Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Chosen for Glory (A sermon based on 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17)

You have a choice to make. Actually, you have a lot of choices to make every day. Sadly, our choices aren't always the best. They are often selfish and self-serving. And for such poor choices, we deserve God to make the natural choice to send us away from him. But in his inexplicable grace God chose us -- before the world was made, before time began! -- to be his own. And he did everything to make it happen. Jesus chose the cross. The Holy Spirit chose to bring us to faith. Now read or listen to (download) this sermon based on 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 and be encouraged to make better choices in thanks to God for choosing you. 

​Chosen for Glory

A sermon based on 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

Sunday, January 21, 2018 –

​Epiphany 
2B

 

When I was a kid, they were one of my favorite genre of books. Now, I can hardly seem to find them for my kids. They were called, Choose Your Own Adventure. If you're not familiar with the series, they'd work like this: You'd read a few pages into the story until you got to a spot that directed you to make a choice. Would you get on the boat? Then turn to page 42. Or would you try to take the plane? Then turn to page 56. Would you fight the guard? Turn to page 105. Or would you try to sneak in through a window? Then turn to page 114. And based on the choices you made the story would unfold in a very different manner.

Choose your own adventure. That's how life works too, doesn't it? Take the prize or trade it in for whatever's behind door number two? Should I get a PC or a Mac? A truck or a minivan? Can I hit the snooze button or do I have to get up now? What should I eat for breakfast? Should I watch Netflix or read a book? Should I read my Bible today? And, of course, based on the choices made, the story can turn out very different in the end.

Every moment of every day is full of choices. From what we eat to what we do, from how we spend our money, to how we spend our time, we have choice after choice to make every single day. And, of course, many of those choices are moral ones: Will I snap back when someone hurts me? Or will I forgive as I've been forgiven? Will I choose to be kind and compassionate? Or bitter and angry? Will I choose to confess my mistakes and my sins? Or will I try to cover them up to shift the blame to someone else.

And, sadly, we don't always make the best choices. Instead we selfishly choose to seek glory for ourselves. And by our sin, we really choose hell over God. But thank God that he made a wonderful choice—a choice that wasn't driven by logic, or self-interest, but entirely by love. A choice that seems to make no sense at all: He chose me, he chose you, to be his own. He called us to be his own. And he chose us to share in his glory. Our text for consideration this morning describes God's wonderful choice and is taken from 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17…

 

13 But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

 

"Why did I eat that? Now I feel uncomfortably full and bloated." "Why did I say that? I can tell my comment really stung. But I can't take it back or unsay it now." "I really wish I hadn't spent my money on that. What a waste it was! But there's no way I'm getting my money back on that deal."

I find that there are plenty of choices in my life where only a little bit of hindsight reveals them to be the wrong choice. And I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I had chosen to do or say something different.


And I'm sure you can relate. Some choices we make are good and work out in the end. Other choices aren't so good and we suffer the consequences for them as we each choose our own adventure.

But do you ever stop to think why we make the choices that we do? Well, if we're honest with ourselves, don't we usually make our choices based on what's in our own best interest? Sure, you may make better choices about food and exercise than I do, but is the reason for those choices that you want to have more energy to serve your Savior? Or is because you feel in control of your health and your life? Or maybe you make the wise chose to save your money instead of spend it all at once. But do you find your security and sense of well-being in what you've saved rather than in God? Do you choose to forgive and show kindness at home because you love your Savior and your family? Or because you just want to get along and you know they'll leave you alone if you're nice. You're more likely to get what you want if, every now and then, you give them what they want.

You see, our choices are more than just the things we say, and do. Our choices are driven by our beliefs and by our attitudes. And our choices are often selfish, seeking to get glory for ourselves. When given the choice between serving selflessly or demanding that we get our rights, we choose our rights. When given the choice between showing love and getting our way, we choose our way. When given the choice between humility or glory, we choose glory.

And when we make such poor choices, we choose to ignore God, to rebel against him, to live to serve ourselves with no thought of him. And for choosing the glory of self over humble service to God… well… you know where that so-called adventure leads.


You know, unlike most stories, my Choose Your Own Adventure books didn't always have a happy ending. If you chose to sneak past the gorilla on the shortcut instead of taking the long way around, you could get killed by the gorilla when it awakes. Or, if you tried to play it safe and take the longer route through the grassy field, you might be bit by a venomous snake. Sometimes it seemed like whatever choice you made, didn't matter. You would still end up getting yourself killed.

Well isn't it that way in life too? If you choose to live in open rebellion to God and his will (seeking adventure and glory for yourself), sinning openly and brazenly, it will most certainly lead to death—eternal death. But if you choose to live as morally as you can, striving to be well-behaved in all you do (seeking your glory in a moral superiority compared to others)… well, you still won't be perfect. And that choice will still lead to death. (And it might ironically fill you with a pride that tells you don't really need much forgiveness anyway, leading you to be caught off guard when that judgment comes.)

And honestly, if left to your own choices, it wouldn't matter. You'd be damned if you do, damned if you don't, because unlike my Choose Your Own Adventure books, there is no right choice we can make to survive. We were all dead in our sin and transgression incapable of choosing to serve God and incapable of acting on it even if we could choose. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And the wages of sin is death—eternal death in hell.

 

But, in spite of our bad choices, we won't get the hell we deserve. Paul explains why…

But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.  

Why won't be suffer the eternal consequences of our bad choices? Because of gracious choices God made concerning us. God chose you. Before the world was made, before time began, God chose you to be his adopted children and live with him forever in heaven! God chose to send his Son on a rescue mission to recover your soul.

Jesus chose to give up his glory, to leave heaven behind to live on this earth instead. Jesus chose to never do anything selfish, but always chose to do what was loving and kind. He always chose to obey his Father. Jesus chose to go to Calvary. He chose the cross. He chose the nails. He chose the torture. He chose the hell. He chose to give you credit for his perfect life. He chose to take your sin away.

God chose to send his Spirit to bring you to faith—to believe the truth—by his sanctifying work in the Word and in Baptism.  He chose to strengthen your faith by that Word and by his Son's body and blood. He chose to keep you in the faith, "that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" that he has prepared for you in heaven.

As Luther put it so clearly, "I believe that I cannot by my own thinking or choosing believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.  In the same way he calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith."

When we choose to do all we can to get an earthly glory for ourselves, and in so doing choose the path to hell, God, in his grace chose us "to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called [us] to this through [the] gospel, that [we] might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." We call this "the doctrine of election," that God chose us, by grace, to be his own. Thank God for that choice! Thank God that our lives aren't a Choose Your Own Adventure story,  but that he chose to make us a part of his story to bring us to the eternal adventure of heaven!

And now, while we wait for that great adventure to begin, Paul has some advice for us in the meantime:

So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter… May our Lord Jesus Christ… encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word."

Now, in thanks to God for his gracious choice, and by the encouragement and strength that he gives, you can make good choices. Choose to stand firm in the Word. Choose to read your Bible before you reach for the remote. Choose a devotion over a few more minutes of sleep. Choose to cling to these truths in Jesus and never let go because you know that in these truths we find our salvation! 

Then choose to serve God and bring glory to him instead of serving yourself as you reach for self-glory. Choose to serve others before you serve yourself. Choose kind words instead of the snappy comeback. Choose to confess your sins to God and to each other. Choose to change your bad habits, replacing them with something good. Choose to use your money, your time, your food, your body, your mind, and all that you have to bring glory to God.

And with his encouragement and with the strength that he gives, you can do it! "May our Lord Jesus Christ… encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word."

And as you continue to make good choices, you will stand firm to the end and you will share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. You don't need to choose your own adventure hoping your choices don't lead to death. God already chose you to share in his heaven. And he did everything to make it happen. Now choose to live for him in thanks with every choice you make each day. To God be the glory in thanks for the glory he called you to share! 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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Tuesday, January 16, 2018

When Foundations Are Shaken… (A sermon based on Acts 16:25-34)

What do you do when your world is shaken to its core and your world starts crumbling beneath your feet? Do you thank God anyway? Do you sing your hymns  of praise to him? Too often we whine and complain against God as if he owed us something better. Thank God that he rescued us from our self-absorption and our sin. Now, as we praise him for his saving Grace even in our trial and pain, others will notice, and it may provide us with an opportunity to share our faith with them when their world is shaken to it's core. Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on Acts 16:25-34 and rejoice that in the waters of Baptism you find your firmest footing. 

When Foundations Are Shaken…

A sermon based on Acts 16:25-34

Sunday, January 14, 2018 – Epiphany 2B

 

He slept so soundly that it seemed like nothing could wake him but his alarm. And it didn't take the other guys at the seminary very long to figure out what a deep sleeper he was. One morning he woke up on his mattress to find that it had been moved from his bed, outside, and placed on top of his car. Thankfully he didn't roll off. But he was late for class. Another morning he woke up with his mattress at an incline… on the steps going up to the library. Good thing it didn't rain. And one morning as he was getting dressed his roommate asked what was all over his back. He ran to the mirror to see all the messages his friends wrote on him while he was asleep, thankful they wrote on his back and not on his face.

Some people are deep sleepers. They could seemingly sleep through almost anything. They're not the ones to help when you hear a strange bump in the night. They won't get up to when the baby is crying. They need the alarm to sound or they're sure to be late.

Some people are deep sleepers… spiritually speaking. It takes a lot to wake them up. It takes a crisis. It takes hitting rock bottom. It takes the ground to drop out beneath their feet before they wake up. But God loves them too much to let them sleep unaware of their eternal doom. So he does all he can to shake things up to wake things up. Listen to how he did that to a jailer in the city of Philippi, using a midnight earthquake to wake up from his sleep, both literally, and spiritually. And learn how God can do the same for you and through you. Our text for consideration is taken from Acts 16:25-34…

 

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"

29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

31 They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.

 

You've heard the expression, "No good deed goes unpunished." Well, that's probably how Paul and Silas felt. They had helped a little girl who had a rough life. Not only was she a slave to masters who used her for their own profit, but she was possessed by a demon. They drove the demon out in the name of Jesus when she kept following them and shouting a them. And for their kindness, her owners pressed charges.

Paul and Silas were publicly stripped, then severely beaten with rods, flogged, and finally thrown into prison where their feet were locked tight in the stocks. And suffering this injustice of being condemned without a trial, humiliated in public, abused, and injured, now bleeding and stiff-legged and cramped on the cold floor of the jail cell… they whined and complained and shouted their angry cries of outrage.

Actually, no. That's what I might have done. But not Paul and Silas. They were praying and singing hymns of praise to God. And they kept at it all night, still singing at midnight.

It may have been that their jailer fell asleep to the sound of those soothing hymns. But he didn't get to sleep long. Suddenly, he was shaken awake by a violent earthquake! The foundations of the prison floor were rolling, perhaps splitting beneath his feet! And if that weren't frightening enough, it got worse when he realized the earthquake was throwing all the prison doors wide open. And he must have known that this was not a natural event because no earthquake would make the chains and shackles on fall off the wrists and ankles of the prisoners. No! He knew this was from the gods, likely from the god or gods of Paul and Silas.

And that's when the real terror struck. Roman law demanded that if a jailer let his prisoners go, he would have to suffer the fate of each and every prisoner there. If some were scheduled to be flogged and others executed, he would first be flogged, then executed himself. So the best option he could think of was to take his own life. "He drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped." Yes, he would selfishly leave his wife to become a widow and his kids to grow up fatherless. But it was better than what he knew was coming him to him. When the ground dropped out of his life, suicide seemed the best option.

Have you ever been there? Ever had the ground crumble beneath your feet? Ever been shaken up so badly that you saw no solution, no way out? Have you ever had it bad at work, at home, in your marriage, with the kids, that you felt utterly miserable? How did you respond?

Maybe you went out of your way to help someone and were chastised for it. Maybe you feel like you've put in great effort to make the relationship good, but your parents, spouse, or kids keep ignoring your efforts, blaming you, and abusing you again and again. How do you respond?

Did you pray? Were those prayers just asking God for help? Or did you praise God for his goodness in spite of what you were going through? Did you sing? Were those songs "woe-is-me" songs fit only for a pity party? Or did you sing hymns of praise to God for his never-ending grace to you like Paul and Silas did?

I'll bet no one here has been publicly stripped and humiliated, beaten with rods, and mercilessly flogged because you've tried to help someone out. And yet, for much smaller offenses, don't we often whine and complain and shout our angry cries of outrage to anyone who will listen… even to God as if he owed us something better?

Or flip it. Maybe it's not you who's suffering, but a friend, a spouse, a neighbor.  Maybe you've never considered suicide. (Or maybe you have.) But I can almost guarantee that someone you know has considered it. There are people in your life who have no hope. They find life so sad, and miserable, and lonely, with no hope for a way out, that they have considered taking their own life. They may have even attempted it. Some may have even succeeded in that attempt.

Now, to be clear, for those who did succeed in ending their own life, that decision was their own. They chose to be selfish and take what seemed to them to be the easy way out in direct violation of God's will that we shall not murder (self-murder included). It was their choice, not yours.

But for those who have attempted suicide, for those who have considered it, for those who are now considering it but have told no one… did they find a friend in you? Did they find a sympathetic ear? Did they find one who held out hope? Did they know you to be one who sings songs of praise to God even when in pain? Or did they even know you were a Christian? Did they assume that you didn't care either, because you never showed any concern, too absorbed in your own life and your own problems and pain that you did nothing to reach out to help them in theirs?

You see then that whether it's our response to our own injustices, problems, and pain that we face by whining and complaining instead of praying and singing praise to God, or it's our response to the problems and pain of others as we uncaringly ignore it to focus on ourselves, we deserve far greater problems and pain than anything we've ever faced in this life.

And that crushing news can rock your world. That realization can break up the ground beneath your feet. It can shake you up to your very core and make the foundations of your life crumble. And… that's what it's supposed to do. It's meant to wake you up from your spiritual slumber and see your great need for help—your great need for a Savior.

That's exactly what it did for the jailer. 

When Paul stopped him from taking his own life, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!" he threw that jailer a lifeline of hope. Clearly, these men had a powerful god or powerful gods on their side. That must have been the source of this supernatural quake. So he asked them a very important, yet very flawed question: The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

It's very important because everyone asks this question at some point in their life and eternity depends on having the right answer to it. But I say that it's a flawed question because even though, by nature, we all assume there is something we must do to make things right with God, that's not the case. I hope you all know and believe the answer to this man's question already, but just to be clear the answer is, "Do nothing. Jesus did everything." "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved…"

You see, for life's biggest questions, God often has the simplest answers.

Paul and Silas made it clear that there was nothing for the jailer to do because Jesus had already done it all. He lived a perfect life in the jailer's place. He died an innocent death in the jailer's place. He rose from the dead to prove to the jailer and to everyone that the debt every sinner owed to God has been pain in full. It's done. It is finished.

And as the jailer took them home and washed their wounds, Paul and Silas led him and his family though a Bible study to explain it all. And then there were two washings that night. After the jailer washed the wounds of Paul and Silas, Paul and Silas washed the jailer and his family in the waters of Baptism. And by that water they were connected to Jesus' work for them on the cross, they were washed of their sin, they were adopted by God as his own children. And why shouldn't they be? They were a part of all nations. And the promise was for them and for their children. And, so, the jailer "was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family."

Ironically, the one who's job it was to keep the prisoners locked up, was, for the first time, truly free himself. He found freedom from sin and guilt, from shame and death, from satan and hell. And, ironically, when the foundations of his world were shaken to the core, that jailer found his firmest footing on water—on the water of Baptism that connected him to Jesus. 

And that's where we find our firmest footing when our foundations are shaken too.

For our sin and self-absorption, for our whining and complaining when life isn't fair or just a bit uncomfortable, for our calloused heartlessness in the face others' pain, we deserve hell. So what do we do to be saved? Nothing at all. The answer is still the same: Do nothing. "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved…"

In 2011 a woman named Jenni Lake had a rough year. Terrible headaches led her to see a doctor to figure out what was causing them. It didn't take long to reveal three tumors on her spine…. And three more on her brain. She immediately started aggressive radiation and chemotherapy treatments. But just before Thanksgiving Jenni died. She died because she quit her treatments back in March. "Why in the world would she do that?" you ask. In March of that year, Jenni discovered that she was pregnant. So she stopped the radiation and chemotherapy treatments that would harm her unborn son. And on November 9th, 2011 Jenni gave birth to a healthy baby boy. And 12 days later, Jenni died with her son in her arms.

Now, what did that little boy do to be saved? Nothing. Mom did it all. Mom gave her life for her son that he might live. And do you think that that 6 year old boy ever doubts that mommy loved him? Of course not! She gave her life for him.

Of course, you know where this illustration is going. God loves you. He loves you even when your world is shaken to the core, then the foundations that you thought would always be there are rocked. He loves you so much that he gave his Son that you might live. Jesus loves you. Jesus cares for you as you go through the problems and the trials of this life. Jesus loves you so much that he took the cancer of your sin and it's terminal illness on himself. He endured the hell that you and I deserve on another day when the ground shook—so hard that the rocks split!—on Good Friday (cf. Matthew 27:51). And he did it all so that we might live forever with him.

And God graciously delivers the blessings of what he won for the whole world to each individual through his gift of Baptism, that means by which he delivers his grace to you. And so you never need to doubt that God loves you. He gave his Son for you. He gave his life for you. 

And for that reason you can pray to God thanking him for his love for you, even when you're hurting and feeling all alone. You can sing hymns of praise to God for his never-ending grace to you like Paul and Silas did… even if you should someday be publicly stripped and humiliated, beaten with rods, and mercilessly flogged because you've tried to help someone out.

And as you praise God even in your suffering and pain, others will take notice. They'll notice that you're made of different stuff than other people. They'll see your quiet confidence in the face of pain, they'll hear your songs of praise even when the foundations of your world are shaken, and they'll come to know you as one who can handle the big challenges of life.

And when their world is shaken to the core, when they hear the doctor's diagnosis, when crime comes to their home, when they lose their job and with it a part of their identity, when they lose a parent, a spouse, or a child to death, when they don't know where else to turn… they may wake up. And when they do, they may turn to you. And ask you how you stay so calm when these things rock your world. They may ask, in their own way, "What must I do to have what you have? What must I do to find such peace?" "[Friend], what must I do to be saved?" And you can answer them with the truth that you've come to know and love: "Do nothing. Jesus has done it all." "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved."

Your foundations may be shaken. Your world may be rocked to its core. In fact, some big earth-shaking tragedy is likely to happen to you at some point in this sin-filled world. But find your firm footing and solid ground in water—the water of your Baptism. Know that even if you're beaten, flogged, and imprisoned, nothing can ever rob you of the freedom you have in Jesus; the freedom from sin and guilt, from shame and death, from satan and hell. And then praise God for it in all you do—in good times, and in bad.

And when others' foundations are shaken, and they, knowing you to be one who always praises God, come to you for help, share with them this simple truth: "Do nothing… Jesus has done it all…" "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved." 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, January 8, 2018

The Mystery Revealed (A sermon based on Ephesians 3:2-12)

Do you like mysteries? There's one mystery we could never solve on our own: The mystery of how to be right with God. But God, in his grace, revealed the solution to that mystery to us. In Christ, we are right with God. And this salvation isn't just for a few, it's for all. Now, we work to solve the mysteries of how to share this news with others. Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on Ephesians 3:2-12 and rejoice in the mystery revealed! 

​The Mystery Revealed

A sermon based on Ephesians 3:2-12

Sunday, January 7, 2018 – Epiphany 1B

 

When I was a kid, I loved watching Scooby Doo on TV. As the gang got in the Mystery Machine and drove to their destination, they were sure to see some creepy monsters with some diabolical plot. But Fred and Daphne, Velma and Shaggy, with the help of his dog, Scooby Dooby Doo, would follow the clues, pull the mask off the villain in the final scenes, and solve the mystery.

Then, as I got older, I loved reading books by Sir Arthur Conan Dolye and Agatha Christie. There was always at least one murder, often many. And I, as the reader, got to try to figure out along with Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot who the culprit was while there were still victims left. I loved trying to solve the mystery.

Today, I still like playing Clue with my boys or Mind Trap, a game of brain teaser riddles. Or now we have Escape Room, where you race against the clock to figure out the clues (with creepy dramatic music if you download the app), and, if you're good, you solve the mystery and escape the imaginary room before you die.

In short, I love a good mystery. And I hope you do too, because, well, today, friends, we've got a mystery on our hands. And the solution to this mystery is more important than any other mystery real or imagined. Whether we follow the clues to solve this mystery or not has consequences that are far greater than life or death. We must solve it or else!  So, come, dear Watsons, come! The game is afoot! Our text for consideration this morning is found in Ephesians 3:2-12…

 

2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. 8 Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

 

Wait. What?! So that's the mystery? "Jesus died to pay for our sins"?! Well, that wasn't much fun. We all knew the answer already. So… now what am I supposed to talk about for another 10 minutes? Should I just say, "Amen," and sit down? Some of you may wish for that. But no.

I think we've heard the solution to this mystery so often, that at times we can really take it for granted like that, just like I used to take for granted that Scooby and the gang would solve the mystery within 30 minutes (commercial breaks included) and the good guys would win in the end. So to really appreciate this mystery, maybe we need to back up a bit…

The mystery before us is really a murder mystery. And it's not just one we watch or read. It's one we're a part of. We're living in the mystery. (And at one point we were totally unaware.) The villain, the murderer, isn't just out to take human life, but to kill souls. That's what satan and his demons do: they try to kill souls—separate them from God and his love for eternity. And this isn't just some horror movie. This is real life—the life in which we live.

The murderer was on the loose and seemed to be winning. He still does, doesn't he? Not only does he take countless souls every day, but he's also succeeded to get us to join his side. He sure had Paul on his side. That's why Paul admitted that he was, "less than the least of all God's people," once arresting and murdering any who sided with Jesus.

And you and I have sided with satan too. How many times haven't we stood in the way of the gospel instead of sharing it with others? How many times haven't we ignored the clues that God has dropped into our lives nudging us to do his will? How many times haven't we acted more like Herod than the Magi, opposing Jesus and his will instead of worshiping him with our lives, our time, and our gifts?

And why do we do it? Why do we act that way? Every good mystery needs a motive, right? Well, our motive was simple enough: like satan we didn't want anyone to tell us what to do. We wanted to be in control of our lives. We wanted to be in charge. And so our selfishness led us to sin against God and side with his enemy.

And you know what we deserve for siding with the enemy. We deserve to have God abandon us to him. And we deserve to be eternally tortured and killed by satan—but without ever actually dying—forever in hell.

 

So the mystery that we all once faced was this: "How can I be right with God?" We had the clues of his justice and his righteousness written on our hearts, revealed by our consciences, but we could never figure a way to make things right. We could never solve the mystery on our own. The best guess we could come up with was to earn his love by attempting to do more good than bad. But it didn't work. It never could. For starters, we could never do more good than bad because the bad we do is so great. But secondly, even if we could do more good than bad tomorrow it wouldn't undo the bad we've done today or yesterday or last year…  

So we were stuck with this unsolvable mystery and it looked like the murderer would strike again with us! It looked like he would get away with another murder or billions. Things were hopeless.

Now, I love a good mystery and a good puzzle. I love hunting for the solution, exploring every angle, searching for the clues. But I admit that I get frustrated when I can't figure it out. But the truth is that no one can figure out the truth about salvation by their super sleuthing no matter how good they are. It's an unsolvable mystery. Unless… God chooses to reveal the answer. And thank God he has. And thank God he's revealed the answer to you…

 

Throughout the centuries God's people searched the Scriptures—the writings of Moses and the Prophets—looking for the clues to see how things could be made right. For they knew that God had left many clues there for them to see. But it wasn't until Christmas that the solution began to be seen clearly. And there, God, the author of the greatest mystery story ever, stepped into the story and, breaking the fourth wall, revealed the solution to the mystery. He revealed it to Mary, and Joseph, to the shepherds, to the apostles, to Paul, and through all of them to you and to me.

Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace… for you, that is, the mystery made known… by revelation… the mystery of Christ… as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets.

You know—thank God!—the solution to that mystery of how to be right with him. You know how the God-man, Jesus, had come to make things right. You know how God took on flesh so he could live a perfect life in our place and die an innocent death in our place. You know, "the unsearchable riches of Christ…" You know the peace of forgiveness because the mystery has been revealed to you.

And why did God do it? Every good mystery needs a motive right? Well, God's motive was nothing in us, nothing we did or would do. God's motive was his great love for us! His love moved him to act and rescue mankind from sin, death, satan, and hell.

 

But there was another mystery for God's people to solve in Paul's day—another mystery we so often take for granted. And it was this: "Who is this salvation for?" And while some thought it was only for God's specially chosen people, the Jews, Paul acted like Sherlock Holmes and, by the revelation of the Holy Spirit, he solved the mystery so many others could never solve: "This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus… This grace was given me:" Paul said, "to preach to the Gentiles…"

Mystery solved! God's grace isn't just for the Jews. And in hindsight (just like reading a mystery novel) the clues were all there: God's grace was given to Ruth, from Moab not from Israel. It was given to Magi from the East, given the clue of the star to follow. That's why Epiphany is called the Gentile Christmas! But now, through the apostle Paul, it couldn't be spelled out more clearly: God's grace is for Gentiles! God's grace is for non-Jews! God's grace is for you, dear friends! Jesus died for you! You are forgiven! The murderer of souls can't hurt you! You belong to God, Gentile that you are!

Thank God that he has revealed the solution to these mysteries to you! These mysteries are solved! The problem of sin: solved! The problem of death: solved! The problem of hell: solved! The problem of who this is all for: solved! It's for you!

 

But it's not just for you. It's for the whole world. And there's no way that others can figure out the solution on their own. They need someone to reveal the mystery to them. "Through the church," Paul said, "the manifold wisdom of God should be made known…" That is to say, through you and me.

So that leaves us with a few new mysteries to solve—mysteries that haven't yet been revealed. And in these mysteries lies all the fun: How can I advance the Kingdom? What can I do to further the cause of the Gospel? How can I help others see the solution to the great mystery—the mystery that's already been revealed to me? How can I share God's grace with my neighbor, my co-worker, or friend? Where are they hurting? What needs do they feel that God's Word addresses? How can I use those to build a bridge for Jesus to cross over from my heart into theirs?

Talk to them. Ask them questions. And listen for the clues they give. And listen to God as he speaks to you in his Word. For these mysteries, while yet unknown, can be solved with a little effort, with the help of a pastor or friend, with the Word of God, and above all, with God's help. So ask him for it. "In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." And you know he'll give you the help you need.

Go solve those mysteries, super sleuths, to bring glory to God for the mystery he's revealed to you: That in Christ, and by his work for you, your sin is forgiven! The enemy can't kill you! You will join God in his paradise! That this salvation isn't just for a few, or just for the Jew. It's for Gentiles too. It's for you and me. It's for everyone. So, go reveal the mystery to them, so they too can say, "Mystery solved!" 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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Monday, January 1, 2018

Thank God, You Know the Future (A sermon based on James 4:13-17)

Wouldn't it be nice to know all that 2018 would bring? Wouldn't it be great to know what stocks would do well and which would fail, which team would win the Superbowl, and what would happen to you, your health, your family, your job? Maybe. Maybe not. But God has revealed the future to you. Through his Word, he has shown you what your eternal future holds. Thanks to Jesus' perfect life, innocent death, and resurrection, you will live with him forever in heaven. Read or listen to (download) this sermon based on James 4:13-17 and thank God that you know the future! 

Thank God, You Know the Future
A sermon based on James 4:13-17
Sunday, December 31, 2017 – New Year's Eve 

A few weeks ago we were talking about the prophets in Catechism class. We were discussing how God told them about the future, how he would someday send a Savior from sin for all of mankind. And that prompted questions about fortune telling and future predictions from one of the students: "What about Nostradamus?" she asked, "Was he a prophet? He claimed to see the future. And he made all kinds of prophecies."

"Sure," I replied, "He was a prophet. Just… he was a really, really terrible one. There's such a small percentage of things he got right compared to all the things he got wrong. But, you know the saying, 'Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.'" (I then had to explain the expression, "Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.") :)

But then another student chimed in, "Plus, aren't his predictions a lot like the horoscope?"

"Good! But tell us, what you mean." I said.

"Well," the student said, "I mean… aren't the predictions so vague that it's hard to get them wrong? Like, 'Tomorrow, something good will happen to you, but also something bad.' Anyone could find a way to 'prove' those predictions 'true.'" And I was happy. My students get it. 

It's that time of year again when so-called psychics make their predictions for the future. But given their accuracy, should they be trusted? Should they even be given the time of day? Fine, once in a while a bit of common sense, knowledge of current events, and some good guessing means they hit their target (or at least get close and claim credit anyway). But they're definitely wrong far more often than they're right. "Even a stopped clock is right twice a day."

But this is an area where God likes to show off. A lot. God's track record with future predictions boasts a 100% accuracy rate. Just page through the New Testament sometime and skim the footnotes. See all those Old Testament references? They're there to show how God predicted how this would happen exactly this way. It's God politely saying, "See? I told you it would happen."

So this morning, as well look back over another year now past, and look ahead, perhaps with some apprehension of what the future may bring, we can rejoice that, because of what God has revealed to us in his Word, we do know the future. At least we know all that we need to know. But first, a warning from God, found in James 4:13-17… 

13 Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." 16 As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. 17 Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. 

Wouldn't it be nice to know the future? Wouldn't it be nice to know what tomorrow brings? Wouldn't it be nice to know which stocks would soar and which would tank, which team would win the Superbowl (so you could put a bet or two on the game), if the LNG plant reopening were a sure thing and when, if the lump was benign and not cancerous? Wouldn't it be nice to know what day would be your last on this earth? Maybe. Maybe not.

But either way, we don't know those things. We don't know what will happen tomorrow. We don't even know if there will be a tomorrow... for us or for anyone. For we are, "mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."

So what hubris and arrogance to act under the presumption that we do. Boasting and bragging about this or that thing that we will do… when the bills are paid, when we retire, when the weekend comes. Sure, with a bit of common sense, knowledge of current events, and some good guessing you might hit your target (or at least get close and claim credit anyway). But doesn't our track record show that our predictions are much like those of the so-called psychics: definitely wrong far more often than they're right. You and I don't know what our future here has to hold.

Now, don't get me wrong. Planning isn't sinful. God tells us to count the cost of following him. In Luke 14(:28-33) he warns,

28 "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29 For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30 saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'

31 "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

 So the problem isn't in planning, it's in planning without God, in supposing that we know what future holds, in acting in a way that suggests we do:

"I'll recklessly spend today what I don't have and pay for it later when I have more. Someday, when I've paid for all I've purchased, then I'll be generous toward God."

"I'll snap at my family. But I know they'll forgive me. They always do. They have to. We're family."

Or, "I'll eat whatever I want. I'll drink as much as I want. I'm here to enjoy today. Who cares if it takes years off my life someday?" even justifying it with a false piety, "I'll go when God wants me to go. There's nothing to prevent that."

But we don't know the future. We don't know that another paycheck will come or a new job will follow. We don't know that we'll have another day with that parent, sibling, spouse, or child. Tonight might be their last. We don't know what health problems we'll face down the road for the choices that we make today. But we act like we know the future, like we are in charge, like we're here to serve ourselves, and we forget about God.

And for presuming we know the future, for acting like we do, you know what our future ought to hold for every one of us: It ought be a grim and bleak future, a horrible future of despair, an eternal future away from God and his love. 

You and I don't know all the future has to hold. But we do know the past. And that's something to boast about. While James reminds us, "As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil," the Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 6:14, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."

You and I don't know all the future has to hold. But we do know the past. We know God's love for us what so great that he willingly sent his Son as an infant in a manger. We know Jesus' great love for us that made him choose taking on human flesh and leaving his heavenly home. We know what Jesus did as he walked this earth. We know how he never boasted in himself, though he alone had every right to! We know how he always entrusted his future to God the Father, even when that future meant torture and hell on a cross.

We know he did it all for us, that he might take our sin, our arrogance, our doubt, all on himself and give us his perfect record of obedience. And we know he did it all because he knew the future—the long-term future of what awaited him on the other side of the cross and what awaits us. The author to the Hebrews put it this way in Hebrews 12(:2), "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

And so, because of all God has done for us in the past, in a certain sense, we do know the future too. We know that no matter what 2018, or 2019, or 2020 all bring… no matter what we go through we know for certain… 

·         That God will work all things for our eternal good—even the suffering and the pain we endure. (Rom. 8.28)

·         We know that our current sufferings are light and temporary when compared to the glory to come. (2 Cor. 4:17-18)

·         We know that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. (Rom. 8:35-39)

·         We know that his mercies are new to us every morning. He will never stop forgiving us. (Lam. 3:21-23)

·         We know that he will send his Spirit to fill us with joy, peace, and hope in the toughest of circumstances. (Rom. 15:13)

·         We know that he has left us his thoughts in the Bible which will give us instruction, encouragement, and hope. (Rom. 15:4)

·         We know that we have an eternal inheritance that can never spoil or fade. (1 Pet. 1:3-4)

·         We know that he will most definitely come again soon to bring us that inheritance and take us to be with him forever in heaven. (Titus 2:13, Rev. 22:12)

·         We know that in glory, we will have glorified bodies with perfect healing. (1 Cor. 15:51-53)

·         We know that in glory, we will soar, run, and walk without growing weary or faint. (Is. 40:31)

·         We know that in glory, we will never experience hunger of thirst or sorrow or pain, ever again. (Rev. 7:16-17, 21:4) 

Talk about knowing the future! And these predictions aren't just guesses. They're not like the predictions of the so-called psychics or the predictions of the weather man. God's track record with future predictions still boasts a 100% accuracy rate. So these promises are as good as done. You know they will all come true.

And now, in thanks to him for all he's done for us in the past, for the great promises he's given about the future, we eagerly live for him in the present. So live in the present to his glory. Make your plans for tomorrow. That's okay. Plan how you can serve him next week, next month, and next year. That's a godly thing to do if you're sure to add, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." But don't wait for tomorrow to start living for him. Live for him today.

Then, finally, whether that volcano erupts in 2018, or there's political turmoil (like that one's hard to predict), a celebrity couple splits up, or a Kardashian has another baby, who cares? Even if you lose your job, lose your health, or lose someone you love in 2018, it's not the end of the world. In fact, even the end of the world isn't "the end of the world." Because you know the future. At least, you know all of the future that you need to know. You know that God's mercy will be new every morning. Whenever you repent, he will forgive. He will strengthen your faith. He will keep you close to him. And one day soon he will take you to be with him in glory. And no matter what 2018 brings (and no one but God really knows), you can live for him today, and tomorrow (if there is a tomorrow), and every day until he comes. In Jesus' name, dear friends, thank God that you know the future! 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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