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Sermon from August 27, 2025

Sermon Based on Hebrews 12:18-24, 28

Let us pray: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen (Psalm 19:14).

The Scripture passage just read gives us two picture images. The first is of God’s Old Testament people at Mt. Sinai, where there was blazing fire and darkness and gloom, and the sound of a very loud trumpet and the voice of God Himself speaking His Law, His 10 Commandments. The people were so fearful that they begged that no further messages be spoken to them. They asked Moses to go up on the mountain and hear the message of God for them. And that whole experience and the rebellion of the people at Sinai was so terrifying that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.”

We don’t have quite that experience today, but as we look around our world, even now, we see so many troubles and difficulties and so much rebellion against God and His Word. Just before our text, the writer to the Hebrews spoke of people with “drooping hands and weak knees” (Hebrews 12:12). That’s sometimes the way we feel, physically, too, as we get older, when there are many more aches and pains, and our bodies just don’t work the way they used to. That can be so discouraging. Or when we begin to get forgetful, and there’s a name we know, but just can’t bring it to mind, at first. So frustrating!

But in context, drooping hands and weak knees can also refer to spiritual weaknesses in our lives, where we are getting off track from God’s Word and will in some ways. Right before this text, the writer to the Hebrews also speaks about the need for discipline - discipline even from God, precisely because He loves us and wants us to know the difference between right and wrong, and to realize when we are falling short before God (Hebrews 12:5:11). That’s what the Law, represented by the picture image of Mt. Sinai, in our text, does for us, primarily.

Paul put it this way, in Romans 3:19-20: “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the Law, no human being will be justified in His (in God’s) sight, since through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.”

The Law of God, in the Scriptures, shows us our sins and where God wants us to go instead in our lives, but it doesn’t get us there. Primarily, it condemns us and shows us our need for help beyond ourselves.

That is why we also need, so desperately, the second picture image in our text, that of Mt. Zion and the city of the living God. Mt. Zion was located on earth in the city of Jerusalem, in the land of Israel, and it is there, through the Scriptures, we meet Jesus, God’s own Son, sent into this world to be the Mediator, the only One who could and would go between us and God to fulfill a New Covenant with God.

God’s Old Testament people failed miserably in following Him and His will and His Old Covenant. That is represented in our text by Cain killing his brother, Abel, and Abel’s blood crying out for vengeance and judgment for sin. There were then, later, the Old Testament sacrifices, including sacrifices of animals, but these only prepared the way for a much, much greater sacrifice, the sacrifice of Jesus and His shed blood in His suffering and death on the cross. His sprinkled blood, our text says, speaks a much better Word, a Word of the Gospel and the forgiveness of our sins and peace and new life with our Lord and God.

Jesus earned all of that for us by taking the judgment for our sins upon Himself and paying the penalty for them all, in our place. That forgiveness has come to us personally through the Holy Spirit, working through the Word of God, and the Word connected with water in our baptism, and the great promises of God that are ours by the gift of faith in Christ.

Our text also speaks of the heavenly Jerusalem, the heavenly Mt. Zion, and the blessings that are guaranteed to us in Christ. We struggle with sin. We try, but we never overcome it all in this life. Yet we are counted as “the righteous made perfect” in God’s eyes, through the perfect work of Jesus.

Our text also speaks of the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven. That includes all believers who have died in faith, including all of our loved ones who have lived and died in faith. And we hear that innumerable angels are there, as well. And guess who else is extolled, whose names are written in the Book of Life? Your name and my name - not because we are so great, but because God is so great in His love for us and in giving us the gift of His only Son, Jesus, who has already accomplished everything we need for our eternal future, as we hang onto and trust in Him and His Word.

All this keeps us going in difficult days in a very troubled world. Paul writes again, in Romans 8:18, 24-25: “The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us…” “In this hope we were saved… and we wait for (that heavenly home) in patience.”

And as Hebrews 12 ends, we hear that heaven and earth will be shaken and pass away, as we know it, but God’s Word will never pass away, and our heavenly home will never be shaken (Hebrews 12:26-28, Mark 13:31, 1 Peter 1:23-25).

And we have the promise from the Lord that we’ll hear in next week’s lesson, Hebrews 13:5: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” And Jesus says to us, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). And we even have, in a few moments here, a taste of that heavenly home, as Christ Himself comes personally to us, with His very Body and Blood, in and with and under the bread and wine, in the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-26). May the Lord continue to bless and strengthen us with these amazing gifts and promises. Amen.

Preparing for Worship - August 31, 2025

The Scriptures this week might be described as a call for humility toward others, but above all, toward God. The Old Testament Lesson is from Proverbs 25:2-10. Proverbs are wise but practical sayings for people and their lives. These proverbs originate with King Solomon (see Proverbs 25:1) and his advice for dealing with kings and with other people. Solomon says that God chooses to reveal only what He knows is best for us, as our Lord and God. Kings like Solomon liked to search out things on their own, which sometimes got them in trouble, as we know from the life story of Solomon. He gives an example of this in this passage, using the image of taking away the impurities from silver, so that the silver can be used for making a nice vessel. In the same way, a king needs to avoid wicked people and their influence in order to serve in a righteous way. (Solomon did not always take his own advice on this, sadly.) People around us can influence us, also, for good or for evil. Solomon also says to be humble and respectful in the presence of a king or other leaders. Likewise, if you have a problem with someone, seek to deal with that person privately, without revealing secrets or acting in a public way, as in a court. You might be wrong and be the person ultimately shamed.

The Psalm is also written by a king, King David. He has learned, in his relationship with God, to seek to be humble and not to try to search out the things of God that are too great and marvelous for him. He pictures himself as a little child, compared with God, and just weaned from nursing and not making demands to be fed and cared for. He seeks to be calm and quiet, and just hope and trust in the Lord, who always knows what is best. David encourages His people of Israel to do the same and is calling us, also, to be humble before our Lord. As he says in Psalm 37:7, we are to be still before the Lord and listen to Him and His Word and trust Him and wait patiently for Him.

The Gospel lesson is Luke 14:1-14. Jesus is invited to a dinner at the house of a prominent Pharisee, and others are there, too, watching Him. A man is there with dropsy (Luke, as a physician, knows the right medical term to use) and comes before Jesus. (Many think the man was planted there to see what Jesus would do, as Jesus had done healings previously on the Sabbath, and many Pharisees condemned that as “work” on the day of rest.) Jesus realizes what they are doing and simply asks them if a healing is lawful on the Sabbath. They don’t answer. So, Jesus heals the man and sends him away.
He then asks the religious leaders, “If a son or an ox fell into a well on a Sabbath, would they not immediately pull him out?” Again, no one replies, showing that they would not always follow their own rules in certain circumstances. It was then time for the meal, and Jesus noticed how people scrambled to get the best seats of honor for themselves. He then tells a parable, reflecting the advice of Solomon in our Old Testament lesson. People should take lower places and not be embarrassed by taking too high a place and having to move lower. But Jesus is not simply teaching about proper etiquette. He is teaching about our relationship with God, above all, and to be humble before Him. He will then lift us up, as He chooses. Jesus then speaks to the man who invited Him to the dinner and encourages him not just to invite people who will pay him back in return. The man is called to care also about the poor and needy who could never pay him back. Jesus is teaching a humble, servant love - the way He was going, as He finally went to the cross to rescue us poor and needy people, who could never pay Him back.

The Epistle lesson continues readings from Hebrews 13:1-17. The writer also talks about humble servant love toward others in many situations: hospitality to strangers, remembering those in prison or being mistreated, a husband and wife honoring their marriage commitment to each other, using money wisely, respect for leaders, and on and on. The focus, as always, then turns to our Lord and His promises to us: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” “The Lord is my Helper; I will not fear.” And the faithfulness of Jesus our Savior "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” and the need to be “strengthened by His grace” and not other diverse and strange teachings.” For “Jesus also suffered outside the gate” ( of Jerusalem on the cross) in order to sanctify the people through His own blood.” We are called to bear reproach for Him and His Name in this life, knowing we have an eternal city to come in heaven through Christ, and we are called to seek to do good and share what we have, reflecting Christ’s great sacrifice for us. Finally, we are called to respect our leaders, who have a responsibility for our spiritual welfare, and praise God with joy for His goodness to all in Christ. And may we all continue to listen to the Word of God, together with them, in humility to our Lord.

Preparing for Worship - August 24, 2025

The Psalm for this Sunday is Psalm 50:1-15. The psalmist is Asaph, chosen by King David to serve in the tabernacle in Jerusalem, along with his sons. (See 1 Chronicles 15:16ff and 25:1-2.) Asaph speaks the Word of the Mighty One, God the Lord, coming from the heavenly Zion to the earth and especially to His chosen, covenant people of Israel. He comes to testify against His people for their wickedness (see v. 16 ff.) even while they are offering continual sacrifices to Him. He is not hungry and in need of what they offer. The whole world is His. What He wishes is that they would come to Him with genuine thanksgiving for His goodness and mercy and wishing to keep their vows and promises to Him and others. He also wishes that His people would trust Him enough to call upon Him when they have troubles and believe that He will deliver them, for their good and His glory.

The Old Testament lesson is Isaiah 66:18-23. In these closing verses of Isaiah’s prophecy, the Lord promised that in a coming time, He would reach out to gather people from many “nations and tongues,” even those “far away, who have not heard His fame or seen His glory.” People of many nations would be brought to faith “as an offering to the Lord” and be His servants, as the Jewish Priests and Levites of past days were. (See 1 Peter 2:5-6,9-10.)  And when a whole new existence comes, “new heavens and a new earth,” all flesh, all believers in heaven, will come to worship before the Lord.” This whole new existence “shall remain” forever. (See Hebrews 12:26, 2 Peter 3:13, and Revelation 21.)

The Epistle lesson is Hebrews 12:4-24 (25-29). Times of trouble and persecution were coming for God’s people in the early church, and temptations also to abandon the faith in those difficult days. Still today, there will be struggles with sin and temptation, and the Lord may have to discipline us because He loves us. Earthly fathers discipline as seems best, but our spiritual Father always disciplines us for our good, though it may be painful, that he may “train us” in His ways. The Lord can strengthen our “drooping hands” and “weak knees,” so that we can carry on, even in hard times. We can also “strive for peace” with fellow believers and watch out for “roots of bitterness” that can be very harmful. (See Deuteronomy 29:18-20.) Especially, we encourage one with the promises of the Gospel and not with the fear of the Law, though we need both. We are confident of the “heavenly Jerusalem” that God has prepared for us. We have been “born again” to faith and a new life through our baptism and the Word of God, and we are counted “righteous” and “perfect” in God’s eyes through our continuing faith in Jesus and His blood shed for us to give us the “better Word” of his forgiveness for us. The things of this existence can be “shaken” and will not remain. But we are receiving an everlasting kingdom that cannot be shaken, in Christ.

The Gospel lesson is Luke 13:22-30. Someone asked Jesus a theoretical question about how many people would be saved. Jesus is more concerned about each of us and that we may be saved by entering “the narrow door.” (See also Matthew 7:13-14.) The door is narrow because it is Jesus and only Jesus through whom we may be saved. Jesus clearly says this in John 10:7-9 and John 14:6. God Himself brings people into His Kingdom through the gift of baptism and the Word of God. People can resist and reject this gift, though, and there are many temptations to question it or leave it behind. There are those who question whether Jesus can exclusively be the Savior. They would prefer to say that there are many ways and roads to eternal life, though Jesus and the Scriptures say that there is salvation in no one else but Jesus. (See Acts 4:12 and 5:28-32.) Some also think that if they know of Jesus and have had some casual contact with Him and His teachings, that is enough. The Holy Spirit wishes to bring us to repentance, genuine sorrow for our sins, and faith and trust in Jesus and what He has done for us. He wants us to battle sin as we follow Christ, and not to continue to be workers of evil without continual repentance. Some also think they will get serious about spiritual matters later in life and wait too long, till the door is shut by death, or just never get around to thinking about these things. Jesus gives the sober warning of the alternative, “weeping and gnashing of teeth” in hell and eternal separation from Him. (See also the last verse of Isaiah 66:24, right after our OT reading for today.) All this is why Jesus uses the Word He does in v.24: “Strive” to enter the narrow door. The Greek word here is the one from which we get the English word “to agonize.” It is also in the present tense, which means it is to be an ongoing action. It could be translated something like “Keep on agonizing in entering the narrow door.” We can never get through that door on our own or through our own effort. We have faith and are saved only by God’s grace and through the Holy Spirit. But it can be an agonizing struggle, at times, to stay in the faith and confidence in Christ. (The same basic word is used in our Epistle lesson, Hebrews 12:4, in describing our continuing struggle against sin.) That’s where we need continuing help through the Holy Spirit, working through the Word of God and the Sacraments, to stay where we need to be, in faith and trust, in this life. The Lord will bless and strengthen us as we continue in Him and His Word. We will recline with Him one day in the heavenly Kingdom. But as Jesus warns, there are those, like too many of God’s chosen people, the Jews, who were first in God’s eyes, but will be last, separated, by rejecting or forgetting the only Savior, Jesus. As for us, as believers, we keep trusting that God will be with us and give us strength to continue in our struggles of the faith. As we hear in Philippians 2:12, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” To God be the glory! He alone is our Savior!

Preparing for Worship - August 17, 2025

Jesus is “The Prince of Peace” and is the source of our eternal life and of our salvation and peace, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, many people resist and reject Him, and His Words and coming can also bring division. Our Scriptures this week speak of this reality, and yet of the great hope and peace we have in Christ.

The Psalm is Psalm 119:81-88. In this longest psalm of the Scriptures, the psalmist rejoices in all that the Word of God can do and promises. In this section, though, the psalmist longs for God’s salvation and hopes in His Word and promises, but needs much comfort, because there are insolent persecutors who are saying falsehoods and digging pitfalls for him. They have almost made an end of him on earth. He is like a wineskin in great heat and smoke, by a fire,  shriveled and almost ready to burst. He cries out to the Lord: Help me! Yet he is sure that the Lord’s commands and precepts are sure, and he has not forsaken the testimonies from the Lord’s mouth. He still trusts that the Lord’s steadfast love would give him life. (Could these not be the Words of Jesus, too, when he faced so much opposition and persecution from His enemies? And He was doing all this and suffering for our sake and yet perfectly trusting His Father’s will and plan, where we so often fail. Think about this in terms of the Gospel lesson we will soon look at.)

The Old Testament lesson is from Jeremiah 23:16-29. Jeremiah had to speak a very hard Word of judgment against almost all the prophets and leaders in Judah at his time. They were despising the Word of the Lord and giving vain hopes and visions from their own minds and wishes, instead of speaking of the true anger of their Lord at their evil ways, and that they were making the people forget the true God’s name and leading them away to false gods like Baal. They were speaking lies and claiming dreams that were not true, and they were not speaking God’s Word faithfully. Their words were like worthless straw, and God’s Word through Jeremiah was like fire and like a hammer that breaks the false ideas into pieces. (Sadly, most people would not listen to Jeremiah, and they were carried away into captivity in Babylon, as God‘s judgment.)

The Epistle lesson continues a reading from last week about people of faith in the Old Testament, who did believe God’s Word, by God’s grace, with joy and blessing, but also with many challenges to their trust in the Lord. Abraham received his son, Isaac, but then was asked, as a test, to sacrifice his only son, until God provided an animal sacrifice to be offered instead of his son. (This was a prophecy of how God the Father would later allow the sacrifice of His only Son, Jesus, to pay for our sins and bring us forgiveness and new life.) God’s line of promise continued through Isaac and Jacob and Joseph and, later on, Moses. Moses gave up his high position in Egypt and the treasures of Egypt by defending his own people and later serving them and helping them escape Egypt by God’s passover plan and the blood of lambs (another event prophetic of Jesus as the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world). Moses led his people, even though they were often rebellious and gave him much trouble. They finally reached the Promised Land, with the help of a repentant and forgiven prostitute, Rahab. Verses 32-39 of this text may not be read by some churches, but tell of many other Old Testament people who lived by faith in God’s promises, but also faced terrible difficulties because of the opposition by others to God’s Word. Some even gave their lives in following the faith, trusting that they could rise again to a better life. All these did not see the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises, which came in Jesus as the promised Savior. Yet they, too, were saved by God’s grace, as they lived by faith in the promised one to come. The writer to the Hebrews calls them a great cloud of witnesses who help us live our lives in Christ and run our race with endurance, even as we also face many difficulties and opposition to what we believe. Christ Jesus is the Founder and Perfecter of our faith, enduring the worst of evil and hostility and a terrible death in our place. He endured and won victory and the gift of heaven for us, and He will help us, even on days when we grow weary and faint-hearted, as we seek to stay in faith in Him, in spite of struggles and opposition. By His grace, we persevere, knowing the joy and eternal promises ahead for us.

The Gospel lesson, Luke 12:49-56, takes us to the words of Jesus Himself. Jesus speaks of the fire of judgment and a baptism he would still have to be baptized with and wishes that it would come soon, horrible as it would be, so that it could be fully accomplished. He is talking about His own distress and suffering and death, with the opposition and ridicule of so many, where He would suffer the fire and judgment we deserve for our sins, in the God-forsakenness of hell on the cross, until He could say, “it is finished,” “it is accomplished,” in His death on the cross, and then His Easter victory over sin and Satan and death. Jesus did not come to bring peace to the earthly land of Israel, against their enemies, as many expected in the coming Messiah, but peace with God and eternal life. This would bring division, though. Some would trust in the saving work of Jesus, by God’s grace. But some would resist and reject all that, and look for a different way and plan not through Jesus. Even families could be divided in this way. Jesus would be and still is the Prince of Peace, the Savior of the world. (See Scriptures like Isaiah 9:6-7, John 14:27, and Philippians 4:7.) But many could also resist and reject Jesus, unable to interpret what was really going on with Him in His life, death, and resurrection for us. They could predict the weather, but miss out on God’s saving work in Christ. (Lord, help us to see and continue to believe always in the saving work of Jesus, according to God the Father’s plan, for our salvation and eternal life, in spite of the rejection by many. Amen.)

Preparing for Worship - August 10, 2025

The Old Testament lesson is from Genesis 15:1-6. The Word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, telling him to “fear not,” but to trust that the Lord would be his shield and bring him blessings. Abram was concerned, though, as he still had no offspring of his own. The Word of the Lord came to him again, reassuring him that his own child with Sarah would be his heir, and renewing His promise that He would make a great nation from him, with a number uncounted, like the stars in the sky. Then we hear that “Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted it to him as righteousness.” This is a crucial passage of Scripture, quoted directly several times in the New Testament and referred to many other times, emphasizing the central doctrine of our Lutheran church - that we also are justified (counted righteous in God’s eyes) by His grace simply through the gift of faith, centered in the coming Savior, our Lord Jesus. (See, for example, Romans 4:3-9ff, Galatians 3:5-9ff, and our Epistle lesson for today, especially Hebrews 11:8-12.) It is the perfect righteousness of Jesus that is credited to us, through the gift of faith in Him and His saving work for us.

The Psalm is Psalm 33:12-22. Israel, from the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, was God’s chosen people. From them would come the Savior, our Lord Jesus. They are called "blessed” and the Lord’s “heritage” in this psalm. But this psalm also says that the Lord looks upon all the children of man and knows what they are like. A king with a great army, a warrior with great strength, and a war horse with its great might can ultimately not save. Israel too often trusted themselves and even false gods and turned away from the Lord. The Lord reminds us through this psalmist that what is needed are people who fear and trust the Lord and hope in His steadfast love and deliverance. They wait for Him to be their "help” and “shield.” They trust His Holy Name and hope in Him.

The Gospel lesson is from Luke 12:22-40. Jesus is teaching His disciples to keep their focus on the Kingdom of God that He is bringing in and giving to them. (He had taught in a very similar way in His earlier Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:25-34.) He knows that they are “of little faith” and calls them not to be so anxious about basic things that He knows they need. If He takes care of the birds and flowers and grass, the Lord will surely take care of His people, too, who are of much more value. Jesus speaks of “treasures in heaven that will not fail” and cannot be bought by our money and possessions, but will eventually be provided by Jesus Himself, by His saving work on the cross for us, and through the faith and trust in Him that He brings us to. He comes to our hearts through His Word and the gift of the Holy Spirit, working through that Word and Baptism. And we are called to “stay awake” in faith in Him. We need to be ready by God’s grace through faith for whenever our own death comes. We need to be ready by God’s grace through faith for whenever Christ will come on the last day, too. That could be before our death, if the last day is soon. The picture image is of being spiritually awake and ready for whenever Christ, the Son of Man, comes and knocks, and we then welcome Him by faith. And amazingly, He will then serve us with His blessings in everlasting life. (This is the real meaning of Revelation 3:20. Many churches say that only if we open the door to Christ and receive Him, then we can be saved. It is not that way. We were dead in our sins, and only God could make us alive and give us the gift of faith and save us.) Now that we are saved by His grace through that faith in what Christ has done for us, we are ready for His return, whenever that comes, strengthened by Word and Sacrament until He comes.

The Epistle lesson, Hebrews 11:1-16, is a portion of a whole chapter, stressing the importance of God’s gift of faith and continuing in that faith. The chapter begins with a definition of faith as the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen. People of old were commended for their faith - for example, believing in the creation of the world by the Word of God, the making of all things out of nothing. Then many examples from Scripture follow: Abel, who died, but still speaks through his faith, revealed in the Scriptures; Enoch, who was taken to heaven without dying; and Noah, who trusted what God said and built an ark and became an heir of the gift of righteousness by faith. Then comes Abraham, who left home and went to another country, trusting that God would provide a great nation and a descendant, Jesus, who would bring blessings available to all nations, as the Savior of the world. And there was Sarah, who was far past childbearing age, and yet had the child promised by God. None of these were perfect people with perfect faith, but they sought to hang onto God’s promises and died in faith, still believing that the Lord would eventually fulfill all His promises. They knew by faith that they would have “a better country, a heavenly one,” with “a city designed and built by God Himself.” We have been privileged to know that the Savior, our Lord Jesus, did come and did His saving work for us all. We have been gifted with faith in Him through the Holy Spirit, working through God’s Word and our Baptism. As Peter wrote, “Though you have not seen Jesus, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,” certain of “obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls" (1 Peter 1:8-9). (See also 1:10-12.) “Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15)!

Preparing for Worship - August 3, 2025

The Scriptures this week encourage us to rejoice in the Lord and keep our eyes on Him and “the things above,” rather than upon purely self-centered earthly pursuits. The Old Testament lesson is from Ecclesiastes 1:2,12-14, 2:18-26. The author is most likely King Solomon, son of David. He is called a “preacher” in 1:1, but the word mainly means someone who addresses an assembly of people. Solomon certainly addressed many as king. In v. 2, he uses the word “vanity,” which occurs about 30 times in this book. The Hebrew word means a mist, a vapor, a mere breath - and he says “all is vanity” - suggesting that much of life is fleeting and temporary. He was known for his “wisdom,” but says that much in life is “an unhappy business,” “a striving after wind.” He speaks of toiling hard in life, but never knowing who will end up with what we leave behind - a wise man or a fool. Many days have sorrow and troubles (vexation), and many nights are without real rest. At the same time, Solomon says that one can find enjoyment in the things that come from the hand of God - God’s “good and perfect gifts” of wisdom, knowledge, and joy - and seek to please Him and follow His Word. (See Ecclesiastes 12:11-12. The wisest words are from the One Shepherd, our Lord Himself and His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the true God Shepherd and our Savior. Other books can often just bring “much weariness.”)

The Psalm is Psalm 100, a psalm that recognizes that the Lord is the only true God, our Creator and Good Shepherd, who cares for His sheep and provides “good” for us. All should praise and thank Him with singing,  even if it is just “a joyful noise,” for His steadfast love and faithfulness to us. This psalm summarizes what is said in many of the other psalms, the songbook of the Old Testament. (See Psalm 95:6-7, Psalm 96, Psalm 98:3-4, Psalm 106:1, 107:1, Psalm 16:2, 25:8, 34:8, the refrain from every verse of Psalm 136, and the summary statement in James 1:16-17 and in Jesus, in John 1:14-18.)

The Gospel lesson is Luke 12:13-18. Jesus is asked by someone to solve a dispute between him and his brother over an inheritance. Jesus says that he is not an arbitrator over such issues, though many Jewish religious leaders got involved in such things. Jesus warns against coveting, as some of the commandments do, for “one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Jesus then tells a parable of a man whose land produced bountifully. He has to build more and bigger barns to store everything, and finally thinks he is set for many years and can just “eat, drink, and be merry.” God calls him a fool! He will die that night, and who will enjoy what he focused on, seemingly only for his own benefit? That is, Jesus says, the position of “one who lays up treasures for himself, and is not rich toward God.” (See Jesus’ Words about people who hear the Word of God but are “choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life,” in Luke 8:7, 14, and His Words in the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 6:19-21, 25, 32-33.)

How can one be “rich toward God?” The Epistle lesson, Colossians 3:1-11, speaks to that. The focus of our minds is to be, above all, on Christ, and the things above, in and with Him, through the gift of faith in Him and not on self-centered earthly pleasures, many of which are evil. Paul lists quite a number of them, including the covetousness that Jesus also warns about, which is a kind of idolatry, where we can allow ourselves to become more important than Christ Himself or others we can help and serve. We are called to be “renewed in knowledge” by our Lord and His Word and will. Then we realize that our status in this life is not so important, but the new life Christ has given us and the glory that is to come in eternal life, through Christ and His Word and work for us. (See Ephesians 2:6-7, for example.) Our minds are on the things above, being with Christ in heaven, at the right hand of God.

Preparing for Worship - July 27, 2025

Several of the readings this week teach us about prayer, as God’s people, and the Epistle continues readings from Colossians. The Old Testament lesson is from Genesis 18:(17-19) 20-33. The Lord reaffirms His choice of Abraham, from whom would come a great nation, and all nations on earth would be blessed through him, in His descendant, our Lord Jesus. The Lord then tells Abraham what is coming for Sodom and Gomorrah, so that Abraham could learn and teach about justice and righteousness. Abraham, thinking of his relatives, Lot and family, who lived in Sodom, takes the opportunity to ask the Lord to spare them, though he describes it as not destroying the righteous with the wicked. Abraham prays humbly, knowing that he was just “dust and ashes,” but trusts God’s justice, in going from 50 to only 10 righteous people, to have the cities spared. (There were not even 10 of God’s people in those cities, and they were destroyed, but Lot and his two daughters were spared, with the angels’ help, though his wife disobeyed and died. God showed justice - and mercy, at the prayer of Abraham.)

The psalm is Psalm 138. David prays and gives thanks to the Lord for hearing his prayers and preserving his life, in the midst of enemies. David sings and praises the Lord for His steadfast love and faithfulness. He honors the Lord’s Name and trusts His Word, as the Lord strengthens his soul. The Lord cares about David, even in the lowly days he experiences. David is confident that the Lord will fulfill His purposes for him, in His steadfast love for him, and not forsake him. David will be one of those kings who give thanks to the Lord, for he has heard the Words of the Lord and has been brought to trust His ways.

The Gospel lesson is from Luke 11:1-13. Jesus modeled prayer by praying often Himself, and one of His disciples asks Him to teach them to pray, too. Jesus then gives His model prayer, what we call “The Lord’s Prayer,” which He had taught before in a slightly fuller way, in Matthew 6:9-13. We are to pray to our Heavenly Father, honoring Him and His Name and the Kingdom of God He sends to us in Christ. There is only one prayer for our everyday needs, summarized as daily bread, but we pray especially for our spiritual needs  - the forgiveness of our sins, and the willingness to forgive the sins of everyone else, too, and to be protected from times when we might be tempted to sin. Jesus then teaches us to be persistent and persevering in prayer, being almost “impudent” in our asking, seeking, and knocking, in approaching our Lord, trusting that He will hear us. He will answer as He knows what is best for us. Even imperfect human parents (He calls us “evil,” knowing our sinful nature) know not to give their children hurtful and harmful things. So our Heavenly Father will give us good gifts and especially the Holy Spirit, who brings us to faith in Christ through the Word of God and our baptism, and strengthens us through that Word and the Lord’s Supper and spiritual gifts He works in us. (See Galatians 5:22-23.)

The Epistle lesson continues readings from Colossians. This week’s reading is Colossians 2:6-15 (16-19). Paul calls upon us again to recognize the greatest gift our Lord gives, in Christ Jesus, who has the fullness of God, of deity, in a human body. As true God and man, he forgave all our sins, taking our sins upon Himself and being nailed to the cross for them, paying the debt for them and canceling that debt, and then being raised from the dead. We receive that forgiveness and new life in our baptism and being brought to faith in Jesus and His Word and what he has done for us, as our Savior. Paul warns us, then, not to be caught up in human philosophy and traditions, or even in Old Testament rules and regulations and festivals and Sabbath. The same is true about fascination with angels and supposed visions or a very rigid, ascetic lifestyle, etc. The substance of our Christian life is in Christ and holding fast to Him as our Head, and growth that is from God, through His Word and Sacraments. And we abound in thanksgiving to Him, for His saving grace for us.

Sermon from July 23, 2025

“To Make the Word Fully Known”

6th Sunday after Pentecost

Colossians 1:21-29 & Luke 10:38-42

Let us pray: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen. (Psalm 19:14)

The text for our meditation this evening is the Epistle Lesson, from Colossians 1:21-29, along with a few thoughts from our Gospel lesson, Luke 10:38-42.

Two Sundays ago, we heard in Colossians 1 that our Heavenly Father qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light and has already delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we were redeemed and forgiven (Colossians 1:12-14).

Why was that so important? Paul reminds us, in our text for today, what we were all like at one time. He wrote about us: “You once were alienated and hostile in mind toward God, doing evil deeds” (Colossians 1:21). In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul said something very similar: “Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated… and having no hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12). Paul even goes so far as to say, “You were dead in your trespasses,” your sins - physically alive, but spiritually dead (Colossians 2:13) with regard to the way of God and God Himself. You and I all were, in effect, enemies of God, born with a sinful nature and alienated from Him and needing to be reconciled to Him. And none of us could reconcile ourselves to God and make things right with Him.

That is why God the Father sent His Son, Jesus, into the world. Paul writes, just before our text, “In Christ Jesus, all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile all things, making peace by the blood of His cross… He has now reconciled us in His body of flesh by His death” (Colossians 1:19-20). By being true God and true man, Jesus was able to pay the price needed to make things right between us and God and have us be counted acceptable to and fully forgiven by Him. In fact, Paul says, through Christ, we are “presented holy and blameless and above reproach before God” (Colossians 1:22).

But we certainly don’t feel that way, though. We know our sins and struggles in our lives. Yet with Christ, we have a robe of righteousness which covers over all our sins. It is described in prophecy in the Old Testament in this way: “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God. For he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10).

And how does that robe come to us? Paul says, “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” “For in Christ, you are all sons of God, (children of God), through faith” (Galatians 3:26-27). Jesus also says that we are born again to a whole new life, through water and the Spirit, along with the living and abiding Word of God, through which the Spirit works, to bring us to faith in Christ, through that Gospel (John 3:3-6, and 1 Peter 1:23).

So when God looks at us now, as baptized believers, He sees not us but Christ in us, with His perfect righteousness (Matthew 3:13-17). As Paul wrote in Romans 3, ”But now the righteousness of (and from) God has been manifested apart from the Law… the righteousness of God through faith in Christ Jesus for all who believe” (Romans 3:21-22). And again, as Paul wrote, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel” (the Good News of Christ as Savior, made fully known through the Word of God - Colossians 1:25) "for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes… For in (that Gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith'" (Romans 1:16-17). Through Christ’s righteousness, given to us as a gift, God then sees us and counts us as “holy and blameless and above reproach” in His eyes.

In our text, Paul also adds a Word of warning. All this continues “if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the Gospel that you heard” (Colossians 1:23). It is important, Paul says, not only to begin in the faith, but to continue in the faith, through continuing to hear the Word of God. Paul was made a minister “to make the Word of God fully known,” he says, and that it be proclaimed to everyone under heaven (Colossians 1:23,25). And that Word centers in “Christ, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27) and eternal life, through what He had done for us, as we have already heard. For Scripture says so clearly, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other Name under heaven, given among men, by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “Christ Jesus we proclaim,” Paul says, “warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom” (with all the Word of God) "that we may present everyone mature in Christ” (Colossians 1:28).

The warning is there because people could drift away or fall away, not continuing in the faith, and there were and still are many false religions and ideas seeking to pull people away from belief and faith in Christ. Paul speaks of “the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed in Christ” - that He is the anointed Savior of the world for everyone (Colossians 1:26). Judaism expected a Messiah, a promised Savior, but rejected Jesus as that Savior and wanted to put and keep people under Jewish laws and rules and regulations which they thought necessary for salvation. Paul may have used the word “mystery” also because there were mystery religions of that time, with secret knowledge available only to elite people and not to people in general. And there were many other so-called gods and goddesses to choose from, in a very polytheistic world.

In contrast to all that, we have Christ and His Word, the Word of Scripture, through which the Holy Spirit brings us to faith and keeps us continually in that faith. Paul wrote, on another occasion, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing comes through the Word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). And Jesus says, “If you continue in My Word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Paul knew that freedom in Christ and His Word, the Word of God, even though when he wrote our text and the whole book of Colossians, he was in prison in Rome, simply because of his Christian faith. Paul writes in Colossians 4:3-4, asking that the people of the church at Colossi “pray that God may open to us a door for the Word (of God), to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison - that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.” Even in prison in Rome, Paul knew that he was a free man, in Christ, and prayed for opportunities to share the Word of Christ even there, for it was Good News for prisoners and other people in Rome and people everywhere. So he spoke and wrote the Word of Truth in Christ.

Sharing the Word of Christ was not easy for Paul, as his time in prison indicates. But Paul says, in our text, “I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and for the sake of the church.” (Christ had already completed all the suffering necessary for our salvation, but Paul’s sufferings might spare other believers some suffering (Colossians 1:24). And as our text ends, Paul says that he toils and struggles, but that the results of people coming to faith actually came through Christ in him, and the Holy Spirit, with their energy and powerful work within him. Paul takes no credit for himself. The One True God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, gets all the glory and credit for any who come to believe.

Note also that our Gospel lesson for this evening also emphasizes the great importance of the Word of Christ. Jesus had come for a visit to Martha and Mary, along with some of His disciples, most likely. Martha quickly gets busy preparing a meal for them all and other things necessary for them. She soon is upset because Mary is not helping her, but “just sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to His teaching” (Luke 10:39-40). This in itself is highly unusual because in those days, Jewish rabbis taught only men and no women. But here is Jesus, teaching both men and women. The Good News of His Word and His saving work is for everyone everywhere under heaven - men and women and children. Jesus, the Lord, then said to Martha, “You are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42). And Jesus said, on another occasion, “My sheep hear My voice and I know them and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and no one will snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:27-29).

Think about it. Without the Scriptures, we would not even know of Christ and His saving work for us, at the center. We would not know how important baptism is for us and our children, and the need to go out into the world, baptizing and teaching. And we would not know of the gift of the Lord’s Supper and that we receive not just bread and wine, but the very Body and Blood of Christ to forgive and strengthen us.

That is why our Lutheran doctrinal writings, our Confessions, say, “We believe, teach, and confess that the prophetic and apostolic writings of the Old and New Testaments are the only rule and norm according to which all doctrines and teachers alike must be appraised and judged, as it is written in Psalm 119:105, ‘Thy Word is a Lamp to my feet and a Light to my path'... Other writings of ancient and modern teachers, whatever their names, should not be put on a par with Holy Scripture… Holy Scripture remains the only judge, rule, and norm according to which… all doctrines should and must be understood and judged as good or evil, right or wrong” (Formula of Concord, Epitome).

It is on that “foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the Cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20) that we stand, as God’s people, in faith, today and always.” Amen.

Preparing for Worship - July 20, 2025

The Scriptures for this week call upon us to wait upon the Lord, listening to Him and His plans, and trusting that He will help and save us. The Old Testament lesson is from Genesis 18:1-14. The Lord appears to Abraham and Sarah, but as three persons. (This is a picture and prefiguring of the Trinity. Two of them are later called “angels,” and God the Son seems to appear as “the angel of the Lord," at times.) Abraham welcomes them and provides a great meal for them, with the help of Sarah and others. The Lord then promises a son to Abraham and Sarah, as He had before, though they were very old and beyond childbearing years. Abraham is skeptical, and Sarah laughs at this promise. The Lord simply repeats the promise and says, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” They do have a child, and from Abraham and his descendants, our Savior Jesus finally came.

The Psalm is Psalm 27. This is another psalm where David has trouble from enemies opposed to him. Yet he trusts his Lord, who is His Light and Salvation, even on dark and dangerous days. He can go to the Lord’s tent (the tabernacle, the place for worship and prayer and singing, before the building of the temple) and seek the Lord’s presence (His face) and be taught by His Word. Even if his parents would forsake him, the Lord would take him in and hide him and lift him up. David is a believer in the Lord and His goodness and that He will give him life, in this world and in eternity. But he must wait for the Lord and His plans, with courage through Him.

The Gospel lesson is Luke 10:38-42. Jesus goes to the home of Martha and Mary. Mary sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to His teaching. Martha is concerned about serving Jesus and probably things like making Him comfortable and providing a good meal. She is upset that her sister is not helping her. She is worried and anxious about getting these things done. These are not bad things, as Abraham and Sarah provided the visitors with such things in our Old Testament lesson. But Jesus reminds her that there is one thing most necessary, and that is hearing God’s Word and being brought to faith in Jesus and His saving work. That is a gift from God that will last for eternity. We can serve, but only in response to our Lord first serving and blessing us.

The Epistle lesson continues readings from Colossians, this week, 1:21-29. Paul continues to speak of the blessings that have come to us through the bloody sacrifice of Christ on the cross. (See v.19-20, also.) Though we have done evil deeds, we were reconciled to God and counted holy and blameless and acceptable in God’s eyes, through Christ, and as we now continue in faith in Him and His Gospel. Paul is a minister of that Good News, sharing the Word of God and the mysterious plan of God with Gentiles (non-Jews) as well as Jews - a plan that centers in Christ, the Hope of glory, living in us as we are brought to faith in Him and then as we grow and mature in Him through His Word. Paul proclaims this Word, though he does so through the power and energy of Christ Who lives in Him, too. It can be a struggle to share Christ, but the Lord brings His blessings as we wait upon Him in faith.

Sermon from July 13, 2025

5th Sunday after Pentecost

July 13, 2025

“Who Justifies? Who Qualifies?”

Let us pray: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen. (Psalm 19:14)

The text for our meditation today is the Gospel lesson, from Luke 10:25-37, along with a few thoughts from our Epistle, Colossians 1:12-14. As our text begins, a lawyer stands up and asks Jesus a question “to put Him to the test.” This was not a lawyer as we think of one today, but a man who was an expert in Jewish Law, together with scribes and Pharisees we read about in other Scriptures.

This man may have heard Jesus saying, just before our text, that “the Heavenly Father has hidden things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to little children.” And Jesus had told some of His own disciples: “Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” That would mean that they would have eternal life at the time of their death.

This lawyer surely thought of himself as wise and understanding and an expert, and so he asks Jesus, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus, as he often does, asks the lawyer a question instead: “What is written in the Law? How do you understand it?“ The lawyer responds with a part of the “Sh’ma” from Deuteronomy 6:5, a famous Jewish expression  of Jewish religion, along with some words from our Old Testament lesson for today, Leviticus 19:18. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus approved of this summary of the Law - love for God and love for your neighbor - describing the two portions of the Ten Commandments. Jesus had given almost exactly the same answer when asked in Mark 12 what were the greatest commandments. So, Jesus said to the lawyer, “You have answered correctly. Keep on doing this, and you will live.”

The lawyer knew, however, that it was not as simple as that. For he and other experts in the Law had come up with 613 commandments from the book of Moses. 365 were negative - what you shouldn’t do - and 248 were positive - what you should do. Much time and thought were spent on evaluating the relative significance of these laws. Much arguing was also done about them and what they meant, and many were taken far beyond simple Scripture.

The lawyer seems to realize this and that no one could realistically keep all these 613 commandments. And there was the word “all.” Who could really love the Lord with all his heart and mind and soul and strength and do it all the time - and love his neighbor all the time, too? For Jesus had used a “present tense” as he spoke, which in the Greek means “Keep on doing the law, and doing it all the time."

The lawyer, therefore, tries to “justify himself” because even he knows, deep down, that he cannot live up to his own Jewish standards that he and others taught. So, he asks, “And who is my neighbor?” (If your neighbor is only certain select people, maybe you could love and help them, but not everybody.)

Jesus goes on, then, to tell his famous parable of the Good Samaritan. (And remember, as we heard a few weeks ago, that Jews and Samaritans hated each other, and John 4:9 says, “Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.”) In the parable, a man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho and was in an isolated area, where robbers came and beat him and stole everything he had, including his clothes, and left him half-dead. (We know of robberies and violence today, but these were common in the ancient world, too, with sinners in a sinful world. Many people were also very poor, and even one set of clothes was worth stealing.)

A Jewish priest and a Jewish Levite came by and saw the man lying there, but passed by on the other side. They certainly knew basic Jewish law, like “Love your neighbor,” because they served at the Temple in Jerusalem, at least at times. But you can imagine the excuses they may have made. Maybe the man was faking it and would hurt them. Maybe there were robbers still around who might beat them up, too. If the man was leaking bodily fluids, he could make them ritually unclean. If the man would die, while they helped him, that would make them unclean in another way, and they could make others unclean, too. (In other words, some laws contradicted other laws and went far beyond Scripture, especially in helping a neighbor, as in this case. It might be better to pass by than to stop and help.)

Then Jesus introduces the Good Samaritan into the story. And note right away that at the end of the story, Jesus has changed the lawyer’s question. It is not, “Who is my neighbor?” - allowing us to eliminate a bunch of people we don’t think are our neighbors. Instead, Jesus asks, “Which of the three - the priest, the Levite, or the Samaritan - proved to be a real neighbor to others?” The lawyer didn’t even want to mention the name, Samaritan, but he had to admit that it was the One who showed mercy to the very needy man. He, the Good Samaritan, was the real neighbor. And then Jesus repeated his earlier message to the lawyer, “Now, you keep on going and doing likewise.”

This left the lawyer right where he was before. He knew, deep down, that he could not keep all the 613 Jewish laws all the time, and he knew that he had not always been the neighbor he should have been. He could not do enough to inherit eternal life by his own efforts, and he couldn’t justify himself for his sins and failings. He was in trouble, as we all are, if left on our own. For Jesus had taught earlier, in His Sermon on the Mount: if you want to earn your way to heaven, by your own efforts, “you, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

None of us can do that. Think even of the great Christian leader, Paul. He wrote, “What a wretched man I am!… I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate…  I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out…” (Romans 7:15-24).

But Jesus Himself could do what none of us can do, and was picturing Himself as the Good Samaritan, who came into this world to rescue us from our greatest problem, the problem of sin and our failure to do God’s will, all too often. We weren’t just half-dead, as the man in the Good Samaritan parable was described. We were spiritually dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-3), but Christ, being rich in His mercy and compassion for us, like the Good Samaritan, made us alive spiritually by His saving work and grace, His undeserved love and help for us.

Jesus came into this world to live the perfect life we all fail to live. He suffered and died in our place, on the cross, paying the penalty our sins deserved. And He rose in victory, conquering the power of death and earning for us the gift of eternal life.

The man left for dead in the parable could only receive what was provided for him, trusting that it would be enough, and being grateful and thankful for what was done on his behalf by the Good Samaritan. And this was not, as some churches and groups say, a kind of Head Start program, with some initial grace given to us in our baptism, and now we must merit additional grace and gifts and finally earn a spot in eternal life in heaven, if possible. No, the Scriptures say, “By God’s grace you have been saved, by faith, and even that faith is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus" - and then we can do some good in loving work God prepares us to do. But the saving work has already been done for us, in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Listen again to the words of our Epistle lesson for today, in Colossians 1:12-14: “Give thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” It is not like the Indy 500, where the racers have to qualify themselves, and if they do, then they can try to win the race by their best efforts. No, Paul says, “The Father has delivered us from the domain of darkness (apart from God) and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.” And in that beloved Son, our Lord Jesus, “we have redemption” (the price has been paid for us) and “we have the forgiveness of our sins.”

Our Lutheran doctrinal writings put it this way. “It is the unanimous confession of our churches according to the Word of God… that we poor sinners are justified before God and saved solely by faith in Christ, so that Christ alone is our righteousness…"

We also believe, teach, and confess that, although the genuinely believing and truly regenerated persons retain much weakness and many shortcomings down to their graves (as we and Paul have to confess), they still have no reason to doubt either the righteousness which is reckoned (counted) to them through faith. or the salvation of their souls, but they must regard it as certain that for Christ’s sake, on the basis of the promises and the Word of the Holy Gospel, they have a gracious God” who loves and forgives them.”

“The Biblical doctrine of the church is built upon the central doctrine of justification by grace through faith, so that it stands or falls with that doctrine.” The wrong question is “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” The right response is: “May I always rejoice, by God’s grace, in what Christ has perfectly and completely done for me, as my Savior.” Amen

Let us pray: “Now may the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, keep our hearts and minds safe, only where they are safe, in Christ Jesus, our Savior.” Amen. (Philippians 4:7)