Pentecost 4 - Proper 9 Series C
Intended to be delivered 03 July 2022 - move to 02 July 2-23
Christ is
Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!
Death has no hold you! Your sins are
forgiven and you have the promise of everlasting life through faith in Jesus
Christ! That’s all I need to say.
When it comes to your faith, your life, and our life
together in this congregation, it’s really all about Jesus. Jesus Christ has
died for your sins, Risen from the dead to defeat the power of sin and death.
He is your only source of forgiveness, life, and salvation! He is the way, the
truth and the life!
Jesus is the only reason that this congregation has
made it thus far over the past 185 years and He is your only hope as you look
to your future beyond today as my call as your pastor comes to an end.
Thus, I cannot encourage you enough; stay centered in
Christ crucified and risen for you. In everything you say and do, Christ is the
center. As the Savior Himself says in the Gospel of John,
“If you abide in
my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth
will set you free.” (John 8:31-32) That’s all I need to say.
Today, may we focus on the Savior as He speaks to us
through the appointed Gospel for this day; a reading taken from Luke the
evangelist, the tenth chapter.
Almighty God,
You have built Your Church on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with
Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. Continue to send Your messengers to
preserve Your people in true peace that, by the preaching of Your Word, Your
Church may be kept free from harm and danger.[1]
LORD Jesus,
risen and ascended for us; bless Thy Word, that we might trust in Thee.
How is Jesus trying to get us to see the world as He
does?
How is His view different from other viewpoints that
hold our attention?
How might this text influence the way we live out our
lives and live out our faith?
The Savior teaches, “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!” (v.5)
I’ve often wondered, if Pr. Hoover was thinking of this particular verse
when he gave us the name “Friedheim.”
It isn’t a coincidence is it not?
For by the grace of our Heavenly Father we have
experienced a time of tranquility and peace. I pray that it may continue. May
the peace of Christ fill this place with His presence. Thus, we pray with the
hymn writer who says, “Give Thy Church, Lord
to see, Days of peace and unity: O LORD have mercy!”[3]
Jesus continues, “And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house.” (v.7)
And so, we stayed. In the same house. For thirty-six years. Eating and
drinking what was provided. To which we simply say, “Thank you!” Thank you for your kindness. For your support. For your
prayers; these many years. Especially this last year. You have been agents of mercy. Yes, thank you. For your compassion and care.
Jesus explains, “The
one who hears you hears me,” (v.25) You have only one shepherd – Christ.
The pastor, he’s only an under shepherd. A lower-ranking shepherd who works
under another shepherd.
Pastors come and go. They are called. They serve. And
then are sent elsewhere. And soon, another pastor will come to serve you with
gifts and talents, which will be used for the greater glory of Christ at this
place.
Every October the students at Wyneken graced the
pastors with cards and notes for pastor appreciation. One read as follows,
“I was really
disappointed when I heard you are retiring. But I’m sure your replacement will
be just as good!”
There you have it! And why should we doubt that the
next man would be just as good? It is the LORD’s church. He’s in control. It’s
going to be all right!
The pastor
shepherds, protects and feeds the flock with the Word of Christ. He is a
servant in the LORD’s house. He is the under-shepherd of the Chief Shepherd;
Christ. When you hear your pastor speaking in worship; that is the voice of
Jesus you hear through His called servant.
Your new pastor may be a gifted speaker. He may
stutter. He may be charismatic in persona; and passionate. He might be an introvert. He may be dynamic or dry – but
it doesn’t matter. You are not following the under-shepherd, but Christ the
Good Shepherd.
Thus, St. Paul reminds us in the epistle for this day,
we do not “boast except in the cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 6:14) Rejoicing in this Gospel, we “bear one another’s burdens,” in love,
according to “the law of Christ.”
(Galatians 6:2)
This, I say to you, rejoice in this Gospel, and so,
bear one another’s burdens in love according to the law of Christ.
Rejoice in the Gospel – This life that you live. Your
struggles. Your anger. Your weakness. Your woes. Your sorrows - your Lord knows all. Even your
joys exactly. Because He became a man.
The coming of Jesus into our world changes everything.
For we do not have a God who was too proud to know His people. Or, a God
content to rule from a great distance. Or, a God whose majesty was just too awesome
for us to behold. We have just the opposite. Jesus, the only One, who
experienced the very same humanity, the very same problems, and the very same
challenges that you do.
No, you do not walk this road alone. Jesus is the God
who came down from heaven. He was that man. “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief. Surely, he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we
esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was
pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was
the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds, we are healed. – Isaiah
53:3-5
Behold, Christ’s cross. He did this by Himself suffering an unjust
arrest, by Himself being killed most unfairly. Jesus, the most righteous one–the
only perfectly righteous one–He would be arrested and tried and put to death,
when it was clear he was entirely not guilty.
On His cross, your sins became His. Your troubles His
burdens. He died your death, only to rise again. Look to His cross for your
every burden in life. While the world spins, the cross stands!
Tell others your pain; you won't receive the care you
expect.
Tell Jesus, and you'll see He knows your sorrows
better than you do.
Tell others your sins, they will litigate and judge you. Tell
Jesus, and see He how He has taken them all away.
He did this all for you, for you and for all the
perplexed people of this world. Justice is done.
All the wrongs and the sins are paid for. By Jesus’
holy blood on the cross.
Now your fears and your worries have a place to go to
find an answer. To the cross of Christ.
Now you are free to bear one another’s burdens in love
according to the law of Christ.
Cain asked, “Am
I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9) The LORD never answered that
question. Cain knew the answer and so do you. Of course, you are your brother’s
keeper. So, bear one another’s burdens in love according to the law of
Christ. Be a sermon in shoes.
Remember. You always bear the name of Christ in the life you live. If you hate a brother. You have committed murder in your heart. For a Christian. Hate is a serious sin.
A Christian never looks fundamentally at another person as someone to be destroyed. And that is the danger of politics. We never look at another person as a threat; where we are given to harm, or to label them as "other." We only look at a person as one redeemed by Christ the crucified. We must always see that person as one for whom Christ died. Which includes me.
The Savior reminds, us, “Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but
rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (v.20)
Here is an opportunity to talk about the significance
of baptism for the certainty of salvation. St. Paul teaches, “For as many of you as were baptized into
Christ have put on Christ.” (Galatians 3:27)
And he continues, “Do
you not know that all of us who have been baptized pinto Christ Jesus were
baptized into his death?
We were
buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ
was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in
newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we
shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. “-Romans 6:3-5
Remember. If you were crucified with Christ then you have died with Christ. And if you were resurrected with Christ then you have been given new life by Christ. [4]
“What then shall
we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not
spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him
graciously give us all things? Who shall
bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to
condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is
at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is
written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded
as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him who loved us. “–Romans 8:31-37
That your names are written gives assurance that the LORD will not forget about you. The words we hear in baptism, in absolution and at the Lord’s Table; your LORD is speaking to each of you saying, “Your name is written in heaven! Rejoice.”
Thus, we can look confidently into the future. The
LORD has blessed us mightily these many years. And we should not doubt but
firmly believe that the LORD’s mercies will continue. People of God – The best
is yet to come!
May the LORD Jesus richly bless you.
Bless your spouse and children.
Bless your bodies with good health, our minds with
wisdom, your hearts with love.
Bless you with happy days, restful nights, and
peaceful dreams.
Bless your vocations with successes.
Bless you with forgiveness, life, salvation, and all
the treasures of Heaven.[5]
The LORD bless you and keep you. The LORD make His
face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The LORD lift His countenance
upon you and give you peace.
Godspeed! And God Bless!
Words-1,920
Passive Sentences – 13.8%
Readability – 85%
Reading Level – 4.0
[1]
Collect for Proper 9, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House,
St. Louis
[2] Three questions to ask of any biblical text, Pr. Peter Brock, St, John Bingen, Decatur, IN
[3] O
Lord, We Praise Thee, stanza three, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia
Publishing House, St. Louis
[4] Pr. Ken Kelly, Johnstown, PA Easter 2019
[5] Chad Bird Facebook post 7.02.2022
No comments:
Post a Comment