Sermons

Dec. 24, 2015 – Christmas Eve                                             Text:  Galatians 4:4-5

 

Dear Friends in Christ,

 

There is something timeless about Christmas.  We get very nostalgic at this time of year as we think of happy memories that surround family and church traditions.  We see nativity scenes and Christmas cards and sing carols of the baby Jesus “sleeping in heavenly peace” surrounded by angels.  It is right and meet so to do to celebrate our Lord’s incarnation in every time and place and from generation to generation.

And yet, we don’t want to forget that Jesus became flesh in a specific moment in history.  “When the fullness of time had come,” says St. Paul, “God sent forth His Son.” (Gal. 4:4a).  Do you know about that “fullness of time” when the prophecies had been fulfilled and all was ready?  It was a time of social turmoil, religious confusion and moral decay.  Then and now.  Today and yesterday.  The past and the present.  They all lead to the fact that . . .

“CHRISTMAS IS TIMELESS”

We go back to the years before Christ was born.  Pompey the Great captured Judea in 63 B.C.  He became a bitter rival to another brilliant general by the name of Julius Caesar.  They fought a civil war on a global scale.  It ended with Pompey’s murder and Caesar’s victory.  Caesar himself was then assassinated by Roman senators and another power struggle ensued.  Marc Antony fell in love with the Egyptian queen Cleopatra and he abandoned Rome.  Caesar’s adopted son Octavian then took over the city, made himself ruler and took the name Caesar Augustus.  Now there is another familiar name!

By the time of Christ’s birth, Augustus reigned supreme not only over Rome, but also over Judea, all of Asia Minor, northern Africa, and much of Europe.  His power and wealth and influence seemed to fit the bill for a son of God more than the homeless Child laid in a manger.

History has shown that Rome was a great civilization with a system of laws that continue to shape our legal code.  They have a legacy of literature, education, and technology and still influence the world.  But, by the time the Christ child was born this civilization morally was going down the toilet.  Prostitution was everywhere and had been accepted by society.  Homosexuality was widespread throughout this Greco-Roman world.  Abortion and the killing of children were not uncommon.  The masses were entertained with blood sports in the arenas that could involve anything from the torture of criminals by burning to those being devoured by wild animals.

That first Christmas was a time of social upheaval, political conflict, moral decay, recreational sex and violence, religious disunity and general hopelessness.  Sound familiar?  How many of you are beaten down and feeling hopeless this night?  Most of us live in a state where political fighting or non-activity is a regular occurrence.  Aren’t you concerned about what the leaders of the “Land of Lincoln” will smack us with in the New Year?  On the national scene, how many debates do we need?  Can’t there be a better system than wasting all this money two years out from the election?

Who saw marijuana not being a crime and then being sanctioned by the government?  Can legal prostitution be far behind?  Abortion is still a challenge and life is seen as worthless for those with terminal cancer or even a disability?  The gays and lesbians continue to push their agenda and now we have the transgender screaming about their rights in our local school districts?  How much longer before we all share the same bathroom?  Our entertainment is provided by the Kardashians and reality television where people make a train wreck of their lives.  Sports have become a god in our country and people are purposely breaking their arms just to make it on the Internet.  Yes, we are tired and worn down and fed up to here.

Enter a Savior.  Interestingly enough, the events that brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem were put in motion by government.  A census was being taken.  Every person was to be counted.  During their time away, a baby, the one who would be counted the greatest of all time, would make His way into our world.  John says that he came into the darkness and boy did He ever.  The world at this point was groaning and God knew it was time.

Our world is groaning.  We use words like “tired”, “worn down”, “I’ve had enough,” or the all-time favorite, “the world is going to hell in a hand basket.”  But that is the nature of the world and the world does not recognize it.  We think we always have to have an explanation for things when the explanation has been there since the Garden of Eden – human sin.  This folks is not going away.

So how then do we “sleep in heavenly peace”?  Led by the Holy Spirit we in faith believe in this Savior who came into the darkness.  He comes to you and me through His Word and His Sacraments.  That Word is a reminder that He is Christ the Lord.  He has come with joy to this world to tell us that He has overcome our doubts, our weakness, our sin.  He breaks into our sin-ravaged lives and declares that we have been redeemed from our sin.  Our Baptisms cleansed us from the muck and mire of society and the body and blood of Christ continue to strengthen us against the evil that surrounds us.  This world can provide the body blows but the knockout came by one born King of kings.  His victory over sin, death, and the devil is your victory over sin, death, and the devil.  In every age and throughout the course of a person’s lifetime, He brings to us the redemption won by His incarnation, death, and resurrection.  His peace and favor rests upon us forever.  In that sense, Christmas really is timeless.

Amen.

December 27, 2015                                                               Text:  Matthew 2:13-18

 

Dear Friends in Christ,

 

Christmas in the U.S. wears two faces.  How many Christmas letters that you received talked about the family’s sin or heartache that was experienced.  We sing “Joy to the World” yet read of murder, violence and rape online or in the paper.  We proclaim peace on earth while world leaders try to implement it in hot spots around the world.  Merchants are figuring out how “good” a Christmas it was as they figure out their sales.

Perhaps those of us who know the “Reason for the Season” are partly guilty for the fake Christmas around us.  We present neighbors and friends with holiday joy on our faces without first proclaiming why baby Jesus was born.  We know the good news sung by the angels, but how many sermons have you heard on weeping Rachel?  Rachel is an important person in Matthew’s Christmas story.  Listen to this – it is the rest of the Christmas story.

“Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’  And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod.  This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’”

“Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.  Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:  ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.’”

Who is Rachel?  Why is she weeping?  And why do we usually ignore her?

“WHY ARE YOU WEEPING, RACHEL?”

Perhaps you remember Rachel’s story from Sunday School.  She met Jacob who wanted to marry her, but first Laban, Rachel’s father, tricked him.  He was to work seven years to “earn” Rachel, but on the wedding day he found out he had married her sister, Leah.  He then had to work seven more years for Rachel.  Rachel must have wept over that.

Rachel must have wept when she could not have children and the she had to watch as Leah and Jacob’s “second wives” gave Jacob 10 sons and a daughter.  Finally Rachel’s womb opened and she gave birth to Joseph.  She then died weeping giving birth to Benjamin.  Jacob buried her near Bethlehem.

Matthew does a remarkable thing in our text, inspired by the Holy Spirit.  He takes a historical event from 600 years before Jesus’ birth and applies it to the children of Rachel who died soon after Jesus was born.  The Holy Innocents – the two year old boys and younger died.  Rachel wept.

This is the rest of the Christmas story.  Jesus came into a world of sin.  Satan tries to kill baby Jesus before he would grow up and defeat him at the cross.  The devil still seeks those he can devour.  Innocent babies still die at the hands of medical professionals.  Listen!  Do you hear Rachel weeping?  I do.

Matthew’s Gospel story is how God came to conquer sin – your sin and mine.  Jesus came into a world that threatened his life just as it threatens yours.  Matthew tells of Herod’s bloody swords so he can also tell us how God the Father sent an angel to protect, Jesus, Joseph, and Mary so that Jesus could carry out his mission of dying for the sins of the world.

The world does not want to hear about sin and maybe we don’t either on this Sunday after Christmas, but there is no Christmas without Good Friday.  We perpetuate people’s walk to hell when we permit them to have a pretend Christmas.  A Christmas without Rachel weeping may as well be built on rooty-toot toots and rummy-tum-tums.

Our world is one that needs Jesus in the manger and on the cross and at the empty tomb.  Our world needs Jesus raised from the dead.  Our world needs Jesus because Rachel still weeps.  Rachel weeps and so do you, don’t you?  I know I do and I just experienced it recently with an incident.   Spouse abuse is real.  Cancer is real.  Abuse of drugs and alcohol is real.  Adultery is real.  Lack of thankfulness to our Lord is real.  Slander and theft and greed are real.  Death is real.

Jesus was born to deal with our real world.  Jesus was born to dry Rachel’s tears.  Jesus lived and died and rose again to dry your tears.  On our Christmas tree we have a spike hanging on there.  It reminds us that Christmas is real at our house because Good Friday and Easter are real.

Christmas can be a sham to make people feel good without reminding them of their basic problem – sin.  This morning you and I are at Rachel’s tomb.  We hear her weeping.  We remember our weeping.  So today we ask the Lord to “wipe away every tear from eye.”  We rejoice with the hymn writer, “Then when You will come again As the glorious king to reign, I with joy will see your face, Freely ransomed by your grace.”  Amen.

December 13, 2015                                                              Text:  Zephaniah 3:14-20

 

Dear Friends in Christ,

 

Baby showers and bridal showers are celebrations before the celebrations.  The actual event has not yet occurred; that is, the baby is not yet born, and the couple is not yet married.  So the real celebrations are yet to come.  Still people bring gifts in anticipation of what is coming.  Even in a sin-corrupted world, where tragedies such as miscarriages and stillbirths cut short an otherwise joyful pregnancy, and called-off engagements end hope-filled wedding plans, people nevertheless come seemingly without any thought of these possibilities.  They celebrate, believing the joy will happen and they are sure of it’s coming.

The prophet Zephaniah wrote some six centuries before the birth of Christ – and at a time of impending judgment on God’s people.   Yet already he writes as if there’s a reason to celebrate:  “Sing aloud!”  “Rejoice!”  “Exult!”  Already he writes that the Lord has taken away his judgments against the people.  Why?  Because even during those centuries of the “first Advent,” Zephaniah was certain that the baby, the Messiah, was coming.  We know what is coming so we can celebrate that . . .

“CHRIST IS OUR JOY, NO MATTER THE SORROW”

It would seem we have many reasons not to celebrate.  We have rebelled against God and His commandments just like the people of Zephaniah’s day.  We live in sin-stained world.  We fight daily against evil.  Our relationships – family and work – suffer from the brokenness of our sinful world:  marriage challenges, conflict among children and parents, power struggles between co-workers, the stress of dealing with the public.  Then comes Christmas and we have our own lists we are trying to fulfill.  Oh, it can be a struggle.

This is where the church lives.  The church is our sanctuary in the midst of the challenge.  We live in a world that wants little or nothing to do with the Triune God.  Because of that the church suffers in the midst of that!  Sorrows in the midst of that!  Cries out to God in the midst of that!

And look at what God is once again impressing upon us this season of Advent; from our text:  “On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:  ‘Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak.  The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.  I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival, so that you will no longer suffer reproach.’” (vs. 16-18)

Jesus “is in our midst” through his Word and Sacraments to forgive your sins and “quiet you by his love.”  We are calmed from our everyday stresses by Christ’s coming and his strengthening presence.  He rejoices and exults over us.  God is celebrating with us and sharing our joy.

Then look at what God says to the church regarding that Final Moment – the Day:  “Behold at that time I will deal with all your oppressors.  And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth.  At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” says the Lord. (vs. 19-20)

A Pastor wrote, “As God gathers us, there are joys we celebrate.  The birth of a child.  A positive response to chemotherapy.  And there are sorrows we mourn.  A divorce.  A grandmother developing dementia.”  And you are probably thinking, “Yea, that is just the beginning!”

Most of bring certain sorrows into this sanctuary on a regular basis.  An event that has disappointedly altered the course of life.  A family member in trouble.  An affliction that has no real cure.  The loss of a loved one.  The loss of meaning for life.

And that doesn’t even take into consideration the regrets that dog us; the offenses we commit over and over again even after promising we are done with them.

The world can remove Christ from the public square holiday, but it cannot remove Christ from our hearts, from our lips, from our hopes.  The fact is this – in the midst of all earthly sorrows there is joy for the child of God.  There is Jesus who has loved us all along and will continue that love into eternity.  There is joy in that even when the earthly tears roll down our cheeks.

There is that wondrous promise the Holy Spirit inscribed across the forehead of His church; the one we hang on to:  “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” (Rom. 8:28)

Thus Advent is a forward look.  And this Advent we once again look at the past to prepare for our celebration of Christ’s birth and the Day when He returns.  The world can have its holidays.  It can spend billions to celebrate.  But what?  Celebrate what?  A holiday for what?  And that’s just like the world and its wisdom.  Concocting something that leaves everyone spent – physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally and financially – spent with nothing left but some memories – good or bad.

But we have Jesus.  The One who promised, “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (John 11:25-26)  We have Christ the Savior.  And He is our joy, no matter the sorrow.

Amen.

Dec. 6, 2015                                                                           Text:  Philippians 1:2-11

 

Dear Friends in Christ,

 

The Rev. Dr. C.F.W. Walther lived from 1811 to 1887.  He was the 1^st President of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.  Because of his faithfulness to the Word of God he has been known as the “American Luther.”  Back in 1987 Glen Reichwald wrote an essay titled, “If Walther Were Alive Today” . . . listen to a portion:

“Were Walther alive today, he would find himself addressing the same issues that he faced one hundred years ago.  The scholarly Saxon would be debating theologians who desire to be called Lutherans, although they refuse to submit to the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions…He dealt with the Holy Scriptures, notably the doctrine of inerrancy; he agonized over the doctrine of Church and Ministry; he addressed the topic of Altar and Pulpit Fellowship and the liturgical life of the church.”

We are over 125 years removed from this time in the church’s life but the challenges remain the same.  They were the same during the time of Luther and they are the same as when Paul wrote to the Philippians.  Paul warned this Roman colony about people who spread the Gospel from bad motives and those who were enemies of the cross.  He encouraged them to defend and confirm the gospel and through knowledge and discernment to . . .

“APPROVE WHAT IS EXCELLENT”

What is excellent?  What counts as excellence in the long run?  Paul starts his letter by telling the Philippians how thankful he is for them.  They supported him and partnered with him in the Gospel.  They were God’s gift to him.

Did you ever stop to think that we are God’s gifts to one another?  The church isn’t like a bowling league or political organization where we get together because we like the same things.  No, God brought us together around Jesus.  He has given us to one another to support and encourage.

And we do need that, don’t we?  In our time, the devil is breaking in, bursting through the door, dropping in from the roof and doing his best to put out the gospel light.  He has made everything in our lives important except doctrine and the study of God’s Word.  He has created within our flesh a desire to make the church just like the world.  The devil works to replace the means of grace and the presence of Christ by filling us up with ourselves.

Thank God for giving us this church and the members you see around you today.  We gather in the name of Christ and are strengthened for the devil’s challenges by the inerrant Word of God.  We work together to share the gospel and we come together at the Lord’s altar to share a foretaste of the feast to come in heaven.  In my prayers I thank you for your partnership in the Gospel.

Another point of excellence is the confidence that comes in knowing Jesus.  It’s easy to lose confidence when churches close, people tell pollsters more and more that they have no religious affiliation and going to sporting events is more important than going to worship.  But still, Paul calls us to be confident that Jesus will bring it to completion on the Last Day.  Jesus will do it.  Jesus is our confidence.  How so?  Because of how he began the good work in us.

Music is one of the few activities that involve the whole brain.  When we listen to music, both sides of the brain, its many lobes, go into action.  Listen to this music in our ears – “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”  And what happens?  We welcome a new member into God’s family, a child of the heavenly Father.  Jesus began that.  On a cross, where forgiveness was won.  Leaving behind an empty tomb, Jesus lives again to live in our lives.  In Baptism, we are buried with Christ in his death and raised to new life in his resurrection.  What a wonderful good work he began in our lives.

At the end, Jesus will bring it to completion.  He will hold on to us.  He will keep us in the faith.  He will come back for us and bring our bodies out of their tombs to live forever in his glorious presence.  Paul is confident because Jesus is behind it all.

Another point of excellence is love.  Love is a verb.  Love does what benefits someone else.  Love does what God wants done.  Love seeks what is excellent, pure, honorable, just.  What does love look like for us?  Our love wipes away a tear with an embrace, a comforting word, a prayer.  Love bandages a wound with a bandage or simply being there for a person.  Love visits, sends a card, or makes a phone call to the lonely.  Love protects when it may put you in danger.  Love flows from Christ.

Paul calls for us to be faithful and to approve what is excellent.  As we give thanks for partnering in the gospel at this congregation, we can continue because of the confidence given us by a Savior who lives.  He loves us into eternal life that he will complete in his time and place.  Until then, we shine this gospel love to combat the forces of Satan.  Approve what is excellent every day of your lives.

Amen.

Nov. 29, 2015                                                                        Text:  1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

 

Dear Friends in Christ,

 

Let’s go back.  Before cell phones and text messaging, before landlines and mail in a few days.  Back before telegrams and the Pony Express.  Back to the time of the Apostle Paul.  If you wanted to find something out in a different town you either had to travel there yourself or send someone to find out for you.  It could be days, weeks, or even months before you heard back.  You had to wait and wait and wait – and go on with life while you waited.  Today we report back.

“TWO CONGREGATIONS – TWO REPORTS”

Timothy files our first report.  Paul sent him to the church in Thessalonica.  They were suffering some persecution and were being pressured to give up their faith.  Paul wanted to know what was happening so off Timothy went.  Paul went back to work and waited.

Then the day came and Paul caught sight of Timothy.  What would be the report?  How were the believers?  Were they still together?  Timothy with a big smile would say, “Yes, they are standing strong in the faith.  They haven’t given up on Jesus.  They long to see you and there is lots of good news there Paul.”  And Paul is so thankful.  He offers a prayer of thanksgiving.

Then Timothy’s mood changes a bit.  Not all is good.  Something is lacking in the way they live out their faith.  Paul gets busy writing another letter.  He prays these believers will increase in love.  He prays they will be found holy and blameless on the Last Day when Jesus comes back.

God did answer that part of the prayer.  Paul did get to visit them again.  What was lacking in this congregation?  We can’t say in detail, but right after this prayer He encourages this congregation to keep the gift of sexuality honorable and pure.  He also urges them to love more and more by the way they do their work so that others will respect them.  Finally, He also teaches about what will happen to those who die before Jesus returns.

Now let’s imagine Timothy was going to file a second report.  What would he bring back to Paul concerning Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Bloomington, IL?

Time passes.  Timothy visits.  He comes back to Paul.  The greeting is warm.  “What did you find out?”

“Paul, there is much to be thankful for.  Jesus is at work in this congregation.  I heard them confess they believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  Everyone there heard the wonderful things that Jesus has done in their lives.  They know their sins are forgiven through His sacrifice on the cross.  They know they have eternal life because Christ rose on the third day.  They heard the Word and sang the Lord’s praises.  So much to be thankful for Paul.  Jesus is present in this congregation and people believe.

“They have crosses and banners and symbols of their faith throughout their building.  They greet visitors and many of them get tours of their building.  They live out their faith by giving blood, and giving to a local shelter and by quilting and supporting seminary students and missionaries.  They enjoy fellowship and show it in many ways.  It’s good, Paul, at Good Shepherd Lutheran.”  And Paul offers a prayer of thanksgiving for these faithful Christians in Illinois.

But again the mood of Timothy changes.  All is not good at Good Shepherd Lutheran.  “People still struggle to live out their faith.  There were empty pews.  People are missing out on worshipping Jesus.  There are empty chairs in Sunday School and so the children don’t hear about the saving love of Jesus.  People get sick, and they are afraid of pain and death.  Families are struggling with relationships and balancing priorities.  The culture of the city is pulling people in different directions and away from the church.  God’s gift of sexuality is not always being used in God’s intended way.  People are afraid of the future.

“Many are struggling to keep Jesus in their everyday lives.  They are getting ready to celebrate Jesus’ birth in a season they call Advent.  It is supposed to be a time to reflect on what our Lord came to do when he was born in Bethlehem.  They have extra worship services on Wednesday and meals together.  But people get busy with shopping, traveling, work, sports, smart-phone activities – that they lose sight of Jesus.  They cannot catch their breath and spend time with Jesus.  Paul, all is not good.”

And Paul would sit down and write us a letter.  He would pray for us and that our love would increase more and more.

And how would that prayer be answered?  Just like it was with the Thessalonians.  It’s answered when we keep the gift of sexuality within the marriage relationship of one man and one woman.  It’s answered when we work honestly so that people respect our vocation that God has given us to do.  And the prayer is answered as we hold to the one true faith until Jesus returns.  We are holy in Jesus.  We are blameless in his forgiveness.  The prayer is answered when we look forward to joining all the saints, from Thessalonica and other parts of the world in the new creation He has prepared for us.

Then Paul would put down his pen and offer a prayer for Good Shepherd Lutheran.   Paul would then go back to work and so do we.  We go back to our lives asking the Holy Spirit to have our love spread throughout this church and community.  For the day is coming when we will appear holy and blameless before God because of Jesus and His dying love for us.

Amen.