Sermons

October 18, 2015 Text: Mark 10:23-31

Dear Friends in Christ,

Most of you will remember the TV program Mission: Impossible, and you young bucks in the congregation have become acquainted with it through the recent Tom Cruise movies. The TV program revolved around an agent originally named Dan Briggs and later replaced by Jim Phelps, receiving dangerous government assignments. The tagline you may remember at the beginning of each show was, “Your mission, Mr. Phelps, should you decide to accept it, is…” After listening to the rest of the message, the end of the tape would say, “This tape will self-destruct in five seconds.” The assignments, I suppose, seemed impossible. They were certainly difficult. By the end of the show the team of agents solved the cases and had done the “impossible.” Mission: Very Difficult just doesn’t have the same zing.
In our Gospel lesson Jesus talks about how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God. It is like a Mission: Impossible assignment. Not really impossible, but extremely difficult. In another scenario he uses the word impossible. So which one is it?
“IS THE MISSION DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE?”
The Holy Spirit begins our text, “Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’ (v. 23) This amazes the disciples. They are assuming that wealth is a sign of God’s blessing and therefore man’s relationship with God. But riches can get in the way of our devotion to God. Riches can hinder our trust in God’s provision. Many of the rich and famous in our world live apart from God.
But then it appears to get worse as Jesus continues his teaching. “Jesus said to them again, ‘Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.’ And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, ‘Then who can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man it is impossible.’” (vs. 24b-27a) A man cannot put a camel through the eye of a needle. It’s hard enough to get a little piece of thread in there! Riches are a hindrance to the kingdom of God. It is impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom. But not just the rich. It is impossible for anyone to enter the kingdom of heaven on their own.
It is not just riches that get in the way of heaven. Many of God’s greatest gifts can become idols – parents, children, and spouses. How many people forego church because of their family members? How many leave a church where God’s Word is properly taught to join a church that errs in some doctrine because they want their kids to have a “better” youth group?
The truth is that no one can save himself. It is impossible. There are no exceptions. No matter what race, no matter how smart, no matter how rich, no matter how poor, no matter what age, no matter what gender. Man cannot do it even with a little help from God. It isn’t that man does his part and God does His. What mans brings to the table is the impossible. Man merely brings sin.
Man needs the God of the possible to do the impossible. “’Then who can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.’” (vs. 26b-27)
Do you believe this? Can you fathom the impossible? Jesus took an impossible assignment and paid the price that was impossible for you to pay. He went to Calvary’s cross for my sin, your sin, and the sin of the whole world. In Jesus, God died for you. God can turn stony hearts of unbelief into faithful Christians. He can make a camel go through the eye of a needle. Your salvation and your conversion is all God’s doing. God doing the impossible.
Even though He has redeemed us and turned our hearts of stone into believing hearts, until we enter fully into the kingdom of God, the journey will be rough. Jesus calls us to our own Mission: Difficult as He calls us to pick up our cross and daily follow Him.
Contrary to modern day health, wealth, and prosperity preachers, your best life now might entail the cross. It might involve persecution for your faith. Our text says in the age to come we will have eternal life. In the meantime, we might lose family members over our faith. We are going to deal with temptations of wealth and security. We may be called to the public square to declare Jesus as Lord.
But hang on to this in the innermost parts of your being, no matter how difficult it might get the Mission: Impossible is Mission: Accomplished because Jesus has completed His mission for us. We are assured the victory in Christ because He did the Mission: Impossible.
Oh, by the way, this promise of God will not self-destruct in five seconds.
Amen

Oct. 4, 2015 Text: Hebrews 2:1-13

Dear Friends in Christ,

After the tragedy of September 11th, there was a camera crew that walked the streets in New York City and asked people spiritual questions at random. One man said when asked where God was when those horrible attacks took place: “I used to believe in God, but not anymore. Not now. Because if there was a God, how could something like this take place?”
On the Thursday morning after the terrorist attack, on CBS’s “The Early Show,” Jane Clayson interviewed Anne Graham Lotz, the daughter of Billy Graham. According to the transcript of the broadcast, Clayson asked, “I’ve heard people say, those who are religious, those who are not, if God is good, how could God let this happen? To that, you say?”
Lotz replied, “I say God is also angry when he sees something like this, I would say also for several years now Americans in a sense have shaken their fist at God and said, God, we want you out of our schools, our government, our business, we want you out of our marketplace. And God, who is a gentleman, has just quietly backed out of our national and political life, our public life. Removing his hand of blessing and protection. We need to turn to God first of all and say, God, we’re sorry we have treated you this way and we invite you now to come into our national life. We put our trust in you. We have our trust in God on our coins, we need to practice it.”
How do you see it? When you look at the headlines of the newspaper, read the Internet or watch things on the television, it makes you want to ask, “Who’s really in control?” When chaos abounds in the streets, in government, in families, we look around and go, “Who’s really in control?” The Book of Hebrews helps us to sort some things out this morning even as we ask . . .
“IS GOD REALLY IN CONTROL?”
As we see Planned Parenthood try to sell body parts of babies for a profit we have to say, “Is God Really In Control?” As our government runs roughshod over those trying to protect their religious freedom surrounding the issue of marriage, we depressingly think, “Is God Really In Control?” As ISIS and other groups take knives and behead Christians for their beliefs, we weep for them as we mutter, “Is God Really In Control?”
God’s inspired Word says in our text, “Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.” (Heb. 2:8b)
We are living in a time when the forces of evil seem to be marching to victory. The children of disobedience are trying to silence God’s Word and churches that desire to remain faithful come under siege. Christians appear to be dropping like flies to the temptations offered by Satan and the world. The mighty wolves of Satan seem to be surrounding the Lord’s flock. “Is God Really In Control?”
Yes, He is. “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) Though we may not be able to know all of the specifics details of this truth, because God’s ways are impossible for us to understand, we have God’s wonderful reassurance of His gracious and watchful care that is expressed and proved in the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our text says “by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” (v. 9b)
Just as nothing was allowed to prevent our Savior from reaching his goal, so nothing will be able to prevent us from reaching our goal of salvation. The Holy Spirit is there to keep us in the faith. He uses the Word to keep us anchored in what we believe. There is this warning from our text, “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” People who start to believe the lies of our day and that God may not be in control do not just jump in the boat and take off. They drift slowly from the shores of their faith. They believe this lie of Satan, then they take hold of a wrong interpretation of Scripture, then they start to think “who am I hurting if I believe this way?” Before they even realize it they are in the middle of the water with no lifeboat in sight. Satan and his angels rejoice.
We need to understand that the Word of God is powerful to save and to encourage bold faith even in the face of troubles. It is a comfort for those of us who believe in Jesus Christ. We have the final victory. We cannot be defeated. Despite our weaknesses and those moments we have stumbled, God in His mercy has brought us to this very day where we are still in Him. In these days of increasing trials and tribulations, let us be encouraged by these words of Psalm 46:
“God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging…Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
Many years ago a little boy was riding on a train that was traveling over steep cliffs and sharp curves. He was sitting by a window, enjoying the scenery and showing no sign of fear. A woman across the aisle had been observing him. Finally, she turned to him and said: “Aren’t you afraid? What if the train should run off the tracks?” The boy replied: “I’m not afraid. My father is the engineer of this train.”
Is God Really In Control? Yes! He’s driving the train. Regardless of the steep cliffs and sharp curves, we are going to reach our destination!
Amen.

September 27, 2015 Text: 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29

Dear Friends in Christ,

What in life have you become accustomed to? Just this morning many of us have been blessed with a hot shower, a fluffy towel to dry off with, a refrigerator that kept our milk cold for the morning cereal, the local newspaper delivered to our address and a vehicle that transported us to God’s House. On top of that we enjoy vacations, dinners out, credit cards at Macy’s or Bergner’s, paying for our kids extracurricular activities, gasoline to get to those activities, cable TV and Wi-Fi, phones that can hook us up with people halfway around the world.
We have become quite used to our little luxuries. What is one thing you would hate to give up? For me it would be soft toilet paper. I took it with me to college, I made sure Karson had it at college and it was my first gift to the congregation when we moved into this building. I have become accustomed to a certain comfort. You each have your own little things that you enjoy as well. Giving them up would be hard. Israel is facing this question as they come out of Egypt and they are not too happy. The complaining. This is not what they are accustomed too. But the Lord shows Israel and us in our text that by giving the Spirit, God gives life well . . .
“BEYOND THE MANNER TO WHICH WE’VE BECOME ACCUSTOMED”
You and I are quite accustomed to our manner and standard of living. Israel remembers they way they had lived and eaten in Egypt. They remembered the fantasy but forgot the reality of their slavery. Selfishness and boredom with God’s providence led Israel to grumble.
Oh, we are happy as long as things go our way, but at the first sign of trouble or conflict, we sing a different tune. I learned of a family this week where one of the parents took a $30,000 pay cut. What if that happened to us? What little luxury would be the first to go? Would it be grumbling or contentment?
Meanwhile, Moses is having his own little meltdown. He is fed-up with his God-given duties, which have become heavier than he was accustomed to. He’d spent forty years off by himself tending a few sheep, when suddenly God puts him in charge of millions. Now they are grumbling and he is complaining of carrying the burden of these men and women. It’s lonely at the top.
We also complain and become fatigued by the burdens that we carry. The bills that have to be paid, the sickness that won’t go away, the laundry that keeps piling up, then something breaks on our car or in our house and we want to know why the Lord is giving us this load.
Now God acts to help Moses, and another player in our text, Joshua, has his accustomed manner of living upset. He is used to the God-ordained order. Moses as leader. Joshua as assistant. But he challenges Moses by trying to stop Eldad and Medad from prophesying. Well intentioned, but misguided.
We work hard to protect our turf, whether at home or work or school or church or family. We look around at others sometimes and become jealous of what they have in terms of power or leadership or skills. We miss our own talents and gifts because we start comparing ourselves with others. Our manner of life can get so messed up.
God gives a different manner of life by giving the Spirit. God shows his people that life can be quite different from the accustomed. He doesn’t give better food, a sabbatical from duties, or confirmation of leadership. God’s answer is to give greater life in the Spirit. He did this by putting his spirit on seventy elders. The food didn’t get better but it was already quite tasty. No time-off was taken but these Spirit-filled men helped Moses. No turf protection needed because the Spirit had all of them working together.
God shows us an unaccustomed lifestyle too. Life is more than food, ease at work, affirmations that “you’re the man!” More than the luxuries that we enjoy. Life is given by the Spirit who as we confess is “the Lord and giver of life.” That life is the life earned for all people when the One who gives the Spirit, the eternal Son of God, laid down His life on the cross. No one is accustomed to gaining life by losing it, but that’s exactly what Jesus did – for Israel, for Moses, for Joshua, for us who through the Spirit believe in Him.
This new life in the Spirit is well beyond that to which we’ve become accustomed. Ever since Pentecost the word of Christ’s saving death has been going to all the world. The Spirit is not given just once to seventy elders or one leader, but as Moses envisioned: “Would that the Lord would put His Spirit on all his people.”
It’s given in Baptism as we are born of water and the Spirit. It’s the life so much richer than that to which we were accustomed. A greater life than found in the world – greater than our things or successes. You have the life of Christ in you, providing everything He knows best. Better than the credit cards, or the phone or the hot shower, even better than the soft toilet paper. This life in Christ has no end.
As Moses came to see, God is, by giving the Spirit in Christ, providing for us very well beyond the little manner to which we’ve become accustomed.
Amen.

September 20, 2015 Text: Mark 9:30-37

Dear Friends in Christ,

I hope you enjoy this little poem. “I gave a little party this afternoon at three, Twas very small, three guests in all: I, myself and me: Myself ate up all the sandwiches, while I drank the tea; And it was I who ate the pie and passed the cake to me.”
Simple. Silly. Yet very descriptive of human nature in every generation and especially the present age. And here’s what we want to explore this morning . . .
“WHAT TO DO WITH I’, ‘MYSELF’, AND ‘ME’?”
It’s big business; you know…this obsession with self. Watch any reality show and you will see what I mean. I enjoy watching the show “House Hunters” but I am always amazed when couples are looking for a house how the language of “I” predominates. “I need a man cave.” “I want granite countertops and a tub.” “I will not live in a home unless ‘Fluffy” has room to run around.” Aren’t these spouses supposed to be in this together? I’d like to think the producers are encouraging this but I’m not sure that is the case.
We are trapped in the debacle of individualism. Ask anyone who has given his or her baser inclinations free reign, and you will see for yourself. It’s like the drug addict looking for another hit locked in a private hell of remorse and self-loathing – expressive individualism initially promises freedom, but ultimately delivers bondage.
It’s exciting to declare independence from the expression of others and cultural norms, but the result isn’t pretty. When your companions are comprised of me, myself, and I, you live in a very small world.
“And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, ‘If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.’” (vs. 33-35)
The question Jesus poses is purely rhetorical. He knew what they were arguing about. He knew their sad condition and so did they because they remained silent. Oh, we know that scene. Confronted with our sin, we stand there silent because we have no answer. We knew it as a kid; we live it as an adult.
What a low moment for these men. Jesus had just told them he was going to be killed and in three days rise again. The Savior is going to bleed, suffer hell, and die for them and their concern is who is the best. It’s the battle of the wisdom of God and the wisdom of man in the arena of life. It’s always with us.
Disraeli once quipped, “Talk to a man about himself and he will listen for hours.” We are full of ourselves. Full of our plans and ideas. These words of an unknown author ring true: “’Be yourself!’ is about the worst advice you can give to some people.”
Jesus also lies some hard terms before us: last and servant. If we are going to amount to something in God’s scheme of things then we have to put ourselves last and be willing to serve in whatever capacity God places before us. The Lord drives home the point with this living illustration from our text:
“And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.’” (vs. 36-37)
The seemingly insignificant things and tasks are truly great in the eyes of our Lord. Embracing a child and his or her needs – sacrificing for the care of that child even if it means never living in a $500,000 home or getting what the flesh wants – embracing a child and everything that encompasses is truly great.
Look, brothers and sisters, God embraced and embraces us in Christ. Christ left the security and glory of Heaven to enter the world of I, myself, and me. He suffered hell and pain for our sins, earned our forgiveness and pardons those times we only live for the I, myself, and me. He embraces us in his Holy Word. Not too many moments ago we received the assurance of that forgiveness in the absolution spoken by the Pastor. Soon we will kneel together once again to be embraced in His love and forgiveness through the Holy Supper.
I’ve always loved Frank Sinatra’s song “I Did It My Way.” I’ve always touted my independence. You have the same problem, do you? What to do with “I, myself, and me”? The answer to that can only come to light in the life, suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus for us. May the Holy Spirit lead us to deny self and be a servant to all.
Amen.

September 13, 2015 – Christian Education Text: James 3:1-12

Dear Friends in Christ,

On a windswept hill in an English country churchyard stands a drab, gray slate tombstone. The quaint stone bears an epitaph not easily seen unless you stoop over and look closely. The faint etchings read as follows: “Beneath this stone, a lump of clay, lies Arebella Young, Who on the twenty-fourth of May, began to hold her tongue.”
James writes in our text “no human being can tame the tongue.” (v. 8) Oh how we know that to be true! James through the Holy Spirit is about to put us in our place but we know that there is always good news on the other side. We are about to receive a . . .
“TONGUE LASHING”
When we hear the words “tongue lashing” we don’t anticipate with joy getting one of those from our teacher, or parent, or coach, or boss, or spouse. If you have ever received one you have probably walked away feeling pretty bad. That is what sin and the law can do to us. We are all guilty of abusing the tongue.
The Epistle confronts Christians of every age – and so also each one of us – with the inconsistencies between faith and actions. “How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.” (vs. 5b-6) Not one human being is innocent. We all know what we are capable of.
In our world it might be better to say our fingers do the talking. Look at all the texts, and the tweets, and the Facebook postings that people need to retract. How can we miss, young or old, that there are consequences to what you send over social media? Recently, a man hired to be the public address announcer for Nebraska football was fired for an inappropriate tweet. College students are losing scholarships. Politicians are being embarrassed for letting their words cause controversy. Stories like this come out each and every day. What happens is that we become self-righteous and we say that we don’t do that. C’mon now you don’t believe that, do you?
I grew up in a small town. I know that a little bit of gossip can set a whole village on fire. Vicious propaganda can fan international hatred into wars. Popular religious and doctrinal errors and teaching can rage like a Wild West wildfire and leave countless victims in their wake. The whole round of existence is set aflame by the evil tongue. Ouch – a tongue-lashing.
A recent “Dustin” comic strip shows the mother and daughter sitting on the couch and the daughter says, “My friends use snapchat so our texts disappear right away.” The mother responds, “In case you send messages and photos that are really embarrassing?” Daughter, “exactly.” The mother then goes on, “Actually, there’s a low-tech application that works even better for that.” The daughter excitedly says, “Really?” The mom then replies, “Yes, sweetheart, it’s called judgment.”
We could use a whole pile of judgment in our society. We always miss the end game when we let our tongues loose. So, is there nothing we can do? Are we doomed to live this life in a never-ending battle against a tongue that would just as soon destroy us, as it would honor the God of our salvation? In a way, yes, and in another, no. The battle rages on, but the war is already over. There is one who held his tongue and took our tongue lashing because only He could live the perfect life that we cannot.
That perfect one is our Savior Jesus Christ. He lived and died and rose again because our tongues are out of control. He bridled his tongue even in the face of death so that we might receive his righteousness and He now lives in us. Christians possess the grace of God, which is a divine power that is able to control the tongue.
In Baptism, that fire that burned from your tongue was extinguished. The Word of God that you hear in worship, in Adult Bible Study, in Sunday School, in Small Group Bible Study fills your mind and your heart with the pure truth from God. That Word replaces all of the “other words” and gives your tongue something righteous to speak. As you receive the body and blood of Christ under the bread and the wine, the wounds inflicted on you by the things you say are healed.
Yes, our Savior took quite a tongue lashing for you and I. The vile things thrown his way as He journeyed to the cross. Imagine social media if it was around during the time of Jesus. Do we really need to imagine? The hatred for Christ and His Word are all around us. Christians here and around the world take a tongue lashing or worse for their beliefs. But never forget the lashes that tore at the skin of Jesus. The words of the soldiers as He died on the cross. The language spoken that His death was it.
Except, He could not be kept silent. He had a resurrection promise that his followers shouted to the world, “He Has Risen! He Has Risen Indeed?” Jesus spoke his victory over Satan, and hell, and death. Oh, the tongue lashing the devil took that day. Oh, the tongue-lashing he will take on the Last Day when Jesus returns with the beautiful sound of triumph.
Christ sets us free from bondage to the devil and sin so that we have something new to say: “O Lord, open my lips and my mouth will declare your praise.” (Ps. 51:15)
Amen.