Romans 3:19-28; Reformation, October 27, 2019;

Romans 3:19-28; Reformation, October 27, 2019;

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN;

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. (Ro 3:19-28, ESV)

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

We don’t see it very much these days…  It really seems to be a picture from the past… I mean this picture of a young man (like Martin Luther) struggling to be good enough so that God won’t send him to hell.  In fact, we all may look at that picture and think that it’s rather old fashioned.  We may ask ourselves why anyone would ever be afraid of such a thing.   Certainly, few of us have had any fear about that kind of thing.  We are an enlightened mature society.  Religion is about love.  If it’s about god at all it’s a god whose great love for people would never allow him to send anyone to punishment forever.  It is often expressed in phrases like this: “The god I know would never punish people that way.”  Or “How can a loving god deal out eternal punishment?”

I mean, if hell isn’t a reality for people then the question of being good enough to avoid it is really a non-issue.  Isn’t it?  It all kind of makes the Reformation that began with the struggle of a young German monk over sin and hell, a mute point. After all Luther’s struggle was against God, wasn’t it?  He looked at himself and saw an imperfect person who didn’t “love God with his whole heart and soul and mind.”  He looked at God and saw a judge who demanded perfection, not just in the way things were done, but in the motive and the thought too!  His thorough study of scripture led him to the unmistakable conclusion that he was hell bound.  That was then, this is now. The whole fear-of-hell thing seems like a leftover from a previous time when people thought differently. 

The way it is now, the way we prefer to look at the world, and life, and God is completely different.  We’ve made up a god of our own that doesn’t match with what the Bible tells us.  Our new god is a doting grandfather that gives us whatever we need and want, and he simply ignores our shortcomings and failures.  It could even be said that he doesn’t even care that people don’t believe in him or even out and out reject him.  “They’re only human,” He coos, “and nobody is perfect.”  This god looks lovingly at struggling humanity and with a twinkle in his eye says, “They try so hard… that’ll be good enough.”  It’s the picture of god giving an “A+” for effort, regardless of the results and regardless of the motives that lie behind the actions.  He gives people a purpose in their lives and rewards them as long as we live in that purpose.

It’s no wonder people don’t fear the consequences of their sin anymore.  The god we’ve invented acts and sounds just like one of us.  He sweeps sin under the carpet just like we like to do.  That’s just the way we live, as if sin wasn’t a problem, sweeping it quietly under the carpet.  Letting it stand where we find it.  Just think a moment about these issues since 1973 in just the United States alone we have killed over 61 million helpless children through abortion. It’s a staggering 1 in 4 pregnancies that end in murder.  Or how about this issue that hits closer to home because we all have it in our families.  You know that that 90% of young couples (both Christian and non-Christian) live together before marriage.  They ignore the stats that show those who do have an 80% higher risk of divorce.  God, the true God, speaks clearly about these issues.  Killing human beings at any stage of development is murder.  He says sex outside of marriage is wrong, that means it is wrong for couples to live together before they are married, no matter how good the reasons seem.  Test yourself on these issues:  How many people know you are Pro-Life?  Do you consider unborn children when you stand in the ballot box?  How many young couples have you told that living together before they are married is wrong?  We spend a lot of time and effort saying that God’s will for our lives is whatever we want it to be.  And that God’s standards for living are quite flexible, more like suggestions that can be set aside when they are inconvenient or don’t match up with our “feel good” philosophy of life.

Luther’s struggle was about the difference between God and human beings.  God is holy.  People are not.  God is perfect.  People are not.  God knows everything.  God can investigate the very depth of the human heart.  When Martin looked honestly into his own what he saw there frightened him.  It frightened him because he didn’t find an inner core of good.  He saw an inner core of evil and darkness and hatred of other people and even of God.  And when he realized that God saw that same heart, he knew that he was lost.  With the law comes the knowledge of sin. St. Paul said to him.  It was just like Jesus said, for out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. (Mt 15:19, ESV) Martin Luther discovered that was accountable to God not just for his outward acts but also for what was in his heart.  God said it also in the Old Testament.  “For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Sa 16:7, ESV)  

That’s the real problem isn’t it?  It’s what’s in here that we can’t get rid of.  We can only ignore it or pretend it isn’t there.  Or invent a god that doesn’t care about sin, a god of our own making that hides his eyes to what we know is there.  Because the real God, the one we learn about in His Word does care about sin.  That same Word tells us all the truth we already know: For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.  No amount of keeping the law is going to fix what’s in here.  The more we try to do what is right the more we see how we don’t do it perfectly, “with our whole heart.” 

But it is precisely because the true God cares about sin that we are here today.  It is because God really does love human beings beyond our understanding that He doesn’t just sweep sin under the carpet.  He sees what sin does to us, how it tears our relationships apart, how it makes a mess of everything we try to do.  And he knows above all how we are powerless to do anything about it.    For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. That’s what the law makes very plain to us.  But God goes beyond that he also says that we are justified by his grace as a gift…  Well, it would have to be a gift wouldn’t it?  We can’t scrub it clean; we can’t work it out on our own, and we can’t end sin in our hearts by any other way.  We need a righteousness that we don’t have.  Righteousness is exactly what God has.  It is what God is.  In fact, the best definition of righteousness is Jesus.

St. Paul used that unusual word propitiation.  He wrote the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood.  What he is really talking about is a peace offering.  When a wife is angry at her husband, he scrambles to find a florist and shows up at the door with a big batch of flowers.  That’s propitiation.  And Jesus is just that, a perfectly righteous peace offering to God.  Jesus offers himself to God as the object of God’s just anger over sin.  He suffers the punishment that all human beings deserve because of the sin in their hearts.  In Jesus heart, even though he fully human, there wasn’t any of the blackness that is in yours and mine.  He didn’t make excuses for not following God’s law.  Not only did he not sin, he confronted sin everywhere he went.  He called sin, sin and pointed out its consequences.  He didn’t struggle against God’s will for His life, even when it led him to a brutal execution.  You see, everything He did was perfect, and not just in the things he did, but the motives and the thoughts, too!  That’s because Jesus was not just good guy, he was human, but he was also God, perfect and holy… You might say Jesus is the very heart of God’s. 

Now when we compare Jesus heart to ours, we know that what we need is His… 

It’s the most amazing thing… it’s really beyond our understanding… it’s so utterly different than anything our experience can understand…  But Jesus is exactly what God gives to us.  Our sinful prideful mind and heart immediately jump to the conclusion that we must have earned it, somehow.  “I must have done something good!”  But the God’s law is right there to show us that there is nothing we can do.  Its real purpose is to show us our sin, because we will not believe in Jesus, we can’t have true faith, until the law shuts us up, and puts anything we would do out of the picture.  We get this wonderful totally free gift of Jesus righteousness, God’s perfection, by faith.  What Paul means by that is seeing that Jesus righteousness is now yours.  In Paul’s words: we receive the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. 

That’s where that young monk’s struggle ended… in faith.  When Martin Luther saw that the righteousness that he needed was his as God’s free gift he did what faith does.  Be believed… he received… he hoped… and he lived in faith every day of his life from that moment on. 

My dear Christians friends, it is just so for you and me.  The very same gift is ours.  We can’t earn it; we can work our way to deserve it.  It is a gift.  It is the most amazing thing in the whole world.  Our sin, both the things we do, and the things we think and feel, that blackness and evil in the deepest part of our heart is covered up by righteousness of God, through faith in Christ Jesus. We do what faith does… We believe… we receive… we hope… and we live in faith every day, from this very moment on.  For we hold that [a person] is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Amen.

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

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost; October 20, 2019;

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost; October 20, 2019;

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN;

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” (2 Timothy 3:14–4:5, ESV)

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

This little text is a small part of a letter from St. Paul to young pastor Timothy. Paul has taught Timothy how to be a pastor. He is his "spiritual" father. Paul is near the end of his life facing execution in Rome. He's giving his last instructions, passing down his best pastoral advice, to his beloved friend and "spiritual" child Timothy. But this letter is far from advice only to a pastor. Paul's care for Timothy goes to his personal spiritual condition. That's what makes this letter applicable to all of you, not just your pastor.

What is so striking about this text is how Paul connects Timothy to God's Word. He reminds him how his grandmother and mother taught him the Scriptures. It's the Old Testament Saint Paul is talking about. The account of God working among his people from creation through the late Prophets (everything before Jesus was born). These are the foundation on which Timothy is to be a pastor to the people. It is not far-fetched to assume that Timothy knew well Paul's words about preaching:

For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthians 1:22–25, ESV)

Paul wrote these words to the congregation at Corinth nearly a decade before. It was certainly a part of Paul's regular preaching. Even based on the Old Testament, preaching in the church is to be Christ centered and cross focused. This preaching from the Scripture, the Good News of Jesus Christ, is the power of God. The Old Testament connected to Jesus Christ, with him at the center, is able (and not just able but powerful) to make you wise for salvation. The Holy Spirit working through the Word to bring faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Paul says:

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17, ESV)

Paul refers to God's work at creation of breathing life into human beings. That same breath is what makes the Word of God able to do exactly what Paul is saying. When Scripture is preached with Jesus Christ as the main point this is what makes it powerful to do what Paul says. It is the Holy Spirit living an active in the Word, the breath of God.

And Paul even tells Timothy how to preach. He says, "in season and out of season" and "reprove rebuke and exhort" and "with complete patience and teaching." The in season and out of season means whether people are listening are not. Timothy (and all pastors for that matter) have the obligation to preach. In the best of times and the worst of times. Whether people are listening to God's word whether they're denying it. To reprove, rebuke and exhort is another way of saying use Law and Gospel. Reprove and rebuke mean to convict people of their sin and then, having cut them to their heart, exhort means give them the sweet Good News of Jesus Christ crucified for the forgiveness of those very sins.

For the time is coming, so St. Paul says, when people will no longer listen to the Word. And in fact, will be hostile to it and those who bring it. But instead they will use the Word for their own ends. And anyone who speaks the word to reprove, rebuke and exhort will be ignored or worse. That's why St. Paul's advice includes for Timothy to endure suffering and do the work of an evangelist.

So, what about our itching ears? What do we want to hear God's word say? St. Paul says that we are incorporated into God's story. The story of God working in the world from creation through redemption. Timothy was incorporated into God's story by the faithful teaching of his mother and grandmother. They filled his ears with God's Word. They told him of the Messiah that would come and save him from his sin.

What itching ears would rather do is make God a part of our story. My life is busy, but I do have a place for God. As long as God sticks to Sunday morning. As long as God does what I want him to do. As long as he makes me healthy, wealthy and wise. As long as God gives me purpose and tells me what I'm here for. As long as my life is trouble-free. As long as I can live an extraordinary life, right now. As long as God doesn't embarrass me with demands that are way too old-fashioned. As long as I'm not inconvenienced by the church, I'll listen to everything that God has to say. As long as God doesn't interfere in my politics. And as long as God doesn't insist that the Bible is the only place where I can hear his voice. I'd much rather listen to my own heart. I'd rather let my feelings tell me what is right and wrong. I'd much rather listen to what everybody else is listening to. I would much rather listen to authors who claim direct connections to God. And I would rather listen to them even if they disagree with what God's word says.

Those who claim direct communication with God outside of his Word are lying. Those who tell you that thus and so is true because they feel it in their heart are deceiving you. When Jesus said, "my sheep hear my voice and they know me." He was speaking about his Word that comes from Holy Scripture. Nowhere in Scripture will you find him saying depend on your heart and do what it says. Instead he says

For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”” (Mark 7:21–23, ESV)

You put your faith and your salvation in jeopardy when you look inside yourself for the truth. What God does he does outside of you, for you. Jesus brings you forgiveness of sins through his life, death, and resurrection. It happened on a bloody cross, on a bloody hill outside a small Jewish town. The Good News is that despite the sin that lives inside of you, that pushes you to trust in everything but what God has given you to trust in, God saves you in Jesus Christ. And he brings this Good News to you from the outside. God makes you wise to salvation through the Word of God that travels through the air and strikes your ear holes. All Scripture is breathed out by God. You do not have to depend on slippery emotions and feelings to tell you what is right and wrong. And when people tell you that something is right because they feel it in their heart, or God spoke it to their heart, you do not believe it if it disagrees was Scripture.  <>

God has given you a pastor as a wonderful gift. His job, as Paul tells Timothy, is to help you see Jesus in the Word. His job is to help you see your sin and turn you to Jesus for forgiveness. That you can live your life as part of God's story. Amen.

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

Ruth.1.1-19a; 18th Sunday after Pentecost; October 13, 2019;

Ruth.1.1-19a; 18^th Sunday after Pentecost; October 13, 2019;

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN;

In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband. Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food. So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.” Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more. So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” (Ru 1:1-19, ESV)

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

Two men were traveling in a deep wood.  All at once they were confronted with a huge bear.  One of the men, thinking only of his own safety quickly climbed a tree.  The other, who was unable to climb, was now unable to fight t ferocious animal by himself flopped on the ground and played dead, because he had heard that bears won’t touch a dead body. 

It must have worked because the bear sniffed at the man for a moment and then being satisfied that he was indeed dead, left him be.  When the danger was past, the man in the tree came down, saying, “It almost looked as if that bear whispered something into your ear!” 

“He did,” answered the other.  “He said it isn’t wise to keep company with a person who would desert his friend in a moment of danger.”  The story is one of Aesop’s fables.

There’s an old joke about a motorcyclist who took a girl named Ruth for a ride, hit a bump and so he continued “Ruthlessly.”   Really there’s more of a pun there than most of us realize.  You see, the name Ruth actually means “friend” or “companion” so the ruthless biker was also “friendless.”  But the name can also mean “to be satisfied” or “refreshed.”  It’s actually what we find in the book of Ruth that God has given to us.  In that account we see that Ruth is a true friend, in the very best sense of the word.  She refreshed Naomi her mother-in-law even when Naomi was old. 

The story is a particularly wonderful one.  It takes place at a time before Israel had a king, some 400 years before Jesus was born.  There was a man named Elimelech.  He lived in Bethlehem with his wife, Naomi and his two sons, Mahlon and Chilion.  When a famine struck the area, they packed up all they had and moved to Moab (which was on the exact opposite side of the Dead Sea).  Moab was a well-watered highland, so the drought and famine didn’t affect the people there.  While they were there, some ten years, Naomi lost her husband.  We don’t know why he died there is no reason given.  Soon afterwards it seems, the sons married Moabite women.  Their names were Orpah and Ruth.  Then tragedy struck again, and the two sons also died.  Again, we aren’t told why, weather it was a plague or an accident, doesn’t really matter.  Naomi and her two daughters-in-law were left to themselves.  Now since she heard that the famine in Bethlehem was over, Naomi decided to return home. 

At first the two women joined her.  But Naomi insisted that they go back to their parent’s homes, where they could begin their lives again.  Both women refused the first time but after a second pleading Orpah did exactly what was asked.  Ruth, however, vowed to stay no matter what. And here is where we find the words that we most often associate with Ruth. 

“Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” (Ruth 1:16-17, ESV)

These words are words of true friendship; they go far beyond family loyalty and duty.  Ruth lives up to her name by becoming Naomi’s friend, companion and comfort.

Naomi and Ruth seem to have a remarkable friendship, almost twin like.  Like the bond we sometimes see in “identical” twins.  Some of you may have been fortunate to have that kind of friendship.  For some it is in marriage.  Some find it in bonding with a child who has grown.  Still others find this kind of relationship in old school mates, co-workers, army buddies, neighbors, fishing companions, or teammates.

These people are people you trust.  You enjoy their company and seek out times to be with them.  You enjoy the same kinds of activities, talk long into the night, relax, work, laugh and cry together.  Most of the time and in most ways… you are true companions.  There is something wonderful about that kind of partnership, that kind of relationship.  They are a glimpse of the kind of relationship God would have with us. 

But there are always times when friends can’t be in complete agreement.  Imagine two people standing in a rowboat.  If both leaned over the same side of the boat, they’d both end up in deep water.  Sometimes friends, too, must disagree and “lean the opposite way” for the benefit of both.  None of our earthly relationships are trouble free.  When we expect that we usually end up alone. 

Many people expect that their relationship with God will be trouble free, too.  You have maybe been guilty of that, just as I have.  It’s easy to say that we should turn our troubles over to God, when we really mean that we intend to give them to God so he can fix them and fix them now.  And then we get disgusted with God when he leans the other way.  And our troubles persist.  What we really want from our “friendship” with God is someone who’s bigger than we are to take care of the things we can’t handle.  And sometimes we forget that God’s ideas, plans and expectations for our lives may be very different from our own.  It can be very unpleasant when God leans the other way.

But God is more than just our good friend.  His love and care for us is way beyond our understanding.  He fixes our problems in ways that we never could understand.  Sometimes, because he knows what is best for us, He even allows problems to persist in our lives because it helps us to understand that we need him beyond the need to be free from pain or trouble.  Because he is more than only our friend, He doesn’t always allow us to take the easy road.

It’s a picture of God that we see in Ruth’s friendship with Naomi.  There was no guarantee that she would be better off with her mother-in-law.  In fact, quite the opposite was true.  When she said where you die, I too will die be buried, she may have well expected it to be soon.  Such was the fate of widowed women in those days.  Yet, she sacrifices herself not just for the sake of their friendship, she gives her very self for the old woman.  It seems she loved Naomi more than she loved herself.  Her willing sacrifice turns out to be their salvation.  For Ruth it all paid off in the end.  She married a wealthy Jewish man, had children and lived a full new life.  But it was no accident.  Ruth became the great-grandmother of King David, and an important link in the line of the promised Savior.  She was a part of God’s plan to build a friendship to you. 

God’s love for you is no accident either.  In fact, God guarantees your future through the Savior who was Ruth’s distant great-great-great-great… grandson.  God builds a relationship, a friendship with you through His own self sacrifice.  We hear Jesus echoed in Ruth’s words… “For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people… Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried.”  That’s what Jesus did.  God, himself in human flesh, lived where people live, walked were people walked, ate and slept where people ate slept.  And most importantly died as people die and was buried.  That’s God extraordinary love for you and me that he lived as any man would have lived, except he lived as a perfect friend, always loving completely, always giving completely.  That giving completely is most clearly seen on the cross where he dies, like any human being would die, except not like any human being.  It’s there that Jesus shows that His friendship is so much greater than any friendship we could ever hope to have.  Jesus death on the cross is not just Jesus giving himself for one friend, or a certain group of people. It’s not just Jesus taking care of you and me.  It is Jesus bleeding and dying for the sins of all the people of the whole world.  It is a complete and total giving of himself for everyone.  We don’t have friends like that, we aren’t friends like that.  But Jesus is.  He is because His love compels him to be. 

Ruth said to Naomi.  “May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”  It was a promise she made probably slashing a finger across her throat, as if to say, “I’ll die before I desert you.”  Jesus promises you and I even more than that, with his friendship.  And he seals his promise in his own blood.  One way to look at it is this.  Ruth could have died for Naomi.  If she did it would have been a wonderful self sacrifice.  But Ruth still would have been dead the next time Naomi needed help.  Jesus isn’t dead.  That’s the most powerful thing about what he has done for us.  He died but didn’t stay dead.  He suffered death for you and me, but he got up and walked out of the tomb.  That’s exactly why Paul could right these words for us;  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Ro 8:38-39, ESV) 

Jesus is our best friend because he dies on the cross for us.  But He’s our greatest friend because he rose from the dead, and lives with us right now, in every day of our lives.  He does something no human begin could ever do.

It still doesn’t mean that in whatever you choose to do he won’t lean the other way.  He doesn’t promise that your life is going to be easy and free from trouble.  But what he does promise is that He is your Ruth, your friend, your companion, your comfort.  He is right there right in the middle of your pain and suffering.  And he also promises one more thing that Ruth couldn’t promise Naomi.  He promises that through it all you he will be your friend, it won’t last forever, and it really will be alright in the end.  And the proof of that promise is seen in the empty tomb…  Jesus empty tomb… and yours.  Amen.

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

Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4; 17th Sunday after Pentecost; October 6, 2019;

Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4; 17^th Sunday after Pentecost; October 6, 2019;

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN;

The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw. O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.” (Habakkuk 1:1–4, ESV)

I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint. And the LORD answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:1–4, ESV)

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

It is easy to get down about what’s going on in the world these days. This last week an LCMS pastor I knew in Iowa was beat to death in his own church parking lot. The confirmation class was waiting for him to come in and teach. The whole community of Fort Dodge Iowa is reeling at the loss. He was very involved in his community, as a police and first responder’s chaplain. This senseless crime seems to be related to a robbery. It is easy to agree with Habakkuk’s complaint. “Destruction and violence are before; strife and contention arise.”  There’s a definite uptick also in Christian persecution in our country. To say nothing of the persecution of Christians around the world, which is higher now than it’s ever been. As Habakkuk says, “For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.” God’s plan for marriage is under brutal attack. The LGBT agenda is rampant everywhere. And their aim is not to coexist with, but to destroy traditional marriage. Babies are dying in the womb thousands a day. And politics… I don’t even have to say how crazy that is. And again, we echo Habakkuk, “O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong?”

Habakkuk was facing the same kinds of issues. Although the violence he was speaking of was done by those who claimed to be God’s people. He was sent with a warning, as God often does with the prophets. But Habakkuk complains that the more he preaches the less effect it seems to have. “I call them back from violence and injustice, but everything I do is for nothing. They just don’t listen. The law is corrupt. The courts are for those who have the money to get the judgment they want. Judgment is not equal for all.”

Now, a critical part of the opening of the book of Habakkuk is missing between the two sections we have in our text today. The exchange goes something like this:

Habakkuk:    God how long are you going to let this violence go on? How long is my preaching going to have no effect? How long will you let the law be impotent?

God:               Don’t worry, I’ve got everything under control. And you wouldn’t believe it if I told you anyway. I am raising up the Chaldeans. They are bitter and nasty. They wreak havoc everywhere they go. Even their horses are mean. And their horsemen are like eagles. And they come with swift violence. They laugh at city walls. And they will sweep away all those guilty people who depend on themselves. They will punish the evildoers.

It was not the answer Habakkuk was looking for.

Habbakuk:    O Lord! I know you see all things. But, don’t you think that the righteous will suffer with the evil? Do you have to send such and evil people to punish? And what about those evil people? When will they get their comeuppance?

And then Habakkuk, does something amazing. He says, “I will look out to see your justice.” And God answers. “Write this down and make it plain. So that all will understand. So that the reader may announce it to all they see. It will all come to pass in my own time. The proud will suffer, but the righteous shall live by faith.”

God was saying two things. First, the people who were to be led away into captivity, would return to their land. And Second, that the Chaldeans would also be punished for their evil.  Wait for it…

Wait for it… a lot like that feather in Forrest Gump, floating here and there seemingly undirected but under God’s control. God’s vengeance would happen in his perfect timing. Let it blow in the wind.

Now, I’m not saying, necessarily, that God is going to send a foreign power to punish us. But it could happen. We, as the church, should be on our knees in continual repentance. God’s justice comes in His own time, and falls upon all, even those he loves. Discipline is never pleasant, but it is necessary. We are to leave that to our faithful God.

With the Festival of the Reformation coming, it is timely that our text ends with “the righteous shall live by his faith.” Despite what it looks like God is in control of all things. It is the righteous one who puts his faith where it belongs. And it isn’t just accepting correction. It is placing our faith in the one who has done and is doing all things for our good.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28, ESV)

It isn’t just a vague notion of faith either, not a faith that just thinks that everything will work out. It is faith in the one who promises to make it work out. Jesus Christ our savior is that one. He has promised it. He does battle with the devil, the world and our own sinful nature. He defeats Satan with his perfect life lived in our place. He gives us that life and declares us to be righteous ones. Then he gives us faith through the work of the Holy Spirit. We, the righteous ones have confidence in Jesus by remembering our Baptism. Satan’s accusations against us have no effect. He can howl and bellow all he wants. He can stir up the world against us, but Jesus has defeated them all.

He took on the world, in all its evil, and defeated it. And not in a way that is expected or understood by the world. To all the world it looked like defeat and weakness. But Jesus’ strength is evident in his willingness to die on the cross for the sins of the whole world. He defeated the power of death through his resurrection. That resurrection is ours as well, through faith in Jesus’ promises. The evil of the world has no response to Jesus and his death and resurrection. They simply deny the truth and curse it.

And most of all, he defeats our sinful nature. The sinful nature that we harbor and protect. The sinful nature that looks at what is happening around us and falls into despair. That is impatient for God’s justice. Jesus has defeated our sinful nature. He calls us to recognize what he as done and put away our sinfulness.

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh [our sinful nature], to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”” (Romans 8:12–15, ESV)

He calls us to put our faith again, in his promises. We are sons of God, in Christ Jesus. Our sinful nature has no chance against him.

It is, in fact, true that nothing Satan, the world, or our sinful flesh can conjure up is stronger than the Resurrection One. We are to look at all that happens around us, the violence, the hate for him, the agendas of those who have both feet in the world and put our faith in Jesus. We are closer today than yesterday to his coming again in victory. We can see the signs all around us. We see then and rejoice because his justice is coming soon. When we face these fearful things, we say with him, “Amen. Come Lord Jesus.” Amen.

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

Luke.16.19-31; 16th Sunday after Pentecost; September 29, 2019;

Luke.16.19-31; 16^th Sunday after Pentecost; September 29, 2019;

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN;a

“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers —so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ ” (Luke 16:19-31, ESV)

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

My name is Dives. I was very rich man. I guess you could say I was destined to be rich and everyone knew it. My parents even gave me a name that means ‘rich.’ Dives it means – ‘rich.’ But you probably know me as simply the ‘rich man’ from that story that Jesus told: “The rich man and Lazarus.” Yep, that’s me, ‘the rich man.’ Oh, how I wish that it wasn’t. But, everything is just as Jesus said. Notice the story, how Jesus told it. Lazarus is mentioned by name. I’m simply called ‘a certain rich man.’ You see, Lazarus’ name was written in the book of life, just like yours, but mine is not.

I was rich, living a life of luxury in my home. I had everything I wanted; fine purple linens and great feasts, every day. Oh, what a life it was! I rarely left home, I didn’t have to. I had everything I needed, right there. And besides, someone had laid that beggar at my gate. For me to leave I’d have walk by him and be reminded that he was there. Oh, I knew him well enough, I had seen him, and I even knew his name, “Lazarus.” Just to hear it turns my stomach. He was pathetic, lying there with sores all over his body… always asking for food. One of my servants even had the nerve to offer him the table scraps. I was infuriated, “What will my dogs eat! Let Lazarus feed himself.” I just wanted him gone. I asked the house steward to open the gate and let out the dogs. “Maybe,” I thought, “they’d scare him off.” It was the most pathetic thing I’ve ever seen. The dogs didn’t attack him. They just went up to him and licked his sores. Lazarus just lay there… Looking back, those dogs had more compassion for Lazarus than I did.

I know what you’re thinking. I’m a pretty vile human being. To treat poor Lazarus that way… to not care about his pain and hunger… to care more about my dogs than him… and your right, all of that is true. But, don’t forget, you and I are cut from the same fabric. We come from the same source. I think more of myself than anyone else… but let’s face it; it’s the common human condition. When was the last time you saw someone you just wanted to avoid? Someone in dirty cloths? Someone whose skin was a little darker than your own? How did you feel about the person that sat down in the next booth at the restaurant? The person who ruined your meal, the one you could smell the minute they walked in the door. You know yourself, just like I know me. I just had the luxury of displaying my feelings in purple.

I couldn’t wait for Lazarus to die. Well finally, he was put out of my misery. One morning I heard that Lazarus was dead. I didn’t usually need any reasons to party, but I held a feast in his honor, or rather a feast in his absence. I didn’t know that I would follow so closely after him. I didn’t know that death would come for me so soon.

Do you know what the name Lazarus means? It means: “The one whom God helps.” How ironic it is that even though I was rich, he was the one favored by God. I was sure that I was the one that God liked best. After all, I was given all those blessings, money, food, and clothing. And so much of it! Remember the story? Remember how Jesus describes Lazarus death. "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side.” What a picture, poor Lazarus carried off to Abraham’s side by the Holy Angels. It’s the kind of thing I expected for me. I was treated so well in life; I should be treated well in death. “The rich man also died and was buried.” Jesus said. That was it. All my life amounted to, was a hole in the earth.

Don’t get me wrong; my problems didn’t come because I was rich. My wealth was indeed a blessing from God. In fact, there are many of God’s faithful people who are even wealthier than I was. My problem was that I trusted the gifts rather than the giver. I forgot that I didn’t deserve what I had been given. What I deserved was to be lying there with Lazarus, sores and all. If it weren’t for the promises of God, we’d all belong there with Lazarus. He trusted in the promises of God and I didn’t. He was carried away by the angels to be in fellowship with God. I was sent to torment.

I can’t begin to describe my suffering. When I looked up and saw Lazarus there with Abraham, all I wanted was some small portion of relief. If only I could have a single drop of water… If only Abraham would send Lazarus here with it… Surely Lazarus would have at least that much compassion. Surely, he could serve me in that small way. “Father Abraham!” I cried out. “Sorry, my child.” He said. “It’s impossible. You had it good in life. Lazarus didn’t. He was lying on your doorstep; you could have helped him without even going out of your way. But now it is impossible for him to help you, even if he wished to do so. God has fixed a great chasm between us. No one can cross it. That was all there was to be said. I knew I deserved my torment.

It was then, for the first time ever; I began to think of other people. I had five brothers. They too were as I was; selfish and not trusting in the promises of God. What of them? Was there a way to save them? “Father Abraham!” I called out again. “Send Lazarus to my brothers. They will listen to him. They knew of him; they saw him lying there by my door.  If he is a witness, they will know.

“They have already been told,” said Abraham. “They have God’s word through Moses and the Prophets, they can listen to that.”

“No,” I insisted. “It will take much more than that. They need someone to come back from the dead. That will be enough of a sign for them. They will then turn from their evil ways.”

“Hardly!” he replied. “If they don’t believe Moses and the prophets, even a resurrection will not be enough. If God’s word isn’t enough for them, nothing will be.”

That is how the story goes. I hadn’t believed God’s word. I thought I was blessed by God already. I hadn’t cared for the people God had placed before me to care for. God laid Lazarus at my doorstep. I simply stepped over him. God had given me brothers. I didn’t care for them until it was too late. My destination without God is this fiery place of torment.

I want you to think again about what Abraham said to me. 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' You see the point of this story isn’t about rich verses poor, or blessings verses curses. It isn’t about what heaven and hell are like. It’s about the word of God. You see what was true for my brothers, as also true for me. I knew that they didn’t believe what Moses and the prophets had to say. I didn’t believe it either. Jesus says that for those who don’t believe, even a resurrection from the dead won’t be enough. No sign is enough. Jesus walked around the countryside providing proof after proof, sign after sign, miracle after miracle, but still some refuse to believe. Even when Jesus was raised from the dead, there were people who still didn’t believe in him. Jesus used my story to convict the Pharisees and drive them to repentance. But they had no faith. Just like me they wouldn’t repent.

As for you, beloved children of God, you are blessed with faith, just like Lazarus. You hear God’s word regularly and believe it. You gather together to celebrate Jesus life, death and resurrection. The very same resurrection he talks about in my story. You have the gift of faith to believe that God sent Jesus to be your Savior, to suffer and die for you; to win for you forgiveness of your sins. Jesus Christ took all of them, even the sins that you do that remind you of me. Even those vile sins Jesus carries to death. On the cross he bears the sins of the whole world; my sins, and your sins; the selfishness, the lies, and the evil thoughts against people who are different; your ignoring those who God has placed right in your way to help. Yes, all those sins go with Jesus into the grave. In with His resurrection they are gone. You see, the resurrection of Jesus Christ isn’t just proof of who he is, it’s proof that what he did, he did for you and for me! Your joy is that your story is already different from mine. I didn’t believe in God’s Word about Jesus. I didn’t believe that my sins were forgiven, or even that they needed to be forgiven.   I thought I was God’s favorite.  As for you, because of Jesus Christ, because of your faith in what he has done for you, you will be carried off to Abraham’s side, just like Lazarus. Because of Jesus Christ you are blessed with gifts that I can only gaze at across a deep and wide chasm.

At least you can learn from my story. There are people that God lays at your doorstep, right in your way, just like He laid Lazarus at mine. There are people all around you who need the love of God, in Christ Jesus. You know and believe what God has done for you. You believe the word of Moses and the Prophets. You know that Jesus died and rose for them too. God has given you many gifts, talents, money, and time. Use them to reach out to them with his love. For you, God’s love in Jesus Christ means salvation. Share that Good News with those around you. Amen.

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

Amos.8.4-7; The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost; September 22, 2019;

Amos.8.4-7; The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost; September 22, 2019;

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN;

Hear this, you who trample on the needy and bring the poor of the land to an end, saying, “When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale, that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great and deal deceitfully with false balances, that we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals and sell the chaff of the wheat?” The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: “Surely I will never forget any of their deeds. (Amos 8:4-7, ESV)

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

“Oh, come, let us sin unto the Lord!”  No, I didn’t forget the “g”.  I really did say, “Come let us sin to the Lord.”  Well, it’s what the prophet Amos is saying here.  He tops his list of the sins of God’s people with not caring for the needy and preferring business to worship.  “Let’s get church over with so we can get back to business.  Let’s cut this stuff short so we can do what’s important.  Let’s minimize our obligations to God, so we can spend our time doing what we want to do instead.  Time is money.  Let’s get back to what life is really all about… the pursuit of happiness!” And what’s worse the business practices they want to get back to are less than beneficial to the customers.  Crooked scales and high prices combine for great profit margins, but poor customer service.  They were coming to church, but it was the last place they wanted to be.  Amos was point blunt.  “You’re only here to get credit for being here.  You want God to notice that you are doing your part, paying your fair share, but your mind is in the market.  God’s Word is far from your heart when you are far from His house.  You think that you are entitled to pursue happiness because you’ve parking in the pew.” 

Well, it’s a good thing that Amos isn’t talking to us.  This moldy old prophet couldn’t possibly have anything relevant to say.  How could words scratched out 3,000 years ago mean anything to you and me?  God really couldn’t be speaking to me. Could he?  Oh come, let us sin unto the Lord!  Watching your clock already?  How long is the sermon going to be today?  Week three Vikings vs Radiers.  The roast is in the oven.  I don’t want to spend my whole day here.  Twice a month Communion would be better if it didn’t take so long.  My time is valuable…  Time is money… Ah, that’s what it’s about, isn’t it?  We are not so far from God’s people who were hit between the eyes by Amos’ words.  We do just what they did.  We want put God in church and leave Him here.  We grudgingly set aside this hour for God and no more.  We pretend that God gets enough of us if we look like we are enjoying our time.  If we fool the pastor, we must be fooling God too.

If Amos’ words are harsh, he means them to be.  His hearers were confident in their place before God.  We do our part and God will do his part.  We give God his due and our businesses will grow and prosper.  Our thoughts are not any different.  If we put our time in at church on Sunday, we can live any way we want to for the rest of the week.  God doesn’t belong out there.

But God says differently.  He sends prophets and pastors to make it clear.  You cannot serve God and money. 

…this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me… (Isaiah 29:13, ESV)

Oh, come, let us sin to the Lord, is not something God will tolerate.  Sin is serious business to Him.  His beautiful creation is corrupted by it.  His creature’s lives are set to ruin by it.  Greed provokes God’s righteous anger.  Amos speaks God’s law very clearly.  “I will not forget their sin, ever!  I will not forget your sin, ever!”

Well we are in trouble if God won’t forget.  We have a difficult time on our own forgetting sin and the sins of others against us.  But we count on God’s forgiveness. We cling to Jeremiah’s words as he speaks for God.

For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34b, ESV)

But Amos goes on to describe the consequences of God not forgetting our sin.

“And on that day,” declares the Lord God, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on every waist and baldness on every head; I will make it like the mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day. (Amos 8:9-10, ESV)

So how do we reconcile what Amos says?  We know our lack of faithfulness in worship; we see our sin and know we need God’s forgiveness.  Amos writes about a darkened day, a day when there will be mourning for an only son.  It reminds us of a dark day we call “good”; Good Friday.  That is a day when God does exactly has, He says, He doesn’t forget our sin.  In fact, He remembers them in full, by placing them on His only Son.  Jesus, on the cross, is the focus of God’s wrath and anger.  God is true to His promise of not forgetting sin.  All human sin is heaped on Jesus; everyone remembered; every lackluster worship service; every selfish thought; every time we watch the clock; every time our mind is somewhere else; every time we set out for our own gain at the expense of others.  Jesus is nailed to the cross to carry them all, to suffer God’s punishment.  Jesus dies with our sin, so we are dead to it, too.   Jesus takes the curse of God remembering sin, so that we can receive God’s forgiveness.  Oh, come, let us sin unto the Lord… let us place our sin on Him and receive from God the forgiveness He gives though faith in Jesus.

So, does that make a difference in our worship today and in the future?  Shall we continue, Oh, come, let us sin unto the Lord?  Saint Paul asked the question like this:  

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? (Romans 6:1, ESV)

He answers the question, too:

By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:1-4, ESV)

God remembers his promises.  He places our sin and punishment on Jesus and gives us Jesus resurrection to new life.  We walk in newness of life!  We live and act and worship differently.  What God has done for us in Jesus turns that turns our sin into sing.  Oh, come let us sing unto the Lord.  Let us make a joyful noise to the God of our salvation.  He turns our sin into song.  We rejoice.  We celebrate.  We sing about what God has done for us.  From the hymn: Jesus Thy Blood and Righteousness.

Jesus, be endless praise to Thee,

Whose boundless mercy hath for me,

For me, and all Thy hands have made,

An everlasting ransom paid. (LSB 563:6)

And not only that but it changes everything else, too.  Worship becomes the center point of our lives.  We receive from God, His wonderful gift of forgiveness through the blood of Jesus, in Word and Sacrament, and it bleeds through us to the world out there.  Our lives become ways of serving others because God serves us.  Our lives don’t need to be about gaining things for ourselves with crooked scales and false measures; instead our work becomes a way of giving God’s gifts to people who need them.

Now it won’t be to long and we’ll be thinking about stewardship in our church.  Yes, I’m talking about the budget.  God would not have us use the budget for the motivation we would work with.  God gives to us so that we can give to and help others.  God’s blessings to us are for our blessing other people.  One way we do that is through the work of the church.  We can do so much more than we do through our own congregation.  But we’ve got to start with Oh, come let us sing unto the Lord.

Oh, come, let us sin to the Lord?  No! We are forgiven sinners.  We do not live in sin anymore.  God will not punish us for our sin because of Our Savior Jesus Christ.  Instead, Oh, come, let us sing to the Lord. Amen.

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