“The Lord is Our Shepherd” Ezekiel 34.11-16, 20-24, Nov. ’14 Last Sunday of the Church Year…

1.            Please pray with me.  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock, and our Redeemer.  Amen.  Today is the Last Sunday of the Church Year.  Ezekiel 34 fits well on this day. It gives us a beautiful picture of being members of God’s flock.  It helps us think of the end of all things. As we sinners think about the destiny we deserve and the reality we possess, it’s fitting that a picture of our relationship to God is used that God has painted through the prophet Ezekiel. God is our Shepherd. All that he does as our Shepherd gives us comfort and hope as we look forward to the end of all things and the coming of his eternal kingdom.  The message is entitled, “The Lord is Our Shepherd,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.            Let’s face it, nearly everybody’s anxious about whether he or she will be able to provide food, clothing, and shelter we and our loved ones need. The quest for money and property is universal.  All of us from time to time have to admit to being worried over whether we can really have enough to ensure the basic necessities of life. We may have a job we enjoy that provides for our family, but we know jobs can be lost. We may have savings in the bank or a large stock portfolio, but those can fail too. Even Donald Trump knows—maybe better than the rest of us—how quickly wealth can vanish. The feeling of security never lasts long in this world.

3.            What a joy to know God promises an eternal home, where he’ll provide everything we need! In this home we will be like sheep who don’t have to find food or shelter, because our Shepherd will provide them for us. We’ll not have to worry about whether we’re secure, because our Savior will provide eternal security for us. Since we have this promise of security in our Father’s home, we also have confidence—despite pink slips and bear markets, bosses saying, “You’re fired!” and Social Security going belly-up—that we await the far better life God will grant us in eternity.

4.            Ezekiel 34 paints a picture for us that the sheep graze upon a thousand hills.  The green meadows and pastures provide their food.  They grow fat upon the land as they eat of the fruit of the field.  Meanwhile, the shepherds watch.  They keep watch over the sheep by day and night.  They lead them to life giving waters.  They make them lie down in the green pastures so that they may find peace and rest.  They protect from the greedy ones that would destroy this holy flock.  The shepherds watch.

5.            But, what about when the shepherds stray?  The sheep are prone to wandering and often lose their way.  When the shepherds stray, who watches over the sheep?  When the shepherds stray, who will tend and feed the flock?  When the shepherds turn to evil, who will protect the flock from the shepherd?  They eat of the flock but don’t feed them.  They clothe themselves with their wool but don’t care for their needs.  They’re harsh and force their way upon them but don’t tend and nurture their injuries.  When the shepherds stray, what will become of the sheep?

6.            They’re scattered, wandering into ever crook and crevice of danger, prey for every evil foe and deceitful wolf.  Left without shepherds, abused by the shepherds who remain, the sheep are in peril, and the wild beasts lie outside the open gates.  When the shepherds stray, when the leaders of the people both in the realm of the church and of the state become selfish and greedy, what will become of the sheep?

7.            The Lord answers here in Ezekiel 34, he says, “11For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country.”

8.            In today’s world there are many days that would be described as days of “clouds and darkness” for God’s people. Our own sinfulness brings us such a feeling. The evils of society, the uncertainty of the future, hardships of all kinds, loss of loved ones, personal tragedies, overwhelming challenges, a really serious sin committed—all fill the days with clouds, darkness, and misery.  We see the Ebola virus still going on, Islamic terrorists, political leaders often found in scandal. We as God’s people today feel like we’ve been scattered from the shelter that love and security provide.

9.             That’s where the words of our Shepherd enter the picture. And what beautiful words they are!  God says, “I will rescue them!” Notice how many things he promises and why this is such a fitting text for focusing on the end times: “I myself will search … look after … rescue … bring them out … gather them … bring them … pasture them … tend them … search for the lost … bring back the strays … bind up the injured … strengthen the weak … [destroy] the sleek and the strong … shepherd the flock with justice” (Ezek. 34:11–16).

10.         And so the Lord declares, “I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down… I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak” (Ezekiel 34:15-16). God sends His Son, the Great Shepherd of the sheep.  Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, has come to rescue His flock.  He knows His sheep, He knows your needs, and He provides.  He provides Himself as sacrifice, and He provides Himself as food and drink.  He provides and is wounded so that your wounds may be healed.  He provides for you and battles the devil so that you are rescued and protected.  Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, knows His sheep and His sheep know Him, and He lays down His life for His sheep. 

11.        All of us can remember times in our life when we followed false information or bad advice. We’ve been deceived because we couldn’t tell between truth and error. A TV commercial may have appealed to us in such a way that we just had to buy the product. Maybe our emotions overwhelmed us and we allowed our feelings to determine our course of action. Our friends may have even motivated us. The “Jones Syndrome”—keeping up with the neighbors—moves us to foolish actions.

12.        We need to be careful not to follow those whose promises are empty, and instead follow the leadership of those who can actually deliver what they promise.  On this final Sunday of the Church Year we look back and realize that we haven’t always followed the gentle and wise guidance of Jesus our Good Shepherd. For this we ask forgiveness, trusting that because Jesus died for our sins, we’re forgiven. And, we look forward to a new church year. Through God’s Word and Sacraments, our Good Shepherd calls us and will enable us, by his grace, to follow him. True life now and forever consists of following the Good Shepherd!  What a wonderful Shepherd we have! Jesus, the Son of David, promised, “I lay down my life for the sheep” (In 10:15), and he kept that promise. And he did it for all people—including you and me! We follow him, because he alone leads us to life eternal.  Amen.

 

“Use it Or Lose it” Matthew 25.14-30, 23rd Sunday after Pentecost Nov. ’14…

 

1.                  Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  The message from God’s Word this 23^rd Sunday after Pentecost is taken from Matthew 25:14-30.  Here Jesus teaches us in His Parable of the Talents that our relationship to God and the world is one of stewardship. We are to use everything entrusted to us in such a way that it benefits God’s kingdom. Though we who live in the 21^st century often have far more material and technological means than any previous generation before us, Jesus reminds us that we often use these tools selfishly.  But, Jesus gives us a promise attached to faithful stewardship: if we use the things entrusted to us for God and His purposes, we will be blessed here and in heaven. The message is entitled, “Use it or Lose It” dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.                  It’s true, skills or abilities diminish and deteriorate after long periods of disuse.  Believe it or not, I used to run cross country and track in high school and college, but I haven’t been running for quite awhile.  Don’t expect me to run 5 miles in under 30 minutes like I used to be able to do.  Today, I’d be lucky to run and probably walk 5 miles in 50 minutes or so.  If you don’t use it, you lose it.  It’s the same with financial wealth.  Money must also be invested wisely and put to work lest it depreciate.  There’s truth to the expression “use it or lose it.”  The talents described in today’s parable are sums of money rather than particular skills, but the principle still applies.  Our Heavenly Father desires that His resources be used by us, not shelved, hidden, or wasted.

3.                  It’s not difficult to see here in Matthew 25 that Jesus is telling his disciples that before long he will be leaving them. He will suffer and die and rise again and ascend into heaven. But that won’t mean the work of his kingdom will stop in this world. No, he will rather provide his disciples with everything they need in order to continue that work.  And, the fulfillment of that promise came on the day of Pentecost, when Jesus sent the Holy Spirit upon his disciples at Jerusalem. He supplied them with the necessary understanding of the Word of God and God’s whole plan of salvation—as well as the courage to proclaim that message unto the ends of the earth.  But, that was only the beginning. Jesus continues, and will continue until the end of time, to provide all believers with everything they need in order to carry on the work he wants them to do in his kingdom.

4.                  The talents that Jesus distributes to all believers are never exactly the same for any two people (see 1 Corinthians 12:4–11). But one gift is basic, and that’s faith. Each of us must confess with Martin Luther, “I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him.” The apostle Paul insists that faith isn’t something we earn; it;s the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8, 9). And it’s not a gift we can get along without, for “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). But the gifts or talents that are added to faith are infinite in number and in variety.

5.                  A “Talent” in ancient times was first used for a unit of weight and then for a coin, which is how Jesus uses it in this parable. Interestingly enough, when we use the term for an ability or a skill that’s a meaning which is derived from this parable. The talents that Jesus gives us include all the intellectual and physical abilities we’re born with and those we develop as we mature. Our talents include all the material possessions that come into our hands. And they include the many opportunities God provides us for using our talents to serve him and our neighbor.

6.                  Considering the fact that the talent, as Jesus uses the term in His parable, is money, it’s surprising how seldom this parable is applied to our stewardship of money. We’re quick to apply it to our skills and abilities, and even to our time, but Jesus also has something to say here about how we spend our money. It’s not only the envelope we put into the offering on Sunday that concerns Jesus. The money we spend on groceries and entertainment is also part of our Christian stewardship. Whether you’ve been given five talents, two, or one, God is looking for faithfulness.

 

7.                  And, the Lord distributes these talents to “each according to his ability.” He gives to each of us the gifts that are exactly right. In every case he provides the correct combination of abilities, talents, responsibilities, and opportunities, so that all of us can be of real service to him in God’s kingdom.  Sometimes we imagine that it’s our humility that causes us to refuse to be of any special service to God and his kingdom. We say, “I’m not qualified. I’m not well enough acquainted with the Scriptures. So let someone else serve on the church council. Let someone else teach Sunday school.” It’s one thing to be humble, but it’s another thing to use false modesty as a cloak for laziness, selfishness, or indifference. Jesus is reminding us in this parable that we can count on God to give us the necessary wisdom and courage, so we can go ahead with confidence and do the work he’s given us to do.

8.                  Notice in the parable that the master pronounces the same verdict upon both of the servants who doubled the talents entrusted to them, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” They had been faithful with their respective talents, and that was all their master asked of them. It’s for their faithfulness that they are commended rather than for their accomplishments.

9.                  Jesus had a reason for making the servant with only one talent the unfaithful one. If it had been one of the servants with more talents, we would have probably said, “What a shame! What a terrible thing that a person so blessed by God should be so ungrateful! But, of course, my gifts aren’t very numerous or great, so the Lord can’t expect much from me.”

10.              Most of us would place ourselves into the category of the servant who received only one talent. And, that may be where we are at. But that’s no excuse for being unfaithful with the talent God has given us. It won’t do at all for any of us to say, “I can’t do much; so it is all right if I don’t do anything. It won’t really make any difference.”

11.              It may be true that the work of God’s kingdom will get done without the support of those who have very limited means and talents. But we need to realize that God calls each of us to serve him with our talents, not because he can’t get along without our help, but because faithful service to him is of great value to those who do the serving. As Jesus said on another occasion, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

12.              An unused talent can’t be kept for long. Like an unused muscle, it gradually wastes away.  If you don’t use it you lose it. In the kingdom of God, an unused talent is taken away and given to someone else. God will see to it that his work will be done and that his kingdom will come. If we are careless toward the opportunities that God gives us to serve him in his kingdom, he will surely give those opportunities to someone else.

13.              Martin Luther’s explanation of the Lord’s Prayer in his Small Catechism says it very well: “God’s kingdom certainly comes by itself even without our prayer; but we pray in this petition that it may also come to us.” And: “God’s good and gracious will certainly is done without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may be done among us also.” We can’t stop God. We can’t prevent him from doing his gracious work in our world. But Jesus reminds us here in the Parable of the Talents that we can deprive ourselves of the blessed opportunity to share in that work. “From this preserve us, heavenly Father!”

14.              In the final analysis, the performance that this parable emphasizes isn’t ours but Christ’s.  Because of Jesus, the “Good and Faithful Servant” serving the Lord is for us a blessing rather than a burden.  Remember where this parable occurs. It comes near the end of Jesus’ mission that the Father sent Him here to earth for which is about to reach its great climax. And that climax comes when Jesus ‘gives his life as a ransom for many’ (20:28). When Jesus speaks of someone being thrown into the darkness outside, where people weep and grind their teeth, we must never forget that he was on the way into the darkness, where even he would sense himself abandoned by God (27:45–46).  This was all for you and your salvation.  By the power of the Holy Spirit, our Savior transforms us from servants to sons and then to heirs (Gal. 4:1-7).  “Use it or Lose it?”  God used His Son to serve us so that we would not be lost eternally.  Amen.

 

“When a Loved One Dies” 1 Thessalonians 4.13-18, Nov. ’14

 

1.                  Please pray with me.  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.  Amen.  The message from God’s Word this morning is taken from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.  It’s entitled, “When a Loved One Dies,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.                  Well, the church year is quickly drawing to a close with the texts from God’s Word today directing our thoughts to the end—the end of life, the end of the universe, the end of the world as we know it. What’s death like? When will the last day come? What will happen? What’s heaven like? What should I be doing? The readings for this Sunday zero in particularly on the awesome ness of the last day.

3.                  The pagan world in Paul’s day had no hope of life after death. A typical engraving on a grave demonstrates this fact:  I was not, I became, I am not, I care not.  While some of the philosophers, such as Socrates, sought to prove happiness after death, the pagan world had no word of assurance.

4.                  The Christians in Thessalonica were concerned about their loved ones who had died. What if the Lord should return? Would their loved ones who had died be handicapped in any way? Will those who are alive at His coming have an advantage over the believers who have died? Here in 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul answered their questions.

5.                  Death is a “hot” topic in our American culture just as it was in Paul’s day. There has been a steady increase of books that have appeared that deal with dying, death, and the afterlife.  The book that details the account of Colton Burpo, “Heaven is for Real” is just one example. But, the real point of interest isn’t simply death itself as much as what happens after death.

6.                  Behind all this interest in death, there’s an even more intense personal concern: What will happen to me at death? It should come as no surprise that our culture’s interest in death turns out to be intensely personal. Even the Thessalonians’ question to Paul fits this pattern. Their concern—“What happens when one a loved one dies?”—hides a more personal question: What will happen to me when I die?  This means that Paul’s answer to their question is also an answer to ours.

7.                  Paul tells us that the future of believers isn’t so much a place as a relationship. He says that we who believe in Jesus as our Savior from sin, death, and the power of the devil, “Will be with the Lord forever” (4:17). To “be with the Lord forever” includes the gaining of a transformed resurrection body that’s glorious and immortal, and an enjoyment of a relationship with Jesus that’s closer, richer, and fuller than the relationship we currently experience.  It’s a state of existence that Paul considers to be “better by far” (Phil. 1:23).

8.                  St. Paul also reminds here in 1 Thessalonians 4 that death isn’t an end but a transition for those who believe in Jesus as their Savior. Paul tells us that there’s more to life than can be known on the basis of human experience. In view of God’s resurrection of Jesus, the death of a believer must be viewed not as an end to life, but as a transition to an even better experience of life: life in the presence of Jesus the Lord.  A good illustration of that is this.  Every child knows the comforting experience of going somewhere with mom or dad—maybe to grandma and grandpa’s house—falling to sleep there on grandma’s couch, and then waking up the next morning at home in his or her own bed, safe and warm.  Between the time of falling asleep and waking up, many miles and much time have taken place. The child was carried bodily to a car, transported long distances, dressed in pajamas, and tucked into his or her own bed, oblivious to any danger.  So also at life’s end, the child of God can safely fall asleep in Jesus, confident of the resurrection to eternal life (1 Thess 4:13–14).  When you as a Christian die, your body sleeps in the ground, while your soul is present with the Lord Jesus, awaiting the resurrection from the dead.

9.                  St. Paul also tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4 that what we know and believe about the future ought to shape how we live in the present. While Paul’s subject was the fate of believers who had died, he also expects the information he has given to the Thessalonians to affect their attitudes and behavior. If the assumption of some of them ( that death is the end) were true, then an Epicurean approach to life—“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die”—would be appropriate, as Paul himself recognizes (1 Cor. 15:32). But, Paul says here in 1 Thessalonians 4 that because this view of life isn’t true, because we do look forward to the resurrection of the dead, we live not for the moment but with an eye to the future. How we live now ought to be shaped in fundamental ways by the fact that heaven is our destination as Christians.

10.              Death is a fact of life. And, the only way we can escape death, Paul says, is to believe in Jesus, the one who has conquered death and risen from the dead. Death isn’t an accident; it’s an appointment: “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). If you should die today, where would your soul go?  Do you believe in Jesus as your only Savior from sin, death, and the power of the devil?  Do you continue to receive His Word and Sacraments given to you for the forgiveness of your sins?  There’s an inscription on a gravestone in an old British cemetery not far from Windsor Castle. It reads:  “Pause, my friend, as you walk by; As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, so you will be.  Prepare, my friend, to follow me!”  I heard about a visitor who read that epitaph and added these lines:  “To follow you is not my intent, Until I know which way you went!” 

11.              We Christians have wonderful assurance and hope, because of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and His promised return. Paul comforts the Thessalonians, saying that the dead in Christ will be the first to taste the resurrection and come with the risen Christ. At the second coming, we will all be together once more. We as Christians grieve over the death of loved ones, but not as those who have no hope. The resurrection of our Lord, and the victory we have over death through Him, gives us a living hope, despite the fact that death separates us from our loved ones and causes great pain. Prayer:  Thank You, Lord Jesus, for making the way through death a path of hope and joy, due to Your resurrection. Create in our hearts the joy and hope of Your victory over death. Amen.

 

 

 

 

“Saints of God—Blessed to be a Blessing” Matthew 5.1-12, All Saints’ Day Nov. ’14

1.      Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Today we observe All Saints’ Day. This day is a little bit different from other saints’ days we might celebrate in the Church. On other days we identify and commemorate one particular saint, such as St. Matthew or St. John. But, just who are we remembering and thanking God for on All Saints’ Day? Well, all the saints. But, who are they?  Today, we’re going to answer that question and we’re going to see that the all of us who are baptized into the Holy Trinity and who hear the Holy Word of God that points us to Jesus our Savior are God’s Saints.  We are Saints of God, blessed to be a blessing.  The message is taken from Matthew 5:1-12, dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.      In Charles Dickens’s novel A Tale of Two Cities, the climax of the story comes when a family is in deep trouble. The husband, hero of the story, is about to be executed during the Reign of Terror in Paris. The man who loves the hero’s wife, however, is virtually identical in appearance to the condemned man. Had the hero been executed, perhaps the look-alike could have taken the dead man’s wife for himself. Instead, through trickery, he substitutes himself for the hero. The look-alike becomes the hero. He goes to the guillotine and dies in place of another. As he prepares to die, he utters this famous line: “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done.”

3.      There’s a story greater than any in Western literature—that of Jesus of Nazareth, God among us, who by his life, death, and resurrection has made us saints of God by cleansing us of all of our sins through His death on the cross and giving us the gift of eternal life.  Jesus has made us saints of God, blessed to be a blessing. He has achieved for us the great reversal.  He has taken us from being sinners to saints of God.

4.      The Beatitudes characterize the ministry of Jesus, what he came into our world to accomplish.  Jesus came to bless us with His life, death and resurrection from the dead, so that we can be a blessing to those around us. Jesus’ ministry is what produces the great reversal that one can experience for all time through Word and Sacrament.  The Bible tells us that in Adam we die, but in Christ we live. In Adam we are made sinners. In Christ we are made saints. God takes the initiative and reverses his word of wrath in the ministry of Christ Jesus. Jesus’ work on the cross frees us from sin. He is both God’s yes and no. He is the Father’s “no” to condemnation and “yes” to life.

5.      The Beatitudes not only characterize the life and ministry of Jesus, but they also characterize our lives as Christians. Having experienced God’s wrath reversed by the cross of Jesus, we seek to live under the cross. We seek to lives that are characterized by repentance.  In fact, imagine a world where there are no Christians, no saints of God blessed to be a blessing to others.  Imagine a world where there are only those who are proud of heart, who seek only after wealth, power, and influence at the expense of others.

6.      When Jesus teaches us the Beatitudes we notice that they are full of the spirit of repentance.  Jesus calls us to think in a different way than the world.  He shows us how He makes us saints of God, blessed to be a blessing. In these opening sentences of the Sermon on the Mount, we have Christ’s roster of the saints of God.  Qualifications for admission into this registry are quaint and unique, judged by the standards of this world.  Money doesn’t count; neither does power or success.  “How difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:24).  “Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it” (Luke 17:33).

7.      The Beatitudes will remain a mystery unless we realize that Jesus is speaking of the basic attitudes and values that produce spiritual fruit. It is not the person who claims to “have it made” spiritually who finds the kingdom, but the individual who recognizes how poor he is (v. 3). It is not the person who is satisfied with what the world offers, but the person who mourns and looks beyond its glitter, who finds comfort (v. 4). It is not the person who is arrogant, but the meek, who responds to God’s voice, who inherits the earth (v. 5). It is not those who are satisfied with their own righteousness, but those who hunger and thirst for a righteousness they do not have who will be satisfied (v. 6).

8.      To experience life in Jesus’ kingdom, we need to reject the values and attitudes of this world and adopt the values portrayed here by our Lord.  Jesus’ values are blessed are the poor in spirit, this is against the values of the world which says you should be self-confident, competent, and self-reliant.  The poor in spirit, are those who feel their own spiritual helplessness and need.  These people realize that they do not merit salvation because they are sinful and unclean.  They know that salvation can be theirs only by grace.  To such is promised the kingdom of heaven.

9.      Jesus says blessed are those who mourn, this is against the values of the world which seek pleasure, and only think of those who are beautiful and strong.  Those who mourn are the people who are sorry for their sins and are comforted with the Gospel that the blood of Jesus Christ completely cleanses them from that sin. 

10.  Jesus says blessed are the meek, this is against the values of the world, which look to the proud, the powerful and the important.  The meek, according to Jesus, are the humble, those who know that none of us, not even the most noble of society, can boast of their own salvation.  God’s grace has called us into the kingdom, and His Gospel preserves us in the faith.  These believers shall be rich, for all that is God’s is theirs to enjoy. 

11.  Jesus says blessed are those who hunger for righteousness, this flies against those who seek self-satisfaction, who are well adjusted and practical.  Those who hunger for righteousness long for and strive to do what is pleasing to God in appreciation of His love in Christ.  Jesus promises that they will be satisfied; they will find their greatest joy in the service they render to God. 

12.  Jesus says blessed are the merciful, this goes against the world, which values self-righteousness, those who “are able to take care of themselves, who can pick themselves up by their own bootstraps.”  But, according to Jesus, the merciful are those who are kind, patient, thoughtful.  They sympathize with those who suffer and go about doing good out of the goodness of their renewed heart.  They are repaid in kind; they are shown mercy.

13.  Jesus says blessed are the pure in heart, this goes against the world which values the sophisticated and the broad minded.  According to Jesus those who are pure in heart are honest, there’s no deceit found in them.  These people shall see God. 

14.  Jesus says blessed are the peacemakers.  This goes against the values of the world that look to those who are competitive and aggressive.  We need peacemakers.  They lubricate life and keep down friction.  God calls them His special children.  They are His favorites because they keep things running smoothly in the home, in the church, and in the nation.    

15.  Finally, Jesus says blessed are the persecuted for righteousness’ sake, this goes against the values of the world, which look to those who are adaptable, who are popular and don’t rock the boat.  Because they are God’s people, confessing Christ as their Savior and Lord, the world reviles and hates them.  All manner of lies and accusations are thrown at them.  Life is hard, bitter, and dangerous, but they can rejoice despite all because their names are written in the Book of Life.

16.  Dear friends let us rejoice on this All Saints’ Day, for God has taken us from being the aints, being poor, miserable sinners, to being His saints through the merits and work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Let us pray:  Merciful Lord, keep me in Your grace day after day, forgiving sin and guiding me into the paths of uprightness.  Comfort me with the assurance that my name is written in Your Book of Life because I am chosen of You through Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.  Amen.

 

“Free at Last!” John 8.31-36, Reformation Day sermon, Oct. ’14…

1.                  Please pray with me.  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.  Amen.  The message from God’s Word this morning we celebrate the Festival of the Reformation is taken from John 8:31-36.  Here our Lord Jesus tells us that through Him we are freed by the truth of His Holy Word (vv. 31, 32), freed from slavery to our sins (vv. 33–36), and freed for service to our neighbor (v. 36).  The message is entitled, “Free at Last!” Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.                  The cry from many quarters today is for freedom: freedom from political oppression, racial freedom, the freedom of sexual equality. Our own society pushes for the individual freedom of self-expression. People fight for the freedom to choose their sexual lifestyles, to print pornography, to set their own standards of right and wrong.  These freedoms that people claim are merely a license to sin. All such striving for “freedom” apart from God is really self-delusion. To be free to do what you want is no freedom at all. It’s slavery! We’re our own worst masters! Real freedom, the source of all other freedoms, comes from Jesus.

3.                  John 8:31–36 says, “³¹So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, ³²and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ³³They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”  ³⁴Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. ³⁵The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. ³⁶So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

4.                  Sin is the greatest of tyrants.  That’s why the Bible again and again refers to those who are still in the power of sin as being slaves—bound in cruel bondage by a wicked taskmaster.  You have heard the expression, “He’s a slave of drink.”  In a similar sense, all men are by nature slaves of sin; they’re sold under its power and incapable of purchasing their freedom. 

5.                  Sin traps us and stops us from doing anything good. Sin stops us from showing God’s love to others, and even keeps us from believing in Jesus. And Jesus says in John 8 that we can’t do anything to free ourselves from it. A long time ago in Martin Luther’s day almost 500 years ago, people thought they could do things to get rid of their own sins. They thought if they said the right kinds of prayers the right number of times, or if they gave enough money to the church, those things would get rid of their sins.  In fact, the Roman Catholic Pope at the time had issued something called an indulgence.  It was a piece of paper that promised those who had bought it that they could free themselves and their loved ones who had already died from years spent in purgatory, a place which the Catholic Church believed purged away your sins before you could enter into heaven.  There was a man in Luther’s day named John Tetzel who would go around selling these indulgence.   In fact he had a saying that went like this, “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, a soul from purgatory springs…” Do you thing it worked? No, and it still doesn’t.

6.                  No matter how much we try, we can never do enough to pay for all the bad things we think and say and do. In our Gospel today, Jesus said, “Everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin” (v. 34). We’re stuck in our own sins, and we can’t get away.  So too, the Apostle Paul writes, “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey?”  (Romans 6:16).  From this bondage there is only one escape, and that is through the redemption that has been won for us by Jesus Christ, our Savior.  That’s why Jesus says here in John 8, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (v. 36). And who is the Son? Jesus, of course!

7.                  Martin Luther was upset that the church of his day would make such a claim that a person could pay money or do something through their own merits and works to earn and pay their way to heaven and bring about the forgiveness of their sins.  That’s why Luther writes in his explanation of the Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed, “I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.”

8.                   St. Paul says, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Gal. 4:4-5).  Christ assumed our human nature, says the writer to the Hebrews, in order to “deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” (Hebrews 2:15).  “He breaks the power of canceled sin; He sets the pris’ner free,” we sing in the well known hymn (LSB 528:4).  And that’s the claim that Jesus now makes for Himself here in John 8, that He, the Son, sets us free at last.

9.                            Christ took on all your sin, your lust, your greed, your selfishness, your death, and in exchange, he gives you his life, his wisdom, his peace, his joy, his righteousness, his glory, his power. You abide in Christ, and he abides in you, just like a branch on a vine. As Paul declares, “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Ga12:20). With Jesus living in you, you are a new creation; you are free from sin and death.

10.              And while we’re united with Jesus through faith, we also live in relation to our family, to neighbor, to millions of unbelievers, to a great variety of human cultures. It’s here that our faith is put to work. We freely become obedient slaves to please God, without thought of gain, in love that’s not forced.  Through Jesus we’ve been freed from our sins so that now we can freely serve our neighbor in love.

11.              And, the good things of God shouldn’t only flow into you, but from you to your neighbor as you empty yourself, not abusing your freedom, but taking on the form of a servant  to your neighbor, as you cover their sins and failures and pain, and also labor for them as if they were your very own. That’s what Christ did for you.

12.              As Christians we no longer live in and for ourselves.  It’s not me, myself, and I any longer.  No, as Christians we’re not selfish belly button gazers.  Instead we live in and for Christ Jesus, and for our neighbor. You live in Christ through faith, and for your neighbor in love. By faith you are caught up beyond yourself into God, and are freed from sin and death. By love you move out of yourself, toward your neighbor to serve, but you always remain in God’s love in Christ. Through God’s Son, you are free at last!  Amen.