In Times of Doubt, Trust in Jesus and His Promises

 Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

These are the words of the Apostle Paul to Timothy. This time has come and “the time” began to happen soon after Christ’s bodily ascension into heaven.

We like to focus upon today’s problems, but these problems are nothing new. For “there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

False teachings, also known as heresy, have been around ever since sin entered the world through Satan taking the form of a serpent as he caused Adam and Eve to doubt God’s very words. The idea of “Did God really say?” (Genesis 3) has crept into Christ’s Church and has continued to infect Christ’s Church to this day.

We are in fact, no different than the Hebrews of the Old Testament who “did what was evil in the sight of the LORD.” They forgot the Lord, their God, and instead served false gods – like Baal. Today’s false gods are the love of money, the celebrity, the politician, or even safety and comfort. The list goes on and on and on. Each false god can never give anyone what they promise. Only the one, true God always gives what He promises.

At the time of the Lutheran Reformation, Martin Luther hoped for a church that would be avoid of non-Scriptural traditions and instead be rooted upon the inerrant Word of God. In fact, this was the whole point of the Lutheran Reformation! We have the “Solas” of the Reformation to remember this point: Scripture Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Christ Alone. This is to remind us that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, by which Ephesians 2:8-9 says so beautifully. We know that fact through God’s Word: Scripture Alone, or Sola Scriptura.

But, since sin was still in the world during the time of the Lutheran Reformation, other reformers did not have the same high view of Scripture as Luther.

This brings us to today. As Luther hoped to unite the Christian Church in doctrine and practice in using God’s inerrant Word, sin would like to see otherwise. Today, we see a Christian Church that is fractured among doctrine and practice.

In C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters, he focuses on this fracture in Letter 16. In this letter, Satan’s minion Screwtape encourages his junior tempter nephew Wormwood to send his patient to church hop in the hope that the patient would become a “taster or connoisseur of churches” and choose a church that would scratch his itching ears. So, Screwtape identified two churches in the area that were full of false doctrine that would be perfect to damage the patient’s faith in Christ.

You see, Screwtape encouraged Wormwood to send his patient to a church that was not preaching the Word in season and out of season. He was not encouraging the patient to attend a church that was reproving, rebuking, and exhorting, with patience and teaching (2 Timothy 4:2). Screwtape is, in fact, against Law and Gospel preaching, as well as Confession and Absolution!

Pastor Welch and I are not perfect, but our goal day-in and day-out is to preach the whole counsel of God’s Word at First Ev. Lutheran Church. As pastors, we are under-shepherds of Christ. We are not under-shepherds of the sinful world.

As Christians, we are always to be listening to the truth. But remember what Pontius Pilate famously said, “What is truth?” (John 18:38)

Today, the culture says that truth is relative, but we know that as Christians, this is not to be believed. In fact, the truth can be found in one Man. The Truth is of course Jesus Christ, for He says, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

So, whenever you doubt, trust in Jesus. Whenever you feel Satan’s arrows piercing you, trust in Jesus. We are all experiencing Satan’s spiritual warfare upon all of us these days, but trust in Jesus.

Jesus is here for you and me! He is never hiding as He is always seen in His Word and Sacraments to grant us forgiveness, life and salvation as He proclaims that He “is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). So, if you are feeling weak, know that Christ is always present in the Lord’s Supper to strengthen your faith as He gives us His forgiveness that He won for us upon the cross!

Happy All Saints Day and a Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

In Christ,
Pastor Adelsen

Sermon for Pentecost 19: "Come! Everything is Ready!" (Matthew 22)

To see a video of the sermon, click here and search for: Divine Service for the 19th Sunday after Pentecost (October 11, 2020)

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]

As the title figure in the movie Father of the Bride, Steve Martin does everything he can do to cut the cost of his daughter’s upcoming wedding. He tries on his old tuxedo that he has outgrown. He offers to be the backyard chef at the outdoor reception. He even slashes the guest list down to a minimum.

But, when the King in today’s parable sends out invitations to His Son’s wedding, He doesn’t even think of cutting the cost of this wedding. Instead, He invites everyone! He says no expense will be spared! He says no guests will be crossed off His list! This is a wedding banquet that no one would want to miss, and the King says, “Everything is ready! Come!” The question for us is: are we ready? Are we ready to come to the wedding feast?

[Holy Week in Jerusalem]

On this Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, we continue listening to Jesus during Holy Week. As we heard last week, Jesus has already made His Palm Sunday triumphal entry into Jerusalem to the joy of the crowds sitting upon a colt as the crowd spread their cloaks upon the road and shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9).

But, ever since Jesus entered Jerusalem, the Jewish chief priests have been watching Jesus very closely as they have been searching for a right time to arrest Him and ultimately have Him killed. So, since the Jewish chief priests are nearby, Jesus speaks parables to them. You know, these earthly stories with heavenly meanings, as He describes the kingdom of heaven, as well as to warn them and us of God the Father’s final judgement. In each parable, Jesus warns us of His very real and coming judgement and His promise of eternal life for the righteous.

[The Parable of the Wedding Feast]

In today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus teaches us the Parable of the Wedding Feast that has been prepared and we are all invited to come and partake of this gracious feast. He teaches us saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast…” (Matthew 22:2-3a).

In today’s world, we send out “Save the Date” notices. This is what the King has done by sending His servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast. Here, the King is alerting His wedding guests that a big event is coming. In case you’re wondering, the King here is God the Father and the Son is Jesus.

The date is set! The wedding hall is ready! The feast of rich food and well-aged wine has been prepared! (Isaiah 25:6) This feast will be lavish! This is not just an ordinary wedding; this is in fact, a royal wedding! Everything is ready!

“…but they would not come” (Matthew 22:3b).

Where are the invited guests? All that hard work and not a single person shows up! This is plain rude. I’m sure we can all sense the King’s frustration. He felt much like modern parents do when sending out wedding invitations and the guests don’t show courtesy to at least RSVP!

So, who are the servants and who are the invited guests? The servants are the prophets who are proclaiming the coming of the promised Messiah and Lord. The invited guests are the Jewish authorities, such as the chief priests and elders.

But the King did not give up on having guests at His Son’s wedding feast! So, “he sent other servants, saying ‘Tell those who are invited, ‘See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast’’” (Matthew 22:4).

So, did this group of new wedding guests come at the invitation of the King?

No. Instead “they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them” (Matthew 22:5).

The wedding hall is ready, and no one wants to come. Instead, one went off to his farm. Another went off to his business. These sorts of excuses are no excuse. This actually serves as an almost unthinkable act of shaming the King and His Son.

Instead of rejoicing at being invited to the royal wedding feast, the guests just find excuses not to go. Here, Jesus is referring to Israel’s persistent rejection of its prophets, who proclaimed God’s truth, but the people would rather ignore God’s watchmen.

Does this sound familiar? Are we often too busy? Do we often find excuses not to come to the wedding feast?

How often do we fail at keeping the Sabbath day holy? Do we always fear and love God above all things so that we do not despise preaching and His Word by keeping it sacred by gladly hearing and learning it?

As sinful human beings, we are experts at coming up with excuses for anything. In 2020, the newest excuses are our new national idols known as “comfort” and “safety.”

Many of us would rather stay at home than be at the foretaste of the feast to come at the Divine Service out of fear of large crowds. Yet, most of us have continued shopping and dining among large crowds. For some reason, that fear subsides in big box stores and while sitting in the restaurant booth. But, out of fear for our personal “comfort” and “safety,” many of us choose to avoid the Divine Service, even though true eternal comfort and safety are found only here through the merit and work of Jesus Christ alone.

We must repent of our sin of not trusting God and instead placing our trust in the idols of “comfort” and “safety.” You see, as soon as we get out of bed each morning, we begin to take risks that could end our temporal life. And, even if we follow every rule to not contract the virus, we will never be immune. Instead, we are to trust in Jesus, so that if any of us would contract the virus, we may understand that God is using it for our own good, so that we would trust Him even in our afflictions.

As we have those who make excuses, there were other guests in our parable who were not indifferent. They did not search for an excuse. Instead, they “seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them” (Matthew 22:6). Instead of greeting the invitation, they just turned violent. They said, “No! I am not coming to this!” And then they killed the messenger.

Although the feast is ready, the King will not allow the murderers of His servants to go unpunished. The King does what we may expect: He became angry. So, “he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city” (Matthew 22:7). This is in fact, divine judgment. This judgement has come because the Jewish religious leaders have, by and large, rejected the King’s Son and the reign of God present in the Son’s words and deeds.

Even after all of this, the King shows His patience as He continues to say: “Come, the wedding feast is ready!” Now, would you keep inviting people after they continuously refuse to come? Not to mention, the deaths of His servants?

But this time, the King invites even more people. He invites not just the Jews, but also the Gentiles – the people without Jewish blood – as He says, “‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good” (Matthew 22:8-10a).

And, guess what? I guess the third time is really the charm! These invited guests come! The wedding hall was filled with guests! But for those who came to the wedding feast, were they all ready? Since both bad and good were invited, both bad and good arrived. Since this King is gracious, He visits each guest – both bad and good – to see that they are ready for the feast.

As the King greets everyone, He adorns each guest with a wedding garment, so that each guest would be ready. This wedding garment signifies the righteousness of God, which covers our sin. This garment – the robe of righteousness – is what we receive at our Baptism – the robe of Christ’s righteousness that covers all of our sin. But, as the King looks over the crowd, He notices that not everyone is ready. “He saw there a man who had no wedding garment” (Matthew 22:11b).

So, the King says to this guest, “‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’” (Matthew 22:12-13).

You see, even when addressed kindly as “friend,” this man has no excuse, no explanation for refusing the clothing the King has offered him. So, instead of wearing the robe of righteousness, this man chose to go it alone by not wearing the King’s wedding garment.

As human beings, we each have free will. We can look back at the grace received in our Baptism and repent of our sins against God the Father and receive His forgiveness that was won for us upon the cross, or we can choose to live in sin as we choose to walk it alone without Christ. For this man, he chose to walk it alone, and for that, he was cast into outer darkness. He was cast into hell, away from God and His grace.

Jesus concludes saying, “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). This means: all are called, but not everyone is ready.

[Are We Ready for the Wedding Feast?]

The question for us this morning is this: how do we know we are ready for the wedding feast?

Well, we cannot become ready on our own. We cannot become ready by going about our lives alone. We can only become ready through the merit and work of Jesus Christ alone!

You see, God freely gives us His robe of righteousness, which is His wedding garment for you and me. We are spiritually given this at our Baptism. In fact, the white garments often worn at Baptisms is a symbol of the robe of righteousness. And, when we are called home to the heavenly feast, the funeral pall again symbolizes Christ’s righteousness that covers all our sin. But, in heaven, we will all be actually wearing our robe, our wedding garment in the Church Triumphant.

So, how do we keep ourselves from losing the robe of righteousness? Actually, God accomplishes that for us too. He does this by strengthening our weak faith and forgiving our sins through hearing His Word and partaking of His Sacrament.

Whenever we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we receive a glimpse of this heavenly feast to come! With these very words, “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins,” this shows us that in this Sacrament, we receive forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation!

With these words, Jesus invites and urges everyone who is united with Him in doctrine and faith to partake of the Sacrament frequently. For we all need the comfort and strength of Christ’s forgiveness for living our new life – our justified and sanctified life – while we are assaulted by the devil and struggle with our sinful nature.

You see, in the Lord’s Supper, we receive Christ’s very body and blood that forgives our sins and strengthens our weak faith. By receiving the Lord’s Supper, we learn to trust in Jesus and to live in love for one another.

However, the opposite is true for those who choose to remain far from the Lord’s Supper as their faith is weakened. Picture it this way, if you are hungry, you eat. If you do not eat when you are hungry, you will eventually die from starvation.

Or, if you are ill or physically injured, you seek medical help. If you don’t, your illness or injury will get worse. The same goes with faith. If we are not receiving strength for our faith, our faith becomes weaker. So, do not starve yourself of the Sacrament of the very body and blood of Christ! Because of this, the Lord says, “Come!” He urges us to come and be nourished in the foretaste of this heavenly feast!

You see, as the King, God the Father invites everyone to the marriage feast of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who Himself is the bridegroom. But are we just invited guests? Are we just onlookers at this glorious event? No! This feast is actually for us! In fact, we are the bride!

We are the bride that the Bridegroom suffered and died for. We are bride that the Bridegroom rose from the dead for. We are the Church that the Bridegroom will raise again on the Last Day! This wedding feast is the union of Jesus Christ and His bride, the Church!

In the hymn “Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying” this wedding banquet between Jesus and His Church is portrayed. Each time we sing the pronoun “she” in this hymn that is us – the Church. Stanza two concludes proclaiming:

We enter all the wedding hall

To eat the Supper at Thy call.

You see, through the very suffering and death of Jesus upon the cross, He has earned a place for everyone in the kingdom of heaven! And, not just a place, but a royal place as we who believe and trust in Him are His bride!

Now, some will ignore this invitation. They will find excuses, such as they are too busy, or it’s not safe. Of course, daily work and “safety” is not evil in itself. However, it becomes an issue when it is chosen above the wedding feast of God the Father’s own Son. So, does – I’m too busy, I have a career to build, I have a living to earn, I’m focusing on my personal safety, or are you leaving only an afterthought for the Savior – does any of this describe you?

And, what about those who oppose this invitation? By opposing, they are opposing Jesus, and are rejecting God the Father’s invitation to His wedding feast, that is, the invitation to be His bride, His people.

Some will accept God the Father’s invitation on their own terms, but not on the His terms. They plan to clothe themselves in their own deeds, their own fervent prayers, and their own good name. They will have no excuse when asked why they did not instead clothe themselves in the righteousness offered to them in Jesus Christ.

But in His grace and mercy, the King – God the Father – extends the invitation. In Baptism, God the Father provided us garments of righteousness that we may wear into eternity. These garments – the robes of Christ’s righteousness that covers all of our sin – was won for us by His Son’s death and resurrection!

Yes, we who have been clothed in Christ’s righteousness are ready for the wedding feast! We have no need to be anxious by fear and worry (Philippians 4:6), since the Lord has prepared a place for you and me! We know that we are ready as our faith is strengthened each time we hear His Word and receive His Sacrament.

As long as we remain clothed in Christ’s righteousness, we are ready for the wedding feast! Come, everything is ready! 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

Joyful is the dark?

The ELCA is releasing a new hymnal supplement in November called "All Creation Sings." One of the new hymns is "Joyful Is the Dark." Who doesn't find joy in darkness? Let's look at the lyrics!

Heresy Alert: Who lurks in the darkness? It's not God. It's actually Satan. Who is hidden? It's not God. In fact, the Triune God is the Light and He is seen in His Word and His Sacraments. So, who is hidden? Satan. 

If anyone has ever walked in the dark with bare feet and stepped on a Lego, you would find that there is no joy in the darkness. 

This hymn is not as bad as "Earth Is Full of Wit and Wisdom," since I am having to look deeper into this hymn. But, as each stanza proclaims "Joyful is the dark," there is actually no joy in darkness. Darkness is actually the absence of God.

Instead of singing this hymn, I would recommend the hymn "I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light." This hymn proclaims the Triune God as the Light!

Jesus said: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)

Earth is full of wit and wisdom?

The ELCA is releasing a new hymnal supplement in November called "All Creation Sings." One of the new hymns is "Earth Is Full of Wit and Wisdom." This hymn does have a catchy tune and who doesn't love animals and microbes? But, let's look at the lyrics!

Heresy Alert: The Earth is not full of wit and wisdom. The Earth is actually sinful and lacks intelligence. All wisdom comes from the Triune God (The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit). Also, the hymn concludes saying that we are "called to love and serve the earth." No, we are actually called to love God and serve our neighbor. 

Lastly, a sign of a good hymn is that it is about Jesus Christ. Is this hymn proclaiming Jesus Christ? I don't see it. But, if you want to proclaim "Mother Earth," this is the hymn for you!

How Shall I Vote as a Christian?

How do you plan to vote in November? Are you picking your candidate purely by political party preference? Are you picking your candidate purely by campaign promises? Are you picking your candidate through your Christian values?

We are all familiar with the phrase “Do not discuss religion or politics.” This phrase seems to be as American as baseball and fireworks on the Fourth of July. But, where does this phrase come from? Can we, in fact, discuss religion and politics?

It is likely that the phrase “Do not discuss religion or politics” began in 1947. Prior to 1947, public discussion of politics and religion was widespread, and it was primarily peaceful, unlike on today’s social media platforms, like Twitter and Facebook. As Americans discussed politics and religion back then, each person listened, and people typically found common ground. So, what caused this change to begin in 1947?

The change began following the U.S. Supreme Court landmark decision called “Everson v. Board of Education,” which decided that politics and religion should remain separate. One of the exhibits brought up in its decision was President Thomas Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptists of Connecticut from January 1, 1802 in which Jefferson wrote about a “wall of separation” between church and state. So, this “wall of separation” is not supported by the Constitution of the United States, but is instead supported by a letter from a man who had no dealings with the Constitution, since at the time he was serving as the American Ambassador to France. So from 1947 to today, our education system has indoctrinated generations of people to believe that religion and politics should remain separate.

The result of this landmark decision eventually got the American people getting the idea that even Christians should not be taught how to vote, even according to the faith that we are to live day in and day out. Afterall, voting is the ultimate exercise in individual choice and the expression of personal opinion.

But, should we, as Christians, vote in a certain way? How shall I vote as a Christian? Is there ever a time when we shouldn’t vote, because of our Christian faith?

As Christians, we should always have the Ten Commandments in mind and what these Commandments collectively mean, according to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40).

So, when we vote, we are first to love the Lord your God. What does this mean? As Martin Luther puts it, “We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” So, when you vote, are you trusting in the one true God, or are you putting your trust in the politician to be your earthly savior? So, how does the one true God want His flock to vote? God wants us to vote for people, principles and platforms that will uphold and advance His justice in the world.

But, just as the Jewish lawyer asked Jesus, we may ask the same question today: “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29)

Our neighbor is not just the family who lives next door. Instead, our neighbor is everyone we come into contact with in our daily life. Our neighbor is everyone on the face of the earth. As we care for our neighbor, we are to think of them as Jesus thinks of us. We are to think of our neighbor and their salvation. Of course, their salvation is found in the same place as our salvation: in Jesus Christ alone. So, when we vote, as well as visit our neighbor, we are to proclaim God the Father’s saving grace that is found only in Jesus Christ. Now, this is where voting gets hard, since there is no perfect candidate. Instead, we have to choose from flawed candidates. And, oftentimes, we have to choose between “the lesser of two evils.” So, what should we look for when we vote as a Christian?

First, where does the candidate stand on the sanctity of life? As Christians, we believe that all lives are precious from conception to life’s natural end. This means that Christians should not vote for politicians who support abortion and physician-assisted suicide. As God’s Word says in Psalm 139:13-14, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”

Second, where does the candidate stand on marriage? As Christians, we believe that marriage was created by God as the one-flesh lifelong union of a man and a woman for their mutual help and joy and for the procreation and nurturing of children. This man and woman enter into marriage by the public promise to live faithfully together until death. This means that Christians should vote for politicians who uphold the holy estate of marriage as being between one male and one female. From Mark 10:6-9, Jesus said, “But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two by one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Third, where does the candidate stand on welfare? As Christians, we believe that we are to care for those who are truly in need. However, Christians are not to be enablers to those who are able-bodied and refuse to work. As God’s Word says in 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12: “For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.”

Fourth, where does the candidate stand on the First Amendment? The First Amendment states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; of the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” As Christians, we have the right to worship the one true God – the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit – without restrictions placed upon the church by the government. This means that we should not vote for a politician who promises to restrict Christ’s Church from proclaiming His Law and Gospel, in meeting together, and in receiving His Means of Grace (Baptism, hearing God’s Word proclaimed, and the Lord’s Supper). As God’s Word says in Acts 2:42-44: “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common.”

At the same time, a part of me does think that religious persecution may be a good thing to wake up Christians in America. After all, the Christian Church – especially the Lutheran Church – is growing through persecution in Africa and Asia, due to persecution from Islam and anti-Christian governments. But, we as Christians, should not vote to persecute ourselves.

Could there be a time when a Christian should not vote in order to remain faithful? No! Voting is not just a mere right or privilege. Voting is in fact a holy obligation. Voting is our vocation. Voting is our calling. Voting is a vocation given by God to each Christian citizen, so we need to vote.

So, before you vote in November, research what each politician believes. As Christians, we should all vote with our Christian values in mind. So, when you vote, vote for the candidate who you believe would best please God and help and support your neighbor.

In Christ,

Pastor Adelsen

Where is Justice Found?

 

“No justice, no peace!” This is the call to arms for Black Lives Matter (BLM) in the wake of practically any police-involved shooting in 2020. As BLM demands “No justice, no peace,” where could justice found?

We are certainly living in a Biblically illiterate society. Study after study shows that Christians increasingly do not know who Jesus was, and more properly is. One study[1] by Ligonier Ministries found that 52 percent of Americans believe that Jesus was “only a good teacher, but not God.” In another study by American Worldview Inventory 2020[2] conducted by Dr. George Barna and sponsored by Arizona Christian University found that 58 percent of Americans believe “there is no absolute moral truth”; and 77 percent believe “right and wrong is determined by factors other than the Bible”; and 59 percent of Americans say that “the Bible is not the authoritative and true Word of God.” This study also found that Americans do find faith important, but it doesn’t matter what that faith is.

What we have is a spiritual problem.

How many of us open our Bible or catechism in search for answers? (Thankfully, the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod publishes[3] an even further explanation of the catechism that helps to answer many questions.) From what study after study find, there are not many who search the Scriptures or any catechism. One thing that study after study on American Christianity has found is that Christianity is no longer favored by the American society at large. If anything is favored it would be American paganism, seeing your political party as your god, and the religion of Islam. But, surely Christianity is no longer favored by society. In fact, society would likely say devout Christians are no longer welcomed in society at large.

Today, we have thousands, if not millions of Americans, demanding justice in the wake of Michael Brown (Ferguson, Missouri in 2014), George Floyd (Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2020), Breonna Taylor (Louisville, Kentucky in 2020), and Jacob Blake (Kenosha, Wisconsin in 2020). Each of these police-involved shootings was tragic, but at the same time, each of them could have been prevented if they had not resisted the police. But, it actually began sooner as each person made wrong choices that led them to being confronted by the police. If Brown had not held up that Ferguson convenience store, if Floyd did not pass a counterfeit bill and not ingested fentanyl and methamphetamine, if Taylor had not been involved in drug dealing, if Blake would have not resisted and reached for the knife. So, each of these officer-involved situations could have been avoided.

The First Commandment states: You shall have no other gods. What does this mean? We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.[4]

The Fourth Commandment states: Honor your father and your mother. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them.[5]

Again, what we have is a spiritual issue. Who is your god? Is it the one true God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), or is it something or someone else? Are we honoring our parents and other authorities? Are we respecting the police? Yes, in every occupation there are bad eggs, but not every police officer is corrupt. Instead, we are to fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and other authorities, but honor, serve and obey them, love and cherish them.

Since BLM is shouting “No justice, no peace,” where could true justice be found? True justice can only be found in God. God Himself teaches us “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30; Deuteronomy 32:35). Also from Proverbs 20:22: “Do not say, ‘I will repay evil’; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.”

But, how does God deliver justice? God delivers justice in two ways: (1) the Temporal Realm (or Temporal Kingdom) and (2) the Spiritual Realm (or Spiritual Kingdom). This doctrine is known as the Two Realms or the Two Kingdoms. Within these two ways, God works with His left hand as He rules the Temporal Realm and with His right hand as He rules the Spiritual Realm. So, what is going on here?

The Temporal Realm (Left Hand of God) is God’s kingdom of the sword. The Spiritual Realm (Right Hand of God) is God’s kingdom of the Word.

Within the Temporal Realm, God established government as the institution in which to preserve and protect society. Within the Spiritual Realm, God established His Means of Grace for redemption and restoration.

So, through these two Realms, God establishes justice temporally and establishes justice spiritually. The criminal justice system is one of the ways God establishes temporal justice. This begins with Laws that are put in place in order to keep an ethical society and is focused on the behavior of the people. When the ethical society breaks down, such as a robbery, then a police officer comes to restore that situation back to peace. Eventually, the accused finds himself or herself in the criminal justice system and eventually to a court date to find out from the judge or jury if he or she is guilty of the crime. And, where we may believe the justice system has wronged an individual, there is also an appeals process. This is how God establishes justice in the Temporal Realm.

In the Spiritual Realm, God aims at justification. However, if a person does not believe and trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, then that person is not justified through the merit and work of Christ, but is instead sent into outer darkness in hell, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth for eternity.

These days, activist groups like BLM and Antifa call for justice in places where true justice is not found – on the streets. Instead of accepting justice as God has ordained it, they loot and burn their neighborhoods and cities as they cry out: “This is not fair! No justice, no peace! You shoot, we loot! The only good cop is a dead cop!”

Instead of searching out what justice truly means, through God’s Word, they follow their sinful nature and create more turmoil, more death, and more destruction.

It also does not help that the mainstream media appears that they are on the side of BLM and Antifa. As the mainstream media does not tell the whole story about the various police-involved shootings, they have gotten more and more people worked up. For each of these police-involved shootings, after the looting, burning and violence, we keep learning that the media was plain wrong in their original reporting. Investigation after investigation shows the truth was hidden. Instead of focusing on the facts, much of the media is focused on feelings. The thing is, we cannot trust our own feelings, because our feelings are rooted in our sin.

Even worse is that many mainline denominations – that are no longer rooted in God’s Word – have lifted up the causes of BLM and Antifa. This has only made the situation worse. For these denominations, namely the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the United Church of Christ (UCC) and the Episcopal Church, they have abandoned Scriptural truth and replaced it with social justice. Instead of looking to Jesus, who is the Prince of Peace, they too scream out “No justice, no peace!” Instead of looking to God’s ordained plan of justice, they cry out “No justice, no peace!”

If we search for racism, we will find racism everywhere we look. Sin is destructive. Sin separates us from God and His will.

So, trust in God and trust in His ordained will. Now, His will may not match our will, but remember these words of God: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Remember, God executes justice in His way through His Temporal and Spiritual realms. This is all by God’s ordaining.

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[1] https://disrn.com/news/one-third-of-evangelicals-believe-jesus-was-a-good-teacher-but-he-was-not-god?fbclid=IwAR3Bsg8vqGTPSfhJ2gaLms1weBuEPejfoeqlDd0DH9nN0Um622c_84K_0TM

[2] https://witness.lcms.org/2020/more-than-half-of-christians-dont-believe-the-gospel/?fbclid=IwAR3YWXBMKWc58fFfOq7ve3H5SGvce3x8_J6XpT3gjpvvZNs-Q8bHUTYwjIE

[3] https://www.cph.org/p-32272-luthers-small-catechism-with-explanation-2017-edition.aspx

[4] Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation – 2017 Edition (St. Louis, Concordia Publishing House, 2017).

[5] Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation – 2017 Edition (St. Louis, Concordia Publishing House, 2017).

Sermon for Pentecost 16: "God is God and We're Not!"

To watch the Divine Service for the 16th Sunday after Pentecost, click here.

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]

During my vicarage year, one of my supervisor’s favorite phrases was “God is God, and we’re not!” This phrase would come up a lot during Sunday adult Bible studies when a parishioner would ask a question in such a way that it would appear that he or she was questioning the will of God.

You see, sometimes we don’t understand why God does the things He does. We don’t understand why God allowed this or that to happen. And when we don’t quite get it, just remind yourself that “God is God and I’m not.”

In fact, God Himself says just that: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8).

You see, God’s plans and reasons are beyond the comprehension of us mortal human beings. He settles accounts in strange ways. In fact, in today’s Gospel lesson, we hear Jesus telling us something really strange.

[The “Protestant Work Ethic”]

You may be familiar with the phrase “having a Protestant work ethic.” This approach to work and life focuses on hard work, discipline, and being frugal:

• §  “Work hard, and you’ll be paid what you deserve.”
• §  “Don’t spend more than you make.”

In the workplace of the civil arena, this is most certainly true. Many – often those in the older generations – would even say that we could use much more of that work ethic these days. They compare themselves and their work ethic against the people and work ethic of a younger generation.

God’s vineyard, however, does not work that way. God’s vineyard, His gracious reign in Jesus, is no place for Protestant work ethics or for disciples of Jesus to compare themselves to one another.

You see, God manages His vineyard by means of grace and mercy. When we are confronted with God’s management-by-mercy, though, we sinners still pervert it with our comparing. Thankfully, that does not stop our gracious landowner Lord from His grandiose giving. Afterall, God is God and we’re not!

[The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard]

Since we are so used to comparing things, God uses His parables to help us better understand the kingdom of heaven. In today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus teaches us the parable of the workers in the vineyard. So, let’s unpack this parable.

Jesus teaches us: “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard” (Matthew 20:1-2).

Now, the master of the vineyard is Jesus. As the master, He goes out to hire workers at different times of the day and He sends them into His vineyard.

First, we hear about the group of workers hired early in the morning. This would be at dawn, just before or after sunrise, so around 6 a.m. So, the first group of workers agree to the wage offered by the master. They were eager to work for the denarius, which was a day’s wage. They believed that the master was very fair in proposing that wage.

Then, the master continues to hire another group of workers at the third hour, which is about 9 a.m. The master noticed a group of people who were waiting for some employment, since no one had hired them yet. So, out of the kindness of his heart, he offered them a job and said, “You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you” (Matthew 20:4). So, they went.

This group assumed that they would receive a fair wage from the master of the vineyard – for a partial day’s work. Still, they trusted the master and proceeded to work in His vineyard, even if they were only expecting a partial wage.

Then, the master of the vineyard needed more laborers. So, He hired more laborers at the sixth and ninth hours, which is noon and 3 p.m. Again, these laborers were waiting to be hired in the marketplace and when they were hired, they expected only a fair wage, a partial wage.

Oddly enough at just before quitting time at the 11^th hour, which would be 5 p.m., the master came back to the marketplace and found more people waiting to find someone to hire them. He said to them, “‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too’” (Matthew 20:6-7).

Now, hiring workers this late in the day was in itself an act of graciousness and charity, so that these last workers would at least be able to feed their families that day.

Then, at the end of the day, the master up-ends all expectations. The master said to His foreman, “‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius” (Matthew 20:8-9).

I’m sure that those hired last thought that the master was very generous. And as the laborers who were hired earlier in the day looked on, they, too, were hoping for continued generosity.

“Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat’” (Matthew 20:10-12).

Instead of being satisfied in receiving their agreed-upon wage, this group just grumbles. Instead of being content, they only compare themselves with the other workers. They think that they are better and more deserving of higher wages. They are grumbling like a spoiled child saying: “This is not fair!”

But, Jesus and His kingdom is not about what’s fair. Instead, His reign works by the extravagant giving of His grace.

We can all hear the voices of the workers who were hired first, but paid last, crying out, “That’s not fair!” After all, those who worked only an hour received the same day’s wage that they received for working all 12 hours. We fallen sinners – like spoiled children – often make that same lament.

The kingdom of heaven, however, does not function on the basis of fairness or equality. We hear about this in our parable: “‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first, and the first last” (Matthew 20:13-16).

You see, Jesus chooses to be generous and give away His things – His blood-bought, cross-won forgiveness, life, and salvation – as He pleases. Jesus, the vineyard master, says, “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me?” (Matthew 20:15a)

[Our Sinful Pride]

But, what about us? Do we ever succumb to comparing and complaining? Are we often like the first laborers?

In their sinful pride, the workers hired first looked down on those who did not measure up to their standard.

In our sinful pride, we also often look down on people around us – at home, at school, at work, and even in the church. We believe that others do not think, act, or speak as we would expect – as we would like. Instead of taking the advice of others, we just ignore it, since we believe that we are always right as we have a high opinion of ourselves. Instead of loving and forgiving others, we just judge and avoid them.

Or, instead of comparing others to ourselves, we compare ourselves to others as the standard. So, when we compare ourselves with others, we often conclude that we fall short of their high standards. We compare ourselves to that other person, who we believe is a better parent, a better worker, or a better student than I could ever be. Or, we say that the other person is a better Christian than I am, because we perceive that he or she has a stronger faith than me.

We often despair that we will never measure up. We may end up concluding that God loves and blesses others more than He loves and blesses ourselves.

We even compare the people of God to worldly standards, instead of seeing others in the light of the gracious giving of His Gospel. We may compare our congregation to others, due to the beauty of the building, the capacity of the sanctuary, or the sound of the choir. So, if our congregation does not measure up, we despair. And, if our congregation seems to be better than others, we become proud. Or, we may compare our congregation according to our memories by thinking of a particular pastor or of the times this church was filled to capacity or of the size of confirmation classes of years’ past.

When we get caught up in comparing, we begin to neglect God’s concerns of proclaiming and hearing His Word – His Law and Gospel – and faithfully receiving His Sacraments.

[God’s Ways are Different]

You see, Christ’s kingdom is different. The point of the parable is that God is working in ways opposite to what we, fallen sinners, expect. After all, God is God and we’re not. So, all comparisons are odious. All believers in Christ will, by grace alone, inherit the same eternal life. Why is this so? It is because the reign of heaven in Jesus is so unexpected and shockingly unlike any other reality known in the world. It’s because the reign of heaven is run on a principle of reward for Christ’s sake that looks like utter foolishness to sinful human creatures. The reign of heaven is like the situation described in the parable of the workers in the vineyard.

As God says: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” (Isaiah 55:8). In fact, God’s ways are far wiser than our ways: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).

You see, God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). It doesn’t matter to God if one becomes a Christian as a child or on their deathbed. If the person believes in Jesus and trusts in His promises, this person is saved by grace through faith in Him. Every follower of Jesus will receive eternal life solely by God’s grace!

Now, how is this fair for a life-long believer and a deathbed believer to receive the same grace? It isn’t fair. Salvation unto us has come all by God’s free grace and favor! (LSB 555) “For 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).

You see, God’s ways are not our ways. Our ways are transparent. God’s ways are inscrutable. Our ways are wicked. God’s ways are pure. Our ways are damnable. God’s ways are saving.

Thanks to God the Father’s action through His Son, there is a sense in which this claim, “Neither are your ways My ways,” is no longer true. For in His mercy, God has made His way also our way – the Way to eternal life. For Jesus, the very Son of God, is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). So, by trusting in Jesus, He leads us to eternal life!

So, just as the vineyard master in the parable absorbed the costs of paying all workers the same wage, our Lord Jesus has absorbed the full cost of our sins, including the sins of comparing, grumbling, and complaining. In His death upon the cross, our Lord Jesus made Himself last in order to make us – by His grace – first in God’s vineyard-kingdom. Now we enjoy His eternal “day’s wage” of forgiveness, life, and salvation!

We, then, live by faith in our Lord’s generous giving. We all – regardless of age, ability, how long we have been Christians, or how well or poorly we labor in His vineyard – receive the same favor and forgiveness.

God also says to us: “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6). So, where is God to be found? For those who seek the Lord can be assured that they will find Him where He promises to be.

So, where is He? Where should we look? Since, God is God and we’re not, He is easy to be found. He isn’t hiding under a farm field. He isn’t hiding in a cave. He is out in the open! You see, God always loses at the game of hide and seek. So, where shall we look? Those who seek Him in Scripture, Holy Baptism and His Supper do find Him. So, look to His Word and His Sacraments. For in His Word and Sacraments, we see Jesus face to face (LSB 631), who forgives our sins and gives us His free grace!

Since our Lord, the vineyard master, has first shown us His mercy and love, we live our lives showing that same mercy and love to our fellow Christians as we forgive one another when we have wronged one another.

So, if you insist on living your life constantly comparing yourself to others, our Lord’s command is clear: “Take what belongs to you and go” (Matthew 20:14). Our vineyard master, Jesus, does not want grumbling among His workers. Nor does He want His workers comparing themselves with one another.

But thank the Lord and sing His praise! He does not give you what you deserve: the wages of our sin – eternal death apart from God. He does not give you what’s fair! Instead, He gives you what you do not deserve, what is not fair! He gives you forgiveness and life with Him! So, we cling to our Messiah of mercy, our giving God, our lavish Lord. Life is about more than a day’s wage. Life is about receiving divine favor in the Lord’s generous giving. Thanks be to the Triune God – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – that He is God and we’re not! 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