Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Be Humble or Be Humbled (A sermon based on Luke 14:1, 7-14)

Are you a humble person? Let me put this way: Do you like having your nose in the dirt? Or would you rather be praised for all your hard work and acknowledged for your achievements? In this week's sermon, we're encouraged to choose humility. Be humble, Jesus warns, or be humbled. But when we are humble toward God in genuine repentance, he lifts us up. He lifts us up by Christ's humble work for us. Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on Luke 14:1,7-14 and be encouraged to be humble...

Be Humble or Be Humbled

A sermon based on Luke 14:1, 7-14

Sunday, August 28, 2016 – Pentecost 15C

 

Pretty soon I'm starting up my Latin Classes again. I tutor Latin to some of the students here at Grace. But it's always good for me too, to review some of the words I once learned in Latin class more than 2 decades ago now.

And one of those words that's really stood out at me as I've been teaching Latin these last few years is the word, hummus—the Latin word for dirt or earth. It's the word from which we get our English word humble, which literally means "close to the dirt," or "close to the ground." It's a fitting picture for humility, isn't it? Your nose is in the dirt. It's the opposite of pride, your nose in the air. It's the opposite of being exalted, lifted up on the shoulders of those beneath you as they parade you around in adulation.

So which you would rather be? Humble? In the dirt? Or lifted up in glory with others chanting your name and singing of your glory?!

But this morning, Jesus encourages us to be humble. That's the better option. If we're not humble, if we think too highly of ourselves, Jesus warns that we will be humbled. A time will come when we're put in our place and brought back down to earth—to the dirt. But if we humble ourselves, he promises that a time is coming when we will be lifted up.

Our text for this morning is from Luke 14:1, 7-14…

 

One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched…

 

7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

12 Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

Now you know that it's not just social skills and party etiquette that Jesus is trying to teach by his parable. He's not just trying to show us how to advance ourselves by appearing humble before others. The parable is really about being humble before God (and then others) and not thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought. Because if we don't humble ourselves before him, we will be humbled before him one day and forever.

 

I. Lifted Up in Pride

 

So, let me ask: Do you ever look to elevate yourself and lift yourself up above others? Do you ever put others down so that you can feel better about yourself? Do you talk about those people on that side of town or working for that place or in that political party and then silently thank God that you're not like them? I don't think any of us like to admit it, but we can get pretty proud, can't we?

But why is it that we're so reluctant to humble ourselves before others? I think it's because we often we can't conceive of anyone more distinguished than ourselves. At least not among those invited to the same parties we are. Our sinful natures have us convinced that we're not only pretty good, but that we're better than most.

I admit that all too often I'm only concerned about me and my place of honor. And even when I'm being generous and kind, all too often it's only because it makes me feel good about me. I can be proud of how good I am. Sometimes when I help others it's really a subtle manipulation expecting a word of thanks or praise from them. Or with a sad twist of irony I sometimes boast to myself that I'm the most humble person I know.

The truth is that in my sinful nature I am pretty much a selfish, self-centered person. I like to lift myself up high, to elevate myself above others, to admire how much better I am than they are. And even if you don't admit it and say those things out loud, I know that the sinful nature in you is really only concerned with you.

By nature, we're high on ourselves and get everything in the wrong order. We put ourselves first, then others (who can later return the favor or at least give us a word of praise to boost our egos), and then God last, if at all. And we think we're pretty good.

 

II. Humbled in Repentance

 

In truth, we all deserve to be taken down a notch or two and put into our place. And in our gospel lesson for this morning, Jesus does that very thing. He confronts those proud and selfish attitudes in us. He lowers us a bit, so that we might be truly exalted. He lowers us by the preaching of the law:

Do not take the place of honor, for… If [you do] …humiliated, you will have to take the least important place… For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled…"

The truth is, that you and I don't deserve a place of honor. We don't even deserve to be at the table! We deserve to be put out the door and to get kicked out of the banquet. For the self-centered way that we act, that's more than just rude or obnoxious to God, but downright blasphemous—after all, we put ourselves ahead of God and his will that we humbly serve others… well, we deserve hell. When we exalt ourselves, and lift ourselves high, and shout, "I'm number one," or when we live like it anyway, we deserve an eternal low, an eternal humiliation forever in hell—stripped of our pride, of our vain glory, of every blessing, of our place with God.

And while admitting that truth—that we are selfish, self-centered, egotistical sinners, deserving nothing but punishment from God (here on earth and forever in hell)—confessing it before God and before each other certainly is a low. But consider the alternative: If we don't humble ourselves in repentance, we will be humbled in hell. Be humble or be humbled.

But also consider what happens when we do humble ourselves. Consider the high of forgiveness that follow the lows of such repentance…

 

II. Lifted Up in Forgiveness

 

"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled… [But!] he who humbles himself will be exalted."

We deserve hell. That's the truth. But when we humble ourselves and make ourselves low in repentance—and true repentance is a low. It is no fun to feel guilty or to confess and admit that what we've done is wrong, offensive, atrocious before a holy God—well, when we do it anyway, Jesus exalts us. Literally, he lifts us up.

How? By his perfect sacrifice for us on the cross. Jesus was at the highest heights of glory praised and worshiped by the angels in heaven. But he humbled himself, beyond the deepest depths that we can ever imagine. He left the glories of heaven to come to this earth, this dirt! (Literally humble, close to the dirt.) He humbled himself to become a man and take on flesh like ours—flesh literally made out of dirt. (Talk about humble.) He humbled himself to suffer at the hands of sinful men. He humbled himself to be tortured to death and he humbled himself to lowest possible place: to the depths of hell, separated from the Father. (Talk about humble!)

Why did he humble himself so much? So that we might be exalted. By his sacrifice he lifted us up out of the muck and mire, the dirt and filth, of our sin. He lifted us up out of hell, up into heaven, and one day he will lift us up out of the grave, literally out of the dirt. He will give us glorified bodies that will last for eternity and he will honor us at the banquet feast of glory. Talk about exalted! Talk about being lifted up! Talk about the glory of being a Christian!

There's a picture in the back of church by the nursery door that illustrates this well. It portrays a man on his knees completely humbled, pointing to himself, seemingly confused that he should be invited in to heaven. But Jesus is pulling him up from his knees as he points to his place at the table at the banquet feast of heaven.

Be humble in repentance. And you won't be humbled at God's judgment. Instead you'll be lifted up in forgiveness now and one day soon in eternal glory!


II. To Serve in Humble Thanks

And now, because of what Jesus has done for us in lifting us up to the heights of heaven by humbling himself to the depths of hell—for giving us peace with God, and the joy of forgiveness—we're no longer concerned with self-promotion, self-interest, or self-glorification. But instead, our priorities really are realigned. Now we put Jesus first, concerned less about our honor than we are with his. Our greatest desire is to live to serve him in humble thanks! And how can we do that? He tells us: We serve those around us instead of ourselves.

That means we stop the manipulations that we're so good at. We don't serve our family at home just to get what we want out of them later. We do it out of thanks to Jesus. We don't just serve others in the hopes that we can get something out of it ourselves. We serve out of love for Jesus. We don't worry if we ever get a "thank you." That's not really why we serve—to be thanked or for the praise. But we do what is right in serving others to bring glory to Jesus who humbled himself for us.

Here's how Jesus put it: "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

Sit down this afternoon and write on one half of a piece of paper all the people in your life that you interact with. Then on the other half write down ways that you can serve each one of them in thanks to God. Then, this week, go serve them. Serve those who can never repay you. Humble yourself to figuratively wash others' feet.

And do it without any expectation of getting anything out of it or anything back. For the poor, crippled, lame, blind, would never be able to throw a banquet or party in return. And don't even do it because it makes you feel good about yourself. But serve them in thanks to Jesus for his sacrifice for you—for humbling himself in the dirt, that you might be lifted up from it. Humbly serve others because you're eager to glorify him.

And when we humble ourselves to serve those who can never repay us, we will be repaid by Jesus at the resurrection. We'll be lifted up by the one who lifted himself out of the dirt of the grave! We'll be lifted up to the highest heights of honor and glory forever in heaven! And we'll be repaid so much more than we've ever spent. And what glory it will be!

Yes, being humble and confessing our sins isn't much fun. But the high of forgiveness is more awesome than any other high in this life! So we gladly humble ourselves and get down in the dirt to serve our Savior in lowly service to others until we're lifted up to the highest heights of glory. Be humble or be humbled. Be humble and be lifted up! In the name of Jesus, who humbled himself for us, dear friends, amen.


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

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

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

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Tuesday, August 23, 2016

​Struggle Through the Narrow Door (A sermon based on Luke 13:22-30)

It's been said that being in church no more makes one a Christian than being in a garage makes one a car. Mere external associations and connections with Jesus will not save anyone. Many will think they know Jesus only to discover later that he never knew them. They will not make it through the narrow door into heaven. In our sermon for this week, Jesus encourages us to struggle to get through the narrow door into heaven. And we can only get through by God's grace to us in Christ. But read or listen to (download) this sermon based on Luke 13:22-30 and rejoice that Jesus makes you fit! 

​Struggle Through the Narrow Door

A sermon based on Luke 13:22-30

Sunday, August 21, 2016 – Pentecost 14C

 

I served my vicar year—that's what we call an internship in our church body—in Austin, Texas. My wife taught 3rd and 4th grade there. And over Spring Break we were given the opportunity (i.e. "orders") to chaperone a youth group trip to the Apache Indian Reservation. During our mission trip we had a few hours of free time each day and one of the local attractions recommended to us was a day hike to Geronimo's Cave. After climbing Cardiac Hill and visiting Chimney Rock and the Devil's Slide, we came to our destination.

And all of us were all impressed with Becky, who, in spite of the fact that she was several months pregnant with Josiah, apparently found it easy enough to keep up with the rest of us. But finally, we came to a point where she couldn't go—not because she wasn't in shape, but because… (and don't worry, I made sure she was okay with me sharing this…) she couldn't go on because… she was too big.

The rest of us got down on our bellies and did the army crawl through the only narrow opening into the ancient native dwellings. And yes, I did leave my pregnant wife behind. After all, I didn't come that far up the mountain just to turn around. J (And, by the way, she did encourage me to go on without her. I'm not really that big of a jerk.)

But this morning in our gospel lesson, Jesus tells us that the door to heaven is a narrow door. Not everyone will get in. We, therefore, should make every effort to make sure we do. This morning we'll take a look at Jesus warning and encouragement to us in Luke 13:22-30. We begin with the first two verses…

22Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" 

As Jesus taught the crowds about the kingdom of heaven some unnamed person asked him a question, "Are only a few people going to be saved?" I'm not sure what he meant by the question, whether he wanted it known that he was one of the elite few, if he was genuinely concerned that he might be left out, or if he was simply curious how many would make it. But no matter what he meant, Jesus took the academic question and made it personal.

He said to them, 24"Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to."

Someone asked "Are many or few going to get to heaven?" But Jesus answered the more important question: "How do I make sure I am one of those few?" "Yes, only a few will be saved," he said, "and many will be locked out. So you do all you can to make sure you get in." (By the way, the Greek word for "make every effort" has the same root as our English word, "agonize.") "The consequences are serious—they're eternal. So do all you can to get through that narrow door!"

 

I.             With All of Your Effort You Can't Get Through

 

And with some pretty stern warnings Jesus first points out what doesn't work…

25Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.' "But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.' 26"Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' 27"But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!' 28"There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.

What are the requirements in getting through the narrow door to heaven? Simply put, "Perfection." Jesus said it quite clearly in his Sermon on the Mount: "Be perfect… as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)

So a single sin makes someone too wide—a single impure thought of lust, a single moment of laziness, a single word spoken in frustration that was meant to hurt—any one of these sins or any one of countless others makes a person ten miles wide so he just can't get through the door. No wonder Jesus said, "Many… will try to enter and will not be able to."  Literally, won't be "strong enough." They can't be perfect.

And to make matters worse, our own efforts to get through only add to our weight and our width. Once the door is closed, Jesus warns, those outside will pound on it pleading to be let in—genuinely shocked that they're on the outside. Thinking they were among the few saved they'll argue, "We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets." But none of this will matter. In fact, the thought that because they knew who Jesus was meant they didn't need his forgiveness will only make them wider.

Jesus will sweep away these flimsy cobwebs with the blunt truth, "I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!" And stuck in their sin, too wide to enter heaven, they'll be thrown out. They'll be forever banished to hell where, "There will be weeping… and gnashing of teeth…"

 

What a warning for us friends! It makes us examine ourselves and see where we're putting our confidence. Will you get through the narrow door? If you've even thought, "Yes, because I go to church regularly, in spite of the long drive. In fact, I even get extra credit because I go to Bible class…" If you've ever thought, "Yes, because I give generous donations to the church and even to charities outside of church…" If you've ever thought, "Yes, because I volunteer my time and because I'm a good person…" then watch out!

All of your efforts to earn your way into heaven won't help you one bit! In fact, any thought that you deserve to be there is a sin of self-righteous pride and only adds to your girth. And like that guy in the airplane trying to stuff his oversized "carry-on" into the overhead compartment—no matter what you try, you just won't fit! With all of your effort you just can't get through.

 

II.            With None of Your Effort You Easily Get Through

 

But that doesn't mean the situation's hopeless. Jesus doesn't say no one will get through the narrow door. In fact, he says people from all over the world will get through. He says…

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets [are] in the kingdom of God… 29People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last."

So some will get through the narrow door to heaven! And often it will be those who one might least expect. While the first, those who look like good candidates for heaven by their outward life, will be last, and will be banished forever from heaven, others who seem least likely—the worst sinners, the lowest of the low, the last—those will be first in the kingdom of God!

How can this be? Moses even records some of the embarrassing sins of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for us, so obviously it's not by their own efforts or by their own strength. It must be some other way. And of course, you know what that way—or really, who that way—really is. Jesus said, "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved." (John 10:9) Jesus not only helps people through the door. He is the door!

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and countless other sinners from the four corners of the earth put their trust in Jesus—the Messiah—the Savior from sin. And through him they made it through the open door!

 

And in the same way, dear friends, we get through that narrow door!

Maybe some of you, like me, are trying to lose a few pounds. Or if not right now, maybe you have tried to lose weight in the past. If so, you know what a struggle that can be! How you have to agonize just to lose a little bit. Can you imagine if there really was a diet out there where you could shed all your unwanted pounds and have a perfectly sculpted body overnight without any effort at all?

Dear friends, Jesus has the best diet plan of all! He makes us skinny enough to fit through the narrow door into heaven—not by taking away a few unwanted pounds, but by taking away much, much more! He's taken away our every sin!

By his sacrifice on the cross, every one of our sins has been paid for! By enduring the hell that each of our sins has earned he's removed every one! Every sin of lust, of laziness, anger or greed, every sin of self-righteous pride has now been removed. We're sinless. We're holy. We're perfect. We're skinny enough to fit through the narrow door into heaven. And it took no effort on our part! He did it all! We believe in him and spiritually speaking, we're perfectly sculpted with no room for improvement! With none of our effort we easily get through that narrow door.

So what does Jesus mean when he says, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door…"? How do we agonize to get in? We examine our hearts often to see where we're placing our trust. We abandon our efforts to get to heaven on our own and repent of the sinful pride that ever led us to believe that we could. We repent of our every sin, even our hidden faults—those sins of which we're not even aware. And we cling to the cross and to the promises of Jesus. In this way, we make every effort to keep the weight off.

 

III.          With All of Your Effort Help Others Get Through

 

And finally, dear friends, as we live to thank Jesus for getting us through the narrow door, we follow his example and make every effort to help others get through that narrow door. Luke tells us… Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.

Notice where Jesus went to teach: through the towns and through the villages. No place was too big or too small, too important or too unimportant for Jesus to stop and spend some time teaching the people the good news of how he made them all skinny enough to fit through the open door. He didn't write anyone off as lost until their time of grace had ended. For the ones who were most considered the least likely to get to heaven, well… those would be first.

Jesus said, "People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last."

So dear friends, let's follow our Savior's example.  Let's thank him for making us skinny enough to get through the narrow door, by no effort of our own, when no amount of effort on our part could get us through. Let's thank him by exerting all our effort to help others from the east and the west and the north and the south get through the narrow door to take their place with us at feast in the kingdom of God. In thanks to him, 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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Tuesday, August 16, 2016

​Know Jesus; No Peace (A sermon based on Luke 12:49-53)

"No Jesus; No Peace. Know Jesus; Know Peace." So says a bumper sticker that encourages us to know Jesus and the peace that he alone can give. But in our text for today Jesus says something surprising: "Know Jesus; No Peace." That is to say that if we know Jesus we will most certainly face divisions, persecution, and pain in this life. But the peace that he gives us makes us eager to face such persecution for him. We know Jesus and the peace that he brings, so we're okay if we know no peace in this life as we live for him. Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on Luke 12:49-53 and be encouraged in your struggle... 

​Know Jesus; No Peace

A sermon based on Luke 12:49-53

Sunday, August 14, 2016 – Pentecost 13C

 

Okay, so since you're listening to this sermon instead of reading it, you're going to have pay special attention today because of the homonyms I'm going to use. For those of you who haven't had a grammar class in some years, a homonym is a word that sounds exactly like another even though it's spelled differently and has a different meaning—like "right" (R-I-G-H-T) (the opposite of left) and "write" (W-R-I-T-E) (like what you do with a pencil and paper). Today, we're going to use the words "no" (N-O) and "know" (K-N-O-W). So pay attention to the spelling I give and hang with me if you can.

So… perhaps you've seen the bumper sticker that reads, "No Jesus (N-O); No Peace (N-O)." That is to say, if you don't have Jesus in your life, then you will have no peace either. But right below that line, it reads, "Know Jesus (K-N-O-W); Know Peace (K-N-O-W). It's a clever play on words using a homonym to share with the driver behind the peace that you and I have knowing Jesus.

But this morning, we hear Jesus say something that at first sounds somewhat surprising. He says, "Know Jesus (K-N-O-W); No Peace (N-O Peace). That is, if you know Jesus, if you're friends with him, it will bring problems, division, persecution, and pain. You will not know peace in this life, you will have no peace, if you know Jesus, if you have him. But Jesus warns us of that truth to prepare us for it and he gives us a peace that enables us to go to war for him.

Our text for consideration for this morning is taken from Luke 12:49-53…

 

49 "I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law." 

I.                    No Jesus; Know Peace 

Winston Churchill once said, "You have enemies? Good! That means that you actually stood up for something!" His point was that if you take a stand for a cause worth fighting for, some people will fight against you. You will make enemies. But if you choose to be a coward and always agree to what everyone else around you says, well, you might possibly get along without making any enemies. If you don't rock the boat, if you don't make waves, if you go along with the crowd, then the crowd has no reason to dislike you.

So, while the bumper sticker says, No Jesus (N-O Jesus), then No Peace (N-O Peace), the truth is that all too often N-O Jesus means that you do know (K-N-O-W) peace. No one will persecute you if you agree with them and encourage them to fulfill the desires of their sinful nature. Everyone will like you if you always tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. You will have friend, not enemies, and life will be comfortable for you. 

II.                  No Jesus; No Peace 

But you know what? Sitting on the couch and growing bigger doing nothing but binge watch Netflix is also comfortable. With no exercise I can know peace. But of course, you know that with no exercise, with no pain, there's also no gain. I will grow bigger and unhealthier until my poor health takes my life. It might be more comfortable to get no exercise in the short run, but in the long run I will pay the price.

Likewise, even though No Jesus (N-O Jesus) might mean no pain or persecution in this life, even though being friends with the world might be more fun here and now, even though serving myself instead of Jesus might be more comfortable, we'd be waaaay worse off in the end. In the short run we might have fun, but in the long run, we'd end up in hell.

And that's exactly what we deserve for trying to avoid the fire of persecution that Jesus said he would bring to earth. That's we deserve for trying to get along just fine with the world around us as we pretend that we don't know Jesus. N-O Jesus, and you'll K-N-O-W peace—in the short run. But in the long run—the bumper sticker is true: N-O Jesus; N-O Peace. 

III.                Know Jesus; Know Peace 

So thank God that you do know Jesus. And you know what he's done for you. You understand what he meant in that cryptic phrase, "I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!" Literally the word baptism means washing or cleansing. And you know how Jesus was cleansed of sin: the same way all of us would have been if not for him; by enduring hell to burn it off. What a horrible baptism Jesus had to undergo! No wonder he was distressed until it was completed! I think "distressed" would be a huge understatement if it weren't spoken by God himself.

But, of course, you know that it wasn't Jesus' own sin that he had to be cleansed of. For he had no sin of his own. It was our sin that Jesus took on himself—all the times we've pretended not to know him in order to avoid the fire of persecution, for all the times we chose to serve ourselves instead of him because it made life more comfortable for us, for all the times we've pursued our own goals instead of his. Every one of our sins (of past, of the future, and yes, even of the present, if you're sinning right now, struggling to listen to his Word)… every sin has been laid on Jesus. And by the baptism of the cross, he's removed it all!

What a baptism it was that he underwent! It cleansed every person who believes in him. It washed away every sin they ever have committed or ever will commit. He was made clean through the hell he underwent. But so were you and I made clean—spotless! Sinless! Perfect! Holy!—through his perfect life, his innocent suffering, his righteous death—all made certain by his miraculous resurrection back to life again!

So you and I know, "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, [which] will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7) We know Jesus (K-N-O-W) and so we know peace (K-N-O-W). We know the peace of being right with God, of his certain, constant, never-ending, always-there-for-us love! 

IV.               Know Jesus; No Peace 

But finally, that peace we have with God won't always equate to peace with our fellow man. In fact, Jesus warns that peace with God will often mean war with those who know no peace (those who K-N-O-W… N-O peace). If we know Jesus (K-N-O-W) we will have No Peace (N-O Peace) this side of heaven. (I told you you'd have to pay close attention to the homonyms to hang with me this morning, didn't I?)  J

But to know Jesus and his love for us, to believe in him and know the peace that he gives us will invite—almost guarantee!—persecution and problems and pain from those who oppose him. And that might even come from within your own family.

Did you know that you can start a fire with water? Really! You can! I've seen it! (Well, on YouTube, anyway.) Okay, so you also need a bottle or bag and a lot of sunshine. But if you put water in a bottle or a Ziploc®  bag, you can use that water to act as a prism and focus the rays of the sun to a point that is so intense that it will start a fire just like you did with a magnifying glass on the sidewalk when you were a kid.

In a sense, Jesus did the same thing. He started a fire with water. By his baptism—that is by his suffering and death to pay for the sins of mankind—he started a fire—a fire of persecution against him and his Church. People have never stopped hating him (or his followers) ever since.

Just consider how that fire burned in the time of the apostles. All but one of the 12 were tortured to death. James was put to death by a sword. Thomas and Matthew were speared to death. Philip was tortured before he was crucified upside down. Bartholomew was skinned alive before he was crucified upside down. Peter, Andrew, James, Thaddeus, and Simon were all crucified too—about the worst possible way die—all because they knew Jesus and the peace that he brought. They knew Jesus and therefore had no peace.

And still today, the persecution continues—and even from within one's own family. My college roommate (a fellow pastor) has a brother who is an avowed atheist and regularly ridicules his brother for what he believes. A friend and mentor (a fellow pastor) has a son who swears that God is a figment of the imagination and thinks that his dad has wasted his life. A high school teacher of mine has a son-in-law who ridicules the Gospel and is doing all that he can to lead his wife and his daughter away from the faith. A friend of mine in North Carolina (a fellow pastor) has a brother who is a practicing homosexual and thinks his brother is a bigot for preaching the Word of God.

And I'm sure you have plenty of examples of your own even within your own immediate family which testify to the fact that Jesus wasn't kidding when he said, 52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

Yes, to know Jesus (K-N-O-W) means No Peace (N-O Peace), not even in your own family. But you know what? That should be an encouragement to us. You see, it means that Jesus told the truth, all the time, even when the truth wasn't fun to hear. It means that Jesus told the truth when he spoke about the peace that we have with God; that peace that surpasses all understanding.

And it is that peace which enables us, which emboldens us, to gladly, willingly, even eagerly suffer for him—even against our own families. Should you be called on to be a martyr for the sake of the Gospel, with God's help, you could handle it. And in the end, Jesus might say to you something similar to what Winston Churchill once said: "You have enemies? Good! That means that you actually stood up for something!" And in the end you'll know a peace that no one in this life has ever known. Even thought to know Jesus means no peace, because you know Jesus you will know a perfect peace. In his name, dear friends, amen.​


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

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

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

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Monday, August 1, 2016

Don’t Buy Fool’s Gold (A sermon based on Luke 12:13-21)

It looks like it's worth a lot, but it's really worth nothing in the end. It's fool's gold. A fake. A sham. And satan and the world around us want to sell it to us. Our own sinful nature wants to play the part of the fool. But Jesus in his love for us helps us to realign our priorities and to be rich toward God. Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on Luke 12:13-21 and be encouraged by the truth that you are spiritually rich in Christ.


Don't Buy Fool's Gold

A sermon based on Luke 12:13-21

Sunday, July 31, 2016 – Pentecost 11C

 The prospector rode into town looking tired and dirty. He rode up to the saloon, tied off his horse and went inside. "Boys, I've been up in them hills for so long, this morning, I just got my first bath and shave in two months! But look what I found!"

And he proceeded to dump a small pouch of gold nuggets on the top of the bar. "Now, I know I could sell it for a whole lot more at the bank than I could to you fellas. But I'm chompin' at the bit to get back up in them there hills to get some more, that I'll make you a deal as sweet as molasses. You can sell it for twice whacha' pay. Now, who wants to buy a great investment?"

But as the men reached for their cash, the bartender said, "Don't' be fools, gents. That there's fool's gold."

The prospector got a mean look on his face and said to the bartender, "You calling me a liar?"

"Why, yes, I am, sir."

"Well, how dare you?!" cried the prospector and put a hand over his revolver.

"It's obvious you're lying friend," the bartender replied, cool as a cucumber. "You say, you first shaved in two months just this morning. But everyone can see plain as day: you're tan as a brown bear, 'shaved cheeks" and all. You're story's full of holes, son. Best be moving along."

And the "prospector" stormed out of the saloon leaving his "gold" behind.

The reality is that satan is a master con-artist trying hard to take you for a fool. The world around uses peer pressure to make you want to buy. And your own sinful nature plays the part of the fool. They want to sell you what they promise will make you happy, give you peace, help you find your heart's content. But they're all liars. If you buy what they're selling, it will leave you with a bigger loss than some hard-earned cash. It will rob you of eternity in heaven with Jesus.

But this morning, I get to play the part of the bartender, revealing to you satan lies. But I won't do it with careful observation and logical conclusions, but with the simple words of Jesus—with the parable he spoke, that's recorded for us in Luke 12:13-21…. 

16 And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17 He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'

18 "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '

20 "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'

21 "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." 

A certain man had a problem. He couldn't get his brother to share the inheritance his father had left them when he died. It was a common practice in such a dispute to go to a Rabbi and have him settle the matter with his knowledge of the covenant laws. And this man had a good case. He had every right to a share in his father's inheritance. Deuteronomy 21 states that no matter how much the father favored one son over the other, the eldest son got a double share and the rest was divided equally. If there were only two brothers, the eldest should only get 2/3 of the wealth and property and the youngest was entitled to 1/3.

This man figured that a) Jesus knew the Scriptures well, and b) he had a great deal of influence on a lot of people. If he could get Jesus on his side, he was sure to get what was entitled him. So he came to Jesus and said, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."

But Jesus, whose authority knows no bounds, refused to get involved. Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" You see, Jesus didn't really care if this man had a right to the inheritance or not. That wasn't the real problem. Helping this man get his share wouldn't really help him at all. Jesus knew that the heart of every problem is a problem of the heart. This man's real problem was not a lack of wealth, but the underlying problem of his selfish and greedy sinful nature. He knew satan had a hold of his heart. So Jesus told him and the crowd gathered around, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

And Jesus helped them – as he helps us – to realign our priorities. He draws us to repentance and a renewed focus with this parable. 

Now everyone knows how difficult farming can be. Too much rain or too little rain can ruin a crop. Too much sun or not enough can ruin a crop. Pests and frost can ruin a crop. But now, this particular farmer had a new problem—one he'd never had before. He had too much of a crop! Things were going too well. "He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'"

But he wouldn't let it go to waste. He had a plan. "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods."

He had a retirement plan that would allow him to relax for life. His 401 and Roth IRA were well funded. He didn't need to rely on some unreliable social security program. He was sitting pretty, looking forward to a life of self-indulgence. He said to himself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.'"

But even though at first read it sounds like this man was a wise investor, he was really a fool. His savings and investing, his planning and his plotting, made him misplace his priorities. He imagined he was secure, but he forgot that his times were in God's hands. He thought he was wealthy, but he was spiritually impoverished. He was duped by satan, by his own greed, by what money his crops would fetch and by what that money could buy. And all his hard earned things would go to others. What a fool!

Now, in the Greek, the word, "fool," literally means, "thoughtless one." This rich man didn't give thought to the one thing that mattered most. He didn't give any thought to his relationship with God. He didn't give any thought to his life after his death. He didn't give any thought to where he would spend eternity. That's why Jesus called the man in the parable---and, in a sense, by extension, the man asking for Jesus' help—a fool.

Years ago, when men first came to Alaska in search of gold, some penetrated far into the interior. There they discovered a miner's hut that seemed as quiet as a grave. Entering it, they found the skeletons of two men and a very large quantity of gold. They also found a letter on the table that told of the successful hunt for gold. The more they mined the more gold they found. But the men were so eager to get more gold that they ignored the early coming of winter. Suddenly one day a fierce snowstorm struck. They couldn't escape the hut because of the blizzards outside. Their food supply quickly ran out and they starved. They became so weakened that they finally just lay down to die—surrounded by all that gold—genuine gold, but still fool's gold nonetheless. What fools they were!

That's the danger involved with greed. And we all face it, even as Christians.

The rich man in Jesus' parable had quite the problem, didn't he? He had too much wealth! If you're like me when you first saw his dilemma, you thought to yourself, "Man, I wish I had his problems and he had mine! I wish that I had so much wealth that my only problem in life was where to store it all." But do you see how that reveals the greedy attitude in my heart? And I'll bet you're not really all that different.

And really, in America, we are incredibly wealthy, beyond what most people in the world dream of having. We, like the man in the parable, have so many possessions that often we don't know what to do with it all. We do have problems like his. I'll admit that I've thought, "You know, it sure would be nice if I had more storage around here?" And that this was my biggest problem.

Of all the many things you possess, what is it that you value most in this life? Is it your car? Your house? Your savings account? I hope not. That's all just stuff.

But greed is more than just a desire for more money or possessions. It is an unquenchable thirst for getting more of something we think we need to be satisfied. It can be anything. It can power as well as property. It can mean trying to "outdo others," trying to "be superior." Greed can sneak in very subtly.

What are your priorities for your kids? Is the most important thing that they someday have a great job that they love by which they can take care of themselves (and maybe you too)? Or is it that they have a great faith that trusts that God will always take care of them no matter what? Do you want them to have a great social life? Or a greater knowledge of God's word?

You see? It's not planning ahead or having wealth that's wrong, but our misplaced priorities. That's the fool's gold. Our improper attitudes are subtle, but they're there. And it starts when we put anything or anyone ahead of God; whether your savings, your home, your child or your spouse. Jesus once put it this way, "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?" (Mark 8:36)

To put anything ahead of God is to become a fool, being swindled by satan, the world, and our sinful flesh. It's buying fool's gold and it will not satisfy, but will cause us to forfeit our souls.

But lest we do forfeit our souls, Jesus realigns our attitudes and brings us to repentance when he reminds us, "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."

Jesus reminds us that "a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." But rather it consists in the greater riches that we all have. Not in fool's gold, but in real and lasting treasures. For, as Paul put it in 2 Corinthians 8:9: "[we] know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for [our] sakes he became poor, so that [we] through his poverty might become rich."

 Christ, to whom all things belong, gave up all that he had to become a man, to live a life among sinners, abiding by their rules, yet keeping them perfectly. He suffered ridicule, pain, death, and hell on a cross out of love for us, that we might have the riches of God's forgiveness, for every sin, every selfish and greedy attitude and every misplaced priority.

We have peace through Jesus knowing that no matter what happens to us in this life, God loves us and will bring us through it all, that we have the splendor of heaven awaiting us—a retirement of luxury and ease when we see our Lord face to face! We are rich beyond comprehension because our eternal welfare is assured.

And he blesses us with such an abundance of riches on top of that! He gives us his Word, the promises of his grace, made so readily available to each of us! He gives us the waters of Baptism which wash away our every sin! He gives us his body and his blood to eat and drink for the forgiveness of our sins and the strengthening of our faith. He blesses us with families and friends that love us and share with us the truths of his Word! And he blesses us with so many possessions that we don't know what to do with them all!

Knowing what riches are ours through Christ, we can't help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude in our hearts to God. We want be rich toward God. We want to do nothing but serve him and use all of the gifts he's given, our bodies and minds, our time and abilities, our gifts and possessions, and all that we have and are to bring glory to his name and to thank him without end!

It is my prayer for all of you that God will help you avoid buying any of the fool's gold that this life has to offer, that he will always lead you to see the riches of his grace, that he will continue to lead you to the cross to see the forgiveness that he won for you there. It is my prayer that he will keep your priorities straight so that you will always live your lives in thanksgiving to him for the only thing that counts, for the only thing that matters in the end, for the salvation and the endless riches that are yours through Christ. It is my prayer that you will serve him joyfully and be rich toward him until he takes you to be with him in the mansions of heaven. 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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