YouTube -- 3rd Sunday of End Times: Saints Triumphant (November 13, 2022)

Here is the service from Sunday, November 13, 2022.

Sermon -- 3rd Sunday of End Times: Saints Triumphant (November 13, 2022)

LUKE 20:27-38

YOU ARE CHILDREN OF THE RESURRECTION.

In the name + of Jesus.

     In a series of challenges against Jesus, the Sadducees took their turn.  The Sadducees were the temple priests, but they were more politicians that priests.  They craved power and wealth.  Being worldly, they rejected the existence of angels and the resurrection of the body.  So, when the Sadducees came to Jesus, they were not curious about the resurrection.  Rather, they came to mock the very idea of one.

     It would be nice if we could bypass their rejection of the resurrection as some trivial oddity.  But we hear less and less about the resurrection of the dead even in Christian churches.  Funerals should be the one place where the hope of the resurrection is proclaimed.  Instead, funerals have turned into a celebration of the person and the life which was lived rather than delivering the comfort of the life of the world to come.

     Some Christians talk about reincarnation more than resurrection even though reincarnation is a Hindu teaching.  Reincarnation is appealing because people love this world and want to keep it.  People assume that they have lived a good enough life that they will return to this world in a higher place, in other words, attaining greater earthly glory.  In truth, if our rewards came through reincarnation, we should all come back as slugs; for our sins are many.  None of us has overcome jealousy, anger, impatience, or selfishness.  Reincarnation denies the resurrection of the body.  It rejects the fact that God created you to uniquely be the human you are for this time and in this place and that you will be you for all eternity.  But—God be praised!—you are not trapped in a cycle of death and reincarnation.  You are children of the resurrection.

     The Sadducees assumed that any eternal life would be just like this life.  So, they presented a worldly scenario in which a woman, through the course of time, was married to seven brothers.  God’s Law had called for every married man to have his name and his line preserved through his children.  So, if a man died without a child, his brother was to father a child through his wife, and that child would be regarded as the dead brother’s child.  As the Sadducees told their story, seven brothers all had taken this woman as a wife, but none of them ever fathered a child.  Finally, the woman died, too.  So, as if they were actually seeking an honest answer, the Sadducees concluded, “In the resurrection, … whose wife will the woman be?  For the seven had her as wife” (Luke 20:33).

     Jesus explained that life in time and life in eternity will be different.  Life in this world is full of sorrow and pain.  Even the Sadducees’ story acknowledged that.  Can you imagine the strife, stress, and sorrow that woman would have gone through to have seven husbands die?  She also never had a child to help her in her old age.  In this life, we endure loss of friends, loss of family, loss of property, loss of health, loss of hearing and eyesight and memory, and finally, we lose our life.  Such things may be common, but they are painful.

     Everything God had made was very good—and there is still good in much of it—but all of it was corrupted when sin entered the world.  Our bodies are good, but sin has corrupted them so they age, break down, and die.  Marriage was established and blessed by God, but every marriage takes work as two sinners fight off their selfish desires to serve one another.  Sometimes the sinful desires win and the marriage fails.  God created people to have a loving relationship with him, but sin has ruined that, too.  Sin causes us to be insulted that God thinks he should have anything to say about how we live our lives—even though God is the source of life.  Sin causes us to defy God with our actions and attitudes.  Sin causes us to fear his judgment.  Finally, sin produces death.  

     Everyone wants a better life than that.  Dear Christians, you have such a future!  Jesus came to restore everything ruined by sin.  He removed your sin from you.  The Lord took on a human body so that he could deliver our human bodies from the corruption of sin and the chains of death.  Jesus bore our sin and gave himself into death.  Jesus was not only put to death at the cross, he was put under God’s judgment at the cross.  And the full curse for all sin was emptied out there. 

     Jesus gave his life into death so that he would overcome death.  Then he rose from the grave, never to die again.  Jesus died in shame and weakness, only to rise with a body that lives in a glory that will never pass away.  Jesus submitted to beatings and bruises and bleeding, only to rise from the dead with a body that will never suffer any harm, any pain, or any affliction again.  Death does not own Jesus; Jesus is the master over death.  Jesus lives and forgives all your sins.  He has reconciled you to God and restored that relationship.  Jesus is the resurrection and the life, and all who believe in Jesus will be delivered out of death and raised up to life everlasting. 

     The Sadducees assumed that the next life would be just like this life.  Dear Christians, you have been delivered from being raised from the dead only to return to a corrupt life and wicked world.  Jesus will deliver you to a new life that is superior to everything in this world.  He will restore all things back to perfection.  Jesus will deliver you to a Paradise that is free from any problem you encounter now.  You will have a perfected body which can never die and will never get sick.  Your mind will be in complete harmony with God’s will, and your heart will have a perfect love for the Lord and for others.  Joy will never be interrupted with sadness.  Glory will never marred by shame.  Peace will never be lost to conflict or anxiety.  You will be with your risen Lord forever, for you are children of the resurrection.

     That’s not to say we are ungrateful the blessings God gives in this life.  But some are just for this life.  Jesus explained to the Sadducees, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection” (Luke 20:34-36).  God established marriage for this life because it is not good for the man to be alone.  He binds the man to his wife.  Then he blesses them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Genesis 9:1).  That blessing still stands.  It drives our desire to procreate to assure that the world will have people living on it for generations to come.  That blessing and that drive to procreate are properly fulfilled within marriage, which is why God established marriage for this life.

     You are children of the resurrection.  Once you and I have been raised, we will be like the angels.  We will be perfected in glory, and we will have no need to procreate to add to the numbers in heaven.  Just as the number of angels is set, so will be the number of the redeemed.  Therefore, there is no need for people to be married off in the glories of heaven.  But that is not to say that there is no wedding. 

     As children of the resurrection, you will be brought to the wedding banquet of the Lamb.  You will recline with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the whole company of heaven to feast with your Lord for all eternity.  The Bride of Christ, which is the Church, is clothed in beautiful garments, which is baptism.  Through baptism into Jesus’ name, you have been clothed with garments of salvation.  The heavenly Groom, Jesus, will come again to receive his holy Bride, and there will be joy for Christ and his Church forevermore.  Of course, we already get to partake in that feast already.  We kneel at the altar where we receive the heavenly food.  It is the same feast that is shared by all the saints who have gone before us.  While our celebrations are interrupted by our labors in this sinful world, their celebration goes on in unending joy.  That joy will be yours soon enough, for you are children of the resurrection.

     Jesus’ final statement to the Sadducees is intriguing.  He said, “That the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.  Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him” (Luke 20:37-38).  Of course, the point is that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, though long gone from this life, still live with God in glory.  Now, I suppose you could argue that this does not prove the resurrection.  Their souls have gone to be with the Lord, but their bodies are still dust. 

     Jesus, however, says that this proves the resurrection of the dead.  Could it be that once we pass out of this time, we are immediately transported to eternity with bodies and souls already restored?  It is possible.  If they feast, they must have bodies; for spirits can’t eat.  But we don’t know how things work when we pass from time into eternity.  We only know this world and the time that passes in it.  From what we see, people die and their bodies turn to dust.  After a period of time, those bodies will be raised on the Last Day.  That is what we experience.  But what did Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the saints of the past experience when they closed their eyes in death?  We can say that they are with the Lord because the Bible says so.  They live forever and they will never again know sorrow, pain, or death.  The Bible tells us that, too.  But whether death fast-forwards us to the day of resurrection or not, we can’t say. 

     What we can say for sure is what the Scriptures reveal.  We are safe when we take our stand there.  The Scriptures state that when we die, “the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7).  But God did not design us to have our soul separate from our bodies.  Death rips those apart.  Since Jesus has come to restore all things to perfection, he will reunite bodies and souls so that we will be whole as God designed us to be.  Jesus became a man to be the way for mankind to escape death.  He rose a body and soul man to show us that we will live as body and soul people in the glories of heaven. 

     You are children of the resurrection.  Jesus Christ has come to secure a life for you which is far better than any life you can imagine here.  Jesus Christ will come again to deliver you to that beautiful life.  And—God be praised!—those who have passed out of this life trusting in Jesus already have it.  What they are celebrating now, you and I pray for each day.  And Jesus Christ will guard and keep you to bring you there.

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

YouTube -- 3rd Sunday in End Times: Saints Triumphant (November 14, 2021)

Here is the service from November 14, 2021.

Sermon -- 3rd Sunday of End Times: Saints Triumphant (November 14, 2021)

JOHN 5:25-29

JESUS’ VOICE BRINGS THE DEAD TO LIFE.

In the name + of Jesus.

     The Bible teaches the realities of heaven and hell throughout the Scriptures.  Both places, though, are difficult to comprehend.  The blessings of the heavenly kingdom include the absence of every problem and every pain.  In the heavenly kingdom, everything is restored to purity and perfection.  It will be that way without interruption and without end.  Its goodness will be far beyond anything we can understand.

     On the other hand, hell is just as incomprehensible.  The Bible says hell is an unquenchable fire.  It is a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Gnashing of teeth refers to the anguish of people there.  Weeping is the regret of despising God and his word.  It is a place without mercy and without hope.  It will be that way without interruption and without end.  Even the horrors of war, famine, or plague do not measure up to that.  In fact, it is so horrible that even some Christians have rejected that it is real.  I think you would agree that it is horrible, but to reject the reality of hell is to reject the words of Jesus and many other parts of the Bible.

     I suppose one of the reasons people think that hell is such a terrible judgment is because people do not recognize the severity of the sinful condition.  We might have the idea that people mind their own business, not really hurting anybody, and then Jesus will come and banish people to hell for no good reason.  Now, if that were true, then the Lord would be a monster.  But it is not true.  No one is neutral.  Everyone comes into this world a sinner—both unable and unwilling to follow God’s word.

     The Psalms teach us to confess, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51:5).  We are corrupt from the very beginning.  No one had to teach us how to be selfish, cruel, or angry.  While we may be minding our own business, it is opposed to God and his business.  St. Paul declares, “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot” (Romans 8:7).  That is why St. Paul also says, “You were dead in the trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1).  If you are dead in your sins, then you cannot fix your sinful condition.  You can’t even begin to do it, because dead people don’t get better.

     While it is true that God will send people to hell, he is not a monster who delights in doing it.  This is what the Lord says: “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God” (Ezekiel 18:32).  For this reason, God sent a Savior to rescue us from our sinful condition and from being destined for damnation.  And so Jesus came for sinners, to bring the dead to life.  He said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live” (John 5:25). 

     Jesus’ voice brings the dead to life.  This is the first resurrection.  Jesus comes to people who are dead in their sins and enlivens them.  He enlightens you to see that God’s word is true, even when it convicts you.  He renews your heart so that you have a love for God’s word.  He transforms your mind so that you are eager to live and to act as God’s word directs you.  He shows you that you do not need to flee from God in terror.  Rather, you need to flee to God; for he alone provides hope, mercy, and peace for sinners. 

     Jesus’ voice brings the dead to life.  When the word of the Lord goes out to sinners, it produces what it says.  Consider the times Jesus raised people from the dead.  The daughter of Jairus had just died.  Jesus took her by the hand and said, “Little girl, I say to you, arise” (Mark 5:41).  Jesus’ voice brought the dead girl to life.  When the young man from Nain was on his way to the tomb, Jesus spoke, “Young man, I say to you, arise” (Luke 7:14).  Jesus’ voice brought the dead man to life.  When Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days, Jesus summoned him, “Lazarus, come out” (John 11:43).  Jesus’ words produced what he had commanded.  Jesus’ voice brings the dead to life.

     So it is with you in your sinful condition.  Jesus preached, “Repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).  The voice which called people to repent changed their hearts.  The voice which called people to faith planted that faith into their hearts.  Whether Jesus says it himself or a believer repeats Jesus’ words, Jesus’ voice brings the dead to life.  For, it is through that word that the saving work of Jesus is applied to people.  It is the word of the Lord which delivers the forgiveness of sins to people.  The word of the Lord is added to water which makes it a washing of regeneration—that is, the water of life by which you are born again.  The word of the Lord is added to bread and wine which deliver to God’s people the body and blood which have overcome death.  Through these, Jesus’ voice brings the dead to life and sustains the life of those who have been enlivened.  “Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection!  Over such the second death has no power” (Revelation 20:6).

     Jesus’ voice brings the dead to life.  It is not only true in bringing those who are dead in sin to spiritual life, it is also true in summoning the dead from their graves on the Last Day.  Jesus spoke about the resurrection of the body, in fact, the resurrection of all the bodies.  Jesus conquered death by his resurrection.  He is now the Lord over death and the grave.  So, on the Last Day, every person who has died will be called forth from his grave—whether a body buried in a cemetery, or cremated ashes which have been scattered, or a soldier whose body was annihilated by a missile.  Although people who are dead in sin can reject the Gospel which would grant new life, no one will be able to reject or resist Jesus’ voice when he calls the dead from their graves.  Every grave will be emptied; for Jesus’ voice will bring the dead to life.  And then will come the judgment.

     Jesus’ description of the judgment can be disturbing.  He said, “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment” (John 5:28-29).  Now, I know which one we all want to be.  No one wants to go to hell.  But the judgment will be based on what we have done while in the body, whether good or evil.

     So, which one are you?  I am sure every one of us can think of good things we have done.  We go to church.  We stay out of jail.  We show up for work.  We say “Please” and “Thank you.”  We were nice to our mothers.  We hope that God would notice and remember.  But no one is perfect.  We have also done evil.  We had made snide remarks about people who are in our way, and we don’t care if they are struggling through a bad day.  We have snapped at our loved ones.  We have criticized people whose business we don’t know.  We have yearned for evil to come upon people who have enjoyed success.  These things have not gone unnoticed by the Lord.  The Bible reminds us, “Death and Destruction lie open before the Lord—how much more human hearts” (Proverbs 15:11)!  You can pretend you are better than you are by hiding your sinful thoughts from others, and they will probably believe you.  But you and I know the truth, and God knows it even better.

     “An hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment” (John 5:28-29).  So, which one is it?  Which one are you?  Good or evil? 

     Dear Christians, one and all, rejoice!  You do not have to pad your resume and invent good works to impress God with them.  You have a Savior!  Jesus’ voice brings the dead to life.  He does not give you a list of things to do to get eternal life.  He gives you words and promises.  Therefore, you can have confidence at the judgment and comfort for every day that leads up to it.  You will not be judged based on your merits or your performance.  This is what the Lord says: “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27).  When the Lord sees you, he sees the righteousness and innocence of Jesus.  In Christ, you are not merely good, you are blameless, pure, and holy.  You are not destined for death, but have been guaranteed eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Jesus’ voice brings the dead to life.

     Therefore, we even have comfort when Jesus tells us about the judgment.  Listen to what he says: “For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.  And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man” (John 5:26-27).  Jesus is the judge of all mankind.  You shall be judged by a peer—the man Jesus.  He has been given that right because he has done all that the Father gave him to do—perfect obedience, a sacrificial death for the disobedient, resurrection from death to conquer the devil and the grave.  The Son of Man has been  confirmed as the perfect man and has the right to judge all mankind.  Those who reject his word also reject his forgiveness.  They will be judged according to what they have done.  Since they have remained in their sin, the sad result will be the weeping and gnashing of teeth—incomprehensible suffering forever.

     But you, dear Christians, know that the judge of the living and the dead is on your side.  He is your friend.  He is your Savior.  What’s more, he has already told you your verdict!  He has already taken away your sins.  He has clothed you with his righteousness.  You have his word that you are heirs of eternal life.  At the Last Day, in the presence of his Father, the angels, and all people who have ever lived, the voice of Jesus will publicly declare, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34).  Jesus’ voice brings the dead to life—life as a child of God now, and a life of everlasting glory to come.  And we shall all receive the glories of the heavenly kingdom—incomprehensible goodness and peace forever.

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

YouTube -- 3rd Sunday of End Times: Saints Triumphant (November 15, 2020)

 Here is the service from November 15, 2020.

Sermon -- 3rd Sunday after End Times: Saints Triumphant (November 15, 2020)

1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-18

AN IMMORTAL SAVIOR MEANS AN IMPERISHABLE HOPE.

In the name + of Jesus.

      In today's Gospel, Jesus tells a parable about ten virgins.  They were the bridal party who were to attend the bride to her wedding banquet.  Their role was to wait for the groom who would come from his home in a procession to get his bride and then to bring her and all her party back to his home for the wedding banquet.  The middle of the night is an unusual time for the groom to come.  But even if his timing was unexpected, his arrival was worthy of celebration.  The bride and her attendants all rejoiced to see this blessed union.  All who entered the banquet hall enjoyed the sumptuous feast.  

     However, Jesus noted of the virgins, “Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.” (Matthew 25:2)  Now, we know the result of the five virgins being foolish.  Despite knowing about the feast, they were shut out.  And there was no admission, no matter how much they pleaded.  

     While there is much more we could glean from the Gospel lesson, the point I am making here is this: While they were waiting for the bridegroom, no one would have known the five foolish virgins were foolish.  There was no apparent difference between them and the five wise virgins.  They had been summoned by the bride.  They knew about the coming of the bridegroom.  They were chaste, after all they were virgins.  But it was not until the groom came that they were found to be foolish.  And then, it was too late.  The five virgins were proved foolish because they did not have any oil, which symbolizes the Holy Spirit, or faith.

     It is really not much different in our world today.  It does not seem like there is a remarkable difference between those who are wise for salvation and those who are foolish.  Chances are, no one is amazed at you because you are a Christian.  A Christian who goes to work and does his job well does not look any better than an unbeliever who does the same.  A Christian accountant, surgeon, mechanic, or hockey player usually does not appear different than anyone else.  It does not make you smarter, taller, or better looking.  Often times even our morals don't seem different—whether good or bad.  By outward appearances, the wise and the foolish, believers and unbelievers, often look the same. 

     It even appears the same when does comes.  No matter who you are, death brings a painful separation.  We know that all people die.  But what we know in our heads is much more cruel when we face it in reality.  Having a loved one ripped from you hurts.  The finality of death and burial cannot help but produce mourning and grief.  Being a Christian does not make you immune to pain or tears.  

     But you who are wise for salvation have a special comfort, peace, and joy when it comes to your fellow Christians who die in the faith.  An immortal Savior means an imperishable hope.  St. Paul wrote, “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.  For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14)  

     The Thessalonian Christians were going through a bit of a crisis about their loved ones who had died in the Christian faith.  Since they died and were buried, it was thought that they had lost out somehow on the glories of the life to come.  Their bodies were put into the graves for decay, not glory.  But those who die in the Lord lose nothing.  They may be taken from us, but they are never lost.  

     When we must bury our loved ones, we cannot help but grieve.  But, St. Paul reminds us, we do not grieve like people who have no hope.  An immortal Savior means an imperishable hope.  This hope provides comfort in times of grief, and peace when death unsettles us.  What is our hope?  St. Paul says: “We believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Thessalonians 4:14)  Jesus rescued us from damnation by enduring damnation in our place.  Our sins were placed on Jesus, and he gave himself up as the holy sacrifice which atones for sins.  Jesus' body was not put into the grave for decay, but for glory.  On the third day, Jesus rose from the grave.  His resurrection not only proves that his sacrifice is sufficient to pay for all of your sins, it also proves that Jesus is Lord over death and the grave.  Jesus is risen, and can never die again.  The grave must answer to Jesus.  This is why those who die believing in Jesus are not lost.  An immortal Savior means an imperishable hope.

     Those who die in Christ lose nothing.  They live; for their souls have gone to be with Jesus.  But our Lord never created us to be just souls.  We were given bodies to live in—not just on earth but also in heavenly glory.  God the Son took on a human body to save us.  He died and his body was buried to sanctify the grave.  At his resurrection, Jesus did not shed his body.  To this day and for all eternity, Jesus is fully God and fully man.  Your body and blood Savior has redeemed you, soul and body.   The point of death and resurrection is not to shed your humanity.  Rather, it is to have your humanity exalted.  Jesus will raise you and all the saints up to be the people God had originally created you to be, so that you will live without sickness and sorrow, frustration and devastation, disease or death.  The Church confesses, “We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come” (Nicene Creed).  These are the things we hope for because these are the things Jesus won for us.  An immortal Savior means an imperishable hope.

     Now listen to what is in store for those who have died in Christ.  “For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first.” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-16)    

     When Jesus comes again, he will give the signal and all who are in their graves will come out, believer and unbeliever alike.  No one will be omitted—not the atheist, not those buried at sea, not those cremated, not even the likes of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, whose ashes were launched into space.  Jesus is Lord of death and the grave, and at his command, all will be gathered before him.  St. Paul, however, does not concern himself here with the unbelievers.  He focuses on the Christian hope, which is the resurrection to life everlasting.  And an immortal Savior means an imperishable hope.

     On the Last Day, at the trumpet call, those who died in the Christian faith will be raised from the dead.  Those who died by disease will be raised incorruptible.  Those who died in an accident will be raised imperishable.  Those who were weak and frail will be raised with power.  Those who were put to shame for the sake of Jesus will be raised in glory.  And nothing can take away from them the glorious and eternal life Jesus has promised them.  Though the world may have regarded them as fools, the Holy Spirit made them wise for salvation and united them to Jesus who is the resurrection and the life.  Even though they died in this faith, they live with the Lord.  And they will be raised with their glorified bodies never to die again, just as it was with Jesus.  No matter what anyone says about you or does to you, no matter what frustrations and hardships you have to face in this world, even in the face of death itself, nothing takes away your hope.  For Jesus lives and reigns.  An immortal Savior means an imperishable hope.

     As he promised, Jesus is coming again.  Perhaps you will taste death before he comes.  Maybe you will still be alive at his coming.  Either way, those who are Christ's redeemed will not miss out on anything.  If you die, you will be raised up in glory with all the saints who have passed before us.  If you are still alive at Jesus' coming, your body will be transformed from flawed and weak to glorious holiness.  This is not spiritual babble said to make you feel better about dying.  No, as St. Paul said: “This we declare to you by a word from the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:15)  Your hope is based on the promises of God—guaranteed by the death and resurrection of Jesus, sealed upon you through God's word and sacraments.  Therefore, this hope cannot be stolen or even cheapened by death, hell, or the devil.  For we have an imperishable hope, thanks to an immortal Savior.

     So, what makes the saints triumphant and joyful?  This: “We will always be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:17)  We will be with him who is the source of life and love.  We will be with him who is mercy and peace.  We will be free from every form of evil, sorrow, pain, and frustration.  For, we will be with Jesus.  If he loved us enough to die for us when we were sinners, how much more will he delight in his saints!  How great is the victory, the peace, and the life of the saints who have gone before us.  And how great is our joy that we will be reunited with them and will join with Jesus at the wedding feast of the Lamb!  “Therefore, encourage each other with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:18)  For, an immortal Savior means an imperishable hope.  

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

Sermon -- 3rd Sunday of End Times: Saints Triumphant (November 17, 2019)

ISAIAH 65:17-25

ALL THINGS WILL BE RENEWED, RESTORED, AND MADE RIGHT.

In the name + of Jesus.

     Genesis, chapter 1, verse 1: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”  Genesis, chapter 1, verse 31: “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.”  We believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.  God made a physical world with water and stones and soil and bones and flesh.  And God made it perfect and flawless.  But it is not so anymore, and God is certainly not at fault.  The world was corrupted when man brought sin and death into the world.  The heaven and the earth no longer function as God created them to be. 
     God still loves his creation.  Even though it has been corrupted, it has not been stripped of God's love and blessing.  Rain still waters the earth.  The earth still produces crops and fruit.  Animals are amazing and beautiful.  People still retain some semblance of justice and compassion.  But it has all been corrupted.  While rain still waters the earth, we have to endure snow storms, droughts, and floods.  While the earth still produces food, we have concerns about rotting crops, e-coli, and listeria.  Animals may be amazing and beautiful, but they can also be deadly.  People may retain some semblance of justice and compassion, but they still lie, cheat, steal, exploit, and demand the rights to abort their babies.  It has all been corrupted, and we see it with every tear, every act of terror, every illness, and every death. 
     The heaven and the earth no longer function as God created them to be.  Isaiah referred to this when he said, “They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat.” (Isaiah 65:22)  Israel knew what it was to work hard only to be invade and oppressed and to have other people enjoy the fruits of their labors.  But even when we get to enjoy the fruits of our labors, sin makes us discontented with our lives.  How often does our daily routine seem futile?  We go to work and wonder if we really produce anything useful at all.  We buy nice homes, only to have to continually repair them.  We want to make a difference in the world, and are disappointed that we barely even get noticed.  Is that all there is to life—go to work, make money, and die?  We want our life to mean more than that.
     The heaven and earth no longer function as God created them to be.  Isaiah referred to this when he spoke of “the sound of weeping and the cry of distress,” and “an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days” and “[bearing] children for calamity.” (Isaiah 65:19-20,23)  God did not create people to taste the bitterness of tears and heartache.  It was not God's plan for people to die—whether in nursing homes or children's hospitals.  But the world is corrupt.  All people are sinners.  And the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23)   
     The heaven and earth no longer function as God created them to be.  Isaiah referred to this when he spoke of the wolf and the lion being next to the sheep and the ox.  Unless you are planning on feeding the sheep and the ox to the wolf and the lion, you don't put them together.  Adam had a brief time when the animals were not divided into predator and prey.  They all came before him so that he could name them.  He did not fear fangs or claws or venom.  But not anymore.  Zoos have barriers and cages for a reason.  People don't treat predators as pets.  The world has become corrupt, and violence is seen not just among mankind, but even in the animal kingdom.
     The heaven and earth no longer function as God created them to be.  Isaiah referred to this when he talked about people being for joy and gladness.  But our hearts do not exult in other people.  We have been on one end or the other with rivalry and jealousy and annoyance and road rage.  But worse that dysfunctional families and bitter enemies among mankind is the ruined relationship between God and man.  The heaven and earth no longer function as God created them to be because of man's sin, but we fault God when we suffer the consequences of man's sin.  We treat God as our underling—criticizing his wisdom and demanding answers for what he does!  The creation mocks its Creator, and then is shocked and offended when God speaks words of judgment for our rebellion.  Repent.  We are sinners.  That is not God's doing.
     The heavens and the earth no longer function as God created them to be.  And yet, God still loves his creation.  He continues to supply all creatures with what they need to live.  The rains still fall.  The ground still produces.  The beauty of animals and flowers and mountains are still there.  But God has done much more than give us food to eat and pretty pictures to take.  He assures you that life is not boiled down to some futile trip to the grave.  God has acted to make all things renewed, restored, and right again.
     In love for his creation, God made himself one with mankind.  He became part of his creation in order to redeem his creation.  Jesus is the man who takes for mankind everything that has incurred God's wrath.  He bears all guilt, takes up all shame, and suffers for all wickedness.  The creation itself voiced its curse over Jesus as the sun stopped shining when he hung from the cross and when the earth quaked upon his death.  Jesus died on behalf of a dying world in order to bring its release from death and decay.  The Lord does not despise the physical world.  He acted to redeem it and all things in it.  Jesus has assured you that your life is no relentless march to the grave.  Thanks to Jesus, all things will be renewed, restored, and made right.
     This is what the Lord says: “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.  But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create...” (Isaiah 65:17-18)  Jesus not only delivers you from the guilt of sin and the power of death; Jesus also shall deliver you to a kingdom which abounds in glory, where heaven and earth will function as God created them to be.
     All things will be renewed, restored, and made right.  Isaiah declares it.  No more will anyone have his life cut short or even cut off.  No longer will anyone weep or cry out in distress.  No longer will God's blessings be snatched away, worn out, or lost.  No longer will anyone be destined for calamity.  No longer will God's creation have groups of predators and prey.  No more will we face any threat from an enemy, no jealousy from an acquaintance, and no disappointment from a friend.  No one will let us down or put us down.  No more will we suffer shame or regret.  In fact, we will not even remember the shame or regrets of the past.  For, as Isaiah declares it: “The former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.” (Isaiah 65:17)  As surely as the Lord has removed all charges from your account, so also he will remove any memory of them from your mind.
     All things will be renewed, restored, and made right.  At the resurrection, the Lord Jesus will raise you up from the grave with renewed and restored bodies.  And all will be made right.  That means we will never suffer an aching back, an annoying itch, a seasonal allergy, or the frailty that comes with age.  All things will be made right—not only in regard to physical weakness, but also in regard to spiritual weakness.  You will delight in all that is good.  You will be treated perfectly by your fellow saints, and you will find great joy in doing good to them.  You will not only be free from the guilt of sin, you will be free from any temptations to sin.  For the Lord says, “Be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness.  I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people...” (Isaiah 65:18-19)  
     “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)  In the end, God will make a new heavens and a new earth.  And it will be very good.  Best of all, we will dwell with the God who loved us enough to create us and bless us, to suffer and die for us, to come to dwell among us so that we could dwell forever with him.  The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have cleansed us and set us apart for everlasting glory and goodness.  We will forever get to marvel at God's glory and grace.  We will forever have all things renewed and restored.  It will forever be good and right.  The new heavens and the new earth will be exactly what God had designed them to be.  And God has designed our salvation so that we will be there—renewed, restored, and made right.

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

Sermon -- 3rd Sunday of End Times (November 18, 2018)

DANIEL 12:1-3

YOU WILL SHINE IN GLORY.

In the name + of Jesus.

     What does a Christian look like?  I suppose your answer will vary depending on what has been going on or who you ask.  If you ask people who despise the Church, they will say that Christianity is about persecuting people who are different.  They will talk about the Crusades or the Spanish Inquisition or some misguided fool who thought it was his God-given job to blow up an abortion clinic.  I'm sure you've heard the charge before: “Christians are a bunch of hypocrites.”  Since some Christians have done horrible things over the years, unbelievers insist that this image represents all Christians.  It is not a fair description at all, but people use this image as the reason they don't want to be Christians.  They insist that they are better and more loving. 
     When you ask Christians what a Christian looks like, our answers might be as flawed as those who hate the Church.  We could look at the worst behavior of an unbelieving world.  It isn't hard to find.  Scripture warns us:  “In the last days there will come times of difficulty.  For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5)  We might insist that Christians are better and more loving than that.
     But if we boast about how good Christians are, we might do nothing but heap guilt upon a lot of Christians.  We are all sinners, and sometimes we prove that in rather disappointing ways.  It is like saying, “Real Christians forgive like Jesus does.  Real Christians do not show favoritism or practice bigotry.  Real Christians do not get divorced or twist the truth or withhold charity.”  If we say things like this, then we will all have the same conclusion: “I guess I am not a real Christian, then.”  Now, if you want to talk about what a Christian should look and act like, then it is true.  We are supposed to direct our lives according to the Ten Commandments.  They are God's will for our lives.  They show us the good we are supposed to do and expose the evil we are to avoid.  We should obey them.  But we don't.  Real Christians are still real sinners.  The point is not that we have overcome all sins; the point is that we repent of them and, more importantly, we are forgiven for them.
     The prophet Daniel spoke about what Christians will look like.  He wrote: “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.  And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” (Daniel 12:2-3)  You will shine in glory.  The day will come when you will look like the children of God.  But note the verb tense.  It is future.  You will shine in glory.  You are not there yet. 
     We are the children of God.  This is what we confess because this is what God says.  “How great is the love our Father has lavished on us that we should be called the children of God!  And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1, NIV (c) 1984)  We believe we are children of God because God says so, not because it looks like it or feels like it.  Even if there are days when you feel unbelievably blessed by God, there will be plenty of days when you will be hounded by guilt, regret, and shame.  You will wonder if you really are a child of God, or if God really forgives you.  Others might challenge you: “How can you call yourself a Christian when you act like that!?”  What can we say?  Sins are sins.  Wrong is wrong.  A hypocrite will insist otherwise.  Instead, be honest: Confess your sins.  Amend your wickedness.  Repent.  And flee to Jesus.  He has a word that sustains you.
     You will shine in glory, but not yet.  Now, we live by faith, not by sight.  Now, we take God at his word.  The children of God always come to hear the Father speak tenderly through his Son, Jesus.  This is what the Lord says through the prophet Daniel: “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” (Daniel 12:3)  You will shine in glory.  Never mind what it looks like now.  God has made you wise for salvation.  He has revealed Jesus to you as your Savior.
     What does God see when he sees you?  God tells you.  “In Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.  For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Galatians 3:26-27)  Through baptism, you have received all that Jesus Christ has done for you.  Jesus did perfectly order his life according to the Ten Commandments.  His enemies could not find fault with him, no matter how much they tried to entrap him or how severely they accused him.  The Father in heaven also declared that with his Son, he was well pleased.  Jesus' holy, obedient life was lived for you.  That is what covers you.  At your baptism, the Lord put his name upon you to mark you as his own.  He has made you a child of God, covered in the righteousness of Jesus, and cleansed you of all sin.  Since you are all sons of God, you are also heirs of the heavenly kingdom.  You are children of the resurrection.  You will shine in glory. 
     While your glory will come when people are raised from the dust of the earth, your place in God's family is already secure now.  You are the children of God because you have God's word on it.  Of course, we also want to live as children of God.  God's Commandments are good.  They direct us to what a good and godly life is supposed to look like.  Jesus has encouraged us, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)  In other words, it is God's will that we already begin to shine and to reflect Jesus' righteousness in our lives now.  The children of God are set apart, and we pray that it would look like it.  This is to God's glory, not ours.
     Nevertheless, our true glory does not come yet.  We still struggle against temptations.  And worse, we still give in.  Then we have to deal with shame, regret, and frustration.  There is a reason we still confess our sins.  We still have them.  We do not look like the children of God yet.  There is a reason we flee to hear God's word over and over again.  We live by faith, and our faith is informed and sustained by God's word.  He continues to declare his love for us, to absolve us of our sins, to feed us with the heavenly feast, and to encourage us to continue in godly living, no matter how much of a struggle that is.  He puts away our shame and regret, and he reminds us that we are his.  Even if you don't feel like it, you are.  The Lord says so, and we take him at his word.  We live right now by faith, not by sight.
     But Daniel's words are also true, for they are the word of the Lord: “Your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.  And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.  And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” (Daniel 12:1-3)  You will shine in glory, for the Lord has written your name in the Book of Life, just as surely as he has written his name upon you through your baptism.
     What does a Christian look like?  A Christian is one who hears God's word, kneels at his altar, confesses his sins, confesses the faith, and strives to put God's word into action in his life.  How good that looks like to other people, or even to yourself, does not prove anything.  The world may define you by your flaws; the Lord does not.  Salvation belongs to those who are wise for salvation; for they hear God's word and believe it.
     But you will shine in glory.  On the Last Day, you will be raised from your grave, and you will look and act like the children of God he says you are.  You will be forever free from regret and shame.  You will be delivered from struggles against temptation and the frustration of your sins.  You will serve the Lord in perfect obedience and rejoice in doing his will without fault.  You will even be delivered from pain, sorrow, deformity, disability, disaster, and death.  For it will be an everlasting age of glory and peace.  This is your inheritance, for you are the children of God.  That is what you are now; for God has said so.  And soon, you will look like it; for you will shine in glory forevermore.

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

Sermon -- 3rd Sunday of End Time—Saints Triumphant (November 19, 2017)

MATTHEW 25:1-13

KEEP ON KEEPING WATCH,

FOR THE SAVIOR IS COMING!

In the name + of Jesus.

     The Lord Jesus has given a command to his Church to preach the Gospel to all creation because the Lord does not want people to perish in their sins.  Rather, he wants all to repent, believe the good news, and be saved.  The parable today, however, is not a warning to the lost.  It is a warning for the Church. 
     The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. (Matthew 25:1)  Since the bridal attendants are virgins, they are pure.  They have all the appearance of being godly people who will receive a place at the wedding feast.  Unfortunately, not all who appear godly will be saved.  Five of the virgins were foolish.  They were invited to the wedding banquet.  They knew that the bridegroom was coming.  With so much planning and so much anticipation, being unprepared was inexcusable.  Wedding feasts back in Jesus' day could last up to a week.  During that week, the bride would wait at her home.  The groom would come to get her, and they would make a procession back to the house of the groom where all the guests would feast and rejoice.  For whatever reason, the bridegroom was delayed.  He came at an inconvenient hour.  So when the cry went out that the bridegroom was coming, all the virgins awoke to tend to their lamps.  Only then did the five foolish virgins realize that they were not prepared.  Only when it was too late did it matter to them.
     This parable is a warning to the Church.  It concludes with Jesus' admonition: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Matthew 25:13)  More literally, Jesus' command is to keep on keeping watch.  Jesus was speaking to believers.  We know that Jesus is going to return for judgment and to gather his redeemed for the wedding feast of heaven.  We confess regularly that Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead.  Therefore, for God's people to be caught unprepared is inexcusable.  Jesus warns us so that we do not find ourselves unprepared on that day.  Keep on keeping watch; for your Savior is coming.
     The five foolish virgins had forewarning.  They knew the bridegroom was coming.  But when he came, they did not have oil for their lamps to join in the procession.  So the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’  But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ (Matthew 25:8-9)  The point is not that the wise were unwilling to share.  The point is that we are all responsible for ourselves.  I cannot believe for you, and you cannot believe for me.  Our love for our children will not save them.  God alone supplies this salvation and the faith to receive it.  So, even though the five virgins had all the appearance of purity when the groom came, they were not prepared.  This is the way it will be for many who call themselves Christians.  There are many who are baptized and confirmed and morally decent who will find to their horror that they are not going to enter the wedding feast of the Lamb.
     It is not that people go off and turn to a life of crime.  Nor do they suddenly get some spiritual amnesia and forget everything about Jesus.  If they were on Jeopardy, they could still ace the Bible category.  Rather, they just stopped going to church, hearing the word of the Lord, confessing their sins, and receiving the Lord's Supper.  They became lazy or distracted or wanted to be amused by other things.  Sundays become a day for family time, sports, sleeping in, brunch, and so on.  These are not wicked things.  We don't call people to repent for sleep, eating, sports, or family time.  And do you know what such people discover?  That their lives don't really change that much.  They are not struck down by lightning.  They don't lose their jobs.  Their friends still like them and support them.  Their marriages do not automatically collapse.  So, they deduce that life without Jesus and his word is no worse than life with it.  In fact, some will argue that life without Jesus is better because they can devote the extra time, money, and energy to make themselves comfortable in this world.  Like the five foolish virgins, many will only consider the word of the Lord important once they are shut out of the kingdom.  Beware; this warning is for the Church so that we will not perish.
     Keep on keeping watch; for your Savior is coming.  Now, if Jesus is your Savior, that means he saves you from something.  And he does.  The five wise virgins did not do a very good job keeping watch either.  They grew tired, lazy, and weak.  They, too, fell asleep while waiting for the bridegroom.  Still, when the bridegroom comes, they do not panic.  They trim their lamps so that they can welcome him with joy.
     Keep on keeping watch; for your Savior is coming.  You know what it is to grow tired and lazy while waiting for Jesus.  We daily battle temptations and sins, and it gets wearisome.  Our sinful weakness gets the better of us and we return to sins of habit.  We are also encouraged to be lazy in our watchfulness when we see many people who, while still calling themselves Christians, have no real use for the Lord, his word, and his Church.  And they do not seem to suffer for it at all.
     Keep on keeping watch; for your Savior is coming.  Your Savior has come for you to deliver you from the sins which would condemn you.  He took on himself all of our guilt and submitted himself to all of God's wrath.  If all God's wrath has been poured upon Jesus, there is nothing left for you but blessing and mercy.  That blessing is not given to you just because you think thoughts about Jesus.  God's blessing, mercy, and salvation are to be proclaimed.  And that is why we gather here.  By the proclamation of the word, Jesus saves you.  He reveals and bestows forgiveness through the word which is proclaimed.  He attaches his word to baptism, to holy communion, and to absolution.  By these, he bestows salvation and blessing upon sinners.  This is the reason we gather for chruch each week—to receive God's blessings.  Here, we find comfort and peace as we await Christ's return.  This is how we keep on keeping watch. 
     Keep on keeping watch; for your Savior is coming.  He who suffered and died to save you from sin and guilt and from any condemnation is risen.  Jesus conquered death to save you from the grave.  Because Jesus rose from the dead, death must answer to him.  Because you are Christ's, you participate in Jesus' victory.  On the Last Day when Jesus returns, the grave will have to give you back and you will live.  Jesus is your Savior from death and the grave. 
     Keep on keeping watch; for your Savior is coming.  After his resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven to prepare a place for you.  And if he has gone to prepare a place for you, he will come back to take you to be with him where he is.  Keep on keeping watch; for your Savior is coming.  He saves you not only from guilt and shame in this world, he also saves you from the world itself.  When the Groom comes for his Church, Jesus will deliver you out of a world of sorrow, pain, heartache, frustation, and wickedness.  Jesus will set you forever free from all of the griefs you have come to know in this world.  He will bring you to a place in heaven which will be peaceful, perfect, and permanent.  This is the wedding feast of the Lamb in which there will be great joy, great feasting, great company, and endless peace.  Jesus paid a great price to secure his Church for this, and he desires that you remain wise for salvation so that you will be with him forever.  So keep on keeping watch.  Your Savior is coming.  And he comes to bring you everlasting salvation.

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

A Prayer for All Saints' Day

A Prayer for All Saints' Day

          In our liturgical tradition, we offer up a prayer of remembrance for those who have died in the Christian faith in the past year.  Traditionally, this is done on All Saints' Day, November 1.  However, Good Shepherd does not hold a service on All Saints' Day.  We transfer this prayer to the 3rd Sunday of End Time which will be on November 19 this year.  The 3rd Sunday of End Time is also known in our congregation as "Saints Triumphant." 

          Below is the prayer that we will use.  We will add the names of members, members' family, and members' friends once they have been submitted.  

          "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." (Psalm 116:15)


PRAYER FOR ALL SAINTS’ DAY

Almighty God, today we recall with thanksgiving those saints who were taken from us in the Church Militant and carried by the angels to you and the Church Triumphant.  Especially, we give you praise for our departed family and friends who have gone before us in faith and all those who are in our hearts and minds this day:

(The names of those who are to be remembered are read.)

To these, you have granted eternal rest this past year.  We thank you for giving them new life in Christ while on this earth and for sustaining them in true and saving faith throughout their life.  We praise you for finally giving them the fulfillment of your promises of salvation and eternal life.  Strengthen and sustain us in this saving faith so that we may also join with the angels and archangels and all the company of heaven in joyful praise, peace, and rest forever; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Cong: Amen.

Sermon -- 3rd Sunday of End Times: Saints Triumphant (November 13, 2016)

LUKE 20:27-38

WE LOOK FOR THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD AND THE LIFE OF THE WORLD TO COME.

In the name + of Jesus.

      We believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.  Out of love, he made this world and all that is in it for mankind to care for and to enjoy.  Out of love for you, he put you in this world at the specific time and place he wanted you to be.  God owed none of this to anyone.  It is all by his grace.  It is all because God is love.
     God put you in this world, and he has not designed you to be disposable.  To God, no person's life is disposable.  While it is true that every person has a day when he will die, no one is disposable.  God created Adam and Eve to be people whom he would love forever.  So it is with you.  When you die, you do not evaporate.  No soul is annihilated.  The dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7)  The body returns to dust, but that is not how God designed it to be.  Death is the result of sin's curse, not God's design.  God loves what he has created.  You are not disposable.  Therefore, God redeemed what he has created so that death is not the end for you.  Though the body goes to the grave, the grave must give up its dead.  On the Last Day, we will see what we believe: We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. (Nicene Creed)
     Not everyone believes in the resurrection of the body.  The Sadducees didn't.  They were the temple priests.  They did not believe in angels, spirits, or any resurrection.  They limited their concerns to the here and now.  So when they came to Jesus to ask about the resurrection from the dead, it was not out of curiosity.  It was mockery.  The Sadducees presented Jesus with a hypothetical case which was supposed to prove that the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting are a farce.  They assumed that, if there were an afterlife, it would be the same as life is now—with multiple marriage partners, broken homes, and dysfunctional families.  If such things are common even in Christian homes, the Sadducees wondered how messed up things would be in eternal dwellings.
     Jesus responded bluntly.  “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.” (Luke 20:34-36)  The fact is, there will not be broken families, strained relationships, or shattered lives in the world to come.  That is one of the reasons we look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
     God's design for a family—established by the marriage of a husband and wife—is a blessing in this world.  Through the marriage of a man and a woman, the Lord provides love, discipline, care, and stability for the children who are born into each family.  Marriage and the children that come from it are necessary for this world since generations continue to die.  Each generation repopulates the world with its offspring, and then it passes away.  Each subsequent generation has to grieve as they bury their parents and  grandparents.  And while it is heart-rending for the children who must do it, it is not unusual.  Death comes into the world because of sin.  And since all are sinners, all die.
     The Sadducees dealt with this reality by dismissing thoughts of an afterlife.  Like the Sadducees, many care only for what they can get out of this life.  But this hope is nothing more than a denial that we are accountable to God for our lives.  If we don't have to face a sentence at our judgment, then we don't have to answer to God.  It is a horrible way to contend with guilt because it rejects what your conscience plainly tells you—you ARE accountable for your actions.  Why else would you feel badly about them?  Still others prefer reincarnation—being born back into a sinful world with its pains and sorrows again and again and again.  This does not elude death; it repeats the cycle again and again and again.  Neither of these is true, nor actually deals with one's sin or overcomes death.
     We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.  Christians rightly look forward to a joyful reunion with all the saints in heaven.  Still, the relationships that we know now will not be the same in heaven.  The Lord does not need us to have marriages to repopulate heaven.  There is no need for birth announcements because there shall be no obituaries.  All of God's people, like the angels, shall live forever in God's presence, and with perfected personalities.  For that reason, you will not have a strained relationship with anyone who is there.  Nor will you feel distant from any of the saints there.  Here, families can be shattered by divorce, and people can be unfriended because of which for filling in the wrong oval on November 8.  Even Christians know what factions are like—whether because of denominational differences or because you don't feel like you belong to your own congregation.  That's because we are still sinners and we don't love perfectly.  But in the life of the world to come, you will not feel unwelcome, lonely, or awkward.  You will know that you are just as wanted and welcomed as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as apostles and prophets, and as bold confessors and humble, unknown servants of Christ.  For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26)  Therefore, you are all shall be brothers and sisters who are beloved of God, and you will be perfectly beloved by one another.
     For Jesus Christ, who has suffered and died to take away our sins, will raise us up in absolute perfection.  Here on earth, we strive to serve the Lord with holy lives.  But we continue to give evidence that we do not live up to the righteousness God credits us with.  You may feel slighted because you don't think others are making enough of a fuss over you and your ego is not being fed enough.  Or you may be so self-absorbed that you don't even realize that you fail to give attention to others or put forth effort to make them feel welcome.  You know that it is not always easy to live with sinners.  Repent; for you are not always easy to live with either.  But that is why we continue to come to our Savior.  He forgives our sins.  He feeds our faith.  He heals our wounds.  He transforms our hearts so that we forgive others, amend our own lives, and demonstrate true compassion for others.  And he will finally deliver us from lives which are often weak on love to glorious, eternal lives where we are perfected in love.  That is another reason why we look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
     “But that the dead are raised,” Jesus said, “even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.  Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living...” (Luke 20:37-38)  The Lord had declared to Moses, “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (Exodus 3:6, paraphrased)  The verb tense matters.  He did not say, “I was their God,” but “I am their God.”  In other words, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were alive and well with the Lord.  For, God did not make people to be disposable.  God created us to live.  And God loves what he has created.  So he sent Jesus to redeem us from death so that we could live forever with him.  Even the damned will not be disposed of.  Their existence will go on forever, but in hell.  But not so with you who believe in Jesus.  You have been rescued from death and hell.  And like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, you will live with the Lord forever.
     Finally, on the Last Day, we will receive our perfect and permanent victory over death once and for all.  Jesus, who rose from his grave with his perfect, glorified, and immortal flesh, will raise up our flesh to be perfect, glorified, and immortal.  Never again will we get sick or frail, diseased or disabled, or bitter, suspicious, or mean.  We will be perfected in body and soul, heart and mind.  And while we will be like the angels, you will not become angels.  God created you to be you.  Not even your humanity is disposable, just as Jesus is and remains true man forever.  He redeemed you as you.  And he will raise up you to be the perfect you he always intended you to be.  For God loves what he has created in you.  He has redeemed you, and he will raise you up to live with him and all the saints in holy bliss forever.  This is what we pray for and confess: We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.

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

Sermon -- 3rd Sunday of End Times: Saints Triumphant (November 15, 2015)

ISAIAH 65:17-25

EDEN SHALL BE RESTORED.  

In the name + of Jesus. 

     Are you having a bad day?  If not, you probably had one recently.  There are countless reasons you could be having a bad day.  Maybe you are still reeling from some bad news.  Maybe you were the victim of someone sinning against you.  Maybe your body is aching.  Maybe you had car trouble, or are cold, or stubbed your toe.  Maybe your hair simply would not work for you today.  Sad to say, bad days are commonplace in this world—though some are downright horrible, such as in Paris on Friday.
     That is frustrating, but it is hardly new.  Bad days began with that very bad day back in the Garden of Eden.  Before sin entered the world, everything was good.  There were no fights, no rivalries, no diseases, and no death.  When the Lord presented the animals before Adam for him to name them, Adam did not fear being bitten, mauled, or trampled.  Every part of God's creation was in perfect harmony with God's will and obedient to God's word.
     Then Adam and Eve sinned against God.  They defied his word and disobeyed his command.  That sin not only effected Adam and Eve, it also corrupted all of God's creation.  Adam was told by God, “Cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you....” (Genesis 3:17-18)  The earth was cursed.  The creation was corrupted.  And Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden.  Eden was lost.  It was the first of many bad days to come, and now we are all participants of bad days because we are sinners living in a sinful world.
     The people to whom Isaiah preached also knew their share of bad days.  Isaiah forewarned them that worse days were ahead.  The people of Israel had not followed God's word.  When the Lord sent prophets to call them to repent, those prophets were ignored, persecuted, and killed.  Nevertheless, the Lord remained patient.  He sent more prophets.  He repeated his call to repentance through them.  The people still did not listen.  They did not take the word of the Lord seriously, but continued to live their lives as if nothing were wrong.  Finally, the Lord's patience wore out.  Prophets, such as Isaiah, no longer preached repentance.  Instead, they proclaimed judgment.  He who is slow to anger was finally stirred to anger against the Israelites.  They would be overrun by enemies.  They would be taken from their homes and lands.  Others would move into their homes and feast on their crops.  Many would be slain; others would be exiled.  Though it was not Eden, the Promised Land was lost.
     But even before the Israelites would be exiled, the prophet Isaiah spoke of their return.  He assured them that, after they had been taken captive by the Babylonians, the Promised Land would be restored to a remnant.  This restoration was foretold by Isaiah: “They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.  They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.  They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord, and their descendants with them.” (Isaiah 65:21-23)
     That's not to say that the Israelites were done with bad days after they resettled the land.  They were still sinners.  They still lived in a corrupt world.  They still had enemies who surrounded them.  And there were day-to-day frustrations and hardships to contend with—from untimely deaths to envious family members to muscle cramps.  Still, they were restored to their land and to their Lord.  The joy of being restored to the Promised Land was incredible.
     That was a mere glimpse of the joy which will be ours when we enter the Paradise of God.  The Lord does not merely tell us that our days will get better.  They will be perfect.  This is what the Lord says: “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.  But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness.  I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress.” (Isaiah 65:17-19)  Eden will be restored, and the old order of things shall be no more.  The bad days will not even be remembered.  There will be no more crying or calamity, no more problems or pains, no struggles, no stress, and no death.  For the Lord will make a new heavens and a new earth, the home of righteousness.  Eden will be restored.
     “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.” (Isaiah 65:17)  The reason that the new creation will be perfect is that there is no sin in it.  And if there is no sin in it, not even the consequences of sin—the thorns and thistles, the sweat and pain, and every bad day—will ever bother those who dwell there.  Eden will be restored.
     Now, the only way we can enter the new heavens and new earth is if we ourselves are without sin.  The Israelites of old were banished because of their sin.  It would be no different for us.  No matter how we try to overcome it, we are guilty of sin.  Many of our bad days are self-inflicted.  Our sins often result in consequences now—lost friendships, loss of respect, lost jobs, or even jail time.  If the world will not put up with our sins when it is wicked, how can God put up with us when he is holy?  You and I are accountable for our sins, and we have nothing to offer but lame excuses.  Like the Israelites of old, we deserve banishment—not merely from our homeland, but from God's presence and blessings.  Repent!
     Yet, the Lord has not lost patience with us.  He does not merely tolerate us for our sins; rather, the Lord has had mercy upon us and cleansed us from our sin.  Jesus took our sins and made them his own.  Then he was forsaken at the cross for us.  He shed his holy, precious blood for us who are sinful and corrupt.  And he has cleansed us in that holy, precious blood so that we now stand before God as people who are holy and blameless.  If God loved you before you were holy and blameless in his sight, how much more does he love you now that you are his saints!  That is why you shall enter the new heavens and the new earth.  The old order of things—the brokenness and brutality of a sinful world—shall be no more.  Instead, you shall have peace forevermore.
     Isaiah depicts that peace this way: “'The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox....  They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,' says the Lord.” (Isaiah 65:25)   There will be no enemies and no animosity when Eden is restored.  No one will despise or devour anyone else.  No actions will be tarnished by sin, but all will love one another and be at peace, in perfect harmony with the God who has created us.  Eden shall be restored.  The Lord will have good things for us for a lifetime, and that lifetime will be eternal.
     I don't know how many bad days you will have here.  I don't know how bad those days will get.  Some will be downright miserable.  But even in those days, maybe especially in those days, take refuge in God's promises.  A better day and an immeasurable glory is coming.  The Lord Jesus, who suffered, died, and rose to gain us a place in the new Jerusalem has ascended to prepare our place with him there.  He will surely return to deliver us to that place.  The former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. (Isaiah 65:17)  But the peace, the glory, the life, and the joy will go on without end.  Eden shall be restored, and  we shall dwell there forever with the Lord.

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