Sinner and Saint

“Imitation is the highest compliment”

Pentecost 12, 2006

Ephesians 4:29-5:2

“Imitation is the highest compliment”

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

            Our Epistle Lesson gives us a wonderful inventory of qualities that a person may possess. This list includes both good things and bad things and reminds me of an inventory list that I like to use with couples that are seeking to be married. The scenario of this exercise is that you are brokering your “fiancée” much like that of a house.

            If I were to ask you to list some of the best qualities of your fiancée or spouse or whoever…what would they be? Some of them might be that they are handsome or beautiful, loving, compassionate, kind, forgiving, a great cook etc. Many times people will list qualities that are only skin deep…and not the basis of a good marriage. These are indeed much of the basis of why you love or at least like this person.

            Unfortunately every house…and person…has some problems too. To be fair and honest you need to list the not so good qualities of the person as well. You might say that they are a bad cook, they hold grudges, they are bitter, they get angry easily, they drink or smoke too much, they curse and yell etc. These are some not so good qualities aren’t they.

            When you go into a relationship how many of you would begin by looking for a person that can’t cook, holds grudges, is easily angered, drinks and smokes too much, curses and yells? For most of you, if not all of you…this isn’t the place you would be looking to start a meaningful relationship.

            All of these things we have listed, both good and bad, are often picked up by children as well. As we have said in the past…haven’t you seen some of the habits a child picks up from their parent…many of them good...but many of them…not so good. Children have a habit of imitating what they see their parents do. As the saying goes…an apple doesn’t fall very far from the tree.

            Unfortunately we are bad apples. As much as we see our own strengths and look at our own qualities…we are dead to sin. When God looks at us he sees sinful people that have rejected Him. When Jesus looked at us to be His bride he saw all of our bad qualities. God looks down at us His creation…His children and doesn’t see us imitating a Christ life but an ungodly life. God sees our “bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice” that we have.

            But something must have happened. Why would God want to save us? Why would God send his Son to die on the cross for us? Why would Jesus the bridegroom want us for his bride? Clearly we are full of bad qualities…if we were a house it would be an understatement to call us a Handy Man’s dream or a fixer upper! Truly we would be a tear-down! For we are sinners that have rotted to the core and seemingly are beyond repair! But something did happen.

            Jesus did come to this world to die for us! Jesus came and took all of these short comings all of these problems…all of our sinfulness upon himself. Jesus sees us without sin or blemish; a holy and pure bride! God our Father sees us through his son. We have been made perfect through Christ.

            There will be days ahead of us when our sinfulness gets the better of us. There will be days when we question our own faith. There will be days we question if God could ever love a person as bad as me! St. Paul tells us as Christians that we must not “let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ love us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

            Yes, we know how we are to act…but it isn’t easy. We know how we should treat our spouse, our parents, our children, our friends, neighbors, and enemies…but often we don’t treat them as God wants us. We aren’t always in church worshipping our Lord; we aren’t always praying for God’s will or rejoicing in our Lord.

            Yet God gives us himself in the Word and in His Holy Supper so that we may be all these things; that we may imitate Christ to all people. It is here in this place that we receive these gifts of life…not only for ourselves but to share with others. It is here in this place that we must be…in order that we may imitate Jesus to the world.

            As we watch our children grow up…we see the example we have been to them. As Christians let us imitate Christ so that our children may imitate their Lord as well. To imitate Christ as a Christian…is to live as a servant to others sharing God’s love and the joyous news that Jesus died for the sins of the world that they world may be reconciled to God and be given eternal life.

            Jesus has made you his bride…pure and holy! He has washed away your sins and sees them no more. Amen.

Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Funeral Sermon for Theresa Ann Imig

Funeral Service for Theresa Ann Imig

Rick, Sarah, Rebekah, Andrew, and Kate; Theresa’s family and friends,

Grace, Mercy, and Peace be to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Amen. 

This is a time of mourning at the loss of Theresa Ann Imig and yet it is a time of great joy; for Theresa is in heaven with our Lord. Each of us may have different memories of Theresa in many different ways. Some of you may remember her classes as she taught you at Webster, Lincoln or Wapella schools. Some of you may remember her jokes and laughter. Many of us will remember her smile and fiery red hair. Some remember her as a passionate teacher, a loving wife and mother, a trusty colleague and friend. Some of you may remember the one dream that she had…was to teach…and that was what she accomplished. All of you have seen the joy that Theresa shared in Christ Jesus.

Theresa, was a very caring and loving woman. She was a good woman. But Theresa too was a sinner. Theresa died because of sin. Each of us too will die because of sin. Sin causes many things that were not supposed to happen. Sickness wasn’t supposed to happen. Heartache wasn’t supposed to happen. Death wasn’t supposed to happen but it does… because of sin…and we are to blame for that. Nobody in this world is perfect; not you, not me, and not Theresa. Yes Theresa knew this to be true; she taught this to her children and others children here at Christ and confessed her sins each Sunday morning so that she would be forgiven for Jesus sake.

Yet this is not the end. For we have a Lord in Christ Jesus that came into this world to die for our sins that we may have life. Jesus died on the cross for Theresa…and for you…and for me. This was Theresa’s confidence. "But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you" (Romans 8:10-11).

Right now Theresa is in heaven with our Lord as well as with all the saints that died before her. She is with her mother right now. Yes, you could say that Theresa was a good woman but that isn’t what saved her and that isn’t where her hope lye. It was faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior that saved Theresa. This faith began in San Jose, Illinois in 1950 when Theresa’s Pastor held her in his arms and baptized Theresa in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" (Romans 12:12). Theresa knew suffering from her battles with cancer. Yes there were times she may have seemed to get down and heavy laden. But this did not take her hope away. This suffering did not break her spirit. She had joy in the Hope of Christ the Great Physician of Body and Soul and was patient in affliction and faithful in prayer. Her hope was in the words we just sang: "I fear no foe with thee at hand to bless; Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness. Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory? I triumph still if thou abide with me!" Theresa feared not cancer or death and was one of the strongest women any of us may ever know. Her strength was in her Lord’s presence and promise of life everlasting.

This is also what Theresa did as Wife, Mother, and teacher. She shared the joy of hope in the Resurrection and life with many who are now in heaven and with many that await. She did this with her own children and others here at Christ by teaching them "This little Gospel light of mine…I’m gonna let it shine let it shine all the time let it shine!" Theresa took every opportunity in her life to share the Gospel and to show the love Christ had for her and for you. Theresa’s Gospel light is now shining brighter then ever as she is surrounded by the light of Christ.

Theresa remained a faithful servant of the Word throughout her calling as a teacher. She showed patience with many of you especially children. She was faithful in praying for each of you. Now she is in heaven where there is no suffering. Her hope is eternal, her patience complete and she continues to worship her Lord with all the saints.

Something that is a comfort for many at the time of losing a loved one is knowing that you may worship the Lord with them. In the Divine Service we say "with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven we laud and magnify your glorious name…" or when we speak the Apostles Creed "I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the life everlasting." The company of heaven and the communion of saints include Theresa now. They include each of our loved ones that have died in the faith that are now with our Lord. When we worship we are lifted up to heaven and worship our Lord with all believers as we speak the same words and worship the same Jesus.

Our hope, like Theresa is in Christ Jesus and we are assured that God "who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you." Our hope is in the Risen Lord who died so that each of us like Theresa may be in heaven with Him. Yes Jesus will surely, as we sang, abide with us in life and in death.

The Lord will surely welcome all of us believers as He welcomed Theresa home. "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" Amen.

Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.

What sign are you looking for?

Pentecost 11, 2006

John 6:24-35

What Sign are you looking for?

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

The day after my wedding I was still getting goose bumps and realizing that yes I was indeed married. There are many events in our lives that can be overwhelming in good and not so good ways. After the wedding I was full of joy and thanksgiving that at last Alicia and I were married. I remember the joy I had finally graduating first from college and then from the Seminary. There are the joys of once in a lifetime events….like the Cubs winning the World Series! Many of you have the joy of being a parent and have experienced the first day being mom or dad. Many of you have experienced the hardship of losing a loved one to death and that too is an experience with many different feelings that last. Here in our text we see the people’s reaction…the first day after reaction…to Jesus miracle of feeding over 5000 people. How do you think they would react to such an event? Would they react with joy, relief, awe, doubt, amazement…or what?

"Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernum in search of Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, ‘Rabbi, when did you get here?’" First of all the people noticed that Jesus wasn’t there! They decided to look for him and jumped into boats to cross the Sea of Galilee. After they had found him they approached him calling him Rabbi or Teacher. After seeing the miracle Jesus performed and deciding he was the Messiah that they wanted to crown king of Israel…they still call him Rabbi. It sounds like they believe…we wish they believed…but calling Jesus Rabbi is still done to this day by Jews, Muslims, and others. Rabbi is not the same as calling Jesus Lord and God. Once again…the people did not understand the miracle or what it showed of Jesus.

How often do we fail to see who Jesus really is…by the miracles and signs he gives to us. Look at how the world acts towards destruction. When the world is going along nicely… the rains come down like they should… there are no earthquakes, droughts, famines, or hurricanes… we thank Mother Earth! Yet when these disasters do occur we blame God and his wrathfulness! I guess I should be thankful that the world even acknowledges the existence of God!

We as Christians also get things mixed up. There are Christians that deny much of Scripture! There are Christians that deny the miracles of Christ, deny creation, deny the feeding of 5000, and deny the Resurrection of Jesus! There are also Christians that get hung up in the occult and read there daily horoscopes as if it were the Divine Word of God. How is it that even those that believe Jesus is God and Lord goof things up like this…it is sin. We continue to look for God to rule over this world as King…to make this world perfect now…to make our lives perfect and without troubles or hurt. We want Jesus to be our personal "miracle-worker" taking care of every need when we want him to doing what we would like him to do.

"Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill." Jesus replies to our hearts not merely our words. Jesus ignored the question of when he got to Capernum and goes directly to their doubts…to their hearts. Jesus explains that the people should not "work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. Then they asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires.’" Jesus tries to lead them past what they want…and what they have to do…and show them that God is and will continue to give them all they need in this world and the next. Faith is a gift from God not a work or decision that we make and do.

How often do we goof grace and faith up? We as people are always trying to do! We often come to God asking the same question as these people: "What must WE do in order that WE might work the works of God?" We get caught up in the idea that there must be some merit that we earn or something we must do to gain salvation.

"Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’" We must indeed do the believing but our believing is the work of God. Faith is a divine work which God demands of us; but at the same time He Himself must implant it in us, for we cannot believe by ourselves.

The people seemed to be asking the right questions…but missing the point. Jesus is God in the flesh; the one that came into this world to save us poor sinners by dying on the cross. Jesus constantly gave signs through miracles to show the people who he was! But the people did not get it!

"So they asked him, ‘What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?" Now…it’s easy for us to look at them and just shake our heads. Didn’t Jesus, THE day before just feed over 5000 people with 5 small loaves of bread and two fish? Wasn’t that good enough? The people betray their spiritual blindness in their response to Jesus. Whenever man prescribes a condition on which he will believe, it is not faith but work-righteousness that is speaking.

But the people…they even backed this up with Scripture saying, "Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’" The people are telling Jesus that Moses performed a greater miracle then he did…and that the manna was greater then what Jesus provided for the people!

How often do we question the work of God! We question why bad things happen to us…but not to other people who we perceive as being "bad." We question why God allows such disasters as Hurricane Katrina and Rita, 9/11, and Wars to occur. We question why God doesn’t perform miracles when we need them…and we do this as we fail to remember God’s creation of earth, of you and me. We do this as we ignore the miracles of faith…of Baptism…of Jesus body and blood in Communion. We do this as we ignore the death and resurrection of Christ!

"Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.’" It was the Father, not Moses that gave the Israelites the manna. Furthermore, the genuine bread from heaven is a present fact, gift from God. It was even presently in front of them. As Jesus is standing there He is offering Himself to these unbelievers. Jesus is our bread of life. He is standing here in this place offering Himself to you as well.

Thanks be to God that as these unbelievers asked to be fed this bread…that God indeed continues to feed us the bread of life. As Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." Jesus offers himself to all that seek him…Jesus offers himself to us.

As we continue with our daily lives filled with troubles, hurts, and pains let us always look to the cross. It is at the cross that we see our Lord die for our sins and raised by the Father. It is this Jesus, our Lord and God, who gives us himself in the miracles of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. These signs give us faith and forgiveness. Let us never doubt or forget these signs but hold fast to them. For our Joy and our Hope are found in Christ! We look forward to being with Him in paradise. Amen.

Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.