Sermon from the Fourth Sunday After Epiphany: Why Are You Fearful?

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

Rev. Jon C. Olson

Feb. 2, 2014 

“Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?”

Well, let’s see: there’s the wind gusting, the lightning flashing, the waves crashing and the boat is fast filling up with water near to the point of sinking, and we are all about to begin drowning and death is very likely - and you happen to be sleeping completely unaware of your surroundings and what is going on around you, and you are asking us why we are fearful – and are picking on us for the little faith we have?

What is hard for us to understand is that Jesus apparently doesn’t "get" the life of fear that we comprehend so perfectly.  Who here today has the least bit of trouble identifying with the disciples and what they were going through?  Are any of you surprised by the disciples’ behavior?  Fear is something we understand all too well.  We all know all too well what it means to be afraid.  Afraid of losing a family member, afraid of the uncertainties of the future, afraid of a relationship breaking up, afraid of losing friends, afraid of suffering, afraid of another person’s anger, afraid of losing control, afraid of gaining control, afraid of responsibility and accountability, afraid of getting hurt again, afraid of disappointing those who depend on us, afraid of change, afraid that things will never change, afraid that people will hate us if they really knew the evil we hide inside, afraid that we’ve done something too awful for God or others to forgive,. Afraid, afraid, afraid…

And so, yes, to us Jesus asks the question - and asks it as the winds howl into our lives and the stormy waves crash and beat against our lifeboat and we feel like we are about to drown – “why are you fearful, O you of little faith?”

If we really stop and think about Jesus’ seemingly ridiculous question, a whole new world and way of looking at life opens up to us: it becomes the world in which our Lord lived and which He came to open up for us, so that we could live, really live, in it too.  It would not be going too far to describe it as a life without being afraid.  Which is not quite the same as a life without fear.

The Book of Proverbs says that “the fear of Lord, is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 1:7)  Which is to say that the fear of the Lord is not the same thing as being afraid of Him.  Notice that the fear of the Lord comes at the end of the Gospel reading today, not the beginning: The fear of the Lord is actually what leads the disciples to wonder aloud, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”  And it is precisely this fear of the Lord which releases from being afraid.  To know and believe that God has their lives all under control is a great relief to the disciples.

A life without being afraid?  A life where there is no fear of being in the dark, where every circumstance and person is met with confidence and joy, where suffering is not feared and death is not terrifying and regret does not paralyze and peace reigns over all parts of your life?  Such a life belongs to Jesus and He lived it out fully.  He was never afraid, for He could cry out with the Psalmist:

“The Lord is my Light and my Salvation, whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?”  

He cried that prayer with every ounce of His being, and so in Him there was no fear, and He calls upon us with our little faith to enter into that life with Him and live - really live.

For what is there to be afraid of when Jesus is with you in your boat? When He is with you in your life?  Does death terrify you?  He is the Resurrection and the Life, He is the Death of death.  He is death’s worst nightmare come into human flesh.  Death cannot hold you when He who died and rose again calls you from the grave.  Death will have to release you and you will arise in your body - He has made death simply like a little siesta, like the nap Jesus took on the boat.

Do your sins terrify you?  Jesus is the Pardon for all your sins, nailed to Calvary’s cross, wiping away the handwriting on the wall that was your death sentence.  

Do you fear the loss of friends and family?  Truly, truly I say to you, any who believes and is baptized are connected to Him and are never lost, for those who die in Him still live!  Jesus has promised and desires reunion in heaven.

Are you afraid that you won’t have enough, that you’ll suffer hunger or poverty?  But He promises you daily bread and even better, He freely gives you a food that that supplies your deepest and enduring need: His body and His blood delivering to you the forgiveness of sin, the promise of your resurrection, and the gift of life with Him forever.

Are you afraid that He may have suffering in mind for you and your loved ones?  Don’t worry.  He does!  He promises that suffering awaits you in this life.  How could it not?  If we are walking the path of love with Him, this world which rejects that love will see to it that we suffer.  The persecution of Bible believing Christians will continue and probably even increase.  Yet, Jesus also promises that through every hardship faithful, individual Christians and the faithful Christian Church bodies face, He will bring nothing but blessing, because He works all things together for the good of those who love Him.

You see, the One in the boat who asks: “Why are you fearful?” has literally taken away from us every reason to be afraid of anything in this creation.  Anything at all.  He reveals to us that the entirety of life and creation itself as a gift of love from a heavenly Father, and the measure of that love is that He gave His Son into the flesh that you might never fear, ever again.

It is true that in our weakness, we still do fear.  The Church knows this.  In her wisdom, she teaches us to pray the Collect for Peace.  In it, the Church asks God for a most precious gift: “and that we, being defended by You from the fear of our enemies, may pass our time in peace and quietness.”  Did you catch that?  The Church does not ask God to deliver her from her earthly enemies, but from the fear of them.  Our  problem is really never the evil people or institutions.   The problem is always with our being afraid of them, as though they had some power over us to separate us from the love of God in Christ!  No way.

To belong to Christ, to have the Crucified and Risen One present in your life, in the boat with you, means learning how to live without fear - except for the joyful fear of bowing before Him and confessing Him to be the Almighty God in our flesh and blood, come to save us eternally.  Amen.

What the President Should Have Said, but Could Not

The Third Sunday in Advent

16 December A+D 2012
Rev. Jon C. Olson

There is a sharp contrast between the preaching of John the Baptist and most other preaching heard today.  You can notice it in the way John’s hearers responded to his preaching.  When John preached he laid bare the sins of the people, exposed their guilt and shame, and they could only respond: "What then shall we do?"  Most preaching today is less personal and less direct, less about sin, and more about achieving your hopes and dreams.  You can tell this by the response of the people.  Today, the biggest question after the sermon is not "What then shall we do?" but "Where then shall we eat (after church)?"  In other words, John preached a message that meant life could not go on as it had been.  Today preaching seems almost designed to keep the status quo, that is, un-confrontational, and that seems to be what the hearers want, or at least are comfortable with.
            So whose fault is it?  Are the preachers in the pulpits of today worse or is it the hearers in the pews?  Or both?  Preaching that is not direct, that doesn’t apply to individual Christians in the pew, is definitely problem.  Something is wrong with the preaching when we are not convicted by the weight and burden of our sin and moved to call on God for help.  When hearers are distracted from hearing the Word of God because hearts and minds are caught up in the here and now, something is wrong with the hearers.  Every sermon should lead the hearer to be moved to ask "What then shall we do?"
            John came as a lone voice crying in the wilderness.  It was his vocal chords sounding the words, but God's Word coming out.  God was speaking through His preacher to awaken His people to prepare for the Savior who was coming. 

John did not beat around the bush.  He called a spade a spade, and sin a sin.  He called a thing what it is.  He called out judgment against sin – a judgment that could not be set aside by the claim of being descended from Abraham (Jewish children of the promise), or rank in life, (that is, “you can’t tell us what to do, we are people of power and position”).  The urgency of John's preaching was marked by the sharp and critical nature of the content of what He preached.  His preaching did not allow anyone to escape the consequence of what God is doing.  No one.  No where.  No how.

I suspect that if all John preached was a Law of condemnation and judgment, He would have been rebuked by Jesus.  But this was no doom and gloom preacher and message.  It was not "repent for the end is near."  No, this was the voice of hope.  "Repent for the Kingdom of God is near."  In other words, the focus was not escaping the wrath of God but being ready to meet the mercy of God in Jesus Christ.  John the Baptist did not just point out the problem, he proclaimed the solution.  God was coming to His people to save them.  He was entering time and space; taking on human flesh to fulfill His promise of salvation and deliver His people from their sins.  It was not mere fear of God’s wrath that shaped the people's response, but profound hope in the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
            They were called not to run and hide from sin, but to confront it head on with repentance.  The promise here is that if you confess your sin, God, who is faithful, and just, will forgive your sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.  Does that sound familiar?  We need to get rid of our sin not to escape God's wrath but to meet His Son who comes with salvation and life.
            Our problem today is not merely that we don't get all that upset about sin and morality.  Our problem is that we do not hunger and thirst for forgiveness and righteousness.  We have grown casual and complacent.  The message is not urgent because we expect God to meet us as we are – just like everyone else in our lives has to.  We are not moved to live repentant lives because we no longer hunger for God, at least not a God who does not like us just the way we are, still stuck in sin.
            Where preaching does not confront us with this urgency, it is flawed and pointless.  Where we do not hear this compelling call to repentance and faith, we become complacent and oblivious to what God has done and what He has promised to do. 

This morning, the families and friends of the children murdered in Newtown, CT are not complacent.  As our broken world rages with evil in these last days, the devil is found lashing out in much the same if not even more violent ways.  He is seething with rage, because the Savior Christ Jesus has defeated him.  He hates life and loves death.  For these young innocent children whose lives have been cut short, Jesus has died to grant resurrection to life once more.  In Holy baptism He has joined His death and resurrection to sinners to protect our children's bodies and souls for all eternity.  He avenges evil.  He will return to judge what happened and end the violence once and for all.  

“What then shall we do?”  Well, you have heard it said, “you can’t take anything with you when you die.” Truly, truly I say to you, “there is one thing you can take with you, and that is your children”.  You can see them again!  Baptize your children, and grandchildren.  Be diligent to give them more than the material things this world offers.  Keep them and their souls safe in the ark of Christ's holy Church.  Give them the Word of God not only at Church but in the home too.  As parents, be models of the Gospel to your children; let them hear you say “I forgive you” to your spouse.  Teach them how precious all human life, from conception onward, truly is. 

Ultimately, John was not speaking for himself.  No preacher does.  The message is God's, though the voice may belong to the preacher. Advent is not about the call of God that comes to us today to prepare for the coming of the Savior to be born in Bethlehem.  It is much more than that.  Advent is instead a time to prepare for His return to finish His new creation.  He is calling to us not to shape up for judgment, but to prepare for the completion of the work of God began in Bethlehem, to Calvary, and to the Garden of the Empty Tomb, to His Ascension and finally to the coming of Jesus Christ on the Last Day. 

There is a sadness that we all feel as a result of the terrible events of this past week.  Yet in Christ there is also hope and expectation as we await the Day when Christ comes to seal His victory for all eternity.  As you wait, repent and live daily in the light of God's mercy. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.  And be saved. 

Rejoice in the Lord always, Again, I say rejoice! (Phil. 4:4) Jesus said, “Behold, I make all things new.” (Rev. 21:5) Even so, come Lord Jesus, In His name we pray, Amen.

(Special thanks to Rev. Peters for the main direction of this sermon, and Rev. Sherill for some of the main thoughts concerning the shooting murders in Newtown, CT.)

ChrisTmas

Week of Second Sunday in Advent 12/12/12, Sermon ~ Rev. J.C. Olson

Often the Season of Advent becomes merely pre-Christmas, a time to prepare to meet the Baby Jesus in the manger. Of course, we all know that we cannot travel back in time to meet him. This would be like saying during the four weeks prior to Martin Luther’s birthday, “now is the time to prepare to meet the great theologian Martin Luther”. Everybody knows that we cannot prepare for an event that has already occurred.

A better way to understand the first coming of the Messiah, the incarnation, is that it enables us to look forward with joy to Christ’s second coming in judgment. Because of Jesus’ path from the manger to the cross to the grave and to His glorious resurrection, we can lift up our heads to see the kingdom of Christ coming to its fulfillment among us now today.

The Lord through His speaking brings judgment upon His people. His Law crushes our claims of righteousness. No greater burden could be placed on the human heart than to face the judging and powerful word of God’s Law. When God speaks His Law against our sins are revealed. “Out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem”. (Is. 2:3)

Judgment falls on us each and every day. The goal of such judgment is to produce repentant hearts, willing and wanting to hear and receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is through the Word made Flesh that God chose to judge His people. In Christ, God graciously grants us pardon and forgiveness. In Christ, God graciously gives to us a perfect life, suffering and death that satisfies God’s wrath and demands for justice because of our sinfulness.

The Christian Church exists on earth to proclaim and send forth the message of forgiveness in Christ. For it is the Word of God alone that creates and sustains faith in the hearts of people. Holy men of God were moved by the Holy Spirit to write down that the Lord comes to judge His children not guilty through the incarnate Christ. This is what, or rather WHO the Bible is all about.

The Lord will use His shepherds, His pastors, to instruct you in the Word of God. Christ commissions men to speak on His behalf, telling us that in His first coming there is Spirit and life that will stand at His second coming in Judgment.

Christ’s second coming on the Last Day holds no terror for us Christians because Christ’s first coming in the incarnation tells us the meaning of His ultimate return. In these last days, through His speaking, we will be declared blameless, and there will be peace on earth and good will from God toward man. Christ paid the ultimate price that we may have peace now and at the last.

Christ comes to bring peace with God, a peace that remains forever a gift of God. If left to figure out our own plan of salvation, we would be forever sharpening our swords to kill this God who demands holiness and righteousness. Like a child who pitches a temper tantrum when he doesn’t get his fruit snacks when he demands them for breakfast at 7 in the morning, we are born on a warpath against our gracious God. And like a parent who holds tightly to a child who is raging out of control, our God smothers us in His Son’s weak body offered for us upon the cross.

The Christ child leads us in the way of peace. He alone rescues those who desire to make war on God and His Word. So why did He come? He came to “give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace”. (Luke 1:79) Christ has defeated all our enemies of sin, death and the power of the devil and even war itself. By His blood of the New Testament, give and shed for you, for the forgiveness of all your sins, Christ declares all hostility between Himself and you to be over.

In the end, instruments of war will become signs of peace. After WWII, all the naval scrap iron was converted into raw materials to be reused by cruise ships, skyscrapers, and cars. Material once used to wage war was recycled and used to produce things that were symbols of peace and prosperity. The ultimate sign of warfare with God is the cross of Christ. God converted that which had been our weapon against His Son into the sign of our new life in Christ, who died to save us and give us life.

Though God’s plan of salvation began in a feeding trough for animals, thankfully it did not end there. For what did He come? Jesus went on in his short earthly life to keep the Law of God in your place, die upon the cross for your sins, and be raised from the dead for your justification. All of the seasons of the Church year find their fulfillment in the Cross of Christ.

Merciful God, Your Son, Jesus Christ, was lifted high upon the cross that He might bear the sins of the world and draw all people to Himself. Grant that we, who glory in His death for our redemption, may faithfully heed His call to bear the cross and follow Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

October 8 -- Determan Wedding Sermon

Please take a look at the back of the wedding bulletin. I would like to begin by reading the thank you that Matt and Liz wrote to all of you gathered here today.

As we stand before you today it is difficult to find words to express the feelings of love and joy we share with you. God has truly blessed us. Thank you for being part of this day as we vow our love and commitment to one another before God and you. It is our prayer that from this day on we continue to grow closer to each other and closer to God. We would like to extend a sincere thank you to all of you for the support and encouragement to make this day possible.

I do not believe much in coincidence. By Divine providence, Matt and Liz mention the very thing I want to emphasize to them this afternoon. And that is that you need to pay careful attention to your pledge in the marriage vows you will speak this day before your family and friends, your pastor and before this altar. They are not easy or light. They are serious. But, that being said, you are not asked anything that you cannot control. You are not asked to make promises about your emotions. You are not asked to "be in love" with one another; to be happy together, to like each other, or to set off sparks and warm, fuzzy feelings in each other. Before God, in His holy house, you are to be asked about what you intend to do.

Matt, will you have Liz as your wife, sacrifice your pride and ego; your wants and desires and be defined instead by her wants and desires? Will you cling to her? Will you remain with her and none other? Will you love her, comfort her, and honor her?

Liz, will you submit to Matt as the Church submits to Christ and His Word? Will you respect him and his leadership as the head of your household? Will you remain with him and none other? Will you love him, comfort him, and honor him?

Will you both be together what God intends for marriage? Will you Matt be the head of the marriage and will you Liz be its heart? For when this is so neither one is more important than the other, and neither can survive alone.

Don't come back and say, "We fell out of love." So what? That doesn't affect the promises you make this day one bit. These promises that you make before God and to each other are all made today without condition or limitation, no matter what, come what may, in good days and in bad, whether she (or you) keeps her (or your) end of the bargain or not. And besides, those who can “fall out of love” can “fall back into love” again. So if it happens, and sin certainly happens, get help. Marriage between two sinful people always has its difficulties. Don't give up. Marriage is for life. And that means unto death.

Unto death. It is kinda scary, isn't it? It should be. Part of you dies this day. The old part, the individual part, the selfish look out for your own well-being self. That self is sacrificed for the new, for the one flesh that you will be, for the joy that is living according to God's Word in the Holy estate of Marriage. Unto death means putting up with things you think you have some control over. It means even through sickness, poverty, mood swings, silly quarrels, whose turn it is to load the dishwasher, what color and which room needs painting, and $1000 car repairs because she forgot to check the oil. It means suffering for and alongside one another as friends and family die. It means sacrificing and dying for one another even when you know you’re right. This gets us a little closer to what it means when you say “even unto death”.

Marriage has been created by God and given to His children for their good. It is a mystery like unto the Church Herself, and even her Sacraments. Thus the vow and promise you make to one another on this day is but a repeating of the vow and promise Jesus has made, and fulfilled, to you. All the things you say to God and one another about what you will be to one another He has said and done perfectly for you by Christ!

For each of you are, first and foremost, His holy, beloved, and chaste Bride. Christ has taken you by the waters of Holy Baptism, placed His Name upon you; He has given you life. Jesus has loved, comforted, honored, and kept you. He has been faithful unto death, even death on a cross. All this He has done solely out of Fatherly, Divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in you. He has loved you and been faithful, steadfast and patient. He has cared for you when you broke His commandments. He has been there, like the father of the prodigal son, eager to take you back, to welcome you and rejoice at your return. He is quick to forgive. He has been faithful unto death, dying in your place, for your guilt, and giving you His life and inheritance. His love is so great that death could not hold Him. He who died to justify you, has risen again to sanctify you by the power of His Word!

The fact of the matter is that you won't keep your promise perfectly toward each other as Jesus keeps His to you. You'll sin. Your sins will hurt the ones you love; often times the ones you love the most. They always do. But Jesus’ concrete and ongoing forgiveness, mercy, and compassion, His grace and steadfast love, will give you the strength to forgive, to love, and to be merciful toward each other. Living in His Grace you are free to do what you promise this day: free to be faithful, to be loving, to speak gently and kindly, to sacrifice yourself for your wife, and for you Liz to submit to your husband, to be generous, and above all, to be forgiving. Even when you don't feel like it, even when it hurts or is embarrassing, the love of Christ is strong enough to make marriage last a lifetime.

So pay careful attention to the pledge and vows this day. They are not easy or light. They are serious, as serious as death. But in Christ, who makes all things new, they are possible and in them is perfect joy. For He has kept them for you. He has taken up your sicknesses and shame, broken down the walls that held you in, paved the road to heaven. He has paid for your transgressions, mistakes, and inconsistencies. There is no one to accuse. Death, serious though it is, has been satisfied by Him who has been faithful unto death. It has no hold over you. You are free. Free to love each other as God intends. Free to be one, in Christ. God bless you. In the name of + Jesus, Amen.

Sermon for Those People Who Didn't Hear the Gospel at the Church They Attended Today or for Those Who Slept In This Morning

Ninth Sunday after Trinity
21 August 2011
Rev. Jon C. Olson

The “dishonest manager” and “the sons of this world” are wiser than the “sons of light” because they recognize how desperate their situation is and go about their business with a focus and passion for improving it.

Christians are the “sons of light”. Here Jesus gives His Church a warning not to become lazy and complacent. Jesus wants the “sons of light” to be just as zealous and passionate as the dishonest manager in His parable. But what do we find when will we look at our lives? Do we have the same zeal and passion as the dishonest manager? It is easier and less work just to give in to our sinful flesh and selfish desires. And the devil likes and encourages you and I to do it. But you cannot run with the devil, thinking he likes you, for very long. Soon he will destroy you. There is no lasting comfort, no real joy or satisfaction in the things he promises. The evil things, which smell so sweet, seem so attractive, so full of wonderful things, turn on us. They betray us and hand us over to embarrassing diseases, family pain, awkward failures, shame, and haunting memories. When will we learn to stop pursuing the things that hurt us and those around us? Why seek sappy sentiments and shallow praise when God Himself speaks in His Word and invites you to feast upon Him? Why remain comfortable by keeping silent compared to speaking the Truth in love to our family and friends caught up in sinful behavior? Repent. God’s people—the baptized, the confirmed, the members of His churches—often do not consider what they are doing and the risk they are taking. Repent.

Beware. Be on guard. Turn before it is too late. With zeal and single-mindedness, seek your own good. But unlike the dishonest manager, seek goodness not in money or the things of this world. Seek goodness where it may be found - in the promises declared in God's Word. Then go on and liive your life, use the wealth entrusted to you, toward the account you will give on the Last Day.

For there is an account to be given, an explanation, a running through of the events that take place throughout your life. And what will you say to the Almighty? Will you point to your deeds, to your sincerity and good intentions, to your charity and life? Will you make excuses for when you did not keep God’s Word? Will you justify your own sinful behavior? No. You will rejoice and not be afraid. For you will say: "I am Baptized into Christ. He because I could not pay it, paid the full redemption price. His works are mine. I am clean, pure, and righteous. I have come to receive my full inheritance. For the Innocent Blood of the Son of God shed by violent and wicked men has been recklessly poured out for me in mercy and compassion to purge me of my own violence and wickedness. God the Father through His Son, Jesus Christ, has made it so that I might be His own and live under Him in His kingdom forever. He has justified me because I cannot justify myself, He has adopted me into His family of the “sons of light”, and rescued me from sin, death and the power of the devil. He has named me. I have no debts, no dishonor, no guilt, no shame, or regret. I have Christ. The voice of Jesus has called me here. In Him, though my sins were like scarlet, they are as white as snow. Though they were red like crimson, they are as wool—for the Blood of Christ has not stained them. The blood of Christ has instead washed my sins away and made me clean.”

And while we wait that account-giving Day, doing everything in the Name of the Lord with passion and intensity, by its approach and the Hope that is in us—we are generous with all that the Lord has given us to manage. We perform works of mercy, the philanthropy of the Creator through our lives, by giving away the gifts of creation and by offering to the world forgiveness and salvation in His Name without cost or price. All things are brought into His service: music we sing and listen to, art that declares the goodness of creation, jobs that serve others, food to sustain us in this life, recreation (like beach vacations in South Carolina), family gatherings—in short, all of our life. Everything is pressed into the service of this proclamation, this hope: "God, who sacrificed His Son to make us His children, will not abandon us to this fallen world, to the abuse of dishonest managers, to the abuse of our own foolish, selfish ways, or even to the abuse of the devil. God will not send us to Hell. The Father is merciful in Christ. He is faithful unto death. He is coming back to claim His own. We have a Friend in heaven, an Advocate before the Father, whose goodwill has been bought with what is not ours. He will receive us into heaven for He has paid for our sins. We are forgiven."

Our lives, everything we have, everything we do, everything we are hinge upon forgiveness in Christ Jesus. There is nothing else. Let us run with our eye on the prize. Let us be as shrewd and focused as the dishonest manager who looked after himself. Let us come hungry to receive His body and His blood, at His invitation, and feast upon that which is truly good and good for us: the Risen Lord. His Body and His Blood shall free us from the strangle hold of death to the liberation of life everlasting with Jesus in heaven. We are now free to be devoted, to be compulsive, and even obsessed Christians who care for others without concern of what it will cost us. Let us be zealous, extreme, and even radical. Let us not be ashamed, for Christ is our Savior, our future, and our reward. In the end, He is the only account we shall give. In Him, Our Father is well pleased - with you.

Sermon and Prayer of the Church: Trinity VI, 11 July 2010

The Sixth Sunday after Trinity
11 July 2010
Rev. Jon C. Olson ~ Our Saviour's Lutheran Church

As long as you try your hardest to be good and do your best to keep the Ten Commandments, God will accept that as “good enough” and grant you eternal life in heaven. Let me state this another way. Would Jesus have had to come and live a perfect life, suffer and die if God only expected you and I to try our hardest?

This morning’s Gospel lesson is about people who believe that God helps those who help themselves. It is about coming in contact with the holiness of God and demanding perfection. It is a belief system that says that ‘good enough’ is good enough. You do your part and God will take care of the rest and do whatever is beyond your ability to accomplish. As long as you show that you are being sincere, that you are at least trying to do something for God, God will in turn do good to you and bless you. In effect, you and God work together to achieve your salvation.

There's a theological term for that. It's called "synergism," it means "working together." I do my part, God does His part. By combining my works and God’s works my salvation is taken care of. There's just one problem. Synergism is also a false teaching not taught in the Bible. In fact, the Bible teaches directly against it. And if the opinion surveys correctly reflect what people believe is right, this false teaching and belief is pretty popular. Something like 40% of people, who call themselves not only Christian but even Lutheran, agree with synergism or ‘you do your part God does the rest’ kind of theology.

In today's Gospel lesson Jesus flat out rejects and condemns synergism when He says,
Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:20)

Your eternal life in heaven does not depend on your doing the best of your ability and trying your hardest. It does not depend on what you do. That is what the Pharisees whole religion was based on. The Pharisees dedicated their whole lives to knowing and keeping God's commands down to the finest detail. Jesus destroyed their whole way of life and thinking.

For example, you think it's hard to tithe and give 10% of your income in offerings. Most of you struggle to give even 3 or 4%. Well, the Pharisees would not only tithe of their income but of all that they possessed, even down to the herbs they would use to prepare their meals. They tried to keep God's Law perfectly, even making up some of their own laws along the way.

What Jesus teaches us is that we have to do even better than that, otherwise there is no chance of entering the kingdom of heaven. Even the upright and righteous Pharisees don't make it. Even outwardly moral and good church going people come up short if that is the criteria for entering heaven.

In the Old Testament God summarized what He demands when He said, "Be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy." And Jesus Himself taught in the Sermon on the Mount, "You shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." Holiness and perfection are not optional demands. They are what the Law requires. Anything less than that is not good enough.

James chapter 2 makes this point very clearly. It says, "Whoever keeps the whole Law, yet fails in just one point, He is guilty of all of it." It's sort of like a balloon. As it freely floats through the air making many little boys happy, all it takes is only one little bump into that little sharp object. That prick in the side of the balloon causes only one little portion of the balloon to be pierced. And yet the result is that the whole thing pops and is ruined. One hole ruins the entire balloon.
That's how it is with God's Law. Even if you were able to keep all of the Law except in that one area, that one point brings down the whole structure of the Law. Summarized the Ten Commandments expect perfect love of God and perfect love of your neighbor. You can't just say, “a little idol worship won’t offend my God, he’s bigger than that.” Or, “Oh, I did that a long time ago when I was young and foolish; I've gotten my act together now.” Or, “Oh, I was just tired and stressed out and in a bad mood when I lost my temper; you can't hold that against me.” To fail in one point of God’s Law is to fail in all of them.

Jesus focuses on one point in today's Gospel lesson, the 5th commandment, "You shall not murder." I'm sure that among just about all of you here this morning no one has murdered their neighbor. But in God's sight this command requires much more than not killing someone or even not hurting someone. It also requires that you do good to your neighbor and help him in all his physical needs. How often do we all wish we had better neighbors? How often do we not even say hello to them?

Can anyone here this morning do any better than the scribes and the Pharisees? Then we will not enter the kingdom of heaven. That's the judgment of the Law. And if we are trusting in the Law and a spirituality we create for ourselves, then we will be delivered to the Judge, who is Christ, and He will judge us according to the way we judge others and ourself, the Law. Jesus will then hand us over to the officer, who is Satan, and we will be thrown into prison, which is hell, until we have paid the last penny of what the Law requires, which as we have learned, we will never be able to do.

Jesus is teaching us here that we must not seek merely an outward righteousness like the Pharisees, but an inward righteousness before God, the righteousness of faith. Faith that places confidence and trust not in ourselves or our own goodness but in Jesus. As the Introit put it, "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped." Only in Christ is there deliverance from the judgment of the Law. For only Christ has performed the Law without fault or failing. Jesus said, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill (them). (Matt. 5:17) Jesus alone has kept the Law. And He did so for you and me in our place to earn our salvation.

Jesus kept the Law perfectly in two ways. First of all, as true God who at the same time had become fully human, Jesus never sinned, as it is written in Hebrews, He was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15) Not only did Jesus not do the things that the commandments forbid, He also did do everything the commandments demand. Not only did He not murder or steal or have impure thoughts, but He also perfectly loved His Father in heaven and His neighbor on earth, showing compassion, healing, doing good and teaching the truth to all. Our Lord lived a holy life as our representative and our substitute, that our unholy lives might be redeemed.

Secondly, Jesus fulfilled the Law by completing all of the old ceremonial requirements regarding the Sabbath and the sacrifices and so forth. By His holy death and burial, Jesus Himself became our eternal Sabbath rest, cleansing us from our sin by His once-for-all sacrifice. All the Old Testament Jewish rules and regulations found their goal and culmination in the person and work of Jesus. He put all of the Jewish rituals of the Old Testament to an end in His crucified body, that the Law might no longer condemn us. Not only did Jesus live a perfectly godly life in our place, He also suffered on the cross the full condemnatory sentence for our imperfect and ungodly lives in order to restore our relationship to God the Father. Our Lord is now risen from the dead that we might be freed from judgment and given new life and a sure hope.

So it is that the words of Jesus which seemed to be impossible are now, in fact, true in Him:
Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matt. 5:20)

The sort of faith in Jesus necessary to enter heaven is not to know the answers to a test or to have some intellectual understanding about the creation of the world, or to be able to explain the Holy Trinity. Having faith means to have a living and bold trust that Jesus’ promises are true. To have faith in Christ is to trust that because of Jesus’ righteousness given to us in baptism our righteousness not only exceeds that of the Pharisees but it is complete and holy. Our works do not enter into the picture.

In our baptisms we receive the perfect righteousness of Jesus. In them God the Father has declared us to be holy in His sight. He didn't just demand that you straighten out your life, He gave you a whole new life, the life of Jesus that is full and complete and perfect and everlasting. Through Christ you will enter the kingdom of heaven. To believe and trust that promise is what it means to have faith.
And just in case you are tempted to fall back into your old life of sin and death and the bondage of the Law and say to yourself, "Hey, all that counts for my salvation is what Jesus did and not what I do; that means I can live however I please, right?" To that, St. Paul says this in the Epistle,
Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? (Romans 6:1)

Which is to say, how shall we who have been freed from hell's prison purposely go back and put ourselves in chains and behind bars again? That's exactly what we've been liberated from! Why would we willingly want to be anywhere near there and risk falling away from Christ and our eternal salvation in heaven with Him?

The old Adam was crucified with Christ, that the body of sin might be done away with through repentance, that no one should any longer be slaves of sin. By grace we have been given the ability to walk by faith in the newness of Christ's life. We are declared to be dead to sin, and alive to God in Christ. For just as you have been united with Him in His death, you will surely also be united with Him in the resurrection of the body when He comes again. To Him with the Father and the Holy Spirit belongs all worship, honor, glory, and praise, forever and ever. Amen.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Prayer of the Church
Sixth Sunday after Trinity
July 11, 2010

P Having been buried with Jesus by baptism into His death, let us bring our petitions to God the Father in all boldness and confidence:

P Father in heaven, we confess that apart from Christ we have no righteousness. Yet we rejoice that, because Your Son has died and risen for us, in our baptisms You promise that our righteousness is now perfect and free from your condemnation. Because we know the hope that You have laid up for us in heaven, let others see in us a confident faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and a caring love for all those in need. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.

P Father in heaven, by Your grace we have died to sin, yet sin continues to have its way with us. Fill us all with a repentant faith that knows we have been buried with Christ through baptism into His death. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.

P Father in heaven, guide the delegates and leaders of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod as they meet in convention this week. Give them faithfulness to You and your Word and a zeal to confess the Gospel of Jesus’ salvation to all people. Direct them to decisions that bring glory to You, strengthen Your Church, unite us in Your truth, proclaim Your salvation, and show mercy to our neighbors. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.

P Father in heaven, Your love unites us with You and with every member of Your holy Church throughout the world. We pray for our sisters and brothers in Christ, especially all congregations and pastors of the Pipestone Circuit, the MNS District and the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Give them and us spiritual wisdom so that we may all walk together in a manner worthy of You. Lord in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.

P Father in heaven, as Your Son showed Your mercy and compassion to us when He went to the cross in our place, give Your loving care to everyone in need. Watch over the elderly and aging, those in nursing homes, and those under long-term care [especially ____]. Give to them a fervent faith in You throughout their troubles, and deliver them from their struggles in the way that You know will best serve their eternal needs. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.

P Father in heaven, when You saw us dead in our trespasses and sins, You did not pass by, but came into our world to rescue us. Thank you for the gift of salvation. Thank you for all of Your goodness to us, [especially for (uniting Tim Stotz and Amy Powers in Marriage)]. Give them and us grateful hearts that praise You for Your love and look to You for everything good. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.

P Into Your hands, heavenly Father, we entrust our lives and the lives of those for whom we pray; for You live and reign with Your Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.