"CHILDREN OF ADAM & ABRAHAM - CHILDREN OF GOD!"

The following was an overly ambitious attempt to pack too much into a single sermon. Even with cutting it short during the delivery, the result was a 25-mitnute presentation. It is presented here for blog readers to review the material at their leisure. Scripture references were taken from the New International Version; the reader may use any Bible version of choice for personal study.

4^th Sunday After Pentecost

16 June 2024

 

“CHILDREN OF ADAM & ABRAHAM –

CHILDREN OF GOD!”

St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church – Johnstown, PA

Grace, mercy and peace from God our Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen!

Heavenly Father, thank You that in Your grace You designed Your perfect plan of salvation, that all who are born of Adam into the original creation that was cursed, may be born again into Your new creation where death is defeated and fellowship with You is restored for all who believe in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Thank You for being willing to send Your dearly beloved Son to be the sacrifice for our sin and that Jesus was willing to die on our account. Praise Your holy name that death is swallowed up in victory and we are restored into fellowship with You.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

[Now] may the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.  Amen.

The first of several Scriptures for our attention this morning are those verses of Genesis, chapter 3, which were not included in last week’s First Reading. Hear now Genesis 3, beginning at verse 1.

[Genesis 3:1-7; 14-24 NIV]

Adam and Eve’s sons followed them into sin. We turn to Genesis 4.

[Genesis 4:2-10 NIV]

The promise that God would provide an atonement for sin was first made in the Garden of Eden and later to Abraham who was put to the test.  We hear Genesis 22, starting at verse 1.

[Genesis 22:1-14 NIV]

While God’s people waited for a second Adam, He established ritual sacrifices to symbolize the one who would come to fulfill the atoning sacrifice once and for all.  Leviticus 16…

[Leviticus 16:6-19 NIV]

“In the Shattered Bliss of Eden” vv. 1-3

God provided the ram for Abraham’s sacrifice in place of his son, Isaac.  Now, God would provide His Son as the sacrificial Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world.  We hear John the Baptizer’s declaration from the Gospel according to St. John.

[John 1:29-36 NIV]

John writes in the Book of Revelation how tens of thousands of angels surround the Lamb who was slain and sing His praises.  This should be familiar to us – “This is the Feast of Victory for Our God”!

[Revelation 5:6-13 Select Verses NIV]

Just as sin entered the world through the original Adam and all men sinned, so also through the obedience of one man – the new Adam – many will be made righteous.  Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter 5.

[Romans 5:12-21 NIV]

The forgiveness won for us by Jesus’ crucifixion, death and resurrection is offered to us freely by grace and received by faith in His Holy Supper.  We turn to the Gospel of Matthew…

 [Matthew 26:26-29 NIV]

John continues to reveal the worship of the Lamb as a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language – those who have come out of the great tribulation and washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb – surround the throne day and night.

[Revelation 7:9-17 NIV]

By grace through faith, we are made new through our Baptism into Christ.  Only God has the ability to take away our sin, cleanse and us and work new life from the inside out through the work of the Holy Spirit.  Paul describes this process in Galatians, chapter 3.

[Galatians 3:26-29 NIV]

“In the Shattered Bliss of Eden” vv. 4-6

Paul says that those baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  He used this metaphor, like when we put on new clothes, to describe how it can change how we feel and present ourselves.

Putting on Christ transforms us from the inside out.  It means we are clothed in His righteousness, love, and grace.  Jesus covers our old self with all its flaws and failures.  Living with this identity can change everything.

When we remember that we are children of God, we start to see ourselves and others differently. We understand our worth and the worth of those around us.  This identity can give us confidence and peace, as we know that we belong to God and that nothing can separate us from His love.  It starts with reminding yourself of this truth every morning.  You can begin your day thanking God for making you His child.

When challenges come, remember that you are not alone, God is with you, guiding you as your loving Father.  In Christ, we have a new identity, a new family and a new way of life.  Embrace it fully, and let it transform you.  You are a beloved child of God, clothed in Christ.

May this truth shape our hearts and actions today and throughout our lives.  Amen!

__________________________

"In the Shattered Bliss of Eden" [Hymn Text © 2002 Stephen P. Starke / Published in Lutheran Service Book by Concordia Publishing House (CPH), 2006]

"THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT!"

[Matthew 16:21-28]

30 August 2020

Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost

St. Paul Lutheran Church - Johnstown, PA

“May [the] words of my mouth and [the] meditation of [our] hearts  be pleasing in your sight, [O]  Lord, [our] Rock and [our] Redeemer.” AMEN! 

[Psalm 19:14 NIV]

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today's gospel reading from Matthew is a difficult one for most Christians. In fact, many pastors will avoid this text as the basis for preaching on this 13th Sunday after Pentecost. Yes, this text is a challenging one indeed! Just last Sunday, we heard how Jesus held Peter up as an example after his confession of Jesus as “the Messiah, the son of the living God”. Jesus said that he would build his church on the rock of faith like Peter’s. What a difference a week makes! However, as time goes on and we hear from Peter again, we now must question Peter's understanding of what he was confessing in last week's gospel.

When the rubber hits the road, we find that Peter might have had in mind a different kind of Messiah. The Jewish people we're looking for a Messiah who would come as a conqueror, someone who would ride into Jerusalem like the glorious Kings of old, someone who would set up his throne like David or Solomon who followed him. The Gospel tells us that after Peter confessed Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus began to talk all kinds of craziness at least in the minds of the disciples! While the Jewish people and the disciples were looking for a Messiah who would conquer the Romans and throw out all of Israel's enemies, Jesus starts talking about going to Jerusalem, suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and ultimately, being crucified on a cross.

What Jesus began to talk about, the Heavenly Father's plan for our Salvation, simply did not fit with the disciples’ vision for a Messiah. We may even be shocked by Jesus response to what Peter said, especially when Jesus tells Peter to “Get behind me, Satan!” and paraphrasing here, “You do not have in mind the things of God but the things of men!” By now, many of us will be extremely uncomfortable! We don't like to hear about Satan or the devil or evil. We may even play it off if we get caught doing something wrong by saying “The devil made me do it.” Fellow Christians, make no mistake, Satan is alive and well in our world and the more often that he can get us to focus on the things of men instead of the things of God, the happier he is.

Some would even dismiss the presence of evil or a Satan or devil is a reality. I can tell you from experience that the existence of evil in this world is real! While some would maintain that the Bible is an ancient book and has no relevance for our life today, I would contend that the things that are recorded in Holy Scripture are still very applicable. I have firsthand experience and knowledge of evil possessing individuals and speaking through them and causing them to act in ways that they do not even remember after the fact.

This morning, I would like to take us back to revisit the Old Testament and the account of Job. The story of Job is more than just about someone who loses everything through misfortune and disaster only to be more blessed in the end with the second family and more prosperity than even before.  It only takes 5 verses into the Book of Job and by the 6th verse, Satan makes his appearance! Hear now the first 12 verses of the Book of Job, chapter 1.

 

[Job 1:1-12 NIV]

In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.

His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.

One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”

“Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”

Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

At this point, what do we know about Job? At this point in the account of Job, we know that he was very wealthy, we know that he had a large family, we know that he loved his family and we know that he interceded for his children before God because he knew that they were likely to make mistakes! All that he had was taken away – God allowed Job's family and possessions to be taken away – by Satan. Then along comes Job’s friends who, in somewhat of a foreshadowing of Peter's statement in today's gospel, did not have in mind the things of God but the things of men!

 [Job 2:11-13 NIV]

When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him because they saw how great his suffering was.

Instead of offering comfort and praying for him, Job’s friends tried to find fault and try to identify what it was that Job had done to deserve the things that had been inflicted upon him because surely somewhere in Job’s past, at some point in time, Job must have sinned against God. Doesn't that sound familiar? The extended rants of the friends of Job go on and on ad nauseum.

If you still don't believe that Satan is alive and well or that evil exists in our world, all you have to do is open your eyes and look around. The things that are happening in the world today on a daily basis surely have God shedding tears of sadness while the devil himself could not be more overjoyed. Those who would seek to destroy the world as we know it do not have in mind the things of God but the things of men!

How about us? Do we find ourselves grumbling about all manner of topics from family and friends to city leaders to state and national government representatives – people in positions of leadership and power. Instead of grumbling, have we prayed for them – interceded on their behalf before the throne of Almighty God? Do we curse the president or the opposing political party? Have you or I prayed to God asking Him to inspire our leaders and for His will to be done. In a few weeks, we will have the opportunity to vote for president and numerous other leadership positions. Will you pray before you cast your vote or put your will ahead of God’s plan and desires?

Earlier we joked about the devil making us do things. The reality may be that all he has to do is sit back and watch. We also do well to remember that when Jesus tells Peter to get behind him as Satan, Jesus knows firsthand what he's talking about. Remember before Jesus’ ministry, he went out into the desert for 40 days and 40 nights. It was during that time that Satan led him to the top of a mountain and, ironically, told him that he would give him the whole world. Then he took Jesus to the top of the temple and told him to throw himself down for surely God's angels would protect him. Jesus has faced every temptation known to humankind!

Peter makes no attempt to rebuff Jesus’ rebuke and does not make a lame excuse about how Satan was influencing him when he protested Jesus’ revelation that he would face suffering and death. At the height of Peter’s ministry, he fully recognized the influence and presence of the Devil, Satan, in our world and personal lives. His words are a fitting prayer and reminder of God’s promises to us on this occasion. In the fifth chapter of the First Letter of Saint Peter, he writes:

[1 Peter 5:6-11 NIV]

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

“Whoever has ears, Let them hear!”

“Whoever has ears, Let them hear!”

12 July 2020

St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church

Johnstown, Pennsylvania

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, [O]  Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

[Psalm 19:14 NIV]

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

The text for this morning’s sermon is the Parable of the Sower. Hear again these verses from a slightly different translation.

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake.  Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.  Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.  Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.  Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

[Matthew 13:1-9 NIV]

As I contemplated God’s Word set aside for this 6^th Sunday After Pentecost, and as I planned to lead worship today aware of the hymns which had been chosen to round out the worship service, a song which I first learned over 40 years ago came to mind. In fact, it is included in Lutheran Book of Worship – our green hymnal – in the “Canticle” section as #14 – “Listen! You Nations” and as we will discover fits nicely with both the Scriptures set aside for this Sunday, the Gospel text and the other hymns for this day.

Refrain:

Listen! you nations of the world: listen to the Word of the Lord.
Announce it from coast to coast; declare it to distant islands.

The Lord who scattered Israel will gather his people again;
and he will keep watch over them, as a shepherd watches his flock.

Refrain

With shouts of joy they will come, their faces radiantly happy,
for the Lord is so gen'rous to them; he showers his people with gifts.

Refrain

Young women will dance for joy, and men young and old will make merry.
Like a garden refreshed by the rain, they will never be in want again.

Break into shouts of great joy; Jacob is free again!
Teach nations to sing the song: "The Lord has saved his people!"

[Lutheran Book of Worship, Canticle #14]

The Old Testament reading from the prophet Isaiah appointed for today, the verses from Psalm 65 sung minutes ago and the section from Matthew’s Gospel devote a lot of attention to sowing and harvesting, the cycles of nature and the blessings that God pours out on us abundantly each and every day we draw breath on this earth. What are we really talking about today? What is the bottom line?

St. Paul, in his letter to the Romans reminds each of us that “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” And again, he writes “Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”

Since it has been over 21 years since I left active ministry, I have often been asked if there is anything I miss about full time ministry. There is one event that often comes to mind when asked that question. Can you guess what it might be? No, it is not the Advent and Christmas during which we build up to and celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Of course, that is a keystone of our faith and I do love Christmas. When in ministry, however, one is so consumed with the services and telling the story that there becomes a danger of missing the point for oneself.

Another guess? No, it is not the Lenten and Easter season when we remind ourselves of the sacrificial ministry, suffering and death of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We journey along with the triumphant entry into Jerusalem, while the palms waved, coats lined the path and the King of Kings humbled himself and rode on a colt, the foal of a donkey. In the garden at Gethsemane, we may even feel the strain on Jesus’ heart and mind as he pleads with the Heavenly Father and sweat like drops of blood runs down his cheeks. In fact, we may even be swept to tears at His trial, as a crown of thorns is set on His head and he is beaten and nailed to a cross – not for His own transgressions but for our own sins. Sometimes we even sing “Were You There”!

The climax of the salvation story is of course, the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter morning! Jesus is Alive! The baby born in Bethlehem, crucified on Calvary’s hill and laid in a stranger’s tomb is risen from the dead! So we say “Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!” Merry Christmas! Happy Easter! Because all of us know that we cannot have Christmas without Easter nor Easter without Christmas. The Christmas – Easter salvation story is not the end; it is only the beginning!

That is why the event that I miss most when asked is an event we heard something about in recent weeks. Every summer, I remember those great weeks of Vacation Bible School as a child, as a teacher or coordinator and later in the years of ministry. At a Vacation Bible School in a small town church in Minnesota, a church I was later married in and where my eldest child was baptized, is where I first learned Canticle #14, the song “Listen! You Nations”.

How well we undoubtedly know the exuberance and excitement of children attending Vacation Bible school. Of course, they are often eager for the crafts and the playtime but they are also excited to learn the Bible stories and songs. Children have a willingness to tell others which seems to dissipate as we grow older and weary of the world and its ways. I can still remember various groups of children singing out the lyrics with force and emphasis, especially the words of the refrain:

Listen! you nations of the world: listen to the Word of the Lord.

Announce it from coast to coast; declare it to distant islands.

In a world that needs to hear more than ever, would that we could recapture that childlike enthusiasm to hear the Word of the Lord and bear fruit. Jesus concludes His explanation of the Parable of the Sowers saying, “the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” [Matthew 13:23 NIV]

Depending on the translation of today’s Gospel, the rendition is “Let anyone with ears listen!” or “Whoever has ears, let them hear! Lest we miss the point and the words of Scripture go in one ear and out the other, our final focus is on what God means in the Old Testament when in Hebrew we hear “Shema, Israel!” or when Jesus says in the New Testament gospels “Listen!” Jesus Himself offers an explanation when He speaks about hearing the Word and understanding it. It is more than just simple hearing. “To listen” as translated from the original Hebrew and Greek means to perceive, to comprehend, to understand, to put it into practice – “to obey” the Word of the Lord.

At the end of this service, we will sing:

Spread, oh, spread, almighty Word,

Spread the reign of God the Lord;

Tell how his own Son he gave,
All from sin and death to save.

In other words:

Listen! you nations of the world:

listen to the Word of the Lord.
Announce it from coast to coast;

declare it to distant islands.

“Whoever has ears, let them hear!” Amen