May 8, 2016 Text: John 17:20-26

Dear Friends in Christ,

When I was a junior in high school I was in a one-act play that was performed before the whole school. The play was Neil Simon’s The Seduction. The interesting thing was that there were two other people in this play. One of my best friends played the husband, my old girlfriend played the wife, and as I was the friend trying to seduce the wife away from the husband. Anyway, in this play I had a lengthy speaking part where I was addressing the audience and telling them what I was about to do. When I first saw it written out, I didn’t think I would ever get it memorized. Thankfully God gave me a good memory and through my nervousness I was able to deliver this soliloquy to the audience. A soliloquy happens when the other characters are on stage and one character steps forward and delivers a message directly to the audience. The audience is invited in to hear the main plot point of the play.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if God stepped up to the front stage of our lives and spoke like that? People often seek after a direct word from God. What would you want God to tell you? Career advice? Parenting wisdom? How to get along better with others? Who to vote for? Is this the year for the Cubs? We should be asking the heavenly Father for things we need, including wisdom to make good decisions. But God has already spoken to us through His holy, inspired Scriptures. Will we take time to listen?
Some of the most memorable scenes in a play or a movie are right before a character dies. Think Brian’s Song, Terms of Endearment, or Charlotte’s Web. They sometimes tell key information for the plot of the rest of the show. In the Gospel of John, there is an extended speech, a sermon if you will, that Jesus speaks right before he is betrayed and eventually crucified. On Maundy Thursday night, after His institution of the Lord’s Supper and before He is arrested, Jesus encourages the disciples to love one another, warns them of persecution to come, and promises them the Holy Spirit and a place he will go to prepare for them.
The climax to the sermon comes right at the end and is the Gospel lesson for today. In John 17:20 Jesus “steps to the front of the stage” and lets us listen in on a prayer directly for us. Lean in and listen to . . .
“JESUS’ SOLILOQUY”
Jesus begins by asking the Father that we might believe in the apostolic Word. (v. 20) He’s speaking to the Father but is looking right at us. What He is about to do is to save you and me. He enables the disciples to hear and witness his words, ministry, and death and resurrection so they can preach and write them down for us. We are saved by faith in His Holy Word.
Jesus asks the Father that we might be one, united in time and place. (v. 21) This prayer is for the historical unity of the one Church. What we confess in the creed is we believe in the one catholic or universal Church. Our confession is a bold confirmation of faith that we belong to the One Church through the centuries and eternity. Jesus is also praying for those who do not believe that they would come to the Christian faith and believe in Him as Savior and Lord.
Jesus asks the Father that we might be united with Him and therefore with the Father. (v. 23) Our unity with one another can happen only when we are first united with Him, for his love and truth are the love and truth we give to others. Being united with God only happens after the sin that separates us has been removed. Our sin was removed at the cross by the death of Jesus.
Jesus asks the Father that we might look upon His crucifixion as His most glorious moment. (v. 24) It’s not the glory the disciples or we picture. We all have false dreams of glory. Some of the disciples wanted to be first in the kingdom of God. We want the glory of winning a contract at work or being first in some endeavor at school or having our “15 minutes of fame” in the public eye. But none of those things matches the glory of God, who has made us His. He owns all things and He gives his all for sinful human beings like you and me.
In the one act play I was able to get the wife away from the husband. I was able to get her alone and I went in for the kiss and . . . There is one thing I can tell you this morning. To know the Father and make him known (vs. 25-26) – that is Jesus’ mission, and in His prayer He makes it our mission as well. That was Jesus’ grand soliloquy, the prayer He let us overhear the night of his betrayal, and He still prays the same prayer for you today.
Amen.

May 15, 2016 – Pentecost Text: Genesis 11:1-9

Dear Friends in Christ,

Do you remember the first word or words you ever spoke? Did your parents tell you or write it down in a baby book? Ever since that day you have been adding words to your vocabulary. Today as you sit here most of you know thousands upon thousands of words. Language is an intimate part of our daily lives. Since the beginning man has been talking. But do we understand what is being said? Most surveys would say no. Miscommunication is always listed when people talk about the problems in their life.
Today is Pentecost and we are looking at the Biblical account of the “Tower of Babel.” The problem of proper communication has always been part of our sinful world. With the leading of the Holy Spirit . . .
“LET’S TALK”
Have you ever wondered where language came from? From the very beginning the Spirit and Word of God were living and active. Holy Scripture is the story of language. It begins when God speaks in Genesis 1:3. God then passes this on to Adam by breathing his Spirit into him. Adam is then invited to name the animals. Adam then names Eve a woman. Eve first words were to the serpent in Genesis 3. Have you ever wondered about their small talk in between those two events? “Do you come here often?” “It’s you and me babe, let’s make the best of it.” One thing we know they didn’t communicate was how nice their clothing looked!
By Genesis 11, and because of the fall into sin, people were using this great gift of God, words, in a tragic way. Verse 1 says they “had one language and the same words.” But they use this gift in the wrong way. On the surface there is nothing wrong with making bricks and building a tower. But look at why they wanted to build it – to make a name for themselves and not be scattered. This is a clear violation of God’s command to fill the earth and call on His name.
There is great power in language. Look at how the media has reshaped people’s views on social issues. The language they use is all part of the manipulation. Anti-abortion instead of pro-life. The rights of the homosexual but rarely the rights of the Christian. Internet bullying by words can lead to suicides. But language can also be positive. A gentle word from dad or mom after a rough day at school. Words that lift up when you doubt your faith.
God recognizes this power of language. People had given up calling on the name of the Lord and were breaking what would be the 2nd Commandment. God has invited us to call on His name by the power of the Spirit living in us. God’s name was sprinkled on us in the waters of Holy Baptism. That day the assurance was given that you belong to the Lord. You can talk directly to your living Lord.
The problem with these builders of Babel is that they thought they were so clever that they could make a name for themselves. We do this in a variety of ways – the idolatry of self. Places named after donors. Stretches of roads named after politicians. Ballplayers prostrating in front of crowds. We too lift ourselves up if we feel we are not getting proper recognition. Listen to your words carefully and see how many times you use the word “I.” In our language it is an epidemic.
So God came down. Astounding! This tower was suppose to reach the heavens but is so small that God had to leave the heights of heaven to inspect this tiny structure of men. God came down. The early Christians understood this verse to refer to the preincarnate Jesus. God appears to the Old Testament people the same way He does to the New Testament people – through His Son. The Son of God, after all, is himself the Eternal Word later to become flesh. The punishment that the Word of God inflicts is to confuse the word of man. We talk big, but God’s Word always has the final answer. Like the story of the fall, the story of Babel shows that rebellion against God ultimately leads to divisions among people. People are driven away from paradise and from one another. Improper words and language can do that. Most of us have seen it in our own lives.
Thankfully, this wasn’t the last time in the story of language God came down to earth. He came down through the words of prophets like Moses, Elijah, and Ezekiel. But ultimately, God came down in the person of the Word to live, die, rise, before going back up. Jesus’ word from the cross, “It is finished,” declared that all our sins of self are forgiven. When we lift ourselves up or continually use the word “I” the Lord has washed that away in the blood of the Savior. The Word in Baptism and Holy Communion powerfully remind us of how God changed the world through His words. “You are mine.” “You are forgiven.”
The Lord humbled the people by confusing their language and dividing and dispersing them. That dispersal was reversed on Pentecost Day, when God caused the one Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to be preached in a multitude of languages. So now the Church takes up the call to get the words of Christ out to languages of the world. So Let’s talk – the Lord’s words. Amen.

June 5, 2016                                                                           Text:  Galatians 1:11-24

 

Dear Friends in Christ,

 

A young farmer in North Dakota brought home a fancy barometer for which he paid $24.65.  In the days that followed he watched it as it predicted the weather.  It hung in an honored place in the home but then came the day when for three days it predicted a “storm” while the sky was crystal blue.  So he took it off the wall drove back to town and demanded his money back.

As he and his wife were returning home they where alarmed when they saw a storm in the distant sky.  By the time they got back, their home had blown away.  Furniture in the trees, the bathtub a half a mile away.  But the grandmother had believed the barometer, and when a dark cloud appeared, she took the two small children and went into the old storm cellar, and they were saved from the storm.

For many people, the Gospel from God is like that barometer.  Some place it on a wall of honor.  They listen carefully to its promises of a glorious future, a kingdom that will last forever, a place where every tear will be wiped away.  They hear the wonderful promises, but they notice that all around them is nothing but sin, death, heartache, and a bleak future.  So they take the Gospel off the wall and back to town where they demand their money back.  They lose faith in the power of the Gospel as they become deceived by their surroundings.

Do you have faith in the power of the Gospel?  The Apostle Paul certainly did.  It had changed him.  It has changed you as well.  Paul helps us to see that . . .

“CHANGE IS POSSIBLE – THROUGH THE GOSPEL”

We Christians are to believe the Gospel of God; but our sinful flesh, the world, and Satan often get in the way of our faith.  Perhaps we get influenced by a culture that lives for the now.  Maybe we question the truth of the Gospel as we hear the scoffers and deniers of Christ Jesus.  Can doubt creep in because we get so caught up in ourselves that the good news of salvation gets squeezed out of the picture?

Look at how the Apostle Paul views things.  The Gospel has no human origin – it is not from men – it originated in the heart of God.  He was moved by grace to establish a way of salvation, which no sinner could ever have found.  How we view Scripture is a genuine reflection of how we view God.  He is only revealed in the pages of the Holy Bible.  Found there is the power to change.

The Gospel of Christ has changed persecutors and enemies.  Saul to Paul – persecutor to preacher.  God had loved Saul and set him apart before he was born.  Saul heard, “Why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4)  But then he also heard words of forgiveness and received Baptism through Ananias (Acts 9:17-18).  Jesus still loved him!  That changed everything for Saul.  St. Paul became one of the greatest missionaries in the history of the Christian Church.

We have been changed from enemies of God to children of God.  We heard after coming out of the womb, “You are now a child of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” with the water of our Baptism.  We heard that Jesus’ death on the cross is mine.  The forgiveness Jesus earned when he died is mine.  The resurrection of Jesus from the tomb is mine.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ has changed our perspective.  What an honor to be Jesus’ faithful followers.

A Pastor once asked his Bible Class what their favorite verse was.  He got the usual replies, John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 3:23.  Then an older gentleman rose to his feet and said, “Mine is ‘And it came to pass.’”  This brought a few murmurs from the group, until he explained, “In all of my challenges it has always helped me to remember ‘And it came to pass.’  I am so glad that the Bible doesn’t say, ‘And it came to stay.’”

Isn’t that what makes the Gospel such Good News?  Everything in this world does come to pass and aren’t we relieved?  Who would want an eternal journey of wars and famines – through an endless cycle of job insecurity – through eternal people conflicts and family problems – through eternal disappointments and heartaches – through health challenges and government waste – through perpetual vulgarity and man-induced stupidity?  Thankfully this world will pass away but as Christ says in Luke, “My words will never pass away.”  Change is possible – through the Gospel.

Paul’s change showed God’s glory by revealing the power of His Word to change hearts.  Pauls’ mission glorified God, as many new souls were able to receive God’s gifts and worship Him for eternity.

Our change shows God’s glory.  As we live out our Baptism and share the glorious Gospel with others.  When we live and walk with Him in our daily lives, others see this and the Holy Spirit can change their hearts.

You have heard the Word of Christ again this morning.  We pray that this change continues as your faith grows – through the Gospel.

Amen.

May 29, 2016 Text: Galatians 1:1-12

Dear Friends in Christ,

Aaron Neville sang a song called, “Everybody Plays The Fool.” Part of the chorus goes like this, “Everybody plays the fool sometimes, there’s no exception to the rule.” What fools you? A magician? The break in your putt? The reaction of a spouse or child to something you tell them? Your body and mind not working together? Does the devil ever fool you into believing something you shouldn’t?
Paul is addressing the Galatians in our text and speaking to us . . .
“DO NOT BE FOOLED!”
People are gullible and easily fooled. It’s like the science teacher who set a beaker of colorless liquid on a windowsill near an open window. He then casually remarked, that if this bothered anyone, they should let him know. Shortly thereafter, students started to wheeze and cough, and soon this spread throughout the room. When the teacher asked what the problem was a student said that the beaker was giving off a strange odor. As you might have guessed, the beaker was filled with water.
People want to be fooled. They will believe things that their common sense says can’t be. People will believe most anything if you package and present it properly. People are gullible.
There are others who prey on people like this. They take advantage of the person as they swipe their money. Many make a living convincing people there is a better way to health and wealth, a better way to find purpose in life, a better way . . . to God?
Religion has always had your quacks and crackpots, your gurus and preachers that discover something “new” amid that which was never lost and is unchanging. This is not new. Just ask St. Paul. He writes, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel.” (v. 6) Paul knew about those claiming some new breakthrough in religion. He knew about those who claimed faith had to evolve over the years. He knew about those who claimed that Scripture is outdated or not complete. He knew about those who claimed a special revelation from God or found a new purpose. He knew because they were as prevalent in his day as in ours. He says to the Galatians and to us: “Do not be fooled!”
There will always be people who try to convince others that they have discovered: a better way to grow the church, a better way to come to Jesus, a better way to find purpose, a better way to market the church, a better way to live. It sounds good at first, but delve deeper and you find it always requires a tweaking of the Gospel. They do a little theological plastic surgery and there it is. “I am astonished you are so quickly…turning to a different gospel” – which is no gospel at all. Changing the Gospel destroys the Gospel. Do not be fooled!
This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ: God in his mercy sent his only-begotten Son into our sinful world. Jesus gathered that sin and carried it to the cross of Calvary. Under the load of our sin on that cross, He suffered and died. He paid the price demanded of our sin. He fulfilled the Law and redeemed us from sin and death. Jesus was laid in the tomb but rose again on the third day. He ascended to heaven where He rules at the right hand of God the Father. He has risen and so shall we. Because of what Christ has done for us we have forgiveness and life and salvation. Our heavenly mansion is prepared. We continue to experience God’s grace through Word and Sacrament.
That is it. There is only one Gospel. But my human mind says I must participate in my salvation – different gospel. This book says if I do the right things on earth I will have a better seat in heaven – different gospel. My neighbor says if I don’t speak words I don’t understand I’m not God’s child – different gospel. The TV preacher says if I send him more money I will have more money in my bank account – different gospel. My friend says I must be tolerant of all kinds of behavior because God is love – different gospel. Do not be fooled – there is only one Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ pleases God, not man. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is God’s plan, not man’s plan. Paul even says, “If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (v. 10)
A Pastor from one of our seminaries served a small, rural parish in Iowa. The fellowship hall and kitchen were located in the basement. On the outside wall of the kitchen, facing the fellowship hall was a thermostat. Every week for every meeting, Bible Class, fellowship event, this Pastor would adjust the thermostat up or down. His did this for two years until a member pulled him aside and said, “Pastor, that thermostat isn’t connected to anything.” They give him the thermostat as a going away gift.
Do not be fooled. Like that thermostat, a different Gospel from the one found in Scripture has no power. It’s useless for your salvation. There is only one Gospel found in the love of our Savior Jesus Christ who has saved us from death and opened the gates of everlasting life to us. Amen.

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May 22, 2016 – Trinity Sunday Text: Acts 2:14a, 22-36

Dear Friends in Christ,

One thing most of you know that I enjoy are real life crime stories. Whether on television or in book form, these stories fascinate me from many different angles. As I watch and read these stories one thing I found over the years is that witnesses are unreliable. Whether from stress, anxiety, bad memory or just plain lying, many people have been convicted on the testimony of a witness that years later proved to be incorrect.
One day on my way to work I tested my own ability. I noticed a man walking on the side of the road. What if he went and broke into a home and I was called as a witness. Could I describe him? He had unusual hair, I knew his approximate height and weight and skin color, but as I continued driving, was that a brown shirt or a black shirt?, did he have on jeans or shorts? Even with my God-given memory my testimony may not hold up in a court of law.
We use the word witness in a variety of ways. Behind every call for a witness is a call for a reliable confirmation of the truth. Witnessing is the theme of Luke’s history in the Book of Acts and the theme of the Christian life.
“ARE YOU A RELIABLE WITNESS?”
Jesus began the book of Acts by telling his followers, which includes you and I, “You will be my witnesses.” (Acts 1:8) As stated already, a witness confirms the truth. What, specifically, is the truth Jesus wants the world to know about Him?
He wants the world to know that He was crucified and died, but that He rose again. He wants the world to know that He conquered sin and death. He wants the world to know He is the “judge of the living and the dead” and that “I and the Father are one.” He wants the world to know His divinity was proved by his resurrection from death. Who would believe such a thing? Preposterous we would say. Unless it could be confirmed by eyewitnesses.
That is exactly who the apostles were. Look at Peter’s words in our text, “This Jesus God raised up, and of that we are all witnesses.” (v. 32) Peter says again later in Acts, “He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen – by us who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.” (Acts 10:41) When they chose a replacement for Judas they had to choose a man who had been a witness to the resurrection. In matters of life and death – especially eternal life and death – an eyewitness is the one to trust for getting the facts straight.
But eyewitnesses, never simply keep the facts straight for themselves. They are called upon to get the facts out, to give testimony. These momentous facts deserve a hearing before the entire world. The gospel is to be preached in the whole world and to the ends of the earth.
What a task the Lord puts before us. Think how nervous you might get in inviting one friend to church. Now you walk down the block, knocking on every house and not only invite your neighbors to church but you explain the Gospel and the uncomfortable truth that they are sinful and in need of a Savior. Then you leave the neighborhood and journey to the next city, then on to an adjoining state, and eventually to another country. Will you have the heart to be a reliable witness?
At first, the disciples were not all that excited about the prospect. Remember where Jesus found them after resurrection? They were not out knocking on doors; they were huddled behind locked doors in fear. Not only was being a witness to Jesus a possible humiliating task, it could be fatal. Living under Roman rule, they had to put their money and their lives – where their mouths were. This was serious. That is why Jesus did not leave His disciples to their own devices.
They would be sent out as witnesses but only after “the Holy Spirit comes on you.” They would not act or speak alone; the Spirit would work through them. He would be their voice, their encouragement, their guide. They could not help but to speak of what they had seen and heard.
Do you know that power? I do. I have wanted to stay behind a locked door and not make a call on an individual and family. I know the heart that pounds a little faster, the mind that races through all kinds of scenarios. But I also know the peace and joy that comes from the Spirit working in me. I’ve left calls thinking, “What did I just say?” That was God the Holy Spirit. I’ve witnessed lives changed and believers confirmed. I pray you have your own stories.
One story I recently read was about the daughter of Joseph Stalin, the Communist leader of the Soviet Union during and after World War II. Stalin was anti-faith, anti-God, anti-Christ to the core. The principles of communism were not compatible with the Christian faith. How many of you know that his daughter died a Christian in Richland Center, Wisconsin? She didn’t learn about Christ from her family, somebody had to witness to her. Then the Holy Spirit did His remarkable work.

The Lord says, “You will be my witnesses.” It is not an option or a request. You have been subpoenaed. To reject the call is to be in contempt of court. In this court, the Lord is judge, and that makes it a serious matter.
Being a reliable witness can still be time-consuming and humiliating. But it comes with a promise that the Holy Spirit and His power will come upon you. That power was given to you at your Baptism. The Word of God is truth. You know what you have learned. Jesus Christ was crucified under Pontius Pilate, rose again on the third day. His death and resurrection purchased your salvation and that of the world. Like Peter today in our text, you and I – the Lord’s reliable witnesses – cannot but help speaking about what we have heard.
Amen.