Graveside Sermon: "Unending Joy" (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

 

Charles, Carol and Joyce, family and friends of Jeanne:

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!

[Intro]

All throughout her life, the Lord provided for every need of Jeanne’s body and soul. She was certainly blessed throughout her vocations of her earthly life. She was a daughter, a sister, a loving wife, a mother, a homemaker, and an employee. She enjoyed all the moments shared with her family and friends.

One of the hobbies Jeanne enjoyed was quilting, so for her, there was “a time to tear, and a time to sew” (Ecclesiastes 3:7). The Triune God, too, enjoys quilting as He stitched this world into existence. He also stitched together our families and friends. The Triune God brings us all together. But even as through quilting we are brought together, today, we know that “there is also a time to tear.”

For us here this afternoon, we are experiencing a loss. With any separation, we come to a time of mourning. We mourn because death is not natural. You see, humanity was not created to die. But due to our first parents – Adam and Eve – we all die, because “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). And so we mourn. But mourning is a good and godly work. You see, Jesus wept at the death of His friend Lazarus. Jesus wept because He loved His friend, so weeping and mourning the death of any loved one is a good work.

You see, Christians mourn because of the reality of death. We mourn because we were never intended to die and should live forever. But we do not mourn as those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). We mourn, but our mourning is mixed with hope. Our tears are mixed with faith. Our sadness is mixed with joy, since despite the wages of sin being death, “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b).

[The Message of Ecclesiastes 3]

The opening verses of Ecclesiastes 3 are among the most famous in Scripture. In fact, its words are often quoted and sung. This divine poem leaves the reader awe-struck and silent in the face of majesty. But once the awe starts to fade into analysis, the reader is bound to find himself or herself scratching their head. What is the point? What exactly does it mean?

For centuries, there have been various interpretations of this divine poem. Instead of going into each interpretation out there, for which there are dozens. The main point of this divine poem is that it impacts the reader with everything it says. This divine poem exerts a force and leaves an impression. This poem cannot be dissected into its individual propositions.

This, in fact, is true of all Scripture. Its purpose is not merely to reveal ancient history or provide engaging literature. Rather, God works through His Word to move people to repentance and faith in Christ in teaching us that God is always in control. The ultimate message of this divine poem is this assurance of Jesus: “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

In the midst of all the times and seasons of mourning and rejoicing, war and love that God has appointed for His creatures, there was one appointed time that God reserved for Himself. It was the time, the hour, reserved for His Son, Jesus Christ (Mark 14:35, 41). It was the span of six hours that only God incarnate, who had been conceived and born in the fullness of time (Ecclesiastes 3:2; Galatians 4:4), could endure and fulfill. The sinless Son of God suffered and died on the cross to redeem Jeanne and His creatures from all their sin and suffering. Paradoxically, this time of death and killing (Ecclesiastes 3:2-3) was the hour when the Son was glorified by the Father by His obedience unto death, and the Father glorified His Son (John 17:1; Philippians 2:6-11).

Easter morning was the time for God to heal and build up (Ecclesiastes 3:3). The resurrection of the crucified Christ is the foundation upon which the Church is built, the basis for rebirth in Holy Baptism with the promise that, as we have died with Christ in Baptism, so also shall we be raised with Him (Romans 6:1-4; Colossians 2:11-13). In the eternal state, there shall be no more times of death or morning or weeping, only joy and peace forevermore (Isaiah 65:18; Revelation 21:4).

Christ’s suffering and death and resurrection are mirrored in this divine poem, because He became incarnate and as fully human as each of us, yet without sun, to deliver us from all evil and give us unending joy.

By grace through faith in Jesus, Jeanne has received unending joy. By grace through faith in Jesus, we too, are delivered from the power of sin and are given unending joy. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

 

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Jeanne Dodd Obituary: https://hantge.com/obituaries/jeanne-corrine-dodd/

Funeral Sermon: "Resting in Christ" (Matthew 11:25-30)

 

Lois, Susan, and Dale, family and friends of Glen:

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!

[Intro]

As a farmer, Glen had the instincts on knowing the “time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted” (Ecclesiastes 3:2b). And even during seasons when it appeared that it may be a lower crop yield, he always trusted that the Lord would provide. The Lord always provided all of his needs of body and soul those 94 years of his earthly life.

But as God proclaims in Ecclesiastes 3, the Christian life here on earth is a life of ups and downs. Glen certainly had his ups and downs, as well we all do. So, he wept and mourned as he was separated from loved ones, especially at the loss of Lora, his beloved wife for nearly 67 years; his daughter Sara, whose life was cut short; and so many others. But the life of a Christian is not just weeping and mourning, it is also a time of joy with laughter and is also a time of dancing.

Glen never got tired of telling me the story on how he and his wife Lora met. It was a love story. They first met on the dance floor at the Pla Mor Ballroom. You could say it was love at first sight as they first danced to a waltz. Although they both believed they had never met before, they soon realized that each of them belonged to the same church: First Lutheran Church. Although their belief in God strengthened the courtship, I have since been told that Lora’s family barn may have sealed the deal. You see, even as Glen admired Lora – for which He always did in sickness and in health – I have now come to know that Glen always liked the look of her family barn.

The triune God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – certainly blessed Glen. The Lord provided him a loving wife; four children: Lois, Susan, Dale, and Sara; family and friends; and most importantly the gift of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

Throughout his life, Glen fulfilled various Christian vocations: As husband, as father, as grandfather, and as brother. He was a farmer, a deacon, and friend. And this list goes on as on, as is the life of a Christian.

Today, Glen is resting from his labors as he has received the promise of eternal life. Glen certainly endured through life’s ups and downs, but now he no longer suffers the effects of sin as he has joined the Church Triumphant with all the saints in heaven!

As Glen experienced loss during his earthly life, today, we are experiencing loss. With any separation, we come to a time of mourning. Some mourn publicly, others mourn privately. But we all mourn. We mourn because death is not natural. You see, humanity was not created to die. But due to our first parents – Adam and Eve – we all die, because “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). And so we mourn. But mourning is a good and godly work. You see, Jesus wept at the death of His friend Lazarus. Jesus wept because He loved His friend, so weeping and mourning the death of any loved one is a good work.

We Christians mourn because of the reality of death. We mourn because we were never intended to die and should live forever. But we do not mourn as those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). We mourn, but our mourning is mixed with hope. Our tears are mixed with faith. Our sadness is mixed with joy.

[What a Friend We Have in Jesus]

We just sang Glen’s favorite hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” (LSB 770). The hymnwriter Joseph Scriven (1819-1886) lived a life full of ups and downs. In the singing of this hymn, we are reminded of Jesus’ words that He said to His disciples: “I have called you friends” (John 15:15). But we miss the true comfort of those words if we sentimentally perceive that by “friend,” Jesus means He is a buddy with whom we can enjoy good times and commiserate in bad times. Instead, those words invite every believer in Christ to stand in awe and gratitude that He who reigns over all creation now treats His people – who were once His enemies – as His friends.

Consider just a few of the Scripture verses on which this hymn builds: “Ask, and it will be given to you” (Matthew 7:7); “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me” (Psalm 50:15); and “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). You see, God invites us to pray. Meanwhile, the hymn speaks a word of Law that laments “what a peace we often forfeit” when Christians decline the invitation to pray.

With rhetorical questions at the beginning of stanzas two and three, the hymnist reminds us that tribulations fill life on earth: sometimes everyday difficulties, sometimes the kind of faith-challenging trials, and sometimes the continuing struggles to live as a Christian in a temptation-filled world. No matter what the believer faces, the Savior’s concern – “Can we find a friend so faithful” – and promises – “In His arms He’ll take and shield thee” are an invitation to pray.

After all, as a human like those who pray to Him, “Jesus knows our every weakness.” In other words, “we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses” (Hebrews 4:15), but one who always knows how best to answer prayer.

Glen always took his burdens to His Lord through prayer. Some people today say prayer accomplishes nothing. They demand action. But what these people fail to realize is that prayer is action.

[“I Will Give You Rest”]

Jesus proclaims to us: “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Some people claim to be “wise and understanding” (Matthew 11:25), but they refuse to acknowledge their utter and complete need for God’s saving righteousness. They will not rejoice that such reconciling action has come into the world in Jesus. This was not Glen. Glen is the opposite. Glen is what Jesus calls an “infant.”

Jesus calls all of His flock – His disciples – as not the “wise and understanding” but as “infants.” Why infants? Well, infants are helpless and rely completely on their parents for food, warmth, safety, and life itself. Christ calls His disciples “infants” since we are incapable of saving ourselves from sin, eternal death, and Satan.

You see, Christians are dependent on divine grace. But paradoxically, in Christ these who are dependent become strong and wise unto salvation. All of this comes not by human reason or strength, but from God the Father, who reveals these things to “infants.” All our wisdom comes from Jesus.

So, as “infants” we follow Jesus as the Messiah and follow Him as His disciples. And as His “infant” disciples, Christ gives us rest. He says: “Come to Me!” (Matthew 11:28)

As sinners, we are all totally depraved, so we of all times and all places are subject to the heavy burdens of sin, with the knowledge that we fall short of what God intended. Life in a fallen creation is a hard life. But Jesus’ words here offer comfort and promised rest, both in this life and in the age to come.

Now the way to find rest is to trade the heavy burden of sin and failure for Jesus’ own “yoke.” At first glance, this seems hardly like an offer of rest to take a yoke upon yourself. But as Jesus continues to speak, He reveals that the essence of taking His yoke upon yourself consists in learning what He is like. For this “yoke” is nothing other than to become a disciple of Jesus, as His own words declare: “Learn from Me.” The noun “disciple” and the verb “learn” share a common root and a common meaning; to be Jesus’ disciple is to learn from Him. But then the obvious question is: learn what?

In order to take the yoke of Jesus and find rest from one’s burdens, what one needs to learn is what Jesus is like: “Learn from Me that I am gentle and humble in heart.” In learning that Jesus gently receives and forgives all who come to Him in need, disciples find rest for their lives. All who come to His unparalleled authority and power with only their need in their hands find a Savior. He saves because of His own humility of heart that leads Him to suffer and die on the cross for our sins and to bodily rise from the dead for all. So, taking on the yoke of Jesus lightens the burdens of life and of eternity. Because of who Jesus is – our Good Shepherd and Lord and Savior – the burden of discipleship becomes light indeed.

So, with the yoke of Jesus, God’s commandments are no longer a heavy burden that weighs us down and destroys us. Instead, they are expressions of God’s will in which we delight, for we look for ways to express our thanks to God for the blessings of His grace. No burden is too heavy and Jesus takes the load for us and promises us rest.

All throughout his life, Glen received strength for his faith as he was forgiven by God through the Means of Grace – Word and Sacrament. It is through God’s Word and Sacrament that Glen is now resting from his labors, as Jesus has accomplished salvation for him and for you and me! So, what the world sees as Glen’s death, his death in Christ is but a portal, since “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b).

Today, Glen has come out of the great tribulation of our life now and is now clothed in Christ’s Robe of Righteousness as he is before the throne of God where he hungers no more, neither thirst anymore as he is in the presence of the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ. Just as Jesus provided his needs in his earthly life, Jesus continues to provide for all the needs of the departed faithful in the Church Triumphant where they are free from sin and its power.

But heaven is not the end. For all the faithful in heaven, there is still something better on the horizon. “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet” (1 Corinthians 15:52). Death does not have the final say. Life has the final say. Since Christ has been raised from the dead, we too, will also be raised. So, Glen’s grave will be as empty as the grave of Jesus! This body buried will be the body raised on that glorious resurrection day!

May we too receive what Jesus offers to us freely, eternal rest in Him in this life and in the age to come! Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Glen Beneke's Obituary: https://hantge.com/obituaries/glen-w-beneke/

Sermon for Lent 3: "The Way of Escape" (1 Corinthians 10:1-13)

 

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

[Intro]

It has been said: “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” History sure has a way in repeating itself. And if history doesn’t necessarily repeat itself, it certainly mimics. As God reminds us: “There is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

Well, the whole point of learning the past is so we don’t make the same mistakes as those who lived before us.

Paul, too, through the Holy Spirit, proclaims the same: “Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did” (1 Corinthians 10:6).

So, it is true that if we do not remember the past, we are condemned to repeat it. It is also good to keep in mind that God cannot tolerate sin. He cannot participate or be connected to any sin.

Today on this Third Sunday in Lent, the Holy Spirit leads Paul to proclaim the way of escape from sin, while he issues warnings from Israel’s history so that we do not fall from God’s grace.

[Five Illustrations for Our Instruction]

Everyone of us faces temptation. But the way we respond to temptation is the issue. If we delight at the temptation, we succumb to sin. Today, Paul gives us a clear warning against sin. He does this through five illustrations from the history of Israel. Now, these illustrations were likely chosen because of their relevance to the ongoing situation in Corinth. You see, these Corinthians were prone to these sins, just as Israel was before them.

Paul informs us saying: “Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did” (1 Corinthians 10:6). This first illustration refers to how Israel yielded to an intense craving for the meat and vegetables that were plentiful in Egypt, and their bitter complaining about the manna.

Now, these foods were not necessarily evil, but they were evil because of their association with the idolatrous land of Egypt, and because the people preferred them over what God graciously gave them in the wilderness. In craving these things – by longing for the past – these people were preferring slavery, idolatry, and impurity to the worship of the one true God.

Likewise, many within the Church in Corinth preferred the meat offered in idol temples. And such coveting amounted to sin against the Tenth Commandment, “You shall not covet,” and was in itself a form of idolatry, that is, a sin against the First Commandment, “You shall have no other gods.”

This coveting can also foster grosser forms of idolatry, which leads to the second illustration. Paul writes: “Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play’” (1 Corinthians 10:7).

Paul, here, is referring to the golden calf incident. Here, Paul is warning the Corinthians against falling into similar idolatry. So, just as the Israelites had fallen to the temptation of sitting down and eating in honor of a false idol, which brought the Lord’s wrath, so some of the Corinthians were reclining and drinking in an idol’s temple. And this can only end in disaster.

In the case of the golden calf, the people’s worship denigrated into sexual immorality as “they rose up to play” (Exodus 32:6). This is about sexual play. So, breaking the First Commandment led them to also break the Sixth Commandment, “You shall not commit adultery.”

The Corinthians, too, were guilty of sexual immorality, since they tolerated prostitution, incest, and homosexuality. And for the sexually immoral, Paul warns us all that those who practice such things “will not inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9).

Paul continues: “We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day” (1 Corinthians 10:8). Just as the golden calf incident led to idol worship and from there to fornication, so this pattern was repeated at Shittim in the plains of Moab with his third illustration. While there, the Moabites invited the Israelites to participate in their fertility rites in honor of their false god Baal of Peor, which led to many of the Israelite men into having intercourse with the Moabite women. Since the Israelites disobeyed God by having relations outside the Israelite people, God sent a plague that left 23,000 dead in the wilderness.

Here, Paul is warning us to not fall into the same trap of idolatry, which leads to immorality.

Paul concludes with his fourth and fifth illustration: “We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer” (1 Corinthians 10:9-10). The Israelites certainly tested the Lord’s patience. Likewise, Christians ought not to follow Israel’s example in grumbling against the Lord. So, in response to their complaints against Moses and Aaron, “the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the people who belonged to Korah” (Numbers 16:32).

Paul’s point is that if the Christians in Corinth persisted in their grumbling – against Paul and his fellow apostles – they ran the risk of suffering the same destruction. For the Church today, similar grumblings would be to question and even to rebel against the authority of the Scriptures, or even against pastors who faithfully proclaim and live by the Scriptures.

Paul sums it up this way: All these disasters happened to the Israelites as examples for us. These events were recorded not just for Israel’s sake, but for our instruction, so we would learn from their mistakes. Paul’s concern reflects that of Proverbs 16:18: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Likewise, those Corinthians who prided themselves on their power and freedom in the Spirit should be careful not to fall from grace.

Now, we may not have all the same idols as Israel and the Corinthian church, but we all have idols that we won’t let go that need to be smashed. What is your idol or your idols? Could it be your need for temporal safety? Could it be self-centered living? Could it be love of money and finances? Could it be longing for the past? Could it be sexual lust or pornography? Could it be wanting to be told how to live from earthly princes?

We must all repent of our false idols, or else we will surely perish as those who did before us who failed to trust in God’s provisions. You see, the life of a Christian is a life of repentance. We are all naturally prone to sin. Still, that is no excuse to God. Sin is not something to take lightly. We cannot stand in sin. We cannot live in sin. So, we must all turn away from sin – repent – and turn to Christ to receive His unconditional forgiveness.

[The Way of Escape]

Thanks be to God that He is faithful even when we aren’t faithful. Even though we don’t deserve it – through His faithfulness – He always provides the Way of escape from sin.

God provided Baptism and spiritual food and drink to His Israelite people, just as He does for us today.

At the Red Sea, the covenant people “were baptized into Moses” (1 Corinthians 10:2). There, they submitted to Moses’ leadership as he guided them through the waters and when they saw what the Lord accomplished there, they “believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses” (Exodus 14:31).

Just as they received a type of Baptism, so they also received a type of the Lord’s Supper. All of them were sustained by the manna, which is the “grain of heaven” and the “bread of angels,” which the Lord “rained … on them to eat” (Psalm 78:24). Likewise, they all received “the same spiritual drink,” which the Lord provided them with the miraculous water from the Rock. Jesus was the spiritual Rock who accompanied Israel.

We, too, experience the real presence of God in the Means of Grace: Word and Sacrament. Christ is present in the Scriptures and in His Sacraments. His presence provides the way out of sins that continue to tempt us and threaten us with death.

In the Lord’s Supper, Christ – the very Lamb of God who gave His life for the sins of the world – gives us His own Body and Blood for the forgiveness of our sins. This forgiveness sets us free from our sinful past, in which eternal death was our only future. Each time we receive Christ’s Body and Blood, He gives us new life and a new future, for where sin is forgiven, there is life with God and salvation everlasting.

We have the way of escape from sin and death and don’t forget it! So, repent and trust in God and His Word. He alone is faithful, the Rock Jesus who feeds us with His “spiritual food” and pours out His “spiritual drink” for our forgiveness. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep you hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

T SOLI DEO GLORIA T

Funeral Sermon: "At Peace with Christ" (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

 

Robert, Randy, Brian, and Jon, family and friends of Judy:

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!

[Intro: Times and Seasons]

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

Each day we have is beyond our own human control. Everything comes and goes at the time that God has appointed. As God spoke in Psalm 90: “For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; but their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away” … “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:9-10, 12).

Today, we certainly see the wages of sin, which is death. Due to sin, no human being can overcome death. But, although we all die due to sin, by grace through faith in Jesus, “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b).

Today, Judy has received the victory! She has joined the happy throng singing the triumph song: Glory, laud, and honor unto Christ, the King! (Onward Christian Soldiers, LSB 662, Stanza 4). She is wearing the robe of Christ’s righteousness that covers all of her sins with her fellow saints in the Church Triumphant! She has received the free gift of God, that is eternal life – and all by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone!

[Faith and Determination]

Judy loved to dance. In fact, she met her husband Robert at the Play-Mor ballroom. Although, that night, the two did not dance – as she declined Robert’s invitation, their dating life and marriage would not be void of dancing.

But back in 2012 and 2013, it was the thought that Judy would not ever dance again, due to cancer and other infections. For a time, she was unable to walk. But due to her faith and determination, she was able to walk again – and dance again.

Besides dancing, Judy enjoyed her flowers, especially her large Hosta garden. She also enjoyed the company of her cats.

She loved her family, especially her husband Robert and her sons Randy, Brian, and Jon.

Most importantly, her faith in Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior is what kept her going all of her life. Through thick and thin, Jesus was always there for her. He never left her, nor forsake her. He is with her to this day! Today she is in the presence of her Lord and Savior. She is completely satisfied as she hungers no more, neither thirsts anymore. She is no longer suffering the effects of sin. She is at bliss with her fellow saints in the Church Triumphant!

For us today, we are experiencing loss. With any loss, we grieve. So, do not be ashamed to grieve at the loss of Judy this day, or in future days. But also know this: As Christians, we grieve not as the unbelieving world grieves. We grieve in the sure and certain hope that we will be with our loved ones again who have died in the faith! “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him all those who have fallen asleep. … Therefore encourage one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:14, 18).

So, don’t be ashamed to grieve. Grieving is natural. And we all grieve in different ways. But always remember, Christians have the sure and certain hope that because Christ lives, everyone in Christ also lives!

[At the Appointed Time]

We should also remember that “for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

All things have their time. All things have their definite hour. Everything comes and goes at the time that God Himself has appointed: “A time to be born, and time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:2a).

Birth has its own time, and death has its own time. As we do not have our own birth planned out, we also do not have our own death planned out either. A baby is in the hand of God and is not born until its hour of birth comes. Women labor and concern about the birth of their baby, and they predict the time, but there is nothing certain about it. Nor do we die, except at our appointed hour.

For Judy, she may have thought when she was diagnosed with cancer in 2012 that death was near, or when her kidneys failed, but only God knew her appointed date and time.

Essentially, God is saying: “Why fear death?” Afterall, we cannot live any longer than the Lord has prescribed, nor die any sooner. So, we each have “a time to be born, and a time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:2a).

But our sinful nature may say: “What about those people who die of their own initiative? What about those who died too young? Could they not have saved their lives?” No. God has set this hour and even the means and kind of death. God sets the moments of our life and of our death. They are fixed.

Now, our sinful nature may not like this. Our sinful nature likes the idea that we have some form of control. But this is a great comfort. God has indeed numbered our days. Our birth and our death are in His control.

Now, the time between our birth and our death, we perform the works of man.

“A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted” (Ecclesiastes 3:2b).

These are the works of human life. In the spring there is planting, in the autumn there is plucking up. As Judy enjoyed taking care of her flowers and plants, she would be familiar with this. The flowers and plants would only last so long, then they would be plucked up for the next season. This is our life. This is our life now.

So, for everything there is a season. A season to weep, a season to laugh, a season to mourn, a season to dance, and on and on.

For each of these works, there is a defined time. There is a time to weep, there is a time to laugh. But it often happens that when we want to be very joyous, a sudden disturbance arises. Therefore joy – like all seasons – has its appointed time.

What God teaches us in Ecclesiastes 3 is this: Enjoy the present things. Enjoy all the blessings that God has bestowed upon us and all creatures – His Daily Bread – because they will come to an end.

Even as the grass withers and the flower fades through the seasons of our life, the Word of our God will stand forever (Isaiah 40:8). The Word of the Lord never withers nor fades but endures forever!

All material things are temporal – they will fade away, but our faith in Christ is eternal! Our faith is eternal, because the eternal God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – strengthens our faith through His Means of Grace: Word and Sacrament!

Since, the Word of the Lord endures forever, Judy is at peace. She is at peace because she has entered by the Door of the Sheep – Jesus Christ, who is our Good Shepherd.

She – and all who trust in Christ – received this peace at their Baptism. For “there is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call – one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).

You see, at your baptism, you were joined to Christ Himself. You were joined to His suffering, His death, and His bodily resurrection. In doing so, by faith in Christ alone, we share in the fruits of His cross: forgiveness of sins, which begets eternal life and salvation!

So, we acknowledge one Lord: Jesus Christ; one Faith: that is true doctrine as confessed in the Creeds; one Baptism: where we are joined to Christ.

Jesus came to “lay down [His] life for the sheep” (John 10:15b), so that He “may take it up again” (John 10:17) for which He did on that Good Friday and Easter morning, so that all who would trust in Him would live with Him forever.

Today, Judy and her fellow saints are at peace. They are dwelling in the house of the Lord and receiving the feast that is prepared for all the faithful (Psalm 23). May we on our appointed day join her and all the faithful in heaven!

For us this day, we have the sure and certain hope that because Christ lives, we shall also live, as we – with the Church Triumphant in Heaven – await Christ’s coming on the Last Day! Amen!

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

T SOLI DEO GLORIA T

Judy Sellnow's Obituary: https://hantge.com/obituaries/judith-judy-sellnow/

Funeral Sermon: There is a Time for Everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, John 5:24-30)

 

Rich, Vera, Harris, family and friends of Marcella:

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!

[Intro]

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

For God, there is a time for everything. Everything is in God’s hands, as Solomon tells us.

On Tuesday, March 17, the Triune God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – said it was time for Marcella Cohrs to be called to her eternal home. She entered heaven and is continuing her eternal life that she has received by grace through faith in her Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ.

Marcella’s earthly life is of two pandemic bookends. She was born during the Spanish Flu pandemic on May 2, 1918. And, as you know, at the age of 101, she died during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But, during her life God gave Marcella the gift of dance. She loved polka dancing. You may have also noticed the sound of polkas as you entered church this morning.

In fact, Pastor Welch and I were fortunate to see Marcella dance a few of her 12 polkas on her 100^th birthday at Grand Meadows.

And, on my visits with Marcella, dancing always came up in the conversation. During her seasons on earth, God certainly gave her “a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:4).

For us, here today, God continues to give us seasons. Many of us are weeping. Many of us are mourning. But, always remember, as followers of Christ, we do grieve, but we grieve in hope knowing that we will see our loved ones again. And during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we are having “to refrain from embracing” (Ecclesiastes 3:5b).

But for Marcella, she is also receiving seasons as she is in the care of her Lord Jesus Christ. She is no longer in pain. She is no longer hungry. She is no longer thirsty. She is in the midst of the Lamb of God as she is singing and dancing in the presence of her Lord with the Church Triumphant – the fellow believers who have died in the faith – and the angels in heaven! (Revelation 7:9-17)

 [Hearing and Believing]

In our Gospel reading, Jesus tells us this good news: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24).

But did you know that everyone who hears the words of Jesus and believes in Him already is living eternal life? A lot of the time, we only think of going to heaven. Yes, heaven is wonderful! But it is much more than that, because everyone in Christ receives eternal life!

So what exactly is eternal life and when does eternal life begin?

Well, to put it simply, eternal life means we never fully die. Yes, we see death very visible this morning. Death is our enemy. Death is very real. But, although Marcella’s body is here, her soul is living in heaven.

For Marcella, the prospect of eternal life began on May 26, 1918 when the Triune God chose her at her baptism. At the moment Marcella heard God’s name pronounced over her in the waters of Holy Baptism, she received the ability to believe in Jesus as her Lord and Savior. This is the same for you and me.

Did you catch that? For everyone baptized into Christ, we come to faith by first hearing God’s Triune Name – the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He first calls us through the waters of Holy Baptism. It is here, where the Holy Spirit calls us and enlightens us. It is here, where we receive the ability to believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Then on March 29, 1931, the Holy Spirit called Marcella to confess her faith in Jesus on her confirmation day. She also recited these words from Jesus as her confirmation verse: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

So, the prospect of eternal life begins at our baptism. As we grow in the one true faith, the Holy Spirit teaches us more about Jesus.

But how do we know when eternal life actually begins?

Well, eternal life begins when we hear the words of Jesus saying, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life” and you believe it.

Here, Jesus is not speaking of a future giving of life, because of past believing. Here, Jesus is speaking of the present. So, the very moment you truly believe in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you have eternal life.

[In Christ Alone]

Now, what about those who deny Jesus by refusing to listen to His voice? Well, not to hear is to remain in death: “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). To hear is to have life: “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b). Christ’s words define the person who belongs to the new Israel. So, he or she who belongs to the new Israel is who “hears my word and believes him who sent me.”

For how else are we to not come into judgement and pass from death to life? Jesus is the true Paschal Lamb whose blood caused the angel of death to pass over the houses of Israel. He is the Baptizer with the Holy Spirit, through whom one is created anew by water and the Spirit. He is the Crucified who in his exaltation is the very place of eternal life. It is only through Christ alone that we receive eternal life by grace through faith in Him.

We receive this free gift through Christ’s sacrificial death upon the cross and His resurrection from the dead on behalf of all sinners, you and me, for which He accomplished when the season reached the proper time. You see, although He knew no sin, He took on our sin, so we would be forgiven of all our sins against God in thought, word and deed. Being forgiven and inheritors of eternal life, we follow Christ’s example as we forgive one another as He has forgiven us.

[Now, But Not Yet]

Through Christ alone, we are forgiven and we have eternal life here and now! This eternal life is under God’s grace and favor and continues right through physical death.

Now, what about the unbeliever? Well, for them, death is to be feared. But for believers in Christ, we know that “just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

Today, for all believers in Christ, we are living in the now, but not yet. So, what does that mean? In Christ, all who trust in Him are saints. This includes all believers here today and Marcella and the others in the Church Triumphant in heaven who are awaiting Christ’s return on the Last Day to judge the living and the dead. That is the now. The not yet is that although we are saints, we are also sinners. This includes only us – not Marcella and not the others in the Church Triumphant.

You see, for everyone in heaven, they have passed through the great affliction – our life now: with sin, sorrow, pain, doubt and worry – to eternal bliss: with no more hunger, no more thirst, no more pain, no more sorrow.

Our reading from Ecclesiastes ends with these words: “A time for peace” (Ecclesiastes 3:8). Today, Marcella has received true peace. True peace cannot be found in this sinful world. True peace is found only in the Lord, our peacemaker. As the Apostle Paul tells us: “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

Today, by first hearing and then believing in Jesus, Marcella and all the saints in the Church Triumphant have reached the season of peace as they are cared for by the Good Shepherd, who is the very Prince of Peace! Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Marcella Cohrs' Obituary: https://hantge.com/obituaries/marcella-artis-cohrs/

Funeral Sermon: Saved by Grace (Ephesians 2:4-10; John 14:1-6)

 

Marilyn, Phyllis and Lester, family and friends of Evelyn:

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!

[By Grace]

“By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

In the days before Evelyn’s passing, I sang some hymns to Evelyn with the family. One of those hymns was “By Grace I’m Saved.” Each stanza of this hymn begins with the phrase “By grace” and for each stanza, Evelyn replied “By grace, I’m saved. By grace, I’m saved.”

Evelyn was strong in her faith. On my many visits with her, I would tell her of the happenings in the world with respect to the Scripture I shared with her. One time, I remember saying that there are some people who do not believe that Jesus is the only way to God the Father. She would respond back, “How could anyone not believe in Jesus?” That is a great question. How could anyone not believe in Jesus?

Her faith was strong. She firmly believed that she is saved by grace through faith in Christ alone.

[The Way]

Well, Jesus wasn’t always as easy to understand as He is today. Today, we each have access to the inerrant Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as inspired by the Holy Spirit. Through God’s Word, we know that everyone who follows Christ as Lord and Savior has been saved by grace through faith in Him.

In our gospel lesson, Jesus tells His disciples then and His disciples now, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me” (John 14:1).

Here, Jesus is reminding us that whatever the situation in our life, whatever the season in our life – “a time to be born, and a time to die” or “a time to weep, and time to laugh” or “a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3) – let not our hearts be troubled. Instead, send your troubles to God. For Jesus is truly the Son of God. Jesus hears every one of our prayers and He answers every one of our prayers. It may not be want we want at the time, but God’s will is always done.

Jesus then tells us that He has prepared a dwelling place for everyone who believes in Him. He says, “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:2-3).

Here, Jesus teaches us that these many rooms are not temporary housing – like hotel rooms – but these are permanent residences with the Father in heaven. Here, Christ is preparing a new promised land for His Church.

Jesus concludes saying to His disciples, “And you know the way to where I am going” (John 14:4).

I’m sure all the disciples looked at each other in wonder. Instead of Peter, who normally speaks, Thomas speaks, asking His Lord, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:5)

I’m sure Thomas wasn’t alone with his question. You see, the disciples didn’t always understand what Jesus was saying.

Today, many non-believers in Christ continually ask this question: “How do I get to heaven? What do I have to do to be saved?”

Here, Jesus gives us the answer! “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

Jesus is Himself the way to God the Father, not a way to God the Father. He not only shows us the way – by revealing it – but He is the Way.

Jesus is Himself the truth. We can depend on Jesus.

Jesus is Himself the life. He created life and He is the source of eternal life for all mankind.

Apart from Jesus, there is no other way to salvation. Salvation can be found in no other way. It is only through Christ alone that we are saved. This is what Evelyn believed. This is the faith that Evelyn is now living in heaven. She has received her dwelling place with God the Father and God the Son, Jesus Christ.

[God’s Steadfast Love]

We, too, can receive the same gift! Evelyn received her gift of salvation, not by her own doing, but by grace though faith in Christ alone.

It was on April 26, 1925 when God adopted Evelyn to be His own child through the waters of Holy Baptism. It was then that the Holy Spirit gave Evelyn the ability to believe in Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. Then on April 2, 1939, she publicly confessed to God that she would never forsake the one true Christian faith.

No one is able to be justified before God by their own strengths, merits, or works, but we are justified freely – by grace – on account of Christ alone, through faith alone. Everyone in Christ has been received into this grace and their sins are forgiven on account of Christ alone, who made satisfaction for our sins through His sacrificial death and His glorious resurrection.

Jesus Christ died for all people, not just for a chosen few. For Jesus said: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:16-18).

God the Father sent His one and only Son Jesus the Christ to destroy the powers of sin, death, and Satan upon all who trust in Christ alone. He accomplished this feat through His death upon the cross and His resurrection from the grave, so that whoever trusts in Him would receive forgiveness of sins, eternal life and salvation.

We did nothing to earn this grace. It is only by God’s steadfast love for us that we receive this grace!

[His Workmanship]

So, for everyone in Christ, what do we do while we live in this grace? Do we sin all the more? By no means! Instead, we do good works, not for God, but for our neighbor. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

Again, this is what Evelyn did. She taught her daughters – Marilyn and Phyllis – the way they should go. In fact, this is what Evelyn called her greatest accomplishment in her life. Evelyn also lived out her Christian faith in service to her community and to service to her church. Again, she did this not because she had to, but that she had the opportunity to do it. It is all through Christ’s doing that we are saved.

[Wrapped in Christ’s Righteousness]

Today, Evelyn is in the Church Triumphant with all the saints in heaven. She is wrapped in the robe of Christ’s righteousness that covers all her sin. She hungers no more, neither thirsts anymore; the sun does not strike her, nor any scorching heat (Revelation 7:16). She and all the saints are before the throne of God. She and all the saints are in the midst of the Lamb who is their Shepherd.

But, she and the saints – along with us here – wait for Christ’s return to earth. On that day, there will no longer be any division between heaven and earth. There will no longer be division between body and soul. For on that day, Christ will make all things new. He will create a new heaven and a new earth! So, in this new heaven and new earth, there will be no more sin, no more sorrow, and no more death. Everything will be created anew and all by the grace of God. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

T SOLI DEO GLORIA T