YouTube -- 6th Sunday of Easter (May 10, 2026)

 Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, May 10, 2026.  It joins the service in progress at the sermon.

YouTube -- 6th Sunday of Easter (May 25, 2025)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, May 25, 2025.

Sermon -- 6th Sunday of Easter (May 25, 2025)

JOHN 16:16-24

NO ONE CAN TAKE YOUR JOY AWAY.

In the name + of Jesus.

M: Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

C:  He is risen indeed.  Alleluia!

     Americans have become sloppy with their words.  Words get misused and can even end up with their opposite definition.  A perfect example is the word, “peruse.”  If I asked you to peruse something quickly, you would think that I mean you should skim it.  The actual definition of “peruse” is to concentrate on the words and to soak them in.  It cannot be done quickly.  When someone tells you to peruse something quickly, it is meant to be humorous.  But our misuse of it is changing its definition.

     Bible translators have a difficult task in trying to convey the Greek and Hebrew words into different languages.  Some word choices are poor.  For example, a proper translation of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is, “Blessed are the merciful…  Blessed are the pure in heart…” (Matthew 5:7-8).  Some translate the word “blessed” as “happy.”  Now, a person who is blessed probably is happy.  But the translation becomes nonsense if it is: “Happy are those who mourn…  Happy are those who are persecuted…  Happy are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me” (Matthew 5:4,10,11).  I would not be happy if I were mourning, or persecuted, or insulted, or falsely accused.

     “Happy” and “blessed” are different things.  Likewise, “happy” and “joy” are different things.  Happiness centers in me.  How I am being treated determines if I am happy or not.  If circumstances change, happiness instantly becomes sorrow or anger.  Happiness comes and goes.  But your status as God’s blessed child is constant because the blessing comes from God, not from your circumstances.  So also, joy is based on God’s promises.  Since God’s promises do not change and cannot be undone, joy remains no matter what circumstances you face.  That is why no one can take your joy away.

     On the night he was betrayed, Jesus was preparing his disciples for life without him physically being with them.  He alerted them, “In a little while you are not going to see me anymore, and again in a little while you will see me” (John 16:16).  This refers immediately to Jesus’ death and resurrection.  The death of Jesus would result in the apostles’ sorrow and grief.  Jesus told them that would happen.  “Amen, Amen, I tell you: You will weep and wail, but the world will rejoice.  You will become sorrowful” (John 16:20).  They trusted that Jesus was the Messiah and that he would usher in a kingdom which is eternal and glorious.  They were kind of right.  The apostles had thought in terms of an earthly kingdom.  So, when Jesus was put to death, all their hopes and dreams died with him.  But Jesus’ kingdom is a spiritual kingdom.  It is established in people’s hearts.  So, it is not a kingdom that can be seen.  The glory of this kingdom will not be seen by us until we depart from this world. 

     But the apostles would see Jesus again.  When Jesus rose from the dead, they would see him, speak with him, touch him, and eat with him.  Jesus would prove his victory over the grave which assures you that your sins are forgiven.  His resurrection means that the payment for all sins is sufficient.  Jesus would prove his authority over the grave.  Death does not get the last word; Jesus does.  He will raise all people from the dead, and all who believe in him will be raised up to everlasting life and endless glory.  When the apostles saw that, their sorrow turned to joy; and no one could take that joy away from them.  Christ is risen.  Therefore, his kingdom has been established.  It is a kingdom of grace and glory in which sinners are forgiven and eternal life is secured.  This promise is yours.  Therefore, this joy is yours, and no one can take your joy away.

     Jesus also had said, “because I am going away to the Father” (John 16:16).  This is included in the “In a little while you are not going to see me anymore, and again in a little while you will see me” (John 16:16).  The apostles saw Jesus for forty days; then he ascended into heaven.  They have given their testimony, and we rejoice in it.  We have not seen Jesus, but in a little while, we will see him.  Life is short.  Even people who live to 100 will tell you so.  Our “little while” will give way to the everlasting kingdom Jesus has prepared for us.  When we close our eyes in death, we will open them to see Jesus.  And no one can take that joy away.

     But for now, we have our moments of sorrow.  Life is short, and it is often hard.  Sin produces grief and pain.  Sometimes that grief and pain are self-inflicted, as we sin against God’s word and despise ourselves for giving into temptations yet again.  Sometimes the grief and pain come from enduring the scorn of a world that embraces the sins we strive to flee from.  St. Peter warned that worldly people are “surprised that you do not plunge into the same overflowing river of filth with them, and they slander you” (1 Peter 4:4).  It is hard to live and work with people who mock the Christian faith.

     But such sorrows will happen.  St. Paul told the Christian churches, “We must go through many troubles on our way to the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).  The apostles certainly learned this.  For preaching about Jesus, they were slandered, attacked, and died gruesome deaths.  Their lives were cut short on this earth, but not in the kingdom of God.  They endured the hardships, but no one could take away their joy. 

     It is no different for you, no matter what kind of grief or sadness you might endure.  Remember, we are not talking about happiness.  Happiness depends on how you feel.  And if your focus is on being happy, then you might devote yourself to your sins.  After all, you commit sins because they make you happy.  But sins do not produce any confidence or hope.  And the “happiness” that sins bring does not last.  That is why people keep on sinning.  We keep on chasing happiness which never lasts.  Repent, and do not be deceived.  Those who strive for such happiness will be sentenced to eternal sorrow and suffering.

     But no one can take your joy away.  Joy depends upon Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.  This is where we find an enduring hope and complete confidence.  And since joy depends upon Jesus, no one can take your joy away.  There is nothing in the world that can change the perfect life Jesus lived for you.  There is no threat or problem that can nullify the death of Jesus which has paid for all your sins.  There is nothing—not death or the devil himself—which can undo Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.  It is Jesus who has established a kingdom that cannot be overthrown.  It is Jesus who has made promises which cannot be nullified.  It is Jesus who has made your salvation secure.  No trouble, no struggle, no enemy, no threat, not even death—no one can take your joy away.

     To aid us through the griefs and sorrows of life and to increase our joy, the Lord Jesus gives us another promise.  He said, “Amen, Amen, I tell you: Whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.  Until now you have not asked for anything in my name.  Ask, and you will receive, so that your joy may be made complete” (John 16:23-24).  This is a marvelous promise, but we need to understand it properly so that we don’t accuse Jesus of lying to us or think that the Lord has failed us.

     Jesus told us to pray “in my name.”  There are two truths to understand with those words.  The first is what it means to pray in Jesus’ name.  This is to believe in Jesus as your Savior and as the one who has reconciled you to God the Father.  God does not automatically hear the prayers of everyone.  The prophet Isaiah tells us why: “It is your guilt that has separated you from your God, and your sins have hidden God’s face from you, so that he does not hear” (Isaiah 59:2).  But Jesus has taken your sins away.  Nothing separates you from your heavenly Father.  He not only will hear your prayers, he wants you to pray to him and to cast all your cares upon him.

     You are children of the heavenly Father.  That means you are able to approach him with all the boldness of children who ask their parents for things.  Children are not shy about asking for anything, even for things that they know the answer will be, “No.”  “Can we have dessert before we eat dinner?”  Who knows?  Maybe Mom and Dad will say, “Yes!”  So, you can ask your heavenly Father for anything, from the grandiose to the trivial.  From remission of cancer to a safe trip to seeing more butterflies in your backyard. 

     That brings us to the other part of praying in Jesus’ name.  It is to pray according to his will.  God will always say, “Yes,” to his will.  In some cases, we know exactly what God’s will is because he tells us.  He directs us in his word so that we know what to do and what to desire.  If you pray for the Holy Spirit to lead you to desire those good things, God will answer and bless because that is his will.  In other cases, we don’t know what God’s will is.  Will he alleviate my suffering?  Will he silence those who mock me?  Will he provide me with a godly spouse?  We pray to our Father, and we trust that he will do what is best for us.  Your prayer might be that God would make you happy.  But God’s goal for you may not be to make you happy, but to draw you closer to himself and to strengthen your faith by testing it.  This is one of the ways he increases your joy—he shows you that the things that bring you momentary happiness are not as good as the things that teach you to long for everlasting joy.

     Even if you weep and wail for a little while, your future is unending joy.  Jesus said, “A woman giving birth has pain, because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, because of her joy that a person has been born into the world” (John 16:21).  So also, the grief that we experience now is nothing compared to the joys that await us in the heavenly kingdom.  That is our ultimate goal.  That is what we long for and pray for.  And our Lord will certainly answer those prayers because that is what he desires, too.

     When the day comes that we close our eyes in death, we will open our eyes and see Jesus.  Then, our joy will be complete.  You will be perfected in your thoughts and desires, and delivered from all sorrows and strife.  Although your joy is not complete now, it is still sure.  Then, in Christ’s eternal kingdom of grace and glory, you will not only have joy.  You will be eternally happy.  For, your circumstance will never change.  You will see Jesus.   You will dwell with the Father.  And no one can or will take your joy away.

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

YouTube -- 6th Sunday of Easter (May 5, 2024)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, May 5, 2024.

Sermon -- 6th Sunday of Easter (May 5, 2024)

JOHN 15:9-17

ABIDE IN JESUS’ LOVE.

In the name + of Jesus.

M:       Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

C:        He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

     The readings today have a lot to say about love.  The Father loves Jesus, and Jesus loves the Father.  Jesus loves us, and we should abide in that love.  If we love Jesus we would also love our neighbor.  And if anyone does not love his neighbor he cannot truly say that he loves God.  I suppose the readings today should be widely accepted by all kinds of people, whether they are Christians or not.  No one is going to argue that we should not be filled with love for one another.

     However, people who agree that we should be filled with love have different and even contradictory ideas about what that means.  The word “love” has so many shades of meaning that it has almost lost its definition.  A man loves his wife.  He loves his children.  He loves his dog.  He loves his country.  He loves his job.  He loves football, beer, and pizza.  Is it all the same love?  I hope not. 

     When we hear people talk about love, they usually mean what makes them happy and what gives them pleasure.  If it doesn’t make you happy or give you pleasure, then you don’t love it.  This is what often happens between a husband or wife.  When they get married, they confess their great love for one another.  But then they discover that marriage is more work than they were prepared for.  It involves more sacrifices than they were ready to make.  It’s not that either was unfaithful or abusive.  But they were no longer getting pleasure out of their marriage.  It was not as exciting as they thought it would be.  Visions of romantic gestures got replaced by paying bills, arranging schedules, and folding laundry.  So, rather than remaining committed to one another as they had vowed, they abandon the marriage.  They say they no longer love each other.  What they mean is that they are not getting the pleasure they thought they should have.  This is what happens when love is about what makes you happy.

     When Jesus Christ speaks about love, he looks in the opposite direction.  He said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12-13).  In fact, our Savior’s love far exceeds that.  Jesus did not come to save the people who like him.  Jesus came to save all people, even those who despise him.  Jesus suffered and died for people who try to keep God’s Commandments and fail, and for people who reject the Commandments as stupid and oppressive; for people who have a great interest in religion, and for people who deny God’s existence; for the women who wept at Jesus’ cross when he died, and for the men who mocked and laughed at him while he hung in tortured anguish.  Jesus came to suffer and die for every single person.  He laid down his life to secure your place in eternal life.  This is love—that Jesus gave up everything for your good.  Abide in Jesus’ love.

     The entire Bible defines love as seeking the good of someone else.  It doesn’t matter if they deserve it or not.  Jesus taught his disciples, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44).  Your enemy does not deserve your love.  Those who persecute you do not deserve your prayers.  But love does not ask what people deserve; love gives what people need.  That is why Jesus came to save you.  It is not that you deserve it; it is that you need it.  Abide in Jesus’ love.

     The Lord also sets a standard for love.  That goes in the opposite direction of the world’s standard, too.  First, the world says that love is what brings me pleasure and makes me happy.  Then, the world says love is letting people do what they like as long as it doesn’t hurt you.  You might think it is fine that some guy blares rock music until 3 AM and that love means letting him enjoy his life.  But you might feel differently if he lives next door to you.  Love does not mean letting people do what they want how they want and when they want.  That is letting selfishness run amuck.

     Jesus says that love’s standard is set by God’s word.  He said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.  Abide in my love.  If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love” (John 15:9-10).  God’s Commandments tell us what is good, and it tells us what is evil.  The Commandments are not oppressive.  They instruct you on how to love your neighbor and to do good to him.  The Commandments do not ask you to consider if your neighbor deserves your kindness and goodness.  It tells you to do it because that is how God treats mankind, no matter how wicked they are.  Jesus said, “[The Father] makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?  Do not even the tax collectors do the same” (Matthew 5:45-46)?  Now if you find that this is hard, or even impossible, to do, then you have discovered that you are not perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. 

     When God created the heavens and the earth, he created everything with a purpose.  Everything was designed to work a certain way for the honor of God and for the good of one another.  But sin perverts God’s intended purposes.  God gave each of us a mouth to use.  You can use it to sing God’s praises, to pray, to speak calming words to someone who is scared, comforting words to someone who is grieving, or kind words to someone who is having a bad day.  Or you can use your mouth to shout at other people, to belittle them, to spew out obscenities, to tell lies, or to slander.  Obviously, one way serves the good of our neighbor; the other way does him no good whatsoever—even if it makes you happy to do him harm. 

     Other examples abound.  The Scriptures, on the one hand, teach, “God (brings) forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man” (Psalm 104:14-15).  So, there is a proper use for wine, but Scripture warns of its abuse and condemns drunkenness.  Even intimacy is a gift of God, but it has its proper use.  This is what the Lord says, “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous” (Hebrews 13:4).  Intimacy is a blessing for the marriage bed, and it is restricted to a married man and woman.  It is even called pure within the bonds of marriage.  It allows the husband and wife to tighten the marriage bond between them, each knowing that they are not just being used for the pleasure of another.  And, if a pregnancy should result, it is a cause for joy, not grief or panic.  People will argue that stepping outside of God’s design will make them happy and bring them pleasure, but stepping outside of God’s design is never victimless or harmless.  A stable family is good for society; unbridled passions and affairs are not.  To misuse, abuse, or pervert God’s gifts is to earn his wrath and not to seek the good for one’s neighbor. 

     Abide in Jesus’ love.  That always begins with Jesus’ love for you.  To recognize that God’s Commandments guide us into thoughts, words, and actions that are truly good for us and for our neighbor, you have to be able to recognize that the God who gave those Commandments has your best interest in mind.  For you to believe that about God, God has to demonstrate his own love.  “God is love” (1 John 4:8), says St. John.  It is more than God is loving.  It is that the essence of love is God.  And God personified is Jesus Christ.  He demonstrated that perfect love in the way he dealt with sinners. 

     St. John wrote, “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.  In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10).  The propitiation is the substitutionary sacrifice that Jesus became for us.  All of God’s wrath which we have earned because we have sought our own happiness in defiance of God and pursued our own pleasure at the expense of our neighbor—all this Jesus took upon himself.  Our sins were transferred to him.  Therefore, God’s wrath was targeted upon Jesus.  Jesus suffered and died for sins he did not commit and died under a curse he did not deserve.  God offered up his own Son so that he would not lose you to eternal death and hell.  This is how God loves you. 

     That is the kind of love you want to abide in.  It seeks only your good.  It provides for you nothing but blessing.  And since Jesus rose from the dead, it bestows upon you the resurrection to everlasting glory.  If this is what the Lord has done to deliver you from death and hell, won’t his Commandments also seek your good in this life?

     Abide in Jesus’ love.  Receive the benefits of his saving work, and then in response to his love for you, go forth and show love for your neighbor.  This means serving him according to God’s word.  Love for your neighbor will not mean giving him what he deserves.  It may not mean letting him do whatever he wants, but it always means treating him according to his need.  It means being kind to the wicked and the good.  St. Paul encourages you, “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.  So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:9-10).  Love for your neighbor may mean you will need to warn or to correct him so that he is not deceived by Satanic lies or swept away by worldly influence.  It always means that you confess God’s truth, but it also means confessing God’s truth in a way that shows you are rescuing the lost rather than rubbing his face in his sins.  Your neighbor does not need your scorn, but your mercy—and even more, Jesus’ mercy.  Love for your neighbor means yearning for his eternal well-being and his temporal good. 

     Abide in Jesus’ love.  Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11).  It brings Jesus great joy that you are his and benefit from his saving work.  This is our joy as well.  And since we know that God is love, we strive to live like him.  In this world, we struggle to do it.  In the heavenly kingdom, we all will be perfected in it.  And this will make our joy complete.

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

YouTube -- 6th Sunday of Easter (May 14, 2023)

Here is the service from Sunday, May 14.  Jump ahead to the 2:10 mark for the beginning of the service.

Sermon -- 6th Sunday of Easter

ACTS 17:22-31

WE WORSHIP THE ONLY GOD WORTH KNOWING.

In the name + of Jesus.

M:      Alleluia! Christ is risen!
C:      He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

     When the apostle Paul walked through the streets of Athens, he saw many shrines to many gods.  The Greeks and Romans acknowledged all kinds of gods, each responsible for some part of creation or life.  It was an admission that they were not in control of their lives.  They could not control the weather which, in turn, meant that they had no control over their harvests.  There must be a god who is in charge of those.  They were not in control of what stirs up people to love or war.  Mars and Venus were worshiped for that.  Sailors and travelers knew they had no control over the sea.  A trip to Neptune’s shrine might result in good sailing.  You can at least give the Greeks and Romans credit for recognizing that they did not have control, and that someone influenced times and events.

     As the apostle Paul observed the various temples and shrines for all these gods, he noticed another altar.  He said, “As I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god’” (Acts 17:23).  It was as if the people in Athens did not want to offend any god that they happened to have missed.  Well, the truth is they had missed one—the triune God.  Rather than mock the Athenians for their pagan worship, St. Paul seized the opportunity to teach them about the God they did not know. 

     What Paul encountered in Athens is not much different than what we run into today.  People are still very religious, but they claim to be spiritual.  Many are claiming to be “Nones,” that is, not affiliated with any religion.  When filling out a survey, they check, “None” for religion.  But such people have not abandoned interest in God.  That should not surprise us.  St. Paul noted, “(God) made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth … that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him” (Acts 17:26-27).  So, it is no surprise that people are religious.  What many lack, however, is any real source of truth.  For people who are spiritual, God is whatever they think he is or should be.  But just as I cannot tell you what you are like, we do not get to tell God what he is like or should be like.  God must reveal himself to us if we are to know him rightly.

     Dear Christians, you do know the triune God who insists, “I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God” (Isaiah 45:5).  “Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.  I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior” (Isaiah 43:10-11).  There can only be one God.  Only one can be almighty.  You can’t have two almighties; one would have to be more powerful than the other.  Only one can reign supreme.  You can’t have two supremes; one would have to be greater than the other.  Our Lord does not allow himself to be worshiped as chief of many gods.  He demands, “You shall have no other gods” (Exodus 20:3); for, there are no other gods.  As it turns out, he is also the only one who saves.  We worship the only God worth knowing. 

     The people of Athens demonstrated a natural knowledge of God.  That was apparent when St. Paul walked through Athens.  In each of the shrines he passed, he saw altars.  What is an altar for?  It is for offerings.  An animal is slaughtered and consumed by fire.  This was done to purchase the favor or to appease the wrath of a god.  In either case, it showed the worshiper was seeking to make things right between themselves and God.  Their consciences testified that something needed to be done to make things right.  So, they made sacrifices at these altars.  But how could they know which offerings were pleasing?  And how could they know if their offerings were enough?  Just as they made assumptions about who God is, so also they had to make assumptions about whether or not some god was pleased with them.

     We worship the only God worth knowing.  The Lord has not only revealed his nature to us, he has also revealed what reconciles us to him.  Unlike false gods who demand sacrifices to be appeased, Jesus came to be the sacrifice which appeases God’s wrath.  Jesus took upon himself our sin—the defilement in our hearts that leads us to jealousy, bitterness, obscenity, perversion, and the self-centered assumption that God is just like me.  This sin affects the way I think others.  My judgments are often ignorant, biased, and unkind.  How can this not affect the way I treat them?  It is worthy of God’s wrath.  But Jesus has taken all sin and guilt from us.  He was slaughtered on the cross and there was consumed by God’s fiery wrath.  Since Jesus has taken away the curse of sin, we are not condemned.  Since Jesus has taken into himself the full load of God’s wrath, God has only blessing left for us.  We worship the God who saves, and this is the only God worth knowing.

     How blessed you are to know the true God!  How blessed you are to live your life in peace!  For, the day is coming when we will all have to stand before God to answer for our lives.  St. Paul told the people of Athens, “(God) commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31).  We worship the only God worth knowing who has revealed his word to you so that you don’t have to guess where you stand with him. 

     Jesus Christ is, indeed, risen from the dead.  Jesus showed his risen body to many people over a period of forty days before he ascended into heaven.  This was no illusion.  Jesus spoke with his disciples and ate with them.  Spirits don’t eat, but people do.  Jesus invited people to touch him and to inspect the wounds inflicted upon him by crucifixion.  Jesus rebuked the disciples who were slow to believe that he was risen.  How could they doubt when he was standing there and speaking to them? 

     Jesus’ resurrection assures you that your sins have, indeed, been taken away.  The sacrifice he made for you is perfect.  Jesus’ resurrection assures you that the grave is powerless.  Jesus has authority to raise your body up to live forever.  Jesus holds the key to death and hell.  We often get the idea that Satan is in charge in hell.  This is not true.  Satan doesn’t hold the key.  He is an inmate.  Jesus is the judge.  Jesus issues the sentence and enforces it.  Jesus lives and reigns.  There is no greater power.  There is no higher throne.  Jesus’ resurrection proves that he will judge all people on the Last Day.

     Many people find the idea of Jesus judgment to be offensive.  More people, even within Christendom, have rejected the idea of eternal death in hell.  But do you know who spoke more about hell than anyone else in the Bible?  Jesus!  He issues warnings because he does not want people to go there.  No other God—as if there are any others—will deliver you from hell and the grave.  Other gods themselves are dead.  But Jesus lives.  We worship the only God worth knowing.

     Now maybe you think that hell is too harsh a judgment for anyone to receive.  We don’t deny that it is horrible, but we must confess it is true because God has revealed it to us.  Besides, people do recognize that there must be a judgment to face when we depart this world for justice to be carried out.  Consider this: If someone murdered or raped your sister or daughter, you would demand justice.  What would that be?  Lock someone up for 60 years?  How does that balance out with her violent death or with having to suffer psychological trauma for the rest of her life?  Some will argue, “Well, that man has to sit in jail and be tormented with regret for the rest of his life.”  Perhaps.  But that man may boast about it for the rest of his life.  Putting him in jail prevents him from doing it again, and that is good.  But is it justice?  If we want to push this to its limit, Adolf Hitler was responsible for unspeakable atrocities.  If there is no judgment by God, then Hitler got away with everything.  Sure, he killed himself at the end of the war, but lots of people died in that war.  Is it the same?  You could argue that Hitler died for a bad cause and the soldiers died for a good cause.  But if there is no judgment before God, what is the difference?  All alike are dead.

     The Lord God has given us life and breath and everything.  He holds us accountable for how we use his gifts.  If you have abused God’s gifts, repent and strive for what is good and decent.  But even more, cling to Jesus.  Flee to his altar—not to make a sacrifice to appease God, but to receive the body and blood which have appeased God and forgive sins.  Flee to Jesus for relief of fear and refuge in the judgment.  Only Jesus declares you not guilty of sin because he has taken it away from you.  Only Jesus declares you heirs of eternal life because he has conquered death for you.  Only Jesus declares you children of the Most High God because he has reconciled you to the Father.  Only Jesus opens heaven to you so that you can dwell with him forever.  Jesus’ resurrection is the proof that he has the authority to grant these things.  He is only one who saves in this way.  He is the judge, and his word is final.  Therefore, we worship the only God worth knowing.

     When the apostle Paul walked through the streets of Athens, he saw many people clinging to gods that were not real and could not save.  So, he preached to them.  You and I will encounter more and more people who claim to be spiritual, who grew up never going to church, or who have been badly misinformed about what the Bible teaches.  Some do not worship God at all.  Others, because of their assumptions, worship a god which, for all intents and purposes, is an unknown god.  How do you engage them?  Start by asking questions.  What do they believe?  Why do they believe it?  How did they come to that conclusion?  Like St. Paul, you have the word of God which reveals salvation.  You have compassion for the lost.  Start with people where they are, and then proclaim what the true God has revealed.  Through you, God will reveal his mercy, his peace, and his salvation.  Our Triune God is the only God worth knowing.  For, he is the only God who saves, and he is the only God there is.

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

YouTube -- 6th Sunday of Easter (May 22, 2022)

Here is the service from Sunday, May 22, 2022.  The Rite of Confirmation was observed in this service.  Unfortunately, a COVID exposure resulted in one of our teens having to reschedule his confirmation to a future date, yet to be determined as of this posting.

Sermon -- 6th Sunday of Easter (May 22, 2022)

The Rite of Confirmation was observed in the service today.  Three catechumens were scheduled to observe the Rite of Confirmation.  Because of exposure to COVID, one of our catechumens was unable to attend and will have his confirmation rescheduled.

JOHN 14:23-29

ONLY JESUS GIVES PEACE THAT ENDURES.

 M:                   Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

Cong:              He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

In the name + of Jesus.

     The Rite of Confirmation will be observed this morning as two catechumens will vow to be faithful to the Scriptures they have learned.  For years, these three youth have come to church—for the most part, this church.  Why did you come here?  The short answer is that this is where your parents brought you.  You trust that your parents would not attend a church that misrepresents God’s word, so you had good reason to believe that you were taught the Bible here correctly.  But now that you are getting older and you are not far from being independent, you will assess the question again: Why do you come to this church?  What reason do you have to come to a confessional Lutheran church? 

     We have spent several years answering that question by looking at the Scriptures.  We compared what this church teaches and confesses to what the Bible teaches us to confess.  Today, you are publicly confessing that you agree with this church’s teachings because you have found it to be faithful to the Scriptures.  For that reason, you desire to be united with us in our mission, to partake of holy communion from this altar, to continue to hear God’s word preached from this pulpit, and to order your life according to the word of God.

     The reason you continue to come here is out of love for the Lord.  God has given us plenty of reasons to love him.  Even the atheist should find some affection for God.  St. Paul told the citizens of Lystra why.  “[God] did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:17).  If you are alive, if you eat and drink, if you are clothed, then you have reason to care about God.

     But you, dear Christians, have all the more reason to love God.  God has revealed his word to you to show you how he loves you and how he blesses you.  Jesus told his disciples, and he tells you too, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23).  God loved you even before you heard a word of the Bible, but his word shows you the full extent of his love.  God reveals his love to you in Jesus.  It is Jesus who has made the atoning sacrifice for your sins.  It is Jesus who delivers to you peace from God.  It is Jesus who has opened up to you the kingdom of heaven and will raise you up out of your grave to live forever without any sorrow, shame, or burden.  Jesus lived and died for you.  His life provides the holiness you need.  His death takes away all the guilt you have.  His resurrection is the proof that you are forgiven, and that God’s peace is yours.  Only Jesus gives peace that endures. 

     If Jesus willingly suffered undeserved, hellish torment to save you, then you know that everything else he has to say to you is for your good.  Jesus said, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word” (John 14:23).  The same word which saves you also directs you throughout your life.  It preserves you from falling back into sin and unbelief.  It prevents you from being deceived by fine-sounding arguments which either distort or deny God’s word.  It encourages you to continue to strive for godly living, and it strengthens you to fight against temptation.  This is why you will want to keep his word, that is, to cling to it, to continue to grow in it, and to cherish it your whole life long.  Only Jesus gives peace that endures.

     Regarding that peace, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).  Jesus does not give peace as the world promises peace.  The peace which comes from this world is fragile at best.  Often it is only an illusion.  Social media is the perfect example of this illusion as people will post the images they want you to see.  There is a photo in our family that is legendary, at least for my wife and me.  We were on a family vacation in Massachusetts.  It was around the 4^th of July.  We were at a beach waiting for the sun to go down so we could watch the fireworks.  We have a beautiful photo of five children stretched out across the beach with the sun setting behind them.  They are all smiling cheerfully.  If you saw it, you would probably think, “Awww, what a wonderful day that must have been.”  Laura and I know better.  That photo is a lie.  You did not see the two hours of arguing, teasing, and bickering which led up to that photo.

     How easy it is to be deceived!  We think that peace in this world is secure when life is going our way.  But how quickly it can be taken away!  Wealth can be lost with a bad day on Wall Street.  Health can be ruined by a virus.  (A COVID test can result in one of our teens having to reschedule his confirmation rite.)  A tornado in Gaylord just swept away homes and businesses.  Friends can let you down.  Loved ones die.  The blessings we have are all temporary.  They can’t guarantee you anything.  We can cherish them.  We may learn to depend upon them.  But if our peace comes from them, they our peace can be lost in a moment’s notice.  Jesus supplies a peace which cannot be shattered even if your whole world falls apart.  Nothing can cancel Jesus’ life, so our righteousness is intact.  Nothing can nullify Jesus’ death, so our forgiveness is sure.  Nothing can undo Jesus’ resurrection, so our salvation is certain.  Only Jesus gives a peace that endures.

     Every year, the young people who are confirmed are given a confirmation verse.  It is a verse of Scripture to meditate on their whole lives long.  And each year, I have a theme for the class.  The theme this year is that the Lord is our refuge.  The world may be chaotic, but the Lord is our refuge.  The devil may mess with your conscience, but Jesus is your peace.  Think of a refuge like a castle.  In medieval times, when the enemy came, the people would flee to the castle for safety.  The enemy would launch their projectiles at the castle, and the castle would take the blows.  The people remained safe.

     Jesus is your refuge.  He has taken the blows of sin, death, and the devil for you.  All the accusations that Satan makes against you were absorbed by Jesus.  The devil cannot harm you.  Sin does not condemn you.  The grave cannot keep you.  Jesus lives and reigns to protect you and to preserve you.  Only Jesus gives peace that endures.

     And you will need it all the more.  As you get older, the temptations you face will become more frequent, more intense, and more attractive.  The teen years are tough years.  Friends will entice you to adopt behavior and ideals that are opposed to God.  You will be drawn to your own sinful desires.  The world will tell you to do it without hesitation and without apologies.  But if you love Jesus, if you desire to keep his word, and if God has made his home in you, you will despise yourself for giving into temptations so easily and so frequently.  When that happens, do not flee away from Jesus because of guilt or shame; flee to Jesus.  He is the refuge for sinners.  He is your refuge where you find relief from guilt.  He is your refuge even in the face of death.  He assures you, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).  Your sins might trouble you; Jesus forgives them.  God’s judgment might make you afraid; Jesus suffered that punishment for you.  Only Jesus gives peace that endures.

     Jesus told his apostles, “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:25-26).  It is important to remember that Jesus said these things to the apostles.  He does not tell us to look to ourselves for truth.  Although the Holy Spirit has planted faith in your heart so that you know and believe his word, sinful desires also arise from within our hearts.  Ideas that sound great are not always godly ideas.

     This is why we always pay attention to the word of Jesus.  Jesus promised to send his Holy Spirit in order to teach the apostles all things and to remind them of all that Jesus said.  The apostles wrote down these words so that we can always know what Jesus has said, what he has done, what he promises, and what he desires.  You don’t have to guess about God’s love or purpose for you.  He tells you.  Jesus saw to it that his words would be recorded for your continued learning, encouragement, and guidance.  Continue in these for your own comfort and confidence in the faith.  Confirmation means you have been strengthened in the faith, not that you have mastered it.

     Only Jesus gives peace that endures.  Jesus’ words will never deceive you.  They will never fail you.  They are always for your good.  Sometimes they will be hard words of rebuke.  Oftentimes, the world will make it hard to follow them.  Your own flesh will resist them.  But Jesus gives you his word for your good—for a good life here and for your eternal good.  Jesus wants you to be restored to the image of God; so, he tells you what a godly life looks like.  People may mock you for chaste and decent living.  They may be baffled by your honesty and humility.  They may be confounded when you seek the good of others, even praying for your enemies and blessing those who curse you. 

     But you are children of God Most High.  You have been set apart from a world that is cursed.  You have been given a peace that the world does not know.  As long as you are listening to God’s word, you will remain in that peace.  You will find comfort in your refuge.  You will gather with fellow Christians who will encourage you, pray for you, and delight in confessing God’s word with you.  You will need them, and they will need you.  And we all need Jesus to preserve us in the one true faith.

     Today, two young teens will vow to be faithful to the Lord.  But far more important, you know that the Lord will remain faithful to you.  The Lord Jesus will sustain and strengthen you through his word.  He assures you that you have God’s favor no matter what the world says of you.  He assures you that your salvation is secure even if the world is falling apart.  If the world becomes chaotic, violent, or stressful, Jesus’ peace remains constant.  It is a peace that endures through every emotion, every age, and every circumstance.  God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in times of trouble.  He always has been.  He always will be.

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

YouTube -- 6th Sunday of Easter (May 9, 2021)

 Here is the service from Sunday, May 9, 2021.

Sermon -- 6th Sunday of Easter (May 9, 2021)

1 JOHN 4:1-11

GOD’S LOVE PRODUCES 

A LOVE FOR THE WORD.

M: Alleluia. Christ is risen!
C: He is risen indeed! Alleluia.

In the name + of Jesus.

     You cannot divorce the word of God from the Word made flesh.  If you ignore or warp or reject the one, you will almost certainly forfeit the other.  The word of God in Scripture and the Word made flesh do not contradict or argue with each other.  This often gets confused in Christian churches.  People will uphold Jesus but dismiss portions of Scripture.  For example, you might hear someone say, “Okay, the Bible says that, but where does Jesus say that?”  But how can you pit them against each other?  They are both the Word of God—the one in print, the other in the flesh. 

     The Lord has warned: “Beware of false prophets” (Matthew 7:15).  Beware, because false prophets are deceptive and persuasive.  They appeal to feelings and emotions.  They will talk about loving people; and who could be opposed to that?  The Law of God tells us to do this.  But how we love and what we love is where God’s word gets ignored or warped or rejected.  This is why St. John instructs us: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).  Not every teaching which invokes the name of Jesus is what the word of God says, and not every teaching which feels right actually is right.

     The sinful nature always turns God’s word on its head.  God standards are straight-forward.  The first commandment is this: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).  The second commandment is this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39).  You come last, because God does not promote selfishness.  But what does sin do?  I come first.  I want to feel good about myself, so I uphold myself as important and as righteous.  I want my neighbor to feel the same way about me, so I praise my neighbor for what he does.  He in turn praises me for my good judgment.  It is embarrassing to be corrected, and no one wants to feel embarrassed.  So, the sinful nature says the loving thing is to be supportive even of sinful behavior.  In this way, no one feels bad.  And if God has a problem with this mutual love among people who just want to get along?  Well, that is God’s problem.  So, sin turns God’s commandments upside down.  God comes last.  And if his word makes people feel bad, it gets tossed out.  Love corrupted by sin produces a disgust for God’s word.

     Most people determine right or wrong based on whether you harm someone.  Stealing, murder, and lying are bad because you have hurt someone.  That is true.  But then it goes on: If I am doing something in private, you can’t call it wrong because it doesn’t hurt anyone.  Or you and I agree that our sinful activities are okay.  If you don’t have a problem with it and I don’t have a problem with it, it can’t be wrong, can it?  And if people say it is wrong, they are told, “Then you don’t have to do it.”  For example, “If you think abortion is wrong, don’t have one”—as if right and wrong are personal preferences.  Consider how this would have worked in the Garden of Eden.  Adam and Eve each stand there with fruit in their hands.  She says to him, “Do you have a problem with me eating this fruit?”  He says, “No.  Do you care if I eat my fruit?”  She says, “Not at all.  Since no one else is here, no one should have a problem with this.”  See?  Everyone decided it was okay.  No harm done, right?  Except that they rejected God’s word and rebelled against him.

     The first table always comes first: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).  If your sins are unknown or even if most people accepted them, it does not make them harmless.  Every sin brings wrath upon you.  Every sin is a rejection of God’s word.  Every sin defies God.  As I had said at the very beginning, you cannot divorce the word of God from the Word made flesh.  If you ignore or warp or reject the one, you will necessarily forfeit the other.  For you cannot both love God and despise his word.

     Therefore, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God…  Every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.  This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already” (1 John 4:1).  “Antichrist” does not refer to something that opposes Jesus, but something that replaces Jesus.  And it is very deceptive.  You might have heard someone defend sinful behaviors by saying, “My Jesus would never have a problem with that.”  This statement suggests that the person follows Jesus.  But if he replaces the true Word with a false word, he has a fabricated Jesus.  Jesus never counteracts his own word.  For, the word of God comes from the Word made flesh.  They are both the word.  They do not fight against each other.

     St. John reminds you, “We are from God.  Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us.  By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error” (1 John 4:6).  Whoever clings to the words of the prophets and the apostles also has the Word made flesh.  Whoever dismisses the words of Scripture delights in error.  If anyone persists in error, he forfeits the Word made flesh.  Even one who is kind and charitable to his fellow man is not loved by God if he fails to love the Lord above all.  As Jesus said, “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love” (John 15:10).  To receive the love of God, you must love God’s word.  And God’s love will produce a love for God’s word.

     The love God has for sinners is revealed through the Word made flesh, and it is declared in God’s word in the Scriptures.  St. John stated, “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.  In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10).  To rescue us from the wrath we have earned because of our self-centered love, God the Father sent his Son for us.  Jesus made himself the propitiation for our sins, which means that the wrath which was upon us was transferred to Jesus.  He suffered and died for our sins so that we would not perish, but rather live eternally with God.

     The reason the Word became flesh for us, suffered for us, and died a cursed death for us was first and foremost because he loves his Father.  This is perfect love.  Jesus willingly submitted to all that his Father gave him to do.  Now, we had imagined one scene in a garden before; here we will imagine a different scene in a garden.  Imagine Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, praying to his Father about his imminent crucifixion.  Jesus could have prayed, “Father, why should I suffer this way?  These sinners did this to themselves.  It is not my fault they turn from your word.  If they perish, they are only getting what they deserve.”  And he would have been right.  Or if Jesus prayed, “Father, what you are asking me to do is hard.  See how great the cost is!”  And he would have been right.  Or if Jesus prayed, “Father, this sufferings and death you are putting on me is not justice.  It is unfair.”  And he would have been right.  But how did Jesus pray?  “Not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36).  Jesus went to the cross to suffer and die for sinners because he loves his Father.  If the Father sent him to suffer and die for sinners, it did not matter that it was hard or unfair or undeserved.  Jesus would do it because his Father said so.  Because God is good, his word is good.  God’s love produces a love for the word.

     The love that Jesus has for his Father and for his word, then, also produced a love for his fellow man—even for his enemies.  Jesus willingly accepted your sins, your curse, and your death.  He is the propitiation, the sin offering, willingly slain for you.  He bore the injustice—selflessly suffering for our selfishness.  He was punished so that we don’t need to make excuses for our sins.  There is no defense for our sins; but—thanks be to Jesus!—there is forgiveness for them.  This is the perfect love Jesus has—first for his Father, doing what is hard, costly, and unfair but doing it willingly because he knows his Father’s word is good; and then for us because he seeks our good at his own expense.

     You, dear Christians, know this love because it saves you and sustains you.  You not only know it; you also have been moved to demonstrate it in your own life, just as St. John wrote, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7).  This love is first of all according to the first table of the Law: Love the Lord your God.  God’s love produces a love for the word.  We know that whatever God tells us is good, even if it is hard, costly, or seems unfair.  Even if the whole world rejects and mocks God’s word, we will follow it because God’s love has produced a love for his word.  Since the Lord has paid such a great price to save us, then we can be sure that all he gives us is for our good.  Therefore, we hear and trust and follow his word.  God’s love produces a love for his word.

     Our love for God’s word determines what is good.  From there, we seek what is good for our neighbor.  We cannot excuse sins because God doesn’t.  But we will certainly be merciful to sinners because God is.  Those who are outside of God’s kingdom are blind to his love and his truth.  They can only be enlightened if God’s word is proclaimed.  The love of Christ which covers over their sins will show them that God is good.  And if God is good, his word is good and will produce a good and godly life.  God’s love produces the love for his word.

     You cannot divorce the word of God from the Word made flesh.  They are both the Word of God, and they do not fight with each other.  Every word of God is good and is good for you.  While the world continually changes its mind about what is love and what is good, God does not.  His standards do not change, but neither do his mercy and love.  This is why we cling to his word.  God’s love produces a love for his word, and his word reveals God’s undying love for us. 

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

YouTube -- 6th Sunday of Easter (May 17, 2020)

Here is the Divine Service from May 17 -- the 6th Sunday of Easter.

Sermon -- 6th Sunday of Easter (May 17, 2020)

1 PETER 3:13-22

JESUS CHRIST IS OUR SURE DEFENSE.

M: Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

C: He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

In the name + of Jesus.

      One of the great lies that the devil has sold to the world is that we should not be so rigid over doctrine.  Of course, the devil is a better salesman than that.  He is careful to couch this lie in such an appealing fashion that you sound like a godless person if you disagree.  The sales pitch is usually given in these terms: “God wants us to love one another.  We will have love and peace if we learn to get along and not be so divisive.” 
     Now it is true that God commands us to love our neighbor.  And we are eager to get along with other people.  No one likes strife or animosity.  Jesus teaches us to pray for unity within the Church.  No one is excited about the plethora of divisions within in the Church.  It would be a noble goal to end all divisions and to get along.  But what is the cost?  Is it enough just to agree that Jesus is our Savior and to say that nothing outside of that really matters?  Jesus does not think so.  Jesus commanded his disciples to “(teach) them to observe everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19)  So, the lie is that differences in doctrine do not matter as much as camaraderie.  But if we are rigid over doctrine, it is because God is rigid over doctrine.  None of God's word is negotiable.  Nothing can be compromised, not even for the sake of unity.  We cannot overlook false teaching or be dismissive of sins.
     Now, when we stand on God's truth, questions will arise.  Actually, they are more like accusations.  “Why do you hate other people?”  “Why are you opposed to everything?”  Such animosity may evolve into hard consequences.  There may be a hefty price to pay for holding firm to God's word.  The people St. Peter was writing to knew that.  They endured confiscation of property, exile, imprisonment, and even death.  But the price for abandoning God's word is both horrendous and eternal.  It is not an option.  So, if we do end up having to suffer for the word of God, then we ought to be all the more certain of what God says.  We want to be able to find comfort in hard times, to not shrink from it in fear or shame, and to boldly confess why it is all-important.
     St. Peter wrote, “In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect...” (1 Peter 3:15)  There is no reason to belittle those who are lost or even those who are hostile to Christ.  They are not to be the object of our mockery, but the object of our love and of our prayers.  Even if others sneer at your confession, Jesus Christ is your sure defense.  He does not lie.  So if you confess what Jesus says, you will always confess the truth. 
     Some people say that the Bible is a book of lies and contradictions.  Most who say that are only repeating what they have heard.  If anyone makes such a claim to you, ask them for examples.  Most will not be able to give you even one.  In that case, ask them if they would like to learn what the Bible actually has to say.  Then talk about Jesus, who is your sure defense of the faith.
     What does the Bible say?  It says that all people are going to die.  No one disputes that.  It says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  Every conscience testifies that we are guilty, and that guilt testifies that there is a God to whom we owe an answer for our lives.  Who else would set the standard of good and bad?  And why else would we feel bad for violating God's standard?  Almost no one denies these things whether they believe the Bible or not.  But the follow up question is essential: What are you going to do about your guilt, about your death, and about the fact that you owe an answer to God?  Those who are lost have no answers.
     You and I are in the same position as anyone as far as being sinners.  Our consciences burden us because we have not met God's standard.  And we are destined for death.  But we do have an answer for all of these things.  Jesus Christ is our sure defense.  St. Peter declares: “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison...” (1 Peter 3:18-19)  
     Jesus Christ is our sure defense.  His perfect obedience to God's standard was exchanged for our sin and guilt.  He gave himself into a cursed death, because that is what sinners deserve.  Jesus fell under God's condemnation for us who have not lived up to God's standard.  In doing so, the Righteous One has ransomed the unrighteous—his life for ours.  Jesus has also given us the credit for his righteous obedience.  This is why we are convinced that God is pleased with us.  It is not a righteousness of our own that we boast, but it is the righteousness that Jesus has graciously wrapped us in that gives us comfort and peace before God.
     Jesus also gives us a sure defense against the devil.  St. Peter noted that Jesus was raised from the dead and “proclaimed to the spirits in prison.” (1 Peter 3:19)  We usually confess it this way: “He descended into hell.” (Apostles' Creed)  For what purpose?  To preach.  To proclaim victory over the devil and his minions.  Jesus entered the devil's home turf to proclaim to him: “I have conquered.  I have overcome you and have taken claim over the people you had infected with sin and death.  You cannot have them; they are mine.  Hell cannot have them; for I have delivered them.  They are children of God now, and heirs of heaven.”  The devil has no charge over you.  In fact, he is not even in charge of hell.  Jesus is!  He is the Lord of death and Hades.  He is the judge; the devil is but an inmate.  And Jesus is your sure defense against him.
     This is the hope that we all have, and we all have good reason to confess it.  It is divine truth and the only truth that saves.  That is why we dare not compromise on any teaching from God's word.  If you compromise, you are doing it to gain friends.  That is appealing because friendship makes you feel good.  But to compromise on God's word is to jeopardize your confidence and possibly your salvation.  It shifts your faith from God's sure word to another focus which gives no defense, no comfort, and no guarantees.
     Listen to the sure defense that Jesus gives you in your baptism.  St. Peter wrote: “Baptism, which corresponds to (the Flood), now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ....” (1 Peter 3:21)  The most basic, whittled down sentence in these verses is this: “Baptism saves you.”  It is the means by which our Lord cleanses you, puts his name on you, and delivers you from the claims of the devil.  Since it is God who works in baptism for you, you can be confident of your salvation.  For it rests on what God has done for you, not on you at all.  This is how Jesus Christ is your sure defense against doubt.
     Many Christians say baptism is what we do for Jesus, that we are stating our commitment to him by our baptism.  Do we need to be so rigid about this?  Can we just agree to disagree and get along?  Dear Christians, how often has your commitment to Jesus failed?  How many times have you not followed through on those promises that you would not fall prey to some sin again?  And yet, you did.  If this is how your commitment goes, what comfort can you ever have if baptism is about your commitment to God?
     But God is rigid about his word so that you can have a sure defense.  You are saved not by your commitment to him, but by his commitment to you.  You are saved not because you overcome sins, but because he paid for your sins and pardons you.  And of course, you cannot avoid death; but Jesus has conquered death.  Jesus Christ is your sure defense, for he has claimed you and will raise you up to live forever.  All of this Jesus bestows on you through baptism because he attaches a promise to it: “Baptism saves you.” (1 Peter 3:21)  You are baptized “for the forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 2:38)  It is God's gift, received by you for your salvation.
     Can we really compromise on this for the sake of getting along with others?  No.  In fact, we are duty-bound to warn others that they are wrong and that they are misrepresenting God's word.  And as a result, they are threatening the peace and confidence of other people for their salvation.  These are not little matters.
     Therefore, we cling to the word of God.  Jesus Christ is our sure defense—whether we want to be sure of our salvation or need to confess the reason for the hope we have.  His truth always stands against doubt, against false teachings, and against the enemies of the Church.  And if you are standing upon that truth, you will stand with Jesus on the Last Day.

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