Sermon 11252012 Christ the King Sunday

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.  AMEN.

Let us pray!  Jesus Christ our King, today we celebrate the fulfillment and the ending of the church year.  Though we do not know the day nor the hour of your coming, enable us to understand these final times are an opportunity for preparation.  For our preparation is not of our bodies, but of our soul and its preparation for our entrance into Your kingdom that You have prepared for all of us saints gathered here at Emmanuel this morning.  AMEN.

Recently I heard of a family that was preparing for December 21, 2012.  If you are unaware, not only is it the Winter Solstice, where the days will begin to get longer, but it is also the day predicted by the Mayan Culture and calendar that the world would end.  The family I heard about is preparing a ‘hide-a-hole’ for when the world devolves into chaos and looting and all kinds of ‘crazy’ things happen.  This preparation seems reminiscent of the cold war years where everybody started building a ‘bomb shelter’, because the Russians had nuclear capability.  However, with this most ‘recent’ scare, we humans who live in this world seem to be more interested in preparing for Armageddon then for our Savior.

The stark reality is that we fear more what other humans can do for or against us than preparing for Jesus return.  This is what this Sunday of the ‘fulfillment’ is all about.  Where Jesus Christ, the bridegroom of the church fulfills the promise made at the Ascension of His second coming.  It is what we specifically pray for in the Nicene Creed a little later this morning when we confess with the whole Christian Church, “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.”  Christ will return in glory here to earth which He helped form and shape with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  Jesus job is not complete until His return.  And we can prepare, remember in the Gospel this morning of the five wise and the five foolish virgins.  The story is simplistic in nature, but applicable for us this morning.  The foolish virgins didn’t bring oil for their lamps and when the time came were not prepared for entrance with the bridegroom.  But the five virgins who brought oil were prepared and entered with the bridegroom.  Are we no different, do we prepare for things like Birthdays, Anniversaries, Thanksgiving and Christmas meals with all of our relatives or for the midnight Black Friday sales for Christmas presents?  Yet, we lack the preparation of the most important God given gift, our souls for the return of the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ.  We will not have the presents for eternity, but we will have our souls for all eternity.

In Facing the Giants, Coach Taylor from the time he introduced the ‘New Philosophy’ inspired his team to give it their very best and prepare for the battle that would take place on the field every Friday night.  It wasn’t anticipating something that would last for eternity, but it was something that would inspire the team to prepare for the future, a long term goal.  Whether it was their studies, their preparation on the field for Friday or in their personal lives, the players learned to look not with the eyes of society, but with Godly eyes, hearts and spirits ready to be filled by God and His promises.  This same fact is true for us today.

We like Coach Taylor need to look to the future, the end times as what we should be preparing for.  The early Church thought that Jesus would return in their lifetime.  Hence, they always had Jesus on their minds.  This is why we say the Early Church was the fastest growing church for all time.  Not only were they persecuted by the Jews, Greeks, Hellenists and other religious organizations, they did everything in secret from worship at the catacombs or where people were buried, to house churches to having symbols and secret sayings to tell if a person was a Christian.

Today in our society, we have buildings, budgets and bulletins that tell us how much we are to spend, where we are to do certain things and when we are to sit down, stand up and what the readings are for the worship service.  The preparation that Jesus is attempting to make a point with concerning the ten virgins is that we do not know the day nor the hour of His coming, but we should be prepared.

The Boy Scouts clearly understand this concept, because their motto is ‘Be Prepared’.  When we are prepared it is not just that all the dishes are put away, the bed made, the toys picked up or the yard looks immaculate, it is deeper and more profound.  Have you placed your personal trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?  And do you trust in the forgiveness of sins offered by His death on Calvary for all of mankind?  These may seem like simplistic questions, but they are profound when we take personal application to our daily lives.

Just as the wise virgins prepared for the bridegroom, we to should prepare our hearts, souls and spirits for the coming of the Messiah and His return for ‘judging’ the living and the dead.  For when we prepare, we not only show our belief by living it out, but we clearly like the football team look not for a failure, but a fulfillment of God’s promises to and for us in our lives.  For God’s promises are crystal clear for us, that God sent His Son into this world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.  The fulfillment of the plan of salvation is clear and coming.  Let us as the saints of Emmanuel prepare and be like the wise virgins and live ‘in this world’, but not be ‘of this world’.  Live as prepared disciples of our souls for eternity, not unprepared foolish virgins like our society living in the here and now.  For God prepares us today with His precious Body and Blood we are about to receive for all of us saints gathered here this morning in preparation of our entrance into eternal life with our Lord and Savior.  Thanks be to God for this gift for all the saints, including all of us gathered here this morning at Emmanuel.  AMEN.

Sermon 11182012 Thanksgiving Sunday 24th Sunday After Trinity

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.  AMEN.

Let us pray!  Most gracious God, according to Your wisdom and at the proper time, the deep waters are opened and clouds drop gentle moisture.  We praise and thank You for our harvest this season, for the fertility of the soil, for the harvesting of crops, for the safety of the laborers, and for all other blessings which You generously pour on our nation.  Give us a full understanding of Your mercy, and enable us in our lives to be respectful, holy, obedient and thankful to You and Your will throughout all our days, for all of us saints gathered here at Emmanuel this morning.  AMEN.

If one were able to watch movies from end to beginning knowing the results prior to learning the struggles, the perspective or lessons learned would be lost on most of us.  As humans in order to gain and maintain our connection and engagement, we have to be introduced to a compelling thought, idea or concept that ‘catches’, captures and maintains our interest.  Sermons are no different, week in and week out, I have to begin the sermon with a visual picture that everyone can understand and relate to.  For some Pastor’s and Preacher’s like Rick Warren of Saddleback Community Church in California, his suggestion is to begin with people’s needs, then show where God’s Word speaks to the need and then make the personal application.  This approach though simple has enabled Pastor Rick Warren to reach more individuals for Jesus Christ because of the simplistic approach.

This morning I’d like to use a similar approach.  Today we celebrate Thanksgiving in the life of Emmanuel Lutheran Church.  It isn’t about turkey, potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce or pumpkin pie.  We come to give God thanks for bringing us again through another year of harvesting wheat and corn, but also celebrating the third movie in our Films of Faith Series entitled Facing the Giants.  Just as Coach Taylor with his new Philosophy inspired the team to ‘give it all they had’, ‘prepare for rain’ and ‘praise God when they won and praise God when they lost’, the Thanksgiving the team had after winning the State Title wasn’t for the victory, it was for ultimately learning the lesson of ‘Trusting God’ in everything.

When the team finally trusted God for their destiny, they ultimately received God’s greatest blessing of not only a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, but a reason to be thankful for God’s fulfilling His promise in, to and through them off the field as well as on the field.  The students studies turned around, relationships that were tenuous at best between Father and Son and fellow students, with ‘forgiveness’ and healing became right and the community saw the impact that Coach Taylor was having upon the lives of the players, their families, the community and ultimately the school with winning the State Championship Title.

In stark contrast to our Gospel where life was returned to a woman who had been sick for many years and the raising of the dead young girl of the synagogue leader, their thanksgiving was life and more of it provided by Jesus Christ.  Yet, the reality was their thanksgiving unlike the football team with the State Championship or even we today with a bountiful harvest of wheat in the spring and corn this fall was directly impacted by Jesus Christ.

When we enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ our lives will be radically changed.  No longer will the ‘speed bumps’ of life cause us to loose control, because we learn and trust God fully to walk with us through these times and inspire us to not only trust Him more fully, but in having a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, we are freed from the doubt that pervades our society.  Remember at the beginning of the movie of Facing the Giants where Brock when hearing about the loss of one of the top players ‘doubted the potential and possibilities of the team’, then became a champion of belief after the ‘death crawl’.  Only after having true trust, faith and hope with what he could not see and the relationship with His Lord and Savior did he enjoy the complete impact upon his life to the fullest.

We are no different here today at Emmanuel.  Three years ago, we as a congregation sat wondering what our future would be.  There was not a full-time Pastor here in the pulpit or parsonage.  The relationship between Emmanuel and the ELCA was tenuous at best.  Attendance was down, morale was down and doubt of keeping the doors open and the church going was hovering in, over and throughout the congregation.

But today, three short years later, Emmanuel in trust, faith and hope has joined Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ, called and funded successfully a full-time pastor, made capital improvements by adding a handicapped accessible bathroom, painting the fellowship hall, offering the community a free Films of Faith and we have some great plans for the future of the church.  All of this in one sense is like the end of a movie, where we have in trust and relationship with Jesus Christ reaped the harvest intended for Emmanuel.  This is why we can come today and in true Thanksgiving thank God for His abiding with us during this journey.  God has been and continues to be active with and among each of us today and we with Thankful hearts, hands and voices can share with one another the bountiful feast He offers us, not only of turkey and all the fixings down stairs, but of the Holy Supper we are about to receive around the Altar of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Our receipt of Jesus Christ precious Body and Blood not only fulfills the promise God made to us in our baptism, but Jesus Body and Blood are meant to strengthen us for the journey of life we are on and enable us to give God true Thanks and Praise.  In Facing the Giants at the end of the movie after the State Title win, Coach Taylor came home and was told he had made the team.  No longer was it a matter of only being a coach, a mentor or about to become a father, Coach Taylor understood giving God thanks and praise for the gifts of his life was not commanded, but his greatest opportunity.  Remember the mantra of the team, praise and thank God when they win and praise and thank God when they lost.  We to here at Emmanuel have this opportunity as well.  Let’s join together and praise and thank God, not only for what has been loss in our lives and our church, but truly come together on bended knee and praise and thank God for the blessings He has given each of us today.  For this is the promise He fulfills for all of mankind, but especially for all of us saints gathered here at Emmanuel offering our praise and thanks this morning especially for the gift of His Son and our Savior Jesus Christ for all of us saints.  AMEN.

Sermon 11112012 Veteran's Day 23rd Sunday After Trinity

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.  AMEN.

Let us pray!  Good and gracious God, we come before You this morning, knowing that we live in a world of sin.  Our sin is sometimes clear and easily seen and other times we try and hide it from our families, friends, fellow worshipers and You, but You know and see what we do in secret.  Forgive us Lord and enable us to ‘Give You our Best’.  For when we give You our best, and praise You when we overcome and praise You when we fail, we then know You are always there for us, like when Jesus went to the Cross to set us free from our sins.  Enable us to lay claim to this, leave it on the field, pray for rain and ‘Give You our Best’ like Jesus gave His best for all of us saints gathered here at Emmanuel this morning.  AMEN.

Brock wasn’t your typical high school athlete.  He didn’t have the chiseled abs, the magnetic personality, nor the best looking girls hanging on his arms.  But what Brock did have was the God given ability to lead.  You see, Brock is one of the main characters from the most recent Films of Faith Series, “Facing the Giants”.  If you remember it was Brock who first asked Coach Taylor if a player had left the school at the beginning of football practice.  It was Brock who voiced the opinion that they were doomed without the player that left.  And it was also Brock who showed his lack of focus in the classroom with a failing grade and wanting to have fun, rather than concentrate.

Yet, once Coach Taylor had introduced the ‘New Philosophy’, it was Brock that Coach Taylor pegged as a leader and challenged him to “Give God his best”.  The most pivotal point for the team in the movie was where Coach Taylor showed his belief in Brock in practice and challenges him to the ‘death crawl’.  Usually players would only do this for 20 yards.  But Coach Taylor raises the bar and the stakes by blindfolding Brock.  After starting Brock stops to rest for a second, but Coach Taylor says ‘give it everything you’ve got’, ‘keep moving’, ‘keep driving’, ‘give it your very best’, ‘don’t quit on me’, ‘don’t quit til you have nothing left’, ‘I want everything you’ve got’, ‘negotiate with your body’, ‘keep going…it’s not to hard’.  Finally Coach Taylor gives him a countdown of steps and after the final step Coach Taylor takes the bandana off his head and says, ‘look up Brock, you are in the end zone.’

This story illustrates for us this morning a truth of giving our best to God.  There are three things we can take away from this illustration.  First, if we are going to give our best to God, we need to ‘give it everything we’ve got.’  At every step, Coach Taylor was there encouraging Brock, but also challenging him to give it everything he had.  The death crawl is tough work, but it builds muscle, endurance and the ability to channel every bit of energy to the task of carrying someone. Brock only thought it would be 20 yards or the fifty, but in the end in giving everything he had Brock made it 100 yards.  He gave it all he had.

We are no different when we are confronted with diseases like cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, dementia or open sores on our bodies that won’t heal, we need to give it all we have.  These are opportunities for all of us to rely solely upon God to provide the strength we need and focus on His plan and His providence for our lives.  When we rely solely upon God and give it everything we have, God will bless us.  So to in the church here, we have the opportunity to rely upon God to do some wonderful things through and by our congregation and our involvement in the community, like being involved in the ministry just starting at the Methodist church of feeding those less fortunate, providing or delivering meals for the shut-ins like with meals on wheels or the upcoming Thanksgiving dinners or even with our films of faith series.  These are all opportunities for us like Brock to ‘give it all we have’.

Second, sometimes we need to have our eyes closed in order to focus, not on our surroundings, but the mission God has given us to do.  For Brock, it was very clear, he didn’t know where he was on the field, because he had a bandanna covering his eyes, so he did not have his eyes on the prize and give up to a certain point.  So easily we in the church sometimes have our eyes on more people in worship, more money in the offering plate and more people to share the load of the ministry of the church.  But maybe we need to have a bandanna put over our eyes so we can ‘give God our Best’ and not have our eyes on the prize or finish line, the end of the project or the things or people that surround us and drain our energy.  If we close our eyes and rely upon God for not only our strength and effort, He will inspire the passion we need, provide the money and the people that we need to ‘Give God our Best’ and do His will here at Emmanuel.

Third, we will want to give up, because it is to hard or our bodies are worn out or we’ve done our time, but if we are to give God our best, we need to negotiate with our bodies to give to our last ounce of energy for God’s Glory and His ministry here at Emmanuel.  Throughout this sermon series, we have heard about giving God our best by ‘trusting God’, ‘leaving it on the field’, ‘preparing for rain’, ‘forgiveness’, and ‘a new philosophy’.  Now I wasn’t sure what affect I was having as pastor, but this past week, God spoke to my heart through two women who have stepped up and are still serving our congregation.  For some it may seem like an insignificant role, but their willingness to ‘give God their best’ by greeting people at the door is a role model for me as pastor to ‘give it my best’ even down to the last ounce of energy I have.

Giving to the last ounce of energy is extremely well illustrated by the people we honor this morning.  Yes, last week we honored the Saints that entered eternal glory in the last year with All Saints Day, but today we honor the Veterans on Veterans Day who have served our country in the line of battle in the military.  All of these men and women epitomize “Give God Your Best”.  This past week we had a meeting of some of the men of this congregation that served in the military.  Sitting around the table were men who modeled for all of us what Brock showed us in the Film of Faith of “Facing the Giants”.  These men entered the service in order to serve their country, protect our freedoms we sometimes take for granted, and ensure us the opportunity to gather here this morning to worship, Father, Son and Holy Ghost.  Some men like the ones we honor with silver stars on the World War II plaque that hangs on the wall outside the fellowship hall gave the ultimate sacrifice of their lives.  Through their ultimate sacrifice of their life they did give God their Best and did what Jesus Christ did for all of us today.  Jesus Christ through His sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary gave His life in order that all of us might be free.  By Jesus innocent death on Calvary we have been freed from sin, death and the devil.  This gift offered to each of us is made manifest because of His great love for all of mankind, including all of us saints gathered here at Emmanuel this morning.  May we be inspired to give God our Best for all of mankind, including all of us saints gathered here at Emmanuel this morning.  AMEN.

Sermon 11042012 All Saints Sunday 22nd Sunday After Trinity

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.  AMEN.

Let us pray!  Lord Jesus Christ, one of the only things You never modeled for us while You were here on earth was asking for forgiveness for Yourself or Your actions.  This was because You were perfect, sinless and did Your Father’s bidding perfectly and modeled what we are to do.  Enable us as the imperfect creatures we are to confess our sinfulness so we may rely upon You and the perfection You create in each of us through our baptism into Your life, death and resurrection, for all of mankind including all of us saints gathered here at Emmanuel this morning.  AMEN.

From the movie “Facing the Giants” that we have been exploring for the last few weeks we have explored issues of trust, leaving everything on the field, preparing for rain and a new philosophy.  But today, the day we celebrate All Saints Day and remember the saints that have entered their eternal home, we need to talk about ‘Forgiveness’.  There is a scene in the movie where one of the players of the team, Matt, clearly and blatantly disrespects his father in front of the team and the coach.  Later, Coach Taylor, ‘shoots straight’ with Matt and confronts him on the issue of his relationship with his father and how he is so disrespectful.  I’d love to show this clip as well as the follow-up to the clip, because it epitomizes a sacred truth that we need to hear clearly here at Emmanuel.

The follow-up clips are where Matt fully convicted by the Holy Spirit confesses his wrong to his friends and God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit enter into his world in a life changing way.  After his acceptance of God’s grace in his life, and reconciling with his heavenly Father, Matt realizes he needs to make things right with his earthly father.  And Coach Taylor after embracing the new man he is takes him to his Father’s office where he confesses his wrong and makes a commitment to making things right from that moment on with his father.  This scene so profoundly impacts the relationship between father and son that no longer are they antagonists, but are active participants in and for a positive way in the life of Coach Taylor.  If you can’t remember what I am referencing, re-watch the movie.

This part of the movie epitomizes what we have the opportunity to do here at Emmanuel.  From the moment I arrived here at Emmanuel you could cut the tension that existed between people and from past events with a knife.  There is so much bitterness under the surface and in hushed conversations or over the phone concerning events of the past from previous Pastor’s, prior and current members and prior disagreements that this congregation is bitter about how we have been treated, how we have treated others and how we ‘think’ that we have been wronged by the greater church and each other.  It has even contributed to our leaving the ELCA.  Nowhere in this conversation here at Emmanuel has this concept of forgiveness within the congregation been clearly expressed, articulated or acted upon.  This congregation has lost a lot of people coming to worship God here at Emmanuel long before I arrived in October of 2010. 

For a lot of us sitting in the pews, we either expect someone else to apologize, we ignore people because they were on the other side of an issue and haven’t come to us or we hold onto the past and live in the days where this church had two services, full pews, full offering plates, or the exact opposite of barely two pennies to rub together and bills were put off until the funds were available.

But the truth is, today as we celebrate All Saints Day, we need to act upon the forgiveness that Jesus Christ offers us on the Cross of Calvary and just like Matt with his earthly father, to make things right.  This is going to require us to step up in three different ways.

First, it is going to require us to go to our brother.  We as a society have taken the mantle of the ‘victim’ mentality.  Unlike Hurricane Sandy that slammed into the coast of New Jersey where the state was a victim of the storm, West Virginia that has had over 2 feet of snow, Pennsylvania that has endured tropical monsoon rains and New York that has flooded from the high tides and storm surge, our human tendency is to always believe we are the party that has been hurt or the victim.  But the truth is when we are in relationship and that is exactly what this is, we are not victims, but participants in relationship.  And relationships are messy because we are sinful creatures that no matter how we might try to act, all of us fall short of the glory of God. 

Thus we need to go to our brothers and sisters and confess.  Let me say that again, we need to go to the people that we have had disagreements with, even if we were in the right and confess that we have wronged each other in the relationship by letting the relationship suffer and become damaged.

There is no perfect biblical example of someone doing this.  This is because the Bible is about the relationship between God and Man and how Jesus Christ repaired the fractured relationship between God and Man.  What we get to do is apply this perfect model found in the life of Jesus Christ to our own individual lives.   It will require something of and from us in order to go to our brother.

The second thing it is going to require is for us to be humble and obedient.  Our obedience and humbleness towards our brother requires us to confess not the specific sins, because we cannot recount every sin as Martin Luther reminds us.  But it does require us to in true humility go to our brother and confess that we are not perfect, like Jesus Christ.  And that we need the forgiveness only each of us can offer.  This is our collective opportunity to reach across the aisle, the pew, the street and ask for forgiveness.  For in humbling ourselves, we are following the obedient model of Jesus Christ Who in true humility and obedience suffered the torture of the Cross, was obedient to death and offered Himself in order to set all of mankind, including all of us free from sin, death, the devil, hell and damnation.  For that is truly what we deserve if we are not humble and obedient, we deserve the punishment Jesus endured, but that He suffered in order to set each of us free.  It is the freedom we enjoy as we partake of the Holy Supper around the altar of the Lord.  It is the opportunity to receive the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation through Jesus offering of His life for us on Calvary.

For the final opportunity is that we can have and should show mercy to one another.  Just as our Gospel from this morning clearly showed the ruler showing mercy to the wicked servant, we have the opportunity to show mercy as well.  We can rationalize away that we should be shown the mercy, but when we do that we turn the focus away from what God can do and does do for each of us through the forgiveness of sins and turn it towards our own sinful selves.  In the Holy Supper we are about to receive God reaches down and offers us the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation that we do not deserve, but God shows us mercy and grace that we clearly do not deserve.  This is our opportunity as well.

The clearest and best opportunity each of us individually has is offered to each of us every time we come to partake of the Lord’s Supper.  Before the actual communion liturgy takes place and even before the offering is received the words after the prayers spoken say, “The Peace of the Lord be with you always”.  As God’s ‘go between’, I as Pastor by my office speak God’s peace to each of you here in the congregation.  This opportunity is for each of us to share the peace.  It has become for some a mere formality or a break or opportunity to ‘stretch our legs’ or greet only our ‘friends’, but in actuality, this is the opportunity for each of us to search out our brothers and sisters in Christ that we have not made peace with and in true humility and seeking forgiveness offer a heartfelt ‘Peace of God’.  That heartfelt peace is the same peace Jesus Christ offered to His disciples who had scattered when He was betrayed.  It is a forgiving peace, a reconciling peace, an opportunity for all of us to make true peace with each other, because of the peace that God has made with us through His Son Jesus Christ.

This is the culmination of forgiveness and preparation for all of us to commune with the saints who have gone before us to be in God’s Kingdom.  We seize the opportunity to not only connect through this meal where we receive of Jesus Christ precious Body and Blood.  We also can feel the forgiveness that only Jesus Christ can offer for all of mankind.  For it is this peace and forgiveness that Jesus calls us to truly share with one another and with all of the saints who have gone before us that we share with one another as we gather here at Emmanuel to receive life and salvation through the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, that is given and shed for us for the forgiveness of sins.  May we share in the forgiveness of sins and be enabled to understand this is for all of mankind, especially all the saints who have gone before us and who still remain here at Emmanuel.  AMEN.

Sermon 10282012 Reformation Sunday 21st Sunday After Trinity

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.  AMEN.

Let us pray!  God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, You created the heavens and the earth and all of the beasts of the land the birds and insects of the air and the fish and creatures of the deep in six days.  Yet, the greatest creation was making man in Your image.  May we who have been created in Your image and by Your hand gathered  here today understand You have called us to a greater purpose and understand the New Philosophy You gave to us through the salvation of our souls by Your Son Jesus Christ.  For we are offered this freely and without cost because of Your great love for all of mankind including all of us saints gathered here at Emmanuel this morning.  AMEN.

When God had created the heavens and the earth , animals of each kind and man, God rested from His labors on the seventh day and made it holy.  Hence, as we gather here this morning, we are honoring not only the Sabbath that was made by God for man, but also the Creator of all things and the day His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ rose from the dead.  What God also has inspired and instilled in each of us is the ability and opportunity to celebrate God’s wondrous creation and understand the offering of a New Philosophy for our lives.

This new philosophy isn’t the latest fad in secular society, like Kai-Lan on television for kids, a comic super heroes reboot like Green Lantern or Star Trek or the movie the Hobbit remade by Peter Jackson or the latest trailer for Iron Man 3.  The new philosophy is about the salvation of mankind.  It is about how God calls us to account for our actions as we live “in this world”, but are not ‘of this world’.

We who come to church have the opportunity to resolve to do four simple things.  First, every single person sitting in the pew this morning should resolve to work in God’s kingdom.  Now all of us are not hands, feet or heart, but all of us are part of the body of Jesus Christ that makes up the church.  We need to use our individual gifts and talents for God’s Glory and Honor.  Last week we had the Fall Clean-up here at the church and lots of activity occurred from cleaning windows, mopping floors to cleaning gutters to washing down the pews to vacuuming each pew to having fun as a church while taking care of God’s house.  But it does not end there.  Our work in God’s kingdom includes our work outside of the four walls of the church and the church property.  How many of us have taken the inserts about this sermon series and invited someone to attend?  How many of us have taken one of the posters for the next “Films of Faith” and put them around town, in school, in a business or at the local restaurant?  How many of you have resolved to ‘leave it on the field’, ‘prepare for rain’ or ‘trust God for the results’?  God wants to bless us, and in order for us to be blessed we have to step out in faith and action.

In stepping out in faith and action, we therefore are seeking God’s Will, which is the second opportunity we have.  God’s will is that all of mankind would be saved, though this is accomplished on the Cross of Calvary by Jesus Christ, life, death and resurrection, we as Christians through our baptism are called to seek His will in our lives by spreading the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ.  We are called by Jesus Himself since we are made in God’s image to not only be taught God’s ordinances as the Psalmist reminds us, but perform God’s “statutes forever, even to the end”.  And we will as Paul says, are to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.”

We can then in and with Gods strength give glory to God in everything which is the third opportunity we have.  Remember Coach Taylor telling the players about the New Philosophy, ‘when you give everything to God, praise Him when you win and especially praise God even when you lose.’   For in giving God the glory in everything it models for others around You Who your God really is and what your God is capable of doing.  Even if you do not get what you want, God has a greater plan in store for all of mankind and His Glory will be revealed when in true humility and obedience we trust Him.

When we give God the glory in everything we therefore are exercising our muscle of faith given to us in our baptism and we can finally and fully trust God for the results.  For God blessed the coach who ‘prepared for rain’, the team by their being in the State Championship because of their faithfulness in ‘trusting God for the results’ and David who trusted God with everything and enabled him to kick an impossible field goal all because each of them trusted God and gave God the glory.   And Coach Taylor saw this as a reality in his own personal life when his wife announced that he had ‘made the team…the Daddy team’.  For Brooke had finally trusted God and professed her undying love for God no matter the outcome and God honored that trust by enabling in a true miracle to occur of having children of their own.  That was truly God’s divine plan and will made manifest because of the Coaches New Philosophy of working in and for God’s kingdom, seeking God’s will, giving God the Glory and trusting God for the results.

Truly there is no better example of these four opportunities than the life of a man we honor today.  You see on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther, a parish priest and learned scholar wanted to nothing more than have a conversation with the church about some abuses that were occurring in the church.  But when Martin Luther pounded the 95 Theses on the Wittenberg Door, he knew he was working in God’s Kingdom, seeking God’s Will, Giving God the Glory and trusting God for the results.  As has been appropriately said, Luther did not want to split the church, but what occurred was a result of God’s will and work.  God used Martin Luther to reform the church and set in motion the great protestant reformation that has impacted the entire world.

It was not a New Philosophy, but a return to what God had intended.  In the same way, we have the opportunity to return to God’s original divine plan to spread the message of salvation for all of mankind.  For in our spreading this message we have our mission field of Goodland, KS.  God has called us by the Gospel and equipped us for this ministry so we can work in His kingdom, seek to do God’s will by spreading the message of salvation by giving God the glory, and trust God for the results.  In doing this we are empowered, equipped and can enrich the lives of our country, our community and our church with the Gospel of Jesus Christ for all of mankind, especially all of us saints here at Emmanuel this morning.  AMEN.

Sermon 10212012 20th Sunday After Trinity

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.  AMEN.

Let us pray!  Lord Jesus Christ, it is clear, You chose us.  We have not done anything that would warrant our redemption, but out of Your great love for us You came to save us from our sins.  Enable us to have faith in You and Your plan of salvation and accomplish the God dreams that You place on our hearts.  For this only occurs because of the promises made to us in our baptism into Your life, death and resurrection for all of mankind, including all of us saints gathered here at Emmanuel this morning.  AMEN.

When Coach Taylor in “Facing the Giants” had two seconds left on the clock in the State Championship game he decided to attempt a field goal.  Everyone around him thought he had lost his mind.  But the response he gave to the assistant coach was clear, he was “preparing for rain”.  Reminiscent of Mr. Bridges coming to him and telling him the story of the two farmers, Coach Taylor placed all his trust in God by sending in David to attempt a field goal and was in true faith and obedience ‘preparing for rain’.

Coach Duke of the Giants wanted to ice the kicker and cause him to doubt his ability.  Thus in response and in clear faith and obedience Coach Taylor told David, the second string kicker a clear truth we need to hear today as well.  If you doubt from the beginning then you are defeated, but if you give it your best and trust God for the results God can do some amazing things.

How are we any different today?  Today we stand at a crossroads, do we continue in the old habits of a congregation that celebrates 90 Years of Ministry to the people of Goodland, or do we embark upon a new adventure that God has in store for us?  Clearly this is a question which has divided many congregations throughout the country and world and allowed Satan to dance in victory, just as he did on Good Friday.  Or is this the opportunity we have here at Emmanuel to embrace a new reality?

For Coach Taylor it was clear that after losing the first three games of the season, it appeared as if nothing was possible.  But with trust, determination and Mr. Bridges speaking a word of truth in his life, Coach Taylor was now on the verge of a State Championship and was going to prepare for rain.

I want to prepare for rain as well.  I want Emmanuel Lutheran Church to be a healthy congregation that isn’t known for dysfunction, distrust and division in the church or in our community.  I want an Emmanuel Lutheran Church that is a pace setting church ready to encounter Satan head on, not worried about ‘how many people attend’ church on Sunday, but how many people are ‘changed by the Gospel message of Jesus Christ’?  Not worried about ‘what it costs for a project’, but dreaming God dreams for our community and church to have had a lasting impact upon the people of Goodland, KS and the entire world.  Not worried if the doors will be open or the money will be in the offering plate, but seeking to serve by ministering to those who have not heard what Jesus Christ did on the Cross of Calvary for all of mankind.

This encompasses not only trusting in God, leaving it on the field, but especially preparing for rain.  When we take ownership in the message of Jesus Christ and His death on Calvary for all of mankind and live, eat, and breathe this message, we lay claim to God’s purposeful action in our lives.  Just as Jesus said in the Gospel this morning, “For many are called, but few are chosen”, we have been chosen for this task of spreading the Gospel message here in Goodland, KS.  Through our baptism into Jesus Christ, life, death and resurrection, we have been chosen to spread the message of salvation for all of mankind.

When the waters of Baptism were poured over our head and heart, we were changed.  In a moment that time stood still, God reached down in our collective lives and touched each and every one of us.  We no longer were mired in sin, mauled by the assaults of the devil or mangled by the oppression of sin in our lives.  We have been set free by God.  We though still simultaneously saint and sinner are set free by the Gospel of Jesus Christ to prepare for rain.

Consider if you will earlier this fall, the farmers who have experienced a drought reminiscent of the Dust Bowl years prepared for rain.  Though moisture was not in the forecast the farmers still went and drilled winter wheat.  And God in His wisdom and time has given us moisture for the wheat crop we anticipate next spring.  They were ‘preparing for rain’.

So to in our church, God has empowered each of us by calling us through the Gospel of Jesus Christ and our baptism to prepare for rain.  And God will provide us what we need, not just to survive, but ultimately to flourish so His Glory may be revealed and we are empowered to spread the Gospel of Salvation.

In “Facing the Giants” David after being iced by the opposing coach, is ready to step up to do his best and leave the results to God.  Previously he had doubted, but in faith he takes the field, measures his starting position sees that he is kicking into the wind and prepares for rain.  And God mysteriously puts the wind at David’s back and ‘makes it rain’.

This is what God does every day.  All that we as a church need to do is ‘prepare for rain’ and allow God in His infinite wisdom and mercy to reach down like at our baptism and touch our lives with His unending love.  For the promises of God are sure and certain, He sent His Son Jesus Christ in to this world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.  And this promise is revealed to each of us today, not only through the Word of God proclaimed, but in the meal we are about to receive.  As we come and receive His precious Body and Blood, Jesus Christ will strengthen each of us not only to receive His Body and Blood for the forgiveness of sins, but also in faith to ‘prepare for rain’ in each of our lives.  God’s glory will be revealed and we as a congregation and as individuals will receive the greatest blessings.  Blessings not only meant for a select few, but like ‘preparing for rain’ prepared for all of mankind, including all of us saints gathered here at Emmanuel this morning.  So let’s ‘prepare for rain’.  AMEN.

Sermon 10142012 19th Sunday After Trinity

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.  AMEN.

Let us pray!  Gracious Lord, it is with divine authority that You healed the paralytic.  That authority is given by Your Father in heaven.  It caused the people to be awestruck.  Enable we Your children today to not only be awestruck by Your authority, but enable us to lay claim to Your promise of life and salvation offered to us by Your death on Calvary for all of mankind.  And enable us to work for You in Your kingdom here on earth to reach the lost who have not heard the message of salvation for all of mankind, including all of the saints here at Emmanuel this morning.  AMEN.

Growing up in rural Southside Virginia, fall was a time of great optimism.  Unlike most Southern Baptist church families who were devoted to the church all day on Sunday like in the Deep South our Sunday pastime as a family revolved around sports. Not just any sport, it was about football.  It was always a past-time to hurry home from church and eat our Sunday lunch, usually of soft-poached eggs, toast and grits while watching the 1PM match-up of the week on ABC, NBC or CBS, depending who was playing and which station came in best.  Without fail my older brother Dean, who was and still is a knowledgeable sports enthusiast would watch every down, every pass and every turnover analyzing each move or misstep of the mighty.  From his favorite team of the Cowboys to my younger brother Dale and parents favorite of the Redskins, each game wet their appetite further and without fail entertained and caused all of us, even my mother to be in awe of the talent of each team and player.

Years later when Dean worked for the Philadelphia Eagles during the Buddy Ryan years I had the opportunity to meet some of the famous players like Randall Cunningham.  Personally I was most awestruck by one player.  His name was Reggie White.  Reggie was not a small man.  He was huge and had a heart to match.  His evangelistic nature and love of God was clear and manifest since he was a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  In one real and clear sense, Reggie with his football as well as his faith, took our theme this morning to heart, Reggie would “Leave it on the field”, not only the grid iron, but the field of life.  Reggie lived a life of faith as a model for his teammates as well as the church he pastored.

In this mornings Gospel we hear the story of Jesus Christ Who also lived His faith and would “Leave it on the field.”  Jesus encountered a paralytic man.  Matthew writes, “And they brought to Him [that is Jesus] a paralytic lying on a bed.”  For Jesus it wasn’t by chance, but by divine design in order that His Glory may be revealed that the people brought this man to be healed.  But the scribes, looked at Jesus and what He said with derision and distaste.  Matthew writes, “Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.” In a clear sense of compassion and care on the field of battle with Satan, Jesus heals this paralytic man.  But all the scribes could see is the foul against the Law of Moses by Jesus when they “said to themselves, “This fellow blasphemes.””

Yet with the clarity of the Second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ “Leaves it on the field” and says to the scribes.  “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?  Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’?”  Jesus like a defensive tackle who sacks the quarterback with the ball for a loss behind the line of scrimmage clearly puts the scribes in the proper place and perspective saying, “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”.  Jesus stakes His divine right and claim that He has the divine right and authority to forgive the sins of man and mankind here on earth.  Thus turning to the paralytic Jesus says, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.”

Can you imagine the reaction from the crowd when Jesus had said those words.  Matthew says, “But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.”  Their collective jaws probably had to be raised from the ground, because Jesus modeled His “leaving it all on the field” when He rightfully claimed His divine authority to heal the sick.

How can we lay claim to this today?  In the movie, “Facing the Giants”, Coach Grant Taylor not unlike Jesus Christ when he encountered the opposition and potential attempt of his being fired was at a lost, mentally, physically and emotionally.  But in wrestling with God for an answer Coach Taylor resolved to “leave it on the field.”  In wrestling with his faith in God His faith in God was renewed and he told the players of the breakthrough he had revealed by God.  It was simple.  Coach Taylor resolved and challenged his players and fellow coaches to leave everything on the field, give it their all and leave the results to God.

Last week, I suggested this same approach with the insert in the bulletin, both the catechism as well as the small insert with the ad for “Facing the Giants” and the sermon series.  When we “leave it on the field” and let God have control over the outcome, we give God the Glory He earned on the Cross of Calvary.  This same Glory God gives to us in, through and by our baptism into His life death and resurrection and enables us to call upon His name and trust Him with everything.

This afternoon, at the Sherman Theater David Branda will show, “Facing the Giants”, I want you to see how God worked in the lives of the coach, the team and the town.  God worked so clearly that they were awestruck by God’s action.  But more importantly it was Coach Taylor trusting God fully and clearly in everything that had the most profound affect.  Coach Taylor let his actions speak for themselves in three ways.  I challenge you to doing this as well.

First, in your life, give your all in everything, whether it is relationship with your spouse, with your children or family, your job or your church.  Don’t settle for second best.  In everything let God inspire your work habits, your demonstration of faith and be manifest in your “leaving it all on the field”.

Second, trust God for the results.  All of us know the results will not always be success, but praise God even for failure.  Failure is an opportunity to continue to praise God, because we may need to learn something from it in order for God’s glory to be revealed to us whether in our lives or our relationship with God.  For Coach Taylor it was the loss of a key player from the team, the loss of the first three games of the season and the reality that he could not have children that drove him to trust God fully and without compromise for the results in the future, whether in his walk with the town, the team or on the field.

Finally, if you give everything you can and trust God for the results allow God to work and look for His results.  We as a society think the change of the world depends upon us, the change of the church depends upon us, the change of a persons heart depends upon us.  That is to much control and God through the Holy Spirit is the only one Who can change the heart of man.  Ezekiel the prophet says it well, “I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,²⁰ that they may walk in My  statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.”  This promise occurs only through and by what God did on Calvary through Jesus Christ for each and every one of us.

May we as a church and as individuals inspired by “Facing the Giants” in faith, trust and hope give everything to God, trust in God for the results and allow God to change our hearts of stone, for this only occurs when we “leave it on the field” and allow God to be God.  For the promises of God are clear that He freely offers us life and salvation through Jesus Christ death on Calvary for all of mankind because of His great and unconditional love for all of us.  God will make us awestruck by His action, whether it be healing a paralytic, breaking our heart of stone or using Emmanuel Lutheran Church to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all of Goodland, Sherman County and Western Kansas.  So let’s resolve to trust God and “leave it all on the field”.  AMEN.

Sermon 10072012 18th Sunday After Trinity

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.  AMEN.

Let us pray!  Heavenly Father, the Ten Commandments that You gave Moses were a guide for the people of Israel.  And when Jesus had silenced the Sadducees the summary You offered in response to the lawyer clearly provide us the opportunity to reflect upon our love and trust of You.  Our response is less than perfect, but Your response is perfect.  Enable us to understand our dependence upon You and be changed so we can love, serve and trust You with not only our lives, but our very being.  For it is only through the fulfillment of Jesus death on Calvary that we have modeled true love and trust for all of mankind, including all of us saints gathered here at Emmanuel this morning.  AMEN.

As a congregation we here at Emmanuel have embarked upon an ambitious project this year.  Unlike most projects that have an anticipated outcome like in farming with an outstanding wheat crop or corn harvest, our project has a simpler goal.  The simple goal is the spreading of the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ.  Our project of spreading the Gospel is manifest with our sponsoring with the other churches in Goodland and David Branda the “Films of Faith Series” at the Sherman Theater.  We began with “Lion of Judah” after Easter, “Prince of Egypt” in the summer and next week with “Facing the Giants”.  Each of these movies in their own way is and was an opportunity to spread the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ here in our local community.  In order to prepare for and learn from the latest Films of Faith movie, the sermons for the next eight weeks will be based in part on one of the many scenes and themes found within “Facing the Giants”.  For this morning we will be exploring the question, “Do you love and trust God?”

This morning in our Gospel lesson, Jesus Christ is confronted by a lawyer who is trying to test him.  The lawyer asks a simple question, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”  Unlike most questions posed to Jesus, this one is very personal for Jesus.  You see, since He is part of the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, He was there when Moses was given the Ten Commandments.  And Jesus knows all the commandments more perfectly than anyone whether in recitation or living them out.  Thus when Jesus answers the lawyer, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOU MIND” the lawyer is caught off guard with Jesus response. And when Jesus continues, “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”  The lawyer probably is baffled, because he was expecting to catch Jesus in not referring to the Jewish law given to Moses by God.  And the final straw that breaks this lawyer’s query is Jesus tying it into a neat little package when He says, “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

What is ironic is that Jesus mention of the “Law and the Prophets” is a clear connection for us today not only to “Facing the Giants”, but also to what you have in your bulletin this morning.  In the movie, “Facing the Giants” the main character of coach Grant Taylor and his wife Brooke from the beginning of the movie encounter problems and challenges that are not uncommon to most people, whether they be job related, family related or even relationship related.  When faced with these challenges the coach is sent a message from God through a man.  This is no ordinary man.  Somewhat like the prophets from the Old Testament, this ‘present day prophet’ who prays over every locker and for every student in the school by name comes with a message from God for Coach Taylor.  The man of God says, “Coach Taylor, God has planted you here for a purpose and reason and is not finished with you”.

At that time, the purpose is not clear for Coach Taylor, but what is clear and we can discern from both the coaches situation and from Jesus response to the lawyer is a simple question.  The real question for Coach Taylor the lawyer questioning Jesus and for us today is, “Do you love God and trust God?”  The lawyer questioning Jesus didn’t have a reply, because Jesus silenced him with His response.  Coach Taylor on the other hand wrestled with this question in a clearly obvious way and we should wrestle as well.  Do you love God?  Do you trust God?  Easily we could say, why sure, I love and trust God.  But what we do not understand is that there are some important responsibilities and life changing opportunities with our answer being that we do love and trust God.

If we truly love God the responsibilities we have require us to be active.  Our activity is not just paying lip service by being here in worship, because we were guilted into being here by our spouse, parents, in-laws, council or community, sitting or standing through worship at the appropriate time while being silent while everyone else sings or consistently watching others serve or being goaded into doing something.  Action is in true humility and obedience as we discussed last week taking an active role in our relationship with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in our lives on a daily basis as a model, because we are all models for our children, our church and our society and what is truly in our hearts.

You might be wondering what actions are required, let me outline for you three ways you can show your love, trust and faith in God and in response to the questions, “Do you love God?” and “Do you trust God?”

First, all of us can show our love for God by reading His Word.  In Experiencing God and from the Catechism insert in your bulletin one of the clearest ways we can respond to the question, “Do you love God?” is by reading His Word.  Since mid-September each week in the bulletin a short devotion and reading from scripture has been provided for us in order for us to show our love for God and share and model this for and with our family.  I can hear it now from some sitting in the pews, I don’t need to read this devotion to show my love for God.  But what you do not understand is that this is God’s invitation for you to get to know Him better and interact with Him in ways that will radically change your lives if you choose to allow it. 

Personally as someone who doubted this was possible many years ago, not until I tried reading more of scripture and devotions in God’s Word have I personally learned how God loves me more deeply and enables me to be a better pastor, but not only pastor, but better father to Sarah and husband to Michele and model for you the sheep God has entrusted to my care as your pastor.  Why is this important for me, you might ask?  Well, consider this, the people that you worship or work with see the model you give, but the children you are parents to and the ones with which you have personal responsibility will follow your leading.  And that is one of the responsibilities each and every one of us have.  And I am learning to take that more seriously with every passing day as first as husband, second father and lastly as pastor.  When we lead by example our actions and the outcomes talk louder than words.  Consider if for many years you have higher than normal wheat and corn harvests, people will ask you what you are doing with seeds or land management.  In the same way, God will richly bless your life, spiritually, economically and relationally, when you show your love by reading His Word and being formed and shaped by it.

Secondly, in response to the question, “Do you trust God?” it is not a hollow question.  In everything you are doing, do you place your full trust in God for the outcome?  If you have been reading the inserts every week you will notice for each commandment, Luther wrote, “What does this mean? We should fear and love God…”  This proper understanding of fear and love of God leads us to trust God.  You see when we enter into relationship with God through His Word we then can begin to trust God.  But it is not just a simple trust, it is trust that requires us to give everything to God. 

In “Facing the Giants” Coach Taylor’s mantra rightly became, ‘trust God in everything’.  Work like it depends upon you and trust God for the results.  How can we apply this today here at Emmanuel?  There are worries and concerns that Emmanuel isn’t growing like some expect now that we have a full-time pastor.  It is some people’s belief that I as Pastor have the responsibility to visit and convince people to come back to church, worship and fellowship.  If this is the expectation that I can do it all, I don’t trust God and then deny God’s divine ability and personal action in people’s lives and the congregations responsibility to reach out to our brothers and sisters not here with us at worship. 

Our question still remains, do you trust God?  If you do, then leave the results to God.  But this also means we should not be sitting on the sidelines complaining when we don’t get our way or somebody does something that hasn’t been done before, makes us mad or having a feeling of entitlement because our family helped build the church or has had membership here for the last 90 years.  God calls us to lifelong action not just seasonal action in helping to upkeep the church, serve as greeters and ushers, acolytes and readers and especially as missionaries about the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. 

If we say, I have served my time, we deny our trust in God in everything and believe our action or trust of yesterday can cover us for today.  It cannot.  How then can you trust God today?  There is a card in your bulletin that is an ad for the movie “Facing the Giants” take it and personally invite someone to come to worship and the movie.  Not only invite them, but offer to pick them up sit with them, help them with how we worship here at Emmanuel.  Now that might seem relatively easy, but here is the zinger, don’t invite someone that you know has a church home, whether at the Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Calvary Gospel or Harvest Church.  Invite an un-churched person you know or a stranger or neighbor who doesn’t have a church home and this is the key, ‘trust God’ for the outcome.  That is true and active trust in God and His action through you as His instrument in the lives of the people you impact on a daily basis.

Finally, after showing your love for God by reading His Word, trusting God with everything in your life including, money, children, family and jobs, submit yourselves to God’s plan and purpose for your life.  Your humble submission to God for His plan and purpose and trusting Him for the outcome will insure a simple fact and reality.  God will use your life, your experiences, your influence in a way that will radically change your life, the life of the person you invite to church and the life of we the people at Emmanuel. 

As a seminary student I was asked to come to a congregation as a homeless man.  At the outset, I didn’t think much of doing this simple act for a pastor that needed a little help.  So, I dressed the part, looked the part and portrayed each action of a homeless person from my entrance into the congregation on a Sunday morning to not being able to follow the worship service to not sitting and standing at the proper times.  The pastor had asked me to visit in order that the congregation might begin to sympathize with the population that had begun to enter the community.  During the sermon the pastor told the story of the Good Samaritan and introduced me as a seminary student.  It was like a light bulb immediately lit up.

Our portrayal of this has had such a profound affect upon the congregation that even to this day that sermon is spoken about by congregation members.  Matter of fact, earlier this fall nearly 18 years later, this story was related in a meeting I happened to be a part of and I had the opportunity to hear how it had affected even pastors who came to the seminary after I was a student.  All of this was done out of our faith and trust in God and being submissive to God and His perfect plan of salvation for all of mankind through Jesus Christ innocent death on Calvary acted out in the presence of a congregation encountering a homeless man in a changing community.

Ultimately God’s plan of salvation is perfect and we have the opportunity to love God with our whole heart, trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and trust Him with everything we have from our jobs to our homes, families, our crops, our church and our own lives.  And God will bless us.  This is the promise God makes to us when in faith we commit to relying solely upon Him doing what He has called us to do as His children and trusting Him for the outcome, even the outcome for all of us saints gathered here at Emmanuel this morning.  AMEN.