Living as Fruitful Stewards of Time

November 6, 2011

Today, we begin our stewardship program Bearing Fruit for Jesus: His Grace and Power at Work Within You. And for this week, our focus is on being fruitful with our time. You all had an extra hour yesterday as we observed the government mandated end of Daylight Savings Time. So what did you do with that extra hour? Did you put it to good use?

Picture yourself going to the funeral of a loved one. You arrive at the church and walk in. You see friends and family and you feel the shared sense of loss and grief that fills their hearts. You walk up to the casket at the rear of the sanctuary and come face-to-face with yourself. This is your funeral. All these people have come to remember you, honor you, and you hear them expressing feelings of love and appreciation for your life.  As you take a seat and wait for the service to begin, you look at the service folder in your hand. There are four speakers. The first is from your family, the second is a friend, the third is a co-worker, and the fourth is your pastor.

Now think about it. What would you like each of these speakers to say about you and your life? What kind of husband, wife, father, or mother would you like their words to reflect? What kind of son or daughter or cousin were you? What kind of friend have you been?  What kind of neighbor were you? How would your pastor describe your Christian life? How would those who know you best remember your relationship to them? Bottom line: how would you like to be remembered when you die? You will be thought of in definite terms. What will those terms be? If you participated seriously in this exercise, you revealed some of your deep, fundamental values, principles, and beliefs.  (Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey).

Time is a gift from God, and, if Christians will begin each day with the end in mind, it could change lives. Every day you live under God’s grace. You live with saving faith in Jesus Christ Who died and rose that we might live the abundant life as fruitful stewards of time.

Let me put it this way: To begin with the end in mind isn’t to be focused on “What will others think of me when I’m dead and gone?” Rather, how should I use the time God has given to bear witness of His grace at work in my life? What should I be doing differently? When we consider how we will be remembered upon our death, it awakens our sense of urgency for living a Christ-filled, fruitful life.

If you are going to bear fruit, you have to be connected to Christ as the true vine. “I am the vine; you are the branches.  If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.”  (John 15:5).  Jesus is telling you that as branches you will bear fruit as long as you stay connected to Jesus, the Vine.  In order for us to be fruitful with the time God gives you, you need to stay connected to Jesus.  My time and life has meaning from beginning to end.  And even then, the end is only the beginning of all eternity.  In Christ, you will be fruitful stewards of time.

When people in their eighties were asked, “What would you do differently if you had life to live over?” Their response was threefold: Risk more, reflect more, and leave a legacy (something that would last beyond their time here).

What did they mean by “risk more?” Gamble? Invest more money in the Stock Market? Live with reckless abandon? Drive like there were no tomorrow? (Some are doing this already!) What does is mean for the Christian to “risk more?” How about using your time to boldly, confidently, and openly share the love of Christ, risking ridicule and rejection so that people bound for hell might receive eternal life? Doesn’t it mean using my time with a non-Christian to share Christ with him? How about risking a relationship by using your limited time to share your faith.

“All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth” (Colossians 1:6).  It was because the early Christians were willing to risk it all for the sake of Christ that the church grew in the power of the Holy Spirit. What risk will you take?

Reflect more. What does this mean? It has a two-fold or dual meaning here. To pause and think; to retrace the past; to stop and smell the roses; ponder; or reflect as the moon reflects the sun in the night sky, or a mirror reflects the image before it. By the use of our time, we should reflect such a life filled with fruit that others would know decisively that we are Christians.  (“Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” Matthew 3:8).

We need to use our time to reflect on the richness of God’s grace revealed in His Word. We need to use our time to recall and remember the power and benefits of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We should reflect on our certainty of living for all time and eternity with our Lord. AND, we need to be closer to Him Who is the Light of the world that we might more brilliantly reflect His light and love to the world, to others.  “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).  Jesus doesn’t want us to hide our lights.  He wants the world to see His light shine through us.

Leave a lasting legacy. “Begin with the end in mind.” Your use of time, how you prioritize and live your life each day, sends a powerful message to others regarding what you value the most.

Toward the end of the 19th century, Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel awoke one morning to read his own obituary in the local newspaper. It read: “Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, who died yesterday, devised a way for more people to be killed in a war than ever before, and he died a very rich man.” Actually, it was Alfred’s older brother who had died; a newspaper reporter had bungled the epitaph. But the account had a profound effect on Nobel. He decided he wanted to be known for something other than developing the means to kill people efficiently and for amassing a fortune in the process.

So he initiated the Nobel Prize, the award for scientists and writers who foster peace. Nobel said, “Every man ought to have the chance to correct his epitaph in midstream and write a new one.” Few things will change us as much as looking at our life as though it is finished. (Is It Real When It Doesn’t Work?  Doug Murren and Barb Shurin; quoted in Leadership by Rex Bonar, Summer, 1991)

There is a time for everything under heaven. This is your time, a gift from God. It is your appointed time. For such a time as this the Lord has appointed you to live as a fruitful steward of the days and years, the weeks and months, the minutes and seconds He will give. The Holy Spirit is your powerful source of strength for living as fruitful stewards of time. Begin with the end in mind, because the end is the beginning of forever with Jesus!

As you leave church today, you will be given an apple. This apple is a reminder of Jesus’ command in John 15 to go and bear fruit. It is my hope and prayer that you will bear fruit with your time as you look for opportunities to honor the Lord by serving and helping others.

Our Unchanging God

October 30, 2011

The preacher’s five-year-old daughter noticed that her father always paused and bowed his head for a moment before starting his sermon. So one Sunday after the service, she asked him why he did that. He replied, “I’m asking the Lord to help me preach a good sermon.”  She thought about that for a moment and then she said, “Does He ever say ‘Yes?’”  I prayed that again this morning, so we’ll see how it goes.

When you travel by air, one of the things you always find in the seat pocket in front of you is SKYMALL MAGAZINE. This is the Summer 2011 edition. They have all kinds of gadgets and ridiculously useless items that make it something fun to flip through while sitting on an airplane. But something in particular caught my attention is this issue. This page features two different products for people who are losing their hair. (Don’t worry – I’m okay with my lack of hair). At the top of the page is some kind of spray on hair that is supposed to make the little bit of hair you have look thicker. On the bottom of the page is some kind of laser device that you shine on your head in order to stimulate hair growth. And there are several other similar products in this issue. But the reason these ads caught my eye is that on the facing page, right across from these ads to help those who are losing their hair, is an ad for hair removal. As I looked at this I thought: Dear Lord, how dissatisfied are we in this country. Those who don’t have hair want it and those who have hair don’t want it. And how much time and effort and money do we spend on trying to grow hair where it won’t grow and trying to stop growth where it occurs!

This lack of contentment reminded me of these words from Scripture:

 

In the context of telling us to be content, God tells us through this letter the reason we should be content:  He does not change: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. And that is where I want your focus to be today as we observe Reformation Sunday: our Unchanging God whose truth stand forever. That is the sentiment of the Reformation Hymn, A Mighty Fortress. It is a message that is necessary for our world today. God’s steadfast, unchanging nature must be proclaimed.

Ten years ago at this time, people were flocking to churches in the wake of the September 11 terrorism acts. They were looking for answers. They wanted to know where God was in all of this. And we have an answer. God is right here, He is with us. He never left us. He has always been with us. He could just as easily have said today what Jesus said about the people of Jerusalem: you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. (Matthew 23:37) Jesus has always wanted to gather His children together. He is not the one who left. People have been running away from him. That is why evil flourishes.

But the message God’s people have to share is that no matter who you are or what you have done, it is never too late to turn back to God and trust in His mercy. The promise God made through Jesus is still available. Jesus came to take care of the problem of sin, to make sure you could be forgiven. He lived a life without sin because you could not. He offered that perfect life as the payment for the sins of everyone. Through faith, you can claim His payment as your own. Because of what Jesus did for you, God will be merciful and forgive you. That is the same message that has been proclaimed since Jesus rose from the dead in victory. That message does not change. It is the message the world needs to hear.

Unfortunately, that is not the message people are hearing in all churches that identify themselves as Christian. Many try to twist and pervert the message of God’s Word to suit their own purposes and needs and desires. That is not a comfortable thing to talk about, but it is true, and it is nothing new. It was the same thing that prompted the event we remember and celebrate today, the Reformation. Luther spoke out against those who had perverted the message of the Bible in His day. He spoke out so that the message of forgiveness for Jesus’ sake would be what people heard proclaimed. In the same way Luther spoke out in his day in defense of the unchanging Word of God and the unchangeableness of our God, we must speak out today.

Look around. You know what is happening. Christians are compromising the Word of God to their desires and sinful ways. We hear and read of teachings in churches that claim to be Christian, but they are changing or adding things that are not Biblical.

• ·        While Scripture calls homosexual behavior an abomination, many churches today say the exact opposite, that it is not sinful, even ordaining clergy who are practicing homosexuals.
• ·        Where Scripture says, “You shall not murder”, we have churches today defending the right of people to kill the most helpless among. They call it euthanasia or “A WOMAN’S RIGHT TO CHOOSE”, but it is still sin.
• ·        Where God calls us to “Walk in the light as he is in the light” many are encouraging people to go along with the crowd and do whatever makes you feel good.

People who are earnestly seeking God and looking for answers will be disappointed if they go to those churches that blow in the wind, changing their teachings to accommodate the times. In fact, that is why so many who feel a spiritual yearning have abandoned Christianity all together. They are lost and looking for direction, and they don’t find it in churches that have abandoned the Bible.

People are looking for a SOLID God, an ALMIGHTY God, an UNCHANGING God, and folks, we’ve got Him to share. A Church that believes in what Luther called SOLA SCRIPTURA, Scripture Alone, will have just the thing to share with a world looking for answers. God tells us what we need to hear in His Word. He tells us He loves us and wants us to be with Him. He tells us that our sins have separated us from Him. He tells us that He bridged that gap by sending Jesus to pay for sins in our place. God tells us that all who believe in Jesus will have forgiveness as a gift. He tells us that we should live as though we know we have already been saved, letting the light of Jesus shine for others to see. He tells us sin is wrong and that we should not sin. Nor should we condone sin in the lives of others. That would not be living the new life to which we have been called. All of this is found in the Word of God, which does not change.

Much of what God tells us is difficult for the world to accept. That is why so many churches have tried to water it down for people. What they have succeeded in doing is nothing more than planting doubt. If people have nothing firm, nothing solid, no foundation on which to build, why should they trust you? If a church proclaims a fleeting message, if they preach a god who is “blowing in the wind”, they offer nothing but insecurity. That is not the message of God in the Bible. The true God who is proclaimed in Scripture invites you to a faith that is built on certainty, the secure hope in Jesus Christ who does not change, who is the same yesterday, today and forever.

When you know and believe what God has done for you in Christ, through His life, death and resurrection, the words of today’s text have a deep significance for you:  The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

We must proclaim the unchangeable, only true God and the message He has given us in His Word. God does not change. His Word does not change. The Word of the Lord stands forever. To proclaim anything else would be a disaster. God’s people, the Church, must remain faithful to His Word. As we strive to live as God’s people, we need to remember that we have been called as followers of Jesus to change the world, not be changed by it. God does not change. He wants to change us from lost and condemned creatures to those who walk in the newness of life He provides. He wants that for everyone.

If this is going to happen, the Church must remain faithful. And by that, I mean you. You are the Church. As individual members of the body of Christ, you need to remain faithful to our God who does not change. Those of us who have already heard the truth of God’s Word must stand up for it. We are God’s instruments on this earth to spread His message. It may mean ridicule at times. So what if some make fun of you? Shouldn’t you be more concerned with what God thinks of you? You have been called by Jesus to be uncompromising in a compromising age. As far as the truth of God that has been revealed to us, you are to be unyielding. You must stand up for what is true, and I can tell you right now that it will not be politically correct. We should never try to adapt Christ to men. We are to adapt men to Christ.

Father Andrew M. Greeley, a rather prolific and often controversial Roman Catholic Priest, once said: “Only a fool would argue that the church should change its doctrine to keep up with the times. One does not arrive at moral judgments by counting noses. Nor does one derive ethical systems from surveys. The truth of God has not changed since the beginning of time and any church that decides it needs changing now will lose that argument in the eternal perspective.”

We must proclaim God’s unchanging truth in changing times. We must continue to lift up the cross of Jesus and explain to men and women everywhere that God has in Christ reconciled the world to Himself and all who believe in Him have forgiveness and life everlasting.

That is God’s promise. That is God’s plan. And it is for everyone. But we can’t wait for those who are perishing to come to us. Ten years ago people were flocking to churches. But not today. And if we wait for them to come to church, we will never reach the vast majority of those who are perishing. As the Church, we need to be the ones who share our unchanging God with the world in our day to day living.

Lord, help us proclaim your unchanging message in our world today!

Need Any Help?

October 23, 2011

You’re driving along on a trip. You printed out your route from Google Maps, or maybe you’re following the GPS on the dash or in your phone. You are happily cruising down the Interstate, but then it happens. You see the sign: Road Construction next 30 miles. You follow the detour onto a state highway and then a couple of county roads. Your printed directions are now worthless. The GPS gets confused and is not longer of any use. And before you know it, you are lost. What would you do? Would you drive around to try to find your way, even though you know you are lost? Or would you stop at the first gas station and ask for help?

This situation was presented to 100 men and 100 women. My wife will tell you that I would be one to keep on driving. And I guess I am in the majority, because only 10% of the men replied they would ask for help immediately. What may surprise you is only 21% of the women said they would ask for help rather than drive around lost. Even though there was a difference in the percentages for men and women, one characteristic is clear: The vast majority would rather drive around lost than admit they needed help.

We live in a time of “Do-it-yourselfers,” when people take pride in accomplishing things without any help. Some assert their independence because life and circumstances have made them that way. But to refuse to ask for help when you know you need it is a sign of plain old fashioned stubbornness and pride.

Today’s text is taken from the beginning of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, a passage that is know as “The Beatitudes”, which is the Latin word for “blessed.” People have looked at this list in many ways down through the years. Some see it nothing more than slogans that you put on your refrigerator. Others see it as a how-to guide for getting to heaven. But we need to look at the intent of the one giving this list. He was offering BLESSING, which is more than just being happy. He was speaking of a total sense of well being in your existence. And the ones who get that blessing are mentioned.

Today I want to look at the first “Blessed” on the list. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The beginning of the list sets the stage for all that follows. Those who are poor in spirit will be blessed. So who are the poor in spirit?

First of all, the poor in spirit are those who know that they are helpless. By that I do not mean they are simply weak or fainthearted, but totally helpless. They have come to the realization that they are lost and can do nothing to find their way.

That leads to the second point: The poor in spirit know they are helpless and they know where their help is! They realize their dependence on God! And that takes surrender. It takes an admission of your own inability to save yourself.

When you are young, you long for the day when you can be on your own. No more depending on Mom and Dad for whether you can go out or have some money. As small children, we all cry and run straight to Mom for comfort and understanding. At 16 or 17, forget it. You won’t show your pain, much less ask her to help. When you were small and broke a toy, you would run to Dad and ask him to fix it. At 18 or 19, you would rather use it broken, try to fix it yourself, or act like you didn’t need that stupid thing anymore. It comes from an attitude of not wanting to admit that you need help.

That same attitude has been identified as a primary reason so many high school seniors graduate without knowing how to read. Tutors are available for the asking, but it requires the student to ask for help, to admit his or her own helplessness, and people don’t want to do that.

This desire to be self-sufficient carries over to our relationship with our heavenly Father. “Just tell me what I have to do and I’ll do it. After all, God helps those who help themselves.” That’s in the Bible, right? Wrong! That is a man-made philosophy which our do-it-yourself mentality wants to believe. But the message God gives in His Word is the opposite.

What God expects and demands of us is clear: perfection. But Isaiah tells us that we can’t do it:

And it doesn’t matter how hard you try. It is not possible for you to do-it-yourself. That is the message God was trying to communicate through Paul in the book of Romans:

You have to admit your own helplessness and look to the only source of help, Jesus Christ.

Being poor in spirit does not mean you lack knowledge. In fact, You can be rich in KNOWLEDGE and poor in spirit. That was the situation of Nicodemus. He was a teacher of Jewish Law, very knowledgeable. No doubt many people came to him for answers, and he must have felt close to God because of his advanced study of the Torah. But somewhere, deep inside, he knew he needed help. And he finally admitted that one night. In the secrecy of darkness he sought out the one who could help. He asked, “How can I gain eternal life?” His knowledge was not enough. His spirit was poor and helpless, yet by going to Jesus he was blessed. He received the kingdom of heaven then and there when he heard that precious promise from Jesus lips: 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.

Karl Barth was regarded by many as one of the most intellectual theologians of all time. He is quoted as having said, “All my knowledge from all my books has not made me as rich as the knowledge of this simple truth: ‘Jesus loves me, this I know; for the Bible tells me so.’” By admitting he was poor in spirit, he received God’s riches. Blessed are those who are rich in knowledge but admit they are poor in spirit.

You can be rich in POWER and poor in spirit. Remember that Roman Centurion who came to Jesus asking that his child be healed? He was a man of authority. He ordered men to go and they went. He ordered them to come and they came. Yet this man of power admitted he was poor in spiritual power. He needed help and went to the one who could give it. And by trusting in the power of Jesus, he was blessed.

You may remember the name Chuck Colson from Watergate. He went to prison, was led to faith in Jesus Christ. After his release he became active in prison ministry throughout the world, telling others about Jesus. He said, “It all began when I stopped thinking I could handle everything myself and admitted that I needed help. I’ve been so close to those in the highest office in the world. I’ve been in palaces; I’ve preached in great cathedrals around the globe; but the greatest joy and riches I have found is to be in prison on a grimy concrete floor with a burly convict who in a flood of tears gives his life to Jesus Christ.” Blessed are those who are rich in power but admit they are poor in spirit.

In your case, it may not be knowledge or power that keeps you from admitting your need for Jesus. It may be that you don’t trust anyone but yourself. You may not think anyone else can handle the situation as well as you. Whatever it may be, there is something in your life that tries to keep you from being poor in spirit. We all have pride that doesn’t want to admit that we need help. But it is only when we admit our helplessness and turn to Jesus that we will receive the joy and blessings He promises.

Don’t wait until you are in intensive care after a heart attack to admit your helplessness. Do it now. Kneel down at the foot of the cross. Remember that He did there what you could never do: paid for sin. Rejoice in front of the empty tomb, knowing that He rose so that you might live also. What you could not do, Jesus has done for you.

You and I are powerless, but we know the one who has power over everything. He calls us to recognize and admit our helplessness so that we will depend on Him and receive His blessing.

 

You Are The Message

One church sends in its statistical report year after year that looks like this:

Number of members added by Baptism                            0

Number of members added by Confirmation                   0

Number of members transferred In                                   0

Amount raised for Home Missions                                    0

Amount raised for Foreign Missions                                  0

At the end of the report is this statement: Pray for us, brothers, that we may continue faithful to the end.

Too many congregations are accurately described by that report. In fact, there are enough similarities here at Grace that should make us at least squirm a bit. I know that a successful ministry is not determined simply by numbers, but what we should ask ourselves, individually and as a congregation, is this: Where is our focus?

I know I’ve said this before: we do a pretty good job of caring for one another here in this congregation. Not perfect, but pretty good. Where I think we fall short is in our witness to the community, at least on the congregational level.

Do you know how people around here identify our congregation? When people ask me what I do, I tell them I am a pastor. When they ask what church, I tell them “Grace Lutheran.” Most of them will ask where it is, so I tell them. And more often than not they get a look on their faces that tells me they have made a connection. You know what they say? “Oh, you’re that church that…” What? “Oh, you’re that church that puts up the crosses.” That’s a good thing. It gives me a chance to tell them what we believe, that God loves life, all life, including those not yet born. And I can tell them that God loves them so much so that He was willing to let His Son die to pay for the sins of all people. Like I said, that’s a good thing. It is a positive identification in the minds of people. That’s a lot better than when I first came here. Those of you who have been around for a while know what I’m talking about. We used to be known as “that church that owns the liquor store,” even though that was never true. Many in this community had a negative view of our congregation. Now they have, for the most part, a positive image of Grace. And that is good.

So why do I stand up here today and suggest that our focus is wrong? Consider this. What would it be like if when you identified yourself as a member of Grace Lutheran Church, people would say, “Oh, you’re that church that cares about people. You’re that church that helps the community. You’re that church that really shows God’s love to everyone.” What would it take for us to be THAT church? What has to happen for people to think of Grace and think not just “See how they love each other” but also “See how they love everyone?”

Let’s consider the church in Thessalonica. When Paul started his letter to them, he described how they were known outside of their community: And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it…  “The Message” puts it this way: “The news of your faith in God is out.  We don’t even have to say anything more – you’re the message!” The way they lived was clear evidence of their faith in God. They were the message. Would Paul look at us as a congregation and say the same thing? Are we a model to believers around us?  Do we live out our faith individually and corporately in a way that shows Jesus to this community? If not, what do we have to do to make it so?

Paul marvels at the quality of character the believers in Thessalonica possessed.  Inspired by their hope in Christ, their lives are a reflection of Jesus to others. Knowing they are members of God’s kingdom, sharers in His glory, and having the hope of joining Jesus in heaven is something that shows in their living. This is true in spite of being persecuted for their faith in Christ.

God promises to provide for you, protect you and to give you strength. You are not exempt from suffering. In fact many believers in the world today are being martyred, abused, and denied basic human rights. For many people being a Christian means taking up a cross of persecution. And those are the places from which we hear testimony about amazing displays of faithfulness.

Is that what it will take for us to prove faithful, persecution? I don’t think so. What we need to do as a congregation is take seriously the Good News we have. God has revealed to us his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. We are the ones who have been rescued. We are those who have been washed from our sins by the death of Jesus. Our faith lays hold of God’s promise and assures us of forgiveness for all sins and eternal life. With that Good News and assurance in our possession, we are called not to just tell others about Jesus, but to be Jesus to them.

You may nod your heads in agreement, but talking about it is easy. Doing it is another thing entirely. In this passage, Paul says that the believers in Thessalonica endured in their faith because they were inspired by the hope that came from believing in Jesus. They had an “inspired endurance.” They remained faithful and showed God’s love in spite of difficulties.

• It is easy to forgive your neighbor, until he does something really mean. Then you are tempted to strike back and hold a grudge.
• It is easy to be faithful in worship and Bible Study attendance, until you get company over the weekend or you stay up too late the night before.
• It is easy to support for the work of the congregation financially as long as you still have money to do everything else you want to do and buy what you want to buy.
• It is easy to support the education programs of the congregation as long as someone else teaches the classes.
• It is easy to bear witness to Jesus as long as it doesn’t interfere with your social activities.
• It is easy to love others as long as they love you and don’t do anything that makes you mad.

Do you see how Satan is at work to keep you from being the people God wants you to be? Do you see how he is trying to keep us from being the congregation God wants us to be? God has given us a tremendous opportunity to represent Him in this place. People need to see Jesus. We have the chance to show him by the way we live, by what we do as the members of Grace Lutheran Church.

The Spirit of God has called you to faith in Jesus. This is supposed to be a transformation, a change that takes place. The change is to be such that you display the characteristics of God to the world around you. And that is what we should be showing this community as a congregation. When people look at Grace Lutheran Church, we want them to see Jesus. We know the Good News of the life and salvation that has been given to us through Jesus. And now you, all of you, are the message.

Death Swallowed Up

October 9, 2011

A mother was sitting in church with her young son listening to the Passion History of our Lord. As the Pastor read the Scripture accounts of how Jesus was beaten, ridiculed, and crucified, the little boy started to cry. He was taking it to heart. He was upset at what he heard, how Jesus was mistreated, and he started causing a scene. The mother was embarrassed and wanted to shut him up. Trying to think of a way to quiet him down, she said, “Don’t take it so seriously!” And that is the problem with most of the world today. People don’t want to take the suffering and death of Jesus seriously. The reason that movie “The Passion of the Christ” caused such a stir was that it caused people to face the brutality of what Jesus endured because of our sin. You cannot afford to take this lightly. The hymn we just finished singing has no meaning unless you take the death of Jesus seriously. Christ’s victory over death for you would never have come about if he had not first died in your place.

The Old Testament lesson for today has an Easter theme. It is one of Isaiah’s prophecies about THE DAY OF THE LORD. These prophecies usually refer to what will happen in the end times. But this particular prophecy was already fulfilled by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. This was crystal clear to those first followers of Jesus. John quoted this passage in Revelation 21, and Paul quoted it in I Corinthians 15, emphasizing that it had been fulfilled by Jesus.

Isaiah wrote these words over 700 years before the birth of Jesus, yet God had already revealed to Him what Jesus would do for all men. He wrote that the shroud that enfolds all peoples, namely death, would be destroyed and swallowed up. The same Hebrew word is used here for both “destroy” and “swallow.” This word conveys the concept of something being engulfed, devoured, totally overcome and defeated. It is used elsewhere in the OT to speak of God’s judgment. For instance, God speaks of the people who disobey Him as suffering the fate of being swallowed up by the earth (EX 15:12, NUM 16:30-34). And this was a concept familiar to the people of Isaiah’s day. The neighboring Canaanites had a god of death in their mythology that they called MOT. One ancient Canaanite writing said, do not approach divine Mot, lest he put you like a lamb into his mouth. He would put you in his mouth and swallow you, destroying you. But Isaiah uses this same word to reverse things. The destroyer would be destroyed. The swallower would be swallowed. God has pronounced His judgment against death: He will destroy death for all people.

That is what He has done for us through His Son. Jesus paid the price for all sins, and then HE swallowed up and destroyed death by rising again. This victory was not just for Jesus. It was not limited to just a few of His followers. Jesus has destroyed death for all people, and everyone who believes in Him as the one who saves will receive forgiveness and life. This is your certainty and joy — you share in His victory over death. Salvation is yours, deliverance is yours, eternal life is yours. All these things are yours because of God’s Grace. You receive them through the Word and Sacraments. You do not have to look to some day in our future for your eternal life to begin. Once you have put your trust in the risen Lord Jesus, your eternal life has begun here on earth.

We trusted in Him and He saved us. This last verse of our text speaks of our being saved and rejoicing in our salvation. The word that is translated here as “salvation” is a term that developed throughout the history of Israel. It had an original meaning of being set free or delivered from an enemy. And this deliverance was almost always accomplished by outside help. The one who did the saving or brought the salvation, then, was called the Savior. This term “salvation” developed a fuller and deeper meaning, especially when it was used in reference to God as the one who delivers His people from their enemies. His deliverance brings joy, as David relates in the Psalms. The “setting free” that God does indicates His active presence in the lives of His people. So it is no coincidence that when God told Joseph what he was to name the Son of God, He used this Hebrew word for saving, YESHUA: You are to give him the name Jesus (yeshua), because He will save His people from their sins. (Matt. 1:21)

It is only in Jesus that you find the full meaning of deliverance and salvation. His deliverance from sins fills our hearts and lives with joy. His deliverance lets us feel His active presence in our lives. Jesus is the one Isaiah foretold, the one who would destroy and swallow up death for all men. Everyone, then who believes in JESUS (YESHUA) has what His name means: SALVATION.

This is a crucial issue. While His death on the cross paid for the sins of all men, and His resurrection frees from death, only those who believe in Him and accept Jesus as the Master of their lives receive the benefit of His work. As today’s Gospel lesson concluded, many are invited, but few are chosen. God is a just God, and demands that payment be made for sin. Jesus made that payment, but it must be claimed in faith. God invites everyone to believe, but His Word achieves its goal of creating faith in only a few. Those few are His chosen, His elect. Those who do not make His payment for sins their own will have to make the payment of death themselves. Listen to that again. Those who don’t make His payment for sins their own will have to make the payment of death themselves. The Good News is you can escape this through faith in Christ, which in itself is a gift from God. Faith makes your salvation something personal. The power of death is swallowed up for you individually. With faith in Jesus, you no longer need to fear death, because you know what God has promised you. The assurance of peace with God is yours because of what happened on Easter, when Jesus broke the bonds of death and rose from the grave. He has won the victory and offers it to you and everyone else in the world!

This peace with God has implications for you now and in eternity. What this means for you now is stated in the text: The sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; He will remove the disgrace of His people from all the earth. He will remove both your sorrow and its cause, both guilt and sin. That means that you can live free from guilt. God has the cure for a guilty conscience. It is faith in Jesus. Even when you sin, you can turn to Him in repentance and hear Him say your guilt is taken away and your sin is paid for. This has to influence the way you live. Your guilt is taken away and your sin is paid for. (IS 6:7) How can you have this in your life and not be a walking, talking testimonial for Christ? Having your tears and disgrace, your guilt and sin removed, you will witness to those who do not have this peace by your words and actions.

The implications of this peace with God in eternity are also mentioned: On this mountain the Lord almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine. The mountain is Mt. Zion, which Isaiah had mentioned in the previous chapter as the place from which God reigns, another way of referring to heaven. It says there is going to be a feast, a banquet in heaven. It’s going to be a party, a celebration, constant rejoicing in the presence of the one who died to gain our entry into eternal life. The NT uses the same kind of imagery, talking about the wedding feast of the Lamb, an unending celebration with your Savior.

This is your reason for living in hope. Jesus has swallowed up and destroyed death, just as God promised He would through the words of Isaiah. That is why we believe in Him as the one who saves. That is why we assemble together as His followers week after week to rejoice. Surely this is our God; we trusted in Him, and He saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in Him; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.

Being with Jesus…Living on the Edge!

October 2, 2011  LWML Sunday

(This sermon was based on a message delivered by Dr. Ken Klaus at the LWML Convention in Peoria in June 2011)

At the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League convention held in Peoria this past June, Dr. Ken Klaus, Lutheran Hour Speaker Emeritus, spoke about his preparation for the ministry. His seminary profs schooled him in all kinds of theology classes and made sure he mastered German, Greek, Latin, and Hebrew. And he was a good student. If someone had a question on the Lutheran Confessions, he had an answer. If they wanted to know why the Augsburg Confession was altered and why it should not have been, he knew. In his third year at the seminary, he was assigned a vicarage congregation – an internship – and he said he was ready to apply all his newly gained knowledge, he was prepared to dazzle the Lutheran laity with the wisdom for which they had been longing. With eagerness, enthusiasm, and excitement, he entered the presence of his vicarage supervisor. Through a series of commandments, commandments not found in any translation or paraphrase of the Bible, his supervisor filled in the empty spots of his Seminary education. The first commandment was simple: the wise vicar doesn’t mess with his vicarage pastor. The second commandment was like unto the first: the wise pastor doesn’t mess with the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League. The look in his eye, the tone of his voice said he was not joking. Dr. Klaus said that in the decades since that meeting, he has learned many things. None has been more important than the truth I received that day: the wise pastor doesn’t mess with the LWML.

Dr. Klaus also shared that the years taught him that if the president of his congregation’s LWML showed up in his office and said “We’re going to raise $50,000 to paint the church,” then he could go to the hardware store and pick up the paint. If the LWML said, “We’re going to increase attendance at Sunday’s Bible study,” then he needed to order more chairs.  So when he heard the LWML convention theme say they’re “going to live on the edge”, he was not about to sneer, smirk, snicker, or smile.

As a pastor who was privileged to serve the LWML on the national level, I share Dr. Klaus’ opinion of and admiration for these ladies. If they say they are going to do something, you can take that to the bank. The ladies of the LWML are indeed living on the edge because they have been with Jesus, following the example of the Christian women down through the ages.

During the Civil War, as General Lee’s Confederate soldiers were coming up the road towards Gettysburg, one German Lutheran lady named Hannah felt she had to do something. Having nothing else to use as a weapon, she grabbed the broom from her door and started walking down the road to meet the enemy. When the Confederates were confronted by Hannah, to their credit, they gently brushed her and her broom, to the side. Some years later, at a quilting party, the Gettysburg ladies were reminiscing about the fight, and they had some good fun at Hannah’s expense. One of them, a Mrs. Bomberger, asked, “Hannah, what in the world did you expect to do with your old broom against the great Southern army?” “Vell,” (well) said Hannah, with her Pennsylvania German accent, “I din’t tink I vuld schlow dem down, but I vanted to dem ta know vut site I vas on.”

Hannah was a woman who lived on the edge … but she is hardly the first individual to do so. Think about those women on a Judean Sunday morning almost 2,000 years ago: Mary, Joanna, Mary Magdalene and Salome. These four women got up early because they were going to finish the burial of someone they loved. They were making the heartbreaking trip to Jesus’ grave. As they walked they would have remembered how their hearts had been torn when the Governor had put a whipped-and-crowned-with thorns Jesus on public display. The next hours would not change their pain. These women had lived on the edge as they stood at the foot of the cross. If those whom Jesus had healed, those whom He had fed, those whom He had raised from the dead, and most of His disciples were not there, these women would stay.

They would keep Jesus’ mother company. They would stay and hear what He had to say. Others might pass by mocking and maligning Him, but they would stand fast. If Jesus were able to look through the blood red veil of His pain, they wanted to make sure that He saw at least a few friendly faces. They knew their standing might not amount to much, but they did what they could, they gave their widow’s mite of faithfulness and loyalty. Surrounded by hatred, they showed love. They were living on the edge.

Keeping watch the women would have noted the moment of Jesus’ death. As long as He lived His body would have writhed, would have gasped for air, would have struggled, strained. But when death came, His body would have grown still and silent. When one of the Roman guards thrust a spear into His heart, it was an unnecessary anticlimax. Thousands of years later it would be fashionable for critics to say Jesus had fainted, become comatose, been buried, and then had revived. These women knew differently. Jesus was dead and, like many women before them and many millions more since, these women gave thanks the suffering of their loved One had ended. Courageously they watched as His lifeless body was taken down from the cross; bravely they watched to see where He was buried; sadly they noted the preparation of His body was incomplete. They pledged to set it right after the Sabbath. If a person had reminded them of the stone in front of the grave’s entrance, or had informed them of the guard … well, that person would have learned: “You don’t mess with the LWML.” You don’t mess with Christian women on a mission. With single-minded dedication they gathered the spices necessary to finish Jesus’ burial and, on Sunday morning, set out toward His tomb. There they intended to offer their final respects to someone whom they had loved.

As they approached the tomb they were astonished to find Jesus’ grave was open. Their minds must have been racing as they asked, “What has happened? Did someone move Jesus’ body? Has His body been stolen? What’s going on?”  That Jesus had risen from the dead probably did not occur to them. That was because the simple, unassailable truth is this: people who are dead for three days don’t come back to life. Dead is dead. You know it; I know it; these women knew it.

Fearing the worst, the women gathered their courage and respectfully, slowly, tentatively entered Jesus’ grave. The Gospel of Mark tells us, “They saw a young man sitting on the right side of the walk-in tomb. He was dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed.” You can understand why. “And he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen.’ ”  Christ has risen!

Their Friend, their Rabbi, their Master, their Teacher, was also their Savior. Jesus had kept His promise. Before He had been arrested He had said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again” (John 10:17). It was an outrageous statement, one that no man could keep. But, as these women found out, Jesus was no mere man. A living Lord appeared to them and gave these women a mission: tell the disciples Christ is risen. (He is risen, indeed!) That truth meant they would always be living with Jesus. It meant they would always live on the edge.

Today, 2,000 years later their mission is yours — their message is yours. The Savior lives and that means you who live with Him will also live on the edge. I say that because you and I, dear friends in Christ, live in a land where the U.S. Supreme Court begins every session with an invocation. It’s true, every session starts: “God save the United States and this Honorable Court!” But that same court who prays God’s blessings upon their work, refused to hear the case of Marcus Borden, a New Jersey football coach. Coach Borden had wanted to kneel in prayer with his team. Understand he didn’t want to organize or lead the prayers; he just wanted to bow his head.

You live in an age where living with Jesus means you live on the edge. Yours is a time when the President of the United States can ask for God’s blessing when he is installed; and after terrorists bring down the World Trade Center, Congress can stand on the Capital steps and sing, “God Bless America.” But Erica Corder, a valedictorian in Monument, Colorado, can’t speak about Jesus. Indeed, Erica was told she wouldn’t get her diploma until she apologized for having said: “If you don’t already know (Jesus Christ) personally I encourage you to find out more about the sacrifice He made.”

You live in an age where living with Jesus means you live on the edge. This past Resurrection day a church in California spent thousands to make a movie advertising the Savior’s rising and invite people to worship. Even though they had a signed contract, the movie houses rejected that pre-movie ad. The reason? Saying the name “Jesus” as in “Jesus is the Savior” is too controversial. Patrons to those movie houses can hear the Lord’s name taken in vain. They can hear it in cursing, but they can’t hear He is the Christ.

You live in an age where living in Christ means you live on the edge. Talk to almost any student at any state-run institution of higher education; ask them what will happen if they profess their faith in Christ. Take a look at the media. If you do, it won’t take too long before you realize almost every pastor or priest shown in movies or on TV is a platitude-spouting prude or a pathetic pervert; most Christian parents are portrayed as undeniably dense and church people are intolerant, ignorant idiots. On the news the scandals of Christians are publicly paraded, repeatedly rehashed, criticized, and condemned.

Unnoticed and unshared are the multitudes of faithful undershepherds of the Savior who have dedicated their lives to a proper preaching of the Word. Unrecognized and unapplauded are the millions of Christians who are good neighbors, good citizens, good parents, and good witnesses to Jesus Christ who has saved them by His birth, sinless suffering, death, and resurrection from the dead.

It hasn’t been so many years since a very skilled and talented lecturer came to a town, a town not so unlike this one. He had achieved some degree of fame with his presentation which elevated humanity by demoting the Deity of Christianity. After his lecture he gave his listeners a chance to respond. One night the lecturer finished and an elderly lady stood up and said, “I paid good money to hear you tell me about something better than Jesus. You didn’t do that. I’ve been a widow for 30 years. When my husband died, he left me with six children. I trusted the Lord and He helped me. Each day He gave me enough to raise them. When a daughter died, He comforted me with the idea of a reunion in heaven.” The lady continued, “From what you’ve said tonight, you’re thinking that’s nonsense, it’s the imaginings of an old woman. Some here might believe that. I don’t. The Redeemer is real. Now, you can give me something better than what God has given or you can give me back my money.”

With derision dripping from his voice, the lecturer responded: “Ma’am, you’re so content living in your delusion, I wouldn’t try to convince you otherwise.” Hearing that, she stopped him cold. “No, no, no, that won’t do. Truth is truth and your laughing at me doesn’t change things. Young man, your lecture shows me this: you have too high of an estimation of yourself and too low an idea of God. I will not let you take away my Savior who died to forgive me. Sir, I’ve met Jesus, seen Him, talked to Him; I’ve been saved by Him. Let me ask, sir, in place of Jesus, you would give me what?”

That was a Christian who was living with her Lord and at that moment was living on the edge. Many of you have met Jesus, talked to Him, been forgiven, and saved by Him. He has comforted you in life’s tragedies and given you a sure and certain knowledge of forgiveness. You need to stand firm in that relationship and be willing to live on the edge.

You who live in the Lord, today I encourage you to live on the edge. It is time to stand up and say to the world, “What do you have to offer which is better than Jesus? You have laughed at the Savior, His suffering, His crucifixion, His death, and His resurrection. Yet, the living Lord has comforted countless Christians as they stood by the bedside of a sick child or at the graveside of a departed loved one.”

It is time for us to live on the edge and say, “You laugh at Christian families, but what do you have to offer which is better than having Jesus sit at the supper table with you and invoke His presence by praying: ‘Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest’?”

It is time for us to live on the edge and say to the so-called smarties of the world, “Your way creates families which are filled with bitterness and strife, children who want and are never satisfied, teens who feel neglected and ignored, and women who find no man to trust, honor, or respect. You offer a land where Jesus is banished from official proceedings and offer nothing to stem the tide of disobedience which fills prisons to overflowing, which brings down one elected official after another, which makes one appointed person after another remove his name from consideration for office because his life cannot stand the scrutiny.”

It is time to ask, “What do you have to offer which is better than Jesus? What can provide a better foundation than the Christ?” And to the silence which must come after that question is asked, we will extend the invitation, “Then come join us. Join those who have been redeemed who are committed to the cause of Christ. Join us, the forgiven, the saved, who live in the Lord Jesus. Join us as we live on the edge.”

And if we do this, as the Savior has asked us to, the devil will learn, as every Lutheran pastor has learned, “You don’t mess with the LWML.” Even more, he will know “vut site ve are on.” (“What side we are on.”) He will know we are Christian comrades committed to the cause of Christ. He will know Christians are people willing to live on the edge. We are God’s witnesses telling any and all who would listen, the wonderful blood-bought truth which saves: Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed

Meditations on all Three Lessons

September 25, 2011

Ezekiel 18:1–4, 25–32

The word of the Lord came to me: ² “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: “ ‘The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? ³ “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. ⁴ For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son—both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die. … ²⁵ “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear, O house of Israel: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? ²⁶ If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, he will die for it; because of the sin he has committed he will die. ²⁷ But if a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life. ²⁸ Because he considers all the offenses he has committed and turns away from them, he will surely live; he will not die. ²⁹ Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust? ³⁰ “Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. ³¹ Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? ³² For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!

Meditation

Ezekiel was a prophet before the fall of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. and during the first part of the Babylonian captivity. I’m describing some Old Testament history here, and some of you may not know what I am talking about. That’s okay. What I want you to know is that times were hard for God’s people. God allowed the children of Israel to be conquered and the people to be carried off to Babylon as slaves. This captivity was something they brought on themselves because of repeated disobedience to God, refusing to even acknowledge Him as God. The part about the fathers eating sour grapes and setting the children’s teeth on edge is a complaint that they think they are being punished for what their ancestors did. Ezekiel responds that they were not paying for the sins of their fathers – they themselves are sinful: Is it not your ways that are unjust?

This passage points out sin and calls people to repentance. The wicked will die. The righteous will live. Those who are sinning must repent and turn from their offenses. That is God’s desire for His people, because when they repent they will find life.

This reading focuses on individual accountability before God. The wicked will die. The righteous will live. But what makes a person righteous before God? Outward deeds or the condition of the heart? A righteous standing before God demands a righteous heart. And that is something that comes from outside of us. Ezekiel wrote about this earlier: “And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh…” Ezekiel 11:19

God gives us a new heart. He provides righteousness through His Son, Jesus Christ. It is something our Father gives us in faith. The people of the Old Testament were made righteous by looking forward to the Savior in faith, while we are viewing our Savior from the perspective of history. It is through Christ that we have been set free.

Thinking about the Israelites in their captivity reminded me of a story I read about Harry Houdini, the great magician and escape artist. He boasted that he could escape from any jail cell in the country. He demonstrated this ability many times, but one time things went wrong. When the heavy door clanged shut, Houdini pulled out a piece of metal that had been concealed in his belt and started to work on the lock. For thirty minutes, he picked away, but couldn’t get the lock to open. An hour passed, and now he was bathed in sweat, not understanding why he could not open the lock! Two hours passed, and he finally collapsed in frustration against the door he could not unlock. When he fell against the door, it swung open. It had never been locked. In his mind, it was locked, and that’s all it took to keep him “locked” in and frustrated.

The bondage and imprisonment of our minds is often like that jail cell. Jesus has freed us from sin, but often sin captivates our minds and convinces us that we are still in bondage. Many live and think and act as though they are still captive to sin, when the truth is that Jesus has already set them free. You discover that if you read the Bible.

Philippians 2:1–18

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. ³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ⁴ Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. ⁵ Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: ⁶Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, ⁷   but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. ⁸         And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! ⁹Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ¹² Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. ¹⁴ Do everything without complaining or arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe ¹⁶ as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. ¹⁷ But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. ¹⁸ So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Meditation

This passage speaks about the attitude Christians should have. It convicts us of our self-absorption. We may try to race past those words Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in reality we have to admit that much of what we do in life comes from those motivating factors. A man had his boss over for dinner. The boss kept saying, “You know, I’m a self-made man!” After the umpteenth time, the host’s six-year-old son asked, “Daddy, if he a self-made man, why did he make himself that way?” Our efforts to “make” ourselves fall short. Selfish ambition and vain conceit cause us to focus on self and not what Jesus would have us do.

The solution to being self-absorbed is to be Christ-absorbed. Let Jesus fill your heart and mind rather than your own self-centered thoughts. If Christ fills you, the sin and selfishness will be pushed out. And this is how it happens. Christ comes to you in water poured over you in the Triune name, through the written and spoken Word, through a holy meal of bread and wine, through hymns and songs of praise. Christ lived a perfect life for you. He poured out that life for you on the cross, taking your punishment. We see that and recognize how great His love is and how puny we are, especially when we are full of ourselves. But the more Christ fills us through Word and Sacraments, the less room there is for our selfish selves and the more His Spirit will shape our minds. It doesn’t just happen, and it certainly won’t happen overnight. It is a process that is achieved by spending time with Jesus, listening to His Word, pondering the meaning of your Baptism, receiving Him in Holy Communion. The more you do this, the more you will lose your sinful self and become like Him, having His attitude. You need to be confident of who you are in Christ Jesus.

Christian Herter, former U.S. Secretary of State, was running for reelection as governor of Massachusetts. One day he arrived late at a barbecue. He had not eaten breakfast or lunch and was very hungry. As he moved down the serving line, he held out his plate and received one piece of chicken. The governor said to the serving lady, “Excuse me, do you mind if I get another piece of chicken? I’m very hungry.”  “Sorry,” the lady responded. “I’m supposed to give one piece of chicken to each person.”  “But I’m starving,” the governor said. She repeated, “Only one to a customer.” Herter, normally a modest man, decided it was time to pull rank and throw around the weight of his office. He said, “Madam, do you know who I am? I’m the governor of this state!” The lady replied, “And I’m the lady in charge of the chicken, so move along, mister!”

That lady’s stubbornness is noteworthy for two reasons. First of all, she knew who she was: the lady in charge of the chicken. Secondly, she knew what she was supposed to do: she diligently followed the instructions given to her. If only we were that steadfast. We need to be convinced of who we are: disciples of Jesus Christ. We have received His cleansing, His pardon, His forgiveness, and His authority. And we are to follow His instructions. We are to share His love with everyone else. We are to have His attitude. We are to live according to His instructions. If only we could be as convinced and as faithful to our calling as that chicken lady!

Matthew 21:23–32

²³ Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?” ²⁴ Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. ²⁵ John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?” They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ ²⁶ But if we say, ‘From men’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” ²⁷ So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. ²⁸ “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ ²⁹ “ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. ³⁰ “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. ³¹ “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. ³² For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors

Meditation

There are some similarities between this Gospel lesson and the Epistle lesson and that is more than coincidence. Both speak about living out your faith, putting your faith into action. Putting on a good front or a show won’t cut it. It has to be more than lip service.

The Jews in Jesus day were proud of their privileged status among the nations. True, they may not have had earthly power, but they were, after all, God’s chosen people. This led many of them to become smug. They lived outwardly correct lives, but they saw no need for repentance or a change of heart. They rejected John the Baptist’s call to repentance. They rejected God’s offer of salvation that was accomplished by Jesus.

How many today view themselves as being superior because they have agreed to follow the demands of Christ’s teachings? Aren’t we better than those who reject the Gospel and engage in obvious sins? Most of us have been Christians for a long time now. Do we really have anything that we need to repent of? Are we falling into the same trap that is so easy for us to identify in the Jews of Jesus’ day?

When God calls people to Himself, they can react in two ways. The first son says no, but later does the will of his father. That represents the tax collectors and prostitutes and sinners of Jesus’ day. Their actions said loudly that they would go their own way, but later the Spirit of God led them to go His way after all.

The second son, who says “Yes, I will” but then does nothing, is a depiction of the nation of Israel as a whole. They were quick to profess allegiance and obedience with their mouths, but their actions did not match their words. The rendered lip-service, not real service to God. These are the kind of people Jesus was speaking of when he quoted from Isaiah: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. (Matthew 15:8)

God’s desire is that we say it, believe it, and live it. Knowing of the salvation and life we have through the death and resurrection of Jesus should not lead us to smugness or a feeling of superiority, but to a heartfelt response of living the new life.

Two brothers were found guilty of stealing sheep. In that time and country, the punishment was to have their foreheads branded with an S and a T, standing for sheep thief. The first brother was embarrassed and bitter and ran of to another country. He nursed his resentment the rest of his life and died there forgotten and unknown. The second brother stayed home. He repented of his crime. He reasoned, “I can’t run away from the fact that I stole sheep. I will stay here and try to win back the respect of my neighbors.” As the years passed, he established a reputation for honesty and integrity. One day a stranger came to town and noticed the brand on his forehead. He asked one of the locals what the S and T stood for. After thinking about it a moment, the local responded, “It all happened so long ago I really don’t remember the details. But I think that letters are the abbreviation for ‘saint!’ ”

Repentance is a turning, away from sin and to God. Repentance is a way to receive God’s pardon and salvation. And that will be expressed in your life.

Grace

Think about what you make in a year. I’m talking money here. How much do you make in a year. Do you know how much a doctor or a lawyer makes in a year? And what about those professional athletes? Their salaries are ridiculous. So are the salaries of television and movie stars. And what about those CEOs who make millions and then bail out with their golden parachutes after bankrupting a company!

If you want to get people upset very quickly, all you have to do is start talking about salaries. We you compare your salary to someone else’s, it is usually someone who makes more than you, even though they seem to have less skill and education. And you get upset, but usually you just let it simmer inside of you.

What about the affirmative action for minorities and for women? That is basically reverse discrimination. Our society discriminated against these minorities for a long time and now our society and law has determined that we are going to give those discriminated against a job over those who may be more qualified. Find someone who didn’t get a job because of affirmative action and you will find someone who’s dander is up!

Money, salaries, equal pay for equal work, affirmative action: these words cause all kinds of tensions within us because we tell ourselves, “It isn’t fair!” And that is the tension that Jesus addressed in the parable we heard today.

The parables of Jesus are from everyday life. They are from the market place, the farm, the family. Today’s parable is about salaries, wages, and a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.  This parable is about the pocket book, the billfold, the daily or hourly income. People get tense, anxious and nervous when you talk about money, salaries, and income.

Jesus was and is a master story teller. Jesus is famous for many reasons. Jesus is famous because he is the Son of God. He is famous because he died on the cross and was raised from the dead. But Jesus is also famous for His parables, which are great short stories.  Think about the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son, two of the finest short stories in all of literature. Jesus is one of the greatest story-tellers who ever lived.

In the story for today, Jesus uses everyday, common life experiences. One of the main farm crops in Israel at this time was grapes, so Jesus tells a story about harvesting grapes. There was this man who owned a vineyard and needed workers to harvest his grapes. He went to the village square at six o’clock in the morning and hired workers who went out and worked all day for twelve hours until six at night. A typical twelve hour work day. But he needed more workers, so he found more and hired them at nine o’clock in the morning and they worked for nine hours. He found more at noon who worked for six hours; some at three o’clock for three hours; and those who came late in the afternoon at five o’clock worked the last hour. They worked only one hour and you know what? The owner of the vineyard game them a full day’s wage. Those early birds and industrious people, who had worked all day, from six o’clock in the morning, for the full twelve hours under the heat of the sun, those workers were mad that the latecomers received the same wages they got.

That makes sense to me. Don’t you get mad when you have been busting your rear all day long and someone else comes in and does a little bit of work and they get the same wage as you who worked so hard all day long? Doesn’t that make you mad when you are at work? When you are putting in the time, doing all the work, and someone else near you is sloughing off, and they get the same salary. Doesn’t that make you mad?

The workers in the vineyards didn’t stop to figure out the meaning of the parable because they were so upset about the story itself. But what is the purpose of this story of Jesus? The parables of Jesus are always earthly stories with heavenly meanings. So what is the heavenly meaning of this earthly story? It doesn’t make economic sense, but that is because Jesus is not talking economics. He’s talking GRACE. God dispenses gifts, not wages. We don’t get paid according to according to what we have earned, because none of us comes close to satisfying God’s requirements for a perfect life. If paid on the basis of fairness, we would all end up in hell.  We need to understand that God’s grace gives us all what we don’t deserve.

The key to the story is the contrast between those who came at the last hour and those who came at the first hour. Those who came at the last hour were given a full day’s wage. They knew it was undeserved, unearned and a wonderful gift from the owner. The wage was a gift, a surprise, a wonderful delight. There are Christians who feel that God’s gifts  to them are unearned, undeserved, and they are surprised at the generosity of God. Such Christians have the attitude that life has been a wonderful gift from God, just like these workers who came to work for only one hour and had received a full blessing from God.

Meanwhile, there are other religious people who were there at six o’clock in the morning and worked all day long. They were born into the Christian faith; they were baptized into the Christian faith; they went to Sunday School; they went through confirmation; they did Youth Group; they worked in the Altar Guild; they sang in the church choir; they served on the church council; they came to church every Sunday. And they know in their hearts that God owed it to them. They had the inner attitude: if anyone deserved to be blessed by God, they did for they had been faithful to God and his church all of their lives. God: I deserve your blessing. I have earned your blessing because of my faithful behavior to you and the church throughout the years. (How does that sound when you hear it out loud?)

So this parable is one of the many contrast parables of Jesus. He did that a lot: Pharisee and Tax Collector, sheep and goats, an older and a younger brother, one thankful healed leper and nine ungrateful ones. Contrasts. And in today’s parable He contrasts those who know they don’t deserve God’s favor with those who think they do deserve it.

What did you do yesterday to deserve the gift of life today? What did you do yesterday that was so good that you deserved to live today? To wake up, brush your teeth, have breakfast, see your family, come to church, and be with nice people: what did you do yesterday on Saturday that you deserved to be alive on Sunday?

In the children’s sermon today, I asked why a particular child had been given flashing, sparkling, beautiful brown eyes that could see. They guessed that this child had loved Jesus, been religious, had been good. The kids guessed and guessed until (one child blurted/I pointed) out: “He didn’t do anything to receive his brown eyes.” And you knew that those sparkling, flashing brown eyes were a pure gift. The child had done nothing to deserve them.

So it is everything: life, the abundant life, and eternal life are free gifts of God to us, and we do nothing to deserve or earn them. God wants all people to have this attitude that life is a gift. Life itself, the abundant life, eternal life, it is all a gift. It doesn’t matter what time you logged in, punched your time clock, eternal life is a gift for all.

Jesus is contrasting these people and those people. These people understand that all of life and forgiveness, the abundant life and the eternal life, that all of this is a gift from God, undeserved, unearned and a surprise. Those people have the attitude that I expected it, that I deserved it, that I earned it. Pay me my full day’s wage.

Something I want to be sure you notice is that none of the workers in the parable were cheated. They thought they were, but they were not. Not a single worker was underpaid. According to human reasoning, some were overpaid, but nobody was cheated. The complaint of the early workers was jealousy, not reality. None of them received less than they had been promised and expected, but some received more.

What is key here is that the landowner had the right to “overpay” the late workers. He said “whatever is right you will receive.” He, the owner, determined what was right, not based on ordinary human accounting, but grace. His overpayment of the late workers was his choice. It was a gift. It was Grace – undeserved love. The exact same way you and I get heaven.

I would guess that at some times we find ourselves feeling like the twelve hour workers. But I would hope there are also times when you feel like those one hour workers, the ones who know that what God gives has not been earned, it is not deserved, that we are the recipients of God’s grace. I pray we all come around to knowing that we are undeserving of all that God has given, His love, His forgiveness, His Grace, and that we live in response to that.

Mercy

9-11. Four planes taking off from Boston, Newark and Washington DC would be used a weapons. You always hear about the impact on New York City and the twin towers. But the terrorists also struck the Pentagon. And the fourth plane that crashed in Pennsylvania when the passengers fought back was likely headed for either the White House or the US Capitol. Of course, the impact was not just on those sites. The devastation and destruction impacted our entire nation.

The memory of what happened on this day brings a range of emotions. As we look back on it, one of the things we witnessed was incredibly sacrificial displays of mercy. People wanting to help others, both immediately and in the aftermath.

The same is true in the wake of natural disasters. We saw it last week after Hurricane Irene slammed into the East Coast. And now this week the wildfires raging across our state have had devastating effects. This gives us the opportunity to show mercy whether that be in giving financial support or helping in other ways. The American people, for the most part, do a good job of showing mercy.

After his election as president of our Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Matthew Harrison, came up with a three-fold emphasis of what we should be doing as the church: Witness, Mercy and Life Together. We need to tell people about Jesus, We need to show Jesus’ love to others, and we need to get along with each other. Witness, Mercy and Life Together. A big part of our lives as disciples of Jesus is to show mercy.

In the Old Testament reading this morning (Genesis 50:15-21), we see Joseph showing mercy to his brothers. They were scared because they had mistreated their brother. And now that their father was dead, they were sure that Joseph, by now a very powerful man in Egypt, was going to get back at them. But he said:  “Don’t be afraid…You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid….” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

In the Gospel Lesson today (Matthew 18:21-35), a man was forgiven a tremendous debt he could not pay. A talent was 20 years wages for a common laborer. 10 talents would be 200 years wages. Ten thousand talents is beyond ridiculous for a common worker to even dream of being able to pay. The master was going to sell the man and his family into slavery, then his possessions, and even that would not begin to pay this staggering debt. So he falls to his knees and begs for mercy: “Give me time and I’ll pay it all back.” The master knows that will never be possible, but has pity on the man, cancels the debt, and sets him free. Can you imagine the burden that was lifted from his shoulders through this merciful act? How great must that have felt to know that dark cloud was no longer hanging over him? So he goes out rejoicing and shares his good fortune with everyone he meets, right? No. In fact, this man who was just been set free from what would have been a life sentence of slavery instead finds a guy who owes him a hundred denarii. A denarius was a day’s wage, so this would have been about 100 days worth of wages. He had just been forgiven 200,000 years worth of wages, but did not show mercy to the one who owed him 100 days pay. Instead of showing mercy, he has him thrown into prison.

Word of what happened gets back to the master. He says that since this man refused to show the compassion he had been shown by being merciful to his neighbors, no mercy would be shown to him. He would be sent to a place of torture.  And Jesus concludes: “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

There is a link between forgiveness and mercy. God, in mercy, compassion and kindness, does not give us what our deeds deserve. We have that impossibly huge and insurmountable debt of sin in our lives. That deserves death and punishment and torture. But God forgives it all for Jesus’ sake. Jesus lived the perfection God requires, and then offered that up for the sins of everyone else. With His holy, precious blood, with His innocent suffering and death, Jesus satisfied the judgment that stood against us and everyone else. Mercy … and forgiveness … are our for Jesus’ sake.

Because we have received this, we need to be showing acts of mercy to our neighbor. Including and perhaps even especially to those who have done us wrong. Show them what it means to be a forgiven and forgiving child of God.

It is easy for us to lash out against those we think have done us wrong. But that is not the life God calls you to live.

 

God has shown you His mercy in Jesus Christ. He forgave your overwhelming debt by paying for your sin. And He wants you to extend mercy to your neighbors.

Jesus told that parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14). They both went to the Temple to pray. The Pharisee was confident in his own deeds and righteousness. He was smug as he approached the Lord. “I thank you that I’m not like all the sinners out there – or like this miserable fellow.” His arrogant self-righteous attitude will get him nowhere with God. However, the tax collector was well aware of his failings, his shortcomings, his unworthiness, his sin. He could not even bring himself to look up to heaven. When we are truly aware of our sins, we cry out with that tax collector, “God, be merciful to me a sinner.” We want it. We crave it. And for Jesus’ sake we have received it from God. He does not give us what our sins deserve.

Now show that mercy to others.

Making Disciples

The prophet Joel wrote: I will pour out my spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days…And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Joel 2:28-29,32)

There are three terms in that passage that I want you to consider with me for a moment: prophesy, dreams, and visions.

Prophecies are what will be, at least those that come from the God of Scripture. God keeps His Word, and when He says something, it either has been fulfilled, is a reality, or it will be.

Dreams are what could be. We may never live long enough to see our dreams fulfilled, nor shall they necessarily be, but may we should stop dreaming as individuals or as a church.

Visions are what should be, can be, must be, according to God’s will. God’s Will is just another way of saying God’s desire and design and direction for us.

As individuals, we do not always know for sure where and why God is leading us in our lives. But we do know for sure where God is leading us in the church: into the world.  And we know for certain why He is leading us there: to make disciples.  If that were not God’s desire and design and direction for His Church, Jesus would not have said it, and those certainly would not be His final, parting words as He ascended into heaven.

 

God’s will is that the entire world know Him as Creator, Redeemer and Life-giver. That is first and foremost for God. Secondly, God desires that after we come to know Him we would then become His obedient, disciplined, dedicated and diligent disciples.

This is at the same time a tremendous task and a tremendous opportunity. 1 John 5:19 tells us:  We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. (NASB) That the world lies in Satan’s power should surprise no one. We see plenty of evidence of that in the headlines and in our own little spheres of existence. As believers in Christ, we know that all the misery in this world, including that in our own lives, has its roots in our rebellion against God. We try to be our own God, putting ourselves in the position of most importance. And because of sin, we are under the condemnation of God. But the same apostle who wrote that the world is in the power of the evil one also wrote: We have one who speaks to the Father in our defense – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2)

Our Father in heaven, who created us and all things, in His great love sent His Son into the world to save us from sin and death, and to give us life, eternal life: He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Our Savior perfectly did in our place all the demands that a just God makes upon us. His entire earthly life was one of perfect obedience for us. In His suffering and death He endured the divine punishment for sin so that our guilt might be removed from God’s sight. His resurrection on the third day assures all men that His sacrifice was complete and acceptable to the Father. God’s will is not only that all men know about this great sacrifice, but that they would take it to heart, believe it, and live as disciples. God has commissioned His Church to undertake the task of making disciples by sharing this message.

You may know that the definition of a disciple is a follower. That is true, but when we apply this word to Christians, there is a lot more to it than that. A disciple is not just someone who learns and listens, but one who is completely resolved to follow the call and claims of Christ on his or her life by the power of the Spirit. Being a follower of Jesus means doing something.  The same Spirit who brought us to faith enables us to live in that faith. A disciple is one who has felt the power and authority of the Risen Christ on his or her life. We know that Christ gave His all for us, and that He asks us to do the same for Him.

There are times when I consider this commission that Christ gave the Church, that of making disciples of all nations, and I think to myself, “It can’t be done. It is too impossible, too unrealistic, too overwhelming.” Those are the times when I try to do things by my own might and power, the times when I forget that with God, nothing is impossible. His power in us is mind-boggling and capable of working miracles.

The original eleven, hearing this Commission, went back to where God had placed them and started there. They didn’t set out to conquer the world for Jesus with grand gestures, but by being His disciples right where they were. They set out to make more disciples by being Jesus’ heart and hands and lips and feet to those they encountered on life’s journey. It is to that same task that those of us who are disciples today have been given. Be the heart and hands and lips and feet of Jesus to those you meet, inviting to know who Jesus is and become fellow disciples.

If you and I are to carry out our commission to make disciples, it is imperative that we be disciples.

• Try to envision with me the spirit there would be if every single member of this congregation made a solid commitment to gather together for corporate worship each and every Sunday morning, barring illness or travel. What would that be like?
• Envision what would happen if the entire congregation of adults gathered for study of the Word on a regular basis.
• Envision what it would be like if all our members were part of a small group Bible Study.
• Envision what would happen if every parent set as his/her highest priority that their children participate in Sunday School and mid-week every week.
• Envision what would happen if all of us spoke openly and freely about our faith in our daily living.

And that is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg for being a disciple of Jesus Christ. It is all part of making disciples. Envision what great work the Lord would do through us if each and every member of our congregation would place one other person in their minds and hearts. Envision what would happen if we would use the power and authority of Christ to pray for that individual, listen to them, serve whatever needs they might have, and shared with them the Good News of God’s precious love for them. One person! This is not a prophecy of what will be. It is not simply a dream of what could be. It is a vision of what should be, can be and must be!

I know there are all kinds of obstacles in the way. You can find countless excuses to stay away from worship and Bible Study. Other things vie for your attention and crowd out attendance at worship and chances to BE IN THE WORD. You might say that church is most important with your words, but sometimes your actions say otherwise. You have to make choices. Does everything else take precedent over your study of God’s Word? It may not seem like that big a deal to you. But part of being a disciple is to be a good example, matching your actions to your words. Your priorities will be whatever you make them.

Every day you will face choices as you try to live as a disciple of Christ. If you were left on your own, you would fail miserably. But you are not alone. You have the promise Jesus made to those first disciples and also to you: He gave His authority to His disciples and the promise of His presence.  Take that authority and promise with you today as you go into the world to make disciples. 

Watch this video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wgg2KYdMpqc

« Previous Page — Next Page »