A DISHONEST STEWARD

Luke 16:1-13

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 the Gospel lesson from Luke, chapter 16, verses 1-13, particularly these words, “Jesus told his disciples, ‘There was a rich man whose manger was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’ and “You cannot serve both God and Money.”This is our text.

In the name of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, dear Christian friends. Today’s Gospel lesson presents us with a very confusing parable. Again we must remember that a parable is “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.” But what is the heavenly meaning this time that we can relate to? Is it that we should be very wise and even crafty — maybe even a little underhanded in the way we deal with money?? After all, the dishonest servant is commended by his master for his “craftiness”. Jesus gets to the bottom line and the lesson in the last words of today’s text. He said, “You cannot serve both God and Money.”

Now, money is something that is very important. All of us have to deal with money. Whether we have a business to run, a job to perform, or just a checkbook to balance each month — all of us have to deal with money in our every day lives. With money we provide housing, food, transportation, and all the necessities of life. Money is important.

But, we can view this money in our lives several ways. One way is to see it as a gift from God’s hand — a blessing given to us from God to provide for your families and ourselves, as well as a means to serve God by serving other people. Money can be a tool which is used to accomplish good in our lives and in the lives of others — a tool used to serve God from whom all blessings flow.

Another way to view this money is to see it take control of one’s life. For a lot of people Money drives their entire world. Every decision they make, every action they take, every task they perform is based on how much money it will generate or loose. Money becomes an obsession. Money becomes their God!! The Old Testament lesson for today talked about this view of money and gave a very serious warning about it. It said, “Hear this , you who trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land, saying ‘When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?’ — skimping the measure, boosting the price, and cheating with dishonest scales, buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat. The Lord has sworn by the Pride of Jacob: “I will never forget anything they have done.”

It is this obsession with money which Jesus is speaking of in today’s Gospel lesson and parable as he sums up his lesson saying, “You cannot serve both God and Money.”

Knowing the lesson, how do we now interpret this parable? Jesus makes a distinction between “the people of this world,”and “the people of the light.”Both the dishonest manager, and his master are examples of people of this world. The master is pleased that his servant is so crafty. They have a goal in life — to be comfortable in this life. Their only concern is about here and now, and meeting their own physical needs and wants in any way possible — even if that is by “hook or crook”. So the momentary gain is for this temporal life and is short lived. That was the goal of the dishonest manager. He said in the text, “What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg — I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.”Would they welcome him forever — of course not!! But it would be a temporary situation until he could get something else worked out. He was seeking immediate relief in this world and this life.

When Jesus explains the parable he said, “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into ETERNAL dwellings.”Who is it that offers ETERNAL DWELLINGS — certainly not this world and certainly not the people of this world!!! Only God himself offers eternal dwellings. So you could paraphrase that verse to say, “Use worldly wealth to please God, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into ETERNAL dwellings.”Of course the law reminds us that we are sinners and fall short of God’s expectations of us. And the Gospel reminds us that Jesus Christ lived, died and rose again so that we might have eternal life in heaven. Heaven is not ours because we spend our money wisely — heaven is ours because Jesus Christ is our Savior. This verse then deals not with our justification — but with our sanctification — with how we live our lives as the children of God – NOT how we become Children of God.

Jesus is saying in this parable, “Where are your priorities? Do you look beyond the moment and the gratification of very temporary wants and needs or do you look to the future — to Eternity?

I said before that money can be a tool — a tool that a child of God can use to provide for the basic needs of the individual and the family — and also to give glory to God’s holy name. The text said, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.”And so in this world God entrusts to our care part of his creation. He puts us in charge of certain blessings that He himself bestows upon us. Today’s text deals with money — but being stewards, or managers, of God’s gifts to us reaches beyond the money God gives, to the time that he gives us, and to the talents that he shares with us, and to the abilities that he gives us, even to the very life that he gives. How do we use that which he gives? He is the master of all that we have and we are the managers — the stewards of his abundant blessings.

We can be selfish, like the dishonest servant in the parable and use God’s blessings to our own advantage — or we can be faithful stewards of the blessings of God and use them to God’s glory and to the welfare of others.

Remember Jesus warning in the text, “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

So where do your priorities lie? Are they with temporal matters of this world? Or are they with God? Are you worried about the here and now? Or the “here-after”? Is Money a tool which you use to serve God and others? or is money your master which rules over your life and controls your life?

May the grace and strength which God gives, guide and direct us as we manage the blessings and gifts God has given us, and may our Lord and King, forgive our short comings and bless our efforts as we give Glory to his Holy Name through all the gifts he gives to us. Amen.

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

Luke 14: 25-33

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 Gospel of St. Luke, chapter 14, verses 25 through 33, but particularly these words: “IF ANYONE COMES TO ME AND DOES NOT HATE HIS OWN FATHER AND MOTHER AND WIFE AND CHILDREN, AND BROTHERS AND SISTERS, YES, AND EVEN HIS OWN LIFE, HE CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE. ” This is our text.

In the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ dear Christian friends. The story is told of a pastor who had just finished putting the weekly notices on the outside bulletin board in front of the church. The message for the week was the Bible verse; “The wages of sin is death.”As the pastor walked away, he noticed a drunk stagger past the church and stop to read the sign. Not seeing the pastor, the man went weaving on down the sidewalk muttering to himself, “Well, that’s one price that hasn’t gone up!”

In spite of his drunken state, that man never spoke a truer word. When it comes to the cost of sin, no inflation is possible. That’s because sin — any sin — little sin or big sin — demands the ultimate payment — and that is eternal death. The price just can’t go any higher than that — there is no higher price. And the price will never get any lower, because that is one of God’s unchangeable laws — “The soul that sins, it shall die.”We might convince ourselves that we can get away with sin, but God, who sees everything, knows our sin.

There is only one way that we can avoid the wages of sin. There is only one way we can find forgiveness for our sins — and that is to look to the cross of Jesus Christ. The same verse that tells us that “The wages of sin is death”also tells us that “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

In order to avoid the wages of sin — we must put ourselves in the loving forgiveness of Jesus Christ. He died our death for us. He paid the price for our sins. He set us free. He has given to us the promise of eternal life.

But before we get the idea that since we are forgiven, we now have a free joy ride for life — we had better take a closer look at today’s text. Our text for today warns us that there is a price tag on being a follower of Jesus Christ. And what is more, that cost can skyrocket at any moment. The cost of discipleship can be so inflated that the prices of gas and the prices of groceries will seem like nothing by comparison. And that is where a problem develops for many Christians. When discipleship, following Jesus, starts costing them something — they default. One might get the idea that they think that the wages of sin would be cheaper than the cost of following Christ.

To a great extent that is what is happening in churches all over the world this day. People want their names on the roles — but don’t want to be involved in anything. People sign up for church — but don’t attend worship. Somehow they get the idea that God is looking at church records – and NOT the heart!

Our text is a very timely one — because all around us we see people who are looking for a religion of convenience. They want a faith that doesn’t cost them anything. People of our day and time are looking for a cheaper kind of discipleship than what Jesus demands of his followers. Of course, we’re not JUST talking money — we’re ALSO talking about time and talents — we’re talking about training of our children — we’re talking about Bible study and fellowship,– we’re talking about service to God and man done together. When we are asked to serve — too often the excuse is — “I don’t have the time.” What we’re really saying is — “The cost of discipleship is too high for me. Something else is more important.”

In our text Jesus tells us that one of the problems which leads to the rising cost of discipleship is that many people misread the price tag to begin with.

No one today, would try to build a three bedroom house with only $10,000 of financing available. That much might buy you a small lot in a “not to prestigious” neighborhood. But it certainly would not pay for slab, and walls, and wiring, and plumbing, painting, cabinets, and all the other things it takes to build a house. Jesus said in our text, “Which of you desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to mock him.”In our text, Jesus also used the example of a king about to go to war. No king would attack an enemy without first finding out how many soldiers the enemy had ready for battle.

A lot of people join the “Christian side” because they think that is the easy way out. Our text tells us point blank — that the Christian life will be a costly life for a follower of Jesus.

I know the bible says that the “Gift of God is eternal life.” But with that gift also comes certain responsibilities. Jesus described it pretty well when he described his own life’s work and purpose, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.”God did not give to you and to me the free gift of eternal life so that we might sit back and enjoy life — but rather, he made us his disciples, by grace, so that we could serve him and our fellow man.

The German Lutheran Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, wrote a book during World War II called, “THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP.” And only a few months later, he was executed by Hitler’s men. He was ready to pay the price of discipleship. Persecution has marked the history of the church from the very beginning as the early prophets, apostles and Christians were ready to suffer even death rather than to deny their Lord and Savior. As Jesus said in our text for today, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his cross, cannot be my disciples.”

A man stopped at the grocery store and asked for a quarters worth of tomatoes. But the clerk told him they could not cut the tomatoes, he would have to buy at least one whole one. That kind of inflation also affects our cost of discipleship. It costs more to be a Christian today than it did 10 or 15 or 20 years ago. There is so much more violence and immorality in our society today. There is NO respect for the authority of teachers in the classroom, or of policemen on the street, or of Pastors in the pulpit, or of any other person of authority any more — everyone is their own personal authority. Television shows, movies, magazines, and other media throw trash at us and our children day in and day out. The evil world has more influence on people today than the church has, because of peer pressure. It has always been hard to maintain our Christian faith because of the Devil, the World, and our own sinful flesh. But in my humble opinion, it is more costly to be a Christian today, then it has been in the past. The percentage of Christians in the world is dropping fast. There are more of them – and less of us each day. But the cost can go higher still. ARE WE READY FOR THE HIGHEST COST? Jesus said, “Whoever of you does not renounce all that he has, cannot be my disciple.”

Is Christianity worth the cost. You have a Savior who loves you and died for you. You have a God who gave you life and preserves your life. You have God’s promise that he who believes and is baptized shall be saved. You have God’s promise of eternal life — beginning now — and lasting forever and ever.

I have a needlepoint hanging at home that my mother did for me years ago. It is a picture of Jesus with these words, “I never promised it would be easy — just that it would be worth it.” That is the lesson from today’s text. 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.

]]> http://ziontomball.info/wordpress/2010/09/05/luke-1425-33-the-cost-of-discipleship-pastor-jerome-teichmiller/feed/ 0 http://ziontomball.info/wordpress/2010/08/22/luke-1322-30-the-narrow-door-pastor-jerome-teichmiller/ http://ziontomball.info/wordpress/2010/08/22/luke-1322-30-the-narrow-door-pastor-jerome-teichmiller/#comments Sun, 22 Aug 2010 17:12:00 +0000 admin http://ziontomball.info/wordpress/2010/08/22/luke-1322-30-the-narrow-door-pastor-jerome-teichmiller/ THE NARROW DOOR
Luke 13:22-30

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 Gospel of St. Luke, chapter 13, verses 22 through 30, particularly these words, “Someone asked Jesus, ‘Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?’ He said to them, ‘Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you.’” This is our text.

In the name of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Dear Christian friends. What is the purpose of the Church? Why does the church even exist? There are several answers to that question. One important purpose of the church is nurture. We gather for worship and for Bible study so that together, through Word and Sacrament, the Holy Spirit can build us up in our Christian faith. The church exists so that we can strengthen Christian faith and love within the family of God through word and Sacrament. Our Christian fellowship and our Christian service play an important part in that nurture.

But there is also another very important purpose for the existence of God’s church — and it would be easy to argue that this is the MOST IMPORTANT TASK or PURPOSE of the church — and that is to proclaim the Gospel so that unbelievers are brought to faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. This was what our Lord commanded of his Disciples in the great commission, “Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” “GO making disciples—- by BAPTIZING them – and by TEACHING them.!!” Those were the commands that Christ left with his disciples and with his church.

Our Gospel lesson today deals with the question of Evangelism. One of the people with Jesus asks him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” We are not told why the question was asked. Did that person wonder why there were not more people following Jesus? Was there a question about why so few people recognized him as God’s Son, and the promised Messiah? Were they thinking about this trip to Jerusalem, and thinking that now, at long last, Jesus would gather together his mighty army of followers, to overthrow Rome? The question basically says, “Jesus, there are only a few of us who believe in you — will there be more, or is this all there is?”

Jesus did not answer the question directly — instead he gave a command to the questioner: “You make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many will try to enter and will not be able to.” Jesus tells his hearers that first of all they need to make sure that they themselves will be among those who are saved by entering through the narrow door. Jesus made it very clear throughout his earthly ministry, that he himself was that narrow door. Jesus told them, “the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” Jesus was not conducting classes in theory — but was dealing with the only way people could be saved. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus never taught a general salvation where all people were saved. Nor did he teach a limited salvation which would be restricted to only a select group, race, or nationality. But he consistently called upon all people to enter the kingdom of heaven through Himself. He is the narrow door — and there is no other door to heaven.

In our text, Jesus emphasizes this point. He said, “Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ But he will answer I don’t know you.’ Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ But He will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoer’s!” Jesus makes it clear that no one is received into God’s kingdom based on something they did. No one is saved by just listening to Jesus teach in the streets. No one is saved by eating and drinking a dinner with Jesus. No casual acquaintances are accepted. Entering the narrow door takes a faith-filled commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

I sometimes wonder, on that last day just how many people will say to Jesus, “We were in church every Christmas and every Easter, wasn’t that enough?” “We went to church when there wasn’t something else to do. Wasn’t that enough?” We were never unfaithful to our spouse, we never beat our kids, and we were certainly much better than Old John Doe the drunk, who lived down the street. Wasn’t that enough?” And Jesus will reply, “Even if you had perfect church attendance — even if you gave everything you had for the poor — even if you were the best person in your whole town — WITHOUT FAITH — without entering by the narrow door — IT IS NOT ENOUGH!! Why?? “For by grace have you been saved through faith, it is a gift of God not of works, lest any man should boast.”
And our last point from this text is that there is a certain urgency — not only for those who will follow Jesus, but for the whole world. Jesus talks about the closing of the door — and once closed, it will not be reopened. There is a time limit to this world and there is a time limit on the invitation to salvation in Jesus Christ.

And when that door is closed, there will be some surprises in store. Jesus said in the text. “People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and there are those who are presently first, who will be last.” God sees what you and I cannot see — the heart of humankind. God judges on the basis of faith found in those individual hearts. And that will produce some surprises on that last day. Some of those that we have judged by our human standards to be outstanding citizens and “First” in the kingdom of God — will be last — because God knows the heart. And then the opposite is true as well. Some of those that we have judged rather harshly by human standards, will be first in the kingdom of God — again, because God knows the heart.

That is why Zion Lutheran puts such an emphasis on Christian Education – through our early Childhood Center, through our Sunday School, through our Bible studies offered regularly and at different days and times of the week, through different service groups within the church who serve the church and others: Always proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We must proclaim the message, we must get the Word out, because there is a time limit to this world.

Throughout our text for today, the focus keeps coming back to Christ. There is one door, and one door only, into the Kingdom of God. That door is very narrow, because it allows no one to enter carrying his own baggage of personal goodness and merit. Each person entering that door must be doing so as a result of a close, personal relationship with the savior, a faith created by God the Holy Spirit, a faith created, nourished, and strengthened through the means of Grace, through Word and Sacrament — A casual acquaintance with Jesus is not enough. The response is urgent and cannot be postponed. No one knows when the door will be closed, but when it is closed, it will not be reopened – there is no second chance. And those who will be saved will come from all nations around the world.

So what does today’s text say about Evangelism. First of all, make sure of your own faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. After all, if you do not believe it yourself, you can not share it with others! And then, cut to the heart of the message — Jesus Christ is Lord!! Jesus is the Narrow door. There is salvation in no other. But in Jesus Christ, there is joy eternal. That is our faith. That is our message. That is our hope for eternal life. To God alone be the glory, now and always. Amen.

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

DO NOT BE AFRAID

Luke 12:22-34

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 Gospel of St. Luke, chapter 12, verses 22 through 34, particularly these words: “Jesus said, ‘Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body what you will put on. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”This is our text.

In the name of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, dear Christian friends. Think back for a moment to the last time you were given a gift by a small child. Maybe it was a flower that your son or daughter picked out of the yard. Maybe it was a fishing lure that your child picked out just especially for dad or grandpa. Maybe it was a hand drawn picture which the child painted themselves and now wanted you to have. The gift itself is not important. The cost of that gift is not important. What was important and what had value that money cannot buy, was the smile, and the pride, and the joy that were written all over that child’s face as the gift was given. There is nothing expected in return. There are no thoughts about wither or not it is good enough. There are no thoughts about what that gift might cost. The ONLY thought that goes through that child’s mind is, “This is mine — and I want to give it to you — because I love you. It is a gift given with great joy and pleasure.

Every time I read that verse of today’s text, I think of children and their giving of gifts. Jesus said, ‘Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.’”It pleases God — to give us the kingdom. NOT because we have earned it — because we haven’t. NOT because we are great people who deserve the honor, because we don’t. NOT because it is an inexpensive gift, because it is a pearl without price for which God gave his only begotten Son. BUT it is a gift, given purely out of grace and love, “Your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”God has on his face the smile, the joy, the love — of a child giving a gift to someone very special — and that someone special, is you!

The gift is ours by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. So how does this gift of God effect our lives? First of all our text tells us to focus on Spiritual things. Jesus said, “Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Instead seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.As God’s people we need to seek God’s riches through Word and Sacrament. We all know Jesus’ parable about the rich fool, who has so rich and had so many earthly goods that he could say to himself, “Eat, drink, and be merry.”But God said, “This night your soul will be required of you, then whose will all this be?”And Jesus concluded his parable by saying that we should be “Rich toward God” or as our text for today says, “Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.”Regular worship, regular Bible reading, and regular use of the sacraments, are all ways that the Holy Spirit uses to build up our faith in Jesus Christ, so that we experience first hand the forgiveness and the love which our God has pleasure in giving to his people. There is no greater treasure in all the earth than a right relationship with God by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ.

Secondly, knowing that the kingdom is ours will help us greatly in setting priorities for our lives. Jesus said in the text, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

That which we value the most, usually takes up our time, our talents, our efforts, our devotion, and our resources!

A prominent theologian of the 1940′s said that religion is, “The one thing which is most important in our lives” (depth dimension). If the most important thing in life was work, to him work was that man’s religion. If money was the most important thing in a person’s life, then money was that man’s religion.

What is the most important thing in your life? God has made you his very own. God has given you the kingdom. IS GOD FIRST IN YOUR LIFE? Do people“see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven.”Or do they see other priorities in your life? Remember Jesus’ words in our text. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”What are your priorities? Our text said, “Seek FIRST, the kingdom of God.”

But what about the anxieties and the fears of our every day life? Do we worry over “what we shall eat, or what we shall drink, or what we shall wear?” Because of our sinful human nature, sometimes we fall short of full trust in God’s providence and care for us. Sometimes we lose sight of how God takes care of the ravens and the lilies. But God’s promise to us is sure – “If God so cloths the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.”As sinful people, we all too often doubt that promise — As sinful people, we all too often worry and fret over things over which we have no control — As sinful people we trust our own abilities to solve the problems of life, rather than putting things into God’s hands and trusting his providence and provision. AND for that we ask his forgiveness.

The Promises of God are sure! “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved.”And “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.”And today’s text, “Do not be afraid, little flock for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”

In the life of the Christian there is anticipation, and expectation, as we joyfully watch for the coming of our Lord and the fulfillment of all his promises to us.

Jesus said in our text, “Fear not, little flock!”Fear is built on concern or anxiety about the future. Because God has given us the kingdom through His Son Jesus Christ, our future is secure. Our confidence, our faith, and our courage are rooted in Christ, in His promises, in His presence, and in His power. In Christ we have nothing to fear. “Fear not little flock, for it is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.” 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.

]]> http://ziontomball.info/wordpress/2010/08/08/luke-1222-34-do-not-be-afraid-pastor-jerome-teichmiller/feed/ 0 http://ziontomball.info/wordpress/2010/06/27/june-27-2010-luke-9-51-62-total-commitment-pastor-jerome-teichmiller/ http://ziontomball.info/wordpress/2010/06/27/june-27-2010-luke-9-51-62-total-commitment-pastor-jerome-teichmiller/#comments Sun, 27 Jun 2010 19:29:00 +0000 admin http://ziontomball.info/wordpress/2010/06/27/june-27-2010-luke-9-51-62-total-commitment-pastor-jerome-teichmiller/  

TOTAL COMMITMENT

Luke 9: 51-62

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 from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 9, verses 51 through 62, particularly these words: “When the days drew near for Jesus to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” This is our text.

In the name of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, dear Christian friends. Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. He was nearing the end of his ministry. The time when he would lay down his life as a sacrifice for the sins of all people was now drawing near. Opposition had arisen among the chief priests and elders so much that this one community of Samaritans wouldn’t even let Jesus enter their city for fear of causing offense to those who opposed this wandering teacher and miracle worker; a man who proclaimed that he was the Son of God and the promised Messiah.

The disciples, being defensive on behalf of their leader, wanted to punish that town for not receiving the Lord. Our text tells us, “It was James and John who said, ‘Lord, do you want us to bid fire come down from heaven and consume them?’ But Jesus turned and rebuked them.”

Jesus was committed to another cause. Jesus had “Turned his face toward Jerusalem.” Nothing would now stand in the way of what he came to earth to accomplish. Jesus was on his way to the cross. He was committed to the suffering that lay ahead. He was totally committed to the task of saving mankind from it’s own sinfulness.

Jesus is totally committed to the work at hand and he demands that those who follow him also be totally committed to the work that he has given them to do. He offers them no chance to look back – but rather, they must always be ready to move forward.

Three men meet Jesus on that road and all three are potential followers of Jesus. Let’s take a look at those three encounters.

The first man approaches Jesus and said, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

Jesus was trying to warn this would be follower that there would be no easy life following him. There would be no place where the follower could “hand his hat,” no place where he could call home, for to follow Jesus meant that he would be despised and rejected by men. It meant that he would be tortured and tormented. It meant that as he proclaimed the Christ of God to the world, he would probably be put to death for his faith. It would take total commitment to follow Jesus.

Followers today have homes of their own. We have places where we can live, like the foxes and the birds. But even today living the life of a follower of Christ still demands total commitment, because it still is NOT an easy life to live. Being a Christian means being different from the rest of the world. When we try to compromise our life to the life of the world around us, it is our Christian faith which gets short changed. Christ was totally committed for us – He set his face toward the cross. And he told us that we would have to take up our cross, in order to follow him.

The second would be follower was approached by Jesus first. “Jesus said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said to him, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ But he said to him ‘leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’”

This is always a very difficult passage of Scripture to deal with. The man would like to follow Jesus, but he has family responsibilities to take care of. He is saying to Jesus, “I can’t follow you for a few days until I get my Father buried. But Jesus replies, “Let the dead, bury their own dead.”

What Jesus was really saying to that man what that he should put first things first. Following Jesus and doing his will, even takes precedence over our own families. In the book of Matthew, Jesus said, “He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”

Jesus says “Get your priorities straight.” Put first things first. The one thing you should be most concerned about in this world is to know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, and by grace through faith, following his will for your life.

“Let the dead bury the dead – As for you, proclaim the Kingdom of God.” Total commitment is what Jesus expects of those who will follow him.

The third man tells Jesus, I will follow you lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home. And Jesus responds, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’”

I remember when I was 10 or 11 years old, I used to help my grandfather with his plowing. I would take the reins of the mule, and make a couple of rounds with the turning plow. It would always take grandpa about 4 rounds after that to get the lines straight again. So I asked him why my plowing was so crooked. He told me, “You were always to busy looking behind to see what you HAD done, to look forward and see where you were going.” Farming has changed a lot since then, but the principal is the same – You can’t look at the plow behind the tractor and plow a straight furrow. You have to fix your eyes on a tree, or a fence post, or something else in front of you, and head straight for it.

That was the principal that Jesus used to explain what it meant to be one of His followers. Jesus was saying – you can’t look back, “because anyone who puts his hand to the plow and looks back, is not fit for the kingdom of God.”

Why NOT look back? Because the past is forgiven. All the mistakes and sins of the past are wiped away by the forgiving grace of Jesus Christ. There is no reason to dwell on the past, because Christ has set aside the guilt and the burden of the sins of the past – and now we can look to the future. We can look toward the kingdom of God. We can look forward to the training of our Children in the Christian faith. We can look forward to sharing Jesus Christ with the people of the world. We can look forward to the day when our Lord will come again to judge both the living and the dead, and receive his people unto himself in Heaven.

We must be totally committed to the future – plowing a straight row which is bound for heaven.

Christ was totally committed to giving himself for our salvation. May the Holy Spirit strengthen our faith, so that we are totally committed to Christ, and his will for our lives! 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.

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We are working on a permanent solution…

CASTING OUT DEMONS

Luke 8: 26-39

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 our Gospel lesson for today from Luke, chapter 8 verses 26 through 39, particularly these words: “A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into them, and he gave them permission. When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.”This is our text.

In the name of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, dear Christian friends. A popular comedian 35 years ago had one line that became his trademark. He would say, “The Devil made me do it.” and the audience would laugh. The things that the devils or demons in our text for today, made this man suffer were not laughing matters. I guess we could get into an argument about if demons really exist — and if they do, if they can possess people. I really don’t want to be a part of that discussion because the Bible makes it perfectly clear that demons do exist and that they do possess people. Mary Magdala had seven evil spirits or demons that came out of her according to Mark and Luke. Jesus cast demons and evil spirits out of many people in his ministry. Saint Paul, writing to the Ephesians, says the believer’s intense conflict is “not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, world-rulers of this darkness and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

According to scripture, demons have great knowledge and also great strength. Several times Jesus was confronted by demons who said, “We know who you are”, so obviously just knowing God exists and who he is does not constitute saving faith. Even Jesus own disciples after the stilling of the storm just before today’s text ask, “Who is this man? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” The disciples did not even know who Jesus was! But the demons did.

AND our text for today tells us that this man’s family and community had tried to confine or restrain him, even to the point of putting him into chains — The text said, “For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. Many times the spirit had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot, and kept under guard, he had broken his chains, and been driven by the demon into solitary places.”The demons were in complete control of this man’s life. They had deranged him mentally, morally, physically and Spiritually.

The man is totally helpless against the demons. He is powerless to save himself. He is completely controlled by the power of evil.

Isn’t this a very vivid picture of our spiritual condition by nature? Because of Original Sin, we are, according to Scripture, spiritually blind, spiritually dead, and enemies of God. How many times have we made promises to God of what WE WOULD DO for him, only to find ourselves falling short again. How many times have we promised to change our sinful life, especially that one sin that seems to always keep coming up in our lives, only to find ourselves falling back into the same old rut, the same old habit, and the same old sin. And using the excuse “The Devil made me do it!” is only half true — because we gave in to the temptation. The “sinner” in us, overpowered the “saint” in us — and we sinned!

The man in the story had no hope whatsoever, until Jesus showed up in his village. He was probably NOT a child of Abraham and probably not a believer. Jesus had just crossed the Sea of Galilee to the region of the Gerasenes. And he is in an area that raises pigs — obviously, NOT a Jewish village! But here the man meets Jesus. We know these things just do not happen by chance! Jesus was there not by accident or chance — but by choice! And Jesus recognizes the need of this poor man and commands the demons, the evil spirits to leave him.

At this point Jesus begins a conversation with the demon through the man. First the demon makes a profession of absolute truth and orthodox theology, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!”Even in a pagan land — the demons still recognize the Son of the Most High God! The demons know that Jesus is the promised Messiah — the “seed of the woman” who would crush Satan’s head — together with all his minions. The demons know that this is the one — who by his life, death, and resurrection will defeat them, for all time and for all eternity. The demons know they have already lost the battle — “Jesus, Don’t torture us — Make it quick!” They ask for the pigs and Jesus grants it. They leave the man — enter the pigs — and the text said they rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. Jesus has saved this man from evil!! End of story??? Not quite!

You see, Luke does not tell us how many pigs there were in that herd. But Mark does! Mark tells us that there were 2,000 pigs in that herd! If some farmer in Harris or Montgomery County lost 2,000 pigs in a drowning it would probably be on the 6 o’clock news and in the headlines of the Chronicle! They see the dead pigs — And they see this man that they have known for years now dressed nicely, cleaned up, talking intelligently, and acting quite normal — and what do they do?? They ask Jesus to leave!!

Doesn’t that seem strange? This man has power over demons! This man can help people who are possessed! This man could be a great help to them in their needs! But they send him away. The ESV text tells us they sent him away because, “They were seized with great fear.” But this verse uses the same Greek word which elsewhere is translated as “Being filled with AWE.” It’s the same feeling which Peter had when he saw the large catch of fish. Peter told Jesus to depart from Him because he was a sinful man — and the people want Jesus to depart — for they too know their sins, and they fear they will receive judgment just as the demons received judgment.

But what about the man who had been delivered of the demons? Our text tells us that he wanted to go with Jesus. He wanted to be a disciple. He is not afraid of his Savior. The evil has been removed from his life — he has been delivered from the evil over which he had no control — he wants to follow Jesus! But Jesus tells him to stay where he is. He is to tell others what God has done for him. He is to share the good news — the Gospel of a Savior who really saves, with all who will listen.

Jesus has delivered us as well. Jesus, has forgiven our sins, made us his own, and given us the promise of life eternal in heaven. What wonderful things he has done for us. We too are His witnesses to the marvelous things God has done for us. Maybe Jesus didn’t cast demons out of us, but by his life, death, and resurrection, he has given us the final victory over sin, death, and the devil. Let us tell others what great things God has done for us! To God alone be the glory, now and always! Amen.

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

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 Gospel of St. John, chapter 16, verses 12 through 16, particularly these words: “All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.” This is our text.

In the name of our Blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, dear Christian friends. Today is Trinity Sunday. A day that we remember, and celebrate, the fact that our God is three persons, yet only one God. This is a mystery which we cannot fully comprehend, nor can we fully explain it. And yet it is a doctrine that is central to our Christian faith. It is a doctrine that is clearly taught in the Scriptures, even thought the Scriptures themselves never use the word “Triune”.

Since the doctrine of the Trinity is an unexplainable mystery, I am not going to even try to do the impossible and explain to you the Trinity. But I do want to share with you the comfort and the hope that is ours because we know for sure that our Triune God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is at work in our lives and in our world, every minute of every day.
We will start off first of all with the Father. Jesus said in our text, “All that belongs to the Father is mine.” What is it that belongs to the Father? The comforting truth is that EVERYTHING belongs to the Father! This is God’s world. He created all things. He made out of nothing, everything that exists. Because he created all things — all things belong to him.

And another comforting thought is that he not only created the world — but he is still in control of His world. The Bible reminds us that it is God who sends rain on the just and the unjust. Luther explained the petition about daily bread in the Lord’s Prayer by saying that “God gives daily bread to all people, even to the wicked.” But there is a difference between the Christian and the unbeliever, the Christian recognizes that these gifts come from the loving hand of Almighty God, takes the time to say “Thank You” to God for the blessings received, and then uses these gifts of God to the glory of God, not selfishly for self.

What a comfort it is to know that Our Father in Heaven, who controls the movement of the stars and the universe, loves you and me. He cares about us. He even promises to listen to us when we pray to him. And we know that because he had the power to create this world, he also has the power to care for us and to answer our prayers.

What a comfort it is to know the first person of the Trinity: God, our Almighty Father, Maker of Heaven and earth.

Next we look at God the Son. Jesus said in our text, “All that belongs to the Father is MINE.” I guess the question might be asked, “Just how did all of this that was created by the Father become also the property of the Son. And that is an easy question to answer.

First of all, Jesus was there at creation and participated in that creation. John 1:1; “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God!”

But there is also another reason. You see, when God the Father created this world, he created it perfect and Holy. God looked at his perfect world and said “It is good!” But then something terrible happened to this great creation of God’s. Man listened to Satan in the serpent, and sin entered into the world. God’s perfect creation was no longer perfect, but instead was stained and blackened by sin. No longer was man perfectly happy and blessed in the Garden of Eden — but now suffered because of sin.
In order that this world might once again be set right, a price had to be paid. The world had to be bought back from sin and death. The world had to be redeemed.

And that is just what God the Son, did. He paid the price. It was not cheap either. “The wages of sin is death.” because of sin, someone had to die. And the only ransom good enough, the only person who could fully and completely pay the total bill for sin, was the very Son of God himself — Jesus Christ. Remember what Luther said about the work of God the Son? “He redeemed us, not with gold or silver, but with his holy precious blood and his innocent suffering and death.” Christ paid the price. He redeemed you and me, and all sinners from everlasting death and condemnation.

What a comfort it is for us to know that God the Son has redeemed us, has bought us back, so that we can be God’s people, so that we can be forgiven, so that we can spend eternity in heaven. It is the work of God the Son to redeem and to restore sinners, so that we might be right with God the Father.

God the Father creates and preserves the world. God the Son redeemed sinful mankind through his perfect life, his innocent death, and his glorious resurrection. What then does the Holy Spirit do in our lives? Our text says, “The Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.” That is the work of the Holy Spirit, “To make things known to us.”

It is very important that the Holy Spirit is at work in and among us. Our scriptures make it very clear that because of original sin, which each and every one of us has, we are by nature at odds with God and God’s will for our lives. By our sinful human nature, we do not do good, instead we do the opposite of what God wants for us. By our human nature, we are spiritually blind, spiritually dead, and enemies of God. That is why Luther started his explanation of the 3rd article of the Apostles’ Creed with these words, “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in my Lord Jesus Christ or come to him.” Luther couldn’t do it! I can’t do it! You can’t do it by yourself either! As a matter of fact the Scriptures say, “No one can say that Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Spirit.” That is why it is so important for the Holy Spirit to be at work in us — because we cannot save ourselves. We cannot “make a decision for Christ” without the Holy Spirit calling us by the Gospel, enlightening us with his gifts, sanctifying us and keeping us in that one true faith.

Jesus said in our text, “The Holy Spirit will make it known to you.” The Holy Spirit is God at work in us, and among us. The Holy Spirit works through the Means of Grace, through Word and Sacrament to make known to us the Love of God the Father, and the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit moves in our hearts and in our minds through Word and Sacrament, to create saving faith, and to show to us the pathway that God would want us to walk in life. All this we call “SANCTIFICATION” — which is a big word which means, “to make holy”. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to bring us to faith in Jesus Christ, and to keep us in that faith, and to make it possible for us to walk in that faith.

What a comfort it is to know that God the Holy Spirit is active always through Word and Sacrament to keep us in our Christian faith, and to strengthen us for a life pleasing to God.

God the Father creates us! God the Son redeems us! God the Holy Spirit sanctifies us! That is a rather simple way of understanding the process by which God works within our lives. The Holy Three-in-one and One-in-three. This explanation does not fully explain the Triune God — but it at least gives us some guideline of his love, his strength, and his care for you and for me. On this Trinity Sunday, let us rejoice in our Triune God. And let us celebrate His wonderful love for us. To God be the Glory, now and always. 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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John 17: 20-26

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 our Gospel lesson for today, recorded in St. John, Chapter 17, verses 20 through 26, particularly these words:  Jesus said, “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one; I in them and you in me.  May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”  This is our text.

In the name of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, dear Christian friends.  What does the world see when they look at the Christian Church of today?  Remember when the religion section of the Houston Chronicle came on Saturdays, instead of Fridays – and the comic strips were in the religion section?  But the way church people act sometimes, I guess we shouldn’t be surprised.  Many Christians want prayers in public schools – but then, many more don’t.  Many Episcopalians want women and gay  priests — many don’t.  Many Catholics want the Pope to change age old rules and cannons — but many don’t.  The whole realm of protestantism is divided into liberal and conservative camps, fighting over different issues.  And we Lutherans fit in real nice with everyone else, as we too fight our battles over doctrine, and practice, and procedures.  This Summer, at the Synodical Convention to be held in Houston, we will struggle with restructuring our Synodical way of doing business.  I think it was Will Rodgers who said that he was not a member of organized religion — He was a Methodist.  And he could just as well have said that of the Lutherans, and Baptists, and Catholics and the other denominations as well.  All religions have a bone to pick with each other and even among themselves.

And then the world of non-believers looks at this infighting among Christians and  they wonder why we are so divided among ourselves.

Our text for today, talks not of divisions among Christians, but rather, of unity among Christians.  Jesus said in our text that he wants all Christians to be ONE.  He said, “My prayer is not for them alone.  I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.”  And as Jesus prayed — so it is.  True believers are indeed ONE in Jesus Christ.

Obviously I am not talking about denominational unity.  Because as long as there are different interpretations of what the Bible says, and as long as there are  people who will not accept the words of Scripture, but must use human wisdom to correct God’s message, and as long as there are people who will accept human rules and reason in place of God’s word — we will have different denominations.  And this is as it should be!  Paul warns the early Christians to “beware of those who teach a doctrine different from what they had received from him.”  And to avoid them!

But we confess in our Creed each Sunday that we do believe in “ONE, HOLY, CHRISTIAN, AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH”.  We believe, teach, and confess that there is one fellowship that is made up of all true believers in Jesus Christ, which transcends denominational lines.  For God has promised that His Word would not return void.  And so we say, Where ever the Word of God is taught correctly, and where ever the sacraments are administered rightly, there will exist God’s fellowship of believers in Jesus Christ — the Holy Christian Church.

It is this fellowship of true believers that our text deals with this morning.

So what can we say about this fellowship?  First of all, it is grounded in Jesus Christ.  Our text says, “Father, you are in me and I am in you, that they also may be in us.”

This fellowship of Christians exists because, through faith, Jesus Christ becomes a part of our lives and He lives in us.  And as Christ lives in each believer, we are united by grace through faith in Him.  “The Fellowship of believers” is not something we seek to establish — but rather, is something that already exists — because Jesus Christ is in the heart of every believer.  This is the work of the Holy Spirit as he creates saving faith in each heart — but not just for one individual, Luther said that he “calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth and keeps it in the one true faith.  That is the true fellowship of Christians.  That is the only true fellowship that exists.

But not only is this fellowship grounded in Jesus Christ, it also POINTS to Jesus Christ.  Our text said twice, “Father, May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

Why does the Christian do good works?  The Bible says, “So that men may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”  Jesus said that there was one particular thing that would separate his followers from the rest of the word.  He said, “By this shall all men know that you are my Disciples, that you love one another.”

One important way the world will know Jesus Christ, is by watching and viewing those who belong to Jesus Christ.  The non-believing world looks at the followers of Jesus, in order to judge wither or not they want Jesus in their life.

A quote that I kept on my desk for several years read, “The only Bible some people read is you!”  Do they see in you, love — patience — forgiveness — kindness — gentleness — and self-control.  Do they read in your life, “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.”?  If the only Bible some people read is you, do they see the joy of sins forgiven, and the joy of forgiving others, or do they see a mean spirit that must get even and strike back at others?  Do they see a smile, or a frown?  Do they see hope, or despair?  Do they receive a cheerful word, or a grouchy grunt?  Remember, “The only Bible some people read is you,” and Christian fellowship points to Christ.

The last point that our text makes about this Christian fellowship is that it GOES to Jesus Christ.  Our text reads, “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”

Last Thursday was Ascension Day; The Day which the Church sets aside to remember our Lord leaving his disciples to go to the Father in Heaven.  As Jesus left, he told the disciples that “he was going to prepare a place for them — that where he was they might be also.”  The whole fellowship of believers in Jesus Christ will be with Him, for all eternity.

The words of the old, but familiar hymn, “I’m but a stranger here, heaven is my home,” is very true for all who are in Christ.  Because God gave his Son into death for us, because Christ died on a cross for us, because the Holy Spirit has called us to faith in Jesus Christ — we know for a fact that we will spend eternity with Jesus Christ in Heaven.  We will behold his glory.  We will eternally praise his name.  God has promised, “He that believes and is baptized, shall be saved.”

Christian fellowship among believers exists.  It is grounded in Jesus Christ, it points to Jesus Christ, and it goes to be with Jesus Christ.  May God the Holy Spirit work that miracle of faith in each and every heart, that throughout the world, this fellowship of believers united in Christ might grow and increase to glory of God’s Holy Name.  Amen.

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