Reflection: While You're Waiting (November 25, 2012)

The Last Sunday in the Church Year
Isaiah 41:4-6; Jude 20-25; Mark 13:14-37


Like it or not, our lives are filled with waiting. According to studies, the typical person averages about 62 minutes a day waiting in one way or another, including 15 minutes a day in traffic, 9 minutes a day waiting for files and web pages to download, and 4.3 hours waiting whenever we need someone to come to fix, install, or deliver something. But waiting isn't what it used to be. With portable electronic devices fully integrated into our lives a wait in line is filled with phone calls and text messages, a wait at the doctor’s office spent reading an ebook, and a delay at the airport whittled away by watching movies. Even without such devices, we find ways to fill our time while we are waiting.

In reality, our whole life in this world is a time of waiting. A day is coming when Christ will return and take us to be with Him for eternity. Nothing in this world can compare to the beauty, splendor, and majesty that awaits us. We don’t belong to this world, we belong to Christ and our rightful place is in Heaven with Him. But He has left us here and told us to wait until the day when He comes for us. And He has made it clear what we should be doing while we are waiting.

Our waiting is not meant to be an empty or wasted time, but a time filled with activity. Jesus has left us in charge and given each of us our assigned tasks. In Jude we learn what those tasks include. We are told to build ourselves up in faith, pray, and keep ourselves in God’s love. In other words, while we are waiting we are to take good care of ourselves spiritually. If taking care of ourselves is the only purpose of our being in this world, our waiting would be pointless. We would be much better off in every respect to be at home with the Lord. But the purpose of our waiting goes beyond us. Jude tells us that we are here to show mercy to those who doubt, rescue those who are perishing, and to show the people of this world mercy.

While you’re waiting there is much to be done. While you’re waiting you are to make use of God’s good gifts to grow in faith and love. While you’re waiting you are to fill the time with sharing the love, joy, and peace of Jesus with people who are without hope, purpose, and meaning because they are enslaved by the corruption of this world — the same corruption from which Christ has redeemed you now and forever.

Audio file of the sermon "While You're Waiting."

Reflection: Hold On for Your Life (November 18, 2012)

The 25th Sunday after Pentecost
Daniel 12:1-3; Hebrews 10:11-25; Mark 13:1-13


The most terrifying roller coaster ride I've ever had wasn't on a state-of-the-art ride that puts riders through loops, corkscrews, or other upside-down experiences. It was on a classic wooden roller coaster called the Blue Streak at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio which, unlike modern coasters that securely strap the rider in, it didn't have fitted seats, restraining straps, or padded security bars. Instead it had low-backed, bench seats and plain pull down bar that didn't even touch our legs. I was certain that I was going to be thrown from the car during the ride. The coaster was frightening because it didn't have anything to hold onto.

Like a roller coaster, life has its twists and turns, ups and downs, and thrilling times along with moments of terror. How well we handle the roller coaster-like rides of our lives depends on what we have to hold onto. Sadly, most people in our society hold onto worldviews, values, priorities, and morals that leave them without anything solid or secure when life starts going downhill fast and runs through twists, turns, and loops. They look for something — anything — to grab and hold onto for dear life. But the world can’t offer anything secure enough to keep them from being thrown into despair, depression, or personal ruin. Seeing this happen in the lives of other people should reinforce for us how blessed we are as Christians to have safe and secure anchors to hold onto when life is troubling — and remind us of where to turn when our lives become turbulent.

Holding onto the grace, mercy, righteousness, and promises of Jesus is critical to dealing with the roller coaster ride of living in our fallen world. Holding onto Him for eternal life is even more critical. There is nothing else to hold onto when the “multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake.” Even before the day when all flesh will be resurrected “some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt,” eternal life will hang in the balance. People will come to deceive others, attack the truth, and deny the realities of heaven and hell. The world will plunge into the chaos of natural and man-made disasters. Everything the world has to offer for safety and security will crumble. Even then, Jesus, who promises that “he who stands firm to the end will be saved,” will be there for you to hold onto for your life.

Audio file of the sermon "Hold On for Your Life."

Devotion: People of the Book (Daniel 12:1-3)

Audio file of this devotion. 

1 "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people-- everyone whose name is found written in the book-- will be delivered.  2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.  3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. 

Daniel 12:1-3

In a popular portrayal of the day of judgment we are pictured as gathered before God's throne (specifically His white throne) and called to give an accounting of our lives. As we make our way before the Judge, books are opened that have written in them all of the things that we did while on earth, both good and bad. While this popular portrayal of the Judgment is based on Revelation 20:12, it's missing an important element. In Revelation there is a distinction made between the books and how each kind of book is applied. For the unbelievers books of deeds are used to show them their sin. For believers, a single book -- the Book of Life -- is used to assure them that they have already been delivered from death to everlasting life.

The book of life that is brought out in the Judgment is the same book that is referred to in Daniel 12:1-3. It's the book that contains the names of those who have been washed clean in the blood of the Lamb, those who will stand before God in the Judgment covered by the righteousness of Jesus Christ with which they were clothed in the waters of Holy Baptism. It contains our names. We are the people of the book.

What does it mean to be the people of the book? It means that we will never have to give an accounting of our sins before God, because Jesus has already accounted for them. It means that we are free from the demands of the Law, because we are already declared righteous by the Judge of all mankind. It means that we have hope, because we have already been delivered from sin, death, and the power of Satan through the death and resurrection of Jesus. But it also means that we will face hardship, persecution, and hatred in this world because we bear His name in a world that rejects Him and His Word.

The books spoken of in these Scriptures are symbolic, but they present a powerful picture for us. They make it clear that it's one way or the other. Either our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life or our deeds are recorded in another book for the day of judgment. A book of deeds is a book that speaks of lifeless things and those who must stand before God on the basis of this book are certain to lose out on eternal life. But a book of names is a book that reflects life and pictures for all whose names are written in it the certainty of eternal life. The Lamb's book of Life is a book that conveys God's grace, mercy, and love -- the very means by which your name has been written in it and by which you have been added to the people of the book.

Reflection: Giving a Show and Giving that Shows (November 11, 2012)

The 24th Sunday after Pentecost
1 Kings 17:8-16; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44

When Jesus wanted to warn His disciples about the dangers of tyrannical religious leaders, He pointed out the teachers of the Law. Highly respected by the people of their day, they had great power and influence in their communities. Called to be servants who aided God’s people in learning and understanding God’s Word, they were self-serving task masters who abused their positions of trust for personal gain instead. They had the outward trappings of being respectable religious leaders while exploiting the weakest and most vulnerable people in their society. They were, in Jesus’ assessment, giving a show.

There’s no shortage of religious people giving a show of righteousness in our society. Some are so good at giving one that we don’t realize that they are not what they present themselves to be. They enjoy today’s equivalents of walking around in flowing robes, being greeted in the marketplaces, and having seats of honor and they practice modern versions of devouring widows’ houses while using religious piety for giving a show of righteousness. In contrast to those who are giving a show of false religion, Jesus pointed out an example of giving that shows true religion. In the midst of wealthy people putting large amounts of money in the temple treasury as a show of their righteousness, a widow came along and gave all that she had to live on in a show of trust. The two small coins didn't amount to anything in earthly terms, but her gift showed that her heart was filled with faith in God’s grace and mercy. Apparently unnoticed by everyone but Jesus, this widow wasn't giving a show but was demonstrating a giving that shows.

Which do you find yourself doing: giving a show or giving that shows? It’s easy to get caught up in doing things in order to show other people how good, righteous, or generous we are. We seek the approval of others and are always tempted to show them what they want to see (or what we want them to see). It’s much harder to give our time, our money, and our very selves in faithful response to God’s mercy and grace. Only by looking to the Cross and seeing our God giving Himself to show us His unconditional love can we move beyond giving a show to giving that shows that His mercy and grace have brought us His righteousness, changed our hearts, and filled us with His compassion.

Audio file of the sermon "Giving a Show and Giving that Shows."

Journal: Stop Whining America!

Whether your guy won or your guy didn't win in the recent national elections, it's rather clear that our country is horribly divided. While half of the nation is rejoicing that things will continue as they have for the past four years, the other half seems pretty well convinced that America is going down the toilet (and is equally convinced that it's the fault of the first half).

Okay, America is in decline. We have some serious problems. The America that we know and love is going away (or is already gone) and a different America is emerging. The values that made us a great nation have been displaced by values that are opposed to God and His Word. The implications are obvious and the future is bleak. So, other than whining, what are you doing about it?

Rather than sit around wringing our hands and waiting until we can look at the inevitable conclusion to the path that we are on and say that we knew it was going to turn out in that way, let's do something. Better than that, let's do what it will take to get America back on track.

Without covering all of the bases or addressing all of the issues, here's what we need to do:

1) Repent!

We are God's people. We have put our trust and hope in things and people other than God. We need to repent, to stop trusting in candidates, parties, policies, laws, etc. and renew our trust in the God who is greater than all of these things. We need to repent of our idolatry.

We have settled down in the world and adopted the ways of the world. We need to stop being of the world and learn how to be in the world without being part of it. We need to learn the boundaries that separate being in the world from being of the world. We need to repent of our worldliness (which is idolatry).

We have avoided the Cross and sought after glory. We want the glory of our candidate winning, our party in majority, our referendums passing, and our views filling the airwaves. We are unwilling to suffer loss, endure hardships, and be marginalized in order to be faithful. We need to repent of our self-glory (which is also idolatry).

It starts with repentance. Then what?

2) Relentlessly Confront Secularism with God's Word

We've been duped. There's a difference between the doctrine of the two kingdoms and the so-called separation of church and state. We have to recognize that difference, learn it well, and then live it out. We can't afford to let the pagans in our country draw the boundaries any longer.

We have to speak up in the public square and insist on the Word of God being heard. We need to be bold about this. We should commit ourselves to being relentless about it. We should accept the fact that God's Word may very well be rejected and ridiculed, but never accept the limits that unbelievers place on it or on us. We should be as obnoxious about speaking God's Word as we've been about our political opinions.

3) Embrace the Magnitude and Urgency of our Work

There is little time to waste and much work to do. We've been in a moral and spiritual free fall for two generations. Now is the time for action and now is the last chance we may have to confront the forces that seek to silence God's people. We are up against something bigger than a conspiracy. We are in a spiritual battle. It rages inside and outside of the church. It is constant and it is critical. Recognize this and realize that there are no terms for peace. Then go all in.

4) Stop Kidding Yourself

There's no way that we will make any positive difference if we don't change our ways (see "Repent" above). We've made the church into a form of entertainment. We treat God's Word with a passing interest (or pass it by altogether). We're spiritually sloppy, weak, and undisciplined. This has to change.

The call to being a disciple of Jesus hasn't changed in 2,000 years. There are no short cuts and there is no alternative. He laid it out plainly and clearly: Deny yourself, take up your cross daily, follow Me.

If you really want to make a positive difference in our nation, be a genuine disciple of Jesus. Participate in the worship life of a faithful, orthodox church every Sunday (or more often) and receive God's wisdom, forgiveness, and power in and through His Word and Sacraments. Study the Word with other Christians under the leadership of a faithful, orthodox pastor. Read the Word on your own every day. Pray unceasingly. Support the work of a faithful, orthodox church with your time, your money, and yourself.

You have the privilege of being Christ's ambassador in this world. Through you, God is able to work His will to rescue those who are perishing. Maybe He will even turn America around and restore it as a nation under His blessing.

Don't lie to yourself.

It will take personal sacrifice. It calls for a serious commitment. It may very well cost you a lot in this world. It won't be easy. But it will be worthwhile. You will make a difference.

Or you can whine about our country going down the toilet.

Devotion: Giving To, Giving For, Giving From (Mark 12:38-44)

Audio file of this devotion.

38 As He taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, 39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40 They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely." 41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything-- all she had to live on." 

Mark 12:38-44 

The gifts that people placed into the temple treasury as Jesus watched were most likely the voluntary offerings that the Jews made for the poor, especially the widows and orphans. These gifts were given in obedience to God's Law. The practice of placing these gifts into a very public receptacle was an innovation of men that contributed to many of the Jews using these gifts as expressions of their own righteousness. What was intended to be the compassionate support of those in need was distorted into an act of public giving to win the approval of people. Some contributors even made a show of how large their gifts were.

Jesus sat across the way from the repository watching people bringing their gifts. He saw them putting their money into the temple treasury. He could see the large gifts of the wealthy people. We can imagine that He could see the hearts of all the contributors. But the Scripture has no record of Him making any comments about the gifts of those who brought them, expect for a widow who came along and gave a very small amount. After she dropped her two little copper coins into the treasury, Jesus called His disciples to Himself to point out that only this widow had given genuinely. He explained the difference between the widow and the others who brought their gifts. That difference becomes clear when we look past how much they had given to what they were giving to, giving for, and giving from.

As far as what the people were giving to, we can clearly see that the crowds were giving to a worthy cause. It's an honorable thing for people to give money to provide some relief for the less fortunate. With so many needs in our world, God could have told the Jews to give their charitable gifts to any number of causes. In the freedom that we have in Christ, we have many options when it comes to giving to something that is worthy of support. We might choose the humane society, the local hospice organization, a cancer research group, or a social ministry of a church. But God had commanded them to give to the care of widows and orphans, so that's what they gave to.

In giving to the thing that God had commanded, the Jews showed what they were giving for. For the most part, they were giving for compliance. They knew the demands of God's Law and they wanted to satisfy those demands in order to please (or appease) God. While this may have been the reason for most of the giving, surely there were many who were also giving their gifts for the relief of those who suffering. But there were also just as certainly people who were giving for recognition. Some wanted the recognition of God and some wanted the recognition of man, but they were giving for something in return. We understand this very well. Even when we give for a good cause, for the benefit of others, or for the relief of suffering, we often are looking for something in return and end up giving for a tax deduction, for a good feeling, or for the same recognition that motivated some of those whom Jesus observed at the temple treasury.

While the motives of those who were giving at the temple is a matter of speculation, what the people were giving from is quite clear from the text: they were giving from their excess.  Jesus said it clearly, "they all gave out of their wealth." They were rich in things and gave from their excess. They did not give from what they needed to keep body and soul together.  No matter how much they gave or how good the cause or even how pure their motives were, they held back so that their giving didn't impact their lives. Consequently, they gave  little. We know what it's like to give from our wealth. We constrain our giving to what we see as the excess in our lives. Given how much of what God has entrusted to us we spend on ourselves, we are convinced that there is not much excess. Like the wealthy contributors at the temple, we give little.

In contrast to all the others giving that day at the temple and in contrast to us, the widow commended by Jesus was not giving to something, but was giving to the God who supplies the needs of widows and orphans. As one who most likely received assistance from this very fund, this woman knew the realities of those who were in need. She did not trust in a worthy cause, but in a God worthy of our praise. She gave her small gift to a great God who could use it to do great good. In trusting God to supply for her needs and the needs of others, the widow was giving for God's glory. A gift of this nature (small, but everything) invited God to demonstrate His glory in her life. Lastly, she was giving from the trust that comes from faith. God had filled her heart with His love so that it overflowed in her giving. She was not rich in things, but she was rich in faith. Unlike the others and unlike us, she gave a lot.

What does your giving to, giving for, and giving from look like? Chances are you're much more like the people who gave from their wealth than the widow who gave from her heart. But forcing a change in what and how you give doesn't change your giving to, your giving for, or your giving from. This change comes only by the working of the One who sat across from the temple treasury knowing that He would soon give all that He had to the Father, for the forgiveness of your sins, from the love that moved Him to rescue you from eternal condemnation. His criticism of those who gave self-centeredly and His praise of the widow who gave selflessly are calls to turn to Him repenting of how you have given and seeking the Holy Spirit's aid in changing from the inside out. Once you are caught up in His grace and mercy you cannot help but give all you are and all you have to Him, for His glory, from a heart overflowing with the same gratitude and trust that enabled the widow to put all that she had in the hands of our generous God.

Reflection: The Other Side of Suffering (November 4, 2012)

All Saints Sunday
Revelation 7:9-17; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12

One of the questions most asked of Christians by unbelievers is “Why does God permit suffering?” For some, this is a legitimate question asked in an attempt to make sense out of what they do know about God and what they observe in our world. For others, it’s based in a crass accusation against God and those who believe in Him — an attitude that is belied by the companion statement, “I could never believe in a God who would allow suffering that He could end or eliminate.” They recognize the disconnect between our claim that God is gracious, loving, and all powerful and the reality of suffering in our world. They reason that if God is what we claim Him to be, then He could end all suffering. While this is true, they confuse God’s abilities with His purposes. They think that because God can eliminate suffering that God should eliminate suffering. They see suffering as something that is intrinsically bad and to be avoided if at all possible. They don’t understand the other side of suffering.

While the world sees suffering as something bad (and we tend to agree with the world on this!), God makes use of suffering in order to work good in the lives of His people. He demonstrated this in its fullest measure through the sufferings that He Himself endured in living and dying for us. In His life in this world He experienced all the various kinds of suffering that we endure. Through His Cross, Jesus endured the greatest suffering in history by bearing the sins of the whole world. But the other side of His suffering is our salvation. Without the suffering that He experienced we would still be lost to sin and death.

Like Jesus, we have been called to endure suffering for the sake of others. If we were not in this broken world enduring hardships, sacrifices, deprivation, hatred, and persecution — all the sufferings that make up this “great tribulation” — then no one could learn of the salvation that “belongs to our God” and the great “love the Father has lavished on us.” And if it were not for the faithful sufferings of those who have gone before us, we would not know that love and salvation. So we join with the saints of God past, present, and future who will one day gather together around the throne of the Lamb free of pain, sorrow, and sadness eternally rejoicing in what is ours on the other side of suffering.

Audio file of the sermon "The Other Side of Suffering."