St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

Sermon text: Luke 12:32-34

32 Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

My dear friends in Christ. We are used to being members of a flock. We are used to being members of St. John’s Lutheran Church. We are used to being called God’s Children. Today, in our lesson, the Lord Jesus calls us his little flock. He addresses his little flock because he wants to issue a warning and an encouragement. We are reminded today, that Jesus’ little flock looks forward to heavenly treasures. We look forward to heavenly treasures because worldly treasures are easily lost, and because heavenly treasures last forever.

The first thing that I want to point out to you is the title Jesus uses to refer to us in this lesson. He calls us his “little flock”. Christians sometimes make the mistake of evaluating their ministry on the basis of the congregation’s size or the attendance on Sundays. No where in scripture does the Lord say, “If you are faithful to my Word and preach and teach my Word in its truth and purity, you will be blessed with a visible church that is growing in membership and size.” In fact, Jesus’ gives us just the opposite impression in this lesson when he calls the group of believers before him a “little flock”. Perhaps we have caught ourselves at times wondering because we are thinking about our own congregation’s size or attendance on Sunday morning. Have we ever been discouraged because we don’t have two services like bigger churches, or because we don’t have over 200 people in worship or because we don’t have 30 children in Sunday School? There is no reason to be ashamed when we look in our bulletin and see that we had 90 people gathered to hear God’s Word in our sanctuary last Sunday. There is no reason to be ashamed when we look in our bulletin and see that we had 10 children in our Sunday School last Sunday. There is no reason to be ashamed when we consider the “little flock” that the Lord chooses to feed with his nourishing word each week in our congregation. Instead, it is reason for rejoicing to realize that the Lord has brought those 90 souls, those 10 children, those fellow sinners here where the Holy Spirit works through God’s Word to change hearts, and strengthen the faith of God’s precious little flock.

Where do you stash your treasures? Squirrels will spend their summers and falls gathering food which they store away in the hollows of trees, and hide in special places all around your yard. Children will hide their little treasures under the cushions of couches and under beds, and in other places where you would never guess. The trouble with both of those situations is that squirrels and children sometimes forget all the places where they hide their prized possessions. Soon the fun toy that they loved to play with is gone, and they can’t remember where they hide the toy so they could play with it again. Jesus reminds us that we sometimes store away our treasures in the wrong places. In verse 33 Jesus said,

“Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.”

Where do we put our treasures? Are we storing up treasures that will only last in this world? Are we storing up treasures that thieves can steal and rust and moths can destroy? Each of us will have to evaluate our own lives to see if this is the case. It does not matter how rich or poor we might be, for we can all fall into the trap of storing up treasures in this world that do not last. In looking at our lives, what do we see? When we have taken overtime hours or when we have invested the time to pursue a better paying job of a better carrier has it been as the expense of our attendance at worship, or our service that we give to the Lord’s kingdom work? Have we ever with held our offerings because we wanted to buy some worldly treasure we had not set aside the money to get? Have ever questioned God’s faithfulness to us because we experienced a financial hardship or because we never seemed to have enough to do better than scraping by each month, as if God has somewhere promised his little flock that they would be rich in worldly wealth? Jesus knew how tempting it would be for us to be cheap towards God, while at the same time trying to gain as much of the American dream as possible.

Perhaps you noticed that I did not read the first part of verse 33,

“Sell your possessions and give to the poor.”

I did not read that at first because it is often misunderstood if we don’t understand the rest of verse 33 which I just spoke about. Jesus is not telling his followers to sell all their possessions, or to give everything they owned to the poor. If such things were done, all of us would soon need to live in homeless shelters and need handouts from other people in this world. Jesus is trying to get our attention. What is more important, our earthly treasures or the joys he has won for us in heaven? If it came to loosing heaven or selling our possessions and giving it to the poor which would it be for us? Are we truly willing to part with our worldly and temporal blessings if the choice was between our saving’s account and our home in heaven? Jesus is reminding us to not fall into the trap of the rich man he describes earlier in this same chapter of Luke 12. The rich fool was selfish and conceited. He sinfully managed all of his earthly blessings by keeping everything for himself, and giving nothing to the Lord and his kingdom work. The rich fool died before he could enjoy a single penny of all of the wealth he had amassed for himself. As the old saying goes, “You can’t take it with you.” He died and lost his treasure, for he had no care for the treasures of heaven. Jesus does not want us to make the same mistake. He wants us to have a treasure that lasts forever. He wants us to have a treasure that can never be stolen by thieves or destroyed by moths. Jesus’ little flock looks forward to heavenly treasures because worldly treasures are easily lost, but heavenly treasures last forever.

Jesus did not addresses his followers, his little flock, simply to give a warning. He also wanted to comfort and encourage them. We hear those words of encouragement in verse 32,

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”

Jesus is giving a continual comfort.

“Continue to not be afraid, little flock.”

No matter how hard the work of the church becomes on this side of heaven, don’t be afraid. No matter how difficult your lives become on this side of heaven, don’t be afraid little flock. Don’t be afraid little flock because the Father is giving to you the kingdom. Jesus’ comfort which takes away our fears and replaces them with sheer joy is the comfort of knowing that heaven is our home.

It sounds too good to be true.

“The Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”

How can this be our human reason and nature want to question? We have sinned. We have at times tried to store up our treasures in this world instead of looking forward to our treasures in God’s eternal kingdom. We have not lived up to God’s demands, how can this be? The one who gives us this blessed assurance is the one who guarantees it. Jesus lived perfect under the law and died on the cross for our sins, so the Father could offer the heavenly kingdom to us. Having completed his work as our Savior, the Heavenly Father not only desires to give us the kingdom, he will give us the kingdom of heaven on the basis of Jesus’ work. So if it sounds too good to be true, it is only possible thanks to Jesus, and his willing work as our Savior and Redeemer. No wonder, Jesus can with all confidence assure us,

“Don’t be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”

Our Lord has prepared a place for us in his eternal kingdom. The treasures and joys of heaven are truly unique. They will never be destroyed. Remember this promise of Jesus, the next time one of your joys or earthly treasures is destroyed. Remember this promise of Jesus, the next time you loose your health, your financial security, your happy days. Jesus has made sure that we have treasures in heaven that can never be taken away from us. They will last forever. Jesus’ little flock looks forward to heavenly treasures. Amen.

Sermon text: Colossians 2:6-15

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. 9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

My dear friends in Christ, who gather around God’s Word for the blessing of the Holy Spirit’s work. An old healthy tree can withstand great pressure. The winds can rage so hard that shingles are lifted off roof, but a tree in the backyard remains standing. It is rare to see a tree uprooted by a storm, unless the tree has already experienced some decay. It takes great force to bring down a healthy tree because the Lord has created trees with the ability to send a network of roots deep into the ground. Today, the Lord speaks of Christians as being rooted. “God Protects Us from Being Uprooted” by keeping us away from rotting influences and by keeping us strong with Jesus’ saving work.

Paul had been encouraged to hear the good news about the Colossians. God had created a firm trust in Jesus as the Savior of the world. The Colossians had been firmly rooted in Jesus through the good news of his saving work. All of this being true, Paul still expresses his concern by encouraging them to continue to live in Jesus by remaining rooted and built up in Jesus. Paul understood as he penned the words of this letter that others were present in Colosse who were hoping to lead away God’s faithful servants in the congregation with their hollow and deceptive philosophy and the basic principles of the world. These false teachings seemed to take a number of different forms, for Paul warns against the worship of angels, those demanding circumcision, and those requiring the Colossians to keep Old Testament festivals.

As I look across these pews I see people that by God’s grace have been rooted and now stand firm with trust in Jesus alone for their salvation. This is your confession of faith. Just as Paul expressed his concern for the Colossians, so I offer you the same encouragement to continue to live in Jesus by remaining rooted and built up in Jesus. We have our own share of hollow and deceptive philosophies which we encounter in our modern age. We pride ourselves in America as being a sophisticated and technologically advanced civilization. We take pride in scientific discoveries. What do we do when modern science conflicts with God’s Word? Many within Christianity would tell us that we need to bow to science. So will we fall prey to the temptation to throw away portions of God’s Word, simply because modern science tells us a different message. How do you know when science is right? It goes against the Lord’s nature to lie. His inspired word can not be filled with lies. So when science conflicts with the words of the almighty creator of heaven and earth, I say we go with God’s account, instead of looking for ways to mesh modern science with God’s Word, by calling into question what God has clearly written about creation, original sin, Jesus as the only way to eternal life, and when life begins and when life ends in God’s eyes. Yes, the Lord intends to keep us from being uprooted by warning us against those hollow ideas that threaten to bring rot and decay into our faith in Jesus.

The Lord will keep us from being uprooted by keeping our saving faith firmly focused on his Son, Jesus, and what he accomplished as the Savior of the world. Paul gives us one of the most amazing doctrinal statements of comfort in our lesson for this morning. In verse 9 he writes, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.” This statement explains the unique person of Jesus Christ, our Savior. In one person, Jesus is both fully God and fully human, having flesh and blood like us. This one doctrinal truth makes Jesus’ suffering and death unique. Having all the fullness of the God in human flesh and blood enabled Jesus’ blood that was shed on the cross to win forgiveness for all the sins of the world. Without being fully God and fully man, Jesus would have failed as our Savior. When God the Father sent his only begotten Son, he made sure that he could win forgiveness for the sins of all people. When we partake of the Lord’s Supper this morning, Jesus gives us the incredible assurance that we are eating and drinking along with the bread and the wine the body and blood of God himself, the same body and blood which won our eternal redemption. Having all the fullness of God, Jesus also rules over all authorities and all powers. Modern scientists believe they have such great authority based on their vast knowledge. Modern governments consider themselves so progressive because of the advances of modern society. Yet, they are all nothing compared to the one who came as our Savior. No matter how much knowledge, wealth, or power one person or one country may gain it is nothing compared to Jesus who is fully God and man and rules over all things as the victorious Savior of the world. God keeps us from being uprooted by keeping us connected to our powerful Savior through faith.

Apparently the false teachers of Paul’s day were encouraging the Colossian males who grew up as Gentile pagans to be circumcised. Perhaps they even made this physical change sound appealing by telling the Colossians they would be more “complete” Christians or “superior” Christians. Paul tells the Colossians that they have already experienced something which is far greater than anything offered by this outward physical change. They have been baptized. Now, Paul is talking about something that we understand. All of us have been baptized, most as infants. Here the Lord reminds us of the incredible blessing we have in our baptism. In verses 12-13 we hear,

“Having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins.”

Our baptism joined us with the amazing God-Man, Jesus Christ, and his saving work. In our baptism, the Holy Spirit took people deserving eternal punishment in hell, and joined us to the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus by creating saving faith in him in our hearts. Now God considers Jesus’ perfect life our own. Now God considers Jesus’ suffering and death our payment for the sins we committed. Now God has made us alive with saving faith focused on Jesus and with a new person who worships the Lord, calls on his name, and despises the schemes of the Devil and his Demons. The spiritual changes are mighty and miraculous. All our sins have been forgiven, for Jesus’ shed blood has paid for them all. The Law can not act as a bully against us, because Jesus has saved us from the Law’s threats and condemnation. Finally, at our baptism, the Devil lost control over our lives. When Jesus descended into Hell, he made this clear to all powers. Jesus did not descend into hell to fight a battle. The battle for our salvation was fought and won on the cross. Jesus descended into hell to declare his victory over the Devil and his Demons. They could not have control over God’s children, for Jesus has already defeated and disarmed them of their greatest weapon, the fear of the punishment of our sins. Yes, God keeps us from being uprooted by keeping us strong with Jesus’ saving work.

My dear friends in Christ, you are rooted and you remain rooted in Jesus by God’s almighty power to save. When the evil foes plot and schemes against us come back to these mighty words inspired by the Holy Spirit. Be reminded how the Lord worked so powerfully through your baptism to root you and me in Christ Jesus, our Savior. I don’t know if we always think about the miraculous and powerful work the Holy Spirit has done in our lives at our Baptism. What a comfort to think often upon the Lord’s miraculous sacrament! God has rooted us in Jesus at the time of our baptism by joining us as benefactors of Jesus’ saving work. It will be the Lord who keeps us rooted in Jesus till he calls us home to heaven forever. Amen.

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Sermon text: Colossians 1:21-23

21Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation — 23if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

My dear friends in Christ who gather here today around God’s precious word thanks to the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. The Lord has recently reminded us of the meaning of “mighty”, or at least its meaning in nature. About two weeks ago an earthquake in northern Japan caused a small, but measurable radiation leak at a nuclear reactor. While we experienced drought, the south central part of the United States has experienced record rain fall causing rivers to rise up out of their banks flooding areas of our country that have never been flooded in the past. Just this past Thursday, a violent storm complete with large hail stones pounded Adrian as it passed through our county. The forces of nature are mighty, and can quickly wash away the things designed and built by human beings. Today, our lesson speaks about something which welds more power than any force of nature. Today, we are reminded, “The Gospel is Mighty.”

The Gospel is mighty in reconciling God’s enemies. The Gospel is mighty in creating saving faith.

Our lesson is the second part of beautiful presentation of the Gospel, namely the work of Jesus Christ the Savior of sinners. Paul wanted to assure the Colossians that the Gospel message they had heard about Jesus’ saving work was sufficient to provide their eternal salvation.

Apparently, the Colossians questioned the mighty Gospel’s power to save. In this same letter Paul had to write firm spiritual warnings. In 2:18 Paul warns,

“Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions.”

The Colossians were hearing that Jesus was not enough, but they needed to worship the angels as well. In Colossians 3:1-3 Paul also warns,

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”

Their focus on earthly things threatened the salvation God had freely given to them by a risen and living Savior.

Yes, I suppose at times we might question the mighty power of the Gospel to save our rotten souls. We might have our doubts that the perfect life, suffering and death of God’s Son are good enough to win forgiveness for our sins. We might think we need to understand human psychology in order to understand the Gospel’s mighty power to save souls. We might think we need some other “religious” writing to make the Gospel truly effective in our lives. Yes, like the Colossians we might be tempted to believe someone who says that Jesus was not good enough to save the whole world all sins.

We might be tempted to wonder or question the Gospel’s mighty power, but our lesson destroys those daydreams of our sinful flesh. Paul tells us of the Gospel’s mighty power. In verse 21-22,

“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you.”

Reconciling us to God was no small task. Before our reconciliation we were alienated from God and we were enemies. According to our sinful nature we despised and hated God. We considered him vengeful and cruel. Our own evil behavior which we commit when we fall into sin giving into our sinful nature, the Devil, and the sinful world in which we live are reminders of this former relationship based on hate. It seems like such arch enemies could never be reconciled, but the good news of the Gospel declares us reconciled to God.

What seems so impossible to accomplish, Paul goes on in verse 22 to describe how it was done!

“He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”

God demands perfection. God demands that sins must be punished. Jesus came in the flesh as true God and true man having a real physical body so he could meet all of God’s demands. He lived perfectly under the law of God. No human being has ever done such a miraculous deed. Jesus then allowed his perfect body and life to be punished with the full wrath of God against the sins of the world. Jesus did not need to die for his sins, he was sinless and perfect. Jesus died to meet God’s demands upon our lives. We honor soldiers on the battlefield as heroes who place their bodies in front of enemy fire to protect a fellow soldier or who throw their bodies on grenades to absorb the blast in order to protect others. Such a sacrifice on the battlefield might save the physical life of a fellow soldier, but what Jesus did saved our eternity and our relationship with the Lord of heaven and earth. Jesus is much more than a hero, he truly is the only Savior. The results of Jesus’ willing sacrifice are clearly pointed out. We are now presented to God as children who are holy, free from sinful blemish, and free from accusations that our sins must be punished eternally. The Gospel is mighty for it declares us to be reconciled to God, thanks to Jesus.

The Gospel is mighty for it declares that Jesus has accomplished what would seem to our human minds impossible. Yet, Paul goes on to explain that the Gospel is mighty in having the power to give us faith that believes in Jesus’ miraculous work. In verse 23 he writes, “If you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven.” Our saving faith is a miracle of the mighty Gospel message. As sinful human beings our nature is to deny any hope based on the work of someone else. Our sinful nature wants credit for our salvation. Saving faith in Jesus believes just the opposite. Saving faith believes that we are completely incapable of contributing to our own salvation. Saving faith believes that our works and our decisions do not contribute a single ounce to our forgiveness. Saving faith believes and trusts and knows that Jesus alone has done everything necessary for God to announce that our sins are forgiven, we are his children, heaven is our eternal home, and we will be raised from the dead with glorified bodies just as Jesus rose from the dead victorious over death.

This miraculous saving faith is created through the mighty working of the Gospel. Did you notice in our lesson, how Paul tied faith to the good news of Jesus’ saving work. The Colossians had this miraculous saving faith in Jesus because they had heard the gospel proclaimed in their congregation. The Romans had heard about the power of the good news about Jesus in chapter 10:17, “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” The Gospel is mighty. God has promised to send the Holy Spirit through the Gospel message, the good news of what Jesus has done, to create and strengthen faith in Jesus. The very message that declares us forgiven in Jesus is the message that creates the life saving faith that believes, trusts, and knows that we are forgiven thanks to Jesus. Now that is a mighty message.

At the end of verse 23 Paul declares himself to be a servant of the Gospel. This is a statement that Paul repeats in different ways throughout his New Testament letters. The same Gospel that declares us reconciled to God, the same Gospel that the Holy Spirit uses to create saving faith in our hearts, is the same Gospel that motivates our service in the Lord’s kingdom. All of us are servants of the Gospel. Motivated by Jesus’ incredible sacrificial love we desire to say thank you to the Lord for what Jesus has done. Paul said thank you by proclaiming this same good news to others around the world. Each of us at times will say thank you to Jesus by putting out talents and earthly blessings to service in the Lord’s kingdom work which continues to spread the mighty Gospel message. Amen.

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Sermon text: Deuteronomy 30:9-14

9Then the LORD your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The LORD will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your fathers, 10if you obey the LORD your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 11Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 13Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 14No, the work is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

My dear friends in Christ. Sometimes we need a translator. I have yet to find a translator who speaks the language of an American 2 year old boy, but if you know one, I would love to get some needed translations. It is not always easy to understand someone else. Sometimes the barrier is development, and as adults we just don’t understand all of the sounds and gestures made by little ones. Sometimes the barrier is language. While in Japan there were a multitude of times I had no idea what the couple might be talking about on the train, or I failed to understand the directions that were being given by the bus driver which were all in Japanese. Thankfully, we are reminded this morning that our LORD is not hard to understand. Today, we learn that the LORD speaks clearly. He speaks clearly so we are without excuse, and so we are blessed.

Moses speaks the words of our lesson to the Israelites in the desert wilderness after he has explained the horrible things that will happen to the Jews because they would not remain faithful to the Lord in the Promised Land. Because they would bow down to false gods, and worship with the heathen the Lord would bring in foreign nations to call the Jews to repentance, and he would even have to exile them for 70 years in Babylon. The Lord never wanted to destroy his chosen nation. He carried out these multiple acts of discipline in order to preserve a faithful remnant of Jews through whom he could fulfill the promise to send the Savior of the world. Moses prophecy must have served as a comfort for generations of Jews when he said, “The LORD will again delight in you and make you prosperous.”

Certainly, Nehemiah, had in mind the Lord’s promise from the lips of Moses when he prayed in 1:8-9,

“Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.”

Nehemiah saw the Lord fulfill his promise of faithfulness to the exiled remnant who returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the Promised Land.

The Lord gave to the Israelites his commands in clear speech so they understood the Lord’s holy will. The Lord did not make his Word so hard to understand that the Jews had no idea of the Lord’s expectations. The Lord did not hide his Word so they had to search for generations in order to find out what the Lord wanted from them as his chosen people. No, he gave it in clear Words of their own language. The Lord made sure that his Word clearly spelled out his intent and plans for his nation who would bear the Savior of the World. The Jews had no excuse for the times they bowed down to a Golden Calf or some other idol. The Jews had no excuses for the times they acted more like the heathen nations that surrounded them, then as God’s chosen people.

Has the Lord asked too much from us, when he calls us to his Word to receive the answers to our spiritual questions? Has the Lord written the scriptures in such a way that only a well educated Master’s degree student can understand what God has written? Has the Lord made it almost impossible for us to get a copy of the Bible which we can read for ourselves? We so often misrepresent God’s Word in our lives. We let our family Bibles become places to record birthdays, wedding’s, and family genealogy facts, but fail to open them to read what it says. We watch TV and read the newspaper often letting them influence our views on our morality and our views of the roles fulfilled by men and women as if God had so little to say on these topics. We have taken to heart the encouragement to read to our children, but often fail to remember to read the Bible Stories which the Holy Spirit uses to strengthen their faith in Jesus, their Savior and Lord. In our sin we often treat God’s Word as if it is distant, hard, or impossible to understand. So we believe that Bible Study will be like advanced Calculus and stay away. We choose to sit down with a classic novel written in old English prose believing it will be easier to understand than reading our way through the Bible.

The reality is often far different than what we might portray by out actions. God wrote his Word for the benefit of all people, so we are without excuse when our lives conflict with what God has said in his Word. He wrote in such a way so that we could understand even though our understanding is feeble and corrupted as human beings. A great example is the love the Lord shows in describing heaven to us. How would you describe a place with joys and experiences that surpass all that this sinful world has to offer? How would you describe a place where sin does not exist, and God is viewed in his full glory? Listen to the Lord’s description of heaven in Revelation 21:3-4,

“Now the dwelling of God is with me, and he will live with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Our Lord knows that we could never imagine what heaven would be like if he tried to describe its wonders to us, so he describes heaven by telling us what we will never experience in heaven. He teaches us about heaven by using our experiences with death, pain, and suffering in this world. All of us can understand what God has written.

The Lord has spoken clearly, not to just take away our excuses, but he wants to bless us richly through his word. Moses is speaking these words to remind God’s people that God has clearly laid out his expectations for them as his chosen nation. Paul quotes Moses in the New Testament to point out that God has clearly written about the Savior of the world so that even the Jews would recognize him and believe in him. In Romans 10:8-9 we hear Paul’s inspired writing,

“But what does it say? The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,’ that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

God has not hidden or made his word so mysterious that we fail to know about God’s plan of salvation. The Lord speaks clearly because he wants us to know about Jesus. The Lord speaks clearly because he wants us to know that our salvation is completely accomplished in Jesus. The Lord speaks clearly because he intends to use his Word to create and sustain saving faith in the hearts of people. The Lord has spoken clearly because he wanted to condemn our sinful flesh so we see our deep need for a Savior. Having done that with the Law, the Lord speaks the Gospel clearly to tell us about the God/Man, Jesus Christ who fulfilled the Law of God perfectly, offered the one time perfect sacrifice on the cross for the sins of the world, and rose victoriously from the dead. The Lord spoke clearly because he knew that the good news of the Gospel changes our view of the future, gives hope in hopeless situations, and comforts those who suffer in this sinful world.

My dear friends in Christ, the Lord wants to bring blessings into our lives through his clear word. Come to worship each week to hear the great things he has done for our eternal salvation. Don’t be scared of Bible Study, but come and learn the precious truths of God’s Word and get your spiritual questions answered so you are ready to meet the challenges that come against our faith. Pick up those dusty Bibles in our homes and read a book that is not meant for entertainment, but to encourage us in the face of all sort of temptations and trials. The Lord has spoken clearly, hear and learn what he has to say. Amen.

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Sermon text: Galatians 6:1-10, 14-16

1Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, 5for each one should carry his own load. 6Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor. 7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature[a]will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. 14May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which[a] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15Neither circumcision nor un-circumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. 16Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God.

My dear friends in Christ, I imagine we have much to talk about. I know the lack of rain is on the minds and hearts of many of us whether we are farmers watching the damage to our crops, or if we are home owners watching our grass wither away. It is River Raisin Festival time, which brings lots to talk about. What are the best rides at the park, where is the cheapest and best meal, who won the pregnant, and just how much time are the teens spending down by the river? Do we have anything to boast about? Well, humility is usually a quality that is encouraged, but as Christians Paul tells us that we have good reason to be boasting. Our boast is in the cross of Jesus. Our boast is in the cross of Jesus without our own self-glorification, and with joy in our hearts because we know the great things he has done.

To introduce the only thing that is really worth boasting about Paul starts by highlighting the sanctified lives of Christians in the congregations of Galatia. He knew that as Christians carry out the work of the church on earth, there would be temptations to use every opportunity to boast about ourselves instead of about Christ. So he reminds us what we are to be doing as those who claim that our boast is in the cross of Jesus. In verse 1 he writes,

“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently.”

I really appreciate this verse, because with one stroke of the pen, Paul destroys the misinterpretations that other Christians and even those outside of the Christian church have put on a few passages. One passage which is often misused and misapplied is Matthew 7:1,

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”

So many people have used this passage to justify their inaction. Parents will not point out the sins being committed by their children. Christian churches will refuse to openly condemn the false teachings of other Christian churches. Another misused passage is 1 Corinthians 13:7 which is speaking about Christian love,

“It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

This passage is used to keep mouths silent about sins against God or to allow false teachings to remain. The context of both of those passages would destroy such false interpretations, but Paul does a wonderful job in our lesson as well. If a fellow believer has fallen into a sin, we have an obligation. We are to restore him or her. This does not mean that we simply ignore the sin. This does not mean that we simply look the other way, and act as if there is nothing offensive going on in the life of a fellow believer. We restore sinners the way God has always restored sinners. We use the law of God to uncover their sin or the truth of God’s Word to point out their false teaching. When the sinner recognizes his or her sin because of the working of the Law as a mirror, then we assure that individual that his or her sins are completely forgiven thanks to Jesus, our Lord and Savior. David wrote about God’s method of restoration in Psalm 50, a psalm he wrote after he had been confronted with sin by a strong preaching of God’s law and gospel from his prophet Nathan.

“2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight. 7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.”

So are we going to show love or are we going to seek our own glory. Showing true Christian love comes from a heart whose only boast is the cross of Jesus Christ. Show true Christian love is going to be hard and difficult. We might have to endure the angry tongue of a relative and friend who did not want his or her sin pointed out. We might have to feel at times as if we are persecuted because our beliefs and practices which cling to the truths of God’s Word are not welcomed in our world. We might have to pull our heads out of the sand and confront the misuse of God’s Word with clear explanations and consistent practices which defend the principles of God’s Word. Such things will not be easy, but finally, Paul explains in our verses that Christians are to care about fellow believers who are sinning.

Environmentalists take their cause seriously to protect wildlife. Well, a farmer in near Bowdle SD has expressed his views on the protection of wildlife. He has made a homemade sign which reads, “ANIMAL CARE – YES ANIMAL WORSHIP – NO FUR COATS? – WEAR ‘EM.” Why do we spend more time debating the welfare of animals, instead of debating the importance of every human life from conception to death? As Christians, the Lord reminds us that our first concern should be the souls and spiritual lives of others. In this lesson we are encouraged to correct a believer who has fallen into sin gently, we are encouraged to bear each other’s burdens, and we are encouraged not to think to highly of ourselves or to seek the praise of fellow human beings, we are encouraged to take care of those who preach and teach God’s Word, and finally we have the general encouragement to simply think about others in all we do. How easy it must be to think about ourselves and to forget about the souls who surround us here in our own congregation, and the souls we meet in our daily lives! How easy it must be to look for self glorification instead of simply boasting in the cross of Jesus.

You and I have not done many things which the world will remember for generations. I would be surprised if 5 of us will have our names recorded in some history book. Being faithful believers who love the Lord, and desire to serve him faithfully in our Christian lives does not attract the attention of news reporters. Jesus did do something worth talking about. Our boast is in the cross of Jesus Christ, because his work as our Savior deserves to be mentioned. The very Son of God humbled himself. He didn’t humble himself by simply living in some small town in America. He humbled himself by taking on the flesh and blood of his creation. He became the man we needed him to become. No human being can save him or her self. No human being can offer his or her life for the sins of another human being. God would never have accepted such an imperfect sacrifice. So God sent his only begotten son, because Jesus was, is, and still is perfect. Jesus could take on flesh and blood to live a perfect life for the world. Jesus could have the burden of the sins of the world placed on his back to win forgiveness for the world. Jesus could win forgiveness for those times in our lives when we were more concerned about a glorious and easy life in this world instead of being concerned about someone else’s eternal future. Jesus humbled himself to the point of being willing to give up his life for us on the cross. Jesus laid down his life only to take it up again, and rise from the dead on Easter morning. Now, Jesus did something worth talking about. Our boast is in the cross of Jesus Christ alone.

Jesus’ work has made possible a number of miracles. We were eye witnesses of one of those miracles this morning. Because of what Jesus has accomplished, Peter could speak of the blessings of Baptism in Acts 2:38-39,

“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

By the power of God’s Word used with the water the Lord did a miracle. He created life saving faith in the heart of Isabel Lehsten. He took a sinner, and made her his dearly loved daughter and washed her sins away. Our boast is in the cross of Jesus Christ, because of his blessed work we have a wonderful miracle in the Lord’s Supper. Jesus speaks of the blessing of forgiveness which comes to us in the Lord’s Supper when he gives his true body and true blood along with the bread and the wine. Matthew 26:26-28 says,

“Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

These miracles are coupled with the wonderful miracle I can give as an assurance every time one of God’s children are called out of this life by death. I know that because of the cross of Jesus Christ, those fellow believers are at home with the Lord, because Jesus promised in John 14:2,

“In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you.”

Yes, I think, all of you would agree, our boast is in the cross of Jesus Christ alone. Amen.

Sermon text: Galatians 5:1

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

My dear friends in Christ, it does not matter what we did on the 4th of July. The fireworks, the backyard bbq’s, and the parades all celebrate the same thing, freedom. Americans cherish their freedom. We cherish freedom to rule our nation with our own style of democracy. We cherish the freedom of speech. As WELS Lutherans we appreciate the freedom to practice our religion without the interference of our government. Today, with the celebration of our nation’s freedoms still fresh in our minds, we discover that Christians have freedoms that are so precious. The Lord urges us to, “Protect Our Freedoms”, because our freedoms are in danger, but we have assurances from the Lord.

Paul has good reason to be concerned about the Christians in the Galatian congregations. They were in danger of becoming slaves again. In two different ways they faced the real possibility of becoming enslaved. Jesus has freed us from the slave masters, the Devil, sin, and eternal suffering in Hell. The Galatian Christians were enslaved by those masters before the Apostle Paul and other called workers brought the good new of Jesus’ willing and perfect obedience to the Law, his one time sacrifice of his life for the sins of the world, and the good news of his resurrection. Every human being enters this world enslaved by the Devil, sin, and eternal death. It does not matter what family name you possess. It does not matter what economic status you have. This enslavement infects all people since the fall into sin.

The Galatians were in danger of becoming slaves again. Paul is not speaking a warning of parental concern that goes something like, “Now Johnny and Suzie, you go out in the backyard and play nice. Don’t get into trouble out there.” Such a statement is said when a parent feels everything is going to be just fine. Paul says,

“Stand firm!”

Wake up! This is serious! Your relationship with the Lord is in danger! Earlier in Galatians 1:7-8 Paul expresses his shock that the Galatians have started to listen to false teachers who promoted a salvation by fulfilling man made laws, “evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!” Woe Paul, that is a little strong. Let him be eternally condemned for preaching false teaching. To our politically correct ears such a statement sounds harsh. I would imagine that some in our country would consider these inspired Words of God to be “unchristian”. Paul knew the danger to the Galatians was real. He knew what it meant to be enslaved by deeds of the Law. After all, Paul had been a Pharisee, who persecuted the Christian Church because he believed that in doing so, he earned God’s favor. Paul knew what would happen if the Galatian Christians began to believe the false teachers. They would have the males of their family circumcised. They would begin keeping the Old Testament diet restrictions the Lord had given to the Jews. Their motive for doing these things had nothing to do with the “freedom” Jesus had won for them. They would do these things because they believed the false teachers who said that God required such actions in order to enter into the kingdom of heaven. No longer would the Galatians be free. They would be enslaved to the law. They would falsely place their trust in personal deeds instead of in the mercy and love shown in the work of Jesus.

Wow, those Galatians are really dense! How could they even consider being enslaved by the Law again, especially after having known about Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world! Don’t be to fast to condemn the Galatians without looking at our own lives. I’m afraid at times that when we read God’s Word, we believe that those words only apply to the congregations who were addressed by the New Testament letter. Paul’s words are for us too.

“Stand firm!”

Our faith in Jesus, our eternal home in heaven, and our relationship with God is in danger. Paul knew the Galatians of his day were in danger of loosing the “freedom” Jesus Christ had won for them by laying down his life for the world. We are in danger, as well, my friends in Christ. Do you remember Peter’s inspired words which warned of the dangers our faith in Jesus faces each day. In 1 Peter 5:8-9 we hear,

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
Yes, the one who once enslaved us, is on the prowl, friends, and he is looking to devour us. Our freedoms are in danger.

The largest world religion is not one that bows down to a statue of gold or silver. The largest world religion is one that we carry around in us every moment of every day, because our sinful nature still thrives within us. The largest world religion is “salvation by works” or “work-righteousness” or “slavery to the Law” and “slavery to the Devil”. From sinful parents we have inherited the messed up and crisscrossed wiring which actually believes that keeping the Law leads to salvation. We show this dangerous tendency in our daily lives. We often fail to give an invitation to a friend or relative to come to church; even though we know that they have no exposure to God’s Word at all. We often stay away from conversations at gatherings with relatives which discuss Jesus or our church. Yet, in the backs of our minds, if one of those friends or loved ones dies suddenly in a car accident, we actually try to comfort our aching heart with the belief that our loved one is in a far better place. Tell, me how can our loved one be in a far better place then this sinful world, if our loved one does not know about Jesus as the Savior of the world, or has no contact with the good news of the Gospel that converts sinners and keeps them in the one true faith? We must be thinking that the puny nice things that people do earn them God’s favor, because we know that they had no contact with Jesus. We show the danger of loosing our freedom every time we take more pleasure in the recognition we receive for our service in the church, instead of finding our pleasure in saying thank you to Jesus for bleeding and dying for us. We show the danger of being enslaved when we look longingly at other denominations that have bigger churches, more activities for young families, and exciting music. When we long for such things we forget what we would have to give up, like faithful preaching of God’s Word and Bible Study which never makes compromises with what the Bible says in black and white lettering. Protect our freedoms, for our freedoms are in danger. We are in danger of being enslaved again by the law, by the Devil, and by Hell.

History shows that freedoms can be lost. We have pride in ourselves, here in the United States, because we are a nation which has freedom as its rally cry. However, in order to have a country with all of these freedoms, early settlers took freedoms away from the native American Indians. Ask a Kurdish country man about freedom under the dictator Saddam Hussein. Hong Kong has great freedoms as a British Colony, but now Hong Kong has been turned over to China, which is a country that has always limited the freedom of its citizens especially in the area of religion. Freedoms from the Law, from sin, and from the Devil can be lost, whenever a believer turns his or her back on the forgiveness won by Jesus Christ alone with his perfect life, and his innocent suffering and death. This would be a bleak picture if Paul only showed the dangers of falling under the yoke of slavery again.

Paul does not leave us without hope and forgiveness. For those times we have slipped into believing that good deeds or nice things done by others count before God, the Lord reminds us from where our freedom came.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”

Christ set us free. Did you notice that Paul did not say, your decision has set you free, or your membership in a Christian denomination has set you free? Christ set us free. Christ Jesus did all that was necessary to win our salvation. He did the deeds that actually counted in God’s sight because he never sinned, nor did he have the corruption of sin that each of us inherit from our parents. Jesus’ deeds were righteous and perfect in God’s sight which is different from our deeds of thanksgiving which Isaiah calls filthy rags. Yes, Jesus has made all the difference in the world.

The Galatians were being influenced by false teachers to forsake the good news of Jesus’ work, and replace it with works of the law. The Devil is much more creative than to simply attack our faith in Jesus. He will use every angle until he finds our greatest weakness. As crafty as the Devil might be, he is still defeated by Jesus Christ, our Savior and our Good Shepherd. As our Good Shepherd who freed us from the yoke of slavery, Jesus gives us the following assurance in John 16:33,

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have over come the world.”

The one who overcame the world for our sakes will fight to defend us against those attacks that threaten to enslave us again under the Law or the Devil or the fear of Hell. Jesus kept the law perfectly in our place to free us from the law. Jesus won forgiveness for our sins, so that the Devil could not successfully convict us to endure the punishment our sins deserve. Jesus rose from the dead on Easter morning, proving that he has won the victory over death itself.

Our freedoms have been won by Jesus, and they will be preserved by his protecting power. Don’t take these threats to our faith lightly. Protect our freedoms through the study of God’s Word, and the miraculous blessing of the Lord’s Supper, for these Means of Grace the Lord will use to work in our hearts and keep the false religious of work-righteousness at bay. Amen.

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Sermin Text: Matthew 28:1-10

CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED! Listen to the report of Jesus’ resurrection recorded in Matthew’s gospel in chapter 28, reading verses 1-10:

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

My dear friends in Christ, is there a more glorious day than today? Was the first day of Creation more glorious, when God simply spoke and created time and space out of nothing? Oh no! The first day of creation was glorious, but one day all creation will collapse and be changed by God. He will do this with no more effort than it takes us to change our clothes. But this day, Easter, will shine for ever in its glory and importance. Will Judgment Day be more glorious, when Christ will return with all the angels, and raise th dead to face the judgment seat of God? Oh, no! Judgment day will be glorious, but without the events of Easter it would be a day that would fill us with terror. Without a living Savior, we would only hear God’s judgment of wrath against sin,

“Depart from me, you who are cursed”

Today, the day of Christ’s resurrection is the most glorious day of all. CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED! May today be treasured by us more than the day of our birth, more than our wedding day, and more than the day our children were born. Today, the glory of the cross reaches its climax.

Through out Lent we noticed that the glory of our Savior was hidden in his simple words and the lowly acts he performed to save us from our sins. Even on this glorious day, the glory of Jesus is hidden in part. In our account of the resurrection it is the angel from heaven that appeared glorious, not Jesus. The appearance of the angel was so shocking that the mighty Roman soldiers were stunned and terrified so that they fell to the ground like dead men. It was the angel who first spoke to the women who came to the tomb not Jesus. The mighty and glorious work of Jesus on this day was done hidden from sight. On Easter Sunday his body and soul were reunited in the grave. No one saw it. On Easter Sunday, St. Peter reports later in his first letter, the risen Christ descended into hell and proclaimed his great victory over sin, death, and hell. No one on earth witnessed this victory speech. Before the angel came and rolled the stone away, and greeted the women, Jesus had came out of the grave. But once again, no one saw it. The great and glorious events of Easter remained unwitnessed and unseen as Jesus rose from the dead that morning.

When the women arrive at the tomb, but they did not find what they expected. The Roman soldiers had run away to report to the chief priests. The stone was rolled away. Then the angel, delivered a message that was more glorious than his appearance,

“Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’”

Even after hearing the words of the angel, are we perhaps just a little disappointed. On this most glorious day, don’t we want to see Jesus in all of the glory and splendor that rightly belongs to him as the victorious Savior? Don’t we want Jesus to appear like the apostle John saw him when he received his vision of heaven and recorded it for us in the book of Revelation. Don’t we want Jesus looking like he will be on the Last Day when he comes in all of his splendor? Jesus, when he does appear as the risen Savior, still veils his glory. He did not appear to his followers to frighten them, but instead he appeared to prove he was alive. When the women saw Jesus they were not filled with fear like the Roman soldiers who shook in terror at the sight of the angel. Instead the immediately recognized him, and worshiped him while clasping his feet. Later Jesus would spend most of a day with two disciples who thought they were walking with just an ordinary man on the way to a village called Emmaus. Thomas would later declare,

“My Lord and my God!”

There will be a day to show his full glory as the Son of God and victorious Savior, but not today, not on Easter. The glory of Easter is not wrapped up in a glorious appearing of Jesus, but instead in the fact that he is alive. The work he finished on Good Friday is well and truly finished. Sin has all been paid for, covered in his blood. And now is the great day to proclaim the glory of that victory.

The true glory of Easter is captured in the words Jesus spoke to the women,

“Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Don’t be afraid! Those comforting words of Jesus summarize the whole good news of the gospel. They summarize the joy we have this morning as we stare into an empty tomb. You need Good Friday and Easter Sunday to live free from fear. You can’t have salvation without the events of both days. Just like fallen Adam and Eve, we were separated from God by our sin. Physical death and eternal death in Hell were the future we possessed as condemned sinners. Good Friday assures us that Jesus did exactly what was prophesied to our first parents. He would come and fight the battle against the Devil for our souls, and he would crush the head of the serpent. On Good Friday, Jesus won. Easter Sunday is proof that he won. Because of Easter and Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus words do bring us comfort. Don’t be afraid because he conquered the Devil. Don’t be afraid because he conquered hell for us. Don’t be afraid because he conquered the grave, so that death is powerless against us.

Is Jesus’ assurance for us? After all our conscience still condemns us for the daily sins we commit against God. Temptations still nag us for attention and our indulgence. Can we be free from fear? What was the second thing Jesus said to the women,

“Go and tell my brothers!”

Jesus calls his disciples, brothers! Weren’t they the ones who fell asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus had asked them to watch and pray. Weren’t they the ones who ran away when the mob came to to arrest Jesus. Wasn’t Peter the one who denied even knowing Jesus three times, while Jesus was condemned to death by the Sanhedrin? They do not deserve to be called Jesus brothers. No, they don’t deserve such a title of honor and compassion, and neither do we. For in our sins we are no better than Jesus’ inner circle of 12. With our sins we have failed to keep watch against the threats to the Lord’s kingdom in this world. With our sins we have betrayed our Savior and failed to defend his name. The glory of Lent and Easter is the good news that the sins of Jesus’ disciples, and our sins have been dealt with completely. With our sins forgiven, Jesus can call us his brothers and sisters. By calling us his siblings Jesus in a beautiful way of assures us,

“Don’t be afraid!”

All of us by faith and through our baptisms are dear, precious, beloved children of God. The glory of Easter proves this to be true. Our sins are paid for in full, and the curse of death has been destroyed. Our risen Savior is our proof.

We don’t need to see Jesus ourselves in the flesh to know the glory of Easter. Instead, Jesus has revealed his glory in his word. He made this point plainly to his disciples as well. Jesus had promised he would rise. Now instead of appearing immediately to his disciples he sends the women back with his Word that he had risen just as he promises. He promised to see them in Galilee, he would keep his Word. Jesus wants his disciples to depend on his Word, because soon he would ascend in heaven. Although physically gone, Jesus would never leave his disciples. He would be with them until the end of the world as he promised in his Word and Sacraments.

If we have come to find the glory of Easter, than we have come to the right place. Here is where God’s Word is proclaimed and the sacraments are administered. Here in God’s powerful word and sacraments the Lord promises to reveal his glory, and to drive away your fears.

“Don’t be afraid.”

God’s Word assures you and me that our sins are forgiven. Don’t be afraid of tomorrow and its problems and temptations. God’s Word assures us that the Lord will never leave us or forsake us. Don’t be afraid of the grave which lies ahead of us all no matter how young or old we may be. God’s Word assures us that death has been defeated and is merely a doorway through which we enter into his eternal kingdom.

As you go home this morning, leave knowing that you are Jesus’ brothers and sisters. Leave knowing that Jesus plans to share all of the glories of his eternal kingdom with you forever. As you continue on your journey through this sinful world, return here frequently. Return here so that you may experience through God’s Word and Sacraments what David wrote about in Psalm 34,

“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”

Here we will be reminded of Jesus’ glory. FOR CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED! HALLELUJAH! Amen.

Sunday 8:00am Easter Worship
9:10am Easter Breakfast
Monday 7:00pm Lutheran Confessions Bible Class
Tuesday 7:00pm Elders
8:00pm Church Council
Sunday 9:00am Bible Class and Sunday School
10:00am Worship (Individual Cup Communion)

Opening Hymn: “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today, Alleluia” 150
STAND

Acclamation
M: Christ is risen!
C: He is risen, indeed!
M: I know that my Redeemer lives,
C: and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.
M: And after my skin has been destroyed,
C: yet in my flesh I will see God;
M: I myself will see him with my own eyes – I, and not another.
C: How my heart yearns within me!
M: I have set the LORD always before me.
C: Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
M: Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
C: my body also will rest secure,
M: because you will not abandon me to the grave,
C: nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
M: You have made known to me the path of life;
C: you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
M: He will swallow up death forever.
C: The sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces;
M: He will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth.
C: The LORD has spoken.
M: In that day they will say,
C: “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
M: Christ is risen!
C: He is risen, indeed!

M: We marvel at the love you showed by your willingness to sacrifice your Son to pay for our sins; we bow down in adoration at your mighty power, which raised him from the dead.
C: We praise you for sending the true Life and Light into the world.
M: Lord Jesus, God of grace, you have filled our hearts with resurrection joy by your victory over sin, death, and the grave.
C: You have conquered the darkness and given us comfort and hope.
M: With the Church of every age, we offer you unending praise, for you have crushed Satan’s head and have removed our guilt.
C: You are risen!
M: Dear Savior, we who are weary and burdened come to you for rest, knowing that because of your perfect redemption there is now no condemnation for us.
C: You are risen indeed!
M: Take away our doubts and fears, and daily renew in us the joy of our salvation.
C: Alleluia!
M: Holy Spirit, God of grace, you have called us by the gospel and brought us to saving faith in our risen Lord.
C: We glorify you for opening our eyes to see the light of life.
M: Keep us with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.
C: He is risen!
M: As we journey through life, make us yearn for the day when you will give eternal life to us and all believers in Christ.
C: He is risen indeed!
Special prayers and intercessions may follow.
M: Work through us as we proclaim the saving message of the crucified and risen Jesus near and far, so that many others may hear your call, obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, and join us before the throne of our God and of the Lamb.
C: Alleluia! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Alleluia! Amen.

Hymn: “Like the Golden Sun Ascending” 147
Closing Prayer
M: Almighty God, by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ you conquered death and opened the gate to eternal life. Grant that we, who have been raised with him through baptism, may walk in newness of life and ever rejoice in the hope of sharing his glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit be dominion and praise now and forever.
C: Amen. (Spoken)

Benediction
M: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace.
C: Amen, Amen, Amen (Sung)
Closing Hymn: “He’s Risen, He’s Risen” 143

Sermon Text: Zechariah 9:9-10

9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.

My dear friends in Christ. We know what it means to shout. We like to shout and cheer at sporting events when our favorite team makes a goal or a three point shot. We even get so excited that we shout at our TV screens when the sporting event might be hundreds of miles away. Zechariah gives us a reason to shout and rejoice. As we celebrate our Savior’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday, we shout the praise of our king. We shout the praise of our king who came as a unique ruler and whom we will see again.

Are you amazed at the detail in which the Lord prophesied this event in Jesus’ ministry? Zechariah gives a detailed description of Jesus’ procession on Palm Sunday. He entered amid shouts of rejoicing. He rode upon the colt, the foal of a donkey. One other part of this prophecy rings true. Zechariah wrote in verse 9, “Gentle and riding on a donkey.” We normally don’t think of a king who had to fight vicious enemies as being gentle. Jesus also showed his humility as he rode on the back of a foal of a donkey. When Jesus entered into Jerusalem amid the shouts of joy he didn’t come into the city with his band of warriors. Instead a group of unlikely leaders from all sorts of different walks of lives were called his apostles. Jesus did not enter into Jerusalem clothed in the finest of purple robes or with a gold crown upon his head. Jesus did not appear as a mighty king, being so gentle and humble. Yet, this king would fight an enemy none of us could last a few moments against on our own. Jesus would win victories over those things which have brought the greatest curses into our lives, namely, sin, death, and the Devil. Don’t let the gentle and humble nature of our Savior fool you! He is the unique king and ruler we needed to win the spiritual battle for our souls.

Jesus did not need the legions of angels to win the battle against the spiritual foes. He did not need chariots or war-horses. He did not need foot soldier armed with swords and spears. A seemly unlikely king from outside appearances had the characteristics needed to save the world from God’s eternal wrath against sin. Zechariah writes at the beginning of verse 9,

“See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation.”

To win a victory which would save our souls we didn’t need a king who could conquer nations on a battlefield. We needed a king who was righteous, one who could not be accused of wrong. We needed a king who was righteous, so he would not deserve God’s punishment. As the righteous king, Jesus could come to Jerusalem during that week of the Passover, and offer himself as the one time, perfect lamb and sacrifice which God would accept for our eternal salvation. Jesus was that promised lamb without defect, the only one who could endure the punishment that the sins of the world deserved. It was John the Baptist that pointed to Jesus at the beginning of his ministry and said,

“Look the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

Being such a unique king and rule enabled Jesus to win our salvation. Unfortunately, we are not always very accepting of the way Jesus rules and the kind of kingdom he rules over. Even though Jesus showed no interest in creating a “heaven on earth” or even establishing an earthly rule, that has not stopped Christians from dreaming of such ideas. Christians have put lots of time and energy in trying to make societies and nations “Christian” by simply working to have laws passed. Laws can curb behavior. People might even do what is right because they fear the punishment. The law or correct behavior does not make someone a Christian. However, the gospel, the good news about Jesus, has the power to change hearts.

What about us? Have we sometimes wanted a “heaven on earth”? Have we sometimes wondered why our lives seem to have so much trouble and hardship even though we are Christian? How many times have we wanted to join in the chorus of people who question God’s involvement in tragic events? God often is blamed as if he is the reason there is sin and wickedness in this world which cause so much suffering and pain. How many times have we wanted it to just be easy as far as the work of the church is concerned? We sometimes look with envy on church’s that have a membership 3 to 5 times larger than our own, and we forget how many truths of scripture those same churches may have sacrificed to gain such popularity. Do we really want a gentle and humble ministry which waits patiently for the Gospel to change hearts and create saving faith in the hearts of people? Remember we have a unique ruler in Jesus, our Savior. Being a member of his kingdom and under his authority means we are to be prepared for hardship. Jesus’ saving work met with its share of rejection and hardship. Being a member of his kingdom and under his authority means that we can’t force the nation we live in by simply changing some laws. If that was the case Jesus would have lobbied the Roman government of his day instead of spending his time preaching and teaching God’s Word. Shout your praise to the king who came as our unique ruler and the Savior of sinners.

There is no doubt that Zechariah is prophesying Jesus entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. When we look at the New Testament Gospel accounts of Jesus’ procession, there is no way we could mistake Jesus as the fulfillment of this prophesy. However, as is often the case in the Old Testament when the Lord gives a prophecy it often takes in the whole time period of the New Testament church. Zechariah is not just giving us a glimpse into the events of that first Holy Week. He is also telling us about Jesus’ final return in glory on the Last Day. We see this especially in verse 10,

“I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.”

We don’t live in a world where the weapons of war are no more. We don’t live in a world where there is peace among all the nations. We won’t ever have such a world on this side of Judgment Day. After Jesus’ return things will be different. There will be a new heaven and a new earth. Sin will not be able to corrupt the perfect paradise that God has planned for all believers. After Jesus’ return there will be perfect peace because the Devil and the Demons will be locked up forever in Hell where they can no longer tempt God’s children. After Jesus’ return we will have our glorified, risen bodies which will not get sick or suffer from defects.

Jesus’ return on the last day is certain. His own promises guarantee it. In John 14:3 Jesus said,

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

Along with Jesus’ return being certain, we are certain of our resurrection. At the beginning of verse 9 it was written,

“Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you.”

We will see Jesus coming with our own eyes. Either we will see his coming with our own eyes because we will still be alive when he comes, or we will see his coming with our own eyes because he will raise our sleeping bodies from the sleep of death. Job knew that he looked forward to the resurrection and gave such a confession of faith in Job 19:25-27,

“I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”

We will be there on Judgment Day with Job and with every other believer who has died with their faith in Jesus. So shout your praise to the King for we will see him.

Jesus kingdom is worth the wait. We don’t need a “heaven on earth”. Any perfect society which human beings dream up can’t be as wonderful as what God has prepared for us in his kingdom. I have a feeling that God will find us shouting with more excitement than we have ever expressed at a sporting event when Jesus comes. We have reason to shout his praise, for we have a unique king and we will see our victorious Savior when he comes at the end of the world. Amen.

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