Thursday, January 30, 2014

In With the Old; In With the New (A sermon based on 1 John 2:3-11)

Love one another. Jesus gave a new command on MaundyThursday. But the Apostle John says this command is something we've had since the very beginning. How is it old and new at the same time? We are still commanded to love one another. But knowing that we have forgiveness in Jesus for every time we fail to love, we have a new motive to keep that old command: out of love and thanks to him. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on 1 John 2:3-11 and be encouraged to keep the old command in a new way...

In With the Old; In With the New
A sermon based on 1 John 2:3-11
Sunday, January 26, 2014 – Epiphany 2A

Out with the old, in with the new! You’ve probably noticed, the remodel in the school hallway. If not, go check it out after worship! The old carpet’s out, the new carpet’s in. The old benches will soon be out, new benches will be in. Old paint, covered up, new paint giving a fresh, clean look.
Out with the old, in with the new. Not just for remodels. Out with trash, in with the groceries. Out with the old threadbare clothes, in with the new purchases. Out with the old way of thinking, in with the new as a book or passage gives you new insight.
But this morning the Apostle John gives us some confusing words. He says, “I am not writing you a new command but an old one” as he reiterates God’s commands to love another and the necessity of our obedience to God. But then he says, “I am writing you a new command” and seems to only repeat that old command to love God by loving one another. In other words, “In the old and in with the new.” What does he mean? Let’s take a look at 1 John 2:3-11 and find out…

3 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4 The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.
9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.

I.              In With the Old

He carried his Bible around wherever he went. Talked about the blessings of the Almighty in his life. Talked about the Christian confessions that would guide him in his life. Declared that he drew his strength not from himself, but the Word of God. Thousands thought he was a man sent from God and followed him eagerly. His name was Adolf. Adolph Hitler. He sure sounded Christian, but what a hypocrite!!
A lot of people are hypocrites, aren’t they? A lot of Christians are hypocrites! I’ll bet you could name a few right now—you know, friends who claim to live in Jesus, but don’t walk as Jesus did, who claim to be in the light, but hate someone else, who claim to know God, but don’t do what God commands or keep the old command.
But what is the old command? Why doesn’t John tell us? He doesn’t need to! It’s too obvious. “We know…” John writes. It’s nothing new. “You’ve had it since the beginning!” And you know what it is too. But just in case you’re a bit sleepy this morning, let me help you out.
Paul had written in Romans 13(:9-10), “The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”
Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-40, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36–40)
The old command is simple: Love one another. Choose to serve other people ahead of yourself. Look to their interests, their preferences, their needs ahead of your own. We know what that looks like because that’s what Jesus did. He loved others. He lived to serve them. He shared difficult truths they needed to hear with no regard to what they thought of him. He humbled himself to wash people’s feet.
And that old command is still in. We are still called to obey his commands, to love our brother. Jesus didn’t change it. In fact, Jesus magnified it. He said in Matthew 5(:17-20), “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them… I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law… For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Be just like Jesus. Walk as he did. Then you know you belong to God. And note that John didn’t write, “We know that [they] have come to know him if [they] obey his commands.” No. He wrote, “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.” This is not a call to judge who is and isn’t a Christian, but a call to an honest self-assessment. So how about it? Are you just like Jesus? Do you obey his commands? Do you walk as he walked? Do you love your brother from your heart? Do you live to serve God and others, not just in public, but in private? Do you behave the same at home or all alone as you do in church?
Feeling uncomfortable? Me too. We know the old command. But we don’t do. A lot of people are hypocrites. A lot of Christians are. …I am… I know what God wants me to do. But I don’t do it. Not always. And you are too. You look nice, but you’re not. Not always. Not in your heart. Ever lost your cool at home and shout at your spouse or kids? Or maybe you kept control, but did you love from your heart? Are you different at church than you are in your kitchen? I admit, I am. In fact, there’s plenty of sin in me that my family—those who know me best—can’t see.
And if we’re honest with ourselves and with God, we’ll admit that we’re like the actor, Robert Redford, who, when spotted in a hotel lobby and asked by an excited woman, “Are you the real Robert Redford?” replied, “Only when I’m alone.”
A hypocrite is literally an actor—one who wears a mask. And we all act every day don’t we? Mark Twain once said that we’re all like the moon in that we all have a dark side that we don’t want anyone to see. But God sees. And through the apostle John, he calls it like it is. “Liar!” “Hypocrite!” “Still in the dark.” “Full of hatred toward others.” And John later wrote, “Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.” (1 John 3:15) We surely deserve the eternal darkness of hell.
So much law in these verses! So much truth in their accusations. So much truth in their accusations… against me. So what do we do? I can’t change my heart! I can act different, but I can’t be different. I can’t keep the old command that we’ve all known from the beginning! And neither can you!
Well… you know… You the solution. And you know that it doesn’t lie in you. “[The] truth is seen in him [in Jesus]… the true light is already shining.”

II.            In With the New

There is a lot of law in these verses, but the Gospel’s there too in that verse. “The darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.” But what exactly does that mean? Well, let’s look at the context. If we go back just a little bit, to the two verses immediately preceding our text, we see. There John writes, “If anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the world.” (1 John 2:1-2)
Jesus is the true light. By his perfect life or righteousness, by his innocent death as the atoning sacrifice for our sins, we are forgiven. That’s why John could say in the very next verse after our text, “I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.” (1 John 2:12)
In the Alchoholics Anonymous Handbook it says, “You’re only as sick as your secrets.” And how true that is! “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9)
So quit being a hypocrite. Take off the mask (at least before God). Confess your sin. Confess your loveless actions. Confess that you haven’t followed in Jesus’ footsteps. Confess that you have loved the darkness, chosen hatred, preferred your pride. Confess your hypocrisy to God. Because you know that he’ll forgive that too.
You remember that line in Silent Night: “Silent night, holy night. Son of God, love’s pure light,”? Well that line’s not saying that Jesus (the subject) loves (the verb) pure light (the direct object). There’s a comma there and an apostrophe. What it’s saying is that the Son of God (Jesus) also goes by another name: Love’s Pure Light. He is the pure light of God’s love—the image of God’s love for you and me shining brilliantly in this dark world. He loves us so much he sent his Son. Jesus loves us so much that he willingly lived and died for you and me and rose to give us the assurance that all is right with God. God loves you so much he shined the light of his grace into our lives personally through baptism and the Word. So now you know, that “If anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the world.”
But we still haven’t answered that question in the introduction: What is the new command? It could be, “Believe in what Jesus has done for you,” as Jesus said in John 6(:29), “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” But I think that the context here suggests that the new command is still “Love.” On Maundy Thursday Jesus told his disciples, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34)
But wait a second! The old command is “Love”? The new command is “Love”? What’s different then? What’s new? The key to discovering what’s new is in that second sentence: “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” The new commandment isn’t really love one another. That’s the old part. Love as Jesus loved. That’s the new part.
So how did Jesus love? It wasn’t a forced love. It wasn’t a “have to,” but a “get to.” He wasn’t driven by the law, but an eager desire to do what God wanted. I think the new command is a matter of motive. Now that you know the True Light that is already shining, you have a new way of thinking. You have a new approach to life. You have a new desire to serve Jesus, a new motive to love. You don’t have to do any good works to get to heaven. But because you’re going to heaven, you want to do good works.
I recently read about a neighborhood with a terrible crime rate. The residents pleaded with the police to patrol the streets more often and they did. But it had a minimal impact on the crime rate. So they came up with a new plan. The city installed bright streetlights all throughout that neighborhood. And almost overnight the crime rate dropped drastically. Where the light is shining the darkness disappears.
And that same is true in Jesus. The Light of the World exposes the darkness in my heart and in my life. But I don’t need to be scared of that confrontation, but can be thankful for it. Because I know the Light also blasts away the darkness of guilt and shame. I don’t have to look good to other people or be good enough for God. He has made me good enough—perfect—in Christ. And now the Light enables me to see things clearly and approach my other problems with a different perspective, in a new light. They’re challenges meant to cut away what’s holding me back, to test me, and to make me stronger in my faith.
And that faith—that trust in forgiveness of sins I have in Jesus—becomes much more than just an information retrieval system, where I learn the right answers, and nod and smile. It doesn’t just clean me up on the outside so I can be better hypocrites. It is living and active and changes me from the inside out, as Jesus moves me to want to live for him and not myself, and as Jesus moves me to want to live like him, in eager obedience to the Father, and sincere love for my brother.
And I know it does the same for you. Having seen what Jesus did do, we now can ask, “What would Jesus do?” in any given situation. We ask, “How can I serve as he’s served me?” Instead of losing our cool, we’ll show love and kindness. Instead of raging inside, we’ll see a fellow sinner in need of Jesus, and find patience. Instead of loving the shallow and empty entertainment of this world, we’ll love the Word of Truth that shines in our lives and put Jesus first in our hearts and in our schedules. And we are empowered to do it! To be obedient to God’s commands! To walk in the light! To walk just like Jesus did! To love as he loved us!
In with the old command to love one another. It still stands. But we have perfect forgiveness in Jesus for where we have and will fail to love. So in with the new motive to carry out that command. We get to show our thanks to him for shining in our dark lives and for rescuing us from our hypocrisy, from ourselves, and from hell.  We get to live in the Light. 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

Read sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Sermons
Listen to sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Podcast
Watch services online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Webcast
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Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Are You Worthy of Eternal Life? (A sermon based on Acts 13:38-49)

What are you worth? $1? $1MIL? To God, you're worth whole lot more! You're worth his own Son--the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world--who takes away your sin. Now, you're sinless before God. You're worthy of eternal life! Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Acts 13:38-49 and rejoice that you're worth so much to God!

Are You Worthy of Eternal Life?

A sermon based on Acts 13:38-49

Sunday, January 19, 2014 – Epiphany 2A

 

What are you worth? How do you answer that question? Do you look at your assets minus debts to figure your net worth in dollars? Do you look to your accomplishments, achievements, and successes to determine your self-worth? Do you look at the impact you make on the lives of others and try to determine how much you'd be missed to determine how much you're worth to others?

A few years ago U.S. Bureau of Chemistry and Soils tried to determine the worth of a human. So they calculated the amounts of oxygen, carbon, hydrogen and all the materials that make up the human body, and found that the going rate for all of these elements was about $1. Yup, that's it. You're worth about as much as a single app downloaded to your phone. You're worth less than a single burger on the value menu. You're worth less than a cup of coffee at the gas station.

What are you worth? Thank God that he views things differently than the U.S. Bureau of Chemistry and Soils. He thinks you're worth a whole lot more than $1. He thinks you're worth his own Son.

But what do you think? If you think you're worthy of God's love on your own, you're sadly mistaken. Reject Jesus' work for you and you're not worthy of eternal life. But trust in Jesus' work for you and you are worthy of eternal life.

The church in Antioch was struggling with that question of, "What am I worth?" Some thinking they were worth a lot, weren't worthy of eternal life. But those who recognized their worth before God on their own, humbled themselves before God and received the Gospel with joy. And were made worthy of eternal life. Listen now to Acts 13:38-49 as you consider, "Are you worthy of eternal life?"

 

38 "Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. 40 Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you:

41 "'Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.'"

42 As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. 43 When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.

44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45 When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying.

46 Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. 47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us:

"'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'"

48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

49 The word of the Lord spread through the whole region.



I.              Not Worth Much

 

Tom had a beautiful house. It was a mansion really. It was full of the nicest furniture, decorated with expensive paintings, and he kept remodeling it again and again to keep up with the latest fads. But had to keep up appearances. He loved entertaining and had the rich and the famous over often.

Only one problem. Tom didn't have any money. This is a true story, by the way. Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, lived large. But he no money. He was in deep debt. And at his death his estate and all his possessions were auctioned off to repay his debtors, leaving his surviving daughter to rely on the charity of others to find her next meal.

Things aren't always what they seem. Someone might seem worth a lot, but really be worth very little. And someone might seem worth a little and be worth a whole lot. That role reversal took place in Antioch when Paul and Barnabas came to town.

Ironically, the Jews of Antioch thought they were worthy of eternal life on their own. They had a bad estimate of their own worth. They thought they didn't need Jesus. They were good enough on their own. But now, this Gentile rabble was changing things. And no one likes change. For starters, there was no room in church anymore! The synagogue was full! Their favorite seats were taken! Next thing you know, they'd want to change the liturgy! Or even get a new hymnal! And… they smelled like bacon! (And to a Jew that wasn't a good thing.) They were ruining everything!

These Gentiles simply were not worthy of the promises of Jehovah! But they were! (Or so they thought.) They were good Jews who followed the rules! Now these Gentiles were being offered the salvation promised to Israel! No way! And to keep their comfortable little world the same as it always has been, they rejected Jesus. Literally what they NIV translates as "talked abusively" is "speaking blasphemy." They blasphemed God by rejecting the Christ.

But they had a problem. They couldn't be justified by the Law of Moses because they couldn't keep it perfectly. Sin once and you break the bubble of perfection. And they, like everyone, had surely sinned more than just once. But it was too big a blow to their ego to admit they were horrible sinners. It was just too much to take to admit they were as bad as these Gentiles. And they wouldn't confess. But God says in 1 John 1:8, "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us."

They thought they were worthy. But they had a bad estimate of their own worth. They were not worthy of eternal life.

So, what are you worth? $1? "Of course, not!" you say! "I'm worth so much more than that!" And we look at ourselves and estimate our value and think we're very worthy. I'm a good person! I'm not that bad. I'm worth a lot to my family and friends. And I'm worth a lot to God. He's lucky to have me on his team!

Or we're scared because we're not really worth that much and we don't want anyone to find out. Like Thomas Jefferson trying hard to hide his debt under a veneer of extravigance, we do all we can to hide our failures, cover them up, pretend their not there. But God knows the truth. And so do you.

You both know you're true worth. $1? No. You and I are worth far less than that on our own. You are sinful. You cannot be justified by the law of Moses. And when you look down on others as not worthy, you're not worthy of God. You're not worthy of eternal life. The only thing you and I are worthy of is hell. We put the wrong value on others. We put the wrong value on ourselves. But true repentance recognizes that and it confesses before God.

And we can confess openly and honestly. We can stand naked before God, stripped of all we try to hide behind. We can be exposed without fear because we know the blessed results if we do: "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:8-9)



II.            Worth the Son of God

 

What are you worth? The U.S. Bureau of Chemistry and Soils says $1. But that's just for the elements that make you up. But the arrangement of those elements in the right order is worth a lot more! I recently read that a single gram of bone marrow is worth $23,000. If you've got the right DNA, it could have a market value of 9.7 million dollars. A lung is worth $116,400, a kidney $91,400, and a heart $57,000.  When all is said and done, your living body—should you choose to donate the whole thing—is worth about forty-five million dollars!

And believe it or not, you're worth even more to God. You're worth more to him than his own Son. He gave his Son, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, to be killed on a cross. He gave the sacrificial lamb who suffered hell in our place. For everyone! For Jew and Gentile!

For it's, "too small a thing… to restore [just] the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel…" God would "also make [Jesus] a light for the Gentiles, that [he might] bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." (Isaiah 49:6) And that's pretty much us in Alaska isn't it? At least from the perspective of an ancient Israelite we are the ends of the earth! That means it's for us too!

"Therefore, [brothers and sisters], I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.  Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses." And you are appointed to eternal life. You are worthy of eternal life—through Jesus.

You've heard it all before, but imagine that you were hearing it for the first time! A lifetime of guilt and regret forgiven! With no strings attached! How wonderful! These Gentiles in Antioch were hearing it for the first time. They were worth a whole lot to God! They were worth his own Son to him! Now they were forgiven by God! Their sin was erased! They were worthy of God through faith in Jesus! They were worthy of eternal life! "When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord... [and] the word of the Lord spread through the whole region."

We too are glad! We're worth a lot! We're worthy of God! We're worthy of eternal life! We too honor the Word! We love it and we love to hear and learn it more! And we too spread the word throughout the whole region just like the Antioch Christians, just like Paul and Barnabas. And sure, people may talk abusively against you. They may speak blasphemy against Jesus. So what? You don't derive your worth from what they think of you, but from what Jesus thinks of you. And who knows, maybe some will invite you to speak further about these things. Maybe some will come back next week to hear more. Maybe the whole city will gather together to hear the good news. So in thanks to Jesus for making you worth so much, share what he has done.

For you know what you're worth without Jesus. And you know what you're worth with him! So even if you don't have much in the bank, in the market, or in home equity, even if you're debts outweigh your assets, even if your accomplishments seem rather paltry, and even if no one were to miss you when you leave this earth, you know that these things don't determine your worth. Jesus does. And through him you are worthy of eternal life. In his name, dear friends, amen!


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

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

Listen to sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Podcast
Watch services online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Webcast
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Tuesday, January 14, 2014

You’re All God’s Favorite (A sermon based on Acts 10:34-38)

Playing favorites can often hurt feelings and damage relationships. But God plays favorites all the time. Though Jesus is the only one who ought to be God's favorite, he became the black sheep that we might be God's dearly loved children. Now there's no one God loves more than he loves you. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Acts 10:34-38 and rejoice that you are all God's favorite...

You're All God's Favorite

A sermon based on Acts 10:34-38

Sunday, January 12, 2014 – Epiphany 2A

 

What a wonderful day it must have been for Peter! While praying one day he fell into a trance and saw a vision from God. In that vision, a sheet came from heaven full of all kinds of animals and God told him to get up, kill, and eat whatever he wanted. And for the first time Peter was allowed to eat crab legs, shrimp cocktail, and… mmmmmm… bacon. What a wonderful day it must have been for Peter!

Of course, God wasn't really concerned about just bacon when he gave Peter that vision. (That was just a side benefit.) It was really about people that God was so concerned. God was teaching Peter that he would no longer make a distinction between "clean" and "unclean" neither in animals, nor in people. His plan of salvation wasn't just for the Jews. It was for the Gentiles (that is, non-Jews) too. It was for Gentiles like Cornelius a man God would send Peter to visit to share the Gospel with that Peter might learn that God shows no favoritism.

After Peter saw his vision from God he did go to visit Cornelius. And when he arrived the next day he preached to him:

 

34 Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

 

Some families just put the "fun" in dysfunctional. The Biblical Patriarchs did just that, usually by showing favoritism. After Abraham had his favorite son, Isaac, then Ishmael, "the son of the slave woman," and his mother were sent off into the wilderness to live in the desert. (Genesis 21:9ff) Abraham's favorite son, Isaac, in turn played favorites with his sons, loving manly man Esau more than Jacob who preferred to stay at home with mom than to go hunting with dad. Rebecca didn't help the situation by openly loving Jacob more than Esau. Jacob in turn played favorites with his sons, making it painfully obvious to ten of his sons that Jacob and Benjamin, the sons of Rachel were loved by him far more than the children of Leah or of the slaves, arousing such jealousy that Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers after narrowly escaping murder. When the Patriarchs played favorites, it never ended well. Favoritism never does.

That was a lesson Peter was just starting to get. He was still growing in his faith and in his understanding. He now knew what the Old Testament prophecies meant, that they were pointing to Jesus all along. He knew that Jesus wasn't a Savior from the Romans or from poverty, sickness, or unhappiness, but a Savior from sin. But he had another lesson to learn on the roof of a house in Joppa. He would not learn that Jesus was the Savior from sin not just for a few, but for all.

Cornelius wasn't a Jew. He was a Roman. He wasn't one of God's chosen people. Jesus was for the Jews! Salvation wasn't for Romans! But now God was choosing Cornelius, a Gentile (a non-Jew), a Roman! And to drive the point home, he gave Peter this vision of a bacon filled bed sheet. And Peter was getting it.

"Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right."

Do you realize that too? That God does not show favoritism? Of course, you do, right? You know that God's grace is for everyone! And you never show favoritism either, do you? Do you?

The truth is, it's easy for us to feel like Peter did when he first visited Cornelius. It's easy for us to look at others and think they're just not the kind of people who belong in our church. Maybe they're a different race. Or maybe they've committed some terrible sin and their bad reputation doesn't belong in our church. Maybe they didn't grow up in the Wisconsin Synod and just don't understand our culture. It's easy to look down on others and think that we're better.

Of course, we'd never say that. We know that God loves all people. But does your human life ever give a different answer than your godly mouth? Do you ever play favorites? If we're honest we do. Maybe not with blatant racism, but if we really believed that, "Jesus Christ… is Lord of all," wouldn't we go after the unchurched and the dechurched, whether rich or poor, young or old, black or white, horrible sinner or apparent saint, no matter who they are, we'd go after them with all of our might, doing whatever it took to get the message of Jesus to them. If really loved God half as much as we profess, we'd love the people that he loves—everyone!—and we'd act like it. But we don't.

And for not doing all we can to share the Gospel with everyone, for having so much potential to do so many great things for the kingdom, but saying, "Nah, I'm not interested. I'm too busy working toward my goals to worry about God's goals," we deserve to be God's least favorite. For thinking and acting as if some people were unworthy of God's love while we deserve it, we become just as unworthy as they are.

The earliest Roman coins depicted Roman goddess, Justicia, with a sword in one hand (ready to punish the guilty) and balance scales in the other hand (to weigh the evidence to determine who was innocent and guilty). But since the 16th century Justicia has had a makeover. First she got a new name. She's known as Lady Justice today. But she also got a new accessory: a blindfold. This, of course, signifies that Justice is blind (or, at least, it should be). Justice ought to be impartial to one's race or class, how much money or power one has. Justice ought to be based on just guilt or innocence.

But if God were to treat us as like Lady Justice—completely impartial—how would we fare? God is impartial. He shows no favoritism. That means that your heritage and ancestry, your synodical affiliation, your money or position have nothing to do with how he judges you. And God isn't blindfolded. He sees right through you. One sin damns to hell and he sees them all. You and I are guilty. And there is no appeals process. There is no early release. There is no mistrial. His judgments are always right. And this is true for adult and child for male and female, for rich and poor, for powerful and powerless. For "God does not show favoritism…"

And if that were the end of God's Word to us, how terrible it would be. But "You know…" Peter told Cornelius. "You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him."

And you know too. You know who Jesus is. When God anointed him with the Holy Spirit at his Baptism, he was revealed as the Son of God. He was revealed as the sinless Son of God whom God loved, who pleased God in every way by his perfect obedience.

And you know what he's done. Peter went on in verses 39 and 40: "We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen."

And you know why he did it! Peter said in verse 43: "All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

And you know who he did it for: God… accepts men from every nation… Jesus Christ… is Lord of all. [And] everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

Even though Jesus pleased God in every way and had every right to be God's favorite, he gave up that status for you and me. He became the black sheep by taking our sin on himself that we might be forgiven. "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

It's not just in his justice, but in his grace that, "God does not show favoritism…" Literally the Greek says, "God does not receive a face." We might say, "God doesn't judge a book by its cover." He doesn't judge by outward appearance, but by the heart, that is, by faith.

And by your Baptism, God has connected you to his Son and all he's done for you. He's given you faith in him. Now you are God's favorite. And so are you. And you and you. We are all God's favorites through faith in Jesus. No matter what we look like, how we act, who we are, what we've done.

And now that we fear God (that is, we have faith), we do what's right (that is, we produce fruits of that faith). We live to thank God! And we thank him by showing no favoritism. We give up racism, but even more we don't judge a book by its cover. The kid who's always getting into trouble? Don't write him off as lost. The girl who hasn't exactly remained pure? Don't treat her with contempt. The man who's rejected your every attempt to talk about Jesus? He's not in hell yet! Keep trying! They are all sinners in need of a Savior. Just like you. God shows no favorites and neither do we.

And moved by his grace we move out of our comfort zone to talk about Jesus with everyone. Share your faith at work, invite a friend over to your house, serve more at church, give more of your money.

Your efforts here at Grace and your offerings given here help spread the gospel around the world. Did you know that our webcast has been viewed in all 50 states and in 8 or 9 different countries? Did you know that a percentage of your offerings go to our synod at large to support the work of missionaries around the world. We literally total the offerings each month and send a straight percentage of what's received. This is how you help share the Gospel with all.

In a Peanuts cartoon Lucy once demanded that Linus change TV channels, threatening him with her fist if he didn't. "What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?" asks Linus. "These five fingers," says Lucy. "Individually they're nothing but when I curl them together like this into a single unit, they form a weapon that is terrible to behold." "Which channel do you want?" asks Linus. Turning away, he looks at his fingers and says, "Why can't you guys get organized like that?"

God's will is that we be organized like that, that we stop playing favorites with each other and with those who need to hear about Jesus. And when we come together like this and work together as a single unit in the Church that God has brought us together in, we form a weapon of truth and power that is terrible for the devil to behold. We become a force of power that can't be stopped as we show Jesus' love to all people, as we powerfully advance with the Gospel of Jesus, the "Lord of all," so that, "everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." In his name, dear friends, amen. 


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

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

Read sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Sermons
Listen to sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Podcast
Watch services online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Webcast
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Thursday, January 9, 2014

Christians Glow in the Dark (A sermon based on Isaiah 60:1-6)

It's dark in Alaska right now. And though the days are getting longer, we still have a lot more darkness. It's also dark in this world with sin, guilt, depression and shame. But we have the Light of the World that shines in the darkness! And as we soak up the rays of the Son, we can't help but reflect the light and glow in this dark world ourselves. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Isaiah 60:1-6 and be encouraged to glow in the dark...

Christians Glow in the Dark

A sermon based on Isaiah 60:1-6

Sunday, January 5, 2014

 

I don't know if you've been to the new Jumpin' Junction yet, but the mini-golf is pretty cool. I took the boys and a friend to golf on Thursday and the boys wore their shirts with neon colors because they knew about the black lights. They thought it was pretty cool how they glowed in the dark. (Okay, so did I.) In fact, a while ago I bought a black light for a couple of bucks at eBay and some glow in the dark stars and some sticky tack at Walmart for a few dollars more. I stuck them to the ceiling in the boys' room, turned the lights off and the black light on. I know I'm supposed to be all grown up, but I don't care: glow in the dark is still cool. Even if you're not a kid, the glow sticks, the glow-in-the-dark stars, the lightning bugs we used to catch in jars, the fireworks I know some of you set off on New Year's Eve—there's still something neat about the sharp contrast: the brilliant light shining in the darkness.

And we're not alone. God thinks it's pretty cool too. Let's face it, darkness surrounds us. And not just the darkness of no light, the darkness of waning morals, of increased wickedness, of people lost in the darkness of depression and despair, mourning in the darkness of death. But… a light has dawned! A beautiful, brilliant light! Jesus shines in this dark world. And we bask in that light soaking in the peace that comes through him. But like the moon reflects the sun, we too reflect the light that the Son of God radiates. We shine in the dark. And the more time we spend with Jesus, the brighter we shine in this dark world. And God thinks it's pretty cool. After all he made us Christians to glow in the dark.

Listen now to Isaiah's prophecy of the Light shining in a dark place and the radiant people he makes, recorded for us in Isaiah 60:1-6…

 

"Arise, shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. 3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. 4 "Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the arm. 5 Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come. 6 Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the Lord.


I.              We Soak Up the Son

 

The good news is that the days are getting longer. The bad news is that we're still in for some darkness. What a fitting time to talk about darkness and light. And of course, you know that darkness has been a picture for sin, danger, death, and ignorance for a long, long time. All of us were born in such darkness that the Bible describes us as being born blind. Now that's dark. Darkened to any thoughts of serving God, we lived to serve ourselves. Just as the color black absorbs all the colors of the rainbow reflecting nothing back, we were entirely self-absorbed, giving only to those who might do something for us in return or at least make us feel good about ourselves, which, let's face it, is still selfish. As such selfish sinners, who gave no thought to pleasing God, we were doomed to spend an eternity in the darkness of hell. And we were in such darkness we couldn't find a way out, in fact we were so blind, we were ignorant to our own problem.

But that's how we were…

Now, the light has dawned!  

Your light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.

More than just a lighthouse, a beacon of hope in the dark night, the Lord has become more of a search light. When you were lost in the darkness of sin, doomed to the darkness of a grave, damned to eternal darkness in hell, he sought you out. Like the search and rescue team, he spotted you in the dark, shone his light on you and rescued you.

Christ is that brilliant light that Isaiah describes as "the glory of the Lord." He shined in this dark world as a sinless person—talking about brilliant student! He never got an answer wrong on God's test of morals! He shined to the Gentiles (that is, non Jews) as the Savior of all mankind, not just a few in one chosen race. He shined to the ends of the earth. That's what we celebrate on Epiphany: That Jesus is not just Savior of the Jews, but our Savior, just as we was to the Greeks in Paul's day or to the foreign Magi "from afar" of his infant days. Through your baptism, through the Word, Christ has done for you what said in 2 Corinthians 4:6: "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."

You are forgiven by his sinless death in your place. You are prefect by his perfect life—his perfect score credited to you. You are saved by the Light of the World and by the Holy Spirit enlightening you to these truths.

So rejoice in the glory of the Lord! Be at peace! You're not in the dark anymore. There's nothing like a bright sunny day to drive away the darkness of depression. But bet your hearts be in awe of what God has done for you! You're safe in the Light. You're safe eternally. And bask in that Light every chance you get. Soak up the Son as you read more about him in the Word. And let his peace drive away the darkness of sin, of despair, of living to serve yourself.

And just as you spend more time outdoors in the sun and your skin starts to tan and you look different, so too, the more time you spend basking in the glory of the Son of God, the more you'll look different. You'll look more and more like him. Christians don't just soak up the Son, they reflect the Light. Christians glow in the dark…


II.            We Reflect the Son

 

"Rise and shine" wasn't my favorite phrase growing up. It still isn't. I'm a night owl and would love nothing more than to just pull the covers up over my head and go back to bed some mornings. But this morning, God calls to all of us, "Rise and shine!" Well, okay, technically it's, "Arise, shine!" but it means the same thing. He says that after your light (Jesus) and the glory of the Lord shine on you, then in turn, "Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. "Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you… Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy…" In other words, he calls us to "Rise and shine" and reflect the light we've absorbed in Jesus.

Just as the moon has no light of its own, but reflects the son, so too we simply reflect the glory of Jesus. Just as a glow-in-the-dark star captures the light of the lamp or the black light and reflects it, we reflect the love of Jesus. We rise and shine with the radiance he gives. We don't have to snap back with an ever better insult after we receive one. We see Jesus' patience even in the face of insults. And we reflect it. We don't have to spend our dollars just on ourselves, but see Jesus' generosity to us. And we reflect it. We don't have to strive for power, control, or fame. We see Jesus' humble service to others caring about the opinion of one person—God the Father. And we reflect it.

And even though I didn't like to hear my mom say, "Rise and shine!" and I still don't like to hear my wife say, "Rise and shine!" as Christians we all love to hear God say, "Rise and shine!" We love to serve our God in thanks. The moon can't help it. It reflect the sun. It doesn't have a choice. The glow-in-the-dark stars can't help it. They give off the light they've received. They don't have a choice. And we can't help it. We reflect the glory of Jesus and mirror him in how we live, in how we love, and in how we behave toward others.

Not feeling that way? Feeling like you can help it? Then spend more time in the Light. The more light a glow-in-the-dark star gets, the brighter it shines in the dark. But it doesn't glow very bright if it hasn't been in the light in a while. So bask in the light of the Son again. Absorb his mercy, his grace, his peace. And then you will reflect it. You will, "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16) You will, "become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe." (Philippians 2:15)

Then, when you've basked in the Son, you will forgive just as you've been forgiven. You will give generously just as he has given so generously to you. You will love just as you've been loved. You will serve others just as you have been served.

Yes, it's still a dark world. Not just because we have so little light. But because of so much sin, hatred, violence, and ignorance. And that darkness isn't going away until the end of the world. But we have the Light that makes us no longer afraid of the dark. We have Jesus. Our sins are forgiven and we're at peace. And now, we have opportunity to share that Light with others. Reflect the light of the son. And we will. Christians, glow in the dark, in Jesus' name, amen.


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

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

Read sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Sermons
Listen to sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Podcast
Watch services online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Webcast
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Wednesday, January 8, 2014

In the Presence of God (A sermon based on Exodus 33:12-23)

As we look back on 2013 we rejoice that we've seen the glory of the Lord! As we look ahead to 2014, we rejoice that his presence will go with us. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Exodus 33:12-23 and be encouraged that we always were and always will be in the presence of our gracious God... 

In the Presence of God

A sermon based on Exodus 33:12-23

Tuesday, December 31, 2013 — New Year's Eve

 

"Be careful what you wish for. It just might come true." There's a lot of truth in that expression. I wish I could lose a few pounds. And maybe God will grant that at the expense of hard work on my part. Or maybe an extended hospital stay will help me lose weight. I wish I had a few more dollars. And that may come by me spending less and saving more. Or a life insurance policy of one I love might give me the cash I wanted. 

"Be careful what you wish for. It just might come true."

That's sound advice you or I might have given to Moses. Moses was frustrated with the job God had given to him. He was frustrated with the rebellious people who made an idol of a golden calf while he was up the mountain. He was frustrated that God had told him, "Forget it. I'm not going with you anymore. I'll send an angel, but my presence will not go with you." And Moses prayed a bold prayer to God, "Go with us or I won't go."

But then Moses took it a whole step further. It almost seemed like he was pushing his luck. When God graciously granted his request, he said, "Now show me your glory." And we may want to cry out, "No! Moses! Be careful what you wish for. It just might come true."

And it did! Moses got to see what few others have ever seen: He saw God. Well, sort of. He saw his back. But he saw God and lived! What grace God showed to Moses to grant his requests! 

And what grace he's given us! As we look back over 2013, we see clearly how God has gone with us, his presence with us every step of the way. We have seen his glory! And as we look forward to 2014, we know that his presence will go with us. He will continue to give us rest.

Our text for this evening is from Exodus 33:12-23…

 

12 Moses said to the Lord, "You have been telling me, 'Lead these people,' but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, 'I know you by name and you have found favor with me.' 13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people."

14 The Lord replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest"

15 Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?"

17 And the Lord said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name."

18 Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory."

19 And the Lord said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live."

21 Then the Lord said, "There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen." 

 

I.      A Look Back

 

I don't think I would have done it. I wouldn't have asked—no, demanded—of God, "Now show me your glory." Why not? Because I've seen Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. I've seen the Hollywood special effects of what happens when a sinner is in the presence of God and think that they weren't that far off. Indy even alluded to Exodus 33 when he gave the warning not to look when they opened the ark, because no one can look on the face of God and live.

You see, the problem with looking on the face of God is that God looks back. Would you want to look eye to eye at God with God peering into your soul? The Israelites had just been worshipping a golden calf, but Moses wasn't without sin himself. And when God told Moses to move the tent of meeting away from the Israelites so he wouldn't have to be so close to those rebellious sinners, Moses surely knew that he was a rebellious sinner himself. 

Sometimes I think we want God to stay up there where he is and we'll stay down here where we are because we've spent plenty of time trying to avoid God and not get too close. "You go over there, God, while I do some more sinning." And if God should get to close we often cry out like Peter did: "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" (Luke 5:8) We know that we have sinned against God. And we know that all who have sinned fall short of the Glory of God. (Romans 6:23) So demand that God show you his glory?! Well… "Be careful what you wish for…"

And yet, Moses did get to see God's glory! And his face didn't melt away like the Nazis chasing Indiana Jones! He saw God and lived! How? Because he found favor with God. But how could that be? How could a sinner find favor with God? Remember when we encountered that phrase last week? The angel told Mary that she had found favor with God. Remember what the Greek word really meant? Charis means grace. Mary found grace with God. Likewise, here in Exodus 33 it literally says that Moses found hesed with God. Hesed is the Hebrew word for… you guessed it: grace. Moses found favor with God not because of anything he did, but because of God's grace. And so, when he looked back he saw God's back and lived.

And you and I aren't that different from Mary and Moses. Sure you may not have been visited by an angel or seen God's back. But you too have found favor with God. He knows you by name. And he's shown you his glory! Look back over 2013. You've seen the way that God has cared for you, not just in giving you food and clothing, shelter and safety, health and friends. But so much greater than the physical blessings, you've seen God's glory! Not in a cleft in a rock, but in the Word. What John wrote in John 1:14 is true of us: "We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." We have seen God's glory in his Son, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified, dead and buried. We have seen God's glory in the empty tomb and the promise of sins forgiven. We have seen God's glory, not on a mountain top, but here, at the communion rail where we are in God's presence again tonight. And so we have found favor with God as the angels announced to the shepherds: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." (Luke 2:14)

And so you may have still struggled financially in 2013, you may still have problems in your marriage or with the kids. And you maybe still haven't lost the pounds you resolved to lose a year ago or gotten more organized. But… you still have God's grace, his forgiveness, his rest. A look back leads us to rejoice! We've seen God's glory and we live! Give thanks to him! And in thanks to him, look forward with new resolve to make 2014 a year of spiritual growth. 

 

II.    A Look Ahead

 

The little boy was struggling to tie his shoes. He was growing in his independence and assured dad that he could do it by "hisself." But his little fingers couldn't get the laces to move where he wanted them to and in frustration he finally admitted, "I can't do it by myself. I need help, daddy!"

Well, Moses was smart enough to not even try to do it by "hisself." He knew the Canaanites were too powerful, his resources were too limited, the Israelites were too whiny. "I can't do it by myself," he told God, "I need help, daddy!"

"If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?"

In other words, "Just an angel won't do. We need you, God. And if you won't go with us, we won't go." And God granted it! "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest… I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name."

What will 2014 bring? We tend to think "more of the same." Until something happens. A loved one dies. A job is lost. A diagnosis is made. And some of that or all of that may happen in 2014. I don't know. But I do know this: We can't do it by ourselves. We need help, daddy! And he gives it. We don't go into the unknown future alone. God's presence will go with us. Because he is pleased with us (through Christ) and he knows us by name, because he knows the very number of hairs on our heads, because he loves us enough to live and die for us, God's presence brings us comfort, not fear. He is still Immanuel, God with us, and will be in the New Year. 

And God gives us rest—not just Promised Land comfort or mere physical blessings, but true Sabbath rest, rest from sin, from guilt, from fear. So rest in the knowledge that your sins are forgiven. When you're scared to look God in the eye, he reaches out and lifts up your chin. He looks you in the face and says, "It's okay. We're okay. We're more than okay." And in that rest, get excited for 2014 and a new year of God's grace, in God's presence with the certainty that he will go with us! 

And resolve to make 2014 a year of spiritual growth.

You know, Moses saw God in a burning bush. Moses did miracles by God's power. He witnessed the ten plagues. He crossed the Red Sea. And still he asks "Show me your glory, God!" Really?! What more could you ask for? But he did ask for more. Because he wasn't satisfied with what he'd seen. He always wanted more, more of God, more of his glory, more of his promises. That's a godly dissatisfaction. 

And I hope and pray that God give that dissatisfaction to each of us that we're not content with what we've seen, but want more! Pray as Moses did: "God I want to see more of your glory." And know that he offers it to you in the Word! Grow in your faith in 2014! Resolve to be in worship or Bible class more! Resolve to read the Bible on your own, to work through a book or two! Resolve to improve your devotional life. Resolve to see more of God's glory!

"Be careful what you wish for. It just might come true." But don't be careful about wishing… make that praying… for God to be with you, to see more of his glory. And know that by his grace it will come true. He promises it: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9) "God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?'" (Hebrews 13:5-6) And as you continue to look back and see how God has revealed his glory to you, you can also look forward in the New Year confident that his presence will go with you. In Jesus' name, dear friends, amen.


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther


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

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