Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Wise Up and Live in Peace! (A sermon based on James 3:13-18)

You're pretty smart, right? At least smarter than most people around you. Well, that kind of thinking, James warns, is from the devil. We fight because of our selfishness, always trying to get what we want and what we think is best. But if we wise up, with true wisdom from God, we will humble ourselves in thanks to God for rescuing us from hell we deserve. And when we humble ourselves to live for others, then we'll be at peace. So read or listen to (download) this sermon based on James 3:13-18 and...

Wise Up and Live in Peace!

A sermon based on James 3:13-18

Sunday, September 24, 2017 – Pentecost 16B

 

High school freshmen are pretty dumb, aren't they? At least that's what the sophomores think. High school sophomores, in contrast, are pretty wise. I mean, they're no longer dumb "frosh," who are so fresh to high school, they don't really know what they're doing. Sophomores have been around the block. They know how things work. Of course, ask the seniors, and they might have a different opinion of the sophomores. They might think they're still little morons.

Actually, that's what the word "sophomore" means. "Sophos" means "wise. And "moros" means… well, "moron." So sophomores are literally wise morons. But… so are all of us.

Let's face it. We all think we're pretty wise and everyone else is pretty dumb, at least, compared to us. At least, that's how we act. Selfishly trying to get what we want, what we think is best, we assume everyone else is a bunch of idiots. If only they'd be as smart and wise as us, just imagine how wonderful this world would be.

But in our text for this morning, God, through James, tells us how dumb that is. He tells us where such "wisdom" really comes from: the devil.  And he encourages us to stop being such sophomores (such "wise" morons) and to grow up! Give up such phony wisdom and mature to serve your Savior who first served you. Wise up—with real wisdom—and live in peace!

Our text for this morning is found in James 3:13-18…

 

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

 

Some sermons are nice to hear. They lift up your spirits, they fill you with courage, or they teach you some new insight into the Word of God. But other sermons punch you in the gut. They hit home. They make you squirm because they talk about you and your sin what you did this week. Well, I'm hoping this sermon is one of those latter.

I don't need a show of hands here, but answer (in your head) honestly: Did you get into a fight this week? I don't mean all out fisticuffs, but a verbal spar, a shouting match, or a silent treatment? Who was it with? Your spouse? Your kids? Your parents? Your brother or sister? Did you do things you now regret doing? Did you say things you now regret saying? Did your selfishness show itself in the way you treated those closest to you? … Did you live out your faith in the way you acted? Or if you didn't act out, did you think selfish, unloving thoughts about those closest to you, about those in your own home? Did your New Man win every battle so that all you did was Christ-like and kind? Or did your sinful nature rule the moment? And finally, was the thing over which you fought (and if you let your selfishness act up, then you lost – even if you won the argument)… was that thing you fought about something that will matter to anyone 100 years from now?

"[Don't] deny the truth," says James. Admit it. This is you he's talking about. And I know it.

No, I don't have hidden cameras placed throughout your house. I don't have secret microphones. And I didn't have a conversation with your spouse, your kids, your parents, or your siblings this. (Well, okay… not for all of you, I didn't.) But there are two reasons that I'm sure that that previous paragraph describes all of us:

The first reason is because I do mean "us." I struggle with my selfishness every single day. And I often lose those battles. Too often, I find that I serve myself instead of my wife, my kids, my parishioners, and especially, my God. I know the selfishness that results in fights, because, well… I live it… every day.

But the second reason I know that your selfishness rears its ugly head at work and at home is even more convincing: God's Word says that this is true of every person in their sinful nature. We think we're so wise that our way is right and everyone else is wrong. And so we act accordingly, serving ourselves first.

"Who is wise and understanding among you?" James asks. Then he answers sarcastically, "Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.  For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

Such "wisdom" is demonic. It's from the devil. That's the one to whom we rightly belong by nature. And we prove it every time we act selfishly as he did. We follow his ways as we bicker and fight to get what we want in our selfish ambition. … What "wise" fools we are! No wonder we have so much disorder and strife. And because we act just like the devil, we deserve the devil's fate: We deserve an eternity of separation from God and his love with the devil in hell.

Thank God then, for the "wisdom that comes from heaven." Now, James is here talking about the way we live in true, godly wisdom. But many believe that in the book of Proverbs, Wisdom personified is a picture of Jesus. He is the Wisdom from heaven that came down as a true peacemaker—as one who brought peace between us and God the Father…

When we lived a selfish, self-centered, life of sin, he lived a perfect life of true wisdom. When James wrote, "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere," he could have very well been describing Jesus. Jesus was pure—sinless in every way. Though he brought a war against sin, death, satan, and hell, he did it all to bring a lasting peace between us and God. So he is peace-loving. He was considerate, considering only what would save us, and never what was in his best interest. He was submissive, humbling himself to become obedient even to death. (Philippians 2:6-8) And by his sacrifice in our place, he has given us mercy—mercy to everyone, no matter who we are or what we've done. He's completely impartial. And this love for us is so sincere that he was willing to endure hell in our place.

And by doing so, he won peace between God and mankind. He is the perfect Peacemaker. And now… We are the harvest of righteousness that he reaps. James wrote, "Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness." We are righteous—right in our thoughts, words, and actions—not by virtue of the fact that we actually are, but by virtue of the fact that God declares us to be righteous for the sake of Jesus' perfect life and innocent death in our place.

As Paul put it in Romans 3:21-24, "But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

The faith that we have in Jesus and in his work for us is true wisdom. This is the wisdom that comes from heaven. And this wisdom brings us peace. We are forgiven by God. The hell we deserve for our selfishness, expressed by the fights and the feuds we have at work and home, is escaped! Our sin is gone! We are sinless and holy in God's sight. And we're at peace with him.

And now, we no longer need to get our way, watch the show we want to watch, play the game we want to play, or get the biggest piece of pie. We no longer want to serve our sinful natures, but our God. And the way we serve our God is by serving others. That, dear friends, is true wisdom. And with that true wisdom, life at home and at work will be different.

We will be pure. We'll do all we can to avoid the impurity of sin and serving the sinful, selfish nature. We will be peace-loving, not looking to pick a fight, but to end one, even if it means giving up our rights. We will be considerate, considering how the other person feels before we act. We will be submissive, giving up our rights and wants to serve others in love. We will be full of mercy, forgiving others when they sin against us, as freely as we've been forgiven. We will be fruitful, looking for ways to serve others to show our love for them, but even more to show our love to God. We will be impartial, showing no favorites, but treating all the same in love. And we will be sincere, not just going through the motions, but genuine in our desire to serve them the way that our Savior first served us.

I know, those are tall orders. But we can do it! We can resist our selfishness. We can subdue our foolishness. We can live in real wisdom—a wisdom that comes from above—as we daily remember the selfless acts of love our Savior did for us.  

And can you imagine if everyone at home were this way—looking to serve everyone else before they served themselves? What a wonderful home it would be! It would be like heaven! Well, don't wait for someone else to start serving you in love. Let it start with you. And I think you'll find that showing love can be just as contagious as picking a fight can be.

And as you work for peace with this wisdom from heaven, you will reap a harvest of righteousness too. As you focus on your Savior, as you help others to do the same, others will become like you: righteous and holy in God's sight through faith in Jesus, and eager to live for him in thanks, serving others and sowing more peace. So wise up, dear friends! Stop being sophomores and mature! Grow in your faith and live in peace! 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

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Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Suit Up! (A sermon based on Ephesians 6:10-18)

Would a professional football player go into the game without his helmet? Would a firefighter go into a blazing fire without his protective gear? Would a soldier go into battle without his armor? Of course not! And we shouldn't go into the spiritual battles we daily face without first putting on the full armor of God which he gives us in his Word. Thank God we're forgiven for the times we've left our armor off -- whether accidentally or intentionally -- by Christ and the victory he won in the war for us! Now, read or listen to (download) this sermon based on Ephesians 6:10-18 and be encouraged to...

Suit Up!

A sermon based on Ephesians 6:10-18

Sunday, September 17th, 2017 – Pentecost 15B

 

A professional football player wouldn't go into the game without wearing his uniform; his helmet and pads. A firefighter wouldn't dream of going into a blazing fire without his protective fire-proof gear. A cop wouldn't go into a shootout without his gun and his bulletproof vest. And a soldier wouldn't go into battle without his helmet or armor, without his gear. All of the above professions rely on the uniform they wear to stay safe and would be foolish if they were to leave it off as they got to work.

Friends, God has given us his Word to protects us not from linebackers, fires, bullets, but from enemies far more dangerous. God gives us his armor to keep us safe from the devil and his powerful allies. And we'd be fools not to use it. In our text for this morning, God, through the Apostle Paul, urges us to put on the full armor of God, and to suit up, as we engage in the spiritual battle that we're in. Our portion of God's Word for consideration this morning is taken from Ephesians 6:10-20…

 

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

 

Are you strong enough? Are you strong enough to stand in the face of temptation? To serve God daily as he's created you to do? To withstand the evils of materialism, narcissism, commercialism? The Lord calls on us to be strong. But at the same time it's he who makes us strong through his powerful Word.

Just as the toughest NFL linebacker would get crushed without his protective gear, as the toughest firefighter would burn without his uniform, as the bravest cop or soldier would struggle mightily without his gear… you and I are bound to lose if we try to go it alone in our spiritual battles without the protection God gives.

And make no mistake. The battle is very real. The enemy is real. And the enemy is tough. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

So what can we possibly do to fight against the demonic forces that we can neither see nor match in power? We have no strength of our own to fight satan! We're not like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sly Stalone, or Bruce Willis in the movies. We're no Jack Bauer who can single handedly take down hell's terrorist forces on our own. If we were to fight the devil on our own, it would be like putting a 5 year old kid up against 100 ISIS terrorists. We wouldn't stand a chance.

And yet, so often we try to face the enemy on our own. We take off our armor as we leave our Bibles on the shelf collecting dust. We think, "I'll be just fine. I know the basics. I took the BIC. I took a confirmation class… well… it may have been a long time since, but I did take it!" And in refusing the help that Jesus gives we show how weak we really are as we fall into sin again and again.

We deserve to be left to face the enemy on our own. And we deserve to lose not just the battle but the war for the times we've deserted and gone spiritually AWOL. Jesus warned us how little strength we have on our own and the disastrous results when we try: "Apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." (John 15:5-6) We deserve to lose at life and end up as satan's prisoners in hell.

But thank God that we're not on our own. We have a hero who fought and won for us. He crushed the devil's head on the cross when he took our sin on himself and, paying the penalty our sin earned, took our sin away.

And having won the war, he still continues to fight by our side and help us in every battle. Paul said, "Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power…" But in the Greek "be strong" is "be strengthened." That is, it's entirely passive. Not "buck up and be stouthearted, men!" as if we could produce this strength in ourselves. But let God strengthen you. He does it for us by his mighty power.

And his mighty power is his Word; his Gospel that assures us we are forgiven for thinking we can fight on our own without him, for trying to do anything without him. His mighty power protects us. His mighty Word gives us armor. So let's use it! Let's suit up!

"Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes… put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground…"

So let's take a quick look at each piece of our suit of armor and see how God protects us. First he mentions our belt: "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist…" But the belt Paul had in mind was a waist belt, much wider than the belts we wear to hold up our pants. It protected the most vulnerable parts of the body as a sword swung upward into groin would drop you in a hurry. It also kept the armor in place and held the sword.

The truth of God's Word—the objective truth of God's grace to you in Christ, revealed in the pages of your Bible—guards your sensitive parts spiritually speaking. Satan knows where you're most vulnerable and that's where he's going to attack. But you know the truth! You know how deceptive satan's lies are. And you know they're lies. He never delivers on what he promises. You know what God wants. But most of all, you know what God has done for you in Christ. Don't believe satan's lies, but cling to that truth and be safe!

Next Paul mentions your breastplate: "Stand firm… with the breastplate of righteousness in place…" Of course, this piece of armor would guard a soldier's heart. And the righteousness which you have—and not your own righteousness, for that would be a breastplate of cardboard!—but the righteousness of Jesus, given to you, that righteousness from God, which is ours by faith, apart from works—that righteousness guards our hearts. In Jesus' righteousness we find peace with God and peace from a guilty conscience. Our hearts are safe.

Paul continues, alluding to the soldier's sandals: "Stand firm… with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace."  It's hard to fight a battle barefoot. A sharp rock could send you to the ground. And in the middle of battle, you can't be tiptoeing around! You need to be ready to move on a moment's notice, ready to dodge an attack. We are ready to move by the Gospel that gives us peace. We're ready to dodge the temptations that come our way because we know that no sin—nothing!—can satisfy us like the Gospel does.

"In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith," says Paul, "with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one."

A Roman soldier didn't have a small round shields that hung on his arm, but a huge shield, called a scutum, which was four feet tall and two and a half feet wide. When a soldier was in battle formation, his entire body was protected. And when soldiers knew a battle was coming they would soak their shields in water overnight so the burning arrows of the enemy would go out when they struck the shield instead of burning it up.

The devil won't give up on you. He will keep launching accusations against you like flaming arrows. But your faith in Jesus and in what he's done to take away your sin silences satan's accusations with a steaming hiss. Tssssssss! And they're out!

Of course, the warrior was not to hide his head behind the shield. He needed to look over it to face his opponent. So Paul continued, "Take the helmet of salvation…" On the Christian's helmet is written, "Salvation." Knowing the salvation you have in Jesus helps you to hold up your head with confidence and joy. It guards your mind and helps you keep your head when you might otherwise lose your cool.

You are protected from head to toe by this armor of God. What a foolish soldier he would be who would only wear his helmet and nothing else, or who would only take his shield, but not his armor. Likewise, we use it all—the full armor of God as we grow in our faith by regular use of God's Word. And when we suit up we remain well protected.

But how foolish it would be if a soldier was all decked out in his armor, but took no weapon into battle. But we have a weapon, Christian soldiers! "Take… the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." We have the Word of God which can knock down any barrier set up against God's grace. So learn it. Study it. Read it. Know it. Use it—the mighty Word of God—as we go on the attack against satan and his allies to strike them down and win more souls for our side!

Yes, the enemy is real. Yes, the enemy is tough. Yes, the enemy is strong. But we are stronger—not on our own or by our strength, but with the bulletproof armor that God has given us. The war is already won! The victory is ours! Now let's keep fighting the battles we face each day. But don't do it without getting dressed first. Suit up, dear friends, and always wear the armor of God that he gives to you! And then, in the end, we will prevail, in the strength of the Lord and in his mighty power, 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

Monday, September 11, 2017

Get Up and Walk! (A sermon based on Acts 3:1-10)

​Are you healthy? Physically? Spiritually? We not have perfect physical health, but we do have perfect spiritual health thanks to Jesus, the One who gives perfect healing. We are sinless and holy in God's sight right now. And we will have perfect, glorified bodies in heaven one day soon! Those are two great reasons to go serve our Savior in thanks and "Get up and walk!" for him. Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on Acts 3:1-10 and rejoice in your perfect health! ​

Get Up and Walk!

A sermon based on Acts 3:1-10

Sunday, September 10, 2017 – Pentecost 14B

 

Have you ever noticed how many times we stand up and sit down in an average worship service? We stand up for invocation, confession, and absolution. Then sit down for the reading of the first lessons. Stand up for the reading of the Gospel. Then sit down for the hymn of the day. Stand up for the confession of faith. Then sit down for the offering. Stand for the prayer of the church and sit again for the next hymn. Stand for prayer and sit for the closing hymn.

No wonder some people joke about our "Lutheran Aerobics." J Now, maybe with some instruction as to why we stand when we stand and sit when we sit, you appreciate those "Lutheran Aerobics." But maybe if you've had a surgery on your knee or foot, or if you've got a bad back, maybe you'd rather not do the up and down and up and down of our liturgy. But either way, I'll bet the ability to stand and to walk is an ability that you and I far too often take for granted.

The man in our lesson for this morning was crippled from birth. That meant he couldn't stand. He couldn't walk. And in a day without wheelchairs, he couldn't get around on his own at all. He needed to be carried. And in that day there were no such thing as "desk jobs." If he couldn't work in the field or at some trade—obviously made much more difficult by his inability to walk—well, he didn't have too many options on how he could make a living. He would have to rely on the charity of others.

Well, thankfully he had some friends who were willing to carry him into the city each afternoon so he could lay at a busy entrance into town where he could beg for money to buy food. But one day, he didn't get what he wanted. He wanted silver or gold coins to buy food and drink, to pay the rent, to buy clothes, to live, to survive. But he didn't get what he wanted. He asked for money, but instead he would get so much more. Our text for consideration is from Acts 3:1-10…

 

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

6 Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

 

This unnamed man didn't get what he wanted. He wanted silver or gold, but he got so much more. He just wanted a few coins, but instead he got a miracle. He wanted to buy his next meal, but he got the truth of Jesus of Nazareth and sins forgiven. He wanted something, but got so much more.

Can you relate? I think we all can. Because God gives us so much more than we could ever ask for. Let's face it. We're all pretty short sighted aren't we? I don't mean with your physical vision, but in thinking ahead. Think of it this way, if you had a magic lamp with a genie inside who could grant you any wish (and you can't ask for unlimited wishes, that would be cheating), what you wish for? A never-ending supply of money? Perfect health that could never be lost? A relationship restored? But all of those things will only last this lifetime.

Imagine there's a steel cable that's cutting through this room. It goes through that wall and keeps cutting through anything in its way for two thousand miles. And it goes through that wall and keeps going for two thousand miles in that direction. Now if I were to take a marker and put the smallest dot that I could make right here on that steel cable, and that dot represented this life on a timeline and the 4,000 miles of cable represented eternity in heaven or hell, well… the scale would still be waaaay off. We'd need billions of miles of cable and a microscopic dot.

As motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, used to say, "We're all going to be dead a lot longer than we're going to be alive. So we'd all better do some really long-range planning."

You see, we're all short-sighted. We think way too much about this life and way too little of the life to come. That's why we're just like that unnamed cripple. We ask God for way too little. We ask for better health and more wealth, for a nicer spouse and bigger house. We ask for silver and gold, and miss out on the real treasures that he has to give.

And what's worse, in our short-sightedness, seeking only the blessings for this life, we sin against God. And remember, sin isn't just the wrong things we do—doing what God forbids. It's also the good things we don't do—failing to do what God commands. And we who can walk, don't!

We have opportunity to get up off the couch, walk to the kitchen and serve a spouse by cleaning up and taking out the trash. But… "It's not my turn." So we don't. We have the opportunity to travel to and from church freely—and you don't even have to walk! You can drive! But instead of it being a joy, it often feels like a chore—when we even go. We have the opportunity to walk across the street and invite a neighbor to hear of God's grace with us in this place. But it might be awkward, so we stay silent and we stay put. So we who can walk, often don't.

And because we care more about the comfort and convenience of the moment instead of thinking long-term, for our bad priorities, for our apathy toward others, for our inaction in service, for seeking silver and gold more than righteousness and holiness… we are sick. We may not be crippled, but we're sick with sin. And that's a terminal illness—which terminates in an eternity of hell. And, in a sense, we are crippled, because on our own we could never do anything about it.

So what we need most is not silver or gold, better health or more wealth, a nicer spouse or bigger house. What we need most is healing—not from being crippled, but from our sin. And though we don't even seek it—though all we hope to get is more silver or gold like that beggar sought—God gives us so much more! He gives the healing that we need.

Silver and gold God doesn't always give, but he always gives his forgiveness. He always gives us the healing we need. God gives perfect spiritual healing in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Though he doesn't send an apostle to heal us, he sends one even better! He sends his Holy Spirit! "Get up!" the Holy Spirit says to us as he raises us from spiritual death to life. And he does that through the Word.

Through the Word of God, he leads us to believe the message of the apostles—a message backed by the miracles they did; miracles like this one! And what is that message? It's all about Jesus Christ of Nazareth! Jesus is God! He did take on flesh and walked this earth to become the perfect sacrifice for us. He lived a perfect life remaining spiritually healthy in all that he did. He died an innocent death taking the sickness of our sin on himself. And he paid for every one of our sins, taking the punishment they deserve, so that he might make us healthy and whole. As Isaiah put it, "Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:4-5)

And in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth—that is, by who he is and what he's done—we are healed! Maybe not yet in body, but in soul! We are sinless and spotless! We are healthy and whole! We are perfect in God's sight. And one day soon, he will restore our physical health and give us glorified bodies. One day, even after we're dead and gone and these bodies of flesh are decayed, nevertheless Jesus will say to us, "Get up and walk!" He'll say that to us on Judgment Day and our bodies, even having been turned to dust, will be restored! We will rise to be with Jesus and to walk with him forever in heaven!

But what about now? What do we do in this short blip of time we call life on this earth? What do we do while we wait for him? Well, we follow the example of this man in Acts 3. "He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God."

How foolish it would have been if this man, having been healed, said, "Thanks a lot, Peter. Thanks a lot, John. There goes my easy life of begging. There go the handouts. There goes the welfare! Now I have to work again, you jerks!" Of course he didn't say that! Instead he was eager to walk, eager to serve, eager to go to church and to praise God!

Well, friends, you've not only had your sins forgiven, but you've been given abilities too! You can walk! And you can do so much more! So get up and walk! Walk across the room to serve your parents, your spouse, or your kids! Walk across the street to take the message of God's grace to a neighbor. Walk with us at our next "Praise and Proclaim" walk. It's not as scary as it seems. Use all your gifts to praise God for the healing he's brought you!

And you know what will happen when we do? Well, look at what happened when this man, formerly crippled from birth, started walking: "When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him."

When we use our gifts and abilities to bring praise to God in thanks for the healing he's brought us, the Gospel will spread throughout Kenai and Soldotna, across the entire Peninsula, through all of Alaska, and around the globe! Others too will learn of the healing Jesus has won for them. They too will be filled with wonder and amazement. They too will praise God! So get up and walk, dear friends, for Jesus' sake. 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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