Sermon: Ad Te Levavi (Advent 1) - 2020

29 November 2020

Text: Matt 21:1-9

In the name of + Jesus.  Amen.

While the world can’t wait for the year 2020 to come to an end, we in the Church have begun a new church year today.  We begin by reflecting upon the advent of our King, whose birth we will celebrate in a little over four weeks.  And so we are in a time of anticipation, much like the people of the first century – both the Jews of the Roman Empire who looked at the signs of the times, and the Gentiles afar off: the magi who looked to the skies for signs of the coming Messiah.  Both Jew and Gentile had some idea of who and what to look for from the Holy Scriptures.

And to the parents of John (who was to be known to the world as the Baptist), and to the mother and stepfather of the soon-to-be-born Jesus, Emmanual, God-with-us – there was a dramatic sense of anticipation, of waiting expectantly for God to do something mighty.  They knew the Scriptures, and they had the sign and the message of the angel guiding them just how to wait, and what to expect.

And it is in this context of the coming of the King that we ponder our King’s official entrance into the Holy City, five days before His coronation and enthronement: being crowned with thorns and seated upon a cross.  Jesus rode a donkey into the gates of the city, and to people then and now who know the Scriptures, this is significant.  For this was how King Solomon, the son of David, the King of Israel, made his royal entrance into David’s royal city.

Everybody understood the significance of what Jesus was claiming here.  The crowds understood, for they gave Him a royal welcome, strewing palm branches on the road, and shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David.”  “Hosanna” is the Hebrew word for “save” – calling to mind the more modern practice of saying, “God save the king!”  Only this King is not the one whose salvation we pray for, but rather this King is our salvation, for He saves us, and He prays for us.

The enemies of Jesus also knew the significance of this royal entry.  For in five days, our Lord will be nailed to a cross accused of claiming to be a king, as the charge above his thorn-crowned head will read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”  Some Jewish leaders will complain about this, but Pilate, who believed Jesus to be innocent, ordered the placard placed, and he refused to change it: “What I have written, I have written.”

The advent of our King has many facets, dear friends. 

As the great hymn we just sang by St. Ambrose offers prayer to Jesus to “come,” we sing to Him as “Savior of the Nations,” and we reflect on His coming as the “Virgin’s son” making His home with us by His marvelous birth here on earth.

Our hymn also reflects on our Lord’s coming to us followed by His return to the Father, following His “throne and crown,” that is, His crucifixion.

The hymn also reflects on our Lord’s “victory won” in His “flesh.”  For He defeated Satan at the cross, rose from the dead triumphantly, and “ran His course” returning to the Father.

And of course, this is where we are now, dear friends.  We anticipate the coming feast of the Incarnation, of Christmas Day, but we also anticipate His coming again, His second advent.  Like the Jews and Gentiles of old, we look to the Scriptures, but while also looking at the signs of the times in the joyful hope and expectation of the coming of our Lord, the advent of our King.

And this next advent will not find Him as a baby, nor as a ruler bound by space and time, “humble and mounted on a donkey,” nor as a condemned man dying upon a cross – but rather coming from the heavens in unspeakable divine power as King of kings and Lord of lords, coming in glory to destroy the forces of evil on the last day, to judge the living and the dead, and to create a new heaven and a new earth. 

This is the advent we await, dear friends.  This is the next event yet to come.  And as this world falls further into decay, we long all the more for the Lord’s return to set everything right again.  The saints in the heavenly realms will bear palm branches as they too will welcome the Lord’s royal coming to His Holy City – a city that will be the Heavenly Jerusalem, the Church made triumphant by His death and resurrection and coming again.

But even as we look forward in time to this second advent, we still cannot help but linger, looking back to the beauty of His first advent – even as St. Ambrose muses, and we join him in song: “From the manger newborn light / Shines in glory through the night. / Darkness there no more resides; / In this light faith now abides.”

For this is exactly what it means to wait and watch, dear friends.  It takes faith.  It takes belief.  It takes trust in the Lord and in His fulfillment of His promise to come again in the flesh – even as He kept His promise to come to us the first time in the flesh – being born in Bethlehem.  And likewise keeping His promise to die for us in the flesh, at Golgotha, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, the One whom the crowds welcomed as their King, the same One whom we will welcome as our King when He returns.

And even as we look forward to the end of not only this annus horribilis, this horrible year, we look forward to the end of this horrible age, an age in which Satan has sway over creation, in which sin corrupts us in body and soul, and in which death comes to each one of our loved ones and to each one of us.  For the new age – the real new age, not the phony one promised by John Lennon and Oprah Winfrey and crooked politicians and technocrats – the real new age will be life in eternity, in the flesh, under the unquestioned rule of our Lord Jesus Christ, in a glorious new heaven and new earth.

Indeed, we look for the signs of the times, dear friends, but more importantly, we look to the Word of God.  The Scriptures testify of the Lord’s promises – past, present, and future – promises kept over six thousand years of history, including the promise that He will come again, and the promise that “whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.”  We have the promise that the doors will be flung wide open to those whose lamps are trimmed and whose flasks are full of oil, the wise ones who wait expectantly for the Bridegroom to come.

We have the promise that all of the misery of this fallen world – not only the year 2020, but of the entire age – will yield to a time of glory, when Wisdom, “proceeding from the mouth of the Most High” will pervade and permeate “all creation, mightily ordering all things.” 

And even as we celebrate the coming of a new church year, and as we commemorate the coming of our King, to the manger and to the cross, we joyfully anticipate His coming to us at the end of this age, coming in glory unspeakable.

Meanwhile, we pray with saints of every age: “O Wisdom… Come and teach us the way of prudence.” 

Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Sermon: Last Sunday - 2020

22 November 2020

Text: Matt 25:1-13

In the name of + Jesus.  Amen.

There is a modern word that describes people who hold all of the socially acceptable opinions: “woke.”  The irony is that most people who claim to be “woke” just blindly believe whatever celebrities tell them to believe.  They are really mind-numbed to the point of refusing to use reason or logic or to debate to defend why they believe what they believe.  In reality, they aren’t awake at all.  They have shut off their own brains.

The Civil Air Patrol’s motto is “Semper Vigilans” (“Always Vigilant”).  A more literal translation would be “Always Awake.”  The Air Force Auxiliary is always on duty.  It never sleeps.  And this is the lesson of our Lord’s parable, dear friends.

Our Lord Jesus calls upon us to be vigilant about the end times.  As time goes on, the days grow shorter, the darkness intrudes upon the light, and it becomes harder for Christians to remain awake in their faith and vigilant for the coming of Jesus.  We are surrounded by temptations to veer away from the faith.  We are constantly lured by entertainment that competes for our time, money, affection, and loyalty.  Our schools and colleges claim to teach science while leading young people away from Scriptural truths.  Our movies, TV shows, and even sports are all advocates of “wokeness” – which again, means political correctness and an antichristian and anti-biblical worldview. 

We are far more at risk of being led away from the faith than were our grandparents.  And so the closer it becomes to our Lord’s return, we must be all the more vigilant and awake, watching expectantly for His return, not dozing off at the moment when the Bridegroom comes.

This is the lesson of the Parable of the Ten Virgins.  The five wise virgins were prepared.  Their lamps were trimmed and their flasks were full of oil.  They had already attended to that which was important, and now they could be vigilant: awaiting and awake, alert and ready, expectant and watchful.

The five foolish virgins, however, had other priorities.  While their wise friends worked, they goofed off.  Instead of being vigilant, they fell asleep.  Their priorities were upside down.  And when the Bridegroom was “delayed,” they thought they could forget about being prepared and vigilant.  They procrastinated.  They did not urge one another to be wise, but enabled each other’s folly.

And when word came that the Bridegroom was near, the foolish virgins realized that they weren’t ready.  They tried to take advantage of their wise friends who were prepared.  But the wise virgins were wise, and being wise, they understood that sharing oil at this point would deprive everyone, as everyone’s lamps would go out.  They told their foolish friends to “go to the dealers and buy for yourselves.” 

And this is where their foolishness costs them, dear friends.  For being unprepared, not having been vigilant, they were left behind when the Bridegroom came.  But “those who were ready went in with Him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.”

Dear friends, the door to eternal life is open – for now.  You have been baptized.  You have been given the Good News.  You are right now safely in the Ark of the Church.  Don’t be foolish.  Don’t trade your faith and your salvation away for a few hours of sleep or pleasure or to indulge in laziness.  For here, in the Lord’s House, is where our lamps are trimmed and our flasks are filled.  We encounter the Holy Scriptures and thus the Holy Spirit.  We hear the proclamation of the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ our Lord, who gives us the lamp of His Word and the oil of His sacraments to make us wise and ready and vigilant.  We gather with the wise here to watch and wait for our Lord’s return, encouraging one another and helping each other remain awake and vigilant. 

For the cost of not being ready is terrifying.  In our Lord’s story, the foolish virgins who missed their ride managed to show up late – but the door had already been closed.  The feast had begun without them.  Their folly cost them a seat at the banquet.  And all of their pleas, “Lord, Lord, open to us” were useless at that point.  For the door had been shut.  And the Lord answered their pleas with “I do not know you.”

And this is why the Holy Scriptures teach us that the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”  We should not take the Lord’s grace lightly, or take His mercy for granted.  He calls upon us to be wise, to be prepared, and to be vigilant – and to be all of these things now, dear friends, now, while the door is open, and while the Bridegroom has yet to arrive. 

The days are indeed getting short.  The darkness is increasing.  Every day that goes by is one less day to wait.  And we must wait with eyes wide open, vigilant and prepared, with lamps trimmed and flasks full, surrounding ourselves with the wise and not with the foolish.

For we can look at the signs of the times.  We can see the world’s leaders and nations distancing themselves from God’s Word and arraying themselves against the Church, the bride of Christ.  We can see the increasing evil in the world, and the redefinition of sacred things into things that only the devil could love.  We see once-faithful churches turning their backs on our Lord, repudiating Scripture, and seeking to be popular and “woke” – when in fact they are anything but awake and vigilant.  We see even science and biology and human anthropology itself twisted and distorted by those claiming to speak for science, by educators and academicians, leading young people astray, away from the truth, into darkness rather than light.

If there was ever a time to drink deeply from the wells of Holy Scripture, dear friends, now is that time.  As we approach the new year, it is fitting to take up the One Year Bible and read the entire Old and New Testaments in a year, one day at a time.  It has never been easier to study the Bible and to immerse yourself with the Gospel of the Word of God than it is now.  Our congregation offers weekly Bible Class, a Matins Service every Sunday, and two Divine Services a week – in which you can partake of the most holy body and blood of Christ to strengthen you spiritually and keep you vigilant for His coming.

And now we are set to begin the season of Advent, when we ponder His first coming as the babe of Bethlehem, and at the same time, we expect His second coming as the Bridegroom who comes to escort His faithful and wise followers into the banquet hall before the door is closed.

So if you choose to be “woke,” dear friends, you will have an easier time at work, at school, and in society.  You will make friends.  You will have a lot of fun and save yourself a lot of heartache.  But when the Bridegroom comes, He is looking for you to be awakened by the Gospel, not “woke” by the world. 

So be vigilant.  You can do it because faith is a gift.  Salvation is a gift.  Pray for the strength and the endurance to stay awake, vigilant, prepared, ready to meet the Bridegroom when He comes.  Pray for wisdom, dear friends, and pray also for the foolish, that they may see their folly and repent while there is still time.

And let us sing all the more:

The Bridegroom comes, awake!

Your lamps with gladness take!

Alleluia!

With Bridal care 

Yourselves prepare 

To meet the Bridegoom, who is near.

Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Sermon: Funeral of Linda Theriot

20 November 2020

Text: John 10:27-29 (Job 19:23-27a, Rom 8:28-39)

In the name of + Jesus.  Amen.

Dear Bryon, Cory, Bryon, family, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, and honored guests: Peace be with you!  These were the first words that Jesus spoke to His disciples after His resurrection.  This wasn’t just a polite greeting.  For the disciples were mourning His death.  They were suffering.  Jesus gave them peace because He conquered death and rose again.

You are also suffering, dear friends.  Death is painful to us because it separates us from our loved ones.  The death of a wife and mother is especially painful, because in marriage, two of us become one flesh.  To lose a spouse is to lose part of oneself.  And likewise our mothers.  There is no love like that of a mother.  And so we grieve, dear friends.

Well-intentioned people try to comfort us by appealing to our memories.  But we don’t want memories.  We want Linda back.  The world tells us that death is natural and normal and a solution to problems.  No, it isn’t.  We Christians know better than that.  God did not create us to die.  Death is our condition because we live in a fallen world.  We are all sinners.  We are all broken.

And this is why the peace of Christ is our hope and our refuge.  Jesus came into our broken world to heal it, to heal us, to forgive our sins, to raise us from the dead.  This is not a myth or a metaphor.  In our Old Testament reading, Job, in the midst of intense suffering, expresses faith in God: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last, He will stand upon the earth.”  He knew that Jesus, yet to be born, would come in the flesh.  Job says, “And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God.”  Again, the world deceives us by making us think the afterlife is about spirits floating around in the sky.  Scripture teaches us that there will be a bodily resurrection.  We Christians confess in the Apostles Creed that we believe in the “resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.

Just as the disciples saw the risen Jesus in the flesh, you will see the risen Linda in the flesh.  For that’s how we were meant to exist: in the body.  But in a body made perfect, freed from aging and suffering.  You will embrace her again.  You will look into her eyes again.  You will laugh together again.  That’s what Jesus meant when He said, “Peace be with you.”

For us Christians, death is a temporary separation.  Listen to the words of St. Paul: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?...  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.”  In Christ, Linda is more than a conqueror, for death has been defeated by her Redeemer.

And so we wait, dear friends.  We wait to be reunited.  We wait for the resurrection of the body.  But meanwhile, we have work to do here.  Whatever your calling is, continue to carry it out with excellence.  We work to serve one another: in our families, in our churches, and in our jobs.  We bring the love of God to others by these callings, just as Linda did with all of you in her life on this side of glory.

The Lord pledged to take care of Linda at her baptism, when she became one of the beloved lambs of the Good Shepherd.  Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

Our Lord came into our fallen world for this very purpose.  His death was payment for our sins, and His death is the means by which we are saved from eternal death.  He does this out of love.  And of course, we are taught this from the Scriptures.  But we are also taught about love by experiencing love: the love of a spouse, the love of a mother, a grandmother, a colleague, a friend.  Linda’s love for you is a reflection of the love of Jesus, who died for you and for Linda.  And as hard as it is to believe, the love of God is even more intense than Linda’s.  She is safely with God the Father who created her and loves her, because of God the Son who died for her, called by God the Holy Spirit who protects her and has kept her in the faith.

We know what it is to suffer because of death.  There is nothing worse.  It is our bitter enemy, but it is a conquered enemy.  We know what it is to be loved.  And not even the grave stops the love of a wife and mother, a grandmother, and a dear beloved friend.  Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.  And so we wait for our joyful reunion, dear friends, and we wait with the peace of Christ, the peace he gave to us at His own bodily resurrection.

Peace be with you!

Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Sermon: Wittenberg Academy – Nov 17

17 November 2020

Text: Matt 27:11-32

In the name of + Jesus.  Amen.

Today’s  reading is an event of history unique to the world: when God was put on trial and executed by sinners who became God’s judge, jury, executioners – and cosmic benefactors of this grossest miscarriage of justice of all time.

These events are so monumental and dramatic that the tradition of the Passion Play has grown up around the world. In the 1970s, an attempt was made to create a rock music passion play that put a skeptical spin on these events, telling the story from the perspective of Judas, a play and movie called “Jesus Christ Superstar.”  The passion of Jesus is a narrative with one perfect Hero, along with a cast of villains.  But it also reads like a tragedy, only with the ultimate plot twist that ends with the triumph of good over evil.

The governor – actually the imperial judge at our Lord’s trial – is Pilate.  In spite of being the pinnacle of Caesar’s power, he is weak-kneed and terrified of the people that he governs by means of the mightiest army in the world.  He willingly finds the innocent guilty – which is just about the most despicable act that can be committed by a judge.

We also meet Barabbas, a domestic terrorist who is on death row for taking part in murderous riots and attempted revolution.  His name means “son of the Father” in an ironic spin on the One who will die in his place.  And we see the elders of the Jews, using their version of the media to whip up public sentiment against Jesus even to the point of supporting Barabbas the terrorist.

The soldiers were also villains.  They tortured Jesus like common thugs instead of warriors worthy of the uniform of the finest military forces in the world.

And in this drama, we are there too.  We are villains whose sins put our Lord on the cross.  But we are forgiven villains – for whom our Lord dies out of love, to give us forgiveness, and to cure us from death.  We judged God and put Him to death, but He judges us and gives us life.  The crucifixion was a miscarriage of justice that results in our justification.  And by our Lord’s passion, death, and burial, Satan has been vanquished.  By our Lord’s resurrection, we see a preview of our own rising again to eternal life which is His gift given to us from the cross.  Thanks be to God!

Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Sermon: Trinity 23 - 2020

15 November 2020

Text: Matt 22:15-22 (Prov 8:11-22, Phil 3:17-21)

In the name of + Jesus.  Amen.

Taxes are controversial.  They always have been.  Our country, in part, owes its existence to taxation policy.  To this day, it is a hot-button topic.  Some say, “Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society,” while others say, “Taxation is theft.”

Back in the days when the Israelites were governed by tribal leaders called “Judges,” they had no king and no taxes.  They had financial obligations: their tithe to the priests and their obligation to the poor, to widows, and to orphans.  But there were no taxes.  When the people wanted to be “like all the other nations” and have a king, God was very displeased.  God warned them that this would mean being enslaved to the government, being drafted for military service, and paying taxes. 

God’s people soon got their wish.  In the undivided kingdom of Israel, they had one good king and two bad ones.  After the country divided, the Southern kingdom had 20 kings: 14 bad ones, and 6 good ones.  And even the good ones collected taxes.  The Northern kingdom had 19 kings, and all of them were rotten to the core.  Not a very good track record.  And then the children of Israel were ruled by Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and in the time of our Gospel reading, the Romans.  All of them oppressed the people of God by means of taxes, and more.

In the New Testament, calling someone a “tax collector” was considered a gross insult.

But if you resisted paying your taxes, bad things happened to you.  The same is true today.  So pay your taxes.  But the Pharisees and the Herodians “plotted how to entangle Jesus in His talk,” and so they asked Him about taxes.  For if He were for them, the people will hate Him.  If he were against them, the government will hate Him.  Notice that they are not actually interested in what our Lord has to say about taxes, or anything else for that matter.  They care nothing about the Word of God.  In fact, they are filled with “malice” according to Matthew’s account.

And Jesus knows exactly what they are up to.

You see, this really isn’t about taxes at all, but rather about the sins of hypocrisy and malice toward God.  And we too are guilty of these sins, dear friends.  We too are more consumed with the things of this world (the world of Caesar) than we are the kingdom of God.  And of course, we may grouse, but we dutifully pay our taxes.  But do we tithe?  Certainly, we are not under the law to do so, but this is certainly God-pleasing.  We may well not have the means to give a tenth of our income to the Lord’s work – but do we even try?  Do we commit to a certain amount in offerings?  Do we try to increase it – even a little – as time goes by?  Do we give a penny more than would inconvenience us in offerings to the church or in charity for those in need? 

Of course, we will render unto Caesar in taxes because we fear the government, but do we fear God?  Our reading from Proverbs includes this little snippet of divine wisdom: “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.”

The Pharisees and Herodians did not fear Jesus, nor did they hate evil.  In fact, they feared Caesar and hated God.  And when we do not render unto God the things that are God’s, we do the same, dear friends.

And this isn’t just about putting money in the plate.  We are members of the kingdom.  We are to serve our neighbor by doing the best that we can do at our work.  So if we are accountants or teachers or babysitters or dishwashers – when we slack off or cut corners, we are serving ourselves instead of God.  When we skip church, leaving the rest of the flock with fewer people in the pews, we are serving ourselves instead of God.  For attending the service is not only about you “getting something out of it,” but also about you giving something to your neighbor, bolstering his faith, because there is strength in numbers. 

God has created each person for a very specific reason.  God brought you into existence, and you are sitting here listening to His Word because He wants you to hear this.  This moment is part of the Lord’s plan, drafted before the foundation of the world – and you play a part in His kingdom, dear brother, dear sister.

To fear God is to hate evil.  We are often told that hatred is a bad thing.  It can be.  But it can also be a very good thing.  We should hate sin – in others, but especially in ourselves.  For we can’t control what others do, but we can indeed control what we do.  We can meditate on the Ten Commandments and pray for the gift of repentance.  We can fill our eyes and ears with the Word of God instead of the visual sewage that has become normal to us on TV and in movies.  We can resolve to attend Divine Service and partake of Holy Communion, to pay attention to the reading of Scripture and the preaching of the Gospel.  And we can be beacons of hope to our friends and family members and colleagues who are like lost sheep, who are headed to death and hell unless they repent and believe the Gospel.  We can invite them to come to church with us.  They will probably refuse, but they will know that you love them, and the Holy Spirit will work through you, through our congregation, and through the Word of God that is proclaimed in this holy house for their forgiveness, life, and salvation.

Is joining together with your brothers and sisters in Christ a priority for you, dear friends? 

For the Law is not only for the unbelievers.  The Pharisees and Herodians were believers, dear friends.  And St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians is a joyful little epistle praising the Christians at Philippi.  But even there, St. Paul preaches the Law, warning against walking “as enemies of the cross of Christ.”  He describes us at our worst: “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.”

“With minds set on earthly things.”  That is, focusing on Caesar and gold coins, bling and toys, material things and entertainment, more than the eternal things that truly matter: rendering unto God the things that are God’s.

And so let us hear the Word of God, dear friends,  so that we might repent and live in the kingdom.  We can only do this by God’s grace and mercy, imploring Him for the strength that only He can provide, seeking wisdom from the Word of God. 

And whether we think we are taxed too much or not enough, let us care more about God’s image and inscription than that of Caesars and presidents.  Let us be cheerful givers to the Lord’s kingdom, offering him not only our treasure, but also our time and talent, and most of all our attention to His Word and Sacraments.  Let us receive His gifts offered in love.

For like the Israelites who previously had no king other than the Lord, we do not owe Him taxes.  What we offer to Him is a sacrifice of thanksgiving.  For “our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself.”

As the Lord has reminded us again today, dear friends, God says: “I love those who love Me, and those who seek me diligently find Me.”

Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Sermon: Wittenberg Academy – Nov 10

10 November 2020

Text: Jeremiah 23:1-20

In the name of + Jesus.  Amen.

The prophet Jeremiah preaches in a way that reminds us our Lord Jesus railing against the scribes and Pharisees.  “‘Woe to the shepherds,” says Jeremiah, “who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!’ declares the Lord.”  The word “pastor” literally means shepherd.  Jeremiah is condemning the false prophets whose lies do not gather the sheep into the Lord’s flock, but rather scatter them to the four winds and to the wiles of the devil.  False prophets and shepherds and pastors are agents of Lucifer, performing the opposite of what the Lord calls pastors to do.

Such destructive shepherds were common in Jeremiah’s day, and they still are, dear friends.  They are con-men, and as often as not, con-women.  At best, they are charlatans who make a lot of money peddling snake oil.  At worst, they are tools of the devil, receiving visions and apparitions of Satan.  And such people are common.

Television teems with these snakes.  Popular books in the lines at the grocery stores are authored by these liars and windbags.  Even innocent-sounding devotionals used in some of our own churches – like the popular “Jesus Calling” not only contain false doctrine, but were channeled from some spiritual entity according to their authors.  There are false preachers claiming to be apostles and prophets with special powers and anointings.  And they have large cult followings.  Many of them use props like fake gold dust and earpieces with people telling them things that make it look like they are receiving messages from God.  Meanwhile, many of these spiritual prostitutes live like kings on their ill-gotten gains, with multiple mansions, luxury cars, and even private jets – all tax-free of course. 

Jeremiah points out that they fill their listeners with “vain hopes” and “speak visions of their own minds.”  And instead of submitting to Scripture, they “despise the Word of the Lord.”  They tell people what they want to hear, promises of health and wealth.  They do not preach Scripture, but claim that God speaks directly to them.  The Lord warns them: “Behold the storm of the Lord!  Wrath has gone forth.”  This wrath will “burst upon the head of the wicked” and “the anger of the Lord will not turn back.”  God adds: “In the latter days, you will understand it clearly.”

And yet, many are deceived by these people, beguiled by them, fooled by them.  Don’t fall for it, dear friends.  Your spiritual immune system is bolstered by Scripture.  The Bible will never lie to you.  God speaks infallibly through His actually Spirit-filled Word.  And the Lord will provide true pastors for His people, as He revealed to Jeremiah, that a “remnant” would be served by “shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing.” 

Dear friends, faithful pastors proclaim the Word of God, and you can tell whether a shepherd is faithful or is a false prophet by using the Bible as a guide.  The Scriptures are, as we “believe, teach, and confess,” the “sole rule and standard” by which both doctrine and “teachers should be estimated and judged.”  True shepherds will denounce false prophets, and the Lord’s flock hear His voice and follow Him: the Righteous Branch who shall “reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness,” as we who have been redeemed by Him, indeed believe, teach, and confess, even unto eternity.  Thanks be to God.

Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Sorting Through the Manure

An elderly lady who grew up in the Soviet Union told her interviewer about how her mother, facing famine, would grab handfuls of manure looking for bits of edible food for her family.  She would wash the manure off of the little bits of food, which were treasures that kept them alive.

This reminds me of Bookbub - the ebook service that sends you daily lists of ebooks available for prices ranging from free to $2.99.  There really are treasures - but there is also a lot of crap to sift through.

Just today, here are the bargains that I was sent:

1. A box set of novels about a young girl who doesn't fit in at school, but discovers that she has "powers" that is a "surprisingly fresh paranormal romance."
2. A novel about teens trapped in a mall in Portland with an active shooter.  Of course the teens are "diverse" and the hero is actually a "heroine" whom everybody looks up to as the "leader."
3. A box set about a male physicist and a female art curator who "race to save humankind."
4. A book about a Nazi.
5. A novel about "what it means to be a young Black man in the United States."
6. A new age book about healing the body and "inner peace" by Tibetan meditation.
7. A girl-power hagiography about Ruth Bader Ginsburg that the reviewer plans to buy for her daughters.
8. A box set of novels about four women who "changed the course of history."
9. A novel about women who join the Air Force WASP program in WW2.

The only two books in this batch that weren't either hackneyed political correctness or Twilight knockoffs were a book about dog training, and a book about modern pop music - neither of which I'm interested in.  

But you never know, as one of the characters in one of our canceled movies says: "Tomorrow is another day."

Sermon: Trinity 22 - 2020

8 November 2020

Text: Matt 18:21-35

In the name of + Jesus.  Amen.

The Christian life is not about being perfect.  Rather it is about forgiveness: God forgiving us for our sins, and we forgiving those who sin against us. 

This is not easy, dear friends.  For our own sense of justice resists forgiveness, because it seems like someone is getting away with something.  When we are wronged, we demand justice.  Forgiveness – at least when we have been wronged – seems like injustice.  But then again, when we are the ones needing forgiveness, we see it entirely differently, don’t we?

Our Lord’s parable makes the connection between being forgiven, and forgiving others.  He explains that you cannot have one without the other. 

This story that Jesus tells is in response to St. Peter’s strange question, “How often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?”  In other words, Peter is asking what is the maximum number of times that I have to engage in the distasteful act of forgiving someone who sins against me.  He then suggests a number: “As many as seven times?”  Peter knows that it is his duty to forgive.  And forgiving someone seven times seems like quite a lot.  But Peter is looking to find a nice legalistic solution that limits the amount of forgiving that he has to do.  He is hoping that our Lord will tell him that once you get to seven, you can then just refuse forgiveness from then on.

But in response to Peter’s self-serving question, our Lord gives a shocking answer: “Seventy times seven.”  In other words, the number of times you are to forgive someone who has offended you is infinite.  There really is no magic number.  It is beyond counting.  You forgive because that is what you are called to do.  It is in your new nature to forgive: the new Adam that emerges from your baptism.  And because of this baptismal new man, dear friends, we forgive because we have first been forgiven –by God Himself.  Do you think that you have committed more than 490 sins in your life?  What if God were to limit His forgiveness to your first 490 sins?  Who would possibly have salvation?

Does the blood of Christ run out of power after a certain number?  Does the love of God shut down after reaching a certain level of forgiveness?  And if God’s mercy is boundless, how can we justify limiting the forgiveness we show to others – especially when they ask for pardon, mercy, and reconciliation?

For think about what our Lord endured on the cross – His agony, His humiliation, and His death – death even though He is God, even though He is sinless, even though His punishment was truly unjust.  Think about the power of the blood of Christ, shed for you, offered as a sacrifice crying out to the Father for your sake.  Is there a magic number that limits the amount of sins that God forgives in you?  In fact, it isn’t simply “sins” that are forgiven, dear friends, rather it is “sin” – the broken condition we all suffer that leads to us committing individual sins.  Jesus has borne all of that for us, out of love.  And He calls upon us to love others by forgiving them in the same way.

And so, in the parable, a servant of a king owes a debt to his master that is so large that it is really impossible to grasp its size.  Of course, there is no way that he can ever hope to pay it back.  And so the king resolves to cut his own losses by selling the servant and his family into slavery.  The servant pleads for mercy.  Who wouldn’t?  Can you imagine being sold, being separated from spouse and family, having all of your property sold off, and you become someone’s property? 

And so the servant “fell on his knees” and begged the king for “patience” – even promising to pay the debt, a debt so large that he could never actually pay it.  The king is moved by “pity” and he “forgave him the debt.” 

But this same recipient of the king’s grace finds a fellow servant who owes him a much smaller debt.  He demands immediate payment.  He even chokes him and berates him.  And when that  servant falls to his knees and pleads for patience, the one who had been forgiven the large debt by the king refuses to show any patience or mercy or forgiveness at all to his fellow servant.

In the Lord’s story, the king finds out about it, and is furious.  He revokes the offer of forgiveness, and he puts the ungrateful servant in prison.

Our Lord offers this terrifying warning: “So also My Heavenly Father will do every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother with your heart.”

This story takes away our ability to justify our own ingratitude to God and our own self-righteousness toward others.  For in the story, we see our actions in the person of the servant.  There are no excuses for this behavior, no justification for refusing mercy to others when the Lord has been merciful to us. 

St. Peter’s question is an attempt to both keep the Law and to withhold forgiveness from someone seeking it.  Our Lord shows him that we are not saved by ticking off the forgiveness box seven times.  There is no minimum bar of good works to leap over, after which we have done what is expected for salvation.

The Christian life is not about keeping score, finding out what the requirement is, and meeting it.  For there is no such number.  We are to live our lives as forgiven sinners, grateful to God, knowing that we have been forgiven by God’s grace and mercy.  Therefore, we should forgive those who trespass against us from our hearts.  We don’t do it to check a box or meet a criterion.  Rather, we do it because it is our nature to forgive, being forgiven ourselves. 

It is a matter of humility, dear friends.  For when we know that we are sinners in need of forgiveness, we will empathize with those who need forgiveness from us – even our enemies.

And just as there is no limit to our Lord’s forgiveness, there is no limit to our forgiveness of our fellow sinners who sin against us.  We forgive because we have first been forgiven.  Thanks be to God!  Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Sermon: WA Board - Camp Okoboji, IA (Matins) - Nov 3, 2020

3 November 2020

Text: Matt 22:1-22

In the name of + Jesus.  Amen.

We are called to the wedding feast, that is, to salvation and eternal life, by grace alone.  We are given our “wedding garment” at Holy Baptism.  We are invited by the King Himself, to celebrate the wedding of the Holy Bridegroom, our Lord Jesus Christ, to His Holy Bride, the Church.  There is a place at the table for each one of us, dear friends.  And each week, we are given a little preview, a taste, of the banquet to come.

But in the Lord’s parable, many of those who were invited “paid no attention” as the Lord’s servants came with the joyful message, “Come to the wedding feast,” for “everything is ready.”

They pay no attention for many reasons.  Maybe they take the Lord’s gracious invitation for granted.  Maybe they no longer believe the invitation is good.  Maybe they hold the King in contempt.  Maybe they just believe they have better things to do with their time.

In fact, when the prophets of old came bearing the King’s invitation, the ungrateful invitees sometimes even killed the messengers. 

But the King will not have His Son’s feast spoiled.  And so the servants are ordered to “Go therefore to the main roads and invite… as many as you can find.”  The servants of the Lord call anyone with ears to hear, “both bad and good.”  And because of this reckless grace, dear friends, you and I have the invitation and the wedding garment.  We wait for the Bridegroom to come, and when the feast is placed upon the table, we will have a seat.

But what about those who were not invited, those who were not chosen?  They are “cast… into the outer darkness.”  For it is not our feast, but the Lord’s feast.  It is for the Lord to say who is invited.  It is only up to us to invite those whom the Father draws to the Gospel by means of the Holy Spirit bringing people to the font.  “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

And so, dear friends, let us not take the Lord’s grace for granted.  Let us treasure our invitation and our wedding garment.  Let us savor the foretaste every Sunday, as we eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Lamb who is also our Bridegroom, also our Savior, also our Lord.  Let us thank, praise, serve, and obey the Father by feasting with the Son.  Let us go into the main roads and invite as many as we can find to join us at the table, bearing the invitation, wearing the wedding garment, and enjoying communion with the Most Holy Trinity, now and forever.

Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Sermon: WA Board - Camp Okoboji, IA (Vespers) - Nov 2, 2020

2 November 2020

Text: Jer 1:1-19

 In the name of + Jesus.  Amen.

I am willing to bet that most people’s mental image of a prophet is that of a grizzled old man with a flowing white beard.  But in the beginning of Jeremiah’s prophetic book, we learn that when his call to be a prophet came, he was “only a youth.”  It sounds like Jeremiah began serving in the ministry of prophet before he even had a beard.

The Lord, spoke to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”  And in response to the young prophet’s concerns regarding his age, the Lord said, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.  Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.’”

We have the privilege of teaching children and youth.  We have the unspeakably holy call to form the minds of young people to our Lord Jesus Christ, to bring the Gospel to them, to educate them, to prepare them for life in these increasingly dark times.  And we have the comfort and the privilege that these young people were formed by the Lord in the womb, that He created them for a divine purpose.  Our vocation is to teach, to guide, to love, to call to repent, to forgive, to build up, and to be instruments by which the Lord God prepares young men and women for service in both church and society.

For we too, were known by God while we were yet in the womb.  We too have been consecrated for this holy vocation as educator.  We too have been appointed to serve in the Kingdom to bring God’s Word to the nations according to our particular callings, to love and serve where the Lord has placed us.

He has placed you here, dear brother, dear sister, here, at Wittenberg Academy, servants of Christ and servants of our students and their families.

We don’t know what the future holds, but we do have the counsel of the Lord: “Do not be afraid” as we carry out our callings as the days grow shorter.  Now, more than ever, our students need godly mentors and teachers and examples of how to live the Christian life in a world that hates us, even as it hated our Master before us.

Let us take courage knowing that in our callings, we too have the assurance of God Himself, so long as Holy Scripture is on our lips: “I have put my words in your mouth,” declares the Lord!

Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Sermon: WA Board - Camp Okoboji, IA (Matins) - Nov 2, 2020

2 November 2020

Text: Matt 21:23-46

 In the name of + Jesus.  Amen.

The Parable of the Talents is a warning against spiritual hubris.

The “chief priests and the Pharisees” heard this, and other parables, and “they perceived that [Jesus] was speaking about Him.”  And so He was.  But He was not only speaking to them.

The chief priests and the Pharisees put their faith in who they were.  They believed that because of their ethnicity as sons of Abraham, or because of their positions of authority, or their particular religious labels – that the kingdom would remain with them forever.

The Holy Spirit caused this parable to be written down, and caused us to hear it today, dear friends, because it is also a warning to us.  There are some today who put their faith in their ethnicity – be they white or black – and their skin color becomes their actual religion.  We see this in our own synod among those pushing critical race theory.  There are some who put their faith in the fact that they are pastors, or they are elders, or they are church workers, or they are laity – as if the Creator of the Universe is impressed by what is on your business card, or how well you know Robert’s Rules in the voters assembly.

We Lutherans are fond of saying that we are the True Visible Church on Earth, and we are the real Catholic Church.  We pat ourselves on the back for having all of the right doctrine – especially if we “say the black and do the red.” 

Our Lord demands that we confess the Biblical faith and “produce fruits.”  That is what we are called to do.  We are not called to boast about our ethnicity, our vocation, or our confessional label.  We are called to love God and serve our neighbor.  We are called to confess our sins and repent.  We are called to fear, love, and trust in God above all things.  We are called to bear witness to Jesus Christ: “the stone that the builders rejected [who] has become the cornerstone.”  If we become arrogant, the kingdom will be taken from us, and given to others. 

So let us rightfully perceive that the Lord is speaking about us.  Let us thank Him for this warning.  Let us look to Jesus and not to ourselves.  Let us serve the Lord in His vineyard in whatever way that the Son calls us.  Let us rejoice in His grace and mercy, now and even unto eternity!

Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Sermon: All Saints Day - 2020

1 November 2020

Text: Matt 5:1-12 (Rev 7:2-17, 1 John 3:1-3)

In the name of + Jesus.  Amen.

In the Book of Revelation, John the Apostle was allowed to see behind the veil, to witness things as they are, to see that which is normally unseen, to catch a glimpse of the Church in her bridal glory in eternity.

Of course, we don’t get to see beyond the veil in the here and now.  The Church we see still “feebly struggles” as we sing in the hymn.  The Christian Church is filled with divisions in doctrine and practice.  Even our synod can’t seem to agree on some issues that seem fundamental to what it means to be the Bride of Christ.  Even in our own congregation, we have disagreements and old wounds that emerge from time to time.  Think about your family – its own internal politics and battles.  This is certainly not what John saw on that great day when Jesus revealed the invisible to him.

For in eternity, the Church is made perfect, because each member is perfect.  All of those things that loom so large in your family, the disagreements and wounds in the congregation, the discord in our synod, and the seemingly endless divisions in the Christian Church – all shrink away to nothingness.  In eternity, we see only victory, as the Church reflects Christ’s purity and perfection. 

And while idealists look for an elusive peace between nations, “tribes and peoples and languages,” while those outside of the Church turn their noses up at us, convinced that they are more virtuous than we – it is in the Church, the Church Triumphant, they who in the words of the hymn, “in glory shine,” who are the very unity in diversity that the world has turned into an idol.

For we Christians do not worship such diversity, rather we, the Church, unify as brothers and sisters in our worship of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We see this “great multitude that no one could number” from every race and nationality, “standing before the throne and before the Lamb,” dear friends.

Our peace that passes all understanding and our eternal joy are  not found in ourselves and not discovered in a false worship of false virtue.  Rather, we worship the Lamb.  For Jesus is the Lamb – the sacrificial offering for the sin of the world.  He is the Unblemished One who takes away our ugliness, washing away our sins by His blood.  He is not only the Lamb, but also the Shepherd; not only the atonement, but also the priest.  It is Jesus who leads this innumerable throng of saints, who were yet sinners when they walked about this vale of tears, this fallen world of discord and death. 

And what John saw in this vision, dear friends, was us!  Each one of us who has been baptized and who believes, those who remain faithful, those who have come “out of the great tribulation,” who have “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”  This is the Church, dear friends.  This is us in eternity.  Our imperfections great and small, our sins grave and petty, our grudges old and new, our flaws and besetting sins, our burdens and guilt – all gone, all washed in the blood of the Lamb.

And the sight is glorious, dear brothers and sisters!  We are reunited with our loved ones from whom we have been separated by death.  We are waving palm branches and singing victoriously to the Most Holy Trinity: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits in the throne, and to the Lamb.”

And we are part of the company of heaven that includes angels and archangels, all celebrating the final victory of our Lord Jesus Christ over Satan and the demons, over death and hell.  The angels, once hidden from our eyes, part of the unseen realm, are now visible to us, present with us, and resplendent in glory, “standing around the throne,” also singing in a great heavenly chorus, praising God in beautiful tones that our ears have never before heard: “Amen!  Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever.  Amen.”

We cannot even begin to imagine what our eyes will behold in eternity, with our destiny in Christ brought to its fulfillment.  All of the things that made us suffer in this life shall be no more.  We will be “before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will shelter them with His presence.”

And, dear friends, remember this promise of God, remember when you are suffering, remember when you are weak, remember when you suffer the slings and arrows of this fallen world, remember the Word of God: “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.  For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their Shepherd, and He will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Long before John had seen this vision of the heavens in eternity, he had seen the horror of the cross.  It is only in the context of the crucifixion that the full weight of St. John’s confession: “See what kind of love the Father has given to us,” makes any sense.  By the blood of the Lamb, sacrificed on the cross for our sakes, for our salvation, do we really know what it means that “we should be called children of God.”  “And so we are,” the apostle testifies.  Because our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son, died in our place, we can pray with Him to His Father as “Our Father who art in heaven.”  And because we are children of God, we know Him.  The world knows neither God nor us.

But hear the Word of the Lord that John reveals to us, and listen to the comfort embedded in these sacred words: “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared.”  We are God’s children now, but even greater than that is the reality that there is still a “not yet” that we will grow into – the “great multitude” of saints in John’s later vision and revelation.

And as the apostle testifies: “When He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.”  This promise, this hope, this revealed reality to which we are destined is how we can confess with faith that “everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure.”

Our Lord gives us a picture of this purity that is ours now, but not yet.  Jesus tells us that we who are poor in spirit will receive the kingdom.  We who mourn will be comforted.  We who are meek and of no account in the eyes of the world will inherit the earth.  We who hunger and thirst for a righteousness that eludes us here will be satisfied. We who learn to show mercy will likewise receive it.  We who are made pure in heart by the blood of the Lamb will see God.  We who make peace will be the sons of God. 

And indeed, dear friends, there is a special promise for those of us in the Church Militant who take up our cross and who suffer persecution for righteousness’ sake: the kingdom will be ours.  And when we are reviled and slandered and persecuted for the sake of Jesus, our Lord counsels us to “rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.” 

And that reward in heaven is what John saw behind the veil.  For the Church Militant will, by her faithfulness and steadfastness – by God’s grace, through the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, and called by the Holy Spirit – she will be the Church Triumphant, sharing in our Lord’s victory.  And that little glimpse that John was permitted to gaze at for a moment will be our eternal life in peace and joy and praise and thanksgiving, even unto eternity!

Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.