Tag Archives: Bible

Calling Friends & Family to See Jesus – Sermon on John 1:43-51 for Midweek Advent 2

John 1:43-51

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

As is often the case, we have to remember where we’ve been, so we can see where we’re going.

Last Wednesday, we heard how Andrew became a disciple of Jesus. Andrew heard John the Baptizer declare Jesus to be the Lamb of God. Andrew asked where Jesus was teaching so he could learn more, and Jesus invited him, “Come and see.” As Andrew listened to Jesus teach, his eyes were opened by the Holy Spirit to see that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. So, Andrew ran and found his brother Simon Peter and brought him to Jesus.

That’s where we’ve been, now here’s where we’re going.

The day after that, Jesus finds Philip, and calls him, “Follow Me.” We don’t know how long Philip was with Jesus or what happened while they were together, but Philip comes to believe the same thing Andrew believed the day before. This Jesus dude is the fulfillment of everything Moses and the prophets (i.e. the entire Old Testament) wrote about.

Growing up as a pastor’s kid, I learned to moderately despise the puns that pastors would make; they were just so bad. So, I’m going to need your advanced forgiveness for this pun I’m about to use. Philip’s name means (of all things) ‘lover of horses.’ Philip is so excited about finding the Messiah that he gallops off to find his buddy, Nathanael to tell him about Jesus. When a person hears good news, they naturally want to share it with others – especially with people who are close to them.

Dear saints, you too have found the Messiah, the Savior and Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Well, probably more accurately (like Philip) you have been found by Him. Jesus came and found you lost and dead in your sin. He has raised you to new life, given you the forgiveness of all your sins, and gifted you with the Holy Spirit so that you are now God’s temple (1 Cor. 6:19). Maybe the excitement and joy of that fact has worn off a bit. Well, it’s time for God to restore to you the joy of His salvation (Ps. 51:12).

Just think what your life and existence would be like without Jesus. You would have no real purpose or meaning for life. You would have no hope. You would be destined for an eternity in hell. All the pain and suffering you experience in this life would be nothing more than signs that you are living in a cold, meaningless world.

But with Jesus, everything is different. All your sins are forgiven. You are a child of your heavenly Father. You know that for all eternity, you are safe and secure in God’s eternal, almighty hands. You know that the suffering and tribulation you experience in this world is known by Jesus, but He has overcome the world (Jn. 16:33). He is causing all things to work together for your good because loves you, you love Him, and He has called you according to His purpose (Ro. 8:28). That is what it is to be found by Jesus who calls you to follow Him, just like He did with Philip.

And Philip wants nothing more than to share this good news with his friend Nathanael, but Nathanael doesn’t jump on board right away. He’s more interested to stay in the shade of his fig tree than meeting someone from Nazareth. I don’t know what Nathanael’s beef with Nazareth is. Maybe his childhood rival was from there. Maybe Nathanael is skeptical about the Messiah being from Nazareth because he knew his Bible well enough to know that Nazareth had no connections to the Messiah. Bethlehem, sure (Mic. 5:2), but not Nazareth. I think we can all empathize with Nathanael to a degree. If you came to me all excited about something in/from Mandan, I’d echo Nathanael, “Can anything good come from Mandan?”

But Philip doesn’t give up. He doesn’t argue with Nathanael or try to remind him about the really good doughnut shop in downtown Nazareth. Nope. Philip simply says, “Come and see.” And Nathanael saw.

Without any pleasantries exchanged between them, Jesus knows Nathanael and who he is. As Nathanael walks up to Him, Jesus says, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” In other words, Nathanael is a straight-shooter and doesn’t mince words, not when he expresses his thoughts about Nazareth or anything else. Nathanael is dumbfounded and maybe a little convicted, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” That’s all it took. “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Nathanael believed.

Dear saints, that’s the power of Jesus working through His Word. Philip doesn’t have to do a whole bunch of convincing and arguing with Nathanael. Philip doesn’t even have to share his personal testimony or anything like that. Nathanael is called to be one of Jesus’ disciples simply because of Philip sharing his joy of being found by Jesus, the Messiah. Jesus does the rest (i.e. Jesus does it all).

Maybe you know people who are skeptical and even have animosity toward God. You might think that nothing will ever get through to them. Take heart. Jesus works through His Word to do things far beyond our imagination. Two sentences from Jesus changed Nathanael’s heart toward this carpenter’s Son from backwards Nazareth.

Now, I can’t say that Jesus will convert your skeptical friends or family as quickly, but Jesus will work on them through His Word. As surely as rain and snow make the ground wet, God will use His Word to accomplish the purpose for which He sends it (Is. 55:10-11).

It all comes down to sharing good news with others. You share good news all the time. You find a trusty mechanic, a good burger, a nice cup of coffee, you see a good movie, read a good book, or even find a funny meme on social media, and you find yourself telling others about and introducing them to it. Pretty much the only time we keep good news to ourselves is if/when we think sharing it with others would mean that we get less of it. 

Repent of that, and remember you don’t get any less Gospel when you share it with others. Instead, you gain new brothers and sisters in Christ. Feel free, absolutely and joyfully free, to share the best thing in the history of the world – the Good News that Jesus is the Savior of all mankind.

Luther (supposedly) once said, “Christians are simply beggars telling other beggars where to find bread.” Maybe when you invite people to come here to God’s house, they will be skeptical like Nathanael was at first. Don’t worry about it. Keep telling them. Keep inviting them. At least those beggars will have heard where the bread is. You don’t need to be eloquent. Simply invite those whom you love to, “Come and see.” Amen.

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

One – Sermon on Ephesians 4:1-6 for the Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity

Ephesians 4:1-6

1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

What is your impression of or reaction to the following words: unity; inclusion; oneness; togetherness?

They are all good words and concepts, but those words probably throw up some red flags for you. Who doesn’t want unity? Wouldn’t it be great if our country was really the United States of America? No one wants to be excluded and left on the outside. It’s true that the team that plays together wins together. But would you say that we live in a time of unity? Probably not. We’ve gotten used to hearing that we are more divided now than at almost any other point in our nation’s brief history. Some even speculate that we may be on the verge of another civil war. Who knows?

But the more divided, fractured, and fragmented we become, the higher the desire there is for unity. The biggest obstacle to unity in this world, though, just might be the desire and calls for unity. For there to be unity, there needs to be something people are united on. And because the world is full of sinners who all want our own way, we are going to have a difficult time finding a point of unity. The selfishness, pride, and greed around and within us – yes, even in us Christians who still wrestle with our old Adam – will continue to cause division.

Well, this text doesn’t give us any suggestions for bringing unity to our culture or nation. There is nothing here to help us mend the political, economic, racial, and other divisions that we face in our society and culture today. Sorry. There are other passages of Scripture deal with that. Hebrews 12:14 says, “Strive for peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” And Philippians 2:4 probably gives us the best advice in achieving peace in our culture when it says to not look only to your own interest but to the interest of others.

Our text today, when it talks about unity and being one, refers to the unity that exists between Christians, and this unity between Christians is twofold.

First, there is a unity that all Christians simply have. We could call this a ‘vertical unity,’ and this unity consists of how sinners are made one with God. All Christians are sinners who by nature were children of wrath (Eph. 2:3). Christians of all time and in all places are united by the one faith in Jesus who is our Savior, the only Savior. Because Jesus is the only Savior, we are united in Christ who is the Way, the Truth, the Life, and the only access we have to God the Father (Jn. 14:6). When the Holy Spirit works faith in us, this unity simply exists.

All Christians believe that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Jn. 1:29). Through Him, every Christian of every tribe, language, race, and even denomination is united on the confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God (Mt. 16:16). Through that Holy Spirit-wrought faith, every Christian is joined to the one holy Christian Church confessing the one hope of forgiveness and eternal life. That means that every Christian is part of the one body with Christ as the head (Eph. 4:15). This unity exists, but we also recognize that this unity is invisible.

This brings us to the second unity, and that is the unity that all Christians are to strive for. We can call this a ‘horizontal unity’ of how we as Christians are united with one another. This unity is of conviction and true confession. We rejoice in the unity we have here in our congregation, and we have been rejoicing in the unity we have with our sister congregation on the other side of the river as we gather together on Wednesdays. But we also rejoice in the unity we have with Christians of other denominations: Lutheran Brethren, AALC, Missouri Synod, ELS, ELCA, Evangelical Free, Covenant, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Assembly of God, Catholic, and I could go on and on.

Now, even as I mention all those different church bodies, you are probably thinking, “Pastor, aren’t all the different denominations a sign that we Christians are not united?” To a degree, yes. But there is also something counterintuitive about all the different denominations is actually a sign of our unity. 

Now, please bear with me as I flesh this out. Go back to the first unity, our vertical unity. All Christians have one Lord, one faith, one Baptism. But one of the things that divides the various Christian denominations and disrupts that horizontal unity is what the different church bodies believe and teach about Baptism. Here at Christ the King, we teach that Baptism is God’s work where He forgives sins (Act. 2:38), joins us to Jesus’ death and resurrection (Ro. 6:3-11), gives us the new birth (Jn. 3:5), and saves us (1 Pet. 3:21). Many Christians (and please note that I am calling them ‘Christians’) who attend other churches do not believe that is what the Bible teaches about Baptism. They will say that Baptism is something a believer does for God as an outward expression of an inward change.

The Bible does not teach both of those things. Those two doctrines cannot both be true. One is right, and the other is wrong. And it would be wrong and even sinful for either us or other Christians who believe differently to say, “Well, it doesn’t really matter what we believe about Baptism.” It does matter. What we believe about Baptism matters because Scriptures teach us about Baptism. And Jesus tells Christians to keep and observe all that He has said to us in and through the Scriptures (Mt. 28:20). Just a few verses after our text, Paul tells us to “not be tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4:14). God wants us to be rooted and grounded so that we rightly handle His Word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15).

Christians want to stay true to what the Scriptures teach. The only way we can stay true to what the Scriptures teach is to continue to grow in our knowledge of the Scriptures. That is why it is important for you, Christian, to keep learning and diving into the Scriptures that are inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16). So, dear saints, be in the Scriptures. Read and meditate on them daily. Come to Bible study and Sunday School to continue being equipped by and through God’s Word. The best way to maintain and strengthen the horizontal unity between Christians is to be grounded in the Bible.

This brings us back around to the differences between Christian church bodies: The silver lining in the doctrinal differences that exist between the various denominations is that we are all trying to be true to what the Bible teaches. In other words, we are taking what Jesus teaches in the Bible seriously. We take it seriously enough that we recognize when those differences exist and when we are not united in doctrine. We don’t rejoice in that horizontal disunity, but we love each other enough to be honest about it because what the Bible teaches is important. That is why we – with humility, gentleness, and patience – point those who believe differently than we do to what Jesus has said. We don’t pridefully lambast them saying, “You aren’t a Christian if you don’t believe just like I do.” No!

Instead, we do what our text calls us to do. We work to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We can’t maintain or keep the unity of the Spirit unless that unity already exists, and it does. The unity of the one holy Christian Church is a gift given by God Himself through faith in Christ.

The unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, the oneness that God has given all Christians, is a precious thing. We hold on to this unity as we hold onto Christ and His Word in humility. Jesus was glorified after He humbled Himself by being obedient to His death on the cross (Php. 2:8). That act of humiliation was rewarded by God the Father. And because of Christ’s obedience, the entire Christian Church is washed clean of sin. Christ’s humiliation is the glory of every Christian. So, let us imitate His humility by bearing with our brothers and sisters in Christ in love and forgiving as we have been forgiven. And we rejoice in God’s promise that we are now, right now, united in Him and are one with all our fellow Christians in a unity that is real whether or not we see of feel it.

And we patiently await the day when Christ will return and bring His one holy Christian and apostolic Church to live forever with Him as one. Amen.

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