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Last Sunday of the Church Year–“The Resurrection of the Dead” (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)

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.

Contrary to popular belief, Christian congregations are not perfect. Just because one calls themselves Christian doesn’t mean that they are perfect. This was made very clear at the Church at Corinth. For being Christians, they had an awful lot wrong with them. Their basic beliefs were often skewed at best and completely wrong at its worst. As we see in our text for today, the Corinthians got the resurrection from the dead wrong. Paul writes prior to our text, “Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?” As Paul records for us, it does not appear that Christ’s resurrection necessarily was being denied. As one scholar put it, “The doubters in Corinth declared the resurrection to be impossible for this reason, that it is contrary to nature, and they considered the resurrection of Christ an isolated occurrence with which they could connect no consequences for anyone else.”

Paul sets off to correct any misconceptions that the Corinthians may have. He says, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” What more conclusive word can be spoken than that Christ has been raised from the dead? That’s what Christianity hinges upon, the resurrection. If Christ did not rise from the dead, then Christianity means absolutely nothing. Once you die, you’re dead and that’s all there is to it. But if Christ did rise from the dead, then that means something very important: it means that you too will rise from the dead. It means that death is not all that there is. It means that everlasting life is granted to you. This is what the Corinthians missed and unfortunately, this is what Christians sometimes miss as well.

As we come to the end of the Church Year, we focus on the second coming of Christ, when “He will come to judge the living and the dead.” We look at what the second coming of Christ means for us. It means that those who have died in the faith will be resurrected and body and soul be reunited in a body that is perfect and without sin. For those still living in the faith when Christ comes, it means that we shall not see death, but instead be granted that everlasting life as have the saints of old. But what about those outside of the faith? It means that they will be raised to everlasting hell and torment. The second coming of Christ will indeed be a joyous event for those who have the name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit placed upon them. However, it will also be a terrifying event for those who do not confess the name of Christ.

For you, God’s saints on earth, rejoice in the words of St. Paul: “For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.” You have already been resurrected from the dead because you have God’s name placed upon you. In your Baptism, you died to sin and you received new life in Christ. That new life gave to you forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. The best part of it: you didn’t have to do anything to earn it; it was freely given to you.

That is the power of Christ’s resurrection. Because Christ was raised from the dead, you too shall be raised from the dead. That was the message that Paul was trying to get across to the Corinthians. Just earlier, Paul told the Corinthians, “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain… And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” It truly is that simple, yet that’s what the Corinthians were missing. There were those who did not believe in the resurrection of Christ, yet alone the resurrection of the dead as a whole. They were missing the boat on what Christ had been preaching during His life and what Paul had tried to remind the church of.

Paul’s words are words of encouragement for the Corinthians to be patient. The end is not yet; their loved ones must still rest in the grave for a time. But everything will surely happen in its proper order. Christ’s resurrection is the great first step, the firstfruits holding the promise of everything else. Then His resurrection will work through the whole Church, as those who belong to Him will be raised when He descends from heaven on the Last Day.

That same message of Paul is relevant to you and I as well, for the resurrection of Christ speaks of our resurrection as well. Just a few weeks ago, we celebrated All Saints’ Day, the day where we remember those who died in the faith. Their faith was centered on Christ and what He has done for them. Their faith was focused on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ who won for them forgiveness of all of their sins and gained for them everlasting life. They trusted in Christ’s promises for them and for all who believe. They trusted in Christ’s resurrection, and because Christ was raised from the dead, they knew that they too would be raised from the dead.

We too rejoice because Christ’s resurrection means our resurrection. Everything that Christ endured on this earth: His birth, His life, His passion, His death, and ultimately His resurrection were for you so that you would have everything that He comes to give, free of charge. He gives it to you without your asking, without merit or worth on your part, without you having to do anything except receive this wonderful gift of Christ for you.

What greater comfort can one have knowing that Christ has died for them, in order to redeem them from their sins! Luther had these words to say regarding our text: “For a Christian has no joy or comfort except alone in the life hereafter, as he hears this article, that Christ is risen from the dead, that he also will raise him and bring him from death and all unhappiness to eternal joy.”

Christ has come. He has given to you the gift of forgiveness so that you may be raised from the dead, just as He was raised from the dead. Christ promises to you resurrection, a resurrection on the Last Day when all believers in Christ shall be raised and body and soul reunited and where we will be with God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our joy, our comfort, lies in Christ and His resurrection and the resurrection earned for us by Jesus. 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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Reformation (Observed)–“Sola” (Romans 3:19-28)

LSB Icon_072Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God, our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon today comes from the Epistle, which was read earlier.

“Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word.” These are words which we will sing at the end of the service. In 1541 Martin Luther wrote this hymn. In his day the true light of the Gospel had been hidden by the shroud of false teaching. The Bible had become a bit of a relic. Only one copy of the Bible existed in the town: chained to the altar of the church. Few people could read it. Even if you were capable of reading it, you were too simple-minded to understand what it really said. You needed someone to interpret the Scriptures for you. That’s where the Roman Catholic Church came in. They were the “only” ones capable of understanding the Scriptures. Their priests were trained on how to interpret the Scriptures, according to the word of the Pope. Ultimately, it was the Pope’s interpretation of Scripture that determined how Scripture would be taught.

That changed on October 31, 1517, when Martin Luther nailed his “Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences,” or what we know as the “Ninety-Five Theses,” on the church door at Wittenburg. The background to Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses centers on agreements within the Roman Catholic Church regarding baptism and absolution. They also offer a view on the validity of indulgences, remissions of temporal punishment due for sins which have already been forgiven. They also view with great cynicism the practice of indulgences being sold, and thus the penance for sin representing a financial transaction rather than genuine contrition. Luther’s theses argued that the sale of indulgences was a gross violation of the original intention of confession and penance, and that Christians were being falsely told that they could find absolution through the purchase of indulgences.

Luther took a stance on something which had come under debate, something which 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. The teaching which 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 of the Roman Catholic Church, 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. Instead, the Reformation answers were to stand on Scripture alone.

LSB Icon_101In looking at our text for today, we see something that is clear as day if you take the Word of God as truth: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus….” Here we have another sola of the Reformation presented so clearly: Sola Gratia or grace alone.

Paul is clear in the book of Romans how all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. But that’s not the last word. Scripture adds that righteousness comes from God, that we are justified freely by God’s grace through Jesus Christ, gifted with a new status: righteousness, free of all guilt before God because of Jesus Christ. Being right with God is His doing. Grace alone saves us. God reaches down with His amazing, unmerited grace and makes our relationship with Him right and good. Nothing of our own do we bring; only His unmerited love for us in Jesus, and Him alone, gives us the righteousness that we need for eternal life. We see the outstretched hands of Jesus that have nail marks in them. He hung on a cross to restore a right relationship between God and us. Eternal life comes from His death, and certainty comes from His resurrection. Jesus welcomes people with His loving, open arms because the grave could not hold Him. Death had no lasting power over Him. Only Christ our Savior can guarantee that life after death will bring heaven instead of hell, a loving Father instead of Satan.

Christ alone is the Reformation’s answer, the Bible’s answer, and God’s answer to those questions of righteousness and certainty. And faith alone holds onto Jesus, onto God’s grace in Him. Our faith stands on Scripture alone, grace alone, Christ alone. And this Reformation certainty about God’s righteousness in Jesus still matters.

LSB Icon_102When we look at the Reformation, we need to understand that it was not about starting a new denomination. It wasn’t about a new church that would bear his name. It was about Christ. It was about the Scriptures. It was about faith. It was about grace. Luther tried and tried to “do enough” in his life and the more he tried, the more he failed. Luther saw in the book of Romans how off the mark he really was: “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” Far from earning God’s declaration of righteousness, the law only produced for Luther a clear knowledge of how far he had missed the mark of the holiness God really demanded. What was the answer to Luther’s problem of not being able to do enough to find favor in God’s sight? Again, looking at the book of Romans, looking at the Scriptures, Luther found his answer: “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” This is why Luther could never do enough. It’s because he couldn’t. It’s because we can’t do it. It’s because Jesus has done it for us. Jesus lived the sinless life for us because we couldn’t. This was the answer Luther needed. This is the answer that we all need: God’s righteousness is ours, not by works, but by faith.

LSB Icon_100Here is the Sola Fide – faith alone. It is faith alone in Jesus Christ that saves. It’s not our faith plus something else. Whenever you have grace and or grace but, faith and or faith but, then you no longer have grace alone and faith alone. It is by what God has done for us through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ that gives to us salvation and nothing else. We as Christians perform good works, but it is not our works that save. Our good works are our response to what God has done for us. They are for the benefit of our neighbor. What Luther was arguing against the Roman Catholic Church was the teaching that faith plus works could save. God declares a sinner not guilty of sin. This is the result of Christ and Christ alone. It is not the result of good works which we do. If our salvation hinged on the good works we do, when would enough be enough? Luther repeatedly went back to Scripture and the answer was singular, not plural. The answer was Christ and Christ alone, just as Paul says: “righteousness from God come through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” Here is another sola that we need to keep at the forefront of Christianity: Sola Christus, Christ alone, for it is Christ alone who has atoned for the sins of the world, for you and for me, and it is Christ alone which brings everlasting life.

Salvation, by grace alone, through faith alone in Jesus 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 which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

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Christ dwells only in sinners

Martin Luther by Lucas Cranach. The Protestant...

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Beware of aspiring to such purity that you will not wish to be looked upon as a sinner, or to be one. For Christ dwells only in sinners. On this account he descended from heaven, where he dwelt among the righteous, to dwell among sinners. Meditate on this love of his and you will see his sweet consolation. For why was it necessary for him to die if we can obtain a good conscience by our works and afflictions? Accordingly you will find peace only in him and only when you despair of yourself and your own works. Besides, you will learn from him that just as he has received you, so he has made your sins his own and has made his righteousness yours.

Luther’s Works(AE) v. 48:12-13

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Funeral for +William Semlek+

LSB Icon_040The text that I have chosen for Bill’s funeral comes from 2 Timothy 4:6-8.

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

Here ends our text.

Jeanne, Jerry, Mark, and Vicki, it has been a long couple of months, hasn’t it? Bill has been in and out of the hospital, dealing with hearts issues that eventually claimed his life. Through all of this, it must have been difficult to see a father, a grandfather and even a great-grandfather who was fairly healthy go into a downward health spiral. However, there was a silver lining to all of this: Bill died in the faith and is now with Christ.

The words that St. Paul wrote, the words of our text for today, are words of comfort and assurance to you, the family, and to all of us gathered here today. When I visited with Bill Friday before his death, he was in a state of calm and relative painlessness. I think that after these last few months, Bill had realized that “the time of [his] departure [had] come.” As a baptized and redeemed believer, Bill knew of the certainty of death. He knew firsthand what Paul wrote to the Romans: “For the wages of sin is death.” He had seen sin in all of its evil gruesomeness. He had seen war and death in World War II. He had been captured by the Germans and made a POW. He saw death in the POW camps. He saw death at its worst when death claimed the life of his wife, Louise. He knew that death would even claim his own life because of his sin. But through all of this, Bill had hope, because he knew that death is not the end.

Paul continues, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Bill knew that death was merely the end of his earthly life. Because God placed His name upon Bill in the waters of Holy Baptism, he knew that he had the promise of everlasting life. There, in His Baptism, Bill received the “the free gift of eternal life.”

Death reminds us of life with Christ. As God’s beloved children, we have been redeemed by Christ and given new life with Him. That new life with Christ is what Bill looked forward to. He looked forward to that new life every Sunday when he came to church, to hear God’s Word and promises for Bill and for you. He looked forward to that new life when he came and received the body and blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of his sins. On Friday, Bill was welcomed into God’s heavenly kingdom where He received his crown of righteousness.

This crown of righteousness that Bill received was not by his own doing. It wasn’t because Bill was a perfect person. It wasn’t because of all the things that Bill did throughout his life. The crown of righteousness that Bill received was because of Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone. It was by Christ’s life, death, and resurrection that Bill is with Christ, where sin and death have no dominion over him.

Looking at Bill’s life, he too can say the same thing that St. Paul did: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” There were times in Bill’s life where he did fight, even times where he fought for his life. Serving in World War II must have been difficult. The old saying, “war is hell” could not have been any more true for Bill. After being held in a POW camp for eight months, Bill probably experienced hell on earth. But he survived. He “finished the race.” Throughout everything, Bill “kept the faith.” Bill continued to look to the future. Because he could. Because he had hope – the hope of heaven and eternal life for Jesus’ sake.

There is one thing that is stake for every single person: life and death. Paul knew that more than anyone. He sought to put to death anyone who sought new life in Christ. It wasn’t until he came into contact with Christ that he realized that he was dead. He was dead because he did not Christ and the salvation that He brought. Upon his conversion, Paul sought to bring that saving message of Jesus Christ to anyone and everyone. Praise be to God that Bill knew that saving message. He knew that he was heaven-bound. He knew that it on account of Christ, He was forgiven. It wasn’t anything that Bill had or hadn’t done that makes him certain of eternal life. It’s all about who Christ is and what He’s done.

That same forgiveness, that same eternal life that Bill has is given by Christ to you as well. That’s what Paul means when he says, “not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem brought peace and goodwill, and His appearance on the cross won salvation for the world. The Lord still appears in His Word and His Sacraments; and where He is, there is forgiveness, life and salvation. That’s why Paul can look ahead, because heaven is his solely for the sake of Jesus. And because it was solely for the sake of Jesus, that crown of righteousness is certain.

That same reward that awaited Paul is the same reward that awaited Bill and it is the same reward that awaits you as well. The crown of righteousness that Bill has received is nothing short than the complete removal of his sins and the giving of righteousness won by Christ.

That same hope is yours, and it is just as certain because it is for the sake of Christ. We are always in the shadow of death in this sinful world, and we don’t know how much time we have left here. But we can say with confidence, “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day.” No matter what lies ahead, you always have more life to look forward to. That life is yours, not on account of your merit or worth and not on account of your actions. That life is yours on account of Christ and what He has done for you, the same thing that He did for Bill: was born into this sinful world to redeem it. The crown of righteousness belongs to Christ, who wore the crown of thorns for you. Risen again, He lives and reigns forever, and He shares that crown of righteousness with you. Eternal life is yours solely because Jesus died to make it so. Because of the cross, the Lord will rescue you from every evil deed and bring you safely into His heavenly kingdom. What Christ has done for Paul, what Christ has done for Bill, Christ also does for you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost–“Son of David” (Matthew 22:34-46)

A-83 Proper 25 (Mt 22.34-46)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 Gospel, which was read earlier.

After all the times the Pharisees had tried to trick Jesus into saying or doing something that would incriminate Himself, you would think they would learn that Jesus was smarter than their tricks. In last week’s Gospel reading, the Pharisees enlisted the help of their disciples and the Herodians to trick Jesus so that they would find cause to put Him to death, yet their attempts proved to be unsuccessful.

It is Tuesday of Holy Week and Jesus’ public ministry is rapidly coming to a close. Jesus now faces yet another three temptations so to speak, questions asked by the Pharisees: the question of paying taxes to Caesar, the question of the resurrection of the body, and this question regarding the greatest commandment.

In today’s Gospel reading, Matthew tells us that the Pharisees gathered together after they had heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees. They were delighted to see that Jesus had managed to silence the Sadducees, yet the Pharisees had to continue to find a way to trap Jesus in His words or actions because they couldn’t find anything else to pin on Him.

Jesus had just made the Sadducees look like fools when they tried to trick Him with a question about the resurrection, which they didn’t believe in. The Sadducees couldn’t trip up Jesus with their question, but that just gave the Pharisees all the more reason to try and do the same. After all, if they can trip up Jesus with a trick question, then not only will they show Jesus to be a fool, but they will also demonstrate their academic superiority over their greatest rivals – the Sadducees. As far as the Pharisees are concerned, this was a win-win opportunity. All their enemies would be silenced and they would come out on top.

Perhaps, this is the moment! The Pharisees send out to Jesus a lawyer, one who was an expert in the Old Testament Law, and asks Jesus a simple question, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” When we look at the question, we are hard pressed to see how this question is designed to test Jesus. Maybe they were expecting a certain answer, one that would be the nail in Jesus’ coffin. Nonetheless, there was a reason why the question was asked.

Jesus does something different. He demonstrates the fact that He truly understands the commandments. He knows what they mean. This is why He sums up the entire Law in two brief statements: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” This is what all the Law and Prophets, that is, all of Scripture points to and teaches and means. You can’t argue with this answer, can you? The Pharisees didn’t even try to argue. In fact, St. Mark tells us that the Pharisee who asked the question could only congratulate Jesus for giving such a profound and wise answer.

How easy it is to say this law. Love God with all your resources and love your neighbor as you love yourself. This law is easy to say, but impossible to do. The fact is that we often love ourselves with all our resources, and we love our neighbor when we will receive something in return and love God with our leftovers. When we come before God, we must confess: “We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbor as ourselves. We justly deserve your present and eternal punishment.”

But God does not punish us. Instead, He shows the love to us that we should show to Him. He shows us that ἀγάπη love, the unconditional love from the Father. In this unconditional love, God sent His only begotten Son into the world to save us from our sins.

Still, the Pharisees didn’t have enough to put anything on Jesus, nor did they truly understand the answer Jesus had just given. Instead of answering any more questions, Jesus asks a question to the Pharisees: “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?”

What a change of events for the Pharisees. They were the ones who asked the questions, not the other way around. This isn’t just tit for tat that Jesus is doing. His is a serious question, and an honest answer would bring His opponents to a correct understanding of Him whom they are opposing.

Remember when this account takes place – during Holy Week. As Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, He declared Himself to be the long-awaited Messiah, but He did so in the humblest of ways by riding on a donkey. Now, on Holy Tuesday, as He puts this question to the Pharisees, He makes the highest claims for Himself as the Messiah.

They answer Jesus that the Christ is the son of David. Every good Jew knew that so it was pointless to ask that question, right – unless your name is Jesus and you are teaching the Pharisees through your question. If you were a Pharisee, you would have expected the Messiah to reestablish the golden age of David and Solomon, to cast off the Roman yoke and put an end to the hated tax and make Jerusalem great like it was before. But that was not the role of the Messiah; it was not the role of Jesus. The role of Jesus was to come and to die. The role of Jesus was to come and forgive you all of your sins. The role of Jesus was to make you holy before the Lord your God.

That’s why Jesus asked this question to them. They had forgotten about the fact that the Messiah was also Almighty God and Lord. They had completely forgotten what the Messiah meant to people living in this fallen and sinful world. They had forgotten that the Messiah would come to forgive them all of their sins.

We may not want to admit it, but sometimes, we, too, look for the same son of David that the Pharisees were looking for, and when He’s not meeting our expectations, we doubt. We go looking for something else. We look around for an earthly solution; failing to look up to our Lord and Savior in humble thanksgiving for the solution He has provided for our deadly and damning sinful condition. We want things to be good and right in the here and now, often failing to remember that Christ’s kingdom is not of this fallen and sinful world. We fail to remember that because of Christ’s all-redeeming death and resurrection, we are co-heirs and fellow citizens of His heavenly kingdom, and that by His unconditional grace and love alone.

There was a time that each of us hated God as an enemy. Now He fills us with His love and makes us His beloved children. Once, we were not a people. Now we are the people of God. Once, we were the slaves of sin. Now we are the free people of Heaven. Once we were subject to God’s eternal judgment. Now we are subject to God’s eternal love. God’s love has conquered evil and made us His children forever. 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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Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost–“God’s Blessings” (1 Thessalonians 1:1-10)

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.

The task of a traveling speaker is to go to various places and deliver a very moving and thought-provoking speech. Otherwise, the traveling speaker will find himself not being asked to go and speak anymore. To prove your worth as a speaker, you’ve been on the road for the last five years and your speaking engagements have been booked for another four years after that. After speaking non-stop for nearly 10 years, the message must be pretty good; otherwise you wouldn’t be speaking anymore.

This is exactly what the apostle Paul did. His first missionary journey began in 47 and he continued writing to, visiting, and preaching to the various churches until the year 68 when Paul was executed. From the moment of his conversion, Paul’s message was the same everywhere he went: the message was Christ crucified. In looking at his letter to the Thessalonians, he gave thanks to the Church for their faithfulness, for their “work of faith and labor of lave and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Here’s one reason to rejoice in the news from this text: God has chosen you. Note what is going on: God is the One who is doing the choosing. Jesus clarifies to His disciples in John 15, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

God has chosen you. That’s huge. Most of American Christianity today says it’s the other way around: you choose God. You dedicate your life to Him or accept Him as your Lord and Savior. You make the commitment—and because you do the choosing, you’re a Christian.

However, that’s not the way that it is. Look at what Paul says: “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you….” There is a certain order to the sentence. God is the one doing the choosing and we are the chosen. This is good news for you, for God has chosen you to be the recipient of His blessings and His mercy. If God is the one who is doing the choosing and He chooses you, then you can be sure that you are the chosen.

Ask yourself this question: If we were the ones who did the choosing, would we be able to choose God? Or better yet, would we want to choose God? Why would we want to choose God when we can do it ourselves, right? Don’t we know better than God? Fortunately for us, we’re not the ones doing the choosing because we would choose wrong.

So how did God choose you? Was it because you’re so nice? Was it because you’re such a good person? Maybe it’s because you’ve done earn enough to earn the right to be chosen. God did not choose you because you’re nice or because you’re a good person and definitely not because you’ve earned it. God chose you because of the Gospel. He saves you by His Son Jesus and His sacrificial death on your part. He saves you by His wonderful means of grace: His Word and His Sacraments. Through His Word, you hear that your sins are forgiven because Jesus has taken your sins upon Himself and given to you His righteousness. Through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, you have God’s very name placed upon you, forgiveness given to you through the water and the Word. Through the Lord’s Supper, you feast upon the very body and blood of Jesus, a meal which is beyond anything that we have ever had, because unlike other meals, this meal gives to you the forgiveness of your sins.

Paul reminded the Thessalonians of the love that has been shown to them. It is not just any simple love, but true love that comes from God the Father. This love is different from the usual meaning of the word. It means loving the unlovable, loving your enemies, loving people that you can’t even like. That is the love that was shown to us; ἀγάπη love, unconditional love which comes from God. We who are unlovable, we who are enemies of God, have been shown true love by the Father. We have been chosen to be His own, just as it is recorded for us in 1 Peter: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” Paul’s purpose in his letter to the Thessalonians is to remind them of the love which they have in God. As you and I read this letter of Paul, we too are reminded of the love which has been lavished upon us; not because we desire it, because we don’t; not because we deserve it, because we don’t: rather, it is love lavished upon us solely because of the love that God has for His chosen people.

Paul had great joy for the church at Thessalonica. His joy was because of who they had placed their faith in: Jesus Christ, our Lord. His joy was because of the Gospel which had been preached to them and which they continue to preach to others. His joy was for the hope they had: hope that would bring about eternal life. He commends them for the fact that they have not wavered in their Christian hope. They have been steadfast, unchanging, unmoved by any outside circumstances, and there were many.

What about you and me? Are we steadfast, unchanging, unmoving in our faith, or do we fold at the first sign of trouble? If we are steadfast, unchanging, and unmoving in our faith, what is the basis of our faith? If it were based upon our own actions, we would indeed receive a failing grade from God. Praise be to God that it is not based on our actions, but on the actions of Jesus Christ. Paul reminds his readers that they were chosen by God. They had received the Gospel “in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.” All these fine qualities that he found among them were the result, not of their being such good people, but of God being their God, of Christ being their Savior. All of these qualities are yours as well because God has chosen you and has made you His beloved children. You are saved because God has chosen you for Jesus’ sake, and He has chosen you by means of His Word, with the Holy Spirit and with power. It is certain, because He has done it and continues to do so. 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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Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost–“Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4-13)

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

“Are we rejoicing in the Lord, brothers?” That is how Dr. Maier, or WAM 2 as we called him at the seminary, would begin his classes. We knew what the answer had to be, or else. The day that we covered Philippians 4, he made it very clear that if we were not rejoicing in the Lord, then we should leave. The reason was simple. Paul urged the Philippians continually to rejoice in the Lord. He required this rejoicing on their part also under circumstances when the more routine and common threats to their happiness appear; in other words, when life occurs.

Life comes at us and it often comes hard and fast. We’re caught up with our ongoing to-do lists, running kids back and forth between one sport and another, the daily grind of our jobs, and the list goes on and on. It can be very easy to go about life and not have any joy, find no reason to rejoice. At other times, it may not be hard to rejoice sometimes. As children of God, we can always find cause for rejoicing since our joy is not based on the ups and downs of everyday life, nor upon the temporary and sometimes artificial happiness which the world has to offer. Our joy is found “in the Lord.” There is joy in knowing that your sins are forgiven. There is joy in knowing that we can come to the Lord’s Table to receive the gift of everlasting life through His body and blood. This joy can never be taken away.

However, rejoicing always, that’s a different story. Human emotions are vulnerable to drastic changes at a moment’s notice. One minute a person is up, the next they are down. Circumstances shape feelings. No one is able to completely control their emotions. How then can God demand of us that we rejoice always?

We have reason to rejoice because God’s peace guards our hearts and minds. Paul reassures the Philippians to “not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” I don’t know about you, but there are many times in my life where I have been anxious: the day I received my placement into the Office of the Holy Ministry, the day I got married, the day my children were born. Who knew what exactly would happen? Would everything go the way it was supposed to go?

Instead of becoming anxious about all the troubles and cares over which they themselves have no control, Paul tells the people at Philippi to present their requests to God. Even though the heavenly Father knows our thoughts, needs and desires already, He Himself wants us to bring our requests before the throne of grace. One of the greatest joys and blessings the child of God has is the invitation of “casting all your anxiety on him, because He cares for you.” There is nothing to worry about because in everything, no matter what the concern, the request may be brought before God. At the cross do we receive our forgiveness and at the cross do we receive “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,” that peace which “will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

We are able to rejoice in the Lord always because of the love that God has shown to us, His beloved children. Look at what Paul says: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Paul’s list has six items in one series, that is, all six designate the same things. All of the things that Paul mentioned in this list have one thing in common: they all flow from God. More importantly, these are all things that the Philippians have received in Jesus Christ. It had been nearly a decade since Paul first visited the Philippians. During that time, a lot has happened. Not everyone was still following the message of Christ crucified which Paul had brought to them, though most were. Not everything was focused on the gifts that Jesus gave to His Church: forgiveness, life, salvation. Here was Paul, reminding the Church of the gifts that God had given to them, something which they knew, but had forgotten.

We listen with careful hearing and expectant hearts to the words which Paul says: “The Lord is at hand.” When Paul wrote this, it was after He saw Christ for Himself. But this has application for us also: the Lord Jesus Christ is at hand as we meditate upon His Word, as receive His body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins. We have joy because Christ conquered sin and death for us. All that robs us of hope and joy has been defeated at the cross through the suffering and death of Jesus Christ on our behalf. Since the sin that separated us from God has been removed by Jesus’ cross, we are now back together with Him, for we are “in the Lord.”

This gives to us a new sense of purpose in life, for we are now made God’s children and by being made His children, we have the constant declaration made to us, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Because the Lord is at hand, we need not be anxious about anything as Paul says. It is easier to not be anxious about anything when things are going your way, but when everything seems to be crumbling around you, it is hard to rejoice and not be anxious. Christians do not need to be anxious about life because the Lord deeply cares for us and will provide for all of our earthly needs; these are First Article promises that God has made to us.

When we stop and think about it for a moment, it is hard to be anxious when you are rejoicing in the Lord. Yes, times may be bad, times may be difficult, but God is still caring for you and providing for you. Are we in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving letting our requests be made known to God? Do we trust in Him to provide for us or are we relying upon ourselves to provide for our needs? We may fool ourselves into thinking that it is by our own means that we have a roof above our heads and food on our tables, but what can we do to bring salvation to ourselves? We can do absolutely nothing to bring about our own salvation, so we rely solely upon God and His graciousness.

Until that time when we see Christ in His Second Coming, we are left with these words of Paul: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This peace as he says, far surpasses all of our limited, human understanding, for this peace is none other than the Gospel itself, a Gospel which says that we deserve hell and damnation, yet we have been made holy and righteous. It is a Gospel which says that God has loved us enough to send us His only-begotten Son, not because we deserve Him, but solely out of the unmerited grace that God has for His creation. It is a peace that is based on the fact that God has reconciled us to Himself through His Son. It is a peace that endures and guards and sustains us in our reason for rejoicing.

No matter what circumstance we find ourselves in, God gives us a reason to rejoice. He is our ever-present help in time of need, to forgive, sustain, and support us. With the assurance of His love and presence in Christ Jesus, we can place all that we are and all that we have in His hands for time and eternity and rejoice in His grace and mercy toward us. So, are we rejoicing in the Lord, brothers? You’re darn right we are! In Jesus name, amen. Now the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, amen.