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

God Grants Us Success by His Word

7/12/2020

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Picture
James Tissot (French, 1836-1902). The Miraculous Draught of Fishes (La pêche miraculeuse), 1886-1896. brooklynmuseum.org, No Known Copyright Restrictions
Trinity 5  
Luke 5:1-11 
July 12, 2020 
 
Throughout the second half of the 20th century, the Church Growth Movement engulfed the Christian Church in America. The Church Growth Movement seeks to grow the church by using sociological and behavioral science, which means, they use marketing tactics, which focus on potential church members as consumers. Countless books were written and programs were employed that promised congregational growth and success in the mission field by focusing on people: what they want; what they feel like they need. Ironically, as churches around the country employed these Church Growth measures, Christians throughout the church practiced measures to restrict growth of their own families (largely in pursuit of material gain), which of course meant Christians were bringing fewer children to church. As the church sought to satisfy the desires of the people, the people sought to satisfy their own desires, whether that involved church attendance or not. And now, after well over half a century of concerted effort by the Church Growth Movement, the Christian Church in America has shrunk dramatically. Far fewer people attend a Christian service on a regular basis. Yes, some congregations experienced isolated and sporadic growth, and megachurches have become a regular site around the country. But the number of practicing Christians has dwindled in our land steadily over the past two generations. The Church Growth Movement failed.  
Yet, that does not mean the Church Growth Movement died or that churches stopped trying to morph themselves to match the changing desires of the fickle masses. Churches continue to find ways to get people to attend apart from preaching the pure Gospel that all people need. People know better than God much like children know better than their parents. If we can turn evangelism into a science, we’ll worship our science instead of believe the clear words of Jesus. We will make idols of our own intelligence instead of listening and believing what Jesus says.  
Simon Peter was an experienced fisherman. He made his living on Lake Gennesaret. He’d toiled all night trying to catch fish, and he got skunked. He had nothing to show for his labor. When Jesus came to preach from his boat, he was cleaning his nets for storage. He’d given up working for the day. Yet, after Jesus finished preaching God’s word to the people, Jesus tells Peter to push out into the deep and drop the nets down for a catch. Peter knows that this won’t work. It’s the wrong place and the wrong time. He even explains to Jesus that they had already labored all night when one could expect to catch fish. Yet, Peter shows remarkable faith. He says, “At your word, I will let down the nets.” And as we just heard, they caught such a large catch of fish that their nets began to break and both of their boats began to sink! And this illustrates to us how God’s Word is superior to our intellect.  
The word of God is foolishness to those who think they are wise. And the greatest word of God, which is the power of salvation to all who believe, is that Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the whole world. Jesus’ crucifixion earns for us eternal life! This is folly to the Greeks. This is a stumbling block to the Jews. But to those who believe (both Jews and Greeks), this is the righteousness of God! God chose what is foolish to shame the wise and what is weak to shame the strong. It is the word of the cross of Christ which saves, despite what our intellect and life experience tells us.  
We are a proud people. We boast of great achievements in science and technology. We’ve split the atom. We’ve landed men on the moon! We’ve sequenced the genome of the coronavirus so to pursue treatments at a rapid pace. How can we believe in a God, who created the world in six days by the power of his word? How can we believe that God became man and that his death on the cross could make atonement for our sins? How can we believe that water poured on the head of a baby while the pastor says a few words could do anything, but get the kid’s hair wet? How can we believe that bread and wine could be the body and blood of a man who lives in heaven? These are not things that scientific people believe! These statements go against our experience and reason! Yet, Peter was an experienced man. He knew what he was doing. And he believed Jesus’ word over his own experience. And in so doing, he experienced the power of God.  
As we use our reason and our experiences, we must remember that it is God who gave us our reason and our senses. We may have split the atom, but God created the atom and engineered the entire universe. We may have landed some people on the moon, but God created the moon and set it on its orbit around the earth, so that our planet could sustain life with perfectly orchestrated seasons. We may be able to dissect genomes, but God is the one who designed life in all its forms. He is our Father, who created us. His word is more trustworthy than our reason.  
Sometimes God humbles us in order for us to learn to trust in him. Farmers are smart people. They need to be biologists, mechanics, economists, and accountants all in the same day. They learn these skills through experience. Yet, no matter how much experience the farmer has or how much he labors, it is God who provides the growth. And whatever your source of income is, this is an important lesson to learn. “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. … It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.” (Psalm 127:1-2) 
Peter labored all night trying to catch fish, but he got nothing. Why? Was he a bad fisherman? No. Everyone who labors knows that your labor does not necessarily result in success. And God withholds success from us at times, so that we remember that it is not actually our labor that feeds us, but God himself. God opens his hands and satisfies the desires of every living thing. He is the one who feeds your children and provides for their needs. Jesus tells us to look at the birds of the air, who neither toil, nor spin, nor gather into barns, and yet our heavenly Father feeds them all. How much more valuable are we than some birds! Yes, God commands that we must work. We must eat our bread by the sweat of our brow. But it is God who provides for our needs. And while learning this lesson can be painful and worrisome as you try to crunch the numbers to see how you’ll make ends meet, this message is comforting to those who wait. When times were good, it was not your labor that accomplished this, but God’s most gracious hand. And God is no less gracious now. Trust in him. He will provide for you.  
And this message is all the more important when we consider our spiritual needs. It is a blessing when you’ve got your act together; when you’ve resisted those temptations that bring you shame and guilt, when you’ve come to church and feel like a real Christian. You feel comfortable to be with God. That seems rational. Yet, when you’ve broken God’s commandments and ignored his word; when you’ve done what you know is wrong and feel ashamed, it seems rational to hide from God. It makes sense to try to make up some spiritual ground before you can come before God. Yet, that is not what God’s word teaches us. Rather, God bids us to flee to him when we are ashamed! When your conscience strikes you with guilt, go to Him who alone can take your guilt away! Simon Peter, when he realizes who it is who is standing in his boat cries, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” Yet, Jesus tells him not to be afraid. Jesus forgives his sins! 
Jesus tells Peter, the sinful man, that from now on he will catch men alive. Jesus calls sinners to catch sinners and bring them into his Church. They do this by preaching God’s Word. Our church confesses in the Augsburg Confession Article V, “So that we may obtain this faith, the ministry of teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments was instituted. Through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Spirit is given [John 20:22]. He works faith, when and where it pleases God [John 3:8], in those who hear the good news that God justifies those who believe that they are received into grace for Christ’s sake. This happens not through our own merits, but for Christ’s sake.” 
Jesus called Peter, the sinner, to preach the Gospel, so that people would be gathered into his Church. And as Scripture records, Peter did not stop being a sinner. He continued to struggle with sin even as he proclaimed the Gospel to sinners. Well, how can this be that sinners can be used to save sinners? Well, it’s because it is not the sinful men who are adding these people to the Church, but God. As St. Paul says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” (1 Corinthians 3:6) 
The Holy Spirit works through the word of God spoken by the ministers of the Gospel to create and sustain faith. The word of God is the net, which catches men alive. We see this in our Gospel lesson as the crowd is pressing in on Jesus in order to hear the word of God from him, so much so, that Jesus needs to get into a boat and push off into the water.  
Yet, just as sometimes the fisherman casts his net all through the night and does not catch any fish, so sometimes the word of God is preached and no one comes to hear. Moses, Elijah, the apostles, even Jesus himself were rejected at times and the word of God from their mouths was ignored. Did that mean that the word of God was lacking? Does that mean that sinful men must add something to God’s word or take something away from it to make it more effective? No. Just as the farmer must wait on the Lord to cause the growth and the fisherman must trust in the Lord to bring the shoal of fish into the net, so must the preacher trust in the Gospel to create faith in the hearts of sinners. 
Every congregation wants its numbers to grow. Yet, getting warm bodies into a building is not our end goal. It is bringing sinners to salvation, which can only be done through faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this to be done, the Gospel must be preached. Everyone is a sinner. Everyone needs to be saved from sin and hell. All people share the same need. Only the Gospel that God forgives sinners for Christ’s sake can save. Only the Gospel can create faith.  
The greatest fear I have as a Christian parent is that my children would reject the faith. I want them to trust in Jesus. I want them to be in heaven with me. Yet, there is no power in me that can make them trust in Jesus. Only the power of the Gospel, which we all have. Do you want your children to go to heaven? Teach them about Jesus! Confess that he forgives sins and saves. Bring them to church. Do we want our church to grow? The better question is, “Do we want sinners to be saved?”. Then we should confess Christ. Then the Gospel that God saves sinners by grace for the sake of Jesus’ death and resurrection must be preached here every week. We cast the net Jesus gives us. God provides the success. And he promises, just as he provides for the needs of our bodies, even more so will he fill his Church by means of the Gospel. May we be among those saved for Christ’s sake. Amen.  
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Trinity 5; At Jesus Word the Church Grows

7/2/2018

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Luke 5:1-11 
July 1, 2018 
 
They had toiled all night and caught nothing. Jesus was well aware of this. Yet, still he tells Peter to push out into the deep and let down the nets. Although this seems to Peter to be a futile task, he replies to Jesus, “But at your word I will let down the nets.” And behold, they caught so many fish that their nets began to tear and they filled two boats with the great catch.  

Here Peter gives us a good example of faith. Peter is an experienced fisherman. They had already failed to catch fish all night. He knew that it was unlikely to catch any fish now in the middle of the day. That's why they already washed their nets and put them away. Yet, Peter submits his reason and experience to Jesus’ word. And as a result, he caught more fish than he had ever seen at once. Jesus’ word trumps Peter’s reason. And so, should his word overrule our wisdom and experience.  

Yet, this is much easier said than done. Setting our reason and experience aside can be an impossible task. “Baptism can’t save! How can water do anything but wet the skin?” Yet, Jesus says, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” (Mark 16:16) So, we believe the plain words of our Lord. Likewise, most reject the idea that Jesus’ actual body, which was pierced on the cross and blood, which flowed from his wounds is present in the Lord’s Supper. It looks and tastes like ordinary bread and wine. Yet faith clings to the words of Christ, “This is my body, given for you. This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26) Ordinary men can’t forgive sins. Only God can forgive sins. So, it is a great offense to many that in our church pastors forgive the sins of the people. Yet, our Lord Jesus clearly says, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” (John 20:23)  

Being a Christian means submitting your reason and experience to Jesus’ clear words. If we let our reason judge whether what Jesus says is true or not, we would constantly doubt our salvation. “How can Jesus say that my sins are forgiven? Doesn’t he know what I’ve done? Doesn’t he know that I keep repeating the sins for which I ask forgiveness? Doesn’t he know the wicked thoughts I’ve had, the hatred, the lust, the anger? How can I go to heaven simply by faith. Surely, I must do my part!” But Jesus knows your sins better than you do. Yet, the truth remains, Christ’s blood makes propitiation for all your sins. True saving faith is to trust in Jesus’ words over your experience. Your reason will say, water is just water, bread and wine are just bread and wine, and God can’t punish Jesus for your sins. Yet, faith says with Peter, “Yet at your word I believe.”  

At Jesus’ word, Peter and his fellow fishermen caught a tremendous amount of fish. Yet this biblical account is not really about fish.  Also, at Jesus’ word many people pressed up to Jesus, so that he had to take refuge in a boat off the shore. It is Jesus’ word that is the heart beat of the Christian Church. Without the words of Jesus, there is no Church. And so, it is of the utmost importance that we remain faithful to the Word of God. Just as Jesus’ Word caused fish to swarm into Peter’s nets, God’s Word brings people from all nations into his Church.  

When Peter saw the great catch of fish he fell down at Jesus’ knees and said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Here, Peter gives us a good example of unbelief. And so, it is important for us to learn what Word of God creates faith, forgives sins, and brings people into Christ’s Church. We rightly divide God’s Word into two: The Law and the Gospel. The law is what God commands of us. God commands that we love the Lord God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind and to love our neighbors as ourselves. God’s law threatens eternal punishment to all who fail to love perfectly. To an extent, people can know God’s law even apart from God’s word, because the law is written on our hearts (Romans 2:15). Even non-Christians know what is right and wrong. The law offers no comfort. It only threatens. And when one is confronted with the great power of God, fear overtakes the heart. This is why Peter tells Jesus to go away from him. He has come face to face with the almighty and holy God! God’s power and might are not comforting to you if you are not aware of the Gospel. Instead, God’s might terrifies burdened consciences.  

Peter spoke the truth when he called himself a sinful man. Yet, he demonstrated his lack of faith when he told Jesus to depart from him. Yet, Peter didn’t need to cease to be a sinful man before he could ask Jesus to stay with him. Rather, Peter needed to have faith. The law and God’s power cause a sinner to ask Jesus to depart from him. The Gospel, which reveals God’s grace and forgiveness for Christ’s sake causes a sinner to say to Jesus, “Abide with me, for night is day when you are near.”  

This is not to say that the law is not necessary! Jesus himself preached the law clearly and boldly. He preached against divorce, fornication, lust, covetousness, hatred, theft, gossip. But the law isn’t the net that brings people into Christ’s Church. Because without the Gospel, the law causes us to say to Jesus, “Depart from me for I am a sinner.” It is the Gospel that causes the sinful man to cling to Jesus and not let him go. Because the Gospel reveals that Jesus died, so that sinners might live and that he forgives sins willingly.  

Yet, it is the Gospel that is impossible for reason to accept. Your reason and experience can accept the law. The law makes sense. If you do wrong, you should be punished. If you want to be rewarded, you need to do good. There’s no arguing with that! But your reason will argue against the cross of Christ. How can a man make propitiation for the sins of the whole world? How can God credit Christ’s righteousness to sinners and our sins against the righteous Jesus? That’s not fair! That’s not just! Our reason wants to cling to the law and say, “No, I must do something to earn my salvation. I have to make amends myself.” But you can’t. Your sins are a greater debt than you can possibly repay. If you could see the true ugliness of your transgressions, you would say with Peter, “Depart from my, Jesus for I am full of sin.” And this is where the law is very useful. It will beat you down until your reason gives up and says, “I can’t. As much as I try, I can’t earn my salvation. I must throw myself at the mercy of God.”
 
The law can never assure you of God’s love. It can never give you confidence that you are saved. It simply tells you what is right and that you are not. The Gospel alone creates saving faith and forgives sins. Only Jesus’ death and resurrection can save you. And so, it is only the preaching of the tender mercy of God shown through Jesus’ suffering and death that can grow the church. Baptism, which reason cannot understand, but which connects you to Christ’s death and resurrection grows the church. The Lord’s Supper, which no sane person could actually believe to be Jesus’ true body and blood keeps the church strong. God’s grace, which must be believed against common sense is the net, which catches men.  

Jesus tells St. Peter that from now on he will be catching men. Here Jesus is instituting the office of the ministry of the word. Peter and all ministers of the word will catch people, not with nets, not with eloquent wisdom, not with gimmicks, but with Jesus’ words. Ministers use Jesus’ word as their tool to effectively catch men and women and bring them into Christ’s fold. It is the only tool that works.  

Jesus calls sinful men to be pastors. This is as remarkable as the fact that Jesus calls sinners to be his saints and live with him forever. But just as Jesus forgives all of you your many sins with his priceless and inexhaustible blood, he also forgives his pastors. And he calls them not to represent their sinful selves, but to represent Christ Jesus. Jesus says to his ministers, “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” (Luke 10:16) As well as, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go 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 things I command them. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20) Pastors do not work with their own power, but with the power and resources of Christ, which are given to them through Jesus’ word, as St. Paul writes, “This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.” (1 Corinthians 4:1) 

And because pastors do not work according to their own power, wisdom, or talents, but they simply do and speak according to God’s word, they cannot claim success for the growth of a church. Rather, as Peter recognized that the cause of the great catch of fish was not his ability to cast a net, but rather Jesus’ word, so also pastors must recognize that the faith and love, which is produced in their people is a result of Jesus and his word. As St. Paul says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” (1 Corinthians 3:6-7) 

This is a difficult thing to accept, because sometimes God does not grant the growth we want. How many Lutheran congregations are stagnant or dying? And it is a strong temptation to change the word, which we preach. Pastors and congregations are tempted to take out some of the words of Jesus, which might sound a bit offensive. And while it’s easy to point the finger at liberal church bodies like the ELCA or United Methodists, who do not believe in the inerrancy of Scripture, we should examine ourselves first. Do we water down the Gospel, so that it can reach more people? Do I do this? Is this what Jesus did or what he commands us to do?  

No. The Church grows by Jesus’ word and no one else's. We can’t trick people into believing. If they are offended, they are offended. We must trust in God to produce the growth, just as Peter trusted in Jesus as he cast the nets.  

Jesus did institute the Office of the Ministry and his pastors are indeed charged with keeping his word and preaching and teaching according to it. But the words of Jesus are not the exclusive property of the pastor. No, all who have been brought into the boat by the words of Christ now own those words. Jesus’ words are your property to console your conscience when it gets burned and to comfort your loved ones and children, to teach in your home and always carry on your heart. It is also your responsibility as a Christian to judge your pastor according to Jesus’ word. This means that you actually need to learn what Jesus says, read your Catechism and Scripture, listen to sermons, attend Bible studies, and devote yourself to God’s Word.  
​

Jesus’ Word is the most important thing in your life, not just the most important thing in the life of the pastor. The disciples left everything to follow Jesus, but this is not because they were called into the ministry of the word. It is because they were called to be members of Christ’s Church. And Christ’s Church is not filled by nets, but by the calling of the Gospel, which says to all sinners, come, cling to Christ. Christ calls you to follow him, to hear his word and trust above all things. Let us all follow Jesus and trust in his word.  Amen.  ​
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    Rev. James Preus

    Rev. Preus is the pastor of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ottumwa, IA. These are audio and text of the sermons he preaches at Trinity according to the Historical Lectionary. 

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