Sermons, Studies & Services from Zion Lutheran Church in Tomball, Texas

Matthew 14:22–33

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Matthew 14:13-21

If you click the Bible reference above, it should open in a separate window to let you see the Gospel lesson that Pastor Mallie is using is the text of his sermon. If you have Logos/Libronics and click on the tiny logo above, it should open up that software to that Bible reference.

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MORE THAN CONQUERORS
Romans 8:35-39

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text for this mornings meditation is recorded in Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter 8, verses 35 through 39, particularly these words, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Nothing in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This is our text.

In the name of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, dear Christian friends. When we look at the Apostle Paul, we see a man who was very BOLD in his faith. When he was in Greece, he was accused of preaching about a foreign God. So he pointed to a temple right there in their city dedicated to “the Unknown God”, and proclaimed to the people, “That is the God I make known to you.”

Even in the face of persecution at almost every town that he and his followers entered, Paul continued to preach Jesus Christ, and him crucified. Paul never seemed to fear the consequences. He just continued to spread the message of God’s love through Jesus Christ.

When Paul wrote his letter to the Christians at Rome, he told them in the first Chapter, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone who believes.”

And even up to his death, Paul remained confident in his faith and in his message, for he said, “For me to live is Christ, for me to die is gain.”

Are you and I as confident today, as Paul was in his day? Are we as willing to stand up for Jesus Christ as Paul was? Do we have the boldness to shout out the message of God’s love to a world that really doesn’t want to listen? I’m afraid that each of us has to answer no to each of these questions. When we compare ourselves to the Apostle Paul, we are all kind of shy when it comes to speaking up about our faith and what Jesus Christ means to us personally.

You and I might be more confident if we understood why Paul was so confident. In our text for today, Paul gives his reason for such outstanding confidence and boldness.

Paul starts out by listing some of the problems that Christians will face during their lifetimes. He lists in our text, “trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness danger, and sword (another word for death itself). And he asks the questions “Can these separate us from the love of Christ?”

Paul knew all of these problems in his day. You and I, compared with Paul’s experience, know them only slightly. None of us has gone through what Paul went through. What is trouble and hardship for us today? May be when the car is in the shop to be repaired and we have to car pool with someone else, that’s a hardship! When we have disagreements with our wives or our children, that is trouble in our lives. The only persecution because of our faith that we face in the world today is the indifference and apathy of those around us. Today there are a lot of people in our world who really don’t care about God, or about religion, or about church. In the United States, there is great prosperity compared with the rest of the world. Severe hunger and poverty we see in magazines and on the T.V. news, but seldom in real life. Even the homeless standing on the street corners in Houston look well-fed.

Danger and death are two things that we do face. Every time you get into your car, you face danger as 1,000s of people are killed on American highways each year. Death is a reality we all have to face at one time or another, some sooner than others. But we all face the reality of death.

You and I do face many problems and hardships every day of our lives. That is why the Old Testament Scripture passage which Paul quotes in our text applies to each of us also. It reads, “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” The Christian is going to suffer. The Christian is going to face hardships. The Christian is going to face danger, and eventually death itself. As Christ said, “We take up our Cross and follow him.”

But even in a pessimistic, painful, cruel and sinful world, the Christian — and ONLY THE CHRISTIAN — can rejoice. ONLY the Christian can be bold. ONLY the Christian can be confident. WHY? Because Paul tells us straight out in our text, “In all these things we are more than conquerors, in all these things we have total victory through him who loved us!”

The troubles of this life should not bother us, we have total victory. The hardships of this life should not bother us, we have complete victory. The persecutions we face, the dangers we face, — and especially the death we face — should not bother us. For as Paul said in our text, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Just imagine if you can, a corn seed that was absolutely, positively guaranteed to produce a bumper crop every year no matter what the circumstances. Do you think that seed would sell? This seed is guaranteed to produce full heads of corn no matter how dry and hot the summer is, no matter if the fields are flooded by too many thunderstorms, no matter how cold or late the spring, no matter what the weather or soil conditions happen to be, this seed is guaranteed to produce — do you think people would use that seed?

Of course they would buy it — and they would plant it — and they would probably keep some of the seeds back for planting next year. There would be no maybes, no guessing, no gambling with that perfect, guaranteed seed.

Paul tells us there are no maybes, no guessing, and no gambling on the Christ faith either. Paul says in our text, “I am certain” (He didn’t say, “I Hope,” or “I think,” he said “I’m Absolutely, positively, certain.”) “I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord

After all, it is His victory. We are the victor, but it is He who has won the battle. It looked like defeat. Judas won the first round and Jesus was arrested. The High Priests won the second round with false witnesses and a kangaroo court. The crowd won the third round as they blackmailed Pilot into a sentence of death. The devil won the fourth round as the crucified Savior was teased and mocked by the crowd that gathered at the foot of his cross. And death itself won the fifth round as the Savior yelled, “It is finished”, and died. It looked like complete defeat for the man who claimed to be the Son of God

Yet on Easter morning there was the shout of victory, “He is not here, He is risen!” With his resurrection, the powers and the forces of evil were once and for all defeated. The battle and the war was won. Our risen Lord and Savior was victorious.

That victory in now your victory and mine. Paul said in the text, “We are more than conquerors.” Yes much more! We are heirs of Heaven: Children of God, bought and paid for with the blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Why was Paul so bold — so confident - even in trials, and tribulations - He knew he had the victory. There will be troubles, hardships, persecutions, poverty, hunger, pains, and many other worries in this life, — but in all these things we have the Victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. And the worst fear of most people — DEATH itself — no longer gives the Christian deep concern. We need not ever fear death! As the Scriptures promise, “Death too is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the Law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

That’s our strength. That’s our confidence. That’s our total Victory in Jesus Christ out Lord. To Him be the glory now and forevermore. Amen.

May the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.

OUR WEAKNESS, GOD’S STRENGTH
Romans 8:18-25
Proper 11

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

Our text for this morning’s meditation is recorded in Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter 8, verses 18 through 25, particularly these words: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. Hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” This is our text.

In the name of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, dear Christian friends. I do not have to explain the meaning of the topic of our Epistle lesson for today. Paul was talking about suffering — and suffering is something that each and every one of us knows something about. Every one of us has suffered from some kind of hurt or pain. It might be physical, or mental, or emotional. As I look over this congregation I see people that I have visited in the Hospital following major surgery. I know your suffering. And I see some of you who’s loved ones I have buried in the last year or so. I know your suffering. And I see some of you that I have tried to help through some of those problems of life that have faced you; at work, at school, and at home. I know your suffering. Indeed, individually and as a congregation, we know what suffering is!

Paul, in our text, does NOT try to play down suffering. Paul does not promise a bed of roses for Christians. Paul does not promise Christians that they won’t suffer if they get their head right. Instead, he comes right out and tells us point blank that there is suffering in the world, that there will continue to be suffering in the world, and that even Christians will suffer in this life.

Paul, in our text, talks about our “present sufferings”, he talks about “the creation that was subjected to frustration”, he mentions that the “whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of Childbirth right up to the present time”. And he even says that those who are Christians, including us, “groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” That is, as we wait for God to deliver us from this sinful world of pain and suffering into the eternal glory of heaven, where God himself will wipe away every tear. It is sad, but true. We will not escape from suffering until we leave this life and enter into eternal life with God in heaven.

Paul himself also suffered. Paul had a “Thorn in the flesh” which tormented him greatly during his life. Three times he asked God for relief. Three times God said NO! But instead said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in your weakness.” Paul knew suffering, possibly even more than you and I know suffering. But in this letter to the Romans, Paul offers to them, and us, comfort even in the time of suffering.

We have comfort through our Christian faith mainly for three reasons. First of all we know that suffering is only temporary. We also know there is a purpose for suffering. And lastly we know the end of suffering.

Paul said in our text, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” That was Paul’s way of saying that suffering is only temporary. Suffering, with all its pains and all its grief, will pass away.

Time marches on and with it goes the pains we suffer from day to day. Think back 2 or 3 months ago to that really big problem you faced at work, at home, or at school. That problem that you thought was going to kill you. The problem you thought would ruin your life forever! You must have survived; after all, you are here today. So many of our problems that we are so afraid of are just in our mind and never actually happen. A friend once said, “FEAR is nothing more than False Events Appearing Real.”

Those who have had surgery need to be reminded that the cuts and pains of the surgery will heal, and as they do, the pain that brought on the surgery in the first place should pass away with the pain of surgery. This suffering is temporary. And even though we are still around 10 inches behind normal rainfall for the year, the rains will come to water the dry fields, pastures, and lawns. Suffering is only temporary. It hurts us and it frightens us for a while, but then it gives way to the blessings of God in our lives.

But what about the diseases where there is no sure cure these days — like multiple sclerosis, or some forms of cancer, or the harsh kinds of arthritis — things that stay with a person for the rest of their lives. What about those times when the doctors tell us there is nothing that they can do - that we just have to learn to live it?? Even these we must admit are temporary. For we as Christians know that our short life here on earth is only a flicker of the candle, compared with the eternity which God offers to us in heaven. Paul’s thorn in the flesh stayed with him all his life, but even with that pain he said that when he considered the glory which was yet to come, the suffering in this world would amount to nothing, because it soon would pass, and give way to the glory that is coming.

But not only is suffering a temporary thing, it can also serve a good purpose in our lives. Paul says in our text, “The whole creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay, and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.”

Within our lives, God does not WILL that you and I suffer, after all that suffering can be a direct result of our sin, or someone else’s sin, against God. If you have a hangover in the morning, it’s not God’s fault - you were the one who drank too much the night before. BUT, God at least permits our suffering, in order to bring about good within our lives. The story of Job is a good example. It was not God who was punishing or tempting Job, rather it was the Devil who did the dirty work. But God allowed the Devil to tempt Job, and to cause pain and suffering in Job’s life. We learned in our catechism and the Lord’s Prayer that “God indeed tempts no one”. But instead, God uses the temptations which come into our lives to point us again to the source of our strength — not ourselves — BUT GOD. To remind us that we are not self-sufficient or self-made; — but that we belong to Him.

God promises, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.” And he never will. God promises, “I will not let you be tempted beyond what you are able to bear, but will give you a means of escape, so that you will be able to bear it.” And he will keep that promise!

It is one of the most difficult things for us to accept, and yet we need to take comfort in the fact that even suffering and pain can be a gift of God to us, in order to strengthen our faith. Man takes Iron Ore out of the ground and puts it through fire to produce steel. God can take our faith, and put it through the refining fire, to produce a faith much, much stronger than before. To look upon suffering as a gift from God is hard to do — but it certainly can be just that - a gift from God.

But the greatest comfort in time of suffering is not in knowing that suffering is temporary, NOR is it in knowing that suffering can be good for us. The greatest comfort in time of suffering is to know that suffering is going to come to a complete halt for Christians.

Suffering, pain, temptation, death, illnesses, disease, and anything else that causes discomfort, pain and sorrow in this life is the direct result of sin. It is sin in the world which causes all our suffering and all our pain. The end of sin is coming. It is coming with our Lord when he comes to call unto himself those, living and dead, who are his own. Our text tells us, “We wait eagerly for our adoption as Sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.

We wait for God to free us from this world, to free us from sin, to free us from suffering, and pain and everything that is connected with sin; and to take us to himself in heaven.

God has already won for us the victory over sin and its eternal consequences. Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ we have the promise of life eternal. Suffering will definitely come to a final halt.

Yes, suffering is only temporary, and suffering can strengthen us, and suffering will come to a final end for Christians as eternity begins, because Jesus Christ has won the victory over sin and suffering.

God loves us. God gave his Son into death for us. God will free us from suffering and give us a crown life. Take comfort in these promises of God and put your trust in Him. Amen.

May the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.

CHILDREN OF GOD
Romans 8: 12-17
Proper 10

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our text for today is recorded in Romans, chapter 8, particularly these words: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.” This is our text.

In the name of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, dear Christian friends. Our Epistle lessons for well over a month now have been from Paul’s letter to the Romans. Paul has been going through a very logical discussion step by step to show sin and grace. Today’s Epistle lesson continues that discussion. “So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die.” That’s the law. The sinful flesh is a demanding master, a harsh taskmaster, and when the sinful flesh is finished with you, when it has done it worst, it leaves you with nothing but death. The text is speaking true words, “If you live according to the flesh you will die.”

When these words were written anyone who owed money to someone else, a debtor, was considered a servant — even a slave — to the one who held his debt. Even though they worked for their master, they were gaining nothing for themselves but only paying off a debt. The land on which they worked was not their own. The crops they planted and gathered were not their own. They had no future in the profits that were made from their labor. They could only pay off the debt and still be penniless.

Likewise with debts to the flesh make us servants and slaves of sin. And sin gives us all kinds of misery and pain — and ultimately leaves us with nothing but death. If we are debtors to sin — we will die, not just temporally, but eternally in hell.

In our text Paul says that we are NOT debtors to the flesh! We do not owe the flesh anything! Why, well, our debt is paid! That’s what Jesus said on the cross. Totallisthi — “It is finished” or also translated, “Paid in Full”. Because of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection our sins are forgiven, our debts are paid; we are free from sins claims and innocent of sins charges — why?? Because Jesus Christ “has redeemed us, not with Gold or Silver, but with his Holy Precious Blood and his innocent suffering and death. That we might be his own, live under him in his kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.”

We are not debtors to the flesh — but debtors to God. He gave his son into death for us. He forgave our sins. He declared us righteous, innocent, because His son, “who knew no sin, became sin for us.” But here is even better news, God doesn’t treat us like debtors — Paul said in the text, “You did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” Not slaves of God — but Sons of God. Not debtors to God — but children of God. And Oh! What a difference that makes.

God is no longer a stern, hate filled judge who will sentence us to eternal death — but rather — God is a loving and forgiving Father to us, his prodigal children. And being a child of God gives us confidence, hope, and assurance for a future that is guaranteed. If we are children of God — and by Baptism we are his children for there he put his name on us and claimed us as his own — then, we are heirs of God’s kingdom. In Baptism the Holy Spirit created saving faith in Christ, and directed our hearts to Christ. It is the Spirit who leads us to faith and keeps us in faith, through Word and Sacrament. That’s why Paul said in the text, “All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God”. And he also says, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”

How confident can we be that we are children of God — after all, we do have our doubts, we do have our weak moments, we do have our sins — how can we know, for sure, that we are God’s Children?? How would you answer if someone asked you, “Are you a Christian??” Would you say, “No, I’m a Lutheran?” Would you say, “I don’t know, but I try to be.” Would you answer, “My mother was, and she raised me right?” Sorry, but all three of those answers are dead wrong — eternally dead wrong! Are you a Christian? YES!!! HOW??? By God’s Grace alone, through faith in Jesus Christ alone, as reveled in the Holy Scriptures alone. That’s the gospel message of “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have ever lasting life.” Our being children of God is not about what we do or don’t do — Our being God’s children is all about what God has done for us in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Our hope for eternal life is not found in the penance that we do here on earth, but in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross of Calvary. Our confidence of life eternal is not based in our good works, but on Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection for us! We are God’s Children. We are heirs of heaven — by Grace — through faith. God’s Spirit bears witness with our Spirit that this is most certainly true. We are God’s Children and heirs of eternal life in God’s kingdom of heaven.

Heaven is ours. We know that our sins are forgiven in Christ Jesus. We have no fear of death because death is but the gateway into eternal life with our Father in Heaven. That’s the Gospel, the good news. That is our confidence.

Paul concludes our text by saying, “We suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” Paul is making a transition from “the sure confidence of life eternal in heaven as children of God” to the question about “what about now, here on earth.” The Epistle reading for the next couple of Sundays is going to deal with this issue of “suffering with Christ” and how we look at, regard, and deal with suffering is this world. Just why do bad things happen to good people? So I won’t go into that today, but in the next two sermons coming.

Today it is important to remember that even though our sinful human flesh makes us debtors to the flesh — which gives death! God for Christ sake, forgives us those debts and claims us as his children and heirs of his eternal kingdom. The Christian is a child of God — free of the condemnation of sin, confident of forgiveness in Jesus Christ, and expectant in the glories of the World to come. Let us rejoice in the grace and forgiveness which is ours in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

May the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.

Matthew 11:25-30 

ziontomball.info/wfs23a/matt11-25-30.m4a

“Dead to Sin — Alive Through Christ”

Romans 7: 1-13

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  Our text for this mornings meditation is from Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter 7, verses 1 through 13, particularly these words, “My brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.”  This is our text.

In the name of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, dear Christian friends.  The Law of God is a frightening thing.  It scares us to think about just what the end result of sin will be — especially while our conscience is working overtime telling us just how sinful we are.  God himself said, “I am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.”  God said, “The soul that sins, it shall die.”  God said, “The wages of sin is death.”  The Bible reminds us, “There is not one just man on earth who does good and sins not — no not even one.”  And in the end verses of this very chapter, Paul himself asks, “Wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death?”  The reading of the law — the emphasis of the law — leads us to one important question, “How can I escape from the law, and the consequences of breaking that law — death?”  How can we be liberated from the law?

Why do I need to be liberated from that law?  That’s pretty obvious.  The law does not produce life, but death.  Paul says in our text that the law actually brings out sin in us because it points out to us just what sin is.  Those of us who are parents can understand that.  Just tell your child what “not to do” and you better get out of the way or they will knock you down trying to do it.  The parent says, “Don’t you eat that cake in the kitchen, it is for company tomorrow night.”  And the child says, “What cake?  There’s a cake?  Where is it?”  Little minds start wondering what the cake would taste like — and little minds make plans on how to get to that forbidden cake before it is served.

It started in the Garden of Eden.  God said “Don’t eat of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the Garden.”  They knew the law — “Don’t eat of that tree” — and they knew the results — “You will die”.  And even though it’s not recorded for us in Scripture, I bet you, Adam and Eve’s first thoughts were: “Tree, which tree?”  So when the devil tempted Eve, it was an easy step to see that the tree was good for food, and to be wise like God was something to be desired, so she ate the forbidden fruit and gave to her husband and he ate — And guess what??  They died!!

By one man sin entered into the world,  and death by sin.  And the strength of sin is the law.  So how do we break free of the law, and sin, and death.

Paul uses an example so obvious, it seems to go without saying.  A woman is bound to her husband by the law for as long as he is alive.  But if he dies, she is free to marry someone else.  Death changed everything.  Because of our sins, you and I were bound by the law to sin and death — but Christ died on a Cross for us, taking our place in death — so that we might be free from the law, sin and death; in order to marry again, in order to serve another, our Lord and Savior who gave himself for us.

The law, because of our sins, demands our death.  But Paul in our text tells us that we are free from that death penalty and the slavery to sin.  Listen to Paul’s words:  “Likewise, my brother’s, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.”

You and I and all Christians, have been set free from the power and slavery of sin and death by God’s own act.  Our freedom is not because of anything that we have done.  We have not won our freedom because of what we have done or by any good works of our own.  It’s not because we believe right doctrine or teach right doctrine.  It is purely, totally, and completely God’s act in Christ Jesus, his Son, our Lord.  You and I “Died to the law through the body of Christ.”  When Christ’s body hung upon the cross, when God spared not His own Son but gave Him up for us all, when Christ took on Himself for all of us the curse of the Law that rightly belonged to each of us — that is when we died to the Law and died to sin.  The curse of the law was broken.  The debt of the law was paid.  The law could no longer put us to death, because we died to sin with Christ on that cross.  Christ’s love, God’s love, has made his death, the death of us all.  Paul told the Corinthians, “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”  (2 Cor. 5: 14&15)

The same act of God that delivered us from the dominion of sin has freed us from the dominion of the Law, and for the same purpose; that we might live to Him who died and rose for us, and thus, we might bear fruit for God, the fruit of a life drawn from His life and lived to his glory.

No such life is possible under the Law, because the Law cannot transform our “sinful flesh:  The law cannot make sons of God out of Sons of Adam.  In the sons of Adam, the Law can only arouse those sinful passions that lead us into sin.  And with each sinful act, the reign of death is strengthened and enriched.  Sinful mankind, you and I, in our revolt against God “bear fruit which produces death.

But our death in Christ has changed all that.  Death has released us from the old order under which we could only revolt against God and die.  The old order of the written code of the Law, which could command us, but could not give us power to obey, has given way to the new order, the order of the Spirit, promised to those who are his.  Now, since we are dead to sin and alive to Christ, the Holy Spirit calls us by the Gospel, enlightens us with his gifts, sanctifies, and keeps us in the one true faith.  Being dead to sin, but alive to Christ means that in Him we can do all things, not in our own strength — but through the strength that he gives to each of us.  We died with Christ in our Baptism and so we live the life we now have to Him who gave himself for us.

May this peace of death to sin and the law — and new life lived to Christ through the Holy Spirit — be and abide with you always.  To God be the glory!  Amen.

And may the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting.  Amen.

Matthew 10:21-33

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RECONCILED WITH GOD
Romans 5: 6-15
Proper #6

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  Our text for this mornings meditation is recorded in Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter 5, verses 6 through 15, particularly these words: “But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  We also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received our reconciliation.”  This is our text.

In the name of our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, dear Christian friends.  Two Sundays ago, our sermon text dealt with the word “Justification”.  A big word which simply means “a balancing of accounts.”  Today, our text talks about a synonym of Justification.  A synonym is a different word which has the same meaning and can usually be used interchangeably.  Today our text talks about “reconciliation.”  Once again this is a big word, but it is not hard to understand.

To “reconcile,” has about the same meaning as to “justify”, but there is a fine line difference.  A debt can be justified between two people without their personal feelings getting involved.  If I owe a stranger 10 dollars, I can pay it and say nothing and “justify” the debt.  But if I owe 10 dollars to a close friend who is not speaking to me because of that 10 dollars, if I pay him, apologize, and we make up — that is “reconciliation.”

The dictionary says that “reconciliation” means, “a restoring to friendship, harmony, or communion.”  When husband and wife have a fight and separate for a time, when they get back together that is called a “reconciliation.”  Whenever friends have a fight and don’t speak to each other for a while, when they make up that is called a “reconciliation.”  Whenever two people restore peace, love, and harmony to the relationship between them, that is a “reconciliation.”

When Paul says in our text, “We were reconciled to God,” he too is speaking of the “restoration of friendship, harmony, and communion.”

Why do we need reconciliation with God?  We find an answer to that question at the front of our Bible.  In Genesis we read, “Then Adam and Eve heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.”  Ever since that day, men and women all over the world have been hiding from God.  Some people hid behind their own scientific theories of Evolution and say that God does not exist.  We call them Atheists.  Others hid from God by creating many different Gods.  That way they can hid from the wrath of the one true God by calling down the love of their false Gods.  We call that Polytheism, paganism, and materialism.  Others try to hid from God’s wrath behind their own good works.  They try to earn God’s favor so that God will be good to them.  We call them self-rightous hypocrites.

Before anyone can truly appreciate the tremendous love of God for us, he must quite hiding!  Before we can ever be reconciled with God, we have to come out of hiding, stand before God Almighty, and confess, I, a sinner by my very nature, have sinned against you in thoughts, words, and deeds.

Our text says, “BUT!! — while we were yet enemies of God, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son.”  We were enemies of God, yet God still loved us.  Even while we were hiding behind all our modern scientific proof that God didn’t exist, even while we were hiding behind the many different God’s of money, fame, wealth, friends, social position, and the like, even while we were hiding behind our own good works, knowing that God would be nice to us because we were nice to him, Even while we were enemies toward God,  HE brought about our reconciliation with him, through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord.  John wrote, “Greater love has no man than this, than to die for his friends.”  But God showed an even greater love than that — He died for his enemies

Usually “reconciliation” is brought about when the guilty party confesses and asks for forgiveness.  But is this case, reconciliation was brought about by the innocent party.  God himself made the first move, and while we were hiding from him, while we were yet sinners — Christ died for us!

What we could not do, God did for us.  God restored us to friendship, to harmony, and to communion with himself.  He restored us to our rightful place as his children.  Through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God brought us out of hiding, forgave us our sins, put away his anger and wrath, and claimed us as heirs of his eternal kingdom.

Our reconciliation with God is complete through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  There is nothing that we can add to what Christ has already done for us on the cross of Calvary.

So what does this mean in our lives?  Our text said, “We rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received our reconciliation.”  WE REJOICE IN GOD!

That is what the Christian life is all about.  Peace, joy, and  love is all a way of rejoicing.  We don’t have to walk around with long faces because we are Christians.  We do not have to avoid having fun because we are Christians.  We are to rejoice, BECAUSE we are Christians.  Of all the people in the whole world, only Christians can truly enjoy life, because only a Christian knows that he is reconciled with God and that heaven is a gift of God, not something that has to be earned or paid for.  Only Christians can be sure where they will spend eternity, because God has promised, “He that believes and is baptized will be saved.”

How then does “reconciliation” with God, affect the Christian’s life?  The Christian helps his neighbor — not because he has to, but because that is his way of rejoicing before God.  The Christian attends church — not because he has to — but because that is where he rejoices with fellow Christians and receives the gifts of God’s grace.  The Christian contributes to the work of the church — not to pay his dues — but because he rejoices that God has given him so much and rejoices that he can share the message of Christ with others through the work of the church.  The Christian receives Holy Communion — not because it is a good thing to do — but because it is an opportunity to rejoice over the forgiveness of sins which we receive through the very body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Every moment of every day of our lives, should be a time of rejoicing, even in bad times, because God has promised us, “All things work to the good for those who love the Lord.”

The Christian responds with rejoicing — Because God, by grace, has done all of this and more for him.

If you are still hiding from God behind indifference, apathy or self-righteousness, then come out from behind that tree of sin, and through the love of God, receive the gift he offers to you.  He offers himself.  He offers forgiveness.  He offers heaven.  Let us rejoice in God’s grace and love in our life!  For “We are reconciled to God by the death of his Son.”  This is a day, the Lord has made.  We will rejoice, and be glad in it.  Amen.

May the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting.  Amen.

June 8, 2008 — Matthew 9:9-13 — Pastor Charles Mallie

http://www.ziontomball.info/wfs23a/Pastor_Charles_Mallie-Sermon_June8_2008-Matt_9_9-3.m4a