Monday, December 23, 2013

Spoiling the End of the World

Midweek Advent Commentary
Wednesday, December 18, 2013

If you're a Lutheran kid, there are only two days when you don't want Jesus to come back: your birthday and Christmas. Maybe some of us still feel this way. Toys and good feelings—why spoil it with the end of the world?

But our Master calls us to watch and pray and hope for His glorious return. There is no greater gift for Christmas than Jesus in the flesh, once and for all coming to take sinners, forgiven once and for all, back home.

And until His final coming, we do receive our Jesus in the flesh through the blessed Sacrament. No earthly gift will ever surpass the heavenly meal of Christ given and shed for us.

AUGUSTANA XVII
Christ’s Return for Judgment

Our churches teach that at the end of the world Christ will appear for judgment and will raise all the dead. He will give the godly and elect eternal life and everlasting joys, but He will condemn ungodly people and the devils to be tormented without end.

Our churches condemn the Anabaptists, who think that there will be an end to the punishments of condemned men and devils.

Our churches also condemn those who are spreading certain Jewish opinions, that before the resurrection of the dead the godly shall take possession of the kingdom of the world, the ungodly being everywhere suppressed.


Concordia : The Lutheran Confessions. 2005 (Edited by Paul Timothy McCain) (40). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.

Nebuchadnezzar and John: The Greatest or the Least?

Second Sunday of Advent
December 8, 2013

Matthew 3:1-12; 11:11 & Daniel 4
Nebuchadnezzar and John:
The Greatest or the Least?

In the name of Jesus.

I.
For all the bad things that Nebuchadnezzar did to God's people, it's strange that the account of King Nebuchadnezzar going out of his mind isn't widely known.

We know about Nebuchadnezzar throwing Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the fiery furnace, but we forget that the old evil king got his due here on earth. But the Lord didn't bring this justice on him for all his evil deeds; it was because of his pride.

The king spoke, saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30)

That I have built.” “By my mighty power.” “My majesty.” And the Lord says, in effect, “Very well. Since you think you are source of your power, I'll leave you to it.”

That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws. (Daniel 4:33)

But in the end Nebuchadnezzar repented and turned away from trusting in himself and by the work of the Holy Spirit trusted in the one true God. He stopped singing “We Are the Champions” in the royal We; he stopped singing about how awesome his Roar was and started singing a different tune.

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. (Daniel 4:37)
II.
But evil old kings seldom get justice and they rarely repent. Old evil King Herod did great evil and he never expressed any regret or shame. His wickedness was most obvious when he had John the Baptist's head removed from his body (Matthew 14:10). Not a happy ending for John.

It seems strange to us—since we think we are good at fairness—that John's life has a bad ending and Nebuchadnezzer's ended well. One who had done so much good for the kingdom of God and the other so much harm. And even Jesus spoke explicitly about how important John was.

Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist (Matthew 11:11)

III.
So who is the greatest? A Nebuchadnezzar who trusted the Word of God and repented? Or a St. John who purposely worked himself out of job and out of life?

You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.” (John 3:28-30)

To Jesus neither of them are the least. He loves them both with great love through His enduring deeds of His cross and His altar.

Where do you fit in? You aren't the greatest or the least. You aren't an evil king or a good prophet. You're you. But where do you fit in?

You are the stones that John spoke about. You are the dead stones that have been raised up to be Abraham's new children, the living people of God, baptized into Jesus by the Holy Spirit. Because He has washed you clean in His blood, you will see more grandeur and glory than Nebuchadnezzar could ever have possibly imagined. But he will see it alongside you in heaven, too, because of the Lord's great love for the greatest and the least and everyone else, even you.

In the name of the Father
and of the † Son

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Noah Is You

First Sunday of Advent
December 1, 2013

Matthew 24:37
Noah Is You

In the name of Jesus.

I.
Even he didn't know when the end would come. He knew it was coming, but not with any precision. He was waiting and the only difference between him and everyone else was that he knew he was waiting.

Who is he?

As the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. For in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah boarded the ark. They didn't know until the flood came and swept them all away. So this is the way the coming of the Son of Man will be: Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and one left. (Matthew 24:37-41)

II.
He was Noah. In those evil times God called him to find safety in an ark. Noah's neighbors most likely thought he was nuts, similar to our feelings toward the guy building the aluminum foil spaceship in his backyard. But Noah was right—the end was coming and he was ready for whenever it would come.

He is also you. In our evil times Jesus called you to find safety in a different ark, called the Church. So here you are, waiting for the end to come, but without any precision. So to be safe, you assume that it could come not any day, but today.

III.
Hollywood's made a movie about Noah and the flood. Russell Crowe will be Noah and early reports indicate that the movie will suggest that Noah was the world's first environmentalist. So instead of a faithful recounting of Noah's life, you'll see Al Gore with animals next year.

The people of the world want to believe that they can delay or even stop the end from happening. Their books, news, movies, and tweets will always try to put you to sleep with this lie. And they'll go on eating and drinking and getting married and living together until the end.

IV.
Like Noah, we know that the end is coming. The day and the hour have already been set.

Now concerning that day and hour no one knows—neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son—except the Father only. . . . Therefore [kept watch], since you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. (Matthew 24:36, 42)

And so we take Jesus seriously. Use this Season of Advent to pray every morning and every evening,

From there He will come to judge the living and the dead,

and

Conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary.

We remember that Jesus Christ has come in Bethlehem and He is coming back to judge the world. His first coming leads our hearts towards warm romantic feelings and His second coming leads our hearts towards not a little dread. But as you pray,

Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead,

our hearts become balanced on the cross of Christ. The temptation to get sucked into Merry Money Christmas and to use the holidays for our own ends is restrained. The temptation to dread the end of the world is calmed by the joy of Christ's resurrection, the rising back to life that belongs to you because the Holy Spirit has washed and fed you into trust in His promises.

IV.
It's easy to feel stupid waiting for the end to come. The pressure to chase that Christmas feeling can be overwhelming. But I suppose it wasn't easy for Noah. No one was campaigning to put Christmas tree lights on the ark, but it must have been lonely. Year after year, the world kept on spinning and did its evil things, but they sure were having fun. The temptation to join in the fun and stop watching must have been powerful.

Well, Noah is you. And when the waiting gets you down, open your photo album and see the pictures of your Baptism. Open up your favorite parable of Christ and begin reading. Call me up and I'll open up the church or come to your home and feed you His body and blood. And play it watchful, and don't assume that He's coming back any day, but that He's coming back today.

In the name of the Father
and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Cup of Thanksgiving

Day of Thanksgiving
November 28, 2013

1 Corinthians 10:16
The Cup of Thanksgiving

In the name of Jesus.

I.
What do you think about when you return from the Communion rail? There may be many thoughts running through your head, but I'd guess that the overall thought in your mind is thankfulness.

Thankful that your Savior Jesus has shown Himself to you—you have seen Jesus. By faith you have seen your Lord who hung on the cross and shed the blood that had kept Him alive. That blood was shed for you.

And that blood you have just received is the same blood shed from our Savior's hands and side. The body you have just received is the same body that was pierced for you. So we have not only seen the Lord, but we have tasted and seen that the Lord is good.

II.
Our thankful reaction for the Lord's gift of His own true body and blood is the same thankfulness expressed by St. Paul.

Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? (1 Corinthians 10:16)

From the time of St. Paul, there have been over 100,000 Sundays and on every Sunday from then until now, the Sacrament of the Altar has been celebrated and received with thanksgiving by millions of fellow believers. Their joy is real, because their Savior is real.

III.
So you return from Communion with folded hands or a head turned down. You return to your place in the congregation and quietly ponder the miracle you have just received.

And our thanksgiving continues as it flows from the Cup of Thanksgiving. The perfect feast you receive today is why the delicious meal from your heavenly Father will be so good for you. That turkey is nourishing a future resident of paradise!

So our table grace comes from the grace of His Table. Our prayer of thanksgiving as a family at home comes from Cup of Thanksgiving in which we commune as the Body of Christ.

Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf. (1 Corinthians 10:17)

And so on this day of thanksgiving, we remember where all our blessings begin and end—our generous Giver of all good things, Jesus Christ.

In the name of the Father
and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Sign of the King's Cross

Christ the King Sunday
November 24, 2013

Luke 23
The Sign of the King's Cross

In the name of Jesus.

I.
That sign above Jesus is often artistically abbreviated to INRI, which means Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. Pilate has this sign made and nailed to the cross for reasons unknown.

Perhaps he wanted to send a message to the Jews. If he wanted a reaction, he got one. They angrily said that the sign should say that this Jesus only claimed to be the king. Pilate's reply to their demand for the sign's removal is cryptic: “What I have written, I have written” (John 19:22). What did he mean by that?

Maybe his encounter with the living Word of God had begun to churn in his heart. Or at least this unique person deserved to have some recognition. But whatever the reason behind that sign of the cross, it is good, right, and salutary, as we used to say, that it was there, because every single letter on that sign is true.

II.
Jesus, the Joshua from Nazareth, is the Savior of Nazareth and every town, city, and village of this world. And He is the King. He is the perfect David and the second Adam, for Whom both Adam and David were waiting. And He is a child of Abraham—a Jew from the house of David. He is the King that God's chosen people, the Jews, had been waiting for for 2,000 years.

III.
As Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, hung on the cross, we see those around Him confessing Who He is, without themselves seeming to realize the truth of their statements. Words they meant as insult and injury, were really truthful confessions of the suffering Christ.

Pilate puts up the truthful sign. His Roman soldiers offer Him sour wine to quench His thirst, as though they could offer the living Water of Life a good drink or the Host of Holy Communion good wine.

The Jewish big-wigs admitted that He saved others with His supernatural power, yet go on to make the baffling statement that He wasn't the divine Messiah and their royal King.

The wicked criminal taunted Jesus, “Aren't You the Messiah? Save Yourself and us!” But that is exactly what Jesus is doing. Our Messiah is saving us by refusing to save Himself.

The sign of the cross tells the world the truth—our King willingly sacrifices Himself for His subjects. As His subjects we live in the New Testament, which is Christ Himself, and now we are all Jews. By trusting in His promises we are His chosen subjects, His chosen people, now and forever.

In the name of the Father
and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Monday, November 25, 2013

The Times of the Signs

Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost
November 17, 2013

Luke 21
The Times of the Signs

In the name of Jesus.

I.
Everybody believes that the world going to end. The only difference is a question of when. The religion of “Science” claims that life on this world will end when our sun dies out in six billion years. For others the world ends every Monday morning.

But the truth is much more personal and much less distant. The truth is the world is going to end soon and when it does, every person will begin or continue their never-ending existence in heaven or in hell.

II.
The end of the world is coming soon. Jesus told us to watch for the signs before He died. Just like you know winter is around the corner when the leaves fall (or when it snows), the times of these signs will be all around us.

Nation will be raised up against nation . . . There will be violent earthquakes, and famines . . . They will kill some of you. You will be hated by everyone because of My name. (Luke 21:10-11, 16-17)

Unlike many who are looking for events that will trigger the end of the world or will tell us that the End is only hours away, Jesus makes it clear that His Church will always exist in the final days. All the things He predicts have been happening since He ascended into heaven.

Wars and spying and politics. Yes, we have that. Earthquakes and famines and disease. Yes, we have that. Some Christians being murdered. Yes, we have that, even though most of us aren't aware of the details. In Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and Indonesia, churches are burned and Christians are murdered. And even here, “parents, brothers, relatives, and friends” betray us. Not just by their greed and lust and apathy, but their denial of the Gospel itself.

The end is surely near when pastors and fathers fail to rebuke their grown children, the souls under their care, for their regular refusal to go to their nearest congregation and receive Christ's preaching and His body and blood.

III.
Pray for the end to come so that we might escape this evil world and go home. Pray that those who stay away from Christ's church will repent and turn to trust that the kingdom of God is near.

Be on your guard, so that your minds are not dulled from carousing, drunkenness, and worries of life, or that day will come on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come on all who live on the face of the whole earth. But be alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to stand before the Son of Man. (Luke 21:34-36)

Guard yourself with prayer. Pray with your hands, both folded and active, knowing that one day those hands will be made new by the hands of our Creator and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

The signs are clear. Time is running out and eternity will begin soon because the Man who was nailed by hand to a cross at the fullness of Time is coming back.

In the name of the Father
and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Washing and Feeding Sinners for 47 Years

Church Anniversary
November 10, 2013

John 17
Washing and Feeding Sinners for 47 Years

In the name of Jesus.

I.
Let's take a look at Gethsemane by the numbers. Not how much money we have or how many members there are, but how Jesus comes to us in His Gospel Sacraments and takes cares of us through His shepherd.

There are 52 Sundays a year and then we add on the festival days, like Christmas and Easter, and we get 55. But there's Thanksgiving, too, and Ascension and Epiphany and the Presentation of the Augustana, so let's estimate 60 services a year. Times 47 years and we get 2,830 services where the faithful souls of Gethsemane have turned on the lights and have heard their pastor preach Christ and Him crucified in almost all those gatherings.

Throughout the years your pastor has preached in hospitals, where he spoke Christ to the sick or dying souls. Sometimes He went to wash a baby clean through Holy Baptism, and over the years at church, home, and hospital 170 dirty sinners where washed clean by Christ's promise.

Let's guess that the blessed Sacrament of Holy Communion was offered around 1,500 times over these many years, where hungry souls ate and drank Christ for their forgiveness. 1,500 is a good number and we can increase that number even more over the next 47 years if Jesus gives us the time.

II.
These are the numbers of our faithful Savior, and they all are founded on the number One. Jesus prayed before He went out to Gethsemane:

I pray not only for these [disciples],
but also for those who believe in Me
through their message.
May they all be one,
as You, Father,
are in Me and I am in You.
May they also be one in Us,
so the world may believe You sent Me. (John 17:20-21)

Before He was arrested among the trees of Gethsemane, He was already thinking of you, those who believe in Him. And you believe in Him through the message of the apostles, which is confessed simply by you in the Apostles' Creed. You believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the one true God.

III.
This is the name that unites two people who have never met: Laura Knutson and Nicholas Trier. Laura's in her 40's; Nicholas just celebrated his ninth day. Yet they share the same faith because of the work of Christ in His Gospel Sacrament. In 1968 Laura became the first baptized soul in the history of Gethsemane, and Nicholas is the latest.

We are from many different places, but our lives have brought us here, and we share the same faith that makes us one.

We are fulfillment of Christ's prayer.

In the name of the Father
and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Singing the Same Old Song

All Saints
November 3, 2013

Revelation 7:10
Singing the Same Old Song

In the name of Jesus.

I.
And they cried out in a loud voice:
Salvation belongs to our God,
who is seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb! (Revelation 7:10)

The only thing that Death can do is turn up the volume. Because of Christ's death that ripped away Death's power, every time Death comes to another believer, it fails and instead makes the heavenly host of believers larger and louder. Every day more saints die and in heaven the number of singers increase. The choir gets bigger with each passing day.

But the chorus is incomplete. As long as Time continues there are basses missing and altos and sopranos and tenors absent. The huge heavenly choir room has empty chairs, just waiting for Death to fill them in. And as each day goes by, there are less and less spots to fill.

The clock is ticking and singers on both sides of Death are waiting, some waiting to go and some waiting for us.

II.
And in the middle of all this waiting is the Maestro, the Master Singer, Jesus Christ.

All the angels stood around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures, and they fell facedown before the throne and worshiped God. (Revelation 7:11)

The early Church knew Death. Death was always around, so the early believers wanted to practice the songs that they would sing after Death came. And so over many years the liturgy of the Church was gathered together from God's Word and was sung by God's gathered guests. They came to church to sing His Word in song.

And so the liturgy practices us for heaven by singing, “Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” and “Lord, have mercy on us!” and “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” and “O Christ, Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the word, have mercy on us” and “Lord, now You let Your servant depart in peace” and much more.

The saints in heaven sing the liturgy and so the saints on earth wisely join them, so that when Death comes and when Time ends, we depart in peace singing the same old songs that we used to sing before the Real Presence of Christ on the altar, now before His throne, forever and ever. Amen.

In the name of the Father
and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Justice for Those Who Cry Out Day and Night

Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost
October 20, 2013

Luke 18:7
Justice for Those Who Cry Out Day and Night

In the name of Jesus.

I.
Why do you pray? This question is best answered by asking: When do you pray?

The widow in Jesus' story prayed day and night. And she asked for what she needed: justice. In the end the careless judge gives the widow justice just to get her to shut up. And then Jesus asks,

Will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly. (Luke 18:7-8)

II.
Now you already know when to pray. You pray when you need something. Our sin is that we refuse to see that we are always in need, day and night.

The widow knew that there was only person who could help her. And that's where she went. Learn from her. There's only one Person who can help you with all of your constant needs. And unlike that judge who couldn't care less for others, our Judge is full of care. Our careful Jesus promises to satisfy all our needs, not to get us to shut up, but to lead us to depend on Him even more.

Now this is the confidence we have before Him: Whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (1 John 5:14)

III.
Why do you pray? You cry out day and night to Jesus because you need justice and Jesus is the only One who can give it to you. And according to His will, His prayer, and His death, He gives you His justice according to His gifts. He is the Judge who declares you Just by sending away your guilt through water and word. He is the Sacrifice who gives us Justice through His own body and blood. He is the Widow in heaven who prays the Father for justice on our behalf day and night.

IV.
We are so deeply in need. In the comfortable prison of our wants, we can't even see it. But Christ lowered Himself down to us, and with His prayers and with His blood, He pulls us up to safety, now and forevermore.

In the name of the Father
and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

Jesus Mercies Ten Lepers

Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost
October 13, 2013

Luke 17:11-14
Jesus Mercies Ten Lepers

In the name of Jesus.

I.
They were desparate and they only had one chance to make contact. They weren't allowed into town, so they just prayed that He'd hear them on the road into town. They were a lot of people with Him—the noisy crowd was going to make it harder. But they had to try. He was their only hope.

Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (Luke 17:11-13)

It worked. He heard them. But He didn't speak a word of healing or lay His hands on them. Instead, He gave them a strange task—go to the priests.

This was a strange request for two reasons. First, you didn't go to the priests until after you were healed of your leprosy. Jesus was skipping ahead in the elaborate ritual of recognizing a healed leper. Telling them to go to the Temple priests was premature, because they still were lepers.

Secondly, lepers who were healed did not go to the priest; the priest was supposed to go out to the leper (Leviticus 14). If an over-eager leper made a mistake, he'd be bringing contagion into the city, something all lepers were forbidden from doing.

Strange command. But the ten lepers obeyed. Why? They were desparate—what else were they going to do? So they started on their way and on their way they realized that their bodies were no longer falling apart. Their skin was fresh and clean. Their dirty clothes hung over brand new flesh. They were healed!

So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. (Luke 17:14)

Jesus treated the lepers like He treats you—He makes you clean with His Word. And He forgives you because He chooses to give you the opposite of what you deserve. That's mercy. Humans always talk about someone who deserves mercy or those who don't. God doesn't talk that way at all—His mercy is always and only given to the undeserving.

Jesus knew that the other nine were coming back, but He still made them clean. And He mercifully allowed them to stay clean. He didn't re-leperize them when they didn't come back. No, when they showed themselves to the priests as He commanded, they were still clean. Jesus treated them not as they deserved. He mercied them.

And so it is with you. You're falling apart. Some days you can hide it; some days you can't. But every day Jesus comes to you because Jesus didn't come for the deserving, but for the undeserving. And Jesus mercies you. He mercies you by washing you, speaking kindly to you, and feeding you with His holy food.

You cry out, “Lord, have mercy!” And His answer is always the same, “Yes.”

In the name of the Father
and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

Sunday, October 6, 2013

For Thine Is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
October 6, 2013

1 Chronicles 29:11
For Thine Is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory

In the name of Jesus.

I.
Last words can be funny or profound. English playwright George Bernard Shaw remarked before he expired, “Dying is easy; comedy is hard.” Famous scientist Johannes Kepler's last words? “Solely by the merits of Jesus Christ, our Savior.”

For many believers, their last words aren't funny or original, but they are profound and true. Christians on their deathbed, even when they have forgotten the names of their own children, have been heard to pray, “Our Father, who art in heaven . . . “ and their last words are “For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Those last words that have graced the lips of so many believers were first spoken by King David. At the end of his 40 years as king, he spoken his last recorded words, that served as his last will and testament.

May You be praised, Lord God of our father Israel, from eternity to eternity. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to You. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all. Riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler of everything. Power and might are in Your hand (1 Chronicles 29:10-12)

We use David's words of praise as the last words of our Lord's Prayer. But what do these words mean?

II.
King David had great friends, lots of kids, a world-wide reputation as a warrior who had killed tens of thousands of bad guys, and a great place to live with lots of servants. And he was loaded.

But at the end of his life, David remembered who had done the loading. Everything that he had—money, friends, and reputation, and everything else—came from God and thus, everything David had wasn't his, but God's. When you pray, “For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory,” you are simply recognizing the reality in which you live. You are a servant in someone's else world; you are serving in someone's else house.

This reality should lead all people to live accordingly, but most don't because they hate the Someone to whom all things belong. But believers trust that all things are created by God and therefore they live in the real world. Jesus said,

So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, “We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.” (Luke 17:10)

III.
What is your duty? What is Jesus telling you to do? This depends on your vocation.

David's vocation was to be a king and a father. None of us are royalty, but many of us have been called to serve as fathers.

As a king David was a good steward who sought to leave the nation of Israel better than he had found it. And he considered improvement to be one thing: receiving the promises of God every day.

And this led him to carefully plan how he would use God's things to prepare for the building of God's Temple. Solomon's vocation was to actually build the Temple in Jerusalem, but his father David carefully planned out the necessary preparations. He arranged for building materials, but perhaps most importantly, he prepared Solomon for his task by being a good father.

David called his son Solomon “young and inexperienced” in his opening remarks. Why did he say that? He wanted Solomon to remain grounded in reality. There are few better gifts a father can give to a son. When Solomon would later be given wisdom directly from God, his father's final words would assist in keeping him grounded in reality: his wisdom was from God.

IV.
Dear Christians and fathers and mothers? Our church has already been built. So what is your duty now?

You imitate David's careful planning as you build your homes rooted and fed by Christ.

Coming to Him, a living stone—rejected by men but chosen and valuable to God—you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. . . .

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people for His possession,
so that you may proclaim the praises
of the One who called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light.
Once you were not a people,
but now you are God’s people;
. . . now you have received mercy.
(1 Peter 2:4-5, 9-10)

Build a strong foundation for yourself and your family by clinging to the joy that you have received mercy. All the forgiveness you have is from Christ. And in this reality, as Christ's living stones, you carefully plan your duty in His service.

As a congregation we ask how we build a foundation for our young stones that will leave them with a life-long love of learning Jesus' promises, so that they will have golden words to speak before Jesus calls them.

So instead of sparkling jewels and tons of gold, serve Jesus by raising up living stones with sharp minds and homes where we treat the Bible like gold. A wonderful offering you can place at Christ's feet as His unworthy servant is yourself and your family at prayer.

Spend your time, no, spend Jesus' time that He has given you, to daily pray the Ten Commandments, the Apostles' Creed, and the Lord's Prayer. Pray these promises for they have been given to you.

And then no matter when Jesus calls you home, your last words will be His words.

In the name of the Father
and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

The War Is Won; the War Goes On

St. Michael and All Angels
September 29, 2013

Revelation 12:7-12
The War Is Won; the War Goes On

In the name of Jesus.

I.
They accompanied the Lord when He told Abraham that he would have a son in his old age.

They rescued Lot from the wicked men of Sodom.

Jacob dreamed about them on the stairway to heaven.

And this is just a small glimpse of the work of the angels among God's people on earth.

The angels are busy. Jesus sends them to deliver messages. And He sends them out to fight.

Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels also fought, but he could not prevail, and there was no place for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was thrown out—the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world. He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him. (Revelation 12:7-9)

II.
This was war, but it's difficult for flesh-and-bone creatures to understand how a war is fought between spiritual beings. How can angels fight? We don't get the details; the tactics aren't explained. But we do know the winning strategy.

The eternal Son of God must die. And die He did.

The angels that had proclaimed the coming down of the Incarnate Son of God to Bethlehem saw Him die.

The angel that warned Joseph to flee to Egpyt with Mary and Jesus saw Him die.

The angels that ministered to Jesus after being tempted by the Snake in the wilderness saw Him die. (Matthew 4)

The angel that ministered to Him in Gethsemane's garden saw Him die. (Luke 22)

And then . . .

They went in but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood by them in dazzling clothes. So the women were terrified and bowed down to the ground. “Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” asked the men. “He is not here, but He has been resurrected! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day’? (Luke 24:3-7)

The angels rejoiced in His resurrection and were delighted to be first to proclaim that His death had destroyed Death itself! And by destroying Death, the Devil has lost his most trusted ally. Jesus has won the war. And He sent Michael, His trusted ally, His archangel, to hurl Satan and his demons down to earth.

III.
And here they still are. The Devil is mortally wounded. He has lost. But precisely because of his defeat, he is dangerous. St. Peter said,

Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

But Christ is more dangerous. As you pray in the morning and find refuge in your Baptism, you are smashing the Devil's lies with the faithful daily confession of who we are and who our Savior is. “I am a poor miserable sinner; and because I am, Christ is mine, and He washes me and feeds”—this is the bloodied Word that conquers Satan again and again and again.

They conquered him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony,
for they did not love their lives
in the face of death.
(Revelation 12:11)

IV.
There are good angels and there are bad angels. They are at war, even though Satan has already lost. But we still pray, “And lead us not into temptation,” which means that,

God tempts no one. But we pray that He would guard and keep us, so that the devil, the world, and our flesh may not deceive us nor seduce us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Though we are attacked by these things, we pray that still we may finally overcome them and gain the victory. (Small Catechism, Lord's Prayer)

And every day, the angels can pause from their war and rejoice that God's kingdom has come to another precious soul, both within the church and without.

What woman who has 10 silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she finds it, she calls her women friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the silver coin I lost!’ I tell you, in the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:8-10)

In the name of the Father
and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.