Confess Your God before the World! (Acts 17:22-31)

May 29, 2011


Dear friends in Christ.

Have you ever wondered why we take time out of each service to confess our Christian faith with the words of either the Apostles’ or the Nicene Creed? Well, if you ever have wondered why we do this the answer I’m about to give you might surprise you just a little, because the reason we confess our faith in our God is not because our God needs to be reassured that we do truly trust in him. It’s not because our God needs to be encouraged by our faith or have his ego built up by knowing that his followers do truly trust in him and believe in him. Instead, the reason we confess our faith each and every week is so that we might build each other up in our faith and our trust in our God. It is so that we can build each other up in our confidence that we do indeed believe in the all-powerful Lord our God who cares for us and watches over us. It is so that we might assure each other in our belief that the Lord is our God. Well this is exactly what the Apostle Paul is doing in our lesson today; he is confessing his faith in the Lord in front of, essentially, all the world. He is confessing the Lord as his God before the people of Athens who have gathered to hear the “new teaching” that Paul was brining to the people. In short, Paul is confessing the Lord as the God of all and the Savior of all people as he stood before the people of Athens in the Areopagus. Just as Luke records Paul speaking in our lesson today; Paul says, “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.” (Acts 17:22-24).

Now, for the Athenians, to hear that the God who had made the world and everything it was the Lord of all, would have been a bit of a surprise to them. After all the people of Athens, indeed all the people of the Greek Islands had an entire Pantheon of gods who were responsible for any number of the aspects of their lives. In fact, according to the Greek Myths, the gods that they were currently worshiping were not the gods who had made the world. Rather they were the gods who had taken over from the previous godly government of the Titans. So hearing Paul confess that the Lord God was indeed the Lord of all would have been a surprise to them. After all, the Athenians were indeed a very religious people. They were a people who lived in a city filled with shrines, and temples, and statues dedicated to all sorts of gods and goddesses. They lived in a city where every square had its own little shrine and every gate had its own protecting gods. They were a community where every house had its own shrine and each person who lived there in worshiped their own personal protecting god or goddess. But the most remarkable part of the city was the statue of the goddess Athena which had been built in the Acropolis, a hill towering 150 feet over the city. This was a 75 foot tall statue, with face, and hands, and feet carved from the purest ivory. This was a statue that was draped in coverings of glittering gold. This was a statue which the sailors used as a land mark as they sailed near the city. This was a statue that the people of Athens worshipped as one of their many gods and goddesses.

Just imagine the scene as Paul confessed the Lord before the people of Athens. There he was, standing before a group of maybe 500 men who had gathered to hear him. Maybe 50 feet to the South East of where he was stood the Acropolisthe impressive temple and fortress designed to protect the citywhere the great statue of Athena stood. Then, below the Acropolis, the city with all its temples, and shrines, and household gods, and here was Paul making his confession before the people that God is the Lord of all. Here was Paul saying, “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ ” (Acts 17:24-28).

In the same way that Paul confessed the Lord before the people of Athens in our lesson today, he is confessing the Lord before you and me today. He is reminding us that the Lord our God is indeed the Lord of all, and he is encouraging us to make the same bold confession before the world today, because we too, are living in a world that is also filled with all sorts of religious ideas. We are living in a world where the teachings of reincarnation are becoming widely accepted. Though this was once an Eastern philosophy, there are many people in America who not only believe that they have lived previous lives, but they also believe that when they do die they will be reincarnated and return to the world in some other form. We are living in a world where more and more people are putting their faith and their hope in angels, rather than in the Lord their God. We are living in a world where people are more worried about being spiritual than they are worried about being religious. We are living in a world where more and more people are turning from the worship of the true God to the worship of false gods like Buddha, Confucius, the Dalai Lamma, Allah (the god of Islam), their own ancestors, the saints in heaven, and yes, there are even some who have such regard for the pope that they essentially worship him as a god on earth. Not only that, but we are living in a day and age where people are looking for guidance from spirits, spirits who they believe come to them and guide them in their lives.

It is because of all of this that the Apostle Paul is calling on us to confess our faith in the Lord our God and confess it to the world. He is calling on us to confess our God to the world lest we be deceived by any of these false teachings. He is calling on us to confess our faith to the world so that we might not be taken in by the generic ideas of God that are so pervasive in our society today! He is calling on us to make a clear confession of the Lord our God and our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior, because there is so much false teaching in the world that wants to group all Christians into one big category, even though there are very clear differences between churches of different denominations. This is why Paul is calling on us to confess the Lord our God before the World, so that all the world might know that Jesus is the Lord our Savior who has freed us from our sins. This, in fact, is the very clear confession that Paul made as he stood before the members of the Areopagus and said: “Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone--an image made by man's design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:29-31).

Though in what Luke records for us, Paul never had the opportunity to specifically mention Jesus Christ as their Savior, he gave a clear confession when he called them to repent. He gave a clear confession when he told them that the Lord has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he appointed. He gave them a clear confession when he stated that God had raised this man from the dead. If Paul had not been interrupted by some of the members of the Areopagus at that moment, you can sure that Paul’s next sentence would have been, “And that man is Jesus Christ, the Savior of us all!” But even though he was never able to say those words, there were many people who repented of their sins that day. Even though he was not able to say those words, there were a number of people who came to faith in Jesus Christ that day. Even though he was not able to mention Jesus as the Son of God, there were many who came to realize that the Lord Jesus was their one and only Savior that day, through Paul’s clear confession.

This is the same confession that Paul is making to us today when he calls on us to repent! For he is calling on us to repent of our many sins! He is calling on us to repent of the times that we have not made a clear confession of God as Lord. He is calling on us to repent of the sins we have committed in being lax in our gathering for worship. He is calling on us to repent of our stubborn refusal to study his Word. In short he is calling on us to make confession of every sin and iniquity we have committed before our God. Then, as we stand before the Lord exposed and naked, Paul reminds us that the Lord our Savior has removed our sins. Though he may have never spoken those words in our text, he clearly brought them to memory when he spoke about the man whom God raised from the dead. For in raising Jesus from the dead, he assured us that all our sins have been forgiven. Every sin we’ve ever committed! Our laxity in attending worship for the strengthening of our faith; it has been forgiven. Our stubborn refusal to study his Word; it has been forgiven. Even our failure to utter a clear confession, it has been forgiven. All our sins have been forgiven by the Lord Jesus who is our Savior. This, then, becomes our confession which we want to bring to the world. Not merely that our sins have been forgiven. Rather, the confession that all sins have been forgiven by the Lord who is our Savior.

What better message could there be for us to carry to the world than the clear message of the Gospel. After all, our world today is not that different from Athens in Paul’s day. As a people we are very religious, or at least, very spiritual. There are many different people who believe many different things. Some people clearly believe and teach that we must live a good life in order to be saved. Others have clearly believe and teach that it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are sincere in your believe. Still others believe and teach that there are many roads that lead to eternal life. Clearly there are many people who need to know what we know. There are many people who need to hear the clear confession of the Lord our God and Jesus our Savior. There are many, many people in our world who are in serious need of the message that Jesus Christ, their Savior, is the only way to eternal life. There are many people who need us to bring this message to them. This is our mission, to spread the message that the Lord is the Savior of all. This is now our challenge, to confess our Lord before the world. So as you step out those doors today and enter the mission field before you, make the most of every opportunity that the Lord gives you to make your clear confession of Jesus as the Savior of all, by inviting someone to worship with us. Go out and make that clear confession, by talking to someone about their Savior. Go out and make that clear confession by talking about your faith when someone asks you about the hope you have. Only don’t be silent! For when we are silent, our confession is not heard. But when we active our confession about the Lord our Savior is heard loud and clear.

Though today we will not be confessing our Christian faith after the sermon, we were all built up when we confessed it together earlier. For it is through our confession of faith that we build each other up in faith in the Lord of God. But it is also through that same confession that we bring to the world that the world may come to know God who is the Lord and Savior of all.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church -Le Sueur, MN

Fight the Good Fight of Faith (1 Timothy 6:12)

October 3, 2010

Dear friends in Christ.

It was a fight that some of you may have seen, or at least read about in the newspapers, or even seen in specials on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. It was a fight that was announced, advertized, promoted, hyped, and talked about for months before and for years after. It was a fight between speed and strength, agility and endurance. It was a fight that boxing promoters named, “The Fight of the Century”—the first boxing match between champion Joe Frazier and challenger Muhammad Ali, held on March 8, 1971 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. By the evening of the match, Madison Square Garden had a circus-like atmosphere, with scores of policemen to control the crowd. Yet, spectators were not disappointed as the fight itself exceeded even its promotional hype by lasting the full 15 rounds. Ali dominated the first three rounds, peppering the shorter Fraizer with rapier-like jabs that raised welts on the champion's face. Frazier began to dominate in the fourth round, catching Ali with several of his famed left hooks and pinning him against the ropes to deliver tremendous body blows. Ali's speed and combinations kept him on even terms with Frazier and the fight was about even until late in round 11. During that round Frazier caught Ali with a crushing left hook that almost floored Ali, sending him falling into the ropes. Ali managed to survive the round, but from then on Frazier seemed to come back in the next three rounds. At the end of round 14 Frazier held a lead on the three scorecards. Early in round 15, Frazier landed a spectacular left hook that put Ali on his back (for only the third time in his career). Ali, his right jaw swollen grotesquely, got up from the blow quickly, and managed to stay on his feet for the rest of the round despite several terrific blows from Frazier. A few minutes later the judges made it official: Frazier had retained the title with a unanimous decision, dealing Ali his first professional loss.

Since that March night nearly 40 years ago, sports commentators still say that there hasn’t really been anything like that Fight of the Century. For no matter how you look at it, both fighters can be seen as examples of strength, endurance, and a willingness to keep on fighting no matter how greatly the odds are stacked against them. In fact, even as Christians, these men can be examples to us, especially when we consider the impact of what Paul is telling us in our lesson today! For as Paul speaks to us from more than 40 years ago, he is telling each and every one of us to Fight the Good Fight of Faith! Turn with me to 1 Timothy 6:12. Now, as you are turning to 1 Timothy 6:12, let me give you a little bit of background to this verse. Timothy was in Ephesus. Paul had left him there when he traveled on to Macedonia on his way to Jerusalem. Paul had left Timothy there for the stability of the congregation and so that Timothy might command certain men not to teach false doctrine. Paul, on the other hand had traveled to Jerusalem, where he had been arrested and imprisoned. He had been transferred to Caesarea where he was tried again, appealed to Caesar, and transferred to Rom. Now, as Paul writes to Timothy he is in prison in Rome, waiting for his appeal to be heard by the Emperor. As he writes he tells Timothy in verse 12, “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:12, NIV)

What better words could Paul have given Timothy as he served the congregation in Ephesus leading them in God’s Word, and what better words could the Lord speak to us through Paul than these! Fight the Good “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:12, NIV) What better words could there be for us to hear than these, especially when we consider the fight we have been in, since the day we were called to faith. Though we don’t have TV crews covering our every move or boxing promoters delivering the play by play action, each and every one of us is involved, not merely in the fight of the century, but in the fight of faith. For the truth is, on the day that we were called to faith, Jesus Christ, who was at one time our enemy, marched boldly into satan’s camp and rescued us from our enslavement there. He brought us into the hospital of his salvation. He laid us on the gurney of his love. He took a bowl of his own blood and began to wash the filth of our sins from our hearts, from our minds, and even from our bodies. He applied the salve of his grace to our small cuts and our deep wounds so that they would heal. He discarded the filthy stinking rags of our sinful lives and dressed us in robes of his righteousness, marking us as his redeemed children and people. Then, he began training us with his word so that we might be ready to fight the good fight of faith.

For you see, ever since the day our Savior rescued us from satan and brought us into his kingdom by faith, we became satan’s opponents. On that very day that our Savior called us to faith, we stepped into the boxing ring of life and began our toe to toe battle with the devil. But unlike the fight of the century that lasted only 15 rounds, the good fight of our faith is a fight that lasts until the final bell rings and our Savior takes us home to heaven. Each morning as we wake, we hear the sound of the bell marking the next round in the fight of our faith. We see our opponent, satan, coming out of his corner ready to deliver blow after blow, hoping that each blow might weaken us or knock us down. Each day we feel our adversary landing blow after blow weakening our resolve to fight back, confusing us into accepting his temptations, knocking us to the mat in hopes that this time he has finally knocked the faith out of us so that he might be declared victorious in this fight of faith.

Yet, even though satan may land some stinging blows and even knock us to the mat on more occasions than we care to admit, we are not alone in this fight of faith. Jesus is in our corner and he is backing us the whole way. Not only is he our coach who has taught us how to fight with his Word. He is the one who buckled the championship belt of his truth around our waists and taped our hands with his righteousness. He is the one who fitted our feet with the readiness that comes from the gospel and gloved us with the word of God. He is the one who equips our faith to defend against the vicious blows of our enemy, and to attack, peppering our enemy with all the power and force of his Word. It is the Lord Jesus who strengthens our arms with his powerful word so that our blows leave welts on satan’s face. When we grow weary in the fight, it is Jesus who refreshes us with the refreshing waters of his grace and salvation. When we can barely keep our gloves up to defend ourselves, it is Jesus who rings the bell and gives us a respite so that we might regain our strength in his Word. When we are so tired that all we want to do is lay on the mat and be counted out, it is Jesus who steps in and fights for us, comforting us with the assurance of his salvation, soothing our wounds with the salve of his gospel, and washing us clean, once again, with the blood of the covenant, the blood that he poured out for you and me when he went to the cross in our place. This is our Savior who calls on each and every one of us to “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:12, NIV)

Though he calls us to fight, we do not fight alone. Though we may not always feel ready to fight, he gives us so many opportunities to prepare ourselves with his Word. He invites us to join together week in and week out in this house of worship where he provides his word without cost and without price. He invites us to gather as children to learn the precious truths of salvation from our teachers in Sunday School. He invites us to gather as young adults and delve into the deeper truths of his Word in Confirmation Class. He invites us to gather as adults and examine the precious truths of salvation in Bible Study. He invites us to gather as families to confess our sins, receive forgiveness, to pray to him, to praise him, to hear his Word proclaimed to him and to worship him with all our hearts. He invites us to use the time with which has blessed us to grow in our faith and our knowledge of him so that we are better prepared to continue fighting the good fight of faith against our enemy, the devil.

This is our Fight of Faith. Though we don’t have any sportscasters writing about it or giving play by play commentary as Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali did, we still fight on. Though our fight is much longer than the grueling 15 rounds that they went, we can learn a great deal from their endurance. Though each one had been guaranteed $2.5 million just for fighting, this fight wasn’t about the money; it was about taking hold of the title, Heavy Weight Champion of the World. For us, the same thing is true. We don’t fight the good fight of faith because we are being paid for it. We don’t fight the good fight of faith because we derive recognition from it. We don’t fight the good fight of faith because the world is cheering us on. We fight the good fight of faith because we want to take hold of the eternal life that is ours by faith. We fight because we long for the day when the final bell will ring and we will be declared victorious through faith in Jesus Christ. We long for the day when our Savior will bring us to the halls of heaven and bestow upon us the crowns of victory that he promised when he called us to faith. We long for the day when the faith that God our Savior instilled in our hearts will be fully confirmed as we live by his side forever in heaven.

So as you go from here today, heed the words that Paul wrote to Timothy and us nearly 2000 years ago. “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:12, NIV)

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN

Embrace the Flame that Jesus Kindled (Luke 12:49-53)

Dear friends in Christ.

When I was about 12 I became the grill master for our family. Though it started off rather slowly with only a few opportunities, I quickly embraced my new position because I loved everything about it. Though we didn’t have a gas grill, or even a Weber, I embraced every part of my task, but my favorite part was lighting the charcoal. Now, you have to understand, we didn’t use lighter fluid. We had a charcoal lighting cylinder type of thing. We placed crumpled newspaper on the bottom. Over the newspaper was a metal grate where we first put the charcoal we had used for the last grilling before we added the new stuff. I can still remember how fun it was to light the newspaper kindling and watch as the flames grew, lighting first the older charcoal before it light the new. I remember watching with amazement as the kindling gave way to glowing briquettes that eventually produced flames that leaped out of the top of that cylinder. Well, in the same way that I used to kindle the flames that cooked the food on our family’s grill, our Savior has kindled the flames of faith that we embrace in our hearts to this day, by his death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead.

In fact, now that our Savior has done kindled the flame of faith in our hearts, our we hear our God calling on us to embrace the flame that Jesus kindled. To do that we want to take a closer look at our Gospel lesson in Luke 12:49-53, which can be found on page 1032 of your Bibles. As you’re turning to Luke 12:49 let me refresh your memories as to what has been going on. Though we’ve been studying chapter 12 for the last three weeks, we have not been wanting for good teaching. After all, it was in this chapter that Jesus warned us against all kinds of greed as he taught us to find our true wealth in the Lord our God. It was in this Chapter that we saw just how precious we are to the Lord our God and how the Lord invites us to rejoice as we look forward to the return of our Savior; knowing that our God has already given us the keys to the kingdom of heaven through faith in Jesus. Now, today, as Jesus continues his discourse with his disciples and the crowd of thousands he is revealing to us the very nature of his mission here on earth, and he is inviting each and every one of us to embrace the flame that Jesus himself kindled when he went to the cross. Let’s look at Luke 12:49-51 where Jesus is speaking and says: “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.” (Luke 12:49–51, NIV)

As Jesus spoke to the thousands who had gathered to hear him, he revealed to them the very purpose of his mission here on earth. Though so many had thought of the Messiah as the great peace bringer who would bring an end to the Roman tyranny, re-establish the sovereignty of the Jewish Nation, and rule on the throne for many years, returning the glory days of David and Solomon along with the same level of peace and prosperity, Jesus clearly revealed that his mission was not an act of peace, but an act of war! Jesus mission was to infiltrate satan’s territory, to seek out the lost sheep of Israel, and to proclaim freedom for the captives. This is what Jesus had been doing for the last three years as he cut a path of destruction through satan’s territory. Not actual destruction, mind you, but spiritual destruction; for everywhere that Jesus went he proclaimed the gospel of salvation. He preached the harshest law against the self-righteous servants of satan who thought that they did not need Jesus; and he preached the sweetest gospel of forgiveness to those whom he rescued from satan’s grip; soothing their wounds with the salve of his grace. Now, with only a few months left, Jesus is already preparing himself for the final showdown, the final battle between himself and satan, our enemy—the battle where Jesus would light the fire that will cover the earth. Look back with me at what Jesus is saying in verses 49 and 50: “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!” (Luke 12:49–50, NIV)

With only a few months before the conclusion of his earthly ministry, Jesus tells us that he is more than ready for the conclusion of his mission. He is more than ready to completely destroy satan’s power over us by his death and resurrection from the dead. This is the baptism of which Jesus speaks—his crucifixion where he would forgive the sins of the world, destroy the power of the devil, forever, and where he would kindle the flame that would burn in the hearts of every man and woman until the very last day. This is the flame that was struck when Jesus was crucified; the flame that burns in some hearts as the flame of faith and the flame that burns in other hearts as the flame of offense and unbelief. Though Jesus was by no means eager to see people turn against him in unbelief, he knew it was best to carry out his saving work so that some might believe, be freed from satan, be forgiven of their sins, and receive the gift of eternal life. Though Jesus was by no means eager for his disciples to suffer and be persecuted, he knew that the result of his death and resurrection would be that the message of salvation would be preached to all people. Though Jesus was by no means eager for us to suffer persecution and divisions because we have embraced the flame that Jesus kindled—the flame which now burns in our hearts as faith—he knew that we would find peace, comfort and strength in the message of salvation whenever we faced fiery persecution from those who do not believe. He knew that because we had embraced the flame of faith that Jesus himself had kindled in our hearts, we would take comfort in the knowledge that satan’s power had completely been destroyed. We would take comfort in the knowledge that our enemy no longer holds any power over us. We would take comfort in the knowledge that eternal life in heaven is waiting for us because Jesus’ death and resurrection has washed us clean of all our sins; lighting the flame of faith which we have embraced since we were little children!

The problem is, however, that even though we have embraced the flame of faith that Jesus has kindled in our hearts by his death and resurrection, there are many others who have not embraced it. Instead they have embraced the flame of offense and unbelief where Jesus is concerned, which is exactly what Jesus is speaking about in verses 51-53 of our lesson today. Let’s take a look at what Jesus is saying in Luke 12:51-53: “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” (Luke 12:51–53, NIV)

Sadly, this is exactly what we are seeing in our world today! We are seeing more and more divisions where Jesus is concerned. We are seeing more and more people who are embracing the flame of offense and unbelief. Though Jesus completely destroyed satan’s power when he went to the cross, satan still hasn’t given up! Unlike Lee who simply rode away after the surrender at Appomattox, satan has refused to surrender. Even though Jesus has completely forgiven all sin, satan continually works in the hearts and minds of people doing everything he can to cause people to take offense at the idea that 2000 years ago, some man died on a cross and rose again from the dead. Whenever the message of salvation through faith in Jesus comes up, he is right there whispering to the heart about how foolish it is to believe something like that. He is right there stoking the fires of logic against the idea that the death of some person could possibly forgive sins, because something like that is simply too easy to believe. He is right there in the brain, screaming about how difficult salvation truly is and that if we ever want to attain it we must get busy right now to make it happen for ourselves. Thus, more and more people each day embrace the flame of offense and unbelief rather than the flame of faith.

But what is even sadder still is that we see these very divisions coming to light in our own families! Some of you have seen your own children, who so firmly embraced the flame of faith begin to loosen their grip on that flame and allow the flame of doubt and offense to take up at least partial residence in their hearts soon after the day of their Confirmation. Some of you have seen teens on our own families begin to question the value of worship, fight against their need to go and be bored for an hour by the Word of God, and even begin to keep themselves from fueling the flame of faith that Jesus kindled in their hearts. Some of you have watched your children leave the nest for school or work knowing that now it is up to them to make the decision to embrace the flame of their faith or to allow the flame of offense and unbelief to grow in their hearts. Some of you have seen your adult children change as they began embracing the flame of offense and unbelief. Some of you have faced the frustration of divisions between you and your children or you and your family because these very divisions have taken hold and not every member of your family is embracing that flame of faith that you hold so dear. Some of you may even be at your wits end because of the heart ache you feel for your family, your children, or even your relatives and you are worried about what you can do. Some of you may even be angry with the Lord for allowing such terrible divisions to come from the flame he kindled when he went to the cross.

If you have ever faced divisions like these, or if you’ve ever been worried that they might happen to you, allow me to share with you an illustration of God’s faithfulness to encourage you as you embrace the flame of faith that God himself kindled in your hearts. This illustration comes from a sermon by James MacDonald, which I’m sure that God saw to it that I heard when I was running errands so that I could share it with you. (Clip)

Though some of you may be facing divisions in your families, always remember the faithfulness of our God. Though some of you may be facing difficulties with children who are beginning to embrace the flame of offense rather than the flame of faith, place them in the Lord’s hands through prayer. And trust what the Lord has to say. Look back at Luke 12:52-53 with me one more time, and as we read pay attention to what Jesus does not say. “From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” (Luke 12:52–53, NIV)

Though our Savior tells us that divisions like these can come into our lives, he does not say that they are permanent. He does not say that once the flame of offense and unbelief begins to grow in your heart forever will it dominate your destiny. He also gives us the very weapons we can use against divisions like this. For even before we face divisions like these we need to live our faith as an example to our families, to our children, and even to others. We need to speak with our children and teach them the precious truths of salvation so that as proverbs says, “when they are old they will not turn from it.” We need to encourage our children as they grow, especially if they begin to fall from their secure footing of salvation. We need to pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, and pray for ourselves, for our children, for our families, for our friends, for those who are slipping, for those who are struggling to hold on to the flame of faith, for those who have begun to embrace the flame of offense and unbelief, for those who have fallen away from the faith completely, and especially for those who have not yet heard the message of salvation. We need to do this so that our Savior might kindle or rekindle the flame of faith in the hearts of those who are struggling, fallen away or who have never heard the message so that they too can live in the salvation that Jesus won for them and once again embrace the flame of faith that he first kindled in their hearts.

So, dear friends, heed the invitation of your God to embrace the flame of faith that Jesus has kindled in your hearts. Embrace it in the same way that I embraced the task of grilling and lighting the charcoal for my family. Embrace it, feed it, and watch it grow into an all consuming flame of faith; one which you will never set aside or let go of, ever.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church,--Le Sueur, MN

Plant Your Faith in the One who Holds Power over Death (Luke 7:11-17)

Series: Cultivate your Faith in the Lord
Week 2: Plant your faith in the One who Holds Power over Death (Luke 7:11-17)

Dear friends in Christ.

How old were you when you were first affected by the power of death? For me, I was 13. I was the one who answered the phone that Thursday afternoon when Grandma called to tell us that Grandpa was in the hospital. He had been hanging storm windows, getting the house ready for winter when he simply collapsed. The ambulance had come and taken him to the local hospital, but within an hour of admission he was flown to the major hospital in La Crosse. That evening my parents jumped into the car and left for Wisconsin, where they spent the next few days essentially living in the hospital with Grandma and mom’s two sisters. On Sunday evening, when Mom and Dad returned home, they told us that Grandpa had died earlier that morning, that we would be packing, getting a good night sleep, and heading out in the morning, on our way to a funeral. Though this is something that happened 25 years ago, I can still remember my shock and surprise at death’s power to separate me from my Grandpa. I can still remember looking for comfort and solace as the Pastor shared the Word of God with us, and I remember how that word helped cultivate my faith and encouraged me to plant my faith in Jesus as the one who holds power over death.

Since that day 25 years ago, I have seen the power of death at work on many, many occasions, just as so many of you have also felt it. For the truth is, most of us here have seen the power of death at work separating us from friends or loved ones. Some of us have stood guard at grave sites, honoring fellow members of our armed forces with the presentation of a flag, a salute, the firing of guns, and taps. We have gathered here in our sorrow to say farewell to parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, children, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends when death has wielded its power to separate us from our loved ones. Whether that death came expectedly after a long battle with a terminal illness or it came suddenly and unexpectedly through an accident, a murder, a suicide, a natural disaster, or even from natural causes, no matter how death might come, it’s power to separate us from our loved one is what causes us such great pain and sorrow, grief and heartache.

This is something that most of us have already experienced in a very personal way, as death has already separated us from dear friends or loved ones. But even if you have yet to experience the painful separation of death in such a personal way, the Lord knew that one day, each and every one of us would feel death’s power of separation, which is why he included the account of Jesus raising the young man of Nain from the dead. He included it as a comfort for us in the face of sorrow and an encouragement for us to do the very thing the people did who were present that day, namely plant their faith in Jesus who holds power over death. In fact, let’s take a closer look at that account today. Open your Bibles our Gospel lesson, to Luke 7 and we will take a closer look at how we cultivate our faith in the Lord by planting our faith in Jesus as the one who holds power over death. Luke writes in chapter 7 beginning at verse 11: “Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country. ” (Luke 7:11–17, NIV)

Imagine the scene. Jesus and his disciples had been traveling with large crowds of people following after him ever since he preached the Sermon on the Mount, as we heard last week. In fact, as you remember, after Jesus finished preaching the Sermon on the Mount, he and his disciples together with a large crowd, traveled to Capernaum, where he was amazed by the great faith of the Centurion, whose servant Jesus healed without even stepping foot in the Centurion’s house. Now, soon after that, Jesus traveled with his disciples and a large crowd of people to Nain, a city about 20 miles Southwest of Capernaum. There, as Jesus was approaching the town gate with his large crowd of followers, a funeral procession was leaving the city with a large crowd of mourners following behind. The two groups of people met at that city gate, exactly as Jesus planned it, and there, hundreds if not thousands of people planted their faith in Jesus because they saw him demonstrate his power over death.

As soon as Jesus saw the widow who had lost her only son, his heart ached, he was filled with compassion for her, and he immediately sprang to action. After telling her that she no longer needed to weep, Jesus immediately gave her the ability to fulfill his command. He walked purposefully to those who were carrying the young man, placed his hand on the coffin in an authoritative way so that the men stopped in their tracks, and he spoke to the young man as if he was only sleeping, commanding him to get up. Immediately the young man sat up and began talking! This young man who had been completely lifeless was now alive! Though death’s power had separated him from his mother, Jesus revealed his power over death by reversing death, restoring life, and giving this son back to his mother, alive! Can you imagine the joy that now filled this woman’s heart as her son who had been dead, was given back to her alive! Can you imagine her amazement as death’s power of separation was broken by 8 simple words spoken by Jesus! Can you imagine the fear and the awe that passed through the crowd that day as hundreds, if not thousands of people saw a dead man brought back to life! For on that day, as Jesus demonstrated his power over death, many, many people planted their faith in him as they praised God saying, “A great prophet has appeared among us,” “God has come to help his people.” (Luke 7:16, NIV) Many, many people planted their faith in Jesus as the Messiah who so clearly displayed his power over death itself, and they spread the word about him wherever they went, so that news about Jesus spread throughout the entire land of Israel.

Well, just as so many people planted their faith in the Lord Jesus as the one who holds power over death, so, also as we cultivate our faith in the Lord, we seek to do the same. We seek to plant our faith in Jesus Christ our Savior, because we know that he is the one whose power and authority far surpasses the power of death itself. And that is what we have done! In fact, since we were little children, the faith which the Holy Spirit planted in our hearts is the faith that trusts in Jesus Christ as our Savior from sin and death. Since we were little children, we have been taught about Jesus Christ, our Savior. We have learned how he was born on earth as a little baby; how he grew in wisdom, stature and the fear of the Lord. We learned how Jesus regularly demonstrated himself as the Savior by teaching them to repent and believe the good news of the kingdom of heaven. We learned how Jesus taught the people that he was the Son of God, the Savior who had been promised, who had come into the world to save sinners. We saw the miracles that Jesus performed, turning water into wine, healing those who were sick, restoring sight to the blind, causing the lame to walk, driving out demons, and yes, even raising the dead. Since we were little children we have known and believed that this Jesus is our Savior, whose death and resurrection have freed us from our sins and the fear of death forever!

Now, with this miracle of Jesus raising the young man of Nain back to life, we are being given the opportunity to plant our faith in Jesus as the one who holds power over death. We are assured that just as Jesus raised this young man back to life, so also the Lord will raise us back to life as well. Though our sinful nature demands that we must all, one day, succumb to the consequence of death, as we have planted our faith in Jesus, we no longer have to fear death because our Savior has destroyed the one who holds the power of death, that is the devil. (Hebrews 2:14-15). We no longer need to fear death because God has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57) We no longer need to fear death, because our faith has been planted in Jesus, our Savior. Our faith has been planted in the one who took the slate of our sins and wiped it clean by his death and resurrection. Our faith is planted in the one who has transformed death into nothing more than a sleep—a sleep from which we will awaken, one day, in the halls of heaven.

Because of this, we can be certain that even though we must one day feel the painful separation that death brings, we know that it is but a temporary separation. We know it is but a temporary situation because we know that through faith in Jesus we will one day be reunited with all those who have gone before us to the halls of eternal life. We know that even though we have had to say farewell to parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, children, grandchildren, Aunts, Uncles, cousins and even friends, we know that those who planted their faith in Jesus have merely fallen asleep in him and have woken up by his side in the halls of heaven. Though it is painful to be separated by the ones we love, through faith in Jesus, we know that one day, when the Lord calls us home, we will be reunited with all those who have gone before us. We will be with the Lord forever!

So, dear friends, as you leave here today; continue cultivating your faith in the Lord. Plant your faith in the rich earth of Jesus Christ your Savior. Water it daily with the cool waters of the Word of Life. Till around it with the Law and fertilize it with the Gospel so that this simple plant of your faith, might grow into a great and solid tree of righteousness in the forests of the kingdom of God.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church --Le Sueur, MN

Series: Cultivate your faith in the Lord.

Wield the weapon of God’s Word (Luke 4:1-13)

Dear friends in Christ.

In 2008, DreamWorks Entertainment released the computer animated movie, Kung Fu Panda. Now, if you have kids at home, or Grandkids that like to spend time with you, I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve seen this movie on at least one occasion. But if you haven’t seen it, permit me, if you will, to tell you a little bit about it. Kung Fu Panda is a movie about a lazy, irreverent, slacker panda named, Po, whose greatest desire is to become a kung fu master and fight alongside his heroes—the Furious Five—even though his destiny, if you will, is to follow in his father’s footsteps and one day take over his noodle shop. Yet Po continues to hope that his dreams might come true. A few days later, on the day when the entire village gathers to see who will be chosen as the Dragon Warrior, Po is unexpectedly chosen as that warrior. From that point on, Po goes into strict training to learn how to wield the weapons of a kung fu master. At first things don’t go so well for Po, but as the movie progresses, we see how Po grows in his knowledge and his ability to wield the weapons of a kung fu master.

Now some of you might be wondering why I’m telling you all this. Some of you might be wondering why on earth I’m spending so much time talking about a cartoon panda and his struggles to learn how to wield the weapons of a Kung Fu Master. Well, the reason is simple. For in the same way that Po was taught by his master in the movie, so also, our Master, Jesus is taking time to teach us how to wield the weapon of God’s Word against our enemy, the devil, and the temptations that he continually brings against the fortress of our hearts. Thus, as our text begins this morning, we have Jesus teaching us his first lesson of wielding the weapon of God’s Word when satan seeks to make us doubt God’s promises. Luke writes: “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’” (Luke 4:1–5, NIV)

Now, to fully understand what’s going on, we have to go back a few weeks to the First Sunday after the Epiphany, when we heard about how Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River. We have to go back to that day when the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove and God the Father spoke from heaven giving his approval and saying, “This is my Son whom I love, with him I am well pleased.” We have to go back to that point, because it was immediately after Jesus was baptized that the Holy Spirit led him into the wilderness to do battle against the devil. It wasn’t that Jesus decided to go head to head with satan on the spur of the moment, rather, he was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness according to the will of his heavenly Father so that during those 40 days Jesus might be tempted in every way, just as we are. Though the gospels of Matthew and Luke list only three temptations that Jesus faced, the three temptations serve as a summary of all the other temptations going on during that forty day period. For as the battle began, satan came to Jesus with the very same temptation that worked so well on Eve; the temptation of doubt. Satan sought from the beginning to cause Jesus to doubt who he was and to make him wonder why he, the Son of God, must face such mind numbing hunger from fasting for 40 days and nights. Thus, Satan sought to make Jesus doubt his father’s will for him and tried to move Jesus to act with a demonstration of his power, turning the stones around him into bread. Yet, even as satan attempted this with one single question, Jesus wielded the weapon of God’s Word and said, “Man does not live on bread alone.” Though Jesus could have defeated satan with a single, divine command, he fought against satan according to his human nature, using the weapon of God’s Word, thereby beginning our lesson on how to wield that same weapon when satan seeks to make us doubt God’s promises.

This is truly an important lesson for each of us to learn, because in the sparring match that is our life, doubt is one of the most powerful weapons that satan has in his arsenal. Although we are Christians who have every reason to be confident in the Lord and in his promises, how often doesn’t it happen that a single drop of doubt begins to permeate our hearts and minds in the same way that a single drop of food coloring will begin to permeate the water into which it was dropped? How often doesn’t it happen that our enemy creeps into the garden of our hearts and plants a simple seed of doubt which can quickly grow into a giant tree before we know it? In fact, I don’t want you to raise your hands or anything like that, but how many of you were dealing with doubts when you walked in that door this morning—doubts of whether or not God really loves you, or has forgiven you for the things you have done. How many of you walked in with doubts about God’s care because your health has taken a turn for the worse, or someone you know and love is sick, or suffering, or even dying? How many of you are facing worries and doubts this morning because your expenses have far exceeded your income or your investment portfolio is no longer what it used to be? How many of you are afraid because your position at work has already been eliminated, or may soon be eliminated? How many of you have found that one of the questions echoing in your mind more regularly is, “If God really loves me, why is this happening to me?”

Yet it is against onslaughts such as these that our Savior shows us how to wield the weapon of his Word to defeat our enemy. For when doubts arise in our lives, our Savior simply leads us back to his Word where we are reminded again and again that we are dearly loved children of God. Just as Paul reminded us in our first lesson this morning when he wrote, “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” (Romans 10:8–13, NIV)

When we wield the weapon of God’s Word against our enemy, it works every time. His attack is met, his advance is slowed, and he immediately finds himself in a battle not with us, but with God himself who fights for us, who encourages us, and who helps us in every situation in life. When we wield the weapon of God’s Word, our enemy is then forced to make a choice either to retreat, or to change tack and press the attack harder, as he did against our Savior. Though Jesus had completely resisted satan’s attack and used God’s word to parry temptation, satan quickly changed his approach from that of doubt to that of making Jesus his slave. Luke tells us, “The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” (Luke 4:5–8, NIV)

Satan knew why Jesus had come. He knew the glory that Jesus had set aside when he took on human flesh and blood. He knew that just a few weeks earlier, God the Father had declared Jesus to be the Messiah who had come to crush satan’s head. He knew all this and he also knew how terrifying the idea of suffering and dying at the hands of a righteous God would have been to Jesus human nature; so he tries to tempt Jesus to take the easy way out. Rather than go through all that suffering satan offers Jesus another option. He offers Jesus the opportunity to bow down and worship him so that he might give to Jesus all the authority and honor that Jesus would have earned a couple of years sooner. All satan was asking Jesus to do was pay a small price on the front end which would have resulted in exorbitant fees on the back end, because Jesus would have failed his Father and become the slave of his enemy. Yet even as satan hoped and almost prayed that Jesus would fall into his trap, Jesus again withstood the temptation as he wielded the weapon of God’s Word, saying, “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.” Thus Jesus delivers to us his second lesson on wielding the weapon of the Word when satan tries to make us his slaves.

How often doesn’t satan do that same thing to us? How often doesn’t he display before our eyes the “glories” of our own sinful desires and addictions? How often doesn’t he ask us why we pay such a high price for good grades when it would be so easy to sneak the answers into class? How often doesn’t he ask us why we pay such a high price to teach our children about their Savior when it would be so much easier to drop them off for an hour and let the Church teach them once a week? How often doesn’t he ask us why we pay such a high price to make certain that everything is correct when we turn in our 1040 form when it would be so easy to invent a few key deductions that would help save some money. How often doesn’t he ask us why we seek to spend so much time with your husband or your wife and your children, especially when you know that there are so many other interesting and captivating people to be found online? How often doesn’t he ask you why you wake us so early on Sunday morning just to come to church and hear Pastor Shilling drone on and on when you could have stayed home, slept in and read the Bible for yourself?

These are but a few of the blows that satan seeks to land even before we are able to wield God’s Word against him. These are but a few of the ways he hope to counter our defenses so that he can make us his slaves and lead us captive into the dungeons of everlasting damnation. Yet, as we wield that weapon of God’s Word, we are assured that our God is also fighting for us. Though there are times when satan’s blows land on our flesh and we are deeply cut by his temptations and infected by our sins, it is our Savior who heals us with the salve of the Gospel. For in the same way that the Lord led his people out of slavery he also leads us from the slavery to our sins, into the freedom of his Gospel. He drives back our enemy and even knocks him to the ground for us, the only problem is, that in the same way that a prize fighter refuses to lay down on the mats, but gets back up to continue the battle with his opponent, so also our enemy, continues to get up and advance against us again and again. But even as he continues to advance, we continue to wield God’s Word, just as our Savior did when satan came back at him with one last strategy. Luke tells us, “The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered, “It says: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. ” (Luke 4:9–13, NIV)

Since none of his other tactics were working against Jesus, satan sought to use Jesus’ own weapon against him. He took Jesus to the highest point of the temple and then dared him to jump off quoting the Psalmist who said that God would protect him even if he acted so rashly and so foolishly. But, of course, our Savior immediately saw through satan’s misuse of God’s word, setting one Scripture against another, in an attempt to deceive him into the rash action of testing the Lord his God. So, once again Jesus wields the weapon of God’s Word saying, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test,” and in doing so, he bestows upon us his final lesson of wielding his word to combat against satan’s continual desire to elicit rash disobedience by his constant misuse of Scripture.

For the truth is, satan’s misuse of the Scriptures is probably the most effective weapon that he has at his disposal. Just think about how our enemy has made each and every Christian afraid to judge anyone or anything by continually pulling out of context the simple passage in Matthew: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” (Matthew 7:1, NIV) Though this passage speaks about judging, from the context it tells us not to judge rashly or without all evidence while other passages of the Bible tell us that it is our Christian Duty to judge sin and sinners according to God’s law. Or think about how many people believe that money is the root of all evil, rather than sinful human nature, when the Bible clearly tells us, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” (1 Timothy 6:10, NIV) Or how many people have bought into the idea that we can do whatever we want with our body and our life even though the Bible tells us, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. ” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20, NIV)

But the biggest misuse of Scripture that leads even the most faithful Christians into rash actions and sinful lives is the misuse of the passage, “God is love.” (1 John 4:8 NIV) The misuse of this passage is the whole basis for the acceptance of living together before marriage, experimenting with sexuality, and engaging in same sex unions, and countless other ideas and perversions. It is the whole basis because by leading people to focus on the fact that God is love, then it logically follows that God loves us for who we are and what we are as long as we continue acting in love. Thus, it naturally follows that if we are acting in love, then no matter what we do, we must be acceptable in the sight of God because by that logic, love becomes our god. This, is by far the worst misuse of Scripture by our adversary, because it is a misuse that is leading countless millions away from the truth and down the path that leads to destruction. Thus, it becomes all the more necessary for us to wield the weapon of God’s Word boldly against these false ideas spawned from satan’s misuse of the Scriptures. For when we wield that weapon, we know our God is fighting for us and beside us. When we wield that weapon we are able to see through the misuses our enemy brings and even avoid the traps into which they lead. When we wiled the weapon of God’s Word and immerse ourselves in his word, we are ready to resist satan’s logic when he places one Scripture against another, or even one Scripture against the rest of the Word.

These are the lessons that our Master is teaching us today. These are the lessons that Jesus teaches in his battle against our enemy, the devil. Though we may sometimes face difficult times as Po did, even as he sought to become a kung fu master, with the training we have received win God’s Weaponry today, we are ready to wield them against our enemy. We are ready because we know that even as we wield them, our God fights alongside us so that through his Word, we might be victorious in Christ Jesus our Savior.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church Le Sueur, MN

Stand Firm in the Lord (Ephesians 6:10-20)

Dear friends in Christ.

Back in 1927, sculptor, Gutzon Borglum began carving the monument we all know today as Mt. Rushmore. Over a period of 14 years, he and many others blasted, excavated, chiseled and carved tons of rock to reveal the faces of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. Though he could have chosen any of our countries previous presidents, these four were chosen because they commemorated the founding, growth, preservation, and development of the United States. In fact, of all the presidents of our history, these are undoubtedly the presidents who are best known for how they stood firm in their beliefs and convictions to help make this nation the great nation it is today. Well, in the same way that these four men stood firm in their beliefs and convictions when their country needed them most, so also, the Apostle Paul is calling on you and me as Christians to stand firm in our beliefs and convictions as we stand firm in the Lord! In fact, standing firm in the Lord is the very thing that Paul is calling on us to do as he writes in our text this morning when he says, “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground” (Ephesians 6:10-14).

Now, when Paul wrote these words to the Christians in Ephesus, they weren’t undergoing persecutions from the Roman Government. They weren’t being forced from their homes and thrown to the lions because they believed in Jesus Christ as their Savior. Instead, they were facing perhaps an even greater test to their faith. For these Christians were living in the city whose chief goddess was the goddess Diana. This was the goddess whose image was supposed to have fallen from heaven in a spectacular show of power, dedicating the city to her, and now that image that had been set up in the most prominent temple in the city was worshiped and relied upon by the people living in the city of Ephesus. Though the image itself was probably nothing more than a meteorite that had struck the ground in Ephesus, the people there were fanatical followers of Diana. You might remember the riot that broke out because quite a number of Ephesians had come to faith in the Savior that Paul was preaching. You might remember how Demetrius, the Silversmith, and a whole crowd of people shouted for two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.” It was because of all of this that Paul was urging the Ephesians to arm themselves against the forces of evil so that they might stand firm in the Lord, for Paul knew that their fight was against satan and all his evil angels. Their fight was against satan and his attempts to lead the believers away from the Lord and back into the worship of the goddess Diana. Their struggle was against all those who sought to discredit the Christians faith, oppress its message, and nullify the power of the Savior.

Well, things are no different two thousand years later. For we are still struggling against the very things the Ephesians struggled against as Paul was writing to them. Though we may not have a temple to the goddess Diana in our back yards, our enemy, the devil, is constantly working to lead us astray. He is looking for any opportunity he might find to lead us away from our Savior. That is why Paul is calling on us to stand firm in the Lord and arm ourselves against the forces of evil, because as Christians our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against a spiritual enemy that we cannot see. Our battle is against satan and all his evil angels who are constantly looking to lead us into sin. Though they might not sit on our shoulders as depicted in cartoons, they are constantly whispering in our ears. They are continuously looking to make us doubt what the Lord says in his word. They are regularly making us feel that we are too busy to bother reading the Bible, and then they assure us that we don’t really need to because we already know it.

Our battle is against our sin filled world, which is constantly flaunting its evil ways in front of our eyes. Though we may not even realize it, we are being bombarded with heathen ideas and opinions whenever we watch TV. Even if our favorite shows come to us TV’s yesteryear, we cannot escape those convictions. For through television programs and commercials we are being convinced that we need more and more things in order to be happy. Through television programs, commercials, and even the news we are being told, assured, and even manipulated into believing that living an alternate lifestyle is ok. We are being assured that you don’t really have to be married before you can enjoy God’s gift of sex. We are being shown that living together before marriage has absolutely no consequences. We are becoming convinced that divorce is something so common that it no longer has detrimental effects on children or families. And on top of all that, we are being led to believe that same sex marriages need to be okayed in the country because there is no reason to keep two people who love each other separated from each other.

Our battle is against our own sinful nature, which seeks to lead us back into our most favorite sins. This is the part of us that want’s nothing to do with the Lord our God but everything to do with the world. This is the part of us that longs to believe that there is no hell and no punishment for sins. This is the part of us that eagerly listens whenever one of satan’s evil angels whispers in our ears. This is the part that sits up and takes notice when our a hint of flesh, or a pair of breasts, or even a full blown sex scene are revealed at the movie house, or even across our own TV sets. Yes, it is our own sinful nature that is constantly working to make us waiver in our faith, fall away from the Lord, and be lost to him forever. And this is why Paul is calling on us to stand firm in the Lord by arming ourselves against the forces of evil. This is why he is calling on us to stand firm in the Lord wielding the weapons of our God.

Yes, it is true! Our God does not leave us defenseless in the fight against our enemies. Rather he provides every weapon we could ever need so that we might stand firm in the Lord our God. This, in fact, is what Paul is describing when he writes: “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” (Ephesians 6:13-18).

These are the weapons the Lord has issued us so that we might stand firm in him, and these are the weapons he gives us in his word. For it is in his Word that we learn about our Savior and all that he has done for us. It is in his Word that we are reminded how Jesus stormed the fortress of the evil one in an apparent suicide mission. In his Word we are reminded how it seemed that satan had won when he impaled Jesus’ hands and feet to the wood of the cross. In his Word we are reminded of the agony that Jesus faced as he cried out, “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?” But at the same time we are reminded of the victory that Jesus won as he cried out, “It is finished!” We are reminded of Jesus’ victory march through the heart of hell! We are reminded of his triumphant resurrection from the dead, which now assures us that all of our sins have been forgiven. Yes, every sin we have ever committed was forgiven by Jesus who died and rose again. Every sin that our sinful nature has ever led us into as been washed clean! Every sin that satan’s angels have ever enticed us into has been washed away! Every sin that the world as encouraged us in has been removed from our records, and now that we have been made clean by Jesus blood, we have the ability to take up the weapons our Lord had given us so that we might stand firm in him.

For now that we are redeemed children of God, it is our Lord himself who has buckled around us the belt of truth and attached the breastplate of righteousness. It is the Lord who has fitted our feet with the readiness of the gospel and given us the shield of faith. It is the Lord who has placed on our heads the helmet of salvation and placed in our hands the sword of the spirit. He is the one who has given us the battle cry of prayer and the armor of his word. Now, as his children, we stand firm in him wielding the weapons the Lord has given us. For it is through these weapons found only in his word that we have the power to defend ourselves against the attacks of our enemies. Through these weapons we have the ability to shield ourselves against the temptations the devil, the world, and even our own sinful nature hurl at us. With these weapons we have the power to defeat satan on his own ground so that we might continue to stand firm in the Lord. So take your position in the Lord’s army and stand firm in the Lord wielding the weapons he has given you. Stand beside your fellow Christians in the strength that the Lord has given you. Stand confidently knowing that even if your enemy should ever get the better of you and lead you back into sin, you still have the lifeline of forgiveness that Jesus has provided for you. For it is through this forgiveness that we are raised back to our feet when we fall, we are rearmed for the Lord, and we are able to stand firm in him our Lord and our God.

In many ways, standing firm, is the very thing that the four men featured on Mt. Rushmore are best remembered for. As Christians, our goal is the same as we seek to stand firm in the Lord. May the Lord bless us as we do just that, stand firm in him, armed against the forces of evil and wielding the weapons of our God.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church -Le Sueur, MN

What is the Foundation of your Faith? (Matthew 7:24-27)

Dear friends in Christ.

Over the past few weeks the Lord has delivered to us some very powerful, impactful, and important messages through his word. Roughly a month ago, we heard the Apostle Paul proclaiming to us the importance of regularly refreshing ourselves and renewing ourselves with God’s Word. On the last Sunday of August, we heard Jesus himself teaching us just how important it is for us to be regularly feasting on his flesh and blood through our worship and our reading and studying of his Word. Just last week it was Joshua who challenged each and every one of us to dedicate ourselves to the Lord by choosing to serve him with our lives as we follow his Word. Now, today, we will hear a message that will be no less powerful! For this morning it is Jesus himself, who is once again speaking to us and asking us a very poignant and personal question. It is Jesus who is asking us, “What is the foundation of your faith?” Though in some ways this may feel like a very personal question that simply should not be asked from a pulpit, when we get right down to it, it is Jesus, our Savior who is asking us what the foundation of our faith truly is. In short, he is asking us if our faith is founded on him, the Rock of our salvation, or if our faith is founded on the constantly shifting sands of public opinion and worldly ideas. In fact, just listen to the indirect question Jesus poses as he speaks to us today: “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27)

What more powerful words could there be than these words that Jesus is speaking to us! For in just a few simple sentences, our Lord lays everything on the line and tells us that our faith will either be founded on him as the Rock of our salvation, or it will be founded on the sand of human ideas and worldly philosophies! So, what is the foundation of your faith? Well, by the simple fact that you are here today, you are showing that your faith is founded on Christ, your Rock and your Redeemer! By the simple fact that you are here today you are demonstrating that you have believed the message of salvation through faith in Jesus, and you are putting your faith into action by seeking to strengthen the bond between the spiritual house of your faith and the foundation of Jesus Christ your Savior. By your presence here, you are revealing to your spouse, your children, your family, your neighbors, and every one else who is here today, just how important it is for you to have your faith grounded and built up on the foundation of Jesus Christ, your Savior. In fact, by bringing your children to Sunday School this morning and gathering together for worship, especially on this Christian Education Sunday, you are clearly revealing just how important it is for you to maintain and strengthen the connection between yourself and your Savior, which, if you think about it, is exactly what Christian Education is all about!

In fact, if you think about it, Christian Education is all about building a spiritual house of faith upon the foundation of Jesus Christ and maintaining the very connection of that faith which began on the day that we were baptized! For it was on the day of our baptism that our Christian Education officially began as the Holy Spirit entered our hearts and built our faith upon the foundation of Jesus Christ our Rock and our Redeemer! Though it was on that day when our Christian Education officially began, it has not yet come to an end! Rather, it has continued on to this very day. Though we may not remember it all that well, our Christian Education continued as our parents worked to keep our faith connected to the Rock of our Salvation as they sang us songs like, I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb, as they told us Bible Stories of how our God cares for us, loves us and saved us. They continued our education as they taught us to pray before meal time and at bed time. Then, as we grew, they continued our education as they sent us off to Sunday School and vacation Bible School where we continued to learn the precious truths of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. As we grew and reached the age of Confirmation classes, we had the opportunity to delve deeper into the Living Water of the Word and grow in the faith which the Holy Spirit founded on the Rock of Christ our Savior. But even though the day of Confirmation often marks the last day of formal Christian Education, we never graduate from our need to strengthen the connection between the spiritual house of our faith and the solid foundation of Christ our Rock!

Yet sadly, so often it happens that even the strongest of Christians grow tired and weary in the important work of maintaining the connection between the spiritual house of their faith and the solid foundation of Christ their Savior. Sadly, even the strongest of Christians sometimes feel that once they have established their homes on the solid foundation of God’s Word they are free to forget about the work of maintaining and strengthening their connection to that foundation. Though we have been given the very tools we need, how often don’t we simply fail to mix the mortar of God’s Word and apply it when cracks begin to form in the walls of our faith? How often don’t we simply ignore the home improvement courses of worship and Bible Study which teach us first hand how to successfully care for the connection between our faith and its foundation? How often doesn’t it happen that we weaken our own faith by staying away from the Hardware store of Church simply because our personality doesn’t mesh with the presenting pastor, or because the pastor preached a message we didn’t particularly like, or because he preached to forcefully against a specific sin that we didn’t want to be reminded of? How often doesn’t it happen that we claim to know what the Word of God says, yet, never really bother to read it or learn it? Or how often doesn’t it happen that we confess that we believe in Jesus as the Rock and the foundation of our faith while at the same time allowing everything in our lives to confess that our beliefs actually lie else where?

When that happens, we are in danger of allowing the connection between our faith and the solid Rock of Christ to crumble away to nothing more than shifting sand. We are in danger because whether we realize it or not, we have begun to spend too much time at the beach of this world, building philosophical castles in the sand, and scoring numerous points in the volley ball game of the worlds ideas. When things like this begin to happen, we no longer feel the need to climb back up on to the solid foundation of Christ our Rock or even to work at maintaining our connection to him. Rather, as we grow accustomed to trudging through the shifting sands of popular opinion and human ideas, we start to feel comforted by its warmth as it covers our feet and seems to anchor us in place. We start to enjoy the time we spend lying out in the sun of our own personal truth, and before we know it, we are ready to move out of the homes built so inconveniently high up on that Rock of Christ, and we are ready to set up our own little shacks right there on the sandy beach of the world.

Yet, what does our Savior have to say about this? He says, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27)

So what is the foundation of your faith? Is it the Rock of Christ our Savior? Or is it the shifting sands of human ideas? Have you built the spiritual house of your faith down on the beach where the tides roll in and sweep the sands away? Or have you built it high in the hills securely founded on the unchanging Word of your God? I pray that your foundation is the Rock of Christ our Savior. I pray that you have heard his Words and are ready to put them in to action, for when you put his words into action you are exactly like the wise man who built his home on the rock. When our faith is securely founded on the Rock of Christ, though there may be times when the rain of temptation beats down upon us, the house of our faith will not fail. Though there may be times when the streams of hardship and tribulation rise against us, our faith will not be washed away. Though there may be times when the winds of death blow against us and finally snuff out the flame of our life, we will still continue to sand firm! We will continue to stand firm because when our faith is founded on the Rock of Christ our Savior, we know that there is nothing in all creation that will ever separate us from his love. Even death itself cannot ever separate us from our Savior, because all that death can do is completely unite us our Savior as we move from this life to our eternal life by his side forever. This is why it is so important for us to build our faith upon the foundation of Jesus Christ our Rock and our Redeemer.

So with all this in mind, go out now and continue in your Christian Education. Make the most of every opportunity you have been given to gather for worship and Sunday school, Confirmation class and Bible study. If it is with in your means, seriously consider sending your children to Bell Plaine or to Saint Peter so that they might have the opportunity to sit at Jesus’ feet each and every day in Bible History. If it is within your means, seriously consider sending your children to MVL so that they might continue to grow in their faith and through the daily study of God’s Word they might have the opportunity to strengthen the bond between the house of their faith and the Rock of its foundation. Go out now, and live your lives as a confession of your faith, so that what you believe is clearly affirmed in everything that you say and do. And in all things, give thanks and praise as you seek to serve the Lord in whatever way is pleasing in his sight.

How incredible for us to hear yet another powerful message from Jesus Christ, our Savior! For today, we have once again been reminded just how important it is for us to dedicate ourselves to the Lord, to feast on the flesh and blood of our Savior, and to renew and refresh ourselves with the Word of God. But even more than that, today Jesus himself has revealed to us just how important it is for us to build our faith on him, the Rock and the foundation of our faith and our salvation. Continue to build your faith on him.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church -Le Sueur, MN