Written Sermon 7/31/2022

Preacher: Pastor Tim Redfield

Date: July 31, 2022

Text: Colossians 1:1-14

Theme: Worship Gives You the Strength You Need

I have noticed a trend during my ministry. It probably started before my first year as a pastor but I have noticed it more and more in the last few years. There are many more groups doing mission trips. Lakeside Lutheran High School has Operation Go. Luther Prep School has Project Timothy. Many churches have their own mission trips. I have even started looking into the possibility of a mission trip for our church. I have also heard some pastors say that they would rather take a group of teens on a mission trip than to the Youth Rally. It just made me ponder, is one better than the other? Is a Mission Trip better than a Youth Rally? Ultimately I would say that they both serve a purpose and they are both good. This text before us made me think of the specific purposes of a mission trip or a Youth Rally. Mission Trips and Youth Rallies seem more fun than our regular lives of faith but they mirror what we should be doing throughout our lives. We’ll come back to those ideas as we see that Worship Gives us the Strength we Need.

Part 1: You are not here to serve

As Paul begins this letter to the Colossians, you can clearly see the joy he has about this congregation. Beginning in verse 3, he has a long sentence about their faith. He says, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 6 that has come to you” (Colossians 1:3-6).

He is thankful for their faith and he can see their love springing forth. He praises them for the faith that the Holy Spirit has produced in them. Having just come back from the Youth Rally in Tennessee, I echo some of Paul’s thoughts. I am very thankful for the faith that I saw in all the people who attended the Rally and especially in the teenagers. It is a great joy to see their Christian love being displayed in many ways. I pray for all of them that God continue to bless them and keep them strong in their faith.

Because of all the details that Paul packs into this section, each sentence gives us a lot to think about. This section is full of Gospel encouragement. Starting in verse 9, it says, “We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light” (Colossians 1:9-12).

There are many things we could look at in those words. For our meditation this morning I will only mention a few. Paul mentioned that he wanted the Colossians to be “filled with knowledge.” He also wants them to “live a life worthy of the Lord” and part of that is “bearing fruit in every good work.” Those do tie together with the Mission Trips and Youth Rallies that I brought up. There is definitely overlap but a Youth Rally is probably a little more focused on being filled with knowledge through worship, workshops and other events. The Mission Trip has more of a hands on service emphasis so there is more of a focus on bearing fruits of faith.

Those are two key aspects of our faith. We are supposed to be growing in biblical knowledge and we should be serving others as a fruit of faith. Those activities are not just for Youth Rallies or Mission Trips. We are all to do those things. But at the same time, it is easy to have a misplaced focus on those activities. If we look at them in the wrong way, we can lose our gospel focus. That happened to Martha when Jesus came to visit.

Jesus coming to visit the home of Mary and Martha is a well-known account. Martha was stressed out because Jesus was visiting and she was keeping herself busy getting things ready for a meal for Jesus. She got frustrated that she was doing all the work and her sister wasn’t helping her. But that wasn’t the time for her service. Jesus was there to serve Mary and Martha. Jesus was there to give them the gospel. While it is not wrong for Martha to serve others, this was not the time for her to serve. When Jesus wants to serve us, it is good for us to let him serve us with his gospel.

When we think about growing in knowledge, we need to remember that our faith is more than just knowledge. Sometimes people are mistaken and think that they know about Jesus and they know about the cross, therefore they know enough and they don’t need to worship more to hear the same old message. But that isn’t a knowledge that is growing. That is a knowledge that is standing still. It is a form of arrogance to think that we know enough. I am a pastor and I still grow in my biblical knowledge every day.

Another mistake we can make is thinking that our service to Jesus is somehow superior to our time here in worship. It is kind of like saying, “I already know this, now let me get out there and do something to help people.” In a way that is like what Martha was doing. While I want every one of you to have an interest in serving others, you also need your time here in worship. It is not that we have to pick one or the other. We value both worship and service. We need our time to be built up by Jesus. When we are built up by Jesus, we are able to serve others in the best way.

Part 2: You are here to be served by Jesus

It really is about the cliché of “Not putting the cart before the horse.” It is good to follow the proper order. It is good to be strengthened by the gospel so that we serve as a fruit of faith. If we put our service before the gospel, it has the danger of becoming a religion of works and we do not want that. There can be a danger of spending too much time growing in knowledge before serving. We don’t want to spend so much time growing in knowledge and then never actually get around to serving others. It is good that we have a very comprehensive system for growing in our knowledge. I went to 22 years of Lutheran Biblical education before I became a pastor. That is a lot of knowledge. And like I already mentioned, I still grow in my knowledge. But there also comes a time to use that knowledge to live our faith and serve others. It is a cycle. We grow and then we serve. After we serve, we need to grow again through worship. This helps us to serve. It keeps going round and round.

I think about how I need that sweet message of the gospel. When I am downtrodden because of the problems in my life and the sins I have committed, I need to return again to the gospel. When I am worn out because I have served many people, I need to listen to Jesus and hear his encouragement. When I serve and serve and serve, I sometimes feel like my fuel tank is running on empty. I need that time in devotion and worship so that Jesus can fill me up with gospel energy. The last two verses of this section are wonderful gospel. “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).

Jesus redemption gives us strength. He saved us even though we didn’t deserve it. I love those mountain top experiences of worship. I find them to be rejuvenating. For me that is one of the main benefits of a Youth Rally. You are worshipping with 2000 fellow Christians. You are hearing about the love of Jesus and you are shoulder to shoulder with many people who believe the same thing. It is uplifting and encouraging. Coming back from a Youth Rally makes me feel ready to serve. God has blessed me with the gospel.

Mary and Martha had the chance to sit at the feet of Jesus. Did they realize the significance of it right away or did it sink in more after the resurrection? It seems like Mary might have thought about it right away. And yet, I would have to think that it took on greater significance after the resurrection. They sat at the feet of Jesus. They sat face to face with the creator of the universe. We have to wait until eternal life to see Jesus face to face.

When we come to worship, we are with Jesus. He is here to serve us. I would say that it is different for me when I am leading worship compared to when I am sitting in the pew. The reason I say that is because at this moment I have an active role in serving God’s People. I pray that God is using me to help you to be strengthened. After serving others through worship, I am tired. I love Sunday afternoon naps. The only downside to football season is that I sometimes don’t get a Sunday afternoon nap. After serving others, I understand how Jesus could fall asleep in a boat. So as a pastor, I need to find personal time to be strengthened by Jesus. I need my personal devotion and my bible reading so that Jesus can give me encouragement.

God blesses your time here. It is not about what you are doing. It is not about your singing or your praying. While God wants you to participate in those activities, God mainly wants to serve you. He wants to strengthen you through his law and gospel. In worship we receive blessings from Jesus in many ways. We are reminded over and over of our forgiveness and the love that Jesus has for us. The wonderful thing about worship at the youth rally is that the messages are powerful and very applicable to the teens. The songs are uplifting and help us think about the purpose that God has given us through Christ. Because we are redeemed children of God, we have a purpose. Our purpose is to share Jesus.

Conclusion

I think Youth Rallies and Mission Trips both serve a good purpose. Youth Rallies are probably more similar to worship and Mission Trips are more about service but there can certainly be overlap. I think these activities are great for those who have the opportunity to attend. We need our time with gospel encouragement so that we can live a life of Christian service. In worship God gives us gospel strength so that we can endure in this life. If we are worn out by everything we experience in this world, God comes to us through his gospel and comforts us with our forgives and eternal life that Jesus won for us. May God continue to build us up with this wonderful gospel.

Written Sermon 7/24/2022

7th Sunday after Pentecost A Labor of Love

Luke 10:1-9,16-24, July 24, 2022

Introduction If you're into bumper-sticker philosophy, you've probably seen the axiom, "I owe, I owe, so off to work I go." For a vast portion of the workforce, that's the best reason they can muster for going to the job each day. According to a recent study, 71% percent of American office workers are unhappy with their jobs. The vast majority of people are looking for new jobs or what like a new job. In Japan, the figure is much worse; roughly 10% say they are satisfied with their job. Does that describe you? If we play the percentages, good chance that does describe you. In the first century, Christian slaves had even less reason to be enthusiastic about their work. But Paul gave them a way to grasp a glimpse of glory amid the grind. He wanted them to "adorn the doctrine of God," that is, to show the beauty of their faith in Christ by how they work (Ti. 2:10).

A significant and often overlooked way that we serve God is in our everyday tasks. Martin Luther understood this when he wrote, "The maid who sweeps her kitchen is doing the will of God just as much as the monk who prays -- not because she may sing a Christian hymn as she sweeps but because God loves clean floors. The Christian shoemaker does his Christian duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship." We can serve God by working hard in our everyday tasks. We can also serve God by heeding his commission, the great commission, of going out and making disciples of all nations. And if we don’t do that, well then we can pray for more workers to do sort of work; for the time is now, the clock is ticking, when all this labor and work will be in vain, it won’t matter anymore. When Jesus returns, the work will be finished; and for many, it will be too late.

Context Vs. 1 Jesus sent people ahead to prepare for his arrival.” If you’ve been with us the last few weeks, we have heard Jesus discuss what discipleship is all about. Three weeks ago he mentioned that if you want to follow him, you’ll have a cross to carry. You don’t have to die on it, you just have to pick yours up and carry it. Last week we heard Jesus talked about his followers having 100% commitment to the cause of saving the lost of the world with the message of God’s love and forgiveness. Now today, we see Jesus was successful in calling 72 workers for his kingdom.

Context Before their sent out for the Lord, Jesus offers some advice, starting at verse 2: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.” Can you imagine the 72 workers all together in a group, pumped up, ready to go out for the Lord. Jesus assures them their job security, there is work to be done. And then Jesus illustrates for them what their job would be like – it’s going to be like lambs among wolves. Do you think Jesus took the wind out of their sails with that statement? Was this supposed to be a pep talk? Jesus is saying they will be ministering to people who hate them, who want to destroy them, like savage wolves. The people of this world are still the same. Many people in this world do not love Jesus and his message, and thus they have little to no time for Jesus’ followers. Many consider the message of the cross to be foolishness and “stumbling block” as Paul says in 1 Corinthians. It’s a saving message we have in Jesus that all need to hear, but not everyone wants to hear it.

Context So the job description remains the same, there is still job security, but now we have a few more details regarding the job – Jesus tells the 72 in verse 4: 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. Jesus is now telling the chosen 72 – don’t bring anything. Wow! What a test of faith and trust in Jesus. Can you imagine being sent somewhere, not knowing exactly where you were going or what you were doing, and now you were go on this mission trip empty-handed?!? An outsider might see this and wonder – is this a divine mission, or a suicide mission?!?!

It does sound irrational, I can admit it. But people do irrational things, especially if their emotions take over. If you’re really angry and upset, your words and actions can run wild, damaging and hurting the people we supposedly love the most. When people are sad or depressed, sometimes that’s all they see: their pain, their hurt, their feelings, and they don’t give much thought or attention to anything else or anyone else. They are living irrationally. Or what about love – love can have people do some crazy things. It can force a young man to get a haircut or go to the ladies section of a store to buy their special someone a special something. Love can force a person to check their phone every other minute to see if he or she has texted. I’ve heard that love is hard to pinpoint, it’s hard to explain, and you may not be able to tell someone what love is, you can tell them what love does. Love is patient, love is kind; love protects, trusts, hopes, and always perseveres.

Cure For unbelievers it may seem irrational or irresponsible to use our time, talents, and treasures for the church; but they don’t understand or fully appreciate what we in Jesus. In Jesus, we have a never-ending reservoir of love, in Jesus we see what love does. In Jesus we have the greatest worry of life taken care of and solved: we’re at peace with God, not b/c of us, but b/c of Jesus. In Jesus we have the greatest favor done our behalf, a divine intervention: his life for ours. And in Jesus, we have more than just a temporary life gifted to us; we have an eternal life awaiting us when this life is ended. So the people of the world may not understand why we donate our time, talents, and treasures to God. But I think the shock can go the other way: How do you not want to live for a higher power that controls the winds and the waves. How do you not want to thank the God of this world who showed the world how much he loves it by offering his only Son as a sacrifice it!?!?! How do you not want to live for a higher power, who controls all things, but when the time had fully come decided to make you make you and your sins his top priority?!?! Sure, our love for Jesus may seem irrational, but it’s not as irrational has his love for us: people who regularly whine and complain; disobey and go our own way: but he loves us anyway.

Virtue It’s this love that fuels our living, how can it not?!?! You can be fueled by fear, by sadness, by anger, or by resentment; or you can be fueled by an emotion that overpowers them all – love. The greatest virtue Paul says for a follower of Jesus is love. He was compelled by Christ’s love to reach as many as possible with this amazing, divine love that is meant for all. You have the same love inside of you if have faith in Jesus. Is your response like a Paul or the 72 here in Luke? The harvest is plentiful, but that doesn’t mean the crop is full. If a farmer has acres of corn but no equipment or workers to extract the vegetable, the harvest is great, but it’s a wasted harvest. God needs harvesters for his kingdom! He needs you and me! He needs workers in his field. We see it in our Synod, and we see it in other Christian church bodies as well: too few workers for an ever-growing world that continues to grow farther away from the only one that can help and save them. We need the young people to consider serving the Lord as a pastor, teacher, staff minister. We need older people to encourage young people who are considering serving the Lord in this way. We need to continue to faithfully give our offerings, which a portion goes to Synod to help the training of future pastors. And we need prayers. Isn’t that what Jesus said – if you can’t be a public minister, then “ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Everyone here can pray and ask the Lord for things; ask the Lord send workers into the world, so it’s not a wasted harvest.

One of the job perks of working for Jesus is that there is job security. There is always work to be done. And you don’t necessarily need training for this work. Because this work requires little to-no-work if your passionate about the cause. Would you say Jesus is important? Then his cause has to be right up there. There is a tale told of that great English actor Macready. An eminent preacher once said to him: "I wish you would explain to me something." "Well, what is it? I don't know that I can explain anything to a preacher." "What is the reason for the difference between you and me? You are appearing before crowds night after night with fiction, and the crowds come wherever you go. I am preaching the essential and unchangeable truth, and I am not getting any crowd at all." Macready's answer was this: "This is quite simple. I can tell you the difference between us. I present my fiction as though it were truth; you present your truth as though it were fiction." We possess the truth! We’re on the side of truth! Jesus is the truth. This isn’t something to be unsure of or wonder about, this isn’t something to be ashamed of – God has spoken to us, and revealed to us the way, truth, and life. This is something to get excited about and always cherish!

Conclusion Working for Jesus, there is job security, but there is also job satisfaction. What can be more rewarding than living for your Savior, who lived perfectly for you? What can be more comforting than dying in the faith of the one who died for you? Working for Jesus isn’t really work; no after everything he has done for us and currently does for us; it’s a labor of love.

Written Sermon 7/17/2022

CWC- Gospel Lesson - Pentecost 6 - Kieth Bernard Kuschel

Luke 9:51-62

51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; 53 but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them. 56 Then he and his disciples went to another village. 57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” 62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

IA1 A man came up to Jesus and said, {57}“I will follow you wherever you go.” Let’s assume that he had been led by Jesus’ teaching to believe that he was a sinner who deserved God’s punishment and that Jesus was his Savior who gave him forgiveness, holiness and eternal life.” That’s what led him to want to follow Jesus.

2 Jesus’ response wasn’t, “Good. Follow me,” or “No. You can’t do that.” Instead he said, {58}“Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Jesus was saying, “If you want to follow me, you need to know what it will be like. I don’t own a home. I don’t have a regular place to stay. I travel a lot. Many of the places I go to reject me. Following me won’t mean success and wealth. In fact following me might mean the loss of your source of income and thus your ability to have a place to live.”

B1 We know from history that people lost everything because they were Christians. In the Roman Empire before Christianity was legalized, Christians were shunned. If you ran a business, nobody bought anything from you or used your services. You lost your job and you lost your home.

2 We know that happens today all around the world. If you are a native of an Islamic country and you become a Christian, you are shunned. You are driven out of business, or not given the opportunity to have a job, or not allowed to purchase a home, or sometimes even to own a home. That is why all the Christians are leaving places like Iran and Iraq and Pakistan and Afghanistan.

C1 Isn’t it nice that we in the United States are not subjected to loss of livelihood because we are Christians? Please consider three different situations. A young man was at a major United States University in its PhD program. He had reached the point in the program where he had to be interviewed and be linked with his mentor who would shepherd him through the master’s and PhD process. The mentor found out that the young man was a Christian who believed the Bible is the source of absolute truth. The young man was dropped from the PhD program because Christians who believe in absolute truth are too close-minded to be leaders in a world of academic freedom. Following Jesus cost that young man his ability to get the kind of job that he wanted and was qualified for. Following Jesus might cost us our jobs. How would you handle that if it happened to you? Lord Jesus, please don’t let that happen to me.

2 A couple had a bed and breakfast. Very small. Just two bedrooms. It was very nice. They always had their rooms full. They made a decent living. They were Christians. They never let any couples who weren’t married rent their bedrooms. One pair of people who were refused the right to rent their bedroom sued them for discrimination. They lost. They lost their business. Following Jesus might cost us our jobs. How would you handle that if it happened to you? Lord Jesus, please don’t let that happen to me.

3 In the spring of 2013, US Army Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Dooley was condemned by the Joints Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and relieved of teaching duties at Joint Forces Staff College for teaching a course entitled, Perspectives on Islam and Islamic Radicalism, which indicated that radical Islam and jihad were dangerous to the United States. Following Jesus might cost us our jobs. How would you handle that if it happened to you? Lord Jesus, please don’t let that happen to me.

IIA1 The second contact is the opposite of the first. The first man went up to Jesus and said, “I want to follow you.” In the second instance Jesus went up to different man and said, “Follow me.” He wanted to follow Jesus, so we can conclude that he also believed that Jesus was the One who had come into the world to live and die and rise to give him forgiveness, holiness, and eternal life.

2 This man had the opposite problem from the first man. The first man wanted to jump into something without realizing what he was getting into. The second man had some relational issues that he felt had to be taken care of before he could follow Jesus.

B1 Jesus’ answer sounds harsh and extreme. But notice that Jesus didn’t say, “Go ahead and bury your father and then later come and follow me.” He also didn’t say, “Don’t go bury your Father.”

2 Jesus said, {60}“Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Dead people can’t bury their own dead. They can’t do anything. What was Jesus’ point? His point was: Relational expectations shouldn’t take over our lives so much that we can’t do our job: Proclaiming the kingdom of God, sharing Jesus’ gifts of forgiveness, holiness and eternal which He won by His life, death and resurrection.

C1 The young man had a wonderful girl friend all the way through high school. He went into the work force after high school. His girl friend went away to college. They maintained their relationship in spite of the distance. When she was within a year of graduating, they both started talking seriously about getting married, something that they had talked about often before, but not seriously. The young man was a Christian. The young lady was not. As they talked more and more in detail about what their vision was for their future together, it became obvious that Jesus would only be a part of the young man’s life. He wouldn’t be able to proclaim the kingdom of God inoffensively to his marriage partner. He backed out of the relationship as graciously as he could. Following Jesus might cost us our relationships. How would you handle that if it happened to you? Lord Jesus, please don’t let that happen to me.

2 The young man had a brilliant intellect. He excelled at everything logical. He was on top of his class all the way through college. He had been a Christian from childhood on. Somewhere along the line he decided that Christianity was not for him, since it contained so many logical failures. He told his parents that their faith was no longer his. They continued to openly express their relationship with Jesus, knowing that their son denigrated it. They were still his parents. But the relationship was never the same. Following Jesus might cost us our relationships. How would you handle that if it happened to you? Lord Jesus, please don’t let that happen to me.

3 You had been friends your whole life. Your friend lately got into another religion. The friend became very pushy with the new beliefs. An ultimatum was given that if you didn’t at least attend one of that religion’s gatherings, you could no longer be friends. In the nicest way possible, you indicated that you believed your Bible-believing Christianity was all you needed and that you would not participate with this other group. The friend carried through on the ultimatum and dropped you. Following Jesus might cost us our relationships. How would you handle that if it happened to you? Lord Jesus, please don’t let that happen to me.

IIIA1 The third man approached Jesus as the first man had. So again, this is a person who had been led by law and gospel to acknowledge that Jesus was His Savior. He wanted the unchangeable LORD of love and forgiveness to fill His life with His blessings.

2 This man, however, had an up-front qualification that he had to fulfill before he could carry out his desire to follow Jesus. It seemed ordinary and usual. {61} “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go back and say good-bye to my family.”

B1 Jesus did not respond by saying, “ Sure, go home and say good-bye. I will wait for you. Then come and follow me.” He also didn’t say, “No. You can’t go home and say good-bye to your family.” He said, {62}“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

2 This is really a humorous picture that Jesus paints with his words. Remember plows were one bottom hand held. They were pulled by oxen. The point of the plow was pushed into the ground and held in line by the man holding onto the plow. He kept it in a straight line by following the edge of the field in a parallel line and then lining up the next furrow with the first. Or, by looking straight ahead at a point and aiming straight for that point. If you looked back, the furrow was crooked, and started crisscrossing other ones.

3 What was Jesus’ point here? “You can’t be a believer and keep on hanging on to your old way of life or the people in your old way of life. You can’t be serving the LORD and be constantly thinking back maybe longingly to what you used to be. You can’t be a believer and be hanging on to things which are going to cause you to sin. It is necessary to cut your ties with your former life and its people.”

C1 The successful man had always totally indulged himself. He had lots of money. He just used it to do things and to get things as fast as he earned it. He ran with a crowd of people who took the same approach to life. He had always been someone who believed that Jesus lived and died and rose to give him forgiveness, holiness and eternal life. Lately he had been paying more attention to all of Jesus’ directives to love other people. He became convinced by reading the New Testament letters that God had blessed him with wealth to use to love other people. He started using his resources to do what God says: take care of people dependent on him, take care of needy people, preach the gospel, and provide protection for people by supporting the government with his taxes. He stopped doing many of the things he used to do. He didn’t spend as much time with the people with whom he used to spend a lot of time. Following Jesus might cost us our connection to our past.

2 The successful woman had always been very shrewd. She could always figure out the right angles to close a deal or to get the best deal. They weren’t always the best for others. Often other people were taken advantage of. Sometimes the activity was questionable, bordering on the illegal. She had always considered herself a child of God whose Savior is Jesus. Lately she had been paying more attention to all of Jesus’ directives to love other people. She became convinced by reading the New Testament letters that taking advantage of others is not appropriate. She didn’t always work the angles to get the best deals anymore. She wasn’t as successful as before. She lost some of her former status because of that. Following Jesus might cost us our connection to our past.

LORD JESUS, I want to follow You even if it means losing my job, losing some relationships, and losing some connections with my past. I need your help to do that.

Prayer

Written Sermon 7/10/2022

Zechariah 13:7-9

St. Paul’s – Manistee, MI

July 10, 2022

Text:

Awake, sword, against my shepherd,

against the man who is close to me!”

declares the Lord Almighty.

“Strike the shepherd,

and the sheep will be scattered,

and I will turn my hand against the little ones.

In the whole land,” declares the Lord,

“two-thirds will be struck down and perish;

yet one-third will be left in it.

This third I will put into the fire;

I will refine them like silver

and test them like gold.

They will call on my name

and I will answer them;

I will say, ‘They are my people,’

and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’

The Lord is our God

1) he struck the Good Shepherd for us

2) he refines us in the fire

It sometimes happens when little kids get together that they start trying to figure out whose dad is the best at something. One child might say that his dad can lift this heavy object, while another child interjects to say that her dad can lift an even heavier object, until another child says that his dad can lift an even heavier object. And so they go, each child adding more to the conversation to say that their dad is the strongest. Really, what they’re doing is bragging about their dad.

As we consider everything that God has done for us in our lives, we, too, are moved to brag about him. We are moved to declare to all people that the Lord is our God. As we look at a prophecy from Zechariah, we will see two reasons for which we declare that the Lord is our God. 1) He struck the Good Shepherd for us, and 2) he refines us in the fire.

I

Zechariah is a post-exilic prophet, which means that he conducted his ministry in the time period following the Babylonian captivity. You might remember how God’s people were taken captive by the Babylonians and carted off to Babylon. They lived in exile in Babylon for 70 years, and it’s likely that Zechariah was born in Babylon. Once the Persians took over the Babylonians, the Persian king allowed God’s people to go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and the city. This was the setting of Zechariah’s prophecy. He encouraged them in their building project, and he also saw to their spiritual well-being.

Zechariah also offers several Messianic prophecies, those prophecies which point ahead to the Savior, Jesus. For example, Zechariah prophesied that the Messiah would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver and that Jesus would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey.

The words before us today make up another Messianic prophecy. Awake, sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!” declares the Lord Almighty. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones. Here we see Zechariah prophesying what will happen to Jesus. Jesus is our Shepherd, our Good Shepherd, and God is promising to strike down that Good Shepherd. And, as he does so, his sheep will be scattered.

This all happened during Jesus’ passion. During Holy Week. As he was struck for us. As he was abandoned by his disciples, those sheep who scattered and left the Good Shepherd all alone.

Yes, God struck the Good Shepherd for us. Why? So that he didn’t have to strike us. So that he didn’t have to take out his just and holy wrath on us because if he had done that we would have been eternally lost. If God had taken out his just and holy wrath on us, which he could have, we would be condemned to an eternity in hell. That’s the true punishment for our sins. Just think of all the sins in our lives. All those times when we just ignore his Word in our lives and do our own thing. Our own sinful thing. Just because it makes us feel good. Just because it satisfies our fleshly appetites. Yes, we deserve eternal condemnation because of those sins. And not just the sins we commit, but we also deserve eternal condemnation because of our sinful state. We are born in sin, which means that even the good that we do is tainted by sin. Yes, because of that, too, we deserve to be stricken by God and sent to the fires of hell.

But, God didn’t do that. Instead, he did it to Jesus. He sent Jesus to this earth to endure the fires of hell for us. He sent Jesus to earth, so that he could take out his just and holy wrath on him. As Jesus went to that old, rugged cross, he bore every one of our sins. Again, think of the sins in our lives. Jesus went to hell for those sins, dear friends. He was stricken by God for those sins. Yes, he was stricken, smitten, and afflicted for us. He had his flesh ripped from his body. He was forced to wear that humiliating crown of thorns. He was forsaken by God and experienced hell. He felt the pain of the fire that is not quenched and the worm that does not die. He felt the pain of an eternity of suffering, which moved him to cry out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

But this was all part of the plan. This was all part of the plan for Jesus came willingly to this earth. God didn’t drag him, kicking and screaming, to the cross. He went to that cross willingly, knowing that, by doing so, he would rescue an entire history book of sinners. A book that includes sinners like you and me. On that old rugged cross, Jesus took our sins and removed them forever. He washed them away with his blood. He saved us!

And now our Savior calls for us to follow him. To pick up our cross and follow him. And, though our sins have been forgiven, we will struggle with sin in our lives. And, we still live in this fallen world, which will throw its worst at us. So God promises to use these things to refine us because, as his children, we need refinement on occasion.

II

Through the prophet Zechariah, God says this: In the whole land,” declares the Lord, “two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it. Sadly, the Jewish people, those to whom God originally gave this prophesy, abandoned their God. Generally speaking, the Jews did not believe in Jesus as their Savior, and they scattered from the God who called them to be his special people. But, there was always a remnant of believers among the people. A remnant of people who did not abandon their God.

To help keep this remnant in the faith, God promised this to them: This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’ God would refine his remnant. He would allow things to happen in their lives which would shape and mold them to be his people, his faithful people.

My family and I recently went to a place called Old World Wisconsin as a birthday adventure for one of our kids. A highlight of this place is spending time in the blacksmith shop, where a man wearing old-time blacksmith clothes demonstrates how to form and shape metal. He puts iron into an incredibly hot fire and then he hammers it, doing this repeatedly, until he turns that iron into something beautiful and/or useful for daily life. And, if the iron could talk during this ordeal, it would probably express its pain in the fire and under the hammer. But, when the iron worker is done, he has a beautiful piece of iron.

Yes, that’s what God does to his people, too. He continues to test and refine his remnant of believers today, too. That’s the cross that Jesus mentioned in our Gospel reading. Jesus tells us that we should expect crosses in our lives. Things that might be heavy and painful. Like a cross. God might allow painful experiences in our lives. God might throw challenges before us. God might drop an obstacle before us.

And, when he does that, what is the question that we always ask? Why? Why are you doing this, God? Why have you brought this cross into my life?

Through Zechariah, he answers us. He does it to refine us. To make us like gold and silver. Those are precious metals, dear friends. Things that have great value. That’s what God promises to make us. Things that are precious and valuable to him.

He does it so that we might call on his name. When crosses come into our lives, the temptation is to carry it on our own. So, God allows these crosses in our lives to teach us a complete and utter reliance on him. So that we come to him in all things. Maybe even crawling to him at times. But God wants us to call on his name and ask for his help. To call on him in the day of trouble, and, dear friends, he promises to deliver us.

God also tests and refines us, allows crosses in our lives, so that we might brag about him. Yes, God wants his children to brag about their heavenly Father. God wants his children to proudly say: The Lord is our God. When the fire of testing comes into our lives, we will be able to say, “The Lord is our God.” When our faith is tested by a cross in our lives, we will be able to proudly say, “The Lord is our God.” When people ask how we’re able to stand under such a heavy cross, we can boldly declare, “The Lord is our God.” When the storms of life rage without and within, we won’t be cowering in a hole somewhere, but, instead, we’ll be standing up and telling the world, “The Lord is our God.”

Yes, as God allows crosses into our lives, may we embrace them. May we view them as blessings. Things that are meant for our spiritual and eternal good. May we carry our crosses gladly, knowing what God is accomplishing with that cross.

As children brag about their dads, they might have to start making things up in order to keep up with bragging. As they were trying to figure out whose dad was the strongest, one child may have felt the need to go big in their bragging and say, “Well, my dad is so strong that he can carry the moon.” Obviously, that’s not true.

But, as Christians, when speaking of our heavenly Father, it is true. When we brag about our God, it’s not a made-up story. When we declare to the world that the Lord is our God, we mean it. We offer our praises to him for striking the Good Shepherd for us to rescue our souls. And, we thank him for the crosses that he allows in our lives. With our eyes firmly fixed on the cross of Jesus, let us carry our crosses, praising God for the refinement that will happen as a result, letting everyone know that, truly, the Lord is our God. Amen.

Written Sermon 7/3/2022

Proverbs 14:34   Righteousness lifts up a nation, but sin brings shame to a people. (EHV)

Want to do Something for your Country?

1. Recognize the problem

2. Remember the solution

Name someone who helped make our country what it is.

George Washington Thomas Jefferson Alexander Graham Bell

Thomas Paine Alexander Hamilton Thomas Edison

John Henry Benjamin Franklin Abraham Lincoln

Henry Ford Franklin Roosevelt Martin Luther King

Ronald Reagan Albert Einstein Walt Disney

Rosa Parks The Wright Brothers Neil Armstrong

Did any of you list your parents, or even yourself?  Probably not.  After all, our names are not mentioned in any American History Books in our schools.  We did not make the top 25 famous Americans determined by a national poll published in some magazine or on the internet.

But doesn’t God want his children to be a blessing to the country in which they sojourn here on earth?  Doesn’t God even promise to bless a community, city, and even a nation because of the believers in it?

Take for example the account of Joseph and how the Lord bless Potiphar’s home, later where Joseph was imprisoned, or even Egypt itself all because of the faithful service of Jacob’s son who remained faithful to the Lord and serve him by serving others.

Or think about earlier in Genesis with the account of Sodom and Gomorrah and how the Lord would not send destruction on those cities for the sake of only 10 believers.

Certainly, there are many other examples as well.  It is clear that Christians make a tremendous difference in the country in which they live.  Although God certainly can and has used unbelieving countries to chastise his own people as evidenced throughout the pages of Scripture, He has also determined to bless nations because of his believers.

He tells his children to let our light shine so that others can see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven.  So, on this Sunday, 2022, the day before the celebration or our nation’s Independence Day, lets heed the words of King Solomon recorded in Proverbs 14;34.   Righteousness lifts up a nation, but sin brings shame to a people. So do you want to do something for your country?  Then recognize the problem in America.

Something is wrong in America the beautiful.  You know it.  You see it.  You hear about it.  Thinking citizens can’t help feeling and wondering where it all will end.  Look at the crime and the divorce rates.  Kids are being abused more than ever.  The elderly are being disrespected and neglected.  Marriage is being redefined. Drunkenness, drug addiction, suicide, self-mutilation, pornography, and other sins are on the increase.  Tax cheating, public lying, and blaming others are our national pastimes so it seems.  Living together out of wedlock, affairs, and babies born to single moms continue to rise.  There is something rotten, not in Denmark, but America.

What can we glean from these front-page stories and the statistics?  America is more and more turning it’s back on what made it great.  There is growing disregard for authority of any kind, including the highest authority of God and his Word.  There is disregard for marriage, human life inside and outside the womb, our own and our neighbor’s welfare – the very fabric of life and society.

We live in a “ME” society – a self-centered syndrome that measures everything by what does it mean for me or gives me or pleases me.  America, for the most part, has lost its way.  It has denied its Creator and Redeemer.  It has, as Solomon puts it, become a disgrace and shame to the people because of SIN.  When we do things our way and not God’s way, it can only bring shame– individually and nationally.  

God was not bluffing or exaggerating when he used Solomon to give the timeless advice that sin brings shame to a people.   That means our sin as individuals and our sins as a nation.  Sin is rebellion against God.  Sin closes the ears of the Lord.  Isaiah writes in chapter 59, Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.  But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt.  Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things. No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments and speak lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil. 

Sin can only bring shame. It produces disgrace.  It was true from the moment sin entered the world through Adam and Eve’s disobedience to this very day.  When a nation forsakes God and forgets, ignores, or declares God and his ways, finally it can expect only disgrace, decrease, and destruction – utter shame.

Many of us remember JFK’s speech, “Ask not what you can do for your country, ask what you can do for your country.” Want to do something for your country?  Let’s begin by recognizing the real problem in America – sin!  Instead of ignoring it, denying it, or trying to explain it away, confess it.  Begin with your own sin.  Consider how you have missed God’s mark.  Take the plank out of your own eye before trying to remove the speck in your neighbor’s eye.  Instead of contributing to the problem in America, let’s be part of the solution.

As believers we hold in our hands the only solution for America.  Only God’s Word with its central, compelling message of God’s righteousness can exalt a nation.  Laws do not change hearts.  Congress can make all the laws they want to have Americans do the “right” thing, but it doesn’t make anyone Christian.  Prohibition did not make America godlier.  It actually produced more drunks and crime than ever before.  

Only the great news of Jesus Christ and his perfect righteousness can change hearts.  Yes, we need God’s law to show our sins.  We need God’s law to restrain us from sin because of fear of punishment.  And yes, we need God’s law as His redeemed children to know how we might please him and be a blessing to others. But is only Christ’s love for us that only motivates us to do it.  His love, and his love alone, compels us to live our lives to his glory.

It’s only by recognizing Jesus’ payment for sin that we can truly serve the Lord without fear.  God has pardoned us completely and empowered us for lives of service to him, our neighbors, and our nation.  Redeemed by Jesus’ blood, covered by his robe of righteousness, heirs of God’s eternal kingdom, we willingly and joyfully walk in his ways.  

This is what we have to share with our country.  As Solomon says so well, Righteousness lifts up a nation.  This is what America needs.  Even if our leaders don’t lead by example.  Even if our fellow Americans deny it.  God has decreed it.  He, and he alone raises nations and destroys nations.  

Never underestimate your role in society.  It begins in your heart.  It overflows into your home.  From there it flows throughout your neighborhood, in your city, state, and nation.  Want to do something for your country?  Then grow in the grace and knowledge of your Lord and Savior.  Confess your sins.  Trust in Jesus as your Savior.  Live a life worthy of a child of God.  Pray for your neighbors and your leaders.  Let your light shine before others.  In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

Do you want to do something for your country?    Recognize the problem of sin and confess it.  Then remember the solution of forgiveness, peace, joy, and eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.  Don’t be part of the problem in our nation, be part of the solution.  AMEN.

Gloria Dei

Pastor Dennis Himm

Written Sermon 6/26/2022

It was completely heartbreaking. In late 2009, my wife and I were in Mahahual, Mexico when suddenly a pickup stopped right in front of the local clinic. In the back of the truck was a young man lying motionless. 20 minutes or so earlier he fallen out of the back of a pickup truck onto the road. As the truck stopped, the driver got out and sprinted to get a doctor. The doctor came running out to the truck and performed CPR for a while until he finally shook his head, stopped and then walked back into the clinic. A few minutes later, a woman drove up. She walked up to that young man, shook him and started shouting in Spanish, “Wake up, my son, wake up!” Then she gave up, broke down on the ground and began crying. Her son had died.

What would you do if you were standing there watching this situation? Would your heart go out in compassion to that mother? Would you go touch the pickup truck where the man was lying? Would you tell the mother “stop crying?” Would you tell the dead man to get up? 

I can tell you what I did. A woman standing there said, “You’re a pastor.  Go say something.” So I walked over, said the Lord’s prayer to her and read Psalm 23, and left. The mother calmed down a little, but the sadness, crying, pain and death remained.

This morning, we are going to see Jesus in a similar situation, and he is going to handle things like only he can, because he’s God. And as we do that, we’re not really going to focus on how we ought to react in such situations, because we’re not God. Rather, we are going to awe and marvel at Jesus and watch and listen as Jesus intervenes. Through this inspired account of Luke, we are going to see that when Jesus intervenes: life defeats death and joy replaces horror.

Our lesson for today deals with the highest level of human pain. Listen to how our lesson begins, Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. Do you see how the Scriptures pile on the pain and despair of the situation? A dead person, only son of his mother, widow. This woman had already experienced the death of her husband, now her only son was dead as well. A large crowd of grief followed as well. The Scriptures paint an overwhelmingly sad and desperate situation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the word of God is able to deal with the most desperate, sad and crushing moments of life. As a matter of fact, it was written to deal with the largest questions and pains that life can give. It deals with family breakdowns. It deals with economic issues, and the love of money. It deals with war and violence. But the word of God also teaches us that our biggest issue right now is not inflation nor high gas prices, not political unrest, not the war in Ukraine, nor threat of war with other countries, even though these are big issues. Our biggest issue is that unless Christ comes back first, we are going to die. Romans 6:23 tells us The wages of sin is death. Death is a terrible intrusion into our world, that causes grief, pain and despair for those who have been intimately touched by it. And behind the emotional pain that it brings, is the bigger issue of sin and God’s judgment that awaits all those who die.

So, how does Jesus deal with this issue? Our lesson tells us, When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her, and he said, “Don’t cry.” The Lord’s heart went out to her. If you were to translate that word literally, it would be “his insides were poured out.” If you’ve ever seen a commercial for starving children, or seen a very painful situation and felt it in your stomach, you've began to feel this. This is compassion. Jesus is full of compassion for the hurting, the suffering. It is a common theme of Luke and throughout all of the gospels: Jesus’ compassion moves him to act.

So, what does Jesus, full of compassion, do? He first of all tells the woman, Don’t cry. At first glance, these words of Jesus can seem a little confusing. After all, even Jesus cried at the grave of Lazarus. Second of all, isn’t it normal to cry? Aren’t we to weep with those who weep? As a pastor, I wouldn’t tell someone at a funeral, Don’t cry. Death is a painful separation from those that we love. How could I ask them to ignore the obvious? But I am not Jesus. Jesus can do what no one else can. Jesus did the only thing that could turn this woman’s sorrow into joy. He touched the bier (like a stretcher), and those carrying it stood still. He said, young man, I say to you get up! The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

Imagine the joy that mother must have felt! She had her son alive again in her arms! Jesus had done the only thing that could have filled that mother’s heart with joy. Brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus can come into the pain, the sadness and the horror of the worst situations, and tell you those gentle words, Don’t cry. But you might say, “Pastor, my mother died even though we prayed. But Pastor I still struggle with this huge problem and Jesus hasn’t intervened.” Of course, I could point out all of the times Jesus has answered your prayers, or the prayers of other people and delivered them in their darkest moments. And yet, isn’t it true that Jesus doesn’t always intervene as he did in this way?  Jesus can still tell you, “Don’t cry.” He can tell you this because he is the son of God. He can tell you this because later on the day came where his dead body was carried off the cross. It was carried to the tomb, and this time God did not intervene as His Son was carried to the tomb, but let his lifeless body be placed dead in the tomb.

Because the body of Jesus Christ hung lifeless on the cross, and was placed into the tomb, all of your sin is paid- all of your misplaced priorities, all of your faithless worrying, all of your harsh words, all of your guilt, all of your shame was placed in the tomb with Christ. And so Jesus tells you, “Don’t cry. Your sin is forgiven.” Because of the death of the Son of God, your sin has been taken away, and peace is yours.

When Jesus intervenes, life defeats death, and joy replaces horror. Jesus not only raised this man from the dead, but Jesus himself rose from the dead. He proved to the world that He is the Son of God, and that all sins were really paid for as he victoriously rose from the dead. Death could not defeat Christ, and so he rose, never to die again.

As baptized children of God, death cannot defeat us. In our lesson, Jesus spoke and the young man came back to life. In our Baptism, Jesus speaks eternal life into our bodies and souls. 1 Peter 3:21 tells us, Baptism now saves you…by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Romans 6:3-5 tells us Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. Brothers and sisters in Christ, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the guarantee of our own resurrection. The goal of the Christian faith is not just that when we die our souls go to heaven, but it is the fact that on the last day, Jesus will raise up our bodies to live with him physically in the new heavens and the new earth. Our bodies that are baptized, are the same bodies that will be raised to live eternally with Jesus Christ!

This news is one that can fill us with the same reaction that the people had in our lesson: All the people were filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” Of course, Jesus was more than a prophet- he was the promised Messiah. But the people were filled with awe because they had seen something awesome! Brothers and sisters in Christ, this same awe is ours! Think about what we confess in our creeds: I believe in the forgiveness of sins. The resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. In those words alone, we have more than enough to fill us with joy even on the worst of days. We have forgiveness- a clean conscience! We have the promise of a physical resurrection of these bodies- without the effects of sin! We have the promise of the perfect life that will never end. How awesome are the gifts that Jesus promises us!

So, brothers and sisters in Christ, when Jesus intervenes, life defeats death, and joy replaces horror. I would have loved to see Jesus speak and raise up that dead man in Mexico, just as he raised that young man from Nain. But even if I would have, that would not have cured the biggest issue that this family had. You see, even that young man from Nain would one day die again. But Jesus offers us something even greater if we just think about it. Jesus justifies us- forgives us by his death. He guarantees our own resurrection by his own resurrection. He baptizes us into life everlasting. And so we say and confess with confidence, I believe in the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Death cannot defeat us! Amen.

Written Sermon 6/19/2022

The Second Sunday After Pentecost 

June 19, 2022 

Luke 7:1-10 

“Faith Trusts God’s Almighty Authority”

A gentile centurion trusts Jesus’ almighty authority.

After Jesus had finished saying all these things to the people who were listening, he went into Capernaum. A centurion’s servant, who was valuable to him, was sick and about to die. 3When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they begged him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy of having you do this for him, because he loves our nation, and he built our synagogue for us.”

Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell Jesus, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, because I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I am also a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another one, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard these things, he was amazed at him. He turned to the crowd that was following him and said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel.” And when the men who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.“Faith Trusts God’s Almighty Authority”

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. Dear Christians,

It was a few years ago. My family had just moved up to northern Wisconsin. It was finally summertime. I wanted to get outside. My wife wanted to get outside. We wanted our kids to go play outside, but there was a big problem with the outside.

There were mosquitoes. Swarms of mosquitoes. It took less than 5 minutes for us to retreat. We used bug spray. Not enough. We used maximum strength bug spray. Not enough. We tried going for a bike ride, thinking the speed would help. Not at all. It just meant you had less hands available for swatting. What finally pushed me over the edge was going out to the mudroom to get shoes on our kids. Casually looking out the window, I could see a cloud of swarming mosquitoes hovering right above the sand and water activity table where we had planned on having our kids play. We didn’t even get outside.

Now, there were signs, all over, advertising for the Mosquito Squad and the Mosquito Police and half a dozen other mosquito abatement professionals. One sign claimed 95% mosquito reduction, guaranteed. I didn’t really believe it. I was certain there was fine print somewhere that said, “Results not typical,” or, “Under ideal conditions in a laboratory.” But I was desperate. Nothing else was working. Might as well at least give it a try.

Trust can be hard to come by. It is so much easier to think of reasons not to trust a product or a company or a person. There’s huge billboard with bright red letters making a huge promise that graduates from their college have 100% guaranteed job placement. Do they really have the ability to make that happen? The robust voice on the radio says that this bank always puts the customer first and will treat you like their very own mother. Would they really? Does the little amount of money you would put into their bank really get that much attention? The infomercial with smiling, fit, healthy people zooming across the water on jet skis says that this system can help you lose the weight for good. Is that really the most likely outcome if you try it, or will you end up like most people who drop out long before any results come?

We can come up with so many reasons not to trust, and we don’t turn off that switch when it comes to the huge promises of God. God has promised you that he will raise you from the dead. Doubts come quickly. Could God really do it? I’ve never seen it happen. Would God really do something like that for me? I’ve done some disgusting things. Is that really the most likely outcome? Or does it seems like dead people stay dead?

And if we can crank out doubts like a vehicle assembly line about things God had definitively promised us – there’s no question that God said he will raise you and all believers on the Last Day – then what about those things God has not promised us, but we simply yearn for? Will this sickness get better? Will my congregation remain?

A delegation of synagogue elders came to Jesus and begged him for help. They had come on behalf of a Roman centurion, which already made the situation surprising. Jews who were willing to help out an occupying Roman soldier were hard to find, especially prominent ones. But they thought very well him, and he had a problem. One of his servants was sick, very sick, about to die. We’re not told, but I assume he had tried everything. Brought any doctor he thought could help. Tried whatever folk remedies were suggested. Nothing worked. Things were desperate. It was going to take a miracle. Fortunately, Jesus was around, who could do that.

The delegation of Jewish elders begged Jesus to help the centurion and pointed out that he was a convert to the Jewish faith, was presumably very fair and just in dealing with Jews and keeping the soldiers under his command in line, and he had even sponsored the building of the local synagogue. In the estimation of the Jewish elders, they said, “He is worthy of having you do this for him.” Wow! That’s how well they thought of the character of this Roman.

Jesus agreed to go with them to help. When they got close to the house, someone had probably run ahead with the good news that Jesus was on his way, but that prompted the centurion to send another delegation, this time of some friends, with a second message. The friends reported the centurion’s words, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, because I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7That is why I did not consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8For I am also a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another one, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

Jesus was amazed at his strong faith. We have to be amazed, too. The centurion knew all the reasons to doubt that this would work. He knew what the most likely outcome was. When people get this sick, they usually die. When the doctors don’t have anything left to try, it’s just a matter of time. Why bother God about it? Just accept it. Make arrangements. He knew, for certain, he was not worthy, even if the Jewish elders that he was. This centurion even understood it would be only the grace of God just to stand in Jesus’ presence and have Jesus come under his roof, regardless of any healing that might happen. He didn’t send a delegation because he felt too important to summon Jesus, but just the opposite. Who was he, this centurion, even to have an audience with Jesus to plead his case? If he wasn’t worthy of that, why would even think he was worthy to have his servant healed? And if everything else he tried had failed, why would this work? Why would Jesus say yes? Would Jesus even be up for doing miracles right now? Even if Jesus had healed many others, did that mean he could really heal anyone of anything?

The centurion knew all reasons not to trust, but he also knew the one reason to trust against all odds, a reason that made every doubt irrelevant. He knew who he was asking for help.

Maybe he didn’t know everything, but he knew what he needed to know. He knew that Jesus wielded the power of God and that Jesus was filled with the compassion of God. That meant he could be utterly confident even though confronted by human frailty as his servant lay dying because the centurion trusted the almighty authority of God. This impossible to stop sickness that had his servant on death’s door, compared to the power of God, was a pawn on a chess board that would move according to God’s will and at God’s command. He knew, for sure, that Jesus could simply speak the word from wherever he was and the sickness had to listen to Jesus and his servant would be healed.

When we face sickness in our own bodies, or sickness strikes our family or congregation, we can manufacture all on our own every reason not to trust God. From an earthly perspective, we might know the most likely outcome, and why should God help us anyway? Could even God help us now? We clear away the doubts by focusing on the one we are asking for help from.

We’re asking God. Nothing that we can ask for is beyond his ability. He can make the sun stand still in the sky. He can calm violent wind and raging waves with a word. He can shout to Lazarus in his grave, “Come out,” and have a man who was buried four days ago, come out, alive and well. If anything, we might be asking for too little. Nothing we’ve done is beyond his gracious ability to forgive, and he has forgiven us. If he loved us so much give his Son for us to forgive us back when we were his enemies, how could he love us any less or want to help us any less now that he has brought us back to himself in faith, redeemed, restored, and forgiven?

When you look to the future of this congregation, of which God has certainly not made a specific promise about what form the ministry done here will take or what outward success there may be, I’m certain you can come up with all the reasons to doubt all on your own. But I also know that you are praying to God to bless your ministry. You’re asking God for help and that opens up every possibility. God has the power to do more than you ask. God has the desire to bless you more than you can imagine. God’s Word, which is preached and sung and studied among you, will not return to him empty. And when you do face death, whenever it comes, and your body is laid in a grave or reduced to ashes and packed in an urn, remember that the delegation of Jewish elders got back to the house and found the servant well. Jesus absolutely has the desire to bless you and absolutely has the power to bless you. The troubles in our lives that overwhelm us and are way beyond our control are a dollhouse in the hands of our God, that’s why the servant was alive and well and that’s why you will be raised, alive and well and glorified for all eternity, because God has almighty authority. Amen.

May the LORD our God be with us, just as he was with our fathers. May he never leave us or abandon us.

May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways. (1 Kings 8:57-58a)

Written Sermon 6/12/2022

CWC- Gospel Lesson - Festival of the Holy Trinity

John 16:12-15

(12) "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. {13} But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. {14} He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. {15} All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

Word Trinity Symbols of Trinity

IA1 Open your hymnals to page 132. What do you learn about the Father from the Athanasian Creed? Uncreated. Infinite. Eternal. Almighty. God. Lord. Neither made nor created nor begotten. Only one Father.

2 Open your hymnals to page 19. What do you learn about the Father? Almighty. Maker of heaven and earth. Open to page 18. Same thing.

B1 Jesus says in the verses before us today: {15} “All that belongs to the Father is mine.” What belongs to the Father? According to the creeds the heaven and earth belong to Him because He made them. We know that the Father keeps the heaven and earth, which belong to Him, operating so that we are able to continue to live.

2 From the creeds it would seem the Father doesn’t have much to do with the spiritual side of life. He just handles the physical side of life through the created heavens and earth. Is that true?

3 Listen to Peter on Pentecost to help us answer that question: (Acts 2:2223) "Jesus of Nazareth was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.” What did the God the Father, and that is most likely what is meant with the title God in the passage, since God is distinguished from Jesus, have to do with Jesus’ crucifixion? He planned it and ordered it. Why? Jesus was crucified to wash away our sins. It was for our salvation.

4 Listen to a description of Jesus in Revelation 13:8 to help us answer that question: (Rev 13:8) “The Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” We know Jesus was crucified in Palestine in about 30 AD. What does this passage mean? It means Jesus crucifixion was just as good as done when the world was created. Why? It was God’s plan. He ordered it. Why did He order it? To wash away our sins. God decreed it for our salvation.

5 Listen to Paul writing to Titus: (1:2) eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time. God not only planned eternal life for us before the beginning of time, but he also promised it.

6 Listen to Paul writing to Christians in Corinth: (1 Cor 2:7) We speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.” Before time began God had a plan that was hidden, not fully disclosed, that would result in our glory - when God says to us “You are my children. You are holy in my sight covered with the righteousness of Jesus. Come and spend eternity with me.”

C The Father does take care of our physical lives through His created world. But the Father also planned that Christ’s death would give us forgiveness. He planned that from eternity. He decreed it would be accomplished through God the Son, Jesus of Nazareth. So, our salvation is a work of God the Father.

IIA1 Open your hymnals to page 132. What do you learn about the Son from the Athanasian Creed? Uncreated. Infinite. Eternal. Almighty. God. Lord. Neither made nor created but begotten. Only one Son. Took on human flesh. Both God and man. Suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose the third day from the dead. Ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of God, will come to judge.

2 Open your hymnals to page 19. What additional things do you learn about the Son? Conceived by the Holy Spirit. Born of a virgin. Suffered under Pontius Pilate. Open to page 18. What additional things do you learn about the Son? By Him all things were made. His kingdom will have no end.

B1 {15} All that belongs to the Father is mine...... the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. (12) "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.” Remember it was Thursday night. The next day Jesus would die. The disciples would run away in just a few hours. If Jesus would try to make it all make sense right now, they wouldn’t have been able to handle it.

2 After Jesus died and rose again, the disciples would be able to understand Jesus’ answers to their WHY questions much better than now before it all happened. We know Jesus spent forty days answering His disciples questions after He rose. But notice He promises even more help than that. {13} But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. {14} He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.

C1 What belongs to Jesus that will be made known to us? Eternal life. Something the Son of God has inherently which He gives to humans because of His resurrection. Forgiveness of sins. Something He can dispense because He won it by taking the punishment of death and hell we deserve on Himself. Holiness. Something He lived as our Substitute so He can give it to us to make us right with God. Love. All the actions He did and does in order to bring all His blessings into our lives.

2 When the Holy Spirit takes what belongs to Jesus and makes it know to us, He isn’t calling attention to Himself, but to Jesus. The result is - we glorify Jesus. Jesus said that is the way it works: {14} The Holy Spirit will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.

D Our salvation was accomplished by God the Son. He died for our sins. He lived to give me His holiness. He rose so I could live forever. We always say that because we know that. Trinity Sunday reminds us that God the Son isn’t the only person of the Holy Trinity involved in our salvation.

IIIA1 Open your hymnals to page 132. What do you learn about the Holy Spirit from the Athanasian Creed? Uncreated. Infinite. Eternal. Almighty. God. Lord. Neither made nor created nor begotten but proceeds from the Father and the Son. Only one Holy Spirit.

2 Open your hymnals to page 19. What additional things do you learn about the Holy Spirit? Nothing. Open to page 18. What additional things do you learn about the Holy Spirit? Gives life. Spoken through the prophets.

B1 Jesus says: {13} But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. {14} He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. When the Holy Spirit makes known to us that Jesus lived and died and rose for us so that we might have forgiveness, holiness and eternal life, He is guiding us into the truth. When He explains and applies the truth which Jesus brought and taught, He is guiding us into the truth.

2 Once Jesus had successfully lived and died and risen for us all, the disciples could handle all of the truth. So, the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth. We, who live after Jesus successfully lived and died and rose to provide us with forgiveness, holiness and eternal life, can handle all of the truth. So, the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth.

3 Where does the Holy Spirit get the truth? {13} “He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears.” {15}the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known.” The Holy Spirit speaks the plans He heard the Father and the Son discussing. He speaks the truth of God which He had heard from eternity. He takes the forgiveness Jesus won on the cross, the holiness Jesus lived for us, and the eternal life He won by His resurrection, and makes it known to us. The Holy Spirit doesn’t make anything up on His own.

4 Jesus specially mentions: “The Holy Spirit will tell you what is yet to come.” The future is always scary. The Holy Spirit will remind us what Jesus taught about the future. He reminds us that God is in charge in spite of how it looks and feels. The Holy Spirit reminds us that God will accomplish His purposes in spite of the hostility from the devil and the unbelievers and even from our own sinfulness. We need the Holy Spirit to remind us of these things so we can go on in life.

C1 Because we are spiritually dead on our own, we would not be aware of the truth about God’s plans for our salvation or Jesus’ accomplishment of our salvation, nor would we believe it. That’s where the Holy Spirit fits in. He has to make these truths known to us. And in doing so, He leads us to trust in Jesus as our Savior. So, it is again pretty obvious that our salvation is also a work of the Holy Spirit.

2 We will never be able to logically comprehend the Holy Trinity as presented in the Bible until we get to heaven. That is why we call God incomprehensible in the Athanasian Creed. But, it is obvious that the work of the Triune God in the past, in the present and in the future is done for our salvation.

Trinity Word & Symbol

OUR SALVATION IS A WORK OF THE TRIUNE GOD

I. Decreed by the Father

A. Creeds about Father

1. Athanasian

2. Apostles and Nicene

B. What belongs to Father

1. Owns heaven and earth

2. Seemingly not connected with spiritual

3. God planned salvation

4. Planned from eternity

5. Promised eternal life

6. Intended for our glory

C. Salvation is work of Father

II. Accomplished by the Son

A. Creeds about Son

1. Athanasian

2. Apostles and Nicene

B. Jesus promise to make known

1. Not good time on Thursday night

2. Better time after resurrection

C. What belongs to the Son

1. Eternal life, forgiveness, holiness, love

2. HS brings glory to Jesus

D. Salvation is not work of only the Son

III. Made known by the Spirit

A. A. Creeds about HS

1. Athanasian

2. Apostles and Nicene

B. Spirit’s work

1. Guides into truth

2. All truth

3. Not on His own

4. What is to come

C. Salvation

1. Also work of HS

2. Trinity - incomprehensible,

But all for our salvation

Written Sermon 6/5/2022

CWC (Historic) O T Lesson - Pentecost-   KBKuschel

                         Ezekiel 36:25-27

25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

IA1 God’s Old Testament people had abandoned their LORD.  They didn’t insist that the I AM, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was the only true God.  They began to be less exclusive.  They blended in with everybody else.  They worshiped all the gods of the other people in their region, sometimes along with the LORD, sometimes instead of the LORD.  Instead of relying on the LORD for protection for their nation, they got all intertwined with political intrigues with the foreign powers around them.  

   2 God’s Old Testament people had abandoned God’s way of doing things.  Instead of loving people, they used people for their own advantage.  Instead of using God’s blessings to accomplish God’s purposes, they used their resources for their own gratification.  Instead of maintaining stable families, they dissolved family units on a regular basis. 

  B1 God’s promise is: {25} I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.  The Old Testament people were constantly reminded how God did that.  Every time an animal was sacrificed and blood was poured out to God, it reminded them that God washes away sins with the blood of a sacrifice.  To the Old Testament people it was a sacrifice that was still going to happen in the future.  The sacrifice of the Messiah on the cross.  

  2 The verse starts: 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. When the Old Testament people approached God, they had to go through a ceremonial washing.  It was a reminder that no human being can stand in the presence of God on his own.  Sin makes that impossible.  Sin has to be washed away as dirt is washed away with water. 

   C1 I would venture to say that none of you here today can remember a time in your life when you worshiped Baal, Asherah, Zeus, Aphrodite, Allah, or Buddha.  That is a good thing to never have been in the same situation into which the Old Testament people of God had sunk. 

   2 On the other hand I know for sure that your lives have been filled with impurities from the time that you were born.  I know that from the Bible.  It teaches us that we are all sinful from the time we were conceived in our mother’s womb.  When we started acting and speaking and thinking on our own, we produced sinful, selfish thoughts, words and actions.  So in that sense we are all exactly like the Old Testament people of God.  

  D1 God’s promise is:  I will cleanse you from all your impurities.  He does that for us in exactly the same way He did it for His Old Testament people.  He takes the blood of Jesus the Messiah and washes away our sins.   Interestingly enough there is a New Testament equivalent of the statement:  25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean.  Through the waters of Baptism, to which God’s Word was attached, the forgiveness of Jesus was delivered into your lives, for most of you for the very first time in your lives when you were infants.  I would like you, if possible, to contact your parents today and say to them: Thank you for having me baptized.  

    2 How could washing with water connected with the Word of God deliver Jesus’ forgiveness and the other connected blessings of salvation and eternal life?  Because the Word of God and the Word of God connected with the water of Baptism are tools which the Holy Spirit uses to deliver the blessings of Jesus.  The promise of God underlying the promise: “I will cleanse you”  is:{27} “I will put my Spirit in you.”   He has kept His promise to you. 

Hymn 181:2

IIA1 Do you know anyone who has an attitude?  All human beings on our own have an attitude.  We filter our attitude about our selves through our self-orientation.  We insist that we are wonderful human beings.  We insist that any problems which arise in relationships are always the other person’s fault.  We are extremely pleased that we aren’t bad like a lot of people around us are.  

   2 We also have an attitude about God.  We conclude that any God, who demands perfection from humans who can’t produce it, is an intolerant tyrant. We decide that any God, who punishes people who aren’t perfect, is a bully.  We surmise that any God, who insists that the only way humans can have a relationship with Him is by being totally dependent on Him, is a control freak.  And we would much rather rely on ourselves, thank you very much.  So we determine God must not be like that. Or, if He is, we don’t want anything to do with Him.

   3 We also have an attitude about the way we live.  We know for sure that we know what is best for us.  We know for sure that we will always try do what is best for us and the people around us.  We know for sure that we don’t need any advice from anybody including God. 

  B1 I have in my hand a stone.  In the other hand I have a stick pin.   I am going to stick the stick pin into the stone.  It doesn’t work.  The pin just bends.   

    2 In these verses before us today God says we have a heart of stone.  What do you think that means?  It means that our hearts are so hard that they are almost impenetrable.  Our attitudes are so set, that almost nothing can change them.  

   C1 And yet in spite of the fact that all humans are like that, you confess that you are not a wonderful person, who has no faults, but are bad just like everybody else.   What happened to you?  God the Holy Spirit through the Law over the course of your life has convinced you that you are sinners and made you willing to admit that.  God has kept His promise to you: 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. The promise of God underlying that promise is: “I will put my Spirit in you.” God has kept His promise to you.

  2 In spite of the attitude other humans have, you confess that God is not an intolerant tyrant and control freak who bullies people.  What happened to you?  God the Holy Spirit through the Gospel over the course of your life has convinced you that God loved you so much that Jesus lived and died and rose to give you forgiveness, holiness, and eternal life and because of that you want Jesus to invade every corner of your life.  God has kept His promise to you: 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. The promise of God underlying that promise is: “I will put my Spirit in you.” God has kept His promise to you. 

  3 In spite of the attitude of other humans,  you confess that you don’t have all the right answers and don’t always make the right decisions in life.  That’s why you look to God’s Word the Bible for answers and directions in life.    What happened to you?  God the Holy Spirit through the Gospel over the course of your life has convinced you that, if God loved you so much to give you Jesus, when He gives directions and advice, they are based on His love for you and His knowledge of what is best for you. God has kept His promise to you: 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. The promise of God underlying that promise is: “I will put my Spirit in you.” God has kept His promise to you. 

Hymn 181:3

IIIA1 There is a third promise in this text: {27}“You will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”  We spend a lot of time studying God’s decrees and laws.  You will keep God’s laws.  You will respect your parents so that the God’s blessings of everything you need for your physical and spiritual well-being will continue to flow into your lives through them.  You will respect your teachers so that God’s blessing of education will continue to flow into your lives through them.  You will respect those who teach you God’s Word so that forgiveness, holiness and eternal life will continue to flow into your lives through God’s word through them. You will respect your government so that God’s blessings of peace and order will continue to flow into your lives through it. 

   2 You will take good care of your bodies. You will refuse to do things that will damage your bodies so that God’s gift of your health won’t be burdened by your bad decisions.   You will help other people to do the same.

  3 You will use your sexuality to cement a life-long relationship with your marriage partner, so that you marriage can be a nest to nurture each other and to nurture the next generation of witnesses for Jesus Christ.  

  4 You will use your money to take care of yourself and your dependents, to preach the Gospel, to support the needy and to pay your taxes so that you can experience the rich full life on this earth that God intends for you to have.  

  5 You will use your words to share Jesus with people and to build and maintain good relationships with others 

  6 You will talk to God and about God a lot to express your relationship with Him and to offer to others a relationship with Him

 7 You will have good priorities in life realizing that your relationship with God is the most important one you can have and that God has provided you with a relationship that will last forever because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. 

  B1 None of that is going to happen in your life without help.  God offers help.  27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.  God the Holy Spirit points us to Jesus.  That leads us to want to thank Him for what He did for us.  God the Holy Spirit points us to the Law.  When He leads us to live the way God wants us to live, we are thanking Jesus for what He did for us.   

  2 The Holy Spirit does His work tied to tools.  The tools are the Word of God and the Lord’s Supper.  The Holy Spirit can only keep us connected with Jesus and motivated to live godly lives if we are using those tools.   

  3 Remember the promise all of you adults made at one point in your life? 

Finally, do you intend to shape your life with God’s Word, to hear the Word of God proclaimed every week, to use the Lord’s Supper whenever it is offered, & to study the Word with your fellow Christians in this congregation at every opportunity., 

Lord God Holy Spirit, lead us all to keep this promise that we made so that You can keep Your promise to be in us the rest of our lives.                                                                           

Hymn 181:4

I will put my Spirit in You

I. You will be clean

 A. Text situation

   1. OT people had abandoned God

   2. OT people had become impure 

  B. OT cleansing

   1. God had to remove sins(cleanse you) - sacrifices of animals etc

   2. Ceremonial washing with water

 C. Humans all of us

   1. Never worshiped false god 

   2 . Were impure at birth

 D. Cleansing

1. Washing of baptism 

2. Washing of baptism - thanks to Holy Spirit

II. You will have a new heart

 A. Human beings on our own

   1. View of self- wonderful person

   2. View of god - intolerant tyrant

   3. View of lifestyle- my way is best

 B. Heart of stone

   1. Stick pin and stone  

   2. Hearts that won’t change

 C. New hearts

   1. Admit sinfulness - HS through Law

   2. Want Jesus in life - HS through Gospel 

   3. God’s way is beast - HS through Gospel

III. You will keep my laws

 A. List commandments

   1. Respect authorities so blessings flow

   2. Take care of bodies so life isn’t such a struggle

   3. Use your sexuality to lock into a lifelong partner

   4. Use your money to have the good life

   5. Use your words to share Jesus and have good relationships

   6. Talk to God a lot 

   7. Keep your relationship with God first

 B. Contingent on Holy Spirit’s activity

   1. HS motivate to keep God’s Law by pointing to Jesus

   2. HS only active in us when we use Word and supper

   3. Confirmation promise

Written Sermon 5/29/2022

Ascension Day - Psalm Kieth Bernard Kuschel

Psalm 110

The Lord says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” 2 The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying, “Rule in the midst of your enemies!” 3 Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendor, your young men will come to you like dew from the morning’s womb. 4 The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” 5 The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath. 6 He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth. 7 He will drink from a brook along the way, and so he will lift his head high

IA1 Why is Jesus our Savior? Because He took on Himself our sins. He went to the cross. He died the death we deserve. He rescued us from death as punishment for sin. He rose from the dead, so that we also will rise from the dead. He lived a perfectly holy life so He could give us His holiness and make us acceptable to Him. He did all this so that we could have an unending relationship with Him called eternal life. When did all this happen? In the past.

2 Part of the work Jesus did as our Savior was the work of a Priest. A priest sacrificed animals as a pointer to the real sacrifice: Jesus sacrifice of Himself to pay for our sins. A priest came out after the sacrifice and blessed people by telling them their sins were forgiven. In Gen 14 the priest of Salem(which means peace) named Melchizedek, which means King of Righteousness, came out and blessed Abraham. Verse 4 of our Psalm says Jesus, the one sitting at God’s right hand, is a priest in the order of Melchizedek. Jesus comes into our lives and blesses us with forgiveness, covers us with His righteousness and gives us peace.

B1 The verse also says to Jesus, “You are a priest forever.” That means He continues to do His priest job. How? Well it can’t mean He re-sacrifices Himself on a regular basis to wash away our sins. Why can’t it mean that? Because the Bible is very clear. Jesus’ one sacrifice was worth enough to pay for the sins of the world for all time. Hebr 9:28 Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins. Heb 10:10 We have been made holy through the sacrificee of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Hebr 10:14 By one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. So, Jesus doesn’t re-sacrifice Himself on a regular basis.

2 So, how is He a priest forever? The other job of the Old Testament priest was to be the intercessor, go-between, mediator. He took the sins of the people to God in the Most Holy Place at the temple. He brought the blood of the Lamb as a payment for the sins of himself and the people pointing ahead to the blood of Jesus. Then he brought out to the people the forgiveness that God announced in view of the life of the Anointed One to be given as payment. Jesus goes to the Heavenly Father with His own blood. Points to it as evidence that our sins are washed away and elicits from the Judge a “Not Guilty” verdict for us. Jesus the Intercessor, the Mediator, the Go-between, Our Defense Lawyer. That’s the part of the priest’s job that Jesus does forever.

C1 Knowing that makes us able to get up in the morning. When I wake up in the morning, I think, “Another day just like yesterday. Yesterday when I really failed to do my job to the best of my ability and still got paid. Yesterday, when I really badgered my friend at school, maybe I should say bullied, to get my own way. Yesterday, when I wasted way too many resources on things that aren’t necessary for my or others’ physical or spiritual well-being.”

2 But I know Jesus went to the Judge last night and said, “Judge. My blood washed away those sins of stealing, bullying and wastefulness. Besides that when I was on the earth I always perfectly carried out all my responsibility, I always loved people perfectly, and I always used everything given to me to accomplish what You wanted. I have covered humans with my holiness. Sins gone, covered with holiness. Judge: You have no reason to be angry. Sinner: You can make a new start each morning.” Because of Jesus’ work as priest for me, I can get up each morning and face each new day.

3 This sounds too good to be true. Will God continue to do this?. Is there a limit? Verse 4 says: “The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind: You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” LORD Jesus. Thank You for still working for me now. Thank you for still being my priest throughout my life. Thank You for still working for humans as our Intercessor-Mediator-Defense Lawyer until Judgement Day. Thank You for ascending into heaven and repositioning yourself at God’s right hand so You can do that.

IIA1 {2}“Rule in the midst of your enemies,” the LORD says to the One sitting at His right hand. That is a different directive from what comes later. Later it is {5 & 6}“crush, judge, heap up the dead.” Now it is “rule” Be a ruler. Be in charge. Take control. Be an overseer.

2 What is the instrument of rule? {2} The scepter extended from Zion. Zion is the hill on which the temple was built. Zion is the place where God’s people gathered to exercise their relationship with their Creator-Savior God. Zion came to mean the people who gathered on that hill to exercise their relationship with God. The LORD wants the rule of the One sitting at His right hand over the people of Zion to be extended out beyond Zion. How does that happen? When the Word of God, the Law and the Gospel, are used. Then Jesus’ rule in the hearts of people gets extended beyond Zion, the people who are believers now.

B1 How does the rule of the One sitting at the right hand of God get extended? His troops do the work. His troops are {3}“arrayed in holy splendor.” These troops are covered with the holiness of the Messiah. That’s what qualifies them to be His troops.

2 His troops are described as {3}“young men who will come to you like dew from the morning’s womb.” As the dew seems to be born from the morning, from above, so are all those who are the Messiah’s troops. They have been born from above, born of God. Listen to a quote from Luther: “The birth of the troops of the One sitting on the right hand of God happens similarly to the dew which on spring mornings we see on the grass. Though we see it every morning, no one can say where it came from or how it came about. So is every one who is born by the Holy Spirit. No one can explain how it happened. It is a miracle. Every believer is truly born of God. Regeneration is a real birth, which gives new life to him who experiences it. It is a birth from above. Every member of Christ’s people has experienced such a birth.”

3 His troops are described as {3}“willing on the your day of battle.” The troops of the One sitting on the right hand of God are willing to go to battle for their leader. This is a volunteer army. Because they have been covered with the holiness of their LORD, because they have been born into His group as a gift from their leader, they are so thankful that they volunteer to get into the battle of extending His rule.

C1 God wants Jesus’ rule extended. He wants more and more people to join Zion. He wants all to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. He is not willing that anyone should perish, but wants all to come to repentance. He wants all people to become followers of Jesus. He wants the message about Jesus to be spread into all the world.

2 His troops are supposed to do that. Who are His troops? We are. We are arrayed in the splendor of Jesus’ holiness. We have been born of God when the Holy Spirit brought us to trust that Jesus is our Savior. That leads us to want to give other people the privilege we have - being in the army of God. That’s why we get up in the morning. We have a purpose. LORD Jesus. thank You for giving me a job. Thank You for qualifying me for the job by arraying me in holy splendor and causing me to be born anew like dew. Thank You for equipping me for the job by placing into my hands the Scepter of Your Word. Thank You for ascending into heaven and repositioning Yourself at God’s right hand so that You can extend Your rule through me.

IIIA1 {1}The Lord says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand.” In the New Testament Jesus indicated in a conversation with the Pharisees that the “my lord” in this Psalm referred to the Messiah, the Christ. 41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” “The son of David,” they replied. 43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says, 44 “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.”’45 If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” 46 No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions. So the LORD is talking to God the Son the Messiah in the first verse.

2 Now look at verse 5 The Lord is at your right hand. The One sitting at the right hand of the LORD in verse one is addressed. He is told the LORD is at his right hand. The right hand position is the position of power and authority. So we have the Messiah at the right hand of the Lord. And we have the LORD at the right hand of the Messiah.

3 The point is pretty easy. Christ always has the Father and the Holy Spirit at His side working right along with Him. The Father and the Holy Spirit always have Jesus the Christ at their side working right along with them. In verse 2 the Son, the Messiah, the Christ was invited to sit at the right hand of God because during His life on this earth, although He never gave up His position as Lord of all, He didn’t exercise His power to do that. After God the Son was finished with His work of living, dying, and rising for us, the LORD invited Him to take up the oversight position and use His power again when He said, “Sit at my right hand.”

B1 The Lord says to my lord: {1}“Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” In effect God was saying to the Christ, “I need you to be exercising Your rule over all things on the earth until all my enemies are conquered. If you don’t do that, life on the earth will be largely impossible for my people since my enemies, the devil and the unbelieving world are going to be very active.”

2 The word until is very important. When all God’s enemies are defeated, then the Messiah won’t need to be exercising His rule over all things to protect His people, since they won’t need to be protected for anything anymore. We know all of God’s enemies, who are also our enemies, will be totally defeated and put under the Messiah’s feet on Judgment Day. That is the reference at the end of this Psalm. he will crush kings on the day of his wrath. 6 He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth. 7 He will drink from a brook along the way, and so he will lift his head high.

C1 Sometimes it is hard to get up in the morning. Today is going to be just like yesterday. I don’t feel very well. I am not doing very well at school. There is too much pressure at work. I can’t pay my bills. I am not getting along very well with my siblings.

2 Sometimes it is hard to get up in the morning. Today is going to be just like yesterday. The devil tries to convince me that I am sick because God doesn’t care about me. My sinful self tries to convince me that the demands at school and work are unreasonable and I should just give up. My friends tell me that trying to make relationships work is silly. Just look out for yourself.

3 But I know that one day all the hardships will be gone. One day all the enemies will be crushed so they can’t attack me any more. Knowing that, looking forward to that future makes it possible for me to get up in the morning. LORD Jesus. thank You for giving me a look a the future.. Thank You for reminding me that You will crush all Your and my enemies on the Last Day. Thank You for using that reminder to motivate me to go on with life amidst its hardships and attacks. Thank You for ascending into heaven and repositioning Yourself at God’s right hand so that You will on Judgment Day be the winner and so will we.

The One sitting at the LORD’s right hand

I. Is still working for us (priest)

A. Jesus work for us

1. Lived and died and rose(past)

2. Like Melchizedek

B. What ongoing work?

1. Not re-sacrifice

2. Other priest job = intercessor

C. We can get up in the morning

1. Messed up again

2. Jesus goes to God

3. Never going to change mind

II. Has a job for us (Zion)

A. Jesus work for others

1. Rule in midst of enemies

2. Scepter from Zion

B. Rule carried out through troops

1. Arrayed in holiness

2. Like dew from morning

3. Are willing volunteers

C. We should get up in the morning

1. Jesus wants His rule extended

2. He does that through us

III. Will be the Winner

A. Jesus Interconnection

1. Beginning of Psalm

2. Here

3. Point

B. Future

1. Messiah sitting at right hand until JD

2. JD no more need to rule over world vs enemies

C. We can get up in the morning

1. Hardships

2. Enemies

3. Victory is ours eventually

Written Sermon 5/22/2022

Cwc Easter 6 - OT Lesson - Kieth Bernard Kuschel

I Kings 6:14-17

14 Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city. 15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. 6 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

IA1 Can somebody tell me something about Elijah? Taken to heaven in a fiery chariot. Elisha took over the prophet’s job after Elijah. I think God chose two people with such similar names just to confuse us. Elisha lived about 850 years before Jesus was born.

2 The King of Syria, called Aram back then, sent raiding parties into Israel on a pretty regular basis. They attacked a town, stole everything they could use, and then burned it down. Suddenly the King of Syria ran into a problem. Every time he would go to attack a town, it was already fortified by some of Israel’s soldiers. He thought one of his officers was tipping Israel off ahead of time. Not true.

3 King Jehoram of Israel knew which town the King of Syria was about to attack because Elisha had been told by the LORD ahead of time. Elisha informed King Jehoram. The King of Syria found out what Elisha was doing and decided to go to capture him. That brings us to verse 14 Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.

4 15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. That is probably how we all would have reacted. They were in danger. There was a need. He saw no solution to the need. “What are we doing to do!!!!!”

B1 What needs do we have in our lives? Some are regular daily needs. Food. Clothing. Shelter from the elements. Health so we can work. Jobs so we can earn money to take care of our needs. Some are special needs. More resources to handle a natural disaster. Emotional help and encouragement to handle a difficult problem. Sometimes the daily regular needs or the special needs seem like such a big mountain that we say with Elisha’s servant, “What are we going to do!!!!”

2 Sometimes we need protection. We need protection from natural occurrences like lightning, hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. We need protection from traffic accidents, industrial accidents, and accidents which occur in our own homes. We need protection from criminals who would be trying to take advantage of us in some way that would bring some damage into our lives. We need protection from the armies of enemy countries, just as Elisha and his servant did. When we realize all the things we need to be protected from, we say with Elisha’s servant, “What are we going to do!!!!”

3 We always need protection from spiritual enemies and spiritual attacks. “You don’t need Jesus. Jesus is for losers who can’t handle life on their own,” the devil says. “I know what God’s Word says is the right thing to do in this situation. But I don’t think that is the best thing for me right now,” the sinful self in all of us says on a regular basis. “If you want to survive in the world we live in, you have to operate the way the everybody else operates. Trying to be morally correct just won’t make it,” the worldly-wise people around us say. And on our own we mimic Elisha’s servant, “What are we going to do!!!!”

IIA1 “What are we going to do!!!!” Elisha knew the LORD was protecting him. He knew the LORD promised to be with him, no matter what happened. He also knew that God uses His holy angels to protect his people. So, Elisha said, “6 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

2 Then Elisha prayed that the servant’s eyes would be opened so that he could see things which are usually not apparent to human’s eyes. 17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. The heavenly host of angels surrounding Elisha and his servant were taking the form of fiery chariots and horses as they had done when they took Elijah to heaven.

B1 We know what Elisha knew. God protects us. He is with us no matter what. He uses His holy angels to protect us. How do we know that? God has told us that. You all know these words of God. Many of you have them memorized. Ps 34:6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. 8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. Psalm 91: 9 If you say, ““The Lord is my refuge,””and you make the Most High your dwelling, 10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. Hebrews 1:14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

2 “What are we going to do!!!!” Elisha’s answer to us is: The angel of the Lord encamps around you. The LORD delivers you. The LORD sees to it that you lack nothing. The LORD will not let harm or disaster overwhelm you. The Lord will send His angels to guard you in all your ways. The angels serve God’s people. Elisha’s answer is: “What are we going to do!!!!" isn’t the right question. “What is God going to do?” is the right question.

C1 Those promises of God are pretty inclusive, aren’t they? Guard you in all your ways. God Himself and through His angels is protecting us from starvation, nakedness, and homelessness. God Himself and through His angels is protecting our health, and our wealth, and our emotional well-being. God Himself and through His angels is protecting us from criminal activity, accidents, dangerous situations, and national enemies. Only when it is in the best interest of our relationship with Him does he withdraw any of those protections.

2 Serve those who will inherit salvation. That’s us. People who believe that Jesus died to wash away our sins, lived to cover us with His holiness, and rose to give us eternal life. We will inherit rescue from the punishment we deserve because of our sins. The angels serve us in our position as believers. They protect us against the devil who insists that we are too bad to be children of God or so good that we don’t need Jesus. They protect us from our own selfish, spiritually destructive thinking. They protect us from the people who insist that God’s ways are foolish. And we know from Jesus that at the end of our lives they will “carry us to Abraham’s side” where we won’t need protection anymore.

IIIA1 Since Elisha knew that the angels were present protecting him, he could say to his servant, “Don’t be afraid.” He knew God could get them out of this situation. He was not overwhelmed with fear and worry. He could be at peace in the midst of a very stressful situation.

2 Elisha’s trust was not misplaced. From the verses that follow we learn that the LORD struck the Syrian raiding party with blindness and then Elisha led them away to Samaria where the King of Israel was with his army. Thus the threat ended.

B1 We know what Elisha knew. We can be at peace as Elisha was. Even in stressful situations. We don’t have to worry saying, “What shall we eat” or “What shall we drink” or “What shall we wear?” We can seek Jesus’ kingdom and His righteousness. We can be at peace. We can be confident that we won’t strike our foot against a stone. We can be at peace. We know we are never alone. We can be at peace.

2 God’s promises don’t give us the right to do anything foolish. Like quit our jobs. Or go lie down in the middle of US 31. Or put ourselves into crime scenes. But His promises do give us the right to be confident that He is going to do all things for the benefit of our relationship with Him. So, we can be at peace.

C1 We know what Elisha knew. We can be at peace as Elisha was. Our sins have been washed away in the blood of Christ. We are covered with the holiness of Jesus. We are going to live forever because of the resurrection of Jesus. We can be confident that the angels are going to serve us in our position as believers by protecting our relationship with Jesus. So, we don’t have to seclude ourselves from the world, terrified that our relationship with Jesus is at risk. We can be at peace. We can carry out our role as witnesses for Jesus by intermingling with the unbelievers in our world as salt and light for the world.

2 God’s promises don’t give us the right to do anything foolish. Like not using the Bible in our homes. Like not worshiping Jesus weekly. Like not going to Bible class. Like sinning because we know Jesus has forgiven us. But His promises do give us the right be confident that He is going to protect our relationship with Him for as long as He allows us to live in this world.

We can be at peace.

D We also know what Jesus knew. The angels will carry us to Abraham’s side. And so we can look forward to a peaceful sleep and a peaceful awakening and sing, “Lord, let at last Thine angels come, to Abram’s bosom bear me home, That I may die unfearing; And in its narrow chamber keep My body safe in peaceful sleep Until Thy reappearing. And then from death awaken me That these mine eyes with joy may see, O Son of God, Thy glorious face, My Savior and my Fount of grace. Lord Jesus Christ, My prayer attend, my prayer attend, And I will praise Thee without end.”

Written Sermon 5/15/2022

CW-C Easter 5 - Gospel Lesson –- Kieth Bernard Kuschel

John 13:31-35

 (31)  When he was gone, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. {32} If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. {33} "My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. {34} "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. {35} By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Soon people are leaving college and coming home.  

People leave for the weekend each summer.

People leave for several weeks for vacation. 

People come back from summer and then some leave for college.  Today

Let’s Talk about Leaving

1. Everybody is doing it

2. People still need to be loved

  3. God still needs to be Glorified

Leaving

Let’s Talk about Leaving

I. Everybody is doing it

 A. Jesus’ Situation

   1. Upper Room

   2. Physical separations near

   3. Disciples can’t come

   4. Concern for them

 B. Our spiritual family

   1. Headed for death

   2. Concerned about left behind

 C. Our earthly family

   1. Parents are leaving

   2. Children left behind

II. People will need to be Loved

 A. Jesus’ loving actions

   1. Taught truth

   2. Taken care of needs

   3. Willing to give up life

   4. Wants us to love as He loves us

  B. Our families

    1. We train by loving others

    2. Parents train children

    3. Lovers direct people to Jesus

III. God needs to be Glorified

 A. Jesus glorification of God

   1. Successful result of work

   2. Father declared praise of Son  

   3.  God is praised because of Jesus

   4.  Disciples knew Jesus glorified God

 B. Our glorification of God

    1. Use of Word glorifies God

    2. Lifestyle glorifies God

    3. Leads others to glorify God

Recap

I.A.1. It was Thursday evening.  Jesus and His disciples were in the upper room.   Jesus washed the disciples’ feet.  He told His disciples that they ought to humbly serve others as He had just done.   Judas left.

    2. “My children,”  Jesus then said, “I will be with you only a little longer.”{33}  In a few hours He was taken captive.  Several hours after that He died.  For a few days He wasn’t physically with them at all.  Then He rose.  Forty days later He physically left this earth.  He was right.  He would truly only be with them for a little while.  

    3. “You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.”  He had said these same things to the religious leaders of society.  Now he told the disciples they couldn’t come.  At least not until they would die.  In one sense then He was saying “You can’t come to where I am going yet.” But in another sense He was saying, “You will never be able to come where I am going.”  They could never go through suffering, death, and resurrection as Substitute and Savior.”

    4. Why was Jesus reminding them that He was only going to be with them a little longer and that they wouldn’t be able to come where He was going?  Because He was leaving.  They had to be ready for it.   He wanted their relationship with Him to be as strong as it needed to be so it would last through the time when they would be apart.

  B.1. It is Sunday morning and we are here with our spiritual family.  We feed on the Word of the Lord.  We encourage each other to remain believers in Jesus the Savior.  We encourage each other to live our lives to the Lord.  We know of the constant threat that people will fall away from the Lord.  We know that we won’t be here forever. Even if we don’t know the day of our death as Jesus did, we will die unless the Lord returns first.  That will separate us from what we are experiencing now.  It is all certain.

    2. We know we are going to leave some people behind as Jesus did.  Although we will be perfectly arrayed in the white robes of Jesus’ holiness, although we will have perfect fellowship with God, and although there will be no more death, mourning, crying or pain, we know the people left behind us will have to still struggle with all the things with which we have had to struggle in a sinful world.  We are rightfully concerned about their well-being.  Rightfully concerned about their ongoing relationship with the Lord. Rightfully concerned enough that we talk to each other about the time when we will no longer be here, as Jesus did with His disciples.

  C.1. Everything which I just said is true of our earthly families.  Children, whether we are 12 years old or 71 years old, can’t fathom life without our parents because we have never known life without our parents.  They have always been there.  As we are getting older, they are getting older.  In the ordinary course of events, they will be leaving this earth first.  We ought to be open about their leaving.  That’s the way for them to be ready for it.

    2. Parents, no matter how young or old you are, you most likely will be leaving first.  We need to admit that inside ourselves.  But we ought to be open about it to our children.  And we ought to be concerned.  Concerned that our children will be able to handle life without us.  Concerned that they will continue their relationship with the Lord until the time that the Lord allows them to join us.  We ought to be open about our leaving.  That’s the way for them to be ready for it.

IIA1 Jesus was talking about leaving.  To those who would be left behind He said: {34}“A new command I give you: love one another.”  How are we to do that?  Jesus’ answer is: “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”  How had Jesus loved His disciples up to this point?  By speaking to them God’s truth. He taught them (and by the way He teaches us through them) God’s Law so they and we know that we are sinful human beings.  He taught them (and us through them) that God provides salvation through His love so that we might escape the punishment we deserve.  Love is the attitude which drives someone to act for the benefit of someone else.  Jesus loved His disciples & us.  That was obvious from his teaching activity.

    2. How had Jesus loved His disciples?  He had taken care of all their needs.  He provided them with forgiveness of sins to rescue them from the punishment they deserved because of their sins.  He provided them with righteousness to cover them so they might be acceptable to God.  He provided them with eternal life so they could continue to live even after they physically died.  He provided them with what they needed to live on while they were on earth.  He provided  them with protection.  He provided for them through miracles when necessary.  Those are all actions that benefit.  Jesus loved His disciples.

   3. How had Jesus loved His disciples? He was willing to give Himself up for them.  He was willing to give up the exercise of His power and glory as God, so He might live as our Substitute, be subject to the demands of the Law, keep it for us so he might give us His holiness.  He was willing to give up His life as a payment to God for our sins, so that He might take away our guilt and provide us with forgiveness of sins and rescue from punishment.  He was willing to give up His life so that He might conquer death and give us eternal life. All actions which benefit.  Jesus loved His disciples.     

     4 To those who would be left behind He said, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”   He wants us to love each other as He has loved us.  He wants us to love each other by teaching each other God’s truth for the benefit of our souls.  He wants us to take care of each other’s needs while we are on this earth.  Why?  Because He is leaving and He won’t be here to do those things for us so, we have to do them for each other.  That’s not what He says.  He says {35}“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

  B1. When we talk about leaving, what to do we talk about? How about the fact that there will be others to love.  Are we training the people whom we are leaving behind to love others?  How  do we do that? By loving them as Jesus loved us.  Will those whom we leave behind know the truth about themselves and the truth about Jesus Christ because we loved them enough to teach them those things?  Will those whom we leave behind be able to recall that we were willing to do whatever was necessary to provide for their physical and spiritual needs while we were on this earth?

     2. Will they then in turn love each other by doing the same things for each other that we did for them before we left?  Children learn from their parents.  Little girls & boys  learn how to take care of babies by watching Mom.  Little children learn how to love others by observing Mom and Dad love each other.  Little children learn how to love others by observing how Mom and Dad love them.

    3. Why  do we want our children to love each other.  Because we want them to mutually benefit each other.  But there is another reason.  We want people to know that they are Jesus’ disciples.  We want people in the next generation to know Jesus so they can be with us in heaven with the Lord.  We want those left behind when we leave to love others so we through them might love others by leading them to Jesus.

IIIA1 How could Jesus say in the first paragraph, {31}“Now is the Son of man glorified, “ when He knew that He was about to be crucified, die and be buried.  That was very humbling and lowly.  The problem is our perception.  Jesus looked at the entire process of His work and always focused on the result.  Jesus could say, “Now is the Son of Man glorified,” because now the process was about to start that would result in the successful completion of His work.

    2 The result of His sufferings-death-resurrection-ascension activity was the Son of Man was glorified by the Father.  Because of Jesus’ success up to this point in his life, and because of Jesus’ willingness to go ahead with the difficult work ahead of Him, the Father glorified Jesus.  He was willing to say because of Jesus’ intentions to be crucified and rise, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”  Jesus says here, “That is about to happen again.”

   3. But Jesus also says, “The Father is glorified in me.”  Because Jesus carried out the Father’s plan, it is correct to say, “God is great and good for having this plan and sending Jesus to carry it out.”  That is glorification of the Father.  It is done because Jesus successfully completed His work.  That is why Jesus said, “Now is the Father gloried in the Son.”  The greatest work on account of which we praise God is - the work of Jesus, the work He was about to start and the work that would reach its climax in the resurrection.

   4. What did Jesus talk about with those whom He would  leave  behind?  Glorification of God.  The disciples always knew that Jesus was doing what He was doing because He was doing the Father’s will.  That meant the Father and His will were important to Jesus.  That is what glorification is, isn’t it.  Saying with your mouth and with your life - God is great and God is good.  He is worth everything to me.

 B1 What do we communicate to those whom we are leaving behind? Glorification of God.   When people watch us, what do they see?  Praising the Father and the Son?  When our children observe us in our homes, do they see us talk to the Lord and listen to Him talk to us in His word.  Does that say to them, “God is important to us?”  When our children watch us take time out every week to worship with our brothers and sisters in the faith, does that say to them: “God is great and God is good.  He is worth everything to me.”  When our children watch us study the Word with brothers and sisters in the faith, does that say to them: “God is valuable.  I need to know as much about Him as possible.”  If we are not listening to God talk to us on a regular basis, won’t they conclude that God isn’t really very important? Are we then glorifying God?

   2 When our children and others watch us, do they see us saying “God is great and God is good" by the way we live our lives?  When they hear us talk, and when they watch us live, do they learn that we are doing what we are doing in the way that we are doing it because God wants us to speak and live that way?  That is giving glory to God, isn’t it.  That’s saying, “God is so important to me that I want to do everything his way because He has given me forgiveness, righteousness and eternal life.”  If that is not what our actions are saying, then we aren’t glorifying God.

   3. Children in the neighborhood seldom know the adults in the neighborhood.  They judge the parents by the children.  If my child is a good friend and a decent human being in the eyes of the other children, I am judged to be OK.  If my child is a jerk in the eyes of the other children, I also am a jerk.  How can we expect the people who are learning from us to think the heavenly Father is great and good? How can we expect those whom we are going to leave behind to live their lives to the glory of God, if they learned from me that God isn’t important or worthy of my praise?  Let’s remember that love for somebody means we lead them to live their lives to glory of God.

Let’s talk about leaving.  Everybody is doing it.  But there will always be people here to love.  And God will always need to be glorified.

Written Sermon 5/8/2022

CWC- Gospel Lesson Easter 4 - Good Shepherd Sun Kieth Bernard Kuschel

John 10: 22-30

22Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade. 24The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ,[c] tell us plainly." 25Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, 26but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[d]; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30I and the Father are one."

Explain how Shepherd’s crook is used

IA “My sheep,” Jesus said. That implies that He considers Himself our Shepherd. He does. He said that on other occasions. A shepherd in Jesus’ day had several important jobs. One was to find pasture and water in a part of the world where there wasn’t a lot of either. Second, he had to guide them to the pasture and water. That means on narrow paths, along steep precipices, around marshes, hooking them and pulling them with the end of the crook when necessary. Third, he had to guard his sheep. The shepherd carried a club, like a night stick to beat off attacking animals and two legged animals intending to steal the sheep.

B1 Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He provides food and water for us. He does that by keeping the universe working in the way that He created it to work. But He also provides food and water for our souls. He comes into our lives through His Word. He keeps us trusting that He lived and died and rose so that we might have forgiveness, righteousness and eternal life. If He did not give us spiritual food and drink, our souls would die spiritually, cut off from the LORD.

2 Through that same word He guides us. He gives us directions for our lives. He shows us how to live so that we can experience a rich, full life on this earth. He shows us how to live to benefit the people around us in life. He shows us which attitudes are good for us. He shows us which attitudes are good for the people around us. He shows us how to live so that His blessings can continue to get through to us.

3 And He guards us. He keep us from evil. He keeps evil from us. He makes evil work out for our good. He sends His angels to guard us. Again through the Word He keeps our faith strong so that we withstand doubts and the attacks of the unbelieving world. He keeps us strong so that we withstand the temptations to do sinful things that seem expedient and advantageous for us.

C1 We know our Good Shepherd feeds, guides, and guards us. What do you think we ought to do in response? Listen to Him. That’s exactly what Jesus says. 27 “My sheep listen to my voice.” Every time the Bible is used and we are present, we are listening to Jesus. When the Bible is preached, no matter how good or bad we think the preacher is, we are listening to Jesus. When the Bible is read, we are listening to Jesus. When the Bible is studied, no matter how good or bad we think the Bible study leader is, we are listening to Jesus. When the Bible is watched, we are listening to Jesus.

2 Because Jesus knows us, we are His sheep. Because we know Jesus is our Good Shepherd, we follow Him. Following Him means we trust that He will continue to feed, guide and guard us. Following Him means we trust that we are safe in His hands. And that too is what Jesus says, 28 “No one can snatch them out of my hand.”

IIA The shepherd could be the best one in the world. He could always find pasture and water, but the sheep would still grow old, or get diseases and die. He could carefully guide them. But, if they insisted on going off a precipice, or going through a marsh, they would still get killed. He could intensely guard them. But he couldn’t be present everywhere all the time. So, some sheep are going to be killed by animals. Some, stolen by humans.

B There are some similarities between sheep and us. We live in a land that has abundant food and water. Yet, we grow old, or get sick and die. We live in a land that guarantees our freedoms. We make decisions that hurt us and sometimes kill us. We have the ability to try life on our own. And when we try it, the pressure of the unbelievers around us and the power of Satan overwhelm us and we revert to spiritual death.

C1 Even though we have the Good Shepherd, the Best Shepherd, the Perfect Shepherd, that doesn’t exempt us from problems, attacks and death. However our Good Shepherd says to us: 28: “I give them eternal life.” How can He give that to us? Because our Good Shepherd is the One who took our guilt on Himself and removed it from us. Our Good Shepherd is the One who took our punishment of death and hell on Himself to rescue us from those punishments for sin. Our Good Shepherd is the One who lived without sin so He could give us His holiness. Our Good Shepherd is the One who rose from death so He might make us able to conquer death. “I give them eternal life,” our Good Shepherd says to us.

2 He also says, 28 “No one can snatch them out of my hand.” Jesus says to us: “Even though things happen in life that hurt you, that won’t push you out of my hand. Even though you will be attacked while on this earth, I promise to keep you in my hand. Even though you physically die, that won’t snatch you out of my hand.”

3 And He says, “and they shall never perish.” Jesus says, “When everything around you in this life seems to be disintegrating and disappearing, you won’t, because I don’t. When you have caved into the devil’s temptations and he tells you that you deserve to perish eternally, you won’t, because I am in charge. When you die, you don’t come to an end. You come into My eternal presence.” We are safe in Jesus’ hand. How do we know? Because He gives us eternal life.

IIIA1 It was the feast of dedication. The Jews were commemorating Judas Maccabeus’ deliverance from the blasphemous oppression of a foreign ruler named Antiochus Epiphanes. Was Jesus going to be a Messiah like Judas Maccabeus? So, they asked Jesus, “If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

2 Jesus answer was: “I did tell you, but you do not believe me.” They didn’t believe Jesus’ words. Jesus had another answer for them. “The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, 26 but you do not believe.” The miraculous activity that Jesus did indicated that He was sent from God and wielded the power of God. That was additional proof that He was the Messiah. They didn’t believe Jesus’ works.

3 Jesus says they didn’t believe His words or His works, “because you do not belong to my flock.” People who aren’t Jesus’ sheep don’t believe what He says and don’t believe what He does. That is what all of us would be like on our own. If someone stepped up in front here today and claimed to be God, as Jesus did, we wouldn’t believe him. If someone claimed to do a miracle, or maybe even did a miracle in our presence, we wouldn’t believe him. We would insist that it was a fake.

B1 Their failure to believe Jesus’ words and works and our natural failure to believe Jesus’ words and works don’t negate Jesus’ claims. In fact, in view of their failure to believe Jesus’ words and works, Jesus repeats His claims. He says, “No one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 “No one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” Jesus claims to be God.

2 Jesus is God. That’s why He could live and cover the entire human population with His holiness. That’s why He could take everybody’s place and be worth enough to pay for all of our sins. That’s why He could conquer death and the devil so we can too. He couldn’t do any of this for us if He were not God. But He says He is God. “I and the Father are one.”

3 Jesus is God. That’s why He can carry out His promise to not allow any of the hardships, difficulties, mistakes, misdirection, sufferings and death in our lives to separate us from Him. Jesus is God. That’s why He is able to not allow physical death, a collapsing society, or sinfulness to cause us to perish. We are safe in Jesus’ hand. How do we know? Because He and the Father are One. Jesus is God.

Conc: It is a great feeling when you slide into home plate and you are called safe. It’s an infinitely greater feeling to be told: “Jesus is Your Good Shepherd. He gives you eternal life. He and the Father are One. So, you are safe in His hand.”

Shepherd’s Crook

We are safe in Jesus’ hand

I. He is our Good Shepherd

A. Shepherd’s Jobs

B. Jesus our Good Shepherd

1. Jesus provides

2. Jesus guides

3. Jesus guards

C. We respond

1. We listen

2. We follow

II. He gives us eternal life

A. Sheep die anyway

B.We die anyway

C. Jesus gives eternal life

1. Because of His work

2. So noone can snatch

3. So we won’t perish

III. He and the Father are one

A. Jesus’ claim

1. People wanted Maccabeus

2. Jesus said and did = God

3. People don’t baelieve

B. Jesus still makes claim

1. Repeats it

2. Can do Savior’s work

3 Can carry out promises

Called safe

Written Sermon 5/1/2022

CWC - Easter 3 - Lesson - Kieth Bernard Kuschel

Acts 9:1-22

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”“Yes, Lord,” he answered.11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Believer and a proclaimer

Strength from Jesus

I. To stop persecuting Jesus

A. Saul’s History

1. Acts 7 & 8

2. Acts 9

3. Jesus stopped it

B. Us

1. Persecuting by negative talks

2. Persecuting by ungodliness

II. To believe Jesus is the Savior

A. Saul’s History

1. Pharisee

2. Old Testament knowledgeable

3. Familiar with the events of Jesus life

B. Jesus’ appearance

1. What it said to Saul

2. What it did to Saul

C. Our History

1. Pharisees by nature

2. Life of Jesus is a fairy tale

3. We believe because of Jesus’ action

II. To proclaim that Jesus is God

A. Saul’s history

1. Wait for orders

2. Orders from Jesus

3. In synagogues

4. Debates

B. Our History

1. Orders are clear

2. Congregational

3. Wisdom to defend truth

IA1 What do we know about Saul? He is first mentioned in Acts 7:57 They covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at Stephen, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 8:1 And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. Saul was doing this because these people believed that Jesus of Nazareth was the Savior.

2 He wasn’t satisfied with doing it in Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. His reputation had spread as far north as Damascus. 13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” . 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”

3 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Saul was persecuting the members of the body of Christ, thus persecuting Christ. Jesus stopped Saul from persecuting Him.

B1 “I sure am glad that I never persecuted Jesus as Saul did.” Isn’t that how we tend to respond to this incident? Wait a minute. If hating is the same as murder, and lust is the same as adultery, and coveting is the same as stealing, then any hindrance to the preaching of the Gospel is the same as persecuting Jesus. So, when I talk negatively about my congregation and am openly critical of its ministry, I am convincing whoever hears me do that to not come to here to hear about Jesus. That is persecuting Jesus.

2 You are Christians. People have the right to expect that you live the way Jesus wants people to live. When you don’t live your godliness, people in the world are going to react by saying, “I wouldn’t consider having Jesus a part of my life, if that is the way Christians live.” You have just driven that person away from Jesus. That is persecuting Jesus. LORD JESUS, please give me the strength to stop persecuting You.

IIA1 Saul had been a Pharisee during his early years. That means he believed that he could make himself right with God by following God’s laws and by following the rabbinic laws. So when Jesus taught that all humans are sinners, and that nobody can make himself right with God by what he does, Saul evaluated Jesus as a false teacher. He insisted that anyone who took the attitude of Jesus was against God’s laws and therefore should be put to death.

2 Saul as a practicer of Judaism was familiar with the Old Testament. He knew that any human being who put himself on the same level as God was a blasphemer. The way Christians talked about Jesus made it seem as if they thought He was God. This was revolting to a strict adherent of Judaism.

3 When Jesus said to Saul, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,” Saul knew right away who was talking. He was familiar with the life and actions of Jesus. He had evaluated them and had decided that Jesus of Nazareth could not possibly be the Christ, the Messiah.

B1 When Jesus appeared to Saul, He was saying to Saul, “I am the promised Messiah in spite of what you think. I died on the cross to give forgiveness to the world. I lived and never sinned so that I could cover the world with holiness. I rose from the dead so that people can live forever. These people whom you are persecuting believe this and they are right.”

2 The next thing we hear Saul is doing is preaching that Jesus is the Son of God. He was proving that Jesus is the Christ. Jesus’ appearance had turned Saul into a believer.

C1 Human beings on our own are all like Saul. We insist that we are good people. We insist that we are better than a lot of other people. We insist that we do a pretty good job of doing what is right. We insist that God ought to be pleased with our best efforts. In effect all human beings are home grown Pharisees.

2 On our own we all think the record of Jesus’ life is just another fairy tale. The people around us reinforce that idea. Virgins don’t have babies. Humans can’t heal the sick, stop storms and raise the dead. Somebody’s life and death that happened 2,000 years ago is irrelevant to people living today.

3 And yet we are here today confessing that we believe that Jesus is really God and really human. We believe that His death washes away our sins. His holiness makes us right with God. His resurrection gives us eternal life. How did this happen? Jesus gave us the strength to believe that we are sinners who need Him and that He is who He claimed to be. LORD JESUS, please give me the strength to keep believing that You are my Savior.

IIIA1 After Jesus appeared to Saul and informed Him that He was who He claimed to be, He took charge of Saul’s life. Saul obeyed. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. Quite a change from somebody who wanted to get rid of anything connected with Jesus to someone who patiently waited for orders from Jesus.

2 His wait was over when Ananias came. 10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”“Yes, Lord,” he answered.11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named

Saul, for he is praying. “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” Quite a change from somebody who opposed Jesus to somebody who was going to openly proclaim Jesus to the world.

3 Saul did what the LORD told him he was to be doing. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. Quite a change from somebody convinced that Jesus was a blasphemer to some who openly told others that Jesus was the Son of God.

4 Saul was challenged about his proclamation about Jesus. But the LORD gave him the strength and the wisdom to rise to the challenge. Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah. Saul was able from the Old Testament Scriptures to prove that Jesus was the One anointed by God to bring God’s truth to people, to sacrifice Himself to pay for the sins of the world, and to rule people’s lives through His Word.

B1 We have been given orders by the LORD Jesus. We don’t have to wait for a while before we learn what they are. God allows us to live in this world to share the forgiveness, holiness, and eternal life which Jesus won by His life, death and resurrection with others. We are to give Jesus and His blessings to our family members, to our friends, to our acquaintances, to our coworkers, to our classmates.

2 We exist as a congregation, a gathered group of followers of Jesus, to do the same. Everything we do here is connected with sharing Jesus and His blessings with each other and others. That’s why we worship together, have Bible study together, do fellowship activities together, operate educational agencies together, use our money together.

3 Sometimes as we share Jesus with the people in our lives, we are challenged as Saul was. We need to have the truth of God well enough ingrained in our souls so that we could do what Saul did: proclaim that Jesus is God and prove that He is the Messiah. There is only one way that is going to happen. We need to be involved in personal and group study of the Scripture so the LORD equips us with the strength and courage to stand up for the truth and the wisdom to be able to apply it. LORD JESUS, please give me the strength to keep proclaiming that You are God.

Written Sermon 4/24/2022

CWC- Easter 2 - Lesson -  Kieth Bernard Kuschel

                         Acts 5:12, 17-32

 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade.

17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. 20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people. When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. 22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were at a loss, wondering what this might lead to.25 Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” 26 At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them.27 The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. 32 We are witnesses of these things
How did you spend Easter?

Locked room? Jesus spent forty days with His disciples after He rose.  He answered their questions about His work.  He wanted them to have the tools and courage to spread the message about Him without His physical presence. Did it work? On Pentecost they spoke boldly about Jesus, not cowering as fearful weaklings behind locked doors.  Peter said, {2:23}“you with the help of wicked men, put Jesus to death by nailing him to the cross.” Peter courageously confronted them with their sin.  After Peter and John healed a crippled beggar at the temple gate, Peter said,{3:16} “It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has given this complete healing to Him, as you can all see.” Because of that action, the religious high court put them in prison.  When they were given a chance to explain themselves, they said, {4:10}“It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the death, that this man stands before you completely healed.” Peter again courageously confronted them with their sin Peter and John were released and told not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.  They did anyway.  The first verses of today’s lesson say,  12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. 20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people. 26 At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. 29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead —whom you killed by hanging him on a cross.  Peter a third time courageously confronted them with their sin  {33} The Sanhedrin members were furious when they heard this and wanted to put them to death.   Peter and John knew that was the reaction that they were going to get.  Why did they do it anyway?  They weren’t afraid of death anymore.  Jesus’ resurrection had proven to them that death was not the end.  If they were put to death proclaiming God’s law, they could face it with courage, knowing that resurrection to eternal life was waiting for them. God’s law says: “You are a sinner.  You deserve to be punished because of the wrong that you have done.”  How does that make you feel?  Defensive.  Angry. Combative.  Just like the members of the Sanhedrin. But God the Holy Spirit has led you to respond to the law by saying, “I know I am a sinner.  I know I deserve to be punished.”  When you tell somebody, as Peter and John did, that they sinned, you can expect the same reaction.  Try saying these to somebody: “You are sinning when you tell everybody else what someone failed to do, instead of talking to the person who produced the failure.”  “You are sinning when you waste your money instead of using it the way God wants it used.”  “You are sinning when you don’t use the Word with your congregational family.” Expect a defensive, angry, combative response. Why confront people with sin?  They need to repent of it, otherwise it will separate them from Jesus.  Where do we get the courage from?  Well, what is the worst that could happen to us? Ridicule.  Vicious words. Death.   Death isn’t the end.  Jesus resurrection proves that.  Jesus’ resurrection gives us, as it gave Peter, the courage to speak the law to others. If I were a member of the crowds Peter addressed, I would have asked: How can you claim that Jesus of Nazareth is doing these miracles, and at the same time accuse us of putting Him to death?”  Peter and John’s answer is:30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. 32 We are witnesses of these things.  The miracles of the apostles were evidence that Jesus was alive and well. That is what really bothered the Jewish religious leaders.  They hadn’t believed Jesus was the Messiah.  They thought they had stopped the idea by killing Him.  Now the idea was being promoted by others.  These followers of Jesus were claiming Jesus was alive.  They were pointing to their miracles as evidence of it.  The apostles continued to proclaim Jesus and perform miracles in spite of their knowledge that this would lead to more confrontations with the religious leaders because they knew that what they were claiming was true.  They had seen Jesus alive.  They had interacted with Him for forty days.  The resurrection of Jesus had given them the courage to proclaim the Good News that Jesus was who he claimed to be.  In all the public presentations of the apostles up to this point in the book of Acts, the content is the same and it becomes a broken record.  “You killed Jesus.  God raised Him from the dead.  That is proof that He was who He claimed to be.  He is the Savior and Messiah long promised.”  That is the way the first presentation to the Sanhedrin ended.  That is the way the speech to the people in the temple after the healing of the beggar ended.  That is the way the sermon at Pentecost ended.  That is the way the speech before us today ended.  

Where did the apostles get the courage to proclaim the good news that Jesus was the Messiah?  Something that was very obviously a disputed teaching in their situation.  From the resurrection of Jesus.  That gave them the courage to know their message was true and should be proclaimed.    

We have much less proof that Jesus rose from the dead than the apostles had.  We have not personally, physically seen Him.  We have not talked to Him after He rose.  We have not eaten with Him or spent forty days with Him.  Our evidence comes from those who did.  It has been recorded for us in the Bible.  It is on that basis that the Holy Spirit has convinced each of us that He did rise. 

From where do we get the courage to proclaim the Gospel?  From where does the courage come for us to say, “Jesus is true God, the Savior, the only way to eternal life”?  Same place the apostles got it.  The resurrection of Jesus.  Jesus’ resurrection proves everything about Him to be true.  The empty tomb should be the symbol of Christianity. 

 Why does the resurrection of Jesus give us boldness to talk about Jesus the Savior being the only way to eternal life?  Because although we can’t give actual proof of the truthfulness of the Gospel message today, on the last day when we rise with everybody else because of Jesus’ resurrection, everything Jesus taught will be proven to be true.  That gives us courage now.  

God gave the apostles some very tough orders in this section of the Bible.   20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”   Go back to  the temple and do the same thing in the same place where you got arrested for doing that once before.  That is just crazy.

Sometimes the first time doing a difficult task is the easiest.  After you have gotten arrested once, doing it the second and third time is much harder.  But the apostles did it.  The LORD gave them the courage to do it.  

Jesus had told the apostles they were to speak about Him in the presence of the leaders of the people.  The apostles were aware that these people didn’t want to listen to them.  Those leaders wanted to get rid of them.  They would use everything they said against them.  Why should they expose themselves to attack by these people?

But the apostles did it.  The LORD gave them the courage to carry out His orders to speak to people who from a human standpoint didn’t deserve to hear the truth.  Sometimes, the task isn’t as difficult as getting over the hurdle of our distaste for the people we are supposed to deal with. 

 The apostles in this situation made a wonderful statement about their purpose in life.  {29}“We must obey God rather than human beings!”  There were a whole lot of forces tugging at them.  Their own safety.  Their responsibility to the church in Jerusalem.  Good PR in the community.  What should be most important?  They decided obeying God was most important.  God gave them the courage to make that decision.  

 God has given us the same orders that He gave the apostles.  We are to repeat His message to people over and over again.  Tell the person over and over again that sexual activity outside of marriage is sin.  Every time you say it, it gets harder.   Tell the indifferent person over and over again that Jesus’ death wipes away his sin,  Jesus’ life give him holiness, and Jesus’ resurrection insures eternal life.  It even sounds like a broken record to you.  Every time you say it,  it gets harder.  Where do we get the courage to be boldly repetitious?  We know Jesus is working right along side us.  How do we know?   Jesus rose.  

God has given us the same orders that He gave the apostles.  We are to give His message to people who from our perspective don’t deserve the truth and are distasteful to us.  To people who enjoy ridiculing us.  To people who will use what we say against us.  To people who don’t like us.  To people who treat us condescendingly.  To people who are doing disgusting things.  Where do we get the courage to do this?  We know Jesus is working right along side us.  How do we know?   Jesus rose.  

God has given us the same orders that He gave the apostles.  We are to obey Him rather than humans.  Obeying Him is more important than our financial security, our job success, our reputation in the community, our enjoyment of life or anything else.  Where do we get the courage to make priority decisions and obey God?  We know Jesus is working right along side us.  How do we know?   Jesus rose. 

 Conc: Risen LORD JESUS, please continue to give me the courage to proclaim Law and Gospel and to obey You.    

Written Sermon 4/17/2022

CWC Old Testament Lesson Easter Sunday - KB Kuschel

Exodus 15:1-12

15 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: “I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea. 2 “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. 3 The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name. 4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the Red Sea. 5 The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone. 6 Your right hand, O Lord, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy. 7 “In the greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you. You unleashed your burning anger; it consumed them like stubble. 8 By the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up. The surging waters stood firm like a wall; the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea. 9 The enemy boasted, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake them. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword and my hand will destroy them.’ 10 But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters. 11 Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you— majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?

Reminders of Easter: Flowers, Eggs, Rabbits, Butterflies,

Moses and the Red Sea???

IA1 Israel had been in Egypt for 400 years. They had become forced laborers who built the pyramids and other public works projects. God sent the ten plagues to convince the Pharaoh to let them leave Egypt. Pharaoh let them go.

2 Israel began the journey away. Pharaoh changed his mind. Pharaoh’s chariots and army came charging after Israel. Israel was caught between the enemy army and the Red Sea.

B1 Who are the enemies in your life? Sometimes people are. We are being inundated with anti-bullying presentations. Why? Because people do bad things to other people. Their actions hurt us physically. Their words hurt us emotionally. Their opposition hurts us spiritually.

2 Who is the worst enemy in your life? You are. Why? Listen to St Paul. Rom 7:19 What I do is not the good I want to do; no the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing.”

3 Who is another enemy? The devil. His whole purpose is to disconnect you from your relationship with Jesus. Listen to Peter: 1 Pet 5:8 Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

4 Who is the last enemy we should mention? This enemy shuts down our bodies. This enemy wants to put an end to our existence. Listen to Paul 1 Cor 15:26 The last enemy.... is death.

C1 Jesus engaged all our enemies. People like the Pharisees tried to get Him to sin by backing Him into a corner. It never worked. He never caved in. They did. The confrontations always ended like this. Luke 20:40 No one dared to ask him any more questions.

2 The devil did his best to get Jesus to sin. None of the temptations were successful. They always ended the same way. Matt 4:11 Then the devil left him.”

3 Jesus died. That’s what we commemorated on Friday. But today we are reminded. Rom 6:9 Death no longer has mastery over Christ.”

D1 Why was Jesus of Nazareth able to overcome all of our enemies? Because Jesus of Nazareth is the LORD. The LORD has become our salvation. How do we know that for sure? Because of His resurrection. Human beings aren’t strong enough to conquer temptations to sin from other people or the devil. Human beings can’t conquer death. Only God can. So St Paul wrote:Rom1:4 He was declared with power to be the the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.

2 There is a practical, spiritual consequence for us because Jesus conquered all our spiritual enemies. It means that those enemies can’t dish out the consequences of our sins: We can’t be judged guilty and sentenced to punishment. How do we know that? Jesus resurrection proves that His work to wash away our guilt was successful. God declares us to be “Not Guilty” because of the work of Jesus. : Listen to Paul once more: Rom 4:25 Jesus was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”

He is not here. He has risen. The LORD has become our Salvation.

Sing Hymn 152:1-3

IIA1 What did the LORD do to become salvation for Moses and the Israelites? 8 By the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up. The surging waters stood firm like a wall; the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea. Because of God’s action Moses and Israel walked through the Red Sea on dry land.

2 But He acted again. 10 But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters. 4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the Red Sea. 5 The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone. Thus the words: The LORD has become my salvation.

B1 The LORD has also acted in order to become our salvation. The first thing He did was take on Himself our humanity. He had to do that. In order to engage our enemies for us He had to be in exactly the situation in which we are when they engage us.

2 Then as a real human being He could experience being trapped in a situation where both options offered to us are sin. Then He could experience real doubt about God’s desire and ability to care for us. Then He could experience real desire to focus on what we can see and touch rather than the supernatural, spiritual world. Jesus did experience all that. And He never sinned. So He can cover us with His holiness and make us acceptable to God.

3 As a real human being He could experience death and separation from God for us, so that God could justly free us from that punishment for our sins, because we have already suffered it in our Substitute Jesus.

C1 Last week when you were in that situation where your two choices were to either lie or hurt somebody, how come you didn’t do either? Because you are connected to Jesus, and He gave you the wisdom to figure it out.

2 Last week when the devil was trying to convince you that God doesn’t care about you since He has again let you experience chest pain and shortness of breath, how come you still are convinced that God loves you? Because you are connected to Jesus, and He gave you the strength to overcome that doubt.

3 Sometime in the future when physical death grabs you, how come you are going to be able to continue to live forever? Because you are connected to Jesus, and He will allow you to continue to live forever with Him.

D1 Do we have any proof that Jesus can grant us this unending life? Yes. He resurrection. Jesus said: John 14;19: Because I live, you also will live. John 11:25: I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever lives and believes in me will never die.

2 Do we have any proof that Jesus can grant us the wisdom and strength to live out our relationship with Him appropriately? Yes. His resurrection. Rom 6:5 If we have been united with Christ in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.

He is not here. He has risen. The LORD has become our Salvation.

Sing Hymn 152:4 & 5

IIIA1 How did Moses and the Israelites respond to what God had done? 15 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: “I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea. 2 “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. 3 The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name. 11 Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you— majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? They responded with words of praise.

2 Moses and the Israelites also responded by continuing on their journey back to Palestine. Why did they do that? Because God told them to. They responded with actions of obedience.

B1 How do we respond to what God has done for us? With our words of praise. When I ask people, “Why do you come to worship Jesus every week?” the first answer I usually get is “Because I want to hear the Word of God and stay locked in to Jesus.” As the game show host says, “Good answer.”

2 There is another equally important answer. When you sing and say, “2 “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, all the rest of the people present hear that. The Christians are reminded by you that Jesus lived and died and rose for them. That is why the LORD has become their salvation. That reminder is used by the Holy Spirit to lock them into their relationship with Jesus. Words of praise.

3 There is yet a third answer. When you sing and say, “3 The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name. 11 Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you— majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?, all the rest of the people present hear that. The nonChristians are informed by you that Jesus lived and died and rose for them. That is why the LORD has become their salvation. That information is used by the Holy Spirit to bring them into a relationship with Jesus. Words of praise.

C1 How do we respond to what God has done for us? We live our lives confident that the LORD is going to continue to keep His promises to us. He will provide for us as long as we are on this earth. He will protect us until it is time to be with Him. He will keep our trust that Jesus lived and died and rose for us strong. He will be with us always and get us through the difficulties and problems of life. Actions of praise.

2 How do we respond to what God has done for us? We live our lives confident that He will equip us to be good parents, good children, good workers, good citizens, good leaders or whatever else we might happen to be in life. We live our lives confident that He will equip us to make use of opportunities to share Jesus’ forgiveness, holiness, and eternal life with the people around us. We live our lives confident that He will equip us to live His way to point people to Him. Actions of praise

Conc: Why do we fill our lives with words and actions of praise to Jesus? Because He has become our salvation and we want Him to become salvation for others. How do we know He can become salvation for others? Because of Easter. He is not here. He has risen.

Sing Hymn 152, 6-8

THE LORD HAS BECOME MY SALVATION

Written Sermon 4/10/2022

CWC- Epistle Lesson - Palm Sunday - KBKuschel

Philippians 2:5-9

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

What did the Palm Sunday crowds say about Jesus?

Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD.

What did the crowds say about Jesus on Good Friday? Crucify Him. A contradiction.

What are we as humans? Sinners.

What does God consider us because of Jesus? Holy, forgiven people. A contradiction.

Today we want to look the contradiction of Christ and Christians. Attitude seems like a contradiction to exaltation.

IA1 People in high positions frequently exploit every privilege they can get. They squeeze out every advantage for themselves that they can find in their positions. Not Jesus. Paul wrote: Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage.

2 7 Rather, he made himself nothing. He was God. But He didn’t use His almighty power all the time. It was there, He just didn’t use it. He was God. He could have looked like He did on the Mt of Transfiguration all the time. But He didn’t. He looked like a lower level social classed human being.

3 “Taking the very nature of a servant.” Instead of doing things for His own advantage, He served. He taught people the truths they needed to know for their spiritual well-being. He gave them the help they needed for their physical well-being.

4 Being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man.” If you had been there to watch Jesus of Nazareth during His life, most of the time what would you have concluded about Him? He was a real human being. That of course is true. He was made a human through conception and birth. He looked like a human throughout His life.

5 “He humbled himself.” He allowed Himself to be ridiculed as just Joseph the carpenter’s son. He allowed Himself to rejected and almost thrown over a cliff. He allowed Himself to be captured by humans who were much weaker than He. He allowed Himself to be judged guilty of blasphemy and deserving of death.

6 Why? By becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! All of this was about obedience. He took on humanity in obedience to the Father’s plan for the salvation of humans. He lived and obeyed all the commandments of God perfectly so He could cover us with His holiness. He obediently died on the cross to wash away our sins and to take the punishment of death and hell on Himself which we deserved, so that He could rescue us from it.

B1 Paul’s directive to us is: 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. Don’t use your position for your own advantage. It’s easy to do, isn’t it. I am the leader so I can make the people under me do things for me that they don’t really have to do.

2 Make yourself nothing. If you are a very influential person, why does anybody need to know that? If you are a very wealthy person, why does anybody need to know that? If you are very high up on the social ladder of society, why does anybody need to know that?

3 Take the nature of a servant. Get down on the floor and help the little one with her boots. Get down on the floor and pick up what the aged one dropped. Reach up on the top shelf of the grocery store for the short one.

4 Humble yourself. It’s OK if people ridicule you for being a wimp when you don’t join along when the group is ganging up on somebody. It’s OK if people declare you to be weird for being respectful to your teacher. It’s OK when people attack you for doing the best you can at the task before you.

5 Become obedient. It’s all about obedience. We want to obey God to thank Him for giving us forgiveness, holiness and eternal life because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We want to obey God because we know that what He tells us is intended to benefit us. We want to obey God because we want others to be pointed to Him as the Savior. We want others to have the correct answer to the question, “Why are you dealing with other people this way?” The correct answer is: “Jesus is our Savior. We want to act the way that Jesus acted. That is the way Jesus would have acted.” The Christian life is all about attitude. The attitude of Christ. Paul’s words are: 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.

IIA1 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place. On Palm Sunday Jesus was exalted. People acknowledged Jesus was above them. They praised Him. Nobody thought He was ordinary. 2 But the verse before us says, “9 Therefore God exalted him. Therefore. Because He took on Himself our humanity, because He humbled Himself, because He took our place in life, because He took our guilt and took our punishment, in other words, because He obediently did everything God told Him to do, therefore God exalted Him.

3 God said, “Go ahead and use Your power again. Declare Your victory over Satan. Conquer death. Don’t be subject to the limitations of this earth anymore. Begin to rule over all things again. And then judge everyone.”

B1 On Palm Sunday the crowd verbalized their exaltation. They called Him “Son of David.” A member of the royal family. They called Him “One who comes in the name of the LORD.” He had a special purpose and mission in life. They said, “Hosanna in the highest,” calling on Him to give them salvation.

2 In these verses Paul says God verbalized His exaltation of Jesus too. 9 God gave him the name that is above every name, Jesus Christ is Lord. Lord is God’s personal name. God was saying, “It’s right to assign my personal name to this Jesus of Nazareth and to give Him the same glory that you give me, because He is LORD.”

3 Because God exalted Jesus, Paul wrote at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord. Angels do this now in heaven. Believers do this now on earth. But Paul says, Every knee including those under the earth. Most likely he is referring to Judgment Day when all unbelievers and even the devil and His evil angels will have to grudgingly admit that Jesus is LORD, ruler over all things, and in complete control even of them.

4 Did you notice the last phrase in this section? At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Angels say God is great and God is good now in heaven. Believers do the same on earth. But unbelievers and the devil will have to say on Judgment Day, “God is great and God is good for offering eternal life to all creatures, but we were so foolish that we didn’t think we needed it.”

C1 The Father exalted Jesus because of what He did. The Father exalts us because of what Jesus did for us. The Father says to us, “Because of Jesus go ahead and exercise your power over the devil. Go ahead and conquer death. Go ahead and be released from the limitations of this earth. Go ahead and join Jesus in His power position.”

2 Our exaltation is reflected in what we are called. Christians. Children of the loving God. Saints. Brothers and sisters of Christ. Loved by God. We have the honor of wearing those names now on this earth. But greater honor and glory will be ours when we wear those names in perfection with the LORD.

3 God gives us the name of Jesus to wear. He also gives us the commission to acknowledge that Jesus is LORD to the glory of God the Father. When we acknowledge to others that Jesus is LORD, we are sharing with them the truth that can lead them to acknowledge that Jesus is LORD. When we acknowledge to others that Jesus is LORD, we are sharing with them the truth that can cement them in their relationship with Jesus. When we acknowledge to others that Jesus is LORD, we are sharing with them the truth that can equip them to acknowledge that Jesus is LORD. What an important, let’s say, exalted position He has given us.

Conc: God gave Jesus an exalted position. He gave Jesus an exalted name. That is the opposite of His attitude. Because of Jesus God has given us an exalted name and an exalted position. That is the opposite of our attitudes. Christians and Christ are contradictions. Praise the LORD.

Written Sermon 4/3/2022

CWC- Epistle Lesson - Lent 5 - Kieth Bernard Kuschel

Philippians 3:514

5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; {6} as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. (7) But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. (8) What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ {9} and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christthe righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. {10} I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, {11} and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. {12} Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. {13} Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, {14} I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Bag of goodies (trash or treasure)

IA1 “I consider everything a loss.{8}” What do you think Paul included in “everything” when he made that comment. University of Tarsus education? Roman citizenship? Intellectual brilliance? Financial standing?

2 Paul wasn’t thinking of any of those. He tells us what he was thinking about in verses 5 & 6: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; {6} as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. All of these were things that Paul earlier in his life was convinced would make him acceptable to God.

B1 Now what Paul had thought was on the profit side of the ledger, he considered to be loss. (Phil 3:7) But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. (8) What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” That list of things which I read before, not only did not give him righteousness with God, but they had actually been hindrances for Paul to have a right relationship with God because those things had led him away from Jesus.

2 Now Paul not only considered that list of things to be worthless rubbish when compared to Jesus, he also says because of Jesus he actually had lost many of them. “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” Because Paul had become a Christian, he had lost his position as a respected member of the Hebrew community, his role as a leader among the Pharisees, and his power as an arm of the Sanhedrin to persecute Christians.

C1 “I consider everything a loss.” What comes to mind first for you with that word “everything”? Our prestige at work? The toys we have? Our influence on others? Our achievements in life?

2 What about things similar to what Paul was thinking of? Born into a Christian family. Have generations of ancestors who were Christian. Confirmed. Do a good job at living a godly life. Notice and point out false teaching. If we conclude that these things at least in part make us right with God, then they are diverting us from Jesus.

D1 It doesn’t matter what family we are born into, how many generations of Christians there are in our ancestry, if we went through some religious procedures, how moral we are, or whether we can notice falsehood or not. In order to be right with God, we have to be perfect. And we aren’t.

2 But it is difficult to consider all those things to be loss, to be worthless. Are we willing to throw out all our little “advantages” which we insist help make us right with God? Are we ready to say, “I know these are (rubbish) trash next to the perfection God demand from me?” Are you a success? Only if the Holy Spirit has led you to understand your best attempts to make yourself right with God are trash.

IIA1 What had changed Paul’s mind so radically about what was trash and what was treasure? Jesus had appeared to him, knocked him off his horse, blinded him, told him he was persecuting God by persecuting Christians, and told him he was to spread the message about Jesus to Gentiles.

2 Jesus had led Paul to know who Jesus really was. Paul’s phrase in the text is: {8}the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. After Jesus’ appearance to Paul, Paul knew Jesus wasn’t a heretic leading people away from the Law of Moses. Jesus was and is the Christ, the promised Messiah, the Savior or the world, who could be that because He was and is truly God.

B1 Why did Paul consider knowing Jesus to be such a treasure? Because Jesus solved Paul’s need and desire for righteousness. Paul’s goal in life was to be righteous in God’s sight. That’s why he had tried so hard to keep the law. That’s why he had been a Pharisee. That’s why he tried to be faultless. Jesus had convinced Paul that righteousness comes from God as a gift.

2 Notice that gift of righteousness from God is connected with Jesus. Paul wanted to “gain Christ {9} and be found in him, having a righteousness which is through faith in Christ the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.” Paul had been led by Jesus to trust that his sins had been washed away in the blood of Christ, that he had been rescued from death and hell as punishment for his sins because of the suffering and death of Christ, and that he was covered with the holiness that Jesus had lived for him as his substitute. That was Paul’s treasure - he was righteous in God’s sight because of Jesus.

C1 Paul was looking forward to something else because of his connection with Jesus. {10} I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, {11} and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Paul had shared in the sufferings of Jesus because of all the persecutions he had experienced as a witness for Jesus. We know that Paul later shared in the experience of dying as Jesus did because he openly confessed that Jesus was the Son of God.

2 Paul was certain that he would rise from the dead because Jesus Himself had risen from the dead and promised that Paul also would. But Paul hadn’t experienced any of that yet. In order to experience that, he would have to die. Whether it was death by persecution, by disease, or by old age - that would be how Paul would attain to the resurrection of the dead. He was looking forward to that experience.

D1 What is our treasure? Jesus - because He is the Christ anointed by God to be our Savior. Jesus - because He is the Lord, true God from eternity, qualified to be our Savior. Jesus - because He gives us forgiveness of our sins through His death on the cross. Jesus - because He rescues us from death and hell by experiencing it for us. Jesus - because He gives us the righteousness which He lived in our place so that we are holy in God’s sight. Jesus - because His resurrection makes us confident of our resurrections to an eternity of perfection with the Lord.

2 Are you a success? Only if the Holy Spirit has led you to know that Jesus is our Treasure.

IIIA1 Paul continues: {12} Not that I have already obtained all this. We know he hadn’t attained the resurrection from the dead yet. Why? He was still alive. We know he hadn’t attained becoming like Jesus in his death yet. Why? He was still alive.

2 He helps us out so we know more precisely what he was thinking. “or have already been made perfect.” He knew Jesus was his Savior. But his knowledge wasn’t perfect. He trusted Jesus as his Savior. But his faith wasn’t perfect. He suffered with Jesus. But his joy in doing so wasn’t perfect. He lived his life for Jesus. But his godliness wasn’t perfect.

B1 How did Paul respond to this lack of perfection? {14}“I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Jesus took hold of Paul when Paul became a believer in Jesus the Savior. At that point he had eternal life - a relationship with God that wouldn’t end. However, for as long as Paul was living in a sinful world as a sinner, he was not fully experiencing what was his.

2 So, he was “pressing on to take hold of it.” Paul was righteous in God’s sight through Jesus. He was working real hard at actually being righteous. He hadn’t attained it. He wouldn’t attain it in this life. But he still was working hard at it. If he didn’t work hard at it, his focus would not be on the goal that Jesus had in mind for him - eternal perfection with Jesus.

C1 Paul underlines his thought with a reference to athletics. Just as a runner might lose a race because he doesn’t concentrate, so the Christian who gets distracted from living His life to the Lord may lose the blessings God has in store. “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, {14} I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

2 The focused runner never looks behind. He would lose direction and speed. He always looks ahead to the finish line. Paul didn’t look back to the time in his life when he was persecuting Christians. He would have been diverted by guilt and grief. He didn’t look back to the time in his life when he was a successful missionary. He would have been diverted by pride. He looked ahead to what it would be like when he was going to be with Jesus in eternity. And he tried to achieve as much of that as he could every day of his earthly life.

D1 Nothing has changed. We are holy in God’s sight. But, we are not holy in our thoughts, words, and actions. We live our lives to the Lord. But, we are not perfect. We trust that Jesus is our Savior. But, our faith isn’t perfect. We suffer with Jesus. But, our joy at being connected with Jesus isn’t perfect. We do what God wants with our lives. But, our enthusiasm isn’t perfect.

2 But, with Paul we don’t look back. Grief and shame over our failures will divert us. Pride and self-satisfaction over our successes will divert us. Just keep looking ahead at what it is going to be like when we are with Jesus in eternity. And then try to attain as much of that as you can every day in this life. Are you a success? Only if the Holy Spirit has led you to stay eternity-with-Jesus focused.

LORD Jesus, please help me to keep knowing what is trash and what is Treasure.

Written Sermon 3/27/2022

CWC Old Testament Lesson - Lent 4 - Kieth Bernard Kuschel

Isa 12:1-6

{1} In that day you will say: "I will praise you, O LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. {2} Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." {3} With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. {4} In that day you will say: "Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. {5} Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. {6} Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you."

Happy face.

What makes us happy?

Sad face.

What makes us sad?

When we are sad, who can make us happy?

How does He do that?

Should we try hard to be happy?

Why?

Who can you tell them about?

Happy face. Sad face.

JOYFUL JOURNEY AMIDST SIN & SORROW

I. Cause of Joy

A. Salvation

1. Sin causes God’s anger

2. Salvation = rescue from anger

3. Rescued to comfort from Lord

B. Salvation’s timing

1. Future - with Lord

2. Present - robbers of joy

3. Sickness - self-sufficient?

4. Financial - temporary

5. Death - with Lord

6. Relationship - purpose in life

II. Tool to reinforce joy

A. God brings Word

1. We need reinforcement

2. Sin - forgiven

3. Life bad - glory awaits

4. Temptation - kept by God

B. Wells of salvation

1. Failure to use = I don’t want

2. Blessings from - joy to use

III. Expression of Joy

A. Sing

1. Expression of happiness

2. Singing edifies

B. Shout aloud

1. Lives shout out

2. Puritans- no joy

3. Joy amidst problems

C. Make known

1. Want others to be happy

2. Good news gets shouted

Conc: Joy to know Jesus as Friend

IA1 The believer who is talking in the words before us today is very happy. Why? {2}“The Lord has become my salvation. Surely God is my salvation.” What does salvation mean? Rescue. From what is the believer rescued according to these verses? God's anger. What is the cause of God’s anger against humans? Sin. God created humans to be in total harmony with Him in what they thought and did. But humans rebelled and broke God’s law. When we do what comes naturally as humans, we produce selfish thoughts and actions. Those are sin. They break God’s law. They cause God’s anger.

2 God is right and just. He must punish violations of His law. The punishment He gives out for sin is death. Physical death & separation from Him and from His blessings. Cut off from His love. Outside of His family. It is from this punishment we deserve because of our sins that we are rescued. That is what salvation means. The quote is {1b} “Your anger has turned away”.

3 When someone is rescued, he is rescued from something. But, he is also rescued to something. That is true regarding salvation. Not only has Jesus taken our guilt on Himself. Not only did He remove our sins. Not only did He suffer the separation from God that we deserve because of our sins and thus rescued us from it. He also lived a perfectly holy life so that He might give us His righteousness. That makes us right with God. That means we can be members of God’s family. That means we can be His friends. That’s what we have been rescued to. The quote is {1c}“You have comforted me.”

B1 There is a future aspect to that rescue. We are going to be rescued by the Lord from physical death and taken to be with the Lord both body and soul for eternity. He has promised that our existence there will be joy-filled. No problems, sorrows or difficulties.

2 However, this rescue isn’t all tied to the future. We have a special relationship with God now that can bring joy into our lives now. We still have things which cause us fear and try to take away our joy. Sickness. Financial problems. Death of loved ones. Difficulties in human relationships. They all form a part of life which tries to steal our joy. But our relationship with God helps solve these parts of life which try to rob us of our joy. How does that work?

3 “The Lord is my strength. I will trust and not be afraid.” {2} Who else besides the Christian, besides us, can say, “Lord, I appreciate the lesson You are teaching me through this sickness. I was becoming quite self-sufficient. You have reminded me that I am not indestructible. You have given me some time to become closer to You. If this sickness is the way which You want me to die, thank You for giving me the opportunity to get ready.”

4 “The Lord is my strength. I will trust and not be afraid.” Who besides the Christian, besides us, can say, “Lord, I appreciate the lesson You are teaching me though these financial difficulties. Thank You for reminding me that the things of this life are passing, temporary and not dependable. I was getting much too involved in them. I am glad that although I might lose everything I own, I will never lose the forgiveness and eternal life that I have through Jesus.”

5 “The Lord is my strength. I will trust and not be afraid.” Who besides the Christian, besides us, can say, “Lord, it is going to be terrible to face life without him or her. But I know that he or she is with You. All her/his problems have been removed. Fullness of joy is his/hers in heaven. Thank You for providing that gift for him/her.”

6 “The Lord is my strength. I will trust and not be afraid.” Who besides the Christian, besides us, can say, “Lord, the people around me just keep using me. They just aren’t spiritual. But, my relationship with You reminds me that my purpose in life is to be a light for them. That purpose in my life makes me able to face tomorrow and face them.”

IIA1 Let’s be realistic. We are human. We don’t always react in a perfectly spiritual manner to the things that get us down. Then what? Does God abandon us to our difficulty? No. He comes to us and reinforces the reasons for our joy. How does He do that? By talking to us through His Word. He brings us the good news, the Gospel. That serves our spiritual lives as water revives and refreshes our bodies. The quote is: {3}“You will draw water from the wells of salvation.”

2 When we just can’t seem to overcome a particular sin. When we know what we are doing is not pleasing to God and have promised that we would get it out of our lives and haven’t. When we become depressed over our failure, Jesus comes to us and says, “Be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven.” {Matt 9:2}

3 When everything we have experienced lately has turned out badly. When our job, our family, our health, and everything we can think of seem to be causing us major problems, the Lord comes to us and says, “When you realize what I have in store for you, don’t let these things get you down.” The quote is: “The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that will be yours with me forever.” {Rom 8:18}

4 When everybody around you and every circumstance in which you find yourself seem to be attacking your faith. When your friends keep inviting you to sin with them. When your acquaintances ridicule your faith. When your own intellect says, “How can you believe that stuff.” When you become afraid that you will give in and lose your godliness and your faith, the Lord comes and says, “I will help preserve your faith by working in your heart through my Gospel.” The quote is: “You are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.” {1 Pet 1:5}

B1 Those are the blessings God wants to give from the wells of salvation. What should be our attitude toward the wells of salvation? The quote is {3}“With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” How could our attitude be: “I don’t want the blessings of God. I don’t want forgiveness of sins. I don’t want confidence about eternity. I don’t want to be in the Lord’s family. I don’t want the strength to face the problems and difficulties of this life.” That is our attitude, that is what we are saying, when we fail to draw water from the wells of salvation. That’s what we are saying when we feel forced into studying the Word at worship and Bible study. That’s what we are saying when we fail to use the Word of God on a daily basis in our lives.

The quote is “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” How about this

attitude? “What wonderful opportunities the Lord is giving me. I can study a section of the Word of God in some detail for about 15 minutes, once a week, as my pastor leads me through the sermon. I can study the Word of God for an hour a week with my fellow Christians in one of our Bible classes. I have the privilege to listen to God talk to me through His Word in my home every day as I read my devotional books. What a joy it is to make use of all those different offerings from the Lord to reinforce His blessings in my life. What a chance to let Him keep the joy in my life. The quote is “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”

IIIA1 Joy is an abstract word. How do we express it? The quotes are:{2b} “The Lord is my song. {5}Sing to the Lord.” When a person breaks out into singing, how does he feel? Happy. When someone is humming or singing at work, what is he saying? “ I am satisfied with what I am doing.” After a day at work, what is the person saying who sings in the shower? “I did OK today.”

2 Our thanks to the Lord for His blessings of forgiveness and eternal life in Jesus the Christ often expresses itself in the same say - joyful singing. We sing together on Sunday mornings. That has two results. It lifts us up emotionally by getting us to realize the joy that belongs to everybody present. It also is a channel of our joy and a pointer to the source of and reasons for our joy to everybody present.

B1 Joy is an abstract word. How do we express it? The quote is: {6}“Shout aloud, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel.” When your favorite football, baseball or basketball team wins, how do we respond? We shout aloud. Why? We are happy. When we win the game we are playing, we shout aloud. Why? We are happy. Our lives as Christians shout aloud for joy because God has blessed us, because of what Jesus has done for us, & because we are the friends and family of the Lord.

2 Remember the Puritans from early American history? What color clothes did the men wear? Black. What color dresses did the women wear? Grey. What kind of expressions did they always have on their faces? Serious. Why? They believed that any outward expression of joy leads to sin. Does that fit with the verses before us today? No. Is life as bad as it appeared to be reflected on the faces of the Puritans? No. Do the blessings of the Lord give me a reason to smile, sing, and shout aloud? Yes.

3 But you say, “I have problems. I can’t be a happy- go-lucky person.” I didn’t say “happy-go-luck person.” I said, “Be joyful because of the blessings of God gives because of Jesus, in spite of the sin and sorrow that is a part of your life. Be joyful, knowing that God’s love in Christ is much greater than the problems.”

C1 Joy is an abstract word. How do we express it? The quote is:{4} “Make known among the nations what He has done. Proclaim that His name is exalted.” Joyful people don’t like to see other people unhappy. We know that there is only one way to be happy - to have Jesus Christ as our friend. In order for others to be happy, they have to be told about Jesus the Christ. That is why God has put us into the world. To help others be happy. To make known God’s salvation among the nations.

2 When something wonderful has happened, we shout it out. When we have very good news, we get so excited that we blab it all over. Something wonderful has happened. Jesus lived and died and rose so we might have forgiveness, righteousness and eternal life. We have good news. We shout it out. We bubble over with joy as we pass along the good news about Jesus to our friends. What a joy to know that Jesus is our friend, who is Lord without end.

Prayer: LORD Jesus, thank You for being my friend & Lord without end.

Written Sermon 3/20/2022

CWC  - Old Testament Lesson -    Lent 3  - Kieth Bernard Kuschel

Exodus 3:18, 10-15

Exodus 3:1  Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his fatherinlaw, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. {2} There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. {3} So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sightwhy the bush does not burn up." {4} When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." {5} "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." {6} Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. {7} The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. {8} So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey. (10)  So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt." {11} But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" {12} And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain." {13} Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" {14} God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" {15} God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathersthe God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacobhas sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.

Do you ever change your mind?  What would happen if God would change His mind?

GOD CALLS US TO CHANGE OUR MINDS

What important job did God have in mind for Moses?  To lead Israel out of Egypt.   If Moses was going to be able to do that, He would have to be able to patiently analyze and solve problems.    He would also need to recognize that God is the final authority.  

Moses’ early life indicated he needed to change in both of those areas.  What did he do when he saw an Israelite fighting an Egyptian? He impulsively reacted violently and then had to flee. No patient analysis and problem solving.  Why did he think he could do that?  He was the adopted grandson of the Pharaoh, one of the best educated men in the land, the self-appointed protector of Israel.  He could do whatever whenever and however he wanted. God called on Moses to change his mind about himself.  How did he do that?  What did Moses do for forty years after he ran away from Egypt?  Tended sheep.  If God wanted to teach somebody patience, He had him tend sheep.  After tending sheep Moses was much more patient to analyze and solve problems in order to serve the people, instead of impulsively reacting to situations.  

  How did God call on Moses to change his mind about himself?  He appeared to Moses in the burning bush. “The angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. {3} So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sightwhy the bush does not burn up." {4} When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." {5} "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." {6} Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.”  With this appearance God was saying, “Moses, I am the ultimate authority whom you must consult before you act.    You can’t just do whatever whenever however you want and then run away from the consequences and from Me.”  Moses hid his face.  What does that tell you?  He was being led to repent, to change his mind about himself.   

“Would you look at that.  This is how it ought to be done.”  “I like that.  I want that.  I’m going to get that.”  “Hey, what are you doing.”  “Wait a minute, you can’t do that to me.”

Have you ever heard those reactions coming out of anyone’s mouth?   

   2 Moses-like reactionary impulsiveness so often results in Moses-like sin.  God wants us to act with patient analysis and patient problem solving.  He wants us to act after considering the consequences of our actions on the lives of others.  He wants us to act in a way that is beneficial to others. 

 Of course I know what the right thing to do is.”  “I know what’s best for you; I have more life experience than you do.”  “Yes it’s OK for me to do things that way.”  Have you ever heard those reactions coming out of anyone’s mouth? 

 Moses-like self-inflation so often results in Moses-like sin. God wants us to act after comparing what we are thinking with His will presented to us in His Law.  He wants us to act after remembering that we are sinful human beings.  He wants us to act remembering that the people we are dealing with are also sinful human beings.  

 Why?  Because He wants us to lead people, not out of Egypt, but out of their slavery to sin, death and the power of the devil.  He wants us to love, serve and lead other people to Jesus.   In order to do that we need to patiently analyze their needs and patiently apply solutions, not impulsively react.  In order to do that we need to be willing to put ourselves underneath God’s Law.  Recognize our own sinfulness.  Determine a course of action from His Law.  Not do whatever whenever however we want.     
I don’t think God is going to send us to tend sheep to learn patience. I don’t think He is going to appear to us in a burning bush to teach us He is the authority.   So, we need to be asking the Lord to daily call us to repentance.  To teach us patience and submission.  To change our mind about ourselves. 

Moses knew he had a problem.  His credentials would be questioned when he attempted to lead Israel out of Egypt.  {11} But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"  {12} And God said, "I will be with you.” 

    2 Moses next question is, “If tell them you sent me to do this, and they ask me who you are, what shall I tell them?” {13} Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?"

   B1 {14} God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" God’s name is I AM.  The Egyptian Pharaohs supposedly became gods when they died.  God doesn’t die.  He just is.  He wasn’t created by someone else.  He just is.  He isn’t dependent on somebody else for His existence. He just is.  He doesn’t change.  He just is.  

    2 {15} God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathersthe God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacobhas sent me to you.'  “The LORD, who agreed to make the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob into a great nation, which would inhabit Canaan and be the ancestors of the Savior, is the one who sent me.  The LORD has kept the first part of his covenant.  Israel is a great nation.  He wants to keep the second part of His covenant.  He wants to get you back to the land in which the Savior is to be born.” 

   3 {5} "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground."  God is holy.  He doesn’t tolerate sin.  He threatens punishment again anyone who breaks His law.  Moses was afraid of being in the presence of a holy God.

   4 {7} The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. {8} So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey. (10)  So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."  God loves and is concerned about Israel.   So, the holy God, who was sending Moses, loves His people just because He is like that.

   C1 "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground."   Even if God never came and said that to us, our consciences  would remind us that God is holy.  He demands that we be holy.  He says we deserve to die and go to hell if we are not.  It is correct for us to join Moses who hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

    2 {7} The LORD said, "I have indeed seen (your) misery. I have heard (your)crying out. I am concerned about (you) suffering. {8} So I have come down to rescue (you).  God the Son came down into our world, took on Himself our humanity, so that He could rescue us.  He will rescue us from the misery, crying out and suffering which we experience in this world when He takes us to Himself.  He guaranteed that would happen when Jesus rose from the dead.  No reason to be afraid of a God who is going to do that.  

   3 {15} God  said Moses, "'I AM ...., 'The LORD, the God of your fathersthe God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.  God keeps His covenant.  He carried out His agreement to wipe away our sins in the blood of the Messiah Jesus which He shed on the cross.  He kept His covenant to cover us with the holiness which Jesus the Christ lived in our place. No reason to be afraid of a God who does that.  

  4 {14} God said, "I AM WHO I AM. This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.”  The LORD just is.  He doesn’t change.  He is never going to back out of His agreement to forgive sin, cover with righteousness and give eternal life.  His covenant doesn’t change because of changing earthly circumstances because He doesn’t change.  No reason to be afraid of a God who is like that.

 Conc: By reminding us that He is the unchanging, covenant God who rescues us, the LORD is calling on us to repent, to change our minds about Him.  LORD, thank You for changing our minds about ourselves and about You.