Passing Things - August 3, 2025 - Eighth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 13) - Text: Luke 12:13-21

This Sunday, today, we continue in the Pentecost Season. For the last seven Sundays and for the next twenty-one or so Sundays, with a couple of exceptions, the color on the altar, the pulpit, the lectern and the banners will continue to be green. Green, you might remember, is the color of growth. The Pentecost Season is the time of the church year that we “grow” in our Christian faith and life. So, if you have been diligently following along each week you may have noticed the progression of events as the Holy Spirit, working through these words of Holy Scripture, works to strengthen and keep us in faith.
 

So I want to begin this morning with a little review of our Gospel readings over the past weeks to catch us up. Three weeks ago we were reminded, through the familiar parable of the Good Samaritan, that there is nothing we can do to gain or earn our salvation, eternal life, but that eternal life is a free gift, earned for us by Jesus’ death on the cross. Two weeks ago we were reminded, again through another familiar bit of Biblical history, through the account of Mary and Martha that there is one thing that is needful and that is immersing ourselves in the Word of God. It is this Word of God through which the Holy Spirit comes to give, strengthen and keep us in faith so that we have forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life. Last week we were encouraged in our response to all that God does for us by being in conversation with the Lord, that is that He speaks to us through His Word and we speak to Him in prayer. This morning, again by the power of the Holy Spirit working through the very Word of God, through our text, we have another familiar Biblical account in which we are encouraged in our response of faith, this time our response of faith being in the giving of ourselves to the Lord. And yes, this is somewhat of a text on stewardship. Recently I read a statement that suggested that we are to give our LIFE to the Lord, that is that we give our Labor, Influence, Finances, and Expertise to the Lord. That is a nice way to think about our stewardship and especially as we would say our stewardship of our time, talents, and treasure and I would add, and tissue, that is taking care of our bodies as well. When we realize that everything we have is first and foremost a gift from God, how can we not be moved to acknowledge such gifts by a response of returning our first fruits to the Lord in thanksgiving.
 

But, let us get to our text. Our text begins with someone from the crowd asking Jesus a question. He asked, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Now, that may not sound like a question, but the heart of his words are that he is asking Jesus to be a judge between him and his brother. Jesus’ response is that this is a social matter, and that he should take it to the civil courts to be resolved.
 

But Jesus does not drop the issue. Instead, He uses question this as an opportunity for teaching. Jesus says to “Take care!” The issue of money, and of all the gifts which come from Him, our time, our talents, our vocation; is not an issue to take lightly. “Be on your guard against all covetousness” or as some translations say, “kinds of greed;” “for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Boy, do we not have a problem with that statement in our world today. In our world we learn from early on that you are nothing and your life is meaningless unless you have a career and are making a lot of money. Our lives consists in accumulating more and more, bigger and better, finer and costlier things. And that is exactly what we are accumulating, “things.” Please, do not misunderstand, the sin is not in the fact that we have things. The sin is in our greed and covetousness for more and more things. And to drive home His point, Jesus tells the parable of the rich man.
 

Jesus tells the parable, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ 20But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:16b-21).
 

In this parable we are reminded that it is God who provides for all our needs and even more. It is God who provided for a good crop for the rich man. God gave him the right amount of rain and sunshine, the good earth and good seed to plant. God gave for him to have an abundance of a good crop. God blessed this man and provided for him so that he might in turn provide for his family, his workers, their families and even for others.
 

Now think about your own life. Certainly we do not have to look hard to see how God has provided for us and for our families. God has given us certain abilities and talents in order to be able to perform certain tasks and works. He has provided us with a job or with work in order to earn a living. Through our work, job or career, that is through our various vocations God provides us with a wage so that we might be able to purchase food, clothing, shelter, even “all the comforts of home.” And, for most of us, God has so well provided for us that we have even more than we need and often more than we could want. Although having said that I know we can always want more.
 

And we have not yet mentioned that God has also provided for us the one thing that everyone needs, that is, He has provided for our forgiveness and our eternal inheritance. Left to ourselves and our own devices, we know that we are unable to save ourselves, we are unable to earn our eternal inheritance. Our eternal inheritance has been earned for us by Jesus’ life, suffering and death on the cross. Our eternal inheritance has been made ours by the Holy Spirit working through the means of grace to create, strengthen and keep us in faith. It is by God’s grace, through faith, given to us, that we have the gift and promise of eternal life. And it is the Holy Spirit, again, working through the means of grace who works in us a response to these gifts from God. What is that response? Let us continue and see.
 

In our text, the man’s response was one of selfishness. In his mind he was thinking, “this is my crop to do with as I please.” He was not thinking that this abundance was a gift from God. He had no thought of God’s providing him with good soil, good seed, rain and sunshine, and an abundance of the crop. No, he simply thought that this abundance was something he himself had accomplished. The man’s response, then, was one of covetousness and greed. He was not content with what he had, instead he wanted more. “I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones.”
 

What we can also see in this man’s response is a false security. He thought he could depend on himself and all that he had accumulated. His statement that he would, “Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry,” tells us that he had no thought or concern about his eternal life or his spiritual life and I would add he had no thought for others as well. Perhaps in the future, when he was old, then he would begin to think about an afterlife and where he might spend it.
 

What about you and me? What is our response? Is our goal in life to accumulate as much as we can so that we might “take life easy; eat, drink and be merry?” And please do not misunderstand, do not confuse planning for ones retirement and taking care of, as it might be expressed today, not being a burden as we get older, as what this text is speaking against. This text is not speaking against using our knowledge to take care of ourselves and our loved ones, rather this text is speaking against looking out for ourselves to the exclusion of taking care of the gifts that God has given and using them for the purpose in which He has given them, extending His kingdom and caring for others. If our only goal in life is ourselves, then we are in the same house with the rich man in the parable.
 

God’s response to the rich man and His response to those in our world who are only looking out for themselves is a call to judgement. Yes, we will be held accountable for our accounting, for our stewarding, for our taking care of all the good gifts and blessings our Lord has seen to put into our care. For the rich man and for too many in our world who refuse to offer a response of faith, God’s call is a call to eternal death, to hell. Again, verse twenty-one, “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
 

Through all three of our readings for today, Jesus gives us an understanding concerning the gifts He gives us while we are in this world and how we are to use them. In our Old Testament reading we are reminded that there are treasures on earth but too often, we “gather and store up wealth [only] to hand it over to the one who pleases God.” How true it is that there are many who accumulate a large estate, only to die and have someone else spend it, because we know we cannot take it with us.
 

In the Epistle lesson, Paul reminds us that there are treasures in heaven and that is what should be our goal in life, gaining eternal life and those treasures waiting for us in heaven. Here we are reminded that our earthly treasures will last but a lifetime, twenty, thirty, sixty, eighty, maybe a hundred years, but our heavenly treasure, eternal life is forever.
 

In college, going through the teacher education courses and especially during student teaching, I was always reminded to “teach and re-teach.” It is this process of hearing the same lesson over and over again that we finally get it, that is why it is so important in our own lives to hear God’s Word, over and over again, not just once a week, but daily. It is through His Word that our Lord teaches us and re-teaches us. And the message He continues to drive home, to teach us, is the importance of immersing ourselves in His Word through which the Holy Spirit works to create, strengthen and keep us in faith; through which the Holy Spirit works to show us our Savior, Jesus Christ Himself and His life, suffering, death and resurrection, along with His gift of forgiveness and eternal life; and it is through His Word that the Holy Spirit works in order to motivate us to respond to all God’s good gifts and blessings. And we do respond. We respond in prayer and we respond in giving our LIFE, again, our Labor, Influences, Finances and Expertise, or as we often hear today, our time, talents and treasure. And we do this to His glory, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

I Have Come to Fulfill the Law - July 27, 2025 - Sixth Sunday after Trinity - Text: Matthew 5:(17-20) 21-26

This morning I want to begin by saying, “Thank goodness for the Epistle reading.” The Old Testament reading gives us the Moral Law, the Ten Commandments, and our text, the Gospel gives us or rather reminds us that Jesus has not done away with the Law. And yet, He also reminds us of the fact and joy that He has fulfilled the Law for us, in our place. We Lutheran Christians understand that the fullness of the Gospel is not simply that Jesus died and rose, but the fact that He actually lived for us. The perfect life demanded of us, the perfect life we cannot live on our own, He lived for us, in our place, so that when God looks at us He sees Jesus’ perfection in us. Thanks be to God.
 

Our text reminds of the importance of God’s Word, its efficacy and its unchangeableness. Beginning at verse seventeen, “17Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (v. 17-19). In verse seventeen we are reminded that we worship an unchanging God. Jesus came to fulfill all the Old Testament, He did not come to change it or to abolish it. Jesus did not come to change or do away with the Ten Commandments, He came to fulfill them. He did not come to change or do away with the tithe, He came to fulfill it. He did not come to change or do away with any part of the Old Testament, rather He came to fulfill the whole Old Testament.
 

Jesus’ words to us this morning remind us that none of Scripture has been changed or abolished. It is still all God’s Word. It is still God’s gift to us. All of scripture is valid for us today. I think we need these words of reminder as we defend our faith against those individuals and denominations who think they can vote on the truth and validity of God’s Word or of certain portions of God’s Word. It is becoming more and more difficult in our so called “tolerant” society to proclaim faith in a God who is intolerant of sin. It just does not make for good publicity. So what happens? People, individuals, and denominations begin to vote out the old, intolerant Word of God and vote in an new, user friendly God. If you do not like the Word of God, change it. Today we want to stay away from talking about the real needs of the people, sin and forgiveness, instead we want talk about their felt needs, how I can keep from feeling guilty about what I have been doing and what I am about to do without having to compromise doing what “comes natural.”
 

Of course, we may ask how can anyone do that, but it is really quite simple, instead of believing that the Bible is the Word of God, we will say that it contains the Word of God. Or we will say that some parts of the Bible are culturally or timely valid. In other words, we place ourselves over the Word of God as the authority and in essence we become our own gods, judging God’s Word and instead of allowing God’s Word to mean what it says. We say it means this or that, in other words, we make ourselves our own little gods determining what is God’s Word and what is not God’s Word. What happens is there are no longer any absolutes and truly, no longer a Word of God.
 

Jesus teaches us that to teach that some of Scripture is not of value is to be called least in the kingdom of heaven. Unfortunately, in our world today such a person who speaks against Scripture might be thought of as being a great thinker or as being innovative, but not so in God’s kingdom. As I read and reread these words of Jesus, I am reminded of the importance of the Word of God. It is the Word of God which is one means that He uses through which He gives us His good gifts and blessings; faith, strengthening of faith, forgiveness of sins, life in this world, eternal life and salvation. It is the Word of God which is His Word, which is an absolute, which is what permeates our time together in Divine Service. I will be the first to admit that my sermon is not the most important part of our divine service. Rather, it is the readings, the liturgy, confession and absolution, being reminded of our baptism, the Lord’s Supper, those parts of our service which are the means of grace are the most important parts of our Divine Service, because it is through His means of grace, His Word and Sacraments and confession and absolution that God gives us His good gifts and blessings. My sermon is only as effective as the Word which it proclaims.
 

Which brings us to the next verse of our text, the one that reminds us that there are two ways to get to heaven. Verse twenty, “20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (v. 20). One way to get to heaven is by being perfect, that is by our own good works being perfect, which means that because of the sin that is born in us, we would be doomed from the start if we tried to be saved by our own good works. Which leaves the only other way of salvation which is God’s free grace and favor. The example that Jesus gives is that of the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees. Their righteousness was great in that they followed the letter of the law. However, theirs was a civil righteousness, not God’s righteousness. And their righteousness did not save them.
 

If we were to try to be saved by our own righteousness, we would be doomed as they, yet, Jesus reminds us that our righteousness does surpasses theirs, not because we are so good, but because of our faith in Him. By faith in Jesus, faith which He gives to us, God’s righteousness, Jesus’ perfection, is made our righteousness. Again, God’s righteousness is made ours by faith in Jesus. Thus, it is God’s righteousness that works in us so that we do the good works which He has prepared in advance for us to do (Eph. 2:10). And they are truly good works because they are motivated by Him, done in and through us by Him, and done to His glory. And truly, these are the good works that more often than not we are not aware that we are doing.
 

Continuing on to our text Jesus speaks to us about the fifth, sixth and second commandments. Listen carefully, because Jesus’ point is not so much the commandment as it is in the way we sin against these commandments. And the way we sin against these commandments is not necessarily the way you and I might think. Jesus begins by saying, “you have heard that it was said,” meaning that we have heard from the Pharisees and teachers of the law and implying that their words might not be completely reliable. We pick up at verse twenty-one, “21You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother  will be liable to judgment; whoever insults  his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell  of fire. 23So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny” (v. 21-26).
 

Now, let us put Jesus’ words into our modern language and I hope this is something that you learned in catechism class. Jesus says, you have heard it said that the fifth commandment refers only to actual killing, or murder but I am here to tell you that the fifth commandment refers not only to actual killing, not only to murder, but also to anger, to name calling, and to angry cursing. In other words, killing and murder is merely the final stage of sin, sin which began in one’s heart. Sin which began with anger, then escalated to name calling, grew more intense with angry cursing, and ended with actual murder. Jesus’ words remind us that all sins, no matter how small we might think they are, are sin. For Jesus, there is no degree of sin. Maybe you have heard it said this way, in God’s eyes, a sin is a sin is a sin.
 

Jesus reminds us that we sin not just in our actions, by what we do or do not do. You might remember that we sin sins of commission, when we do an actual sin and we sin sins of omission when we sin by not doing something we should be doing. Not only do we sin in action but we also sin in our words and in our very thoughts. Sin has its beginning in our heart, in our thoughts, in our mind and soul. Jesus reminds us that all sins, no matter how small we may think they are, all sins are serious offenses in deed, in word or in thought, so much so that it might hamper one’s own worship.
 

With our sins in mind Jesus reminds us with His “therefore,” therefore Jesus says we are to settle our earthly accounts of conflict before attempting to bring an offering to His altar. Yes, you heard Jesus right. If you are about to put your offering in the offering basket and you remember that you have sinned against someone, or that someone has sinned against you and those sins have not been reconciled, do not put your offering in the basket. Here again we are reminded that our giving back to the Lord is a privilege. And Jesus continues by telling us that we are to settle our earthly accounts of conflict lest, ultimately, they are carried over into heaven where we will have to settle them before the eternal judge.
 

I guess by now we have all been convicted by the words which Jesus has for us today, which is the point of Jesus’ words of law, to convict us. Jesus words remind us that we daily sin much and are in need of forgiveness, which, again, is the point of the law, to show us our sins and how sinful we truly are. The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law tried to narrow the definitions of the commandments in order to convince themselves that they were able to keep them. Thus, if we are able to keep the commandments ourselves, we have no need for God. Jesus broadens the definitions of the commandments showing us how sinful we are so that we clearly see our need for a Savior. Fortunately for us, Jesus is also the one who is giving us His Word and His Word includes words of “Your sins are forgiven, go and sin no more.”
 

Jesus created us to love us. Jesus came into our world to live for us, to deliver us from sin, death and the power of the devil. He did that, delivered us from sin, death and the power of the devil by living the perfect life demanded of us for us, in our place, and by sacrificing Himself on the cross for us, in our place. And now He works in us, through His means of grace, the Word and the sacraments, to help us to overcome the temptations of the devil, the world and our own sinful nature. It is Jesus who reminds us that sin begins in the heart, and it is Jesus who works in our hearts to overcome sin and temptation. It is Jesus who reminds us that we are not perfect and as long as we are on this earth we will not be perfect, and it is Jesus who reminds us that He has overcome the world. Each day then, we wake up, we remember our baptism, we remember that we have been washed by Jesus, we have been forgiven. Each day we get a fresh start because all our sins have been paid for and Jesus will help us to go out and sin no more. Strengthened by Jesus’ Word, we go out in faith and confidence and live lives that say, to God be the glory, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

The Promise of the Helper - June 1, 2025 - Seventh Sunday of Easter - Text: John 15:26-16:4

Today is the Seventh Sunday of Easter meaning that next Sunday we will celebrate the Pentecost of our Lord and we will rejoice in God’s sending of the Holy Spirit. You remember the Holy Spirit, the person of the trinity of which we rarely like to speak and I would suggest for good reason. Too often in our world today the Holy Spirit is misrepresented, misunderstood, and miss proclaimed. This morning in our text Jesus is preparing His Apostles for the sending of the Holy Spirit and is giving them a bit of a better understanding of the Holy Spirit before He is given.
 

Our text begins with Jesus teaching concerning the Holy Spirit, 26“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.”
 

Jesus begins by telling us that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. Perhaps this image of Truth might remind you of Jesus’ response to the Jews, “31So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” (John 8:31-33).
 

Or perhaps this image of Truth might remind you of Jesus’ Jesus’ response to Thomas: “6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:6-7).
 

Or perhaps this image of Truth might remind you of Jesus before Pilate when Jesus said, “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” (John 18:37b-38a).
 

Jesus is the Truth and as you may or may not have heard the adage, “No (N-O) Jesus, No Truth, Know (K-N-O-W) Jesus, Know Truth.” Indeed, apart from Jesus there truly is no such thing as truth. Have you ever wondered why our world has such a problem with truth? Today truth is said to be relative and there are no absolutes. What may be true for me may not be true for you and vica versa. Have you ever wondered why someone is more interested in truth than facts? Because facts can be explained away according to my own truth. It is no wonder we have such a problem because our world has become so Jesus-less it is quite truth-less.
 

Continuing on, Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father (and the Son), as we proclaim in the Nicene Creed. Of course we want to be careful so as not to misunderstand the Holy Spirit and our Triune God for that matter. We certainly believe that our God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three equal persons in one eternal Godhead. And we do not want to gravitate to any form of Modalism, such that God came first in the from of the Father, then the mode of the Son and now the mode of the Holy Spirit. Rather, Jesus is speaking of the fact that although the Holy Spirit was at work even in the Old Testament, now He will be the primary one at work in our New Testament times.
 

Moving on in our text, Jesus speaks of the persecution of the Apostles “1I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me” (John 16:1-3).
 

Jesus gives quite a warning to His Apostles and I might add, to us today. They will be put out of synagogues. Now, that might not sound so bad to us today, but in the days of the Apostles to be put out of the synagogue was tantamount to excommunication. Of course, the Apostles and we today understand that because of Jesus’ defeat of sin, death and the devil, because Jesus fulfilled all the Law and prophets perfectly, the symbol of the synagogue no longer had the meaning it once had. Even Martin Luther was excommunicated by the Roman church. Yet, for the Apostles to be put out of the synagogue could mean a separation from family and friends.
 

But their difficulties would not simply be being put out of the synagogue, but also the possibility and the eventuality of their being murdered. And we do know that all the Apostles, except John were persecuted and died a martyrs death.
 

Jesus tells the Apostles that people will persecute them because they will be believing they are doing God a favor. Very much like the Apostle Paul himself who was out persecuting the early Christian church because he believed they were a false church, that they were blaspheming God. And I would say, just like many people in our world today who are constantly bombarded with false, misleading lies about Christians and the Christian church there are Christians around the world who are being martyred for their faith. Fortunately, for us here in America our persecution is not necessarily so open. Today our persecution is more subtle and yet I would say it may get worse in the near future.
 

Thanks be to God that Jesus goes on to give words of courage, “But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you (John 16:4). We might say that Jesus is speaking to preempt the fears of His Apostles. Jesus is warning them of the persecutions they will be facing. His intent in not to discourage them because He has a great task laid out for them. He will be sending them out to bear witness of what they have seen, the initiation of the end times. They have seen Jesus as He lived the perfect life demanded of us, took our sins, paid the complete price for our sins and the sins of the world, and rose from the dead. And they will be taking that message to others, many who will reject that good news.
 

So, Jesus is offering encouragement now because as He tells them, before He sends the Holy Spirit He was with them, but when the Holy Spirit comes He will no longer be with them physically. Although He will continue to be watching over them, ruling over them, and interceding for them.
 

What does this mean? First and foremost it means that today we have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is with us. As we learn in catechesis the Holy Spirit is God with all the attributes of God. He is everywhere present. He is all powerful. He is almighty. And so He is with us, as we hear, where two or three are gathered together in my name I am with you.
 

The Holy Spirit is with us and He is working in and through us. How does the Holy Spirit work? First and foremost the Holy Spirit works through means, namely the means of grace, the Word, Holy Baptism, Holy Absolution, and the Holy Supper. This working through means is His usual way of working with us. Now, although working through means is His usual way of working with us that does not mean He cannot work otherwise, after all He is God and can do whatever He wants to do, but His usual way is through means, thus the importance of the means of grace.
 

Just to be clear, the Holy Spirit’s usual way of coming to us is through means. We call that mediately or through a mediator of sorts, Word and Sacrament. He does not usually come to us immediately that is directly as in a dream or vision or voice and again that is not to say He cannot come in those ways. However we are also told that we are to test the spirits to see if they are from God or not. Thus, when anyone speaks of an immediate speaking of the Holy Spirit my response is to test the spirit. If what is said contradicts what God says elsewhere, then that is not the Holy Spirit. If it is in agreement, then maybe. Yes, I will always be a skeptic.
 

One good test of the spirit, is the fact that the Holy Spirit always points to Jesus, never Himself, which is why we do not hear much about Him. The Holy Spirit points to Jesus through the Word, and in particular the Word in flesh, Jesus Himself. He points to Jesus through the Word in Holy Absolution as the one forgiving us, in Holy Baptism as the one who’s name is put on us and in the Holy Supper as we partake of Jesus’ body and blood.
 

How is this done? How does the Holy Spirit go about His work? The Holy Spirit works through means, in particular through the means of grace. Thus, first and foremost we should see the necessity of our coming to Divine Service and Bible Class so that we might be given the gifts the Holy Spirit has to give. Our desire as Christians is to making regular and diligent use of the means of grace, that is to be where and when the gifts of God are being given out. The gifts of faith, forgiveness, strengthening of faith, life and salvation. It is only as we are filled and refilled each and every Sunday, yes, each and every day through our own personal reading of God’s Word, our own personal and family devotions, that we are and can be filled. I liken this filling to God being a never empty vessel and we are cups who are filled every time we make use of the means of grace. However, should we be filled and then absent ourselves, just like a cup of water will evaporate, so when we absent ourselves from the means of grace our faith may evaporate as well. Indeed, it is only as we are filled that we will ever reach a point that we overflow and then we too become instruments to carry out the means of grace, the Word of God to others.
 

Which brings us to God’s desire that we are always ready to give an answer for the hope that we have. Paul says that we are to be ready to give an apology which means a defense. And yet, he tells us that this defense is not something we try to force on others, but is what we are to be ready to offer when we are asked. And he says to do it with gentleness. As we live lives of faith. As we live as priests in the priesthood of all believers. As we offer our lives as living sacrifices, other people see and notice that we are different. Ultimately they may ask, what is different about us. It is only as we have been filled with the gifts of God that we can be ready to give an answer. And as Jesus promised His Apostles so He promises us. He is with us. The Holy Spirit is with us. The Holy Spirit will give us the Words to speak, those words we heard in the Divine Service and Bible Class, those words we read in our devotions. The Holy Spirit will give us the words and the courage to speak those words. And the Holy Spirit will work and give faith, when and where He pleases. Ours is not to give faith, ours is simply to give an answer.
 

Next week we will celebrate the giving of the Holy Spirit. This week Jesus is preparing us as He prepared His Apostles. We have the Holy Spirit. He is with us. We have the Truth, which sets us free. We live in a world in opposition to Jesus and thus in opposition to us. We have God’s Word which sets us free to be His people. And we have His promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us. This morning we are thus encouraged as we continue celebrating Easter that we worship a living God who has taken care of everything for us and gives everything to us. And He even gives us the joy of sharing that message of forgiveness and salvation to others. To Him be the glory, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Thoughts on a Lutheran Identity Vs. a Lutheran Confession

The following are my personal thoughts concerning the 2025 Texas District Convention Resolution 02-03-25: To Define and Affirm Lutheran Identity.

I am against the resolution. To quote from the resolution, “The Lutheran Church is not defined by cultural or national identity but by its confession of Christ and the pure teaching of His Gospel. To be Lutheran is to confess what the Scriptures teach and what the Church has always believed.” – Herman Sasse, Here We Stand: Nature and Character of the Lutheran Faith.

Unfortunately the overuse of the word “identity” has almost emptied it of its meaning. With that said, there is a distinct and great difference between one’s “identity” and one’s “confession.” Today anyone may identify as just about anything, a woman may identify as a man (however that does not change her XX chromosome to XY) and a man may identify as a woman (again that does not change his XY chromosomes to XX), and yet neither identity is true or real.

In the Lutheran Church and in our Confessions we do not use the term “identity,” but we use the word “confession” because to have a confession means so much more than simply to have an identity. To have a confession means that one not only confesses with their lips, but believes in their heart and that belief is then acted out and seen in their life. Thus, a true confession is a combination of faith and life or better said, doctrine and practice. For one to practice something different than their doctrine or to simply say they identify as something means that they are truly not confessing. As mamma always said, “Practice what you preach.” Or as we hear today, “If you’re gonna talk the talk, then you better walk the walk.”

Unfortunately, this denominational identity seems to be as divisive as identity politics. Also, as memory serves, it was during the Seminary Walkout that the one group wanted to have a Lutheran “identity” very much like we heard in recent times from Concordia Austin. Yet, simply to have a Lutheran “identity” does not mean one is a confessional Lutheran. One example of how this is happening and is so divisive in our synod today is what happens on Sunday mornings. Back in the early 1980s this Texas District was involved in the Chuck and Win Arn Church Growth movement. That movement defined what was done on Sunday morning as worship and suggested that in worship God was the audience, the congregation were the actors, the pastor and choir were the prompters, thus, if not outright stating, it was implied that people were to attend worship in order to do something for God and thus needed to have a part in the worship service, such as read the lessons, be in the praise band or the drama team, etc. As confessional Lutherans we understand that what we do on Sunday morning is Divine Service wherein God is the actor and the congregation are the ones being acted on and given to, such that the called and ordained pastor is the one through which God works to deliver the gifts He has to give and the laity are there to be given to. The response of the laity is simply to offer hymns (good sound theological hymns), offer prayers, and offer their firstfruits and tithes (which were hopefully the same). So, we see in this example the difference between an identity and a true confession which is acted out.

Finally, to quote again from the resolution, “The Lutheran Church is not defined by cultural or national identity but by its confession of Christ and the pure teaching of His Gospel. To be Lutheran is to confess what the Scriptures teach and what the Church has always believed.” - Herman Sasse, Here We Stand: Nature and Character of the Lutheran Faith. Notice the difference in the words, identity and confession. So, to simply identify as a Lutheran does not make one a Lutheran. Only to confess with the lips and live that confession makes one a true Lutheran.