What Is Better - July 17, 2022 - Sixth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 11) - Text: Luke 10:38-42

Last week we heard the parable of the Good Samaritan. While the point of the parable was to answer the question, “Who is my neighbor?” the point of the encounter with the expert in the Law was to answer the question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” The intent of the parable was to show the expert in the Law and us that there is nothing we can do, that there is no way we can possibly save ourselves, because we cannot love God and love others as God would have us to do. Which brings us to our text for this morning. In our text for today, Jesus is visiting Mary and Martha. Our text is a account of which I am sure most of us are well acquainted. My prayer for each of you this morning as we revisit this well known narrative is that you might better understand what is the conflict at the heart of this account, and how each of us is a part of this same conflict today.
 

All of us, or most all of us, like to entertain others from time to time. We like to invite others over in order to share in food, company, entertainment, and simply for conversation, or as some have put it, for food, fun and fellowship. At the same time, we all understand the importance of being a good host. We want to make sure that everything is just right. We want to take care to make sure the food is good. It has to be prepared just right. The presentation and service of the food have to be just right. We want to make sure the food is the right temperature, that it looks good and that it tastes good.
 

We want to make sure the atmosphere is right and helps to set the mood for the afternoon and/or evening. We want the right music to be playing. We want to make sure the decorations are just right, depending on the type of entertaining we are doing. We want the atmosphere to set the tone for a pleasant evening.
 

We also want to make sure that all the preparations are just right. We think about our company, the people we have invited over to entertain and what they might like. We want to make sure that we make time for talking, sharing, visiting, perhaps playing games, watching a movie or television, and the like. We do not want our guests to be neglected.
 

Yes, when we invite others over to entertain them, we always want everything to be just right. Now, think about the pressure of wanting to get everything just right when you know your company is Jesus.
 

Mary and Martha were sisters. They and their brother Lazarus were good friends of Jesus and we hear about Jesus friendship with them more than once. They shared this house and probably shared the chores and duties of making sure everything was just right. Perhaps they shared in getting everything ready in order to have Jesus come and be their guest. Yet, when Jesus arrived we see two different personalities. First there is Mary. Mary sat at Jesus’ feet listening to everything He had to say. We might say that she was making sure that Jesus was entertained, made to feel welcome. We might say that her role was to keep the guest from feeling neglected. At that same time, because this guest is Jesus, as Mary sat and listened we know that she gained from this experience. She grew in her faith. She sat at the feet of the Lord and was given the gifts He has to give.
 

But the question which comes up in our text when these two sister confront each other is, “Can we say Mary was being a good host?” Hopefully about now you are asking yourself, “Am I like Mary?” But do not answer that question, yet. Before we answer any questions, let us look at Martha’s role.
 

Martha was concerned about the food, the atmosphere, the rest of the preparations that need to be made. She was concerned that everything would be just right and who could blame her, remember that her guest was none other than Jesus Himself. Interestingly enough (and here I will tip my hand a little) in our text we are told that “Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made,” and we even hear Jesus say, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things.” Martha was troubled and distracted wanting to make sure everything is just right.
 

Like her sister Mary, Martha wants to make sure that Jesus feels welcome and is not neglected. For Martha, she has a different emphasis and understanding of how to make sure things are just right. Mary is concerned about entertaining and Martha is concerned about food. So, just as we asked about Mary, we ask about Martha, “Can we say Martha was being a good host?” And again, hopefully you are asking yourself, “Am I like Martha?”
 

And so we have the confrontation. Martha comes to Jesus and explains that there is a lot of work to be done, would He please tell her sister to help? As we listen close to Martha’s words, could it be that she is blaming Jesus for Mary’s not helping. After all, would Mary not be helping if she were not distracted by listening to Jesus? Maybe it is Jesus’ fault that Mary is listening and not helping? And maybe some of the fault is Mary’s. Maybe Mary is just too lazy and that is why she is not helping. Certainly Jesus should side with Martha and straighten this whole mess out.
 

Yet, Jesus’ answer is in favor of Mary. Jesus even says, “Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”  So, now what? What is Martha to do now? Does she stop getting things ready and listen? Does she run out of the house screaming and throwing a temper tantrum? Actually, we do not know what happens next. Evidently what happens next is not important. What is important has already taken place and has already been said. Or, did we miss it?
 

We live in a world which has more opportunities available to us than we could ever even imagine. There are so many things vying for our time and attention. There is our work which calls for much and even most of our attention. There are clubs which we can join: card clubs, fitness clubs, golf clubs, swimming clubs, self-help clubs, book clubs, more clubs than we could ever be a part. There are sporting events ever calling for our attention, as well as many cultural events. There is our family and our family life calling for our time and attention. Perhaps we have children involved in things at school and after school that calls for our time and attention, time for travel, practice, and actual events. Our spouses call for our attention. Yes, there are many things vying for our time and attention and the list goes on.
 

And God calls for our attention. Interestingly enough more often than not, we only hear His call once a week, for one hour and this is when we come to Divine Service. Jesus is our guest, not just at Divine Service, but in our homes and in our lives, or is He? If you want to know what is really happening in someone’s home, ask their children. Have you ever asked your children if Jesus is really a guest in your home or in your life?
 

Last week we had the question, “What must I do to gain eternal life?” This week we ask the question, “What is better?” There is a reason that these questions are asked in this order, because you see, we cannot know which is better until we know that we have eternal life. We cannot have eternal life apart from faith in Jesus. And we cannot have faith in Jesus apart from His Word and Sacraments. It is His Word which tells us that we are sinful human beings and are in need of forgiveness. It is His Word through which the Holy Spirit works to bring us to confess our sins and be given His forgiveness, earned for us by Jesus suffering and death on the cross. It is His Word which tells us, “Your sins are forgiven.”
 

I believe this narrative also informs our participation in Divine Service, that is that unlike having a worship service on Sunday morning wherein we think we need to do something in service to and for God, in Divine Service we are here to be given to, to listen and respond with psalms, hymns and prayers. God, speaking through our pastor is the one acting, giving and distributing His gifts to us, thus, actually He is the host and we are His guest, and we are the ones who are given the good portion as we listen attentively.
 

Only after hearing such wonderful words and news of forgiveness and life, then and only then are we able to respond in faith, to give works of service which are also motivated by the Holy Spirit. And this is not works righteousness, but is a response of faith.
 

Are we a Mary or a Martha? I will not answer that question, you will have to answer it for yourself, however, I will suggest to you that your actions will betray you. What I will say is this, the order of importance is this, that we first hear the Word and are given the Sacraments. It is through these means that our Lord gives, strengthens and keeps in faith. When we absent ourselves from these means, that is when the rest of the world, which is vying for our time, comes in and takes us away from these means, then we are like Martha and we are distracted. But, when we make regular and diligent use of these means, that is when we daily read our Bible, weekly attend Divine Service and Bible class, have personal and family devotions and the like then we are like Mary, then we will have chosen the good portion and it will not be taken away from us. We cannot have it both ways.
 

The first thing of importance is our faith, which is given to us by God through the very means He gives faith, through His means of grace, through His Word and through Holy Baptism. God gives faith and He strengthens and keeps us in faith, also through the very means He has given, His means of grace, remembering our Baptism and being reminded of our Baptism through the Divine Service, especially through the invocation and benediction. He strengthens faith through His Word, and through the Lord’s Supper. He gives forgiveness earned and paid for by Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross and here I would remind you that forgiveness along with faith are the greatest gifts, for without forgiveness there is only eternal death and hell, but with forgiveness is life and salvation. Indeed, God gives forgiveness also through the very means He has given, through His Word and through the Lord’s Supper, but most especially through confession and absolution. These are the first things that God gives and the most important things. Without the first there can be no second thing of importance. The second thing of importance is doing the good works which God has for us to do. And we do good works, we serve God by serving others as we are motivated by the Holy Spirit working through the Word and Sacraments. We do them so that they are done to His glory. And so we see in the lives of active Christians that God’s gifts are given. God’s gifts are responded to.
 

My prayer for each one of us is that we might resist the temptations and the pull of the distractions of this world in order to make sure that we are involved in the one thing which is needful, immersing ourselves in the Word of God through which He gives us faith, strengthens us in our faith and keeps us in faith until He comes again. To Him be the glory, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Go and Do Likewise - July 10, 2022 - Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 10) - Text: Luke 10:25-37

Again, I remind you that we are in the Pentecost season, the season of green, of growth, of growing in our Christian faith and life. Thus, this morning our lessons continue. Jesus has been with His disciples for some time now, and they still do not understand what it means that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. Yes, they have confessed, with Peter speaking for the group, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, but they still do not know what that means. They have argued about who will be the greatest in the Jesus’ kingdom. Jesus has taught them about greatness in terms of discipleship reminding us that to be a disciple of Jesus means giving up everything, including our lives in this world. Jesus has sent them out to “practice” being disciples and reminded them that better than being able to show power and authority over the devil and the world is the fact that their names are written in the book of heaven. And now, here in our text, Jesus is confronted by an expert in the Law. Jesus had a lot of work to do in the three short years He spent in ministry here on this earth.
 

Our text begins with a confrontation between Jesus and a learned man, at least in human terms a learned man, a modern legalistic lawyer of the day, “25And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ 26He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? How do you read it?’ 27And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.’ 28And he said to him, ‘You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live’” (v. 25-28).
 

This is a man who has learned the letter of the law we are told, who comes to Jesus to ask this question. If this man truly is a learned man, you might be thinking, this must be another one of those traps that the Pharisees were continually setting for Jesus. But, Jesus is not deterred. The question of this learned lawyer is, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” That question brings with it the implication that I must do something in order to be saved. This lawyer is not unlike many Christians in our world today who point to themselves for their own salvation. To this learned lawyer, being saved has to do with what is on the inside of a person, what is a person’s character, what is it that we bring to be saved.
 

In answering this man’s question we see that Jesus is truly a Texan, because He answers the man’s question with a question. Jesus refers the man back to his own law, letting him answer his own question. “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” You might say that Jesus is letting the man get away with his own interpretation and understanding of the law, and you hear this in Jesus’ word, “How do you read it?” The learned lawyer answers quite well, even quoting Scripture, “Love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” What this expert has done, whether he realizes it or not, is that he has summarized all ten commandments into two statements of love. The first three commandments are summarized in the words, “Love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.” If we could love the Lord with all our heart, soul, strength and mind, we would not break any of the commandments. The problem is, as we well know, we cannot love God this way. The last seven commandments are summarized in the words, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If we could love our neighbor as we love ourselves, we would not steal, kill, covet, commit adultery, gossip, speak evil of others and the like. The problem is, again, as we well know it, we cannot love our neighbor as ourselves. The problem is, this expert in the law does not know that these are things he cannot do. He actually thinks he can live in this manner as prescribed by the law.
 

Jesus’ response is simple, “Do this and you will live.” Okay, so we get this account right, the lawyer believes that salvation is dependent on him and his keeping the commandments and he actually thinks he can keep the commandments and that he has been keeping the commandments. At this point he may even believe that he has been and is good enough to be saved. He is really no different than many Christians today who like to think that they are good enough to be saved, because we have never actually stolen anything, killed anyone, or committed adultery. I guess we can all feel pretty good about ourselves.
 

But, this parable is not over. We continue in our text, “29But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’ 30Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35And the next day he took out two denarii  and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, “Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back”’” (29-35).
 

Here we see that this learned lawyer did think that he was able to keep the commandments because we are told that his next question was asked in an attempt to justify himself. His questions is, “Who is my neighbor?”
 

To answer this expert’s question, Jesus tells the parable, the earthly story with a heavenly meaning. In the parable we are told that there was a man, obviously not a bright man, but a man, by himself, who was on his way through the rough territory from Jerusalem to Jericho. The implication is that this man was a Jew, a fellow brother in nationality as well as in faith. He went on a road which was known to have frequent robberies, yet he went anyway and by himself. As he was going down this road, he was mugged. He was stripped, beaten and left for dead.
 

As the parable continues, we are told that there was a priest who just so happened to be going down this same road. This priest was a pious man, a leader in the church. This priest was a religious man. Certainly, if anyone should stop and help someone in need, it would be a priest. Yet, all we are told is that “he passed by on the other side.” We are given no reason, no excuse for his behavior, simply that “he passed by on the other side.”
 

Next, as the parable continues, we are told that there was a Levite who also just so happened to be going down this same road. This Levite was a lay associate in the church. He too was a religious man. Certainly, if anyone, other than a priest, should stop and help someone in need, it would be this Levite. Yet, all we are told is that “he too passed by on the other side.” We are given no reason, or no excuse for his behavior, simply that “he too passed by on the other side.” It certainly does not look like a good day for pious, religious, church leaders. And I would suspect that if this same account happened today, we would get very similar results. How often do we have the opportunity to help someone and instead, we too pass by on the other side. But, we are not yet to the point of the parable.
 

Finally we are told that “a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was.” The fact that this man was a Samaritan is important. Samaritans were half Jewish because somewhere in their past some of the Jews married some of the people of the land they were to wipe out, thus Samaritans were half Jewish and half something else. So this Samaritan was a cousin, a half brother of this man who had been mugged. The problem is that Jews and Samaritans did not like each other. Jews did not like Samaritans because they were not full blooded Jews and Samaritans did not like Jews because the Jews discriminated against them. So, knowing that this man was a Samaritan, helps you understand that this was the man’s enemy who happened to be traveling by. Certainly, if anyone would pass by on the other side, it would be this Samaritan. But, and here is the twist in this parable, we are told that this Samaritan, this enemy of this man, is the one who stopped and helped him. And not only did he stop to help him, he bandaged his wounds, he took him on his own donkey to an inn and took care of him. He paid the bill for the inn and he told the inn keeper that if there was any further expense that he would pay for it.
 

And now the question Jesus asks the expert, “‘36Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?’ 37He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You go, and do likewise’” (v. 36, 37).
 

The question was a simple question. If you were paying attention, you could not get the answer wrong. Yet, this learned lawyer, because of his own prejudices, cannot even answer that it was the hated enemy, the Samaritan, rather he must answer, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus’ answer and commission is, “You go, and do likewise.”
 

Many times today, many people, even perhaps you and I might ask, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” And, like the expert in the law, we know the answer is that we are to “Love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength and with all our mind and we are to love our neighbor as ourselves.” And like the expert in the law, there may be times that we think we are doing these things. It is only as we are confronted by the facts, that we realize that we are unable to do this. We are sinful human beings. We are conceived and born in sin. We are born in sin and daily we add to our sin. We are unable to be a neighbor, at times even to those we love, even though we have Jesus’ directive that we are to be neighbor even to our enemies.
 

Thanks be to God that there is another way, and that way is His way. The way of God is that He has given His only Son, Jesus to come and be a neighbor for us. Jesus did all that we are unable to do. He loved the way we are unable to love. He did everything perfectly for us and He gave Himself for us. He suffered and died on the cross to pay the price for our sins, so that we might have forgiveness, and so that we might rejoice in His Word to us, “Your sins are forgiven.”
 

Instead of asking, “What must I do to have eternal life?” we might well ask, “What has God done for us to earn for us and give us eternal life?” and His answer is a resounding, “Everything.” What a great God we have, what a loving God. Not only has God created this world for us and given us all we need for our body and life, He also sustains us, gives us faith, forgiveness and eternal life. God does all and gives all and we are done to and given to and we are even moved to respond with praise and thanksgiving.
 

And so, we pray God’s richest blessings on us that He might work in and through us so that we might, with His help and by the power of the Holy Spirit, “go and do likewise.” To God be the glory, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Rejoice That Your Names Are Written in Heaven - July 3, 2022 - Fourth Sunday after the Pentecost (Proper 09) - Text: Luke 10:1-20

Many of us like the hymn “Hark! the Voice of Jesus Crying”? Which we will be singing this morning. I believe that hymn is a favorite hymn of a lot of people. The question I want to ask you this morning is, “When you sing that hymn, do you really mean what you sing?” “Hark! the voice of Jesus crying, ‘Who will go and work today? Fields are white and harvests waiting, Who will bear the sheaves away?’ Loud and long the Master calls you; Rich reward He offers free; Who will answer, gladly saying, ‘Here am I, send him, send her.’” Well, actually the song goes, “send me, send me,” but I believe a lot of people mean, “send him, send her.” Last week we were apprised of the cost of discipleship, that is that true Christian discipleship means giving up our own lives in this world. This morning with the help of the Holy Spirit we will hear Jesus’ instructions to us in discipleship, first to pray, then to actually go out into the harvest fields.
 

Our text begins with Jesus commissioning His disciples. Luke writes, “1After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves’” (v. 1-3).
 

Did you notice that the first thing that Jesus tells the disciples and us today is to pray for workers. You would think that to pray for workers would be an automatic thing, but it is not. I could put you on the spot and ask for a show of hands, but I will not do that, rather I ask you just to think to yourself, when was the last time you prayed for workers. When was the last time you prayed to the Lord to ask Him to move in the hearts of the men in our congregations to move them to attend the Seminary to become pastors? When was the last time you prayed to the Lord and asked that He would stir in the hearts of men and women to give up their jobs and careers to work in the mission field? When was the last time you prayed to the Lord to move your own sons or daughters to commit themselves to church work or to a career in church work? When was the last time you prayed for your own pastor?
 

The second thing Jesus says is “Go your way; behold, I am sending you . . . ” Jesus is not speaking to just the twelve apostles. He is also speaking to the seventy-two others He had appointed. Likewise, today, Jesus does not just say “go” to Pastors, He says “go” to all of us. We are all witnesses of Jesus, by what we think, and say, as well as by what we do. Here I might ask you, what do your thoughts, words and actions confess about what you believe? What do they confess about your faith in Jesus?
 

Next Jesus outlines the conditions of the commission. We read, “4Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ 6And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. 16“The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me”(v. 4-16).
 

First, Jesus says, do not take anything with you, rather you are to rely on the Lord to take care of all your needs, including food and a place to sleep! That sounds simple enough, but it is harder than it sounds. How often do we really rely on the Lord, or are we like most people, like most good Americans, who have grown up with the American way of life and the American idea that a person has to make it on their own. We have to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. We have learned from early on in our lives not to depend on anyone except ourselves. Yet, here in our text, Jesus tells us to depend on Him. If we are really honest with ourselves we must confess that it is a most difficult thing.
 

Second, Jesus says to bless the house where you stay. These words are not difficult to understand, but how often do we find ourselves silently praying the Lord’s blessing on the home of someone we are visiting? I would suggest that more often than not, this thought and this type of thinking never crosses our minds. How wonderful our visit might be and how blessed we and our family and friends might be if we were to adopt such a routine, that is that before we enter anyone’s house or place of residence that we pray for the Lord’s blessings on them. And this is not something that would have to be elaborately done, we may simply pray a silent prayer in our heart and mind as we approach and knock on the door.
 

Third, and here Jesus is speaking specifically to those who are missionaries or are witnessing away from home, Jesus says to stay in one house. This command is to keep the missionary from going around town looking for the best deal. Again, this may not sound like it refers to us, but how often do we pick and choose our friends by what they have to offer to us, rather than by what we may have to offer to them?
 

Fourth, Jesus says to work the Lord’s work in that town. I think it is so interesting that we would rather put money in the offering basket for foreign missions, rather than realize that we have our own mission field right in our own backyard (as the saying goes). Please do not misunderstand me, I believe foreign missions are very important and should be very well supported. What I am saying is, too many times, too many people think that if they put their money in the offering basket for some vague foreign mission, one they hope they will never see, that this means they have done their duty and do not need to think about their own mission field in their own neighborhood. And all the while, how many people in our own neighborhood have never heard the Good News of Jesus and are lost.
 

Fifth, Jesus says, if you are not welcomed, shake the dust off your feet. If you ever find yourself being ostracized for your Christian faith, wipe the dust off your feet. Do not have any part in people who want no part in the Lord.
 

And sixth, Jesus says, that the listening is to the Lord, not to you personally. If what you say is rejected, do not take it personally. Many people have rejected the Word of the Lord and the Word of the Lord you bring will not be the first time it has been rejected. Always remember, it is the Lord who is working through His Word. You have not failed, the other person has merely rejected the Lord’s Word.
 

Finally we have what I like to call the debriefing section of our text. “17The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven’”(v. 17-20).
 

The disciples were so excited because they had power over Satan and all creation. I do not know why they were surprised, they had been with Jesus for a while and certainly had seen the miracles He had performed, but now, here they were doing the same miracles. What joy and excitement they must have felt.
 

But Jesus says, do not rejoice in the power that you have, rather rejoice in the fact that your names are written in the book of heaven. What is important is not the fact that you can do miracles, rather what is important is the fact the you have a part in heaven. Notice it is our salvation, earned by Jesus and His death on the cross, that comes first. It is our salvation, given to us, by grace, through faith, which motivates our response of faith to Jesus’ sending us out. We love, we witness, because He first loved us. And we have Jesus’ authority and promise, as well as the Holy Spirit working in us, so that we are disciples, so that we do live lives of faith and witness in our various vocations.
 

So, in good Lutheran fashion we ask, “What does this mean?” First and foremost, as we have run through our list of six “commands” of Jesus, we must confess that we fail miserably. We are not the people He asks us to be. With that confession, and hearing His words of forgiveness, we are encouraged, because He still sends us out with His authority and promise to be with us. The words of Jesus confirm the fact that the Holy Spirit works through the means of grace, the Word and Sacrament to bring us and all people to faith. Our faith is a gift from the Holy Spirit. At our Baptism the Lord, using the hands of the Pastor, washed us. He recreated us. He claimed us as His children. He put His name on us. He put faith into our hearts. As we continue to make regular and diligent use of the Means of Grace, He continues to strengthen and keep us in our faith. Faith is a gift from God.
 

From our text we are reminded that the Holy Spirit works through the external means of grace to move us to pray for workers. We do not naturally think about and remember to pray for others, especially for workers, for missionaries, for teachers, for pastors, for our district and synodical leaders. Praise the Lord that the Holy Spirit works this good work in and through us, so that we do remember and we do pray for those who work in the many and various areas of His Holy Ministry and the support systems for His Ministry.
 

From our text we are reminded that the Holy Spirit works through the means of grace to move us to go out and tell others. Our natural tendency is to tell other people about our new home, our new car, our new this or that, but, unfortunately, it is not natural for us to tell others about our faith. The Holy Spirit works in and through us so that we do tell others about our faith through our thoughts, words and actions.
 

From our text we are reminded that the Holy Spirit works through the means of grace to move us to rejoice that our names are written in the book of heaven. More important than the fact that the Holy Spirit works all good works in and through us is the fact that our names are written in the book of heaven. For us Christians, heaven is a present reality. Our short lives on this earth are really, a preparation for our time in heaven. We might say that Sunday Divine Service is choir practice for heaven. Praise the Lord that the Holy Spirit works in and though us so that we might rejoice that our names are written in the book of heaven.
 

When Christ comes and asks, “Who will go and work today?” With the help of the Holy Spirit, we boldly respond in faith and answer, “Here am I, send me, send me!” To Him be the glory, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.