Blog Archives

Exaudi Sunday (Sunday after the Ascension

5/30/2017

John 15:26-16:4

"They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed the hour will come when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God." Christians suffer. And no I'm not talking about cancer or chronic pain or other physical ailments. Christians suffer persecution. Why? Jesus says, "Because they (that is, those who will persecute you) have not known the Father, nor me."
Christians will suffer for Christ's sake, because the world hates Christ. Our Lord spoke just before the beginning of our Gospel lesson, "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, there will also persecute you." (John 15:18-20a)
The world hates Jesus. The religious leaders, the Romans, the proud; they hated him and killed him. Jesus is quite clear that Christians can expect the same treatment. "If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household." (Matthew 10:25) St. Peter also writes immediately after our Epistle lesson, "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name." (1 Peter 4:12-16)
So not only should Christians not be surprised that they suffer for Christ, but they should count it as a great blessing! In fact, our Lord says, "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:11-12) To suffer for Christ is a mark of persistent faith. And Jesus promises eternal rewards for those who hold true to faith even under suffering. For this reason, the Apostles gave us an example when after they were beaten, "they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name." (Acts 5:41)
But what does it mean to suffer for Christ? It isn't any type of suffering. You don't suffer for Christ when you miss the head of the nail and smash your thumb with a hammer. And you especially don't suffer for Christ if you drink too much and wake up with a hangover. No suffering for Christ is suffering, because you confess Christ as your Lord and Savior.
This happened to the Apostles. Not only were they driven out of the synagogues and temple, they were beaten, stoned, beheaded, and crucified for the name of Christ. And throughout Church history martyrs have shed their blood for Christ. And even today we hear of Christians killed for confessing Christ. Yes, those radical Islamists thought they were doing service to God when they ambushed and killed at least 21 Christians and injured 22 more just this past Friday in Egypt. And we can find similar stories repeated in the news.
But none of you risks getting ambushed and murdered for Christ today, do you? Is your life in danger for confessing Christ or attending Trinity Lutheran Church? By God's grace it appears not. Although we feel compassion for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are murdered across the ocean, we ourselves have been spared such violence. But that does not mean that you will not suffer for the name of Christ.
Are you or your children mocked for being "religious?" Are you afraid to confess Christ or talk about Jesus with your co-workers, friends, or even your family? Are you afraid of being thought of as too strict or rigid in your beliefs? Or feel stupid for having faith in Christ? I'm not trying to give you a victim complex, but rather to make you aware that the world is not your friend. "Friendship with the world is enmity with God," St. James warns. (James 4:4) The reason you feel uncomfortable "wearing your faith on your sleeve" is because the world wants you to keep your faith in Jesus under a bushel, so they don't have to look at it.
Your goal in life should not be to be liked by everyone. In fact it is not a sign that you live a God pleasing life when the most amount of people possible are pleased with you. The world is sinful. People are sinful and inherently hate Christ. And the more you devote your life to Christ and his word the more you will see how at odds the world is with your Christian life. When people tell you not to talk theology, they are telling you that they don't want to hear what Jesus has to say. When coaches schedule sporting events on Sunday mornings, they are telling you that they don't care about your child's faith in Jesus. In fact, they are persecuting your child for believing in Jesus and actively working to steal their faith away by taking them away from God's Word.
You may also be tricked into thinking that you don't have to stand up for morality to be a Christian or that those who suffer for standing against sexual immorality, violence, and covetousness do not suffer for Christ. You absolutely do suffer for Christ for standing up for what is right. You don't have to be forced to deny that a sinner is justified before God by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone to suffer for the sake of Christ. St. John the Baptist suffered for Christ when he was imprisoned and beheaded for telling King Herod he was committing adultery by taking his brother's wife. And St. Peter writes, "For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead." (1 Peter 4:3-5)
When your children are mocked for not going out drinking or for not fornicating, they are persecuted for their faith in Christ. Jesus taught them that drunkenness and sexual immorality are sinful and not the way Christians behave. When you are called a bigot or hateful for standing on the truth that marriage is a lifelong union between one man and one woman for the purpose of chastity, companionship, and children under God and that fornication and homosexuality are sinful, you are persecuted for your faith in Christ.
Jesus says, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Matthew 16:24) But you don't get to choose your cross. You don't get to choose why people hate you or get mad at you. I don't think any of us would choose having to defend marriage in the current culture as our cross. So don't go looking for crosses. And certainly do not try to pick fights or be mean to people, thinking that if they retaliate you've earned your cross. If you do what is right, you will most likely find a cross weighing on your shoulder.
You're going to suffer for confessing Christ. You'll be hated for claiming that your faith is true and all contrary confessions are false. You will be hated for living a morally upright life, fearing and trusting in God. You will be slandered and maligned for being a Christian. And so you need help and comfort. Thank God Jesus promises this help. "But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning." (John 15:26-27)
However, the help Jesus offers isn't the help we would first expect. People are earthly creatures. Even after being renewed by the Holy Spirit, we still get bogged down with earthly concerns. When we cry to God for help we want him to fix our physical problems. "If God will take away pain from my body, then I will be ready to receive Spiritual comfort." Or we expect that God will comfort us by removing persecution from us. But that is not how God works. Much to the frustration of our old Adam, the Holy Spirit doesn't find our physical suffering as his top priority.
Now this is not to say that the Holy Spirit is not concerned with your physical suffering. No, in fact he has more concern for your physical suffering than you do. God loves you more than you love yourself. Rather the Holy Spirit knows what you need more than you know what you need. You think you need relief from physical suffering. You think you need the persecution you experience for your faith removed from you. But the Holy Spirit knows what you need. And he knows that suffering can intensify your faith in him. Rather, the Holy Spirit comforts and helps you by testifying of the truth of your confession in Christ.
When John the Baptist languished in prison before he was beheaded, he sent messengers to Jesus. Jesus did not comfort him by breaking him free. Rather, he testified of the truth of what John preached that he was indeed the Christ promised by Scripture to bring good news to the poor. The Holy Spirit did not neglect to testify of the truth of St. Peter's confession as the Apostle was crucified upside down for confessing Christ. And the Holy Spirit was certainly not absent from those Egyptian Christians as bullets from the guns of Islamic terrorists riddled their vehicles and their bodies. Indeed the Helper comforted them by testifying that their faith in the Crucified One is true and that their death is precious in the sight of their Lord.
Christ is clear what his priority is. "I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away." Jesus doesn't want you to lose your faith and fall away from his flock. The way he keeps you in his flock is through the preaching of his word and the administration of his Sacraments. When you hear the truth of the Gospel, that Jesus the God-man bore all your sins on the cross and you stand blameless before the throne of God, the Holy Spirit strengthens you to bear persecution. When you receive the true body and blood of Christ, which was given and shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins, the Holy Spirit testifies to your soul that nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Through the assurance of Christ's love you can confess with St. Paul, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." (Romans 8:18)
The Holy Spirit testifies to you that you are at peace with God. Your sins are forgiven. You do not need to be ashamed. Your faith in Christ is true and not in vain. This is the comfort that you need when you suffer for being a Christian. This is the testimony that causes you to pray with King David, "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1)
And rest assured that your God also cares about all your physical suffering. Not only can he relieve your suffering in this life, but much more certainly, the Holy Spirit testifies that you will rise from the dead in your body. There is nothing this world can take away from you that God will not return to you one-hundred fold.
So take courage, dear Christians. Fight the good fight. Confess Christ in your words and in your deeds. And you will not be put to shame. Amen.

0 Comments

Ascension Day 2017

5/30/2017

0 Comments

Jesus ascended into heaven and they saw him no more. Doesn't that sound like sad news? Wouldn't it have been nice if Jesus would have stuck around. Wouldn't our faith be stronger if we could see with our eyes our Savior in his risen body, yet still bearing the beautiful marks of the nails on his hands and feet, which proclaim "forgiveness won!"? And yet we celebrate this evening the Ascension of our Lord. But it is something to celebrate!
Christ Jesus himself said, "I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you." (John 16:7) And so Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to comfort us with the Gospel. Jesus sat down at the right hand of God the Father. This means that Jesus is out of sight, but it does not mean that Jesus is far away from us. The right hand of God is not some geographical place up in the sky. It is God's right hand of power. It means Jesus has taken his rightful place as Ruler over all creation. He is still a human being, but he is no longer in his state of humiliation. He is not limited by his humanity in his ability to be with us and help us. So Jesus at the Father's right hand still rules his Church on earth, shepherding his sheep.
St. Paul writes to the Ephesians, "[God] raised [Christ] from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all." (Ephesians 1:20-23)
Christ Jesus rules his Church today. St. Mark writes that after Jesus sat down at the right hand of God, "they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them." You see, Jesus is out of sight, but he still remains with his Church, working with the preaching of the word. Where there is the preaching of the Gospel, there is Jesus, as he himself says in Matthew 28, "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
This is why St. Luke records that after Jesus was carried up into heaven, the disciples, "worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God." (Luke 24:52) Jesus is still with his Church. He is her head. Without him, she does not exist. He still causes her to grow. He still works with his ministers today in converting unbelievers and forgiving sins.
Through his ascension, our Lord Jesus showered gifts upon his Church. St. Paul again writes to the Ephesians, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.... And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints, for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God." (Ephesians 4:8-13)
From the Father's right hand Jesus rules his Church and causes her to grow. He still sends his Holy Spirit today, who works through Christ's shepherds and teachers for the building up of the body of Christ. And how does Jesus rule? Our risen Lord commanded his disciples before he ascended to his throne, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."
By the power of the proclamation of the Gospel Jesus rules. When the pastor proclaims the forgiveness of sins won by Christ, he does not speak on his own authority. Jesus himself forgives the sins of the penitent. By the power of Baptism Jesus rules. When a pastor baptizes a baby, the child is clothed with Christ himself and becomes an heir of the kingdom of God. Jesus rules through the Sacrament of this body and blood. When the pastor says, "Take, eat. Take, drink. Our Lord invites you to eat and drink for the forgiveness of sins. God's right hand does not keep your Lord from coming to you to feed you the food of immortality. Jesus does the work. Your faith receives the work.
Jesus did the work. "It is finished," he said from the cross. All sins have been washed away in his blood. God's wrath against sinners has been completely satisfied. And Christ's resurrection and ascension to the Father prove this. There is no work left for Christ to do in his bodily ministry on earth to save sinners. All is accomplished. There remains nothing for sinners to do to save themselves, Christ has accomplished it all. The only work left to be done is to gather Christ's sheep to him. This is done through the preaching of the Gospel, through Baptism, and receiving Christ's body and blood in faith. .
And see how successful Jesus' rule is. When he roamed around Israel he gathered crowds, sure. He fed 5,000 men, not including women and children. They all heard him preach salvation. To how many does Jesus preach today? The Missouri Synod alone has an estimated 2.2 million members. And the Lutheran church throughout the world measures in many more millions. And despite the devil's best efforts, the Gospel of the free forgiveness of sins for Christ's sake is still proclaimed even within heterodox churches throughout the world, adding millions and millions more to Jesus' flock. So when Jesus was on earth he preached to many thousands at one time. Now he preaches to millions. You tell me that Jesus' ascension isn't for the good of the Church or that Jesus doesn't rule from his Father's throne.
Christ's command to preach the gospel itself is a proclamation that Jesus has done all that is necessary to save every sinner. First, Jesus does not say, "Preach the gospel to Jews and Western Europeans." He doesn't say, "Preach to some nations, I'll tell you which ones to avoid." No, Jesus says, "Go out into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." There is not a human being to whom Jesus does not intend his disciples to preach the Gospel. And this is a very important point. If Jesus does not exclude anyone from the proclamation of the Gospel, that means that there isn't anyone for whom Jesus did not die and rise.
So take yourself. Is the gospel meant for you? Well, are you in the world? Are you a creature? Did not Jesus command that the gospel be preached to you? Is the gospel not the free forgiveness of sins won by Christ's death and resurrection? Well, then the Gospel is for you isn't it? "But I've committed some terrible sins. I lust. I covet. I speak poorly about my neighbor. I've done and said and thought things that ought not be repeated." Okay, then repent. And believe the Gospel. Jesus commanded that the Gospel be preached to you. He would not have made such a command if he did not intend for you to believe that God finds favor in you through the blood of Christ.
And Jesus did not command his disciples saying, "whoever follows my law perfectly will be saved." But rather, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved." Jesus has accomplished all that is necessary for salvation. All that remains necessary for you to be saved is to believe the Gospel and be baptized.
You might say, "well, yes, I believe. But I still sin. I sin against my God every day!" St. Paul says in response, "Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us." (Romans 8:34) And St. John writes, "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:1-2) While Jesus rules his Church from the throne of his Father's right hand, pouring his Holy Spirit into us through his word and Sacraments, even now he intercedes for us. He intercedes for you, constantly showing his scars of salvation to the Father, proclaiming your ransom paid, your innocence won.
The angels told the disciples that Jesus would come in the same way they saw him go into heaven. And so we confess today, "From thence he will come to judge the living and the dead." This is a message of urgency. No one knows when the master will return. And so we must repent now and believe now. St. Mark writes, "Whoever does not believe will be condemned." Just as the gospel is for all people, so the rejection of the gospel means condemnation for all people. There is not one soul, who does not need the forgiving blood of Jesus. And so we should not act as if our master is far away and won't return. He will return. And he will come with judgment. His winnowing fork is in his hand and he will throw the chaff into the unquenchable fire. Do not wait until tomorrow to repent and believe. Repent of your sins now. Believe in the Gospel now. And continue to hear God's word and receive his Sacrament, so that you will be ready at his return.
And while Jesus' return does give us a sense of urgency and it is a solemn warning to those who persist in their sins and unbelief, for you who have faith in Christ, it is a message of comfort. It means that the sins and temptations that beat you down every day will pass away. Your aches and pains will be a forgotten memory. When he returns Jesus says to lift up your head for your redemption is coming near. (Luke 21:28) And St. Paul writes, "Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:8)
And so even as we rest assured that Christ does still rule his Church, even from his throne in heaven, we still look forward to that glorious day when he will return as he went. On Christ's ascension we now build the hope of our own ascension. On that day of his return our faith will turn to sight. Our sorrows will turn to joy. And we will see him as he is, for we will be like him in his righteous glorious state. And we too will ascend to meet our Lord in the glory of God the Father. (1 Thessalonians 4:17) Come Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen.

0 Comments

Rogate (Easter 6) Sermo/ Confirmation Sunday: Jesus Invites Us to Pray

5/22/2017

0 Comments

John 16:23-30

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full." Our Lord Jesus Christ has given you a promise that God will answer your prayers. That's awesome. When the Israelites were dying from venomous snake bites they had to ask Moses to pray to the LORD for them. But not you. You can ask God directly! Your Savior Jesus says, "In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God." So you see that it is by faith in Jesus Christ that you have the promise to pray directly to God and have the assurance that you will receive whatever you ask for.

Jesus Christ won this privilege for you by coming from the Father to earth, joining our human race, dying for our sins, and returning to the Father alive. It's all about what Jesus has done. That's why you can pray with certainty. This means that your sins cannot disqualify you from prayer nor will God ignore your prayers, because of your sins. It is a lie of the devil that you are unworthy to pray or that God will not hear you. When you feel least worthy to pray, that is when you need to pray all the more! And your heavenly Father hears your prayers and answers them, not because of your worthiness, but because of Christ. Therefore, if you have faith in Christ, you are worthy to pray and God hears your prayers gladly. So if you are tempted or fall into a horrible sin or doubt, that is not a time to hide from God, but to run to him in prayer. He will hear you.

St. James says not to be hearers of the word only, but doers. Prayer is the word in action. You have the right to pray to God through faith. Faith comes from hearing the word of God. Your prayers and God's word are inseparably linked. God's Word gives you Jesus. Your prayers and Jesus are inseparably linked. If you have Jesus, your prayers will be answered.

Not only do you have the promise that your prayers are effective, but you have the command to pray. Pray without ceasing.

So you know that you have the promise that God will hear and answer your prayers. You know you have the command to pray. So, what should you pray for? Well, we already know that prayer cannot be separated from God's word and faith in God's word. So it's a good idea to ask God what to pray for. And your dear Lord Jesus has taught you a prayer, the Lord's Prayer. In the Lord's prayer we make seven petitions directly to God our Father. Every request a Christian makes in prayer fits into one of these petitions in the Lord's Prayer. The first three petitions specifically address the needs of the confirmands today.

The first petition is, "Hallowed be thy name." In other words, "Let your name be holy among us, O Lord." How is God's name kept holy? You were all taught, "God's name is kept holy when the word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we, as the children of God, also lead holy lives according to it. Help us to do this, dear Father in heaven! But anyone who teaches or lives contrary to God's Word profanes the name of God among us. Protect us from this, heavenly Father!"

Sam, Thane, Olivia, Matthew, and Zack, in your vows this morning you will confess to believe in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as he is confessed in the Apostles Creed, and that the prophetic and apostolic Scriptures, that is, the Old and New Testaments of the Bible are the true Word of God. And you will confess that what you were taught from the Bible and from the Small Catechism drawn from the Bible is faithful and true. When you pray, "hallowed be thy name" in the Lord's Prayer, you are asking that God will provide you with faithful pastors who will teach what you here confess to be true. And you pray that you would actually listen to what is preached and taught to you and that you would believe it.

It matters what you believe. Despite what you may learn elsewhere, there is such a thing as truth. God's word is truth. Jesus is truth. You have a real Creator, there is a real heaven and a real hell. You have real sins, the wages for which are death and hell. You need a real Savior. So the truth matters. What you have been taught and what you are confessing before God and man this morning is the truth. Jesus Christ is true God, the second Person in the Holy Trinity. He is also true man, sharing in your flesh and blood, yet without sin. Jesus took your place under the law and he loved perfectly. Yet he died for your hatred and sin. This is true. This is what your faith depends on.

Your faith depends on the truth. That means that you need to hear the truth, so that you can believe and confess the truth. When you pray, "Hallowed be thy name" you are praying that God would grant you the grace to keep your confirmation vows and to confess the truth unto your dying day.

Your prayers depend on the truth of God's Word. If what you believe is false, then how do you know whether God loves you? How do you know if Jesus has reconciled you to the Father? How do you know if God will answer your prayers? And so you pray, "hallowed be thy name" for the sake of your prayers, so that you may know that God does hear them and answer them.

This is why you learned the Small Catechism by heart. Your memory work wasn't some mindless assignment. I didn't assign it to you kids, because my pastor assigned it to me when I was younger and his pastor assigned it to him and so forth throughout the generations and we're all afraid to fall from tradition. The Small Catechism teaches you the basics of the Christian faith drawn from the Bible. The Small Catechism is not a textbook. It is a prayer book. That is why we recite it together as a congregation. You should recite at least a portion of your Catechism everyday as part of your prayers. And when you have a family, you should recite it to them, teach it to your children, and pray it with them. The Small Catechism teaches you the truth of God's Word. God answers your prayer, "Hallowed be thy name" by you praying the Catechism. That is where you learn who God is, what his Law and Gospel are, how to pray, and where to find Jesus. Keep your Catechism by your bedside. Pray a portion of it every night before you go to bed. And God's name will be hallowed among you.

Thy kingdom come. God's kingdom certainly comes without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may come to us also. How does God's kingdom come? You learned, "God's kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity." The confirmands will be asked, "Do you intend to hear the Word of God and receive the Lord's Supper faithfully?" They will answer, "I do, by the grace of God." Whenever you pray, "thy kingdom come" in the Lord's prayer, you pray that God would give you the grace to keep this vow. How does God's kingdom come to you? Through his Word. The Holy Spirit will come to these confirmands through the holy Word of God, to create faith and guide them in the way of truth.
The Third Commandment is, "Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and his word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it." This of course means that when you skip church, neglecting to hear the preaching of God's word or to learn it, you are breaking the Third Commandment and sinning. That is serious in and of itself.

But there's actually something even greater than that. God's kingdom comes through his Word. The Holy Spirit comes through God's Word. God answers your prayer, "Thy kingdom come" by preaching God's Word and sending you his Holy Spirit in church! So breaking this vow by not going to church is not only a sin, but it is damaging to your faith and goes against your prayer, "Thy kingdom come." When you pray, "Thy kingdom come" you are praying that God will either get you to church or get God's word to you in some other way if you are physically incapable of going. When God's kingdom comes to you through his Word, your faith is increased, you become more sure of your salvation and more confident in your prayers.

Finally, the Third Petition: Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Well, what is God's will? "God's will is done when He breaks and hinders every evil plan and purpose of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature, which do not want us to hallow God's name or let His kingdom come; and when He strengthens and keeps us firm in His Word and faith until we die. This is His good and gracious will."

The confirmands will be asked, "Do you intend to live according to the Word of God, and in faith, word, and deed to remain true to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, even to death?", and, "Do you intend to continue steadfast in this confession and Church and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it?" And to both questions they will answer, "I do, by the grace of God." Now why are we asking kids to keep this faith and to live according to God's Word even to death? Is it appropriate to ask such a question? To death? Yes, it is. Why is it appropriate? Because it is God's good and gracious will that these five youths reject all evil plans of the devil, the world, and their sinful nature and hold fast to God's word in faith, trusting in Jesus Christ unto life everlasting.

It is God's will that you be baptized and believe the Gospel. It is God's will that you go to church and hear his word and believe it. It is God's will that you continue to read and learn your catechism and grow in faith each day. It is God's will that you trust in the cleansing blood of Jesus, shed for you to wash away your sins. It is God's will that you receive Jesus' body and blood in the Sacrament for the forgiveness of sins and the strengthening of faith. It is God's will that you pray to him often, alone, with your family, with the church, night and day, when you are afraid, when you are brave, at all times. This is his good and gracious will.

In confirmation class you have learned that God loves you. You have learned to be confident in your salvation, because Jesus cannot fail. And you have learned to be confident to pray. You're not done learning. And Jesus is not done teaching you. He will continue to teach you to pray through his Word and Sacraments until all your prayers are finally answered and your joy is full.

Amen.

0 Comments

Cantate: Easter 5: The Spirit of Truth Guides You in the Way of Truth

5/17/2017

0 Comments

John 16:5-15

"Now to My Father I depart,
From earth to heav'n ascending,
And, heavn'ly wisdom to impart,
The Holy Spirit sending;
In trouble He will comfort you
And teach you always to be true
And into truth shall guide you."

So did Martin Luther paraphrase our dear Lord, Jesus Christ from our Gospel lesson. It's the night he will be betrayed. But Jesus does not leave his disciples alone. He gives them the promise of the Paraclete, translated as the Helper our lesson or in some Bibles, the Comforter. The Paraclete is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth. When Jesus returns to his Father after his crucifixion and resurrection, he will send the Holy Spirit to guide his disciples, indeed, his entire Church in the way of truth. They will not be left alone. Jesus' earthly ministry is drawing to a close, but his work of drawing his sheep unto him is not complete. The Holy Spirit will continue this work.

Now, since we don't talk about him as often as we do about the Father and the Son, we need to remember who the Holy Spirit is. He is not an it. He's not some mindless force. He is the Third Person in the Trinity, God Himself! He proceeds from the Father and the Son from eternity. And Jesus sends him to you, to be your helper, to comfort you, to guide you.

The tool the Holy Spirit uses to guide you is his Word, the Holy Scriptures. St. Paul writes, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness..." (2 Timothy 3:16) and St. Peter agrees, "No prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:20-21) The Holy Spirit works through this Word, as it is read, preached, taught, sung, prayed, and spoken in the Sacraments to guide Christ's sheep into the way of truth.

And yet there is hardly anything more despised in all the world than the Word of God, either by omission or commission. Most completely disregard God's Word as if it's some dusty old piece of literature like Moby Dick or Great Expectations (certainly not something that applies to your day to day life!). Others actively attack it, denying it's truth, calling good evil and evil good. Yes, the Holy Spirit is certainly despised by this generation. And even among the Christians, many have become pessimistic concerning the Holy Spirit's powers and have rendered him impotent.

But the Holy Spirit is not impotent neither is his Word powerless. This isn't the first stiff-necked generation the Holy Spirit has worked on. He's been doing this a long time. It was the work of the Holy Spirit that spread Christianity around the globe from a little speck in the Middle East. Our ancestors were tree worshipers when he met them. Yet with the power of the Word he turned their hearts to Christ!

Jesus says the Holy Spirit works by convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.
Concerning sin, because they do not believe in Christ. The root of all sin is unbelief. Adam and Eve bit of the forbidden fruit, because they didn't believe God. And without faith it is impossible to do anything but sin. The author to the Hebrews writes, "without faith it is impossible to please [God]." (Hebrews 11:6) and St. Paul writes, "whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." (Romans 14:23)

Indeed, unbelief is the damnable sin! Jesus says, "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." (John 3:17-18)

And so the Holy Spirit confronted pagan Greeks and barbarian tree worshiping Germans and Norwegians and whatever your ancestors were. He confronted them through the Apostles and men, who never even met an Apostle, yet they were armed with the same unfailing word. And the pagans left their idols of silver and gold and our ancestors abandoned their dumb gods made of wood and silly myths and they followed Christ. The Holy Spirit convicted them of their sin of unbelief and they repented and believed in Jesus. And the same Holy Spirit comes to convict you and me and all the poor souls of our communities, who do not know Christ.

The Holy Spirit convicts the world of righteousness, because Jesus ascended to his Father. Now wait a minute! How does the Holy Spirit convict the world of righteousness? I thought the Holy Spirit convicted the world of sin! Because Jesus fulfilled all righteousness, for everyone. Jesus bore our sins on the cross and not our sins only, but the sins of the whole world. There is no transgression for which Jesus did not pay its price in full with his precious blood. That is why the only damnable sin that remains is unbelief. That Jesus goes to his Father by way of the cross and grave wins for us righteousness and salvation; real, not phony righteousness and salvation for the whole world. There is no human being for whom Jesus did not win righteousness and salvation. So the Holy Spirit convicts the world of righteousness. Yet, as long as the world does not believe in Christ, the world remains in its sin. The only way for anyone to escape sin, and death through sin, is through faith in Jesus Christ.

Of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. Satan is an interesting creature. He's the author of sin and yet he poses as a judge. He accuses you of sin; sins for which you have long repented; sins, which were washed away in the blood of Christ in your Baptism; sins that were cleansed from your flesh when you partook of Christ's holy body and blood in the Sacrament. Satan completely disregards the Gospel and he pronounces judgment for sin on you and all Christians. And he does it to God's face! But the Holy Spirit confronts Satan and judges him.

St. John records, "And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the world- he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, 'Now salvation and the power of the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ has come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accused them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death." (Revelation 12:9-11)

And so the Holy Spirit confronts Satan and judges him every time one of you dear Christians receives Jesus in faith. When you believe the Gospel you conquer Satan with the blood of Christ, the Lamb of God.

And this is how the Holy Spirit guides you today. His words give you Christ's blood, that conquering balm. And it is through his Word that the Holy Spirit helps you, comforts you, and guides you.

The Holy Spirit, who hovered over the waters at the creation of the world, bringing order to chaos is the same Spirit who intercedes for your unintelligible prayers and gives them meaning. He puts Jesus' words on your tongue, "Our Father" and "Thy will be done." And so the Holy Spirit teaches you to pray with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, King David, and the Apostles.

The Holy Spirit gives you righteous anger. "For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God." (James 1:20) Being passionate is only a virtue if it is brought forth by the word of truth. The Holy Spirit gives you passion to defend the truth of God's Word, to reject what is evil, to cling to what is good, to confess Christ, and to do all this by listening diligently to God's Word, speaking slowly, and being slow to anger, even as our Father in heaven is patient with us.

The Holy Spirit prepares praise from your lips; praise that can only come from a faithful heart washed clean in Jesus' blood. And so you sing to the Lord a new song, because his Holy Spirit has revealed to you the righteousness Christ won for you.

Today is Mothers' Day. It's not a church holiday, but it's certainly a Christian thing to show honor to our mothers and our wives, who bore our children. Mothers are God's gift to children. Their bodies are the first sanctuary for their children and at the pain of death they bring forth new life. They nurture their children physically and emotionally in a way no other human being can. And yet, it is of the utmost importance for each mother to remember her children's spiritual nutrition. Just as a father must lead his children to know their Heavenly Father, so must each mother bring her children to their heavenly Mother. Your heavenly Mother is the holy Christian Church, as St. Paul writes, "But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother." (Galatians 4:26)

And so a Christian mother brings her children up in the church where the Holy Spirit is hard at work, giving new spiritual birth to her children, nursing them with spiritual milk that wells up into eternal life, disciplining, instructing, and protecting, just as a true mother does.

The greatest mother ever to live was the Virgin Mary, the mother of our dear Lord. Yet, when a pious woman declared to Jesus, "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!" Jesus replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" (Luke 11:27-28) And every Christian mother knows this. And so that is how we should honor our Christian mothers today and everyday. Keep the word of God. Let the Holy Spirit work in you to comfort and help you. Demonstrate that the Holy Spirit worked through your Christian mother when she told you the Gospel, read you Bible stories, prayed with you, sang hymns with you, and brought you to church, and you will honor her before God.

And finally the Holy Spirit glorifies our Lord Jesus Christ by how he comforts you. He takes what belongs to Christ and he gives it to you. What belongs to Christ? The kingdom. Sonship. Eternal life. A right standing before God. All that belongs to Christ, which he has received from his Father the Holy Spirit gives to you through faith. You receive it by believing his Word. And this glorifies Christ and it glorifies the Father and it comforts you with the peace that surpasses all understanding. May the Holy Spirit continue to guide us in the way of truth and may we continue to hear and believe him until we join Christ with the Father in his glory.
Amen.

0 Comments

Jubilate Easter 4:A Little While: Sorrow Turned to Joy

5/8/2017

0 Comments

John 16:16-23

May 7, 2017

Our Lord Jesus is a master teacher. Just look at how well he explains to his disciples what he means by "a little while." "When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world." It's hard to find physical suffering greater than the labor that accompanies a baby's birth. And you'll be hard pressed to find such joy as to hold your newborn child in your arms.  And so Jesus teaches his disciples that "a little while" means that they will have sorrow, but their sorrow will turn to joy.

Jesus will himself experiences this "little while." He is the only man in human history who truly knows the pain a woman experiences in childbirth. Yet he has experienced an even greater pain and likewise an even greater joy. For a little while our Lord suffered. In the garden with bloody sweat he prayed that if possible his Father would take away this cup. But the Father answered, in a little while your sorrow will turn to joy. And so our Lord suffered abuse, crucifixion and death. He suffered the abandonment from his eternal Father and the punishment for all sins. Yet in a little while he broke death's iron chains and rose victoriously and joyfully from the tomb.

The disciples too experienced this little while. They watched their Lord be taken away from them into the darkness by a band of thugs and for a little while he was out of sight. For a little while he hung on the cross and then laid in the tomb the heavy stone shutting their Lord away from them for what they thought would be forever. For a little while they hid behind locked doors afraid of their Jewish countrymen. But after that while of fear and distress Jesus appeared to them alive and their sorrow gave way to joy. Yet Jesus didn't stay with them. After forty days he ascended into heaven and left his disciples again for a little while. For a little while they faced persecution from the Jews, persecution from the Romans, stonings, imprisonments, shipwrecks, beheadings, crucifixions, and exiles. For a little while these disciples had sorrow. But their sorrow was turned to joy.

The disciples are great examples to us of this "little while." For a little while they are away from Christ and they suffer. They long to be released from this suffering and be united with Christ. St. Paul writes, "My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better." (Philippians 1:23) And yet he knew that God was using him to minister to his Church on earth. And so St. Paul teaches us, "to live is Christ, and to die is gain." And so we Christians learn how to endure the little while as we suffer and not lose sight of the great joy that is to come.
St. Peter writes in our Epistle lesson, "For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps." (1 Peter 2:21) And so Christians suffer. A student is not better than his teacher. Christ suffered. So did his apostles. So too will we suffer.

The worst kind of suffering is to suffer for doing wrong. There is no reward in that. To suffer for doing wrong is not to suffer as a Christian, but to bear the consequences of your own sin. We should all try to avoid such suffering. It is far better to suffer for doing what is right.

When Christians suffer for doing what is right they follow in Christ's footsteps. Christ did the works of his Father and for it he was crucified. When we do the works of our Father in heaven we can expect hatred from the world. When you teach your children sexual morality according to Scripture you will be called a bigot. When you confess that abortion kills a child and hurts a woman you will be called hateful. When you confess that Christ Jesus died for our sins and faith in Christ is the only way to salvation, you will be called closed minded. Now these words are far from the stones, blades, and wild beasts that met our fore-bearers of the faith, but words still hurt. And words are persuasive. Do not be persuaded away from this true faith. Endure the suffering. It only lasts a little while.

St. Paul compares the Christian to an athlete. St. Paul disciplined his body and kept it under control, so that he would not after preaching to others be disqualified. Many of us understand this. A runner runs a race, but gets winded during the last one hundred meters. It doesn't matter that he's lead the whole race. He doesn't finish first. I remember losing a wrestling match in double overtime. My opponent escaped with one second left on the clock. If I had hung on one more second I would have won. But I didn't. I let the exhaustion get to me. And so the devil, world, and your own flesh will try to exhaust you. But your Lord says, "in a little while your sorrow will turn to joy."

St. Paul writes, "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed..." (2 Corinthians 4:8-9) We suffer hatred and judgment from the world for confessing Christ, for practicing what Jesus has taught us to practice in church, at home, at school, and work. But God does not let us be destroyed. Rather, he reminds us that "this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond comparison." (2 Corinthians 4:17)

When you suffer as a Christian you may desire to depart from this body and be at home with the Lord. All Christians desire this. And as our suffering increases our desire to depart grows greater. And then comes physical suffering. Old age. Death starts giving advances on the wages of sin while your still alive. Your body grows weak. Everything on you hurts. You can't do what you used to do. You can't help the way you used to help. Perhaps you think you've served your purpose. But whether you are young or old, whether you have sorrow because you are persecuted for your faith or you mourn those who have left Jesus' flock, God put you on earth for a reason. God determined to put you here. And he will determine to take you.

The Psalmist says, "Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them." (Psalm 139:9). Yes our years may become difficult as Moses wrote, "For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away." (Psalm 90:9-10) But it is God who decides when we will be born and it is God who decides when we will die.

It is a sin for us to decide who will be born and who will die. This is why abortion is such a great crime that cries up to heaven. And now in our own state there are discussions by lawmakers to make assisted suicide legal. And many kind hearted people, who don't want people to suffer are tricked into thinking this is compassionate. But God does not give us permission to take life. He gives the government the authority to take the life of criminals, but not the authority to kill sick people, because we can't find value in their lives. God finds value in your life. And if you are alive God has a purpose for you to be alive. Even when all your physical powers fail you, your prayers and your example are beneficial to Christ's church. We do not determine the value of life by what we see, but by what God tells us.

You are a Christian. God has a purpose for you here on earth. In a little while, he'll take you home. But for now, "we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10) So whether you are a mother, father, son, daughter, old, young, pastor or layperson, the God who has saved you has you here on earth for a good reason; to love him, to love your neighbor, to confess Christ.

The more I learn of Jesus and his kingdom from Holy Scripture, the more I want to escape this world, to live without sin, without pain, without worry and anxiety, to live with Jesus. But for a little while God has determined to keep me here. To preach God's Word to you and give you God's gifts. To love and care for my wife and children. And to pray for you, for my loved ones, and for anyone who hates me. And so God keeps you here for similar reasons. For a little while anyway, until we die and fly to the Lord or until we rise from the dead and live forever with our risen Lord.

But even during this little while, God gives us joy. Yes, he gives us spouse and children, home and food and stuff. But let's not focus on those lest we turn them into false gods. No, even during this little while that we do not see Jesus, we still get to see him. Not with our own eyes, but by faith. The same night that Jesus told his disciples that in a little while they would not see him and in a little while they would see him he gave them his body and blood to eat and to drink. And he gives us this same meal today. He did this so that we could make it through this little while. For a little while I suffer, but Jesus has given me his body and blood to eat and drink. I'm forgiven and will rise with Christ on the Last Day. For a little while I battle temptation and must repent daily of my sins, but Jesus spoke through his minister and has assured me of the forgiveness of my sins and that he will come again soon.

Jesus does not leave us high and dry. Here we get a foretaste of that unspeakable joy that will come in a little while. Here we get the strength to endure this time that Christ is hidden from our eyes. And until this little while ends Christ will continue to strengthen us through his preaching and Sacrament.

Amen.

0 Comments

<<Previous

"For faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." ~ Romans 10:17

Exaudi Sunday (Sunday after the Ascension

Ascension Day 2017

Rogate (Easter 6) Sermo/ Confirmation Sunday: Jesus Invites Us to Pray

Cantate: Easter 5: The Spirit of Truth Guides You in the Way of Truth

Jubilate Easter 4:A Little While: Sorrow Turned to Joy

Rev. James Preus

Archives

Categories