Monday, May 30, 2016

You Can Handle the Truth With An Amazing Faith! (A sermon based on Luke 7:1-10)

How do you amaze Jesus? Is it even possible? A Roman centurion did it. He amazed Jesus with his amazing faith! And you and I can amaze Jesus too as we trust in him the way that centurion did: With a humble faith that recognizes how unworthy of Jesus' help we are, with a confident faith that trusts in his gracious promises because of who he is and what he's done, and with a selfless faith that puts the needs of others ahead of our own. Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on Luke 7:1-10 and rejoice that...

You Can Handle the Truth

With An Amazing Faith!

A sermon based on Luke 7:1-10

Sunday, May 29th, 2016 – Pentecost 3C

 

Capernaum is amazing! It was by far my favorite city to visit on my Holy Land tour. The "Village of Comfort," as it's known, was where Peter, James, John, Andrew, and Matthew all called home before they left it to become Jesus' disciples. It was the town that Jesus made his headquarters for a large part of his ministry, and where he called home for that time.

And yet, what amazed me was that in spite of the prominence of this city in the Bible and, in particular, in Jesus' ministry, when I visited this place almost 2,000 years after Jesus did, it still looked remarkably the same. Of course, the buildings were in ruins and a modern church had been constructed over Peter's house (which was used as a church—a place for believers to gather—ever since our Savior met believers there).

But unlike Jerusalem or Bethleham or most of the rest of the Holy Land, it wasn't covered in gift shops. Vendors didn't line the streets selling vials of water from the Sea of Galilee or T-shirts that read, "I walked where Jesus walked." In fact, even with the lone gift shop that sat near the entrance to the small town, it was easy to imagine 1st century fishermen and tradesmen coming and going on the busy streets of that active little fishing village, with tax collectors and Roman soldiers keeping busy on the town that sat right on the trade route to the rest of the world.

It really was my favorite place. It was easy to imagine Jesus there in the small village that must have been a lot like Kenai. I found it truly amazing and I do long to go back there someday.

But… far more amazing than the ruins of that ancient city, are the events that took place there. Can you imagine visiting Peter's sick mother-in-law in bed, not wanting to say it out loud lest you upset Peter, but secretly wondering if she would survive this one, then having her serve you some food that same day after Jesus miraculously made the fever leave her? Can you imagine fishing out on a small boat with a man from whom Jesus had cast out a demon, now perfectly sane and helping you cast out the net while he talks about that day? Can you imagine eating some fish at the house of man once crippled, but lowered through a roof to meet Jesus and not only be healed, but also forgiven of all his sin? Can you imagine hosting Jairus at a party at your house and hearing him tell the story for umpteenth time of how Jesus brought his daughter back to life after she'd died? What amazing things happened in Capernaum!

Now thinking of all the amazing things that Jesus did at Capernaum, can you think of anything that could possibly amaze him?! After all, what could be done to impress the one who has literally seen it all before? How can you astonish the God who created the cosmos? Can anything amaze Jesus? Actually, yes. That amazing feat was also carried out in Capernaum, and by a Roman centurion, nonetheless, not a Jew!

Do you want to know his secret? Do you want to impress, astound, and amaze Jesus too? You can. Listen to our text for this morning, recorded for us in Luke 7:1-10, and hear about this centurion's amazing faith that left Jesus himself stunned…

 

When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2 There a centurion's servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, "This man deserves to have you do this, 5 because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue." 6 So Jesus went with them.

He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel." 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

 

I.      Have a Humble Faith 

How do you wow Jesus? The Jewish elders thought they knew how: show Jesus your power. If you can command 100 men to jump and they ask, "How high?" well, that's impressive. Want to wow Jesus? Show him your wealth. Do you have the cash to single-handedly pay for the construction of your own church building (or, in this case, synagogue)? Wow! Now that's a lot of money! Want to wow Jesus? Show him your dedication. Do you love the nation of Israel, even though you're not an Israelite yourself? Do you love them enough to spend your cash to build them a synagogue?

If you had these things, power, wealth, and dedication, then you could really impress Jesus. Then you would be worthy of his help in your time of need. Then this miracle worker sort of owed you something. "This man deserves to have you do this," they said "because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue."

But none of these things impressed Jesus all that much. No. It was the humble faith with which the centurion approached Jesus that impressed him so much. When everyone else said, "Wow! What a great guy this is! Look at all he's done! If anyone is worthy of Jesus' time and attention it's this guy!' He sent messengers to say on his behalf, "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you."

Not puffed up by pride, but full of humility, he recognized how unworthy he was to come before Jesus. And Jesus was amazed at this man's humble faith!

 

How about you? Do you want to impress Jesus? Then it's not to be done by showing him all the great things you've done. "Look, Jesus, I may not have the power to command 100 men, but… I do have the power to command my own schedule. And thought I could be anywhere else right now, doing 100 other things, I'm here in your house, worshiping you. No, I may not be that wealthy, certainly not wealthy enough to single-handedly build two more classrooms at Grace on my own dime, but…  doesn't that make the few dollars that I do give you an even more generous gift as I give from the little that I have? And dedication? Well, just look at all the things I've done for you, Jesus! I've not only given my time and dollars, but my efforts. Look at the countless hours I've spent serving you, the friendships I've risked in talking about you, the ways I've gone out of my way to serve you! Jesus, arent' you impressed by all I've given and done?"

And he answers bluntly, "No. Not really. Not at all." As he told his disciples in Luke 17(:7-10), he says to us: "Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'"

No. Jesus is not impressed by all the "great things" we do when we're supposed to be doing these things perfectly all the time every day!

So how do you impress Jesus? How could you ever impress him? Ironically, you impress Jesus the most when you admit that you're not very impressive. Humble yourself before God. Confess to him that you are not worthy of his love because of your perfect church attendance record. Confess to him that you're not worthy of his blessings because of all of the offerings that you've brought to him from those blessings. Confess that you're not worthy of his kindness because of all the kind things you've done for others. Confess that you are completely and entirely unworthy of Jesus because you are, by your very nature sinful and unclean, and because you have given ample evidence of that sinful nature by your sinful thoughts, words, and actions. Humbly cry to God, "Lord… I do not deserve to have you come under my roof… I [do] not… consider myself worthy to come to you." Humble yourself before God and you'll amaze Jesus!

 

II.    Have a Confident Faith 

Now this centurion didn't just amaze Jesus by his humble faith. Plenty of sad and depressed people have considered themselves unworthy of Jesus and his love. And plenty of people have died despairing under the weight of their own unworthiness. But this centurion's faith didn't end with his own unworthiness. It also clung to God's graciousness. It's wasn't just a humble faith, it was also a confident faith, that trusted that Jesus had the power and authority and willingness to help in his need. He trusted that Jesus could help when no one else could. He trusted that Jesus would help when no one else could.

"Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

This man not only confessed that he was unworthy to have Jesus come under his roof, but he also confessed that it was entirely unnecessary for Jesus to do so! He recognized that Jesus power extended beyond what he could see, that Jesus could heal sickness and disease remotely! He didn't even need to visit the patient to diagnose the problem. And he had full confidence that Jesus could do it! He didn't say, "Say the word, and my servant will be healed," or "Say the word, and my servant," has a chance! But he expressed his confident faith: "Say the word, and my servant will be healed." What an amazing faith!

And verse 3 tells us how this centurion could have such an amazing faith: "The centurion heard of Jesus…" Of course, we don't know exactly how much this man heard about Jesus, but we do know that the Word worked! "Faith comes by hearing the message…" (Romans 10:17) He heard and he believed! He felt unworthy, and indeed he was unworthy. But his unworthiness didn't stop him from making his bold request. He trusted in Jesus' power and in Jesus' grace. And Jesus was amazed at his confident faith!

 

And you too, dear friends, have heard the message. You have seen who Jesus is even more clearly than this centurion had that day. You know he is more than just a miracle worker! He is your Savior! He, who is the only one truly worthy of God's praise, gave up his heavenly Kingdom to live in a little fishing village like Capernaum. Why? So that he might live a perfect life in your place! He came that he might take your unworthiness on himself, that he might pay for it all on the cross, that he might endure hell itself to take away your sin! That's how much you are worth to Jesus!

So don't let your unworthiness stop you from having a confident faith! In fact, your faith can only be that confident when you realize that your salvation doesn't depend on you or your worthiness, but only and entirely on Jesus and what he's done for you in living perfectly, dying innocently, and rising victoriously.

And if he loves you enough to endure hell for you, then you can be absolutely certain that he will keep the promise that he's made to you in 1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." You can be absolutely certain that he will keep the promise that he's made to you in John 14:13: "And I will do whatever you ask in my name…" You can be absolutely certain that he will keep the promise that he's made to you in Romans 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." You too can have such a confident faith that boldly trusts God's promises and clings to his Word. And you too can amaze Jesus!

 

III.   Have a Selfless Faith 

And finally, the third aspect of this centurion's faith that was so amazing, was how selfless it was. Notice what he did—and did not—ask for: "The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant."

Now, in verse 3, the word that's translated "servant" could be translated "servant" or "slave." But the word in verse 7, that's translated "servant" is really "son." That's significant because it shows the centurion's selfless heart.

You see, he wasn't asking Jesus to heal the servant because the death of this man would mean financial loss or because it meant a hassle if he had to go to market to get a new slave. He didn't ask Jesus to heal the man because he was such a faithful worker and it would be a huge inconvenience to find a new employee as loyal and hardworking as this man. He didn't ask for Jesus' help for his own gain, but for someone else. He valued this man, not just for the work that he did, but for who he was. This centurion had a selfless faith that put the needs of others first, ahead of his own. And that selfless faith left Jesus amazed!

 

So too, we know how much Jesus cares for us. We place all our confidence in him and know that we have nothing to worry about. That confidence then frees us to stop worrying about ourselves so much! It frees us to stop worry about ourselves at all! Now we too can live to serve others. We can pray to God on behalf of others.

And instead of praying, "Give me this, God. Give me that," we can pray, "Thank you, God, for giving me all that I need in Christ. Thank you, God, for giving me so much more! Now help me use the gifts that you give me to serve others. Help me to share with them the truths of their own unworthiness and of your amazing grace that they too can put their complete confidence in you. Help me to provide for the physical needs of others that it might open the door to enable to me to meet their spiritual needs as well. Help me to give generously of the gifts that you've given to me to carry out that work! "

We too can have a selfless faith. And we too can amaze Jesus!

What amazing things took place in Capernaum! Jesus healed another man of his disease! And he did it remotely, without even meeting the man! A centurion amazed Jesus himself with his humble faith, with his confident faith, with his selfless faith. Now, let us go do some amazing things! Let's wow Jesus with our amazing that recognizes our unworthiness before him, that puts our complete trust in him, that puts others and their needs ahead of ourselves. In Jesus' name, dear friends, let's go amaze him! 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

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Monday, May 23, 2016

You Can Handle the Truth! (A sermon based on John 16:12-15)

The truth isn't always easy. It can be hard to understand and it can be even harder to take. The truth is that, on our own, we can't handle the truth. But thank God that he sent his Holy Spirit to reveal to us the truth and help us to believe it: That God the Father gave his Son for us, that God the Son gave his life for us, and that God the Holy Spirit gave us faith to believe it. Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on John 16:12-15 and rejoice that by the grace of our Triune God, we can handle the truth.

 You Can Handle the Truth!
A sermon based on John 16:12-15
Sunday, May 22, 2016 - Trinity Sunday C 

I'm sure you're familiar with scene from the 1992 movie classic, A Few Good Men, where Lieutenant Kaffee, a Navy lawyer played by Tom Cruise, questions Colonel Nathan Jessep (played by Jack Nicholson) on the stand. Jessep challenges, "You want answers?" Kaffee replies, "I think I'm entitled to them." Jessep repeats, "You want answers?" to which Kaffee shouts, "I want the truth!" And then, Colonel Nathan Jessep responds with one of the best known and most parodied lines in recent film: "You can't handle the truth!" 

On the night before his death, perhaps on his way to the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus told his disciples something similar, "You can't handle the truth... at least, not yet." But he promised that he would send his Spirit to them soon to make the truths that they could not know on their own, clear... so they could handle the truth. 

Likewise, it is true that "You can't handle the truth!" Not all of it. Not right now. And neither can I. But God the Father sends his Holy Spirit to reveal the Son to us. The Triune God enables us to handle the truth, at least all we need to handle to obtain eternal life with him. 

Listen now to Jesus' promise that his disciples (both then and now) could handle the truth by his grace. This promise is recorded for us in John 16:12-15… 

12"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

I. You Can't Handle the Truth... On Your Own 

Imagine how the disciples must have felt that night. In an act of deep humility Jesus gets down and washes his disciples feet, later, at the Passover celebration he institutes a new sacrament giving them not the body of the lamb, but his body, not just a cup of wine, but his blood. Then he speaks to them of his departure—that is, his death—telling them that they cannot come where he is going. And when they're already plenty confused, and full of questions, Jesus tells them, "Though "I have much more to say to you," I can't tell you any more, because all that I have to say is, "more than you can now bear." In other words, "You can't handle the truth!"

Friends, the same is often true of us. The truth is that we can't handle the truth. We can't handle every truth of God and fit it inside our heads. How God could be three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) in one God, where the persons of God cannot ever be separated or mixed, defies human logic. How Jesus could be 100% God and at the same time 100% man, not 50% of each, nor a 200% hybrid, but fully God and at the same time fully human, is beyond our understanding. That in, with, and under the bread and wine that we see, smell, and taste in the Lord's Supper is the very body and blood of Jesus, goes against human wisdom. And the very heart and core of the Christian faith, that Jesus Christ, true, immortal God, who cannot die, died on a cross in our place… well, it seems to defy reason itself.

You want answers? You want answers? You want the truth? Well, you can't handle the truth! But make no mistake. That doesn't mean these things are not true. It just means that we cannot handle those truths as God himself said in 1 Corinthians 1:25: "the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom."

Try explaining how to fill out a federal tax form to a 4 year old. It's not that it's impossible to understand the tax code. (I hear there are some accountants who actually do understand it.) It's just that the concepts go waaaaay over the kid's head. No matter how you explain it, that 4 year-old is simply not capable of understanding the concepts. LIkewise, the truths of God are not ir-rational, that is, they make no sense. Rather, they are supra-rational. They make sense to God (somehow), they just go waaaaay over my head. I can't get them. 

But these supra-rational truths aren't the only truths I don't get. You see, I can't handle the truth of my sinful condition either... not on my own. It is more than I can bear. On my own, I can't handle the truth, not because it defies my logic or understanding, but because I am by nature spiritually dead and hostile to God. I choose not to believe it. 

In his rant from the witness stand, Colonel Jessep tried to justify his command that resulted in a man's death. He told Lieutenant Kaffee, "You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives... You don't want the truth. Because deep down, in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall. You need me on that wall."

Jessep argued that Kaffee couldn't handle the truth, not because it went over his head, but because he didn't really want the truth. In a similar way, we don't want to hear the truth of our sin. We don't want to hear that we are dead, blind, and lost in our spiritual condition before God. We don't want to hear that we are incapable of change. And so, on our own, we can't handle the truth. 

But God lovingly reveals it to us. He makes us face the truth of who we are by nature. But he does this so we might confess to him and turn to him for help. Because he knows that on our own, we can never discover the truth of his solution. We cannot sit in a corner and meditate, or search the earth to find that truth. But God -- the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- remedies that situation. He gives us the truth. And he enables us to handle the truth for our salvation...

        
II. You Can Handle the Truth... By God's Grace

Jesus didn't end his dialog with the disciples with, "[What] I have... to say to you [is] more than you can now bear." but continued... "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you."

If I walk into the unoccupied house of a man I've never met, I might learn a few things about him. I might learn his decorating preferences, and what he likes to eat, I might learn about his sense of style, about the meds he takes, or even something of his profession or his family. But I cannot know his thoughts, his feelings, his attitudes. But if I should find that man's diary, where he's recorded his thoughts, his ambitions, his feelings, well, then I'd get a glimpse into his soul. 

Likewise, by observing his creation alone, no one can know the heart of God. But that doesn't mean we can't know the heart of God. For God reveals his heart and his attitude toward us, not in a diary, but by his Holy Spirit, through the Word.

Did you hear the progression in Jesus' promise? "All that belongs to the Father is mine." God gave all truth to Jesus. Jesus in turn gave all truth to the Spirit. Jesus said, "The Spirit of truth... will speak only what he hears, and he will... [take] from what is mine..." And in turn, the Spirit gives that truth to you and to me. "He will guide you into all truth... he will tell you what is yet to come... making [what is mine] known to you. " This [holding the Bible] is God's "diary" where he makes his heart known to you.

This is what we confess in Martin Luther's explanation to the third article of the Apostles' Creed: "I believe that I cannot by my own thinking or choosing believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts..." God the Father has sent his Holy Spirit to reveal the person and the work of the Son. When we could not handle the truth, or even know it, God made it known.

You know what Jesus has done for you: How he lived a perfect life in your place, never committing any sin or doing anything wrong. You know how he took your sin, your imperfections, your mistakes all on himself. You know how he took your punishment on himself on the cross and how he gave his perfection to you.

You know God's heart. You know God's great love for you, clearly revealed in Jesus, by the Holy Spirit! And by God's grace—the grace of the Triune God!—you and I can handle the truth!

And as we rest in the truth of what God has done for us in Christ and revealed to us by the Spirit, we can handle the rest, trusting even those truths we can't fully understand. 

My boys still don't understand the tax code or know the difference between a 1040 and WD-40. (Let's face it, I don't get clergy tax law.) But I can also tell you that they don't care. They don't want to know what a 1040 or a W-2 or a Schedule A are. They're not worried about a visit from the IRS. They don't need to know about any of that stuff because they're confident that their dad will take care of all that stuff so they don't have to. And they know that because because they know their dad loves them. 

Likewise, what God has revealed to us, we believe. We know he loves us—enough to die for us!—enough to suffer hell for us! And he's left plenty for us to study that we can understand. Let's concern ourselves with that. [Again, holding the Bible.] Let's diligently study what he has revealed right here. The rest, that we can't understand, need not concern us.

But rejoice in the truth, dear friends! You can handle the truth! For in love for you, God the Father has revealed through God the Holy Spirit what you need to know about God the Son and his sacrifice for you! So, keep handling the truth. Handle it every day. Don't worry about what you can't understand. But what God has revealed, that you can understand. So read it, learn it, study it, memorize it, and by it grow in your faith! For by God's grace, you can handle the truth! And that's a gift that we cannot take for granted! 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

Have you been blessed by our ministry at Grace? Consider supporting us with your generous gifts. Give securely online with a check or credit or debit card here: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Give

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

A Breath of Fresh Air (A sermon based on John 15:26-27)

Air is such a big part of our lives. It lifts the planes that fly us and goods around the globe. It stops buses and trucks. It fills our lungs. We need air to live. Likewise, we need the Holy Spirit to live. He breathes spiritual life into our lifeless souls. But he also fans into flame our zeal to live for him and to share our faith. Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on John 15:25-26 and let the Spirit fan your faith into flame with his breath of fresh air! 

A Breath of Fresh Air
A sermon based on John 15:26-27
Sunday, May 15, 2016 - Pentecost C 

You can't see it. You can't smell it. You can rarely feel it. And most of the time you forget that it's there. Yet, it's so important that without it, our economy would certainly be much worse than it is. Our military might would be much weaker. And it's no exaggeration to say that our very lives would end with out it. We need… air.

And how powerful it is, holding up massive cargo planes at hundreds or thousands of feet in the sky, indefinitely. When air is out of control, it can rip trees out of the ground and wipe out entire towns. When air is under control it can bring commercial buses and tractor trailers to a halt. It can break thick concrete on a freeway or tighten the lug nuts on your car's wheels.

And besides all of these displays of power, air is what keeps you alive every minute. If all of the air was removed from this room, within 15 minutes we would all become brain damaged. A few minutes after that, we would all be dead. Air is a necessity for life. And though, for the most part, we ignore it as it quietly goes about its business, every once in a while we are reminded of its awesome power and influence in our lives.

The Bible talks a lot about air. In the Old Testament it is called "ruach," in the New Testament "pneuma." Sometimes the Bible translates it "breath," sometimes "wind," sometimes "Spirit." And sometimes in the New Testament the Greek word "hagios" is put in front of "pnemua" so that it reads "Holy Wind" or "Holy Spirit."

Today we celebrate the Day of Pentecost, a day when we are especially reminded of the Holy Spirit's awesome power and influence in our lives. We're reminded how we cannot live without him. But he gives us a breath of fresh air -- of life-giving air -- in bringing us the Gospel. And by that gospel he gives us the ability to share the Gospel with others and fans into flames our zeal to do it. Listen to Jesus' promise of Pentecost and the breath of fresh air the Spirit would bring, recorded in John 15:26-27...

 

26"When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. 27And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

 

I. The Spirit Enables Us to See Jesus 

A pastor once commented that it's too bad we don't offer private confession to our members the way we once did. To hear the comfort of forgiveness spoken directly and personally to you as an individual struggling with a sin, can be a wonderful and freeing moment, like a breath of fresh air. But another pastor responded, "Actually we do offer private confession. And our members use it often. We just don't call it private confession. We call it counseling. There we hear of the sins that infect our members' lives, we personally and individually assure them of Jesus' forgiveness, and we show them what this forgiveness means in their day to day lives."

Likewise, this is really the job description of the Holy Spirit. Jesus called him the Counselor, literally the Paraclete, the "one called to the side," who speaks the truth. He doesn't just hear of the sins that infect us, but he points them out. He's called the Spirit of truth, because that's all he speaks: the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

First, he speaks the truth of who we are. He testifies about Jesus that he is perfect, sinless, and holy... everything that we're not. He points out God's standard for us as Jesus put it in Matthew 5:48 in the sermon on the mount, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." We may try to pretend that we're perfect or at least pretty good. We all cover up and hide our secret attitudes and thoughts. But the Holy Spirit speaks the truth. He shows us how we've denied the truth at times turning the 10 commandments into 10 suggestions. And to our great shame, he points out the horrible, ugly, damning thing that sin is. It's to us too, not just those at Pentecost that he says, "You, with the help of wicked men, put [Jesus] to death by nailing him to the cross." (Acts 2:23)

With one little puff he blows down the straw house we build around ourselves and exposes our sin for what it is: toxic and poisonous fumes. Sin is the poison that chokes the life out of us and leaves us spiritually dead. And just like one trapped in an airtight container with the breathable air running out, there was no chance of escape on our own. We were bound to die, not just physically, but eternally in hell.

And in stepped the Holy Spirit again to share with us the truth. "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me." And that's exactly what the Holy Spirit did.

The poor woman went out too far in the ocean, the rip tide caught her and pulled her under. By the time the lifeguard had dragged her back to shore, she wasn't breathing. But the lifeguard was trained in CPR. He began to pump on her chest and breathe deeply into her lungs. Before long, she coughed up the brine in her lungs and started breathing again. In a similar way, the Holy Spirit has breathed spiritual life into us when we were dead in our sin.

He opened the door of the airtight container. He opened our eyes to see Jesus for who he is: the sinless Son of God. He open our minds to understand what he did for us on the cross, taking our place as God administered his full justice and wrath against our sin. He showed us how Jesus breathed his last as he died for us. He's And he's opened our hearts to believe these precious truths in spite of ourselves. Through the Word (whether read or heard) and through the Sacrament of Baptism, he's breathed life into us as he created the very faith that's in our hearts. And with a puff he's blown away every one of our sins so they're sent sailing as far as the east is from the west, as high as the heavens are above the earth! What a breath of life-giving, fresh air!

And to our great delight the Spirit continues to keep us in the faith, through the Word and through the Lord's Supper, reminding us again and again how Jesus took away our every sin! He reminds us how Jesus rose from the dead to guarantee our victory! He reminds us in those beautiful words of absolution, "Your sins are forgiven," that God does not and cannot hold any sin against us anymore! The Holy Spirit will not assign any penance to perform. He will not point you to your feelings. But will always point you to that sweet breath of fresh air: that Jesus has forgiven you of every sin!

And that's not all. The Holy Spirit doesn't just breath spiritual life into us, but he fans our faith into a bright, burning flame that cannot be contained! He not only enables us to see Jesus, but he also motivates and enables us to share Jesus.

 

II. The Spirit Enables Us to Share Jesus 

You know that fire needs three things to burn: Heat, fuel, and air. When the service is over this morning, one of the ushers will snuff out the candles on the altar. And to do so, they don't even need to touch the wicks, but simply cover them up. Without air, the flame cannot continue. That's why you see the camper who's struggling to get the campfire started, down on hands and knees blowing gently on the flames. Feeding it oxygen or using the billows, fans the smaller flame into a raging fire.

Likewise, in our Christian lives, the Holy Spirit breathes a breath of fresh air through the Word and Lord's Supper to fan our faith into flames to keep our faith burning brightly, even raging out of control so we cannot contain it! Jesus told his disciples: "the Spirit of truth... will testify about me. And you also must testify..." It would be their job to, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." (cf. Mark 16:15) But they wouldn't do this job alone. The Holy Spirit would help them every step of the way, just as Jesus promised in Acts 1:8: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses... to the ends of the earth."

And this job, this Great Commission of making disciples of all nations (cf. Matthew 28:19), belongs to us too (since Jesus said it would last "to the very end of of the age" - cf. Matthew 28:20). And we are not alone in our task either. The Holy Spirit promises to help us in our task. Remember what Peter told the new Christians on Pentecost? "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call." (Acts 2:38-39) And that last phrase -- "for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call." -- includes us!

We have received the gift of the Holy Spirit! And he helps us in our task! With the gospel he fans into flame the zeal of your hearts so you're fired up to share with others the beautful truth that Jesus has paid for their sins, just as he's paid for yours! We can't help but talk about the exciting thing he's done for us.

Now you might be thinking, "I could never be like Peter and stand up in front of a crowd of over 3,000  people and talk about Jesus. I have difficulty giving a report at my job in front of a handful of co-workers. I'm not qualified to talk about religion or about Jesus!" Dear friends, witnesses, testifiers, remember how the Holy Spirit describes you through that same Peter? In I Peter 2:9 he wrote, "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." You are qualified to talk about what the Holy Spirit has done for you!

In fact, you testify right here in church as you witness to one another confessing the faith you share. You already witnessed to your neighbors when they heard the car doors shut and your car pull out and they knew where you were going. Now use that opportunity to tell them why you give up some extra sleep each Sunday morning. Witness through those relationships you've already established at work, in school, or in your own family.

And you know the best part? The Holy Spirit is the one who works through the Word that you share. It's his job to breath a breath of fresh air into them, to bring them to faith, and to resuscitate them with his breath of life.

So, pray to the Holy Spirit asking him to breath into you a breath of fresh air and fan your faith into a blazing fire that cannot be contained. Pray that he would help you to see the opportunities to share your faith -- the opportunities that surround you. Pray that he would give you the words to say when those opportunities come -- his words of truth.

How the air in the sky can hold up a massive jet is incredible. That it can break through concrete or rip trees out of the ground is amazing! That it is an integral part of our everyday life is undeniable. But better by far is how the Wind, the "pneuma," the Spirt, works. By his Gospel, he breathes a breathe of fresh air into us. He displays his awesome power by breathing life into the dead! He displays his ceaseless grace by keeping us strong in our faith as we continue to breathe in the life-giving Gospel! He shows his love by breathing through us and through our words, the Word of life into the hearts and souls of others! Take a deep breath, friends, and thank God for his breath of fresh air! In Jesus' name, and by his Spirit, 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

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Monday, May 9, 2016

​The Kingdom is Restored (A sermon based on Acts 1:1-11)

The kingdom of God is restored! It's restored to us by Jesus work which is complete. How do we know? He wouldn't have left if there were still work for him to do. It is finished! Our salvation is won! But... he's left work for us to do -- not to earn his forgiveness, but to thank him for it -- we're eager to be his witnesses and expand the kingdom as we share the message of his grace. Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on Acts 1:1-11 and rejoice in Jesus' ascension and be Jesus' witness! 

Rise and Witness!
​​
The Kingdom is Restored
A sermon based on Acts 1:1-11
Sunday, May 8, 2016 – Ascension Sunday C

Chuck's mom wasn't doing well. It honestly didn't look she had much time left on this earth. While her body was shutting down, her mind was still sharp. And she could still speak clearly. So she gathered her children around her hospital bed. She wanted to leave them all with some parting words—one last piece of advice for her children to heed before she could no longer advise them. And as you can imagine, those words were chosen carefully. They carried great weight to Chuck and to his siblings. They wouldn't forget what mom said. She ended her speech, "Love God. Stay in his Word. Love each other." And with those final words spoken, Chuck's mom passed away that night.
It's a similar setting before us this morning. Jesus was going away. Not to his death. He'd already been there and back. He already gave his last will and testament in the upper room the night before he died. But now he had been back from the grave and had been teaching his disciples what his life, death, and resurrection all meant. But he wouldn't stay long. After forty days he was going to leave them again. He was going to ascend back into the heaven from which he came. But before he did, he left his disciples with some parting words, with one last piece of advice, with words that carry weight still to each one of us.
And Jesus spoke about his Kingdom and how it was restored. The kingdom of God was restored by Jesus' work for his disciples. Jesus' ascension was one more proof that that work was all done. There was nothing left for them to do but learn those truths. And they would at Pentecost. But still, Jesus also had work for them to do. To help others learn those truths.
And both of those lessons are important for us to learn today: First, that God's kingdom is restored by Jesus' ascension. Then, that God's kingdom is restored by Jesus' witnesses, that is, by you and me. Our text for this morning is taken from Acts 1:1-11…

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
6 So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

As Jesus was about to leave his disciples, they wanted to know about the restoration of the kingdom. Now, they clearly had a mistaken concept of the Kingdom of God in their minds. They were thinking of a physical kingdom with borders and a political kingdom where they could have utopia on earth.
But, nevertheless, Jesus did answer them. In a sense he told them how the Kingdom of God was restored. It was restored through his work for them, his death and resurrection. And they would understand that better once the Holy Spirit enlightened them to those truths and helped them to understand that God's Kingdom wasn't about politics or borders, but God ruling in people's hearts through faith in Jesus.
But Jesus also told his disciples how they would be a part of the kingdom's restoration as he gave them his parting word to them and told them they would become powerful witnesses. As they spread the message of Jesus' work, the kingdom would expand. And with that, he ascended into heaven…

I.              By Jesus' Ascension

John didn't know much about plumbing, so when the pipe under the counter sprung a leak, he wrapped it in duct tape and called the plumber. The plumber came and did the work. He stopped the leak and gave John the bill. John paid and thanked him for the work.
But then, to John's surprise, the plumber didn't leave. He sat down on the couch and asked John, "So, how long have you lived here? What do you do for fun?" John was confused. He asked the plumber If he used some sort of epoxy or glue? Was he waiting around for it to dry? Was the job not really done?"
"Oh, no. It's done. You're good to go. I just don't have plans tonight."

How odd it would be if someone finished the job they came to do, but then didn't leave. You might rightly wonder, like John did, "Is the job really done?"
Well, people have often wondered, "Why did Jesus have to ascend into heaven? Why not just stay here on earth until Judgment Day?" Well, one of the answers is that he completed his work. It's done. He didn't need to stick around because the job he came to do is finished. His ascension is proof of that.
And there are many other convincing proofs that Jesus has accomplished what he came to do. Those were the convincing proofs that Jesus showed to his disciples to prove that he was alive in order to prove that his mission was accomplished in order to prove that the Father accepted the work that Jesus did.
And so in his parting words to his disciples he told them to stay there for a bit that they might better learn from the Holy Spirit about the Kingdom of God.
"Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
In just ten more days they would learn that Jesus was not a political Savior, but a Savior from sin, that the Kingdom was won by his perfect life and innocent death in our place, that the resurrection was the proof, that they had seen the proof, that the kingdom already had been won, torn away from satan, and restored by God as sinners were restored to God.

You too now the truth about the Kingdom of God—that God rules in your hearts, not through politics, that his kingdom is of heaven, not of this earth. You know that he already restored us to God by his perfect life in our place doing all the good we've left undone, by his innocent death in our place paying for the times we've been too selfish or apathetic to share the Gospel with others. You know that his resurrection is the proof that Jesus' payment for us is acceptable to the Father. We are restored to God and the kingdom is restored to him.
And Jesus' ascension is the final proof. The job is done. His work is complete. All he set out to do is finished. So he could go back home.
Now, don't just cling to those truths for yourself and rejoice that God's kingdom has come to you in your heart. Also go share these truths that God's kingdom might expand!

II.            By Jesus' Witnesses

The judge called for the next witness. The attorney called for Aurora who took the stand. She didn't look nervous at all. When asked, "Where were you the night that this incident took place?" she readily admitted, "I was right there the whole time."
"So, you saw everything that took place that night?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"Well, would you please tell us what happened?"
"Um… No."
"'Um… No?'?! What do you mean,  "No'?!"
"I don't really want to tell you. I don't like being in the witness stand. And I'm kind of bored. I won't tell you what I saw. I'm just going to go home now."

How odd it would be if someone saw an incident take place and had information to share that could preserve someone's freedom or preserve someone's life, but simply refused to share what they saw. A witness is one who sees something and "witnessed" the event. But it's also someone who tells what they see and gives their testimony.
And so in his parting words to his disciples Jesus told them not just to stay put in Jerusalem to learn the truths of his kingdom, but then to go, get out and tell those truths that would advance his kingdom.


He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
People have often wondered, "Why did Jesus have to ascend into heaven? Why not just stay here on earth until Judgment Day?" Well, one of the answers is that he completed his work. But another answer is so that the word could get out.
Just imagine if Jesus were still physically present here on earth, teaching in some synagogue somewhere, would any of you want to come here to listen to me? Of course not! You'd get much better sermons from Jesus! But how many people could you pack into one synagogue? And how often do you think you'd make it to church in Israel?
So Jesus left and ascended into heaven so people wouldn't focus on his physical person and think of him as the only truly capable pastor. But instead through missionaries, through pastors, through teachers, through parents, through you, people can focus on Jesus' message (instead of his person) and see him as their Savior (not just the best pastor).

You know Luke begins this book as he did his Gospel, with a dedication to Theophilus. Did you know that there's a certain debate as to who this man was. Some believe he was a governor and "Most Excellent Theophilus" was his name and title. Others suggest that he may have been Luke's patron, a wealthy man who funded his travels and paid for the publication of Luke's writings. But still others suggest that Theophilus wasn't an actual historical figure at all because the name, "Theophilus," when translated, means, "Friend of God," "Loved by God," or "One Who Loves God."
If it's not a personal name, but ought to be translated, then Luke didn't write his books to a single individual, but to every believer who loves God because he or she is loved by God and is friends with him. In other words, it's written to you and to me.
But either way, the message is still meant for you and me. We, who love God because he first loved us… We who love God for all he's done to restore the kingdom of God to us by faith in our hearts, are eager to be his witnesses.
Right now I'm reading a book called Evangelism for the Rest of Us. I'm loosely basing our Wednesday night Bible Class on the book. (You should come this Wednesday night if you can!) But in that book the author correctly says…
"There's something inside many of us that says God's feeling toward us is dependent on whether or not we share our faith. But to keep our theology straight, we need to separate (1) God's unconditional love for us and (2) doing his work… God wants us to intentionally, in the way he designed us, move people closer to him. But that's not the basis for his love for us." 
We know that the basis for his love for us is Jesus and his finished work for us. And because of Jesus' work for us, we know that we will always have God's unconditional love. So we witness, not so that we might have his love, but because his love is so great for us, that we can't help but talk about it to others.

If someone has an infection, you know what they do to help it. They stick a needle into that person. They inject antibiotics into that person. But then they don't leave the needle in. They pull it out and let the blood stream circulate the antibiotics through the whole body.
In a sense, this is how God works to restore his kingdom. When the world was sick with sin, God sent his Son into the world as the cure. But he didn't stay in the world. He left again. But he left his church to do the work circulate that Gospel cure throughout the whole world.
That's our job. We are his witnesses. That's the job we're glad to do in thanks to him. For his kingdom is restored by his work. That's demonstrated by Christ's ascension. He wouldn't have left if there were still work to do. But his kingdom is also restored by his witnesses—by us—as we get the word out.

Christ high-ascended, now in glory seated,
Throned and exalted, victory completed,
Death's dread dominion finally defeated
We are his witnesses.

In Jesus' name, dear friends, let's go get the word out! Amen!

In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611
pastorguenther@gmail.com
(907) 690-1660

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Monday, May 2, 2016

​Rise and Walk! Gods Among Us (A sermon on Acts 14:8-18)

If you saw a real-life super hero would you think there were gods among us? When the people of Lystra saw Paul miraculously heal a lame man, they thought he was a god. But Paul refused to accept their praise. Instead he gave glory to God alone. We too often are tempted to accept the praise of people instead of seeking the glory of God. But we thank God that he did walk among us to take our place and save us. Now he calls us to be heroes to others as we give him the glory. Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on Acts 14:8-18 and be encouraged to be the hero that God has made you to be... 

Rise and Walk!

Gods Among Us

A sermon on Acts 14:8-18

Sunday, May 1, 2016 – Easter 6C

 

There's a video game on the market with what sounds like a blasphemous title. It's called "Injustice: Gods Among Us." It's not really about gods though and there are much worse video game themes out there like Grand Theft Auto where the goal is to commit violent crimes, or Diablo or certain Final Fantasy games where you channel the power of demons as you fight battles. But God's Among Us is really about superheroes: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern battling against other characters who all have "god-like" powers, thus, the name Gods Among Us.

But what if you really saw a super hero in real life with your own eyes? What if you witnessed someone do something that was inexplicable by natural forces? If you saw someone fly (without a plane or jet pack), or shoot lasers from their eyes, turn into fire and then back again, run faster than a bullet, or watch a bullet bounce off their chest… what would you think? Would you thing there might be Gods Among Us?

That's what happened in a city in modern day Turkey called Lystra. The inhabitants of that town saw something they would never forget. They saw what they thought were gods among them. Superheroes with amazing super powers. They saw Paul miraculously heal a man crippled in his feet, lame from birth, who had never walked.

"Rise and walk," Paul said. "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. And the people were amazed. They thought there were gods among them. The account of those events are recorded for us in Acts 14:8-18…

 

8 In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10 and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.

11 When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!" 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.

14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15 "Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. 16 In the past, he let all nations go their own way. 17 Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy." 18 Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.

 

You know, I've read this account dozens of times before, but you know what really stood out to me this time? The reaction of Paul and Barnabas to being called gods. They had the celebrity status, the hero worship, that so many people chase after today. And what did they do about it? Well, they didn't bask in the glory. Instead, they tore their clothes in frustration and scolded their adoring fans: "Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you."

Their response got me thinking, "How would I have responded?"  How would you? If people mistakenly thought you were a god, would you stop them from worshipping you? If people mistakenly thought you a hero, would you let them continue to believe it? If you could have celebrity status and the fame and fortune that goes with being a rock star or trophy winning athlete, would you accept the praise of men? If you were given an undeserved promotion would you turn it down? If you were praised for being such a good a great employee, such a smart student, or such a wonderful spouse, would you give the glory to God? Or would you accept the praise as if you deserved it all?

The reality is that we do face such choices every day. Will we accept the praise of people? Or seek only the glory of God? The choice is ours…

You know, there's a fine line between a super hero and a super villain. Both have amazing powers, it's just a question of how they're going to use them.

Lately, the super hero movies have become a bit more realistic, I think, than they were in the 50's and 60's. Back then, good and evil was always painted in black and white. You knew who the good guys were. You knew who the bad guys were. And the bad guys were always bad, and the good guys were always good.

But now, they show the heroes becoming corrupt, putting on the black suit, and turning villain. And they portray the villains having a change of heart and turning hero. The good guys turn bad; the bad guys turn good. And Batman fights Superman. And Captain America fights Iron Man.

I think the newer films are more honest as they wrestle with those questions and highlight the choices people are free to make. They show the inner struggle of one who has great powers wrestling with questions of morality and how to use those powers.

And I think we can relate. That struggle is really just portraying what every individual struggles with in his or her conscience, and perhaps, even more, what every Christian struggles with with his or her Old Adam and New Man. The truth is, you have great powers. And to quote Peter Parker's—that is, Spiderman's—Uncle Ben, "With great power comes great responsibility."

Your tongue is incredibly powerful. You can use it to your glory or to God's. It can destroy reputations and careers, or it can offer people hope and eternal life, turning them, "from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them."

Your dollars have incredible power. They can be used to your glory or to God's. They can be used for relatively worthless things that will be forgotten a few short years from now, or they can accomplish amazing things, building monuments in heaven, where the moth and rust cannot destroy. God "has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy."

And we are held accountable by God, for what we do with the gifts and abilities that he has given us. We can't sit by and say nothing, give nothing, do nothing and declare, "Not my problem," like Spidey once did when he watched a man get robbed. No. "With great power comes great responsibility." And we have great powers that we've used ir-responsibly.

We may think, "I would never worship Zeus or Hermes. How could anyone think those really were gods among us?" But don't we really do that to ourselves? We consider ourselves gods, as if we were in charge of our lives, as if others were put here only to serve us, as if they ought to make sacrifices for us, as if our pleasure and happiness were the only goal in life, as if we were the only ones that matter.

In his Large Catechism Martin Luther explained that we break the first commandment anytime we fear, love, or trust in anyone or anything other than God. We make that person or thing our true god. And anytime we break any of the commandments we really put our desires and wishes ahead of God's, making ourselves to be god. Though we will likely never be mistaken for Zeus or Hermes, nevertheless, we often act as if there weren't just gods among us, but as if we were gods on earth.

And you know what we deserve for such hubris in the face of the one true God who alone deserves any glory. We deserve Hades—not the mythological god of the underworld, but the very real hell that that word, Hades, has come to represent. For worshipping false gods and making ourselves to be gods, we deserve to be separated from the one true God forever.

So thank God that there really was a God among us. The true and only God left, not just Mount Olympus, but heaven itself. He came to live among us as Immanuel—God with us. He came not to be worshiped but to worship his Father by a life of perfect obedience. So he left the admiration and adoration of the angels for the rejection and ridicule of rebels. He came, not to be served, but to be sacrificed. So he left the praise of paradise to take the crushing cross for our selfish sin. Like a superhero, he sacrificed himself and gave his all to rescue us.

And that makes all the difference to us! We don't need to sacrifice bulls to Zeus or to Jehovah. We don't need to give our contribution to get absolution. We don't need to offer our service to earn our salvation. The once for all sacrifice has been made. Now we are forgiven. We are redeemed. We are no longer identified as the villains that we were, but as sons and daughters of God!

And as sons and daughters of God, we've been given divine powers from our Father! We may not have superhuman strength or agility. We may not be able to fly or shoot webs. We may not have powers to miraculously strengthen the legs of the lame, to make a tumor disappear, or to make cancer vanish. But we do have powers to forgive as God has forgiven us. We do have powers to offer comfort and hope in a way an unbeliever never could. We do have powers to speak words that give immortality to the soul! What super powers we have!

Now, let's use those powers and be superheroes, heroes that do super things for others. Let's go help those who struggle to take care of themselves, maybe not in exactly the same way as Paul did for that cripple, but as we help alleviate their agony and ease their pain. Let's go share the message of the God who walked among us to not just ease our burden or sin, but to completely remove our guilt forever, just as Paul and Barnabas did.

Let's use the super powers of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) Let's use the supernatural abilities that God has given us to serve, to teach, to encourage, to give generously, to govern diligently, to show mercy cheerfully. (Romans 12:7-8) Let's choose to use our powers for good and not for evil. Let's use our powers to put others ahead of ourselves, to serve them, to help them without seeking any praise or glory for us and be the super heroes that God has made us to be. And let's do it all in thanks for our hero, Jesus, who is God among us, to rescue us forever! In his 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

Have you been blessed by our ministry at Grace? Consider supporting us with your generous gifts. Give securely online with a check or credit or debit card here: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Give