Sermon: “A Family Who Finds Refuge”

Sermon Series – The Church: A Family of Faith

LSB Series A; The Fourth Sunday in Lent

Sunday, March 19, 2023

Psalmody: Psalm 142

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

We are now in the third Sunday of our sermon series on the selected Psalms under the title of “The Church: A Family of Faith.” As we continue to read, learn, mark, and inwardly digest His Word, it remains our goal that we would see that God has brought us together as a family of believers who rejoice in being children of the Heavenly Father, while we are also brothers and sisters in Christ. This aspect of our being a family of faith means that what God has done for His Church through Christ’s death and resurrection, changes everything about our lives, both here in the Divine Service and throughout all of our lives.

Today’s theme which flows from our overall theme comes from Psalm 142, and it is titled: “A Family who Finds Refuge.”

Do you ever feel like God is silent to your cries for mercy? 

Do you ever feel overwhelmed, weary, and exhausted? 

Do you ever feel like everyone is against you?

Do you ever feel like no one notices that you are struggling and suffering?

Do you ever feel like there is no hope?

Do you ever feel like no one cares about you?

This is the way the Psalmist felt. 

David had been on the run. He had once been accepted as company of King Saul after David had killed Goliath. When Saul was upset, David would play the harp for him to bring him peace. But fits of rage and jealousy ended all of that. Saul despised David’s popularity…so much so that all he wanted was for David to be dead…and so, David fled.

During Saul’s pursuit, he made his way into a cave. Little did he know, David and his men were in that same cave. The opportunity for David to end the life of his pursuer was before him. But, in an act of integrity, he spared Saul’s life. Without Saul’s knowing, David cut a corner off of Saul’s robe. Once Saul exited the cave, David caught up with Saul. 

As the two came together, one might guess that the tension could have been cut with a knife. David then revealed the corner of Saul’s robe to show that he had spared the king’s life. And though there was a truce at that time, it was not long and Saul’s jealous quest to claim David’s life continued.

Do you ever feel like God is silent to your cries for mercy? 

Do you ever feel overwhelmed, weary, and exhausted? 

Do you ever feel like everyone is against you?

Do you ever feel like no one notices that you are struggling and suffering?

Do you ever feel like there is no hope?

Do you ever feel like no one cares about you?

This is the way the Psalmist felt. Perhaps it is how you feel as well.

God’s Word has a way of validating the very emotions that we experience in our lives. No doubt every one of us could relate to those questions just asked and respond with a “Yes, I have felt that way before.” And perhaps, that is the way that you feel now as you come here into the House of the Lord.

As a Family of Faith, we can’t somehow put up the façade with each other that we have it all together. Truth be told, if that is the case, then we are more than likely living a lie.

Why do we do that? Why do we choose to bury our emotions down deep? What are we trying to accomplish? 

Well, emotions are a frightening thing. If we let someone see our true emotions, we expose ourselves in a way that makes us most uncomfortable. In fact, truth be told, we are likely terrified to reveal our true emotions on multiple matters in life.

What would happen if others saw just how angry I truly am?

What would happen if others saw just how hurt I feel?

What would happen if others saw tears streak down my cheeks?

What would happen?

That unknown is what terrifies us. 

Relationships are far too often built up on the false pretense that we have it all together. And relationships often fail to give the permission to “not” have it all together.

We often struggle to find a truly safe place that allows us to be ourselves without running the risk that the relationship will be changed…or even worse, ruined altogether.

Just think about it, how many of us live in fear of how others may respond to our genuine emotional responses? And therefore, when we are around that person or those persons, we feel as though we have to walk on eggshells so that we don’t lose it and therefore damage our reputation, lose our job, destroy the relationship, or otherwise.

Where is the safe place for us to truly allow ourselves to be exposed emotionally in a way that won’t be painful or lead to lasting harm?

Where do we find refuge?

In our Psalm for today, David says, “I cry to you, O Lord; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.””

But what is a refuge? By definition, a refuge is “a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble.”

So, where is that place that you feel completely and totally safe? Where is that place that you can lay it all out there without putting up any defenses at all, and no matter what, you will not be thought of differently or treated differently in any way?

For David, his refuge was God. His safe place to be able to lay it all out there in total trust was God. For He was the One who attended to David’s cry no matter how low he got. He was the One who protected him no matter how fierce the attack became. He was the One who brought him out of the physical, emotional, and spiritual prisons he found himself locked up in. He was the One. Only God was worthy of His thanks and praise. Only God surrounded Him with righteousness. Only God dealt bountifully with Him. Only God.

What about for you? Is God where you find refuge?

In today’s world, we have a tendency not to seek refuge. We seek to escape. We turn to Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. We turn to SnapChat, Twitter, and Facebook. We turn to addictions, gambling, alcohol, drugs, and pornography. We turn to anything that will make us feel numb. 

The ironic thing is that in that numbness of a wave of watching or binging, all we crave is to “feel” again. Something, anything. But once we feel something that we don’t like, well, then it is back to numbing ourselves again. It is a vicious cycle.

It is a vicious cycle of Satan as he tries to drive us further and further away from God. Did you ever notice that in the numbing of your emotions, you drift further away from the holy things of God…God’s Word, His Sacraments, being in His House…they all seem useless, pointless?

It is what is known as acedia. It is when we become “numb” to the holy things of God, and we are all susceptible to it. After all, the devil is out to get us all. And if he can get us to seek refuge in things that cause us to drift away from where God locates Himself, then in his mind, he has won.

But that is in his mind. Remember…always remember…the devil is a defeated enemy. He is a loser. Yes, his assaults are endless. Yes, his temptations are constant. But, that does not mean that you are without hope.

David encapsulates this reality when he thinks he is literally imprisoned as he is constantly running for his life. But instead of remaining in despair, he returns to what is true. He returns to his God and finds that yes, once again, it is true, his God is a refuge. And not only is He a refuge, He has dealt bountifully with David.

He has dealt bountifully with you also. He is a refuge for you also. You may come here in doubt and despair, but you do not need to stay there. Instead, come here into His house with thanksgiving. 

He knows you are weary and exhausted. He knows you are constantly under attack. He knows that you are struggling and suffering. He knows you often feel like there is no hope. He knows that you often feel like no one cares. 

But know this. Your God knows, and your God cares. He hears your cries for mercy, and He answers them. Not with a text, email, or message on snapchat. No, He doesn’t remain distant, and He doesn’t expect you follow a list of steps to get right with Him. Your God gets real, and He gets right up into your lives. And He does so with His own flesh and blood. He knows that while in this life you will have trouble, but take heart, He has overcome the world. 

Those are not mere platitudes that bring momentary or even false hope. Those are facts that are a firm foundation for you to stand upon and rely upon. And no matter how angry you get at Him, no matter how hurt you may feel, no matter the tears that stream down your cheeks…no matter what, there is nothing that will separate you from His love. Nothing. So, there is no need to hold back your emotions, no need to hold back anything. He can take anything you’ve got…all of it and more.

And the evidence of that reality is there before you…the cross. That is where He let out His cry for mercy to His Father and got no reply. That is where He felt overwhelmed, weary, and exhausted with nails in His hands and feet. That is where everyone truly was against Him. That is where everything did look hopeless. That is where no one did care about Him. 

He gets it. He knows it. He lived it. And He did it all for you. To suffer as you suffer. And to suffer in Your place. So that in a world where there just seems like there is never a safe place to go, you always have a God that you can turn to who understands. You always have a God who loves you. And you always have a God who will deal bountifully with you.

As a family of faith, this is where it’s at…all for you. This is where no matter what you may be going through, you may behold once again, that you have a God who is for you. And nothing at all will ever change that. For you belong to Him, and in any and every circumstance, you may find refuge in Him. 

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all human understanding guard and keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Sermon: “A Family Who Worships”

Sermon Series – The Church: A Family of Faith

LSB Series A; The Third Sunday in Lent

Sunday, March 12, 2023

Psalmody: Psalm 95:1-9

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

We are now in the third Sunday of our sermon series on the selected Psalms under the title of “The Church: A Family of Faith.” As we continue to read, learn, mark, and inwardly digest His Word, it remains our goal that we would see that God has brought us together as a family of believers who rejoice in being children of the Heavenly Father, while we are also brothers and sisters in Christ. This aspect of our being a family of faith means that what God has done for His Church through Christ’s death and resurrection, changes everything about our lives, both here in the Divine Service and throughout all of our lives.

Today’s theme which flows from our overall theme comes from Psalm 95:1-9, and it is titled: “A Family who Worships.”

Who was it that first brought you to worship? 

What is your first memory of being in the House of the Lord?

When you think of someone you look up to because of their life of worship, their life of being in the House of the Lord, who comes to mind?

For me, it is my father. He loves being in the House of the Lord. It exudes from his very pores. Every Sunday morning, he would come downstairs singing some ridiculous song to wake us boys up in our basement bedroom. Needless to say we did not appreciate it, but he didn’t care. He was so thrilled to be going to worship. Most Sunday mornings, he was on duty as an elder or serving some other role, so he would often drive separate from the rest of the family to church. The going joke was that if it were possible to beat God to worship, my dad could find a way.

Even on Saturday mornings, he could be found in the House of the Lord. Before the Men’s Bible Study that he led for years upon years, he would make his way into the sanctuary. He would sit by the communion rail in the dark, and he would pray. Just my father, in the house of his Heavenly Father.

Just a side personal note, I think that is what is so amazing about my dad’s battle with Lewy Body Dementia. Even though his cognitive ability is that of a mere three year old or younger, when I pray with him, he stops, listens, and joins with me in the Lord’s Prayer, the same prayer he has learned by heart his whole life.

When you think of someone you look up to because of their life of worship, their life of being in the House of the Lord, who comes to mind?

How about you? When you think of worship in general, what comes to mind? (Pause)

Unfortunately, most people today have a tendency to think of worship, what we call the Divine Worship Service…most people have a tendency to think that it is boring. To which I would say… “Okay, I get it…but do you know what is really going on here? Do you really appreciate what God is inviting us into week after week?

What does it really mean to “worship and bow down; to kneel before the Lord our Maker?” What does it mean that “He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand?”

Each and every Sunday, you and I are welcomed here into God’s House. But, before you get to that point, you need to realize that you have no business being here. You and I don’t at all. We are sinners. And sinners have no business being in the House of the Lord. So, it’s a privilege just to be here today to be welcomed into God’s holy presence.

It is like the prophet Isaiah when he was blessed with a vision in which he saw the Lord God Almighty in heaven. There Isaiah was surrounded by the seraphim, holy, angelic, fiery beings of God. And instantly, he was overcome with guilt as he cried out: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” Then one of the seraphim flew to him with a live coal, touched his lips and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

Lost, unclean, and guilty as we may be, you and I are welcomed here into the presence of the Maker of the seas, and with His hands He formed the dry land. He invites us here week after week to behold our Savior Jesus, the King, the Lord of hosts…as He comes to us in His Word, as He comes to us under bread and wine in His body and blood. To think that God Almighty would humble Himself by coming to us in means that are so simple, yet so profound. To think that He gently tends to us like a loving Shepherd with His beloved sheep. To think that He doesn’t have to come to us at all, and yet by His grace He chooses to do so anyway.

Just think, you and I come here with nothing in our hands that we bring, as the hymn lyrics state. Actually, it is worse than that. We come here with our sins, our dirty, smelly, rotten sins. 

Just think of this. For all of you who have ever been around a baby before, you know what a dirty diaper smells like. In the world of dirty diapers, there is what is known as a diaper champ. It is a glorified diaper waste basket that has a flipping mechanism on the top that is intended to keep the smell inside and not out. However, there comes a time, when the diaper champ gets full, and someone has to take it out. And the warmer the weather, the worse the smell. 

So, imagine, just imagine, if we all had a bag full of warm, smelly, dirty diapers to bring to worship today. Now, just imagine, the Savior of the world saying, “Yes, bring them to me. I want them. Bring them right up here. I will take them from you. And in exchange, I will give you my love, grace, and forgiveness. In exchange, you will leave unburdened, clean, with no stinky smell…just a perfect robe of the righteousness of the Son of God.”

Now, we may not see that happen each and every Sunday, but in essence, that is what happens in worship. God comes to us and takes upon Himself our sins. And if there was a smell attributed to those sins, well, a diaper champ full of dirty diapers wouldn’t come close to the atrociousness of the stench. Yet, God welcomes us here anyway and takes our sin and the death that goes with it upon Himself.

Yes, when you come to worship by the power of His Spirit, God comes to you. He comes to you in the Invocation as you remember your baptism by making the sign of the cross. You respond with the confession of your sins, and He responds with His absolution and forgiveness. You respond with praise, and He comes to you in His Word in the readings for the day. You respond with confessing the Creed, that message of unity in the faith. He comes to you in the sermon. You respond with your prayers to Him, and He comes to you in His holy Sacrament of His body and blood, given and shed for you. You respond with more words of praise, and then He gets the last word with the Benediction. 

In this rhythmic pattern back and forth, He welcomes you to behold that everything He does is in love for you. The very Words you even utter in worship are a gift from Him to you to offer Him the praise that He is due. In fact, the very words of our Psalm for today are words of praise, not meant to be just spoken, but also meant to be sung. Just listen:

(Psalm 95:1-7 sung by a cantor.)

What we are invited into here as a Family of Faith who worships is anything but boring. It is majestic. It is like the mountains he made with His hands. It is awesome, like the waves of the seas that roll as the tide comes in. It is filled with beauty, like the sound of children singing the hymns that have been passed down, generation after generation.

From generation to generation. That is what The Church: A Family of Faith is truly all about. Passing down the gifts of God from one generation to the next.

How many of you are here in the House of the Lord because your parents brought you here at one time or another? Or maybe it was a different church. Either way, you are here because of what was passed on to you.

I sat in a hospital room one day with an elderly woman nearing the day of her death. In our conversation, I asked her, “What would you like to tell you children and grandchildren?” Without hesitation, she said, “Go to church.”

Could there be any better advice to pass on? Keep going to church. Keep going to where Jesus locates Himself for you. There is no better place than where you are right now. This is where Jesus is, and you can’t live without Jesus. (Pause)

When the Psalmist wrote this beautiful song, he had a warning right after it: “Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.”

The Psalmist was reminding his hearers of a time when God’s people had lost sight of all that He had done for them. Though He had set them free from bondage, it wasn’t enough. They were thirsty, and there was no water to drink. So they chose to quarrel and failed to follow God and give thanks for all He had done.

The warning is the same for us. Never take for granted being in the House of the Lord. Make it the priority of your household. Sure, it is true that no one wants to be in a place that is boring. But what about stepping into the presence of the One Who is a great God and great King above all gods? What about stepping into the presence of the One in Whose hands are the depths of the earth and the mountains and the seas are His also? What about being where the One Who created the world and holds it in His hands invites us into His presence to cleanse us, to feed us, to clothe us, to strengthen us, to comfort us, and to forgive us? I mean, who wouldn't say, "I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord."”?

So, don’t let anything come between you and your being in the presence of the Almighty God. Prioritize your busy schedules around your life of worship, without exception. For that is what we as a Family of Faith are called to do…to worship…here…together…in the House of the Lord. There is no better place to be. For, this is where Jesus is at. And He comes to you today. He is here…for you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all human understanding guard and keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Sermon: “A Family Who Needs Help”

Sermon Series – The Church: A Family of Faith

LSB Series A; The Second Sunday in Lent

Sunday, March 5, 2023

Psalmody: Psalm 121

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

We are now in the second Sunday of our sermon series on the selected Psalms under the title of “The Church: A Family of Faith.” As we continue to read, learn, mark, and inwardly digest His Word, it remains our goal that we would see that God has brought us together as a family of believers who rejoice in being children of the Heavenly Father, while we are also brothers and sisters in Christ. This aspect of our being a family of faith means that what God has done for His Church through Christ’s death and resurrection, changes everything about our lives, both here in the Divine Service and throughout all of our lives.

Today’s theme which flows from our overall theme comes from Psalm 121, especially the first two verses, and it is titled: “A Family who Needs Help.”

The Psalmist for today writes: I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth (Psalm 121:1-2).

“For over three hundred years explorers of at least four sovereign nations had been looking for a water route that would connect the Pacific Ocean to the Mississippi River. And everyone just knew it was out there somewhere.” 

This is what President Thomas Jefferson had charged Meriwether Lewis and William Clark with locating. For “whoever discovered and made claim to the water route would own the trade route and control the resources of this great continent.”

As they looked at the rise before them, “Lewis believed that he would walk up the hill, look down a gentle slope that would take his men a half a day to cross with their canoes on their backs, and then they would see the Columbia River. After fifteen months of going upstream they looked forward to letting the current swiftly whisk them to the Pacific Ocean. They would crest the hill, find the stream and coast to the finish line.”

“They could not have been more disappointed. What Lewis actually discovered was that three hundred years of experts had all been completely and utterly wrong. In front of him was not a gentle slope down to a navigable river running to the Pacific Ocean, but the Rocky Mountains. Stretching out for miles as far as the eyes could see was one set of peaks after another.”

“There was no Northwest Passage. No navigable river. No water route…Seeing the peaks in front of them for miles didn’t compute. For no American had ever seen mountains like these.” [Bolsinger, Tod. Canoeing the Mountains, pp. 25-27]

Like Meriwether Lewis recorded, life is filled with the unexpected. Life is filled with what appears to be insurmountable mountains. Life is filled with all sorts of reasons that we are mere creatures in this world that need exactly what we least like to admit. We need help.

Help. It is something that none of us can avoid. Help. It is something that we will do everything in our power to keep from admitting that we need.

Think of the child who calls out for help to reach something on a top shelf. Think of the student who needs help in doing their homework. Think of the teenager who needs help navigating the constant barrage of friends who have endless problems at home, at school, and in all of life. Think of the fellow worker who is overwhelmed by the never-ending list of tasks piling up. Think of the retired person who lives at home and can no longer care for themselves like they used to. Think of the person in the nursing home who can’t pick up the fork or the spoon to feed themselves anymore.

The need for help is all around us. And yet, with every turn in our lives where help would be most…well…helpful, we resist it with every fiber of our being.

To admit the need for help is to admit weakness. It is to confess to needing something from someone else. It is to burden someone else with our burdens. It is to entrust the needs of ours with another person. It is to come to terms with the hardest phrase ever uttered, “I can’t do this on my own.” It is to let another person see that I am vulnerable…and perhaps incapable. It is to fly in the face of everything we have made ourselves out to be…invincible.

One has to wonder how invincible Meriwether Lewis felt when he looked up at those Rocky Mountains for the first time. To see their snowcapped peaks. To behold their majestic formations. One might even be inclined to wonder, did the words of our Psalm today cross his mind as he looked up into those seemingly never-ending hills.

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth (Psalm 121:1-2).

We come here today needing help. Though we struggle to admit it, there is no escaping the insurmountable hill that lies before us. The hill of our sins that have piled up over the course of yet another week…another week of doing what we should not, and failing to do what we should. And though we have tried to ascend this hill on our own, we have failed. It is just as we confess, we have indeed sinned in thought, word, and deed. 

What are some of the sinful thoughts that have filled your mind this week? (Pause) What are some of the sinful words that have filled your mouth this week? (Pause) What are some of the sinful deeds that have filled your time this week? (Pause). 

Your sin and mine is an insurmountable hill to climb. The guilt weighs heavy, as it should. And there is nothing we can do on our own to remove this burden…to remove this guilt. We need help.

What do you need help with? What hill lies before you that just seems so insurmountable? What sin keeps tripping you up as you try to ascend it and conquer it on your own? 

Perhaps there is someone in your life in need of help, and you are neglecting to help that person in need. Maybe it’s a neighbor, a friend, or a family member. Perhaps you know that you could and should be helping this person, but because of something they said or did, you refuse to help them until they make it up to you.

Or perhaps the sin you keep struggling with is the refusal to receive help.  Perhaps you think you are better off on your own. Perhaps you think that if you receive help, people will see you as weak and needy. Perhaps you fear that receiving help will only make more work for you or it will somehow hurt the reputation you have built for yourself if it isn’t done the way you think it should be done.

What do you need help with? What hill lies before you and it just seems so insurmountable? What sin keeps tripping you up as you try to ascend it and conquer it on your own? What idol needs to be toppled?

After all, when it comes to neglecting to help others, or refusing help from others, it always comes down to idolatry. It is either the idol of selfishness as we refuse to help others until they make it up to us. Or it is the idol of making ourselves out to be our own gods as we refuse help from others. Either way, we need help.

Again, the Psalmist says, I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth (Psalm 121:1-2).

As we see our sins before us, we see that they are insurmountable. And so, in faith, we look up into the hill known as Calvary and we behold that it is a hill that our Savior has already climbed for us and before us. Indeed, our help has come from the Lord…the maker of heaven and earth. 

The very one who made the mountains and the hills has descended into our lives to ascend the hill that we could not climb. With a perfect life lived, He sacrificed Himself for you and for me. And it was all to save us…all to help us in our time of need.

Left to ourselves, left to our own idolatry, we would be doomed. But, with sins forgiven and guilt atoned for, we press forward into the hills of our lives with courage and confidence to love our neighbors as ourselves.

As Meriwether Lewis stared at those mountains before him, he realized that “everything about the journey had changed. He was planning on exploring the new world by boat. He was a river explorer. They planned on rowing, and they thought the hardest was behind them. But in truth everything they had accomplished was only a prelude to what was in front of them. The true adventure—the real discovery—was just beginning.” [Bolsinger, p. 27]

And so it is with us, each and every time we leave this place. With our sins forgiven, we set out on another adventure in the faith. Confident of Christ’s care and keeping, we seek to serve and help others in His name and for His glory.

Just think: What would happen in our family of faith if we were constantly looking for ways to help? How would that impact our constant need for volunteers? How would that impact our community if we intentionally looked for ways to help others…and followed through on it? 

What would happen as a family of faith if we let down our guard and stopped refusing help and were more open to it? What doors would it open for us to grow as we learned to let go and trust others to care for us? What doors would it open for others to use their gifts in our lives?

What would happen if every visitor who walked through our doors saw us for who we truly are…a people who is here in God’s House because we all need help. Help from Him and help from each other. And in that need for help, this is where we come.

I was once told: “The Church is not a museum for saints. The Church is a hospital for sinners.”

My fellow sinners, we need help. As a family of faith, we as the Church need help to be able to look up into the hills that seem so insurmountable and see that there is hope. There is a path forward. And that path forward is made possible by our Lord who paved the way with His very own blood for us to follow Him.

Again, the Psalmist says, I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth (Psalm 121:1-2).

When Lewis and Clark finally reached the Pacific Ocean, Clark recorded in his journal “Ocean in view! O! The joy!” [Bolsinger, p. 205] 

What a joy it must have been to know that they had made it through the mountains to their destination. But oddly enough, the joy did not last. The reality of their return trip was overwhelming. The journey home seemed like so far away.

For us as a family of faith, the journey home to be with our Lord may still seem far away. We may look up into those hills and think that there are far too many to ascend until we arrive. But, we do not ascend them alone. Our Savior journeys with us. He is all the help we need so that we may confidently look up and see before us once again…that, yes, our help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth…and with Him, the joy will never end.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all human understanding guard and keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Sermon: “A Family Who Repents and Forgives”

Sermon Series – The Church: A Family of Faith

LSB Series A; The First Sunday in Lent

Sunday, February 26, 2023

Psalmody: Psalm 32:1-7

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

Over the course of the next six Sundays, I will be leading you through a sermon series on the selected Psalms under the title of “The Church: A Family of Faith.” As we read, learn, mark, and inwardly digest His Word, it is our goal that all would see that God has brought us together as a family of believers who rejoice in being children of the Heavenly Father, while we are also brothers and sisters in Christ. This aspect of our being a family of faith means that what God has done for His Church through Christ’s death and resurrection, changes everything about our lives, both here in the Divine Service and throughout all of our lives.

Today’s theme which flows from our overall theme comes from Psalm 32:1-7 and it is titled: “A Family who Repents and Forgives.”

It was a long, hard stare. It was one he had seen before. It made his stomach churn to the point that he was nauseous. It was hard to breathe as he tried to come up with something that he would say. Sure, he could try and run and hide, but what good would it do? He would be found, and he would still be guilty. There was no getting around it. There was only one thing he could do. It was the only thing he could do as those eyes stared down into the depths of his very soul… And so he blurted out with a mess of tears, “Yes, mom, I did it! I stole the cookie from the cookie jar!” (Pause)

We can laugh, but we all know those eyes, those piercing eyes that expose us for who we really are. We have all felt them penetrate through our flesh and bones and into the inner sanctum of our souls. 

Such moments of guilt weigh heavy upon us. They make it hard to breathe, hard to focus, hard to get anything productive accomplished. 

Such is the nature of sin’s guilt. It has this way of ruining the day…and if left to linger, it presses down all the more. It is relentless. Like a Packer fan that never seems to stop bragging, even when their team is out of the playoffs. They…just…won’t…stop. And nor does guilt.

Like an anvil in one of those cartoons, it makes its way down upon us, pressing us down into the surface below. Try as we may, we cannot seem to find a way to come up for air again. The only path forward seems to be a slow and agonizing drowning into the depths of Sheol beneath us.

Ever been there? The Psalmist in our text certainly had, and he graciously welcomes us as a family of faith into his plight and into his God-given celebration that followed.

And that’s just it, when it comes to being a family of faith, there is always a path forward. The question is: Are we going to reject it, or follow on the footsteps of where Jesus leads us in His Word?

In our Old Testament reading, Adam and Eve found themselves in a predicament. They had been told not to eat of the forbidden fruit, but Eve dove in. And Adam followed. In an instant, they felt something like they never had before…it is what the Psalmist gets at.

For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer (Psalm 32:3-4).

Yes, they felt guilt. And it did not feel good. It exposed their sin and shame. It exposed them for who they really were now. They were sinners. They felt dirty, naked, and afraid.

Shame does that. We don’t want anyone to know what we said or did or failed to say or do. We just want to run and hide.

That is what Adam and Eve did. Instead of blurting out through tears of confession, like that boy did with the cookie taken from the cookie jar, they instead chose to try and cover up their sin, and cover themselves up as well. 

It was as futile an effort as there ever has been. For there in the Garden of Eden, God came walking in the cool of the day. And He came with a question… “Where are you?”

This was not a question of wondering. God knows everything. No, this was a question of grace. He knew what they had done. He knew they had sinned. He was trying to draw them out of their sin and shame and invite them into repentance.

Here as a family of faith, that is what God does as well. He invites us to be a Family who Repents and Forgives. But, like we see with the Psalmist and Adam and Eve, that takes doing the opposite of what our sinful flesh would have us do.

How many times in our lives have we chosen instead of repenting of our sins and openly admitting our fault, have we instead decided that the so-called wiser route would be to try and hide our fault and sins? How many times?

The numbers are staggering for each and every one of us. In fact, we have likely gotten so good at doing so, that we have become almost numb to what our sins do. 

Sins separate. Sins hurt. Sins kill. 

Your sins and mine separate us from God and others, hurt others, and kill relationships.

Just take a moment and think about your relationships. Are they all perfect, or are there some that could use some mending? Perhaps there are some that you in no way have any intention of ever looking to repair. Perhaps there are some that they (whoever the “they” is) have no intention of repairing with you.

That was the way it was for Adam and Eve. They had no intention of repenting and looking to repair the relationship. That’s why they turned to the blame game. Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the serpent. 

How much has blaming benefited you in your relationships? Remember, when you point one finger at someone, you point three back at yourself. It does no good at all…not in your relationships outside the church…not in your relationships inside the church…and not in your relationship with God.

And that is why we come here. This is where the Church, the Family of Faith gathers…and for one reason…we are sinners in need of a Savior.

God our Father calls us here into His house to acknowledge our sins to Him, not to cover or hide our iniquities. He calls us here to confess our transgressions unto the Lord.

And every single time, our God is faithful to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Your sins and mine are gone, removed as far as the east is from the west. They are no more. Your sins have been covered in the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

Like a chalk board with an eraser. He has wiped your slate clean. In no way does He keep a record of wrongs. In no way does He count your iniquities against you. 

Just think of what that would look like here among us as a Family of Faith…to keep no record of wrongs…to not keep count of the sins committed against us.

But wait Pastor, if I don’t keep count, what ammo will I have for the next time they sin against me? What ammo indeed?

Brothers and sisters and Christ, don’t look to stock the ammo of sins committed against you. Brothers and sisters in Christ, forgive and move forward in faith, united as a body of believers.

And all of that starts here (point to the cross). This is where sins are repented of. This is where sins are forgiven. This is where guilt and shame are removed. This is where the body and blood of the crucified Christ is broken and shed for you. For you.

And now, that changes you. It changes how you interact with each other here. It changes how you interact with others outside the church.

Just imagine what impact it would have when guests and visitors came to our church and they saw that we not only enjoyed interacting with each other, but whenever we did sin against one another, we were slow to speak, slow to become angry, never tried to hide our sins or play the blame game, but instead we were quick to repent and quick to forgive.

What impact would that have here in our family of faith…our families at home…and beyond?

The experience that this Psalmist welcomes us into is for all of us as a Family of Faith to see that we come here as beggars. We are poor, miserable sinners, just as we say it in confession. And we are.

Don’t hide it. Repent of your sin. And not just today, but every day. It may seem uncomfortable at first, but the more you live out your baptismal faith, the more you will come to find what the Psalmist did: Our God is a hiding place for us. He preserves us in our troubles, and He surrounds us with shouts of deliverance.

There is great comfort in repenting of your sins, because every time…every single time…there on the flip side…is forgiveness. No matter what you thought, said, or did. No matter how big it is in your mind. Your Savior is bigger. With stretched arms on Calvary, He is here for you to embrace whatever you’ve got to throw at Him and forgive you again and again and again. It’s what He does…it’s Who He is…as He lets out a shout of deliverance for you: “It is finished!” In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all human understanding guard and keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Sermon: “Choose Life”

LSB Series A; The Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany

Sunday, February 12, 2023

Old Testament Reading: Deuteronomy 30:15-20

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

What would you say if given the opportunity to verbalize your last will and testament for those that you love and care about? I invite you to hear the words of our Old Testament in that way as Moses shares a portion of his last will and testament with the people of Israel.

15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16 If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20 loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them” (Deuteronomy 30:15-20).

The choice was clear: Choose life, or choose death. 

Moses was about to die. Joshua was about to take the lead of the Israelites. Their time of 40 years wandering in the wilderness was over. It was time to enter the Promised Land. A generation of people had come and gone since their 430 years of slavery in Egypt. It was now time to move on and move into the land that had been promised them ever since the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The time was finally here. And before they moved into this God-given territory, Moses set a choice before them:

Choose life, or choose death.

This decision hearkens back to the days of Adam and Eve when they were in the Garden of Eden. There before them was the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Eat of the Tree of Life, and enjoy the perfection of God’s garden for eternity. Eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the result would be death. Well, we know what happened with Adam and Eve. After all, we have been reaping the reward…or the lack thereof, ever since. Every generation that has gone before us has died, and so it will be for us as well, lest Jesus comes back before our last day arrives.

Choose life, or choose death. 

The decision just seems so simple. This isn’t one of those questions that preoccupies us, like “paper or plastic?” or “Do you want a medium or a large fry with your burger?” or Do I press the snooze, or get up?” Those deep decisions (Ha-ha) are the ones people can’t seem to make up their minds on. But this one…life or death…come on. This one is easy…right?

Just listen to the contrast set forth here in the words of our text: “Life, good, love, Yahweh, walk in His ways, keep His commandments, live, multiply, bless, life blessing, by loving, by listening, by clinging, your life, the length of your days.” Now here is the alternative: “Death, evil, hearts turn way, not listen, driven aside, bow down to other gods, perish, not lengthen your days, death, curse” (Harstad, Deuteronomy, p. 791).

Again, the choice is easy, right?

If it was easy, then why did Adam and Eve choose to die? If it was easy, then why did the Israelites disobey God in the wilderness and build a golden calf to worship as soon as they got out of 430 years of slavery? If it was easy, then why did the Israelites go right back to their disobedient ways right after they entered the land that had been promised to them by God for generations?

If it was easy, then why do we go to church on Sunday, and then jump right back into our same sinful behaviors? After all, we just confessed our sins…we’ve been forgiven…we should be good, right?

Remember a few weeks ago when I gave you that wonderful imagery from the book of Proverbs. Let me share that with you again: Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly (Proverbs 26:11).

That’s us. And that’s why we choose death over life. No matter how vomitous our sin may be, no matter if it means that we are choosing death over life since that is the wage of sin, it doesn’t matter. We are sinners…and sinners sin. Even though the joy in sinning is only temporary, we like our sins…no we love our sins, too much. We don’t want to give them up. We would much rather dive right back into them again, because after all, we want what we want, and we know what is best for ourselves…and who is anyone to tell us otherwise…even God? (Pause)

Choose life, or choose death. (Pause)

Who is guiding your choices?

Is it God’s Word, or is it the Devil?

Who is guiding your choices?

Is it God’s Word, or is it the world?

Who is guiding your choices?

Is it God’s Word, or is it your sinful flesh?

Who is guiding your choices?

Choose life, or choose death. (Pause)

The people of Israel did not obey the commandments of God. They did not walk in His ways. They turned their hearts way from Him. They didn’t listen to Him. They were drawn to other gods to serve them. They chose to lose the Promised Land. They chose curse over blessing. They chose death over life. (Pause)

Here in this last will and testament given by Moses, he makes the decision as plain as day: Choose life. Love the Lord your God, obey His voice, hold fast to Him…for He is your life and length of days.

The same is true for all of us here. If we choose to follow the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh, then the result will be death…eternal death. If we choose to turn away from him, and not listen to him, and worship other gods…like the unholy trinity of me, myself, and I…well then, we will surely perish…eternally.

Moses’ last will and testament is a wakeup call for the Israelites, but they ignored it. What about you?

A good way to check yourself before you wreck yourself is to ask: Does my life and the life of my household mirror that of the world? Is my priority for myself and anyone else in my household synonymous with the ambitions of the world, or have we chosen to be different? Have we chosen to make loving the Lord our God the utmost priority in our lives? Have we chosen to follow His Word and His commands without exception, no matter what the world may say or think of us? Have we chosen life over death?

Parents, what do you want for your children’s eternity? Congregation, what do you want for the next generation’s eternity? Moses looked out at the people, who in many ways were like his children, and he told them…Choose life!

That is what our God is all about. More than anything, He wants us to have life with Him forever. 

In John, chapter ten, Jesus says: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have “life” and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

In John, chapter fourteen, Jesus says: “I am the way, and the truth, and the “life”. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

In John, chapter twenty, it says: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have “life” in his name” (John 20:30-31).

Again and again, Jesus affirms that He is all about life…for us…because He loves us.

That’s why we come here week after week. Though we, like Adam and Eve and the Israelites before us have chosen sin and death, God calls us here to repent, be forgiven, and be restored back to life.

It is a restoration that has been given to us because our God chose the way of death for His only Son. He chose to die, all so that we could live.

“Centuries ago, the forces of Islam laid siege to the capital of Spain. For some time, that city was safeguarded and shielded by that nation's ruler, King Alphonso. Tragically, and in circumstances I am not able to discover, the King's son was captured. Knowing the wonderful relationship which existed between father and son, the invaders put up a gallows in view of the king and all the others who were watching from the walls of the castle.

The Islamic leader ordered the prince to be brought forward and stand on the gallows. Over his head they placed a sign which challenged, "Alphonso, either the city or your son!" It was the kind of decision no king, no father, should ever have to make. "Would he turn over the city and allow its citizens to be taken off into slavery? Would he permit his son to die?" The wait of the king's counselors was a short one as Alphonso decided what he would do. The message was sent back to the Muslim leader: "Let my son die, so that my people may live."

A lover of history would have to look far to find another ruler with that sense of duty and values. That being said, Alphonso's love of his people comes off a distant second when it is compared to the love God holds out to the sinners of this world. In a comparison of the two you will readily acknowledge that, while Alphonso's son had to be captured, God's Son voluntarily entered this world to seek and save the lost. We must also concede that if Alphonso could have rescued his son, he would have done so without hesitation. How much different is our heavenly Father Who not only allowed His Son to die, His plan of salvation demanded it” (Ken Klaus Lutheran Hour Sermon Jan 29, 2017).

(Pause)

God, in His infinite wisdom, chose to send His Son. His death was our death. And now…His resurrection life is our life.

Choose life, or choose death. The decision seems so easy, right? Well, it wasn’t for us…but it was for our God. He made the choice that whatever it took to save you was going to be done…even though it meant the death of His Son.

By the faith granted you in your baptism, in the power of the Holy Spirit, keep choosing life, loving the Lord your God, obeying His voice and holding fast to Him, for He is your life and length of days. 

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all human understanding guard and keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Sermon: "Cross Eyed"

The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

Sunday, February 5, 2023

Epistle Reading: 1 Corinthians 2:1-12

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who loved you with his life. Amen. 

If you were to enter the eye doctor’s office later today, how would your vision test out? Would you come back with your eyes examined and have perfect vision? 20/20 or better. Would you get out of the office with the good news that you can see clearly and see the world perfectly without any diminishing vision or need for readers or prescriptions? Or would you leave the eye doctor with less than delightful news that maybe your vision is going bad, or that maybe it isn’t as great as it used to be, or maybe that you are even becoming a little cross eyed? Now that might be challenging news to hear and handle.

There is a story of a man who had an similar experience just like that. He knew that his vision wasn’t the greatest by worldly standards at least. He definitely wasn’t gifted with 20/20 vision and because of this “vision challenge” he saw the world a little differently. He went into the eye doctor to have his vision tested and he found out the grave news. He was in fact cross eyed. Many may be fearful of this. But he didn’t think anything of it. He knew that he viewed the world, and all that is in it cross eyed. The people, the events, all of it he had a way about him that caused him to look at the world differently. He was not afraid of bad news, because his heart was firm and his vision was cross eyed. 

People often spoke of him. Wondering about him. Wondering why he viewed the world that way. I mean sure there may be wiser ways to view the world. Sure, there may be stronger ways to view the world. But for this guy, he was cross eyed, some might say that he looked at the world with weakness and foolishness. Be that as it may however, many enjoyed his company and he lived life knowing the way that he was, was the way that God made him and that was alright. Whether he could see the world clearly or not, or maybe it was because he was cross eyed that he was able to see the world for what it was, and cherish grace, and the precious gift of life for what they were in the sight of God. I’ll leave that for you to decide.

The City of Corinth was a major metropolitan city that ran the trade up and down that section of the Mediterranean. It was a bustling port city that Paul has the experience of visiting during his missionary journeys. It had a plethora of people and it was wealthy to boot. The trade route that ran through this robust city helped bring wealth, commerce, and people. It was a haven for work as Paul saw it. He helped start the church there and it turned out to be one of the largest successful church plants that continued during Paul’s ministry. 

But no church is perfect as we know. There was divisions amongst who was the favorite pastor or favorite church leader. There was arguments over sexuality and life and how bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and how what you do with your body actually matters. There was issues over food sacrificed to idols. Issues about how the church gathers, over the Lord’s supper and its use and misuse. To say that the church and Corinth was anything other than an ordinary church full of sinful people would be pretty much spot on. This church was full of sinners repenting and turning to their savior.

So Paul after having visited them wrote a couple of letters to continue to challenge them in their divisiveness but also encourage this Christian Church of Corinth in the faith. This he does as he lays out in chapter one but also in the first couple of verses of our reading for this morning. He says, “When I came to you brothers, I didn’t come proclaiming the testimony of God with lofty speech or human wisdom, for I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” Paul confronted them with the cross of Christ. It was their salvation and their call for a new life. It was through the confrontation of the cross that Paul was also calling them to look at one another with cross eyes. The Cross is an example of weakness and foolishness but God’s weakness and foolishness are both stronger and wiser than anything we can dream of comprehending and because of that, the cross is the power of God. It his demonstration of supreme power over sin, death, and the devil himself. Paul gave them nothing but the cross of Christ. If you were to read through this letter you would then realize that Paul was looking at, and normally looked at everything a little cross eyed.

How do you look at the world? How do you see the interactions with those around you? The cross after all impacts your entire life. Let’s take church membership as an example, it was an issue that Corinth dealt with, its an issue that is prevalent today. What does Church membership look like? What does it mean? What are the benefits of church membership? Is the church like a country club where you deposit your weekly or monthly payment and guarantee that you receive all the gifts and entitlements? Or is it a place where you are called to look at the world cross eyed and serve? What would it look like for Zion if we were to have a cross eyed sort of view? What would the ministries expand to? What would the financials look like? What would it mean for Zion if we were to look cross eyed at our community and invest in it? Church membership after all is more than simply a country club that you visit every so often. It is a gift and an assignment. It calls you to serve with your gifts, whatever they may be. Some might say that they don’t have any gifts, or that their gifts aren’t useful. Challenging as that may be, God has a use for you, right here to serve His body under his Cross, to be the church and put your faith in action. That is, to keep our eyes fixed on his Christ who we follow to the cross and to the empty tomb, from death to life. 

Let’s turn and think on this on a familial and individual level. What would it look like for you in your families if you viewed the relationships you have with cross eyes? Would forgiveness flow freely? Would there be an encouragement to follow Christ despite the circumstances? Would there be an encouragement to join together in worship to gather around his free gifts of grace? Would you remember whose you are as you call upon his name, the same you have been claimed by? What would it look like? What would it look like just for you if you looked at the world you live in, everything, good bad or otherwise, cross eyed? These are some things to think about to be sure.

You see, the cross of Christ looms over us all. It hangs there as a reminder of what Christ has suffered and died for all of our sins. It is a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. It was something we could come up with as a means of salvation. Paul points this out when he rights, “None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, What no eye has seen, no ear heard, nor heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him…” This gift of salvation has been prepared for you. It is given for you in water and word; bread, wine, as body and blood. It is the cross. You can’t escape it as it flows out into every aspect and avenue of your life. It is the perfect demonstration of God’s love for you, he loved you so much in that while you were still a sinner, Christ died for you. More than that, he died the death you deserved to pay the penalty of sin under the law. He died so that you don’t have to. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all on the cross. And the life he lives, he lives to God now and forever. 

If you were to enter the eye doctor’s office and visit the Great Physician, the one who can and does heal you of every ailment of body and soul, what kind of eye sight would you leave with? Would you be called cross eyed? I’m sure you would. Christ’s cross has that sort of affect on people, all people. So you, look at the world cross eyed, pour out grace, compassion, love, and forgiveness in your relationships. Demonstrate the gifts of the Spirit that has been given to you to understand the gifts of God freely given to you. Some might comment and say that you look at the world a little differently, maybe so, maybe so. Other’s might wonder why you see things the way you do. Some might be offended by the cross that you represent. Look at the church cross eyed and see it as Christ does. Look at your family cross eyed and see them as Christ does. Look at yourself cross eyed and see some one for whom the Lord himself died. It is through his cross that you are saved. Maybe just like the man mentioned earlier, people might take a moment of pause and wonder who it is that you are representing and why you are able to see the world the way that you do—a little cross eyed. Amen.

And may the peace of God which transcends all understanding guard and keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Sermon: “Walking with God”

LSB Series A; The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

Sunday, January 29, 2023

Old Testament Reading: Micah 6:1-8

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

How is your walk with God going? 

Let me ask that again: How is your walk with God going?

There was once a man who loved to go on walks through his neighborhood. As he did so, he would often get lost in thought, thinking about the good ole days, reminiscing on life. Quite often, he would pass someone and he would greet them kindly and ask them how their day was going. They would respond in kind, and both would continue on their way. Every once in a while, there would be someone on the side of the road or the path that he was walking on, and he would instantly halt his thoughts of the past and tend to the needs of the person. Sometimes it was a child who had scraped their knee. Other times it was a biker whose wheel had presented some unfortunate issue. No matter what it was, he tried to assist, and then he continued on his walk, and instantly his thoughts went back down memory lane.

How is your walk with God going?

I ask this question in light of the story of this man I just told, because in many ways, his walk is what ours is supposed to look like. 

Every day is another gift of God. We even say it: “This is the day the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Every day is a day for us to look back and reflect upon and remember all that God has done for us. Starting with our baptism, we are invited to make the sign of the cross, remembering that day that God joined the life of His Son to ours, the day that He took us from eternal death to eternal life.

Living in our baptismal faith, we are given God’s Word to study day in and day out so that we may behold the mighty works of God. Then as we recall those mighty works of God, we see just how faithful our God is to His people…how faithful God is to us. 

While reflecting on those mighty works of God in Scripture, we likely can recall a time or two…no doubt many more…when God’s provision has been more than we could ever ask for or imagine. Perhaps it was a time He helped a loved one through a sickness. Or maybe it was a time when He helped you in most unfortunate predicament. Or maybe it was a time when He was there to listen to you as you complained, or you were hurting, or maybe you were angry. Either way, He was there for you. And all the while, no matter what you said or did, He just kept being there for you…just kept loving you.

When lost in these moments of reflection and remembrance as you walk with God, you likely have come across a person or two in need. And in those moments of recalling to mind all that God has done for you, you have extended your hand of mercy to someone else. Maybe it was someone stuck on the side of the road. Maybe it was a friend who was hurting who just needed a listening ear. Perhaps it was a farmer who was sick or injured, and they needed help with the chores. Or maybe it was a neighbor who needed help with the snow the plow driver had just pushed to the end of the driveway. After all, who of us doesn’t need help with that? And don’t get me wrong, we appreciate plow drivers, most certainly. It is just quite a load to move when they go by. I think you understand, if there are any plow drivers here. 

The point is that when it comes to our walk with God, it is meant to be a time of reflection and attention. We, as the people of God are to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God. It is a walk that looks back on all that God has done, while at the same time it is a walk that looks forward paying attention to what God has in store for your future, while you also look side to side to see if there is anyone in need of your care.

The walk of the Israelites was not this way. Their walk was one of selfishness. They were not concerned with the past. They had the attitude of, “What have you done for me lately?” And since their situation wasn’t all that good, the nation of Assyria breathing down their neck and threatening their livelihoods, well, God wasn’t helping all that much. Even if He had promised them that a ruler who would come from Bethlehem Ephrathah, well, that wasn’t enough. After all, where was He right now, when they needed Him?

Ever notice that a life that is filled with discontentment only breeds more discontentment mixed with a dose of bitterness and resentment. Then, with that melting pot of negativity comes a great deal of selfishness. It all breeds a mentality of “What’s in it for me?”

That is how the Israelites were walking through life. They even became so arrogant in their position, they thought it was their right to complain and argue with God as if they were some sort of prosecutors on trial and God was the defendant. 

Have you ever complained to God when you didn’t get your way? Ever felt it was your right to complain…after all, you know what is best for yourself and your life? Ever realize how arrogant and completely absurd that sounds…to think that you know more than God?

That’s what the Israelites were about to learn. God rendered them silent by asking them what He had done to them…by asking them how He had wearied them. After all, He had set them free from 430 years in slavery. He had blessed them richly again and again after their constant disobedience. He had provided them the Promised Land.

And yet, they responded in typical fashion. Instead of seeing that God was calling them to a life of faithfulness, they instead were like: “Okay God, we hear you. Obviously you want us to do more for you. What will it take? A few more burnt offerings? Perhaps a few more calves or rams or some oil? What’s it going to be? Do we need to be like the pagans and give up our firstborn children? What’s it going to take to make you happy so we can go about our lives as we see fit?”

Now that’s a paraphrase of what was written in the book of Micah. But do you see the point? Walking with God is not about somehow checking some boxes and doing your good deed and then going and doing whatever you want. If you think that is what being here today is all about, then you are completely and totally in the wrong and you need to confess your sin of absolute hypocrisy.

God calls us to a life where our walk with Him begins in His House and then it changes our lives, completely and totally. 

Walking with Him means reflecting on all that He has done, but that means you need to know what He has done throughout the course of history. That starts with His Word. Do you know His Word? Do you know how to navigate all sixty-six books without looking at the Table of Contents? Do you hear the stories of Scripture…the stories of Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Jonah, Elijah, Jesus, Paul, and so on…or are they foreign to you?

If they are foreign to you, then now is the time to change. Grab your Bible, and start reading. If it doesn’t make sense to you, that’s okay, just keep reading. And what’s more, make Bible Study a priority. Don’t act like you know enough on your own. Yes, personal devotions are great, but you need the help of dialogue about God’s Word so that you grow more in it.

People of God, this is an absolute priority. Your walk with God is completely and totally missing on out on what it could be and should be if you take the mentality that you know everything you need to know already. In fact, if that is your mentality, then you are sinning. God calls you to inwardly digest His Word, but that is an ongoing action, not one that took place years ago and then you can disregard it in the here and now.

It is as Micah wrote: He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you.

God knows what is for your good and He requires you to know Him and walk with Him and get to know Him more as He shapes your thoughts and molds you into who He has called you to be. 

He has called you to walk humbly with Him while doing justice and loving kindness.

Doing justice is literally treating people rightly and dealing with people fairly. There is no taking advantage of people, no cheating them…instead, always looking out for others so that you can care for their needs.

Loving kindness is literally an emotion that leads to action. And that action is not done out of obligation, but rather it in no way requires that someone does anything kind for you first.

On your own, this is impossible, just like it was for the people of Israel. On our own, we are selfish, we take advantage of others, and we most certainly fail to treat people with kindness just for the sake of being kind. How many times have we thought to ourselves, “No way am I being kind to that person until they are kind to me first.” That mentality likely started for us around preschool and we haven’t stopped since.

But then I came across this verse in Scripture in my sermon study and it really hit home. I hope it does for you as well.

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities (Psalm 103:8-10).

He does not deal with us according to our sins. God doesn’t wait for us to somehow get it right or for us check a box in order for Him to lavish us in His steadfast love. He just does it. He just does it, not because it is just, but because He loves us.

He loves us so much that He walked the humble road to Calvary…And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8).

Our God sent His Son to walk the humble road that we were unwilling to walk and were incapable of walking. And He did it to the point of death.

Ever since the day of our Baptism, God has called us to come and walk with Him. But that does mean that we will have to die. Our old sinful self needs to be done away with. 

So, what is keeping you from walking with God? Do you need to prioritize His Word more in your life so that you can spend more time reflecting on all that He has done for His people and for you? Do you need to be more attentive to the needs of those around you instead of waiting for them to do something kind for you first?

Whatever it is, take a moment and confess your sins…(Pause)

And now, living in His forgiveness that He won for you…walk with God in all humility…remembering all He has done for you…and then treating others the way in which He has treated you.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all human understanding guard and keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.