YouTube -- 1st Sunday of Advent (December 1, 2024)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, December 1, 2024.

Sermon -- 1st Sunday of Advent (December 1, 2024)

LUKE 19:28-40

BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD.

In the name + of Jesus.

      The Gospel for the first Sunday of the Church Year has historically been the account of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.  He entered Jerusalem as a king, and that is how the crowds received him.  “The whole crowd of disciples began to praise God joyfully, with a loud voice, for all the miracles they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!  Peace in heaven and glory in the highest’” (Luke 1:37-38)!  The Psalm of the Day encouraged people to receive this king willingly and gladly.  “Lift up your heads, you gates.  Lift yourselves up, you ancient doors, and the King of Glory will come in.  Who is this King of Glory?  The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle” (Psalm 24:7-8).   

     In times of war, a city would close its gates.  They would deny entrance to an approaching army while the citizens would stay inside for refuge.  The plan was to outlast the enemy, hoping that they would run out of supplies and then withdraw.  When Alexander the Great marched on cities, some kings knew that their cities could not overcome or outlast his army.  So, they opened their city gates to let him in.  They surrendered and willingly subjected themselves, hoping that Alexander the Great would treat them favorably.

     The Psalmist urged the citizens of Jerusalem to open the gates, to lift up those ancient doors, so that the King of Glory would come in.  This King is Jesus.  He came not to subject the people to cruelty and slavery, but to liberate them from their enemy.  He came to establish a kingdom of peace.  The people of Jerusalem were urged to welcome this king and receive him because he is good and because he saves.  And this, they did.  They sang his praises and thanked God for his coming.  Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.

     This is where the Psalm and Jesus’ appearance seem to be at odds with one another.  When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowds cheered him enthusiastically.  They escorted him right into Jerusalem.  But Pontius Pilate did not call upon any forces to confront him.  That’s because Jesus came into Jerusalem riding on a donkey.  He came in humility, without any military force or weaponry.  That’s not how the Psalm describes him: “Who is this King of Glory?  The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.  …Who is he, this King of Glory?  The Lord of Armies—he is the King of Glory” (Psalm 24:8,10).  The Psalm says that this king has come to do battle, and that he is the Lord of Armies. 

     So, what kind of battle is this king engaging in?  Who is his enemy?  What does he hope to gain?  And how does he hope to conquer when all he has is a donkey, and a borrowed donkey at that?

     The Passover crowd was partly right in what they hoped for from Jesus.  St. Luke said, “The whole crowd of disciples began to praise God joyfully, with a loud voice, for all the miracles they had seen” (Luke 19:37).  Part of the havoc that sin wreaks on this world are the illnesses, disabilities, and diseases that we face.  St. Luke was a physician.  He had tended to people with various ailments over his lifetime.  He did not dismiss every problem as demon-possession.  The good doctor was acquainted with the various ailments that Jesus encountered, and he identified them accordingly.  Luke recorded Jesus healing a fever (Luke 4:38-39), leprosy (Luke 5:13), paralysis (Luke 5:24-25), a withered hand (Luke 6:10), and even restoring the dead back to life (Luke 7:14-15 and Luke 8:54-55).  The crowds had seen these miraculous healings and rejoiced that the Lord had sent such great relief from suffering.  That in itself was all the reason they needed to praise him.  Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!

     But the Psalm does not praise Jesus for healing.  It identifies Jesus as a warrior who goes out to battle.  He did not ride forth on his donkey to bind wounds, but to inflict them.  He came to trample the enemy under his feet and to put the enemy to death.  “Who is this King of Glory?  The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle” (Psalm 24:8). 

     The King came to destroy the enemy who had taken his creation captive.  Satan claimed the whole world for himself when he seduced Adam and Eve into sin.  Once they had eaten the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve were controlled by sin.  Sin influenced all their motives and emotions, words and works.  And nothing has changed.  Psalm 24 asks, “Who may stand in [the Lord’s] holy place?  He who has clean hands and a pure heart, whose soul is not set on what is false, who does not swear deceitfully.” (Psalm 24:3-4).  We all have dirt on our hands.  Our hearts are unclean and uncharitable.  How much of what you do is determined by your own self interests?  If you are generous and hope to get recognition for it, is that not done for yourself?  If you are polite in order to receive special treatment in return, is that not done for yourself?  If you do good works expecting God to notice and to reward you for it, aren’t those good works done for your good?  Even our good works are not good.  Sin also produces evil thoughts, insulting words, and petty, vengeful acts in us.  The devil may plant the ideas in your head, but you are the one who willingly does them—just as Adam and Eve willingly rebelled against God.  In this way, you were held captive by the devil.  And just like the snake that he is, he wraps you up in his coils to drag you down to death.

     But see!  Your king comes to you.  The Passover crowds greeted him rightly: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!  Peace in heaven and glory in the highest’” (Luke 1:38)!  The king has come to wage the war we could not win.  He has come to conquer our foe and to set us free from this terrible captivity to sin, death, and the devil.  He has come to restore peace between God and mankind by taking away everything offensive in you.  If he takes away your sin, then the Father has no reason to be angry with you.  And you have no reason to fear or flee from the Father.  There is peace in heaven and peace on earth.  It has been secured by Jesus who has come to restore you to life, to pardon you of all guilt, and to grant you peace.  Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.

     Of course, you know how the Lord Jesus has delivered you from your enemy.  He entered Jerusalem without weaponry or military support.  He came to conquer by being slain.  He set you free by giving himself in exchange for you.  He who had clean hands had them nailed to the cross for you.  He who had a pure heart had it pierced with a spear for you.  He who did not swear by what is false silently died for every sinful syllable you have uttered.  Jesus exchanged his innocence for your guilt.  Jesus exchanged the Father’s love for his divine wrath.  Jesus gave up his life and cast himself into death. 

     Satan thought he could possess the entire human race if he put the Son of God to death.  But in doing so, Satan produced his own defeat.  Jesus’ death paid for the sins of all mankind.  The Father’s wrath was emptied out upon Jesus.  But because he suffered and died in innocence, the perfectly obedient Son who did the will of his Father, death was not able to keep him.  Jesus burst forth out of the grave.  Jesus left the battlefield alive and victorious over sin, death, and the devil.  Satan is as powerless as a corpse on the field of battle.  The devil’s reign of terror has ended.  Jesus has established a kingdom of peace. 

     Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.  Jesus came in the name of the Lord to win back all the people who were taken captive by Satan.  The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle has won you for himself.  You are now his prize, his cherished possession, the object of his affection.  Your Lord, Jesus Christ, lives and reigns for you.  Jesus has established a kingdom in which he gives new life to all who believe in him—a life of peace with God, a life of peace in a world of strife, and a peace that will go on into eternal life. 

     Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.  He still comes to you as God’s word is preached and his sacraments are administered.  We come with our hearts flung wide open to gratefully receive our Savior-King and the blessings he brings to us.  We still sing the song of the Passover pilgrims when our Lord is about to give us his body and blood.  “Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”  Our King comes to us humbly veiled in bread and wine.  He comes to save us.  He makes us participants in his death and resurrection.  The sinful self is put to death, and the new creation is raised up to live before God in righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.  Jesus has revealed his salvation which allows us to go through life and even to depart from this life in peace.

     Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.  He comes and gives us his words of truth so that we remain faithful to him.  Our King guides us so that we are no longer seduced by the devil’s cunning lies.  Our King corrects us so that we flee from the sins which would take us captive again.  Our King consoles us so that we are not overcome by the sorrows of this world.  Our King encourages us to continue in good works even when they are not acknowledged or appreciated.  Even though we appear humble and weak—just as Jesus appeared riding on a donkey—our King leads us triumphantly through life.  For our King reigns, and our glory will be revealed in the kingdom to come.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 

     The King of Glory came into this world as a humble servant who lived and died to win us for himself.  The King of Glory comes to us regularly when we gather in his name to receive his good gifts.  The King of Glory will come again to judge the living and the dead.  Then, his glory will be evident to all.  And when all people see him, they will have no choice but to bend the knee to King Jesus.  Not only will this be our choice, it will be our delight to bend the knee before King Jesus.  After all, it is our joy to do it now.  Our King will open the gates to his heavenly kingdom so that we may come in and dwell with him forever.  We will forever declare him blessed; and to our endless joy, he will call us blessed, too.

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

YouTube -- 1st Sunday in Advent (December 3, 2023)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, December 3, 2023.

Sermon -- 1st Sunday in Advent (December 3, 2023)

MARK 11:1-10

SEE HOW YOUR KING COMES TO YOU.

In the name + of Jesus.

     We have begun a new church year.  It is our annual walk through the life of Jesus Christ.  The words and works of Jesus are the focal point of our faith.  They are the source of our forgiveness and the reason for our salvation.  So, again we ponder Jesus’ coming (Advent), Jesus’ birth (Christmas), Jesus being revealed as the Christ, the Son of the Living God (Epiphany), Jesus’ sufferings and death (Lent), Jesus’ resurrection (Easter), Jesus ascending to heaven and seated at the right hand of God (Ascension), and Jesus pouring out his Holy Spirit to gather people into the Church (Pentecost).  This review keeps us mindful of all that Jesus has done to secure our eternal life with him.  While there are many parts of Scripture to supply practical advice and can prove beneficial to us, salvation does not come through practical advice.  It comes only through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.  If this does not remain central to our worship, we will end up focusing on the wrong things.

     Today’s Gospel reading details Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.  That is the first day of Holy Week, more than three decades removed from the Bethlehem manger.  If it seems like our timing is off, it’s because we know that Jesus did not enter the world as a thirty-three-year-old man.  He entered the world as all people do—by a mother giving birth to him.  But we focus on Jesus’ Palm Sunday entry into Jerusalem to remember why Jesus came: He came to suffer and to die.  He came as a sin offering for all people.  See how your king comes to you.

     The crowds who welcomed Jesus were very enthusiastic.  They surrounded Jesus in his procession down the Mount of Olives and up the hill into the city.  “Those who went before and those who followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!  Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!  Hosanna in the highest’” (Mark 11:9-10)!  Jesus was received as a king.  He was not the first king to enter Jerusalem, however.

     Jerusalem had seen its share of kings come through.  The first was David who established Jerusalem as his city and made Israel a great power.  Other kings followed David.  Some were good; some were bad.  Years later, King Jehoash (1 Kings 14) from the northern tribes of Israel came to Jerusalem and tore down a large portion of their city wall, leaving the city unprotected.  Later, King Sennacherib of Assyria surrounded Jerusalem.  He was prepared to destroy it, but the Lord provided relief.  Then Nebuchadnezzar leveled the city and reduced it to ashes.  Later the Greeks came, then the Romans.  Jerusalem had seen a fair number of kings come to their city.  More often than not, it spelled bad news.

     What would a king want with Jerusalem?  To establish power.  To demand tribute.  To subjugate its people.  Why else would kings advance their own kingdoms?  They seek to dominate as much as they can to satisfy their insatiable appetites.  So, when kings came to Jerusalem, they came to overpower, to exact tribute, to demand allegiance, and if negotiations failed, to go to war, to destroy, and to kill.  From Nebuchadnezzar, to Xerxes, to Alexander the Great, to Caesar Augustus, and even to Herod the Great, that was the goal.  See how those kings came.

     Now see how your King comes to you.  If Jesus had intended to strike fear into the hearts of the people and the powers of Jerusalem, he did a terrible job of it.  Jesus did not come with an armed guard; he came with twelve disciples.  Jesus did not come with a war cry; he was surrounded by singing.  Jesus did not come with a battle-tested horse eager to charge.  He came on a donkey, and a borrowed one at that.  Jesus did not come to declare war, but to bring peace.  And he did not come to slaughter, but to be slain.  See how your King comes to you.

     The crowds sang their praises.  “Hosanna!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!  Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!  Hosanna in the highest” (Mark 11:9-10).  Jesus did come to establish a kingdom.  He came to be exalted to a throne, and his position would be superior to every power and authority that exists.  Jesus is the Lord God Almighty.  He came in the name of the Lord to do the work of the Lord.  It was not a lust for power; he already had that.  Jesus did not come to take prisoners, but to release us from sin and death.  See how your King comes to you, and why.

     Many people do not want a king.  We enjoy our freedoms which allow us to mock our leaders and protest against their laws.  If enough people demand it, laws get changed.  It had been ensconced in the constitution of the state of Michigan that abortions were illegal.  To perform one or to obtain one was criminal.  But a referendum on the ballot just a few years ago not only made abortions permissible, they made them a guaranteed constitutional right.  There are other examples where laws have been completely reversed because people’s ideas of good and evil have changed.  (To be fair, some reversals have been evils that were corrected.)  But when people’s morals and ideals change, we can get our laws changed.

     This is not the case under kings.  If you lived under a king, you would not have the liberty to mock him or protest his laws.  That would be met with swift and brutal retaliation.  The word of the king is final.  In the days of Daniel, his enemies tried to remove him not just from office but from the face of the earth.  They recognized that the only way to trap him would have to do with his faith.  They hatched a plan that no one should pray to any god other than King Darius for 30 days.  This flattered King Darius who believed that he was at least partially divine.  They said, “Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked” (Daniel 6:8).  This was the policy—that a law drafted by the Medes and Persians could never be altered.  After all, to revoke the law would suggest that the king made a mistake.  And if the king is divine, there is no way he could admit a mistake.  Such is the nature of kings.

      Now, if an earthly king’s word could not be altered or repealed, how much more firm is the word from the King of heaven and earth!  The laws of the Medes and Persians came to an end when their empire was conquered by another king.  But the kingdom of God will never be overthrown.  Therefore, his word endures forever.  As Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).  God’s word and God’s will are eternal, unalterable, and irrepealable.  That’s because the Lord does not change.

     Since he is King of heaven and earth, all people are subject to his word.  Complaining about the word of the Lord will not change it.  Protesting God’s Commandments or mocking the Lord who gave them will only incur the King’s wrath.  We can complain that God’s word is hard to do.  We can insist that we have found a better way.  We can even argue that the Lord is not our King if we don’t like what he has to say.  None of that changes his word.  None of that excuses us from keeping it.  And none of that terminates the King’s rule.  So, what does a king do to traitors and rebels?  He will deliver a crushing, damning blow to all who have fought against him, turned away from him, or have failed to serve him.  This is why Sennacherib attacked Jerusalem, and why Nebuchadnezzar and the Romans destroyed it.

     But see how your King comes to you.  Jesus shows you the heart of the Father.  “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).  God the Father gave his Son to death.  Jesus came willingly and knowingly to Jerusalem to be the sin offering which appeases the wrath of God and which atones for all sins.  The eternal judgment deserved by sinners would be taken by the eternal Son.

     What a marvel!  Kings do not go forth to die for their subjects; kings send their subjects forth to die for them.  But see how your King comes to you!  He comes meekly so that you will not fear him.  He comes humbly so that he may serve you.  He comes as a lamb to the slaughter—the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  Your King comes to be slain, to appease God’s wrath, and to satisfy all the demands of God’s Law.  In doing so, he brings you pardon and peace.  He who went into death for you has conquered death for you, too.  Jesus lives and he reigns eternally over all things.  And he lives and reigns to serve you, to bless you, and to save you.

     See how your King comes to you.  Jesus still comes to you in the Holy Sacrament.  When we celebrate it, we join in the songs of the worshipers of old: “Hosanna!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!  … Hosanna in the highest” (Mark 11:9-10)!  For he comes to us in the name of the Lord.  Jesus is the Lord, and he comes to do the Lord’s work: to save sinners.  So, the Lord comes to us in bread and wine, declaring, “This is my body.  This is my blood.”  He still veils his glory here, but he delivers all he has won for you.  The body that bore your sins is given to you for your pardon.  The blood which was shed for you is given to you to grant you peace.  See how your King comes to you—to bless and to save, and to establish an eternal kingdom of life and peace.

     When we enter a new calendar year, the first page on your calendar says “January.”  It is named after a mythical god, Janus.  Janus is depicted as having two faces—one looking forward and one looking backward.  Well, we have entered a new Church year.  We do not honor Janus, but we do copy his image in that we look forward and we look backward to prepare for Jesus’ coming.  We look backward to marvel how our King first came to us.  He came in humility to suffer and die in order to redeem us from sin and death.  But we also look forward.  We know that Jesus will come again.  This time, he will come in glory to judge the living and the dead.  Thanks to Jesus’ first coming, we no longer fear his second coming.  Rather, we sing and yearn and pray for it.

     See how your King comes to you.  He will come again.  As we look backward, we cry, “Hosanna in the highest!”  As we look forward, we pray, “Come, Lord Jesus.”  And he will. 

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

YouTube -- 1st Sunday of Advent (November 27, 2022)

Here is the service from Sunday, November 27, 2022.  It was led by Good Shepherd's elders.  Thank you for covering for me while I was away at my father's funeral.

YouTube -- 1st Sunday in Advent (November 28, 2021)

Here is the service from November 28, 2021.  We had some issues with the recording, so it does not begin until the Psalm of the Day.

Sermon -- 1st Sunday of Advent (November 28, 2021)

LUKE 21:25-36

THE LORD WILL COME.  KEEP WATCH.

In the name + of Jesus.

     Every generation makes the same assessment: “I can’t imagine the world getting any worse than it already is.”  Previous generations said it, and they all had their reasons—depression, plague, dust bowl, World War, atomic bombs, and so on.  Add to that the continual warnings about pollution, global climate change, increased wildfires, and intense weather.  You can debate what is the cause of these things or the sanity of the proposed solutions, but the increase in the destructive elements on earth seems to be true.  I don’t know if the world is actually getting worse, or if the 24-hour news cycle makes us more aware of what has always been a mess.  In either case, the world is a place filled with many evils, and it all gives us a lot to pray about.

     Jesus has told you about these things in advance; so you should not be surprised by them.  Bothered by them?  Sure.  We are grieved by much of what we witness going on.  Who wouldn’t be?  But do not get the idea that the decline and the decay of the world mean that God has lost control.  His forewarning is proof that he is in control.  He told you these things would happen.  But Jesus also gives you this instruction: Keep watch.  The world will pass away, but the Lord will come again, so keep watch.

     The big question then is this: What are you watching?  What are you paying attention to?  The magicians Penn and Teller gave an instruction course on how to do sleight of hand tricks.  As Penn was juggling three balls, he commented, “This is not juggling; this is distraction.”  He gets you to focus on Penn, the juggler, and not on Teller, the trickster.  Many of the people and events we pay attention to are often distractions.  Granted, they have some degree of importance, but you notice that Christians do not gather to break down issues with economics, with the environment, with terrorism, with law and order, with racism, and so on.  Politicians will play on these when it is convenient to score points with them.  These are not useless, but neither do they save anyone; and they take our attention away from the word of the Lord which actually does save.  Everything else will pass away.  If you become distracted by worldly matters, you will pass away with them.  Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Luke 21:33).  That is your only hope, but it is a sure hope.  The Lord will come.  Keep watch.

     In St. Luke’s gospel, Jesus depicts the entire creation beginning to unravel.  “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world.  For the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Luke 21:25-26).  This kind of warning is unnerving for anyone.  This goes beyond concern for the economy, for the environment, or for ecosystems.  This is the entire created order falling apart.  And if it does, where can we go?

     If everything you love and care about is worldly, there can be no more terrifying news that hearing that the world will fall apart.  Action films and sci-fi films often depict natural disasters that threaten to wipe out entire cities, nations, and even the whole world.  The happy ending is that some people manage to find a way to limit the damage or to escape the carnage.  On the one hand, it demonstrates a strong desire for people to live even through suffering.  On the other hand, it also shows people want to save this world or their life in it.  So, if losing the world is the greatest threat, Jesus’ words of warning are terrible news, indeed.

     But dear friends in Christ, these words are not bad news for you.  You have already known the bad news which is the reason for the end of the world and the judgment of mankind.  The bad news is that this world fell under judgment almost as soon as God had created it.  “Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).  Because of sin, we continue to be influenced and led astray by our wallet, our stomach, our groin, and our ego.  Even though Christ has redeemed us, we are still drawn back to our sins.  If we do not remove them from our lives, they will take root in us and ensnare us all over again.  Therefore, keep watch of that!  It is because of sin that judgment is coming upon the world.  The Lord will come; keep watch.

     Of course, sin and death affected more than just mankind.  Everything fell under the curse of sin.  The Bible reminds us, “The creation was subjected to futility” (Romans 8:20).  The destructive forces of nature are nothing new.  We do not need to be alarmed if they grow more frequent and more intense because Jesus told us what to make of these things: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.  As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near.  So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near” (Luke 21:29-31).  Those who do not listen to Jesus will panic at these things.  You do not need to.  On the contrary, you can actually regard these things as good news.  For, Jesus told you: “When these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28).  The Lord will come.  Keep watch!

     Jesus blesses you with sweet comfort and assurance.  He tells you that your redemption is drawing near.  One the one hand, Jesus has already taken care of your redemption.  He has redeemed you a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won you from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with his holy, precious blood and with his innocent sufferings and death.  Jesus’ redemption means that your sins have been pardoned; the debt has been paid.  Jesus’ redemption means that death has received its wages; the Son of God was given into death for you.  But death could not hold him in.  Jesus lives and reigns, and now death submits to him.  Jesus’ redemption means that the devil cannot hold your sins against you.  The Accuser must be silent; for Jesus lives to decree forgiveness of your sins.  Your redemption was accomplished by Jesus’ death and resurrection.

     But a further redemption is coming.  The Lord does not treat us as our sins deserve, but we still have sins we contend with.  We still have a sinful world which produces frustration, pain, loss, sorrow, violence, and death.  Oh, how we long to be free of these things!  Keep watch!  The Lord will come with your final redemption.  The corrupted world will be made new.  And you will be renewed to live without sin.  You will not be pestered by temptations or disappointed that you have failed to live the life you want to.  You will never have reason to be ashamed of your behavior or regret a word spoken in anger.  You will be perfected in glory and delivered to a world perfected in glory.  The Lord will come again, and you will bid Farewell to a world and a life that is full of sorrow, pain, rejection, stress, and death.

     The Lord will come.  Keep watch.  And make sure that you are keeping watch on the right things.  Jesus let you know that the natural disturbances are coming.  You don’t need to worry about those.  But he tells you what you do need to pay attention to: “Watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.  For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:34-36)

     The Lord will come; keep watch so that you do not get distracted or deceived by worldly concerns or fears.  Jesus noted that many people deal with their worries, fears, and stress by intoxication.  Not knowing how to deal with the problems that overwhelm them, they try to find an escape through a drunken stupor.  Of course, mind-altering substances do not take any problems away.  They prevent you from actually addressing the problem.

     Jesus tells you how to address the worries, fears, and stress you have.  He tells you to call upon him in prayer and to pay attention to his words.  Your salvation will not be altered by tidal waves, by biological warfare, or by cosmic disturbances.  Your place in the kingdom of God is not changed by stress or hardship.  You are a child of God even with depression, dementia, or a mental disorder.  You don’t need to worry about these things.  Let God worry about them; he is in control anyway.  What will threaten your faith is if you stop paying attention to the word of the Lord.  Your salvation can be lost if you give yourself over to the sins you find so attractive.  So, keep watch against these things.

     Satan wants to make every sin look good and good for you.  Satan might even promise you the world.  But even if he does remember: “Heaven and earth will pass away” (Luke 21:33).  Everything that sin promises you ends up in death.  But if you are listening to the word of the Lord, you will not be deceived by the devil’s cunning arguments.  The Lord is your refuge in times of trial and tribulation and death.  For, Jesus lives and reigns over all things.  If you are in his care, you are truly safe.  So, keep watch.  The Lord will come.

     “But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36).  The fact is that all people will have to stand before the Son of Man.  If it is your practice to flee to Jesus Christ now, you will rejoice to see him when he comes again in glory.  You will lift up your head in joy to see the Savior who has rescued you from all divine wrath and punishment.  The Lord will come.  Keep watch for him.

     I can’t imagine the world getting any worse than it already is.  Maybe it will.  Who knows?  But the kingdom of God is in great shape.  Jesus lives and reigns and works all things for your eternal good.  He assures you, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Luke 21:33).  So keep watch.  Be vigilant.  And finally, rejoice.  Your redemption is drawing nigh.  The Lord will come.

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

YouTube -- 1st Sunday in Advent (November 29, 2020)

 Here is the service from Sunday, November 29.

Sermon -- 1st Sunday in Advent (November 29, 2020)

ISAIAH 63:16b-17; 64:1-8

COME DOWN AND FIX THIS.

In the name + of Jesus.

      The prophet Isaiah preached some of the most beautiful messages of hope in the Old Testament.  Sadly, much of his original audience did not listen.  They were more concerned about the surrounding nations who were posing a threat.  Border nations pestered them.  Syria, which was farther away, had ravaged them.  And the kingdom of Assyria, who was the world power at the time, had taken the northern tribes into captivity.  They had demanded the surrender of Jerusalem as well, but Jerusalem was spared—for the time being.  In the midst of this unrest, Isaiah called Judah and Jerusalem to repent.  But whenever the people were granted relief, they returned to their self-centered pursuits.  They did not listen to God's word or live by God's Commandments.

     The message of God's prophets was consistent: If you will not repent, the Lord will sweep away the southern tribes of Israel as he did the north.  But long before God fulfilled that threat by calling on the Babylonians to take the kingdom of Judah captive, he already had Isaiah promising the return of a remnant to Jerusalem.  Of course, people who did not take seriously the threat of captivity would also not care about messages of a return.  So, despite the comfort Isaiah was giving, it was ignored.

     Toward the end of his prophecy, it seems as if Isaiah has had it.  He cries out, “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence—as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil—to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence!” (Isaiah 64:1-2)  Isaiah's plea was this: Lord, come down and fix this!

     Isaiah yearned for the Lord to take away the threats of the nations.  They had no fear for the Lord, no faith in God's promises, and no respect for God's people.  It was not the first time that Israel had faced that.  And in former days, the Lord had stepped in to deliver his people.  Isaiah had hoped to see it again.  Come down and fix this!  “When you did awesome things that we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.” (Isaiah 64:3)  

     Lord, come down and fix this, like when you divided the Red Sea so that Israel could cross to safety on dry ground, and so that those same waters would come back to drown the enemies of God's people.  Lord, come down and fix this, like when you destroyed Jericho, the strongest city in the Promised Land.  The walls collapsed and, Lord, you gave Israel the victory over their enemies.  Lord, you had acted in marvelous, miraculous ways before.  Why not now?  The nations threaten your people; Lord, come down and fix this!

     Sadly, Isaiah knew that the problem was not really with the nations around Israel.  It was with the people in Israel.  Those who were supposed to be God's people were living under great presumptions.  They assumed they had a divine right to peace and prosperity.  They assumed that being God's chosen people gave them license to live as they pleased.  They had stopped listening to God's word.  As a result, they were neither seeking God's will nor walking in God's ways.  Isaiah acknowledged that Israel had no right to expect anything good from God anymore.  Isaiah declared, “Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?  We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.  We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.  There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.” (Isaiah 64:5-7)

     The prayer of Isaiah remained the same: “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down.” (Isaiah 64:1)  Come down and fix this.  And it remains the prayer of many Christians today.  We wring our hands over a world which ignores God's word and lives in rebellion against it.  Our society has shifted dramatically over what is considered moral and decent.  Morality is considered being true to your desires, no matter how perverse they are.  Being decent is to applaud when people do whatever they want, or at least to shut up if you think it is wrong.  If you do not pray for your children and your families and guide them so that God would preserve them from adopting this spirit, then you underestimate how much this spirit influences us all.  God's word is being shouted down by people who are trying to establish a different truth.  And whoever will not confess our society's truth is in danger of being excommunicated from society.  For many, being rejected by the world is just too great a price to pay to remain one of God's people.

     “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down.” (Isaiah 64:1)  Lord, come down and fix this!  Of course, we deceive ourselves if we think the problems are limited to unbelievers.  Isaiah recognized that God's people had been lulled into apathy concerning God's truth.  They were convinced that they were fine, but did not mean they were.  The same problems remain with us.  Isaiah confesses what all God's people should: “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” (Isaiah 64:6)  If our righteous deeds are polluted, that means the best we have to give is soiled before God.  

     We are not God's people because we have cleaned ourselves up and gotten our heads right.  None of us has overcome our sins.  Whose heart is free from jealousy, worry, or anger?  Who eyes haven't gone willfully blind to the sins of loved ones because we fear losing them more than denying God's word?  Even our best acts are corrupted.  Who hasn't assumed a heavenly reward is deserved for doing no more than God commands?  Shall we be saved when we think of ourselves more highly than we ought?  And shall we be saved when we sneer at others who are deceived by lies?  And shall we be saved when we return to our pet sins?  When we cry out, “Lord, come down and fix this!” are we begging God to fix someone else and not us?  Repent; for you and I cannot fix ourselves, let alone anything else.

     “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down.” (Isaiah 64:1)  Lord, come down and fix this!  Our appeal is not because we are worthy or even good.  We appeal because he is our Father, because he is merciful, because he is good, and because we are the works of his hands.  Isaiah makes a similar appeal.  “You, O Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name.” (Isaiah 63:16)  “From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.” (Isaiah 64:4)  If God is our Father, then he will naturally have a love for his children.  And he does.  In love for sinners, our Father has sought to redeem us.  He sends down his Son, and it is the Son who fixes all things.

     God the Son, however, does not rend the heavens and make the nations shutter in fear.  Granted, ruling over people constant threats can produce a better behaved world.  One example is from what is now Romania.  In the mid-1400's, the prince of Wallachia was able to boast of the obedience of his people.  In the middle of town, he had supplied a cup of gold for drawing water from the well.  No one ever stole the cup.  Such restraint suggests a people who lived in great peace and contentment.  The reality is that the punishment for breaking any of the nation's laws resulted in painful and gruesome death.  The ruler is known to us as Vlad the Impaler because impaling people was his preferred method of punishing wrong-doers.  Now, you could argue that Vlad the Impaler fixed the problems of crime in Wallachia, but is that how you want to live?

     When the Son of God came down to fix all things, he came quietly, humbly, and meekly.  His goal is not to scare you into submission.  That may fix your behavior, but not your heart.  Therefore, he takes away all sin and the curse that is deserved because of it.  Jesus has made your sins, in fact the sins of the world, his own.  “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2)  The propitiation means that God's wrath has been diverted from you to Jesus.  Jesus Christ has delivered you from the curse of sin so that you are not condemned.  He assumed your curse, your death, and your hell.  He has fixed your status so that you are a forgiven child of God.  Therefore, he has also fixed your eternal judgment.  You are destined for eternal peace and glory.

     “Come down and fix this,” we cry.  And he still does.  Once again, he does not rend the heavens apart and terrify you.  He comes to you in a word which is preached by a fallible man who knows what it is to be a sinner and what it means to be forgiven.  He comes to you in the waters of Holy Baptism which washes away sin and which works in you a new nature which is no longer ruled by sin.  He comes to you in bread and wine by which he gives you the body and blood which has atoned for all sin and which has overcome death and the grave.  In feasting on this holy food, he grants forgiveness of sins, a new life of joyful obedience, and everlasting salvation.  In this way, he fixes you.  He restores your relationship with God the Father, and he renews your spirit so that you delight in what is good and crave what is holy.

     If you crave what is holy, then you crave Jesus, and you desire to be with him.  For, Jesus opens heaven to you.  And there with Jesus, all things are fixed and forever perfect.  For now, we cling to Jesus and await his return from there.  On the Last Day, Jesus will come down, and the heavens will be rent asunder.  The earth will not only quake, it will be refined by fire.  All things will be fixed—restored to the perfection they were first created with.  All enemies against God and his word will be cast away.  All of God's word will be vindicated and upheld.  All impurities will be purged out.  And our cries will no longer be for relief, but for joy.

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

Sermon -- 1st Sunday in Advent (December 1, 2019)

MATTHEW 21:1-11

THE SAVIOR COMES: REMEMBER WHY.

In the name + of Jesus.

     One of the blessings of our liturgical tradition is that we listen to readings which keep us focused on Jesus Christ. This year, the Gospels will mainly be from St. Matthew.  St. Matthew's Gospel proclaims to us that Jesus is the Messiah who was promised repeatedly by Moses and the Prophets.  We have an example of St. Matthew's focus in today's Gospel lesson when he notes: “This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet...” (Matthew 21:4)
    Our liturgical tradition also observes a Church Year.  The benefit of this is that we review the life of Jesus year after year.  The Bible reminds us: “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)  If salvation is found in no one else, then we do well to keep our focus on Jesus.  So, year after year, we review Jesus' coming, his birth, his being revealed as the Christ, his sufferings, death, resurrection, and ascension.  And of course, we remember that he will come again to judge the living and the dead.  So now we have begun a new church year.  We have begun the season of Advent.  The word Advent means “coming,” and we remember that the Savior is coming. 
     If today's Gospel seems out of place, it is because it takes place during Holy Week.  It is not about a maiden in Nazareth, shepherds in the fields, or a hay-filled manger in Bethlehem.  This is Jesus' Palm Sunday entry into Jerusalem.  We begin the Church Year remembering why the Savior comes.  He does not come merely to be born or to be swaddled.  He comes as a man to suffer and die.  He comes to make a sacrifice—to BE the sacrifice—for sinners.  If he does not come for that reason, we have no reason to be here.  But the Savior comes.  As he enters Jerusalem, we remember why.
     The crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!  Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9)  The praise of the crowds was right, but their expectations were wrong.  The crowds were waiting for the Messiah, which was right; but the crowds were wrong about what the Messiah had come to do.  The crowds had hoped for a Messianic kingdom where everything was marked by success, peace, glory, and prosperity.  The coming of the Messiah was to mean the end of wars, the end of poverty, the end of disease, and the end of struggles.  Strangers would always be kind, the elderly would be vibrant and strong, and the children would all have straight teeth.  Jesus was expected to brush away all sin and evil with the wave of his hand and to keep it away by a rule of glorious power.  It is a wonderful thought, but anyone who was expecting it to take place was going to have their hopes dashed.
     The Savior comes: Remember why.  We also are susceptible to false expectations.  With Christmas coming, everything is supposed to be cheery.  Everyone is supposed to be kind and generous and happy.  The problems are supposed to go away because—well, “the meaning of Christmas” and all that.  That works well on the Hallmark Channel, but if you expect things to be that wonderful, you will be sorely disappointed.  The holiday season usually intensifies our pains, sorrows, and losses.  We have been led to believe that tragedies are not supposed to happen around the holidays, but they do.  The world is corrupt, and bad things happen.  All of it heightens our awareness that the world is evil, and that we are marked with sin and death.  Life is not properly pictured by Hallmark Christmas specials or Thomas Kinkade paintings.  Life is pock-marked with sorrow, toil, and trouble.  Add to that the sorrow and regret from our own sins and the consequences we have to live with—relationships still strained, grudges still held, reputations still tarnished.  This is what we long to be saved from, and not just for the holiday season.  Good news: You have a Savior.  Your Savior comes: Remember why.
     The crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!  Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9)  The Son of David comes in the name of the Lord.  He comes to do the Lord's work, which is to save and to comfort sinners.  He comes in answer to the prayer of the Palm Sunday pilgrims, “Hosanna!”  Just as “Alleluia” is more than a word we say (it means “Praise the Lord”), so it is with “Hosanna!”  It means “Save us, now!” or “Save us, we pray!”  And that is exactly what Jesus comes to do.  The Savior comes: Remember why.
     The crowds called Jesus the “Son of David.”  While that refers to his lineage, it is more.  It is a specific title that refers to the Lord's Anointed.  And it fulfills what David was anointed to do.  Immediately after David was anointed by Samuel, Israel was lined up for war against the Philistine nation.  Their champion, Goliath, mocked God's people and God himself.  He challenged Israel to put forth their best soldier to face him, one-on-one.  Although he was the unlikeliest of warriors, David went forth.  Filled with the Holy Spirit, David single-handedly faced Israel's enemy and slew him.  He cut off Goliath's head as a show of absolute victory.
     The Savior comes: Remember why!  Your enemy, the devil, continues to mock you and your God.  He accuses you of sin, and you have no defense.  You and I are guilty.  The devil mocks your desire to put off your sins and to live godly lives.  He tells you that it is not worth the fight.  Billy Joel was not the first one to say it is better to laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints.  Our sinful flesh agrees, thinking that reveling in sin would be more fun.  Fighting against temptation is hard; giving in is easier.  Our enemy, the devil, seeks to devour us, and he mocks us as we strive for godliness.
     But the Savior comes!  Remember why!  He is anointed to go forth and face our enemy on our behalf.  He takes up the fight for us, and single-handedly faces the devil.  It seemed the unlikeliest of victories.   In order to defeat the devil, Jesus had to fall to Satan's greatest weapons—sin and death.  Jesus went forth, carrying our sins to the cross and gave his life into death for us.  He entered Jerusalem like a Lamb being led to the slaughter—and, indeed—he was!  The Savior comes: Remember why!  He comes to make the sacrifice—to BE the sacrifice—which atones for our sins. 
     It was the unlikeliest of victories.  For us to be found innocent, Jesus had to be guilty. To win forgiveness, Jesus had to be condemned.  To achieve glory, Jesus had to suffer great shame.  To bring healing, Jesus had to be stricken, smitten, and afflicted.  To gain life, Jesus had to die.  He took everything the devil had to dish out; for, he bore the sins of the whole world.
     God the Son died on behalf of all the sons of men.  Having died on behalf of sinners, Jesus proved that the payment has been made in full for you.  He rose from the dead.  He crushed the serpent's head to demonstrate full victory.  He descended into hell, the home territory of the devil, to preach to him: “I am the living one.  I have conquered death and now I hold the keys to death and Hades.  And those whom you had held captive by their sins, I have freed.  Those whom you have mocked now get to mock you; for your accusations are empty and your temptations are now exposed as lies.  I have redeemed these people.  My victory is their victory.  Their sins are taken away.  Their graves are mere resting places.  In the end, they will be empty.  Their eternal salvation is secure; for it is held by me, and I live and reign forever for them.”
     The Savior comes: Remember why!  The Son of David been anointed to slay the enemy of God's people, and he has.  The cries of “Hosanna!” have been heard and answered.  God's people are saved.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; for Jesus has done the Lord's work.  And he continues to come to you.  He continues to come in answer to your Hosanna's as he enters our midst in bread and wine to grant us the body and blood which have overcome death.  He comes to us so that we, too, will overcome death.
     The Savior comes: Remember why!  The crowds expected glory the moment Jesus entered Jerusalem.  Their hopes were not off, but the timing was.  The day will come when all things will be right, and it is when our Savior comes again.  Soon, he will come to deliver us from all sin and problems.  He will bring us out of death and sin to live in glory with him forevermore.  The cries of Hosanna will be answered for all eternity.  For now, we continue to sing “Hosanna” waiting for that day.  And we gather around his altar to prepare for it.  For the Savior comes, and we gather in the name of the Lord to remember why.

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

Sermon -- 1st Sunday of Advent (December 2, 2018)

LUKE 21:25-36

KEEP WATCH; FOR YOUR 

REDEMPTION IS NEAR!

In the name + of Jesus.

     The Lord gives some specific instruction about the end of the world and what we can expect.  It is unnerving.  Basically, the creation will unravel and become unglued.  Jesus tells us that this will be more than a severe hurricane season or tsunami that follows an undersea earthquake.  This will be something that affects the entire world.  And all the people in the world will be in terror and panic because of it.  They won't know what is going on or why.  No doubt, there will be plans to fix it, but it will not work.  As the creation dies, the nations will be “fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world.” (Luke 21:26) 
     This could also produce fear and panic in us as well.  This world is the only home we've known, and to see it fall apart—literally—would be disturbing.  But there is a great difference between you and the rest of the world.  You know it is coming, you know why it is coming, and you know what will come with it. 
     Jesus tells you, “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth...” (Matthew 21:25)  For many people, it will look like utter chaos.  But Jesus has foretold you so that you will know better.  These are signs.  They proclaim that the Lord's return is imminent.  But while many will be doubled over in fear, Jesus urges you: “When these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:28)  You know it is coming, you know why it is coming, and you know what will come with it.  Keep watch; for your redemption is near!
     Jesus tells you what is to come on the earth so that you will not be surprised when it comes, and so that you will prepare for the Last Day.  But it is more.  These signs show us that Jesus will come to deliver us from this sinful, broken world forever.  As these things are happening, all “will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” (Luke 21:27)  He will come again to judge the living and the dead.  And just as you need not fear the world falling apart, so you need not fear Jesus coming to judge; for, he has already delivered your judgment.
     Jesus came to earth long ago to rescue you from the horrors of death and judgment.  To rescue you from the power of death, Jesus went into death for you.  To rescue you from the curse of judgment and the fear of damnation, Jesus was damned at the cross for you.  The fear of death is that we don't know what is coming.  But you do—you are delivered from this world of sin to the joyful presence of the Lord.  You are taken from sorrow and stress to the peace and rest of heaven.  The fear of Judgment Day is the terror of being banished to hell fire because you have not been good enough.  And you and I know we have not been.  But Jesus has taken all guilt from you.  Jesus has cleansed you of sin in your baptism, continues to declare you forgiven through holy absolution, and feeds you his body and blood for the forgiveness of your sins and the strengthening of your faith.  So, if you fear the judgment, then flee to holy absolution to hear your Savior's verdict again: “I forgive you.”  Flee to this altar to receive the body and blood which have paid for sin and conquered death.  Your redemption is very near—for it comes through these things.  And it puts an end to all fear, terror, and doubt. 
     This is why the Christian Church repeats the final prayer of the Bible over and over again: “Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:20)  While the thoughts of the end of the world may be unnerving with all of the chaos of creation falling apart, you need not fear it.  For, you know it is coming, you know why it is coming, and you know what will come with it.  Yes, the world will come to an end, but that also means all of your troubles come to an end with it.  So keep watch; for your redemption is near. 
     The prayer of the Church is always that Jesus comes again to bring us to the heavenly home he prepares for us.  And it is essential that we devote ourselves to prayer and watchfulness.  Jesus urges us twice in this reading to be alert: “Watch yourselves.  Stay awake.” (Luke 21:34,36)  Keep watch, “lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.” (Luke 21:34)  There is always a temptation to grow disinterested in Jesus and his return.  After all, it has been almost 2,000 years since Jesus ascended into heaven.  Though he has promised to return, and though he issues the warnings to us in our Gospel, it is easy to dismiss them.  We hear the world mock, as St. Peter writes, “Scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.  They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming?  For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” (2 Peter 3:4,5)  And we acknowledge, “You know, that's true.”  Nevertheless, Jesus urges, “Keep watch; for your redemption is near.”
     If you need further warning, consider the story of Lot.  He was Abraham's nephew who moved from the tents of a nomadic shepherd into the big city.  As with most big cities, Sodom would have been home to a lot of action—shopping, trade, entertainment, and so on.  Lot and his family settled in at Sodom and made themselves active members of their community.  But since Sodom was a wicked city, the Lord was going to destroy it with fire.  He sent angels to tell Lot to leave the city with his family.  Instead, Lot went to bed.  In the early morning, the angels told him to go and flee.  Lot dragged his feet.  Finally, the angels took him and his family by the hand and thrust them out of the city and told them, “Run.  Feel to the hills.  Do not look back.  If you do, you will perish with the city.”  Lot's wife grieved over what she was going to lose.  She had made herself at home there, and she considered it too great to lose the comforts she had grown to love.  So, she turned to see her beloved home, against the Lord's specific word.  She was turned into a pillar of salt and perished with the place and the life she loved.
     Take heed of the warning of Lot's wife.  Like her, you, too, have been warned of the coming destruction on the earth.  Like her, you, too, are urged not to love the world or to dedicate yourself to its comforts, pleasures, wealth, and so on.  We all invest a lot of time and energy in making a home here.  We can make ourselves very comfortable and invest in all kinds of luxuries.  We do not need to give ourselves over to immoral behavior to find ourselves unprepared for the Last Day.  All that is needed is the neglect of God's word and sacraments.  Lot's wife did not have to become a prostitute to perish; she only needed to ignore God's word.  So beware.  Keep watch.  Stay alert.  Watch yourselves, lest you insist that you are too busy to pray or to come to church to hear God's word and to receive the Lord's Supper.  For, if you love this world, you can make yourself very comfortable here, but you will also perish with it. 
     Keep watch; for the end is coming.  If you love this world, there is no worse news you can hear.  If, however, you recognize that the world is broken and corrupt, you will look forward to a new heaven and a new earth.  If you understand that everything—everything—in this world is temporary and fleeting, you will long for something permanent.  If you know and feel the guilt, the shame, and the frustration of being a sinner, you will long to be delivered from your sin forever, to be confirmed in holiness, and to take up residence in the home of righteousness.  If you know and feel in your body the aches, pains, sorrows, and frailty of your mortal condition, you will yearn for the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.  And if you truly desire to have all of these blessings, then you will not only not fear the end of the world, you will pray for it.  And you will continue to flee to Jesus' word and sacraments where he will sustain you in the faith until he takes you to be with him.
     Keep watch.  For you know the end is coming.  You know why it is coming, and you know what will come with it.  Keep watch; for your redemption is near.  Jesus shall come back to take you to be with him where he is.  The world will end, and so will all of the problems in it.  But you shall live with Jesus forever.  Jesus assures you: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” (Luke 21:33)  And just as the word of the Lord endures forever, so will those who hear it, believe it, and take refuge in it.

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

Sermon -- 1st Sunday in Advent (December 3, 2017)

MARK 13:32-37

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

In the name + of Jesus.

     “What are you waiting for?”  Usually when you hear that question, it comes from someone who is strongly suggesting that you do something.  Sometimes the task is obvious.  When the child sits there watching the birthday candles melt down to tiny little stubs, the parents might ask, “What are you waiting for!?  Blow out the candles!”   Other tasks seem evident, but how to carry out the task is not.  Citizens look to our President and Congress to improve the tax code, health care, and immigration.  Most people think these things need to be improved.  But demands of, “What are you waiting for?” seem to be met with posturing and shoulder shrugs more than anything.  It is easy to say “reform.”  I suspect that all the wrangling with regulations makes it harder than we want to think.
     In the bitterness of life, we may look heavenward and ask our Lord, “What are you waiting for?”  If this is your plea to the Lord, good.  This is what the Church has always prayed for.  The word Advent means “coming,” and we know that our Lord will come.  “He has ascended into heaven.  He sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.  From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.” (Apostles' Creed)  The Church has been confessing that since Jesus ascended into heaven.  Our Lord is coming.  But meanwhile, the Church waits. 
     What are you waiting for?  You know.  We are waiting for our Lord to come.  That means we are waiting to be delivered from stress of work deadlines and the strife of world affairs.  We are waiting to be delivered from the pain of relationships broken in anger and the tears of relationships broken by death.  We are waiting to be delivered from the frustrations of our own weakness and sins, and from being the victims of other people's self-serving words and actions. 
     But as long as it is Advent, as long as our Lord delays his coming, we wait.  Still, waiting does not mean doing nothing.  This is what the Lord says: “Be on guard, keep awake.  For you do not know when the time will come.  It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake.” (Mark 13:33-34)  The Lord Jesus Christ is the man who has gone on a journey.  He has ascended to heaven where he has gone to prepare a place for you.  And he will come again at a day and hour you do not know.  But while he is gone, he has also given you, his servants, tasks to do.
     What are you waiting for?  Yes, you are waiting for Jesus to return, but none of us has the luxury of sitting around and doing nothing.  “[The kingdom of heaven] is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work....” (Mark 13:34)  We all have work which the Lord has given us to do.  You do not need to go out and invent works, as if the message of the Bible is: “Jesus is coming; look busy.”  Our Lord has called you to be his servants, which means that you order your life according to his will.  If God has been pleased to give you children, then you serve as dutiful parents to feed your children, discipline them, and bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.  If God has given you employment, then you show up for work on time and give your employer an honest day's work.  If God puts you in contact with people who are nasty toward you, then you get to demonstrate patience, to love your enemies, and to have mercy upon others.  What are you waiting for?  God gives you daily service to perform according to your vocations and according to his word.
     Of course, our daily service also reminds us daily that we are sinners.  We don't live up to the standard of love, mercy, and goodness which the Ten Commandments make.  Day after day, we struggle against our own sinful flesh.  This fighting against temptations does not end, and it can get tiresome.  The devil knows which sins you are prone to do, and he will continue to entice you and give you reasons to give into them.  “After all, Jesus has not returned,” he argues. “You can afford to be negligent.  You can take a break from being sober, honest, chaste, or respectful.  Indulge yourself and join the world.  They are having fun.  Why shouldn't you?”  But, Jesus warns you: “You do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning—lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.” (Mark 13:35-36)  The devil is a tireless foe.  Your sinful flesh will always be sinful.  What are you waiting for?  Keep watch.  Pray.  Be alert.  Know your enemies.  Resist them.  And repent.
     While the reading we are considering is from the Gospel according to St. Mark, there really is no Gospel in it.  It is a stern warning from Jesus to us all: “Be on guard, keep awake.  For you do not know when the time will come.  ...And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.” (Mark 13:33,37)  Jesus knows that we are weak.  He knows that we are sinners.  And he knows that we can get tired of waiting and lazy while keeping watch for the Lord's Advent.
     The master of the house is coming.  That would sound like an ominous threat, except that we know what our master is like.  When the master in the parable returns, he returns to his own house.  He returns to that which is his own, and that is you!  We are servants of a Savior.  When Jesus first came to earth, it was to deliver you from the devil.  The devil first leads you into temptation and sin, and then he accuses and inflicts guilt upon you for the sins you have done. 
     But Jesus sets you free from this horrible cycle.  Jesus has taken your guilt from you.  He had all the charges against you transferred to him.  Once Jesus bore your guilt, Satan could not help himself.  He pressed on to see the Son of God crucified, thinking the death of Jesus would put an end to Jesus and make you his forever.  But it was that very death of Jesus which saves you.  Jesus has purchased and won you from all sin, from death, and from the power of the devil—not with gold or silver, but with his holy, precious blood and with his innocent sufferings and death.  Since Jesus died in your place for your sins and has taken your punishment, you are now acquitted.  The devil's charges against you cannot stick because they were taken by Jesus.  You are free, and you are no longer duty-bound to follow the devil's ideas.  Jesus Christ, who overcame the devil for you, gives you strength to overcome the devil's temptations.  You are no longer servants of sin, but of righteousness.  You do not belong to the devil; you dwell in Christ's house.
     What are you waiting for?  The Lord Jesus, who redeemed you, has called you to serve him in his kingdom in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.  In Christ, you are innocent of all your sins.  You are righteous before God.  And you are blessed.  For you do not have to wonder if you are good enough for heaven or if you have been busy enough to please God.  God is pleased with you.  Jesus assures you of that.
     If, however, you recognize that your service in God's kingdom is short of perfect—and it is—then you still have reason to come to God's house for the forgiveness of your sins again and again.  For, salvation is not found in the one who is busy, but in the one who believes.  And the one who believes continues to come to the Lord to hear the word and to feast on the heavenly meal.  It is through these that God imparts his grace to save.  It is through these that Jesus gives us strength to serve and to stand firm.  These are what preserve us in the truth faith as we wait for our Lord's return.
     What are you waiting for?  The master of the house is coming.  We are eagerly looking forward to it, because we know why the master comes.  When the Lord Jesus comes again, unbelievers will lament, “The fun's over!”  But God's people will see it as an answer to their prayers.  We will rejoice and say, “The grief is over!  We are forever free from our burdens.”  We long for Jesus' return, and we look forward to our place in a better home.  We not only look forward to Jesus' return; we join in the prayer of the Church: “Amen!  Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)

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

Sermon -- 1st Sunday in Advent (November 27, 2016)

ROMANS 13:11-14

KEEP WATCH!  

YOUR SALVATION DRAWS NEAR.

In the name + of Jesus.

      St. Paul has good news for you: Salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. (Romans 13:11)  Though the Church has been waiting eagerly for centuries, the Lord's return is closer than it has ever been.  Perhaps the Lord's patience is making us impatient.  Perhaps the Lord's patience even has us questioning his faithfulness.  We do not know the day of his return, but we live in the faith which insists that he will return.  The Groom will not forget or forsake his Bride.  Christ will come for his Church.  And that day is nearer now than when we first believed.
     But Jesus' return demands our vigilance.  It means not only praying for Jesus to hasten on his return.  It also means that we persist in faithful service to the Lord until he does return.  Keep watch!  Your salvation draws near.  St. Paul spells what that means in very practical terms.  The night is far gone; the day is at hand.  So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.  Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.  But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Romans 13:12-14)  
     Keep watch.  Your salvation draws near.  It should not be a surprise to you.  Nor should it be a surprise to you will be enticed to forget about the world to come and to embrace the world which is here and now.  And it should not surprise you that you will struggle with your own sinful desires.  Perhaps you are drawn to sexual sins and seek entertainment to gratify those urges.  But those urges never are satisfied; the more they are fed, the hungrier they get.  Perhaps you are drawn to intoxication, preferring to alter your senses with drugs and alcohol than deal with your responsibilities and realities.  Those are sins which people take upon themselves.  While you may be prone to sexual immorality and drunkenness, no one makes you do them.  Those are sins you take into yourself.
     But other sins fester within us.  St. Paul said, “Let us walk properly as in the daytime, … not in quarreling and jealousy.” (Romans 13:13)  Bitter feelings arise within us, but we let them take root there.  They only reveal themselves when we tell our friends how we feel, expecting them to support us in our hatred and envy.  And because friends are interested in our happiness rather than our salvation, they assure us that we are right in souring a sibling's happiness, in destroying a co-worker's rapport with fellow workers, or in divorcing a spouse who is never good enough.  St. Paul warns: “Make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Romans 13:14)  It is not that sins catch us by surprise; it is that we make plans to do them and we are comfortable in continuing in them.  Repent.
     Keep watch!  Your salvation draws near.  We pray fervently for our Lord to return in order to deliver us from temptations, from sins, from weaknesses, and from the frustration of dealing with friends who encourage us to neglect the faith, but we should not get the idea that salvation will only be achieved when the Lord returns.  Your Lord comes to you now to deliver salvation to you.
     If you long to be delivered from sin and guilt, then flee to this altar where the body and blood of the Lord are given to penitent sinners.  That body and blood were first given for your sin and guilt at the cross.  Jesus bore your sin in his body, and he gave his body to be wracked with the torment of crucifixion and with the anguish of God’s wrath in order to atone for all your sins.  Jesus shed his blood as the perfect sin offering which covers over your sins.  Salvation has been won by Jesus’ body and blood which were given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.  Salvation is delivered to you by Jesus' body and blood which are eaten and drunk by you for the forgiveness of sins.  Salvation is also delivered by the words and promises of God which are proclaimed to you, declaring not only that God is merciful, but especially declaring that God is merciful to you.  And if guilt still plagues you, then come to Private Absolution where you are the only you to whom forgiveness is given.  It is not that God will save you someday down the road when he returns.  Jesus saves you now.  Forgiveness is yours now.  His judgment is rendered to you now: You are delivered from sin and death.  You have everlasting life.
     Nevertheless, we pray fervently for Jesus’ return.  For, when he comes, we will be taken to the glories, the peace, and the joys of heaven.  Never again will we worry about struggles against our flesh.  Never again will we have friends who entice us to sin against God with acts revenge inspired by jealousy or with plans which sound brilliant only because they are fueled by alcohol.  Your friends may congratulate you for your sins, but your conscience will condemn you and you will have the bear the guilt for it.
     Keep watch!  Your salvation draws near.  There is no doubt about what Jesus has done to win our salvation.  His sufferings, death, and resurrection have achieved everything for us.  There is no doubt about the salvation Jesus delivers to us.  His forgiveness does not come with strings attached or conditions which have to be met.  The only thing that makes us tremble in regard to our salvation is ourselves.  That is why St. Paul warns: Let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.  Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.  But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Romans 13:12-14)  We can sabotage our own salvation by taking our sins lightly, by giving into them, by using the Lord’s forgiveness as an excuse to sin all the more, or even by neglecting the word and sacraments which provide our forgiveness.  If you should lose your salvation, it is not because Jesus failed you.  It is because you proved yourself to be faithless with a life that either was given into sin or a life that did not care for the good gifts Jesus gives.
     Therefore, keep watch!  The temptations which come to you are common, and the desire to continue in faithful obedience often grows weak.  In other words, you and I are still sinners.  That is why we continue to flee to Jesus.  Jesus continues to be merciful to us.  He forgives our sins.  He strengthens our faith.  He fills us with the spirit to do what is good and to recognize that sins are not only destructive to our lives, but even to our souls.  So, while doing good works will not save you, refusing to do them will condemn you.
     Keep watch!  Your salvation draws near.  The day is soon coming when these struggles will come to an end.  Now, our lives are lived in humility, in patience, in struggles against temptation, and prayers for mercy and strength.  Advent remains a time of repentance, prayer, and keeping watch.  We strive for godliness, fighting off the lusts of our selfish flesh and rejecting the enticement of worldly immorality.  Now is our time of fasting and keeping watch.  But your salvation draws near.  And when Jesus comes again, we will rejoice and feast and sing.  For, he is the source of our joy and peace.  And he comes soon to bring joy and peace that will not be bothered with struggles, sins, or sorrows.  That deliverance is what we long for and pray for.
     Good news: Your salvation is drawing near.  Therefore, we will keep watch.  We give our attention to Jesus’ words, and we pray for Jesus appearing.  He has saved us, and he will bring his everlasting salvation.

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