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All Saints’ Day – “Saints Alive” (Revelation 7:9-17)

F-29a All SaintsGrace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon is the reading from Revelation 7.

Looking around this morning, I see we have empty seats in the sanctuary, or so it would appear at first glance. While it appears that the church looks empty, I would beg to differ. The sanctuary is full this morning and every time we gather for worship. It is full of God’s saints, though we don’t see it. We worship this day and every service “with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven.”

Today, we remember those who have died in the faith. Saints are all those who are knit together as one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of Jesus Christ. The saints are blessed in Christ, who is the Blessed One. They serve as an example of faith and “virtuous and godly living” to those who still struggle in this world.

While all believers in Christ in heaven and on earth are His saints, on this day the Church remembers all of God’s saints who have died and now participate in the “unspeakable joys” of heaven. These saints, who trusted in the Lord in their earthly life, as members of the Church Militant, live now in His eternal peace, the Church Triumphant. They exalt and magnify His Name, look to Him, and are radiant, reflecting His glory.

As we look at our text, we see a multitude so great that no one could fix a number on it — from all the nations, tribes, peoples and tongues of the earth — clothed in white and bearing the palm branch of victory in their hands, shouting, proclaiming and saying. But what is that they are focused on? Not on themselves! Where are they staring? Not at each other! They are all facing the throne of God and of the Lamb. And they sing aloud: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” The thing that holds them together as one is the object on which they are fixed and the love and awe that shine from them as they rejoice to look upon what they look upon. The focus of the saints is Jesus Christ.

All Saints’ Day reminds us that when we fall asleep in Jesus, we’re not “gone” or “lost.” We’re with the Lord. And when He comes again on the Last Day, He will raise us up and give to us everlasting life. There will come a time when every tear will be wiped away, when there will be no more night, when we will be face-to-face with the Lord Himself. There will be a time when suffering is ended and we have peace forever.

In this life, we have suffering. Jesus suffered. You will suffer. But that’s not the end—not by a long shot. Jesus rose from the dead and that means the suffering doesn’t last forever. Even Jesus’ suffering didn’t last forever. He died. Then He rose again from the dead. His death and resurrection remind us that His suffering has the ultimate achievement of conquering sin and death. And His resurrection means you will rise on the Last Day. His resurrection means that all the things that cause us tears will one day be gone and those tears will be wiped away.

Your baptism declares that you, too, are a saint, that is a holy person, one whose sins are forgiven, one who will rise from the dead. The body and blood of Jesus say so. On All Saints’ Day, we hear the phrase, “those who rest from their labors.” Their struggle with the crosses of their sin and suffering are ended. They enjoy eternal life with Jesus and will be raised up in their bodies when He comes again in glory.

All of this comes about by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the saving Word for all who believe in Him. If you are like many, you may wonder whether or not the Gospel is indeed working. While the effects of the Gospel may not always be visible to us, as it wasn’t to John’s readers during persecution, Jesus’ revelation assures us it is still God’s power to save. We trust in the words of God, recorded by the prophet Isaiah, who says, “so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” We do not always see the Gospel’s work. We want to see the Gospel working, doing something in a person’s life, but we don’t always see it. It may not happen during our ministry. It may not even happen during our lifetime, but the Word of God will accomplish what it was intended for.

The Word of God did accomplish what it was intended for. The Word of God caused Jesus Christ to come to this earth, to be born, to live a sinless life and to die, so that you and I may have eternal life. While we have eternal life, we still die a physical death here on earth.  We focus on the words that were sung earlier: “For You have won the battle/That they might wear the crown;/And now they shine in glory/Reflected from Your throne.”

The saints, who are clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, are those who have already departed this life to be with the Lord forever and ever. They are our sainted dead today, our loved ones and all others who have gone before us, who have fallen asleep in the faith. But we also think of ourselves and other members of the body of Christ on this earth as the “saints alive.” We remember the saints now, at the end of the Church Year, as an anticipation of the coming kingdom.

Jesus Christ, our Bridegroom, has given His life for us and called us His own. Our sinful name is washed away in the waters of Holy Baptism. Being baptized into Christ, we have received the Father’s family name, given to us by the Holy Spirit. Now our names and the names of all God’s saints are written in the Lamb’s book of life. When we are brought into Christ through Baptism, nothing can keep us separated from Him because He has bridged the gap of separation with His own body and blood. Because of what Christ has done, “they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” The fact that the saints are wearing white robes shows that this righteousness is not their doing but is imputed to them for Christ’s sake.

We live in hope and the promise of the glory of the life to come. All Saints’ Day reminds us that the Church is bigger than those of us who are gathered here today, not just because there are more Christians around the world, but because there are more Christians from before with whom we are united in the Body of Christ. Jesus promises that the joy they have been given, you will receive, too. Blessed are the ones who confessed the name of Jesus Christ. We too who confess the name of Jesus Christ will one day be reunited with those saints who have gone on before, but more importantly, we will be reunited with the One who allowed us to enter heaven by His sacrificial death, Jesus Christ. In the name of Jesus, amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

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Reformation – “Reformation” (Romans 3:19-28)

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon is the Epistle, which was read earlier.

“Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” Holy Scripture is clear that works will save no one, yet throughout the history of the Church, salvation by works has been taught and continues to plague the Church today. 496 years ago, there was a man by the name of Martin Luther who challenged the Church and its teachings.

By simply nailing a document to the door of the Castle Church, Luther ignited a war, a war that, unfortunately, needed to be waged. In his “Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences,” or what we know as the “Ninety-Five Theses,” Luther challenged the Church and her teachings. He challenged whether or not an indulgence could free a person from purgatory. He challenged whether or not a person could find absolution through indulgences.

Luther took a stance on something that had come under debate, something that should have never come under debate: Holy Scripture. The Roman Catholic Church had taken Scripture and misinterpreted what Scripture said or did not say. One of the largest issues which Luther took head on was the doctrine of justification, or how a person is saved. According to the Roman Catholic Church, a person was saved by Christ and their works. Luther, in searching throughout the Scriptures, could not find the basis of that teaching. What Luther could find came from Ephesians 2: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Luther could not find that teaching, and for Luther, he was convinced of one thing and one thing only – Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, and Sola Fide: saved by Scripture alone, saved by grace alone, and saved by faith alone. Luther and the other reformers turned solely to God’s own Word. Their answers were not made up to make everyone feel good, nor were they guided by what most people believed, even if those beliefs were false.

As Luther studied the Scriptures, passages such as today’s text jumped out at Luther because he knew it was referring to himself. He knew that it referred to the German people. He knew that it referred to all people. Before God the judge, all mankind stands guilty of sin and liable for punishment because of their many transgressions. Luther knew this and this became a foundation to his theology.

What was confusing to Luther was that the Church taught that through Jesus Christ and your works, you would receive salvation. But how could that be when Scripture clearly says, “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”? For Luther, he saw that this contradicted the teaching of the Church and he deduced that someone had to be wrong. But the question was who: the Church or God? Luther knew that he had sinned, that he had missed the mark. Far from earning God’s declaration of righteousness, the Law only produced a clear knowledge in him of far he had missed the mark of the holiness God really demanded.

At the heart of the Reformation lied the question of salvation: are you saved by Jesus Christ alone or are you saved by your works? If it was the latter, Luther knew that he was damned because his works could never do enough. What about your works? Are they enough to earn you forgiveness in the eyes of God? Your works earn you nothing but damnation because your works cannot save you.

God declares a sinner not guilty of sin – not by what they have done but what Jesus has done for them. Free of sin, guilt, and punishment, the acquitted can enter the joys of heaven. This is the result of Christ and Christ alone, not the result of good works that we do.

As we celebrate the Reformation of the Church, it is not about starting a new church. It is not about wanting things our way. The Reformation was all about a return to the Scriptures, a return to what God had said and what He had not said. It was all about the work of Jesus doing everything for us, not about Jesus doing it for us with our help.

The avenue by which God’s declaration of “not guilty” becomes ours in faith in Jesus Christ, not by trusting in our observance of the Law or our good works to earn heaven. That is why Luther spoke out against the Church and wrote the 95 Theses. That is why Luther wrote pamphlet after pamphlet. The more that the Roman Catholic Church said that we had to do something to receive salvation, the more adamant Luther was in his writings against the Church, that salvation was from God alone and not from our works.

What a relief to know that my salvation is not dependent upon what I do! I know all the things that I have done wrong. I know all the ways that I’ve sinned. To know that through my own efforts I would receive salvation is a scary thought. There is nothing good about me. There is nothing redeemable about me, yet God has seen fit to extend to me the forgiveness of my sins, not on account of my actions, but on account of the actions of His Son, Jesus Christ. So it was for Luther, and so it is for you, as well.

Salvation is entirely a gift of God. A gift is something freely given, which the giver expects no payment. For the Christian, our salvation does not depend on us. How could a person accept that God sent His very Son to take on human form, to live a sinless life, to die for your sinful life so that you may receive forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation, but, in order to receive that forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation, you have to do something to earn it? That is not a gift, that’s some you have to earn.

What was at stake 496 years ago is still at stake today: salvation by Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone. It is solely by grace through faith in Jesus Christ do we receive our forgiveness. God reaches down with His amazing, unmerited grace and makes our relationship with Him right and good. Nothing of our do we bring; only His unmerited love for us in Jesus, and Him alone, gives us that righteousness that we need for eternal life.

Christ alone is the heart of the Reformation. Christ is Scripture’s answer and God’s answer to the question of righteousness. Faith alone holds onto Jesus, onto God’s grace in Him. Salvation, by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone, as found in Scripture alone, is the sole source of our forgiveness and the privilege of being called children of God. In Jesus’ name, amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

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Pentecost 22 – “Faithful” (2 Timothy 3:14-4:5)

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon is the Epistle, which was read earlier.

As we grow up and enter the halls of academia, there are the basic things that we learn that serve as the foundation of our education. As we progress up the educational ranks, what we learn is based off of our educational foundation. The higher we go in our educational pursuits, everything is based off of what we have learned previously.

As Paul continues his letter to Timothy, he encourages him to “continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed….” And so that is why we are here today. We are continuing in what we have learned have firmly believed. We have learned Christ crucified for our sins and firmly believe that on account of Jesus Christ and His life, death, and resurrection, we have eternal life. That is what we have been taught according to the Word of God.

It’s back to basics for the Church. The basics that Paul had learned from Jesus, the basics that Timothy had learned and the basics that you and I have learned come from God Himself through the Scriptures. As Paul says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” Paul is not speaking about pagan or philosophical resources. He is attesting the divine origin of the Old Testament, as Peter also does: “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

Unlike other writings, these Holy Scriptures are emphatically “useful,” useful for the spiritual growth of those who know them and believe them. They are useful because they tell our story: the story of how God created us in His own image – perfect and without sin. They tell the story of how we sinned and death became a part of our lives. They tell the story of how God promised to send a Savior to redeem us from death. They tell the story of what Jesus did to redeem us sinners – how He lived, died, and rose again on our behalf to restore us as God’s children.

For the Christian, we are charged with one thing: be faithful to the Word of God. Unfortunately, that is something that is rather difficult in today’s day and age. We have the world telling us things that run complete opposite to that of the Word of God. We have the world telling us that the Word of God is archaic and no longer applies to us so it must be changed. We have the world telling us that the God of the Scriptures is the same as other gods, and that even though we call them different names, it really is the same god.

We remain faithful to the Word of God as recorded for us in the Bible. It means holding steadfast to God and the promises that He makes for us through Jesus Christ. That means looking only to Jesus for our forgiveness and salvation, for salvation cannot be found in anyone or anything other than Jesus Christ. However, that is not what the world would have us hear. They would have us hear that one can be saved apart from Jesus Christ. One can be saved through their own merits and that there does not need to be a reliance on a man who lived and died and stayed dead.

That is what we face on a daily basis as Christians. We are reminded of the words of Luther: “Let me tell you this, even though you know God’s Word perfectly and are already a master in all things: you are daily in the devil’s kingdom. He ceases neither day nor night to sneak up on you and to kindle in your heart unbelief and wicked thoughts against these three commandments and all the commandments. Therefore, you must always have God’s Word in your heart, upon your lips, and in your ears.” 

What is the point that Luther is making here?  St. Paul tells it Timothy: “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itchy ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” People will hear the Gospel and appreciate what it says – the story of Jesus and how through His life, death, and resurrection, He gained for us forgiveness and eternal life. But at some point, the Gospel will not be good enough. The people will want to hear those things that sound pleasing to them, even if those things are false. Which sounds better to you: Jesus came to save sinners or Jesus came to save everyone? There is only one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit or there are many gods and you can choose? All people will go to heaven, regardless of what they believe or only Christians will go to heaven?

The truth is clearly presented before us in God’s Holy Word, and yet, the truth isn’t good enough. The truth must be politically correct, so as not to cause offense. But the truth of the matter is that the Gospel IS offensive! It is offensive to those that think there are many paths to heaven; that there is a god, but he or she has many names; it doesn’t matter what you believe because everyone will go to heaven. The Scriptures are rather clear that there is only one way to heaven and that is Jesus Christ. The Scriptures are rather clear that there is only one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Scriptures are rather clear that it does matter what one believes, because those who do not believe and trust in God and His Word will not inherit eternal life.

For that reason, that is why Paul impresses upon Timothy the need to remain steadfast in the faith. For that reason, it is impressed upon the Church today to remain steadfast in the faith. St. Peter writes, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith….” What is at stake is not mere child’s play; it is your eternal salvation. Because of this saving message of Jesus Christ and what it means for all who believe, we are left with one thing to do: be faithful to the Word. We are faithful to the Word that promises forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. We are faithful to the Word because it does what it says it does. We are faithful to the Word because it “is breathed out by God.” We are faithful to the Word because God is and always will be faithful to us. In Jesus’ name, amen. Now the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

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Pentecost 21 – “Perseverance” (2 Timothy 2:1-13)

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon is the Epistle, which was read earlier.

In our day and age, strength is something that we all need. Whether it be strength following the death of a loved, or strength to overcome the temptations that befall us all, or strength to do the task that our Lord has given us, we need extra strength because we cannot do it all by ourselves. But where do we find our strength? Do we find it in the comforts that this world has to offer? Do we find our strength in ourselves, forcing us to pull up our bootstraps and persevere? Or do we find our strength somewhere else? That is the question that we ask ourselves and Paul has the answer: “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus….”

These are the words that Paul writes to Timothy at the beginning of our text. These were words that were very ironic for St. Paul. As he awaited execution in a Roman jail, despite all that Paul was facing – death, the end of his ministry, and abandonment by most of his friends for fear of persecution – he faithfully directed his spiritual son Timothy to the hope that is in Christ. He didn’t care about his own life right now; he was focused on the young pastor Timothy and his church at Ephesus.

That is the message that every pastor of the Gospel should preach to his people: “be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” That is the message that we need to hear day in and day out. Why did St. Paul, when facing his own death, instead focus on Timothy and Ephesus? The answer to this question is two-fold. First, because of God, we have grace. All of this goes back to the Garden of Eden. When God made man, there was one simple rule which Adam and Eve were to follow: not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil or they will die. One simple rule for eternal paradise and Adam and Eve broke it. They were tempted by Satan to become like God. Because of that temptation, Eve broke the law of God. When she gave the fruit to her husband Adam, he broke the law of God. From that moment on, instead of becoming like God, they feared God.  Instead of becoming closer to God, they became separated from God. 

For Adam and Eve, they deserved death, wrath, and eternal condemnation. Instead, they received forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. What they received was true grace. That is what you and I have received. Do we deserve it? Absolutely not! Did we receive it? Absolutely yes! Where did we receive it? We received it at the cross of Jesus. We received it through the waters of Holy Baptism and we continue to receive it each and every time we come to the Lord’s Table to receive Christ’s body and blood, given for you, for the forgiveness of sins.

That is why Paul tells Timothy, “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead…” That’s what we need to remember as well. In other words, Paul is saying, “Remember that your salvation isn’t in how well you do, but that Jesus has done well for you—He’s already died for you, and He’s already risen from the dead! He’s your strength!”

How easy it is for us to forget that our strength relies upon Jesus Christ and not ourselves. However, that’s not what the world would have us hear. The world tells us that it’s not Jesus that saves but it’s everything but Jesus that saves. Best case is that we hear that Jesus is just one of many means of salvation. If that were the case, then why does Jesus go to such great lengths to assert that He and He alone is the sole means of salvation? Why is it that Jesus is the only one who gives His life in order to save us if we can be saved by other means?

Paul encourages Timothy and his church to put their sole focus of salvation where it belongs, on Jesus Christ. Paul proclaims this trustworthy saying: “If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.” You see, we have died with Christ in our Baptism. Because of that fact, we live with Him forever. We endure by His grace in the faith. But if you are faithless, He is faithful. He doesn’t change, which is why His grace is certain. He’s made you His, and He’ll keep pursuing you with grace for the rest of your life.

We need to remember at all times and in all places that Jesus Christ is indeed risen from the dead. It is a constant remembrance of who Jesus Christ is and what it is that Jesus Christ has done: that He is the very Son of God and that “he has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil.” These words that Martin Luther wrote are not just mere words. These are words that every Christian needs to hear because they say exactly what it is that Jesus Christ has done for us.  Words that sound so simple to us were words that meant a great deal to Luther.

Heaven is yours because Jesus has done all the work of living for you, dying for you, rising for you and ascending for you. He’s done all the work of giving you forgiveness and faith in Baptism, and continues to forgive you and strengthen you in His Word and Supper. That’s the Gospel. It’s all His doing.

Today, we especially celebrate how Christ blesses the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League to be Lutheran Women in Mission. We celebrate God’s goodness shown to us in Jesus Christ by celebrating witness, mercy, and life together in the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and many others have been blessed through the hands of women who have shared the gifts that God has given for the extension of His Kingdom as congregations have been founded, schools have been supported, outreach centers have been funded, and lives have been transformed as Lutheran Women in Mission have confessed the truth of the Gospel by bearing witness to Christ.      

For Paul, he knew what was at stake: the salvation of the Church. He risked his own life, time and time again to preach the Gospel. However, he doesn’t care. He reminds Timothy why he has done what he has done: “I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” Concern for the salvation of these elect is for Paul another motive for perseverance in Christian ministry. He has the eyes of Jesus toward the lost. He has a love for the lost that moves him to be a slave to everyone and to become all things to all men.  He is more concerned with evangelizing the world than with his own personal comfort, safety or wealth. He truly has the Christ-like concern for those who have come to faith in Christ and for those who have not. 

We persevere in our faith, just as Christ Jesus persevered in His. We persevere because of the final words of St. Paul: “If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him…” We have the faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord, given to us by the Holy Spirit at our Baptism. Let this be focus of our lives, for now and for all eternity. In the name of Jesus, amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

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Funeral for + Gladys Guthmiller +

The text that I have chosen for Gladys’ funeral comes from Psalm 118:17-24.

17 I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord. 18 The Lord has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death. 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. 20 This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it. 21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. 22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 23 This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Here ends our text.

John, Kathy, Lyle, Lila, as we focus on the words of the psalmist today, they don’t seem to fit the occasion for why we are gathered. Psalm 118 is a psalm of thanks. It gives thanks and also prophesies of the Christian and of Christ, the rejected cornerstone. This psalm is a general statement of thanksgiving for all the kindness God daily and unceasingly showers on all people. This psalm praises God especially for the greatest benefit He bestowed on the world, namely, for Christ and His kingdom of grace – first promised and now revealed.

But do we really want to give thanks today of all days? A loving wife and mother have been taken away and we are expected to give thanks? That is exactly what we are to do, as this psalm encourages us to rejoice. The psalmist writes, “I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.” This verse touches on and states the trouble out of which God’s hand delivers the righteous, namely, death. This is precisely what happened Tuesday morning for Gladys. While Gladys died to the things of this world, she continues to live in Christ.

What a wonderful thing to have put before us today. On Tuesday, when Gladys died, she entered into the kingdom of heaven, where the faithful in Christ have gone before her. The fact that Gladys now stands before God Almighty is not due to anything she did in this earthly live or anything she could do in this life. For as wonderful a person Gladys was, the reality was that there was nothing deserving of Gladys to allow her entry into God’s paradise, because she was a sinner, just like you and I and everyone on this earth. How do we know that? We know it because our sister in Christ is lying before us in a casket as a result of her sin. St. Paul writes, “For the wages of sin is death.” If Gladys were not a sinner, she would not have died. If mankind were not sinners, then no one would die. The reality of the matter is we are sinners and we die.

Though we are sinners, God has done something wonderful for us, just as He did for Gladys. He made us His beloved children. Through the washing away of sin by Holy Baptism, Gladys received a new name: child of God. From the moment of her Baptism until the day of her death, she wore that name proudly. It identified her as one for whom Jesus Christ went to the cross to redeem.

The Lord has done exactly what the psalmist writes: “Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.” Tuesday, Gladys did just that; she entered the gates of righteousness. Now she sits with the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and she gives thanks for what has been done for her and all believers, on account of Jesus Christ.

What a wonderful gift that has been shown to Gladys. Even because of her sinfulness, God still sends His Son to live and die to redeem her so that she would be forgiven of all her sins and granted the gift of everlasting life. That is the greatest gift that could ever be shown to Gladys and that is the greatest gift that she could give to you, her family. There may have been times where you had a lot and times where you had little. In whatever circumstance you found yourselves in, there was one thing that you always had: Jesus Christ. You had the forgiveness that He brings to you. You have His promise that He will be with you always. You have His gift of everlasting life that comes to you because God the Father has called you by name and made you His beloved children. That was a promise made by God to you, one that your mother held near and dear, because God made that promise to her as well. She had no fear of what may happen to her in this world because she had the promises of Christ. That is what she wanted to instill in you, her children. She wanted you to have the same peace and comfort that she herself had.

What the psalmist records is just as true for Gladys and us as it was for the psalmist: “I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.” It is God alone who is our salvation. Unfortunately, we like to put our stock into the things of this world, as if we will be able to somehow earn salvation through other means. However, the things of this world will not grant forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation to anyone. Yes, they may bring temporary joys, but they do not grant eternal life. Gladys knew that and did not trust in the things of this world, but put her faith solely in that of Jesus Christ, who is “the way, and the truth, and the life.”

So what are we supposed to do now? What will the days and weeks be like for us? They will be filled with sorrow and hurt. For some, they may be filled with despair, feelings of loss. While these may very well be our feelings following today, there is one feeling that we have at times like this and that is hope. We have hope in the resurrection of all believers on account of Jesus Christ and His life, death, and resurrection. Because Christ has died and risen from the grave, we know that we too as believers in Christ will rise from the dead as well. Now, Gladys rests in the glory that is heaven because of Christ.

John, Kathy, Lyle, and Lila, there is one verse left of our text that we cannot forget. Remember, this psalm is a psalm of thanksgiving to God. The psalmist reinforces that thought at the end of our text: “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” As hard as it may seem, today is not a day of sorrow, but it is a joyous day, as we remember a loving wife and mother, who having finished her course of faith, now rests in her Lord. Let us rejoice and be glad today and always, for God our Father has shown mercy on us, giving us His Son Jesus, who forgives our sins and grants to us everlasting life. Amen.

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Pentecost 20 – “Treasures of Faith” (2 Timothy 1:1-14)

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon is the Epistle, which was read earlier.

Few things in this life are worthy of being called a treasure. Gold and silver are quick to come to mind. Maybe a person will count a car or beachfront property as a treasure. We all have treasures of some sort in our lives. Some treasures mean more to us than others. What one person values as a treasure may not be the same that another person values. Regardless, it doesn’t make it any less of a treasure to the person who values it. 

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a treasure as well, but a treasure with a value beyond measure. The proclamation of Jesus and His forgiveness and life is a treasure that’s kept and guarded, but for a reason: to be given out, to be handed over and shared, for it is a life-giving proclamation.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a treasure given to us by the Holy Spirit through others. It is given to us in the Word: in preaching, in absolution, in the Scriptures read during the Divine Service and Bible studies, in that same Word in our homes, in brother-to-brother sharing and so on.

This is the treasure that St. Paul writes to young Timothy in our Epistle reading. Jesus Christ had called Saul to spread the Gospel instead of trying to snuff it out wherever it was preached and taught. Now Paul, a disciple of Jesus who was unworthy in his own estimation, was writing and visiting churches and telling them of this wonderful treasure which they have in Jesus Christ. Paul tells Timothy, “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner…. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed.”  

Why would Timothy have been ashamed of Jesus Christ and His Gospel? Paul is not saying that Timothy has been ashamed up to this point. He’s saying, “Don’t start being ashamed now because of what you see happening to me.” We remember the words of Paul to the Romans:  “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.””

This treasure that you and I have of the Gospel is not something to be ashamed of. The reason why the Gospel is a treasure is because it is something that we hold near and dear to us. It means something special. It’s not like every other average thing that we have in our lives, for it gives to us eternal life. This treasure of the Gospel is a deposit that must be guarded. It was a gift of God deposited to each and every one of us when we were brought to the waters of Holy Baptism, where we became a treasure of God because we became His forgiven children.  In turn, He gave to us the wonderful treasures of forgiveness, life, and salvation. We guard these treasures because of the heavenly and eternal value they have. They’re not like the treasures of this world “where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.”  Rather, these are the treasures that God has given and because He has given them to us, we know that these are the greatest gifts that we could ever receive.

This Gospel that you and I have received is the greatest of all gifts, a gift that is to be treasured beyond all things. But not only do we treasure this gift, it is a gift that is intended to be shared with others. Our Lord shared the gift of the Gospel with the disciples, with all whom He preached and ministered to, and even Saul, the great persecutor of the Church. The disciples, the followers of Jesus and Paul shared this Gospel message to others, including those who were once outside of faith. The Gospel has been shared with people just like ourselves, people who are not worthy of the love that God has for us, yet we have still been shown that love, a love that sends Jesus to the cross to make atonement for our sins.

For the Christian, there is nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to the Gospel of Christ Jesus. Paul was not ashamed of it because it brought life and salvation. However, for some, they are ashamed of the Gospel. They are ashamed of what people might think of them or how they might be treated if word were to get out that they are a Christian.

The “testimony about our Lord” is nothing short than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Whenever Timothy preached it, he’d have the assurance that the Holy Spirit was working through that Word to give faith to all who were hearing. That proclamation was enough even to make snooty Greeks leave their philosophy behind and believe in a God who became flesh. They might believe. They might not. But that Gospel was the means of salvation to all who would believe, and it was also the grace that would defeat whatever doubts haunted Timothy.

So what about you? What are your thoughts of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Is it something that you cling to, are willing to die for rather than give up? Or are you ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, ashamed of what the Gospel means – that Jesus Christ would leave the Father’s glory, take on human flesh and blood in order to die so that your sins would be forgiven?

There is no reason to be ashamed about the testimony of our Lord, ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is definitely easier said than done. Shame is a powerful emotion—no one wants to feel ashamed. In a sinful world, the threat of shame can be a blessing that prevents us from doing what our sinful flesh desires—because if people found out, we’d be ashamed.

The Gospel is none other than the story of Jesus and His life, death, and resurrection for sinners. It is the story of what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. It’s the story of how Jesus has forgiven us of all of our sins and how He has clothed us with His holiness and righteousness, so that when God looks at us, He doesn’t see our sinful nature, but rather sees us as holy – perfect and without sin. Who could be ashamed of that? Why would anyone be ashamed of that?

This is the treasure that Paul was given by Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. This is the treasure that Timothy was raised with by his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice.  This is the treasure that you and I have been given through Holy Baptism. This wonderful treasure, a gift of the Holy Spirit, is ours. But this treasure is not meant solely to be a treasure for us and us alone. It is a treasure that is to be given to others; a treasure that says Christ has died for all people, including them. May we always cherish the treasure that we have received and may we always willingly give that treasure away. In the name of Jesus, amen. Now the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

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St. Michael and All Angels – “Angels” (Revelation 12:7-12)

 

F 25 St Michael Mt 18 1 10

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon is the Epistle, which was read earlier.

Angels, they’re always a popular topic to people. We are told as a child that our guardian angels are ever protecting us. We have the erroneous perception that when we die, we become an angel. There have been television shows devoted to angels, such as “Highway to Heaven” and “Touched by an Angel” and their work on earth, at least according to Hollywood. But what is the true role of angel in God’s creation?

Today gives us an opportunity to remember St. Michael and All Angels. We remember the work of the angelic host and how they are God’s servants to His people. Angels are best known for their true purpose: messengers of God. It was an angel who brought good tidings to the saints of God in the Old Testament, as well as to Zechariah, Joseph, and Mary. Besides the role of messenger, we see other roles the angels serve in. For instance, in the Garden of Eden, an angel was placed at the entrance of the Garden following Adam and Eve’s dismissal from the Garden. Angels guard us when we are in peril. The angel of God stopped the mouths of the lions when Daniel was cast into their den. An angel delivered the Apostle Peter from the cruelty of Herod. An angel gave bread and water for Elijah when he sat starving under the broom tree. In working for our protection and benefit, they render perfect service to their Lord and creator.

Angels come as great heralds of God’s Word and they come to minister to people in their times of need. But as we see in our text from Revelation today, angels have another role in which they serve God: as warriors in battle.

Our text begins with a statement that boggles the mind—there was a war in heaven! It sounds strange to us that there could ever be a war in heaven. How could this be? Heaven is eternal bliss in the glorious presence of God. It is peace and everlasting blessedness—how could a war take place here? But St. John records for us the fact that a war occurred.

We have to remember that war has raged in heaven ever since Satan strived to show that he was superior to God. Within the first six days of creation, God created the angelic beings. Also during that time, Lucifer, known better as Satan, sought to assert his superiority over God and was struck down by God.

This war in heaven is truly waged against God and His creation. From Lucifer’s revolt to the Fall into sin, Satan has had it out for God and His creation.This war that John writes about is the war of words that Satan has perpetrated against men since the Fall into sin, for he is the accuser, who accuses us of our sin and iniquity before God in heaven. He tempted Adam and Eve, and because of that, evil triumphantly entered the world and Satan became the price of this world. Since the Fall, the devil was permitted to retain a certain power over the earth. Satan extended his rule over the whole of humanity, for sin is an ever-present reality to God’s creation.

Satan stands as our accuser to God. Here he makes his case, condemning mankind before the judgment seat of God. Unlike lying and deceiving to Adam and Eve and all of creation, what he tells God is true. We are guilty for we have sinned. Such a war between the deceiver and God’s heavenly angels is a war beyond our comprehension. You and I and all of God’s creation are at stake in this war. For while Satan might lie to us, we cannot say that he lies about us. He might deceive men on earth, but he cannot pull the wool over the eyes of Almighty God. And he doesn’t have to. We are all sinners in need of forgiveness.

Satan takes his war beyond heaven and wages it fully against the Church. This war will rage until the end of time, until the Seconding Coming of Christ. But until then, Satan will unleash all that he has at God’s creation, going back to the number one tool in his bag of tricks: doubt. That is what he used on Eve and it proved successful. That is what he uses against the people of God, hoping to ensnare them in doubting God’s Word, questioning the great love that God has for His creation. The assaults of the devil continue to plague the Church as a whole and the Church individually, for these are assaults that you and I face daily.

We know how this war ends. St. John records for us that Satan and his minions were defeated. He writes: “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb….” The war is finally over and God has prevailed, just as He promised in the Garden of Eden. It ends with the complete overthrow of the devil and his minions. Revelation 20:10 says, “and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

Satan has been forever defeated because of the blood of Christ shed upon the cross. Salvation is now ours; not something that will come at a later time, but a salvation that is yours now because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

St. Michael and all the angels are victorious in their fight against Satan and his minions. Yet they triumphed over him not on account of their own might, but because God Himself sent His only Son to atone for the sins of the world. The power of sin, death, and hell have been destroyed, for Christ Jesus has already defeated their master, the devil.

Therefore rejoice in Christ Jesus, for salvation to us has come. Give thanks to God for His messengers, who brought good tidings of great joy and who serve their Lord in perfect holiness, seeking our benefit and protection. Rejoice in their defeat of Satan and his minions, with Michael leading the charge. But above all, rejoice in knowing that you have the forgiveness of all of your sins, and that your names are written in heaven in the Lamb’s Book of Life, because of the supreme victory of Satan, sin and death on account of Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ name, amen. The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

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Pentecost 18 – “Be the Church” (1 Timothy 2:1-15)

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon is the Epistle, which was read earlier.

Here we are, gathered in the House of the Lord this morning. As we look at the Church of Christ today, we see that it is not necessarily a place that would meet with Christ’s approval. We have strife and discord in the Church. There are multiple doctrines, all claiming to be true. Even within the Church, there can be multiple ways to heaven, with Jesus being one, but not exclusively the only way. Something must be done to bring the Church back in line with that of Christ, but how will that happen? Who will bring about that change? Paul sets out to answer those questions.

Our text is addressed to young Timothy, a young pastor in Ephesus. The purpose of Paul’s letter to Timothy is to encourage and instruct him as he called the Ephesians to be faithful to God’s Word. The Ephesian church wasn’t going to be the easiest place to pastor in, as false teachers were polluting the doctrine of Christ. What Paul wanted to see in Ephesus and in all places was the truth of Christ be proclaimed. Paul says to Timothy, "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time." Paul says quite a bit in these two verses. First, that Christ is the sole means of salvation and secondly, that now is the time to preach that message.

When Paul speaks these words, he shows why it is so important to come to a knowledge of the truth. There are not numerous gods, each providing truth and salvation. There is one and it is God. Between this God and us human beings, there is only one mediator, the man Christ Jesus, who at the same time is also true God. Who but Jesus could serve as our mediator?

That is the question to ask if you are Paul the apostle. If you were living at the time of Paul, then the answer to the question, "Who but Jesus could serve as our mediator?" had several answers. One answer was Jesus. Another answer was yourself, for the popular belief was that you could atone for your own sins by adhering to the Law of God. You still had the pagan gods of the day in the mix as well, giving people false hope that they would earn for you eternal life.

Not only did Paul have the desire that all would know Christ as their one mediator, he also desired that the Church would look like the Church. He writes, "I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling….”When Paul says, "I desire,"he is speaking as the chosen apostle and teacher of the Gentiles. He is not expressing merely a personal wish or desire. What he desires, what he wants, he has carefully considered and knows to be the will of God.

If there is any place where there should be prayer, it should be in the Church. The phrase, "lifting up holy hands," immediately reminds us of the way prayer was done among the Jews, and probably the early Christians. Their posture reflected their thinking about God – holy, awesome, a burning glory shining down on them, upon which they were not worthy to look. That was a realistic and pious perspective. At another time in history, men prostrated themselves before the altar, lying flat on the floor because they knew that they did not deserve the right to stand, or even kneel before God. This perspective reflected repentance very clearly.

Given the state of the Church at the time of Paul, this wasn’t always going on in Ephesus. Timothy, as the pastor, was charged to ensure that the Church acted as the Church. Paul’s concern was that we lifted up Holy hands. He was addressing our spiritual condition. There is only one way to get holy hands to lift up, and that is in and through Jesus Christ. Once we possess the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation, all of which is by gift and grace though Jesus Christ, we have holy hands. We pray to God for all people, not only because He is the God who creates and preserves everyone, but also because He wants to save all people from the destruction is to come on the Last Day due to our sin. We pray that God would bring the whole world to the saving knowledge of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to what He accomplished for all people on the cross, that is, the forgiveness of sins, salvation from death and the devil, and the gift of eternal life.

All of this has to do with words that Paul speaks earlier to young Timothy: "This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." In the end, that’s what it comes down to, that we would be saved. Now the question is saved from what? Paul throughout his writings mentions what we are to be saved from: sin and death. He says, "For the wages of sin is death."  Unfortunately, you didn’t always have that preaching at the time of Paul and you still don’t have that preaching today. We hear that we are pretty good people and only getting better. But that’s not the way that it is and Paul knows it and wants Timothy to not only know it but also preach it.

We have true peace in Jesus Christ and that is and should always be the central message of the Church. Christ is the one Mediator between God and man, who alone could secure peace with God where no earthly ambassador could. Earthly treaties are broken and peace talks fail. But your Mediator has made perfect peace, because He gave His life as the peace offering for all the world. He gave the ransom price that bought you away from the clutches of God’s enemy. The price was the Son of God, surrendering Himself upon the cross of Calvary. Your sinfulness and the sinfulness of all men demanded a response of war from God, but He turned His warfare only upon the flesh of His dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ.

This Jesus is not some unrealistic and unknowable God-figure who cannot understand or sympathize with us in our lives, but one who has been here and done all that we must do. He knows our weaknesses and our sorrows. He cares deeply for us. He hears our prayers and He loves us so deeply that in all things, He works for our blessing and good. He makes us to be like Him – righteous, and holy on account of His actions.

This is the Jesus that Paul desires Timothy and his Ephesian congregation to know. This is the Jesus that God desires that we know, a Jesus who goes to death and back for you and for your sins so that you would be made right with God. While the Church on earth does not always look or act as the Church should, we know that we always have a Lord who does what is necessary for us so that we would be called the Church and have the gifts that He gives to us so that the will of God would be made manifest in us, His beloved creation. In the name of Jesus, amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

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