Archive for April, 2007

The 4th Sunday after Easter on April 29, 2007 uses readings from Acts 20:17-35 (Paul in Ephesus); Revelation 7:9-17 (The martyrs) and John 10:22-30 (Sheep hear Jesus’ voice). Selected to preach about is John 10:26 which reads, “But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep.”

Jesus has been confronted by Jews who want Him to speak plainly as to whether or not He is the Christ. From the context it appears that these are Jews who are attempting to get Jesus into trouble as did the lawyer (Luke 10) and others. Jesus answers that He has already told them and the works He does bears witness to that fact. He continues with, “But you do not believe, because…” How Jesus completes that sentence is critical to what evangelism is all about. How so?

Were Jesus to complete the sentence with, “because you have not been given sufficient evidence” then we know what the task of evangelism is about. It is giving people sufficient evidence by means of our reason to convince them that the words of the Bible are true. And not just true in regard to normal historical events like Rome invading Palestine but also in regard to radical, abnormal, never-to-be-repeated events like the resurrection from the dead by God Himself!

However, no amount of evidence and reasoning can convince the unbeliever because he does not have a mind that is persuadable in regard to Christian truth. The natural man simply cannot fathom and understand the things of God. They are foolishness to him. Regardless of what people say, no one was ever brought to faith by arguments of reason or evidence that are overwhelming.

Were Jesus to complete the sentence with, “because you haven’t made the right decision” then we know what the task of evangelism is about. It is about persuading people to make the right decision to invite Christ into their heart and permit Him to be Lord of their lives! However, such an attempt is ridiculous since the unbeliever’s will is bound and has no freedom to make such a choice.

What Jesus does say is “because you are not of My sheep.” That’s the problem! Then the task of evangelism is clear. It is to make use of that which truly moves a person from the kingdom of Satan to the flock of Jesus’ sheep. The question before us is what are the means God has provided to do just that? They are called the “means of grace” which refers to the means whereby the benefits won for us by our gracious Savior Jesus Christ are given free of charge to those who do not deserve to receive them!

The means by which God’s gracious attitude bestows gifts of salvation upon the unbeliever are Word and Sacraments. It is neither our reason or our persuasion that brings a new sheep into the flock. It is the pure Word of God and the proper use of the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Apart from these, no one is ever saved by our witness.

The sermon would correct the false views that many have of their contribution to their own salvation. It would then reveal the only true means of salvation which is centered on the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ as He took away the curse of the Law and provided us with the robe of righteousness and the forgiveness of sins. With those gifts receive by faith alone through Word and Sacrament, the unbeliever who is now a believer understands verse 25 that the real cause of not recognizing Jesus as the promised Messiah is because “you do not believe.”

The three assigned readings for the third Sunday of Easter on 4/22/07 are Acts 9:1-22 (Saul’s conversion); Revelation 5:1-14 (Opening the scroll) and John 21:1-19 (Boat filled with fish). This week we preach on John 21:7b which reads, “Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea.”

While it is certainly true that the Bible never contradicts itself, at times it appears that the disciples contradict themselves. One example at first reading is found when comparing this miracle of fish found in John 21 with the previous miracle of fish in Luke 5:4-9. In that earlier miracle Peter’s response was quite different. Verse 8 reveals Peter’s reaction. “He fell down at Jesus’ kness, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’” How does one reconcile the different reactions by Peter to the two different miracles of fish?

By using the distinctions between Law and Gospel we can understand the different reactions. In the first miracle of fish, Peter is much like Isaiah in chapter 6 of Isaiah when he bemoans the fact that he, an unclean man, has seen God. He concludes that he will be put to death. Both Isaiah and Peter are living under the Law in the sense that they are of the opinion that God will permit you to come into His presence only if you are perfectly sinless. Thus, both Isaiah and Peter recoil at the presence of God.

However, after Isaiah’s mouth is touched with the coal from the altar of God that cleanses him and after Peter hears the words of Jesus after the resurrection, “Peace be with you” there is a new living under the Gospel. This means that there is a trust in God Who not only invites us to come to Him but also regards us as His children through faith in the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

The sermon would point out that due to our weak faith and our constant sinfulness, we often imagine that God is punishing us through suffering. But in light of the promises of the Gospel, we can now be certain that no such eternal separation from God will ever take place between the believer and the Trinity because Jesus took upon Himself the curse of sin and separation with the words, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” The resurrection is God’s “Amen” to the sufferings of Christ.

The different responses by Peter in light of the two miracles of fish in Luke 5 and John 21 are a wonderful indication of the difference between living under the Law and living under the Gospel. Christians need to become more aware of this precious distinction between Law and Gospel in order to be comforted not by our lack of sins but by the fullness of the promises of our merciful and gracious God and Lord Jesus Christ.

The second Sunday after Easter begins a replacement of the Old Testament Reading with one from the Book of Acts, chapter 5, verses 12-32 (Freed from prison); the Epistle from Revelation 1:4-18 (Jesus as the Ancient of Days) and the Gospel from John 20:19-31 (Resurrection appearances). Chosen to preach about this Sunday is John 20:29 when Jesus says to Thomas, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Without looking up the text, exactly what was it that Thomas now believed that he previously had doubted? Ask most people and they will respond that Thomas now believed that Jesus had risen from the dead. For those who suggest such an answer, Christian faith would then be agreement that Jesus rose from the dead. While that is true and important, it is not saving faith.

Is it not true that even unbelievers such as the ruling Pharisees believed that Jesus rose from the dead or why else would they pay the soldiers to lie about it? They did not disagree that Jesus rose Lazarus from the dead. So also, with the reported resurrection of Jesus Himself from the dead, it was considered to be another trick of Beelzebub, the devil.

However, is it not more likely that what Thomas said upon seeing Jesus would be what Jesus is referring to as what he believed. And what did he say? “My Lord and my God!” For you see, saving faith is not simply believing the historical events as recorded in the Bible. Rather, saving faith is trusting in the gracious promises connected specifically to the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ that He died FOR ME and that He rose FOR ME!

In fact, what Thomas doubted according to verse 25 is not simply that Jesus rose from the dead but the message from the other disciples, “We have seen the Lord.” Moreover, at the end of the reading we find those marvelous words that all which is written in the Bible has the purpose of producing the faith that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

What is the practical significance of making a distinction between faith that He rose from the dead and saving faith that He is our Lord, the Christ, the Son of God? The practical difference is that rather than spending so much time attempting to “prove” the resurrection using reason, our time is better spent in speaking the Gospel promises of the true result of that death and resurrection. For only the Gospel is the means of grace by which God converts and brings life.

The three readings for the Easter Sunrise worship service on April 8, 2007 are Job 19:23-27 (I know my Redeemer lives); 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 (Victory over death) and John 20:1-10 (The empty tomb). Selected to apply is 1 Corinthians 15:56 which reads, “The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.”

If you were to ask most people what separates human beings from God, the answer 95% of the time would be “sin”. However, then one would have to conclude that even Christians are still separated from God because we continue to sin! While it is true that every other religion in the world assumes sin is the problem, they then attempt their followers either to stop sinning or somehow to make up for their sin.

Christianity teaches that because God demands PERFECTION, it is impossible for any human being either to stop sinning or to make up for sin even with all the help of the Holy Spirit. The gift of sinless good works will never be given while we are here on earth. That is a gift which will only find fulfillment after the Day of Judgment when this mortal puts on immortality.

So what does separate us from God? Verse 56 of the 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians reveals that though sin is the sting of death, the real power of sin is the law. Think of the difference between a mosquito and a scorpion. Both sting but normally the mosquito bite is harmless in contrast to the scorpion. It is not the bite that causes the damage but the poison that enters the blood.

So also with sin which is disobedience against God’s will. While a tree was not created to fall on a house during a storm, even if that happens there is no sending of the tree to hell. Only two elements in creation receive the curse of the law; namely, angels and human beings. What separates us from God is death, not in the sense of temporal death but spiritual death which is God forsaking us.

The reason that sin no longer has any power is because of what Jesus Christ accomplished on the accursed cross on Good Friday which demonstrated victory on Easter Sunday. “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” He took upon Himself the curse you and I should have received. He became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Through His sacrfice and resurrection, we need not be concerned any longer about sin because it no longer has the power of the curse of the Law.

To conclude, therefore, that we ought to continue to sin is not logical. The proper conclusion is that good works are necessary but not to become saved or stay saved. Rather good works, motivated by the Holy Spirit, are fruit of the Spirit that are proper responses to what God in Christ has done for you. So while we no longer look to our good works to save us or keep us saved, the resurrection of Jesus Christ indeed motivates us properly to give Him thanks and praise, serve and obey, not because we HAVE to but because we WANT to!