Sermon Texts

March 1, 2020                                                                                  Text:  Matthew 4:1-11

Dear Friends in Christ,

            Come in real close . . . I’ve got a secret . . . I can be a smart-aleck.  Shocked?  Hyperventilating over this sermonic revelation?  Take out your bulletin for today.  Look at our opening hymn.  What does it tell us to do?  We stand!  My home church in Decatur did this with many of their hymns when I was a wee little lad and I didn’t always feel like standing…but I did…believe me I did.  To express my displeasure I would write on the worship folder – We sit! – and I would hand it to the usher on the way out.  I doubt that guy thought I would be standing in a pulpit today.  There were other smart-aleck moments – playing a mannequin at my friend’s sister’s clothing store at Hickory Point Mall, getting my freshman English Class to bombard our teacher with paper wads and all the grief I gave my mom over the years. 

            The thing is that little guy has never completely left me.  Just ask my friends and family.  What is that voice in my brain that motivates such behavior?  What temptation can I not overcome? 

            Can you relate?  I am almost certain you can.  Maybe it is not being a smart-aleck but it is something from your younger days that no matter how hard you try as an adult it is shadowing you constantly.  Can we stare into the darkness and overcome it?  Negatory, good buddy.

            We need a stronger one.  We need someone outside of ourselves to step into the picture.  We need Jesus.  Let’s take a song line and make it the title . . .

“TEMPTED BUT THE TRUTH IS DISCOVERED”

            Before we venture into the desert let’s get a few things straight.  The devil has power but it is limited.  Satan knows the words of Scripture – He even quotes them.  The only way to defeat your adversary is to know His playbook.

            The temptations take place in the wilderness – Satan’s home field.  It is a place of nothingness with few points of reference and endless sand and rocks. 

            Satan was smart and subtle.  He is saying to Jesus, “grab a little glory now.  Turn stones into bread; throw yourself down and you will be protected; bow down and worship me and you can have all these things now.”  Thankfully Jesus would not play that game.  Jesus was tempted but the truth is discovered.  Jesus knew that His destiny was the cross.  Jesus fought with the only truth He had – God’s Word.  It was The Word fighting with the Word. 

            Satan would have one more attempt after this in a garden outside of Jerusalem.  Jesus sees the cup of wrath he must drink to overcome our sin.  He looks into the abyss and even asks to let the crucifixion pass from Him.  Jesus was tempted but the truth is discovered.  In the end, He asks that the Father’s will be done.  It was.  It is.  Only through suffering and death is God making right what has gone wrong – He enters the darkness and brings forth light in the resurrection of his body from the dead.  Jesus makes right what has gone wrong by taking on Satan in the wilderness, in the Garden of Gethsemane, on the cross, triumphing over every temptation thrown His way and lighting our darkness with the light of His resurrected flesh.

            Jesus’ cross is where you see both your salvation and the pattern of your life.  When your suffering becomes so intense and the darkness so deep, trace on your forehead the baptismal cross that binds you to Jesus, who continues to feed you with his very body and blood at his table and then in Jesus say, “Not my will, but thy will, be done.”  Tempted but the Truth is Discovered.

            During the troubling days of World War I, many songwriters did their best to raise the morale of the troops in the field and the folks at home.  Felix Powell penned a little ditty for those troubled with their worries.  Powell encouraged the fearful person to put their troubles behind them and smile instead.

            If we just pack up our problems and put them away that is only a temporary solution.  The true cause of our troubles is sin.  Either inflicted by giving in to the devils’ temptations or the consequences of living in a fallen world, we are unable to pack up and put away our own troubles.  Only Christ can permanently banish our problems.  No pasted-on grin will chase away the devil, but when Christ smiles on us, we know the old evil foe is vanquished and our joy is made complete.

            A quick note before this message ends.  While the teacher found the stunt quite funny, to my amazement, I do not advocate bombing your teacher with paper.  I learned a lot about grace that day.  I pray we learn about grace every day.  Jesus, the purveyor of grace looked into the eyes of Satan and won.  He showers that grace on us when we don’t deserve it.  See the Truth in a new light this morning – He was tempted but His Truth is discovered.

                                                                        Amen.  

February 23, 2020 – Transfiguration                                         Text:  Matthew 17:1-9

Dear Friends in Christ,

            David McCasland wrote about an experience that happened to him some years ago.  A woman was stalled at an intersection with her car hood up and she flagged McCasland down for help.  Here’s the account:

            “’I can’t get the car started,’ she said.  ‘But if you jiggle the wire on the battery I think it will work.’  McCasland grabbed the positive battery cable and it came off in his hand.  It was obviously too loose!  ‘The terminal needs to be tightened up,’ he told her.  ‘I can fix it if you have some tools.’  The woman replied, ‘My husband says just to jiggle the wire.  It always works.  Why don’t you just try that?’  McCasland thought to himself, ‘Then why doesn’t her husband drive around with her all the time so he can jiggle the cable.’  Finally he said, ‘Ma’am, if I jiggle the wire, you’re going to need someone else to do it every time you shut the engine off.  If you’ll give me two minutes and a wrench, we can solve the problem and forget about it.’  Reluctantly, she fumbled under the front seat and then extended a crescent wrench through the window.

            “As he repaired the terminal, McCasland thought about the many times he tried to get ‘quick fixes’ from God.  ‘I have this problem, Lord, and if You’ll just jiggle the wire, things will be ok.  I’m in a hurry, so let’s just get me going again the quickest way possible.’”

            At the Mount of Transfiguration we learn that God doesn’t simply jiggle wires.  He guides our living in this world and, through that, prepares us for the world to come.  Many will follow if only they can be spared the uncertainties and sufferings of tomorrow.  But it doesn’t work that way. 

“LIVING THE NOW BETWEEN THE HERE AND THERE”

            The text begins, “After six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.”  Six days after what?  Six days after he told them that they must deny self and take up their cross and follow Him.  Jesus is talking the here and now.  You might gain the world but you will forfeit your soul.

            They are led up a high mountain.  What a moment for these men but also getting there would be strenuous and tiring.  Like life in the here and now.  We strain and tire ourselves to get the most out of life.  We want to enjoy our creature comforts.  But no matter how we mask it, the world is still decaying away.

            Jesus is then transfigured and Moses and Elijah are with them.  What were the disciples seeing?  They were seeing the glory of Christ.  Jesus is God the Son.  Secondly, by seeing Moses and Elijah, the disciples glimpsed the glory of Heaven.  That’s why Peter wants to build the tents.  He wants to stay there forever.  Who wouldn’t want that?

            The earlier words of Jesus “take up your cross and follow me” had faded into the background.  They had traveled from the here – earthly, to the there – heavenly because they were followers of the Christ.

            We to will make that same journey.  We will go from here to there.  From earth to heaven also because of our Christ connection.  But what about the now?  How can we draw strength for the days and possibly years ahead of us?  How can this trip up the mountain help in our day-to-day living.

            “He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud over shadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.’” (v. 5)

            What an encouragement for them.  That moment impressed upon them the eternal victory in Christ is certain.  There is still suffering and cross bearing in this fallen world but Christ has made an eternal home a sure thing.  The Father is pleased that His Son would do everything necessary to secure our forgiveness and eternal life.

            God loved and loves us in spite of ourselves.  In the now we have minds riddled with hideous thoughts and words and deeds.  Yet He would give His Son to pay for that.  And to believe that is to have everlasting life.  Light!  Glory forever!

            At the Mount of Transfiguration we learn that God doesn’t just jiggle wires to make things go.  He prepared the disciples then and He is preparing you and me now to live for Him in this world.  And, in Christ, our lives here overflow with this promise:  “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:6)

            Living the now between the here and there is never without the presence of Christ’s love.

                        Amen.  

February 16, 2020                                                          Text:  Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Dear Friends in Christ,

            “How much longer do I have?”  Don’t we all at one time or another take a look at our life expectancy?  As Christians we understand our Lord is in charge of our time but we like to take stock of what is in front of us.

            Some may think this is just a question for a doctor and a terminal patient.  The fact is this – we are all terminal.  We are all day-to-day.  A fellow by the name of Curtis Jones wrote, “Life is our capital and we spend it every.  The question is, what are we getting in return?” 

            Let’s sit down with our Creator.  Let’s have a heart to heart talk with our Great Physician.  Pull up a chair, relax and go ahead…ask the question . . .

“HOW MUCH LONGER DO I HAVE?”

            The Lord God is quite clear in our text when addressing his chosen people and He is still quite clear today as He speaks to us through His Word this morning.  “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.”  God’s ways have remained the same since He first created Adam.  If Adam asked this question, “How much longer do I have?” the Lord could have answered, “Forever.”  Once Adam and Eve sinned that question had a limit and ever since the life spans of human beings on earth have been limited.

            Lord, we still aren’t getting to my question, “How much longer do I have?”  Well, let’s look at the two possibilities, “By loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live.” 

            We are not headed toward an earthly promised land like the Israelites would find themselves.  But this Old Testament “promised land” foreshadowed the Heavenly Promised Land won for us through faith in Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection.  We live by walking in the Lord’s ways.  We live because the promise is sure.  We live because Jesus says, “…whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.  He has not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24)  Wow, that’s great news, thanks Doc!

            Not so fast my mortal friend.  There is a warning as you leave the office and continue your earthly ways.  “If your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish.”  Did I hear you right?  What does this mean?

            Remember the last time you were in here and I warned you about your heartburn and cholesterol?  I told you to stay away from the half-truths and the lies and the filth that you will encounter on a daily basis.  I told you to protect your heart and mind by steering clear of those places and devices that ignore and mock all things Godly.  The devil never rests.  He wants you to think you can do whatever you want.  He wants you to think you will live forever and the time is not short.  He wants you distracted from the precious Word.  He wants you to question your parents and your Pastor and more importantly he wants you to question Me.  Once he has you entangled and apart from the Church, you really don’t have much to live for.  At that point you are on life support.

            Come on doc, you are just scaring me.  That is what the Law does.  It helps you to see the error of your ways.  I want you to turn away from all this bad behavior and follow the eternal plan I set forth before the foundation of the world.

            How does this work, is it painful?  It’s quite simple actually.  “Therefore, choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days.” 

            The Spirit of God, who breathed life-giving breath into Adam, breathes life-giving breath into us through His Word and Sacrament.  His Word opens our nasal passages and lungs – breathe in life.  His Sacrament feeds our body and soul and eases our anxiety and fears.  Go ahead leap for joy, hop around the office on one foot, you are in great shape – great physical shape because the Lord your God lives in you.

            Let’s get back to that question, one more time.  “How Much Longer Do I Have?”  Haven’t you been paying attention?  You have forever because I the Lord your God have given you eternal life through my Son, Jesus Christ. 

            Now hop up from there and get going – you have a Christian life to live.

                                                                                                                                    Amen.    

February 9, 2020                                                                        Text:  Matthew 5:13-20

Dear Friends in Christ,

            What color of light to do you like?  We have some orange and blue lights in our basement.  I love to sit there with just them on.  What kind of white light do you like?  Do you like soft white or bright white?  Do you prefer fluorescent or incandescent?  Some LED’s look blue.  Some lights can’t even be made any more.

            Aren’t we thankful that our Lord doesn’t run an efficiency test on us?  “You are the light of the world.”  Have you shined lately compared to the energy God is investing in you?  That may take you aback a little bit but today’s lesson is good news because as always it is about Him – Jesus, and not us.  It is our Lord that allows us to be about . . .

“LIGHT LIVING”

            One of God’s first commands when creating our world was, “Let there be light.”  The sun and moon are still doing their jobs, but there is something they can’t do.  When people are going the wrong way we say we hope they see the light.  Only God can provide a way out of the darkness.

            If a room is dark we can flip a switch or open the shades or light a candle or carry a flashlight.  To pierce the darkness of sin and unbelief there is only one solution.  God turning on the light so that we trust in Jesus.  Jesus is the light of the world. 

            Jesus changes us.  In baptism, we are taken out of the kingdom of darkness.  Ephesians 5:8 says, “for at one time you were darkness, but now you are the light of the world.  Walk as children of light.”

            Sin loves darkness.  Why do so many cities use light to cut down on crime?  The light can keep some bad behavior from happening.  Jesus had a different plan to drive our darkness.  The world did not receive Jesus.  The powers of darkness in the world were working to snuff out Jesus.  By Good Friday, it looked like they had succeeded.  His lifeless body was laid in a cold, dark tomb.  There were no windows in that tomb.  But in the bright light of Easter, Jesus threw open the door of grave and death.  He has opened wide the doors and windows to our graves as well.  He promises that we will live even though we die.  Our dwelling place will be in the light of His heaven forever.

            Forever may still be a ways off for many of us.  Light living means living now in the light of Jesus.  Light living means living out what we really are:  forgiven children of God.  Our lives are designed to have a tremendous impact on the world.

            As followers of Jesus we do not just believe differently, we live differently.  “You are the light of the world” is both a blessing and a responsibility.  It is easy to complain about the world and indulge in hand-wringing about where we are as a society.  Jesus could have done that during His time.  What He did is that one by one He brought people out of the darkness into the light.  Not just the blind, but the palsied and the sinful and the misguided and those who wanted Him destroyed.  He was that light that they could relate to and He changed lives.  His love and grace and mercy and resurrection shone a great light on the darkness of the world.

            We are the Lord’s instruments.  We have light to give to others because of what Christ has given us.  We talked about this text in my Pastor’s conference this week and one thing we noted is that it doesn’t matter how bright the light it can still make a difference.  We don’t have brilliant insights or miraculous powers but changing our baby’s diaper shines light.  Helping a neighbor shovel a driveway shines light.  Bringing our children to church and having devotions with them shines light.  Holding your temper shines light.  Showing calm in the midst of turmoil shines light.  Forgiving a sister or brother shines light.  Not yelling when we spill something in the kitchen shines light.  Not blaming others or excusing our behavior shines light.

            The light of Christ shines in the life of the ordinary Christian.  The Spirit of God is moving us, and Christ is dwelling in us.  We can be extraordinary husbands and wives and parents, remarkable neighbors and employees, powerful citizens and friends.  Living light can be you and me.

            Light bulbs come in all different kinds, and Christians do, too, but whatever your shape or color, because of Jesus, you are the light of the world and will dwell in eternal light.

            May someone this week, or this day, see the light of Jesus in your Light Living and give thanks to God.

                                                Amen.

January 26, 2020                                                                  Text:  Matthew 4:12-25

Dear Friends in Christ,

            What’s in a kingdom?  That is a question we are going to answer today.  Christians may have a little different distinction on what a kingdom is, especially if they know their Bible, but the word kingdom does not always bring forth good thoughts.

            Go back to the Dark Ages, when kings ruled many kingdoms.  The common man and woman had no voice in their government and many times no freedom.  They lived at the whim of their rulers.  It was like living in a dictatorship.  Wouldn’t that be bad news?

            For us, with Jesus as our King, and living in the kingdom of heaven that can’t really be bad news, can it?  This morning, let’s consider . . .

“WHAT’S IN A KINGDOM?”

            When Jesus begins preaching and says in our text, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” this is good news.  The Jews had a hard time with His words because they were living under an awful kingdom led by King Herod.  Herod had just put John the Baptist in prison and soon would have his head.

            This is typical of many kingdoms.  Power corrupts.  Kings take advantage of their subjects.  Kings can use and abuse and even execute their victims just to derive some sick pleasure.

            On top of that, even in the best of circumstances, kings can restrict the freedom of their people.  Israel’s kings would levy taxes and make laws when they felt like it.  A king’s word is final.  There may be advisors but that is all they are.  People must be willing to do what the king asks.  Absolute loyalty is required.

            We rebel against that.  We all want to be our own kings.  We all have our little fiefdoms, places and people we want to control.  We don’t even want the best King – God Himself – to rule over us.  His royal law describes life at its happiest and most harmonious, but we would rather go our sinful way and latch on to what looks good and what feels good.  We want control of our destiny.  We live in a democracy politically and we want that in our spiritual lives.

            What’s In A Kingdom?  In the kingdom of heaven something that is very, very good.  The kingdom of heaven is set apart in every way from the bad kingdoms.  Jesus didn’t reign for the glory or pleasure.  He didn’t come to sit on a cushy throne in Jerusalem or Rome.  He came to the backwaters of Galilee.

            Jesus came to bring light to those in darkness.  During the European Dark Ages, those people were literally in the dark with the feudal system.  Everyone was serving for the benefit of a higher lord.  At the top of the pyramid was the king.  Unlike those kings, Jesus came that the lowest of people, like those in Galilee, might see God in His true light, as a loving Father.

            Jesus does call us to service, like he did the disciples in our text, but serving Him is an honor that leads to eternal glory.  Behind the “Follow me” was Gospel, Good News, because Christ was saying, “I have chosen you to be with me, to be mine.”  Jesus uses His almighty, kingly power not to subdue us, but to conquer our enemies – diseases, demons, and death.

            Isn’t this better than being our own kings?  The kingdom of heaven is ruled by grace – God gives that which we don’t deserve.  Let’s be honest, we stink at being our own kings.  Our self-rule just leads to empty lives of broken relationships, climbing and not reaching, exacerbating our problems.  We reach a dead end when we control our own eternity.  Thankfully we don’t need to.  Jesus fulfilled the law for us His followers and He purchased for us real freedom by His death on the cross.

            What’s In A Kingdom?  A lot more than you thought.  But what a blessing this kingdom is.  This kingdom, we now live in, is truly heaven!

                                                                                                            Amen.

January 19, 2020 – Sanctity of Life Sunday                                               Text:  Isaiah 49:1-7

Dear Friends in Christ,

            It is hard to hear with fruit stuck in your ears.  “How does Pastor know that?  Has he had fruit stuck in his ears?  How did it get stuck in his ears?  Why did he have fruit near his ears?”  All good questions, but we have all had fruit stuck in our ears.  It’s in there, and it’s stuck.  And it’s hard to hear with fruit stuck in your ears.

            Humans have had fruit in there for a long time.  The serpent said to Eve, “Did God actually say, ‘you shall not eat of any tree in the garden?” (Gen. 3:1)  Well, she ate that fruit that God forbid her to and it stopped up her ears and she couldn’t hear the Lord’s Word anymore.  In her disobedience she gave some to her husband, and his ears got stuffed with fruit.  The serpent got in like an earworm out of an apple and he settled in to take command.  That is why to this very day, the offspring of Adam and Eve, you and me still ask one another . . .

“DID GOD REALLY SAY?”

            We see it in the book of Isaiah and our text for this morning.  The Israelites had fruit stuck in their ears.  Vines and branches coming out of their heads.  Why else would the prophet repeat himself for sixty-six chapters?  Fifteen other prophets brought the same message for hundreds of years but the Israelites loved the fruit stuck in their ears. 

            The conversation is not over.  How many still have fruit stuck in their ears?  Did God really say, “called me from the womb?” (v. 1)  Did God really say that He “knitted me together in my mother’s womb?” (Ps. 139:13)  Did God really say that we are “created…in his own image?” (Gen. 1:27)  He probably meant “we are a clump of cells or a blob of tissue.”  He probably meant “my body, my choice, my medical decision.”  He probably meant as “soon as the baby has a memory and is viable.”  He probably meant, “as long as they planned for the child, as long as they can afford the child.”  Because we sure do like the fruit of self-expression.  The fruit of comfort and control sure tastes sweet.

            Did God really say, “a light for the nations?”  “I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”  Perhaps He means “a light for most nations or some of the nations.”  Perhaps He means “for the pretty ones and the productive ones and the powerful ones.”  Perhaps He means “for the politically comfortable and the culturally acceptable and the emotionally uncontroversial and the publicly approved.”  Perhaps He means “a light for those who can communicate or those who don’t cost us too much or those who can take care of themselves.”  Perhaps He means it “doesn’t include those terminal or in a vegetative state.”  This fruit of vanity and convenience has been shoved in our ears for years and we accommodate it with our uniformity.

            Even with fruit in our ears, we can hear hearts breaking.  Our eyes still see the grief and guilt.  Abortion access hasn’t solved any problems.  Instead it has multiplied suffering.  Assisted suicide hasn’t made pain go away.  Embryo engineering has incarcerated thousands in frozen prisons.  The violence has increased infertility, miscarriages, and breast cancer.  The trauma has raised rates of depression, chemical dependency, domestic violence, suicide.  It’s left dead over 1.5 billion human beings worldwide.  Untold others walk around us haunted and hurting.  Isn’t it time to take the fruit out, and listen?

            The Lord God almighty has the perfect implement for doing just that – getting the forbidden fruit out.  You see it in Isaiah.  He comes as an arrow of sorts – a sword to take the fruit out.  Jesus is God’s implement to take the bad fruit away and turn up the volume of God’s love. 

            He put on embryo and peasant, manger and stable, hamlet and laborer.  He means God’s work of creating proclaims every genetic member of our world special.  He means the least of these and the lowly.

            He humbled Himself for us and died on the cross.  Jesus means replaced, fulfilled, forgiven, beginning to end.  Jesus means atoned for, suffered for, punished for, biggest to littlest.  He means bled for, died for, paid for, best to worst.  He means crucified, resurrected, redeemed, embryo to elderly.  He means Lord of death and life, every circumstance of life under control.  He means Savior of not only your soul but also of your situation.

            The Gospel puts the good fruit where it belongs.  Fruit doesn’t belong in your ears or even bottled in your heart.  Truth tastes sweetest when ingested and then exhaled.  Drink deeply and fill your identity with how God loves and saves his sinful human creatures.  Rinse your ears with Baptism’s assurances and irrigate your very being with Holy Communion’s affirmations.  Swallow and savor this comfort.

            The Lord of harvest includes you in the fruit-removal crew.  Having heard the Word, you can speak clearly to others.  Jesus Christ has made you Lutherans For Life.  Give voice to this truth that Jesus creates, redeems, and calls every human being to this everlasting treasure.  You have the resources of Lutherans For Life and their nationwide network at your disposal and by your side.  What a privilege we have and what a delight – to partake with God in the fruit that moves the children of men from deaf to life!

                                                Amen.