Recent sermons
November 30, 2025 - Matthew 24:36-44
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters in Christ, happy New Year. It is indeed a new Christian year, and let’s begin it with expectation… Hence the color Blue… God is the Lord of the Church. And God has our futures figured out. Today we begin our new year with the first Sunday in Advent. Happy New Year! The first Sunday in Advent has two selected readings. The reading selected in your bulletin is a reading from Palm Sunday. Advent is a season which focuses on the anticipation of our Lord’s triumphant return, and in that sense, it is fitting to consider Jesus’ kingly arrival to the Holy City. That being said, the second reading is once again about the end times. It is interesting that at the beginning of the Christian year, once again we are talking about the end. Why? The reason for the latter reading, and the reason why I have chosen to consider it today, is to point out a couple of things to you… In Advent we begin a new year… It is a new year, a new day, a new hour, a new moment in time. But the church’s keeping of time is not all that different than a clock, and 12:00 AM might be a new day, but it is not far removed from being 11:59. And isn’t it true, time builds upon itself. Like it or not, you can’t leave your past too far behind you. Who you are and where you have been will never be far behind. It is important that we know this. It is important that we are marked by it. And I’m emphasizing this now because our Wednesdays in Advent will be discussing the gifts we will receive at Christmas, including the gift of song. And I don’t want you to get confused about what Advent is all about. During Advent we continue to prepare yourselves for Jesus to arrive, and specifically, for Jesus to return at the end of time. Because we are pretty good at preparing for Christmas… Take a look around you. We are already prepared for Christmas…. That’s not what the season of Advent is about. Don’t get me wrong, Advent leads us into Christmas, it’s just not specifically about Christmas. Advent is first and foremost about Christ’s second coming. And it is about keeping time with Jesus. After all, timing is important. Giovanno Caselli was an Italian priest. He developed the first telegraph machine which could transmit information between Paris and Leon in 1865. He called this mysterious invention the Pantelegraph. Nobody used it. He was simply ahead of his time. And it sat around unused until the world caught up with it. Xerox invented the computer mouse 15 years too early. For a decade and a half the mouse sat on the shelf until finally Apple incorporated the mouse and made the mouse a household item. Time matters. I am reminded about the story of an old man seated on a park bench. A little boy came and sat down next to him. The little boy pulled out a watch and started winding it up. He was obviously very proud of the gadget. The man said “that’s a neat watch.” “What kind of watch is that?” The little boy said, “it’s a mickey mouse watch.” The man said, “Does it tell time?” The little boy said, “No, you have to look at it.” What time is it? The author of Hebrews says we are in the last days. The Apostle John says we are in the last hours. The Epistle of James picks up these themes and he says, “We don’t even know what our lives will be tomorrow. We are a vapor. Which appears for a little time and vanishes away.” When you think about that, do you ever wonder what the world would be like if it were perfect? What would a perfect world be like? In a perfect world one would feel as good at 50 as he did when he was 17. And he would also be as smart at 50 has he thought he was at 17. In a perfect world I think pro food ball players, pro baseball players and pro basketball players would complain about teachers getting offered contracts worth millions of dollars. How about this? In a perfect world potato chips might have calories but if you eat them with dip it would neutralize the calories. In a perfect world, there would be all the time to do the things you want to do and no time to do the things you don’t. How long oh Lord? The Palmist says, “Teach us, O Lord, to count our days.” And I think the point for us, as we consider the end even at the beginning, is that is ought to inform the way we live in the present. Let me explain. What could be practical about the fact that even Jesus does not know the exact time he will return. Do you find that surprising? After all, Jesus is the Son of God. Shouldn’t he know when He is going to return? Apparently not. Most people don’t like to hear that phrase. What is wrong with me doctor? I don’t know. What are we going to eat for dinner? I don’t know. No one wants to hear “I don’t know” as the answer to their question. Yet strikingly so that is the answer from the very mouth of Jesus. I’m not surprised that the early Church struggled with this text from Matthew. I’m not surprised there are some manuscripts which omit the phrase “nor the son.” Why is it so hard to accept the response “I don’t know”? Maybe it is because not knowing means we have to “Be ever watchful.” “Be on guard.” “Be alert.” “Be awake.” And that’s not something we want to do or be responsible for. Yet Hebrews 9:28 says Christ will return for those eagerly awaiting his return. Are you eagerly awaiting his return like it would come tomorrow? Advent is not just about the future… it is equally about you right now! Living your life eagerly awaiting Jesus, that’s the challenge this Advent, and to be fair, I do not want you to become so obsessed with the second coming that you miss the fact that Jesus is present among us all the time. Therefore, consider this, what if his words about being watchful and being on your guard could also help you on this day to see Jesus meeting you within your life. In all of this discussion, consider your situation… we are nearing the end but also being at the beginning… we are embracing Jesus’ return but also gearing up to celebrate his arrival as a baby, all of this should give you sense of “now AND not yet”. In a way Jesus is telling his disciples you never know when I will show up. Be on watch. Because God does not make appointments. He might just show up in your life when you are least expecting it. I know, as much as anyone, the qualities of watching and waiting can be drowned out by the noise of the season. You rush from here to there to shopping and cooking. You stand in long lines to get a great deal. You end up going back to the same store more than you planned because you forgot a gift for your third cousin which you learned from your second cousin intends to come this year to the family Christmas party. You sit in traffic and fight the crowds once again. You make plans and pack your bags. And you run back to the store because you saw another great deal on Christmas hams you cannot pass up. You gather-up all the presents and now you realize you need to run back to the store because you have no tape. Into the midst of this Jesus has a gumption to say, “be always watchful”. Watch out for the Lord, without telling me when? God needs to make an appointment with me. I have an opening at Monday at 2 o’clock PM. And don’t you dare come at 2 o’clock AM. And don’t be late because I’ve got a lot to do this Advent season. God does not work like that, Abraham and Sarah were old and could not have kids, and God showed up, and lo and behold they’re pregnant. No appointment. No appointment for Mary and Joseph… No appointment for us. Let this sermon serve as your notice. You could be sitting at your desk at work or at school or at home and if you’re observant you might just notice the Lord coming along side you. You could be with your family or you could be strolling down the levy or going to your favorite restaurant… better be alert, because it might just notice the Lord coming along side you. That is the idea of the “coming of the son of Man.” The word coming, Advent in Latin… is Parousia in Greek. Parousia does not carry the connotations of snatching you away, harpooning you into oblivion. It carries the connotation of coming along side of you. To walk with you somewhere. And You never know when the Lord is going to come. I’ve been thinking a lot about the phrase “I don’t know”. I think it is quite appropriate to use that phrase from time to time, especially, when your children ask you a hard question. Concerning the day or the hour, I do not know. In fact, I’m actually not all that concerning about that. I’m a whole lot more concerned about keeping watch for God in my own life. On this journey of Advent, I hope you keep your eyes open, because you never know where Jesus just might show up. He might just come in the form of a baby, in the form in a little tiny Jewish infant born in a manger. Wouldn’t that be something? Something that if you weren’t watching, you just might miss it. It is a time of preparation and it is a time of recognition. We recognize that in the fullness of time God sent his son to be born of a women, to take our sins, and to redeem us. We also recognize, that God walks along side of us each and every day. And ultimately, in the fullness of time Jesus will return. Happy New Year, and may the grace of God which surpasses all understanding, trust your heart and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
November 27, 2025 - Thanksgiving Eve
The Apostle Paul instructs us to be thankful: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess 5:18); He also said, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17). Therefore, we gather this evening to give thanks to God for all that He has done. Although we say “thank you” in some way in every worship service and hopefully in our daily devotions, Thanksgiving only comes to us once a year. It is a time to think and reflect upon the things of the year’s past, all that we have to be thankful. What are you thankful for? It has been a difficult year for some of you. Maybe you are thankful 2025 is almost over. Paul says in Philippians, “rejoice in the Lord always again I say rejoice. He wrote that in a roman prison. Meaning even in the most dyer situations we are to give thanks to God. In all things, not just the “Good” but also in the trying times. Why? How? Because we know that even in the most trying of times God does not desert us nor leave us but is here with us. Sometimes we expect God to take us out of the bad situations but that is not the promise. The promise is “even in the shadow of the valley of death I will be with you.” Being thankful is not something that comes naturally. Our Gospel lesson is a prime example of that. 10 people were cured of leprosy, and only 1 bothered to return and give thanks. I ask this rhetorical question every year… Where are the other 9? And every year the other 9 are not here to hear or answer the question. The first Thanksgiving in our country took place in 1621. There was only one guy who bothered to write it down in his diary. Without him there would have been no record of the event. He said there were 140 people present. 90 of them were native Americans. He even recorded the food they ate. It differs from the food that we eat but not a whole lot. The main dish was not turkey, it was venison, goose, and duck. They had sweet potatoes, cranberries, and what we would call corn muffins. You may know the story from your childhood years… the Pilgrims had a difficult time in the new world. Out of the 16 new mothers that had given birth, 12 of them had died. Over half the colony had disease or was suffering from malnutrition, the first harvest was horrible, they were barely surviving. Yet they gathered to focus on the ways that God had been working in their lives. That first Thanksgiving among the pilgrims and Indians became the basis for the national holiday that would follow. But it was far from the first Thanksgiving. When Jesus sat down with his disciples to celebrate Passover, the text says, “Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples.” Indeed Passover was a day to give thanks. It gave thanks for when the Angel of Death passed over them and they thanked God for sparing them. And yet they only celebrated Passover once a year, but as Christian we celebrate the Lord’s Supper quite often. It is kind of nice to think about Communion as a mini Thanksgiving. That is what the word Eucharist means “Thanksgiving”. The lesson of Passover is that God was not necessarily going to give them exactly what they want, but he was going to provide what they need. So often we are not satisfied with what we have. We want something else, or something more, or something different. The challenge for us is to remember and understand that God is working and he is here and he knows our needs even before we ask them. And God provides what we need, not necessarily what we want. The challenge for us is to be like St. Paul who in Philippians has learned to be content in every situation thanking God. Because in every situation God has a plan. And so something we need to regain in our culture is giving thanks. Because if we are not careful it is easy to be like Bart Simpson, who in his Thanksgiving prayer said, “God, I worked hard for all that I have. I bought my own video games and toys. Thank you God for nothing.” How many times, even when the food is placed before you, you don’t bother to give thanks. You just start to eat? Let’s change that, begin this evening. How many of you know the story behind the picture in your bulletin? This picture was a photograph taken in black and white by Eric Instrum. The man in the photograph was a peddler. He had come to Eric’s door and Eric said, “why don’t you come in and I’ll feed you.” The man sat down to a bowl of who knows what and a loaf of bread and notice the first thing he did was to bow his head and give thanks. The image of the man so struck Mr. Instrum he asked the man to hold the pose and he took that picture. As time went on his daughter began to paint his photographs. And this is the picture. (and by the way Eric Instrum is a good sweedish name and he was a Lutheran.) He could not keep up with the demand for painting that he sold the rights to Oxford Publishing House). Give thanks… whether it is a bountiful feast of turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet corn, and gravy on top… or whether it is simple bread broken and given to the disciples and us. Give thanks. That is the challenge. Give thanks not just one day a year, but to turn each day into a day of thanks. End each day reflecting on the events of the day and the things you are thankful for. Spend time each and every day to thank Him for what he is doing in your life. Thank Him for the salvation you have in Christ Jesus. The forgiveness of your sins and the salvation you have because he died on a cross for you. Make it a practice every day to say “thankyou” also to others, when they do something thoughtful or considerate. And more than that, take the time to do things for others, not expecting to get a thank you, but just take the time to show how thankful you are in your deeds and the way that you live. Because really and truly we have a lot to be thankful for. We have been called by name into a life of faith, and in service to him we serve others. Let us be thankful God loves us so much he gave his son to die for us. Let us be thankful we can gather together, or tune-in to the service online, to hear His words of forgiveness for us on this holy day, on this Thanksgiving Eve. To the man that returned to give thanks, Jesus said, “Your faith has made you well.” “Your faith has made you well” that is the ESV translation. I think the Greek gives us a clearer insight into what Jesus was saying. A more literal translation could be, “Your faith has saved you.” The importance of this translation cannot be understated. I say this because the text indicates that Jesus is no longer talking to the man about his healed body. He is referring to the salvation of this his soul. On this thanksgiving Eve, I feel it is particularly important to take some time while considering our thankfulness to give glory to the one who is most deserving. I mean, sure, I’d like to spend some time thanking my family for all they do for me. They are my support group that will love me no matter what. Sure, I’d like to thank my countless friends that have brought great joy to my life over the many years. Sure, I’d like to thank you, this congregation, for all your generosity, for you have been so kind and you have opened your homes to me… and I thank you. But if my thanks stopped there, what have I forgotten? You see, I cannot emphasize enough that in the midst of all the thanksgivings, don’t forget to thank God. Thanksgiving is about much much more than the food we will share tomorrow or the football on TV, or the Macy’s Day Parade, or the Dog pageant. I encourage you all to give thanks for a God that not only loves us but is with us. He works in our lives, and through us, works in the lives of others. So on this Thanksgiving Eve, as is every day the same, make sure that God is part of your life-giving celebration. Recall your salvation story. Like the Lepers, Jesus paid for your sins on the cross in full. Jesus assures you that your sins are forgiven on account of your faithful confession. Indeed, Jesus has wiped away your sins. Yes, the great physician has indeed made you “well.” You are forgiven and you have a place in paradise. Jesus has restored your life. Thanks be to God. He came, He comes, and He will come again. In the mean time, let us return to give thanks. Thank Him and praise Him. For in doing so you show that your faith has indeed made you well. -Amen
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November 23, 2025 - Luke 23:27-43
Brothers and sisters in Christ, I have been making you aware for the past couple of weeks that we nearing the end, the end of Pentecost, the end of the Church year, the end of the world. Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are in the last hours… Welcome to the "end”. “It is indeed the end of the world as we know it, and not everyone will be just fine.” Maybe so, but here we are none the less. The end of the world is no doubt an unexpected guest. What do you do when someone comes to your house unannounced? Who could that be at the door? Oh no, I’m not ready. The house is not clean. Close the blinds, turn off the lights, pretend I’m not home? I’m sure we have all done that before. In contrast, in just four days your whole family will be invited to your house for Thanksgiving. They will be expected guests. And there is much to prepare for. Food to purchase, deserts to cook. I don’t have time for an unexpected guest. In the midst of our Thanksgiving preparations, we have an unexpected guest at the door. And this guest is the worst kind. He brings along with him more than that end of the Church year. He also brings Good Friday. To be sure, Good Friday is the unwanted and unexpected guest at any-time of the year, let alone this morning. You know Good Friday, the Friday before Easter, the Friday that is anything but good. The lights are dimed to darkness, the tomb is shut with a loud boom, The Lord’s Prayer is whispered, and then we leave in silence because Jesus is dead and there is nothing more to say. Good Friday is somber, it is sad, but luckily just around the corner is Easter. One reason why Good Friday is such an unwelcomed guest at this time of the year is that, even though Thanksgiving will provide some comic relief, next Sunday is not Easter. Next Sunday begins Advent. And even though the decorations will go up, even though we begin Christmas preparations, Advent provides little relief. Why? Because Advent is penitential. It is appropriately called a mini Lent. In Advent we continue the theme of preparing for Jesus’ second coming. One might say, I thought Advent was about Christmas. That’s not quite right… Christmas is in Advent, but Advent is not about Christmas. Advent is a penitential preparation for the return of Jesus. Jesus came once… he will come again... hence the color blue… the color of expectation, when Christ returns he will come in the clouds. As for us, we had better be ready? Today, we are dealing with an unexpected guest… the fact that Good Friday has come five months early. Prepare yourselves. There isn’t much time. Luke recounts that Jesus was mocked. “If you are the King, save yourself.” “You have saved others, why not yourself?” You are not the Messiah because the real Messiah would save himself, not die the death of a criminal. Jesus, however, died like criminals… He died like them, He died with them. It is true that the worst unexpected guest, is the one that brings along with him more unexpected guests. How do you deal unexpected guests? Tell them to leave. Tell them you’re not ready… “Sorry but you have come too early. I’m not dressed for the occasion.” The only problem is, you nor I are in any position to say that to Jesus. Oh Lord, have mercy on me when I am at your door crying out “Lord, Lord, Open for us”. O Lord, May you not respond, “You have come at a bad time. Depart from me. I do not know you.” I could imagine Jesus saying that to the criminal on the cross. This is really not a good time to have a chat. Does it look like I’m in the mood for a conversation? Besides, who are you? You are a criminal. And unlike me, you are guilty. The verdict has been given. Now close your mouth and serve your sentence. Because, it is far too late for repentance… And that is not what Jesus said. Jesus said, “Today you will be with me in paradise”. One time a baptized a man on his death bed. He indicated that he had never been a church goer. But he desired to be baptized. Sure enough, a couple days later he died. At the funeral I declared the words of Jesus, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” It does not matter where you have been or what you’ve done. What matters is that Jesus found you just in time. I find Luke’s account of Good Friday striking. Why? Because of how straight-forward it is recorded. It is the shortest of the 4 Gospels. It gives us a brief but detailed story-line. Luke does not call the place of crucifixion Golgotha. He does not call it Calvary. He is straight forward and just calls it the place of the scull. It is in this place, in the place of death, that only one person recognizes Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. Who was it? A criminal hanging along side of him. While the other criminal spent his remaining moments of life mocking Jesus, the other criminal said, “We are receiving due reward for our deed, but this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.” The criminal asks that Jesus remember him. And Jesus promises much more. “Today you will be with me in paradise.” We could argue around a table about the exact timing of those words of Jesus. Did Jesus really mean today? Did he mean before sun-down, so within a couple of hours or it would happen within the next 24 hours. And how could that be? Don’t we confess in the Apostle’s Creed that he descended into Hell? How do we reconcile the two? Well, my understanding of the text is that Jesus is putting present emphasis on a future so certain. Let it suffice for me to say, the Bible talks like this all the time. That your future is so certain that the Bible often talks about it in the present tense. You can agree or disagree with me on the timing, but either way, Jesus speaks these words to that condemned criminal within the comfort of his certainty. Even while dying on the cross Jesus is still carrying out his mission to save sinners… luckily, that mission continues even today among us. “Jesus, I’m a sinner, but please remember me when you come into your kingdom.” In the coming month, there will be lots of parties. Food and gifts will be shared. Families and friends will come from all over to visit each other. And just remember, even on Christmas, Jesus was the unexpected guest. There was no room for him, and he was born in a stable next to animals. I think there is wisdom in considering Good Friday on the Eve of Advent. Why? Because Advent is about your future. And it is only through the cross and his death, that we come to understand His life and ours. Christ Jesus is full of grace and mercy, full of love and compassion, and forgiveness and second chances. If you take nothing else from Luke Chapter 23, take this: can you be forgiven… Answer YES. We have a God full of so much grace that He went to the cross to save YOU. On this occasion. It is the end of Pentecost, it is the end the church year, it is the end of the world as we know it. Maybe REM was on to something. To those who trust in Jesus, even at the end of the world… you will be just fine. “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Can you hear the knocking on the door? An unexpected guest has arrived. What will you do? Will you answer?
November 16, 2025 - Baptism of Wesley Shemeld
I’d like to start out by asking you an important question. What happened earlier in the service? What happened at the baptismal font just a little bit ago with Wesley William Shemeld? Depending on your tradition or how you grew up, you will have a different answer. You might say, it is a tradition. That is just what the church does. It is cute. It’s nice, some churches call it a dedication. We call it a Baptism. We invite our family and friends, because that’s just what people have done for ages and ages. That is not untrue but it’s more than that. Someone might say that Baptism is a choice. You might be thinking surely Wesley is far too young to make a decision. When he is 13 he can choose to be Baptized. That one will be efficacious for his salvation… as for this one, it is more for us. You might be surprised to hear from me… Baptism is a choice. Let’s just be clear about who and when the decision was made. Should you only be Baptized when you think you were good enough… when you think you’re ready… when you thought you had everything all together… when you finally stand up in front of your church and declared your intention to follow Jesus? All of that misses what is going on in Baptism. Paul says, “God predestined us before the foundation of the world.” Paul says, “God predestined us for adoption as His sons and daughters through Jesus Christ.” You don’t choose your baptism any more than a child chooses their parents when they’re adopted. Baptism, baptizmon, everytime it appears in the Bible, it is passive… it is a washing you receive… not something you do. Baptism is not Wesley saying something to God but God is saying something to Wesley. As for Wesley, he has to do nothing more than passively live in that new reality. And he can do that… it is not all that unlike all the other times he passively trusts his parents to do the right thing for him. Does little Wesley want a Bath? Sure you do? Does little Wesley need a coat. Sure he does. Does little Wesley need to be laid down for a nap? Absolutely, he does. Does little Wesley need Baptism for the forgiveness of sins? Answer, Yes! More than we could ever know or appreciate. We unapologetically Baptize babies at this church because they are included in the Great Commission. Because Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Little Wesley is included in that command to make disciples of all nations. Paul also included Wesley when he said, “formerly you were ALL wrongdoers but now you are washed, sanctified (that means, something which came from outside of you has changed you), and now you are justified by the name of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through the work of the Spirit.” That is what Baptism does and everyone needs it. We know what it does, but what is Baptism? It is water plus God’s Word… but it is more than that, Baptism is what we call a Sacrament. That means, Baptism is sacred. Sacred meaning, holy. It is set apart. Literally, it sets you apart. Let’s be fair, I’m not going to be able to explained it all to you, if for the sole reason there is mystery in anything where God is involved. But, I want to share with you a couple more things about what went on this morning. Peter says, “Baptism now saves you.” You might be thinking but what does he need to be saved from. He is just a baby. Babies are sweet and cuddly and innocent and without sin, am I right? To be honest, I think only someone without children would say that. But the issue is not so much Wesley’s sin as much as it is the fact that Wesley was born a “sinner”. Meaning, he like all of us has been born with a fallen nature. If you don’t think babies have inherited a fallen nature… can babies die? Yes, that means they have inherited a fallen nature and they are in need of the promise of eternal life given in Baptism as much as you or I. Now maybe you are sitting in the pew thinking isn’t Baptism something Eric and Abby and Wesely did this morning. Or something I did this morning. But it is not. Baptism is something only God can do. I cannot declare Wesley to be a child of God, nor could he. Only God can do it. And as for us, we just gather around the font to receive it. I don’t know about you but I admit sometimes God feels illusive to me. Sometimes I feel so far from God. But luckily, when you were Baptized something mysterious happened. When the water was poured and the Word was spoken, the Holy Spirit chose to work and dwell within that Sacrament. God made a promise to Wesley that he is now an adopted and redeemed Child of God. But that was not the only promise, you also made a promise as well. Your promise is that you will bring him to church. You will rear him in the faith. You will teach him. Why? Because even with Baptism, this world is hard on faith. Did you notice how even Paul in 2 Thessalonians 3 asked for prayers. So too, you are to pray for him always, as I’m sure you will. You are to encourage him in the faith daily, as I’m sure you will. And you are to remind him of his Baptism, and to direct his heart to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Jesus Christ, his Savior. To give you some simple suggestions. At night I say with my children a simple prayer something like “Now a lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, Keep me safe all through the night. And wake me to the morning light.” Following that, I often include the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostles’ Creed. When my children were younger, I sang hymns until they fall asleep. Do whatever works for you… or whatever works for Wesley. But above all, teach him and pray with him and for him. Johnny and Natalie your job as a Baptismal sponsor is important. You have committed yourself to remind Wesley of one of God’s greatest Gospel gifts, the day he was called into God’s family. Your job is not hard. But as he grows up in the faith make sure you remember his Baptismal date and celebrate it with him, and be a Christian role model for him. That is what he will need. And congregation, you made a promise too. Welsey became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ. And You promised to help raise him in the faith, you promised to worship alongside him, you promised to make sure he is taught proper doctrine. In other words, we are all in this together… none of us are on our own. And slowly he will begin to understand and comprehend the new reality that God has given to him in his Baptism. As you go forward from here, I want you ALL to understand the words of Hebrews Chapter 13 Verse 5. God says, I will never never leave you or forsake you. And those words become very important, especially into the context of 2 Thessalonians. As I said last week, we are nearing the end… end of the church year… nearing the end of the world. Fortunately, Baptism is efficacious, it is effective, for you and for your household for your forgiveness and divine reconciliation, at the end of life, at the beginning of life, or in the midst of it. Why? Because it is Jesus who makes it effective. Therefore, “Have confidence in the Lord, and he will save.” My prayer for Wesely, and for all of you, is the prayer offered by Paul, and I’ll end with this, “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.” In the grace of God which surpasses all understanding, trust your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, Amen.
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November 9, 2025 - 2 Thessalonians 2:1-7
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we are in the 22nd Sunday after Pentecost. Pentecost can be longer or shorter, depending on the date of Easter. But being in the 22nd week, we are nearing the end, the end of Pentecost, the end of the Church year… we are nearing the end of the world. One might argue it is not the end of the world. But the author of Hebrews reminds us, “we are in the last days”. And the Apostle John says, “we are in the last hours.” Whether it is today or tomorrow, no one knowns, but what is for sure, we are nearing the end. In order to prepare our hearts and minds for Christ’s return, for the next couple of weeks we will be considering the words of Paul in 2 Thessalonians. One might say, what does the end of the world have to do with me? Actually, quite a lot. You might be surprised to learn, Jesus’ longest recorded response to any given question just so happened to be on the topic of the end of the world. Paul wrote an entire book on the topic, 2 Thessalonians. And so did John, the Book of Revelation. As we contemplate the end of the world, think about the battles you find yourself struggling against today. You might have a rebellious son or daughter, brother or sister, a difficult situation at work, perhaps you are attempting to do something for Christ, attempting to move ministry forward and you are facing opposition, or perhaps you are struggling with a particular sin or temptation or a health condition. Into all these situations, and many more, 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2 gives us wisdom for discerning the battle, the future battle to be sure, but also our current battles. 2 Thessalonians 2 is about what is going on behind the scene? And why is it important? Because if you are going to stay the course, you need to be able to discern not just the battle but also the opponent. Discerning the opponent is an important topic in Scripture. In various other places in Scripture, the vail is lifted to reveal the forces working behind the scenes. I say that because perhaps more familiar text than 2 Thessalonians 2, is Ephesians 6 where Paul writes “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood (meaning our struggle is not first and foremost against people), Paul says, the struggle is against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” In that text Paul goes on to say, put on the full armor of God and always be ready. Paul wants you to be ready, and to be wise, because when you are struggling against your son or daughter or some people at work, or even against yourself, Paul wants you to know what lies behind it all. 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2 is about the spiritual forces which are at work in the world. It is about how those forces will be uniquely expressed in one man in the future. But it is also more broadly about the battle all of us face in life each and every day and how that battle will intensify as we come towards the ultimate confrontation. Chapter 2 begins with a rumor, maybe it was a false prophesy or a forged letter seemingly coming from Paul, either way it claimed that Jesus had already come. That might sound odd, but remember they did not know Jesus had come the first time until Paul had told them. And now if Paul was apparently telling them He had returned and they missed it… it actually makes quite a bit of sense. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah you heard that too? I heard it from my brother’s boss and you say you heard it from your sister’s friend who went to Corinth and he said he spoke to Paul. It was that kind of thing, a false rumor here and a forged letter there and suddenly it was all over the church of Thessalonica that the Day of the Lord had already come. And this had noticeably alarmed the church, but more than that, it has noticeably alarmed Paul. For this reason, it was very important for Paul to write this letter and put the record straight. In verse 3, Paul says “Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness[b] is revealed, the son of destruction.” Let’s be clear, what is the day of the Lord? Paul says in Verse 8, it is the day when Jesus himself will come in glory to over-throw the lawless one. Let me just say, I would like to accomplish two things in this sermon. Firstly, I would like you to understand a few things about the man of lawlessness in the text, but secondly, what does it have to do with you. Because what I believe we learn in this text about the evil forces and how they work can also give us wisdom for discerning the battles we go through each and every day. First, who is the man of lawlessness? He is described as a man who will come on the scene shortly before Jesus returns. Evil will climax in him, through him, and under his leadership. And we are told he will be revealed, His activity will be in accordance to the work of Satan, and thirdly, like the letter and the prophesies which started this mess, His work will be displayed through counterfeit miracles and signs and wonders. Now, who do you think of when I use words like coming, revealed, and signs and wonders? Jesus! Jesus is the one that is coming. He will be revealed and he has signs and wonders. The point of this is that this man will be a parody of Christ, one might say, the antithesis of Christ, the Apostle John, in 1 John, calls him the Anti-Christ. John writes, “Dear Children this is the last hour, THE Anti-Christ is coming, but even now many anti-Christs have come.” William Hendrickson said this about the Anti-Christ. He said, Satan, while perfectly aware of the fact that he cannot himself become incarnate, nevertheless would like to imitate God as much as possible. He yearns for a man over whom he will have complete control and who will perform his will as thoroughly as Jesus performed the will of the Father. It will have to be a man of outstanding talents but as yet the devil is being frustrated in his attempt to put this plan into operation. Now, what does a man who is under the control of Satan do? Paul says He will oppose and exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped. Have you noticed in our culture that many people are buying into a growing sentiment that religion promotes intolerance and intolerance promotes violence. Many people are coming to believe that religion, regardless of which religion, that religion as a category, is a force for evil and the root of violence in the world. I for one hear this all the time, when people say I’m a spiritual person but I’m against organized religion. That’s a scary thing because all it will take is for a leader to come on the scene and exalt himself against everything that is called God or is worshiped. He will do so by say something like “religion is not your answer”. Religion is dividing the world. Let’s get rid of all of it. Throw off the shackles, loose yourself from archaic superstition, and then we’ll become truly human and we’ll find our peace… that’s not too hard to imagine, is it? That’s why I say our time is ripe for this. Paul does say he will set himself up in the temple and in the place of God. I think that’s another way to say, he will take the place of what is in God’s temple. And what is that? The ark was in God’s temple and what was in the ark? God’s Law. He will replace God’s law with his law and that is why he gets the name the “lawless one”. What else is in the temple? Our Thursday Bible class studied the Book of Exodus…. You might remember the directional candelabra. He will be your light and your source of direction. Finally, what else? The alter? He will claim to be your salvation, your redemption. No more need of all of this God and religion stuff…. I’m your answer. It has long been said the Anti-Christ would come from within the church. Some said, it would be the office of the Papacy, and maybe it will, but I don’t think it is necessary. Why? Because all he has to do is say you don’t need any of that garbage… Follow me instead. I’m your way, your truth, and your life. And I’m sure you a beginning to see, this may not be a long time in the future, our time is ripe for this. I have no doubt you have many questions about the end of the world. People are always curious of the timeline. And how many wars and rumors and wars and famine and earthquakes will there be until Jesus returns. Does the literal temple need to be rebuilt, which of course presently does not exist? I’m sure we could all bring great energy to these debates, but let me just say this, the debate would intrigue some, confuse others, and in terms of the battles we are facing this week, it would not help anyone. Besides, if we are debating the subject, it simply means it has not happened yet. That being said, Paul says in Vs. 7 “the secret power of lawlessness is already at work.” This power that will find it’s full expression in the Anti-Christ is already here and it is already at work… That’s why his message is relevant to us today. And it means when we consider what the Lawless One will be, it could help us to discern the spirit of lawlessness when we see it in the world today. So remember what the anti-Christ does. He puts himself in the place of God. He puts himself in the place of God’s law. He puts himself in the place of Christ’s sacrifice. “It’s all about me” (that’s putting yourself in the place of God), “no one tells me what to do” (that’s putting yourself in the place of God’s law). “I have a better way and I’m a good person” (that’s putting yourself in the place of Christ). So let me ask you this, can you see the spirit of lawlessness at work in your life… I think we all do. Luckily Jesus has enough forgiveness for all of us. And as for Satan, he is no match for Jesus. Did you notice Paul says, “Jesus will overthrow the Lawless One with his breath.” Jesus does not even have to touch him. Satan will put up a fight, but compared to Jesus Satan will be like a flower in a wind storm. Into the midst of this, Paul calls for us to stand firm. He reminds us we have the Gospel, we have the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, You are loved by God and he has chosen and called us. In 2 Timothy Chapter 2, Paul suggests that he was willing to do anything for the sake of the elect because Christ is willing to do anything for the sake of the elect. What did Christ do? He died for them. He rose for them. And He promised to come back for us and he is going to return. 1 Peter 1:5 states that we are being guarded for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last days. We are in those last days. For this reason, Brothers and Sisters in Christ, rest assured that if you trust in Jesus than you are one of the elect and your faith is being guarded. Honestly, would you expect anything less? It is true that we do not know exactly when all this will take place, but none of that matters, because He will return… for us. It is true that we live in a world full of sin and false teachers, so be watchful and to be on our guard. But above all, trust in Him and don’t worry because everything will turn out exactly as planned. The grace of God that passes all understanding, trust your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, amen.
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November 2, 2025 - Matthew 5:1-12
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Today Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church, along with everyone else that follows the traditional Christian calendar, we are observing All Saints Sunday. All Saints Day is a day in which we remember and give thanks for all the faithfully departed who have gone before us to be with Jesus. It is indeed a special day for all of Christendom. This celebration day has roots in the early Church and it was historically a day for us to praise God for all those who have fought the good fight and won the prize of everlasting life. We should understand that All Saints Day is not a celebration of the dead, it is a celebration of the living because what we celebrate is the fact that those who have died now live in Christ. I have heard it said that if you really want to know where a church stands or falls on the important issues than attend one of their funeral services and it will become quite obvious what that church or preacher really believes. I think that is a fair assumption to make given that a funeral service, more than any other service, really ought to focus on the fundamentals or literally the “life and death issues” of the faith. One time I buried a man named Lucky. I said at the committal service that the world looks upon the casket and undoubtedly says that Lucky was indeed unlucky. But know this, that is not what Jesus says to His dearly departed. In contrast, Jesus said to those who believe, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” I understand that we could argue around a table about the exact timing of those words of Jesus, but the truth of the matter is that those words are not simply me saying how I wish things were or how I hope they might be, rather those are indeed the words of Jesus telling us the way things really are even in the face of something as convincing and as final as death itself… So hear these words and let them comfort you. Jesus said, “Today, you will be with me in paradise.” The truth of the matter is that reality is not always as it appears to us; and given that Jesus is the creator, who am I to argue with Him. Jesus is frequently requiring us to rethink and to restructure our understanding of reality, of self, and of purpose. In the Gospel of Mark Chapter 9, Jesus stifled a conversation that the disciples were having over who was the greatest among them. Jesus pointed out that the “greatest must be the least and the first must be the last.” At that time He restructured their understanding of authority and self-worth, and He did it yet again in Mark Chapter 10 when Jesus revealed to them that being wealthy was not everything and if anything it was nothing, at least as far as the kingdom of God is concerned. Upon hearing Jesus’ words, the wealthy man became disheartened, and on account of the sayings, he chose not to follow Jesus. It is unfortunate to be sure when worldly endeavors get in the way of faith, but that is often what happens when you preach the message of Jesus to a world that is replete with seductive and attractive lies. The opposition might preach a gospel that says that the one with the most stuff wins or the ones with no worries and no pain… they are blessed. Sometimes it seems that way, am I right? Sometimes I even find myself inwardly agreeing with some of their claims. It seems as though being smart is to be shrewd and self-promoting because then and only then will I receive my fair share. But I hope that you can see, in the midst of this constant war of ideas, that the wisdom of the world so often comes up short. I say this because the only way to interpret death outside of Christ is through cynical eyes… the world is forced to say “That’s just too bad.” “People die.” “And today it was Lucky’s unlucky day… tomorrow it might be yours.” Thanks be to God that is not what Jesus said about his dearly departed. Jesus opens his mouth and informs us of a different approach… a better approach to life and death. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who mourn. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are those who hunger for righteousness. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the pure of heart. Blessed are the peacemakers. And finally, blessed are those who are persecuted.” -For theirs is the kingdom of God. Nestled in the beginnings of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, between his call of the first disciples and his charge for them to be the salt and the light of the world, it is between those two things that we find Matthew Chapter 5: 1-12 or better known as the Beatitudes. I admit that on their own the Beatitudes are striking, aren’t they? Jesus tells us that the poor and the meek and the persecuted are fortunate. Really, not in my experience? To be fair, being without money is not fun and I do not find persecution to be any more of a favorable alternative. Yet notice Jesus’ words in verse 12. Jesus said to them, “Rejoice and be glad.” Rejoice, what is there to rejoice about? Why would he say this? What comfort can there possibly be for the poor and the meek and the little people who are continually being beat down by the world? Well, Jesus framed the Beatitudes by saying twice that “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” What Jesus is pointing out in the Beatitudes is that we live in the tension between the now and the not yet. What does that mean? Notice that Jesus said, “Theirs is the Kingdom of heaven” as if we have it now. But he also said, “for they shall be comforted, they shall inherit the earth. They shall be satisfied. They shall receive mercy. And they shall be called sons of God.” Let me illustrate the present tension. Jesus said, “We shall be called sons of God.” Does that mean we are not currently sons of God? Paul said, “We groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” So in this sense we are not sons yet… or are we? Matthew Chapter 5 goes on to say in verse 16, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” So are we sons or are we still awaiting adoption? The truth is yes to both of those questions. Is God my Father? Yes. Am I His son? Yes. Than what the text is suggesting? It is suggesting that there is much more that awaits us. The Beatitudes tell us that so much more is still to come. Allow me to suggest I think that is what the Beatitudes are all about. I am aware of what some commentators have suggested. Some have said that the Beatitudes are the new Torah or the new Decalogue but the problem is that there are not ten of them. Others have suggested that they are spiritual gifts or virtues of the mature and others have said that they are Law and they point us to a savior because we will always fall short of these ideals. Maybe there is something to be said about a couple of those interpretations, but ultimately I think they all fall short of the point, because as I see it, the beatitudes were given to us by our Savior who Isaiah prophesied was sent “to preach the good news to the poor.” I believe the beatitudes are gospel, not law, and they help us to navigate through the tension of the now and the not yet… they are a present emphasis on a future so certain. To be sure, I acknowledge that there will always be opposition which will preach a different gospel with a different program and a different set of values. We must understand that they are operating with a different notion of who we are and what we are here for. There is no doubt that Jesus’ makes claims that are not easy to accept. Even in Jesus’ day He was very different than what the public expected from the Messiah. Our Messiah stoops down instead of clawing his way to the top. He emptied himself of everything in order to enrich us. He gives instead of takes. His sign of power looked so weak to those who looked to themselves as images of might, and for that reason, his explanation of the way things reality are and the way things will be looks like foolishness to the world… But Jesus is unfazed by this and He reassures us of the blessings that await us. He tells us that the persecuted are blessed and to be sure Jesus continued a ministry which turned things upside-down or rather turned things that had been twisted right-side up. Today, Jesus has come to this place to give us a picture of the world as it really is, a world broken and confused by sin, yet it is a world he loves and he has chosen to redeem it… Thanks be to God. In closing I’d like for us to consider on last illustration. If you have ever been caught driving through a strong down-pour at night, the wind and the rain cloud your senses and you know how difficult it can be trying to gauge where you are much less where you are going. But then comes the occasional flash of lightening, and although the lightning may catch you off guard, it also provides to you a short glimpse of the road ahead even though the darkness quickly returns. That is how I think the Beatitudes are meant to function for us. In the midst of life’s darkness, in the midst of struggles and sin, our Lord reveals to us in a flash of light both the perils and the destination. Oh the struggles are real and the depravity is painful, but take comfort that the destination, the kingdom of heaven, is sure even though it does not always seem that way. As the Beatitudes make plain, the Christian road is not about removing ourselves from the situation. Our mission is not to defeat the enemy, rather it is to love our enemies, turn the other cheek, give the shirt off our back, and be the light of Jesus in the ever present darkness. All things considered the beatitudes tell us that one day we will see our Lord face to face with all those who have died in the faith and for that reason we are to reach out to our neighbors, not to get something in return, but because we want everyone to be present on the day of the resurrection of the dead. So let us pray for help as we strive toward this goal. Jesus and his kingdom be the Glory forever and ever. And Lord, help everyone to see that… May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus Amen.
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