January 22, 2023

CWA Epistle Supp - Epiphany 3   - Kieth Bernard Kuschel  

1 John 2:3-11 

3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.  7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.  9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them. 

IA1 3“We know Him(Jesus),” John wrote.  What does it mean to know something?   I know what the score of the game was.  How did I come to know the score of the game?  Did I read it in the newspaper?  Did somebody tell me the score?  Was I there?  Knowing the score of the game doesn’t tell you if I have had any personal experience which gave me the information about the game.   

   2 I know my neighbor.  Do I recognize my neighbor when I see him in a crowd because he lives next door?  Do I know what my neighbor is like because I interact with him periodically?  Do I know how he thinks because we have a lot of interpersonal contact? Knowing my neighbor doesn’t tell you if I have had much personal experience which gave me information about him. 

  B1 I know Jesus.  What does that mean?    It means I know that the Bible says He is the Word of God who came out of the mouth of God and created all things.  It means I acknowledge that what the Bible says about Him is true.  It means I manage the world around me because He has given it to me and to all other humans as the producer of what I need to live on.  It means I know that the Bible says He sustains all things by His powerful Word.  It means I acknowledge that what the Bible says about Him is true.  It means that I regularly ask Him to keep what He has created operating so that His people can continue to function as His servants in this world.  

   2 I know Jesus. What does that mean?  It means I know that the Bible says He took my sins on Himself, took them to the cross, shed His blood, and washed them away.  It means I acknowledge that what the Bible says about Him is true.   It means I don’t need to try to do things to persuade God to forgive my sins on the basis of me.    It means I know that the Bible says He lived in my place and covered me with His holiness.  It means I acknowledge that what the Bible says about Him is true.  It means I am not constantly working to produce enough good to make myself right with God.  It means I know that the Bible says Jesus rose from the dead to give me eternal life.  It means I acknowledge that what the Bible says about Him is true.  It means I  walk confidently into the future because of His resurrection.  

   3   John put it this way:  3 “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.”   Knowing Jesus means knowing the facts about Him.  It means believing those facts are true.   It means that the acknowledgment that these things about Jesus are true leads us to do what God commands us to do.  

  C1 What does the Epiphany Season tell us our lives as Christians are all about?  We are to  reflect the light of Jesus to the people around us.  We are to inform them that He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things.  We are to inform them that He is the Substitute who lived and died and rose to provide them with forgiveness, holiness, and eternal life. 

   2 Does anybody see where knowing Jesus fits in?  Knowing the facts about Jesus makes us capable of passing those facts along to someone else just like the score of the game.  Knowing who Jesus is makes us capable of passing along that information to someone else just like passing along knowledge of who your neighbor is.  But when our knowledge of Jesus leads us to manage His world, pray to Him, and trust that He has taken away my sins, covered me with holiness and given me eternal life, then that experienced based transmission about who Jesus is becomes meaningful to others as we reflect Jesus to them.      

IIA1  7 “Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning.”   The command that we are to obey God’s commands is old.  It is as old as the Garden of Eden.  Adam and Eve were to obey the command to not eat of the one tree.  It is as old as the consciences of the human race which tell us what God’s wants and what he doesn’t want.   It is as old as Mt Sinai where God put His commands which were to be obeyed into written form. 

   2   John says, 7b“This old command is the message you have heard.”    From the fact that John calls the first readers of these letters his “dear children” it seems obvious that these were people whom John had worked with closely.  So he knew what they had heard.  He had taught them.  He had taught them God’s Law.  He had taught them that anyone who doesn’t obey God’s commands is a sinner who deserves God’s punishment.  

  B1 And then John sounds like he contradicts himself.  8“Yet I am writing you a new command.”   John had heard something himself just like that.  It sounded like this. John 13:34: A new commandment I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  35 All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”   Anybody recognize those words?  That is Jesus talking to His disciples, one of whom was John, in the upper room on Thursday night right before He died.   

   2 What is new about this command to love one another?  Jesus said, “As I have loved you.”  John wrote: 8b“its(the new command’s) truth is seen in him(Jesus).”  In other words, if you really want to know what obedience to God’s Law looks like, you can see it in Jesus.  His obedience was perfect.  What was new?  Jesus’ obedience was done, just recently completed by His life on this earth.  That made newly available the completed, not just promised,  holiness that each of the disciples and we need to be holy in God’s sight.  That is the truth about obedience to God’s commands.  

  C1 What does the Epiphany Season tell us our lives as Christians are all about?  We are to  reflect the light of Jesus to the people around us.  How are we to do that?  Jesus said, Matt 5:16 “Let your light shine before men that they may see (something) and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”  What is the something?  Good deeds.

   2 John wrote: 8b “its(the new command’s) truth is seen in you(us).”  What truth about obedience to God’s commands is new and seen in us?  We don’t strive to produce good deeds to earn our way to heaven. That’s the old sinful self’s view of things.   We strive to keep God’s command to love one another as our thankful response to Jesus’ obedience which covers us.  When people realize why we are striving to obey God’s commands, they don’t praise us for working so hard.  They praise the Father who sent Jesus to be our Savior.  The truth about Jesus’ substitutionary holiness which covers us is seen by us when the Holy Spirit brings us to faith.  It is seen in us when people analyze why we want to obey God’s commands.   Did it every strike any of you that the last two letters in Jesus name are us.  

IIIA1  9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. What is hatred?  John helps us to answer that question in the next chapter: 1 John 3:15 - Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. Hatred is the desire to end somebody’s life.  The desire to do damage that could end somebody’s life.  The desire to have God give them eternal death in hell.  

   2 What is hatred?  I suppose another way to try to define it is to say that it is the opposite of love.   John helps us to know what love is in the next chapter as well: 1 John 3:16 - This is how we know what love is: Jesus laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”  Love is the action of giving oneself for the good of someone else.  Hatred is the action of occupying oneself with attempts to damage and destroy someone else. 

   B1 John wrote: 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.  The Bible uses that picture a lot.  In fact we use that picture all the time when we talk about sins.  We say we fall into sin.  We trip over temptation on our walk toward eternity.  Sometimes we fall.   

    2 But the stumble and fall picture gets even more dramatic in a passage like this. Romans 9:33 - See, I lay in Zion a stone(that is a reference to Jesus) that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.”  When the Holy Spirit leads me to trust that Jesus lived and died and rose for me, I will never be put to shame.  I will never have to endure God saying, “Depart from me into eternal fire.”  But if I were an unbeliever, if I would insist that I didn’t need Jesus because I am not bad enough to be punished by God, then  Jesus would be the cause of my stumbling and falling away from God and spending eternity apart from God. 

   C1 What does the Epiphany Season tell us our lives as Christians are all about?  We are to  reflect the light of Jesus to the people around us.  How are we to do that? By refusing to get involved in hatred.  People disagree with us.  We feel attacked.  We get angry.  But with the Lord’s help we don’t wish these folks would go to hell.  People do things or say things to hurt us. With the Lord’s help we refuse to get caught up with trying to get back at these folks for hurting us.   John says this about a person who is controlled by hatred.  11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.  

   2 What does refusing to be controlled by hatred but rather loving others say? 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.  That is what it says to us.  What does it say to others?  It says we know where we are walking.  We are walking with Jesus. And we are walking toward eternity with Jesus. 

   Lord, Jesus, help me to speak so others get to know you.  Help me obey so others get to see You.  Help me live so others keep headed toward You. 

January 15, 2023

Free Text Baptism of our Lord -  Kieth Bernard Kuschel

Romans 6: 3-4

3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 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.

5 For if we have been united with him 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 ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin..... 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.............. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. 

  1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

Baptized:when. What

IA1 Baptize.  What does the word mean?  It means apply water in some manner.  It was an ordinary word for “washing” or “applying water” in the Greek New Testament.  In the verses before us today the phrase is “baptized into”.  If there was a flood and you got washed into the ditch, what would your situation be?  You would be surrounded by water.  An equivalent phrase in the next verse is “buried with”.  If there was a mudslide and you got buried with it, what would your situation be? Surrounded by mud.  So what would baptized into Christ Jesus and buried with Jesus mean?  It means we are surrounded with, connected to Jesus.   Paul tells us in verse 5 of this chapter what his definition of those phrases is.  It means we have been “united with Jesus.

   2 What tool does Paul reference as the means by which God connects us to Jesus? Baptism. That is very strange.  How can a washing with water connect someone with Jesus?  Well, this isn’t just any washing with water.  It is the washing which Jesus commanded in Matthew 28.  “Go and make disciples of all nations, washing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”  It is a washing which Peter tells us is “for the forgiveness of sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”(Acts 2:38) and therefore also “saves.”(I Pet 3:21)  It is a washing which Paul tells us is to “wash away sins”(Acts 22:16).

  B1 The verses before us today tell us that “all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death.”  Jesus’ death is one of the two most important events which ever happened in the history of our world.   When He died, He had taken our sins with Him to the cross.  He shed His blood so that He could use it to wash away our sins. 

   2 When Jesus died, something else happened.   He suffered death, something that God had mandated as punishment for anyone who sins.  He also suffered separation from God, when He said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”,  which we usually call hell,  something which God had also mandated as punishment for anyone who sins.  Jesus didn’t deserve either of those punishments, since He had never sinned.  But He took the punishments we deserve because He had taken our sins on Himself.  

   C1 What does Paul mean with the words all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death.” He tells us in verse 5: we have been united with him in his death.  We were connected with Him when He died.  That means His blood, intended to wash away sins, washes away the sins of anyone connected to Him in this process.  That means our sins have been washed away and we are no longer guilty in God’s sight. 

     2 We were connected with Him when He died. That means when He suffered death as punishment for sin, we were being punished right along with Him.  That means when He suffered hell as punishment for sin, we were being punished right along with Him.  So, we don’t have to face punishment for our sins in the future, since we have already been punished for them in the past.  We have been rescued from punishment, redeemed from punishment, because we  were connected with Jesus in His death. 

  D1 Our Baptism connects us with Jesus.  Jesus became connected with all humans when He was born.  He became a real human being just as all of us are, so that He could be our Savior.

One of the requirements for Him to be our Savior was to do all the things which God had commanded humans to do. 

   2 Why was Jesus baptized?  He didn’t need to be connected with the Savior, He is the Savior.  Jesus was baptized because it was part of His being connected with us.  He was baptized because it was one of the things which God had told human beings to do.   Jesus said this when He told John that He was being baptized to “fulfill all righteousness.”

IIA1 The other of the two most important events which ever happened in the history of our world is the resurrection of Jesus.  He died on the cross.  He suffered hell.  Then He came back to life.  He declared His victory over Satan.  Then He appeared to people to prove that He had come back to life.  Paul says that {4}Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father,  The Father deserves our glory, our praise, for a number of reasons.  The most important is that He planned our salvation.  It was the Father’s carrying out of that plan that raised Jesus from the dead.   

  2 Paul says we are also {3}“united with him in his resurrection.”  What tool does Paul reference as the means by which God connects us to Jesus? Baptism.   

   B1 What did Jesus’ resurrection accomplish?  It proved that He was God.  Only God can conquer death.  He had to be God in order to be our Savior.  He had to be God to be worth enough to be the Ransom Payment to wash away the sins of the world.  He had to be God to be able to take the holiness which He lived as a real human being and cover the whole human race with it.  Jesus’ resurrection also proved that what He said was true.  He had promised ahead of time to rise.  He did. So, we can trust that what He promises is going to happen and what He says is true.  

   2 Jesus’ resurrection also proved that our sins have been washed away.  If God would have left Jesus dead, He would have been saying that Jesus’ life was not worth enough to pay for our sins.  So, we would not be forgiven.  Jesus’ resurrection, furthermore, proved that we are going to rise from the dead some day.  If Jesus would not have been able to conquer death for Himself, He certainly could not have done it for us.  But He did, so we will rise to life after death and live with Him forever.   

   C1 It sounds as if that is what Paul is saying in verse four:  4 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.   Although it is true that we will live eternally with Jesus because of His resurrection, that is not what Paul is talking about here.  Listen to these verses: 5 For if we have been united with him 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 ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin..... 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.............. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. 

    2 Paul said the same thing from the negative side in verses 1-2 of this chapter: 1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?  In this chapter the new life we live because we are connected with Jesus through Baptism is our life of godliness and righteousness right now. 

 D1 Jesus became connected with all humans when He was born.  He became a real human being just as all of us are, so that He could be our Savior.

   2 Why was Jesus baptized?  Jesus was baptized because it was part of His being connected with us.  He was baptized because His connection with us gives us the motive and ability to “crucify the old self, do away with the body ruled by sin, not be slaves to sin, not let sin rule, not obey evil desires, not offer ourselves as instruments of wickedness, offer ourselves as instruments of righteousness, not have sin as our master, and not live in sin any longer.”  All of which we couldn’t do on our own.  

LORD Jesus, thank You for connecting me through Baptism into your death and into a new life.  

January 8, 2023

CWC - Epistle   - Christmas 2  - Kieth Bernard Kuschel

Galatians 4:4-7

4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

Tie up and blindfold.

What would we have to give to get released.

Pay for hostage.  Ransom.  Redeem.

God, us.  Sin.  Payment.

IA1 (4)  But when the set time had fully come.  Consider these facts about the timing of Jesus’ birth.  The Greek empire under Alexander the Great had established the Hellenistic Greek language as the worldwide business and cultural language.  That was good for having the Gospel spread quickly.  The Roman Empire was providing the Pax Romana around the entire Mediterranean world.  Peace was conducive to the work of the Lord.  There were Jewish synagogues in almost every major city in the empire, giving missionaries a point of contact and a starting point.  There were Roman roads everywhere.  That made travel easy.  All those things, and I suppose others, we can look backward at and conclude that the time was just right for the coming of the Messiah.

   2 But we really don’t know exactly what was in the Lord’s mind or why He chose that to be just the right time.  The verses right before this say a child is no different from a slave until the time set by his father.  So, the heavenly Father set the time for his Son to leave His heavenly home to become our brother.  God’s time is always the right time.  

   B1 At this exactly right time God sent.  Notice that.  Human beings didn’t decide it was the right time for the Messiah.  Human beings who know about the distress, discomfort, destructiveness, and death here on this earth did not determine that it was time for a solution to the world’s problems.  Human beings didn’t say “God, it’s time for you to send the Messiah to deal with the spiritual problem of sin that is at the bottom of all the other problems in the world.”  No.  Human beings on our own wouldn’t even recognize that sin is the root problem in the world.    

   2 Man didn’t demand a solution.  God sent a solution.  God knew the problem right away when Adam and Eve sinned.  God knew the solution right away too.  He was the solution.  He would have to come and solve the problem.    That was the content of the promises given throughout the Old Testament.  That was the content of the promise to Abraham in the Old Testament lesson for today.   

  God sent His Son born of a woman.  This is not a reference to the virgin birth.  It just says that Jesus was born of a human mother in the same way that other humans are born of a human mother.  God the Son took on Himself our humanity.  In this passage this is the reference to the Christmas event.  The Eternal One had a beginning as a human being as a baby who slept in a manger. 

   2 Why?  He was to be our Substitute.  He was to take our place in all things.  In order for Him to be that and do that He had to be one of us.  He couldn’t really take our place if He didn’t have human characteristics and human experiences.  He couldn’t really take our place if He didn’t go through the processes that all human beings must undergo just because they are human.

   D1 Why did He have to be born of a woman?  So that He might be under the law.  God is the author of the Law.  He is not under it.  He is not subject to its demands.  God has the right to end life because He gives it.  The fifth commandment doesn’t apply to Him.  God owns everything.  It’s impossible for Him to steal anything.  The 7th commandment doesn’t apply to Him.  

    2 But as soon as the Son of God took on Himself our humanity, then the demands of God on all human beings applied to Him.  “Keep all my decrees and laws and follow them.  You are to be holy to me, because I the Lord am holy.”  Those demands fell on Jesus the true man as they fall on us.  In order to take our place and keep the Law which we don’t keep, so that He could give us the holiness the we don’t produce, He had to become one with us - under the Law.  There sure is a lot in this one verse.  At just the right time, born of a woman, born under Law to be one with us, God sent His Son.  Christmas is an act of God.  

IIA1 For what purpose did God send His Son?  {5}To redeem those under the Law.  Which people are  under Law?   To which people do God’s commands apply? Everybody who has God’s law.  That includes not just the people who have read God’s commandments in the Bible.  It includes all people.  God has written a basic sense of right and wrong into the hearts of all people.  So, God’s purpose was to redeem all people.   

   2 Redeem means to buy back.  A person uses something as a payment to buy something back from somebody.  We redeem coupons.  We turn in those small pieces of paper as partial payment to get something from the store.  In some states they redeem bottles and cans.  You turn the empty cans in as a payment.  You get cash back from the store.  The most dramatic circumstances in which somebody redeems something is when somebody is held hostage and we turn some money over to somebody to buy that person back from his or her captor.  

   3 All human beings are under law.  All human beings break God’s Law.  Therefore all human beings need to be bought back.  We don’t use our tongues, our wealth, our time, or our actions to love others perfectly.  That is sin.  That breaks God’s law.  That makes us deserve God’s punishment.  That puts us outside of God’s family.  We need to have somebody make a payment to God to buy us back into His family.   

   4 That’s where Jesus fits in.  Jesus took our guilt on Himself.  He suffered the punishment of death and separation from God we deserve cause of our sins.  He was using His life as a ransom payment to buy us back from the punishment we deserve.  He took our responsibilities on Himself.  He kept the Law for us.  He covers us with His holiness.  He was using His life as a ransom payment to buy us back into the family of God.    He could suffer like this.  He could live as our Substitute because He had become one with us, born of a woman, born under law.  

  B1 The result is: {5} that we might receive adoption to sonship.  What benefits are there from being bought back into God’s family?  We are no longer slaves.  Slaves belonged to someone.  We don’t belong to the devil anymore.  He doesn’t control us.  We don’t belong to ourselves anymore.  Our selfish sinfulness doesn’t own us.  Slaves were forced to do what they were doing.  We are no longer slaves of the law, forced to try to do what it demands to make ourselves right with God.  We have been bought back by Jesus.  That makes us right with God.  That frees us to live our lives back to the Lord freely, willingly and joyfully.  We are no longer slaves.  

                                          5

 2 Second benefit. {6}God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts.  We need the Spirit so we might be at one with God.  Jesus makes it possible for us to be at one with God.  But the Spirit brings it about.  The Spirit leads us to believe that all that Jesus did for us is for us. The Spirit leads us to understand what being members of God’s family in Jesus Christ means.  The Spirit directs our activities so that we say, “Thank you,” with our lives to the Lord for what He has done for us. 

   3 Third benefit.  It is the Spirit who leads us to {6}call out “Abba, Father.”  We can view God as our Father because of our oneness with God which Jesus made possible and which the Spirit brought into being.  We can approach God and talk to Him on a personal basis because of what Jesus did and what the Spirit is doing.  We can make requests and demands on the Father because of what Jesus did and what the Spirit is doing.  We can talk to Him fully confident that He will satisfy our needs and take care of our problems.  

   4 One more benefit. {7} “since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.”  We get the estate.  We get the inheritance that the Father worked so hard for.  We are qualified to receive our eternal status - perfect and unchangeable children of God forever.  That’s the inheritance God has prepared for us.  God sent His Son to be one with us, so we might be one with God now and perfectly one with God forever.  Christmas is an act of God.                                      6

December 18, 2022

CW-A  - OT Lesson - Fourth in Advent- K B Kuschel

Isaiah 7:10-14 

Take a look at some signs. What do they mean.

Today we have

A SIGN WHICH SHOWS US 

                      HOW OUR GOD DEALS WITH US SINNERS

{10}Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, {11}"Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights." {12}But Ahaz said, "I will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test." {13}Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? {14}Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

(2 Ki 16:5-9)  Then Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem and besieged Ahaz, but they could not overpower him. {6}At that time, Rezin king of Aram recovered Elath for Aram by driving out the men of Judah. Edomites then moved into Elath and have lived there to this day. {7}Ahaz sent messengers to say to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, "I am your servant and vassal. Come up and save me out of the hand of the king of Aram and of the king of Israel, who are attacking me." {8}And Ahaz took the silver and gold found in the temple of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria. {9}The king of Assyria complied by attacking Damascus and capturing it. He deported its inhabitants to Kir and put Rezin to death.

(Isa 7:1-9)  When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it. {2}Now the house of David was told, "Aram has allied itself with Ephraim"; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind. {3}Then the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman's Field. {4}Say to him, 'Be careful, keep calm and don't be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood-- because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. {5}Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah's son have plotted your ruin, saying, {6}"Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it." {7}Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'It will not take place, it will not happen, {8}for the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is only Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people. {9}The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah's son. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.'" You have to know a little history to figure out what is going on in the verses before us today. Remember after Solomon died the nation was split into two.  The northern ten tribes were called the kingdom of Israel.  The southern two were called the kingdom of Judah.  There was ongoing friction between the two.  The people in Israel worshiped at Dan and Bethel so they didn’t have to go to Jerusalem in the south.  They soon lost their hold on the truth about the LORD.  Although the outward practice of the truth about the Lord continued in Jerusalem, many of the people of Judah also abandoned the LORD.

    At the time of the words before us today Israel was trying to form an alliance of small states to ward off the northern power which at this time was Assyria.  Ahaz refused to join this alliance.   Ephraim which is another name for Israel & Aram which is another name for Syria decided to attack Judah.  (2 Ki 16:5)  Then Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem and besieged Ahaz, but they could not overpower him. {6}At that time, Rezin king of Aram recovered Elath for Aram by driving out the men of Judah. Edomites then moved into Elath and have lived there to this day.  How did the people of Judah respond to this? {Is7:2}Now the house of David was told, "Aram has allied itself with Ephraim"; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.

  B1 Who was this Ahaz?  He was a descendant of David as were all of the kings of Judah.  Do you know what that makes him?  Let me read a couple verses: (Mat 1:9-10)  Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, {10}Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, (Mat 1:16)  and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.  This Ahaz was an ancestor of Jesus.

    2 What was he like?   He was a spiritual and political disaster.  He offered his sons as human sacrifices.  He followed the detestable ways of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.  He set up altars at every street corner in Jerusalem.

   C1 Why did God send Isaiah to Ahaz? {3}Then the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman's Field. {4}Say to him, 'Be careful, keep calm and don't be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood--because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. {5}Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah's son have plotted your ruin, saying, {6}"Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it." {7}Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'It will not take place, it will not happen, {8}for the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is only Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people. {9}The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah's son. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.'" God sent Isaiah with a message of encouragement and comfort.

  2 Why did God send Isaiah to Ahaz?    {10}Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, {11}"Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights."  God wanted to give Ahaz and the people of Judah a sign.  This sign would confirm the deliverance of Judah, pledge the continuance of the Davidic line, and assert the failure of the wicked kings.  Why did God send Isaiah to Ahaz? To offer them a sign?  To lead these people back to Himself.

  D1 How does the Lord deal with us?  He keeps on offering us things.  He offers to talk to us.  “The word of the Lord came” is a refrain throughout the Scripture.  It is also a refrain in our lives.  Think of how often in your lives the Lord has offered to talk to you.  Bible stories on your parents’ knees.  Little Bible books as children.  Sunday School lessons.  Christian school courses.  Bibles readily available throughout your lives. Worship available at least once a week throughout your lives.  Formal Bible study.  Personal devotional material.  The Word keeps coming.  The Lord keeps offering to talk to us.

   2 How does the Lord deal with us?  “Ask the Lord your God!”  He invites us to talk to Him.  He commands us to make requests of Him. Because of the Messiah Jesus of Nazareth He offers us direct access to Him.   The Lord keeps offering to listen.  God offered something very special to Ahaz.  He deals with us in the same way.  He keeps on making offers. 

IIA1 Ahaz refused the offer.  {12}But Ahaz said, "I will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test."  What is this “putting the Lord to the test” business?   I think an incident in Jesus’ life helps us answer that question.  Jesus refused to jump off the temple because He did not want to put the Lord to the test.  Jesus knew that the Lord promised to protect His people.  He knew that the Lord carries out His promises according to His own timing and purposes.  Jesus knew that the Lord nowhere promises to protect those who foolishly or needlessly expose                                    

themselves to danger.  He did not want to push God to see if God would protect him.  He refused to put the Lord to the test.  Ahaz’ situation has nothing to do with putting God to the test.  God was telling him to ask for a sign.  He wasn’t seeing how far he could push God or demanding something from God.

   2 Why did Ahaz refuse to ask for a sign? {2 Kings 16:7}Ahaz sent messengers to say to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, "I am your servant and vassal. Come up and save me out of the hand of the king of Aram and of the king of Israel, who are attacking me." {8}And Ahaz took the silver and gold found in the temple of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria. {9}The king of Assyria complied by attacking Damascus and capturing it. He deported its inhabitants to Kir and put Rezin to death.  Ahaz didn’t ask for a sign because he thought he had taken care of things.  Having enlisted the help of Assyria he didn’t need help from the Lord.  And remember Ahaz really didn’t want anything to do with the Lord anyway, including getting any help from Him. 

  3 Why did Ahaz refuse to ask for a sign?  He was an unbeliever.  He believed Assyria could help him.  He didn’t believe the Lord of heaven and earth could.  God told him to ask for a sign.  Disobeying that command indicated that he didn’t believe the Lord had any power to do anything about the situation in which he and Judah found themselves.   Isaiah acknowledged what Ahaz had done when he said, “13}Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also?”

   B1 Was Ahaz unique in his response to God’s offer?  I 

don’t think so.  How do humans respond to God’s offer to talk to us?  Most humans refuse the offer.  Life is too hectic to read a devotion based on the Bible every day.   There are too many things to do that are much more enjoyable than listening to God’s Word in a public worship setting.  There are too many tasks to do at home and not enough nights to do them so a formal Bible study time with fellow Christians is out of the question.  NO.  I don’t use the audio and video taped Scripture resources that are sitting in the cabinet.

   2 How do humans respond to God’s offer to come to us in some very special ways - Luther called them visible Gospel - so I think we can call them signs?  Most humans refuse the offer.  Baptism?  That seems so foolish - washing with water supposedly having some spiritual benefit.  Let’s redefine it as our public proclamation that we are Christians. Lord’s Supper.  Seems like a funny way to bring forgiveness of sins into someone’s life.  Let’s just emphasize that it is one of the ways that we remember Jesus. 

   3 How do humans respond to God’s offer to give them forgiveness, righteousness, and eternal life? Most humans reject the offer.  Forgiveness of sins because Jesus died on the cross?  I don’t need that.  I am not a bad person, you know.  Righteousness because Jesus lived in my place and gives it to me?  I don’t need that.  I work hard at being acceptable to others.  Eternal life because Jesus rose from the dead?  I don’t think there is anything after this life.  Life after all is about focusing on the here and now.

  4 How do humans respond to God’s offer to give them absolute truth?  Most humans reject the offer.  Absolute truth 

about right and wrong?  Everything is relative.  I have to figure that out for myself.  Absolute truth about the origin of all things?  Everyone has the right to have his own opinion about those matters.  I like to pick and choose from the options.  Absolute truth about God?  Everyone has his own ideas about the kind of God he or she needs.  I think I don’t want to get too dogmatic about that.   God offered.  Ahaz refused.  God still offers.  All the Ahazes called humans continue to refuse.   

IIIA1 God offered.  Ahaz refused.  What did God do then?  He acted anyway.  {14} “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”  God gave a sign to confirm the trust of the believers in Judah.  He gave a sign so that after Judah was delivered people would recognize that it had been God’s doing.  He gave the sign to show Ahaz that he shouldn’t have relied on himself and his own plan but rather on the Lord.

   2 The sign is: “the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son.”  Who is this virgin?  The Gospel lesson for today answers that question.  (Mat 1:18-25)  This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. {22}All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: {23}"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" --which means, "God with us." 

   3 That is the other part of the sign.  His name.  Immanuel.  God with us.  The name reminds us that God is with us.  He helps.  He protects.  He provides.  The name indicates also what was happening here.  God the Son in order to be the Messiah took on himself humanity while remaining God.  We might paraphrase the promise in this way, “She will call his name “God with us” because He will be fully entitled to this name.  In Him and through Him God will truly be with us.”

   B1 How did God respond to a world of Ahazes all of whom on their own refuse His offers?  He acted in accordance with His plan anyway.  His plan was to have God the Son come into our world to become a human.  He acted.  He caused a virgin to be pregnant.  Never happens except when God acts. 

    2 Now there was someone in the position of being qualified to be the Savior.  Someone who could take the place of all.  Someone who could provide humans with what they needed.  So what did God do? He acted.  God the Son acted in complete accord with every one of God’s commands.  He loved God perfectly.  He loved people perfectly.  He did this so that He could give to humans His holiness.  That is what makes us acceptable to God.  How does that holiness get to us?  God acts.  He brings the Gospel into our lives.  God gets the holiness to us.   Humans who are holy.  Never happens except when God acts.

    3 God the Son came into our world.  Now there was someone in the position of being qualified to be the Savior.  Someone who could provide humans with what they needed.  So what did God do?  He acted.  God the Son died because we deserve to die for our sins.  God the Son suffered hell because we deserve to suffer hell for our sins.  God the Son took our guilt on Himself and removed it from us.  How does that forgiveness and rescue from punishment get to us?  God acts.  He brings the Gospel into our lives.  God gets these gift to us.  Humans who don’t deserve to be punished and have no guilt.  Never happens except when God acts.

   C1 What is Christmas all about?  It is about giving.  Is it about giving presents to our children?  Is it about giving to the needy?  No.  Those things are connected.  But that is not what Christmas is about.  Christmas is about God’s giving His Son to become a human so that we can have a Savior.  Christmas is about God’s act of giving.

   2 What is Christmas about?  It is about enjoyment.  It is about doing things that make us happy.  It is about skiing.  It is about singing.  It is about decorating.  It is about worshiping.  No.  Those things are connected.  But that is not what Christmas is about.  Christmas is about a miracle.  Christmas is about a virgin who was pregnant.  Christmas is about the birth of a baby from that virgin.  Christmas is about God’s action of causing all that to happen.

   3 What is Christmas about?   It is about relationships.  It is about spending time with people you love.  It is about getting together with people to renew and rebuild relationships.  It is about the unity of our family.  No.  Those things are connected.  But that is not what Christmas is about.  Christmas is about a miracle.  Christmas is about a unique relationship in one individual .  Christmas is about a person who was God and man at the same time.  Christmas is about a miracle.  The miracle God/man Jesus of Nazareth our Savior.  Christmas is about God’s action of making that possible.         

Conc: God offers.  Humans refuse.  God acts. And what’s left.  We behold.  We sit in quietness and ponder.  May our Christmas be filled with behold.                               

December 11, 2022

CWA - Old Testament Alt Lesson - Advent 3 -  Kieth Bernard Kuschel

Job 1:6-22

6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” 8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” 9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” 12 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. 13 One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, 15 and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” 16 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” 17 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” 18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” 20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” 22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

Rejoice: What? how?

IA1 Does anyone know what this weekend is known as in the retail world and in the social world?  Non-family holiday gathering time.  Translate that into understandable language.  Office parties.  Neighborhood parties.  Block parties.  Company parties.  Community based holiday celebrations. 

   2 Why are these gatherings held?  Tradition.  OK.  Why the tradition?  To commemorate the important events at this time of the year.  Hanukkah.  Christmas.  I know that.  But most of those gatherings have nothing to do with Hanukkah or Christmas.  So, back to my question.  Why are these gatherings held?  To cultivate good relationships between the people who work in the same office.  To see your neighbors face to face and actually talk to people who you only see in passing most of the year.  To thank the workers for another year of hard work.  To forward some good cause in the community.  

  3 How many of you are party animals?   What goes on at those non-family gathering times? And what do you like to do at those non-family gathering times. Eating.  Drinking.  Talking.  Playing games.  Dancing.  Gift exchanges.  Fund raising.  

   4 Why is it possible for these gatherings to be held?  Because resources are available.  The business supplies the food and drink and the place to gather.  The neighbors all bring things to eat and drink and to give as gifts to each other.  The company provides all the workers with a bonus.  The participants all bring donations to support the cause.  I didn’t really answer the question. Why is it possible for these gatherings to be held? Because our gracious God has given us so many physical blessings in this life that we can party.  

  B1 13 One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house.  We are not told what the occasion was here.  Maybe it was family holiday gathering time.  What does this sound like?  A party.  The earlier verses of this chapter indicate that this was a regular thing for this extended family.  It also indicates what occasion precipitated parties.  4 His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course,

   2 What made it possible for them to have this party?   They had the resources to do it.

2 Job had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.

  C1 God has blessed us with the resources to participate in the non-family holiday gatherings at this time of the year.   We are called upon to “Rejoice” on the third Sunday in Advent.  These gatherings certainly enhance our rejoicing at this time of the year.  Should there be any cautions as we rejoice at these gatherings?  Yes.  Our rejoicing needs to be godly.  Our eating and drinking needs to be godly.  Our talking needs to be godly.  Our playing games needs to be godly.  We, after all, are representatives of Jesus Christ at those parties.   

   2 God has blessed us with the resources to participate in the non-family holiday gatherings at this time of the year.  We rejoice at those gatherings.  Any other cautions needed? Yes.  We, according to God’s will, are given our resources to provide our families with the necessities of life, make sure the Gospel gets preached throughout the world, take care of the needy and pay our taxes.  Using our resources for partying and then not having enough resources to properly carry out those four duties given us by God would be sinful.  

  Trans: Lord Jesus, thank You for making it possible for me to rejoice in my life on this earth by filling my life with physical blessings.  

IIA1 Partying sometimes provides us with welcome relief from what is going on around us in our world.  I don’t remember a time during my life when a war wasn’t going on.  Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam War, various short conflicts, war in Iraq and Afghanistan.  That is just wars in which the USA was directly involved.  At the same time everywhere else in the world, there were constant wars between other nations.  Then there are local wars.  Daily multiple murders in our large metro areas.  Gunmen killing large numbers of people on an almost regular basis in places like malls, schools, factories and office complexes where there are lots of people. Partying sometimes gives us a brief time when we don’t think about all that conflict.   

   2 Partying sometimes provides us with welcome relief from what is going on around us in our world.  There were a thousand wild fires  in the USA this year.   There is drought throughout the western half of our land.  It was so hot earlier this year that the electrical grids couldn't handle it.   Then there were the devastating hurricanes in Florida and the Caribbean.  Add to that the massive storms on the East Coast and elsewhere.   Partying sometimes gives us a brief time when we don’t think about all that devastation.     

  B1 13 One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, 15 and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”  Sabeans were from Arabia.  They were people who were constantly on the move getting resources necessary to stay alive by plundering whomever they could find.  Just like today. 

  2 Another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”.  Could have been like Sodom and Gomorrah.  Could also have been that lightning struck the hay, the barn and all the animals went up in flames, and the servants acting as shepherds died trying to save them.  Natural disaster.  Just like today. 

   3 Another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”  Sounds no different from the Sabeans.  Just different people.  Probably true.  Just more people at war with each other.  Just like today.

   4 Another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”  Tornado.  Tsunami.  Hurricane.  Just like today. 

  C1 We look at today and what happened to Job and we say, “Everything is out of control.”  It sure looks like that lots of times, doesn’t it.   Where is God in all this?  Is Satan in charge?  Satan thinks so.  Listen to him talk to God.  7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”  Sounds like the leader of the drug gang.  “This is my turf.” 

   2 Is it really?  Satan wants to destroy Job as he wants to destroy us.  Did you notice what he had to do first?  Get permission from God. 11 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” 12 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power.  

  3 What does that mean? In spite of the way things look.  In spite of the wars, mass killings, record heat storms, Sabeans, lightning, Chaldeans, and hurricanes, Satan is not in charge. God is.  So, rejoice.   

IIIA1 Job lost his oxen and donkeys and the servants who were working with them.  These were the equivalent of today’s heavy farm equipment.  So Job lost his ability to generate wealth in the farming industry. 

    2 Job lost his sheep and the servants who were shepherding them.  So, Job lost his ability to generate wealth in the ranching business.  

   3 Job lost his camels and camel drivers.  These were the equivalent of long haul 18 wheelers, freight trains, cargo ships and cargo planes.  So Job lost his ability to generate wealth by transporting his products to near and distant markets.  

  4 Job lost his family.  As parents know, he lost one of his main earthly reasons for getting up in the morning and conducting his farming, ranching, and commerce.   

  5 How did Job respond to all this loss?  20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. That indicates how devastated he was.  Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” 22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.  How could he have responded that way?  The LORD Himself answers that question.  There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”  Job had a relationship with God.  He was blameless, covered with the holiness of the Messiah.  He was upright, empowered by the Holy Spirit to do God’s will.  That led him to acknowledge that God had blessed him with all those earthly blessings.  That led him to acknowledge that the LORD had the right, if He chose to, to remove all those blessings.  That led him to confess that whatever the LORD does is the right thing in every circumstance.  

  B1 All of you are Jobs in one way or another.  Maybe in lots of ways.  I know all of you.  Some of you lost your jobs.   Some of you have lost your abilities.   Some of you have lost your health.   You can’t generate income.   Some of you have lost your homes.  Some of you have lost loved ones to death.  Some of you have lost children to death.  And we are just as devastated as Job was.  We tear our robes and shave our heads.    

   2 But you are all here today.  Why?  You are like Job.  You fall to the ground and worship.  You also acknowledge that your jobs, your skills, your health, your income generating ability, your home, and your families and friends are all blessings from the LORD.  You are like Job.  You are willing to confess that God didn’t owe you any of these blessings and He has the right to take them back at any time.   You believe that God does what is right for you all the time, even when it looks and feels bad.   

  3 How can you respond like that?  Because you know God has washed away your sins in the blood of Jesus who died on the cross to accomplish that very thing.   You know God has covered you with the holiness which Jesus lived as your substitute so you are blameless in God’s sight.  You know God has given you a relationship with Him that will last forever because of Jesus’ resurrection.  You know according to God’s own promise nothing is going to separate us from His love in Christ Jesus our Lord.  

  4 So, in spite of loss of job, abilities, health, income, home and loved ones, you rejoice because your relationship with God because of Jesus Christ, your relationship with God’s people in Jesus Christ, and your purpose in life and eternity, praising Jesus Christ, cannot be lost.  

  LORD JESUS, even when I have torn robes and a shaved head, help me rejoice because I

have You.  Change that.  Because You have me (in your strong hands.)

December 4, 2022

CW-A Epistle - Second Sunday in Advent  -   KBKuschel 

Romans 15:4-13

4  For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. {5} May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, {6} so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. {7} Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. {8} For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs {9} so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name." {10} Again, it says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people." {11} And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples." {12} And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him." {13} May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

What do you want for Christmas?    

 What is the best gift?

IA1 “All I want for Christmas is.”   You fill in the rest of the sentence.  The gift giving tradition at Christmas time started with the desire to reflect in a small way God’s gift to us - His Son Jesus Christ our Savior.  Because of that gift giving tradition we have come to expect gifts at Christmas time.  “All I want for Christmas is” reflects that expectation.  Are we going to get what we hope we will get at Christmas? Our hopes will be fulfilled or they will be unfulfilled when we open our presents at Christmas time.

   2 All Paul wants for you for Christmas is hope.  At the end of the first paragraph Paul indicates that he wants us to have hope when he writes {4}that we might have hope.”   He doesn’t say your hopes will be fulfilled at Christmas time.  He says he wants you to receive hope as a present from the Lord.  What is this hope that Paul wants God to give us?  It is the confidence that we have on this earth against overwhelming  appearances to the contrary that God is in charge and everything will turn out all right for us.  Christian hope is the same attitude the little leaguer expressed when asked if he was discouraged in the top of the first inning since his team was behind seventeen to nothing.  “Why should I be?” he asked.  “We haven’t been up to bat yet.”  

   B1 What is our confidence leaning on?  The words and promises of God.  God says that all my sins have been washed away in the blood of Jesus.  My confidence says I know that I am not going to be punished for my sins because of what Jesus did.  God says that I am covered with the righteousness of Jesus.  My confidence says I know that I am acceptable to God and part of His family.  God says that Jesus rose from the dead so that I can live forever.  My confidence says I know that I am going to wake up from the dead and spend eternity with the Lord.

   2 What is our confidence leaning on?  The words and promises of God.  God says that He is going to be with us always.  My confidence says that I can go into the unknown called tomorrow because of the Lord’s presence in my life.  God says that He is going to see to it that I have what I need.  My confidence says that I can take on responsibilities because of the Lord’s provision.  God says that He is going to bring about benefit for my soul no matter what.  My confidence says that the difficulty with which I am struggling is not worth bottoming out over.

    C1 Where do we get this confidence that God is in charge and everything will turn out all right for us in spite of overwhelming appearances to the contrary?   Paul writes: {4}“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”  Paul says hope comes into our lives because the Scriptures give endurance and encouragement.   We look at the Old Testament, which is what Paul meant when he used the term “Scriptures”, and we read about people who kept abandoning God.  But we also read about the drastic measures God took to bring them back to Him.  This teaches us that God is intensely interested in turning people back to Him.  It gives us the confidence that He will treat us in the same way when necessary.   We look at the Old Testament.  We read about God offering these same people His forgiveness by repeatedly sending His prophets .  This teaches us to know that God is intensely interested in forgiving people after they have wandered away from Him   It gives us the confidence that He will treat us in the same way when necessary.  The Scriptures, Paul writes, give us hope.

     2 All Paul wants for us for Christmas is hope.  If hope is engendered in us through the Word, then all Paul really wants for Christmas for us is a desire in us to regularly use God’s Word so that we have that hope worked in us.    Such confidence is a wonderful Christmas gift from the Lord Himself. 

IIA1 In the second paragraph all Paul wants for you is unity.  {5} “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, {6}so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. {7}Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”  What is this spirit of unity among yourselves?  Literally Paul wants all of us “to think the same thing among one another.” 

    2 The next phrase helps some more.  “As you follow Christ” literally is “in accord with Christ Jesus.”  What Paul wants is unity based on what lines up with what Jesus is about and what Jesus has to say.  All the unity in the world won’t do any good unless it is in accord with what Jesus says.  The old saying is true: “If fifty million people believe a wrong thing, it is still wrong.”  Only when  believers are united in accord with what Jesus says, in the Scriptures, can there be true unity. 

   B1 What result is Paul looking for from this unity which He wants God to give us?  {6}so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”   Unity of heart is good, but it is not very practical.  It is internal.  But unity in mouth is practical.  Paul encourages unity in thoughts, attitudes and beliefs, but then also in our outward statements.  He wants us to be united in the way we publicly profess the belief in our hearts.  And remember he wants that unity to be in accord with Christ Jesus.  Unity of mouth with each other does us no good if it costs us unity in accord with Christ Jesus.  

   2 What result does Paul want to happen from the unity of mouth which publicly professes the belief in our hearts?  “{6}so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”   We glorify God when we worship Him, pray to Him, or do anything that shows our love and appreciation to God.  Paul is asking the Lord to give us unity of heart and tongue when we worship, pray, or in any other way carry on our Lord’s work for the glory of God.

   C.1 Unity is a abstract concept. So Paul in the next paragraph gets practical.   {7} “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. {8}For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs {9}so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy,”  Remember in almost all of these congregations to which Paul wrote letters there was a Jew/ Gentile problem.  Different history.  Different lifestyle.  Different emphasis.  Different view of life.  Accept one another in order to bring praise to God.  Let the internal unity that you have be obvious to the world so the world praises God.  When the world saw a group of Christian Jews and Gentiles working together in unity, they would say, “Only God could have pulled this off.”  That is praise of God.

    2 What should be our motive for trying hard to express the unity in faith that we have with others with whom we have nothing else in common?    “just as Christ accepted you” You want different.  Sinners and Jesus are different.  And yet He accepted us into His family, sins gone in His blood, covered with His holiness, but in essence still sinners.  If Jesus could express unity with us even though we are so different, Paul says we can express unity with fellow believers who are different from us.

  D1 Jesus is always the best example for everything.  So Paul cites Jesus here as someone who did what was necessary to express unity with Jews and Gentiles.   {8} “For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs {9}so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy.”   Jesus kept all the Old Testament Laws in order to keep God’s promises.  One of God’s promises was that the Gentiles would glorify God for his mercy to them.  Because Jesus kept all the OT Laws which pointed to Him, he was the successful Savior of the world.  Thus Gentiles would be led to glorify God.

      2 Notice what Paul does next.  He quotes the Scriptures.  “as it is written: "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name." {10}Again, it says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people." {11}And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples." {12}And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him."   Scripture says unity between Jews and Gentiles is possible.  All Paul wants for us for Christmas is unity.  According to the Scripture unity is possible.  On the basis of the scripture unity is possible.  With the help of the Scripture unity is possible.  So, all Paul really wants for us for Christmas is a desire in us to regularly use God’s Word so that we have unity.  Such unity is a wonderful Christmas gift from the Lord Himself.  

IIIA1 All I want for Christmas is a little joy.  I think many people would agree with that statement.  Life gets to be pretty much of a burden sometimes.  Maybe we just lost a friend, relative, or a family member to death. We need some joy.  Maybe we just were told that we have some disease that will last for the rest of our lives.  We need some joy.  Maybe we were just told that the company for which we have worked for twenty years is going out of business.  We need some joy.  How am I going to get this joy?  How am I going to get this joy at Christmas time?  If I just get real involved with other people, if I just participate in all the happy gatherings, I might be able to forget how much of a burden life is for me right now.  

    2 All I want for Christmas is a little peace.  I am sure that people in places like Ukraine and Taiwan would say that at this time of the year. But we who have been blessed with no war on our soil would say the same thing.  Maybe marriage partners are letting their sinfulness drive their lives.  We need a little peace.  Maybe children and parents are in conflict.  We need a little peace.  Maybe the boss is constantly critical.  We need a little peace.  How am I going to get this peace?  How am I going to get this peace at Christmas time?  If we just declare a cease-fire maybe this will help for us as it does in war torn parts of our world.

   B1 All Paul wants for us for Christmas is joy and peace.  Notice how closely He connects joy and peace with hope.  Since we determined earlier that the confidence we have is confidence about the words and promises of God, this peace and joy from God must also be related to the issues about which we have hope.  Where do I really get joy in my life, if I don’t get it from going to all the holiday parties?  I get joy by knowing that the Christian who died is with the Lord and I will be reunited one day in eternal blessedness.  I get joy knowing that God can provide me with the strength that I need to continue to live a productive life even if I have a disease which isn’t going to go away.  I get joy knowing that the Lord can use downturns in my life to keep me close to Him and to open up new avenues of experience for me.  

   2 I get peace in my life knowing that my sins are forgiven.  I get peace in my life reminding the people with whom I am in conflict that their sins are forgiven because of Jesus.  I get peace in my life knowing that the Lord is pleased when I insist on His will even if it results in earthly conflict.  I get peace knowing that I am being faithful in my use of my time and talents even if the humans around me are judging differently.    Most of the time cease-fires are not possible in interpersonal relationships.  But when there is peace inside of me because of my relationship with God, then I can be in conflict and yet at peace.

   C.1. Where do we get the strength to have and implement these attitudes and actions which bring peace and joy?    Paul reminds us “by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  God gives them to us.  The third person of our Triune God is presented in the Scriptures as Someone who takes up residence in our hearts and lives with the intention of shaping our lives so that God can bring about things in our lives like peace and joy.

        2 I want the Holy Spirit to give me these gifts.  Is there anything I can do to help that process along?  Yes.  Use the tools which God the Holy Spirit uses to accomplish this.  The tools are the Bible and the Lord’s Supper.  All Paul wants for us for Christmas is joy and peace.  Since the Holy Spirit works these in us through the Gospel in Word and Sacrament, all Paul really wants for us for Christmas is a desire in us to regularly use God’s Word so that we can have peace and joy.  Peace and Joy are wonderful Christmas gifts from the Lord Himself.

Conc Lord, please use the Scripture to give us hope.  Please use the Scripture to give us unity.  Please use the Scripture to give us peace and joy.

Written Sermon 11/27/2022

CW-A  - Psalm for the day  - Advent 1     Kieth Bernard Kuschel

Psalm 18 (verses in Christian Worship) 2, 16a, 17a, 19,28,27,35

What did you watch this week?

What made you able to watch it?

{2}The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. {16}“The Lord reached down from on high and took hold of me; {17}He rescued me from my powerful enemy.” {19} “The Lord brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.”  {27}“Lord, you save the humble, but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.”  {28}You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning.  My God turns my darkness into light.  {35} You give me your child of victory, and your right hand sustains me.

A1 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”  {Mt 24:42}Jesus said that.  “Our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.” {Rom 13:11} St. Paul wrote that.  So with the Lord’s help we are watching for Jesus to return.  What is the hardest part about watching?  Waiting.  Why is it so hard to wait?  Because we don’t have anything to grab on to.  Nothing to see.  I haven’t ever seen God.  I haven’t even seen Jesus as some of the first disciples did.  It is hard to relate to somebody you can’t see.

   2 Most of the people around us in our world would say something stronger than that.  Jesus has said He was coming back when He left.  That was almost 2,000 years ago.  Hasn’t happened.  Won’t happen.  Give up on the idea. There has been absolutely nothing that would indicate there was anything to the promise.  Nobody has seen Jesus since he left.  He hasn’t even made an attempt to give people some visual reinforcement that He is around yet and can return.  Somebody whom you can’t see is nonexistent.

 B1 Now listen to David’s description of this Lord in the verses before us today.  {2}“The Lord is my rock.” A rock is something hard that doesn’t seem to change much.  David in the midst of running here and there and changing from this to that form of self-preservation had come to the realization that the Lord is Somebody strong who doesn’t change much.  When everything around me in life is changing, the Lord doesn’t.  When everything around me in life is crumbling, the Lord doesn’t.  No.  I haven’t seen God.  But, with David I know that the Lord is my Rock.  Nice feeling.  Comforting.

   2 “The Lord is my fortress.” {2} Ancient fortresses were made from rocks.  But there is an additional thought here.  A fortress keeps me safe.  David had gone into some walled cities of the Philistines on occasion to make use of their city walls vs Saul.  Where do I go when I do not feel safe spiritually?  To the Lord who is my fortress.  Where do I go when I don’t feel confident spiritually?  To the Lord who is my fortress.  Where do I go when I feel I am being spiritually assaulted?  To the Lord who is my fortress.  No. I haven’t seen God.  But with David I know that the Lord is my fortress.  Nice feeling.  Comforting.

   3 “The Lord is my deliverer.” {1}Who can get me out of jams I put myself into?  The Lord my deliverer.  Who can get me out of situations that are dangerous for my faith?  The Lord my deliverer. Who can get me out of situations that are dangerous to my godliness?  The Lord my deliverer.  No. I haven’t seen God.  But with David I know that the Lord is my deliverer.  Nice feeling.  Comforting.

   4 “Your right hand sustains me.” {35} Where can I go to get strength to make it through the day?  The Lord who sustains me.  Where can I go when my faith is sagging?  The Lord who sustains me.  Where can I go when my godliness is drooping? The Lord who sustains me.  No.  I have not seen God.  But with David I know that the Lord is the one whose right hand sustains me.  Nice feeling.  Comforting.

  C1 How do I keep on patiently waiting for Jesus to return?   Knowing that in the mean time the Lord is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer and my sustainer helps me to be patient.  Sinful human being that I am, on my own I would not believe this about God.  I would not know this about God.  How does it come about that I not only know it but believe it?  The Lord has given me this knowledge from the Scriptures.  The Lord has worked in me the faith to believe it from the Scriptures.  I haven’t seen God.  But I have been given faith. Nice feeling.  Comforting.

    2 David puts it in this way {28}“You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning.  My God turns my darkness into light.”  No. I haven’t seen God.  I am totally in the dark about spiritual matters on my own.  But God through His Word takes away my darkness and keeps His lamp burning as He blesses me with regular opportunity to use His Word.  God opens my spiritual eyes.  I can see.  One of the things God lets me see with my spiritual eyesight is Him.

IIA1 “The Lord reached down from on high and took hold of me; He rescued me from my powerful enemy.”{16 & 17)}  We don’t have to speculate as to which enemy David was thinking of.  Verse one of the Psalm in Hebrew says: “David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.”  This enmity was very obvious.  It went from throwing a spear at him when he was playing the harp.  To trying to get him killed in battles with the Philistines.  To ordering  Jonathan, David’s best friend and the king’s son, to kill him.  To trampling all over the territory with part of the army trying to catch David.  This was real enmity.

   2 We know the Lord did rescue David.  David avoided the spear.  He was successful in all the engagements with the Philistines.  He was protected and given advice about his safety from Jonathan.  He and his band of followers escaped from the army of Saul no matter how tight a corner they seemed to be in.  Ultimately the Lord removed Saul not only from his position as king but also from this earth.  David became king.  He had been rescued from his powerful enemy.

  B1 When we look around ourselves, it doesn’t appear as if we have any enemies.  Or at least any effective enemies.  I don’t think any of us have someone like King Saul who is overtly attempting to end our lives.  I think that most of us don’t have someone who is intentionally trying to make our lives miserable.  Most of us don’t have someone who is intentionally trying to take away our livelihood or our reputation or our health.

   2 When we look around ourselves, it doesn’t appear as if we have any spiritual enemies either.  Or again I should say any effective enemies.  Although other world religions have as their goal the destruction of Christianity, up to this point in the history of our world it has not happened.  Most of us don’t have someone in our lives who is intentionally trying to make us doubt what we believe.  I don’t think many of us have anybody in our lives who is intentionally trying to make us into godless people.

   C1 In spite of the way things might appear we are surrounded by spiritual enemies.  In fact the appearance that there is no spiritual enemy around might be the biggest enemy there is.   What happens when there appears to be no spiritual enemy?  We tend to fit right in with the attitudes of all the people in the world around us.  And what is the attitude of most of the people in the world around us?  Self-sufficiency.  Life is about me.  Life is about self-actualization.  God?  God is the farthest thing from our mind. Never think about Him.  He’s not important.  That attitude is an enemy.   That attitude is attacking us all the time.

     2 What happens when there appears to be no enemy who is trying to undermine our godliness?  We let our guard down by not always having God’s standard ready as a point of comparison.  We begin to go along with our own personal evaluations of things.  We tend to do things or say things on the basis of whether it feels right or is comfortable for me.  What happens then?  Well, what do you think happens when our own sinful self is left to determine whether something is good for us to be doing or not?  Our sinful self is an enemy.  Probably the most powerful enemy we have to face every day.  

   D1 What is probably the most dangerous thing in our lives as we are watching for Jesus to return?  Complacency.  Life is good.  No major difficulties.  No major challenges to my faith and godliness.  I guess I can just settle in.  What is the problem with that attitude?  We are not seeing our enemies.

    2 How does it come about that I am aware of my spiritual enemies?  The Lord gives me that knowledge in the Scriptures.  There He warns me of the world and my sinful self - my spiritual enemies.  David wrote: {28}“You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.”   I am totally in the dark about spiritual matters on my own.  But God through His Word takes away my darkness and keeps His lamp burning as He blesses me with regular opportunity to use His Word.  God opens my spiritual eyes.  I can see.  One of the things God lets me see with my spiritual eyes  is my enemies.             

IIIA1 How would you describe life?  Most people say life is a challenge.  It is a challenge to become educated in a way that makes us able to do something by which we can support ourselves.  For some the educational system itself backs them into a corner out of which it is very difficult to get.   For some the competitive job market is a corner into which they don’t like to be backed.  It is a challenge to keep relationships with other people on a level that is beneficial for all involved.  For some this is such a burden that the attempt is no longer approached.  It is a challenge to stay healthy.  For some this alone makes life a burden that sometimes is impossible to bear.  

    2 David writes: {19} “The Lord brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.”  The Lord delights in us.  He loves us.  Because He loves us, He brings us into a spacious place.  He gets us out of those corners into which life backs us.  How does He do that?  Very often by reminding us that He loves us and is with us and will rescue us from our tight corners either in this life or by taking us from this life.  With the Lord and His promises of benefit in my life I don’t feel as cornered when I am being challenged educationally, professionally, in my relationships in life or with health issues.  I can live life challenged but confident.

   B1 How do you approach life?  Most people approach life as consumers.  You approach situations and you use them to try to take out of them whatever benefit you can for yourself.  You have relationships with people to try to take out of them whatever benefit you can for yourself.  You get things to try to use them for whatever benefit you can for yourself.

    2 David writes: {27}“Lord, you save the humble, but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.”  The Lord loves us.  The Lord serves us.  God the Son came into our world to serve us.  He did so by taking our sins, suffering our punishment.  He did so by taking our place in this world and never sinning.  He did so by providing us with forgiveness, righteousness and eternal life.  How do we approach life?  From David’s words it is obvious that the Lord would have us approach life as He did.  As a servant.  Use the situations in life to benefit others.  Use your relationships in life to benefit others.  Use your goods in life to benefit others.  That is being humble.

   C1 What are we doing with our lives as we are watching for Jesus to return?  We are going about our daily lives.  To quote Jesus in the Gospel lesson “eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage.”    There are two ways in which we can be going about these things.  We can be either - to quote Paul in the epistle lesson- engaged in : “orgies, drunkenness, sexual immorality, debauchery, dissension and jealousy.”  Or, “ we can “behave decently as in the daytime, clothing ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and not thinking about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”

     2 As a sinful human being I would walk in life totally focused on overcoming the challenges, totally focused on selfgratification.  How does it come about that I can be confident and a servant?  David wrote: “You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning, my God turns my darkness into light.”  God through His Word helps me to see how I ought to walk and then makes me able to walk that way.  

Lord Jesus, continue to lead us into Your Word so that Your Light makes us able to see You, see our enemies, and see how we ought to walk.  Then we will be able to keep on watching.   

Written Sermon 11/20/2022

CWC- Christ the King - Gospel Lesson - KB Kuschel

Luke 23:35-43

35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”  36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”  38 There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.  39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”  40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”  42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.  

IA1 How do you get to be a king?  You might get born into the royal family.  Or you have to have enough powerful people on your side to make you king and keep you in that leadership position. Kings are in their position because of power. 

   2 A king also exercised a lot of power, or we might say exercised a lot of influence and control. He was in charge of all the people in his kingdom.   He controlled the use of all the resources in his kingdom.  If the king was acting in accordance with God’s will, he controlled the resources  for the benefit of his people.  If the king was acting in accordance with his own sinful nature, he controlled the resources for his own benefit.  

  3 The people and the rulers referred to in vs 35 knew the Old Testament lesson for today which promised that a branch of the royal family tree of David would reign wisely as king and do what is just and right. {Jere 23} 5 “The days are coming,” declares the LORD,    “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.”  They had seen Jesus of Nazareth exercise what seemed like the kingly power of God over sickness, death and nature.      

  4 But now He was hanging on a cross.  He had exercised His power and saved people from sickness and death and destruction.  But it seemed now as if He could not exercise His power to rescue Himself from death.  He wasn’t in control of that. He sure didn’t look like a king now to the rulers and the people.  .  

 B1 Although we don’t have royalty in the USA, we know from watching royal weddings in England, that kings are accustomed to the best of everything.  Best clothes.  Luxurious surroundings.  Best food.  Best wine.  The wealth of the entire nation is at his disposal.    

   2 The soldiers around the cross knew that.  So, they gave Jesus some cheap wine to drink.  They were saying, “Here.  Have some of the wine we drink.  Come down to our level, you who claim to be a king.”  Jesus didn’t look like a king to the soldiers either.

  C1 The soldiers had taken the concept of  “king” from the sign above Jesus on the cross.  It read   “Jesus is the king of the Jews.”    With this notice Pilate the governor was saying this crucified person was the king over the people descended from Judah and from Abraham.  

   2 Pilate was saying two things: “This person sure doesn’t look like a king to me.”  But he was also saying: “This pitiful, miserable king is the only kind of king such people as the Jews should have.  Jesus didn’t look like a king to Pilate either.    

  D1 As Christians we publicly profess that Jesus of Nazareth ascended into heaven, physically left this earth, and is now sitting at the right hand of God, occupying His position of power and is in charge of all things for us.  In other words - Jesus is King.  Lord of all.  Keeps the planets in the pathways.  Keeps the cycle of life going.  

   2 Look around yourself.  Does it look as if He is King?  What can you point to and say, “See.  That is evidence that Jesus is ruling over all things!”?  It doesn’t look much different from when He was hanging on the cross.  

  3 In  fact, sometimes doesn’t it seem as if the opposite is the case?   If Jesus is King, shouldn’t the people in His kingdom have special treatment?  Shouldn’t we be better off than people who are not a part of the kingdom?  Shouldn’t we have fewer problems than everybody else has?  Shouldn’t we have some of the spillover from the wealth of the universe which is at His disposal?  Based on the situation of many of us His followers, it sure doesn’t look as if Jesus is king.

   The question is: Can we make the judgment that Jesus is not King on the basis of outward appearance?  Let’s look some more at the incident before us. 

IIA1 The soldiers used the term “king.”  Pilate had written the term “king.”  But the people and the rulers and the criminal used another term. What was it? “The people ....., and the rulers..... said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”   One of the criminals (said): “Aren’t you the Messiah? “

  2 What does Messiah mean?  Anointed One.  Who were anointed into their offices in the Old Testament?  Before a priest could sacrifice or lead the worship, before a prophet could publicly speak for God, and before a king could occupy his throne, he was anointed in a public ceremony with a special oil.  The Anointed One became the standard way of speaking about the Promised One who was going to come and fulfill the sacrifices of the priests, the words of the prophets and the rule of the kings.  

  3 The Anointed One would be the Chosen One, hand picked by God to save.   He was to save people from the guilt and consequence of their sins by a sacrifice.  He was to save people from ignorance about God by perfectly bringing God’s truth.  He was to save people from Satan’s influence and control by exercising his power over all His enemies.  

  4 So, this person on the cross was not just the King of the Jews.  He was the Anointed One,  handpicked by God to be priest, prophet, and King.   Sacrificer, teacher, and ruler.  All rolled into one.  

   B1 One criminal gave his personal evaluation of Jesus.  41 “We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” He confessed that he was a sinful human who broke God’s laws and the laws of the land and therefore deserved to die.  But, after observing Jesus he concluded that Jesus didn’t deserve to be put to death.  He had done nothing wrong.  He wasn’t guilty of the charges brought against him.  We know that Jesus had done absolutely nothing wrong, never sinned, didn’t deserve punishment from either God or humans. 

   2 What does that have to do with kingdom?  Why ask the question?  Because the next thing the criminal said was: {42}“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”    Jesus’ answer doesn’t use “kingdom.”  Instead He refers to paradise.  “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”  Notice Jesus defines His kingdom in those words.  Being in Jesus’ kingdom means being with Jesus.  Being in Jesus’ kingdom means being in paradise or perfection. 

   C1 When God the Holy Spirit brings us to trust that Jesus lived and died and rose for us, we are in Jesus’ kingdom.  How can we sinners be with Jesus who is holy?  Because Jesus took our guilt, suffered our punishment, lived and never sinned, and covers us with His holiness.  So, we are in God’s kingdom because we are perfect in God’s sight because of Jesus. 

    2 Even though we can’t prove it, Jesus is ruling over all things in our best interest. Even if sometimes, it doesn’t seem that way.   He is ruling in our lives, having taken up residence in our hearts through the Gospel in Word and Sacraments.  

   3 Today.   We are never not with Jesus.  We are never not going to be with Jesus.  After this life we will still be with Jesus.  Our souls go to be with Jesus on the today of our deaths.  Our bodies will be reunited with our souls on the today of Judgment Day after which both body and soul will be with Jesus.  Then we will not just look holy to God, covered with Jesus’ holiness, but all things will be restored to the perfection in which God originally created all things.  With Jesus in paradise. 

  Conc: Does it look like Jesus is King now? Often not.  But when we realize what kind of a kingdom He has and what kind of a kingdom we are in, we can joyfully sing, “and He shall reign forever and ever.”      

Written Sermon 11/13/2022

CWC- Alt Epistle Lesson -Saints Triumphant - - Kieth Bernard Kuschel

                        Revelation 22:1-5

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

Triumphant = Winners

“There will be no more darkness.”   Darkness is used picturesquely a lot in the Bible.  Maybe one of the most familiar uses is Eph 5:8.  “Once you were darkness, but now you are light in the LORD.”   Human beings on our own are in the dark spiritually.  We can’t see the true God.  We can’t see our way into a relationship with God.   Being in the dark is the same thing as not believing in Jesus as the Savior. 

  When the Holy Spirit brings people to trust that Jesus lived and died and rose to give them forgiveness, holiness, and eternal life, the picture changes to but now you are light in the LORD.”   We see who the true God is.  We see that our sins are washed away in the blood of Jesus.  We see that we have been rescued from the punishment we deserve because of our sins.  The text says, 

“No longer will there be a curse.”

  However, we still remain in the dark about some things.  It is very frustrating for us to not be able to understand how our God can have a threeness about Him called Father Son and Holy Spirit and yet still be one.  It is very frustrating for us to not be able to understand how a real human being named Jesus of Nazareth could have at the same time all the capacities of God.  It is very frustrating for us to not be able to grasp how it is our fault if we are unbelievers, but it is not to our credit if we are believers.  It is very frustrating to be in the dark.  

We remain in the dark about some things.  How come God lets a fire wipe out huge forests?  How come God lets Islam countries wipe out Christians? How come God lets a forty year old mother of three have cancer?  It is very frustrating to be in the dark.  

Is there a solution to our frustration?  The verses before us today say: 4 They(we) will see his face. 5 There will be no more night. They(we) will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them(us) light.   In eternity when we are with the LORD, the LORD will answer all our questions and make everything understandable.  We will be saints - triumphant over darkness. 

We remain in darkness about some things.  How come I work my tail off and never seem to get ahead of the bills?  How come I study for hours and hours and never get an A?  How come that guy can run and jump and shoot the basketball so well and I can’t?  How come that person got the promotion and I didn’t?  It is very frustrating to be in the dark. 

   How come I work real hard at my godliness and still fall into sin?  How come I work real hard at my godliness and nobody seems to notice that I am connected with Jesus and gives me a chance to talk about Jesus with them?  How come I work real hard at my godliness and the people who notice ridicule me for doing it?  It is very frustrating to be in the dark.  

    Is there a solution to our frustration?  The verses before us today say: His name will be on their(our) foreheads 5 There will be no more night. They(we) will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them(us) light.   In eternity when we are with the LORD, it will be very apparent to us and to everyone else that we are valued and valuable because we belong to the LORD.  We will be saints - triumphant over darkness. 

“His servants will worship him.”   Worship for most of us is a habit.  We say “God is worth a lot to me” in a variety of ways.  We say it with the ways we use the blessings He gives us.  The most important blessing He gives us is His gift of eternal life.  He informs us of that blessing through His Word.  We use that Word regularly in our homes.  We use that Word weekly here with the rest of the spiritual family.  God through His Word keeps us holding onto His blessing of eternal life.    Worship is a good habit to have.  

 We gather with others to worship.  We say “God is great and God is good” and others hear us.  We sing “Jesus lived and died and rose to give the world forgiveness, holiness, and eternal life,” and other people hear us.  When they hear us, the Holy Spirit keeps them holding onto His blessing of eternal life.  Worship is a good habit to have.  

  When we realize the benefit for ourselves and others of worshiping, we get into it.   We sing with enthusiasm.  We think about the meaning of the words of the songs as we sing them.  We pray out loud when called upon to do so.  We pray in our minds when called upon to do so.  We think about the meanings of the words of the prayers as we pray them.  We read along with the sections of the Bible when they are read.  We focus on the words from the Bible so that we understand them as they are being read.   We listen to the message from God’s Word so we understand what it means for us.  Worship is a good habit to have.  

  Habits often have down sides to them.  When you do something a lot, it is easy to think that you know everything there is to know about what you are doing.  So we disengage our brains.  When someone in the family is reading the devotion, I am thinking about something else.  When the congregation is praying together, I am thinking about something else.  When the congregation is singing a hymn, I am thinking about something else.  When the Scripture is being read and discussed, I am thinking about something else.  Why?  Because I have heard all this before and I know what it’s about.  Worship has become a meaningless habit. 

   Habits often have down sides to them. When I am deciding whether I am going to gather with others to worship, I decide that I don’t need to do it this time, because I have done it so often already.  I am strong in my faith in Jesus.  I am a godly person.  I never even consider that my presence worshiping with others props them up in their faith in Jesus and in the desire to be godly.  I never even consider that if I am not there, I am not carrying out that important role.  I never even consider that if everybody took a totally selfish approach to gathering for worship, there would never be a gathering.  Worship can become a selfish habit.   

   Habits often have down sides to them.  When I gather to worship with others, I am satisfied that I am present.  I don’t pray along.  I don’t sing along.  I don’t read along.  I don’t think along.  Worship has become something I am present at because God told me to be present.   Worship has become a disinterested habit. 

  What are we going to be doing in eternity? {3} “The throne of God will be in the city, and his servants will worship him.”   We will have an ongoing visual reminder that God is King of Kings and Lord or Lords. No more meaningless, selfish, disinterested  worship.  Our worship will be perfect.  We will be saints - triumphant over bad habits.

   What are we going to be doing in eternity? {3} “The Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will worship him.”  We will have an ongoing visual reminder that Jesus sacrificed Himself to wash away our sins.  Was perfect so we can be part of God’s family. Is alive again so we can spend eternity with Him.  No more meaningless, selfish, disinterested  worship.  Our worship will be perfect.  We will be saints - triumphant over bad habits. 

This section of Scripture gives us a little hint of what eternity with the LORD is going to be like. Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.   What does that remind you of?    Listen to some other Scripture.  Streams watered the whole surface of the ground.  A river watering the place flowed.   Anybody recognize that?  That is the garden of Eden.  Everything perfectly productive  when God created it.  Everything perfectly productive again in eternity.  

    Did you notice what kind of tree it was?  The tree of life.  Does that sound familiar?  In the middle of the garden( of Eden) were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  In the garden of Eden the tree of life, which had fruit which evidently had the power to bestow everlasting life, grew in the middle of the garden.  In Revelation John sees the tree of life growing once more and he says that its leaves serve to heal the nations.  Nations had to be healed of their sickness of sin.  Jesus came and did that.  This tree then has the power to restore everlasting life.  

   Did you notice where the river of the water of life was flowing from?  {1}Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God .  As you would expect a vision given to John by Jesus backs up the verbal teachings of the Bible.  Life comes from God.  Physical life, but more importantly eternal life.  It is a gift from God.  The gift  has no impurities. Stated the way we usually state is: Eternal life is by grace not on the basis of what we do.    

    There is another part of the answer to the question, “Where was the water of life flowing from?” Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne...... of the Lamb.  Eternal life can only come from God because of the Lamb.  God is holy.  He demands that punishment fall on sinners.  Jesus took sinners place.  God’s punishment fell on Jesus just as it had been pictured for millenia falling on lambs.  Eternal life is by grace because of Jesus.   

    Did you notice anything strange about the tree? {2}yielding its fruit every month.  Ordinary trees don’t do that.  They bear fruit at one time of the year.  They don’t bear fruit for most of the year.  Any guesses as to what this means that a tree is bearing fruit every month?  In eternity everything is complete and total.  Productive all the time.  

     Did you notice anything else strange about the tree?{2} bearing twelve crops of fruit.  I don’t know any tree that bears twelve different crops of fruit.  What does this mean?  Again best guess.  In eternity with the Lord everything is complete and total. Complete range of variety of product. 

   I mentioned earlier some things that frustrate us Christians.  Here is another one.  I never am as productive as I want to be.  That is true in my spiritual life as well as my physical life.  I don’t seem to be growing in my relationship with Jesus as much as I want.  I don’t seem to be increasing my production of godliness as much as I want.  I seem to get stuck in the same old ruts all the time.  I don’t seem to branch out into new areas of living my life for the LORD.  Stagnation is very frustrating.  

    What is the ultimate solution to my frustration. {2} On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.  In eternity when we are with the LORD, we will be perfectly productive with a complete variety of godliness.  We will be saints - triumphant over stagnation. 

  LORD Jesus, thank You for making us winners.  

Written Sermon 11/6/2022

  CWC- Last Judgment  -  -  Kieth Bernard Kuschel

Luke 19:11-27 

 11 While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.  12 He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’   14 “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’    15 “He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.    16 “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’    17 “‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’    18 “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’    19 “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’    20 “Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’    22 “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’    24 “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’    25 “‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’    26 “He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 27 But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me. 

Jesus is coming back.  So what?

IA1 11 While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.  Jesus had just told Zacchaeus “Today salvation has come to this house.”   He had just told His disciples about prophecies coming true.  He had allowed Himself to be called “son of David” in public.  So, now maybe the land, power, and army of His kingdom were going to finally come.  

   2 To counteract that faulty thought,  Jesus told this little story.  In the story a noble man went away to be appointed king, just as the Herods went to Rome to get appointed King by the Caesar.  

  3 Jesus, true God and a descendant of David’s royal family, a truly noble person, after He accomplished our salvation by living and dying and rising for us, went away on a long journey.  He still is away on that journey.  While He is away, He repositioned Himself as King , ruler over all things.  His rule won’t be evident until He comes back. 

The disciples who wanted the land, power and army of the kingdom right now were just going to have to wait.   

  B1 It is very easy to take the attitude of those first disciples.  The world around us is getting worse and worse.  Our situation as Christians is getting harder and harder.  We want Jesus to just come and get this mess over with.  We join the Scripture writers to say, “Come, Lord Jesus.”  We want to be with the LORD. Nothing wrong with that.    

  2 Watch out for the next step, however.  It is very easy to start whining.   “Lord it is not satisfying to be here.  Lord, why are You taking so long?   Come and stop all this mess on this earth.  LORD, You don’t seem to know what You are doing.

  3 In the little story which Jesus told, one line says, “(he) returned home.”   We need to remember that.  He will come back.  The long journey He is on will come to an end.  He will come back at the proper time.  It isn’t our job to get upset about seeming delays.  It isn’t our job to try to shame Him into hurrying up.  It is our job to wait patiently. 

IIA1 Why were the people so excited about the thought that the kingdom was going to appear at once?  The mother of James and John once made a request of Jesus that will help you answer that question.  She said, (Mt 20:21)“Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”    What were they expecting    from their faulty view of Jesus’ kingdom?  To sit around and enjoy the power, prestige and perks.  

   2   What sentence from the little story shoots that attitude down?  13 So he called ten of

his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’   The servants are to be at work until the master returns.

   3    What were they given to work with?  A mina.  They all got the same thing.  They were all to put it to use.  They were to show their desire to serve the master by their effort.  The expectation was that they would gain some increase.  

   4    Two were faithful.  Took the orders seriously.  Expended effort.  Showed an increase.  One was unfaithful.  He didn’t want to do what he was told.  He didn’t want to expend effort to make the master richer.  So, he didn’t bother to produce an increase.  He didn’t really want to be a servant of this master.  

1. The rewards were undeserved.  Just because they did

what they were told, doesn’t mean they earned ten and five cities.  However, they were granted responsibility because of faithfulness displayed.  

   B1   When Jesus left this earth on went on His “long journey,” He left us all with the same mina. What?  His Word.  What are we supposed to do with it?  Put it to work so that it produces an increase.  Use it on other Christians so that their faith in Jesus increases.  Use it on other Christians so that their motivation to live godly lives increases.  Use it on other Christians so that their ability to live godly lives increases.  Use it on people who are not Christians so that the Holy Spirit turns them into Christians so that the size of the kingdom of Jesus increases.  

    2   The servant who hid the mina in a piece of cloth represents Christians who do nothing with the Word.  They have eternal life.  The Holy Spirit has led them to believe that Jesus died to wash away their sins, lived to cover them with His holiness, and rose so that they might live forever.  But they don’t want to do what Jesus tells them to do – go into the world with the Gospel.  They don’t want to waste their time and efforts for the benefit of Christ’s kingdom.  What is in it for me, after all?  Therefore, they don’t bother to support Christians in their faith and godliness. Therefore, they don’t bother trying to attract people to Jesus the Savior.  And they don’t think it is a privilege to be a aprt of God’s family because of Jesus. 

   3  Did you notice what happened to that man?  24 “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him.”  If I fail to use the Word to apply it to others, I also have failed to apply it to myself.  When I do that, eventually I am going to lose what I have.  I am going to revert back to being an unbeliever about  Jesus the Savior.  

   4     So, active working with the Word is our duty.  However, God rewards us for doing our duty.  Are we to be sitting around enjoying the perks of the kingdom of Jesus while we are waiting for Him to return?  No.  We are to be working.  Let none hear you idly saying there is nothing I can do.  

IIIA1 Was everybody excited about the thought that the kingdom of God seemed to be going to appear at once?  Jesus answered that question in the little story too.  14 “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’   Not everybody wants Jesus as their King now.  Not everybody wants Jesus to be King when He returns from His journey.  Not everybody even wants Him to return from His journey.

     2   How does the king respond when He comes back?  27 But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me. 

      B1   What percentage of people accepted Jesus as the Promised Messiah, the Savior of the world while He was on this earth?  I think we can safely say a minority.  Why?  Because the majority got away with killing Him. 

       2    How many people today believe that Jesus died to wash away their sins, lived to cover them with His holiness, and rose to give people eternal life.  I think we can safely say a minority.  

      3   And what does the Bible teach about those who reject Jesus as their Savior?  God’s judgment falls on anyone who rejects Jesus’ blood to wash away their sins, rejects Jesus’ holiness to make them acceptable to God and rejects Jesus’ resurrection as the guarantee of an eternity with the LORD.

    C1     That is probably the least popular teachings  of the Bible that there is.  How do I know that.  Because people don’t talk about it much.  And if they do talk about it they come up with reasons that it is not to be believed.  Reasons like these:

*God loves all men and therefore wouldn’t punish anybody.

*Everybody has his own concept of god, but everybody is actually worshiping the same god even though they might call him Buddha,  Allah or the Trinity.  

    2    If the Bible is true, and if Jesus is the only way to be right with God, then the only people who are excited that He is coming back some day are those who believe that Jesus is their Savior.   

   3 Why does Jesus remind us in the little story that not everybody is going to eagerly desire that He be their King?  So that while we are patiently waiting for Jesus to return,  we don’t despair and stop working  when people reject the gospel we bring to them.  

   LORD JESUS, help me to wait patiently for You, and be aware that not everybody is going to want You as their King, so that in spite of rejection I keep working at sharing Your word while I am waiting 

Written Sermon 10/30/2022

Syn Conf Gospel 2 - Reformation

Kieth Bernard Kuschel

Luke 7:27-35 27 This is the one about whom it is written: " 'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' 28 I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." 29(All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus' words, acknowledged that God's way was right, because they had been baptized by John. 30 But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.) 31"To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? 32They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: " 'We played the flute for you,
and you did not dance;we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.' 33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' 34The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ' 35 But wisdom is proved right by all her children."

Jesus says about John the Baptist: 27 “This is the one about whom it is written: " 'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'” John prepared people for Jesus.  He told his followers Jesus was greater than he.  He led them into frequent contact with Jesus.  He preached about Jesus not himself.  He passed his followers to Jesus.  He told people to repent of their sins and look to Jesus for forgiveness.

Jesus adds: 28 I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." He was a leader and teacher.  Greater than his followers and those learning from him.  He was chosen by God as the one to prepare the way for Jesus.  Greater than the prophets who foretold Jesus from some distance.  But anyone who has lived after Jesus’ successfully lived, died and rose to accomplish forgiveness, holiness and eternal life is greater than John because we have the fully accomplished Gospel message to proclaim.  He didn’t.  

 Jesus praised John, not because of who he was, but because of the message John preached.  “Repent and look to Jesus.”   

 That is exactly the attitude we take toward Luther.  Like John Luther didn’t talk about himself.  For thirteen years Luther had no intention of becoming involved in a splinter group or a new church group.  He did not want to be a leader of a church.  He just wanted to turn the Church back to the Word of God.  

 Like John Luther constantly pointed to Jesus.   He insisted that the man-made teachings of the church of his day pointed people away from Jesus.  That made Jesus less important.  That implied that Jesus was not the only way to be right with God.  That is dangerous for the eternal well-being of people.  

Because of Luther’s emphasis on searching the Bible for answers to all spiritual questions, Bible scholarship was pursued by many.  As a result,  we today have vastly more knowledge about the Bible that men did in Luther’s day.  Because of Luther we can be greater in our knowledge of the Bible than he was.  

Lord Jesus thank You for using Martin Luther to restore to its rightful position in the church the Biblical message of Law and Gospel.

Hymn 201:4

We only have a few details about John the Baptist.  The announcement of his birth.   His solitary training time in the desert.  And then his work.  He attracted great crowds from Jerusalem, Judea and the surrounding area.   Many believed his message.  How do we know?  They were baptized by John.  By that action they were saying, “John’s work was effective.  We are sinners.  We deserve hell.  We need to turn aside from our sins.  We need the LORD’s forgiveness.  We are eagerly anticipating the Promised Savior who will accomplish forgiveness for us.”  29(All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus' words, acknowledged that God's way was right, because they had been baptized by John. 

 Not everybody believed John.  The Pharisees and experts in the law rejected John. They insisted they could fulfill God’s laws on their own and could thus save themselves.  They rejected John’s message that they were sinners.  They rejected God’s purpose to give them eternal life through the Savior. They didn’t think they needed a Savior. 30 But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)

 The rejection from the religious leaders of his society did not make John stop carrying out his work, nor did it make him afraid to carry out his work.  Jesus praised John, not because of who he was, but because of the work he did and because of what the LORD did through him.   

 Like John Luther’s work was to bring the message he had been taught by the LORD from the Bible to people.  He realized that bringing God’s truth to people was a matter of spiritual life and death.  He realized that many were being turned into Pharisees and teachers of the Law by the teachings of the church.  They were being taught to trust that  fulfilling the church’s laws could help save them.  People rather needed to be called to repent of their sins and trust that Jesus alone forgives sin, covers with righteousness and gives eternal life. 

 Like John Luther taught that Baptism gives to people the forgiveness which Jesus won.  In addition Luther restored the truth about the Lord’s Supper.  The Lord’s Supper is not something that we do so that we become qualified to receive forgiveness.  It is something God does for us - gives us the body and blood of Jesus which He used to pay for our sins and also gives us the forgiveness which Jesus won when He gave up His body and his blood.  

Like John Luther was rejected by the religious leaders of his world.   Even though he was declared a heretic by the church and an outlaw by the government, Luther did not stop his work.  He knew that with the LORD as His mighty fortress the whole world filled with devils could not overcome his work.  

Lord Jesus, thank You for using Luther to bring Your Word and Sacraments to the people of his day and through their descendants to us. 

  

Hymn 201:3 

Jesus continued.   33For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.'  John the Baptist was a Nazarite who had taken a special vow of dedication to the Lord.  Nazirites didn’t drink fermented beverages, never cut their hair, never went near dead people and had to go through a special ceremony when the time of their vow was over. 

Jesus on the other hand lived a normal life style.  He had no restrictions as John had.  34 “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ' 

How did the people respond?  They said John was a fanatic controlled by the devil.  They said Jesus enjoyed life too much.  Jesus compared them with children who can’t make up their minds what game to play.  31"To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? 32They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: " 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.'   But Jesus indicated that is to be expected from unbelievers who are not wise unto salvation through faith in Him.  33 But wisdom is proved right by all her children.” 

Like John and Jesus Luther was criticized on both ends of most issues.  He was criticized for putting the worship material in the language of the people because people said that makes God too common. He did that so that people could actively participate in and learn from their worship experiences.   He was criticized for holding on to too much worship material that had been part of the worship life of Christians for 1,000 years because it had been a part of the church which had lost its focus on Jesus.   He did that because he felt it was wrong to take away from the people things that were doctrinally correct and that the people were comfortable with in their worship life.    

He was blamed for the PEASANTS rebellion because he had insisted that the peasants had the right to earn enough to supply themselves and their families with the necessities of life.  He was blamed for the slaughter of the peasants because he had insisted that the governments had the right to use the sword to maintain order in society.  

Luther’s view of lifestyle was consistent with his view on everything else.  If God’s Word makes a clear statement on what decision I am to make in life, I must follow that direction.   If the Bible says I am to rid myself of something for the good of my soul, then I must do that.  If the Bible says I can profitably use something in this life for the benefit of my body and soul, then I can do that.  If the Bible doesn’t speaks to an issue, I can say, “I don’t know what to do on the basis of the Bible.  So, my human reason has to make a decision.”

Lord Jesus, thank You for using Luther to remind us that Your Word is also our standard for lifestyle issues. 

Conc: Lord, please continue to raise up servants whose work is to teach us Your Word and how to apply it to our lives.   

Hymn 201:1 & 2

Written Sermon 10/23/2022

CWC Pent 20 - Epistle - - Kieth Bernard Kuschel

2 Timothy 1:3-14  

(3)  I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. {4} Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. {5} I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. {6} For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. {7} For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of selfdiscipline. {8} So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, {9} who has saved us and called us to a holy lifenot because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, {10} but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. {11} And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. {12} That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. {13} What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. {14} Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you, guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

1 When he was in prison in Rome the second time, Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, a younger fellow worker.  The first time he had been let out.  He had done more work for the Lord.  Now it looked as if he wasn’t going to be let out again.  He was ready to be put to death for the Lord.  Timothy had remained active in the congregations founded throughout the Mediterranean world, spreading the message of Jesus Christ as Paul had done.  

   2 “I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.” {4}What does that tell you about Paul and Timothy? They were very close.  “{4} Recalling your tears.” Maybe that happened when they parted last.  {5} “Faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice.” What does that tell you about Paul and Timothy?  Their connection goes back to the previous generation. {3}“Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.”  What does that tell you about Paul?   He was thinking about Timothy a lot.   

  3 What did Paul do when he prayed about Timothy?  (3)  I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.  Why?  Because of Timothy’s {5}“sincere faith.”  Because Timothy believed that Jesus is the Savior of the world and his Savior.  That’s why Paul and Timothy were so close.  They were brothers in Christ.  Members of God’s family through Christ.  You can’t get closer than that.  

   1 As God’s people we pray for each other. We pray that brothers and sisters get healed when they are sick.  Why?  Because we live by faith.  We believe God can do that.  We pray that God would comfort them when they have lost loved ones.   Why?  Because we live by faith.  We believe God can do that.  We pray that God would give them success when they try to accomplish things in life.  Why?  Because we live by faith.  We believe God can do that.

   2 As God’s people we also give thanks for each other as Paul did for Timothy.  We thank God that He brought our brothers and  sisters to trust that Jesus lived and died to give them forgiveness and  holiness. We thank God that He is going to take us to be in heaven with Him and them forever because of Jesus’ resurrection.  How can we do that?  Because we live by faith.  We believe God can do that.  We thank God that He is going to use these people to keep us close to Jesus and vice versa.  How can we do that?  Because we live by faith.  We believe God can do that.

1 Timothy was shy, young, had some physical problems, and wasn’t respected by some people.  He was facing opposition from the Ephesian false teachers.   Christians were just starting to be persecuted by the Roman government.  Many reasons to be sort of down at the time of this letter.  

    2 So, Paul wanted to get Timothy fired up again about his work of sharing Jesus with others.  He did that by reminding Timothy of his commission from the Lord which came through the laying on of Paul’s hands.  God’s grace had enabled Timothy to become an understudy with Paul, and that same grace would motivate him to continue on with the work.  . {6} For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

  3 Paul encouraged Timothy in another way.  He reminded Timothy:{7} For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of selfdiscipline.  God gives boldness.  He gives strength.  He gives the ability to love so we can overcome our selfishness.  He gives self-discipline to overcome lack of focus.  “God has done all this for you Timothy.  So, go ahead.  Continue with the Lord’s work.”   

  1 When we look at how life is right now, many of us have health problems.  Some are young, some are shy, some are not respected.   American society ridicules Christians.  Other societies, some of which are expanding rapidly, kill Christians.  Things haven’t changed.  

   2 What do we do about that?  We encourage each other.  We remind each other that our job hasn’t changed. We are in this world to share Jesus with others.  We gather together here once a week or more to encourage each other to go back out into the world and live our lives as  thank-you’s to the Lord for giving us forgiveness, holiness, and eternal life through Jesus.  Why can we be encouraging with each other?   Because we can  remind each other that God gives boldness, power, love and self-discipline to us. How do we know that God will do that?  Because we live by faith. 

1 Paul, the most visible proclaimer of the Gospel, the most public representative of Jesus was in prison.  If Timothy his understudy, his closest fellow worker was shy before, now he had a good reason to be totally quiet about the Gospel.  Paul writes: {8} “So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner.”

   2 No. “But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.” Keep on testifying about Jesus.  Even if it means you too will become a prisoner. Why testify about Jesus even if it means suffering? Because He {9} has saved us and called us to a holy lifenot because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, {10} but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. God has rescued us from death and hell as punishment for sin.  Not because we have done anything to deserve it.  But because it is His purpose to give us eternal life.  And because He loves us so much that He did what was necessary to give us eternal life.  This eternal life was planned for us from eternity and accomplished through Jesus who lived and died and rose to destroy death’s ability to punish us for our sins and to give us the opportunity to live forever with Him.  

   3 Then Paul wrote:{12} “ I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.”   Paul was convinced that the same Jesus who was His Savior would guard his soul, would guard the relationship that He had created with Paul so that at the time of his death, he would enter into the eternal presence of the Lord, to begin an eternal life of perfection with Him.  That is living by faith.  

   1 It’s very easy to be less and less excited about pointing people to Jesus with our lives and speaking about Jesus with our words.  Fewer and fewer people are even thinking about God.  Fewer and fewer are interested in finding out about Him.  Fewer and fewer are concerned about God’s will, living a godly life.  We might feel as down as Timothy did and remain silent about Jesus.   

   2 But testifying about Jesus is the only thing that can change that.  It won’t do to talk about being spiritual.   It won’t do to talk about religion.  We must get specific as Paul did.  We must testify about Jesus.  Jesus died to take away my sins.  I would be damned without Him.  Jesus lived a holy life to give me His holiness.  I am unacceptable to God without that.  Jesus rose from the dead.  Without that I would go into the grave at death and that would be the end of it.  

   3 Testifying about Jesus is the same as being confident about the future.  He will guard my soul.  He will guard our relationship.  I have eternal life.  I will live forever.  All because of Jesus.  That is living by faith.  

1 One more issue.  Paul had always been there for Timothy.  He could give Timothy direction and advice when needed.  That made them even closer.  If Paul was for sure going to be put to death, he wouldn’t be there for Timothy any more.      

   2  {13} What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.  Just as Jesus had prepared men to be teachers to take over for Him when He ascended into heaven, so Paul had taught men like Timothy and thus prepared them with that teaching to be able to take over for him.  What Timothy needed to do was to hang onto the content and the method of the teaching.  

   3 Big order.  But Timothy didn’t have to do it alone. {14} Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to youguard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.”  The Holy Spirit living and working in his heart and life would help him to keep on holding on to the truth which Paul had given.  Timothy was to use the Word of God, confident that the Holy Spirit would carry out His work of helping him to guard the truth about Jesus.  That is living by faith.  

   1 When we get together as God’s people, we use God’s Word.  We do that so that we are kept close to Jesus by the Holy Spirit.  But we also do that so that we keep what we have heard from the prophets, apostles and Jesus.  We do that so that we guard the good deposit that God and the people who have gone before us have entrusted to us.  We do that so that we don’t lose the truth.  We do that so that future generations have the truth.  

   2 We do that confident that Jesus will keep His promise: {Mt 24:35}My Word shall not pass away.  We do that confident that the Holy Spirit will do His work of helping us guard the truth.  That is living by faith.    Lord, please help us to keep living by faith.  

Written Sermon 10/16/2022

CWC - O T Lesson - Pentecost 19  - Kieth Bernard Kuschel

Amos 6:1-7

1 Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come!   2 Go to Calneh and look at it; go from there to great Hamath, and then go down to Gath in Philistia.  Are you better than those kingdoms?  Was their land larger than yours?  3 You put off the evil day, and bring near a reign of terror. 4 You lie on beds inlaid with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves.  5 You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments.  6 You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions,  but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.  7 Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end.

The LORD bless you.

What is a blessing?

What is the most important blessing?

1 Life was good at Amos’ time.  Enemies conquered.  Borders extended. No Philistine threats.  No wars.  No oppression. No war produced devastation.,   Agricultural prosperity was back. Commerce was good.  Building trades were busy.  Summer homes were being built.   

   2 What attitude had that led to?  1: “you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria.” Complacency.  Self- satisfied.  Secure.  Self-sufficient. To whom did the people look for advice?  “You notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come!”  Their leaders.  The leaders said, “Everything is good.  Don’t rock the boat.  You an expect more of the same.”

  1 2: “Go to Calneh and look at it; go from there to great Hamath, and then go down to Gath in Philistia.  Are you better than those kingdoms?  Was their land larger than yours?”  The prophet tells them to compare themselves with Calneh and Hamath, two city states in the north which were powerful, wealthy and prestigious enough to successfully remain independent of the Assyrian empire.   Also compare yourself with Gath, one of the five Philistine city states which were able to remain impervious to enemy activity. 

   2 What would they see?   Israel and Judah were just as well off and maybe even better off than those cities.   What should that have produced?  A sense of appreciation to the LORD for the tremendous earthly blessings which He had showered upon them.  Complacency.  Taking it all for granted.  An attitude that is disgusting to the LORD.   

  1 What is our situation like?   No war on our homeland since the Civil War.  The closest we have had were the terrorist attacks.  How about the economic condition?  Things are bad.   Rampant inflation.  

  2 Not so quick on that bandwagon.  Most people are able to work at an occupation to produce income for themselves and their families. The  radio ads on the Brewers’ game say that the corn farms  can produce almost limitless amounts of corn.  Every home has a TV, many have more than one.  

   3 Go to most countries in which we have missions.  Why?  To realize and appreciate how many earthly blessings the Lord has surrounded us with.   Have any of you ever gone to a presentation by one of our WELS missionaries from another part of the world    Apart from all the fine questions about spiritual matters, do you remember what most of the rest of the questions were about?  “Do they over there have what we have here?”   What is the standard against which we compare other people,  even when we would say we are headed toward recession?  What God has blessed us with.  

   4 LORD, thank You for filling our lives with earthly blessings.   Please, don’t allow us to become complacent.  Don’t let us take things for granted.  Most importantly, don’t ever let our feeling of security lead us to a lack of appreciation toward You in spite of all that You have given to us. 

1 What does Amos have to say about this complacency? “Woe to you.”{1}   What does that mean?  It means that God is displeased with the attitude they had and He was going to allow something bad to happen to them.   He tells us in verse 7 what that is: “Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end.”

   2 How did the unappreciative, complacent ones respond?  3: “You put off the evil day.” They laughed off the prophets.  “Evil days?  Hard times?  Decay and destruction?  You have got to be kidding, Amos.  Look around.  Prosperity.  Power. Commerce. Agriculture. Military.  Leadership. Success.”

  1 That attitude affected their life style. They would do anything to maintain the status quo. From the rest of Amos’ writings we know they didn’t take care of the needy.  They rigged the judicial system to protect their financial status.  They oppressed their workers.  They used their influence to drive competitors out of business. 

   2 What does Amos warn?  “and (you) bring near a reign of terror.”  That is ironic, isn’t it.   People, who tell Amos that God’s judgment isn’t actually going to fall as he is saying it would, are actually bringing that judgment on themselves more quickly because their denial leads them to a life style that calls forth God’s judgment.  

   1 “Don’t worry.  Nothing can go wrong.”  Satan understands how appealing such reassurances are and is always eager to make the most of them.  He even used them on Jesus.  “Go ahead and jump.  Nothing bad is going to happen to you.  Go ahead and worship me.   That won’t really change anything about you.”  

   2 Nothing bad is going to happen.  I am financially safe and secure.  I know what I am doing is not ethical according to God, but everybody in the business world is doing it.  My position is too insulated for anything bad to result from my unethical behavior. 

   3 Nothing bad is going to happen.  I know I am not personally involved in helping people who are struggling as God suggests.  But our government is doing a fine job of helping people.  Besides our government is too strong to let anything bad happen.

  4 Nothing bad is going to happen to us.  I know greed is making our products too expensive in the world market.  But we can’t possibly lose our prosperity.  

  5 LORD, thank You for filling our lives with earthly blessings.  Please don’t allow us to refuse to listen to You as You call us to repent.       

What was important to these complacent, unappreciative rejecters of God’s call to repentance?  4 “You lie on beds inlaid with ivory.” They did not just have comfortable places to sleep.  Their beds told everybody else how wealthy they were.  

   2 “and lounge on your couches.”  What did they spend their time doing?  Not helping others.  Not educating others about the LORD.  Not being examples of godliness.  Just indulging themselves. 

  3 You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves.   Not just good food.  They had a banquet circuit where they would try to top the previous meal.  People actually raised their own animals so that the meat would be unique, and thus would impress the neighbors.  

  4 5 “You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments.”  Music had to be new and different.  Why?  Because that made the parties better, excited the passions more, and intensified the revelry. 

  5 6 “You drink wine by the bowlful.”  Bowlfuls don’t just enhance the meal.  They remove inhibitions and liven up the parties.  Everybody needs to be loose if the party is going to be fun. 

  6 “and use the finest lotions.”   At parties you are probably going to have some physical contact with somebody, so you might as well smell nice.  Maybe even enticing or attractive.

  “but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.”  They did not feel sorry for the spiritual downfall of their nation.  They did not feel bad that they had abandoned the LORD and had replaced Him with the party circuit.  They did not feel as if anything was missing even though there was no ongoing relationship with the LORD.  They were too busy using God’s earthly blessings to think about their Savior.  They were too busy experiencing the physical side of life to think about the spiritual side of life.  

  1 The LORD says to us that the most important part of our existence is our relationship with Him, the spiritual part of our lives.  He tells us that He wants that relationship to last forever.  He tells us that He wants to forgive our sins so that that relationship does last forever.  He tells us that He had His Son live, die and rise so we might be His children now and forever.  He tells us that relationship with Him is something that He keeps alive when He works in our lives through His Word and Sacrament.  Is that relationship with Him important to us?  Is the spiritual side of our lives preeminent in our lives? 

   2 God has given us the ability to have Sleep Number beds, to lounge on our couches watching football, to eat at restaurants whenever we want, to listen to music on our ipods, to choose between Miller High Life and Leinenkugel’s, and to use Old Spice or Chanel #5.   These are all blessings from the LORD to be used while we are on this earth.  

   3 LORD, please don’t let all these earthly blessings push our relationship with You into the back seat.  Please don’t let us focus on them and abandon You.  Don’t let the abundance of Your earthly blessings lead to a lack of spirituality in our lives.    

Written Sermon 9/25/2022

CWC - Pentecost 16 (proper18)- Gospel Lesson -  K B Kuschel

Luke 14:25 - 33

 25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

Why wouldn’t anybody follow Jesus? Following Jesus is great.

Once you follow Jesus, you never have any problems.  

Everything is wonderful, peaceful.    No? 

Jesus never said that is what following Him would be like

.

Today He reminds us what FOLLOWING JESUS MEANS.

It means I. Hating

II. Committing

III. Fighting

(Luke 14:25) “ Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: {26}"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple.”  Hate your father, mother, wife, children, brothers & sisters, even your own life!?  That sounds like the opposite of what Jesus usually taught.  He usually taught us to love our lives because life is a gift from God.  He usually taught us to love our family members because when we do that we are reflecting His attitude toward us.

   What does he mean here?  Notice what the topic is.  "If anyone comes to me.”  A little later - “he cannot be my disciple.”  Jesus is telling us what it takes to be a follower, a disciple of His.  {27} “And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”  A cross is any difficulty which comes into a person’s life here on this earth because that person is connected with Jesus.  It would include physical persecution, verbal ridicule, economic intimidation, or social isolation.  Jesus is saying a person has to be able to put up with these things if that person is going to be a follower, a disciple of His.  All of these things potentially hinder us from following Jesus.

   It is in that setting, when that is being discussed, that He says: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters, he cannot be my disciple.”  If people in our lives contradict our desire to follow Jesus, we are to hate them.  If people in our lives hinder us from following Jesus, we are to hate them.  If people in our lives try to prevent us from following Jesus, we are to hate them.  Even if the people are father, mother, wife children, brothers or sisters, we are to hate them.  We are to renounce our normal affections for them and hate them because of what they are doing to our attempt to follow Jesus. 

   {26}"If anyone comes to me and does not hate even his own life--he cannot be my disciple.”  If my lifestyle hinders me from following Jesus, I am to hate it.  If my life’s work contradicts my desire to follow Jesus, I am to hate it.  If my life’s holdings hinder me from following Jesus, I am to hate it.  Even if my life -  and that includes my lifestyle, life’s work, and life’s holdings - is  a gift from God, I am to hate it because of what it is doing to my attempt to follow Jesus.

  B1 Let’s make an attempt at coming up with an example. Even though it is three months away, let’s use Christmas as an example.  You get along well with your family.  You are required by the pressure of the family to be at the gathering of the clan for Christmas Eve.  It is entirely a secular event.  Jesus is not the focus of the gathering.  It conflicts with your ability to worship your Savior with your brothers and sisters in the faith on Christmas Eve and makes it impossible for you to worship your Savior on Christmas Day.  If you don’t attend the gathering, you are verbally attacked and socially isolated by your own family members.  It is proper for you to renounce your normal affections for them and hate what they are doing to you as you attempt to follow Jesus. Jesus says so.

    Another attempt at an example.  I love my home.  It is beautiful, comfortable, practical and in a good location.  But it requires a lot of money.  In addition to the time that it takes to earn the money that is needed, it takes a lot of time to keep it looking beautiful. It also takes a lot of time to keep everything working properly so that it remains comfortable.  Very often I find myself not having enough time to be growing spiritually in my relationship with Jesus, not having enough time to carry out my role of spiritual shepherd by leading my family closer to Jesus.  It is proper for you to renounce your love for your lifestyle, life’s work and life’s holdings and hate your life for what it is doing to you as you attempt to follow Jesus.  Jesus says so.   

“ Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said:   {28}"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? {29}For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, {30}saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'  Jesus doesn’t tell us why the person wanted to build the tower.  It doesn’t matter.  Jesus’ point is it took a huge amount of wealth to build a tower.  Maybe everything this person owned.  He had to decide whether he wanted to make such a commitment.

     How was he going to make such a decision?  He had to try to figure out ahead of time whether he could accomplish building a tower with the assets he had.  If he did not do that, he could commit all of his wealth to the project, start the project, run out of assets, and still not have a tower.  If he tried to figure it out ahead of time, and came to the conclusion that he did not have enough assets, he would not start the project.

   Jesus punchline is the last verse: {33} “In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”  So, the meaning of this paragraph must be: Following Jesus means making a complete long-term commitment. That commitment over the long term will cost you.  People need to be aware of that.   

    Let’s look at some chronology.  I am brought to faith as a little one through the waters of Baptism.  No cost there.  I spend my early years in a loving Christian family.  Everybody believes that Jesus is the Savior.  No cost there.  I am educated in a Christian congregation where I publicly confess that Jesus died to wipe away my sins, Jesus lived to cover me with his righteousness, and Jesus rose so I will live forever with Him.  No cost there.  I am also educated in a system which makes me feel foolish for believing what I believe.  I can either be not so open about it or get shunned.  There’s a cost there.  I pursue vigorously a profession in which it is very difficult to do things God’s way.  I can either not do things God’s way or not do as well as I might.  There’s a cost there.  I am given the ability to experience many things in this life with the people who have become my friends.  Some of it is not pleasing to God.  I can either go along with what they are doing or not be as closely connected with them.  There’s a cost there.  Jesus point is - we need to know that over the course of time  a long-term commitment to following Jesus will involve some cost.    

Let’s look at the goal.  I want to be a follower of Jesus until the Lord calls me out of this life so that I might spend eternity with Jesus.  My faith in Jesus when I was a little child won’t affect my eternity if I have lost my faith during the course of my life.  My godliness when I was surrounded by a Christian support system at certain points in my life won’t counterbalance my impenitence and rejection of Jesus’ forgiveness for my godless lifestyle if that is where I am when the Lord calls me out of this life.  Jesus’ point is -   following Him means a lifelong commitment.  

   Let’s be honest.  I don’t like it when something costs me something.  I don’t want to lose my friends because I follow Jesus.  I don’t want to lose my success because I follow Jesus.  I don’t want to lose out on anything because I follow Jesus.  I don’t want to make this kind of a commitment.  And even if I do, I know I won’t be able to keep it.  That is a correct evaluation of me, a sinful human being.

    But I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.  Jesus is my best friend.  What greater success is there than having a eternal relationship with God.  What better experience can there be than an eternity with the Lord.  Jesus makes us aware of the cost of being a disciple..  Jesus makes us aware of the commitment involved in following Him. But Jesus makes us able to do all things by giving us the strength to do even those  things that we wouldn’t want to do on our own.

“ Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said:   {31}"Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? {32}If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.   A lot of evaluation has to happen before someone goes into a war.  The king Jesus describes evaluates his troop strength.  He is outnumbered two to one.  Would his position make it a fair fight?  Would his better equipment make it a fair fight?  

      If he sees that there is no way that he will be able to conquer the enemy, he will not go into the battle.  On the basis of his evaluation he determined he would lose his army and his kingdom.  That was not what he wanted. So, he would take his chances on the agreements made in a peace treaty.   

    Becoming a follower of Jesus is the easiest thing in the world.  It takes no effort on our part.  Eternal life is a gift. God gives it to us freely.  He forgives our sins because Jesus died on the cross.  He gives us the holiness which Jesus lived in our place.  He exempts us from punishment because Jesus suffered it for us.  He gives us unending life because Jesus rose from the dead.  He gives us faith by sending the Holy Spirit into our lives.  It’s all a gift.  Free.  What could be easier than that!?

     Following Jesus is the hardest thing in the world.  That is because we are immediately in a war.  The devil hates it that we have become followers of Jesus.  He uses every tactic He can to disengage us from our relationship with Jesus.  He tries to convince us that we are going to be missing too much if we follow Jesus.  He tries to convince us that we are good enough to live forever on our own and we shouldn’t need a crutch like Jesus.  Jesus wants us to be like the king who knew ahead of time what the fight was going to be like.

    Following Jesus is the hardest thing in the world.  It means we have to be constantly fighting.  The people around us are going to be influencing our attitudes just by exercising their approach to life.  Since their approach to life isn’t God’s approach to life, we have to be fighting it otherwise it will overwhelm us.  If we aren’t aware of the need to be fighting, we are going to become just like everybody else and we won’t even notice it.  Jesus wants us to be like the king who knew ahead of time what the fight was going to be like.

    Following Jesus is the hardest thing in the world.  It means there is a civil war going on inside each of us every day.  The old sinful self which remains a part of us as long as we are in this world insists that self has to come first otherwise we will be overwhelmed by all the other selfish people in the world.  Sinful pride keeps insisting that we are better than most of the scum in the world around us and God ought to be satisfied with our best efforts.  Since this is an inside lobbying job, we don’t even notice when love for others and trust in Jesus is fading out of the picture.  Jesus wants us to be like the king who knew ahead of time what the fight was going to be like.

    The devil, the overwhelming numbers of the people around me, my own sinful self.  Too many enemies.  I am outnumbered.  I can’t win this war on my own.  I need some help.  That is exactly where Jesus wants to lead us with this little story.  Remember the punchline.   {33}In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.  One of the things we give up as followers of Jesus is our self-reliance. We rely on Jesus.  

     What gets us through the fighting?  Jesus doesn’t allow anyone to pluck us out of His hands.  Jesus gives us real abundance in life. Jesus convinces us that is it is a privilege to be the salt of the earth.  Jesus love for us compels us to love others.  Jesus makes it possible for us to be humble.  

Lord help us to continue to hate what is necessary, commit what is necessary, and fight what is necessary so that we might continue to  follow Jesus.

Written Sermon 9/18/2022

CWC- Pentecost 15 (proper 17)- Old Testament Lesson  - Kieth Bernard Kuschel

                                Proverbs 25:6,7

.6 “Do not exalt yourself in the king's presence, and do not claim a place among great men; 7 it is better for him to say to you, "Come up here," than for him to humiliate you before a nobleman.” 

What is something worth?

Why is something worth what it is worth?  

WHAT ARE YOU WORTH?

On your own?

In Christ?

What are you worth?  How do people determine what they are worth? Sometimes on the basis of what is going on in life right now.  I get good grades in school.  Whom am I worth a lot to?  People who need help with their schoolwork.  I work very hard at my job. Whom am I worth a lot to? My company.  I have a job. Whom am I worth a lot to?  My family.  

    What are you worth?  Sometimes people answer that question on the basis of their skills.  I can pass a football better than anybody else in my high school. Whom am I worth a lot to? The team.   I can play the organ.  Whom am I worth a lot to?  The congregation.  I can hit over .300 in the major leagues.  Whom am I worth a lot to?   I am worth several million a year to myself.   

    What are you worth?  Sometimes people answer that question on the basis of their involvement.  I volunteer at the soup kitchen.  Whom am I worth a lot to? Needy people.  I coach basketball on the grade school level. Whom am I worth a lot to? The players.  I handle easily all my household chores. Whom am I worth a lot to? My parents.   I help my friends say “No” to godlessness.  Whom am I worth a lot to? My friends. 

   King Solomon warns us about taking our self worth from any of the above.  Why?  Because comparisons are always relative.  You are doing well at school.  Comparison?  There is probably somebody doing better.  I started at quarterback as a senior.  Comparison?  The starter the next year was better.   I volunteer two hours a week.  Comparison?  Somebody else volunteers three. 

    Then what happens? .6 “Do not exalt yourself in the king's presence, and do not claim a place among great men; 7 it is better for him to say to you, "Come up here," than for him to humiliate you before a nobleman.”   Somebody evaluates your worth differently from how you evaluate it.  You are humiliated.

   What are you worth?  There is a more important question than, “What are you worth to yourself?”  Or “What are you worth to others?”  What are you worth to God?  God has given us a standard to measure ourselves with to determine what we are worth to Him.  What is that standard called?  God’s law.  It says, {Lev 19:2}“Be holy because I the LORD your God am holy.”  If we are going to be worth anything in God’s sight, we have to be able to keep the Law.  

    There is a problem.  None of us perfectly keeps God first in our lives.  None of us makes use of every opportunity to talk about Jesus with others.   None of us always gladly goes to Bible class.  None of us always verbally respects our teachers.  None of us perfectly takes care of his or her body.  All of us would like to have sex with that attractive person in our life who is not our marriage partner.  None of us joyfully pays our taxes.  All of us verbally trash our rotten neighbors.  All of us want something God says we can’t have.  On the basis of God’s Law we are worth nothing to God.  On our own we have no worth.  

   When the LORD leads me to acknowledge that, it makes me truly humble.   Humility is the first step in repentance.  Humility says, “In spite of what I think of myself, and in spite of what others might think of me, on my own I am not worth anything to God.  Because of my sins, I am in a terrible mess.  I need help.    

If we don’t have any worth to God on our own, what should be our attitude about ourselves?  Hinduism and Buddhism teach that the correct way to think of oneself is to try to forget about one’s individuality and press on toward the ultimate goal of Moksha or Nirvana where the individual is absorbed into the supreme universal reality.   

    The Bible, however, does not teach that the opposite of self-worth is no individuality at all.  The Bible teaches us that we as individuals are very valuable.  God values each of us.  It tells us that our uniqueness as individuals will never be lost.  Jesus didn’t just die for the world.  He went seeking the one lost sheep.  God isn’t just the caretaker of the universe.  He cares for each of us individually.  

  B1 How does God’s care for us as individuals show itself?  He thought we were so valuable to Him, that He didn’t want us to be cut off from Him now and forever.  He wanted us to be a part of His family now and forever.  He committed Himself to do whatever was necessary to accomplish our rescue from the punishment of death and hell that we deserve.

   2 How much are we worth?  To God we are worth enough that He had Jesus take our guilt on Himself.  If God had not removed our guilt from us and put it on Jesus, God would have had to punish us.  Instead, Jesus our Substitute was punished.  He suffered the death and hell we deserve because of our sin, so that we might escape from that.  If we weren’t worth anything to God,  He wouldn’t have had Jesus do all that for us. 

   3 How much are we worth?  To God we are worth enough that He had Jesus live an entire life cycle for us here on this earth.  If Jesus hadn’t lived as our Substitute and never sinned, there would be no source of holiness for us.  Holiness is demanded by God if we are going to be part of God’s family forever.  If we weren’t worth anything to God, He wouldn’t have had Jesus do all that for us.  

   4 What are we worth?  Because of Jesus we are worth a lot to God.  We are holy, acceptable to Him.  His people.  Members of His family.  His servants who do His will.  If that is God’s view of us, shouldn’t it be our view of ourselves?  In Jesus Christ, valuable.  Functional.  Worth a lot.  Because of Jesus we are going to be able to hold our heads high on Judgment Day.  Because of Jesus I can hold my head nigh now while I am waiting for Jesus.  Because of Jesus I am a child of God.  

  C1 That doesn’t sound very humble.   But it’s OK.  Listen to Jeremiah.  (9:24) “Let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth.”  Listen to St Paul: (2 Cor 12:9) “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power my rest on me.”  Or in 1 Cor 1:31: “Let him who boasts, boast in the LORD.” 

   2 You are worth something because of Jesus.  Life is worth something because of Jesus.  Your skills are valuable because they are gifts from Jesus.  Your tasks are valuable because Jesus wants you to accomplish something.  Your relationships are valuable because through them you can bring Jesus to people. Your words are important because they tell others about Jesus.  

   Conc: Human beings on our own 

                   worthless.  

             Human beings in Christ 

                   - priceless.    

Written Sermon 9/11/2022

Pentecost 14  

Kieth Bernard Kuschel

Luke 13:22-30

22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don't know you or where you come from.’ 26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 “But he will reply, ‘I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ 28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.” 

May God the Holy Spirit lead you through the narrow door.  Amen.

“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door,” Jesus said.  Think of a door that is two inches narrower than you are, standing sideways. The door is also two inches shorter than you are. .  The only way you can get through this door is if you have absolutely nothing attached to you.  No motorcycle helmet. No back pack.  No elegant or bulky clothing.  Just you.  

    When we are discussing spiritual matters, we have to acknowledge that we human beings are always wearing a bunch of stuff.   We have this motorcycle helmet on called selfish pride, or the big head, if you would rather call it that.  God says that is sin.  We have our back pack stuffed with things we don’t want to give up even though we know they are against God’s will.  God says they are sinful words and actions.  We are wearing what we think are elegant clothes, things that other people have complimented us for doing, but which we know were done in our own selfish best interest.  God says that attitude is sin.  If we are going to get through the narrow door, all of this stuff has to be removed.

  How does all of this stuff get removed?   Try as we might we won’t get rid of any of it on our own.  We need some outside help.  Jesus provided this outside help for us.  He took our selfish pride, our sinful words and actions, and even our selfish attitudes on Himself and removed them from us.  Or to use another Bible picture - He washed away all of the guilt of these things in His blood.  So we aren’t wearing any of this stuff that we continue to produce as sinners. So we fit through the narrow door. 

    How do we know that is what Jesus was thinking of when He said: “Make every effort to enter though the narrow door.?”  Listen to Jesus in John 10: 7 - “I am the gate for the sheep.”  9 - “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” How about John 14:6 -  “I am the way;.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”   Jesus didn’t say, “In order to be saved you must be spiritual.” No. He wasn’t abstract, nebulous, generic, general or imprecise.  Why?  Because He loves us.  He wanted us to know the answer to the question, (23)“Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”  Jesus is the door.  The only door.  

“Are only a few people going to be saved?”  Your answer needs to be precise.  The guilt of my sin makes it impossible for me to fit through the narrow door.  Jesus’ blood washes away the guilt of my selfishness, my loveless actions and words, and my self-oriented attitudes.  Only if that guilt is removed will I fit through the narrow door. 

 “Are only a few people going to be saved?”  Your answer needs to be precise.  Jesus says only holy people fit through the narrow door.  Since I don’t produce holiness, I couldn’t get past the reception desk on my own.  Jesus gives me the holiness that I can’t produce for myself.  Holiness that He lived as a real human being.   He covers me with it.  When I stop at the reception desk of the kingdom of God, what do we tell the receptionist?  We say, “Jesus is my Savior. What does God see?  When He is looking at a believer, He sees Jesus.  And Jesus is holy.  So He says to us, “Come on in the door is open.”    

 “Are only a few people going to be saved?”  Your answer needs to be precise. You see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”   I doesn’t matter what ethnic background you come from.  It doesn’t matter where in the world you live.  It doesn’t matter if you live right after the Creation of the world or right before Judgment Day.  Jesus is the Savior of every person who has ever lived or will ever live in this world.  He is the only one through whom anyone can enter into the feast that is going to last forever with the LORD.  Jesus is the Door.  The only door.  If we love people, we are going to tell them precisely that.  

I Jesus very clearly in this discussion indicates that there is another side to this issue.  {24}“Many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.”  What keeps people from being able to fit through the narrow door?  If all the attachments are not removed, a person won’t fit.  When a person refuses to allow the blood of Jesus to wash off his sins, he won’t fit.  That can happen for two reasons.  He might not acknowledge what he is doing is sin, and therefore doesn’t repent and seek forgiveness.  Or he might not believe that what Jesus did has any significance for his relationship with God.  Lack of repentance. Rejecting Jesus the Savior.  Both keep people out of the narrow door.   If we love people, we are going to tell them precisely that 

   There is another reason people don’t fit. They insist. {26}“We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.” “We hung out with you Lord, while we were living on earth.  We were Your people.  Look at our lives.  Don’t they prove we were Your people?”  Jesus quote is:

“I don’t know you or where you come from.  Away from me, all you evildoers!”    When someone insists on getting through the narrow door on the basis of his own credentials, he must pay for his own sins.  That would take an eternity of punishment.   Second.  He must produce perfection.  That is impossible for any selfish human.   No human being on his own can make himself fit through the narrow door.  If we love people, we are going to tell them precisely that. 

   Everybody wants to fit through the door.  So the comment, “I don’t know you or where you come from,” gets an argument.  But an argument doesn’t change the verdict.  God doesn’t change the standards in the middle of the game.  Either you produce perfection, or you don’t.  Either you have no sinful selfish baggage, or you do.  Notice the statement is the same before and after the argument.  “I don’t know you or where you come from.”

      When it is time for a person to go through the narrow door, or be kept outside it, or to state it as we usually do, when it is time for the Lord to end a person’s life on this earth, it is too late to argue about your status.  The person who dies or on Judgment Day enters the courtroom of the Lord has no possibility of repenting then.  It is too late.  You can’t go back and fix things then.  Jesus puts it this way: 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’”  God’s verdict at the time of death and on Judgment day is final.  If we love people, we are going to tell them precisely that. 

   For those outside the door, the picture isn’t very pleasant.  {28}Weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Weeping is a sign of sorrow, pain, anguish, loss, failure.  Gnashing of teeth I think is the same as gritting or grinding your teeth.  You do that because the pain is so bad, because the anger, frustration, sorrow is so bad. Yes. God loves all people.  He wants all people to be saved.  But He also sends unrepentant people who don’t believe in Jesus to an eternity of weeping and gnashing of teeth.  If we love people, we are going to tell them precisely that. 

   Jesus notes that those {30}who are first will be last.  Those who heard Jesus preaching first and rejected Him.  Those who insist that they are first on God’s priority list because of their own personal piety will find themselves last. They will be outside the narrow door throughout eternity. If we love people, we are going to tell them precisely that. 

Jesus clearly teaches here that there are two places one can spend eternity.  Either with the Lord or apart from the Lord.  In spite of many attempts to blunt that message by saying a loving God would never push anyone away from Him forever, it is obvious from Jesus’ picture that He very clearly teaches us that the narrow door lets some in and keeps some out. If we love people, we are going to tell them precisely that. 

Written Sermon 8/28/2022

CWC - Alt Epistle Pentecost 12  - KBKuschel

                     Revelation 3:1-6

“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. 4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. 6 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches

Foretell the future???? See into the future?????

IA 1 How many of you like or liked to play hide and seek?  What made the game fun?  Actually finding place where you couldn’t be found.  With whom is it impossible to play hide and seek successfully?  Jesus.  Why?  Because He knows exactly where we are in life at all time.   Jesus says that to the people in Sardis and to us in the words before us today. {1} I know your deeds.   

    2 Let’s consider some deeds of the people in Sardis and of us. People gather regularly to hear the Word of God.  People celebrate the Lord’s Supper together weekly.  When asked, the members of the congregation indicate they believe that Jesus is their Savior.  What Jesus taught is taught in the classrooms to children and adults.  The members talk to God frequently.  The people live moral lives, doing what is right for the people around them. What is your evaluation of this group, which could be us?  Good Christian group.  Or the evaluation could be a sentence from the verses before us today: Jesus says: {1}“you have a reputation of being alive.” 

   3 These same people have no desire to get closer to Jesus and to hold onto His blessings of forgiveness, holiness and eternal life more tightly.  They don’t really trust in Jesus as their Savior. They don’t bother to participate in the classrooms where Jesus’ teachings are taught.  Their minds are not engaged when they talk to God.  Their morality has no connection with what Jesus did for them.  What is your evaluation of them now? Jesus says:{1} “You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.”  

  4 That is a very strong statement.  Did you notice there is no mention of specific or general immorality?  There is no mention of specific or general false teaching.   So what had happened to bring about their spiritual death?  Apathy and indifference.   “I don’t think the words that I am hearing are important.  I don’t think the bread and wine that I am drinking are special.  I don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus.  If I have time sometime, I will listen to Jesus intently.  When I have some needs, I will talk to Jesus earnestly.  Living a moral life is obligatory if this world is going to be a good place to live in.”  Jesus says:{2}  “I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.”   They looked complete on the outside.  They were not complete. Jesus is missing.  Spiritually dead. 

  5 Apathy has another result.  Jesus says: {3}But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.  “I don’t think what Jesus says is important.  I don’t really believe what Jesus says.  I forget about His promise to return on Judgment Day. His return happens.  It is a shock to me that He has returned.”

  B1 What is Jesus’ response to apathy?  He shouts out. {2} “Wake up.”“Repent.” He wants all to be saved.  He doesn’t want people sliding away from Him.  What stops the slide? 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard.  We have the truth.  Jesus died to wash away our sins. Jesus lived to cover us with His holiness.  Jesus rose so we can live forever.  Being reminded of those blessings on a regular basis is the only thing that will convince us that Jesus is important and that what He says is worth listening to. Jesus says, “Hold onto it.” {3}“Hold it fast.”

   2 What is Jesus’ response to apathy? {1}“To the messenger of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.  Jesus responds to apathy by communicating with us through His written Word.  In that written word we are reminded that He holds each congregation and its pastor in his hand.  In other words He has personal concern for all of us.  He loves us.  He isn’t apathetic toward us.    

.    3 What is God’s response to apathy? “To the messenger of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.  Jesus responds to apathy by dispensing the Holy Spirit with His seven gifts into our lives through His written Word.  With the Spirit active in our lives, we are reminded of Jesus’ love and His actions for our salvation.  That destroys apathy.  

Lord Jesus, as I look ahead, I see that apathy is very possible for me.  Please continue to make me aware of the danger of losing what I have.   Through Your Word and Spirit empower me to actively hold onto Your truth. 

IIA1 What do you see when you look in the mirror?   (Put in your own details) I see a 72 yr old male. 6 ft 1 inches. 175 pounds.  White beard. Thinning hair.   Weathered face.  

     2 What do you see when you look into another mirror? God’s Law.  I see a person who doesn’t do a very good job of keeping God first in my life.  I see a person who doesn’t use God’s name properly all the time.  I see a person who doesn’t use God’s word properly all the time.  I see a person who doesn’t like to be told what to do by authority figures.  I see a person who always doesn’t appreciate God’s gift of life as much as I should.  I see a person who often views my sexuality selfishly.   I see a person who doesn’t use his money to love others as much as I could.  I see a person who lashes out with words.  I see a person who sometimes is driven by wants.  

    3 What do you see when you look at yourselves through the eyes of Jesus?   A person whose sins have been washed away in the blood of Jesus shed on the cross for the whole world.  A person covered with the holiness which Jesus, really God,  lived as a real human being for the very purpose of providing it for the whole human race.  

   4 What do you see when you look at yourselves through the eyes of Jesus? A person who is living out life as a companion with Jesus.  A person, who because of the attached holiness of Jesus, is worthy to be part of the family of Jesus.   How do I know that is what Jesus sees?  He says so. {4} “They .... walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.”  

   5 What do you see when you look at yourselves through the eyes of Jesus?  I see someone who hasn’t become a victim of apathy and indifference. Somebody who is excited about worshiping Jesus every week.  Somebody who is awed by the reception of Jesus’ body and blood. Somebody who eagerly studies the Bible with brothers and sisters at Bible classes.  Somebody who actively benefits other people as Jesus has loved them.    How do I know that is what Jesus sees?  He says so.    “4 Yet you have ......people....who have not soiled their clothes.”       

 B1 What do you see when you look ahead?  I see somebody whom God has empowered to conquer Satan’s temptation to only look at the present.  I see somebody whom God has empowered to conquer unbelievers’ temptation to only look at the things around me.  I see somebody whom God has empowered to conquer my own selfishness.  That is what Jesus sees too.  How do I know?  He says so. 5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. 

   2 What do you see when you look ahead?  I see somebody who is going to be a part of God’s family forever.  I see somebody who, even after the physical body has died and decayed once, is going to live forever both body and soul.  That is what Jesus sees too.  How do I know?  He says so.{5} I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life,

    3 What do you see when you look ahead?  I see somebody whose body is going to be reconstituted on Judgment Day.  I see somebody who is going to be made complete again on Judgment Day with both a body and a soul.  I see somebody standing before God’s judgment throne.  I hear God saying, “Come you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world..”  Is that a correct vision of the future?  YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.  How do I know?  Jesus says so. {5} I will acknowledge you before my Father and his angels.

6 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.   LORD Jesus, keep my ears open and listening to what the Holy Your Spirit says to me through the Bible so that I keep seeing what You see when You look ahead: me with You in perfection forever.  

What do you see when you look ahead?

I. Short term: We will be actively holding on to the truth. 

  A. Danger: lose what we have

      1. God knows what is going on in our lives (Hide and seek)

      2. Outward actions

      3. Not based on relationship with Jesus

      3. Apathy leads to spiritual death  

      4. Apathy makes Jesus’ return unexpected   

   B. Solution: Return to the Word

        1. We have the truth

        2. Jesus gives personal message of care and concern (holds 7 stars)

        3. Jesus dispenses Spirit (7 spirits)

II. Long term: We will be with the LORD in perfection

   A. Present situation

       1. Look in mirror of God’s Law

       2. Covered with Jesus’ holiness

       3. Worthy to be part of God’s family

       4. Not soiled with apathy

   B. Future

       1. Overcome

       2. Names written in book of life

       3. Acknowledged by God on Judgement Day    

Written Sermon 8/21/2022

CWC - Pentecost 11 - Gospel Lesson   - KBKuschel

                            Luke 12:13-21

13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” 16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” 

What do you want more than anything else?

IA1 Jesus had just finished teaching the people about hypocrisy, God’s care for people, our need to tell others about Him, and the Holy Spirit’s help in giving us the right gifts at the right time.  One person in the crowd concluded that Jesus was an expert in all areas of life. 13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

   2 What was the problem?  Maybe he was a younger brother and the older brother who was in charge of distributing the inheritance refused to give him his part.   Maybe he was dissatisfied with the Old Testament law’s distribution system.  In that system the older brother got a double portion of the inheritance to help him maintain the farm or vineyard.  Everybody else got one portion.   

  3 14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”  What did Jesus see as the underlying problem behind this request?  Greed.  

  B1 In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us today our daily bread.”  We were reminded by Martin Luther that the concept “daily bread” includes “everything that we need for our bodily well being.”  How can Jesus teach us to ask Him for daily bread and also teach us that greed is a sin because life does not consist in the abundance of possessions? 

  2 The first thing we need to remember is that possessions are not sinful. Through His created universe God gives us everything that we need for our bodily well-being.  If God created the production mechanisms for the things we need for our bodily well-being, and if God is therefore the source of these things, then these things are not sinful.  Notice Jesus never says in the words before us today that possessions are sinful.  

  C1 But greed is.  Greed is an attitude.  Can somebody give me a definition of greed?  Dictionary says: “Excessive desire for getting or having.”  “Desire for more than one needs or deserves.”  Greed is a symptom of a spiritual problem.  Anybody know what the spiritual problem is?  The spiritual problem is that the greedy person believes that he or she must take care of him or herself.  Greed is fueled by a lack of trust that God will keep His promises to use the created world around us to provide us with the things that we need.  

  2 What is the opposite of greed?  Contentment. Thankfulness.  God blesses some people in this world with lots of possessions and others with very few possessions.   People in either situation can be filled with thankfulness to the LORD for what the LORD has given them.  People in either situation in life can be content with the amount of possessions the LORD has given them.  Or, people in either situation in life can have an excessive desire to have more than one needs.  Human life is supported by our possessions.  Jesus teaches us to ask the LORD to bless us with those possessions.  But greed is sin.  

15 Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.  

IIA1 Next Jesus told a little story.  “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. God was blessing this person with an abundance of possessions.

   2 What was the man’s attitude?  “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”  What did this man think the purpose of his possessions was? To indulge himself. To do whatever he wanted.  Totally selfish approach to life.  

  B1 For what purpose does God give us our possessions?  “Love your neighbor as yourself”(Matt 22:39).  We are to work hard, earn money, manage it well so that we have the food, clothing, shelter, education, and instruction in God’s word, which we need for the well-being of our bodies and our souls.  If we fail to love ourselves, act to take care of ourselves, we are telling God that His gift of our bodies and lives are not valuable enough to spend any effort on maintaining.  We are to use our possessions to take care of ourselves.  Not indulge ourselves.       2 For what purpose does God give us our possessions? “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”(ITim 5:8) If God has given us people who are dependent on us, we are to use our possessions to provide them with food, clothing, shelter, education, and instruction in God’s word which they need for the well-being of their bodies and their souls. To love others.  Not to indulge ourselves.  

   3 For what purpose does God give us our possessions? “Love your neighbor as  yourself”(Matt 22:39).  If people are not capable of providing themselves with food, clothing, shelter, education, and instruction in God’s word, which they need for the well-being of their bodies and our souls, God wants us to shoulder that responsibility.  That is loving others.  Not indulging ourselves.

   4 For what purpose does God give us our possessions? “Love your neighbor as yourself”(Matt 22:39).  If you really want to benefit your neighbor, you tell your neighbor about Jesus. The Holy Spirit uses that to bring people to trust that Jesus died to wash away their sins, lived to cover them with His holiness and rose so that they might live forever.  When we use a percentage of our money to get the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others, we are using our money to love those people.  Not to indulge ourselves.  

   5 For what purpose does God give us our possessions?  “If you owe taxes, pay taxes.” (Rom 13:7) When our possessions are used to support the government, which provides people with peace and safety, we are using our possessions to love others.  Not to indulge ourselves. 

 C1 Look around when you get home.  You have your storage spaces full.  The basement is full.  The attic is full. The garage is full.  The closets are full.  God is blessing us with an abundance of possessions. What do we do?  I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones 

   2 Nothing wrong so far.  But remember we are discussing attitudes here.  Attitude #1.  “The more possessions  I have the more freedom I have to indulge myself in personally satisfying non-necessities of life.”  “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” Attitude #2.   “The more possessions I have the more people I can benefit.”    Life does not consist in personal gratification.  

IIIA1 God responded.  ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’  Then Jesus’ comment after the little story.  21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”  Evidently the man in the little story was not rich toward God.  

   2 Why does God call this very successful man a fool?  Because this man stored up things for himself.  But since human life is not permanent, the things would go to somebody else.  Because the man focused totally on impermanent things for himself, he had no time for a relationship with God.  He was not rich toward God.

  B1 What does being rich toward God mean?  It means that our lives are filled up with God’s salvation.  God’s rescue of us from the guilt of our sins.  Jesus took our sins to the cross, shed His blood.  Washes them away.  That means we are rescued from death and hell as punishment for our sins.  

  2 What does being rich toward God mean?  It means that our lives are filled up with God’s holiness.  Jesus lived in this world, really God and really human, and never sinned.  He covers us with His holiness.  We are holy in God’s sight.  Qualified to be members of God’s family.  The Holy Spirit motivates us with the Gospel to reflect the holiness of Jesus with which we are covered.  Completely opposite of the selfishness we produce on our own.  

  3 What does being rich toward God mean?  It means that our lives are filled up with God’s gift of eternal life.  Life that doesn’t stop.  Jesus rose from the dead so that He might give us a relationship with God that never ends.  The problem with the rich man in Jesus’ story was he focused on the wrong things.  He focused on what was temporary.  

  4 In this world we get possessions by working hard for them.  We earn them.  That could make us rich.  We don’t become rich toward God by working hard or earning God’s riches.  We can’t. We are not perfect as God demands.  So, God gives us salvation because of Jesus’ death.  He gives us holiness because of Jesus’ life.  He gives us eternal life because of Jesus’ resurrection.  God gives us what is necessary to make us rich toward Him. 

  C1 Being rich toward God is totally separate from having an abundance of possessions.  There are four possible combinations.  A person can be rich toward God and have abundant possessions.  A person can be rich toward God and not have abundant possessions.  A person can be poor toward God and have abundant possessions.  A person can be poor toward God and not have abundant possessions.  Being rich toward God is not mutually exclusive of having abundant possessions or vice versa.  

  2 Remember it is all about attitude and focus. When the Holy Spirit has led us to set our hearts on things above, then our goal in life is to be rich toward God.  It doesn’t matter whether we have abundant possessions or not.  Life consists of being rich toward God.  

Written Sermon 8/14/2022

Your Father Gives a Yes Guarantee

Luke 11:1-13 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: “ ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’ ”

5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 

8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. 

9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 

11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Friends in Christ, my family just moved to a house after two years of living in an apartment complex, and three times during those two years we got a knock on the door quite late at night. The first was a kind neighbor letting us know our van door hadn’t closed and was sitting open. She didn’t want our battery to die or anything to crawl in there, so thank you! The second time, a kind neighbor let us know we had left our keys in the lock, dangling in view of the everyone in the hallway. She didn’t want anyone to walk off with them—thanks! The third time a kind neighbor realized a package on her step was misdelivered and it was actually ours, so she knocked loudly to make sure we got it. In each case, the loud knock on the door after 9 at night set our hearts beating fast, and our minds racing with a flurry of possibilities: Is someone going to barge in and rob us? Is this person crazy—do they not know how rude this is? Or wait…do they know it’s rude, but whatever they have to say can’t wait until morning. Of course, that last thought was correct in all three cases.

I’m sure not everyone here would dare open their door to a stranger that late at night, at least unarmed, but Jesus describes this happening at back-to-back houses in his story illustrating prayer here. First friends show up at your house in the middle of the night, then you hustle over to knock on your neighbor’s door even later in the middle of the night.

I love when Jesus tells us a story to get his point across to us listeners. Nothing draws you in like a story, especially if it gets a little silly and exaggerated…you want to see how it ends. Probably over half of his stories are totally relatable even now—they’re about parents and kids or plants or animals. Other parables make us imagine back to the days of kings and servants, and we can picture that. But a few stories include details from the culture at that time that would just be lost on us if we didn’t get other hints about what people in that culture acted and—most importantly here—what was polite.

Before phones, before GPS, before Holiday Inns at every exit, people got where they were going whenever they got there. And there was a standing agreement that towns would cover for travelers passing through, even if it imposes on you: Our town will host guests. And that’s that. You might entertain them one night, I might the next, but together, it’s our responsibility—not theirs—ours—to make sure everyone has a place to stay. Our town’s reputation depends on it.

Obviously we live in very different times. We never know who’s passing through, and we don’t think it’s our problem if they don’t have a place to stay. They can go find a hotel or Air B&B. But when your whole town was ten houses, all connected, or a few dozen families all around a town square, or inside the city walls, it was different. Common decency meant opening your home, offering not just a slice of toast but a full meal and going through motions of being a generous host, even if you’d rather be sleeping.

I’m guessing nobody wants a knock on their door here, and certainly not in FL, where that’s illegal in most neighborhoods. But in parts of the world, what Jesus describes is still the norm. I heard in the news that the census takers in Saudi Arabia are barely making progress because everyone invites them into their home for coffee and conversation, to be polite, so the government had to tell people to stop doing that--just let them take their survey and move on!

Jesus tells this parable, because the desperate person in his story is you. The man with extra bread to spare is God, your Father in Heaven. And you know it might be rude, you know it’s asking a lot, but what other options do you have? Your only hope for daily bread and forgiveness hangs on that man in his house with all that bread. You depend on him being generous, understanding your need, and answering his door. And if even a grouchy, tired curmudgeon like the guy in Jesus’ story will eventually get up and give you as much as you need—his point is, don’t you think God your Father will be much quicker than that, and give to you much more generously?

Ask, then. Seek out good things where you know you’ll find them. Knock and knock, even if it’s rude, even if it’s late at night, and even if it’s the thousandth or ten-thousandth time you’ve come to your Father in Heaven, desperate, hoping he can help you out in a pinch. Of course he will answer the door. He’s not hard to wake up, and he won’t hold it against you in the morning. In fact he loves to give you good things.

Best of all the good things he loves to give is his Holy Spirit. The Father gives the Spirit through the Son. You pray to your Father asking for strength to live an upright life, to make it to heaven, and not to lose the grace you’ve been given—of course he’ll say yes to that prayer, and he’ll answer your prayer by steering you to the word of Christ, the marvelous work of Jesus for you, in you, over you, through you. The Father gives the Spirit through the Son.

When you ask those famous Lord’s Prayer requests that Jesus taught a few verses earlier, what in there could God possibly say “no” to? His kingdom won’t come? He’ll withhold your bread or forgiveness? All of a sudden he will start leading you into temptation? Of course not. God himself guarantees you that his answer to all of these prayers is always going to be ‘yes.’

So don’t hesitate to pray because you feel you’re on the outs with God right now, or your request would be too big or too annoying or too impossible or too selfish—no, knock all that off and look at Jesus. The Son of God came to earth, was a guest in homes, taught us to pray, then went to Calvary, and on that cross answered our biggest, craziest, rudest prayer, which is: “Lord, don’t treat me like my sins deserve.” And clearly your Father’s answer, through Jesus is, “Yes. Because of what my Son is paying on that cross, Yes. I guarantee you I have forgotten your sins. I will treat you as my child—I want you to be a guest in my house forever. And you can talk to me about anything you want at any time, and it’s not rude. In fact, I would be the rude one if I did not get up and answer your prayer—my reputation depends on it.”

We love those guaranteed yes requests of the Lord’s Prayer, so we pray it often and love it. And even as expand off of that model prayer and pray to our Father about all sorts of other things on our minds, we always ask for it (1) in Jesus’ name (because he’s the only reason we have access to the Father) and (2) we pray according to God’s will. So your requests always sound like, “Lord, please give me or give my friend this thing that I want…or…something better if you can think of anything.” Ask, seek, knock that way, and again God’s answer will always be yes. He’ll either give you exactly what you’re asking for, or something that he can see is going to be even better for you

I want you to go through this week reassured by Jesus’ teaching here, Pray! It’s never rude. Again, he would consider it rude of himself not to answer you. So take him up on that. An answer is guaranteed, and it’s guaranteed to be as good as or better than you were expecting. Be a frequent guest knocking on your Father’s door this week, and those prayers of yours will get things done. Like James 5:16 says, the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Thank you, Lord, for declaring us to be your righteous people, and for making our rude requests such a priority for you. Amen.

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Activities:

1. Are you too timid or too bold in your prayers to God? (Is it possible to be either?)

1.  Commit to “ask…seek…knock” bravely and boldly before God’s throne this week about an issue that’s been bugging you.

1.  Your Father loves to give you his Holy Spirit through his Word and sacrament. Do you have a solid personal Bible-reading or devotion routine, or is it time to start a new one?

Written Sermon 8/7/2022

CWC- Pentecost 9 - Old Testament - KB Kuschel  

                                      Genesis 18:1-14 

18 The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. 3 He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. 4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. 5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.” “Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.” 6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.” 7 Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8 He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.  9 “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “There, in the tent,” he said. 10 Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?” 13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” 

When was the last time you laughed about something?

When it is bad to laugh about something? 

Humiliate someone 

When was the last time you laughed at God?   Why?

IA1 18 The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.  “Hey guys,” God said to two angels, “I am kind of bored.  Let’s go for a walk this noon.”  God took on appearances at very times in history.  Do you think He did that because He was bored? 

   2 From the rest of the verses before us today, why did God do that?  He had some things He wanted to talk about with Abraham.   He wanted to talk with Abraham about his son.  He also wanted to talk with Abraham about what was going to happen to Sodom and Gomorrah, since Abraham’s nephew Lot was living there.  

   3 How did Abraham respond to the presence of the three visitors?  2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. 3 He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. 4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. 5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.” “Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.” 6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.” 7 Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8 He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.    Abraham did a lot of preparing for this conversation with these strangers.  

  4 Question.  When do you think Abraham figured out that this was the LORD?   Either when this person started talking about Sarah having a child, or if not then, when this person knew Sarah who wasn’t present had laughed.  It’s a little humorous, isn’t it?  You can see Abraham doing a double take and asking, “You are predicting a baby for us?”  Or, “You can tell me what Sarah is doing even though you can’t see her?”.

   B1 When was the last time the LORD appeared at your house?  I think most of us would say, “He hasn’t ever taken on a visual appearance and showed up at my house.”  Although He is still capable of doing what He did in our text, He doesn’t seem to do that all that often these days.  

    2 However, God still wants to do with us what He wanted to do by showing up at Abrahams’ place.  He wants to talk to us.   How do we know He wants to talk to us?  He has given us a book through which He wants to talk to us.  Is God talking to us through the Bible?  

St Paul says He is.  “All Scripture is God-breathed.”  The words of the Bible are the same as words breathed out over vocal cords.  

   3 When does God show up in our lives and talk to us?   Most of us have some set times.  When we worship together with our congregational family.  When we use the Scripture in some fashion with our family members.  When we read, listen to or watch some Scripture-based communication by ourselves. 

  4 Abraham went through lots of preparation for his conversation with the LORD.  What preparation do we do? There are two areas of preparation.  One is physical.  I need to be able to focus on the words of the LORD.  What do I need to do ahead of time, so that I am physically able to focus on the words of the LORD.  Have any practical suggestions?  

The other area of preparation is attitudinal.  “Wow. I get to go and help a bunch of people stay close to Jesus.”  “Wow! I get to go to this gathering in which some people might be led for the very first time to believe that Jesus lived and died and rose for them.”  “Wow! We get to hear God talk to us right here at home.”  “Wow!  Isn’t it awesome that God actually talks to me through the Bible!”  LORD Jesus, please help us do whatever it takes to get ready to listen to You. 

IIA1 As the LORD talked to Abraham, he posed several questions.  In spite of the fact that the first question is the first thing recorded for us in the conversation between God and Abraham, I think the conversation had gone on for at least a little while before the LORD started approaching important topics.  The first question is: 9 “Where is your wife Sarah?”  The LORD knows all things.  He knew where Sarah was.  He asked the question to open the discussion to get to the topic He wanted to discuss. 

    2 The second question was:  “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’  This time the answer to the question was pretty obvious.  She laughed because 11 Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. The LORD asked the question, not for information, but to indicate to Abraham that He knew exactly what was going on in people’s minds.  The question tells us a characteristic of the questioner. 

   3 The third question was triggered by the reason for Sarah’s laughter.  14 Is anything too hard for the Lord?  This question was intended to get Abraham and Sarah to think about their personal beliefs about their God. It was also intended to get them to think about the consequences their personal beliefs about God had on their day to day existence. 

   B1 One of the questions God asks each of us is, “Where is Sarah?”  As we sit down and listen to the LORD talk to us through His Word, He asks us, “Where are the people whose souls I have entrusted to you?”   That is a question that we need to be thinking about as we audition various people who might be our marriage partners.  Will this person be willing to sit down with me together with my congregation and at home and listen to God talk to us through His Word?  That is a question that we need to be thinking about all the time.   Are my family members willing to sit down with me together with my congregation and at home and listen to God talk to us through His Word?  What can I do to help them get physically able to focus on the truth of God?  What can I do to help them have the attitude of excitement about listening to God that we discussed earlier.  “Where is Sarah?”

2 The LORD also asks us, “Why did you laugh?”  We need to be reminded regularly that the LORD knows what we are thinking. That’s because we often are really good at denying what we are thinking.  All of us have doubts.  Doubts about our abilities.  Doubts about our direction in life.  But we act as if we are the most confident people in the world.  The LORD knows what we are really thinking.  All of us have fears.  Fears about the future.  Fears about relationships.  But we act as if we are fearless.  The LORD knows what we are really thinking.  All of us battle sin.  On the surface it often looks as if we are not phased at all by temptations.  The LORD knows what we are really thinking.  “Why did you laugh?”  

   3 The LORD also asks us, “  14 Is anything too hard for the Lord?   You might not think you are able to accomplish something.  But the LORD can.  You might not know what direction to take, but the LORD does.  You might be afraid of the future, but the LORD knows exactly what is going to happen.  You might be afraid of what might happen to a relationship, but the LORD can fix it.  You might think it is impossible to overcome temptations, but the LORD can give you the strength to do so.  14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? LORD Jesus, thank You for asking us tough questions.

IIIA1 As the LORD talked with Abraham, he made a promise  10  “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.”  When God called Abram and Sarai to leave Ur, they had no children. Just a nephew Lot.  When they arrived in Canaan, God promised, “To your offspring I will give this land.”  Slight problem. No offspring.  After he and Lot parted ways, God promised “I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth.”  Slight problem.  No offspring. After Abraham wanted to make one of his servants his heir, God promised, “A son coming from your own body will be your heir.”  Slight problem.  No offspring. When Sarai determined that a child from her maidservant could be an offspring,  God promised “I will give you a son by Sarah.”    Slight problem. No offspring. 

   2 Now remember 11 Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing.  So this wasn’t just the promise of a son.  It was the promise of a miracle. 

   3 Why all this repetition?  Because the longer they were without a son, the harder it was for them to believe the promise.  So, God promised it again and again and again.   

  B1 God had also promised us a Son.  Ever since Adam and Eve sinned, God had promised that a real human being, who would also be really God, would come into the world to restore the relationship between God and humans that had been lost when Adam and Eve sinned.  This person was called offspring of a woman.  Really a son.   This person was also called Son of the Most High.  Really God.  

   2 This was an even bigger miracle than the one promised to Abraham and Sarah. In Abraham and Sarah’s case it was the miracle of making something inactive active again.  In the case of the Savior it was the miracle of a Virgin giving birth to a Son as well as the miracle of a person who is all-knowing, all-powerful, eternal, everywhere and unchanging at the same time having all the limitations of a human being. 

  3 From Adam to John the Baptist that promise of the Son who was a miracle was repeated.  Four thousand to ten thousand years maybe of repetition.  Why?  Same reason as for Abraham and Sarah.  The longer the promise wasn’t kept, the harder it was to keep on believing that it would be kept.  So, God promised it again and again and again.  

  C1 God has made some other promises to us.  He has promised to wash away our sins in the blood of the Savior.  Jesus of Nazareth took our sins to the cross.  Shed His blood.  Washes those sins away.  The Holy Spirit delivers that forgiveness to us through the Word and the Word attached to the Water and the Supper.  God has promised to declare us to be holy in His sight.  Jesus of Nazareth took our place.  Lived our life.  Never sinned.  Gives us His holiness.  The Holy Spirit covers us with that holiness as He works in our lives through the Word and the Word attached to the Water and the Supper.  God has promised that we will live forever.  Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead.  He offers us unending life with the LORD.  The Holy Spirit delivers that life to us through the Word and the Word attached to the Water and the Supper.  

    2 God promises to protect our bodies for as long as we need them to live on this earth.  He promises to protect our relationship with Him so we stay members of His family. He promises to implement that protection by taking up residence in us and by being right next to us at all times.  He carries out those promises every time we use His Word and His Word attached to the Supper.

  3 As we listen to the LORD talk to us through His Word, he repeats those promises again and again and again.  Why?  Because as sinners it is hard for us to believe that our sins are gone, it is hard for us to believe that we are holy in His sight, it is hard for us to believe that we will live forever.  So God repeats His promises again and again and again.

LORD Jesus, lead us to be ready when You want to talk to us so we get to hear the questions and promises