Oct. 28, 2018 – Reformation/All Saints                                           Text:  Romans 5:1-2

 

Dear Friends in Christ,

 

It was October 1975 and a nine-year old boy was looking forward to a football game between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.  With it being a Sunday he went with his family to church.  It was time for the children’s sermon and he didn’t want to go as he thought he was getting a little too old for this.  His parents wanted him to take his little sister up.  This did not make the young man happy.  But he went.  Once up front he decided to stand against a beam in the church.  The Pastor asked if he would sit down.  The boy refused.  He tried again, “Please have a seat.”  The boy said he would stand.  Children’s sermon went on.  Church and Bible Class were over.  The family headed home.  The boy thought nothing of his actions until his parents let him know he should have sat down when the Pastor asked him to.  He would have to suffer the consequences.  There was no joy in the little berg that day as the young man could not watch the Bears game.  He always wondered was it such a big deal he stood when he should have been sitting?

Did Martin Luther ever ponder that question?  Did Jesus?  What about you?  We just stood for “Stand Up, Stand Up, for Jesus.”  I then said to all of you, “Please have a seat.”  What if one or two of you decided you didn’t want to sit?  Would it matter?  Today we are celebrating Reformation and All Saints in one glorious Sunday.  When we think of those who have gone before us, what strengthens us for our journey ahead?  This is what strengthens me and I pray it strengthens you.   What did they do when the world told them . . .

“PLEASE HAVE A SEAT”

The world would be happy if as Christians we just sat down and kept our mouths shut.  Or if we just kept to ourselves.  Or if we didn’t believe everything in the Bible.  There are people out there trying to sit us down on marriage, abortion, what gives salvation, and who is Jesus.  Well, it isn’t going to happen because that is not who the Lord wants us to be.

Who are we?  Paul reminds us in our text, “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”

We are first and foremost justified by faith through Jesus Christ.  We do not stand before God through our performance.  Judaism has 613 commandments to keep.  Buddhism has its eight-fold path.  Islam has its five pillars.  These are lists of actions to take to be right with God.  Keep them and you will get approval from the deity.  Recent research continues to show this is how a majority of Americans see things.  Be good or do enough good things and heaven is yours.

This was the struggle of Martin Luther.  Could he do enough good things?  He found his outside actions didn’t change who he was on the inside.  Inwardly he was still greedy, lustful, and selfish.  He had no peace or assurance of salvation that he was good enough for God.

This is also our problem.  God’s standard for our performance is holiness.  God doesn’t grade on a curve.  We are either fully holy or we are not.  We cannot stand on our works before God.  Please have a seat – sinful human being.

Luther and the saints before us were able to stand because of “grace in which we stand.”  The princes and pope and church leaders were asking Luther, “Please have a seat.”  He answered in some form or fashion, “I don’t believe I will.  God has done everything to rescue me.  He has done it all through Jesus Christ.”  Jesus stood before Pilate.  He stood up under the weight of the cross.  He stood on Golgotha’s hill for the world to ponder.  The centurion who stood by proclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God.”  He stood as He ascended to heaven to prepare a place for you and me.  I know, I know you are thinking, “But now he sits at least that is how we confess it in the Creed.”  This is because he has accomplished our salvation.  Nothing more needs to be done.  “Please have a seat O Savior.”  “I think I will at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.”  The work of redemption is complete.  May the work of the Holy Spirit keep us standing in this one, true faith.

Christianity is not a doing religion.  It is a done reality.  We look forward to the hope.  For our loved ones who died in the faith, they are living this hope.  They didn’t cower in the corner when the pressure of life got too hard.  They didn’t sit down with nothing to look forward to.  They stood for the faith in their worship life, and prayer life and the faith they passed on to us.  O how we miss them but we stand strong in the faith they possessed and we look forward to standing with them in heaven some day.

I’m not here to excuse the nine-year old boy who wouldn’t sit.  He should have been a little more obedient toward his Pastor.  Those moments that the Lord allowed to happen in his life were preparing him to stand before you today…in this church…in this pulpit…strengthened in his faith by those who have gone before him.  I pray this day that we can all stand together.  I know we are not all in the same place when it comes to telling the world, “I don’t believe I will have a seat.”  Some of you will stand to the end.  Some will stand strong depending on the issue.  Some of you want to sit to keep the peace or not cause waves.  As Lutheran Christians, loved and saved by our Lord, I don’t see this as an option.  Listen to these words of the last verse of our hymn

Stand up, stand up for Jesus; The strife will not be long.

This day the din of battle, the next the victor’s song.

The soldiers overcoming, Their crown of life shall see

And with the King of Glory Shall reign eternally.

 

Amen.

October 21, 2018                                                                    Text:  Hebrews 4:12-13

 

Dear Friends in Christ,

 

Two reporters were assigned to do a door-to-door survey.  The question to be asked was, “What is the one thing that concerns you most right at this moment?”  They approached the first house, went up on the porch and rang the doorbell.  They asked, “Hello sir, we are conducting an opinion poll and would like to know what is the one thing that concerns you most right at this moment?”  The man looked at them and replied, “Well, the one thing that concerns me the most right at this moment is that you two are standing on my front porch, and I just finished painting it.”

How would you answer that question?  Most all of us have a concern or a worry right at this moment.  It might be our health, or our family situation, or financial challenge, or direction of our world and society.  We might be concerned about lunch plans or if we should have (had) that donut this morning.

We look for answers for all our cares and concerns.  The Lord blesses us with a reply and with answers.  It is in the Holy, inspired Word of God.  The Bible is the greatest and most exclusive guidebook on human living, one that needs no updating or is ever obsolete.  God’s Word is forever.  It is filled with . . .

“SENSE-ATIONAL READING!”

The emphasis for us is on the word “sense.”  Our text describes the Word of God in very real, physical terms.  It is not some hazy material, but rather it is dynamic and vibrant and alive!  “The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”  The reality and effectiveness of God’s Word are made clear.  Neglecting God’s Holy Word can and will bring dire and eternal consequences.

We must involve ourselves in the reality of this Word.  We must see it, hear it, taste it, and touch it.  So much of our world is disconnected from the senses.  We can sit on our phones and computers and do most anything but we lose that interaction that is so needed.  How many times have you yelled into your phone, “I want to talk to a person!”  When I finally get a human being, I like to confirm this by asking their name and location.  It is like you’ve reached the mountain peak.

Let’s SEE the Word of God.  How does this happen?  Not just by noticing all the bibles in our churches or homes or motel rooms.  God allows you to see it at work in your life.  It is the unchangeable power of God for the salvation of all mankind.  You’ve seen the word in action through your children, through your spouse, through a friend with problems, through a co-worker and their kindness.  May the Holy Spirit open your eyes to see the Word around you.

HEAR the Word of God.  “Blessed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it.”  From the 3^rd Commandment meaning we do not despise the Word, but we gladly hear and learn it.  This comes with great responsibility.  Sometimes we hear only what we want to hear from God’s Word.  Our bias twists the Word to make our sinfulness less than what it ought to be.  We don’t want to be convicted for our selfishness or our lusts or our greed so we look for a loophole or say, “I think Pastor said it this way.”  Hear the Word of God rightly.  Know your sin, repent of your sin, and then ask for guidance to do better next time.  Don’t run away from Scripture, cling to it for strength and purpose.

TASTE the Word.  It is placed on our lips and into your mouth.  The Word in the flesh –  Jesus Christ.  His body and blood strengthen us and remind us of sins forgiven and life everlasting promised.  Anger and tragedy and worry can sap our strength and drain us, but the message of God’s directives fill us to overflowing with power and peace and joy to face the world and sustain your Christian faith.

TOUCH the Word of God.  I wish my boys were here because they love the story when we were at a local bank setting up an account and the employee was explaining online banking.  I stopped him and said, “I won’t be doing that because I like to touch, I like to feel my money.”  Not my greatest choice of words but it makes for a lovely family memory.  God’s Word touches us.  It brings out feelings.  Hasn’t it touched you when a loved one died?  Haven’t you felt God’s hand upon you as you traverse the rough waters of this life?  Touch God’s Word and it touches you back.  There are so many opportunities to touch God’s Word, never let your lack of knowledge start you down a faithless pathway.

See it, hear it, taste it, and touch it.  We might add breathe it, bathe in it, revel in it.  The time is now people of God to search the Scriptures; this inspired inerrant Word of God, with all our senses, which address all our cares and concerns.  The Scriptures are truly “Sense-ational reading!”

Amen.