https://vimeo.com/319539147

Love…..Even Enemies

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Pastor Jeremy Husby delivers a sermon entitled “Love….Even Enemies” based on Luke 6:27-38 at Peace Lutheran Church in Hartford, Wisconsin.

Delivered on Sunday, February 24, 2019

There it is, in plain black and white in your bulletin, copied and pasted straight from the Scriptures, themselves.  Of all the old axioms and proverbs that people think come from the bible; like God helps those who help themselves or when God closes a door, he opens a window, this Golden Rule is, perhaps surprisingly, actually in the bible. And, on top of that, as if it might make it anymore impressive or important for you, Jesus, himself, is the one who said it.  Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Your mom was right to quote it to you when you were growing up and that means, more importantly and as if there was ever any doubt, I was right when I said it to my own daughter.  When a 6 year old excluded one of her friends from her group, it was good and fine and right to ask her how she would feel if that same friend would have acted that way to her.  Now if only the world would actually listen to this Golden Rule, everyone’s lives would be so much better and easier!

So, why don’t they?  It seems like such a simple rule to follow.  It is a rule that even 6 year-olds can understand, appreciate, and put into practice.  Yes, the Devil is strong in his temptations to be selfish, but no one really wants to be declared as, or known to be, selfish do they?  And, besides that, Jesus makes it clear that even sinners know how to do this and, many times, even do abide by it.  So, if sinners can and, at times, do, why don’t Christians?  Or, to put it a little more personally: why don’t you always follow the Golden Rule?

In truth, the answer does ultimately lie under the category of selfishness, but it can be interesting to explore that selfishness at times; to diagnose the problem a bit further before finding a solution and prescription to solve it.  The reason why you might be hesitant to follow this Golden Rule probably falls into one or more of three different aspects of selfishness, the first of which might sound a little something like this: I don’t treat them the way I want to be treated because they don’t deserve it.

Whether it is something as simple as kindness or something as complicated as love, it is possible that you may not be entirely wrong in your discernment of their worthiness to receive something from you.  You might be right.  However, do you see how selfishness has crept its way into your heart?  When you refuse to follow this command from Jesus toward another person you are, in essence, saying that they don’t deserve what you deserve.  They don’t deserve what you have earned or what you have worked so hard to attain.  You have declared yourself better than them, worthy of what they have made themselves unworthy to receive.

The second option is closely related.  With some sort of self-righteous piety, you have determined that it is actually better for them if they don’t receive a free gift from you because you are simply enabling them to continue on in their lives without earning or working hard for anything on their own.  You have determined that it is your right and your responsibility to teach them some responsibility and you, above Jesus, himself, know how best to carry that out: by refusing to do to them as you would have them do to you.

The third hidden agenda behind your selfishness, if you can believe it, is likely the most self-centered of them all.  You refuse to help, be kind, or show love to someone else because you aren’t getting anything good out of the deal.  They are just taking advantage of your goodness and never return the favor.  How many times do I have to keep calling or texting my friend without him ever asking me how I am doing?  How many act of service, words of affirmation, or physical touches do I have to give my spouse before she returns the favor?  Is it asking too much for someone to love me for a change?

Love even your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also.  If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.  Give to everyone who asks you.

Jesus does, indeed, continue on about how, if you follow this rule, you will receive a reward and you won’t be judged and you will be forgiven.  However, not once here, or in any other portion of Scripture, does Jesus say that the reason why you ought to follow this command is so that you will receive your desired outcome.

There is a marked difference in the teachings of Christ between the reason behind and the results of a Christian’s thoughts, words, and actions.

The irony is that, in reality, many of you do treat your enemies as you would have them treat you, even when you know they don’t deserve it, when you believe it won’t help them, and even when you know they are just going to take advantage of you.  But, something is different with those you love, isn’t it?  Your expectations are higher for those you love—especially because it is much easier to see the results of the way you treat those that you love.  Yeah, the idea of world peace and the ending of world hunger is awesome and amazing to think about and aspire toward but, honestly, would that really change your day to day life all that much?

Compare that, though,

– with having a husband who washes the dishes and gives you flowers on a regular basis,

– with having children who don’t have to be told a third time to get their pajamas on, brush their teeth, and get into bed,

– with having a boss who respects you and your work with bonuses and raises and words of praise,

– with having a friend who will finally listen to you and your problems for once.

– that selfishness that causes you to disobey Jesus’ Golden Rule is based almost entirely on the result that your life won’t get any better if you follow it.

Stop worrying about the results.  Concern yourself, instead, with the cause.  Do not give to your children because they are cute and cuddly.  Do not lend to your neighbor because some day you may need someone to lend to you.  Yes treat others in the way that you would like to be treated…but not so that they will treat you the same way.

Instead, treat them the way you would like to be treated because you have already been treated well by your God who gave you all things; who filled your cup to overflowing.

God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  You didn’t deserve it, but God showed you love and forgiveness anyway.

Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.  He prayed for those he loved as he was actively winning their salvation.  Did they learn any responsibility for their sin from his action?  No, they spit at him, beat him, hurled insults at him, and drove nails through his hands and feet.  But Jesus showed love and forgiveness anyway.

Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.  Jesus fed thousands, healed the sick, and raised the dead.  Did people shower him with money?  Did they offer to him their daughters to marry?  Did they give to him a palace with a richly ornamented throne to rule over this earth?  He received nothing in return, but showed love and forgiveness anyway.

Do to others as you would have them do to you—because of what your God has done for you.  Show love because, not so that.  Do not love everyone, even your enemies so that your life will get better or so that this world will become a better place.  Love everyone, even your enemies, because when you were, by nature, blind and dead enemies of your God, your Jesus showed love to you.  Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jesus Is Anointed to Make Missionaries

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Pastor Jeremy Husby delivers a sermon entitled “Jesus Is Anointed to Make Missionaries” based on Luke 5:1-11 at Peace Lutheran Church in Hartford, Wisconsin.

Delivered on Sunday, February 10, 2019

Did you notice the strong connection between the readings in Isaiah and Luke today?  In both, God calls workers to share his Word; first Isaiah, then Peter, James, and John.  In both, before the call is made, there is an impressive showing of God’s glory; for Isaiah, it was in a vision where the Temple shook and something as simple as the train of God’s robe filled the Temple and, of course, for Peter, James, and John there was this miraculous catch of fish that happened after catching nothing all night long.  And, in both these readings from God’s Word, that show of God’s power elicited the same reaction from his prospective missionaries.  Both Isaiah and Peter recognized that they were in the presence of God Almighty and were absolutely terrified—and then they were comforted, and then they were called.

It is actually quite interesting to note the timeline of Peter’s call into the gospel ministry.  He had already been in Jesus’ company for some time.  He must have witnessed some of the other miraculous signs that Jesus had been performing.  He would have been a part of the crowds that had been gathering from all over to hear Jesus preach and teach.  In fact, he was so enamored with Jesus that Luke records, in the chapter just before the Gospel appointed for today, that Peter had invited Jesus into his own home and, subsequently, watched as Jesus healed his mother-in-law.

Peter had been praying with Jesus.  He had been meditating on the words that Jesus had been saying.  He was gaining quite a bit of respect for this great teacher.  So, naturally, when Jesus asked to use his boat as a pulpit to preach to the people on the seashore, he obliged.  And, even when Jesus tried to tell him how to do his own job, after fishing and catching nothing all night, he submitted his pride and acumen to what the Rabbi wanted.

Prayer with Jesus and meditation on what Jesus said.  That’s actually two-thirds of what Martin Luther said makes for a great theologian and missionary for God.

And, so, as the time was coming for Jesus to call Peter into his ministry, it was time to initiate that important third aspect.  Prayer, meditation, and, in German, Luther called it Anfechtung.  In Latin it’s called tentatio.  In English?  Well, there’s not really a word for word translation, but it is often described as an agonizing internal struggle—you know, like the kind when you find yourself face to face with the Almighty God who created you and, if he so wished, could destroy you.

You don’t have to read a biography about Luther to understand why he emphasized that last part, do you?  Haven’t you experienced the same to be true?  Don’t you find out the most about your God and your faith when you are going through or have gone through an agonizing internal struggle?

Or, maybe it’s easier to look at it in comparison.  You just got a promotion at work.  Your marriage couldn’t be stronger.  Your kid just won another award and you just finished your basement renovation.  Sure, you may recognize the guiding hand of your God behind it all and be thankful for his blessings, but which one causes you to spend all day talking to your God?  Which one forces you to your knees, recognizing your helplessness, completely dependent on him?

That’s not to say that God’s physical blessings in your life are bad or that they somehow would disqualify you from being one of his workers here on earth.  But, as it was for Isaiah and for Peter, it is important for you to recognize and remember exactly who God is, who you are, and what he has done for you before you seek to share that truth with others.

Your own personal Anfechtung and tentatio may differ from those around you.  For some it is sickness, disease, or the separation of death.  For others it is persecutions that come for being a Christian.  Still others experience it when the Devil continually reminds them of that one scientific fact that doesn’t seem to jive with what the Bible says, when a Christian doesn’t act very Christian-like toward them, when, for what seems like no reason at all, a wife turns her attention to another man, or when all that life is throwing at them just becomes too much to handle.

It is in those moments when Christians, who have spent time in prayer with Jesus, who have meditated on the words that he has said, seek to find strength outside themselves because they recognize they cannot do it on their own.  They realize, like Isaiah, that they are ruined in the presence of God and, like Peter, that their sin causes them to be unworthy of his care and concern.

There in the depth of despair, helpless and hopeless, in an existential and anxious awareness of your own failings and faultiness, is when you can finally search for, and find, true hope and assurance outside of yourself.

Don’t be afraid.  That’s what Jesus said to Peter and that’s what he says to comfort you as well.  Yes, the consequences of sin surround you in this world and they are difficult and painful and cause agonizing internal struggles.  But none of them, no matter how powerful, can overpower Jesus and his work done for you or take you away from the love that he has for you.  In fact, in his love for you, he often uses those terrible times in your life as opportunities to draw you closer to himself.

When you are sick, he sends you to pray and meditate more on his Word, where he tells you I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

When you are afraid, he sends you to pray and meditate more on his Word, where he tells you fear not, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, and uphold you with my righteous right hand.

When you are overwhelmed, he tells you to Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.

When you sit your 7-year old on her pretty pink ballerina bedspread, hold her tiny hands inside your own, and tell her that her mother is dead, he speaks and says I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.

He overcomes your anfechtung and tentatio with the only thing that will work; the only thing more powerful than them all: himself.  He gives you all that he is and all that he has done for you—from his perfect life lived in your place and sacrificial death to pay the price for your sins to his ability and promise to work all things for you and for your good; to fulfill for you each and every one of your needs.

He has cleansed you.  He has made you worthy in the eyes of your God.  He has given you the strength to endure anything that this world might throw at you and now—after prayer, meditation, and an agonizing internal struggle, he calls you to share that cleansing, that worthiness, and that strength with everyone that you may meet.

Yes, God has made missionaries to share that good news with people in far off lands who do not yet know it, but even here in Hartford, among your co-workers and in your own circle of family and friends, God has called you to be his theologians and missionaries.  The fields are ripe—go harvesting.  Even if you have been working to catch your fish all night, drop down your nets again.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We Believe and Therefore Speak

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Guest Pastor John Boggs delivers a sermon entitled “We Believe and Therefore Speak” based on 2 Corinthians 4:13-15 at Peace Lutheran Church in Hartford, Wisconsin.

Delivered on Sunday, February 3, 2019

Transcript not available

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://vimeo.com/313851658

Jesus is Anointed to Fulfill the Scriptures

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Pastor Jeremy Husby delivers a sermon entitled “Jesus is Anointed to Fulfill the Scriptures” based on Luke 4:14-21 at Peace Lutheran Church in Hartford, Wisconsin.

Delivered on Sunday, January 27, 2019

It was Jesus’ custom to go to the synagogue on the Sabbath Day.  That didn’t start simply after his baptism in the River Jordan, his temptation in the wilderness that followed, or when he got back from the wedding at Cana.  It was his custom from the 8th day of his life.  At his circumcision, in some ways not unlike after a child is baptized today, Jesus was welcomed into the family of God and, after that ceremony, he was brought to weekly worship.

However, even though it was his custom, there was something that made this Saturday’s worship attendance a little different.  His presence at that particular place of worship was somewhat of a homecoming experience.  He had been away—being baptized at the River Jordan, facing the devil’s temptations, attending a wedding and, after that first miracle, performing other miracles as well.

In addition, news had been spreading about him lately.  The Nazareth Daily Bugle, if it would have existed, would have had op eds written about the local boy who had turned into a countryside and countrywide phenomenon.  People wanted to hear him preach and teach.  They wanted to watch him perform signs and wonders.  They just wanted to be around this captivating man.

So, it is no surprise that when Jesus went back into the synagogue that he grew up inside, the people would want to hear what he had to say.  Somewhat similarly to what is done in worship services today, prayers, songs, and readings from God’s Word were regular portions of the synagogue’s liturgy and order of service.  And, after a few readings, there was time for a speaker to preach a message based on one of those readings.  (If only we had kept the custom of sitting down to preach that message!)  Either way, when the time came for that Sabbath’s sermon, Jesus stood up to read and sat down to preach.

What would the local boy say?  What applications could the carpenter’s son proclaim from Isaiah’s prophecy?  In the verses that follow the Gospel reading appointed for today, it seems as though the people didn’t much care for his sermon.  But it wasn’t because he still needed some seasoning in his presentation, like a seminary student who preaches the whole counsel of God with gestures and inflection that could use a little more experience.  Nor was it because he had one of those sermons where he probably could have said amen 6 or 7 times already, but just said the same thing again and again.  They certainly couldn’t have been upset about it being too long—it was only 8 words!

No, the reason they didn’t much care for his prepared remarks was because, in those 8 words, he was claiming to be something special and something for which they had been waiting so long to see.  In fact, their waiting was so long that their impression of how those scriptures would be fulfilled had gathered some extra expectations that Jesus certainly wasn’t living up to.

They wanted a king.  They wanted political freedom.  They wanted someone to sit, not on a synagogue chair, but on a golden throne in an ornate castle and spread the borders of his kingdom with actions, not simply with words.

Is that what you want in your Jesus?  Someone who isn’t only going to speak, but is going to act?  Someone who will fill your bank account. Someone who will turn this corrupt democracy into a productive theocracy.  Someone who will support you when you do what feels right to you.  Someone who will take action against the terrorists and those zealots who kill and destroy in the name of false gods.

Like the people of Nazareth, there are times when the expectations of who Jesus, the Christ, should be overshadow exactly who God told you he would be.  Instead, rather than looking for signs and wonders, listen to him.  Listen again to Jesus’ short sermonette: Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.

The one who fulfills the Scriptures did so, and does so, for you through what you hear.

The work Jesus was anointed to accomplish, according to the prophecy of Isaiah, doesn’t have anything to do with your bank account, corrupt politicians, or terrorists.  It didn’t deal with the Messiah, the Christ, that people wanted, but the one that they, and all people, including you and me, needed.

Friends, you were poor; not because your savings couldn’t support your daily physical needs, but because you were lacking the wealth of the riches stored up for you in heaven.

You, too, were captives; not because you can’t get your governmental representatives to pass laws against abortion or in support of your personal political platform, but because you had a master who enslaved you and forced you to act in contrast to what your conscience told you was right.

However, though your conscience protested, it is not as though your slave-master, the devil, had to whip you into submission to serve him in sin.  Many times, all he had to do was suggest something enticing to your own sinful nature—a nature that was blinded from seeing the difference between selfishness and selflessness.

You were oppressed by the devil, this world around you, and your own sinful nature, which kept you in the state of being a poor prisoner, without any hope of seeing the light of God’s truth.

And, while you were looking, either for ways to continue down the road of death and destruction, or to take the high road of enlightenment, one day, either quite recently or many years ago, the scriptures that testified about Jesus were fulfilled in your hearing.

Someone, somewhere, at some time, came to you in the power of the Spirit.  Whether their preaching was a 35 minute sermon delivered rather awkwardly or a quick whisper which wrought welcome relief in your time of woe, it was dynamic; not because of what you saw or felt, but because of what you heard.

It may have been attached to the waters of your baptism, taught to you in a Sunday School classroom, sung into your heart by your mother while you cuddled in her warm embrace, or heard in Steinbrenner’s sermon last Sunday, but either way, anyway it was preached, it was powerful because, through it, the Spirit that was on Jesus (v. 14) then went to work in you.

That good news brought the wealth of salvation to your poor soul, freed you from your enslavement to sin, by opening your eyes to see Jesus as the only way to heaven.

The power of the Spirit, sent through the Word that you heard, convinced your heart to trust that Jesus’ perfect life was lived in your place and that his atoning sacrifice was made to bring you at one with your creator.

The power of the Spirit, sent through the Word that you heard, produced faith in your heart that unlocked Jesus as the fulfillment of all of the Scriptures.  Sinful assumptions and expectations are removed and your ears have heard how Jesus is your Messiah and Christ, the same One who was promised to Eve and Adam, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and that, because of what he has done for you, the Lord’s favor rests upon you year after year.

Whether you’ve been spending your time away in foreign lands, facing the temptations of the Devil, or attending weddings, make it your custom to come back to your home church week after week to hear his proclamation to you.  Jesus was anointed to fulfill the Scriptures and he did, for you and for all.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Our Family Needs Most – Jesus!

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Pastor Aaron Steinbrenner delivers a sermon entitled “What Our Family Needs Most – Jesus!” based on John 2:1-11 at Peace Lutheran Church in Hartford, Wisconsin.

Delivered on Sunday, January 20, 2019

I recently read that in 1960 there were 308 cases of child abuse reported in the U.S.  Today, there’s a report of child abuse every ten seconds.  In 1960 the divorce rate was under 20%.  Today, the divorce rate is nearly triple that.  Would you be surprised to learn that in 1960 teenage homelessness and teenage suicide were not nearly as prevalent as they are today?

I’m not suggesting that the year 1960 was a little slice of heaven on earth.  What I am suggesting is that the home…the family unit…the very core that God designed is under a tremendous amount of stress today.  I am suggesting that the devil, that roaring lion, has been trying to sink his teeth into the family unit for generations upon generations.  I am suggesting that societal trends are doing less to build up and support God-fearing families and they’re doing more to tear them apart.

What are Christians to do?  Run scared?  Surrender?  If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em?  I am suggesting that we redouble our efforts….that we regroup…that we surround ourselves with godly influences and peer groups and friends who will support us in our Christian faith, not try to sabotage us.  And mostly, I am suggesting that we rally around the One Our Families Need Most – Jesus.

Today in our Gospel we see him as he often shows himself in Scripture…steady…caring…ready to help.  It’s the first of his miraculous sings, we’re told.  Well, it must have been a doozy, huh?  Actually, it was all pretty lowkey.  It happened in a little town called Cana at a little wedding.  Wedding celebrations lasted days, even up to a week.  People took off of work and celebrated with the family.  Wine was not only a staple – something people would drink with meals, but it was also part of the celebration.  At some point the wine ran out.  Mary approaches Jesus.  Jesus reminds Mary that he will dole out blessings at his rate and in his time.  Mary steps back and waits on Jesus.

Isn’t that a beautiful, peaceful picture…Mary steps back and waits on Jesus, telling the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”  Our homes could use a little more of that…waiting on the Lord…trusting in his hand of blessings…trusting him to give at his rate and in his time.  If I had to make a list of things that would instantly make my life better, what would I include?

  • More money
  • Better health
  • A boss who appreciates me
  • More money
  • A spouse who understands me better
  • An extra week of vacation
  • Did I mention more money?

Instead, you already have what your family needs most – Jesus.  And he knows how to take care of you.  Bring your requests to him…big ones and small ones…just like Mary did.  Pour your heart out to him.  He’s listening.  But then step back and wait.  Step back and trust.

Turning water into wine may not seem so flashy, but it does show you and me that Jesus cares…he pays attention.  When things matter to us, they matter to Jesus too.  But know this, just because this miracle of turning water into wine might seem lowkey, but it is no simple matter.

In 1988, first game of the Word Series – A’s versus Dodgers.  Bottom of the 9th.  2 outs.  Dodgers are down 3-4.  After a nearly 7-minute at bat, Vic Scully, Dodgers announcers exuberantly shouts out, “The impossible has happened.”  That’s because Kirk Gibson, who could barely walk, stepped up to the plate and hit a 3-2 slider over the right field wall…home run…Dodgers win.  “The impossible has happened.”  Improbable yes.  Unlikely, yes.  Against the odds that a badly injured Gibson would hit a home run in that scenario, yes.  But not impossible.  Impossible means it cannot be done.  Impossible means there is no way something can happen in the natural course of things.  Impossible means it would take a miracle…the hand of God…intervention from God himself.  Kirk Gibson hit a baseball 375 feet.  There are literally thousands upon thousands of people who can and have hit a baseball that far.  That’s not impossible.  Turning water into wine.  That’s impossible.  That takes power.  That takes the hand of God.

With Jesus we get used to seeing the impossible happen.

  • The Son of God takes on human flesh and is born of the virgin Mary.
  • The Son of God lives perfectly and dies sacrificially – paying for ALL sin.
  • The Son of God says, “whoever believes shall not perish but have eternal life”

This powerful Son of God intervenes.  He takes care of our biggest problem of sin and carts it away – removes it from the equation.  He confronts our biggest obstacle, death, and turns it into a sleep…a doorway to heaven.  That’s a miracle!  That’s something thousands of people cannot do….only ONE can and has.

This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee.  He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.  The Gospels are filled with miracles.  Again and again Jesus did things that only God could do.  This miracle in Cana, along with all the other miracles, got people to pay attention to his greatest work (that only God could do):  his death and resurrection.  AND these miracles  bolster and build up the faith of his disciples.

Don’t the miracles of Jesus do the same for us?

  • If those miracles ignited the faith of his disciples, don’t they also ignite our faith?
  • If those miracles caused the disciples to be excited to follow Jesus, to drop everything and follow Jesus…to become life-long students of Jesus and his Word…don’t we too?

The world is not a nice place.  Our families struggle at times.  Let’s not wish we could turn back time and revisit the 1960’s, let’s instead run to Jesus…rally around Jesus.  What Our Families Need Most…we already have.  Jesus.  Helper in every trouble, the Forgiver of every sin, the Listener to every prayer, the Provider of every need…and we pray, the welcome Guest in every marriage…every home…every family.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://vimeo.com/311264738

Jesus is Better than Just OK

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Pastor Paul Waldschmidt delivers a sermon entitled “Jesus is Better than Just OK” based on Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 at Peace Lutheran Church in Hartford, Wisconsin.

Delivered on Sunday, January 13, 2019

The nervous couple sits in a hospital room, anxiously waiting for the surgeon to arrive. They ask their nurse, “Have your ever worked with Dr. Francis?” “Oh yeah,” she says, “He’s okay.” As they scrunch up their noses at that less than enthusiastic endorsement, the surgeon himself comes bebopping into the room, loudly chirping, “Guess who just got reinstated?!?!” And under his breath he whispers, “Well, not officially.” The rest of the commercial from ATT continues in that general direction, all leading up to the tagline: Just ok is not ok. And the message hits home. When it comes to important stuff—like a surgeon, or to a lesser degree—your wireless service, just ok is not ok.

How about when it comes to your eternal salvation? Obviously, just ok is not ok. You don’t want to be on your death bed, having gone with a provider who only has 75% success rate. You would rightfully be quite nervous to stand before the eternal judge, having put your trust in one who can only guarantee that God will…probably let you into heaven. When it comes to the most important stuff like having a Savior, just ok is not ok. You need the best. You need a guarantee. You need someone who inspires your confidence. In our text for this 2nd Sunday of Epiphany, we see that Jesus is the right man for the job of saving you. Jesus is so much better than just ok.

When John the Baptist says “one who is more powerful than I will come…He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (He will)…. gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” you know he’s not talking about agriculture. Gathering wheat and burning up chaff refers to sending people to their eternal destinies.  It lets you know that this is important stuff, the most important in fact. We’re dealing here with the something that matters for eternity.

Isn’t it easy to get messed up on that? How much more important the next life is than this one! So often when we’re going through especially dark days, eternity becomes almost an afterthought. A “taken for granted” that gets quickly acknowledged and then pushed aside as we seek relief for more pressing pain. “Yes, yes, I have a Savior who rose from the dead for me. Yes, yes eternal life in heaven gives me hope. I don’t doubt those things, Pastor. I love those things. But….I want something to save me from the pain that I’m feeling right now.”

This world around us offers us any number of saviors (small s) that say they can help with that. There are all kinds of unhealthy behaviors can numb our pain. Overspending, overeating, overdrinking. Porn says that it can save you from pain. Social media offers a temporary escape to happier times and places. Maybe it’s a boat or a cabin that offers refuge and respite. Maybe it’s living vicariously through our kids, maybe it’s an obsession with career advancement or house pride—there’s any number of little saviors in our lives that people turn to make us feel ok.  But depending on which one we’re talking about those saviors range from just ok at best to sinful Soul-destroyers at worst.

They may give relief, but it doesn’t last. They may numb heartache, but heartache comes back tomorrow. That makes all those things sub-par saviors. Only Jesus gives you relief that is long term, forever lasting. That makes him so much more than just OK.

His baptism is his promise that he’s all in with you for the long haul. When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too.  A couple weeks ago, we pointed out that Jesus’ investment with us as shown by his willingness to share our humanity and all the negatives that come with it. Today, we see Jesus’ investment with us in another way, in his willingness to stand in line, side by side with everyone else and be baptized. Jesus wasn’t baptized because he needed forgiveness of sins. He had no sins. He was baptized to send a message: I’m walking in your shoes. I’m standing with you. The things that humans do, I will do as well. You and I are in this together. Jesus is better than just ok because he is totally invested in you.

Lastly, in the account of Jesus’ baptism, we see that the Father and the Holy Spirit think Jesus is more than just OK too. As he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” There’s something about a powerful, personal testimony that makes moves us even when nothing else will. I would never have bought an instant pot, but when my sister talked about how easy it was to use….  We attend a certain church, send our kids to a certain school, dine at a certain restaurant, wear a certain brand of shoes all because someone we trust said, “I’ve had a really good experience with this. I totally stand behind it.”

Isn’t that what’s also happening in our text? If God in heaven says Jesus is more than ok—that he is the Son who brings a smile to the Father face, we nod our heads in agreement and joyfully concur. That’s all that we need to hear. Jesus is so much more than just OK because God himself gives him a personal, powerful endorsement.

You know that Jesus is more than OK. You knew that before you came today. So what’s the impact of this message for you? First of all, your baptism connects you with Jesus. What he is becomes what you are. And so if the Father looks at Jesus and says, “In him I am well pleased” that means that he also looks at you and says, “In you, I am well pleased.” All because you have a Savior who’s more than just okay.

And being attached to Jesus with the insoluble bonds of water and promise means something else too. It’s summed up nicely in a phrase that you may have passed over without a second thought when we read our text. At that moment, “heaven was opened.”  That’s what Jesus came to do. His perfect life fit the lock, his innocent death turned the key, his glorious resurrection pushed open the door that Adam and Eve had slammed shut. Jesus is more than just an okay Savior and that means heaven is opened for us.

Even if you knew that before you came maybe, by God’s grace, you leave a different person than when you came. You and I have an awesome Savior, one who’s so much better than just ok. And that stokes the fire in our souls. We want to be better than OK for him. Maybe we leave here a little less content with obedience that’s just ok, with a just okay reining in of our eyes, our thoughts, our mouths.  Maybe we’re no longer so okay with just okay marriages, just okay parenting, just okay worship, just okay Bible Study, a just okay prayer life. Maybe instead, by God’s grace we are baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Maybe we, by the Spirit’s power become even better models for our kids of what living faith looks like. Maybe we, by the Spirit’s power start to take our faith all the more seriously–actively seeking to grow and improve and to truly be invested in the One who is so truly invested in us. That would be more than OK. That would be awesome. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Mystery is Revealed

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Pastor Jeremy Husby delivers a sermon entitled “The Mystery is Revealed!” based on Ephesians 3:2-12 at Peace Lutheran Church in Hartford, Wisconsin.

Delivered on Sunday, January 6, 2019

The word epiphany means some sort of appearance, an uncovering, or a revealing of something that was, beforehand, hidden or unknown.  And, throughout this Epiphany season, God’s Word will reveal some characteristics of Jesus that were, for a time, unknown to the world – how he is the one who works wonders, makes disciples and missionaries, and loves even his enemies.  But, before this season discusses those characteristics, it is important to uncover and reveal the mystery about exactly for whom Jesus came and how you can know that to be true.

The account of the Magi, which you heard in the Gospel reading for today, does a great job of showing that those men from the far east knew that Jesus was their King.  However, to dig just a bit deeper, to see Jesus as someone who is more than just a king and how he came for more than just those who seek and follow his star, the Apostle Paul, in the second lesson for today, revealed the answer to those mysteries.  Listen again:

In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.  This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

For thousands of years, throughout the Old Testament, God made it clear that he made a distinction between those who were his people and everyone else.  He talked to his people through prophets.  He revealed himself to some of them, in a burning bush, a cloud, and in visions and dreams.  He made promises and agreements specifically with them in mind and had rules and regulations that they alone were to follow.

The men in those generations had every right and every reason to believe that they, and they alone, were God’s people and that God’s promises of a Messiah were made to them alone.

However, God gave the Apostle Paul an epiphany.  He uncovered and revealed a truth to him—something that was always true, but was unable to be seen clearly and unable to be known in full.  God’s plans certainly had some specific steps for the people of Israel, but his plans, even before the creation of the world, always also had the Gentiles in mind.

And, that revelation given to Paul has profound impact for you and for me.  Your latest 23 and me results may show a percentage of Hebrew heritage in your bloodline, but, even with an Israelite ancestor from ages ago, you would not be included if God’s promises were only offered to the people of Israel.  Instead, in reading this, you will be able to understand that the truths God taught his people in the past apply to you, too.

But, friends, that’s kind of a “good news, bad news” situation.  If all of the Bible’s teachings apply to you, too, that also means that when God told Noah that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time, that included your inclinations.  When God spoke through Isaiah and said that your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, it was your iniquity and guilt that built up a barrier between you and him.  And, when David realized the reason he committed adultery and murder was because he was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me, it means that from your conception, you, too, have been sinful and, therefore, unqualified to be with the God who included you in his plans.

But that, brothers and sisters, is not a mystery that needed to be solved, is it?  You see the implications and results of that every day.  Whether you made them or not, have already failed to keep them or not, why do people see the need to make resolutions at this time of year?  Isn’t it because they have seen how they failed to be perfect in 2018?  You weren’t the best dad you could be.  You didn’t always do your job to the best of your ability.  You let your habitual sins happen again and again and you numbed your conscience with all sorts of little lies and half-truths to convince yourself that they were all ok, anyway.

Yes, you, together with me and the rest of the world; all people past, present, and future have not and cannot keep up with the commands that God has given or meet the requirements God has made for his people to qualify for eternal life with him in heaven.  God’s law is pretty clear about those facts.

No, your sin and its deserved consequences is no mystery, but God’s reaction to your sin most certainly is.

This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

God promised his people that, instead of seeing your sins, iniquities, and transgressions and judging you accordingly for them, he would send his Son to be your brother and to live his life perfectly in your place.  He promised that the inclinations of Jesus’ heart would only be honorable all the time.  He promised that Jesus’ righteousness would tear down the wall that stands between God and men.  He promised that Jesus’ purity and love for mankind, even from the time inside Mary’s womb, would cause him to have no need for a New Year’s resolution for any of his years on this earth.

The mystery is that this good news of Jesus’ perfect life and innocent death was done not just for Israel, but for you, for me, and for all.  You receive what you could not deserve from a God who should not love you.  It is a mystery that could not have been solved by any of the world’s greatest sleuths.  It is a mystery that does not make any sense. But it is a mystery that God has known even since before the creation of the world and, thankfully, as Paul revealed in the second half of this lesson for today, it is a mystery that he revealed to you.  Hear again and have an epiphany:

Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given to me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.  His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known.

Because you wouldn’t have been able to uncover or understand the mystery of the gospel on your own, your God had someone uncover it to you and for you.

You don’t have to look for a burning bush, a pillar of cloud or fire, or wait for some vision or dream to have your God talk to you and reveal his plans for you.  Instead, he put sinful human beings, covered in white cloth, to stand in front of a congregation and he called workers to stand in front of your children in a classroom.  Here, through the Church, he administers to you the mystery hidden under words from a centuries-old book, water poured into wood and stone, and wafers and wine placed into your own hands.

Celebrate this epiphany.  The mystery is revealed.  Jesus is the Savior God planned and promised for you and for all.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to the Family!

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Pastor Paul Waldschmidt delivers a sermon entitled “Welcome to the Family!” based on Hebrews 2:11 at Peace Lutheran Church in Hartford, Wisconsin.

Delivered on Sunday, December 30, 2018

About 30 years and about 60 pounds ago, I met my first true love—and her name was Spalding. When I was growing up, I ate, slept and breathed basketball. It was my life. In fact,I can remember spending numerous sweltering summer nights as a high schooler playing pickup basketball games in the gym of Winnebago Lutheran Academy. There were usually 10-12 guys at these informal open gyms, but it’s important for the story that you understand there were never, ever any spectators at these open gyms.

Now at that time, I was usually the youngest guy in the group. All the other players, including Pastor Steinbrenner by the way, were older and they were better than me. I desperately wanted to impress them. I desperately wanted them to think I was cool. Any possibility of that happening went right out the window the night my family showed up at the gym—parents, older brothers and sisters, their spouses and their young children, lawn chairs in hand. Setting those lawn chairs up along the baseline of the basketball court, they proceeded to cheer wildly every time I touched the ball. They weren’t being serious, of course. They were cracking up the whole time. They did it for one reason alone. I was the little brother. And older siblings take great pride in finding new and creative ways to mortify an overly image conscious little brother.

I should mention that they’re wonderful people by the way. Today, I number them among my closest friends. But that night, I wasn’t exactly proud to say that they were my family. “Who are those people?” “Ummm….I don’t really know.”  I was hoping to create as much distance between me and them as possible. That feeling is the exact opposite of what our text for today is talking about. Because Christmas isn’t about God creating as much distance as possible between him and us. Christmas is about Immanuel-God With Us. It’s about God coming near and proudly claiming us as his own family, his own flesh and blood. That’s what the writer of Hebrews is talking about when he says in Chapter 2: Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.

But, you know, shouldn’t he be? Has there ever been a human being who didn’t let Jesus down on a consistent basis? His mother Mary? She left her kid behind in Jerusalem (for crying out loud!) and decades later came out to wrangle him home, trying her best to quiet him rather than having him proclaim the kingdom of God. Peter? He spoke too often from zealous selfishness instead of having in mind the things of God. And then there was that whole denial episode. The apostle John? The apostle Paul? Every single Old Testament patriarch, matriarch and hero of faith? Time doesn’t allow us to specifically address them all, but as you skim the Bible through that lens you realize: every single person in the book does something cringeworthy, has some skeleton hiding in their closet, does something that should by any measure result in Jesus turning away in disgust and shame.

And then there’s us…I mean if Abraham is cringeworthy, if Bible heroes like Noah, David, Elijah, Mary and Paul all are guilty of doing things that are embarrassing to Jesus, how do we stand up in comparison? Have you given Jesus good reason to be ashamed of you?

For what generally speaking causes you to be embarrassed of a person? Isn’t it when someone close to you does something or says something that is wildly inconsistent with the things you hold important or dear?  My example from earlier was supposed to be humorous example of that—I valued being cool and my family showed up purposely acting as absolutely uncool as they could be. That embarrassed me.

But it’s far more serious when we give Jesus reason to be embarrassed, when we act in ways that are wildly inconsistent with the things he holds important or dear. He gives us families to be present for but so often we ignore them in favor of our screens and devices.  He gives us homes to shelter and warm us, but we complain and are dissatisfied with the stuff inside them. He encourages us to bravery, we offer him cowardice thinly draped in excuses. He encourages us to obedience, we give him embarrassing excuses and loopholes.

They caution you about using the pulpit as your personal confessional so I’m not even going to tell you the things that I do to embarrass Him, the things that shame me so grievously–but they are many and they haunt me daily. I know the Gospel, so do you, but that doesn’t erase the memory of my embarrassing actions of the past and my ongoing failings of each day….they always stand lurking in the shadows of my heart. They are never far away for you either, are they? With the sinful woman of Bethany, we wash Jesus’ sinless feet with our tears of regret, shame and embarrassment. With Isaiah we say, “Woe to me, I am ruined, for I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips.” With Peter we say, “Go away from me, Lord, I am a sinner!”

He has every reason to turn away, red faced and angry and ashamed of us. But he does not turn away. He does not chop up the manger or chop down the cross in disgust. For the manger and the cross are monuments of God’s faithfulness, not measures of our faithfulness. Did you notice there’s nothing conditional in our text? Through his inspired writer, God makes a simple statement of fact, as true today as it was at Bethlehem 2000 years ago. Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. Immanuel isn’t just a name. It’s an ongoing status. Immanuel keeps being God with us, not God at a distance from us. Why? Because Bethlehem happened and nothing can change that. We’re his family now.

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity. He, too, shared in their humanity—the import of that statement may not fully strike you until you consider how completely unwilling we are to settle for anything less than we think we deserve. If we pay for second row seats behind home plate, there’s no way we’re going to accept being ushered up to the 25th row of the upper deck terrace instead. If our team is robbed of a victory by an official’s error it will sting as we remember for years to come.  If we reserve the Ford Edge as our rental car and all they can offer us at the counter is the Ford Festiva, we are going to grumble and complain and grouse to anyone who will listen. Do you want to see how awesome Jesus is? Look at how willing he was to settle for less than he deserved, to share in our humanity. He deserved the best heaven could offer. He willingly traded it for headaches and stomach flu. For a crust of bread as his dinner and a rock for his pillow. For the indignities of childhood and for insecurities of young adulthood. He has shared in our humanity. All so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

It’s a fact of life that you just never know which sermon will be your last sermon. For one weekend we could be here and the next weekend our usual space could be empty. I’ve seen it happen and so have you. But if we don’t happen to see each other again, could there be better words to part with than these? Set free. One day we will die, but don’t let that thought bind you in chains of dread and fear. Jesus lived a perfect life. Paid for all your sins on the cross. And then came to life, conquering death for you.  He has done everything necessary for you to live eternally in heaven. And if it all depends on what Jesus has done…none of it depends on what you have done. Don’t let the thought of death hold you captive. Let those shackles fall. Jesus has  set you free.

Christmas is over. But the joys of Christmas still sparkle fresh and new. The one who has every right to create distance from us, instead draws near to us. The one who has every right to be ashamed of us, instead embraces us. He shares flesh and blood with you. He shares his victory over death with you. Rejoice today that Jesus is a part of our family. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remember to Love

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Pastor Jeremy Husby delivers a sermon entitled “Remember to Love” based on Luke 1:39-55 at Peace Lutheran Church in Hartford, Wisconsin.

Delivered on Sunday, December 23, 2018

Pregnancy can be an emotional time.  That has been true ever since Eve, just outside the Garden of Eden, and continues for just about every woman who has ever been with child.  There are hormonal balances that become unbalanced.  There are physical changes to a woman’s body during those 40 weeks that can make favorite outfits unable to be worn and, therefore, can make a woman feel uncomfortable even in her own skin.

But, it’s not just the chemicals inside or her outward appearance that can make for an emotional roller coaster ride.  The simple idea of another human being growing inside of you has its own ups and downs.

Like many other women, both before and after, Mary must have had her fair share of feelings about the embryo inside her own womb.  Some of her thoughts were surely the same as what might run through your own mind if you were in the same situation.

Fear definitely has its place.  She was carrying another human inside her; a human completely and utterly dependent on her for life – for protection, for nutrition, and even to supply oxygen for lungs that hadn’t fully developed yet.  Every move and every decision would have its implications on her child.  There is a healthy amount of fear involved in that responsibility.

That fear, though, is, at times, displaced when the joys of life are considered.  What a gift God gives to allow women, with a little help from their male companions, to create and sustain life inside themselves!  A sense of holy pride, not like the kind in the bible that makes you bad, can send women’s hearts swimming in a sea of accomplishment while carrying their children those nine months.

Fear and joy, godly pride and helplessness, happiness and anxiety.  All those emotions are normal.  But, as you well know, Mary’s situation can confidently also be called atypical and abnormal and not simply because she lived in a different culture than you and me.

Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!  But why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me…from now on all generations will call me blessed.

Elizabeth, Mary’s relative, confessed the truth of the mystery of this pregnancy and Mary concurred.  The conception itself was outside of the norm, but the result of that conception was even more important and impressive.  Both women knew, by divine intervention, that the child inside of Mary’s bourgeoning belly was the Lord promised to Adam and Eve, to Abraham, and to all his descendants, forever.

Now, because it was God, himself, inside her womb, he could have cared for himself and been an independent infant.  He could have, in miraculous fashion, provided for his own protection and provisions.  Yet, instead, he chose to rely on Mary.  He chose to be born in a natural way.  He chose make himself like you and me in every way, in human flesh.  Why?  Why would God do such a thing?

He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.

In her famous song, the Magnificat, Mary sang the motivation behind the Lord’s choices.  He remembered his mercy.

Though the world may claim otherwise, particularly in times of trouble, natural disasters, and the horrors of human existence, your God did not remember because he forgot the people in this world which he created.  Rather, this word, translated into English as remembering, has much more to do with bringing things to the forefront of your mind at an appointed time.

Do you remember how to cook a steak?  How about the directions to your parents’ house?  Do you remember how to turn off your alarm in the morning or how to turn off the Christmas lights when you go to bed for the night?

You probably never forgot those things.  They were always in your mind and they are always important, but there are times when you turn your attention to other things that lead up to them.  You focus on starting the grill, packing up the car, getting your good night’s sleep, or simply enjoying the seasonal glow inside your house.  Then, when the appointed time comes, you remember to carry out your next action.

God’s focus, even since before the creation of the world, has been on sending his Son to live and die for you.  And, when the appointed time came for Jesus to take on flesh inside the womb of Mary, he called it to the forefront of his mind.  All of the promises and prophecies and provisions he made for his people had been laid in place.  Now was the time to use what he never forgot and was always the focus of his plan.

And, in sending Jesus to do what mankind could not and to correct the wrongs that all of humanity has wrought, God accomplished all that Mary sang about in her song—bestowing his blessings upon the humble, the hungry, and the helpless.  In short, he chose to be merciful.

Those who are humble, hungry, and helpless know that they cannot gain anything for themselves in God’s eyes and that, in contrast, the only thing they have earned from their God, based on their own thoughts, words, and actions, is his divine and deserved wrath for all of eternity.

 

But, friends, that’s the very definition of God’s mercy.  He called to mind and remembered his plan not to give his people, Abraham and all his descendants, including you and me, what they rightly deserved.  Because Jesus lived in Mary’s womb, was born, lived a perfect life in your place, and sacrificed that life to pay the redemption price for sin, God chose to be merciful to them and to you.  And, as motivation to act this way, God used the only emotion that would cause him to remember his mercy—his great love for you.

He made the decision to love you whether you deserve it or not and did not let anything stand in his way.  He worked behind the scenes of all of history to put Mary where she needed to be and carry out his plans for her and for the benefit of each and every one of you.

And, because God, in love, remembered his mercy, all of the emotions and circumstances that surrounded Mary’s pregnancy caused her to remember to show love as well.  She showed love for God, and for all Abraham’s descendants as well, by carrying out her calling from God.  With all of the hormonal and physical changes and the emotions that affected her every action, you would be hard pressed to say that she ever forgot that she was carrying Immanuel everywhere she went.

And yet, when the appointed time came, she remembered to love that child and all people when she delivered him to them and to you and to me.

Whether you are pregnant or not, whether you have ever been or won’t ever be, you surely have your own share of emotions that affect your own thoughts, words, and actions.  Fear and joy, godly pride and helplessness, happiness and anxiety aren’t only reserved for those who are with child.

The world you live in can cause any number of setbacks as well as reasons for celebration and, as you endure your own roller coaster ride of emotions, it would be easy to allow those things to distract you and cause you to forget your own calling from your God.

Especially over the next few days, you, too, are carrying the mystery of the Christ-child within you—not in your womb, but in your faith-filled heart.  And, whether it is during your Christmas celebration or in the weeks that follow, the time appointed for you to deliver him for the benefit of others will also come.

As you wait for that appointed time, motivated by God remembering his mercy to you, remember to love.  Call that message of free forgiveness for all to mind, glorify the Lord, rejoice in God your Savior, and sing the song of your salvation.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jesus Brings Joy Against Any Backdrop

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Pastor Aaron Steinbrenner delivers a sermon entitled “Jesus Brings Joy Against Any Backdrop” based on Philippians 4:4-7 at Peace Lutheran Church in Hartford, Wisconsin.

Delivered on Sunday, December 16, 2018

For a lot of different reasons, the professional photography field has really changed.  But back in 1989, when me and my classmates were getting our senior pictures taken, we went to a studio.  There the photographer set up his lights and cameras.  And he had backdrops.  You could pick from a brick wall background or a rustic wooden wall or maybe even train tracks and trees.  One moment you could be standing at the bright sunny beach and, a few seconds later, a new background would appear and you’d be in the dark of night, surrounded by skyscrapers and city lights.  It’s still you, just standing there, but the background can keep changing.  Isn’t that a little like life?  It’s you…you’re just standing there, living your life, but the backdrops keep changing…the circumstances in life keep changing.  Sometimes peaceful and calm and relaxed.  Sometimes manageable, but a little draining.  Sometimes hectic and out of control and even scary.  At the studio, you can choose the background you want; not in life – circumstances change, without checking with you first.

That can lead to stress.  Anxiety.  Yet, Paul says, relax.  Not just relax, rejoice.  Oh yeah, easy for him to say.  He’s the apostle Paul.  He met Jesus personally on the Road to Damascus.  He’s like a super-Christian.  Everything was probably easy and smooth for him.  Not quite.  In fact, I’d be willing to bet Paul’s difficult and stressful backgrounds were much more numerous and extreme than any of ours:

  • Flogged 5 times
  • Beaten with rods 3 times
  • Shipwrecked 3 times
  • Stoned once
  • And even now, as he writes this letter, he’s not on a beach or a quaint bed and breakfast…he’s in prison, under house arrest…not sure if he’ll get released or sentenced to more prison or worse.

Yet he says, rejoice.  In fact, as a point of emphasis he says, “I will say it again, rejoice.”

  • Rejoice because it’s Christmas time and you can almost feel the positive spirit in the air and all the family will be all together and there will be fires in the fireplace and presents under the tree?
    • But also rejoice if you’re going home to an empty house this Christmas or maybe these special holiday-cheer days heighten your recent loss or if your near-empty wallet means few, if any presents under the tree.
  • Rejoice because we just celebrated our wedding anniversary and things couldn’t be going better?
    • But also rejoice even though your marriage may be going through a rocky spell.
  • Rejoice because everybody’s health is good?
    • But rejoice even though you’re taking five different medications and that dull pain makes it impossible to get a good night’s sleep.

In other words, Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord always.”  You see, even the godless…the hardened atheist can look at his clean bill of health and his full cupboards of food and his garage with the nice car and his job promotion and feel happy about his good fortune.  But Paul suggests we can have a deeper joy…a joy that goes beyond having nice stuff and having nice things happen to us.  A joy that is ever-present.  A joy that dwells in our heart even though it might have to share space with other emotions like sadness and loneliness and heart-break…joy is still there.  Because this joy is rooted not in the ever-changing backdrops and circumstances of life but in Jesus.  Rejoice in the Lord always. 

Here’s one reason why:  The Lord is near, Paul says.  Some translations say, the Lord is at hand.  He is close.  Always right there.  One form of the word actually means guarantor.  A guarantor is the person who backs you up when you take out a loan.  He’s close.  He’s right by your side.  If you can’t pay your loan, he pays it for you.  So, rejoice….

  • There was a very special time in history when the Lord came near…took on flesh…was born in a manger.
  • There was a very special time in history when the Lord came near…took the debt you could not satisfy, and he paid it.
  • But that’s not all. The Lord still is near…he is close at hand to his believers.  So every moment of every day the Lord is near to you.  You may not feel it.  Life circumstances may try to convince you otherwise.  The devil will be sure to chime in, hoping you’ll see your problems as overwhelming and God as distant and disinterested.  But that’s not the reality.  Here’s what’s real: “This is what the LORD says…he who created you…he who formed you…fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine…when you pass through the waters…I will be with you” (Isaiah 43:1-3).

For this reason, since the Lord is near, there’s no need for you and me to be anxious or to worry. Plus, worrying doesn’t help.  Remember what Jesus said, Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?  Well, then, what are we supposed to do?  It’s hard to just sit still.  I want to be active and do something that can help and be productive.  Awesome.  Then Paul has just the thing.  Instead of being anxious…instead of worrying…in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God.  For there is nothing too great for his power to handle and there is nothing too small for his Fatherly care and concern.

Does the name Corrie Ten Boom mean anything to you?  She was a Dutch Christian woman – she and her father hid Jews in their home so they could escape the Nazi holocaust during WWII.  She was caught and sent to a concentration camp.  There was a particularly down moment she had when she and her friend, Betsie, were jammed into an over-crowded living quarters.  It smelled horrible.  And it was infested with fleas.  It took some convincing, but Betsie urged Corrie to pray and to rejoice and to give thanks.  Afterall,

  • We are in the camp together – so we have each other. Let’s give thanks for that!
  • We have pages of a smuggled Bible – so we can read God’s Word every day.
  • It’s crowded in here…cramped – but see how many other people we can touch with God’s Word!
  • And even the fleas…these horrible fleas – the fleas are keeping the Nazi guards from carefully inspecting our barracks…and so we can read our Bibles ad even have quiet worship services.
  • And so they prayed…with thanksgiving…they even rejoiced. They weren’t magically transported away from that concentration camp, but they knew the Lord Jesus was near.  And so they had a joy, so deeply rooted in Jesus, that fleas and Nazi soldiers could not extinguish.

For Paul, floggings and shipwrecks and a stoning could not remove his joy in Jesus.  You also have a joy that cannot be extinguished no matter what your backdrop is right now or what any of your circumstances in life have ever been.  Nothing in your life…

  • can go back in history and keep Jesus the Son of God from being born in Bethlehem.
  • can undo or erase what Christ accomplished on Calvary’s cross.
  • Can plunge into the depths of the sea and retrieve your sins which have been buried there.
  • Nothing in your life can keep Jesus in the tomb or keep him from declaring, “Because I live, you too shall live” or keep him from returning on the Last Day to gather his sheep in his arms.
  • No backdrop can remove Jesus…for the Lord is near.   Amen.