to be uncertain or fearful of the future.

But spiritually we have a great future through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. The Bible speaks of “the faith and love that springs from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven” The Gospel of Christ gives us hope. Jesus Christ loved us and gave Himself for us. He has paid for our sins by His death on the cross. And He also has conquered death and proved it by His resurrection from the dead.

Christ is the Lord of our future. He is better than any “futures” expert or any fortune teller. He guarantees us a future that includes life in heaven. This gives us great hope and confidence. We can face the future without fear. Through Christ we have a future.

The hurricane season has been particularly devastating this year for people in the southern states. Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita have caused a lot of havoc. Our hearts go out to the many people who have been displaced from their homes and have experienced huge losses. We all are going to feel the economic impact of those storms in higher energy costs, but our discomfort pales in comparison to the losses suffered by these hurricane victims. We need to remember them in our prayers and also give support to the relief efforts for them.
Unfortunately, storms are part of life in this imperfect world. Nature is a powerful force and storms can strike anytime and in various forms. We can�t blame God for this, even though we could say He allows it to happen. But God is a gracious God who always works in the best interest of His people. Even though we don�t always understand why certain things happen, we have to trust God to bring good out of what appears to be totally negative. He also promises to be with us during times of crisis.
Jesus was once involved in a storm on the Sea of Galilee. It may not have been a hurricane, but it was close to it, as high winds came up on the Sea of Galilee and high waves threatened to swamp the boat that He and the disciples were in. After the disciples cried out, �Master, we�re going to drown!�, Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the waves. And we are told, �The storm subsided and all was calm� (Lk 8: 24). This had a tremendous impact on the disciples and reinforced their belief in Him as the Son of God and the Messiah.
Jesus can also have a calming effect on our lives, which are beset by the storms caused by sin and Satan. Bad things can happen in our lives that threaten our spiritual safety. But when we lean on Him for support, He can keep us safe and steadfast. He also can prevent us from drowning in our sins by forgiving them. He can do that, because He shed His own blood on the cross as a payment for our sins. He thus gives us the greatest calm of all � peace with God.
A lesson we all learn from the disastrous storms is that we cannot and should not become too attached to things of this world. The Apostle John once wrote, �Do not love the world or anything in the world� (1 Jn 2: 15). The things of this world are transient and fleeting. They can be here today/gone tomorrow. But God and His saving love abides forever. We can trust Him to always be there for us and to be able to still the storms in our life.

One day the disciples came to Jesus with a request. “Increase our faith,” they said. (Lk 17: 5). That may sound surprising to us, that they felt lacking in their faith. What triggered that thought? Maybe it was Jesus’ words about putting a stumbling block in the path of children or maybe it was his injunctive to forgive anyone who had sinned against them. And then right after their request He told them that they should have a faith that could move mountains.

It’s not surprising that the disciples at times felt inadequate in their faith. They felt a lot of pressure. Jesus gave them a lot of teachings to absorb. On occasion Jesus even chided them for a lack of faith, calling them “Men of little faith". Did that mean that the disciples were unbelievers? No. They did believe that Jesus was the Son of God and the Messiah, the Savior. That was enough to secure salvation. But their faith needed strengthening, so they wouldn’t lose it.

There are times when we might feel like praying, “Lord, increase my faith.” That’s not a bad thought. No matter how strong our faith might be, it can always stand strengthening. God the Holy Spirit can help us with that. He works in our hearts through God’s Word and the Sacrament of Holy Communion to strengthen us, to increase our faith. We may not be able to move mountains, but we can cling to Christ more firmly and can serve God and our fellow-man with an increased faith. So keep using God’s Word and Sacrament so that you will have “enough faith".

We love hearing mass choirs. They certainly put forth some beautiful music! For example, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is probably the most famous one we hear about. Back in Old Testament times King David had a choir that was not too shabby either. It was a mass choir. As the Bible states, “Along with their relatives - all of them trained and skilled in music for the Lord - they numbered 288″ (1 Chr 25: 7). 288 singers! That’s a pretty big choir! I’ll bet beautiful music just reverberated through the Tabernacle, and later the Temple, when they sang. And you can bet that King David really enjoyed listening to them.

But we can also picture King David often singing a tune by himself. He was a fine musician in his own right and was skilled in playing the harp and the lyre. Being the man of faith that he was he no doubt played and sang many beautiful hymns of praise to God for His goodness. David and Israel had much to be thankful for and one great way to express it was through songs of praise.

The same is true today. Yes, we enjoy hearing sacred songs sung by our church choir or by larger choirs on TV or at a concert. But each of us can also be a choir of one. In the Bible Deborah sang a song of thanksgiving for her victory over the Canaanites. Simeon sang a song of praise after seeing the Christ-Child. Paul and Silas sang a midnight duet in prison and actually praised God in spite of their plight.

You can sing in the shower or you can sing anywhere you feel comfortable. Or you can just sing a song of praise in your heart. Praise God for all that He has done for you, especially for sending His Son to redeem you. Praise God for all the daily blessings He bestows on you. Praise him as a choir of one

This week Monday we observed Labor Day, a national holiday. But most people do not work on Labor Day. That sounds like a paradox. Labor Day is a day when we honor the labor force, but we are free from work.

But is there really ever a day in our life when we are truly free from work. It depends on how we define “work". Is work just 40 hours at your vocation and getting a paycheck?
Or is there work you do outside of the place where you are employed? Or what about work around the house? Doesn’t that count for something? Yes, it does.

Jesus once said, “I must do the work of him who sent me” (Jn 9: 4). And Jesus’ work involved service - service to many different people and their various needs. He preached. He taught. He healed the sick. And then He performed the ultimate service by giving Himself into death on the cross and thus making a payment for our sins. That was the main purpose of His work - to save us.

So work involves service. That’s what Jesus mean to impress on His disciples when He took a basin of water and a towel and washed the disciples’ feet. He told them, “I am among you as one who serves” (Lk 22: 27). Jesus gave His disciples and us an example of service and an encouragment to us to follow His lead.

There is much that you can do to serve others. You probably are performing some type of service at your job. But even if you are not in the regular work force anymore, you can still provide service to other people. You can do that by providing volunteer service or by helping those who are in need of help. You can serve in the community or at church. That’s something the Lord likes to see. Work of any kind should not be thought of as drudgery, but as an opportunity to serve.

Many people have membership in the American Automobile Association. AAA is a good company to belong to. It can give you a feeling of security when you are driving. That�s especially true on long trips. If an accident or a mechanical break-down should occur, you can call AAA for road service. You can get help with things like starting the car, repairing a tire and towing. AAA is kind of a security blanket for drivers.
Similarly, the Bible, God�s Word, is like a security blanket for our lives. It is something we can depend on for strength and guidance. The main purpose of the Bible, of course, is to show us the way of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. But it also is useful for teaching us important truths and providing direction for our lives. The Bible has multiple purposes.
The Apostle Paul wrote to his young co-worker, Timothy, �From a child you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed, and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness� (2 Tm 3: 15-16). We could say that the Bible is AAA � Authentic, Authoritative and Accurate.
The Bible is Authentic, because it was inspired by God. Though men wrote the Bible, these men were chosen by God for this purpose and were under the control of the Holy Spirit when they wrote. Therefore, what they wrote was not their own personal philosophies or theories, but the very Word of God. That makes the Bible Authentic.
Archeology has produced many findings that help support the credibility of the Bible. It is interesting to hear of findings like the Shroud of Turin, the Dead Sea Scrolls and Noah�s Ark. And lately we�ve heard of archeological findings that support the existence of the Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem. All of this is interesting and supportive. But mainly we consider the Bible Authoritative, because it was inspired by God. Thus it is our one true source and base for faith, life and all of our teachings.
The Bible also is Accurate. Since it is God�s Word, it is total truth. It does not contradict itself. Therefore we can depend on its accuracy and use it as a teaching tool. Here I would remind you of the fall start-up of Sunday School and Bible classes, which will be wonderful opportunities for expanding our knowledge of God�s Word. We are very thankful to have this great tool to work with. It is indeed AAA!

Here’s an interesting verse from one of the Psalms, “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand” (Ps 40: 2). Imagine yourself in a large pit that is filled with mud. You’re anxious to get out of there, but the walls are high, steep, rocky walls. They also are caked with slime, so that when you try to climb up, your feet slip and slide. You try your best, but you just can’t climb out of that pit. But then someone throws down a rope and you can use that to climb out of the pit and reach the solid rock that is above. You are rescued from the pit.

There are times in life when we may feel like we are in a slimy pit and unable to get out. Perhaps we have a troubled conscience that reminds us of our many sins and insists that we are no longer eligible to be called God’s children. Perhaps there is a sickness that destroys our interest in life and makes us think that God might be punishing us for some kind of offense. Perhaps we have financial problems and don’t know how we’re going to make it through the month, let alone get the kids through school. Perhaps a loved one has been called away and we are left alone and feeling lonely. In such circumstances we may feel that we are mired in a slimy pit.

But there is a way out of the pit. Just as the Psalmist experienced God’s help and found his feet set on solid rock, so we too are delivered from our troubles by God. Our sins were charged to Jesus, who died for them. He is the “Rock of Ages” and we can rest our faith in Him and that give us solid spiritual footing. We can also count on our loving heavenly Father being with us through all the adversities of life and strengthening us and making everything work out for good. So we don’t have to feel like we’re stuck in that slimy pit….not with a God like we have!

The Psalmist says, “Know that the Lord is God” (Ps 100: 2). Those are words we need to hear, but what do we think of when we hear those words? Do we perhaps feel guilty? We know that God knows that we have not kept His precepts. We have not served Him as well as we should. We know that sometimes something else has taken His place as our god. It might be money or power or popularity or sex. A lot of times we play God - serving, loving, fearing and trusting in ourselves first and foremost. We know that God knows our many sins and that is a bothersome thought to us. It makes us feel guilty and fearful.

Yes, God is a righteous God and He does punish sin. But He also is a loving God and knowing that gives us
comfort. Because the Lord is God we have hope. He is good and His steadfast love is not paralyzed by our folly. Out of love He sent His own Son, Jesus Christ, to take our place under the Law and to fulfill the whole Law for us. Then He sent Him to the cross where He made full payment for our sins by His suffering and death.
God judged and punished His Son, so that we could escape that condemning judgment and eternal punishment.

God now offers and gives us a place in His kingdom where we can enjoy His rule of love and mercy. By His grace through faith in Christ He gives us eternal salvation. This, above all, we need to know about God - He is our Savior. This is God at His best - conquering the kingdom of darkness and leading us into the kingdom of light. For this we ought to give God thanks and praise. And we ought to serve Him with gladness. “Know that the Lord is God.” That is a great thought, a loving thought, a comforting thought.

In the early Christian Church the Apostles were very active in preaching and teaching the Word of God, as well as healing various people. They attracted large crowds to hear/see them, but at the same time attracted the ire of the Jewish leaders. A number of the apostles were arrested and put in jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord came into the jail, opened the doors and led them out. The angel also gave them this command from the Lord, “Go, stand in the temple courts, and tell the people the full message of this new life” (Ac 5:20). Inspired by this, the apostles did go back into the temple courts and proclaimed the Law and the Gospel, which was “the full message” of God.

By nature Satan has held us captive in the prison house of sin. The threat of death looms over us. But we have been released. Human hands and skill had nothing to do with it. Our “angel of the Lord” was Jesus. He entered the prison house as our Substitute, took our guilt upon Himself, bore our punishment for sin in His own body and soul on the cross, and gave Himself into death in our stead. We are now redeemed, set free.

The freedom which He has provided at such heavy cost to Himself should now be devoted to Him. To that end we should “stand in the temple courts” at every opportunity, giving Him the praise of our lips and the devotion of our lives. We should “tell the people the full message of this new life". We are saved to serve others. The peace which we enjoy, spiritual peace through Jesus, should not be withheld selfishly, but should be proclaimed.

Millions of our fellowmen thoughout the world are still in bondage to Satan. They too need to hear “the full message", the Law and the Gospel. They need to hear and learn that they are sinners, but also that they have been set free by Christ Jesus. They need Christ’s love and power, so that they can have a happy earthly pilgrimage and a blessed, eternal heavenly life. We can help point the way through our personal witnessing and through our support of missions. Like the apostles we need to share “the full message".

Perhaps you heard/read the story last week about the man in Richland Center who killed a co-worker and then told police, �The Devil made me do it.� He didn�t get along with that particular co-worker and they got into frequent arguments. So one day last week he quit his job, went home, loaded his shot-gun, drove back to work and shot his co-worker several times, killing him. He later turned himself in to the Sheriff�s Department, confessed the killing and said, �The Devil made me do it.�

It�s easy to blame someone else when you have committed a wrong. That�s human nature. It dates back to the Garden of Eden, when Adam blamed the woman for his eating of the forbidden fruit. And Eve blamed the Devil, saying, �The serpent deceived me and I ate� (Ge 3: 13). In essence she said, �The Devil made me do it.�

The Devil certainly is worthy of blame. He was the exterior force in the Fall into sin. And the Bible portrays him as a prowling lion. And Jesus called him �The father of lies.� He is both ferocious and deceptive. He opposes God on every turn. He is constantly seeking to trip people up and lead them away from God. He probes our weak spots. He sends temptations our way. He is our worst enemy.

But we need to realize that he has been conquered by Jesus Christ. That was one of Jesus� major purposes for coming to earth. As the Bible states, �The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the Devil�s work� (1 Jn 3: 8). He did that by suffering and dying on the cross and thus paying for our sins. That removed Satan�s chief weapon from him. We can know that and take comfort in that. And we can resist the Devil�s temptations�.with the Lord�s help. We are not in the control of the Devil.

So we should not cower before the Devil. Nor should we blame him when we sin. Yes, he may be an exterior force in getting us to sin, but we have to accept responsibility for our own failures. When we sin, we can�t just blame the Devil or, for that matter, blame someone else. That�s a cop-out. We need to own up to our sins. Confess them before God � humbly and sincerely. And trust that God does forgive our sins for the sake of Jesus, who conquered the Devil.

Some of the most telling words were Jesus’ words, “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into the pit?” We usually apply those words to false teachers, and rightly so. But there is a warning there for us as well.

When we see other people who live questionable lives, we would like to see them change their behavior, and we may even suggest that to them. It would be for their own good and maybe even for our good as well. So we may encourage them to change their ways. But if we just tell them to change certain actions without changing their hearts, we are blind to what they really need. And then we are blindly leading them.

If we succeed in only changing the outward conduct of a person without a change of heart, then we are hurting him, because he is led to believe that all he has to do is change his conduct, and he can do that by himself. Then the sins of pride and arrogance replace the old sins and he could develop a sense of false security and work righteousness.

We need to stress to a wayward person that he desparately needs the love and forgiveness of a merciful Savior. We need to stress that he has sinned against God and he needs to confess that sin, but he also needs to trust that the Lord Jesus on the cross has already paid in full for his sins. Then realizing what Christ has done for him he should be filled with love for the Savior and a desire to live a new and improved life of service to Him.

Unless we lead sinners in the right direction - talking about sin and grace, Law and Gospel - we will be like the blind leading the blind. Then they will be led in the wrong direction and will not find the way to life eternal.

One of Jesus’ best-known parables is the Parable of the Lost Sheep, where the shepherd discovers that one of his 100 sheep is lost, leaves the 99 in sheepfold and goes and hunts for the lost sheep until he finds it. As Jesus put it, “He goes after the lost sheep until he finds it” (Lk 15: 4). And then once he finds it, he carries the sheep back to the sheepfold and tells his neighbors to rejoice with