Galatians 3:23-4:7; Advent Service Three; December 18, 2013;

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Creston, Iowa;

Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (Galatians 3:23—4:7, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

"In the fullness of time." Less than a week from now we will celebrate "the fullness of time". But it's more than celebrating the birth of The Baby. It's more than putting Jesus back in the nativity scene. Or making Jesus the Reason for the Season.

When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:4-5,ESV)

The fullness of time is about our adoption as sons (and daughters). And it is about what our adoption actually means. We were captive under the law. Under the law we are unable to save ourselves. Under the law we are required to be perfect. Any small infraction of the law breaks the whole. Under the law we are, because of our sinful nature, hell bound.

Our lives are lived to keep us busy enough to avoid the reality, numb our guilt. We live one event to the next, with no time in between to breathe or think. We think it's better that way. We think that's the best way to get the most out of life. We need to experience all we can. But the one thing we should see in our busy lives is our sin. Sin is the reason for the presence of evil. It corrupts everything we do. Sin brings death. Death makes everything we do empty. And it's even worse at this time of year. Far from being a relaxing time spent with family and friends, these holidays are mach speed busyness. Satan has you distracted. In your effort to make it the best holiday season ever, he reinforces the lie that what's important is family time, gifts given, and the joy you should be feeling at the season. It seems as if every event leading up to Christmas is an effort to mask the real reason for the season. That we are sinful people in need of a Savior.

But, "in the fullness of time" we are no longer slaves to our sinful nature, but we are set free, justified by grace. This is the gift of Holy Baptism. It is water poured on us that works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe. Water alone couldn't do such wonderful things. Water alone couldn't connect us to the crucified, yet living, baby born in a manger. Or as the catechism says:

Certainly not just water, but the word of God in and with the water does these things, along with the faith which trusts this Word of God in the water. For without God's word the water is plain water and no Baptism. But with the word of God it is a Baptism, that is, a life-giving water, rich in grace, and a washing of the new birth in the Holy Spirit, as St. Paul says in Titus, chapter three, "He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

The water and God's name are a rebirth and renewal, life giving. The work of the Holy Spirit through God's promises. Adoption as sons and daughters. With all the benefits and inheritances that come as a natural consequence of adoption. It's not just water. It's water and God's word and faith. Faith is clinging to the promises of God in the sure and certain hope of the forgiveness won by Jesus Christ on the cross. Faith is turning with sin to the one who offers forgiveness through the cleansing found in the water and the embedded Word of God.

There is no better way to understand God's grace, that is his undeserved love for us, then to see baptism for what it is. Not a washing that we do to ourselves, but a washing that God does to us, for us. It is his promise that makes it what it is. It is his promise that gives us the forgiveness of sins. It is his promise that gives us life and salvation. It is trust in these promises (that is what faith is) that gives us all these benefits of inheritance.

In the stable, in the manger, is the one through whom God is making his promise true. The angels sing. The shepherds worship. Mary and Joseph stand in awe. The baby is God's answer to the problem of human sin, your sin. He brings you forgiveness through his perfect life lived, his death on the cross where he suffers eternal hell for you, and his resurrection to new life as your promise of the very same. The baby is God himself in human flesh. He comes in the fullness of time to give you all these gifts. And you are connected directly to the baby in the manger through the washing of the new birth in the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Mark 16:16; Advent Service Two; December 11, 2013;

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Creston & Mt. Ayr, Iowa;

Holy Baptism - Second

What benefits does Baptism give?

It works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.

Which are these words and promises of God?

Christ our Lord says in the last chapter of Mark, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:16)

Advent: a Babe, a Thief and a Font.

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

A Babe

It starts with a baby in a manger, and a mother and her husband, and angels and shepherd's. It is God come into the world in human flesh.

"Away in a Manger."

That's what we think about when you think of Advent. Maybe our talking about Holy Baptism in this pre-Christmas season seems a little off. We'd rather focus on the cuddly little baby in swaddling clothes, angels singing, shepherds kneeling at manger side, Mary and Joseph beaming at the birth.

"Angels we have heard on high."

After all that is what Christmas is about; joy and happiness in new life, comfort and joy.

"And little Lord Jesus no crying he makes."

We'd be perfectly happy to sit there in the manger with the strangely quiet newborn.

But the joy of the manger only comes from the knowledge of what the child is come to do. The joy we have at Christmas is in the rescue that God offers in the cradle that goes to the cross. The comfort, the Good News that Jesus is born, is in knowing that this tiny baby is the sin bearer of the world. He comes to bring forgiveness of sins, rescue from death and the devil, and give eternal salvation, to you, through faith and the font.

"God and sinners reconciled."

Without the promises delivered by God's Word and water. There is no comfort and joy in Christmas. Because in the font through faith God applies to you everything that Jesus did, from birth, perfect life, to perfect sacrifice on the cross. These are the benefits the baptism gives. These are the benefits that baptism gives for you! As Martin Luther says, "for where there is forgiveness of sins there is life and salvation."

"Nails, spear shall pierce him through, the cross he bore for me, for you;"

A Thief

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43, ESV)

Funny then, that when we are considering the benefits of Holy Baptism, the example we give is a thief who on the cross died without it. One thief crucified with our Lord, curses the manger's child, the other begs to be remembered. One cries out in faith. The other rejects God on the cross.

"Of the Father's love begotten."

Faith clings to the newborn King who hangs naked and bleeding and dying on the cross. The thief there with him saw him for who he was. Jesus was present with him in his greatest need. He saw his Savior and the forgiveness that was there on the cross for him. He receives directly from Jesus exactly the benefit that baptism gives.

[Jesus] works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.

The thief had no doubt about his sin. It was there with him in the flesh, written in his own just, bloody punishment. And his only hope was hanging unjustly next to him.

"Born to give them second birth."

And your need is great. The babe born in the stable is proof. Your sin pushes you toward your own just death. Sin lives in your flesh and you see it every day. You see it in the family holiday gathering that should be joyful but instead is filled with angst. You see it when you know what you should do for your spouse. You see it when you struggle to crawl out of bed on Sunday morning. You see it when you try to push your own self interest aside for the sake of your neighbor. You see it in the excuses that come into your mind when you are called upon to support your church. And the just punishment for all these is death. Not because your sins are so grievous, but because you are such a grievous sinner. Sin is living in a broken relationship with God. Sin is not loving God with your whole heart, soul, and mind, as God demands. And the family gathering, your struggles to do what is right, your selfishness, and your laziness are the result. Your relationship with God is broken. Your sins cling to your flesh. You need to be washed clean.

"No more let sins and sorrows grow nor thorns infest the ground."

A Font

You stand by the font and see the water in it is what you need. When you see dirt on your hands, you look for water to wash them clean. When you see your sin, you look for forgiveness in Jesus and the water in the font. In the font, you see the cross and the one who forgives. He is present next to you there in the Word to satisfy your greatest need.

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18, ESV)

It is a cleansing flood of Word and water. Word: God's promises come true in Jesus Christ. Water: washing your sin from you. All in God's name: "I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." All from God for forgiveness, rescue and life.

So we prepare for Christmas joy with repentance. Repentance is faith. Clinging in faith to the babe in the manger and the crucified and risen Lord. Having no doubt about our sin, and no doubt about our Savior.

"Joy to the world the Lord is come!"

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Romans 15; 4-13; Second Sunday in Advent; December 8, 2013;

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Creston & Mt. Ayr, Iowa;

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:4-13, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Hope. Now there’s a good word for Advent. Hope. As Christmas gets closer, I’m sure you’ve heard statements like these: “I hope I get a bicycle for Christmas.” “I hope I get and American Girl doll.” “I hope I get a ten point buck.” “I hope I don’t get any socks.” “I hope I get a new shotgun.” “I hope…” “I hope…”

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Rom 15:13, ESV)

Well, there’s something different there isn’t there? The hope that St. Paul tells us about, in fact, promises is ours, isn’t quite like those gift receiving hopes is it. Well, how about, “I hope my family stays healthy.” “I hope milk prices don’t go any higher.” “I hope the family conflict is resolved and we don’t fight anymore over the holidays.” “I hope all those delinquent members come back to church.” "I hope things will work out in Mt. Ayr" “I hope the church figures out its budget.”

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Rom 15:13, ESV)

Well, maybe that’s not it either. Although those things are all good, that doesn’t seem to be exactly what God is talking about here, is it? Everybody wants to have hope. You want hope. Your parents and grandparents wanted to have hope. People who never darken the doors of a church want hope. The question about hope is, exactly what is it? What makes hope, well hopeful?

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Rom 15:13, ESV)

But there’s more to hope, as God promises it, than just feeling secure, or being happy with the way things are going for my life. In fact, some of the most hopeful people, had troubles, more than you and I can even imagine.

Noah had hope. He built a monstrosity of a boat no where near water, only because God asked him to. He was the laughing stock of the neighborhood. No one would listen to him when he said “the end is near.” He knew the massive death that was coming to all of them. Yet, he had hope.

Abraham had hope, even though he was 100 years old. God promised that he would have a son that would be the key to God’s promise of a Savior. Then when he was born, God said to kill him as a sacrifice only to save him at the last moment. Abraham had hope. Even in the face of what seemed impossible.

Moses marched into Pharaoh’s court, one man against a whole nation, he did it with hope. Pharaoh didn’t listen. Yet, Moses believed beyond all reason that God would do as He promised. Moses had hope.

These examples of hope come from the Bible and are summarized in the wonderful chapter of Hebrews 11. It goes on and on, one hopeful, faithful follower of God after another, described by St. Paul here in Romans:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Rom 15:13, ESV)

You see, that kind of hope is more than people on the street are talking about when they say, “I hope…” Hope for a believer has some Spiritual content, in fact it has Holy Spiritual content. Moses, Abraham, Noah and all the others had hope, but it wasn’t just positive feelings, it was hope placed in the promises of God. There is no doubt that God would do what he said he would do. They didn’t always see it, they had their doubts, but God’s promise is always true. One of my seminary professors said that hope is “quietly waiting on God.” I like that. I have hope in God, that doesn’t mean that everything in my life is going to be smooth sailing, it means the no matter what happens, God will resolve it properly.

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15a, ESV)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, ESV)

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1, ESV)

We hope for what is not seen, that means, even when things are rough, even when we can’t see the good in something, we quietly wait on God to set it right. That’s hope.

May the God of hopep fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Rom 15:13, ESV)

But there is more to it than that. We can’t just place our hope in a generic ‘god’ who promises good things for us. We have no connection to God without Jesus. That’s exactly what St. Paul is saying when he says,

For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given… (Rom 15:8, ESV)

Jesus Christ is God fulfilling His promises. Jesus Christ is the Hope of God’s people. One of my favorite hymns is “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less.” It talks about the hope we have in Christ.

My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
No merit of my own I claim But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand.

Verse 3:

His oath, his covenant, his blood Sustain me in the raging flood;
When all supports are washed away, He then is all my hope and stay.
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand.

That’s where our hope is founded, in God’s answered promise in Jesus Christ. God’s promised forgiveness given to us through Jesus precious blood spilled out on the cross for us. Since God sent his son to death on our behalf, we can have a sure and certain hope that everything else in our lives works out for our benefit. It is based on the forgiveness of sins. Jesus death on the cross is our forgiveness. In his death our relationship to God has restored. Holy baptism is our connection to Jesus life death and resurrection and his our adoption into all God's promises. If he takes care of our greatest need, forgiveness, he will take care of all other needs.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32, ESV)

That’s the hope found in Jesus; Jesus in the manger, born of the virgin; Jesus living every day just like you and me; Jesus on the cross bleeding and dying; Jesus walking from the tomb alive again; Jesus rising from the dead promising us new life. Because of Jesus we can quietly wait on God to do what God does. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Acts 8:26-40; Advent Service One; December 4, 2013;

 

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Creston & Mount Ayr, Iowa;

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.” (Acts 8:26–40, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Look! Here is water, but it's not just plain water. It is water combined with God's Word. It is water and God's Word together as God commanded. This water, here in the font, is special cleansing water from God.

"It is nothing else than a divine water, not that the water in itself is nobler than other water but that God's Word and commandment are added to it" (Martin Luther, Large Catechism IV, 14).

The Ethiopian eunuch saw it as just that. God's precious gift of new life in the Savior who came in the flesh.

He was riding down the road in his chariot reading the Word from the Prophet Isaiah. Philip came jogging beside. He saw him reading and asked, "Do you know what you're reading? Do you understand what it is?"

"How can I unless someone explains it?"

Imagine Philip's surprise when the Ethiopian pointed to the text and read these words:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.”” (Acts 8:32b–33, ESV)

The Ethiopian read the words but he didn't see the meaning. An Angel of the Lord sent Philip at that very moment to explain. And look at what Philip does. He puts Jesus at the center of the text. The eunuch was looking at all the pieces of the puzzle spread out on the table and Philip shows him the box. The picture that makes the puzzle clear is Jesus.

Philip was only doing what Jesus had done for them. Beginning with that very text, from the prophet Isaiah, he explained that the sheep that was slaughtered for the sins of the world was Jesus Christ. And then he moved on to the rest of Scripture and explained how it was all about Jesus.

Jesus had done the very same for them on his resurrection day. Remember the account of the disciples walking down the road to Emmaus. Two disciples were walking dejected at the death of Jesus. The resurrected Jesus appeared to them but hidden, they didn't know who he was. And he explained to them that all the Scripture was about his life, death and his resurrection. All about his saving work for the forgiveness of sins for the whole world, even Ethiopian eunuchs.

So Philip, directed by an Angel and led by the Spirit, taught the Word of God. And, when this government official from Africa saw a pool of water standing in the desert he wanted what God was offering. He wanted forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ. He wanted the cleansing that was offered in the water connected to God's word. "What's to prevent me?" And the answer is: "Nothing!"

"All nations!" Ethiopians, Greeks, Australians, Brazilians, South Africans, Swedes and even Americans. All are to be made disciples through God's work in Holy Baptism. God's word and command connected with the water in the font.

In a few weeks we will gaze in wonder at a baby born in a cattle feed trough. He is not an ordinary baby. He is the sheep to be led to slaughter. He is the one explained by Philip to the Ethiopian. He is the son of God, born in human flesh, sacrificed on the cross for the forgiveness of sin. And not just any sin, but your sin. Your baptism in this water is your connection to the one who was born in a stable and hung on a cross. In this divine water, by the power of God's word your sins are washed away, and you are forgiven. Because you are included in the all nations that are to be baptized.

You know your sin and your need. The law in God's word points it out to you. It shows itself as you fall short of your own expectations for your life. But we are not just talking about disappointment. You see in your own heart self-centeredness that prevents you from doing the right thing. You hear the words that come out of your mouth that are hurtful to even your family. You see the homeless man on the road and avert your eyes rather than help. You know the broken relationships that are scattered through your life. And you know your fault in their breaking. You know your regrets, the things that should have been. Your tossing and turning in the middle of the night wishing things were different. These are all falling short of God's expectations for your life. These are all of breaking of his commandments, any one of which condemns you to eternal separation from him in hell.

There is no escaping what you deserve. But instead you get the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. You get the babe grown into a man hanging on a cross suffering the punishment of your sin. You get the water connected to his Word that promises that his death on the cross is your death and punishment. It is the power of the water and the word and the font. It is the power of Jesus for you. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

1 Timothy 2:1-6; Thanksgiving Eve; November 27, 2013;

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Creston & Mount Ayr, Iowa;

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” (1 Timothy 2:1–6, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

It seems like such a simple thing. Throw away words even. "I'll pray for you." A bit like "Hello, how are you?" The question asked when we greet someone but we really don't want to know the whole story. A bit like Andy Warhol's (im)famous Campbell's Soup can painting. When people see it they say things like. I have a can just like that in my kitchen! It's too simple. I could have done that! That's not art!

How can prayer do anything? It's too simple. Words spoken into space. Our Sunday prayer list is long. We don't know most of the people on it. We've heard the names so many times. How can these short petitions mean anything. Wouldn't a long meditation in the heart be more meaningful to God then speaking these prewritten words? And besides, often our well meaning promises of prayer go unfulfilled. "Please pray for me", "of course" slips off of the tongue as easily as "The Lord be with you." is answered by "and also with you."

To pray is a part of what it means to be a Christian. Christians pray. And yet prayer is difficult. St. Paul urges young pastor Timothy to lead his congregation in prayer. And not only that, but he tells him what should be prayed. He uses four words that are similar but have different nuances. Prayer is to cover all the bases. Supplications are asking for things. Prayers are speaking to God about our thoughts and desires. Intercessions are praying for those in need. And thanksgivings well, that's why we're here this evening. We give thanks to God for all the wonderful blessings that he's given. We are to pray for all people, says Paul, especially those in authority. We are to pray that God would move them to do what he has given them to do to care for their people. Prayer is about all these things.

It's next though, that Paul gets to the heart of the matter. Prayer is pleasing to God because he wants all people to be saved. At the heart of our prayer is to be prayers for God's word to be proclaimed to all people. At the heart of our prayer is for those that we pray for to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is Jesus after all who prayed for you and me. He actually desires our salvation more than we do! During his life on earth and even still at the right hand of the father he continues to pray for his church. And those prayers were answered whenever faith was given to you through the work of the Holy Spirit in Word and water. Those prayers are answered every time you open your mouth and Jesus Christ passes over your lips as you eat the bread and wine and, in, with, and under is his very body and blood.

But as faithful as Jesus is, and was, in prayer we are not. In fact most often our prayer comes at the point of necessity. And most often our prayers are self-centered. We only pray for those in need when we are asked and even then our prayers are lacking. Paul gives instruction on prayer because we are unfaithful in it. He tells us what to pray and who to pray for because we need to be told. And he tells us why we pray. We pray because Jesus is the faithful mediator who lifts our prayers to the Father. Through faith and the work of the Holy Spirit we have a relationship with Jesus Christ. We are children of God through faith and the forgiveness of sins won by Jesus Christ on the cross. And God the Father promises to answer the prayers of his children.

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray he gave them the "Our Father." It is the simple perfect prayer. It asks for what we need and want. It's like Warhol's deceptively simple Campbell's tomato soup can. We pray for God's will and his kingdom. We pray for our daily bread. We pray for forgiveness. All of it in a simple way that we can remember. The Lord's prayer is always the perfect prayer. And when we pray it we pray for ourselves and all those who need the things that are prayed.

And at the center of that prayer too, is forgiveness. Forgiveness puts the "our" in "Our Father". Listen again to Luther:

And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

What does this mean?

We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look at our sins, or deny our prayer because of them. We are neither worthy of the things for which we pray, nor have we deserved them, but we ask that He would give them all to us by grace, for we daily sin much and surely deserve nothing but punishment. So we too will sincerely forgive and gladly do good to those who sin against us.

The Lord's Prayer isn't a backup prayer to pray when you don't know what else to pray. The Lord's Prayer is prayer as St. Paul commands Timothy. It's the tomato soup of prayer. Simple, nutritious, easy to use. These words are words to pray because God, our Father promises to hear. These words are words to pray because we, as Christians, live them.

This is what St. Paul means when he says:

that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

No matter what words we pray, weather the Lord's prayer or other prayer, our lives become the prayers we pray. We pray for God's will and daily bread. God uses us to provide these things to our neighbors. We pray for forgiveness, and God uses us to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ here, in our community and around the world.

We shouldn't dismiss prayer (especially the Lord's Prayer) simply because it seems too simple. Like those who dismiss The Soup Can painting. It is a simple but necessary part of our Christian life. So, as you gather at the Thanksgiving table this week, remember to pray. Maybe pray the Lord's Prayer this year. It is everything that Paul tells us here to do and it recognizes all the gifts we have received so graciously from God, our Father's hand. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

2 Thessalonians 3:6-13; The Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost; November 17, 2013;

 

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Creston and Mount Ayr, Iowa;

Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.” (2 Thessalonians 3:6–13, ESV)

(from an sermon by Rev. Rick Marrs)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Our God is a working God. In fact it's what the Bible is all about. God is at work from the beginning, Genesis 1 to Revelation 21. He creates the world and everything in it by the word. Trees, flowers, birds, the stars of the heavens, the fish in the sea, the planets and the asteroids whizzing about space. And people. He created Adam and Eve, our first parents, and breathed into them the breath of life. And he placed them in the paradise of the garden of Eden which he created for them. Human beings are God's work. And after six days he took a Sabbath rest.

But the paradise of Adam and Eve may not be exactly what you're thinking of when you hear the word paradise. For you and me paradise is soaking up the sun in a Hawaiian beach cabana. The waiter walks through the sand bringing us a Blue Hawaii or one of those rum drinks with a little umbrella. In the beach hotel, the employees are scuttering around to take care of our smallest wants. Our vision of paradise is people working for us. But in Genesis the first thing God does is different:

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” (Genesis 2:15, ESV)

Adam and Eve don't fall into sin until Genesis 3. In Genesis 2 God puts them to work. We think, maybe you've even been told, that work is the result of sin. So the picture in your mind of paradise is a Hawaiian vacation. But our working God has given us work to do, as a gift. He did not create human beings to the idle-ly lazing around, but tending the universe that he created for us. God gave Adam and Eve, and you and me, work to do, and it was good.

But Adam and Eve were not content to live and work in the garden. They wanted the one thing that wasn't theirs to have. They denied their relationship with God by eating the lies of Satan and the fruit that God told them to avoid. They wanted to be their own gods. They broke their perfect relationship with God and fell into rebellion. So, God ejected them from the garden. And he sent them out to work. This work was not the same as before:

“cursed is the ground because of you … thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you … By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground for out of it you were taken; for you are dust and to dust you shall return.”(Genesis 3:17ff)

Now work is difficult and dangerous. The cursed creation doesn't respond to human work the way that it should. The work remains. But work, in and of itself, is still a good gift of God. God uses it to provide for all of our needs. God gives you your daily work to do. It is a good gift from him to provide for you and your family. But not only that, your work is given to you to do good for the people that you serve. Teachers are there to serve their students and parents. Maintenance workers maintain buildings for the sake of those who live and work in them. Garbage collectors haul away the garbage so that people can live and work in clean places. Stay-at-home moms serve their children by taking care of them. Car salesmen and auto mechanics work so people can have transportation so that they can get to work. Pastors teach you God's word so that you can work freed from the guilt of your sin. People in grocery stores work so we can have food. Grown children take care of their elderly parents. Elderly and shut in folks have opportunity to pray for the work of others. These are the things we been given to do. They are our vocation. Not our vacation. Our vocation is the work that God gives us to do to serve one another in the places that he has given us to serve. And I'm not just talking about are paid jobs either. We are given to serve one another as parent, child, friend, neighbor, and good citizen. All of these things have their associated tasks and work. When God calls us to serve our neighbors in these ways we are the "masks of God, behind which He wants to remain concealed and do all things.^[1]" it's all connected to exactly what St. Paul writes:

If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.” (2 Thessalonians 3:6–13, ESV)

We see examples of hard workers in the Bible, too. Noah built the ark to save the living creatures from the flood. Abraham had huge flocks and herds. Moses was a Shepherd before he shepherded God's people out of slavery in Egypt. Paul was a tent maker. In our text here he talks about making his own living that way. And Jesus, our Savior, was a carpenter. Hard work, difficult work, has been around and promoted by God since Adam and Eve fell into sin.

But Jesus didn't come to give us an example of how to work hard. His vocation was so much greater than that. Jesus is the word made flesh, the very same word through which God made the world. He is the very word of God that came to restore human beings and all creation to a right relationship with God. His life, death, and resurrection are the work, the vocation, he came to do. Jesus Christ serves sinners. He serves us sinners by taking the punishment we deserve for being lazy and idle. He us serves sinners by removing the need for us to earn our salvation with our good works. We are saved by the gift of faith in all the Jesus Christ has done for us. We do not have to do good works for ourselves. Jesus has done all the good works we need. Now, we are able to serve our neighbors. We don't do good works focused on God's reaction. We do good works focused on our neighbors needs.

Our God is a working God who is blessed us with work to do. In response to God's saving work for us in Jesus Christ, we are privileged to work in the world for the sake of our neighbors. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

---

^[1] Luther, M. (1999). Luther’s works, vol. 14: Selected Psalms III. (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald, & H. T. Lehmann, Eds.) (Vol. 14, p. 114). Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House.

1 John 3:1-3; The Festival of All Saints; November 3, 2013;

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Creston, Iowa;

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” (1 John 3:1–3, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

What kind of love is this?

Country-western singer Lyle Lovett sings a song about his family called "Family Reserve". It's far from a glowing review of the perfect family. It's a dark yet realistic view of who they are, framed by how they died. People who die because they made foolish decisions. People who drink themselves to death. A boy who dies choking because his mother doesn't know what to do. And even one who dies ironically owning his own funeral home. It's a picture of an imperfect family, yet one loved by the singer.

In a way this is our family of faith, also. Imperfect, plagued by sin, self-interest, wrongheadedness, and yet loved by God. This is the kind of love the Father has for us. It is an amazing contradiction that the perfect God would choose to call you and I, sinful human beings, his children. It's clear that no human being (save one) deserves to be called God's child. And yet St. John calls us to look and see the love of God for those he calls to be his children.

All Saints Day is, in a way, a look back at the family album. We remember especially those who have died in the faith this year. It is a temptation to say only glowing things about them, just like we did at their funerals. And yet, now with the Lord, they were sinners all. All of them, to the last one, were sinners deserving not what they received as God's children, but instead eternal punishment. In fact, not a single one of them even deserved to be a child of God. And yet on this day we call them saints. Saints not in terms of the way the world would think, that we somehow held them as being perfect examples and perfect people. But instead saints saved by God. Saints loved by God in such a way that he saved them in spite of their sinfulness.

As we began our service today we did a remembrance of God's adoption of us in our Holy Baptism. It is the fullness of God's love for us that he calls us his children through this wonderful gift. Listen again to the words we read:

What benefits does Baptism give?

It works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.

Which are these words and promises of God?

Christ our Lord says in the last chapter of Mark, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:16)

Notice there is not a "deserving" word in the whole remembrance. But benefits and promises given in God's Word. This is the kind of love St. John calls us to see. Boundless undeserved love from God given to us no account sinners.

What kind of love is this?

Well, in order to understand this love, we need to have a clear understanding of sin. I don't want you to get the impression that the sins of our relatives, or your sins, or mine, are to be taken lightly. They are not lovable minor personality quirks. Sin is far more serious than that. In fact, we have All Saints Day where we remember those who have died, because of sin. We have funerals because of sin. We live every day in the shadow of our own death because of sin. Death is the fundamental human problem. Death is the fundamental consequence of sin. No one gets out of life alive. And every year, the first Sunday in November, when we remember those who have died, we also remember the fact that we will all die from our sin.

But there is a fundamental difference for those who are called children of God, the family of faith. In Holy Baptism we are rescued from death even though death will come. We are rescued from eternal separation from God in hell. Where death for sinners would normally be the gateway to eternal punishment, those clinging in faith to the cross of Christ receive forgiveness of sins. And this forgiveness is not because we Saints are such good people. We know that's true simply by recounting the lives of those who we remembered today. We have forgiveness because God forgives in Jesus Christ. What kind of love does the father have for us? St. John gives answer:

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10, ESV)

On the cross, Jesus Christ offered up himself as the punishment for sin. The only one truly worthy to be called God's child, hung on the cross and suffered God's righteous anger over your sin, and my sin, and the sins of all those on the Role of Saints. Through the wonderful gift of faith, based in God's grace and God's love alone, we receive forgiveness instead of punishment.

St. John also says it in the well-known words:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16–17, ESV)

but the words "for God so loved the world" don't mean God loved the world so much. The word "so" could also be translated, "in this way". And then when we read what comes before including that translation we see what kind of love God has for us.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God [loved the world in this way], that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:14–17, ESV)

God's love for the world extends to us through the outstretched arms of Jesus Christ offering you and me forgiveness of our sin. It's not a sweeping of sin under the rug, but a sweeping away of sin under the cross. It's not making light of sin, but rather taking the full seriousness of sin to account. God's love is such a love, that he can do no other.

See what kind of love the Father has given to [you], that [you, sinner that you are] should be called [child] of God; and so [you] are a sinner forgiven by Jesus Christ. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.