Sermon -- 2nd Sunday after Christmas (January 4, 2026)

THROUGH JESUS, WE HAVE RECEIVED GRACE UPON GRACE.

JOHN 1:14-18

In the name + of Jesus.

     John the Baptist was a fiery preacher, preparing people for the Messiah.  Although John’s message was strong and shook the conscience of his listeners, John was not a loose cannon.  As a faithful prophet, John preached what God had given him to preach.  What John preached was God’s Law.  That Law exposed people for being the sinners that they were.  Some recognized that John’s message, although uncomfortable to hear, was true.  These people repented and were baptized as John directed them.  Others also found John’s message uncomfortable.  But rather than draw near with a true heart to confess their sins, they were defensive.  For them, John’s preaching did not produce repentance, it provoked anger. 

     “The law was given through Moses” (John 1:17), but the Law came from God. God’s Law may have been written by Moses over 3,000 years ago, but it still applies to every era of history, to every age of life, to every nation on earth, and to every culture in the human spectrum.  The fact that our calendar now reads 2026 changes nothing.  God does not change; neither does his word.  What has always been good is still good now.  What has always been evil is still evil now.  The world’s judgment changes constantly.  God’s word does not.

     God’s Law exposes sin.  One time when Jesus was talking to a Samaritan woman at a well, he revealed that he knew she was a five-time divorcee and that she currently shared a bed with a man who was not her husband.  You can imagine her alarm that he would know this.  But God sees all.  She ran back into town and said to the people there, “Come, see the man who told me everything I ever did” (John 4:29)!  That’s what God’s Law does.  It tells you everything you have ever done, said, and thought.  Even if your sin is not known to the public, God’s Law makes it known to you.  It shows if the thoughts of your heart are bitter, perverse, and self-centered.  It convicts you of being controlled by greed, lust, jealousy, revenge, and so on.  Some acknowledge that God’s word is true, resulting in contrite and penitent hearts.  For others, God’s Law provokes anger, and they call God’s Law evil.

     There is always a part of us which calls God’s Law evil.  That’s because God’s Law can make us feel bad.  Today, that is how people define hatred.  If you make someone feel bad—whether stating an opinion or a fact—people will scowl and demand to know, “Why do you hate that person?”  It is a tactic of manipulation.  They expect you to retract your statement.  They want you to change your opinion or to deny the facts.  But God’s Law is not based on opinion.  It is a divine command.  God gave it because he loves us, not because he hates us.  Since it is from God, it is good.  If it shows that people are evil, God’s Law is still good.  If it is despised and rejected, God’s Law is still good.  If God’s people cannot live up to it, God’s Law is still good.

     John the Baptist preached that Law to prepare hearts to receive the Messiah.  John the Apostle testified about the Messiah who has come: “Out of his fullness we have all received grace upon grace.  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:16-17). 

     We usually do not connect God’s Law with grace, because “no one is declared righteous before God by the law” (Galatians 3:11).  But that does not mean God’s Law has no benefits.  Our Catechism teaches us that God promises “grace and every blessing to those who keep these Commandment” (Luther’s Small Catechism; Conclusion to the Commandments).  The Psalms teach us, “By (God’s laws) your servant is warned.  In keeping them there is great reward” (Psalm 19:11).  And again, “How blessed are those who are blameless in their way, who walk in the law of the Lord.  …How can a young man keep his path pure?  By guarding it with your words” (Psalm 119:1,9). 

     Do you realize the blessing that is given to people who follow God’s commandments?  Do you recognize how many problems you do not bring upon yourself by listening to the word of the Lord and following his ways?  God did not give his law to you to suck all the fun out of your life.  It is more like the rules of the road.  They are not there to make driving boring, but safe.  If you’ve ever driven on a mountain road, you probably saw very little scenery.  You stared at that yellow line on the road to make sure you didn’t veer off the side.  If you saw a speed limit sign warning you to slow down for a sharp curve, you probably didn’t glance at your passenger to say, “Let’s just see how fast we can whip around this.”  You obey the rules of the road for your safety and for everyone else’s safety.  As much fun as it would be to crack 100 mph, it is not safe.

     There is great blessing in keeping God’s Law.  How much happier the house is when husband and wife love and honor each other, and when the children honor and obey their parents.  How much better society is when people help and befriend their neighbor in every bodily need.  How much better the workplace is when people do not lie, cheat, gossip, or steal.  This does not mean your life will suddenly be easy or that you will gain riches.  But it does mean that your life will be good and good for others.  This is how God blesses those who follow his commandments.

     But through Jesus, we have received grace upon grace.  “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).  God’s Law is good.  It is good to know it and to live according to it.  But what Jesus gives us is better.  That is not to say that Jesus replaces God’s Law with something different.  Once again, God’s Law does not change.  So, Jesus did not come to change it.  Not even one word of it.  Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy them but to fulfill them.  Amen I tell you: Until heaven and earth pass away, not even the smallest letter, or even part of a letter, will in any way pass away from the Law until everything is fulfilled” (Matthew 5:17-18). 

     And true to his word, Jesus continued to uphold God’s Law in his teaching.  In speaking with priests and peasants, to rabbis and Roman soldiers, to friends and to foes, Jesus spoke truthfully and kindly as God’s Law demands.  In living among people who were diseased, disillusioned, deceptive, and defiant, Jesus demonstrated patience and mercy, but still did not make concessions which excused evil.  Jesus received divine favor because he proved to be a faithful servant who followed the orders of God.  Jesus followed God’s Law because it is good and because Jesus himself is good. 

     Now, if Jesus was just a teacher of morals, he would still be worth listening to and following.  To this day, there are professors and pundits who will give instruction about virtue and morality and ethics.  Occasionally, it happens that one of those figures is guilty of some scandal.  Many will take great delight in someone’s moral failings.  They will cry, “Ha ha!  You hypocrite!  Your words are useless, you liar!”  While we should be saddened that anyone would ruin himself by a scandal, that does not mean that lessons on virtue, morality, and ethics are bad.  The Law came through Moses, and Moses did not keep it.  That doesn’t make the Law bad.  It only proves that people are sinners.  Anyone who finds vindication in someone else’s sins is a petty sinner himself.  There is nothing gracious about mockery.

     But through Jesus, we have received grace upon grace.  As the only man who kept all of God’s Commandments, Jesus could have looked down on all of us.  Instead, he picked us all up from our dreadful, sinful condition.  While Moses commands, “Thou shalt do this!” and “Thou shalt not do that!”—and Moses is not wrong—Jesus tells us, “I will do this for you.  I will fulfill all that God demands of you so that it is all done.  And I will submit to the curse that God puts upon all who fail to live up to the good God demands.  I will give my life in every way for you.  I will live the perfect life under the Law; this will satisfy God’s demands.  And I will die under the Law to pay the price for sins; this will appease God’s wrath.”  This is grace upon grace—God’s love given in the words that direct our lives and God’s love given in the words which proclaim eternal life. 

     “Grace and truth come through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).  The grace of God is proclaimed by the Savior whose sacrificial death removes the curse and the penalty for sins.  He is not only merciful in not treating us as our sins deserve, he is gracious in pouring out blessings that we did not deserve.  The grace of God is poured out upon you in your baptism.  The Lord has marked you as his own dear child.  Your identity is now as a saint in a world of sin and a child of the Most High God awaiting a place in the heavenly kingdom.  And the grace of God is delivered to you in the body and blood which have overcome death.  This is the medicine of immortality, sustaining you on your journey to endless glory and eternal life.  Through Jesus Christ, we have received grace upon grace—God’s gifts delivered by sound and sight and taste and touch.

     “Grace and truth come through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).  Grace and truth are both found in Jesus Christ.  While our Lord is gracious to sinners, he is also truthful to sinners.  He had no problem acknowledging that the people he commiserated with were people with sinful baggage.  When the Pharisees brought to Jesus a woman caught in the act of adultery, he demonstrated astounding grace to her.  He did not add to her public humiliation.  The Pharisees had done enough of that.  He invited anyone without sin to stone her to death.  After the dejected Pharisees walked away, Jesus asked, “‘Has no one condemned you?’  ‘No one, Lord,’ she answered.  Then Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you’” (John 8:10-11).  This was astounding grace.  But Jesus continued with truth.  He told her, “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore” (John 8:11).  Jesus did not deny that she had sinned.  First, he forgave her for it; then he called her to flee from it.  To receive God’s grace then also means to live according to God’s truth.

     The Lord teaches you to be honest with yourself about your sins.  Do not present yourself before the Lord as anything other than you are.  You are a sinner.  But then rejoice in what the Lord tells you that you are: You are his redeemed.  Through Jesus, we have received grace upon grace.  It never runs out.  It always forgives.  It always relieves burdened hearts and minds. 

     Through Jesus, we have received grace upon grace.  In his grace, the Father sent his Son to ransom you from sin and death so that you will be his very own.  In his grace, Jesus sent his Holy Spirit to dwell in you so that you remain a child of God.  In his grace, the Holy Spirit will preserve you in the faith and raise you up to heavenly glory.  

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

Update from Good Shepherd (January 1, 2026)

Greetings!

REGULAR SCHEDULE
Divine Service is Sundays at 10:00 AM.
Sunday School is Sundays at 9:00 AM.
Adult Bible Class is Sundays at 9:00 AM.

Bible Matters will resume on Wednesday, January 7 at 6:30 PM. 

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

CHURCH COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS (December)

>  We are still planning to have a dry run for our texting service.  The date for that is still to be determined. 

>  As a follow-up to our congregational meeting, we will form a committee to study and make recommendations for larger capital improvement projects and long-term plans which may need to be done in the next ten years or so.  Some projects are necessary; others would be nice.  If you have interest in working with this committee, speak with Dan LeFevre.

GROWING TOGETHER IN GOD’S WORD
          Bible Matters is a discussion group. Each week, we will read through a chapter of, “Your Life Has Meaning: Discovering Your Role in an Epic Story,” and discuss how God’s word applies to our lives. Additional books are still available ($20 each). Friends are welcome and encouraged to join us. The book will be our gift to them. If you need a copy for a friend, speak to Pastor Schroeder. Additionally, all high schoolers who would like a copy of the book may have one for free.
          Bible Matters will begin our discussion of the book on Wednesday, January 7 at 6:30 PM.

GOOD SHEPHERD ON YOUTUBE

           Services are uploaded to YouTube each week. Feel free to share the videos. Here is the Divine Service from December 7, 2025. Good Shepherd Novi, Divine Service, December 21, 2025 - YouTube

BAD WEATHER POLICY FOR SERVICES AT GOOD SHEPHERD

            We will always have services as scheduled at Good Shepherd.  Since I live across the parking lot, I can get to the church no matter how bad the weather gets.  Even if the service is just me and my family, we will be here.  For everyone else, please use your God-given common sense to determine whether or not you will get on the road to attend any service when the weather is bad.  We don't want anyone to risk his or her life to be here.  But if you do venture out, the scheduled service will take place.  It may be only a handful with a cappella singing and/or spoken liturgy, but we will be here.

            Bible Classes and meetings may be canceled due to weather.  Check your email regarding announcements to see if any of those scheduled events are canceled.  If there is no email about it, it is not canceled.  But again, use common sense to determine if you can make it, and call the pastor to let him know if you will not be coming.

PRIVATE CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION
     Private Confession & Absolution will be available without appointment on Sunday, January 4, 7:00 - 9:00 PM.  An explanation for Private Confession & Absolution can be found here.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2026

Offering Envelopes – Your 2026 offering envelopes have been placed in your church mailboxes.  If you do not receive one, or if somehow we still have not designated a mailbox for you, please speak to Pastor Schroeder or Terry Barber.  If you prefer your offerings to be done by electronic transfer rather than with offering envelopes, speak with Terry Barber about how to set that up.

Through the Bible in a Year – If you are willing to try to read the Bible in a year, there is a schedule you can find here.   Please note that it is a rather aggressive schedule, expecting 15-20 minutes of Bible reading each day, reading through all four Gospels twice.

Bible Information Class – We will offer a Bible Information Class in the new year, staring in February.  It will meet on Monday evenings, 7:00-8:30 PM.  This class is a review for long-time Christians and an opportunity for anyone to come, ask questions about God and the Bible, and to grow in faith and knowledge.  For now, consider whom you might bring to this class.  Many people have spiritual questions.  This class will address many of them.

Adult Bible Class – We will begin a new session on Sunday, January 4.  Sometimes we have a hard time understanding parts of the Bible.  Some of those words come from Jesus himself.  We will spend a number of weeks considering the Hard Sayings of Jesus.  Adult Bible Class meets at 9:00 AM.  All from grade 7 on up are welcome to attend.

Church Un-decoration

What goes up must come down.  On Sunday, January 4, we will remove and return to storage the Christmas decorations which have adorned our sanctuary through the Advent and Christmas seasons.  Your help is greatly appreciated.

REGULAR OFFICE HOURS
          For the most part, the pastor will be observing formal office hours (Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM – Noon). Occasionally, duties will take him away from the office during these scheduled times, so you will still want to call or text to confirm any meetings with the pastor (248-719-5218).

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

DO YOU LIKE US?

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

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

In Christ,
Pastor Schroeder

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REGULAR SCHEDULE

Sunday School -- Sundays at 9:00 AM 

Adult Bible Class -- Sundays at 9:00 AM 

DIVINE SERVICES -- Sundays at 10:00 AM.

Bible Matters -- Wednesdays at 6:30 PM.

GOOD SHEPHERD’S WEBSITE
www.GoodShepherdNovi.org

PASTOR SCHROEDER’S BLOG

www.LutheranSubject.blogspot.com  

Private Confession & Absolution -- Sunday, January 4 (7:00 - 9:00 PM)

           Private confession and absolution will be available at church from 7:00 - 9:00 PM on Sunday, January 4. No appointment is necessary. Just stop in. If this rite is new to you (and it is for many who attend here), the pastor will walk you through the rite so that you understand and appreciate it more. Private confession and absolution is always available by appointment throughout the year.

Why Private Confession & Absolution?
The answer follows:

          When Lutherans hear someone speak of Private Confession and Absolution, the response is usually a knee-jerk, "That's Roman Catholic!" Though that may be a common perception, the perception is because either it was taught wrongly or understood wrongly. Consider what the Lutheran Confessions teach about Private Confession and Absolution.

Our churches teach that private Absolution should be retained in the churches, although listing all sins is not necessary for Confession. For, according to the Psalm, it is impossible. "Who can discern his errors?" (Psalm 19:12) -- Augsburg Confession, Article XI

What is Confession?
Answer: Confession has two parts: the one is that we confess our sins; the other is that we receive Absolution, or forgiveness, from the confessor, as from God Himself, and in no way doubt, but firmly believe that our sins are forgiven before God in heaven by this.

What sins should we confess?
Answer: Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even of those that we do not know, as we do in the Lord's Prayer. But before the confessor we should confess only those sins that we know and feel in our hearts. -- Luther's Small Catechism, Part V

          These are basic confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. They are catholic, insofar as they are Christian. But they are not Roman, insofar as the penitent is not obligated to orally confess every sin in order to be forgiven of it and insofar as one's forgiveness is not dependent upon some action on the part of the penitent. The forgiveness is based on Jesus' sufferings and death for the penitent who has been baptized into his name.

          Since the practice of Private Confession and Absolution is a Lutheran practice, it would be good for Lutherans to practice it. It is good for the penitent who is grieved by a particular sin to confess it so that he can hear Christ say through the mouth of his minister: "I forgive you." It would be good for the one who is burdened to be relieved of his burden by Holy Absolution. It would be good for this practice, though foreign to many in my corner of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, to be restored. 

          Private Confession and Absolution has always been available to all members by appointment. In order for this practice to be restored and perhaps put to better use, there will be dates on the calendar set aside for anyone who would like to drop in and make use of this means of grace. These will be set up about 4 times per year. Private Confession and Absolution will still be available by appointment in addition to these scheduled times.

          It is anticipated that Private Confession and Absolution will roughly follow this regular schedule.
                    A day around Epiphany (Epiphany is always January 6)
                    A day during Holy Week
                    A day around Labor Day weekend
                    A day after Thanksgiving weekend

          The next scheduled date and time for Private Confession and Absolution will be Sunday, January 4, 7:00 - 9:00 PM.  Appointments are not necessary. You need only drop in. All participation is voluntary, as Absolution cannot be forced upon anyone.

          Of course, this will be new to pretty much any member who decides to make use of it. If you happen to come in, the pastor will walk through the rite with you and explain the various parts of it, especially including the "private" part, namely, that this confession is to Christ and, therefore, remains his business alone. The pastor will not report any confession or even the names of those who come for confession. Finally, the point of this is not for a pastor to learn everyone's dirty, little secrets. (His life is easier if he remains ignorant. But God's people do not call a pastor to be ignorant; they call him to absolve in the name of Jesus.) The point is for the guilty and the grieved to find relief and receive forgiveness, or absolution. 

Adult Bible Class: Hard Sayings of Jesus

Sometimes we have a hard time understanding parts of the Bible.  Some of those words come from Jesus himself.  We will spend a number of weeks considering the Hard Sayings of Jesus.  

This session will begin on Sunday, January 4.  Adult Bible Class meets at 9:00 AM.  All from grade 7 on up are welcome to attend.

The schedule is below:

01/04          Translations! Traditions! Troubles! 

01/11          "If you don't have a sword ... buy one."

01/18          "Blessed are those who mourn."

01/25          "Out of men's hearts comes evil."

02/01          "I am coming back soon."

02/08          "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible for you."

02/15          "No one is good--except God alone."

02/22          "Unless Your Righteousness surpasses that of the teachers of the Law..."

03/01          "Unless you hate your father and mother..."

03/08          "Be as shrewd as snakes."

03/15          "Pearls before swine and bread to dogs"

03/22          "Why have you forsaken me?"

03/29          "So they won't hear"

Sermon -- Christmas Day (December 25, 2025)

THE LIGHT SHINES IN THE DARKNESS.

JOHN 1:1-14 

In the name + of Jesus.

    Christmas Eve produces an image that is endearing, perhaps even romantic.  A young couple basks in the love of their child.  A chorus of angels sings good news of great joy.  Shepherds come to visit the Christ child who rests in a manger.  Our Nativity scenes make it all look cozy.  Our imagination matches Thomas Kinkade paintings. 

     Such images are etched in fantasy, not reality.  While the birth of a child is wonderful, giving birth is painful and messy.  Besides the risks of childbirth in the ancient world, the Virgin Mary also had to give birth near the manger—in other words, by the smells and feces of animals.  If the manger was filled with hay, it was scratchy.  If it was empty, it was hard.  In either case, it was not as comfortable as we like to think.  When the shepherds came in from the fields, they were damp with the night air and smelling of the sheep.  Our Lord entered a world that was gritty, rough, and cruel.

     By contrast, you and I get to enjoy many creature comforts that make life more bearable.  We have furnaces to heat our insulated homes.  We have overstuffed chairs that rock and recline.  We have cars that are climate controlled, perhaps with heated seats.  Thanks to indoor plumbing, we can bathe daily and remove our waste with one flush.  And thanks to modern medicine, both the infant mortality rate and the risk to the mother have been reduced greatly.  These benefits are not only all familiar to us, they are expected.  We are accustomed to being comfortable.  Our world does not seem to be nearly as rough or gritty.

     But it is still cruel. 

     The world can be a very dark place.  People carry emotional scars from relationships, perhaps strained or terminated because of fighting or betrayal or infidelity.  Part of the nostalgia at Christmas is the remembrance of loved ones who are buried in the earth.  It is also the reminder that the heart-warming days of childhood are gone and will never be repeated.  Sins put us in a dark place, especially if they result in long term consequences.  If you are carrying a burden, perhaps no one seems to notice or care.  In the midst of parties and music and cookies, it can be very lonely.  The house may be comfortable, but the world is still a cruel and dark place.

     Our hearts and minds are dark places, too.  The Bible says, “The heart is more deceitful than anything.  It is beyond cure.  Who can understand it” (Jeremiah 17:9)?  It is the home of anxiety and fear.  We fret over bad things that might happen, even though they probably won’t.  We take delight in Schadenfreude: we enjoy watching other people suffer.  Or on the reverse side, we drift into envy: we get angry over someone else’s blessings.  These attitude are especially dark, because the misery of others does not make your life any better, and the happiness of others does not make your life any worse.  The human heart is a dark and bitter place.  Repent. 

     But shining into the darkness of this world and piercing into the darkness of the sinful heart is a light from heaven.  St. John wrote about the Christ child: “In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind.  The light is shining in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4-5).    

     When a bright light breaks into a dark place, we immediately shield our eyes.  We squint or turn away because the brightness hurts.  That’s what Adam and Eve did when the Lord came to them in the Garden after they had sinned.  They did not want to see the Lord.  Likewise, when the Lord appeared to Moses at the burning bush, Moses covered his face.  When the angels appeared to the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem, they were sore afraid.  The holiness of God, and even of his angels, exposes the filth of our sin.  The brightness reveals how dark our hearts and minds are.  This is why people want nothing to do with God.  We are fearful of judgment.  We are angry at accountability.  St. John wrote, “The light has come into the world, yet people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil.  In fact, everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, or else his deeds would be exposed” (John 3:19-20). 

     “God is light.  In him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).  God came into the world in human flesh, just as John declared, “The real light that shines on everyone was coming into the world” (John 1:9).  But the light of God is not sent to blind us or to roast us in blazing heat.  The light that comes into the world in Jesus Christ is sent to enlighten us.  Yes, it exposes us as the sinners we are.  But once our eyes have adjusted to the light, that is, once the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see, the Light of God shows us goodness and mercy.  Jesus enlightens us to see the beauty of God’s love which does not desire in the death of sinners.  He does not want anyone perish.  Rather, he acts to rescue us from the dominion of darkness so that we are not plagued by guilt, hounded by Satan, or swept away with a dark and dying world.  Jesus has come to bring joy to a cruel world, to bring peace to troubled hearts, and to bring hope for a bright and glorious heaven.

     “The light is shining in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).  That’s not to say the devil didn’t do his best to destroy the Light of the world.  The devil employed people with sin-darkened hearts to do his dirty work.  King Herod tried to slaughter Jesus in his infancy.  The religious leaders tried to trap him with carefully crafted questions, certain they could use his words against him to accuse him of heresy, blasphemy, or treason.  They tried to smear his reputation, calling him a drunkard, a glutton, demon-possessed, a Samaritan, and a friend of crooks and whores.  They tried to alienate his disciples from him, asking them, “Why do you follow a rabbi who acts like that?”  The darkness worked hard to snuff him out, but the darkness has not overcome the light.

     Even when the forces of darkness converged to plot his death, they did not overcome the light.  Unwittingly, the forces of darkness teamed up to fulfill all of God’s promises.  They orchestrated the very death that paid for the sins of the world.  When Jesus hung on the cross with all our sins upon him, darkness covered the earth.  The light of the Father fled from Jesus.  The love of the Father turned away and Jesus was forsaken as one cursed.  Jesus died on a dark and dismal day for all the evils that lurk in our hearts and minds.

     But the darkness did not overcome him.  The Savior rose from the dead.  The light did not burn out, but shines brighter than ever.  Jesus Christ is the Light of the World.  He lives to show us that we have a loving God who takes away our sin.  He lives to enlighten us to see God’s mercy.  He has ransomed us from the dominion of darkness.  Satan would still accuse you and try to expose you as a sinner.  He wants you to believe that God cannot love you because of the darkness that resides in you.  The devil tries to keep people blinded in unbelief.  He convinces people that sinful rebellion is freedom while holy obedience to God’s word is oppressive.  But Satan’s “freedom” leads to regret, shame, and hell.  Short-term sensual pleasures do not bring lasting joy and result in everlasting death.

     But Jesus shines the light of God’s grace upon you.  He has taken away your sins, so the devil’s accusations have no standing in God’s court.  He has claimed you as his own, so Satan cannot have you.  He has brought you into the kingdom of light.  “The real light that shines on everyone (has come) into the world” (John 1:9).  “The light is shining in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).  Whatever remains in darkness will die.  Where God’s light shines, there is life.  Therefore, he has made you children of light.  He guides you so that you walk in the light as he is in the light.  His word is a lamp for your feet and a light for your path.  He purifies your hearts so that you are disgusted by the deeds of darkness, find no joy in them, and will not return to them. 

     As St. Paul wrote, “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people.  It trains us to reject ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope, that is, the glorious appearance of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.  He gave himself for us, to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are his own chosen people, eager to do good works” (Titus 2:11-14).  Our Lord shows you that godly living is not oppressive, but is filled with blessing and spares you many griefs.  You don’t live under threats, but under grace.  You know that your future is not dark, but exceedingly bright.

     The light shines in the darkness.  On Christmas day, it is wrapped in strips of cloth, rests in a manger, and nurses at Mary’s breast.  It is a scene that may appear cozy.  But the Savior has not entered a romantic Nativity scene.  The Savior has come into a rough, gritty, cruel world to do battle against dark and demonic forces.  The Savior has come to win you from death and hell.  It was a fight to the death, and it was a fight for you.  But our Savior is risen.  He has conquered death and the devil.  The light shines.  Darkness has not overcome it.  You are the prize he has rescued.

     Dear Christians, rejoice.  We celebrate the birth of our Lord which occurred some 2,000 years ago and 6,000 miles away.  But he comes to you today.  He still comes to us in our rough, gritty, dark world.  The God who came to us as a body and blood baby, who gave that body and blood into death to pay for your sins, comes to you today with his body and blood to nurture your faith and to cleanse your heart.  By strengthening and preserving you in the one true, catholic (NOTE: small “c”), and apostolic and faith, he assures you that the darkness will not overcome you again.  Today is Christ’s Mass.  Christ came to earth to save you, and now Christ still comes to earth to keep you safe.

     Christmas is not about romance or nostalgia.  Christmas is about God’s faithful love delivered to earth in a person, Jesus.  He has poured out that faithful love upon you and in you.  The light shines in the darkness.  The darkness flees away.  The warmth of God’s love embraces us all.

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

Update from Good Shepherd (December 25, 2025)

Greetings!

REGULAR SCHEDULE
Divine Service is Sundays at 10:00 AM.
Sunday School is Sundays at 9:00 AM.
Adult Bible Class is Sundays at 9:00 AM.

NOTE: There is no Sunday School or Adult Bible Class on December 28.  Classes will resume on January 4.

Bible Matters will resume on Wednesday, January 7 at 6:30 PM. 

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

CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE

Christmas Day Festival Service -- Thursday, December 25 at 10:00 AM.

CHURCH COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS (December)

>  We are still planning to have a dry run for our texting service.  The date for that is still to be determined. 

>  As a follow-up to our congregational meeting, we will form a committee to study and make recommendations for larger capital improvement projects and long-term plans which may need to be done in the next ten years or so.  Some projects are necessary; others would be nice.  If you have interest in working with this committee, speak with Dan LeFevre.

GROWING TOGETHER IN GOD’S WORD
          Bible Matters is a discussion group. Each week, we will read through a chapter of, “Your Life Has Meaning: Discovering Your Role in an Epic Story,” and discuss how God’s word applies to our lives. Additional books are still available ($20 each). Friends are welcome and encouraged to join us. The book will be our gift to them. If you need a copy for a friend, speak to Pastor Schroeder. Additionally, all high schoolers who would like a copy of the book may have one for free.
          Bible Matters will begin our discussion of the book on Wednesday, January 7 at 6:30 PM.

GOOD SHEPHERD ON YOUTUBE

           Services are uploaded to YouTube each week. Feel free to share the videos. Here is the Divine Service from December 7, 2025. Good Shepherd Novi, Divine Service, December 21, 2025 - YouTube

BAD WEATHER POLICY FOR SERVICES AT GOOD SHEPHERD

            We will always have services as scheduled at Good Shepherd.  Since I live across the parking lot, I can get to the church no matter how bad the weather gets.  Even if the service is just me and my family, we will be here.  For everyone else, please use your God-given common sense to determine whether or not you will get on the road to attend any service when the weather is bad.  We don't want anyone to risk his or her life to be here.  But if you do venture out, the scheduled service will take place.  It may be only a handful with a cappella singing and/or spoken liturgy, but we will be here.

            Bible Classes and meetings may be canceled due to weather.  Check your email regarding announcements to see if any of those scheduled events are canceled.  If there is no email about it, it is not canceled.  But again, use common sense to determine if you can make it, and call the pastor to let him know if you will not be coming.

PRIVATE CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION
     Private Confession & Absolution will be available without appointment on Sunday, January 4, 7:00 - 9:00 PM.  

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2026

Offering Envelopes – Your 2026 offering envelopes have been placed in your church mailboxes.  If you do not receive one, or if somehow we still have not designated a mailbox for you, please speak to Pastor Schroeder or Terry Barber.  If you prefer your offerings to be done by electronic transfer rather than with offering envelopes, speak with Terry Barber about how to set that up.

Through the Bible in a Year – If you are willing to try to read the Bible in a year, there is a schedule you can find here.   Please note that it is a rather aggressive schedule, expecting 15-20 minutes of Bible reading each day, reading through all four Gospels twice.

Bible Information Class – We will offer a Bible Information Class in the new year, staring in February.  It will meet on Monday evenings, 7:00-8:30 PM.  This class is a review for long-time Christians and an opportunity for anyone to come, ask questions about God and the Bible, and to grow in faith and knowledge.  For now, consider whom you might bring to this class.  Many people have spiritual questions.  This class will address many of them.

Adult Bible Class – We will begin a new session on Sunday, January 4.  Sometimes we have a hard time understanding parts of the Bible.  Some of those words come from Jesus himself.  We will spend a number of weeks considering the Hard Sayings of Jesus.  Adult Bible Class meets at 9:00 AM.  All from grade 7 on up are welcome to attend.

Church Un-decoration

What goes up must come down.  On Sunday, January 4, we will remove and return to storage the Christmas decorations which have adorned our sanctuary through the Advent and Christmas seasons.  Your help is greatly appreciated.

REGULAR OFFICE HOURS
          For the most part, the pastor will be observing formal office hours (Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM – Noon). Occasionally, duties will take him away from the office during these scheduled times, so you will still want to call or text to confirm any meetings with the pastor (248-719-5218).

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

DO YOU LIKE US?

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

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

In Christ,
Pastor Schroeder

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REGULAR SCHEDULE

Sunday School -- Sundays at 9:00 AM 

Adult Bible Class -- Sundays at 9:00 AM 

DIVINE SERVICES -- Sundays at 10:00 AM.

Christmas Day Festival Service -- Thursday, December 25 at 10:00 AM.

GOOD SHEPHERD’S WEBSITE
www.GoodShepherdNovi.org

PASTOR SCHROEDER’S BLOG

www.LutheranSubject.blogspot.com  

Sermon -- Christmas Eve (December 24, 2025)

GLORY TO GOD.  GOOD WILL TOWARD MANKIND.

LUKE 2:1-20.

In the name + of Jesus.

    Chances are, you are going to open gifts tonight or tomorrow.  Even though you may be excited to see what hides under the wrapping paper, the gift is not the only thing that matters.  Each gift will have a tag on it to let you know who the gift is from.  Who the gift is from matters just as much as the gift.  It is a statement about the love and concern the giver has for the one who receives the gift.  If all that mattered was the gift, we would not care if a gift was given anonymously.  We would just want the loot.  But it does matter.  We want to know whom to thank for their consideration and their generosity.

     When the angels sang the heavenly hymn above the fields of Bethlehem, they spoke of two gifts that were given: Glory to God, and Good Will to Mankind.

     The angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest” (Luke 2:14).  Who gives this glory, and why?  Before we ask that, let’s ask this: Why does God need glory?

     Even if we did not meet tonight to sing praises to God, God would not be any different.  He would still be all-powerful.  He would still be all-knowing.  He would still be holy.  He does not need us for any of these things.  God is glorious no matter what we do or say or think.  If God did not send his Son into the world to save sinners, God would not be any different.  So, if anyone wants to argue that God does not need glory from us, then it should also be noted that God did not need to save us, either.  God is the same, with or without us.

     But God did not want to be without us.  God loves what he has created.  When sin ruined the relationship between God and mankind, God acted to restore it.  “God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).  While God is glorious for being all-powerful, all-knowing, holy, and so on, we give God glory because he loves sinners and saves them.

     The angels sang their song of praise when God sent his Son into the world in human flesh.  The angels did not benefit from the birth of a Savior.  The angels do not need to be saved.  But the angels do marvel that God loved mankind so much that he became one of us.  That is why the angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest!”

     We who benefit from this Savior have all the more reason to give glory to God.  When we sing our songs of praise, we do not merely praise God for being pure and powerful.  We praise God for humbling himself to take on flesh that would be cut by a crown of thorns and pierced by nails and spear.  We glorify God for submitting himself to live in the same troubled world we live in—to experience mockery, slander, sorrow, pain, injustice, and death. 

     The Lord did not do this just to experience what we experience.  He did it to deliver us from the evils which infect the world and infect our own hearts.  God became a human of flesh and blood so that his flesh would be rent and his blood would be poured out as a sin offering.  This sacrifice made by the righteous God for unrighteous men appeases the Father in heaven.  This is why we give glory to God.  The glory of God is that he is “the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and overflowing with mercy and truth, maintaining mercy for thousands, forgiving guilt and rebellion and sin” (Exodus 34:6-7). 

     The angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest” (Luke 2:14), because they witnessed God’s love for mankind.  We sing, “Glory to God in the highest,” because we benefit from that redeeming love.  We glorify God because his love moved him to become one of us, to pay for our sins, and to open heaven up to sinners.  When we sing our hymns, we don’t offer up bland words of generic praise.  The best praise does not tell God what we think of him; the best praise retells what our Savior did for us.  For example: 

          Christ, from heaven to us descending
             And in love our race befriending,
                In our need his help extending,
                   Saved us from the wily foe.

          Jacob’s Star in all its splendor
             Beams with comfort sweet and tender,
                Forcing Satan to surrender,
                   Breaking all the powers of hell.

          From the bondage that oppressed us,
             From sin’s fetters that possessed us,
                From the grief that sore distressed us,
                   We, the captives, now are free.
          “Come Your Hearts and Voices Raising” by Paul Gerhardt (1607 – 1676)

     Glory to God because he has taken up our cause and saved us from death and hell.  Glory from the angels.  Glory from mankind.  Glory to God.

     While our glory goes to God, the greater gift by far is God’s gift to us: Good will toward mankind.  The angels proclaimed this good news to shepherds who often did not receive the good will of their society.  They were usually the undesirables.  Yet, they learned that God had a desire for them to be his.  The angel proclaimed to the shepherds, “I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all people: Today in the town of David, a Savior was born for you.  He is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). 

     God’s good will toward mankind did not merely come in a proclamation, but in a person.  God’s good will came in that Bethlehem baby.  The baby in the manger is the Lord.  He who created the world comes to be with his creatures.  He who grants and sustains life comes to live among us. 

     To the shepherds, the angel said, “This will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12).  That meant Jesus was a peasant, just like the shepherds were.  When they heard that the Christ was wrapped in strips of cloth, they would have thought, “That’s how our wives wrap our babies!  He is not in some palace that we have no chance of entering.  He is one of us.  He comes for the likes of us!”  God’s good will is not toward some of mankind.  It is good news of great joy for all the earth. 

     At Christmas time, we hear a general appeal for people to have good will toward one another.  It is odd to me that this message receives such emphasis at this time of year.  But maybe it receives such emphasis because Christmas time can reveal the worst of us more than the best of us.  When we go to the store, wait for parking, shop among self-absorbed crowds, and stand in long lines, our good will toward others ran short.  The stress of year-end deadlines boiled over into rude remarks and office squabbles.  The pressure to produce the perfect Christmas magic in our homes made our homes unpleasant.  And while family gatherings seem like a great idea, family rivalries can flare up and arguments from the past can get renewed.  Our good will toward mankind takes a beating at Christmas, and it gets withheld throughout the year as well.

     If this is how we feel about our fellowman, what should God think of us who commanded us, “Love your neighbor as yourself?”  God does not put limits on this love, as if to say, “Love your neighbor, well, if he deserves it.  Love your neighbor, well, unless he is a jerk.  Love your neighbor, but only if he loves you back.”  On the contrary, this is what the Lord says, “If you love those who love you, what reward do you have?  Even tax collectors do that, don’t they?  If you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others?  Do not even the unbelievers do that” (Matthew 5:46-47)?

     But God’s good will toward mankind goes without limits.  The angel declared, “I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all people: Today in the town of David, a Savior was born for you” (Luke 2:10-11).  The Savior comes for all people—for those who are rude, tired, stressed, snarky, bitter, sad, jealous, petty, abusive, addicted, and adulterous.  That is because the Savior comes to pay for the sins of the world.  His love goes beyond covering minor indiscretions or social faux pas, but he also covers great and shameful sins.  Rather than pick and choose which sinners aren’t that bad, Jesus acted to suffer and die for all.  Rather than debate which sins are serious and which are insignificant, Jesus paid for them all. 

     Jesus proves God’s good will toward mankind.  He does not leave you to wallow in guilt or to languish in your sins.  He delivers you from the guilt, rescues you from the punishment, and reconciles you to God.  He even restores shattered lives and mends broken hearts.  The grace he bestows is greater than your sins.  The joy he brings endures even in the face of death.  God is faithful in his love and lavish with his forgiveness.  The Lord Jesus has taken your sins away from you.  The only way they can condemn you now is if you take them back.

     If you are unwrapping gifts tonight or tomorrow, you might get exactly what you want.  Or you might not.  Loved ones take their best guess at what they think you will like or what you can use.  They mean well, even if they don’t do that well with their gifts.  But our Lord gave the supreme gift that is useful, beneficial, and necessary.  A Savior has been born for you.  He is Christ the Lord.  Through him, God bestows his good will.  And we give glory to God.

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