Written Sermon 3/13/2022

CW-C Psalm for the Day  - Second Sunday in Lent -  Kieth Bernard Kuschel

Psalm 42 &43

Psalm 42  For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah. As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. {2} My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? {3} My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" {4} These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng. {5} Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and {6} my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermonfrom Mount Mizar. {7} Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. {8} By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me a prayer to the God of my life. {9} I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?" {10} My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, "Where is your God?" {11} Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Psalm 43  Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue me from deceitful and wicked men. {2} You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy? {3} Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. {4} Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God. {5} Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

What is the toughest criticism of your faith for you to handle?

How about:  Where is your God?What is the state of mind in which the writer of the Psalm finds himself?  Vs 5.  “Why are you downcast, O my soul?  Why so disturbed within me?”  What is causing this state of mind?  If you read verses 1,2, & 4 together, you can take a pretty good guess. “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. {2} My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?  These things I remember as I pour out my soul:  how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.”  The writer is downcast because for some reason he is unable to go to worship God at the temple in Jerusalem.

    2. What might have caused that?  A variety of things. The person might be out of the country on a permanent basis.  His job might have led him to such a situation.  Another possibility might be that the person was living way up north and it was geographically impossible for him to get to Jerusalem on a regular basis.  Another possibility might be that this was written after the northern ten tribes split from Judah.  Then the people were told by the leaders of the northern ten tribes not to go to Jerusalem to worship.  God had told all of his people to worship in Jerusalem, however.

   B.1. The specific comment by the writer on why he is depressed is: “I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.” He was remembering the good old days.  He had been in a situation where he could regularly worship the Lord.  As he compares that with his present situation, he gets real depressed.

     2. If there is something good that comes out of his situation, it is his eager longing to worship the Lord. Notice how graphically he describes his desire:  “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. {2} My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” When a deer is running, it gets very thirsty.  It needs that water to keep going.  We have a spiritual thirst for personal contact with the Lord. We need the water of life from Him to keep on going.

   C.1. There is something else which adds to the depression here.   {3} My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" The people around the writer were looking at how sad he was and telling him, “Obviously your God has left you all alone.  He wouldn’t have put you in this situation if he were interested in having a relationship with you.  He would not have given you this job, or this location if he were concerned about maintaining a relationship with you.”

      2. And the next part of the criticism is implied.  “Why do you even bother with your God?  Why do you trust in Him?  Why do you have a desire to go into His presence?  Why do you even want to worship Him?  He doesn’t seem to want to bother with you?  Trust yourself.  Take care of yourself.  Find some other god who isn’t so distant.  Find some god with whom you can have contact locally.”

  D.1. One of the blessings which we have in our society today is the blessing of long life.  The average life span in now into the seventies.  There are many people who are living well into their eighties.  Every once in a while there is mention of someone who is past one hundred - something that was very rare only a few years ago.  The medical technology that the Lord has given us has  made it possible for us to ward off the consequences of many illnesses and keep people alive for a very long time.

    2. There is a down side to this blessing.  People are alive.  But their quality of life is not what it was , nor very often what the people would prefer. A large percentage of the people in their mid to upper eighties and above are in health care facilities or shut ins in their own homes.  Many of them are not physically or mentally capable of doing anything near what they were used to be doing.  They long for the good old days.  When I visit them, they talk about the good old days when they were able to go to church regularly.  How they long for the good old days!

   3. And what is the world telling them these days, and what will it be telling us when we are in that situation?  “You are foolish to think that a relationship with God is important.  It is obvious that He doesn’t think so.  He wouldn’t have left you all alone like this, if He did.  You shouldn’t insist that you have to look at your life according to what He thinks, since He isn’t an active participant in your life.  If you are sick and tired of life the way it is, then you decide if you want to continue on. You need to realize what the answer is to the question, ‘Where is your God?’” The world’s answer is: “He is nowhere to be seen.”

What is the state of mind in which the writer of the Psalm finds himself? Vs 6. “ My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermonfrom Mount Mizar. {7} Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.”  Mention again is made of location.  But the pictures in verse 7 seem to indicate that the writer is being drowned in the circumstances of his life.

     2. What might have caused that?  Well, life hasn’t changed.  What causes people to be overwhelmed in their lives today?  Pressure of accomplishing what we are supposed to be accomplishing each day.  Expectations of the people around us.  Our failures.  Our own inabilities.  Things beyond our control.  Health issues.  Financial issues.  Relationships.  The list is endless.

    B.1. Again something makes all of this worse.  Vs 10.    My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, "Where is your God?"  “How come your God lets you be sick like this?  How come your God puts you into a situation where you have so much stress?  How come  your God lets you be without the financial resources to handle life?  How come your God doesn’t equip you better for your life?”

        2. “You should realize what the right answer is to the question, “Where is your God?”.  The answer is: “He isn’t around.”  You are foolish trusting in Him.  You have to handle life on your own your way.  You have to set expectations for yourself.  You have to handle relationships the way that is best for you.  You have to provide for yourself in whatever way you can. Forget god, he’s not around.”

   C.1. And then our feelings take over.  Vs {9} I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me?  Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?"  Notice the implication.  God has forgotten me.  We have listened to the people who have rejected the Lord as their Savior.  They have told us that the Lord has forgotten about us and we have bought the concept.

       2. The reason we buy into the concept is the dreaded “Why” question.  Why is my life so full of grief?  Why are the enemies given so much free reign?  If God loves me, why doesn’t he exempt me from all these problems?  If God loves me, why doesn’t He exercise His power and limit the activities of those who are attacking my faith?   

    D.1. There is something positive that comes from the dreaded “why” questions.  Did you notice the second line of verse 6? “Therefore I remember you.”  If you are asking God the “Why” question, we are remembering Him.  That is Ok.  If fact, that is good.  Very often we get into the depression state because we don’t remember the Lord.  He isn’t part of our thought process.  

      2. Look at verse 8 at the end.  “A prayer to the God of my life.”  When we are asking God the “Why” questions, we are asking Him for solutions.  That is good.  And when we think about the Lord and ask Him for solutions, we are reminded of some things - verse 8 again “at night his song is with me, by day the Lord directs his love.”   There is a blessing that comes from the  comment of those who have rejected the Lord as Savior, “Your God lets bad things happen to you,” and the negative feelings which we have as a result of that.  They lead us to yell at God.  That is OK.  He wants us to do that.  “Call upon me in the day of trouble.”  That is God talking to us.  God’s answer to the question, “Where is your God?”, is “I am right here.”

What is the state of mind of the Psalm writer?  Look at vs 1 of Psalm 43 which is just a continuation of Psalm 42.  “Vindicate me,   O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation;   rescue me from deceitful and wicked men.”  Rescue me from deceitful men.  The men have been telling him “Where is your god?”  Now the Psalm writer informs us he realizes that these are deceitful men.  He shouldn’t be listening to them.  He shouldn’t be letting his state of mind be influenced by what these deceivers were telling him.  

     2. Then he says: {2} “You are God my stronghold.   Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?  {3} Send forth your light and your truth,  let them guide me;  let them bring me to your holy mountain,  to the place where you dwell.”  In this verse the writer is questioning that he was questioning God.  “You are my Stronghold.  “Why have you rejected  me?”  Should I be asking that question if you are my stronghold?  “Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy”?  Should I be feeling that way if you are my stronghold?  Probably not.  Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.”  I shouldn’t let my feelings make me feel isolated from the Lord.  I should listen to His Word instead. 

   B.1. It is interesting that the writer says that the light and the truth of the Lord brings us to Him.  Remember this man was isolated.  How do we get over the isolation that all of us feel at one time or another? By being reminded that we are not alone even though it might feel that way.  The Lord is our stronghold.  God is our Rock.  He is with us, no matter how we feel or what others tell us.  Go into the Word.  Let the light of the Word and the truth of the Word remind us of all those things.   Then we have the right answer for the scoffers question, “Where is your God.”  “He is right here with us.”

      2. Verse 4: “Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight, my Savior and my God.” When the Word brings us into the presence of the Lord, we are reminded who He is.  He is our Savior.  He took our guilt on Himself and removed it from us.  He suffered the wages of sins for us so we don’t have to be threatened by death as punishment for sins.  He experienced hell for us so we don’t have to be afraid of experiencing that.  He lived for us so He could cover us with His righteousness.  Our sins are gone in Christ.  We are acceptable to God in Christ.  He rose from the dead.  We will conquer death and live forever.  When we are reminded who He is, we have the right answer for the question of the scoffers, “Where is your God?”  The answer is: He is my Savior and my God.  I have him with me right now.

   3. “I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God. Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him,” When the Word brings us into the presence of the Lord, we are reminded who He is and what He has done and we are led to praise Him.  When we praise Him, we say how great He is.  We hear that as well as other people.  And when we remind ourselves of who He is and what He has done, we put our confidence in Him and His promises.  And then we don’t listen to our feelings or our enemies any more.  Then we know the right answer to the question, “Where is your God.”  He is with me every step of the way.  

Written Sermon 3/6/2022

CWC Lent 1 - Old Testament Lesson Alt -- Kieth Bernard Kuschel

Joshua 6:16- 19, 7:13-26

{6:16}[Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! 17 The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. (this means that everything was given over to the LORD often by totally destroying them) 18 But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. 19 All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.”

{7:13}This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There are devoted things among you, Israel.14 “‘In the morning, present yourselves. 15 Whoever is caught with the devoted things shall be destroyed by fire, along with all that belongs to him. He has violated the covenant of the Lord and has done an outrageous thing in Israel!’ 16 Early the next morning Joshua had Israel come forward by tribes, and Judah was chosen. 17 The clans of Judah came forward, and the Zerahites were chosen. He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward by families, and Zimri was chosen. 18 Joshua had his family come forward man by man, and Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was chosen. 19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and honor him. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”20 Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: 21 When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath. 23 They took the things from the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites and spread them out before the Lord. 24 Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold bar, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor. 25 Joshua said, “Why have you brought this trouble on us? The Lord will bring trouble on you today.” Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them. 26 Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.

Examples of redefining God

We are tempted to redefine God

I. He isn’t all knowing

A. Text

1. Jericho

2. Commands

3. Checked out people

4. What does his action say?

B. Us

1. Do your job

2. Don’t be dishonest

3. Dishonest on job

4. What does action say?

C. Jesus

1. Temptation #1

2. Jesus example & substitute

II. He isn’t most important

A. Text

1. Achan’s actions

2. What does his action say

B. Us

1. Topic of conversation with friend

2. Read your Meditation booklet or not

3. Honor teacher or not

4.Take care of body or not

5. Have sex or not

6. Use resources to love or not

7. Speak the truth or not

C. Jesus

1. Jesus temptation #2

2. Jesus example and substitute

III. He doesn’t punish sin

A. Text

1. Threat and fulfillment

2. What does his action say

B. Us

1. People’s redefinition of God’s forgiveness

2. God still demands perfection; threatens punishment

3. What do our words and actions say

C. Jesus

1. Temptation #3 - you can do whatever you want

2. Jesus example and substitute

IA1 Joshua had led the people of Israel into Palestine. Jericho was a fortified city standing in opposition to Israel’s conquest of the land. Israel marched around the city once a day. On the seventh day they marched around it seven times with the priest blowing on the rams’ horns. Then all the people shouted and the wall of the city fell down.

2 {6:16}[Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! 17 The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. (this means that everything was given over to the LORD often by totally destroying them) 18 But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. 19 All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.”

3 Some time later. {7:13}This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There are devoted things among you, Israel.14 “‘In the morning, present yourselves. 15 Whoever is caught with the devoted things shall be destroyed by fire, along with all that belongs to him. He has violated the covenant of the Lord and has done an outrageous thing in Israel!’” Achan was chosen.22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath. 23 They took the things from the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites and spread them out before the Lord.

4 What did Achan’s action say about his God? His God wasn’t going to know it, if he took the devoted things. Is that true? No. Achan had redefined the all-knowing God. That is sin.

B1 When you go to work, what are you supposed to do? Do your job. For how long? For as long as you are going to get paid. When you go to school, what are you supposed to do? Your schoolwork. When you go to Catechism class, what are you supposed to have done with the Bible verses? Memorize them.

2 What is God’s command? To be truthful and honest.

3 You don’t do what you are supposed to do at work for as long as you are supposed to do it. But you get paid for doing your job for the expected duration. Or. You don’t read the book at home and you make up your book report from the movie you saw based on the book. Or. You write the Bible passages on the back of your hand and you read them instead of reciting them.

4 What do your actions say about your God? Your God isn’t going to know it. Is that true. No. You have just redefined the all-knowing God. That is sin.

C1 Jesus in the Gospel lesson was tempted by the devil to make the stones into bread. Jesus was very hungry. He needed food. What was the real temptation? To not trust that God would take care of him. What would Jesus’ actions have been saying, if He would have made the stones into bread? Wouldn’t they have been saying, “My God doesn’t know that I need bread”?

2 Jesus quoted the Bible and withstood Satan’s temptation. He was saying, “God is the One who takes care of our physical life.” Is that true? Yes. Jesus didn’t cave into the temptation to redefine the all-knowing God. Why was He doing that? Not just to show us that we can withstand Satan’s temptations by quoting the Bible. Although that is important. He did that as our Substitute. So He could take His conquest of the temptations of Satan and apply it to us. Or to state it from the positive side. To take His perfect keeping of God’s commands and apply it to us. That’s what makes us right with God.

IIA1 19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and honor him. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”20 Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: 21 When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”

2 Achan had a clear command of God. {6: 18) But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Achan evaluated what he saw: {7:21 When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of

silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. What did his actions say about God? This earthly stuff was more important than God. Is that true? No. Achan had defined God as not so important. That is sin.

B1 You regularly have conversations with your friend. You talk about sports, your professions, your relationships with other humans, and a variety of other topics. Or, you regularly talk about Jesus and sneak in mention of forgiveness and eternal life when you can. Our words define God as most important or redefine Him as not so important.

2 You daily take five minutes to read the www.whataboutJesus devotion that comes to your computer. Or you daily take five minutes to read the daily page in the Meditations booklet. Or you read a chapter in Bible every day. Or your life is so filled that you just don’t have time to do any of the above. Our actions define God as most important or redefine Him as not so important.

3 You respectfully are quiet in the classroom because you are thankful that God has given you a teacher who works hard at training your brain. Or you are noisy and fail to pay attention most of the time. Our actions define God as most important or redefine Him as not so important.

4 You try to eat, drink, exercise and rest appropriately because you are so thankful to God for the wonderful body which He has given to you. Or you fill your body with dangerous and destructive things. Our actions define God as most important or redefine Him as not so important.

5 We have sex with our neighbor’s husband or we say with Joseph “How can I do such a wicked thing as sin against God?” Our actions define God as most important or redefine Him as not so important.

6 We use our money to bring the Gospel to others and to take care of the needs of others because God has given us the Gospel and takes care of our needs. Or we expend all our resources on ourselves. Our actions define God as most important or redefine Him as not so important.

7 We speak the truth because we want other people to get the truth about Jesus from us. Or we use our words to take advantage of others. Our words define God as most important or redefine Him as not so important.

C1 Jesus in the Gospel lesson was tempted to bow down to Satan. What was the real temptation? To consider everything in the world to be more important than the LORD.

2 Jesus quoted the Bible and withstood Satan’s temptation. He was saying, “God is the most important.” Is that true? Yes. Jesus didn’t cave into the temptation to redefine the importance of God. Why was He doing that? Not just to show us that we can withstand Satan’s temptations by quoting the Bible. Although that is important. He did that as our Substitute. So He could take His conquest of the temptations of Satan and apply it to us. Or to state it from the positive side. To take His perfect keeping of God’s commands and apply it to us. That’s what makes us right with God.

IIIA1 {6:18} But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. God’s threat to punish was pretty clear. {7:22} So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath. 23 They took the things from the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites and spread them out before the Lord. 24 Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold bar, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor. 25 Joshua said, “Why have you brought this trouble on us? The Lord will bring trouble on you today.” Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them. 26 Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his fierce anger. God’s action carried out his threat.

2 What did Achan’s actions say about God? God won’t punish me if I do this. Is that true? No. Achan had defined God. That is sin.

B1 When you hear most people in the western world, which has its roots in Christianity, talk about god, you get the correct message that He is a god of forgiveness and love. That is true. God forgives the whole world by washing away its sins in the blood of Jesus. He loves the world so much that He covers it with the holiness of Jesus. However, their description of god implies that he doesn’t care if people sin. He just overlooks it. He doesn’t punish anyone. That redefines God.

2 God still demands holiness. If I refuse to believe that Jesus is my Savior, then my sins are not washed away and I am not covered with holiness, and then God has to carry out His just and threatened punishment. If I refuse to acknowledge that I need Jesus’ forgiveness for my sins by insisting on continuing to do them, which implies I don’t really think they are sin, then God has to carry out His just and threatened punishment.

3 If I continue to get paid for what I really didn’t do, continue to turn in dishonest book reports, continue to read my memory verses, continue to refuse to bring the Gospel to people who need it, continue to not use the Bible, continue to be disruptive in the classroom, continue to damage my body, continue to be involved in sinful sexual practice, continue to refuse to use my money to love others, and continue to assault people with my words, what are my words and actions saying? Aren’t they saying, “God doesn’t punish sin.” Is that true? No. You have redefined God as one who doesn’t punish sin.

C1 Jesus in the Gospel lesson was tempted to jump off the temple. What was the real temptation? To do any kind of action you want and insist that God will continue to love you and protect you no matter what you do.

2 Jesus quoted the Bible and withstood Satan’s temptation. He was saying, “God has standards of actions that He insists on for people. Breaking those standards has consequences.” Is that true? Yes. Jesus didn’t cave into the temptation to redefine God. Why was He doing that? Not just to show us that we can withstand Satan’s temptations by quoting the Bible. Although that is important. He did that as our Substitute. So He could take His conquest of the temptations of Satan and apply it to us. Or to state it from the positive side. To take His perfect keeping of God’s commands and apply it to us. That’s what makes us right with God.

Prayer: LORD Jesus, thank You for conquering Satan’s temptations for me, covering me with your holiness. Please empower me to conquer Satan’s temptations so that my words and actions don’t disrupt my relationship with You.

Written Sermon 2/27/2022

CWC- Epistle Lesson - Transfiguration Sunday -– Kieth Bernard Kuschel

2 Corinthians 4:3-6

3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

IA1 Why did Peter want to build three shelters on the Mt of Transfiguration? Peter had just seen obvious evidence that Jesus is God. He wanted a permanent reference point to go back to in order to be reminded that Jesus really is true God. He wanted to be able to go back there every time some doubts about Jesus would arise in his life.

2 What? Peter needed a permanent reference point to remind him that Jesus really was God? He had a lot more proof than we have. He heard Jesus. He watched Jesus. He saw the miracles of Jesus. He saw the transfiguration. What is wrong with him? We don’t have any of what he had. If we only had what Peter had, it would be so much easier for us to believe in Jesus.

B1 Are we saying that God hasn’t ever done anything miraculous in our life that matches the Mt of Transfiguration? Are we having a self-pity party because we don’t think we have received the same privileges that Peter and the other apostles received when they were physically and personally with Jesus?

2 Paul’s comment in the verses before us today is: {6}“God said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” God created all things. With the power of His almighty word He said, “Let there be light.” The result? Light shined out of darkness. That is the same God who allowed the light of His glory to become bright and obvious on the Mt of Transfiguration to the three apostles. Same God. Same power. Same Light of the world.

3 He says to us, “God has done the same thing in each of your hearts.” {6}“God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts. Same God. Same power. Same Light of the world. We don’t have to feel sorry for ourselves. Peter didn’t have any advantage over us. God did the same miracle in our hearts that He did on the Mt of Transfiguration and at the creation. He caused His light to shine.

C1 What is the result of God’s use of His power to shine into our hearts? {6b}“To give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God .” We know God isn’t some impersonal, unapproachable force who is not interested in us. We know He is not a vicious judge who wants to punish people for not following impossible demands. We know He deserves our praise because He wants us to be with Him forever. This knowledge is ours only because God has exercised His creative almighty power and has shined into our hearts.

2 This knowledge about God is ours{6b} “in the face of Christ.” It is in the face of Jesus looking at us that we see the forgiveness of sins which Jesus won for us by dying on the cross. It is in the face of Jesus turned toward us that we see the holiness lived by Jesus with which He covers us. It is in the face of Jesus shining at us that we see the eternal life earned by Jesus when He rose from the dead.

3 It doesn’t matter if we were on the Mt of Transfiguration or not. Because we weren’t there, it is true - we didn’t see the physical light, bright as a flash of lightning. But God has shined His almighty power into our souls. His light has shined.

IIA1 “Even if our Gospel is veiled.” (Vs 3). The good news that Jesus lived and died and rose to give the world forgiveness, holiness and eternal life sometimes gets put under something so that it can’t shine appropriately.

2 It can’t shine appropriately when people bury it under the veil of human reason. Human beings on our own would say that the message about Jesus the Savior is foolishness. Human beings on our own reject God’s truth. Paul’s comment is, {3}“it is veiled to those who are perishing.”

3 Human beings get reinforced in their thinking by the devil. {4}The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” On my own I don’t agree with God’s truth. The devil says to me, “You are right in the way you think. Stick with it.” So we do.

4 Human beings on our own think the Gospel is foolish. How can Jesus of Nazareth, a real human being, also be true God? That is foolish. That is how people responded to Jesus Himself. He did miracles. Instead of confessing that obviously Jesus is God, they said He was using the power of the devil. If those people had been on the Mt of Transfiguration with Peter, James and John, they would have come up with an alternate explanation as to why the light was shining.

B1 We shouldn’t miss one important little word in this verse. {3}Even if our Gospel is veiled Paul was writing. The good news about Jesus had become his. God had shined it into his life. It had become part of him. Now he was shining it into the lives of others.

2 The same is true for us. God has shined the Gospel into our lives. It has become ours. It should be shining from us to others. At Christmas time do we say this baby Jesus is God and our Savior? Or do we put a veil over that Biblical truth because we are embarrassed by this illogical teaching? When a natural disaster occurs, do we say that God is in control? Or do we put a veil over that Biblical teaching when we don’t have a good answer to the “Why” question? On Ash Wednesday would we be willing to wear a cross of ashes on our forehead to indicate we are Christians who acknowledge our sinfulness? Or do we put a veil over that because sin is not a politically correct concept in our world. On Good Friday do we say that this person who died was God? Or do we put a veil over that because that makes no sense at all? On Easter do we say that Jesus rose from the dead? Or do we put a veil over that because nobody has ever seen any body else rise from the dead?

C1 Many of us here have been Christians from little on. There was not a time in our lives that we can remember when we did not believe that Jesus lived and died and rose to give us forgiveness, holiness, and eternal life. It is very easy for us to get upset and even angry when people reject the good news about Jesus. We need to be reminded over and over again. Christians are the exception. Unbelievers are the norm.

2 The combined effort of the devil and our self oriented humanity put up such a good barrier to the Light of the world that the gospel often remains veiled in the lives of many people. That darkness is all around us. Don’t let the epiphany light, shined into our hearts just as clearly as it was for Peter on Transfiguration, get veiled. It if does, think of all the darkness that won’t get resolved.

IIIA1 What would be a normal human response when the Gospel is veiled to many and Satan blinds many? Frustration. Do you know where frustration comes from? Self-focus. For St Paul that would have sounded like this: “ Many people aren’t accepting the Gospel. I am supposed to be a transmitter of the Gospel. I look bad when people don’t believe the Gospel. I want to be viewed as a success. I don’t like to be viewed as a failure.” What would be a pretty standard next step after thinking like that? Stop doing what makes you look like a failure.

2 Paul didn’t decide to stop. Why not? Because he knew none of this was about him. If Paul had been preaching his own philosophy and it wasn’t working, it would have meant Paul was a failure at producing spiritual philosophy and he should have tried something else. But he wasn’t preaching his own spiritual philosophy. He preached the gospel, the powerful truth of God. If Paul had been presenting himself as the solution to people’s spiritual problems and nobody was accepting the message, it would have meant Paul was a failure at marketing and he should have quit. But he didn’t present himself as a spiritual solution for people. He pointed them to Jesus.

3 “For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” {5} Jesus had served Paul by living and dying and rising to give him forgiveness and holiness and eternal life. Paul wanted to serve other people by giving them the same blessings from Jesus. The result would be a bigger family for Jesus. Rejection of Paul’s message meant rejection of Jesus. It was not a personal reflection on the success or failure of Paul. So, he didn’t quit.

B1 Frustration. It is a challenge we have to face as we attempt to direct people to Jesus. Imagine being in a country like Japan as a Christian missionary. Ten years, twenty years. Few people have become Christians. Huge amounts of time and resources have been expended. The questions would swirl in your head, wouldn’t they? Is it me? Maybe I should quit. Maybe somebody else should try. The questions would swirl in the meetings of the committee responsible for the work. Should we keep expending resources with so few results? Should we stop trying there and expend the resources and use people in some other part of the world? Or should we just quit altogether.

2 We offer the community worship opportunities every week. Not many visitors come. We send personalized invitations to people who move into the community. Few come. We invite people to come to musical presentations about Jesus. Few come. We invite people to come to study about Jesus in Bible Classes. Few come. We participate in parades to make people aware of our presence. Few seem to be. We build a beautiful, functional worship facility to make worshiping Jesus easily accessible. Few come to check it out. The questions swirl in our head, don’t they? Should we just quit doing these things

3 You talk to your friend about Jesus. You talk to your friend about eternal life when the topic of death comes up. You talk about sin when some crime in the community is under discussion. You are open about worshiping Jesus every week. . You invite your friend to worship Jesus with you. You invite your friend to low-key spiritual events at our church. No acceptances. No obvious changes in attitude toward Jesus. The questions swirl in your head, don’t they? Is it me? Maybe I should quit. Maybe somebody else should try.

4 We need to remember Paul’s words. {5} “For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” This is not about you. This is not about whether you are a success or failure. This is all about Jesus. People need Jesus even if they don’t admit they need Jesus. The light needs to keep on shining. There is nothing wrong with the message. How do you know that? Look at what God accomplished with it in your life. The light has shined. It should shine no matter what.

Wrritten Sermon 2/20/2022

CW-C Gospel Lesson - Epiphany 7 - Kieth Bernard Kuschel

Luke 6:2738

{27} "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, {28} bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. {29} If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. {30} Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. {31} Do to others as you would have them do to you. {32} "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. {33} And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. {34} And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. {35} But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. {36} Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. {37} "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. {38} Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

St. Valentine

Meaning of word "saint"

Historical Person

Loved Jesus so much

Love Whom? How? Why?.

History St Valentine

LOVE AS JESUS DOES

I. Whom?

A. Objects of Love

1. Valentine’s Day

2. List of them

3. People who can return the favor

B. Enemies

1. Definition

2. People we hate

3. People who hate us

C. Jesus’ Objects

1. All sinners

2. Enemies who crucified

II. How?

A. Ways to Express

1. Valentine’s Day

2. Usual ways

3. All are giving

B. Jesus’ directives

1. Do good

2. Pray for

3. Give/ Don’t expect back

5. Don’t judge

6. Forgive

C. Jesus’ actions

Gives rain; Offers Word; Gave life

III. Why?

A. Usual Reasons

1. Valentine’s Day expectations

2. Commitment, responsibility

3. You want reciprocity

B. Toward Enemies

1. We are children of God

2. God treats us that way

C. God’s motives

1. Wants us to be His children

2. Wants us to be in heaven

Conc: Do whatever it takes to

Get everyone around you to heaven

IA1 Sometimes the focus of the secular world and our focus as God’s people on Sundays fall together so nicely that it can’t possibly be an accident. For the month before Valentine's day all the advertising everywhere and all the special features in the newspaper and on the television news focused on what? Love. Everywhere you saw what color? Red. Red what? Hearts. And what word? Love. Well, no red hearts on the front of the bulletin today, but LOVE is in big capital letters. Whom are we supposed to love according to Valentine’s Day? Some very special person in our lives .

2 Whom are we supposed to love, really? “Love your neighbor as yourself,” Jesus taught. We are to love ourselves. We are to love our marriage partners. We are to love our family members. We are to love our extended family members. We are to love our friends, relatives, neighbors, and acquaintances.

3 What do all those individuals and groups have in common? They are in our circle of contacts on a regular basis. That means there is a lot of interaction. They have to opportunity to love us back. That is the group that we tend to love, isn’t it? Those who can reasonably be expected to love us back. Did you notice Jesus’ comment about that group? {32} "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them.”

B1 Whom are we supposed to love according to Jesus? {27} “Love your enemies.” And just in case we missed it the first time, Jesus repeats it in verse 35. “Love your enemies.” How many of you saw posters like this over the past two weeks? “Joe loves His enemies.” What is an enemy? The dictionary says an enemy is: 1. A person who hates another. 2. A person who wants to injure another 3. A person hostile to a cause, an idea etc

2 Who are your enemies? Whom do you, if you were only a sinful human being and not a Christian, hate and want to injure? If a drunken driver killed your children, you would react, “Let me get my hands on him, I want to kill him.” If someone raped your marriage partner, you would instinctively respond, “I hope that rapist rots in hell.” If our marriage has been dissolved, who is often the enemy from that point on? Your ex-partner. If somebody burned down your house by falling asleep while smoking, and you lost all the things on this earth that are dear to you, I would venture that you would hate that person and want to injure him. If somebody is constantly trashing you in conversations, your natural human response is to hate that person and want to injure him, at least verbally.

3 Who are your enemies? Who hates you and wants to injure you? Maybe the person on your athletic team who is always second best to you in everything. Maybe your ex marriage partner. Maybe the person who lost his job because you had more seniority when the layoffs came. Maybe the neighbor who lost in a legal dispute over some issue in the neighborhood. Maybe someone against whom we have sinned.

C1 Love your enemies. Whom did Jesus love? He loved His enemies. How do you know that? He asked that those who were killing him be brought to repentance and be forgiven for what they were doing. He cried over the city of Jerusalem because it was rejecting Him.

2 Love your enemies. Whom did Jesus love? He loved His enemies. How do I know that? Because He loves me. On my own I am God’s enemy. (Rom 8:7)“The sinful mind is hostile to God,” St. Paul wrote. I hate it that God makes demands on my life. I hate it that God says I can’t make myself acceptable to Him. God hates it when I sin. God hates it when I insist I don’t need Him. Because of my sinfulness I hate God and He hates me. And yet God so loved the world. That includes me. God loves He enemies. So should we.

IIA1 How are you supposed to love people? It’s really very simple if you listened to and read the advertisements over the pasts few weeks. How is Valentine’s Day love expressed? You buy a card. You buy some flowers. You buy some candy. You go out to dinner. You buy a diamond. And what is the implication if you don’t do these things? You don’t love whomever.

2 How are we supposed to love really? I love my marriage partner by sharing responsibility for the beneficial operation of our family unit. I love my family members by taking care of their needs. I love my friends by supporting them emotionally in the endeavors. I love my relatives by being there for them when they have needs. I love my neighbors by looking out for their well-being. I love my acquaintances by sharing my life with them.

3 What do all these ways of loving have in common? Giving. That’s what loving is - giving. I am willing to give up my lifestyle and my favorite things to benefit my marriage partner. I am willing to give 40 hours a week to earn money to take care of my family’s needs. I am willing to give myself emotionally to help support my friends. I am willing to give my money to help people with their physical needs. I am willing to give my time to monitor how my neighbors are doing. I am willing to give my time just to be with people.

B1 Love your enemies. Jesus said. How do you love your enemies? Jesus tells us how in the verses before us today. {27}Do good to those who hate you. You send a Bible to the person who is in jail for burning your house down, raping your marriage partner, or killing your children. After the storm you help clean up the yard for the person who is verbally trashing you, who lost his job even though you didn’t, who was the loser in the neighborhood dispute, or who is your ex-marriage partner. You let the other person excel in events even though you are better than he is.

2 Love your enemies. How? {28} “Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”

“Lord, lead the arsonist, the slanderer, the rapist, the murderer to repent of his sins and receive eternal life because of Your life, death, and resurrection. Lord, bless my ex-marriage partner, the person who lost his job or his legal dispute with financial security. Lord, bless my rival with a sense of satisfaction.”

3 Love your enemies? How? {30}“Give to everyone who asks you. Lend without expecting to get anything back.” You give of your time to go to talk to the repentant arsonist, rapist and murderer who asks to talk to you. You faithfully give child or spousal support to your ex marriage partner. You give your time to help your rival on the team to get better at what you are doing. You lend the equipment which used to be both of yours to your ex-marriage partner, or to your laid off neighbor, or to your angry neighbor when it is needed without demanding payment.

4 Love your enemies? How? {37} “Do not judge. Do not condemn.” Jesus has told us very clearly we are to point out sin and inform people that sin leads to God’s condemnation. From the verses that come later we learn what He means when He says here “Do not judge. Do not condemn.” We are not to look at other people in a condescending fashion, acting as if we have never or could ever sin in the way they have. Rather than being judgmental and condescending I am to approach my enemy humbly acknowledging that I am just as much a terrible sinner.

5 Love your enemies? How? {36} “Be merciful. {37} Forgive,” Jesus says. “Lord, please lead the arsonist, the rapist, the murderer, the slanderer, my ex-marriage partner to repent and come to trust that You lived and died and rose for him.” When you pray that prayer, you have forgiven your enemy. If you insist that you want to punish them and they should rot in hell, you haven’t forgiven them. You may never want to be in the presence of the arsonist, rapist, slanderer, and murderer again because you still don’t trust them. That is another issue. Forgiveness means you are willing to let God and His appointed representative the government deal with the person about punishment, but you want the person to repent and go to heaven.

C Love your enemies? How did/does Jesus love His enemies? He gives rain and sunshine and all other earthly blessings humans need to enemies as well as believers. He gives His Word, the Law and the Gospel to all humans beings, enemies as well as believers. He gave His life to pay for sins, so He could offer forgiveness to the world, enemies as well as believers. He offers the holiness that He lived to all people, enemies as well as friends. He offers eternal life, which He won by resurrection, to enemies as well as friends. Jesus gives to His enemies. So should we.

IIIA1 Why express love to people this week? Because it is required. Valentine’s week puts a certain amount of pressure on us to conform to what everybody else around us is doing. You do it because you have to. That is a pretty cynical evaluation, isn’t it.

2 Why do you love people really? I love my marriage partner because I have a commitment to God and to my partner that I will always be there until I die to benefit her. I love my family because that is my responsibility under God. I love my friends because God has told me I am to support and uplift the people around me. I love my neighbors because the Lord has told me to love them as much as I love myself. I love my acquaintances because God has told me I am to always be ready to answer them about Jesus.

3 Why express love to others? Another reason: {31}“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Or. {35}“Then your reward will be great.” Or. {38} “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Ordinarily people treat you in a similar manner. That is nice. That is good. I want that. So I love others to get that.

B1 Why express love to others? {35} “Then you will be sons of the Most High.” Now remember Jesus is talking to His disciples here. People who are believers. People who trust that the Savior God will forgive them, cover them with His righteousness, and give them eternal life. We are already sons and daughters of the Most High. But when we express love to others including our enemies, it will be very obvious to them that we are sons of the Most High. It is called being witnesses for Jesus with our lives and actions.

2 Why express love to others? {36}“ Just as your Father is merciful.” God sends Jesus into this world even though I as a sinner hate Him. He blesses me with everything I need, even though I as a sinner curse Him for every bad thing that happens in my life. Jesus prays for me even though my sins crucified Him. He willingly listens to our complaints even though they are all insults to Him. He fills my requests. He never expects me to give Him back what I am using when I am finished. He loves me even though He knows I can never give Him the same kind of love in return. He gives me forgiveness, holiness and eternal life even though I deserve hell. Why love others including enemies? Because that is how God treats me.

C1 Why does Jesus love His enemies? Because He wants us to be part of His family. He wants to have an intimate relationship with us. He wants to spend the times of our lives here on this earth with us.

2 Why does Jesus love His enemies? Because He wants us to be with Him forever in heaven. He wants us to have an intimate relationship with Him forever. He wants us to spend eternity with Him.

Conc: Why love others even our enemies? Because we want to give whatever it takes to get all the people around us including our enemies to spend eternity with us and Jesus.

Written Sermon 2/13/2022

CWC -Epiphany 6 - Epistle Lesson - Kieth Bernard Kuschel

1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20

(12) But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? (16) For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. {17} And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. {18} Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. {19} If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. {20} But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Enumerate blessings of God

Jesus’ Resurrection Guarantees our Blessings

I. Forgiveness of our sins

A. If God were to ask you why should I let you into heaven,

what would you tell him?

1. I am a nice person

2. I am a relatively nice person

3. I try harder

4. There is no way He would let me into heaven because of me

B. Christian response

1. #4 above is Christian response

2. Because Jesus took away my sins

3. Because Jesus’ covers me with His holiness

C. How do you know that is true

1. Bible says so, God’s plan, Jesus’ resurrection

2. Without resurrection vs 17= verdict is guilty

II. Resurrection of our bodies

A. What is going to happen to you when you die

1. Nothing. Dead - gone

2. Become an angel - spirit (Medieval, modern)

3. Problem in Corinth

B. Christian response

1.Body is buried, souls go to be with Lord

2. Bodies raised on last day and enter eternity

3. This confidence makes us live our lives to the Lord

C. How do you know that is true

1. Bible says so, God’s plan, Jesus’ resurrection

2. If no resurrection of Jesus, none for us

IA1 If you were to ask somebody on the street, “If God were to ask you why should I let you into heaven, what would you tell him?”, what kind of answers would you get? One category of answers would sound like: “I would tell Him that I am a pretty nice person. I am helpful to the people around me. I take care of the needs of the people dependent on me. I shoulder my responsibilities.”

2 Another category of answers would sound like this: “I am a relatively nice person. I have trouble with my temper, but I don’t beat my wife as my neighbor does. I have a little trouble with self-indulgence but I don’t waste all my money at the casino as my neighbor does. I do try to get out of things once in a while, but I am not a lazy good for nothing welfare cheat like some people. It should be obvious to God that I am better than those people.”

3 Another category of answers would sound like this: “I know that I am not perfect, but I try my best. When I hurt somebody’s feelings, I try to make it up by being extra helpful the next time. When I do something that is damaging to somebody’s physical well-being, I try to not only fix what I have done, but go overboard in taking care of that person the next time I see he or she needs something. When I slip up on my responsibilities, I try to take a double load the next time. It should be obvious to God that I try hard to make up for my mistakes.”

4 Another category of answers would sound like this: “There is no way that God would let me into heaven. Look. I have done some pretty nasty things in my life. Even if other people would say, “That isn’t so bad,” if God has any kind of standard that He holds to, I can’t measure up to it. There is no way that I could point to myself and say, “God, You have to let me into heaven.”

B1 If I were to ask you, “If God were to ask you why should I let you into heaven, what would you tell him?”, what kind of answers would you give? Would any of the categories of answers which I quoted above come out of your mouth? The last one should be in there somewhere. “I have done some pretty nasty things in my life. Even if other people would say, “That isn’t so bad,” if God has any kind of standard that He holds to, I can’t measure up to it. There is no way that I could point to myself and say, “God, You have to let me into heaven.”

2 If I were to ask you, “If God were to ask you why should I let you into heaven, what would you tell him?”, what kind of answers would you give? Your answers don’t talk about yourselves. Your answers talk about Jesus. “Lord, you should let me into heaven because my sins have been removed. They would keep me out of heaven. But You took them off me and put them on Jesus. Jesus then took them to the cross. There He suffered the death and hell I deserve because of my sins. Since You have already punished Jesus for my sins, there is no reason for You to punish me. Since my sins have been taken away by Jesus, there is no barrier to keep me out of heaven. You should let me into heaven because of what Jesus did for me.”

3 But, what would you say, if God then said, “But I only let holy people into heaven.” Again your answers don’t talk about you. Your answers talk about Jesus. “Lord You should let me into heaven because Jesus has given me His holiness. He lived that holiness as a real human being so He could be my Substitute. It is as if I lived that holiness. Since Jesus has lived that holiness for me and given it to me, I am covered with it. You should let me into heaven because of what Jesus did for me.”

C1 Those answers will satisfy God, but what about all the critics we have to deal with now. The critics who say, “How do you know that is true.” “The Bible says so.” “What if they Bible is wrong?” How do you know it is true then?” “It was God’s plan.” “How do you know God’s plan worked? How do you know Jesus’ life was worth enough to pay for your sins? How do you know Jesus’ perfect life was accepted as the basis for God’s gift of holiness to you?” “Jesus’ rose.” Jesus’ resurrection guarantees God’s blessings for us - one of those blessings is the forgiveness of sins.

2 What if Jesus hadn’t risen? God would have been saying, “Jesus’ death is not sufficient payment for the sins of the world. It didn’t work. Jesus’ life is not the source of holiness for people. It didn’t work.” Paul writes: {17} And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile (worthless); you are still in your sins(They are not forgiven. The verdict is: “You are guilty. Go to hell.”

IIA1 If you were to ask somebody on the street, “What is going to happen to you when you die?”, what kind of answers would you get? One category of answers would sound like: “Nothing is going to happen. When you’re dead, you’re dead. You stop being a person. The elements which make up your body rot. You go back to being a part of the dirt. That’s it. Period. End of story.”

2 Another category of answers would sound like this: “I am going to become part of the spiritual world. Like an angel. I won’t be limited by my body or anything physical.” If we were still living in the middle ages, people might think in terms of the disembodied spirits floating free in the world and influencing events in the world. Ghost and goblins kind of thinking. Today people might say, “This will be such freedom. All the negatives of the present have to do with the physical. I sure hope I don’t have to come back and be an embodied being again. I want to just stay a spiritual being.”

3 The people in the congregation in the city of Corinth were struggling with the question: “What is going to happen to you when you die?” Some didn’t believe there was a physical resurrection of the dead. They were influenced to believe that by the prevailing attitude in Greek philosophy which said everything spiritual is good and everything physical is bad. They believed that Jesus was their Savior who had risen from the dead, but that there was no resurrection from the dead available to humans. Thus the question from Paul: (12) But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? Paul gives his answer to his own question in verse 16, pointing out the inconsistency of their belief: (16) For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.

B1 If I were to ask you, “What is going to happen to you when you die?”, what kind of answers would you give? Your answers would sound something like this: “My body is going to stop functioning. It will gradually erode into the basic elements of which it consists. But my soul, what makes me me, will not die or go out of existence. That soul will be taken to be with the Lord. It will continue to be with the Lord until Judgment Day. No free floating disconnected spiritual existence.”

2 If I were to ask you, “What is going to happen to you when you die?”, your answer wouldn’t stop there. You would probably continue: “But that is only a temporary situation. On the last day the Lord is going to gather up all the souls of the people who have died and reunite them with their bodies. In most instances that means He will have to reformulate their bodies, because their bodies will have decomposed totally. At that point then He will make a public declaration about all the reconstituted people and all the other people who are still alive on Judgment Day. Those who trusted that Jesus lived and died and rose for them and gave them forgiveness and holiness will be welcomed into eternity in perfection with the Lord. Those who didn’t believe in Jesus as their Savior God will send away from Him and His blessings forever.”

3 If you are really talkative your answer might continue: “That’s why I live the way I do now. I live to the Lord now because I am going to live with Him forever. I make sacrifices to insure that I stay close to Him now so that I will stay close to Him forever. I put up with ridicule now because I know my relationship with Him is forever and my relationships with people are temporary. My future shapes my present.” Paul comments from the negative: {19} If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

C1 And the critics say again, “How do you know that is true.” “The Bible says so.” “What if they Bible is wrong? How do you know it is true then?” “It was God’s promise.” “How do you know God’s promise will be kept?” “Jesus’ rose.” Jesus’ resurrection guarantees God’s blessings for us - one of those blessings is the resurrection of our bodies. Paul’s comment is:{20} But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” In other words, Christ rose first, that means we will follow.”

2 What if Jesus hadn’t risen? God would have been saying, “Jesus’ didn’t conquer death. None of His promises are any good.” Paul writes: {18} Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.” {20} But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” In other words, Christ rose first, that means we will follow.”

Conc: We Christians always have the same answer to “How do you know?” The answer is: Jesus rose

Written Sermon 2/6/2022

CWC- Old Testament Lesson - Epiphany 5 - Kieth Bernard Kuschel

Isaiah 6:18

{1} In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. {2} Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. {3} And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." {4} At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. {5} "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." {6} Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. {7} With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." {8} Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

Tell children to go back and tell their parents:

Jesus lived and died and rose for you.

Jesus washed away your sins and give you eternal life.

HERE I AM. SEND ME

I. In spite of my sinfulness

A. Woe to me

1. In trouble

2. Unclean lips

3. Unclean people

4. LORD is King, Almighty

B. God’s call

1. Question in verse 8

2. Sends us to......

C. Our reaction

1. Not good enough

2. “Good enough” is bad

II. Because of my Savior

A. Seraphs

1. Definition

2. Give glory to God

B. Special action

1. Touch lips

2. Guilt removed

3. Sin atoned for

C. God’s call

D. Our reaction

1. I am qualified

2. Others need to know what I know

Conc

IA1 “Woe to me!” When was the last time you said that? Anybody know what it means? Isaiah helps us out with what it means. The next statement is: {5}“I am ruined.” We might say: I am in lots of trouble! Should we join Isaiah in saying “I am in lots of trouble!”?

2 Isaiah tells us the reason he said “Woe to me!” “I am ruined.” What was it? {5}“For I am a man of unclean lips.” So are we. Instead of glorifying God, we toss His name around as if it is just another word. Instead of speaking God’s truth in love, we don’t bother to speak it at all. Instead of building others up, I verbally abuse them. Instead of praising God for His wonderful creation, I make fun of other people’s body parts. Instead of speaking reverently about God’s gift of sexuality, I trivialize it. I am in lots of trouble because I am a man of unclean lips.

3 “Woe to me,” Isaiah says, (5)“because I live among a people of unclean lips.” I am in lots of trouble. The people around me are just as much sinners as I am. They encourage me to live for myself. They tell me the Bible is a fairy tale. They want me to be as disrespectful as they are. They indicate that being nice doesn’t get me anywhere. They laugh at my sexual restrictions. They influence me to think life is about toys. All of that helps me to be unclean.

4 “Woe to me,” Isaiah says, “(5)my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." I have taken a look at the LORD. I see that He is the King. He has oversight over everything. He sees my unclean lips. I see that He is Almighty. He has the power to punish me with death and hell because I am unclean. I am in lots of trouble.

B1 {8} Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" When God says this to us as He said it to Isaiah, He isn’t indicating that He is at a loss as to whom He should send to tell people the truth about Himself. What is God trying to do when He says to us, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" He is trying to get us to realize that He is telling us He wants us to go and share His truth with others.

2 He is telling us that He wants to send us into a career of teaching His truth as pastors or Lutheran School teachers. He is telling us He is sending us into our families to teach all of our family members that they are sinners and Jesus is their Savior. He is telling us He is sending us to our friends to share with them as part of our relationship with them that Jesus lived and died and rose to give them forgiveness, holiness, and eternal life. He is telling us He is sending us into our neighborhoods to invite people to hear about Jesus the Savior here at church. He is telling us He is sending us into that checkout line at the grocery store when the person in front of us starts talking about god. He is telling us that He is sending us to Zambia, and Malawi, and Puerto Rice and wherever we can go through the missionaries we pay for in the WELS.

C1 Our first reaction is, “Who me? I am the unclean one, remember, Lord. I am not good enough to have you send me to people with Your truth.” It is true that the Lord has some expectations of his messengers. We are to know what we are talking about. We are to back up our message with lives lived to the glory of God. But when the Lord says to us that He is sending us to people with His truth, I don’t think it is our place to say that is a bad idea because we are not good enough.

2 On the other hand, it would be a big problem if people would react to God’s call to send them to others with His truth by thinking proudly, “I can do that because I am good enough. My resume as a child of God qualifies me to serve as Christ’s messenger.” That attitude scares me. It sounds as if the person hasn’t looked at himself with Isaiah and concluded, “Woe is me! I am man of unclean lips.” God would much rather have us join Isaiah and say together: “Here I am. Send me in spite of my sinfulness.”

IIA1 God granted Isaiah something that He doesn’t give to many people. Isaiah was able to see the Lord and some seraphs in a vision. Seraphs are angels. From the symbolism in the vision we can conclude that these seraphs are ready, willing and able to do what the Lord tells them to do. They can go quickly to accomplish what the Lord wants. Yet, they are humble, reverent creatures.

2 {3} The seraphs were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." They are praising God, telling others what God is like.

God is holy-separate from sin. God is Almighty - can do anything. He deserves to be praised everywhere by His whole creation.

B1 {6} Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. {7} With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips.” Remember in the vision God is sitting on His throne, the cover of the ark of the covenant in the Most Holy part of the temple. From one of the altars in the temple, probably from the altar of burnt offering where there was an offering burning all the time, the seraph took a burning coal and touched Isaiah’s lips. Remember what had Isaiah said about his lips? They were unclean.

2 The seraph also said, “See, this live coal from the altar has touched your lips. Your guilt is taken away.” Remember what the sacrifices on the altars in the Old Testament meant. They were pictures of the truth that a life would have to be taken to remove man’s guilt. They were pointers to the Messiah. God here was reminding Isaiah that through the sacrifice of the Messiah, foreshadowed in the Old Testament offerings, Isaiah’s guilt was taken away. Even though God was holy, Isaiah didn’t have to fear God because of Isaiah’s unclean lips. Isaiah could accept God’s commission as a prophet because God had cleansed him of his guilt.

3 The seraph also said, “See, this live coal from the altar has touched your lips. Your sin is atoned for." Our sins separate us from God because God is holy and we are not. When our guilt is removed, we can be at one with God again. God takes away our guilt and puts it on Jesus. God brings us back to be at one with Him by covering us with the holiness of Jesus. We will be at one with God forever because of the resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. The seraphs reminded Isaiah and us that God’s cleansing makes us at one with Him again.

C {8} Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" God is telling us that He is sending us as individuals to share His Law and Gospel with all the people with whom we have contact in life. He is sending us to share Jesus through the individual ministries that we carry out in this congregation. He is telling us He is sending us to share Jesus’ forgiveness, holiness and eternal life though all the functions of our congregation. He is telling us He is sending us to share Jesus with the whole world through the ministries we do together as the WELS.

D1 And we respond, “Here I am. Send me.” We can accept our commission from the Lord because we are qualified. We are qualified because we are no longer men of unclean lips. God has cleansed us of our guilt with the blood of Jesus. He has made us at one with Him by covering us with Jesus’ holiness. Here I am. Send me because of my Savior.

2 Here I am. Send me. I want to go to some people to share with them what I have seen. I have seen that the Lord is the LORD. He is the unchanging God who doesn’t back down on His covenant to forgive the sins of the human race. I want others to experience what I have experienced. The Lord comes into people’s lives and touches them with the blood of Christ and makes them guilt free. He comes into people’s lives and touches them with the holiness of Jesus and makes them at one with Him. Here I am. Send me. Because of my Savior in spite of my sinfulness.

Written Sermon 1/30/2022

CWC-Alternate OT Lesson - Epiphany 4 - Kieth Bernard Kuschel

I Kings 17:7-16

7 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” 10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” 11 As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.” 12 “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.” 13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’”15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.

Repeat after me

Jesus died to wash away your sins

Jesus lived to cover you with His holiness

Jesus rose from the dead so you can live forever.

You are a prophet.

Prophets

I. Sent by God

A. Elijah

1. Situation in Israel

2. Sent: practical; prophetic

B. Jesus

1. Priestly work

2. Prophetic Work

C. Called Workers

1. Assignment committee

2. Special work

D. Us

1. Places in life

2. Reason: God put you there

II. Communicate

A. Elijah

1. Asked for food and water

2. Opening up a conversation

B. Jesus

1. Opened up conversation; get them thinking

2. Sometimes good results; sometimes not

C. Called workers

1. Preaching and teaching Bible class

2. Teaching skills

D. Us

1. Discuss everyday life things

2. Gives you the right to talk with the person

III. Pass Along God’s Promises

A. Elijah

1. Food and rain

2. Gifts from the LORD

B. Jesus

1. Promise to rise

2. Promise to give eternal life

C. Called Workers

1. Every sermon and every Bible class

2. Every devotion and every religion class

D. Us

1. Promise to guard and keep and be with

2. Promise of forgiveness, holiness, and eternal life

IA1 Ahab was the King of Israel. According to I Kings 16:30 “Ahab did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him. He not only diverted the people in his nation away from the worship of the true God in Jerusalem by having altars built to Him in other places, but in addition he introduced the worship of and built temples for the Palestinian fertility gods Baal and Asherah. Because of that God sent a drought on the land of Israel.

2 God took care of His prophet Elijah by sending bread and meat to him air mail. When the brook which was supplying him with water dried up, God sent him to Zarephath in Sidon, outside of Israel. The practical reason God sent him was Elijah would get food there. From Jesus’ comments in the Gospel lesson, the spiritual reason God sent him there was - he was sent by God to bring the truth about the LORD to people there.

B1 Jesus was also sent by God. For what? Most Christians would say, “To die on the cross to wash away my sins. To suffer death as my Substitute to rescue me from death as punishment for my sins. To experience hell as my Substitute to rescue me that as punishment for my sins. To live and never sin to cover me with His holiness. To rise from the dead so that I might live forever.” All of that is true and good.

2 But God sent Jesus into our world for another reason. To be our prophet. To pass along God’s truth. If Jesus hadn’t taught God’s truth, we wouldn’t know which laws are demanded by God to be kept by us. If Jesus hadn’t taught God’s truth, we wouldn’t know why He lived and died and rose. Prophets pass along God’s truth. Jesus was the perfect prophet. He perfectly passed along God’s truth. He was sent by God to do that.

C1 Why are pastors and teachers and staff ministers and deacons and deaconesses carrying out their ministries at particular places? First reason. They were turned into believers in Jesus by the Holy Spirit. Second reason. God the Holy Spirit working through the Good News about Jesus convinced them that being professional prophets was a good idea. Third reason. God the Holy Spirit working through the Bible equipped them to be able to be prophets. Fourth reason. God’s people under the direction of Jesus designated them to carry out their work in a particular place. For all those reasons we can say God sends these people to their place of ministry.

2 A missionary is a good example. WELS World Mission Board, a group of believers in Jesus, wanted people to share Jesus with people in a foreign land. They asked a believer in Jesus, who is a professional equipped prophet for the Lord, to carry out that particular job for them.

D1 Why are you at your place in life? Practical reasons are the same as those for Elijah. I have a job to be able to provide myself and those dependent on me with necessities of life. I am at school in order to become equipped with skills so that I will be able to have a job to be able to provide myself and those dependent on me with necessities of life.

2 Why are you at your place in life? The real answer is God sent you there. You are working at that job because there are some people there like the widow in Zarephath who need the truth about God or need to have the truth of God reinforced by you. You are at that school because there are some people there like the widow in Zarephath who need the truth about God or need to have the truth of God reinforced by you. You are on that sports team because there are some people there like the widow in Zarephath who need the truth about God or need to have the truth of God reinforced by you. You are involved in that group of people who get together daily or weekly or monthly to socialize because there are some people there like the widow in Zarephath who need the truth about God or need to have the truth of God reinforced by you. God sent Elijah to Zarephath. God sent His Son into our world. God sends professional prophets. But the biggest group He sends out to share His truth is you.

IIA1 10 So Elijah went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there

gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” 11 As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.” 12 “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”

2 What was Elijah doing? He was having a conversation with this woman. Why? He was opening up communication lines with this woman? Why? He was earning the right to talk to this woman. Why? Because he wanted to share the truth about God with this woman. If he didn’t earn the right to talk to this woman, she wouldn’t be a listener to what he had to say.

B1 In the Gospel lesson for today, Jesus made the dramatic claim that the Old Testament prophet Isaiah’s words about the Messiah were fulfilled in Him. Why did He do that? He was trying to get the listeners to think about what He had to say. He was trying to initiate a conversation with them about who He was. He was opening up the lines of communication with these people.

2 Sometimes when Jesus started a conversation with people, it went well. Think of the woman at the well in Samaria. After talking about everyday things, Jesus moved the conversation to spiritual things and the woman was led to realize that Jesus was the Messiah. Things didn’t go very well in the Gospel lesson for today. Jesus got the people to think about His claim and compare it with their conclusion that he was just Joseph’s son. But they rejected His claim to be the Messiah.

C1 When God sends professional prophets out today, those people have had a lot of training in communicating God’s truth in a structured way and in a group settings. They spend four years learning to research, write, and present sermons. Learning to prepare and present Bible classes, Bible Information classes, Catechism classes, Bible History classes.

2 Teachers spend four years learning how to communicate in a classroom so the students grasp the concepts of math, the facts of history, the procedures of science, but much more important the truths about Jesus.

D1 If God sends you to share His truth with people in the various places of your life, how are you to go about doing that? It is much different from professional prophets preaching a sermon or teaching a class. How do you do that? You talk with the widow at Zarephath about the

groceries. You talk with her about the economy. You talk with her about how things are going in her life. You talk with her about the drought.

2 Why? Because the first thing we all must do with the people in the places of our lives is earn the right to talk to them about the truth of God. You do that by opening up the lines of communication with them. You do that by talking to them and listening to them. If we don’t earn the right to talk to someone, that person will not listen to what we have to say. Talk to the person at work about how the job is going. Talk to the person at school about how the classes are going. Talk to the person on your team about basketball. Talk to the person in your group about the weather. But remember, you are doing that for a reason. You are earning the right to share God’s truth with them.

IIIA1 13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’ Elijah passed along two promises of God. The LORD would take care of her and her son by miraculously providing them with food. What was the other promise? That He would bring the drought to an end.

2 Elijah brought this woman more gifts from the LORD. He restored the woman’s son to life after he died. He led her to realize that the LORD was the one and only true God. He led her to realize that the LORD is the source of and restorer of life. He led her to realize that the LORD by definition forgives sin and keeps His promises. And we can correctly assume that he led her to understand the promises of the Savior.

B1 Jesus, the perfect prophet, throughout His three years of public ministry perfectly passed along God’s truth. Included in that truth were God’s promises. Maybe the most dramatic promise that Jesus made during those three years was His promise to rise from the dead. Whenever He predicted that His enemies would kill Him, He promised that He would rise from the dead.

2 He made other promises. He promised to be with His followers always. He promised to use His power for our benefit. He promised to forgive our sins. He promised to cover us with His holiness. He promised to have us live forever with Him. Interestingly all these other promises are directly connected to His dramatic promise to rise from the dead. If He hadn’t done that, He couldn’t do any of these other things.

C1 Professional prophets are trained to make sure they pass along God’s promises when they speak the truth of God. In every sermon that is preached God’s promise to forgive your sins because of Jesus death, God’s promise to cover you with the holiness which Jesus lived, and God’s promise to give you eternal life because Jesus rose must be present. No matter what the stated topic of the Bible class is at some point God’s promise of forgiveness, holiness and eternal life because of the life death and resurrection of Jesus must be stated. In every communication that is sent the Gospel of Jesus, the promises of God are to be there.

2 In every devotion and every religion class, even if the topic is Elijah and the widow of Zarephath, the promises of God’s forgiveness, holiness and eternal life because of the life death and resurrection of Jesus are to be present.

D1 God sends you to share His truth with the people in the places of your lives. What are you to tell them? The promises of God. To your friend whose wife died, you can say, “Jesus promises to be with you always.” To your neighbor who lost His job, you can say, “Jesus promises to take care of you.”

2 But just like every sermon and every classroom presentation, every conversation that you carry out as a prophet of God needs to have the most important promises of God present. So let’s practice them. Jesus died to wash away your sins. Jesus lived to cover you with His holiness. Jesus rose from the dead so you can live forever.

Prayer. LORD Jesus, thank You for being my Perfect Prophet by giving me Your truth. Thank you for giving me the privilege of being one of Your prophets. Motivate, equip, and empower me to pass along Your Promises.

Written Sermon 1/23/2022

CWC - Psalm for the Day - Epiphany 3 - Kieth Bernard Kuschel

Psalm 19

1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.

3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.

4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.

5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,

like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other;

nothing is deprived of its warmth.

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

8 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.

The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.

10 They are more precious than gold,

than much pure gold;

they are sweeter than honey,

than honey from the honeycomb.

11 By them your servant is warned;

in keeping them there is great reward.

12 But who can discern their own errors?

Forgive my hidden faults.

13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;

may they not rule over me.

Then I will be blameless,

innocent of great transgression.

14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart

be pleasing in your sight,

Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Epiphany - meaning

What are we to show forth, reveal or disclose?

Today’s Psalm tells us about some of God’s epiphanies.

God gives us Epiphanies through

(Tells us something about Himself)

1. The creation 2. Our consciences 3. His Word

IA1 How big was your heating bill last month? It sure would be nice if we had a heat source that would take care of our heating needs free. There is one source of heat that is free. And it is truly amazing. It heats up the entire earth. 6: “nothing is deprived of its warmth, ". the Psalm writer says. That source is the sun.

2 Another amazing thing is the distribution system. Oil trucks show up at the customer’s

house when the computer says it is time for more oil. The sun has a delivery route too. 6: “It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other.” This huge flaming source of heat is always in the right place. It doesn’t get too close to make toast out of us. It doesn’t go too far away to make permanent snow cones out of us.

3 (4)In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. 5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course." Like a bridegroom coming out of the portable enclosure used at the public wedding ceremony, ready for new life, so the sun arises each morning ready for the new life of the new day. Like a champion running around the course with his arms raised in a victory trot, so the sun victoriously makes its course around the earth, conquering darkness and cold each day.

B1 The sun is used in verses 4-6 as an example of the rest of the parts of the universe, called the heavens and skies. When we look at these things, we see amazing things like the sun, which do amazing things, which display amazing power, which provide amazing benefits.

2 These amazing things talk to us, they tell us things. “2 Day after day they pour forth

speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. 3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. 4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." Since they impart information without speech or language, every human being everywhere can understand the message. Since everybody everywhere is able to observe the working of the universe, everybody everywhere has access to the message which the heavens and the skies proclaim.

C1 What is the message which we hear the heaven, the skies telling us? The first thing they tell us is that whoever is responsible for all of this is wise. He had to be smarter than a human being. It has taken humans almost 10,000 years to just come to a little understanding about how all this works. He is smarter than we are.

2 Next. Whoever is responsible for all this is powerful. Not only was He smart enough to make the planets have a course, but He is powerful enough to keep them on course. Not only was He smart enough to give the sun the ability to warm us. He is powerful enough to keep it sending out the energy that we need. Not only was He wise enough to set up the water cycle, the chlorophyll cycle and many other intricacies of our world, but He is powerful enough to have put those cycles into action and keep them going.

3 Third. Whoever is responsible for all this is very good. Through each thing in the universe some benefit is provided. The sun - heat and light. The moon - gravitational pull. The water cycle - makes food grow. On and on.

4 What epiphany does the sky, the heavens give us? That there is somebody very wise, very powerful, and very kind out there who is responsible for everything we see around us. It was all the work of His hands. And we are led to join the skies in saying that He deserves to be praised for who He is and what He has done. “1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

IIA1 If this person who is responsible for all this around us is smart, powerful, and kind, we ought to strive to be as much like Him as possible. That is easier said than done. In order for us to be able to do good to others, we have to be smart enough to figure out what they need. Sometimes that is easy. Sometimes it is not. If we aren’t aware of what is needed to benefit someone else, it’s quite apparent that we are incapable of taking care of the need.

2 There is another problem. We aren’t always even looking to be in tune with other people’s needs. It’s called selfishness. If left to ourselves, we would only look out for ourselves. If left to ourselves, we get so caught up with what we are doing, what we want, what we like , and what makes us feel good, that we don’t even see what others need, what they are missing, what we might do to benefit them.

B1 So the Psalm writer concludes: “12 Who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.” “Lord, when I look at what You do for me through Your creation and I compare it with what I do for others, I have to conclude that I don’t even think about my responsibility toward others very much. If I don’t even think about it a lot, I know I fail to be helpful, to give myself to others when they need it. Lord, I need Your forgiveness for all those failures that I don’t even know about.”

2 “But Lord, I also have a problem with things I do which hurt others. My selfishness sometimes goes into high gear. I want to take advantage of others. I want to use others. I want to get back at others who hurt me. I want to verbally abuse others. I know those things are wrong. I need Your help. I need our strength. I need Your protection so that I don’t get actively involved in things that are destructive to others and ultimately to myself. “13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. “

3 “Why do I need to avoid things that oppose Your will? Because I know they have drastic consequences. They destroy relationships. They destroy peace of mind. They destroy my relationship with You. They make me deserve Your punishment. They put me outside of Your family.

C1 How does God tell us about Himself? How does He gives us epiphanies? He has placed in each of us a basic knowledge of right and wrong. He has placed in each of us a little voice which testifies to what is right and wrong. It leads us to compare ourselves with the goodness, wisdom, and power of God. It leads us to draw a conclusion as to whether we are comparable to Him or not.

2 So, our conscience tells us we are responsible to Someone who made all things for our benefit. It tells us that we don’t do a very good job of reflecting His goodness, wisdom and power. It makes us feel uncomfortable because of our failures. It reminds us of our actions which go counter to what we know about God’s way of doing things.

3 It teaches us that we just can’t make it with this powerful, wise, and good God on our own. It teaches us that we fail. It points out to us that we need to get help from somewhere else if we are going to have a relationship with this God.

IIIA1 Sometimes our consciences don’t make very clear comments. Sometimes the circumstances in a situation seem to overwhelm us so that the conscience gets drowned out. Sometimes the selfishness within us does a good job of arguing the conscience out of what is right. Then what?

2 Then God talks to us in another way. God has written His will down. It is in the Bible. Something written down doesn’t change. Circumstances don’t alter it. Selfishness doesn’t affect it. It is an unchanging standard. “ 7 The law of the LORD is perfect.”

3 “7bThe statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.” Sometimes we just can’t figure out what we ought to do in a given situation. Sometimes we don’t know what is right and wrong. Then we can go to the written word of the Lord and become educated. It makes us simple people wise.

4 Sometimes we just can’t see how to apply what we have read. We don’t see any way out of a situation. Or, we don’t see any way into a situation. 8b" The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.” The solution is - God talks to us more from His Word. He will clear away our blindness so that we will see how to apply His will.

5 “9b The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous." We don’t have to second guess. We know that the Lord has given us His Word. It is true and sure. It isn’t tainted with selfishness. It doesn’t have a wrong motive. It’s what’s right.

6 So, the Lord talks to us. “11 By them (God’s words) your servant is warned.” He warns us that sin makes us guilty before Him. He warns us that sin makes us deserve His anger. He warns us that the only way to achieve His praise is by perfectly keeping His law. He warns us that the devil takes over in the lives of those who oppose His will. Those warnings make us fear God, acknowledge that He is the one to whom we are responsible. He is the one who has a perfect right to expect perfection from us because we are His creatures. Those warnings make us want not be subject to His punishment. That fear is a good thing. “9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.”

7 But we also know that if we could keep His law, we would be right with Him. If we could keep His law, things would be much better for us now. “11b in keeping them there is great reward.” So, we ask His help to implement what our conscience says is right and what our reading of His will tells us is right. “14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

B1 Did some phrases sound strange? 7 “The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul.” The Law shows us our sins. The Law threatens punishment. The Law doesn’t revive the soul. The LORD Himself is the only one who revives the soul, gives the soul life. He does that by telling us that we can live forever because Jesus died to wash away our sins, lived perfectly to cover us with His holiness, and rose so that we might live forever. The only way this verse makes sense is if we translate the word “Law” as “teaching” which is possible meaning. “Teaching” then would include both Law and Gospel. The Gospel, the good news about Jesus, is what revives our souls.

2 Another strange phrase. 8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The precepts of the LORD take away our joy because we can’t keep them. But the entire message of the LORD which includes what He gives us, forgiveness, holiness, and eternal life - that gives joy.

10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. God’s words, whether we call them precepts, or teaching, are sweet because they tell us about our Savior. Our Savior who lived and died and rose to give us holiness, forgiveness, and eternal life. That’s what revives the soul. That’s what give joy to the heart. That’s the most important epiphany God has given us. That is what Jesus said the Scriptures were all about. They testify to us about Him.

Lord, thank You for giving us epiphanies through the creation and from our conscience. But most importantly thank You for Your Epiphany that come to us through Your Word. The epiphany that reveals Jesus to us.

Sermon 12/12/2021

Sermon 12/5/2021

Rev. Kieth Kuschel

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Manistee, MI (WELS)

Sermon Text: Psalm 24

Sermon 11/28/2021

Sermon Thanksgiving Eve 11/24/2021

Sermon 11/21/2021

Rev. Kieth Kuschel

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Manistee, MI (WELS)

Sermon Text: Revelation 1:4b-8

Sermon 11/14/2021

Rev. Kieth Kuschel

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Manistee, MI (WELS)

Sermon Text: Malachi 4:1,2

Sermon 11/7/2021

Rev. Kieth Kuschel

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Manistee, MI (WELS)

Sermon Text: Malachi 4:1,2

Sermon 10/31/2021

Rev. Kieth Kuschel

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Manistee, MI (WELS)

Sermon Text: Mark 13:5-11

Sermon 10/24/2021

Rev. Kieth Kuschel

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Manistee, MI (WELS)

Sermon Text: Mark 10:35-45

Sermon 10/17/2021

Rev. Kieth Kuschel

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (WELS)

Manistee, MI

Sermon text: Hebrews Mark 10:17-27

Sermon 10/10/2021

Rev. Kieth Kuschel

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (WELS)

Manistee, MI

Sermon text: Hebrews 2:9-11

Sermon 10/3/2021

Rev. Kieth Kuschel

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (WELS)

Manistee, MI

Sermon text: Psalms 51:10-12