Advent1.YouAretheAdventGeneration.mp3
Have a most blessed Advent.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
You Are the Advent Generation
Here is the MP3 audio file of sermon preached at Trinity Lutheran Church of Layton, Utah for the First Sunday of Advent, November 30, 2008:
Advent1.YouAretheAdventGeneration.mp3
Have a most blessed Advent.
Advent1.YouAretheAdventGeneration.mp3
Have a most blessed Advent.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Real Food for Real Thanksgiving
Here is the sermon preached at Trinity Lutheran Church of Layton, Utah on Wednesday, November 26, 2008 for the Thanksgiving Eve. To hear this sermon as preached from the pulpit click on the MP3 link:
Thanksgiving2008.RealFoodforRealThanksgiving.mp3
Have a most blessed Thanksgiving Day and feast.
TEXT: Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven-- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever." (John 6:53-58, NKJ)
Now that’s Real food for Real Thanksgiving. That’s food that doesn’t just stick to your ribs, but that gives God to you and unites you with Him now and for eternity.
Imagine a Thanksgiving feast of cardboard cutouts and photographs instead of real people gathered around real food.
Imagine what how that would have gone over if that is what the Pilgrims had offered the natives to thank them for their neighborliness.
This is exactly what many settle for, what many even desire and clamor for in the church today.
However, God has gathered you here today, as always at this altar – to receive real food for real thanksgiving. You do not have a thanksgiving that proceeds from you as a matter of making offerings to God, whether by word or deed, as in so much of what passes for worship. Here you do not gather to participate in a mere re-enactment or representation of what once happened. You are gathered in the presence of the real Christ to receive His very real body and blood.
And that allows you, no even more, causes you, to overflow with real thanksgiving.
As our Lord Jesus Christ says: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Matthew 9:16
That is, we can in no way hope to appease God and make good for our sins based upon our sacrifice, no matter what it might be. He only desires to have mercy on us according to His steadfast and abounding love.
Again our Lord, in response to the people’s question, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" . . . answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." John 6:28-29
Therefore, to live in thanksgiving, means first and foremost to acknowledge and rely on Him as the giver of all things, especially the forgiveness of sins.
Thus fed with the true bread of life, we are free to serve our neighbor according to his need our calling.
This is all God wants from and for us in our relationship with Him. To believe in His Son, Jesus the Christ, who gave His life for us on the cross. Living in repentance, confessing our sin and receiving his absolution, his forgiveness is the life of highest thanksgiving. We have nothing to offer Him in thanksgiving that He hasn’t first given to us – except for our sin. So He simply calls on us to believe in His Son, so that He might continue being your God and supplying your every need forever. This is why the Lord’s Supper is also called the Eucharist, the Greek word for thanksgiving. Receiving His body and blood for the forgiveness of sins is to offer our sins to him in thanksgiving.
This thanksgiving is explained in the first three commandments, summed up by Christ, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind."
You shall have no other gods. What does this mean? We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.
You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not curse, swear, use satanic arts, lie, or deceive by His name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks.
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.
And our Epistle lesson speaks of what it means to live in thanksgiving to God among our fellow man.
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4
Since God provides everything we need, we are to live lives of thanksgiving to our neighbors by serving them in our own vocations, i.e. our callings as pastors or hearers; authorities or citizens; Husbands or wives; parents or children; employers or employees; teachers or students; in service one to another no matter one’s station.
This is what the 4th - 10th Commandments are about, or again as Christ sums them up, “love your neighbor as yourself.”
Honor your father and your mother. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them.
You shall not murder. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body, but help and support him in every physical need.
You shall not commit adultery. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we lead a sexually pure and decent life in what we say and do, and husband and wife love and honor each other.
You shall not steal. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbor’s money or possessions, or get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his possessions and income.
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way.
You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not scheme to get our neighbor’s inheritance or house, or get it in a way which only appears right, but help and be of service to him in keeping it. And also so that we do not entice or force away our neighbor’s wife, workers, or animals, or turn them against him, but urge them to stay and do their duty.
The life of thanksgiving is lived in simple obedience to God’s Word and in simple service to all of those around us, not in order to earn anything before God, but because He already has given us everything we need.
When we realize this fundamental truth, we can live in thanksgiving, much like the Apostle Paul, who writes in Phil 4:11-13, I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (NIV)
Let us, therefore, come before the Lord, the giver of all things -- the Father, our creator, as the giver of everything visible and invisible; the Son, our redeemer, as the giver of salvation, the forgiveness of our sin unto eternal life; and the Holy Spirit, our sanctifier, as the one who delivers that forgiveness to us through the Holy Christian Church that we may live in faith today until the resurrection of the body when we will live forever in the full and glorious presence of God .
And let us come into His Presence with thanksgiving this night – let us come to the Holy Eucharist, the true and Godly Thanksgiving feast, to receive real food His body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins. And let us depart in his peace quietly and humbly to serve our neighbor. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. And in this way we bring real food for real thanksgiving to all people through Him who loved us, gave His life for us, and gives life to the world through us –
in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Thanksgiving2008.RealFoodforRealThanksgiving.mp3
Have a most blessed Thanksgiving Day and feast.
TEXT: Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven-- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever." (John 6:53-58, NKJ)
Now that’s Real food for Real Thanksgiving. That’s food that doesn’t just stick to your ribs, but that gives God to you and unites you with Him now and for eternity.
Imagine a Thanksgiving feast of cardboard cutouts and photographs instead of real people gathered around real food.
Imagine what how that would have gone over if that is what the Pilgrims had offered the natives to thank them for their neighborliness.
This is exactly what many settle for, what many even desire and clamor for in the church today.
However, God has gathered you here today, as always at this altar – to receive real food for real thanksgiving. You do not have a thanksgiving that proceeds from you as a matter of making offerings to God, whether by word or deed, as in so much of what passes for worship. Here you do not gather to participate in a mere re-enactment or representation of what once happened. You are gathered in the presence of the real Christ to receive His very real body and blood.
And that allows you, no even more, causes you, to overflow with real thanksgiving.
As our Lord Jesus Christ says: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Matthew 9:16
That is, we can in no way hope to appease God and make good for our sins based upon our sacrifice, no matter what it might be. He only desires to have mercy on us according to His steadfast and abounding love.
Again our Lord, in response to the people’s question, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" . . . answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." John 6:28-29
Therefore, to live in thanksgiving, means first and foremost to acknowledge and rely on Him as the giver of all things, especially the forgiveness of sins.
Thus fed with the true bread of life, we are free to serve our neighbor according to his need our calling.
This is all God wants from and for us in our relationship with Him. To believe in His Son, Jesus the Christ, who gave His life for us on the cross. Living in repentance, confessing our sin and receiving his absolution, his forgiveness is the life of highest thanksgiving. We have nothing to offer Him in thanksgiving that He hasn’t first given to us – except for our sin. So He simply calls on us to believe in His Son, so that He might continue being your God and supplying your every need forever. This is why the Lord’s Supper is also called the Eucharist, the Greek word for thanksgiving. Receiving His body and blood for the forgiveness of sins is to offer our sins to him in thanksgiving.
This thanksgiving is explained in the first three commandments, summed up by Christ, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind."
You shall have no other gods. What does this mean? We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.
You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not curse, swear, use satanic arts, lie, or deceive by His name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks.
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.
And our Epistle lesson speaks of what it means to live in thanksgiving to God among our fellow man.
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4
Since God provides everything we need, we are to live lives of thanksgiving to our neighbors by serving them in our own vocations, i.e. our callings as pastors or hearers; authorities or citizens; Husbands or wives; parents or children; employers or employees; teachers or students; in service one to another no matter one’s station.
This is what the 4th - 10th Commandments are about, or again as Christ sums them up, “love your neighbor as yourself.”
Honor your father and your mother. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them.
You shall not murder. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body, but help and support him in every physical need.
You shall not commit adultery. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we lead a sexually pure and decent life in what we say and do, and husband and wife love and honor each other.
You shall not steal. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbor’s money or possessions, or get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his possessions and income.
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way.
You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not scheme to get our neighbor’s inheritance or house, or get it in a way which only appears right, but help and be of service to him in keeping it. And also so that we do not entice or force away our neighbor’s wife, workers, or animals, or turn them against him, but urge them to stay and do their duty.
The life of thanksgiving is lived in simple obedience to God’s Word and in simple service to all of those around us, not in order to earn anything before God, but because He already has given us everything we need.
When we realize this fundamental truth, we can live in thanksgiving, much like the Apostle Paul, who writes in Phil 4:11-13, I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (NIV)
Let us, therefore, come before the Lord, the giver of all things -- the Father, our creator, as the giver of everything visible and invisible; the Son, our redeemer, as the giver of salvation, the forgiveness of our sin unto eternal life; and the Holy Spirit, our sanctifier, as the one who delivers that forgiveness to us through the Holy Christian Church that we may live in faith today until the resurrection of the body when we will live forever in the full and glorious presence of God .
And let us come into His Presence with thanksgiving this night – let us come to the Holy Eucharist, the true and Godly Thanksgiving feast, to receive real food His body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins. And let us depart in his peace quietly and humbly to serve our neighbor. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. And in this way we bring real food for real thanksgiving to all people through Him who loved us, gave His life for us, and gives life to the world through us –
in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Sunday, November 23, 2008
You Are a Sheep
Here is the sermon preached at Trinity Lutheran Church of Layton, Utah on Sunday, November 23, 2008 for the LAST SUNDAY of the CHURCH YEAR. The audio file is in MP3 format and begins with the final verse of the Hymn of the Day, "Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us" The sermon begins at the :39 mark.
You can hear this sermon as preached from the pulpit at Trinity Lutheran Church of Layton, UT click on the MP3 link:
LAST SUNDAY.2008.YouAreaSheep!.mp3
Have a most blessed week in the Lord as His precious sheep.
TEXT: "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
"Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Matthew 25:31-34
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
You are a sheep!
Dear Christian, this is the Gospel message within the Gospel reading this morning. You are a sheep.
You are a sheep because God has made you a sheep. At your Baptism, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, God said, “Here I am. Follow me. Be my sheep. I will take care of you for every day of your life, just be my sheep.”
To say you are a sheep is another way of saying that you are a disciple. For disciples follow and live by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. That is what Matthew 28:19-20 is all about:
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
Yes, this is Jesus’ command to His Church to make disciples, but it also tells how to make a disciple, and therefore, it tells us what a disciple is.
A disciple is one who is Baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. AND a disciple is one who is taught to observe, that is to live or abide in, all things that Christ the Lord has commanded -- in other words, everything God has spoken to us by His Word as recorded in Holy Scripture.
In point of fact, this Baptism and teaching to observe is not two things but one. Being Baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit means to be given everything God has to give. When that water trickled over your brow with the Words of God’s very name, you became heir to God’s kingdom.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of the day when that kingdom that has already been given to you as an inheritance of faith by His New Testament, will be given to you in full in the flesh.
Between now and that day of His judgment, you live in your Baptism as a child of God by being taught all the things that God has given you in His Word and by living in and according to that Word of God. And it is in your Baptism, or better put, in God’s baptism, that you, along with all the brethren of Christ who share the baptism of God, that Christ is with you always, even to the end of the age – that is even to the time of our Gospel lesson today when He will separate the sheep from the goats.
From the moment the first drops of water touched your tiny (or not so tiny) head, and God’s Word was received through your ears by the proclamation of the Gospel and into your heart by faith, until you take your last breath and close your eyelids for the last time, Jesus is with you in your Baptism and you are with Him as you follow Him by hearing and receiving all that His Word has to give.
Simply put, in Baptism Jesus becomes your Good Shepherd and you become His sheep. As a sheep you are all about listening and following the voice of your Shepherd.
"And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.” [John 10:4 ]
Listening and following your Shepherd, you are a member of His flock. Even though you don’t see them, by hearing God’s Word, the voice of your Shepherd, you are gathered with all His other sheep, those of the different pens throughout time and the far reaches of the earth. [John 10:16] As sheep you are the brethren of Christ of whom He speaks in our Gospel. Living in the Word with all the other sheep, confessing the truth in Christ that Word brings, is how you are among those on His right hand who fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, sheltered the homeless, clothed the naked and visited the sick and imprisoned. And because you are content with hearing the voice and following the person of your Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, you don’t even know that as you follow, you are doing the work of God.
In the 23rd Psalm we have a beautiful picture of the church, the sheepfold of God and His kingdom on earth. For in it the Lord tells us what a sheep does.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; he leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
But Pastor, you protest, that didn’t really say anything about what the sheep does, it tells what the Shepherd does.
You are so right, dear Christian. You are so right. For there you have it! Being a Christian is all about the Shepherd.
And you are a sheep!
The Lord is your Shepherd. The Good Shepherd. That is who He is and what He does. You are His sheep. Therefore you will never be lacking for any good thing, because He is here being your Shepherd.
Jesus makes you lie down in the green pastures of His Word and leads you beside the still waters of His Baptism. You eat and drink in what He has set before you -- because you are a sheep.
Jesus restores your soul by forgiving you your sin, He leads you in the paths of righteousness by giving you His name and the works He has prepared for you to do. You confess your sins and speak of His wonderful works -- because you are a sheep.
Jesus comforts you with the rod of His Law and the staff of His Gospel, the means by which the great comforter, the Holy Spirit, brings you to repentance and forgives you all your sin to create faith in you by which you walk through this dying world with Jesus, your Good Shepherd in front, along side and behind your every step – because you are a sheep.
Jesus prepares the table of His Supper by setting His resurrected body and blood before you so that you can participate in His resurrected life, He anoints your head with the oil of the Holy Spirit so that you will remain in the faith that receives His gifts to overflowing. You eat of His body and drink of His blood to give strength to your weak and dying flesh, you receive His Holy Spirit to give comfort to your flagging spirit, and you receive life – because you are a sheep.
The goodness and mercy of Jesus, the Son of God and your Good Shepherd follows you every day of your life as His Holy Spirit pursues you with His Word, and you dwell in the house of the Lord forever as Jesus dwells with you by the Baptism He has placed upon you and the body and blood He has placed within you. You live in the presence of God and have a seat in His heavenly kingdom even now – because you are a sheep.
Pity those poor goats. The goats on Jesus left have none of this because they are not sheep. They think they have done many good things, yet they have not taken in Christ and did not recognize Him as the Son of God and their Savior because they did not listen to the voice of the Shepherd. The goats are always wanting because they have and desire no shepherd.
Goats do not lie down and feed in green pastures of God’s Word or drink of the quiet waters of Baptism because they are busy climbing mountains, eating and drinking whatever garbage they come across. You are not a goat.
Goats do not have their sins forgiven or walk in the paths of righteousness because they are too busy enjoying their sin and pretending to be righteous. You are not a goat.
Goats do not have any comfort and are constantly driven by fear because they are too busy trying to ignore, cheat, or beat death and have no desire to hear what God would have them do or what He has done for them, they only want to tell what they want God to do for them or somehow prove what they can do for God. You are not a goat.
Goats do not eat at the table of the Lord and their cups are perpetually empty because they are too busy fighting with God, spilling their cups as they climb their mountains and fight their battles. You are not a goat.
Goodness and mercy does not follow goats and goats do not dwell in the house of the Lord now, or ever, because they are too busy chasing evil, following their own desires, and trying to build their own mansions. You are not a goat.
No, dear Christian, you are not a goat. You are a sheep. You are baptized into the One true faith. You hear God’s precious Word proclaimed for the forgiveness of your sin. You eat of His body and drink of His blood. By these very things you have the anointing of His Holy Spirit, the salvation of your souls, the presence of God your Savior, you dwell in the house of the Lord forever, and you are among those at his right hand who will most certainly hear Christ your King say, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world!"
Dear Christian, this is the Gospel of the Lord and you cannot hear it too often...
You are a sheep! --
. . . In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
You can hear this sermon as preached from the pulpit at Trinity Lutheran Church of Layton, UT click on the MP3 link:
LAST SUNDAY.2008.YouAreaSheep!.mp3
Have a most blessed week in the Lord as His precious sheep.
TEXT: "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
"Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Matthew 25:31-34
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
You are a sheep!
Dear Christian, this is the Gospel message within the Gospel reading this morning. You are a sheep.
You are a sheep because God has made you a sheep. At your Baptism, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, God said, “Here I am. Follow me. Be my sheep. I will take care of you for every day of your life, just be my sheep.”
To say you are a sheep is another way of saying that you are a disciple. For disciples follow and live by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. That is what Matthew 28:19-20 is all about:
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
Yes, this is Jesus’ command to His Church to make disciples, but it also tells how to make a disciple, and therefore, it tells us what a disciple is.
A disciple is one who is Baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. AND a disciple is one who is taught to observe, that is to live or abide in, all things that Christ the Lord has commanded -- in other words, everything God has spoken to us by His Word as recorded in Holy Scripture.
In point of fact, this Baptism and teaching to observe is not two things but one. Being Baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit means to be given everything God has to give. When that water trickled over your brow with the Words of God’s very name, you became heir to God’s kingdom.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of the day when that kingdom that has already been given to you as an inheritance of faith by His New Testament, will be given to you in full in the flesh.
Between now and that day of His judgment, you live in your Baptism as a child of God by being taught all the things that God has given you in His Word and by living in and according to that Word of God. And it is in your Baptism, or better put, in God’s baptism, that you, along with all the brethren of Christ who share the baptism of God, that Christ is with you always, even to the end of the age – that is even to the time of our Gospel lesson today when He will separate the sheep from the goats.
From the moment the first drops of water touched your tiny (or not so tiny) head, and God’s Word was received through your ears by the proclamation of the Gospel and into your heart by faith, until you take your last breath and close your eyelids for the last time, Jesus is with you in your Baptism and you are with Him as you follow Him by hearing and receiving all that His Word has to give.
Simply put, in Baptism Jesus becomes your Good Shepherd and you become His sheep. As a sheep you are all about listening and following the voice of your Shepherd.
"And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.” [John 10:4 ]
Listening and following your Shepherd, you are a member of His flock. Even though you don’t see them, by hearing God’s Word, the voice of your Shepherd, you are gathered with all His other sheep, those of the different pens throughout time and the far reaches of the earth. [John 10:16] As sheep you are the brethren of Christ of whom He speaks in our Gospel. Living in the Word with all the other sheep, confessing the truth in Christ that Word brings, is how you are among those on His right hand who fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, sheltered the homeless, clothed the naked and visited the sick and imprisoned. And because you are content with hearing the voice and following the person of your Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, you don’t even know that as you follow, you are doing the work of God.
In the 23rd Psalm we have a beautiful picture of the church, the sheepfold of God and His kingdom on earth. For in it the Lord tells us what a sheep does.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; he leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
But Pastor, you protest, that didn’t really say anything about what the sheep does, it tells what the Shepherd does.
You are so right, dear Christian. You are so right. For there you have it! Being a Christian is all about the Shepherd.
And you are a sheep!
The Lord is your Shepherd. The Good Shepherd. That is who He is and what He does. You are His sheep. Therefore you will never be lacking for any good thing, because He is here being your Shepherd.
Jesus makes you lie down in the green pastures of His Word and leads you beside the still waters of His Baptism. You eat and drink in what He has set before you -- because you are a sheep.
Jesus restores your soul by forgiving you your sin, He leads you in the paths of righteousness by giving you His name and the works He has prepared for you to do. You confess your sins and speak of His wonderful works -- because you are a sheep.
Jesus comforts you with the rod of His Law and the staff of His Gospel, the means by which the great comforter, the Holy Spirit, brings you to repentance and forgives you all your sin to create faith in you by which you walk through this dying world with Jesus, your Good Shepherd in front, along side and behind your every step – because you are a sheep.
Jesus prepares the table of His Supper by setting His resurrected body and blood before you so that you can participate in His resurrected life, He anoints your head with the oil of the Holy Spirit so that you will remain in the faith that receives His gifts to overflowing. You eat of His body and drink of His blood to give strength to your weak and dying flesh, you receive His Holy Spirit to give comfort to your flagging spirit, and you receive life – because you are a sheep.
The goodness and mercy of Jesus, the Son of God and your Good Shepherd follows you every day of your life as His Holy Spirit pursues you with His Word, and you dwell in the house of the Lord forever as Jesus dwells with you by the Baptism He has placed upon you and the body and blood He has placed within you. You live in the presence of God and have a seat in His heavenly kingdom even now – because you are a sheep.
Pity those poor goats. The goats on Jesus left have none of this because they are not sheep. They think they have done many good things, yet they have not taken in Christ and did not recognize Him as the Son of God and their Savior because they did not listen to the voice of the Shepherd. The goats are always wanting because they have and desire no shepherd.
Goats do not lie down and feed in green pastures of God’s Word or drink of the quiet waters of Baptism because they are busy climbing mountains, eating and drinking whatever garbage they come across. You are not a goat.
Goats do not have their sins forgiven or walk in the paths of righteousness because they are too busy enjoying their sin and pretending to be righteous. You are not a goat.
Goats do not have any comfort and are constantly driven by fear because they are too busy trying to ignore, cheat, or beat death and have no desire to hear what God would have them do or what He has done for them, they only want to tell what they want God to do for them or somehow prove what they can do for God. You are not a goat.
Goats do not eat at the table of the Lord and their cups are perpetually empty because they are too busy fighting with God, spilling their cups as they climb their mountains and fight their battles. You are not a goat.
Goodness and mercy does not follow goats and goats do not dwell in the house of the Lord now, or ever, because they are too busy chasing evil, following their own desires, and trying to build their own mansions. You are not a goat.
No, dear Christian, you are not a goat. You are a sheep. You are baptized into the One true faith. You hear God’s precious Word proclaimed for the forgiveness of your sin. You eat of His body and drink of His blood. By these very things you have the anointing of His Holy Spirit, the salvation of your souls, the presence of God your Savior, you dwell in the house of the Lord forever, and you are among those at his right hand who will most certainly hear Christ your King say, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world!"
Dear Christian, this is the Gospel of the Lord and you cannot hear it too often...
You are a sheep! --
. . . In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Well Done Good and Faithful Servant
Here is the sermon preached at Trinity Lutheran Church of Layton, Utah on Sunday, November 16, 2008 for the 27th SUNDAY after PENTECOST. The audio file is in MP3 format and begins with the final verse of the Hymn of the Day, "The Day Is Surely Drawing Near." The sermon begins at the :45 mark.
For both barrells and all the blanks filled in, you can hear this sermon as preached from the pulpit at Trinity Lutheran Church of Layton, UT click on the MP3 link:
For both barrells and all the blanks filled in, you can hear this sermon as preached from the pulpit at Trinity Lutheran Church of Layton, UT click on the MP3 link:
Pent27.Well Done Good and Faithful Servant.mp3
Have a most blessed week in the Lord as His redeemed.
TEXT: "For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Matt 25:14-30, NKJ
"Well done, good and faithful servant[s];you have been faithful . . . "
What sweet music to the ears. Everybody loves a compliment.
These are God’s words, this is God’s Word to you today. It is God’s Word first to His Son who is THE Good and Faithful Servant. And now, you as the body of Christ now hear them addressed to you as well.
But as sweet sounding as they are now, imagine how much more so they will be on the Last Day. When all those countless souls on the left hand will fall before the Lord in dead fear and begin weeping and gnashing their teeth, you will be among those to whom the Lord Jesus Christ in all His splendor judges you, speaking those sweet, musical words, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful."
And Jesus is not going to say this as a reward based upon how much work you did as a member of a church board, guild, recognized service organization, or missionary league. The Son of God is not going to be issuing this judgment based upon how much time you put in to maintaining the property or even how much you have put in the offering plate, either.
He is going to say "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful" because you have heard His Word and kept it and treasured it as the bread of life and heavenly gift that it is. He is going to say "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful" to fulfill the promise He spoke 2000 years ago:
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matt 6:33, NKJ)
You see, this parable of the talents isn’t about the stewardship of your time, talents, and treasures. They’re not yours anyway, are they?
This parable is not even primarily about the stewardship of God’s earthly gifts to you rightly understood as the time, talents, and treasures that He has given you in such abundance.
Oh, sure, one can make that application and there is some good and right use that comes from it.
But please understand, above, and beyond, and underlying everything else, this parable is about the stewardship of God’s grace. It is about the kingdom of heaven, as Jesus Himself makes clear in nitroducing the parable:
"For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them."
And since we are sinners in a fallen world that cannot participate in the kingdom of heaven by works or even by sight, that necessarily means this parable is about faith – faith in the goods, that is to say the grace, God the Father has delivered to you in Christ and the Holy Spirit continues to deliver to you in and through the holy Christian Church. In other words, this parable is about nothing more nor less than the forgiveness of sins.
What this means is that the parable is about your stewardship of the means of grace, that is the forgiveness of sins, both in your life together with the congregation of saints to which you belong and in your everyday life as you interact with your neighbor in and around the home, and at work, school, or play.
This is why we pray together every Sunday, and urge every Christian to pray when they rise in the morning, when they sit at mealtimes, and when they lay their heads to sleep:
The Fifth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer:
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
What does this mean? We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look at our sins, or deny our prayer because of them. We are neither worthy of the things for which we pray, nor have we deserved them, but we ask that He would give them all to us by grace, for we daily sin much and surely deserve nothing but punishment. So we too will sincerely forgive and gladly do good to those who sin against us.
So given that the kingdom of heaven is about the reign of God in souls of faith, there are two, really three, things to consider based upon this parable:
1. Is the church you attend, and the pastor you have called, faithful to deliver God’s goods of forgiveness of sins?
2. Are you faithful in receiving the goods of forgiveness of sins God delivers on a regular basis?
3. Are you faithful in delivering to the people with whom you interact everyday the goods of forgiveness of sins God has delivered first to you?
And since Jesus is using this parable to reveal the mystery of the kingdom of heaven, it has implications for the whole Christian Church on earth and its individual congregations like Trinity, Layton as well. For what is the Church if not the kingdom of heaven opening its doors, the King and Lord of heaven Himself opening His arms to shower the reign of His grace upon His people by gathering them together for the proclamation and hearing of the Word of forgiveness?
Speaking to His beloved apostle, John, the Alpha and Omega, the Word of God made flesh, Jesus the Christ instructs him to write these words to the church in Ephesus as a warning and exhortation to all Christian congregations:
"Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place__ unless you repent. . . . He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." (Rev 2:4-5, 7 NKJ)
It is rather funny, in an ironic sort of way, and coincidental, if there is such a thing as coincidence in the kingdom of heaven, that this parable of our Lord recorded in the Gospel of Matthew pops up in the church calendar at the same time that many, if not most, congregations are meeting to draft and adopt their budgets for the next earthly calendar year. It is also in some respects unfortunate, because in our angst over the use of our money, and sometimes in our anger over its misuse or abuse, we lose our focus on the one thing needful – that is Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of sins He has bequeathed to us.
But as with all things that men mess up and bungle because of their own sinful desires and thinking, God means and works it for good.
"For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them."
Today that kingdom is here, in Christ’s church. And on the Last Day you, and all who dwelled in the faithfulness and security of the Lord in His church on earth are sure to hear the sweet music of your Savior’s voice:
"Well done, good and faithful servant[s];you have been faithful . . . " For you have received the goods of God and have lived in the forgiveness of sins--
... in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
For both barrells and all the blanks filled in, you can hear this sermon as preached from the pulpit at Trinity Lutheran Church of Layton, UT click on the MP3 link:
For both barrells and all the blanks filled in, you can hear this sermon as preached from the pulpit at Trinity Lutheran Church of Layton, UT click on the MP3 link:
Pent27.Well Done Good and Faithful Servant.mp3
Have a most blessed week in the Lord as His redeemed.
TEXT: "For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Matt 25:14-30, NKJ
"Well done, good and faithful servant[s];you have been faithful . . . "
What sweet music to the ears. Everybody loves a compliment.
These are God’s words, this is God’s Word to you today. It is God’s Word first to His Son who is THE Good and Faithful Servant. And now, you as the body of Christ now hear them addressed to you as well.
But as sweet sounding as they are now, imagine how much more so they will be on the Last Day. When all those countless souls on the left hand will fall before the Lord in dead fear and begin weeping and gnashing their teeth, you will be among those to whom the Lord Jesus Christ in all His splendor judges you, speaking those sweet, musical words, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful."
And Jesus is not going to say this as a reward based upon how much work you did as a member of a church board, guild, recognized service organization, or missionary league. The Son of God is not going to be issuing this judgment based upon how much time you put in to maintaining the property or even how much you have put in the offering plate, either.
He is going to say "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful" because you have heard His Word and kept it and treasured it as the bread of life and heavenly gift that it is. He is going to say "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful" to fulfill the promise He spoke 2000 years ago:
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matt 6:33, NKJ)
You see, this parable of the talents isn’t about the stewardship of your time, talents, and treasures. They’re not yours anyway, are they?
This parable is not even primarily about the stewardship of God’s earthly gifts to you rightly understood as the time, talents, and treasures that He has given you in such abundance.
Oh, sure, one can make that application and there is some good and right use that comes from it.
But please understand, above, and beyond, and underlying everything else, this parable is about the stewardship of God’s grace. It is about the kingdom of heaven, as Jesus Himself makes clear in nitroducing the parable:
"For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them."
And since we are sinners in a fallen world that cannot participate in the kingdom of heaven by works or even by sight, that necessarily means this parable is about faith – faith in the goods, that is to say the grace, God the Father has delivered to you in Christ and the Holy Spirit continues to deliver to you in and through the holy Christian Church. In other words, this parable is about nothing more nor less than the forgiveness of sins.
What this means is that the parable is about your stewardship of the means of grace, that is the forgiveness of sins, both in your life together with the congregation of saints to which you belong and in your everyday life as you interact with your neighbor in and around the home, and at work, school, or play.
This is why we pray together every Sunday, and urge every Christian to pray when they rise in the morning, when they sit at mealtimes, and when they lay their heads to sleep:
The Fifth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer:
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
What does this mean? We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look at our sins, or deny our prayer because of them. We are neither worthy of the things for which we pray, nor have we deserved them, but we ask that He would give them all to us by grace, for we daily sin much and surely deserve nothing but punishment. So we too will sincerely forgive and gladly do good to those who sin against us.
So given that the kingdom of heaven is about the reign of God in souls of faith, there are two, really three, things to consider based upon this parable:
1. Is the church you attend, and the pastor you have called, faithful to deliver God’s goods of forgiveness of sins?
2. Are you faithful in receiving the goods of forgiveness of sins God delivers on a regular basis?
3. Are you faithful in delivering to the people with whom you interact everyday the goods of forgiveness of sins God has delivered first to you?
And since Jesus is using this parable to reveal the mystery of the kingdom of heaven, it has implications for the whole Christian Church on earth and its individual congregations like Trinity, Layton as well. For what is the Church if not the kingdom of heaven opening its doors, the King and Lord of heaven Himself opening His arms to shower the reign of His grace upon His people by gathering them together for the proclamation and hearing of the Word of forgiveness?
Speaking to His beloved apostle, John, the Alpha and Omega, the Word of God made flesh, Jesus the Christ instructs him to write these words to the church in Ephesus as a warning and exhortation to all Christian congregations:
"Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place__ unless you repent. . . . He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." (Rev 2:4-5, 7 NKJ)
It is rather funny, in an ironic sort of way, and coincidental, if there is such a thing as coincidence in the kingdom of heaven, that this parable of our Lord recorded in the Gospel of Matthew pops up in the church calendar at the same time that many, if not most, congregations are meeting to draft and adopt their budgets for the next earthly calendar year. It is also in some respects unfortunate, because in our angst over the use of our money, and sometimes in our anger over its misuse or abuse, we lose our focus on the one thing needful – that is Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of sins He has bequeathed to us.
But as with all things that men mess up and bungle because of their own sinful desires and thinking, God means and works it for good.
"For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them."
Today that kingdom is here, in Christ’s church. And on the Last Day you, and all who dwelled in the faithfulness and security of the Lord in His church on earth are sure to hear the sweet music of your Savior’s voice:
"Well done, good and faithful servant[s];you have been faithful . . . " For you have received the goods of God and have lived in the forgiveness of sins--
... in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Oil for the Lamp of Faith
Pentecost26.2008.OilfortheLampofFaith.mp3
Have a wonderful week as Christ's redeemed with the lamps of your faith full of the oil of the Holy Spirit.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Washed in the Blood of the Lamb
This is my first attempt to post an audio recording of a sermon. It is the sermon preached at Trinity Lutheran Church of Layton, Utah on Sunday, November 2, 2008 for the festival of All Saints. The audio file is in MP3 format and contains a couple of muffled verses of the Hymn of the Day, "Jesus Thy Blood and Righteousness. The sermon begins at the 1:05 mark.
All saints.mp3
I had no sound system and it was recorded on my cell phone. Didn't come out too badly.
Please let me know what you think of either the content of the sermon and/or quality of the sound.
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