Trinity 1 Sermon

 

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +

    Well, now we are full into the season of Trinity. Things are green, and they are going to stay Green for quite some time. Trinity is the teaching season, the season of growth. Today's lesson is this: Sin is ignoring the Word of God. All sin. It all blows off the Word of God. This is precisely what our Lord is teaching the Pharisees with our Gospel lesson today. “Wait, what do you mean teaching the Pharisees, I didn't hear anything about Pharisees in the Gospel text!” Luke 15 and 16 are all one big narrative all tied together – and Luke 15 has the parable of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, the Prodigal Son. Ones you know well. Luke 16 starts with the dishonest manager – take your bill and cross out 100 and write 80 – you cannot serve God and money. We'll look at those in detail later in the summer, but upon hearing these lessons, we hear in Luke 16:14, “The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed Him.” Think on that. The Pharisees hear Jesus tell these beautiful and cherished parables, and they laugh. They mock Him. They ridicule Him. And so, Jesus explains how it really is.

    Alright, you lovers of money who mock the idea of relying simply upon the goodness of God, here you go. “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table.” This is a beautiful set up. You Pharisees love money – alright, I'll tell you a tale about a fellow with tons of money. The best clothes, the best food, gated community. Everything your selfish and greedy black hearts could want. And over and against this rich fellow is this poor, sickly, beggar whom I'll call Lazarus. Here is where Jesus is neat – the name “Lazarus” means “one whom God helps.” You Pharisees have been laughing and mocking all these parables about God helping, God showing mercy to folks, about God rejoicing in and delighting in forgiveness. Alright – here's two people – the rich smug jerk like you guys, and then the poor fellow whom God helps, help that you've mocked. And the rich man does nothing for Lazarus.

    Seriously – the rich man is cold. He lets Lazarus starve to death on his doorstep. But at least when Lazarus dies Lazarus is “carried by the angels to Abraham's side.” In the Old Testament, the way of saying that a man died in the faith was that he went to sleep with his fathers – well, there you go, there's Lazarus and he's with not just any old father, but Father Abraham. And now, to the Pharisees, for their fellow. “The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off.” Do you get just how big a smack in the face, what a shot across the bow this is to those Pharisees who were mocking Jesus? Laugh it up now, because if you don't repent, you'll be burning in hell with all the pagans, far, far away from Abraham. And you know what all that power that you love and crave will get you there? You know what your money and fame will be good for when you're burning? And [the rich man] called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.” But Father Abraham said, 'Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.” Oh, so NOW you want things to be about mercy – mercy you never showed to Lazarus, mercy you Pharisees don't show as you stand by and laugh and mock as the poor have good news preached to them. Well, tough. You see Pharisees, this life is the day of mercy, today is the day of salvation, and if you don't care about living in mercy now, about receiving mercy from God and showing mercy to others, well, when you are burning in hell it will be too late. Jesus is reading these Pharisees the riot act.

    Now, it would seem that the Rich Man comes around a bit – send Lazarus back to my house, I've got five brothers and I don't want them to end up here. And Abraham says, “They have Moses and the Prophets, let them hear them.” They've got the Scriptures, they've got the Word of God. Moses and the Prophets (and indeed, the whole New Testament today) teaches that we are sinful and need to repent and cling to God for mercy - mercy that He gives in the Messiah, in the Christ. What Abraham says is spot on. Abraham says, “your brothers have it better than I did, because Scripture wasn't written yet in my day – they should be thrilled that they can hear the Word of God come to them over and over and over again. God has given them such a great gift in His Written Word!” And then we get to the crux of the problem. And [the rich man] said, “No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” Pause there for a second. There the rich man is, burning in hell, and he has the chutzpah, the audacity to tell Abraham, father Abraham, “No”. No, Abraham, you don't know what you are talking about; I know what I'm talking about. Remember what the Pharisees were doing, mocking Jesus' preaching? Jesus, you don't know what you're talking about. There it is. Sin is ignoring the Word of God. Sin is thinking you know better than what God has promised in His Word.

    So Abraham knocks the rich man down – sets up the Pharisees too. “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” Your plan won't work – if they mock the Old Testament Scriptures, they'll mock the New Testament too, they'll mock the parables of Christ Jesus, who will in fact rise from the dead. All because in pride and ego, people ignore the Word of God. You think you're so pious, you Pharisees. You think you are so much better than others because of how you're such good Jews, (good Christians,) you see your wealth and power and prestige as proving how good you are. Do you use this to serve your neighbor as Moses instructed? Do you confess with the psalms that all flesh is grass, that the flower of the field withers? Do you put your trust in the Lord for mercy? Do you seek out and wait for the Messiah whom the prophets foretold? No, you don't. You ignore the Scriptures, you ignore the Word of God because you in your pride think you know better. You're in for a world of hurt.

    Now, here's the moment of truth for me as a preacher. Because if I wanted to, this text sets up to just let me unload on you folks. I could preach up a whole heap of fire and brimstone here, guns ablazing. However, as the point of the text is that we ought not ignore the Word of God, I really ought not treat this text, this story as though there was only one character in it. It's not just the tale of the rich man – it's the rich man and Lazarus. And I know that Satan and your flesh are trying to turn you into full-fledged rich men, but when I see you, I see a bunch of Lazarus-es. And I have a good reason to see you as such. Lazarus has a name. Interesting point. In all the parables and stories Jesus tells, Lazarus is the only person ever named.

    You too have a name. You have a Christian name. Your baptismal name. That's why part of the rite of Baptism includes “how are you named”? And there, at the font, you are brought into the family of God, washed clean and forgiven, and there you have God's own Name - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – placed upon you. Lazarus means “one whom God has helped” - and there's not more help than God can give than Holy Baptism. Washes away sin, gives eternal life. Brings you into the Church, makes you a member of Christ's own body. So yes, looking at this story, what I see when I see you, what we ought to see and think of each other is that we are Larazus-es. That we are poor, miserable sinners who are “Lazarused” - who are helped by God.

    Let's be honest about that poor and miserable sinners part for a moment. That is what the Scriptures say of us, and that is the reality of our lives. In the story, when we see Lazarus, he's laying there sick and battered and as good as dead. That's the reality of life in this fallen world. We are covered with sin and temptation, we are battered and ignored, we starve from a lack of love and crave it. Some of you feel this reality strong now. For some of you, the physical description hits too close to home. And if some of you are having good times; don't get too haughty, eventually it gets rough for everyone here, as the Scriptures teach, as you well know. So there we are. Kicked in the teeth. The people next to you, in front of or behind you, there they are too. Don't be afraid to admit just how rough it is for you, for you neighbor. That's reality, or at least part of it.

    The other part, the greater part, is that you are helped by God. These trials and temptations and sufferings that you face, they don't thwart, they don't dash God's love for you. You are forgiven. Christ Jesus, your brother, has won you salvation, He has come down into this world and suffered along side you, seen everything at it's worst, died and risen for you, and so you too will rise. Nothing you face here can stop that. And as for each other – well, “Even the dogs came and licked his sores.” We comfort each other. We care for each other, even if the best we can do is lick each others wounds. While the world around us might show all the disdain of the Pharisees, the callousness of the rich man, so be it. We are poor beggars, but we are helped by God. We are miserable dogs who give what comfort we can – but we are dogs who are fed on the crumbs from our Master's table, receiving His life giving Body and Blood for the remission of our sins and for strength to show love and mercy to one another.

    This is what the Word of God teaches. This is why Satan wants you to ignore the Word of God – just as he has since he first quipped, “Did God REALLY say” so long ago. But you are Baptized, you are people of the Word, brought to this house of God where the Word of God is read, proclaimed, sung, recited. And that Word of God tells of your salvation, won by Jesus, and that Word of God delivers that salvation to you. This is what God's Word says – while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Though our sins are as scarlet, they shall be white as snow. Though you are battered and beaten and broken in this life, you are helped by God, and you shall know eternal rest in Christ Jesus. Thanks be to God! In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +

Trinity Sunday Sermon

 

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +

    Oh Nicodemus, you are such a politician! And please understand, I don't mean that as an insult, it's just that we are told that Nicodemus is a “ruler of the Jews.” He's a big wig, a muckity-muck, a politician. And so when Nicodemus hears about Jesus and what Jesus is doing, what Jesus is preaching, Nicodemus decides to respond. Nicodemus is going to get out in front of the story. Nicodemus is going to do some damage control, work some spin. Nicodemus himself will go hunt down this Jesus, feel Him out, and try to reign Him in because this Jesus might just become too much of a loose cannon. This Jesus needs to be controlled. So Nicodemus comes by night, by himself, and Nicodemus is going to do his politician thing.

    Jesus knows what Nicodemus is up to, and that's why this conversation starts so strangely. Consider – Nicodemus starts by saying, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with Him. Ah, what a statement. We know – even though I'm here by myself – that You're special, You're a teacher sent from God – let's butter Him up, blow some smoke up His skirt – for You've done these great signs. Glad hand Jesus, pat Him on the back – You're doing great, Son. And why? To see how Jesus will react, to see if Jesus will show deference to Nicodemus and His station – aw shucks, thank you, Sir, that's mighty nice of you to say that. If Jesus did that, Nicodemus would know that Jesus was willing to play ball. He'd show respect and calm down when Nicodemus pulls Him aside. Or what if Jesus had responded with pride and arrogance, bragging about Himself – yes, I am sent from God and I'm the bestest of all the teachers, there's never been a better teacher than Me! Well, then Nicodemus would know that He's got to deal with an arrogant hothead and blowhard, and try to manage that.

    But Jesus, Jesus does something different. See, Nicodemus is trying to go get Jesus to talk about Himself, so Nicodemus can figure out Jesus' personality and how to manipulate Him. Jesus will have none of that. Instead, Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” We hearing this almost get whiplash – where in the world did that come from, Jesus? Well, Jesus isn't going to have this discussion be about His personality – instead Jesus is going to teach. It's a shift, but it's not as drastic as we might think it is. If one farmer walks up to another and says, “Might get some rain this afternoon,” and the other says, “how much fertilizer did you put on the old Johnson farm” - that's just a signal that it's time to get down to business. No small talk – business.

    So Jesus gets down to business; Jesus makes a theological assertion – Jesus makes an interesting statement about the faith and how salvation works. Unless you are born again, you're not able to see God's Kingdom. And of course, this is a pregnant assertion, because the background point is that Nicodemus doesn't see or understand that the Kingdom of God has come because Nicodemus hasn't been born again yet – Nicodemus hasn't been gifted faith and spiritual life by the Holy Spirit yet, so Nicodemus is stuck in humdrum politics. Do you see what Jesus does? Jesus takes charge of the conversation; Jesus drives to what is important.

    And Nicodemus plays along. Sort of. Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” In the olden days, Rabbinical discussions were typically question based – you'd start with an assertion and then the two rabbis would start asking questions back and forth of each other. So Nicodemus does that – he asks a question – okay Jesus, you want to play theological games, I'll play too. But even here this is a trap question. Nicodemus asks a question to see if Jesus were actually up to some sort of pagan, cultic no-good trouble, He'd possibly expose Himself. Nicodemus is still trying to get a handle on Jesus here.

    But that's not how this works. Jesus is the One in control. So Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” No, Nicodemus, I'm not talking about any strange culty stuff – that which is born of the flesh is flesh – I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about being born of God's Spirit – the Spirit of life. I'm preparing you for the gift of Baptism, where I'm going to claim you and give you new life Nicodemus – because not only do I want you to actually see the Kingdom of God, see Me and My work and know it for what it is – I want you to enter it, I want you to be a part of My kingdom.

    And apparently this is somewhat shocking to old Nicodemus, because Jesus continues saying, “Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” This is an important point – in Hebrew “wind” and “Spirit” are the same thing – also “breath” - they all come from the same word. No, Nicodemus, you're not in control here, no more than you can control the wind, and all your hot air talk won't do anything to bring you control. But Jesus, Jesus is in control. He sends forth the Spirit where He wills, and the Spirit comes and gives life and makes people to be born again – even while no one else understands. And Jesus is going to and in fact is enliving Nicodemus and giving him new birth by Jesus's own words of Spirit and truth!

    One last gasp of defiance from Nicodemus – he's lost control, even his so called self-control – How can these things be? Rule number 1 for a politician – never ask your opponent an open ended question, especially one of awe and wonder. Nicodemus is utterly off his game. But that's because Jesus isn't playing around – Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Come on, Nicodemus – you know the Messiah, you know the fulfillment of the Old Testament when you see it. This is heavenly. This is the fulfillment of prophecy. This is the plan of salvation – And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have life. You know the pattern, you know how the Lord works salvation – and that is what is going on here in full, Nicodemus – and I am going to be lifted up in order to save you. This is the way God does it, this is the way God loves the world, loves you Nicodemus – Jesus is given to the death upon the Cross, so that you would not perish but instead have eternal life.

    And as it turns out, Jesus knew what He was doing in this conversation with Nicodemus. Nicodemus would in fact see the Kingdom of God – Nicodemus was act the crucifixion, and in fact, Nicodemus along with Joseph of Arimathea buried Jesus. Nicodemus in fact received eternal life and ended up being a leader of the early church.

    So then, what to make of this text! As we move into the Trinity season, we move into a time of teaching – where we get lessons that are designed to train us in the faith, in the life of a Christian. Lesson one – you're not in control. Nicodemus entered our text completely about control, about being in charge of the situation, of getting things done his way to his standards. And Jesus just disabuses him of this notion. Control? You aren't even alive, you're spiritually dead in your tresspasses. No, the truth is Jesus is in control, Jesus is in charge – and truly, truly, I say unto you, Jesus being in control is good for you. Because Jesus is in control, Jesus is in charge, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus... for your good. For your salvation. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. We in our lust for control unleash sin upon the world; we in our desire for power today do all sorts of wicked things and trample all over our neighbor instead of serving them. In many ways sin is nothing other than our desire for control spinning out in various fashions, making us run roughshod over our neighbors. But that's not what Jesus does – He is in control for the good of His neighbors, for their benefit, even at His own cost. And Jesus is going to rescue people, rescue us from sin and death with His own death and resurrection.

    And part of being a Christian is learning, is remembering that you yourself having control isn't the most important thing. If you set your kitchen on fire by your foolish cooking, and the firemen come into to pull you out of the flaming wreck of your house, that's not the time for you to try to keep cooking and say, “This is fine, I've got everything under control.” Nope, you need to be rescued. And this is the thing – Jesus sees how you need to be rescued, He even sees ways that you need to be rescued that you don't know yet, that you don't realize yet. You and I, we're still sinful, our sinful wants and desires blind us sometimes so we miss what is going on, and we grasp at straws thinking that by doing so we'll move heaven and earth. And over and against all of that, Jesus rescues you. You have been born again of water and the Spirit, and Jesus pours His Spirit into you again and again by His Word so that you would be rescued and saved. And your sin and folly get revealed, and you get pulled away from them, and you get brought to repentance, and you receive forgiveness – and your guilt is taken away and your sin is atoned for – because Jesus has died for you.

    Oh, old Nicodemus had wanted to control Jesus. He had wanted to play his political games, but Jesus would have none of it. Jesus just up and saved Nicodemus, because Jesus loved Nicodemus. Likewise, we get stuck in our silly little sinful games where we try to control everything and we try to run everything. But Jesus will have none of that from you. Jesus wants something far better for you – He wants you forgiven, He wants a clean heart and a right Spirit within you, and so He gives you one, and He does so again and again by His Word even until the day when He raises you to eternal life and sin and your stupid desires for control aren't even a memory anymore. This is Jesus' love for you; this is what He came and what He comes to do. In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +

Pentecost Day Sermon

 

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +

    The day of Pentecost is here – the day on which we remember the Apostles sitting there in Jerusalem, and then the mighty rush of wind, and then the tongues of fire, and then the speaking in tongues so that all who are present can hear. . . hear what? Our reading today from Acts cuts off Peter’s sermon – he had just begun to preach – said we aren’t drunk but this is just what Joel told you would come – and then we don’t hear any more. So, what does Peter preach that day – when the Holy Spirit comes upon him, what does Peter proclaim? Listen to his next two sentences – “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves know – this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised Him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it.” And then here's the closing sentence – “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you have crucified.” The Holy Spirit comes – and what happens? Peter preaches that Jesus is True Man and True God – He is the LORD – and He has died and He has risen. Then people ask what they should do, and Peter responds: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the LORD our God calls to Himself.”

    And so here we are. Seriously, this is us in Peter's sermon – we are those who are far off, who are the children’s children’s children many times over – this is the promise we have received, that we have been made part of. We have been called to repentance, we have been baptized – many of you here at this very font – we all have received the Holy Spirit, and we all have been called by God to come to this place and hear His Word and worship Him. You are part of Acts 2 – you are part of the events of Pentecost. What started then with the establishment of the Apostolic Church extends to right now, right here. We are part of that very same Church – we have the same LORD and Christ, we have the same baptism and forgiveness, we have received the same Holy Spirit.

    So then, what does this mean? What does life for one who repents and receives forgiveness from Christ look like? What does life look like for one who has received the Holy Spirit? Is it a life of power and might – where we can put our hands on people’s heads and shake a bit and then knock them to the ground and say, “Be healed”? While it could be fun, at least for me, to go around smacking people upside their head – that’s not the point. Or does receiving the Holy Spirit mean that we get to go and speak in tongues and talk in strange languages? Well, I suppose it could, but on Pentecost day there were people from all over gathered into the Temple – Parthians and Medes and Elamites and folks from all over. What do we have here. . . English speakers of mostly Northern European descent. There’s not really a need for extra languages here, and the Holy Spirit didn’t have the Apostles speak in tongues just so that they could be cool and have people ooo and ahhh at them. And I could go on – there are those who thought receiving the Holy Spirit meant you rolled around on the ground – you know, holy rollers – or that you barked like a dog, or that you got to play with snakes – on and on and on. I would rather suggest that we listen to the Words of our Lord Jesus Christ and what He describes in our Gospel lesson.

    “Jesus answered him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My Word, and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.’” This is a fantastically dense verse. We are the people who love Jesus – so what shapes our lives – keeping His Word. Now, this doesn’t just mean “obeying the commandments”. This isn’t just law here, this isn’t just a command to be nice. This word “keep” really has that sense of hold fast to, cling to – to hold onto God’s Word in faith. We are to hold fast to and cling to God’s Word – all of it. Commandments – yes indeed. We are to strive and to struggle to do good. But also we are to cling by faith to the Word of God which tells us that we have forgiveness in Christ Jesus because of His death and resurrection for our sake. We are to cling to that very truth that Peter proclaimed on Pentecost – to keep and pay attention to what the Scriptures say and teach – all of it – Law and Gospel. This is what it is to keep the Word, to see that we know it, that we learn it. Our entire lives are shaped and defined by the truth that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. That’s what we hold on to, that’s where we live. We struggle against sin and delight in Christ’s forgiveness. And what happens at the very same time as we live in that Word? The Father and the Son come to us and make their home with us, live with us, be with us.

    And of course, this keeping our focus on the Scriptures, this being in the Word isn’t simply our own action, it isn’t something that simply comes about by our own strength. Rather our Lord says, “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” The Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that came upon the Apostles on Pentecost, the same Spirit that Peter promised to those who heard and believed and were baptized, the same Spirit that we ourselves have received by the gift of baptism – He has come to us, and He teaches us. The Spirit brings to remembrance – He makes us remember the things that Jesus has said to us. Or to put it another way – the Spirit makes us to keep Christ’s Word – makes it so that the Word of God is up front in our lives. The Holy Spirit makes us to remember God’s commands, so that during the week when we live our lives we know the difference between right and wrong, so that we know what is good and God pleasing and strive to do that. Without the Spirit, you cannot try to please God, because without the Spirit a person doesn’t really know who God is and can’t know what God wants – and you end up with all the various false religions of the world where people make up their own ideas of how to serve “God”, how to be good, how to be on the right side of history - the Lord says of them, “In vain do they worship Me, following the commandments of men.” The Holy Spirit focuses us upon the Word so we don’t careen off into that.

    The Holy Spirit also makes us to remember God’s love for us, makes us to remember that the Father sent the Son to be our Savior from Sin, so that when we are burdened, when we understand and see the weight of our sin, we repent, and with joy and gladness receive forgiveness. The Holy Spirit draws us closer to Christ; He makes us to trust in the forgiveness that Christ won even while Satan and the world mock us and try to condemn us. That’s what the Spirit does. Do you wish to know if you have received the Holy Spirit – it is as simple as this. Have you been baptized? If so, the Holy Spirit has laid His claim upon you. Do you confess that Jesus is LORD – that He is God Almighty? No man may say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. Do you repent of your sin and receive Christ’s forgiveness – that is worked by the Word of God through the Holy Spirit. This is where we live, this is our lives as Christians – those who by the Spirit are brought to the Word of God and live in that Word of God and keep that Word of God.

    And what's the result? Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” The gift of the Holy Spirit is this – the Spirit focuses us upon the Word of God, and thus we are focused upon Christ Jesus, and thus we know His Peace. We are at peace with God. God is not angry with you, God is not out to punish you – all that has been taken up by Christ. There upon the cross was your punishment, and now there is no more punishment left for you. The Triune God – Father, Son, and Spirit – is at peace with you, and dwells with you, makes His home with you – for you are forgiven because of Christ Jesus. This is the peace Christ has given you, the peace that the Spirit continually points you to. And this is not given as the world gives. In the world, that which is given often has strings attached and hidden fees and fine print. In the world, there's wheeling and dealing. In the world there’s always a catch, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. But not as the world gives does Christ give His peace to you – for it is truly free. It is truly a gift. Nothing of yours is required, but rather God delights in giving you salvation – indeed, God loves you and maintains you and cares for you wherever you may go. He calls you to repentance, calls you to return to your baptismal life, and showers forgiveness upon you. And thus, there is no need for your hearts to be troubled – no need for them to be afraid. Christ has won everything for you, enjoy His peace. Doesn't mean there won't be troubles in the world – doesn't mean we won't see man's sinful stupidity bringing about all sorts of trouble, some of which sploshes up on us – so be it – you are at peace with God, and come what may in this world you are forgiven, and so you are blessed in life now in the face of sin in the world, and you are bound for the resurrection and eternal life. There's peace.

    This, my dear friends, is your heritage as a Christian. This is what the Father sent the Holy Spirit through His Son for – so that you might always be secure and confident in His love, that you might always cherish God’s Word in its truth and purity, and that you might always know and be sure of the forgiveness Christ has won you. What was revealed on the day of Pentecost continues here today, and it shall continue until our Lord returns – come quickly Lord Jesus. In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit + Amen.

Easter 7 Sermon

 

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia! +

    I have said these things to you to keep you from falling away. Here we get to the point, here we get to the sharp edge. For the past month or so we've been hearing these words of Jesus from John 15 and 16, and they are all setting us up for life after the Crucifixion and Resurrection, life after Pentecost. And they've not always been rosy words – there's been warnings of tribulation and sorrow and lamentation. Today it gets ratcheted up. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. You know what being a believer, what having faith might mean? Rejection from your community – where your family, your friends, your home – turns on you. You aren't with the program anymore, we can't talk to you, we can't even bear to see you, get out. And it might be done violently. They might even kill you and think they are serving God, protecting the “church” - just like the chief priests who killed Jesus thought wrongly that they were serving God.

    2000 years of Church history shows that this warning is true. It was true in the lives of the apostles and the early Church. The Christians were kicked out of the synagogue – and that actually was a technical, legal thing. The Jewish people had various religious rights and exemptions in ancient Rome – protections under the law. The Christians lost those protections, and they were handed over to Rome, and many were martyred. Of the 12 Apostles, 11 are executed – only John dies a normal death, and that is still in exile. And things like this follow for the Church. And they still follow and happen today – where confessing faith in Christ Jesus and looking to Him for mercy and forgiveness can get you mocked, ostracized, or even killed.

    So why bring it up? Why does Jesus take time to introduce this idea right before His own death? So that you do not fall away. Fall away. You know, I bet pretty much every one of you know the Greek word here that Jesus uses that gets translated as “fall away” - it's “skandalisthete” - scandalized. That you would not be tripped up and knocked over and fall flat in your faith. That's what a scandal is – right? It's some event that takes someone who is powerful and flying high and knocks them down. And Jesus warns you today that Satan and the world, and even your own flesh are going to try to get you caught up in scandals of your own, things to knock you down and shatter your faith. Because this is the reality – no one can forcibly take Jesus away from you – but you can and will be tempted to fall away from the faith, to set it down and walk away from it.

    And this is something we're seeing today. Last Century, way back in the 1900s (okay, normally I would have just said 40 or 50 years ago, but it's the past now), there was some societal pressure to be a Christian, especially after World War 2, especially during the cold war when the Godless Communists were our enemies. It was patriotic to be a Christian, and you were supposed to be patriotic. That's just not as big a pressure in society anymore. In fact, I'd argue that it's far more common to get pressures to drive you away from the Church, away from the Christian Community, away from the whole approach to life where you say, “I'm a sinner, and I need Christ's forgiveness.” Call something a sin today, and you might get dragged to court. Say you've got church this weekend, and your club or team will mock you, throw you to the bench, or kick you out. Making Church, making the faith a priority has always been hard – and there's a lot less encouragement, a lot just pressure to do that – and in fact there's encouragement and pressure to have you give up, to have you fall away. You have to be prepared as a Christian to have people think that you are backwards and just horrible because you don't go along with their silly little games.

    Man, I'm a bit bummed right now. I mean, I could keep swirling on down this line of discussion, and I'm sure we could all work up some bitter rants about how the world is changing, and we could work ourselves up and we could get some massive resentments building up and maybe even work up some indignation and rage. And then suddenly this place gets shifted and corrupted into a house of anger and disdain and judgment. But aren't there things to be angry over, and aren't there things to judge. Yes, but is that the center, the focus, the heart of this place, of being a Christian? That you hate the right things to hate? You see, this is the thing with falling, there are multiple directions you can fall. Someone can push you one way – you might fall that way, or you might over-correct and fall over the other way. 115 has ditches on both side of the road, if you miss the left one but swerve over to the right side one, you're still in the ditch. And our own sinful flesh will try to use what happens to us as an excuse to calcify, to harden, and that's a falling away too. That's a shifting of the focus of this place.

    And neither of these results is what Jesus desires for you. So hear Him again. When the Helper comes, Whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about Me. The Helper, the Holy Spirit – what's He going to do? He's going to bear witness, He's going to fix your eyes upon Jesus. Ultimately, to be a Christian is this – that you learn to see and understand everything, everything, in view of, in light of Christ Jesus and His death and resurrection. We see everything through Jesus tinted glasses. And that's the job of the Holy Spirit – to bring you Jesus, to hold before your eyes and in your mind first and foremost the story of redemption and forgiveness – that God Himself comes to rescue and redeem fallen man by becoming man Himself, by living perfectly in our place to fulfill all righteousness, by dying in our place to take up all punishment, and by rising again to reestablish and inaugurate life again. This is the Truth – Jesus is the Truth – the Way, the Truth, and the Life, actually – and the Spirit's job is to keep you centered in Jesus – because when you are centered in Christ, He raises you up. When you are centered in Christ, what's to scandalize you?

    And I ask you that seriously – when you have the story of Jesus, the history of salvation that unfolds in the Scriptures, what's going to scandalize you? What's going to be so abhorrent that it catches you off guard and knocks you down? Because in the Scriptures you've seen it all, and you've seen how Jesus deals with it all. Are people mad at you for being faithful – well, that's happened plenty of times in the Scriptures. Abraham, Joseph, David, John the Baptist, the Apostles, they all get treated horribly. Shouldn't surprise you. And it happened to Jesus Himself – He Himself is abused for His faithfulness, He is struck by a soldier for speaking the truth before the chief priests. There's no reason any of that should shock you. And you see Jesus – you know the pattern – Jesus suffers, calls out, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do,” - and then dying, He rises. Those attacks, those insults don't knock Jesus off the plan of salvation. Sometimes there's temporal deliverance from the problems, sometimes there's not – either way they all end with the heavens being opened and the risen and ascended Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father welcoming the forgiven unto eternal life.

    There is not a sinner you will come across this week who isn't a sinner that Jesus has died for. There isn't a sin that you will encounter this week that wasn't taken up by Christ on the Cross already and crucified. This is true whether it that sinner over there and their sins that really hurt and harm you – or whether its this sinner, the sinner you see in the mirror each day, and those stupid sins that harm yourself and mess up your own life. Forgiveness still reigns. The Cross of Christ Jesus still towers over them all. Christ Jesus came into this world to redeem sinners. This is the Truth, this is what Jesus came to do. This is the highest reality.

    And Satan can't change reality. He can lie, he can delude, he can try to pull the wool over your eyes. He can tell you that if you repeat something enough it becomes true no matter how absurd it is – but it's not. Jesus is the Truth, and the Spirit puts your eyes upon Jesus. The Spirit works in the Church by the Word to keep you in Christ Jesus and His forgiveness. The Spirit sees you baptized – you wake every day as a Baptized child of God – you know that over and against all the lies of the world that you are one for whom Christ Jesus died. You know that however the world treats you, however they disdain you, you are part of the family of God, an heir of salvation, a Royal priest who will reign eternally with Christ. So what if people don't let you in their little club of the day – you're baptized into Christ.

    The Spirit works in the Church by the Word – where He bears witness about Christ day by day to you – where in you and through you the Spirit bears witness to others. The Word of God is living and active, and day by day the Spirit applies the Word to us, through preaching, through absolution – to where whatever the sin or struggle you are forgiven, we are forgiven, so that Christ Jesus and His forgiveness remains the central truth of our lives and existence. Forgive each other this week – forgive people in the name of Jesus, and live in His peace.

    The Spirit works in the Supper, where you are fed and nourished on Christ Jesus, where He comes with forgiveness and life and salvation. You're not detached from Christ – see, He gives Himself to you, to strength you, to restore you, to pick you up from the times you've lost your balance and been knocked down and to keep you firm in the faith. Over and over the Spirit works to bear witness to Christ, to bring Jesus to you, so that over and against all the wiles of the world, Jesus is actually all in all for you, for your good, for your blessing.

    Have you noticed, that even over and against all the warnings we've heard these past few weeks – Jesus says the same? Jesus doesn't fall, He isn't scandalized, He doesn't clutch His pearls, He doesn't take His ball and go home. No – Jesus endures, and He goes to the Cross, and He dies and rises, and He stays with you, in the Word, giving you His Spirit so that you know what He has done always, so that you know that His mercy endures forever. That's the wondrous truth of who Jesus is – never let anything distract you away from that. For the central reality of your life and all existence is this – Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed, Alleluia! +

Easter 6 Sermon

 

Christ is Risen, He is Risen indeed! Alleluia +

    I'm going to make a distinction that is very important as we start this sermon. That distinction is between “asking a question” of someone and “asking for” something. While those are both “asking” - they really are different things. If you are questioning someone, it might be simply because you don't understand, or perhaps because you want to see if they understand. It's a knowledge sort of thing. If you are asking for something, it's because there is a need, a lack. Many of you may have asked for a bulletin today – can I have a bulletin. In our Gospel reading, Jesus uses words for both that questioning type of asking and also for that requesting type of asking, and it shapes how we understand what the life in the Church is. Listen.

    “In that day you will [question me about nothing.]” You'll note that I shifted the translation a bit, because the word that gets translated as “ask” here is that questioning sort of word. Because think about what the Disciples had had for three years. If they had a question, they could ask Jesus. What about this, Jesus – what about that? Well, that time of having Jesus on hand to ask questions is going away. You're not going to have Jesus around to be an information dump, disciples – because Jesus will die, rise, and ascend, and that means you'll be Apostles, you'll be the ones who are going to be answering the questions that all the new disciples in the future ask. That's shifting. And this is a shift we are pretty much all familiar with. You graduate from school, and you leave your teacher behind, and instead of just asking them stuff all the time, you have to put what they taught you into practice. There is a transition – there comes a point when you stop being the person who asks, “Hey dad,” and become the dad who is supposed to answer – your whiny cries of “moooom” because the whiny cries you yourself get to deal with. There is growth, there is maturation, there is the giving of responsibility. Now, disciples, you will be the ones teaching and serving and helping. This is the way growth happens.

    And Jesus, still teaching yet, brings up a fantastic nuance for the disciples here, with what their growth, their development means. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name.” Now, this “ask” isn't the questioning sort of ask – it's the requesting sort of ask – it's the praying form of ask. Well, wait, what's Jesus talking about here, Pastor – didn't the disciples pray? Yes – but, um, generally if they were hanging out with Jesus, Jesus led the prayers. And Jesus is bringing them a wonderful comfort. You've seen Me pray, and you've seen all that has come about by prayer – and that's not going away. You are authorized to pray in My name, to call upon the Father with My authority – to say “Our Father” - and the Father will listen to you and give to you just as He has and just as He would listen and give to Me. Jesus' ascension doesn't mean that prayer stops, that it loses its effectiveness. Nope, you disciples will be praying with all of Jesus' authority, and the Father will hear and will give the things you request in Jesus' name – the things that you pray for with Jesus' command.

    I'm a details sort of guy – I like knowing things. I often think of all the questions I might like to ask Jesus – little factoids about this or that. And here, Jesus reminds us that He gives both to the disciples who are becoming Apostles and also to the Church something far better than facts or behind the scenes details – He gives the gift of prayer. Our relationship with God is not about trivia; it is about God Himself actively giving us blessings of body and soul, of life and salvation – and we have been given authority, indeed, we have been instructed to use this gift of prayer so that we would still evermore receive God's good gifts and receive them rightly.

    We don't think of it this way often, but this service is one of prayer. Think of how much of this service together is really us gathered together in prayer. And by this I don't just mean the “official” prayers, like the prayer of the church or the collect of the day. No, almost all of it is prayer. If you in the congregation speak, there's prayer. Consider how many times you say, “Amen.” That's because there's been prayer. Consider how many things we ask of God – Lord have mercy, peace be with you – that's all prayer. Our hymns and our praise – as Thou has promised, draw us all to Thee – Guide me O Thou great Redeemer. Prayer. Here in this place we are gathered together by the Holy Spirit – and our lips are opened and Christian prayer comes forth – Christian prayer that is praise and thanksgiving and requests and intercessions – because that is what we are given by Jesus the authority and power to do – that's who we are in His Name as the Baptized children of God. People who pray. People who speak God's Word in prayer. We come together in our worship and pray, because worship itself is a form of prayer and prayer is a form of worship.

    But not just when we are together, and not just when Pastor Brown gets to lead it – you in your homes as a family, you as individuals on your own but not ever really on your own for the Holy Spirit is with you – you are given to pray. To give thanks to God, to call upon Him for blessings, to intercede and ask for healing and forgiveness and mercy for yourselves and for others. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. Pray so that your... joy. Now. Remember what joy is in the Scripture. Joy isn't, “Oh thank goodness my baseball team won” - because well, we don't all root for the same team so my joy in a Cub victory might not be so joyous for some of you who have bad taste in baseball teams. Joy isn't “I'm happy because these events have tickled my fancy.” No – Joy is the knowledge, the peace, the comfort, the reality of knowing that Christ Jesus is risen from the dead and that your sins are forgiven, and since forgiveness brings with it both life and salvation that you have life now and salvation now on account of Christ. That's joy, having that grounding, that peace – that's verse 22 that we heard two weeks ago – But I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. We are the people of the promise, we are the people of the joys of the resurrection and forgiveness – and we pray so as to live in that joy, in that truth, in that reality. You are a forgiven and redeemed child of God, bound for the resurrection – so speak like you are – pray. Praise and give thanks and take your burdens to God – because He is forgiving you and raising you.

    And yes, I did say burdens, because, well – again, Jesus will be blunt. I have said these things to you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. Well, Jesus doesn't just say burdens – He says you'll have tribulations. You will have things that weigh upon you, press you down, try to drive you down into the ground. Of course you will, because you live in a sinful world and have to struggle against your sinful flesh – and Satan, the World, and even your own flesh are all trying to drive you into the ground. But because Christ has died and Christ has risen, because Christ has claimed you as His own in the waters of Holy Baptism, they can't really do anything to you. All they really do is drive you further and further into Christ. And I mean that literally – this is the mystery and wonder of the faith. Are you pressed and burdened by suffering – well, Christ came and suffered, and in truth you are simply sharing in His suffering, and you are made to rely more and more upon Him. Are you shown your sin and guilt – well, Christ came and bore that guilt and took up that sin, and so you are made to call upon Him for the forgiveness He gladly gives. Are you dying – well, Christ died, so even when you walk in the valley of the shadow of death, He's with you, and even when you get put in your tomb Jesus will raise you from yours just as He was raised from His. The tribulations of the world can do nothing to pull you from Christ – this is why Paul says  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nope, they all in fact drive us into Christ.

    And prayer, Christian prayer, calling out to the Father in Jesus' name – praying and praising and thanking and receiving His gifts – that's all just living in and acknowledging this truth – that Jesus has been raised from the dead, and there's not a thing Satan or the world can do to change that. And so we pray – our lives are ones of prayer. And I'm not going to tell you to pray more, because that's not quite accurate. The Holy Spirit dwells within you; you are a temple of the Spirit – there is prayer unceasing within you constantly, because you are Holy, because you have been made Holy by the blood of Christ. But I'll encourage you to be more aware of prayer, to actively join in with the prayer life that your life is – to gather with your brothers and sisters in Christ in worship and to pray together consciously; to focus on and actually pray out loud on your own. Why? Not because you have to in some sort of lousy chore sort of way, but rather because take heart, I have overcome the world. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. Over and against all the junk in the world that we see more and more of, prayer puts you in and with Christ Jesus. In prayer, you speak with the Holy Spirit to the Father in Jesus name – the Triune God works not just upon you but with you and in you. Because in prayer, because in taking the Words of Jesus and praying them back in His Name to the Father by the Spirit, you live in, you are refocused upon the reality of who Jesus is, the gifts He has given you and continues to give you. You are loved by God, and the Father delights in hearing you, His forgiven children, and He delights in giving you blessings. As Paul says in 1 Thessalonians -  Rejoice always,  pray without ceasing,  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. This is why Jesus died and rose for you – so that you would have this joy and peace that lets you pray. And it is yours in Christ Jesus by the working of the Holy Spirit upon you. Amen. Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed, alleluia! +