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Coronation of the King
Steven S. Billings
Ascension
Sermon
5-16-2007
Ephesians 1:15-23
15 For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you, and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all.
Tonight we celebrate the coronation of the King and the Reign of Christ. As we read in the Bible passages for tonight, 40 days after His resurrection Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father where He now rules as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In tonight's epistle we read, "(the Father) seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all."
A troubling distinction often arises these days between the secular realm and the spiritual (or churchly) realm. We see it for instance in government, in its insistence on a separation between church and state, as if the rule of such a separation could confine God to the spiritual realm, limiting His power in the secular realm. We see it, too, within our own hearts, in our tendency to separate our faith life from the rest of our life. "I worship on Sunday; that's my time for God. The rest of the time is mine."
Even in what we do in life we make sharp distinctions between the secular and spiritual realms. Several years ago there was a Bible study put out to be used in the churches of the LCMS that was to help people discover their "spiritual" gifts. The troubling thing with the study was that it made sharp distinctions between talents, those things done in the secular realm, and "spiritual" gifts, those things done in the spiritual realm for the building up of the church. The logical conclusion of the study was that if a man were to build a desk to be used in the church, that was a "spiritual" gift, but if he were to build a toy box for his daughter using those same skills, that would merely be a talent. Never mind the fact that it's a questionable practice to call anything a "spiritual" gift apart from what Scripture itself calls "spiritual" gifts! (See 1 Corinthians 12 and 14.)
But what's especially troubling about these distinctions between the secular and the spiritual realm is that people make them as though Christ somehow reigns in the church but not in the world, as if He reigns over our gifts, but not our talents. There are others, however, who go to the opposite extreme and make no distinction as to how Christ rules each one.
You may recall the debate over the death sentence carried out on the convicted pick axe murderer Carla Faye Tucker. When the sentence was to be carried out, Christian groups from all over protested her death because she claimed to have come to faith Jesus Christ. They figured that her life should be spared because she was now a Christian. This is an example of an improper mixing of the secular and spiritual realms.
What's getting lost in all of this is the doctrine of the two kingdoms of Christ - the secular and the spiritual. The kingdom of the left, as Luther called it, and the kingdom of the right. What we are dealing with is the reign of Christ, the Lordship He has taken on by His ascension to the right hand of the Father. What we need to know is: How far does that Lordship extend and how does His Lordship manifest itself in each realm?
To answer these questions we turn to the Scripture. In tonight's epistle St. Paul teaches that Christ rules both the secular realm and the churchly realm. He is Lord, not just of the one, but of both. Verse 21 says that Jesus is "seated far above all rule and authority and power and dominion." He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. There is none greater and there is no one to whom He must answer. He is the ruler of all things, secular or spiritual.
He is above all things, but He carries out this rule in each realm different ways. His rule in the secular realm is carried out through governments. In Romans 13 Paul writes, "Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God." And then in Colossians 1 he says, "By Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities."
You see, the reign of Christ extends over the world just as it does over the church. Who is going to limit God? We can't say that He only rules part of His creation. The distinction is not whether He rules here but not there, but in the way He rules here and there.
The world He rules with power. Through governments God wields the sword in order that justice and order may prevail. Governments, as Paul tells us, are "ministers of God to us for good. But if we do what is evil, we are to be afraid; for the government does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil" (Romans 13:4). At His ascension to the right hand of the Father Jesus was crowned with glory and might. He exercises that might today in ruling the world with His powerful hand. When it rains it is because of His power. When it is dry it is because of His power. The sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening because of His power. Flowers bloom and leaves sprout because of His power. And yes, corrupt governments fall because of His power. Christ rules the world with power.
In contrast to that rule by power, this King of Kings and Lord of Lords, rules His church with grace. He won this right on the cross and the Father gave His seal approval in the Resurrection and Ascension. People come to faith in Jesus Christ because of His grace. His children follow Him and desire to do His will because of His grace. Those who die at a ripe old age and the young whose lives are swept away before their time, enjoy being in His presence because of His grace. Those who labor and struggle to face the trials and tribulations of life do so because of His grace.
Christ rules the church in tenderness, with the same kindness and compassion He so abundantly demonstrated in giving His life for it. While He uses government to rule the secular realm, in the churchly realm He uses His Word and Sacraments, the means of grace.
With these means He offers Himself to the church. In the Word He reveals Himself. In tonight's Gospel Jesus says that "all things written about Him in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." And then "He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures." In our text Paul says: "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe."
So, in the Word Christ rules the church, showering it with His grace. The forgiveness of sins is proclaimed. Life is promised. Hope is bestowed. All these He gives through the means of His word.
And as if that weren't enough, He offers Himself in the bread and wine of Holy Communion and in the waters of Holy Baptism. All for our strength. All for our benefit. All that we may be ruled by His grace. In the words of one of our Lutheran fathers: "It has been well said that we must seek Christ not only while He may be found, but also where He may be found. The shepherds were given this direction: 'And this shall be a sign unto you,' a proof that you have found Him: 'You will find the Babe wrapped in swaddling-clothes, lying in a manger.' Luther says: 'Word and Sacrament are the manger and the swaddling-clothes into which it has pleased Christ to lay Himself.' That lowliness may seem too secular to some, but our Lord will be found nowhere else."
Beloved, we cannot make distinctions in the reign of Christ that do not exist in the Word of God. But by the same token, we cannot mix everything together so that we lose sight of His grace given to His Church. The Reign of Christ, as St. Paul says, "fills all in all." He is Lord! Not just over the Church, but over all things. The world is ruled by His power, which maintains justice and order. The Church is ruled by His grace, in which He gives Himself in Word and Sacrament. Here in the Church His rule is gentle. Here He rules by the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation.
We thank God tonight that, through His Ascension to the right hand of the Father, Jesus Christ is King and Lord. We thank Him that He rules over all things. We thank Him that He subdues the world with power, but above all, we thank Him that He leads His Church with grace. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Rev. Steven S. Billings
Easter 6
Sermon
5-13-2007
St. John 16:23-33
23 "And in that day you will ask Me no question. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you shall ask the Father for anything, He will give it to you in My name. 24 "Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full. 25 "These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will speak no more to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father. 26 "In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from the Father. 28 "I came forth from the Father, and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again, and going to the Father." 29 His disciples said, "Lo, now You are speaking plainly, and are not using a figure of speech. 30 "Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God." 31 Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? 32 "Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."
In today's Gospel, the Lord points to five things that constitute true prayer. The first is God's promise, which is the foundation and power of all prayers. For He promises here that what we ask in His name will be given to us. He promises that God is ready to give more quickly, and to give more than you ask. In fact, He offers His treasures for the taking. What a shame that Christians tend to be so lazy in their prayers, and that such an incredible promise as this fails to motivate us to pray. We let this precious treasure just lie there, denying ourselves the power it holds.
But God Himself bases our prayer on His promise and encourages us to pray. After all, who would have the courage to pray without this promise? But if we take hold of the promise our courage and desire to pray will grow. Without faith in the promise that God will hear us and answer us, who in the world would want to pray?
And don't think that you have to somehow be worthy to approach God with your prayer. Prayer is not about your worthiness; it's about the promise of God. For without His promise we are all unworthy. No true Christian, past or present, whether Peter, Paul, Mary, Elijah, or anyone else, has ever prayed relying on his own worthiness, but did so relying completely on God's promises. For they have all been unworthy. We are all unworthy! Luther once said that he wouldn't give a nickel for all the prayers of a saint if he prayed because of his own worthiness.
The second requirement of true prayer is faith - that we believe the promise is true, not doubting that God will give what He promises. For promises require faith. Now, faith is a firm, undoubting confidence that God's promise is true; as James says: "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord" (James 1:5-7). Anyone who prays, but doubts God's promise, tempts God; because he doubts God's will and grace. He prays like a blind man groping in the dark. John writes: "And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him" (I John 5:14-15). John is describing how a truly believing heart knows that it has the answer to its prayer even while it is still praying. But I hasten to add that we cannot have such a confidence on our own. The Holy Spirit must give such a faith to us. Without the Holy Spirit, no such confident prayer will ever be spoken.
But just try it, and you will taste the sweetness of God's promise. What courage God instills when we pray this way! And it doesn't matter how great or small your requests may be. Elijah prayed it didn't rain for three and a half years! And when he prayed again it rained! (I Kings 17:1, 18, 45). Now, you may think: Well, that was Elijah! I'm no Elijah. But he was just a man like you and me, but with God's might, he became master of the clouds. God wants us to know what power true prayer has; there is nothing it cannot accomplish.
Let me ask you: How often have you prayed in your life? How often have you prayed in this way - with your feet firmly planted on the promise of God, your faith holding firm with the knowledge that He will hear and answer you?
The third prerequisite of true prayer is that we must be specific in what we're asking for - such as for a stronger faith, for love, for peace, and comfort for ourselves and our neighbor. The Lord's Prayer, for instance, has seven specific petitions. When Jesus says: "If you ask the Father for 'anything'", He includes everything that you might truly need, adding that you will receive it, "that your joy may be made full." In other words, pray for all the things you need. God will answer you and give you His joy. Will you receive everything you want? No. But you will have everything you need. And whatever Godly thing is not fulfilled in this life you will certainly have in heaven.
The fourth element in true prayer is that we must truly wish that the request be granted. Sometimes our wish is so strong that it can only be expressed in deep groans and sighing. Paul mentions this in Romans 8:26. It's the kind of prayer that words can't express. The mouth just can't keep up with the rapid flow of feelings and desires. Thank God the Holy Spirit helps us at times like these! For God replaces the great feelings of temptation, anxiety or trouble with a joy that is full.
The fifth essential of true prayer is, that we ask in the name of Christ. This is nothing more than that we come before God with faith in Christ and rest ourselves in the sure confidence that He is our Mediator, through whom all things are given to us, without whom we deserve nothing but wrath and disgrace. As Paul writes to the Romans: "Through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:2). We pray in Christ's name properly when we trust Him to receive and hear us for His sake, and not our own. Those who presume that God will hear them because they yammer on with so many long and supposedly devout and godly prayers, will be rewarded with nothing but wrath and judgment; for they think they are someone whom God should honor in and of themselves. To them, Christ doesn't matter, nor can He really do anything for them.
Whether or not we pray out loud is really of no consequence. The important thing is that we follow these five requirements in our heart. When it comes to the finer details of our requests, of course, we leave these to God. We mustn't be so specific as to demand that He answer our prayer in any precise way. We leave His answer to His own free will, simply asking and not doubting that our prayer is heard, and that the answer is already in place. Those who set the time, place and other details of how God should answer them, tempt God, receiving nothing on account of their prayers.
Jesus continues in our text: "Until now you have asked for nothing in My name." It may be that they didn't know anything yet about praying in His name; besides, as long as Christ was with them, why pray? They already had everything they needed. But He was about to leave them and trouble would be right around the corner. Soon they would have plenty of reasons to pray!
When He says: "These things I have spoken to you in figurative language," He's referring to what He said in last week's Gospel: "A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me;" and, "Because I go to the Father." These sayings were dark and mysterious to the disciples; they didn't understand them. They couldn't grasp that His departure meant death and resurrection for Him. So He added: "An hour is coming when I will speak no more to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father." In other words: "You don't understand what I'm saying now, but soon I will speak plainly about my Father, so that you may then understand who the Father is and what my going to the Father is all about." "In that day you will ask in my name." For then you will have not only a lot of reasons to pray, but you'll also know what my name is and how to honor me with it.
"And I do not say to you that I will request the Father on your behalf; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from the Father." What's He saying here? Isn't He going to be our mediator? Aren't we supposed to pray in His name? Yes, of course, and He's explaining here how that is going to work. Remember, Christ is in us who are in Him by faith. This gives us access directly to the Father on account of Christ. By faith we know that He came from the Father and that He returned to the Father. We know that He emptied Himself for us in His suffering and death, and that He rules even now with His Father in heaven. This faith brings us to the Father, and this is how we pray in Jesus' name.
So Jesus doesn't need to pray for us; He's already prayed for us. We, ourselves, may now approach the throne of grace through Christ. We no longer need a Savior who prays for us. This One is enough: He who has prayed for us and accomplished this work. "The Father Himself loves you," He says. "It is not your work, it's His love. He loves you because of Me. The work is done. Now you may enter His presence and make your requests. My Father will be gracious to receive you for My sake."
You know, to "believe in Christ" doesn't mean simply to believe that Christ is a person who is both God and man. It doesn't mean simply to believe stuff about Christ. It means to believe that this Christ, who came from the Father, died for us, rose again and ascended to heaven, is the One through who we may approach the Father, that in Him we have forgiveness of sins and the promise of life everlasting; in Him we may ask the Father and have the joy of knowing that He hears us and will answer our prayers.
After listening to what Jesus was saying, His disciples replied: "Lo, now You are speaking plainly, and are not using a figure of speech." They were now able to understand what He was telling them. John gives us here a glimpse of the kind of beautiful, plain, friendly and loving life Christ led with His disciples. Oh, that we could sit with Him and talk with Him. But Jesus will point out in the next chapter that we have the greater blessing, we who believe and yet have not seen.
But those who did see and believe, continued: "Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You." In other words, You know what we're going to ask even before we do. Beloved, the same is true with us. Jesus knows what's on your heart and mind. And He wants you to ask Him - not because He needs to know what it is, but because you need to know that He knows what it is! Prayer doesn't inform God, it doesn't motivate God, it doesn't change God. Prayer informs, motivates and changes us! God grant that we have the faith, the love, the hope, and the courage to pray believing that He hears us. God grant that we may also believe that He will answer us in all things according to His good and gracious will. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Rev. Steven S. Billings
Easter 5
Sermon
5-6-2007
Acts 11:1-18
1 Now the apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him, 3 saying, "You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them." 4 But Peter began speaking and proceeded to explain to them in orderly sequence, saying, 5 "I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, a certain object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from the sky; and it came right down to me, 6 and when I had fixed my gaze upon it and was observing it I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the crawling creatures and the birds of the air. 7 "And I also heard a voice saying to me, 'Arise, Peter; kill and eat.' 8 "But I said, 'By no means, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth.' 9 "But a voice from heaven answered a second time, 'What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.' 10 "And this happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into the sky. 11 "And behold, at that moment three men appeared before the house in which we were staying, having been sent to me from Caesarea. 12 "And the Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings. And these six brethren also went with me, and we entered the man's house. 13 "And he reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying, 'Send to Joppa, and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here; 14 and he shall speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.' 15 "And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as He did upon us at the beginning. 16 "And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, 'John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' 17 "If God therefore gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?" 18 And when they heard this, they quieted down, and glorified God, saying, "Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life."
The Gospel that we believe and preach is exclusive, for we teach rightly according to the Word of God that only those who have received the grace of Jesus Christ in faith can ever hope to enter eternal life. Jesus Himself said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." "Whoever will deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father in heaven." The Gospel shuts out everyone who doesn't confess the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior of the cross and the resurrected Lord of Life. We are exclusive. We are a select group. Because of this exclusiveness we have to be careful to see how far this group extends.
For the same Gospel that we preach and the same faith we believe is to be preached and taught to all people. Christ came into the world to give His life as a ransom on the cross, for all people, for all time. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin. The salvation in Christ is available for everybody. While real believers are a select group of people, all people in the world are targets for the Gospel. The Gospel is all-inclusive. God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. God wants to have all people come to the knowledge of the truth. We must carefully consider the fact that God loves all people and that He grieves when people turn against Him and His Gospel. We must be careful never to lock our minds or our hearts and find an excuse to be exclusive with the Gospel. Instead, in love, we must do our best to extend the Gospel in its all-inclusiveness. We dare never be content to say that the Gospel is for a few. Though there are few who receive it, and we are glad to be part of that few, we always regret that not all people are saved. We are to rejoice in our salvation, but we are also to rejoice in sharing our salvation with people who do not yet have it.
As we look at this episode in the book of Acts, we see the hardheadedness of Peter, who had put a lock on his heart. He had said in effect, "In order to become a Christian, first you have to become a Jew." He believed that in order to find the salvation which came to the Jews as the chosen people, a person first had to be circumcised. He believed that you had to become a Jew and follow the Ceremonial Law in order to find the Savior. He thought that you had to eat only what was clean, and to abhor what was unclean. He felt in his heart that a person had to eat what God commanded in the Old Testament Law, and then, if a person was keeping the Law, God could give him faith in Jesus Christ as well. He felt that salvation was exclusively for Jews.
But, God came to Peter by a special vision while he was praying one day. Peter saw a great sheet being let down from heaven. As he looked closely, he saw on this cloth all the animals that were forbidden to eat according to the Law. Then God said: "Peter, eat them. Kill them and eat them." Peter replied: "I can't do that! Nothing unclean has ever passed my lips. Lord, I'm a Jew. I can't do this." Now, this happened three times. Peter had to be told over and over again that he was now to set aside the ancient ceremonial purity laws. Now he was to preach Christ to all people. God intervened, but it wasn't easy for Peter.
In fact, Peter was scratching his head and wondering what to do about this when Cornelius and two of his friends came and said: "Peter, we want to hear about Jesus Christ. We want to know about the salvation that came to you and that God has for all people." Here was the answer! Peter could now talk to everybody about his Savior. You notice how the exclusiveness of the Gospel gives way to the all-inclusiveness of God's love? God saves only through Jesus Christ, but God wants all people to be saved in Jesus Christ!
We Christians have to be careful to understand that we are saved only in Christ. But we must also be careful to say that being saved in Christ alone does not mean that you are lost if you are not our color, not of our same economic status, not in our same social class, or because you don't work at the same kind of job that we do, or speak the same language, or even have the same accent. Christians must understand that the Gospel is for all people in all places, but that it is only one Gospel. Peter had to learn his lesson and the people had to listen to Peter. At that time the people were being held back with the idea of exclusivity, and they said to Peter: "Listen, we understand that you're giving the Word of salvation to the Gentiles, who are un-circumcised. How dare you do that?" Peter had to be patient with them. He had to explain to them his own personal change on this issue. He had to explain a new understanding of the Gospel. Finally, they were convinced. They praised God and said: "Now we understand that salvation is for the Gentiles too, and that God has granted even to the Gentiles repentance unto life."
Remember Jonah? He, too, had a lock on his mind and heart. God came to him and said: "Jonah, you're going to preach to Nineveh, that wicked city. You're going to preach repentance and judgment." But Jonah replied: "You have the wrong man for this job, Lord. I'm not going to go." Jonah set sail on a ship that went west instead of east toward Nineveh. God had to shake the whole world with a terrible storm 'til Jonah came to his senses. He realized that it was his own running from God that was putting the ship in peril. He told the sailors that he should be thrown overboard. And God prepared the miracle of the great fish that swallowed Jonah and finally coughed him up on the shore. Jonah had to have his mind changed too. Do you think that Jonah learned his lesson in the great fish? Do you think he knew at this point that salvation was to be preached to everybody? I'm afraid not. Oh, he went to Nineveh, and he preached repentance. And he preached judgment. But, then, after he had finished preaching, he sat down under a gourd and said: "Lord, I've done my job. Now destroy the city. Let me see hell come down from the skies. Let me see destruction come to this evil people." He had the exclusive feeling, just like Peter. He felt in his heart that he was the prophet chosen by God, and now let the rest of the world be damned. God had to give him another lesson. He grew that gourd to shade Jonah as he watched and waited, but then the gourd withered and died. God was telling Jonah: "Look, I am the Lord of life and death. I am the One who decides. Jonah, you should be glad when people repent, glad that I am showing mercy to these people. Get rid of this feeling of exclusivity in your heart."
The Lord had to talk to Paul the same way. Before Paul's conversion he tried to destroy the church. As Saul he saw everything from the exclusive point of view of being a chosen Jew. He felt that God had this little group of people called "Jews" and that they were the people He had chosen to spread His message. He saw Jesus Christ as the enemy. He wanted to stamp out all faith and belief in this enemy. So God intervened again. Jesus Himself appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus. The resurrected Lord shone like the sun. Christ came into Saul's life and said: "Saul, I am making you Paul. You're going to be my servant. You're going to preach the Gospel. Get over this exclusivity in your heart. Be My messenger of salvation to all people." And Paul did get over his exclusiveness. He got over his idea that salvation was only for a few, and only for a certain kind of person. He became the bold preacher of the Lord Jesus Christ to the Gentiles and the greatest missionary that the world has ever seen. Saul the persecutor became Paul the preacher.
You know, we suffer the same temptation. We're tempted to feel that the Gospel is not for everybody. Oh, of course, it's for me, and I am glad about that, and we give thanks to God for our church. We give thanks to God that we're saved. But what about those from the wrong side of the tracks? Maybe the Gospel isn't for someone who doesn't think the same way we do. Maybe God doesn't love him like He loves us. Of course, we should give thanks to God for the faith He's given us. This is wonderful. But as soon as we say, "Lord, thank You for my salvation," the sinful flesh hastens to add, "Thank You, too, that I'm not like other people. Thank you that I'm not such an awful sinner like them." God wants to save everybody; God wants all people to come to the knowledge of the truth. We dare never permit temptation to cut off the flow of mercy and love to the people around us. We dare never become exclusive. The church is inclusive. We must never decide to proclaim God's Word only to this group or that group, or purposely to withhold it from anyone. A church that thinks of itself as exclusive in this way has ceased to be a church and has become a social club. Brothers and sisters, let us never let go of the understanding that the Word of God entrusted to His church is for everyone.
We, too, at times need the intervention of God in our lives. We need a sheet coming down from heaven with a message. We God to take us and change our lives and our way of thinking. For we are often rebels who fight against God. But who among us would dare to say: "I have never sinned"? Who would dare to say: "I have never yielded to temptation when I thought no one was looking"? Who of us would dare to say, "I have never told a lie." Who would dare to admit having the same attitude as Jonah: "l'm saved; let the rest of the world be damned"? Oh, each one of us stands condemned, for each of us recognizes in his own heart, whether we want to admit it not, the sin that makes us a rebel against God. Only by the grace of God has He taken us out of the death of sin and translated us into the life of grace. He has taken us off the road to hell and put us on the road to peace. We are saved in Christ. The Spirit of God has intervened in our lives by the nailing of Jesus Christ to the cross. Our sins have been killed in His body. Now that Christ has risen from the dead, we can live the life of repentance and faith by His Spirit. By God's grace He has chosen us to be His people. By God's grace He has chosen us to be a people with a message for all other people. That message is the blood of Jesus Christ. That message is that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
We have an exclusive Gospel, and we have an all-inclusive Gospel. Because you know and believe the Gospel, you are to share it. But you are not to be exclusive in picking a target for the Gospel. God has already picked the targets of the Gospel for you: everyone you know, everyone you live with. Everyone you work with. These are the targets God has given you. Now it is up to you. Has the message of the sheet changed your mind to believe that the Gospel is for everyone? Are you ready now to be bold like Paul to go and preach? Are you ready to be God's servant? God wants you to be His sharing people. He wants you to share the wonderful message of salvation in Christ to everyone. You dare not wait for another message to come down from heaven on a sheet.
May your hearts be open and ready to hear, and may your lives be ready and willing to share the Gospel. Be happy that you're saved. Understand the exclusiveness that only those who belong to Christ in faith are saved, but don't let this exclusiveness lock your heart. Understand, too, that the Gospel must be preached to all people everywhere. Let's be about the Father's business. Let's preach the Gospel to all people by our lives and by our lips. This is your message: Repent, believe the Gospel and be saved, for only in Jesus Christ is there salvation for anybody, and in Jesus Christ there is salvation for everybody.
Hello, everyone!
Just uploaded a new song this evening! I hope you enjoy it!
God's peace,
Steve
Rev. Steven S. Billings
Easter 4
Sermon
4-29-2007
John 10:22-30
22 At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; 23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. 24 The Jews therefore gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, "How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly." 25 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these bear witness of Me. 26 "But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep. 27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. 29 "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 "I and the Father are one."
In today's gospel we encounter the plain truth about Jesus and those who belong to Him. The truth about Jesus is that He is who He says He is. The truth about those who belong to Him is that they listen to Him and follow Him. This truth is simple and plain, and yet it often is believed to be complicated. What makes such a seemingly complicated issue so simple and clear? The answer is found in our text.
The world is full of doubt concerning Jesus. Many have tried to understand and explain Him in their own terms. But this approach always ends in failure. This was the case for the Jews in our text. They came to Jesus and asked: "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." They were fed up with Jesus and His claim to be the Messiah. They had already determined for themselves that they would not believe in Him, and now they were planning to put the matter to rest.
The crowds kept coming to Jesus, putting their trust in Him. A rift was developing between those who believed in Jesus and those who did not. This was intolerable. Those who believed in Jesus stood as a witness against those who refused to believe. In the thinking of the unbelieving Jews, this had to end. They had come to challenge Jesus to declare once and for all whether or not He was the Christ. If He said "No," they would declare Him to be a fraud and discredit Him. If He said "Yes," they would stone Him as a blasphemer. Either way, they planned to be rid of Him.
Jesus answered their challenge, saying: "I did tell you, but you do not believe." They demanded that Jesus answer them plainly. They got more than they expected. When confronted with the truth, unbelief always stands judged. These unbelieving Jews came to Jesus accusing Him of not speaking plainly. By doing so, they judged themselves as being unwilling to hear the truth. They demonstrated their own dishonesty and evil intentions. Rather than trying to learn the truth, they were actually trying to bury the truth. They had heard Jesus in the past. They knew what He had said. That was the very reason they had come to Him now. They had come to silence both Him and the truth so that they could continue unchallenged in their unbelief.
But the truth cannot be silenced; it must come out in the end. "How long will you keep us in suspense?" What a farce! They didn't want to hear the truth. They were not in suspense about whether or not Jesus was the Christ. They were in suspense waiting for the opportunity to trash Him and be finished with Him. But their hypocrisy was exposed when Jesus gave them the plain answer they demanded.
Jesus continued, saying: "The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, but you do not believe, because you are not my sheep." Here they had their answer. Not only what Jesus claimed to be, but what He clearly demonstrated Himself to be. The miracles they themselves had seen clearly proclaimed Him to be the Christ, the One who had come in the Name of the Lord. "The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me," Jesus said. Everything that Jesus did, He did as the one sent by the Father. Jesus always claimed to be the One sent by the Father. There was nothing about Him that was not plain and clear. But they did not believe.
In contrast with these unbelievers stand those who heard Jesus and believed in Him. Jesus told the unbelievers, "You do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." Jesus is a stranger to unbelievers, so they don't listen to Him. But to those who belong to Him, Jesus is not a stranger at all. What a difference between the demands of unbelief and the pleas of faith. Those who belong to Jesus plainly hear His voice and follow Him.
Faith doesn't make demands on the One it believes in; makes its demands on the one who listens. Faith demands that the hearer believe what he hears. Faith embraces the truth and acknowledges that it must be listened to and followed. Those who do not believe demand plain statements of who Jesus is; those who believe cry out as did Peter: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." Those who belong to the Lord say: "Tell us, plainly, Jesus, that we may hear and follow." And when they hear Him speak, they follow His voice.
When I was on vicarage, a family at the church owned a sheep farm. I saw there first hand what it means, when Jesus says, "my sheep hear my voice and they listen to me." The LeSarge's who owned the sheep spent a lot of time with them. They could walk into the barn and all the sheep would drift over to see them. They would direct the sheep and the sheep would move. They could handle them, doctor them, or shear them, and they never balked or complained. These sheep knew who owned them and more importantly, who took care of them. Any member of the LeSarge family could literally do anything with these sheep with no trouble at all.
There were times when the LeSarge's needed help. Usually at lambing time or at shearing time, and they would ask other church members to lend a hand. What the family did with no trouble at all, became a rodeo for the others! The sheep didn't know them, they didn't trust them . . . in short, they wanted no part of them at all. The additional helpers would get the job done, but the whole time the sheep would be bellowing away as if somebody was killing them. It was a powerful lesson to learn!
Jesus said: "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." The reason the sheep know the sound of their Master's voice is because He knows them. He regularly cares for them and calls to them by name. He gives them what they need and they receive it from Him. Jesus knows you. He knows your needs. He provides for you. He comes to you and calls for you, and here you are. You hear His voice and listen to Him and follow Him. He calls out to you: "Come to me. Come on, now. You know what you need to do. You know where you need to be. Come into the fold where it's safe and where you can be fed and cared for." He calls to you very plainly, and so you come.
Sometimes the Master speaks to us through those He sends in His Name. We hear Him and follow Him, because while the message is coming through another, it's still His voice. When someone comes to us speaking in His Name, we listen to hear if the voice is that of our Lord Jesus or the voice of an imposter.
After the helpers would spend some time with the LeSarge's and their sheep, there would be a different reaction from the sheep. They were no longer skittish or nervous around them. They didn't move away when they came into the barn. Once in awhile they could even shear them without having them bawl the whole time. The sheep learned that these helpers would treat them like the family treated them and so the helpers no longer seemed like strangers.
So it is also with Christ and His sheep. His shepherds speak to His sheep not on their own, but with His voice. Christ's Church responds to His voice when they hear Him speak. Christ's people recognize when they are being fed and cared for in the same way as their Master feeds and cares for them. So also it is with you and Your Lord Jesus. You stand in the pen and cry out to your Master. And you expect to hear only Jesus in the Church. No one else's voice will suffice for your comfort and well-being. Only the voice of Jesus will satisfy you. So you cry out: "Tell us, plainly Jesus."
How blessed you are, dear friends, to be known by Jesus so intimately that you know His voice and are following Him. Truly this is His doing. He has given you His Holy Spirit and the faith to trust in Him. He has purchased you with His blood. He has caused you to listen to His voice. He knows you and calls to you as His own . . . and in faith you follow Him. He has given you eternal life and keeps you safe through His means of grace. No one can snatch you out of His hand. As long as you remain in Him, as long as you continue to trust and follow Him, no one can lead you astray or steal you away.
Beloved, continue in the Lord. Listen attentively so that you know it is His voice you are hearing and not some imposter . . . listen to Him and continue to follow the way He has so plainly spoken to you. In that way, following Jesus' voice, you will always be safe. You'll never be in suspense about the truth. He has spoken plainly, and His voice is the same today as it was then. He continues to speak clearly to us the words of life. As you respond to His voice you may rest assured that what He says to you is true and for your eternal good. God keep you safe in His grace and true faith, today and always. In the Name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Rev. Steven S. Billings
Easter 3
Sermon
4-22-2007
St. John 21:1-19
1 After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. 2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples. 3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will also come with you." They went out, and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus therefore said to them, "Children, you do not have any fish, do you?" They answered Him, "No." 6 And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you will find a catch." They cast therefore, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. 7 That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." And so when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish. 9 And so when they got out upon the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid, and fish placed on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have now caught." 11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples ventured to question Him, "Who are You?" knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread, and gave them, and the fish likewise. 14 This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead. 15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My lambs." 16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Shepherd My sheep." 17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep. 18 "Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself, and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go." 19 Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me!"
Can you imagine? They had been hiding behind locked doors, bolted windows, tiptoeing around, speaking in hushed voices, and Jesus appeared to them through those locked doors! And now, they are doing what?
Can you imagine? They had seen the nail and spear marks. When Christ Jesus was absent Thomas boasted that he would only believe if he could place his hands on the scars and wounds of Christ. And then, when Jesus appeared, He said in effect, "Thomas, I take your challenge, place your hands upon my scars and spear mark." And now, they are doing what?
Can you imagine? They had seen a man - the God/man - who was dead, who is now alive. He was free from the power of the grave having thrown off the shackles of death due to His victory on Good Friday. And all they are doing about this is nothing. Nothing at all. If anything, they are hiding or sitting on this good news. All this good news, all these miracles, all this joy, and they are sitting.
There are sociologists who study the life of churches. This is done purely from a pragmatic standpoint. These studies are not done from the Word of God, but from the social sciences and from anthropology. At times they offer useful observations. These studies are good only as descriptive studies of the church. When we make these studies prescriptive we leave the realm of theology and enter the realm of the law, the social sciences, say of anthropology or marketing.
One of their observations is that established churches are not interested in outreach. Their bills are paid, their needs are met, their programs are up and running and they then proceed to take care of number one, themselves. They come to church to meet their friends. Now that is fine. But notice what is not said. What is not said, or what is not forefront in their hearts and minds is what? Do they come to church to receive the gifts of Christ?
Were they interested in sharing this good news with others, or did they assume the joy of witnessing and sharing the forgiveness of sins is the responsibility of a committee? Now of course there is nothing wrong in coming to church to meet your friends. But, if we are to remain a church and not evolve into a Kiwanis Club, first things need to be first, don't they?
This is where the disciples are. They are an established band of eleven. They were interested in taking care of number one - themselves. This established band had been through an unbelievable amount in three years. They had seen all sorts of miracles: people having their sight and hearing restored. Lepers were healed. Cripples could walk again. Lazarus was raised from the dead. The widow of Nain had her son, her only son, brought back to life, as Christ, the only Son, the only begotten of the Father rose again from the dead. And now, they are doing what? (Lk. 7:11-17).
Were they sharing this unbelievably good news with their neighbor? No. Were they seeking the Lord where He has promised to be found in order to receive His gifts? No. They came together to be with their friends.
They had gone back to their old ways of playing golf, or bridge, or bowling, or fishing. But notice, they had no success in their fishing that night. Isn 't God good? They had no success. All night long they fished and nothing happened. Not one bite. In the early morning Jesus appeared on the shore and asked if they had any success. "No," they replied. Up to this point in time they did not know it was Jesus on the shore. Then Jesus says, "Try throwing your nets on the right side."
If the disciples had been paying attention, perhaps the wheels of their memory started to turn. Didn't Jesus tell them this same thing three years ago? Three years earlier Jesus began His ministry. First He was about calling His band of disciples to come and follow Him. This is recorded in Luke chapter five: "[Jesus] said to Simon, 'Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.' Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets" (Lk. 5:4-5). They hauled in such a large number of fish that the nets began to break.
The same thing happens again. A large, large number of fish are hauled in. Now why was this? Was the large haul of fish based on their human skills, of marketing and salesmanship? Was their success based on their human tools of sonar, or graphite poles? Was their large catch due to sophisticated depth-finders, salinity or temperature gauges, or the use of brightly colored scented lures? I think not.
The success of their fishing was based solely on the almighty, all-powerful Word of God that is always effective. What God's Word says, it supplies; what His Word declares, it delivers; what His Word promises, it provides. God's Word always fashions its own reality. When Jesus said, "Let down your nets on the right side," the haul of fish was staggering.
The disciples had been sinning. They had not been sharing the wonderful news of Christ's resurrection. They came together solely to be with their friends, and for no other reason. Now what does Jesus do with the disciples once they get to shore and recognize Him? Does He berate, lecture, or scold them? Does He give them five easy steps on how to share this good news that "He, who once was dead, is now alive?" Does He give them the law? And by that I mean, does Jesus tell them what they are to do to make things right?
No. Jesus does not give them the law, a program, or a lecture. He eats fish with them, He has a meal with them. He has table fellowship with them, much like the patient, loving father threw a feast having a fattened calf slaughtered at the return of his prodigal, sinful, wayward son.
Eating a meal with them, Jesus is in essence calling them His friends, for friends eat meals together. But this friendship is not a friendship of equals. Jesus, our Lord and Savior, invited them to eat with Him. Through this action Jesus shows that He has forgiven them all their sins ... of doubt, unbelief, fear; He has forgiven them their sins ... again.
Plants, crops and flowers are strengthened not when the law is yelled at them and they are told to behave or else. They grow and flourish when water, sunshine, fertilizer, and if you desire, sweet words are spoken to them. How do children and spouses fair best in the household? Is it when you continually harangue them with the law of do's and don'ts, beating them over the head with what they should have done? Or, do children and spouses do better when spoken kind Gospel words of motivation, encouragement, appreciation, and respect?
What Jesus was doing through this forgiveness was bucking them up. Through the forgiveness of their sins Jesus was strengthening them to be about His work of sharing the good news.
Compared to the disciples in 33 ad we are not much different, now are we? We may come to church to be with our friends - which is ok. Nothing wrong with that. But, the primary reason to come to church is to receive the gifts of our risen Lord - His forgiveness and mercy, His words of liberating truth and knowledge, and His body and blood for the forgiveness of sins.
Our primary purpose in having a job, house and friends, is not to take care of number one - like the disciples did. It is to share with our neighbor He who truly is number one: Christ Jesus, together with the forgiveness of sins found in Him. Why has Jesus given you jobs in the first place? The primary reason He has placed you there is to witness to others what Jesus has done for the world, and then, to receive a paycheck to take care of yourself and your family.
And so like those first disciples, Jesus still serves His disciples today. He forgives our sins and bucks us up. No longer does He eat fish with us, though He still eats with us. He invites us to a meal, but not one on the shore of a lake as we leave our fishing boats, though, more times than not, He still eats with us in the early morning hours.
Jesus still prepares a meal for us as He did those first disciples on the lake shore. This time He serves us food that does not perish, but food that lasts for eternity. He serves us with the meal of Himself - His very body for the forgiveness of your sins in the bread, His very blood for forgiveness of your sins in the wine. He invites you to His feast of victory. For Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Rev. Steven S. Billings
Easter 2
Sermon
4-15-2007
St. John 20:19-31
19 When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." 20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples therefore rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus therefore said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 "If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained." 24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore were saying to him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I shall see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." 26 And after eight days again His disciples were inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst, and said, "Peace be with you." 27 Then He said to Thomas, "Reach here your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing." 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed." 30 Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
Our Lord has your believing in mind this morning. He has your believing, your repenting and your being forgiven in mind. And for all of that, He has His ministers in place for you and gives them Gifts. That you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and so believing - with His Words in your ears and His Flesh and Blood on your lips - believing like that, you may have life in His Name.
Believing always goes together with Jesus' Word and Jesus' Body. Earlier, on the first day of the week, the angels preached Christ's resurrection to the women. Then, the Lord appeared to the women. They clasped His feet and worshiped Him, says Matthew.
As it went for the women, so it goes with the Lord's apostles later. The women tell them Jesus' words. He is risen, as He said. And then, as if the preaching always leads to Jesus' Body, to more comfort, more Jesus Christ Himself appears and tells them: "Peace be with you." Then He showed them His hands and His side. Believing and Jesus - Believing and Christ's Words, Christ's Flesh and Blood, Christ's Wounds, Christ's Body - these always go together.
Dear Believers, you who have your ears filled full with Jesus' speaking "Peace" to you this morning . . . you whose heads are drenched with everything God gave you in Holy Baptism . . . whose mouths will soon be fed with Jesus' Flesh and Blood for your salvation . . . believing rests in JESUS, not in you! It rests in Jesus' Gifts - what He delivers into the sinful hands and sinful mouths of sinful men whom HE sends out as He Himself was sent. Believing going on apart from that is not believing. At least it's not the kind that saves.
To teach us that this morning, for whatever reason Thomas had, we're told he didn't come to church that Easter! All of the disciples, except for Judas, whose repenting and believing left him hanging from a rope, and Thomas - who had some other place to be - were all together, with the doors locked, for fear of the Jews. These Ten aren't great believers, by the way. They're just like we are, coming to church for all the wrong reasons! They're worried over what God has under control. They're afraid of men, a lot less than they fear their God. And so they huddle. They hide. And Thomas wasn't there among them!
Too bad for Thomas! Because He wasn't there when their Believing came and stood among them, saying: "Peace be with you!"
Believing and repenting and forgiveness and salvation all show up in Jesus, Who has words to speak and scars to show! And Thomas isn't there. No wonder Thomas gets the name of "Doubting!" There isn't any faith apart from Jesus! Whatever reason Thomas had for being absent when the Service of the Lord began, let's learn once and for all that life apart from Jesus and His Gifts is life sunk deep in doubt, despair and disbelieving. We do very well to keep ourselves from that demonic teaching that suggests that we believe just fine when we are running from God's Word and Sacraments; when we are keeping Jesus' speaking from our ears, His wounds out of our mouth!
But Jesus showing up again today for sinners - THERE'S something to believe in! Christ is RISEN! (He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!) And He preaches peace and life, forgiveness and salvation in your ears this morning. Because of that, you have eternal life. And since poor Thomas wasn't with them, he did not believe. Even when they brought the preaching to him, saying: "We have seen Him, Thomas! He is risen! And you're sins are all forgiven!" Thomas still would not believe.
Now, here is where the Lord, who is risen from the dead and seated at the right hand of the Father, is giving you and me repentance! Thomas confesses what is true of every sinner: "I will not believe!" Unless he sees for himself; unless God conforms to his demands and expectations; unless God fits his own religion, Thomas won't believe.
The vast majority of men will never confess like that! Just the opposite! God has given us His preaching, that Christ was killed for our salvation and raised again for our justification. Do we hold that preaching sacred and gladly hear and learn it? Though we know the answer, we protest: "But I believe!" Christ has breathed His Spirit out and given His authority . . . to forgive the sins of repentant sinners, but to withhold forgiveness as long as we do not repent. Do we run for that repentance or do we spurn it? We know the answer. But still, we're certain: "I still believe!" We would even rather be cut off from Jesus' Blood and Body than to be cut off from sinful things we like to do. But only Thomas gets around to speaking truly: "I will not believe!"
We don't know the kind of care this man received that week from Christ's disciples. Did they hold his sins against him, as long as he went on in un-believing? We don't know. Whatever Thomas got that week from men who had the breath of Christ - to forgive or not forgive his sins - to preach salvation or withhold it - whatever Thomas got, the Spirit gives us this: "A week later, His disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them!"
Thank God for that! Thomas came to Church that day, and that was his salvation. The preaching of the Ten was true! The words they had to speak to Thomas, about being damned if he goes on in his own belief . . . about being saved by going on in Jesus and His Gifts - all that was true. Jesus says so when He says to Thomas: "Stop doubting and believe!" Believe what? What the Ten had told him. For what they said was only what the Lord had given. And so, confirmed in that, Thomas is admitted to the Savior's Body: "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in My side."
And THERE is true believing, dear Christian. All in Jesus. For sinners imprisoned in their doubt and fear, He preaches Peace and gives us Flesh and Blood for our believing! These set us free. The Body pierced for our transgressions, the Blood outpoured for our forgiveness - these, the Lord still has . . . and has among us! Delivered into the hands of sinful men for DISTRIBUTION. To be handed out, delivered into the ears and mouths of sinful men, like Thomas . . . like you and me.
These are our faith, our forgiveness, our being saved! Thomas teaches that when He confesses: "My Lord and My God!" And Jesus teaches that when He says to Thomas: "Because you have seen Me, you believe; blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."
Jesus does not say: "Blessed are those who have not HEARD." But, "blessed are those who have not SEEN." By hearing, Christ comes to you with His forgiveness in the Words Christ gives His Ministers to speak. By eating and drinking, Christ gives us His Body and His Blood in bread and wine. Sinners aren't lost because they do such bad and wicked things. They are lost - WE are lost - because we will not have the speaking, the preaching, the Body and Blood of Jesus!
So, like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk. Crave the Gospel purely preached and the Sacraments administered according to their institution. Christ isn't dead anymore. He is risen! And He didn't drop His Body off somewhere to go on magically inside your heart. He is where His Body is, to save you! Where His words direct you to His wounds; where they tell you: "Peace be with you! Take and eat, this is My Body. Take and drink, this is My Blood! Stop doubting and believe!"
And if you don't believe that? Come, confess with Thomas! There are words you need to hear, and someone God has put in place to speak them! If you've strayed away and fallen into sin? You have a pastor to confess that to, but more importantly, for hearing from that Christ holds nothing now against you. Jesus died. Jesus rose. Jesus breathed and sent out His disciples. Therefore, I forgive you all your sins.
And if you want to stay away from Jesus' Service, from the Gifts He thought enough to put in place for you? If you want to go on in your sinful ways of living, treating parents like there isn't any God Who sees? Treating one another as if Christ is six feet under, so it's no concern to Him the way you live? If you think your sins are not that bad, that they can't !@#$ you . . . if you do not want the Lord's forgiveness, then I have to say: Your sins are not forgiven! They are still your own to deal with, and you will deal with them for all eternity.
I hope that Thomas heard them from the Ten that week. He should have! We should hear them every time we treat our family members as if they are not sinless . . . every time we think an unkind thought about members of our church family . . . every time we tell ourselves that life is anything but perfect, since our Savior told us: "Peace!" And we should hear them a whole lot more than we've been willing.
Why? Because Christ wants to spoil your day? Because He wants to leave us in our prisons? No! Because He wants to show us just what prisons we are in! What darkness! What despair! What unbelief! He wants to give us true repentance! Wants to wrap us up where true forgiveness and believing's going on! In HIM! In the Words He speaks to us, which point us to His Flesh and Blood strung up upon a cross in our behalf . . . and to His Water poured upon our heads in Jesus' Name, which saves us . . . and to His Flesh and Blood laid out each Sunday on this Table. Here is where the risen Christ is still among us.
Blessed are you, who see nothing particularly miraculous in that, but hear what Jesus says about it anyway: It is your salvation. It is your life. It is your peace with God and one another. Blessed are you, dear Christians, to find your believing in all of that. And when you don't, remember, I have words you need to hear. Christ wouldn't give them to me if you didn't need to hear them. So, hear them . . . and believe: I forgive you all your sins! In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Rev. Steven S. Billings
Easter Sunday
Sermon
4-8-2007
St. Luke 24:1-12 1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it happened that while they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling apparel; 5 and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living One among the dead? 6 "He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, 7 saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again." 8 And they remembered His words, 9 and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. 11 And these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. 12 But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at that which had happened.
It's coffin commercialism. Those who want to make a final statement about their life can now choose personalized caskets to tell their story. Business is thriving at the Whitelight Casket Company of Dallas, which has introduced the "art casket" for those who wouldn't be caught dead in something routine. No longer must the discriminating consumer choose merely between a traditional wooden box and a boring bronze coffin. If you are a golfer, you might choose the popular "Fairway to Heaven" model, other popular styles of personalized caskets include a beach scene, the New York skyline, or a model portraying a postal package that says in bold, red letters, "Return to Sender."
That sounds like a novel idea. The truth is, individualized coffins as personalized "final statements" are not so new after all. Many ancient cultures, including the Egyptians, for instance, were masters of this practice. Tomb preparation began long before a person's death, with craftsmen engineering a coffin to make a statement revealing what that person had accomplished in life, especially in preparation for impressively meeting the gods, at least that's what some Egyptians believed. Others dreamed of an afterlife for everyone like a calm, everlasting picnic on the sunny banks of the Nile, while still others planned to be reincarnated into a fresh body and begin another earthly life. Sounds like a contemporary syllabus for a college course. What was once a coffin confusion is still confusing today, but not for us. Easter morning for us injects a rock-solid conviction into the confusion about life and death; the tomb of Jesus Christ is empty. This unexpectedly empty tomb is God's final statement to a questioning world. But what does it mean for us today?
We, of course, aren't interested in mere empty caskets, so it's hard to see the significance of Jesus Christ's tomb echoing with emptiness. No decorated pillars or towering pyramids mark His gravesite. No cave drawings tell His story. No golden trinkets were buried with Him to indicate His royal power. There was just an empty tomb. That's because God has decorated His Son's death and celebrated His Son's accomplishments in life, not at His burial place, but in His believing people – us. Just as Jesus Christ is risen from death, so we are raised up from spiritual and physical death, from dullness and despair, to a life filled with vigor to take on yet another week with confidence in the strength God provides, and filled with vitality to smile through good times and bad, through life and death with the sure hope of God's help. Jesus' empty tomb is a place of life for us. Today, let's listen to an angel try to explain that to some despairing women, and to us.
The sunrise was waking up their corner of the world, but these women were so tired, so exhausted from the bustle of the Passover, and so emotionally drained from recalling the events of the past two days that suddenly snatched away their Master's life. Look at their emptiness: arms full of spices to anoint a dead body, eyes full of tears, hearts full of disappointment and fear. Listen to their low expectations: "We won't be able to roll the stone away," says the mother of James. "I heard there are soldiers guarding the tomb; they will probably turn us away," sighs Salome. "Why did God let this happen?" sobs Mary Magdalene. You know that empty, sinking feeling, when something really bad happens. You know the feeling of hopelessness and despair, when you find yourself in a horrible situation and there is no way out!! But when the droopy faces of these dreary women slowly tilted up to take their first look at the tomb, there were no guards standing watch, the stone was rolled away, and when the women speedily shuffled into the tomb to investigate, they saw a young man sitting inside dressed in bright white!
"Don't be alarmed," this angel told the women before they could drop their spices and run as if they had seen a ghost. With half-calming reassurance and half-caring rebuke, the angel announced, "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified." The half-hearted women came looking not for Jesus, the Almighty Son of God who can do anything, but for Jesus, the humble Nazarene carpenter's son. They came looking, not for Jesus, the Lord of Life who had already demonstrated His power over death by raising dead people to life, but for Jesus, the unjustly killed victim of a political conspiracy.
No matter how many times Jesus had told these women and all His followers that He would die an ugly death, but that death couldn't harm Him because He would rise again to life in three days, they still expected much less. The angel lifted their heads and hearts back up to higher expectations by pointing them to the place where a dead Jesus would be, but was not. "He has risen! He is not here!" There was nothing to be alarmed about, nothing to be afraid of, nothing to allow for low-level expectations. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead just as He Promised! Empty hearts and lives are now filled with new expectations, new dreams, and new hopes! Ladies, now drop your spices (you don't need them anymore!) and run for a better reason: to announce to the world that your Savior reigns over sin, death, and the grave, and Satan has been defeated, just as Christ said. His empty tomb is a place full of life for you!
Like these women, our lack of faith and our low level of expectation disappoint our great and Mighty God for whom nothing is impossible. He's ready to help us move mountains, and our droopy faces don't look past the bumps in the road. But it need not be this way! Our risen Lord's empty tomb is a place of life for you, a life filled with higher expectations.
Stop expecting to feel only sad and separated because your Christian loved one is dying, or died before you wanted, the empty tomb raises your expectations to anticipate a glorious reunion in heaven: "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men," Paul exhorts us in 1 Corinthians. "In Christ all will be made alive" (15:19,22). Stop expecting yourself to act like a second-class misfit who can't compete with sin's power and may as well continue giving in to that same temptation. The empty tomb and the leading of the Holy Spirit raises your expectations to a David-like approach to Goliath obstacles in God's way, facing them with confidence, and stepping up to Satan to announce, "Your wickedness cannot have its way with me."
This, according to the Bible, is true because of the Resurrection. "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, not on earthly things" (Col 3:1,2). The resurrected, glorified Body of Christ passed through the burial clothes, and the tomb itself without friction, only to appear shortly thereafter in physical, visible form. In doing so, death is vanquished forever!! Death now has no power over you!!
A caterpillar spins it's cocoon and takes it's last look at the bright world for a long time. It's creator then transforms it from a little worm that crawls on the ground into a soaring, beautiful creature of the sky. It's traditional in the Easter season to use the butterfly as a symbol of the physical transformation our bodies will undergo on Judgment Day. It's also fitting to see in the butterfly our spiritual transformation, which has already taken place, all because of God's work connecting Christ's resurrection with our baptism. The Bible says: "Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the Glory of the Father, we too may live a new life" (Ro 6:3,4). Easter gives us a sure hope of glorious things to come – more than that – it gives us a new life right now. We are not caterpillars, we are butterflies. Jesus' empty tomb means full life for us.
In case the women were considering staying at the empty tomb and chatting about this thing that had happened, the angel got them going: "Go, tell His disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee.' There you will see Him, just as he told you." Why not send these women back to knock the socks off Pontius Pilate, King Herod, or the Jewish leaders who put Jesus to death? Why go first to a few fishermen and a tag-along tax collector?
It was because these men, Jesus' disciples, had fallen further than the others. They were so close to Jesus at one time, but then they fled from Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, and Peter even went on to deny Him. They had since then disbanded, according to later accounts in the Gospels, like Thomas' absence and Jesus appearing to only seven of them at the lake. In their minds, they were no longer worthy of bearing the title "disciples," rather, something like "traitors" or "underachievers" would be more fitting.
But Jesus, who still calls them His disciples, wouldn't have it. Jesus is more interested in reassurance than revenge. He takes on a personal concern for these friends of His and wants them all, especially Peter who denied Him, to know that He will still faithfully fulfill His promise to meet them in Galilee. There, in Galilee, Jesus will have a secluded location to restore them, re-appoint them, and release them to work for Him. The new life we celebrate at Easter is about a new glorified life in eternity, but it's also about a new spiritual life for those who think they might have failed so miserably that Jesus would no longer want them. But in love, He does.
It's no secret that this sanctuary today is filled with people who have disappointed and deserted Jesus. Let it neither be a secret that the resurrection of Jesus Christ means a fresh start for us all, just like the disciples. It means the bright morning of a new day when "the Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; He will remove the disgrace of his people" (Isa 25:8). Have you been lacking in your worship attendance? Then know that your Risen Jesus offers you a fresh, forgiven start, to rise up and live anew in a greater appreciation for praising your Savior and hearing His Word every week.
Have you been less than willing to give up your selfish desires? Then know that your Risen Jesus offers you a fresh, forgiven start to rise up and live anew in a Christ-like attitude of humble submission and service to others. Have you been limiting your Christian attitude and actions because it might cause you embarrassment? Then know that your Risen Jesus offers you a fresh, forgiven start to rise up and live anew in a life that passionately practices and professes your Christian faith, so that your life might reflect what you have been given in Christ!!
This is God's final statement to the world – not a burial place decorated with the trinkets of this earth, but an empty tomb, and a believing people blessed with the treasures of heaven: His love, power, and life. Your Lord and Savior has conquered your sin. He has conquered the devil. He has conquered death. And He has done so for you. The Tomb is empty. He is Risen!! In the Name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Rev. Steven S. Billings
Good Friday
Sermon
4-6-2007
St. Mark 15:33-39
33 And when the sixth hour had come, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" which is translated, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?" 35 And when some of the bystanders heard it, they began saying, "Behold, He is calling for Elijah." 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink, saying, "Let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down." 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last. 38 And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"
I'm not sure I can think of anything that would generate more sadness than the thought of sitting at the bedside of a loved one who is dying. No matter how much we learn and understand about the facts of death, knowing that someone you love is going to die and not being able to do anything about it is one of the most difficult, gut-wrenching, sorrow-filled experiences anyone could imagine. At times like that, it's not unusual for people, even Christian people, to experience the transformation of normal tear ducts into faucets that just can't be turned off.
If you have ever been close to a situation like that, you may have thought: "If only there were a way to help my loved one get well. If only my love and concern could make a difference and somehow change the inevitable approach of death." But you know that's impossible. No matter how much we care about another individual, no matter how much we love that person, our love cannot halt the unstoppable march of death. Death is that enemy that we just cannot fend off or defeat on our own.
This is Good Friday. Today the Holy Spirit takes us 20 centuries back in time to a hill outside of Jerusalem. There He allows us to view a death, but not just any death, the death of someone whom God Himself considered to be the most precious, most beloved person of all. If anyone had the power to halt the inevitable approach of death, it would be God. But He didn't. God's only-begotten, dearly-loved Son died right there on a cross.
Someone viewing this from a human perspective might ask, "Where's the love? If God had the power to prevent this, why didn't He?" The answer to those questions is the reason why we worship on Good Friday. The answer has to do with God's love, all right, but it isn't the kind of love that would halt these proceedings. That love would be self-serving. But the love we see here is not self-serving. It is self-sacrificing, the kind of love that went to the ultimate lengths to save us from death. You see, this Good Friday God takes us to the zenith of the "Places of the Passion." We go again today to the cross, which was a place of death. Yet it is a place where God's love dispels darkness and where God's love shines new light.
"At the sixth hour [noon] darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour [3 P.M.]" (vs. 33). Jesus died in the dark. But that wasn't just physical darkness, that being the absence of sunlight. A more horrible darkness enveloped Him. The Bible parallels light and God's love. When light is removed, there you have darkness. When God's love is removed, there you have spiritual darkness. You might think, "If I'm ever in the dark, I'll just find a flashlight or light a candle." But when God withdraws the light of His love, the darkness is much more intense. Just listen to Jesus' cry: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (vs. 34). He was experiencing the darkness of abandonment by His Heavenly Father, the darkness of hell. Jesus died in the inky darkness of being rejected by His Father, He died alone, abandoned, and in complete blackness and hopelessness.
How could this happen to God's beloved Son? I know some people, even Christian people, who would simply look at this and say: "Well, it was inevitable. This was God's plan. Jesus was supposed to die." They say that with cool detachment as if they are watching a movie with a predictable plot – nice to watch, but when it's over, it's over. When the credits start to roll, it's time to go back to life as usual. But that's keeping your religion at arms' length, something to observe at a distance, while remaining personally uninvolved. People with that view of religion might check it out once in a while, like when they are in trouble or in need or when it's the season: "I think I'll go to church. After all, it is Good Friday, and that's what Christians do. I suppose I'll go on Easter too. Grandma expects me to show up, and it wouldn't be right to just go to dinner without joining her for church." Have you ever viewed the events of Good Friday with cool detachment? If so, then you are in the dark!
I've met others who have heard this account and become incensed at all the evil characters involved. You know that the crucifixion account is loaded with people in the dark, people who didn't know what they were doing, and people who knew very well what they were doing and preferred the dark. "Some of those standing near . . . [mocked him], "Listen, He's calling Elijah!" (vs. 35). There's more. When Jesus wanted a sip of water: "One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink, [and mocked Him saying,] "Now leave Him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to take Him down!" (vs. 36). It would be easy for us to point at those people, shake our heads, and say: "Such sinners! Just look at those evil people, Caiaphas the high priest, Judas the betrayer, Peter the denier, Pilate the condemner of the innocent, the cold-hearted soldiers, the cowardly disciples, the mocking mob. They are responsible for this dark day." Do you ever get upset at what all those people did to Jesus? If that's all you are upset about on this Good Friday, then you are in the dark!
You see, we can't remain detached and uninvolved when we take to heart the message of Good Friday. Our sins struck Jesus in the face. Our bad judgment shoved the crown of thorns on His head. Our apathy toward others drove the spikes through His hands. Our lovelessness caused Jesus to die in darkness. A thick cloud of selfishness and a dark curtain of our own sin and guilt put Him under the darkness of God's anger. What happened to Jesus certainly happened according to God's plan, but God had to come up with the plan because we couldn't save ourselves from His anger over our disobedience. "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isa 53:6). We are responsible for Jesus' death. But Jesus went to this place of death so we wouldn't have to. You see, this cross may be a place of death, but it is also a place of love where God dispels the darkness of our sin.
The Gospel writer Mark describes a centurion, a Roman soldier, who was there. We don't know for sure, but that soldier may have had some previous opinions about Jesus. He may have considered Jesus to be a bother, one more criminal taking up time on the duty list for the day. Very likely this soldier also had a cloud of darkness in front of his eyes, a dark curtain of indifference and unbelief, that separated him from Jesus. This soldier was probably looking at his watch, yawning: "Why are all these people so hyped up about this execution? This religious stuff is just a fad! It will pass." He was in the dark.
But, at that place of death, God's love was shining new light. "With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom" (vv. 37,38). There was a reason for that miracle. That curtain separated the outer room of the temple where worship leaders could come and go from an inner room that symbolized the holy presence of God. That curtain said, "No admittance unless you are sin-free." That curtain said, "You can have no access to God's light and must stay outside in the dark unless your sins are paid for and covered."
The ripped curtain sends us a message. It symbolizes in a very real way that sinners and a holy God are no longer separated. That truth became obvious to the centurion. "When [he] . . . heard [Jesus'] cry and saw how He died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" (vs. 39). How could he see God's love when a dark curtain was before his eyes? The answer is Jesus ripped the curtain of sin down the middle. Now Jesus is in the middle. He is between God and sinners.
"In [Jesus] and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence" (Eph. 3:12). God now looks at sinners through Jesus. And through Jesus we see God clearly. We see Him not as an angry judge, not as a benevolent Santa Claus, not as an uncaring and distant deity far removed from His creation, but as He really is. We see Him as the God of compassion, the God of all comfort, the Father of an infinite majesty and mercy, the God who saw our sin and then did something about it. At the cross of Jesus, this place of death, God's love came shining through to bring the new light of His love and mercy on us. No longer do we have to shake and shiver in fear or withdraw into a dark corner. We live in the light of His love.
With that much love coming to us, we have all the love we need and more, love to spare and love to share. The apostle Paul wrote: "Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view"(2 Co 5:14-16). Jesus' love shines new light in our lives and shines through us to brighten the lives of others. Our love for someone can't halt the march of physical death, when we share God's love for sinners, His love shines new light into their lives and halts the march of eternal death. So don't leave others in the dark. Share the love God has given you from this place of death, a love that shines on to eternity.
Why didn't God call a halt to the proceedings, to the trial, to the beating, to the crucifixion? Here is the answer: "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world . . . Whoever believes in him is not condemned" (Jn 3:16,19,18). The cross was a place of death and also the greatest place of love. Believe it. It's true! In the Name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
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