Christmas Eve: Midnight Mass
“Heaven and Nature Sing”
Luke 2:10-12
Vicar Darren Harbaugh
Intro: “Good Grief! Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?”
Sometimes we look around at what Christmas has become in our country: sales at the mall, office parties, a man dressed up in a red suit with a red nosed reindeer and we are tempted to cry: “Good Grief! Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” “What about ‘A great joy that will come to all people?’ “What about ‘Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace goodwill, toward men?’” A good cure for the Christmas blues is to remember the message the angels gave to the shepherds in Luke chapter 2. To quote one of my favorite theologian’s comments on Luke 2: “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”
I. The Angel’s Message (Luke 2:10-12)
A. The angel preaches the Gospel Good News of great joy. (Luke 2:10)
Linus got it right. In Luke 2, the angels proclaim good news of great joy for all the people. That “all” includes us. That message, given over 2000 years ago, is still “Gospel good news of great joy” for all of you out in the pews keeping watch over your hymnals by night, just as it was Gospel good news for those shepherds sitting in the fields of the Judean countryside so long ago.
1. The Gospel Good News is “for all people”
The angel told the shepherds: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” The Gospel good news of the angel was for all people, of every time and place, of every nation and race, rich and poor, old and young, tall and short. Everyone is included. Even the people you don’t like. Even the people that don’t like you. Even you, with all your hurts and hang-ups with all your problems, even you are included in this Gospel Good News. No matter who you are and what you’ve done, or what you’re still doing; there is good news for you. And there is true joy, pure joy, 200 proof joy that will knock your socks off and is far far better than the passing pleasures of this world.
2. The Gospel Good News means an end to fear. (John 3:16; 1 John 4:18)
The angel then told the shepherds: “Fear not!” Remember the Christmas Carol? “Silent Night! Holy Night! Shepherds quake at the sight” These shepherds had every reason be afraid. The angels are later described as an enormous company of the heavenly army. Think Green Berets, Army Rangers. Navy SEALs. These are imposing creatures. They are not fat babies with wings.
There is nothing more terrifying than being a sinful creature standing before a holy God. Because of our sin, we have every reason to be frightened, but we are covered by God’s love. You see, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son and there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear and replaces it with joy.
B. The Angel gives the reason for good news and great joy. (Luke 2:11)
1. The spontaneous eruption of a new reality within history.
The angel then tells the shepherds the reason for the good news and great joy. Something has happened. The angel’s message was no mere tabloid gossip or local news report. It was Gospel Good News - a breaking news flash
Every once in a while there is an event that shakes the nation and you remember where you were when you first heard the news. For me, it was 9/11. I have heard others talk the same way about the day JFK was shot. Perhaps there are personal events in your life that have had the same effect. We remember when we hear terrible news that dramatically affects us. But the angels were announcing wonderful good news that dramatically affects not just us or our nation, but which impacts all creation.
As Dr. Arthur Just says, this news brought with it a “spontaneous eruption of a new reality within history.” The angel is reporting an event that has disrupted the space/time continuum, which has pierced every dimension that will ever be discovered. An event which has rocked the earth to its core, and will cut to the core of every creature on this planet including you and everyone you will ever meet.
2. Heaven confirms for creation the historical fact that the Creator has come as a creature.
This news is a transmission direct from Heaven to earth. It is Heaven confirming for creation the historical fact that the Creator had come as a creature. God is Creator; we are creatures. God is God and we are not. But God became man. What does this mean? We just sang about it: “Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail the incarnate Deity! Pleased as Man with man to dwell, Jesus our Immanuel!” “ Mild he lays his glory by, Born that man no more may die. Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth.” This news means that salvation has come to us.
3. Today (!) salvation has come (Luke 4:21, 19:5-9, 23:43)
The angel told the shepherds, “For unto you is born this day (Today!) in the city of David a savior who is Christ the Lord.” Every time there is a today, Salvation has come for you. That’s how Jesus works. In Luke 19, Jesus told Zacheeus, “Today, salvation has come to this house.” In Luke 23, Jesus told the thief on the cross, “Today, you shall be will me in paradise.” And right now, Jesus tells you, “Today, the Savior comes bringing salvation to your house, so that you may join me in paradise.”
C. The Angel gives a sign. (Luke 2:12)
1. Quite an ordinary sign
After proclaiming the savior’s arrival, the angel gave the shepherds a sign. It was quite an ordinary sign. We might even be tempted to think that it is a boring sign. Moses was given the sign of a burning bush; the children of Israel were given the parting of the Red Sea. The shepherds were given…the sign of a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
The medieval theologian the Venerable Bede comments that this is not how we would expect the king, the creator, the savior of the universe to come. Jesus was not wrapped in fine silk, but in rough strips of cloth. He was not lying in an ornate golden bed, but in a manger - a feeding tray for animals.
2. The Great Reversal: Christ became poor that we might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)
This is the Great reversal. Jesus did not just take upon himself our lowly humanity, but for our sake took upon himself even the clothing of the poor. As it says in 2 Corinthians 8, “though He was rich, yet for our sake He became poor so that by His poverty we might become rich.” The sign is that the Lord of Heaven has descended to earth in such lowliness and humility. The incarnation of God, the real presence of God, in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger is God’s ultimate reversal. It is a sign greater than any that came before.
4. The manger is the mirror of the cross. (Luke 23:53)
As Dr. Just says, this is a sign that pierces the heart and points to the reason this child was born. This baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, would 33 years later, be wrapped in a linen shroud and laid in a tomb. The manger is the mirror of the cross. In the humility of his birth, Christ was already preaching the lesson He would preach on Calvary. The Nativity is the prelude to Good Friday. Christmas points to the Crucifixion. We will sing of this later on in the service: Why lies He in such mean estate where ox and ass are feeding? Good Christian fear; for sinners here The silent Word is pleading. Nails, spear shall pierce Him through, The cross be bourne for me, for you. Because of Christ’s birth, his life, his death and his resurrection, God and sinner have been reconciled. All your sins - your fears, your selfishness, your trust in wealth and possessions, your neglect of God and his word – have been forgiven. You have been reconciled with God through Christ.
II. Like the Shepherds, we believe and respond (Luke 2:15-20)
Good Grief! This is what Christmas is all about!; the proclamation of the good news of Jesus’ birth and receiving this news in faith. The shepherds saw the angels, people heard their news, and Mary pondered it in her heart. Seeing, hearing and pondering are our responses of faith as well, as we worship God. The Christmas gospel empowers us to share this Good news; it evokes faith, and creates worship of the Christ Child, who is himself the presence of God, the Word made flesh.
Like the shepherds, we receive a divine revelation in faith. Here, in this place, divine gifts are revealed through Word and Sacrament and we respond in faith like the shepherds, glorifying and praising God, proclaiming what He has done. With our eyes, ears, and heart and also with our mouth, our hands and all our being let us join heaven and nature in praising God for his gift of the lowly infant, whose birth promises us peace on earth and eternal glory in heaven. Amen
Monday, December 27, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Advent 4 – “What’s In A Name?” Matthew 1:18-25
Advent 4 – “What’s In A Name?” Matthew 1:18-25
Vicar Darren Harbaugh
Grace, Mercy and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Intro: What’s in a name?
Being in charge of naming a living being is a daunting prospect. It’s not all that difficult when choosing a name for a dog or cat, but a child? There’s lot of things to consider:
What if the name is too popular or too trendy or too unusual or too traditional or too difficult to spell or pronounce? What if a family member or friend doesn’t like the name? What about the meaning of the name? What’s in a name anyways? Well, for Mary and Joseph, there was a lot in a name; two names to be exact – Immanuel and Jesus. Included in these names was an amazing promise of hope in a time of fear and doubt.
I. The sign of Immanuel was Good news for Joseph and Mary
A. Joseph and Mary lived in a time of fear and doubt. 1:18-19
As our reading from Matthew begins, we see that times are tough for society in general. Judah is an occupied territory, under Roman rule. And times are tough personally for Joseph and Mary. It was one of those critical moments in life. Joseph and Mary were legally pledged to be married - more than what we would consider an engagement, but less than a full-fledged marriage. Then things got complicated. Mary was pregnant and Joseph knew that the child wasn’t his, so there must have been another man involved, right?
Joseph was a very religious Jew, careful to keep the law. The way he saw it, he had two options: 1) he could really make an example of Mary, charging her with adultery and publicly divorce her. 2) He could keep things quiet and give her a letter of divorce without stating the reason.
Joseph chose number 2, the milder option. Maybe he didn’t want the publicity, maybe he was a nice guy, who knows, but before he had the chance to carry out his plan he decided to sleep on the decision.
This proved to be a very fortuitous nap. Perhaps Joseph was following the age-old advice of getting some rest or even waiting overnight before going through with a decision. Maybe he thought it would bring more clarity, maybe he was weary and worn out from all the stress and anxiety. Whatever it was, he did not anticipate how refreshing his sleep would be.
B. God sent an angel to give Joseph hope 1:20
An Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying “Do not fear to take Mary as your wife! Her baby is from the Holy Spirit.” At just the right time, God intervened. All hope was lost. Joseph’s decision was made. But then God stepped in.
C. God gave Joseph the sign of Immanuel 1:21-23
God sent an angel, but more importantly he gave a sign, included in the child’s name. Joseph and Mary did not have to deliberate over what to name their baby. God left no room for creative license on behalf of the couple. The angel said, "You shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins. That’s what “Jesus” means – that name means Yahweh, the Lord, saves. Who this child would be was included in his name. Matthew adds that all this took place to fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy: ”Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall call his name Immanuel.” “Immanuel.” That name means something too -“God with us.” These two names say it all about the Child - God with us who will save his people from their sins.
D. Joseph believed God 1:24-25
Joseph woke up and believed God. He did as he was commanded. The sign of the name that the angel gave Joseph reassured him not only of Mary’s purity but also of God’s big plan from the beginning of the world that was now coming to fulfillment. Joseph took Mary home to be his wife. For Mary and Joseph, the sign of Immanuel was one of forgiveness and promise.
II. What does the sign of Immanuel mean for you?
A We live in a time of fear and doubt.
What about us? Like Mary and Joseph, we too live in a time of fear and doubt. Times are tough for our world in general. There are still wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, among the various other conflicts that rage around the globe. Our economy still leaves much to be desired, many continue to lose homes and jobs. Fear and doubt, sin and decay all around we see.
For many of us, times are personally tough and complicated. Perhaps you have stress and anxiety and fear because you look to the things of this world for security, meaning and significance rather than fearing, loving and trusting in God above all things. Maybe you are weary and worn out from the daily continual temptations of lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, anger, envy and pride. You may be at a point where hope is hard to come by.
B. God sent Jesus to give us Hope Matt 28:10, Rev 1:17, Romans 1:7, Mt 1:21)
No matter what it is that causes you to fear and to doubt, all hope is not lost. At just the right time, God intervenes and steps in. Jesus’ words to us provide hope: “Do not be afraid;” “Fear not!” Jesus promises Peace. “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Peace, true peace, is found in Christ.
C. All this God gives to us through Jesus by the sign of Immanuel (matt28:20
1. Jesus – “Yahweh Saves” Matt 1:21
We have peace because, Jesus whose name means, Yahweh, the Lord, saves, came to save his people from their sins. We are God’s people. But we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have missed the mark. We have sinned in thought, word and deed, by what we have done, and what we’ve left undone. We have not loved God with all our heart and we have not loved our neighbors as our selves. Because of these sins, we justly deserve God’s temporal and eternal punishment; destruction of body and soul here in time and hereafter in eternity. A frightening proposition indeed.
To be saved from these sins is salvation indeed. We need someone not just able to alleviate the annoying inconveniences we experience in this life but one who is mighty enough to bring eternal, all-encompassing salvation. To Save us. To rescue us from the worst dangers, of sin, death, hell and Satan. We need one who will continue to keep us safe and secure so that nothing may ever harm us. “You ask who this may be? The Lord of Hosts is he. Christ Jesus Mighty Lord; God’s only son adored.”
The only one mighty enough to bring such salvation is he who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate and made man.
The long-expected Jesus, who was born to set his people free, releases you from your fears and sins. They can no longer inflict their deadly damning power on you. On your own, sin will cling to you closer than a shadow and will cling to you forever, but God’s own son Jesus has freed and rescued and saved you.
2. Immanuel – “God with us” (Matt 1:23, Matt 28:20)
Jesus is God in human flesh. Jesus is Immanuel – the name that means, God is with us. By coming in the flesh, God took our fears and our conflicts upon himself. Then that flesh, God with us in the flesh, was killed to take them all away. That flesh, Immanuel, God with us, is still present with us now in the Lord’s Supper, the body and blood of Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus, Immanuel, God with us, is present with us always. Jesus tells us: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in their midst and ‘I am with you always, even to the very end of the age.
So, what’s in a name? A lot, when it is the name of our Lord Jesus, Immanuel, Savior of the Nations. We, like Mary and Joseph and Christians from every time and place, can believe and cling to the promise and forgiveness contained in the name Immanuel: God is with you and he saves you from all your sins.
And may the peace of God with passes all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Let us Pray: O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend on us we pray. Cast out sin and enter in. Be born in us today. O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Immanuel. Amen.
Vicar Darren Harbaugh
Grace, Mercy and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Intro: What’s in a name?
Being in charge of naming a living being is a daunting prospect. It’s not all that difficult when choosing a name for a dog or cat, but a child? There’s lot of things to consider:
What if the name is too popular or too trendy or too unusual or too traditional or too difficult to spell or pronounce? What if a family member or friend doesn’t like the name? What about the meaning of the name? What’s in a name anyways? Well, for Mary and Joseph, there was a lot in a name; two names to be exact – Immanuel and Jesus. Included in these names was an amazing promise of hope in a time of fear and doubt.
I. The sign of Immanuel was Good news for Joseph and Mary
A. Joseph and Mary lived in a time of fear and doubt. 1:18-19
As our reading from Matthew begins, we see that times are tough for society in general. Judah is an occupied territory, under Roman rule. And times are tough personally for Joseph and Mary. It was one of those critical moments in life. Joseph and Mary were legally pledged to be married - more than what we would consider an engagement, but less than a full-fledged marriage. Then things got complicated. Mary was pregnant and Joseph knew that the child wasn’t his, so there must have been another man involved, right?
Joseph was a very religious Jew, careful to keep the law. The way he saw it, he had two options: 1) he could really make an example of Mary, charging her with adultery and publicly divorce her. 2) He could keep things quiet and give her a letter of divorce without stating the reason.
Joseph chose number 2, the milder option. Maybe he didn’t want the publicity, maybe he was a nice guy, who knows, but before he had the chance to carry out his plan he decided to sleep on the decision.
This proved to be a very fortuitous nap. Perhaps Joseph was following the age-old advice of getting some rest or even waiting overnight before going through with a decision. Maybe he thought it would bring more clarity, maybe he was weary and worn out from all the stress and anxiety. Whatever it was, he did not anticipate how refreshing his sleep would be.
B. God sent an angel to give Joseph hope 1:20
An Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying “Do not fear to take Mary as your wife! Her baby is from the Holy Spirit.” At just the right time, God intervened. All hope was lost. Joseph’s decision was made. But then God stepped in.
C. God gave Joseph the sign of Immanuel 1:21-23
God sent an angel, but more importantly he gave a sign, included in the child’s name. Joseph and Mary did not have to deliberate over what to name their baby. God left no room for creative license on behalf of the couple. The angel said, "You shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins. That’s what “Jesus” means – that name means Yahweh, the Lord, saves. Who this child would be was included in his name. Matthew adds that all this took place to fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy: ”Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall call his name Immanuel.” “Immanuel.” That name means something too -“God with us.” These two names say it all about the Child - God with us who will save his people from their sins.
D. Joseph believed God 1:24-25
Joseph woke up and believed God. He did as he was commanded. The sign of the name that the angel gave Joseph reassured him not only of Mary’s purity but also of God’s big plan from the beginning of the world that was now coming to fulfillment. Joseph took Mary home to be his wife. For Mary and Joseph, the sign of Immanuel was one of forgiveness and promise.
II. What does the sign of Immanuel mean for you?
A We live in a time of fear and doubt.
What about us? Like Mary and Joseph, we too live in a time of fear and doubt. Times are tough for our world in general. There are still wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, among the various other conflicts that rage around the globe. Our economy still leaves much to be desired, many continue to lose homes and jobs. Fear and doubt, sin and decay all around we see.
For many of us, times are personally tough and complicated. Perhaps you have stress and anxiety and fear because you look to the things of this world for security, meaning and significance rather than fearing, loving and trusting in God above all things. Maybe you are weary and worn out from the daily continual temptations of lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, anger, envy and pride. You may be at a point where hope is hard to come by.
B. God sent Jesus to give us Hope Matt 28:10, Rev 1:17, Romans 1:7, Mt 1:21)
No matter what it is that causes you to fear and to doubt, all hope is not lost. At just the right time, God intervenes and steps in. Jesus’ words to us provide hope: “Do not be afraid;” “Fear not!” Jesus promises Peace. “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Peace, true peace, is found in Christ.
C. All this God gives to us through Jesus by the sign of Immanuel (matt28:20
1. Jesus – “Yahweh Saves” Matt 1:21
We have peace because, Jesus whose name means, Yahweh, the Lord, saves, came to save his people from their sins. We are God’s people. But we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have missed the mark. We have sinned in thought, word and deed, by what we have done, and what we’ve left undone. We have not loved God with all our heart and we have not loved our neighbors as our selves. Because of these sins, we justly deserve God’s temporal and eternal punishment; destruction of body and soul here in time and hereafter in eternity. A frightening proposition indeed.
To be saved from these sins is salvation indeed. We need someone not just able to alleviate the annoying inconveniences we experience in this life but one who is mighty enough to bring eternal, all-encompassing salvation. To Save us. To rescue us from the worst dangers, of sin, death, hell and Satan. We need one who will continue to keep us safe and secure so that nothing may ever harm us. “You ask who this may be? The Lord of Hosts is he. Christ Jesus Mighty Lord; God’s only son adored.”
The only one mighty enough to bring such salvation is he who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate and made man.
The long-expected Jesus, who was born to set his people free, releases you from your fears and sins. They can no longer inflict their deadly damning power on you. On your own, sin will cling to you closer than a shadow and will cling to you forever, but God’s own son Jesus has freed and rescued and saved you.
2. Immanuel – “God with us” (Matt 1:23, Matt 28:20)
Jesus is God in human flesh. Jesus is Immanuel – the name that means, God is with us. By coming in the flesh, God took our fears and our conflicts upon himself. Then that flesh, God with us in the flesh, was killed to take them all away. That flesh, Immanuel, God with us, is still present with us now in the Lord’s Supper, the body and blood of Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus, Immanuel, God with us, is present with us always. Jesus tells us: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in their midst and ‘I am with you always, even to the very end of the age.
So, what’s in a name? A lot, when it is the name of our Lord Jesus, Immanuel, Savior of the Nations. We, like Mary and Joseph and Christians from every time and place, can believe and cling to the promise and forgiveness contained in the name Immanuel: God is with you and he saves you from all your sins.
And may the peace of God with passes all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Let us Pray: O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend on us we pray. Cast out sin and enter in. Be born in us today. O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Immanuel. Amen.
Christmas Chapel message 121610
Christmas Chapel message 121610
Vicar Darren Harbaugh
Does anybody here know what a truce is? (When two sides agree to stop fighting). Almost a hundred years ago, there was a terrible war being fought in Europe called the Great War or World War I. During that war, on Christmas Eve of 1914, the soldiers called a truce. They decided to stop fighting for one night, so that there would be peace during Christmas. Nothing quite like that has ever happened before or since. The soldiers, who were enemies, took turn singing Christmas songs, like “Silent Night,” to each other instead of fighting.
Some soldiers even went into “no man’s land” - the area between the two enemy armies where normally no one wants to go because they are afraid of being attacked, they went into this area and exchanged gifts and played soccer with each other. Unfortunately, after Christmas, the war continued for almost 4 more years.
But you know, many many years before World War I, there was another war going on - A war between God and man. We are sinful humans and our sins are like fighting against God. We have no way of winning this war. In fact, we would be lost for sure if we kept fighting God. God could crush us. But guess who called a truce in this war (God). Our Heavenly Father called a truce, He wanted to put an end to the fight. On Christmas, we can see God the Father calling a truce. There are two places we can look.
One is the manger where Jesus was born and the other is the cross, where Jesus died for our sins. Jesus’ coming to earth and dying took away our sin, our fighting with God. It put an end to the war.
Jesus brought a truce between us and God. Or to say it in Christmas language, Jesus made peace with God and man, like it says in our bible reading from Luke 2: “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’” On Christmas, we thank God that because of Jesus, he allows us to sleep in heavenly peace. Amen.
Vicar Darren Harbaugh
Does anybody here know what a truce is? (When two sides agree to stop fighting). Almost a hundred years ago, there was a terrible war being fought in Europe called the Great War or World War I. During that war, on Christmas Eve of 1914, the soldiers called a truce. They decided to stop fighting for one night, so that there would be peace during Christmas. Nothing quite like that has ever happened before or since. The soldiers, who were enemies, took turn singing Christmas songs, like “Silent Night,” to each other instead of fighting.
Some soldiers even went into “no man’s land” - the area between the two enemy armies where normally no one wants to go because they are afraid of being attacked, they went into this area and exchanged gifts and played soccer with each other. Unfortunately, after Christmas, the war continued for almost 4 more years.
But you know, many many years before World War I, there was another war going on - A war between God and man. We are sinful humans and our sins are like fighting against God. We have no way of winning this war. In fact, we would be lost for sure if we kept fighting God. God could crush us. But guess who called a truce in this war (God). Our Heavenly Father called a truce, He wanted to put an end to the fight. On Christmas, we can see God the Father calling a truce. There are two places we can look.
One is the manger where Jesus was born and the other is the cross, where Jesus died for our sins. Jesus’ coming to earth and dying took away our sin, our fighting with God. It put an end to the war.
Jesus brought a truce between us and God. Or to say it in Christmas language, Jesus made peace with God and man, like it says in our bible reading from Luke 2: “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’” On Christmas, we thank God that because of Jesus, he allows us to sleep in heavenly peace. Amen.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Advent 2 Midweek
120810 Sermon Advent Midweek 2- It’s Time to Wake Up!
Vicar Darren Harbaugh
You know that feeling you get when you wake up and realize you’ve overslept for work or an important meeting? Terror, dread, an adrenaline rush. It’s a terrible feeling when you realize that you’ve overslept, but it’s far worse to be snoozing spiritually, unprepared for Jesus’ second coming. In Romans, St. Paul sounds the alarm clock for us. What time is it? It’s time to wake up.
I The day is dawning
The Bible repeatedly tells us that the day is dawning; the day when Jesus will return in glory to judge both the living and the dead. We live in a critical time.
About 2000 years ago there was a critical time in the history of the world. Galatians 4, reads, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son born of a woman.” When the time was right according to God’s plan and the will of the heavenly Father, He sent his son Jesus into the world.
In our text from Romans 13, St Paul talks about another critical time. He says, “You know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.”
Today, is a critical time. Right now, salvation is nearer to us than when we first believed.” What time is it? It’s time to wake up! Advent is our alarm clock. We see the blue of Advent and we are reminded that Christmas is coming, as we prepare for Jesus’ first coming by way of a manger. But Advent also reminds us to prepare for Jesus’ second coming at the end of the world. Jesus is coming again! Are you ready? It is no time to snooze spiritually.
Matthew tells us, “Stay Awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming…The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Oversleeping can be embarassing, but Spiritual snoozing can have eternal consequences. If you are not prepared to meet God it can result in eternal separation from Him.
The end of the world and the day of judgment can seem pretty remote to us. Let me put it this way. What would you do if you knew you only had one week to live? Suddenly the things you thought were important seem pretty insignificant. Take a moment right now. Imagine that you have only a week to live. Make a mental list of things like people to forgive, or spend time with; sins to repent of; people you need to share the Gospel with; unresolved issues that need to be addressed once and for all.
Got your list? What are you waiting for? You don’t know when your time on this earth will end. Advent is a good alarm clock for each of us. It’s time to wake up! We live in a critical time. The Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect.
II We need to be dressed for the occasion
St Paul tells us not only that its time to wake up, but also that we need to be “dressed for the occasion,” the occasion of Jesus’ second coming. Paul says, “The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” After you wake up, you need to get dressed. Paul tells us to put on God’s armor light and to cast off the rags of sin, dirty clothes of disobedience and deeds of darkness.
In the Old Testament book of Zechariah chapter 3, we are given a picture of how our filthy clothes of sin are taken off of us and replaced with robes of righteousness. The prophet Zechariah has a vision of a man, who represents each of us, standing before God’s judgment seat. He’s dressed in filthy clothes, the clothes of sin and disobedience. In this heavenly courtroom scene, it’s clear that the man is guilty. Satan, the accuser and prosecuting attorney, calls for the man’s condemnation. All is hopeless. Then, the defense attorney defense speaks. He tells the accuser to shut up and announces that his man has been delivered from judgment. He has the filthy clothes removed and the man is dressed in white robes of righteousness. He is forgiven! He is not condemned! This is how we sinners are made right with our holy God. This is justification. It’s God’s gift. It’s like a new set of clothes that He gives for us. We cannot dress ourselves for the occasion. God, for Jesus’ sake dresses us. These white robes that we wear during service are a reminder of God’s gift of new clothes, his gift of forgiveness. That is also why we have a tradition of clothing babies in a white garment at baptism.
In, Galatians 3, Paul says ‘For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ.” This is like the hymn we sang (will sing) “Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness My beauty are, my glorious dress.”
Jesus’ death on the cross for our sin and his rising from the grave, gives us victory over sin, death and the devil. He exchanges our sin for his righteousness. He strips off of us our filthy garments and dresses us for the occasion. We are now awake and ready to stand before the eternal judgment throne and declare: “Nothing in my hand I bring; Simply to the cross I cling, Naked, come to thee for dress; Helpless look to thee for grace. We are dressed in the righteousness of Jesus our Savior!
III So, dressed for the day, we walk while we wait.
Now, between Jesus’ first and second coming, we live as God’s forgiven, well-dressed, wide-awake children. Dressed in the gift of God’s righteousness, we live a different kind of life than unbelievers. We live not to earn God’s love or impress others, but to thank God and witness to His mercy and forgiveness.
To make you ready for the world’s end and the Day of Judgment, you have been awakened and given a new suit of clothes. You have been dressed in the righteousness and forgiveness of Christ Jesus. You are ready.
This day and everyday in Advent is a wonderful day to wake up and celebrate the love of God freely given to you in Jesus. Amen.
Advent 2 Midweek
Sermon Outline
Romans 13:11-14
“It’s Time to Wake Up!”
I. The day is dawning.
II. We need to be dressed for the occasion.
III. So, dressed for the day, we walk while we wait.
Vicar Darren Harbaugh
You know that feeling you get when you wake up and realize you’ve overslept for work or an important meeting? Terror, dread, an adrenaline rush. It’s a terrible feeling when you realize that you’ve overslept, but it’s far worse to be snoozing spiritually, unprepared for Jesus’ second coming. In Romans, St. Paul sounds the alarm clock for us. What time is it? It’s time to wake up.
I The day is dawning
The Bible repeatedly tells us that the day is dawning; the day when Jesus will return in glory to judge both the living and the dead. We live in a critical time.
About 2000 years ago there was a critical time in the history of the world. Galatians 4, reads, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son born of a woman.” When the time was right according to God’s plan and the will of the heavenly Father, He sent his son Jesus into the world.
In our text from Romans 13, St Paul talks about another critical time. He says, “You know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.”
Today, is a critical time. Right now, salvation is nearer to us than when we first believed.” What time is it? It’s time to wake up! Advent is our alarm clock. We see the blue of Advent and we are reminded that Christmas is coming, as we prepare for Jesus’ first coming by way of a manger. But Advent also reminds us to prepare for Jesus’ second coming at the end of the world. Jesus is coming again! Are you ready? It is no time to snooze spiritually.
Matthew tells us, “Stay Awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming…The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Oversleeping can be embarassing, but Spiritual snoozing can have eternal consequences. If you are not prepared to meet God it can result in eternal separation from Him.
The end of the world and the day of judgment can seem pretty remote to us. Let me put it this way. What would you do if you knew you only had one week to live? Suddenly the things you thought were important seem pretty insignificant. Take a moment right now. Imagine that you have only a week to live. Make a mental list of things like people to forgive, or spend time with; sins to repent of; people you need to share the Gospel with; unresolved issues that need to be addressed once and for all.
Got your list? What are you waiting for? You don’t know when your time on this earth will end. Advent is a good alarm clock for each of us. It’s time to wake up! We live in a critical time. The Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect.
II We need to be dressed for the occasion
St Paul tells us not only that its time to wake up, but also that we need to be “dressed for the occasion,” the occasion of Jesus’ second coming. Paul says, “The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” After you wake up, you need to get dressed. Paul tells us to put on God’s armor light and to cast off the rags of sin, dirty clothes of disobedience and deeds of darkness.
In the Old Testament book of Zechariah chapter 3, we are given a picture of how our filthy clothes of sin are taken off of us and replaced with robes of righteousness. The prophet Zechariah has a vision of a man, who represents each of us, standing before God’s judgment seat. He’s dressed in filthy clothes, the clothes of sin and disobedience. In this heavenly courtroom scene, it’s clear that the man is guilty. Satan, the accuser and prosecuting attorney, calls for the man’s condemnation. All is hopeless. Then, the defense attorney defense speaks. He tells the accuser to shut up and announces that his man has been delivered from judgment. He has the filthy clothes removed and the man is dressed in white robes of righteousness. He is forgiven! He is not condemned! This is how we sinners are made right with our holy God. This is justification. It’s God’s gift. It’s like a new set of clothes that He gives for us. We cannot dress ourselves for the occasion. God, for Jesus’ sake dresses us. These white robes that we wear during service are a reminder of God’s gift of new clothes, his gift of forgiveness. That is also why we have a tradition of clothing babies in a white garment at baptism.
In, Galatians 3, Paul says ‘For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ.” This is like the hymn we sang (will sing) “Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness My beauty are, my glorious dress.”
Jesus’ death on the cross for our sin and his rising from the grave, gives us victory over sin, death and the devil. He exchanges our sin for his righteousness. He strips off of us our filthy garments and dresses us for the occasion. We are now awake and ready to stand before the eternal judgment throne and declare: “Nothing in my hand I bring; Simply to the cross I cling, Naked, come to thee for dress; Helpless look to thee for grace. We are dressed in the righteousness of Jesus our Savior!
III So, dressed for the day, we walk while we wait.
Now, between Jesus’ first and second coming, we live as God’s forgiven, well-dressed, wide-awake children. Dressed in the gift of God’s righteousness, we live a different kind of life than unbelievers. We live not to earn God’s love or impress others, but to thank God and witness to His mercy and forgiveness.
To make you ready for the world’s end and the Day of Judgment, you have been awakened and given a new suit of clothes. You have been dressed in the righteousness and forgiveness of Christ Jesus. You are ready.
This day and everyday in Advent is a wonderful day to wake up and celebrate the love of God freely given to you in Jesus. Amen.
Advent 2 Midweek
Sermon Outline
Romans 13:11-14
“It’s Time to Wake Up!”
I. The day is dawning.
II. We need to be dressed for the occasion.
III. So, dressed for the day, we walk while we wait.
101310 chapel
101310 Chapel
Vicar Darren Harbaugh
1. Can anybody tell me what this is? (wait) That’s right. It’s a thank you card. What are these cards used for? (wait. We use them to show our appreciation when someone has done something special for us or given us something.)
2. Sometimes people forget to say thank you. You may even think its rude if someone doesn’t thank you when you do something nice for them or when you give them a gift. But we often forget to thank God, who is the giver of all good gifts.
3. In our reading for today, Jesus gave a great gift to 10 lepers. Not leopards, like the big cats with spots on them, but lepers. These are people that had leprosy, one of the worst diseases in Jesus’ time. People who had leprosy were forced to leave their homes and their families and go to places all by where only other people with leprosy lived. They usually stayed there until they died. They hardly ever got better because there was no medicine to heal leprosy. When the 10 lepers in our story saw Jesus, they called out for help, “Jesus, have mercy on us!” We will sing these words later in chapel this morning. We are confessing that we are helpless like those lepers when we cry out “Lord, have mercy!” We have a disease worse than leprosy. We have the disease of sin.
Well, Jesus healed the lepers. It was a miracle. The lepers could finally go back to their families. Jesus also heals us, from our disease of sin by his death on the cross. We are able to join the family of God.
4. All 10 of the lepers in the story were healed but only one went back to thank Jesus. What are some reasons why we don’t say thank you? (forget, don’t appreciate the gift, distracted)
5. Why did the one leper return? Jesus tells him, “Your faith has made you well.” The leper that returned was healed from his sickness and from his sins because of his faith in Jesus.
There are lots of things we can thank God for, but the most important is the gift of salvation and faith in Jesus Christ. We don’t need to write God a thank-you note, but we can say thank you to him when we pray to Him and sing to Him and when we continue to call out Lord, have mercy! Let’s thank God for the gifts He has given us.
Father in Heaven, thank you for giving us life, for taking care of us, and most of all for giving your Son Jesus to save us. Thank you for the most precious gift of faith and eternal life in heaven. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Vicar Darren Harbaugh
1. Can anybody tell me what this is? (wait) That’s right. It’s a thank you card. What are these cards used for? (wait. We use them to show our appreciation when someone has done something special for us or given us something.)
2. Sometimes people forget to say thank you. You may even think its rude if someone doesn’t thank you when you do something nice for them or when you give them a gift. But we often forget to thank God, who is the giver of all good gifts.
3. In our reading for today, Jesus gave a great gift to 10 lepers. Not leopards, like the big cats with spots on them, but lepers. These are people that had leprosy, one of the worst diseases in Jesus’ time. People who had leprosy were forced to leave their homes and their families and go to places all by where only other people with leprosy lived. They usually stayed there until they died. They hardly ever got better because there was no medicine to heal leprosy. When the 10 lepers in our story saw Jesus, they called out for help, “Jesus, have mercy on us!” We will sing these words later in chapel this morning. We are confessing that we are helpless like those lepers when we cry out “Lord, have mercy!” We have a disease worse than leprosy. We have the disease of sin.
Well, Jesus healed the lepers. It was a miracle. The lepers could finally go back to their families. Jesus also heals us, from our disease of sin by his death on the cross. We are able to join the family of God.
4. All 10 of the lepers in the story were healed but only one went back to thank Jesus. What are some reasons why we don’t say thank you? (forget, don’t appreciate the gift, distracted)
5. Why did the one leper return? Jesus tells him, “Your faith has made you well.” The leper that returned was healed from his sickness and from his sins because of his faith in Jesus.
There are lots of things we can thank God for, but the most important is the gift of salvation and faith in Jesus Christ. We don’t need to write God a thank-you note, but we can say thank you to him when we pray to Him and sing to Him and when we continue to call out Lord, have mercy! Let’s thank God for the gifts He has given us.
Father in Heaven, thank you for giving us life, for taking care of us, and most of all for giving your Son Jesus to save us. Thank you for the most precious gift of faith and eternal life in heaven. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
110310 chapel
110310 chapel
Vicar Darren Harbaugh
I guess there is a big celebration going on today in downtown San Francisco. Does anybody know why? (Giants!)
Why is everybody dressed in black and orange? (colors)
Why are people so excited about the Giants? (long time since they won, they are the best!)
Well, we just read in the Bible about a great victory celebration that all are invited to. At this party everyone will be celebrating, not because of giants but because of a lamb.
The lamb is Jesus. He is the lamb of God who was sacrificed to take away the sins of the World. Every Christian who has ever lived will celebrate Jesus’ final victory over sin, which he earned by his death on the cross.
Do the Giants need to play any more games to prove that they are the champions? (No!) Well, neither Jesus nor you are I need to do anything else to proof that sin and death have been defeated. On the cross, Jesus suffered and died and won victory for us all.
Christians will forever live with God and all the problems we have here on earth will be gone. The bible says that Jesus will wipe every tear from our eye, no more sadness or pain.
Think of a time when you were really happy. Got it? Eternal life with Jesus will be even better for those who have been baptized into His name. That is something to celebrate!
Let’s sing to the Lord.
Vicar Darren Harbaugh
I guess there is a big celebration going on today in downtown San Francisco. Does anybody know why? (Giants!)
Why is everybody dressed in black and orange? (colors)
Why are people so excited about the Giants? (long time since they won, they are the best!)
Well, we just read in the Bible about a great victory celebration that all are invited to. At this party everyone will be celebrating, not because of giants but because of a lamb.
The lamb is Jesus. He is the lamb of God who was sacrificed to take away the sins of the World. Every Christian who has ever lived will celebrate Jesus’ final victory over sin, which he earned by his death on the cross.
Do the Giants need to play any more games to prove that they are the champions? (No!) Well, neither Jesus nor you are I need to do anything else to proof that sin and death have been defeated. On the cross, Jesus suffered and died and won victory for us all.
Christians will forever live with God and all the problems we have here on earth will be gone. The bible says that Jesus will wipe every tear from our eye, no more sadness or pain.
Think of a time when you were really happy. Got it? Eternal life with Jesus will be even better for those who have been baptized into His name. That is something to celebrate!
Let’s sing to the Lord.
chapel 111710
Anybody here like going to the beach? (wait) I like going to the beach. I went last week. The sun was out, it was beautiful,. I looked at the tall cliffs next to the beach. They were amazing. You’d think that they’d last forever, but I learned later that the beach I went to, used to be an official state beach but was closed because waves and storms and earthquakes had caused landslides. Those big cliffs and sand dunes are actually crumbling into the ocean.
The things around us won’t last forever. What big event happened in San Francisco in the year 1906? (wait) There was a great big earthquake and fire that destroyed much of the city. Many huge buildings were destroyed. It was a huge disaster.
There have been many big disaster movies made about the end of the world because of earthquakes or volcanoes or disease or global warming or nuclear war. And it seems like every year somebody new is predicting when the world is going to end. When I was growing up, there was a book called “88 Reasons why the world is going to end in 1988.” Guess what. That book was wrong. Then some people said that in the year 2000 the world is going to end. Guess what they were wrong too. Now some people are saying “2012, that’s the year that the world is going to end.” There was even a big movie made about it.
Well, there’s a good place you go to when you find out about the end of the world. Not the TV or movies but God’s Word - the Bible. Jesus says: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
So someday the world will pass away. But when people say, “Nothing is forever,” that’s not true, there is something that lasts forever. In our reading today, Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” God’s word will last forever.
The prophet Isaiah writes “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”
God’s Word is forever. In the beginning, God spoke his Word, cutting through the darkness and creating light. 2000 years ago, God Word’s took on human flesh when Jesus was born. Jesus cut through the darkness of sin. Today, God’s Word declares that you and I are righteous and holy because of Jesus’ death on the cross. In eternal life, Christians will praise God forever singing his Word back to him. This is God’s promise to us and we can trust it.
So you don’t have to be afraid when somebody talks about the end of the world. So what?! Even though all around us may pass away, Christians have hope because God’s Word is forever and we have confidence that we too will live forever because of Jesus. Amen.
The things around us won’t last forever. What big event happened in San Francisco in the year 1906? (wait) There was a great big earthquake and fire that destroyed much of the city. Many huge buildings were destroyed. It was a huge disaster.
There have been many big disaster movies made about the end of the world because of earthquakes or volcanoes or disease or global warming or nuclear war. And it seems like every year somebody new is predicting when the world is going to end. When I was growing up, there was a book called “88 Reasons why the world is going to end in 1988.” Guess what. That book was wrong. Then some people said that in the year 2000 the world is going to end. Guess what they were wrong too. Now some people are saying “2012, that’s the year that the world is going to end.” There was even a big movie made about it.
Well, there’s a good place you go to when you find out about the end of the world. Not the TV or movies but God’s Word - the Bible. Jesus says: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
So someday the world will pass away. But when people say, “Nothing is forever,” that’s not true, there is something that lasts forever. In our reading today, Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” God’s word will last forever.
The prophet Isaiah writes “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”
God’s Word is forever. In the beginning, God spoke his Word, cutting through the darkness and creating light. 2000 years ago, God Word’s took on human flesh when Jesus was born. Jesus cut through the darkness of sin. Today, God’s Word declares that you and I are righteous and holy because of Jesus’ death on the cross. In eternal life, Christians will praise God forever singing his Word back to him. This is God’s promise to us and we can trust it.
So you don’t have to be afraid when somebody talks about the end of the world. So what?! Even though all around us may pass away, Christians have hope because God’s Word is forever and we have confidence that we too will live forever because of Jesus. Amen.
chapel 120110
(alarm) Why are alarms important? (wake up, ready for school, events). If you didn’t have an alarm you still might be in bed right now.
We want to be awake for important things like school and meetings, but we especially want to be awake spiritually. Our reading from Romans says, “You know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.”
We are now in the season of Advent, which is like an alarm clock. We see the blue of the Advent and it’s reminder to wake up and prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ coming as a baby. What do we call that celebration? (Christmas) Advent also reminds us that we are to prepare for Jesus’ second coming at the end of the world. Jesus is coming again! Are you ready? It is no time to take a spiritual nap.
Our reading from Matthew says, “Stay awake, for you do not know what day your Lord is coming…Be ready, for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Taking a nap spiritually is not just embarrassing; if you are not prepared to meet God, it can result in being separated from Him forever.
After you wake up, what are some things you do to prepare for the day? (shower, breakfast, dress.) You always want to remember to get dressed.
I brought a bag of my dirty, smelly, laundry. Would it be a good idea to wear these clothes today? (no.) Why not? (not clean. stink) What if I was going to a big special occasion, like a wedding, would it be a good idea to wear these dirty clothes?
Our reading from Romans, not only tells us that it’s time to wake up, but also tells us that we need to get dressed for the big occasion of Jesus’s second coming. Without Jesus, we are clothed in dirty rags of sin. St Paul says, “The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” We put on Jesus himself and we throw off the dirty clothes of disobedience and sin.
We are clothed with Christ through Baptism. The Bible says, “As many of You as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” By Jesus’ death on the cross for our sin and His rising from the grave, He gives us victory over sin, death and the devil.
In Baptism, you are dressed and ready for the big occasion of Jesus’ second coming. You have been awakened and given a new set of clothes, in exchange for your dirty laundry of sin. You have been dressed in the righteousness and forgiveness of Jesus, you are ready.
This day, and every day in Advent, is a wonderful day to wake up (set off alarm) and celebrate the love of God freely given to you in Jesus.
We want to be awake for important things like school and meetings, but we especially want to be awake spiritually. Our reading from Romans says, “You know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.”
We are now in the season of Advent, which is like an alarm clock. We see the blue of the Advent and it’s reminder to wake up and prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ coming as a baby. What do we call that celebration? (Christmas) Advent also reminds us that we are to prepare for Jesus’ second coming at the end of the world. Jesus is coming again! Are you ready? It is no time to take a spiritual nap.
Our reading from Matthew says, “Stay awake, for you do not know what day your Lord is coming…Be ready, for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Taking a nap spiritually is not just embarrassing; if you are not prepared to meet God, it can result in being separated from Him forever.
After you wake up, what are some things you do to prepare for the day? (shower, breakfast, dress.) You always want to remember to get dressed.
I brought a bag of my dirty, smelly, laundry. Would it be a good idea to wear these clothes today? (no.) Why not? (not clean. stink) What if I was going to a big special occasion, like a wedding, would it be a good idea to wear these dirty clothes?
Our reading from Romans, not only tells us that it’s time to wake up, but also tells us that we need to get dressed for the big occasion of Jesus’s second coming. Without Jesus, we are clothed in dirty rags of sin. St Paul says, “The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” We put on Jesus himself and we throw off the dirty clothes of disobedience and sin.
We are clothed with Christ through Baptism. The Bible says, “As many of You as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” By Jesus’ death on the cross for our sin and His rising from the grave, He gives us victory over sin, death and the devil.
In Baptism, you are dressed and ready for the big occasion of Jesus’ second coming. You have been awakened and given a new set of clothes, in exchange for your dirty laundry of sin. You have been dressed in the righteousness and forgiveness of Jesus, you are ready.
This day, and every day in Advent, is a wonderful day to wake up (set off alarm) and celebrate the love of God freely given to you in Jesus.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
“Behold, Your King is Coming to You” Advent 1 Matthew 21:1-11
“Behold, Your King is Coming to You” Advent 1 Matthew 21:1-11
Vicar Darren Harbaugh
Introduction: A Royal Event
While at Cambridge, I saw Queen Elizabeth. Crowds flocked to catch a glimpse of her. It is fascinating to see how the British regard their royalty. The press is speculating that Prince William will have the most extravagant wedding ever. And can’t even imagine what the coronation ceremony for the next monarch will be like, probably a public spectacle unlike any other.
I. A. Jesus’ royal entrance was public
Our gospel reading from Matthew tells of a royal public spectacle; Different from the crowning of a British monarch, but still involving a bit of pomp and circumstance. Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. A huge crowd lays cloaks on the road before him along with branches they’ve torn from trees. They shout praises. The event shook the city. It was an incredible act, recognizing Jesus as the Messiah. But, we know the rest of the story – A week later, the holy city of Jerusalem ended up murdering its Messiah as it had murdered its prophets who foretold of one who would come to bring salvation. From acclamation and acceptance to condemnation and rejection in the span of a week. Why did this happen?
It is significant that Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is public. It would have been possible for Jesus to arrive without drawing attention to himself. But He did not come to slip quietly into the city.
What’s happened to the secretive Jesus? Remember him? Throughout the Gospels Jesus heals somebody then says, “Shhh! Don’t tell anybody.”
Here in Matthew 21, The crowd is screaming, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” But Jesus does not tell the crowd to pipe down.
Hosanna by the way means “Save us now! Indeed, Jesus is now there to save them. The time to be quiet is over. The hour of salvation has come.
B. It was provocative
Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem was also provocative. Jesus didn’t normally ride around on donkeys. In the Old Testament, the royal heir rode a donkey. Jesus was presenting himself as the Son of David. His arrival is deliberately dramatic, designed to draw attention and provoke people to think about his claim to be the messiah. It is a challenge for the people to recognize their king, but Jerusalem does not rejoice. Rather, the event shook the city.
C. It was humble
Jesus did not fit their expectation of what a king should be like, because above all, Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was humble.
Many expected the Messiah king to come in power and destroy political enemies, but as R.T. France writes: “This meek and peaceful donkey rider is not a potential leader of an anti-Roman insurrection.”
As King, Jesus is victorious, yet meek. He rides a donkey rather than a war horse. His kingdom is one of peace rather than coercion. Mounted on the son of the pack animal, Jesus comes as the meek suffering servant who will take away our weakness and bear out diseases. The messiah king of Israel will rule by virtue of his humble suffering and death. Jesus chose to portray himself in this way as he approached the city. This prepares us for a kingship that will be established without violence and through submitting to the will of enemies.
Jesus says in Matthew 20. “You want to be great? You must become a servant. You want to be first? You must be a slave. The son of man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
These words cause us to examine ourselves. What is your expectation of what Jesus should be like? It is no secret who Jesus is. Nor is it a secret what his kingdom is like. Do you worship and follow the humble suffering servant? Jesus challenges us to recognize him as king on His terms, a king hidden in the suffering of the cross. Our king chose the path of rejection and pain. Too often, we choose our own path; establish our own kingdom - one of comfort and ease. We fashion the Christian life in our own image. We want God to be our cosmic Sugar Daddy, giving us whatever we want. We ignore God when it is uncomfortable - when we are out of our comfort zone. We are called to serve our neighbors, our friends, our family, but we serve ourselves. We collect possessions and hoard our time. You and I find security, meaning and significance in ourselves, in the kingdoms that we have created for ourselves, and in our processions rather than in Christ alone.
But we are not left on our own. As Richard Lenski writes, “Jesus is a king like none other. His kingdom not of this world. The subjects of other kings come humbly to their king, this king comes humbly to his subjects. Other kings take all that they have from their people. This king gives all that he has to his people
Luther says “Christ is a peculiar king; you do not seek him, he seeks you. You do not find him. He finds you, for the preachers come from him not from you, their preaching comes from him not from you, your faith comes from him not from you, and all that your faith works in you comes from him, not from you.
III. Jesus, our Messiah King, makes his entrance among us now.
Behold, Your king is coming to you. As Jesus rode publicly, provocatively and humbly into Jerusalem. He comes to us this way even now.
A. His coming is public through Word and Worship
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem did the people know that they were shouting a messianic enthronement psalm? Who knows what they had in mind. But it shows the power of God’s Word. That is why we sing God’s words back to him in the liturgy. Even though we pray the liturgy week after week, we will never exhaust the depth of God’s own word sung and spoken back to him. Those pilgrims in Jerusalem sung the Word of God – “Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” - as they threw down their coats and tore down branches to line the path of Christ their coming King, who was coming to lay down his own body and shed his own blood on the cross for the forgiveness of their sins.
We, pilgrims in this particular place, sing the same word of God in our Service of the Sacrament Look at pg __ in your service folder. “Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” - We sing as our king comes to us, in a way that no less real then when he entered Jerusalem on a donkey. Christ comes to us through His Word and He comes us physically, even now, in his body and his blood.
Jesus, whose name means “The Lord is Salvation”, brought salvation by his suffering and death on the cross. We cry, “Hosanna!” meaning “Save us now!” And he does save us. Look at page ___. “Drink of it all of you; this cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of all your sins.” Our sins are forgiven because our Lord came humbly as a child into this world, rode humbly into Jerusalem and continues to come to us in an ordinary and humble fashion. Through the ordinary words of an imperfect human and through the ordinary and humble means of bread and wine. To some, it is a shock and an offense to reason to claim that the God of the universe should reveal himself in such a mundane and ordinary way.
B. His coming is provocative, defying human reason
C. His coming is humble, in ordinary, simple means of Bread and Wine
I’m sure that it was a shock and an offense to reason that a king should come born in a manger, born to humble ordinary people; or that the king should come riding a donkey - a simple, ordinary beast of burden.
This is no offense or shock, but rather this is the greatest comfort. Behold, your king comes to you now, humble and in a simple, ordinary way.
Our king defies expectations. Pain and suffering are bad, right? What king would suffer and die to bring salvation? Ours. Jesus came to earth as a human and bore the burden that we bear every day. He endured temptation. He endured the daily grind and pressures of life. He dealt with rejection and pain and sorrow. He felt all the normal ordinary human emotions.
We all have heavy burdens. But our King who rode a beast of burden, and who bore all our burdens upon the cross promises rest. Behold, your king is coming to you, right now as I speak, offering you blessings of life, salvation and peace. Amen.
Vicar Darren Harbaugh
Introduction: A Royal Event
While at Cambridge, I saw Queen Elizabeth. Crowds flocked to catch a glimpse of her. It is fascinating to see how the British regard their royalty. The press is speculating that Prince William will have the most extravagant wedding ever. And can’t even imagine what the coronation ceremony for the next monarch will be like, probably a public spectacle unlike any other.
I. A. Jesus’ royal entrance was public
Our gospel reading from Matthew tells of a royal public spectacle; Different from the crowning of a British monarch, but still involving a bit of pomp and circumstance. Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. A huge crowd lays cloaks on the road before him along with branches they’ve torn from trees. They shout praises. The event shook the city. It was an incredible act, recognizing Jesus as the Messiah. But, we know the rest of the story – A week later, the holy city of Jerusalem ended up murdering its Messiah as it had murdered its prophets who foretold of one who would come to bring salvation. From acclamation and acceptance to condemnation and rejection in the span of a week. Why did this happen?
It is significant that Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is public. It would have been possible for Jesus to arrive without drawing attention to himself. But He did not come to slip quietly into the city.
What’s happened to the secretive Jesus? Remember him? Throughout the Gospels Jesus heals somebody then says, “Shhh! Don’t tell anybody.”
Here in Matthew 21, The crowd is screaming, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” But Jesus does not tell the crowd to pipe down.
Hosanna by the way means “Save us now! Indeed, Jesus is now there to save them. The time to be quiet is over. The hour of salvation has come.
B. It was provocative
Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem was also provocative. Jesus didn’t normally ride around on donkeys. In the Old Testament, the royal heir rode a donkey. Jesus was presenting himself as the Son of David. His arrival is deliberately dramatic, designed to draw attention and provoke people to think about his claim to be the messiah. It is a challenge for the people to recognize their king, but Jerusalem does not rejoice. Rather, the event shook the city.
C. It was humble
Jesus did not fit their expectation of what a king should be like, because above all, Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was humble.
Many expected the Messiah king to come in power and destroy political enemies, but as R.T. France writes: “This meek and peaceful donkey rider is not a potential leader of an anti-Roman insurrection.”
As King, Jesus is victorious, yet meek. He rides a donkey rather than a war horse. His kingdom is one of peace rather than coercion. Mounted on the son of the pack animal, Jesus comes as the meek suffering servant who will take away our weakness and bear out diseases. The messiah king of Israel will rule by virtue of his humble suffering and death. Jesus chose to portray himself in this way as he approached the city. This prepares us for a kingship that will be established without violence and through submitting to the will of enemies.
Jesus says in Matthew 20. “You want to be great? You must become a servant. You want to be first? You must be a slave. The son of man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
These words cause us to examine ourselves. What is your expectation of what Jesus should be like? It is no secret who Jesus is. Nor is it a secret what his kingdom is like. Do you worship and follow the humble suffering servant? Jesus challenges us to recognize him as king on His terms, a king hidden in the suffering of the cross. Our king chose the path of rejection and pain. Too often, we choose our own path; establish our own kingdom - one of comfort and ease. We fashion the Christian life in our own image. We want God to be our cosmic Sugar Daddy, giving us whatever we want. We ignore God when it is uncomfortable - when we are out of our comfort zone. We are called to serve our neighbors, our friends, our family, but we serve ourselves. We collect possessions and hoard our time. You and I find security, meaning and significance in ourselves, in the kingdoms that we have created for ourselves, and in our processions rather than in Christ alone.
But we are not left on our own. As Richard Lenski writes, “Jesus is a king like none other. His kingdom not of this world. The subjects of other kings come humbly to their king, this king comes humbly to his subjects. Other kings take all that they have from their people. This king gives all that he has to his people
Luther says “Christ is a peculiar king; you do not seek him, he seeks you. You do not find him. He finds you, for the preachers come from him not from you, their preaching comes from him not from you, your faith comes from him not from you, and all that your faith works in you comes from him, not from you.
III. Jesus, our Messiah King, makes his entrance among us now.
Behold, Your king is coming to you. As Jesus rode publicly, provocatively and humbly into Jerusalem. He comes to us this way even now.
A. His coming is public through Word and Worship
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem did the people know that they were shouting a messianic enthronement psalm? Who knows what they had in mind. But it shows the power of God’s Word. That is why we sing God’s words back to him in the liturgy. Even though we pray the liturgy week after week, we will never exhaust the depth of God’s own word sung and spoken back to him. Those pilgrims in Jerusalem sung the Word of God – “Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” - as they threw down their coats and tore down branches to line the path of Christ their coming King, who was coming to lay down his own body and shed his own blood on the cross for the forgiveness of their sins.
We, pilgrims in this particular place, sing the same word of God in our Service of the Sacrament Look at pg __ in your service folder. “Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” - We sing as our king comes to us, in a way that no less real then when he entered Jerusalem on a donkey. Christ comes to us through His Word and He comes us physically, even now, in his body and his blood.
Jesus, whose name means “The Lord is Salvation”, brought salvation by his suffering and death on the cross. We cry, “Hosanna!” meaning “Save us now!” And he does save us. Look at page ___. “Drink of it all of you; this cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of all your sins.” Our sins are forgiven because our Lord came humbly as a child into this world, rode humbly into Jerusalem and continues to come to us in an ordinary and humble fashion. Through the ordinary words of an imperfect human and through the ordinary and humble means of bread and wine. To some, it is a shock and an offense to reason to claim that the God of the universe should reveal himself in such a mundane and ordinary way.
B. His coming is provocative, defying human reason
C. His coming is humble, in ordinary, simple means of Bread and Wine
I’m sure that it was a shock and an offense to reason that a king should come born in a manger, born to humble ordinary people; or that the king should come riding a donkey - a simple, ordinary beast of burden.
This is no offense or shock, but rather this is the greatest comfort. Behold, your king comes to you now, humble and in a simple, ordinary way.
Our king defies expectations. Pain and suffering are bad, right? What king would suffer and die to bring salvation? Ours. Jesus came to earth as a human and bore the burden that we bear every day. He endured temptation. He endured the daily grind and pressures of life. He dealt with rejection and pain and sorrow. He felt all the normal ordinary human emotions.
We all have heavy burdens. But our King who rode a beast of burden, and who bore all our burdens upon the cross promises rest. Behold, your king is coming to you, right now as I speak, offering you blessings of life, salvation and peace. Amen.
Monday, November 22, 2010
“Rescued from the Dominion of Darkness” - Colossians 1:13-20
“Rescued from the Dominion of Darkness” - Colossians 1:13-20
11.21.10 – Sunday of the Fulfillment
Vicar Darren Harbaugh
A couple weeks ago we “fell back” an hour for daylight saving time. Instead of the sun setting around 6 o’clock, now it sets around 5. We’ve lost almost a half an hour of daylight since setting our clocks back and we’ll lose another half hour of daylight until we hit December 21st, the shortest day of the year.
I’ve never been fond of the dark. Darkness has a certain power, and not necessarily for good. You can get lost in the dark. You are vulnerable and can’t see danger coming. Even physically, humans need light. In those places in the world where it is dark a lot, like in the extreme north, people have to be on guard against depression. Physical darkness has a certain power.
Spiritual darkness indeed has power too. In the world and in our lives, spiritual darkness can seem very powerful, almost as if it controls us and rules us. We know that there is a king of darkness and that he is very powerful. But even though we feel the power of darkness, our reading from Colossians has an incredible promise for us.
In Colossians 1:13, the apostle Paul mentions the “domain of darkness.” That is a very fitting description for Satan’s realm. Satan likes to keep his work hidden and secretive. He deals in deception and fear. Sin would not be so tempting if it was out in the open and exposed to the light. It would look downright hideous, so he likes to keep it under wraps. And in this Spiritual domain of darkness, we are vulnerable to either being trapped by what we can’t see or terrified because we know that something out there is lurking.
All of us, at one point, were part of this domain of darkness, and even now, Sin and Satan still pull at us.
-Sin and Satan pull us with deception. Satan wants us to believe the lie that sin isn’t dangerous. An entire industry is built on gossiping about people, saying mean and hurtful things about others. Rather than speaking about our neighbor in the best possible way, it’s our national pastime to drag her through the mud every change we get. Maybe you hold a grudge against someone and harbor bitterness against her. And think, “What’s the harm?”
Also, our entire economy seems to be fueled by people on desiring what their neighbor has; wanting the next latest and greatest thing to come down the line rather than being content with what God has provided. We ask ourselves, “What’s wrong with wanting nice new things? What’s dangerous about wanting more money, a nicer car, a better house, a bigger TV?”
-Sin and Satan also pull us with temptation, just as with Adam and Eve in the garden; Satan still gets us to ask the question, “Is it really wrong?” Is morality determined by my own personal preference and by society? Or is it determined by God’s Word? Billions of dollars are generated by marking and selling sex via TV and computer to people in the privacy of their own home. Because it’s there, does it make it right? Living together or having sex outside of God’s plan for marriage is accepted by many and we are tempted to think, “Is it really wrong?”
-Sin and Satan also pull us with fear. Maybe you beat yourself up, over sin and the experience of sin past and present. Maybe you think that there is no way that God will forgive you for things you’ve done or accept you because of things you’ve experienced. Maybe you’ve hurt people with your actions. Maybe you have abused drugs and alcohol. Maybe you’ve committed sexual sins. Maybe you’ve destroyed a relationship. Maybe you’ve been destroyed through a relationship. Maybe you’ve had an abortion or pressured someone to get one. Maybe you’ve been the victim of physical or emotional abuse. And because of this, whatever it is, you think: “Forgiveness and acceptance is not for me.”
Maybe you’re just scared. Terrified of being alone, of dying. Paralyzed with fear of the unknown, of things that could happen to you or your family. The pull of sin and Satan can deceive us and lead us into deep discouragement and despair. We turn inward and wonder “What’s wrong with me?” We can get to the point of almost losing hope and losing faith, ready to throw in the towel and to give up trying to live for Christ.
But hold on; let’s go back to Colossians 1:13. What does it say? God has rescued us and placed us under the authority of his Son. We are not under the authority of Sin and Satan’s domain of darkness. For us as Christians, there has been a regime change. There is a new guy in charge; we are under the rule of the Son. He is our king.
Notice that the following actions are in the past tense. ‘The Father has delivered us (past tense) from the domain of darkness and transferred us (past tense) to the kingdom of his beloved Son in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” God has rescued you. It’s already happened!
It happened because of a specific historical event: redemption by the death of God’s beloved Son. Jesus’ death on the cross paid for ALL our sins and bought us back from Satan’s dominion of darkness.
-Those sins that we toyed with because we thought that they couldn’t hurt us all that much - gossiping about others, harboring bitterness toward others, craving money and possessions; those sins have been forgiven.
-Those sins we tried to rationalize away – lust of the eyes through pornography, lust of the flesh, through sexual sins; those sins have been forgiven.
-Even those sins we knew were wrong and know are deadly and even now are tormenting us with guilt- drug and alcohol abuse, adultery, murder, lies, hurtful behavior; these sins too have been forgiven.
-Also, sins of fear and doubt because of the unknown, because of experiences of abuse and pain; yes, these sins have been forgiven as well.
We have been redeemed! The price the Jesus paid was sufficient and our rescue from the domain of darkness was complete because of who Jesus is.
The Son has the authority to break the power of darkness – Now and forever. Verse 15 says that the Son is the image of the invisible God. Sometimes God may seem far away, but God doesn’t wish to keep us in the dark about his identity or his actions. When we see Christ, we see God. And in Christ, we see that God’s actions are always gracious and loving and forgiving, bringing light to those who sit in darkness.
Verse 16 says that The Son made all things; because of this, Son’s ability to rule has no limit. The Son, not Satan, is the rightful king of the universe. Satan is not equal in power to God. A few weeks ago for Reformation Day, we sang the hymn Luther wrote: “Though devils all the world should fill, All eager to devour us, We tremble not, we fear no ill; They shall not overpower us. This world’s prince may still Scowl fierce as he will, He can harm us none. He’s judged; the deed is done; One little word can fell him.” What word is that that shatters the darkness? Jesus! The name above all names, “for at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, those on heaven and those on earth and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord to the Lord of God the Father!” When the Son returns, we will see Him on the throne and Satan cast down.
Verse 17 says that the Son sustains all things. He’s got the whole world in His hands. There is nowhere that His power does not reach. It shines into every dark corner where Satan might lurk. We have nothing to fear – not Satan’s worst in this life, nor hell in eternity.
Jesus rose from the dead and was the firstborn, the cause, of those who rise from the dead. When Jesus returns in bright glory, we too will rise! Jesus is God himself, all the fullness of God dwells in Him. He is 100% God and 100% man, he is therefore the mediator between God and man. Even when you and I don’t feel peaceful, Jesus has established peace between us and the Father – by taking all the hatred and evil of our sins in his own body on the cross.
So when you feel the pull and power of darkness – and every Christian feels it – hold fast to God’s promise. What is that promise? We are no longer under condemnation, we are not slaves to danger and fear because have been buried with Christ by baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the death by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. God has rescued us out of the dominion of darkness and transferred us into the reign of His Son. One day, that reign will come in glory and we will be united with Christ in His resurrection. In these dark days, this gives us reason to rejoice, for His is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
11.21.10 – Sunday of the Fulfillment
Vicar Darren Harbaugh
A couple weeks ago we “fell back” an hour for daylight saving time. Instead of the sun setting around 6 o’clock, now it sets around 5. We’ve lost almost a half an hour of daylight since setting our clocks back and we’ll lose another half hour of daylight until we hit December 21st, the shortest day of the year.
I’ve never been fond of the dark. Darkness has a certain power, and not necessarily for good. You can get lost in the dark. You are vulnerable and can’t see danger coming. Even physically, humans need light. In those places in the world where it is dark a lot, like in the extreme north, people have to be on guard against depression. Physical darkness has a certain power.
Spiritual darkness indeed has power too. In the world and in our lives, spiritual darkness can seem very powerful, almost as if it controls us and rules us. We know that there is a king of darkness and that he is very powerful. But even though we feel the power of darkness, our reading from Colossians has an incredible promise for us.
In Colossians 1:13, the apostle Paul mentions the “domain of darkness.” That is a very fitting description for Satan’s realm. Satan likes to keep his work hidden and secretive. He deals in deception and fear. Sin would not be so tempting if it was out in the open and exposed to the light. It would look downright hideous, so he likes to keep it under wraps. And in this Spiritual domain of darkness, we are vulnerable to either being trapped by what we can’t see or terrified because we know that something out there is lurking.
All of us, at one point, were part of this domain of darkness, and even now, Sin and Satan still pull at us.
-Sin and Satan pull us with deception. Satan wants us to believe the lie that sin isn’t dangerous. An entire industry is built on gossiping about people, saying mean and hurtful things about others. Rather than speaking about our neighbor in the best possible way, it’s our national pastime to drag her through the mud every change we get. Maybe you hold a grudge against someone and harbor bitterness against her. And think, “What’s the harm?”
Also, our entire economy seems to be fueled by people on desiring what their neighbor has; wanting the next latest and greatest thing to come down the line rather than being content with what God has provided. We ask ourselves, “What’s wrong with wanting nice new things? What’s dangerous about wanting more money, a nicer car, a better house, a bigger TV?”
-Sin and Satan also pull us with temptation, just as with Adam and Eve in the garden; Satan still gets us to ask the question, “Is it really wrong?” Is morality determined by my own personal preference and by society? Or is it determined by God’s Word? Billions of dollars are generated by marking and selling sex via TV and computer to people in the privacy of their own home. Because it’s there, does it make it right? Living together or having sex outside of God’s plan for marriage is accepted by many and we are tempted to think, “Is it really wrong?”
-Sin and Satan also pull us with fear. Maybe you beat yourself up, over sin and the experience of sin past and present. Maybe you think that there is no way that God will forgive you for things you’ve done or accept you because of things you’ve experienced. Maybe you’ve hurt people with your actions. Maybe you have abused drugs and alcohol. Maybe you’ve committed sexual sins. Maybe you’ve destroyed a relationship. Maybe you’ve been destroyed through a relationship. Maybe you’ve had an abortion or pressured someone to get one. Maybe you’ve been the victim of physical or emotional abuse. And because of this, whatever it is, you think: “Forgiveness and acceptance is not for me.”
Maybe you’re just scared. Terrified of being alone, of dying. Paralyzed with fear of the unknown, of things that could happen to you or your family. The pull of sin and Satan can deceive us and lead us into deep discouragement and despair. We turn inward and wonder “What’s wrong with me?” We can get to the point of almost losing hope and losing faith, ready to throw in the towel and to give up trying to live for Christ.
But hold on; let’s go back to Colossians 1:13. What does it say? God has rescued us and placed us under the authority of his Son. We are not under the authority of Sin and Satan’s domain of darkness. For us as Christians, there has been a regime change. There is a new guy in charge; we are under the rule of the Son. He is our king.
Notice that the following actions are in the past tense. ‘The Father has delivered us (past tense) from the domain of darkness and transferred us (past tense) to the kingdom of his beloved Son in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” God has rescued you. It’s already happened!
It happened because of a specific historical event: redemption by the death of God’s beloved Son. Jesus’ death on the cross paid for ALL our sins and bought us back from Satan’s dominion of darkness.
-Those sins that we toyed with because we thought that they couldn’t hurt us all that much - gossiping about others, harboring bitterness toward others, craving money and possessions; those sins have been forgiven.
-Those sins we tried to rationalize away – lust of the eyes through pornography, lust of the flesh, through sexual sins; those sins have been forgiven.
-Even those sins we knew were wrong and know are deadly and even now are tormenting us with guilt- drug and alcohol abuse, adultery, murder, lies, hurtful behavior; these sins too have been forgiven.
-Also, sins of fear and doubt because of the unknown, because of experiences of abuse and pain; yes, these sins have been forgiven as well.
We have been redeemed! The price the Jesus paid was sufficient and our rescue from the domain of darkness was complete because of who Jesus is.
The Son has the authority to break the power of darkness – Now and forever. Verse 15 says that the Son is the image of the invisible God. Sometimes God may seem far away, but God doesn’t wish to keep us in the dark about his identity or his actions. When we see Christ, we see God. And in Christ, we see that God’s actions are always gracious and loving and forgiving, bringing light to those who sit in darkness.
Verse 16 says that The Son made all things; because of this, Son’s ability to rule has no limit. The Son, not Satan, is the rightful king of the universe. Satan is not equal in power to God. A few weeks ago for Reformation Day, we sang the hymn Luther wrote: “Though devils all the world should fill, All eager to devour us, We tremble not, we fear no ill; They shall not overpower us. This world’s prince may still Scowl fierce as he will, He can harm us none. He’s judged; the deed is done; One little word can fell him.” What word is that that shatters the darkness? Jesus! The name above all names, “for at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, those on heaven and those on earth and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord to the Lord of God the Father!” When the Son returns, we will see Him on the throne and Satan cast down.
Verse 17 says that the Son sustains all things. He’s got the whole world in His hands. There is nowhere that His power does not reach. It shines into every dark corner where Satan might lurk. We have nothing to fear – not Satan’s worst in this life, nor hell in eternity.
Jesus rose from the dead and was the firstborn, the cause, of those who rise from the dead. When Jesus returns in bright glory, we too will rise! Jesus is God himself, all the fullness of God dwells in Him. He is 100% God and 100% man, he is therefore the mediator between God and man. Even when you and I don’t feel peaceful, Jesus has established peace between us and the Father – by taking all the hatred and evil of our sins in his own body on the cross.
So when you feel the pull and power of darkness – and every Christian feels it – hold fast to God’s promise. What is that promise? We are no longer under condemnation, we are not slaves to danger and fear because have been buried with Christ by baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the death by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. God has rescued us out of the dominion of darkness and transferred us into the reign of His Son. One day, that reign will come in glory and we will be united with Christ in His resurrection. In these dark days, this gives us reason to rejoice, for His is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
found this about my family
http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=brower3231&id=I10771
ID: I10771
Name: Heinrich Habach
Given Name: Heinrich
Surname: Habach
Name: Heinrich Habach
Given Name: Heinrich Habach
Name: Heinrich Harbaugh
Given Name: Heinrich Harbaugh
Name: Henry Habach
Given Name: Henry Habach
Name: Henry Heorbach
Given Name: Henry Heorbach
Sex: M
Birth:
_UID: 4C73D999-E6A1-43DE-BCBA-91DCA9B3EFB5
RIN: MH:IF11670 BET 1755 AND 1764
Death:
_UID: 14374042-28FE-4A2F-B917-5BF551F25445
RIN: MH:IF72265
RIN: MH:I10779
_UID: 1A034A6F-AA59-4274-83BD-056E68933EAA
Note:
He was a Lutheran, and because he seems to have never used the Dutch form Hendrik for his given name, I can assume that any sojourn in Holland was short. He attended a German-language Lutheran church (I so assume because of the early identification of the church with a German name, Gute Hoffnung), overwhelming evidence must assert that he was from a German-speaking country. I cannot ascertain what part of the German-speaking lands he came from.
Whether Henry Harbaugh is related to the Harbaughs of the
"Harbaugh History" by Cora Bell HARBAUGH Cooprider that are not his descendants of himself or other Harbaughs who lived in Fayette County, PA at the time is highly uncertain. I know nothing yet of any ancestors who lived in Germany, Switzerland, or the (then) Germanophone Alsace-Lorraine region of France (family origin is likely in one of those places).
If HABACH is his original surname, then it was pronounced in German as "HAH-bakh", the KH representing a sound that does not exist in English. The strongly accented HAH could have been heard pronounced as "HAR", and the very audible "KH" could have come off as a K or been silent. Apparently it went silent and was spelled Harbaugh".
Several alternative spellings are possible for Harbaugh, but this family chose HARBAUGH
From a transcription of the 1800 US Census in Bullskin Twp., Fayette Co., PA
501 19 HEORBACH Henry 2 . . 1 . . . 1 . . . . .
This name was, of course, suited to sundry variations.
Note: two males under 10, one male between the ages of 26 and 45, and one female between the ages of 16 and 25. It is safely said that Henry was thus born between the
years 1754 and 1774, likely on the late side, and that Elizabeth was born between the years 1775 and 1784, likely on the early side. This household looks like a young couple, in view of the absence of any children over 10.
Here's a likely older brother:
501 18 HEORBACH John 5 1 . 1 . . . . 1 . . . .
Interpretation:
Five sons under 10, one son between 10 and 16, one adult male aged 26 to 45, wife between ages 26 and 45.
Here's a likely father of these two men:
501 17 HEORBACH Frances . . 1 . 1 . . . . 1 . . .
One son between the ages of 16 and 26, one man past age 45, wife past 45.
It is possible that "Frances" is a misrecording of "Francis" -- or "Franz", the German equivalent of "Francis". Nothing here is definitive.
..........
Rupp, in "About 30,000 Names" lists a "Heinrich Herbach" as arriving in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1764, a "Johann Peter Harbach" as arriving in Philadelphia PA in 1772, and a "Michael Harbach" arriving in Philadelphia PA in 1773.
Strassburger, in "Pennsylvania German Pioneers", has a "Jacob Herbach" arriving in Philadelphia PA in 1741, and a Jacob Harbach arriving in Philadelphia in 1764. Those two are almost certainly different persons.
No other similar names, except involving a "Harback" arriving in Georgia at a similar time, is to be found, and the immigration list is extensive and alphabetic. Linguistic evidence suggests that if "HERBACH" is the correct spelling, then it was pronounced "hair-bakh" and slowly became "Harbaw" in pronunciation, as the obvious misspelling HEORBACH (which is bad German, bad English, bad Dutch, and bad anything else) seems to indicate. Paucity of alternatives on immigration lists suggests that the only alternative is to find someone who immigrated illegally, as by jumping ship.
In view of the absence of other evidence, my best guess is that Heinrich Herbach (known under several aliases -- all honorable, so far as I can tell) emigrated to the New World from Germany through Rotterdam and Philadelphia in 1764. Other Herbachs and Harbachs could be related -- but NOBODY seems to have reached America with the surname Harbaugh already formalized in writing.
It is possible that he immigrated as a child and even as an infant, so I have thus chosen to assert that he was born in or before 1764. Frequent changes of the rendering of his name are more typical of a recent immigrant with whose surname gives difficulties of pronunciation and spelling within the community within which he lives. Many French, German, English, and Spanish or Portuguese surnames were changed dramatically within the Dutch colony of New Holland; the lore of name changes of persons immigrating to most northern and western cities in the United States around AD 1900 shows the tendency to a powerful extent. Given names changed first; that is, Heinrich > Henry.
Once in America, Herbachs, Habachs, and Harbachs often became Harbaughs and who knows what else. Maybe even "Harvey" and of course "Harback". In his case the Anglicization went through "Heorbach", and as English speakers had trouble with the final sound that does not exist in English, the final "ch" was muted but transformed into the infamous silent final "gh" ot English.
NOTE TO RESEARCHERS:
Whatever you do, please cite my reasoning on the frequent name changes, which often seem like trial and error, in adaptation of an Anglophone environment. It is not from any book, so cite me to give credit -- or discredit -- where due. Because of the great ambiguity of his name at any given time, one can assume that his given name began as something unquestionably German over a few decades.
Addendum, 2 Dec 2006: a Francis Harbaugh, then between the ages of 70 and 80, appears in Union Twp., Fayette County, PA in the 1830 US Census, but not in 1840. This is consistent with "Frances Heorbach" being in the age group "45+" in 1810. No other persons with such a name are known to have been living in Fayette County between 1830 and 1870.
Change Date: 6 OCT 2008
Marriage 1 Elisabeth b: BET 1774 AND 1784
Children
Abraham Harbaugh b: ABT 1801 in Saltlick Twp., Fayette, Pennsylvania c: in Gute Hoffnung Lutheran Church, Saltlick Twp., Fayette, Pennsylvania
ID: I10771
Name: Heinrich Habach
Given Name: Heinrich
Surname: Habach
Name: Heinrich Habach
Given Name: Heinrich Habach
Name: Heinrich Harbaugh
Given Name: Heinrich Harbaugh
Name: Henry Habach
Given Name: Henry Habach
Name: Henry Heorbach
Given Name: Henry Heorbach
Sex: M
Birth:
_UID: 4C73D999-E6A1-43DE-BCBA-91DCA9B3EFB5
RIN: MH:IF11670 BET 1755 AND 1764
Death:
_UID: 14374042-28FE-4A2F-B917-5BF551F25445
RIN: MH:IF72265
RIN: MH:I10779
_UID: 1A034A6F-AA59-4274-83BD-056E68933EAA
Note:
He was a Lutheran, and because he seems to have never used the Dutch form Hendrik for his given name, I can assume that any sojourn in Holland was short. He attended a German-language Lutheran church (I so assume because of the early identification of the church with a German name, Gute Hoffnung), overwhelming evidence must assert that he was from a German-speaking country. I cannot ascertain what part of the German-speaking lands he came from.
Whether Henry Harbaugh is related to the Harbaughs of the
"Harbaugh History" by Cora Bell HARBAUGH Cooprider that are not his descendants of himself or other Harbaughs who lived in Fayette County, PA at the time is highly uncertain. I know nothing yet of any ancestors who lived in Germany, Switzerland, or the (then) Germanophone Alsace-Lorraine region of France (family origin is likely in one of those places).
If HABACH is his original surname, then it was pronounced in German as "HAH-bakh", the KH representing a sound that does not exist in English. The strongly accented HAH could have been heard pronounced as "HAR", and the very audible "KH" could have come off as a K or been silent. Apparently it went silent and was spelled Harbaugh".
Several alternative spellings are possible for Harbaugh, but this family chose HARBAUGH
From a transcription of the 1800 US Census in Bullskin Twp., Fayette Co., PA
501 19 HEORBACH Henry 2 . . 1 . . . 1 . . . . .
This name was, of course, suited to sundry variations.
Note: two males under 10, one male between the ages of 26 and 45, and one female between the ages of 16 and 25. It is safely said that Henry was thus born between the
years 1754 and 1774, likely on the late side, and that Elizabeth was born between the years 1775 and 1784, likely on the early side. This household looks like a young couple, in view of the absence of any children over 10.
Here's a likely older brother:
501 18 HEORBACH John 5 1 . 1 . . . . 1 . . . .
Interpretation:
Five sons under 10, one son between 10 and 16, one adult male aged 26 to 45, wife between ages 26 and 45.
Here's a likely father of these two men:
501 17 HEORBACH Frances . . 1 . 1 . . . . 1 . . .
One son between the ages of 16 and 26, one man past age 45, wife past 45.
It is possible that "Frances" is a misrecording of "Francis" -- or "Franz", the German equivalent of "Francis". Nothing here is definitive.
..........
Rupp, in "About 30,000 Names" lists a "Heinrich Herbach" as arriving in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1764, a "Johann Peter Harbach" as arriving in Philadelphia PA in 1772, and a "Michael Harbach" arriving in Philadelphia PA in 1773.
Strassburger, in "Pennsylvania German Pioneers", has a "Jacob Herbach" arriving in Philadelphia PA in 1741, and a Jacob Harbach arriving in Philadelphia in 1764. Those two are almost certainly different persons.
No other similar names, except involving a "Harback" arriving in Georgia at a similar time, is to be found, and the immigration list is extensive and alphabetic. Linguistic evidence suggests that if "HERBACH" is the correct spelling, then it was pronounced "hair-bakh" and slowly became "Harbaw" in pronunciation, as the obvious misspelling HEORBACH (which is bad German, bad English, bad Dutch, and bad anything else) seems to indicate. Paucity of alternatives on immigration lists suggests that the only alternative is to find someone who immigrated illegally, as by jumping ship.
In view of the absence of other evidence, my best guess is that Heinrich Herbach (known under several aliases -- all honorable, so far as I can tell) emigrated to the New World from Germany through Rotterdam and Philadelphia in 1764. Other Herbachs and Harbachs could be related -- but NOBODY seems to have reached America with the surname Harbaugh already formalized in writing.
It is possible that he immigrated as a child and even as an infant, so I have thus chosen to assert that he was born in or before 1764. Frequent changes of the rendering of his name are more typical of a recent immigrant with whose surname gives difficulties of pronunciation and spelling within the community within which he lives. Many French, German, English, and Spanish or Portuguese surnames were changed dramatically within the Dutch colony of New Holland; the lore of name changes of persons immigrating to most northern and western cities in the United States around AD 1900 shows the tendency to a powerful extent. Given names changed first; that is, Heinrich > Henry.
Once in America, Herbachs, Habachs, and Harbachs often became Harbaughs and who knows what else. Maybe even "Harvey" and of course "Harback". In his case the Anglicization went through "Heorbach", and as English speakers had trouble with the final sound that does not exist in English, the final "ch" was muted but transformed into the infamous silent final "gh" ot English.
NOTE TO RESEARCHERS:
Whatever you do, please cite my reasoning on the frequent name changes, which often seem like trial and error, in adaptation of an Anglophone environment. It is not from any book, so cite me to give credit -- or discredit -- where due. Because of the great ambiguity of his name at any given time, one can assume that his given name began as something unquestionably German over a few decades.
Addendum, 2 Dec 2006: a Francis Harbaugh, then between the ages of 70 and 80, appears in Union Twp., Fayette County, PA in the 1830 US Census, but not in 1840. This is consistent with "Frances Heorbach" being in the age group "45+" in 1810. No other persons with such a name are known to have been living in Fayette County between 1830 and 1870.
Change Date: 6 OCT 2008
Marriage 1 Elisabeth b: BET 1774 AND 1784
Children
Abraham Harbaugh b: ABT 1801 in Saltlick Twp., Fayette, Pennsylvania c: in Gute Hoffnung Lutheran Church, Saltlick Twp., Fayette, Pennsylvania
Sunday, November 7, 2010
All saints
All Saints Day (Observed) A Victorious Heavenly Family Reunion Rev 7:9-17
Anybody catch that victory celebration downtown at the Civic Center this week? I wasn't there personally, but caught it via television. I can’t imagine being there in the middle of that crowd, but it looked like a great time.
Our reading from Revelation paints a picture similar to that Giants’ World Series celebration. There are no people hanging off the light poles, but the Apostle John indeed gives us a little slice of heaven. He describes his vision of a great multitude of people which no one could number. This is our future. You and I are in the middle of this crowd. And unlike the celebration here in San Francisco, at the heavenly celebration you won’t need to jockey for position, suffer from dehydration, or wait anxiously in line to use the restroom. John tells of a magnificent, victorious, heavenly family reunion. All baptized believers past, present and future are in attendance. Imagine the family photo!
An innumerable crowd. Kind of reminds you of that promise God gave to Abraham, that his descendants would be like the sand on the seashore. But we are not a part of this celebration because of our ethnic connection to Abraham but rather because of faith, on account of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God upon the cross. The precious blood of the Lamb bought you and I and has made it possible for us to celebrate with baptized believers, from every tongue, tribe, and nation. Every skin tone and language will be represented. And though we may look different and sound different, we will all be united by the sacrifice of Christ, standing before the throne, worshipping the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. You can take comfort that this "Lamb who sits on the throne" does not hold his position by means of electoral or popular vote. He rules because He is God not because he was appointed by the populous.
What a great celebration that will be. All the saints, the ones made holy by Christ, will be there. My great Grandpa Orlo and my great, great, great great grandpa Henry, also Martin Luther, the Apostle Paul, Peter, James and John, Abraham, David. You name the saint and they are in attendance.
Also, those saints who have died more recently: Bill Silvera, Brigitte Wiel, Irene Kruger, and just this past Wednesday Rosemarie Arenz. They too will be clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. Remember Palm branches in the Bible? Palm Sunday! They were used in Jesus’ victory parade before he laid down his life upon the cross. Palm branches are a sign of victory - like wearing the orange and black around here now of days – an indication that the battle has been won. In life everlasting, the home team wears white – robes washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. Christ’s blood cleanses and washes us.
What do we need to be washed and cleansed from? The sin that so easily entangles as it says in Hebrews 12. Let’s leave this heavenly image for a second and descend back to earth. In the book of Revelation, we are given an heavenly vision, but our lives seem very right here and right now. Very earthy, some times too much so. What do we, now, have in common with this heavenly vision? Our earthly family picture is often not as pretty as the heavenly family photo. We bicker and fight. We have hurt feelings and we hurt feelings. We hear harsh words and we speak harsh words. We think evil thoughts. We suffer broken relationships, broken hearts. We have lost loved ones. The experience of sin in our lives can point us toward losing hope or losing faith.
Acts 14:22 says “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” Pastor and professor Dr Louis Brighton says “Some tribulations and sufferings will be so piercing and poignant that the very faith and foundation of the believer’s hope will be severely tried, almost to the point of despair and defeat. For that Christian at that moment, his sufferings and trials are his great tribulation and every Christian will experience tribulation.”
Often tribulations, and the tears that result, are a part of our experience as the faithful people of God while on this earth.
-we shed tears over our own sins and over the sins of others
- we shed tears over the ruin and sufferings experienced by others
- we shed tears over our own afflictions
- we shed tears when we are confronted with God’s anger
- we shed tears when we are alone and in sorrow
“In this life, the shedding of tears is as much – at times even more- our experience as Christians as are joy and laughter. It is our nature as the people of God to weep and lament, but it is the gift of God’s grace to turn our weeping and sorrow into joy. This picture of eternal glory in Rev 7:14 (quote) is for our comfort and for the comfort of all Christians of all times as we experience whatever tribulations test our faith”. It is a complete and final fulfillment of this God's promise.
“We Christian's do not have immunity from severe suffering, rather in our ‘tribulations’ we experience such sufferings and fears and threats to life and faith that the depth of our very souls will be scorched in fiery trial. We must acknowledge that loss of faith and damnation to hell are real possibilities.” But the Word of God can strengthen our faith so that, despite such a fiery trial, our faith will hold out, and we will come through victorious, perhaps even stronger.”
So we cry, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!” as we cling to our baptism and to the Word of God. But also, we know that our heads are not in the clouds and our minds are not on the sweet by and by, but rather we are in the here and now and you are in a particular place, the right place, mind you. God’s place. In life everlasting, we will serve God in His temple. Now, we worship Him in His holy house here on earth.
In life everlasting, God will tabernacle with us, sheltering us with His presence, dwelling with us. We also know that in the person of Jesus, Heaven and earth meet - God became man, dwelling with us in human flesh. He also comes to us now in the flesh, in His body and blood in the Lord’s Supper.
You see, the church is not just a place to sing some songs and see friends and have some words spoken at you. Here, right now, is where heaven and earth meet. No less. Accept nothing less. There are a lot better clubs you can join if that what you're looking for. But in this place, the Word you hear is the Word of Christ, His gospel for the forgiveness of your sins. You are forgiven! And the people next to you, to your right and to your left, in front of you and behind you are holy saints, sealed by the Spirit in the living waters of Baptism. They are no mere mortals, but were created by God for eternity.
And those songs we sing. It’s not just our voices singing but the whole heavenly host joins in. Angels and Archangels. David, Abraham, Paul Peter James and John, Bill, Irene, Brigitte Rose Marie and all Christians throughout the ages. We join our voices together.
One day we will all be joined together - one big happy family. The troubles of this life will be but a shadow, tears and pain a distant memory. Savor this slice of heaven. In fact, come to the altar and have a taste. The heavenly feast awaits. You are invited to the feast. Enjoy the victory celebration. Amen
Anybody catch that victory celebration downtown at the Civic Center this week? I wasn't there personally, but caught it via television. I can’t imagine being there in the middle of that crowd, but it looked like a great time.
Our reading from Revelation paints a picture similar to that Giants’ World Series celebration. There are no people hanging off the light poles, but the Apostle John indeed gives us a little slice of heaven. He describes his vision of a great multitude of people which no one could number. This is our future. You and I are in the middle of this crowd. And unlike the celebration here in San Francisco, at the heavenly celebration you won’t need to jockey for position, suffer from dehydration, or wait anxiously in line to use the restroom. John tells of a magnificent, victorious, heavenly family reunion. All baptized believers past, present and future are in attendance. Imagine the family photo!
An innumerable crowd. Kind of reminds you of that promise God gave to Abraham, that his descendants would be like the sand on the seashore. But we are not a part of this celebration because of our ethnic connection to Abraham but rather because of faith, on account of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God upon the cross. The precious blood of the Lamb bought you and I and has made it possible for us to celebrate with baptized believers, from every tongue, tribe, and nation. Every skin tone and language will be represented. And though we may look different and sound different, we will all be united by the sacrifice of Christ, standing before the throne, worshipping the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. You can take comfort that this "Lamb who sits on the throne" does not hold his position by means of electoral or popular vote. He rules because He is God not because he was appointed by the populous.
What a great celebration that will be. All the saints, the ones made holy by Christ, will be there. My great Grandpa Orlo and my great, great, great great grandpa Henry, also Martin Luther, the Apostle Paul, Peter, James and John, Abraham, David. You name the saint and they are in attendance.
Also, those saints who have died more recently: Bill Silvera, Brigitte Wiel, Irene Kruger, and just this past Wednesday Rosemarie Arenz. They too will be clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. Remember Palm branches in the Bible? Palm Sunday! They were used in Jesus’ victory parade before he laid down his life upon the cross. Palm branches are a sign of victory - like wearing the orange and black around here now of days – an indication that the battle has been won. In life everlasting, the home team wears white – robes washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. Christ’s blood cleanses and washes us.
What do we need to be washed and cleansed from? The sin that so easily entangles as it says in Hebrews 12. Let’s leave this heavenly image for a second and descend back to earth. In the book of Revelation, we are given an heavenly vision, but our lives seem very right here and right now. Very earthy, some times too much so. What do we, now, have in common with this heavenly vision? Our earthly family picture is often not as pretty as the heavenly family photo. We bicker and fight. We have hurt feelings and we hurt feelings. We hear harsh words and we speak harsh words. We think evil thoughts. We suffer broken relationships, broken hearts. We have lost loved ones. The experience of sin in our lives can point us toward losing hope or losing faith.
Acts 14:22 says “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” Pastor and professor Dr Louis Brighton says “Some tribulations and sufferings will be so piercing and poignant that the very faith and foundation of the believer’s hope will be severely tried, almost to the point of despair and defeat. For that Christian at that moment, his sufferings and trials are his great tribulation and every Christian will experience tribulation.”
Often tribulations, and the tears that result, are a part of our experience as the faithful people of God while on this earth.
-we shed tears over our own sins and over the sins of others
- we shed tears over the ruin and sufferings experienced by others
- we shed tears over our own afflictions
- we shed tears when we are confronted with God’s anger
- we shed tears when we are alone and in sorrow
“In this life, the shedding of tears is as much – at times even more- our experience as Christians as are joy and laughter. It is our nature as the people of God to weep and lament, but it is the gift of God’s grace to turn our weeping and sorrow into joy. This picture of eternal glory in Rev 7:14 (quote) is for our comfort and for the comfort of all Christians of all times as we experience whatever tribulations test our faith”. It is a complete and final fulfillment of this God's promise.
“We Christian's do not have immunity from severe suffering, rather in our ‘tribulations’ we experience such sufferings and fears and threats to life and faith that the depth of our very souls will be scorched in fiery trial. We must acknowledge that loss of faith and damnation to hell are real possibilities.” But the Word of God can strengthen our faith so that, despite such a fiery trial, our faith will hold out, and we will come through victorious, perhaps even stronger.”
So we cry, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!” as we cling to our baptism and to the Word of God. But also, we know that our heads are not in the clouds and our minds are not on the sweet by and by, but rather we are in the here and now and you are in a particular place, the right place, mind you. God’s place. In life everlasting, we will serve God in His temple. Now, we worship Him in His holy house here on earth.
In life everlasting, God will tabernacle with us, sheltering us with His presence, dwelling with us. We also know that in the person of Jesus, Heaven and earth meet - God became man, dwelling with us in human flesh. He also comes to us now in the flesh, in His body and blood in the Lord’s Supper.
You see, the church is not just a place to sing some songs and see friends and have some words spoken at you. Here, right now, is where heaven and earth meet. No less. Accept nothing less. There are a lot better clubs you can join if that what you're looking for. But in this place, the Word you hear is the Word of Christ, His gospel for the forgiveness of your sins. You are forgiven! And the people next to you, to your right and to your left, in front of you and behind you are holy saints, sealed by the Spirit in the living waters of Baptism. They are no mere mortals, but were created by God for eternity.
And those songs we sing. It’s not just our voices singing but the whole heavenly host joins in. Angels and Archangels. David, Abraham, Paul Peter James and John, Bill, Irene, Brigitte Rose Marie and all Christians throughout the ages. We join our voices together.
One day we will all be joined together - one big happy family. The troubles of this life will be but a shadow, tears and pain a distant memory. Savor this slice of heaven. In fact, come to the altar and have a taste. The heavenly feast awaits. You are invited to the feast. Enjoy the victory celebration. Amen
Thursday, October 21, 2010
things to do.
going to bodega bay for lsf retreat. then going to benson, az for english dist conference. then ref day. then i preach all saints. mom visits and i preach. then bec's fam comes and thanksgiving. then i preach first sun of advent, preach midweek service a bit later. then preach 4th sun of advent and preach midnight mass christmas eve. then comes christ's mass, new year. epiphany, lent, our baby is born and baptized and easter.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
The Three Solas
Happy almost Refomation Day.
The Three Solas
Sola Gratia. Grace Alone. Only by Grace.
Ps 51:5 - Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
At the heart of what we believe is the conviction that salvation is the free gift of God's grace (undeserved mercy) for Christ's sake alone. "Since the fall of Adam all men who are born according to the course of nature are conceived and born in sin" (Augsburg Confession II, 1), the Lutherans confessed before Emperor Charles V in Augsburg, Germany, in 1530. This "inborn sickness and hereditary sin" makes it utterly impossible for people to earn forgiveness. If salvation were dependent on human initiative, there would be no hope for anyone. But God forgives our sins, says Luther in his Large Catechism (1529), "altogether freely, out of pure grace" (LC III, 96).
The basis for the grace of God that alone gives hope to sinners is the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We believe, as Luther put it in his explanation to the second article of the Apostles' Creed, "that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person . . . not with gold or silver, but with his holy, precious blood and with his innocent suffering and death. . . ." (Luther's Small Catechism with Explanations, p.14).
Romans 3:20-24 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
Sola Fide. Faith Alone. Only by Faith.
Eph 2:8-9 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Luther had learned from Augustine that only the grace of God could save him. But Luther's rediscovery of the Gospel in all its clarity took place when he came to see that he did not first have to do something to merit God's saving grace. Philip Melanchthon, Luther's colleague at the University of Wittenberg, writes in the Augsburg Confession: "Our churches also teach that men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works, but are freely justified for Christ's sake through faith when they believe that they are received into favor and that their sins are forgiven on account of Christ, who by his death made satisfaction for our sins. This faith God imputes for righteousness in his sight (Rom. 3,4)" (AC IV, 1-3).
The implications of salvation "through faith alone" permeate everything we Lutherans believe and teach. For example, we believe that the conversion of sinners is a gift of God and not the result of any human effort or decision. Lutherans therefore confess in the words of Luther's explanation to the third article of the Apostle's Creed: "I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel." (Luther's Small Catechism with Explanation, p. 15).
Sola Scriptura. Scripture Alone. Only by Scripture.
2 Tim 3:14-17 - 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
While maintaining a deep appreciation for the church catholic, Lutherans believe that Scripture alone -- not Scripture and tradition, Scripture and the church, Scripture and human reason, or Scripture and experience -- stands as the final standard of what the Gospel is.
Luke 24:45-47 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
But we also believe that confidence in the reliability of the Bible is not possible apart from faith in Jesus Christ. Christians believe what the Scriptures teach because they first believe in Jesus Christ. Christ is the object of faith, not the Bible. The Bible remains a dark book apart from faith in Christ, for He is its true content. But when sinners are brought to faith in Him, Christ points them back to the writings of the prophets and apostles as the sole authoritative source for all the church believes, teaches and confesses.
The key to understanding Scripture properly, we believe, is the careful distinction between the Law and the Gospel. The Law tells what God demands of sinners if they are to be saved. The Gospel reveals what God has already done for our salvation. The chief purpose of the Law is to show us our sin and our need for a Savior. The Gospel offers the free gift of God's salvation in Christ. The whole Bible can be divided into these two chief teachings. It is in the proper distinction between Law and Gospel that the purity of the Gospel is preserved and the three solas of "grace alone," "faith alone" and "Scripture alone" are united.
Info via “An Introduction to the Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod,” CPH, 2009
The Three Solas
Sola Gratia. Grace Alone. Only by Grace.
Ps 51:5 - Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
At the heart of what we believe is the conviction that salvation is the free gift of God's grace (undeserved mercy) for Christ's sake alone. "Since the fall of Adam all men who are born according to the course of nature are conceived and born in sin" (Augsburg Confession II, 1), the Lutherans confessed before Emperor Charles V in Augsburg, Germany, in 1530. This "inborn sickness and hereditary sin" makes it utterly impossible for people to earn forgiveness. If salvation were dependent on human initiative, there would be no hope for anyone. But God forgives our sins, says Luther in his Large Catechism (1529), "altogether freely, out of pure grace" (LC III, 96).
The basis for the grace of God that alone gives hope to sinners is the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We believe, as Luther put it in his explanation to the second article of the Apostles' Creed, "that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person . . . not with gold or silver, but with his holy, precious blood and with his innocent suffering and death. . . ." (Luther's Small Catechism with Explanations, p.14).
Romans 3:20-24 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
Sola Fide. Faith Alone. Only by Faith.
Eph 2:8-9 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Luther had learned from Augustine that only the grace of God could save him. But Luther's rediscovery of the Gospel in all its clarity took place when he came to see that he did not first have to do something to merit God's saving grace. Philip Melanchthon, Luther's colleague at the University of Wittenberg, writes in the Augsburg Confession: "Our churches also teach that men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works, but are freely justified for Christ's sake through faith when they believe that they are received into favor and that their sins are forgiven on account of Christ, who by his death made satisfaction for our sins. This faith God imputes for righteousness in his sight (Rom. 3,4)" (AC IV, 1-3).
The implications of salvation "through faith alone" permeate everything we Lutherans believe and teach. For example, we believe that the conversion of sinners is a gift of God and not the result of any human effort or decision. Lutherans therefore confess in the words of Luther's explanation to the third article of the Apostle's Creed: "I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel." (Luther's Small Catechism with Explanation, p. 15).
Sola Scriptura. Scripture Alone. Only by Scripture.
2 Tim 3:14-17 - 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
While maintaining a deep appreciation for the church catholic, Lutherans believe that Scripture alone -- not Scripture and tradition, Scripture and the church, Scripture and human reason, or Scripture and experience -- stands as the final standard of what the Gospel is.
Luke 24:45-47 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
But we also believe that confidence in the reliability of the Bible is not possible apart from faith in Jesus Christ. Christians believe what the Scriptures teach because they first believe in Jesus Christ. Christ is the object of faith, not the Bible. The Bible remains a dark book apart from faith in Christ, for He is its true content. But when sinners are brought to faith in Him, Christ points them back to the writings of the prophets and apostles as the sole authoritative source for all the church believes, teaches and confesses.
The key to understanding Scripture properly, we believe, is the careful distinction between the Law and the Gospel. The Law tells what God demands of sinners if they are to be saved. The Gospel reveals what God has already done for our salvation. The chief purpose of the Law is to show us our sin and our need for a Savior. The Gospel offers the free gift of God's salvation in Christ. The whole Bible can be divided into these two chief teachings. It is in the proper distinction between Law and Gospel that the purity of the Gospel is preserved and the three solas of "grace alone," "faith alone" and "Scripture alone" are united.
Info via “An Introduction to the Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod,” CPH, 2009
Friday, October 15, 2010
LSF Bible Study notes100610
The Parable of the Unrighteous Judge and the Persistent Widow
The Long Suffering God who vindicates quickly wants his elect to pray constantly and confidently
Luke 18:1-8
1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Verse 1
What does “always pray” mean?
-not every second, continuously. (ie uninteruppeted) Continually – regualarly consistently and with perserverence
What does “not lose heart” mean?
-other translations say, “give up, faint” I like faint. Don’t become discouraged or give up with prayers are not anwswered immediately
Verse 2
It would be very odd for someone not to “fear God” or “respect man” in Jesus’ culture, but society was very centered around God and also shame/honor among other people. Do you think the judge would fit well into our culture today? Does he remind you of anybody?
-Yes. Everyone.
Verse 3
The widow, one of the most helpless people in Jesus’ society, is asking for protection and defense against her adversary/opponent/enemy. Who is helpless and defenseless in our society?
-poor people. She and the judge are both outside the norms of their society. Shouted at him. No shame.
Who else does scripture mention is our “adversary”?
-1 Peter 5:8 - Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
-court of law Jesus is our defense attorney. Satan is the prosecution accusing us before God
antidikos - an adversary or opponent in a lawsuit, any enemy or accuser (from, ἀντί (anti 473), against, and δίκη (dikē 1349), a cause or suit at law.
Verse 5
Why does the judge give the widow justice?
She is annoying. He doesn’t want a “beat down”
on account/because (emphasis) she gives me trouble/bothers/PESTERS!
inorder not to the end – continually, perpetpually she comes to - give one a black eye!, bruise, batter down, wear out me
- to strike/give a blow under the eyes, hit and beat the face black and blue/to cause bruises, make give in through being beaten “hit someone in the face so that he receives brown and blue marks under the eyes”
pieper – daily repentance
boxing language paul 1 cor 9:27
reputation? end up giving me a black eye
annoying – us, God – heathen judge. See if you can annoy God.
Verses 6 and 7
How do you know you are one of God’s elect?
-Baptism, Lord’s supper – outside yourself, not your own faith. What about when you are asleep, in a coma, mentally handicapped, sick.
Chosen at Baptism.
What does “cry to him day and night” mean in light of verse 1?
Regular pattern of prayer. The psalms mention this pattern. Jesus followed it, Morning and evening, meals. Kind of time DEVOTIONS!!!!
Ps 88:1 O LORD, God of my salvation; I cry out day and night before you.
Ps 222O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.
Verse 8
Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. What will soon take place by which Jesus will ultimately “vindicate his elect?”
– Jesus’ death and resurrection. God will vindicate Jesus in resurrection by way of a cross Jerusalem is the revelation of God’s final justification
When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” What is the point of this question?
-Rhetorical question to urge faithfulness?
The principle character is God, not us The long suffering God who vindicates quickly wants his elect to pray constantly and confidently.
Good news – God is merciful and long suffering and will deliver the elect in Christ.
Our Sin: Our perception of God as a callous judge and just that.
-Our "poor widow" attitude: we accept our plight, we give up our hope, we live complacent lives as if the Son of -Man would never come again.
The Good news: God will eventually vindicate His people.
-Recieve the gift of faith which issues in continual pleading before God's throne: "Thy kingdom come!"
-The privilege of crying out: "Give me justice and defend me against my enemy!"
The church is not complacently waiting for the return of Christ; she "wrestles" with God in prayer
The Long Suffering God who vindicates quickly wants his elect to pray constantly and confidently
Luke 18:1-8
1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Verse 1
What does “always pray” mean?
-not every second, continuously. (ie uninteruppeted) Continually – regualarly consistently and with perserverence
What does “not lose heart” mean?
-other translations say, “give up, faint” I like faint. Don’t become discouraged or give up with prayers are not anwswered immediately
Verse 2
It would be very odd for someone not to “fear God” or “respect man” in Jesus’ culture, but society was very centered around God and also shame/honor among other people. Do you think the judge would fit well into our culture today? Does he remind you of anybody?
-Yes. Everyone.
Verse 3
The widow, one of the most helpless people in Jesus’ society, is asking for protection and defense against her adversary/opponent/enemy. Who is helpless and defenseless in our society?
-poor people. She and the judge are both outside the norms of their society. Shouted at him. No shame.
Who else does scripture mention is our “adversary”?
-1 Peter 5:8 - Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
-court of law Jesus is our defense attorney. Satan is the prosecution accusing us before God
antidikos - an adversary or opponent in a lawsuit, any enemy or accuser (from, ἀντί (anti 473), against, and δίκη (dikē 1349), a cause or suit at law.
Verse 5
Why does the judge give the widow justice?
She is annoying. He doesn’t want a “beat down”
on account/because (emphasis) she gives me trouble/bothers/PESTERS!
inorder not to the end – continually, perpetpually she comes to - give one a black eye!, bruise, batter down, wear out me
- to strike/give a blow under the eyes, hit and beat the face black and blue/to cause bruises, make give in through being beaten “hit someone in the face so that he receives brown and blue marks under the eyes”
pieper – daily repentance
boxing language paul 1 cor 9:27
reputation? end up giving me a black eye
annoying – us, God – heathen judge. See if you can annoy God.
Verses 6 and 7
How do you know you are one of God’s elect?
-Baptism, Lord’s supper – outside yourself, not your own faith. What about when you are asleep, in a coma, mentally handicapped, sick.
Chosen at Baptism.
What does “cry to him day and night” mean in light of verse 1?
Regular pattern of prayer. The psalms mention this pattern. Jesus followed it, Morning and evening, meals. Kind of time DEVOTIONS!!!!
Ps 88:1 O LORD, God of my salvation; I cry out day and night before you.
Ps 222O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.
Verse 8
Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. What will soon take place by which Jesus will ultimately “vindicate his elect?”
– Jesus’ death and resurrection. God will vindicate Jesus in resurrection by way of a cross Jerusalem is the revelation of God’s final justification
When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” What is the point of this question?
-Rhetorical question to urge faithfulness?
The principle character is God, not us The long suffering God who vindicates quickly wants his elect to pray constantly and confidently.
Good news – God is merciful and long suffering and will deliver the elect in Christ.
Our Sin: Our perception of God as a callous judge and just that.
-Our "poor widow" attitude: we accept our plight, we give up our hope, we live complacent lives as if the Son of -Man would never come again.
The Good news: God will eventually vindicate His people.
-Recieve the gift of faith which issues in continual pleading before God's throne: "Thy kingdom come!"
-The privilege of crying out: "Give me justice and defend me against my enemy!"
The church is not complacently waiting for the return of Christ; she "wrestles" with God in prayer
bible study notes. What is the truth about eternity?
Eternity. Life after death.
Our culture is obsessed with it: ghost, vampire, zombies, time travelers, superheroes, spirit guides – symbols of our desire for life without end.
-products that promise to last forever (unbreakable, lifetime guarantee)
-to keep us from aging
-give us a new life
Even those who don’t believe in God or of an after life speak about people who “passed away” “went to a better place.” We all want eternal life.
There is Fear. In everyone
where does it come from? We were designed to live forever. Adam and Eve. They rebelled, sinned, but we all long for eternal life
Ecc 3;11. God set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
Jesus became flesh and over came death and our rebellion and sin. We have new life now and for eternity.
Immortal God, thank you fro sending your Son in a mortal body to win for us immortality through his death and resurrection. Send your spirit to help us grasp the value of this gift. Through Jesus’ name Amen.
What lasts forever?
Eternity is forever.
We have no experience of forever.
a year in school seems to take an eternity, until you reach the end.
WE pledge to love someone always, or we at least think it. But do you know anybody has broken up with someone they love? Even the best marriage relationship ends when death parts us.
Have you ever heard the statement “this has forever changed the course of human history.?”
But everyone agrees (scientists and religious people) that the universe will end one day, human history will cease. Is there anything that lasts forever?
yeah, lets check it out.
each read one – write next to the verse what is eternal.
-
immortality imagined
Ecc 3:11
Brainstorm movies that depict eternal life or an alternate immortal life.
Left – immortality (what form – ghosts, elves, appearing after death
Right – imagination (how is this different from eternal life as we know it in God’s Word? Met a ghost? Elves?)
Why is immortality so popular in movies and books?
Who has eternal life?
Why doesn’t everyone get it?
(via cph Truth series)
Our culture is obsessed with it: ghost, vampire, zombies, time travelers, superheroes, spirit guides – symbols of our desire for life without end.
-products that promise to last forever (unbreakable, lifetime guarantee)
-to keep us from aging
-give us a new life
Even those who don’t believe in God or of an after life speak about people who “passed away” “went to a better place.” We all want eternal life.
There is Fear. In everyone
where does it come from? We were designed to live forever. Adam and Eve. They rebelled, sinned, but we all long for eternal life
Ecc 3;11. God set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
Jesus became flesh and over came death and our rebellion and sin. We have new life now and for eternity.
Immortal God, thank you fro sending your Son in a mortal body to win for us immortality through his death and resurrection. Send your spirit to help us grasp the value of this gift. Through Jesus’ name Amen.
What lasts forever?
Eternity is forever.
We have no experience of forever.
a year in school seems to take an eternity, until you reach the end.
WE pledge to love someone always, or we at least think it. But do you know anybody has broken up with someone they love? Even the best marriage relationship ends when death parts us.
Have you ever heard the statement “this has forever changed the course of human history.?”
But everyone agrees (scientists and religious people) that the universe will end one day, human history will cease. Is there anything that lasts forever?
yeah, lets check it out.
each read one – write next to the verse what is eternal.
-
immortality imagined
Ecc 3:11
Brainstorm movies that depict eternal life or an alternate immortal life.
Left – immortality (what form – ghosts, elves, appearing after death
Right – imagination (how is this different from eternal life as we know it in God’s Word? Met a ghost? Elves?)
Why is immortality so popular in movies and books?
Who has eternal life?
Why doesn’t everyone get it?
(via cph Truth series)
chapel101310
Chapel 101310
Vicar Darren Harbaugh
Can anybody tell me what this is? That’s right. It’s a thank you card. What are these cards used for? Right. We use them to show our appreciation when someone has done something special for us or given us something.
Sometimes people forget to say thank you. You may even think its rude if someone doesn’t thank you when you do something nice for them or when you give them a gift. But we often forget to thank God, who is the giver of all good gifts.
In our reading for today, Jesus gave a great gift to 10 lepers. Not leopards, like the big cats with spots on them, but lepers. These are people that had leprosy, one of the worst diseases in Jesus’ time. People who had leprosy were forced to leave their homes and their families and go to places all by where only other people with leprosy lived. They usually stayed there until they died. They hardly ever got better because there was no medicine to heal leprosy. When the 10 lepers in our story saw Jesus, they called out for help, “Jesus, have mercy on us!” We will sing these words later in chapel this morning. We are confessing that we are helpless like those lepers when we cry out “Lord, have mercy!” We have a disease worse than leprosy. We have the disease of sin.
Well, Jesus healed the lepers. It was a miracle. The lepers could finally go back to their families. Jesus also heals us, from our disease of sin by his death on the cross. We are able to join the family of God.
All 10 of the lepers in the story were healed but only one went back to thank Jesus. What are some reasons why we don’t say thank you? Yeah, we forget, don’t appreciate the gift, get distracted
Why did the one leper return? Jesus tells him, “Your faith has made you well.” The leper that returned was healed from his sickness and from his sins because of his faith in Jesus.
There are lots of things we can thank God for, but the most important is the gift of salvation and faith in Jesus Christ. We don’t need to write God a thank-you note, but we can say thank you to him when we pray to Him and sing to Him and when we continue to call out Lord, have mercy! Let’s thank God for the gifts He has given us.
Father in Heaven, thank you for giving us life, for taking care of us, and most of all for giving your Son Jesus to save us. Thank you for the most precious gift of faith and eternal life in heaven. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Vicar Darren Harbaugh
Can anybody tell me what this is? That’s right. It’s a thank you card. What are these cards used for? Right. We use them to show our appreciation when someone has done something special for us or given us something.
Sometimes people forget to say thank you. You may even think its rude if someone doesn’t thank you when you do something nice for them or when you give them a gift. But we often forget to thank God, who is the giver of all good gifts.
In our reading for today, Jesus gave a great gift to 10 lepers. Not leopards, like the big cats with spots on them, but lepers. These are people that had leprosy, one of the worst diseases in Jesus’ time. People who had leprosy were forced to leave their homes and their families and go to places all by where only other people with leprosy lived. They usually stayed there until they died. They hardly ever got better because there was no medicine to heal leprosy. When the 10 lepers in our story saw Jesus, they called out for help, “Jesus, have mercy on us!” We will sing these words later in chapel this morning. We are confessing that we are helpless like those lepers when we cry out “Lord, have mercy!” We have a disease worse than leprosy. We have the disease of sin.
Well, Jesus healed the lepers. It was a miracle. The lepers could finally go back to their families. Jesus also heals us, from our disease of sin by his death on the cross. We are able to join the family of God.
All 10 of the lepers in the story were healed but only one went back to thank Jesus. What are some reasons why we don’t say thank you? Yeah, we forget, don’t appreciate the gift, get distracted
Why did the one leper return? Jesus tells him, “Your faith has made you well.” The leper that returned was healed from his sickness and from his sins because of his faith in Jesus.
There are lots of things we can thank God for, but the most important is the gift of salvation and faith in Jesus Christ. We don’t need to write God a thank-you note, but we can say thank you to him when we pray to Him and sing to Him and when we continue to call out Lord, have mercy! Let’s thank God for the gifts He has given us.
Father in Heaven, thank you for giving us life, for taking care of us, and most of all for giving your Son Jesus to save us. Thank you for the most precious gift of faith and eternal life in heaven. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Pentecost 21 - Constant, Confident Prayer – Luke 18:1-8
Pentecost 21 - Constant, Confident Prayer – Luke 18:1-8
Vicar Darren Harbaugh
Imagine you’re the parent of a 2 or 3 year old child, (this may be easier for some to imagine than others). How would you feel if that child did not communicate with you for a week? Not only that, but imagine that the child tries to do everything for himself: tries to make all his own meals, wash his own clothes, clip his own finger nails, do his own grocery shopping. This behavior would vary from humorous to downright dangerous.
It’s because small children are helpless. We all know this. It may be hard to believe, but everyone in here was a small child once. When we were children, we relied on our parents for everything. If left by ourselves, we would not have survived. When we needed something, we cried out and our parent took care of us. Our parents knew what we needed even more than we did.
Though we have grown up, we are still helpless little children. We are God’s children and are as dependant upon God for every need now as we were dependant upon our parents so long ago. But instead of calling out to our Father and receiving from Him, we often go a long time without even communicating with Him. We do not pray. And as absurd as it may be, we try to do everything for ourselves.
Why don’t we pray?
As we journey through life, we are like the kids in the back seat who constantly ask, “Are we there yet?” We don’t like God’s time schedule. We’re impatient. We’d like to be the one who’s driving, even though our feet can’t even reach the petals.
When you’re a kid in the backseat, it’s hard to see where you are going and it’s difficult to realize that any progress is being made in the journey. It is also hard to see the effect of prayer. Our prayers may not get answered in the way we would like them to be. We don’t understand. Sometimes God may appear to be indifferent, unresponsive, and unhelpful, like those parents in the front seat appear to be.
Sometimes we don’t acknowledge that we are simply helpless children. We live our lives like practical atheists, who sit in a pew on Sunday, but behave the rest of the week as if God did not exist. Other things take precedent over God.
All this can produce guilt for not praying, causing us to lose heart. Praying can feel like a chore, something to check off the to-do list. If we forget to pray, we may feel guilty and see God as a cruel judge out to punish us, rather than seeing God as our Father and ourselves as his children.
We are children, dysfunctional children, but children nonetheless. Imagine being a child again (again this may be easier for some to imagine than others). Sometimes I think it might not be half bad: no work, a free place to stay, someone cooks all your meals, does all your laundry. Kids have a good setup. Why? Because they can’t take care of themselves. They are helpless. Their parents take care of them. In the same way, Our Father takes care of us.
It’s good to see yourself as a child, in fact, Jesus said “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." We are helpless. We need our Father’s provision and guidance.
In our Gospel reading for today, Jesus told his disciples a parable about a helpless widow. She was alone with no one to provide for her and had an adversary bringing suit against her. But she recognized that she was helpless and knew where to turn for help. Day and night she pleaded to an unrighteous judge, pestering him until he showed her justice against her adversary. Jesus points out that if this is what an unrighteous judge does, how much more will God give justice to his elect who cry out to him day and night?
We Christians are helpless, like children, like this widow, but we too know where to turn for help. Our Father in heaven is not an unrighteous judge. How much more will He protect and defend us, his Children?
The courtroom imagery Jesus uses works for our situation as well. The helpless widow had an adversary, bringing suit against her. We too have an adversary, the devil, who is like a roaring lion, walking around seeing who He can devour. Satan acts as the prosecution against us, accusing us before God. He reminds us of our sin. He loads us down with guilt for all our failures, like our failure to pray and not lose heart.
If we were alone in pleading our case, we’d be sunk. In fact, we have no case. We are indeed guilty as sin. We, like the widow, are helpless. Our sin confronts us and Satan accuses us. We have nothing to do but confess and repent, falling on the mercy of the court. Because of our sin, the verdict is that we are condemned sinners.
But it’s not case closed. We, like the widow, know where to turn for help. We have a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He has more forgiveness than we have sin. And we have an amazing defense attorney, an advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ, the righteous one.
Jesus says that God will give justice speedily to us, the elect and chosen children of God. Our justice comes through Jesus, our advocate, who offers a guilty plea in our place for our crimes against God. He gives us his innocence, his righteousness and takes our death sentence upon himself by his sacrifice on the cross.
Because of Christ, we have every reason for confidence and hope. Because of Jesus, we strive to always pray and not lose heart, as he encourages us in our Gospel reading.
Always pray? How is that possible? “Always pray” does not mean you must do nothing in life except pray every minute. It means to pray consistently and regularly, like sitting down and having a chat with your family at the dinner table. Dinner time conversation is a routine that families have. It is the same with us and our Heavenly Father. We pray consistently and confidently, day and night by developing holy habits and routines.
We all have good habits and routines in our lives like brushing our teeth and washing our face. How did you develop that habit? You did it day after day. It became a routine. It is the same with prayer. Daily prayer is like the rhythm of life. It is like breathing. It is like waking up and going to bed. It is like eating a meal.
The Bible mentions that Jesus set aside time for prayer in the morning and evening and at meals. That is a good routine for us to develop as well. The disciples recognized Jesus’ holy habit of prayer and said to Him, “Teach us how to pray.” Jesus gave them the words to say; what we call the Lord’s Prayer. The Lord’s Prayer is not an obligation, but an invitation to join Jesus in prayer to ‘Our’ Father.
We are invited to join in the pattern of Christ. In the morning, just after you wake up, join in prayer with our Savior to Our Father. In the evening, just before you go to bed, join in prayer. When you sit down for a meal, join in prayer.
If you don’t have a copy of Portals of Prayer (hold up), pick one up as you leave. They are in the back and are provided by your church to aid in your prayer and devotional life. It gives you words to say: Luther’s Morning and Evening and Table Prayers, the Lord’s Prayer, a prayer for the beginning and end of each day.
This is one of many tools you may use to help develop a prayer routine. But remember, there is no law or obligation in how you pray. Prayer is a gift, not a burden. In prayer, we receive from God, we do not perform a work for Him. No need to beat yourself up over how little you pray, or be weighed down by guilt because you don’t pray as much as you’d like. If you forget to pray, You are forgiven! Repent, turn to God in prayer and receive from Him. Nobody prays enough, nobody does anything enough. Except Jesus.
In every circumstance of life, Jesus prayed. In the book of Luke, we are told that Jesus prayed at his baptism and before he went out to preach. Jesus prayed before he chose his 12 apostles and before his transfiguration. Jesus prayed in lonely places by himself and in private with his disciples. Jesus prayed before he fed the 5,000, before the Last Supper, and before his meal in Emmaus. Jesus prayed for the Father’s will to be done, in the garden before his crucifixion. Jesus prayed for the Father to forgive those who crucified him, as he hung on the cross. Jesus prayed to commit his Spirit to his Father as He died.
Right now, Jesus is still praying and he invites us to join Him. Through Jesus’ intercession we are able to confidently approach God’s throne of grace. We pray as if it means something, because it does. We pray as if we are talking to God, because we are. We pray as if the one we are talking to has redeemed the entire world and us, because He has. We pray as if our life depends on it, because it does. We pray like the helpless children that we are, relying entirely upon our Father, constantly approaching him day and night, confident that He will hear us on account of Christ our Lord.
Vicar Darren Harbaugh
Imagine you’re the parent of a 2 or 3 year old child, (this may be easier for some to imagine than others). How would you feel if that child did not communicate with you for a week? Not only that, but imagine that the child tries to do everything for himself: tries to make all his own meals, wash his own clothes, clip his own finger nails, do his own grocery shopping. This behavior would vary from humorous to downright dangerous.
It’s because small children are helpless. We all know this. It may be hard to believe, but everyone in here was a small child once. When we were children, we relied on our parents for everything. If left by ourselves, we would not have survived. When we needed something, we cried out and our parent took care of us. Our parents knew what we needed even more than we did.
Though we have grown up, we are still helpless little children. We are God’s children and are as dependant upon God for every need now as we were dependant upon our parents so long ago. But instead of calling out to our Father and receiving from Him, we often go a long time without even communicating with Him. We do not pray. And as absurd as it may be, we try to do everything for ourselves.
Why don’t we pray?
As we journey through life, we are like the kids in the back seat who constantly ask, “Are we there yet?” We don’t like God’s time schedule. We’re impatient. We’d like to be the one who’s driving, even though our feet can’t even reach the petals.
When you’re a kid in the backseat, it’s hard to see where you are going and it’s difficult to realize that any progress is being made in the journey. It is also hard to see the effect of prayer. Our prayers may not get answered in the way we would like them to be. We don’t understand. Sometimes God may appear to be indifferent, unresponsive, and unhelpful, like those parents in the front seat appear to be.
Sometimes we don’t acknowledge that we are simply helpless children. We live our lives like practical atheists, who sit in a pew on Sunday, but behave the rest of the week as if God did not exist. Other things take precedent over God.
All this can produce guilt for not praying, causing us to lose heart. Praying can feel like a chore, something to check off the to-do list. If we forget to pray, we may feel guilty and see God as a cruel judge out to punish us, rather than seeing God as our Father and ourselves as his children.
We are children, dysfunctional children, but children nonetheless. Imagine being a child again (again this may be easier for some to imagine than others). Sometimes I think it might not be half bad: no work, a free place to stay, someone cooks all your meals, does all your laundry. Kids have a good setup. Why? Because they can’t take care of themselves. They are helpless. Their parents take care of them. In the same way, Our Father takes care of us.
It’s good to see yourself as a child, in fact, Jesus said “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." We are helpless. We need our Father’s provision and guidance.
In our Gospel reading for today, Jesus told his disciples a parable about a helpless widow. She was alone with no one to provide for her and had an adversary bringing suit against her. But she recognized that she was helpless and knew where to turn for help. Day and night she pleaded to an unrighteous judge, pestering him until he showed her justice against her adversary. Jesus points out that if this is what an unrighteous judge does, how much more will God give justice to his elect who cry out to him day and night?
We Christians are helpless, like children, like this widow, but we too know where to turn for help. Our Father in heaven is not an unrighteous judge. How much more will He protect and defend us, his Children?
The courtroom imagery Jesus uses works for our situation as well. The helpless widow had an adversary, bringing suit against her. We too have an adversary, the devil, who is like a roaring lion, walking around seeing who He can devour. Satan acts as the prosecution against us, accusing us before God. He reminds us of our sin. He loads us down with guilt for all our failures, like our failure to pray and not lose heart.
If we were alone in pleading our case, we’d be sunk. In fact, we have no case. We are indeed guilty as sin. We, like the widow, are helpless. Our sin confronts us and Satan accuses us. We have nothing to do but confess and repent, falling on the mercy of the court. Because of our sin, the verdict is that we are condemned sinners.
But it’s not case closed. We, like the widow, know where to turn for help. We have a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He has more forgiveness than we have sin. And we have an amazing defense attorney, an advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ, the righteous one.
Jesus says that God will give justice speedily to us, the elect and chosen children of God. Our justice comes through Jesus, our advocate, who offers a guilty plea in our place for our crimes against God. He gives us his innocence, his righteousness and takes our death sentence upon himself by his sacrifice on the cross.
Because of Christ, we have every reason for confidence and hope. Because of Jesus, we strive to always pray and not lose heart, as he encourages us in our Gospel reading.
Always pray? How is that possible? “Always pray” does not mean you must do nothing in life except pray every minute. It means to pray consistently and regularly, like sitting down and having a chat with your family at the dinner table. Dinner time conversation is a routine that families have. It is the same with us and our Heavenly Father. We pray consistently and confidently, day and night by developing holy habits and routines.
We all have good habits and routines in our lives like brushing our teeth and washing our face. How did you develop that habit? You did it day after day. It became a routine. It is the same with prayer. Daily prayer is like the rhythm of life. It is like breathing. It is like waking up and going to bed. It is like eating a meal.
The Bible mentions that Jesus set aside time for prayer in the morning and evening and at meals. That is a good routine for us to develop as well. The disciples recognized Jesus’ holy habit of prayer and said to Him, “Teach us how to pray.” Jesus gave them the words to say; what we call the Lord’s Prayer. The Lord’s Prayer is not an obligation, but an invitation to join Jesus in prayer to ‘Our’ Father.
We are invited to join in the pattern of Christ. In the morning, just after you wake up, join in prayer with our Savior to Our Father. In the evening, just before you go to bed, join in prayer. When you sit down for a meal, join in prayer.
If you don’t have a copy of Portals of Prayer (hold up), pick one up as you leave. They are in the back and are provided by your church to aid in your prayer and devotional life. It gives you words to say: Luther’s Morning and Evening and Table Prayers, the Lord’s Prayer, a prayer for the beginning and end of each day.
This is one of many tools you may use to help develop a prayer routine. But remember, there is no law or obligation in how you pray. Prayer is a gift, not a burden. In prayer, we receive from God, we do not perform a work for Him. No need to beat yourself up over how little you pray, or be weighed down by guilt because you don’t pray as much as you’d like. If you forget to pray, You are forgiven! Repent, turn to God in prayer and receive from Him. Nobody prays enough, nobody does anything enough. Except Jesus.
In every circumstance of life, Jesus prayed. In the book of Luke, we are told that Jesus prayed at his baptism and before he went out to preach. Jesus prayed before he chose his 12 apostles and before his transfiguration. Jesus prayed in lonely places by himself and in private with his disciples. Jesus prayed before he fed the 5,000, before the Last Supper, and before his meal in Emmaus. Jesus prayed for the Father’s will to be done, in the garden before his crucifixion. Jesus prayed for the Father to forgive those who crucified him, as he hung on the cross. Jesus prayed to commit his Spirit to his Father as He died.
Right now, Jesus is still praying and he invites us to join Him. Through Jesus’ intercession we are able to confidently approach God’s throne of grace. We pray as if it means something, because it does. We pray as if we are talking to God, because we are. We pray as if the one we are talking to has redeemed the entire world and us, because He has. We pray as if our life depends on it, because it does. We pray like the helpless children that we are, relying entirely upon our Father, constantly approaching him day and night, confident that He will hear us on account of Christ our Lord.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
What is fellowship?
I used to think that a good church had: good fellowship, good music and a good sermon. I stopped going to church when I realized that I had better fellowship with my friends at a bar, I heard better music on my ipod, and could download a better sermon online.
Why go to church?
Fellowship is indeed a good reason, but what is it? It may not mean what you think it means.
Some churches have said, "We've lost any idea of community," and responded by promoting that they are all about "fellowship." This seems to involve hanging out with other Christians. It's probably a good idea to define what fellowship is. The Bible is a good place to look.
The New Testament speaks of koinōnia - "sharing" or "participation in a common thing" Christian fellowship has a earthly but also a heavenly dimension.
We have fellowship (share/participate) with Christ - 1Co 1:9 God is faithful, by whom you were called unto the fellowship (koinōnia)of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
We have fellowship (share/participate) in the body and blood of Christ - I Cor 10:16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation (koinōnia) in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation (koinōnia)in the body of Christ?
We fellowship (share/participate) as we serve (diakonia) others - 2 cor 8:3-4 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part (koinōnia) in the relief of the saints
We fellowship (share/participate) with the Holy Spirit - 2 cor 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship (koinōnia) of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
We fellowship (share/participate) in the sufferings of Christ - Phil 3:8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share (koinōnia) his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Our God actually comes to us in his body and blood, fellowshiping with us in an awesome, mysterious way and we fellowship with him in our journey through the Christian life in an awesome mysterious way. I like hanging out with people, but fellowship with God - our creator, redeemer and sanctifier beats coffee hour any day.
p.s. All this is not to downplay the communion of the saints (where 2 or 3 are gathered, there I am in the midst of you) Also, When we sing to God, we join our voices with angels and archangels, all the saints and the whole host of heaven, magnifying and glorifying God. That is also awesome fellowship, but I think that's a whole other aspect of this "fellowship" topic to be addressed.)
Why go to church?
Fellowship is indeed a good reason, but what is it? It may not mean what you think it means.
Some churches have said, "We've lost any idea of community," and responded by promoting that they are all about "fellowship." This seems to involve hanging out with other Christians. It's probably a good idea to define what fellowship is. The Bible is a good place to look.
The New Testament speaks of koinōnia - "sharing" or "participation in a common thing" Christian fellowship has a earthly but also a heavenly dimension.
We have fellowship (share/participate) with Christ - 1Co 1:9 God is faithful, by whom you were called unto the fellowship (koinōnia)of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
We have fellowship (share/participate) in the body and blood of Christ - I Cor 10:16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation (koinōnia) in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation (koinōnia)in the body of Christ?
We fellowship (share/participate) as we serve (diakonia) others - 2 cor 8:3-4 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part (koinōnia) in the relief of the saints
We fellowship (share/participate) with the Holy Spirit - 2 cor 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship (koinōnia) of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
We fellowship (share/participate) in the sufferings of Christ - Phil 3:8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share (koinōnia) his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Our God actually comes to us in his body and blood, fellowshiping with us in an awesome, mysterious way and we fellowship with him in our journey through the Christian life in an awesome mysterious way. I like hanging out with people, but fellowship with God - our creator, redeemer and sanctifier beats coffee hour any day.
p.s. All this is not to downplay the communion of the saints (where 2 or 3 are gathered, there I am in the midst of you) Also, When we sing to God, we join our voices with angels and archangels, all the saints and the whole host of heaven, magnifying and glorifying God. That is also awesome fellowship, but I think that's a whole other aspect of this "fellowship" topic to be addressed.)
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Money Hungry? Jesus fills the hungry wth good things
Chapel message 092910
Vicar Darren Harbaugh
Money Hungry? God fills the hungry with good things.
Have you ever heard your stomach growl because you were hungry? Why does your stomach growl? [because you need food]
Sometimes we just crave food. Does anybody here have a favorite food that they want all the time? I always want pizza, sometimes I just think about it and I get hungry. Like right now.
There is another kind of hungry. Money hungry. It is a craving, like food.
Has their ever been something you really, really wanted and you just had to have it; you couldn’t live without it? When I was your age: it was a Video game system, now it’s the iphone.
Some people are so hungry for things and $money$, that they walk away from God. $money$ and things become so important that they are all you can think about. Things become more important to us than God sometimes.
God loves us gives us all that we need. He gives us these gifts and we can be content and thankful for what he provides. The Bible says that God “fills the hungry with good things.” God gives us not just food, but everything we need.
We confess that God gives us all we need every time we say the Lord’s Prayer. In what part of the Lord’s Prayer do we confess that God provides our needs, like food? [God gives us Our daily bread.] When we are hungry, God feeds us, but he gives us more than just food in our “daily bread”
Read together "What is our Daily Bread" in Small Catechism– AGPS 42 or LSB 324
What is one of the gifts that Our Father who art in heaven gives us? [food, clothing, etc]
But the best gift that God has given us is his Son Jesus. Jesus died on the cross for you. He gives you the free gift of forgiveness of sins and eternal life. He continues to satisfy our hungry souls as he feeds us with His Body and Blood in the Lord’s Supper. And he will raise our bodies to be with Him.
Don’t be money-hungry. God gives us good gifts, let’s take hold of them and be content, giving thanks to Him.
Vicar Darren Harbaugh
Money Hungry? God fills the hungry with good things.
Have you ever heard your stomach growl because you were hungry? Why does your stomach growl? [because you need food]
Sometimes we just crave food. Does anybody here have a favorite food that they want all the time? I always want pizza, sometimes I just think about it and I get hungry. Like right now.
There is another kind of hungry. Money hungry. It is a craving, like food.
Has their ever been something you really, really wanted and you just had to have it; you couldn’t live without it? When I was your age: it was a Video game system, now it’s the iphone.
Some people are so hungry for things and $money$, that they walk away from God. $money$ and things become so important that they are all you can think about. Things become more important to us than God sometimes.
God loves us gives us all that we need. He gives us these gifts and we can be content and thankful for what he provides. The Bible says that God “fills the hungry with good things.” God gives us not just food, but everything we need.
We confess that God gives us all we need every time we say the Lord’s Prayer. In what part of the Lord’s Prayer do we confess that God provides our needs, like food? [God gives us Our daily bread.] When we are hungry, God feeds us, but he gives us more than just food in our “daily bread”
Read together "What is our Daily Bread" in Small Catechism– AGPS 42 or LSB 324
What is one of the gifts that Our Father who art in heaven gives us? [food, clothing, etc]
But the best gift that God has given us is his Son Jesus. Jesus died on the cross for you. He gives you the free gift of forgiveness of sins and eternal life. He continues to satisfy our hungry souls as he feeds us with His Body and Blood in the Lord’s Supper. And he will raise our bodies to be with Him.
Don’t be money-hungry. God gives us good gifts, let’s take hold of them and be content, giving thanks to Him.
Our Hope is Not in Worldly Riches
18th Sunday after Pentecost
Luke 16:19-31
Vicar Darren Harbaugh
‘I don’t think that means what you think it means.”
Have you ever come to the realization that something you always thought to be true did not, in fact, mean what you thought it meant? For example, you know the thing you eat – two pieces of bread with meat in the middle? I always thought that was a “Sand Witch”, as in an evil, magic wizard woman that lived near a lot of dirt. I never knew why such a lady and a meal were associated, but that’s what I thought. This happens to me all the time. Maybe it’s the spelling or meaning of a word, maybe it’s somebody’s name. Maybe it’s something bigger. For the disciples and the Pharisees, it was something bigger; something way bigger.
At this point in Luke’s Gospel - which we just read - Jesus has told a series of increasingly absurd parables that seem to flip his listeners’ worldview upside down. With the coming of Jesus, there is a Great Reversal. Things are not as they seem. “The first shall be last and the last shall be first.” Jesus is blowing his disciples’ minds. They think, “If the elite, who have been blessed with riches, aren’t first on the guest list, then what hope do I have?”
But not only are Jesus’ disciples listening to these parables, but also the Pharisees, the movers and shakers of the time. And what do they think of Jesus’ parables and the Great Reversal? Well, they think it all stinks. They know that they are directly in Jesus’ crosshairs, and they grumble and ridicule the Word of God spoken through Jesus.
Then, Jesus tells another story; this time about a rich man and Lazarus, a poor beggar. The two men could not be more different. It’s like comparing a guy staying in the Presidential suite at the Ritz-Carlton to a homeless man sleeping on the street in the Tenderloin.
The rich man was clothed with fine linen and purple – the Armani suit of his day. The poor man was covered with sores.
The rich man feasted sumptuously everyday – constant lobster tail dinners and Dom Perignon. The poor man? He dreamed of scrounging scraps from the table after the dogs had eaten their fill. His life was filled with suffering, struggle and survival.
But then, the great equalizer, both men died and we find that our characters are no longer on earth, but in the hereafter. There is still a feast going on, but the Rich man is no longer the master of ceremonies. Rather, God has indeed helped Lazarus, whose name means “he whom God helps.” The angels have carried Lazarus to Abraham’s side, which if you grew up reading the old King James Version, you will remember that it reads – Abraham’s “bosom.” This is a phrase to describe a guest sitting in a place of honor at a first century Palestinian banquet. Just as the beloved disciple John reclined next to Jesus at the Last Supper, here Lazarus is reclining next to Abraham, participating with him in a feast which has no end. This is the feast of victory that we too will enjoy when we “recline at table in the kingdom of God,” as we read a couple weeks ago. This is the feast that we anticipate in our Service of the Sacrament as we are fed and comforted by the presence of our Lord in his body and blood.
Lazarus, that poor beggar in the story is now comforted. The last is indeed first. In the Beatitudes in Luke 6, Jesus said, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.” Here is a fulfillment of that promise for Lazarus. He is being comforted, filled, satisfied.
But also see in our story that not only are the last first, but the first are last. Just after the Beatitudes in Luke 6, follow the Woes. Jesus says “Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.” Here is fulfillment of that curse for the Rich Man who is in Hades – a place of eternal torment.
Why is the rich man in torment? Because he was rich? No, of course not. But because he did not fear, love and trust in God with all his heart, rather he feared, loved and trusted in money with all his heart. That is where all his security lay. He was selfish and unrepentant on earth and he was selfish and unrepentant in hell, ordering Lazarus around to do his bidding. And if you haven’t put 2 and 2 together by now, the Pharisees who were listening to Jesus surely had. The Pharisees who were lovers of money - selfish and unrepentant- who ridiculed the Word of Christ, and who grumbled that Jesus associated with sinners (Sinners, mind you!) could look forward to the same eternal fate as the Rich man.
I suppose that the story could end here and wouldn’t be half bad. The underdog winds up on top; the bad guy gets what he deserves. But it seems at this point in the story it’s time to consider the question: “Who are you? The good guy or the bad guy? The Rich Man or Lazarus? Do you overlook the down-trodden and outcasts? Do you find your security in your wealth and processions? Do you ignore God’s Word? Remember we confessed at the beginning of the service that we “cling to the things of this world for meaning” and that we “crave things that are physical and ignore the eternal and the needs of those around us.” That sounds an awful lot like the rich man. It sounds like the selfish and unrepentant Pharisees. We deserve what the Rich man got.
But there’s more to the story. Jesus tells his hearers - the Pharisees, the disciples and us - how we can end up like Lazarus, beggars enjoying the riches of the eternal kingdom. How does this happen? Let’s look at the rest of the story.
The Rich man wants his family to be saved and he asks that Lazarus be sent back from the dead to warn them. Abraham replies, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets – the Word of God. They must listen to Scripture.” That didn’t fly with the Rich man who responds with an emphatic “No!” NO WAY! The Rich Man disagrees with his father Abraham. For the Rich Man, the Word of God is not enough. God is not capable of working through His Word to save people by sending His Holy Spirit to produce faith. There must be some other way!
Abraham responds,” If they don’t listen to the Word that they have, they won’t believe even if some one rises from the dead.” Bingo. Sound familiar? When Jesus did actually rise from the dead, he went to his disciples and opened their minds to understand the Word. Jesus told them that Moses and the Prophets said, “that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
God as given us Himself and His Word - The Gospel. This indeed is true riches. Paul writes: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty you might become rich.” Christ “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” He was the first and he became last for us. He was the “firstborn of all creation,” “the exalted one, but he became “despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows” Christ took all our sin, our false trust in wealth, our neglect of others, our despising of God’s word and he bore it all as he suffered upon the cross that we might obtain an eternal inheritance. Your treasure is not material wealth or worldly possessions, but the free gift of Christ crucified and His Holy Word.
Because of the saving grace of Christ, your story does not end like the Rich man’s. The Rich man, and the Pharisees rejected the Word of God, but you, like a poor beggar, have received the Christ’s word of absolution spoken by the pastor. Your sins are forgiven. Everything we have in this life is a gift of God, especially God’s forgiveness. Listen to that Word of forgiveness. Cling to that Word of forgiveness; the Word of the one who was humiliated and despised for you, who rose from the dead for you and continues to be present with you through his Word and through the Sacrament.
You want to be in attendance at the feast Lazarus enjoyed? You’re in the right place. There is still a feast going on and there is no last call. The food is still fresh and the champagne is still on ice. We have a foretaste of the feast to come available for you today at the altar. Taste and see that the Lord is good. He is present to offer you life and forgiveness and rescue from sin, death and the devil. Join in the feast with Abraham, Issac and Jacob and all the poor beggars who have gone before us. The riches of Christ’s word and sacrament empower you hold fast to Him and to His gifts and enable you to show His mercy to those whose lives are filled with suffering, struggle and survival.
Come to the feast and dine sumptuously as we enjoy the presence of our Savior as His heavenly banquet invades this earthly space.
And may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Luke 16:19-31
Vicar Darren Harbaugh
‘I don’t think that means what you think it means.”
Have you ever come to the realization that something you always thought to be true did not, in fact, mean what you thought it meant? For example, you know the thing you eat – two pieces of bread with meat in the middle? I always thought that was a “Sand Witch”, as in an evil, magic wizard woman that lived near a lot of dirt. I never knew why such a lady and a meal were associated, but that’s what I thought. This happens to me all the time. Maybe it’s the spelling or meaning of a word, maybe it’s somebody’s name. Maybe it’s something bigger. For the disciples and the Pharisees, it was something bigger; something way bigger.
At this point in Luke’s Gospel - which we just read - Jesus has told a series of increasingly absurd parables that seem to flip his listeners’ worldview upside down. With the coming of Jesus, there is a Great Reversal. Things are not as they seem. “The first shall be last and the last shall be first.” Jesus is blowing his disciples’ minds. They think, “If the elite, who have been blessed with riches, aren’t first on the guest list, then what hope do I have?”
But not only are Jesus’ disciples listening to these parables, but also the Pharisees, the movers and shakers of the time. And what do they think of Jesus’ parables and the Great Reversal? Well, they think it all stinks. They know that they are directly in Jesus’ crosshairs, and they grumble and ridicule the Word of God spoken through Jesus.
Then, Jesus tells another story; this time about a rich man and Lazarus, a poor beggar. The two men could not be more different. It’s like comparing a guy staying in the Presidential suite at the Ritz-Carlton to a homeless man sleeping on the street in the Tenderloin.
The rich man was clothed with fine linen and purple – the Armani suit of his day. The poor man was covered with sores.
The rich man feasted sumptuously everyday – constant lobster tail dinners and Dom Perignon. The poor man? He dreamed of scrounging scraps from the table after the dogs had eaten their fill. His life was filled with suffering, struggle and survival.
But then, the great equalizer, both men died and we find that our characters are no longer on earth, but in the hereafter. There is still a feast going on, but the Rich man is no longer the master of ceremonies. Rather, God has indeed helped Lazarus, whose name means “he whom God helps.” The angels have carried Lazarus to Abraham’s side, which if you grew up reading the old King James Version, you will remember that it reads – Abraham’s “bosom.” This is a phrase to describe a guest sitting in a place of honor at a first century Palestinian banquet. Just as the beloved disciple John reclined next to Jesus at the Last Supper, here Lazarus is reclining next to Abraham, participating with him in a feast which has no end. This is the feast of victory that we too will enjoy when we “recline at table in the kingdom of God,” as we read a couple weeks ago. This is the feast that we anticipate in our Service of the Sacrament as we are fed and comforted by the presence of our Lord in his body and blood.
Lazarus, that poor beggar in the story is now comforted. The last is indeed first. In the Beatitudes in Luke 6, Jesus said, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.” Here is a fulfillment of that promise for Lazarus. He is being comforted, filled, satisfied.
But also see in our story that not only are the last first, but the first are last. Just after the Beatitudes in Luke 6, follow the Woes. Jesus says “Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.” Here is fulfillment of that curse for the Rich Man who is in Hades – a place of eternal torment.
Why is the rich man in torment? Because he was rich? No, of course not. But because he did not fear, love and trust in God with all his heart, rather he feared, loved and trusted in money with all his heart. That is where all his security lay. He was selfish and unrepentant on earth and he was selfish and unrepentant in hell, ordering Lazarus around to do his bidding. And if you haven’t put 2 and 2 together by now, the Pharisees who were listening to Jesus surely had. The Pharisees who were lovers of money - selfish and unrepentant- who ridiculed the Word of Christ, and who grumbled that Jesus associated with sinners (Sinners, mind you!) could look forward to the same eternal fate as the Rich man.
I suppose that the story could end here and wouldn’t be half bad. The underdog winds up on top; the bad guy gets what he deserves. But it seems at this point in the story it’s time to consider the question: “Who are you? The good guy or the bad guy? The Rich Man or Lazarus? Do you overlook the down-trodden and outcasts? Do you find your security in your wealth and processions? Do you ignore God’s Word? Remember we confessed at the beginning of the service that we “cling to the things of this world for meaning” and that we “crave things that are physical and ignore the eternal and the needs of those around us.” That sounds an awful lot like the rich man. It sounds like the selfish and unrepentant Pharisees. We deserve what the Rich man got.
But there’s more to the story. Jesus tells his hearers - the Pharisees, the disciples and us - how we can end up like Lazarus, beggars enjoying the riches of the eternal kingdom. How does this happen? Let’s look at the rest of the story.
The Rich man wants his family to be saved and he asks that Lazarus be sent back from the dead to warn them. Abraham replies, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets – the Word of God. They must listen to Scripture.” That didn’t fly with the Rich man who responds with an emphatic “No!” NO WAY! The Rich Man disagrees with his father Abraham. For the Rich Man, the Word of God is not enough. God is not capable of working through His Word to save people by sending His Holy Spirit to produce faith. There must be some other way!
Abraham responds,” If they don’t listen to the Word that they have, they won’t believe even if some one rises from the dead.” Bingo. Sound familiar? When Jesus did actually rise from the dead, he went to his disciples and opened their minds to understand the Word. Jesus told them that Moses and the Prophets said, “that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
God as given us Himself and His Word - The Gospel. This indeed is true riches. Paul writes: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty you might become rich.” Christ “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” He was the first and he became last for us. He was the “firstborn of all creation,” “the exalted one, but he became “despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows” Christ took all our sin, our false trust in wealth, our neglect of others, our despising of God’s word and he bore it all as he suffered upon the cross that we might obtain an eternal inheritance. Your treasure is not material wealth or worldly possessions, but the free gift of Christ crucified and His Holy Word.
Because of the saving grace of Christ, your story does not end like the Rich man’s. The Rich man, and the Pharisees rejected the Word of God, but you, like a poor beggar, have received the Christ’s word of absolution spoken by the pastor. Your sins are forgiven. Everything we have in this life is a gift of God, especially God’s forgiveness. Listen to that Word of forgiveness. Cling to that Word of forgiveness; the Word of the one who was humiliated and despised for you, who rose from the dead for you and continues to be present with you through his Word and through the Sacrament.
You want to be in attendance at the feast Lazarus enjoyed? You’re in the right place. There is still a feast going on and there is no last call. The food is still fresh and the champagne is still on ice. We have a foretaste of the feast to come available for you today at the altar. Taste and see that the Lord is good. He is present to offer you life and forgiveness and rescue from sin, death and the devil. Join in the feast with Abraham, Issac and Jacob and all the poor beggars who have gone before us. The riches of Christ’s word and sacrament empower you hold fast to Him and to His gifts and enable you to show His mercy to those whose lives are filled with suffering, struggle and survival.
Come to the feast and dine sumptuously as we enjoy the presence of our Savior as His heavenly banquet invades this earthly space.
And may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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