Update from Good Shepherd (February 27, 2025)

Greetings!

REGULAR SCHEDULE 

Divine Service is Sunday at 10:00 AM.
Adult Bible Class is on Sunday at 9:00 AM.
Mid-week Lenten Services will be on Wednesdays through April 9.
          Supper – 6:00 PM.  Vespers – 7:00 PM.
Bible Matters will resume after Easter.

CALENDAR: For a calendar of events and meetings, click here.

ASH WEDNESDAY IS MARCH 5
          We will be utilizing the Imposition of Ashes for Ash Wednesday at our March 5 Divine Service. Information on the rationale and procedure for the Imposition can be found here.
          A supper will be served on March 5 at 6:00 PM. The Divine Service will be at 7:00 PM. The supper and service schedule will continue throughout all the Wednesday Lenten services.

LENTEN VESPERS
          We will continue to have mid-week Lenten services throughout the season of Lent. There will be a supper served at 6:00 PM. Vespers will be at 7:00 PM. Our theme for the mid-week services will be “Reflections on Repentance,” all based on portions of Psalm 51. The schedule is here.
          March 12      Revealing Our Sinful Nature. (Psalm 51:5)
          March 19      Realizing Our Need for Repentance. (Ps 51:1-2)
          March 26      Recognizing Against Whom We Sin. (Ps 51:3-4)
          April 2           Restored by His Sacrifice. (Psalm 51:14-17)
          April 9           Removing Our Guilt. (Psalm 51:8-9)

PICTORIAL DIRECTORY PREP
          It has been quite a few years since Good Shepherd has produced a pictorial directory. We have also enjoyed added new members since then. In order for us to feel more connected to one another, we will produce a new pictorial directory so that you can be more easily acquainted with your fellow members. We will produce this in house, but it will require a good deal of planning and work. Our planning will begin on Sunday, March 9 after church. If you are interested in offering any assistance to this project, join us for the meeting. If you are interested but unable to attend, please speak with Pastor Schroeder.

SACRED MUSIC FOR THE SEASON OF LENT
          “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” “In the Cross of Christ I Glory,” “My Song Is Love Unknown,” “A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth.” Beginning Ash Wednesday, you can listen to sacred music for the season of Lent 24/7 at lutheranpublicradio.org, TuneIn, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomePod and the Lutheran Public Radio mobile app.

EUCHRE NIGHTS
            On the Sundays through March 30, there will be potential for euchre nights.  Various members will host for the evening, which means the venue will change from week to week.  If you are not a euchre player and want to come for the sake of visiting with your fellow members, please do.  It is very likely that not every euchre player will be able to play each game.
            To indicate your willingness to host a particular Sunday, please respond to welsnovi@aol.com.  As of this writing, almost all dates need hosts.

          MARCH 2 -- At church, 6:30 PM.  Bring snacks to share.

OPEN FORUM HIGHLIGHTS (February)

> The new cabinets for the renovated the kitchen at the church have been ordered. We expect them to be here about April 7. Renovations will not occur until after Easter to allow us to use our existing kitchen for Lenten dinners and Easter breakfast.  If you are interested in using the old cabinets for your own usage, please speak with Bob Wozniak to claim them before they are deposited in a dumpster.  The flooring is still available.  It will hit the curb when some of the snow melts, so time is short.

> Our Evangelism & Stewardship Committees met to set up some tentative dates of interest:
          March 5 -- Lenten dinners begin; six Wednesdays through April 9.
          Euchre nights -- Sunday nights through March 30.
          April 12 -- Easter for Kids
          April 20 -- Easter services and Easter breakfast
We welcome members to join us and to help plan these various events. Even if you take charge of one event, that will benefit us all.

> We will begin to organize efforts to produce a pictorial directory. If you are interested in helping out, speak with Pastor Schroeder. An organizational meeting will take place in March.  We will aim for March 2 (to be confirmed).

EASTER FOR KIDS PREP MEETING
          Our next organizational meeting for Easter for Kids will be after church on Sunday, March 16.  We will need people to attend each of the five stations for our visitors, as well as others who can assist with crafts as needed and to interact with our guests. To find out how you can serve, speak with Pastor Schroeder or join us on March 16.

BAD WEATHER POLICY FOR SERVICES AT GOOD SHEPHERD
          We will always have services as scheduled at Good Shepherd. Since I live across the parking lot, I can get to the church no matter how bad the weather gets. Even if the service is just me and my family, we will be here. For everyone else, please use your God-given common sense to determine whether or not you will get on the road to attend any service when the weather is bad. We don't want anyone to risk his or her life to be here. But if you do venture out, the scheduled service will take place. It may be only a handful with a cappella singing and/or spoken liturgy, but we will be here.
           Bible Classes and meetings may be canceled due to weather. Check your email regarding announcements to see if any of those scheduled events are canceled. If there is no email about it, it is not canceled. But again, use common sense to determine if you can make it, and call the pastor to let him know if you will not be coming.

GOOD SHEPHERD ON YOUTUBE
           Services are uploaded to YouTube each week. Feel free to share the videos. Here is the service from February 23, 2025: Good Shepherd Novi, Divine Service, February 23, 2025

REGULAR OFFICE HOURS

            The pastor will try to hold formal office hours Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM – Noon. It should be noted that some meetings are scheduled for those times. It is best to call or text to confirm any meetings with the pastor (248-719-5218).

INTRODUCTION VIDEO FOR GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH
          Here is a video to introduce people to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Novi. Share it as much as you can.

DO YOU LIKE US?

          Look for Good Shepherd on Facebook. Then “LIKE” us for updates and other postings. Be sure to share posts with friends.

SHARE THIS POST!
          We desire as many as possible to rejoice in the Gospel which we proclaim and confess. Share the information from our weekly email blast, links to our web page, and even to the pastor's blog to let others know that we have a space in our congregation for them!

In Christ,
Pastor Schroeder

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REGULAR SCHEDULE
DIVINE SERVICES are on Sundays at 10:00 AM.
Adult Bible Class -- Sundays at 9:00 AM.  

Mid-Week Lenten Vespers -- Wednesdays through Apil 9.

     Supper -- 6:00 PM.   Vespers -- 7:00 PM

GOOD SHEPHERD’S WEBSITE
www.GoodShepherdNovi.org

PASTOR SCHROEDER’S BLOG
www.LutheranSubject.blogspot.com 

YouTube -- 7th Sunday after Epiphany (February 23, 2025)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, February 23, 2025.

Sermon -- Festival of St. Matthias, Apostle

This sermon was preached at Hope Christian Academy in Westland, Michigan.

ACTS 1:15-26

The Festival of St. Matthias, Apostle

In the name + of Jesus.

     “This saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to become an overseer, he desires a noble task” (1 Timothy 3:1).  The Lord has established the office of the holy ministry for the good of the Church.  The Church does not exist for the sake of the pastor; the pastor exists for the sake of the Church.  He is the Lord’s servant.  He is sent to serve you by preaching and teaching God’s word, by administering the sacraments, by absolving the penitent, and by admonishing the impenitent.  And he serves the Lord as one who is accountable to God for his service.  The desire to be a pastor is a good one, and it is good for all the boys here to consider if that is how you could serve the Lord and his Church.

     What makes someone a pastor?  The short answer: God does.  Simply having the desire to be a pastor does not make you a pastor.  Jesus had gathered many disciples to himself, but they were not all chosen to be his apostles.  Jesus hand-picked twelve.  To them, he gave authority to preach, to heal diseases, and to drive out demons.  They trained for three years with Jesus.  They heard his teaching, received private instruction, and witnessed his miracles, particularly his resurrection from the dead.  As much as others may have wanted to be apostles, no one could take that honor or authority for himself.  Jesus had to give it.

     Sadly, not all the apostles remained faithful to Jesus.  Judas Iscariot was motivated by greed rather than godliness, and he agreed to betray Jesus for cash.  Overwhelmed by guilt, Judas hanged himself.  He fell from the faith and then fell headlong from his noose to a gruesome death.  This left a vacancy among the apostles.

     Again, the remaining Eleven did not seek volunteers.  Perhaps some had the desire to be apostles.  Perhaps some felt they had the right to be apostles.  But just having the desire to be an apostle does not give one the right to be an apostle.  The book of Acts records who alone would have been eligible to be an apostle of our Lord.  St. Peter said, “‘Therefore it is necessary that one of the men who accompanied us during the entire time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from his baptism by John until the day Jesus was taken up from us, become a witness with us of his resurrection.’  They proposed two: Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus) and Matthias” (Acts 1:21-23).  These two men were deemed eligible to be apostles, but there was only one vacancy.  So, the Church prayed that the Lord would reveal which man would fill the office.  They cast lots, “and the lot fell to Matthias.  So he was counted with the eleven apostles” (Acts 1:26).  What made Matthias an apostle?  God did.

     From this time forward, we hear nothing about St. Matthias.  We don’t know where he preached, but we do know what he preached.  As a witness of Jesus’ teachings and miracles, his death and resurrection, Matthias boldly claimed that God has taken a keen interest in sinners.  That preaching could be terrifying at first.  How does it make you feel to know that everything you do is seen by God?  That every word you have said—even what you whispered in secret or sent privately in a text—is known by God?  That every thought you’ve considered is open to God?  You’ve probably heard it said that the internet is forever.  Anything you put into the cyberworld can come back to haunt you.  Now, you can get around that by not putting your comments or photos on the internet.  But there are no secrets with God.  The Bible declares, “Death and Destruction lie open before the Lord—how much more human hearts” (Proverbs 15:11)!

     The Lord has taken a keen interest in you.  It is not to convict and to condemn you; it is to console you and to save you.  The Lord’s interest in you is revealed in Jesus Christ.  He is God who became a man to dwell with sinners.  When Jesus exposes your sins, it is like a doctor who tells you, “You have a tumor in your brain.  If it is not removed, it will kill you.”  Jesus says, “You have sin in your heart.  If it is not removed, it will kill you.  Good news: I have come to restore and renew your heart.”

     The Lord has come to alleviate you of the sins that haunt you.  The Lord has come to take upon himself your curse and to suffer and die in your place.  And to prove to you that his payment for your sins is sufficient, Jesus rose from the dead.  The Savior lives to purify you of all unrighteousness.  The Savior reigns for your good.  St. Matthias bore witness to all of this.  He preached it freely and fearlessly so that people could be freed from their sins and live without fear of death and hell.

     There are no longer apostles in the Christian Church today—that is, people who were chosen personally by Jesus and who witnessed his life, death, and resurrection.  But the Church does have pastors who continue to preach, teach, administer the sacraments, absolve the penitent, and admonish the impenitent.  And just as no one could insist on his right to be an apostle, so also no one today can enter a church and insist that he is the pastor.  The Lord worked through the Church to call Matthias to fill the office of an apostle, and so the Holy Spirit works through the church today to call men to be pastors to serve in a particular time and place.

     This should not be shocking to you.  It works similarly in many occupations.  Say you have the desire to be a police officer, which is also a noble task.  Just having the desire does not make you a cop.  If you were to go to a local precinct and tell the officer on duty that you want to be a cop, he would not give you a uniform and the keys to a squad car.  It requires training from an academy.  Upon graduation, you would be qualified to be a police officer, but that still does not make you one.  A department must hire you.  They give you the authority to serve as a police officer.  So also, men are trained to be pastors.  They study at a seminary.  Upon graduation, they are qualified to serve as pastors.  But that does not make them pastors.  What makes someone a pastor?  God does.  The Lord works through a congregation to call a man to be a pastor.  This, therefore, is a divine call.  It assures the pastor that this congregation is the place God wants him to serve, and it assures the congregation that this is the pastor God wants them to have.

     In his wisdom, the Lord was pleased to add St. Matthias to the number of the apostles.  We don’t know much more about Matthias.  The traditions about his life and ministry are vague and contradictory.  We don’t know where he preached or how he died.  This is no great tragedy.  Countless pastors have served God’s people in God’s Church who are not remembered.  The Lord, however, remembers them.  The Lord had a keen interest in them and their service.  The Lord blessed them for their faithful service, and the Lord blessed his Church through them.  That is what matters.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Worship Notes: Ash Wednesday and the Imposition of Ashes

Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return.

            These words paraphrase Genesis 3:19 where the Lord proclaimed a curse upon man when he had first sinned.  St. Paul repeated that thought in his letter to the Romans: “Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12)

            Ashes to ashes.  Dust to dust.  This is the harsh reality of sin.  The use of ashes long pre-dates the New Testament Church.  In the era of the Patriarchs, Job confessed his sin and declared, “I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:6)  The Imposition of Ashes teaches a dual lesson.

            1)  It is a mark of penitence.  We demonstrate outwardly the sorrow for sin that we have inwardly. 

            2)  It is a mark of death.  It is a reminder that we are all dust, and to dust we will return.  The ashes remind us that we are helpless in our sinful condition.  Our only hope is a Savior.  We repent of our works.  We cling to Jesus for his.

            No one should feel obligated to receive the ashes on the forehead.  If you do not want to do it, the ushers will simply pass you by and go to the next row.  Children may participate at the discretion of their parents.

            We will begin the service with the rite.  Where the bulletin indicates, the ushers will begin to invite people by row to come to the communion railing to receive the ashes.  The penitent will kneel at the railing (like Lord’s Supper), and wait as the pastor applies the ashes to the forehead in the shape of a cross.  Please resist all temptations to scratch or smear the ashes.  (The ashes will easily be washed off with soapy water.)

            This ceremony truly sets the tone for Lenten season.  We are marked as sinners.  We are marked for death.  We are marked as the penitent whose only hope is Jesus Christ. 

            Our comfort comes from Jesus who takes our sin.  He dies our death.  He marks us as his own who have been baptized into his name.  That is where the penitent find comfort.  That is where the dying find life.

Sermon -- 7th Sunday after Epiphany (February 26, 2025)

LUKE 6:27-38

LOVE GOES BEYOND CONVENIENCE.

In the name + of Jesus.

      In our Catechism Class, we talk about two different ways we sin against God’s Commandments.  They are sins of commission and sins of omission.  Sins of commission are done when you commit the sin against God’s Commandment.  For example, when you tell a lie about someone, that is an act of wickedness.  You have committed the sin.  This is usually what we think of when we speak about sins.  We think of actions that we have taken which go against God’s will.

     Sins of omission, on the other hand, are when we omit the good that God wants us to do.  So, you may not have told a lie about someone, but what if you did not defend the reputation of the person who was being lied about?  That means you did not do good toward that person when you should have.  These are sins, too, and we are right to confess both: “I have done what is evil (sins of commission), and I have failed to do what is good (sins of omission).”

     The Gospel reading for this week highlights our sins of omission.  Jesus said, “I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies.  Do good to those who hate you.  Bless those who curse you.  Pray for those who mistreat you.  If someone strikes you on one cheek, offer the other too.  If someone takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt” (Luke 6:27-29).  We fail to do what is good because we think that we are excused if we don’t.  It is easy to come up with reasons why we don’t do what Jesus tells us to do.  “My enemy doesn’t deserve it.  People who mistreat me should be cursed, not blessed.  I have a gesture for people who hate me, and it is not prayer.  Why would I turn the other cheek to the one who strikes me?  I am going to hit back, and harder!” 

     We are often blind to the sins we commit against others, but we have an acute sense of justice when we are wronged.  What’s worse is that we seem to be eager to accuse others of wronging us.  Forget about someone taking your cloak and then letting them have your shirt as well.  We become offended over things that are far more petty.  “That guy stole my parking spot.  Someone took the last piece of dessert.  I can’t believe they are making me wait.”  Rather than graciously overlooking these things, we act as if these are grave sins and the height of disrespect.  And then, we want justice.  Actually, we want revenge.  If anyone causes us suffering, we want them to suffer worse.  Anger produces hatred.  Hatred incites violence.  But we call it justice.  And then we have the nerve to claim what good people we are.  Repent.

     Love goes beyond convenience.  Love does not depend upon who people are or how they treat us.  Love does one thing: It seeks the good of other people.  Love goes beyond convenience.  Jesus knows what a convenient love looks like.  He says, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  To be sure, even the sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  Even the sinners do the same thing.  If you lend to those from whom you expect to be repaid, what credit is that to you?  Even the sinners lend to sinners in order to be paid back in full.  Instead, love your enemies, do good and lend, expecting nothing in return” (Luke 6:32-35).  

     It is convenient to love those who will love you back.  It is easy to lend to those you know will repay you.  It is convenient to care for people who are grateful and will praise you for your acts of kindness.  Even if your acts of kindness are done anonymously, you are willing to do them because you expect others will gush over your charity. 

     So, what about those who don’t appreciate it or won’t acknowledge it?  How long do we have to put up with that?  Should it matter?  In theory, you might say your love would persist.  In practice?  Such love runs dry very quickly.  But Jesus tells you not to omit the love for your fellow man even when it is hard.  Love goes beyond convenience.  It seeks the good of people whether they are successful or destitute.  It seeks the good of people whether they are well-mannered or crude.  It seeks the good of people whether they are friend or foe.  It seeks the good of people who will respond in kind, who won’t respond at all, or who will respond with obscenities and insults.  “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  To be sure, even the sinners love those who love them” (Luke 6:32).  Love does not care what the other person does.  Love only gives.  It does not seek compensation.  Love goes beyond convenience.

     Consider our Old Testament lesson and the love that Joseph demonstrated toward his brothers.  You might recall how their jealousy led to a plot to kill him.  Cooler heads prevailed, but not loving hearts.  They sold Joseph into slavery.  Through a course of events, Joseph had an encounter with Pharaoh which resulted in him being put in charge of the distribution of food during a seven-year famine.  Joseph’s brothers had to come to Egypt to get food during this famine.  Joseph was in a position to exact revenge on his brothers.  No one would have stopped him, and no one would have blamed him.  You could make a strong case that anything he did to them would be justice.  What his brothers did to him was evil, and Joseph did not hesitate to say so.  But Joseph believed that what his brothers needed from him was not justice, but mercy.  Joseph demonstrated an amazing love toward his brothers and their families.  It was not because they deserved it.  It is because it was needed.  Love is not driven by whether someone is worthy or not.  Love is given freely by the one who loves.  And love goes beyond convenience.

     Jesus’ teaching exposes our sinfulness.  He shows us that we are not like God.  Jesus said that “the Most High … is kind to the unthankful and the evil” (Luke 6:35).  It does not matter to God that we are sinners.  “God is love” (1 John 4:16), and so God loves freely, even upon those who are ignorant, ungrateful, or hostile.  Jesus taught the Golden Rule: “Treat others just as you would want them to treat you” (Luke 6:31).  That sounds good, but our love is conditional.  We do not love others the way we would want them to love us; we love others only so far as they love us back.  We omit the good we are supposed to do because we regard such love as risky or dangerous or a waste of our efforts.  But love goes beyond convenience.

     Our Lord Jesus did not just talk about this love.  We can all talk about it, but it is another thing entirely to practice what you preach.  Jesus did both.  Jesus did love his enemies.  Jesus prayed for those who persecuted him, who betrayed him, and who denied him.  Jesus did good to all people, even when he was vilified for it.  Jesus demonstrated mercy to well-known sinners because he knew they did not need to have their sins rubbed in their face.  They needed to have their sins taken away.  Jesus came to do just that.  When his enemies struck him in the face, Jesus offered to them his other cheek also.  He even allowed his enemies to pull his beard and spit in his face.  When they took his cloak, Jesus allowed them to cast lots for his tunic so that he died on the cross completely exposed. 

     As Jesus was enduring the shame of crucifixion and the torment of God’s wrath for our sins, his enemies mocked him.  “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!  …He saved others, but he cannot save himself. If he’s the King of Israel, let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him” (Matthew 27:40-41).  Jesus would have had every right to come off the cross and declare, “You know what?  You people are not worth it.  You deserve what you will get for your stubborn unbelief and loveless hearts.  I’m done.”  But he did not.  Even if they withheld their love from him, Jesus would not withhold his.

     He does not treat us as our sins deserve.  Rather, Jesus was treated as our sins deserve.  His love went far beyond convenience.  Like his heavenly Father, Jesus “is kind to the unthankful and the evil” (Luke 6:35).  So, rather than rub our sins in our face, he took them away.  Rather than execute justice and condemn us, Jesus was executed and condemned in our place.  For our lack of mercy, for our slowness to forgive, and for our cold and conditional love, Jesus poured out limitless love, immeasurable mercy, and full forgiveness.  This is not because it is deserved, but because it is needed.  Love goes beyond convenience.

     As our Lord has shown such love and mercy to us, we get to demonstrate that same love and mercy to others.  Love always seeks what is good for others, even if they are unthankful and evil.  But don’t confuse love for your fellow man with acceptance of everything he might do.  When people argue that love means accepting their sins, they like to quote this Bible verse, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged.  Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned” (Luke 6:37).  They may not know much about the Bible, but they know that verse.  It is intended to shut you up about sins.

     But the reality is you cannot go through life without making judgments.  There are certain things that are good or evil.  If you hear about a murder, you don’t throw your hands up and say, “Who are we to judge?”  No, murder is evil.  Judgments are necessary, but the question is, “By what standard are you making your judgment?”  The only standard that matters is the one used by the one who will judge the living and the dead, Jesus Christ.  The Lord tells us what is good and right versus what is wicked and wrong.  So, we let God remain the judge, and we will agree with him.  Even if God’s judgment shows me I am wrong, I acknowledge that God is right.  I confess my sin, and I repent.  So, when God shows me that I love my fellow man with strings attached, then I repent and put aside my pettiness.  Love means I will view my fellow man with compassion.  Out of love for him, I am not only allowed to call sins evil, I am supposed to.  But love means my goal is not to rub his sins in his face.  My goal is to show him his need for the Savior who died to set people free from their sins.  By doing so, I am seeking the highest good of my fellow man.  That is how the heavenly Father has treated you and me.

      Love goes beyond convenience.  We do not take it upon ourselves to get vengeance upon the wicked; we leave that to our Lord.  Rather than focus on how we are wronged by our fellow man, we focus on how we are loved and saved by Jesus.  We rejoice in the mercies of our Lord, and we are eager for others to know this mercy too.  They will learn of God’s mercies as they see that mercy shown by you.  It may not be convenient.  It is certainly not deserved.  But it is good.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Fowling outing

On Friday, February 21, some brave souls from Good Shepherd went to go fowling at the HUB Stadium in Novi.  The object is to knock down the pins by throwing a football at them.  You get as many turns as it takes.  When you get down to one pin still standing, it requires some accuracy or dumb luck to get it down.  We experienced both.  

Update from Good Shepherd (February 20, 2025)

Greetings!

REGULAR SCHEDULE 

Divine Service is Sunday at 10:00 AM.
Adult Bible Class is on Sunday at 9:00 AM.
Bible Matters meets on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM.

CALENDAR: For a calendar of events and meetings, click here.

FOWLING
            THIS FRIDAY (February 21), we will meet at the HUB Stadium in Novi (44325 W 12 Mile Rd Ste H-160,) for an evening of Fowling (throwing a football at bowling pins).  You do not need to be an NCAA caliber quarterback for this event.  Even if you are, it will be harder than you think.  The cost will be $100 per lane per hour (up to 8 participants per lane).  If you just want to be a spectator, you are welcome to join us for drinks and snacks.  RSVP to https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050A4FA8AA2EA64-55005393-fowling if you plan on throwing the football at this event.  Our lanes are reserved from 7:00 - 8:00 PM.  Please arrive by 6:45 PM.
 
EUCHRE NIGHTS
            On the Sundays from February 23 through March 30, there will be potential for euchre nights.  Various members will host for the evening, which means the venue will change from week to week.  If you are not a euchre player and want to come for the sake of visiting with your fellow members, please do.  It is very likely that not every euchre player will be able to play each game.
            To indicate your willingness to host a particular Sunday, please respond to welsnovi@aol.com. NOTE: If there are no hosts for a particular Sunday, we will not have a euchre night on that Sunday.  As of this writing, almost all dates need hosts.

          FEBRUARY 23 -- At church, 6:30 PM.  Bring snacks to share.

EASTER FOR KIDS PREP MEETING
          THIS SUNDAY (February 23), we will have an organizational meeting to prepare for our Easter for Kids event. We will need people to attend each of the five stations for our visitors, as well as others who can assist with crafts as needed and to interact with our guests. To find out how you can serve, join us this Sunday after church.

OPEN FORUM HIGHLIGHTS (February)
> The new cabinets for the renovated the kitchen at the church have been ordered. We expect them to be here about April 7. Renovations will not occur until after Easter to allow us to use our existing kitchen for Lenten dinners and Easter breakfast.  If you are interested in using the old cabinets for your own usage, please speak with Bob Wozniak to claim them before they are deposited in a dumpster.  The flooring is still available.  It will hit the curb when some of the snow melts, so time is short.

> Our Evangelism & Stewardship Committees met to set up some tentative dates of interest:
          February 21 -- Fowling (throwing a football at bowling pins)
          March 5 -- Lenten dinners begin; six Wednesdays through April 9.
          Euchre nights -- Sunday nights from February 23 through March 30. Dates will be selected by those who volunteer to host a Euchre night. Not all dates will necessarily be selected.
          April 12 -- Easter for Kids
          April 20 -- Easter services and Easter breakfast
We welcome members to join us and to help plan these various events. Even if you take charge of one event, that will benefit us all.

> We will begin to organize efforts to produce a pictorial directory. If you are interested in helping out, speak with Pastor Schroeder. An organizational meeting will take place in March.  We will aim for March 2 (to be confirmed).

BIBLE MATTERS WINTER SESSION

          Bible Matters meets on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM.  We welcome all for this discussion group.  This winter’s topic will be “Jesus responds to challenges by his enemies.”  These challenges were hurled at Jesus during Holy Week in an attempt to accuse him of false teaching and practice.  A detailed schedule can be found here. 

ASH WEDNESDAY IS MARCH 5
          We will be utilizing the Imposition of Ashes for Ash Wednesday at our March 5 Divine Service. For information on the rationale and procedure, you will find an upcoming blogpost. There will also be a bulletin insert on February 23.
          A supper will be served on March 5 at 6:00 PM. The Divine Service will be at 7:00 PM. The supper and service schedule will continue throughout all the Wednesday Lenten services.

BAD WEATHER POLICY FOR SERVICES AT GOOD SHEPHERD
          We will always have services as scheduled at Good Shepherd. Since I live across the parking lot, I can get to the church no matter how bad the weather gets. Even if the service is just me and my family, we will be here. For everyone else, please use your God-given common sense to determine whether or not you will get on the road to attend any service when the weather is bad. We don't want anyone to risk his or her life to be here. But if you do venture out, the scheduled service will take place. It may be only a handful with a cappella singing and/or spoken liturgy, but we will be here.
           Bible Classes and meetings may be canceled due to weather. Check your email regarding announcements to see if any of those scheduled events are canceled. If there is no email about it, it is not canceled. But again, use common sense to determine if you can make it, and call the pastor to let him know if you will not be coming.

GOOD SHEPHERD ON YOUTUBE
           Services are uploaded to YouTube each week. Feel free to share the videos. Here is the service from February 16, 2025: Good Shepherd Novi, Divine Service, February 16, 2025

REGULAR OFFICE HOURS

            The pastor will try to hold formal office hours Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM – Noon. It should be noted that some meetings are scheduled for those times. It is best to call or text to confirm any meetings with the pastor (248-719-5218).

INTRODUCTION VIDEO FOR GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH
          Here is a video to introduce people to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Novi. Share it as much as you can.

DO YOU LIKE US?

          Look for Good Shepherd on Facebook. Then “LIKE” us for updates and other postings. Be sure to share posts with friends.

SHARE THIS POST!
          We desire as many as possible to rejoice in the Gospel which we proclaim and confess. Share the information from our weekly email blast, links to our web page, and even to the pastor's blog to let others know that we have a space in our congregation for them!

In Christ,
Pastor Schroeder

==============================

REGULAR SCHEDULE
DIVINE SERVICES are on Sundays at 10:00 AM.
Adult Bible Class -- Sundays at 9:00 AM.  

Bible Matters -- Wednesdays at 6:30 PM.

GOOD SHEPHERD’S WEBSITE
www.GoodShepherdNovi.org

PASTOR SCHROEDER’S BLOG
www.LutheranSubject.blogspot.com 

YouTube -- 6th Sunday after Epiphany (February 16, 2025)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, February 16, 2025.

Pastor / Teacher Conference at St. John’s, Westland, MI

On Monday, February 17, the pastors and teachers of the southeast conference of the Michigan District of the WELS met at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Westland, Michigan.  I failed to take a photo of the inside, but you can find additional photos on the St. John's webpage.

Euchre Nights -- Winter 2025

EUCHRE NIGHTS

          On the Sundays from February 23 through March 30, there will be potential for euchre nights.  Various members will host for the evening, which means the venue will change from week to week. 

Once we have hosts lined up, we will ask people to RSVP so that each host knows how many to expect.  If you are not a euchre player and want to come for the sake of visiting with your fellow members, please do.  It is very likely that not every euchre player will be able to play each game.

          NOTE: If there are no hosts for a particular Sunday, we will not have a euchre night.

Sermon -- 6th Sunday after Epiphany (February 16, 2025)

PSALM 1

BLESSED IS HE WHO DELIGHTS IN THE WORD OF THE LORD.

In the name + of Jesus.

     The very first Psalm sets the tone for the entire book of Psalms.  The focus is on whose words you listen to.  We all listen to someone.  When you were little, you listened to your parents.  They set the rules, and they disciplined you when you did not follow them.  They taught you good manners and to say, “Please” and “Thank you.”  They taught you to fold your little hands and showed you how to pray.  And, of course, they showered you with love and attention.  The love that parents have for their children made it easy for the children to listen to their parents and to love them in return.

     When you got older, you began to listen to other voices.  They weren’t all bad.  You listened to your teachers at school who exposed you to math and history and science.  Many parents recall their children coming home from school and saying, “My teacher said such-and-such,” as if nothing the teacher said could ever be challenged.  As you advanced in age, you began to listen more to friends, professors, politicians, political analysts, and celebrities.  What they told you may have been good or bad.  Their words influenced you.  If you liked what they said, you internalized it, repeated it, and defended it.  And again, that may have been good or bad.  But the point is, there is always someone talking to you.  We are influenced by words, and by those words we establish what we believe is true and moral versus what is evil and unethical.

     The Psalmist, presumably King David, states emphatically that there is only one word on which we are to build our lives.  “Blessed is the man [whose] … delight is in the teaching of the Lord” (Psalm 1:1-2).  And this delight means more than giving it a quick listen and then moving on to more important things.  The word of the Lord IS the important thing, and it is given to direct everything we do at all times.  That is why he writes, “On his teaching he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2).  Blessed is he who delights in the world of the Lord.

     One of the reasons the Psalmist encourages meditating on God’s word day and night is that the word of the Lord is not the only word we hear.  We are bombarded by many voices all day long.  Many voices compete with God’s word.  Some outright deny it.  The devil is very good had making what is evil seem reasonable, desirable, and commendable.  Americans, in particular, celebrate the freedom of doing whatever we want.  The devil promotes this freedom.  By contrast, he portrays the Lord as a killjoy and a hater because the Lord sets limits on you.  How many Commandments begin with the phrase, “You shall not…”?  And the devil and the world retort, “Why won’t he let you?”

     Unfortunately, you and I have a sinful nature which concurs with these words, because our sinful nature does not want any limits put upon it.  The sinful nature declares, “If it feels good, do it.”  But feelings are not how we are to determine good and evil.  The Lord sets the standard, and he is the judge.  Therefore, his word overrules all feelings and opinions.  The Lord clearly states that certain actions and attitudes are evil, no matter how good they feel.  God’s word proclaims one thing.  Other voices claim another.  Both demand our attention and insist that they are right.

     The Psalmist illustrates how the devil seduces us with words and strives to influence our lives.  Listen how we can become more and more entrenched in sin.  The Psalmist writes, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the advice of the wicked, who does not stand on the path with sinners, and who does not sit in a meeting with mockers” (Psalm 1:1).  First, we get advice.  Advice seems harmless enough.  You can take it or leave it.  But the advice from the wicked seduces us into wickedness.  And again, it is presented as reasonable, desirable, and commendable.  Eventually, when we find our sins enjoyable, we stand on the path with sinners and imitate their ways.  We celebrate the so-called freedom to do whatever we want.  From there, we sit in with mockers, that is, we make ourselves right at home with our sins.  We join in with those who mock God who doesn’t understand what real freedom is and who would withhold from us happiness and pleasure.  We regard sins as reasonable, desirable, and commendable, and we embrace them warmly.  God has no blessing for those who are seduced by wicked words.  And it is certainly not freedom; for it chains us to death and damnation.  And still, the devil lies, “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4).

     Blessed, rather, is he who delights in the word of the Lord.  The Psalmist explains that abundant life comes to whoever listens to the word of the Lord.  He states, “He is like a tree planted beside streams of water, which yields its fruit in season, and its leaves do not wither.  Everything he does prospers” (Psalm 1:3).  When we hear the word “prospers,” we think of money, popularity, or promotions.  Now, if our goal is to build a kingdom for ourselves in this world, that conclusion would be reasonable, desirable, and commendable.  But our goal is not to build a kingdom in a world that is passing away or to gain glory which will perish, spoil, and fade away.  Our goal is to have a place in the heavenly kingdom.  Therefore, we give heed to the word of the Lord so that we live under God’s blessing.

     Those who delight in the word of the Lord are like a tree that has been transplanted next to a canal or a channel.  Even if everything around it is dead, the tree thrives because it is nurtured by the waters.  In the same way, even if the world is filled with mockers who are dead in sin, the Lord still nurtures you with his word.  He produces in you the fruits of faith.  In this way, you prosper with good works which honor God and benefit your neighbor.  By his word God blesses you, and his blessings rest upon you.

     Blessed is he who delights in the word of the Lord.  But there is no blessing for anyone who does not delight in God’s word.  There is only judgment.  The Psalmist declares that the wicked “are like the chaff which the wind blows away” (Psalm 1:4).  In the days of King David, stalks of grain were laid out on a threshing floor where something heavy was rolled over them.  The kernels of grain broke loose, but they also had husks around them—chaff.  Think of them like the popcorn husks which get stuck between your teeth.  They are annoying and useless.  To get rid of the chaff, the harvesters at the threshing floor would take shovels and fling the grain into the air.  The heavier grain would fall right back to the threshing floor, but the chaff would be swept away by the wind.  This is what the wicked are like before God.  “The wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous” (Psalm 1:5).  They are swept away in God’s wrath, and they perish. 

     So, why won’t you be swept away like chaff?  After all, you and I have taken the advice of the wicked, thinking that it is unreasonable that God would withhold something from us.  We have stood on the path of the sinner, saying that it was undesirable to do good to people who are rude or ungrateful.  We have sat with the mockers who believe it is commendable to support people in their sins because it makes them happy.  There is no blessing for those who think and act this way.

     When the Psalmist began the Psalm with the words, “Blessed is the man” (Psalm 1:1), there is a man who has fulfilled all these things.  Jesus Christ was not seduced by warped advice.  He did not go down the path of the wicked.  He did not settle in with those who mocked God’s commandments.  Jesus’ delight was in God’s word—the promises, the prophecies, the commandments, the admonitions, all of it.  He not only delighted in it, he did it.  Jesus fulfilled all the Commandments of God, living the righteous life we have not.  Jesus did not consider it drudgery to attend services at the synagogues.  Jesus devoted hours in prayer to his heavenly Father.  Jesus did good to all people, even when he was criticized for doing it on the Sabbath or accused of using the powers of Satan to exorcise demons.  Although people responded to Jesus with slander, Jesus still prospered in good works.  Jesus rightly earned blessing from his Father.  Just as Jesus delighted in the word of the Lord, so also the Father delighted in Jesus.

     “The Lord approves of the way of the righteous” (Psalm 1:6).  This approval and this righteousness have been delivered to you through your baptism.  Jesus has cloaked you in his innocence and credited you with his obedience.  This is why we delight in the word of the Lord.  There, we hear how Jesus has purified us so that we will not be like the chaff which is blown away and driven from the Lord’s presence.  There, we also hear how the Lord Jesus delivered us from the judgment that we have earned.  Bearing our sins, Jesus stood under God’s judgment for us.  At the cross, Jesus was consumed in God’s fiery wrath.  There were no words of comfort or mercy for Jesus when he was forsaken by the Father for our sins.  In turn, God speaks to us tenderly and mercifully.  He pours out his blessings and promises us a kingdom of unending glory, peace, and purity.

     Blessed is he who delights in the word of the Lord.  You need this word throughout your life so that you are not seduced by demonic reasoning or sinful desires.  Those voices will never stop.  The devil employs the entertainment industry, political rhetoric, business practices, and friendly advice to turn you away from the Lord.  Many of those voices do not hide their promotion of evil.  Those voices are so common that we have accepted their sinful influence as normal.  Other times, we are tempted by surprising sources, just as Jesus was by Simon Peter.  People whom you love will offer you friendly advice to turn from God’s word because doing what is wrong is easier than doing what is right.  The point is, there is always someone talking to you.  We are influenced by words, which can be good or bad.  By words, we establish what we believe is true and moral versus what is evil and unethical.

     Not all words have blessing in them.  No matter what promises or proclamations the world makes to you, they all end up being silenced by a grave.  But blessed is he who delights in the word of the Lord.  For, this is the word of the Savior who lives to deliver you from the grave and promises the resurrection to life everlasting.  In his word, God declares you righteous for Jesus’ sake, and he leads you on paths of righteousness for your eternal good.  Blessed are you who delight in the word of the Lord; for the Lord’s delight rests upon you.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Super Bowl 59 leftovers

Since I had posted previous boards of squares from Super Bowls, below is the one from this year as well as the winners from each quarter. 

Other than that, I have a gripe about the MVP, as I often do.  While Jalen Hurts played a good game, the defense won that Super Bowl.  They kept the Chiefs from even crossing midfield until the 3rd quarter.   They produced six sacks without blitzing even once.  How do you not honor that?!?!

I know they would never give an MVP to a unit.  But I think someone from the defense could be recognized in honor of the whole defense.  With 2 1/2 sacks and six tackles and several QB pressures, my MVP is Josh Sweat.  He claimed that he deserves it, and I don't think he is wrong.

Update from Good Shepherd (February 13, 2025)

Greetings!

REGULAR SCHEDULE 

Divine Service is Sunday at 10:00 AM.
Adult Bible Class is on Sunday at 9:00 AM.
Bible Matters meets on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM.

CALENDAR: For a calendar of events and meetings, click here.

“COME TO THE TABLE” EVENT
          We will once again invite our community to join us for a meal together on Sunday, February 16 at 5:00 PM. We will host a spaghetti dinner with salad, bread, and desserts.
          The main purpose of this outing is to offer a free meal to anyone who might join us. Invite your friends, family, and neighbors. In order to prep for this (anticipating about 25 people), we will need people to provide various menu items. You can sign up for that at this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050A4FA8AA2EA64-55005013-come. If you happen to know of a large group of guests will come at your invitation, please let Pastor Schroeder know so that the menu can be adjusted to accommodate them.

FOWLING
          If you like bowling and football, why not put them together? That's what this event is. We will meet at the HUB Stadium in Novi (44325 W 12 Mile Rd Ste H-160). Each lane is $100 per hour, but can accommodate up to 8 people. So, we can spread out the expense quite a bit. Not interested in hurling a football at defenseless pins? You can still join us and watch as participants discover that this is not as easy as you'd think. Please RSVP at this link if you plan on throwing: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050A4FA8AA2EA64-55005393-fowling
          The meeting time will be announced in the near future, but 7:00 PM would be a pretty good guess.

EUCHRE NIGHTS
          On the Sundays from February 23 through March 30, there will be potential for euchre nights. We are asking members if they would be willing to host for the evening, which means the venue will change from week to week. We will ask people to RSVP so that each host knows how many to expect. If you are not a euchre player and want to come for the sake of visiting with your fellow members, please do. It is very likely that not every euchre player will be able to play each game.
          A SignUp Genuis form will be sent out soon regarding hosting. Once we get our hosts scheduled, another SignUp Genius will go out to RSVP. NOTE: If there are no hosts for a particular Sunday, we will not have a euchre night on that Sunday.

OPEN FORUM HIGHLIGHTS (February)
> The new cabinets for the renovated the kitchen at the church have been ordered. We expect them to be here about April 7. Renovations will not occur until after Easter to allow us to use our existing kitchen for Lenten dinners and Easter breakfast.

> Our Evangelism & Stewardship Committees met to set up some tentative dates of interest:
          February 16 -- Come to the Table spaghetti dinner
          February 21 -- Fowling (throwing a football at bowling pins)
          March 5 -- Lenten dinners begin; six Wednesdays through April 9.
          Euchre nights -- Sunday nights from February 23 through March 30. Dates will be selected by those who volunteer to host a Euchre night. Not all dates will necessarily be selected.
          April 12 -- Easter for Kids
          April 20 -- Easter services and Easter breakfast
We welcome members to join us and to help plan these various events. Even if you take charge of one event, that will benefit us all.

> We will begin to organize efforts to produce a pictorial directory. If you are interested in helping out, speak with Pastor Schroeder. An organizational meeting will take place in March.

BIBLE MATTERS WINTER SESSION

          Bible Matters meets on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM.  We welcome all for this discussion group.  This winter’s topic will be “Jesus responds to challenges by his enemies.”  These challenges were hurled at Jesus during Holy Week in an attempt to accuse him of false teaching and practice.  A detailed schedule can be found here. 

BAD WEATHER POLICY FOR SERVICES AT GOOD SHEPHERD
          We will always have services as scheduled at Good Shepherd. Since I live across the parking lot, I can get to the church no matter how bad the weather gets. Even if the service is just me and my family, we will be here. For everyone else, please use your God-given common sense to determine whether or not you will get on the road to attend any service when the weather is bad. We don't want anyone to risk his or her life to be here. But if you do venture out, the scheduled service will take place. It may be only a handful with a cappella singing and/or spoken liturgy, but we will be here.
           Bible Classes and meetings may be canceled due to weather. Check your email regarding announcements to see if any of those scheduled events are canceled. If there is no email about it, it is not canceled. But again, use common sense to determine if you can make it, and call the pastor to let him know if you will not be coming.

GOOD SHEPHERD ON YOUTUBE
           Services are uploaded to YouTube each week. Feel free to share the videos. Here is the service from February 2, 2025: Good Shepherd Novi, Divine Service, February 2, 2025

REGULAR OFFICE HOURS

            The pastor will try to hold formal office hours Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM – Noon. It should be noted that some meetings are scheduled for those times. It is best to call or text to confirm any meetings with the pastor (248-719-5218).

INTRODUCTION VIDEO FOR GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH
          Here is a video to introduce people to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Novi. Share it as much as you can.

DO YOU LIKE US?

          Look for Good Shepherd on Facebook. Then “LIKE” us for updates and other postings. Be sure to share posts with friends.

SHARE THIS POST!
          We desire as many as possible to rejoice in the Gospel which we proclaim and confess. Share the information from our weekly email blast, links to our web page, and even to the pastor's blog to let others know that we have a space in our congregation for them!

In Christ,
Pastor Schroeder

==============================

REGULAR SCHEDULE
DIVINE SERVICES are on Sundays at 10:00 AM.
Adult Bible Class -- Sundays at 9:00 AM.  

Bible Matters -- Wednesdays at 6:30 PM.

GOOD SHEPHERD’S WEBSITE
www.GoodShepherdNovi.org

PASTOR SCHROEDER’S BLOG
www.LutheranSubject.blogspot.com 

YouTube -- Festival of the Presentation of our Lord (February 2, 2025)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, February 2, 2025.  The service from February 9 failed to record.

Sermon -- 5th Sunday after Epiphany (February 9, 2025)

ROMANS 10:12-17

IT NEEDS TO BE SAID.

In the name + of Jesus.

     There is a question that is often posed to Christians about salvation.  It goes something like this: “Is it fair that someone would go to hell just because he has never had the chance to hear about Jesus?”  It is usually a challenge, implying that God’s love is disingenuous.  The one who issues this challenge is probably not interested in hearing the word of the Lord.  Rather, such a person seeks only to exalt himself at the expense of God, believing himself to be more righteous, more loving, and more gracious.  You may have wondered about this yourself.  Maybe you have been hesitant to ask because it sounds like you are accusing God of wrong-doing.  But it is a legitimate question, asked with a genuine concern for the lost.  So, let’s consider it.  What about people who have never had the chance to hear about Jesus?  What becomes of them?  Are they automatically condemned?  Do they get a pass because they were stuck in a bad spot or lived at a bad time?

     To start answering this question, we have to remember a few key facts.  First and foremost is this: Everyone enters this world as a sinner.  Everyone begins outside the kingdom of God.  No one stands on neutral ground, much less begins in God’s good graces.  The Bible reminds us, “The mind-set of the sinful flesh is hostile to God, since it does not submit to God’s law, and in fact, it cannot.  Those who are in the sinful flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:7-8).  Sinners want to do their own thing.  Sinners lash out at God for daring to give them standards to live by.  And sinners are insulted that they should be judged by those standards.  This is everyone; for everyone enters this world a sinner.  If anyone is condemned, it is not that God expelled them from his kingdom.  They were already outside of it.  At the final judgment, they remain forever outside of it.  And yes, that is tragic.

     Another key fact is this: If anyone is going to be delivered from eternal death, God must be the one who rescues them.  We are naturally dead in sin, so God must give us new life.  We do not save ourselves.  We cannot save ourselves.  The very definition of being saved means that you are doomed if you are left alone.  Someone else must step in to prevent your doom.  That is what God has done for you.  In fact, he has done it for all mankind.  St. John wrote, “God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son” (John 3:16).  If you are in the world, then God revealed his love for you by sending Jesus Christ into the world for you.  St. John also wrote that Jesus “is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:2).  Once again, if you are in the world, then Jesus paid for your sins.  No one was left out.  Jesus’ sacrificial death satisfied God’s wrath as the full payment for all sins.  So, no one should have to perish in their sins.

     Some will reject Jesus.  They will hear his words of promise and salvation, but they won’t care.  They will learn that Jesus took away their sins, but then they will take them back.  Their problem is not ignorance, but stubborn unbelief.  Their condemnation will be without excuse.  But now what about those who never heard?  Do they get excused because they are ignorant?  Do they get to heaven if they have never had a chance to hear?  First, let’s remember that ignorance is not innocence.  They are still in their sins.  But if it is argued that people who never had a chance to hear get a free pass into heaven, then the worst thing we can do is preach the Gospel in all the world.  If the confession about Jesus can be snuffed out of existence, then no one will ever have a chance to hear.  And if that allows them a free pass into heaven, then more will be saved by not preaching the Gospel than by preaching it.  But that is not what Jesus taught. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).  Therefore Jesus gave this command: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.   Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16).  It must be said if people are to be saved.

     This is what the Lord says: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).  With Jesus Christ, there is no condemnation.  Apart from Jesus Christ, there is no salvation because there is no forgiveness for any sins.  Apart from Jesus Christ, there is no one who can pay for your sins or deliver you from death.  And this leads to another key fact: Sinners are saved only by faith in Jesus Christ.  If you are to be saved, you need to know who your Savior is.  The Lord has made that known in the Bible.  And since no one just picks up a Bible to see what it says (or, it is quite rare), it needs to be said by those who have had God’s word taught to them.

     In order for people to know God’s love for sinners, God has to make that love known.  In order to know that the payment for your sins was made, you need to know how that payment was made.  In order for you to be sure that the curse of sin has been removed and that God’s favor rests upon you, you need to know who secured that for you.  None of this can be assumed.  It needs to be said so that it can be believed.  Sinners are saved by faith in Jesus.  This “faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).  It needs to be said.

     Of course, if it needs to be said, someone has to say it.  St. Paul reasons, “How can they call on the one they have not believed in?  And how can they believe in the one about whom they have not heard?  And how can they hear without a preacher?  And how can they preach unless they are sent” (Romans 10:14-15)?  If you do have concern about people who have not had the chance to hear about Jesus, then we need to increase our efforts so that everyone does have a chance to hear about Jesus.  I suspect that you are not ready to go to distant lands to proclaim the Gospel to the lost.  But there are missionaries who do go, and we get to support them with our mission offerings.  We can pray that God will send more pastors and missionaries into the world so that more will preach and more can hear and more will believe and more will call upon the name of the Lord and be saved.  This Gospel needs to be preached for these reasons.

     It needs to be said, but don’t let your mind go only to the far reaches of the world.  The city of Novi has over 50,000 people living in it.  I can tell you that nowhere near that many are going to church.  This Gospel needs to be said to those who are in our community and among our friends.  Just because it is familiar to you, don’t think that it is known by others.  It needs to be said. 

     And do not overlook the most obvious mission field there is—your own household.  Children and grandchildren need to be taught about God’s love.  Parents have been entrusted with this most noble and essential task.  Parents are willing to do just about anything for the good of their children.  What greater good can you do for them than to bestow the gift of eternal life through the word of God?  Faith does not come through your fondness.  God’s love is not bestowed because you love someone.  It needs to be said because “faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). 

     In our Gospel, Jesus called Peter and Andrew, James and John to be fishers of men.  They were trained by Jesus for three years and were commissioned to be apostles.  None of us are apostles; but we are all confessors of God’s word.  Do not think that you are ill-equipped to speak about these things.  You know the basic facts.  All are sinners.  All need the Savior to deliver them out of sin and death.  Jesus is the Savior who suffered and died to pay for the sins of the world.  And this needs to be said so that people can hear, believe, call upon the name of the Lord, and be saved by him. 

     St. Paul encouraged the faithful preaching of God’s word, but Paul also acknowledged the sad reality: “Not all obeyed the gospel.  For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who believed our message’” (Romans 10:16)?  Even though Jesus has paid for the sins of the world and left no one out when he gave his life for that payment, many are not interested.  Some stubbornly cling to their sins.  They like them.  They will not apologize for them or repent of them.  Others insist that they are good enough and don’t need a Savior.  “If I’m a good guy and my friends say I’m a good guy, then let God judge me fairly.”  Sadly, God will honor their convictions.  If they reject the Savior, the remain outside the kingdom of God and will for all eternity.

     And for those who never hear?  By all means, pray for such people.  But rather than find fault with God that some did not hear the Gospel, our goal is make sure that all will hear about Jesus Christ.  If the Church is lax in preaching, teaching, confessing, and going into all creation to do it, it is not God’s fault that people have not heard.  We live in a day and age when God’s word is more accessible than any other time in history.  The internet allows people all over world opportunities to hear the Gospel.  The Bible has never been more accessible than at any time in history.  If you have a phone, you have a Bible at your disposal.  But for people to come to faith, the words will need to be preached.  It is a consistent truth: Faith does not come through an app.  Faith comes from hearing the message.  It needs to be said, from one person to another, and God’s people are the ones who must confess it.

     And you need to continue in it yourself.  Listen again to St. Paul’s words: “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).  That is a present tense.  Faith comes from hearing the message.  Not “faith came to you once when you heard the message.”  No, faith needs to be fed and nurtured.  A faith that is not being fed is being starved.  A plant that never receives water is going to die sooner or later.  In the same way, faith that does not hear God’s word will also die, because faith comes by hearing, is sustained by hearing, and is strengthened by hearing the message, and the message comes through the word of Christ.

     So, it needs to be said, again and again.  Just as a wife likes to hear her husband say, “I love you,” and in fact needs to hear it, so the Church needs to hear Jesus declare his love again and again.  And Jesus delights in doing it.  He knows we need to hear God’s declaration, consolation, and salvation.  He wants you to know and to believe and to be saved.  He wants this for all people because God so loved the world.  The world needs to know, so it needs to be said. 

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.