A Sermon...The Tranfiguration of our LORD ~ February 22, 2009

Sermon Text: Mark 9:2-9

Title: Sore Eyes and Sore Ears

I. The LORD gives comfort to sore eyes.

II. The LORD gives comfort for sore ears.

III. Here on Sundays, week in and week out, this same comfort is given.

CHRIST GIVES COMFORT FOR SORE EYES AND EARS THROUGH THE MEANS OF GRACE, THROUGH WORD AND SACRAMENT, EARNED FOR YOU ON THE CROSS.

Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father, and from our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

The sermon text for this Sunday, is taken from the Gospel lesson just read. I would read again a portion of these verses…

And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I.

“That’s a sight for sore eyes!” This is a phrase we have heard and uttered often when we see something we have longed to gaze upon. For some - like myself - it’s living far away from home and family and seeing them again. For others of you it might be time away from home at college and coming home at CHRISTmas. I would imagine some of you who have been deployed overseas for long periods of time know this phrase quite well. Seeing home, seeing green grass and trees, seeing family and friends, all sights for sore eyes.

We live in topsy-turvy, upside down, backwards, broken, sinful world. We see things like the plane crash last week, or the towers in New York from years ago, and wonder at our inability to solve the world’s problems.

But it’s not all that different for us as it was for those in ages past. The inhabitants of Pompeii, the survivors of Pearl Harbor, on the fields at Gettysburg, the list of those wondering at this inability goes on and on.

It was true for the Children of Israel at the foot of Mt. Sinai. You remember the scene of God’s Holy Mountain, thunder booming, lightning crashing, all because of sin all because of our sin. Now the Law was being given to Moses because we needed rules to live by - we needed a guide - truly we needed to be shown our sin.

Today we have another mountain scene. Jesus and the inner sanctum of Peter, James, and John travel up a mountain. Jesus is preparing for what was to come, that awful march to Jerusalem that culminates in another mountain - Mt. Calvary.

But today, on this mountain with these three disciples we find Jesus being transfigured. In the words of our beloved Martin Luther, “What does this mean?” Well, first we look to the Greek and we see the Greek word metamorpho, which means literally to transform. What that means is that the disciples were given a glimpse of the glory of the Son of God. They were witnesses to the FACT that Jesus was Who He said He was.

Not only is Jesus infused with light, a light that comes from His glory, but there were other witnesses there too. St. Mark writes…

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.

Moses and Elijah show up to attest to the disciples that this Man Jesus was indeed the long awaited Messiah. This was the one promised from Adam and Eve and was now coming into the world to save the world. A sight for sore eyes.

II.

But there is also in our text today a sound for sore ears. There is on this mountain confirmation of Who Jesus is.

The sights we have looked at, but there is also sound confirmation too. Peter, the week before, had heard what Jesus had said about His needing to suffer and die for the sins of the world, and balked. He would hear none of this and of course we have Jesus then telling Peter, “Get behind me Satan.” So Peter has heard of what is to come for Jesus.

Here on the mountain Peter is once again privy to heavenly words. He hears Moses and Elijah speaking of Jesus’ “departure,” which is a reiteration of what Jesus had said to Peter before, that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer and die for the sins of the world.

But the sounding for his ears and the ears of the other two disciples doesn’t end here. St. Mark writes…

And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”

None other than the Father Himself calls out that this Jesus is His beloved Son and that they are to listen to Him. This cloud is not unlike other times in the Old Testament when we have seen this glorious cloud. It is a manifestation of God’s holy presence. And the Father gives some sage advice. He tells them to listen to Jesus. His Son, Jesus, knows what He is talking about. He must go this road to Jerusalem to pay for the sins of the world. He must mount His cross for the forgiveness of all. A sound for sore ears.

III.

Week after week, our LORD shares these glorious sights and sounds of His sacrifice right here in church. We are lead into His presence confused and afraid. We hear and see terrible things all week long. Abductions, murders, natural disasters, it’s all there. But it doesn’t have to be as dramatic as this, it’s also the sights and sounds of our everyday lives here in Ortonville. The cross word spoken to a loved one, the impure thought, the ignoring of the right and the embracing of the wrong, the relegation of God and neighbor to the bottom of our list, the “things we have done and left undone.”

But here in this sanctuary we see the glory of His sacrifice for us. Here we see and hear what He has done for us, in the liturgy, in the hymns, in the prayers, in the very body and blood of Jesus all for us, all for our forgiveness. This is the sacrifice. This is the glory. This is all for you.

Sore eyes and sore ears. We have them and thanks be to God they have been cured in the washing of the waters of Holy Baptism, they have been restored and made whole through the sacrifice of the “Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world.” They have been redeemed through the sounds of the LORD speaking to us through His Holy Word.

Take a look around you. Take a listen around you. These are the sights and sounds that sore eyes and sore ears long to see and hear. Feast upon these sights and sounds, for they are yours, earned on Jesus Holy cross all for you, all for your forgiveness. See Him. Listen to Him. Amen.

The peace of the LORD, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

 

 + Sola Deo Gloria +

 

A Sermon... Pentecost 17 (Series B) September 9, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sermon Text:      Mark 9:30-37

Title:   “Me First, Me First!”

I.   We have a me first attitude.

II.  Jesus has a you first attitude.

THROUGH CHRIST,

THOUGH WE ARE LAST IN THE EYES OF THE WORLD,

WE ARE FIRST IN THE EYES OF THE LORD.

Grace mercy and peace from God our Father, and our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen

The sermon text is taken from the Gospel lesson just read, I would read again a portion of these verses…

And (Jesus) sat down and called the twelve. And He said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

          It’s all about whose number one.  Sports, countries, cars cereals, the list goes on and on.  Three young boys were standing outside on the playground at recess and they got to bragging about who was number one among their dads.  The first boy said, “"My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a poem, they give him $50." The second boy says, "That's nothing. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a song, they give him $100."  The third boy says, "I got you both beat. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a sermon, and it takes eight people to collect all the money!"  It’s all about whose number one.

I.

          So it is with us, so it is with the disciples.  In our text today the disciples have been arguing about something.  What is it that they are arguing about?  Who’s the greatest among the disciples!  You can just here them going back and forth comparing what each has done in order to make him the greatest disciple Jesus has.

          Same with us too isn’t it?  Look at what I’ve done.  I’ve given such and such to the church, aren’t I great?  Oh yeah, well my great, great, great grandfather was a founding member of this church.  Well that’s nothing, that wing of the church is named after my great, great grandmother.  And the bragging and one-upsmenship goes on and on.

          What is the problem here?  Proper perspective.  To the world it is much better for me to be on top then for you.  My team beat your team, my boat is bigger than your boat, and did you see the size of the fish I caught.  Frank Sinatra sang, “I find I’m king of the hill, A number one, top of the list, king of the hill.”  And it is in this attitude, this one that Sinatra sings about, this is the attitude that leads to our destruction.  Remember when you were little or when your kids were little and the teacher told them to get in line?  Oh, the pushing and the shoving that ensued to be first in line. “Me first, me first!”

          This attitude, this way of thinking is counter to what the Bible teaches.  According to the LORD and His Law how should it be?  It should truly be God first, neighbor second, me last.  But often times it is a reversal of the order God intended and instead is me first and God and neighbor somewhere way further down.  The Marines have a saying, “God, Country, Corps.”  They actually get it right don’t they?  God, neighbor, me.

          So sin has destroyed our right and holy perspective.  It has grasped the worldly view of me first.  Our perspective is in sore need of fixing, restoring, or better yet, redeeming.

II.

          And we have that in Jesus Christ our Redeemer.  Jesus asks the disciples what they were talking about and is answered with silence.  The disciples are now ashamed of what they were arguing about because they know that it was wrong.  Jesus tells them to sit down and He says…

“If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”

Talk about proper perspective!  Instead of having a “me first” attitude like His disciples, Jesus has a “you first” attitude. 

          So what does Jesus do?  Lovingly, Jesus shows His disciples their sin, telling them that they need to become last and not first, that they need to be a servant.

          Then St. Mark writes…

And (Jesus) took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him Who sent Me.”

          Jesus is here pointing now to the proper relationship that we have in Him.  Through Christ and His redemptive work on the cross we have been fixed, restored, redeemed.  We have been set aright.  And now we can begin to do the good work set before us, to place things in their proper perspective.  We can begin to place God and neighbor first.  But only through the cross.  Try it on our own and we will always fail.  Only Christ has kept the order straight.  Only Christ has placed God and neighbor above Himself all of the time.  And He proves it by thinking of you and the rest of the world and going to the cross, to His undeserved death - all for you.  Jesus has a “you first” attitude.

          And thanks be to God that we have had that wonderful work of Christ placed on us through the Word, through Holy Baptism, through the LORD’S Supper and we can now begin to do the work prepared for us through Christ.

          Now, we don’t need to worry about what the world thinks of us, for the world will scoff at our insistence that God and neighbor come first.  But…

THROUGH CHRIST, THOUGH WE ARE LAST IN THE EYES OF THE WORLD, WE ARE FIRST IN THE EYES OF THE LORD. Amen.

The peace of the LORD, which surpasses all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

 

+ Sola Deo Gloria +

A Sermon... For the Funeral of a Child November 6, 2009

Sermon Text:  Mark 10:13-16

Title:  A Child of God

 Grace mercy and peace from God our Father, and our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen

The sermon text is taken from the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to St. Mark chapter 10 beginning at verse 13…

 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. ¹⁵ Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” ¹⁶ And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

          Let me begin by extending my deep and heartfelt sympathy to you, the family of Avory at his passing.  Note, I don’t say at your loss, for Avory is not lost to you, far from it.  He can be found today, this very moment, in the arms of His Savior.

          But some may ask, “How can this be?  How can one as small and young as Avory have faith?”

          And I say to that, “Look at the passage we have for our text today, among others, and you cannot help but know that Avory is saved, that this tiny baby has saving faith.”

          Where does such faith come from?  It comes as a gift of the Holy Spirit given to Avory through the waters and the Word of God found in Holy Baptism.  On a hot, sunny day in July, Avory was given the greatest gift that would ever be given to him; he was given the gift of Holy Baptism.  And in that gift of Holy Baptism comes a host of gifts: the Holy Spirit, faith, forgiveness of sin, life and salvation.

          Why does one so small need the gift of forgiveness?  As David writes in Psalm 51...

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

So we see from the Holy Word of God that Avory was conceived a sinner.  From that first moment of life within you Tiffany the sin of Adam was passed to Avory just as assuredly was the color of his eyes.  So this little premature baby, born two months early, this tiny little seemingly innocent was in need of the forgiveness of sin.  And so we baptized young Avory, in the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.

          But how can one so small have faith in Christ?  I am a learned man with a Master’s degree in theology.  I have read and read on the subject of Baptism, both God’s Holy Bible and the books of ones much more educated than myself, and I have come to one conclusion: I don’t know how this works.  I don’t know how a baby of three months has faith in Christ when this baby can’t even say a word.  But what I do know is this:  if God says this little one has faith then he has faith, end of story.  St. Luke writes in the book of Acts…

 St. Peter said…Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

³⁷ Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” ³⁸ And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

Be baptized for the forgiveness of sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  For the promise is for you and for your children.  So children are to be baptized and they will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

          What does the Holy Spirit do? It gives the power to believe, it gives faith.  St. Paul writes in 1^st Corinthians…

…no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.

So Avory, in his little heart, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, was able to call Jesus LORD.  As I said, I don’t understand it.  My sinful mind can’t comprehend it.  But this I know, if the King of kings and the LORD of lords, if my Savior Who died on the cross says this is true, than it is true, no ifs, ands or buts.

          How is this possible?  It is made possible in one, and only one way – through the cross of Christ.  Through Jesus’ birth into this sin-filled world, through His life lived without sin, through His undeserved death on the cross, through His resurrection on that first Easter morning, we who believe and have faith, we have been forgiven.  And it all comes through baptism.  St. Paul writes in Romans…

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. ⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

          Little Avory received the kingdom of God as a child, just as Jesus said.  He was baptized into Christ, into the faith.  He was given the power of the Holy Spirit to believe in his LORD.  He was forgiven his sin.  And now we come to the treasure of being one in Christ, one forgiven through Jesus’ sacrifice – Avory now, this very moment enjoys the fruits of faith in Christ.  Avory enjoys life and salvation.  Avory enjoys eyes that see, ears that hear, legs that walk and run, a smile that is the brightest smile you can imagine, all because of his baptism, because of his faith in Jesus.  Although our hearts are heavy today, we can rejoice in knowing Avory is happily in his Savior’s arms.

          And there is one more bit of good news for us today.  For those of us who share that same faith in Christ there will be a reunion in heaven with Avory. Through our common faith in Christ we will meet again and that can bring nothing but joy to our hearts this day.  Praise our LORD Jesus Christ for His grace and His love shown to us on the cross, and because of that grace and love there will be a happy and glorious reunion.  Amen.

The peace of the LORD, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our LORD. Amen.

+ Sola Deo Gloria +

A Sermon... CHRISTmas I (Series C) December 27, 2009

Sermon Text: Colossians 3:12-17

Title: “Who’s in the Mirror?”

I.  At first glance we see our sinful selves.

II.  Upon further examination we see Jesus.

THROUGH JESUS WE BECOME

THE PEOPLE WE WERE MEANT TO BE.

Grace mercy and peace from God our Father, and our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen

The sermon text is taken from the Epistle lesson just read, I would read again a portion of the these verses…

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³ bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I.

           You ever look in a mirror and wonder what other people see?  Do they see the blemishes, the scars, the graying hair, the wrinkles?  Do they see a bitter person, one who is covetous and never thinking of others, always taking, always frowning and scowling?  Or do they see something else?  What do they see?

          What do you see when you look into the mirror?  All of the above?  Some of it?  None of it?  Or do you see something else?  What do you see?

          The sainted Martin Luther speaks of God’s holy Law as being a mirror, a way for us to look at ourselves as we truly are.  And yes, we see in this mirror the physical, the ravaged body of a life lived in this world.  Yes, we see the blemishes and scars.  We see the wrinkles of worry around our eyes.  But it is more a spiritual mirror of which Luther speaks.  He speaks of seeing in our reflection, the true you; the one who skips church, the one who defies mother and father, the one who murders with words, lusts in the mind, and steals.  In this mirror we see the one who lies and cheats and gossips, the one who holds grudges and gets angry at the drop of a hat.  In truth we see one who loves self much more than God and neighbor.

          So in actuality, when we look in the mirror we see sin death and the devil.  We may kid ourselves into thinking that the reflection really shows a kind, gentle soul, but in reality, not so.  In reality we see more of a reflection of the devil than of our LORD.  It’s hard to look in the mirror isn’t it?  In fact we might be tempted to throw all of our mirrors out!

II.

          Do you know what the LORD sees when you look in the mirror at yourself?  He sees you regaled in holiness, a compassionate heart, kindness, humility, meekness, patience.  The LORD sees one who is willing to bear one another’s burdens.  When the LORD looks at you He sees the forgiveness you are willing to give to others.

          Now you must be wondering how the reflection you see and the one the LORD sees can be coming from the same mirror.  Well, there’s one important part that we haven’t discussed yet, and you know what it is don’t you?  We haven’t mentioned Jesus.  Without Jesus God sees the same reflection you see.  Gone is the holiness, the compassionate heart, the kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.  Gone is the bearing one another’s burdens, and gone is the forgiveness you have shown to others.  And in fact, something is gone that we haven’t mentioned to this point.  Gone is your forgiveness.

          You see Jesus Christ plays a pretty important role when it comes to the mirror in our lives.  As Martin Luther tells us the mirror shows us our true selves, our fallen nature.  It shows us that we are in need of a Savior.  God’s Holy and inerrant Word shows us that this Savior is none other than Jesus, the babe born in Bethlehem.  And that this tiny Baby would grow to be a Man who knew no sin in His entire life, that this Man would then be nailed to a cross for the sins and transgressions of the world, that this Man would be buried and then three days later would rise from the dead.

          These events of birth, life, death and resurrection are what change our mirror for the good.  Now when the LORD looks upon the mirror He can see the changed person in us – that is through Jesus Christ!  We have been reborn, regenerated, washed clean, transformed – through Christ!  And through Christ Jesus we can now lead holy lives, lives that can be found with a compassionate heart, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.  We can be found bearing one another’s burdens.  We can be found forgiving others as we have been forgiven. 

          But we can find this only in Jesus.  It is through His cross that these things are made possible for you and me.  It is through the gift of His Holy Spirit that we can begin to do and act in the way the text says today.  We can begin to do as St. Paul writes…

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Jesus also said, “Love one another as I have loved you.”  Through Christ Jesus’ cross and the gift of His Holy Spirit we can be these people.  We have, in the Holy Spirit, the power to do all of this, to love one another as the true brothers and sisters in Christ that we are. 

THROUGH JESUS WE BECOME

THE PEOPLE WE WERE MEANT TO BE.

The peace of the LORD, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

+ Sola Deo Gloria +

A Sermon... Easter IV (Series B) May 7, 2006

Sermon Text: John 10:11-18

Title: “To Know the Shepherd.”

I. To not know the Shepherd means to be lost.

II. To know the Shepherd means to know the Way.

JESUS, THE GOOD SHEPHERD, IS THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN.

Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father, and from our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

The sermon text for this the fourth Sunday of Easter, is taken from the Gospel lesson just read. I would read again these verses…

Jesus said to them…“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”


Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Our text this week talks about sheep and a Shepherd. So I decided to go out on the internet and take a look at what there is out there about these two.

First there are the sheep, the flock as they are called. I noticed on one site that I was looking at that it said one of the fun aspects of raising sheep is that they will soon recognize you and your voice and will come to you when they see or here you. But later in this same article the writer goes on to explain that sheep are very dull witted. I guess this was the writer’s way of saying nicely that sheep are pretty dumb.

So why this contradiction? Why is it that a sheep can see and hear, truly recognize me if I raise it from a lamb, but can at other times seem so dull witted? Does this sound familiar to anyone sitting here this morning? Or are we going to sit here today and say, “That’s someone else, that isn’t me”?

It does sound familiar doesn’t it? Sounds a lot like our everyday lives. One minute we hear the clear voice of our Shepherd, we see the familiar face of our Master and we come to him. The next minute we are following another shepherd, the false shepherd, the shepherd of the night, and just like dumb sheep we take no great notice so long as the grass is green and the pastures are wide. We walk along with our heads bowed down to the earth eating away as if there isn’t a care in the world.

Sometimes we hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and we reach out to our neighbor in need. Whether it is a helping hand that they need or an ear to listen to their problems, we hear the voice of the Shepherd encouraging us to go to our neighbor in his time of need and to help in whatever way we can. Then there are the times when we block out the Good Shepherd’s voice, and instead listen to the another shepherd, the shepherd of darkness, and we turn away from our neighbor. We turn a deaf ear to our neighbor’s cries for help. We ignore their pleas.

Then there are those times when we hear the Good Shepherd’s voice telling us that what you are about to do is wrong, what you are contemplating is sinful, and you turn away, and instead love God with your heart. But then there are the times when you don’t turn away from that sin. You decide that it is more important for you to get what you want, and you listen once again to that other shepherd, the shepherd of the dead, and you plunge head long into sin, loving yourself more than God.

Sounds all too familiar doesn’t it? Every single day the alcoholic, the druggy, the sex addict, the gossip, the curser, the sinners, in this congregation wake to the hope of a new day. And everyday it’s the same old thing. Sometimes we heed the call of the Good Shepherd, but more often we give in to the comforts of self and listen to the sickening sweet voice of the shepherd of lies.

Truly, without the Good Shepherd in our lives this is where we would be - at the bottom of the barrel. Living in the filth and decadence of self indulgence. That is what it means to be outside the flock of the Good Shepherd. That is what it means to be absent from His fold. For to not know the Good Shepherd means to be lost.

II.

But praise God we know the Good Shepherd. And thanks be to God He knows us. For Jesus says in verse 14...

“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me”

Jesus knows us, and what’s more He loves us - loves us to the point of death, for Jesus goes on to say…

“I lay down my life for the sheep”

He has given His life for the sake of the sheep. He has been the Good Shepherd. The job of the Good Shepherd is to take care of the flock. The Shepherd leads the sheep to water when they are thirsty. When it is time to look for a greener pasture, there is the Shepherd ready to lead them. When one of them falls lame, there is the Shepherd ready to mend the hurts and pains, and give the sheep courage to face whatever ails the sheep. When one of the sheep goes astray, there is the Shepherd out calling to the lost one to come back, come back to the fold. When there is danger of a wolf or lion lurking about to steal into the flock and devour one of the sheep, the Good Shepherd is there ready to come between the danger and His sheep, to the point of death. He allows Himself to suffer instead of His sheep. He allows the jaws of death to close over His throat and take His life rather than allowing this fate to come to the sheep, to you and me. This is the love of the Good Shepherd for His sheep - for you and me.

But what about the sheep now, aren’t they shepherdless? No for Jesus goes on to say…

“I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

So we still have the Good Shepherd. He is not gone from our lives through His death on the cross. He is risen from the dead. And it is through that death and resurrection that we have life in the fold. On the cross Jesus obtained the forgiveness of sins for the sheep, but it is in His gifts to us that we receive that forgiveness. Through the gift of hearing His Word, through the gift of the washing in Baptism, through the gift of eating and drinking His body and blood, we are given the forgiveness of sins.

One last thing I would leave you with today. Jesus says in our text today…

“And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also,”

Too often in our world of all inclusiveness, and not wanting to step on someone’s toes, and not wanting to tell someone that they are wrong, in this kind of world that is where the translation, or quotation ends. And then those that are of another religion point to this and say, “See, there are other ways to heaven. We just happen to be the sheep in Allah’s fold, or the Jewish fold, or some other such fold.” But what about the rest of the verse? Let us remember that Jesus goes on to say…

“and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”

Jesus says that He is the Good Shepherd and that He will lead the flock. Jesus also says that He is the Way, the Truth , and the Life, and that no one comes to the Father but through Him. He tells the disciples, as we shall see in the coming readings, that they are to go into all the earth and baptize in the name of His Father, in the name of the Son, Himself, and in the name of His Holy Spirit. This is quite clear. There is no way to heaven but through Jesus, for He is the door as the verses preceding our text today state and affirm.

How does one come to be a part of the fold of the Good Shepherd? Through God’s Holy Word which works on the heart showing the sin of the sinner, and showing the saving grace of God through the gift of faith for the sake of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. This hearing of the Word ultimately leads to one of two reactions: rejection or the desire to be baptized into the fold of the Good Shepherd. It’s that simple. You either reject the saving, nail scarred, hand of the Good Shepherd and pull away, or you hold tight to that precious hand that has reached down to you in your sin and filth and dirty rags of this world and you follow Him to the font where He washes you clean. That is what it means to be a part of the fold of the Good Shepherd. It means to be forgiven and at peace with the Father. What wonderful news! What wonderful news indeed! Amen.

The peace of the LORD, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our crucified and risen LORD and Good Shepherd. Amen.

+ Sola Deo Gloria +

A Sermon.. Holy Trinity Sunday May 30, 2010

Sermon Text:  1 Kings 19:14-21

Title: “To What Do You Bend Your Knees?”

I.       To worship Baal is to worship the devil.

II.      Our possessions are our Baals.

III.    The LORD punishes the wicked but rewards the faithful.

EVERLASTING LIFE IS OURS THROUGH THE FAITFULNESS OF JESUS...

Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father, and from our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The sermon text for this Holy Trinity Sunday, is taken from 1 Kings, chapter 19…

He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 15 And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. 16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. 17 And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I.

          There are a few books out on the market today that deal with church signs.  Not signs of the coming LORD, but actual physical signs in front of the church building.  Many of these are very clever and I’ve seen one that stands out to me today as we go through this text.  The sign reads - “Try sending God Knee Mail.”  And of course this is speaking about worship and praying to the one true God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  It means that we should get down on our knees and pray to our Father in heaven, that we should bow down before our Creator.

          In our text today we see that there has been a lot of knee mail sent, and not all of it to our God in heaven.  Quite a lot of it has been sent to Baal, a god of the people that inhabited the promised land prior to the coming of the Israelites.  Baal was worshiped for many things - fertility, good crops, good fortune, and so on.  Those who followed Baal sacrificed offerings including human sacrifices, and including their own children.  Priests of Baal danced around the altars of Baal in a frenzy slashing themselves with knives.  There were some rites performed before the altars of Baal that are too graphic to mention here.  Baal was very prominent in the land during the times of the Old Testament. 

          And in time Israel began to worship Baal too.  The Israelites saw the prosperity of those around them, they saw the “fun” of worship and they too longed for possessions and wealth and pleasure and so they bent their knees to Baal.

          This brings us to our text today.  At this point in the history of Israel we have the great prophet Elijah, a servant called by the LORD to speak to the people of Israel the truth of the LORD.  He is to get them to turn from their wicked ways.  And what wicked ways have they been about?  Elijah says in our text…

“For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword…”

          The LORD’S wrath against His children’s wicked ways is revealed to Elijah, and the time for turning away from those wicked ways has come to an end.  The LORD’S patience has run out.  His wrath has been kindled against those who have given over to following this Baal, truly the devil.  He burns with anger against His children who have time and time again disobeyed Him and now the time for turning back to Him is over.  There will be no more chances.  Elijah and other prophets have preached and preached the Word of God to the people and many have not listened.  And now their time has ended and they are put to the sword.  For the LORD says to Elijah…

“Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death.”

Many thousands of God’s chosen people were lost in those days.  They were time and time and time again told by many prophets that they needed to turn from their evil ways.  And what was their response?  They killed the prophets and went about their sinning of worshiping another.  And here in our text today time has run out.  There is no more time to turn back to the LORD.  They are slaughtered by the sword and are lost forever.  Their cries of pain and anguish still echo in hell today these many thousands of years later.

II.

          Is it so different today?  Are their Baals in our world today?  You bet there are.  Pick up a paper, turn on a radio or TV, and there you see it, sin, death and the devil, the unholy trinity as Luther called it.  Murder, rape, lying, stealing, sex, violence, and the list goes on and on.

          But it’s not just someone else who has set up Baals in their lives.  We too do the same thing don’t we?  We too lie and cheat and steal.  We too murder with our wicked tongues.  We too beat our wives and kids.  We too live for things and possessions.  Make no mistake, we too set up altars to our various favorite Baals in our lives.

          And the time is coming when the LORD’S patience will run out again and the end of the world will be upon us.  And how will the LORD find you?   Will you be kneeling to Baal or to the LORD?

III.

          Our Father in heaven IS a loving God.  But He is also a just God and a righteous and holy God and He cannot abide sin.  Moses writes in Numbers…

“The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty…”

In this short verse we have the Law and the Gospel plainly spoken.  The Law is that there is punishment awaiting the guilty.  And for those who are found in the LORD, they are forgiven.  For the LORD is slow to anger and is overflowing in steadfast love. 

          We have that love in the gift of grace that is Jesus Christ our LORD and Savior.  Steadfast love means a love that we can trust, a love that is abounding.  We receive that overflowing, trusting love through His Son, our Savior.  There on the cross is poured out the anger and wrath against every generation that has walked the earth and that ever will walk the earth.  And instead of wrath and anger being poured out on us, we have the abounding steadfast love poured out on us. 

          For just as blood and water flowed from the side of our Savior Jesus on the cross, we are partakers in both.  We have been washed by water and the Word in our Baptism and we have eaten His body and we have drunk His blood, all of this for the forgiveness of our sins.

          Today’s text speaks of kneeling in worship and prayer to our God.  As both sinner and saint we find that we are kneeling sometimes to the Baal in our life and sometimes to the LORD.  But thanks be to God we are not found guilty – but forgiven in “the blood of the Lamb Who takes away the sin of the world!” And through Him - through the faithfullness of Jesus - we are forever found kneeling before the Holy Trinity... Father, Son + and Holy Spirit.  Amen. 

The peace of the LORD which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

+ Sola Deo Gloria +

A Sermon... Pentecost VI (Series C) July 4, 2010

Sermon Text:  Luke 10:1-12; 16-20 

Title:  “They Go Hand in Hand…”

I.       Rejection of the Jesus is rejection of the Father.

II.      Listening to Jesus is listening to the Father.

TO HAVE JESUS IS TO HAVE THE FATHER AND TO HAVE THE FATHER IS TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.

Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father, and from our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

 The sermon text for this Sunday (series C Pentecost VI), is taken from the Gospel lesson just read.  I would read again these verses…

The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

 I.

          When it comes to certain things you can’t have one without another.  When it comes to fire what always accompanies it?  Heat.  Light.  And as the saying goes, “where there is smoke there is fire.”  When it comes to ice there is always cold.  When it comes to rain there is always wet.  And when it comes to Jesus there is always the Father and the Holy Spirit.

          In our text today Jesus says…

 “The one who hears you hears Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me, and the one who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”

Pretty simple stuff wouldn’t you say?  To hear a disciple speak of Jesus means to hear Jesus.  To reject a disciple of Jesus means to reject Jesus.  And to reject Jesus means to reject the Father.  Pretty straight forward stuff. 

          Then why is there the confusion that there is today?  Today you have some Christians saying that there are many ways to heaven.  You have some saying that to worship Allah is the same as worshiping our God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit – that a prayer to Vishnu or Buddha or any number of other gods will be heard by the Father.  Some Christians speak this way.  They want to be all inclusive.  They want to be politically correct.  They don’t want to step on anyone’s toes.  Can’t we all just get along?!

          Then there are the words of today’s text.  Jesus says…

“The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

Isn’t Jesus here in the text being exclusive?  Isn’t Jesus being politically incorrect?  Isn’t Jesus stepping on others toes?

          What about this text when Jesus says to Thomas and the other disciples…

 “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Isn’t Jesus here too being contrary to what the world wants today?  If you or I say that Jesus is the only way to heaven in and to certain groups aren’t we accused of being a religious bigot?  Aren’t we accused of being intolerant, prejudiced and narrow-minded?  And yet, isn’t that exactly what Jesus is saying?  Isn’t Jesus saying that He and the Father are one and to reject Him is to reject the Father and that you cannot access the Father without going through Him?  Isn’t that exactly what Jesus is saying?

          Jesus and the Father are One.  Jesus says in John 10...

““I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

So Jesus and the Father are One and therefore to have One you must have the Other, meaning to have the Father you must have Jesus too.  But that isn’t what some believe.  Some say that there are ways to heaven beyond Jesus.  That He is not a part of the equation.  That Jesus is not necessary.  That you can have the Father without the Son.  But if we are to believe Holy Scripture then that cannot be.  Jesus and the Father are One and come together as a packaged deal – They go hand and hand.  You may as well try and have the fire without the heat, the ice without the cold, and the rain without the wet!  Impossible!

II.

          So what does that have to do with us?  We believe that Jesus and the Father are One.  We believe that you can’t have One without the Other and that also includes the Holy Spirit.  So what does that have to do with us?  Simply this – we have the Good News of the Gospel.  We have the precious truth that Jesus is the Savior of the world.  We know that Jesus came into a sinful, dying world not to condemn it but to save it.  Filled with this great news of our salvation and that salvation of all who believe it, what do we do?  Do we shout it from the mountain tops?  Often times no we don’t.  Often times we come to church, we go home and spend the week keeping this great news to ourselves.  We baulk at missions when we are asked to give a little more.  We don’t support missionaries as we should.  We are selfish with our money that could help others know that Jesus is their Savior too.  We have such wonderful news for a dark and dying world and because we are too embarrassed to share the Gospel of the LORD, because it may cause us to go outside of our comfort zone in the sharing, we hide the light and life of Jesus and His cross and keep it to ourselves.

          The Good News for us?  Jesus died for these sins too.  We confess ours sins of what we have done and what we have left undone.  This is one of those undone sins – not sharing the Gospel as we should.  But those sins are forgiven too.  Jesus was nailed to His cross for all sins to include this sin of not sharing His love and light and life.  The Father knew that we would hesitate in the sharing of the news about His Son.  He knew we would be shy, embarrassed, weak – and Jesus went the road of the cross for these sins too.  We are forgiven for these.  And it is in this forgiveness that we find ourselves in that gives us the strength to do the good works set before us.  They are not a part of our salvation, that was Christ’s work alone.  But now, as a response to the love the Father has shown us – His dear children – we are given a great opportunity.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit given us through the Word and the Sacraments we can share with others that same love of the Father.  We can share it through our faith in Jesus Christ.  We can tell them about this love and forgiveness and through Jesus bring them to the Father too.  For the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are One, They go hand and hand, and you can’t have One without the others.  Amen.

The peace of the LORD, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

+Sola Deo Gloria+