tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81754034015805729052024-03-26T23:36:06.772-07:00Sounding the ScripturesPeter Adelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17192317388264759988noreply@blogger.comBlogger380125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175403401580572905.post-42176897703425975722024-03-24T13:09:00.000-07:002024-03-24T13:09:17.847-07:00Sermon for Palm Sunday: "The Right Mindset" (Philippians 2:5-11)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWCNokV41kFuzJOAiP20HduBt8aZX5nspJ5_x981_gZshcq9eJqm-OAAxDTMoDq_9KaCoG6T57yVm003quXeUBLO1Wm_jyRMa5zGm4pIHsuCcewLAAFs_hTDe4fjdYAIBa5oALhVPoFTaFfvg5vzLQ0bQJqANj6mUc9Zee0wPmG5sA5nwU1-94aM5qDDQ/s1080/150590852_249306380088051_6882426997934897881_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWCNokV41kFuzJOAiP20HduBt8aZX5nspJ5_x981_gZshcq9eJqm-OAAxDTMoDq_9KaCoG6T57yVm003quXeUBLO1Wm_jyRMa5zGm4pIHsuCcewLAAFs_hTDe4fjdYAIBa5oALhVPoFTaFfvg5vzLQ0bQJqANj6mUc9Zee0wPmG5sA5nwU1-94aM5qDDQ/s320/150590852_249306380088051_6882426997934897881_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped”</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> (Philippians 2:5-6).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The Apostle Paul knew well the mindset of human beings. We are selfish and conceited. We look to our own interests.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Our natural mindset is to want things our way. I deserve it. I want it my way. By nature, we are self-centered and self-focused. We think of self first.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Now, this is nothing new. In fact, this is as old as humanity itself as this has been man’s mindset since the Fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. We want what we want, and we want it now, and we want it the easy way. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="background: white; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.5pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Instead of being patient in saving up money through hard work and sacrifice, we would much rather strike it rich through the lottery, sports betting, casino gambling.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.5pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Instead of paying off those student loans through sacrifice and determination, we would much rather have someone else pay off our financial debts. <br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.5pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Credit cards are super easy, so I can get whatever I want even if I don’t have the money. Now, credit cards are great to get points and rewards, but only if you pay them off each month. If not, credit card interest rates can easily lead to financial ruin. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But what’s the issue with all these illustrations? It’s all about self: me, me, me.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">You see, the natural human mindset is sinful. It doesn’t want to fear, love, and trust in God above all things. It doesn’t want to love our neighbor as yourself. Now, sin does do something. It destroys Christian congregations and unity in the one true Christian faith. It does destroy personal and family relationships. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">This natural human mindset even believes you can be your own god. So, we think that we do not need the true God directing us in how we live. I know God says that abortion is murder, but I have the right to choose myself. I know God says that He created man male and female, but what about how I feel inside? This natural human mindset says that we can direct our own lives.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">This is what Paul was aware of when he encouraged the Philippians to a whole new mindset.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">It is only Christ Jesus who brings us to His mindset. Christ transforms our mindset by taking the form of a servant and being born in our likeness. This mindset that Christ calls us to have is that of a servant. As Christ served us, He calls us to serve one another. Now, we could never serve one another as Christ served us. He is God after all. He served us despite being rejected, mocked, and hated.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Christ served us as <b><i>“He humbled Himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross”</i></b> (Philippians 2:8). Death on the cross was for criminals. Through Him taking upon Himself yours and my sins – <i>the sins of the entire world</i> – He became the chief of sinners, yet Himself without sin. He allowed the sin of the entire world to be nailed through His flesh and bone. He suffered the agony of the world’s sin in a slow and suffering death.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But with His shed blood and His death, Christ atoned for our sins of being self-centeredness, envy, and pride. In fact, every single sin of yours and mine – <i>and the entire world</i> – was paid for through Christ’s cross. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Through Christ’s atoning death and bodily resurrection, we, by grace through faith in Him, have a new mindset: we are forgiven in Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The Holy Spirit leads us with this new mindset to worship the Savior that we didn’t even think that we needed, <b><i>“so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” </i></b>(Philippians 2:10-11).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">When Christ comes again in all glory and dominion, descending from the clouds, like it or not, every knee will bow before Jesus. Those with saving faith and those who scorned Jesus. In awe or in terror, every knee will bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Because Christ has redeemed us from our sin, through His atoning suffering and death, we, in Christ, now live the mindset of Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We now look to Jesus as the Holy Spirit enables us to live humbly. We look to Jesus day after day, week after week. We look to Jesus today as He forgives you through His Means of Grace: Absolution, His Word, and at His altar. Now forgiven, you have eternal life now, so you live a life that is not seeking recognition, but a life that is for others. You share the good news of salvation in Christ with your family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors! You welcome them to hear this good news here at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">With the mindset of Christ, rather than having <b><i>“selfish ambition or conceit, [we live] in humility as we count others more significant than yourselves”</i></b> (Philippians 2:3). So now, through the Holy Spirit, we look not only to our own self-interests, but also to the interests of others. In Christ, we want to be of help to others in need. In Christ, we want to witness Him to them through our actions and our words. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">On this Palm Sunday, the Passion of Our Lord Sunday, Jesus was on the march toward Calvary, a march that began in Bethlehem and continued to the Jordan River. A march that led to His triumphant entry into Jerusalem. To the shouts of <b><i>“hosanna,”</i></b> Jesus was welcomed as a king, but by Thursday, He would be betrayed and delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, then on Friday, He would be mocked, spit upon, flogged, and killed. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But the King of kings would not remain dead in the grave. He would rise again, so that we can live our lives to His glory and praise Him as He has destroyed the power of our evil foes: sin, eternal death, and the devil.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">As we begin Holy Week, we glorify our Lord as we gather here again on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil, and of course, the reason we receive His gifts on Sunday, the Resurrection of Our Lord on Easter.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">May the Lord always keep you in the right mindset – <i>His mindset</i> – as we love God and serve our neighbor. Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: Candara, sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">SOLI DEO GLORIA</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><style class="WebKit-mso-list-quirks-style">
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</style>Peter Adelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17192317388264759988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175403401580572905.post-35685400076086020232024-03-20T19:59:00.000-07:002024-03-20T19:59:01.501-07:00Sermon for Lent Midweek 5: "Prayer: Our Greatest Weapon - Part 2"<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwVQH2804oeMKweilWnlx4rUNX5ZSnH6az6wSMQ5jzTK6NxesCoUPRBAs9wko8aH35aVXiLxtDjxtffuSOhqpbI3PTfBcbqKE8VWGC-ATzmeUrkKVv0PMyo24foYin9DuT_drWrEukGr4TLXE3n00CRU5Lr-38WNes8FTz8F7os6YMWCAkLfN8cImTJl4/s1524/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-19%20at%2010.38.32%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="944" data-original-width="1524" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwVQH2804oeMKweilWnlx4rUNX5ZSnH6az6wSMQ5jzTK6NxesCoUPRBAs9wko8aH35aVXiLxtDjxtffuSOhqpbI3PTfBcbqKE8VWGC-ATzmeUrkKVv0PMyo24foYin9DuT_drWrEukGr4TLXE3n00CRU5Lr-38WNes8FTz8F7os6YMWCAkLfN8cImTJl4/w400-h248/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-19%20at%2010.38.32%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Last week, we heard the first three petitions in the Lord’s Prayer. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="background: white; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #101010; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">First, God’s Name is holy in itself, but we pray that it may be hallowed in us and in the whole world and that the Word and the honor of God may be kept holy against blasphemers of His Name. This is done when His Name and His honor is in our teaching and life.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #101010; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Second, His kingdom comes when His Word increases and is powerful among us. We have His kingdom through His Word and Sacraments now and when His kingdom comes when we die, or Christ returns first.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="background: white; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #101010; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Third, that all those be restrained who oppose His Name and the kingdom of God, for the will of God is that <b><i>“everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day”</i></b> (John 6:40).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Each of these petitions, or requests, also serve us as our weapons against Satan’s spiritual warfare. Tonight, we will conclude our look at the Lord’s Prayer with the fourth through the seventh petitions.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">“Give us this day our daily bread.”</span></i><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> Now, what is meant by daily bread? Well, consider a breadbasket, which contains the necessities of our body and of the temporal life. So, “daily bread” is everything that we need to survive. It’s literal bread from the baker’s oven. It’s drink, clothing, shoes, house, home, land, animals, money, goods, a devout husband or wife, devout children, devout workers, devout and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, temporal peace, health, self-control, good reputation, good friends, faithful neighbors. “Daily bread” is not an accidental thing. “Daily bread” is the gift of God. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Now, this “daily bread” God gives to even the wicked and the godless. But nevertheless, we know and acknowledge that every “daily bread” comes from God.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, in this petition, we pray against everything that hinders daily bread. This petition is against tempest, war, and those who loot and steal that which belongs to their neighbor. But nonetheless, the Lord wants us to pray in order that we acknowledge daily bread as His gift.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Now, on to the next request: <i>“And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">No one does as he or she should do. But at the same time, we get stuck in the mire of being proud and think that we are thoroughly holy.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, all of us must say, <i>“Forgive us our trespasses.”</i> We must pray to God to give us a conscience unafraid, which is assured that your sins are forgiven. This petition serves those who are conscious of their sins. For one who falsely thinks that they are righteous by their own doing are only liars. <b><i>“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” </i></b>(1 John 1:8).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">In this petition, may everyone acknowledge the need for which you feel. We must all admit and confess that we do not do enough for our neighbor. Therefore, we must daily pray for forgiveness of sins.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">God promises the forgiveness of sins, but we must also forgive our neighbor. To this, Luther writes, <i>“If you have someone whom you do not forgive, you pray in vain. Therefore let each one look to his neighbor, if he has been offended by him, and forgive him from the heart; then he will be certain that his sin too has been forgiven … if you forgive, you too will be forgiven.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The life of the Christian is a life of repentance and forgiveness, and thus we pray to God our Father, <i>“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Now we can pray, <i>“And lead us not into temptation</i>,” which means “not into evil enticement.” What exactly is temptation? Temptation is sin that cling to us. There are three temptations: the flesh, the fallen world, and the devil.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">First, let’s look at the temptation that is of the flesh. Our flesh says, “Pornography isn’t hurting anyone. Go ahead and click that link.” Or, “If you’re not feeling loved by your spouse, go ahead and find love elsewhere.” Or, if you are a salesman, “I know the product is only worth this much, but I’m going to charge double, because what the customers don’t know won’t hurt them.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The flesh seeks to satisfy its lust in glutting, guzzling, and loafing.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Second is the temptation of the fallen world, which tempts us with envy, hatred, and pride. Say your neighbor irritates you to anger when you are making a bargain and all of a sudden you become impatient, the fallen world comes upon you and up you go – <i>you blow your top</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Or you could want to conform to this fallen world. These are the worldly temptations. You live your life for the Facebook likes. You live your life following the winds and ways of this fallen world to eventually find yourself believing that a man can be a woman and a woman can be a man and a child can become a cat. Yet, five minutes ago, you thought that to be crazy, but now you are one with the world, so you are fine with wrong being right. To this we ought to pray: “O Lord, bring it to pass that the flesh and the world shall not seduce me!”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Third is the temptation by the devil. He tempts us by causing us to disregard God’s Word. “Sunday is fun day. It’s been a tiring week; I have to sleep in on Sunday, because I was out late on Saturday, so I just can’t get to church Sunday morning – or even Monday evening.” Or, even if you do come to church to hear the sermon, you don’t take it in, you have no delight, no love, no reverence for the Word of God.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">St. Peter reminds us, our <b><i>“adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour”</i></b> (1 Peter 5:8). But rarely does he make a frontal attack that we can prepare for as we defend ourselves. Instead, temptation most commonly sneaks up and attacks from behind. Temptation ambushes us in ways that we never see coming.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Consider this: You are new to the area. You find a new doctor, new dentist, new friends, and a new church. You attend church a few weeks, then you miss a few weeks. You attend one week, then miss five weeks. Before you know it, you are no longer attending the Divine Service at all. God has become distant and drifted off the radar screen. In other words, a Christian doesn’t just wake up one morning and decide to renounce the faith. Instead, you drift away without ever realizing it. Temptation most commonly sneaks up and attacks from behind. In this petition, we pray to be preserved from this.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Satan attacks us with unbelief and indifference. But we have the promise that God will deliver us from these temptations of the flesh, the fallen world, and the devil. Our whole life is nothing but temptation by these three. Therefore, we must pray: “Dear Father, let not our flesh seduce us, let not the world deceive us, and let not the devil cast us down.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">And so we conclude the Lord’s Prayer saying: <i>“But deliver us from evil.”</i> What is this evil that we pray against? We are praying against the evil one, the devil, Satan himself. So, we can sum it up this way: “Deliver us from the wicked devil, who hinders our prayers. O Lord, deliver us!”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Satan is evil himself, but the “evil” in this petition is everything on earth that is evil, such as sickness, poverty, death – whatever evil there is in this fallen dominion of Satan, of which there is very much here on earth.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">In short, O Lord, deliver us from the devil.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Then as we conclude the Lord’s Prayer, God’s name will be hallowed, His kingdom come, and His will be done, and we are delivered from all things.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We pray these words of the Lord’s Prayer so that God tramples the devil under foot. We pray these words for there is a great need for daily bread. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">In these seven petitions are found all our anxieties, all our needs, and all our perils, which we ought to bring to God. These are great petitions, but God, who wills to do great things is greater. Therefore, let us learn to pray well since God wants us to do this. Through prayer, we experience the power of God, through which He is able to give us great things, to make us good, to keep the Word, to give us a holy life, to give us a weapon against Satan. In our prayers, we enlist the aid, the support, and the power of our heavenly Father. Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: Candara, sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">SOLI DEO GLORIA</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><style class="WebKit-mso-list-quirks-style">
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</style>Peter Adelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17192317388264759988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175403401580572905.post-85334679263625762702024-03-17T10:09:00.000-07:002024-03-17T10:09:32.344-07:00Sermon for Lent 5: "The Son of Man Came to Serve You" (Mark 10:32-45)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-daiPMcDfDqpvfBdCKbG81G17p4PRGaEQnCLl67rJcXYZyKJpLvH8OVwLg_IOzlxgfYEZv1y1hqdxYcHKsO7Z0s4BBiCZXrhR-gLf36gBUhtLc-SHIP1boC5DYv-7xIkfimNpFXippZyteajCHm_IPc7Dp8mEZxqxxuMv61CeIeugjoJfmSB80rGW6w/s960/432416748_904972321637751_8294986790311427059_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="960" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-daiPMcDfDqpvfBdCKbG81G17p4PRGaEQnCLl67rJcXYZyKJpLvH8OVwLg_IOzlxgfYEZv1y1hqdxYcHKsO7Z0s4BBiCZXrhR-gLf36gBUhtLc-SHIP1boC5DYv-7xIkfimNpFXippZyteajCHm_IPc7Dp8mEZxqxxuMv61CeIeugjoJfmSB80rGW6w/w400-h210/432416748_904972321637751_8294986790311427059_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><p><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! </span><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:</span></p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">[Jesus said:] <b><i>“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many”</i></b> (Mark 10:45).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Who here remembers those rubber bracelets from the 1990s? You know those rubber bracelets with those four letters: “WWJD,” which ask, “What would Jesus do?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">For a time, I wore one of those rubber bracelets. I thought they were cool. I thought they were hip. I wanted to be just like the crowd. And, whenever I looked down at my wrist, I was always reminded to ask myself, “What would Jesus do?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">As inspiring as those “WWJD” rubber bracelets were, there was a flaw. Now, the flaw was not in Jesus, so whatever Jesus would do would always be correct. No, the flaw is in us – <i>you and me</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">You see, whenever you think to yourself, “What would Jesus do?,” you are likely thinking the things of men; you are likely thinking of yourself. You are thinking from a self-centered point of view. Afterall, how many of us actually searched the Scriptures to find out what Jesus would do? So, of course, Jesus would do whatever you wanted to do. You are putting yourself in the stead of Jesus; you are putting yourself in the stead of almighty God Himself.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Just think about the Twelve Apostles. They are prime examples of self-centeredness, even when they were in the presence of God Himself. Earlier in Mark’s Gospel, we find them arguing amongst each other on who is the greatest. Jesus asked them, <b><i>“‘What were you discussing on the way?’ But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And [Jesus] sat down the Twelve and said to them, ‘If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all’”</i></b> (Mark 9:33-35).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Later on, John said to Jesus, <b><i>“Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your Name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us”</i></b> (Mark 9:38). To that, Jesus said to John, <b><i>“Do not stop him … for the one who is not against us is for us”</i></b> (Mark 9:39, 40). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">John was curved in upon himself. He thought only those among the Twelve could do awesome things in the Name of Jesus.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We have this attitude too. It’s only those who attend the right church that inherit the kingdom of God, right? I’ve heard that all my life. It’s only those LCMS Lutherans. It’s only those Roman Catholics. It’s only those in my denomination.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Normally we like to critique Simon Peter, but today it’s James and John’s turn for critique. It’s those sons of Zebedee who are desiring positions of glory in their Lord’s kingdom. They ask Jesus, <b><i>“Grant us to sit, one at your right and one at your left, in your glory” </i></b>(Mark 10:37). I can only imagine what the other apostles thought of that question. Peter could have looked over at his brother Andrew and each thought: <i>“Why didn’t we think of that? And, really, this honor should go to us! Jesus called us first!”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Like the rest of us sinners, they craved attention and the recognition for their own accomplishments. Like children shoving their siblings out of the way, we want the important people in the world to take notice: <i>“Hey, look at me!”<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Like the apostles, we get caught up in ourselves. We stop seeing our neighbor as someone to serve and instead look inward and say, “What do I want?” This fractures us. Self-centeredness leads to feuds, divorce, and all other sorts of splinters.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So Jesus dismisses the request of James and John. Jesus says to them, <i>“It’s not Mine to grant, but the Father’s. Those positions have already been filled.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Jesus asks James and John: <b><i>“You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”</i></b> (Mark 10:38) To this, they say: <b><i>“We are able”</i></b> (Mark 10:39).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">It's this request to be Jesus’ right and left hands in His glory by James and John that leads Jesus to say: <b><i>“For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” </i></b>(Mark 10:45).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Now, James and John, as well as the rest of the apostles will drink from Christ’s cup. They will suffer for proclaiming Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins. None of them would have the celebrity life of a televangelist, the fast cars, the luxury houses, the luxury jet; instead, they would be hated and reviled, stoned, stabbed, poisoned and crucified.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="background: white; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.5pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Did you know that you would be mercilessly ridiculed and derided by the fallen world when you were baptized? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.5pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Did you know that when you confessed your Christian faith on your Confirmation Day that you said that you would rather die than to fall away from the one true Christian faith? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="background: white; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.5pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Did you know that your confession of faith would exclude you from a fallen world of fleshly delight, from sexual immorality to elective abortion?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">It's not easy when the tide of the fallen world turns against you, when those shouts of <i>“Hosanna!”</i>change to <i>“Crucify Him!” </i>It’s not easy when those around you pit you against “the science” or “tolerance.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We certainly have our own bitter cups to drink from. It’s hard to choke down the dregs of illness and death, disappointment and heartache that can come from this life. It’s hard, but it’s not impossible. Even unbelievers experience suffering in this life, but we have something else. We have the promise.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The fallen world has its false gods of tolerance, fairness and being nice and living life to the fullest, but all that leads to is death. All the good deeds in this fallen world cannot keep us alive. All the tolerance and equity in this fallen world cannot forgive sins or take away your guilt. You will still suffer. You will still die.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Jesus is different. Jesus is the Lord of Life. Jesus offers up the cup of salvation. Jesus marches to the cross in order to save you, so He can serve you. Jesus enters Jerusalem to be the Suffering Servant who offers up the once-for-all sacrifice for your sins and for the sins of the whole world. God became man to be that sacrifice, for without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">God became man for a single purpose: to be <b><i>“wounded for our transgressions” </i></b>and be <b><i>“crushed for our iniquities”</i></b> (Isaiah 53:5). Jesus comes in order to <b><i>“bear the sin of many, and make intercession for the transgressors”</i></b> (Isaiah 53:12), because of Him will be laid <b><i>“the iniquity of us all”</i></b> (Isaiah 53:6). This is the purpose of Jesus’ mission. He came to <b><i>“give His life as a ransom for many” </i></b>(Mark 10:45).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Besides the Suffering Servant of Isaiah, we have the Passover of Exodus 12. In the Passover, the lamb was killed – <i>sacrificed</i> – in the stead of the firstborn of the people of Israel, ensuring that the destroyer would “pass over” the people of God when the lamb’s blood was spread upon the lintel and the doorposts of their homes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">As with Christ, in His sacrifice, He endured the smiting and striking by God the Father as His blood was poured out for the multitudes, so that all who trust in Him would be saved from God’s wrath. To this, St. Paul writes, <b><i>“For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed”</i></b> (1 Corinthians 5:7b).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, what would Jesus do? He suffers for you. He dies for you. He does this to save you from bondage. He does this to save you from your self-centeredness. He does this to save you from Satan’s accusations. He does this to save you from this fallen world.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Our self-centeredness does not want to deny yourself. Our self-centeredness wants to make yourself your own god.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for you and for me wipes that away and causes us to not look inward, but outward, toward God and our neighbor. Jesus’ chief mission, His central issue, was to restore the relationship between God and man. In order to restore this relationship, the dividing wall must be destroyed – and this wall is sin. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Jesus’ focus is the forgiveness of sins. He has come to serve and not to be served. He has come to serve you and He has come to serve me. For this reason, our church services are not called the worship service, but the “Divine Service.” This comes from the German word “Gottesdienst,” which means “service of God.”</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1WloG3pRq4U6AvGDu2fgsPYOZgkh_K_p1wdvVQS6AcTtWBlO2EzIaNXs4QqQy-8ror3ryEGCSSzPvcU57M1wLXKN99DA68ra7USiJL-mip3Pt4i_IUAIHbC9juWlrlEP_UnoG6MxU-k-cPHajLPeI4DAxOcNu4D_bZT95Vz9e8QFB3LuMtpUGqIps9MM/s526/432056927_805231878311596_1935877731183206790_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="526" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1WloG3pRq4U6AvGDu2fgsPYOZgkh_K_p1wdvVQS6AcTtWBlO2EzIaNXs4QqQy-8ror3ryEGCSSzPvcU57M1wLXKN99DA68ra7USiJL-mip3Pt4i_IUAIHbC9juWlrlEP_UnoG6MxU-k-cPHajLPeI4DAxOcNu4D_bZT95Vz9e8QFB3LuMtpUGqIps9MM/s320/432056927_805231878311596_1935877731183206790_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">This church service is called “Divine Service” because God continues to serve us to this day. He serves us with His Means of Grace – His Word and Sacraments, which give us the forgiveness of sins that Christ won for us upon the cross as our Suffering Servant.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, what would Jesus do? He would suffer. So, we must be prepared to suffer. But He also gives us the fruit from His cup. He has taken away the sin and punishment from you so that the cup you drink at this altar is only His blood, shed for you for the forgiveness of sins, for your salvation and your eternal life.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The Son of Man came to serve. He came to serve you! Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus serves you His Means of Grace so He can sustain you to life everlasting. Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: Candara, sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">SOLI DEO GLORIA</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><style class="WebKit-mso-list-quirks-style">
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</style>Peter Adelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17192317388264759988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175403401580572905.post-59879240890309336742024-03-13T19:47:00.000-07:002024-03-13T19:47:42.832-07:00Sermon for Lent Midweek 4: "Prayer: Our Greatest Weapon - Part 1"<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZl9HkHKS5FU5N2UigH3dhh3NANwazH-MLZLA-B1ZAKTD2KZycFXq7wv47mhZnNohId5IxERt_puIWCYAFYa_hWuSFWK11utmI765eZvJyGF6WZI8n1752yvxBBBrPZ-txH2XlArA3apzlRdDAEYJDXNqdIEALcVmkxVNIjehW4tiCx08FsdT_Q6bJmA/s1284/432738643_732998032297345_3121917443934637943_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="1284" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZl9HkHKS5FU5N2UigH3dhh3NANwazH-MLZLA-B1ZAKTD2KZycFXq7wv47mhZnNohId5IxERt_puIWCYAFYa_hWuSFWK11utmI765eZvJyGF6WZI8n1752yvxBBBrPZ-txH2XlArA3apzlRdDAEYJDXNqdIEALcVmkxVNIjehW4tiCx08FsdT_Q6bJmA/w400-h246/432738643_732998032297345_3121917443934637943_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Last Wednesday we finished our series on the Creed. Throughout those weeks, we learned that God does not withhold anything from us. He has given us Himself and His entire creation. And not only that, He gave us the Gospel: His only-begotten Son. And He gave us the Holy Spirit so we would know the Son of God and sanctify us through Word and Sacrament to keep us in the one true Christian faith.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Because the Father gave His gifts by creation, the Son by redemption, the Holy Spirit by sanctification, we are now able to run to the Triune God and ask Him for blessings with all boldness and confidence as dear children ask their dear father as He invites us to pray to Him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But what does it mean to pray? Quite simply, to pray is to ask. This is the heart and core of prayer. Now this may sound like we are asking God, “gimme, gimme, gimme.” It may sound like we are self-centered and selfish. But when it comes to our relationship with God, prayer actually reveals something of our standing before God. We never don’t need everything from God. We are never independent from Him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">In our series on the Creed, we learned that everything we are and have comes from God Himself. You and I didn’t choose to be born. We did not earn or merit it. God did not owe it to us. Instead, everything we have is a gift. We, you and me, exist solely as gifts of God. And so, our life and our lives are completely dependent upon God. We live from the gifts of God. That’s what it means to be creatures and not the Creator. So, you and I will never not need food and drink, family and friends, good weather, health for our bodies. And so, God tenderly invites us to ask, and to receive all these gifts, and many more, with thanksgiving.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">At the same time, we are also fallen creatures. We are sinful creatures. You and I stand before God always needing to be cleansed from sin, and constantly restored to God’s favor and grace. Yet, even as sinners, God approaches us and tenderly invites us to call Him “Father.” He extends His hand so that we may take it. We can call God “Our Father,” because of Jesus, who is our Brother. So, as long as we live in this fallen world, there’s not a moment when we do not need to ask for God’s forgiveness and His favor. And we are bold to ask, because of Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, what does Jesus give us in the prayer that He has taught us? He has given us seven petitions. Seven requests. Seven weapons against all the spiritual warfare that Satan can throw at us. Tonight, we will look at the first three petitions of the Lord’s Prayer.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">First, <i>“Hallowed be Thy Name.”</i> God’s Name has been given to us. God gave us His Name when you were baptized in His Name, which makes you His child. So, through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, God unites us to Him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Now that we have been made His child, what does it mean to hallow the name of God? Well, this goes back to the Second Commandment, which we went over last Lenten season. The purpose of the Second Commandment is so that we do not curse, swear, use satanic arts, or deceive by His Name. So, God’s Name is hallowed when we call upon Him, pray, praise, give thanks, tell others about Him in how He is merciful and helps us in peril and otherwise.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, the First Petition in the Lord’s Prayer is explained by the Second Commandment. In short, when one teaches and lives as a Christian, then that person – <i>you and me</i> – will not curse, swear, use satanic arts, or deceive by His Name.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, in this petition, as Luther says, we can pray against all who preach, teach, and believe falsely, who persecute the Word of God by violence, and against those who lie, deceive, revile, and curse against us, so that His Name may become holy, that the whole world may not curse and swear by His Name, but rather pray and call upon Him, according to the Second Commandment.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Now to the second petition, the second request, the second weapon: <i>“Thy kingdom come.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The second need which drives us to prayer is that we pray that God’s kingdom may come. Jesus is teaching us to pray so that we may be a part of the kingdom. But what is meant by “kingdom”? What exactly is the Father’s kingdom, God’s kingdom, the kingdom of heaven?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">God’s kingdom comes in two ways: first, here, through His Means of Grace – <i>His Word and Sacraments</i>, and secondly, that in the future, eternal life is given to us.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The kingdom of heaven has been granted to us through the King of kings, our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the King of righteousness and life against the devil, sin, eternal death, and all evil. He has given us His Holy Word, that it may be preached, in order that we might believe in Him and live holy lives. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Therefore, we pray in this petition that the Holy Spirit may go out into the world with power, that many may come into His kingdom now – <i>through the Church</i> – and learn to believe and thus be partakers of redemption from sin, eternal death, and hell in the life to come.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The third request and weapon in the Lord’s Prayer is <i>“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Prayer is not an easy task. Prayer isn’t easy, because through prayer, we actually place ourselves on the front line in the battle between God and Satan. You see, the moment the Holy Spirit enters our hearts and kindles faith in God, at that moment we then turn to God crying, <i>“Our Father, who art in heaven…”</i> At that moment, we also turn our backs on Satan. And Satan considers that a declaration of war. Nothing infuriates him more than to have someone liberated from his prison and returned home as a child and heir of God.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, when you pray, <i>“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,”</i> you have declared war on Satan. For Satan wants to prevent the will of God from being done. The devil cannot endure that the Word should be preached and the people accept it, so he sends his poisoned arrows: the fallen world and our sinful flesh, so that those would hinder God’s will.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">And what is God’s will? That <b><i>“everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day”</i></b> (John 6:40).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Because of Satan’s hatred for God and His salvation, he holds nothing back. He undermines the Name and Word of God. He even seeks to keep us from receiving our daily bread, the necessities of life, in peace and thanksgiving.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">In these first three petitions, we pray that God’s Name be hallowed through His Word and also in us, that we adhere to His Word in His kingdom now and in heaven, and that God would hinder those who oppose His will. As Luther says, until next week “let this be sufficient for this time on these first three petitions.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We do not stand alone in this battle; we do have Someone who goes into the battle ahead of us and fights for us: Jesus Christ. May Christ’s victory over Satan be also our victory. In the meantime, continue to pray to God for all your needs, for prayer is the greatest weapon against Satan. Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: Candara, sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">SOLI DEO GLORIA</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Peter Adelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17192317388264759988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175403401580572905.post-86625411220928486022024-03-10T11:31:00.000-07:002024-03-10T11:31:08.218-07:00Sermon for Lent 4: "The Cross Is A Must" (John 3:14-21)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtQtBJaGsgY9mxG6o6zglio6GGs1TG568zllpLWkh9_tEZ0aCqKE7NNqN3UCTihGDh-q6Xn5zrntz6kCe8dzCdJkr5cSOGZjAEuaLUtsnuq5yGHiRlhIaQLrJHSJgh4KO5NIRDMvstanajeikSAvyCFyjDSeBwztiEskVwHqkTWxoK02twqaODz2Gpu0/s1200/160955352_10158771883943580_1178305243780849020_n-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtQtBJaGsgY9mxG6o6zglio6GGs1TG568zllpLWkh9_tEZ0aCqKE7NNqN3UCTihGDh-q6Xn5zrntz6kCe8dzCdJkr5cSOGZjAEuaLUtsnuq5yGHiRlhIaQLrJHSJgh4KO5NIRDMvstanajeikSAvyCFyjDSeBwztiEskVwHqkTWxoK02twqaODz2Gpu0/w400-h400/160955352_10158771883943580_1178305243780849020_n-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">[Jesus said:] <b><i>“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life”</i></b> (John 3:14-15).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Where do you look when you have a problem? Where do you go to find a solution? Do you fixate on your troubles, your mistakes, the mistakes of others, or do you look elsewhere for help? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Satan wants us to live in darkness and disease, buried in remorse, anger, guilt, grudge, or condemnation. But today’s Gospel lesson announces a reason to look up. In Christ Jesus alone, there is everlasting light and life that overpowers all darkness and all disease. Jesus says, “The Cross is a must!” He says, <b><i>“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life”</i></b> (John 3:14-15).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Jesus was cursed so that we might live. God states in Deuteronomy 21: <b><i>“If a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God” </i></b>(Deuteronomy 21:22-23a).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We like to blame others for our problems. It sure beats the work of self-assessment. Grumbling at God for our predicament comes more naturally than asking Him for help. How quickly we become discouraged and impatient toward our gracious God, as did the Israelites in the desert.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">God is patient. He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, but He will not forever put up with those who spurn His love. So, He sent fiery serpents to punish the grumbling Israelites. When bitten by these serpents, the people died. But some of those who haven’t been bitten, repented of their sin, and appealed to Moses saying, <b><i>“We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that He take away the serpents from us”</i></b> (Numbers 21:7).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, Moses interceded for them to God. By God’s command, Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. It looked like the source of death, but by God’s power, whoever was bitten by a fiery serpent, should he look on the lifted-up snake, would live. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The Son of Man was also lifted up. He hung on a criminal’s cross, from all outward appearances, He looked like a sinful person, but He was truly righteous. He took upon yours and my sins to take upon Himself the curse of sin.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Again, do you have troubles? Do you fixate on your mistakes? Sin has a way on taking over our lives – as St. James writes, <b><i>“Desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death”</i></b> (James 1:15). Sin brings forth more sin, and sin leads to death. Sin shrivels faith. Sin reduces us to anger and unhappiness. So, what can we do? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life”</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> (John 3:14-15).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We look up to Jesus and His cross! We look up to Jesus, the sinless One who became sin for you in order to remove the curse and give you new life.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Again, Jesus says that His going to the cross is a must. It is a must that the Son of Man be lifted up because as the lifting up of the serpent was a must for the healing of a sinful people, so too, the lifting up of the Son of Man is a must for the salvation for the world.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">God’s promise of healing and life was given to all who looked upon the bronze serpent lifted upon the pole, so also the promise of eternal life to all who cling to Him in the lifting up of the Son of Man.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Eternal life is only found in the crucified Son of Man. Apart from the bronze serpent on the pole, the fatally snake bitten Israelite had no possibility of healing. Likewise, apart from the Crucified, there is no salvation or eternal life. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But Satan does not quit. He still hisses accusations at us. Satan says, “You still feel wretched. And you deserve to feel wretched.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, just as that bronze serpent made a sport of the fiery serpents, so too, Christ was lifted high upon the cross to silence our accuser.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Thus, we boast in Christ the Crucified. The Son of Man was lifted up on the cross to mock the old serpent, Satan. He made a public spectacle of the defeated devil. <b><i>“[Jesus] disarmed the demonic rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him”</i></b> (Colossians 2:15). Upon that cross, it was as if Satan was nailed to the cross, since through Christ’s death, He defeated Satan’s power to accuse us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Not only does Jesus remove the curse of sin and silence the evil foe, He also heals our hurts and pain. By God’s command and promise, those who looked up at the bronze serpent were healed. Just imagine how those Israelites felt.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">That bronze serpent’s power was not in itself, but to the reality that it pointed toward: Christ the Crucified. The lifted-up Son of Man heals all who cling to Him from the deadly bite of our evil foes: sin, eternal death and the devil.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Between the events of the wilderness and the crucifixion, we have an <i><u>act of seeing</u></i> – the bronze serpent – and an <i><u>act of believing</u></i> – the Son of Man lifted up; we have physical life and eternal life; and we have the way to the land of promise and Jesus, who is the Way.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">In Word and Sacrament, look to Jesus in faith. As we read and hear His Scripture, know that those words are His Words. It is Jesus who is speaking. It is Jesus who is speaking Law and speaking Gospel. In Baptism, the Holy Spirit points us to Christ the Crucified. In the Lord’s Supper, we receive the victorious Crucified and Risen Christ’s body and blood under bread and wine, which forgives our sins and heals our faith.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">In faith, look up to the crucified Christ, now raised and forever glorified! In Him is life everlasting, which overpowers all darkness and disease. For it is <b><i>“by grace you have been saved through faith” </i></b>(Ephesians 2:8a). We are saved by the act of believing, believing in the Son of Man, who was lifted up, so that we, by His grace, would have forgiveness of our sins and life everlasting.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">In this fallen world, we will still face our evil foes. We will still face many bites, but their venom will not poison those who look up to Christ the Crucified.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, come and let us fix our eyes on Jesus, who endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. <b><i>“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life”</i></b> (John 3:16). For Jesus, the cross was a must for us and for our salvation. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: Candara, sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">SOLI DEO GLORIA</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Peter Adelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17192317388264759988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175403401580572905.post-59336684866996053972024-03-06T19:25:00.000-08:002024-03-06T20:10:38.053-08:00Sermon for Lent Midweek 3: "I Believe in the Holy Spirit" (The Third Article of the Creed)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge435FNAv8D_kbyG84RM7uXj7wfBJF9VDkFtEemRNe59POMz5_JhzniCUfiMzbsubhoWfD3ZanJwh-7kEtRxzaZk1zBRyilZc0JJaT_VtHFRmVpNGWyqPgMs0Gxs_u-glHwXKJuP0D9y0CHxMBDsg5BkV9W27nYFcWE4ffq0WR8h3HnvWZ3qmWaarX1NY/s921/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-05%20at%203.30.50%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="921" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge435FNAv8D_kbyG84RM7uXj7wfBJF9VDkFtEemRNe59POMz5_JhzniCUfiMzbsubhoWfD3ZanJwh-7kEtRxzaZk1zBRyilZc0JJaT_VtHFRmVpNGWyqPgMs0Gxs_u-glHwXKJuP0D9y0CHxMBDsg5BkV9W27nYFcWE4ffq0WR8h3HnvWZ3qmWaarX1NY/w400-h240/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-05%20at%203.30.50%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Two weeks ago, we heard how the Creator remains present and active in His creation. And despite our ongoing misuse and abuse of His creation, He keeps His creation going. Last week, we heard how God came into His created world to be present and active in a very unique way – as a human being, yet without sin. He came into this fallen world to defeat the power of sin and evil that Satan and we humans brought into it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Tonight, God comes to be present and active in another way. This time, God sends His Holy Spirit into us, into our bodies.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Jesus gained His Lordship through death, but how do we come to know Jesus? We no longer see Jesus fully as He is. So, if we have never physically met Jesus, how do we come to know Him? On our own, we are left to saying, <i>“I believe … that I cannot believe”</i> in Jesus as my Lord or come to Him. If Jesus’ redemption remains hidden, then all is lost.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">To this question, the Third Article of the Creed enters in: </span><b><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></b><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">I believe in the Holy Spirit,<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> the holy Christian Church,<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> the communion of saints,<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> the forgiveness of sins,<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> the resurrection of the body,<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> and the life</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol;">+</span></span></span></i><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> everlasting.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, in order that Christ’s death and resurrection may not remain hidden, the Holy Spirit comes and preaches, that is, the Holy Spirit leads us to the Lord, who redeems us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The Holy Spirit sanctifies us through the following works: through the <i>“forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">To this, Luther says, <i>“the Christian church is your mother, who gives birth to you and bears you through the Word. And this is done by the Holy Spirit who bears witness concerning Christ.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">In regard to the Holy Spirit, He leads the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints. This <i>“communion of saints”</i> is the Christian church, which is made up of saints, a congregation of saints. And you are in this Church, as the Holy Spirit makes us saints through the preaching of the gospel. It is only through the Christian Church that the Holy Spirit sanctifies us. Otherwise, we would never know or hear about Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Then in this Christian Church sanctified by the Holy Spirit, we receive <i>“the forgiveness of sins.” </i>We receive the forgiveness of sins in the following ways: Holy Baptism, Absolution, the Lord’s Supper, hearing the Word preached, and the commendation of the dying. This is where we receive forgiveness. Outside of the Christian Church, there is no sanctification and there is no forgiveness.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Thirdly, the Holy Spirit will sanctify us through <i>“the resurrection of the flesh.”</i> So, after our death, sin will have completely passed away and the Holy Spirit will then complete His work. Therefore, after death, there is nothing but eternal life.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Outside the Christian Church, there is no sanctification. There is no justification. There is no salvation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Here, in the one holy Christian and apostolic Church, the Holy Spirit preaches. He calls you and makes Christ known to you. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Earlier this week, Elsie surprised Melissa and me. While Melissa was singing “Create in Me a Clean Heart,” the historic offertory from Psalm 51, Melissa paused and without any coaching, Elsie continued the song. That was the work of the Holy Spirit in Elsie. By being immersed in the liturgy week after week, the Holy Spirit inspired Elsie with what to say next. That is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. He teaches us the faith through Word and Sacraments.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The Holy Spirit breathes into you the faith that through the Sacraments and God’s Word, you will be made free from sin. So, when you die, while remaining in the Church, the Holy Spirit will raise you up and sanctify you wholly.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Tonight, we have finished our series on the Second Chief Part, the Creed. Through the Creed, we can each say: “I believe in God, that He is my creator, in Jesus Christ, that He is my Lord, and in the Holy Spirit, that He is my sanctifier.” We can say, “God has created me and given me life, soul, body, and all goods; Christ has brought me into His Lordship through His body; and the Holy Spirit sanctifies me through His Word and Sacraments, which are in the Church, and will sanctify me wholly on the Last Day.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The Creed is different from the Ten Commandments. The Commandments teach us what we should do, but the Creed teaches what we have received from God. The Creed, therefore, gives us what we need, so now, that we know God, we are now able to pray to our dear Father in heaven. Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span face="Candara, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.5pt;">SOLI DEO GLORIA</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Peter Adelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17192317388264759988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175403401580572905.post-40336673906001919102024-03-03T07:47:00.000-08:002024-03-06T20:12:02.955-08:00Sermon for Lent 3: "The Word of the Cross" (1 Corinthians 1:18-31)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxTfaOEqSfbO_tIdLpDrMCzEWG5HF1k6Y3RSazRZpWp07P_tAn8RTHv9vjoS0-1N4lhzRt7ZpATbBSVNEmTlJaCjYnZjx3cIXI9J6iMEMaK1eU4y_KeNS7bexp6ijU9S0-mz7d8BD_8kq4QpapFR-apKwkwB05PusN6Q19X9e20W8hvoGY_nDn4olXBQ/s1200/428457363_786496440185140_4288775314570952479_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxTfaOEqSfbO_tIdLpDrMCzEWG5HF1k6Y3RSazRZpWp07P_tAn8RTHv9vjoS0-1N4lhzRt7ZpATbBSVNEmTlJaCjYnZjx3cIXI9J6iMEMaK1eU4y_KeNS7bexp6ijU9S0-mz7d8BD_8kq4QpapFR-apKwkwB05PusN6Q19X9e20W8hvoGY_nDn4olXBQ/w400-h400/428457363_786496440185140_4288775314570952479_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God”</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> (1 Corinthians 1:18).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Today, according to the fallen world, the Ten Commandments – <i>as we heard in today’s Old Testament lesson</i> – seem like foolishness from a time gone by. But they are the wisdom of God for all ages, given in love for the safety of His people. And to each of the Ten Commandments in the <i>Large Catechism</i>, Martin Luther teaches over and over and over again to not regard the Commandments as a joke, because they are no joke to God.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">To put it into an ever-wider context, to the fallen world, the entire Bible itself is foolishness. Sadly, even many professing Christians would agree with that sentiment. But the Bible is the very Word of God from cover to cover. And through that Bible, the Holy Spirit brings us to faith in the One who is the Savior from sin, eternal death, and the devil.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">And in our Gospel lesson, the people selling oxen, sheep and pigeons, along with the money changers in the temple show the foolishness of the people – those who turned God’s house into a marketplace.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Then in our text from 1 Corinthians 1, the Holy Spirit inspires St. Paul to write about the word of the cross: <b><i>“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God”</i></b> (1 Corinthians 1:18).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The word of the cross is foolishness. It’s foolishness for those who are perishing. To these people, the word of the cross makes no sense to them. We all know family, friends, and neighbors, who see the cross of Christ as utter foolishness. A God who comes to this world where everybody hates Him and everybody wants to murder Him, and this God lets them? Why? Because He loves them? To worldly thinkers, this makes no sense. In fact, it’s downright foolish. Who would humble Himself to that degree? Who would put Himself into that situation with a bunch of ingrates?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We all know people who truly believe that the cross is foolishness and that you are a fool for confessing your faith in Christ this day. Whenever you speak to a person who believes you are a fool for talking about Christ, you usually get that look. You know that look. The look that says, “This is a waste of time. This is foolishness.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">I have gotten that look more times than I can count and even from close friends and relatives. “You mean, you believe that marriage is only between one man and one woman? You’ve got to be kidding.” “You mean, you believe that the Bible is written by God? You know, it was only written by men.” “You mean, Jesus is the only Savior? You’ve got to be kidding.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We’ve all been there. The word of the cross is foolishness. It’s foolishness for those who are perishing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">For the Jews, they see the crucifixion of the Messiah as a stumbling block because anyone killed on a cross was cursed. It was scandalous to think that their God was executed as a criminal.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">For the Greeks of Paul’s day, the cross is foolishness, absolute nonsense, that displays a senseless act of thinking. It makes no sense. Glory or wisdom or life doesn’t come from a form of execution.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The cross may be foolishness for those who are perishing, but we are to tell those who are perishing about Christ anyway, because they, too, need saving. And we do this telling not through compulsion or threat, but through the Holy Spirit as He leads us through our God-given vocations – <i>our stations, or callings</i> – in life as a parent, a child, a sibling, a cousin, employee, teacher, or friend. Now, to those you speak about Jesus, they will think that there is something wrong with you. And there is something wrong. But this problem is not with Jesus or even with the cross. There is something terribly wrong with this world. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">You see, ever since Adam and Eve listened to that serpent, we’ve been wired for something different than what God has to offer. So much so, that we think that what God has to offer us is utter foolishness. Our fallen nature says this is naïve. Our fallen nature says that God is just a pipe dream. It’s not worth our time. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">What was it that the serpent promised Eve? He promised her wisdom. Wisdom is what Satan was offering her. <b><i>“So, when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate” </i></b>(Genesis 3:6). The Fall of man. Eve, the helper, usurped Adam’s place as head of the household, and Adam let it all happen. God’s Order of Creation became topsy-turvy; it became upside-down. The Fall happened because of Satan’s promise of wisdom. “You’ll be just like God.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Wisdom. All you have to do is to set your own agenda, forget God’s Law and everything He has told you, and listen to someone else, which so happens to be Satan. This is the world’s wisdom.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Paul asks, <b><i>“Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age?”</i></b> (1 Corinthians 1:20). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The fallen world says: Wow them with what you know; wow them with your arguments. It doesn’t even have to be true. Evil is good. Good is evil. Up is down. Down is up. Men can be women. Women can be men. All it needs to be is persuasive. It doesn’t even need to be true. This is the world’s version of wisdom. If you say enough lies, the lies will become all too seductive and replace truth. This worked pretty well with Eve. And Satan knows what he’s talking about. <b><i>“Did God actually say?”</i></b>(Genesis 3:1). With one bite she chose to listen to Satan and his version of wisdom. She ate from the forbidden tree. And she gave that fruit to Adam and he ate.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Only another tree could save Adam and Eve. And this tree would not be any tree in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve would be banished from Eden for their own protection. So, it would have to be another tree. A tree planted thousands of years later outside that Garden. This tree would be the tree of life on which the Son of God would die for what Adam and Eve did so long ago as they brought sin and pride upon creation. Upon that cross, the Son of God would also die for those sins of thought, word, and deed that you and I have done all do recently.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The tree that brought death to our Lord brought life to the world. Upon this tree was nailed Jesus, the Lord of Life, of which we eat every time we come to the Lord’s Supper. We receive the fruit of that tree: the body and blood of our Lord given and shed for you and me for the forgiveness of our sins.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The tree of the cross is truly the tree of life for you and for me and for all who cling to the <b><i>“God who so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life”</i></b> (John 3:16). God the Father gave His only-begotten Son on that tree to remedy our sin and rebellion and our chasing after the world’s wisdom.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But again, for those who are perishing, that wondrous cross of which we glory is still embarrassing. It’s nothing but foolishness. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The word of the cross is foolishness for those who are perishing, but we ought not give up on telling others about what Christ’s crucifixion, His bodily resurrection, and His bodily ascension into heaven mean for you and for them. It means that we have salvation and all by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. And that He is still with us to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20b). For us who are being saved, the word of the cross is not foolish; it is the power of God.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHg4TfYDpsPnRoIzyvW5-Nxy-dWEkPpWu3HIJDjAYhWsVUErJdhfX1snLjNRUi26QpJX9p9RiXTB0MspsDdpEy9famevBFPgqi0GOXYxtjpFa7vJ-xN1pqJ7FNaGTMe9V-8ra9IbBTktCs1opjC6MF1BNhHwq26sE44hqUPVh582a6fiuSFLLcpWnB74/s1080/429772533_798824755618975_9193768015590448470_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHg4TfYDpsPnRoIzyvW5-Nxy-dWEkPpWu3HIJDjAYhWsVUErJdhfX1snLjNRUi26QpJX9p9RiXTB0MspsDdpEy9famevBFPgqi0GOXYxtjpFa7vJ-xN1pqJ7FNaGTMe9V-8ra9IbBTktCs1opjC6MF1BNhHwq26sE44hqUPVh582a6fiuSFLLcpWnB74/s320/429772533_798824755618975_9193768015590448470_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Now, the word of the cross may sound foolish to the worldly wise. We do preach Christ crucified, which is a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but for those who are saved, Christ is <b><i>“the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men”</i></b> (1 Corinthians 1:24-25). Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span face="Candara, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.5pt;">SOLI DEO GLORIA</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Peter Adelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17192317388264759988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175403401580572905.post-56518739351400690252024-02-28T19:36:00.000-08:002024-02-28T19:36:23.514-08:00Sermon for Lent Midweek 2: "I Believe in Jesus Christ, His Only Son, our Lord" (The Second Article of the Creed)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHfWMEO_5n9_ICxiAc2a-kURn402W4Hb0nWni2Li8rUYKxr0dwO8WO6iNwa7R0TSCQIgKuCOmhiLiSI0vU4mDN16DCGglsuta78tm3o6BGB6dClS4uVW_8ceY4L-GM-AvAFFLEnbpkqcGHdVnjt5AnBc59HCCNOvteg04iki4Hv4LmW1IEav2UcKP9MA/s1680/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-25%20at%209.27.31%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="786" data-original-width="1680" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHfWMEO_5n9_ICxiAc2a-kURn402W4Hb0nWni2Li8rUYKxr0dwO8WO6iNwa7R0TSCQIgKuCOmhiLiSI0vU4mDN16DCGglsuta78tm3o6BGB6dClS4uVW_8ceY4L-GM-AvAFFLEnbpkqcGHdVnjt5AnBc59HCCNOvteg04iki4Hv4LmW1IEav2UcKP9MA/w400-h188/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-25%20at%209.27.31%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Last week, we began our sermon series on the Creed focusing on the first part of the Creed: <i>“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.”</i> So, if you are asked what does this mean, you can say: <i>“I believe that God is the Creator, who has given to me my body and soul, all members, all physical goods, all possessions. Therefore, I owe it to Him to serve, thank, and praise Him.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Tonight, we continue with the Second Article of the Creed, which is the heart of the Christian faith:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">[I believe] in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> born of the virgin Mary,<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> suffered under Pontius Pilate,<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> was crucified, died and was buried.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> He descended into hell.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> The third day He rose again from the dead.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> He ascended into heaven<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The Second Article of the Creed describes Jesus’ work of redemption for us. But why must Jesus redeem us? Well, that answer is sin. Again, the problem isn’t that we are creatures. The problem is not that this world is a material world. Remember, creation is God’s good work and His good gifts. The issue is human sin.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The problem is that we have used the best things that God has created and used them in the worst way. We don’t use bad things in the worst way; we use the best things in the worst way. So, what am I saying? These best things that God has given us are: our bodies, our lives, our family, our work, our income, and the list goes on. And what does it mean that we use these best things in the worst way? It means that we idolize them. We idolize created things. We force them to do things that they were not created to do. We try to get our security and happiness from them. And when we do that, we further misuse them by keeping them for ourselves rather than serving our neighbor.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, what happens? We become enslaved to and entrapped by these best things. Or, worse yet, our desires for them entrap us. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">God says: <b><i>“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth”</i></b> (Genesis 1:28a). God affirms His love for life all throughout His written Word. He says: <b><i>“Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward”</i></b> (Psalm 127:3). For God, human life isn’t just good, it’s <b><i>“very good”</i></b> (Genesis 1:31). God says: Get married and be fruitful and multiply!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, human life is very good. But do good ends – <i>children</i> – justify immoral means? This is a question that has received much attention within the past week. Is In Vitro Fertilization good? Is IVF ethical? If we believe life begins at conception, which you ought as Christians, that embryo in that laboratory container is, indeed, human life. We all know people who struggle with infertility – <i>and whatever the circumstances or mechanisms of conception</i>, <u>every child is a gift from God</u>. But there are still questions: what about “selective reduction,” which is aborting some embryos to improve the resources and chances to have the desired child? What about those “left over” embryos that are considered “medical waste”? Again, <u>every child is a gift from God</u>, no matter the circumstances or mechanisms of conception, <i>including rape, incest, or IVF</i>, but do good ends justify immoral means?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Some other, less heavy good things are sports and social media. Professional and amateur sports teams are good, but we can become enslaved to them if we try to get our security and happiness from them. Social media is good. It’s great that we can connect with people. But social media can also enslave us if we try to get our security and happiness from it. So, any of these best things cannot give us what we seek from them. Satan has lured us, who are God’s beloved human creatures, into captivity.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But just as we are enslaved to the devil’s deception, the Second Article of the Creed enters in. Since God has created this world, He refuses to let go of His creation. Afterall, God created everything as good. He loves creation. The world is not the problem. Sin is the problem. So, God sets out to reclaim and restore His creation – beginning with us, because the problem began with us. He who created us is He who redeems us – true God and true Man.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">How does God redeem us? First, God dives down into the depths of His creation, to take up residence in it and fix it for good. Now, God has always been present and active in His creation, but here, He does something different. He takes a created body into Himself and He lives a creaturely life. He makes room in His life to take on a human body and all that it entails – a human mind, a human history, and human DNA that goes all the way back to Adam. He is <i>“the only-begotten Son of God, begotten from His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man”</i> (Nicene Creed).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Jesus is the Creator of the universe and a creature within that creation, all at the same time. Who would have ever imagined this?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Second, Jesus’ incarnation affirms the goodness of creation like nothing else. God is saying that His creation is good and important to Him. And Jesus does more than just take on a human body to live in the midst of sin and evil. He becomes human in order to destroy, and to overcome sin and evil and everything that pollutes and disfigures His beautiful world.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Jesus redeems mankind from sin, from the devil, from eternal death, and from all evil. Before Jesus did any of that, we did not have a Lord, instead, we were held captive under the devil’s power, condemned to eternal death, entangled in sin and spiritual blindness. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Sin is deeply personal to God. Sin offends God because it shows our rejection of Him and His good purposes for us. Sin shows our betrayal of God. And yet, God in the most personal way enters His creation, personally takes our sin and rebellion upon Himself, personally does away with it, and personally conquers it. Jesus becomes our Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">As our Lord, Jesus has taken us as His own property under His shelter and protection, so that He may govern us by His righteousness, wisdom, power, life, and blessedness.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">As our Lord, Jesus is our Redeemer. This means that He is the One who has brought us from Satan’s dominion to the Kingdom of God, from eternal death to eternal life, from sin to righteousness, and He preserves us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Jesus, who is our Lord and our Redeemer, paid everything so that He might win us and bring us under His dominion. This is why He became man, was conceived and born without sin, from the Holy Spirit and from the virgin Mary, so that He might overcome sin. He made satisfaction for you and me, not with silver or gold, but with His own precious blood. He did this all in order to become your Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">These words hammer it home: He <i>“suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.” </i>But three days later, He <i>“rose again from the dead.”</i> He rose again in His same body. He rose, so that we, too, shall also rise from the dead.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">In the First Article of the Creed, we cannot deal with God apart from His creation. Now in the Second Article, we cannot deal with God’s graciousness in redeeming us from sin apart from the creaturely human body of Jesus. Through this physical human body, we encounter our Redeemer and Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">As we recite the Second Article of the Creed each week, we proclaim the redemption we have in Christ Jesus<b><i> “that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” </i></b>(Romans 5:8).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Jesus created us and He preserves us. He redeems us and raises us. Upon this Second Article is the entire Gospel and that upon this article our salvation and our happiness rests. Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: Candara, sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">SOLI DEO GLORIA</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Peter Adelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17192317388264759988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175403401580572905.post-79745380480041909662024-02-25T10:48:00.000-08:002024-02-25T10:48:14.445-08:00Sermon for Lent 2: "The Everlasting Covenant" (Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-4b0gyN85twvmZcXKDtl4sCbI0NQejuF1ruaKpplW7iMj0OCfFBe4CCrF9-hJkVRykFQn_oO6u6wGIM_tjRhUnPI9rHfpwlwuUP6z9Px6_JEVxkI-L5oCFRK8nI_bNxjXpPohfoXx7eeXBbfnLicEnh37x05EJzdWHqjAgFF5exheXc0_FvXTU7iB_Y/s826/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-22%20at%2012.38.38%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="820" data-original-width="826" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-4b0gyN85twvmZcXKDtl4sCbI0NQejuF1ruaKpplW7iMj0OCfFBe4CCrF9-hJkVRykFQn_oO6u6wGIM_tjRhUnPI9rHfpwlwuUP6z9Px6_JEVxkI-L5oCFRK8nI_bNxjXpPohfoXx7eeXBbfnLicEnh37x05EJzdWHqjAgFF5exheXc0_FvXTU7iB_Y/s320/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-22%20at%2012.38.38%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The Lord said to Abram, <b><i>“Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations … As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. … I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her”</i></b> (Genesis 17:4-5, 15-16).</span><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">God has a way of changing names. To name a handful: Simon is called Peter, Saul is called Paul, Jacob is called Israel, Abram is called Abraham, and Sarai is called Sarah.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Why the name changes? What’s the importance of a name?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">First, Simon. When St. Mark introduces Peter in his Gospel, he writes: <b><i>“[Jesus] appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter)” </i></b>(Mark 3:16). Later on, Jesus says why He chose the name Peter for Simon. Following Simon’s great confession about Jesus. Jesus says, <b><i>“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church”</i></b> (Matthew 16:17-18a). Jesus chose the name Peter for this moment. He knew that Simon would make this great confession, which is the rock that holds up the Church, the Rock of Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Saul is a bit different. Saul was a pharisee of pharisees and a persecutor of the Church. After Saul fell from “his high horse” to faith in Jesus as the Christ, his name suddenly changed from Saul to Paul. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote, <b><i>“To the Jews I became a Jew, in order to win Jews. … To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some” </i></b>(1 Corinthians 9:20, 22). So, to the Jews, he was Saul (meaning: “prayed for”) and to the Gentiles, he was Paul (a transliteration of Saul into Greek meaning, “small or humble”). He became all things to all people, so that he might save sinners by bringing them to faith in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Like Simon Peter, God is active in re-naming people. Following his wresting with God, Jacob is renamed Israel, which means “God prevails” (Genesis 32:28). And even with Abram and Sarai, God is active. God says to Abram, <b><i>“No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations” </i></b>(Genesis 17:5). No longer is this man to be the “exalted father” or “chief,” but now he will be “the father of a multitude of nations.” The same goes with Sarai, which means “princess.” For now, she will be named Sarah, which means “princess of a multitude of nations.” And God repeats the significance of the name changes: that all nations would be blessed through their offspring.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The name change to Abraham and Sarah was the seal of the covenant, a guarantee that God would keep the promise He had made. And if God would fail to keep His covenant promise, the names Abraham and Sarah would be constantly testified against Him. But we know that God has kept His covenant: Abraham and Sarah would bear a son Isaac. Abraham did become the father of a multitudes of nations. Some are <i>blood</i> descendants, such as the Israelites, the Edomites, and the Arabs. And some are <i>spiritual</i> descendants of Abraham and Sarah by faith. As Christians, we have Abraham as our spiritual father, since like him, we too, are saved by faith alone.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">For the triune God – <i>the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit</i> – names are very important to Him. He promises to bless Abram, now Abraham, and Sarai, now Sarah, so that they would be a blessing to others. He promises to make them the father and mother of a multitude of nations.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">This brings us to today. God says to Abraham, <b><i>“I will establish my covenant between Me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you”</i></b> (Genesis 17:7). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Earlier this morning we all experienced this “everlasting covenant” as the triune God adopted Braxton Henry “to this lifelong comfort sure” as His redeemed child of the heavenly Father. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">As I have been mentioning the importance of names, I cannot ignore Braxton Henry. Jessica and Brandon, in case you aren’t aware, “Braxton” means “badger,” so be ready if he fulfills his name. But his middle name “Henry” has been a name chosen by many in royal families for it means “house ruler.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Today, little Braxton Henry has inherited the gift of paradise – the gift of eternal life. So as long as Braxton remains clung to Christ and His promises, the power of sin, eternal death, and Satan have no effect upon him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We all experience this “everlasting covenant” as we pass through the waters of Holy Baptism and hear God’s Name pronounced over us: <i>“I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But how can this be an “everlasting covenant”? Abraham and Sarah have died. They are no longer with us. Human beings, indeed, have a life expectancy. We begin and we end. We each end because the result of sin is death.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, to be an everlasting covenant, it would take a special descendant who would be like Abraham, a human descendant, but also like God, who would have no end. God fulfilled His promises to Abraham and Sarah as the promised Descendant who would make them the father and mother of multitudes of nations has come – Jesus Christ, our Lord. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Jesus, the promised Offspring, paid for the sins of our weak faith. He paid for our doubts. He paid for our constant desire to do things our way. He did so by suffering our punishment. He shed His own blood to cover our sins. His own death paid for our wage of sin. And His glorious bodily resurrection conquered the power of death itself. Through Christ alone, <b><i>“we have been justified by faith”</i></b> (Romans 5:1) and are at peace with God.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">It is only through Jesus Christ that all the promises given to Abraham, to Sarah, and to us are fulfilled. So, that by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, we are now numbered among the multitudes of descendants of Abraham.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords who has made this covenant everlasting to a multitude of nations. This was fulfilled when He sent forth His apostles to <b><i>“make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age”</i></b> (Matthew 28:19-20).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, we each become a <i>spiritual</i> descendant of Abraham. Through Baptism, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and we become an heir of eternal life, an heir of the “everlasting covenant.” And it is through Baptism, that God gives us a new name too: a Christian.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But Baptism does not complete us as Christians. Neither does the Rite of Confirmation. It’s faith that is given to us from the Holy Spirit through Baptism that completes us. It’s the faith that grows and matures in us through the work of the Holy Spirit as we are taught the Scriptures and what the Ten Commandments, the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, Baptism, Confession, and the Lord’s Supper mean. It’s the faith that grows and matures in us through the Holy Spirit that leads us to confess our sins to God our Father and receive the forgiveness that His Son – our Brother – won for us on the cross through His atoning suffering and death. It’s the faith that grows and matures in us through the Holy Spirit as we love God by receiving His gifts in Word and Sacrament, and from these Means of Grace, we learn to love and serve our neighbor.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The triune God fulfills His promises as He upholds His everlasting covenant for you and me. He gives you this covenant in His blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins. He has sealed you through His holy, precious blood, which strengthens your faith and keeps you in faith to life everlasting. Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: Candara, sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">SOLI DEO GLORIA</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Peter Adelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17192317388264759988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175403401580572905.post-46096612818589071262024-02-21T19:06:00.000-08:002024-02-21T19:06:34.940-08:00Sermon for Lent Midweek 1: "I Believe in God the Father" (The First Article of the Creed)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPe0q1mwnpsMTV3BJ_vO2eqk1w506ixQ3L1_cnv4hV3gvKW_PuJaFCWfEESl6l6t4IhXSZ6S1o_tXkmY7M76bNZU1ObplbTo7PV8AGWFQzX6taaQAWd1gVLHjXHZRki2BY54coMp9lxt3U5voA1WcYDc9qmwf9IV1t2xxybu9QOs9-QcOLXQiX_c3hpnE/s2192/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-13%20at%207.41.15%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="2192" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPe0q1mwnpsMTV3BJ_vO2eqk1w506ixQ3L1_cnv4hV3gvKW_PuJaFCWfEESl6l6t4IhXSZ6S1o_tXkmY7M76bNZU1ObplbTo7PV8AGWFQzX6taaQAWd1gVLHjXHZRki2BY54coMp9lxt3U5voA1WcYDc9qmwf9IV1t2xxybu9QOs9-QcOLXQiX_c3hpnE/w400-h155/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-13%20at%207.41.15%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Last Lenten midweek season, you heard the first part of Christian doctrine: the Ten Commandments:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="lsb-responsorial" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt; text-indent: -21pt;"><span class="apple-tab-span"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></span></span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">You shall have no other gods.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">Honor your father and your mother.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">You shall not murder.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">You shall not commit adultery.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">You shall not steal.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 21pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">These Ten Commandments teach us all what God wants us to do and what He does not want us to do. We could very well begin and end all Christian doctrine with the Ten Commandments, <i><u>but only</u></i><u> if they are kept by us</u>. But the issue is, our sinful nature does not want to keep any of these Commandments, especially the First Commandment. So, if we would end with the Ten Commandments in our sinful state, we would all be doomed to eternal death, for we all must answer God for our sins.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">This evening, we begin a Lenten midweek series on the second part of Christian doctrine: the Creed. Tonight we begin with the First Article of the Creed: <i>“I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Let’s ponder this. God – <i>the maker of heaven and earth</i> – He has created everything that exists. Sit back and marvel at this. He created everything <i>ex nihilo</i>, meaning “out of nothing.” God created because He chose to create. He created as an act of love. From eternity, the Triune God – <i>the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit</i> – lived in mutual love with each other. Then at some point, the Holy Trinity made the mutual decision to share that love. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, God created the universe. <b><i>“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth”</i></b> (Genesis 1:1). And God makes room in His life for creation and all creatures. He creates sun and moon, planets and stars, mountains and oceans, butterflies and whales. This is the foundation of everything we believe, teach, and confess. Without creation, we would not be here tonight talking and hearing about Jesus; there would be no sin; there would be no redemption; and there would be no us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, God created the universe to be <b><i>“very good”</i></b> (Genesis 1:31) as this physical world and all creatures came out of God’s outpouring of love. Creation was beautiful. Everything functioned just as God intended. Everything functioned in harmony.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But notice, I didn’t say <i>“is”</i> there, I instead said <i>“was.”</i> Today, we no longer live in this perfect creation. We now live in a fallen world as sin has corrupted God’s creation. Today, creation groans as we face the dangers of the devil, the fallen world, and our own sinful flesh.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But what kind of a Creator is God? What does He do? How can we praise Him, so He may be known?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The First Article of the Creed answers these questions with respect to the First Commandment: <i>“You shall have no other gods.”</i> There is nothing else as the one true God. For there is no one else who could create heaven and earth.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But how does the fallen world react to the First Article of the Creed: <i>“I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth”</i>? Well, consider how few inside and outside orthodox Christianity truly believe it. Yes, we may say it with our mouths, but do you truly believe that God created everything?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Martin Luther puts it this way in his Large Catechism: <i>“For if we believed this teaching with the heart, we would also act according to it. We would not strut about proudly; act defiantly, and boast as though we had life, riches, power, honor, and such, of ourselves” </i>(LC 21).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, our sinful nature never once thinks about God, or even wants to thank Him, or even acknowledge Him as Lord and Creator. Instead, we pat ourselves on the back. We often look to politicians and bureaucrats to fix the world’s ills. We would rather often listen to “so-called experts” than to God Himself as He reveals what we need to know in the Scriptures and His Sacraments.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But even though we live in a fallen world, God created this world, and He called it <b><i>“very good.”</i></b> So, this world, though fallen and corrupt, is valuable to Him. It’s so valuable to Him that He chose to redeem it, cleanse it, and restore it. Plus, the Creator of the universe took on a human body. God became man – <i>a human creature, like you and me yet without sin</i> – to affirm the goodness of creation. God could have destroyed His creation when it fell into sin and started over. Instead, He took it upon Himself.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The One through whom all things were made took upon Himself our flesh in order to make all things new. Jesus came to take on the task of renewing and re-creating His world. So, the beauty that we see today is but a sneak preview, a small glimpse, of the perfect world that is to come.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The suffering, atoning death, and bodily resurrection of Jesus opens the door to the paradise that was lost at the Fall. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Until the day of Christ’s return, we live between God’s first creation and His new creation. In the meantime, God does not stop creating. He did not stop creating after the sixth day. God keeps on creating to this very day. God is still “hands-on” and is deeply involved in His creation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">In spite of sin and death, God continues to create. New life is created every day. Babies are born. Plants sprout in the spring. The sun continues to shine and give light and energy. God creates for the sake of redemption. Even now that Jesus has accomplished our redemption, God keeps the world going for the sake of the Gospel and the restoration of all things.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Among the just and the unjust, God continues to provide. He constantly preserves body, soul, and life, senses, reason, and understanding. He gives everyone food and drink, clothing and support, wife and children, grain, produce, good government, peace, and security. He daily preserves and defends us from all evil and misfortune. He directs all sorts of danger and disaster away from us. All this that God does for us, we call <i>“our daily bread.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, what does God ask of us? All He asks is thanks and praise. This is not because God needs it, but that we acknowledge our dependence on Him. Yes, we can go on without thanksgiving, but we always end up boasting in ourselves. But when we give thanks and praise to the One who is the actual Giver, we remind ourselves how we live on the receiving end of His gifts. Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span face="Candara, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.5pt;">SOLI DEO GLORIA</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Peter Adelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17192317388264759988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175403401580572905.post-34251796750750915912024-02-18T10:24:00.000-08:002024-02-18T10:24:17.680-08:00Sermon for Lent 1: "Our Daily Battle" (James 1:12-18)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jDKgQOH8TlSCSnXWC5Kxlwqu7CGDQqmbH6ZkxO4U-AAcMeq6DfJAcwGKptdkgaVB6KO-1zokPhRX3Tk1BLnVPJ_Gcjp_7msNVvSzdFBcW5M7kp-purvKYARcboFQL6x25Q2o4daiEof5lW5FQxvDgMHvzk1EnzgnfSoog4R-6H6kkTWcctTBUHhmRmw/s1200/428397026_886443666823950_882651717375068165_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jDKgQOH8TlSCSnXWC5Kxlwqu7CGDQqmbH6ZkxO4U-AAcMeq6DfJAcwGKptdkgaVB6KO-1zokPhRX3Tk1BLnVPJ_Gcjp_7msNVvSzdFBcW5M7kp-purvKYARcboFQL6x25Q2o4daiEof5lW5FQxvDgMHvzk1EnzgnfSoog4R-6H6kkTWcctTBUHhmRmw/w400-h210/428397026_886443666823950_882651717375068165_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life”</span></i></b><b><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></b><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">(James 1:12).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Every day of yours and my life is a life under temptation. From the lure of the cookie jar to the draw of pornography. From gossip that we long to share to the grudge that we desire to nurse. From the fallen world, as it temps our sinful nature into believing that cohabitation is a “test” for marriage compatibility instead of proclaiming the holy estate of marriage as good. From being tempted by friends to drink underage at a party to being tempted to turn to drugs in order to “take away” the pain. From the temptation of the latest fads and trends to be popular all the way to homosexuality and transgenderism. From the worldly temptation of “Sunday Funday” in choosing sinful pleasure over God and His gifts in His Means of Grace. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Day by day, our minds are not at peace. We are at war with ourselves, with the fallen world, and with a cunning devil. To this we say, <b><i>“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,”</i></b> as Jesus teaches us to pray. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">This morning, on this First Sunday in Lent, we see before us our daily enemies: evil, temptation, Satan, and sin. Daily we are at war against these lethal spiritual terrorists. But also daily, we have delivery from these evil foes through our Lord Jesus Christ who gives us the crown of life.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Now, it would be certainly nice if we didn’t have to battle temptation, but we live in a fallen world, so this is what we face day-in and day-out. We face temptation. Every single day we each face temptation. Why are we in this daily battle? Is it God tempting us?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">To this, through the Holy Spirit, James says: <b><i>“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempts no one” </i></b>(James 1:13).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, if it’s not God, then who is tempting us?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">To this, James says: <b><i>“Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire” </i></b>(James 1:14). It’s sin. It’s the fallen world. It’s the devil. It’s your sinful desires.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Every day, we are under assault from our evil foes. Satan uses his human and demonic allies to try to distract us, trade our spiritual treasures for trash, sell our future for immediate gratification, grow tired of the Word of God, chase illusions, or to despair of any living communication or relationship with God.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">And when you or I are tempted, this gives birth to sin. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">When you are running late to something, how do you usually drive? Do you follow the speed limit? Or do you <i>ever</i> follow the speed limit? Or do you always give or take 5-8 miles per hour? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">As you speed, what happens when you see those red and blue lights flashing behind you? What are your first thoughts? And be honest. Is it, “I know what I did” or is it, “Why did that cop have to be there?” Be honest.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">As that cop walks up to your car, you and I most likely become like Adam and Eve in the Garden. We would like to blame anyone but yourself. <i>“The woman whom you gave to be with me. It’s her fault!” “That serpent deceived me!”</i> (Genesis 3:11-13).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">It is not God, but our own sinfulness, the fallen world, and Satan that tempts us. We are so easily seduced to take “other gifts,” such as travel time via speeding. We are so hesitant to blame ourselves, but instead everyone else around us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We want immediate gratification. We want to chase illusions. We want our lusts fulfilled. We want money and possessions at any cost.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But really, pastor, is temptation such a big deal? Am I really hurting myself and others if I give in to temptation?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Yes, temptation is a big deal. As St. James states: <b><i>“Desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death”</i></b> (James 1:15). The end result of temptation and evil desire is eternal death. The awful consequence of letting sinful desires take over us is eternal death.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Temptation is a problem. Temptations are evil suggestions to our hearts and minds to rebel against God’s will. Now, God certainly allows hardships, but His purpose is always good. His purpose is to test our faith as genuine and to draw us closer to Him, and away from our evil foes. God never, ever, wants His children to choose evil. He never wants us to give in to temptation. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Again, our temptation problem is not from God, but is really from within. Cooking way in each person’s heart is a sinful self, a prideful self, that never wants to be converted. This prideful self seeks to dominate our thinking and our values. And it will never submit to God.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Even if we realize our struggle with temptation, feel guilty when we fall into it, or we make up our minds to defeat temptation, we can’t. And we won’t. We fail when we trust in ourselves to overcome any temptation. We fail 100 percent of the time.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But Christ overcomes temptation, sin, and death to give us the Father’s good gifts: the crown of life.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The first verse of our epistle today is: <b><i>“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him”</i></b> (James 1:12). Now, who is “the man” who remains steadfast under trial? It can’t be me or you. This man is none other than Jesus Christ, since He is the blessed Man who best resisted temptation. He alone remained steadfast under trial.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Jesus knows what trial is. Jesus knows what temptation is. Not only was He tempted by Satan as we heard in today’s Gospel reading; He was tempted even more than that. His greatest temptation was to avoid the cross, not to go to the cross to save you and me, not to suffer the trials that He faced. He was tempted to not suffer and die for you and for me. But He overcame that temptation. He went to the cross for you and for me to pay for all the times we fall into temptation. He is the only One who can defeat temptation for us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, we belong to God. We are His treasured possessions. He loves us. God the Father loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die for us. So, that through Jesus, we have forgiveness for all the times we have fallen into temptation. It is through Jesus Christ alone that we stand the test and receive the crown of life.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We stand the test as a Baptized child of the heavenly Father. We stand the test by living a life of repentance. We submit to God’s Law, which convicts and condemns our sinful hearts and crushes our sinful pride. Through Baptism, Christ’s saving Gospel clings to us and alone can give us worth and hope before God. For it is only God’s verdict of not guilty that will spare us from His divine wrath that will fall upon Satan and all evil on the Last Day. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">As Baptized Christians, whatever hinders us from faith in Christ must go; but the things that bind us to Christ – <i>His Word and Sacraments</i> – must be the center of our lives.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Daily, we face temptations. We face temptations from the fallen world, Satan, and from within us – our sinful desires. And since, we cannot create paradise on earth, God alone gives us the way to fight off every temptation. He feeds us with His Word, which sustains us. He strengthens you in His promises of His constant presence, sympathy, and understanding of what you are going through, because He has been there. His victory is your victory, and even if you fail, He will pick you up. He picks you up, forgives you, and prepares you by the power of His Word to strengthen your faith for the next time temptation comes. He does the same thing through His Holy Supper. There, He is feeding you with Himself – <i>His very body and blood</i> – that suffered and was shed for you. He strengthens your faith, forgives your sins, and gives you the crown of life.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">God knows all about trials and temptations. He knows about being attacked by our evil foes on all sides. Yet, He always remained steadfast under trial – even unto death. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The Holy Spirit leads us recognize, honestly and humbly, the enemy that can and will conceive and give birth to evil thoughts, evil words, and evil desires. He leads us to humbly repent of our sins daily as we receive His forgiveness.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">God knows what we all go through. That is why He sent His only Son to suffer those trials and temptations, so that we can get through ours by clinging to Him and receive the crown of life that Jesus has won for you at the cross and the empty tomb. Amen.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: Candara, sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">SOLI DEO GLORIA</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Peter Adelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17192317388264759988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175403401580572905.post-52061194733253062602024-02-14T17:30:00.000-08:002024-02-14T17:30:00.137-08:00Sermon for Ash Wednesday: "The Ashes and Vocation" (Mathew 6:1-6, 16-21)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVNXYX96D6F7ga7uPfJnNxyPzgtOMkfEXeUVX8eycUAiINfyBD08np5xCZXsuW9YsLg8eG3cQK1GSYtpEDTxOgU6ZoA1lziiNq8atNZmePPzH6iYvsp3SDr3FuIK425dqzbN5aRtt9y71FejXmDcFmCbvFh7yV7AK4xK0WI6w0dTC3OdogXgkFzR0bqzE/s457/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-14%20at%202.02.21%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="249" data-original-width="457" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVNXYX96D6F7ga7uPfJnNxyPzgtOMkfEXeUVX8eycUAiINfyBD08np5xCZXsuW9YsLg8eG3cQK1GSYtpEDTxOgU6ZoA1lziiNq8atNZmePPzH6iYvsp3SDr3FuIK425dqzbN5aRtt9y71FejXmDcFmCbvFh7yV7AK4xK0WI6w0dTC3OdogXgkFzR0bqzE/s320/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-14%20at%202.02.21%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">On Ash Wednesday, it is easy to focus on the ashes. “Ash” is right there in the name of the day. They are smudged in the shape of the cross on our foreheads. You can’t ignore those ashes on Ash Wednesday. These ashes, even in their cross shape, are speaking, albeit silently. They tell the fallen world, and everyone else who isn’t here tonight, that a new season has started: the springtime season of Lent.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">These ashes also preach something else: something even less festive. They are a publicly visible personal testimony of your mortality. You are dying. You will die. This curse of death hangs there all the time – <i>it’s over all creatures</i> – it’s over you, and it marks you. That cross on your forehead just makes it more obvious this evening. Death – <i>mine and yours</i> – is around the corner ahead somewhere. So, yes, <b><i>“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”</i></b> God spoke His words to fallen Adam in Eden, and again to us this evening: <b><i>“You are dust” </i></b>(Genesis 3:19). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Because you are personally liable – <i>the Creator of heaven and earth holds you accountable</i> – for the disobedience that lives in your flesh, the sin that you inherited from your fathers all the way back to Adam, the sin that isn’t too hard to find just below the surface of even our most well-performed thoughts, words, and deeds.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Those ashes on your forehead make that point. Ashes remind you of your mortality. Ashes remind you that death is what your secret thoughts, whispered words, and covert deeds really finally get you. Even the ones you thought that were “good.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Not to leave you in despair, those ashes on your forehead also represent one more thing: <u>your only hope</u>. Your sure and certain hope rests in the heavenly Father who <b><i>“so loves the world, that He gave His only Son”</i></b> (John 3:16), who is compassionate and wiling to commute the righteous death sentence He decreed. And who will now judge you not by who you are or from whom you came or even what you’ve done but will be satisfied in the punishment and death of another – His beloved Son, Jesus, who has taken your sin as well as your “dust,” and even your death. So those ashes on your forehead mark you with the sign of the cross – as one redeemed by Christ, the Crucified. God applies all the bloody salvation that Jesus has won to you.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The prophet Joel asks, <b><i>“Who knows?”</i></b> Perhaps God will relent and turn away His fierce anger so that we will not perish (Joel 2:14). Well, He will. He does. He has! That’s the prayer and the solid hope of the sinner, the Christian, the penitent – that God will be merciful to me, a sinner. So let the ashes “preach” all that and remind you that your Christian life is a life of daily repentance, even when Lent is over. As Christians, we repent daily and receive God’s forgiveness daily. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">As Christians, we experience real sorrow for sin, but this sorrow also stands alongside the sure mercies of God. The one true God is gracious and merciful. For merciful is precisely how God is. And to do you all this good, His mercies are tied forever to the suffering and death of Jesus. And He brings to you all this heavenly good in the place you are right now. He gives out exclusively what He has promised: you hear His Word and you are given His body and blood to feed and nourish your soul. He comes through Word and Sacrament.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Even though today is Ash Wednesday, the true emphasis of this day is not about those ashes. And the emphasis of Lent is not actually fasting, or prayer, or almsgiving for the poor, or anything else we might take on as part of your Lenten observance. Now, all those things are certainly good, right, and salutary, but they aren’t the main thing. Look at what Christ says in today’s Gospel lesson. Jesus doesn’t say to the Christian: “<i>If</i> you pray, <i>if</i> you give to the needy, <i>if</i> you fast.” No, what does He say? He says, “<i>When</i> you pray, <i>when</i> you give to the needy, <i>when</i> you fast.” So, He’s not adding three new commandments. He’s describing you and what you do in your Christian calling, your Christian vocation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">None of these things is done to draw attention to ourselves. No, He says, <b><i>“Give to the needy … in secret. Pray … in secret. Fast …in secret.” </i></b>Now, there is always a temptation to curve it all back onto ourselves, to “perform” our piety “out loud” or where people can see it, like posting about your Lenten fast on social media. And you may want to admire those ashes on your forehead in the mirror or post your Ash Wednesday picture on social media, but these only show yourself as dust. <i>“Remember that you are dust.” </i>And that Jesus comes to form and shape this dust of ours again, to breath into us His life again, His Word and Spirit.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, by all means fast and pray and provide Christian charity so that you might remember the fasting of Jesus’ 40 days in the desert, the praying of Jesus continually, and the undeserved charity of His grace that our Lord has come to pour out on us in His suffering and death. Fast and make intercessions and deny yourselves for the needs of your neighbor, including inviting them here for your neighbor’s salvation. Deny yourself from the worldly cravings you have, all those unnecessary things you desire.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But when you fast, when you pray and when you give, don’t make a show of it. Don’t do it with the idea that you’re bettering yourself or fixing yourself. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Rather, when you fast and pray and give, do it so your right hand doesn’t ever know what your left hand has done. Don’t do it to get your name on a plaque. Don’t take up these Lenten disciplines to become a better person, but so that you might better take in the gifts and treasures our Lord won for you by His Passion, His death, and His resurrection. It is always about that, about Him for you. Discipline your flesh, fast for a time. Not to lose weight. Not to “get a feel” for what Jesus experienced (as if we even could), but so that His Baptism and Holy Absolution and Sacrament on the Altar might be even more taken in by you. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, as Christ says, <b><i>“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” </i></b>(Matthew 6:19-20a).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, treasure those eternal things – the sure mercies of our God, His words in your Baptism, and the bread and wine where He gives you His body and blood. This is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion in and through the Holy Spirit. So, treasure up His riches and the inheritance you have from His shed blood. Everything tied to our Lord’s death: like your Baptism into that death and receiving His blood cupped from His hands, feet and side come from His death. You have the real treasure – heavenly treasure, which is the forgiveness of sins!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, you don’t need to <b><i>“lay up for yourselves treasures on earth”</i></b> in your home or bank, where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal, since our real treasure is right here, found in the Word and Sacraments, <b><i>“for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” </i></b>(Matthew 6:21). Where Christ is, there is your treasure. Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: Candara, sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">SOLI DEO GLORIA</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Peter Adelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17192317388264759988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175403401580572905.post-6098910308978741932024-02-11T13:41:00.000-08:002024-02-11T13:41:33.618-08:00Sermon for the Transfiguration of Our Lord: "Transforming Us Into the Image of God" (2 Corinthians 3:12-4:6)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRzewSmlO0uPEQJ8PDFPbn_RezqAIc9l0WRUCZ8YPBQs6KRJWuVoumQMmYJhuDAhBOtHFbAnCFww2xbJxa5m_F5Kv5JH74lGfudOJu-t8dA3p7JYY9AdB874_aJBK5NrBnSJB8oaLYEyfdyZecyPoBxlYczEGPuXfx1QCTal0Jn5ijmj0SwiMgIBT-7R0/s1000/301321rgsdl%20crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRzewSmlO0uPEQJ8PDFPbn_RezqAIc9l0WRUCZ8YPBQs6KRJWuVoumQMmYJhuDAhBOtHFbAnCFww2xbJxa5m_F5Kv5JH74lGfudOJu-t8dA3p7JYY9AdB874_aJBK5NrBnSJB8oaLYEyfdyZecyPoBxlYczEGPuXfx1QCTal0Jn5ijmj0SwiMgIBT-7R0/s320/301321rgsdl%20crop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit”</span></i></b><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> (2 Corinthians 3:18).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Today, we celebrate the Transfiguration of Our Lord, and we remember how Peter, James, and John were given a glimpse of Christ’s unveiled glory upon the Mount of Transfiguration. But it is the Apostle Paul who will help us understand what truly took place upon that mountaintop. Essentially, it was the lesser – <i>the Law</i> – giving away to the greater – <i>the Gospel</i>. It is through this experience that we too are transformed into the image of God.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">As great as the Old Covenant was, it was meant to only be temporary. The Old Covenant as revealed in the Old Testament Torah and the Prophets was never to be an end in themselves, but merely served God’s people as a guardian until the Messiah would come.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Well, that time has come! So, upon the Mount of Transfiguration, we see Moses and Elijah passing the torch to Jesus. The time of Moses and Elijah had passed. They served as types of the coming Messiah. They served to prepare us for the coming Messiah. There atop the mountain, Moses and Elijah, who represent the Old Covenant, which cannot save, point us to Jesus, who is the promised Savior.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Now, the Old Covenant also came with glory, as we heard about Moses’ shining face in our Old Testament lesson, but that glory was only “reflected” glory. Here, in our epistle, Paul compares that glory to a fading glory, because Moses’ glowing face would come to an end, so, <b><i>“Moses … would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end”</i></b> (2 Corinthians 3:13).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">This is teaching us that the Law cannot save us. For the Law can only show us our sin and our need for something more permanent. Even if we kept the Torah, we would never reach the perfection God demands. In fact, in Galatians 3, Paul reminds us that the Law of Moses only had a teaching function. The Law of Moses was to only serve as a guardian instructing Israel on how sins would be truly atoned. So, with each animal that was sacrificed, Israel was being taught that without the shedding of blood, there could be no atonement. With every Passover celebration, Israel would be taught to look to the <i>“Lamb of God,”</i> who would once and for all take away the sins of the world.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">That was the Old Covenant. It was glorious, but it was also veiled, and it was intended to fade away.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Sadly, many have never seen beyond that Old Covenant. So, a veil remains. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">For the Jews of Paul’s day through today, a veil remains. Each Sabbath day, they hear a public reading of the Law of Moses – and they hear it the same way as the Israelites at the foot of Mount Sinai heard it. They view the Law of Moses as the final word, the cure-all and end-all. They fail to see that it is only temporary. They have rejected Jesus as the Christ, for only in Christ is the veil taken away. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But this veil is not just over the hearts of the Jews, this veil is over all who have not yet been enlightened by the Gospel. We all know family, friends, and neighbors who do not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. For many of our unbelieving friends and neighbors, it is actually <b><i>“the god of this world” </i></b>(2 Corinthians 4:4) that has blinded their minds from seeing the light of Christ. It is the devil himself, who holds the veil over the hearts of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the Gospel.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">By our own reason and strength, we cannot remove this veil. This veil is only removed when the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to us through Word and Sacrament as He <i>“calls, gathers, enlightens … in the one true faith.”</i> Otherwise, we miss seeing the One who is behind the veil: Jesus Christ on every page in Scripture, Jesus absolving your sins, and Jesus under the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">It is only through the Holy Spirit’s work in us that we are able to recognize Jesus for who He truly is.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Paul and the Church at Corinth have true hope in the Gospel. God had indeed chosen them in Christ just as He has chosen you. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">And yet, this veil remains for many. This veil remains because of our sinful condition, since we came into this world turned from God, due to original sin. It is because of sin that this veil has kept many in Israel from receiving Jesus and it is because of this veil that many refuse to enter a church building. Remember, <b><i>“[Christ] came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. But to who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God”</i></b> (John 1:11-13).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">God became man with the purpose of being glorified. Not through the glory atop the Mount of Transfiguration, but glorified by being lifted up on the cross. As Jesus was lifted up, the Old Covenant was being fulfilled. Through Jesus’ shed blood, the veil was lifted. As Jesus draws His dying breath, He cries out, <b><i>“It is finished”</i></b> (John 19:30). The veil is not only being lifted, but it is also being torn from top to bottom.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">As soon as God died on the cross, many were brought to repentance, but this conversion was only by the grace of God. As the veil is shredded, we can now see Jesus for who He truly is: our Savior from the Law, our Savior from sin, death, and the devil.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Through the power of Holy Spirit and His dwelling in us, it is not just Jesus who is transformed, but also you and me. By God’s grace, we have unveiled faces, so we reflect the glory of Christ as the Gospel dwells in us. The Law of Moses could never produce such a change, because we cannot keep it perfectly. But the Gospel can, because the Gospel is all about Jesus and what He accomplished for us on the cross!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">At the Fall, we lost the image of God. But through Christ’s atoning death and His glorious resurrection, we are gradually being transformed back into the image and likeness of God. Through the Holy Spirit, the veil of spiritual dullness and misunderstanding has been removed. So, as believers in Christ, we are in the same sense like Moses at Mount Sinai. So, the glory of God shines on us directly. But we have something more than Moses, for we have the glory of the New Covenant, the gospel of forgiveness and freedom and life. <b><i>“For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” </i></b>(2 Corinthians 3:16).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The message of the Gospel produces a metamorphosis in Christians. This is a daily transformation, which the message of the Old Covenant, the Law, could never do. This daily transformation comes from the New Covenant, the Gospel, for which we receive in Word and Sacrament, God’s Means of Grace.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Now, this daily transformation will not be complete until we either die in Christ or Christ returns in glory on the Last Day – <i>whichever comes first.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Until that Day, the Holy Spirit continues His transforming, His transfiguring work, in us as we continue to hear the Word and receive the Sacraments.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">As we grow in our transformation into the lost image of God, we fear, love, and trust in God above all things; we gladly hear, learn and take to heart the preaching of the Gospel and in Bible studies; we partake of His gifts; we love our neighbor as ourselves; and simply confess Christ when and where God gives us the opportunity.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We, as baptized believers in Christ, are those whom the Holy Spirit has lifted the veil, so we can become bold confessors of the New Covenant, like Paul, for God said, <b><i>“Let light shine out of the darkness”</i></b> (2 Corinthians 4:6) for Christ has <b><i>“called you out of the darkness into His marvelous light”</i></b> (1 Peter 2:9). Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: Candara, sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">SOLI DEO GLORIA</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Peter Adelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17192317388264759988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175403401580572905.post-76605688158600148602024-02-04T07:43:00.000-08:002024-02-04T07:43:00.148-08:00Sermon for Epiphany 5: "Keeping Focus" (Mark 1:29-39)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjK-WjPqTngTnmsnhFhjfuvTkLPCmjJsrspK5rK5fuiT3hPZ7kelgHBnoMcB2mVOzJYkTEDSV9kf-AA_KnJNIBVWpEs0wgDvCrHbNWMrJMphsWV402JHaqU3ZdeSSkbNhTkzNUxBhfmiRi-O9uPY9FmD8iz1-PY4Cw_tKU-buvw_BdipJs_7ZkgwPnzAE/s1584/41_Mrk_01_37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1584" data-original-width="1584" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjK-WjPqTngTnmsnhFhjfuvTkLPCmjJsrspK5rK5fuiT3hPZ7kelgHBnoMcB2mVOzJYkTEDSV9kf-AA_KnJNIBVWpEs0wgDvCrHbNWMrJMphsWV402JHaqU3ZdeSSkbNhTkzNUxBhfmiRi-O9uPY9FmD8iz1-PY4Cw_tKU-buvw_BdipJs_7ZkgwPnzAE/s320/41_Mrk_01_37.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Simon Peter and those others who were looking for Jesus said to Jesus, <b><i>“‘Everyone is looking for you.” And Jesus said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out’”</i></b> (Mark 1:37-38).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Huh? That’s Jesus’ response? He wants to leave? Well, we’ll get more into His response later. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">In the meantime, this has been a busy day for Jesus. In fact, these last four Gospel lessons all took place the same day. In the morning, while He passed alongside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon Peter and Andrew his brother casting a fishing net into the sea. Immediately after Jesus spoke to them: <b><i>“Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men” </i></b>(Mark 1:17), they followed Jesus.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">As Jesus, Peter, and Andrew walked further, Jesus saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee, mending their fishing nets and He called them. Immediately, James and John followed Jesus.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Then, Jesus, Peter, Andrew, James, and John went to Capernaum and Jesus began teaching in the synagogue. Everyone was astonished at His teaching, since He taught with authority and not like any other rabbi or scribe. While at the synagogue, a man possessed by an unclean spirit cried out to Jesus and immediately, the unclean spirit left this man. Immediately, the conversation began to spread all throughout Capernaum about what Jesus did at the synagogue.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Jesus then left the synagogue and visited the home of Peter and Andrew, with James and John. While there, Peter’s mother-in-law was extremely ill with a high fever. Now, at this time, high fevers meant that death was likely near, but Jesus did the unexpected. Instead of protecting Himself from her illness, He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up and the fever left her. She was completely healed, and even to the point that she began to serve her son-in-law’s guests.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">That evening, the conversation that began at the synagogue had spread all throughout the city of Capernaum. Soon, the entire city began to gather at the door to see Jesus. One after another, after another gather outside the door. These people were curious if all the chatter was true. Wouldn’t you be?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Among these people are the ill – <i>those with various diseases and illnesses</i> – and those possessed by demons. They were curious if Jesus could, in fact, heal them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Now, you may be wondering: “How could an entire city be gathered outside a single house in Capernaum?” Well, although Capernaum was known as a city, it was not a very large city. It is likely the population was around 1,500 people. And, Capernaum was situated along a trade route, so there could have been even some curious outsiders mixed in with the locals.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, as He did with Peter’s mother-in-law, Jesus does not hesitate to touch the sick and demon possessed as He heals them all. Now, what caused all these people to come to Jesus? And what were they seeking? Were they seeking only a miracle worker, or were they seeking the promised Messiah?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">From our text, we do not know for sure. But it is likely that many came not to hear the preaching of Jesus, but in order to be healed by Him. With all the crowds, it was only a matter of time until Jesus could have been anointed the leader, or king, of Capernaum, due to His popularity. Jesus knew this. He knew this quite well.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, under the cover of the darkness of night, Jesus left early in the morning and went to a desolate place and there He prayed. Eventually Peter and the others found Jesus and said to Him, <b><i>“Everyone is looking for you.”</i></b> Jesus replied, <b><i>“Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out”</i></b> (Mark 1:36-37).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">During this season of Epiphany, Jesus is revealed to us as the Son of God in many ways. But what is Jesus revealing to us this morning? Yes, we see that He has the divine power to heal and cast out demons. Yes, we see that He preaches and teaches with authority. But what does Jesus mean by His reply to <b><i>“Everyone is looking for you”</i></b> when He says, <b><i>“Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out”?</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">As awesome as it would be for an ordinary man to be crowned king of a city due to his popularity, this is not the reason Jesus came. This is not the reason God took upon Himself our human flesh.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">At times, you may think that if God is so great, mighty, and powerful, that He may not notice you. Sometimes, you may feel that you are forgotten. Many during Isaiah’s time thought God had forgotten them. To them, God’s promises seemed meaningless. In fact, it was common for many to speak this way: <b><i>“My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God” </i></b>(Isaiah 40:27).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Even if God’s people lack faith in God’s promises, this does not deter the one true God. Isaiah proclaims: <b><i>“The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable”</i></b> (Isaiah 40:28b).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, even when we are weary and doubt, God is there offering us comfort and assurance. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. And even when we are weak and we may see ourselves as insignificant, God increases our strength as Isaiah writes, <b><i>“They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles”</i></b> (Isaiah 40:31).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">This great God does not overlook anyone. This is why everyone who comes to Jesus at Capernaum for healing is healed. Jesus cannot overlook anyone. This is not His nature. He cares for the weary and the weak.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But Jesus knows that He cannot be in Capernaum forever, since this is not the reason He came. So, when Peter and the others say to Jesus, <b><i>“Everyone is looking for you,”</i></b> Jesus knows this is not true. So far <i>only</i> those in Capernaum are looking for Him, but He did not come as the Savior of <i>only</i>Capernaum. Now, Capernaum matters to Jesus, since He cares deeply for these people, but He came for everyone! He came for the entire world! He came as the Savior for Cana, Nazareth, Samaria, Jerusalem, and to the ends of the earth. Jesus came as the Savior for all people and not just a few.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Peter and the others wanted Jesus to focus on the people of Capernaum. Afterall, everything was going well there, and Jesus’ popularity could open doors of opportunities for all of the disciples.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We, too, can often lose our focus. You see, every day, our sinful nature tempts us to lose our focus by turning away from God. We look for refuge in temporal things, such as money, possessions, and health. We look for knowledge outside of God’s Word, instead of seeking knowledge in His Word, which is true knowledge. We seek out man’s favor, rather than what God commands of us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, what does God command of us? He teaches us to learn and apply the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer, so we can regulate our entire life in being in accordance with His Word. This is why we are beginning a new Sunday adult Bible Study this morning on the catechism. Through catechesis and Bible study, we devote ourselves with God’s Word daily and carry it in our hearts and on our lips. We grow in knowledge as we gladly hear and read God’s Word and apply God’s Word in our lives. We fear and love God, and love, help, and support all of our neighbors from conception in the mother’s womb all the way to natural death.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Thanks be to God that He did not lose His focus. Even though the people of Capernaum did not want Jesus to leave, Jesus knew that His focus was to save the lost. He came to defeat the power of sin, death, and the devil through His suffering and death. He came to save you!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">This is why Jesus came. He came to set us free. You see, Christ’s atoning suffering and death on the cross, as well as His bodily resurrection from the dead has set us free from Satan’s bondage and we receive this all by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Unlike Peter and the others who were searching for Jesus that morning in Capernaum, we do not have to search hard to find Him. You see, through His Means of Grace – <i>His Word and Sacrament</i> – Jesus is never far away.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Jesus is still preaching repentance, He is still casting out demons, and He is still healing the ill, the weak, and the weary. Christ is here with us. He comes to each of us in a very personal and special way. He comes to us through His Word and Sacrament. He is here to personally hear us confess our sins as He personally forgives each of our sins.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Through His Word, Christ is still preaching and teaching. We hear His voice through Christ’s called and ordained servants as Christ continues to shepherd His flock. Christ’s Words lead us to eternal life in His constant care and away from the wolves who would destroy us. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Christ is still healing. He continues to be the Great Physician. In this temporal realm for which we live, Christ uses doctors, nurses, therapists, but when a person is healed, that person is healed because of Jesus. In the eternal realm, Christ brings us healing through the eating and drinking of His very Body and Blood in, with, and under the bread and wine, which forgives our sins and strengthens our faith in Christ so we can meet the days ahead.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, what does Christ reveal to us this day? He reveals that He never loses His focus. He didn’t come to save just a select few. He came to save you. He came as the Savior from sin. He came as the Savior for the world, so that all who would repent and trust in Him would be saved. This is why He came! He came to save you! Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: Candara, sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">SOLI DEO GLORIA</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Peter Adelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17192317388264759988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175403401580572905.post-35574181459146141232024-01-28T19:16:00.000-08:002024-01-28T19:16:15.967-08:00Sermon for Epiphany 4: "With All Authority" (Mark 1:21-28)<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5rNBCm5aaLECBqvZOFqXwV_zLgUgqwYaIpyoq_ACbKzJId_fJM1YcyVs6YZFMops-_FMvO4lcp4lu9JX97KaO9qjTmprobdN2QaQ6e0RzzX2Qc4N_zFmQrOq9foe-xen4Qz2cnCNRvXTY_lk3-0fSEneO4RUo_05YjhjlI2Vxk1Jw0GyeUrbR6OiEfJ4/s1584/41_Mrk_01_22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1584" data-original-width="1584" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5rNBCm5aaLECBqvZOFqXwV_zLgUgqwYaIpyoq_ACbKzJId_fJM1YcyVs6YZFMops-_FMvO4lcp4lu9JX97KaO9qjTmprobdN2QaQ6e0RzzX2Qc4N_zFmQrOq9foe-xen4Qz2cnCNRvXTY_lk3-0fSEneO4RUo_05YjhjlI2Vxk1Jw0GyeUrbR6OiEfJ4/s320/41_Mrk_01_22.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">“And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath [Jesus] entered the synagogue and was teaching”</span></i></b><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> (Mark 1:21).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">On the Sabbath following their selection to become fishers of men, Peter, James, John, and Andrew, together with Jesus, went into Capernaum to attend the synagogue service. And since, synagogues had no resident ordained minister, the rulers of the synagogue typically would invite some rabbi or scribe present to teach the Scripture lessons. On this day, these rulers picked Jesus of Nazareth.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Now, what Jesus taught on this Sabbath day, Mark does not tell us, but Mark does tell us the impression His preaching made on those worshippers. They were astonished. In the Greek, a stronger term is used; it is about the equivalent of “dumbfounded.” You see, these worshippers had never heard teaching like this. This is what caused them to say that Jesus <b><i>“taught them as one who had authority”</i></b>(Mark 1:22a).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, what was so different about Jesus? Well, typically, the preacher would appeal to the interpretations of the past rabbis. Jesus, however, quoted no experts, but proclaimed the good news on His own authority. What Jesus taught was not something that He had learned from someone else. Rather, everything He taught and preached He knew by direct knowledge. So, everything Jesus said was in perfect accord with God the Father.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">As everyone was flabbergasted at hearing God’s divine truth, suddenly there was an interruption. A man among the congregation cried out, <b><i>“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God” </i></b>(Mark 1:23-24). What we have here is a case of demonic possession.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">As we live in the western world in the year of our Lord 2024, many today do not believe in demon possession. And if they did believe in it, many think demon possession was just something that happened years ago. So many today believe that surely Satan no longer sends evil spirits into people, but demon possession is real. You may not notice it, but that’s likely since you refuse to see it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But Satan would rather attack in more subtle ways. Lying and seduction are powerful and have longer lasting effects than coercion. As the Father of Lies, Satan does a much better job with us when he simply convinces us that lies are truth. We see this in the attitudes of all sorts of social problems today. How easily the devil converts us into being liars ourselves – even lying to ourselves and fleeing God’s Word of truth. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Through the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul proclaims this truth for all time: <b><i>“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places”</i></b> (Ephesians 6:12).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But we, who are in Christ, should not be frightened. Remember, the battle has been won, even if the war is not completely over.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But oddly enough, the great confession of today’s reading from Mark is not from a disciple, but from the demon-possessed man when he says, <b><i>“I know who you are – the Holy One of God” </i></b>(Mark 1:24). Now, this man could not have known what he said about Jesus. It was Satan that possessed this man who knew who Jesus of Nazareth was and what His purpose was. Satan knew, since he was in fact – <i>at one time</i> – a messenger of God, an angel of God. Even as a fallen angel, Satan will never forget his enemy. So, at that moment in the synagogue, two realms are colliding: the spiritual realm of the Lord God of Israel, and the spiritual realm aligned against it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Even with his words, Satan is revealing himself to be wiser than many modern theologians. However, this knowledge is doing Satan no spiritual good. This knowledge is only filling him with fear and trembling that his reign as the prince of this fallen world is nearing its end.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Even though the demon-possessed man was speaking the truth about Jesus, Jesus would not accept its words as testimony. Satan was not a proper witness, for those hearing him could say, <i>“Those are the words of the Father of Lies. How can we believe them?” </i>Rather, Jesus wanted the people to recognize and accept Him as the Messiah through His authoritative preaching and seeing His works. So, Jesus rebuked him, saying, <b><i>“Be silent, and come out of him!”</i></b> (Mark 1:25). With that simple command, at once, the demon obeyed. Now that man shook violently, and Satan used the voice of that man to utter a horrid scream, but that scream was that demon’s last whimper. At last, the man was free. Jesus had given a mighty demonstration of His almighty power in Satan’s own domain.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">All throughout Scripture, demons know who Jesus is. Again, like their leader Satan, they, too, know who Jesus is, due to being fallen angels. Jesus would confront many demons throughout His earthly ministry. In Mark 5, Jesus met a demon-possessed man, with tremendous strength who had the power to break shackles and chains. The possessed man cried out to Jesus, <b><i>“What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me”</i></b> (Mark 5:7). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">And even when Christ accomplished His mission as He lived a sinless life in the place of all sinners, even to the point of death on the cross, so that His innocent death atoned for the sins of all people by stripping Satan of all his power to control the souls of mankind, Satan still attempts to go after mankind even though he has no shot of victory. As Paul and Silas were in prison, they met a slave girl who was possessed by a demon. She cried out, <b><i>“These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation”</i></b> (Acts 16:17). So, even though Satan and His minions hate God, it is their angelic nature to proclaim God and His truth – even if they don’t want to.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Again, God does not want demons proclaiming His truth, since again, those are the words of the Father of Lies. How can anyone believe them? And that’s the point. It would be Jesus’ authoritative preaching and His mighty works that would bring people to faith in Him as the Son of God.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Jesus is the One with authority, not Satan and not Satan’s minions. When Jesus spoke, He was speaking from the very essence as God. By His authority, He told the demons to depart. He alone had that kind of authority because He is the Author of life. He is our Creator. And our Creator is good. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">To every demon-possessed person Jesus met, He brought them liberation and new life. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Today, even though he has lost the battle, Satan continues to attack us on all sides. He whispers in our ears saying, <i>“Did God really say?”</i> He causes us to question truth as he leads us into lies. We must repent and turn to Jesus as Satan’s deceit will never end until Christ returns in glory on that Last Day. And as that great and magnificent Day nears, Satan grows ever more desperate. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Satan, the great deceiver, led our first parents Adam and Eve into disobedience, sin, and death. As a result, we are under God’s wrath sentenced to eternal damnation as we merit and deserve – through Adam’s sin and your personal sins of thoughts, words, and deeds against God and your neighbor. Without God’s love in Christ for you, there was no help, no hope, no comfort for us. This all changed only when the Son of God in His goodness had mercy came down from heaven by becoming man – <i>like us in every way, except without sin </i>– to help us. Christ snatched us from the jaws of eternal death in hell. He won us. He made us free. He restored us to the Father’s favor and grace as His own possession through the water and the Word of Holy Baptism. He has taken us under His own protection and His shelter in order that He may rule us by His righteousness, wisdom, power, life, and blessedness.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, what should we do to combat Satan, this fallen world, and our own sinful nature that much prefers Satan’s lies to God’s truth? Well, turn to Christ, who alone has all power and authority in heaven and on earth. Turn to Christ, who alone has the authority that defeats Satan and his demons. Turn to Christ, who suffered and died for you, so that your sins would be forgiven and that you would be free from Satan’s accusations. Turn to Christ and listen to His voice in the Scriptures. Turn to Christ and receive His grace of forgiveness through the words of absolution and in His very body and blood under the bread and wine that forgives your sins and strengthens your faith.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">In the spiritual battle until the Last Day, for everyone who clings to Christ, your victory has been won and all by grace through faith in Him, who has all authority in heaven and on earth, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: Candara, sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">SOLI DEO GLORIA</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Peter Adelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17192317388264759988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175403401580572905.post-43103450579270447172024-01-21T08:00:00.000-08:002024-01-21T08:00:00.133-08:00Sermon for Epiphany 3: "The Appointed Time is Short" (Mark 1:14-20)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTavb5WqNl_KIo-lguk6hh-kqV9hI-fp5w9yMPIWCLeZioW9ZlvIJEZGUtoWJVeZVZP7Xx7dGl2yyDkm0SJ6nJw7Tkkdy6T_GrvArU2Z-h-4lwOFsILt1dkBwPN7e-9sY4KHCRe0gpRnUvuoQp9pJ53p0YEz0uKekDgxDNEnU9jX2eNWG2XPUX_AT0bo/s1080/143748778_3608166379236849_3442505978550086056_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTavb5WqNl_KIo-lguk6hh-kqV9hI-fp5w9yMPIWCLeZioW9ZlvIJEZGUtoWJVeZVZP7Xx7dGl2yyDkm0SJ6nJw7Tkkdy6T_GrvArU2Z-h-4lwOFsILt1dkBwPN7e-9sY4KHCRe0gpRnUvuoQp9pJ53p0YEz0uKekDgxDNEnU9jX2eNWG2XPUX_AT0bo/s320/143748778_3608166379236849_3442505978550086056_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">“Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel’”</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> (Mark 1:14-15).</span><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Warning! Danger! This is an emergency! Alarms are going off. Gas is leaking. Water’s rising. Fire’s advancing. Tornado’s approaching. Don’t wait. Don’t waver. Ask questions later. Don’t worry about the lights. Don’t lock the door. Act fast. Don’t look back. Don’t look for or grab anything. Forget the phone. Forget the valuables. Get up. Get out. Don’t worry what you are wearing: pajamas, underwear, or naked. Just go! And hurry!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The prophet Jonah says it like this: <b><i>“Forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”</i></b> (Jonah 3:4). St. Paul puts it this way: <b><i>“The appointed time has grown very short.”</i></b> This world in its present form is passing away (1 Corinthians 7:29)! And Jesus says this, <b><i>“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand”</i></b> (Mark 1:15)! <b><i>“Immediately [Simon and Andrew] left their nets and followed Him” </i></b>(Mark 1:18). <b><i>“Immediately He called [James and John], and they left their father” </i></b>(Mark 1:20).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Focus on the city of Nineveh, in the deserts and mountains, with temples and palaces. Cut to the kingdom of Judea, in Galilee and Palestine, with valleys and fields. Pan over imperial Corinth, amid Romans and Greeks, with seaside shrines.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">A reaping is coming. The reckoning is commencing. Lighting flashes and thunder crashes. Earthquakes and hurricanes are rearing up. Hailstorms and hellfires are roaring forth. Famines bulldoze and floods steamroll. Planetary disaster. The abyss bursts open and beasts awaken, locust hordes swarm and rivers run red. Firmament peels back like a scroll, sun black as sackcloth and moon become blood. Heavenly bodies wobble out of orbit and stars plummet from the sky. Behold the horsemen of the apocalypse and elements melting, pelted by brimstone.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Human preferences have pressed the perimeters. But forces bigger than these will come with resolve. Human performances have flexed the fences. But fundamentals firmer than that are about to condense with vengeance. Human pursuit of pleasure has stretched the constraints. But principles deeper than the immediate pandemonium are going to consolidate for judgment. Human worship of power has tensed the tolerances. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But realities greater than this arrogant mayhem are starting to tighten up and soon will demand recompense. Human pride has bent the borderlines. But laws older than the violent moment can’t help but straighten out for correction. Critical mass has accumulated. Heaven is getting ready to exhale. Almighty God is hollering, <i>“Enough!”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">On this Third Sunday after the Epiphany, which is known as Sanctity of Life Sunday, surprise pregnancy can come like this kind of emergency. Terminal diagnosis can cause this kind of anxiety. The abject panic, the existential dread threatens to drive us right out of our minds, or at least out of our right minds. Why else would we even consider something so otherwise reprehensible as intentionally ending life? One who is in such a situation may think, <i>“I might not survive this. The humiliation will annihilate me. I stand to lose my very self. My options and escapes have run out. I have to kill or be killed.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Drastic times call for drastic measures. But even elective abortion isn’t drastic enough. Even embryocide or physician-assisted euthanasia isn’t dire enough. The emergency that jeopardizes these circumstances exceeds physical discomfort and financial turmoil. The crisis that endangers our people eclipses psychological disfunction and social tribulation, limited resources and infringing upon liberties. The cataclysm that imperils us all looms larger than even primitive Ninevite savagery, Roman colonialism, Corinthian decadence, and Jewish disdain. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, it’s not just childbearing or disease that perpetrates the real wreckage. No, the primary predicament, the critical glitch, has hardwired itself into our nature and DNA. It’s selfishness. The competition impulse. Survival of the fittest. The zero-sum formula for advancement only at another’s expense. It’s sin. Day in, day out. It’s lifetimes of iniquity. Generations of deceiving and defrauding. Centuries of resenting and begrudging. It’s ages of slandering and disobeying almighty God.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">And He is coming. God’s wrath is coming for each and every one of us. He will have you, toe to toe, head-to-head, face to face, eye to eye. He will demand ransom. He will require restitution. All our counterfeit prettiness, property, and popularity that euthanasia acquires will not suffice. The imitation pleasure, power, and pride abortion allows will not avail. Emergency will deprive us all of all that. That’s how emergency always works. Can’t grab anything to take with you. Can’t go back again. Desert your belongings. Leave even the valuables behind. The only way out is through, and the only way ahead is naked.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, God comes naked. God Himself comes stripped down. The great I Am gets involved, no adjectives, no predicate nominatives. With the urgency so intense, God personally intervenes as never before. He sheds His majesty and enters our emergency. God draws near and meets us square where we are with mortals, with His creation, with us, sinners. God breathes and He bleeds as we do. God sits and suffers alongside just how we must: working, hurting, and disturbed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Jesus, Emmanuel, God become man, is the gestating embryo who reaches us. Jesus the frail fetus and flailing infant reaches us with bare grace and patience. Jesus, the baby in the manger, greets us. Jesus, who appears as an ordinary boy, encounters us. Jesus, the humble, gentle drifter, embraces us. Jesus, who appears to be the regular, mediocre everyman and common, normal nobody, embraces us with undiluted dignity and unadulterated sanctity. As the ad campaign says: “He gets us.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">This God intrudes. This God invades. This God runs naked toward the emergency. This God throws Himself headlong into the disaster we brought upon ourselves. Jesus plunges face-first into our catastrophe and takes on not just our crisis but also its root cause: all human sinfulness. God holds nothing back to supply the sacrifice and to render the payment and to endure the punishment and to satisfy His wrath. Jesus the Christ comes, and He offers self and life in entirety to settle the accounts and to retire the debt to atone for man’s sins.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">God’s naked grace invades to take us just as we are and make us just as Jesus is. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">He takes us just as we are. He makes us just as the I am. His unshielded substitution justifies our survival and salvation, no matter how unqualified or inadequate. His stark-naked crucifixion clinches the ruptures and stitches the fissures, no matter how unable or unattractive. His defenseless forgiveness bridges the rifts, heals the breaches, and relieves the emergencies, no matter how feeble or obsolete you and I, or any of us may be, and indeed are.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">You see, naked doesn’t only mean death. Naked also embodies birth. We leave this life disrobed, but we enter existence unclothed as well. Jesus has made emergency the occasion for ending and for commencing. Emergent indicates coming forth. Crucifixion generates resurrection. Forgiveness fathers forevermore. Atonement births everlasting life. The slain Lamb stands raised again.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">This Jesus ascended the throne of ultimate authority to embezzle death and vacate graves everywhere. The plane goes down, but the pilot gets the passengers out, and the pilgrimage goes on. The ship may sink, but the skipper recovers the sailors, and the crossing continues. So, our death in Christ leads to our resurrection in Christ. The power, the pride, the pleasure, the prettiness, property, and popularity – they never really mattered. The fellowship, the family, the kingdom, the community, the hearts and histories connected together, the lives bound one to another – <i>that</i> endures and outlasts even the emergencies.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Now, what about that alarm that is still sounding? Well, no need to panic. Proceed ahead in an orderly fashion. We will get through this and get out together. Jesus has prepared us for emergency. Perk your ears to the Voice of the One who’s been here before, who knows the Way. Fix your eyes on Him. Don’t look down or to the distractions around us. Let go of your false idols of comfort.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Your faith through the working of the Holy Spirit begun in your Baptism has quenched the flames and fireproofed you in Christ. The Lord’s Supper stocks us to full at each Divine Service, so we are ready for any storm. Christ strengthens our faith as we float along day by day, head above water. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, trust the One, the Great I Am, who became just as we are, and through Him, He makes us just as He is: righteous. Emergencies don’t just build character; they build community. So, proclaim and put this into practice. And there is no better occasion for courage than a surprise pregnancy. And there is no better opportunity for compassion than a terminal diagnosis. Through the Holy Spirit’s indwelling in you, you may change a heart or save a life – not just in this life, but also for eternity. Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span face="Candara, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.5pt;">SOLI DEO GLORIA</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Special thanks to Rev. Michael Salemink of Lutherans for Life.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lutheransforlife.org/">https://lutheransforlife.org/</a></p>Peter Adelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17192317388264759988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175403401580572905.post-55968020423621522982024-01-14T12:20:00.000-08:002024-01-14T12:20:45.097-08:00Sermon for Epiphany 2: "Come and See!" (John 1:43-51)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJQ3nu2IVhcT9gBH90ZKtLYFVB-491QKhSpQ9ymVveKrlyJ77zZBSO8aiM_oUS_Y8fwZQtb8W3avVbWO05qgwTHpNBlz0TrQ8WhP68yaSm-Rg3UOq5FrOMyPNtIpspnIFSKFirAx1waLRGzl7umZH3Xc9VauVmkbkniDC6iic5H6xanLxAlv5GIYJFdo/s512/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="512" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJQ3nu2IVhcT9gBH90ZKtLYFVB-491QKhSpQ9ymVveKrlyJ77zZBSO8aiM_oUS_Y8fwZQtb8W3avVbWO05qgwTHpNBlz0TrQ8WhP68yaSm-Rg3UOq5FrOMyPNtIpspnIFSKFirAx1waLRGzl7umZH3Xc9VauVmkbkniDC6iic5H6xanLxAlv5GIYJFdo/w400-h300/unnamed.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Philip found Nathanael (also known as Bartholomew) and said to him, <b><i>“We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” </i></b>Nathanael responded, <b><i>“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”</i></b> (John 1:45-46a).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Throughout the Epiphany season, Jesus is revealed to be the Christ, the promised Messiah in various ways. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="background: white; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.5pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">First, by the Magi when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy, and later rejoiced even more when they saw the promised Messiah with Mary and fell down and worshiped Him (Matthew 2:1-12). <br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="background: white; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.5pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Second, Jesus was revealed as the Christ last week when John the Baptist saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on Jesus like a dove to which the voice from heaven announced: <b><i>“You are My beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” </i></b>(John 1:11).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Today, on this Second Sunday after the Epiphany, Jesus is revealed as the Christ in another way. Today, Jesus is revealed through the Word – <i>the Scriptures</i>. And through the Scriptures, we who trust in Jesus cannot help but say to others about Him: <b><i>“Come and see!”</i></b> (John 1:46b).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Philip and Nathanael studied the Scriptures. Philip studied under John the Baptist. And through his study, Philip was beyond convinced that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah foreseen by Moses and the prophets. Upon Jesus’ powerful words, <b><i>“Follow Me” </i></b>(John 1:43), Philip became a disciple. And upon this great news, Philip could not contain himself, he had to tell others that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Christ. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, the first person Philip told was Nathanael. But first notice what Philip did not say to Nathanael. He did not say:</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">“I get this strong feeling when I’m with Jesus that here is a great man of God, if not the Messiah.”</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">He did not say:</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">“This Jesus of Nazareth sends out good vibrations that tell me He’s the Messiah.” </i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">No, Philip connected his conviction concerning Jesus with the Scriptures. Moses in his five books, the Pentateuch, spoke about the Coming One. Moses and the prophets foretold of the Messiah through types and symbols. Moses said that God would raise up a prophet like himself from among the Israelites and that everyone should listen to Him, since His words are the very Word of God (Deuteronomy 18:15-18).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">To this, Philip knows beyond any doubt that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah, since Jesus matches exactly the picture Moses and the prophets drew of the Messiah. Philip was convinced by the Scriptures, and he had to share this good news.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But as Philip shared this good news, Nathanael responded, <b><i>“Can anything good come out of Nazareth</i></b>?” (John 1:46).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Nathanael was a cynic. But Nathanael was also a man of faith in the promised Messiah. He was serious in wanting to find the One, the One whom <b><i>“Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote” </i></b>(John 1:45). But Nathanael also remembers the past men who claimed to be the promised Messiah. He remembers how they all came and went. The Messiah “wanna-bes” of the past were liars. He was disappointed before, and he didn’t want to be disappointed again.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Plus, Nathanael knew the Scriptures. He knew that there was no word of prophesy connecting Nazareth with the Messiah. All throughout the Old Testament, Nazareth received no mention. So, how could the Messiah come from Nazareth? Nazareth wasn’t important enough to be mentioned before, so why would it be important now?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We all know cynics. You know, those people who are inclined to question the sincerity and goodness of people’s motives and actions. Or those who are always pessimistic, who question everything.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Now, it may be good to have some sense of cynicism. We should all be critical thinkers, after all. But if you live your life with the idea that nothing good could ever come, that isn’t living life. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">It’s easy to become cynical. When authorities have lied, deceived, or abused you in the past, it’s easy to not trust authorities in the future. We remember when we have been wronged. Or, if you consistently douse yourself in bad news – by watching cable news 24/7, it’s easy to become cynical. Or a person has had a bad experience in the Church in the past, they can become a cynic. Or a person may say, “Christians are judgmental.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But how does Philip respond to Nathanael’s cynicism? Did Philip argue Nathanael into believing that Jesus is the Christ? No! He simply said, <b><i>“Come and see”</i></b> (John 1:46b). Philip used the exact words Christ said. So, the most effective answer to an earnest cynic is simply to invite him or her.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Simply arguing a person into faith through reason or experience seldom has positive results. But what works? The most effective way to answer the earnest doubter is simply to invite him or her to see Jesus as He presents Himself in His written Word, just as He made Himself known to Philip and Nathanael.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Often, we may think the most effective way to grow the Kingdom of God is to use programs. Many of these programs utilize canned questions to possibly scare the skeptic into faith, such as “If you died tonight, would you go to heaven?” How often does that work? Or: a tactic of some churches is to yell at people through loudspeakers in hopes that the hearer would repent and follow Jesus. How often does that work?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Again, what did Philip do? He didn’t yell. He didn’t argue. He didn’t use fear. He simply said, <b><i>“Come and see.”</i></b> We can’t argue or force someone into faith in Jesus. We can only show Jesus as He has revealed Himself in His Word and Sacraments and leave the rest up to the Holy Spirit. We can simply do no more and no less than Philip. We can invite all who will listen saying, <b><i>“Come and see.”</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">In the case of Nathanael, the invitation to come and see was accepted. But that may not always be the case for us. Remember, it’s the working of the Holy Spirit that causes the skeptic to listen. It’s the working of the Holy Spirit that causes the skeptic to come and see.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">As Lutherans, we don’t urge anyone to “accept Jesus” by their own reason or strength, since we know that’s impossible. You see, without knowing you are a sinner, you would see no need for any savior from sin because anyone who is spiritually dead can’t make themselves alive.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">In this fallen world, our Old Adam – <i>our old sinful nature</i> – in us sees no need for Jesus, so we can’t by our own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, or even come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called us by the Gospel, enlightened us with His gifts – His Word and Sacrament, sanctified and kept us in the one true Christian faith as Luther explains the Third Article of the Creed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">All we can do is to invite the cynic – <i>whether they are a Christian or not</i> – to <b><i>“come and see,”</i></b> so that Jesus Himself overcomes their pride and Jesus Himself, through the Holy Spirit, brings them to faith in Him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Through the accepted invitation, Jesus reveals Himself to be the Christ through the preaching of His Word. And through His written and spoken Word, Christ leads everyone to repentance and faith in Him as He reveals Himself to be the Savior of the world who died for our sins and the sins of the whole world. Here, the Messiah is found – <i>in His Word and His Sacraments</i>. Through these Means of Grace, the Holy Spirit creates faith in Jesus as the Christ and faith that receives Christ’s forgiveness and new life.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Now, as you invite others, don’t forget to take your own advice. We, like Philip, need to keep coming and seeing Jesus, faithfully and trusting His promise to be present with His people in the Divine Service, in prayer, and in service to our neighbor. In this way, we also strengthen our congregation – <i>Prince of Peace Lutheran Church</i> – to be a place where people who come are not hindered from seeing, but see clearly, Jesus, who is the Messiah and Lord of all.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Salvation is only found in Jesus of Nazareth. And the single most important thing we can do for any cynic – <i>including ourselves and others</i> – is to issue the simple invitation: <b><i>“Come and see.”</i></b> Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: Candara, sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">SOLI DEO GLORIA</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><style class="WebKit-mso-list-quirks-style">
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</style>Peter Adelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17192317388264759988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175403401580572905.post-51970902368985692122024-01-07T12:40:00.000-08:002024-01-07T12:40:46.098-08:00Sermon for The Baptism of Our Lord: "Drowned and Buried with Life" (Romans 6:1-11)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1IJhj0ZeStItg-lvevt94baKNV_BhnE8pUnIpFAdk1v5JJc1ASN9-AINWl1PJpbeQt-wmoppQvqpcu6GGhrxx0UNrHoKQT_Ja_Vh3-gomhfP6T6QX2rE24mVrOJzFOLqHUnnFBB5kX7xZ3RJiMadtTFu57ktlDVWhETv70B5GlklKVq8ltvv8frXd6M/s1170/Screen%20Shot%202024-01-04%20at%2010.17.16%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="808" data-original-width="1170" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1IJhj0ZeStItg-lvevt94baKNV_BhnE8pUnIpFAdk1v5JJc1ASN9-AINWl1PJpbeQt-wmoppQvqpcu6GGhrxx0UNrHoKQT_Ja_Vh3-gomhfP6T6QX2rE24mVrOJzFOLqHUnnFBB5kX7xZ3RJiMadtTFu57ktlDVWhETv70B5GlklKVq8ltvv8frXd6M/w400-h276/Screen%20Shot%202024-01-04%20at%2010.17.16%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Inspired by the Holy Spirit, St. Paul writes, <b><i>“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?”</i></b> (Romans 6:1-2)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Christmas is over, but the celebration of the Word made flesh continues throughout the Epiphany season. Today, we remember how Christ fulfilled all righteousness as He was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. There in the water, Christ officially began His holy ministry. There in the water, Christ, who knew no sin, linked Himself to sinners, you and me, so that through His suffering and death, all who would trust in Him would become righteous.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">For many people, the Sacrament of Holy Baptism has become a sort of “Get into heaven free card.” St. Mark promises, <b><i>“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved”</i></b> (Mark 16:16a). Likewise, St. Peter writes, <b><i>“Baptism now saves you”</i></b> (1 Peter 3:21).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, does the Sacrament of Holy Baptism guarantee a free trip to heaven? Well, yes and no. Jesus inseparably connects Baptism and teaching. For He said, <b><i>“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” </i></b>(Matthew 28:18-20).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, it is the Christian practice ordained by Christ Jesus to baptize and teach. So, Baptism and Confirmation are inseparably linked. And our faith life isn’t complete when we are Confirmed. It has only just begun. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">As Christians, we ought not to remain at a surface level in our faith. And it is true that God’s promises in Holy Baptism stand even if we do not believe them. He is always faithful, even when we are faithless. However, all who reject God’s promises and die in unbelief have abandoned their Baptism and do not receive what God has promised. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">For the Christians in Rome, many of them acted as if Baptism was indeed a “get into heaven free card”, and many were perfectly satisfied in not growing in the faith. They were content knowing that Christ died for their sins, so they would receive grace upon grace. Enough grace that they could continue living in sin.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Now, Satan knows how to entice human beings. He’s rather good at it. He entices us with the “dangling carrot,” that the more we sin the more God will shower us with His grace. And the Roman Christians were falling for it. And we fall for it. That is the premise for our text. To the Romans and to us, Paul takes up this question:<b><i> “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?” </i></b>(Romans 6:1).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Satan whispers as he tickles our ears saying, “If it makes you feel good, then do it.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Like the Romans, we, too, can fall into Satan’s trap by saying:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="background: white; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.5pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">“I know marriage is <i>supposed</i> to be a one-flesh union between one man and one woman, but I guess God’s grace covers that. I don’t want to be insensitive to someone else’s feelings. God is merciful. He surely wouldn’t send someone to hell if he doesn’t repent, would He?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.5pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">“I know sex is <i>supposed</i> to be just in marriage, but what if I really love her? We’ll probably get married someday. God is gracious and merciful, isn’t He?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.5pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">“I know pornography is bad, but it makes me feel so good. Doesn’t God want me to be happy?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="background: white; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.5pt;">§<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">“I know God created humans as male and female, but what if I don’t feel right in my own body. God wants me to be happy, right? And what makes me happy is not wearing pants, but a skirt.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Now, what’s wrong with this picture? Well, this is Satan’s talking, not God. Satan doesn’t listen to Scripture, and he doesn’t like Scripture and he won’t honor the words of Scripture. He disdains it and tries to get us to question its authenticity and accuracy. When faced with the truth, Satan will try to use it against us. He will twist the Word of God into something unrecognizable to anyone but our old sinful nature – the “Old Adam” in us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">This broken logic is what the fallen, sinful world clings to. To the fallen world, it makes sense that we continue in sin, since grace abounds. Sin is so fun, so how could sinning be wrong? Afterall, is it still wrong if the government legalizes it? Now, I may be speaking to the choir, but I am sure that there are some among us who believe that it’s no longer sin, if the government declares it to be so. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But what does Scripture say? What does God say? God hates sin. He hates sin, because it’s us separating ourselves from Him. We are all poor, miserable sinners, so does God hate us? That’s what some would say. But is that really the case? Is it in God’s nature to send people to hell? No. But there are many who choose to live in sin than to repent and be forgiven. So, for those people who continue in sin, they only receive what they chose: eternal suffering in hell.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">St. Paul says that we can’t even think about continuing in sin. Since we have been baptized into Christ, we are dead to all of this nonsense! <b><i>“Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life”</i></b> (Romans 6:1b-4).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">In our sinful state, mankind is satisfied to live and function in perverse thinking and doing. But Paul reminds the Roman church that this kind of perverse thinking has no power over us. In Baptism, our sin has been drowned. In Baptism, we have been set free from sin, not because they don’t matter, but because Jesus suffered and died for them. In Baptism, we are forgiven because Jesus took all these sins to the cross. Our sins of sexual immorality, our sins of silence when we know others are sinning, our failures to keep our marriage vows, every sin we commit by thought, word, and deed, were nailed to Jesus’ cross. Christ died as the eternal sacrifice for our sin.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Therefore, when we repent, that is, when we turn away from sin and to Jesus, we no longer bear the punishment we have earned and deserved. Christ takes those sins to the cross and exchanges them with His forgiveness and righteousness. We are delivered from hell’s power and given heaven. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, what now? How do we as the Church continue to live in this fallen, sinful world? How do we live in this world so that we don’t let Satan’s usurped authority and power take over our lives? How do we live now since we have <b><i>“died to sin.”</i></b> How do we live now that we have been drowned and buried in Holy Baptism?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Holy Baptism gives us a new life! <b><i>“We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life”</i></b> (Romans 6:4).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">As Baptized Christians, our new life is quite different, because the power of God’s Word and His Sacraments take over our lives. So, through the Holy Spirit, He leads us to conduct our lives different than that of unbelievers. But this doesn’t mean that we will never sin again. You and I will sin, but we don’t use God’s grace as an excuse to sin. Instead, we receive God’s grace each time we repent of our sins as we confess our sins to Him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, each time Satan throws his darts at you, each time Satan whispers into your ear, just say this: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 70.9pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">“Satan, hear this proclamation:<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 70.9pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> I am baptized into Christ! <o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 70.9pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Drop your ugly accusation, <o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 70.9pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">I am not so soon enticed. <o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 70.9pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Now that to the font I’ve traveled, <o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 70.9pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">All your might has come unraveled, <o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 70.9pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">And, against your tyranny, <o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 70.9pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">God, my Lord, unites with me!”</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 141.8pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">(<i>God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It</i>, LSB 594, stanza 3).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">For us, who, through Holy Baptism, are alive to Christ Jesus, we cannot go back to sin, since you were drowned and buried in Christ, who alone gives you life. Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: Candara, sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">SOLI DEO GLORIA</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><style class="WebKit-mso-list-quirks-style">
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</style>Peter Adelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17192317388264759988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175403401580572905.post-21526609005832114862024-01-01T07:45:00.000-08:002024-01-01T07:45:00.136-08:00Sermon for the Circumcision and Name of Jesus: "He Was Called Jesus" (Luke 2:21)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-ttkhswuNjQymtQGrCdELjykGItxM2v7m3D6ods7U_LBVD6W8UGvw9eS7Junm0em3Au7diFefemFdYdTrdFHr6Ibrj-IgV3DUHrSSx-js1IDBJljyIk9jLbgGwDe2QBt_Xh9lhqXtrG0cW8venI1KRrC_B3xlMN869xTO9Xmo-OEfuREwi4iEjZckww/s1140/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-28%20at%208.37.36%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="1140" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-ttkhswuNjQymtQGrCdELjykGItxM2v7m3D6ods7U_LBVD6W8UGvw9eS7Junm0em3Au7diFefemFdYdTrdFHr6Ibrj-IgV3DUHrSSx-js1IDBJljyIk9jLbgGwDe2QBt_Xh9lhqXtrG0cW8venI1KRrC_B3xlMN869xTO9Xmo-OEfuREwi4iEjZckww/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-28%20at%208.37.36%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Happy Eighth Day of Christmas! On the Eighth Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: Eight maids a-milking. These eight maids a-milking represent the eight beatitudes that Christ spoke as part of His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Now, tucked between the “Gloria in Excelsis” of Christmas Day and the “Nunc Dimittis” spoken by Simeon 40 days after Christ’s birth, we have a single verse. It looks insignificant, but that single verse is extremely significant for Jesus, and for us and our salvation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> <b><i>“And at the end of eight days, when He was circumcised, He was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb” </i></b>(Luke 2:21).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Nine months earlier, the angel Gabriel came to the virgin Mary and said, <b><i>“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” </i></b>(Luke 1:30-33).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">By God’s ceremonial Law command, every male child was to be circumcised on the eighth day. And by circumcision, the child was incorporated into God’s covenant with Israel, dating back to Abraham. The circumcision and naming of a child on the eighth day would be equivalent to a Christian Baptism today. However, as important as Baptism’s are for Christians, the circumcision wasn’t a temple event. The circumcision was done locally, wherever the family lived and without any fanfare. It was like when a nurse comes to a mother’s hospital room and asks her to verify the information about her child to go on the birth certificate. The baby is being held by his mother as the faither smiles joyfully, but there is little to any fanfare.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">On the eighth day, following the birth of their firstborn, Joseph and Mary did precisely what the angel Gabriel commanded. As faithful Jews, they did as the Lord had commanded them. So, on the eighth day of Jesus’ earthly life, they incorporated their Son into the Abrahamic covenant, which also included the official ceremony of the Child being given His name: <b><i>“He was called Jesus”</i></b> (Luke 2:21).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">There are some names we like and some names that you and me may call “iffy.” Typically, children are named after a favorite uncle or aunt, grandfather, or grandmother. Children are typically named in honor of a special relationship we have or had with a person. In other words, the significance of a name can change depending on our experiences with a person or persons who bear that name.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Only God’s Name never changes its meaning. And God’s Name is Jesus. Literally, “Yahweh Saves.” Jesus is Lord of lords. Jesus is King of kings. Jesus is <b><i>“Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” </i></b>(Isaiah 9:6).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">As the angel Gabriel said to Joseph, <b><i>“Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins”</i></b> (Matthew 1:20-21).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, is He who alone paid the redeeming price of His life for the sins of the world. Jesus, <b><i>“though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross”</i></b> (Philippians 2:6-8).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Because of what Christ alone has done for us and for our salvation, through inspiration, St. Paul tells us, <b><i>“Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the Name that is above every name, so that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” </i></b>(Philippians 2:9-11).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">And oddly enough, although Joseph and Mary named their Child Jesus, it wasn’t them who named their Son. It was God Himself, through the angel Gabriel. Jesus, who is fully God from eternity, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, He named Himself, since He came as the Savior from the powers of sin, eternal death, and Satan’s tyranny.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The Second Commandment teaches us: <i>“You shall not misuse the Name of the Lord your God.” </i>And we begin the Lord’s Prayer with: <i>“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name.” </i>So, we ought to not misuse God’s Name, but hold His Name sacred. We ought to call upon God’s Name in times of trouble, whether it is doubt, despair, or sickness. When we call upon His name, He promises to deliver you.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We also ought to call upon God’s Name in praise and thanksgiving. This is what we do at each Divine Service. Here, we praise God’s Name when we say the Gloria Patri: <i>“Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Indeed, the Prophet Isaiah also gives God other names: <b><i>“Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” </i></b>(Isaiah 9:6). Isaiah also gives God another name: “Immanuel.” <b><i>“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His Name Immanuel” </i></b>(Isaiah 7:14), which means God with us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But the Name above all Names is Jesus. For in the Name Jesus, we are told of His purpose: Yahweh Saves. He will save His people from their sins.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We, too, have been given a name. We are called Christians, meaning followers of Christ. St. Paul writes, <b><i>“For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise”</i></b> (Galatians 3:26-29).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, we have been given Christ’s Name. And we have become heirs according to the promise. We have been re-created as children of God. Our sins are forgiven through Jesus Christ alone. And so, we live in repentance and faith in Him, for He is our Savior. Our Savior, who is called Jesus. Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: Candara, sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">SOLI DEO GLORIA</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Peter Adelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17192317388264759988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175403401580572905.post-58812010125109665222023-12-31T07:45:00.000-08:002023-12-31T09:21:49.239-08:00Sermon for Christmas 1: "The Song of Simeon: Seeing the Lord's Salvation" (Luke 2:22-40)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4VTlnEecpU5LhbTOwYV4yGJQhrKSEQ4Xw2m5xnBs4RB3iEDduFhgI1NYZ4moLpxBISTFAbDJHhzmyIRb_e8vnR2LcalcMhcu6MLwE5ysGo0bQQY5Tt-08nZmXxMHIuWxxAXScoHoPIuv-nwWUCQvfpXq7Zc1unNuVbTvSm7OGnCxboCLTDQWswd-QyIA/s640/the_presentation_of_the_temple_phillippe_de_champaigne_1648.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="640" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4VTlnEecpU5LhbTOwYV4yGJQhrKSEQ4Xw2m5xnBs4RB3iEDduFhgI1NYZ4moLpxBISTFAbDJHhzmyIRb_e8vnR2LcalcMhcu6MLwE5ysGo0bQQY5Tt-08nZmXxMHIuWxxAXScoHoPIuv-nwWUCQvfpXq7Zc1unNuVbTvSm7OGnCxboCLTDQWswd-QyIA/s320/the_presentation_of_the_temple_phillippe_de_champaigne_1648.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Merry Christmas! Happy Seventh Day of Christmas! Today, as the carol proclaims, <i>“On the Seventh Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: seven swans a-swimming,”</i> which are the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, piety, and the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:1-2).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Part of what makes Christmas Eve and Christmas Day so meaningful is that it is easy to locate Jesus – and with Him, God’s grace and salvation on these holy days. We know exactly where to look. Our Savior is in <i>O Little Town of Bethlehem</i>, <i>Away in a Manger</i> where <i>Gentle Mary Laid Her Child</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But what about this morning? The infant Jesus is no longer in Bethlehem. The angels have departed, and the shepherds have returned to their fields. The days and weeks following Christmas Eve and Christmas Day can leave us feeling disoriented, confused (what day is it?)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">, and even depressed (the parties are over). Your family has returned home. Despite it still being the Christmas season, the Christmas music on the radio has returned to ‘80s and ‘90s pop. The days leading up to Christmas were shiny and bright, but now we are back to normal, we are back to work, and that can lead to depression.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Where do we find Jesus? To find Jesus, we must travel with Joseph and Mary from the manger to the temple. Today may be the Seventh Day of Christmas, but we are moving forward in time to the 40<sup>th</sup>day of Jesus’ earthly life. So, today, we find Joseph, Mary, and the 40-day-old infant Jesus in Jerusalem at the temple. They are there for the purification of the mother, which must be done on the 40<sup>th</sup> day since the birth of a child according to Jewish ceremonial Law, so that she shall be clean. But we also see on this day, that Joseph and Mary are not wealthy, as they give the alternate sacrifice: <b><i>“a pair of two turtledoves, or two young pigeons” </i></b>in place of a lamb (Leviticus 12:8; Luke 2:24). But at that moment, we can also see that no lamb for sacrifice was necessary, because already here at 40 days old, Jesus is the Lamb of God brought to His temple for sacrifice.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Now, while at the temple, Joseph and Mary meet a man named Simeon. There is nothing great or wonderful about Simeon. He has no high office. He has no standing or power. He is just a man. But is he just any ordinary man? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">In fact, Simeon was led by the Holy Spirit. By faith in the promise, Simeon was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel. Through the Holy Spirit, it was revealed to him that he would not taste death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, as Simeon was waiting at the temple, all of a sudden, the Holy Spirit leads him to Joseph and Mary, who is holding Jesus. Then he asks Mary is he can hold the Child, and then he speaks what is known as the Nunc Dimittis, the Song of Simeon:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0in 35.45pt;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,<br />according to your word;<br />for my eyes have seen your salvation<br />that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,<br />a light for revelation to the Gentiles,<br />and for glory to your people Israel”</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> (Luke 2:29-32).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Oftentimes, we get so used to the liturgy. Sometimes, when we sing the Nunc Dimittis, we sing it just from wrote memory while not really understanding what we are singing. As sinners, we can easily daydream while we sing or say the liturgy.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, what are we saying when we sing the Nunc Dimittis? First, what does “Nunc Dimittis” mean? Well, Nunc Dimittis is from Latin, which are the first words of Simeon’s Song: <i>“Now you dismiss.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">As Simeon spoke the Nunc Dimittis to Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, he wasn’t making a request of the Lord. Rather, Simeon was making a statement of fact: <i>“You now dismiss your servant in peace.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">After years of waiting at the Jerusalem temple as a watchman waiting for the fulfillment of the Old Testament promise, Simeon’s service was now at an end. The watch is over. He can now retire in peace. With his eyes of faith, Simeon sees more than just an infant in his arms, he sees the Savior dying on the cross, he sees salvation for all people, both Jew and Gentile.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Joseph and Mary marveled at the words spoken by Simeon. But Simeon was not finished. He blessed the Holy Family and then said to Mary, <b><i>“Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed”</i></b> (Luke 2:34-35).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Through the Holy Spirit, Simeon received a special revelation concerning the destiny of the infant Jesus. Israel would be divided over Him. Jesus would cause some to fall and some to rise. Jesus would be a rock of offense over which many would stumble. But for others, Jesus would be the Living Stone of salvation. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Maybe, Simeon spoke these words directly to Mary as he knew that she, not Joseph, would witness their Son’s suffering and death on the cross, and her own soul would be crushed in witnessing her Son’s death.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, Simeon’s words must have caused Joseph and Mary to marvel at what was said about the infant Jesus. Simeon’s words added to what they had already seen and heard from the angel Gabriel and the shepherds.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But that day wasn’t over quite yet for Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. An elderly woman named Anna was also waiting for salvation. And unlike Simeon, who came and went from the temple, Anna remained at the temple grounds as she worshipped with fasting and prayer, night and day. She, too, came up to the Holy Family and gave thanks to God and later spoke of the infant Jesus to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. So, you could say, Anna was the first missionary.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But what about us this morning? Where do we find Christ? Well, think of the Nunc Dimittis. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">In the Nunc Dimittis, we sing the words that Simeon spoke as he held the infant Jesus in his arms in the temple. These very words:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="lsb-responsorial" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 56.45pt; text-indent: -21pt;"><span class="lsb-symbol"><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14pt;">C</span></span><span class="apple-tab-span"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></span><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word,</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 56.45pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people,</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 56.45pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 56.45pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost;</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 56.45pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="lsb-responsorial-continued" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0in 56.45pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, on this Seventh Day of Christmas and at every Divine Service, we find Jesus in His temple – <i>where He promises to be</i> – in our holy places of worship. He had deigned graciously to meet us here in His Means of Grace, His Holy Word and Sacraments.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We find Christ in His Word, which we read here; which you read in your homes; which you carry with you in your memory, thoughts, and prayers. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We find Christ in the absolution and the Gospel proclamation throughout the Divine Service. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We find Christ in His Holy Sacraments. Through Confession and Absolution, we are strengthened in our baptismal unity with Christ, and are assured once again that <b><i>“whoever believes and is baptized will be saved”</i></b> (Mark 16:16a).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But most importantly, we find Christ in the Lord’s Supper. Here, we find our Savior from sin in the most concrete, specific, and intimate way. This is why the Nunc Dimittis is sung immediately after the Lord’s Supper. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Simeon held the incarnate Son of God in his arms. In the Sacrament, we, too, hold the incarnate Son. Yet, our “seeing” of God’s salvation is done by faith. Simeon spoke these words about nothing more than an Infant. We now sing these words about the Lord, who is bodily present in, with, and under bread and wine in the Sacrament.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Just as Simeon could say his eyes had seen the Lord’s salvation in the infant Jesus, we too sing those words because in the Sacrament of the Altar, we have seen, held, and tasted the Lord’s salvation: the Body and Blood of Christ given and shed for us for the forgiveness of all our sin. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, there should not be any confusion about where to look for God’s grace and His presence. God is with us. He is Emmanuel. God is incarnate in Jesus Christ, who is with us through His Means of Grace. He is here – as He has promised to be wherever two or three of his people gather in His name, and where His word of forgiveness and life is proclaimed. Christ is the true and permanent Temple, who brings His light of salvation to us at each Divine Service.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Christ is here for all those who are searching. The Holy Spirit led Simeon to the temple and He leads us to this place where we embrace the Messiah, praise Him, and bring our needs before Him, and, with Anna, we bear witness of His salvation to others. Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span face="Candara, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.5pt;">SOLI DEO GLORIA</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Peter Adelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17192317388264759988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175403401580572905.post-30493009549739868432023-12-25T09:32:00.000-08:002023-12-25T09:32:20.318-08:00Sermon for Christmas Day: "The Diamond Found in the Manger" (John 1:1-14; Luke 2:8-20)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_eUIgBiMxyRrl0eQyw_Lype93JTGBmvVGQzjeOk3U8Lejx-b942h396RPGudn8pZAtQi2bEZNyO9AoIey501JPkkkwgTGC29Q1jEVytILVcZbvE8kcEx5HCDTRl4JnCjCR5k3WlCHd70XhAJyDxvNGZ1EdHx8JFvb5cxsNswRdZIovwVEa9CmacQYO-Y/s1920/Incarnate-Widescreen-Yellow-Text-1920-x-1080.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_eUIgBiMxyRrl0eQyw_Lype93JTGBmvVGQzjeOk3U8Lejx-b942h396RPGudn8pZAtQi2bEZNyO9AoIey501JPkkkwgTGC29Q1jEVytILVcZbvE8kcEx5HCDTRl4JnCjCR5k3WlCHd70XhAJyDxvNGZ1EdHx8JFvb5cxsNswRdZIovwVEa9CmacQYO-Y/s320/Incarnate-Widescreen-Yellow-Text-1920-x-1080.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. … The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth”</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> (John 1:1-3, 14).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Merry Christmas! Christmas is more than one day. Christmas is twelve days. And those days only began today. So, as the world will move on from Christmas tomorrow, the Christmas celebration continues until January 5<sup>th</sup>!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Today, on the first day of Christmas as the carol proclaims: <i>“my true love gave to me: a partridge in a pear tree.”</i> This partridge is none other than the Son of God, who became flesh and dwelt among us as the Savior. He came in order to fulfill the Law, and to suffer and die our punishment and rise again, so that all who cling to Him would have the victory over our evil foes: sin, eternal death, and Satan. God became man for us and for our salvation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But on this Christmas Day, we will focus on today. Christmas Day has so many little pieces that are important, no matter how small. Every parent has to assemble a toy that has bags of tiny pieces and an instruction manual with seemingly never-ending steps. Add an eager child helping to open those bags and spread out those parts, and you’ve got some excitement on Christmas.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">It’s easy to lose a piece or two in all that. Especially when you are battling it out with layers of crumpled Christmas wrapping paper and a piece or two could end up in the trash can. It is often the piece that’s really needed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But what if the missing piece is more than that one tiny piece of plastic? What if it’s a diamond engagement ring with all the promises of love and life together? What if that diamond is suddenly missing from the ring? Somehow it fell out of the setting and is lost among all the wrapping papers, boxes, plastic, and directions. <i>Stop everything and start looking! We need to find that diamond!</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">That’s our situation on Christmas. Christmas comes with God’s wonderful news of a lasting relationship – the piece that joins us with Him for all time. In all the excitement of Christmas, we might miss that diamond and have only the outward setting but not the treasure of His love and peace. We can find so many small pieces this Christmas, but only one piece, one treasure, is truly needed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">This is what completes our star of piece. Throughout our Advent midweeks, we were seeking peace with the five points of the star. We imagined that peace can be found if we get enough possessions, or peace might come if we can escape to a far-away retreat on a lake, or lock out our past equally far away. We’ve tried to find peace in having control of our world, and we’ve tried to find our purpose in directing others. But in every case, God stops us before we go too far on a hopeless tangent. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">At each point of the star, God gives us His own distinct peace. Left to ourselves, we would go off on a search that would never end. There will never be enough stuff or distance or control. But with Him, we find peace here and now.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">That’s especially true this morning. Our peace is in the Treasure in the manger. That Treasure who created all things. That Treasure who became flesh.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">When we highlight the center of our Christmas star, the star becomes a picture of the manger. In the center of that manger is the diamond of His gift. You see, finding peace is not seeking a needle in a haystack. Peace is found in the diamond of the Son of God in the straw of the manger. That diamond is the very Son of God. He isn’t lost in the manger. He is purposely in the manger so that He would be found. Likewise, He is purposefully in Word and Sacrament – <i>His Means of Grace</i> – so that He would be found by us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Who else would do this but God? We treasure our important gifts and know where they are. I can’t imagine a young woman who has gotten her engagement ring on Christmas Eve to only lose it. She’s not taking it off for any reason. Don’t ask her to wash the dishes tonight. That diamond is the center of her world, and she is keeping it safe.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">God’s Treasure has come to be the center of our world. What a wonder that the One true God puts the center of the universe, His only-begotten Son, into the setting of the manger. He doesn’t put Him safely in the Most Holy Place in the Jerusalem Temple. Jesus isn’t placed on the golden throne of a king. He doesn’t have Jesus hover over us. All of those would make sense as the greatness of this Gift should be seen and protected. The Son of God coming into the world rightly comes with the brilliant light of the glory of God and the chorus of angels singing. It is right that shepherds – along with us – hear them and are stunned by the brightness and the message of the Savior born to save a sin-filled world.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But that outward glory is brought into one small, almost-hidden spot – the manger. There we find the great gift of peace, like a diamond set within the arms of the manger. We have looked often at the star as it promises different points and directions of peace, but it is not a tangent of distance and discovery that brings us peace. Peace is the diamond held within the manger. That infant Son of God, so small that He could be ignored by many, is the only hope for peace.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We are all invited to hear this true story again this morning just as we have every Christmas. This true story of how the Savior came to the world. The Savior that the fallen world did not recognize. The Savior who would die in order to save you!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Remember how we turned the star of peace into the manger? But now, the arms of the manger are briefly replaced. The arms of the manger are now your arms as you hold the Infant Savior. Look at Him and see the gift of peace that the angels declared. Here is peace to the world, not a mere wish, but the living Christ who caused His birth in this way. He came so that He could be held in the arms of the manger, the arms of His mother, the arms of the shepherds, and the arms of all people.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Holding the Son is the enduring gift of Christmas peace. We’ll shake out the wrapping paper in case there is something hidden. Some of us will attempt to re-use the wrapping paper for another year. Most of the parts for the toys will be found. Eventually, the toys will be assembled and look pretty much like the pictures on the boxes. The many parts of Christmas will be put away, and the important pieces will remain.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">That is especially true of the true gift of Christmas, the Savior, and the peace that He brings. In all our pursuit of peace, He is always the answer. He is the peace that passes our understanding, but He is also the Peace that perfectly understands us since He came to be one of us. His peace ends our hopeless pursuits for possessions and power.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">True peace is the Lamb of God held by shepherds, the infant Son in His mother’s arms, and that same Savior held by us in His Means of Grace, His Word and Sacrament. Here is the gift of God, the diamond of His relationship with us, and the treasure in the arms of the manger. Merry Christmas! Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: Candara, sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">SOLI DEO GLORIA</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Peter Adelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17192317388264759988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175403401580572905.post-41025035478353906622023-12-24T19:32:00.000-08:002023-12-24T19:32:12.595-08:00Sermon for Christmas Eve: "No Room in the Inn" (Luke 2:1-20)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZKIj8m1MBh17ae3VsgzVUMp4nmqRMxNWnLN8uwSDr6teParT8bJzuBjirmNZjJLzu5aK9bUMU7a4yhMu_1OTdM5edxsB3GxIMIO7hYoUTxLeCMcqdhN0GHD_h3CQktMGwil4sa8A4UAQp0WD8HifF9i98v1cx531hHu2coYRF5syu56LVQkHL6rUwDQ/s840/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-24%20at%209.31.34%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="838" data-original-width="840" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZKIj8m1MBh17ae3VsgzVUMp4nmqRMxNWnLN8uwSDr6teParT8bJzuBjirmNZjJLzu5aK9bUMU7a4yhMu_1OTdM5edxsB3GxIMIO7hYoUTxLeCMcqdhN0GHD_h3CQktMGwil4sa8A4UAQp0WD8HifF9i98v1cx531hHu2coYRF5syu56LVQkHL6rUwDQ/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-24%20at%209.31.34%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:</span><p></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">“And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn”</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> (Luke 2:4-7).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">When we think of Christmas, it’s easy to think of miracles. Angels make special appearances to Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and to shepherds in a field.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">Then there are miracles that don’t appear to be miracles. From what seems to be a typical government ordeal turns out to be arranged by God Himself. Remember, Mary and Joseph did not live in Bethlehem; they lived some 80 miles away in Nazareth. But they had to return to their ancestorial hometown to be registered for the census. And it was the Prophet Micah who prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">Of course, the greatest miracle of miracles is how God became man: Emmanuel, God with us! This Child was born of a virgin. This Child born is none other than the eternal God.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">And no event in human history has been so celebrated in word and song than that of the birth of Jesus Christ! As the world celebrates “Happy Holidays,” we know what holiday is being celebrated. Yes, Hanukkah and Kwanza are among these days, but Hanukkah is a minor Jewish holiday and Kwanza is a made-up American day. The real holiday is Christmas, for which we remember the birth of the Savior from our sins.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">But as it was then on this night in Bethlehem some 2,000 years ago, there was no fanfare. The Savior had been born and there was no parade. There was no festival. There was no room. A census was being taken, so there was a great influx of people into Bethlehem, and Bethlehem was not exactly a large town. It was a small town with no surplus of lodging available to visitors. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">So, it would not be surprising that Mary and Joseph had difficulty in getting a room for they were not alone in losing out in supply and demand.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">What is truly astonishing is that the Almighty God would choose such circumstances for the birth of the Messiah. The Savior of the world is to be born, the One who came to take upon Himself the guilt and sin of the entire world, the One who came to conquer death and open the gates of heaven to all who would cling to Him. How could there be no room?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">This Child is the Creator of heaven and earth. He created all things. He is the One who gives breath to all, food to all who eat. How can this Child be born in a manger, a feeding trough, as His crib? This is just wrong that God would be received by His own creation in such a way. How can there be no room for Him?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">There is no room in Bethlehem for the Creator of the world and true King of Israel. But what happened in Bethlehem on the night of His birth would become the theme for His earthly life. When the Magi would later arrive with their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh and worshipped Him, Mary and Joseph found a place for their small family in a house in Bethlehem. But shortly after the Magi left, the wrath of Herod the Great made it clear again that there was no room in Bethlehem for this holy Child. So, Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt to protect their Son from Herod’s murdering soldiers. Again, there was no room for Jesus in Bethlehem.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">After some time in Egypt, the Holy Family returned to Nazareth, where Jesus would grow up. Now that Jesus is in Nazareth, there must be room for Him there! One Sabbath at the Nazareth synagogue, Jesus was given the scroll of Isaiah. But when He proclaimed to the people of Nazareth the precious news of the Gospel, when He said that the promised Savior had come <b><i>“to bring good news to the poor”</i></b> (Isaiah 61:1), what did they do? They rejected Him. They rose up and drove Him out of Nazareth and tried to throw Him off a cliff. So, there was no room for Jesus in Nazareth.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">From here, Jesus went north to Capernaum. While living there, He crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee to the country of the Gadarenes. There, Jesus cast out demons from two possessed men and sent them into a herd of pigs. When the demons were cast into the herd of pigs, they all rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. When the people heard about this, they came to Jesus and begged Him to leave (Matthew 8:28-34). So, there was no room for Jesus among the Gedarenes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">Later, on His way to Jerusalem, Jesus passed through Samaria. He sent messengers ahead to find a place to stay, but the people of Samaria made it clear that they didn’t want Jesus there. Jesus said, <b><i>“Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head”</i></b> (Luke 9:58). So, there was no room for Jesus in Samaria.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">Next, we come to Palm Sunday. The crowds came out to meet Jesus. Men, women, and children sang the praises of <b><i>“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”</i></b> (Matthew 21:9). They were welcoming Jesus as their King! But by the end of the week, the crowds were shouting something quite different, <b><i>“Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”</i></b> (John 19:6). Now they were crying out to Pontius Pilate against Jesus. And rather than see Jesus let go, they demanded the freedom of Barabbas, who was a murderer, a robber, and an insurrectionist. There was no room for Jesus in Jerusalem.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">Now, Pilate wanted to let Jesus go as he insisted that he had found no guilt in Jesus. But to show the sheer strength of the Roman Empire, Pilate, despite finding no guilt, would still whip Jesus. And in order to keep his position safe, Pilate released Barabbas and Jesus would be crucified. No room for Jesus on earth.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">As Jesus is nailed to a cross, He is wracked by pain, thirst, and insults. Then it goes from horrible to worse. Jesus cries out, <b><i>“My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me” </i></b>(Matthew 27:46). God the Father pours out His righteous anger on Jesus, the One who has come to bear the sin and the guilt of the world. Jesus would face the punishment for all the sins of every man, woman, and child who would ever live. God the Father punishes Jesus, who knew no sin, for the sins of all the world. Jesus dies for you and me on that cross. He is abandoned by God the Father.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">There is no room for Jesus. It all began in Bethlehem, and it continued all the way through His earthly life until He died on the cross. Why? Why did it have to be this way? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">This was the only way. This was the only way that you and me could be saved from the power of sin, death, hell, and Satan. Christ took our place in what should have been our death, because of our sin. Christ was obedient, even to the point of death. Christ was obedient, honest, and truthful where we are not. He took upon Himself our sin and suffered for it. He was rejected and despised so that our Father in heaven could look at you and say, <i>“You are my beloved child, with whom I am well pleased.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">Because there was no room for Jesus in Bethlehem, in Nazareth, in Samaria, in Jerusalem, there is now room for you. There is always room in the Church for you. No matter your past, no matter how you have failed, there is room here for you. No matter how long you have strayed from Jesus, no matter how greatly you have sinned against God, there is room for you here. And there will always be room here. For this place is the hospital for sinners that is doctored by the Great Physician Jesus, who not only died, but rose from the dead, and lives and reigns to this day. It is He who gives us His medicine of immortality in His Means of Grace: His Word and Sacrament.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">So, how sad it is when not all humanity is open to Jesus. How tragic it is that so many say that they have no room for Jesus in their lives.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">Even in the celebration of His birth, Jesus is crowded out to make room for reindeer, snowmen, and Christmas songs that have nothing to do with Jesus, whose birth we celebrate this evening. More and more there is no room for Jesus in our lives.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">May it never be so with us! May we be willing to lose every secular and cultural attachment to this holiday if only we keep the baby Jesus. Let them take our trees, let them take our presents, let them take our snowmen as long as we can keep Christ, the Lord, born to the virgin Mary in Bethlehem to be the Savior of the world.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="body" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">So, may there always be room in our hearts for this Christ Child who brings salvation and life to all who cling to Him. May the Holy Spirit so work in us that we always belong to Christ. Let us join the angelic choirs to praise Him not just this evening, but at every Divine Service and every day of our life, for He freely gives us forgiveness, life, and salvation and all by grace through faith in Him! Merry Christmas! Amen! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: Candara, sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">SOLI DEO GLORIA</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Peter Adelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17192317388264759988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175403401580572905.post-25170164259908267902023-12-24T09:06:00.000-08:002023-12-24T09:06:29.860-08:00Sermon for Advent 4: "According to Your Word" (Luke 1:26-38)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkovEFIEnKRQY_eF0LSz_6NBoCaGIwdNN44bSx75YqPNFxUTxUkwSdYpzCzq9g0Ij3gWoKjs6EZMJMz5Do3z_0ZsmkTe1CmKgPg0WRIBkGjsI5xQSj3KjEOt0QetSf-5I764RbuRlTBiJ5i4AWINiqkQqwnX_L08om7E1t1U40ywR8_tGHNteXs_Mw1ow/s940/Mary.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkovEFIEnKRQY_eF0LSz_6NBoCaGIwdNN44bSx75YqPNFxUTxUkwSdYpzCzq9g0Ij3gWoKjs6EZMJMz5Do3z_0ZsmkTe1CmKgPg0WRIBkGjsI5xQSj3KjEOt0QetSf-5I764RbuRlTBiJ5i4AWINiqkQqwnX_L08om7E1t1U40ywR8_tGHNteXs_Mw1ow/s320/Mary.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We confess: <b><i>“[I believe in] one Lord Jesus Christ, who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man.”</i></b> (Second Article of the Nicene Creed)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">“Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?” “Do you promise to love, honor, and cherish, for better or for worse, till death parts you?” “Do you promise to be my best friend, pinky swear?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We live in a world of promises. Some promises are kept, but so many promises are broken. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">It used to be that a simple handshake would be all that was needed for a promise. But we know that this is no longer the case. Today, so many promises have to be backed up with long and often complicated legal documents to make sure that there will be no wiggle room and no loophole by which one in the promise can escape the obligations of that promise. Today, it is simply not sufficient to just depend on another’s word.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Even in the closest of relationships, promises are broken, and people are let down, disappointed, and left feeling betrayed. A father tells his son, “I know I promised to be at your game, but something came up.” A man tells his wife, “There’s someone else.” A politician tells his constituent, “I know I said I would never vote to increase taxes, but I did it anyway.” One nation tells another, “We will not honor our trade agreement.” Maybe you’ve been the victim of a broken promise. Or perhaps, you’re the one who has broken a promise.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Our text this morning is the annunciation by the angel Gabriel to the virgin Mary that she will conceive and bear a son. This great announcement to Mary and, ultimately, to us some 2,000 years later is part of the ongoing fulfillment of God’s promises. So, today on this Fourth Sunday in Advent, we have the assurance that we can always trust God, for He acts according to His Word.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">God gives us the promise of His Word even at our worst moments. At the Fall into sin, when Adam and Eve deserved nothing but condemnation and death because of their disobedience toward God, the Lord gave the first promise of the Savior. While God pronounced judgment upon sin, He also offered words of hope as He promised to provide the Savior from sin. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">God established a covenant relationship with the children of Israel – in other words, this is a relationship built on promises that God has made. Even though Israel was often unfaithful in this covenant relationship, God continued to act on their behalf according to the Word that He spoke. He made promises and He was divinely bound to keep those promises.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But why? Why does God need to keep His promise if those to whom He promised were unfaithful to Him? Afterall, God’s chosen people often worshiped false gods, false idols. God’s chosen people repeatedly ignored God’s Law. They kept doing what they thought was right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6). We keep doing things that we shouldn’t do and keep on doing them. Why would God remain loyal to them? Why would God remain loyal to us? Well, God chose them, and God chose us as His treasured possession.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, what does all of this have to do with the annunciation to Mary? Well, again, God was keeping His promise. He promised the Savior to redeem fallen mankind.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary”</span></i></b><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> (Luke 1:26-27).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Six months earlier, the angel Gabriel made the announcement to Zechariah that he in his old age would be a father to John the Baptist. He was greatly troubled. Now, six months later this same angel visits a virgin named Mary and announces to her, <b><i>“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus” </i></b>(Luke 1:30-31).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Mary, too, was greatly troubled. She likely thought, <i>“How could this be an honor? Who am I? I’m just an average woman. I’m not from Jerusalem. Plus, what will people say about me? I am not even married. How could I bear a son?”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">As in Zechariah’s case, Gabriel first calmed Mary’s fears and assured her that she had found favor with God. Then Gabriel imparted to her the astounding news that she would conceive and bear a son and call His name Jesus. Jesus is the same name as “Joshua” in the Hebrew, and every devout Jew knew what that name meant. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Mary knew. She was a Jew who believed in the promised Savior. And “Jesus” was not just a mere name. She knew exactly what “Jesus” meant. Jesus means “Yahweh is salvation” and even more “the One through whom Yahweh brings salvation.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">If Mary had entered any thought that her son would be like the renowned Joshua of old, the godly, courageous, resourceful leader and commander of Israel, the successor of Moses, Gabriel’s next words would dispel that idea, for he said, <b><i>“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” </i></b>(Luke 1:32-33).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, Jesus will be infinitely greater than the famous commander of Israel. Mary’s son will also be called <b><i>“the Son of the Most High.”</i></b> Jesus is the very Son of God and His kingdom will have no end.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Now, like all Jewish girls, they all hoped that they would be given the honor to be the mother of the promised Savior, but Mary never expected this honor to be given to her. Yes, she was a descendant of David, just as Joseph was. But they were average folks. They didn’t live in any palace. They lived in the backwater and forgotten town of Nazareth. <i>“What good could come from there?”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But Mary acted different than Zechariah. She never doubted God’s promises. She only questioned the how. <b><i>“How will this be, since I am a virgin?”</i></b> (Luke 1:34)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But every promise of God is aimed at faith. Every divine promise is intended to generate faith in the promise or to nourish the faith which embraces God’s promises. Mary never responded with disbelief as Zechariah did. Mary believed that God would give her such a wondrous son, and she was willing to be the mother of that great Son, the Messiah.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Mary has faith in God, but how is God going to do this? She knew how children were conceived. But she had not entered into any such a relationship with Joseph or any other man. So, how could this be?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Gabriel gave her the answer. He told Mary that she would conceive in a supernatural way. She would conceive the Messiah by the Holy Spirit. Now, human reason would balk at that, but Mary believed. And to strengthen Mary’s faith, Gabriel gave further proof. He directed her attention to her relative Elizabeth. A wonder had taken place in Elizabeth. She was barren and in advanced age but is now pregnant. So, this same God who had brought that about for Elizabeth would perform an even greater miracle in Mary, since nothing is impossible with God.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, how could all of this happen? Only God could make it happen. Only God could give a barren woman a child. Only God could give a virgin a child. So, Mary says, <b><i>“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to Your Word” </i></b>(Luke 1:38).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We are all constantly exposed to human rationalism. So many today say that what happened to Mary and Elizabeth was impossible. Their rationale is that they have never seen such a miracle. But just because you haven’t seen it doesn’t make it impossible. God is God and He works wonders. He makes the impossible, possible. And He always keeps His Word. After the Fall in the Garden, He promised the coming Savior and when it was the fullness of time, He would send the Savior for sinful mankind. He would send Jesus as Emmanuel, God with us!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Perhaps, you’ve been the victim of someone who didn’t keep his word and you’ve experienced loss and pain as a result. Maybe you’re the one who hasn’t kept your word. Maybe, you have broken promises, and you’ve betrayed trusts. But God invites us to come to Him for forgiveness.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Mary would bear the fullness of God in her womb. This Child is the very Savior of our sins. This Child became incarnate to suffer and die our punishment, so that all who would trust in Him would live forever!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">In the fullness of time, this Child in Mary’s womb would do everything necessary for your salvation. He continues to save us today through His Word and Sacrament. And He will return in glory on the Last Day! God always keeps His Word. He always keeps His promises. May we always respond to God in faith and say with Mary, <b><i>“Let it be to me according to Your Word.”</i></b> Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: Candara, sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">SOLI DEO GLORIA</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Peter Adelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17192317388264759988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175403401580572905.post-32111807386103729002023-12-20T19:56:00.000-08:002023-12-20T19:59:21.035-08:00Sermon for Advent Midweek 3: "Our Peace Rests on Him Alone" (Isaiah 9:1-7)<div class="separator"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufVlo9bW65yz8uVucNWbjneiTeFts0-d6NaVqseuu5OX2af2n1etQWMHAlknQrpTBus0saOrzJFCEnAJ9gWN3yqXOPf9VybKsIEimcEUPwnl4OpbKfpWBlVdd1TwyVuchvcCVZAkQ06lQicCKXXl3cJC8_eD3VUqb2nTFZ4hjxSai2fWKQFaNs7eMRv8/s1911/Peace-Came-to-Earth-logo-web.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1911" data-original-width="1744" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufVlo9bW65yz8uVucNWbjneiTeFts0-d6NaVqseuu5OX2af2n1etQWMHAlknQrpTBus0saOrzJFCEnAJ9gWN3yqXOPf9VybKsIEimcEUPwnl4OpbKfpWBlVdd1TwyVuchvcCVZAkQ06lQicCKXXl3cJC8_eD3VUqb2nTFZ4hjxSai2fWKQFaNs7eMRv8/s320/Peace-Came-to-Earth-logo-web.jpg" width="292" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:</span><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">When we are young, wrapping paper on a gift means nothing. Bows are made to be thrown away and paper is made to be torn in a second. Ripping open that box and getting to the gift inside is our goal.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But when we are older, we pause over the wrapping paper and the bow. If it’s a child’s first attempt to wrap a gift, we admire how well he did and how secure it’s all taped. He must have used half a roll of tape to make sure it stayed together. Or, if the wrapping is a true work of art, tell them that he has outdone himself this year. It’s almost too perfect to open. The gift inside is important, but at first, we can pause to appreciate the wrapping. But as we age, we may attempt to open that gift wrapping a bit slower in hopes of re-using it next year.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">In this third midweek of Advent, we pause to appreciate the wrapping of the gift of the Prince of Peace. He comes wrapped both in beauty and in darkness. He is the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. That’s the wrapping of glory and greatness we expect when God gives us His Son. But He also comes with the simple wrapping of a manger quietly hidden underneath the Christmas star that speaks of peace to those with ears to hear.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">By now, you have your plans for Christmas set in place. December 25 is so close that you can’t be guessing and wishing anymore. It’s Monday. But you still need to plan. Who is coming to your house for Christmas? When are they getting there? Is everyone staying with you? What are you eating? How are you going to balance everyone’s particular diet? Remember, everyone invited to your table will be sitting for the same meal. This takes some planning.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Of course, all this depends on you getting them to the same table at the same time. You’ve got the guests who always come a half hour early and then there are the ones who think that 1:00 p.m. means 3:30 p.m. And don’t forget what happened last time Cousin Sue sat next to Uncle Frank. So, plan your seating chart carefully.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Christmas can call for control. Maybe peace can come if we can get these people into the right place and at the right time. It’s a bit like the circus master who directs jugglers, acrobats, lions, dogs, and elephants. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">If everyone would only listen and do what you tell them, there would be peace. This is the hope of every grandmother who plans Christmas dinner for the whole family. Control is the theme of our peace tonight. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Tonight, we finish the points on our star. We’ve been pursuing peace. Our first point at the top of the star was the pursuit of more possessions. If only we could get all we dream of, we would have peace. But God stops us with the gift of a baby born in a stable. With Him laid in the manger, we have more than enough, and we can find peace. Last week, we sought peace in the two horizontal points of the star. We were looking for peace in distance. If only we could get away to that perfect retreat. Or if only we could get away from our past, then we would find peace. But again, God catches us and gives us peace in the present. Our peace is not in a distant retreat but in this very moment. God’s peace is present even when the storm is still here. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAf-0ke-ATa8fN-5EklIrneRSc8AdA1JtjWol_kO-hcm1JNbka12jG4eRQdkAGb0e2hgCmycRxpyzsz7Po5UFeCjDSDQ-rwmCk1V4u0Zqwxk0sG86zG1WDWiRAYc2SZd0-DzqilSD7tS_h4fvk7wYCDJsN-HFmjUd-DGf4AEnRz88aVmVTVdg6TNzTM3I/s474/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-20%20at%209.57.15%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="474" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAf-0ke-ATa8fN-5EklIrneRSc8AdA1JtjWol_kO-hcm1JNbka12jG4eRQdkAGb0e2hgCmycRxpyzsz7Po5UFeCjDSDQ-rwmCk1V4u0Zqwxk0sG86zG1WDWiRAYc2SZd0-DzqilSD7tS_h4fvk7wYCDJsN-HFmjUd-DGf4AEnRz88aVmVTVdg6TNzTM3I/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-20%20at%209.57.15%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So tonight, we have the last two points of our star. These are the bottom points where the weight rests. To manage all that weight and all our plans, we need to take control. And if we had that control, then there could be peace. Wouldn’t it be reasonable that God would help us in this? God should want us all to get along and get through at least one weekend in peace. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">After all, isn’t that the very name by which we know the Messiah, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)? Wouldn’t it be fitting that the celebration of His birth would be celebrated in peace? We can hear this call for peace in the inspired writer to the Hebrews: <b><i>“Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord”</i></b> (Hebrews 12:14). Through the Holy Spirit, Paul also gives clear direction: <b><i>“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” </i></b>(Romans 12:18).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Can we bring enough control over our world so we have this peace? Getting everyone to follow our plans can be the second of the two bottom points of the star. Control of others can become our purpose. When we are so busy getting ready for Christmas, we might ask ourselves, <i>“Why am I doing all this? It takes a lot of work to get ready for Christmas. Why bother?”</i> If you’re wondering that yourself, it’s time to find peace and purpose. What will be enough to give us meaning in all that has yet to be done before Christmas? Find that, and we imagine that we will have our peace.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But God stops our search for control and purpose. Peace is not in our tight grasp over others. Peace is not in our plans. Peace comes <i>only</i> through the Prince of Peace. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">It’s His kingdom that brings peace and His work as the Wonderful Counselor and Mighty God that gives order to our world. If we seek that peace of control, Jesus shows us another control. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">In Matthew 10, Jesus asks if we expect Him to bring peace. He says that He came to bring not peace but a sword. He came to set two against three, three against two. He came to divide family members one against another. This is the very opposite of our goals of control and outward peace. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We want the peace that comes from getting everyone to agree with us. But what brings peace to the world? Only Jesus brings true peace. Jesus brings peace by stepping into the middle of our troubled world and letting Himself be the center of the world’s anger. In that center, He brings us peace through the cross. Peace has come through what seems to be chaos. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Being the Prince of Peace, His peace has endured thousands of years. Our best plans won’t always make it through one meal, but His peace, like His kingdom, is without end. He comes as the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, and the Everlasting Father so that His peace might reign over the world. This gives us a new purpose and a new peace. The star of peace does not rest on our plans and our control. God’s peace doesn’t come by our control of others. Peace only comes by hearing His Word—<i>the Word that comforts us. The Word that controls us</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We might not be able to corral everyone at the right time and place. Our plans might not be fulfilled. But our real goal is to focus on God’s plans—<i>the plans that have come true.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">It’s like the story of our gifts. When we were young, we simply wanted <i>the</i> gift. But when we became older, it was the story of the gift that mattered. It was hearing how long someone looked for the right color or size and how the gift was hidden in the back of the closet. The gift was good, but it was the story that was the key. We find God’s gift in the simplicity of the manger and a newborn baby. But the key to peace is hearing the story of how He made our peace. He built it by the straw of the manger and the wood and nails of the cross. He made that peace through the ages of promise and the waiting of His coming. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The gift of the Prince of Peace came by the perfect planning of God, who arranged the whole world for the birth of His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So, the gift of peace has come through the birth of the Child, the Son of God. The Prince of Peace has come with His gift of peace, and the story of that peace lives on. What will bring you peace when so many of your plans are still undone? We find our peace rests not in our work but in following Him, the Prince of Peace. He filled the manger and the cross. That’s where we find our peace. Peace rests on Him, and we rest in faith in all that He has done for us. Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: Candara, sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">SOLI DEO GLORIA</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div>Peter Adelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17192317388264759988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175403401580572905.post-48218552721394426232023-12-17T12:12:00.000-08:002023-12-17T12:12:45.470-08:00Sermon for Advent 3: "Bringing the Good News of Salvation" (Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMyqs33qBY338BPOb5tJqUcAD7dlgehGe3BfV015qzQYwCbFRtb3F-xv2Sl-KFtRd2OPppj8WT9wTC2b_UK86gnxm7kSOH8_Llhlc_gTuU8AVELx2Z_EVti4mrjKJbvawkmlj5qlCpcNdue4IqkHHAAbSoAUrVlXUIWqZ9oPjcZ66MnVkLLX-sFGRSGA/s1200/FI_121522_SI_LSB349.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1200" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMyqs33qBY338BPOb5tJqUcAD7dlgehGe3BfV015qzQYwCbFRtb3F-xv2Sl-KFtRd2OPppj8WT9wTC2b_UK86gnxm7kSOH8_Llhlc_gTuU8AVELx2Z_EVti4mrjKJbvawkmlj5qlCpcNdue4IqkHHAAbSoAUrVlXUIWqZ9oPjcZ66MnVkLLX-sFGRSGA/s320/FI_121522_SI_LSB349.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">A messenger of God proclaims: <b><i>“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn” </i></b>(Isaiah 61:1-2).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Isaiah writes our text looking ahead to a day when God’s people are stuck in Babylon. Judah and its capital city of Jerusalem have been replaced by Babylonian building projects. Israel has no king, no temple, no royal city, no land, no liturgy, no sacrifice, no hope, and no future. By the rivers of Babylon, the Jews sit and weep and they reminisce about the good old days when they worshiped in the splendor of Solomon’s Temple. They are permanently exiled in a foreign land.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The Babylonian captivity of the Jews was horrific as the city they knew was no more and now they were forced to bow down and worship the Babylonian false gods. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The Jewish people had felt the hammer of God’s judgment, because of their persistent pride, inflated egos, and their own worship of false gods. In the 6<sup>th</sup> century BC, God sent these Babylonians as His hammer to smash His people’s egos to smithereens. Some of their relatives had been murdered. But the entire country of Judah had been mocked. Babylon, sent as God’s agent of judgment, maimed the mauled God’s people.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But as God’s people who were under judgment, a messenger of God proclaims: <b><i>“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn”</i></b> (Isaiah 61:1-2).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Our text for the Third Sunday in Advent is remarkable. First, like last Sunday, our text has multiple fulfillments. The initial fulfillment anticipates the return of God’s people from their Babylonian Exile. After years in captivity, due to their unfaithfulness to God, God announced their freedom and their return back to Jerusalem to rebuild their land. Even as the Jews were delivered, they, like us, were still held captive. They were held captive by sin and death. So, our focus this morning will be on the fulfillment that would occur in the fullness of time.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">In the fullness of time, the Messiah would come bringing the good news of salvation bearing these words from Isaiah 61.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">As it was His custom in Nazareth, Jesus went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day. On one particular day, Jesus was given the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. So, Jesus unrolled the scroll and spoke our text: <b><i>“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor”</i></b> (Luke 4:18a).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">After Jesus finished reading, He rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. All the eyes of those in the synagogue were fixed upon Jesus as they awaited His interpretation of Isaiah 61. But then Jesus said, <b><i>“Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” </i></b>(Luke 4:21).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">This was a dramatic moment for everyone in the synagogue. They were amazed and perplexed. <b><i>“Is this not Joseph’s son?”</i></b> (Luke 4:22). Then they become furious. They were so angry that they sought to throw Jesus off a cliff. But their reaction does not change the fulfillment. Their reaction did not change that Jesus is the One in whose coming fulfilled these prophecies. For Jesus has come to preach, to proclaim, and to comfort. He came as our Savior from sin, eternal death, and hell.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Jesus came to fulfill this promise of God. Jesus came as the Servant Messiah. He came to preach the good news to the poor. Now, Christ is not speaking of finances, but being poverty stricken because of iniquity and sin. For Jesus says, <b><i>“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” </i></b>(Luke 5:32). To this, Jesus says that His Gospel will have no effect on the callous and comfortable, but only changes the lives of those who are stuck and mired in sin, guilt, and shame.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Now, Jesus stops with the words <b><i>“the year of the Lord’s favor”</i></b> because He came not to condemn the world, but to save the world (John 3:17). But there will be a day, when at His Second Advent that He will execute this <b><i>“day of vengeance”</i></b> (Isaiah 61:2b).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But before that day, Jesus has come <b><i>“to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor”</i></b> (Isaiah 61:2a). Jesus has come to bring good news of salvation. He has come to announce a Jubilee, first announced by Isaiah, begun in Nazareth, and is still going on today.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">To a dead son in the village of Nain, Jesus says, <b><i>“Young man, I say to you arise”</i></b> (Luke 7:14). To a sinful woman at the house of Simon the Pharisee, He says, <b><i>“Your sins are forgiven”</i></b> (Luke 7:48). To a woman with a flow of blood for 18 years, He says, <b><i>“Your faith has healed you”</i></b> (Luke 8:48). To Jairus’ daughter, He says, <b><i>“Child, arise”</i></b> (Luke 8:54). To the disciples, He says, <b><i>“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom”</i></b> (Luke 12:32). To the starved, the famished, the empty, Jesus says, <b><i>“Come, for everything is now ready”</i></b> (Luke 14:17). To Zacchaeus, He says, <b><i>“Today salvation has come to this house”</i></b> (Luke 19:9). Even to the Romans, who maimed Him, mauled Him, and mocked Him, Jesus says, <b><i>“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”</i></b> (Luke 23:34). And to the repentant thief, Jesus says, <b><i>“Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise” </i></b>(Luke 23:43).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Jesus has come to bring the good news of salvation to a weak and sinful people. Jesus came come to bring the good news of salvation to a people unable to save themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">And we need to hear this good news now more than ever, because all too often, we hear bad news. A doctor brings you the bad news of being diagnosed with cancer, or that the cancer in remission has returned. Or, you hear from your boyfriend or girlfriend, “It’s not you, it’s me.” Bad news is all around us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Some of us actively choose to let bad news control us. As we turn it on in our living rooms, read it in the newspaper, or scroll for it on social media.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Our lives are often filled with misery and trouble. We endure defeat and failure more than we triumph. So, our hearts are broken. And we are disappointed again and again. Those we love even inflict pain upon us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">We, like those in Babylonian captivity, are being held captive to sin and death. But unlike them, we don’t have to wait for salvation, since the Savior from sin has come!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">“Hark the glad sound! The Savior Comes!” He has come to bring the good news of salvation! Jesus comes with the soothing voice of salvation!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Christ’s preaching is the glad sound by which the Old Testament Scriptures are fulfilled in the ears of those who hear. His same voice is heard today at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church and His same voice will be heard to the end of the age, in the preaching of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">It is through the preaching of the Gospel that those who are held in the bondage of sin and death – <i>you and me</i> – are set free. For Christ the Lord bears all the burden and the weight, and He suffers all the brokenness and bloody death of sin, in order to release the prisoners of Satan and grand them the peace of heaven.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Through the healing Gospel, Jesus <b><i>“binds up the brokenhearted”</i></b> (Isaiah 61:1d). He does as a physician does. He binds up and heals our wounds: the Law, our sin, and eternal death. Christ alone is the cure from the Law’s demands, our sin, and eternal death. Without Christ as the Physician, the Law would trouble us, since we always fail at doing what we ought to do. And if we can’t do the good we ought to do, we get our reward: eternal death.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But not with Christ, He came to <b><i>“proclaim liberty to the captives”</i></b> (Isaiah 61:1e). He came to die, so that we by grace through faith in Him alone would be free from the power of sin and death. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has opened the door to everlasting life. Jesus has come to proclaim the healing message of forgiveness from God. He bandages brokenhearted sinners with His soothing message of forgiveness. He removes the burden from guilty consciences. He releases sinners bound in the hopeless dungeon of our own depravity. He breaks the bondage of Satan’s controlling influence over our lives. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The promised Messiah has come to heal, to console, and free us from all evil. He has come with the never-ending message of deliverance from sin, death, hell, and Satan.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Today, Christ is here to bring you His good news of salvation! We hear His voice as He absolves our sins. In His Body and Blood, He removes our sorrow and gives us joy. He has come to bind up your wounds by bringing you the good news of your salvation! Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #101010; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: Candara, sans-serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">SOLI DEO GLORIA</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: LSBSymbol; font-size: 14.5pt;">+</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Peter Adelsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17192317388264759988noreply@blogger.com0