Category Archives: semons
Come and See What We Treasure! The God Who Welcomes You! A sermon on Mark 9:30-37 from Concordia
Come and See What We Treasure!
The God Who Welcomes You!
(as you welcome others!)
Mark 9:30-37
May the grace of God our Father the Lord Jesus Christ welcome you into the Kingdom of God in such a way that you greatly desire to welcome others, and serve them, caring for their needs!
Knock! Knock!
I want you to imagine it’s 7:30 this evening, you are just sitting down to relax after dinner. All of a sudden the door bell rings, and you see two adults and a small child there, looking a little lost, and quite uncomfortable.
They tell you they are on a trip, and have gotten lost, and the young child obviously looks like they need to use a restroom.
Do you let them in?
Let’s say you do, and you had just put away the leftover beastloaf you were looking forward to for lunch for a day or two this week. Do you pull it out and offer them a slice or two?
How far do you go, in trying to help this young family?
What if their names were Joseph, Mary, and Jesus?
When Mark’s gospel says, “37 “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf* welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me!” do we think of a scenario as I just described? Or do we spiritualize it, and think it is only talking about welcoming people to church and Sunday School…
What does it mean to welcome someone, as we welcome Jesus?
Who’s best? Who deserves to be close?
There are two stories today, the argument about who is best, who is the greatest, and then Jesus lesson about making a child feel welcome, to know they are wanted and valued.
It’s really the same lesson – who is the best, and who deserves to be the closest to Jesus. Who gets preferential treatment, who deserves it.
Is it any different these days? We might not be jealous of who gets a hug from Jesus, but don’t we all have a small sense of entitlement? Doesn’t our idea of “justice” include us getting what we think we deserve? (Notice I didn’t say what we actually deserve – just what we think we deserve.
We might think it is because of where we were born, or how intelligent we are, how old we are, or how many hours we work or volunteer without complaining! But most of us think we deserve something because of who we are, even if we don’t say others deserve less.
But we know they do!
This of course is not new now, nor even at the time of Jesus! Think about the battle between Cain and Abel and Cain’s sense of entitlement.
Or consider these words from Leviticus, “Do not twist justice in legal matters by favoring the poor or being partial to the rich and powerful. Always judge people fairly.“Leviticus 19:15 (NLT2)
This means the underdog doesn’t get the automatic backing. Neither does it mean the one whose the favorite is always right.
To put it theologically, “all have sinned,” and “we believe Christ died for all” 2 Cor. 5:14
So why would one be more entitled than another?
Who is served? Who is embraced?
When Jesus talks to the disciples about being the servant of everyone else, it is not long after he talked about his imminent death and resurrection.
Something the disciples didn’t understand yet, just as they didn’t understand what it means to serve others.
Yet that is what service is based on—the fact that Jesus served and serves us still. That’s what His death is about, that is what the resurrection is about.
Sin had wiped out the human race—all of us. We weren’t just not entitled the benefits of being righteous; we were entitled to being judged for the sin which so easily ensnares us , entitling us to be condemned!
Jesus decided to serve us, because He loves us.
This is the lesson of service—even if someone’s behavior would lead them to be condemned, Jesus died for them. That is serving the least, that is serving all, working to see them come to know the Lord who would welcome them into His presence, much as he welcomes every child, wrapping His arms around them, assuring them it will be all right.
I love that picture that Mark’s gospel pictures, Jesus taking the child in his arms, welcoming them in His presence! Now take that picture in your mind, and replace the young child with you, bruised and battered by life, and by your own sin. Now, think about the people you know, who are the adversaries, the immoral, the broken…. And see Christ inviting them to come to Him, to be embraced, to be healed by Him—just as you were.
This is the God we Treasure—the God whose light shines through our brokenness, for He dwells in you whom He healed, and is healing.
And as you rest in His hug, you begin to know the peace that passes all understanding—in which you are safe—your heart and mind guarded by Christ Jesus.
We Pray to the Lord of the Harvest that: We Make Our Traditions Matter! A sermon on Mark 7:1-13
We Pray to the Lord of the Harvest that
We Make Traditions that Matter
Mark 7:1-13
† I.H.S. †
May the grace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ help you to value what you think, say and do, as they help you realize that God is with you!
The great questions
About once every two months, I get asked one of those questions that pastors, okay, this pastor, loves to hear. So if you want to make a pastor happy, or at least this pastor, ask him something like this.
“pastor, why do you/we bow to the altar when we approach it?”
“pastor, why do some people make the sign of the cross when we pray, or during the creed?”
“pastor why do we sing something every week? Like the Kyrie, or the Lord’s prayer or the Agnus Dei?” (what are those things anyway?)
You want to make a pastor happy, ask him why we do the things we do, for there should be a reason behind it!
If a pastor ever answers questions like that by saying “it’s tradition,” tell them that is not a good enough answer, you want to know why it’s tradition, why is it done today? And if you would like to change a tradition, perhaps it is good to understand why the tradition was treasured, prior to abandoning it.
But religious traditions are like our gathering in church this morning. It only has value if its chief purpose is to give people what they need to know – Jesus.
Otherwise, the traditions are like the traditions the pharisees tried to hold on to, and Jesus wasn’t too complimentary of those traditions!
Law – clinging to or expanding traditions without meaning
Listen to the exchange again
“So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him, “Why don’t your disciples follow our age-old tradition? They eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony.” Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’ For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.”” (Mark 7:5–8, NLT)
Now, back then, there was no health department signs in the bathroom where it ordered that you must wash your hands before returning to work.
In the Old Testament, there were a number of times where you had to wash your body and clothes for ceremonial reasons, like in Numbers 19,
18 Then someone who is ceremonially clean must take a hyssop branch and dip it into the water. That person must sprinkle the water on the tent, on all the furnishings in the tent, and on the people who were in the tent; also on the person who touched a human bone, or touched someone who was killed or who died naturally, or touched a grave. 19 On the third and seventh days the person who is ceremonially clean must sprinkle the water on those who are defiled. Then on the seventh day the people being cleansed must wash their clothes and bathe themselves, and that evening they will be cleansed of their defilement.
Numbers 19:18-19 (NLT2)
There is also a passage about the priest about to sacrifice, who has to wash his hands before he does. But anytime someone was defiled, usually involving touching blood or something dead, or for certain sins, there was a time of purification and at the end, water applied. Often it was by sprinkling, which eliminates the discussion about whether it was for a hygienic reason. The reason was to celebrate the cleansing by having a visible, tangible way to express it.
But over the years, the original meaning was forgotten as the process was expanded, to the point where it is described in the gospek. “4 Similarly, they don’t eat anything from the market until they immerse their hands in water. This is but one of many traditions they have clung to—such as their ceremonial washing of cups, pitchers, and kettles. (and some manuscripts include dining couches)” Now, if those items touched blood, yes, there was a ceremonial reason to wash, but out of fear, they figured, we would just wash everything…then even wash hands before taking a piece of wheat from the plant and chewing on it.
It’s as if they said – since God said this was proper, let’s take it up a notch, without considering the impact it has on those who they demand obedience, as they make up these traditions.
So here is the lesson for us, Why do we have the traditions we insist on, why are they there, and therefore why should we treasure them.
Basically, how do they point us to Jesus, and the comfort and hope we find in Him.
If we can’t answer that, then, as Jesus quoted, “our hearts are far from Him, and our worship is a farce….
So what can we hand down?
So are there any good traditions? Are there things that we treasure in church that we must pass on, and must insist on?
There is only one thing to judge by, according to scripture,
5 He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.” 8 This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone. Titus 3:5-8 (NLT2)
Or as my deacon students are memorizing – the chief purpose of all ceremonies (traditions, pastoral care, worship, etc. ) is to give people what they need to know about Jesus.
This is what matters, this is what’s important.
Does remembering our baptism point to Jesus? Yes!
Does hearing our sins forgiven point to Jesus? Oh yeah!
Does hearing the word of God point us to Jesus? Yes!
Does the sermon point us to Jesus, our healer and hope? It certainly better
Does the Lord Supper point us to Jesus? Nothing does it better!
Does all this pointing to Jesus lead us to praise Him with our voices and worship Him with our lives? Yes!
This kind of praise and worship honors Him, and shows are hearts are His.. and our worship is meaningful, and real, for in it we confess the Lord is with us!
AMEN!
We Pray to the Lord of the Harvest that… everyone’s roots would grow down into God’s love! A sermon on Ephesians 3:14-21
We Pray to the Lord of the Harvest that
Everyone’s Roots Would Grow Down into God’s Love
Ephesians 3:14-21
† Iesou, Huios, Soter †
16 I pray (for you as Paul did for his people) that from his (God’s) glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong!
The Prayer
Anyone notice I replaced the usual blessing, “May the grace of God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ, with the prayer of Paul for the church in Ephesus?
Good, well at least for some of you…
The blessing, taken from the beginning of each of Paul’s epistles, and this prayer get ot the same point—desires the same growth in each of you—that results with you being at home with Jesus sharing in your life, being “at home” with you.
This is why we are here this morning, this idea that you trust in Jesus, and that your entire life finds its roots, its foundation, its life, deeply in Christ Jesus. This is why we have services and Bible studies in English, Mandarin and Tagalog. It is why we have a preschool and school age care.
To help people’s roots, their heart and soul, grow deep into God’s love.
There to find comfort, peace, and the inner strength we need.
It is the prayer a pastor should, no must pray for his people.
It is the way to evaluate a pastor as well, does he help you experience that love of God, does He help you explore the width, the length, the height and depth of it, and even if you can’t explain it.. do you know it.
Do We Not Understand? He’s home
In the gospel reading this morning, after seeing Jesus feed 5000 families, and calming an incredible storm after taking a walk across a sea, the apostles are confused. It says there, “52 for they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in.”
It is amazing to me, as we talked about yesterday, that the apostles didn’t understand the reason for the miracles, that they didn’t understand the healings, or even the plain teaching. In this case, three miracles in what 12-15 hours? Feeding of thousands, Jesus taking a stroll across a storm maddened lake, and calming it with a word….
But what they didn’t understand was why… they didn’t intimately know the purpose of this work of God they witnessed. Is it just about Jesus being that powerful, about his exerting his Lordship, about Him proving He was God Almighty?
I can understand the world not getting it, about them seeing nothing special about the altar, about them making fun of what they do not understand. But when the church doesn’t, it scares me.
There is only one reason for all the ministry God does in our lives, it was what Paul wanted them to know, to explore every dimension of, to experience fully, even it is was beyond our ability to understand.
Intimately know, to experience!
What the apostles needed to know was the absolute love of God for them, a love that compelled Jesus to feed thousands, heal people, teach and shepherd them. It was His love that didn’t leave them in that storm, but calmed them with the words, “do not be afraid.” And it is this love that drove Paul’s most pastoral prayer!
Hear again what Paul wants the outcome of the prayer to be,
18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
As I talked over the passage with William, who is preaching it for the Chinese congregation, I kept on going at the idea that we need to fully explore God’s love—and Saturday—I came up with the idea of a child at their first visit to an amusement park, as every ride is amazing experience and a new favorite to talk about over and over and over again.
Not to lecture about how steep the drops are, or what the g force the rollar coaster pulls, or the angle of descent, but the sheer joy of something you so amazing, you really want to get back in line for, or just stay on the ride!.
We saw that at the school on Friday, as a student and a mom realized it was the last day, and bought the staff lunch, and then, after the student was picked up at 12:30, came back at 4 to get a picture with Elizabeth and Lorena!
That’s the love of God, once you experienced it, once you realize it never ends, and you can’t escape it, you want to just stay in the midst of the experience.
Even if we can’t explain it… maybe especially because we can’t explain it.
We simply know it…
I have to admit, while I love to talk about God’s love, the task of ensuring you experience it, in every service is more than daunting, it is terrifying. If it were just up to the sermon, I couldn’t do it..
You experienced the love of God when you heard you were forgiven.
You will experience it, when you are told by me, and everyone else here – that God’s peace is with you always.
And you will experience it, as you hear that Christ’s body was broken and His blood was shed “for you”! You will experience it as Bob and I serve you.
That’s why after saying the words of institution, I hold up the plate and the chalice a moment longer, too give us a chance to let the words sink in
This is my body…. This is my blood… and the words “for you!”
It is why to prepare we sing the Agnus Dei – here is the Lamb of God …. Come and eat! You are welcome here!
For the Lord is making His home with you… so stretch out, and grow your roots deep into His love.
AMEN!
We Pray to the Lord of the Harvest that: Everyone Would Be United in Christ – a sermon on Eph. 4:1-16
We Pray to the Lord of the Harvest that
Everyone Would Be
United in Christ
Ephesians 4:1-16
† In Jesus Name †
May the experience of indescribable love of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ help you realize you are united those in Christ Jesus!
7 Mentions of the Collateral Blessing
As a historian, and one who is fascinated with naval ships, I have often heard the word collateral, especially in terms of damage. The term comes from the earliest days of mortar fire, from days when ships were propelled by the wind.
The idea was that you would shoot the cannon fire, with the new exploding cannon balls over a high arch, clearing obstacles and landing inside an area and then exploding. But firing these mortars was not an exact science, as humidity, temperature, wind resistance, imperfects in the “ball” all could affect the flight path, and how the fuse ignited before the mortar cannon fired.
Collateral damage would happen when the shell didn’t travel far enough and exploded over your own troops. Or flew too far, and exploded among civilians in a nearby village, rather than within the fort walls. Or on rare occasions, the shell would explode inside the mortar cannon, and if that happened, the ship was destroyed. These reasons collateral damage occurred were unintended and were beyond calculation.
In today’s reading from Ephesians, we do not see collateral damage—we see a collateral blessing, mentioned 7 times.
And make no mistake, this collateral blessing was not unintended. It was specifically an intention of God to cause this blessing, and while not the primary blessing of the cross, it is incredibly power, important and necessary.
The intended collateral blessing is this.
UNITY.
Why Can’t We See this Unity?
In order to see Unity created, whether in a family, a church, or a nation, we have to recognize what distracts from true unity, and what destroys it.
The simplest way to identify a lack of unity is when we start using pronouns to designate differences. For example, rather than saying we have a problem, we say there is something wrong with them.
Or when we divide territory and possessions. The husband who says those are your parents, rather than say our parents, is indicating that there is a bigger problem at stake, one that is threatening the unity of the marriage. Or a church that says, this is your vision to one groups, means that they aren’t united in vision, for there is no mutual ownership. Or when a nation is divided over a problem, and one group says,—Homelessness—that’s your problem—deal with it—rather than recognizing that the problem is the entire nations and it will take the entire nation to deal with it.
These sins develop out of pride and its sister, insecurity. In both cases, the division forms from the idea that one side must be right, and the other must be wrong. And that whoever is wrong is somehow threatening whoever is right.
This is nothing new, and Paul deals with such division in Romans 14, as people argued over what day to worship, and whether those in a relationship with God could eat bacon wrapped scallops! (or any pork or shellfish!) And Paul says both parties are wrong, for they are treasuring something more than their brothers and sisters in Christ.
Some might ask, aren’t there doctrinal issues that we must draw the line with? Can we just accept everything? Of course not, but how we even deal with such horrible errors has to be with love. The Apostles Paul writes,
25 Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. 26 Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants. 2 Timothy 2:25-26 (NLT2)
He also says that our message must be to plead with such people to be reconciled to God! ( 2 Cor. 5:20)
Which brings us back to Jesus, and the intended collateral blessing.
Where unity proceeds from
When someone is reconciled to God, they are brought to a position where they trust in His promises of His forgiveness, of the gift of the Holy Spirit and the guarantee of eternal life!
All this is because God united them to Jesus, as they were united to His death and His resurrection (Romans 6, Colossians 2). What an amazing thing this is! What a new life God creates as He reconciles them through the blood of Jesus!
The intended collateral blessing is that if you are united to Jesus, you are united to me, because I am And you are united to Zac and William, and Larry and Josephine, and George, and everyone in the English service and in the church throughout the world.
That is why God had Paul write, “Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”
The primary reason for the cross is, through Jesus’ death and resurrection, to united us to the Father as we are united to Him. But it was always God’s intent that what unites us to Him, united us to each other as well!
That is why Paul said,
3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.
The effort is not expended around in a debate format, nor is it found at a discussion table
It is found in Christ, in those moments where we all realize His presence and His work, as He forgives His people, as He instills in them the faith that causes them to depend on Him, as He washes away all our sin in baptism, so that we know we have been united to Him together, and this grace, this mercy, this forgiveness we share, all intended collateral blessings, mean we are united in Him and share in His peace, and His glory, together.
AMEN!
God Provides Shelter in His Tree Ezekiel 17:22-24
God at Work In OUR LIVES
God Provides Shelter in His Tree
Ezekiel 17:22-24
† I.H.S. †
May the grace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ provide you comfort, as you make yourself at home in Him..
A Man’s Tree is His Castle?
Robert Redford, in the movie “the Last Castle” describes the prison he is incarcerated in with these words,
“Take a look at a castle. Any castle. Now break down the key elements that make it a castle. They haven’t changed in a thousand years. 1: Location. A site on high ground that commands the territory as far as the eye can see. 2: Protection. Big walls, walls strong enough to withstand a frontal attack. 3: A garrison. Men who are trained and willing to kill. 4: A flag. You tell your men you are soldiers and that’s your flag. You tell them nobody takes our flag. And you raise that flag so it flies high where everyone can see it. Now you’ve got yourself a castle. The only difference between this castle and all the rest is that they were built to keep people out. This castle is built to keep people in.”
What he misses is the reason for the castle—security for his family, a place where what he treasures is safe, a place where, while vigilant, he can rest at the end of every day, having made the place as secure as possible.
It is said that every man’s home is his castle, or at least it should be.
Or better yet, everyone needs a spot in a tree house… the one talked about by Ezekiel, which the gospel tells us started with the smallest of seeds…
Yep—that’s what we need—a really nice solid treehouse…
One provided and sustained by God!
Why do we need peace?
The man, or woman, or family looking for a castle is looking for a refuge, a sanctuary, a place to know peace and call home.
Why we look for peace, for that place to call home, is simple. We don’t belong in the world; it is NOT our home. That causes some dissonance, a disturbance, a lack of peace that aggravates us, causes massive amounts of anxiety and pain.
What causes this feeling that the world is broken is, bluntly sin. You sin, my sin, the sins that made us victims, the effect of 8 billion sinners. That’s why the world looks broken, that’s why God allows some places to wither and die, and why we dead trees need new life.
With that kind of world to live in, it’s now wonder we want our own castle, our own place to try to rest, a place free of all the brokenness of out there… and even to escape the brokenness of in our own souls.
But a castle has a problem–you always have to keep watch, you always have to be ready to go on defense, you always, to quote Redford, ready to defend the flag…
And that means you can’t rest…and weary, broken souls can’t….
Which is why we need a treehouse, rather than a castle…
Better than a castle—His tree…
Ezekiel’s prophecy about Jesus shows us that He is the tree in which our house, our home, is built. A place where all of us welcome where we don’t have to be defensive, because all are welcome, as they are healing from..
A place where we don’t have to be on defense. We don’t have to worry about attack because God has promised that nothing can take us from the refuge we have in Him! Hear the promise again:
“It will become a majestic cedar, sending forth its branches and producing seed. Birds of every sort will nest in it, finding shelter in the shade of its branches.
That picture of a nest, of a shelter, pictures a home—not just a castle. It pictures a time of peace—a peace that allows us to leave that sanctuary and come back, bringing others into it, for people of every sort, from every part of the world, so they can find peace.
Earlier this week my devotions had a lot to do with the Lord’s Supper – not the theology behind it, but rather the benefit of it,
One of the quotes I cam across, from the Lutheran Confessions, was this:
We believe, teach, and confess that no genuine believer, no matter how weak he may be, as long as he retains a living faith, will receive the Holy Supper to his condemnation, for Christ instituted this Supper particularly for Christians who are weak in faith but repentant, to comfort them and to strengthen their weak faith.
This is the same idea as the nest, the same idea as finding shelter in the shade of its branches. The idea of coming up here to the altar isn’t to be able to explain the mystery it is, and how the different churches see it—the idea is to find the rest, the peace, the assurance that we are God’s—who gives us His body and Blood in this precious feast…even as He strips us of all our burdens.
That is why we find ourselves at home there able to become comfortable, free of all strife and stress, freed from anxiety and guilt, shame and resentment that could steal our joy. This place is our nest located in Him, it is here we find shelter, as He protects us from all that would hurt or burn us, it is here we are reminded that we dwell in His peace… until we arrive in His presence.
Until then, enjoy dwelling in tree home that God provides for you in Christ Jesus. AMEN!
Can I Get a Witness? The Witness is the Same! a sermon on 1 Cor. 15:111
Can I Get A Witness?
“The” Witness is the Same!
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
† Jesus, Son, Savior †
May the grace of God our Father, shown to you in the Death, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus, assure you of His love, as the same power is at work in your life!
Can I get a witness?
It’s been years since I heard the phrase, but I remember a church that I guess preached at once, where the pastor asked after the sermon, “Can I get a Witness?”
And person after person would talk about how God had redeemed them or reconciled a relationship that had been trashed by sin.
It’s been probably close to forty years since I was there… but I remember the people shouting and testifying to how good God was, and how he rescued them.
As our journey together changes from the weeks of Lent to the weeks of Easter, we go from looking at the broken people at the foot of the cross to the work God did and is doing.
That is the content of the witness and the impact of the witness.
It’s not about the witness but the witness.
Paul will state the witness clearly in verse 3 of our Corinthians reading this morning,
“I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said
Christ died for our sins
He was buried
He was raised from the dead
Three short points – that change the world – that change our world….
And no matter who preaches Christ, that is their message.
Christ died for our sins,
He was buried
He was raised from the dead…
That is the witness we need today, for it is the only witness that will change those who are broken…
- I don’t want the witnesses; I want what their witness
In the epistle, Paul then proceeds to document the witnesses. Peter, the 12, 500! James, everybody, then Paul.
If you asked any of them, they would agree with Paul, that they weren’t worthy to see the risen Lord, never mind account themselves as worthy to witness the fact that He died, that he was buried and Alleluia! He is risen!
They are right in a way, because they didn’t deserve to witness the cross and the resurrection any more than we do. And the witness isn’t about them, though it will change them, though it will change us.
It is about the idea that Christ has died, Christ was buried. Christ has risen, and He is coming again!
Someone should make a song out of that… 😊
When I look at social media, most of the critique of the church and of Christianity has nothing to do with the witness that Christ has died, Christ was buried, Christ has risen. Often that is because the witnesses are talking about other things—usually the sinful behavior of others, or why that denomination’s not right, or that pastor or politician is evil.
Even yesterday while writing this – out of the first 25 posts were negative religious posts, and only one mentioned Good Friday or Easter. It wasn’t one side or the other; it was both sides.
All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God – that’s a given – we don’t have to show everyone’s sin publicly. Or assume what someone else shared about someone’s sin is accurate?
What has happened to those who have the witness?
Can I get a witness? Can I know what the Lord has done?
- We all preach the same message – you believed.
We have to get back to following the example of the early church!
11 So it makes no difference whether I preach or they preach, for we all preach the same message you have already believed.
We have to get back to it, not because this is our duty. If I say you must go share your faith, I am robbing you. All I would be doing is making your work the focus, taking the attention and focus away from what Jesus has done.
That wasn’t how the early church worked…
They saw what God did—they told others about it!
They experienced His love and peace, and they shared it with others.
16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Ephesians 3:16-19 (NLT2)
Therefore, the witness is so important –not it is critical!
The witness reveals God’s love, our identification with Christ’s death, burial and resurrection changes everything.
That is the message we need to stand firm in the only message that will save us.
Christ has died!
Christ was Buried!
Christ is Risen! and
Christ will come again!
All for those who know this – who bear the witness…
Who answer the call, “Can I get a witness!”
And respond with Jesus! AMEN!
A Father’s Proudest Moment? Yeah! A sermon on Luke 23:32-43
By My Hands, for My Sake
A Father’s Proudest Moment
Luke 23:32-43
† I.H.S. †
May the grace and peace of God our Father assure you that you too will be in paradise (though not today!)
- St Dismas Church.
It would be centuries after his son died, but a beautiful church would be named after his son. Hand carved sones make up the walls, and the pews and all the word work done by members of the community. Even the stain glass windows were made onsite – by another member of the community…
It is a beautiful place, a sanctuary for those who can climb the hill to enter the church, where the grind of their daily lives would be lost in the peace, and even the joy of such a beautiful church.
I could imagine the dad’s smile, thinking what a blessing it was…
One former member of the community wrote,
I can honestly say that the only breath of fresh air in that wretched environment was that church. An absolutely gorgeous structure which does grant reprieve from the drudgery of every day life.
Sounds like an impressive place! He goes on…
Clinton correctional facility is the embodiment of hell on earth. Nevertheless retired Priest (Father Bill Edwards)and ,Deacon Dibeck are truly blessed man and will always hold a place in my heart. Imagine signing up to take a job in a maximum-security prison as a Priest and a Deacon.. I would otherwise refer them to seek psychiatric help but they are clearly blessed by the Lord and are carrying the good word to those in need. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVuftGUjRBE)
Oh, did I mention the man’s son was the only person in scripture who Jesus said would see him in paradise, thus declaring Dismas a saint?
And the church named after him is a church set placed in a maximum-security prison named after him?
St. Dismas Church…
As we’ve looked at various hands throughout this lent, tonight I want you to consider what went through the mind of the father of the man who died alongside Jesus, who shared the crucifixion…
And the day that was undoubtedly the proudest day, and the most meaningful day possible for a dad.
- Did my sin lead to his?
But let’s go back and put our feet in the shoes of this man on the cross’s father. Can you imagine the pain of hearing that sentence being placed on your child?
We don’t know how long the son had been in trouble in life, but crucifixion was for capital crimes. It was for someone who committed such a horrible act that society, both the Jews and the Romans, wanted to publicly torture him on the cross for hours, even days.
This was a crime they wanted no other person to think of, never mind commit.
I doubt this was a onetime loss of focus, and I don’t think he was stealing a nice BLT from the local sub shop.
I don’t think the father’s distress was all caused by the sentence either. Sure, I doubt he talked to his neighbors about that, I am sure rumors were spread, and the family felt shame and hurt because of their son.
But I can imagine the father’s shame was more personal. I can imagine him questioning how he failed his son. Was he not there enough, did he not pray with him enough, did he not send him to the right synagogue, the right school, did he not train him up in the ways he should go?
Not all thieves and murders had parents who did the same, yet I can easily imagine the man’s father lying in bed at night, wondering how his own sin, how his sin influenced his son. Did the things his son saw him do set such a bad example that his son thought there was nothing wrong with sinning? After all, the son must have thought- if my dad didn’t care if he sinned, if he didn’t feel remorse, why should he?
Did the dad see in his son’s sentence to death his own failure, his own guilt, his own shame?
Was the weight of his own sin crushing him even more as he looks on his condemned, dying son, as he realized its impact on the son he held as a baby…. And wanted the best for?
He knew what his son had in him, he knew his heart – and yet what happened… and did he take on the blame?
- The Proudest Moment—and one that gives hope for me..
As the son hung there with the son of God, the interaction reveals that hearts of both sons,
The one son, who is sorry for his sin, who confesses it, much as Judas did last week. God was working in his heart—and the compassion he showed there, showed that he, like most of us, was not completely corrupt, his sin—while strongly gripping him—did not own him past the point of redemption.
Those words may have helped the dad a little, but the words of Jesus to his son, oh how glorious those were…
“today, you WILL BE with me in paradise.”
Ultimately, I do not think there is anything more incredible to know about anyone we love who has struggled in life, than to know God’s love has broken through—and that they will be in His presence eternally. That they will finally know the peace we want them to know, even as they seem so hardened by sin.
The proudest day—far more important than a wedding day, far more important than a graduation, it would even overshadow the death on the cross…
His son was going to heaven…to walk boldly before the throne of God pure, holy, sinless… godly.
The prodigal saved into the arms of His heavenly Father.
I am making the assumption here that the father was at least a nominal believer, history tells us he was—though not much more than that..
But I can imagine him, as the weight of his sin and guilt was lifted as well, as he saw in his son’s salvation. The guilt and shame for not raising his son well enough disperses but so does all the other sin, for Christ’s death secures the promise of forgiveness for all who believe.
It may take even to Pentecost to sink in, until the father is baptized, but the joy and its healing began then, even as the skies darken, as first Christ dies, and then his son.
This gives us hope, as we pray for our families and for our spiritual families. For those who think they can avoid God, or dismiss Him… and those of us who wonder what we could have done differently.
This is the power of the cross, the ultimate victory, the ultimate moment of glory—as God proved that He loves us, and the people we love whom we worry about, who frustrate us….
Keep praying for them, and remember the story of Dismas and his dad… and the Lord who loved them both… and loves us.
AMEN!
The Hands, Guilty and Ashamed: Judas – A Lenten Sermon on Matthew 27:3-10
By My Hands, for My Sake
The Hands, Guilty and Ashamed
Judas
Matthew 27:3-10
† I.H.S. †
May the grace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ show you Jesus died for your sake, because God loves you!
- The Third set of Hands
On Ash Wednesday, we looked at the hands of Adam, in whose hands a piece of fruit created a burden we still bear today. Then last week, we looked at Nicodemus, to afraid to raise his hand to ask questions in a crowd, but who Jesus transformed in such a way, he would rather identify with Jesus’s death that celebrate the greatest feasts and victories of his community.
Tonight, we look at another set of hands, hands so hated, so maligned throughout history, that many would say he was most evil man in history.
In his hands just prior to the crucifixion was a bag, and in the bag 30 silver coins.
Think about Judas’s hands and the role they played. If any could say that Jesus would be killed “by my hands,” it would be Judas, and if anyone… no—we will get to that thought later.
The coins in his hands—though not for long–symbols of our greatest sin, symbols of his temptation, symbols of ours…
- Burdened by Temptation and Sin
What we know of Judas, picked up from this comment and that, isn’t pretty. He was one of the 12, handpicked by Jesus, the treasurer/bookkeeper of the group. Very focused on money and the things of the earth, critical of those he thought were wasting money, like the prostitute who cleaned and anointed Jesus feet with her tears, and with perfume that cost a year’s salary…oh did Judas get upset by that, for by that stage in his life, sin gripped his heart, and corrupted his desires.
Just as it did Adam and Eve’s hearts and souls. Just as Nicodemus knew failure. All betrayed their God, all denied Him, all of us have sinned….
Judas was not the worst sinner, he wasn’t the most guilty of sin, and there are people that feel far more shame for what they’ve done—there are people who know the same hopelessness…..
As I look at Judas, I see again the power that sin can have over an individual—that while they choose to sin the demonic powers at work against don’t give them much choice—they can be in bondage to that sin.
And it doesn’t matter which, greed—like Judas, lust, gluttony, even the desire to gossip, that burning in your gut that tells you have to share that juicy bit of news about this person, that sing, that politician or even that church. Sin is oppressive and because we have sinned, we have an equal share with Adam, Nicodemus, and yes Judas, in the death of Christ.
He died by our hands…but tonight we hear again, it was for our sake.
- What He missed – what we can’t let others miss.
In our reading tonight, Judas goes to the priests and elders—the leaders of the Sadducees and Pharisees. He is tortured by the weight of his guilt and sin…
Hear this part again, from a different translation…
3 Judas, the one who betrayed him, realized that Jesus was doomed. Overcome with remorse, he gave back the thirty silver coins to the high priests, 4 saying, “I’ve sinned. I’ve betrayed an innocent man.” They said, “What do we care? That’s your problem!” 5 Judas threw the silver coins into the Temple and left. Then he went out and hung himself. 6 The high priests picked up the silver pieces, but then didn’t know what to do with them. “It wouldn’t be right to give this—a payment for murder!—as an offering in the Temple.” Matthew 27:3-6 (MSG)
These church leaders recognize their bribe was used to arrange for the murder of Jesus! Yet their attitude to a sinner—overwhelmed by guilt and shame was, “we don’t care! That’s your problem!” The entire temple, the entire reason for it was to assure people of the forgiveness of sins, and the response was… “we don’t care.” While Judas sinned, I think I have a solid case that their sin, was worse…
Judas walks away, without the comfort of knowing not only would Jesus die by his hand, but for his sake. For even Judas’s sin could be forgiven, as Peter would find out.
As you and I find out tonight,
As every person should find out.
Jesus was beaten and crucified for our sake.
To not only forgive our sin, but to break its power over us, freeing us from it terror, freeing us from the pain it causes.
That’s why I talk about our sacraments so much, because people need to know….these burdens don’t have to be carried, this oppression- what Paul described as not being able to do what I know I should and doing what I shouldn’t—and therefore being a wretch… can be dealt with…
As we meet Jesus, and trust that it was for our sake he died.
Let’s pray…
Accomplished by His Anguish: God Will Forget! A Lenten Sermon on Psalm 25:1-10
My Church’s Building – our goal – to see it restored and filled with people who find healing in Christ Jesus, while helping others heal
Accomplished by His Anguish
God WILL FORGET
Psalm 25:1-10
May the grace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ cause you to experience peace beyond all understanding!
- The Paradox of Divine Impossibilities
It is said that there is nothing new under the sun. or was that the Son? Both work!
This is especially true for those that think they have finally proven that God doesn’t exist! Usually, they ask me or just ask the air a philosophical question that cannot be answered, at least in their opinion.
One of the classic questions is this, “If God is all powerful, can He make a rock so big that He can’t lift it?”
Or “if Jesus is God, how could He be born, and die?”
Some hit a little closer home, “how could a good God allow suffering, or evil?
Or the one that comes out of the Psalm today, “If God is all-knowing—how can He “not remember the rebellious sins of my youth?” I mean—He knows everything, so how can He not know all the bad things I did back in 1981? That doesn’t seem to make sense. Either He is all knowing, or if He doesn’t know my sins, He’s not knowing—and that would mean He’s not God, right?
So if God has to be all knowing, how can He answer the prayer to forget the sins of the psalmist’s youth, or more importantly—ours?
- Avoiding Disgrace!
As the psalmist starts this intimate conversation with God he is telling God that he will surrender his life to God—that he completely trusts God! Hear it again,
O LORD, I give my life to you. 2 I trust in you, my God! Do not let me be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat
The more I read this, the more it sounded like a husband trying to get on the good side of his wife, before buying a new guitar…or a child who broke something, and needs to convince dad to fix it…
God—I’m giving you my life…and I trust you…sooooo…. don’t let me be disgraced! Lord, I’m losing over here don’t let my enemies and adversaries see it!
Doesn’t that mean that the psalmist did something that was—well–Disgraceful? Doesn’t it mean he was losing whatever battle he was in? You don’t ask for something like not being disgraced or letting your enemies see your embarrassing loss, unless well, it was happening!
Just like when the psalmist pleads, “Show me the right path!” I mean, how far does a guy have to go down the wrong road until he asks for directions?
Life is still like that. How badly do we have to screw up before we ask for help? How much guilt or shame has to crush us before we look for help?
How many times will we go through Lent, without dealing with the weight of sin it encourages us to let God deal with?
That Is why, finally, the psalmist cries out the plea for God to no longer remember the sins of his youth!
- He will forget – more than that – the proper path!
The ability of God to forget, to no longer remember our sins, whether of our youth or our old age, is found in the rest of verse 7, and in verse 8.
“Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O LORD. 8 The LORD is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray.”
While God knows everything, He can choose to overlook and forgive our sins. He’s God, He has that ability and power, and in fact, His love, which will never fail, compels Him to do so!
This is what the Psalmist has learned to count on, what He is sure of, what He needs—the love and compassion/mercy of God, who guides men and women who have gone astray.
I love the picture here! God taking us off the road to hell and putting us on a path leading into the presence of God, our Father! He remembers His love for us, and He sees us, broken, disheveled and lost, and moves all that blocks us from Him.
He then picks us up, battered and now healing, and places us on the path, but it doesn’t end there!
- On the Path
Hear again the last two verses, “9 He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way. 10 The LORD leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.
The idea translated lead here is simply to accompany us on the road, to be more than just a guide, to travel with us. He teaches us, He guides with unfailing love, He is faithful in doing this….
This is the God we need to learn to cry out to more, this is the love of our God which we need to help others see and experience!
This is our God! This is the God who we can entrust our lives to, this is the God we depend upon…
Because this is the God who embraced the agony and anguish of the cross, because of the joy set before Him, He endured it all – for us. AMEN!
The Art of Listening to a Sermon/Homily/Bible Lesson
Thoughts which draw us to Jesus, and to His cross
45 I will live in perfect freedom, because I try to obey your teachings.
73 You made me; you created me. Now give me the sense to follow your commands. 74 May all who fear you find in me a cause for joy, for I have put my hope in your word. Psalm 119:45, 73-74 (NLT2)
Though I hear but a human being preach, even as I am human, yet do Thou so rule and govern my mind that I may regard him as the servant of Christ, and hear him as a messenger in God’s stead, for by him Thou instructest me. Therefore, make me to have desire to the word which falls from his lips, and though all that he says may not please me, let me be mindful of other hearers beside me, who may find which I least regard, as most necessary and beneficial to themselves. Meanwhile do Thou Thyself speak within my soul when he speaks to my ears. Cause my heart to burn within me like the hearts of the two disciples on their way to Emmaus. Open my heart as Thou once didst open the heart of Lydia, the seller of purple, that I may give heed to what is said unto me. Grant me such measure of grace that I may rightly judge and divide all that Thy servant says: the words of the text which he explains, the doctrine which he draws therefrom, the truth which he thereby shows forth, the errors which he therewith opposes, my own self-examination which he may provoke therein, the sins which he condemns, the good which he commends, the instruction unto godliness which he gives, and the comfort which we may receive against every care of this miserable life. Grant, O God, that I may hear all this with diligence, receive it with joy, understand it rightly, consider it carefully, know Thy will therefrom, feel the power of Thy Word within me, and so, become ever more perfect and ready unto all good works.
In summary, buried beneath our exterior self is a seed of contemplation waiting to grow and flourish. The seed of contemplation within us is a function of God’s deep desire to be in communion with us. Our open and receptive response to this gentle and sweet invitation transforms our life in all ways.
As I read Loehe’s words, a prayer he recorded about preparing to hear a sermon, I thought of how much time we in preparing sermons, from learning how to study scripture, to learning how to write and deliver that sermon. 36 units just in preaching classes, if I include Theology and Bible courses, add another 60-80 units. Not to mention books read, and sometimes reread 16-20 hours a week – 48-50 weeks a year, not talking midweek services! A lot of polishing of student sermons and deacon sermons along the way as well.
And I never gave much thought to how I prepare my people to hear a sermon.
I guess I didn’t consider it the same as medidating on the word of God, which Loehe develops the thought of in the prayer. I know we are proclaiming Christ, and Him cricified as the hope, yet how do we listen, and dwell and let it sing in, as Loehe suggests? is hearing the word proclaimed a form of the mediation that Nolasco desire should flourish? It certainly includes the message of God’s deep desire to be in communion, intimate communion with us!
That is all Psalm 119 is really about – this deep meditation on the word of God – deep as engaging heart and soul as well as mind–the word and the word- enfleshed sacraments causing us to be drawn more consciously into the presence of God, where we dwell.
This is how the word heals, as it is communicated through the lips of broken men like me, and takes up residence in those that hear it.
Oddly enough – that is how our Lord chose to make this work….
May our common meditation reveal the Lord, our Rock, our Savior.
AMEN!
William Lœhe, Seed-Grains of Prayer: A Manual for Evangelical Christians, trans. H. A. Weller (Chicago: Wartburg Publishing House, 1914), 126–128.
Rolf Nolasco Jr., The Contemplative Counselor: A Way of Being (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2011), 51.
