Sermon - Easter 5 - Acts 11:1-18

Sermon – Easter 5 – Acts 11:1-18

Grace and Trinity Lutheran Churches, Bear Creek, WI

"The Same Gift - Repentance that Leads to Life!"

We turn our attention to the reading from Acts. I don't know about you, but I haven't heard a lot of sermons on Acts over the years, nor have I preached on it much. But now, as a missionary, this account of the early years of the Christian church holds new interest for me. It was very much a missionary time for the early Christians, as the apostles shared the Gospel beginning at Jerusalem, but then to Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

And Peter's struggles in those early days were an important part of the story – as he, along with the rest of the Jewish disciples, struggled with the idea that Gospel was for the gentiles, too. How did this message of Jesus Christ – crucified and risen from the dead – how did it relate to these outsiders? These people who maybe didn't know of the Old Testament, who ate unclean foods, and who after all, weren't even circumcised!?

I suppose some preachers would start with a harangue about how we Christians need to be more welcoming to the outsider. That we're like the Judaizers who think that Jesus is only for us. That we think we're the only ones who deserve God's grace. And that we better shape up in our attitudes and actions and get busy reaching out and welcoming the unbelievers. That maybe we should even drastically change the way we do business for the sake of the lost – you know, like Peter had to eat new foods and all – that we Christians should get out of our comfort zones and our tired old ways of worship and practice... and... well... I'm not going to do that.

Nor am I here to pat us all on the back for being so wonderful. To the extent that we are welcoming and reaching out, thanks be to God. To the extent that we do support God's work here at home, and in far away lands, thanks be to God. And even if we have to turn a poor pastor from Minnestoa into a Packers fan to do it, it's a price we're willing to pay, thanks be to God. No seriously, thanks be to God for the good work that he does among us to support his mission. He deserves the thanks and praise for any good work that we do, any gift we bring he first gave to us, any love we show is a reflection of his love for us.

Of ourselves, we are like Peter and the early church – confused, self-concerned, inwardly focused. But in joyous response to the Gospel of Jesus Christ – everything changes. For in his death our sins are paid, and in his resurrection our new life comes to light. Easter changes everything, and by God's Spirit at work in us, we are new creations, children of God, heirs of eternal life.

And friends, this is what the mission of God is all about - that the outsiders, the unbelievers who come to Christ – that they receive the same gift that we have. We receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ! We receive the gift of a rebirth in the washing of renewal that is baptism! We receive all the benefits won by the precious blood of Christ, shed for us in his innocent suffering and death. It's all about the gifts. And the gifts for God's people in Christ are all the same. God's love, his eternal, everlasting, sin-and-death-destroying love – shown in the death of his own Son on a cross long ago. Gifts which come to us, millenia later, through humble means of word and water and bread and wine.

This is why our mission work, as Lutherans, centers on these gifts of Christ. This is why we're going to Singapore to plant a Lutheran church – meeting weekly around the Word of God and the Sacrament. Yes, we're just going to do church – but oh what a gift that is! And it's the same gift, the same gifts, that you treasure here each week in Bear Creek.

We have no magic formula for foreign missions. We have only the Gospel of Jesus Christ – the preaching of him, crucified for sinners. We have only his washing and his meal, to which he attaches his word. But these gifts are enough. They are the gifts that bring repentance that leads to life.

When the other early Christians heard about God's work through Peter to bring these gifts to even the gentiles, they rejoiced. They glorified God, saying, “Then to the gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

Repentance that leads to life. This is the very Christian faith. This is what it's all about, repentance that leads to life. That each day we would see our sins in the mirror of the law, and that each day we would return to the font of our baptism in repentance, and that each day we grow in faith – knowing that our sins are covered by the blood of Christ. And by the Holy Spirit working in us, grow also in love toward our neighbor, for we have been so loved. Repentance that leads to life. The same gift God gives to you, he gives to all who would believe in Christ by his grace.

May God grant repentance to all who hear his word, and now also to those who hear it through us, even in Singapore. For the same Jesus who died for them, died for you, who lives for them, lives for you, who gives his gifts to them, gives gifts to you, even today, in word and meal. Receive them, in repentance that brings life, in Jesus Christ, amen.

Hymns

Rev. Mark Preus got me thinking about my hymn-writing campaign about 8 years ago, and as I went back to look at some I realized they weren't all in one place (or they were, but the link is broken).  So I thought I'd put together a post which gathers them up again.

I may also start writing some hymns again.  I don't know.  It was fun, but I did get tired of it after a while.  We'll see how it goes.

"Gathered in Your Name Most Holy"


"Lord Jesus, By the Spirit Led"


"Jesus Came to Jacob's Well"


"Grant, Lord Jesus, Those in Blindness"


"There is No Condemnation"


"A Journey to the Valley"


"As the Crowd at City Gate"


"Peace Be With You, Jesus Said"


"The Road to Emmaus"


“Lord, Faithful Shepherds Grant Your Sheep”


"Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled"

“Christ Jesus Once, For All Has Died”

“Lord Jesus In High Priestly Prayer”


“Christ Jesus Lifted High”


"With Sound of Violent Wind"


"Triune God, Your Holy Nature"


"A Righteousness From God"


"O Lord, Our Great Physician"


“Our Teaching, Healing, Lord”


"Help Us, Jesus, Not To Fear Them,"


"Shall We Go On With Our Sinning?"


"What A Wretched Man Am I?"


“Sowing Seeds of Kingdom Teaching”


"Lord, Holy Spirit, Pray For Us"


"Predestined, Oh, What Comfort Here"


"In Christ, The Love of God Is Sure"


"Lord Jesus Walked Upon the Waves"


"In the Land of Tyre and Sidon"


"Have Mercy On Your Servant"


"The Owner of the Vineyard"


"Jesus Christ, True God in Nature"


“Treasured By the Virgin Mary”

Sermon - Easter 3 - Acts 9:1-22

The Third Sunday of Easter
Acts 9:1-22
Peace Lutheran Church, McMurray, PA
“The Chief of Sinners; The Greatest Missionary”

It is fitting, perhaps, to host a missionary visit on this Sunday in which our reading from Acts is the conversion of St. Paul. Paul, many would argue, was the greatest missionary ever. He traveled the world-as-they- knew-it, preached in synagogues and temples and marketplaces, to Jew and Gentile, boldly proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Not only did he establish numerous congregations in his travels, he also wrote letters of instruction and encouragement to them, many of which we regard as Holy Scripture. I've even heard some argue that Paul, because of his missionary efforts, is the most important person in history, apart from Jesus Christ himself.

Big shoes to fill for someone like myself, an aspiring foreign missionary and church planter. My scope won't be so broad, planting only one congregation, and not planning to write any Holy Scripture. But still there is much to learn from the great missionary, and not just for another missionary like me. Also for all of God's people.

In a way Paul isn't that different from you or I. Look at where he started – a pharisee's pharisee, an enemy of Christians, breathing out murderous threats, zelous for Judaism but quite zealous against the Lord. Paul (or Saul) was present at the stoning of Stephen, the very fist Christian martyr, he held the outer garments of those who threw the stones, you know, so they didn't get blood splattered on their nice clothes. And Saul gave his assent to this.

You came from just such a place. Oh yes, even life-long Christians, even cradle LCMS Lutherans, “you were once enemies of God” as Paul told the Colossians. Our understanding of original sin makes it clear – we are born, even conceived in sin – we inherit it from birth – and even cute little innocent babies are enemies of God, corrupted by sin, and destined for death.

Paul called himself the “cheif of sinners”, and marveled that Christ would call someone like him. You and I are also “cheif of sinners”, if we look honestly and deeply into the mirror of God's law. We will see our lives stacked up against the commandments, and be horrified at the image. I don't just break his law, I shatter it and stomp on it daily. Cheif of sinners, though I be, Jesus shed his blood for me...

Like Paul, we are converted. Like Paul, Jesus knocks us off our high horse, calls us to repentance and meets us at the font. Like Paul, we are baptized into the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And like Paul, we are re-born.

Oh there's still a little pharisee in all of us. There's still the daily struggle with our zeal for sin. And so the catechism reminds us that the Old Adam in us is daily drowned by repentance and faith. We return to those baptismal waters, and splash around in God's grace anew.

Paul wasn't the only one called by God in this account, however. There's also old Annanias. He wasn't to sure he wanted anything to do with Paul, whose reputation preceded him. But Jesus assured him that he would use Paul for his own purposes, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name."

You see both Annanias and Paul, and you and I for that matter, not to mention all of God's people, are Christ's own instruments for getting his job done in this world. While he could do it all quite without us, in His grace, he calls us all to a part in his kingdom. To be his body in this world. To be his masks, according to our vocation.

Some are called to be pastors and missionaries. Preaching the Gospel and administering the sacraments near to home or in a far away land – the Good news of Jesus Christ is the same. The washing of sins in Holy Baptism is the same. The feast of forgiveness in Christ at his altar is the same. The absolution pronounced in the stead and by the command of Christ... the same.

But others are called to serve as parents, teaching our children the faith and raising them in the fear of the Lord. Some are called to be spouses, daily dying for our other half as Christ died for his body the church. Some are called to be bosses or employees, citizens or government officials, or soldiers. Some are called to be friends and neighbors, and to simply give a cold cup of water to one in need. We are baptized people of God in Christ, new creations, called not to struggle against God, but to be his instruments, and yes, even to suffer for the name of Christ.

Christ, who really is the chief of sinners. What? You say? But Jesus never sinned? True enough – but listen to what Dr. Luther says concerning Christ taking our sin: (From Luther's commentary on Galatians)

“All the prophets of old said that Christ should be the greatest transgressor, murderer, adulterer, thief, blasphemer that ever was or ever could be on earth. When He took the sins of the whole world upon Himself, Christ was no longer an innocent person. He was a sinner burdened with the sins of a Paul who was a blasphemer; burdened with the sins of a Peter who denied Christ; burdened with the sins of a David who committed adultery and murder, and gave the heathen occasion to laugh at the Lord. In short, Christ was charged with all the sins of all, that He should pay with them with His own blood. The curse struck Him.”

Jesus Christ, the true chief of sinners. And the true chief of sinners is also the greatest missionary. That title belongs, not to Paul, but to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus was sent, by the Father, on a mission: To take on human flesh; to live up to every expectation of the law; to submit to His Father's will in all things; to fulfill all righteousness; to be baptized as a sinner, though he had no sin, and take all sins onto himself; and to drink the cup of God's wrath over sin; to bear the chastisement that we deserved; to be forsaken by the Father; to shed his blood; to hang on a cross; to die. To destroy death by death. To finish it all, for you. Mission accomplished. The greatest missionary ever.

And to rise again to pave the way out of the grave for you. And to return to his throne to rule all things for our good. And to come again in glory to bring this age to a close and bring us, resurrected in our bodies, to a restored creation and eternal glory.

In the meantime, though his mission was accomplished, his mission continues on. We live in the now and the not yet of Christ's salvation – enjoying the blessings won at the cross in a foretaste of the feast to come. We join with the heavenly hosts that sing, “worthy is Christ, the lamb who was slain” because by our baptism we are already part of that heavenly company. And we want others to share in these blessings, to know the forgiveness and life and peace that we receive in Christ, to be reborn and renewed and reconciled. It may entail suffering, and even death... but life by faith is life that trusts the Lord of life no matter what comes our way.

We pray that the greatest missionary will use us all, according to our callings, as his instruments. For we are baptized and belong to him. We daily die and rise in him, and look forward to a resurrection like his. 

Sermon - Easter 2 - John 20:19-31

Sermon
The Second Sunday of Easter
John 20:19-31

St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Oconomowoc, WI
“Signs and Wonders”

“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

I've just returned from my first visit to Singapore, where I will be serving to establish the first LCMS congregation. And while I can tell you plenty about the place, one of the things its known for are its strict laws. There are signs posted everywhere, it seems, telling people what to do and not do – watch your step, don't litter, don't smoke, no chewing gum, don't eat food on the train or in the taxi. And these signs often carry a warning – that breaking the rules brings a fine, $100, $500, even $1000. It's so prevalent that entrepreneurs sell souveniers proclaiming Singapore a “fine” city – and listing some of the more humorous fines - “don't feed the monkeys - $500 fine”.

We're familiar with signs, too... telling us what to do and not do. One old rocks song laments, “Sign, sign, everywhere a sign - Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind - Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?” Signs tell us what to do, and what not to do – Stop, Yield, Watch, No firearms allowed. Unattended children will be given espresso and a free puppy....

Signs. Signs in our world are often an exercise of the law. They curb disruptive and chaotic behavior. They keep the peace, to an extent. They enforce the will of the authority. But where there is a sign, there always seems to be someone who wants to break the rule.

In a way, the law of God is a sign. The ten commandments tell us what to do and not do. Have no other gods. Remember the Sabbath. Thou shall not murder or steal or commit adultery. These sorts of signs not only tell us what to do, they show us what we fail to do. They are a sort of mirror into which we can look and see ourselves sinning. They leave us in quite a predicament, for they show us our sin. The law always accuses. And its proclaims what we deserve – death. These are the signs of the law. And they are signs that leave us all without hope.

But there are other signs – like the signs and wonders mentioned in our readings today. In Acts, the apostles performed signs and wonders which confirmed their testimony concerning Christ. But as the angel said, the main job of the apostles was not to perform the signs, but, “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.”

Likewise in our Gospel reading, John makes this tantalizing comment at the end, that “Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples”. One wonders what wonders he showed them. Curiousity begs to know. But the Holy Spirit decided it was enough for us to know the ones that were written, for the purpose of the signs and wonders is not to wow us with Jesus' power, or satisfy our curiousity But the purpose is that we might believe and have life in his name.

This was always the purpose of everything Jesus did. That we might believe and have life in his name. The signs and wonders he performed, the healings and miracles, were never the main thing. They were the calling cards of the Messiah, they were fulfillment of prophecies, they were theh Savior simply acting in character and having compassion on people. But they played a supportive role to his chief activity: proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, the grace of God for sinners, and the salvation that he himself was to accomplish at the cross.

Some of his detractors wanted a signs: Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:38-40)

The resurrection itself is the chief sign of Jesus. It is the sign that confirms all of his signs and wonders, and especially his words. It is the seal of the Father's approval on his sacrifice. It is the proclamation of his victory over death and the grave. It is the promise of resurrection for all who die in Christ and will rise again in glory on the last day.

It is the sign given that you may believe and have life in his name. It is the sign of the Gospel, the good news, that in Christ there is life for you.

And there are other Gospel signs, too. The cross itself is a sign, but much more – a symbol of Christ's great sacrifice, but a blessed reality rooted in a historical event with everlasting ramifications. Christ crucified for sinners like you and me. A sign never separated from his resurrection, really, or else neither would mean a thing.

And there is baptism – by which you were buried with Christ into death and raised again to new life. A sign – but more than a mere symbol. Baptism actually saves you. It is the washing of rebirth and renewal in the Holy Spirit. It is a blessed reality, a faith-generating gift of God, that he who believes and is baptized shall be saved.

Another sign - the Holy Absolution.  Forgiveness by the authority of Christ himself, "If you forgive the sins of any they are forgiven".  A sign which proclaims us free and clear of sin, as if Jesus himself said it.  And therefore the same peace he breathed on his hiding disciples, is a peace that rests upon us. 

And there is his Supper – a sign and wonder we too often take for granted. Much more than the mere symbol some Christians sadly believe it to be, here in this great sacrament Christ is truly present for the forgiveness of sins and to give life to you, his people. His body and blood are purest gospel, good news for the dying sinner.

For Luther, the Word of God and the Sacraments were the “marks of the church”. These precious signs, but so much more, are where you can find the people of Christ. These gospel signs are the banners around which the church militant gathers, the means by which God delivers to us the blessings of salvation in Christ.

Though the signs of the law proclaim our sin, and that we deserve death, the signs of the Gospel, the word, the sacraments, rooted in the cross and resurrection of Christ – these signs are written that you might believe, and believing have life in his name.

These are the signs proclaimed here at St. Paul's, and throughout the world, in any place where God's people gather around his gifts. Signs that bring life. Believe in these words. Trust in these signs, and live. In Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.

Sermon - Easter Sunday - Luke 24:1-12

Sermon
Easter Sunday
Luke 24:1-12

Singapore
“Why do you seek the living among the dead?”

“Why do you seek the living among the dead?” There's a good question.

On its face, the question the angels ask of the women at the tomb seems fairly rhetorical. Jesus is alive, just like he said. This is a grave. Why would someone alive stay here? As we say in America, “duh!”

But there is more to this question than meets the eye. It's a helpful question for framing the meaning of Easter. Christ is ineed risen from the dead. The grave is empty. Thanks be to God, Alleluia! But what does this mean for you and me? How does his resurrection affect us? And what promise does it hold even for our own future? In other words, why is Easter such a big deal?

Who are the living, and who are the dead? We usually think of life and death in biological terms. Life is breathing and having a pulse. Eating, converting energy, reproducing. And death is the opposite of that, and the onset of decay. Death is the deterioration of the body, non-functioning. It's the end.

But in spiritual terms, and perhaps this is even more important, what is life, and what is death? The Bible teaches us that the wages of sin is death. That in the very day Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, death came into the world. Indeed, God said, “in the day you eat of it you shall die”. And yet it seems, Adam lived for many years after his fall into sin. So was God lying about death? Or are we missing something with such a narrow understanding as the biological one?

Death is separation from life. And life is found only in the Lord. The Holy Spirit, the Lord of life. The Father, the creator of all things, all life. And Jesus Christ – the resurrection and the Life. Life and death, you see, are far more than sitting up and taking nourishment, or pushing up daisies in the ground. Life and death are spiritual categories, spiritual realities, that our eyes may not always see so clearly. Therefore we must rely on the eyes and ears of faith. We must bend our understanding of life and death to the one that God presents in his Holy Word.

“Why do you seek the living among the dead?” The Living One, if there ever was life, is Jesus Christ himself. And why would he be among the dead? But he was – he was born into this dying world of sin. He took on human flesh, only to take it to the cross, and to death. He gave himself to death, no one took his life from him. And in a great mystery beyond all understanding, on a Friday afternoon outside of Jerusalem, 2000 years ago, the source of all life met death.

And there, death was defeated. It could not contain him. Sin and the devil and death itself were defeated in the cross of Christ. And in his resurrection from Death Jesus proves it.

Jesus had a lot to say about life and death. Like, “I am the way, the truth and the life” and “If anyone believes in me, even though he die, yet shall he live. And he who lives and believes in me will never die.” and “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

You see, Jesus' resurrection is far more than a happy ending. It's more than just a feel-good conclusion or the moral to a story. He really lives, and his resurrection means something – for us!

We, by our sins, are dead. We are born dead, spiritually. We are dead men walking. We are separated from God, and separated from life. Not only destined for physical death, but eternal death. And already, in this life, subject to the effects of death – suffering, disease, decay.

But in our baptism, we are buried with Christ, so that just as Christ is raised from the dead, so do we arise anew from those waters. Now, here, even before our physical death, we are spiritually alive in Christ, by Christ, and connected to the Father in bonds of love that even death cannot separate. So even though we will die, we will live. And even when we die, we don't, really. And though our body dies, like Christ, we will rise in these same bodies, to live forever. All of this is wrapped up in Easter.

Corinthians calls Christ the “firstfruits” of those who have fallen asleep. But he is not the only or the last to rise. In Jesus' resurrection, we see our resurrection. In Jesus' victory over death, we see our own victory. In Jesus, the living one no longer among the dead – we see our own future. Though we die, yet shall we live!

It is hard to overstate the importance of this day. Paul says if Christ didn't rise from the dead, then we are the most pitiful of all men – that everything we believe is in vain. But if Jesus really did rise, just like he said, and if he really is alive, that means everything!

It means we can trust every other word he says. It means when he says your sins are forgiven, they truly are! It means when he promises his body and blood to you here – you can trust it fully. It means when he says you are clean, you are.

Why do you seek the living among the dead? We don't. We seek him where he promises to be. In his word. In baptism. And at his altar, in his meal. And there, he who is living, gives us his life. Life that he gave at the cross. But life that death could not contain. Life that he has forever, and shares with us forever.

A Blessed Easter to you, in the One who is alive, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sermon - Palm Sunday - John 12:12-19

Sermon
Palm Sunday
John 12:12-19

Singapore
“Christ Comes to Save Us Now”

Jesus came to His city. The city of His temple. The city of His people. Here is an event packed with significance in the saving work of Christ for us all. It had to happen. Isaiah had forseen it – the king is coming, riding on a donkey.

The people - they honored Him. And if they didn't, the stones would have cried out. They showed a foretaste of heaven, where John pictures the church in glory also waving palm branches, and singing praises to Christ. They shouted “Hosanna”. Which means, “Save us, now”.

Save us from what? The Romans, first of all. The ones who oppressed Israel and crucified any troublemakers. If Jesus can even raise Lazarus from the dead, then He can certainly lead the charge in saving His people from the Romans.

Save us from our troubles? Give us plenty to eat, all the comforts of life. Make our name great in the earth. We'll ride your coattail. Like the disciples who wanted thrones on His left and right. Glorify us, your people, for we surely deserve it.... but no. God will glorify Jesus, but not the way they thought. He's not the kind of Savior.

Save us from sin and death. Ah, yes, Lord. That's what you came to do. For no matter what wealth we accumulate in this life, we'll one day die and leave it behind. No matter what fame and glory before men, the grave is the great leveler of all. And no matter what other problems in life come and go – no matter how happy or fulfilled we think we are – there stands the grave. Its hungry mouth ready to devour us. It's inevitable. It's the wages of our sin. And they will come due.

Who can save us? Only Jesus can do it. Only Jesus is the Savior. These people got the words right, even if they got the interpretation wrong. “Save us, now, Hosanna” is the prayerful cry of all the people who trust in Christ for saving. Save us, now, today, it is urgent! Death breathes down our neck. Our sins weigh upon us. We can't stand it anymore. Save us. Take us from the trash heap, the wasteland, the sewer of stench where we wallow. And save, remake, reconcile, restore, renew us. Hosanna, Lord. Save us.

You and I are not Jesus Christ. We are not the Savior. Oh but we get to thinking we are.

We like to think we are the Savior. As if we can save someone. Do we think our contribution adds something to God's work when it doesn't? Do we think our good deeds or our sacrifice make it easier for Him in some way, though they don't? He will save whom He saves, quite without your help. God doesn't need you. You need Him. You need Christ.

We like to make other little saviors, to think we can save ourselves. That our own supposed good works earn some kind of credit in the heavenly ledger. “Oh look what I'm giving up for you, Lord. Oh, look at how hard I try. And especially compared to that fellow over there, I simply must be one of your favorites.” But no. Here again, only Christ can save. Your good works are filthy rags. They aren't bright and shiny, they stink to high heaven. You're not the savior. No, you can't even save yourself.

Only Jesus can save us now. And He does. He would soon hear those words from another crowd – the onlookers of his crucifixion. “If you are the Christ, save yourself! Come down from the cross!” And while bearing the inconceivable weight of the wrath of God for all sin of all time – what must that temptation have been like – to end his own suffering. To save himself, instead of us.

But Christ is our savior. And at the cross all “Hosannas” are fulfilled. All debts of sin from all time and place are paid. All God's righteous wrath at every murderous, theiving, betraying, corrupt and deviant little sinner – all that well deserved anger and justice is satisfied. The blood of Christ is sufficent. And when it is finished... we are saved.

And though that was then, and this is now, Christ still saves us now. What was done at the cross matters here and now, it is for us, here and now. In this little apartment, in a land far away from our home, the Christ answers our cry of “Hosanna!”. For he comes to save us – to save us from our sins – by giving us His own body and blood to eat and drink.

And Christ would, Himself, be saved from death – only after passing through it. He would rise – but not for himself, but for us all. To pave the way out of the grave for us all – to save us, for all eternity.

And while God doesn't need you, and is quite capable of saving all He wishes to save without you – joy of joy – He calls you anyway. He calls you to serve Him by serving your neighbor. He gives you opportunities to share His love in word and deed. To tell others about the only One who can save us. To join with others who know this salvation, and offer our own songs of thanks and praise. And to love our neighbor, even as He has loved us, and given Himself for us.

You're not the Savior. But you, Christian, know His salvation. And He calls you to share it. Just like the crowds who witnessed the raising of Lazarus – they told what they had seen. So do we.

May the words of the Pharisees also continue to find an ironic fulfillment through the work that the Lord gives us here, in this place, in this time. That the whole world, even Singapore, would “go after Him”. That the people here would know Him, who answers all “Hosannas” with His cross. God grant it, for Jesus' sake. Amen.

Sermon - Lent 5 - Luke 20:9-19

Sermon
Lent 5

Immanuel Lutheran Church, West Plains, MO
Luke 20:9-19
“Crazy Bad Tenants. Crazy Good Lord.”

Preparing for our move overseas, we've sold our home, and for the last few months we've been living in a rental home. It's had its ups and downs, but all in all we've tried to be good tenants. I try to keep my kids from trashing the place, getting dirt on the new carpet or freshly painted walls. Hopefully when we leave the country, we'll leave the place in good condition – as close to how we found it as possible.

In Luke 20 today we read about some decidedly bad tenants, or renters. It's not a home, but a vineyard, in Jesus' story. But the people living there don't own the place. When the sends messengers to collect the “rent”, or the fruit, they show just how bad they are. They treat those servants shamefully, violently, in escalating fashion. Finally when the owner sends his own son, they plot against him in the misguided notion that they will kill him and inherit the vineyard... what?

Obviously God is the owner of the vineyard, and the Jewish leaders are the tenants. The abused and rejected the prophets God had sent them over many years, in his long suffering patience. He wasn't looking for fruit but repentance and faith. Finally, God sends His own Son, Jesus, whom they plot against and finally kill. Thus far the paralells in the story.

One thing this teaches us right out of the gate is that Jesus knew exactly what would soon come to pass. Here it is, Tuesday of Holy Week, and he knows what's coming on Friday. But He had been predicting this for some time. He told His disciples He would be crucified, and rise on the third day. He knew His Old Testament scriptures, and He knew that the Messiah had to die.

While the people who heard His parable said, “May this never be!” Jesus responds with a prophecy, and shows that that it must come to pass. He knows the plan, and He knows His own part in it.

The parable also illustrates how little sense sin makes. In fact, it's crazy. OK, you might say, the tenants might have thought they could get away with it when they rejected the first few messengers. But when the owner sent his own son, their logic shows how twisted it is. Let's kill the son and become the heirs? In what world does that make sense?

But you, too, sinner, make as little sense in your own sins. Apart from the fact that sins bring consequences – and a man reaps what he sows. Apart from the fact that violence begets violence, hatred begets hatred, laziness, deceit, greed, pride... pick your sin – they all have a tendency to grow and escalate.... But add to that the silliness to think our sins will somehow escape judgment. That the omnipotent and omniscient judge will turn a blind eye to our wickedness, or that he'll let us off the hook because of some paltry offering of supposed good works.

Well who ever said sin made sense? It is as irrational and ridiculous as it is unholy and wicked. Sinners are constantly doing things we know are wrong, and doing them against our better judgment, to the detriment of ourselves and others. We simply can't help ourselves.

But the parable also illustrates another nonsensical actor, the owner of the vineyard. What parent in his right mind would see the escalation of violence against his servants, and then finally send his own son? But this is the logic of God the Father, who sends His own Son for us. In a divine reasoning that is far above and beyond our understanding – His mystifying plan is to do just that – full well knowing He sends His Son to die. And by the way, what Son in his right mind would obey such a father, and go to face certain death. But that is just what Jesus Christ does.

And this was always the plan! The Lamb of God was slain from the foundation of the world. Christ crucified for sinners – a scandal to Jews and foolishness to gentiles, but to us whom God has called, both Jew and Gentile, Christ the power and wisdom of God. Baptized for us to fulfill all righteousness, even though He had no sin. Crucified for us, made to become sin, that sin might die with His flesh.

And look at the rest of the foolishness we believe, that Christ rose from the dead and lives forever. That he is present here in the forms of bread and wine, and that receiving it forgives sins. What sense does it make that water can wash away sins? But with Christ's promise, it is so. Or that a pastor, a sinner himself, can forgive sins on earth and they are forgiven in heaven. Or that faith comes by hearing the word of God. Or that the Holy Spirit will raise us to life again on the last day. And the list goes on and on... but we believe these outlandish realities because of the nonsensical and amazing grace of the Father, in His Son Jesus Christ.

One commentator picks up on this theme in the parables, and puts it this way:

“A father who does not trade forgiveness for good behavior, but who kisses the prodigal son before he gets his confession out of his mouth. A vineyard owner who pays what he pleases, not what the laborers earn. A shepherd who allows no sensible business considerations to keep him from leaving ninety-nine sheep in jeopardy to bring home one safely. A wheat grower who runs his farm, not for profit, but for the sake of letting everything grow as it pleases till the end. An Incarnate Word who won't talk to Pilate; a Carpenter of Nazareth who saves the world by nailing down his own hands; a Risen Lord who runs everything by going away. A God, in other words, who does all things well by doing practically nothing right, whose wisdom is foolishness, whose strength is weakness - who runs this whole operation by being no operator at all and who makes no deals because, in the high Mystery of his being, he's got it made already.”

Can this crazy grace be, even for me, who sins like crazy? Yes. It can be, and it is. For all people, even for bad tenants, the Son has died, and paid the price. So also for you. Though you abuse and shame God's Word, and by your sins despise his message, and though it was your sins that Christ carried to death on the cross... rejoice... that Jesus in His wisdom did so... for you. That in his grace and love and mercy beyond comprehension, he forgives even you.

Sermon - Lent 4 (Laetare) - John 6:1-6

Sermon – Lent 4 “Laetare” - March 10^th, 2013

St. Paul Lutheran Church, Hamel, IL

John 6:1-6

“The Lord Who Feeds”

I don't know how any Lutheran can honestly look at the feeding of the five thousand and not think about the Lord's Supper. Well, I guess I'm getting ahead of myself, but that's where we're going, of course, to the table. But first let's back up a bit.

Jesus is at the zenith of his popularity. He is well known and well liked. The crowds are following him. But largely for the wrong reasons. This crowd of 5000+ had followed him around the Sea of Galillee. They knew of his many miracles and healings, and were looking for more. The other Gospels tell us that yes, even here, he healed their sick. Our Lord Jesus is merciful.

He had also been teaching them all day. No doubt similar teachings to those in his other sermons – teaching about the kingdom of God and how it's not the kingdom you might think it is. A kingdom in which the king does things for the subjects, not the usual other way around. He would soon demonstrate this reality, as the true king, by feeding them. He knew what he had in mind.

Later, after the feeding, the crowd would try to make Jesus their king, their bread-king. But by doing so they show they miss the point of the kingdom, that Jesus comes to provide so much more than mere food. Some suggest that this crowd was on its way to Jerusalem for the Passover, where one year later, Jesus would also be – and where he would be sacrificed as the true Passover lamb for them, and for us.

The apostles, as usual, are the bumbling fools. Jesus tests them, “Where will we buy bread for these people to eat?” but they stand powerless. The task is overwhelming. They don't have what it takes to do it. Yes, but Jesus does.

So the Lord in his good order doesn't initiate a free-for-all, but has the disciples sit the people down and prepare for the meal. He takes the elements of the meal, gives thanks, and gives it to the disciples, whom He appoints to distribute the fish and loaves, and miraculously, somehow, without explanation, there is enough. All are fed and satisfied. There are even leftovers enough for the disciples to each fill a basket.

When the people saw this sign, they confessed Jesus as “the Prophet who is coming into the world”. But sadly, though they got the words right, their interpetation was all wrong. Jesus is indeed the One, but they, like so many others, miss the point of what he came to do. His popularity would soon wane. The bustling crowds would abandon him.

Now you and me. We come today to hear Jesus, and receive good things from him. We come with various hungers and needs. Perhaps a grumbling tummy – some earthly wants. But most importantly we come hungry and thirsting for righteousness. We are beggars before the king, far from home, nothing to bring to the table. Indeed nothing but our sins.

Still, we come in faith, knowing that the One who gathers us is One who joys to give. Our Lord Jesus is merciful.

First we hear Christ's teaching – his word, read, sung, proclaimed. We confess, same-say, what he has said about us and to us. We pray for daily bread, but also forgiveness of trespasses, using his own words. We acknowledge him as king, but also as Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. And he has mercy on us.

The pastor, or pastors, the bumbling fools that we are, nonetheless are charged with feeding the sheep. We don't have what it takes to do it. But Jesus does. And he gives freely. “Forgive their sins”, he tells his ministers, “and they are forgiven in heaven. Feed my sheep – do this often – in rememberance of me.”

And now we come to it, the sacrament itself. The Holy Supper, the feeding of far more than 5000. A greater miracle than multiplication of fish and loaves, but a bodily and bloody presence of the man who is God made flesh. Crucified and resurrected body, nonetheless. Here, now, for us to eat and drink.

In an orderly fashion, we come to receive this gift. We come at Christ's invitation. Being well prepared, examined, and confessing both our sins and our Savior's promise in the meal. In the fellowship of a people who rejoice in his teaching and proclaim it together – even proclaiming his death until he comes – by our very presence at his table.

We receive the body of Christ. Take and eat. It is given for you. Not some other sinner who sins less than you. But you, yes, you... who doesn't do what you should. You who break his commandments daily. You who love other gods, and love yourself before your neighbor. This sacrament is given for you – for the forgiveness of your sins. This wine is his blood, which was shed for you on the cross, and which now covers your sins in its crimson tide.

The point of it all – Christ our Lord delights to feed his people. He fed the 5000 in word and miraculous deed. And he still feeds his people today, in word and miraculous sacrament. He gives us always exactly what we need, and need the most. He gives us himself. Yes, he gives daily bread, too. But man does not live by bread alone. Man does live, by Christ alone. And in him, who we receive today, we live.

May we never abandon our Lord, or turn from his teaching. May we never look to him only for earthly goods, for he gives so much more. And may we follow him always, receive from him always, and be fed by him with all the good things he has to offer.

So come, gather at the rail, and be blessed to be fed by our Lord. What a miraculous meal! What a wonderful king! What a merciful Savior!

Amen.

Sermon - Lent 3 - Matthew 13:1-9

Sermon – Lent 3 - March 3^rd, 2013

Village Lutheran Church, Ladue, MO

Matthew 13:1-9

“Repent or Perish”

Repent or perish! Well, happy Sunday morning to you, too, pastor. Repent or perish! Look, don't kill the messenger, these are the words of Jesus. Today – some hard words of Jesus regarding our need for repentance. But upon closer examination, some rich gospel promises, and a blessed assurance that in Christ, all is well. In Christ, there is hope. In Christ, we do not perish.

We sinners love to hear about the sins of others. Some of the most popular sermons are when the preacher really socks it to THOSE sinners. One of the comments a preacher dreads hearing is, “boy pastor, THEY really needed to hear that, today!” And why is that? When the law points its guns at someone else, we can rest easy. We can have this false sense of security while the spotlight is on some other, certainly far worse, sinner.

That's what seems to have happened in our text, where in two situations people suffered tradgedies. In one, Pilate apparently killed some Jews while they were sacrificing at the temple. And in another, a tower fell and killed 18 people. Some in Israel would have reasoned that bad things like that only happen to really bad sinners, sinners who deserve it, sinners who must have done something that God would allow such suffering and death to befall them.

But Jesus knocks all that thinking down. First he corrects the misunderstanding – these things didn't happen because of some particular sin. He's not saying the victims weren't sinners at all, just that we can't go trying to connect the dots between sins and punishments. Sometimes bad things happen, out of the blue, for no good reason we can pinpoint. Except this. Our world is fallen. Corrupt, through and through. Adam's sin shattered the bliss, and now we are subject to all this suffering – pain and thorns, towers fall, children are shot by madmen, tyrants murder people of faith, hurricaines wipe out whole cities. It doesn't make sense, but sin never does, nor does this world bathed in sin and death.

And secondly, Jesus shifts the spotlight where it belongs. He says, effectively, “Hey! Stop your pious hypothesizing about the sins of others. Get off your high horse thinking you are without blame. You think just because it didn't happen to you, God must be so pleased with your goodness? Quit fooling yourself. You're just as much of a sinner. Death is breathing down your neck, too. Take a look at yourself. And repent. And unless you repent, you, too, will perish”

It's quite a wake up call. They came seeking a sort of affirmation or attaboy. He smacks them with a call to repentance. And so, for you. May we never seek God's Word, or the services of His house, to confirm our sense of self-righteousness. To reinforce for ourselves that we're the good church people, unlike those sinners over there. Instead, may we, too, hear our Lord's call to repent with open ears to hear. Confessing, same-saying, yes, Lord, I am a sinner – thought, word and deed. I deserve death and far worse. Confessing before God and man the worm that I am. But repentance doesn't stop there.

To repent means turn around. A change of mind or heart. And in as much as we would turn from our sins, we would also turn toward something, or rather, someone. Turn to Christ. Look to him, again, even today. For he brings the opposite of judgment and death. He brings forgiveness, life, salvation. Freely receive the gifts he brings – in word and washing, in bodily bread and wine that is his own blood. Repentance without faith is just despair and sorrow. But repentance with Christ is a movement from death to life. It is the only way to never perish.

You could even say, that in Christ, God repents when it comes to you. Our Psalm for the day, Psalm 85 puts it this way:

You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger. Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us!

Because of Christ, God repents, turns, from his wrath toward you. Because Christ received that wrath, drank that cup, died that death, suffered all for you. The guilt of your sins was mixed with the blood of His sacrifice. The towering load of your sins fell on Him. At the cross, Jesus turned everything around, upside down, inside out. In death bringing life, for you and me and for all.

“Repent!” – means turn from your sin, and believe in Christ, who has done this all for you. And even this repentance is a gift in itself. God works it in us.

Take the parable of the fig tree which follows. God is patient with the tree, as he is patient with us. He plants, waters, fertilizes. Year in and year out, he tends it, looking for fruit. Again and again, he calls to repentance, shows you your sin in His holy law, and shows you your Savior in His blessed Gospel. We are slow learners, a thick-necked stubborn people. But God is patient and merciful, even persistent in his grace.

Sometimes the process is unpleasant – stinking like manure. But the fruit of faith is sweet indeed, when the sinner sees the grace of God in Jesus Christ. And the point is not so much, “get busy making fruit” as it is, “wonder at the patience of the gardener”, whose wrath at your fruitless tree is put away in the tree of the Cross, and the one who was there cut down for you.

Repent or perish! Perhaps a summary of the Christian faith itself. Repent or perish! Words to live by, for we only live in the words of Christ our Lord. Turn from sin, turn to Christ, and live. Amen.

Sermon - Lent Midweek - "Judas and Christ"

Sermon – Lent Mid-week – February 27^th, 2013

Benediction Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, WI

Luke 22:7-38

“Judas and Christ”

There's hardly a greater insult than to call someone a “Judas”. Betrayer. Turn-coat. Backstabber. The one who sold our Lord Jesus down the river, into the hands of those who would kill him. Mommas don't name their children “Judas” very often. For thirty pieces of silver, he gave up the Holy One of God.

And even though Jesus certainly knew it was coming, and allowed it to happen, Christ himself has little good to say about the betrayer. “Woe to that man!” Jesus says. And when he finds them in the garden, with violent men in tow, Jesus laments, “would you betray me with a kiss?”

Judas had seen so much, had been a part of it all. He had seen the miracles, the healings. He had heard the sermons, and the teachings. He was with Jesus for those three years of public ministry. He was even sent out with the rest of the 12 to cast out demons and preach in Jesus' name. All indications are that he was a full-fledged member of the apostles, beleiving, and even presumably, baptized.

But temptation came, and for whatever reason, Judas fell. He was tempted to leave the fellowship of Christ – and his departure from that upper room was emblematic of his forsaking of his faith. Judas felt sorry for his actions, even admitted he betrayed innocent blood, but he ultimately found no comfort in the Gospel. He hanged himself in despair, and Peter later comments, he “went down to where he belongs”, in other words, to damnation.

There but for the grace of God, go I.

Oh we love to wag the finger at naughty Judas, the betrayer, and make ourselves seem better in contrast. He sold Jesus out, but not us. He fell away from Christ, but not us. He was a big fat sinner... but... do we really want to go down that road?

How often have you and I succumbed to temptation, yes, even as Christians? A holy people, a royal priesthood, children of God and heirs of heaven – but still wallowing in the mud of our sins. Still biting and snapping at each other. Still shaking a sinful fist at the creator.

How often have we betrayed our Lord with a kiss? You know the routine – gossip about your neighbor but cloak it in this veneer of true love and concern for the person. Put on the good Christian facade – go to church, pray, do your best to avoid sin – but then wear it all as a prideful badge of honor, “look at how wonderfully Christian I am”.

Confess Christ on Sunday, but unite him with the prostitute, if not in your flesh at least in your mind, and at the computer screen. Smile as if everything is peace, peace, but in your heart it bubbles and seethes with unrighteous indignation.

How often have we betrayed the Lord of truth by giving ear to the sweet-sounding lies of those who preach glory in his name with no cross in sight? Oh, but everyone says he's such a good preacher. It's so uplifting. It's so practical. Let's not get bogged down in all this doctrinal mumbo jumbo. As if Jesus doesn't care about his own teachings.

Steal, lie, cheat... eat, drink, and be merry, and lazy, and angry, and on and on... Every sin is an offense to God. And particularly for the Christian, a betrayal of who we are in Christ. Every sinner is a Judas, turning away from Christ with every impure thought, word, and deed.

Would you, Christian, betray the Son of Man with a kiss? How could you? After all he's done for you, Christian, how can you go on sinning like this? How can you so easily give in to temptation?

What would you say to Judas? After he had betrayed Christ, and as he was standing at the precipe, fashioning his noose. In his despair, having betrayed innocent blood. Having fallen for temptation and fallen under the power of Satan. What would you say? Woe unto him?

What would you say to any sinner facing the gravity of his sins? Repent and believe in Jesus Christ! For Jesus has paid for your sins. Not with 30 pieces of silver or 1000 talents of gold, but with his holy precious blood, and with his innocent suffering and death. Believe in Jesus Christ who came to seek and save the lost, to call enemies to be his friends, and to raise even those dead in sin to life in him.

You see, the word of God and particularly the good news of Jesus Christ is really all there is. It's all there is for the fighting of temptation and the defeat of the evil one – It's all Jesus used in the wilderness, as he kept quoting, “it is written...”. And it's all there is for us – faith in his word – which can quench the darts of the devil – and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God – the only weapon for defeating the foe.

The word of God, and the good news of Jesus Christ is all there is – for comforting lost sinners, for dragging us from the pit of despair, for calling us back from the cliff. Jesus gives hope to the hopeless. Jesus gives love to the loveless. Jesus even forgives all your betrayals and backstabbing and covering of sins with kisses. It's the very reason he goes to the cross. It's the very reason he submits to it all – for you, and even for Judas, had he only believed. Yes, Jesus paid even for the sins of Judas, his betrayer, and so the one who died for the sins of the world can and does even forgive your sins, even today.

The law rightly shows us that we are no better than Judas. But the Gospel offers us a hope that Judas rejected. The promises of God in Jesus Christ are for all – no exclusions – no sinner too sinful for the blood of Jesus to cover. Hitler and Stalin, Jezebel and Judas, sinful you and me – Jesus died for all.

The same Jesus who gives his life as a ransom for many, indeed, for all – is the same Jesus who gives his body and blood in the Holy Supper. We receive these gifts even today. It's notable that even Judas was present as Jesus gave this sacrament. If only he had believed. For the word of Christ says it, given and shed – for you. For the forgiveness of your sins. Not just some, but all of your sins. Not just the little ones. Not just the ones before you believed. Not even only the ones you know. Christ is that good, that merciful, that forgiving.

Let Judas stand for us as a warning of temptation – that even for an apostle of Christ it is possible to fall away, fall into dark sin and deep despair. Watch out! But let him stand even more to remind us of the even deeper love of Christ. Who loved sinners, and still loves sinners, even those who betray him. Even you.

Sermon - Lent 2 - Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon – Reminiscere – February 24^th, 2013

Grace Lutheran Church, Dyer, IN

Matthew 15:21-28

“Feasting in Faith when Yes Looks like No”

I suppose there's a misison theme today in that the Cannaninte woman is an outsider, and at least previously, a pagan – an unbeliever in Christ whom our Lord encounters and helps and saves. He says he is sent only to the sheep of Israel, but shows by his actions that he welcomes all who come in faith. The message of the Gospel, it is clear, is not just for Jews or Germans or Americans, or even for only LCMS Lutherans. The true Israel includes all who believe in Christ, whether in Jerusalem, or Dyer, Indiana or far away Singapore. To that end, even now, He sends pastors to proclaim the word, far and near, to administer his sacraments in every place that His Spirit gathers people, and to give gifts freely as he wills.

You know that old saying about how God answers prayers either with a yes, no, or “wait”. I think of that as I read this passage about the Canaanite woman who comes to Jesus for help with her demon possessed daughter.

Someone else in her shoes might be discouraged when Jesus initially ignored her. Maybe the answer to her prayer was, “not now”. But she persisted. After Jesus finally tells her, “it's not right to take bread from the children and throw it to the dogs”, another might have concluded the prayer was certainly answered, “no”, and move on in disappointment. But this woman persists. She doesn't take the apparent “no” for an answer. Here is the mystery.

Surely Jesus' actions are strange here, putting off this woman at first, calling her a dog, telling her it wasn't right for him to help her.... but take note of the strange persistence of this woman, who apart from the fact that she was asking for a supernatural solution to a supernatural problem, also had a supernatural persistence where others would have given up.

Jesus knows the heart. He knows what people need. He knows her and He knows what He is doing. So, too, he knows you. He knows your needs and problems better than you do. He knows what you think you need, and what you really do. He knows your timetable, but he also knows the “proper time”. And he means to do you good, even when it looks like he is ignoring you, putting you off, or even doing you evil.

And faith knows its object, that is, the Savior. Faith knows the character of this merciful Jesus who comes to help and rescue. Faith looks to Jesus for all good things, for daily bread as well as daily renewed life.

Now you. You have just as much right as this woman to expect good things from God – zero. She was an outsider, a pagan, and surely a sinner. The affliction of her daughter by this demon, who knows what caused it. Who knows what the cause of any calamity or affliction is in this life. But what we deserve for our sins is surely far worse. Your problems may be bigger or smaller. Your suffering may or may not compare. But what you bring to the table is the same – nothing good. Nothing with which to say, “Hey look, God, you owe me one here.”

Oh we try, in our twisted minds, to appeal to our own supposed merit. As if holding our temper for a bit against some annoying person impresses the Lord who is truly slow to anger. Your anger was likely sinful in the first place.

Or as if writing a check to support a good cause shows God how good your heart is, and now, He'll send you some benefit in kind. But just try to hide the darkness bubbling in your heart from the one who knows all. He's not fooled by a donation here and there. You can't pay off the debts you truly owe.

Or maybe you go out of your way for people who never appreciate all you do, day in and day out, quietly suffering their sheer ingratitude – surely God must look at all they put you through and reward you this time. A friend of mine used to say, “Get off the cross, we need the wood”. There is only one whose sacrifice is pleasing to God.

God isn't impressed with your martyrdom, your charity, your patience, or any other supposed merit you bring. Our best works are as filthy rags. Our shining example is a pile of garbage to him. Tainted and corrupted wholly by sin, we are beggars through and through, who can only ask and plead for what we don't deserve. Just like this woman.

Just like a dog, begging at the master's table.

But the dog knows, and the woman knows, and the faithful know – that the master delights in feeding the beggar. He joys to be patient with the sinner, to give heavenly riches to the poor in spirit, and to sacrifice himself for those who bring nothing. Christ goes to the cross for this very reason.

This woman's faith is truly a remarkable example. She doesn't become indignant with Christ, “who does He think He is? Calling me a dog.... we Canaanites were here before those Jews....”. She doesn't appeal to some imagined basis for his help, as if she deserves it - “But Jesus, I've been such a good mother.” Nor does she give up and go away discouraged. She simply persists in trusting the giver of good things for even the smallest crumbs, and finds herself lavishly blessed and fed.

God moves in mysterious ways. At least mysterious to us, fallen sinful people. But somehow, faith “gets” it. A hymn puts it this way, “Behind a frowning countenance faith sees a smiling face”. Behind the apparent “no”, faith sees the “yes” in Christ. You see your sins, but God sees Christ's righteousness. You see death all around you, but the Word says you are alive – and alive forever. You see shame and destruction and chaos and meaninglessness.... but the promises of God stand in the midst of the swirling mess and proclaim a sure, certain, profound truth – that God loves you in Jesus Christ and is busy blessing you now and for eternity. It is a great mystery that things which appear one way, with God, are so often another. Faith hears God's word, and contrary to what the eye can see, faith believes.

And the mystery is also to be eaten and drunk. For under the bread and wine are the most precious gifts of Christ's flesh and blood. Not crumbs from the table, or sips sneaked from the master when he's not looking – but a lavish feast, a spread unlike any other, and a foretaste of the feast to come. Here your sins are forgiven. Here your faith is strengthened. Here you receive Christ, really and truly, for your good.

There is no better remedy for what ails you than Christ. There is no other promise you can rest in, hope you can stand on, or future worth having apart from Christ. And there is no food for your faith but the bread of life that he provides, and the living water he gives to quench the thirsting soul. Jesus is everything.

Even dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the children's table. And even sinners like you, are welcome to feast in faith, in Christ our Lord. Even when it looks like a big “no”, “all the promises of God find their yes in him” (2 Cor 1:20)

Sermon - Ash Wednesday - Amos 1:1-2

Sermon – Ash Wednesday – Amos 1:1-2

Lutheran Chapel of the Cross, Racine, WI

“Shaken”

The words of Amos, who was among the sheep breeders from Tekoa, who perceived events in Israel during the days of Uzziah the king of Judah and the days of Jeroboam ben Joash the king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. He said, “The Lord roars from Zion and from Jerusalem He utters His voice. The shepherds' pastures mourn, and the peak of Carmel withers.” 

What was the most devastating, shocking, earth-shaking moment of your life? A job loss? Maybe the sudden death of a loved one? That day in the doctor's office when you heard the diagnosis? Or the moment when your spouse turns to you and says, “I want a divorce”? You feel the very earth move under your feet as the shockwaves shake you to your core. It's as if, for that one moment, everything comes crashing down.

Where is God in a time like that? Is he angry? Does he forsake us? Does he simply not care about the disaster that befalls his people? Or does he care, but is simply powerless to act?

Questions like these have plagued Christans and non-Christians as long as we have lived in this fallen world. Both figurative and literal earthquakes shake our faith, and cause us to question and wonder why.

The people of Amos' day were about to have their earth shattered. There was an army on the rampage, a world empire on the rise – the Assyrians – a brutal and ruthless conqueror who were soon to lay waste to the northern kingdom of Israel. The 10 Hebrew tribes there were utterly wipted out, and lost to history.

Amos was called to speak a prophetic word, to preach a call to repentance, 2 years before the earthquake. What earthquake? The earthquake that everyone knew was a sign of God's judgment. The literal earthquake that accompanied the roar of his wrath over their sin. And would also accompany that shaking of their world, which would soon come crashing down at the hands of the Assyrians.

I'm reminded of another earthquake. Or at least a building that catastrophically crumbled. Jesus mentioned an event that must have been in the local news. A tower in Siloam, the south part of Jerusalem, fell and killed 18 people. Was this a judgment on their sin? Was God angry with these 18 for some particular offense?

Why do bad things happen? Short answer: sin. But rather than trying to connect the dots between particular sins and particular catastophes, Jesus points us to a better way. Rather than trying to figure out what I did to deserve this misery, or worse, what that other person did to deserve theirs, what should we do instead? What is Jesus' answer? Repent.

“Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:4-5 ESV)

Disasters and calamities, tradgedies and sorrows, suffering and pain – the vale of tears in which we live – for the Christian, should be always a call to repent. Whether the earthquake strikes out of nowhere, or whether we can clearly trace it back to our own sin, the call is still to repent. To turn from sin and turn in faith to Christ. To confess our sins freely, and believe in the one who forgives them always more freely.

And when disaster looms and strikes, when the ground gives way beneath us – all the more reason to turn from it to the sure and certain ground of faith in Christ. For on that day when he faced ultimate sorrow and loss, on that day when the sun darkened, rocks split, and the earth shook... on that day he brought remedy to this fallen creation, this earth which is cursed, and all pain that we bear from sin. “It is finished” he declared. And so it is.

The voice of the Lord roars, the Lion of the tribe of Judah – a voice which roars in judgment over sin, shaking and quaking the very earth. But a voice which also roars in triumph and victory over the foe. Your enemy is vanquished. Your sins are forgiven. And with Christ's resurrection, you too are assured resurrection.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the day perhaps, in which repentance is most clearly in focus for us. The day in which we wear our sins on our sleeve, with the ashes on our foreheads. Dust you are, and to dust you shall return. Repent. Sorrow not over the earthquakes of life, but over your sins. Repent... turn from those sins, put them behind you, and look away – in the opposite direction. Repent and believe in the one who suffers all to redeem you from sin and suffering and even death itself. The one who roars and shakes the earth, but also speaks a quiet and kind word of forgiveness. Go in peace. For you are forgiven.

He does not promise to explain all your suffering. But he does promise hope in the midst of it. He does not promise earthly peace, but a peace that passes understanding. He does not take away the effects of all sin now, but will one day, and forever. When the earth shakes one last time, and then all is peace.

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Sermon - 4th Sunday After Epiphany - Matthew 4:31-44

Sermon – Epiphany 5 – Luke 4:31-44
Trinity Lutheran Church, Menasha, WI
“The Purpose Driven Savior”

What's your purpose? Why are you here? I don't mean why are you here this morning – although, that's a good question, too. Did someone drag you to church? Are you here to do your weekly duty to God? Or did you come to hear an awe-inspiring, magnificently engaging, fantasic and wonderful guest missionary preacher? (Sorry to disappoint you)

 Some years ago a popular book came out, marketed to Christians, “The Purpose-Driven Life”. Perhaps you even read it, too. It spun off a whole cottage industry of purpose-driven paraphanalia, programs and para-church activities. But sadly, at the heart of this book was simply a re-packaging of works-righteousness, an emphasis on what YOU have to do for God, not what God does for YOU in Jesus Christ. What's your purpose?

Related to that, and probably more important, is Jesus' purpose. Why is he here? Why was he sent? Did you know we have a purpose-driven Savior? Jesus tells us exactly why he was sent, and what is his purpose: to preach the good news.

 If you were just reading along in your Bible, and you only had verses 31-37 of today's reading, you might think that Jesus came to cast out demons. And surely, he did enough of that. Word spread throughout the whole countryside that this Jesus of Nazareth had authority over the unclean spirits. He spoke, and they listened. You might think then, that his purpose was to beat down the bad guys. To bully the bullies. To bring justice and set thing right again in the world. Surely, we could use some of that today, even if we aren't possessed by demons, too.

 Or read a bit down, and you might become convinced that Jesus came to heal the sick. For he did a bunch of that, too. Not just Peter's mother-in-law, mind you, but many, with various diseases. This was no trickery, but honest-to-goodness miracle working. I bet any of us over the age of 40 could use some healing – of anything from aches and pains to chronic conditions, heart problems, diabetes, cancer. Is that why Jesus came? To be a miracle worker, the perfect doctor, to take all the pain away?

 The people were impressed with his demon-defeating and disease-healing, but Jesus wasn't. He could have stayed there in Capernaum forever, a resident good-dispenser, but he was clear that his purpose would drive him on. He had to go. There were others to see.

 And notice, he didn't say, “I have other demons to cast out, in the towns” or “Let me go heal some in the countryside, too, for that is why I came”. The miraculous signs, to Jesus, weren't the thing. They weren't the purpose. “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” Preaching the good news of the kingdom. That's his purpose. That's why he was sent.

 Which means we must ask, “well then what is that news?” In Jesus' case, you can't separate the message from the messenger. For who he is and what he does are part and parcel of what he proclaims. He is the king, and the kingdom of God arrives in him. He is the Christ, the Son of God, as even the demons confess. And the Christ is appointed to die. Yes, the good news is that he will die. All of Jesus' preaching and teaching, all of his healings and miracles, all lead up to Jerusalem, to betrayal and arrest, to suffering and condemnation, to the cross.

 And there, too, is God's purpose. He goes to the cross to atone for your sin. To pay for all your pernicous, foul, wickedness. All the nastiness that you think. All the garbage that comes out of your mouth. All the shameful things you do. And me, too. For all this, for all of you, for all the world – his purpose to pay the price. His purpose to save the day, and all days, for all his people. To make the good news that he has proclaimed, and now sends others to proclaim. Some of us will be sent to preach the good news, too. Pastors are sent to their flocks. Missionaries are sent to flocks far away. But the message is the same, the news is just as good – for it's always about the King, the Christ, the Son of God. It's always the message of Christ Crucified for sinners. It's always the same purpose, for the salvation of sinners like us.

 But for all of us - our part, our purpose, is primarily to receive this good news in faith. To hear. To receive. To be baptized. To be fed his body and blood. To passively receive the gifts on his terms, not ours. Our purpose is to be saved, and only in that salvation, to go and do the good works he has already prepared for us to do. These good works, while also commanded, flow from faith itself. These good works, love for our neighbor, are a reflection of the love God shows us first. They are never to be separated from faith, not neglected, but they are not how we are saved. That is only through the work of Christ.

 Why are you in church this morning? I hope it's not cause mom made you come. I hope it's not to be seen wearing your dazzling new Sunday outfit. And I know it's not to hear the famous preacher from Racine. Instead, let your purpose in this place, now and always, be to receive what Jesus gives. To hear what Jesus says, the good news, preached to you, the poor miserable sinner – who by that good news is received as a child of God forever. May your purpose be to hear, to believe, and to live. In Christ, and in love for neighbor, now and ever. Amen.