Wednesday, January 25, 2017

The Call is Stronger… (A sermon based on Mark 1:14-20)

Do you like fishing? It sometimes takes patience doesn't it. So does fishing for people. And it can be intimidating. But we're eager to do it anyway, because Jesus calls us to. And his call is stronger than our fears. His call is stronger than our inadequacies. Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on Mark 1:14-20 and be encouraged to go fishing! 

The Call is Stronger…

A sermon based on Mark 1:14-20

Sunday, January 22, 2017 – Epiphany 3B

 

Growing up in the Seattle area, I'd often go fishing in the Puget Sound with my brother and my dad. Armed with rods and reels, fish finders, and especially plenty of drinks and snacks, we went out in pursuit of the elusive King Salmon. And even if we didn't catch any fish, it wasn't that big of a deal. We could always stop at Safeway on the way home and request a fish with the head still on before we went home to show mom our "catch." :) 


But that wasn't the case the disciples. They were hobby fishermen, but professionals. That meant that if they got skunked, they went hungry. They had nothing to sell at market and so they had no coin to buy even a loaf of bread.


So one particular morning, when they came back in from fishing all night with no fish to show for it, how thrilled they must have been at their change of fortune! With a divine tip from Jesus, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. That's in Luke's version of the events that day.


But this morning, as we look at Mark's take on that day, we see their greater change in fortune those disciples had. In fact, Mark doesn't even mention the catch of fish. Instead, all he talks about is how Jesus caught them. Jesus called them to leave their careers, to abandon their business, and to enter full time ministry. And more miraculous than the catch of fish is the disciples response. They left it all behind to follow Jesus. But how could they do anything else?! Jesus call was powerful. It was more powerful than their fears. It was more powerful than their inadequacies. And, you know what? It still is… Jesus call is more powerful than your fears. It's more powerful than your inadequacies. What else can we do, but answer the call and follow him, doing all we can to catch more people for him.


Our text for this morning is recorded for us in Mark 1:14-20…

 

14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.

19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

 

I.        …Than Our Fears

 "Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful." So began the advertisement Ernest Shackleton put in the paper to recruit men for one of his expeditions to the South Pole.

But what could possibly possess a man to respond to such an advertisement? Who in their right mind would want such a job? Well, apparently 56 men did respond, particularly to the last line of the ad which promised, "Honor and recognition in case of success."

Those words, "Come follow me," might have seemed something like Shackleton's ad to Simon, Andrew, James, and John. They had all been disciples of John the Baptist. But they couldn't follow him anymore. Why not? Verse 14 says, "After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God." And, of course, you know how John was released from prison: one head shorter than when he went in. 

 "Come follow me," Jesus invited, "and sign on for a hazardous journey. Small wages. Persecution guaranteed. Imprisonment likely. Death by torture probable."

So what could possibly possess these men to leave behind a thriving family business (after all they had "hired men;" business must have been doing pretty well)? What could bring them to leave their dad behind, sitting there in the boat with the hired men confused? What would make them risk life and limb to follow this Rabbi to become preachers?

Was it the, "Honor and recognition in case of success"? No. It was Jesus. Jesus left an impact on them—a deep and lasting impact on them. And the more time they spent with him, they more dedicated they were. So that near the end of Jesus ministry when Jesus was ready to go to Jerusalem, they declared, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." (John 11:16) That's the power of Jesus and the power of his call. It overcomes fear. It makes his followers bold to act.

And it's no different today. We too enter a hazardous journey when we answer Jesus' call to follow him. We will suffer for following Jesus. We will have less time for ourselves, less money for ourselves, more enemies for ourselves, more challenges for ourselves. And, truth be told, we may die for our faith. We might go through this life miserable and hurting… carrying a cross—an instrument of torture—all to follow Jesus.

Sound like fun? No. It doesn't. It sounds terrible! So who in their right mind would answer his call and follow him? Sadly, too often we don't. We face a choice to follow Jesus and do what we know he would have us do—leave behind this world with it's sinful ways, leave behind our friends and family when we're asked to choose between them and him, leave behind our selfish desires to take up our cross and follow Jesus. But we choose the world. We choose our friends. We choose our families. We choose ourselves—all over Jesus. And we deserve to have Jesus leave us behind when others go on to the exciting expedition of heaven. But we don't get what we deserve!

Who in their right mind would answer his call and follow him? Well, we would. Not because of, "Honor and recognition in case of success." But because of the way he succeeded for us on the cross to give us honor and recognition that we don't deserve in the sight of God. He took the most hazardous journey—one that ended not just in death, or torture then death, but in hell itself! And he willingly walked every step of the way knowing that it was the only way he could save you and me from our sins of cowardice.

And he succeeded in his journey without a doubt. The proof? His resurrection. For Jesus, safe return wasn't doubtful, but certain. And the same is true of those who follow him. That was the content of Jesus' preaching: "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

Who in their right mind would answer his call and follow him? We would. Because, even if we will suffer, even if we will go through this life miserable and hurting, carrying a cross to follow Jesus, we will still follow him, because, as someone once said, "The retirement benefits are out of this world!"

We know Christ's death and resurrection. We know his death paid for our sin! We know his resurrection guarantees ours! So we don't fear even death anymore! We repent and believe the good news! And then we're eager to get to work for him! We say with the apostle Paul, "When I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!" (1 Corinthians 9:16)

That's the impact of Jesus. That's the power of his call. The call is stronger than our fear! And the more time we spend with Jesus, the more dedicated to him we will become. We'll even be willing to declare, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." (John 11:16)

But, still, to follow Jesus is a big job. Do we have what it takes? Well, did the disciples?!


II.      …Than Our Inadequacies

Humanly speaking, Jesus chose a pretty miserable group of guys to be the first pastors of the New Testament church. After all, these four that he called that day in Galilee, were fishermen. They weren't prophets. They weren't rabbis. They weren't experts in the law—that is the Old Testament Scriptures. They probably weren't very well educated, they weren't that influential, and, let's face it: they weren't even particularly brave. (Remember how they all scattered and ran away when Jesus was arrested and needed them most?)


So why did Jesus call these schmucks? After all would you make a teenager the CEO of a multi-million dollar company? Only if you wanted to see that company ruined in record time, right? So why did Jesus pick uneducated, unexperienced, fishermen to be his apostles?


It's because Jesus doesn't need education or experience to make people his apostles. As it's been said, "Jesus doesn't call the equipped. Rather, Jesus equips the called." He said as much in their call. He didn't say, "become fishers of men!" He said "I will make you fishers of men." He would do the work. He would teach them and shape them and mold them. He would gift them and equip them and give them all that they would need to carry out the task.


You see, that is the power of Jesus. And that's the power of his call.  God's call is stronger human inadequacies. And that too is no different today! Think of what Paul said to the Corinthians:

"Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption." (1 Corinthians 1:26-30)

And it works the same in Kenai as in Corinth, in Nikiski as in Galilee. God still calls fishermen, and oil workers, and teachers, and retirees, and stay-at-home moms, and whatever other callings you have… He calls you to be a part of the mission and carry out the work of the church! And you can do it—because Jesus has made you fishers of men. He has taught you and shaped you and molded you. He has gifted you and equipped you and given you all that you need to carry out the task.


So let's get to work, friends! There are lots of "fish" out there: Neighbors, friends, co-workers, family members, Facebook acquaintances, and complete strangers who all need to hear Jesus' call to them that, "The time has come… The kingdom of God is near." They need to hear the call to, "Repent and believe the good news!"

So let's go fishing! Let's get as many lines in the water that we can. Let's host more events that invite friends and school families and members of our community to come to Grace. Let's invite co-workers and neighbors into our home to get to know them better so we can share the hope we have with them.


I remember going fishing with my dad once as a kid and seeing his T-shirt that said, "God's Fishers of Men. We Catch 'Em. God Cleans 'Em." J God does clean them—of all their sins through Jesus work for them. But really, God catches 'em too. We just get as many lines in the water that we can. Some will bite. Some won't. And some days it might feel like we got skunked.


But it doesn't matter. Just as those first disciples were willing to leave everything behind to follow Jesus and do the work he had for them to do, so too it is for us that the call is stronger. It's stronger than our fears. It's stronger than our inadequacies. And it makes us eager to put Jesus first in our lives. It makes us eager to do anything for him. It makes us eager to catch more people for him.


For even if it's a hazardous journey, the wages are small, the suffering is harsh… even if we're in constant danger, and safe return is doubtful, we know that honor and recognition are ours because of all that Jesus did for us. And that makes the call more powerful than anything else. So let's get to work for him! In Jesus' name, dear friends, amen! 


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

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

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

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Wednesday, January 18, 2017

“Come and See…” and “Follow Me!” A sermon based on John 1:43-51

Do you sometimes have doubts about your faith? Doubts about Jesus? So did one of his disciples, Nathanael. But his friend, Philip, invited him to come and see Jesus. And Jesus did the rest. You too are invited to come and see Jesus in the pages of his Word. You are invited to follow him to the cross and see his great love for you. Then you are invited to follow his example as you live for him in thanks. Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on John 1:43-51 and "come and see" and "follow me."

"Come and See…" and "Follow Me!"

A sermon based on John 1:43-51

Sunday, January 15, 2017 – Pentecost 2B

 

Let's start with a little game this morning. Let's play "Name that State Nickname." The rules are simple. I call out a state nickname. You call out the state. If you get it right before I say it, give yourself a point. The winner gets… well, nothing.

Are you ready? [Highlight the text in parenthesis to reveal the answers.] Here goes: The Last Frontier. (Alaska) The Buckeye State. (Ohio) The Evergreen State. (Washington) The Empire State. (New York) The Aloha State. (Hawaii) Okay, are you all warmed up? Those were the really easy ones. Now they get a little tougher… 

The Gem State. (Idaho) The Old Line State. (Maryland) The Granite State. (New Hampshire) The Old Dominion (Virginia). The Land of Enchantment. (New Mexico) Those were a bit harder, weren't they? Okay, ready for one more easy one… The Show-Me-State (Missouri).

The most widely known legend attributes the phrase to Missouri's U.S. Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver, who served in the House of Representatives in the late 1890's.  And in a speech in Philadelphia, he declared, "I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs," (whatever those are), "and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me." However the slogan originated, it is now used to indicate the stalwart, conservative, non-credulous character of Missourians.

Nathanael might have liked Missouri if he lived in the United States. He, like Thomas, wanted proof before he could believe. And understandably so! He didn't want to be taken in by a fraud! "Show me!" might have been his motto.

Well, thankfully, he had a friend name Philip, who didn't try to argue with him. He just showed him. He invited Nathanael, "Come and see." And Jesus did the rest.

Today, you might feel like you belong in Missouri. Or maybe you have a friend you think might have moved from there. But today, we're invited to "Come and see…" and "Follow Me." …er, well, technically, follow Jesus. Our text is from John 1:43-51…

 

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

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

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

"Come and see," said Philip.

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

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

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

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

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

 

The young man from Seattle couldn't believe his luck! He bet all he owned on this trip up to Alaska. He bought his stake in land, he bought all the gear he'd needed, and he took the steamboat north. And once he got settled and started to work the land, he couldn't believe his luck! Eureka! He had found it! He struck gold! And no matter where he dug, he kept pulling up more and more. He knew he couldn't mine it all alone. So he went home and told his brother to get his help.

"Yeah, sure you did. Sure you found gold," was his brother's reply. But the young man didn't give up,  "Come up to Alaska and see for yourself! I'll even pay for the trip." Well, that offer was too good to pass up, so the brother came up to Alaska. He saw the camp. He saw the gold. He believed and so he stayed. And the two brothers mined a fortune of gold!

Something similar happened in our text this morning. But what Philip found was worth far more than gold! "We have found him!" "Eureka!" is literally what he cried in the Greek! "We have found the one Moses wrote about in Genesis 3. We found the one Isaiah described in Isaiah 53!" "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote!"

But Nathanael was skeptical. And perhaps for good reason. When he heard, "Jesus of Nazareth," he may have gone through his memory bank to think of any mention of Nazareth in any of the prophecies. Zion… Jerusalem… Bethlehem… That's where the prophet said the Messiah would be from! So he challenged, Philip: "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?"

Now you might have expected Philip to argue, to find a proof passage that said the Messiah would work around Galilee. Or to tell Nathanael, that he surely didn't have every passage memorized—there must be one he was missing. But, no. Philip didn't argue. He just told Nathanael to find out for himself. "Come and see," said Philip.

And Nathanael went. But before Nathanael saw Jesus, Jesus saw Nathanael. And in a bit of a pun, when Nathanael was told, "Come and see," Jesus literally cried out, "See!" "A true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."

And Nathanael wondered how did Jesus know him? How did he know his character, his sincerity in looking for the Messiah to come, his knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures? How did Jesus know him well enough to give Nathanael such an endorsement?!

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

What did that mean? What exactly did Jesus see? Well, I'm not sure. But I think we get a clue by Nathanael's reaction. This one statement was all it took for Nathaniel to be convinced: "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

What led him to believe that Jesus wasn't just a good rabbi or even the promised Messiah, but to actually confess that Jesus was the Son of God? Perhaps Nathanael was under the fig tree praying a silent prayer. Perhaps he was even praying about the coming Messiah. And Jesus revealed that he heard those silent prayers. He somehow showed Nathanael that he knew what only the omniscient God could know.

So Nathanael confessed: "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." This was the one who would sit on David's throne. This was the one who would fight their enemies and win! Nathanael believed. And he struck it rich in that find—far richer than gaining any amount of gold!

And Jesus promised that Nathanael would see much greater things than that! He would personally witness Jesus walk on water. He would take part in feeding more than 5,000 people with a few fish and a few loaves of bread. He would watch as Jesus healed the crippled. He would see with his own eyes those who were dead brought back to life by the Son of God, the King of Israel.

 

Now what about you? Are you sometimes skeptical? Do you sometimes have your own doubts? Do you wonder if he really is who he said he is? Do you question if he really is alive? Do you wonder about the inerrancy of the Bible? Or maybe you just doubt that he really cares for you, that he'll really keep his promises as you face the trials, and fears, and pains that this broken world heaps on its residents.

Well, I won't argue with you. I won't try to persuade you. I won't brush off my apologetics textbook and start firing logical arguments your way. No. I'll simply do as Philip did and invite you to come and see.

Come, see Jesus in a Bible Class. Take the Bible Information Class again. Come see him in the pages of your Bible and see how much he cares for you! Come and see his miracles in worship this Epiphany season! See him each day as you meet him in a devotion. And as you do, you will see much greater things than Nathanael saw that day. You'll see the much greater things that Jesus accomplished for you.

You see, the truth is, that you didn't find Jesus. Jesus sought you out. He came looking for you. And he found you, just like he did for Philip. "Finding Philip, [Jesus] said to him, "Follow me." " Jesus has called you to follow him. Not to just to know about him, not just to study, him, but to do what you see him doing. He has called you to learn from him and then do what he says. But… the sad truth is that we don't do what he says. When he asks us to serve him by serving others, we come up with excuses. When he asks us to work for him, well, the couch is just too comfy right now. When he asks us to give to help his Kingdom grow, we have too many bills to pay from buying all the things we couldn't really afford.

Jesus says to each of us, "Follow me." And we, in our sinful nature say, "No thanks. I'd rather not." One man would always joke with his friends and every time they'd say, "I'll see you later," he would reply, "Not if I see you first." Well, that's what we deserve to have Jesus say in all seriousness. He does see us first. He sees our sin. He sees our rebellion. He sees our twisted thoughts and our self-righteous attitudes. He sees our condescension toward others, ignoring our laziness with him. And so we deserve to have him run the other way when he sees us coming. We deserve to be ditched by him for an eternity of hell—forever dodged by God and his love.

That's what we deserve. But ah…. That's not what we get. Because he sought us out. He called us to come and see him. He called us to follow him to the cross. And talk about seeing greater things than Nathanael saw that day! We've seen the fulfillment of how the Son of God, the King of Israel conquered our enemies for us—not Romans, or Muslims, or invading armies, but satan, death, sin, and hell.

"I tell you the truth," Jesus said. That was his way of saying, "Listen up! This is important! Note it and note it well!" "You shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

What in the world was Jesus talking about? Angels going up and down on his back? Well, for Nathanael, a true Israelite who knew his Scriptures well, he would have picked up on the illustration. It goes back to the time Jacob, Isaac's son, Abraham's grandson, was running away from home when his brother Esau was trying to kill him for stealing the inheritance from him. He was scared, and tired, and lonely, and had nothing but a rock for a pillow that first night. And God appeared to him in a dream and showed him a ladder or staircase to heaven as a symbol that there was a way to go be with God.

Of course, you know that way. It's Jesus himself. He said he is Jacob's ladder. He is the stairway to heaven. Or, really, he's more like the escalator because we don't have to do anything. He came down from heaven and the Son of God that Nathanael confessed became the Son of Man that we might go up to heaven. As the Son of Man he lived under the law in our place. As the Son of God he kept it perfectly always following his Father's commands flawlessly. As the Son of Man he took the punishment we deserved and not only died on a cross, but was ditched by the Father when he forsook him for those 3 dark hours of hell. And as the Son of God that death counted to pay for the sins of all mankind as he gave his perfection to each of us.

Jesus wasn't kidding when he said, "You shall see greater things than that." We've seen the salvation that Jesus accomplished for us! And seeing is believing! Now we, like Philip, like Nathanael, cast our doubts aside! And having seen him we follow him! We follow him in his Word where we see him and his will for our lives. We follow him by mimicking him and doing what we we see him do! We follow him when we do what he asks us to.

And what does he ask? That we live for others instead of for ourselves, especially telling them about him. And it's imperative that we do it right away. After all, 2017 might very well be the year that Jesus returns! Don't put it off! But someone might argue, "But I wouldn't know what to say!" Don't worry about what to say. You don't need to convince them. Just invite them. Say, "Come and see. Come and see who Jesus. Come and see at my church. Follow me… to Grace Lutheran. I'm going there this weekend. And I'd love it if you'd come with me." Let's invite them before it's too late. Because, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open!" One day we all will. And then we'll see Jesus face to face. We'll follow him into the paradise he's prepared for each of us. In Jesus' name, dear friends, "Come and see!" and "Follow me!" Amen! 


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

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

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

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Tuesday, January 10, 2017

​Two Amazing Baptisms! (A sermon based on Mark 1:4-11)

Do you remember your baptism? Even if you don't, it was a very special day! Some pretty amazing things happened at your baptism because it wasn't just water used that day. The water was connected to God's promises which connected you to Jesus and to all he's done for you! Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on Mark 1:4-11 and celebrate two amazing baptisms: Jesus' and your own! 

​Two Amazing Baptisms!

A sermon based on Mark 1:4-11

Sunday, January 8, 2016 – Epiphany 1B

 

Did you notice the new addition to the altar area a few weeks ago? I added it to help draw your attention to something special. I added it to help you focus and remember a wonderful gift that God has given to you. I added… a bright LED spotlight inside the baptismal font. It's pretty amazing, right? J I tried to match the color of the cross—as we highlight the Means of Grace—those means through which God gives his very grace—his forgiveness of sins to you.

Here I stand at the pulpit—a symbol of God's Word. And as I preach each week, your attention is drawn here to the Word. In the center stands the altar beneath the cross, reminding you of Jesus perfect sacrifice for you on the cross. The light behind the cross draws your attention to it and to the very body and blood of Jesus which comes to you every other week on this altar. And over there is the baptismal font—now with a bright light to draw your attention to it.

And today we celebrate not one, but two baptisms here at Grace. No… there are no new babies born that no one told you about. In fact, no one is actually going to be baptized today. No. The two baptisms that we celebrate are 1) your baptism. Each of you who have been baptized have had your sins washed away and you've been adopted as God's dearly loved child.

But how can ordinary tap water do such amazing things? Well, that's where the second baptism that we celebrate comes into play. Today we also celebrate 2) Jesus' Baptism which gives power to ours. By his perfect life, declared at his Baptism he has made you and me pleasing to God, loved by him.

So, today we celebrate two baptisms: Jesus' and ours. And both are pretty remarkable. Both are really quite amazing. Our text is from Mark 1:4-11…

 

4 And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." 

9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." 

 

I. Jesus' Baptism

 

Do you remember the keyword for the book of Mark? It's amazing! (I don't mean that it's amazing that you do or don't remember. I mean that the keyword for the book of Mark is "amazing!")

Over and over again Mark declares how Jesus amazed the people as he revealed who he was by performing all kinds of miracles. He healed the sick and raised the dead. And that's really what the Epiphany season is all about: Jesus revealing who he is by what he's done. And he truly is amazing!

So this morning, as we start the season of Epiphany, we start with the account of Jesus' baptism. And even though Mark doesn't use the word "amazing" in these verses, some pretty amazing things happened didn't they?

For starters, look what happened as Jesus came out of the water! "As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open…"

What do you think that looked like? Pretty amazing, I'll bet. It wasn't just clouds parting to the sun shine through like you see in the Bible story books. It says heaven was torn open! Like the curtain that hid God in the Most Holy Place, heaven itself was torn in two as God condescended to come to earth! I picture in my mind something like a portal to heaven opening in the sky, with light far brighter than a thousand LED spotlights! J What an amazing sight that must have been!

But that's not the only amazing thing seen! Then, "As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw… the Spirit descending on him like a dove." Out of the rift in heaven itself, the Holy Spirit came to earth. And he came down in bodily form looking something like a dove. I picture a fluttering light, but more. He took on physical form. Almost a second incarnation, where God took on substance! How amazing!

But there's more! Jesus didn't just see amazing things. He heard them too. "As Jesus was coming up out of the water… a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." And I can only imagine what that sounded like! Was it like peals of thunder? Like a roaring waterfall? Or like a soft, gentle, whisper. I can only imagine the voice of God in a deep resonating bass that shakes the earth and rumbles through your entire body when he speaks. But either way, God spoke out loud for human ears to hear! What an amazing sound it must have been!

And notice what God said: that Jesus was pleasing to him. Implied is that Jesus was pleasing in every way; that Jesus never sinned. And so really, isn't the whole event pretty amazing? Isn't the very fact that Jesus was baptized at all kind of amazing? After all we just read that this Baptism was "of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." But Jesus had no need for repentance or forgiveness because Jesus had no sin. So why did he need to be baptized at all?

That's a good question. In fact, even John himself wondered the same thing. He told Jesus that Jesus had it all wrong. Jesus didn't need to be washed by John! John needed to be washed by Jesus! But Jesus explained to him, "It is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." (cf. Matthew 3:14-15)

And that answer might still be a bit confusing. There was no law that said one must be baptized. So Jesus could still fulfill the law perfectly even if he didn't go through this ritual. So what's really going on? Jesus was pretending to be a sinner just like us as he identified with us sinners. He was taking our place in living this life perfectly on our behalf. By his perfect life and active obedience, he was fulfilling all righteousness …for us. Pretty amazing, right?

And that really brings us to our second amazing baptism. As amazing at Jesus' baptism must have been, we didn't get to see heaven torn open. We didn't see the Holy Spirit descend in bodily form. We didn't hear God speak from a rift in heaven. But still, some pretty amazing things happened at our baptisms. And John talked about them…

 

II. Our Baptisms

 

When John was baptizing at the Jordan River, he talked about your baptism when he said, "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." 

When you were baptized, the whole ceremony maybe took 3 minutes from start to finish—including the introduction and the prayer on your behalf afterwards. And it might not have seemed that impressive when an ounce or two of water was gently poured on your head. I mean, to my knowledge, heaven never opened and God didn't physically appear or speak at any of your baptisms. But some pretty amazing things happened nevertheless.

"He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit," John said. And that's exactly what happened at your Baptism. Through the power and promise of God, the Holy Spirit did descend on you—though invisibly. He came to dwell in you and to give you faith in God's promises. Peter said on the day of Pentecost, "Be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off." That last part means that this promise is for you too.

At your baptism, the Holy Spirit came to you to give you faith in God's promise of sins forgiven. And considering that every person is born spiritually dead, blind to God's ways and God's truth, hostile to God in every way… that truth, that you believe in him and trust in him, is honestly pretty amazing!

And that's not all. Because through that faith which the Holy Spirit created in your heart, he also brought you repentance—a change of mind about yourself, about your sin, and about your Savior—and forgiveness of sins through that repentance. So our baptism is just like John's in that it's "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins."

Through your baptism, you've been connected to Jesus and to all that he's done for you: his perfect obedience is given to you, his innocent death counts as your own, his resurrection from the dead guarantees your own. And all of that means that your sins are removed! Your guilt is gone! You are perfect and holy! That's pretty amazing, isn't it?!

And even that's not all! Because Jesus didn't just come to take your sin away and then leave you to figure out the rest of this life on your own. No! God adopted you to be his own! In Galatians 3(:26-29) God wrote through Paul, "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ… You are all one in Christ Jesus. [And] if you belong to Christ, then you are… heirs…"

Through your baptism, God has adopted you as his own child—his own son—an heir who will inherit all that he owns! God now says to you, "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." You are God's dearly loved child who he promises he will guard and protect until that inheritance of heaven is yours. Pretty amazing, isn't it? It's not just amazing, but awesome, really—literally, awe-inspiring—to think of all that God's done for you in your baptism!

And finally, what's more still, is that through your Baptism, God gave you a super power: He gave you the ability to not sin! God said through Paul in our epistle lesson (Romans 6:3-4,11-12) : "All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were… buried with him through baptism… in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead… we too may live a new life… Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus… Do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires."

By your baptism, you now have the power to resist temptation, to put your sin aside and leave it behind you in the dust, to take out the trash in your life and not let it return. You have the ability to live for God in thanksgiving for all that he's done for you, for all that he's given you, for all that he's promised you in your baptism! And that power is truly amazing! It's life changing for you and for those around you when you use it.

What amazing baptism, friends! What amazing things took place when Jesus was baptized in the Jordan river—heaven was torn open! The Holy Spirit came to earth physically! God the Father spoke from the heavenly rift!

What amazing things took place at the font on the day that you were baptized—God sent his Holy Spirit to you, he forgave your every sin, he adopted you to be his own, he gave you power over sin and every temptation! Both baptisms are totally amazing! Rejoice in both: In Jesus' baptism and in yours. 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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Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Stay With Us, Jesus! (A sermon based on Luke 24:27-35)

Have you made any New Year's resolutions? How about this one: Resolve to stay close to Jesus through his Word and the Lord's Supper. In these Means of Grace Jesus has resolved to open your eyes, reveal who he is and what he's done for you, and set your heart on fire with zeal to live for him in thanks. Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on Luke 24:27-35 and pray, "Stay with us, Jesus!"

​Stay With Us, Jesus!

A sermon based on Luke 24:27-35

Saturday, December 31st, 2016 and Sunday, January 1st, 2017

 

"Where are we going?" Jack asked his wife.

"You'll see," she replied.

Jack was riding in the passenger seat, but had no idea where they were or where they were headed. His wife had him blindfolded. Before long she parked the car and opened his door for him. And taking him by the hand, she said, "Just trust me. Follow me."

Jack was carefully led up a step or two and heard his wife knock on the door. He was led inside, where she finally took off the blindfold.

"Surprise!" came the shout from the living room in which he was standing, "Happy Birthday, Jack!" cried all his family and friends, gathered to celebrate another decade of Jack's life. And Jack couldn't have been happier. His heart was full.

In a sense, something similar took place on the Road to Emmaus one Sunday afternoon. Two of Jesus' disciples were confused. Where were they going? They knew they were on the way to Emmaus, but they wondered, where are we going after that? They had put all of their hope in Jesus, the Messiah, their conquering hero. And now he was dead. Now what???

But Jesus pulled the blindfold off. He showed them what the Messiah had really come to do: to pay for their sin. And when he did, they couldn't have been happier. He filled their hearts.

As they came to Emmaus, they pleaded of Jesus, "Stay with us." And Jesus did something better: He opened their eyes and he set their hearts on fire.

Today, as one year draws to a close and a new year begins, we too might pray to Jesus, "Stay with us!" And he promises he will. He's already opened our eyes to see who he is and what he's done. And he will continue to set our hearts on fire to live for him in thanks in 2017 and beyond. Our lesson for consideration is Luke 24:27-35…

 

27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. 

28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them. 

30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"

33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.


I.        Open Our Eyes!

 

The Emmaus Disciples must have known something about post-holiday depression. The Passover was over, the celebration done, and they were on their way home. But it wasn't just that the holiday was over that had them depressed. It was that Jesus, their master, their hero, their Savior… was now dead. What hope did they have now?

But they didn't get it. The cloud of sorrow that surrounded them kept them from seeing clearly. It was like they were blindfolded to the truth. They couldn't understand that Jesus had risen from the dead.

But Jesus opened their eyes. And it wasn't just by appearing to them. No! When he appeared to them, they still didn't see him—they didn't recognize who he was, they didn't get that he was alive. No. Jesus opened their eyes, not by his physical presence, but by the Bible study he led them through and when he broke bread with them. "He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him…" And it says again in verse 35: "Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread." Then they got it! Jesus had to die to pay for their sin! But now Jesus was alive again! He was the proof of sins forgiven!

You and I may be going through some post-holiday blues too. But we don't need to. Because Jesus has opened our eyes too. And let's face it, we've gone around blindfolded ourselves – with a blindfold we've put on ourselves! By our apathy towards the word, by our laziness in study, by that foolish thought that we already see all we need to see in the word…

Just look back over the last year. Have you studied the Word of God the way you wanted? Did you worship God with your whole heart? Did you give your gifts to thanks to him? Did you always live for him? Why not? Because we took our eyes off the cross. We willingly looked away and put on blinders to see only what was immediately before our eyes, the instant gratification of our sin.

But look back over this past year and see how many times Jesus opened your eyes again. How many times did he remove the blindfold, clear the fog, and let you see him and his cross clearly again? Every time you read a devotion, every time you listened to a sermon, every time you heard the words of the absolution, every time you knelt at the communion rail, you saw Jesus clearly again. You saw who he is—the perfect, sinless, Son of God—and you saw what he's done—removed your every sin, taken away the punishment you deserve by the cross, given you a clean slate, and a reason to rejoice and live for him.

Not by physically appearing to you, but by his Word and by the bread that we break he's opened our eyes and shown us himself and his work for us. Now resolve to stay in that Word in 2017! Resolve to receive the Lord's Supper more often! Resolve to keep your eyes open!

Would you drive home from church blindfolded? Of course not! You could easily crash, get into in a wreck, and even be killed! Would you choose to go through life with your eyes closed all the time? You might manage, but who would want to?! Likewise, don't go through life blindfolded to the Word, with your eyes closed to the truth!

So make a resolution today. Resolve to come to stay for Bible Class after worship as we study the Book of Revelation then the Old Testament sacrificial system. Resolve to come to Wednesday night Bible Class as we study the Screwtape Letters and learn the mind of the enemy. Resolve to read Meditations every day. Resolve to read one chapter of the New Testament every Monday through Friday and finish the New Testament in 2017! Resolve to borrow this copy of "Through the Bible in a Year" and do it!

Resolve to strengthen your faith by the Word and Sacraments so your eyes are always open. And as you carry out that resolution, Jesus will not only keep your eyes open, but he will also set your heart on fire!

 

II.      Set Our Hearts on Fire!

 

The Emmaus Disciples finally understood. They understood who Jesus was and what he had come to do. And with that understanding came a change in how they felt. No more post-holiday depression for those two! Now they said, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"

Their hearts once dull, were now full—of peace and joy. Once confused, now enlightened—with that "aha!" moment the Bible study brought. Once sad and depressed, now excited—eager to share what they'd learned with their friends. So they didn't stay home and go to bed. Instead, "They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen!"

Like Jack was excited to see his family and friends when his wife took of the blindfold, in a similar way those disciples were excited to go see their friends when Jesus pulled the blindfold off for them.

Likewise, we too have no need to feel the holiday blues. Sure the presents are unwrapped and maybe some of them already broken, you may be a few pounds heavier now and coming down off the sugar high of all those Christmas treats, you may be looking back over 2016 and thinking about some of your failed resolutions. But none of those are any reason to be sad—not even your sin!

Because earlier in the service you heard again those words of absolution: Your sins are forgiven! And in a minute Jesus will gives you his body and blood in the Sacrament once more to assure you that you are indeed forgiven! And that forgiveness sets your hearts on fire again and rekindles your peace and joy and your excitement to live for him!

So in the year ahead may you continue to be excited to hear of that forgiveness again and again—may that message never grow old or tired to you! May you be excited again to gain more and more understanding in his Word as the Scriptures are opened to you! May be excited again to share what you've learned with friends as Jesus lights the fire beneath you making you eager to live for him!

Go ahead and resolve to lose a few pounds, but not just so that you look better, but that you have more energy to serve Jesus and maybe a few more years to serve Jesus too. Resolve to get pay down your debt and get debt free, but not so you'll have more money to spend on yourself later, but so that you'll be able to support the work of the Church. Resolve to read more books and gain more wisdom and insights, but especially resolve to read the Word of God where he'll open your eyes and set your hearts on fire.

Finally, Jesus left those Emmaus Disciples, but not really. He left Emmaus. And eventually Jesus left earth at his ascension. But even then he promised to be with his disciples always—to the very end of time!

That means he's still with us. He's still opening our eyes through his Word! He's still revealing himself in the Supper! He's still setting our hearts on fire by his love and grace and especially by his forgiveness. And he's still moving us to resolve to live for him in the year ahead and until he comes again. And he's still with us helping us keep those resolutions that are pleasing to him. So we too still pray "Stay with us, Jesus! Open our eyes! Set our hearts on fire! In Jesus name, 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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