“Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For ‘no human being will be justified in his sight’ by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:19-20)
You shouldn’t look at pornography on the internet. You should desire your wife above any other woman. You shouldn’t talk hurtfully about anyone behind their back. You should speak well about everyone and explain their actions in the kindest way. You shouldn’t talk rudely to your parents. You should respect, obey, love and serve them. Why does God demand that you do these things? So that your wife, your parents and even your enemies receive your love and are protected from your harm. But what happens . . . what HAPPENS when you hear these demands from God? Well, you realize how many of God’s laws your break. You realize how often you sin.
God isn’t satisfied when you do a pretty good job of loving your wife, when you mostly speak kindly about others or that you usually respect your parents. He’s not grading on a scale. With God, it’s all or nothing. Maybe you aren’t subscribing to some pornography channel, but you also probably don’t mind a little harmless nudity in your favorite feature film. You don’t start gossipy conversations about others, but if you are standing in a group and everyone starts venting their frustrations about your nemesis, you don’t just stop them. And you never talk back to your parents . . . unless they do something really stupid or unfair.
“No human being will be justified in God’s sight.” Every single one of you is guilty in God’s eyes. Guilty of sinning against God and your neighbor. Every single human being on this earth, no matter how righteous they may look in our eyes, is a sinner in God’s eyes. More particularly, you and I have no excuse. We know we aren’t supposed to do bad things, but we do them anyway—sometimes a little and sometimes a lot. But hearing God’s laws reminds us that we cannot escape our own captivation with sinning. We like to sin and can’t stop completely even if we wanted to.
“But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith.”
(Romans 3:21-25a)
Something is just not right between you and God. God wants you to act in a certain way and you don’t. He keeps trying to tell you, but that hasn’t worked yet. It didn’t work for his chosen people the Israelites and it hasn’t worked with you. According to the law, he has every right to punish you to the fullest extent. In the prophet Nahum’s words, “A jealous and avenging God is the Lord, the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and rages against his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger but great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.” You, me and every human being on this earth is guilty and is God’s enemy because of sin. That’s the situation. What can you do about it? Absolutely nothing.
But God has decided to do something about it. Not just theoretically, but for you particularly. He has decided to do something new. He has every right to hate you, but instead, he just up and forgives you. When God looks at the law and measures you up against his demands you always come out lacking. But now, God has decided to look at Jesus. He looks at your relationship to Jesus instead of your relationship to the law in order to decide his final verdict. Forgiven. You are forgiven on account of Jesus. Not because you deserve it. Not because you wanted to be. But because he loves you and wants you to be able to trust him. God’s Law condemns you. Jesus Christ forgives you. You may trust in him alone. Forgiveness is God’s final word.
“He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3: 25b-26)
Did Jesus forgive you so that you could peruse the latest playboy magazine guilt free? No. Did Jesus forgive you so that you could be a jerk to your parents? No. God’s laws are still in effect. You still don’t measure up. Standing alone, all by yourself, you will never be anything more than a condemned sinner. Jesus forgives you so that you never have to stand alone before God again. When God looks at you he hears his Son Jesus saying, “This one is mine dear Father.” Jesus forgives you so that God can be justified through his Law and you can be justified by faith in Jesus Christ alone. Your salvation comes down to one thing: faith in Jesus Christ.
“Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.” (Romans 3: 27-28)
You are a sinner through and through. Jesus forgives you completely. All you need is the faith to believe it. If you don’t think you have that faith let me tell you again. Of course you don’t, you are a sinner through and through. Jesus forgives you completely. All you need is to believe it. If you don’t think you believe it, let me tell you again. You are a sinner, through and through. Jesus forgives you completely. He forgives you for your lack of faith and writes it on your heart as a gift.
Your faith in Jesus Christ isn’t something you have to do. “For we hold that a person is justified by faith APART FROM WORKS prescribed by the law.” Your faith in Jesus is not some great spiritual achievement, “For we hold that a person is justified by faith APART FROM WORKS prescribed by the law.” Your faith in Jesus is not your “good deed”, it is simply a gift. A gift given to you from the Holy Spirit. It comes to you on the wings of the gospel and off the tongue of a preacher. This gift of faith is yours. End of story. It is not up to you to believe in Jesus Christ all by yourself. Your faith is a gift from God and it is yours today, right this very moment, in your hearing. And because of that faith you are made right in God’s sight. Amen.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Sermon for October 19th
Today, in the gospel of Matthew, Jesus is asked, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to the Emperor or not? Is it lawful? To pay taxes? According to the law of the land everyone had to pay taxes just like everyone has to pay taxes now. But the question being asked isn’t about the law of the land, the laws of people in power. Jesus is being asked if he thinks God thinks it is right to pay taxes. I mean, for a good Jew, what not give money to the temple, or, for us today, why not give money to support our churches rather than pay taxes. That sounds very nice and religious doesn’t it.
For instance, if I didn’t have to pay 15% of my income to Social Security, then that 10% tithing wouldn’t be so difficult . . . theoretically. “Then I’d have more to give to God!” so the thinking goes. When you look at your checkbook doesn’t it seem like money is getting more and more scarce? There never seems to be enough to go around. Tithing, giving ten percent of your income as an offering, feels like a pretty darn big favor to God! I mean that’s a lot of your money . . . money that keeps getting more and more difficult to find.
But Jesus’ response doesn’t speak about scarcity. Jesus talks about abundance. “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s and to God the things that are God’s.” Pay your taxes—that money is already God’s anyway. He’s got enough to go around.
When I’m at home figuring out how to pay for everything, I try to remember that I need to be a good steward of MY money. MY time and talents. The stuff God gave ME. I don’t often look at my checkbook or at the cash I have and ask myself, “What am I going to do with God’s money?” But, if I did, maybe it wouldn’t feel so bad when there’s none leftover each month. I wouldn’t have lost anything because it wasn’t mine in the first place.
What are you doing with God’s money? I’m not talking about giving more or giving percentages or giving the right things. This is an issue of faith and trust. You see, if the money in your bank account is only YOUR money, then you need to work harder, you need to save more; you need to cut corners. If it’s not your money, but God’s money—well, you work hard, use what he gives, pray for more when you need it and say thanks when you get it. Those are two very different kinds of faith—one puts trust in yourself and your abilities as a rugged individualist. The other is faith in God as a God who promises to provide for you.
As church-goers, you have to deal with these questions all the time. Every time the offering plate comes around. What do you do? What do you think about? If that skit you saw this morning says anything, I think it points out that we all fail some way or another. We all sin and fall short of God’s glory . . . even with our finances. I’ve heard too many sermons talking about how we are giving our hard-earned money to God as a great big spiritual sacrifice! But just because you make it SOUND spiritual doesn’t mean it suddenly is for you. In fact, have you ever given so that you’ll feel more spiritual afterwards, “It makes me feel good to give.” Even giving becomes all about us. But here is the truth. God doesn’t need your money. God has all the money in the world
God doesn’t need your money; God wants you—all of you—God wants everything. God wants your love. God wants your faith. Psalm 51 says, “The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” God doesn’t need your money—God wants your trust. Out of a heart full of faith and trust, whatever money comes out, no matter how much, is perfect and acceptable to God.
I need to make one thing absolutely clear: I am not encouraging you to change you “mindset”. I’m not trying to motivate you to “give more”. I’m not telling you to “think” differently. Thinking differently will only work as long as you don’t look at your budget and logically figure out that you have more loans to pay. That’s probably why self-help books don’t usually work very long—we tend to have pretty well ingrained thought patterns and behaviors that don’t change quickly.
This is not a question of “thinking” about money differently. This is about all of us confessing that we have put our trust in the wrong place. Being rich is not a sin, it is a blessing. But placing your trust in money instead of God is a sin whether you’re rich, poor or middle class. We have trusted in only ourselves and we think our money is ours and ours alone. We must confess this and ask God to forgive us, renew us and ead us. So that we all might trust God alone, above anything else. We need a new heart and a new spirit that only God can give.
What are you going to do with God’s money? God doesn’t just want 10% of your income, he wants everything. Your respect. Your love. Your trust. But if there was one thing I’d want you all to hear it is this: you aren’t going to start tithing because you’ve learned to use your money more wisely. You’re not going to start tithing by working harder to make more. You’re not going to start tithing by not paying taxes. You need faith, to trust God above anything else. And faith only comes through the Holy Spirit.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I forgive you for trusting in your own powers and abilities to produce money. God forgives you for claiming his money as your own. God loves you—no strings attached. It won’t cost you a thing. He promises to provide you with food, shelter, clothing, relationships and everything you need. He promises to listen when you pray to him about anything, including anything about money. And he promises to continue to provide you with his money even when you aren’t sure how or why or what to do with it. God is a God of abundance and he is sharing it all with you. Amen.
For instance, if I didn’t have to pay 15% of my income to Social Security, then that 10% tithing wouldn’t be so difficult . . . theoretically. “Then I’d have more to give to God!” so the thinking goes. When you look at your checkbook doesn’t it seem like money is getting more and more scarce? There never seems to be enough to go around. Tithing, giving ten percent of your income as an offering, feels like a pretty darn big favor to God! I mean that’s a lot of your money . . . money that keeps getting more and more difficult to find.
But Jesus’ response doesn’t speak about scarcity. Jesus talks about abundance. “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s and to God the things that are God’s.” Pay your taxes—that money is already God’s anyway. He’s got enough to go around.
When I’m at home figuring out how to pay for everything, I try to remember that I need to be a good steward of MY money. MY time and talents. The stuff God gave ME. I don’t often look at my checkbook or at the cash I have and ask myself, “What am I going to do with God’s money?” But, if I did, maybe it wouldn’t feel so bad when there’s none leftover each month. I wouldn’t have lost anything because it wasn’t mine in the first place.
What are you doing with God’s money? I’m not talking about giving more or giving percentages or giving the right things. This is an issue of faith and trust. You see, if the money in your bank account is only YOUR money, then you need to work harder, you need to save more; you need to cut corners. If it’s not your money, but God’s money—well, you work hard, use what he gives, pray for more when you need it and say thanks when you get it. Those are two very different kinds of faith—one puts trust in yourself and your abilities as a rugged individualist. The other is faith in God as a God who promises to provide for you.
As church-goers, you have to deal with these questions all the time. Every time the offering plate comes around. What do you do? What do you think about? If that skit you saw this morning says anything, I think it points out that we all fail some way or another. We all sin and fall short of God’s glory . . . even with our finances. I’ve heard too many sermons talking about how we are giving our hard-earned money to God as a great big spiritual sacrifice! But just because you make it SOUND spiritual doesn’t mean it suddenly is for you. In fact, have you ever given so that you’ll feel more spiritual afterwards, “It makes me feel good to give.” Even giving becomes all about us. But here is the truth. God doesn’t need your money. God has all the money in the world
God doesn’t need your money; God wants you—all of you—God wants everything. God wants your love. God wants your faith. Psalm 51 says, “The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” God doesn’t need your money—God wants your trust. Out of a heart full of faith and trust, whatever money comes out, no matter how much, is perfect and acceptable to God.
I need to make one thing absolutely clear: I am not encouraging you to change you “mindset”. I’m not trying to motivate you to “give more”. I’m not telling you to “think” differently. Thinking differently will only work as long as you don’t look at your budget and logically figure out that you have more loans to pay. That’s probably why self-help books don’t usually work very long—we tend to have pretty well ingrained thought patterns and behaviors that don’t change quickly.
This is not a question of “thinking” about money differently. This is about all of us confessing that we have put our trust in the wrong place. Being rich is not a sin, it is a blessing. But placing your trust in money instead of God is a sin whether you’re rich, poor or middle class. We have trusted in only ourselves and we think our money is ours and ours alone. We must confess this and ask God to forgive us, renew us and ead us. So that we all might trust God alone, above anything else. We need a new heart and a new spirit that only God can give.
What are you going to do with God’s money? God doesn’t just want 10% of your income, he wants everything. Your respect. Your love. Your trust. But if there was one thing I’d want you all to hear it is this: you aren’t going to start tithing because you’ve learned to use your money more wisely. You’re not going to start tithing by working harder to make more. You’re not going to start tithing by not paying taxes. You need faith, to trust God above anything else. And faith only comes through the Holy Spirit.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I forgive you for trusting in your own powers and abilities to produce money. God forgives you for claiming his money as your own. God loves you—no strings attached. It won’t cost you a thing. He promises to provide you with food, shelter, clothing, relationships and everything you need. He promises to listen when you pray to him about anything, including anything about money. And he promises to continue to provide you with his money even when you aren’t sure how or why or what to do with it. God is a God of abundance and he is sharing it all with you. Amen.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Sermon for October 12th
Now it’s time for the TOP TEN REASONS YOU MIGHT HEAR FOR WHY YOUR FRIEND DOESN’T WANT TO GO TO CHURCH . . . Number 10: The church is full of hypocrites. Number 9: I like to have one day to just sleep in. Number 8: Religions all teach the same things. Number 7: God loves me even if I don’t go to church. Number 6: Churches just want money. Number 5: But I’m not baptized. Number 4: But I was raised Catholic. Number 3: I try to be a good person, even if I don’t go to church. Number 2: I don’t believe in God. And the number one reason you might hear for why your friend doesn’t want to go to church: I’m spiritual, not religious.
Today’s readings, but especially the one from Isaiah, refer to some amazing promises from God, but not everybody knows about them. Isaiah proclaims that God “will swallow up death forever.” That God “will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth.” “Lo, this is our God;” Isaiah declares, “we have waited for him, so that he might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” The thing is that many people are still waiting, they are still searching, they are alone, they are depressed and they are our best friends, or at least our good friends, and maybe we want to tell them, but we are completely unequipped to do so. We are scared to death to say anything for fear that they be offended or it might hurt our friendship or it might be awkward or we might say something wrong . . . or worse, they might just say no. Yet, how can they believe if they have never been told?
There are two purposes to this sermon. First I’d like to equip you for faith conversations. I’m going to provide you with a starting point to respond to common questions that come up about church, Christianity and worship. Second, I’d like to support your own personal faith. I’m going to remind you that your salvation and your friends’ salvation is not your responsibility. God chooses. God saves. God forgives. You and I are simply his servants, his mouthpieces, his tools, his ministers. We can’t make anyone fall in love with Jesus; all we can do is hand them Jesus’ love letter, or bring them to his post office and get out of the way.
I don’t know how many times I’ve been told that people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. So, the first rule of thumb about faith conversations is to really care about the person you are talking with. In fact, the best time to tell someone about Jesus or to invite them to church is when you don’t feel like you have to. When it just makes sense do it. When you love them too much not to tell them. If your friend confesses that they are depressed, or lonely, or seeking help with life’s hard questions, then why not tell them how you have found love and support. Don’t try to convince them of anything, just ask them to “come and see”; let them hear and experience everything themselves. Invite them through the front door for church, or invite them through the side door for the Harvest supper, the prayer group, Bible study or Sunday school. And if you really want to see them here, make it a date and bring them yourself. Jesus can and will speak to them through you.
Dave Kinnamon wrote a book titled “Unchristian” that talks about the perceptions of 250,000 unchurched people who were surveyed about what they thought about Christians. Here are the top perceptions people have if all they know about you is that you are a Christian: 87% think Christians are judgmental, 75% too political, and 85% think Christians are hypocritical. In other words, finding someone you don’t know off the street and asking them to church might be very frustrating. People you care about and who actually know might still have these perceptions and for good reason, churches are full of sinners and hypocrites, but they might actually give you the benefit of the doubt.
I, personally, have no problem encouraging people to go to my favorite restaurants. I have no problem encouraging people to see my favorite movies. I have no problem encouraging people to listen to my favorite music, going to my favorite website, or agreeing with my favorite issue. Is it really that different for you and me to encourage our friends and family to go to our favorite church?
It seems to be. But why? Well, perhaps it is because you feel completely unequipped to respond to any thoughtful response to your invitation. I’m here to help you start responding. These are not canned answers for you to use on someone. Who knows what you or I might say in the heat of the moment. But, I want you to start thinking about how you might respond if you asked a friend, who just went through a messy divorce, to come with you to church and they say, “Thanks, but no thanks. The church is full of hypocrites.”
Yes, the church is full of hypocrites and liars and all kinds of really bad sinners. I go there to hear that God forgives me. I know you, you’re my friend, but I know that you aren’t perfect just like I’m not. Wouldn’t you like to hear that God forgives you too? You don’t have to go alone, I’ll pick you up Sunday morning.
“But I like to have one day to just sleep in.” Me too, but I’m forced to get up even earlier every other day of the week for work or to get the kids off to school. I choose to get up on Sundays for church because it helps me get through the week. Once you get into the habit you might even start to like going to church. I do. You could come with me if you want.
“Religions all teach the same things.” Yeah, well, many religions teach you to be a good person or to do good things for others, but only Jesus Christ died to forgive you unconditionally. Other religions don’t teach that. Jesus promises that by trusting in him, you will have eternal life no matter how many good or bad things you have done. You know me, I’m no saint. I go to church so that I can hear that I’m forgiven and then go back out and try to love people.
“Listen, God loves me even if I don’t go to church.” Yes, God does love you no matter what! But you know what. I know my wife loves me even if she doesn’t say it. But I like to hear her say it. I can’t hear it often enough! I want to hear that God loves me as much as I can. That’s one reason I go to church every Sunday. I think that you’d have a great time and meet some great people at Saint Peters.
“Churches just want money.” Yeah, I’ve felt that way along the way. But worship on Sundays is really about what God is giving us, not what we give to God. You don’t have to give anything at church. It’s not necessary. For me, giving money to the church is just one way to says thanks to God for all the blessings he gives my family and so that I can support different ministries in our church. Just come; don’t worry about that whole money thing.
“But I’m not baptized.” You don’t need to be baptized in order to come to church. Baptism is just a special way to hear God’s promise of forgiveness. Now, if you ever want to be baptized then just ask, that’d be awesome. But don’t let it stop you from coming. I’m going to the 8:00 service this Sunday. Why don’t you ask at home and I’ll call Saturday night to see if you have any more questions.
“But I was raised Catholic.” The important thing is that you are a Christian. Jesus died for you. You don’t have to be Lutheran to come to Saint Peters. Anyone is welcome at church because God’s promise is for everyone. Lutherans believes that Jesus Christ loves you because you have faith in him and his forgiveness and not because you do enough good things.
“Listen, I try to be a good person, even if I don’t go to church.” I know that. You help me out all the time. But church isn’t for good people, church is for people who make mistakes, who sometimes do bad things. That’s me and that’s you too, right? Church is where you can hear that you are forgiven for not being a perfect person. But here’s the thing, I’m not trying to convince you. Just come and see what it’s like. You might even like it.
“But, I don’t believe in God.” Well, I do, but you don’t have to believe in God to go to church. Church is a place to hear that God loves you and forgives you. You don’t have to say or do anything that you don’t want to. Church is primarily about hearing what God does for you, not saying what you do for God. If you are questioning whether there really is a God come and see for yourself. If you still have questions, maybe you can talk to our pastor after service.
“I’m spiritual, not religious.” For me, church isn’t about being spiritual or being religious. It’s about hearing that Jesus loves me and forgives me. The Bible says that we are made right with God by faith alone, not by what we think is spiritual or by what we do religiously. I just think it’d be really cool to have you come this Sunday.
These are ways to start thinking about what you might say if you asked someone to come to church and they said no and said why. You are going to come up with your own answers. But as I mentioned before, there is one more thing that I have to do before we end this sermon. I need to support your faith. You may never ever get up the nerve to invite anyone to church or mention Jesus’ name even your best friend. You may end up saying the worst thing at the worst time and end up in a shouting match. You may be surprised at how many of your friends were just waiting for you to share your faith with them. But know this, you won’t be perfect and God will still speak through you somehow. God will always love you and always forgive you.
You are only here to plant the seeds. God gives the growth. God gives the faith. God does the saving. It is not up to you to “save” anyone. You are simply God’s mail carrier. Giving people his love letters so they can know who their Savior truly is. And that is finally my job too. I can’t convince you to tell anyone about your faith. I can’t make you give anyone God’s promises. I can’t make a single one of you believe anything. But I can give you Jesus’ love letter and let the Holy Spirit work on your heart. Dear Sinner, dear lost sheep, dear prodigal son and daughter, I love you and I am determined to make you mine. Love, Your merciful Savior, Jesus.
Today’s readings, but especially the one from Isaiah, refer to some amazing promises from God, but not everybody knows about them. Isaiah proclaims that God “will swallow up death forever.” That God “will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth.” “Lo, this is our God;” Isaiah declares, “we have waited for him, so that he might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” The thing is that many people are still waiting, they are still searching, they are alone, they are depressed and they are our best friends, or at least our good friends, and maybe we want to tell them, but we are completely unequipped to do so. We are scared to death to say anything for fear that they be offended or it might hurt our friendship or it might be awkward or we might say something wrong . . . or worse, they might just say no. Yet, how can they believe if they have never been told?
There are two purposes to this sermon. First I’d like to equip you for faith conversations. I’m going to provide you with a starting point to respond to common questions that come up about church, Christianity and worship. Second, I’d like to support your own personal faith. I’m going to remind you that your salvation and your friends’ salvation is not your responsibility. God chooses. God saves. God forgives. You and I are simply his servants, his mouthpieces, his tools, his ministers. We can’t make anyone fall in love with Jesus; all we can do is hand them Jesus’ love letter, or bring them to his post office and get out of the way.
I don’t know how many times I’ve been told that people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. So, the first rule of thumb about faith conversations is to really care about the person you are talking with. In fact, the best time to tell someone about Jesus or to invite them to church is when you don’t feel like you have to. When it just makes sense do it. When you love them too much not to tell them. If your friend confesses that they are depressed, or lonely, or seeking help with life’s hard questions, then why not tell them how you have found love and support. Don’t try to convince them of anything, just ask them to “come and see”; let them hear and experience everything themselves. Invite them through the front door for church, or invite them through the side door for the Harvest supper, the prayer group, Bible study or Sunday school. And if you really want to see them here, make it a date and bring them yourself. Jesus can and will speak to them through you.
Dave Kinnamon wrote a book titled “Unchristian” that talks about the perceptions of 250,000 unchurched people who were surveyed about what they thought about Christians. Here are the top perceptions people have if all they know about you is that you are a Christian: 87% think Christians are judgmental, 75% too political, and 85% think Christians are hypocritical. In other words, finding someone you don’t know off the street and asking them to church might be very frustrating. People you care about and who actually know might still have these perceptions and for good reason, churches are full of sinners and hypocrites, but they might actually give you the benefit of the doubt.
I, personally, have no problem encouraging people to go to my favorite restaurants. I have no problem encouraging people to see my favorite movies. I have no problem encouraging people to listen to my favorite music, going to my favorite website, or agreeing with my favorite issue. Is it really that different for you and me to encourage our friends and family to go to our favorite church?
It seems to be. But why? Well, perhaps it is because you feel completely unequipped to respond to any thoughtful response to your invitation. I’m here to help you start responding. These are not canned answers for you to use on someone. Who knows what you or I might say in the heat of the moment. But, I want you to start thinking about how you might respond if you asked a friend, who just went through a messy divorce, to come with you to church and they say, “Thanks, but no thanks. The church is full of hypocrites.”
Yes, the church is full of hypocrites and liars and all kinds of really bad sinners. I go there to hear that God forgives me. I know you, you’re my friend, but I know that you aren’t perfect just like I’m not. Wouldn’t you like to hear that God forgives you too? You don’t have to go alone, I’ll pick you up Sunday morning.
“But I like to have one day to just sleep in.” Me too, but I’m forced to get up even earlier every other day of the week for work or to get the kids off to school. I choose to get up on Sundays for church because it helps me get through the week. Once you get into the habit you might even start to like going to church. I do. You could come with me if you want.
“Religions all teach the same things.” Yeah, well, many religions teach you to be a good person or to do good things for others, but only Jesus Christ died to forgive you unconditionally. Other religions don’t teach that. Jesus promises that by trusting in him, you will have eternal life no matter how many good or bad things you have done. You know me, I’m no saint. I go to church so that I can hear that I’m forgiven and then go back out and try to love people.
“Listen, God loves me even if I don’t go to church.” Yes, God does love you no matter what! But you know what. I know my wife loves me even if she doesn’t say it. But I like to hear her say it. I can’t hear it often enough! I want to hear that God loves me as much as I can. That’s one reason I go to church every Sunday. I think that you’d have a great time and meet some great people at Saint Peters.
“Churches just want money.” Yeah, I’ve felt that way along the way. But worship on Sundays is really about what God is giving us, not what we give to God. You don’t have to give anything at church. It’s not necessary. For me, giving money to the church is just one way to says thanks to God for all the blessings he gives my family and so that I can support different ministries in our church. Just come; don’t worry about that whole money thing.
“But I’m not baptized.” You don’t need to be baptized in order to come to church. Baptism is just a special way to hear God’s promise of forgiveness. Now, if you ever want to be baptized then just ask, that’d be awesome. But don’t let it stop you from coming. I’m going to the 8:00 service this Sunday. Why don’t you ask at home and I’ll call Saturday night to see if you have any more questions.
“But I was raised Catholic.” The important thing is that you are a Christian. Jesus died for you. You don’t have to be Lutheran to come to Saint Peters. Anyone is welcome at church because God’s promise is for everyone. Lutherans believes that Jesus Christ loves you because you have faith in him and his forgiveness and not because you do enough good things.
“Listen, I try to be a good person, even if I don’t go to church.” I know that. You help me out all the time. But church isn’t for good people, church is for people who make mistakes, who sometimes do bad things. That’s me and that’s you too, right? Church is where you can hear that you are forgiven for not being a perfect person. But here’s the thing, I’m not trying to convince you. Just come and see what it’s like. You might even like it.
“But, I don’t believe in God.” Well, I do, but you don’t have to believe in God to go to church. Church is a place to hear that God loves you and forgives you. You don’t have to say or do anything that you don’t want to. Church is primarily about hearing what God does for you, not saying what you do for God. If you are questioning whether there really is a God come and see for yourself. If you still have questions, maybe you can talk to our pastor after service.
“I’m spiritual, not religious.” For me, church isn’t about being spiritual or being religious. It’s about hearing that Jesus loves me and forgives me. The Bible says that we are made right with God by faith alone, not by what we think is spiritual or by what we do religiously. I just think it’d be really cool to have you come this Sunday.
These are ways to start thinking about what you might say if you asked someone to come to church and they said no and said why. You are going to come up with your own answers. But as I mentioned before, there is one more thing that I have to do before we end this sermon. I need to support your faith. You may never ever get up the nerve to invite anyone to church or mention Jesus’ name even your best friend. You may end up saying the worst thing at the worst time and end up in a shouting match. You may be surprised at how many of your friends were just waiting for you to share your faith with them. But know this, you won’t be perfect and God will still speak through you somehow. God will always love you and always forgive you.
You are only here to plant the seeds. God gives the growth. God gives the faith. God does the saving. It is not up to you to “save” anyone. You are simply God’s mail carrier. Giving people his love letters so they can know who their Savior truly is. And that is finally my job too. I can’t convince you to tell anyone about your faith. I can’t make you give anyone God’s promises. I can’t make a single one of you believe anything. But I can give you Jesus’ love letter and let the Holy Spirit work on your heart. Dear Sinner, dear lost sheep, dear prodigal son and daughter, I love you and I am determined to make you mine. Love, Your merciful Savior, Jesus.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Sermon for October 5th
Many of you work in businesses or for companies. Some of you even own your own business. So, many of you have also probably had to create, or learn about or memorize “mission statements.” They are all the fad now. Everybody must have one it seems. Churches, hotels, libraries . . . some of you might even have a personal mission statement. A seminary professor once told my class that a great mission statement for a church would be, “Come die with me.” We laughed. But then he told us why. “Come die with me.” Why would that be a good mission statement? Because that is finally what Jesus calls us all to do, this is where our hope lies.
What would you like to experience in your life? Buy a house? Finish the construction of a house? Buy a bigger house? Would you like to retire? Would you like success in your vocation? Do you want kids? Grandkids? Well, compare your desires to what the apostle Paul says he wants to know about in his life: the power of Jesus’ resurrection, the sharing of Christ’s sufferings, becoming like Jesus in his death, attaining the resurrection of the dead, getting the heavenly call from Jesus Christ. All these things have a common denominator: it looks like Paul is looking forward to the day when he dies. Now, that’s rather morbid isn’t it.
Paul doesn’t necessarily seem to want to die right away does he? He doesn’t seem especially depressed or suicidal. However, it does appear that Paul isn’t afraid to die; in fact, he sees that his death will possibly be more exciting and powerful than his life. He puts it this way, “For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.” Seems like he is willing to do either for the sake of his faith in Jesus.
After Jesus was resurrected from the dead he appeared to many people including his disciples and said this, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” I am going to focus on just one part of this promise: “You will be my witnesses.” The Greek word that we translate as witnesses is pronounced martees or martwos—the same root for the word we now translate as martyr or martyrs.
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses—my martyrs—in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” If we translated that verse in this way it would be a little more ear catching wouldn’t it? But you don’t hear that translation usually because the word can mean both things and, well, while many of us will witness and testify to the truth of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, few of us will be killed for that belief. Yet, perhaps, it’s just that we have a very small perspective about what being a martyr really entails. Have you ever met a martyr? Have you ever heard about someone who was killed for their faith? Do you think you will ever be a martyr?
Many church historians and sociologists have pointed out that the growth of the early church was due to the blood of martyrs. It seems that many, if not all, of the eleven disciples were martyred—killed because they confessed belief in Jesus Christ. Now, that might not seem that surprising, considering that in our time we often hear about suicide bombings and terrorist attacks by people within the Muslim faith. In fact, it might not even seem like much of a witness to truth at all.
However, there is a difference between a suicide bomber today and the martyrdom of the disciples at the time of Jesus. Psychologists point out that people will sometimes die for something they believe is true, but people will not die for something they know is not true. From all historical accounts, the apostles were eyewitnesses to Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. If they were just making it up or unsure of the authenticity of their faith, it would be almost inconceivable for them to risk dying for it or to confess a made up faith to their executioners. Yet, that is exactly what they did. And their deaths led a tremendous number of people at their time and centuries later, to believe in Jesus Christ. God used their deaths to lead others to faith.
The same thing is still happening today in fact across the world. This world map, that was hung at the entrance to the sanctuary shows some countries around the world where people are being killed, beaten, imprisoned and persecuted because they believe and confess that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior. This includes women, children and men. Sometimes they are martyred because they are deemed to be “proselytizing” or attempting to bring others to faith in Christ. Sometimes they are martyred because they own Bibles or give Bibles to others. Sometimes they are martyred because they are attending a Christian church. Sometimes they are martyred because they have converted to Christianity while their family, clan or nation disagree and feel disgraced. However, in each case, God uses their suffering, their persecutions and their deaths to support the faith of others and lead them to faith.
At the convention I recently attended, I heard the story of a family in Malatya, Turkey. Three Christian men were asked by five Muslim men to share their faith. They gathered together in an office where the three Christians were henceforth beaten and then shot in the head. Surprisingly, at least to the news media, the families of these three men publicly forgave the assassins who took the lives of their husbands and fathers. One Muslim reporter wrote this, “What these women have done has meant 1,000 times more than what 1,000 years of missionaries have done.” In fact, as this story is told and retold, God is leading others to faith.
A daughter of one of these men asked her mother awhile later when she would be able to meet the men who killed her Father. The mother thought she misheard, but after verifying her daughter’s question, she asked the child why she wanted to go see them. This four year old girl said that she needed to tell these men about Jesus so that when they would be able to go to heaven and could say they were sorry to her Daddy and the other two men. This is how God works. As we hear these stories, our faith is supported. This is how God works through a martyr.
The apostle Paul says he wants to know about the power of Jesus’ resurrection, the sharing of Christ’s sufferings, becoming like Jesus in his death. He wants to know about attaining the resurrection of the dead and getting the heavenly call from Jesus Christ. Paul and the other apostles, this girl’s father and even this girl herself have the mindset of a witness, the mind of a martyr; not wanting to die, but understanding that God can and will even use death to further his kingdom. They are not afraid of those who can kill the body, but pay attention to the one who has promised to save their body and soul.
What about you? Do you need to fly to Turkey or Iran or some other far off place and give up your life for the sake of the gospel? No. You don’t have to do anything. This is a promise. You will be my witnesses, Jesus says. You will be my martyrs.
How many of you expect to die someday? Well, for those of you who didn’t raise your hands, there is still a one hundred percent mortality rate throughout the world. Someday you will die. You might die in a car crash, you might die of cancer and you might die for your faith in Jesus Christ.
If you die in a car crash, I promise you, your family is welcome to hold your funeral here at Saint Peters. People will remember your life and your faith. We will remember you and remind all who are here of the promise Jesus gave you—your inheritance of eternal life. Not because you were a good person, but because you were made right with God through Jesus Christ. People will hear God’s promises and God will use your death to support our faith and lead others to faith. You will be a witness-a martyr.
People who are dying of cancer, often find themselves being told that they have a limited time to live. The doctor might tell you six weeks, or six months or maybe even a year. You might have met someone in this situation who wasn’t afraid any longer to share their faith with their family because time was short and death was near. You might have met someone who sought out Jesus at the end of their life. They wanted to know the power of Jesus’ resurrection, as Paul says. They were waiting for their heavenly call. On their conversations they supported your faith and led people to seek Jesus for comfort and prayer. They are witnesses. God uses them as martyrs.
Finally, there are people in this world who die for their faith in Jesus Christ. You remember the girl in Columbine who was asked if she believed in God. She said yes. And how many people around this country and the world were brought to faith by God through this young martyr? This holds true all across the globe as people live out their lives knowing that God’s calling continues through life and even at death.
Being a martyr, being a witness and sharing your faith with others is both a demand and a promise. Jesus commands that we go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that Jesus has commanded. He calls us into vocations to serve others, to find relationships and to love one another in the name of Jesus Christ. He tells us not to be ashamed of him and his words, but to share the good news joyfully. But finally, when your work on this earth is done, God promises that you will be his martyr, his witness, not only in your life but in your death whether you like it or not. You can live your life trusting that God can and will use you to spread his gospel and expand his kingdom. Jesus says, “Come die with me. I have promised you eternal life. You are my witness. You are my martyr.” Amen.
What would you like to experience in your life? Buy a house? Finish the construction of a house? Buy a bigger house? Would you like to retire? Would you like success in your vocation? Do you want kids? Grandkids? Well, compare your desires to what the apostle Paul says he wants to know about in his life: the power of Jesus’ resurrection, the sharing of Christ’s sufferings, becoming like Jesus in his death, attaining the resurrection of the dead, getting the heavenly call from Jesus Christ. All these things have a common denominator: it looks like Paul is looking forward to the day when he dies. Now, that’s rather morbid isn’t it.
Paul doesn’t necessarily seem to want to die right away does he? He doesn’t seem especially depressed or suicidal. However, it does appear that Paul isn’t afraid to die; in fact, he sees that his death will possibly be more exciting and powerful than his life. He puts it this way, “For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.” Seems like he is willing to do either for the sake of his faith in Jesus.
After Jesus was resurrected from the dead he appeared to many people including his disciples and said this, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” I am going to focus on just one part of this promise: “You will be my witnesses.” The Greek word that we translate as witnesses is pronounced martees or martwos—the same root for the word we now translate as martyr or martyrs.
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses—my martyrs—in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” If we translated that verse in this way it would be a little more ear catching wouldn’t it? But you don’t hear that translation usually because the word can mean both things and, well, while many of us will witness and testify to the truth of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, few of us will be killed for that belief. Yet, perhaps, it’s just that we have a very small perspective about what being a martyr really entails. Have you ever met a martyr? Have you ever heard about someone who was killed for their faith? Do you think you will ever be a martyr?
Many church historians and sociologists have pointed out that the growth of the early church was due to the blood of martyrs. It seems that many, if not all, of the eleven disciples were martyred—killed because they confessed belief in Jesus Christ. Now, that might not seem that surprising, considering that in our time we often hear about suicide bombings and terrorist attacks by people within the Muslim faith. In fact, it might not even seem like much of a witness to truth at all.
However, there is a difference between a suicide bomber today and the martyrdom of the disciples at the time of Jesus. Psychologists point out that people will sometimes die for something they believe is true, but people will not die for something they know is not true. From all historical accounts, the apostles were eyewitnesses to Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. If they were just making it up or unsure of the authenticity of their faith, it would be almost inconceivable for them to risk dying for it or to confess a made up faith to their executioners. Yet, that is exactly what they did. And their deaths led a tremendous number of people at their time and centuries later, to believe in Jesus Christ. God used their deaths to lead others to faith.
The same thing is still happening today in fact across the world. This world map, that was hung at the entrance to the sanctuary shows some countries around the world where people are being killed, beaten, imprisoned and persecuted because they believe and confess that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior. This includes women, children and men. Sometimes they are martyred because they are deemed to be “proselytizing” or attempting to bring others to faith in Christ. Sometimes they are martyred because they own Bibles or give Bibles to others. Sometimes they are martyred because they are attending a Christian church. Sometimes they are martyred because they have converted to Christianity while their family, clan or nation disagree and feel disgraced. However, in each case, God uses their suffering, their persecutions and their deaths to support the faith of others and lead them to faith.
At the convention I recently attended, I heard the story of a family in Malatya, Turkey. Three Christian men were asked by five Muslim men to share their faith. They gathered together in an office where the three Christians were henceforth beaten and then shot in the head. Surprisingly, at least to the news media, the families of these three men publicly forgave the assassins who took the lives of their husbands and fathers. One Muslim reporter wrote this, “What these women have done has meant 1,000 times more than what 1,000 years of missionaries have done.” In fact, as this story is told and retold, God is leading others to faith.
A daughter of one of these men asked her mother awhile later when she would be able to meet the men who killed her Father. The mother thought she misheard, but after verifying her daughter’s question, she asked the child why she wanted to go see them. This four year old girl said that she needed to tell these men about Jesus so that when they would be able to go to heaven and could say they were sorry to her Daddy and the other two men. This is how God works. As we hear these stories, our faith is supported. This is how God works through a martyr.
The apostle Paul says he wants to know about the power of Jesus’ resurrection, the sharing of Christ’s sufferings, becoming like Jesus in his death. He wants to know about attaining the resurrection of the dead and getting the heavenly call from Jesus Christ. Paul and the other apostles, this girl’s father and even this girl herself have the mindset of a witness, the mind of a martyr; not wanting to die, but understanding that God can and will even use death to further his kingdom. They are not afraid of those who can kill the body, but pay attention to the one who has promised to save their body and soul.
What about you? Do you need to fly to Turkey or Iran or some other far off place and give up your life for the sake of the gospel? No. You don’t have to do anything. This is a promise. You will be my witnesses, Jesus says. You will be my martyrs.
How many of you expect to die someday? Well, for those of you who didn’t raise your hands, there is still a one hundred percent mortality rate throughout the world. Someday you will die. You might die in a car crash, you might die of cancer and you might die for your faith in Jesus Christ.
If you die in a car crash, I promise you, your family is welcome to hold your funeral here at Saint Peters. People will remember your life and your faith. We will remember you and remind all who are here of the promise Jesus gave you—your inheritance of eternal life. Not because you were a good person, but because you were made right with God through Jesus Christ. People will hear God’s promises and God will use your death to support our faith and lead others to faith. You will be a witness-a martyr.
People who are dying of cancer, often find themselves being told that they have a limited time to live. The doctor might tell you six weeks, or six months or maybe even a year. You might have met someone in this situation who wasn’t afraid any longer to share their faith with their family because time was short and death was near. You might have met someone who sought out Jesus at the end of their life. They wanted to know the power of Jesus’ resurrection, as Paul says. They were waiting for their heavenly call. On their conversations they supported your faith and led people to seek Jesus for comfort and prayer. They are witnesses. God uses them as martyrs.
Finally, there are people in this world who die for their faith in Jesus Christ. You remember the girl in Columbine who was asked if she believed in God. She said yes. And how many people around this country and the world were brought to faith by God through this young martyr? This holds true all across the globe as people live out their lives knowing that God’s calling continues through life and even at death.
Being a martyr, being a witness and sharing your faith with others is both a demand and a promise. Jesus commands that we go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that Jesus has commanded. He calls us into vocations to serve others, to find relationships and to love one another in the name of Jesus Christ. He tells us not to be ashamed of him and his words, but to share the good news joyfully. But finally, when your work on this earth is done, God promises that you will be his martyr, his witness, not only in your life but in your death whether you like it or not. You can live your life trusting that God can and will use you to spread his gospel and expand his kingdom. Jesus says, “Come die with me. I have promised you eternal life. You are my witness. You are my martyr.” Amen.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Sermon for September 28th
“When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” It is an important question I think. “By what authority?” The chief priests and the elders want to be sure that they are listening to someone worthwhile? Jesus was teaching from the Torah, but why should he be believed over and against a someone else? Over and against a religious authority? What gave Jesus the right to forgive sins when sins could be forgiven by God alone? By what authority was he doing all this?
It is an important question, “By what authority? By what authority do you do these things?” but it becomes very clear in the story that those asking this question have already made their decision. The chief priests and elders believe that they are the religious authorities and have already passed judgment on Jesus.
Jesus responds to his inquisitors by referring to John the Baptist. Earlier in Matthew’s gospel, if you remember when we read about this a few months ago, the chief priests and Elders didn’t listen to John, they didn’t like him or what he had to say. In contrast to this, Jesus proclaimed that John was a messenger sent from God, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”
Jesus asks, “Did the baptism of John come from heaven or was it of human origin?” If the chief priests and the Elders said that John the Baptist had divine authority then their own human religious authority would be undermined. But if they said that John was speaking only on his own they might get in trouble with their constituents—the common religious folk so to speak. So what did they do? They found a third answer. “I don’t know.” “We don’t know.”
Granted, there are many times when you or I don’t know things. We really, honestly, just don’t know. Perhaps, we haven’t had the time or done enough research to make an informed and responsible decision about an issue. However, there are other times when “I don’t know” is an answer in itself. In today’s lesson, we are witnessing an example of one of these “other times.” When saying “I don’t know” means “I know only too well.” When there are only two roads to go on, right or left, we sometimes believe that walking in between will keep us out of trouble, leave our options open, be a good compromise. But the truth is that saying “I don’t know”, often leads you down a path all its own.
Jesus says this, “Those who are ashamed of me and my words, of them the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” On the last day, when you stand before Jesus, you must make a confession. You must make a confession of faith or of unbelief. Every time you hear God’s Word in life you end up making a confession. You agree with it, disagree or say “I don’t know if it’s true.” Saying “I don’t know” might be an honest answer, but it is still an answer all the same.
Jesus sees that the Elders and the chief priests don’t need more education and they don’t need to see more signs and wonders—they simply need faith. This is not a matter of ignorance but of unbelief. Some people are ashamed of Jesus because they don’t want anything to do with him, others are ashamed of him because they just aren’t sure what to do with him, but, either way, there is a trust problem at the heart of the issue.
“By what authority” do you live your life? The Lutheran church has always said that the authority for your life and faith is scripture alone; the words of law and the words of gospel from the Bible. Unfortunately, no matter what church or denomination you belong to, if any, you and I have the same problem with scriptural authority . . . we don’t like it. We don’t want it. We are all, finally, anti-authoritarian when it comes to God and his words.
It is the original sin for goodness sake. God says, “Do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.” Seems pretty straightforward, right? Pretty authoritative? And yet, it only takes one little question, “Did God say? Did God really say that you would die?” Once there was a choice between God’s words and other words, humanity has had a problem figuring out who we should listen to. We like to trust other words.
The chief priests and the Elders weren’t sure what to do with Jesus and the things that he did and said. Now that those things that Jesus did and said are written in the Bible, we still aren’t sure what to think. Is it simply a historical document? Should you accept everything you read from the Bible literally? Should you take everything you read in it with a grain of salt? Is the Bible a book of morals? Is it a book of salvation? Many people and churches have tried to discover the answer to these questions, but when pressed, most everybody just says, “I don’t know” and moves on. Yet, in the midst of all this, we are still living and making choices according to some authority aren’t we. Just saying, “I don’t know” doesn’t get any of us off the hook. Saying “I don’t know” means that we have a trust problem. We need to be given faith.
We are not so very different from the chief priests and the Elders. They were unsure what authority Jesus had and we are also unsure of what authority Jesus has today. So, what are you to do when you can’t be sure of the authority in your life? What if you just don’t know? You might read books about the Bible and determine whether it is authoritative yourself? You could read Lee Strobel’s book, “The Case For Christ” and make your final verdict. You could study other religions and see if you feel more at home following some other way. But even doing this, we find ourselves acting just like the chief priests and the Elders; we set ourselves up as the authorities. We think that we get to decide whether Jesus has any authority and if his words are up to snuff.
At the last national convention, the ELCA commissioned a study on the authority of scripture. It is called the “Book of Faith” initiative. The question on many people’s minds and at the heart of the church is, “By what authority should we do what we do?” “By what authority do we say what we say?” But I think that it is important to consider one perhaps overlooked facet of this discussion.
The chief priests and the Elders don’t believe that Jesus has authority. That is pretty obvious I think. They certainly don’t believe that he is working and speaking by God’s authority. In the Jewish tradition, you needed to be ordained by a rabbi in order to authoritatively interpret the Torah and Jesus was not. When the chief priests and Elders ask Jesus, “By what authority are you doing these things?” they are pointing out that they do not authorize what he is doing. They are the religious authorities and they do not authorize what he is saying. The question is this: does God’s Word, does Jesus Christ, does the Bible need to be authorized by another authority? Does it need to be authorized by us in order to be authoritative? Does it need to be authorized by religious leaders or is scripture its own authority?
An old professor of mine at Luther Seminary wrote this, “Church studies . . . on the authority of Scripture . . . are as close to an admission of emptiness as one can get. It is like the emperor who had no clothes commissioning a special royal panel to investigate whether clothes in fact exist at all. If one could successfully doubt the existence of clothes, then perhaps being a naked emperor would not be such an embarrassment—it would simply be a sign of the times. Being naked, then, might make me cold in inclement weather, but at least I would be ‘relevant’ and fit with my time and context, would I not? When Scripture’s authority needs to be authorized by the church, then all is lost, since church is the child of the Word, not its mother.” The church is wherever believers are gathered around Word and Sacrament. God’s Word does not need our stamp of approval. We are the ones who need and yearn and wait for the good news, for God’s approval, “I love you. You are mine.”
God creates faith through the Holy Spirit where and when he pleases. That is what makes God an authority, not our opinions or decisions or verdicts or votes. When the words of scripture create faith in your heart, when it is the author of your love for God, that is when scripture becomes your authority, your author. God’s Word is powerful. It is living and active. It makes itself an authority over you and doesn’t need you to slap a label on it for it to be effective.
In scripture, Jesus promises to listen to your prayers, to carry your diseases, to cast out your demons, to forgive your sins, to give you faith and to raise you from the dead. By what authority does he do these things? By the authority of one who does what he says and keeps his promises. For those of you who believe you are strong, healthy and in charge, this will sound scary, like something is being taken from you or forced upon you. But for those of you who are weak, sick, sinners—the lepers, the tax collectors, the prostitutes that Jesus talks about today—having God as your authority is a very blessed thing for he chooses to give you the kingdom of God.
It is an important question, “By what authority? By what authority do you do these things?” but it becomes very clear in the story that those asking this question have already made their decision. The chief priests and elders believe that they are the religious authorities and have already passed judgment on Jesus.
Jesus responds to his inquisitors by referring to John the Baptist. Earlier in Matthew’s gospel, if you remember when we read about this a few months ago, the chief priests and Elders didn’t listen to John, they didn’t like him or what he had to say. In contrast to this, Jesus proclaimed that John was a messenger sent from God, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”
Jesus asks, “Did the baptism of John come from heaven or was it of human origin?” If the chief priests and the Elders said that John the Baptist had divine authority then their own human religious authority would be undermined. But if they said that John was speaking only on his own they might get in trouble with their constituents—the common religious folk so to speak. So what did they do? They found a third answer. “I don’t know.” “We don’t know.”
Granted, there are many times when you or I don’t know things. We really, honestly, just don’t know. Perhaps, we haven’t had the time or done enough research to make an informed and responsible decision about an issue. However, there are other times when “I don’t know” is an answer in itself. In today’s lesson, we are witnessing an example of one of these “other times.” When saying “I don’t know” means “I know only too well.” When there are only two roads to go on, right or left, we sometimes believe that walking in between will keep us out of trouble, leave our options open, be a good compromise. But the truth is that saying “I don’t know”, often leads you down a path all its own.
Jesus says this, “Those who are ashamed of me and my words, of them the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” On the last day, when you stand before Jesus, you must make a confession. You must make a confession of faith or of unbelief. Every time you hear God’s Word in life you end up making a confession. You agree with it, disagree or say “I don’t know if it’s true.” Saying “I don’t know” might be an honest answer, but it is still an answer all the same.
Jesus sees that the Elders and the chief priests don’t need more education and they don’t need to see more signs and wonders—they simply need faith. This is not a matter of ignorance but of unbelief. Some people are ashamed of Jesus because they don’t want anything to do with him, others are ashamed of him because they just aren’t sure what to do with him, but, either way, there is a trust problem at the heart of the issue.
“By what authority” do you live your life? The Lutheran church has always said that the authority for your life and faith is scripture alone; the words of law and the words of gospel from the Bible. Unfortunately, no matter what church or denomination you belong to, if any, you and I have the same problem with scriptural authority . . . we don’t like it. We don’t want it. We are all, finally, anti-authoritarian when it comes to God and his words.
It is the original sin for goodness sake. God says, “Do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.” Seems pretty straightforward, right? Pretty authoritative? And yet, it only takes one little question, “Did God say? Did God really say that you would die?” Once there was a choice between God’s words and other words, humanity has had a problem figuring out who we should listen to. We like to trust other words.
The chief priests and the Elders weren’t sure what to do with Jesus and the things that he did and said. Now that those things that Jesus did and said are written in the Bible, we still aren’t sure what to think. Is it simply a historical document? Should you accept everything you read from the Bible literally? Should you take everything you read in it with a grain of salt? Is the Bible a book of morals? Is it a book of salvation? Many people and churches have tried to discover the answer to these questions, but when pressed, most everybody just says, “I don’t know” and moves on. Yet, in the midst of all this, we are still living and making choices according to some authority aren’t we. Just saying, “I don’t know” doesn’t get any of us off the hook. Saying “I don’t know” means that we have a trust problem. We need to be given faith.
We are not so very different from the chief priests and the Elders. They were unsure what authority Jesus had and we are also unsure of what authority Jesus has today. So, what are you to do when you can’t be sure of the authority in your life? What if you just don’t know? You might read books about the Bible and determine whether it is authoritative yourself? You could read Lee Strobel’s book, “The Case For Christ” and make your final verdict. You could study other religions and see if you feel more at home following some other way. But even doing this, we find ourselves acting just like the chief priests and the Elders; we set ourselves up as the authorities. We think that we get to decide whether Jesus has any authority and if his words are up to snuff.
At the last national convention, the ELCA commissioned a study on the authority of scripture. It is called the “Book of Faith” initiative. The question on many people’s minds and at the heart of the church is, “By what authority should we do what we do?” “By what authority do we say what we say?” But I think that it is important to consider one perhaps overlooked facet of this discussion.
The chief priests and the Elders don’t believe that Jesus has authority. That is pretty obvious I think. They certainly don’t believe that he is working and speaking by God’s authority. In the Jewish tradition, you needed to be ordained by a rabbi in order to authoritatively interpret the Torah and Jesus was not. When the chief priests and Elders ask Jesus, “By what authority are you doing these things?” they are pointing out that they do not authorize what he is doing. They are the religious authorities and they do not authorize what he is saying. The question is this: does God’s Word, does Jesus Christ, does the Bible need to be authorized by another authority? Does it need to be authorized by us in order to be authoritative? Does it need to be authorized by religious leaders or is scripture its own authority?
An old professor of mine at Luther Seminary wrote this, “Church studies . . . on the authority of Scripture . . . are as close to an admission of emptiness as one can get. It is like the emperor who had no clothes commissioning a special royal panel to investigate whether clothes in fact exist at all. If one could successfully doubt the existence of clothes, then perhaps being a naked emperor would not be such an embarrassment—it would simply be a sign of the times. Being naked, then, might make me cold in inclement weather, but at least I would be ‘relevant’ and fit with my time and context, would I not? When Scripture’s authority needs to be authorized by the church, then all is lost, since church is the child of the Word, not its mother.” The church is wherever believers are gathered around Word and Sacrament. God’s Word does not need our stamp of approval. We are the ones who need and yearn and wait for the good news, for God’s approval, “I love you. You are mine.”
God creates faith through the Holy Spirit where and when he pleases. That is what makes God an authority, not our opinions or decisions or verdicts or votes. When the words of scripture create faith in your heart, when it is the author of your love for God, that is when scripture becomes your authority, your author. God’s Word is powerful. It is living and active. It makes itself an authority over you and doesn’t need you to slap a label on it for it to be effective.
In scripture, Jesus promises to listen to your prayers, to carry your diseases, to cast out your demons, to forgive your sins, to give you faith and to raise you from the dead. By what authority does he do these things? By the authority of one who does what he says and keeps his promises. For those of you who believe you are strong, healthy and in charge, this will sound scary, like something is being taken from you or forced upon you. But for those of you who are weak, sick, sinners—the lepers, the tax collectors, the prostitutes that Jesus talks about today—having God as your authority is a very blessed thing for he chooses to give you the kingdom of God.
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