Sermons of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Kenai, Alaska

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Go Mountain Climbing with Jesus (A sermon based on Mark 9:2-9)

2012-02-21T13:00:00.000-08:00

What a view! Climb to the top of a mountain on a clear day and see the breathtaking view! One day Jesus took his disciples mountain climbing to see an even more spectacular view: He showed them a glimpse of his divine glory. We too see that view in the pages of Scripture. And when we see this view of the top of the Mount of Transfiguration, what comfort we find when we follow Jesus up another mountain: the Mount of Crucifixion. For we know that it wasn't just some man who suffered and died, but God himself who died for us on the cross. Come, read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Mark 9:2-9 and go mountain climbing with Jesus!

Go Mountain Climbing with Jesus

A sermon based on Mark 9:2-9

Sunday, February 19, 2012 – Transfiguration & Confirmation

I was exhausted, dripping with sweat, and hurting all over. But it was all worth it for the view. Last summer I climbed Skyline trail when some family came to visit. And as we made our way up to the saddle, the clouds burned off. I was amazed that from that height I could see the Turnagin Arm and beyond it the city of Anchorage. If I turned around I could see Skilak Lake, Mt. Redout, and Mt. Illiamna in the distance. The view was incredible.

Peter, James, and John also went up a high mountain. Most believe it to be Mt. Tabor, the only high mountain around Galilee, which, much like Skyline, just rises out of nowhere. It must have been a steep, strenuous, exhausting climb. But the view at the top was well worth it. They could see Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee on the one side, the blue Mediterranean on the other, and the lush Jordan valley down below. But far more exciting than the view from the mounting was the view on the mountain.

There on that mountain Jesus pulled back his humanity for a brief moment to give them a glimpse of his divinity. There he was, the Light of the World, lighting up the night sky, not reflecting the sun, but shining from within as if he were the sun itself.

And this experience on the Mount of Transfiguration and the view the disciples got there, prepared them for another experience on a different mountain. It prepared them for the crucifixion on Mount Calvary. And this morning, I invite you all, and especially you, confirmands, to join those three disciples and go mountain climbing with Jesus. Climb the Mount of Transfiguration, where you'll get a sneak preview of Jesus' divine glory. Then come back to the valley below for a while. But soon, we'll go up to the Mount of Crucifixion, to see Jesus' sacrifice for us. Listen again to Peter's description of Jesus transfiguration as Mark recorded it for us in Mark 9:2-9…

²After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. ³His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. ⁴And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. ⁵Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." ⁶(He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) ⁷Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" ⁸Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. ⁹As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

I. From the Mount of Transfiguration

One day Jesus took his three closest friends, Peter, James, and John, mountain climbing. He wanted to spend some time with them in prayer and quiet instruction, but after a tiring climb, the disciples were tired. Luke tells us that once they reached the top, they were starting to drift off.

But when they woke up, how startled they must have been! There was Jesus, but boy did he look different! He had transformed or transfigured. This is the Greek word from which we get our English word metamorphosis. He was completely changed—all lit up in brilliant light!

Have you ever been asleep in the dark when someone suddenly turns on the brightest lights in the room? It takes a minute for your eyes to adjust and at first it's so bright that it hurts your eyes. You have to look away. That's how it must have been for Peter, James and John. Mark says that, "His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them." And Matthew and Luke tell us why. Jesus himself was shining as bright as the sun. Matthew says "His face shone like the sun," and Luke, "His clothes became as bright as a flash of lightening." How spectacular! But that wasn't all…

Two men were standing with Jesus, talking to him. We don't know how the disciples recognized them, but somehow they knew who the other two men were—Moses and Elijah—the two great prophets of the Old Testament. No wonder the disciples were terrified!

And bold, impetuous Peter, scared half to death, couldn't just keep quiet. Though he didn't really know what he was saying, he interrupted Jesus' conversation with the prophets to suggest that they put up three tents to put the glorious scene on hold.

And then, just as amazing as the Transfiguration, God the Father interrupted Peter! "This is my Son, whom I love." The other gospels add, "whom I have chosen," and, "with him I am well pleased." Then, "Listen to him!" Peter and the others understandably grew even more terrified, since, after all, Peter was just told off by God himself. "Don't speak, Peter. Don't interrupt. Listen to him."

And yet, as terrifying as it must have been, how exciting it must have been! Peter was right when he said, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here." They got a glimpse of Jesus' divine glory! There was no doubt in their minds that Jesus was the Son of God, the one and only eternal God, Jehovah himself!

When you hear about Peter, James and John's experience, do you wish that you could have been there? Do you wish that you could see a glimpse of God's glory now? Well, if so, you're in luck! Those three disciples aren't the only ones who get to see God's glory! Because they recorded these events for us, we get to see his glory too.

Through the Word of God recorded in the pages of Scripture, summarized in Luther's Small Catechism, through the Word that you've been studying, we get just as great a view of Jesus' divine glory!

Peter later wrote of this transfiguration experience, "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain and we have the word of the prophets made more certain…" (2 Peter 1:16-19)

We have the Word made more certain since we have seen God's full plan of salvation completed. We see his glory when we see that Christianity isn't a new religion created in the hundreds AD, but the only true religion given to Adam and Eve, to Moses, to Elijah, to every true prophet. We see Jesus' glory when he reveals himself among us, not in a cloud that envelops us, but in the quiet whisper of a sermon, in, with, and under the bread and wine in the Lord's Supper, in waters of Baptism where he makes us his own.

And what comfort we have in climbing that mountain with Jesus and seeing his glory there! Jesus is God's Son, God himself in the flesh. He did please God in every way in our place. We can trust every word that he says. He is with us always, even when we have to go back down the mountain. Dear friends, when you see God's glory, zip it! Don't speak, but listen. Observe and marvel at the glory of our God!

II. To the Mount of Crucifixion

Now, while there could no longer be any doubt to the disciples that Jesus was the only true God, they still didn't really get what his mission was about. As quickly as it began the transfiguration was over. Moses and Elijah were gone and Jesus looked like he usually did once more. But the disciples were confused. What did this all mean?

Well, Jesus had just told them what it all meant only six days ago. Mark tells us in chapter 8, "He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this…"

Whenever God appeared to his people in a cloud, it meant that he was about to act in some supernatural way. When he appeared to Abram in a smoking fire pot, he was about to make a new nation. When he appeared to the Israelites in a pillar of cloud and fire he was delivering them out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. When he covered Mount Sinai in the cloud he himself inscribed the 10 commandments on the tablets of stone. When the cloud settled over the Tabernacle, God himself was present among his people acting on their behalf.

Now that he appeared again in the cloud on the Mount of Transfiguration, he was ready to act in a supernatural way again. From the Mount of Transfiguration Jesus set out toward Jerusalem one last time. Again and again he told his disciples what would happen there, "We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise." (Mark 10:33-34)

Even that evening of the Transfiguration he, Moses and Elijah were discussing Jesus death on the cross. Luke tells us, "They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem." And though the disciples were listening in, they didn't seem to get it. Peter rebuked Jesus. The three discussed what exactly does he mean by, "Rise from the dead"? Though he spoke to them plainly, they didn't understand what he meant and were too scared to ask him about it.

But even though they didn't get it that night that they saw Jesus glory, even though they didn't understand the night of Jesus' betrayal or the day of his crucifixion, imagine what comfort that climb up the Mount of Transfiguration would later bring Peter, James and John. They would know without a doubt, "Jesus is God. We were there. We were eyewitnesses of his majesty. We have seen his glory; the glory of the One and Only!"

What comfort they had when they realized that as true God, he could have stopped the crucifixion from happening at any moment. He could have called down an army of angels to defend him, but instead he went to die, to suffer hell, willingly and he did it all for them. What comfort they had when realized that since Jesus is true God his death on that cross could pay for every one of their sins. God's death on one end of the scale far outweighed the sins of the whole world of all time on the other end. And what peace they found in the events that took place on that Mount of Crucifixion, strengthened by their experience on the Mount of Transfiguration.

Dear friends, blessed with the Gospels and Epistles of the New Testament, we have "the word of the prophets made more certain." And with 20/20 hindsight, we understand what the disciples at first did not. But even though we get why Jesus had to be handed over, killed and rise again, often times when we leave the mountain top and come back down to the plain of day to day living we're still tempted to doubt too aren't we? When you lose your job, your health, or a close friend or family member, you may be tempted to wonder "Is Jesus really in control of the situation? Is he really God?" When the guilt of your sins weighs you down you may tempted to think, "Does the death of some guy who lived 2000 years ago really pay for my sins? Am I really forgiven?"

And when we do start to think this way, we need to go mountain climbing again. It's not by accident that the Last Sunday of Epiphany, Transfiguration Sunday, where we see Jesus in all his glorious splendor, comes right before the season of Lent. Because the Mount of Crucifixion means nothing without the Mount of Transfiguration.

What comfort we find when we first climb the Mount of Transfiguration where we see Jesus in his glorious splendor. Yes! He is true God. Is in control at all times! What comfort we find when we follow him from that mount to the Mount of Crucifixion and see that though Jesus, the One and Only God, could have easily stopped the crucifixion at any time, he didn't. He suffered willingly for us. What comfort we find when we remember that as true God his death on the cross does count for us and for all people. His death was not just the death of "some guy who lived 2000 years ago," but the death of the living God in our place. We are forgiven. We are at peace with God.

This Lenten season, and throughout your Christian life, as you climb with our Savior to Mount Calvary and watch him go to the cross to pay for our sins, don't forget the first mountain, the Mount of Transfiguration, and remember what you've seen. Our Savior is the God of Glory! It wasn't weakness that took him to the cross, but love—his great love for you.

And finally, remember one more mountain: The Mount of Ascension. At least four churches on the Mount of Olives claim to mark the very place where Jesus ascended into heaven. But no matter where it took place, know that Jesus didn't leave us alone when he left us physically. Though unseen, he is still with us everywhere we go.

He's there when we're sad. He's there when we're scared. He's there when we're struggling here in the plain. He's there to remind us who he is by the Mount of Transfiguration. He's there to remind us of what he's done by the Mount of Crucifixion. And he's there to remind us of our own ascension into heaven one day soon. So hang in there. Keep climbing with Jesus all your life. In his name, dear friends, amen.

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

Run, Christian, Run! (A sermon based on 1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

2012-02-14T13:44:00.001-08:00

Do you like running? Do you like working out? I'll admit that while I enjoy the feeling I get when I'm done, it's often a struggle to get up off the couch and start moving in the first place. But with the encouragement of others, so far I've completed six weeks of working out six days a week! (That's a first for me!) Today, the Apostle Paul, gives us the encouragement to get up off the couch spiritually and get into the game. He encourages us to get the spiritual exercise we need to keep the prize that Christ won for us. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 and hear Paul cry out to you...

Run, Christian, Run!

A sermon based on 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Sunday, February 12, 2012 – Epiphany 6B

In 1994, the movie character, Forrest Gump hardly ever stopped running. As Jenny encouraged him, "Run, Forrest, Run," he did. In spite of braces on his legs, in spite of the defense in a football game, in spite of already scoring a touchdown, in spite of a "cult" of joggers behind him, in spite of getting shot, he didn't stop running.

This morning, Paul encourages us to have that same determination to never stop running. Paul knew that the things he'd been encouraging—giving up your rights and conveniences to serve others—was not easy work. He knew that the Corinthians would continue to struggle with their sinful natures just as Paul himself did. He knew the race wasn't always easy and that it was easy to grow tired and give up. So he encouraged them to keep their eyes fixed on the prize ahead. And through his epistle, Paul still encourages us to Run, Christian, Run! Keep your eye on the prize that Christ already won for you by grace. And keep training hard to keep your sinful nature in check with the power that God gives…

²⁴Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. ²⁷No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

I. In Christ, You've Already Won the Race

Paul knew his people well and he knew how to make the right illustration to reach them. You see every year in Corinth that the Olympic games weren't held, they held their own games—the Isthmian Games. And to the Corinthians these games were far more than a mere amusement. It was like watching some NFL fans when their team makes it to the Superbowl—it was almost an obsession. So Paul pointed to those athletes, to those heroes of Corinth…

"Look at those professional athletes," Paul says, "and model their dedication. Look how much they struggle. Look how hard they train, even though they might not win. In fact, in any competition there can really be only one winner.

"All the runners run," Paul said, "but only one gets the prize." Only one team can win the Super Bowl. Only one team can win the Stanley Cup. Only one team can be the champions. And yet, in spite of such uncertainty, look how hard they train.

Dear friends, with the Corinthians (and with you) no such uncertainty exists. When it comes to the race of faith—that struggle that we face every day—we know with certainty that we'll win. Why? Well, not because of what amazing spiritual athletes we are. If the race were up to us, we'd certainly lose. We'd lose for each time we failed to fight the good fight of faith and gave in to our sinful selfish desires. We'd lose for each time the devil scored a point by getting us to side with him. We'd lose for laying down in the middle of the track by our spiritual apathy. And the losers don't just miss out on the prize, they deserve punishment as well. No, it's not because of our spiritual prowess that we can be certain we'll win. Instead, it's because of our Savior…

Do you remember a quarterback named Rohan Davey? Not too many people do. He was drafted as the 117th pick in the 2002 NFL draft. He was a backup quarterback for his entire NFL career. He threw zero touchdowns and didn't even reach the 100-yard passing mark. Yet, he has two Super Bowl rings. Mr. Davey contributed nothing to those Super Bowl championships, but he still got to celebrate the victories and could show you his championship rings as proof.

In a similar way, we know that we win, even though we contribute nothing to the win. Jesus won for us. He not only joined our team as the sure ringer, but he took our place as the perfect sub. He stepped in on the cross and said, "I'll be the loser so you can be the winner. I'll take your detestable sin so you can have my perfect righteousness. You just sit the bench and watch." And in doing that, he freed us from our leprosy of sin and won the race for us.

Now, we don't run the race in order to win. We run the race because we've already won. And what a prize we've won!

Paul said that those who ran in the Isthmian Games weren't even like professional athletes of today. Professional athletes get paid millions of dollars to play even if they lose. But these runners ran to win a relatively worthless prize—a crown of pine leaves that would soon wither and rot.

And all too often we too struggle hard to win a prize that's not worth that much. We struggle hard to advance our careers. We work day and night to increase our wealth. We spend endless hours chasing after pleasures and toys that we know won't matter 100 years from now and so ultimately are as worthless as the pine or olive wreath that withers and rots.

And how foolish that we struggle at all when the one prize that is worth something has already been won for us! And ours is a prize that's worth something. It's worth everything! Ours is a crown that is incorruptible, one that will last forever. Jesus won for us a crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8). He won for us a crown of life (James 1:12; Revelation 2:10) and a crown of glory (1 Peter 5:4). There is no better prize than these. And they're ours—already won for us by Christ in his grace.

With that certain confidence that we've already won in Christ, that we are winners in Christ, we now press on to claim our prize and train hard to keep it…

II. In Christ, Train Hard to Keep the Prize

Even though there's a lot of uncertainty that they'll win and even though the prize is really worth very little, athletes go into strict training in order to win. Paul says "everyone who competes," which is literally "Everyone who [agonizes]… goes into strict training." In the Isthmian games participants had to swear by Zeus that they had followed ten months of strict training which included abstaining from unwholesome foods, wine, and even sex before they were allowed to compete.

Today athletes do the same. They give up years of their lives to train hard before they enter the Olympics. They give up free time, stick to stringent diets, have vigorous workouts multiple times a day, and give up countless pleasures just to have a shot at winning the gold.

"How much more then, won't we Christians," Paul writes, "go into strict training to keep what Christ already won for us!" Using his own life as an example he says, "Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. ²⁷No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

Paul wouldn't run aimlessly, chasing after perishable crowns like wealth, comfort, and luxury—crowns that would soon spoil and fade. And he wouldn't just beat the air. If Rocky Balboa had only trained by shadow boxing, by just punching the air, it wouldn't have been enough. If his punches didn't connect with his opponent, but only hit the air—a swing and a miss—he would have lost in the first film and there wouldn't be fifteen sequels. Paul says his punches wouldn't miss. He's wasn't just hitting the air, but his target.

But it hardly seems like an improvement when he says, "I beat my body." Was Paul fighting himself? Yes, actually. He was. Paul was in a big struggle with himself. His sinful nature wanted to continue to rebel against God. At times Paul was tempted to lust or have sex outside of marriage. Paul wasn't exempt from the temptation of greed and the love of money and nice things. Paul too, in his sinful nature, desired to take God's blessings for his own benefit robbing him of full devotion to God.

But, Paul would not be mastered those sinful desires. Paul knew that if he left it unchecked, his sinful nature would quickly take over, he'd grow spiritually flabby, then downright unhealthy, and eventually even lose his faith in Christ. Then he would be disqualified from the race and lose even the prize that had already been won.

So instead, he would work out. He would force his body, his sinful nature, to conform to his new nature—one that longed to thank God for that crown of life that he won. He would grow stronger in his faith by his spiritual training. Then he wouldn't lose that faith, but would receive the prize that Christ had won for him.

And we too enter strict training. We stick to a strict diet of the Word, reading, learning and digesting it every day. We give up the toxins of sinful pleasures that harm our bodies and our souls. We exercise our faith daily with regular workouts as we put God's Word into practice. These things train our souls to cling to the promises of God so we keep running the race to hold on the prize Christ won for us.

But the struggle's not easy. For the last six weeks now, Ryan Holper, Angie, and I have been working out six days a week. We've been doing a program called Insanity^® (I think because you have to be a little crazy to work that hard that often.) And I'll admit, that it's not very easy. Not just is it physically tough, and hard not to collapse on the floor panting, but it's mentally tough too. There are some days that I just don't want to go work out.

The spiritual struggle isn't easy either. It wasn't for Paul, and it's not for us. It's hard not to collapse on the track of life and give in to our lust and greed and sinful nature. It's hard not to think, "Jesus died on the cross. I don't need to do anything. So I don't need to thank him with my life." It's hard to keep going when you're weary and tired of the daily struggle to do what's right in thanksgiving to God for our crown.

But you know what's helped me keep doing Insanity^®for six grueling weeks? I know that Ryan and Angie are expecting me to be there. I'm not doing this alone. But I have help and support and their encouragement to dig deeper.

And God doesn't make us run our spiritual race alone either. The one who loved us so much that he sent his Son to hell in our place, will continue to love us and give us the strength and courage to keep running. He will continue to encourage us through his Word. He will continue to forgive us, pick us up when he fall, brush us off, and get us running again.

And so by God's power, and with his forgiveness and encouragement we can keep our eye fixed on the prize, confident that we've already won the race through Christ. We can keep our sinful nature in check and keep on running until we claim that prize that's ours. And God will bless you and keep you in the one true faith until life everlasting while you run, Christian, run! Amen.

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

My Hope Will Not Change (A sermon based on Job 7:1-7)

2012-02-06T22:02:00.001-08:00

How can God be omnipotent and loving and still allow suffering to come to his people? That was the problem Job faced as he lost all he cared about: his wealth, his children, his health, his wife, his friends, and almost his faith. But he put his hope in God's promises not in his false expectations. We too do well to put our hope in God's certain promises, even -- or perhaps, especially -- when we're suffering. We know that God loves us in Christ. And we know that he will keep his promises to work all things for our eternal good. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Job 7:1-7, or watch the first part of the service through the end of the sermon by clicking here, and find comfort in your suffering by the unchanging hope Christ gives...

My Hope Will Not Change

A sermon based on Job 7:1-7

Sunday, February 5, 2012 – Epiphany 5B

I had it all. I had the good life. I had the most beautiful wife, who gave me the finest children a man could have. Through hard work and the good Lord's blessing, business was good. But what I valued most, above all else, was the relationship I had with Jehovah! I knew my blessings had come from him, when I deserved none of it. I knew that even greater than all of these blessings was the promise of the Redeemer he made to our first father and mother in Eden—a promise that was passed through the generations to me. And in thanks to him, I did not keep my blessings to myself, but gave generously to all who were in need. And I gave not just of my wealth, but of my time and of myself. I was the eyes of the blind, helping them to see, and the feet of the lame, helping them to live. God had blessed me in every way. Life was good. I, Job, really did have it all!

......

But then, in one season it all changed. I lost all of my wealth in a single day. Sabean raiders stole my oxen and my donkeys and killed my servants. Fire from heaven consumed my sheep and those servants tending them. And Chaldean raiders took my camels and slaughterd the last of my servants.

And it was all gone! Not some! Not most! Everything! When the economy was strong and thriving I went from riches to rags—by no fault of my own, but at the hand of wicked men and at the hand of God. I was ruined. But it got worse. The day was far from over...

Children should bury their parents; not vice versa. We who are old should not outlive the young and vibrant. But that day I had to line up the lifeless bodies of all ten of my children, the little ones that I held in my arms and bounced on my knees. I would never hear the sweet sound of their laugher again. I would never again see the beaming smiles on their faces. Cruel Death had taken them far too soon!

Naturally, I took it hard. But my wife took it harder. I tried to comfort her, but she shouted, "My babies are in the ground! How can anything bring me comfort?!" Words can't describe the great grief and sorrow that consumed us both.

I thought I had lost everything that day. But I was wrong. There was still more for God to take.

One morning I rose early to visit the graves of my children as I did every day. But that day, by the light of the lamp I saw the spots on the back of my hands. I visited the doctors and they diagnosed the disease. It was a rare disease of the skin. It would grow more painful than it already was, they told me. The sores would soon ooze and spread across all of my body, they warned, making me repuslive to everyone who saw me. The chance of recovery was slim. God had taken my health.

And then, as if things weren't bad enough, God delivered the harshest blow yet. He took my wife and he took my friends. No, they didn't die. He spared their lives, but far worse, he turned them against me. My wife, the bride of my youth and, next to God, the sole object of my love and devotion... she now hated me. She blamed God and she blamed me for the death of our children. She told me to give up hope. "Curse God and die," she said.

I left. I went to sit alone in the dust in my misery and weep. Then my so-called friends came to offer their miserable "comfort." After giving me the silent treatment for seven endless days, they turned against me! They all swore that I had committed some great and secret sin against God and that I deserved all that I got.

And now, worst of all, my faith began to slip. I lamented to my "friends" and to the God who so cruelly made me just to bring me to ruin and misery. I said...

¹ "Does not man have hard service on earth? Are not his days like those of a hired man? ² Like a slave longing for the evening shadows, or a hired man waiting eagerly for his wages, ³ so I have been allotted months of futility, and nights of misery have been assigned to me. ⁴When I lie down I think, 'How long before I get up?' The night drags on, and I toss till dawn. ⁵My body is clothed with worms and scabs, my skin is broken and festering. ⁶"My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and they come to an end without hope. ⁷Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath; my eyes will never see happiness again.

I. I Hoped for Change

Let me confess to you right now, that not everything I said was godly. But understand what a valley I was in. God seemed hidden. I longed for some change for the better. I longed for the night to come like a slave longs for the end of the day that brings relief from his painful toil. I hoped that in sleep I might find some reprieve from my pain. But as I lay on my bed, sleep did not come easily. I tossed and turned in my misery and longed for the day again. There was no relief of any kind. As my wounds oozed, the worms crawling on my skin ate their fill.

I hoped against hope that this judgment from God migt pass. I hoped for anything that would change my situation, and if not restore things, at least make it more bearable. I hoped for new doctors who could offer, not some cure, for I knew that could never be, but some drug or drink that could at least dull the pain. I hoped for new friends who would not drive me further into despair. I hoped for a change of heart in my wife, that she might show me some pity. I hoped and longed for a swift death that might finally bring me relief.

But above all else I hope for some explanation from God. Why would he do this to me when I had been faithful to him?! I loved my children so much that I would gladly suffer anything to keep them from hurting! If the omnipotent God would let me suffer as he did—and he could surely have stopped it at any time—I wondered if he really loved me. How could he be loving and omnipotent and still let me suffer?! In my pain, in my frustration, in my arrogance, I demanded that God give me an answer. But he gave me none.

God owed me no explanaton. I wanted to put him on trial, but the truth was I was the one who should have been on trial. Eventually God himself appeared to me and confronted me, putting me on the witness stand with dozens of questions. Where was I when the earth was formed? How did he create the stars? How he measure off the depths or scatter the starry hosts? I admitted that these things were too lofty for me. And if I didn't understand them, neither could I understand the purposes of God. I now realize that no matter what I suffered, it could have been—it should have been—much worse. For arrogance that I displayed in the face of a holy God I deserved no change for the better, but hell itself. And for your arrogance before God in questioning his ways and what he does and does not allow, so do you.

I hoped that my situation would change, but when it seemed that it never would, I could either give up in despair or I could change my hope. I did the latter. I pray you do too...

II. I Changed my Hope

You see, I had some misperceptions. I thought that if I was upright and holy before God that he would then owe it to me to give me good things in this life. I thought that if I would serve him faithfully he would keep suffering and pain far from me. But my hope was placed in wishful thinking and not in the promises of God. You see, Jehovah never promised me that this life would be a life of comfort and ease. He never promised that I would never suffer. He never promised to explain to me why he did what he did. (In fact, he never did tell me that I suffered such misery and pain because satan, that foul demon, dared him to cause it. At least, he didn't tell me while I was alive on this earth.)

And only later did I realize that because God had not promised these things, my hope in them was poorly founded. I could not cling to promises that God had never made. So while I hoped things would change, God did not promise such change. I had to change my hope. I had to trust in that which he did promise to me.

Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath; my eyes will never see happiness again.

Finally, as I drew close to despair, my desperate plea was simply that God remember me. I knew that I didn't deserve a holy God to remember a lowly mortal like me, a sinner like me, a rebel and an arrogant fool like me. But deserve it or not, God would remember me anyway. He promised he would. Later, long after I died, the Psalmist wrote, "He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations..." (Psalm 105:8) And God does remember and keep every promise he ever made! He remembers that we are but dust, though we deserve to be long forgotten. In fact, the only thing he forgets is our sin.

My friends tried to convince me that I was being punished for my sin. Now I realize that God, being holy and just, must punish my sin. But he was not then, never has, and never will punish me for those sins. Instead the Messiah, who you know as Jesus, took the full punishment for all our sins. He endured hell itself in our place. That's why your prophet, Isaiah, wrote that, "the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)

This hope—of sins forgiven through the coming Messiah—this is where I would put my hope. Since God had promised this, it was certain—as good as done. I've heard it said that when you reach the end of your rope, you should tie a knot and hold on. When I reached the end of my rope, I tied a knot to my Redeemer and let him hold on to me.

Now, friends, I don't know what you've suffered in your lives. I don't know what pain and misery you endure today. You may be suffering as much as I did. But no matter what you are asked to endure I'm sure that at some point you've felt the hurt and the pain that I have. You too surely must have questioned God's love for you. And though it's not wrong to hope that your situation will change, you have no promise from God that it ever will this side of the grave.

So I advise you to change your hope. Don't put your hope in some change of life that God has not promised. Rather, put your hope in what he has promised, in what is certain, in what is sure to be. Put your hope in the Messiah. Put your hope in the forgiveness that he brings. Put your hope in the heaven that he promises on oath to you. And this hope will never be disappointed.

And when things are tough? Well... Whenever we had a draught and rains did not fall, when the wells were bone dry, those were the best opportunities to dig deeper wells. Then, when the rains finally did come again we had more water than we ever had before. When times are tough, when you're hurting and full of pain, coming close to the point of despair, let God dig the well of your faith even deeper than it's ever been. When all else fails, you are forced to rely on God, where you should have relied all along. Then, you will have more trust in him and more strength of faith to bring you through the next tough times.

Finally, dear friends, rejoice in God's great grace. If you must, hope that things will change. But better still, change your hope. Put your hope in the certain promises of God. Rejoice that your sins are forgiven, that heaven is yours, and that you can say with me with all certainty and sincerity, "I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!" (Job 19:25-27) In the name of the Messiah, who gives us real and lasting hope that cannot change, dear friends, amen.

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

Be Amazed by Jesus! (A sermon based on Mark 1:21-28)

2012-02-02T13:51:00.000-08:00

What things amaze you? A new gadget? Exciting news? How about the Word of God? In the Gospel lesson for the 4th Sunday in Epiphany we hear how Jesus drove a demon out of a man. But it was his teaching with authority, his Word, that really amazed the people. Jesus still amazes us today by his authoritative Word and by his powerful works for us. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Mark 1:21-28 and be amazed by Jesus all over again!

Be Amazed by Jesus!

A sermon based on Mark 1:21-28

Sunday, January 29, 2012 – Epiphany 4B

In 1973, the popular movie, The Exorcist, hit the theaters. The whole plot is about a priest battling a demon that has possessed a little girl. It was so popular that several sequels and a prequel were created over the next three decades, and in 2005 the same script was remade with new actors, new styles and Dolby Digital surround sound. And The Excorcist isn't the only movie that's grossed millions of dollars by alluring audiences to the theaters and video stores with the intrigue of demon possession and the occult. Let's face it, many people are fascinated with the devil and his forces.

Of course, this fascination is spiritually unhealthy and potentially very harmful, but the opposite is equally dangerous. In the book, Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis, an older more experienced demon, Screwtape, gives advice to a younger inexperienced demon, Wormwood, telling him to deceive his "patient" into believing the devil and demons are nothing but red-painted, long-tailed, pitch fork-carrying fairytales…

He tells Wormwood, "If any faint suspicion of your existence begins to arise in your mind, suggest to him a picture of something in red tights, and persuade him that since he cannot believe in that (it is an old textbook method of confusing them) he therefore cannot believe in you." Then, Screwtape reminds him, it will be much easier to discount all supernatural and make him a materialist and a skeptic.

Both extremes—fascination with and denial of—evil supernatural forces are very dangerous. The devil is very real. So are demons. They sometimes bring terror, but I think more often masquerade as angels of light. To deny their existence is to be susceptible to a surprise attack. But to fear them and be fascinated with their power is equally dangerous and can rob you of your faith. There is no need to fear demons. Though they do have supernatural powers, they no longer have any power over us… no control. Jesus has robbed them of that hold.

In the Word of God for our consideration this morning Jesus clearly reveals that he has power and authority over the devil and every demon. Jesus has ultimate power over everything. He demonstrated that power by his Words with his powerful teaching. And he demonstrated that power by his works, forcing a demon to obey that word. Listen now to Mark 1:21-28 and be amazed at Jesus as he reveals who he is by his powerful word and by his powerful work…

²¹They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. ²²The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. ²³Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, ²⁴"What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!" ²⁵"Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!" ²⁶The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. ²⁷The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him." ²⁸News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

I. Be Amazed by his Powerful Words

Jesus loved God's Word and remembered the Sabbath day, going to the synagogues each week to hear it and preach it to whomever would listen. But don't think of a first century synagogue like a 20^th century church or even like a 20^th century synagogue. Unlike churches and synagogues today, they had no resident rabbi. The members of the synagogue took turns reading and expounding upon the books of Moses and the Prophets and they invited any guest rabbi to speak while he was in town. Often then, with a new teacher each week, they encountered conflicting views and frequent debates as to how to interpret the Law of God.

But this Sabbath was different. The guest Rabbi in Capernaum this week wasn't like the others. His message was different than the rest. He spoke with absolute authority. No one could challenge a thing he said and it all made perfect sense. They had never heard anyone speak like this before! Clearly he was a great prophet of God! Perhaps even the Great Prophet God had revealed to Moses would come and speak his Word perfectly. "The people," Mark tells us, "were amazed at his teaching…"

And no wonder! This Rabbi didn't just study the Torah, he wrote it! He was God himself existing in eternity past, inspiring Moses and the other authors of the Scriptures to write exactly what they did. He was omniscient and knew exactly how every one of these verses would be fulfilled. He knew, of course, that they would be fulfilled in him. What an amazing sermon he must have given! And it wasn't received without an impressive effect. All who heard it were amazed, they marveled, at the things he said.

And though Jesus doesn't walk among us today, or stand in the pulpit as a guest preacher, he still teaches us with that same authority. Through the written Word in the Bible, still the most widely published book in the world, through the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion, through faithful pastors and teachers throughout the world, he still teaches with the same powerful, authoritative Words he did that day in the synagogue.

Through his Word and his amazing teaching, he confronts us in our sins—those sins of neglecting his Word and leaving the Bible sit on the shelf while we pick up a magazine or the remote instead, those sins of thinking his Word is not all that powerful and while, sure, it's good for those ancients Jesus mingled with, it can't really help us in our present day problems, for those sins of knowing the power of his Word, but refusing to share it with others coming up with lame excuses to stay in our comfort zones.

And his powerful Word does even more. After confronting us in our sin, that same Word assures us of our forgiveness, not by anything we do, but what he's already done—by his powerful work on the cross. That Word literally changes every aspect of our lives through and through! It changes the direction of our lives by giving us the desire to no longer live for ourselves but for him, serving him directly and by serving others. It gives us the power to resist sin, and get out of the rut! It gives us excitement, zeal, and encouragement in all we do! It gives us courage to say, "I trust that whatever happens to me, God is in control!" It gives me courage to die for that message! How amazing! What powerful words Jesus has!

And he reveals that amazing Word to us! Be amazed! Trust that power! And spread the Word! We don't need gimmicks to get people into heaven. We've got Jesus' amazing Words. When we share the gospel, confronting people in their sins and comforting them with the gospel, we convey the same amazing message and teaching that Jesus did. It's no less impressive or amazing when Jesus speaks through us. In fact, it's more amazing! It's amazing that Jesus works through us! It's amazing that when we share our faith with someone else, those words have the power to forgive sins. Be amazed at Jesus powerful Words and use them!

II. Be Amazed by his Powerful Works

Now of course it wasn't just his words that amazed the people and left their jaws dropped. It was also the powerful works that accompanied his Words. As Jesus was amazing the people with his teachings, a demon possessed man in their midst cried out, "²⁴"What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!" And Jesus had opportunity to reveal his power again. The people were amazed at his powerful works… ²⁵"Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!" ²⁶The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

While the people were amazed at Jesus teaching, they may not have fully understood who he was. But there was one among them who did. Who knows how many times this man evil spirit had been to the synagogue without revealing that he was possessing this man. But this time the demon couldn't contain himself. He cried out in fear, terrified that Jesus would send him back to hell. In fact, what the NIV translates as a question may not be a question at all, but a statement. "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? …[You have] come to destroy us!" For the demon knew what was not necessarily evident to the crowds. He knew that Jesus of Nazareth was (and is) the Holy One of God.

But Jesus knew that the people weren't ready to hear that he was the Messiah. They didn't really understand what the Messiah was about yet. If this truth was broadcast now it would do more harm than good. That's why Jesus commanded his disciples not to tell anyone this truth when they came to realize it and that's why Jesus commanded the demon to shut up. Literally he said, "Be muzzled!" And he commanded the evil spirit to leave the man. No elaborate incantation. No special holy water. Just the command of Jesus and the demon had no choice. He cried, "Leave me alone, Jesus!" in vain. Throwing the man into a convulsion one last time in protest, he shrieked in despair and frustration at being forced to do what he didn't want to—and he left.

What impressive power Jesus displayed! And again the people were amazed! They couldn't contain themselves! They had to tell everyone they saw about this Jesus. ²⁷The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him." ²⁸News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

With this, the first of his "exorcisms," Jesus began his war on Satan and his forces. Time and time again he drove evil spirits out of their victims with his divine power, demonstrating that he was and is God. And finally, he defeated Satan, crushing his head, when he went to the cross. And he defeated Satan for us…

You see, just as that man in the synagogue had no control over the evil spirit that possessed him, so we too had no control either. We had no control over the sin that infected our lives. We were slaves to sin, as Paul describes it. We could do nothing but sin. While we had a free will, that free will was limited. Right now, I can choose to stand still, or walk, or run, but I can't choose to fly. It's not possible for me. In the same way, we were unable to choose to do what is right. We were unable to do any good, but only hate God, rebel against him and live to serve our selves. And, therefore, in a certain sense, we were possessed by Satan—he owned us, made us his possession.

But just as Jesus had complete control over the evil spirit that possessed the man in the synagogue, so Jesus had complete control of the enemies of sin and Satan that took us captive as well. He is the Holy One of God. Yet for us, he became a man. He took control of our sin and made it his own. And he suffered the torment and the hell that should have been ours. In vain, Satan cried, "Leave me alone!" because on that cross, as Jesus endured the punishment for every sin ever committed, he crushed Satan's head and undid the work Satan began in the Garden of Eden. There he defeated Satan and all his forces once and for all!

What impressive power Jesus displayed! And we too are amazed! Give thanks to God that though they are very real, there is no need to ever fear Satan, his demons, or any evil spirit, for Jesus has completely defeated them all with his amazing work! Give thanks that he's revealed himself to you by his powerful Word and by his powerful works!

And be so amazed at Jesus and his grace that you can't contain yourself, but have to tell others about him. Tell them the undeniable fact, proven by his powerful teaching and his miraculous works, that he is the Holy One of God. Tell them the truth that he is the Savior of mankind, as you show them his amazing work on the cross. Spread the Word wherever you can that they too might be amazed by Jesus and put their trust in him. God be with you as spread the news about him quickly. In Jesus' name, dear friends, amen.

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

pastorguenther@gmail.com
(907) 690-1660

Christ Calls Us to Be Fishers of Men (A sermon based on Mark 1:16-20)

2012-01-23T21:37:00.000-08:00

Do you like to go fishing? It's almost required to like fishing if you live on the Kenai Peninsula. Well, today Jesus invites us to go fishing with him. Having caught us himself, he invites us to go fishing for people and help him catch them for the Kingdom. And we don't have any pressure to catch people like commercial fishermen are pressured to catch fish. But instead we can enjoy the adventure like a fun trip on the Kenai River or a charter out of Homer. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Mark 1:16-20 and get excited about the trip as Christ calls us to be fishers of men!

Christ Calls Us to Be Fishers of Men

A sermon based on Mark 1:16-20

Sunday, January 22, 2012 – Epiphany 3B

My dad used to own ¼ of a fishing boat that was docked in the Puget Sound in Seattle. And on that ¼ of a boat (really, on the whole thing, just ¼ as often) Dad used to take my brother and I fishing quite often. Armed with rods, fish finders, drinks and snacks, we were in pursuit of the elusive king salmon. We didn't always catch something, but we did always end up having a good time either way and a lot of memories were made even if we came back empty handed.

But that wasn't the case with Peter, Andrew, James and John. They weren't hobby fishermen, but professionals. Which meant that, a) they were probably a whole lot better than my dad, my brother and me, and, b) if they didn't catch something that day, they were in a lot of trouble. They had nothing to sell in the market which meant they had nothing to eat.

On one particularly bad morning, when they were skunked, catching nothing after fishing all night, they suddenly had quite the change of luck. Though they hadn't caught anything all day, with the right tip (a divine tip from Jesus) they caught so many fish the nets broke. That's in Luke's version of the events that day.

But this morning we'll take a look at Mark's account of that day, which leaves out the catch of fish. He focuses on the greater blessing of the disciples—not the great number of fish they caught, but how Jesus caught them. He called them to be his disciples. And that meant that he called them to a life of total commitment. But it also meant that he called them to a life of glorious service.

Listen now to Mark's account of The Calling of the First Disciples and hear how Jesus calls us to be his disciples; his fishers of men. Mark 1:16-20 reads…

¹⁶ As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ¹⁷ "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." ¹⁸ At once they left their nets and followed him. ¹⁹ When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. ²⁰ Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

I. He Calls for a Life of Total Commitment

In John's gospel, we find out that these men already had become Jesus disciples in the sense that they were believers. They believed that he was the Messiah, the one promised throughout the Old Testament, the one to whom John the Baptist had been pointing. But now, Jesus takes that discipleship one step further. Now he calls for a career change. And it wasn't an easy change to make.

Pay attention to the details. In verse 20 Mark points out what James and John left to become Jesus disciples. It says, "…they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him." We don't know about Simon and Andrew, but James and John were in the family business, "Zebedee and Sons Fishing Co." And it seems their business had been doing pretty well too since Zebedee was able to afford hired men. James and John had great jobs, were making a decent living, got to work with their dad, and could look forward to taking over the family business one day soon. But now, they gave it all up.

James and John gave up the wealth, they gave up the financial security, they gave up their family and left it all behind. And we can imagine that Peter and Andrew gave up similar comforts and blessings to make Jesus their number one priority. But why? What would cause them to throw away everything they'd worked for? Why would they abandon their plans, their familiar environment, their comfort zone, to travel along the Galilean countryside?

And without hesitation too! "¹⁸ At once they left their nets and followed him." And "Without delay… they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him." What could make them respond so suddenly, so decisively, so quickly?!

Well, I'll tell you what I don't think it was first. I don't think it was because these men were better educated than most, that they could recognize the true Messiah when others couldn't. I don't think it was because they were more spiritual or pious, the rest of the gospels rule that out. I don't think they left because they had an adventurous spirit that wanted to see the rest of the Promised Land. They seem rather timid at times. In fact, I don't think it was anything in them.

While these men did leave everything behind to follow Jesus, don't praise the disciples for such sacrifice and obedience. Instead, praise God. For it was his Word, the gracious call he gave to become his disciples, that moved the disciples to respond the way they did.

Though they had already met Jesus before and believed the truth that he was the Messiah, the Son of the living God, now they had an opportunity to follow Jesus around and learn what exactly that meant. They had the opportunity to watch Jesus drive out demons, heal incurable diseases, raise the dead to life, and countless other displays of his divinity first hand.

They were privileged to hear Jesus himself preach the good news of God—the best sermons ever! What a wonderful opportunity they had! And it was all by God's grace.

When most disciples chose the Rabbi they would follow, the Rabbi Jesus chose the disciples that would follow him. Just like we heard last week with Philip and Nathanael, he took the initiative, not the other way around. He called them. He enlisted them to follow him and learn from him over the next exciting and unforgettable three years of their lives and forever. That gracious call he extended moved them to respond… at once… without delay.

It's understandable that Mark leaves the miraculous catch of fish out of his version of The Calling of the First Disciples because the faith that Jesus created in his disciples—a faith that took everything in their lives and put it all underneath Jesus in their list of priorities—that faith that Jesus created is by far the greatest miracle that took place that day.

Now how about us? Are we really any different than Peter, Andrew, James and John? We too were once minding our own business, looking only to our own interests, mending our nets, caught up in the shuffle of the day to day, destined for eternal destruction. But in his grace, God acted. He chose us. He took the initiative. He called us. And he took up his net and caught us.

But Jesus idea of fishing for us was like catch and release. He didn't catch us to gut us and throw us in a cooler, but to set us free. But not like when fishermen catch a fish and throw it back in the water. God didn't throw us back where we came from. He caught us by creating faith in our hearts—faith in Jesus' death on the cross in our place—faith that releases us from our sins. So now we're released from the guilt we feel because of our sins. We're released from the eternal death in hell as a result of our sins. And we're released from the despair of wondering how we can ever do enough to make God love us. We have true freedom because Jesus caught us and released us.

In light of such grace God has shown us then, we, like the disciples, can't help but respond. We can't help but gladly and eagerly put everything in our lives underneath Jesus on our list of priorities. We can't help but gladly and eagerly giving up every comfort, luxury and security of this life in order to follow him. We'll gladly give back to God our wealth, giving not just 10% to the offering plate, but 100% in service to God. We'll gladly give back to God our time, serving him not just once in a while when we're asked to volunteer, but every day, all the time, using every opportunity to express our thanks and praise to him. We'll gladly use all the blessings God's given us to thank him for the greater blessings of forgiveness, life, heaven itself. Or else, we'll leave it all behind. And when we do, what a glorious life that is…

II. He Calls for a Life of Glorious Service

Now, when Jesus called the disciples to leave everything behind, everything they had grown to love, he wasn't calling them to a life of poverty and gloom. He wasn't calling them to a life of monasticism, where they were to try to eliminate every source of joy in their lives. No, he was calling them to experience some of the greatest joy they would ever know in a life of glorious service…

Jesus called the disciples to a career change. These men who were formerly fishermen would take part in the exciting work of being men-fishers.

A friends of mine did something similar. He's a second-career pastor who was a lawyer for quite some time before he decided to become a pastor. When I first found out, I jokingly said, "Boy, the two careers you've had seem to be at opposite ends of the spectrum. From telling lies to telling the truth. But seriously, that's quite a carreer change. How have you been able to make the transition?"

He didn't get mad, but patiently replied, "Well, it really hasn't been that hard at all. I used to work with the written word of the law, which can't be changed, only interpreted. It was my job to understand that law to arrive at the truth. Then I would stand up in front of an audience and try to convince them of the truth that would save a man from prison.

"Now I work with the written Word of God, which can't be changed, only interpreted. It's my job to first understand that Word for myself to arrive at the truth and then to stand up in front of an audience to try to convince them of the truth that would save them all. So, really, it's been a pretty easy career change."

And it may have been an easy career change for the disciples too. They needed courage, persistence, hard work and determination, they needed the ability to think on their feet and quickly adapt to their environment, and they especially needed patience as fishermen—all useful qualities to have as men-fishers. But finally, they didn't need to worry about what skills they did or didn't have because it wasn't up to them. Jesus promised them they would have the skills they would need. He told them, "I will make you fishers of men."

And what exciting work it was for the disciples! Luke tells us that after some of Jesus disciples returned from a mission trip they were thrilled at the opportunities they had. "Lord," they said, "even the demons submit to us in your name!" (cf. Luke 10:17) They had the opportunity to see hardened hearts soften and turn to Jesus in repentance and trust. They had the opportunity to see people come to faith, escape and eternity of torment to find Jesus and an eternity of glory! And not only did they get to see these things, but they got to be a part of it!

And dear friends, so do we! God calls us to the same glorious life of service. He doesn't leave us here on earth after we come to faith so we can just sit around and enjoy ourselves. If that were the case, why not take us to heaven where we'd enjoy ourselves a whole lot more? No. He leaves us here with work to do. We are to be his fishers of men. Jesus addressed not just the twelve, but all disciples of all time, when he gave the Great Commission to "go and make disciples of all nations…" And we get to be a part of God's exciting work!

Now that it may take patience, like when my dad took us fishing out on Puget Sound. Often we would sit on the boat for hours on end without a single bite. But Dad would always reminds us, "Boys, that's they call it fishing, not catching." It might take that sort of patience as we fish for people too. We won't always have hundreds of visitors waiting in line to sign up for the Bible information class. We won't always get the one we were after, that we thought we had on the hook and almost into the boat. We might have a bad day or week or year, and say with Peter, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything." (Luke 5:5a)

But, thankfully, it's not up to us. Jesus promises us that we have all that we need to carry out his work. He tells us, "I will make you fishers of men." And because Jesus doesn't call the qualified, but instead qualifies the called, we can also say with Peter, "But because you say so, I will let down the nets." (Luke 5:5b)

And really, God does all the hard work anyway. We get the easy part. One of things I used to hate about actually catching a fish (which thankfully didn't happen too often) was Dad's rule "You catch it; you clean it." But with God it's different. One of Dad's T-shirt he'd wear fishing read something like, "Jesus' Fishing Charters—You catch 'em, he'll clean 'em." We simply throw the bait out there by sharing the message of Jesus life and death in our place. He'll reel 'em in. He'll take 'em off the hook and he'll do the cleaning.

Just like he cleansed us of all of our sins by his blood, shed for us on the cross, he'll clean them too. He did the hard work of going to hell in our and their place. He does the hard work of bringing us and them to faith in him. He will take away their every sin by that faith. And having been cleaned by God, they too will have heaven awaiting them.

Not only do we get the opportunity to see hardened hearts soften and turn to Jesus in repentance and trust, not only do we get the opportunity to see people come to faith, escape and eternity of torment to find Jesus and an eternity of glory, but we also get to be a part of it! Thanks be to God for calling us to be fishers of men! How exciting! What a glorious life! In Jesus' name, dear friends, amen!

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

How Disciples Are Made (A sermon based on John 1:43-51)

2012-01-19T23:06:00.000-08:00

If given a choice to lead or follow, which would you take? I think most of us would prefer to lead. We like to be in charge. But Jesus calls us to follow him. And in thanks for the way he leads us and even carries us to heaven, we're eager to follow him in his Word and to lead others to Jesus too. As Jesus calls us saying, "Follow Me," we're eager to follow and tell others "Come and see!" Come and see how disciples are made as you read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on John 1:43-51...

How Disciples Are Made

A sermon based on John 1:43-51

Sunday, January 15, 2012 – Epiphany 2B

The story is told of a young woman who wanted to go to college. But as she read the question on the application that asked, "Are you a leader?" her heart sank. Being honest, she wrote, "No. I'm not really a leader," and returned the application, expecting the worst. But to her surprise, she received this letter from the college: "Dear Applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower."

We don't naturally follow, do we? We like to lead. We like to be in charge. We like to call the shots. But that's not what Christianity is about. Oh, sure, there are opportunities to be leaders, but we're really called to follow. We're called to follow, not some earthly leader, but Jesus. Those who follow him are his disciples. But if it doesn't come naturally that we follow, then how are disciples (or followers) made? In the words of the disciple, Philip, "Come and see…"

Listen now to John1:43-51, the Gospel Lesson for this Second Sunday after Epiphany and learn how disciples are made…

⁴³The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."

⁴⁴Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. ⁴⁵Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

⁴⁶"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.

"Come and see," said Philip.

⁴⁷When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."

⁴⁸"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked.

Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."

⁴⁹Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

⁵⁰Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." ⁵¹He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

I. Jesus Says, "Follow Me"

So, how are disciples made? Well, let's start with Philip. How did Philip come to know Jesus? What does John say? Jesus found him. Not the other way around. Jesus took the initiative. Jesus called Philip to be his disciple.

How about Nathanael? How did he come to know Jesus? Again, Jesus took the initiative. Sure Philip brought Nathanael to Jesus. But Nathanael wasn't buying Philip's story. You see, being a true Israelite in whom there is nothing false, he knew his Scriptures. And so he assumed that Jesus couldn't possibly be the Messiah because he was from Nazareth. And, as we heard last week in the verse the King Herod discovered in his "Bible study," the Scriptures clearly said the Messiah would come from Bethlehem.

But when Nathanael was confused and could not believe in Jesus, Jesus came to him. And by demonstrating his omniscience, indicating to Nathanael that he saw, that he knew, exactly where he was: under the tree, that he knew exactly what Nathanael was doing, exactly what he was thinking, he proved to Nathanael who he was.

When Philip and Nathanael could not have known who Jesus was, when they could not know their escape from sin and hell, Jesus revealed himself to them so they could confess, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God!"

And really, is it so different for us? Jesus took the initiative with you and me too. Jesus has called us to follow him. But sometimes we follow him like we follow a "friend" on Twitter or Facebook. We "Like" Jesus and we check in on him from time to time to see what he's up to. We go to church occasionally or scan our Bibles to see his most recent "wall post." But then we leave, go back to our business and follow our own pursuits. Because we, like those 1,452 college applicants, think we're really the best leaders.

We don't really want to follow. We don't really want to follow Jesus when he tells us to quit that particular sin we find so appealing. We don't really want to follow him when following means we might get ridiculed. We don't really want to follow Jesus when it might be inconvenient or I might have to give up something I consider my own.

And for refusing to follow him, we deserve to be left in the dust.

But thankfully, when Jesus said, "Follow me," he didn't mean "Follow my example." He didn't mean "Follow in my footsteps as you do exactly as I do, as you love perfectly, as you give 100%, as you obey all my commands."

No! When he said, "Follow me," he meant it sort of like the way a firefighter leading someone out of a burning building cries, "Follow me!" "Follow me to safety! Come this way and I'll show you the way out that your life may be spared."

Sort of like… but not exactly… Because even that we couldn't do. So Jesus did more than just show us the way out of the burning building; he carried us out. He picked us up and rescued us from hell. Jesus found us. Not the other way around. Jesus took the initiative. Jesus called us to be his disciples and he called us to safety.

And how'd he do it? Look at the last verse. Speaking to a true Israelite, who would know his Scriptures well, Nathanael would certainly have picked up on Jesus' clear allusion to Jacob's ladder, that stairway that Jacob saw in his dream with angels ascending and descending:

"I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

How does one get into heaven? The Son of Man, that is, Jesus, is the ladder. When we couldn't climb up to God, he descended to come down to us. And Jesus followed the law perfectly. He followed the Father's will. He followed the plan. And becoming sin for us, he took our sin away. And when he calls to us by his Holy Spirit, "Follow me," he creates the very faith in our hearts that put our trust in him, making us willing to follow him out on a limb and put our entire trust in him and in his work for us.

Far more exciting that having Jesus read his mind, Nathanael would see Jesus rescue him from hell and carry him to heaven. Through Jesus, disciples are made. Through Jesus, saints are made. Through Jesus, we are saved. And now, through us—his saved, sainted, disciples—other disciples are made…

II. We Say, "Come and See"

How are disciples made? Jesus calls them. But how does Jesus call them? Through other disciples. Most likely, Philip heard about Jesus through Andrew and Peter. That's why John includes that detail, "Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida." In fact, if you back up just a few verses in John 1, you'll find that Andrew and Peter were called to be Jesus' disciples only the day before, when John the Baptist (another disciple of Jesus) pointed them to him.

How did Nathanael come to meet Jesus? Philip brought him. So, the Holy Spirit brought John the Baptist, who brought Andrew, who brought Peter, who possibly brought Philip, who brought Nathanael, also known as Bartholomew. And according to historian, Eusebius, and church father, St. Jerome, Nathanael took the Gospel to India and shared the good news with people there.

See how God works? While he could have sent angels to share the Gospel with trumpet blasts or sent his Holy Spirit directly to individual hearts, that's not the way he usually operates. Usually he works through people, like John and Andrew and Peter and Philip and Nathanael… and you.

How do your neighbors come to faith? How do your co-workers believe in Jesus? How do your family become true disciples? Well, Jesus still calls them. You can't create faith in their hearts. Only the Holy Spirit can do that. But how do they meet Jesus? Through you.

So what's the strategy? It's the same as Philip's. And what was that? Well, he didn't study for six months first, then say, "Here, Nathanael, let me prove to you who Jesus is." He didn't say, "I can answer every objection that you might have." No. He simply said, "Come and see." "Come and see for yourself. Come, meet the man. Let him convince you. Let him call you."

You don't need to prove to others that Jesus can help them. You don't need to argue the point. Don't need to have every Bible verse in the Bible memorized, or a rehearsed speech down pat. And you don't need to have an answer for every objection they might have. All you need to do is invite them to meet Jesus for themselves. Just do like Philip did and say, "Come and see. Come and see this Jesus in whom I believe. Come and let him convince you by his love."

So, here's your challenge: Right now, think of someone who needs to meet Jesus. Maybe it's someone who already professes to know him, but still doesn't really follow him. Maybe it's someone at work or someone at school. Maybe it's someone in your family or someone at home. Now, here's what I want you do… And here's what we're eager to do in thanks to Jesus for making us his disciples and rescuing us: Invite them. Invite them to worship to come and see Jesus. Invite them to watch the webcast of our worship or Bible study. And follow up with them to see what they thought. Invite them to come to our next movie night to begin the dialogue of faith. Tell them, "Come and see," and introduce them to Jesus.

And the cool thing is, you won't be doing it alone. The same Jesus who saw Nathanael sitting under the fig tree… sees you. He will be with you, at your side, strengthening you and encouraging you, reminding you that through you, he makes disciples. So you tell them, "Come and see." Then Jesus will tell them, "Follow me."

Don't be upset if you have to say, "No. I'm not really a leader," but thank God that you are a follower of Jesus. You are his disciple. Now go. And make disciples. In Jesus' name, amen.

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

You Are a Part of God’s Family! (A sermon based on Ruth 4:13-17)

2012-01-10T14:47:00.001-08:00

Ruth was a Moabitess. The Moabites were Israel's enemies. And as such, Ruth had no claim in the promises of God's chosen people. Naomi, her mother-in-law lost everything. She lost her family. And she began to lose hope. But God in his grace provided a family for Naomi again in Ruth and Boaz and their son, Obed. God in his grace provided a family for Ruth and brought her into his family and made her one of his chosen people. And though we, like Ruth, had no part of God's family, though we, like Naomi, were once surrounded by death, God brought us into his family. God brought us new life. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on the account of Naomi and Ruth and rejoice that, like them, you are a part of God's family!

You Are a Part of God's Family!

A sermon based on Ruth 4:13-17

Sunday, January 8, 2012 – Epiphany (Celebration)

The young woman found her prince charming! The young farmer was loving, kind, and compassionate and faithful to the Lord. They soon married and started a family of two small boys and the woman thought she had found heaven on earth.

But then, the economy plunged. Famine struck and the crops wouldn't grow. In a desperate attempt to survive they up and moved to another country where things weren't so bad. And they struggled on as best they could.

And then, her whole world was shaken when her husband died. She was thankful the boys were grown now and could take care of her—physically and emotionally. They both married fine local girls and began to start new lives in that foreign country, but while they were still young, both of her sons died too.

She had lost everything. She lost her money. She lost the farm. She lost her family. And she began to lose hope. All she had left were her two daughters-in-law and she knew she couldn't support them. And she couldn't expect them to support her. She wasn't really their mother. She was a foreigner. They'd soon remarry and get on with their lives. But not her. What would happen to her, only God knew.

Of course, this is a true story. The young woman was Naomi, no longer so young. Remarriage was out of the picture. But one of those two daughters-in-law we know well. Ruth refused to leave Naomi's side, but would return home with her and would care for her.

And in this amazing story of Naomi and Ruth and Boaz, we see how God in his grace provided a family… for Naomi, for Ruth and for Boaz, and… through that family, he provided a family for us. Through that family tree of Naomi and Ruth came the Savior—a Savior born, not just for Jews, but for Moabite women like Ruth, for German people like me, and for all of us Gentiles (that is, non-Jews). Through that Savior, God brings us into his family.

Listen to the happy ending for Naomi, recorded for us in Ruth 4:13-17…

¹³So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. ¹⁴The women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! ¹⁵He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth." ¹⁶Then Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him. ¹⁷The women living there said, "Naomi has a son." And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

I. Excluded By Our Sin

At one point it seemed to Naomi that she really had lost everything. She lost her family, her finances, her home, her property, and her hope. She was in such despair that she changed her name to Mara (which means "bitter") saying God had made her life so bitter for her.

And though we're not told that she committed any particular sin to prompt such actions from God, the truth is that her struggles were a result of sin. The famine may very well have been an act of God's judgment against a rebellious Israel in this time of the Judges. Death is a result of sin. And no matter what the cause, did Naomi really have any right to complain against God? She was a sinner and as such, she deserved hell. She deserved to lose more than her family, but also her eternity.

Likewise, Ruth (who's sometimes perceived as the heroine of the story) had no part in God's kingdom. She wasn't an Israelite, but a Moabite—from Moab, named after the patriarch born to Abraham's nephew Lot and Lot's daughter. They were not a godly people, enemies of Israel, constantly fighting against them. As a Moabite, Ruth had no right to be a part of Israel's family and as a sinner she too deserved to be excluded and left out of God's family.

And friends, harsh as it may sound, it's the truth that we deserve to be left out too. We all know the feeling of being excluded from a group, of being left out, and left sitting on the sidelines. And I think we all know what it's like for that exclusion to be, at least in part, our own fault.

Susan was having fun with some friends and made a few jokes about Carla and her weight problem. Little did she know that Carla had just come up behind her and heard every word. Not only was she was she excluded from Carla's party that weekend where all their friends would be, not only did she lose a friend in Carla, who'd been nothing but kind to her, but worst of all, Susan knew it was her fault. She deserved to be left out.

And, so do we…

We weren't born into God's family, but were by nature enemies, hostile to God in a way much worse than any Moabite ever was to an Israelite. (Romans 8:7) We wanted no part of God's family and nothing to do with him. And that attitude evidenced itself in our thoughts and actions, and all too often that sinful nature that's so hostile to God still resurfaces and shows itself in our lives by the selfish things we continue to think and do…

Our selfishness not only splinters families and causes problems in our relationships with one another, but they separate us from our God. For our grumbling against God for letting life be more bitter than we'd like even though when we deserve so much worse, we should be left out of God's family and excluded from God's heaven for the things we've said and done and thought toward him. After all, whatever we do to the least of God's children, we do to him. (Matthew 25:40,45)

But thank God that like Naomi, and like Ruth, even though we deserve to be excluded from God's family by our sin, we're included in God's family by his grace…

II. Included By God's Grace

Can you imagine how much Ruth's life had changed? The change from Moabite to Israelite must have been quite a change! Though she was once an enemy of this people, she now became one of these people. And now as she had promised Naomi, Naomi's people became her people, Naomi's God became her God! And not only was she now an Israelite, but the great-grandmother of King David and the ancestress of Christ! Turning from the gods of Moab to the true God also meant she, who was once excluded, was now included in the promise. She too had a Savior in her own descendant.

And imagine what a blessed change Naomi had! She went from having no family, but Ruth, to having a kinsman-redeemer—a son-in-law who would provide for her and care for her and sustain her life in her old age. She went from having lost two sons, to getting a son again (even though it wasn't hers naturally, but only by the law). And what joy she must have had to hold that baby boy in her arms and to become his nurse! How God brought life back to Naomi who had been so surrounded by death!

And through Ruth's descendant, Jesus, what blessings are ours! We who were once excluded from God's family by our sins, are included by his grace! Through Ruth's son, Obed, came his son, Jesse, who had King David. And from King David and that royal line came our kinsman-redeemer. "Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer!" And Jesus has become famous throughout Israel and throughout the world!

A kinsman-redeemer was one who would rescue and defend his relatives when they would be forced to become slaves, give up their land, or lose their inheritance. He must be a blood relative, able to pay the price of redemption, willing to redeem his relative, and must be free himself.

Jesus became our blood relative. He became like us in every way that he might rescue us and buy us out of slavery. He was able to pay the price of redemption and he was the only one able since the blood of God is the only price big enough to pay for the world's sin. And he was willing to redeem us at any cost sacrificing his very life even for us Gentiles, who by nature aren't a part of the promise!

Do you remember how the book of Matthew begins? It has that long list of names that may look like the credits at the end of a movie. But in that long list Matthew makes it a point to include the names of a few women. Ruth, the Moabitess, is included in God's plan of salvation. Rahab, probably the Caananite prostitute from Jericho, is listed as the mother of Boaz. Tamar, the daughter-in-law of Judah by whom he had Perez is listed there. All are included though they're sinners and outsiders and have no right to be in the line of the Savior. Yet there they are—included by God's grace.

And what comfort we find in that list of names. Because they're included, we know that we too, sinners and outsiders, who ought to be excluded by right, can be included as well. We're included not by anything we've done, but purely by God's grace!

And just like Boaz did for Ruth and Naomi, our kinsman-redeemer has renewed our lives and continues to sustain us even beyond our old age—into eternity. Through him, we who were once left out of God's family and excluded from God's heaven, have a family again. God is our Father. We who were once orphaned have been adopted and grafted in to the family. Christ is our brother. We who were once alone have a kinsman-redeemer! Life has been restored! We are sustained!

And now we have opportunity to bring others into the family. Those who are orphaned because of their sin—we can share with them how their sin has been removed by their kinsman-redeemer too, how they can be included, how they can be a part of God's family with us. We have opportunity to "Tell how the Father sent his Son to save us. [To] Tell of the Son, who life and freedom gave us. [To] Tell how the Spirit calls from ev'ry nation His new creation." (CW #556, v.4) "Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer!" In Jesus, who's included us in his family, amen!

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

Our Eyes Have Seen God's Salvation (A sermon based on Luke 2:25-35)

2012-01-03T16:13:00.000-08:00

A gift card, an engagement ring, a newborn baby... these are all big gifts in little packages. And those are the kinds of gifts God likes to give. A newborn baby is the package for God's greatest gift to mankind: A Savior from sin. Ink on paper is the wrapping for his gift of faith. Bread and wine are how he gives us his body and blood. Huge gifts in small packages given by the Holy Spirit! These are the best gifts we were given this year! In Jesus, through the Word, our eyes have seen God's salvation! Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Luke 2:25-35 and be confronted by the Christ of Conflict in order to be comforted by the Prince of Peace...

Our Eyes Have Seen God's Salvation

A sermon based on Luke 2:25-35

Sunday, January 1, 2012 – Christmas 1B

When I did my internship as a vicar in Austin, Texas my in-laws came to visit from Wisconsin to spend the holidays with me and Becky. And in order to save costs on travel for four, they chose to drive, rather than fly. And with four people and all their luggage in their small Toyota Corolla, they warned us that they wouldn't have room to take much back to Wisconsin with them. "Gift cards," they suggested, "would make great gifts."

So, when they arrived and saw the gigantic present under the tree (from me to them) they grew worried. They would have to struggle to make room to get it home. Someone would have to hold it on their lap. But when the gift was opened, they all realized the joke. The gift was so small it could easily be stuffed in a bag or even under the seat of the car. I took a small gift and put it in the biggest box I could find.

It's not a difficult thing to put a very small gift in a large package. It's a trick I like to play every year. But it's not as easy to do the opposite. It can be very hard to fit a large gift in a very small package.

But this week I was reminded once again that it is possible, when my big brother got one of the best presents he could get in a very small package. Only 17 inches long, his wife gave birth to her firstborn, a son. And Caleb Andrew Guenther, was born.

And this morning we see that that's exactly what God did. He gave us the largest and most important gift—the best gift ever. And as Simeon found out, God put it in a very small package: another tiny baby, a firstborn, a son… This morning let's visit Mary and Joseph while at the temple in Jerusalem forty days after Jesus was born.

Why at the temple? Well, in the Old Testament law God told the Israelites that when he struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, he set them apart for himself. All of Israel's firstborn males belonged to him. If the child was not given into the service of the Lord, the parents needed to redeem him with a payment. Because Mary and Joseph were God-fearing Jews, who wanted to keep God's law, 40 days after Christmas, they left Bethlehem to make the short trip to Jerusalem, to the temple, to do for Jesus what the custom of the Law required, to redeem baby Jesus.

When they arrived they found an old man there, a devout Jew who still held on to the promise of the Savior, a man by the name of Simeon. He was waiting here with anticipation for the promised Messiah, the Consolation of Israel, to come. You see, this man had received a special revelation from God and had been told that he would not see death until he had seen the Messiah first. Just as children wait for Christmas morning and count down the days, in eager anticipation, until they can finally tear the wrapping paper off those presents, so Simeon must have waited; watching every baby boy who came to Jerusalem, wondering if he might be the one.

But on this particular day, the Holy Spirit came to him again and moved him to go to the temple. How excited he must have been. He went and watched and waited there. Then, just as Mary and Joseph entered the temple courts, holding the infant baby in their arms, Simeon knew that this baby was the one! He saw in those arms more than just a newborn baby. Revealed by the Spirit, he knew that this little infant, in such a small package, was God's greatest gift! He was the long-expected Messiah they had all been waiting for! He was the salvation which God had prepared for all people! He was the Christ of Conflict who would confront many, causing them to either rise or fall! He was the Prince of Peace who would comfort and console his people! Let's read what happened in Luke 2:25-35:

²⁵Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. ²⁷Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, ²⁸Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: ²⁹"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. ³⁰For my eyes have seen your salvation, ³¹which you have prepared in the sight of all people, ³²a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." ³³The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."

I. Confronted by the Christ of Conflict

Simeon knew his prophets well. He knew that it had been foretold long ago by prophet Isaiah that the Messiah would be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall… a trap and a snare. Causing many to stumble, fall and be broken, to be snared and captured. (Isaiah 8:14-15) How would this little baby Jesus do that? He would confront the people and demand a response. There are only two options: They would either believe Simeon's words and by faith trust that he was the promised Messiah, or they could reject him. There was no middle ground. There is only one right answer to the question, "Who do you say that I am?"

Christ came with a confrontation. "You are horrible sinners, you brood of vipers. You have not kept the law of God perfectly as God demands, you whitewashed tombs. You deserve nothing but death and punishment in hell. In fact, that's what you will suffer without one who can rescue you from this doom. You need me, your savior from sin."

To most, that confrontation was very offensive. How could the Pharisees be horrible sinners?! "Doesn't this man see all the good we do? Doesn't he know that we not only keep the law, but add additional laws to ensure that we keep all of it?! Who does he think he is?! This man is no Messiah. This is not what the Messiah is about."

Sadly, most rejected him. He was not the Messiah they had expected. Israel, God's chosen people, expected a political Messiah who would come in strength and might. Who, with miraculous signs and displays of his power, would forever banish the Romans from their land and usher in an era of peace and prosperity for every Jew. This little helpless infant hardly looked like that powerful and mighty king.

And as an adult he still seemed weak and helpless. It seemed that he couldn't even stop a few men from mocking him, beating him, and torturing him; he couldn't prevent them from nailing him to a cross to suffer and die a slow, painful death. Look at the end of verse 35. Simeon told Mary, "a sword will pierce your own soul too." The messiah would suffer a death that would pierce Mary's soul as she watched her beloved son suffer such agony. What kind of a Messiah is that?! The Jews felt they didn't need a savior from sin, but a savior from the Romans.

Simeon said that the Messiah would be "a light for revelation to the Gentiles." But to the Gentiles, who always looked for wisdom, he was no light for revelation! Were these philosophers and scholars really expected to believe that a man dying on the cross would make any difference at all? That this humble and lowly baby could solve life's problems? Were they really expected to believe in the fairy tale of an everlasting life of bliss in some heavenly place?! They felt they didn't need a savior from sin. They needed a new scholar.

Simeon prophesied that Christ crucified would be a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. He said in verse 34, "This child is destined to cause the falling… of many in Israel." He prophesied that those who rejected him would fall. It would be better for Sodom on the day of judgment than for those who saw the miraculous signs of the Messiah and spoke against him in rejection. Their hearts would be revealed for the self-righteous hypocrites they were.

But those who believed Simeon's words, who trusted in this Messiah, who recognized their own sinfulness and their need for a savior from sin, who fell on their knees in repentance, those, Simeon said, would be raised up. "This child is destined to cause the… rising of many in Israel." He knew the Psalm which read, "He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people." (Psalm 113:7,8)

Today, Christ still comes in confrontation. There is no middle ground. Christ still says, "He who is not with me is against me." There are still only two options: Be offended. Reject him. Struggle to win heaven on your own. Find the solution to the filth of your sin somewhere other than Christ and someday fall eternally in the torment of hell. Or, believe Simeon's words; that this little baby Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, our Savior. Recognize your sin and your need for a savior. Fall on your knees in repentance and trust in him and be comforted. Receive forgiveness of sins, peace, joy, and life eternal with him when you literally rise up from the dead. What will it be for you? Don't let it be anything less than what Simeon found.

Simeon, moved by the Holy Spirit, chose the latter. He saw in this little baby more than a crying infant. He saw his savior from sin. He was comforted by this prince of peace.

II. Comforted by the Prince of Peace

Holding the Christ child in his arms, Simeon said, "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people,a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."

Simeon was now ready to depart. He was ready to die and leave this vale of tears and sorrow. He was no longer troubled. No longer afraid… of even death itself! He could go in peace. Peace of soul; knowing that through this child, this Prince of Peace, everything was now peaceful between God and him. Through the sacrifice of this little baby all of his sins were forgiven. He would soon stand spotless before God's throne. He had peace of mind; knowing that whatever else life might throw his way mattered little in comparison to the gift God had sent in this little baby. God had sent the salvation which he had prepared for all people; for Gentile, for Jew… for Simeon. He was now set free from sin, death, and an eternity in hell. He could depart in peace, according to God's word.

You too, like Simeon, have seen with your own eyes God's salvation which he has prepared for you. The Holy Spirit has revealed to you that this little baby, in such a small package, is the Messiah, your Savior from sin. You can depart in peace. Peace of mind, knowing that God will work all things for your eternal good. And peace of soul, since this little baby, your Price of Peace, redeemed for God 40 days after Christmas, has redeemed you from all sin, from death and from hell.

Look at verse 33, "The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him." Like Mary and Joseph, marvel at what you've heard about this child. That though you deserve nothing but eternal suffering in hell, in this little baby, God has prepared your salvation. Wonder with amazement as you hear this gospel truth, as you see what Christ has done for you, as you taste his body and blood in the Lord's Supper, as you realize and appreciate the peace you have through him.

Like Simeon share what your eyes have seen! One of the early church fathers during the reign of Nero, the Christian persecutor, was Polycarp, who like Simeon, was advanced in years. He, like Simeon, shared his faith with all those around him. For such witness, he would be burned at the stake unless he would deny his Lord. But rather than save his life, he made one last bold and clear witness to his faith. He said, "Eighty and six years have I served Christ, who has never done me any injury: how then can I blaspheme my King and Savior?"

Because he saw in such a tiny package, in this infant child, God's greatest gift to mankind, the salvation which God had prepared for him, he could depart in peace. He could make a bold confession of Christ, that others too might be confronted by the Christ of Conflict. That they too might be comforted by the Prince of Peace. That they, like Simeon, like Polycarp, might someday pray, "Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word." Amen.

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

pastorguenther@gmail.com
(907) 283-6297

Resolved to Change A sermon based on Hebrews 13:1-8

2012-01-03T16:01:00.001-08:00

How are your New Year's resolutions? Broken them yet? Or maybe you resolved not to make any more resolutions. It seems too often we resolve to change our lives, but then fall back into our same old, sinful patters. But when we were helpless to change our situation God resolved to rescue us from our sin. Now we are sinless and perfect in God's sight with nothing left to be done. And in thanks to him we resolve to change our behavior and our lives. And with his help, that's a resolution we can keep. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Hebrews 13:1-8 and find new resolve to live for God who resolved to save you...

Resolved to Change

A sermon based on Hebrews 13:1-8

Saturday, December 31, 2011 – New Year's Eve

"How many WELS Lutherans does it take to change a light bulb?" I'm sure most of you already know the punch line: "Change?! We've always had that light bulb!" We Lutherans are sometimes known for our resistance to change. But, of course, it's not just Lutherans. We humans are resistant to change because change brings something new, something unknown, something uncertain and scary.

But the truth is, whether we resist it, or welcome it, we all go through change. We can't avoid it. Just think of the changes you've gone through in 2011. Some of you have moved and changed your location and your home. Others have changed the size of your families with new additions by birth or subtractions through death. Others have changed jobs, changed your budgets, changed your diets, changed your medications, changed your daily routines. Change is inevitable. Everything is subject to change at any given time.

Everything that is, but Jesus. Jesus is always the same. He is the immovable, unchanging rock. So when life whips us around like a ship tossed by the sea, we have the certain anchor of Jesus. No matter what life throws at us, we always have forgiveness. We always have our salvation. We always have heaven to look forward to. We always have peace. Those things will never change. And in thanks to God for giving us this unchanging certainty we can resolve to change the way we live and live for him in thanks. Listen to the word of encouragement that the author to the Hebrews gives us in chapter 13 of his epistle…

¹ Keep on loving each other as brothers. ²Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. ³Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. ⁴Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. ⁵Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." ⁶So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"⁷Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. ⁸Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

So, have you all made your resolutions? What have you resolved to do? Quit smoking? Lose a few pounds? Become more organized? Procrastinate less? (Or are you waiting to make that resolution later tonight when you get around to it.) I'm not sure where the custom of making resolutions began or why, but I like the custom. I think we should all resolve to improve the way we live. In fact, I think we should all make such resolutions, not just once a year, but one a week or even once a day. And in fact, we do. Every time you hear those wonderful words proclaimed in worship, "God, our heavenly Father, has forgiven all your sins," or "Take and eat or drink, this is the body or blood of Jesus Christ given for you, shed for you, for the forgiveness of sins," ...I hope that when you hear those words you resolve to quit doing the sins you've just been forgiven of.

But perhaps a more probing question is not "Have you made your resolutions?" but "Have you kept your resolutions?" You know, the ones you made a year ago? Have you quit smoking? Lost the pounds? Become organized? Have you kept your resolutions to quit sinning? To be more loving to one another... and to complete strangers? Have you remembered those who are imprisoned and mistreated? Even in your prayers? Have you honored marriage and kept the marriage bed pure? How about in your words? In your thoughts? Have you kept your resolve to be content with what you have?

How resistant to change we are! We resolve to change... to do better next time! But we don't keep our resolutions. The next time comes around and we change our minds and don't change our attitudes or behaviors at all. In fact, the truth is, that if it were only up to us, to our will power, to our commitment to do better, to our strength and our resolve, well... we'd never change at all. And we would deserve to have God change his mind about loving us and say, "I don't want to save you anymore. You don't even appreciate it. I don't want to love you. I've changed my mind. I'll love you when you love me first. And I change my mind about giving you heaven for free. You abuse my gifts. Instead I'll give you the hell you deserve." Then we would remain damned sinners incapable of changing our thoughts and actions, incapable of changing our fate and would spend an eternity in hell where our torment would never change.

But thank God that his love for you never changes! "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." God's love for you was so great that he resolved to fix your problem of sin. In fact, as much as it seems like an oxymoron, his love for you is so changeless that he was willing to change for you. How did he change? The God of the universe took on flesh and blood and became fully human so he could be under his own law to live a perfect life in your place! And when he resolved not to sin, he kept his resolution!

He changed to become fully human that he might die for us. And when he resolved to go to the cross he "set his face like flint" (cf. Isaiah 50:7) so determined was that resolve! And thank God he didn't break that resolution! There, on the cross, God took the hell that we deserve to take away every one of our broken resolutions and every one of our sins. When no amount of resolve on our part ever could ever change us, God made a resolution to change us from the hell-bound sinners that we were to the sinless and perfect saints that we have become, and he kept his resolution.

That truth kept us grounded in 2011 and it will give us the strength and courage we need to face the changes that we'll meet in 2012 and beyond. Because that assurance of forgiveness, of peace with God, of the assurance of heaven will not—cannot! ever!—change. God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." That line is sort of a motto God has.

When Jacob, Isaac's son, was relocating and changing his position (running for his life from his murderous brother) God promised him in Genesis 28:15, "I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." As the children of Israel were terrified by the powerful enemies that occupied the land they were about to enter as they changed jobs from nomads to soldiers, God promised in Deuteronomy 31:6, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." When Moses' aid, Joshua, got an unexpected promotion and was now in charge of this rebellious group of Israelites, God promised him in Joshua 1:5, "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." When King Solomon was intimidated by the thought of taking over his father's kingdom and all the changes that would take place, God promised him (through David) in 1 Chronicles 28:20, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished."

The author to the Hebrews told them to remember these spiritual ancestors who lead the way for them, "Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith." Why? Because the God who promised never to leave those leaders made the same promise to them: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." And through the author to the Hebrews, he promises the same to you and me.

God's grace to you will never change—never! No matter what life throws at you, a change of jobs, a change of family, a change of health... you always have the forgiveness of sins. You always have salvation. You always have heaven to look forward to. And you always have peace. Those things will not and cannot ever change no matter what! You can always recite Psalm 118:6 with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" That will never change!

And so I can predict (with absolute certainty) that even if you lose your job, your health fails, your wealth is stripped away and all your friends and family all leave you, if God should allow you to suffer like Job, you will still have a great 2012! Because, in the words of Job (cf. 19:25-27 paraphrased), you know that your "Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after [your] skin has been destroyed, yet in [your] flesh [you] will see God; [You yourself] will see him with [your] own eyes!"

So how do we respond to God's unchanging grace and his immovable promises? We resolve to change the way we live! We, "Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have…"

We resolve to thank God by continuing to show brotherly love to one another. While a brother or sister may have a quirk or two that drives you nuts, you still love your sibling. It's the same way in God's family. Resolve to love each other and express that brotherly love in your actions.

Then resolve to love not just your friends. The heathen do that. Resolve to love and serve even those you don't know. Resolve to treat strangers, those imprisoned, and those mistreated, as if they were angels in disguise, as if they were God himself! Show them hospitality. Show them kindness. Show them Jesus' love.

Resolve to uphold God's good gift of marriage. Resolve to put away impure thoughts. Resolve to love your spouse, not just in words, but in actions. The emotions will follow. Resolve to be content with the countless blessings God has showered on you and to keep your life free from the love of money.

And by God's grace, we can keep these resolutions. We can find contentment, not in our wealth, but in our changeless Savior. Because no matter what changes for you in 2012, Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, in 2012 and forever. Yesterday, in days past, he took care of our salvation when he died on the cross and removed our every sin. Today he remains with us always and gives us his Word, his body and his blood. And he will be with us forever in this life and in the eternal glory of heaven that's ours through him. Rejoice in what God has resolved to do for us! And in thanks resolve to live for him. In Jesus' name, dear friends, amen.

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

pastorguenther@gmail.com
(907) 283-6297

God’s Gifts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future (A sermon based on Titus 2:11-14)

2012-01-03T15:49:00.001-08:00

God's gifts to us at Christmastime aren't just one time gifts that we use and discard. What God gave us in Christ accomplished our salvation in the past, gives us peace with God right now in the present, and promises eternal blessings in the future. No wonder we celebrate Christmas! We rejoice in God's perfect gifts of Christmas past, present, and future. Read or listen to (download or stream) this Christmas sermon based on Titus 2:11-14 and rejoice in God's perfect gifts to us!

God's Gifts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future

A sermon based on Titus 2:11-14

Christmas Day – December 25, 2011

In 1843, Charles Dickens wrote his classic tale, A Christmas Carol. And as you know, in his novel Dickens sent three ghosts to visit the bitter miser, Ebenezer Scrooge. After the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Future show Scrooge what had happened, what was happening, and what would happen. And once he saw these things, Scrooge was a completely changed man.

This morning as we celebrate Christmas we rejoice that God hasn't sent us ghosts, but his Spirit. And through the Holy Spirit, we're given great blessings! This morning we celebrate God's gifts to us—his gifts of Christmas past, of Christmas present, and of Christmas future. Listen to what Paul writes to Titus of the impact of Christmas and God's gifts to us in Titus 2:11-14…

¹¹For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. ¹²It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, ¹³while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, ¹⁴who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

This advent season we've celebrated Christ's coming: His first coming at Christmas where he came to bring us salvation, his second coming to us in his Word and in the Sacraments, and his third and final coming on the Last Day. These three advents of our Lord, sum up the gifts of Christmas past, present, and future…

I. Of Christmas Past

At Christ's first advent, we received the gift of Christmas past. At that first Christmas when God came in the flesh we received the gift of salvation! What an awesome gift! Paul writes, "Jesus Christ… gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own…" What an awesome gift! And unlike other Christmas gifts, it's something we really need!

You see, all too often we act like Ebenezer Scrooge. We're selfish and miserly not just with our money, but with our time and our gifts. We're really only concerned about ourselves. And for being more concerned with the presents under the tree than we are with thanking Jesus for his death on the tree for us, we're wicked. Jesus warned, "You cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:24) For loving our families more than the baby in the manger we're impure. Jesus said, "Whoever loves his father or mother… his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." (Matthew 10:37) This gift of salvation is something we desperately need.

And it's something we all have. Ever find a present under the tree with no tag on it? You're left wondering who it's for. But not with this gift of Christmas past. What Jesus did for us at his first coming is for everyone. Verse 11 reads, "the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men…" but the word order in the Greek reads, "the grace of God that brings salvation to all men has appeared." We're not left wondering who this gift is for. "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…" (John 3:16)

And by his incarnation—becoming fully human on that first Christmas—so he could live under the law and keep it perfectly in our place, so he could go to the cross, suffer hell and die in our place, he redeemed us from all our wickedness, purified us, and made us his own! What a great gift of Christmas past!

II. Of Christmas Present

And what a huge impact this gift has every day of our lives! It's not a gift that sits on the shelf unused. It's not something we can use for a season and then goes into storage. God's gift of Christmas continues to bless us every day now in the present. Paul says, "Jesus Christ… gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good."

After the three ghosts visited Ebenezer Scrooge, he was a changed man. He was no longer stingy and miserly, but generous and kind-hearted. Why? Well, mostly because he was scared into changing by these ghostly apparitions. It's the same motivation many push today. Think of the lyrics of another Christmas carol: "You'd better watch out. You'd better not cry. You'd better not pout. I'm telling you why: Santa Claus is coming to town." Now I know it's meant to be just a fun song, but did you get the tone of the song? It's one big threat! You'd better behave or else! Don't act up or no presents for you, just a lump of coal! You'd better be generous and kind, Mr. Scrooge, or you'll die a sad, lonely death and go to torment.

God's gift of Christmas completely changes us from miserly and selfish to generous and kind. But it does it in a much better way than the ghosts changed Scrooge. It does it without threats of the law. We're motivated by thanksgiving. We're "eager to do what is good."

When you open your presents under the tree and get that perfect gift that you really wanted, what's your natural reaction? You can't help but say, "Thank you! Thank you!" to the person who gave it. That's how God's Christmas gifts impact our present. When we're reminded of God's gift of salvation when he comes to us today in his Word and in the Sacraments, we can't help but say "Thank you."

And Paul tells us how we do that: We "…say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age…" When we're tempted to be lazy at work, we remember how hard Jesus worked for us—even going to the cross and to hell for us—and we say "no" to that laziness and work faithfully in thanks to him. When we're tempted to withhold forgiveness from someone who's hurt us, we remember how Jesus has forgiven us for all of our sins and say "no" to that grudge and gladly forgive in thanks to Jesus. When we're tempted to be malcontent with the blessings God's given we remember all the blessings we have—the peace with God that we have—and say "no" to greed and give thanks to God. God's gift of Christmas present—the grace he gives us every day teaches us "to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age…"

III. Of Christmas Future

And finally, one day soon, we'll receive God's gift of Christmas future. Paul says we live "...godly lives in this present age, ¹³while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ…"

The gifts that the changed Ebenezer Scrooge gave to the Cratchit family and to charity wouldn't last. The turkey would be eaten and gone, the money given would be spent. Similarly, the presents we give and receive under the tree won't really last either. The cookies and the candies will all be eaten. The toys will eventually break. The clothes will become worn out or outgrown. But God's Christmas gifts to us won't ever run out, but will continue to an eternal future.

"We wait for the blessed hope," Paul says. But you know that this hope is more than our typical hopes that are so uncertain. "I hope I get that new gadget for Christmas. I hope I get a raise in the new year. I hope I recover from this illness." No. Our hope in Christ is certain.

We know that every promise of God is as good as done. He promised to send a Savior and he did. He promised to forgive our sins and he has. He promised he'll come again and he will. We know he will appear again in glory to take us to be with him. And what a glorious future that will be! A future without end!

And so, dear friends, we don't need to fear the end of the world. We don't need to fear death. We don't need to grieve the death of our loved ones in the same way as others who grieve without hope. And we don't need to fear the uncertainties of tomorrow. God has promised to work all things for our good—even our pain and sorrow—until he takes us to heaven. He's promised that "our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18) And with this blessed hope—this certain hope—we are joyful, even when we're in pain. We know that at "the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ" all sorrow and pain will cease and every tear will be wiped from our eyes.

Brothers and sisters, rejoice this Christmas Day in God's gifts of Christmas past—the salvation he brings to all—of Christmas present—teaching us to live godly lives—and of Christmas future—the certain hope of glory with him. And may these great gifts to you, move you to no longer be selfish and miserly, but loving and kind and selfless as you thank him for his Christmas gifts. In Jesus' name, amen.

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

pastorguenther@gmail.com
(907) 283-6297

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

pastorguenther@gmail.com
(907) 283-6297

God Does the Impossible (A sermon based on Luke 1:26-38)

2011-12-21T16:35:00.000-08:00

That's not possible! But God does it anyway! He heals the sick. He walks on water. He raises the dead. And he becomes a flesh and blood human just like us! He does it to save us from our sin and to establish his Kingdom forever! Knowing that God does the impossible lead us to put our quiet trust in him and to be his servants, just as Mary did. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Luke 1:26-38 (or click here to watch the entire service) and rejoice that God does the impossible!

God Does the Impossible

A sermon based on Luke 1:26-38

Sunday, December 18, 2011 – Advent 4B

"That's impossible!" must have been a phrase Jesus grew accustomed to hearing. It's not possible for deadly diseases to disappear, for the lame to leap, for the blind to see. It's not possible for a human to walk on water or for five loaves of bread and two fish to satisfy five thousand people. It's not possible for the dead to come back to life.

But Jesus life was once characterized by the impossible. In fact, the very person of Jesus is the impossible. The fullness of the Deity—all of God—embodied in a human being seems as impossible as putting an elephant in a paper bag! Yet, God does the impossible. Nothing is impossible for him.

How do we know? Consider the news given to Mary. It seems unlikely, even impossible. But listen to what God promised as we read Luke 1:26-38…

²⁶In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, ²⁷to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. ²⁸The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." ²⁹Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. ³¹You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. ³²He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ³³and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." ³⁴"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" ³⁵The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. ³⁶Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. ³⁷For nothing is impossible with God." ³⁸"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

I. The Lord Saves His People from Their Sin

Stand in Mary's sandals. Imagine you're at home minding your own business, when suddenly the room is filled with a light so bright that it makes a thousand spotlights seem dim. You're blinded by the brilliance! And before you have time to wonder if this is some alien abduction the brilliant light speaks… and you know exactly what it is standing before you. It's an angel—a messenger of the Most High, the Holy God! And he says to you, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

Can you imagine standing there—sinner that you are— in the presence of the holy—a perfect sinless messenger of the perfect sinless God? No wonder Mary was greatly troubled! She wasn't worthy of a special visit from God's messenger. She wasn't holy or sinless in her thoughts and actions. She admitted as much in her song when she cried out, "My spirit rejoices in God my Savior." (Luke 1:47) She was a sinner who needed a Savior.

So can you imagine how exposed you would feel standing before the holy? Wondering how much the angel knows. Wondering what God has told him about you. Does he know what I said to my spouse this morning? Does he know that vindictive thought I had about my co-worker? Or about the seductive thought I had about my neighbor? Does he know where my every dollar has been wasted or how I've squandered the precious hours God that has given to me?

If an angel were appear to you or me tonight we'd be just as troubled as Mary, just as terrified as the shepherds, just as panicked as the disciples, because God's law has exposed our sin. Because we know that we don't deserve to be highly favored by God.

But the amazing thing is that instead of fearing, the news Gabriel brought gives us reason to be cheering… "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High…"

Why don't we have to be afraid of a holy God? Because of Jesus, whose name means, "The Lord saves." And not just from not just from political enemies or physical suffering, but from even more. An angel explained to Joseph: "You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21) Seem impossible? Mary thought so, but the angel told her, "Nothing is impossible with God."

Only through her Son, the virgin-born God-man, could this be possible. Born of God, not of man, he is true God. Born of Mary, a true human, he is true human. These are the necessary ingredients for our Savior. He had to be true man, so that he who wrote the law, could be under the law. He had to be true God so that he could do the otherwise impossible task of keeping it perfectly in our place, as "the holy one to be born." He had to be true man, so the immortal God who cannot die could do the impossible and die. And as true God, his death would be worth enough to pay for the sins of all mankind of all time.

It seems impossible that God would do all this, doesn't it? There's no reason for him to do it all! God didn't have to do any of it. He didn't need a Savior. When Gabriel told Mary, "Do not be afraid… you have found favor with God," the word translated "favor" is charis, the word we usually translate as "grace." "Do not be afraid… you have found [grace] with God," Why did God save his people from their sins? Not because they're worthy, but because his grace is so bottomless it seems impossible.

But perhaps what seems most impossible of this whole account is that God did these things for you and for me. He not only did the seemingly impossible work of saving his people from their sins, but he did the seemingly impossible work of establishing his kingdom forever. A kingdom that continues 2,000 years later. A kingdom that you and I are a part of!

II. The Lord Establishes His Kingdom Forever

I once read that Italy has had more than fifty different governments in the last one hundred years. The great Kingdom of Rome, the likes of which the world has never seen, only lasted for 244 years. The US is doing remarkably well to have had the same government for 235 years now! Kingdoms don't generally last that long. They rise… and they fall. But not Jesus' kingdom. Of the increase of his government, his ruling, his kingdom, there is no end! The New Testament Church has been around for not 200 years, but for 2,000 years. And it will last, not just 2,000 more years, not to the end of the world, but to eternity!

How do we know? Listen to the angels words… "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

Jesus' Kingdom is not something that can fall like an earthly government or nation because Jesus' Kingdom—his ruling—takes place in the hearts of believers. And this Kingdom—as impossible as it may seem—is established in you, 2,000 years after began, in the same way it was for Mary. God created faith in your heart through the Gospel. And that will last forever.

When Mary heard the good news she asked, "How will this be?" not as a question of unbelief, as if to say, "No way!" but in awe, mystified by God's grace and his plan for her. She expressed her faith and quiet trust in God's promises when she confessed, "I am the Lord's servant… May it be to me as you have said."

And you, friends, can have the same quiet trust in God and his ruling over all things as Mary…

Have you ever wondered, "Who am I that God should do all this for me? Who am I that he promises to work all things—even the struggles and problems of my life, the hurting relationships, the financial struggles, the failing health—He works it all for my good?!" It seems impossible, doesn't it? Almost too good to be true!

But nothing is impossible for God! If God can create life in the womb of a virgin, he can create life in your heart. He who was born of a virgin, has saved you from your sin. And he has established his Kingdom in you. And he has established his Kingdom for you. Nothing has stopped him for 2,000 years and his Kingdom and his good purposes for you will continue to last forever!

You and I may not always understand "How will this be?" We may at times be mystified by God's ways in our lives. But, nevertheless, we can put our trust in him just as Mary did.

He's already done the impossible of saving you from your sins and he's done the impossible task of working faith in your heart to believe in these impossible promises. You are highly-favored! You have found favor and grace with God. You are forgiven! The Lord is with you! And he will work all things for your good just as he promised.

And one day soon God will do the impossible again. He will raise all the dead. And he'll take those in his Kingdom into eternal glory. And "He will reign… forever; his kingdom will never end." "When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we'd first begun." And so, trusting in our God, who does the impossible, we too say to him with confidence, "I am the Lord's servant… May it be to me as you have said," in Jesus' name, dear friends, amen.

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

God’s Gift Exchange (A sermon based on Isaiah 61:1-3)

2011-12-14T00:42:00.000-08:00

Ever have an office party with a gift exchange? They're not always as much fun as they're cracked up to be, are they? Sometimes, you give a nice gift and get something kind of crummy. But sometimes you give a crummy gift thrown together in haste, and you get something great. In God's gift exchange we give him the very worst we could possibly give. We give him the filth of our sin. But in exchange we get the very best. We get forgiveness and peace with God. We get Jesus' righteousness and every blessing that God gives. What a wonderful gift exchange! Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Isaiah 61:1-3 and rejoice in the gracious gifts that God gives...

God's Gift Exchange

A sermon based on Isaiah 61:1-3

Sunday, December 11, 2011 – Advent 3B

Last weekend, the faculty of Grace Lutheran School had our annual Christmas party at which we have our gift exchange. But we don't just buy gifts for each other. We play a game. I'm sure you've played it before, but for those who haven't, here's how it works: everyone brings a wrapped gift to the party and when it's time to open the gifts, everyone draws a number from a hat No. 1 opens any present they want. No. 2 can either "steal" that gift from number one or open something else.

But sometimes, the game that's meant to be fun, isn't always that fun. I remember one year in college our dorm floor decided to try our hand at the white elephant gift exchange—something I highly recommend you avoid for reasons that will soon become obvious. You see, while I brought what I thought was a nice CD that anyone might want, someone else thought it a funny joke to bring a loaf of moldy bread (and I mean moldy beyond recognition), wrap it up very nicely, complete with gold ribbon and bow, and bring that as their gift to be exchanged. I'm sure you can guess which gift I unwrapped. And while I did find the joke a bit humorous, I would rather have had the prank fall on some other unsuspecting party-goer as no one was going to steal that gift.

This advent season, as we get ready to celebrate Christmas, we're reminded of God's gift exchange—which, odd as it may seem, is somewhat similar to the white elephant gift exchange of my college days. You see, just like I got the raw end of the deal in my gift exchange—giving a nice CD and receiving a moldy loaf of bread—on a much larger scale, God got the raw end of the deal in his gift exchange. We give God something more disgusting than a loaf of mold. We give him our hideous sins. And in exchange, he gives us the best gift there is—he gives us his Son.

Martin Luther once prayed, "Lord Jesus, I am your sin; you are my righteousness. I have made you what you were not; you have made me what I was not." Because of God's gift exchange in Jesus, who became what he was not, he has made us what we were not. Now we are forgiven. Now we are righteous. Now we are heirs of eternal life. Listen Isaiah elaborate on God's wonderful exchange in Isaiah 61:1-3…

61 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, ²to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, ³and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

I. We Made Him What He Was Not

The Israelites had it good. God gave them everything they could ask for. He brought them out of slavery into their own land, promised to their forefathers. He gave them great amounts of wealth, every comfort and convenience. He gave them peace and protection from their enemies. And on top of all the physical blessings he gave them the promise of a Savior to come remove their sins and the promise of eternal glory forever.

Yet in spite of all he gave them, God's people rejected him. In exchange for the great gifts God had promised and given, they gave him a horrible present in return. They cheated on him. They worshipped false Gods, blocks of wood, and carved pieces of stone. They "worshipped" these "gods" with obscene sexual acts and even with human sacrifice. It was as if they gave God a box of manure in exchange for the diamond ring he gave to them. And for such ingratitude for God's gifts, for such wicked rebellion against him, they deserved to die.

But instead of destroying them, God in his love only spanked them. He allowed the Babylonians to carry them off into captivity to lead his people to repentance. Now, in captivity, fully aware that God allowed their ruin because of their sin, they were dejected and brokenhearted, prisoners in a dark dungeon, mourning with ashes on their head, on the verge of despair. They knew they deserved no good thing from God and fully earned his day of vengeance against them.

But now that they were aware of their sin and recognized what they deserved, God sent them the comfort they needed. He would give them another great gift—the best one yet. In exchange for their sins, he would send them a Savior to bind up their broken hearts and bring them comfort. He would give them a great exchange. And that exchange would come in the Messiah.

Isaiah writes, "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor." Literally, it says, "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has 'Messiah-ed' me to preach good news to the poor." Messiah, or the Greek equivalent, Christ, literally means, "the Anointed One." Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the One anointed by God. In fact, in Luke 4, we hear how Jesus read these very verses in the synagogue and said, "Today these Scriptures are fulfilled in your hearing." "These Scriptures are fulfilled in me." The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord did come on Jesus at his Baptism when he began his mission.

It's Jesus himself speaking about that mission through Isaiah when he writes, "He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…

What a great gift the Savior would bring. What an awesome exchange. He would take away all that troubled them. He would remove their grief, sorrow and pain. He would proclaim freedom and declare the Year of the Lord's favor, a reference to the Year of Jubilee described in Leviticus 25, where every Israelite slave would be set free. He would rescue them from slavery to the Babylonians and from slavery to sin. And he would do it all by taking those curses on himself. He would become what he was not. He would become their sin and take the punishment they deserved in their place.

And dear friends, God makes that same exchange with us as well… While we too have been blessed with every blessing, both physical and spiritual, we often treat those gifts with the same contempt the Israelites did. We too at times use our physical blessings only to serve ourselves. Just look at your bank statements. We too often ignore God's spiritual blessings and don't bother to take advantage of them. Consider how many minutes you've spend in the word this week compared to how many hours you've spend being entertained.

In exchange for all he's given us, do we get him a pair of used, unwashed socks? Do we pull a few scraps out of the garbage and offer that as our gift to him? Do we give him a loaf of moldy bread? No. It's even worse. Though it's often packaged in beautiful wrapping so outwardly we look like great Christians, in reality we give him a bag of manure, a box full of maggots. We give him sin upon filthy sin. And for our ingratitude, for our indifference, we too deserve damnation in exchange.

But dear friends, we don't get what is rightfully ours. We don't get it because Jesus did. Jesus became what he was not. On Christmas Day Jesus, the anointed one of God, God himself, became a lowly human. On Good Friday, Jesus became what he was not again, when he, being perfectly righteous, took all our sins on himself. And there he took what we deserve. He became the brokenhearted man of sorrows. He was held captive by our sin, in the complete darkness of hell, abandoned by the Father. He was the mourning prisoner, covered in ashes, enduring God's day of vengeance—the hell of God's full wrath poured out on him.

And because he became what he was not, we will never suffer that hell. He looked around at the gift exchange and saw us stuck with the moldy loaf of bread—with hell—and he took it away from us. And because he took the raw end of the deal for us, we're free of the disgusting mess we were in. And what's more, he not only took away the horrible gifts, but he gave us something great in return. He made us what we were not…

II. He Made Us What We Were Not

God's gift to the Israelites was even greater than taking away their despair and destroying their captors. It was even greater than removing their sins. You see, not only would he take away the negative, the curses that were theirs, but he would also give them positive, incredible blessings, in their place. By becoming what he was not, Christ made them what they were not…

"He has sent me … to comfort all who mourn, ³and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor."

Do you know the difference between mercy and grace? In God's mercy he didn't give the Israelites the punishment they deserved. In his grace he did give them the blessings they didn't deserve. God didn't just deliver them from slavery (mercy), but gave them blessing upon blessing as well (grace). If he'd only delivered them from Babylon, they might have starved to death back in their home land, but God blessed their land and their crops upon their return. Or when they did grow prosperous again they might have been attacked by a new Persian enemy, but God protected them. Or they could have lived a wealthy and prosperous life only to die and go to hell, but God saved them. He not only took away the Israelites' captivity, but gave them freedom in the full sense. They were free from Babylon and free from the sins that brought them there, free from God's punishment, free from their fear.

In exchange for the Day of God's Vengeance which they rightfully deserved, they received the Year of the Lord's favor as his chosen people. Again, this Year of the Lord's favor is a reference to the Year of Jubilee, which happened every 50 years in Israel. Every 50^th year, not only were all the Israelite slaves freed, but all land that had been sold was returned to its ancestral owner. They would be released from slavery and blessed with land. They got a great gift—God's favor—in exchange for their lousy one.

Very soon they could celebrate Jubilee again with three more great exchanges… 1) For the ashes they wore in sorrow, God would give them a crown of beauty. 2) He would take away their cause for mourning and give them every reason to be glad, pouring soothing oil of healing on them. 3) In exchange for their despair, he would give them glory and every reason to praise God when he wrapped them up in Christ's righteousness. For as great as the return from captivity in Babylon would be, greater still was the spiritual deliverance they had in the Servant of the Lord—in Jesus. That's the greatest gift God could give to Israel or to us…

You see we too have been freed from a dungeon of darkness. We're no longer held captive by sin. We're no longer slaves to death. We're not lost in the blinding darkness of our own efforts to gain God's love. Instead we've received every blessing from God, having become what we were not in Christ when he became what he was not for us. At Christmas, he was born a lowly human. At his baptism he was anointed by the Spirit of the Lord and from that time on he began his mission: the work of our salvation, by making God's gift exchange.

He lived a perfect life on earth, always obeying God perfectly—and he gave that perfect gift of obedience to us. You see, Jesus not only removed our sins, but he also gave us the perfect gift of his righteousness. He made us what we were not—sinless, perfect, and perfectly pleasing to God, heirs of heaven itself and recipients of every good and perfect gift that comes from God.

Now we're no longer in darkness, but have clear direction in our lives—to serve our God in thanksgiving for the gift he's given, to bring glory to his name. We have God's favor (for more than a year; for all of eternity) with no need to fear God's coming Day of Vengeance. We have comfort in every situation, knowing that if God loves us enough to give us such great spiritual gifts, how much more can't we trust him to take care of our physical lives? We know he will provide for us in all our needs. The wife who gets a diamond necklace from her husband for Christmas can be sure he loves her enough to get her that book she's always wanted too.

Jesus gives us the best gifts. He gives us the crown of life in exchange for the ashes of our death. He gives us gladness, with the certainty that heaven itself is ours, in exchange for the sins that brought us such sorrow. He brought us a garment of praise, Jesus own robes of righteousness to replace our spirit of despair. Because Jesus became what he was not, and made us what we were not, praise God! We don't ever have cause to despair because we are his oaks of righteousness.

At the house Becky and I lived in when I served my vicar year in Austin, TX there were two giant live oak trees. One was in back yard, one was in the front. The branches covered entire property and gave great shade to the house. When someone first told me what variety of tree they were, I thought, "Why 'live' oak? Isn't it obvious it's alive and not dead?" But before long I learned that this particular deciduous tree was really like an evergreen in that it never lost it leaves completely. And while it made for constant yard work cleaning out the gutters and raking the lawn all year round, those trees were awesome. They were so huge they could never be moved. That's what God has made us in his gift exchange. In Christ, we are "called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor."

We can't be moved in our righteousness. Nothing can ever take it away because it doesn't come from us. It's a gift of God in his great exchange. Like a live oak, our spiritual life can never stop spreading its leaves all around and affecting every part of our lives and everyone we meet. Since our righteousness, life and salvation, come outside of us, as a gift of God, we can't ever be shaken.

So no matter what gifts you get from your friends and family this Christmas, even if it's a moldy loaf of bread, rejoice because you have the greater gifts of God's gift exchange. And join with Luther in praising God, saying "Lord Jesus, I am your sin; you are my righteousness. I have made you what you were not; you have made me what I was not." And give thanks to God for his great gifts! In Jesus' name, dear friends, amen.

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

Make the Proper Preparations (A sermon based on Mark 1:1-8)

2011-12-07T15:38:00.000-08:00

There are lots of preparations that need to be made before Christmas, especially if you have guests coming over. We all have a very important guest coming to visit us soon: Jesus. He will return. But the thing is, we don't know when he will come. So we want to always be prepared to welcome that special guest. So far more important than getting the house ready with the decorations and the lights, we want to get our hearts ready with true repentance: Turning away from our sinful ways, and turning to our Savior in faith. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Mark 1:1-8 and be encouraged to make the proper preparations...

Make the Proper Preparations

A sermon based on Mark 1:1-8

Sunday, December 4, 2011 – Advent 2B

How are your Christmas preparations coming? You getting everything done? You have presents bought for everyone on your list? The gifts all wrapped? The tree up? The lights on the house yet? Are you going out of town for the holidays? If so, do you have the travel plans made, the tickets purchased, the bags packed? Or perhaps you have guests coming to your place for Christmas. Are you prepared for their arrival? Do you have the house cleaned, the meals planned, the guest bed all ready to go?

There's a lot to do to get ready for Christmas isn't there? A lot of preparations need to be made. And even if you don't have relatives staying at your place in the next few weeks, we all have a guest that's coming very soon… Jesus. For that reason, the most important thing to prepare this Advent season is ourselves. We want to prepare our hearts for Jesus return.

A man by the name of John, more commonly called, John the Baptist, helped the people of his day do that very thing—prepare for Jesus' arrival, his advent, on the scene. He helped them prepare their hearts by preaching a message of repentance. And really John helps us to do the same. He helps up prepare for Jesus' advent by that same message of repentance.

But what exactly does "repentance" mean? How do we get ready for Jesus' advent? Well to repent literally means to have a change of mind, a change of direction or to turn around. But when you turn around and make a U-turn, you not only turn from the wrong direction, but turn to the right direction. This morning John helps us Make the Proper Preparations. He helps us Turn From Our Sinful Ways and Turn To Our Savior in Faith. Listen again to a summary of John's ministry in Mark 1:1-8…

¹The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. ²It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way"— ³"a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.' " ⁴And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. ⁶John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. ⁸I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

I. Turn From Your Sinful Ways

Mark begins his gospel by telling us what it's all about. This whole book, he says, is the beginning of the gospel, the good news, about Jesus, the Christ, who was no ordinary man, but the very Son of God. That's his whole purpose in writing. So Mark skips past all the unnecessary stuff about Jesus childhood, his adolescent years, about the first thirty years of Jesus life. And he gets right into the ministry of Jesus. And it all began with John the Baptist who helped get the people ready. He helped them make the proper preparations for Jesus' advent.

But Mark points out that John wasn't just an ordinary guy. He was different, for a number of reasons. For starters, he had some special prophecies made about him. Mark quotes two Old Testament prophecies when he writes…"I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way"— ³"a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.' "

Then he says, "And so John came." Mark is saying that God sent John to fulfill those prophecies. John did not come on his own, as some self-proclaimed prophet, but with divine authority. His was a message from God to prepare the way for the coming Savior, just like a messenger would travel ahead of a king to get the people to repair the roads on which the king would travel, to help them prepare for such an important guest. John was sent to prepare the hearts of the people, as that would be the road on which Christ would travel. And he did that by his message of repentance.

John was also different in the way he dressed and acted. He didn't dress in the finest of clothes like the Pharisees did. He didn't wear a nice suit and tie. John was a weirdo. But his strange dress and diet attracted people to him. Mark uses hyperbole when he says "the whole countryside and all the people of Jerusalem" went out to see him. And many people heard what John had to say.

And finally, when they did, they learned that John's message was different. By his dress and diet, he pointed out that the "material things" of this life weren't really that important. What really mattered was whether or not they were ready for Jesus' advent, God's coming to earth. And by his preaching John helped them get ready.

Though it must not have been fun for them to hear, John pointed out all their sin and called a spade a spade. The Greek word for sin in these verses is amartia, it means to miss the mark. John showed the Jews that they had missed the bulls-eye of God's demands. In fact, they had missed the target completely. God demanded absolute moral perfection from his people. But they were far from it.

In Luke 3 we get a sampling of what John preached to the people as he pointed out that sin. He pointed out their greed and selfishness as they misused the blessings God had given. He told them, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same." (v.11) He pointed out their theft and their dishonesty in their attempt to get more material wealth for themselves. He told the tax collectors, "Don't collect any more than you are required to," (v.13) and the soldiers, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely—be content with your pay." (v.15)

It certainly wasn't fun for them to have their sins pointed out. It never is, just like it's no fun to be woken up at three in the morning by someone screaming, "Fire! Fire!" But who would complain if the cry woke you from your sleep and saved your life? If that annoying scream saved you from burning alive? Who would get upset and say, "Don't wake me up! I'm sleeping!"? This cry of John's, pointing out their sin, was meant to save them from the eternal fires of hell.

And his shouts worked. The people did repent. They had a change of mind about themselves and saw what they really looked like in the mirror of God's law. They recognized how serious a problem their sins were. They confessed their sins and cried out to God for help.

God kept his promise about sending John the Baptist as the forerunner, the one who would prepare the way for the coming Messiah. In fact, God has faithfully kept every promise he's ever made. For that reason we know that he will keep his promise about Christ's return to this earth. And so, we too had better make the proper preparations to get ready.

But how do we do it? Well the ads, flyers, and commercials all suggest that to get ready for Christmas you have to buy more stuff. Our society in general puts a great emphasis on material wealth, but never so much as around Christmas. All the retail stores pretend to help us get ready for Christmas with those countdown signs you see everywhere, "Only 21 days to Christmas!" But all of these distract us from what we really need to get ready. What we really need is repentance.

Though it may not be fun, we too need to have our sins pointed out to us. We too need to see our own reality in the mirror of God's law. We need this cry of "Fire! Fire!" to save our lives from hell. We need John's reminder that this life isn't what it's all about. It's not all about fine clothes and great foods. It's not about living in nicest homes in the best parts of town. It's not all about the great presents I get. It's all about getting ready for Jesus.

We need to have our greed and selfishness pointed out just as the Jews did. We need to be warned against those attitudes that always want more and more, never content with what we have, never willing to share with others or give to God with willing hearts. We too need to have our dishonesty and thievery pointed out, like when we rob from our employers by not working our hardest all the time we're on the clock. We too need to have the Holy Spirit work in our hearts with his law to turn us around, to turn us from our sinful ways that we confess them before God and cry out to him for help.

And when we do, he won't leave our cry unanswered but will give us the comfort of the gospel. That's exactly what John did. He not only told the people to turn away from their sins, but he pointed them to Christ and told them to turn to him in faith…

II. Turn To Your Savior in Faith

When John pointed out the people's sins, they did recognize that there was nothing they could do to take back the sins they committed. There was nothing they could do to make things right with God again. They were in desperate need of help. They badly needed a Savior. And when they looked to John to be that Savior, he pointed out that he wasn't it…

⁷And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. ⁸I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

John didn't say, "Come to me. I have the solution. I have all the answers. I'll give you all you need." No. He knew he couldn't help these people himself, so he didn't want them to focus their attention on him. Though Jesus said of John the Baptist, "I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John…" (Luke 7:28) John didn't want to be thanked for his ministry. He didn't care if he was acknowledged. "Don't look for your help from me. Look to the one who is to come. I'm not even worthy to untie his shoes, he's so great. (A task that a Hebrew master wouldn't even demand of his slave it was considered so lowly a job.) He is where you ought to turn," John told them.

And he pointed them to the real answer to their great need. He pointed them to Jesus. Though Jesus came after John chronologically, being born later, appearing on the Judean scene at a later time, he was and is greater than John—the very Son of God, the Savior of mankind. So John rightly said, "He must become greater; I must become less." (John 3:27) John was only the instrument to point people to Jesus. Jesus had the real power. John baptized with water, but Jesus would baptize with his Holy Spirit. If the people would look to Jesus, John pointed out, they would be forgiven of their every sin.

And the Holy Spirit did work through John and his message to not only turn the people away from the wrong direction of their sinful lifestyles and self-righteousness, but to also turn them to the right direction, to Jesus their Savior. Many people heard John's message of Law and Gospel, confessed their sins and were baptized for the forgiveness of their sins.

And dear friends, when we recognize our sin and our great need for a Savior, God doesn't leave us hopeless either. He sends "Johns" into our lives to point away from the wrong solution and toward the only right way in Christ Jesus. We do need a Savior, in a bad way. But our help doesn't come from a man like John, it doesn't from your pastor or your president, from your wealth or your works. It doesn't come from your own wisdom, your own spiritual struggles, or your repentance. We, like John, need to look away from ourselves and toward our Savior. There we find the real solution to our great need.

In Christ, we find the forgiveness of sin, for every time we've missed the mark. We find forgiveness for our materialism, for losing sight of what matters most. There we find forgiveness for giving without a cheerful heart or motivated by how good it makes you feel, instead of by thanksgiving to God. There we find forgiveness for every sin since our Savior took them all on himself and paid the penalty they deserve on the cross.

And we turn to Jesus in faith and remember our baptisms where our sins were forever removed. We remember our baptisms and drown our sinful, selfish natures again each day. We turn around, turn away from our sins and put our trust in Jesus who won salvation for us. Then we're truly prepared for Christ's advent, ready for his return.

And then we're equipped to be like John and help others to get ready too. Invite your holiday guests to come to church with you. Remind your co-workers that Christmas isn't all about gifts and commercialism. Invite them to the Kids' Christmas Eve service or to worship Christmas Day. In love, call out, "Fire! Fire!" and show your friends their sins so they too see their great need for a Savior. And share with them the only answer to their need in Jesus and his death on the cross. You too are God's instrument to lead others to repent, that they too might turn away from their sins, and toward their Savior; that they too might make the proper preparations and be ready for Christ when he comes.

These are the preparations that are far more important than the Christmas shopping, or the Christmas decorations, than the parties and events. And God will give us the courage, wisdom and strength to make the proper preparations. In Jesus' name, dear friends, amen.

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

Be Ready for When God Cleans Up (A sermon based on Genesis 6)

2011-11-28T22:00:00.000-08:00

The test is on Tuesday. The boss asked for the presentation tomorrow. The wedding is only a few weeks away. Are you ready? We live with deadlines all the time. But one big deadline that's always looming on the horizon is that of Judgment Day. Though we have no idea when that deadline will come up, we're urged to be always ready for that day when God scrubs the world clean of all evil once and for all. Just as Noah prepared for the flood, not just by building the ark, but by putting his trust in the promises of God, so too, we are urged to be ready for Judgment Day by keeping our eyes on Jesus and God's gracious promises through him. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Genesis 6, and get ready for when God cleans up...

Be Ready for When God Cleans Up

A sermon based on Genesis 6 (select verses)

Sunday, November 27, 2011 – Advent 1B

Do you have guests coming for Christmas? Have family joining you for dinner? Then it's time to clean up! Time to clean the house, wash the dishes, pick up, put away, and tidy up. Time to clean up before Christmas. This Advent season as we get ready for Christmas by cleaning our homes for guests and cleaning up ourselves for special holiday events, we see how God cleans up for Christmas too. He cleans away the wickedness and sin to make us ready for his Son's coming.

This morning we hear how God cleans up the earth, scrubbing it clean of all wickedness and sin. He scoured the earth once before by a universal flood, wiping the evil off the face of the earth. And he will scour the earth again at the end of the world when Christ comes again, destroying all evil and wickedness from the world once and for all.

And God tells us how he's going to clean up well in advance so we can get ready. This morning as we recall the account of the flood, we get ready for when God cleans up again. Listen now to Genesis 6, select verses…

When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, ²the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. ³Then the Lord said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years."

⁵The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. ⁶The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. ⁷So the Lord said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them." ⁸But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

⁹This is the account of Noah.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. ¹⁰Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.

¹¹Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence. ¹²God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. ¹³So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. ¹⁴So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.

¹⁷I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. ¹⁸But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you. ¹⁹You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. ²⁰Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. ²¹You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them."

²²Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

I. God Will Clean Up the Mess

Why does evil exist? Ever had that challenging question fired in your direction? "If God loves everyone, and God is all powerful, then why does he permit evil? Why not stop it and put an end to all evil once and for all?"

Why does evil exist? Because God gave mankind freewill—the freedom to reject him, to serve ourselves, and to ruin his creation. And ever since Adam and Eve, fallen mankind has rejected God's will and chosen to serve self instead. It wasn't long after creation that, "The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time."

Earth was covered in the disgusting muck of sin. And it broke God's heart to see his perfect creation so filthy. And God was ready to clean up the evil and wipe up the mess. So the Lord said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth… for I am grieved that I have made them."

This week someone pointed out to me how Noah's ark is often depicted as cute and cuddly in pastel colors all over baby's room. But the flood was really an act of God's condemning judgment in his holy wrath. There wasn't anything cute or cuddly about it. (But it is still a good idea, by the way, not to paint people drowning on baby's wall.) But with a universal flood, with God's wrath poured out in his fury, the earth was scrubbed clean.

…But it didn't stay clean.

You see, Noah passed his sinful nature on his sons and they passed it on to theirs. And even after God scrubbed the earth clean by the flood every person born was still born dirty, filthy, covered in the muck of sin. How God described that sinful nature before the flood hasn't changed since: "Every inclination of the thoughts of [man's] heart was" [still] "only evil all the time."

And it remains that way today. Just look at the wickedness that surrounds us: The murder and rape, the child porn, the "adult" porn, the scandals and corruptions that we hear about every day. The world is still evil, just like it was before the flood.

And so once again God will don his rubber gloves so to speak and will scrub the earth clean. But sometimes when you try to scrub a stain clean water just won't cut it. You need something more powerful. The next time God cleans the earth of evil, he won't use water. He'll use fire.

He said through the apostle Peter (in 2 Peter 3:3-7): ³…you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come… They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." ⁵But they deliberately forget that long ago… the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. ⁷ By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

"Why does evil exist? Why doesn't God put a stop to it and end all evil once and for all?" Oh, don't worry. He will. Just as God sent his judgment against the world by the flood, so he will most definitely judge the world again by fire. The question is will we be ready for that day when God scrubs the earth clean of evil a second and final time?

II. God Has Cleaned Up Our Mess

You see, it's not just those evil people out there that are by nature objects of God's wrath. You and I received that sinful nature that Noah passed down through our parents. And you and I were born dirty, filthy, covered in the muck of sin. What God said of mankind in verse 5 was true of us by birth: "Every inclination of the thoughts of [my] heart was only evil all the time." We weren't just kind of evil, but every inclination was! We weren't just a little evil, but only evil, with nothing good in us! And we weren't only evil once in a while, but all the time!

"Why does God permit evil? Why not stop it and put an end to all evil once and for all?" I love the way the movie, Road to Emmaus, answered that question: Jesus turned to the disciple who asked that question and said, "Why doesn't God just wipe out all the evil people? …Then who would be left? Would you?" Evil exists because God is being patient. He's waiting for more evil people to come to faith and be clean. But eventually his patience will run out. He will scrub the earth clean of all evil.

God said through Peter, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. ¹⁰But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

And even though the day is unknown, God doesn't want to surprise anyone by his judgment. The ark may have taken 80 years to build! And all that while Noah was preaching to those around him of God's coming judgment by the flood. But even though God gave people plenty of time to prepare for the flood, all but eight ignored the warning. And all but eight were swept away.

And God is warning us about his impending judgment by fire today! Jesus warned us not to be caught off guard by that day. He said in Matthew 24:36-39, ³⁶"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³⁷As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man."

"Don't be like those people," Jesus warns, "who should have, but never did see it coming." So… are you ready?

Not all were caught off guard by the flood. Noah and his family were ready. And the day of the flood wasn't a day of judgment for them, but a day of salvation as they were rescued from the wicked and corrupt world around them. What made the difference? What made them ready?

Well, verse 8 says, "Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord." And verse 9 adds, "Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time…" Is that to say that Noah earned God's favor by how well he behaved? No, not really. You'll notice he wasn't blameless before God, but blameless among the people of his time. Before God, "Every inclination of the thoughts of [Noah's] heart [too] was only evil all the time."

No. Verse 9 explains how Noah could find favor in the eyes of the Lord and be considered righteous. It says, "and [Noah] walked with God." Hebrews 7:11 explains what that means: "By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith."

Noah had faith in the promise of the coming Messiah, a promise that Adam could have shared directly with Noah's father, Lamech, by the way (since Adam died only about 120 years before Noah's birth). He trusted that someday God would send one of Eve's offspring to crush Satan's head and make him righteous. And by faith in that promise, "Noah was a righteous man, blameless…" before God.

Make no mistake, God will scrub the earth clean of all evil again. Last time he did it with water. Next time he'll do it with fire. Are you ready?

In Christ, you are! By faith in the Messiah who came, you are clean! God has cleaned up your mess of sin and wickedness already! He has made you righteous and blameless in his sight! By the waters of baptism he has washed you clean of all your sin, just as Peter wrote in our Epistle lesson: "This [flood] water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ…"

We are ready through Christ, made clean through his death and resurrection. Now, may you daily remember your baptism and drown your sinful nature again and again. May you keep your trust in Christ and always stay ready.

Then we won't be caught off guard when God is ready to clean up once and for all. And Judgment Day won't be a day of terror for us, but a day of salvation as we are rescued from the wicked and corrupt world around us. And we'll stay clean forever in heaven. Are you ready for that day? In Jesus, the answer is, "Yes!" Amen!

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

See the King of Kings… (A sermon based on Matthew 27:27-31)

2011-11-23T18:14:00.000-08:00

Christ is the King of kings and Lord of lords. But he didn't always seem like he was in charge. When he was being mocked and abused and enduring so much suffering at the hands of the Roman soldiers who crucified him, he didn't seem very kingly. Yet, by their mock parody, they really declared the truth; that Jesus is the King. And ironically by his very suffering and death they were inflicting, Jesus conquered his enemies and won his kingdom. He won us. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Matthew 27:27-31 and let Christ rule in your heart more and more...

See the King of Kings…

A sermon based on Matthew 27:27-31

Sunday, November 20, 2011 – Christ the King Sunday A

What comes to mind when I mention "The King"? Do you picture a man sitting on a throne wearing a crown? Or maybe you think of sequined suits, big sideburns, and blue suede shoes? Or maybe it's visions of Whoppers and French fries that fill your mind? Or maybe some of you noticed that this is Christ the King Sunday and you didn't even think of those other kings at all. Hopefully.

But what image of Christ do you get when you think of Christ the King? Do think of a man robed in white, shining as bright as the sun, sitting on a throne of gold, ready to judge the nations? Or do you picture a man dressed in colorful robes sitting at a banquet table, laughing in joy as he feasts with his friends? Or maybe you see a man in full armor riding out to meet the enemy in battle? How about this one… do you picture a man stripped of his clothes, severely beaten and bloodied beyond recognition, barely able to stand, taunted, ridiculed, and scorned?

Well, if that's a picture of a king, that's one very sorry king, isn't it? It's a weak, defeated king, right? No. It's not. It's actually a picture of a conquering king taking his throne…

Jesus didn't seem to be a very impressive king as he was mocked, tortured and killed. But his kingdom was and is not of this world—it's a spiritual kingdom. And by those very things that made him seem like he was weak, he defeated his enemies, took his throne and became the King above all kings, ruling the heavens and the earth, ruling in our hearts.

Today I invite you to see the King of Kings. See him suffer in humility and through it see him enter his kingdom. Listen again to the Gospel lesson for Christ the King Sunday recorded in Matthew 27:27-31…

²⁷Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. ²⁸They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, ²⁹and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. ³⁰They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. ³¹After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

I. Suffer in Humility

Jesus was and is the King of all things. He demonstrated his power over sickness when he cured every disease and over death when he brought people back to life. He showed his power to care for his subjects by miraculously providing food from a few fish and a few loaves of bread. And when he did the crowds tried to make him their king by physical force. On Palm Sunday they hailed him as their King as he rode into Jerusalem amid their songs of praise. But now, what a different picture we see.

Now Jesus is in custody with a company of soldiers surrounding him. He had just been scourged, whipped with those leather straps embedded with shards of metal or glass. He was hurting, bloodied, in extreme pain, all in a desperate attempt by Pilate to save Jesus' life by moving the crowd to sympathy (for it was obvious to Pilate that Jesus was innocent). But the physical abuse and pain wasn't enough. Pilate would do a very thorough job. With Pilate's full consent, the soldiers made a mockery of him. And the King of the universe wasn't treated with much nobility.

While Jesus, the one who simply spoke and caused the soldiers to fall to the ground, the one who had the power to end their lives in an instant if he would so choose, the one who created the very universe, should be treated with the utmost awe and respect, while he should be bowed to and worshiped, they didn't recognize that he was a king. Instead they mocked him with a gruesome parody, this "King of the Jews."

They took an old faded cloak and threw it on Jesus to mimic the rich purple robes of royalty. They fashioned a mock crown out of a thorn bush and pushed it on his head. They laughed at how weak this king was that anyone could hit him in the head with his own "scepter" after they pulled it from his hands. They pretended to give him honor by kneeling and saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and they replaced the kissing him in homage with spitting in his face.

But even when they were done with their fun, even this degradation was not enough to inspire sympathy in the Jews and Pilate finally gave in. Jesus was led out to Mount Calvary and was tortured to death with a sign overhead reading, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews."

Pretty inhumane treatment right? Even for a convict, let alone the King of the universe! But before we're too quick to judge the vicious soldiers or the cowardly Pilate, let's take a look at our own lives.

Jesus is still the King of all things. He still has power over sickness and death. He still has power to provide for our every need even. And while we do often hail him as our King that's not always how we treat him, is it? We at times still treat him as the soldiers did.

"Now, wait a second," you say, "I've never denied Jesus authority like that. I've never hit him with a staff, never forced a crown of thorns on his head! I've never mocked or taunted him like those soldiers. I wouldn't dream of spitting in Jesus' face or forcing him to the cross." Yet, dear friends, that's exactly what we do.

When we choose to serve ourselves instead of our Savior, we deny his authority and reject his kingship over us. Look at the evidence, how many hours per week do you spend with Jesus in Bible study and how many watching TV? How many dollars do you put in the offering plate each month and how much you spend eating out?

And it's worse than our bad priorities, mistreating our king by negligence. When you talk down a co-worker, you hit Jesus, for "whatever you do to the least of these," he says, "you do to me." When you use your lips to curse others, when you fail to speak up and defend someone, you spit in Jesus face. It was our sins, yours and mine, that nailed Jesus to the cross when we rebelled and dethroned him putting ourselves in his place.

I hurt Jesus. I mock him. I taunt him. I push that crown into his head and hit him with his own staff. I spit in his face and show my utter contempt with each and every sin. And I am ashamed at how I've treated my King. And for the way I've treated him, I deserve to be humiliated like he was. I deserve to be shamed. I deserve to spit on, to be scourged, to suffer the hell that he endured, to die forever.

But dear friends, I won't get what I deserve. Because it is for my sin that he endure it all. For by this abuse, Jesus conquered his enemies and mine, he entered into his kingdom, and brought me into the same…

II. Enter Into His Kingdom

As the soldiers laughed at their parody of this "king," as they made sport of him, giving him all symbols of royalty, they really made a true statement. When Pilate ordered that the sign above Jesus' head read, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" he too made a true statement, unawares. Though he didn't seem to be, Jesus was and is a true king. When Pilate asked him flat out, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus said, "Yes, it is as you say." (Matthew 27:11) The truth is that Jesus was and is the King of the Jews, and not just of the Jews, but of the Gentiles, of every nation. He is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth. He is King of kings and Lord of lords to whom is due all honor and glory.

But his kingdom is not of this world as Pilate and his soldiers thought. It's a spiritual kingdom. And he didn't win his kingdom by force, but by sacrifice. Though he could have easily silenced those who mocked him and though he could have easily destroyed those who hurt him, all without lifting a finger or saying a word, yet, in order to win his kingdom, he willingly endured this abuse. He silently suffered this unjust treatment. He voluntarily experienced hell on the cross and in so doing defeated his and our spiritual enemies, sin, death, Satan. He conquered them all and his rule began.

This is exactly what Isaiah prophesied would happen in Isaiah 53. Go home and reread that chapter to see how the Christ would win a portion among the great because he poured out his life unto death. And that's exactly what happened. And he did it all for us. "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 53:5) He endured such humiliation and shame so I won't be humiliated or put to shame before God. He was hurt by sinful men, so I won't be hurt by a righteous God. He was unjustly condemned that I might be unjustly pardoned.

He was humiliated, hurt and abused to take away every time I've abused Jesus, every time I've spit in his face, and every time I've tried to remove him and put myself in Jesus' throne by my sinful selfish actions. Now, with every sin removed, he makes me perfectly righteous and fit to be in his kingdom.

And in that sacrifice, he won his kingdom, that is, he won us. That kingdom of Jesus' exists in us. He rules in our hearts today. He made you a member of his kingdom at your baptism, when he took your stony heart and softened it, and created the very faith that trusts in him. He continues to rule in your heart today as he moves you to thank him in every act of service and love you do for him. We are members of his kingdom.

In medieval times, if you were a vassal to a good king, what a joy it was. He would protect you from your enemies so you could live in peace, even taking you in to his keep when the enemies attacked. He would ride out to meet them and drive them away. He would provide for your needs when you were unable, giving you food, drink and shelter. All this he did if you would work hard for him in his fields.

In a similar way, we enjoy great blessings by being members of Jesus' kingdom! We enjoy a real peace since he rode out to meet the enemy and defeated Satan and removed all our sins. He gives us perfect protection from every enemy that might harm us. He provides for our every need when we're unable—giving us the robes of righteousness we could never get ourselves, by wearing the scarlet robe of shame, giving us the crown of victory because he wore the crown of thorns. But while a medieval king would demand that you work in the fields to earn his protection and care, Christ gives us all this without asking for a thing in return, as a good and perfect gift.

And not only does Christ rule in the hearts of believers, but he rules all things for our eternal good. "The kings of the earth belong to him" (Psalm 47:9) and he arranges all the events of our lives to be a blessing to us. He not only protects us from our spiritual enemies, but from physical harm only allowing it to serve our greater spiritual good. He showers us with countless physical blessings and makes it a joy to serve every day of our lives.

And finally, he's not just the King of believers, but of all people. One day very soon even unbelievers will have to acknowledge the fact that Jesus is the Son of God, the King of all the earth. As Paul points out, because "He humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:8-11)

Though the kingship of Jesus' first coming was marked by humiliation, it won't be that way at his return. In Matthew 25:31 he describes what that return will be like, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory." He will be an exalted King, seated on his throne, no longer the one who is judged, but the one who dispense his perfect judgment, ends all wickedness and takes us to the festive celebration of heaven to live in his palace with him for all of eternity.

Dear friends in Christ, see the King of kings and rejoice that you're a part of his kingdom! Don't reject him as your king and don't just pretend to pay him homage, but treat him with the respect and honor he deserves. Treat him as your Savior King! Willingly submit to his authority to thank him for his protecting care. Honor him. Worship him. And give to him your unending thanks and praise as you serve him with your wealth, your talents, your very lives. And to him who sits on the throne, to the Lamb, be praise and thanks and honor and glory for ever and ever! Amen!

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

pastorguenther@gmail.com
(907) 283-6297

I Know of a Sleep in Jesus' Name (A sermon based on 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

2011-11-15T12:41:00.000-08:00

Are you afraid of going to sleep at night? Worried that you won't wake up in the morning? Or are you eager to go to sleep and get the rest your body and mind need? Today we hear God, through Paul, comfort the Thessalonians and us with the comforting truth that death is not something to be feared or dreaded, but only going to sleep. For we will wake up from the dead and will be reunited with those believers who have gone before us and with Jesus. So death is only a peaceful, restful sleep. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and be comforted by the sure hope of the resurrection...

I Know of a Sleep in Jesus' Name
A sermon based on 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Sunday, November 13, 2011 - Saints Triumphant B

One of the longest days of my life began as a day of recreation. A couple of friends and I got up while it was still dark and drove several hours to the start of a trail. We then spent the better part of the day hiking into the Cascade mountains in Washington state. But as evening approached, maybe 10 miles in, the rain started falling (as it's apt to do in that part of the country). We only had 2 or 3 miles to go until we came to the place where we intended to camp for the night, but the rain soon became a downpour. And as we continued on the hike, now fairly soaked, we came to a spot where the trail had washed out. There was a cliff wall on the left, a sheer drop on the right, and a big mudslide down the mountain in front of us. There was no way around and no place to camp around there so there was no other choice but to turn around. We backtracked a mile or so until we found a place that was fairly flat and just big enough for a tent and campfire under the trees.

We tried to start a fire to warm up and dry off, but the rain was relentless and there was no dry fuel to be found. So we pitched the tent and huddled inside determined to make the best of a miserable situation. But before long we realized the tent had a leak and the level ground we'd found was the perfect place for the water to pool as it ran down the side of the mountain. But now we were stuck. It was dark and unsafe to hike even if we had the energy to break camp and plod on. So there we spent a sleepless night, our sleeping bags and us inside them soaked through. It was also a surprisingly chilly night for early June. I don't think any of us slept a wink.

The next morning, when dawn finally arrived, the rain still hadn't let up. So we broke camp and hiked the absolutely miserable 10 or 12 miles back to the car while the torrents of rain continued to drench us, hoping that the trail between us and the car hadn't washed out too. When we finally got back to the car, we cranked the heater to try to dry out and drove several hours back home.

And when I finally got home, took a hot shower and climbed into bed that night, I don't think I've ever slept better. Physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted, I crashed and I crashed hard. What welcome that sweet, soothing, reviving sleep was. Safe and comfortable at last!

This morning, the apostle Paul describes for us another sleep that is sweet, soothing, and reviving for every believer in Jesus. The sleep of death is not terrifying for the believer, but safe and comfortable at last! For death is not the end, but only a sleep from which we will awake... to a glorious reunion with those saints who have gone before us, and better still, with Jesus himself.

Listen to the way the apostle describes that blessed sleep through Jesus in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18...

¹³Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. ¹⁴We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ¹⁵According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸Therefore encourage each other with these words.

I. We Will Awake...

Paul wasn't just using a euphemism when he called those who had died, "those who had fallen asleep." He was talking reality. You see, someone had led the Thessalonians to believe that all believers would stay alive until Christ came back to earth again. And so, when their loved ones died, they wondered what happened to them. Were they forever lost? Were they in hell? Was there any hope for their immortal souls? So Paul set pen to paper to clear up some of the confusion they had.

"Brothers," he said, " we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep..." You see, what you don't know can hurt you. If you don't know the bridge is out up ahead, you could be in mortal danger. If you don't know you're sick, you can't get the help you need. And if you don't know what happens when you die... well, that ignorance has eternal consequences. It may seem like Paul is a bit harsh when he calls them "ignorant," but that's how they were acting. They were grieving like men who have no hope as if death were the final word.

And to be sure, that's what they deserved. Roman poet, Gaius Valerius Catulus, once wrote, "When once our brief day has set, we must sleep one everlasting night." And many would agree that at death we simply become worm food and face annihilation. But that's only wishful thinking. The reality is that without hope in Christ, death brings far worse than annihilation. It brings an eternal punishment in an unquenchable lake of fire, where, as Jesus put it, "[the] worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched." (Mark 9:48)

And to be sure, that's what we deserve. We may not be ignorant about what happens at death, but all too often we sure act like it...

Did you notice who Paul said would be caught up with the Lord? He didn't say "Those who are still alive," but "We who are still alive..." You see Paul wanted the Thessalonians and every generation of believers to live with the continued expectation that Jesus would return in their lifetime. But have you lived that way? Always ready to go? Always eager to share the gospel with another as if today were your very last chance to do so? Always with the eager hope and expectation that today will be the day that you fall asleep to be with the Lord? Have your actions indicated that you live with that certain hope? Have your thoughts about others? Your attitudes toward the possessions and the wealth that God has given you on loan for a while? Mine either. And we deserve to die forever in hell, never to be awakened from that endless nightmare.
But we don't get what we deserve. Death is not the end. It's only a sleep. How come? Paul explains, "We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him." Jesus didn't just fall asleep. He died. He was cut off from God the Father and endured hell itself to pay for the sins of all mankind. And he was cut off from the land of the living to complete the sacrifice.

Now, those who trust in Jesus' work on their behalf, will not die forever in hell, but will live. They—we—will wake up from death! And because Jesus rose again, we know that his payment is complete and acceptable to God, and therefore, that we too will rise from the dead! Just as we don't dread going to sleep at night, but rather welcome the rest and relief and peace from the worries of the day that sleep brings, so too, we can honestly look forward to death. For it will bring eternal rest, relief from our sinful natures that always haunt us here, and peace from all the problems and pain that this life brings. In fact, the word cemetery comes from the Greek word meaning "a sleeping place." After all, that's what death is for a Christian. Not the final answer, but a restful sleep from which we will awake. And so, we can—and we do—look forward to that sleep...

II. ...To a Happy Reunion

I know that some of you of here have lost loved ones to death. Parents, spouses, and children, some of which were never born, have been victims of that unnatural result of sin. And we grieve our loss. And that's okay. Jesus himself cried tears of sorrow at the loss of his good friend, Lazarus—even though he knew he'd see him alive again in matter of minutes! It is okay to grieve. But we don't "grieve like the rest of men," (like unbelievers), "who have no hope." We do have hope.

And you know that the Biblical concept of "hope" is not like our English word for hope, like, "I hope it doesn't snow tomorrow because I don't want to shovel anymore," or "I hope I can find a job soon—one that pays well" or "I hope that I can make it home for Thanksgiving." No. We have the certain expectation of our resurrection, and of a happy reunion with that resurrection.

Paul says, "the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds..." We will be reunited with the Saints Triumphant—those who have gone before us and died trusting in Jesus' forgiveness won for them on the cross. But our reunion in heaven will be even greater still! For we'll be reunited, not just with our loved ones, but even better… with Jesus! Paul says, "the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever."

And what a great day that will be! In the words of the Christian band, Mercy Me... "I can only imagine what it will be like when I walk by [Jesus'] side... I can only imagine what my eyes will see when [his] face Is before me... Surrounded by [his glory, what will my heart feel? Will I dance for... Jesus or in honor of him be still? Will I stand in [his] presence or to my knees will I fall? Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all? I can only imagine..." What an awesome day that will be!

But what about now? What do we do until that great and awesome day? Paul tells us that too. "Therefore," he says—that is, because of our hope; our certain expectation that when we fall asleep in death, we will wake up again to be reunited with the Saints Triumphant and with our Savior—"Therefore encourage each other with these words." Encourage one another. You are not a Christian that's isolated in a bubble. You're a part of a family, part of a body. So encourage one another. Share the comforting truth of the certain resurrection we look forward to with one another. Share the message with those who don't have any hope.

Remind each other that death is just like falling asleep. And when this life leaves us physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted, we know we can look forward to that sweet, soothing, reviving sleep. Safe and comfortable at last, we'll wake up free of every burden, worry, sorrow, and pain. "We will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words." Amen.

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

Be Glad You’re a Sheep! (A sermon based on Matthew 25:31-46)

2011-11-09T00:18:00.000-08:00

You are such a sheep! And thank God that you are! Though you were once a goat, fit for destruction in hell, God in his grace has made you one of the sheep of his flock. By faith in Christ and his work on the cross and by the resurrection, you are secure in his flock, one of his own sheep, and destines for heaven. So Judgment Day is not a frightening thought for us, but an exciting one, as we look forward to being with our Good Shepherd in heaven! And now, we can act like the sheep God has made us in this life already, as we strive to thank him. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Matthew 25:31-46 and rejoice! Be glad you're a sheep!

Be Glad You're a Sheep!

A sermon based on Matthew 25:31-46

Sunday, November 6, 2011– Last Judgment Sunday A

"You're such a sheep," isn't usually a compliment, is it? If you follow what others are doing blindly, just going along with the crowd, you're just a sheep. If you let others take advantage of you, you're fleeced like a sheep. And even the Bible doesn't always speak of sheep in the most kindly ways. "We all like sheep have gone astray." Sheep wander off and get lost and can't find their way back. Sheep are dumb animals—literally in the Greek, "forward moving things." So, I'm guessing you might not take it as a compliment when someone calls you a sheep.

But, the truth is you are a sheep.

But this morning I mean that differently. In this morning's text it's not an insult to be called a sheep. Instead it's a wonderful truth in which you can rejoice. You are a sheep! Though you once were a goat, you've been made a sheep. And in that truth we can be glad and we can live like sheep. Listen to Jesus' words describing the sheep and the goats on Judgment Day…

³¹"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. ³²All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. ³⁴"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' ³⁷"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' ⁴⁰"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' ⁴¹"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴²For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not

look after me.' ⁴⁴"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' ⁴⁵"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' ⁴⁶"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

I. You Were A Goat

Many may wish to deny it, but the truth is that Judgment Day is coming—that day on which all people who ever lived will be judged for all eternity. One of our creeds describes that day: "At his coming all people will rise with their own bodies to answer for their own personal deeds. Those who have done good will enter eternal life, but those who have done evil will go into eternal fire." (The Athanasian Creed)

But does that make you a bit nervous? I mean Jesus called the ones on his right who are blessed by the Father and welcomed into heaven the righteous. The righteous ones who have done good will enter eternal life. But is that you?

Have you always fed the hungry? When was the last time you went down to the local shelter? How much of your income has gone to help the hungry? Have you always been hospitable inviting strangers in? Or do you sometimes double bolt the door, chain it shut, and set the alarm to keep everyone else out of your private sanctuary? Have you clothed the needy? Well, does taking my worn out and outsized stuff that I was tossing anyway over to Goodwill instead of the trash can count as clothing the needy? Have you been eager to care for the sick? Or do you keep your distance just in case they're contagious? Have you visited prisoners? Or are you glad that the scum of the earth are kept out of way where they can't hurt you or inconvenience you?

The truth is, we're far from righteous in our own homes. We don't even show this kind of love to our own family and friends all the time, let alone strangers. We should be viewing everyone that we meet as Jesus in disguise—and in turn be eager to love and serve them. But we don't. We view them as annoyances, as inconveniences, as burdens. And so too often we're uncaring, heartless, cold, and sometimes downright mean toward others. And we forget that what we do to others or don't do for them, we do to Jesus or don't do for him.

And for being anything but righteous, we deserve to have Jesus tell us, "Get away from me!" We deserve to be cursed. We deserve to be cast out of God's presence and into the eternal fires of hell.

But did you notice who hell was prepared for? It was prepared for satan and his angels, not for people. God doesn't want people in hell. In fact, he doesn't want that so much that he acted. And because he acted we won't get the hell we deserve, because we're not goats anymore, but sheep…

II. You Are A Sheep

Pay close attention to the timing of the events on Judgment Day. They're important. Which came first, the evidence? Or the verdict? It was the verdict, right? Before there was any mention of any works, the people were separated. Then, after they were separated, the perfect Judge who knows all things displayed the evidence to make it clear to all that his judgment is right. But the judgment was not based on what people did, but on who they were—either sheep or goat, the righteous or wicked, the blessed or the cursed—then the works were displayed—whether good or evil---to demonstrate the presence or absence of faith.

So which are we? Sheep or goats?

We already saw that on our own we are wicked goats. But how do we become sheep? A dog can't turn into a cat, no matter how hard you try to pull it off, and a goat can't turn into a sheep either, right? It's impossible! Humanly speaking it is impossible for the wicked to become righteous. But all things are possible with God. He turns us into sheep.

How? Through the Good Shepherd. Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd… and I lay down my life for the sheep." (John 10:14-15) And though "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, [and] each of us has turned to his own way… the Lord has laid on him [on Jesus] the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:6) By taking all our evil deeds on himself and by crediting all his good deeds to us, he has changed us from goats into sheep—from sinful, godless heathen, into sinless, perfect saints.

Now when God looks at you and me and evaluates our personal deeds, all he sees is the good that Jesus did and sees none of the evil we've done. Now you and I are ready for the Last Judgment. Judgment day isn't terrifying to us, but exciting, because we know we'll be on the right. And we're ready to be separated from the world around us. We're ready to receive the inheritance that awaits us! We're ready to enter the kingdom that God has prepared—for us!—since the creation of the world! We're ready because by Jesus work, and through faith in him, we're sheep and not goats! And while we wait for that Last Judgment to come, we can start acting like sheep right now…

III. Act Like A Sheep

It's usually not a complement to be compared with an animal. "Were you born in a barn?" "You eat like a pig!" "You're moving like a snail!" But it is a wonderful thing to be a sheep when you're in Jesus' flock. And in that light, what a compliment to hear someone say, "You're acting like a sheep."!

Act like the sheep that God has made you, dear flock! Just as a sheep knows the voice of its shepherd, so too, know your Good Shepherd's voice! Listen to his voice in the Word, in public and private worship, in your daily devotions. Just as a sheep trusts its shepherd to provide good grass to eat and clean water to drink, trust your Good Shepherd to nourish you with the food and drink of his Body and Blood and to quench your thirsty soul with the living waters of the Word. Just as a sheep follows its shepherd wherever it may go, follow your Good Shepherd, dear sheep. Follow him to the cross. Then follow his example of selfless service to others.

Give some of the blessings that God has showered on you to those who are in need with fewer blessings of their own. Give of your time and give up some comfort and convenience in order to comfort and care for the sick and imprisoned, the lonely and the hurting. Do these things for everyone you encounter who have these needs, but especially for believers—for "the least of these brothers of [Jesus]."

Look for opportunities where you can give your time, your energy, your gifts to those who need them more than you. You can start by looking in your home. Look for ways of serving your family and be a sheep for them. Then look at work. What are the needs of your co-workers? How can you meet them? How about here among the family of believers? How can you be sheep-like to a fellow sheep? What love can you show? What encouragement can give? Finally, look at the goats. How can you meet their needs and introduce them to the Good Shepherd?

And you can give to those in need and care for them and comfort them not in fear of Judgment as if God said, "You'd better toe the line or there's hell to pay!" because you already have a favorable judgment in your Good Shepherd. The verdict has already been declared: You're not guilty! You're not a goat! You're a sheep!

Instead, we act selflessly in thanks to the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep. We act in love for others to show our unending gratitude to him who loved us! We act like sheep, following the one who made us his sheep, who gave us his inheritance, who gave us the kingdom. Rejoice, dear friends, "You are such sheep!" Amen.

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

pastorguenther@gmail.com
(907) 283-6297

God, Keep Us Faithful (A sermon based on Daniel 6:10-12, 16-23)

2011-11-02T16:07:00.000-07:00

At times our faith will be put to the test by fierce opposition and persecution. What will we do when such times come? Strengthened by God's Word and his promises of grace, we will stand firm, remain faithful and make a bold witness for the truth come what may -- just like the prophet, Daniel, did and just like the reformer, Martin Luther, did. And when we do, more will come to faith through our faithful witness, just like they did through Daniel's and Luther's. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Daniel 6 and be encouraged that God will keep you faithful...

God, Keep Us Faithful
A sermon based on Daniel 6:10-12, 16-23
Reformation Sunday – October 30, 2011

I can only imagine the fear that filled his heart as he stood before the throne. He knew that what he had said and done was punishable by death. And he knew that the even if the head of the government was sympathetic, the real leaders of the people, were not. Death was a probable outcome.

But what could he do? It was either risk death or deny the truth. And to deny the truth was to deny God. So rather than succumb to the threats levied against him he would take his stand. Boldly, standing on the Word of God, he would not back down. And he would suffer for it.

So we find the prophet Daniel at eighty years of age refusing to stop praying to the true God, refusing to pray to the king of Babylon, willing to die for his decision—and thrown into a den of hungry lions.

Daniel was a prophet who lived in a time of trouble and turmoil for Israel. God had sent his prophets to Israel again and again to warn them to repent, to turn from their wicked ways and return to God. But they refused. So God sent a foreign nation, the Babylonians, to discipline them and make them reconsider.

Starting in about 605 B.C. King Nebuchadnezzar led the Babylonians in a series of attacks against the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Three times they carried off the Israelites as prisoners of war, as exiles, into Babylon (that is, modern Iraq). And young Daniel, a teenager at the time, was one of the first to go.

The captives' life was rough, but not unbearable. They were allowed a certain amount of freedom. Some were even allowed to serve in the government. And Daniel quickly entered the king's service when he noticed how God had blessed him physically and intellectually. And Daniel served under several kings, continuing to serve even the Mede and Persian kings who conquered the Babylonians. This is where we find him this evening.

Now 80 years old he had been in exile for more than six decades, serving as a leader in a foreign land. But as a foreigner, a captive Israelite, there was certainly some jealousy from the Mede and Persian leaders under him. They desired his position of power. They longed to remove him from his position. So they plotted against him. Not unlike politicians of today, they tried to dig up some dirt from his past; something, anything, with which they could accuse him of misconduct in office. But, because Daniel was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent, they found nothing. They had to trap him into breaking the law. They said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God."

So here's their plan: "We know Daniel's habits. He prays to his God every day at set times. Let's use our king's vanity to get him to pass a law forbidding prayer. Daniel will surely keep praying. Then we've got him!" They said, "O King Darius, live forever! ⁷The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions' den. ⁸Now, O king, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed." And King Darius bit. He put the decree in writing.

The trap was set. Now all they had to do was wait. What was Daniel to do? He knew that he was the target of this edict, even if the king didn't see it. And if he took a stand and disobeyed the king's edict, he could be thrown into a den of hungry lions and eaten alive! What a horrible way to go!

How tempting it must have been for him to stop praying for just thirty days. Or maybe to keep praying, but to do it in another room or at a different time of day when everyone else was asleep. Maybe he could just pray silently to God. God would hear him. God would understand.

But Daniel knew that any of these options would dishonor God as he tried to hide his faith to save his life. That was the worst that could happen to him, not the lions. If he went to the lions he might die—a horrible, grisly death. But then he would go to heave! The victory would be his. But, on the other hand, if he denied his faith in God he would be compromising that faith and the results might last for eternity. The real danger was not the lions, but the temptation to deny God.

¹⁰Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

¹¹Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. ¹²So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: "Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or man except to you, O king, would be thrown into the lions' den?" The king answered, "The decree stands—in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed."

¹³Then they said to the king, "Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day."

¹⁴When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him. ¹⁵Then the men went as a group to the king and said to him, "Remember, O king, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed." ¹⁶So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!" ¹⁷A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel's situation might not be changed.

What courage! What strength of faith! To ignore the plot! To deny the king! In the face of persecution Daniel didn't hide his faith or cower in an inner room, but boldly took his stand—even if it meant a horrible death!

In a similar way, about two thousand years later, a monk by the name of Martin Luther, had a plot out on his life. He didn't face a den of hungry lions, but instead risked being burned alive once he was labeled a heretic for going against the religious teaching of the Roman Catholic church. How tempting it must have been to back down, to take back some of what he said, to recant.

But he, like Daniel, couldn't hide his faith. Too much was at stake! At a time when the truth of the Gospel was all but lost, he had to proclaim the truth! He could not cower, but would continue to boldly preach and teach, proclaim and write the truth about the Gospel! That we are saved by God's grace alone, not by our merits in any way! We are saved through faith alone and not by our works or deeds! So he took his stand and was branded a heretic so that any who found him could legally take his life.

What about us? Do we ever face opposition in our lives? I'm willing to bet that no one here has ever been thrown into a den of hungry lions for daring to pray to God. I'll no one here is a wanted criminals for sharing the gospel. Yet, we do face opposition of our own in other forms. We face ridicule and insults, considered intellectually inferior because we dare to believe that Jesus rose from the dead, that he is who he said he was, that he accomplished our salvation. We face lions of our own, don't we? Peter reminded the early church, "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith."

But in the middle of the lions' den, it can be hard to stay faithful, can't it? And too often we cower. We stand down because we love ourselves more than we love our God. But thank God, then, that he sent his Son to fight against that roaring lion, to conquer the devil by being devoured by God's wrath in our place on the cross. Thank God that he did raise Jesus from the dead for our justification, so that now, by God's grace alone, through faith alone, we are rescued—from satan, from our own sin, from death, and from eternal death in hell. Through Christ alone, the victory is ours!

And now, for the way he took a stand for us, we are moved to want to take a stand for him. So how do we stand tall in those times when extra courage is called for? How do we stay faithful to our God like Daniel, like Luther? In short, we don't. Not on our own. It's God who keeps us faithful, just as he kept Daniel and Luther faithful to him… through his Word.

How did God keep Daniel faithful? Well, at the time of the Babylonian captivity, the children of Israel had the books of the Bible from Genesis thru Jeremiah and a few of the other prophets. In Daniel chapter 9 he wrote, "I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years." He knew God's promises. And so he prayed to God holding him to those promises. In chapter 9 he went on…

"The curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you… We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy." And he held God to the promise he read in those Scriptures.

Daniel even alluded to some of the things King Solomon prayed at the dedication of the temple in his prayer in chapter 9: "When they sin against you and you give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to a land far away, if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and pray toward the temple, then forgive your people, who have sinned against you." Daniel relied on the Scriptures and the promises they contained. He studied them. He knew them well. He drew his strength from the mercy of God that he found promised in them and in them he found courage to be faithful in the face of fierce opposition and in the den of the lions.

In the same way, Martin Luther found his strength in God's written word. Assigned to teach the Bible at the University of Wittenberg, he found the gospel. He discovered the truth that we are saved by God's grace and mercy, not by anything we might do. Like Daniel, he relied on the Scriptures and the promises they contained. He studied them. He knew them well. He drew his strength from the mercy of God that he found promised in them and in them he found courage to be faithful in the face of fierce opposition and in his trial before the emperor.

And friends, you know that we find our strength in the same place. We trust the Scriptures as the divinely inspired Word of God; that Word which tells us that we are sinful. Like Daniel we fall to our knees in repentance. And like Luther we cling to that Word which tells us by God's grace alone, through faith, and not by works, but as a gift from God we are made righteous through Christ's innocent death. We cling to that Word which reminds us that Christ will keep us faithful, even in the lion's den, even before emperors and kings.

And as we do, God will work through our faithful witness just like he did through Daniel's and Luther's.

¹⁸Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep. ¹⁹At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions' den. ²⁰When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?" ²¹Daniel answered, "O king, live forever! ²²My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king." ²³The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

Through Daniel's persecution, King Darius now knew without a doubt who the true God was. In Daniel 6:25-27 we read: ²⁵Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every language throughout the land: "May you prosper greatly! ²⁶"I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. "For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. ²⁷He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions."

In fact, Daniel wrote the account down so that we're still learning from it today, some twenty-six hundred years later, and through these events, God is keeping us faithful!

Likewise, God kept Martin Luther faithful so he could reform the church, restore the gospel to the people and put into writing most of his works to benefit future generations after him.

Why does God keep us keep us faithful? Why not just whisk us out of this life the moment we come to faith and spare us from any opposition and remove any chance that we might fall away? Well, he keeps us faithful in times of fierce opposition, through his Word, in order that we might share that Word with others. We can share with others that God in his grace and mercy has forgiven all our sins through Christ. Think of someone that you can share that message with this week. Let's celebrate this Reformation Day by telling others what God has done for them. And God will keep us faithful though his Word. Amen!

Now may our Gracious God continue to keep you faithful in every way until life's end. Amen.

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611