Once For All Sacrifice - November 17, 2024 - Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 28) - Text: Hebrews 10:11-25

This morning we continue our journey to the end. You may have noticed from last week’s reading and from this week’s readings and as you will hear in next week’s readings, as we approach the end of the Church Year our readings deal with the end times, with Judgement Day and Jesus’ return. And let me assure you, we will meet the Lord. I have to admit that there are many times I struggle to believe that we actually believe we will meet the Lord. I say that because too often we live as if we will live on in this world forever, and I must include myself. I cannot tell you how often it is that I must remind myself of the temporariness of this world. And yet, so often we invest so much of our time and energies in this world instead of getting ourselves ready for the world to come. The great thing is this, when we reach heaven, all this will seem like nothing, but until then, we do live in this world and we struggle not living as a part of this world.
 

In our text, the writer to the Hebrews begins by reminding us of the Old Covenant of Sacrifices. We begin at verse eleven, “11And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (v. 11-14).
 

In the Old Covenant the priest had to repeat the sacrifices daily. In other words, there was no end of the sacrifices that were being offered. As you read through the whole Bible and especially the first five books of the Old Testament the sacrificial offerings were set out and there were a lot of sacrifices that needed to be made. The “problem”, if you will, of these sacrifices was that they did not do anything. They did not earn forgiveness. Instead they were simply offered as a foreshadowing of what was to come. They were a reminder that the price for sin was death, that blood had to be shed for forgiveness.
 

It was not until Christ came and offered Himself as the once for all sacrifice for our sins that the sacrificial offerings were ended. Notice how the writer tells us that the priest stood to offer the sacrifices on a daily basis. After Jesus offered Himself, that is, after His life, suffering, death, resurrection and ascension, He sat down at the right hand of the Father. That He sat down is an indication that everything is accomplished. Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself did pay the price for sin. His blood was shed. He died, paying the price for our sins and earning forgiveness for us. Everything has been taken care of.
 

Today we continue to have the witness of the Holy Spirit, in particular through the means of grace. Picking up in our text at verse fifteen, “15And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, 16“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” 17then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” 18Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin” (v. 15-18).
 

After Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, God immediately stepped in. He initiated the covenant by promising to send a Savior. And notice that this initiation of the covenant, this promise was given even before there was an Abraham and a Children of Israel, reminding us that God’s promise was for all people. God later  reiterated His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, even King David, and so forth. He reiterated His covenant with Mary and Joseph and began fulfilling His covenant in the giving of His Son, Jesus, born in Bethlehem.
 

Jesus brings us the fullness of the Good News. Jesus did what we cannot do, He lived perfectly. He obeyed all of God’s laws, perfectly. He fulfilled all of God’s promises, perfectly. He lived in this world, always looking to the world to come. While He invested Himself and the giving of His life in this world, He did not invest His life in this world. He had no home, no place to lay His head. He did not have a “regular” job. He had the clothes on His back and yet never worried about anything He needed. He lived in perfection and then He took our sins upon Himself, being made sin for us. And He paid the price for our sins, He died. His death brought our forgiveness.
 

And finally, the writer gives us words of encouragement in our confidence as well  as instruction in our living as Christians. We pick up at verse nineteen, “19Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (v. 19-25).
 

What was new for his first readers may not be so new to us today, but the writer tells us that we can approach God directly, this direct approach to God was indicated when Jesus died and the veil in the temple was ripped in two from top to bottom. Each one of us can pray directly to God. We may simply speak with Him. We do not have to be formal in our speaking to Him. We may simply, and we are encouraged to simply, speak with Him as we speak with a close or dear friend.
 

We can have confidence in sins being forgiven. That is why Jesus came to earth. That is why Jesus suffered and died, to pay the price for our sins. We have confidence that our sins are forgiven. This confidence does not give us license to sin, but it gives us the freedom to live life knowing that we have forgiveness so each day is a new day and a new day to start over. And with forgiveness, we know that we also have life and salvation. Our eternal lot is set.
 

We can do good works. No, good works to do not save us. In and of ourselves we cannot do good works, but by the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through us we can and we do the good works which God has prepared in advance for us to do. This includes, as the writer says, “stirring up one another to love and good works,” in other words, encouraging each other to love and good works.
 

And finally, and notice these are not my words as I continually encourage you, but they are the words of God through the Epistle writer, we are to eagerly desire to be in the habit of meeting together for divine service and to encourage and build each other up. In other words we are to encourage each other to make regular, every Sunday and every day, and diligent use of the means of grace. And especially as we come closer and closer to the end of the world or to our own end on this earth, how much more important do we understand the necessity of making sure we are ready for our Lord’s return.
 

What does this mean? As we approach the end of the church year we are reminded of our sin. It is our sin which keeps us in trouble. It is our sin which brought Jesus’ death. It is our sins of thought, word and deed. It is our sins of commission, doing the things we should not be doing. And it is ours sins of omission, not doing the things we should be doing, encouraging and building each other up, being in divine service and Bible class, giving of our time, talents and treasure, as we should and as the Lord has blessed us. And now that I have said this, please do not think, either, well, pastor just has to say those things, or there pastor goes again, gripping and complaining about what we’re not doing. Instead, as the Lord so well tells us through other writers, take a sober look at your own life. When we all compare ourselves to Jesus, we do all come up short and that is the point. And that is sin. If we cannot admit our sin and our part in Jesus’ death then we have an even bigger problem.
 

As we approach the end of the church year we are reminded of God’s covenant. It is only as we realize our sinfulness that we can begin to fully comprehend God’s plan of salvation. First we are reminded of God’s covenant and His fulfillment of that covenant in the giving of Jesus and His life for ours. And second, we are reminded of God’s continued covenant that, as Jesus promised, He will return to take us from this valley of tears to be with Himself in heaven.
 

So, as we approach the end of the church year we are reminded of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. We are reminded that even though we are unworthy, is not because of our worthiness that Jesus gave His life. He gave His life because of His great love for us. We are unworthy. We are undeserving. That is why it is a gift. Again, the more sinful we realize we are, the more wonderful His forgiveness is.
 

As we approach the end of the church year we are reminded of our forgiveness and eternal life. And so we are reminded that we are forgiven and we are also reminded that with forgiveness of sins there is life and salvation. Remember, there are two ways to get to heaven. One way is by being perfect. So much for that. The other way is by faith in Jesus, because faith in Jesus brings us forgiveness and when we have forgiveness, we are perfect. So, forgiveness always means life and salvation.
 

As we approach the end of the church year we are reminded of our eagerness to make regular and diligent use of the means of grace. I know this is true for our shut-ins and for those who cannot be in church, they so much desire to be here. They so much eagerly anticipate our visits when they may partake of the Lord’s Supper. And this eagerness and desire should be our eagerness and desire. This desire should well be our desire, to eagerly desire to be given the gifts the Lord has to give.
 

As we approach the end of the church year we are reminded of our encouraging each other. Yes, we are brothers and sisters in Christ and sometimes we act like brothers and sisters, sometimes in not so good ways and sometimes in good ways. Yet, we are encouraged to encourage each other and build each other up, because the Day is drawing near. And the Day is nearer now than even when we began our service this morning.
 

One of the things I enjoy most about preaching at the funeral of a Christian is that I am able to present a message of forgiveness and hope, which we know is a certainty. As we approach the end of this church year we might well be reminded that our days are numbered and even though our days are numbered, at least our days on this earth, we have the certainty of heaven. May the Lord continue to give you that certainty and may we continue to share that certainty with each other. To God be the glory for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

November 2024 Church Newsletter

November 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This month I would like to address the importance of the Means of Grace. Why is the Means of Grace and understanding the Means of Grace so important? Understanding the Means of Grace is understanding the way (means) in which God gives us the gifts (grace) He has to give. You may have some friends from other Christian denominations that would suggest that you are the one who has to get, gain, claim, or accept, the gifts God gives. In other words, they will suggest you are the one actively in doing something, working for the gifts God gives. Right from the start, that thinking should make you say, “What? Isn’t a gift something which is given? Otherwise it would not be a gift.” And you are correct. As Lutheran Christians we understand, as God tells us, that He gives His gifts and His grace to us through means and in particular the following four means.

The first Means of Grace and the power in all the Means of Grace is the very Word of God. The Word is the main thing. The Word is the power throughout all the means, and in particular as the Gospel writer John expresses, even the Word made flesh, Jesus Himself. Indeed, God’s Word does, gives, and effects what it says. When God says we have faith, we know we have faith. When God’s Word says we have forgiveness, we know we are forgiven. When God’s Word says we have eternal life we can know for certain we have eternal life because God’s Word is sure and certain.

Holy Baptism is not only a Means of Grace, but it is also a Sacrament, a sacred act given to us by God wherein His Word, in particular, His name Father, Son and Holy Spirit is put on us (God using the mouth of the pastor) with water (God using the hand of the pastor) as God gives to us faith and His promise that “baptism now saves you” (1 Peter 3:21).

Holy Absolution is the means whereby God speaking through the “called and ordained servant of the Word” announces “the grace of God unto all” of us and forgives us all our sins.

The Holy Supper is also, not only a Means of Grace, but a Sacrament, a sacred act given to us by God wherein His Word, in particular the Word of Institution (the Words Jesus gave on the night in which He was betrayed while celebrating the Jewish Passover and giving us His Holy Supper) (spoken by the pastor) over the bread and wine wherein we are given Christ’s true body and blood, given and shed for us for the forgiveness of sins. Indeed, Jesus becomes a physical part of us so that His life becomes our life, His suffering and death become our suffering and death, and His resurrection becomes our resurrection.

Although we would never put restrictions on God and His power, His usual way of coming to us today in our world is not immediately, that is, not in dreams or visions but mediately, that is, through means, namely and in particular these Means of Grace which He has given us. Thus, as you constantly hear me say, our need and desire is to make regular and diligent use of these means so that the Lord has plenty of opportunities to lavish us with His good gifts and blessings, faith, strengthening of faith, forgiveness, life and salvation.

God’s richest blessings.
In His Service,

Pastor Bogs
1 Cor. 15:3-5

Once For All, Nothing More Need Be Done - November 10, 2024 - 25th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 27) - Text: Hebrews 9:24-28

Our text for this morning answers so many questions and corrects so much misunderstanding and confusion of Law and Gospel. Most certainly our text points us to Jesus and as you have heard me say time and again, we know we get it right when we point to Jesus. This morning we clear the air with the facts of Christ’s first coming which ushered in the end times by living, suffering, dying and rising. We clear the air with the fact that Jesus’ suffering and dying was enough to pay the price for all sins, for all people, for all ages, once and for all. And we clear the air with the fact that when Jesus returns it will not be to rule on earth, but to save those who believe in Him by taking us to heaven to be with Him. So, let us get to our text.
 

Our text begins by distinguishing between the Holy Place and its copy, verse twenty-four, “24For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf” (v. 24). The holy place made with hands is a reference to the temple built in Jerusalem. This temple was built as God’s presence among His people in Israel. This temple was not built as if God could be contained in any one particular place, but was built as a reminder to God’s people of His presence among them. As we read of all the warts of God’s people in Israel, so too we read of their rejection of God and His covenant and how that very temple, which was only a copy of the true Temple in heaven, was destroyed. We also read of God removing His presence from His people. And we read how this man made temple was built not as a permanent temple, but as one pointing to the greater temple, the one true Temple for all God’s people, all believers, the Temple in heaven.
 

And so, Christ’s appearance in heaven itself was to offer Himself, the sacrifice of Himself, the shedding of His blood for us on the cross and to present His sacrifice, once for all before the throne of God the Father in Heaven on our behalf. His appearance and offering of Himself, His life for our life is what brings us forgiveness and life, even eternal life.
 

Which brings us to get a better understanding of the repeated sacrifices. Picking up at verse twenty-five, “25Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (v. 25-26). Very often we get confused when we hear such statements that say that Jesus fulfilled the law so we are no longer under the law. That statement is only partially true for you see there are three laws going on. There is the civil law, which is the law of the land and while Jesus did fully obey all the civil law He did not do away with the civil law and we know this is true because we are still today under the civil laws of our country. In other words we still have to obey stop signs, not rob or kill people and so forth. Next there is the moral law and that is the Ten Commandments and here again, while Jesus did fully obey all the commandments He has not taken them away so that today for us Christians, while the Ten Commandments continue to show our sins, they have become a guide, that is they fall under the third use of the law for us.
 

Finally, there is the ceremonial law and the sacrifices. All the ceremonial laws were given to point to the promised Savior, the Messiah, indeed Jesus. The price for sin that was set in the Garden of Eden was death, physical death, and apart from Jesus and faith in Jesus, eternal death in hell. The price for sin was that blood had to be shed. Thus, for the children of Israel, the ceremonial law of the sacrificial system was set up so that animals were sacrificed, their blood was shed, not that the shedding of the blood of an animal accomplished or paid any price for the sin of the one offering the sacrifice, but reminding them of their sin, the price for their sin and pointing them to the one who would ultimately pay the price with His life. And as the one offered the sacrifice, depending on the sacrifice, they would often participate in that sacrifice by eating a portion of the sacrifice. The problem with these sacrifices, since they did nothing to earn or pay for sins is that they had to be repeated over and over again as a constant reminder of sin and its cost, death and the shedding of blood.
 

Because these sacrifices had to be repeated and were intended to point to Jesus, when Jesus came, He came to offer His own blood. All the sacrifices that were offered were to be ones without spot or blemish. Jesus was born as true God in human flesh, thus He was born without sin, without spot or blemish. Jesus was truly human so He could be our substitute, so He could do for us what we are unable to do, namely live a perfect life. Jesus fulfilled what was pointed to, that is He fulfilled all the law; civil, moral, and ceremonial, and all the prophets, perfectly.
 

Jesus then took our sins, all our sins and the sins of all people from Genesis to Revelation upon Himself. He suffered the punishment of our sins, eternal death and hell. He shed His own blood on the cross. The difference between Jesus sacrifice of Himself and all the sacrifices that pointed to Him is that His blood need only be shed once, for all. Thus no longer are any sacrifices needed.
 

Which brings us to the appointment of death, verse twenty-seven, “27And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” (v. 27-28). In the beginning God created a perfect world. He created a perfect man and a perfect woman and placed them into His perfect world. Then we get to Genesis Three, wherein we move from God’s creation and work, God’s acting and doing to the actions and doings of the man and his wife and at that point we see how they brought sin and death, physical death, and eternal death into the world through their disobedience and sin.
 

God brought down His judgement of death and cursed the world. And yet, at the same time He promised to take care of the sin of Adam and Eve. He promised to send a Savior for all people of all places of all times. He promised Jesus and His promise was that all who believe in Jesus will be saved, but those who do not will be condemned. Indeed, this was the very beginning of the Christian Church. So that, as we are now reminded, those who fail to believe in Jesus, that is the unbelievers are judged to eternal death and hell. And those who do believe in Jesus, we Christians, the believers are judged to eternal life in heaven. There is no in between. There is no working off sin in order to get to heaven. There is simply to die once and then the judgement.
 

So, we are reminded that Jesus appeared once, at His birth. This first appearance was to usher in the end times. Indeed, we are living in the last days and have been living in the last days since Jesus’ birth. We are not waiting for any arrival of Jesus to rule in any way here on this earth. We are waiting for Jesus return and His return, His second appearance will be on the last day and it will be to judge the world.
 

What does this mean? This morning we are reminded once again, as we should be reminded and need to be reminded each and every Sunday that we are sinners and that it is our sin that brings death, indeed it is our sin that brought the death of Jesus. Yes, we are responsible for Jesus’ suffering and death. One of my frustrations as a pastor is the refusal and rejection of God’s gifts by so many each and every Sunday. I believe there is this mass refusal and rejection because we do not take God and His Word seriously. We have either been convinced, as the Pharisees, that we are pretty good people and that our goodness would never allow God to condemn us, or we have been convince by our society that good is good enough. Or perhaps we simply do not believe we are in any danger of the Lord’s eminent return or our quick passing. The Law is still and remains the Law. We are lost and condemned persons. We are guilty and we stand condemned. Indeed, we need Jesus, not just now and again, but we need Him and His gifts each and every week, yes, each and every day.
 

Thanks be to God for His promised Savior. Thanks be to God that back in Genesis, when there was only Adam and Eve, neither Jew nor Greek, that God promised a Savior so that His promise was a promise of a Savior to all people, to all the children of Adam and Eve, and yet, even more specific, to all who believe.
 

The whole Old Testament pointed to the Savior. All the genealogies, all the prophecies, all the ceremonial laws, all the sacrifices, all the wars, chastening and discipline, all the narratives and history of the Old Testament pointed to Jesus. Indeed, all of history points to Jesus.
 

Jesus is truly God. He was God in heaven enjoying all the glory that was His, using His divine attributes to their fullest, and yet He gave up His glory in order to take on human flesh and blood. Jesus had to be truly God in order to be born in perfection and He was. In His perfection He took on in human flesh and blood, being born of a human woman, the virgin Mary. Jesus had to be truly human in order to be our substitute, in order to trade His life, His suffering, His death and His resurrection for us.
 

Jesus lived for us, perfectly as is God’s demand. Jesus was the perfect, spotless lamb of God who took our sins, all our sins, our sins of omission, not doing what we should, our sins of commission, doing what we should not, our sins of thought, word and deed, not only our sins, but the sins of all people of all places of all times. He took all sin upon Himself and suffered and died once for all. Nothing more needs to be done. And as we know the rest of history, death and the grave had no power over Him for He rose victorious over sin, death and the devil. And now He gives to us what He earned and paid for, He gives us His life, even eternal life.
 

Indeed, as the one who offered the sacrifice and participated in that sacrifice by eating of the sacrifice so our Lord offers to us to participate in His life, death and resurrection by offering us His body to eat and His blood to drink in His Holy Supper so that His life, suffering, death and resurrection are our life, suffering death and resurrection. Indeed, then we are to die once and then we are judged with no waiting in any holding area while payment is made for us to get to heaven.
 

This morning as we hear God’s Word we have confidence in our eternal salvation. Just as the Old Testament pointed to Jesus and it was faith in the coming Christ that made them Christians and saved them, so too in the New Testament. The New Testament points us back to Jesus so that it is faith in Jesus as the Christ which makes us Christians and saves us.
 

And now we wait. We wait not in fear and trembling, not in fearful anxiety, but we wait in eager anticipation. Indeed, the victory is ours, won for us by Christ on the cross. And so we wait in eager anticipation for our Lord’s return, which is why we eagerly desire to be given the gifts that God has to give and to be given those gifts each and every week, indeed each and every day. What a great God we have. What a gift giving God we have. We rejoice and give thanks and praise as we eagerly await His return. To Him be the glory for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Blessed - November 3, 2024 - All Saints’ Day - Text: Matthew 5:1-12

Today we celebrate All Saints’ Day. This does not mean that we give undue credit or glory to those faithful family members and friends who have fallen asleep in faith, but it does mean that we place their lives before us as an example of how we are to live the Christian faith. As we remember the saints who have gone on before us we remember that they too were at the same time sinner and saint, just like us. We also take the time to be reminded that by faith in Jesus Christ we are all saints. As we go around the room we might call each other by our sainted name, Saint Shirley, Saint Pat, Saint Jon, Saint (place your name here) and that would continue for each one of us. As saints, then, heaven is not just something we look forward to, it is a present reality. By faith in Jesus, His life, suffering, death on the cross and resurrection, we have forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Heaven is ours now, it is just that we will have to wait until we fall asleep in faith from this life until we will awaken in our heavenly home.
 

This morning our text is what we call the Beatitudes, or the statements of blessing from Jesus. Before we get to these statements of Jesus let us take a few minutes to remind ourselves what is the world’s idea of being blessed. And I will use what may be the world’s term for blessed as success. We have talked about these various items from time to time. Being blessed according to the standards of this world means having riches. Wealth and money is a sign of worldly success. The more money one has, the more successful they appear to be, at least in the eyes of the world.
 

Another indicator of success in our world is power. Power is a sign of worldly success. The more powerful one is, or the more powerful they seem to the world, the more successful they appear to be, again, at least in they eyes of the world.
 

A third indicator of success in our world is fame. Being famous is a sign of worldly success. The more famous one is, the more successful they appear to be, again, at least in the eyes of the world.
 

Yet, as we have been reminded time and again, these worldly signs of success are not necessarily indicative that a person is successful, because, as we know, as we have heard stated and read about, some of the most wealthy, most powerful and most famous people are also some of the most depressed. Jesus has a different idea and understanding of being successful and that is where we now turn our attention.
 

Beginning at verse three, Jesus’ idea of being blessed begins with admitting our weak faith. In His own words Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (v. 3). Jesus is not talking about simply being poor in spirit, or weak in faith, but admitting that we are in a constant need of having our faith strengthened. Here we might remind ourselves that confirmation was not graduation and that there is always more that we do not know about God than we do know about Him and so we have a constant need to be in His Word, to read our Bible, to be not only in divine service, but also in Bible Class so that we might be strengthened in our faith.
 

Continuing on at verse four, Jesus’ idea of being blessed includes being ashamed of and mourning our weak faith. In His own words Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (v. 4). Jesus is not talking simply about some outward speaking of our weak faith, you know the line, “I know I should be in Bible Class, I know I should read my Bible every day, I know I should be in church every Sunday,” and so forth. No, Jesus is talking about a yearning which comes from the heart, a yearning so deep that it moves us to do something about our weak faith. In other words, we simply cannot help but be where the gifts are given and distributed.
 

In verse five, Jesus’ idea of being blessed includes meekly acknowledging one’s part in Jesus’ crucifixion. In His own words Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek, for they shalll inherit the earth” (v. 5). Blessed are those who are not arrogant, but who bow their heads in grief because of their sin and their part in Jesus’ death, that Jesus had to die for their sins. This confession means that each one of us confesses, for ourselves, that it was because of my sins that Jesus had to shed His blood and die on the cross. For if we cannot and do not acknowledge our part in Jesus’ death on the cross, then we have no part in Jesus’ resurrection and eternal life. It is this acknowledgment, when it is a faithful and true acknowledgment which gains for us an inheritance in heaven and which leads us into action as we read in verse six.
 

In verse six, Jesus’ idea of being blessed includes craving, hungering and thirsting after doing the right thing. In His own words Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (v. 6). Those who are blessed are those who hunger and thirst after the Word of God, those who truly hunger and thirst after the Lord’s righteousness, and those who strive, with the Lord’s help, for an eternal righteousness and a piety of life. Again, this is something that is so powerful we simply cannot help but want to be where God’s gifts are distributed and given out.
 

So far Jesus has been pointing to us as individuals. We are blessed when we confess and grieve our sins, confess our need to be in His Word, and then hunger and thirst for His word and righteousness. Our confession brings forgiveness, but even more. Here we are reminded that our faith does, or at least should, make a difference in our lives, the way we live, how we speak, what we do and so forth. There is more to our Christian lives than just showing up for church and Bible Class on Sunday morning.
 

In verse seven our attention focuses on our outlook toward others. Jesus’ idea of being blessed includes showing mercy to others even if that mercy is not show back. In His own words Jesus says, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” (v. 7). Blessed are those who have a deep and sincere concern for the temporal and spiritual needs of their neighbor. Here we might be reminded of the opportunities which the Lord gives to us to be merciful to others, specifically to our guest who come to divine service with us and especially those who have no home church.
 

In verse eight, Jesus’ idea of being blessed includes being pure in heart, thinking pure thoughts. In His own words Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (v. 8). This is the opposite of hypocrisy which is acting like a Christian, but not believing. Are our thoughts on ourselves or on those who have not yet heard the message of Jesus and salvation? Are our thoughts continually on this world and our lives in this world, or on the world to come and our being ready for the world to come and getting others ready?
 

In verse nine, Jesus’ idea of being blessed includes seeking to bring peace among ourselves and others. In His own words Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (v. 9). This is not a peace which comes from compromising one’s faith and beliefs, but a peace which has at its center Jesus Christ. Maybe you have seen the sign or the bumper sticker, “No (N-O) Jesus, No (N-O)Peace, Know (K-N-O-W) Jesus, Know (K-N-O-W) Peace.” Apart from Jesus and apart from faith in Him we cannot know or have true peace. Remember, true peace comes only from sins forgiven so without Jesus there is no forgiveness and no true peace.
 

In verse ten, Jesus’ idea of being blessed includes suffering persecution because of our faith. In His own words Jesus says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (v. 10). It is our spiritual righteousness, our moral character, our exclusive claim that there is one way and only one way to eternal life, which makes us Christians stand out and “look” aloof to the world and thus that is why we are hated by the world. When we make the Lord’s righteousness ours and when we adopt our Lord’s intolerant attitude toward sin then we can no longer be accepted by our unrighteous and, ironically enough by our, so called, tolerant society. Do you want to know if you are really a Christian or not? Check to see if you are loved or hated by the world.
 

Finally in verse eleven, Jesus’ idea of being blessed includes suffering, being insulted, falsely accused and spoken against. In His own words Jesus says, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account” (v. 11). Here Jesus names a few forms of hatred which will be bestowed on “practicing” Christians. It is our honor and distinction to suffer in His interest and because of His name. As Jesus says, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (v. 12). As Christians we still have an irrepressible joy, because no matter how much the world might hate us, no matter how much the world might persecute us, this hatred and persecution is nothing compared to the glory which is ours in heaven.
 

This morning we see a stark difference in our focus and in the focus of the world. The world’s focus is on the here and now. For those who are in the world and of the world, this is all there is and so life must be lived for the here and now. “You have to grab for all the gusto you can.”
 

Whereas God’s focus is on the now and the not yet, the future, eternity. Our life on this earth is short, from conception and birth to a hundred years or so and then it is over, compared to our life in heaven which is forever and ever and ever, without end. As Christians our focus is not so much on the here and now as on the now and the hereafter. That is why we see the importance of confessing our sins and being given forgiveness, that we confess our weak faith, that we hunger and thirst after the Word of the Lord and His righteousness, that we show mercy and seek ways to share the love of Jesus and His Gospel message with others, so they too might be a part of His kingdom.
 

As we celebrate All Saints Day we celebrate that by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ alone, faith and grace given to us, we are a part of God’s Kingdom and that we have a hope and a certainty for now and for the future. We celebrate the example of all the saints who have gone on before us because they showed their faith in Jesus alone for their salvation, because they hungered and thirsted after righteousness and because their lives are an example to us to be about the business of Jesus in spreading His love and Gospel message to all the world.
 

I like the words of one of the songs we used to sing when I was serving with a group that did weekends for church youth groups while in college, it went, “Heaven is a wonderful place, filled with glory and grace, I want to see my Savior’s face, heaven is a wonderful place, I want to go there.” I pray that this is your song as well so that when our last hour on this earth has come we might all together with all the saints stand before the Lord’s throne and proclaim, “to Him be the glory,” for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Truth and Freedom - October 27, 2024 - Reformation Sunday - Text: John 8:31-36

Happy Reformation Day! As I have said in the past, Reformation Day is one of my favorite holy or holidays and I think it is appropriate that we greet each other in this way, “Happy Reformation Day!” This year, Reformation Day is as it always is on October 31, which this year it is on Thursday. Reformation Day is the day we celebrate the act of one man, the sainted Dr. Martin Luther, after whom our church denomination is named, who on October 31 in 1517 posted his 95 statements or theses for debate on the town bulletin board, which happened to be the church door. It was this act which set off what we now call the Reformation.
 

Dr. Luther did not suggest that he had found the real church which was lost. He did not suggest that God had given him any new revelation for beginning a new church. He was not trying to form his own new church, rather he was trying to make his old church, the Roman Catholic church of his day, aware of what he knew were false teachings and false doctrines which were being proclaimed, so that the truth of the Gospel might prevail. And if anyone understood these falsehoods, it would be Dr. Luther. Perhaps you have heard his story.
 

Dr. Luther was born to Hans and Margaretta Luther, November 10, 1483 in Eisleben, Germany. He began his college education studying law, but at the age of twenty-two a thunderstorm and the death of a friend moved him to make a vow to enter the quiet life of a monk in monastery wherein he also began his studies to become a priest in the church. Young Luther believed that if he worked hard enough, if he studied hard enough, if he stayed out of the public life and could keep from sinning, then he might be able to earn heaven. This teaching is what was being taught in the church during his life and as we will see, this is also what he wanted to reform. In the language of our text for today, Luther became a slave to works righteousness.
 

The “truth” that young Martin Luther was taught and believed was that if you were good enough, if you kept from sinning, if you did what was right, then you would be justified, then you could stand before God as a just person, deserving eternal life and heaven. Unfortunately, or rather, fortunately for us, the more young Martin Luther tried to justify himself before God, the more he felt unjust and undeserving. More than once young Dr. Luther fasted to the point of almost starving himself to death. He would beat himself in hopes of appeasing, what he believed to be, an angry, vengeful God. And so, Dr. Luther really kept himself in a vicious cycle of trying to appease God, thinking he had to do more and so he tried to beat himself more, fast more, confess more, and that only made him realize he could not do enough to appease God, so he tried even harder.
 

Young Dr. Luther did not know the truth. He was like many people in our world today. We live in a world where truth has become relative. What may be true for me may not be true for you and what may be true for you may not be true for me, or so the world would have us believe. Today, in our world, truth is validated, not by facts, but by feeling. If I feel it, it must be true, at least for me. Or truth may be validated by one’s perspective, that is from my point of view this or that is truth, but it may not be true from your point of view. I am here to proclaim to you that there are not many truths, that each one of us does not possess our own individual truth, but that there is one and only one truth. There is only one absolute truth. I know that goes against the world and against our culture, but I, and the whole Christian Church for that matter, cannot do otherwise. The very reason we are in the mess we are in, having various truths, is because we do not know the Truth. In answer to the question of “What is truth?” the only answer we can give is the answer of Truth Himself, that is, that Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” Apart from Jesus there is and can be no truth. Why do we have such a problem with truth in our world today? Because we live in a truth-less, Jesus-less world.
 

John tells us, in our Gospel reading, that it is faith in Jesus Christ alone which brings us into all truth and which makes us a part of God’s family. We are not a part of God’s family by physical birth nor DNA. We are not a part of God’s family by who we know. We are not a part of God’s family because we are so good and deserve to be a part. We are only a part of God’s family by faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus makes Him our brother and God our Father, then we are a part of the family. When it comes to eternal life in heaven it truly is not what you know, but who you know, or better, who knows you!
 

Young Dr. Luther’s problem was that he was not a part of the family. Young Dr. Luther’s problem was that he was a slave to everything except Jesus. For young Dr. Luther, the Scripture reading, “The just shall live by faith,” meant that he had to be just, he had to live a just life, he had to do what was right in order to stand before God and be declared righteous. It was only after his eyes were open by the Holy Spirit working through the Word of God that Dr. Luther came to understand the truth. The truth is that “the just shall live by faith,” means that we are declared just and right before God, not by our own accord, but by faith in Jesus Christ. We, you and I, can never do enough good things, we could never fast enough, we could never beat ourselves enough, we could never do anything enough in order to pay the price, to work off the cost of what our sins have earned. And believe me, our sins have earned plenty. We are born in sin and daily we add to our sin. And the cost of our sin, the wage of our sin is death, eternal death, hell. Maybe, before we turn to the Gospel, too quickly, we need to spend some time with young Dr. Luther in the Law. We need to spend more time in the Law, because until we realize that left to ourselves we are deserving of nothing less than eternal life in hell, the Gospel will mean little or nothing to us. To young Dr. Luther the thought of deserving hell was devastating and that is what drove him to do all he could to redeem himself. Perhaps we might need to spend time contemplating our destiny apart from Jesus Christ, because, you see, a part from Jesus Christ, we are, you and I are, deserving of eternal death in hell. And that ought to be pretty scary for us.
 

But there is good news. The good news is that hell is what Jesus suffered for us, for you and for me, in our place. Jesus took all our sins upon Himself and paid the price, the wage, the cost for our sin. He suffered eternal death for us. That is what young Dr. Luther realized when he came to a proper understanding that, “the just shall live by faith,” means that we are made just in God’s eyes by faith. By faith Jesus’ life becomes our life. By faith Jesus’ suffering becomes our suffering, by faith Jesus’ death becomes our death. And by faith Jesus’ resurrection becomes our resurrection. Notice that it is no longer we who are doing anything, but it is Jesus who is doing the doing.
 

When Dr. Luther understood the Gospel, that Gospel set him free. Dr. Luther understood that no amount of fasting, no amount of beating himself, no amount of anything could pay for his sins. No amount of money could pay for his sins. His sins, the cost, the wage, the price for his sins had been paid, in full, by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus. Dr. Luther rejoiced in his new found freedom in the Gospel and from that day forward began boldly to proclaim that same freedom to others who, like him, were devastated by the constraints of the Law.
 

Which brings us back to our Reformation celebration. You see, as Dr. Luther grew in his faith and understanding of the truth of the Gospel, he began more and more to see the false teachings which had made their way into the church of his day. You might say that the straw that broke the camel’s back was the selling of indulgences, that is the selling of the forgiveness of sins. The story goes that on one of his walks through town, Dr. Luther stumbled over one of his parishioners who was on the ground drunk as a skunk. When Dr. Luther told him that he would be waiting for him to come to confession later in the week, the man held up a piece of paper and boldly stated that he did not need to come to confession anymore because he had paid good money for his sins to be taken care of. In other words, he had paid money for his sins to be forgiven so he no longer had to worry about sin, instead, he could live life as he wished with no repercussions, or so he thought.
 

It was this event as well as many other similar events which stirred Dr. Luther to sit down and write his 95 theses or statements for debate. These statements were written in Latin, the language of the educated, because he was looking to debate these concerns with others who were educated in the theology and teachings of the church. His sole intent was to correct and to reform what he knew were some false teachings of the church. He knew that church would be full on All Saints day, November 1, so on the eve of all Saints Day, on All Hallow’s Eve as it is called or as it has been mispronounced today on Halloween, he posted his statements for debate.
 

You might remember that a man named Gutenberg had invented what is called the printing press at about this time, about 50 years earlier and so Dr. Luther’s statements were quickly translated into German, the language of the people, printed and distributed for everyone to read and that is what started what we now call the reformation.
 

I believe there is an adage which reminds us that we need to study and be mindful of our past history lest we are doomed to repeat such history. We live in a world not unlike the world of Dr. Luther’s day. We live in a world where it is believed by many that it is our character, it is our good deeds, it is our sincerity of faith, our living an obedient life,  it is our living as God’s people which will bring us to some sort of eternal existence. Jesus tells us that we are saved by His grace alone, through faith in Him alone. Both faith and the object of faith are important. It is our faith which brings us the truth. It is our faith which makes us members of Jesus’ family. It is our faith which makes us the people we are, little Christ’s or Christians. We are to have faith as a child, not trusting in anything of our own, being completely helpless, but trusting and clinging to Jesus alone who sets us free.
 

In our Gospel reading for today, Jesus is dealing with His own people, the Jews, who had similar beliefs to the people of our world today, people who believed they were saved by pointing to themselves. The Jews believed they were saved by their DNA by being born Jewish. Today people believe they are saved by pointing to themselves as well, by their good deeds. Just as Jesus reminded the Jews of His day so He reminds us today, we are not saved when we point to ourselves. Jesus points us to where we are saved, outside ourselves to Him and Him alone. Jesus said it best in our Gospel reading when He said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” As His disciples, being given faith, through the waters of Holy Baptism, strengthened and kept in faith through His means of grace, the Lord’s Supper, holding on to His teaching, the very Word of God, and being given forgiveness of sins, through Confession and Absolution and knowing that with forgiveness is life and salvation, we rejoice and say, to God be the glory. Thus, we rejoice and celebrate this day we call Reformation Day. We give thanks for the work of Dr. Martin Luther, but even more we give thanks for a clear understanding of our salvation, pointing, not to self but to Jesus and Jesus alone. Indeed we are sons of God, set free by the Son of God so we are free indeed. To God be the glory, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Admonishing Loving Exhortation - October 13, 2024 - Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 23) - Text: Hebrews 3:12-19

Our Old Testament reading for today is one of many Old Testament prophecies of warning of the children of Israel to turn from their sin, to repent, to “seek good, and not evil, that you may live.” And we heard Paul quote from Psalm 95 a similar warning which is a warning to us today. The Gospel reading is the account of the man desiring salvation, yet as we will hear reflected in Paul’s letter to the Hebrews and to us, he was depending, not on Jesus for salvation, but on his own good works. Again, a warning to us today.
 

Last week, Paul, the writer to of Hebrews, being the good Lutheran that he was, pointed us to Jesus and encouraged us and warned us to continue in our faith lest we fall away. This morning we are again encouraged in our own faith life, but also to care for one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.
 

Paul begins by encouraging us to care for one another. He begins by speaking to those who have already been given faith. He says, beginning at verse twelve, “12Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. 15As it is said, ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion’” (v. 12-15).
 

Paul is concerned about anyone who might be lead astray from faith to unbelief. Thus, he admonishes us to exhort one another every day, to keep the faith. Paul’s concern is very real and is a concern we should have for each other today. While our faith is a precious gift from the Holy Spirit, the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh continue daily to lead us to despair and unbelief. Woe to those who are so puffed up in their faith that their faith is no longer in Jesus, but in themselves. An example that comes to mind as our synod remembers the Seminary walkout from 1974. Think about those “smart” seminary professors who, thinking more highly of themselves and their own intellect, bought into historic criticism and elevated their own reasoning above what God says in His Word.
 

Paul warns that a hardened heart is one that is deceived by sin. He goes on to quote Psalm 95:7,8 which was an original warning to the children of Israel. In other words, Paul’s warning to the early church is the same as the Psalmist warning to the children of Israel and is much the same as my encouragement to you almost each and every week, that is to always make regular, every Sunday and diligent, all the time, use of the means of grace, remembering your Baptism, confessing your sins, hearing the Word of God, and partaking of His Holy Supper. These are our only defenses and guard against falling from the faith.
 

Paul goes on to make a comparison of the Jewish converts to their Israelite ancestors, “16For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? 17And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief” (16-19).
 

As he has a habit of doing, Paul moves on to ask some rhetorical questions as his way of pointing to the problem with the ancient Israelites. As we recently have studied the first five books of the Old Testament and especially the history of Israel and their deliverance from slavery in Egypt we saw how quickly the children of Israel would forget the great things God had done. They witnessed the ten plagues of which the last seven did not affect them. They witnessed the Egyptians drown in the sea and yet they constantly complained. God brought them to the edge of the promised land and yet they refused to go in so they spent forty years wondering.
 

When it was time again to enter the promised land God promised He would be with the Israelites and clear the land of the pagan cultures as they moved in. Yet they failed to wipe them out and instead they became influenced by those pagan cultures until they lost faith. This history lesson is one we would do well to take heed as we see churches and people acquiescing to the sinful popular culture of today. Indeed, what was once right is now wrong and what was once wrong is now being touted as wonderful and great. Quite a warning to us in the Christian church to hold firm to the faith and at the same time to boldly speak out against these atrocities of the world even if it means our own persecution.
 

As I have reminded you many times, as God, through Paul is writing to the Hebrews, so He is also writing to us today. God created us to love us and He does love us. We are born with nothing and we will take nothing with us reminding us that everything we have while we are in this world is God’s and is to be used in service to Him, indeed in our serving others we are serving Him. Our lives begin with God giving us life and that life begins at our conception. Because we are conceived and born in sin and are accountable for our sin from the moment of conception it is imperative that as quickly as possible parents bring their children to the waters of Holy Baptism. Thus, in Baptism God gives us faith and we are reminded that the power of the water in Baptism is His Word.
 

As we grow up in this world, God strengthens and keeps us in faith through His Means of Grace, in particular through His Word and Sacraments. As we hear the Word that Word does what it says and gives the gifts it proclaims. As we confess our sins and hear the words of Absolution we know our sins are forgiven. As we partake of our Lord’s body and blood in His Holy Supper we know that we have forgiveness. Indeed, as we make regular and diligent use of these means of grace our Lord strengthens and keeps us in faith.
 

And we need this constant strengthening of faith because the temptations we face daily are to be deceived by the devil, the world and our own sinful nature. The devil tempts us, not because he loves us and wants us on his side, but because he hates us and he hates everything that is from God. The world tempts us to believe that there are many ways to enlightenment or nirvana. The world would have us believe that we are products of millions of years of mutations so that we should follow our animal instincts and desires. Our own sinful flesh would have us believe that we should satisfy the desires of that flesh. Indeed, daily we struggle and fight against temptation and sin and we continually sin.
 

Paul’s exhortation to us today is that he admonishes us to look after each other and to exhort each other to not fall for temptation and sin. Paul reminds us that we are our brother’s and sister’s keeper, we are to recognize sin and call it what it is, for the sake of our brother or sister and because we love them. And here I will remind you as I always do, that recognizing sin for sin is not the same as judging someone as we might be accused. As individuals we cannot and do not judge others, but being sinners ourselves we are to gently call others to recognize their sin and repent. Indeed, it is truly more loving to call our brothers and sisters to repentance than to let them remain in their sin which would mean they would remain unforgiven and doomed to eternal death and hell. It is somewhat like calling out your friend who is doing drugs which could kill them. Would it be more loving to let them go on doing drugs and kill themselves or warn them of such destruction? Yet, ultimately it is God who judges and while we are His people and His congregation, He does give us His authority to judge which is what church discipline and excommunication is all about. Of course, I will remind you that the purpose of church discipline and excommunication is to shake the person so they know how dangerous and serious is their sin so they do repent. Remember, the ultimate goal is repentance and restoration.
 

And as Paul reminds us, we are to encourage one another all the more as the end, either our own passing or the Lord’s return, is coming soon. As I have said many times, no one knows the moment the Lord will return and even if it is not during our own life time, no one knows when we will pass on, thus it is imperative that we are always ready to meet our Lord.
 

So, too, as always, I encourage you to encourage one another in being given the gifts God has to give because of our love for one another, as Christ first loved us. As always, it begins and ends with Jesus. God created us, to love us. God gives us faith at Baptism. God forgives our sins through Holy Absolution. God forgives our sins and strengthens us through His Holy Supper. As we are filled with these gifts of God our joy is to overflow and spill out on each other, encouraging each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.
 

The motto of the world is “Live and let live.” God’s admonition through Paul is “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (v. 13). God never promised that life would be easy, but He does promise to be with us always, even to the end of the ages. God never promised that we would not be tempted, but He does promise that He is with us and will help us to resist temptation and sin. God never promised to give us all that we want, but He does promise to take care of all our needs. And while God’s demand has always been perfect obedience, because we cannot fulfill His demand He has taken care of that for us as well. Jesus lived the perfect life demanded of us for us in our place.
 

As always we are reminded we get it right when we point to Jesus, just Jesus. Jesus has done all that is necessary for us for salvation and He gives everything to us. He even stirs in us, gives us our response of faith, to encourage and build each other up as brothers and sisters in Christ. What a great God we have. What a gift giving God we have. What a loving God we have. How can we not simply rejoice and say, to God be the glory for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Give Heed For Salvation - October 6, 2024 - Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 22) - Text: Hebrews 2:1-18

Our Old Testament lesson for this morning is the account of the creation of the woman from the rib of the man to be bone of bone and flesh of flesh. It is also the account of God giving the gift of marriage, of one man and one woman. In the Gospel reading we have the account of the question of the Pharisees concerning divorce and Jesus’ answer that Moses allowed for divorce because of the sin and hardness of the human heart. In the Gospel we also have the account of Jesus’ exhortation to believe as little children, to have the faith of a child. Before moving to our text, the Epistle reading, did you notice a couple things from our first two readings? Notice that marriage is not defined by the state, but by God. Marriage is not two men, two women or multiples of such nonsense, but is one man and one woman for companionship and procreation. Also, notice how Jesus Himself attests to the authenticity of the Old Testament as He quotes from Genesis.
 

Moving on, sandwiched between these two lessons for today we have the Epistle reading from the letter to the Hebrews. The epistle lesson, which is our text, begins by helping us to understand the nature of our state of being. We begin at verse one, “1Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will” (v. 1-4).
 

The writer of this epistle urges us to “pay much closer attention to what we have heard.” He knows well our nature, that is that we tend to forget what we hear and that we tend to drift away from our faith. Research in the secular world suggests that while it takes at least three weeks to develop a good habit, it only takes three days to unlearn that same good habit. Quite a warning to us concerning our own Christian faith and life and our own making regular and diligent use of the means of grace. More specifically this morning, the writer of this epistle warns us that we would do well to take heed of the law which shows our sins and the result or the punishment of our sin.
 

The law was given, first written on our hearts, not to save us, but to show us our sin and the seriousness of our sins. The Gospel was given to show us our Savior and to bring us salvation. And we know the Gospel as the writer instructs us that God gave witness of Jesus as the Messiah through the signs and wonders, that is through the miracles Jesus performed showing Himself to be the Messiah, even God in human flesh.
 

Adding to our understanding of the Gospel and who Jesus is, the writer continues at verse five, “5Now it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 6It has been testified somewhere, ‘What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? 7You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 8putting everything in subjection under his feet.’ Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone” (v. 5-9).
 

When God created the world, He crowned His creation with the creation of man, humans. And as expressed in this quote from a Psalm of David, man was created above angels. Remember, angels are not human and humans do not become angels. Angels do not have a body and were created to be messengers of the Lord.  Thus, we see that man is the crown of God’s creation and is above angels. As for Jesus, He is true God and true man. And although He was created above the angels, yet for a while, while He was here on this earth, He made Himself nothing for our sakes.
 

Before His incarnation, that is before Jesus took on human flesh, He was in heaven enjoying all the glory that was His and using His divine attributes to their fullest, yet He gave that up; He gave up all the honor and glory that were His in heaven. He subjected Himself to taking on human flesh and blood. He subjected Himself to all His own laws. And, again, as the epistle writer says, “for a little while [He] was made lower than the angels.” Only while He was here on this earth did He subject Himself to be made lower than the angels.
 

In subjecting Himself, He conquered even death itself as well as the devil. It was only as a human being, it was only as one of us, His creatures that He could save us. As God in flesh, as a human being, He fulfilled all the law and all the prophecies, all the promises concerning the Messiah. In so doing He proved Himself to be the Messiah and He accomplished what we could not so that He could become our substitute.
 

But the epistle writer is not through. There is more to know of who Jesus is. We pick up at verse ten, “10For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one origin. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12saying, ‘I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.’ 13And again, ‘I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.’” (v. 10-13)
 

The epistle writer reminds us that Jesus is God. He is creator with the Father and the Spirit or as he puts it, “from whom and by whom all things exist.” Jesus was there with the Father and the Holy Spirit at the creation of the world. He was there at the creation of the man and the woman.
 

After Adam and Eve sinned, God immediately stepped in and promised to send a Savior. God did not fulfill this promise immediately, but in time, Jesus was born. Jesus is true God, born in human flesh. As true God He is perfect and holy fulfilling God’s command that we be perfect even as He is perfect. As a true man He is indeed our brother and He is able to be our substitute.
 

Jesus is true God and He is true man and He is our Savior. We continue at verse fourteen, “14Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (v. 14-18).
 

Jesus is true God who took on human flesh and blood. We say that He became incarnate, that is He became in carnal or in flesh. He had to be born as human in order to be one of us in order to be our substitute or to use the language of our text, in order to be our propitiation. Certainly we all understand the concept of substituting like things for like things and the idea that one does not confuse “apples and oranges.” And so Jesus became incarnate, He took on human flesh in order to be a like substitute even our substitute.
 

As our substitute, Jesus lived under the law and yet never sinned. As our substitute Jesus suffered every temptation we might suffer and even greater temptation and yet He never sinned. As our substitute, Jesus fulfilled all of God’s laws perfectly, never disobeying even one. And as our substitute Jesus took all our sins upon Himself. He delivered us from death that is from eternal death and hell by suffering eternal death and hell for us.
 

And so, He delivers us from the bondage of sin. The bondage of sin is eternal death and hell. By faith in Jesus, faith given by the Holy Spirit; faith given through the means of grace; by faith in Jesus we have forgiveness of sins which means a release from the bondage of sin.
 

And yet, Jesus work is not over. He never ceases to care for us and watch over us. After His death and resurrection, He ascended to the right hand of the Father where He is watching over us, ruling over us and interceding for us. Because He has suffered everything and even greater suffering than we might ever suffer or think or imagine, we know that He is able to help us in times of temptation as well. And most certainly, as our brother, He is always there to guide, guard and protect us.
 

What does this mean? This morning we are reminded once again of what a great God we have. We have a God who created us. He created us to love us. We have a God who loves us, His creatures. We have a God who shows His great love for us in the fact that He took on human flesh and blood in the person of Jesus who is God who became man in order to be our substitute.
 

This morning we are reminded that by faith in Jesus, faith which is a means or an instrument, faith which is given to us, by faith in Jesus, His perfection is our perfection. Everything that Jesus did is accounted to us. So, when God looks at us He does not see our imperfections and sin, instead He sees Jesus perfection and declares us righteous and holy.
 

This morning we are once again pointed back to Jesus. We are pointed back to the cross and to focus our attention on the cross. Jesus has defeated sin, death and the devil and He gives us eternal life where we will share in His honor and glory in heaven. What a great God we have.
 

Finally, I want to conclude with the most profound words of Jesus from the Gospel lesson for this mornings, “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” Jesus does all and gives all and He even knows the heart of humanity. He knows and understands the difficulties of this life and how we so often grow up as adults and we become cynical, skeptical, and doubting. We have such a great tendency to try to explain things, to distrust what we do not understand, and even to doubt what we see with our own eyes. At the same time, He understands the heart and mind of a child. Children have not yet learned to disbelieve. Children have not yet learned to distrust. And so, when it comes to matters of faith, Jesus encourages us to be as children. We are to believe Jesus, because He says so. We are to trust in Jesus because He has shown how we can trust in Him. We are to cling to Him because He is the one who has created us, redeemed us and He is the One who continues to watch over us, rule over us and intercede for us. Again, we might boldly proclaim, what a great God, what a loving God, what an almighty God we have. To Him be the glory, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

October 2024 Newsletter

October 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This month I want to address the issues of pietism, experientialism, enthusiasm, and emotionalism.

Piety can be described as religious devotion, respect, and reverence, demonstrating faith and fear of God in words and actions. Piety would include serving God in ways that are moral, faithful, disciplined, and dutiful. Examples are prayer, attending Divine Service, hymn singing, Bible study, being given the Lord’s Supper, and serving our neighbor. These are indeed good things.

Pietism, on the other hand, seeks to know God or have a personal communion (experience) with Him directly, through a personal experience, apart from God’s Means of Grace. It emphasizes emotion (feelings) and personal experience as assurance of God’s presence. Feeling is given priority over the Means of Grace and the Objective Word of God. Thus, there is no certainty in such things.

The struggle is that there is too much temptation in our world by other Christians to believe that we Lutherans are not truly saved because we have not had an experience with Jesus or felt Him in any meaningful way. We have not been moved to choose Jesus or to make a decision for Him, as if we could make a decision for Jesus. Remember we are conceived and born in sin; every intention of our lives is evil all the time, and indeed, no one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

Another struggle is that when our feelings are elevated about the Objective Word of God and the Means of Grace, we truly cannot have any peace and comfort. Think about it. Today I feel close to Jesus, and I feel saved. What about tomorrow if I am having a bad day and no longer feel saved or close to Jesus? Does that mean I am not saved? Whereas the Objective Word of God kicks in and my mind realizes what God’s Word says and that God’s Word is efficacious, that is, it does and gives what it says. Thus, when I remember that I am baptized, that Jesus gave me faith, that my sins are forgiven, that God’s Word points me to Jesus, I no longer need to be concerned nor have anxiety about how I feel because I can believe and trust God’s Word which says He has chosen me, lived for me, taken my sins and paid the price by suffering and dying for me, and gives me forgiveness, life and salvation.

Thus, although parts of our Divine Service and hymns might give you goose bumps as it were, it is not meant to get you to feel a certain way/ it does not mean you cannot have any type of experience (except to have your sins forgiven) or emotion. It is meant to deliver the gifts of God through the Means of Grace powered by the Objective Word of God. Indeed, while I may never be completely sure of myself, my feelings, my emotions, my experience, I can be completely confident in God and His Word.

God’s richest blessings.
In His Service,

Pastor Bogs
1 Cor. 15:3-5

Word for Christian Living - September 29, 2024 - Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 21) - Text: James 5:(1-12)13-20

In our text for this morning, as we reach the end of our walk through his epistle, James makes three related points as he comes to the end of his letter. James encourages us to focus our life, not on the things of this world, but on the world to come, that is eternal life in heaven. James encourages us to be patient in times of suffering and he points to the example of Job and his suffering as well as the Lord’s reward, if you will, to Job after all was said and done. James writes to encourage us to encourage and build each other up as brothers and sisters in Christ. And we must remind ourselves as we begin looking here at the end of James letter, that James begins with Jesus. James encourages and exhorts us as a response of faith, not for works righteousness.
 

Getting to James’ first point, he encourages us in our life’s focus. We begin at verse one, “1Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6You have condemned; you have murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you” (v. 1-6).
 

James warns us that our earthly treasures will rot. He warns us to not get mixed up in attempting simply to gain treasures for this world, especially to the neglect of the world to come. Perhaps we would do well to constantly remind ourselves that what we are born with and what we take with us when we die is what is truly ours anyway. Which is another way of saying that nothing really is ours. What we have while we live on this earth belongs to our Lord and we are to be good stewards, caretakers in our usage of all that is His while we are on this earth. After we pass away, what we have amassed will be passed on to the next generation and as the preacher of Ecclesiastes suggests, it will be passed on to those who have not earned it to waste it in any way they wish. Thus, we are encouraged to be good stewards of what our Lord first gives to us and we are encouraged to spend our time, not amassing treasures of this world, but treasure for heaven.
 

James also warns that dishonest gain is a sin and so he encourages us to work at an honest job and not steal in any way. The example he uses is that of his ancestors who kept back wages from the workers. For us today, James simply encourages us to be honest in our labors.
 

These words from James encourage us to focus our attention and our life, not so much on this world and amassing what will be passed on to the next generation and have no affect on our lives in the world to come, and instead we are to focus our attention on the world to come. We are to focus our attention on our faith in Jesus who has secured our lot in heaven. Again, we are reminded that James’ words of encouragement are words of a response of faith.
 

Moving on to the second point that James makes this morning. He encourages us in our suffering, especially that we are to be patient. We pick up at verse seven, “7Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. 12But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.)” (v. 7-12)
 

James encourages us to be patient and to look forward, in faith, to the day the Lord will return. Unfortunately, too many people, even too many Christians do not believe the Lord will return during their own life time. Yet, He could come any day and any time. And, the fact of the matter is that none of us knows when we will die, so we all need to be ready to meet the Lord each and every day. James reminds us that this world is truly fast and fleeting. Our time in this world is but a breath, even a moment compared to our life in heaven which is for eternity, so we would do well not to dwell so much on the sufferings of this present world, instead, we would do well to focus our attention on heaven. James encourages us not to grumble against each other, instead we are to be patient with each other. And, notice that James says nothing about striving for success in this world, instead he encourages us to remain steadfast, that is to be faithful. James gives us the example of Job who lost everything and yet in the end because of his faithfulness the Lord blessed him with double. Here again, the encouragement to focus our attention on heaven and being faithful.
 

And James gives a bit of a warning about honesty. He says to let your “yes” be “yes” and your “no” be “no”. In our world today, as truth has, at least for some, become relative, there is a tendency to want to make sure people believe what we say and the way many do this is by adding something to their word. As children we add, “cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye,” and so forth. As adults we might add, “I swear to God,” or “to be honest with you,” or any other statement to emphasize we are saying what is true. James urges us simply to let our “yes” be “yes” and our “no” be “no” and to let our honesty attest to our word. And again, we would remind ourselves that James continues to speak in the context of a response of faith.
 

In the last point of our text, James encourages us to encourage each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. We pick up at verse thirteen, “13Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. 19My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (v. 13-20).
 

James encourages us in our prayer life. We certainly understand that our prayer is our part in our conversation with God. He speaks to us through His Word and we speak to Him in prayer. As part of our conversation with God, as part of our prayers, James encourages us to pray for ourselves. We are to pray prayers of thanks as well as petitions for healing and the like. Also we are encouraged to pray for others, especially those who are ill. And we are encouraged to be persistent and patient in our prayers. James gives us the example of Elijah who prayed for three and a half years that it would not rain and then he prayed that it would rain and it did.
 

Not only are we to pray, we are also exhorted to confess our sins so we might be given forgiveness. Every Sunday morning we confess our sins and we hear our Lord’s most beautiful words of forgiveness. Forgiveness is so important. We might remember that very often the first thing Jesus did when He met someone or healed someone was to forgive them their sins. Forgiveness is our most basic need and with forgiveness we know that we also have life and salvation.
 

Finally, we are to encourage each other, and especially, in love, share the truth with others, rebuking and admonishing where necessary. We are to encourage our brothers and sisters who stray from the faith. We are to share our faith with others so they too might have a part in God’s kingdom. What wonderful words of encouragement we are given by James this morning. And once more, these words of James are words of encouragement in our response of faith, faith given by God.
 

So we ask, “What Does This Mean?” In the Old Testament lesson for this morning we see the discontent of the Children of Israel. They grumbled and complained. They exaggerated what they believed to be their condition in Egypt, “they ate fish that cost nothing? They ate cucumbers, melons, leek, onions and garlic that cost nothing?” How quickly they forgot their cry to be delivered from slavery. Yet, their discontent is very much like our discontent. How often we forget what our Lord has done, does and continues to do for us as we continue to ask for more? Yes, even our Old Testament lesson reminds us of our need to keep our focus heavenward. Notice how the discontent of the Israelites is contrasted with Moses’ contentment even that everyone would be full of the Spirit. Quite a lesson to us in our contentment and rejoicing in others and how the Lord blesses them.
 

In the Gospel reading Jesus warns against sin, even little sins. He also warns that those who are not against Him are for Him, in other words, although we may have doctrinal disagreements with other denominations which keep us from fellowship, unless they are blatantly teaching and believing false doctrine, we would do well to not condemn them. At the same time, this does not negate the fact that we will want to encourage them to get their doctrine right.
 

Finally, James ties these words together in the last words of his epistle in which he encourages Christians to be content in all things, remembering that this world is fast and fleeting, that we are to be patient in suffering which, as Paul tells us, ultimately produces hope and certainty of heaven, and that we are to build up and encourage each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. And we do this with the Lord’s help, alone and only as a response of faith already given.
 

Of course, the last question we might ask this morning is, “Where is Jesus?” And we have to answer that He is there as the Author and Perfecter of our faith. As we read through James we must continue to remind ourselves that James begins with Jesus. James brings words of encouragement that are not apart from Jesus and faith in Jesus. We cannot do any of what James encourages and exhorts us to do. We cannot do the good works of faith, which flow from faith, except that we have faith. Again, James begins with Jesus. Jesus has already done all that James here encourages us to do. Jesus is God in flesh. Jesus is perfect and holy. Jesus never sinned. Jesus suffered all the temptations we will ever face and more and never sinned. And in His great love for us, Jesus took our sin and paid the price for our sin. The depth of the Gospel is that Jesus lived for us and Jesus gave His life for ours. Now Jesus sends the Holy Spirit who works in and through us to be the people he would have us to be, to be the people James encourages us to be. Where is Jesus? He is the beginning, the middle and the end. And we say, thanks be to God and to Him be the glory. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.

September 2024 Newsletter

September 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I believe most people understand what is a rhetorical question. It is a question that really does not ask for nor need an answer. Here in Texas we may joke that a Texan answers a question with a question (a rhetorical question) such as, “Is the sky blue?” Answer, “Is the pope Catholic?” or “Does a wild bear live in the woods?” Such is the way with rhetoric and rhetorical questions.
 

But what about rhetoric or rhetorical questions in other areas of life and even Lutheranism? As we understand that our doctrine (what we believe, teach and confess) should determine and be seen in our practice (how and what we do) then I believe that there are truly Lutheran ways to practice Lutheranism. When we think of preaching, teaching, evangelism, Divine Service and even our church building I believe there are Lutheran ways these are to be accomplished, that is our doctrine should inform and instruct and be seen in each of these areas.
    Lutheran doctrine is seen in Lutheran preaching with a proper distinction between Law and Gospel and an emphasis on the Gospel. Lutheran Education and teaching is seen in Christ and the Bible as the foundation. Lutheran Evangelism is seen in always being ready to give an answer for the hope we have.
 

Lutheran Divine Service is seen in that we do not come to worship because the very definition of worship is that God is the audience and we are the actors and we are coming to do something for God, as if God needs anything from us. Rather Lutheran Divine Service is just that, a Divine, Godly Service. It is first and foremost God coming to us to give us the gifts He has to give and to give them through His means of grace which permeate the Divine Service.
 

So, what makes a church building a Lutheran Church building? If you were blindfolded and led into a Walmart, Target, HEB, Kroger, etc., you would more than likely immediately know which store you were in. If you were blindfolded and led into a baseball field, a football field, a movie theater, a convention center, etc., you would more than likely immediately know where you were. But what about walking into a church building? Would you know if it were a church building or even which denomination you might be in? If you walked in and did not see a cross or a pulpit or Baptismal font, if you saw an enclosed drum set, musical instruments on a stage, if you saw screens on the wall, would you recognize the building as a church building or a place to be entertained, like an arena or music hall?
 

The point is, what does the rhetoric of the building say about what is going on in the building? As you walk into St. Matthew Lutheran Church of Westfield, there should be no mistake that you have entered a building in which the Divine Service points you to Jesus. The cross is prominent. The Baptismal font is to the left, the altar in the center, and the pulpit to the right. The communion rail separates the sanctuary (the nave) from the chancel area. There are no musical instruments in the chancel and there are no screens on the wall to make you think you are being entertained or to draw your attention away from the focal point of the cross of Christ and the means of grace.

God’s richest blessings.
In His Service,

Pastor Bogs
1 Cor. 15:3-5

July 2024 Newsletter

July 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On July 4 our country will celebrate the 248th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence beginning a long history of government as a Republic (we are not a true Democracy). The framers of our constitution speak boldly of our equality, liberty and our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We have free speech, freedom of religion (meaning we can actually share our faith with others), the right to bear arms, to a speedy trial, and on and on oes the list of our rights and freedoms. We have been taught that God has given us these unalienable rights, not our government. As a matter of fact, the more laws that are made the more we actually give up our rights to the government.

With all the rights and freedoms we have, we have become a country that seems to be moving further and further from what our forefathers imagined. As we consider that the average expectancy of a democracy is around 200 years, we may wonder how much longer we will be able to sustain the Republic in which we live. Much like the Children of Israel constantly rebelled against God who chose them, delivered them, gave them a land and from whom He gave the world a Savior (Messiah, Christ), the same is happening in our country, except that no Messiah is given through our country. Although our country may have had very religious and even Christian moorings, over the past many years we have seen our society give in to the sinful nature of the world so that unfortunately even many of what were Christian churches no longer look like Christian churches but look like and espouse the sinful nature of the world.

As we celebrate our 248th Anniversary and while we continue to enjoy the freedoms we have, especially the freedom and right to attend Divine Service, perhaps we would do well to give thanks to the Lord that we continue to have such an opportunity and at the same time pray for forgiveness for our failings in the fight against the temptations of the devil, the world and our own sinful flesh which seeks to go the way of our sinful world and keeps us away from where God gives His gifts of Word and Sacrament.

I believe the comment that is often made, “Two things we do not talk about, religion and politics,” has been given to us by the devil because he does not want us to speak about two of the most important aspects of our lives. Indeed, how can we share our faith without speaking about “religion,” and how can we not continue to maintain our rights and freedoms without speaking about “politics.”

With all that said, we continue to remind ourselves that our Lord does rule over us through government, that all governments are from God (good or evil) for the purpose of keeping order, so that we might be reminded to pray for our leaders and that we might be good Christian citizens living our lives as priests in the priesthood of all believers always ready to give an answer for the hope that we have.

God’s richest blessings.
In His Service,


Pastor Bogs
1 Cor. 15:3-5

Making Friends with Whom? - September 22, 2024 - Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 20) - Text: James 3:13-4:10

Now I know I have told this story before and some of you have heard it, but I am going to tell it again, and not just because it is funny, but because, unfortunately,  it is funny because it is true. There is the story of the new church which was meeting in a bar. The bar was not open on Sunday mornings so the church rented out the space for their morning service. At this bar there was a parrot. One morning while the church service was going on the parrot woke up. He looked up and saw the pastor preaching and said, “Hum, new bartender.” He looked over at the choir and said, “Hum, new floor show.” And finally, he looked out at the group of people at the service and said, “Same old crowd.” That story helps us to understand what is happening in many of our churches today as we become people not only in the world, but also of the world. James encourages us this morning to be zealous in being people of the Word and people in the Word, not people of the world.
 

James begins by defining wisdom, beginning at verse thirteen of chapter three he writes, “3:13Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (3:13-18). James differentiates between what is viewed as the wisdom of this world and what is true, Godly wisdom. True Godly wisdom shows itself in understanding and meekness. True Godly wisdom is a gift from God. We might be reminded that when God asked King Solomon to ask for any thing he desired as the new king, he asked for discernment, which is the wisdom to properly use understanding, in other words, he asked to be able to rule rightly. True Godly wisdom for us today is to live rightly, discerning the difference between living in the world and being of the world.
 

On the other hand, James tells us that bitter jealousy and selfish ambition are not wisdom. The way of the world is that this is a “dog eat dog” world and the way to get ahead in this world is through selfish ambition and stepping on others to get what you want, and what you think you deserve. Certainly through His own life, Jesus shows us that this thinking is not Godly wisdom, but is sinful human nature wisdom.
 

Wisdom from above, that is true Godly wisdom is that wisdom that comes from a heart of faith. As the Holy Spirit gives, even strengthens and keeps us in faith, as a gift, given through the means of grace, so He guides us in all true wisdom, moving us to seek to be godly people, encouraging and building each other up as brothers and sisters in the body of Christ.
 

As Jesus has His way with us, through the means of grace, a fruit of the Spirit is this peace which is sown from wisdom. Going back to King Solomon, in his writings in the Proverbs, he reminds us of this fact that wisdom sows peace, as he tells us that a gentle answer turns away wrath. When we are provoked by someone, how well we know that an angry response escalates the battle, but a gentle response brings peace. Here again, we see the difference between the Christian who lives in the world but is not of the world and the way the person of the world lives.
 

As we have talked about with James, he insists that faith without works is dead, that is that our faith is shown through our actions, thus James asks, what does your life say? We pick up at verse one of chapter four, “4:1What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (4:1-10).
 

James begins by reminding us that quarrels and fights do not come from faith. Quarrels and fights are not the way of Jesus, but the way of the world, the way of power and might, or in the church perceived power and might. We are adapting to the ways of the world when our desire is, well, when our desire is a natural desire. And lest we think we might be exempt from such desire, our Gospel lesson for this morning reminded us that we are really no different from Jesus’ own disciples who desired to be first in the kingdom of God.
 

James wants us to know that we can either be friends of the world or friends of the Lord. We cannot be both. Are we friends with the world or with the Lord? We are friends with the world when we invest our lives in this world, that is when we invest our time, talents, and treasure in this world. When we spend more time with our own pet projects, interests and hobbies, when we use our talents more for advancing our own lives and careers, when we spend our treasures investing in the things of this world, then we are friends with this world.
 

On the other hand, are we friends with the Lord? We are friends of the Lord when we invest our lives in the world to come and we invest our lives in the world to come by investing our time, talents and treasure in the world to come. We invest in the world to come by spending time with the Lord, by reading our Bibles, everyday, by having personal and family devotions, by being in Divine Service and Bible class whenever they are offered. We invest in the world to come by using our talents in service to the Lord and for extending His kingdom and certainly by investing our treasure, that is by giving our first fruits and tithes to our Lord who has given everything to us first, namely our time, our talents and our treasures.
 

Notice the imperatives James uses in our text, submit, resist, and draw near . . . (v. 7, 8). Certainly we understand that these are law words and in and of ourselves we cannot live according to what James here asks. So, maybe we need to go back and remind ourselves that James complements Paul. James and Paul both begin and end with Christ. Thus, these imperatives that James strings along for us are best understood as a response of faith and as being worked in and through us by the power of the Holy Spirit, otherwise, we would certainly be left with no hope.
 

Finally, James exhorts us to humble ourselves before the Lord and He will exalt us. Here again we begin and end with Jesus. We humble ourselves before the Lord as Jesus has His way with us and He has His way with us through the means of grace. By faith in Jesus, given through the means of grace, we have forgiveness, life and salvation and indeed we are exalted by God the Father.
 

What does this mean? Last week James reminded us that the power of the tongue reveals what is in one’s heart. This week James reminds us that we are in the world, yet we are not to be of the world. We are of the world when we imitate the world, when the priorities of the world become our priorities and when we fail to focus our attention and our lives on our eternal well-being understanding that our lives in this world are but a breath, but a moment compared to our lives in eternity, which is forever.
 

James gives us examples of how we know we are either of the world or not of the world. We know we are of the world when we claim to be Christians yet we imitate the world, and as James points out specifically when we quarrel with one another, seeking our own power and position in the world, rather than seeking to serve God and others. James tells us that the heart of such quarreling is the fact that we have our attention focused on this world instead of on the world to come.
 

Further, James reminds us that we are either friends of the world or friends of God. And yes, even for us Christians this is a tough choice. Daily we are faced with such tough choices and daily we know we fail and sin. Daily we fail to be friends with God. Daily we choose to be friends with the world. Daily we succumb to the temptations of the world and we act like the world and we look like the world.
 

James reminds us that we do fail. Thanks be to God that just as Paul begins and ends with Jesus, so James begins and ends with Jesus. We fail, but God succeeds. We cannot resist the temptations of the devil, the world and our own sinful flesh, but God has. In Christ God has become flesh. Christ has faced every temptation we will face and more. Jesus never sinned. Jesus took our sins upon Himself and paid the price for our sins.
 

Thus, James further exhorts us to, and we would certainly understand that this is only with the help and by the power of the Holy Spirit, submit ourselves to God. And the Holy Spirit stirs in us to do what He would have us to do.
 

As always we are reminded that we get it right when we get our focus right. We get it right when we begin and end with Jesus. God gives and we are given to. We fail and yet God does not give up on us. He is always there to give us even more, faith, forgiveness and life.
 

James brings us tough words for today. Very often we tend to be of the world. We tend to be like the disciples in our Gospel lesson. Remember the disciples, discussing who was the greatest? They were living in the world and they were being of the world. Living in the world makes it quite difficult to resist the temptation to be of the world. Daily we are tempted and lured to be of the world and daily we fail. Thanks be to God that our salvation does not depend on us. Thanks be to God that when we mess up God is there to clean up. Thanks be to God that Jesus took care of our sins and continues to take care of us. By faith in Jesus, faith given to us by the Holy Spirit, through the means of grace, faith strengthen by the Holy Spirit, by faith in Jesus we have forgiveness, life and salvation. By faith in Jesus, when God looks at us He sees Christ, He sees us as living in the world but not being of the world. By faith in Jesus our Lord looks at us and He exalts us. To Him be the glory, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.