The Olympic Games wrapped up a few weeks ago. The Paralympic Games conclude this Sunday. Athletes from around the world have been competing to be called the greatest. Whether we are athletes or not, don’t we all throw ourselves into that competition for greatness? But often, we go about it all wrong.
Stand on a street corner and ask people who Jesus is, and you'll hear a wide variety of ideas and opinions. It can be pretty eye-opening to know what the world thinks of Jesus. But the more important question is, what do you think of Jesus? Who do you say Jesus is? And are you ready to follow him, no matter the cost?
Unbelief mocks and says that if God did all things well and is the source of all good because he is good, then he shouldn't allow misery and need in the first place. But especially in need and suffering God does all things well; that truth is the center of our quiet confidence. It is the reason for his hope based on the promises of God and earned for us by the work of Christ and its eternal consequence for us.
My sinful nature hates the Bible. The Bible convicts me of being a lawbreaker and condemns me for living for myself instead of for God and for others. There are so many things my sinful nature would change, deny, ignore, or add to God's Word, if it could. But by faith, I know that God has not given his Word to hurt me but to bless me--in fact, to bless me in ways that I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams! And because I treasure those blessings and love the God who wants to give them to me, I use his Word carefully and eagerly!
The world tries to distract us with so many things--worries and hardships, joys and pleasures. The world trains us to focus on what we can see with our eyes and hold with our hands. But what our eyes can see can so easily disappoint us. What our hands can hold so quickly crumbles. Faith takes an entirely different approach, ignoring the distractions and focusing on unseen things that are far better than the world can offer.
Do you ever find your life full and empty at the same time? We have so many things to do and enjoy, but not all of them truly satisfy. Not all of them bring real meaning, purpose, and joy to our lives. It's easy to fill up on the junk food of life and miss out on the good stuff. This Sunday, our God will spread a feast for us that he promises will satisfy our deepest needs and longings. Come and enjoy!
You've seen the bumper stickers or the social media memes: "I'd rather be..." And the rest of it describes something that the person really enjoys or about which they are passionate. "I'd rather be fishing." "I'd rather be in Florida." "I'd rather be home by now." We all have moments like that, moments when we can think of something else we would prefer to be doing, someplace else where we would rather be. The prophet Elijah can relate. He reached a point when he was ready to just give up. Nothing seemed to be going right, so why keep going? Whether you are on top of the world, dragging bottom, or somewhere in between right now, God's has a message for you in his care and encouragement for his prophet.
You've seen the bumper stickers or the social media memes: "I'd rather be..." And the rest of it describes something that the person really enjoys or about which they are passionate. "I'd rather be fishing." "I'd rather be in Florida." "I'd rather be home by now." We all have moments like that, moments when we can think of something else we would prefer to be doing, someplace else where we would rather be. The prophet Elijah can relate. He reached a point when he was ready to just give up. Nothing seemed to be going right, so why keep going? Whether you are on top of the world, dragging bottom, or somewhere in between right now, God's has a message for you in his care and encouragement for his prophet.
"He gave them bread from heaven to eat." Imagine what that must have been like - food that just appears every day to give you the strength you need to live and serve the Lord another day! How could you not receive it with pure joy? But a look at our own hearts reveals that we don't always receive God's gifts with grateful joy, especially when we are asked to endure trials. What an awesome God we have, then, who not only continues to provide for our bodies, but feeds our souls as well! Come and be fed!
Again and again in Scripture, we see God do the unexpected and seemingly impossible. His generosity and mercy are most clearly on display when God's people are in their most desperate hour of need. God sees your need before you recognize it, and he meets your needs in better ways that you could ever imagine.
We all need a break from time to time. If we put everything we have into everything we do, soon there won't be much of us left, especially as live in a world frustrated by the effects of sin. Even if we don't give everything we have, we can still feel run down and worn out physically, emotionally, mentally and/or spiritually. Jesus knows what it's like. He got tired too. And he offers us just what our weary souls and bodies need - rest. Accept your Savior's invitation, and find the rest he knows you need.
If you are doing any traveling this summer, imagine hitting the road with nothing but the clothes on your back. It would seem pretty foolish, right? But that's exactly how Jesus sent out his apostles the first time, as they got some practical experience in gospel ministry. While their hands held nothing but a staff, they did not go empty-handed, and neither do we, as we carry out the mission Jesus has given to us.
The flags will fly. The parades will roll. The fireworks will light up the sky. All celebrating the freedom that is our as citizens of the United States. Yet, how easily we sometimes give up that freedom. Threatened by the persecution of the world, we don't always use our freedom to speak about Christ. Tempted by worldly freedom and pleasure, we sometimes give up our freedom to gather for worship and hear God's Word. Praise God that he sent his Son to set us free even from our abuse of the awesome freedom we have!
In the storms of life, we struggle to understand the balance between the known and unknown, the seen and unseen, the sorrowful and the joyful, the poor and wealthy, the temporal and eternal. In the midst of the fear and confusion, Christ speaks: "Peace! Be still!" Through his command, creation is tamed and hearts are stilled.
The Bible says the Word of God is "living and active" (Hebrews 4:12). It promises that the gospel is the "power of God for salvation" (Romans 1:16). In the waters of Baptism, in the bread and wine of Holy Communion, in the carefully prepared words of a pastor, and in the spontaneous witness of a child, God's Word is at work. Its work is evident in your homes in central Ohio and in homes and houses of worship and wherever Christians live and work and play around the world. For its beautiful fruit, we praise our God who gives his Word such awesome power.
There is nothing the devil wants more than to divide the house of God-the Church. If it is divided, he knows it is weakened and he is in a much better position to attack. The house of God is divided in so many ways: sinful attitudes and behaviors, false teachings, misunderstandings, and more. In this week's worship, we see the devil at work to divide God's house and Jesus' work to overcome the devil.
Are you going to get some rest this weekend? Are you going to take advantage of the holiday weekend to recharge your batteries? It is good for us emotionally, mentally, and physically to get rest from our labors. But God has also designed us to need spiritual rest. He gives us rest for sin-weary souls in his Word. And he encourages us to come together, so that we can share that Word and that rest with each other.
It is one of the greatest mysteries of the Christian faith. We worship one God in three persons and three persons in one God. All three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - are God, yet there is only one God. It is a truth we accept by faith, because it is a truth clearly taught in the Scriptures. And it is a truth that we celebrate, because only through the work of our Triune God are we blessed to be children of God and heirs of heaven!
We may not always talk or think a lot about the Holy Spirit, but he is worthy of the same honor and praise as God the Father and Jesus our Savior! Without his work, the work of the Father and the Son would be meaningless for us. By his work in our hearts, we have peace to face each day, hope for eternity, and gifts to use to give glory to our gracious God! We celebrate the Holy Spirit's often unsung, but vitally important, work in our lives.
Saying goodbye is difficult. Funerals bring tears to our eyes, as we know that we won't see our loved one for a while. It was hard for those close friends of Jesus, too. He ascended, and a cloud hid him from their sight. But his ascension was good news, not bad news. It meant the perfect culmination of his work as our priest on earth and the beginning of his continual work as our priest in heaven. We find comfort, encouragement, and joy in Jesus' perfect priesthood.
"God is love." Both Christians and non-Christians quote these words from 1 John 4:8. And the temptation is to stop there. It's easier if I just ignore what comes before or after those words and let those words, "God is love," mean what I want them to mean. Then, I can use those words to convince myself and others that God loves me all the ways I want him to love me, approving of my efforts, granting my every wish, doing only what brings happiness to my life. In this sermon, we look at those words in their context and find a far more beautiful understanding of how we are loved and called to love.
Would the world know that you are a Christian by the way you live your life? We rightly confess that our actions don't make us Christians. Our connection to Christ, who died and rose again for the sins of the world, makes us Christians and heirs of heaven. But the evidence of that connection is not merely in what we say or in the faith that's hidden in our hearts. The one who is connected to Christ "will bear much fruit," Jesus says. Celebrate your connection to Christ and the difference that connection makes in your life.
Day after day, police officers, fire fighters, and military personnel willingly put their lives on the line for the people of their communities and their nation. But this Good Shepherd Sunday, we celebrate One who is even greater. Our Good Shepherd laid down his life for us sheep, who love to wander, and then he took it up again. The Good Shepherd cares perfectly for us sheep and lives again to bless and keep us forever.
Uncertain and afraid, they hid behind locked doors. And after they had seen Jesus alive, what did they do? They still hid. You've felt like that, haven't you? You have the greatest message in the world to share, and yet you hide in fear. Fear of rejection. Fear of failure. Fear of persecution. Fear of _________. How can we overcome our fears? What made Peter, the frightened follower of Jesus, into Peter, the bold witness?
If you've ever stood beside the grave of a loved one to say "goodbye" one last time before the casket is lowered into the ground... if you've ever wept at Easter or Christmas or a birthday or any other time of year when memories of cherished moments with someone who has died come flooding back... if the thought of your own death makes you a little uncomfortable or downright terrified, this Sunday is for you! Following the darkness of Good Friday and a Saturday filled with uncertainty, the sun comes upon on Easter morning to reveal glorious and unexpected good news!
Ironies of the Passion: He Said, "I Will Rise Again"
3/25/2016Pastor Wagner Matthew 27:62-66
The enemies of Jesus did everything they could to prevent even the perception that he would keep his promise to rise from the dead, but Jesus would prevail for our salvation!
The "madness" has begun. The anticipation builds with each game. With each win, there are cheers and excitement, as a team of basketball players moves one step closer to a championship. But, with each round, there is another opponent to overcome, another battle to fight, another team trying to stand in the way of the march to the ultimate victory. This Palm Sunday, the excitement is building as well. Jesus rides into Jerusalem, hailed as the hero. But many of his fans will flee, when the opposition gets fierce. Let's not turn back this week. Let's watch intently, for he enters Jerusalem for us.
Lent is for sinners. Nothing that Jesus suffers in his Passion is because of his own guilt. God gave Israel and Judah everything, and they threw it all away. So what does God do? He establishes a new covenant--a covenant by which he judges and condemns his own innocent Son just for sinners, just for you and me. It's a beautiful covenant straight from the heart of God, signed in the blood of his own Son. Let's follow after him and embrace him in this new covenant in these remaining days of Lent!
The Fourth Sunday in Lent was traditionally called Laetare Sunday, from the Latin word for "rejoice." Even in the midst of Lent, we have so many blessings over which to rejoice. Tremendous blessings that are ours purely because of God's grace (What a blessing that is!). Awesome blessings that are ours only through faith (This too is a great blessing!). Rejoice with us!
