Tuesday, March 9, 2021

For your amusement: Shoeshine Johnny from Police Squad

Here is a clip from Police Squad, a sitcom that came before the Naked Gun movies, starring Leslie Nielsen.  Not only does this clip show you that money can buy you anything, it also solves a mystery about Dick Clark.  Ah.....  NOW it makes sense!

Sunday, March 7, 2021

Sermon -- 3rd Sunday in Lent (March 7, 2021)

1 CORINTHIANS 1:18-25

POWER AND WISDOM ARE IN GOD’S WORD.

 In the name + of Jesus.

            When Jesus grabbed a bunch of cords to drive the animals and merchants out of the temple, those who were expelled were understandably surprised and upset.  Jesus had disrupted business as usual.  They demanded answers: “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” (John 2:18)  A miraculous sign was one of the ways a prophet of the Lord would prove his authority, just as it was with Moses and Elijah.  However, not every prophet is recorded to have done miraculous signs.  Neither Nathan nor Jeremiah nor John the Baptist did a miraculous sign, and each of them was recognized as a prophet.

     Still, the Jewish religious leaders demanded Jesus prove himself with a miraculous sign.  What they missed was the true authority Jesus claimed.  Jesus had said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” (Matthew 21:13)  In that short comment, Jesus had quoted both Isaiah (56:7) and Jeremiah (7:11).  This was not about Jesus being in an ornery mood or acting on impulse; this was about Jesus being zealous for the house of the Lord.  It was about Jesus holding God’s word to be both dear and true.  It was about God’s people having sacred space for prayer.  The authority Jesus invoked was the word of God.  Power and wisdom are in God’s word; and they still are. 

     St. Paul emphasized that in his letter to the Corinthians.  He wrote, “The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)  To those who are perishing, the word of God is foolish, unreasonable, and worthy of scorn.

     To you, however, the word of God is both wise and powerful.  It makes you wise for salvation.  You know where to find the forgiveness of your sins.  You cling to the promises of God which were fulfilled by Jesus and which are applied to you by the word and sacraments.  The Gospel is the power of God which releases you from the grip of the devil, the threat of hell, and the fear of the grave.  God’s power to save is found in Jesus as he was nailed to a cross, beaten, bleeding, naked, mocked, shamed, and died.  What appears as weak and pathetic is the glory and power of God; for that is where sin, death, and the devil are all defeated.  These things are not automatically known; they have to be proclaimed.  These things are not automatically believed; faith must be granted to you.  God’s word has been put into your ears and into your heart so that you receive God’s grace.  Power and wisdom are in God’s word.

     To you, it is also remarkable that so many would despise God’s word.  But that’s how it always has been.  St. Paul remarked, “Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles.” (1 Corinthians 1:22-23)  The Jews who challenged Jesus in the temple were not swayed by God’s word when Jesus quoted it.  They demanded a miraculous sign before they would believe Jesus.  Ironically, Jesus did give them a sign: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19)  The temple is where God dwells with his people.  Jesus is God who dwells with his people.  He foretold that they would kill him, but that he would raise himself from the dead.  He did, and they still did not believe.  Whoever does not believe God’s word will not believe even if miracles are presented as evidence.  The power to save is not in miraculous sings; the power is in God’s word.

     Greeks, on the other hand, look for wisdom.  They want God’s word to be reasonable and subject to scientific formulas.  Or they may want a special wisdom that reads minds or predicts the future.  In either case, they want God to be restricted to their own wisdom and whims.  But God’s wisdom is not about telling the future for this life; it is about revealing salvation for eternal life.  True wisdom is found in God’s word.

     What was true in Paul’s day is still true today.  You and I are influenced by it too, for sin still clings to our hearts.  We still crave the signs.  We want God to prove his love by feeding our egos.  A loving God should always give us money, a clean bill of health, the downfall of our enemies, and honor, success, and popularity.  What does it say if we don’t have them?  Has God failed us?  Does he actually love us?  Our sinful flesh craves signs and questions or even despises God when he does not perform.

     Of course, we also look for wisdom.  Perhaps our greatest threat to our faith comes from our desire to be loved and respected by the world.  The world has its own wisdom.  That’s not to say it is entirely useless or evil.  Science has benefited us with medicine, homes that are lit and heated, personal computers, digital cameras, and cars that can parallel park themselves.  For these things, we give thanks.  But those blessings only help with this life.  They do not soothe a guilty conscience or comfort a fearful heart. 

     The world in its wisdom regards God and his word as foolish.  Science rejects God because God refuses to be reduced to formulas and equations.  College professors may hold many degrees and dazzle you with their intellect.  They have command of their topic, so it may feel like their arguments are undefeatable—even when they mock God’s word and calls God a liar.  Don’t think so?  Say that God created the world in six days.  State that God created man and woman and did not suggest any additional sexes or changing between them.  You will be mocked and ridiculed for believing what the Bible says about these things, and you will hear arguments which supposedly prove God’s word is wrong.  If you should have to suffer that, then listen to the word of the Lord: “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11-12)

     Sadly, many Christian churches have abandoned God’s word and adopted this worldly wisdom.  It has been met with great applause from the world and with great pride from these churches.  But to adopt the world’s wisdom, these churches have had to dismiss God’s word and say that God’s word does not mean what it says.

     But now Paul would ask you: “Where is the one who is wise?  Where is the scribe?  Where is the debater of this age?  Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” (1 Corinthians 1:20)  Which philosopher can release you from the guilt of your sins?  Which professor can outsmart the grave?  If the wisdom of this world is so brilliant, why aren’t people more honest, content, loving, chaste, and patient than they’ve ever been?  You who know and confess God’s word still have not overcome your own sins.  If God’s people are still sinners, how can it be better for those who mock God and his word?  All the intelligence and number crunching and technology in this world cannot take away a single sin.  No matter what your GPA was, all are going to die.  Where are the scholars, the wise men, and the philosophers to fix that?  Even if they reject God’s word and defy God himself, they are still condemned by it and accountable to him.  And they call you fools!

     Wisdom and power are in God’s word.  “It pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.” (1 Corinthians 1:21)  God chooses to use what is foolish to impart divine wisdom.  God does this to show you that salvation is his gift and his work.  You are not saved because you are strong.  It is those who confess that they are powerless whom God saves.  You are not saved because you are smart.  It is those who confess the foolishness of their sinful hearts that are saved. 

     The payment God made to save sinners was done on a cross some 2,000 years ago.  Jesus died in humility and weakness, forsaken and rejected by God, crushed and condemned for our sins.  But the benefits of that payment are delivered to you now.  It is not delivered by miraculous signs.  It is not granted through some divine insight from within you.  It is delivered with words.  It is given through preaching.  It is proclaimed by weak, sinful, flawed, and dying men who sometimes stumble over words or deliver it poorly.  It is unimpressive, isn’t it?  And yet this is where the wisdom and power of God are unleashed. 

     Wisdom and power are in the word of God.  For this is what the Lord says: “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)  God delivers his wisdom through words.  God, who created the world through words, creates a new life in you through words.  God decrees you absolved of sin, declares your verdict of innocence, and pronounces your release from death and the devil through words.  The Holy Spirit who breathed into the apostles the very words of God breathes new life into you as those words are proclaimed.  And if the way God delivers his gifts to you is underwhelming in appearance, it is because God desires to use what is common and even despised for his glorious purposes.  This is to show that the wisdom for salvation comes from God and the power to save is God’s work alone.

     Wisdom and power are in God’s word.  “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)  Faith came to you through the word—whether preached or attached to the sacraments.  Faith continues to come, is sustained, and is strengthened through the word—whether preached or attached to the sacraments.  This word is where the Holy Spirit works to keep you in the Christian faith.  That is why we always gather around the word and sacraments.

     Be aware: You can forfeit the salvation God has given you.  The most common way that happens is that you to stop listening to the word of the Lord.  If you do, some other word will take its place.  You will end up embracing and believing what the world passes off as wisdom.  You might even feel proud that you are smarter than God, but you will forfeit the only deliverance from sin, death, and the devil there is.  You might still be a nice person.  But Jesus does not save nice people; Jesus saves only those who believe.  For, “it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.” (1 Corinthians 1:21) 

     If you long to be wise for salvation, listen to the word.  If you want to know the power that delivers you from sin, death, and the devil, listen to the word.  The power to save and the wisdom for salvation are found only in God’s word.  All the wisdom, power, and glory of the world will pass away; but the word of the Lord endures forever.  So do those who believe it.

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

Friday, March 5, 2021

Sermon -- Chapel at Huron Valley Lutheran High School (March 5, 2021)

This chapel service was conducted at Huron Valley Lutheran High School in Westland, Michigan.

 
HEBREWS 11:13-16

JESUS SATISFIES US WITH A BETTER HOME.

In the name + of Jesus.


     The patriarchs “acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13).  You probably understand what it means to feel like a stranger.  If you have ever felt like you don’t belong, you can appreciate how the patriarchs felt.  When you don’t feel like you belong, it is probably because you have different interests than your classmates and friends.  When your interests or personality or sense of humor is different, you don’t fit in like you want to.  You just want to belong, to be accepted, and to be loved.

     For Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their families, it was more than that.  They acknowledged that they were exiles.  Strangers may not feel like they belong in the room, but exiles have been shown the door.  Strangers might be tolerated, but exiles are rejected and despised.  Why would the patriarchs feel that way?

     For one reason, they did not have a country to call their home.  They were nomads, moving from place to place in tents.  God had promised them that they would one day own all the land.  In proclaiming the word of the Lord and the promise of the Savior, they likely told the peoples around them that part of the promise, too.  So, they were not always welcomed where they went.  Some even viewed them as a threat. 

     But the truth is that the patriarchs did not try to blend in with the nations around them.  They did not become like Sodom and Gomorrah so that they would be liked by them.  They did not adopt the perverted worship of the Canaanites.  They would have been received much better if they had, but they refused.  They persisted in their belief that not all religions are the same.  They remained faithful to the word of the Lord.  And they proclaimed and confessed that word, whether it was well received or not.

     If you want to blend into the world, you can.  To do so, you have to adopt worldly thinking and worldly behavior.  And to do that, you will have to renounce the words and promises of God.  If you do, you will be welcomed, accepted, and even praised by the world.  It will feel good, and you may even benefit with possessions, prestige, and pride.  But this is what the Lord says: “Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38).  So you can blend into the world, but then you better know at what cost.  Beware.

     Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and all his family chose not to be received and praised by the world.  Why?  Because they were longing for a better home.  While they enjoyed some blessings in this world—and God grants blessings to all, even to the wicked—they also longed to be free from every form of evil.  They longed to be free from the fear of death.  They longed to be free from pain and sorrow.  They even longed to be free from their own sinful desires which favor acceptance from the world over acceptance from the Lord.  They renounced the world and were willing to be strangers and exiles in it.  That produced its own hardships and challenges, but it was okay.  For, they longed for a better home; and the Savior would satisfy them with it.

     Now you, dear Christians, face the same world and the same struggles as they did.  Granted, you enjoy better technology and nicer houses, but you live in the same wicked world.  The attitudes and actions of this world have not changed.  And you battle the same temptations that they did—wanting to belong, to be accepted, and to be praised by the world.  It is hard to be a stranger, and even harder to be an exile.

     You and I have been no better than the world we live in.  We, too, are sinners.  We prove it with our willingness to abandon God’s word when we want to be cheered by worldly, sinful people.  To feel like we belong, we boast about our sins and laugh with others who boasts about theirs.  What else is this but to be ashamed of our Lord and his word?

     But, dear Christians, the Lord has not been ashamed of you.  He is not ashamed to be called your brother.  He does not merely tolerate you.  He loves you.  God was pleased to become one of us so that he could redeem all of us.  Even though he created the world, he was not received in it.  He was rejected and despised by men and familiar with suffering.  And it was more than just feeling like he did not belong.  He also was rejected and despised by his heavenly Father.  For Jesus took up our sins and was crucified and condemned for them.  He was forsaken by his Father so that we would be forgiven of our sins.  He was rejected so that we would be reconciled. 

     Therefore, now that you have been rescued from the devil, the world, and your own sinful flesh, you are strangers and exiles in the world.  But fear not; for, Jesus satisfies you with a better home.  St. Paul wrote: “You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” (Ephesians 2:19)  At your baptism, God put his name on you.  Since you now bear the family name, you possess the family treasures—the favor of God, the forgiveness of sins, and the inheritance of the heavenly kingdom.  Jesus satisfies you with a better home.

     He has also given you a place in the Christian church with fellow strangers and exiles in this world.  In the Church, you have fellow Christians who delight in acknowledging Jesus Christ and his word, which also means renouncing the devil and all his works and all his ways.  The world adopts those ways and even calls them good.  You hold onto God’s word and call them evil.  For this, you are rejected and despised.  So, if you feel like a stranger and an exile in this world, it is not because there is something wrong with you.  It is because the Lord has made you lights in the world.  In the darkness, lights tend to stand out.  As it did for the patriarchs, so also for you: It produces hardships and challenges, but that’s okay.  For, like the patriarchs, you long for a better home; and the Savior will satisfy you with it.

     Until Jesus comes and brings you to that heavenly home, you will continue to be strangers and exiles here.  That is why you will continue to need to join together with your fellow strangers and exiles at church.  You will need God’s word and sacraments to keep you faithful.  You will need to pray, a lot.  And you will need the encouragement of your fellow Christians so that you remember you are not the only stranger and exile here.  Yes, you are a stranger and an exile in the world, but you are a dearly loved child in the kingdom of God.  This world will pass way, but the kingdom of our God endures forever.  This world will perish, but you look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.  Jesus grants all of this, and he satisfies you with a better home.

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

Thursday, March 4, 2021

YouTube -- Lenten Vespers (March 3, 2021)

 Here is the service from Wednesday, March 3, 2021.  The guest preacher is Pastor James Frey of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Belleville, Michigan.



Update from Good Shepherd (March 4, 2021)

Greetings!

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME – March 14
          Once again, we will “spring forward” from Saturday into Sunday, March 14 at 2:00 AM.  Generally, that means people lose an hour of sleep. A helpful suggestion: Move your clock ahead in the afternoon on Saturday and then go to bed according to the updated time. That allows you to get your full night’s sleep and wake up refreshed for Sunday School, Adult Bible Class, and the Divine Service.

REGULAR SCHEDULE
Divine Services are at 10:00 AM on Sundays, in person and on Facebook Live.  Share our services and invite friends to tune in.

Sunday School is on Sundays at 8:45 AM.
Adult Bible Class is on Sundays at 8:45 AM.  The final Sundays of our series on Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is coming to a close.  Starting March 14 a new series will begin entitled, "Elephants in the Room: Evolution vs. the Message of Scripture."  The schedule can be found here.
Lenten Vespers -- Wednesdays at 7:00 PM (through March 24).  You can see the schedule here.

OFFICE HOURS
          Office hours are Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM – Noon.  
          The pastor will be in his office unless a meeting has been scheduled elsewhere (consult the weekly schedule).  The pastor is also available by appointment.  Call or text (248-719-5218).  You may also email (welsnovi@aol.com), but the response may be slower.

Good Shepherd 40th Anniversary Photo Compilation 
           
 This year is the 40th anniversary of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church!  To commemorate the occasion we would like to put together a compilation of photos to develop into a video.  If you're interested, please find photos of your time with the congregation that you would like to share and email them to Brian Wilder, Pastor, or Dan LeFevre so we can compile them into a video.  Also, if anyone has experience developing a video for this type of project and would like to assist in the creation any help would be greatly appreciated!  
            There is still time to submit photos, but we do need them soon to have time to put together a video.

EASTER FOR KIDS 
            Easter for Kids will be a do-it-yourself event, after participants pick up their materials from Good Shepherd.  The pick-up date will be Saturday, March 27 (9:00-11:00 AM).  Registration forms are now available in paper and online -- Good Shepherd Lutheran Church - EASTER For Kids REgistration (goodshepherdnovi.org).   Please share the link and invite family and friends to participate!

EASTER FOR KIDS PREP MEETING – March 7, 11:15 AM 
            Easter for Kids will be a do-it-yourself event, after participants pick up their materials from Good Shepherd. The pick-up date will be Saturday, March 27 (9:00-11:00 AM). Registration forms (in paper and online) will be available soon. 
            In order for this to be a worthwhile event for participants, we will have a lot of preparations to make so that children who are involved in Easter for Kids will still feel a connection to Good Shepherd. 
            Here is what we need: 
                 >>  Recording the lesson
                 >>  Recording instructions for the craft
                 >>  Posting those recordings to YouTube (setting up the link)
                 >>  Painting the Sandwich board for the church yard
                 >>  Packet assembly (late March)
                 >>  Set up and manning the drive-through booth (March 27, 9-11 AM)
                 >>  Publicizing Easter for Kids in the community. 
             If you are willing to help with the preparation, publication, and/or distribution of materials, please speak to Pastor Schroeder.

ADULT BIBLE CLASS – NEW SERIES
            “ELEPHANTS IN THE ROOM” – Evolution vs. The Message of Scripture begins on March 14.  Classes begin at 8:45 AM
            One of the great wars being waged against the Christian faith today is done by attacking the biblical teaching of creation. Many within the Church have tried to find a compromise between creation and science (evolution) called theistic evolution. This Bible study (the schedule is here) compares scriptural teaching with theistic evolution and shows that theistic evolution ends up compromising, not just biblical creation but all the major teachings of Scripture: the nature of God’s original perfect creation, the origin and perfect nature of the first humans, the fall into sin, sin’s curse on creation, God’s plan of salvation for sinners, the saving work of Jesus Christ, and the source of “right and wrong.” 
            Each lesson begins with a study of Scripture and then compares that with the teachings of theistic evolutionists presented in their own words.
           The book “Elephants in the Room: Evolution vs. The Message of Scripture” may prove beneficial for your studies with this class. If you are interested in purchasing a copy ($16), please order it by March 7 so that you can get it quickly. Confirm your order with Pastor Schroeder. Checks can be made payable to Good Shepherd.

CONCERNING PASTORAL CARE
             Pastor Schroeder is available for private devotions, Holy Absolution, and 
Holy Communion to members in small groups or to individuals.  You may call to set up an appointment at any time.  Visits by appointment can be done either at church or at your home.
            If you want to ask for intercessions for loved ones, we will certainly remember them in our prayers, too.  If your loved one has no pastor, ask if they would like Pastor Schroeder to visit them.  

GOOD SHEPHERD ON YOUTUBE
         Feel free to share the videos.  For other services, do a search for "Good Shepherd Novi."  The service from Sunday, February 28 is here: Good Shepherd Novi, Divine Service - Feb. 28, 2021 - YouTube
         Bulletins for services can be downloaded from here (scroll down): 

OFFERINGS
While we may not be meeting for worship, we do have financial obligations to meet.  You may either mail your offering into Good Shepherd, or you can set up your offering to be transferred electronically from your bank.  If you are interested in the automatic transfer of funds for your offering, please contact the church at (248) 349-0565 or welsnovi@aol.com.

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

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

BAD WEATHER POLICY FOR SERVICES AT GOOD SHEPHERD 
        We will always have services as scheduled at Good Shepherd. Since I live across the parking lot, I can get to the church no matter how bad the weather gets. Even if the service is just me and my family, we will be here. For everyone else, please use your God-given common sense to determine whether or not you will get on the road to attend any service when the weather is bad. We don't want anyone to risk his or her life to be here. But if you do venture out, the scheduled service will take place. It may be only a handful with a cappella singing and/or spoken liturgy, but we will be here. 
        Bible Classes and meetings may be canceled due to weather. Check your email regarding announcements to see if any of those scheduled events is canceled. If there is no email about it, it is not canceled. But again, use common sense to determine if you can make it, and call the pastor to let him know if you will not be coming.

In Christ,
Pastor Schroeder
==============================
REGULAR SCHEDULE
DIVINE SERVICES -- Sundays at 10:00 AM  (We also stream on Facebook Live )
SUNDAY SCHOOL & ADULT BIBLE CLASS on Sundays at 8:45 AM.
LENTEN VESPERS, Wednesdays at 7:00 PM (through March 24).

GOOD SHEPHERD’S WEBSITE

PASTOR SCHROEDER’S BLOG

www.LutheranSubject.blogspot.com  

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Something from ... Martin Luther re: God's promises, threats, and fulfillment of them.

          Here is something from Martin Luther.  I could make additional commentary, but this speaks for itself.

          “One must be careful to hold fast to the fact that God makes promises and defers the things promised, and that He tries us with a scarcity of available things in order to instruct us in faith in the promise and in order that this faith may be strengthened and may learn to believe God not only in prosperous times, when things are available, but also in adversity, when things are lacking. …
          “But it is the chief subject of all Holy Scripture to know and understand God when He makes a promise. For He helps and bring support even with the actual realization of His promise and when it is fulfilled; but before this He disciplines faith in the promise by means of a lack of things of which we are in need. He does this in order that we may learn to trust Him and not to tempt Him.
          …
          “But the flesh is so smug and evil that it not only distrusts the promises but also despises the threats. For the threats, too, are delayed. Therefore the flesh does not believe God when He threatens. And when those despisers and irrational people hear that a judgment against sin remains for that Day, they say: ‘Perhaps what you are threatening is true. I wish I had money to count in the meantime.’ God wants His threats to be feared and His promises to be awaited. But this is impossible except by faith.
          “For the world cares about neither of these things, no more, in fact, than if a goose were hissing at it. For God is patient and slow in carrying out both His promises and His threats. But he does not lie, and He makes up for that slowness either with the severity of the punishment or with the large number and the greatness of His blessings. Finally He does come, and comes for sure.”
(Martin Luther. Luther’s Works: American Edition, Volume 9 [Lectures on Genesis, chapters 45-50]. Pages 201-202)