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Odd Wolf – Sermon on Matthew 7:15-23 for the Eighth Sunday after Trinity

Matthew 7:15-23

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

We live in a dangerous world. Because sin and death have entered God’s good creation, there are all sorts of things that can harm you. You could get hit by a drunk driver on the way home. A lunatic could shoot and kill you at the grocery store. Smoke from wildfires can do damage to your lungs. An asteroid could fall from the sky. But Jesus doesn’t tell you to beware of any of those things. The reason Jesus doesn’t warn you about those things isn’t that He is naïve and thinks they are harmless. Rather, He doesn’t warn you about them because they can only temporarily harm you. Christ does warn you—and it’s a stern warning—against false prophets.

Don’t get the wrong idea about these false prophets. A prophet isn’t only someone who predicts the future. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel were all prophets who spoke accurately about things that were still in the future. King David was a prophet when he wrote about Christ’s death, resurrection, and rule in many of the Psalms. They did that because they were inspired by the Holy Spirit to declare God’s Word. And sometimes, that Word dealt with things that were still to come. But the Bible also gives the title of prophet to those who publicly preach and teach God’s Word (Act. 15:32; 1 Co. 14:1, 3, 29-32). That is what Jesus is referring to here when He warns against false prophets. They are people who preach and teach God’s Word, but they do it falsely.

Jesus describes these false prophets as ravenous wolves who dress up in sheep’s clothing. It’s a stern warning. It’s a solemn warning. It’s right up there among the most dire warnings that Jesus speaks in all of Scripture. As serious as this warning is, we should find comfort even in the warning. Let me explain that first, then we’ll get to the warning.

Imagine you were sick. You’re in pain. Your strength keeps declining as you become more and more lethargic. Your body is slowly shutting down. You’ve tried all sorts of things, but none of them work. Doctor after doctor can’t figure out what’s wrong. You know that if this sickness keeps progressing, it’ll kill you. Imagine you finally went to a doctor who had the answer. He diagnoses your illness perfectly, gives you a prescription, and it works. After the first dose, the sickness is gone. Your energy returns. You get back to normal. You go back to that doctor for a follow-up.

He is pleased after he looks at your vitals, sees how well you’re doing, and is delighted. Then the doctor’s face becomes utterly serious. He looks intently at you and says, “Listen to me. Don’t ever stop taking this medicine. Never miss a single dose. Take it exactly as I’ve prescribed it to you. If you ever stop taking it, you’ll die. If anyone tries to tell you about another remedy, they’re wrong. This is the only cure. I’ll always make sure you have it for free. No cost to you ever, but you need to keep taking it.”

Now, would that warning from the doctor be good or bad news? Of course it’s good news. There’s medicine that keeps you healthy, and it’s free. That’s the way we should hear Jesus’ warning against these false prophets. Yes, it’s a stern, sober warning. But it also means that there are true prophets and shepherds who give the medicine of immortality for free.

As you receive the free medicine of the Gospel, beware of false prophets. Beware of the ravenous wolves who would lure you away from this Gospel. They are the most serious danger you face, Christian.

Jesus tells you why they’re dangerous. Sure, Jesus calls them ‘ravenous,’ but that isn’t what makes these wolves a threat to you. The danger isn’t in their sharp teeth and powerful jaws. It isn’t their speed and strength. No, the wolves Jesus warns against are strange. They are odd wolves.

This might sound a little silly but, as I studied this text this week, I kept thinking of children’s stories. I first thought about “The Three Little Pigs.” In that story, the wolf is dangerous because he huffs, puffs, and blows the houses of straw and sticks down. I don’t know for sure, but I don’t think wolves are known for their lung capacity. That wolf at least warns before he comes after the pigs.

Then I thought of “Little Red Riding Hood.” In that story, the wolf doesn’t barge in the door or announce himself with a roar. Instead, he puts on the grandmother’s nightgown, pulls the cap over his ears, softens his voice, and climbs into the bed. For Little Red, the most dangerous thing in the room looked and sounded like the safest person she knew.

That’s the kind of wolf Jesus warns about here. What makes these wolves dangerous is their deception. They come disguised in sheep’s clothing. The wolves who will destroy you look like sheep. They sound right. They will talk about Jesus. They can quote the Bible. They may even do mighty works in Christ’s name (Mt 7:22). The danger is not their strength. The danger is their clothing. 

If these false prophets came to you and looked like a wolf, you would run. If they came preaching open blasphemy, you would barricade the door. But that’s not how they come. They come dressed as a Christian teacher. They appear with a Bible in their hand and a smile on their face. These false prophets come saying things that sound almost right. That is how they get into the house.

Jeremiah warned about the same thing centuries earlier in our Old Testament reading (Jer. 23:16-29). The false prophets of his day did not stand up and say, “Forget about Yahweh,” or, “Follow these other gods.” No! They sounded nice. They softened God’s Law. They proclaimed false things to sinners. “Everything will be fine, and no disaster will come upon you” (Jer 23:17). They spoke visions of their own minds and called it the Word of the Lord. They filled the unrepentant people with false hopes and false comforts. And, sadly, the people listened, because the message felt safe, soft, and comforting. Like a grandmother’s voice. We face the same deception.

But Jesus tells us how to spot the difference. Christ gives us one test: “You will recognize them by their fruits” (Mt 7:16). You don’t recognize them by their personality, by how nice they are, or even by whether they can quote Scripture. Remember, the devil himself used Scripture when he tempted our Lord in the wilderness (Mt. 4:1-11).

According to Jesus, you spot these false prophets by their fruits. The fruit of a prophet is his teaching—just like the fruit of a baker is the bread he bakes, or the fruit of a doctor is the healing he brings. For anyone who prophesies—anyone who proclaims God’s Word—you have to ask two questions: First, “Does this point out where I have sinned? Does it faithfully proclaim that I am a sinner in need of God’s grace and mercy?” Or, “Does this tell me that God loves me and others just the way we are without any repentance?” The second question to ask is, “Does this point me to Christ crucified and risen, freely, without my works?” Or, “Does this put the weight back on my shoulders? Am I being told that my salvation depends on me putting in a little more effort or sincerity or a few more good works?”

Jesus says that a healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a diseased tree cannot bear good fruit (Mt 7:18). In other words, the teaching will eventually show itself. But you need to know the real thing well enough to compare.

That is why Christ keeps driving us back to the Scriptures. That is why studying the Bible is not just some optional busy-work. You can’t turn off your ears and mind the moment a sermon starts. Jesus is calling you to be fruit inspectors. Not because you are smarter than everyone else, but because the wolves are that good at disguise.

God’s Word doesn’t always flatter you. It doesn’t always say, “Peace, peace,” because there isn’t always peace (Jer. 6:14; 8:11; Ezk. 13:13). Scripture isn’t always pleasant. It isn’t always what you want to hear. God’s Word kills our old, sinful nature so that it can make us alive. It shows you the wolf and then points you to the only refuge—Christ Himself.

Whenever someone claims to proclaim God’s Word, be suspicious. Watch for red flags. That discernment is a good work that Jesus gives you to do today and every day.

Be wary of every teacher and preacher—including the one standing in this pulpit. Don’t just trust me because I’m so smart, handsome, and friendly. (I’m not much of any of those things.) Test the teaching. Compare it to the Scriptures. Hold fast to God’s Word. See the goodness of His Law. And cling to the Gospel—the full, free forgiveness of sins that the Gospel delivers to you. Build on that.

The wolves are always out there in their soft, wooly, sheepish disguise. But the Good Shepherd has already laid down His life for you, His sheep. His voice, His Word, is what will keep you safe now and for eternity. Amen.

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

The Joy of Life with a Clean Conscience – Sermon on Ecclesiastes 9:1-10a for Midweek Lent 4

The Scripture readings for tonight’s service are Psalm 32:1-5, 11; Ecclesiastes 9:1-10a; Titus 3:3-7; and John 10:7-10.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

I know we’re making a big jump forward in the book of Ecclesiastes. Last week was Ecc. 3 and we’re leaping all the way to Ecc. 9. But the wisdom here in Ecc. 9 continues what we covered last week. Again, to briefly recap from last week, God makes all things beautiful (‘pleasant, right, fitting’) in their given time (Ecc. 3:11). In last week’s sermon, I intended to spend a little time on what we had in last week’s Gospel reading (Mk. 12:41-44) about the widow and her offering. I didn’t get to it last week. I know it isn’t in front of you tonight, but that text sets up tonight very well.

Jesus and His disciples go to the Temple. The impression Mark gives is that they basically go there to watch people put their offering into the box. A widow comes and puts in two small copper coins, and Jesus says that widow put in more than everyone else because she put in everything she had to live on (Mk. 12:44).

Normally, those two copper coins wouldn’t catch anyone’s attention. They were the lowest valued coins used in Jesus’ day. Each of them was just over a half inch in diameter, and they aren’t even as pleasant-looking as our pennies today. They didn’t have a person’s profile stamped on them, just a simple design. (If you’re interested in seeing what they looked like, I can show you a picture of them after the service.) Those coins aren’t flashy and made of gold or silver. They were just a couple slivers of copper. But even though those coins weren’t anything to look at, they became beautiful in their time as the widow put them in to offering box.

Again, everything is beautiful, pleasant, right, fitting in its proper time time (Ecc. 3:11-12). The fact that everything is beautiful in its time sets up these verses tonight. Christian, this text is the key to unlock a life filled with joy.

Look again at Ecc. 9:7, “Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart (or that could be translated ‘a good conscience’), for God has already approved what you do.” Does anything about that verse surprise you? “God has already approved what you do” (or ‘your works’). Christian, this is only true for you who have a cleansed conscience (Heb. 9:14). This is not the case for unbelievers. They do not have a pure or cleansed conscience. They do not have God’s approval. Only those who have faith in Christ have God’s approval. As our Psalm said, “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit” (Ps. 32:1-2).

Christian you are blessed because, when the goodness and loving kindness of God your Savior appeared, He saved you, not because of your works, but according to His own mercy as He washed you in holy Baptism and renewed you by the Holy Spirit. Now, justified by that grace of God, you are an heir of God (Tit. 3:3-7). 

Dear saints, you are part of the royal family of God and an heir of all that belongs to God, which is… everything! And as heirs, you receive all the royal gifts that God gives, and those gifts are 1) your work and 2) your leisure. This verse (Ecc. 9:7) is an application of Ro. 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” So, “Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved your works.”

Dear saints in Christ, God approves of your work even before you start doing it. Back in college, I had a good friend who was always stressed, always trying to figure out God’s will for his life. He wanted to make sure he was pursuing a career that would be pleasing to God. But if an opportunity didn’t open up right away, he would get frustrated and try another thing and another thing and another. Every time he’d switch paths, he had to start from scratch – new schooling, new training, new job, etc. It was hard to watch. Sadly, I didn’t understand this verse well enough to tell him, “Look, buddy. You are in Christ. You belong to Him. You are His child and His heir. God already approves what you do.” Since I couldn’t tell him this back then, I’m telling you now.

You don’t need work that is more meaningful or prestigious or powerful. You don’t need to seek out some secret plan God hasn’t revealed to you. God isn’t up in heaven watching your every step and throwing up His hands in frustration when you miss some imaginary, unmarked path that He’s set out for you. No! Whatever God puts in front of you to do, do it. Do it, and know that God approves of it, or He wouldn’t have given you that opportunity in the first place. Also know that, in Christ, God absolves, He forgives, He wipes away any of your failures you will commit in that work even before you begin it because He already approves what you do. In other words, the stakes are really, really low!

Creation doesn’t hang on how well you do your work. So, no. You don’t need to be stressed out all the time trying to figure out God’s secret will or plan for your life. God’s will for you is that you do the thing He gives you to do. And know that He is already pleased with your work, even before you begin it. This fact gives you joy as you work and as you have those God-given moments of leisure.

Moving on to Ecc. 9:8, “Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head.” This isn’t literal. It isn’t as though God is giving you a dress code and a grooming routine. Think of it this way: generally, when do people wear white garments? Usually, at some festive celebration. Brides wear white on their wedding day. White is the color of joy and celebration. The same thing is true for oil on your head. You can think of this as perfume. When would a woman put on her special perfume, or when would a man put on expensive cologne? Only on special occasions. Especially in Solomon’s days, you’d wear white and don special perfume at the high points of life.

Here Solomon says, “Go ahead. Let your garments always be white and wear perfume. Don’t just wait for special occasions to rejoice. Treat each day – whether you’re working, eating, or drinking – as a reason to rejoice.” Or, at Paul puts it, “Rejoice always” (Php. 4:4; 1 Th. 5:16). Because of the forgiveness you have in Christ, every moment (whether you’re working or relaxing or celebrating something) it’s all a time to rejoice.

And Ecc. 9:9, “Enjoy life with the wife (you can think ‘spouse’) whom you love, all the days of your [not ‘vain’ but] fleeting life.” When you enjoy something by yourself, that’s good. But it’s even better to enjoy the blessings of this life with the one you love. Beauty and joy are multiplied by sharing them with someone else. Shared enjoyment is enhanced enjoyment. 

Finally, Ecc. 9:10a, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” Whatever God gives you to do today, right now, is worth doing with all your might. Give it all you’ve got. Go full-throttle. Do it with enthusiasm and gusto. It’s energizing to be around people who have a zest for living. That enthusiasm is infectious – in a good way. When people complain and whine and slack off, it drags everyone down to their level of misery. But when even one person enjoys what they’re doing, it spreads.

All of this joy that comes from eating and drinking, from constantly celebrating, from enjoying life with your spouse, and from working zealously – it can only come from a good conscience.

You have that, believer. Dear saints, God has forgiven you in Christ. God-given joy comes from being given a merry heart which, again, could be translated as a ‘clean’ or ‘good conscience.’ This clean conscience comes only from your Savior, Jesus Christ. And in Christ, God already approves your works because He approves of and delights in you. That confidence is your joy. Amen.

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

The Line – Sermon on Matthew 6:24-34 for the Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity

Matthew 6:24-34

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

The things Jesus tells us to not be worried about in this text are, typically, not the things that we are actually worried about. The last time you didn’t have a meal was probably because you chose not to eat, either you are on a diet, you chose to do something other than eat, or you didn’t like the food you had on hand. You probably aren’t worried about clothing either. Your dressers and closets are likely full of clothes. Even if they are last year’s styles, they would still do what clothes are meant to do. Yes, clothes wear out, but in a pinch you could stitch together something to keep you warm and covered. You have food and clothing. And here Jesus promises that He will give you everything you need for this life as long as He wants to keep you in this life. And Jesus wants you to trust that He will do this. 

That is why Jesus harps on all of us for our worry over and over in this text. Even though we don’t typically worry about food, drink, and clothing, we certainly do worry about other things. The economy. Gas prices. Inflation. Cancer. Heart disease. The upheaval and unrest in our country and throughout the world. Those things and things like it are the things we worry about, and we try to excuse our worry about those things. But  today, Jesus says, “Do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles,” in other words, the pagans and unbelievers, “the Gentiles seek after all these things.” According to Jesus here, one of the marks of the unbeliever is worry. Yet, you and I still worry. This text gives us all ample reasons to repent. 

Notice how Jesus draws a line in the last verse. After telling us not to worry about food, drink, or clothing or anything else we need for this life, Jesus adds, “Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Last week, we considered how thankfulness looks back to the good gifts of God in the past. Well, worry does the opposite. Worry looks at the unknown, bad things in the future and has a wrong belief that we have to face that future alone. Tomorrow is clouded in the unknown, but tomorrow is also clothed with the promises of God to be with us, to never leave or forsake us, to provide all that we need, and to protect us with His power and might. God will care for us. Now, that doesn’t mean that we get to be lazy or idle. But too often we sinfully think that worry is the work we need to do to face the troubles of tomorrow.

That is why Jesus draws this line for us. The things that God sets before us today are the things that should have our attention. We are to do everything God gives us to do to confront and combat those evils and troubles that we face each day. Jesus wants us to go about our business and exert our efforts while God promises to give us the strength we need for every moment of today. But when Jesus says, “Do not worry about tomorrow,” He draws a line at the end of today. Anything past that line, we are to leave in His gracious hands.

With all of Jesus’ talk about not worrying, we can fall off the other side of the horse and become sinfully passive and idle. We might be tempted to think we don’t ever have to work or do anything to combat the evils we face and think God will just take care of everything as we can just back and do nothing. Well, that isn’t right either. For example, it is a sin to pray for a hole when God has given you a shovel. God uses you as His hands and feet to combat the evils of the day, and He promises to give you the strength you need as you face those evils. And since each day has enough evil of its own, don’t let tomorrow’s evil distract you with worry from what God has given you to face today. Jesus promises that He will give you everything you need to meet the evil, ugly troubles of today. And, if He gives you another day tomorrow, He will do it again.

Our Old Testament lesson (1 Kgs. 17:8-16) is a great example of God giving what is needed to face the troubles of today. In Elijah’s days, things were bad. God’s own people had given up the faith and were worshipping Baal, the false god of fertility. So many had abandoned the faith that Elijah worries that he was the only believer left (1 Kgs. 19:10). God had sent a drought to punish Israel, but God told Elijah to live by the brook Cherith promising, “I have commanded the ravens to feed you there” (1 Kgs. 17:4). We don’t know exactly how long Elijah lived by that stream with the crows waiting on him, but as the drought went on, the brook dried out, and that is where our text picks up. God tells Elijah to go the city of Zarephath because, “I have commanded a widow there to feed you” (1 Kgs. 17:9).

For however long he lived at Cherith, Elijah had become accustomed to the ravens flying to him and providing his food because God had commanded them to feed him. Now, Elijah gets to Zarephath, but this widow isn’t like the crows who just delivered his food to him. She doesn’t come up to him and say, “There you are. Diner is at my place. God commanded me to feed you.” Not even close! Elijah watches this widow picking up a couple of sticks, asks her for a drink of water, and as the woman heads off to get it Elijah adds a bite of bread to his order. The widow doesn’t say, “No way! I can’t give you anything.” Instead, her response is, basically, “I’ve only got enough ingredients for my son and I to have a bite. I’m grabbing these sticks so we can bake it, eat, and die.” But Elijah gives her a promise from God that the flour and oil will not run out until God would send rain and provide relief from the drought (1 Kgs. 17:14, 16). For the entire three and a half years of the drought, God gave Elijah what he needed to face the evil of each of those days. Dear saints, God will provide all you need for this life until He calls you out of this veil of tears. So don’t worry.

Some of you have watched the pain that a family endures while their child is being treated for cancer. Some of you have gone through this, but for those of you who haven’t, you might think, “I could never handle that the way they handled that. I don’t have the strength.” You were right. You don’t have the strength to handle that because God hasn’t called you to face that – at least not yet. But here’s the thing. When Jesus says, “Do not worry about tomorrow,” Jesus is saying that He doesn’t want you to worry about that diagnosis coming tomorrow because it distracts you from meeting the troubles that God has called you to face today. If the day comes when God calls you to meet that evil (or any other evil), Jesus promises to give you the strength to meet that evil each and every day it is yours to endure.

You see, when you get to the end of the day and are completely worn out, remember, God designed your tank to be empty at the end of the day. So, go to sleep in peace (Ps. 4:8). And when you wake up again, be ready to face the trouble that comes your way that day because God will give you His strength to meet it then.

Dear saints, work and strive and face the evil, troubling that are before you. But draw a line at the end of the day, and don’t worry about anything past that line since you can’t do anything about it anyway. God promises that He will give you the strength to meet the evil things that come your way each and every day of your life, and He is faithful.

Above all, remember what Christ has done by taking on our flesh. Jesus Himself got hungry and thirsty and tired and hot and cold, so He knows the struggles you face. Christ endured it all without a shred of worry because He trusted that God the Father would provide the strength He needed to endure it. Even as He went to the cross, carrying all your sin of doubt and anxiety, Christ entrusted Himself to God (1 Pet. 2:23), and there on the cross Jesus provided what you needed most – His forgiving blood shed for you. On the cross, Christ overcame and defeated all the evils of every day that you face and has now opened the kingdom of heaven to you.

This means that you can face the evils of each day of your life knowing that God will give you the strength to meet those evils, and you don’t need to help Him with your worry. Without fail, Christ will give you everything you need until the day He calls you into His gracious presence. Amen.

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