Sermon -- Festival of St. Peter and St. Paul (June 29, 2014)

MARK 8:27-35

HE WHO BEARS CHRIST’S NAME BEARS A CROSS.

In the name + of Jesus.

     “Who do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:29)  Jesus asked this of his apostles.  Peter, as he was accustomed to do, spoke up first and spoke for them all: “You are the Christ.” (Mark 8:29)  And he was right.  St. Matthew recorded words of praise from Jesus: “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah!  For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 16:17)  Peter did not invent any belief about Jesus.  God revealed who Jesus was, and Peter simply confessed what God had made known to the apostles.

     St. Paul took quite a different road to this confession.  Paul was convinced that Jesus was a name that should be suppressed and stomped out.  He oversaw the organized persecution against all who bore the name of Jesus.  That does not mean Paul was a godless man.  Far from it!  Paul had years of extensive training in the schools of the rabbis and theologians.  Paul knew his Old Testament better than most.  Paul knew the Lord—or so he thought.  On his way to Damascus to round up more Christians, the Lord Jesus appeared to Paul.  Falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”  And he said, “Who are you Lord”? (Acts 9:4-5)  Though Paul knew it was the Lord who was appearing to him, he did not know the Lord.  Paul was rocked to his core when he heard the reply from heaven: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” (Acts 9:5)  While it is quite possibly the most unusual conversion in the history of the world, it was a true conversion.  The staunch enemy and persecutor of Jesus was changed.  No longer did Paul want to snuff out the name of Jesus.  Now he would confess it and preach it.

     You might marvel at the conversion of St. Paul.  You might wish you could hear Jesus’ commendation of Peter, “Blessed are you!”  But your own conversion was no less miraculous.  The Lord has rescued you from your sinful condition.  No longer are you dead in sin and at home in your sins.  Sin no longer has its claim on you.  You have been branded with a new name.  Now, you bear the name of Jesus.  And if you are marked with the name of Jesus, that means you have received all his benefits.  You have been washed in the blood of Jesus which has cleansed you of every spot of guilt before God.  You have had your name written in the Book of Life.  Jesus has conquered death and the grave.  He has opened heaven and ascended there.  Since you are marked with Jesus’ name, his things are your things.  You, too, are victors over death and the grave.  You, too, will receive the resurrection to eternal life.  Sin, death, the grave, and the devil have no claims on you.  Jesus has marked you.  And therefore, you are saved.

     Peter confessed, “You are the Christ.” (Mark 8:29)  St. Paul later wrote, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)  These apostles rejoiced in this good news, just as you do.  But these apostles also learned that bearing the name of Christ means bearing a cross.  That was certainly true for Jesus, who is the Christ.  Immediately after Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ, Jesus explained what it means that he is the Christ.  He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.  And he said this plainly. (Mark 8:31-32)  Jesus is the Christ.  That meant a cross.  It meant that Jesus would willingly suffer and die to win your forgiveness and that he would rise from the grave to guarantee your everlasting salvation.  Being the Christ means he comes to save you.

     But then Jesus went on to let you know that he who bears Christ’s name shall also bear a cross.  “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.” (Mark 8:34-35) 

     St. Peter and St. Paul both learned that they would bear a cross for bearing the name of Christ.  Both had to learn it the hard way.  Peter had tried to save his life in the courtyard of the Sanhedrin.  When asked if he was one of Jesus’ disciples, Peter denied it.  He renounced the name of Christ, hoping to save himself by doing so.  But doing so put Peter outside of the grace of God, outside of the refuge in death, and outside of the hope of eternal life.  Peter, of course, repented of his denials.  Later, after years of preaching that Jesus is our only hope, Peter was led away to his execution.  Tradition says that Peter was led to a cross where he would be crucified for the name of Jesus.  This time, Peter did not renounce the name of Jesus.  He died for it.  When Peter was brought to his cross, he refused to die in the same manner of his Lord.  The Roman executors obliged.  Peter was crucified upside down.  He who bore the name of Christ not only bore a cross, he even died on one.

     St. Paul also learned that bearing the name of Christ means bearing a cross.  Paul was often beaten, imprisoned, rejected, and chased out of town.  It was not for conning people or embezzling money.  It was for preaching and confessing Christ crucified.  After years of preaching and traveling, St. Paul was arrested and sentenced to death for his preaching.  If he had renounced the name of Jesus, he could have walked free.  He could have saved his life.  But in doing so, he would also have lost out on forgiveness, peace, and the resurrection to everlasting life.  The same Paul who at one point had been eager to kill those who bore the name of Christ was now ready to die for that name.  Tradition says that he lost his life by being beheaded.  God’s promises say that he lost nothing, but will rise from his grave to life everlasting.

     But Jesus’ words are not just for his apostles.  St. Mark records: And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.” (Mark 8:34-35)  It is not a select few who are asked to bear a cross.  It is everyone who bears the name of Christ who will bear a cross.  That doesn’t mean you will be martyred like Peter and Paul were.  But it does mean that you put your sins to death by daily contrition and repentance.  Bearing the name of Christ results in a new life in which you are set apart from a world that is still dead in sin and at home with their sins.  And if you are set apart from the world, it will be evident in your words and lives.  That will mean enduring the mockery of friends who think you are silly for taking Jesus seriously.  It means, in spite of mockery, that you will continue in your confession and come to church to hear your Lord’s word, to partake in his feast, and to receive blessing in his name.  It means that you will pray for those who ridicule you and have mercy on those who sin against you.  Bearing the name of Christ means that you will be Christ-like in all of your dealings with people—knowing that some will love you for it, and others will hate you for it.

     He who bears Christ’s name bears a cross.  It is nothing that your sinful flesh wants a part of.  The cross is for putting things to death, and your sinful flesh does not want to die.  Your sinful flesh does not want to give up anything.  But whoever loses his life for Jesus’ sake and for the gospel’s sake does not lose anything of value.  Instead, you are marked with the name of Jesus.  God knows that you are his.  Jesus confesses about you: “Blessed are you; for you are mine.  I have redeemed you.  I have borne your sins and paid for them.  I have covered you in my righteousness; you are blameless.  I have delivered you from every evil so that you can live and die without fear.”

     Though you will bear a cross for the sake of Jesus, you also bear his name.  He is not ashamed to be called your Savior, and you will never be put to shame if you are his.  You may be mocked.  You may be rejected.  But you will never be put to shame.  You bear the name of Jesus, and that is the name that saves you.

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

Sermon -- Holy Trinity (June 15, 2014)

JOHN 3:1-15

TRUE GIFTS COME ONLY FROM A TRUE GOD.

In the name + of Jesus.

     Although atheists have become much more vocal in recent years, very few people are actually atheists.  The fastest growing religious group in America today are known as the “nones.”  They pledge allegiance to no religion.  But that does not mean they have no gods.  Many people craft their own gods today, worshiping a god who is as they would like God to be.  But these gods are nothing more than imaginary friends.  They can be blamed for problems.  They may even be credited for one’s good fortune.  But such gods are lies.  They can’t really do anything, good or bad.  They are not real.  And if your god is not real, then all the promises he supposedly makes are not real either.

     Today, Isabelle Ann Fecho was baptized into the name of God.  We did not baptize her with wishes of days of sun, laughter, friends, and wealth.  That may be what you want her to have, but that is not was baptism is for.  Baptism is not about what we wish for.  Baptism is about what God actually promises and gives.  It is about the forgiveness of sins.  It is about being adopted into the family of God the Father.  It is about being wrapped in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  It is about receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit.  This is what God tells us he gives in baptism.  And so Isabelle, like all of us before her, was baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit to receive this new life under God’s love—both of which endure forever. 

     Now, if we hope to actually have the blessings we have mentioned in baptism, then the God who gives them had better be real as well.  Imaginary gods can only give imaginary gifts.  True gifts come only from a true God.  So who is God?  We believe in one God.  And yet we believe God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  You can do the math, but the math does not add up.  Our senses tell us that a Triune God makes no sense. 

      When God revealed himself to us, he did not take a poll to see how he would be received by us.  The prophet Isaiah was not consulted about God’s appearance before he stood at God’s throne.  Besides, we would never invent a god like the God who is triune.  We do not want a God who is omniscient.  We want to keep our deep, dark secrets a secret.  We do not want a God who is omnipresent.  We want to have someplace that is off limits to God.  We only want a God who is omnipotent if we can somehow harness that power for our own personal gain.  If God is holy and just, that means the standard of right and wrong is firm.  And it is unobtainable for us.  Each of us has his own standard of right and wrong, and even we do not live up to them.  In other words, we want to be gods.  We are idolaters who believe we are owed something from whatever god is out there, real or imagined.

     God is no imaginary friend, and you are no mere figment in God’s imagination.  You are a true creation of a true and loving God.  And your true gifts come from a true God.  This real God takes a real interest in you.  He wants to save you from the deadly thoughts that you are gods and that you think you could take your stand against him.  He longs to cleanse you from the dirty little secrets which you think are harmless as long as they remain secrets.  He shows you that sin is not something you try to get away with, but to repent of. 

     Nicodemus came to Jesus to discuss these things.  He was not only religious, he was a pastor.  He came to Jesus as a colleague, but Jesus would have none of it.  They were not colleagues.  In fact, Nicodemus was not even the same camp.  After Nicodemus politely complimented Jesus, Jesus rebuked him.  “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  (John 3:3)  Nicodemus had come to Jesus on his terms.  He saw Jesus as someone interesting, popular, and powerful.  He confessed that God was with Jesus, but he did not confess that Jesus is God.  Though Nicodemus had interest in God, he did not know him.

     Jesus continued: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:5-6)  Nicodemus may have been polite, noble, and moral, but he was still flesh.  Though outwardly pious, Nicodemus had his dirty, little secrets, too.  He had not obeyed the Law he studied.  He could not escape his sin.  He would not escape death.  Only God could provide the escape.  Only a true God would give true gifts of forgiveness and hope.  Since Nicodemus was still hanging on to his own ideas about God, he could not see how it could happen.

     For a third time in the conversation, Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.” (John 3:11)  God’s truth, God’s kingdom, and God’s love must be revealed.  Just as you do not get to craft god as you want him to be, so also you do not to speak for God or establish his thoughts for him.  For all of his years of study and instruction, Nicodemus had not unraveled the mysteries of God.  You could not either.  God must make himself known to you.

     Jesus said, “We speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen….” (John 3:11)  The Holy Trinity has revealed his divine truth.  This true God imparts his true gifts.  Jesus declared that it is the Spirit who gives you new birth into a true and living hope.  That hope is made sure by the Father who loves you.  The Father demonstrates his love not by giving you stuff, but by giving you his Son.  The Father sent his Son to deliver you from your sin and death.  God the Son became flesh.  You know him as Jesus.  It is Jesus who suffered and died for all of your sins, everything cruel or petty, every one known or secret.  The Son is your escape from sin; for he brings forgiveness.  The Son is your deliverance from death; for he is your resurrection from the grave.  The Son, then, sends his Holy Spirit who works in you so that you bear the status and live the life as God’s children.  The Holy Spirit gives you new birth and new life in the kingdom of God which is ruled with mercy, love, and life.  The Holy Spirit then, points you to a gracious Son, who reveals a loving Father. 

     You have been baptized into the name of this God.  One God, and so one name.  He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  You believe it for no other reason than God has granted it.  You have been born again to a life where sin has been put to death so that it neither condemns you nor controls you.  You have been born into a living hope which is not even threatened by death; for, death has been overcome.  You are children of the resurrection now.  It isn’t this way because you have wanted it to be this way or have chosen it to be this way.  It is this way because this is who God is, and he has told you so.  Nevertheless, you rejoice that this is the way it is, because this means that you know the true God.  And if you know the true God, then you truly have his gifts. 

     Truly, truly, he says to you that your sins are forgiven, that you are children of the heavenly Father, that you now bear the righteousness of Jesus, and that you are temples of the Holy Spirit.  Your salvation is not theory.  God’s gifts are not wishful thinking.  The kingdom of God is no mirage.  You have a triune God who loves the creation he has made.  You have a triune God who has redeemed the creation which has sinned against him.  You have a triune God who reveals a true and firm salvation.  These true gifts come only from a true God.  He is always true to you, and so salvation is truly yours.

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

Sermon -- Pentecost (June 8, 2014)

ACTS 2:1-21

JESUS SENT HIS HOLY SPIRIT

SO THAT GOD’S GOOD WORDS WOULD BE HEARD.

In the name + of Jesus.

     The Lord saw all that he had made, and it was very good.  And then God had good words to say to the people he had created.  God commanded the man and the woman, “Fill the earth and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:28)  And subdue it, they did.  But in their sinfulness, mankind abused what God had made.  They perverted the gifts God had given.  It had gotten so bad that God determined to destroy the earth with a flood, and to start over with Noah and his family and the animals on the ark.

     When Noah and his family left the ark, the Lord repeated the command and the blessing, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” (Genesis 9:1)  The family of Noah did, indeed, multiply as the Lord had blessed them to do so.  Though the world was new, the hearts of man were not.  They were still corrupted by sin, and that sin dominated the hearts and minds of mankind again.  Though they multiplied, they would not obey the Lord.  They would not fill the earth.  They said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:4)  It was not to honor God, but themselves.  They crafted their own religion.  They obeyed their own desires.  They took God’s good words and cast them down in defiance.

     But God will not be mocked.  So God acted.  He confused the languages of the peoples at Babel.  The words of one group sounded like drunken gibberish to the next group.  They looked upon one another with confusion, and then with suspicion, and then with hatred.  And so it continues to this day.

     Though God gives good words to you, you, too, cast them down in defiance.  We should fear and love God that we lead a pure and decent live in words and actions. (Explanation of the 6^th Commandment, Luther’s Small Catechism)  But we blend our speech in with the world.  It becomes vulgar and obscene.  There is nothing pure and decent about it.  God’s good words about how we use our words are despised and defied.  We should fear and love God that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, or give him a bad name, but defend him, speak well of him, and take his words and actions in the kindest possible way. (Explanation of the 8^th Commandment, Luther’s Small Catechism)  But we use our words to betray secrets, to slander, and to impugn the actions of others with unfounded theories and salacious gossip.  We should fear and love God, but we do not; for we do not follow his commandments.  Our words serve us, and God’s good words are cast aside.  Repent.

     If you want to utter a word that is actually true and good, then confess with the crowds at Pentecost who were cut to the heart and cried out to Peter and the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37) 

     The Lord Jesus Christ does not leave you without an answer.  Jesus sent his Holy Spirit so that the apostles would preach God’s good words, the Gospel, the words of salvation.  The Holy Spirit bestowed these apostles with gifts that were unparalleled with any miracle recorded in the Old Testament or in Jesus’ day.  The apostles were suddenly gifted to speak the mighty works of God in unlearned languages.  In doing this, the Lord did the opposite of the curse at Babel.  Rather than causing the nations to scatter, the Lord would bring them in.  Rather than creating suspicion and hatred among the nations with his words, God’s good words of love and reconciliation were proclaimed.  And rather than undo Babel’s curse and rally all the world together under one language, the Lord multiplied the languages of his apostles so that each could hear God’s love in his own native tongue.  The Lord does not undo language and culture.  He sanctifies them so that each culture and language may be brought into God’s kingdom and used to honor Jesus.  For God does not care if you are American, Indian, Chinese, or Nigerian, but he does care that you are redeemed.

     Jesus sent his Holy Spirit so that God’s good words would be heard.  The crowds who were there had acknowledged, “We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” (Acts 2:11)  What are those mighty works?  They are the works of Jesus.  They are the works of a God who became part of his own creation to redeem the good creation he had made.  They are the works of a Savior who used his mouth to speak the truth in love, and to stick to that truth even when it hurt those who heard it.  Jesus was no flatterer.  Jesus had told his apostles, “The word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.” (John 14:24)  And Jesus was true to that word.

     God’s good words show you that the Father in heaven still loves his creation.  Though we have earned the curse, God still seeks to comfort.  Jesus followed God’s good words to the cross.  That is where the Father sent him so that he would receive the curse you’ve earned and so that he would not send you off to hell.  At the cross Jesus spoke the good words that God wants all sinners to hear.  Jesus declared his, “It is finished,” (John 19:30) from the cross so that you know God’s love for you.  The God who became a creature and took up residence in this world has redeemed you, his most precious creation.  He has paid the price for every careless word that you have uttered, and he gives you a better word to speak—a confession of your sins and an “Amen” to the good words of absolution, “I forgive you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” 

     Jesus sent his Holy Spirit so that God’s good words would be heard.  Now to some, it seemed like drunken gibberish.  Words of forgiveness are drunken nonsense to someone who believes he doesn’t need them.  In fact, words of forgiveness are insulting to people who believe they are right.  If you do not think that you need to be forgiven for anything or saved from anything, God’s good words will continue to be despised and defied.  But when such a person is condemned, it is not because God is cruel.  It is because sinners despise the very love that would save them.

     Jesus sent his Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and it was evident from the miraculous signs that accompanied his coming.  But there was another miracle that took place on the day of Pentecost.  It is not just that apostles spoke in unlearned languages.  It is that 3,000 people believe the word of the Lord, repented of their sins, and were baptized.  They were terrified by their words which had boasted of their own goodness and mocked God’s good commandments.  They were especially terrified by their own callous words which fifty days earlier had demanded the death of God.  They knew they deserved God’s curse.  Instead, the apostles proclaimed God’s good words.  And to many who were there, God’s good words took hold of them.  The Spirit of God was poured upon them first in words, and then in holy baptism. 

     Jesus sent his Holy Spirit so that God’s good words would be heard.  And you have heard them as well.  Like the thousands at Pentecost, God has also worked repentance in you and brought you into his kingdom through baptism.  He has attached his good words to you, and he has given his Spirit to you, too.  Now, rather than scattering you or casting you off, God has come to you and has made his home with you.  No matter what language you speak, you have God’s good words to comfort and sustain you.  You are beloved.  You are forgiven.  You are saved.

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

Sermon -- The Wedding of Robert McFarlane and Lindsey Vermillion (June 7, 2014)

ISAIAH 61:10

JESUS CLOTHES YOU

IN GLORIOUS WEDDING GARMENTS.

In the name + of Jesus.

     It used to be that people spoke of coming to church in their Sunday best.  They had one suit or one dress, their best one, reserved for coming to God’s house and entering God’s presence.  You have come here today into God’s house and into God’s presence.  And you have done better than your Sunday best.  Lindsey, I suspect that you logged a few hours looking for the right dress for today.  Bob, you probably took more time getting fitted for your tux than it takes you to get dressed all week.  You have even invested a chunk of money to have photographs of yourselves in your wedding garments.  It is your wedding day.  It is probably the best you will ever be dressed. 

     This is not unique to American culture.  As it is for you, so it was for the Israelite bride and groom.  Their wedding day was as lavishly as they would ever be dressed.  The bride would even borrow jewels to adorn herself.  They would cover up their blemishes.  They would douse themselves in perfumes.  It was as good as they would ever look.

     Now, I suppose we could be flippant and suggest that it is all down hill from here.  Today, a white dress and a tux.  Tomorrow, a ratty T-shirt and pajama pants.  Well, maybe.  But you have certainly seen each other at your less-than-pretty moments.  You know what the blemishes look like.  You have probably even been responsible for some of each other’s scars and wounds.  That’s no surprise; for, you are sinners.  You have each sinned against the other, and you will again.  Now, you love each other, so you choose to overlook some of petty ugliness.  But some cannot be hidden. 

     It surely does not look good to God.  Every sin is rebellion against God and repulsive to him.  You can try to pretty it up all you want.  But it is like putting lipstick on a pig.  The lipstick does not make it pretty, and it is still a pig.  Sin is ugly, and you can’t make it look better.  The prophet Isaiah spoke of our appearance before God when he said, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” (Isaiah 64:6, NIV ‘84)  Even our best is filth before God.

     Since you cannot fix your sin or make it look pretty, God acted on your behalf.  Jesus suffered a brutal and gruesome death for you.  He was bloodied by lashes and fists.  He was stripped of his garments and nailed to the cross.  He suffered and died in shame for your shame.  Jesus wrapped himself in your sin and guilt, and he bore the curse of sin for you.  Jesus’ death was not pretty because it shows us what God thinks of sin.

     But Jesus’ crucifixion also shows you what God thinks of you.  He does not let you die with your sins clinging to you like filthy rags.  The Lord has atoned for all your guilt.  And now, he covers your guilt and your shame with his own righteousness.  Jesus clothes you in glorious wedding garments.

     Therefore, Isaiah says, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” (Isaiah 61:10) 

     Jesus clothes you in glorious wedding garments.  The Lord, therefore, does not look upon you and see filthy rags or the ugliness of sin.  That has been covered by the blood of Jesus.  Since you are baptized, you are now clothed with Christ.  God sees you in better than your Sunday best.  He sees you in robes of righteousness and garments of salvation.  Jesus Christ, the Groom, has dressed up his Church as a beautiful Bride, without blemish or spot or wrinkle.  Jesus clothes you in glorious wedding garments.

     The love that Jesus Christ has for his Church is the love that you are to have for your bride, Bob.  You do not pledge your love to Lindsey based on any conditions.  Your love is a commitment to her, casting aside your own self-interests for the good of your bride and of your family.  That is what Christ-like love is.  Love does not insist on its own way.  Love does not keep score.  Love only seeks the good of the other.  The husband, therefore, loves his wife as Christ loves the Church.

     Lindsey, you get to submit to your husband as the Church submits to Christ.  You get to support him in his efforts to bless you and care for you.  The Church suffers no shame in submitting to Christ.  In fact, the Church is glorified by submitting to her Groom, Jesus.  Likewise, by submitting to your husband, Lindsey, you get to receive good things from him, and you honor him as he gives them to you. 

     Now, you will still have your ugly moments with each other.  You will still see the blemishes.  Your marriage may develop a wrinkle or two.  Satan will try to drive a wedge between what God joins together.  Again, you will get to demonstrate the love of Christ to each other by confessing your sins to each other and forgiving one another.  You don’t do it because it is deserved, but because it is needed.  You remain committed to the vows you take today—to love each other, to seek the best for each other, and to see each other as children of God.

     For, the Lord Jesus Christ has clothed you in glorious wedding garments.  He does not tie conditions to that, as if you have to be good enough before he calls you his own.  He has purchased you for his own, and the dowry was his precious blood.  He has made you beautiful by clothing you with garments of salvation.  He has covered every blemish.  He has taken out every wrinkle.  He has made you radiant and rejoices that you are his.

     Bob and Lindsey, you will not want the joy of this day to come to an end.  Wedding banquets are a blast.  So also, the Lord has prepared an eternal wedding banquet for Christ, the Groom, and for his Bride, the Church.  And Jesus has clothed you in glorious wedding garments so you are prepared for your place there.  There, you will get to receive good things from your Lord forever, and the joy will never come to an end. 

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

Sermon -- Ascension; transferred (June 1, 2014)

ACTS 1:1-11

JESUS DIRECTS YOU TO HIS KINGDOM.

Pastor:                          Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

Congregation:            He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

In the name + of Jesus.

     Though we know almost nothing about him, Enoch is one of the most envied men in the history of the world.  He and Elijah have this in common: Each was taken up into heaven without enduring a physical, bodily death.  Oh, how we envy them!  Many Evangelical Christians even promise this future as they proclaim that there will be a mass rapture out of this earth so that true Christians will not face a physical death.  It is an alluring thought, but Scripture makes no such promise.  In fact, the promise is quite the opposite: The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23)  Dust you are, and to dust you will return. (Genesis 3:19)  For reasons known only to God, Enoch and Elijah were exempted from this fate.

     Nonetheless, the thought remains alluring.  We long for a kingdom in which we are spared from the pains, sorrows, and frustrations which are common to all men.  And for you, they are even more common.  For, you have been redeemed and have been set apart for godly living—for loving your neighbor and serving him in his need, for living chaste and decent lives in thought, word, and deed, for avoiding drunkenness, slander, perversion, and revenge, and for being merciful, kind, forgiving, and prayerful.  You know that this is what God has called you to be.  And you know that these are good and right to do at all times and in all places. 

     But there is another part of you that feels such a life is ridiculous.  Why forgive and forget when I can get even?  Why remain chaste when there is so much pressure from my friends and so much of my own desire to gratify my lusts?  Does God really care if I don’t pray to him?  If I don’t care about my neighbor’s needs?  If I would rather party than repent?  Every day, you face such temptations and frustrations.  They are common to every Christian.  Life in the kingdom of God comes with a cross.  Day after day, you bear your cross, deny yourself, and put your sinful flesh to death.  Did you think that the kingdom of God should be more glorious than this?  If so, you are not alone.

     Jesus was moments from ascending into heaven and the apostles asked, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6)  The apostles still hoped that the Son of David would restore the kingdom of David.  They had dreamed of a kingdom of dominance and glory, and they hoped that it was imminent.  After all, if Jesus has all authority, if Jesus sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty, if Jesus lives and reigns forever, then everything should be glorious and comfortable and easy, right?  It would seem so.  But it is not so.

     Jesus redirected the apostles’ thoughts from the kingdom they sought and directed their thoughts to the kingdom of God.  He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:7,8) 

     The apostles were not to worry about what kind of glory the nation of Israel would receive.  Kingdoms rise and fall.  Their glory does not last.  Instead, Jesus directed them to his kingdom.  The apostles were to be witnesses to the world, telling anyone and everyone all that Jesus Christ had said and accomplished.  Jesus’ ministry was never about how much money you can make, how many friends you can collect, how easy life can be, or how many people you can control.  Jesus’ ministry was about compassion for the sinner, mercy for the suffering, encouragement for those who are struggling, and hope for those who are dying.

     Jesus directs you to his kingdom by keeping your attention on these things too.  Every week, you hear the eye-witness accounts of Jesus’ words and works.  And every day, you benefit from them.  In your battle to put off sin and to do what is right and holy, you often fail.  But Jesus remains the Savior whose blood atones for your guilt.  You are forgiven.  In your efforts to serve your neighbor and to seek his good, it gets hard because your neighbor often takes advantage of you or does not seem to care.  You find it harder and harder to care yourself.  Jesus remains your loving and caring Savior.  He is pleased with the good you do, and he always seeks your good.  As you take your stand with Jesus and confess his truth, you face a world which mocks you for taking Jesus and his word seriously.  That feels lonely.  But you are never alone.  Jesus remains the Savior who is with you always.  He assures you that you are a child of the Most High God, and he gathers you together with other children of God in the Church where you pray for one another, support one another, and care for one another.

     Jesus directs you to his kingdom.  It is where he soothes your troubled heart, just as he soothed the troubled hearts of his apostles.  He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:3)  By proving he was alive, Jesus demonstrated his authority over sin, death, and the grave.  By ascending into heaven and being seated at the right hand of God, Jesus demonstrates his authority over everything.  Do not be grieved by your sins.  Jesus’ word of forgiveness is stronger than your guilt.  Do not be terrified of death.  Jesus’ promises are not undone even by death.  He will raise you up to life everlasting.  Do not be bothered by a world that despises Jesus and mocks his word.  The words of men die with them, but the word of the Lord endures forever.  The world is perishing, but the kingdom of God is eternal.  Jesus lives and reigns.  His kingdom stands no matter what anything thinks, says, or does against it.  Jesus has brought you into that kingdom, and he directs you to keep your attention to his kingdom so that you will live and reign with him.

     Jesus ascended to heaven with a promise: “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:2,3)  There is where you will finally receive all the blessings you long for.  There, you will dwell with Jesus.  There, you will be forever free from sickness and sorrow.  There, you will be forever free from your own jealousy, bitterness, and selfishness.  There, you will be forever free from struggles to do what is right and the shame of falling into your sins again.  Jesus shall bring you into the joys of heaven, granting you permanent residence in the Father’s house.

     Jesus directs you to his kingdom.  Jesus has ascended to the right hand of God the Father almighty where he lives and reigns forever.  There is no higher place.  There is no more powerful king.  There is no greater kingdom.  And there is no stronger word.  You need not envy Elijah or Enoch.  You have not missed out on anything.  You shall be raised from the grave with a glorious and incorruptible body.  You shall ascend to the presence of God.  The Savior who redeemed you by his death and resurrection has marked you as his own.  He will not forget you.  He will return and bring you to dwell with him in splendor.  There is no better kingdom.  And there is no brighter future.

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