04162017 Easter Sunday - “By the Power and for the Glory of God that Jesus Christ rose from the dead for all of mankind!!”

April 16, 2017
“By the Power and for the Glory of God that Jesus Christ rose from the dead for all of mankind!!”

Audio

P – He is Risen!  C – He is Risen Indeed!  Alleluia!

Today we gather proclaiming, “He is Risen”.  We gather not in a valley, but on the mountain top, to celebrate the fulfillment of God’s Promise that was 4000 years in the making, from Creation and the promise made to Adam and Eve all the way to the Cross of Calvary!  For it is “By the Power and for the Glory of God that Jesus Christ rose from the dead for all of mankind!”  We gather here to celebrate the victory of Jesus Christ as we just proclaimed that “He is Risen!”  Jesus Christ rose from the dead for all of mankind throughout our country and world, but especially including each of us gathered here at Emmanuel who Celebrate Jesus Christ victory over the grave this Easter morning!

We celebrate His and our eternal life and the abundance of it, because, Jesus Christ has risen from the dead!  And this is the ultimate bookend to the Prayer we have been considering during the Lenten season.  Jesus Christ taught His disciples the Lord’s Prayer by their own request.  Jesus by teaching them and their passing the prayer down to successive generations, has impacted mankind for the last two thousand years including each and every one of us gathered here this morning.  And our celebration today comes “By the Power and for the Glory of God that Jesus Christ rose from the dead for all of mankind!!”  We gather this morning in order to give God the Glory for His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ!

If this could be boiled down to one phrase, it would be this!  “Jesus Christ died for our sin and set us free!”  No matter what man does, how man treats one another, chooses to stay seated when God wants us to stand up and fight for what is right.  “Jesus Christ died for our sin and set us free!”  This is what Jesus willingly went to the Cross of Calvary in order to offer us eternal life.  And the truth is, when we pray the final petition of the Lord’s Prayer and end with the final word, “AMEN”, the truth remains, Jesus Christ is Risen from the dead and “Jesus Christ died for our sin and set us free!”

This is why we gather on Easter, why we come to worship God and His Son and our Savior Jesus Christ.  This is why we confess our short comings and God freely forgives us our sin that we hear through the declaration of grace from Jesus Christ!  This is why we say, teach and believe the Prayer that Jesus Christ taught His disciples and that we promise to teach when we baptize in the Name of the Trinity.  This is why we proclaim when we gather for worship that we believe that Jesus Christ offers us eternal life out of His great love for us and “By the Power and for the Glory of God that Jesus Christ rose from the dead for all of mankind!”

In the movie Risen, which was our Film of Faith last month, the greatest impact in the movie was felt by Clavius, when he entered the room where the disciples had gathered in the week after Jesus Resurrection.  Clavius clearly was searching not only as his job as appointed by Pilate, but Clavius soul was searching for answers as well.  With sword drawn, Clavius saw Jesus Christ and knew clearly in his heart the truth of the message we hear this morning.  “Jesus Christ died for our sin and set us free!”  And dropping the sword as he stumbled into the room in utter disbelief of what He saw before him with his very eyes.  Clavius saw Jesus Christ, the Man he saw hanging dead on the Cross on Friday, was right there in front of him.  Clavius heart of stone was melted and instantly became transformed.

This is the same invitation and opportunity, Jesus Christ makes to us today.  Jesus wants our hearts of stone, our hearts of bitterness and hatred.  Our hearts of control, our hearts that are not for Him, His mission or His ministry to be melted away and replaced with a heart of love, a heart of forgiveness, a heart of compassion and the heartfelt desire, dare I say a heart ready to stand and surely say and proclaim the Gospel and what needs said.  For today when we proclaim, “He is Risen”, we proclaim it because of the truth we need to not only hear, heed, but hold dearly like He will hold each of us when we enter into His Kingdom.  We proclaim today boldly this truth, “He is Risen” “By the Power and for the Glory of God that Jesus Christ rose from the dead for all of mankind!!” AMEN!

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04142017 - Good Friday - “Deliver us from evil, For thine is the Kingdom” – “Jesus Christ went to the Cross to deliver us from evil into the Kingdom!”

April 14, 2017
“Deliver us from evil, For thine is the Kingdom” – “Jesus Christ went to the Cross to deliver us from evil into the Kingdom!”

Audio

Last night we could imagine the joyful banter of the disciples gathered around a table celebrating the Passover with Jesus Christ.  Jesus then instituted the life giving Holy Meal of His Body and Blood.  Later the disciples fell asleep when asked to watch and pray with Jesus.  And finally, Jesus was betrayed with a kiss.  Since then, Jesus has endured not only the torture of the Jews and their leaders, the humiliation, beatings and scourging of the Romans, but only hours later, felt the stabbing pain as echoing in His ears the hammer purposely drove the nails that hold Him to a Cross, with a Crown of Thorns on His head. 

Jesus endured all of this with a sole purpose in mind.  And the Seventh Petition of the Lord’s Prayer recounts the reason when we pray “Deliver us from evil”.  For Jesus in His willingness to endure the Cross of Calvary does “Deliver us from evil” out of His great love for us and all of mankind.  God clearly offers us the greatest gift that could ever be given.  “Jesus Christ went to the Cross to deliver us from evil into the Kingdom!”  And in delivering us from evil, pays for and by His death removes the curse of sin from each and every one of us that began in the Garden of Eden with our first parents, Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit.

For Jesus does “Deliver us from evil” and we lay claim to that with our praying the prayer Jesus taught.  Yet, the story does not end with three nails, for it is only by Jesus willingness to “Deliver us from evil” that gives us the greatest gift.  It is a gift which comes in the beginning of the Conclusion to the Lord’s Prayer.  Jesus not only does “Deliver us from evil”, by offering us a ‘blessed end’ to our lives, Jesus Christ offers us a greater gift with our praying, “For thine is the Kingdom”.  For it is God’s Kingdom and God, Father, Holy Spirit and especially God’s Son, Jesus Christ as He taught this prayer not only is owner of the Kingdom, but offers the Kingdom unto us out of His great love for us.  For it is very clear and certain that “Jesus Christ went to the Cross to deliver us from evil into the Kingdom!”

Tonight we will leave here having heard the disciples are scattered and in hiding, fearful for their lives.  The last thing we hear will be the clear and emphatic sound of the tomb being closed symbolized by the slamming of the door, the extinguishing of the Christ Candle and the darkness that surrounds us!  But we depart with the knowledge that “Jesus Christ went to the Cross to deliver us from evil into the Kingdom!”  And with a firmness in the faith that not only did Jesus die on the Cross for our sins and the sin of all mankind, but when we pray the Lord’s Prayer we do so knowing a promise is made to us from Jesus Christ Himself.  For Jesus Christ promise to us is in order that by the spilling of His innocent Blood, Jesus Christ as we pray as He taught us, Jesus Christ will “Deliver us from evil” and lovingly forgive us and offer us entrance into eternity with Him when we pray “For thine is the Kingdom”.  AMEN.

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04132017 - Maundy Thursday - “Lead us not into temptation” – “God does not tempt us, but points us to His Sacrifice!”

April 13, 2017
“Lead us not into temptation” – “God does not tempt us, but points us to His Sacrifice!”

Audio

Tonight we stand at the precipice of the Great Triduum.  Where for the disciples in the next 72 hours the range of emotions will be in the valley and then on top of the mountain.  However, though we are far removed from the time, the implications of these three days are clear and profound.  For tonight we celebrate Jesus institution of the Lord’s Supper.  We will witness the stripping of the altar and the beginning of what is for some the darkest time in the church year.  Hence why it is appropriate that in our journey through the Lord’s Prayer, we consider tonight the petition, “Lead us not into temptation”.  Each day we are tempted, for some it is a temptation to doubt God others it is a temptation to turn from God and still others to not even believe there is a God.

Tonight we consider the 6^th Petition which deals with temptation and points us in a direction that is at times hard for us to consider or understand.  But what we need to remember clearly is that “God does not tempt us, but points us to His Sacrifice!”  God does not tempt us in any way, shape or form.  God doesn’t tempt us to turn away from Him.  God does not tempt us in our lives to sin.  Even Peter, whom denied Jesus three times after Jesus betryal, was forgiven and so we are as well.  Some in our society and world would disagree, but the fact remains and this is grace more than anything else, our God, is a loving God.  For God daily points us to the sacrifice of His Son, and our Savior, Jesus Christ on the Cross.

When we pray, “Lead us not into temptation” it is with firm conviction that God will not lead us in a direction that He is unwilling to walk with us.  God will journey with us into the pit and depths of our despair and doubt, with the understanding that His love for us is not to tempt us to doubt Him.  For God’s purpose is consistently to “point to His Sacrifice” of His Son Jesus and Jesus Christ willingness to go where no one else could go.  Dare I say Jesus had a desire to fulfill the plan of salvation for all of mankind and go to the Cross of Calvary!

Tonight, on this Maundy Thursday, Jesus will be tempted, whether to call down a legion of angels to come to His rescue, change the His destination, rather than the Cross, but Jesus clearly responds.  Jesus response is not to yield to the temptation to sidestep His responsibility, dare I say His calling.  This is why Jesus when He taught the disciples, “Lead us not into temptation” not only understood what His disciples would face, but what each and every one of us would face as well.  And Jesus Christ strengthened His disciples and He strengthens each and every one of us to overcome our temptation.  But, even if we do not overcome temptation nor think we have overcome it, Jesus still overcame sin and temptation and Jesus willingly goes to the Cross of Calvary in order to sacrifice Himself for all of mankind.

For it is clear, as we tonight receive His precious Body and Blood from God’s Altar, we begin to understand that Jesus did not yield to the greatest temptation.  He not only leads by example, but willingly gives us the food of eternal life that strengthens we who gather here this evening to boldly believe that “God does not tempt us, but points us to His Sacrifice”.  And we who gather here tonight around the altar of the Lord, to receive His precious Body and Blood, ‘given and shed for us for the forgiveness of sins’, are empowered to boldly believe in Jesus Christ Sacrifice for us and for all of mankind and pray firmly, with great feeling and faithfully pray “Lead us not into temptation”.  AMEN.

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04092017 Palm Sunday Sermon - Jesus is led into Jerusalem to strengthen Him for what is to come!!

April 9, 2017
“Jesus is led into Jerusalem to strengthen Him for what is to come!!”

Audio

This morning we have heard the entire reading from Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the institution of the Lord’s Supper, His betrayal, crucifixion, death and burial with the stone being set in place.  Today our focus should be not on ourselves, but on what is to come, what we have heard Jesus saying, doing and enduring for each and every one of us during Holy Week. 

Today begins the journey that leads to the Cross of Calvary and it begins with Jesus.  “Jesus is led into Jerusalem to strengthen Him for what is to come!!”  Jesus journey began in a lowly manger, led Him into the wilderness to be tempted, brought Him onto the Sea of Galilee to still storms, feed the multitudes, heal the sick and raise the dead, each waypoint on his journey all lead to what we celebrate today.  Jesus triumphal entrance into Jerusalem.

Jesus entrance into Jerusalem, is not in quietness, but with celebration and great fanfare.  Jesus entrance is not as one who would be ridiculed, spit upon, beaten and lashed to within an inch of His life, but with robes by the rich and palm branches by the poor placed on the ground so His feet would not become dirty.  This Man, Who is willing to ride on the colt the foal of a donkey rides on the humblest of beasts, a beast of burden.  For “Jesus is led into Jerusalem to strengthen Him for what is to come!!”

For what is to come as we have just heard is not ‘a walk in the park’, not what any normal person would want nor desire.  But Jesus Christ is not ‘normal’.  Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Jesus Christ comes freely, gladly and lovingly to take away the sin of the World.  Jesus is strengthened for the coming days by His Father, because He, Jesus Christ is doing His Father’s Will.  Jesus rides into Jerusalem in order to ultimately on the Cross of Calvary, offer us eternal life.

“Jesus is led into Jerusalem to strengthen Him for what is to come!!”  The destination is not unknown, the time is not a mystery, the cost is not cheap.  Jesus Christ is led into Jerusalem to give us the victory over sin, death and the devil, through His death in order that we will be in His Kingdom for all eternity and offered eternal life and the salvation of our souls.  And Jesus Christ offers us eternal life out of His great love for us and for all of mankind, but especially for all of us saints gathered here this Palm Sunday morning who believe “Jesus is led into Jerusalem to strengthen Him for what is to come!!”  AMEN.

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04052017 - Wednesday of Lent 5 - “Forgive us as we forgive those who trespass against us” – “God's will is to forgive our trespasses through Jesus Blood on the Cross!”

April 5, 2017
“Forgive us as we forgive those who trespass against us” – “God's will is to forgive our trespasses through Jesus Blood on the Cross!”

Audio

Tonight’s Gospel and Sunday’s Gospel are nearly identical and that was intentional.  The biggest difference, is that there are two verses added to the beginning for tonight.  And these two verses cut to the heart of the issue we face in our world, our country and especially in our community.  Matthew writes, ““Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus *said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.””

Jesus words specifically apply tonight to us, when we consider the Fifth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer, “Forgive us as we forgive those who trespass against us”.  We are called to forgive as Christians.  We are called to love even our enemies.  We are called to understand that from God’s perspective, “God's will is to forgive our trespasses through Jesus Blood on the Cross!”  For the Cross is the only power we need or can have as Christians.  The Cross isn’t a get out of ‘jail free card’.  The Cross isn’t meant to cover ‘all sin’ in order to free us to sin all the more.  The Cross is meant to point us in a clear direction not of domination, not of disrespect, not of power, but simply of forgiveness.

When Jesus taught the disciples, “Forgive us as we forgive those who trespass against us” Jesus looked with eyes to not only the future of the Cross, but even knowing what the future would bring in His relationships.  Jesus willingly went to the Cross of Calvary to offer all of mankind the forgiveness that no one could offer.  An eternal forgiveness that only Jesus Christ innocent Blood would be able to offer eternal life and salvation.  For it is “God's will is to forgive our trespasses through Jesus Blood on the Cross!”  It is God’s will for us to be in His Kingdom and it is God’s will to forgive us for all that we do.

God’s forgiveness knows no bounds.  God’s forgiveness does have boundaries though.  If we do not honor, respect or treat our fellow man with respect and honor, no matter if they are our children, spouse, family, friends or even our brothers or sisters in Christ, we are on a slippery slope.  For God taught, we need to “Forgive us as we forgive those who trespass against us”.  And God will be the ultimate judge.

Man at times is incapable of forgiving, because we want power.  Even Adam and Eve wanted God’s power and knowledge, but man cannot handle it, hence why we treat others with blatant disrespect all in the name of control.  But, it is “God's will is to forgive our trespasses through Jesus Blood on the Cross”.  For it is God Who forgives us even when we don’t deserve it.  God forgives us, because He is God.  And this is why God calls us to “Forgive as we forgive those who trespass against us”.

As we come closer to Good Friday, since this is the last Wednesday night service, no better demonstration of Jesus teaching the disciples to pray the Lord’s Prayer can be found than what we hear from Jesus Himself.  As Jesus was being nailed to the Cross of Calvary, once Jesus hung from the Cross, Jesus pleaded with His Father in heaven a simple request.  “Father, forgive them”.  This is the same plea we need to make as well when we are wronged, spoken of in an unkind way and even when others break the 8^th Commandment of ‘bearing false witness against our neighbor’.  We need believe “God's will is to forgive our trespasses through Jesus Blood on the Cross” and as Jesus modelled for us even on the Cross of Calvary, we are called to “Forgive as we forgive those who trespass against us”.  AMEN.

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04022017 - Fourth Sunday in Lent - “God settled our great debt by sending His Son Jesus Christ!!”

April 2, 2017
“God settled our great debt by sending His Son Jesus Christ!!”

Audio

Recently, I received an email entitled, “Nostalgia”.  All of us have either seen, sent or forwarded these kinds of emails that show pictures of cars, things that were common or how our world was different than today.  Each ‘snapshot’ comes from a by gone era and time.  Things seemed simpler.  Life was slower.  The world wasn’t moving past each of us at lighting speeds.  Yes the cars on the interstate did over 75, were made of mostly metal and were clearly forces to be reckoned with or even used to cruise Main.  But families and friends had no idea that one day in our lifetime all of us would be able to carry in our pockets devices that would enable us to talk and connect with people across the state, country and even the world.

When times were or ‘felt’ simpler, when we heard the bell or triangle toll from the house, our name called, the sun dove over the Western horizon, or the streetlight came on when we were playing with our friends during the summer, we didn’t ignore it.  We quickly picked up or put away our stuff, from baseball glove and bats to marbles and the toys we had brought and headed to the one place that was at the center of our ‘known universe’.  We headed home.  Because home for most of us had familiar sights, sounds and smells, whether on the farm or in town.  We were instantly transported to the safest place on the planet that gave us the greatest sense of assurance and acceptance we knew.

Those were simpler times.  We didn’t worry about bills or notes to be paid, how much rain came, nor who would take care of us when we were old and gray?  We found when we walked in the door of our house, the greatest comfort and peace, because we were home, we were accepted for who we were.

This Nostalgic’ feeling is exactly what we should feel when we walk through the doors of Emmanuel Lutheran Church.  This is the feeling people who come and visit should feel, because this is the feeling that God wants us to have because of a simple truth.  “God settled our great debt by sending His Son Jesus Christ!!”  God in, through and by His Son, Jesus Christ, settled the debt of our sin by sending His Son Jesus Christ to die on the Cross of Calvary in order that we might live and have eternal life.

In the movie Risen, which was our ‘Film of Faith’ last week at the Sherman Theater, there is one scene that clearly depicts how “God settled our great debt by sending His Son Jesus Christ!!”.  After Jesus resurrection, when the disciples are gathered together on the shore of the Sea of Galilee sharing a meal of the fish just caught.  A leprous man comes to the outskirts of the encampment to find food to exist.

The man is clothed clearly as the outcast he feels.  The people are afraid to touch him, and begin to drive him away with sticks and stones to the point that he falls down unable to get up.  Jesus sees, but also knows exactly what is occurring.  Without saying a word, He rises and walks with determination, but especially with grace towards the figure now curled up in a ball, from the beatings and harsh treatment of the community.

Gently, Jesus bends over, sits down and reaches out gently to the figure.  Fear, tangible, because all the figure has known is shame, rebuke, separation and being outcast from all of society melts away as Jesus gives him a simple fish and a piece of bread.  What occurs next, Jesus disciples knew, would occur, but ‘Clavius’ had not experienced it, but watched from a distance.  Jesus, God’s Son, embraced the leprous individual.  As the individual was helped to his feet and walked away, Clavius, who would have in his previous life as a Roman Tribune been revolted by any contact with the leper, saw before his eyes the transformation and saw the man’s face, which was no longer leprous but had been cleansed.

Clearly, this encounter was not an anomaly.  It is very clear that the leprous man and Clavius then understood the simple truth we need to believe today.  “God settled our great debt by sending His Son Jesus Christ!”  Jesus Christ comes to us today to offer us this same forgiveness and freedom.  We only have to accept God’s Gift of His Son, Jesus Christ and feel His loving embrace and believe His Words and what He offers us from the Altar today of His Body and Blood, “Given and Shed for us for the forgiveness of sins”.  For when we feel God’s embrace and believe this is for all of mankind, but especially for each of us who have heard the truth of the Gospel, our reality changes.  For when we welcome everyone, our reality radically changes with the truth found in these words, “God settled our great debt by sending His Son Jesus Christ”.  AMEN.

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03292017 - Wednesday of Lent 4 - “Give us our daily bread” – “God gives us our daily bread in the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ!”

March 29, 2017
“Give us our daily bread” – “God gives us our daily bread in the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ!”
Audio

How many of us have heard these words, “I’m hungry”, from our kids, grandkids or even our friends after a long day of hard work?  If you have or had children, that was probably the two most common words only minutes after you had left the table and been told, “I’m full”.  The hunger spoken of is a physical hunger.  Tonight as we continue our series on the Lord’s Prayer with “Give us our daily bread” Jesus is speaking of physical food, but also it can be connected to a spiritual food we receive as well.

This, the Fourth petition “Give us our daily bread”, is for both the physical and the spiritual gifts we receive from God of ‘daily bread’.  It might not be the choicest cut of meat, the best that money can buy, but what we receive we have the opportunity to give God thanks and praise for it, because it is God’s gift to us.  At its bedrock for us, is that we receive from God nourishment, no matter the amount or value with thanksgiving. 

This is the gift of the blessing that God gives unto us even without our asking for it.  In the explanation of the Lord’s Prayer, Martin Luther wrote, “God gives daily bread indeed without our prayer, also to all the wicked”.  So even those who are not following God’s plan, God’s desire, nor doing God’s Will, receive their ‘daily bread’ from God.  In one sense it is like the rain we received in the last few days, it is blessing everyone and will give everyone, both good and wicked, their ‘daily bread’.  For our God Who as we pray, “Give us our daily bread” is loving all mankind and wants to give all of mankind, even the wicked and those who have not heard the Good News of the Gospel, what is good for us, our ‘daily bread’.

Not only does God “Give us our daily bread”, but God like most who give gifts, whether small or large, would like us to receive it with ‘thanksgiving’.  This is both an attitude of gratitude, but also a posture of thanks not only in our words or actions, but especially in our hearts.  In this way we can properly give God the greatest thanks and praise for the gift of the food we eat that He gives unto us.  For God’s gifts have one intent in mind, to satisfy us and for us to give God the greatest thanks and praise.

Some in our world and even our culture will say, yes, we pray, “Give us our daily bread”, yet look no further than what fills our stomachs.  For not only does God give us what feeds and nourishes us from the fields and harvest, today, but God looks beyond the here and now to the eternal and the spiritual as well.  And the spiritual is exactly what we receive from the Altar.  For “God gives us our daily bread in the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ!”  This is where the earthly comes into clear contact with the eternal and the mystical, where what we receive from God, not only our ‘daily bread’, but we also receive from the very altar of God, His gift given unto us of His Son, Jesus Christ.  We receive not only the sustenance of our bodies, but an eternal food that prepares our souls for entrance into God’s Holy Kingdom for eternity and the fulfillment of something that Adam and Eve heard, Abram was told would occur and even King David prophesied about in Holy Scripture that we are grafted into through our baptism.

Edward Koehler in his explanation of the Small Catechism says as we pray this petition, “Give us our daily bread” the following, we “pray to God and trust in His promise”.  The fulfillment of the promise is eternal life that we find in the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation, so that in the Holy Supper, instituted by Jesus Christ on Maundy Thursday, we receive this clear gift and fulfillment of this promise from God.  The gift of eternal life and the gifts of grace given out of God’s love for us demonstrated in what His Son Jesus Christ did for all of mankind on the Cross of Calvary.  We are partakers of this gift of grace, not only when we believe that “God gives us our daily bread in the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ!”  But especially when we see the gift of His Son Jesus Christ through the lens of this gift that is offered from the altar as we pray the fourth petition taught by Jesus Christ, “Give us our daily bread”!  AMEN.

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03262017 - 4th Sunday in Lent - “God cures our anxiety by giving us His Son!!”

March 26, 2017
“God cures our anxiety by giving us His Son!!”

Audio

Have you ever had your stomach tie itself into knots?  Your palms begin to sweat?  The room you are in seems to be crowding in on you, like in Star Wars, with Luke, Leia, Han and Chewbacca?  For some this happened on their wedding day, others when they are on an interview for their first job and still others, when they are called on while sitting in the classroom surrounded by their peers or even here in the church.  We become anxious and are unsure what the outcome will be in our lives and the experiences we are currently having.  We are at times uncertain, whether we will be able to cover the note for the farm, pay the bill that just came due, answer the question that is posed to us by our teacher, or even when we are treated like child instead of a child of God.

This is the reality that is being lived out today, whether in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas or elsewhere that have been recently touched by the devastating fires, the lack of rain or the doubt that we live in of the future of family farms even right here in Northwestern Kansas.  Our anxiety clearly and unmistakably overcomes us, because we don’t know if what we have invested our lives into and what has been passed down from generation to generation will be lost, in a moment, with a stray ember fanned by the winds we know so well or if the prices of wheat, corn or inputs will put us out of business.

Jesus clearly understood anxiety very well.  Yet, Jesus in a calmness from our Gospel reading this morning reminds us of Solomon and how even the ‘lilies of the field’ are clothed in their splendor.  And life is more than what we eat or what we wear.  These earthly things will pass away, but what God offers us isn’t earthly but eternal.

Many times, when I teach, whether the Book of Mark bible study, Lutheranism 101, confirmation, Simple Worship or even when I visit families or individuals who are distressed over current situations, I remind them of something that the devil wants us to doubt.  First, that God loves us more than the stuff we own or surround ourselves with.  Second, God’s love is eternal, never ending and never changing.  And third, God knows what we need even before we ask for it.

This is why Jesus says it clearly, ‘seek first the kingdom of God’.  The Kingdom of God is found clearly and specifically in the gift of His Son Jesus Christ.  No truer words could be said then, “God cures our anxiety by giving us His Son!!”  God cures our doubts, our fears, our nervousness and especially our anxiety, because He gives us His Son Jesus Christ.  The gift of Jesus Christ is given to us out of God’s love for us and “God cures our anxiety by giving us His Son!!”

Some would rightly say this is an opportunity for exercise, but exercise of what it might be asked?  As Christians, the answer though simple, requires a lot from us.  It is the exercise of the muscle of faith given to us in our baptism.  When we are at our lowest, we feel alone, but God is clearly here with us and wanting us to walk with Him and work with Him clearly and in faith for what He has in store.  This is the exercise that builds us up in order for His Glory to be revealed for us in using our faith muscle.  And this exercise is where “God cures our anxiety by giving us His Son” Jesus Christ.

This morning we were reminded of a man and a people who had great anxiety.  Moses, who stood before Pharaoh by command of God, had great anxiety of what the immediate future would hold.  He had led the people of Israel out of Egypt and slavery and would eventually lead them to where they would enter the promise land.  Yet, Moses, though he did not know what was to come, followed God’s command and exercised his muscle of faith in obedience to the will and the way of God.  For Moses believed with every fiber of his being in what God would accomplish and that it was in the future and his anxiety would pass away, because of God’s love for him and all of mankind.  This is why Moses willingly prepared the tablets.  For, God through Moses gave the law and knew His Son Jesus would fulfill the law for us!

And we who gather here today, who pray the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples can exercise our muscle of faith, given to us through our Holy Baptism.  For no better gift and expression of love by God is seen than what we celebrate on Christmas, receive from the altar and believe with every fiber of our being.  The gift of God’s Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ!!  This is why we can clearly, emphatically and willingly exercise our muscle of faith and believe in God’s love of and for all of mankind including each and every one of us and that “God cures our anxiety by giving us His Son” Jesus Christ!!!!  AMEN.

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03222017 Wednesday of Lent 3 - “Thy Will Be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven” – “God's Will is for us to believe in Him, His Word and His Will!”

March 22, 2017
“Thy Will Be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven” – “God's Will is for us to believe in Him, His Word and His Will!”

Audio

On Monday nights at our Simple Worship, during our worship time, we confess the Apostle’s Creed, since it is the Baptismal Creed.  It begins with, “I Believe”.  Not only is this a personal expression of our own individual beliefs, but it is a clear and unmistakable declaration of our churches belief in God.  We also pray right before receiving the Lord’s Supper, the prayer Jesus taught His disciples.  Our use of the Apostle’s Creed and its connection to the Lord’s Prayer comes because of the petition we consider this evening of “Thy Will Be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven”.

When we pray, “Thy Will Be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven”, we pray for God’s Will to be fulfilled.  Simply, “God's Will is for us to believe in Him, His Word and His Will!”  God’s Will is that all of mankind be with Him in His Kingdom.  In order for us to be in God’s Kingdom, we have to ‘believe in Him’ and the Gospel of what Jesus Christ came into the world to offer us, eternal life.

Yet, this petition, “Thy Will Be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven” is difficult to pray.  Why is it difficult?  Why do we at times stumble over this petition and the entire prayer?  For some the prayer has become rote without meaning and value.  It is just what we do in the church service, because we don’t understand the gifts God is attempting to offer us and we don’t want to make it personal.  For others, it is because, no one ever asked us or told us that it should be a personal prayer and we are to think about the prayer as a conversation, not a recitation back to God.  This is why the Apostle’s Creed and the Lord’s Prayer are meant to be, our opportunity, our calling, our personal conversation with God, to clearly and unmistakably believe and firmly ask and understand “God's Will is for us to believe in Him, His Word and His Will!”

When we pray, “Thy Will Be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven” it is specifically so that the devil will have no power over us while we are here on this earth.  For from the time of Genesis in the Garden, the devil, his minions and his followers have been attempting to lead unbelievers and especially believers in God and His Son, Jesus Christ away from God’s love and His divine Will.  This is why when we pray this petition, we stand against the selfish intent of man in our world, in our community and even in our church and pray for ‘God’s perfect Will’!  For “God’s Will is for us to believe in Him, His Word and His Will!”

The Holy Bible contains countless stories of individuals living their lives for God’s Will.  Tonight we heard a snippet of the story of one man, who did exactly this, lived his life for God, a man by the name of Joseph.  Joseph experienced in his life many dark moments where he did not know what the future would hold.  From being put in a pit by his brothers, sold into slavery, accused of adultery and even imprisoned when he was innocent.  Yet, Joseph’s life and his experience is simply a true expression of this petition of the Lord’s Prayer when he would pray to God as a good Jew and possibly say, “Thy Will Be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven”.  Joseph believed God and His Will and way and even when he could have smote his brothers, when man would have said they deserved it, Joseph, chose the ‘high ground’ and chose to insure “God’s Will was done.”

Tonight we have not only the opportunity, but the pleasure to pray “Thy Will Be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven” in the Lord’s Prayer.  When we pray this prayer and petition, we pray it in belief that God’s Word and Will are better than our own.  We have the opportunity to pray “Thy Will Be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven” not in rote recitation, but with the firm faith that God’s plan is a perfect plan that points to the Cross and His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ.  We pray this petition in the belief  that “God’s Will is for us to believe in Him, His Word and His Will” in order that we can firmly, and faithfully pray to God as Jesus inspires us to pray, “Thy Will Be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven”!  AMEN!

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03192017 - Third Sunday in Lent - “God sends the disciples and us to proclaim the Will of God!”

March 19, 2017
“God sends the disciples and us to proclaim the Will of God!”

Audio

If you have ever given directions to someone, you probably understand to well the story I am about to relate.  One day, while sitting in my office, I had a phone call of an individual who wanted to meet with me.  This isn’t that uncommon.  But they were not from around here.  So explaining to them how to find the church was intense.  It began by trying to explain that there were only three intersections off of 27 that would directly bring them into ‘downtown Goodland’.  Then since they were not familiar with Goodland, that every street intersection, would not necessarily have a stop sign, they needed to be careful.  But after turning on 12^th Street the first stop sign they found, would be Center and then they would need to turn right.  And then turn on the very next street and the church would be at the end of the block.

By grace the person found the church and we had a delightful conversation.  What is appropriate to consider is how many of us who gather here and worship, call Emmanuel our church, but do not at times desire to understand the “Will of God”?

On Wednesday, we prayed that God’s Kingdom would come when we pray, “Thy Kingdom Come”.  And it is our prayer that God’s Kingdom would come quickly.  For God’s Kingdom coming, also has at its core, the Will of God being done.

If you would have asked the disciples, when they were first called by Jesus from their jobs, whether, fishing, collecting taxes or day laborers, they probably didn’t understand God’s Will either.  Just like understanding directions to a place you are unfamiliar with, it is a challenge.  But so compelling was Jesus presence, the way they felt when He spoke and the way they saw others respond and were moved by His miracles, that Jesus like with Noah and building the ark, had a plan in mind, His Father’s Will.

You see, “God sends the disciples and us to proclaim the Will of God!”  In entrusting the disciples to Jesus their purpose was clear.  God sent them so they could learn what the will of God was for them, but also for all of mankind.  And God didn’t just explain it, but entrusted them with the purpose to tell it to others.  This is why Jesus gave the Great Commission, so the disciples understood, the gift of knowing God’s Will, wasn’t just to be kept, under a bushel basket, but it was to be shared with all people.

This is why we are here today in Goodland, KS.  “God sends the disciples and us to proclaim the Will of God!”  God has this same expectation of we who gather here today.  We if, we claim to be disciples of Jesus Christ, if we claim Emmanuel as our church, we are called to do the same thing.  We are to proclaim the Will of God.

Some of us might say, I don’t know the will of God.  But truly, God’s will is simple.  God’s will is for all of mankind to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that Jesus died for all of mankind, freely, and Jesus offers us eternal life through the Blood of the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.  That is the Will of God, for all to hear the lifesaving message of what His Son and our Savior Jesus Christ did.  This is why, “God sends the disciples and us to proclaim the Will of God!”

Our calling is to proclaim the will of God, and point to Jesus Christ in our daily lives.  Here in the sanctuary it is easy to point to the beautiful stain glass window of Jesus Christ over our altar.  But in our world, it is difficult, if not impossible, because our society wants to remove any and all connection to Jesus Christ.  This is why “God sends the disciples and us to proclaim the Will of God!”  For not only are we God’s disciples, we are given the opportunity to ‘proclaim the will of God’.  We have only to open our mouths in faith and trust in God and He will give us the words that we need to speak this truth in love.

We may feel we do not have power, nor authority, but a story recently reminded me, we do have power.  During World War II, the Czech republic was overrun by Germany and slave laborers were used to manufacture the munitions for the flak guns to ‘safeguard’ the cities from allied bombers.

A B-17 crew piloted their aircraft “Tondelayo” into and through the German gauntlet one day.  The pilot after seeing a direct hit of their gas tanks, but not any explosion, had to determine, why?  For the pilot, Bohn Fawkes, it was a miracle.  He spoke with the crew chief to ascertain, why, but also get a souvenir of the one shell he saw hit the tanks.  Bohn found out it wasn’t just one, but 11 shells that were found in the gas tanks when they landed back at base.  When the armorers who would ‘disarm’ the shells opened them up, they found no explosive charge.  However, in one of the shells there was a rolled up piece of paper written in Czech.  An individual was finally found who could decipher the writing and it simply said, “This is all we can do for now…using Jewish slave labor is never a good idea.”

We who gather here may feel we are powerless to ‘proclaim the will of God’, but God like the Jews used them and had a profound impact on the lives of others, especially the bomber crew that day.  The disciples and we who gather here this morning are no different.  For a truer statement could not be said, than, “God sends the disciples and us to proclaim the Will of God!”  AMEN!

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03152017 - Wednesday of Lent 2 - “Thy Kingdom Come” – “God's Kingdom comes even without our works!”

March 15, 2017
“Thy Kingdom Come” – “God's Kingdom comes even without our works!”

Audio

When Martin Luther penned the explanation of the Lord’s Prayer, specifically the Second Petition, “Thy Kingdom Come” Luther knew mankind was powerless.  Luther’s explanation says as much, when he writes, “The Kingdom of God comes indeed without our prayer, of itself”.  You see, God, Who created the heavens and the earth, does not need our prayer.  If you follow the logic, then if God does not need our prayers, we could easily ask, why then do we pray?

Just as in the Garden of Eden, with Adam and Eve, the first humans needed instructed, dare I say, schooled, that God knew what they had done in eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  But the reality is that God, maker of the universe doesn’t need nor require our prayers for His Will to be done here on this earth.

Why then do we, or should we pray, if God doesn’t need our help or even our prayers?  Simply it is this, we pray with this petition, “Thy Kingdom Come” asking and imploring God that the Kingdom of God would simply and specifically come unto us.  We daily need to pray this prayer that Jesus taught His disciples, in order that God’s Kingdom would come unto each and every one of us and all of mankind.

When we humbly pray the Lord’s Prayer and come to this petition, “Thy Kingdom Come”, we pray this not just because it is part of the prayer, but we pray it in faith of God.  For “God's Kingdom comes even without our works!”  Our society says we get what we get, because of our works, by the sweat of our brow, by our very energy and efforts.  However, God changed this reality for Christians, when He went to the Cross of Calvary.  For when He uttered the words, “It is finished”.  The reality of ‘works righteousness’ for our eternal existence was radically removed from the vocabulary of all Christians.

The Kingdom of Power that our society believes in is shaken to its core, because when we pray, “Thy Kingdom Come” we pray not for power or a kingdom of power, but specifically for the Kingdom of Grace that God gives.  For it is God’s Grace that we have been given with our Holy Baptism into Jesus Christ life, death and resurrection and the Kingdom of Grace that we pray for comes not by our own works, but out of God’s great love for us.  When we pray in faith, like Solomon did, not for riches or wealth, nor for power over others, but humbly beseeching God for His Holy and eternal Will to be done, He that is God, loves us unconditionally and gives us the greatest gift of grace and His Glory for all of mankind.

As we pray, “Thy Kingdom Come” we do so in sure and certain faith and hope that God’s Kingdom comes, even without our prayers and God will give us a godly life.  And He would through we His children extend His mission here on earth and that He would hasten His eternal Kingdom coming and thus God will fulfill our prayer of “Thy Kingdom Come”.

This is why when our time here on earth is done, we pray this prayer, not only at worship and Holy Communion, but especially when we are ready to take our final breath here on this earth.  For as we pray, “Thy Kingdom Come” it is our prayer of faith in the certainty of God’s promise from His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ that He will come and take us to be with Him in His Kingdom for all eternity.  We pray this petition, “Thy Kingdom Come” with sure and certain trust, faith and hope in the promises of God for we His Children through our Holy Baptism.

No clearer demonstration of this comes than when I stand at the bedside of a brother or sister in Christ, about to fall asleep in the Lord.  One of the greatest comforts God uses me to be is when I am the instrument for the family and especially their loved one in my giving them the assurance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is specifically for them.  God does this through me as I share passages of scripture, but also by singing hymns.  The hymn we are about to sing, “In the Cross of Christ I Glory” is one of the many that I share, because not only does it point to the Cross, but the humble undertone is that it is a simple hymn that speaks the truth that we are sanctified by the Cross of Christ.  And our connection through the Cross completes the connection we have of God’s promise to us in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, sealed for us in Holy Baptism and that we lay claim to with our praying this simple petition of “Thy Kingdom Come”!  AMEN!

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03122017 - Second Sunday in Lent - “God's Kingdom comes for all of mankind!”

March 12, 2017
“God's Kingdom comes for all of mankind!”

Audio

When I crossed the divide between the Jewish part of Jerusalem by the wailing wall in March 1999 and entered onto the Mount where the Dome of the Rock stood, it became abundantly and quickly clear that this wall wasn’t a simple earthen wall.  The sheer thickness, the size of the stones, the clear precision needed in fitting each unique block not only tells a story, but clearly shows the zeal of one man, Nehemiah.  You see, Nehemiah, helped rebuild the walls of Jerusalem nearly 2500 years ago, or 500 years before the time of Christ and this was done without the aid of our modern machinery.

What Nehemiah found in the Holy City of Jerusalem was destruction, but Nehemiah was inspired and given by God a forward looking vision to see, understand and the knowhow by the grace of God to rebuild the walls of the city.  For it was not only the city Nehemiah was looking to rebuild, but Nehemiah was looking beyond himself to insure that “God’s Kingdom comes for all of mankind!”

Nehemiah for we who gather today is another of the pieces of this jigsaw puzzle of life that we are putting together about the Lord’s Prayer during this Lenten season.  When we pray the prayer Jesus taught, the Lord’s Prayer, it is so God may be Glorified not by our selfish actions, but in order that God’s Glory would be revealed and it would be fulfilled that “God’s Kingdom comes for all of mankind!” 

“God’s Kingdom comes for all of mankind” was Nehemiah’s main focus, in the restoration of the walls for the city of Jerusalem, because, Nehemiah wasn’t only looking at the problem right before him of a destroyed wall.  Nehemiah was seeing a people that were downtrodden, burdened by the culture, the community and the centrality of moving away from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Yet, Nehemiah also knew and believed that “God’s Kingdom comes for all of mankind!”  For Nehemiah was looking to a future we now know was 450 years in the future when the Messiah Jesus Christ would come and not replace the law, but fulfill it in insuring that “God’s Kingdom comes for all of mankind!”.

You see, “God’s Kingdom comes for all of mankind” and Nehemiah’s preparation looked with eyes of faith.  This is the same faith that we share with Nehemiah when we pray the Lord’s Prayer.  Not only do we address “Our Father” and make His “Name Holy”, but we pray for God’s Kingdom to come.  It is not a prayer of denial, but a prayer of faith in what God would and did accomplish clearly with Jesus entrance in a lowly manger in Bethlehem.  His calling the disciples who individually were looking for the Messiah, but collectively would only after Jesus death, burial, resurrection and ascension, be given the greatest gift of the Holy Spirit.  These same men asked Jesus to teach them how to pray and the prayer we pray every week, is the same prayer they would be empowered to pray and has been passed down to us today.

Yet, why does “God’s Kingdom comes for all of mankind”?  Simply this is a result of God’s love for each and every one of us.  God Who is love, wants to insure His Kingdom comes for all of mankind.  This is God’s gift for us.  God’s love not only melts that hard hearted, but clearly can, does and continues to impact us today.  Hence why we pray the Lord’s Prayer weekly.  Why when we gather at Wheat Ridge for Holy Communion or in the privacy of members houses when the Lord’s Supper is brought, the Lord’s Prayer is prayed as the expression of our faith, just like Nehemiah and each of us today.

It is this same faith and belief that “God’s Kingdom comes for all mankind” that looks clearly for an event, we did not personally experience, but one which impacts us clearly and tangibly today.  The hymn we are about to sing, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” connects us to the events outside the walls of Jerusalem and clearly draws the picture of the faith we pray in the Lord’s Prayer.  Isaac Watts clearly points to the truth we look to of God’s Kingdom coming and that it is not just for a select few.  This gift of grace out of Jesus love for us, empowers us to lay claim to God’s love and understand, the life of true Christians, cannot be earned by us, but is only earned by Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary.  Yet, it also as he wrote, “demands my soul, my life, my all”, because of the great gift of love from God.  For God offers us the gift of salvation with forethought in mind and the true knowledge of the grace He offers us freely, without our own merit, because, “God’s Kingdom comes for all of mankind” including all of us saints gathered here at Emmanuel who pray in faith the Lord’s Prayer.  AMEN.

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