Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Your Job is to Love (A sermon based on Romans 12:9-21)

What's your job? What do you do? Ask those questions of a Christian and we answer from the Bible: "What is my job? My job is to love God and love everyone else. My job is to love my fellow Christians and love my enemies." But what do I do? As a sinner I have to answer honestly, "I love myself most. I don't always... okay, I don't even often do my job." Thanks be to God that Jesus did a perfect job for us. He loved us, even when we were his enemies. He loved us enough to take our sin away and credit us with his perfect love! And now his love for us moves us to love him and to love others. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Romans 12:9-21 (or click here to watch the entire service in video) and see how his love for us not only forgives us for our loveless thoughts, words, and actions, but how it also motivates us and empowers us to love... even our enemies.

Your Job is to Love

A sermon based on Romans 12:9-21

Sunday, February 23, 2014 – Epiphany 7A

 

The young man was so excited! He finally got his first job! It was his ticket to a paycheck, which was his ticket to a used car, which was his ticket… to freedom! He would be working as a “courtesy clerk,” the new PC term for what used to be called a “bag boy.” And after a few days of training, he was comfortable with the job description, knew what he was supposed to do and got it done. “Cash, car, freedom, here we come!”

But it seemed like other kids had the same idea, but couldn’t follow through. Showing up late for work, refusing to do the work, but hiding in the back room from any responsibility, other “courtesy clerks,” came and went. It was simple: they didn’t do the work, they lost the job.

Today in our sermon text God, through the Apostle Paul, gives the job description of every Christian. It’s very simple really: Love. Love one another. Love the brothers, that is our fellow believers, our brothers and sisters in Christ. And love others. Love unbelievers. Love even those who make themselves your enemies. Love everyone with an agape love—an unconditional, intentional, self-sacrificing love that always seeks what is best for others no matter what it costs you. And he gives us training to show us what that kind of love looks like.

But sadly, we don’t do a very good job. We don’t always show love to our enemies. We don’t even always show love to our fellow believers. And though we deserve to be “fired,” we’re not. Because thankfully God shows his agape love to us—his unconditional, intentional, self-sacrificing love that always sought to serve us, no matter what it cost him.

And this love that God has shown to us, motivates and empowers us to do our job. Our job is to love. We do love the brothers, our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. And we do love the others, even our enemies. Listen now to Paul’s description of the Christian’s job to love, recorded for us in Romans 12:9-21…

 

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.


I.              Love the Brothers (v.9-13)

 

In attempt to be gender-neutral, the updated edition of the New International Version says in verse 10 simply, “Be devoted to one another in love.” They leave out the “brotherly” part. But you know the word in Greek. It’s philadephia. It’s really just two words mashed together: phileo, meaning love—the kind of love among friends—and adelphos, meaning brother. We are to love our brothers in Christ. Of course, the new NIV also usually translates adelphos as “brothers and sisters.” And that’s totally fair. It’s almost always used as a term for Christians as brothers and sisters in Christ and brothers and sisters of Christ.

So how are we to love one another? Well, verse 9 uses a different word for love. It uses agape. Agape is a different kind of love from phileo. Agape is that unconditional, intentional, self-sacrificing love that always seeks what is best for others no matter what it costs you. And that agape, Paul says, must be sincere—literally without hypocrisy. You’ve often heard me say that the Biblical concept of love is a choice, an action, it’s doing something, not just feeling something. And that’s true. But the reverse is also true: It’s not just doing something sans feelings, going through the motions because you have to or else. That’s duty, not love. Love must be sincere.So what does such a sincere agape love look like? “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.” It’s honoring others, not in a show, bowing low and shouting in a theatrical way, “Hello, good sir! What a pleasure to be in your company again. I do hope you’re able to stay a spell.” That’s hypocritical. But sincere love honors others. It wants them to succeed even if you don’t.

“Share with God’s people who are in need.” Sincere love shares with God’s people. Real love—agape love—is expensive. It’s not love if there is no sacrifice. Real love costs. And it costs not just dollars, but your time, your energy, your emotions, yourself… and sometimes with little to no return on your investment. But your dollars aren’t yours, they belong to God. Your energy and emotions are blessings God gives you by giving good health. In fact your very self isn’t yours. You belong to God. And he wants you to spend it all on others, not on yourself.

“Practice hospitality.” Sincere love is hospitable. Do you know where the word ambulance came from? It’s actually an abbreviation of a French term: hospital ambulant. It’s an ambling (or walking) hospital. Before the invention of automobiles, the doctors would amble up to the hurting and bind their wounds. That’s what we are to do as Christians. To look for hurting people and try to care for their needs.

And none of this will be easy. So Paul encourages us to “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” (Remember who you’re really working for.) “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Remember you’re not working alone.)

So how well do you do at your job? Ready for a performance review? Is your love sincere? Are you eager to honor others above yourself? Or to share your money, time, energy and self with others? Do you seek to meet the needs of your hurting brothers and sisters? Do you love your fellow believers with an unconditional, intentional, self-sacrificing love that always seeks what is best for others no matter what it costs you?

Sadly, brothers and sisters don’t always get along, do they kids? Sadly, they can often be the cruelest to those closest to them. Adults can act that way too, can’t we? We often fail to show love to our brothers and sisters in Christ, to our spouses, to our own kids. And if God were to call us into the office for a performance review, we wouldn’t do very well. It’s simple: Don’t do the work in the job description and we deserve to be fired.

But you know that that’s not the case. To see why, we have to have get the context of Romans chapter 12. Go back to verse 1: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” And you know that “Whenever you see therefore, you need to find out what it’s there for.”

Well, Paul is really reminding his readers of everything he’s just written in the first 11 chapters: that though the Romans had not kept God’s law the way they ought, whether they were Roman Gentiles who didn’t know the law, or were Roman Jews who knew the law, but still didn’t keep the law, yet, nevertheless, God revealed to them a righteousness that came apart from the law, a righteousness given to them by God through faith in Jesus.

And he summed that all up with the phrase, “in view of God’s mercy.” No more animal sacrifices were needed. The once-for-all sacrifice of the Son of God had been made for them. Jesus loved the brothers (and sisters, the elect, the Church of God) more than he loved himself—with a sincere love. He was an ambulance—walking on this earth, descending to come to be with us sick and dying sinners to make us healthy and whole. And that moved the Romans to offer their bodies as living sacrifices—thank offerings—to Jesus, in view of God’s mercy through him.

And you are spiritually healthy in Christ! He’s made you perfect by that same once-for-all sacrifice. So we sacrifice ourselves in thanks to him, gladly, willingly offering our money, our time, our energy, our emotions, our very lives to God. We cling to what is good. We cling to Christ, glued to him, we go where he goes. We do what he does. And we love as he loves.

So love sincerely just as you’ve been loved. You know the agape love that God shows you in Christ—that unconditional, intentional, self-sacrificing love that always seeks what is best for you no matter what it costs him. And this love moves you to show that same unconditional, intentional, self-sacrificing love, that always-seeks-what-is-best-for-others-no-matter-what-it-costs-you kind of love, to your brothers and sisters in Christ. Even when they don’t agree with you. Even when they irritate you. Even when they drive you crazy. (And that’s what siblings do.) But still, we show agape love. Love the brothers. But you also know that it’s not just to our fellow believers that we are to show love. We’re also called to love others…


II.            Love the Others (v.14-21)

 

Do you know what xenophobia is? Xeno means “strangers” in Greek. And a phobia you know is a fear. Xeno-phobia then is the fear of people from other countries, strangers. Well, the word translated as “hospitality” in verse 13 is literally xenophilia. That is xeno (“strangers”) plus phileo (“love among friends”). In other words, we’re not just called to love the brothers, that is the saints who believe as we do. But we’re also called to love the others, that is strangers, even unbelievers, even those who make themselves our enemies. That’s a part of our job description as Christians: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Paul wrote, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse…  Do not repay anyone evil for evil… If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath…”

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you…” implies that it won’t always be possible. You won’t always be able to “live at peace with everyone.” Some people will still choose to be your enemies. You can’t control other people. But you can control how you respond. That’s literally what responsible means: You’re able to respond to the situation.

So how do you respond? Here’s how you should… Don’t be proud or conceited. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t seek revenge. But leave it to God. But instead do be helpful, loving, and kind. “On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.” Be like the good Samaritan, who in spite of the racism shown against him and his people was loving to his Jewish enemy, bound up his wounds, got him the care he needed, and paid for his medical bills. (cf. Luke 10:25-37) Be nice to the guy at work who’s always a jerk. Show love to your spouse even when you’re being insulted. Give up your turn with your favorite toy to your brother or sister who’s being mean to you.

And the result? “In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Or as mom always used to say, “Kill ‘em with kindness.” Of course the goal isn’t really to kill him. It’s not to burn him. The context makes it clear that revenge is not the goal.

But if you are only loving and kind when he or she treats you with contempt, eventually they may be ashamed of their actions. They might feel the heat of their own conscience perhaps as never before. Martin Luther said that your enemy will be forced to ask, “Why do I hurt this pious person? Why do I persecute someone so innocent?” And will be led to the conclusion that they are a horrible sinner. Their burning guilt—like hot coals on their head—might them to despair of their pride.

And then, perhaps, through you they may even turn to Jesus to receive the soothing balm of the gospel that puts out the fire of guilt. And so the hot coals of shame produced by your consistently loving actions may eventually kindle the fire of faith. In this way you will “not be overcome by evil, but [will] overcome evil with good.”

So, that’s the job description. How’s your performance? Do you always love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, and overcome evil with good? No. Not always. And when we show how little we love others, we show how little we love God. You can’t say you love a friend, but hate his children. And even your enemies are dearly loved by God. Again it’s quite simple: Don’t do the work in the job description and we deserve to be fired.

But we don’t get the hell we deserve because of God’s great love for us.

Paul wrote in Romans 5(:8,10) “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us… when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son.” Now in thanks to God for Christ, who loved us when we were hostile to him with that agape, unconditional, intentional, self-sacrificing love that always seeks what is best for us no matter what it costs him, we are eager to love not just our own, but even our enemies, with that very same unconditional, intentional, self-sacrificing love that always seeks what is best for others no matter what it costs us. 

 Cling to what is good, dear friends. Stay glued to Christ, who forgives us for our failures, motivates to love him and others, and empowers to love not just the brothers, our fellow believers in Christ, but also the others—even those who hate us.

The job description is tough. What God calls us to do—to love everyone all the time—certainly isn’t an easy job. But we are recipients of God’s agape, self-sacrificing, unconditional, intentional, always seeking what is best for us, no matter what it may cost him love, that he’s given to us in Christ. And we are moved to show that same self-sacrificing, unconditional, intentional, always seeking what is best for others, no matter what it may cost us, kind of love… to our brothers, to our sisters, to our fellow believers… and even to others, to our persecutors, to our enemies. For “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) In Jesus’ name, dear friends, amen.

 


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

Listen to sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Podcast
Watch services online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Webcast

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

What's Your Pleasure? (A sermon based on 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12)


What's your pleasure? What makes you happy? Too often our pleasures come from things that are self-serving, sinful, and against God's will. But God's pleasure was to rescue us from ourselves. Jesus' pleasure was to perfectly do the Father's will, even when it meant dying for us. Now, in thanks to God our pleasure is to serve him in all we do. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 (or watch the entire service at www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Webcast) and find pleasure in God's grace to you...

What’s Your Pleasure?

A sermon based on 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

Sunday, February 16, 2014 – Epiphany 6A

 

Valentine’s Day was fast approaching and the young couple were trying to decide what they were going to do.

“Where do you want to go out to eat? What’s your pleasure? Mexican? Chinese? Steaks?” the young man asked his bride.

“How about we go to that place on Main Street with the piano music?” his wife asked.

“Nah. I don’t want to go there. The food’s no good,” he replied.

“Well, how about that Italian place downtown?” she asked.

“Nah. I don’t want to go there. Too expensive,” he replied.

“Well, how about that wine cafĂ© down on 5th?” she asked.

“Nah. I don’t what to go there either. Too snooty,” he said.

“Well, where do you want to go?” the exasperated wife asked.

“Glad you asked!” he said, “I was thinking of that new steakhouse. They’re running a special on their appetizers—buy one get one!”

“That’s fine,” she said, “But, why did you even bother asking me where I wanted to eat? If you knew what you wanted the whole time?”

 

Last week wasn’t just the week of Valentine’s Day, but it was also National Marriage Week. Married couples, have you ever had a similar conversation in your home? Why did he bother to ask his wife at all? If he were honest it was because he wanted to mask his selfishness. He knew what he wanted, but didn’t want to just come out and say it. He was trying to subtly manipulate the conversation and the decision.

But the truth is, that even if you’re single, all of us are great at such manipulation. And all of us are out to get our own way far too often. That’s how it is with sinners: We’re out to get what we want? We’re out to get what we think will please us. “Please, please me,” the sinful nature screams like the toddler shouting, “Mine. Mine. Mine!” That’s our sickness.

But God has the cure. Really, God is the cure. It was his pleasure to rescue us from ourselves. That’s what was pleasing to him—his good and perfect will. Jesus was pleased to serve his Father’s will, even if it meant a horrible and shameful death. And that changes what pleases us too.

Listen now to a reminder of God’s will for your life, and where we now find our pleasure, recorded for us in 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12…

           

Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

9 Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10 And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.

11 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.


I.              Please, Please Me

 

Here’s an interesting quote I came across this week: “This is the sin of the devil: he not only sins and is disobedient to God, but what he does is to be considered well done… That is why punishment must come upon [our country], for sin and shame have turned into honor. Why, even heathen philosophers have said that matters stood bad in a country where what was formerly considered vice has become virtue. Then the country is lost.”

Want to guess who said it? It wasn’t on CNN or Fox News. It wasn’t some televangelist calling for some change. It was written by Martin Luther almost 500 years ago about the decline of morals and godly living. There’s nothing new under the sun, is there? Satan has certainly deceived people today into not only shameful sexual sins in passionate lust, but even into calling them good, noble, praiseworthy. They run from sinful pleasure to sinful pleasure with a continual lust for more. And “he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.”

But is it just the heathen that haven’t learned to control their bodies in a way that is holy and honorable? It is just the heathen that seek to please themselves even impure and ungodly ways? Is it just the heathen who cry, “Please, please me!”?

You know it’s not.

“Finally, brothers,” wrote Paul, “we instructed you how to live in order to please God… you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.” And you know what pleases God, for “you yourselves have been taught by God…” “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body…” “You yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.” 

As Christians, those who claim to belong to Christ, those who claim to serve God, that ought to be all we’re ever concerned about: How we can please God, how we can live for him, how we can control our sinful desires, how we can love each other.

But that’s not our sole concern, is it? Oh, we know that the world doesn’t revolve around “me.” But too often we live that way anyway, as if my pleasure, my entertainment, my comfort, is the only thing that mattered. Let’s face it, too often we live to please ourselves. And though we don’t come out and says it, by our behavior, whether it’s sexual immorality, or simply failing to show love to someone else be it a family member or a stranger, we cry, “Please, please me!”

We’re not clean, but unclean. We’re not pure, but filthy. We’re not holy, but twisted. We have lost control, taken advantage of others to get our pleasure, failed to show love to each other. And you know that, “The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.”

But we’re not without hope.

In that quote from above Luther went on, “As long as immorality is still considered vice and sin, help and remedy are possible; but when it is regarded as right, one cannot help. It is as if a man were lying on his bed mortally sick but were nevertheless to insist that he is well. In that frame of mind he will ask for no remedy, and he cannot be helped.”

But when we admit how sick we are—mortally sick—when we realize our great need, we will seek help we need. Confess your selfishness that seeks your own pleasure above service to God, that cries out, “Please, please me.” And God has the remedy for what ails you…


II.            Please, Please You

 

And you know what the cure is. “For you know [the] instructions [given] you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. It is God’s will that you should be sanctified...”

What is God’s will? That you be sanctified. Literally that you be set apart from sin. Of course, you know that that term “sanctified” is understood two ways in the Bible: In the narrow sense and in the broad sense. In the narrow sense, it means that we are set apart from our old sinful way of living and set apart to serve God instead. And that’s how it’s used in these verses. “…that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable…”

But in the broad sense of the term “sanctified” means to be set apart from sin by God’s saving work in Christ. And “For you know [the] instructions [given] you by the authority of the Lord Jesus [that] it is God’s will that you should be sanctified...” in this sense too.

God said in Ezekiel 33(:11), “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.” That’s what pleases God: Our salvation. He desired it so much he sent his Son on a rescue mission.

And that’s what pleased Jesus too! He didn’t live to please himself, but his Father. And he did the Father’s will perfectly. He never lusted. He controlled his body and his thoughts. He always loved others. He never sinned. He always lived in a way that was pleasing to God. He didn’t say to God, “Please, please me,” but “Please, please you. What is your pleasure, Father? That is what I will do.” 

And he didn’t live to please himself, but his Father, even when it meant torture, suffering, and pain, even when it meant guilt and shame and a hell that we can’t begin to imagine. Remember his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane? “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

And God’s will was done. So Jesus gave his life. And you and I are set apart from sin. We are forgiven for our selfish desire to be pleased above all else. We’re forgiven for our apathy toward what is pleasing to God. We’re forgiven for our sexual sins and for our sinful thoughts. We are forgiven for our failure to love others. We are forgiven for every sin!

Because it was the Father’s will that we be sanctified, because it was Jesus’ pleasure to set us free from sin, we are forgiven and we will have an eternity of pleasure with God in heaven—a pleasure beyond our wildest imaginations!

And that changes our attitudes right now. What pleases us most is no longer whatever brings us pleasure, but whatever is pleasing to God. Because Jesus said to God, “Please, please you,” when all we could say was, “Please, please me,” we are full of gratitude and in thanks, we’re eager to serve him. Paul urges us now, to “Please, please God.” And it is our pleasure…


III.           Please, Please God

 

I haven’t had it checked in a while, but I’ve got a history of high cholesterol. But when I check it at home with the blood test it’s not really that useful. You see, it gives me my total cholesterol count, but it doesn’t distinguish between the good cholesterol and the bad. The good cholesterol has high-density lipoproteins (HDLs). Bad cholesterol has low-density lipoproteins (LDLs). The good clears arteries and prevents blockage. The bad clogs those arteries and kills.

Just as there are good cholesterols and bad cholesterols, there are good pleasures and bad pleasures. The bad pleasures are self-indulgent, disobedient to God, and usually addictive. But the good pleasures are self-controlled and obedient to God. Now we say with all sincerity, “What pleases God, pleases me.”

“A Christian can live however he or she wants.” That statement is true, not because we can willfully sin and rebel against God and think it’s okay, but because what we want as Christians is to serve him. We want to please God. And we can do it.

Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more…

Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all the brothers… Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.

The Thessalonians were living their lives in such a way that expressed their gratitude to Jesus. But Paul urged them to do so more and more. You are living your lives in such a way that expresses your gratitude to Jesus. But I urge you to do so more and more. This is my plea: “Please, please God, more and more.”

When a runner gets done running a race, rarely does he say, “Great. Now I’m done running for good.” He rests, recovers, and gets ready to run the next race. When a mountain climber conquers a mountain, rarely does he say, “Great. Now I’m done climbing.” He rests, recovers, and gets ready to climb the next mountain. When a hunter gets a kill, rarely does he say, “Great. Now I’m done hunting.” He rests, recovers, and gets ready for the next hunt.

Now, they don’t need to do those things again. They’ve already won. So why keep going? Because they enjoy it. It pleases them, the pursuit, the struggle, the win.

Pursue holiness, friends. Strive for excellence in your life. Try to get better and better. “Live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now [I] ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more… Love each other. And in fact, you do love all the brothers… Yet [I] urge you… to do so more and more. “

Please, please God. Honor him with your bodies and the way you use them. Honor him with your mind and keep your thoughts pure. Honor him in the way you live to serve others. Because you know that when you serve others you really serve God. And please God, not because you “have to,” but because pleasing God, pleases you. Because when all you once said was, “Please, please me,” Jesus came to rescue you by saying to God, “Please, please you.” Now, please, please God in thanks.

The hymn writer put it well: “My God desires the soul's salvation; My soul he, too, desires to save. Therefore with Christian resignation All earthly troubles I will brave. His will be done eternally: What pleases God, that pleases me.” (CW #414 v.3 “I Leave All Things to God’s Direction”) In Jesus’ name, dear friends, amen.

 

In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

 

Dear friends in Christ, if you've grown closer to your Savior by reading or listening to these sermons, would you consider helping support our ministry here at Grace? You can securely give a recurring gift or just a one-time donation in any amount by check, or by credit or debit card, by visiting www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Give. Or you can mail a check to Grace Lutheran Church, 47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611. Thanks for your gift to our Savior in generous support of the ministry we do!


Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

Read sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Sermons
Listen to sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Podcast
Watch services online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Webcast

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Who Do You Think You Are? (A sermon based on 1 Peter 2:9-12)

Where do you get your sense of identity from? Where do you find your self-worth? If it's in something as fleeting as your achievements, your popularity, or your net worth, then you're not really worth that much. But if your identity and worth is found in Christ, then you know just how special, valuable and important you are. Then you can live life differently. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on 1 Peter 2:9-12 and rejoice that you know who you are in Christ...


Who Do You Think You Are?

A sermon based on 1 Peter 2:9-12

Sunday, February 9, 2014 – Epiphany 5A

 

“Who do you think you are?” That question is sometimes asked as a challenge. “Who told you that you could make these changes? Who gave you the authority? Who do you think you are?”

But sometimes it’s asked not of someone else, but of yourself. After you’ve tried and failed or after your suggestion is shot down, it can lead one to ask, “Who do you think you are? Did you really think that would work? You shouldn’t have even tried.” And that kind of thinking can lead to low self-esteem.

In fact, studies have consistently shown that your perception of yourself greatly impacts the way you live your life. If you think you’re a loser and are no good, that’s how you live life. You don’t take chances, you don’t push yourself, you don’t chase after your dreams… after all, you’d just fail anyway. But, if you are confident and cheerful and think you will succeed, that kind of thinking will also impact what you do. You’ll try. And when you fail, you’ll try again. And eventually you will succeed and do better at life.

So what do you think of yourself? “Who do you think you are?” Well, honestly, that doesn’t matter that much—not compared to what God thinks of you. If he were to demand of us, “Who do you think you are?” we’d have to admit that in our sin, on our own, we’re not that much, in fact, we’re nothing. But in Christ and by his work for us, we can answer the question, “Who do you think you are?” with “I am a perfect saint, holy, royal, with purpose and meaning in my life… thanks to Christ!

Now, as you listen to our sermon text from 1 Peter 2:9-12, consider this question: “Who do you think you are?” God, through Peter, said…

 

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.


I.              Have Low Self-Esteem

 

Do you like reality TV? You know the shows, where they put cameras all over the house and following every move each person makes so you can watch what happens as the drama unfolds. It’s cheap to produce because you don’t need a script or any special effects. And it’s bound to be exciting when you put a bunch of sinners together with a camera on them 24-7.

Now would you like to be on reality TV? Would you like a camera crew following you around 24-7? That wouldn’t be so bad, right? After all, you’re a pretty good person, aren’t you? You’re a good spouse, a good kid, a good friend, a good employer or employee. You “let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds…” (Matthew 5:16)

Ah… but you have a darker side too, don’t you? You have things you wouldn’t want broadcast on live TV if there were a camera on you 24-7, don’t you? You have things you wouldn’t want put on a projector here at church! And what’s more, you have thought—things you didn’t act on, but thought about, things that only God sees—that you wouldn’t want put on display. And what’s more still, there are plenty of sins in your life, blind spots, that you don’t even see. But God does.

Who do you think you are? If you’re feeling proud, then take a look at the law, not a camera following you around, but a mirror for self-examination. Does your righteousness surpass that of the Pharisees?

Let’s start with the reminder that you are not your own. You are “a people belonging to God.” You belong to him because he made you and because he bought you… at an incredible price!—the life of his own Son! Your money belongs to God. Your time belongs to God. Your body belongs to God. Your whole life belongs to God.

And what does he want from you? How does he want you to use that money, that body, that time, that whole life? To declare his praises. He wants you to live for him and declare his praises not just for an hour or two on Sundays, but in your home as you interact with your family, in your workplace as you behave differently than your co-workers, in your speech as you talk about your Savior.

What does he want from you? He wants you to be “aliens and strangers in the world.” You’re called to be different. You’re called to be weird. You’re called to live like you don’t fit in with the rest of the world. But can others tell that you’re not like them? Or do you try so hard to fit in that they don’t know you’re different? Do you care more about what other people think that about what God thinks? Who do you think you are?


The truth is we can’t find our self-worth or our self-esteem in anything other than God. Do you have low self-esteem? That’s good. The mirror of the law shows us that our self-esteem—how we esteem ourselves—should be even lower than it is. We have nothing to be proud of in ourselves. We deserve to be left in the darkness, to suffer eternal darkness in hell.

Ah, but we’re not by ourselves, are we? We have Jesus! And that makes a world of difference! In 1 Corinthians 6(:11) Paul wrote, “that is what… you were. But… you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” Now you’re different!


II.            Have High Christ-Esteem

 

Do you remember recess in grade school? You know, when the two most popular kids were picked as team captains. And they got to choose who would be on their teams? One of those poor kids—maybe it was you?—was always picked last. And that didn’t do much for that poor kids’ self-esteem, did it?

But that’s not you. You have been chosen by God. He wants you on his team. He wants you on his team so much, that he acted. Christ, true God, proven by his miracles, became true man, flesh and blood, just like you and me. He gave up the glory of heaven to live on earth. And he lived a perfect life in your place. His righteousness surpassed that of the Pharisees and every person. He was sinless in every way. And he gave that perfection to you and took your sin on himself. And he suffered the hell your sin deserves. Now you are forgiven! You are sinless. You are holy. And we have Christ-esteem. That is, we esteem him and give him glory for what he’s done.

But we also have Christ were in-esteem in another sense. Though we have no self-esteem, or self-worth because of our sin, in Christ, we have the highest esteem before God. He values us differently. We have great value in his sight!

Who do you think you are? Listen to what God thinks!

“You are a chosen people…” You have been chosen by God, hand-picked by him to be on his team. And literally in the Greek, it says, “You are a chosen [race]…” That means that we don’t find our identity in in being German, or Irish, or Alaskan, but in being Christian, God’s hand-picked saints—chosen, not for anything you might have done, but by his grace alone. And what comfort that brings! Since it’s nothing we earned, we can’t un-earn it. God won’t change his mind. The teams are set and we’re on his team.

“You are a… royal priesthood…” You are royalty—a prince or princess. That means that we don’t find our identity in our family tree, but in being a part of God’s family. We have been adopted by him at each of our baptisms. You are his son or daughter—a son or daughter of the King. And he treats you like royalty by his grace.

And you are a priesthood. Old Testament priests had access to God. They could approach him. They could pray to him. And they were called to serve him. And you too, through Christ, have access to God. You can pray to him 24-7 like a little kid talking to dad. That means that we don’t find our identity in our job or profession, but in our new job as priest of God, eager to work for him.

“You are a… holy nation…” You are a people who have been set apart from sin. You are a people who have been set apart for God. That means that we don’t find our identity in being Americans, citizens of the United States, but as Christians, citizens of a heavenly kingdom that we’re in now and will fully enjoy one day soon in heaven.

“You are a… people belonging to God…” You belong to God. And that means that you’re not an outsider anymore, but belong. And as his possession, you know that he’s going to protect you. He’s going to take care of you. That means that we don’t find our identity in our toys, or our homes, or in how much we own, but in who owns us. We belong to God.

Do you see what God thinks of you? He thinks you’re pretty special. He think’s your holy. He thinks you’re awesome! So see yourself as God sees you. While there is no room for self-esteem, you ought to have Christ-esteem. See yourself as Christ sees you. “Who do you think you are?” You are special. You are holy. You are awesome. That’s what God says of you!

And as you see yourself through God’s eyes it will impact what you do. You’ll live differently. You will “live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds…” And when you fail, you’ll try again. And you’ll do better at life.

So “let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds…” (Matthew 5:16) Live such good lives that no accusations against you can stick because your reputation precedes you—you are known as someone who would never do what you’re accused of doing. And be different. Be weird, “abstain[ing] from sinful desires” “as aliens and strangers in the world…” Don’t live like everyone else, but as a Christian. And others will notice. They’ll ask you what makes you different. And you’ll have a wonderful opportunity to respond and “declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Then hearing of God’s grace, they too might come to faith in him and, “glorify God on the day he visits us.”

“Who do you think you are?” You know that you are the most valuable, the most important, the most successful people there are. You belong to God. You are his own, hand-picked by him. You are royalty—sons and daughters of the King! You are holy and sinless in his sight. With this as your identity, go and “declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” In Jesus’ name, dear friends, amen.


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

Listen to sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Podcast
Watch services online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Webcast

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

It's Time to Boast and Brag (A sermon based on 1 Corinthians 1:26-31)

My Seahawks surprised everyone this weekend by not just beating the Broncos, but by soundly defeating them for the Super Bowl Championship. It's been hard not to boast and brag. But when it comes to our own accomplishments, there is no room to boast and brag, especially not before God. We have sinned against him and deserve nothing good. But in Christ, we have everything! We have forgiveness, we have peace with God, we're his dearly loved children, we have a victory that's far better than any Super Bowl ring! And that's something to boast about! Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 and be encouraged to boast in the Lord...

It’s Time to Boast and Brag

A sermon based on 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Sunday, February 2, 2014 – Epiphany 4A

“Well, I’m the best corner in the game! When you try me with a sorry receiver like Crabtree, that’s the result you gonna get! Don’t you EVER talk about me… Don’t you open your mouth about the best. Or I’m gonna shut it for you real quick,” said Richard Sherman of Michael Crabtree after deflecting a pass intended for him in the NFC Championship game, securing a spot for the Seattle Seahawks in this afternoon’s Super Bowl.

“I’m the best corner in the game.” Sherman has had some interesting sound bites, but what do you think of that one? “I’m the best corner in the game.” Even it is true—and that’s yet to be seen, right?—it’s not really for him to declare. But it’s not just Sherman, is it?

Doesn’t it seem to you that some NFL players spend more time practicing their end zone dance than their football game? Do you know a guy at work that just loves to talk about himself? Maybe it’s just someone who loves to talk about their problems. Why do you think that is? Why do people talk and act as if the they were the greatest or the world revolved around them? The answer is pride.

And we all have it. We all love to hear a word of praise for a job well done. We all love to talk about ourselves. We love to think we’re better than other people. Surely, I’m better than Richard Sherman. I’m not so proud. J

And the Corinthians had a lot of pride too. They loved to boast. They would boast of their knowledge, of their power, of their nobility, of all the great things they had done, and how wise they were to align themselves with the right leader.

But Paul reminded them that they didn’t really have much to boast about. They weren’t that great. If fact, they had nothing to boast about before God. Paul recognized that this pride was really the opposite of faith. They forgot how much they needed Christ. So Paul wrote them to humble them and lead them to trust in God again; to remind them that though they were nothing, God in his grace made them everything.

And we in our pride need to hear that message too. Paul tells us that it is time to boast and to brag, but not in our sinful selves, but rather in our gracious God. Listen once more to Paul’s humbling words of God’s grace as they’re recorded for us in 1 Corinthians 1:26-31…

 

26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

 

I.              Not in Our Sinful Selves (v.26-29)

 

If the Corinthians thought they were pretty great, Paul knew how to remind them of what they once had been. He writes, “Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.” In a sense Paul says to them, “If God wanted the wise and powerful, then why in the world did he call you?” Very few of the Corinthian Christians were statesmen or nobles. Few had great wealth or a great amount of influence. Not many were scholars in any sense of the word. In fact, most people thought of these Christians as pretty dumb.

Not long after Paul wrote these words, a man stood before a wall in Rome to draw some graffiti. He wrote a simple sentence, “Alexamenos worships his god,” and illustrated it with a picture. On the left is Alexamenos standing with his hand upraised to praise his god. On the right is a figure stretched out on a cross. But in the drawing the figure stretched out on the cross doesn’t have the head of a man but the head of a donkey. With this drawing, the graffiti artist showed what he thought of Alexamenos and those who worship Christ. You might as well worship a donkey as believe in a crucified Jesus as your Savior!

The Corinthians weren’t thought of too highly by society. By the world’s standards they were fools. That’s rough, right? Worried these Corinthians might have a low self-esteem? Well, the truth is it wasn’t low enough. In fact, the Corinthians self-esteem couldn’t get too low, because not only did they have nothing to boast about before others, but these Corinthians had even less to boast about before God. What did God think of them? Paul tells us in verse 27…

But God chose the foolish things of the world… God chose the weak things of the world… He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not…” Even though the Corinthians boasted that they were so great, Paul reminded them that they were fools, weak, lowly, despised, nothing… by God’s reckoning. They had no reason to boast in themselves. On their own, they were completely sinful and corrupt. There was nothing good in these Corinthians that could win God’s favor or cause him to love them.

And even if they were the wisest scholars on the face of the earth, their wisdom could never figure out how to save themselves from hell. Even if they were the most powerful rulers, their army could never defeat God in his wrath. They were doomed to hell because far from being of a noble birth, they were born completely corrupted by sin.

And are things much different today? Christians today are still thought to be fools who might as well worship a donkey. Do you really believe that the entire Bible is true? Do you really believe a book written thousands of years ago could be without errors? Do really believe that Jesus could do miracles? Do you really think that by believing what that book says, you’ll have eternal life? How ridiculous!

But far worse is that we still have the same sinful pride as those Corinthians. At times we think we’re pretty smart. We think if we only work hard at it, we can make God love us by our sincere intentions. We think that we’re pretty good people after all. But God shows us that we’re nothing; not just in the eyes of the world, but in his eyes.

He tells us that we are born in sin with even our most righteous acts are like filthy rags, that we can never live up to his standard of perfection, that we deserve hell for our sins, and that no matter how smart or powerful we are, we can never save ourselves from his wrath.

Dwight Moody once said, “It is well that man cannot save himself; for if a man could only work his way to heaven, you would never hear the last of it. Why, if a man happens to get a little ahead of his fellows and scrapes a few thousand dollars together, you’ll hear him boast of being a self-made man. I’ve heard so much of this sort of talk that I am sick and tired of the whole business; and I am glad that through all eternity in heaven we will never hear anyone bragging of how he worked his way to get there.”

It’s true that on our own, we have nothing to boast about before God. So don’t boast and brag like Richard Sherman, but repent of your pride and recognizing that you can never be saved by anything you do, trust entirely in his grace…

 

II.            But in Our Gracious God (v.30-31)

 

Though the Corinthians were once nothing in themselves, though they had nothing to boast about, now everything was different. Though God saw them as nothings he still loved them. And he took action. Paul reminded the Corinthians in verse 30, It is because of [God] that you are in Christ Jesus…” God chose them, not because of anything they did, but entirely by his grace. And he sent his only Son to turn everything upside down! He says, It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.”

In Christ, that is by faith in him, their status changed. They were no longer foolish, but had more wisdom than the wisest of scholars because they knew of God’s grace in Christ who had become their righteousness. When Christ died on the cross, he paid for their every sin and gave them his perfect righteousness. They were declared to be sinless by God. So Christ became their holiness, their sanctification. They were set apart to live holy lives of service to God in grateful appreciation for saving them when they were nothing. And Christ became their redemption. He bought them out of hell with his blood and would soon complete their redemption when he took them home to the glories of heaven.

What wisdom was theirs! They knew the secret to eternal life! What power! They could cheat death itself! What nobility! They were the sons and daughters of God! “Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.’” Now, they could boast. They could boast in their new status and tell everyone of God’s amazing love for them! They could boast in the middle of persecution and ridicule, “I don’t care what you think. God loves me so much! Just look at what he did for me!”

And now we too can boast! We too, like those Corinthians have had a wonderful change of status. Everything has been turned upside down for us too! Not because of ourselves, but because of God’s grace. Though we deserve to be damned, though we deserve to be in hell, God interfered. He sent his Son to be our righteousness! We have been declared to be without sin by his death on the cross in our place. Our sinful pride has been removed as far as the East is from the West! He has become our holiness! We are perfect saints who live to serve God in love! And he will be our redemption when he comes on the Last Day to take us to eternal glory!

Though we were once nothing, now, in Christ, we have everything! Though once we were foolish, now we are wise. We know the truth of God’s Word which makes us wise to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:15) Though once we were weak, now we are strong. We can do everything through Christ who gives us strength. (Philippians 4:13) Though once we were lowly, in our baptism we have been born again as the most noble sons and daughters of God!

You know Richard Sherman isn’t the only Seahawk to be making some pretty big boasts. He just got the most press coverage. In an interview earlier this month, defensive coach, Rocky Seto, said, “Who knows what's going to happen, but if we were ever to win the Super Bowl… [we will] tell everyone that Jesus is still better, because as much as we worship this thing called 'the ring' in a championship, although we would like to have one for sure, …if that happens… Jesus is way better still… If you have Jesus it's still going to be awesome, win or lose.”

The Seahawks free safety, Chris Maragos, added, “To understand where we've reached, which is in the world's view quote-unquote 'the pinnacle,' you really see how empty that is. Having Jesus in my life, you really see how important that is because you see that He is everything.”

And Russel Wilson ended the interview, “When we are battling with something, or struggles, whatever it may be, when we are at our highest point as well… Jesus has always been there. He'll never leave you, never forsake you.”

This afternoon we’ll find out who the best team in the NFL is—at least for 2014. But win or lose, that victory won’t be worth boasting about. But Jesus—he’s always worth boasting about! So brothers and sisters in Christ, it’s time to boast and brag, so brag away! But don’t boast in your wisdom, your strength, or your riches, because on your own, you’re nothing. Instead, boast in the Lord! Boast that by his grace, he has given you Christ, your righteousness, your holiness, your redemption. Amen.


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

Listen to sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Podcast
Watch services online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Webcast