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Being sent…. to watch God work.. Incredible
Devotional thoughts that seem so appropriate for the day:
From my devotions this morning:
9 But his answer was: “My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak.” I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ’s power over me. 10 I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (TEV)
” The apostle has no aim other than letting God work, making himself available”
” The first Twelve, too, were foreigners in the lands where they taught the Gospel. They came up against people who were building the world on foundations diametrically opposed to Christ’s doctrine. Look: despite these adverse circumstances, they knew that they had been entrusted with the divine message of the Redemption. And so the Apostle cries, “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” (1)
Isn’t it amazing when God provides what we need, when we need it….. AND we realize it is there?
We often, perhaps far to often, reduce the word apostle to the original 12, pretty important guys in our lives – they first received the message and then were sent to pass it on. Apostles with a capital “A”. But each of us as well are sent – for instance, this mission trip I am on – I am sent by Concordia Lutheran Church of Cerritos, Ca. ANd I am being asked to come – much as Paul was onced asked to come help.
It can’t be because I am a great preacher, or that, as the cliche says, “God equips the called” for that leaves the emphasis on me. And whether y’all believe it or not – I am neither that strong, nor that well equipped. I know this – and yet… I also know that such weakness will cause me to depend on God’s grace. on the work of the Holy Spirit – for it is not my reason or strength that points people to Christ – it is His drawing them to Himself.
That is why I like the words of St. Josemaria Escriva – a writer/priest/that I have been going through for the last 8 months or so. Just so happens those were the two little statements in th Forge that I read this morning. I know that any opposition to the gospel, like back in the USA – is purely individual – it is the nature of sin that would cause us to believe we do not need God, that we do not have to depend on Him, that we are strong enough, on our own. We fight God too far often – wanting to change places with Him, to be in charge – to have our will be done.
How much different the day is…when instead we simply look for His work, to let His will – His desire for a relationship with us be made none, and His work in making it possible – cleansing and healing us, and causing us to trust in Him… for such is His will.
Today, may we all see such, may we all realize that in our weakness – we see His glory, His work, His love… and may that touch people’s lives who presently struggle with it…
Lord Have mercy…
(1) Escriva, Josemaria (2011-01-31). The Forge (Kindle Locations 2454-2460). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.(
Praying for Miracles…
Devotional thought of the day.
It is Thursday morning for me, just about 6. I am sitting in a terminal of an airport in Tokyo, waiting for the next connection and a five hour flight to my first destination for this trip. Very tired.. yet…
About the time I crossed the international date line, I read…
The power of working miracles! How many dead—and even rotting—souls you will raise, if you let Christ act in you. In those days, the Gospel tells us, the Lord was passing by; and they, the sick, called to him and sought him out. Now, too, Christ is passing by, in your Christian life. If you second him, many will come to know him, will call to him, will ask him for help: and their eyes will be opened to the marvellous light of grace. (1)
That is my hope on this trip – that I will be able to see, or hear about later, the work that God does, as we interact with people, as we share with them the gospel, as we teach them that God desires to walk with them….as Isaiah points out – with the same desire that a bridegroom desires to see his bride. It is a message hard enough to communicate to people in the USA – there seems to be some kind of block to realizing God’s love and desire for them to be in His presence. May they – as well as those I will minister to – and minister alongside – know your love!
May the people you pass by today – realize that they have been visited by the Holy Spirit, for God dwells with you.
(1) Escriva, Josemaria (2011-01-31). The Forge (Kindle Locations 2445-2449). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
To Boldly Go
Eph 3:1-12
† In Jesus Name †
May we find our trust in God the Father and in the work of Jesus Christ growing to the point where we understand and rejoice in His mercy and Grace…for it means we can boldly abide in His presence!
To Boldly Go….
The last verse of the epistle reading,
12 Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence
Proving you pastor is a complete nerd, or geek, or whatever the term is these days, I heard an ancient voice echo through my head when I started my study of the passage…
“Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.”
I have a slightly different version of that famous quote – which I will share with you at the end of the sermon.
We probably do not see life as such a great adventure, as we did in the various editions of Star Trek. Oh sure – we have a list of characters like Spock and Data, courageous leaders like the impetuous Kirk and the thoughtful Picard, people like Bones and Scotty and Number One.
Yet our journey together, is something more incredible – something that discovers treasures and new life. It is a journey, a mission we share, a journey that brings challenges and joys; a journey of our lifetime, and a journey that continually reveals something that is beyond belief…
SO let us look at this journey, and let us be encouraged on the mission we are on…
His Eternal Plan.. Revealed
The power – capability to know
When we talk of God’s plan being revealed – we often think of the last book of the Bible – the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Yet, in the epistle today – Paul talks of God’s plan being revealed. Not just to him, or to a select number of very special people – though it was revealed through the apostles and the prophets, it was revealed that it could be further revealed….to us, and like Paul – through us… to the world.
I love how verse four states it,
4 As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ.
In the original Star Trek – they did not know where they were going- they, like Columbus or Magellan, were simply heading off into the dark. They did not even know what they would discover, or what those discoveries would mean for them.
Sometimes, we do not know what we will discover on our journey, the people we will meet, the new life we see created as sinners come to understand God’s plan, and are cleansed and are brought to faith and life. We do not yet see the joys that will be shared, or the grief we will endure, together. Yet though we do not know the specifics, we know something even better, for by the power of the Holy Spirit, we understand the plan of Christ that Paul shows us.
It is what Paul was referring to – that God had given the responsibility of extending God’s grace – His gift of life, and faith and repentance and forgiveness that leads to that life, to us.
Extending Grace
Paul actually does not identify the destination, and indeed the journey until the end of the passage – but what he does describes in verses 6-9, as he explains the plan, does give us incredible insight into the journey and the destination.
Despite many prophecies to the contrary, there developed among the people of God in the Old Testament the idea that only certain people were welcome into God’s presence, that if you did not have the right connections, you were not eligible to be part of the family of God. This was such a case, that in nearly every epistle, and definitely in the book of Acts of the Apostles, that this misconception has to be addressed.
Get it straight, there is no group that is excluded from the grace of God, shown to us in Christ. It is not just for the people of one continent, or one nation. It is not just for one economic bracket, for one age group, or for one gender. There aren’t levels – that pastors or elders get more grace, and then comes the choir – not at all!
We share equally in the riches – all who trust in the message of the Gospel – the message we sing in the memorial acclimation, that even as Christ has died, risen and will come again, so shall we. The phrase in Greek is that we have equal lots in the inheritance – all who trust in God’s message to us – that He loves us, that He is merciful.
If you have ever noticed that scripture repeats itself often, there is a reason for it – we need to hear it over and over again. We can hear the words that we are forgiven, that His body and blood were broken and shed for your sins, and we still need to hear them, our souls need to be reminded.
That is why Paul repeats the message here – yes – we share – equally – in the inheritance. He repeats it by saying we are part of the same body, Gentiles and Jews – two categories that compromise not just the diversity of a neighborhood or a community, but also that of the entire world. It is like saying Concordians, and the rest of the world, it contains everyone for whom Christ has died!
He goes on to include all those who would believe, all who would trust as those who enjoy – not will enjoy – but enjoy – the promises of the blessings – why? Because we belong to Christ! We have been made His in Baptism, we have been made His as the Holy Spirit gifted us with faith and repentance, and God re-created us.
Paul finalizes the description with one more reference that he was chosen to tell the gentiles – that is us folks – about the endless treasure available to us in Christ Jesus.
Carried out in Christ!
We trust in Him, and that trust delivers us – that we may boldly and confidently enter His presence!
In verse 11, we find Paul describing how the plan came to completion – how it was made possible and guaranteed to those who trust in God.
This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.
John described it as well – as the fulfillment of the prophecy we heard in the reading from Isaiah,
32 And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” John 12:32 (NLT)
There is out mission – to be in the presence of God – brought there, drawn there, guided there, to the cross – and then eternally present with Him, never alone again.
Or as Paul says it, “12 Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.
We often talk of the mission of the church, as to go out into all the world, as Paul did – to share the gospel. That mission of the church happens because we are in the presence of God – that He is with us, that with us, He is bringing His presence to others, revealing to them His plan, through our words, even as we share the gospel that Paul did…..
I promised, at the beginning of the sermon, that I would, in the style of star trek, revise the phrase to fit us, – well here it is..
“Life: the final frontier. These are the journeys of the congregation Concordia. Its ongoing mission: to extend the grace of God, to see created new life, and deepened communion, to boldly go together into the presence of God”
We can do so, only because of Jesus Christ, only because He has claimed us, because we belong to Christ. This has been the plan for us, for all mankind, since the beginning. For so Paul has written to us, and so the Holy Spirit has given us the ability to know…
We are blessed to live in a time – where it has been revealed… where we know the peace of God, which passes all understanding, which guards our hearts and minds, in Christ Jesus. So rejoice – and enjoy the journey!
AMEN?
