Sunday of Last Judgment
November 6, 2011
John 5:29
The Good Will Rise to Live
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sometimes Jesus confuses our Lutheran ears.
“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.” (John 5:28-29)
At the end of the world, the good will rise to live. Are you good?
There was one time when Jesus was traveling when a trust fund baby, a young man—we'll call him Mark—ran up to Jesus and asked Him how to get to heaven. This is what Jesus said:
“No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’ ” (Mark 10:28-29)
And Mark said, “Fantastic. I never did any of that stuff for my whole short life. I'm good.” Even though Mark's confidence in his own goodness was misplaced, Jesus loved Mark anyway. But since He loved Mark, He had to crush Mark's confidence in Mark.
Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” He said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. (Mark 10:21-22)
Jesus slams trust in wealth; He could also have used the rest of the story to crush trust in human goodness. Substitute “good” for “rich” in the following:
Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for the rich [or good] to enter the kingdom of God!”
The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich [or good] man to enter the kingdom of God.”
The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:23-27 NIV 1984)
Being rich is a state of mind. When you're a kid, a dollar is lot of money. When you're in grade school, $100 is a lot. When you're a teenager, $1,000 is a lot. How much is a lot when you're grown-up? Depends on where you come from.
Being good is a state of mind, too. When you're a kid, cleaning your room is good. When you're older, being good gets complicated. Depends on where you come from.
Some say you're good if you go to church; others say you're good if you don't. Some say you're good if you're rich; others say you're good if you're poor. Some say you're good if you're active in public life; others say you're good if you stay away from worldly business.
They're all wrong. Not of that makes you good.
Let me make it simple, or more accurately, let's let Jesus make it simple: saving yourself with your own goodness is impossible.
So God gives it to you. God does the impossible—the Father sent His Son who sends His Spirit. He loves, He dies, and He makes us alive. Hebrews 9:26 says: “[He] has appeared once for all … to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.”
A few minutes ago I said that sometimes Jesus confuses our Lutheran ears. The key is understanding where the good comes from. Not from us; it comes from Jesus to us through the Gospel of the Cross, sprinkled, spoken, supped.
The good will rise to live. Jesus says that you are good. That's good enough for me; it's good enough for you. God is good and He gives it to you.
Amen.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
August 21, 2011
The Christian Faith, One Word at a Time: Chosen
Romans 8:28-30
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
A long time ago a huge army surrounded Jerusalem. The king of this army was determined to destroy the king inside the city. This enemy king made fun of the king in the city by saying that he was like bird in a cage.
But one night God sent an angel from heaven down to Jerusalem. This angel proceeded to destroy the whole army. In the morning 185,000 dead soldiers (2 Kings 19) surrounded Jerusalem. The enemy king tucked tail and ran back home. Once again God had saved His people from certain destruction.
On the morning of this victory, a little boy looked out from Jerusalem as he stood on the city walls and saw the carnage. The day before he had looked out and had seen thousands and thousands of soldiers, spearmen, charioteers, archers, sappers, and calvarymen deployed around his city. But today he saw a miracle. This boy was Manasseh. He was a prince—he was the son of good king Hezekiah.
But seeing this miracle did not drive lasting faith into Manasseh's heart. Earlier you heard the evil things he did. But then... another miracle! Manasseh repented and believed (2 Chronicles 33). When his life ended, he did not die as God's enemy.
We see the hand of God in Manasseh's life that brought him into suffering. He was conquered and captured. He was tortured. But God chosen him and destroyed his hard heart. Manasseh's sufferings pointed him to his Rescuer, the coming Son of God, Jesus.
Romans 8:28-30 could have been written about evil king Manasseh.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Manasseh was chosen by God. We know this because God revealed to us in the Bible that Manasseh knew the Lord.
In the days that followed Manasseh's conversion he must have had some doubting days. He knew the sins he had committed.
He had worshiped idols.
He had used religion as an excuse to commit adultery.
He had descrecated God's Temple.
He had led God's people away from God.
And he had murdered his own son.
The devil must have tried to shame Manasseh into despair and drive him into unbelief. The devil must have shouted at Manasseh, “God did not choose you!! God couldn't ever choose you! Look at your life! It is filled with digusting and arrogant rebellion against God!! Hardened criminals would blush at your crimes!”
Exactly. The devil was right. Manasseh could only look at his life and despair of divine rescue. His days as a prisoner with a hook in his nose didn't make up for all the evil he had done. Even his life after coming to know God couldn't square things with the Lord.
No. Manasseh's only hope was his Savior. His hope was Jesus. And he was not disappointed. God not only wants all to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4); Jesus not only paid for the sins of all people, but God in eternity chose Manasseh to be one of His sheep who would end up in heaven. Then God so ruled over history that Manasseh would hear about the coming Rescuer, Jesus, and by the power of the Gospel, Manasseh would believe it and in the end die in saving faith.
God has chosen you. You and I trust in Christ's bloody cross and in His Holy Spirit's gifts of Baptism, Word, and Communion. They are rock-solid evidence that we are chosen of God. Do not look to your life to determine if God has chosen you. Rather look to Paul's words and by faith see how God has chosen you and let it fill us with humility and comfort.
Amen.
August 21, 2011
The Christian Faith, One Word at a Time: Chosen
Romans 8:28-30
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
A long time ago a huge army surrounded Jerusalem. The king of this army was determined to destroy the king inside the city. This enemy king made fun of the king in the city by saying that he was like bird in a cage.
But one night God sent an angel from heaven down to Jerusalem. This angel proceeded to destroy the whole army. In the morning 185,000 dead soldiers (2 Kings 19) surrounded Jerusalem. The enemy king tucked tail and ran back home. Once again God had saved His people from certain destruction.
On the morning of this victory, a little boy looked out from Jerusalem as he stood on the city walls and saw the carnage. The day before he had looked out and had seen thousands and thousands of soldiers, spearmen, charioteers, archers, sappers, and calvarymen deployed around his city. But today he saw a miracle. This boy was Manasseh. He was a prince—he was the son of good king Hezekiah.
But seeing this miracle did not drive lasting faith into Manasseh's heart. Earlier you heard the evil things he did. But then... another miracle! Manasseh repented and believed (2 Chronicles 33). When his life ended, he did not die as God's enemy.
We see the hand of God in Manasseh's life that brought him into suffering. He was conquered and captured. He was tortured. But God chosen him and destroyed his hard heart. Manasseh's sufferings pointed him to his Rescuer, the coming Son of God, Jesus.
Romans 8:28-30 could have been written about evil king Manasseh.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Manasseh was chosen by God. We know this because God revealed to us in the Bible that Manasseh knew the Lord.
In the days that followed Manasseh's conversion he must have had some doubting days. He knew the sins he had committed.
He had worshiped idols.
He had used religion as an excuse to commit adultery.
He had descrecated God's Temple.
He had led God's people away from God.
And he had murdered his own son.
The devil must have tried to shame Manasseh into despair and drive him into unbelief. The devil must have shouted at Manasseh, “God did not choose you!! God couldn't ever choose you! Look at your life! It is filled with digusting and arrogant rebellion against God!! Hardened criminals would blush at your crimes!”
Exactly. The devil was right. Manasseh could only look at his life and despair of divine rescue. His days as a prisoner with a hook in his nose didn't make up for all the evil he had done. Even his life after coming to know God couldn't square things with the Lord.
No. Manasseh's only hope was his Savior. His hope was Jesus. And he was not disappointed. God not only wants all to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4); Jesus not only paid for the sins of all people, but God in eternity chose Manasseh to be one of His sheep who would end up in heaven. Then God so ruled over history that Manasseh would hear about the coming Rescuer, Jesus, and by the power of the Gospel, Manasseh would believe it and in the end die in saving faith.
God has chosen you. You and I trust in Christ's bloody cross and in His Holy Spirit's gifts of Baptism, Word, and Communion. They are rock-solid evidence that we are chosen of God. Do not look to your life to determine if God has chosen you. Rather look to Paul's words and by faith see how God has chosen you and let it fill us with humility and comfort.
Amen.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
August 7, 2011
The Christian Faith, One Word at a Time: Longing (Eschatology)
Romans 8:19,23
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
There was once was a little boy. He was about seven years old. And one day, as he was eating his breakfast, he noticed that the cereal company was offering a special deal. Eat eight boxes of the cereal, cut out the UPC barcode thing, send all eight UPCs in to the company, and they'd mail you a hat.
Well, that boy just had to have that hat. So he started eating his cereal. It used to be his favorite cereal, but since his heart was set on that hat, the cereal didn't taste as good anymore. Eating all that cereal became a chore.
But he did it. He ate enough cereal and collected enough UPCs for the hat. He mailed off the labels to the cereal company and waited. Every day after school, he'd get off the bus and run to the mailbox to see what was inside. And everyday he was crushed when the box wasn't there.
The company promised delivery in six to eight weeks, but for a little boy it felt like forever. But still the little guy's hope in the coming hat box lived on. After weeks of running to the mailbox after school, his friend thought that he might be getting numb—a constantly empty mailbox must have proved to him that the hat was never coming. But even the suggestion that the postman might have misplaced the box in his truck and just might have made a second trip to the mailbox caused the little boy to speed off toward the mailbox just in case. His longing for his treasured hat was still alive.
We've all waited for things. When you're younger, most of the time you are waiting for things: toys, bikes, hats, games, you know, stuff. But as you get less young, you mostly wait for things to happen. When will I be done with middle school? When will I be done with high school? College? My apprenticeship? My promotion? When will I get married? When will I have children? When will I get to travel? When will I be done working and retire? When will I get to see my grandchildren? How long do I have to stay here on earth?
So often we long for earthly things or for earthly things to happen; rarely do we long for heaven. That's why Paul has to remind us that we are strangers here and that heaven is our eternal home:
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1-3)
We should long for things above, not because hats (worldly things) are bad, but because hats don't last. The world God created in six days can't create anything that will last forever.
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed… Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. (Romans 8:18-19, 23-25)
The devil wants us to grow numb with waiting and longing. He hopes that we turn to other diversions to pass the time and in the end divert ourselves to spiritual death. I'm not really saying this to you here today; I'm hoping that you'll help me pass along this gentle warning to the member of our church family. For our friends and family in their 20s and 30s who are just getting started in life, focusing on earthly things and failing to long for things above is dangerous.
18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means… 20 The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. “ (Matthew 13:18, 20-22)
The seed on rocky places reminds me of our young adults. Some of them have not seen the Christian life modeled as they grew up. Thus they have no root. After church was over their folks never talked about church or the sermon. Church was placed in a box and only came up again on Saturday night. It consisted of parents wondering, “Are we going to church tomorrow?” Young adults have been taught that church is a boring chore.
The second half of the parable's explanation speaks to the parents and folks in their middle years. So much to do because you've tried to do it all. You're so busy that you have no time to sit and be still and ponder the mercy of Christ and how He has forgiven you and that He is coming back. You've no time to long for the things above.
Remember the longing of that little boy. He longed for that hat. He waited and waited. He still went to school. He still ate breakfast. But his heart was standing on tip-toes as he waited patiently for his earthly thing.
Dear chosen ones of God, let your hearts long for your complete redemption. As a young adult, did you skip a decade of receiving the Sacrament? You are forgiven in Christ. As a parent, did you teach your children to love the things of the world? You are forgiven in Christ. As a human being, have you allowed the worries of this life to squeeze your faith into a box? You are forgiven in Christ.
Dear fellow believers, we long for the glory that is hidden in Christ to be revealed. The Greek word for revelation at its most basic is the idea of uncovering. We perhaps can see that little boy ripping open the box for his longed-for hat. Let us so much more long for the revelation that will occur when all things are made new.
Amen.
August 7, 2011
The Christian Faith, One Word at a Time: Longing (Eschatology)
Romans 8:19,23
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
There was once was a little boy. He was about seven years old. And one day, as he was eating his breakfast, he noticed that the cereal company was offering a special deal. Eat eight boxes of the cereal, cut out the UPC barcode thing, send all eight UPCs in to the company, and they'd mail you a hat.
Well, that boy just had to have that hat. So he started eating his cereal. It used to be his favorite cereal, but since his heart was set on that hat, the cereal didn't taste as good anymore. Eating all that cereal became a chore.
But he did it. He ate enough cereal and collected enough UPCs for the hat. He mailed off the labels to the cereal company and waited. Every day after school, he'd get off the bus and run to the mailbox to see what was inside. And everyday he was crushed when the box wasn't there.
The company promised delivery in six to eight weeks, but for a little boy it felt like forever. But still the little guy's hope in the coming hat box lived on. After weeks of running to the mailbox after school, his friend thought that he might be getting numb—a constantly empty mailbox must have proved to him that the hat was never coming. But even the suggestion that the postman might have misplaced the box in his truck and just might have made a second trip to the mailbox caused the little boy to speed off toward the mailbox just in case. His longing for his treasured hat was still alive.
We've all waited for things. When you're younger, most of the time you are waiting for things: toys, bikes, hats, games, you know, stuff. But as you get less young, you mostly wait for things to happen. When will I be done with middle school? When will I be done with high school? College? My apprenticeship? My promotion? When will I get married? When will I have children? When will I get to travel? When will I be done working and retire? When will I get to see my grandchildren? How long do I have to stay here on earth?
So often we long for earthly things or for earthly things to happen; rarely do we long for heaven. That's why Paul has to remind us that we are strangers here and that heaven is our eternal home:
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1-3)
We should long for things above, not because hats (worldly things) are bad, but because hats don't last. The world God created in six days can't create anything that will last forever.
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed… Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. (Romans 8:18-19, 23-25)
The devil wants us to grow numb with waiting and longing. He hopes that we turn to other diversions to pass the time and in the end divert ourselves to spiritual death. I'm not really saying this to you here today; I'm hoping that you'll help me pass along this gentle warning to the member of our church family. For our friends and family in their 20s and 30s who are just getting started in life, focusing on earthly things and failing to long for things above is dangerous.
18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means… 20 The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. “ (Matthew 13:18, 20-22)
The seed on rocky places reminds me of our young adults. Some of them have not seen the Christian life modeled as they grew up. Thus they have no root. After church was over their folks never talked about church or the sermon. Church was placed in a box and only came up again on Saturday night. It consisted of parents wondering, “Are we going to church tomorrow?” Young adults have been taught that church is a boring chore.
The second half of the parable's explanation speaks to the parents and folks in their middle years. So much to do because you've tried to do it all. You're so busy that you have no time to sit and be still and ponder the mercy of Christ and how He has forgiven you and that He is coming back. You've no time to long for the things above.
Remember the longing of that little boy. He longed for that hat. He waited and waited. He still went to school. He still ate breakfast. But his heart was standing on tip-toes as he waited patiently for his earthly thing.
Dear chosen ones of God, let your hearts long for your complete redemption. As a young adult, did you skip a decade of receiving the Sacrament? You are forgiven in Christ. As a parent, did you teach your children to love the things of the world? You are forgiven in Christ. As a human being, have you allowed the worries of this life to squeeze your faith into a box? You are forgiven in Christ.
Dear fellow believers, we long for the glory that is hidden in Christ to be revealed. The Greek word for revelation at its most basic is the idea of uncovering. We perhaps can see that little boy ripping open the box for his longed-for hat. Let us so much more long for the revelation that will occur when all things are made new.
Amen.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Festival of Pentecost
Festival of Pentecost
June 12, 2011
Why Prophesy?
Joel 2:28-29 and Acts 2:17
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
Pentecost was a harvest festival. (Since the Holy Land's climate has two seasons, instead of four, they gather many of their crops in our late spring.) The Jews call it Succoth, which means Booths, like little tents or lean-tos. Seven weeks after Passover, the Jews would again return to Jerusalem to camp out in these little booths (a remind of the forty years in the wilderness) and thank God for the crops they had harvested. But New Testament believers in North America aren't as focused on harvest festivals like in olden times. Thanksgiving is sort-of our harvest festival. But Old Testament Pentecost and New Testament Pentecost have one thing in common: prophecy... and I don't mean telling the future.
Recently Harold Camping, a false prophet, predicted that on a Saturday (May 21, 2011) several weeks ago all true Christians would disappear from the earth and would be taken on up into heaven. Leaving aside that only God knows when the Last Day will dawn (Matthew 24), no one should have followed Mr. Camping because he has never prophesied anything true. He had previously predicted judgment days on May 21, 1988, and September 7, 1994.
Now the test for any prophet is the truth. Now some false prophets are more clever than others and make predictions about the future that are so far away that there is no way to see if they come true. But once in a while, guys like Mr. Camping remind us of the words the Holy Spirit inspired Moses to write:
Deuteronomy 18:21-22 (NIV 1984)
21 You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” 22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.
But what about May 20, 1988? Should anyone have been afraid of Mr. Camping and taken him seriously the day before his first prediction (presumably) about the end of the world? The answer is no.
Here's why: Prophesy is about truth, past, present, and future. Good prophesy doesn't just mean telling the future and getting it right. It also means speaking the truth about the past and the present. Therefore you can spot a false prophet not just based on what he says about the future, but what he says about the past and the present. In other words, you can tell a false prophet based on what he says about the Bible. Does he speak the truth?
Mr. Camping doesn't. He denies we are born as enemies of God. He says that we aren't spiritually dead due to our sinfulness. He—and he's hardly alone in this false opinion—boldly rejects what the Holy Spirit tells us:
Romans 8:6-8 (NIV 1984)
6 The mind of sinful man is death... 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
Mr. Camping essentially uses an eraser to the word “not” and changes Words that do not belong to him, so that it reads, “The sinful man can submit to God's law.” This profound lie that Mr. Camping prophesies is just as soul-crushing as the pope's prophecy that we are rescued by both faith and deeds. Indeed it is the same false prophecy. They both appeal to the Law for certainty of rescue, and thus guarantee that they shall never have certainty.
But we do. We are certain of our rescue, even in the face of all our repeated sins that simply prove how hostile to God we still are. We join with Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, to prophesy the truth:
Romans 7:18-19 (NIV 1984)
18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.
But in spite of this, we are certain that we stand rescued both right now and for eternity. How is this true? Because of the work of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The Father sent, the Son died, and the Spirit prophesies.
About six months ago, our prophecy, that is, our worship and preaching, in church focused on the Father who loved the world and sent His only-begotten Son into the world. Your rescue is certain because the Father loves you.
Then you followed Jesus to the cross where He became the sin of every human being ever conceived and took the world's place on the cross. On Good Friday He paid the ransom price for all. He paid it by dying. Your rescue is certain because He paid the ransom price for you.
On the first Pentecost, the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, tongues of fire danced on their heads, and they were able to speak in many known languages. But after the crowd assembled, what did they hear? “The end of the world is near!” No! They heard prophecy about the past.
Acts 2:22-24 (NIV 1984)
22 “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
Peter and the disciples prophesied about Jesus, which is to say that they told the truth about Jesus. Today, on this anniversary of Pentecost, your rescue is certain because Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to bring Himself to you in Word and in Sacrament.
When Joel predicted the future of the Church, he said this about God and His people:
Joel 2:28-29,32 (NIV 1984)
28 “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days...
32 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
As God's children, baptized by the Holy Spirit, believers prophesied by telling the truth about Jesus the Rescuer, whom the Father had sent. We are told that Stephen (Acts 7), Paul (Acts 9), and Peter (Acts 10) saw visions. Paul dreamed dreams (Acts 16, 18, & 23).
In the Old Testament God's people camped out during Pentecost, went to church, and listened to prophecy. We do the same and listen to the same prophecy, which has now been accomplished, and we too remember that our fine homes are simply booths, lean-tos, temporary tents in which we live while we wait for the promised land.
And while we wait, we prophesy. We speak the truth about Jesus until He returns.
Amen.
June 12, 2011
Why Prophesy?
Joel 2:28-29 and Acts 2:17
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
Pentecost was a harvest festival. (Since the Holy Land's climate has two seasons, instead of four, they gather many of their crops in our late spring.) The Jews call it Succoth, which means Booths, like little tents or lean-tos. Seven weeks after Passover, the Jews would again return to Jerusalem to camp out in these little booths (a remind of the forty years in the wilderness) and thank God for the crops they had harvested. But New Testament believers in North America aren't as focused on harvest festivals like in olden times. Thanksgiving is sort-of our harvest festival. But Old Testament Pentecost and New Testament Pentecost have one thing in common: prophecy... and I don't mean telling the future.
Recently Harold Camping, a false prophet, predicted that on a Saturday (May 21, 2011) several weeks ago all true Christians would disappear from the earth and would be taken on up into heaven. Leaving aside that only God knows when the Last Day will dawn (Matthew 24), no one should have followed Mr. Camping because he has never prophesied anything true. He had previously predicted judgment days on May 21, 1988, and September 7, 1994.
Now the test for any prophet is the truth. Now some false prophets are more clever than others and make predictions about the future that are so far away that there is no way to see if they come true. But once in a while, guys like Mr. Camping remind us of the words the Holy Spirit inspired Moses to write:
Deuteronomy 18:21-22 (NIV 1984)
21 You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” 22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.
But what about May 20, 1988? Should anyone have been afraid of Mr. Camping and taken him seriously the day before his first prediction (presumably) about the end of the world? The answer is no.
Here's why: Prophesy is about truth, past, present, and future. Good prophesy doesn't just mean telling the future and getting it right. It also means speaking the truth about the past and the present. Therefore you can spot a false prophet not just based on what he says about the future, but what he says about the past and the present. In other words, you can tell a false prophet based on what he says about the Bible. Does he speak the truth?
Mr. Camping doesn't. He denies we are born as enemies of God. He says that we aren't spiritually dead due to our sinfulness. He—and he's hardly alone in this false opinion—boldly rejects what the Holy Spirit tells us:
Romans 8:6-8 (NIV 1984)
6 The mind of sinful man is death... 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
Mr. Camping essentially uses an eraser to the word “not” and changes Words that do not belong to him, so that it reads, “The sinful man can submit to God's law.” This profound lie that Mr. Camping prophesies is just as soul-crushing as the pope's prophecy that we are rescued by both faith and deeds. Indeed it is the same false prophecy. They both appeal to the Law for certainty of rescue, and thus guarantee that they shall never have certainty.
But we do. We are certain of our rescue, even in the face of all our repeated sins that simply prove how hostile to God we still are. We join with Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, to prophesy the truth:
Romans 7:18-19 (NIV 1984)
18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.
But in spite of this, we are certain that we stand rescued both right now and for eternity. How is this true? Because of the work of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The Father sent, the Son died, and the Spirit prophesies.
About six months ago, our prophecy, that is, our worship and preaching, in church focused on the Father who loved the world and sent His only-begotten Son into the world. Your rescue is certain because the Father loves you.
Then you followed Jesus to the cross where He became the sin of every human being ever conceived and took the world's place on the cross. On Good Friday He paid the ransom price for all. He paid it by dying. Your rescue is certain because He paid the ransom price for you.
On the first Pentecost, the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, tongues of fire danced on their heads, and they were able to speak in many known languages. But after the crowd assembled, what did they hear? “The end of the world is near!” No! They heard prophecy about the past.
Acts 2:22-24 (NIV 1984)
22 “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
Peter and the disciples prophesied about Jesus, which is to say that they told the truth about Jesus. Today, on this anniversary of Pentecost, your rescue is certain because Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to bring Himself to you in Word and in Sacrament.
When Joel predicted the future of the Church, he said this about God and His people:
Joel 2:28-29,32 (NIV 1984)
28 “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days...
32 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
As God's children, baptized by the Holy Spirit, believers prophesied by telling the truth about Jesus the Rescuer, whom the Father had sent. We are told that Stephen (Acts 7), Paul (Acts 9), and Peter (Acts 10) saw visions. Paul dreamed dreams (Acts 16, 18, & 23).
In the Old Testament God's people camped out during Pentecost, went to church, and listened to prophecy. We do the same and listen to the same prophecy, which has now been accomplished, and we too remember that our fine homes are simply booths, lean-tos, temporary tents in which we live while we wait for the promised land.
And while we wait, we prophesy. We speak the truth about Jesus until He returns.
Amen.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Fourth Sunday of Easter
Good Shepherd Sunday
May 15, 2011
Both Lamb and Shepherd
John 10:11 and Hebrews 13:20-21
Alleluia! Alleluia! He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Dear friends,
In our daily lives we wear many hats. Spouse, parent, child, sibling, employee, citizen, and so forth. It's not too often when our various callings conflict with each other; mostly they overlap and complement each other. Sure, our vocations all compete for our time and attention, but being both a mom and wife or a brother and a US citizen don't inherently conflict.
But like I said, on rare occasions they do clash. Ask Abraham. He was a dad and a believer, and the one true God asked him to murder his son. Consider the conflict in Abraham's mind as he walked to the killing place. Sometimes God seems like the enemy.
Ask Jesus. He is both the Lamb of God and the Good Shepherd. He is both the Sacrifice that our sin demands and the One who protects us from ourselves. We see the anguish in Jesus' heart as He prays to His Father in heaven:
"Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me—nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done." [Then an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. Being in anguish, He prayed more fervently, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.] (Luke 22:42-44 Holmen Standard Christian Bible)
Jesus takes these two opposites and resolves the tension of His two roles. He tells us that He can't be the Lamb without being the Shepherd or, perhaps better said, He is the Shepherd because He is the Lamb.
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (John 10:11)
The Book of Hebrews expresses the same thought:
Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep—with the blood of the everlasting covenant, equip you with all that is good to do His will, working in us what is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21 Holmen Standard Christian Bible)
In our lives we strive to reflect Christ's selfless love as we deny self. When self says that Christ may have died for some, but not for you, we deny self as we take and drink the blood of Christ, shed for you, the everlasting covenant.
The inner conflict between self and sheep is where we need our Lamb and Shepherd the most. Jesus crushed our slavery to mindless wandering when He laid down His life for the sheep. Sheep have minds of their own, and left to their own wits, they'd always get gobbled up or wander off a cliff or starve. Left to ourselves we get gobbled up by greed, fall into lust, or starve ourselves with lazy distance from God's Sacraments.
So our Shepherd doesn't leave us, even when we want Him to. Sometimes out of compassion He pokes us in the ribs. Sometimes He may even seem like our enemy, when He allows wretched things to happen to us and to those whom we love. But He always knows what He's doing. He can see the future. That's one nice thing about shepherds—they're tall. Their horizon goes far beyond the grassy meadows of sheep sight.
From one sheep to another, our lasting comfort is always our Savior who wear two hats that seem to speak against each other, but with His divine plan brings them together in perfect harmony. Sylvia Dunstan captured the true opposites and perfect harmony of Jesus in her hymn, Christus Paradox. Let us pray it together as we stand before our compassionate Shepherd, our Lamb and Lord, Jesus Christ.
You, Lord, are both Lamb and Shepherd.
You, Lord, are both prince and slave.
You, peacemaker and swordbringer
Of the way you took and gave.
You, the everlasting instant;
You, whom we both scorn and crave.
Amen.
May 15, 2011
Both Lamb and Shepherd
John 10:11 and Hebrews 13:20-21
Alleluia! Alleluia! He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Dear friends,
In our daily lives we wear many hats. Spouse, parent, child, sibling, employee, citizen, and so forth. It's not too often when our various callings conflict with each other; mostly they overlap and complement each other. Sure, our vocations all compete for our time and attention, but being both a mom and wife or a brother and a US citizen don't inherently conflict.
But like I said, on rare occasions they do clash. Ask Abraham. He was a dad and a believer, and the one true God asked him to murder his son. Consider the conflict in Abraham's mind as he walked to the killing place. Sometimes God seems like the enemy.
Ask Jesus. He is both the Lamb of God and the Good Shepherd. He is both the Sacrifice that our sin demands and the One who protects us from ourselves. We see the anguish in Jesus' heart as He prays to His Father in heaven:
"Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me—nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done." [Then an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. Being in anguish, He prayed more fervently, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.] (Luke 22:42-44 Holmen Standard Christian Bible)
Jesus takes these two opposites and resolves the tension of His two roles. He tells us that He can't be the Lamb without being the Shepherd or, perhaps better said, He is the Shepherd because He is the Lamb.
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (John 10:11)
The Book of Hebrews expresses the same thought:
Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep—with the blood of the everlasting covenant, equip you with all that is good to do His will, working in us what is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21 Holmen Standard Christian Bible)
In our lives we strive to reflect Christ's selfless love as we deny self. When self says that Christ may have died for some, but not for you, we deny self as we take and drink the blood of Christ, shed for you, the everlasting covenant.
The inner conflict between self and sheep is where we need our Lamb and Shepherd the most. Jesus crushed our slavery to mindless wandering when He laid down His life for the sheep. Sheep have minds of their own, and left to their own wits, they'd always get gobbled up or wander off a cliff or starve. Left to ourselves we get gobbled up by greed, fall into lust, or starve ourselves with lazy distance from God's Sacraments.
So our Shepherd doesn't leave us, even when we want Him to. Sometimes out of compassion He pokes us in the ribs. Sometimes He may even seem like our enemy, when He allows wretched things to happen to us and to those whom we love. But He always knows what He's doing. He can see the future. That's one nice thing about shepherds—they're tall. Their horizon goes far beyond the grassy meadows of sheep sight.
From one sheep to another, our lasting comfort is always our Savior who wear two hats that seem to speak against each other, but with His divine plan brings them together in perfect harmony. Sylvia Dunstan captured the true opposites and perfect harmony of Jesus in her hymn, Christus Paradox. Let us pray it together as we stand before our compassionate Shepherd, our Lamb and Lord, Jesus Christ.
You, Lord, are both Lamb and Shepherd.
You, Lord, are both prince and slave.
You, peacemaker and swordbringer
Of the way you took and gave.
You, the everlasting instant;
You, whom we both scorn and crave.
Amen.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Resurrection Sunday
Easter Sunday
April 24, 2011
It's All About Life
Mark 16:-7
He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Dear friends,
Today each of us says it with great joy, “It's Jesus, Peter, and me; and it's all about life!” During Lent we've seen Peter's sin filled life, but today we see Peter being welcomed back to life.
Early this Easter morning three women went to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body. But instead of a cold dead body, they find a angel who tells them that Jesus isn't in the tomb. He's risen! Go tell Peter!
The message singled out—of all people—Peter. After Peter's track record of disobeying Jesus and even denying Jesus, we would expect the angels to tell the women to tell everybody, except Peter.
But this is the Gospel. There's life after sin because it was all for Peter. The cross was for Peter. Jesus' death was for Peter. The resurrection was for Peter. Now there is forgiveness for Peter.
After Peter denied Jesus, he must have felt dead. But to hear the words of the angels as the faithful women reported what they heard, Peter must have felt the weight of death lift. Then as he investigated the empty tomb, the hope of life continued to grow. And then Peter saw Him in the flesh. His certain death was stopped by Jesus' death on the cross... and then Jesus came back from the dead to tell him that he was forgiven. Certain death became certain life!
One last time we are see ourselves in Peter. Certainly in our sin. But just as certainly in the forgiveness of our sin. Because Christ physically rose from the the dead, our certain death also became certain life! Easter is all about life.
This is why we cry out this Easter with Peter: He is risen! He is risen indeed!
Alleluia!
April 24, 2011
It's All About Life
Mark 16:-7
He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Dear friends,
Today each of us says it with great joy, “It's Jesus, Peter, and me; and it's all about life!” During Lent we've seen Peter's sin filled life, but today we see Peter being welcomed back to life.
Early this Easter morning three women went to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body. But instead of a cold dead body, they find a angel who tells them that Jesus isn't in the tomb. He's risen! Go tell Peter!
The message singled out—of all people—Peter. After Peter's track record of disobeying Jesus and even denying Jesus, we would expect the angels to tell the women to tell everybody, except Peter.
But this is the Gospel. There's life after sin because it was all for Peter. The cross was for Peter. Jesus' death was for Peter. The resurrection was for Peter. Now there is forgiveness for Peter.
After Peter denied Jesus, he must have felt dead. But to hear the words of the angels as the faithful women reported what they heard, Peter must have felt the weight of death lift. Then as he investigated the empty tomb, the hope of life continued to grow. And then Peter saw Him in the flesh. His certain death was stopped by Jesus' death on the cross... and then Jesus came back from the dead to tell him that he was forgiven. Certain death became certain life!
One last time we are see ourselves in Peter. Certainly in our sin. But just as certainly in the forgiveness of our sin. Because Christ physically rose from the the dead, our certain death also became certain life! Easter is all about life.
This is why we cry out this Easter with Peter: He is risen! He is risen indeed!
Alleluia!
Good Friday
Good Friday
April 22, 2011
It's All About Death
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
How would you like to die? There are many answers to that question. But we can all agree that we don't want to die slowly. For most folks dying quickly is a blessing.
I heard of a pastor who died suddenly, as he was getting out of his car in the church parking lot. It happened on Easter Sunday.
If I could choose how I'd like to die that'd be in my top two. But I'd sure like to be able to preach my Easter sermon first, then go home and eat Easter dinner, and then turn on Bach's Easter Cantata, and then my heart stops.
Fast, painless, and cheap, too.
Christ's cross was slow, painful, and costly. But He considered it a joy.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:2-3)
How would you like to die? Jesus chose how He'd die. Of the thousands of millions of deaths that have and will occur—from Abel to someone's last breath taken before the Last Minute of the World—none, save one, maybe any difference to anyone.
This Holy Friday, don't grow weary and lose heart. Consider the joy of the cross and what He accomplished there for you.
Amen.
April 22, 2011
It's All About Death
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends,
How would you like to die? There are many answers to that question. But we can all agree that we don't want to die slowly. For most folks dying quickly is a blessing.
I heard of a pastor who died suddenly, as he was getting out of his car in the church parking lot. It happened on Easter Sunday.
If I could choose how I'd like to die that'd be in my top two. But I'd sure like to be able to preach my Easter sermon first, then go home and eat Easter dinner, and then turn on Bach's Easter Cantata, and then my heart stops.
Fast, painless, and cheap, too.
Christ's cross was slow, painful, and costly. But He considered it a joy.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:2-3)
How would you like to die? Jesus chose how He'd die. Of the thousands of millions of deaths that have and will occur—from Abel to someone's last breath taken before the Last Minute of the World—none, save one, maybe any difference to anyone.
This Holy Friday, don't grow weary and lose heart. Consider the joy of the cross and what He accomplished there for you.
Amen.
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