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In Christ, One with the Father!
English: Baptism of Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In Christ, One With the Father
John 17:20-26
† Jesus, Son and Savior †
As we are drawn into the life of Christ, as we come to realize the depth of His love and mercy and the peace which goes beyond all comprehension, may we find that we the world knows of God’s love, because they see the evidence of it, in us.
Listening in on a Overwhelming Conversation
Two things we learn
You are walking down the hallway, and overhead your name mentioned, before you respond, you realize you aren’t being called – but rather you are the topic of conversation.
Or you are asked to go look at something on someone’s computer, and rather than what you expected, you realize that they left up an email, where you are the topic of conversation.
Do you keep listening? Do you silently tiptoe up to the doorway, pressing your back against it so you can hear even better? Do you walk away? Do you cough or somehow make it known you are there? How do deal with the embarrassment if you are caught listening, or reading? Which is harder – if the conversation was really critical, or if the conversation was one discussing something very special, even unbelievable that would be done for you?
I feel a little like that – as we read the gospel of John today. This incredible conversation between Jesus and the Father. This intimate look at their relationship – their interdependence, their inter-existence, that goes beyond explanation. We are talking about the mystery of the Trinity.
Even as that is a mystery beyond comprehension, this prayer of Jesus takes it one step farther, one step even more… challenging to believe….
The conversation is about… us. About bringing us into Their sacred relationship, about bringing us into their life, about sharing with us, their glory!
Jesus is praying and that we would belong in that relationship as amazing as that seems, Together with people from every time in history and every tongue and every people, we are in Christ –and are one… ever as Jesus and the Father are one.
Even when we struggle to realize it, it is known by the world, through our words, our thoughts, and deeds,
We are to be One, in Christ, in the Father
As I struggled to write this sermon, I was more and more aware of the necessity that we get what Jesus is praying for – even if we can’t comprehend how it happens, or what it all means. As Vicar Mark and Deacon Mike talked about it on Monday night – we were stymied.
How do you explain verse 21? What can illustrate it? That Jesus prayed that we may be one – that seems easy, until you understand how “one”.
Hear it again..21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us,
This isn’t unity in the sense that fans of the patriots are sure that we will trounce the Jets. Or unity is mission – which is critical for a church to be who God calls us to be, for us all to be pushing on the same side of the box.
It is far deeper than just unity in purpose – it’s more intimate, more awe-inspiring this unity in substance that is so indescribable – yet so holy, so precious, so overwhelming! It would be overwhelming if it was “just” the Father being in Jesus, Yet this relationship is reflexive – as the Father is in Jesus, as Jesus Is in the Father. They are – indistinguishable in character, in purpose, in existence, in being.
They are One… (remember to pause)
In Jesus – we are joined “in” Them. Not just to them, but in Them. What a glorious, incredible, beyond our ability to imagine, concept. Jesus says that “they also may be in us.” Slight clarification there, because of the English – it sounds like that hasn’t happened yet, but the verb tense there means a continuing state that starts in the past and is still active now.. and for the unforeseeable future.
In this case we are in the Father and the Son…for eternity. (pause)
As Paul says in the Acts of the Apostles, “In Him we have life, and we move and we exist.
Or as Jesus says in Colossians,
12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. Colossians 2:12 (NLT)
You are in Jesus – united with Him in baptism – and therefore as He is in the Father, and the Father is in Him… you are there!
That this is seen by the world, that they may believe
While I might not like accidentally overhearing or reading the critical conversation about me; I think it is far more embarrassing and awkward when people are praising you, or when they are planning to shock you with something, and you happen in on the conversation.
I don’t think I am alone in this, because I think most of us understand we aren’t perfect, and when people praise us, we also realize there are things that they could criticize or even crucify us for, if they only knew.
Most of us don’t realize when we are living in Christ, because it is just that – it is living – it clicks, it works and we find ourselves content. We find great dissonance though and discontent when we are not in that peace, when we are struggling in our unity with Christ and with each other.
While we may not see it – the world does. I am more and more convinced that the church, when it remembers its place is in Christ, in the Father, the more natural it grows – as the world knows why Jesus came – and comes to trust in it as much as we do.
That’s what being drawn into Christ does – that is what being baptized into Christ has done, it was what finding yourself strengthened as you eat the Body of Jesus and drink His Blood does. The Holy Spirit, through word and sacrament transforms us, it causes us to remember Him, that He dwells here – it unites us all, together in Him, in the Father.
The world will notice this, it notices the love, the caring, the peace.
They won’t notice our call for them to follow our moral code, or even our views on science, or on history, or on the nature of man. They may not notice our excellent music, or our preaching, or the beauty of the stained glass and what each symbol means.
They will notice the unity in substance, our unity in love, the will notice the Christ in which we live.. and the peace that passes all comprehension.
For Paul says it clearly –
27 God’s plan is to make known his secret to his people, this rich and glorious secret which he has for all peoples. And the secret is that Christ is in you, which means that you will share in the glory of God. Colossians 1:27 (TEV)
They will notice as we see revealed the glory of the Father shared with the Son, into which we’ve been drawn as we share in The Trinity’s love, and for they will seethe change it makes in us, and give him glory.
AMEN?
Gravity and God’s Grace….
Devotional Thought of the Day….
32 And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” John 12:32 (NLT)
As I walk between the extremes of Christianity, and my own branch of the church, I hear a lot of advice about the church. Some suggest that God will bless the church, if we are faithful to this model. Wait, most of them say that – their models just appear – whether traditional or contemporary, whether doctrinal or social – fundamental or liberal to be at odds with the other models. I would content they might not be as much as they think, they are often making observations about the same thing from different perspectives.
But that isn’t the point.
I would contend that it isn’t how liturgical you are, or whether you church is Lutheran or Catholic or Methodist, or whether you are involved in social ministry, or training the next generation of leaders, or whatever it is. What matters is, is Christ lifted up. For Jesus is where we find hope, it is His love, His desire to reconcile us to the Father, that is seen when He is lifted up on the cross. I will contend that this is the unseen core of the what drives both the church growth crown and the we have to be faithful to our past crowd.
They both love, even if they don’t realize it, how Christ is revealed to them.
The grace and mercy of Christ is like gravity – it is so needed, and the more people need it, the more they get caught in its pull. The more aware they are of being broken, the more they are pulled to the one who is lifted up, just so their souls can find healing. Such was the story of the serpent on the pole – look there – find healing. It was the nature of Solomon’s temple – for believers – look there – find forgiveness/healing, for non-believers, God will hear them – and bring them what they need.
It is, always and forever, about our relationship with Christ, for nothing else provides us with what we need, nothing is like the one crucified to show us His love, His mercy, His desire for us to be His people.
May the Holy Spirit remove from us everything else that catches our eyes,,,, leaving only Christ visible…and then, as the Spirit transforms us into His image – may we see that around us with His eyes.
English: Resurrection of Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Related articles
- It’s Not About Calling the Qualified, or Even Qualifying the Called… it’s about revealing Christ. (justifiedandsinner.com)
- I Have Decided, to Follow Jesus! (Controversy? Not so much…) (justifiedandsinner.com)
- Hungry for more than Discipleless Christianity (justifiedandsinner.com)
- The Church that Needed to Repent and Be Reconciled to God’s Will (justifiedandsinner.com)
Stressed? Challenged? Attacked? Oppressed? Your reaction can be Fight or Flight…….or Trust and Testify
Stained glass window of the sacred Heart of Jesus Christ in the former Mosque (Cathedral) of Cordoba, Spain (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Devotional/Discussion Thought of the Day:
11 Boaz answered her: “I have had a complete account of what you have done for your mother-in-law after your husband’s death; you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know previously. 12 May the LORD reward what you have done! May you receive a full reward from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” Ruth 2:11-12 (NAB)
5 You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. 8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. 2 Corinthians 4:5-10 (NLT)
Last night, as I drifted off to sleep, my mind was working through all the issues of the week, and there were a number of serious ones. Even two that sprang up a couple of hours before bed. Some will be dealt with quickly, some are going to linger for months, and all of them have the potential to cause both anxiety and worse heartache. I can often deal with the stress, and with others heartache, but when I encounter some things – and see the lack of grace, and concern for the people whom God has created, the heart ache is overwhelming.
Scientists from Biologist to Sociologists talk about such times being the mechanism which fire off a “fight or flight” response. That is, the trauma is such that we have an energy spike, and our reaction is to use that energy to run away and hide (the Elijah response – where is that cave again?) or fight (remember St. Peter in the garden with a sword?) Things get tense – and we are informed it is “natural” to feel the pull to one response or the other. Or sometimes we are paralyzed, as our minds can’t decide which to do – and the energy is release, and instead of one or the other…we simply get more anxious, more agitated.
Been there, done that, have the hole in the ground because my head was spinning so fast it turned my body into a drill bit. Fight or Flee – I want to do both right now – and so I look like Shaggy on the old scoobydo cartoons – feeting moving faster then the eye can perceive – and going no where.
For those of us whom God has claimed in the waters of Baptism – there is actually another option. It requires something more than fight or flight.
It takes remember that God is God. That He is our refuge, our strength – as Martin Luther said – he is our Fortress. (that hymn btw is not the anthem of a warrior, but the lament of those needing refuge and their joy in finding it in Christ)
The option is to trust. To have confidence in all of God’s promises – not just about being our refuge, but indeed seeing how God will bless us even more. Taking refuge as Ruth did, in God is about more than spending time in His sanctuary, it is realizing that He has made us His sanctuary. To know that God has called us to these times and these places – to testify of His love, to reveal to people His will, that He doesn’t rejoice in the death of the wicked – that He desires to bring people to reconciliation and repentance, to have Him the trust in Him – even to the extent of what He teaches.
Trust and Testify.
To know He is God, to intimately, deeply, without reservation know it. To know He is our refuge, our sanctuary. Our Hope, our love.
To testify to that – to show others how He has saved us from sin, how being in His presence, death is no longer something to be feared, To realize we don’t have to reach out to Him, but He has us in the firmly in His grasp.
Lord, help us to realize that when we cry out – Lord Have Mercy, it is for the same reason Luther said we pray “They will be done”. Not because You will not, but that we would know You have. AMEN.
Hungry for more than Discipleless Christianity
Devotional Thought of the Day:
Nave of Salisbury Cathedral, with Sibirica Minor II in foreground – geograph.org.uk – 188287 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
23 Let us hold on firmly to the hope we profess, because we can trust God to keep his promise. 24 Let us be concerned for one another, to help one another to show love and to do good. 25 Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer. 26 For there is no longer any sacrifice that will take away sins if we purposely go on sinning after the truth has been made known to us. 27 Instead, all that is left is to wait in fear for the coming Judgment and the fierce fire which will destroy those who oppose God! 28 Anyone who disobeys the Law of Moses is put to death without any mercy when judged guilty from the evidence of two or more witnesses. 29 What, then, of those who despise the Son of God? who treat as a cheap thing the blood of God’s covenant which purified them from sin? who insult the Spirit of grace? Just think how much worse is the punishment they will deserve! Hebrews 10:23-29 (TEV)
57 As they went on their way, a man said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lie down and rest.” 59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But that man said, “Sir, first let me go back and bury my father.” 60 Jesus answered, “Let the dead bury their own dead. You go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.” 61 Someone else said, “I will follow you, sir; but first let me go and say good-bye to my family.” 62 Jesus said to him, “Anyone who starts to plow and then keeps looking back is of no use for the Kingdom of God.” Luke 9:57-62 (TEV)
28 “Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit; and you will find rest. 30 For the yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (TEV)
Yesterday in Bible Study we came across the first passage above. It is a bit scary, given the predisposition of people to sin, and even to argue that sins isn’t sin, or more commonly that my sins aren’t as foul, disgusting and pathetic as the sins of those people “out there”! Indeed we love to look outside ourselves, outside our churches, outside our country even, and point out their sins, their idolatry, their evil.
Or better yet, let’s ignore the issue of sin altogether in the church, and focus instead on issues like music, or what is a proper liturgy, or what is the nature and relationship of sanctification to justification. Let’s focus on church growth, or maintaining pure doctrine; even if that means the church must diminish because of how we work to purify it. There are more than enough things to worry about, there are more than enough cute sayings we can make meme’s out of, or tweet till we turn blue. We want to be Christians, whether Lutheran or Catholic or Methodist or Baptist or Non-Denom, without being disciples – and that is why our churches are so weak.
Instead we can be His friends, we can let Him mentor us, correct us, challenge our idols, especially the idol of our reason, our logic, our ideas of what is right and wrong, what is righteous, or what is sin. We can go – okay Lord, I don’t get this, but I trust YOU!
Will we let the refiner’s fire work in our lives, will we let his abrasive fuller’s soap burn our filthy rags and transform them into glorious white robes?
Will we let Him heal us of our sin?
Will we be reconciled, redeemed, revived, renewed, recreated?
Or do we want a nice academic, thoughtful (but controlled) form of Christianity that asks nothing of us, that allows us to create a facade of righteous, with all the right actions, all the right words, all the proper things… but without a true and honest relationship with the one who hung on a tree to make that relationship possible?
I’ve said it before – following Jesus is more like Ballroom dancing that mountain climbing – will we move with Him, will we allow Him to guide us, to teach us., to bless us with His word, His sacrament, His Death and Resurrection? This isn’t about some form of false piety, it’s about walking with God, and letting Him be our loving, merciful, faithful Shepherd and the Firstborn and Friend.
A last thought – the blessing from the Book of Hebrews:
20 Now may the God of peace— who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood— 21 may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen! Hebrews 13:20-21 (NLT)
I love to deal with sin!
Devotional/Discussion of the Day
6 I am GOD, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of a house of slaves. 7 No other gods, only me. 8 No carved gods of any size, shape, or form of anything whatever, whether of things that fly or walk or swim. 9 Don’t bow down to them and don’t serve them because I am GOD, your God, and I’m a most jealous God. I hold parents responsible for any sins they pass on to their children to the third, and yes, even to the fourth generation. 10 But I’m lovingly loyal to the thousands who love me and keep my commandments. 11 No using the name of GOD, your God, in curses or silly banter; GOD won’t put up with the irreverent use of his name. 12 No working on the Sabbath; keep it holy just as GOD, your God, commanded you. 13 Work six days, doing everything you have to do, 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath, a Rest Day—no work: not you, your son, your daughter, your servant, your maid, your ox, your donkey (or any of your animals), and not even the foreigner visiting your town. That way your servants and maids will get the same rest as you. 15 Don’t ever forget that you were slaves in Egypt and GOD, your God, got you out of there in a powerful show of strength. That’s why GOD, your God, commands you to observe the day of Sabbath rest. 16 Respect your father and mother—GOD, your God, commands it! You’ll have a long life; the land that God is giving you will treat you well. 17 No murder. 18 No adultery. 19 No stealing. 20 No lies about your neighbor. 21 No coveting your neighbor’s wife. And no lusting for his house, field, servant, maid, ox, or donkey either—nothing that belongs to your neighbor! Deuteronomy 5:6-21 (MSG)
We often talk of the above list as the Ten Commandments, (although I prefer to refer to them as how God has commissioned our lives – but that’s another blog entry) Violating these guidelines, whether intentionally or without conscious desire or knowledge is what we theologically call sin. Sin simply is living outside the way God would desire us to live, based on His wisdom, based on His love, His wisdom, His desire for our best.
I wrote as the title of this blog, that I love to deal with sin. I have had to deal with people who struggled with every one of the sins in the last two months, maybe even in the last few days… no definitely in the last 48 hours. And I love to deal with sin.
And I don’t like to not deal with it.
Let me unpack that. People like to deal with sin in the same ways they cope with trauma – or death. We go through the same kinds of phases.
We deny it is sin – it doesn’t matter whether it is missing church or Bible study, or engaging in sin that is outside the bonds of marriage.
We bargain – I won’t commit that other sin, if you God overlook that other sin…
We get depressed – as we realize that on our own, we are weak and helpless to overcome temptation
We get angry – often very angry as we crucify ourselves- or worse- those who try to help us through it – even though that means they have to make the mistake of pointing out the sin.
Or we accept that we are sinners – and just keep on… well sinning.
And in everyone of those phases – we don’t deal with sin at all. We smother it, we cover it, we celebrate it, but the very last thing we could possibly do – is deal with it. And if we fail to deal with it, we find ourselves in the place St. John talked about.
10 If we claim that we’ve never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God.
There is a way to deal with it – a very simple, powerful, wonderful, mindblowing way to deal with the sin…. it comes from the very same place as the quote a moment ago.
8 If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. 9 On the other hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. 1 John 1:8-10 (MSG)
That’s how we deal with it – a simple confession, a simple proclamation of forgiveness – and it’s done.
It could look something like this,
Individual Confession
Pastor, please hear my confession and pronounce God’s forgiveness in order to fulfill God’s will.
Proceed.
I, a poor sinner, plead guilty before God of all sins. I have lived as if God did not matter and as if I mattered most. My Lord’s name I have not honored as I should; my worship and prayers have faltered. I have not let His love have its way with me, and so my love for others has failed. There are those whom I have hurt, and those whom I have failed to help. My thoughts and desires have been soiled with sin.
What troubles me particularly is that . . .
The penitent confesses whatever he has done against the commandments of God, according to his place in life. The he concludes by saying:
I am sorry for all of this and ask for grace. I want to do better.
God be merciful to you and strengthen your faith.
Amen.
Do you believe that my forgiveness is God’s forgiveness?
Yes.
Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive You all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dealt with.. Done.
Sin is simple to deal with, so let’s deal with it... knowing the Lord has had mercy on us.
Can I be happy, as I face the cross?
A cross on a New York Church (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Devotional/Discussion thought of the day….
1 Thessalonians 5:13 (Phillips NT) 13 Live together in peace, and our instruction to this end is to reprimand the unruly, encourage the timid, help the weak and be very patient with all men. Be sure that no one repays a bad turn by a bad turn; good should be your objective always, among yourselves and in the world at large. Be happy in your faith at all times. Never stop praying. Be thankful, whatever the circumstances may be. If you follow this advice you will be working out the will of God expressed to you in Jesus Christ.
With crystal clarity I see the formula, the secret of happiness, both earthly and eternal. It is not just a matter of accepting the Will of God but of embracing it, of identifying oneself with it – in a word, of loving the Divine Will with a positive act of our own will. This, I repeat, is the infallible secret of joy and peace. (1)
On this Monday of Holy Week – as the Crucifix looms on the horizon, as we look at the sin and injustice in this world, as we contemplate its score and the evil that is manifested in it, as we realize the pain embraced by Jesus Christ as all of that sin was laid upon Him, and God the Father let the wrath it deserved loose on him, I have another phrase for you – taken fron St. Paul’s advice to the church that was being persecuted in Thessalonika.
Be Happy!
Or as some translations put it, REJOICE ALWAYS!
Even as we look at the Cross? At its brutality, and at the black sin which caused it?
Yeah – pretty much.
Hebrews 12 tells us that Jesus endured that cross – for the joy set before Him, the joy of being reunited with His adopted brothers and sisters, the joy on the Father’s face, as the Father rejoices over the prodigals coming home! What joy there is to be found in that cross – where the passionate will of God was revealed to us all. That God was willing to give it all up – to endure such pain, to pour out such wrath….
That we would be His people, His children, His beloved!
Even in the midst of suffering, in the midst of trauma, even if in the midst of boredom, we can embrace God’s will, we can see the cross and intuitively know the depth of His love. When we do, there is a joy that comes about – for we realize that His promises are true, His presence is real, that we are not alone.
The secret is not avoiding things that are tough, not avoiding the trials – but making sure we know God’s love, in the midst of them.
And we will know peace, and comfort, and yeah – happiness.
This week – as we set our eyes on the cross – and the crucifixion of our Lord – may we see the joy that He saw, and realize we are with Him.
Escriva, Josemaria (2011-01-31). The Forge (Kindle Locations 3547-3550). 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?
One Holy Church in 40,000 parts?
Devotional/Discussion Thought
From the Large Catechism of Martin Luther:
But this is the meaning and substance of this addition: I believe that there is upon earth a little holy group and congregation of pure saints, under one head, even Christ, called together by the Holy Ghost in one faith, one mind, and understanding, with manifold gifts, yet agreeing in love, without sects or schisms. I am also a part and member of the same a sharer and joint owner of all the goods it possesses, brought to it and incorporated into it by the Holy Ghost by having heard and continuing to hear the Word of God, which is the beginning of entering it.
A week from now, I will preach at a combined services of congregations, as we gather to celebrate Reformation Day. Last night, the above passage was discussed in a group I am teaching. The juxtaposition of which confounds me, and to be honest, depresses and saddens me.
I comprehend the details of Luther’s departure from the Roman Catholic Church, and the pain his writings reveal as he went through very dark days. His reaction towards those who should have discussed the issues is often inexcusable, even as we realize the pain which caused the reaction.
But there is supposed to be one church, a holy, united/catholic, and apostolic/missional church which finds unity not by its own reasoning and strength, but instead in Christ, as they are gathered by the Holy Spirit. Remember Jesus’ call that His disciples may be one – even as the Father and Jesus were One? We are supposed to be without sects or schisms, yet there are 40,000 denominations and within those denominations (including the RCC) there are movements and sub-groups which are competitive and divisive and questioned and not trusted.
So do we abandon hope for a church united in Christ? Or do we justify a decisions with a reference to the visible and invisible church, noting that just because we can’t see our unity, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist? DO we mourn the lack of unity in the church, and the sin which causes it? Or do we triumphantly rise in our sects and schisms and proclaim that we are the true church, and all heterodox bodies are less loved, less effective, and therefore God is not in control?
I pray, even as we approach the five hundreth year since the divisions in the church manifested themselves, and we are eight hundred and sixty years since the Great Schism, that we all pray, as our Lord did – that we would be one. Not in compromising our trust in Christ, but instead, allowing the Holy Spirit to work through word and sacrament to do that which we confess He does… making us one, holy, catholic and apostolic gathering….
Lord have mercy on us!
The Gates of Hell Cannot Withstand….those standing firm in Christ!
“The Gates of Hell Cannot Withstand Us”
Ephesians 6:10-20
† In Jesus Name †
As we are engaged in spiritual battle, may we find the strength, and His might, which enables us to focus, not on the Evil, but on His Love and Mercy! AMEN!
St. Peter’s Confession!
In one of his better moments, right after putting one foot in his mouth and perhaps seconds before placing the other one there, St Peter proclaims to Jesus (and to the others) “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:16 (NLT)
Jesus response there in Matthew’s gospel affirms Peter’s words.
16:17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter which means ‘rock’, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not stand against it. Matthew 16:17-19 (adapted from NLT/ESV)
We shared this same hope we in the words of the Nicene Creed, They remind us that we are in a spiritual war, that we were once hostages that were rescued by Jesus, that there are still many that need to be rescued, and the gates of hell are powerless against the cry of faith in God.
It is a spiritual war, and spiritual warfare, though simple in words never seems to be so easy.
Most people, facing spiritual warfare and our epistle today take one of two actions. One they see themselves as a spiritual super-hero, Captain America or Superman – ready to take on the world if need be! Or having common sense, they run faster than the Enterprise going into warp
Often, we come often back from such spiritual warfare bruised and battered, as I have to admit, I did this week. The challenge is to realize that taking such a beating…isn’t always a bad thing. For it drives us to Jesus…
A Confession of Failure
As Vicar Mark and I went to St. Louis this week, we had some incredible moments. Some of the lessons were great, as we heard that the seminary process is as much about forming Mark as a pastor, not just a theologian. They left him a bit in awe, and somewhat in fear of the next four year’s work they demand. They did the same for us “mentors”. They told us of the burden we will bear – opening our lives us to share and model and help mold th making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
em as men of God, as leaders of their church.
I failed the very first test as Mark’s mentor, as we struggled through the week, and as frustration eventually got the best of me. I didn’t model very well being strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might, and in remembering that flesh and blood are not our enemies – but forces of much more conniving and forceful and yes diabolical nature.
It started with a rental car which our 5’7 inch 150 pound friend found quite snug with the seat all the way back! (So you can imagine Mark and I trying to wear it!) Then there was the perfect weather – well the numbers matched perfectly – 95 degrees and 95 percent humidity. Add in every class we moved from was on the 2nd or third floor with the stairwells without any airflow. Toss in a number of irritating moments, like losing paperwork and forms multiple times. And cap it off with a mind-number eleven hour journey home including a challenge with TSA, weather delays, missed connections, and airport staff who seemed to delight in causing us problems! One of us, on a conveyer belt bringing us from one terminal to another mentioned the passage in James… “count it all joy when you endure..” except we couldn’t even find that quote funny. We were done, we were beat, and we lost sight of God’s incredible blessings of the week, or the people He brought us into contact with…including the divorced doctor going to see his son, and the foreign student who Mark and I had the opportunity to share God’s love with, on the first leg of our journey.
I have to confess that I struggled not to see the ticket agent as my enemy. Knowing I was preaching on this very passage, I gave up the opportunity to be a blessing to her, and to be an example on dealing with frustrations for Mark.
I had lost the war… or so I believed, as I shared with Vicar Mark that we needed to remember the incredible blessings, even as Satan and His demons, NOT DELTA, was trying to distract us from the grace we know so well! The goal isn’t to beat us up, but to do whatever is necessary to pull us away from Jesus, and then into the bondage of sin!
So where is our armor?
I am convinced that a great deal of spiritual warfare begins and ends with simply distracting us from Jesus. Whether it is causing us frustration or anxiety, getting us to be burdened by guilt or shame, causing us to repress our feelings, or giving into sin, the goal is the same – the people of God will struggle if we are weakened by forgetting the presence of God in which we dwell! That’s why one of the first tactics is to indicate that we don’t need to be gathered together around God’s mercy and love, poured out on us through His word and Sacrament.
Look at the weapons we are to take up – they lead us – each and every one of the weapons, to Jesus – and His work in our lives.
We start the belt of Truth! Back then a belt girds and strengthens us for the run, think of the kind of belt a weight lifter or stockroom worker uses.. John 14:6 tells us Jesus is the Truth – and so our first weapon, strengthening our endurance is given to us, as we dwell in Christ!
The Breastplate of Righteousness – as we read Romans 3-5, and we find that which protects our heart is Jesus. The second tool of the battle is the righteousness, for in Him and through Him we are found righteous, and free from the sin which so easily subverts us!
The shoes, the incredible shoes that were put on, ready to go out and share the gospel of peace! Again, the focus is on being in Christ, for in Him, there is the peace that passes all understanding!
The helmet that keeps our mind safe and secure, just as the breastplate kept our heart safe- our salvation – which is found again, as we live in Jesus Christ, it is His work in our lives! Does it sound familiar that our heart is guarded and our head is guarded as we journey in peace? This is a common theme for Paul, the blessing of our being united in Christ Jesus!
Lastly the sword, the Word of God, the words which cut open our sin-plagued heart and exorcises the sin – not just a weapon to attack and stab with, but a tool to use for healing as well! What an incredible thing Jesus does in our lives!
Used in
Prayer –
It is amazing, that as Paul focuses us on these weapons, the tools of our faith, the emphasis isn’t really on the war, but on realizing that we dwell in Christ! That is why he naturally moves from realizing what God has done, to communicating with God in prayer and supplication!
You see, that’s where we find our strength – not in our own maturity, but rather in communion with the Creator of all! That means, trusting in Him, we do lay every burden down, we bring Him into every situation! We trust Him not only with our life, but with the people we pray for! We trust Him with the lives of those for whom we “intercede” as we bring before the God that loves us. We know that as He takes them from our hands into His heart, the care will be there… that all things will work for good for them, for those who are loved and called into the very relationship we have with God!
A war against principalities and the cosmic powers of the present darkness means we realize that so many are still held in bondage – bondage to that which causes fear and guilt and share and anxiety!
Our war isn’t with them, it is to free them, as it was Paul’s vocation and prayer as well.
Think about these last verses,
“making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel!
As we consider where we are in Christ, we realize they mystery is revealed completely! What we’ve been saved to, the peace, of heart and mind! The peace of knowing real truth that God has cleansed us and freed us of that which poisons our lives! We realize our battle is to free those who were bound as we have been, whose life is missing that peace.
The funny thing, I said above that I was shocked at what a poor example I was, but perhaps the example that was needed is not that I reacted badly to the stress of the day and the burdens of the week – but instead that having sinned, I found the strength that cleanses our sins, and guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus….
For that is our combat lesson. AMEN?
Know someone who is backsliding? Have Hope!!!
Discussion/Devotional Quote of the Day:
“You are extraordinarily happy. Sometimes you may find out that God has been abandoned by a son of his. THen in the midst of the peace and joy deep within you, you have a pang of grief and a sorry which arises from affection, but you do not allow it really to disturb or upset you.
All right, but.. make sure you use all human and supernatural resources available to help him change his mind. And you must trust fully in Jesus Christ! If you do, the waters will return to their course.” Escriva
It may be a child, or a grandchild, It may be a high school friend – so active in the church during his teens, yet now has no time for God now in his forties, fifties, sixties even. There is even now a classification for such people – the “de-churched” Sometimes they say they believe in God, sometimes they are very angry at God and they say they can’t believe (how can someone be angry at Someone they don’t believe exists? Another question, another day!) Sometimes they live as if it just doesn’t matter, they are so apathetic to anything spiritual…. and sometimes it is that they just have their priorities backward…
It should sadden us, more than just a passing thought. We should pray – deeply pray for such people, and yearn as the Father does for their return. We must also carefully and completely show our care for theme – not nag and harass them – but be there for them, Walk with them instead – journey at their side – for you know where you are going, even if they do not. Don’t be afraid of the mire they are stuck in, you cannot if you are to be the one who brings them the words of life.. and re-kindle that flame of love and adoration of a God who got down into your muck, your mire, to rescue you.
I put in bold the key – the idea that first, always, our trust cannot be in our powers of persuasion, but in Jesus’ love. Nor should we give up hope – for the hope you have for their restoration is found in Jesus, and in the prodigals Daddy, who looked and desired the homecoming of his wandering son. Keep interceding – asking God for their return – knowing God desires it even more than you do. Keep praying, and when the doors are open – be ready and share the love and peace of Christ which you so treasure.
“Lord Have Mercy” we cry, and we know He has…
therefore know He who pulled you out of the mire, walks with you this day…
