Sinner and Saint

Streams of Living Water

The Day of Pentecost, 2009

John 7:37-39a

“Streams of Living Water”

 

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

 

           “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets.” (Nicene Creed Article III) Today is Pentecost. It is the day that our Lord promised to the Apostles; the day our Father in Heaven poured out the Holy Spirit on the twelve. Pentecost marks the time in the Church year that we focus on the Church itself. But what is so important and special about the Holy Spirit? I used to wonder if the Holy Spirit was so important why does He get just one Sunday a year to be focused upon. Unfortunately that was my youthful ignorance and an indictment upon the church not the Holy Spirit. How unfortunate it is when we forget about the Third Person of the Holy Trinity.

            The Holy Spirit has been present and involved in the most important events of Holy Scripture. “Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.” (Genesis 1:26) “The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35) “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.” (Matthew 3:16) “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” (Acts 2:1-4) “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19)

            The Holy Spirit. Present and part of creating the world. Present and part of the Birth of Christ. Present and part of Jesus Baptism. Present and and encompassing Pentecost. Present and creating faith in your Baptism. Yes, your Baptism is one of the most important events in all of Scripture. The Holy Spirit is present in the Church and all true believers. The Holy Spirit is present in you.

            The problem isn’t that the Holy Spirit isn’t at work in the world today…it’s that we don’t give the Holy Spirit credit for what He is doing…instead we take the credit for ourselves. We take credit for our own faith and we take credit for building and expanding the Church. Yet Scripture says “Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:3) How can we bring ourselves or others to faith when we cannot even say that “Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit?”

            But why do we take credit for God’s work? We like to think we can take care of things ourselves. We like to think that we are in control of everything. We like to think everything is dependant on us. How often we say to ourselves things would be different if we would have just….you fill in the blank. Yet it is always God who is in charge. Truly God speaks to us who think we do all the work and are in charge saying “You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit!” (Acts 7:51)

            Yes, we resist the Holy Spirit when we take credit for what He does. We resist the Holy Spirit when we fall into sin. We resist the Holy Spirit over and over again each and every day. But while we resist in our sinfulness God is quick to forgive and the Holy Spirit remains in you.

            “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19)“Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38) “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” (Luke 12:11-12) “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:26)

            God’s love for you never ends and never ceases to amaze. Just look at the love God gives to you in the Holy Spirit. Look at the wondrous things the Holy Spirit does for us. The Holy Spirit gives us faith as we are baptized, continues to live in us His temples, strengthens us, preserves us, and creates a faith that is active…active in doing good works, active in loving others, active in sharing Christ.

            This faith that we have been given…this faith that does such wonderful things…this faith is what Jesus was speaking about when He said “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.” (John 7:37-39a)

            My brothers and sisters in Christ in Baptism you have been given the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is living in you and is creating a strong living faith that loves, shares, and does great things. “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)

           Yes, I believe in the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Blessed Holy Trinity), the Lord and giver of life (giver of my faith and my life in Christ), who proceeds from the Father and the Son (sent forth on Pentecost and sent to me at my Baptism), who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified (Whom we thankfully remember and praise this Pentecost Day) who spoke by the prophets (and still speaks through God’s Word, God’s Pastors and Teachers, and God’s people). 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.

Test the spirits

Easter 6, 2009

1 John 4:1-11

“Test the spirits”

 

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

 

 

           “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.” (1 John 4:1-3)

Many groups claim to be able to tell you who Jesus is. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormons) say they know who he is because one of their prophets told them. According to the Mormons, Jesus was only one of many 'spirit children' that a god named "elohim" was father to. They believe that Jesus is god just as every good Mormon may become god. The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (Jehovah's Witnesses) say they know who he is; Jesus was an angel who became a man. Not THE God, but a god in a sense. To Islam, the Muslims, Jesus Christ (Issus) was a perfect prophet, a man, but not God. To the Buddhist Jesus was a great Guru or teacher. Sikhs also believe Jesus to be a Guru that may be one with god but not god. Hindu’s believe Jesus was most likely a god or a incarnation of Vishnu one of their main gods. Jews were also confused by who Jesus was now and at the time of Christ. “When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” (Matthew 16:13-14)

Indeed there are many false prophets, as our lesson said, that are in the world leading many astray. Through John God proclaims to His children that all Christians are to test the teaching of all religious teachers who come to them. That is not a private prerogative of the Papacy, a synod, elders, or a pastor; it is the right and responsibility of every Christian. As Christians we are to test the theology that someone is speaking to us. As members of this congregation you are to test my theology that you are not led astray and that I may repent if I err. Truly false doctrine is to be spotted by all Christians, not just the pastor.

Test the spirits. But with what standard? The true touchstone for distinguishing true from false doctrine is the person of Christ and all that this involves. It is that Jesus really is both God and man. It is that Jesus is both Son and God. It is that Jesus really was born and lived. It is that Jesus lived, died, and rose from the dead. In other words the standard is what Scripture tells us about Jesus and what Jesus claims about Himself in Scripture. Truly we confess who Jesus is each Sunday and will again this day as we confess in the Apostles’ Creed “I believe…in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried, He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he will come to judge the living and the dead.” What a privilege it is to study and learn God’s Word that we may share it’s truth with others.

Dear believers in Christ be comforted by God’s Word in this time of trouble. While Satan the Father of Lies continues to lead many astray by false doctrine we may be sure of God’s love for us in His Son. “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) My Brothers and sisters in Christ you are from God and you have overcome sin, death, and Satan through Christ.

As believers victorious in Christ let us share the wonderful news of our Risen Savior to the world. Let us proclaim the victory loudly for all to hear the truth about Jesus. Let us share God’s love for us to our friends, neighbors, and loved ones. “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:7-11)

Our world desperately needs to be loved. At the close of World War II an American soldier was on sentry duty on the outskirts of London on Christmas morning. Later in the day, as he waked to the city with a few other GIs, he can to an old gray building with a sign: “Queen Anne’s Orphanage.” To see what sort of Christmas party might be going on inside, the soldiers knocked on the door. An attendant told them that all the children in the orphanage had lost their parents in the London bombings. The soldiers went inside, and seeing no tree, no decorations, and no gifts, they gave out as gifts whatever they had in their pockets—a stick of gum, a coin, a stubby pencil. One soldier saw a boy standing alone in a corner. He went to him and asked, “My little man, what do you want?” Turning his face up to the soldier, the little boy answered, “Please, sir, I want to be loved.” That’s our world—in desperate need of love.

Our world is searching for love…in all the wrong places. We look to fill love’s void with work, hobbies, bad relationships, lusts of the body, drugs, and alcohol. We desperately long to be loved…but many don’t know that only God can fill that void for “God is love.” The devil uses this lack of love to send false teachers into the world. They distort who Christ is and thus distort God’s love for His people. Not only can we show love to others as Christians we can share the wonderful news of God’s love for us and all the world.

            It is our privilege to share “For 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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17)

            God loves YOU! He loves you enough to send His Son, His only Son, Jesus into the world to die and rise again that you would be saved. God loves you so very much. He loves you always. You are His child. What wonderful news and comfort; You are loved. 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.

Life without Christ

Easter 5, 2009

John 15:1-8

“Life without Christ”

 

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

 

 

            For many it seems that life would just be a whole lot easier if there was no Christ; no Jesus; no God. For many a Christian this is a temptation. For many a former Christian and non-believers this is how they live their life. Life without Christ. Why would someone want to live without Christ and what would it look like?

            People imagine that a world without God would be a wonderful utopia. It would be a world without sin because nothing would be a sin. You would be able to eat what you wanted, drink what you wanted, smoke what you wanted, have sex as often as you want with whomever you want. You would be friends with everyone because you don’t look down on their lifestyle, race, or beliefs. You wouldn’t feel guilty because there is no God to please or worry about punishing you. When bad things happen they just happen and you fix what the problem was that caused it. People imagine that it is a world where people can finally think for themselves and be able to do what is in their own best interest. I even heard an atheist that said that marriages are better without worrying about God in the middle of it, that good works are really good works because they aren’t done to please a god, and god isn’t used as an excuse.

            In many ways this pretend world without a god seems really nice; maybe even wonderful. This utopia sounds great…you can do whatever you want whenever you want and nobody gets mad at you, judges you, and you don’t have to worry about sinning or going to hell. Free thinking and free will shall reign supreme. Where do you sign up?

           “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” (John 15:1-8)

            Unfortunately there is a problem with the atheist utopia. We live in a world of sin. No matter what you believe or how you try to explain it…there is no explaining away of sin in this world. Sin leads us away from God. Sin leads us to want a world without Christ. Sin leads us to live as if there was no Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. But sin doesn’t make life better or easier…sin destroys.

            Life without Christ is a life where there is no mercy, there is no one to help shoulder the burden, no forgiveness, no hope, and no love. I am reminded about a story that one of my Seminary professors told my class. Back in the late sixties and seventies during the sexual revolution there were some seminary students at an ELCA seminary in Ohio that wanted to test the theory that spouse swapping helped strengthen the marriage. The students would swap their wives and write a paper with the results. What happened was that the infidelity within the marriage became worse, there was no trust in either marriage, the seminary students dropped out, and became divorced. It seems there is something to keeping Christ center in the marriage and not giving into adultery.

            A world without Christ is no world at all…it is hell. Without Christ and God we would not love because we wouldn’t know love for “God is love!” (1 John 4:8) Without Christ the Father would not have mercy on us for we would still be held accountable for our sins. Without God we would not know mercy. “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:4) Without Christ there would be no hope in this life or the life to come. “Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)—remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:11-13) Without Christ there is no forgiveness for Christ won forgiveness for us on the cross.

            We are in danger of living as if there was no Christ. We have committed adultery even if it is “only” in our hearts. We have lied to friends and loved ones. We have been dishonest, lied, cheated, and stolen from others. We covet what others have and gossip about those we are jealous of, angry at, or don’t know the truth about. Each one of us breaks God’s commands. Each time we live as if there is no Christ. Each time we are in danger of abandoning our faith. How often we are tempted by sex, drugs, alcohol, pornography, and other pleasures of the world…and attempt to fill our hearts that are lacking with something other than Christ.

            My brothers and sisters in Christ stop living as if there is no Christ; repent and believe. Remain in Christ and He will remain in you. Take comfort because there is a Christ in this world! Through the death of Christ God has mercy upon you, forgives your sins, and remembers them no more. In Christ we have someone that helps carry our burdens and will never give more than we can handle. In Christ we have hope because He lives and we shall live also. In Christ we have been loved and we love others. That great love of sacrifice, of forgiveness, of hope should be clear to us this day for Jesus has risen from the dead. And also because we celebrate the love God has for us and shows to us this and every day in our Mothers. Thank God for His Son our Lord Jesus Christ who died out of love for us. Thank God for our Mothers whom God has given us and shown his love for us. Happy Mother’s Day. Happy Lord’s Day. Christ Jesus remains in you! 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.

The Good Shepherd

Easter 4, 2009

Good Shepherd Sunday

John 10:11-18

 

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

 

In the movie Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner has done everything he’s been told to do. He builds a baseball field in the middle of his Iowa cornfield. He brings Terence Mann and Archie Graham to this field of dreams. And yet, he is not invited to go with the others out into the corn. When asked what he wants, in frustration he asks what he will stand to gain. Ah, suddenly it comes out: the hero hasn’t been doing all this for the love of the game or to “ease” someone else’s “pain.” He’s been doing it for himself.

             That’s the approach of the hired hand who watches sheep. He’s paid to be there. He’s in it for the money. He’s there to earn a living, not to give up his life. So when he sees the wolf coming, he knows what’s in store, and he flees, leaving the sheep to fend for themselves. Not at all so with Jesus Christ as our Shepherd. When death comes rushing in, the Good Shepherd dies and lives for the sheep.

            As God’s flock, the Church, we live in a world surrounded by death. No matter what medical advances there are, no matter how much exercise we do or don’t do, no matter what attempt we make death still comes. Death comes at old age, it comes to the newborn, it comes to people at all ages and stages of life. One thing guaranteed to us all is that we will die.

            Unfortunately there are those that die spiritually. Death itself is nothing to fear unless one is dead spiritually. Even as Christians we face lives that are filled with sin; sin that destroys; sin that leads to spiritual death. Sin comes from within in us and it is a constant struggle. But if that weren’t enough we are faced by those coming to attack our faith. The Devil and all his minions are constantly attacking God’s flock trying to destroy them and lead them astray.

           “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” (John 10:11-13)

            How saddening it is that the hired hand who sees the wolf coming gives up the flock to save himself. In the context of our Gospel lesson the Pharisees are the hired hand. The Pharisees were to teach the Israelites about the true God and the coming Messiah. Yet they did not recognize Jesus and they taught salvation by works instead of God’s grace alone. Today there are still hired hands in the Church. As long as we are still in this sinful world there will be false doctrine spread by those we thought to be faithful. The hired hand is made up of false teachers and false messiahs of all ages. There are many that claim to be of God but are not. There are many that claim to know the way to heaven but teach contrary to the Gospel. Look at all the religions of the world that claim to be the only way, many of them seemingly very moralistic. We need look no further than the Mormons who constantly claim to be Christian but reject the true Divinity of Jesus. Yet we must also look within Christianity. Wherever and whenever good works are added for salvation we must boldly and lovingly reject that as false doctrine. While you may think this isn’t a problem and that all Christian denominations teach salvation by grace alone all you must do is drive down Business 51 and look at the signs in front of the Church of God and read that you may be saved but NOT by faith alone. How the devil weaves false doctrine within Christian denominations and causes doubt and despair. When salvation relies upon ourselves…it leads to doubt and despair for we truly know how very sinful we are and how often we fall short of the glory of God.

Saddingly we are all sinners who like hired hands, care only for their own lives. Instead of sacrificing ourselves to care for those whom the Lord has given us to watch over, we sacrifice them. We flee our vocations and leave those entrusted to us to the gaping jaws of the evil one. We ignore those that need our help and encourage sinfulness with our lives. By our actions others are led astray. While they will know we are Christians by our love…it seems they know us not by our love but by our sinful actions that at the very least lead others to believe us to be hypocrites.

            But there is wonderful news for all of us sheep who go astray. The Good Shepherd dies and lives for the sheep. Before the creation of the world God had a plan of salvation for all of us. Jesus was born for one reason…to die on the cross that we would be saved. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who comforts us saying  “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)

            From the very beginning when sin entered into the world Jesus saw death come rushing in to His creation; His sheep. Jesus took our place and became surrounded by wild beasts; by Satan, his minions, sin, and death. Yet he is led willingly to the slaughter. His birth and life happened so that he would lay down his life “for” “on behalf of” the sheep.

The Good Shepherd is devoured by death because he is the Paschal Lamb whose blood is shed to take away the sins of the world. His death satisfies the hunger of the Law for death. His holy, precious blood and his innocent suffering and death redeem sinners from sin, death, and the devil. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Jesus, who passed through death and the grave, has taken up his life again in the resurrection. Even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death (Ps 23:4), we need not fear, for the Good Shepherd, who has already been through death and the grave, leads us through this life, and death, to life everlasting.

            Now alive again, the Good Shepherd gathers his flock. We are gathered to die with Christ so that we may also live with him. The crucified and risen One continues to preach his Gospel and administer his Sacraments in order to gather all of us with Him in the one true faith. Our Good Shepherd continues to watch over, guard, and feed us His sheep.

The field of dreams has been built, the fans are gathered, and the game is going on. Archie Graham, the farm boy Kevin Costner picked up who’d always wanted to hit in the majors, is getting his chance. But then Costner’s daughter falls; her windpipe is occluded. One person knows how to save her, but if he crosses the line and leaves the field, his dream of playing in the bigs will be over. Graham does it, willingly, giving up a life in baseball for a career as a small-town doctor—and to save this little girl.

To sheep surrounded by wolves on every side, the Good Shepherd calls out: “Here is my blood and body, which I have laid down for you for the forgiveness of your sins. I have taken it up again that you may have abundant life. Take and eat, that you may safely graze in the green pastures of my kingdom.” 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.