Monday, August 31, 2015

Submit for Jesus’ Sake (A sermon based on Ephesians 5:21-31)

"Submit? That doesn't sound like fun. Do I have to?" No. We don't have to submit, not to another person, nor to God. We don't have to submit to God to go to heaven because Jesus perfectly submitted to the Father's will and to the Father's plan of salvation for us. But now we want to submit to God to express our thanks to him. And out of reverence to Christ for all he's done for us we willingly, even joyfully, submit to one another. Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on Ephesians 5:21-31 and be encouraged to gladly...

Submit for Jesus' Sake
A sermon based on Ephesians 5:21-31
Sunday, August 30, 2015 – Pentecost 14B

I was waiting to board the plane, sitting at the gate, when the friendly guy next to me struck up a conversation. I'm not quite sure how the conversation got there, but he started talking about the roles of men and women.
"I'm not saying, 'The woman's place is in the home,'" he told me, "But I do think that God made men and women differently. And when we pretend that those differences don't exist, we mess everything up. Women don't get the respect they deserve. We don't protect them and defend them. We don't care for them the way we ought. When they want to be one of the guys, we treat them like one of the guys. And on the flip side, women don't give us men the respect they're supposed to give."
Now, at first, I thought this guy really understood the distinct roles that God has given to men and women. I thought he had a great grasp. But then he added, "We mess it all up when we don't submit to allah's will for our lives."
Did you know that Islam means "submission" and that Muslim means, "One who submits"? Did you know that Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the United States and that thousands of women of European descent are willing donning the hijab—that piece of clothing that covers a woman's head and neck—as they willingly submit to their Muslim husbands and to allah.
Why do they do it? Because Islam teaches that unless you submit—women to your husbands, and everyone to allah—then you have no chance of ever going to heaven. They may sort of get the roles of men and women right, but they totally distort the reason why anyone would willingly submit to another person or why anyone would submit to God.
So this morning as we take a look at the roles of men and women, we'll see how these God-given roles are not a burden, but a blessing. We see how our relationship with God affects our relationships with others. We see how it's really a joy to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. We gladly submit, not because we have to or else, but because we want to thank Jesus for submitting for us. Listen now to God's instruction through Paul in Ephesians 5:21-31…

 21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."

I.              Submitting in Thanks to Jesus (23,25-27,30)

Wives, submit to your husbands…in everything?! Husbands, love your wives in the same way Christ loved the church?… give yourself up for her?! That's easier said than done. It's not always going to be easy to submit to one another. It's not always going to be easy to show respect to one another or to be loving toward each other. Why not? Because of sin.
Because of sin, we are all deep down pretty selfish. We look to serve ourselves, not others and to get what's in our best interest, not someone else's. We listen to that voice that says, "Submission? Sacrifice? Respect? No thanks! That's not for me! I'm going to stand up for myself, get what I'm entitled to, push hard and manipulate others if I have to to get my own way."
For that reason, women, there are times that you fail to submit to the men in your lives, when you fail to show respect. Or, just as bad, when you do submit or show respect, you do so in order to get something out of him or with an attitude of "Well, I guess I have to since I'm the woman." You fail to submit as God wants you to, and in doing so, you fail to submit to God.
Because of sin, men, there are times that you fail to be loving to the women in your lives. Or, just as bad, when you do act loving, it's to get something you want from her. You look to have your needs met before hers. You fail to be loving, and in doing so, you fail to love God.
For saying, "I'll submit to you after you submit to me," and for saying, "I'll be loving to you once you're loving to me," for all the sins we've committed, for all the sins we will commit, we deserve hell. That's the cold, hard truth. We don't deserve to have any loving relationships, least of all a loving relationship with God for refusing to submit to him and his will.
But of course you know that you do have a relationship with God—not because of how loving you've been to him or because of how well you've submitted to him, but because of how loving he's been to you and how submissive he's been for you. Because of what he did for you, you won't go to the hell that you deserve. Listen again to what he did…
Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
In most of the relationships we have, at least the ones we volunteer, there's a certain attraction. There's a reason you married the spouse you did. You were attracted to your husband or wife. There's a reason you have the friends you choose. You enjoy their company.
But friends, Jesus loved us when we were unlovable. When we were corrupt sinners refusing to submit to God, looking to no one's interests but our own, he gave himself up for us. He submitted to the Father's will and lived a perfect life without any sin. He submitted to the Father's plan and died on the cross, taking our sins on himself, suffering the hell that we deserve.
And in that submissive act of dying on the cross, he made us sinless and holy and clean, without stain or wrinkle. By the washing waters of Baptism, he's washed us of our sin. By the Gospel message he leads us to believe, he takes away every stain, every wrinkle, every blemish and makes us holy, blameless, and acceptable to God. And having made us clean, he's made us his own…
Paul quotes Genesis 2, when he writes, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." And he continues in verse 32, beyond our text, to apply this verse to the relationship we have with Christ: "This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church." Just as husband and wife unite to become one flesh, Christ has become one with us, his church. He has married himself to you, promises to forgive you, to strengthen you and one day soon, take you to the eternal honeymoon of heaven.
What an awesome relationship we have with Jesus! We get his love in spite of our sins. We get forgiveness, being made spotless and clean. We get heaven itself when we deserve hell. And we don't have to do a thing for it! We don't have to submit to God perfectly, or love him perfectly, because Jesus did those things perfectly for us and gave us his perfection.
But now, with a perfect relationship with Jesus, entirely by his effort and entirely at his expense, we can't help but thank him and let our gratitude motivate us to strive with all our hearts to submit to him and do what's pleasing to him. We don't submit "or else" like the Muslims do. But gratitude for all he's done for us compels us to follow Christ's example, and submit like Jesus did, to "submit to one another out of reverence for Christ…"

II.            Submitting Like Jesus (21-25,28-29,31)

Now because of our natural inclination to be more concerned with "What my spouse, my child, my coworker should be doing" rather than "what I should be doing," In a literary way, Paul pulls each individual aside, saying "Here's your role. You worry about this," first to women, then to men.
Women, listen to the specific ways in which you can thank Jesus for the relationship you have with him…  22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything… the wife must respect her husband.
Women, it won't always be easy to submit to men (and by the way, the Greek could be translated "women," not just "wives," and "men," not just "husbands," making this application broader than just for married people). It won't always be easy to fall in line with their leadership, to give up what you know is best in order to do what they think is best. But women, in thanksgiving to God, submit. What will it matter 100 years from now if you give up your rights? It won't! You've got a place reserved for you in heaven! Forgive the men in your lives for their less than perfect leadership with the same forgiveness that Christ gave you and submit to them anyway.
Now, don't get me wrong, ladies. Submission does not mean that you become slaves. In fact, submission doesn't deal with positions of superiority or inferiority. It deals with order. Think of it this way: The forty-year old truck driver submits to the fourteen year old crossing guard when he tells him to stop the vehicle. He submits, not because he is weaker, less intelligent, or inferior in any way. But, for good order, for the good of drivers and pedestrians alike, he submits.
Women, in Christ you can do the same. You can not only submit and yield your right of way, but you can do it with the right attitude—with a willful, even joyful submission. You can show respect, even when he's being a bum. You can submit to your men as if submitting to Jesus himself, because, well, you really are. Submit to them, not because you have to, but because you want to out of love for your Savior as your act of worship to him. And when you do, ladies, you'll make the job of loving you much easier for the men in your life…
Now men, the ladies certainly have a big job of submitting to us in everything, don't they? But God has a word for us too. He tells us how we can show him our gratitude for the full and free forgiveness and the heaven he's given to us. And as men, our job may be even more difficult. Paul says, 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her… 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 
Men, we're given a big task, to love the women in our lives with the same selfless love that Jesus has shown to each of us. And it won't always be easy, especially when they're not showing respect. But remember how Christ loved you selflessly even when you showed little respect to him and then love the women in your life in the same way. What will it matter 100 years from now if you give up your rights? It won't. You've got a place reserved in heaven! Forgive the women in your lives for their less than perfect submission and failure to show respect and love them with the same love that Christ gives you.
And how did Christ love you? How will you love women? With a self-sacrificial love. Christ gave up his glory to suffer hell for us. Christ gave us his life that we might live. Men, give up your rights to serve others in love. As leaders, don't base your decisions on what's in your best interest, but what's in their best interest. Sacrifice yourself for your women. And when you do, men, you'll make the job of submitting to you a whole lot easier for the women in your life.
Dear friends, today, through the Word of God you are reminded of the special relationship that Jesus has with you, not because you deserve it, not because of how you have submitted to him, but because of his perfect grace and love for you that led him to submit to the Father for your sake. Now, let his humble submission for you motivate you to submit to one another, showing love, showing respect, in thanksgiving to God.
Friends, it's my prayer that as you leave here today you would be so filled with the Holy Spirit, that you can't be full of yourselves. I pray that you will leave here with a renewed commitment to gladly and joyfully submit to God and, in thanks to him, joyfully submit to one another, not because you must or else, but because you want to in thanks to Jesus for the relationship you have with him. In his name, dear friends, amen. 

In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

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

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Filled Up and Under the Influence (A sermon based on Ephesians 5:15-20)

Everyone is full of something. It's just a question of what they're full of. And, of course, what you're full of will directly influence the way you think and act. God, through the Apostle Paul encourages us to be filled up to the point that we're under the influence. But he encourages us to be filled up with the right things. Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on Ephesians 5:15-20 and be encouraged to...

Filled Up and Under the Influence
A sermon based on Ephesians 5:15-20
Sunday, August 23, 2015 – Pentecost 13B

Is this glass full or empty? The answer seems obvious, doesn't it? It seems empty. Ah… but it's a trick question, isn't it? If it were truly empty the pressure of the air outside the glass would crush it. But it's not empty. It's full of air. So the pressure of the air outside the glass is equal to the pressure of the air inside the glass and it's just fine.
The point is that every glass is really full. It's full of something. It's just a question of what. And the same is true of people. We are all full of something. And not just food. People can be full of sorrow or full of joy. They can be full of pride and full of themselves.  They can be full of guilt or full of peace.  But everyone everywhere is full of something.
And what they're full of influences their thoughts and behavior. You know that's the case when you're filled up with too much food. You get tired and lethargic. Of course, if you're filled up with alcohol, it affects your behavior a lot. But it's not just physical things that affect us. If you're filled with pride you behave differently than when you're full of humility. When you're full of guilt you act differently than when you're full of peace.
This morning we hear the Apostle Paul encourage us to be filled up, and to be filled up so much that we're completely under the influence. But he doesn't encourage us to be filled up with anything at all. He also encourages us to be filled up with the right things. Don't be full of wine, but do be full of the Holy Spirit. Then you'll be under the right influence. Don't be full of foolishness, but do be full of wisdom. Understand what God's will is. Don't be full of selfishness, but do be full of thanksgiving. And be eager to make the most of every opportunity to serve him in thanks.
Our text for consideration this morning is taken from Ephesians 5:15-20…

15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I.              Don't be full of wine, but do be full of the Holy Spirit. Then you'll be under the right influence.

Now as we discuss these verses, it's crucial to keep in mind the context of where we're at in this letter. In chapter one Paul pointed out how God chose us to be his own before the world began. In chapter two he highlighted God's grace in making us alive when we were dead and giving us the very faith that clings to his promises. In chapter three he revealed the mystery that God's saving grace was for Gentile as well as for Jew. In chapter four he shifted from justification to sanctification and urged us to live a life worthy of the calling we've received and insisted that we no longer live like the pagans. In five he encouraged us to mimic God and imitate his love for us as we show that love to others. So as we continue in chapter five, we again hear Paul urging us to respond to God's grace by the way that we live. But we miss the point if we forget about the first three chapters that highlight God's grace and both motivate and empower us to live for him.
Now he urges to be filled up and under the influence. But he wants us to be filled up with the right thing and under the influence of the right influencer.
When you're full of wine, you behave a certain way. You're under the influence. When you're full of the Spirit, you behave another way. You're still under the influence, but under a much better influence. Then you'll stay connected to that message of grace and be truly wise: knowing God's love for you in Christ.
So instead of a temporary high that leads to bad things, go get a real spiritual high, Paul urges us—one that will last: be filled by the Spirit—who will guide you in wholesome activities that will benefit you and others eternally.
How do you get filled up with the Spirit? In the Greek, verse 19 isn't really a new sentence. It's really a continuation of the last thought. None of the verbs are the primary verb of the sentence. They're each what linguists call participles. That means they support the main verb of the sentence. So perhaps a better translation of the end of 18 moving into 19 and 20 would be, "Be filled with the Spirit by speaking to another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, by singing and by making music in your heart to the Lord, by always giving thanks to God the Father for everything…"
Spiritual songs could be understood as "songs inspired by the Holy Spirit," that is the songs of the Scriptures. And most of our liturgy is just Scripture set to music. The Gloria is the song the angels sang to announce Jesus' birth. Create In Me is the song David sang after Nathan proclaimed that his sin against Urah, Bathsheba, Israel, and God had all been forgiven. The Nunc Dimitis—the song we sing after we have just held Jesus' body in our hands and in our mouths—is the song Simeon song as he held the Savior in his arms. O Taste and See is based on a Psalm. And most of our hymns are either a paraphrase or an allusion to some Bible passage. Even if our songs aren't taken word for word from the inspired Word of God, they do paraphrase the Scriptures and accurately convey the meaning of the inspired Word. And they fill us with the Spirit.
But of course, that doesn't happen when we just sing with the tongue, but in the heart—that is, when we pay attention to and believe the lyrics. Ponder the Word that you sing. In fact, if the music is too challenging for you to sing, it would be better for you to not even bother trying. Just read the words and think about their meaning. Then you will be making beautiful music in your heart to God.
In other words, God through Paul is saying, "Do you want change in your life? Do you want to have a better influence than alchohol (or TV, or arrogance, or whatever else may otherwise influence you)? Then be filled up with the Word of God at home and in worship, in devotions and in songs. Then, by staying connected to the Word of God we stay full of the Spirit and under his influence.

II.            Don't be full of foolishness, but do be full of wisdom. Understand what God's will is.

When people are under the influence of wine or alchohol, you know that they often do stupid things. They put a lampshade on their head. They get aggressive in their advances to those they're attracted to. They sing karaoke when they ought to never ever hold a microphone. They act like unwise fools.
And worse than bad accessories, frisky behavior, and bad singing, they sin. Drunkenness leads to debauchery—that is immoral behavior. One sin leads to another. And you know this is true of any influence other than Spirit. Laziness breeds more laziness. Pride breeds condescending words. Lust breeds infidelity. And all of these influences breed unwise fools.
And the fool doesn't just miss opportunities to serve God, but has a more fundamental problem of not even knowing what God's will is. So no wonder he acts like a fool!
But not you! "Be careful!" Paul warns. "Be very careful! …Understand what the Lord's will is!" And, of course, that understanding comes when you understand the Word. For you cannot understand God's will apart from God's Word.
Ever think you were being a good husband or wife, only to discover that you were actually doing the very opposite of what your spouse wanted? I remember when Becky and I were first married and I thought I was doing her a huge favor by leaving the shower curtain open. You see, she was always a bit nervous about people looking in through our windows and always wanted the window curtains shut. I thought I was doing a favor and relieving her paranoia by revealing right away that no one was hiding in the shower ready to attack by leaving the curtain open. I don't think it was until years later that she revealed how much she hated that I was leaving the shower curtain open because it couldn't dry properly and would get moldy more quickly. I thought I was showing love. But I didn't understand what her will was.
Well, it's the same way with God. Sometimes we think we're showing our love to him by being more tolerant of others or by giving generously to a charity. We think our offerings are what make him happy more than our obedience to his Word. But we cannot please God if we don't first find out what he wants. Ask him in prayer, sure. But then read his response in his Word. If you want to know what God wants, you need look no further. He gladly reveals his will there. To assume you're doing God's will without first consulting his Word is to return to being a fool, a lapse back into darkness, a return to the pagan cesspool from which we've been rescued.
So keep studying the word. And not just once or twice assuming you've graduated from understanding God's will. No! Just as staying drunk requires more drinks or, given enough time, you sober up, so too staying under the influence of the Spirit requires not just one BIC Class, but regularly growing in the Word, regularly be filled up with the Spirit. Then you will know what God's will is in every aspect of your life. Then you will know what pleases him. And then, under the influence of the Spirit, you will be eager to thank him and make the most of every opportunity…

III.           Don't be full of selfishness, but do be full of thanksgiving. And be eager to make the most of every opportunity to serve him in thanks.

Paul tells us that show our thanks to God for the salvation he's given us in Christ, we ought to make the most of every opportunity. Literally he says, "Redeem (or buy back) the time."
Of course, you can't really buy time. Vitellius was a famous wealthy Roman who threw his money around worse than the prodigal son. He once offered the priests of his province $250M if they would give him 1 minute of time. Of course, they couldn't. The best they could do was to have all the clocks of the province turned back one minute and, ironically, in the process wasted everyone's time. Time can't be reversed. It can't be recovered. "Time is money," or so they say. But you can make more money. You can't make more time.  You are only allotted the same 1,440 minutes every day. No more and no less.
So maybe better than "Time is money," would be the expression, "Time is opportunity." Buy that time, dear friends. That means you have to give something for it. You may have to give up time with the TV to come to Bible Class. You may have to give up time to unwind at the end of the day to read a devotion. You may have to give up time with the kids and let them watch TV (heaven forbid!) while you read a few pages of God's Word with the bedroom door shut. But if you want to be wise and not foolish, you will command your time as an employer does his employee or as a master does his servant. 
Looking for ways to serve Jesus. Don't just waiting for them to come your way. Don't wait for someone to invite you to join a committee or team, but go seek the chairman out and ask how you can help. Don't just wait for your spouse to ask for your help, but look for ways that you can serve him or her. Don't just sit on the couch playing games until mom or dad insist that you set the table. But offer to do whatever you can to help them out.
Of course, none of these are easy. And you can only do them if you are first filled up and under the influence—that is, filled up with gratitude to Jesus for his life and death and resurrection for you, and under the influence of the Holy Spirit as he fills you with faith and with thanks.
Make no mistake: You are always filled up and under the influence. You can be full of pride and full of yourself. You can be full of guilt and full of shame. You can be under the influence of your wine or alcohol or drugs or under the influence of your sinful nature. Or you can be full of the Word of God, full of peace at knowing your sins are forgiven, full of zeal to serve your God in thanks as you're under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
Yes, you are always under the influence. You still make the choice, but that decision is influenced by what is in you. So be filled up with the right stuff: the Word and the Spirit. Be under his influence. Don't be full of wine, but do be full of the Holy Spirit. Then you'll be under the right influence. Don't be full of foolishness, but do be full of wisdom. Understand what God's will is. Don't be full of selfishness, but do be full of thanksgiving. And be eager to make the most of every opportunity to serve Jesus in thanks. 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
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Tuesday, August 18, 2015

The Sincerest Form of Flattery… (A sermon based on Ephesians 4:30–5:2)

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Though we deserve to be punished by God for our lip-service flattery while refusing to do what he asks, he won forgiveness for us by sacrificing himself on the cross. Now, for that fragrant offering, we're eager to thank God and flatter him sincerely as we try to imitate him in the way he loves and forgives as we love and forgive others. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Ephesians 4:30-5:2 and be encouraged to imitate God...

​The Sincerest Form of Flattery…

A sermon based on Ephesians 4:30–5:2

Sunday, August 16th, 2015 – Pentecost 15B

 

Judah's shoes are sometimes hard to find. But it's not like it was with me when I was a kid—I'd take my shoes off somewhere in the house but could never find where that place was when it was time to leave. No. Jude is pretty responsible and usually takes his shoes off right by the door and leaves them there until it's time to leave the house.

But sometimes they're not where he left them. It's not gremlins that take them at night or a special elf. No. We all know who it is. It's Joel.

Joel is at a fun age. He wants to be just like his big brother. If he can, he'll wear the same shirt that Judah wears. He'll do whatever activity that Judah is doing. And it seems that one of his favorite things to do right now, is to puts on Jude's shoes and walk all over the house with them on.

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And if that's true, and I believe there is some truth in that, then Joel really likes his big brother, Judah.

Well in our text for this morning, the Apostle Paul encourages us to flatter God in the sincerest way: We should imitate him. Imitate him in the way he shows love and compassion to everyone. Imitate him in the way he forgives, forgiving those who sin against us. Our text is from Ephesians 4:30–5:2…

 

30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

5:1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

 

Now, literally the word, "compassionate" means that you are willing to suffer for someone else. "Com" means "with" and "passion" is the Latin word for suffering.  So the word describes how one cares so much about another person that he or she will make great sacrifices to show that love; that the one showing compassion will even "take it on the chin" when the other person is rude to them.

When I think "compassion," I think of a woman I know who served her husband faithfully as his Alzheimer's worsened year after year. And I don't know if you were aware of this, but Alzheimer's doesn't just affect memory, but it greatly affects emotions. He recognized his wife still, but he no longer spoke tender, loving words to her. Instead he shouted at her, called her "devil woman," and heaped verbal abuse on her. And though she cried at home, when she was with him, she loved him and cared for him, and prayed for him and with him, and took the abuse.

That's compassion. And that's not easy to do, is it? To, "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice."

It's especially tough when someone's in your face, with abusive words accompanying the spittle that hits your cheek. It's hard to love another when that love seems totally undeserved! But that's exactly what God calls for us to do. To love those who don't deserve it.

So how well do you show compassion to those you know? Sadly we often show the least amount of compassion to those that we're closest to! And instead of mimicking God and forgiving the other person and showing undeserved love, we often mimic the other person and mirror their rudeness and return insult for insult, disrespect for disrespect, anger for anger. And in doing so, we really mimic satan as we make ourselves out to be more important than God, more deserving of respect than he. After all, we don't show him the love and respect that we are so quick to demand for ourselves.

And when we behave this way, even if we only think it and feel it while keeping a calm and cool exterior, we stink before God. Our attitudes make a stench before him that is more disgusting to a holy God than the offensive smell of fish guts rotting at the dump is to you and to me. It's a stench that reeks so badly that God cannot be near it. And he cannot let such a stink into his heaven any more than you would let a bin of fish waste into your bedroom.

Yes, we used to stink "to high heaven" as the expression goes. But here's what's so amazing about God's love: He loved us even when we reeked of our disgusting attitudes that made us out to be more important than anyone else, that made us out to be more important than God. Here's how much he loved us: "Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

Jesus lived a sinless life in every way. Every act of obedience to God was like a sweet smelling perfume, like your favorite cologne, or like the smell of your favorite meal in the oven or on the stove. That's what his obedience smelled like to the Father. And his death… Ah! What a pleasing aroma it was to God!

I bet the temple courts didn't usually smell very good. Just imagine the smell of all of those animals that were sacrificed every day. I bet they not only smelled like a barn on the outside, but when they were bled and gutted, the smell must have been even worse. Then add the smell of burning hair and flesh and not to mention sweaty priest. It must have been pretty gross. But to God, those scents all mingled into a fragrant smell—maybe something like a delicious barbecue to him. Not because he was going to eat the cattle or sheep, but because it pointed ahead to Jesus.

Likewise, I doubt Jesus smelled springtime fresh as he was dying on the cross. The smell of the tortured crucified mingled with the body odor of the soldiers must have attracted the flies. But to God, that day smelled like a rose garden! Even better! It was a fragrant offering—that sacrifice to God.

And as a result of Jesus sacrifice… "In Christ God forgave you."

You are forgiven of every sin—of every bitter attitude, of every moment of rage and anger, of any brawling, of your slander of another person or even of God. You are forgiven for every form of malice. You are perfect and sinless and holy because of that fragrant offering that Jesus made.

And in a sense, you are now branded. Still today ranchers will take a hot iron and burn the hair and flesh of the side of their cattle with a unique brand that marks that cow or sheep as their own. That's sort of what God has done for you. "You were sealed for the day of redemption," Paul says. Through faith in Jesus, God has marked each of you as belonging to him. He did that at your baptism or when you came to believe in him. You belong to him. And on Judgment Day, God will see that mark of faith and recognize that you belong to him. You will be redeemed and not condemned.

And more than cattle, God even calls us his "dearly loved children"! That is, he promises to be our Father and to care for us in every way! He will provide for our needs! He will protect us and our faith! He will come to the rescue from every problem one day soon.

And all of this is true only because, "Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God," so that, "In Christ God forgave you."

So how do we respond? We long to flatter God and show our thanks to him. And the sincerest form of flattery? Imitation. "Be imitators of God, therefore…" Paul says, in view of all that he has done for you: in loving you and giving himself up for you as a sacrifice, in forgiving you every sin, in making you his dearly loved child. So now, we mimic God and act just like him.

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other…"

That's the flattery that God loves. You don't like it when someone flatters you with words alone then does the opposite of what you ask. You'd call that person "two-faced," "hypocritical," "a scoundrel." No the flattery we want is to have someone show us love in their actions as well as in their words. So too, God wants us to mimic his love that didn't just speak, but acted on our behalf, sacrificed himself, and that even when we were rude and downright rebellious to him.

And as difficult as it may sound, we can mimic God. You can, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."  You can "take it on the chin" even when others are rude to you. How? In Christ. In Christ, we can forgive others. In Christ, we want to forgive others. In Christ, we can love others. In Christ, we want to love others. Empowered by the undeserved love he showed to us, we will show undeserved love to others.

And this isn't just something we do once or twice, forgiving for a big sin, then showing compassion through a single act. No! It's the very life that we live every day! "Be imitators of God… and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us…" Jesus didn't just love us once and then was done with us, but he loves us and forgives us and cares for us every day. That's how we love others as we mimic God.

And if we all loved each other and forgave each other the same way that God has loved us in Christ, can you imagine how wonderful it would be?! Imagine if you were always showing the same sacrificial love to your spouse as God showed to you. Imagine if your spouse loved you that way. Imagine if you were always showing the same sacrificial love to your kids as God showed to you. Imagine if your kids loved you that way. Imagine if you were always showing the same sacrificial love to your parents as God showed to you. Imagine if your parents loved you that way. Imagine if you were always showing the same sacrificial love to your friends as God showed to you. Imagine if your friends loved you that way. Imagine if you were always showing the same sacrificial love to your coworkers as God showed to you. Imagine if your coworkers loved you that way. In short, it would be heaven on earth, wouldn't it?

Well, friends, we have the power to start loving our spouses, kids, parents, friends, and coworkers with the same love that God has showed to us. And as dearly loved children, we will mimic God as we do all we can to flatter him in thanks for the love and forgiveness he's given to us.

Jude may get sick of Joel doing everything like his big brother. But God will never get sick of you trying to be more and more like him. So let's keep mimicking him. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. In Jesus' name, dear friends, amen.​


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

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

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

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

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Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Out with the Old; In with the New (A sermon based on Ephesians 4:17-24)

Sometimes when you get something you new, you have to get rid of something old to make room for it. That's what God through Paul tells us in our text. We have to get rid of the old way of thinking and the old way of living when we have a new life in Christ. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Ephesians 4:17-24 and be encouraged to go out with the old and in with the new in thanks to God for rescuing you from your sin, from death, and from hell. 

Out with the Old; In with the New

A sermon based on Ephesians 4:17-24

Sunday, August 9, 2015 – Pentecost 11B

 

So the other day I told my wife that I want a new kitchen appliance: I want to get an air fryer that fries your food with little or even no oil. I think it might make delicious, but healthier, fried foods. But just the idea of adding one more kitchen appliance to our counter led Becky and I into a, well… a discussion, of just how many kitchen appliances we need, and where exactly are we to store these new kitchen appliances. If I want an air fryer, I have to get rid of something else to make room for it. I had several suggestions for her of what we could be rid of, but she didn't like any of them. We're still in negotiations. J

But that's often the way it works, doesn't it? If we want something new, something old has to go. My tie rack only holds so many ties. So a new tie means an old one's getting donated. I only have so much room in my dresser, so new T-shirts mean that old beloved shirts from college sadly now become rags.

But sometimes, it's more than just making room. Sometimes new things just aren't compatible with the old. The new DVD player doesn't work with the old TV. And you can't put on a clean pair of shoes without taking the old pair off first. Sometimes getting something new, means drastically cutting out the old. There is no other option.

In our text for this morning, God through the Apostle Paul tells us that you can't have it both ways. You can't live like a pagan and be a Christian. The two just aren't compatible. When you know Christ, you think differently. What you want is different. What you want is whatever God wants. You change. And the old way of living has to go out to make room for the new way of life in Christ. Out with the old, in with the new. That's the message of our text for this morning from Ephesians 4:17-24…

 

17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

20 You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. 21 Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.


I.              Out with the Old

 

I once heard that natives in the Amazon have an interesting way to hunt monkeys. Maybe you've heard about it? They take a narrow-mouthed jar and tie it firmly to a tree. Then they drop a few nuts inside the jar. The monkeys find the nuts and reach in to take them, but because the mouth of the jar is so narrow their hand, now balled into a fist around the nut, will no longer come out of the jar. And because the jar is tied to the tree and the monkey is unwilling to let go of the nut, the natives easily capture the monkeys.

How foolish, isn't it? The monkeys think the nut will make them happy, but they never get the nut! In fact, because they are unwilling to let go, the nut traps them and dooms to them to captivity or death.

That's the way Paul describes the futile thinking of the unbeliever. They pursue their own pleasure and happiness, but never really find the lasting happiness they seek. In fact, because all they care about is serving themselves, they're trapped; doomed to a life of captivity to sin and death.

In their darkened ignorance, they are alien from God, and grow insensitive in their sin. Like the alcoholic building tolerance and thus needing more and more drinks to get the same buzz, their consciences grow calloused, insensitive to old lusts, needed a bigger fix of sin to get the same thrill.

But it's nothing but a chasing after the wind, or like a marooned sailor drinking the salt water that promises to quench his thirst, but only dehydrates him more, driving him mad the more he drinks and eventually killing him.

What a sad picture Paul paints of those who live with the sole purpose of appeasing their sinful lusts and desires. But it's even more sad when we who call ourselves Christians do the same. And if we're honest with ourselves, every one of us have at one time or another sought to appease our sinful appetites, knowing that we'll only be left feeling guilty and disappointed if we do, that it will callous our consciences to bolder sins when we're done.

We too deserve to be trapped by the jar when we won't let go of some vice that just seems too fun to give up for Jesus. We too deserve to be doomed to a life of slavery to sin, and to an eternal death in hell.

In verse one, Paul urged us to change our thinking. But in verse 17 he insists. Why? Because he knew where such calloused sinning leads. Those "deceitful desires" (v.22) promise happiness, but they lead to misery. They promise heaven but lead to hell.

Paul didn't want to see that happen to the Ephesians. And God doesn't want to see that happen to us. So Paul cried, "No longer! I insist!" "So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking…"

They were to be out with the old way of living, out with the pagan lifestyle, out with the chasing after more and bigger sins to appease their sinful natures.

But they were also to be in with the new life in Christ; the new life that Paul had taught to them. "You, however, did not come to know Christ that way." You're not like this. You're different…


II.            In with the New

 

The Ephesians understood that. At one point they were into sorcery and magic. They were into trying to control the elements and to control other people. They were into the Greek goddess Artemis, the many-breasted goddess of fertility. But that was before Paul came preaching the Good News of Jesus. When they came to faith, it was incompatible to continue to the old way of life and be a Christian. They had to go out with the old when they went in with the new. They burned about $4 million worth of sorcery books. They threatened to put the silversmiths out of business because they were no longer buying Artemis statues. And that was the way it was supposed to be.

That's the way it's supposed to be with us too. It's no different for us than it was for the Ephesians:

20 You… did not come to know Christ that way. 21 Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

You have come to know Christ. You have heard of him and know who Jesus is. You were taught in him and know what he's done for you. And it was done in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus—that is, the Holy Spirit created faith in your heart that understands and believes and trusts in what he's done for you, staking your eternity on Jesus.

And that faith will have an impact on the way you live. Make no mistake: Your good works do not earn you favor with God. But you have favor with God inspite of your rebellion because of Jesus. And because you have favor with God, you must thank him for what he's done. Your sanctification—your life of service to God—isn't optional. It's a natural byproduct of true faith. There's no such thing as a fire that doesn't produce heat. And there is no such thing as a love that doesn't act in some way to show that love. And there's no such thing as a genuine faith in Christ that doesn't look for ways to serve him with good works. Faith alone saves. But saving faith is never alone.

So off with the old self and in with the new! What a foolish garden you would have if you reserved a corner of it grow weeds! What a foolish Christian one would be to harbor and nourish pet sins in their life! But also what a foolish garden you would have if you tried to pick every weed, but never planted any food! What a foolish Christian one would be to try to rid their lives of every sin, but never sought to nurture your faith or do good works of thanks! So pull the weeds of sin in your life! Radically break from your sinful past and ruthlessly take the old out! And look for as many opportunities as you can to do good works! Plant the seed of the gospel in the lives of others. Or support that work as you look for ways to do good works of faith for your Savior!

You are being made new! And notice the passive voice—it's not something you do, but something God works in you. He works this new life through faith and he strengthens that faith by the Word. And he gives not just new life, but a new attitude—one that views works of service to God not as a "have to," but as a "get to," as I thank Jesus for the abundance he's given me, as I use what he's given not just to serve myself in this life, but to do what I can to grow the Kingdom for the life to come.

Out with the old. Quit those pet sins. Take them out back and shoot 'em. Then bury them. Get radical in weeding out your vices. Then you'll have room for the new—for the new life in Christ that's being renewed in the image of God. Go live the life you know Jesus wants you to live as you thank him for the way he lived and died and rose for you.

Will the Guenthers be getting a new kitchen appliance? Maybe. Maybe not. That's yet to be seen. But will you and I all live a new life and put the old aside? There's no question about that! In thanks to God for what he's done for us in Christ and for leading us to faith in Christ, we will do all we can to live for him. Out with the old—the old sins, the old way of thinking, the old life—and in with the new—new thoughts of living for him, new behavior as we do, new goals as we look for ways to please our Savior instead of ourselves.

Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, dear saints, as you continue to strive for "Out with the old and in with the new!" In his name, dear friends, amen.



In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

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

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

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

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Monday, August 3, 2015

One for All and All for One (A sermon based on Ephesians 4:1–7, 11–16)

What love God has shown us that One was willing to die and endure hell itself for us all. Now we all live to serve the One who lived and died for us. And to do that, we live to serve each other. One for all, and all for one. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16 and rejoice in the One for all, and rededicate yourselves to all live for that One! 

​One for All and All for One

A sermon based on Ephesians 4:1–7, 11–16

Sunday, August 2, 2015 – Pentecost 10B

 

If you haven't read the book, I'm sure you've seen one of the many movies based on the book by Alexander Dumas entitled, "The Three Musketeers." Of course you also know the motto of the heroes of the story: "All for one and one for all." By this, they meant that each member of the three musketeers would fight for the group or for anyone in the group. They were vowing to stand by each other's side in their common fight.

In a sense, that's what the Apostle Paul is getting at in our passage of Scripture for today. He was trying to get the Ephesians to adopt as their motto: "All for one and one for all." And he motivated them in this commitment to unity by showing them God's commitment to them.

So today as we too adopt a motto for ourselves at Grace Lutheran in Kenai, we flip it around. Instead of "All for one and one for all," we first remember God's commitment and sacrifice for us as we adopt the motto, "One for all and all for one." The portion of God's Word we meditate on this morning is found in Ephesians 4, verses 1-7 and continuing from 11 to 16…

 

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.

 

11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.


I.              One for All

 

Now, you may already know this, but in the 3 Musketeers, the hero of the story isn't even one of the 3. Monsieur d'Artagnan is the main character who meets the 3 Musketeers and must duel all three in a single day. After he fights them he earns their respect, eventually joins the Musketeers as their leader, and gives them the motto: "All for one and one for all."

But while d'Artagnan had to fight hard to be included and no longer considered an outsider, that's not the way it worked for the Ephesians or the way it worked for us. Instead, One did the work for all. Paul alluded to that in verse 1 when he said "then I urge you to live a life worthy…" "Then" could also be translated "therefore," and you know that whenever you see "therefore," you need to back up to find out what it's there for. In verse 1 Paul is making a shift from the first half of the book where he described God's grace, to the second half which calls for our response. But with that little word, "then," or "therefore," he's reminding us all what the One did for all.

So let's do a quick review of the book of Ephesians so far…

 

  • God has given us all spiritual blessings through Jesus - Eph. 1:3.
  • God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world - Eph. 1:4.
  • God has determined that we will be like Jesus, and with Jesus, one day - Eph. 1:5; 11-12.
  • God has made us accepted in Jesus - Eph. 1:6.
  • God provided the blood of Christ that washed us from our sins - Eph. 1:7.
  • God reached out to us when we were dead in our sins and headed to Hell - Eph. 2:1-4.
  • God loved us when we were hostile to him. - Eph. 2:4.
  • God gave us life when we were dead. - Eph. 2:5.
  • God has secured our future. - Eph. 2:6-7.
  • God has secured our salvation, even giving us faith. - Eph. 2:8-9.
  • God has given us a new life in Jesus and new purpose in him. - Eph. 2:10.
  • God has brought Jews and Gentiles together in Jesus - Eph. 2:11-18.
  • God has made a new race of people from those who believe the Gospel. - Eph. 2:19-22.
  • God desires to use us, bless us and teach about the divine mystery of His everlasting grace and love - Eph. 3:1-21.

 

All of these great truths teach us about who we are in Jesus, and about all that the Lord has given to us through His grace. And he means to remind us about it all with that simple word, "then." And he sums it all up in verse 4: "You were called to one hope."

And you know what that one hope is: That through Jesus' perfect life and once-for-all sacrifice on the cross, our sins are forgiven. His one sacrifice won eternal life for us who are so quick to bail on him. As the author to the Hebrews put it, "He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself." (Hebrews 7:27) And, "he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption." (Hebrews 9:12)

So we rejoice in the One for all, in the One who lived and died and rose for all. We rejoice in and in his once for all sacrifice that guarantees our place in heaven with him.  We are one with God and we didn't have to fight to be included or to earn God's respect. Jesus fought for us. He fought for all.

When Paul uses the word "then" or "therefore," he is reminding us about everything he has previously written. But "therefore" does more than just point back, it also calls for a response, "therefore" means because of this previous, what follows is what you ought to do. Paul is telling us that us that everything he has already written calls for a certain response. His once for all sacrifice moves us to rededicate our lives to him and promise him, "One for all… and all for one," as we all vow to live for him. "And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." (2 Corinthians 5:15) And how do we live for him? Well, that's what Paul's getting at here:


II.            All for One

 

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. God through Paul says that we are to strive for Peace. To be the one body that he's made us. And that, in spite of our differences: "But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it… It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers…"

Have you ever seen a Three Musketeers movie? It's one of the first movies I remember watching (of course, the version I watched featured Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy as the Three Musketeers). And I remember learning how animation worked. Still images are drawn, with each one slightly different from the last, then played back so quickly, that you think they're moving. That's how it works with any movie. In fact, it's called a "movie" which is short for "moving pictures." Of course, the pictures don't really move. They're just shown in such rapid succession that our brains don't view them as separate images, but as one moving scene.

So think about it: Each frame of the movie is separate and distinct. They may look similar at times, but no two frames are ever exactly alike. Some are darker, some are lighter. Some are filled with action, others just set the scene. But put them all together and they make a wonderful story. And every frame is important to the movie as a whole.

That's sort of the way that Paul describes the Church. We may all serve different functions, some may be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, others may be God's people doing works of service, but we're all a part of the same body. We are many parts, but have one head. We have many different jobs, but we are all one Church. We all serve in different ways, but we all serve the One God. "All for One." We all live for him who died for us.

So be content in your vocation—in your job, but also in your station in life as a mother or father, son or daughter, husband or wife, as citizen, as church member, as Christian. And carry out your role in any one of those vocations to the best of your ability, as if serving God himself, because that's who really are serving. Do this all out of love for the One who died for all, as we all now live for him. One for all… and now all for One.

And the result? We will all be built up and will grow up. Ever see the movie Castaway with Tom Hanks, where he's being tossed around by a huge storm? Can you imagine if instead of Tom Hanks in that raft, it were a little baby? How long do you think that baby would last? That's the way that Paul describes us if we try to do this "Christian" thing alone: like "infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming."

But we're not alone. We have each other just like the Three Musketeers had each other. And together we will all become mature. "We will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ." We will, "[grow] and [build] [each other] up in love, as each part does its work."

The Three Musketeers had a special bond and were willing to fight and even die for one another. But their bond is nothing like ours. We have a greater bond with God who wasn't just willing to die, but did die and went to hell and back for us. What love the One had for all! Now we all live for that One. And to do that, we live for each other. Our bond is even greater than any musketeers. As we live for Jesus, let our motto be, "One for all, and all for one." In Jesus' name, dear friends, amen.​


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

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

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

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

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