What’s in a Name? - A Review of the 2nd Commandment (A sermon based on Exodus 34:5-7)

Do you like your name? Do you like your reputation? If your reputation risks being unfairly ruined I bet you speak up to defend your name. Your name is important to you and it should be. Well, so is God's name important to him. When we misuse it and abuse it even by neglect, he is rightly upset with us who call ourselves Christians and represent his name. Thank God that we know the name of Jesus and all that he's done for us. Through him our sins are forgiven and we're given a new name in him. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Exodus 34:5-7 and be encouraged to bring glory to God's name!

What's in a Name?

A Review of the 2^nd Commandment

A sermon based on Exodus 34:5-7

Sunday, June 29, 2014 – Pentecost 3A

 

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." So wrote William Shakespeare in his classic Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2). But I want to challenge that poetic sentiment this morning. Is a name really worthless?

Parents choose the name of their children carefully since it's a decision that will last a lifetime. Is the name modern or old fashioned? Common or unique? What perceptions will people have of my child when they hear this name? Will they have a hard time spelling it? Or maybe pronouncing it? What does the name mean?

But really, who cares, right? What's the difference? What is in a name? Your name doesn't change who you are. It doesn't define who you are. Well, no, it doesn't change you, but it does say who you are. It doesn't define you, but it does identify you. Your name is important and you want others to know it. And so, when it's mispronounced, you correct it. When it's misused you defend it. Your name is important. 

And so is God's name. His names say who he is. We looked at some of those names in Bible Class last week. They identify him. They describe him. And his name is important to him. He wants us to know it. And when it's misused and mistreated he says there is hell to pay—literally. That's why he gave the 2nd Commandment to Moses. That's why he revealed his name to him and to us. Here's what God said about his name in Exodus 34:5-7…

 

⁵ Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. ⁶ And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, ⁷ maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation."

 

What's in a name? Everything! What comes to mind when I say the name Michael Jordan? Maybe you know one of the thirty Michael Jordans who live in Alaska. (Check it out online later. There really are thirty. After all, the name Michael Jordan is fairly common). But most likely, when I said, "Michael Jordan," you thought of one Michael Jordan in particular, didn't you? You see the name Michael Jordan isn't just a name is it? The name Michael Jordan includes everything you know about the man. It means Nike deals and Looney Toons movies, short lived baseball and golf careers, Hanes underwear commercials and of course, basketball as he was one of the greatest basketball players to have ever played the game.

And the same is true of any name. George Bush, Sarah Palin, Muhammad Ali, Aaron Rogers, Frank Sinatra, Tom Cruise, Barbara Walters, Rob Guenther… Each of these names, when spoken, evokes an image in your mind—a set of characteristics and accomplishments. It evokes emotions and feelings you have toward that person. And so, a name is more than just a title—it carries with it everything you know and believe and feel about someone. What's in a name? In short, it's the handle for someone's entire reputation.

And the same is true of God's name. Yahweh, Adonay, Elohim, El Shaddai, Baal, Melek… these are some of the many names of God. And they all define who he is. God gave a summary of all that his name contains to Moses on Mt. Sinai: "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, ⁷ maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation."

So how do we misuse these names? Well, how many hammers do you think are in hell? Sounds like a goofy question, but how often doesn't someone call upon God's name to damn a hammer, asking him to send it to hell, when they slip and that hammer connects with their thumb? How many times haven't you heard someone "swear to God" over some trivial thing? How often do you see the letters "OMG" texted as an abbreviation for "Oh, My God!" calling on him to witness the latest celebrity scandal?

You know, maybe you're thinking right now, "You know. I think I've got this 2^nd Commandment down pretty well. I keep a pretty tight reign on my tongue. I don't use God's name to curse or swear. I certainly don't practice witchcraft. But the truth is that we break this command not only in what we day or don't say, not only in what we do, but also in what we don't do. How's your prayer life? How often do you pause in your day to thank God for abounding in love and faithfulness to you? Do you regularly use his name to praise him, not just on Sunday, but every day?

And it gets worse. At our baptism each of us was given a new name last name: Godson. That is, through our baptisms we each became a child of God. We were brought into his family. And just like kids reflect their parents and carry their name, we are God's representatives, his ambassadors. We carry his name.

An ambassador visited another country but he didn't take his job very seriously. Instead of carrying the message he was given, he pretended to be a tourist so he could go sightseeing. In the evenings he would party with the locals, getting drunk every night. And when called upon to deliver the message he was to carry, he made up his own messages, ignoring the country that he represented. What a horrible ambassador, right?

How well do you carry God's name? What impression of him do they get when they watch you as his ambassador? Do they even know you are his ambassador? Or do you misuse his name by failing to mention it at all?!

When we carry the label "Christian" and openly sin, we misuse God's name. When we misrepresent who God is by the words that come out of our mouths, we misuse God's name. When we hide the fact that we are his representatives we misuse God's name. And for such sins, we deserve to be stripped of that title. We deserve to have God remove his name from us and say, "You are no longer my children! You who call yourself Christian are not! You're not in my family any more!" And we deserve to be sent to hell where we forever curse our own names for failing to honor his. There is hell to pay for misusing God's name. "He does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation."

But thanks to Jesus, who took that misuse of God's name away from us, we will never experience that hell. Do you know what the name Jesus means? It's Yeshua (or Joshua) in Hebrew, and it simply means "the Lord saves." My parents named me Robert, which means "Bright Fame," not because they hoped or thought I would be famous, but because they thought it gave me a lot of options if I didn't like it. I could go by Robert, Rob, Robby, Bob, Bobby, or even just by my initials: R.J. That's the only significance of my name. But Jesus' name is full of significance. "The Lord saves." The Lord saves indeed!

Jesus always kept God's name holy. He often withdrew to a solitary place that he might have time to pray to God. He called upon God in trouble, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39). He praised God's name and every time he broke bread we're told that he "gave thanks." But he gave his perfection in keeping this and every commandment to us. Then Jesus took our name—damned sinner!—on himself when God poured out all his wrath—hell itself—against your sin. And suffering in your place, he's removed your guilt in breaking the second and every commandment.

So this is God's name, his reputation, through Jesus: "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, ⁷ maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin…" And so you and I are sinless in God's sight. When he sees you and me he sees perfect ambassadors who have always represented God's name perfectly, who have never uttered a lie in his name, have never cursed or sworn, or used his name or our Christianity flippantly. He sees perfect saints who have perfectly represented him all the time. And we are called by his name.

In Biblical times a person's last name was "son of" followed by the name of his Father: Joshua, son of Nun, David, son of Jesse, Simon, son of Jonah, James son of Zebedee, and so on. You and I have our Father's name placed on us: I'm not just Rob, son of Doug. But now I am also Rob, son of God. And your last name is Godson too! You are a son (or daughter) of God.

And having his name—"The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, ⁷ maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin,"—placed on us, we long to honor that name! We want to show how proud and grateful we are to be Godsons. We call upon him in the day of trouble, confident that he will deliver us. (Psalm 50:15) We want to honor him and praise him, not just in worship, not just in what we say, but in all we do. We want to live our lives in such a way that all who know us know that we are Christians and want to know more about that name we bear. We want to give him thanks and praise in all we do and honor his name by sharing it with others.

What is in a name, dear Christian? Everything! God's name is holy and worthy of respect and honor. And because of the name of Jesus—the Lord saves—his name is now placed on you! Now go and honor that name and be as holy as you're named to be! In Jesus' name, dear friends. Amen.

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

www.GraceLutheranKenai.com

pastorguenther@gmail.com
(907) 690-1660

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

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No Other Gods No Matter What! - A Review of the First Commandment (A sermon based on select verses of Daniel 3)

Would you bow down to an idol to save your life? Sadly, we sell out daily for a much smaller price. For my comfort, I'll serve my own entertainment rather than Jesus. For my bank account, I'll serve my wants instead of giving generously to him. For my sinful desires, I make myself my god by putting my will ahead of his. Thank God for Jesus, who always kept the 1st and every commandment in our place, who took our sin on himself, and who set us free from the curse of the law. Now we are free to live lives of thanks as we put God first and have no other gods no matter what. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Daniel 3 as we begin our review of the 10 Commandments...

No Other Gods No Matter What!

A Review of the First Commandment

A sermon based on Daniel 3 (select verses)

Sunday, June 22, 2014 – Pentecost 2A

 

The young man was sitting on his bed, deep in prayer, asking God to give him the strength he'd need at this time of crisis. Suddenly the door was kicked in with a crash! Half a dozen enemy troops barged in and roughly seized him. "This was a bit excessive," he thought, as he willingly offered his wrists to be shackled. They were too tight and cut him as one of the men pulled the chain hard bringing him to his knees. A second man screamed in his face in a foreign language he didn't understand as the young man got up and followed them out of the room.

The next couple of months were rough as he, still chained to his captors, was forced to march on foot the thousands of miles from his home to the land where the enemy dwelled. He didn't know what they had in store for him, but he continued to quietly pray to God as the slow and steady march through the desert went on and on. But when they finally arrived months later, things started to look up.

The young man was hand-picked to serve in the foreign king's palace. Instead of laboring as a slave, he was served his food each day by slaves. Instead of being sent to the fields or the mines, he was sent to school—where he even met others like him from his home town and they quickly became friends. There in the school they studied the language and the literature of that land. And three years later, upon graduation, he and three friends entered the service of the king. "God surely was with him," he thought. "He did answer prayer." Though perhaps not how he would have wanted it answered, he was blessed nonetheless. But then, just when things seemed like they'd be okay in this foreign land, things took a turn for the worse.

Hannaniah, Mishael, and Azarah, more commonly known by their new Babylonian names, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, perhaps in their mid-twenties at most, were faced with the most difficult decision of their lives. Their boss, King Nebuchadnezzar, had built a golden idol ninety feet tall and he was ready to dedicate it. He passed a royal law that any who would not bow down and worship the idol when the signal was sounded, must be thrown into a blazing furnace to burn alive. Talk about pressure!

This was the choice the young men were faced with: Deny the true and only God who brought them safely to this land, who promised their safe return home, who promised them forgiveness of sins and eternal life in glory, or burn alive and die a painful death in taking a stand. What would they do?

Well, you know the story. It may have been easy to rationalize, arguing, "We're not being asked to believe in this so-called god or really worship it. Just one quick act of devotion to the king. Besides, God will understand. We can do more for these people as their governors, than if we're crispy fried."

But to them, there was only one course of action: They must obey God rather than men, no matter how powerful or dangerous. When the other leaders complained to the king, though he was filled with rage at their defiance, he graciously gave them a second chance.

It's one thing to break the rules when the boss isn't watching, but quite another to openly defy him to his face. Yet, here's how they responded…

 

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. ¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up… "

 

What courage! The three young Hebrews expressed their faith that God could rescue them. But even if he wouldn't, they realized that their goal in life was not to stay alive, but to bring glory to God. They did fear, love, and trust in God above all things. They feared doing anything that would disappoint or dishonor him. They loved him enough to give their lives—if that's what it took—to bring honor to him. They trusted that he could deliver them and would, if it was his will. But they weren't promised or guaranteed any miracles. Their faithfulness to God wasn't dependent upon a happy ending. They would have no other gods, no matter what, even if the consequences meant burning alive.

And that's exactly what Nebuchanezzar had in mind. Nebuchadnezzar was furious! Not only did they defy him, but now they publicly humiliated him in front of all his subjects at his party. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and gave the command to throw them in.

 

²² The furnace [was] so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, ²³ and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. ²⁴ Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?" They replied, "Certainly, O king." ²⁵ He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods…" ²⁸ Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.

 

What a miracle! Not only were they rescued, they weren't even touched by the fire! Their bodies were fine. Their clothes perfect. They didn't even smell like smoke. God had sent an angel, one "like a son of the gods," to protect and cover, to rescue and deliver, his faithful from the flames.

 

And what an impact this miracle made! This would be an event Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Nebuchadnezzar, and all the officials would talk about the rest of their lives. It was a clear witness to all who the true God was, not Nebuchadnezzar, not some golden statue, but the Lord, Jehovah, the God of free and faithful love. And Nebuchadnezzar ended his reign, and possibly his life, with this confession: "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just." (Daniel 4:37)

What a blessed result of the courage and conviction of these three young men, who feared, loved, and trusted in God above all things, and had no other gods, no matter what.

 

But how about you? What if you were presented with the option: Deny the God who loves and preserves you, bow down and worship an idol or be thrown into a furnace to die a painful, horrible death. Which would you choose? I like to think that given such a challenge, I'd choose the painful, horrible death. And I like to think that so would each of you.

But the problem is, satan isn't so obvious. I don't think any of your bosses has ever told you, "Bow down to the company logo or I'll send security to kill you." Though it's more likely and possible I doubt they've even said, "Make the company your number one priority in life or you will be fired." But in a much more subtle way, we are all faced with the option of which god we choose to serve.

The checkbook says to you, "Make entertainment and leisure your god, they will provide you the things you want. Don't honor the true God with your offering check. What's he done for you lately?" The TV cries out, "Bow down to me! Spend time with me instead of with your Bible! I'll give you relaxation and escape from your troubles! Make me your god!" The savings account and the 401k cry out, "Put your trust in me. With me by your side you know everything will be okay." Or "You need me. Without me you won't be okay!"

And when you're in trouble, where do you turn for help? Do you turn to the internet and your own resourcefulness? Do you call mom and dad? Do you rely on the savings you have tucked away for a rainy day? In and of themselves, these aren't bad. But satan loves to take what is good and make it our god. When we turn to any of these before we turn to God, we make an idol of them.

Martin Luther explained the first commandment in this way: "If… your heart clings to anything else from which it expects more good and help than from God, and if your heart does not take refuge in Him but flees from Him when in trouble, then you have an idol, another god." You see, then, that each of us has broken this first commandment time and time again. In fact, any time we sin, we break this commandment. As we put our needs and wants above God's will, we make ourselves our own gods instead of fearing, loving, and trusting in him above all things.

And for such rebellion against the King of Heaven, the only true God, we deserve to be thrown into a furnace far hotter than the one into which the three young Hebrews were cast. We deserve an eternity of hell—where we endure not just the physical pain of scorching flames, but the nagging torment of guilt and regret forever and ever.

But thanks be to God! He's sent his Angel to rescue us—the Angel of the Lord, the Son of God—to rescue and deliver us from that hell. He not only joined us in the furnace, but took our place. On the cross he endured the furnace of hell to pay for every single time we've trusted in someone or something else more than we trusted him. He took our cowardice and rebellion—in denying the one true God to save our own skins, or our jobs, or our reputations—on himself and took it away from us. He took our place in live and perfectly feared, loved, and trusted in God above all things! And having perfectly kept the first commandment in our place, he gave that perfection to us.

Now you and I are saved from hell. Our bodies will not be harmed by it, not a hair of our heads will be singed, our clothes will not be scorched, and our souls will be safe. And because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross, we know without a doubt that we can fear, love, and trust in God above all things!

We don't need any other god because no other god could ever provide what he has! Our money can't buy protection from satan! Our friends and family and the best doctors can't save us from death! Our own hard work or our intelligence can't ever get us out of hell! But Jesus can! Jesus has! So we can and will fear, love, and trust in him above all else and have no other gods, no matter what, even if it means dying some slow, painful death for it!

And finally, when we do, dear friends, what an impact it will make! Others will see the bold stand you take and hear the quiet confidence you express. And they, like Nebuchadnezzar will cry out, "Praise be to… God… who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him… and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God." They too will cry out, "Now I… praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just." They too will know the true God and bring glory to him with you.

To God be the glory as we live our lives to honor him and have no other gods, no matter what! In Jesus name, and by the strength he gives in the gospel, dear friends, amen.

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

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

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

www.GraceLutheranKenai.com

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

Our Triune God Gives You His Best (A sermon based on 2 Corinthians 13:11-14) from Sunday, June 15, 2014

"I don't deserve this!" he exclaimed with joy as he opened the wonderful gift. We can relate. We don't deserve any blessing from God, but he gives us wonderful gifts--his very best! Our Triune God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- blesses us with so much. Each person of the Trinity gives undeserved gifts of Grace. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on 2 Corinthians 13:11-14 (or watch the entire service at www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Webcast) and rejoice in God's gracious gifts...

^ Our Triune God Gives You His Best

A sermon based on 2 Corinthians 13:11-14

Sunday, June 15, 2014 – Trinity Sunday A

 

Familiarity breeds contempt. And sadly, such familiarity often leads people to hurt those closest to them. The young man was sick and tired of all of dad's rules. He was tired of all the work dad constantly nagged him to do. Why couldn't he leave him alone? Why couldn't he just let him have some fun? He wanted to see the world, he wanted to experience life, not be chained down! So the privileged son took a large withdrawal from his father's bank account and ran away. And what a wonderful life it was! Well, at least, at first.

But before long, the money was spent and the high life was over. With no job, he couldn't sustain the lifestyle he was so accustomed to and his so-called friends left him when the party was over. Then the regret came like a flood, the guilt nagged and ate away at him and he resolved to go home.

And you know the story. (cf. Luke 15:11-24) You know what he found. The father of the prodigal son had been waiting for him. He ran to him. And before his son could finish the speech he'd rehearsed, he threw his arms around his son and commanded that a party be thrown giving his very best gifts to honor his son.

The man deserved nothing. The Father gave him everything. And you know the point of Jesus' parable too: This is exactly how God treats us.

Familiarity breeds contempt. We hear the invocation and the blessing end every service, and so, perhaps we've become so accustomed to it that we cease to marvel at it. That though we deserve no blessings from God, he eagerly throws his arms around us, he gives his very best gifts to us. He blesses us.

Our text for this morning is the conclusion of Paul's last letter to the Corinthians, including that familiar Trinitarian blessing that God gives us, recorded for us in 2 Corinthians 13:11-14…

 

 ^11 Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. ^12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. ^13 All the saints send their greetings. ^14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

 

I.              The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (14a, 11a)

 

In a minute we're going to read the Athenasian Creed together. But the last lines have been a bit confusing to some: "Those who have done good will enter eternal life, but those who have done evil will go into eternal fire." Yikes! Do those words perhaps cause a bit of alarm? After all, we haven't always done good. We have done evil. Even as Christians the good that I would I don't do, but the evil I don't want to do I keep on doing. The truth is, I do deserve hell for my sins just like that prodigal son, just like the troubled Corinthians. I deserve eternal fire. And so do you.

But we won't get it. Instead you and I will get the opposite of what we deserve: Eternal life. Why? Not because of what we've done or will do, but because of grace. What is grace? The catechism answer you've all learned is "undeserved love." Someone once made grace an acronym that stands for God's Riches At Christ's Expense.

In exchange for our selfishness, taking large withdrawals of blessings from God and using them only to serve our sinful appetites, Jesus gave us his very best—way more than a party, robe, and ring! He gives you all of God's riches at his expense. He gave you his life. He purchased and won you, from sin, death and the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with his holy precious blood and with his innocent suffering and death. Why? For no reason at all! He just loves you even though you don't deserve it. That's grace.

Now, by that gift, you are sinless and holy. God looks at you and sees no trace of evil. He sees only good works. So the verdict for you when you stand before the judgment seat of God is "Not guilty! This one's perfect and will receive eternal life."

And the only natural response we can have to such a wonderful gift is laid out in verse 11. Now, normally, I think the 1984 edition of the New International Version does a fine job of translating the Greek. But the updated version of 2011 has some big improvements on this verse. The new New International Version replaced "Good-by" with "Rejoice," which is literally what the Greek says. "Aim for perfection" has become "Strive for full restoration." And they replaced "Listen to my appeal" with "encourage one another." And that last word comes from the same root used to describe the Holy Spirit; the Paraclete, literally the one who's "called to the side." Call another to the side to give a word of encouragement.

The natural response to having the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, is to rejoice in this awesome gift that Jesus gives! To strive for full restoration with your brothers and sisters in Christ! To forgive and to seek forgiveness! To make amends and right the wrongs! To be encouraged that our sins are forgiven and to be a comfort and encouragement to one another out of thanks to God for the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

But God's undeserved gifts to us don't end there. He gives us more…

 

II.            The Love of God the Father (14b, 11c)

 

The next gift of our Triune God that Paul mentions in the closing verse of this letter is "the love of God." And again, a quick Greek review helps us understand this verse better.  You know that there are four Greek words all translated simply as "love" in the NIV? The first is eros—the love of opposites. That's the butterflies in the stomach when opposites attract. The second is philos—the love of the same, the friendship you have with your buddies who share common interests. The third is storge. That's the love of lesser—a parent for a child, a family for their dog. Now all three words are similar in the fact that this love is (to some extent or another) caused by the object of that love. The girlfriend or spouse, the friend or buddy, the child or pet, all have qualities that endear one to them. In other words, they are lovable.

But the fourth word for love is agape. Think of this word as the "there's no reason at all for this love" kind of love. It's love for a rebellious kid that tries to physically harm mom or dad. It's love for the prodigal son that robs his dad of his wealth and squanders it on wild living. It's love for the one who isn't very lovable, who abuses the love, who is loved anyway. It's the love that God has for you and for me.

He has loved you so much that when you were his enemy, he sent his Son to the cross in your place. Dads, think about it for a minute, this Father's day. Okay, moms, you too… If two kids are about to die in some horrible and excruciating way and you can save only one, which would you choose: your own child, or the one who's bullied and hurt your child and hates you with a passion? God chose the latter. And he sent his child to hell on a cross. Why? Because he loves you, as rebellious and unlovable as you are in your sin. Why does he love you? I don't know. That's agape love.

And as if that weren't enough, God now promises that he won't leave you alone in this life. Paul says, "The God of love and peace will be with you." There's no question about it. This is not some wish, but a stated fact. He will be with you. Immanuel, God With Us, will never leave you or forsake you. He will be with you always to the very end of the age. He created you and gave you all you have and promises to continue to preserve you by daily and richly providing you with things like clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, spouse and children, land (and maybe even) cattle (or at least plenty of good meat to eat), and all that you own and all that you need to keep your body and life, and so much more!

The natural response to having the love of God the Father is to rejoice in this awesome gift that God gives! To be at peace every day, confident of God's help, assured of his constant presence. And to thank God for this awesome gift by being peaceable and loving toward others, showing them an agape love, loving those who don't deserve your love, making big sacrifices for them, just as God has loved you.

And God's undeserved gifts to us don't end there. He gives us still more…

 

 

III.     The Fellowship of the Holy Spirit (14c, 12-13, 11b)

 

The last gift of our Triune God that Paul mentions in the closing verse of this letter is "the fellowship of the Holy Spirit." What a gift this was to the Corinthian congregation, so full of divisions and factions and problems! What a blessing for a church who couldn't get along and had little fellowship with one another. For their sinful pride and the petty arguments they deserved to be sent away from the Holy Spirit, not be brought into fellowship with him.

And friends, that's what we deserve too. We don't always get along with one another do we? We let our sinful pride and arrogance get the best of us in our own homes, let alone at work, or with strangers. We selfishly fight to get our way and seldom even try to get along or live in peace. And we deserve to be sent away from God.

But instead, the Holy Spirit has brought us into a special relationship with God. When we hated him and wanted to run away from God, when we wanted nothing more than to squander God's gifts on wild living, when we could not by our own thinking or choosing believe in Jesus or come to him, the Holy Spirit called us by the gospel and enlightened us with his gifts. He's made us holy and keeps us in the one true faith, and thus, in fellowship with God. And not only with him, but with one another as well!

Paul encouraged the Corinthians in verse 13, that through this fellowship of the Holy Spirit, "All the saints [all God's people] send their greetings." What joy to know they were a part of something bigger than themselves, bigger than their local congregation, a part of all the saints! And what a joy we have too since we too have fellowship with God and with each other!

And the natural response to having the fellowship of the Holy Spirit is to rejoice in this awesome gift that he gives! To "be of one mind," and to "live in peace" with one another. To "Greet one another with a holy kiss," not literally in our culture (please), but in a warm and friendly way. We show concern and love toward each other, offering a phone call or an email with a word of encouragement. We rejoice in our fellowship in Bible class and worship, and especially around the altar as we kneel side by side and confess our common faith:

 That though we deserve nothing but punishment from God for the sinful and shameful way we've run away from him and squandered his gifts, yet we receive his forgiveness by grace through what Jesus has done for us. We receive God's love, in spite of our sin. We are brought into fellowship with God through the work of the Holy Spirit.

What undeserved blessings we receive from our Triune God! The next time you hear the invocation in the name of the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, or the next time you hear that familiar Trinitarian blessing, don't just let it go in one ear and pass right out the other without giving it a thought. But take a moment to ponder it, to let it sink in, and to rejoice! For "the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit [are] with you all." Amen.

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

www.GraceLutheranKenai.com

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

Support this ministry: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Give

Create in Me a New Heart (A sermon based on Psalm 51:10-17) from Sunday, June 8, 2014

Ever been heartbroken? I hope so! I'm not saying I hope you've been dumped, but I hope you've had a broken and contrite heart as you've reflected on your sins and confessed them to God. When we do have such a broken heart, God gives us his grace and creates new hearts within us! Read (sorry, no audio was recorded) this sermon based on Psalm 51:10-17 and rejoice in the new heart God gives you!

Create in Me a New Heart

A sermon based on Psalm 51:10-17

Sunday, June 8, 2014 – Pentecost A

 

There are a lot of songs written about broken hearts aren't there? The girl leaves the guy or the guy leaves the girl. They've found someone new, a new crush, a new love, a new infatuation, but someone's heart gets broken. And it makes for a sad bestseller of a song.

King David actually wrote a number of songs about a broken heart as well. In fact, the Psalm of the Day for the day of Pentecost is just such a song. But his songs about his broken heart were a bit different than most. You see, King David's heart was wasn't broken because he was dumped by a girl or because his wife left him. No. His heart was broken because of his sin. He broke his own heart. The header to Psalm 51 gives us the setting in which David wrote it. It says: When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

You remember the story. After sleeping with Bathsheba, David tried to cover up his sin. After he unsuccessfully tried pass off Bathsheba's baby as her husband, Uriah's, he finally had the man murdered so he could take Bathsheba as his own wife. And he thought he got away with it too, until God in his love sent the prophet Nathan to call him to repentance. And it worked! David confessed his sins before God and God forgave him. Go home and reread the story in 2 Samuel 11 and 12 and David's confession in the first half of Psalm 51. 

But now in the second half of the Psalm, David described his new desire to serve God with renewed energy and zeal that came from the absolution that he had received. And God answers that prayer as well. When David came to God with his broken and contrite heart, God created a brand new heart in David—a pure heart.

And this morning as we celebrate the work of the Holy Spirit on this Day of Pentecost we see that God does the same for us. We pray with David that prayer we use so often in our liturgy and ask God to "Create in Me a New Heart." And even though our hearts are broken beyond repair, God does create new hearts within us. Listen now to the second half of Psalm 51, Psalm 51:10-17…

 

^10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. ^11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. ^12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. ^13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. ^14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. ^15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. ^16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. ^17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. ^

 

I.              Our Hearts Are Broken Beyond Repair

 

How broken David was! And through the prophet, Nathan, he finally understood it. In verses 4 and 5 of this Psalm he confessed, "Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me."

The reality of David's sin really sunk in. He knew he could never undo what he had done. He could never take it back. He could never fix it. Uriah was dead and with him, maybe even hundreds of soldiers who went to the front lines when David had the rest of the army withdraw to leave them defenseless. His own child, the son of Bathsheba, was also dead and nothing he could do could ever change those facts.

No amount of good that he would do in the future could ever make up for the sins he'd committed in the past. No matter how many orphans or widows he would help out, no matter how much of the royal treasury he donated to the poor. Not even the sacrifices that God had prescribed could remove his guilt and fix his corrupt and broken heart. David confessed, "You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings." He had sinned. He was less than perfect. Nothing could change that fact. How broken David was! And how powerless he was to do anything about it! His heart was broken beyond repair.

 

And friends, he's not the only one. We too are born broken. And the deformities we're born with aren't something that can be corrected by a simple surgery. The best surgeon in the country can't fix our hearts. They're too corrupt. They're too far gone. The waste that our hearts produce demonstrates how broken we are. Jesus said in Matthew 15:19, "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander."

He also said in Matthew 5(:21-22,27-28) " You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell," and, "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

I'm pretty certain that everyone here has at one point or another been angry with someone else when your selfish desires were denied. And so, even if we haven't killed anyone, we too are all murderers with King David. We too have had impure thoughts and so even if we haven't had sex outside of marriage, we too are sexually immoral adulterers. We haven't always worked our hardest at our jobs and so even if we haven't robbed any banks, we are thieves—stealing time and money from the company. And the list goes on and on. Out of our hearts come these evils. And by these evils we too, along with Peter's Pentecost audience have, "put [Jesus] to death by nailing him to the cross." (Acts 2:23b)

And there's nothing we can do to fix it. We are broken beyond repair. No amount of sacrifice on our part will make things right. Yet, that's what other religions and even our own broken hearts tell us. While they no longer tell us we need to sacrifice virgins to the gods, our world around us and our corrupt hearts within us suggest that if we sacrifice having a good time and have good intentions, if we do good deeds and give our money to church and to charities, these sacrifices will please God and he will be forced to love us. But these sacrifices are just as ineffective at making him happy. We remain adulterers and murderers. We remain broken beyond repair and there's nothing we can do to fix it.

As a dad of four small boys, one of my jobs at home is to be Mr. Fix-It. The electric train that quit working after it "fell" into the bathtub was brought to me, "Daddy, can you fix it?" The Spiderman toy with arms ripped off… "Daddy, can you fix it?" The Wiimote nunchuck with the cord pulled out… "Dad, can you fix it?"

But more often than not, I'm not able to fix the toy. The glue won't hold, the part is broken, the technology a bit too advanced for my feeble mechanical skills. So often the answer to "Daddy, can you fix it?" is "No, buddy. I'm sorry. Daddy can't fix it." And the once loved toy is tossed in the trash.

Similarly, you and I need far more than a tune-up. Our hearts are so badly broken that we cannot fix them. But thankfully there's one who can. When we take our broken hearts to God in prayer with King David and ask, "Daddy, can you fix it?" he does one better. He creates brand new hearts within us…

 

II.            God Creates New Hearts within Us

 

Finally, when the prophet Nathan came to David he realized he could no longer pretend he got away with his sin. The Holy Spirit working through the law the prophet proclaimed to David led him to realize how broken he was. He finally confessed, "I have sinned against the Lord." (2 Samuel 12:13). And that broken and contrite heart God would not despise. He would fix it. In fact, he would make David a new heart.

That word translated "create" in the NIV is a key word. In the Hebrew that word, barah, is used only of God's activity. It's something God initiates, something he brings into existence. When David did not have a pure heart but one that corrupted from within, God created a pure heart with him. As apostle Paul later wrote, "It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his purpose." (Philippians 2:13)

In the coming Messiah, every one of David's sins—his murder, his adultery, and all the rest—were completely forgiven. God changed him from within and declared him to be a pure, perfect and holy saint! And without any sin he was pure and holy and God, who cannot stand to be in the presence of sin, no longer had to cast David away from his presence or take his Holy Spirit from him. But God would remain in David's heart and make his home there.

And by that act the Holy Spirit transformed David's heart to one that could serve him in thanks. David couldn't help but respond. The work of the Holy Spirit, first leading him to repentance, then restoring to him the joy of God's salvation by grace from beginning to end, had its impact on him. He wrote, "Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.  Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. ^"

David no longer lived to serve himself in sin, but lived for God. He would share what God had done for him with others. He would sing of the righteousness that God had given him. He would declare the praises of him who saved him from his sin and the hell he deserved. And through the restored and renewed King David and through the words he's written the Holy Spirit still teaches transgressors the ways of God, and by these words he brings us back to him.

 

You see through these Words written by King David, spoken by me, read by you, the Holy Spirit works repentance in our hearts today leading us to realize how broken we are. Then, when we are contrite and grieving over our sin, he creates new hearts within us. Through the Gospel message in Word and in Sacrament, he proclaims to us, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ^ The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off…"

Even though no amount of sacrifice on our part can make us right with God, there is one sacrifice that can: The perfect sacrifice and perfect obedience of Jesus. Jesus never thought or said anything unkind to anyone and so he never committed a murder. Jesus never had an impure thought and so never committed adultery. Jesus never committed a single sin and gave his perfect life to us. He took all of our sin on himself that we might be pure.

The Holy Spirit has enlightened us that we understand and believe that the cross of Jesus is what it's all about. And by that faith, new hearts are created within us—hearts that are perfect and pure in every way. And God doesn't have to cast us away from his presence. Instead we're guaranteed to be in God's presence for all of eternity in the glories of heaven. What joy is ours! The joy of our salvation is restored to us again and again each time we hear that gospel message!

And like King David, we can't help but share that message. We teach other sinners the ways of God. We share the joy of salvation that's ours in Christ. The God who saves us opens our lips that our mouths declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light. We can't help but sing of the righteousness he's won for us on the cross. As Martin Luther wrote about these verses, "When we have received God's favor and righteousness through faith in Christ, we can perform no greater work than to speak about it and proclaim it."

And through such simple means, words spoken by the mouths and tongues of forgiven sinners like you and me, the Holy Spirit continues to work in the hearts of other transgressors and sinners, creating new hearts within them.

Rejoice, dear friends, that though we were once broken beyond repair, by his grace God has sent his Spirit to create new hearts within us. And let the joy of God's salvation be restored in you as you teach others God's ways and as you sing of his righteousness and declare his praises to all who will listen. Let's now sing the words of this prayer, as they're written in Hymn #272… 

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

www.GraceLutheranKenai.com

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

Open Your Eyes (A sermon based on Ephesians 1:16-22)

"I once... was blind, but now I see." God has opened our eyes to see the inheritance won for us by our crucified and risen Savior. He also opens our eyes to see the power that he gives us by our ascended Savior. May he now open our eyes to see all the opportunities we have around us to live for him and witness for him. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Ephesians 1:16-22 and open your eyes! 

Open Your Eyes

A sermon based on Ephesians 1:16-22

Sunday, June 1, 2014 – Ascension Sunday

 

He would never forget that day. He was on a road trip, about his business which was helping climb the ladder of success very quickly, when everything changed. One minute he saw everything clearly. The next, he saw nothing but darkness. He went completely blind. What terror struck his soul when he could see nothing at all!

For three long days he sat in the darkness pondering the event that made him blind. Jesus of Nazareth, the man they crucified appeared to him in a flash of blinding light that robbed him of his sight. He asked Saul, "Why do you persecute me?" (Acts 9:4) And then a prophet came to visit Saul. He spoke to him and through him God restored his sight. And Saul was baptized. And after that day, Paul could see more clearly than ever. His physical sight was restored, but far more important, the eyes of his heart were opened. He believed in Jesus. He believed in Jesus' work for him. He was what he had so recently sought to kill—a Christian.

And you know how Saul changed his name to Paul and became the great missionary to the Gentiles, helping them to see what he now saw: the great truths of Christ crucified, risen, and ascended. He helped them to see what these truths meant for them in their life and in eternity. And he helps to open our eyes still today as we read his letters to those churches.

And I wonder if he thought of that week—when he lost his sight and then had his eyes opened in every sense—when he wrote our sermon text for this morning, Ephesians 1:16-22…

 

¹⁶ I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. ¹⁷ I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. ¹⁸ I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, ²⁰ which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, ²¹ far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. ²² And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

I.              To See Your Inheritance

 

"Stick out your hand and close your eyes and I'll give you a big surprise." My wife absolutely hates it when I do that to her. I don't know why. I don't think the distrust she shows is well-deserved. I mean, not once have I ever tricked her. I've never spit in her hand, jabbed it with a pushpin, or placed a slug or worm. Never! Every time I put a surprise in her empty hand, it's a good one—usually one of her favorite candy bars. So I'm not sure why she squirms when I place that surprise in her hand and say, "Okay, open your eyes!"

But God is even more reliable and trustworthy than I. When he says, "Open your eyes and I'll give you a big surprise," it's always good. It's always great.

You see, at one point we were blind. Oh, we have been able to see physically, but we couldn't see anything spiritual, we couldn't see what God wanted for us, we couldn't see others in love. Our selfishness was like a big blindfold that kept us from seeing anything but ourselves and our desires.

Think of of it this way: Paul thanked God for his fellow believers. He thanked God for bringing them to faith, knowing they could never see or believe what God had done for them on their own. He thanked God for choosing them to be his own and for doing everything to make it happen.

Now, how about you? When was the last time you thanked God for the faith of the person sitting in the row behind you or in front of you? (Go ahead and turn around to see who it is if you want?) Have you thanked God for selecting that person to be his own? For bringing that person to faith? For making that person your fellow brother or sister in Christ?

If we're honest, we don't pray for each other nearly as often as we should. We don't pray for others instead of just ourselves very often at all. And when we do pray for others, how often is prayers of thanksgiving for all that God has given to them? Don't we more often pray for things for ourselves and let others worry about thanking God for what they have?

Why is this the case? Because at our core, sinners are self-absorbed. That's just what selfish sinners do. In fact, by nature, before God brought us to faith, that was all we could do. Our selfishness was like a blindfold. It's all we could see. We couldn't see the needs of others. We couldn't' see the love of God. We couldn't see our fate in an eternity of darkness in hell.

But that's the way we were. Now God has opened our eyes. The blindfold has been removed. The scales have fallen off.

"I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers."

For God has chosen you. He has given you faith."

"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints…"

God has opened your eyes and given you faith in him and in his Son. He has enlightened you—flooded the darkness of your heart with trust in Jesus' redemptive work—how he lived a perfect life in your place, how he died an innocent death for you, paying for the guilt of your sin, how he rose again to prove that the payment is complete! He has given you his Spirit of wisdom and revelation—and revealed these truths to you so you're wise for salvation!

Did you ever watch that TV show, Extreme Home Makeover? They didn't remove a blindfold, but they did something similar. Remember what they called at the end of the show? "Bus driver, move that bus!" And with their view unobstructed the saw the wonderful things that the crew had done for them.

Well, God has removed that bus of sin from you! He has made you perfect and sinless in his sight. And by his Holy Spirit, he's given you that sure and certain hope that you will receive an eternal inheritance in heaven with him. (And you know that an inheritance isn't something you work for, by the way. It's something that's just given to you, free of charge, like a home makeover, like an estate left by a relative.) Jesus, your brother, died and left you heaven. He rose again and ascended into heaven to prepare a place for you. And he will return, just as he left, to take you there!

You see clearly now! You see God's son for who he is. You see what he has done. You see the riches that God has prepared for you! God doesn't say, "Close your eyes and I'll give you a big surprise," but, "Open your eyes and see the surprising grace I give you every day! You get an extreme you makeover! You are forgiven! You are a saint! You are a citizen of heaven and your inheritance awaits you there!

Keep seeing it, saints! Don't close your eyes to God's grace because you're too drowsy to come to Bible Class. Don't nod off when it's time read his Word and grow in your faith. Keep your eyes open as you continue to grow in the Word and when you do, you will see the power of God. You will see the power he's given you…  

II.            To See Your Power

 

Who's the most powerful person you know? Is an athlete? A president? A general? No. You know that the power of these compared to God is like a toddler trying to wrestle Schwarzenegger, just so much less. You know God's power. Yet still, "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know… his incomparably great power for us who believe."

And you've seen that power in Jesus' resurrection and in his ascension! "That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come."

You know, every year I get dozens of Christmas cards. And every year I get a handful of Easter cards. But I don't think I've ever heard of anyone ever sending an Ascension card. I know I've never given or received one. But Jesus' ascension is a very significant event that has meaning for our lives every day. You see, Jesus didn't just go away to begin his eternal vacation, sitting on his throne in heaven while angels wait on him hand and foot and choirs keep him entertained. No! He ascended into heaven to rule! To rule over everything! 

Psalm 47, the Psalm appointed for the day of Ascension, says, "God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets. Sing praises to God…  sing praises to our King…  For God is the King of all the earth… God reigns over the nations… for the kings of the earth belong to God…"

But the best part of his rule is found in those two little words in our text which may be easy to read past with little notice: "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know… his incomparably great power… for us…"

Our ascended Savior is using his incomparably great power for us! He's guarding us and guiding us, he's protecting us and prospering us, he's holding us and helping us! And it he who is "far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come." It is he who has "all things under his feet…" who trampled satan, sin, death, and hell when he put his foot down. It is he who is "head over everything for the church." That is, for you and me.

And what's more, we share in that incomparably great power! How could we not since we are of the same body as he. We are connected to him. The Head is powerful and his body is too.

Oh, I know what you're thinking. You look at our finances and we seem pretty powerless to fix it. You look at the broken relationships that shatter our lives and we seem powerless to change them. You look at the sicknesses that plague our bodies and we seem weak, not powerful.

But God has given us greater power than that—a power that goes beyond the eternals. He hasn't given us the power to get our own way and indulge our sinful nature, but much better! He's given us the power to be like him! After all, the greater strength isn't in taking what you want, but in self-restraint and in finding contentment with what you have. You have that power! The greater strength isn't in demanding your way, but in patiently letting others have theirs. You have that power! The greater strength isn't in forcing others to submit to you, but in serving others in love, even when that love isn't returned. You have that power!

Jesus once promised, "Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these…" That's the power that he promised to you and me. While we may not change water into wine, we get to be a part of changing people's lives! While we don't get to multiply loaves of bread or fish, we get to multiply the kingdom! While we don't get to open up tombs and call the dead back to life, we get to open people's eyes to see God's grace and be a part of the work of the Spirit in bringing the spiritually dead to life!

So open your eyes, dear saints, to the power that is yours! Open your eyes to the opportunities that you have to use the power that he gives you! When the power came back on for people on the Peninsula after the wind had knocked it out, the lights came back on and they could see again! The power is on for you! Use it to turn on the lights for others, to help them open their eyes to see the inheritance that is theirs in our ascended Savior.

And one day soon, he'll return—visibly, in the same the way that he left! And when he does, what an eye-opener that will be! We'll see our full inheritance. We will see our heaven. We'll see our Savior. But in the meantime, keep your eyes open… to the Word that shows you your inheritance… to the opportunities you have to live for him by the power that he gives. In Jesus' name, dear friends, amen. 

In Him,

Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

www.GraceLutheranKenai.com

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