It's been called the most beautiful piece of music ever written. Legend says that King George II of England was so moved by its opening strains that he rose to his feet and to this day, crowds of people still rise to their feet every time they hear it. Legend also says that Georg Fredrich Handel himself had a vision of heaven that prompted him to compose "The Hallelujah Chorus." But as sublime and transcendent as Handel’s work is, it will pale in comparison to the real Hallelujah Chorus. In Revelation 19, we get a glimpse behind the doors of heaven to encourage us while we live on the other side of those doors on earth.
Those in our world who allow the possibility of a day of judgment at the end of the world often approach it like the Christmas song that warns children, "You'd better watch out…Santa Claus is coming to town." As long as you aren't too naughty, you'll be okay. But Judgment Day is no idle threat. The wrath of a holy and just God should terrify even the "nicest" of people. And yet, the Christian's attitude toward Judgment Day is not terror but anticipation. That's because the Christian clings to the verdict that was already pronounced at the cross and empty tomb of our Savior: "Not Guilty!" That verdict not only prepares us for death and judgment; it also motivates every moment we live in anticipation of that day.
499 years ago, Martin Luther posted 95 statements for discussion that God used not only to bring about needed reformation within the church, but also to change the world in profound ways. But what Luther did was really nothing new. He simply held up and held out the beautiful gospel--the good news of salvation by grace through faith. That message continues to change the world--one heart at a time--still today.
James knew Jesus like few other people in the world have. They grew up together. But it wasn't until after Jesus died and rose again that James really knew his brother. And when he did, what a difference it made! We join James on that journey from doubt to faith, from skepticism to certainty, from death to life.
Martin Luther once said, "A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all." This paradox makes Christians utterly unique. Like Jesus, our Savior, we don't use our freedom to serve ourselves but to serve others. Join us this Sunday to be served by your Savior, that you might be empowered and equipped to serve others.
So many families and homes are "broken" these days that, as a society, we hardly call them "broken" anymore. And the problem is only getting worse. The reality is that, in comparison to God's perfect design for the family, every family is broken. The only solution is to stop and look at the beautiful blueprints of God's design, blueprints made even more beautiful, when they are stained with the crimson blood of our Savior.
The church can be a fragile thing. That's because it is made up of people who bring with them such varied backgrounds and experiences, strengths and weaknesses, ideas and opinions. How the devil loves to take advantage of our differences to divide us and try to destroy God's Church! It's a wonder that our church or any other survives! We are here only because the same Savior who calls us his body and himself the head uses his Word to unite us and to equip us to serve him together.
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.
