YouTube -- 20th Sunday after Pentecost (October 11, 2026)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, October 11, 2026.

Sermon -- 20th Sunday after Pentecost (October 11, 2026)

LET US PRESS ON TOWARD THE GOAL.

PHILIPPIANS 3:12-21

In the name + of Jesus.

     If you ever get to take a trip to northern Michigan, I highly recommend you visit Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.  The dunes rise about 400 feet above Lake Michigan, and the views are spectacular.  The recommendation, however, also comes with a warning.  You will find a large parking lot in front of a dune simply called The Climb.  As the name suggests, you are encouraged to climb up.  The highlight of The Climb is running down it.  But to run down, you have to climb up.  Climbing up a sand dune is exhausting work.  Because the sand gives way went you press into it, your progress is very slow.  The top of the dune seems almost unreachable as your calves are burning from the climb.  Many stop along the way to rest.  But resting doesn’t get you to the top.  You have to strive and labor to reach the goal. 

     The Christian faith has a goal, as well.  As St. Paul noted, “Our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20).  The everlasting glories, peace, joy, and rest of heaven is our goal.  Your greatest comfort is that Jesus has secured this goal for you.  He has taken away every splotch of sin in you which would have kept you out.  He has clothed you in garments of salvation through holy baptism.  These cover you in the righteousness you need to enter its pearly gates.  He has overcome the grave and holds the keys to death and Hades.  Therefore, Jesus assures your release from death to eternal life.  When he comes again to judge the living and the dead, “he will transform our humble bodies to be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:21).  All these things Jesus secures for you.  So, if you keep your minds and hearts set on Jesus Christ, you have every confidence that you will reach the heavenly goal.

     But we are not there yet.  As St. Paul wrote, “Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus also took hold of me.  Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it yet, but there is one thing I do: Forgetting the things that are behind and straining toward the things that are ahead, I press on toward the goal, for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14).  Let us press on toward the goal.

     The Apostle Paul reminds us that we are still in the Church Militant.  We continue to struggle, battle, and strive toward that goal.  One of the enemies that we must battle is the world.  Worldly attitudes are constantly around us.  Worldly people live by them.  St. Paul noted, “Many walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.  I told you about them often, and now I am saying it while weeping.  Their end is destruction, their god is their appetite, and their glory is in their shame.  They are thinking only about earthly things” (Philippians 3:18-19).  That sounds wicked, and it is.  Surprisingly, it does not appear wicked when we encounter it.  And we are enticed to join in so that we feel like we belong.

     When St. Paul says that their god is their appetite, he is saying that people will pursue whatever pleasures satisfy them.  They not only dedicate themselves to them, they are celebrated for them.  How many people are congratulated for their promiscuity?  How many people boast about how drunk they got?  How many seek approval for ripping people off?  And how many Christians have accepted this same kind of attitude or behavior because their friends have embraced it?  If your glory is in your shame, then your goal is completely different.  St. Paul warns about the end goal for such worldly thinking: “Their end is destruction” (Philippians 3:18). 

     Do not be deceived into thinking that Jesus’ promise and his enduring mercy gives you license for wickedness.  Do not be fooled into thinking, “If salvation is so sure, then it does not matter what I do or think.”  This is not doing battle with the sinful nature; it is conceding the battle to it.  And it is surely not striving toward the heavenly goal; it is clinging to the world.  The world is marked for destruction.  Those who cling to it will be destroyed with it.  That is why St. Paul urges you: “Only let us … walk in line with what we already have attained” (Philippians 3:16).

     Let us press on toward the goal.  The Lord Jesus Christ has delivered you from the curse of sin and from the fear of death.  He has set you apart for godliness and leads you on the path of righteousness.  Since he has put you on this path, keep your focus on Jesus and his words to guide you on the way.  Flee to this altar for the sustenance that strengthens you for the journey and for the battle.  This is how we “walk in line with what we already have attained” (Philippians 3:16).

     Let us press on toward the goal.  We are not there yet.  Even the likes of the Apostle Paul recognized that his place in God’s kingdom was not yet his place in the heavenly kingdom.  He was still in the Church Militant.  He still had to struggle and battle against the devil, the world, and the sinful flesh.  So do we.  But St. Paul also encouraged us to keep our focus on the goal.  He wrote, “There is one thing I do: Forgetting the things that are behind and straining toward the things that are ahead, I press on toward the goal” (Philippians 3:13-14). 

     We do well to forget the things that are behind.  It means that we do not rest on the achievements of the past.  Many here have observed the Rite of Confirmation.  In that rite, you were asked, “Do you intend to continue steadfast in this confession and Church and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it?”  You swore before Christ and his Church that you would.  Perhaps that day stands out in your mind as a significant moment in your Christian faith.  Even though you can present a confirmation certificate, that day is long in the past.  No matter how much you benefited from your catechism studies, it was a step on your way to the heavenly goal.  But it was not the end. 

     Perhaps a comparison can be made to your wedding day.  No doubt, it was a highlight of your life.  But your wedding day was just the first day of your marriage.  Then came the work—learning to live together, work together, communicate with each other, and demonstrate patience with each other.  The blessings of marriage continued only as you worked on it together.  Gazing at your wedding photos did not resolve current tensions.  The goal is not just the wedding day; the goal is a joyful marriage.  The struggle to preserve it is on-going.  In the same way, the goal is not just that you are in church today—although it benefits you for the struggle; the goal is the heavenly kingdom.  Therefore, we do not live in the past.  “Forgetting the things that are behind and straining toward the things that are ahead, [let us] press on toward the goal” (Philippians 3:13-14).  We give thanks to God for the blessings of the past.  We don’t dismiss them, but neither do we dwell on them. 

     Perhaps the things of your past which continue to resurface in your mind are not the blessings.  Perhaps you are plagued by your shame and your regrets.  We all have words and moments that we would like to have erased from our memories.  For good reason, King David taught us to pray, “Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways.  According to your mercy remember me, because of your goodness, O LORD” (Psalm 25:7).  Even if there are not life-long consequences to remind us, Satan gladly will. 

     How can one forget the sins of the past?  Perhaps you won’t.  Do you think St. Paul ever forgot that he had persecuted Christians?  Do you think David ever forgot that he had orchestrated the death of Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba?  Do you think Simon Peter ever forgot that he had denied Jesus while Jesus was being beaten and condemned in the court of Caiaphas?  If you are haunted by your past, you can be sure they were, too.

     If you can’t forget your past, God may use that to prevent you from repeating it.  But if you can’t forget your past, then remember what God has done for you in the past.  He sent his Son into the world for the sole purpose of gaining for you your place in his holy kingdom.  To bring you into his holy kingdom, he had to cleanse you from all unrighteousness.  And he has.  Do not dwell on your sins; rather dwell on these words: “The blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).  When the devil vexes you, shove those words in his face.  For, Jesus has wiped clean the record which stood against you.  You’ve been washed in the blood of Christ in your baptism.  You partake in the blood of Christ which was shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins.  The things that Jesus achieved for you in the past are delivered to you here and now. 

     Let us press on toward the goal.  We do not dwell on the past—whether it was filled with blessings or regrets.  Nor do we dedicate ourselves to what is temporary in this world.  For this world and everything in it—whether good or bad—is passing away.  But your goal does not.  As St. Paul wrote, “Our citizenship is in heaven.  We are eagerly waiting for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.  By the power that enables him to subject all things to himself, he will transform our humble bodies to be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:20-21). 

     If your goal is to be perpetually healthy and strong, then press on toward the goal.  For Jesus Christ will raise you up with a body that will be eternally glorious.  If your goal is to live without pain or sorrow, then press on toward the goal.  For Jesus is restoring all things to the perfect state in which the world was first created.  If your goal is to live free from shame, regret, anxiety, stress, or suffering, then press on toward the goal.  For Jesus is preparing for us a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness, which will be forever free from every effect of sin.  If your goal is to dwell in Paradise with the Lord, then continue to come to God’s house and to devote yourself to God’s word and sacraments.  For here, God comes to serve you.  Here, God delivers to you the blessings which will deliver you to that heavenly goal.

     Let us press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus also took hold of us.  Here, in this world, we are strangers; our goal is our citizenship in heaven.  Here, in the Church Militant, we struggle and battle and strive against the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh.  Our goal is the Church Triumphant where our Lord will give us rest from all our enemies.  Let us keep our focus on Jesus Christ and press on toward the goal.

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

A Pastoral Concern: The need for Bible Class

It has been an interesting morning at St. John's Lutheran School.  I invite the Catechism Class to ask questions outside the materials we are covering in the Catechism.  They produce some interesting questions which sometimes involve some complex answers.  They have a genuine interest in God's word--both the content of God's word and in how it applies to their lives.  

Just moments ago, I was invited into the 4th-5th grade classroom to answer some questions those students had.  And it wasn't just a few questions.  I think I could have spent half an hour in there with all the hands that were shooting up.  They are an inquisitive group, and their questions show that they are giving serious thought to the Bible and Christian doctrine.  Again, some answers were quite complex.  I hope that I was able to answer them simply enough--or at least that the Holy Spirit could make sensible my attempts at answering their questions.

I suspect that such questions never cease.  In our Bible Basics Class, we have life-long Christians attending (sadly, no prospective members this time).  Even though these Christians have studied the Bible and heard lessons and sermons for years, they are still growing in faith and knowledge of God's word.  They still have questions.

The Church meets regularly for word and sacrament.  The sermon is preached.  But as carefully crafted as any sermon might be, it is not designed for follow up questions to explain something more clearly or to address a related topic.  The pastor can hope the sermon answers all questions, but he is certain that no sermon can.  Bible Class allows for people to ask their questions.

God's people are encouraged to ask their questions--no matter how bold or contentious they may seem.  It may be a question that has lingered in your mind.  It may be a question that was posed to you, and you are wondering how it should be answered.  Such questions rarely just go away.  God uses them to lead us to grow in faith and knowledge.  Satan uses them to convince us that there are no good answers and leads us into false belief and despair.  

The obvious solution is to join us for Bible Classes and Sunday School.  Discipleship is a life-long endeavor.  No one will master it all or graduate.  God continues to speak to us in his word, to enlighten us to see his truths, to cause us to marvel at mysteries, and to fill us with comfort and confidence in his promises.  

The law of the Lord is perfect. It revives the soul. The testimony of the Lord is trustworthy. It gives wisdom to the inexperienced. The precepts of the Lord are right. They give joy to the heart. The commandment of the Lord is bright. It gives light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure. It stands forever. The just decrees of the Lord are truth. They are altogether righteous. They are more desirable than gold, even better than much pure gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the honeycomb. (Psalm 19:7-10)

Worship Notes: Focusing on Jesus' words and works

When we gather for worship each Sunday, our liturgical order is designed to keep our focus on the Bible and on Jesus in particular.  The Common Service is based on what is called "the western rite," distinguished from Eastern Orthodox liturgies.  Its roots go back centuries.  Some might say that our service looks Roman Catholic.  Some say it as an observation; others say it as an accusation.  I will agree with catholic, but not Roman.  In other words, we are doing what the Church has done for over a millennium.  

Most of our Lutheran worship pre-dates Luther by centuries.  Luther and the Lutheran Reformers did not stage a revolution against the Church.  They preserved as much as possible.  What the Church needed was correction, not destruction.  As Lutherans, we are still the church catholic.  That is recognized in our liturgical worship which follows the western rite.

Consider how our service flows, how much it proclaims God's word, and how much it focuses on the life of Jesus.

THE COMMON SERVICE

Invocation -- It is the name into which we are baptized. (Matthew 28:19)

Confession -- To confess is to say the same thing.  God's word shows us that we are sinners (Romans 3:20) who have earned God's curse (Ephesians 2:3).  Therefore, we say the same thing, confessing our sinful nature, our sinful thoughts, words, and actions, and the punishment we have earned for them.  

Kyrie Eleison (Lord, have mercy) -- We appeal to our Lord for mercy. (Mark 10:47)

Absolution -- In the name and in the stead of Christ, the pastor applies God's forgiveness to the penitent based on the name into which we are baptized. (Matthew 18:18; John 20:23)

Gloria in Excelsis (Glory be to God on High) -- We join with the angels who joined in song at the coming of the Savior into the world. (Luke 2:14)

The Service of the Word

The little ordination -- The pastor greets the people in the name of the Lord.  They respond, "And also with you," acknowledging the pastor as Christ's ordained minister.  

Lessons -- God speaks to us in his word.  The Old Testament looks forward to the Christ who is promised.  The Epistles guide us in godly living and sound doctrine.  

Psalm -- We sing the hymns of the Old Testament Church.

Gospel -- We acknowledge that all our Scripture readings are the word of God, but we stand only for the Gospel reading.  The reason?  We stand to honor Jesus whose words and works are proclaimed.  In the other lessons, we hear about Jesus.  In the Gospel, we hear Jesus.

The Creed -- To confess is to say the same thing.  God has told us who he is and what he has done for us.  We say the same thing in the Creed (whether Apostles', Nicene, or Athanasian), summarizing the Christian faith in a clear, concise expression.  The Creeds are recognized as a true Christian confession by all faithful Christians. (Romans 10:9-10)

Sermon -- The pastor proclaims the word of the Lord based on one of the readings, usually the Gospel reading.  He reveals our need for a Savior and then applies the saving work of Jesus to the listeners.  He also delivers guidance, encouragement, and comfort for godly living.

Create in me a clean heart, O God -- Having heard God's word, we pray for the Holy Spirit to work in us to will and to work according to God's will.  (Psalm 51)

Offering -- We present our gifts to support the work of the church both in the local congregation and in the church at large.  We return to God a portion of what he has chosen to give us.

Prayers & Lord's Prayer -- We call upon God's name with our petitions and intercessions, entrusting to God's wisdom, mercy, and rule to do what is best for us.

The Service of the Sacrament

The Preface -- This greeting goes back to the 200's in the Chrisitan Church.

Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy) -- We sing the song of the angels in heaven (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8); for we recognize that our holy Lord is coming to us in a tangible way in the sacrament.  At the same time, he is not coming to stir up fear, but to work salvation in us.  He does not come in his bare glory, but hides his glory in humble form just as he did when he rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.  Therefore, we also sing our Hosannas with the Palm Sunday crowds. (Matthew 21:9)

The Consecration of the Elements -- The elements of bread and wine are set apart for God's holy purpose as we repeat the words of Jesus which he used to institute this blessed sacrament (Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-25).  The words do what they say.  As St. Augustine commented, "The word is added and it becomes a sacrament." 

Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) -- The body and blood of Christ are present.  We acknowledge it by praising the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and grants us his peace. (John 1:29; Revelation 5:12)

Distribution of Christ's body and blood -- The feast of heaven has come to earth.  The holy ones receive the holy things, and look forward to the feast that will never end in God's heavenly banquet. (Revelation 19:6-9)

Song of Simeon / Nunc Dimittis (Now Let us Depart) -- We have seen and smelled and touched and tasted the living body and blood of the Lord under the bread and wine we have received.  Having been given the gift of salvation, we are able to depart from the Divine Service and, in fact, this life in peace, just as aged Simeon confessed upon holding the baby Jesus.  (Luke 2:29-32) 

Benediction -- Before God's people depart, God imparts one final blessing.  We end the service as we began it, with God putting his name upon us to mark us as his own and to bless us.  The pastor may use the Aaronic benediction (Numbers 6:25-27) or the Apostolic benediction (2 Corinthians 13:14).

YouTube -- 19th Sunday after Pentecost (October 4, 2026)

Here is the service from Sunday, October 4, 2026.

Sermon -- 19th Sunday after Pentecost (October 4, 2026)

FAITH SUBMITS TO DIVINE AUTHORITY.

MATTHEW 21:23-32 

In the name + of Jesus.

     “When Jesus went into the temple courts, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him while he was teaching and said, ‘By what authority are you doing these things?’ and ‘Who gave you this authority’” (Matthew 21:23)?  You might consider the question they posed to Jesus to be highly insulting.  It might benefit you to learn more about who the Pharisees were and how they originated.

     About 200 years prior to this Gospel reading, the Jews faced intense persecution from Greek officials.  They were trying to get everyone to adopt Greek customs and worship.  The Jews were commanded to abandon the covenant.  Those who abandoned the covenant for Greek ways were rewarded handsomely.  Those who remained faithful were punished, forced into hiding, or killed.  After this persecution had subsided, a group of people took the lead in seeing to it that the Jews remained faithful to the covenant.  These ended up being the Pharisees.

     The intention of the Pharisees was noble.  But eventually, they began to add to God’s commands.  This was supposed to ensure that people would keep the Law.  For example, the Lord had decreed, “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not permit anyone who misuses his name to escape unpunished” (Exodus 20:7).  To ensure that no one would ever misuse the name of the Lord, they stopped using it altogether.  The tradition ended up violating God’s word, because the Lord does want us to call upon his name.  These are the kinds of traditions the Pharisees enforced, but those traditions went beyond God’s word.  Jesus did not go beyond God’s word, but he did violate their invented traditions.  This is one of the reasons they despised Jesus so much.

     The priests and Pharisees demanded of Jesus: “‘By what authority are you doing these things?’ and ‘Who gave you this authority’” (Matthew 21:23)?  As the religious leaders of Israel, they had a legitimate interest in defending the truth and exposing error.  So, their questions were valid.  Unfortunately, they were not interested in honest answers; and Jesus knew it.  He had hoped to enlighten them to see that the authority that rules men’s lives is not man-made traditions, even if they are well-intentioned.  The only true authority over us is God’s word.  So, in hopes to see the priests and the Pharisees submit to divine authority, Jesus reframed the conversation.

     Jesus answered them, “I will also ask you one question.  If you answer it, I will tell you by what authority I do these things.  The baptism of John, where was it from?  From heaven or from men” (Matthew 21:24-25)?  Jesus wanted them to recognize divine authority so that they would repent and submit to it.  So, Jesus asked them if John was a voice of divine authority.  Was John’s baptism from God, or was John a fraud who deserved the execution he had received?  If these men truly cared about the covenant, they should either approve of John’s baptism or condemn it.

     I imagine the scene was almost comical.  Jesus addressed them with a simple either/or question.  Either John acted with divine authority—meaning that Jesus also acted and spoke with divine authority—or he did not.  Matthew noted, “They discussed it among themselves” (Matthew 21:25).  I wonder how long they kicked this around.  The priests and Pharisees huddled together, whispering how they might answer.  They weighed their options.  “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’  But if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the crowd, since they all regard John as a prophet” (Matthew 21:25-26).  Jesus and the crowd in the temple were watching them, waiting for their answer.  In the end, all they cared about was how they looked before the people.  Since neither answer made them look good, “they answered Jesus, ‘We do not know’” (Matthew 21:27). 

     Their answer was cowardly and worthy of scorn.  They were asked to make a confession, and they would not.  They revealed the stubbornness of their own hearts and would not submit to divine authority.  The reason?  They insisted that they were the ones who possessed authority.  They called the shots.  They decided between true and false.  They were the judges of all others.  They took pride in their own morality and looked down on anyone who failed to measure up to their traditions.  They refused to bend to any other authority—not to the prophet whom God sent nor to God himself in the flesh.

     This is typical of the sinful heart.  St. Paul wrote, “The mind-set of the sinful flesh is hostile to God, since it does not submit to God’s law, and in fact, it cannot” (Romans 8:7).  We, too, find divine authority offensive when God’s word makes our lives inconvenient.  God tells us the right thing to do, but the right thing to do is usually the hard thing to do.  If a young man were to get his girlfriend pregnant, they both find that their lives are going to be much harder.  What would be easiest?  For the young man, it would be to leave the girl.  Then he could avoid taking any responsibility for his actions.  This is easier, but it is reprehensible.  For the young girl, she may decide to kill her unborn child at an abortion clinic.  Then she would not have to endure questions, shame, or what pregnancy would do to her body.  That, too, would be reprehensible.  And for many, in the end, psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually it is not easier.  For each to bear responsibility for their actions would be a hard thing, but it would certainly be the right thing.

     Usually, our choices are not that extreme.  But we will still choose what is easier over what is right.  We tell a biased account of the story because the truth would make us look bad.  We avoid responsibilities at home or at work because we would rather scroll on our phone.  We fantasize about made-up relationships rather than work on the ones we actually have.  We would rather do nothing than the hard thing, even if we know it’s the right thing.  We have it on God’s authority what we should do.  But the sinful heart denies God’s authority.  We prefer our own.  Repent. 

     Jesus told a parable.  “What do you think?  A man had two sons.  He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’  He answered, ‘I will not,’ but later he changed his mind and went.  He came to the second and said the same thing.  The second son answered, ‘I will go, sir,’ but he did not go.  Which of the two did the will of his father?”  They said to him, “The first” (Matthew 21:28-31). 

     The second son said all the right words.  He was commanded to go, and he said he would.  He appeared to be the polite, dutiful son.  But he proved that just saying the right words does not make someone obedient.  The second son dishonored his father when his actions denied his words.  The first son seemed utterly disrespectful to his father.  His blunt refusal should have earned him punishment.  But there was a change of heart.  He repented of his disobedience and did what he was commanded to do.  He submitted to the authority of his father.

     Jesus told this parable to warn the Pharisees and us that we are not saved by pretty words.  A wicked heart knows how to lie—saying what sounds good with no intention of doing it.  The heart which submits to divine authority will not only say the right thing, it will strive to do it.  Jesus warned the Pharisees: “The tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness, but you did not believe him.  However, the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him.  Even when you saw this, you did not change your mind and believe him” (Matthew 21:31-32).  Unbelief will not submit to divine authority.  No matter how nice they seem, people who do not believe will be condemned.  But faith submits to divine authority.

     When John the Baptist called the crowds to repent, many heard the divine invitation to flee from sin and to be received back into God’s care.  Through John, the Holy Spirit stirred up faith, and that faith submitted to divine authority.  Even those with warped morals—tax collectors and prostitutes—turned from their wicked ways.  They were baptized by John and committed themselves to the paths of righteousness. 

     It is no different for you.  Faith submits to divine authority.  We submit ourselves to the knowledge that we have pitted our agendas against God’s, that we have judged ourselves according to our egos rather than God’s word.  We submit ourselves to the admission that we have earned God’s righteous judgment against us.  We submit ourselves to the understanding that if we are to be found righteous, that righteousness will not come from within us.  It must come from outside of us.

     The Lord Jesus Christ proved himself the perfectly obedient Son of the Father.  When God the Father sent his Son to make himself a sin offering, the Son told his Father, “I will, sir.”  The Son submitted to the authority of his Father, taking up our sin and laying down his life as the sacrifice that atones for us all.  As Jesus was laying down his life—dying under God’s curse so that sinners could live under God’s blessing—he submitted himself to the will of his Father, saying, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46)!  And because the Father was pleased with his Son’s perfect obedience and willing sacrifice, he raised him from the dead and gave him glory and authority over all things.

     Now, Jesus lives and reigns over all things.  He is the judge who pardons you from all your guilt and punishment.  Faith submits to divine authority and receives Jesus’ pardon.   Jesus has crushed the devil and silences all his accusations against you.  Faith submits to this divine authority and heeds the comforting words of Jesus over the taunting of Satan.  Jesus has overcome the grave and promises “Everyone who … believes in [me] may have eternal life.  And I will raise him up on the Last Day” (John 6:40).  Faith trusts this divine authority so that we shall not fear death and the grave.  Jesus will come and raise us to an eternal and glorious life. 

     Faith submits to divine authority.  We submit to the divine words which save us.  We submit to the divine words which guide us on the paths of righteousness.  Just as Jesus supplies the righteousness we need to be saved, so also he works in us the desire to do the right things.  Faith submits to this, benefits from it, and rejoices in it.

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

Sermon -- Funeral for Marlene Kackmann (October 2, 2026)

For the Christian Funeral of

Marlene (nee: Zimmerman) Margaret Kackmann

November 28, 1942 - September 27, 2026

MARLENE GETS A BEAUTIFUL, NEW HOME.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:1-10

In the name + of Jesus.

      Marlene Kackmann wanted to go home.  She wanted to be free from the ICU in Rochester.  A regular room at Mayo was a better option than ICU, but not the preferred option.  She wanted to go home.  She ended up at Lake City Care Center—closer to home, but not home.  Marlene and Bob had moved into a new place recently.  They were barely settled when all this happened.  Marlene had hoped that she could be discharged so that she could enjoy her new home.  God had other plans for her.  And eventually, Marlene welcomed the idea that God’s plan was to bring her home.  Marlene gets a beautiful, new home—a perfect and permanent home in Paradise.

     Everyone’s residence in this world is temporary.  At some point, we will all depart.  Marlene knew that death was coming, but death takes us whether we know it is coming or not.  Death is cruel.  It does not care about your feelings or your plans.  St. Paul alerts us to what will come after death: “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he did while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

     Marlene was loved by many.  It is no wonder that you would have fond memories of her.  You might even think that her heavenly home is a sure thing because what a wonderful woman she was.  She was a devoted wife of 64 years.  Bob, you cannot help but give thanks for that.  She was a loving mother.  Dale & Renae, John and Diane, you won’t ever forget that.  She loved her grandchildren and great grandchildren.  She was faithful at church, even singing in the choir.  She had a full, lively life.

     God’s assessment of us all rests on the same standard: “Be holy, because I, the LORD your God, am holy” (Leviticus 19:2).  Of course, none of us lives up to that.  Marlene did not pretend to.  When we visited, she did not want me to tell her how good she was.  She wanted to hear how loving and gracious her Savior is.  God commands, “Be holy,” and Jesus has supplied the holiness Marlene needs to stand without fear before the judgment throne.  Jesus’ holy life was wrapped around her in her baptism.  This is what allows her to enter the heavenly home where only holiness may dwell.  Marlene gets a beautiful, new home.

     While it is true that Marlene wanted to glorify Jesus with her life, it is more important to recognize that Jesus lived and died to win glory for Marlene.  Jesus’ holy life was lived for her.  Jesus’ innocent death was died for her.  He lived and died for us all.  And then Jesus rose from the dead.  Jesus’ resurrection guarantees that Marlene will have a resurrection to eternal life as well.

     Jesus’ resurrection supplies us with endless comfort in the difficulties of life and especially in the face of death.  Marlene’s life was not without its difficulties, especially in the past few months.  Her health declined.  Her body weakened.  Finally, it gave out.  Marlene identified with St. Paul’s words: “To be sure, while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life” (2 Corinthians 5:4).  Marlene yearned for what is better.  God creates us with bodies that are agile and strong, but bodies eventually wear out because they have been corrupted by sin.  Nor can these sin-stained bodies enter heaven.  That is why our bodies are temporary, like a tent that eventually gets tattered and torn.  But that is not the end.

     St. Paul wrote, “Now we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal home in heaven, which is not made by human hands.  In fact, the reason we groan is that we long to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven.  …Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as the down payment” (2 Corinthians 5:1-2,5).  When Marlene was baptized, she received the gift of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit dwelt in her as a down payment of the glory that will come to all who believe and are baptized.  In baptism, we are made children of God.  In this world, it may not look like it.  We believe that we are children of God because God says so.  We hold to the promise by faith.  Marlene has now been granted her place in God’s mansion.  She enjoys the glory which was promised—no longer by faith, but by sight.  Marlene gets a beautiful, new home.

     The tent of Marlene’s body has failed, but God’s promises do not.  Marlene will get a beautiful, new home—a resurrected body.  This is because our Lord Jesus Christ came into this world to secure for us all a resurrection from the dead.  St. John tells us how Jesus united himself to us.  He wrote, “The Word became flesh and dwelled—literally, ‘tented’—among us” (John 1:14).  Jesus put on the tent of human flesh in order to rescue our flesh from mortality and restore it to immortality, from weakness to glory, from frail and failing to incorruptibility.  At the resurrection of all flesh, Marlene will be raised up.  She will not merely trust that she is a child of God by faith, but we will all see it by sight.  She will shine in glory.  Jesus will transform her body so that it will be like Jesus’ risen body.  The temporary, earthly tent will be converted to a permanent home—a glorious, incorruptible, immortal body.  And in that perfect, glorious state, Marlene and all the saints will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

     Marlene’s confirmation verse is from Psalm 26.  “LORD, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells” (Psalm 26:8).  Marlene regularly came to God’s house because she was eager to receive his blessings and his mercy.  She heard the word preached.  She received a pardon for all her sins.  She feasted on Jesus’ living body and blood to strengthen and keep her in the one, true faith until life everlasting.

     “LORD, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells” (Psalm 26:8).  Marlene’s soul now dwells in the heavenly house where the Lord dwells in glory.  She not only gazes at his glory, she participates in it.  The Lord has glorified her.  He has given her a place at the eternal feast of the Lamb.  Meanwhile, her body awaits the resurrection, where body and soul will be reunited.  Then, Marlene will live as God has always intended us to live—in a glorious body and in a perfect Paradise, forever with the Lord.

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