Sermon -- 5th Sunday after Pentecost (June 23, 2024)

JOB 38:1-11

ALL THINGS SERVE AT GOD’S COMMAND.

In the name + of Jesus.

     The patriarch Job endured tremendous loss, pain, and shame.  In one day, sole surviving servants reported the confiscation of his oxen, the destruction of his sheep, the capture of his camels, the violent death of almost all his servants, and the death of all his children as the house of the oldest collapsed on all of them.  Shortly thereafter, Job’s health was afflicted, leaving him a shriveled and festering shadow of his former self.  Because of these events, Job went from a position of prominence and honor to being the laughingstock of society.  The question to consider is this: Who was responsible for Job’s suffering—the Lord, or the devil?

     Atheists challenge God’s existence by challenging God’s goodness.  They demand an answer for this: “If God is so good, then why is there suffering in the world, especially for those who say they believe in him?”  If you are honest, you’ve had bouts with this same question.  How does one answer?  In an effort to uphold God’s honor, we might rationalize pain and suffering this way: God is responsible for all our blessings, but the devil is responsible for all our problems.  That sounds great, because then we can say that God is good and the devil is bad.  But if the devil is responsible for evil and bad things keep on happening, does that mean that God isn’t always in control, or maybe doesn’t pay attention?  Who is responsible—the Lord, or the devil?

     The book of Job does not seem to offer any clarity.  The devil challenged Job’s faithfulness.  He said to the Lord, “‘You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.  But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.’  And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Behold, all that he has is in your hand’” (Job 1:10-12).  So, who was responsible for Job’s suffering—the Lord, or the devil? 

     St. John’s Revelation says this: “The dragon (that is, the devil) became furious with the woman (that is, the Church) and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus” (Revelation 12:17).  So, the devil fights against you.  He brings evil upon you.  Yet, King Solomon wrote this: “In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other” (Ecclesiastes 7:14).  So, who is responsible for the evils we endure—the Lord, or the devil?  The answer is: Both.  All things serve at God’s command, even the devil.

     If you are confused by all this, you are not alone.  Job did not understand it, either.  He had not done anything to rebel against God.  Job was striving for righteous living, but he suffered miserably nonetheless.  For this, Job wanted to have it out with God.  He demanded answers.  And chances are, you do too.  You strive to serve God faithfully, and yet, sufferings still occur.  Why does a tornado appear from out of nowhere, causing a large tree to crush a house, kill a three-year-old boy, and severely injure his mother?  Why does a drunk driver come out of the crash with minor injuries even though he kills someone?  Why does a faithful Christian get Lou Gehrig’s Disease?  The list of questions is endless; and the demand for answers goes without a reply.

     Well, the Lord did reply to Job.  Job demanded answers; the Lord responded in kind: “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?  Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me” (Job 1:2-3).  In his reply to Job, God did not explain himself.  He made it clear that he does not have to.  He is God and we are not.  He reigns over heaven and earth, everything in the earth and everyone on the earth.  The Lord shows that we have no understanding of how the universe runs, let alone every incident in our lives.  The Lord, however, has complete knowledge of all things.  He has authority over all things.  He does whatever he pleases and does not need to explain it.  All things serve at God’s command.

     Psalm 95 reminds us, “The sea is his, for he made it” (Psalm 95:5).  He not only created the seas, he also controls them.  Sailors know that they are at the mercy of the wind and the waves.  Not so the Lord.  He gave the command, and the Flood destroyed the earth.  God spoke again, and the Red Sea waters parted.  God asked Job, “Who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb … and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed’” (Job 38:8,10-11)?  As fiercely as the oceans rage, they obey God’s commands.  They know their limits.  The tides follow God’s appointed schedule.  Tsunamis are the exception, not the rule.  All things serve at God’s command, even tsunamis, storms, the winds, and the waves.

     When a violent storm came upon the apostles on the Sea of Galilee, our Lord sent it.  It must have been bad if the seasoned fishermen were panicking.  Jesus, however, was asleep, exhausted from his ministry.  “They woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’  And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’  And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm” (Mark 4:38-39).  When terror and panic strike, we tend to forget God’s promises.  The apostles had forgotten a promise Jesus made to them.  He called them to be fishers of men and preachers of the word.  That would be impossible to do from the bottom of the Sea of Galilee.  Even in moments of terror and panic, God’s promises stand.

     Job had almost forgotten God’s promises, too.  Job had been faithful to the Lord; he concluded that God had been unfair to him.  But nowhere has God promised that, if we are faithful to him, we will have health, wealth, fame, popularity, comfort, and ease.  He may grant these; he may not.  We don’t know what God’s plans are for us, and he does not tell us.  We might want answers, but God is not obligated to explain himself to us.  What God does tell us is that all things serve at God’s command.

     Do you find any comfort in that?  It depends upon what you know about God.  When rough times come, the devil uses them to get us to question what we know.  When the disciples thought their boat was going down, they rebuked Jesus: “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing” (Mark 4:38)?  Did they really think that Jesus did not care about them?  They knew better.  Of course, Jesus cared.  But isn’t that how it still works?  We get bad news, and we trust our experience and forget God’s nature and his promises.  Job forgot, too.  He knew pain and loss and suffering, so he viewed God as his enemy, not as his heavenly Father.

     God had to remind Job that all things serve at God’s command.  This includes events and experiences that we don’t understand, that are painful, and that are evil.  While it is true that the devil wages war upon you and seeks to destroy you, God remains firmly in control.  The devil’s intentions are always wicked; God uses them for his own purposes.  This sinful world is broken, resulting in diseases, disasters, and decay.  God uses them for his own purposes.  God even uses the crimes and callousness of sinners for his own purposes.  Just ask Pharaoh, Caiaphas, and Judas Iscariot.  Therefore, we can trust that whatever we suffer, God uses it for a good purpose—whether that purpose is to bring us out of this world into glory, or to remove from us worldly treasures that we have loved and trusted too much, or to remind us that the world is evil and that we have a better home.  All things serve at God’s command.  But since we don’t know is what purpose our suffering serves, like Job, we demand answers from God.

     Listen again to God’s reply when answers are demanded from him: “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?  Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me.  Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?  Tell me, if you have understanding.  Who determined its measurements—surely you know!  Or who stretched the line upon it?  On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone…” (Job 38:2-6)?  Since you and I cannot answer questions about the creation we see, how can we claim to have a right to know about God’s hidden purposes?

     Our hope and comfort come not from knowing why God does everything he does, or by blaming the devil or God for everything that goes wrong.  It comes from knowing the love that God has made known to us.  That love is revealed in Jesus Christ.  God has put his love and mercy on display for the whole world to know.  Jesus shows sinners that there is hope.  God does not owe us answers, but he has revealed his tender mercy.  Jesus Christ has made atonement for all our sin.  He took up the guilt of our anger against God, our challenging his wisdom, and our conclusion that God is unloving because we did not get all we wanted.  Our Lord does not overlook such arrogance from sinners, but he does pardon it for the sake of Jesus who has paid for those sins and for all sins. 

     All things serve at God’s command.  Jesus served at God’s command to save us from death and damnation.  Thanks to Jesus, God works all things for the eternal good for those who love him.  That stands firm no matter what because God is faithful no matter what.  He never stops being your good and merciful Father in heaven.  It is like the sun which never stops shining.  There may be days upon days where we see nothing but clouds and rain.  But the sun still shines, even if we don’t see it.  So, your heavenly Father is still good and merciful even if you don’t see it.

     All things serve at God’s command.  Sun and rain, land and sea, climates and seasons, birds, fish, and animals.  All events serve at God’s command.  Wars and battles, the rise and fall of kingdoms, famines and earthquakes.  All things serve at God’s command, even the troubles and evils we endure.  The devil seeks to destroy your faith through them.  It is not just to mess with you, but to drive you away from the Lord.  That is why he afflicted Job.  But God uses even the devil’s wicked schemes for his own purpose.  He used the bitter hardships to refine Job’s faith and make it purer.  He may do that for you, too.  But no matter what evils befall you, God is still good.  His grace still shines.  Jesus is still your Savior.  All things serve for your good according to God’s command, and no challenge from the devil can change that.

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

YouTube -- 5th Sunday of Pentecost (July 2, 2023)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, July 2, 2023.

Sermon -- 5th Sunday after Pentecost (July 2, 2023)

EXODUS 32:15-29

WE ARE A FAMILY DEVOTED TO CHRIST.

In the name + of Jesus.

     This week, we will celebrate the 247^th year of our nation.  We are the United States of America—fifty states united for our mutual benefit, but I suppose we can debate just how united we are.  Still, we express a bond with our fellow citizens, more so the closer our connection—state, town, or neighborhood.  If you travel abroad and see someone with a Detroit Tigers cap, you will feel drawn to that person.  Of course, the unity of a family is a closer bond.  Parents, brothers, sisters, cousins, and so forth enjoy a special connection that is rightly cherished.  We are right to be devoted to our families.

     In our Gospel, Jesus teaches us about a greater union which deserves an even greater devotion.  Jesus declared that this devotion should have no rivals.  “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37).  In saying this, Jesus does not dismiss the blessings of one’s family.  We are to love one another—but not more than God.  Love for God and faith in his word are what unite us as Christians.  We are bound together by Christ as brothers and sister for time and for eternity.  We are a family devoted to Christ.

     The people of Israel were united as family, as a nation, and as church.  All Israel was family, descended from the sons of Jacob.  They were also a nation, born through God’s miraculous deliverance from slavery in Egypt.  Most importantly, God had chosen the people of Israel for his very own.  God had sworn to Abraham, “In your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 22:18).  The Savior of the nations would come through Abraham’s line.  To preserve this promise, the Lord promised to preserve the people of Israel.  God was favorable to Israel so that he could be favorable to all the world by sending the Savior through them.  Israel was to be a family, a nation, and a church devoted to God.

     To ratify all of this, God led the people of Israel to Mt. Sinai where he established a covenant with the people of Israel.  When God uttered his demands, the people replied, “Everything that the Lord has said, we will do” (Exodus 19:8).  Then Moses went up the mountain to get it all in writing.  That took forty days.  In the meantime, the people grew impatient.  They abandoned the Lord and asked Aaron to craft a God which they could see and control and serve according to their own wicked ideas and cravings.  Rather than being devoted to the Lord, they were devoted to drunkenness, perversion, and pride.  Right under the Lord’s nose, the people of Israel defied the Lord, violated the covenant, and threatened the promise that a Savior would come through them. 

     The Lord burned with anger.  When Moses saw it, he burned with anger.  Then he burned their idol.  He ground it to powder, scattered it in their water, and made the people consume their own god.  But what probably struck you more than anything was Moses’ rally cry for the Lord and its result.  “Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, ‘Who is on the Lord's side?  Come to me.’  And all the sons of Levi gathered around him.  And he said to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.”’  And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses.  And that day about three thousand men of the people fell” (Exodus 32:26-28).

     The idolatry of the Israelites was a direct attack on God and, in particular, on his promise of the Messiah.  If the nation of Israel abandoned the Lord for perverted worship, they would no longer be useful for fulfilling God’s purpose of bringing his Son into the world to save sinners.  The Lord tolerated a lot of evil in the Old Testament, but he would not tolerate anything that threatened his promise to save sinners.  So, those who were engaged in their self-glorifying, self-gratifying worship were slain without mercy.  The Levites proved to be a family devoted to God, even above their countrymen and kin.

     Obviously, we don’t do this anymore.  I will not be handing out machetes and telling you to slaughter anyone, no matter how wicked they appear or how much you think they deserve it.  Jesus had warned, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth.  I have not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34).  Jesus does not tell his people to take up the sword.  The kingdom of God does not come by violence or by threats.  Rather, Jesus warns that the sword—that is, hatred and persecution—will come for you.  The world hates Jesus and those who believe, confess, and live according to his word.  But do not fear or shrink away.  Our devotion is not to self-preservation; we are a family devoted to Jesus Christ. 

     The tribe of Levi serves as a great example for us.  We might get the impression that they were cold-hearted people who slaughtered without emotion or feeling.  Do you think it would have been easy to kill fellow countrymen and kin?  These were people with whom they were united.  They were devoted to family and nation.  However, their devotion to the Lord was much greater.  They held to that above all, even at great cost.

     It would have been much easier for the Levites to ignore what their kin were doing and to call that love.  Our world has trained us to believe that love for people means agreeing that everything they do is good.  If you don’t, you hate them.  A warped definition of love will result in defending sins.  We may turn a blind eye to a loved one’s sins.  We may insist that God’s word does not apply because—and this is how it is usually defended—“In their case, it’s different.”  But it is no different.  God’s word remains firm and constant.  Sin is always sin.  Wrong is always wrong.  We must say so if we are devoted to Christ.  If we are a family devoted to Christ, then we will always side with Christ, even if that results in a division.

     Now, divisions in families are hard.  If you have experienced that, you know what I mean.  But how can we forfeit God’s word and honor for the sake of harmony?  What peace are we seeking?  Peace with the world?  Peace with sin?  Peace with “those who call evil good and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20)?  Now, you can do that.  Others have done it.  Even Christian churches are forsaking God’s word to forge peace with those who reject God’s word.  The world loves them for it.  If that appeals to you, you ought to know the cost.  The Israelites at Mt. Sinai did not reject God or religion; they just perverted it.  God burned with anger.  His judgment was severe.  The guilty were slain.  This is what is coming for all who turn from the word of the Lord—whether perverting God’s word, rejecting God’s word, or coming to the defense of those who do.

     We are a family devoted to the Lord.  That means we believe, teach, and confess God’s word as the Lord has given it to us.  It means that we order our lives according to that word.  It is not enough to say we are sorry for our sins.  Repentance means we turn away from sin and fight against it.  We strive to do what is good, even if there is a cost for doing so.  And in the midst of all of this, we continue to love our countrymen, our relatives, and our church family.  That means we do good to them, no matter what.  It also may mean upholding the word of the Lord to call them to repent—not because we are superior, but because we don’t want to see anyone perish in their sins.  If that results in division, we will endure that, too.  While we love others, we remain a family devoted to Jesus Christ.  For salvation is found in no one else.

     Perhaps this Old Testament lesson was a hard one to listen to.  I mean, how do you defend this lesson to unbelievers?  How can you claim to worship a loving God when he commands this slaughter, and when the killers are hailed and rewarded for it?  First of all, we acknowledge that these events were brutal.  We don’t ignore the facts.  Secondly, we highlight that the Lord takes his word very seriously.  God will not be mocked or treated with contempt.  Thirdly, God acts with intense passion to protect his promise of a Savior.  The Lord is not willing that any should perish.  So, when he saw the promise of the Savior threatened, the Lord crushed those who were posing the threat.  This happened throughout the Old Testament.  Consider the Flood, the Exodus, and the Babylonian Captivity as a few examples.  We confess that we are a family devoted to the Lord; but that is because our Lord is the God who is devoted to saving sinners.

     So, why was the slaughter by the tribe of Levi acceptable back then and not today?  Because God’s plan of salvation has been completed.  There is nothing that can negate the payment Jesus made when he went to the cross to die for the sins of the world.  He was devoted to you and your salvation.  He willingly endured the full curse for sins so that he could grant you the full pardon for your sins.  Jesus shed his blood for little sins and big sins, for secret sins and public shame, even for the sin of seeking peace at the expense of God’s word.  Jesus was slain for you so that you will not be slain by God. 

     We are a family devoted to Jesus Christ.  There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.  For, no one can take away Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.  Jesus conquered the grave to prove that the wages of sin are paid in full and to open heaven to you.  World powers may take away your freedom, your wealth, and your life, but they cannot revoke your salvation.  They cannot rescind your forgiveness; Jesus’ word is supreme and final.  They cannot repeal your resurrection; for Jesus lives and reigns.  At the final judgment, Jesus will publicly demonstrate those who are his.  And for those who are not, who refused to listen, who were devoted to rebellion and perversion, who wanted nothing to do with God and his word?  Jesus revealed that their judgment will sound familiar to the actions of the Levites: “As for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me” (Luke 19:27). 

     We are a family devoted to Jesus Christ.  The Lord has brought us into his family.  He has united us by his mercy, by his word, and by his salvation.  We all bear the family name, having been baptized into Christ.  We hear his word.  We trust his promises.  We rejoice in his reign.  And we will even suffer for the sake of his name because we know that salvation is found in no other name.  And since we are a family united in Christ, we will band together for the good of each other and for the honor of Jesus’ name.  All this because Jesus is devoted to us for our eternal good.

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

Sermon -- 5th Sunday after Pentecost (July 10, 2022)

GALATIANS 3:19-29

WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD THROUGH THE GOSPEL.

In the name + of Jesus.

     Is God’s Law good or bad?  Many people feel that it is bad because it makes demands upon us, it convicts us of wrong-doing, and it produces guilt.  St. Paul wrote, “Why then the law?  It was added because of transgressions” (Galatians 3:19).  The Law always accuses.  For that reason, many people don’t want to hear it.  No one likes guilt and shame.  Of course, the way to avoid guilt and shame is to not do the things that result in guilt and shame.  But we have not avoided sin, and we can’t.  The Bible reminds us, “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins” (Ecclesiastes 7:20).  In other words, we don’t do the good we are supposed to, and we can’t stop the sins we are not supposed to do—just as we confess each week.  God’s Law exposes this sinfulness in all of us.

     As St. Paul describes what God has intended to do with his Law, it sounds like the Law is bad.  Paul wrote, “The Scripture imprisoned everything under sin” (Galatians 3:22) and “before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned” (Galatians 3:23).  The Law has shown us that we are enslaved to sin.  We can’t shake free from it, no matter how hard we try.  But that does not mean the Law is bad. 

     God’s Law shows us what is good.  Yes, it makes demands on us, but what the Law demands is good, like, “Put on your seatbelt before you start driving,” and, “Call Mich-Dig before you dig a hole in your back yard.”  These laws are given for your good—to protect and to preserve your life.  God’s Law is the same.  “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30).  Why?  Because God is good and faithful and trustworthy.  God is the author of life and the source of truth.  If we do not love God above all things, we will be deceived by lies and suffer eternal death.  So it is good to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

     The second commandment is: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31).  Why?  Because you get to demonstrate your love for God by loving the neighbor he has given you to serve.  Yet get to make use of your talents and interests to benefit your family, your friends, customers, clients, and even strangers.  While others may not express any appreciation for your service, they are still blessed by it.  And this honors God who also blesses those who do not thank him.

     God’s Law is good.  If everyone kept God’s Commandments, we would have no violence, no wars, no liars, no unwanted pregnancies, no abortions, and so on.  The hungry would be fed.  The poor would find help.  Marriages would be stronger.  The oceans would be cleaner.  This is what God’s Law demands, so it is most certainly good.  But it shows us that we are not.

     Once again, it sounds like the Law is bad because it condemns us.  But St. Paul assures us that even this serves God’s purpose.  “Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.  So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:23-24).  The picture of the guardian would have been familiar to the Galatians.  The guardian was a slave who cared for the son of his master for as long as the son was a minor.  It was usually not a nice relationship.  The guardian was often cruel and could be abusive.  He was in charge until the son was old enough to receive all the rights of the son of his father’s estate.

     The Law of God does this for all people.  It is called the alien work of God—to convict and condemn all people of their sin.  It pushes, threatens, and drives us to good lives, and it forces us to recognize our sin. It causes us to realize that if we want to have eternal life, it will not be because we have done anything to earn it or even contribute to it.  Isaiah reminds us, “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment” (Isaiah 64:6).  We know that our sins make us filthy.  But Isaiah tells us that even our “righteous deeds” are filthy before God.  God’s Law shows us that any hope to be the children of God must come from outside of ourselves.  It does!  We are children of God through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that is, by faith and not by works.

      Under God’s Law, St. Paul shows us that our status is captive and imprisoned.  We need a Savior, and we have one!  Jesus Christ delivers us to a new status through the Gospel.  St. Paul wrote, “Now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith” (Galatians 3:25-26).  The Gospel announces that you have become the children of God.  You have been adopted into God’s family, and the adoption was notarized in the blood of Jesus.

     The Gospel of Jesus gives you what the Law cannot.  The Law demands perfect obedience.  Jesus has lived in perfect obedience to the Law.  He delivers that perfect status to you.  The Law condemns everyone who is guilty of sin.  Jesus was delivered over to be sentenced to crucifixion by those who hated him.  Despite every accusation they charged him with, none of them stuck.  What did stick, however, was every sin we have thought, spoken, and done.  St. Paul had written to the Galatians earlier in chapter 3, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’” (Galatians 3:13).  Jesus took our guilt and its curse.  He died the cursed death we deserve.  We have been redeemed from the curse of the Law.  The cost was the life of God’s Son, but it is a price he willingly paid to deliver us from the curse of the Law.  We are not condemned but forgiven.  So, the Lord does not merely tolerate us; he embraces us as his very own.  We are children of God through the Gospel. 

     If you have ever doubted your status as a child of God, it is probably because you are aware your actions and attitudes are often not God-pleasing.  None of us has overcome our sins yet.  The Law still exposes our sinfulness.  So, how can we be certain that we are the children of God?  God has taken the doubt away from you.  He does not ask you to convince yourself that it must be true because of how well you live or because of how strongly you believe.  He takes it out of your hands completely.  St. Paul wrote, “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27). 

     We are children of God through the Gospel.  You are a child of God because you have been baptized.  Baptism is not something that you do for God, as if he needs this from you.  Baptism is what God has done for you.  Baptism bestows gifts that God wants you to have.  When you were baptized, the Lord put his name upon you.  He adopted you into his family.  He cleansed you of your sin.  He wrapped the righteousness of Jesus around you.  “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27).  Therefore, when God the Father looks upon you, he sees Christ.  And what he sees, he loves. 

     We are children of God through the Gospel.  “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith” (Galatians 3:26).  If you are sons of God, you have the same status before God the Father as Jesus himself.  Of course, Jesus is the only begotten Son of the Father.  He is true God from true God.  We are not God and will not become gods.  But since God adopted you into his family, he regards you with the same love and affection as he has for Jesus.  You have been credited with Jesus’ work.  So surely, he must love you the same.

     We are children of God through the Gospel.  “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith” (Galatians 3:26).  St. Paul chose his words carefully when he wrote this.  You are sons of God.  Back in Paul’s day, when a father was going to pass down his inheritance, everything was divided among the sons.  The daughters got married off into other families and benefited from those estates.  But the sons were the heirs.  Now, if you are all sons of God through faith, then you are all heirs.  You all receive the benefits of the kingdom.  You all have a place in heavenly glory.  And your background does not matter.  “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).  You do not have a better or worse status in the kingdom of God based on race, sex, or economic status.  You are all one in Christ—equally loved, equally forgiven, equally saints, equally promised the glories of eternal life with the Lord.

     We are children of God through the Gospel.  So, does the Law matter anymore?  Yes, because the Law is God’s word, and the Law is good.  It does matter that God has created you a man or a woman.  It does matter if you are married or single, a parent or a child, the boss, an assembly line worker, or the janitor.  God’s Law does direct you in your vocation because this is where God has put you to serve him.  God’s Law is good because it guides and directs your life so that you are spared many griefs and so that you receive temporal blessings as well. 

     Since you are children of God, you recognize that your heavenly Father is good.  Everything he says and does for you serves your eternal good.  His word is given to you for your good.  By his word, the Lord strengthens you to fight against the temptations you will face.  It reveals sins that need to be cast off and put to death.  It reminds you that you still need the Savior’s forgiveness because you have not yet been perfected.  It declares that your Savior does not tire of being merciful to you.  It assures you that your place in God’s family is not shaky, but secure; for God’s faithfulness is not shaky, but stands firm.

     For most people, the most peaceful time of your life was when you were a little child.  You did not worry about bills or appointments.  You did not have stress about food, clothing, or shelter.  You never gave a thought to any real difficulties because your parents were there to take care of everything.  You never doubted that your parents loved you, and you trusted that their motives were pure and that their intentions were good.  If the love and care of your parents produced such peace even though they were less than perfect, how much more peace is yours since you are children of God through the Gospel.  The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have a perfect love for you.  Your Triune God supplies all your needs for this life and the next.  What greater joy could you have?  You are all children of God through faith in the Gospel, and therefore heirs of all good things.

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

 

Sermon -- 5th Sunday after Pentecost (July 14, 2019)

Zechariah, by Michelangelo

ZECHARIAH 13:7-9

THE LORD WORKS TO REFINE YOUR FAITH.

In the name + of Jesus.

     The Lord called the prophet Zechariah to preach to the people of Israel during Israel's exile to Babylon.  For centuries, the nation of Israel had been rebuked by the Lord's prophets for their faithless ways.  They had prided themselves that they were God's chosen people, but then they chose to live their lives as they pleased.  They took pride in the temple that was dedicated to the Lord's offerings, but then they dedicated their time and efforts to their own wealth and businesses.  The nation had, by all appearances, a God-fearing people whose religious ceremonies did not cease.  But the Lord had no use for animals which were slaughtered for the sake of empty traditions.  And since the people did not heed the words of many prophets who had called them to repent, the Lord raised up the nation of Babylon to destroy the temple and the city of Jerusalem, to slaughter the priests, and to kill the people.  Those who were not killed by sword or famine or disease were carried off into exile.
     You might think that the one third which survived had gained for themselves a better, easier life.  But that was not the case.  The Lord declared, “In the whole land, declares the LORD, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive.  And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested.” (Zechariah 13:7-8)  The Lord was at work to refine their faith.  His plan was always to bring a remnant back to Jerusalem who would serve him faithfully and through whom the Savior would enter the world.  But to do so, the Lord would put them in the crucible.  The Lord would work to refine their faith, and make for himself a people who would be faithful to him.
     While it is true that God our Savior desires all people to be saved, it is also true that the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.” (Matthew 7:13)  Sadly, only a remnant of the world's population will be saved.  But that does not mean that life for those who are in the Church becomes easier.  The easier way is the way that leads to destruction because you never fight against your sinful flesh.  But for those whom the Lord has set apart for salvation, the Lord continues to refine and purify your faith.  Just as gold and silver must be heated up and turned into a molten state so that impurities can be removed, so the Lord does to us.  The Lord turns up the heat and puts us in the crucible in order to purify us.
     The Lord works to refine our faith.  It is not just a matter of calling us to repent of sins we have practiced.  It is also calling us to not cling to the blessings he has given us.  Christians do not usually fall away from the faith because they suddenly prefer wickedness to godliness.  Many Christians fall away because they love the good things that God gives them too much.
     The First Commandment is, “You shall have no other gods.”  What does this mean?  We should fear and love and trust in God above all things. (Luther's Small Catechism)  If you want to see how easy it is for you to make idols out of the blessings God gives you, then ask yourself, “What is precious to me?  What do I trust to get me through life?  What do I fear losing?”  Your answers will likely reveal things you fear, love, and trust above all.  Common answers:  “I need more time to get things done.  I need a strong economy to guarantee a comfortable retirement.  My life is better when my team wins.  I am only comfortable when my political party is in charge.”  “I fear losing my children.  I fear losing my job.  I am afraid of losing my health or my insurance plan.  I am afraid people will mock me or ostracize me if I take my faith seriously in my life.”  In these cases, you are not craving to do wicked things.  Instead, you are afraid of losing blessings.  Even the fear of being mocked for your faith recognizes that your reputation is a blessing.  But if you think you must maintain your blessings in order to maintain your comfort and peace, and if you fear that losing your blessings means you lose your sense of worth or purpose, then you love the blessings God gives more than the God who gave them.  Then you have turned God's blessings into idols.
     The Lord works to refine your faith, and in doing so, he teaches you the hard lesson that all his blessings are temporary.  In order to teach the Israelites that the temple, the rituals, and the city of Jerusalem were not to be trusted for their safety and prosperity, the Lord destroyed them.  The remnant which survived destruction were taken into captivity.  What was the result?  “I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested.  They will call upon my name, and I will answer them.” (Zechariah 13:9)  They called upon the Lord in their distress.  They cried to the Lord for mercy.  They sought after the Lord, recognizing that God was the only one whose word mattered.  Even though they lost all things, they still had God and his promises.  God was at work to refine their faith.
     The lesson for us is the same.  And it is really no different than what Jesus said in today's Gospel.  He said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)  The Lord Jesus calls on us to forsake our claims on all he gives us and to put to death in us our cravings for earthly praise and popularity and possessions.  This is hard because we have to crucify our sinful desires for worldly comforts, and the sinful flesh does not want to die.  Nevertheless, all earthly blessings are temporary.  We receive them with thanksgiving and make use of what God, in his grace, gives us.  But we also ought to recognize that God, in his wisdom, can withdraw them.  And he often does.
     When God does this, we regard it as an evil we are suffering; and it is.  The loss of blessings is the consequence of living in a sinful world.  It is especially grieving when we lose something precious.  But even when such evils afflict us, God remains our good and merciful Father in heaven.  God even uses the evils that come to us for our eternal good.  He teaches us not to long for this world.  He reminds us that all blessings in this world are temporary.  And he also drives us to call upon him for mercy, for justice, for relief, and for strength.  Consider this: When are you more inclined to pray to God—when things are going well, or when things are falling apart?  We usually pray when we are afflicted by evils and when we suffer loss.  So, even though we are put in the crucible, God uses these things for our good.  God is working to refine our faith.
     But no matter what you lose—and eventually, you will lose it all; for no one packs a suitcase for the grave—you have not lost anything you truly need.  Zechariah declares the word of the Lord.  “I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested.  They will call upon my name, and I will answer them.  I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’” (Zechariah 13:9)  
     When you have lost your friends, your family, your hearing, your balance, and finally your breath, you still have a Savior who lives and reigns for you.  You have a Savior who bled and died for you.  You have a Savior whose blood was poured out as the payment for your sins, was poured upon you in baptism to cleanse you of your sins, and is poured into you for the strengthening of your faith and for the forgiveness of your sins.  You still have a God who declares, “I will say, 'They are my people.'” (Zechariah 13:9)  Your worth, your purpose, and your life are all found in Jesus Christ.  Your peace, your hope, and your comfort are all received through Jesus' promises of mercy now and of eternal joys to come.  Neither Jesus' promises nor your place in his kingdom are changed by captivity or loss or pain or death.
     The Lord works to refine your faith.  And though he may withdraw his blessings, he does it all for your eternal good.  He teaches you not to love his gifts instead of him.  He teaches you not to trust in worldly goods for peace, for hope, or for joy.  He teaches you not to fear losing what he gives you for this life.  And once he leads you to realize that nothing in this world is reliable, then you have nothing left but to throw yourself completely on God for your hope, your comfort, and for your salvation.  The Lord may withdraw blessing from you, but the Lord never withdraws himself or his promises from you.  He remains your loving and merciful Redeemer.  And this is, finally, all you have ever needed.

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

Sermon -- 5th Sunday after Pentecost (July 9, 2017)

ROMANS 5:12-15

GRACE OVERRULES 
SIN AND DEATH.

In the name + of Jesus.

Note:  A number of insights in this sermon were gleaned from Rev. David Peterson who serves as pastor of Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church (LC-MS) in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

     Adam had one commandment to obey.  The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.  And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:15-17)  The Lord God had not been stingy in the Garden of Eden.  He had given Adam and Eve all kinds of fruit trees and vegetables that they were free to eat.  There was both variety and abundance.
     The devil did not question God's goodness about what God had given.  He questioned God's goodness about what he had forbidden.  The devil convinced Adam and Eve that what God had forbidden was actually good.  They believed the lie.  They ate of the tree which was forbidden by the command of God.  And so sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin. (Romans 5:12)
     This is the sin of Adam.  It is original sin—a sinful nature that originated with Adam and has been passed on to us from our first moment of life.  It is the rooted in us and corrupts our reasoning, desires, and motives.  This is why Satan is so convincing when he lies to us.  He appeals to our sinful nature, using the very same reasoning that brought Adam and Eve into sin, under God's curse, and marked with death.
     Satan does not try to convince us that God's good gifts are bad.  When you pick a ripe, red apple, you do not say that it is bad.  You recognize it as the good gift it is.  The same is true for all of God's gifts.  No one says that sunsets, waterfalls, marriage, or music are bad.  You might think there are bad marriages or bad music, but marriage and music themselves are good gifts from God.  For the most part, the devil does not challenge these things.  The devil convinces us that what God forbids is good and urges us to take it.  So we think that sex outside of marriage is good.  We believe that drunkenness makes for good times rather than shame or that obscenity is to be laughed at rather than scorned.  We covet other people's jobs or spouses or reputation because we think it would be good to have what God has chosen not to give us.  We may even come to believe that God is evil because he did not give some things to us.  Our sinful nature has warped us because we refuse to let God define good and evil for us, and we call what is evil “good.”
      Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.  Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. (Romans 5:12-14)
     Sin entered the world through one man when Adam broke the one commandment.  The Lord had not given other specific commandments until he gave them through Moses at Mt. Sinai.  Still, death reigned over all mankind because all were guilty of sin.  And death continues because all are sinners.  You may think you should not be held accountable for your sinful condition because it was Adam's sin, not yours.  It does not matter, because you are accountable for your own sins.  It is you who have craved what God has not given you and seized what God forbids.  It is you who have let vicious or perverse thoughts fester in your mind with no real attempt to root them out—plotting to sabotage another's reputation so that you can win pity or harboring jealousy because someone else is enjoying God's blessing.  These are not Adam's sins; they are yours.  Sin dwells in us and oozes out of us.  Death comes to us all because we are all guilty.  We have all earned the curse.
     Throughout St. Paul's letter to the Romans, he employs the word “but.”  This one word  signals our hope.  We cannot refute Paul's charge that we are sinners.  We cannot avoid the consequences of our sins—death to the guilty.  But … St. Paul points us to the place where we find hope.  Grace overrules sin and death.  And grace is given to us through Jesus Christ.
     We are have no righteousness by our own efforts, but a righteousness from God has been revealed.  We have all grabbed after what is forbidden, but God is still good and delivers his gifts to us.  We do not deserve God's grace because we have trespassed into forbidden territory, but the free gift is not like the trespass.  For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. (Romans 5:15)  Grace overrules sin and death.
     Adam tried to steal what was not rightfully his, but Jesus gave up what was rightfully his and became man.  Though Jesus is true God, he did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped.  Jesus subjected himself to the devil's temptations, but he did not listen to the lies or regard his Father as evil for sending him to suffer and die for sinners.  Jesus willingly lived under God's commandments, humbly served where his Father had put him, and gratefully accepted what God chose to give him.  Jesus did not scheme for Herod's throne or for Pilate's power.  He did not covet the Pharisees' reputation.  He did not perform miracles for show or for money.  Then, in obedience to his Father, Jesus went to the cross for sinners.  Jesus went to the cross with our sins, and he went into death for our disobedience.  Jesus' righteous obedience is the remedy for Adam's disobedience.  Jesus' perfect obedience to his Father has rescued us from sin and death.
     Grace overrules sin and death.  For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. (Romans 5:15)  The righteous life and death of Jesus Christ restores what was destroyed by the trespass of Adam.  Adam had crossed the line into what God had forbidden.  He had done evil and brought sin and death to all.  But Jesus has restored us to his Father, taking away all of our sin.  He has nullified the curse of death.  We bury our fellow Christians in the grave, but the grave will have to give them back.  As Jesus has risen, so we will be raised in glory to receive a place in the heavenly kingdom.  The life we have always dreamed of will be ours—a life without pain or sorrow, without stress or strife, without broken homes or broken down bodies, without shame or regret, and without end.  Grace overrules sin and death.
     God has demonstrated his love to sinners.  Satan continues to challenge that love, and he still tries to convince us that we will find good things in what God has forbidden.  But if God was willing to give his only begotten Son into death and hell in order to rescue you from them, then why would God withhold from you good things?  Our Lord is most merciful and gracious.  He is not into messing with our lives; rather, he has cleaned up our mess.  Therefore, if God forbids us from doing or saying or thinking certain things, it is because he is forbidding us from going back to sin and death, and from destroying ourselves or harming others.  And if God chooses to withhold from you certain blessings, it is because he knows you and loves you and is doing what is best for you.
     Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.  When the Lord forbids you from anything, it is because that thing is evil; but he is good.  When the Lord forgives your sins and delivers you from death, it is not because you are good; but he is good, and therefore he is gracious to you.  And his grace overrules sin and death.

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

Sermon -- 5th Sunday after Pentecost

GALATIANS 3:23-29

YOU ARE CHILDREN OF 

THE HEAVENLY FATHER.

In the name + of Jesus.

     St. Paul is very clear about who you are and what your status is: You are children of the heavenly Father.  There is no greater title you could have, no greater honor anyone could bestow, and no greater blessing which comes from being children of the heavenly Father.  As you know, the children of the house have special rights and privileges that are not given to anyone else.  Children get to enjoy the food prepared by the parents.  They do not need an invitation.  Children are able to run to their parents for a hug and a kiss.  If a stranger did that, he would be pushed away in fear or disgust.  But parents welcome their children and are pleased when they come to them.
     Some people have spoken of all humanity, saying, “We are all God's children.”  That is true, to a point.  God has created all people.  And God is a heavenly Father to all people.  He provides everyone what they need to live.  Food, clothing, and shelter come from the Father's hand.  The Father sends both rain and sun on all people, regardless of who they are, how they behave, or what they believe.  But your status as God's children through faith in Jesus Christ is much more precious and comes with much greater blessings.  Through faith in Jesus, you have God's favor, forgiveness, grace, and salvation.  Since you are children of the heavenly Father, you are heirs of his kingdom.
     This has not always been our status.  We did not enter this world as children of the heavenly Father.  We entered it like everyone else—as sinners.  We lived apart from faith, which meant that we were under the demands of God's law.  St. Paul writes, “Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.  So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:23-24)  The law, or the Ten Commandments, were like a guardian.  That may not be the best English word, but I don't know what a better word would be.  The Greek word refers to a slave whose job it is to watch over a boy for his master.  The slave escorted the child, admonished him when he was disobedient, and encouraged him to behave.  That's what the Ten Commandments do—they reveal and enforce God's will.  If it is true that all humanity are God's children, then it is also true that all humanity is required to live under the house rules.  The Commandments forbid what is evil.  They command us to do what is good and to behave.
     The law tells us to be holy, and it shows us that we are not.  The problem is not that you can't know what God says is good.  He says that clearly.  Therefore, the problems is also not that you don't know what to do.  The problem is that you and I have not done it.  If we want to insist that we are good, then we do what everyone does—we cherry pick the Commandments and credit ourselves for what we have done.  You have given to charity?  Good for you, but you have still told lies.  You oppose same-sex marriage, but you have accepted cohabiting and sex outside of marriage.  You have not engaged in the petty dramas that happen in the workplace, but you have despised those who do and taken pride that you are better than them.  The law makes us aware of our sin so that we will not think we can work our way into heaven.  That is how the law drives us to Jesus.  The law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:24)  
     When the Bible teaches that we are justified by faith, it does not mean that God has changed his mind about his Commandments.  They must be obeyed.  But Jesus has come and has done the works for us.  Jesus' holy, obedient life is often held up as the example to follow.  Granted, it is an example of a holy life.  But that does not mean we can copy it.  Jesus lived not merely as a model, but as a substitute.  Jesus Christ has obeyed all of God's commandments.  Jesus did not flaunt it or take pride in that.  In fact, Jesus gave away his good works and has given you the credit for them.  You are justified by Jesus' works rather than your own.  St. Paul wrote, “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Galatians 3:27)  In other words, the very holiness God demands of you, Jesus Christ has supplied to you.  Through baptism, Jesus has wrapped you in his holiness so that when God sees you, he sees Christ.  He sees one who is holy and blameless, and therefore one with whom he is pleased—one whom he is pleased to claim as his very own child.  You are children of the heavenly Father.
     St. Paul wrote, “In Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.” (Galatians 3:26)  That wording is intentional.  There are other places where the Bible calls you children of God, but here, “sons” is correct.  That is because in St. Paul's day, when a father passed down his inheritance, it was given to his sons.  Daughters got married and benefited from someone else's inheritance.  But you are all sons of God through faith.    And if you are all sons, then you are all heirs of his heavenly kingdom.
     It is also significant that St. Paul refers to you as sons who are clothed in Christ.  Just as Peter confessed, we also confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.  He is God's beloved Son, perfectly obedient and perfectly pleasing to his heaven Father.  Now, if you are all “sons of God,” then you are truly God's family.  Then you are just as beloved and pleasing to the heavenly Father as Jesus himself is.  Then you also have an inheritance waiting for you in heaven, just as Jesus promised when he said that he has gone to prepare a place for you there.  You are children of the heavenly Father.  You have been adopted into God's family, and you receive all the benefits of it.
     “In Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.” (Galatians 3:26)  Lutherans tend to toss around phrase “by faith” pretty often, but it should not be treated lightly.  That you are justified by faith provides for you the greatest security and comfort regarding your salvation and your place in God's kingdom.  As I had mentioned earlier, to be saved by faith means that we trust in Jesus' works on our behalf.  The works of obedience and atonement were completed by Jesus.  By believing in him, we receive the benefits of it.
     Now, if the Lord had left any part of your salvation in your hands, you would never be sure that you are saved.  On your best day, you would still have your doubts that you are good enough or have done enough.  On most days, you are sure you have not.  Again, as children of the heavenly Father, we are to obey the house rules.  We have been set apart for godly living, which we know is good and right for us to do.  And we still struggle to do it.  That is why we continue to flee to Jesus.  God does not put your salvation into your hands.  It is your heavenly Father who took the steps to adopt you.  It is your heavenly Father who sent Jesus to redeem you.  Jesus has done all the work on your behalf, both in his life and by his death.  He clothes you with righteousness.  He forgives your sins.  He has done it all perfectly, willingly, and gladly in order to redeem you.  Since Jesus has done it all perfectly, there is no doubt that your salvation is complete and perfect.
     You are all children of the heavenly Father by faith in Jesus, no matter who you are or what your background is.  St. Paul reminds you, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)  Salvation is not determined by nationality or culture, not by economic status or class, and not by one's sex or age.  Since it is by faith, it is not even determined by your performance as children of God.  It all rests in Jesus' hands.  We are all saved the same—by faith in Jesus.  We all have the same identity—children of the heavenly Father.  Your heavenly Father loves you, enough to send Jesus to save you so that you can dwell in his house forever.  And as children of the heavenly Father, you have all the benefits of being his children, as well as a glorious inheritance of a heavenly kingdom.

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

Sermon -- 5th Sunday after Pentecost (June 28, 2015)

LUKE 9:18-24 

JESUS IS THE CHRIST, 

AND THAT MEANS A CROSS. 

  

In the name + of Jesus. 

     It is common to talk about people who are making news, whether that news is good or bad.  Bruce Jenner, or Caitlyn if you insist, is going to have people talking.  Some will praise him; others will scorn him.  But either way, people will talk about him.  Of course, in light of Friday's Supreme Court decision, people have moved on from Jenner already to the next big story.
     Jesus was making the news in Galilee and Judea.  Stories were being told of his miracles and his teachings.  Whether they were saying good things about Jesus or bad, people were taking about him.  So Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”  And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” (Luke 9:18-19)  For the most part, the crowds were complimentary.  But note this: They were also wrong.
     Then Jesus asked his apostles: “But you--who do you say that I am?”  Peter answered on behalf of them all: “The Christ of God.” (Luke 9:20)  The word “Christ” means anointed one.  Whenever a man was established into an office, oil was poured on his head and he was given the authority of that office.  Aaron was anointed as the high priest.  David was anointed king.  If Jesus is THE Anointed, then what is his office?  What is he anointed to do?
     Jesus is the Christ, and that means a cross.  He said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” (Luke 9:22)  Jesus was anointed to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.  This was not optional for him.  Jesus said that “it is necessary” that he suffer, die, and rise.  This is what he was anointed for.  By doing this work as the Lord's Anointed, Jesus redeemed you from all your sin and guilt.  He has covered your shame with his righteousness.  He assures your eternal salvation.  That is what it means that Jesus is the Christ.
     Peter confessed, “You are the Christ of God.”  Jesus received the title “Christ,” and it was not honorary.  It meant the cross.  Likewise, you also bear the name of Christ, for you were baptized into it and are now Christians.  This is no honorary title for you either.  Many people say that they are Christians.  But confession is not made with the mouth alone.  It is also made by one's life and actions.  Aaron was not only called the High Priest, he performed the work of the High Priest.  So also with David as King and Elisha as prophet.  So also with you.  Being a Christian is not something that merely is claimed.  It is lived.
     Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24)  Jesus wants you to recognize that you are a sinner, and that you cannot improve your situation.  You can try to behave better.  People may even motivate you by asking if you are doing what Jesus would do or if you are doing great things for Jesus.  That might stir you to behave better for a while.  But it does not stop you from being a sinner.  It will also burden you with tremendous guilt when your efforts to live like Jesus only prove that you are not like Jesus, or when you realize that doing great things for Jesus is still driven by a selfish desire for glory.
     Your sinful nature reveals itself in simple, everyday things, such as whenever you get in the car to drive.  You do not have patience for other drivers.  You call every other person on the road an idiot.  If there is an accident, your initial reaction is, “Great!  Now I'm going to be late!”  You lament that someone else's ruined vehicle and ruined day is an inconvenience for you.  The sinful nature cannot tamed.  It must put to death.
     “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily.” (Luke 9:23)  Jesus is the Christ; that means a cross.  You are a Christian; that means a cross.  The sole purpose of the cross is to put something to death.  So, we put our sins to death day after day by contrition and repentance.  We do not make excuses for our sins.  And we certainly do not make ourselves comfortable with them.  Sadly, even Christians are lulled into embracing sins by appealing to how common they are, or by insisting that, because certain actions are legal, they are now also moral.
     If you will call yourself a Christian, then everything in your life must submit to Christ and his word.  If you cannot or will not submit to Christ's word, then you cannot bear his name or rightly call him “Lord.”  God always sets the standard.  God defines good and evil, and God is not swayed by popular opinion or court decisions no matter how supreme the court is.  Therefore, when God's word exposes our sins to us, we acknowledge them, we despise ourselves for our evil, and we renounce them.  Though our sinful nature will always delight that its cravings are being fed, the sinful nature desires to destroy us.  Therefore, it is imperative that we deny giving our sinful nature the sins it craves.  It is necessary to daily put our sins to death.
     Jesus is the Christ.  You are a Christian; that means a cross.  If you want to follow Jesus, then you will hear his word and seek his will.  But you may discover that you never live up to your desires.  No matter how diligently you strive to do what is good, you will still sin.  When doing what is good costs you money or effort, you may hate it.  When doing what is right means that you have to suffer for it, you may want to give up.  Bearing the name of Christ does not mean that everything will be easy or that life will be glorious.  Your glory comes after the resurrection, just as Jesus' did.
     Still, you bear the cross.  You submit to God because he is always good even when life is not.  No matter how many pleasures Satan promises you for doing whatever your sinful heart desires, you know that leads to death. Such a life is not worth saving.  Such a life is to be denied and crucified.  Nor is such a life dismal.  When you follow Jesus, you have the assurance that your are saved, that your guilt is pardoned, that your death is temporary, that your God loves you, and that you shall have everlasting glories and pleasures in heaven.  For, after the cross comes the resurrection and glory.
     Jesus is the Christ.  You are a Christian; that means a cross.  Bear yours, knowing that it drives you to Jesus day after day.  You repent of your sins and put them to death each day.  And each day, Jesus raises you up anew to live before him in righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.  But do not fear that your salvation is not based on how well you are bearing your cross or denying your sin.  As diligently as you strive to live as children of God, your confidence is not that you are living up to your end of it.  Your confidence is that God acknowledges and claims that you are his children.  Your salvation is based on the fact that Jesus bore his cross for you.
     Jesus is the Christ; that means a cross.  Jesus fulfilled his office by being the atoning sacrifice for your sins.  You are forgiven.  You are baptized into Jesus, and that means you are already holy and blameless in God's sight.  You cannot improve on that, no matter how many good things you try to do for Jesus.  All the good you need Jesus has done for you.  Jesus is the Christ, anointed to be your Savior.  He forgives all sins.  He bestows all righteousness.  And he marks you, dear Christians, as his own.

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