Tag Archives: Believer

Hope that Heralds – Sermon on 1 Peter 3:8-17 for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity

1 Peter 3:8-17

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Look again at v. 15. (I’m sorry the sermon reading fell on a page turn in your bulletin.) Peter encourages you to always be ready to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. So, Peter anticipates that you, Christian, will face a particular question about your hope. This question implies that hope isn’t only something that’s deep inside you—in your mind or heart. No, dear saints, your hope is something that will manifest itself. Your hope speaks. Your hope heralds to the world because your hope changes, guides, and directs who you are. Your hope influences how you use your words and how you behave in such a way that the world is going to recognize that there is something different about you. Believer, Jesus declares that you are the light of the world (Mt. 5:14). When you are asked about the reason for the hope within you, that is because Jesus has made you the light of the world that shines in a dark place.

So, I have a question: When was the last time somebody asked you that? When was the last time somebody asked you, “Why do you hope the way you do?” or, “What’s the reason for your hope?” Maybe some of you get asked this question regularly—all the time. But I would guess that most of us aren’t fielding that question too often. And there are a couple possible reasons we aren’t asked this question.

One reason is that you don’t actually hope in anything different than what the world hopes. You just blend right in with them. Like the world, you hope that your income will cover your expenses. Like the world, you hope that your retirement account will keep growing or (if you’re already retired) will last long enough. Like the world, you hope that the wars and violence and troubles you see will settle down. The world might not see any difference between your hopes and theirs, so they aren’t going to ask you why you hope the way they do. Now, just to be clear, none of those hopes are bad or sinful per se. But if that’s all you hope for and you don’t have higher hopes, you should repent and examine your priorities. As a Christian, your priorities and hopes should be much higher and have a lot longer view than that.

The second reason you might not be asked for the reason for the hope in you is that you actually are being asked this question—you just don’t realize it. And I think this reason is much more likely. That’s why Peter tells us that we need to be prepared. I’m willing to wager that people really are asking about your hope, but they aren’t asking verbatim, “What is the reason for the hope that is in you?”

Instead, they might just start talking about things that are happening in their life because their life isn’t going well. Or they might comment on the news and how chaotic things are all over the world. They are concerned about things going on around them and talk about that, but they’re actually asking you for a reason for your hope, they just don’t say it straight out because they’re embarrassed or scared to admit their fears and worries.

You’ve probably gotten used to people ‘testing the waters’ (so to speak) with other kinds of questions. We Midwesterners are especially known for this. You’ve probably had people ask you about your plans for the weekend, but what they’re really asking is if they can tag along with you. (I’m not saying that’s wrong or that the person is lying, but being direct is usually a better way to converse with others.) 

Some people will talk to you about things that they don’t feel comfortable talking about with others. What they’re doing—even though they don’t realize it—is asking you to explain why you’re different or why you have the hope that you have as a believer. Part of being prepared to make a defense is being able to discern when someone is opening a door for you to give the reason for your hope.

So, what is the reason for your hope? What makes a Christian’s hope so different that it shows, that it is manifest, that it heralds? At the end of v. 14, Peter says, “Have no fear of them, nor be troubled.” Literally, the Greek there reads, “Do not fear what they fear.” Most translations do something similar to what the ESV does. (I don’t want to get too deep into the reason it’s translated that way because it takes a while. You can ask me later.) Basically, the verse is specifically addressing the topic of believers who might be suffering and face persecution for doing what is right. But the principle reaches further than just that. The reason you believers have a hope that will bring inquiries is the simple fact that you aren’t afraid of the things this world is afraid of. The things that terrify unbelievers don’t cause you any concern.

Think of how anxious you would be if you didn’t have faith in Christ. Unbelievers live in the false idea that they have to make their own way in this world without a loving Creator who is their heavenly Father. Without a merciful Redeemer who died for all their sins. And without a comforting Sanctifier who advocates for them in heaven’s courtroom. That would be horrible, but even beyond that, unbelievers have to earn their own happiness. If they want any sense of security and safety, it would have to come from their own hands. Basically, they would have to fight for it. Their conscience testifies against them, so they struggle with always having to excuse their sin or live under that constant accusation. For an unbeliever every aspect of life is full of uncertainty. If they believe this world and life is all there is, then it truly is a survival of the fittest. Even if they believe there is a god (little ‘g’ god), they don’t know for certain how to get that god on their side.

In our Gospel reading (Lk. 5:1-11), we saw how Peter had known that kind of fear firsthand. He was going about his life with his boat, his nets, and his fish trying to make a living in this world. Suddenly, Peter realized that he was standing before the almighty Son of God. He fell to his knees and cried out, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Lk. 5:8). Everything that mattered to Peter evaporated in a moment because he realized God was there with him in the boat and that he was a sinner. Unbelievers know the same thing could happen to them at any moment. Anyone who doesn’t have faith in Christ knows—deep down, they know—that any sense of security they have could be pulled out from under them in a flash because their security and their hopes are all a facade.

But for you, dear saints, you don’t fear what the world fears. You don’t have to worry about your future because it is in God’s omnipotent, merciful hands. You don’t have to be afraid for your health, your home, your children, your job. You have nothing to fear because you have God’s promise to forgive you all of your sins.

As a believer, you know that you are now a child of God. You know that, because you have the forgiveness of your sins, you are a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. Sure, you are still a citizen of this world and fall into similar worries of unbelievers. But you also believe in the life of the world to come. Yes, you have an earthly citizenship and a heavenly one, so the trials and tribulations of this world hit you differently because you have a higher hope.

Stick with me as I change gears for a minute to reflect on your hope in light of the 250th birthday of our country.

America isn’t perfect. (There’s an understatement for you.) America isn’t perfect, but it is still one of if not the most blessed nations God has ever given throughout the history of the world. I’m not talking about the country we had 10, 20, 50, or however many years ago. I’m talking about the country you woke up in this morning. We should be extremely and profoundly thankful for the nation we have right now.

You live in a nation where the Word of God is plentiful. You probably have several Bibles in your home. Even if you don’t have a physical Bible, you can get one on a device. You are free to gather with other Christians. In fact, you could move anywhere in this country and be within an hour’s drive to a faithful Lutheran congregation where the Word is taught in its truth and purity and the Sacraments are given as Christ instituted them. God has richly blessed us. We should make it a point today (and every day) to thank Him.

Yet even in this blessed nation, people live in fear. They are anxious about the news, about division, about the economy, about the future. They are afraid of what might happen if things keep going the way they are or if they don’t return to something else in the past. But you, believer, you do not have to live that way because your hope is different. You have Christ. And in Christ, you have a good conscience before God.

You are prepared to give a defense of your hope because you have a good conscience. That’s why you aren’t afraid of what they fear. That’s why you are ready to give a defense for the hope that is in you. You have a good conscience.

Sure, you have plenty going on in your life, just like everyone else in this world does. But unlike them, you can live unafraid, with a clean conscience before your heavenly Father for the sake of Christ Jesus. God is not against you—He is for you. Christ has cleansed you from all your sins by His blood. He has sprinkled you clean in Baptism. He feeds you with His own Body and Blood in the Supper. He promises to bring you to the home of your hope in heaven.

That is why your hope heralds. It shows, and people notice the difference. They ask—sometimes directly—but often in roundabout ways. Dear saints, be ready. The reason for the hope that is in you is Jesus. He has taken away your sin. He has given you a good conscience. He is your hope now and forever. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Php. 4:7). Amen.

Loved Ones – Sermon on 1 John 3:1-3 for All Saints’ Sunday

1 John 3:1-3

1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Typically, names are given. When you’re born, you’re given a name. Whether or not you like your name, doesn’t matter. The name your parents gave you is your name. Sometimes, you are given a nickname, which you may like or dislike.

In junior high, my schoolmates called me ‘string-bean.’ I didn’t like it so much. But being over 6 ft. tall and weighing maybe 120 lbs. soaking wet, it fit. When I made the varsity swim team, I thought, “This is my chance for a cool nickname,” because no one else from my school was a swimmer. So, I tried to give myself a nickname. The movie Rudy had just come out, and the story of that weak, little football player who finally got a chance and proved himself on the field was so inspirational that I told my teammates to call me ‘Rudy.’ I even had it printed on my first varsity swimming t-shirt. Long story short, ‘Rudy’ didn’t stick, sadly. Even worse was that one of the other swimmers was dating a girl from my school. As soon as he found out that I was called ‘string bean,’ the name followed me into the pool.

The Bible has lots of names and titles for people who are saved by grace through faith in Christ – Christian (Act. 11:26), believer (Act. 5:14), child of God (Jn. 1:12-13), people of God (1 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 21:3), citizens of the kingdom of heaven/God (Php. 3:20), people belonging to the Way (Act. 9:2). I could go on and on. All of those names and titles have a different focus, and you are probably comfortable with some of those titles and names for yourself. But the Bible has another name for you. Even though it’s a name that you might not like, even though it’s a title that you wouldn’t claim for yourself, it’s a name that is true and accurate. You, Christian, are a ‘saint.’

A saint is not someone who does a lot of good works, has witnesses who can verify two miracles, and gets recognized by people wearing funny hats at the Vatican. No! To be a saint literally means to be a ‘holy one.’ And no; you aren’t holy by your own works or efforts. You aren’t holy when it comes to keeping God’s commands. You aren’t holy because of your obedience. Instead, you are made holy by grace through faith in Jesus. Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Jn. 1:29). That means Jesus takes all your sin and shame and guilt and bares it to the cross. In exchange, Jesus gives you His perfect obedience, His total righteousness, His pure holiness. Because of Christ, God makes you holy. The fact that you are a saint is God’s work – not yours.

Here in chapter 3, John wants you to see, to behold, to recognize that you are a saint. Even though the word ‘saint’ doesn’t come up in the text, there are three other terms or titles in this text that point to the fact that you are a ‘saint.’

First, you are God’s child, and John wants you to bask in the fact that God has made you His child. “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we…” we who are sinful and unclean, we who rebel against God, we who by nature are enemies of God, “See the love God the Father has given to us that we should be called children of God.” And John drives the point home, “And so we are” (1 Jn. 3:1).

You, dear saints, are God’s children. Jesus Himself said so. The morning of the Resurrection, shortly after Jesus finished tidying up His grave, folding up His burial cloths, and making the bed, He tells Mary Magdelene to tell the disciples, “Go to My brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God’” (Jn. 20:17).

In Hebrews 2:10, Jesus is referred to as the Founder of your salvation who brings “many sons to glory.” Then, Hebrews goes on to say, “He who sanctifies,” (in other words ‘makes holy’), “and those who are sanctified,” (in other words, ‘who are made saints’), “all have one source. That is why [Jesus] is not ashamed to call [you who are made holy] ‘brothers’” (Heb. 2:11). Since Jesus, the Son of God, is not ashamed to call you ‘brothers,’ then you also are children of God. And children inherit characteristics from their parents. Since God is holy, holy, holy (Is. 6:3) – you also are holy. You, children of God, are saints.

John goes on to acknowledge that the world doesn’t recognize you as the children of God. People can’t look at you and say, “Oh, I see you’re a Christian. You look just like your heavenly Father.” You and I don’t bear that divine resemblance because even though we are children of God, we still sin and fall short of the glory of God (Ro. 3:23). In the eyes of the world, we look like sinners, so the world doesn’t see us as children of God. But the fact that the world doesn’t recognize that we are children of God shouldn’t surprise us. The world doesn’t recognize us as children of God because it didn’t recognize Jesus as the Son of God when He came to earth.

The second term John uses to point to the fact that we are saints is “beloved” or lit. ‘loved ones.’ God has poured His love into you. And by His love, He has given you the right to be His children who are born of God (Jn. 1:12-13; 3:5). And in that love you receive grace on top of grace (Jn. 1:16). Because of Jesus, God’s love washes over you. His love makes you clean, forgiven, and sanctified, i.e. holy and sainted (1 Co. 6:11). That is what it is to be God’s beloved. As God’s loved one, you also have His promise that the day is coming when you will be like Jesus because you will see Him as He is (1 Jn. 3:2).

And it’s a good thing that we need to wait for that transformation before we look like Jesus. Can you imagine if you already had the glory of being God’s beloved child? Imagine if as soon as you were Baptized and given the gift of faith that you started to radiate like Jesus did in the Transfiguration. You face shines like the sun (Mt. 17:2), and your clothes become radiant and intensely white (Mk. 9:3). You’d probably get pulled over all the time, and the police would demand that you have more tint on your windows.

The third term John uses to ‘saint’ you is in this text is in v. 3. As you have this hope of being like Jesus when you see Him John says, “Everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure.” The root of the word for ‘purifies’ and ‘pure’ is the same as ‘holy’ and ‘saint.’

This purification doesn’t happen by you doing good works and no longer sinning. This purification comes through faith and the hope you have of being like Jesus – which is, again, only by God’s love and grace. To live by grace through faith is to have this hope. The picture here is that, through faith and hope, Jesus’ purity is given and poured into you. The Old Testament had all those regular sacrifices that delivered this same purity by pointing people forward to the cleansing that comes only through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Now, you have the fullness of what those were pointing to. Faith in Christ continually purifies you as Jesus Himself is pure.

Since the last time we celebrated All Saints’ Day, one of our sisters in Christ became like Jesus. On Tuesday, March 25th, Ros, who was already a saint in this life, saw Jesus as He is. She entered that great multitude around the throne of Jesus. She exited this great tribulation and got her white robe. She is now sheltered in God’s presence where Jesus will shepherd her to springs of living water (Rev. 7:9-17). Now Ros and every other believer who has gone to be with Christ surrounds us and cheers us on as we look to Jesus, the Founder and Perfector of our faith (Heb. 12:1-2).

Dear saints, behold what manner of love the Father has given unto you, that you should be called children of God – and so you are. God your Father now invites you to His Supper. God the Son comes to serve you. And God the Holy Spirit comes to continually purify you by grace through faith. This is God’s promise, and this is our hope. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Php. 4:7). Amen.

Ingredients of Great Faith – Sermon on Matthew 15:21-28 for the Second Sunday of Lent

Matthew 15:21–28

21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

I want to start with an analogy that gets regularly used. Imagine two men who want to cross a frozen river with thick ice. One man doesn’t hesitate at all because he believes the ice is strong and stable. So, he gets in his ¾ ton pickup truck and drives straight across no sweat. The other man is terrified and trembling because he doesn’t trust the ice. He lays out as flat as possible to distribute his weight and crawls on his belly inch by inch and makes it to the other side. Both men had faith. The guy in the truck had a strong faith, and the guy wriggling on his belly had a weak faith. Was their success in crossing based on their faith? No. Obviously, one had an easier time than the other but they both succeeded in the goal of crossing.

Now imagine those same two men needing to cross the frozen river, but the ice is less than an inch thick. Again, the first man doesn’t hesitate at all because he believes the ice is fine, but he and his pickup plunge into the frigid river and are swept away. The other man is crawling because he’s worried about the thickness of the ice. But it doesn’t matter how careful he is. That thin ice cracks, and he’s swept away too. Now again, was their failure in crossing based on their faith? No. It was based on the thickness of the ice.

Here’s the point: Faith has an object; faith is in something. You can have a lot of faith, but if that faith is in the wrong thing it doesn’t matter how strong that faith is because the thing you believe isn’t right. The opposite is true too. You can have a tiny, little, weak faith in the right thing and that’s what matters because that thing can support that faith even though it’s weak.

For a long time now, you’ll hear people talk about being a “believer.” Ok, but a believer in what? That term is fine. The Bible uses it, but it needs more context. What is it that you believe? A newer term that seems to be gaining popularity is “a person of faith.” That one drives me nuts – as though faith is the thing that matters. Everyone has faith in something. A “person of faith” has faith in what? Honestly, an atheist is a person of faith. They are. An atheist believes that everything that exists came from nothing or believes that matter is eternal. An atheist believes, contrary to every observable fact, that the order and beauty we see in creation happened by mere chance. An atheist believes he knows enough to conclude that there is no designer or creator. Now that takes a lot of faith, but that faith is based on complete foolishness.

Christian, you can define your faith. The Creeds are excellent summaries of what you believe. The strength of your faith or the amount of your faith doesn’t matter as much because what you believe is solid, right, and true. The stronger your faith is, the better your life will be. Think back to the analogy of the two guys crossing the river: They both get across. The guy who has great faith gets across quickly and easily, but the guy who crawls still gets across.

We do want to grow in and strengthen our faith. Sometimes people will think that when Jesus calls us to have the faith of a child (Mk. 10:14-15) that He’s saying that a weak faith is fine. A child’s faith is not weak. Think about it. An infant can’t do anything on her own. But that infant has faith that simply crying will get her parents to spring into action to fix her problem – her hunger, need for a nap, or messy diaper. Infants actually have a strong faith that trusts the adults will take care of whatever needs that infant has.

Ok. All of that brings us to the text about the Canaanite woman. She is one of only two people in the Gospels who has a faith that gets praised by Jesus, “O woman, great is your faith!” (the other is in Mt. 8:10; Lk. 7:9). So, it’s good for us to consider what is it about this woman’s faith that makes it great enough that Jesus would praise it. Well, let’s consider the text.

The first ingredient of great faith is that it trusts that Jesus is the Savior of all mankind. This woman is an outsider – a Canaanite. She was part of the people that should have been eliminated because of their demonic worship. Psalm 106 talks about the failure of the Israelites to drive out the Canaanites and how that failure led to tolerating the pagan religious practices of the Canaanites. Because of that failure, the people were sacrificing their sons and daughters to the demons (Ps. 106:34-39).

It is no stretch to assume the reason this woman’s daughter was so severely possessed by a demon was because of her own actions and due to her pagan worship. If I’m wrong about that, I’ll apologize to this woman in heaven because we’ll meet her there. Now, despite all of that, this woman trusts that Jesus is herSavior and can help her and her daughter. So, she goes to Him and prays, which leads us to the second ingredient.

The second ingredient of great faith is that it is bold and persistent in prayer. This woman is unflinching. I know that it’s hard to hear how our Lord treats this woman. She cries out, and He ignores her. Jesus dismisses her and acts as though He doesn’t have anything for her. And, finally, Christ insults her by calling her a dog.

By the way, don’t let the way Jesus acts toward her make you think that Jesus is a misogynist or is racist. Look at the end of the account. Because He praises her faith, we know what He thought of all those prayers that came before. He loves this woman and her daughter. But in the middle of it the woman doesn’t know what Jesus thinks of her or her prayer. And despite the way she is treated, she keeps praying. She doesn’t let up. She keeps asking for relief and trusts that Jesus will deal with her according to His grace and mercy.

How many times have you prayed about something and it seems as though God is ignoring you or the situation gets even worse? That is not the time to stop praying. Great faith stays bold and steadfast even when it appears that God doesn’t care. Know that He does care and loves you.

The third and final ingredient of great faith is that it recognizes that God’s crumbs are more than enough. Now, getting rid of that demon was huge for the woman. It’s something she can’t do on her own. But her faith has such a high opinion of Jesus and His power that she recognizes that it’s no big deal for Him to conqueror that demon and expel it from her daughter. This woman recognizes that it is just a crumb for Jesus to completely defeat this demon who has crushed her soul, who has plunged her entire world into chaos and grief and suffering, and who has brought her all this pain and torment. It’s just a crumb. It’s no big deal for Jesus.

Dear saints, it’s nothing for Jesus to take away all your sins. He’s already done all the heavy lifting. So, it’s a simple task for Him now to forgive you, bless you, and grant you eternal life. He gives you better than crumbs. He gives you Himself to cure your soul and bring you unto eternal life with Him. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.