Sermon Texts

May 31, 2020 – Pentecost                                                                Text:  Acts 2:1-21

Dear Friends in Christ,

            How do you view our relationship with the Holy Spirit?  The third person of the Trinity is the hardest to get a grasp of.  We understand the Father, because we are fathers, we had a father.  We understand the Son for many of the same reasons, obedience to the Father and his humanity displayed in Scripture.  But the Holy Spirit is a little tougher to nail down.

            Scripture does give some help.  John calls the Spirit a “helper” and a “guide.”  But if we think of the Spirit in this way, He is really at our disposal.  When do we need a helper?  When we can’t do something on our own.   When do we need a guide?  When we can’t find where we are going on our own.  The Spirit is not at our disposal . . . that doesn’t feel right.  He is not something we use when we feel like we need Him. 

            It is more that the Holy Spirit uses us.

“POSSESSED BY THE SPIRIT”

            There is our word for this day of Pentecost – possession.  The Holy Spirit is one who possesses his people.  Which makes you and me people who are possessed.

            What images comes to mind when you think of being possessed?  We think of heads spinning or people running around wildly, or someone screaming uncontrollably.  We think of an evil spirit occupying a helpless victim.  Remember these demon-possessed people from Scripture?  The man who lived among the tombs in the region of the Gerasenes.  He had a whole legion of demons.  Chains could not contain him.  Or the boy with the unclean spirit in Mark 9.  He would foam and grind his teeth and become rigid.  Can you imagine such an existence?  Possession can be a horrifying thought.  Why is that?  Because the possessed has no control.  The possessed are at the mercy of the possessor.

            But think of being possessed by a different kind of spirit.  This Spirit does not possess to harm or destroy or make you crazy.  This Spirit possession restores and comforts and saves.  What would it be like to be possessed, not by a legion of demons, but by the Spirit of a good and gracious God?

            We don’t have to imagine.  We see it in our text.  The Spirit rested on each of the believers.  They were all filled with the Holy Spirit.  They began to speak in their own tongues the mighty works of God.  Spirit possessed Peter stood up and preached the promises of Jesus.  As those possessed continued to speak the words of Jesus, the dead came to life, hearts were restored and lives were renewed.  Thousands upon thousands were saved on that day.  The word of the Lord grew as the Spirit of the Lord took possession of those who heard and believed.

            He has possessed us, too.  “I believe that I cannot believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him.  But the Holy Spirit” – you know how it goes – “has called me by the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts…”  He has taken possession of me.  I am no longer the one in charge of my life.  I don’t live by my own determination.  The Spirit of the Risen Christ possesses me!  Until eternity, He has made me His dwelling place.  He has done the same for you.  You are His possession.  Possessed by the Spirit.

            When I was 15 years old, in the summer of 1981, I was blessed to pitch a five-inning no-hitter.  I struck out 12 of the 15 batters and did not walk anyone.  In today’s language the kids would say I was “in the zone” or “en fuego” – “on fire.”  But in the language back then, I remember my catcher saying, “Man, you are possessed today.”  I threw almost every pitch where I wanted.  I had that feeling only one or two other times in my sports career.  What about your God-given talents?  Have you had that feeling of being possessed?  Everything clicks.  Everything goes right.  Someone may remark, “What’s gotten into you?”

            “What’s gotten into you?”  They will ask that question if you take your family overseas to serve Christians in a poor country.  “What’s gotten into you?”  They will ask when they see you loving someone who is hard to love.  “What’s gotten into you?”  They will ask when you defend a brother or sister who has been wrongfully accused.  “What’s gotten into you?”  They will ask when you deal with a life-changing event with grace and patience and faith.

            “What’s gotten into you?”  The Lord.  The Spirit of the Risen Christ has defeated for you every dark and diabolical power.  He has gotten into you.  He comforts and restores and strengthens and saves you.  And He uses you to comfort and restore and strengthen others through you.

            There is an old spirit that still resides in you and me.  This spirit has been working to dash your hopes these last few months.  He fights like hell to bring you down.

            That spirit must die – every day.  If you didn’t say these words at your baptism, your parents and sponsors did.  I renounce the devil and his works and his ways.  Do you renounce them in your words and in your life still today?  The Holy Spirit possesses us so we can say, “Yes, I renounce them.”  Every day, we renounce.  Every day, we lean into our possession by the Spirit of the Lord Jesus.  And every day we go forth in his gracious power – Possessed By The Spirit.

                                                                                                                        Amen.          

May 24, 2020                                                                  Text:  1 Peter 4:12-19; 5:6-11

Dear Friends in Christ,

            What is the great scandal of Christianity?  The great scandal of Christianity is in its insistence on exclusivity.  There is only one truth, only one way to salvation.  Therefore, other religions are misleading and pave the way to hell.  Some then see Christians as not friendly or understanding and it then causes some churches to compromise the tenets of faith with the hope that it will result in more stability and peace in society.  But it never works that way.  The more Christians water down the Gospel the more non-Christians want to take.

            When we look at the history of the Church we see the suffering that many have gone through to preach the faith, teach the faith, learn the faith.  It is a serious issue that makes it a matter of life and death.  Shallow Christianity that is mostly fluff and little substance is doomed to provide nothing to the redeemed.  We are being pushed to the front lines as the enemy inches closer.

“CAN WE STAND THE SUFFERING?”

            Let’s make a distinction right away.  We are focusing on suffering for the faith in our text for this morning.  Yes, we suffer sickness and personal problems and financial difficulties and other types of suffering.  Peter narrows the focus to what happens or can happen when we proudly bear the name “Christian.”

            It has been asked if the Christian has suffered for the faith these last few months?  How would you answer?  We haven’t been able to meet together but worship has still continued.  The Word of God has been heard and preached.  Do you look at it like I do?  Just 23 years ago I was in on this cutting edge technology known as the Internet.  Shocked, aren’t you?  The church I was serving at the time sent me to seminars to learn about this new technology making its way into our daily life.  I used this experience to set up the church’s website and outreach.  There would have been no way to stream worship back then.

            By the mid 2000’s the Lord brought about the platforms we have been using to get this worship to your homes.  Our Lord has seen to it that the resources are there to allow worship to take place where it could not have just a few short years ago.  I pray we see the blessing in that.  Yes, this has been a setback, but be careful what we view as suffering compared to our brothers and sisters in hiding for the Gospel.

            As sufferings come they allow us to share in Christ’s sufferings.  Some in the Church expect the crown without the cross.  There is no depth to their confession and no endurance to their faith.  Some around them may not even see them as Christians.

            Some in the Church expect the crown because of the cross.  But they are not bearing the cross of Christ but their own suffering.  They confuse Christian suffering with worldly suffering. 

            But others in the Church know that they must expect the cross to come before the crown.  They know that Christ teaches that the world will hate those who follow Him.  They are not willing to compromise the truth of God’s Word for unity and less confrontation.  In doing this it can lead to their persecution.

            Not all suffering is alike.  Suffering the consequences of our sin is not Christian suffering.  Suffering the persecution of those we sin against by our meddling and gossip may lead to broken relationships and hurt feelings, but it is not suffering for the sake of Christ.

            Christian suffering has to do with Christ and our relationship to Him.  We are blessed if we are insulted.  We are blessed if we suffer for Christ.  Do not be ashamed.  Stand firm in your suffering.  You will be blessed in the judgment.  The Christian will rejoice and be glad when Christ’s glory is revealed.  We may suffer for a “little while” but we have been called to an “eternal glory” in Christ.  The world may rejoice now but will suffer unending torment in the world to come.

            God rewards Christian suffering.  Humbly submitting to His will gives us His promise of exaltation.  He cares for us in our anxieties.  We can stand firm in our suffering for the faith in the face of the roaring lion.  God blesses the final outcome.  He will restore you.  He will confirm you.  He will strengthen you.  He will establish you.

            If you fail to confess Christ at a critical time and make a shipwreck of your faith, there is still forgiveness for you.  Return to your baptism.  As churches start worshipping again what an opportunity the Lord is giving us.  We can witness to the power of the Word and what it means to confess it as one body of Christ in this place. 

            We have wanted to make these last weeks into a sprint.  The Christian life is a marathon.  Look back over what you have lived through before this event came into your life.  Christ has risen and conquered death so that no matter what happens He is the triumphant victor and by your association and faith in Him so are you.  Can you stand the suffering?  You are already doing it through Christ – to Him be the dominion forever and ever.

                                                Amen.         

May 17, 2020                                                                                    Text:  John 14:19-21

Dear Friends in Christ,

            A fellow by the name of Ralph Larson observed this, “We poor humans boast of our freedom, then exhibit our shackles of material enslavement.  We insist that nobody can tell us what to do – but the clanking of our chains gives our plight away.” 

            “Nobody can tell us what to do.”  I don’t know about you but I have never been good about being told what to do.  These last few months have not been easy in that respect.  How about you?  “The clanking of our chains gives our plight away.”  What are some catch words used during the pandemic – enslaved, quarantined, house arrest, freedom restricted, tied to our home.  For some in nursing homes it has been even worse – they use words like “imprisoned in my room.”

            We are shackled to this world.  Why has there been all this fear and anxiety?  It really comes down to one word – death.  People do not want to die.  We have flipped our lives upside down to avoid the question prevalent since two people were tossed out of the Garden of Eden – “What happens to me when I die.”

            For the Christian the direction is a little different.  Let’s use our text to find some answers . . .

“WE ARE SHACKLED TO LIFE (ETERNAL)”

            We start with a big concern on many of our minds.  It’s rooted in Jesus’ words of verse 21, “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me.  And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

            We love the commandments or so we should.  They bring order to life.  We also know that we do not keep them perfectly.  We fall short.  The greatest work is to believe that Christ is the One who came to keep the commandments perfectly in our stead, suffer and die in payment for our sin and be raised to eternal life so that we would be assured of eternal life.  And remember this, it is the Holy Spirit who works faith in us so that we can believe.

            That brings us to verse 19, “Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me.  Because I live, you also will live.”

            Recall these words of Jesus:  “I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live…” (John 14:25a)  “Though he die.”  We can’t stop the process.  I recall this scene from the TV show MASH.  Henry Blake, played by Bloomington’s own McLean Stevenson, was asked about death by a fellow surgeon.  This was his reply.  “In command school, they taught us two rules.  Rule #1, in war young men die.  Rule #2, doctors can’t stop Rule#1.”  There will be no human cure for death or dying.  No vaccine will come along that will prevent our hearts from eventually stopping.  There is though a heavenly cure:  Christ paying for our sin.  Christ declaring victory over the grave.  Didn’t we just sing it confidently:  “Jesus lives!  The victory’s won!  Jesus is my confidence!”  “Yet shall he live.”  Not life tied to earth, but heavenly eternal joy and light.

            Jesus says, “Everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (John 11:26)  The day will come when the body shuts down – an accident, a disease, aging – but the promise is unchangeable:  Whoever believes in me, though he die (to this world), yet shall he live.  That is a promise we can take to the grave.

            Years ago this story came out of Buenos Aires, Argentina.  There was man who feared the pain he was going to have because of bunion surgery.  It read:

            “He requested a general anesthetic.  Tragically, the general anesthetic led to a heart attack.  The physicians opened his chest and massaged his heart and revived him.  But later he suffered a stomach contraction resulting in the rupture of the stomach…Then while being carried on a stretcher, he tumbled off, broke a leg and collarbone and injured his heart further.  At the end of his ordeal the unfortunate man had a breathing tube in his throat, a drainage tube in his stomach, a leg in plaster and an arm in a sling.  He still had not had the bunion removed.”

            Welcome to life in this world, right?  We have so many unknowns.  We have the mountaintop moments and then we experience the valley happenings.  Then death occurs.  Paul Eldridge wrote, “We free ourselves from the womb, but there is no knife sharp enough to cut the umbilical cord which binds us to our grave.”  On the contrary, there is a knife that can cut the umbilical cord to our grave.  It is our resurrected Lord Jesus Christ who has overcome sin, death, and hell for us.

            Hear the promise again:  “Because I live, you also will live.”  Hang on to this comforting thought as you navigate the unknown day-to-day.  The Savior says to you, “Whoever believes will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)  This is unending joy and comfort and peace.  No more being shackled to this life.

            Lastly this quote, “what death did to Jesus is nothing compared to what Jesus did to death.”  We can say, in Christ Jesus We Are Shackled To Life . . . Eternal!

                                                                                                                                    Amen.  

May 10, 2020                                                                    Text:  Acts 6:1-9; 7:2a, 51-60

Dear Friends in Christ,

            How many of you like movie previews?  They give brief snippets of scenes, which are supposed to give you an overview of the film.  These previews have grown over the years.  You can be 10 minutes late to the theatre and the previews are still playing.  Convenient I guess for the perpetually tardy.

            This morning our sermon text from Acts is the stoning of Stephen.  It is not the whole story.  For that you need to read all of Acts 6 and 7.  We just get pieces in our text.  We get scenes.  We have highlights from the film. 

            This story has it all.  Miraculous powers.  Murderous threats that get carried out.  Impassioned speech.  A Christian man willing to stand for his faith.  God is here, but what is He doing?  This morning, we are going to take a moment to meditate on,

“SCENES OF GOD AT WORK”

            As our focus on this story comes into view we see various ways that God is at work.  The disciples are collecting food for the needy and working and praying and laying their hands upon co-workers in the Kingdom.  Stephen is mentioned as “a man full of faith.”

            This scene could be right out of our congregation.  The Pastor preaches and prays and the congregants collect food for a local food pantry or do mission work in our community.  Even in the mundane God is there.

            The scene shifts to see God at work in marvelous ways.  The action is ramping up as Stephen gives a speech.  Again, only a part of his words are in our text.  It may be hard to go back to the first time you heard this story concerning Stephen but what did you think would happen?  Did you expect God, as some superhero, to swoop in and save Stephen from stoning?  Did you want the happy ending?

            God works in a way where the marvelous and the murderous are woven together with one another.  Luke wants us to know that God works wonders in the suffering of this world.

            Look carefully at the scene.  When Stephen is dragged out and stoned how is he positioned?  He falls to his knees.  Is he falling because of the stoning or is he kneeling in reverence to God?  The answer is yes to both.  You would think there would be a difference between being knocked to the ground with stones and kneeling in prayer.  But, according to Luke, sometimes they look the same.

            As Stephen is dying he cries out.  He is not screaming in pain.  He is saying, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” (7:60)  He breathes his last and falls asleep.  A moment that recalls Jesus’s words on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

            Even in this bloody scene with suffering and dying, God is still at work.  Because Jesus entered into our world and suffered and died to take away our sin, Stephen can ask that these misguided humans be forgiven.  Stephen knew that because of Jesus rising from the dead, sin and evil and death itself had been conquered.  He met death willingly – who follows in his train?

            What scene from your life has our Lord entered?  For all of us it is this temporary annoyance we’ve lived under for almost two months.  When things are out of our control, we get scared.  Stones are coming at us – do this, don ‘t do this, wear a mask, stay away from your church, go to a store, keep a distance, work from home, school work online, but in all of this hasn’t it driven us to our knees?  How many times in the last few months have you asked God for direction?  Have you gone to Him to know if you are doing the right thing?  Go out – stay home.  Have mini services at church or not worry about it?  Listen to the government or use your own common sense? 

            The thing to see in these scenes is that the Lord is there.  He has kept you safe.  He has kept many still working.  He has allowed the church to survive through your prayers and offerings.  You are nearing the end of your school year.  You have food and clothing and a hot water heater that works.  And you know from history that this is only temporary.  The scenes from Stephen’s life encourage you to see God at work in your world.

            Stephen wasn’t afraid.  He was “a man full of faith.”  He didn’t go looking to die, but he also didn’t shy away from the consequences of his words.  God was at work in the world of Stephen and we remember him to this day.

            God rules over all things and works in our world.  He created us, claimed us as His own in Baptism, calls us to serve him in our various vocations, and promises to raise us up to live with Him in the new creation.

            Will this scene we are living in have a happy ending for all of us?  I can’t give that assurance.  But know this – God is not distant from the world.  His promises of life and salvation endure until the end.  He works in the mundane and the marvelous and nothing – not even death – can separate us from His love and mercy.  I’ve enjoyed these scenes of God at work . . . how about you?            Amen.          

May 3, 2020                                                                                        Text:  John 10:1-10

Dear Friends in Christ,

            When I was a young shaver we would often visit family friends who had Holstein milk cows.  It was always fun to watch them being milked.  The front of the barn, where we entered had a door sliced in the middle.  This way the bottom could be closed to keep the cows in the barn while the top door could be open when a nice cool breeze was needed. 

            I wasn’t as afraid of cows as I was of dogs but I always kept my eye on where the cow was going when I was in the barn.  One time a cow was coming right toward me and I thought there was no time to open the door so thinking quickly I jumped up and climbed out the half door.  There would be no Lueck/Holstein confrontation this day.

            Today in our Gospel lesson Jesus calls Himself the “door.”  How many times do we want to climb right over that door because of our lack of trust?  As scared sheep do we ever hide behind a door?  Today is Good Shepherd Sunday . . . the Lord is taking you by the hand . . . let’s find out together . . .

“WHAT’S BEHIND THE DOOR?”

            Have you ever been anxious or nervous to enter a door?  A hospital room with a loved one inside?  A closed door from your teenager you just had a spat with?

A spouse who’s slammed door spoke volumes?  The first time you ever went to a funeral home?  The boss who wants to talk with you in their office?  Going into your mom’s bedroom shortly after she died?  I’ve been there.  So have you.

            Why are some places so hard to enter?  Because we feel we go in alone.  Instead of entering with the Good Shepherd, who is the door, we wrap ourselves in our own insecurities.  We hear other voices.  We let the thief and the robber have their way with our mind.  We think our salvation and our life and our success are based on us improving our lives on our own.  You make yourself the door.  You are actually the one who, by what you do and what you don’t do, determines if you are in the sheep pen or not.  You are the door through which you get into heaven.

            Today in our Gospel we hear the word “sheep” six times.  But we are not just anyone’s sheep.  We are the Lord’s sheep.  You have heard His voice.  You here in the sanctuary, you are sheep.  You watching online, you are sheep.  You are each uniquely loved, particularly cared for, and led out to pasture by Him.  He calls you by name.  At the baptismal font through water and the Word the Lord tagged you as his sheep.

            Your Lord Jesus is not just behind the door – He is the door.  He is the way into the sheep pen.  He is the way out to green pasture.  He is the way to life, not just life in this world, but life eternal.

            The Good Shepherd has given His life for you and me.  Jesus went to the cross as the slaughtered sheep in our place.  The false shepherds of the day run and jump over the door to the sheep pen and when the wolves come they devour the sheep.  “I am not going to sacrifice myself for these silly sheep.”

            If the thief is behind the door – watch out.  The only thing you will find behind that door is death. 

            Our door – our Good Shepherd – died for all the times you try to make yourself the door.  He rose again on the third day to overcome your fear and anxiety.  Entering through this Door gives you life forever and ever.  Jesus goes before you to protect and guide you.  He meets your enemies head-on and defeats them for you.

            What’s behind the door?  You know by now, don’t you?  Our Good Shepherd – Jesus Christ.  This Sunday we celebrate that Jesus is our Shepherd, the Door through whom we have life and have it abundantly.

                                                                                    Amen.     

April 26, 2020                                                                                 Text:  Luke 24:13-35

Dear Friends in Christ,

            This next week is an exciting time for 4^th year seminary students.  They receive their first calls into the ministry.  Unfortunately, it will not be done in person.  I was in their shoes 29 years ago.  Where am I going?  What church is getting this goofy Pastor who looks fifteen years old?  It not only affected me, but Toni as well.  We were engaged to be married.  She sat with my parents and most everyone in the chapel had their Rand McNally Atlas with them.  Wahoo, Nebraska?   Deer Lodge, Montana?  I stood up, crossed the altar area and heard this that will probably never leave my brain – Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Littlefield, Texas.  I finally knew where Toni and I would be starting our life together.

            The two first-century disciples in our text knew they were going to Emmaus.  They knew the way.  Problem was, they didn’t know God’s way.  That was a problem, just as it often is for us.  So this morning, let’s . . .

“LET GOD SHOW US HIS WAY”

            These Emmaus disciples are found despondent and going the wrong way.  Easter was happening in Jerusalem, but they were leaving the city in a sad state.  They had just seen the death of Jesus but they didn’t know where to go, what to think, what to do.  They knew how to physically get to Emmaus, but in a sense, they had lost their way.

            So Jesus joins them, but recognizing Him escapes them.  It’s not an eye problem they suffer from.  Jesus has miraculously kept them from knowing him.  Their problem:  they didn’t understand God’s purpose.  They did not know which way God was going.  They didn’t trust that God’s way was working.  The events of the crucifixion gave them a feeling of defeat.

            Don’t we also miss where the Lord is taking us?  We tend to focus on the negatives of life.  99 people may tell us what a great job we did, but we let the one critical comment linger in our head.  Why do we do that?  Sinful people –even our family – surround us and we love to point out their faults.  Why do we do that?  I sense we are all at a tipping point because we can’t plan for the future.  Do I get the haircut appointment?  Will I get into my dentist by the end of the year?  Worship, O I miss my church family!  It’s tough.  We all hurt.

            Why do we do that?  We are sinful.  We forget God’s purpose for us – God’s way.  God values you, let go of your insecurity.  We focus so much on this world but this is not our home.  We forget that the gates of hell cannot overcome the Church of Jesus Christ.  When we focus so much on the negatives and that our plans are not working out the way they should, we may start to think God is going the wrong way.  Has our Savior lost His way?  Hey, you are going the wrong direction!  Except, He isn’t.

            God has always been going the right way – His way.  What is God’s way?  He explained the Old Testament Scriptures to these men.  The Lord always uses His written Word to show us His way.  Jesus showed that the whole Bible points to His death and resurrection.  His suffering and death were God’s way of salvation for us.  This was no defeat, this is glory.  This was God’s way of cleansing us of our sin.  He forgives our negativity and our lack of trust and heading off in the wrong direction.  God has cleared the way for our eternal salvation.

            God is guiding our way.  Let Him show you the way.  Yes, we have ups and downs.  The downs are never God losing His way, but rather God’s strengthening of us.  All the negatives are just sidetracks we see – or think we see – on the road to heaven.  You and I have stories of positive happenings this last month, look around because they are there.  More people are checking in on church services online.  Families have had more together time.  Less people have gotten sick than originally projected.  Traffic is lighter.  Toilet paper can be found!

            God will show the way for our future.  Christ got the disciples turned around to go God’s way.  They recognized him because He opened their eyes.  “Sure enough, it’s just as he said.  God has been in control.”  They run the seven miles back to Jerusalem to tell the others that Jesus has risen.  “We just talked with Him.  Wow, what a day we have had!”

            God also controls our way and our future.  Jesus is alive we tell others.  Scripture has been fulfilled we tell others.  All who believe in Him have eternal life we tell others.  Let’s use that 7-mile analogy.  Imagine the difference we can make in the lives of those within a 7-mile radius of our church.  God shows us the way and then leads us to share His way.

            God’s way is to redeem all people by Jesus’ death and resurrection.  God’s way is to have you and me spread that news.  Because of our Lord we know where we are going, even while we are still on the way.

                                                                                    Amen.