God’s Word at Work

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?
Job 38: 1-11

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  Our text for this mornings meditation is recorded in the book of Job, chapter 38, verses 1 through 11, particularly these words:  “Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm, “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?  Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.”  This is our text.

In the name of our Blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, dear Christian friends.  I’m sure at some point in the life of each and every one of us — there was some person who irritated us enough to get us really good and mad at them for just a moment.  Maybe it was an older brother or sister who was telling us how we should do some task that we had been doing ourselves for years.  Maybe it was someone with a little more school training but little work experience who tried to tell us how we should do our job at work.  Or maybe it was someone who was just stuck up, and thought that they were better than we were.  But whoever they were and whatever they were doing lead our irritation to reach it’s boiling point, and we asked them very pointedly — “JUST WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?  MY MOTHER!  MY FATHER!  MY BOSS!  WHO ARE YOU TO BE TELLING ME I’M WRONG?”  That is the main point of our Old Testament lesson for today.  God is asking Job, “Just who do you think you are?”

We all know the story of Job.  We know how God allowed Satan to tempt Job to see if Job would lose faith.  Satan did it by destroying all of Job’s crops, all his cattle, and even all his children.  But that wasn’t enough — Job remained faithful.  So a second time the Devil came after Job.  This time with sores and scabs all over his body.  It was a tormenting illness with great pain and agony — and Job had to bear it.

But through it all, Job refused to deny Jehovah and he refused to renounce his faith and his trust in God.  His so-called “friends” offered him advice.  They told him that God only punishes terrible sinners, therefore in order to earn God’s favor again — Job should repent of his sins and turn away from them.

But Job would have no part of that kind of advice.  In fact, Job gets carried away trying to prove that it is not because of sin that he is suffering.  He even tries to convince his friends that he had no sin.  Just listen to the words of Job:

“If only my life could once again be as it was when God watched over me.  Almighty God was with me then, and I was surrounded by all my children.  My cows and goats gave plenty of milk, and my olive threes grew in the rockiest soil.  Whenever the city elders met and I took my place among them, young men stepped aside as soon as they saw me and old men stood up to show me respect.  I have always acted justly and fairly.  I was eyes for the blind and feet for the lame.  I was like a father to the poor and took the side of strangers in trouble.  I destroyed the power of cruel men, and rescued their victims.

God knows everything I do; he sees every step I take.  I swear I have never acted wickedly and never tried to deceive others.  Let God weigh me on honest scales, and he will see how innocent I am.”

Job continues to talk about what “GOOD THINGS” he has done for almost 2 whole chapters, and he ends his self defense with these words, “I swear that every word is true.  Let Almighty God answer me.”

And God does answer Job in the words of our text for today.  “Just who do you think you are Job?”  “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?  Who marked off its dimensions?  Who stretched a measuring line across it?  On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone?  Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb of the earth?”

Of course Job knew the answer to all those questions, just as you and I know the answers!  It was God who did all of that.  It was God who said let there be light — and there was light!  It was God who said let there be birds of the air, and fish in the sea, and beasts on the land — and they were!  It was God who created this great universe without help from anyone.  And God tells Job, “I DID IT ALL — WHO ARE YOU TO QUESTION ME?”

TAKE NOTE — God did not argue with Job that he was a good man — that was not the issue!  The issue was that even as good and as great as Job was — he still did not measure up in comparison to God himself.  God’s standard is to “be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

As God gives answer to Job, his words speak a warning to the heathen and the hypocrite — but they also speak of comfort and solace for the repentant sinner.

For the heathen — there is a warning!!  GOD IS ALL POWERFUL!  God is in control of all things.  God is the one to whom everyone and everything must answer.  The heathen who despise God and go their own way, declaring there is no God — or even declaring their freedom and right to chose their own life style — still have to answer to the God who created the universe and gave life to the world.  No one escapes God and his judgment.  Denying God’s existence or God’s rule, does not make God go away.

And for the hypocrite, there is a warning — God asks Job, “Stand up now like a man, and answer my questions.  Are you trying to prove that I am unjust?  Are you trying to put me in the wrong and yourself in the right?”  The hypocrite is the one who always thinks that he, and no one else, is always right.  Like the Pharisee in the temple who thanked God that he was not like other men — but that he was better than they were.

God owes no human being any favors.  We cannot bargain with God because we have nothing with which to bargain.  We are just sinful human beings who stand before a perfect, almighty God.

But there is comfort for the repentant sinner.  This Almighty — and All Powerful — and all creating God loves the human beings that he created - even though they fell into sin.  This loving God cares about His people.  He cares so much for each human life — that he is willing to sacrifice on a cross the life of his only Son — in order to bring forgiveness and life to a sinful and dying race.  No matter what might happen — no matter how bad the situation might be — Our God is still in command.  Our lives are still in his hands — at all times and in all places!  Who are we to question the motives and the actions of our loving and forgiving God?  We only continue to pray, as Christ taught us, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

One of my favorite verses of scripture follows the text for today.  God is speaking and asks, “Job, have you ever, in all your life, commanded a day to dawn?”  Just think about the beauty, the majesty, and the power of a new day as it dawns on the horizon.  As the sun rises from the east giving new life to the day and quickly covering up the darkness of the night.  Only God can command a day to dawn.  Only God can create the world.  Only God can bind the broken heart.  Only God can bring forgiveness into the life of the sinner.  Only God can give peace to the troubled conscience.  Only by God’s grace alone!

Then Job gave answer to God. “I know, Lord that you are all powerful; that you can do everything you want.  I talked about things I did not understand, about marvels too great for me to know.  So I am ashamed of all I have said and repent in dust and ashes.”  God heard Job’s repentance.  God accepted Job’s repentance. And God restored him.  His crops, His cattle, and his children to the 4th generation.

As you and I have now learned the story and heard the dialogue between God and Job.  It is my hope and prayer that you can join with Job in recognizing the greatness of our God –The greatness of his power, as he created the world - but even more importantly, the greatness of his love, as he gave his only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins, so that no matter what may come in this life, we will always know the love of God and his peace in our lives, through the forgiveness of sins and the promise of life eternal with him in heaven.  To God alone be the glory.  Amen.

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

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“THE CEDAR SPRIG”
Ezekiel 17: 22-24Grace, 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 the book of Ezekiel, chapter 17, verses 22 through 24, particularly these words: “Thus says the Lord God: “I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar, and will set it out. I will break off from the topmost of this young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it upon a high and lofty mountain.” This is our text.

In the name of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, dear Christian Friends. Think about the cedar tree. In some parts of Texas, the cedar tree is considered a noxious weed and a real nuisance. It seems to grow everywhere that it is NOT wanted. It ruins the grasses of a good pasture. It is usually small, knotty, and not really that pretty to look at. Most ranchers cut them down, pile them up, and burn them — unless of course they cut a few good fence posts out of them first.

But our text for today is obviously not talking about the squatty cedar trees of the Texas hill country. Because in our text, God himself says, “I will take a sprig from the LOFTY top of the cedar, and will set it out.” The kind of cedars in this Old Testament Promise of Things to come are the cedar trees of Lebanon. These were towering trees, which grew tall and straight. It was the Cedars of Lebanon that were designated by God to be the lumber that went into building the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. These were cedars that had solid, long lasting qualities in its wood. Anything built of the cedars from Lebanon was considered to be permanent and forever — for there was no better wood that could be used in building.

And God says that from that lofty, towering cedar, He is going to take a sprig and he is going to plant it. Just what is God talking about in this text?

It is all explained in the first part of chapter 17, the verses preceding today’s text. The Sprig that is removed by an Eagle in verses before today’s text refer to king Jehoiachin, who was taken to Babylon as a captive by Nebuchadnezzar.

But the Sprig which God himself removes from the giant cedar in today’s text, is the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ himself. Our text for today is one of those beautiful, Old Testament promises of God, about the coming Savior of the world, the Promised Messiah, Jesus Christ.

There are several important points to notice about this promise of God and how those promises were fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

First of all, we note that it is God himself who chose the sprig and it was God himself who planted the sprig. God chose to send his own Son, born of the Virgin Mary.

Just as the Cedar Sprig comes from mighty and powerful stock — so Jesus Christ, God’s son, is born into the bloodline of King David himself — because Mary is a descendant of King David. Just as the wood from Cedar was considered everlasting — So also the Son of God, the Sprig from the Cedar, is everlasting — for He is “Very God of Very God, begotten, not made.”

And our text tells us, “I myself will plant it upon a high and lofty mountain; on the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit and become a noble cedar;” And indeed Jesus Christ was that Sprig which grew in wisdom and in favor with God and Man. He bore fruit as he kept the Law of God perfectly and completely for you and for me. He bore fruit as he healed the sick, gave hearing to the deaf, gave sight to the blind, and the lame could walk. And as Jesus Christ rode that donkey into Jerusalem on that Palm Sunday — we could see the glorious Lord, the powerful King — the royal Cedar of Lebanon which had grown from the Sprig which God himself had planted. God “gave to him a name that was above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow.”

Another important point for us to remember from this text is God’s promise, “Under this cedar will dwell all kinds of beasts; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest.” How often have we sang that favorite of hymns, “Rock of Ages, Cleft for me, Let me hide, myself in thee.” God is here promising that this Messiah — this promised Savior — will be a refuge for all people, everywhere.

Jesus Christ will not just be a haven or a refuge for the good and the nice! But Jesus Christ is the refuge for all who come to him. Jesus Christ is the refuge for sinners — and there is no other Savior, no other refuge, from Sin. And so we poor sinners must seek refuge in Him — We seek out the forgiveness, which he won for us by His death on the cross. We seek out the victory that He won for us by his resurrection from the dead. We seek out the peace which passes all understanding which only he offers to us in the assurance that we are God’s children and heirs of God’s eternal kingdom in heaven, by grace, through faith, in him.

Just as a tree provides shelter for the beasts of the field and a home for the birds of the air, so Jesus Christ provides a haven for you and for me and for all sinners. Jesus Christ is the cedar Sprig planted by God under which all kinds of beasts dwell and in which every sort of bird will nest.

And lastly, in verse 24 of our text, we read, “And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish.” This is the Old Testament equivalent to what Jesus himself said in the New Testament, “The first shall be last and the last shall be first.” God exalts him of low degree, but brings down the proud and arrogant. This message is especially meaningful as we confess our sins before God. We do not approach God as a towering tree of Lebanon, but rather we approach God as the low tree, the squatty cedar of Texas. We are the sinner in need of forgiveness. We are the dry tree, which needs God’s own nourishment so that we can flourish.

And so, lowly sinners that we are, we come to God each and every day, to renew our baptism, to confess our sins and to receive the forgiveness which he gives to us, and the strength that he gives to us through the Means of Grace — through His Word and through the Sacraments. Through His love and forgiveness, God takes the low tree diseased by sin, and through the forgiveness earned by Jesus Christ, helps them to grow into great trees for his service and glory.

This chosen, cedar sprig — is another symbol of the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What a glorious promise from God — what a glorious gift to men. God’s cedar, is our refuge and our strength. Amen.

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

THE SPIRIT OF LIFE
Ezekiel 37:1-14
 Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  Our text for this Pentecost Sunday, is recorded in the book of Ezekiel, chapter 37, verses 1 through 14, particularly these words:  “The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the midst of the valley; it was full of bones.  And he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.”  So I prophesied as I was commanded:  and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great host.”  This is our text.
 In the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, dear Christian friends.  In order to understand our text for today, and also to understand just why this particular Old Testament text was chosen for Pentecost Sunday, you have to know little bit of the Hebrew Language.   
 Sometimes, one word can have several different meanings — and that is the case here.  The Hebrew word translated as “Spirit” — also means “wind” and “breath.”  If you look over the text for today, you will notice that the words Spirit, breath, and wind appear 11 times — 7 times in the middle paragraph alone.  All 11 words in the Hebrew language are the same root word.
 God had given a vision to His prophet Ezekiel — God took Ezekiel to a valley that was full of old, dry bones.  Ezekiel even notes in our text that “These bones were very dry.” which indicates that the persons to whom these bones belonged had been dead for a long, long time.  And God said that these bones were His special chosen people Israel.  God said that the Children of Israel had given up hope, they thought that they were dead, and cut off from God.  So the vision which Ezekiel has of these old dried bones returning to life, was a vision of hope and of encouragement, to the children of Israel — and it is also a message of assurance and comfort to you and to me today.
 Let’s look for a minute at the meaning of today’s text in the context of the Children of Israel to whom Ezekiel was speaking.  And the disciples on that first Pentecost Day.  And to you and me in our day and time.
 The children of Israel felt like old dried bones.  Our text tells us — “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.  Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost, and we are clean cut off.’”  But God had a promise of hope for these Children of Israel through the vision to Ezekiel.  Those dried bones would have muscles added back to them, and then over the muscles God would put flesh, and over the flesh would come skin.  God was going to rebuild the People of Israel — he was going to restore them to their rightful place as living people of God.  As he promise in the text, “I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land.”
 To people in exile who felt hopeless, God was giving a promise and restoring their hope.  And it was the Spirit of God that was to rebuild that hope.  God said clearly in the text, “I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live.”  God’s Spirit would give life to the Children of Israel who felt that they were dead.
 And what about the disciples of Jesus just before Pentecost?  It was now 50 days after Jesus had risen from the dead.  In 40 of those days they had talked with the savior, they had listened to him as he further explained the prophecies of the Old Testament which dealt with why he had to be crucified, and how he would be raised to new life on the third day.  But then, Jesus had left them — he had ascended into heaven right before their eyes — and now they were alone again.  So they had done as he had said they should — they went back to Jerusalem to wait for something that Jesus had called the “Comforter”.
 To the casual observer — it would probably have seemed that the disciples were hopeless at this point.  Maybe they felt like a pile of dried bones.  Their Rabbi/Leader/Savior had left them — The authorities were still after them — It had only been just a little more than a month, so the rumor must have still been circulating that they had stolen the body of Jesus from the grave –  And so not only were they in that upper room waiting for the “Comforter” to come — they were also there probably still hiding from the Jews!
 But as God “breathed” on them with his Holy Spirit, as those tongues of fire settled on their heads, they came alive.  They went into the crowded streets of Jerusalem proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  They told about the marvelous works of God in languages that they had never known before.  Peter, the man who denied Jesus 3 times to a very small crowd around a court-yard fire — now preaches a very powerful sermon in the city streets of Jerusalem, — and 3,000 people joined with Peter and the Disciples in the Christian faith that day.  3,000 people dead in sin — became alive in Jesus Christ that day!!  Wherever the Spirit of God is — there is life!!
 But what about you and me, today?  What does this text say to us?  Are we just a valley filled with dead, dry bones?  Or are we like the disciples — locked up by ourselves in some small room where we can protect ourselves from the world around us?  Are we hopeless?  Have we given up?  Have we reached a point where we think God cannot forgive us?  Have we reached a point where we fell that our problems are too great for anyone — even God — to handle?  Do we feel that we are tired of life and living, because it seems that everything goes wrong, or that life is just passing us by?  IF you answered “Yes” to any of these questions — then you need the message of hope which God gave to Ezekiel to prophesy to the Children of Israel.  “I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land.”  God has promised to give His Holy Spirit to all those who are His own.  We received the Holy Spirit into our lives as we were born again through the washing of Holy Baptism.  The Spirit is within you right now — giving to you, LIFE.
 It is the Holy Spirit working within you which calls, enlightens, sanctifies, and keeps you in the one true faith.  It is the Holy Spirit working within you right now which directs your life as you serve God and your fellow man with good works.  It is the Holy Spirit working through the means of Grace — through Word and Sacrament — who strengthens you and directs you in your life as a child of God.  It is the Holy Spirit who gives you life — as a child of God, through faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. And it is the Holy Spirit working faith in your heart to trust in the mansion that Jesus is preparing for you in Eternal life.
 In the book of Genesis we read that after God had formed Adam out of the dust of the Ground — “He breathed into him the breath of life and man became a living soul.”  Remember what we said at the beginning of this sermon — the Hebrew word for breath and Spirit are the same.  And so that sentence could just as correctly be translated, “God breathed into Adam the “Spirit” of life.”  Without God the Holy Spirit — we could not have life — because the Bible is clear, “No one can say that Jesus is Lord, But by the Holy Spirit.”  But indeed we have life because God’s Spirit dwells with us:  Calling us by the Gospel, enlightening us with his gifts, and sanctifying us in the one true faith — even as he calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth! 
 May the Holy Spirit continue this good work in you, unto life eternal.  Amen.
 May the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting.  Amen.

A WITNESS TO THE GOSPEL
Acts 1: 15 -26

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 the book of Acts, chapter 1, verses 15 through 26, particularly these words: “It is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us.  For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”  This is our text.

In the name of our Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, dear Christian friends. 

 ”POSITION AVAILABLE.” Maybe you have seen these words in bright bold letters at the top of a column in the classified section of the newspaper.  Or maybe you saw it on a bulletin board at work.  Or maybe you saw it in a store window while you were out shopping.  Usually the words, “Position available” is followed by the qualifications needed by applicants or nominees for the position, and usually, some of the details related to the work that is to be done is also listed.

Now just suppose you saw this notice: “Position available — Apostle.  Must have been among those who followed Jesus throughout his earthly ministry, beginning from the Baptism of John until the day He ascended into heaven.  Will be a witness to His resurrection.”

It is not very likely that we are going to see a sign like this in our day and time.  However, just such a notice would describe our text for today, and the disciples’ search for a replacement for Judas among the twelve Disciples.  We are told about that need and the way that need was met in our 1st reading for this Sunday, the Last Sunday of the Easter season.

Today, we are not looking for another apostle.  But we are looking for more Christians.  Maybe we should put out an ad in the local paper - WANTED!  Christians to be members of our church.  Qualifications: (and in case you are wondering where these came from, they are from Zion’s own Constitution) must be baptized, must accept all the canonical books of the Old and New Testament, must be familiar with at least Luther’s Small Catechism, must attend divine services faithfully, must partake of the Lord’s Supper frequently, must contribute regularly and faithfully as God has prospered, must devote time and talents to the extension of the Kingdom of God, must permit themselves to be fraternally admonished and corrected, must not be members of secret societies or other organizations which conflict with the Word of God.  And then there are the qualifications laid down in Galatians 5:  must lead a Christian life and NOT live in manifest works of the flesh which includes immoral ways, filthy thoughts, and shameful deeds, worship of idols, practice of witchcraft, hating others, being hard to get along with, being jealous, angry or selfish, arguing and causing trouble, being envious, getting drunk and carrying on at wild parties, or doing other evil things as well. (Galatians 5: 19-21) 

That’s a pretty tough list of qualifications for membership in God’s church.  Back before e-mail, there was an article that made the rounds of church newsletters that asked the question — “If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to find you guilty?”  And then there was another one, which asked, “If you had to renew your membership at church each year, would the membership committee ask you back, based on last years activities and service?” 

Do I need to go on, or are we ready to throw in the towel.  There is no such thing as a perfect Church member!  There is no such thing as a perfect Pastor!  We all fall short of what God wants of us because of the devil, the world, and our own sinful nature. 

I like the qualifications that the disciples were looking for in an apostle.  There were looking for “Someone who has been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us” The perfect disciple — the perfect Christian is someone who has walked with Jesus Christ, and continues to walk with Jesus Christ — BY FAITH!

Knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, gives us a very special outlook on life.  Knowing Jesus Christ means that we know that we are not now, nor will we ever be, PERFECT! Just the opposite!  We know we are poor miserable sinners. But knowing Jesus Christ means that we know that we are forgiven.  Knowing Jesus Christ gives us a peace which passes all understanding.  A peace that we can share with those with whom we share our lives.  There is no greater joy than to be in a Christian congregation that can share the forgiveness and love of God with one another, because Christ first loved them and gave himself for them.

There is no greater peace of mind than knowing that Christ has forgiven us, so that we can joyfully forgive one another.  And this is particularly important in the family of God.

So, the qualification is not based on good works — but on God’s grace, through faith — but what is the job description — what does a disciple do?  Our text said, “He must become a witness with us of Christ’s resurrection.” 

As God’s people today — we too are witnesses to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and what that means for our life and our salvation.  Everything that we do should be done to the glory of God!  So that people can see our good works and give glory to our Father who is in heaven.

But do we live our lives in the grace and love of God?  Do people look at us as God’s people and wonder about the hope which lives within each of us?  Or do they see just ordinary, sinful, selfish people?  Do they see the love of God in us and expressed to others in our day-to-day lives — or do they see malice, anger, strife, and smug self-righteousness?  Do we go out of our way to show love and kindness to others, for the sake of God’s grace in Christ — or do we just take care of ourselves and our own, and no one else? 

Those early Christians, those who named Mathias to replace Judas, had an understanding of their life as a witness.  Of those early Christians, the community around them made comment, “See how they love one another?”  And then they could give witness to Christ’s life, death, and resurrection — Christ’s love — given to them. 

You and I are not Apostles — but we are witnesses.  You and I are Ambassadors for Christ — making him known to all people.  Let us live the life that he gives us — in faith towards Christ — according to his will — and to his glory.  Like Mathias of old, we too are witnesses to Christ’s resurrection as he lives in and through us.  To God be the glory!  Amen.

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

9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.  –John 15:9-17 (ESV)
 

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John 15:1-10

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Confirmation Sermon
God’s Sheep and the Shepherd
John 10:11-18
(Gospel for 4th Sun. of Easter C)

  5/7/95 Zion/Tomball Confirmation Sunday
  5/6/01 Zion/Tomball Confirmation Sunday
  5/4/09 Zion/Tomball Confirmation Sunday

 Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  Our text for this special day of Confirmation is today’s Gospel lesson, recorded in St. John, chapter 10 verses 11 through 18 particularly these words:  “Jesus said, ‘I am the good Shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.”  This is our text.
 In the name of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, dear Christian friends — and particularly you, the confirmation class of 2001.  What a great day this is for you, for your families, and for our congregation.  Today you complete what you have been working on for those long three years, and by so doing, you become a communicant member of the church — sharing with us the very body and blood of our Lord and Savior in the Holy Sacrament.
 But not only is today (your) confirmation day — today in the church year is also known as “Good Shepherd Sunday.”  That makes our Gospel lesson for today a perfect text for a confirmation sermon because in that text, Jesus tells us that he is the shepherd whose voice is known by the sheep.  He tells us that he knows his sheep.  And He tells us that his sheep follow him.
 First of all Jesus is the good Shepherd whose voice is known by the sheep.  Several times in the New Testament we read that Jesus in the Good Shepherd.  Jesus is not a hireling — he is not someone who is just paid a small salary to keep an eye open and watch where they might wander all day.  Hired shepherds were known for their laziness and the lousy way they cared for the sheep.  They would just lay out under a tree and sleep the day away, letting the sheep fend for themselves.  And if danger ever came near, the hired shepherd — who had no vested interest in the sheep would run away, leaving the sheep to protect themselves as best they could.  But Jesus is the Good Shepherd.  These are his sheep.  He cares about their welfare.  He cares about the food they eat and the water that they drink.  He cares about the rest that they get and the exercise that they get.  He cares about those sheep so much — he was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for them — He gave himself up unto death — just for them.
 Jesus said that you are his sheep!!  He cares about you!  He died for you!  There are a lot of people in the world today — and Jesus died for every one of them.  Now you might think that just one little person, one little sheep, might get lost in the shuffle.  After all, how can God, who loves millions of people, be concerned about one individual person.  But in our text Jesus said, “I know my sheep.”  Jesus said in another part of the Scriptures, “The good Shepherd calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out.”  The good shepherd knows the name of each and every sheep, and he calls each one of them by name.
 I had a very good friend who lived up in Clifton, Texas, who raised angora goats.  He had just over 100 goats in his herd.  To me, every one of those goats looked just exactly alike, and I could not tell one from the other.  But the man who raised each one of them from birth, knew each one.  He didn’t have a name for them — but he knew them.  And when it was time for them to come into the shelter for the night, he knew without counting if any — or even if one — was missing.
 Jesus knows his own.  He even calls them by name.  At our Baptism, God called us by name — and then with the water and the Word, — He claimed us as his own — putting his name on us.  Today in this confirmation service — you will again be called by name and be claimed by God.  Jesus promised that whoever professes him before men, then He will profess them, by name, to the Father.  Today your God, calls you by name, and claims you as his own, even as he has done for every Christian down through history, and even as he will continue to do until the end of time as we know it.  God knows his own!  He calls them by name!  And he leads them into the pastures of life.
 Yes!  Our Good Shepherd knows his sheep.  And here is something very important –  Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice and they follow me!”  The sheep follow the shepherd for a very good reason — they know his voice.
 Maybe over the last three years you asked yourself, “Why do I have to study this stuff?   Why do I have to memorize words written by Martin Luther over 450 years ago?  Nobody else is doing it — Why do we Lutherans have to do all this?  And today, our text tells you just why you did it, “So that you will know the shepherd’s voice and follow him.”
 There are many wolves in this world hiding in shepherds’ clothing; wolves who want to snatch the sheep away from the Good Shepherd and lead them away to destruction.  Some of these wolves wear clerical collars.  Some of them preach regularly on T.V.  Some of them publish very popular books and write nice articles in popular magazines.  Some of them sit in teacher’s desks at schools and universities.  Some of them are elected to high office and positions of authority.  Some of them even pose as good friends.  And a lot of the things these wolves preach, and teach, and say — sounds just like what the Bible tells us, it sounds authoritative, or it sounds scientific.  What they say sounds good.  But these good sounding words are only the bait, which they use to lure the sheep into their trap — and then they steal these sheep away from the Good Shepherd.
 You have studied the Words of the Shepherd.  You know the difference between Law and Gospel.  You know the real meaning of Baptism.  You know what God wants you to do and not to do according to the 10 commandments.  You know about the real presence of Christ’s Body and Blood in, with, and under the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper.  You know the voice of the Shepherd, because you have listened closely to his Word.
 Paul tells us how important this voice of the Shepherd really is.  He told the Galatians,  “If we, or an angel from Heaven, should preach a Gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!  I say it again, If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!”  You know the voice of the Shepherd.  Listen to the Good Shepherd — not the hireling and not the wolves — but hear the voice of the Good Shepherd who says, “I lay down my life for the sheep.”
 Our text also tells us that the sheep know the Shepherds voice — “AND THEY FOLLOW HIM!”  Today, you confirmands promise to follow your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the rest of your life — even if that means giving up life itself for the sake of your Savior.  We follow our shepherd — not just when it is convenient — not just when we have nothing better to do — not just when it is the popular thing to do — BUT we follow our Shepherd in all times and in all situations.  Our Shepherd’s love for us leads us through this life into eternal life with him in heaven.  There can be no greater joy in life, than following the Good Shepherd — and living each and every day of our lives by His guidance and to his glory.
 The Good Shepherd calls you by name, because you are his.  You know his voice because you have listened to his Word and to his teachings.  Now, in the strength and by the grace he gives you through faith, follow him!!  Today, and every day of your life.  Amen.
 May the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life ever lasting.  Amen.

THE KING COMES
Zechariah 9:9-10

 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 the book of Zechariah, chapter 9, verses 9 and 10, particularly these words: “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion.  Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem.  See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey.”  This is our text.

 In the name of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, dear Christian friends.  Zechariah — the next to last book of the Old Testament — one of the 12 Minor Prophets.  Very seldom do we have readings from this book and yet Zechariah gives us great insight into the coming messiah.

 It might help us to understand the message better if we understand first of all the setting in which the words were written.  Zechariah was one of the prophets who helped the children of Israel in the restoration of the temple in Jerusalem, sometime about 600 to 500 B.C.  The Hebrews had been set free from their captivity in Babylon to return to their homeland — and now they were trying to rebuild the temple — the center point of their worship of Jehovah — the one true God.

 This new temple was being built by a poor people, still under the domination of a foreign power — and it was nothing like the splendor and the glory of the original temple built by Solomon.  Some of the Older people might have still been around who saw the old temple — and all of the children had been told by their fathers about the glory and splendor of the first temple — and there was great disappointment because the new temple could not even be compared with the original.

 The words that God gives to Zechariah are a comfort to His people.  God knows their suffering.  God knows their hurt and their humiliation — and through Zechariah, God offers them comfort for the present and hope for the future. 

 God gave these promises to his people through Zechariah: “The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew.  I will give these things as an inheritance to the remnant of this people.  As you have been an object of cursing among the nations, O Judah and Israel, so will I save you, and you will be a blessing.  Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong.”

 Zechariah proclaimed comfort and hope for a captive and enslaved people.  The most comforting and hopeful promise God gave to His people in the Old Testament was the promise of a coming king — a special Son of David.  Many of the people thought this king would be a military ruler who would lead them out of slavery, and into another golden age like the days of David — But our text for today clearly points out that this king would be a Spiritual king — a King who would save His people from their sins.  This text also tells the details of an event which would come in the life of Jesus Christ, which you and I call Palm Sunday, the day we celebrate today.

 What are those words of Zechariah?  “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion.  Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem.  See, your king comes to you.  Righteous and having salvation.”

 To a depressed people who were so disappointed that the temple they were building was not good enough for God — comes the words, “Rejoice greatly and Shout for joy.”  This was the exact opposite of what the people of Zechariah’s day wanted to do.  They wanted to hang their head in shame — what a miserable house they were building for God.  Surely, Almighty, All-powerful God would not dwell in such a miserable looking temple.  But the comforting words — the words of hope are, “Your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation.”  Oh, Israel, God does love you — he will come to you — and he will bring forgiveness.

 Today, we ask the same kind of questions.  Am I good enough for God?  I know my body is God’s temple, but is it pretty enough for him — is it decorated with enough good works?  Is the faith on which it is built firm enough to support God living in me?  And sinners that we are, we know our temple is not up to the perfect standards of God.  And yet even though we are sinful, even though we are not perfect — Zechariah’s words come to us as well, “Rejoice greatly and shout for joy — your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation.” 

 Our King forgives us our sins.  Our King washes us whiter than snow.  Our King makes us His temple and he dwells with us and in us —NOT because of what we are / NOT because of what we have done or not done / BUT because of his great love for us.  God’s grace and God’s love makes you and me a perfect temple in which He can live.

 Today is Palm Sunday.  It is a day when we remember the kingship of Jesus Christ in our lives.  But his kingship is so different from all other kings that it is hard for a lot of people to understand or even to accept.  You see Jesus doesn’t force his Kingship on anyone.  It was Zechariah who said that this king would ride into Jerusalem on the back of a Donkey — NOT in a war chariot — NOT on a great war stallion — NOT with an army of soldiers — BUT INSTEAD, He humbly enters on the donkey, / 5 days later, without making answer to a single charge, he is sentenced to death / he innocently dies on a cross / and the third day he awoke from the tomb to new life. 

 Jesus has earned the right to be our king.  He gave himself for us.  He gave His life on a cross for us.  He has the right to be our King — and through faith, we accept him as our king.  We SERVE Him — not because of fear, but because of his love for us and our love for Him.  We FOLLOW Him — not because we have to, but because he invites us to.  And we DO HIS BIDDING not out of servitude, but because pleasing our king and doing His bidding is fun, and rewarding, and peaceful.

 ”Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”  He came to set us free.  He came to earn for us the forgiveness we could not gain for ourselves.  He came to be our Savior and King.  Let us dedicate ourselves to Jesus Christ our Lord and our King.  Let us sing with the children of Jerusalem, “Hosanna to the Son of David.  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”  Amen.

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

The Serpent, The Savior
Numbers 21: 4-9
 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 the book of Numbers, chapter 21, verses 4 through 9, particularly these words:  “So Moses made a bronze serpent, and set it on a pole; and if a serpent bit any man, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.”  This is our text.

 In the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ dear Christian friends.  The opening verse of today’s Gospel lesson read, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

 That one verse of the New Testament points to that part of Old Testament history, which serves as our text for today.  The death of Jesus Christ on a cross, is compared with the familiar story of the serpent which Moses had placed on a pole during the Exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land of Israel.

 If we look closely, we are going to find several similarities between the Serpent on the pole and our Savior on the cross.

 The first similarity is the kind of people that both the serpent and the Savior were to heal.  First, we look at the Children of Israel, the people for whom Moses built the Serpent on the pole.

 These were the slaves of Egypt.  They were treated brutally by the people of Egypt in order to keep their numbers from growing.  When that plan did not work, the male children that were born to every family had to be thrown into the Nile River and drowned, as soon as they were born.  But God preserved the life of Moses so that he became the leader who would lead the Children of Abraham out of the land of Egypt.

 Deliverance came in time.  Pharaoh and his Chariots were drowned in the Red Sea, after Moses lead the people through on dry land.  Food was plentiful — Manna from Heaven in the mornings and Quail in the evening. 

 This was a people blessed by God.  They were delivered from Slavery, they were saved from Pharaoh, they had food to eat, and they were moving to the Promised Land that flowed with milk and honey!!

 But were they thankful?????  Oh No!  Just listen to the words of our text for today. “The people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert?  There is no bread!  There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”  Impatient, ungrateful, murmuring, and complaining — not in anyway satisfied with the good things that they had from God.

 Have people changed any today?  Just listen sometime to the general conversations that occur around you every day.  During the winter it is “too cold”  — during the Summer it is “too hot” — In the Spring the rains make it too wet, and many times in the fall everything is too dry.  Wages are always too low, and prices are always too high.  God’s rules are too strict for today’s lenient society — and yet society wants everyone to live by God’s rules so that we all get along with each other!

 Have people changed??? No!!  We are still sinners before God!  Like the Children of Israel, there are times when we do not walk the road that God lays before us — willingly or cheerfully.  Sinners that we are, like the Children of Israel, we too choose to suggest to God that there are better ways to go, better roads to travel, better ways of doing things and certainly better leaders to lead us!!

 So people have not changed much — we’re still sinful, selfish, and self-centered!  Just like the Israelites of old, God’s people still complain and murmur against God and against His will and direction for our lives.  And just as God was not pleased with the Children of Israel — so also, he is not pleased with the sinful actions of his people today.

 So that brings us to the second similarity — the people of Israel needed to repent.  In the Old Testament lesson, God sent snakes among the people to remind them that they needed to repent — and it worked!!  Our text tells us, “The people came to Moses and said, ‘We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you.  Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.”

 Does God need to send snakes into our land to remind us that we as individuals and as a nation, need to repent??  What does God have to do to get our attention?? Maybe our national poisonous shake is the serpent of Abortion or euthanasia.  Maybe our Viper will be a bankrupt Federal Government which just can’t find a way to balance its budget, while bailing out every big company going bankrupt.  Maybe what will finally bring us to our knees will be the loss of the freedoms that we hold so dear - like when the government tells us which doctors we can see or which medicines we can take.  Sin in individual lives produces many kinds of personal poisonous serpents — divorce, unplanned pregnancies, child and spousal abuse, broken relationships, broken lives, and broken bodies — not to mention the worst possible effect of sin, a soul lost for all eternity in hell!

 We need to recognize that we are sinners before God.  We need to repent.  We need to join with the Children of Israel and say, “We have sinned, We have spoken against God, pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.”  Pray for God’s forgiveness, and put ourselves totally into his hands!!

 And that brings us then to our third and last similarity between then and now, — GOD PROVIDED A WAY OUT!!  Our text said, “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.”  Please take special note here — GOD DID NOT REMOVE THE SNAKES FROM AMONG THE PEOPLE!!  THE SNAKES STAYED!!  BUT GOD GAVE A WAY OUT!!

 I can just hear the people now as Moses told them this Good News.  “Moses, you’ve got to be kidding!  A bronze snake on a pole — how is that going to save our lives!  Moses, it won’t work!!  Go back to God, and get rid of the snakes — and forget about this snake on the pole thing!!”

 But eventually, someone would look to the serpent on the pole and live — and then another — and then another.  Just looking up to that serpent on the pole, relieved the body of the poison, and brought life back into the body.  People who looked to the serpent, lived.

 Remember of Gospel lesson for today, “Just as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up.”

 In order to save sinful people from their sins, Jesus Christ had to be lifted up — lifted to a death on a cross.  There was no other way — there was no other Savior from sins — there was no other way that mankind could be restored to the right relationship with God.  A man had to die, a perfect man had to die an innocent death — God’s own Son, Jesus Christ, had to die on a cross to save us from sin, death, and the Devil.  And all we have to do is to look to him in faith.  As the children of Israel looked to the serpent in the wilderness and lived  — so also we look to Jesus Christ on the cross — and live.

 The serpent and the Savior — both brought God’s healing power to sinful mankind.  This Lenten season — look to your Savior — who was lifted up on the cross for you.  Through him, you have life — now and forever.  To God be the glory!   Amen.

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