+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: 1 Peter 1:22-25
Theme: Imperishable
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The blessings of God do not diminish with the passing of time. Mortals must find their renewal in Him or they won’t find it at all. Citing the prophet Isaiah St. Peter addresses believers with these words, “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass.”1 This proclamation stands as a timeless call to repentance and publication of the gospel of eternal salvation. Times change. People change. The old year has come to a close. The new year is beginning. The events of our lives span the full range of experiences. We enjoy prosperity, endure tragedy, we experience joy and sorrow. Our capacities decline; sometimes gradually, other times suddenly. And in the past year a number of saints among us have reached their mortality. But “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”2 Thanks be to God! His mercies are new every morning.”3
Maybe you have some New Year’s resolutions? Maybe there are bad habits you’d like to eliminate or good ones you’d like to cultivate? Or perhaps there are people in your life who’d be happy to make some resolutions for you? Consider the pastor who made this announcement the Sunday before daylight savings was to change again, “For those of you in the habit of showing up 15 minutes late for church remember to turn your clocks back 45 minutes.”
Or, what about this one? The phone rings at the church office. "Hello, is this Pastor Smith?" The caller asked. "It is." "This is the Australian Tax Office. We were wondering if you can help us." "I'll try." "Do you know a man named William Beecham?" "I do." "Is this man a member of your congregation." "He is." "Did he donate $5,000?" "He will." Oh, dear friends, imagine the strife if we were allowed to make New Year’s resolutions for others! Times change and people do change but if we think we have the power to change others we’d better pause to reflect on both our motivations and our limitations.
Well, the beginning of a new year is a good time to re-evaluate our priorities. It doesn’t matter how many years pass, the central reality for humanity is still the same: Nobody goes from here to the presence of God in the next life- called heaven- under their own authority. It’s one of the most basic truths of Christianity and you’ve heard it time and time again. Still, it can never be assumed and can never be taken for granted for this one powerful reason: Humans do not easily or readily believe that sin is such a serious catastrophe. And therefore, they do not easily believe the truth of the gospel. In fact, on both accounts the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit is required. Remember, when we pray in the Lord’s Prayer that God’s kingdom would come, we are praying that God would give us a rich measure of His Holy Spirit so that His kingdom would be extended and strengthened through the creation and nurture of faith. Christianity in the West is facing strong head winds. The trend is likely to continue in 2019.
It is said there are a lot of ways to skin a cat, or a fox (apparently), but there is no other way to tackle the problem of sin, defeat the schemes of Satan, or overthrow the authority of death. Remember the narrative of Christmas, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts…”4 And the Scripture says, “God has given us eternal life, and the life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”5 Fortunately, the gospel doesn’t fade with time. The truth of God’s word doesn’t age or become obsolete. Each generation of people that are born are just as stubborn and self-centred as the last. But God is up to the task. The Holy Spirit is ageless, like the Son. The fury of hell and the devil’s machinations are no match for His purity and His power.
So, what will the new calendar year hold for you? Do you have great expectations or niggling doubts? Do you consider yourself to be an optimist, a pessimist, or a realist? And by whose standards? In Christ, we start the year with transparency. He wants no pretend sinners with imaginary sins. Don’t try to fool yourself. You certainly can’t fool Him. But He also wants you to know that you are a genuine saint, His baptized. He feeds you with His own flesh and blood- real food. He gives you His Spirit and attends to you with His holy word.
And what might be the special focus of your prayers as we move into the new year? Will you be praying for better health, stronger relationships, a godlier marriage? Will you pray candidly about yourself, that the Holy Spirit would truly reveal to you those areas in which you’re myopic? Will you be praying that someone who has wandered from the faith will be brought back into the fold? The Good Shepherd never stops seeking His lost sheep. And then are you prepared to be a patient resources to that end?
Perhaps in the new year you’ll gain a more sober and honest perspective on your own mortality? The advent Christ hasn’t left us either. He promises to come again.
A priest and a pastor were standing by the side of a road holding up a sign that read “The end is near! Turn around now before it’s too late!”
A passing driver yelled, “You guys are crazy!” and sped past them. From around the curve, they hear screeching tires—then a big splash.
The priest turned to the pastor and says, “Do you think we should just put up a sign that says ‘Bridge Out’ instead?
Dear friends, Jesus Christ, the One who was and who is and who is to come, the First and the Last, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End is our Redeemer. He may come again at any time, but with Him the bridge is never out. He spans the distance between heaven and earth. He allows us to traverse the abyss of hell. He is the way and the truth and the life. He is the ladder to heaven upon which the angels ascend and descend. He is our portal to eternity. This Jesus died on the cross and rose again from the grave for you and for your salvation.
As the peace of Christmas continues to fill your hearts, may the joy of Easter loom large on your horizons. “The grass withers and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever. And this word is the good news that we preached to you.”6 This good news tells you the New Year begins with Christ’s forgiveness. He has wiped the slate clean. Regardless or your age, your condition, or your circumstance, He gives you new life. We face the future knowing Him who holds the future. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
New Year’s Eve
31 December 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 1 Peter 1:24
2 Hebrews 13:8
3 See Lamentations 3:22-23
4 Galatians 4:4-6
5 1 John 5:11-12
6 1 Peter 1:24-25
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Sunday, December 30, 2018
First Sunday After Christmas (C) 2018
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 2:49
Theme: Christ Still With Us.
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The date for our celebration of Christmas has come and gone, but Christ has gone nowhere. Jesus was not a temporary visitor. The infant of the manger, the escapee to Egypt, the boy teacher in the temple is the Immanuel- God with us. The incarnation- the coming of God’s Son in human flesh is a permanent reality. When Christ ascended to heaven, He didn’t leave His body behind. He didn’t revert back to a spirit-only state. He rules heaven, earth, and hell as God and Man. The same Christ is present for communicants in the body and blood of the Lord’s Supper. “The word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.”1
Dear friends, the Holy Spirit did not deem it necessary to record information about Jesus’ childhood. After the nativity in Bethlehem Mary and Joseph flee with the infant Saviour to Egypt. Herod’s jealousy puts His life in danger. The slaughter of the innocent baby boys in Bethlehem was a dark tragedy. Yet, it was a preview of things to come. It was inevitable that the powerful people of the world would come into conflict with the legitimate King of the universe. The Scripture will continue to be fulfilled that says, “He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.”2 The narrative will endure until He comes again in glory. Western society is undergoing rapid secularization and does not want to hear about God’s condemnation of sin and unbelief.
Returning from Egypt the Holy Family takes up residency in Nazareth. Nazareth was where Jesus grew up in fulfillment of the prophecy, “He will be called a Nazarene.”3 Joseph worked as a carpenter. We know little else until Jesus was twelve years old and accompanied His family to the temple in Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. Our gospel for today covers this episode in Jesus’ life. Mary and Joseph assumed that on their return journey Jesus was among their wider group of family and friends. Their search took them back to the temple in Jerusalem where they found Him after three days. They were understandably upset. “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”4
Yet, there were much bigger questions to be answered than whether or not Jesus was being a thoughtless 12-year-old-boy. His response was, “‘Why were you searching for Me?...Didn’t you know I had to be in My Father house?’ But they did not understand what He was saying to them.”5 Jesus was giving an overt indication about what the future would hold. His mission was to make the Feast of the Passover obsolete. The Israelites were delivered from slavery in Egypt, but the Messiah would soon deliver God’s people from the greater bondage of sin and death. The blood of the Passover lamb was shed as a type and a foreshadowing. Jesus, the Lamb of God, would shed His own blood to atone for the transgressions of the world. These events were on the cards, but it was too soon for Mary and Joseph to comprehend what Jesus meant.
And so, they were looking for Jesus but didn’t really know who He was when they found Him. Perhaps, like Mary and Joseph, you’ve found yourself anxiously searching at times? Maybe you’ve been looking for a different Jesus than the Bible portrays; one who will be at your beck and call. Maybe in the hustle and bustle of the season you’ve paused to consider whether your priorities are right? Maybe you see that you’ve been over-indulged or have been over-indulging others? Maybe your fear of sin has been feeble and your repentance artificial. Maybe, if you’re candid, you can admit you don’t really see the need for Christ’s forgiveness in your life? Maybe your religious connections this Christmas have just been cultural associations and have had nothing to do with a living faith?
Well, rest assured, that Christ came for sinners and you are among them. He didn’t come by coincidence. He came out of necessity. Joseph and Mary were concerned for the whereabouts of their son Jesus, the holy Son of God. Do you recognise God’s presence in your life or would you rather keep Him at a distance? The Father’s house was the place for God’s Son and it’s the place for us who are coheirs with Him of the Father’s kingdom. All who are baptized into His name are part of a family that spans the dimensions of time and space. The Child of Bethlehem endured the cross of Calvary. He rose again on the third day. He did these things for you and for your salvation.
As we face a new calendar year, what kinds of doubts fill our minds and hopes fill our hearts? Do we fear the future, or do we embrace it? Is it a mixture of both? Remember, you are gifted with the greatest treasure imaginable. The gentle infant has conquered the brutal power of death. He has overthrown the lordship of Satan. Jesus was hung on a cross and rose again from the grave. The piercing accusations of your unworthiness that the devil would lift before the Judge of all have been silenced. They have been completely drowned out by the declaration of pardon the Saviour has made for you. You came into possession of these gifts at your baptism. No one can take them from you.
Christmas is a season for giving. Each year at this time generosity receives its annual promotion. But Christians know that self-sacrifice is part and parcel of living the baptismal life. Each day is gifted to us- we have no right to it- and through our actions and attitudes we offer it back to our Maker. The apostle encourages us today saying, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”6
Jesus is love incarnate. There is nothing that we have, or can give, or may lose that the Lord won’t restore to us 100-fold and more. The blood that flows through your veins, your sense of sight, taste, and smell, your capacity to enjoy, your ability to think- all are gifts from the Creator that will be perfected when you are raised again in glory. Then every fret and worry will have long since vanished.
May the Almighty God open you ears and your hearts so that you treasure the Christmas gospel anew. May He anchor your soul to the unshakeable truth of God-with-us, Emmanuel so that through the stormy seas of life you will be spared from Satan’s fury. Christ is still with us. Nothing and no one are out of His reach. He didn’t linger long at the manger or in the grave but in His Father’s house He will reside forever. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
First Sunday After Christmas
30 December 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 1:14
2 Luke 1:52
3 Matthew 2:23
4 Luke 2:48
5 Luke 2:49-50
6 Colossians 3:12-14
Text: Luke 2:49
Theme: Christ Still With Us.
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The date for our celebration of Christmas has come and gone, but Christ has gone nowhere. Jesus was not a temporary visitor. The infant of the manger, the escapee to Egypt, the boy teacher in the temple is the Immanuel- God with us. The incarnation- the coming of God’s Son in human flesh is a permanent reality. When Christ ascended to heaven, He didn’t leave His body behind. He didn’t revert back to a spirit-only state. He rules heaven, earth, and hell as God and Man. The same Christ is present for communicants in the body and blood of the Lord’s Supper. “The word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.”1
Dear friends, the Holy Spirit did not deem it necessary to record information about Jesus’ childhood. After the nativity in Bethlehem Mary and Joseph flee with the infant Saviour to Egypt. Herod’s jealousy puts His life in danger. The slaughter of the innocent baby boys in Bethlehem was a dark tragedy. Yet, it was a preview of things to come. It was inevitable that the powerful people of the world would come into conflict with the legitimate King of the universe. The Scripture will continue to be fulfilled that says, “He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.”2 The narrative will endure until He comes again in glory. Western society is undergoing rapid secularization and does not want to hear about God’s condemnation of sin and unbelief.
Returning from Egypt the Holy Family takes up residency in Nazareth. Nazareth was where Jesus grew up in fulfillment of the prophecy, “He will be called a Nazarene.”3 Joseph worked as a carpenter. We know little else until Jesus was twelve years old and accompanied His family to the temple in Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. Our gospel for today covers this episode in Jesus’ life. Mary and Joseph assumed that on their return journey Jesus was among their wider group of family and friends. Their search took them back to the temple in Jerusalem where they found Him after three days. They were understandably upset. “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”4
Yet, there were much bigger questions to be answered than whether or not Jesus was being a thoughtless 12-year-old-boy. His response was, “‘Why were you searching for Me?...Didn’t you know I had to be in My Father house?’ But they did not understand what He was saying to them.”5 Jesus was giving an overt indication about what the future would hold. His mission was to make the Feast of the Passover obsolete. The Israelites were delivered from slavery in Egypt, but the Messiah would soon deliver God’s people from the greater bondage of sin and death. The blood of the Passover lamb was shed as a type and a foreshadowing. Jesus, the Lamb of God, would shed His own blood to atone for the transgressions of the world. These events were on the cards, but it was too soon for Mary and Joseph to comprehend what Jesus meant.
And so, they were looking for Jesus but didn’t really know who He was when they found Him. Perhaps, like Mary and Joseph, you’ve found yourself anxiously searching at times? Maybe you’ve been looking for a different Jesus than the Bible portrays; one who will be at your beck and call. Maybe in the hustle and bustle of the season you’ve paused to consider whether your priorities are right? Maybe you see that you’ve been over-indulged or have been over-indulging others? Maybe your fear of sin has been feeble and your repentance artificial. Maybe, if you’re candid, you can admit you don’t really see the need for Christ’s forgiveness in your life? Maybe your religious connections this Christmas have just been cultural associations and have had nothing to do with a living faith?
Well, rest assured, that Christ came for sinners and you are among them. He didn’t come by coincidence. He came out of necessity. Joseph and Mary were concerned for the whereabouts of their son Jesus, the holy Son of God. Do you recognise God’s presence in your life or would you rather keep Him at a distance? The Father’s house was the place for God’s Son and it’s the place for us who are coheirs with Him of the Father’s kingdom. All who are baptized into His name are part of a family that spans the dimensions of time and space. The Child of Bethlehem endured the cross of Calvary. He rose again on the third day. He did these things for you and for your salvation.
As we face a new calendar year, what kinds of doubts fill our minds and hopes fill our hearts? Do we fear the future, or do we embrace it? Is it a mixture of both? Remember, you are gifted with the greatest treasure imaginable. The gentle infant has conquered the brutal power of death. He has overthrown the lordship of Satan. Jesus was hung on a cross and rose again from the grave. The piercing accusations of your unworthiness that the devil would lift before the Judge of all have been silenced. They have been completely drowned out by the declaration of pardon the Saviour has made for you. You came into possession of these gifts at your baptism. No one can take them from you.
Christmas is a season for giving. Each year at this time generosity receives its annual promotion. But Christians know that self-sacrifice is part and parcel of living the baptismal life. Each day is gifted to us- we have no right to it- and through our actions and attitudes we offer it back to our Maker. The apostle encourages us today saying, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”6
Jesus is love incarnate. There is nothing that we have, or can give, or may lose that the Lord won’t restore to us 100-fold and more. The blood that flows through your veins, your sense of sight, taste, and smell, your capacity to enjoy, your ability to think- all are gifts from the Creator that will be perfected when you are raised again in glory. Then every fret and worry will have long since vanished.
May the Almighty God open you ears and your hearts so that you treasure the Christmas gospel anew. May He anchor your soul to the unshakeable truth of God-with-us, Emmanuel so that through the stormy seas of life you will be spared from Satan’s fury. Christ is still with us. Nothing and no one are out of His reach. He didn’t linger long at the manger or in the grave but in His Father’s house He will reside forever. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
First Sunday After Christmas
30 December 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 1:14
2 Luke 1:52
3 Matthew 2:23
4 Luke 2:48
5 Luke 2:49-50
6 Colossians 3:12-14
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
Christmas Day 2018
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 2:11
Theme: The Reason Christ Came
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Excepting God Himself, everything has a cause. Sometimes causes are easy to pinpoint. Other times they are mysterious, complex, or in this life, simply unknowable. There is a reason also for the incarnation of the Son of Man. Now, I suppose, the assurance that God is present with us is enough to justify the incarnation in one sense. However, God walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden in the cool of the day and we have no evidence they lacked certainty about His presence with them1. The pre-incarnate Emmanuel was with His people from the beginning.
Christmas is about more than the spirit of giving or even God’s presence per se, regardless of how endearing or sentimental our images of the nativity may be. The Messiah came for the unique and grueling task of rectifying sin- our sin. So, you see, It’s not actually a pleasant thing- the reason for Christmas. It’s not surprising that many efforts are made, even by Christians, to push it aside, to just reference it passing. Why dwell on the negative after all? We’re supposed to be celebrating! Our hearts are supposed to be filled with merriment and ‘the spirit of the season.’ And indeed, they should be! Yet, Christ became enfleshed because we are sinners.
The Spirit knows exactly which sins we need to be convicted of. He knows our well-disguised habits as well as our more candid transgressions. Imagine if our sins were displayed like ornaments on a tree? Imagine if each decoration represented a fault, a failure, a faux pas? What would be the garland? What sins would shine like lights, twinkling, flashing, drawing attention to the whole spectacle? And what would be the star? What would crown the top of our display of unrighteousness? What incidences of betrayal would be prominent? What examples of selfishness would stand out?
For many the Christmas tree itself is more or less, a symbol of affluence, self-indulgence or simply a cosmetic accoutrement of the season. But, decorations of sin and shame are not what our Saviour allows to adorn the believer’s life. He exchanges our unrighteousness for His holiness. He takes all of our sins off the tree and He carries them to another tree. He leaves not a single bulb, ornament, or decoration. He leaves no strands of lights or a shred of tinsel. He removes the symbol of idolatry that crown the top- the guilt that is the consequence of all efforts to establish ourselves as worthy human beings apart from the grace of the Almighty. He strips our trees of sin and shame bare, and He carries everything to His tree. His tree is not very pretty. It doesn’t twinkle with lights. It’s not decorated with tinsel. Gifts are not piled up at its base. It is not attractive in the eyes of the world. It is repugnant to human sensibilities. It is the tree of death.
But it is the beautiful tree, the blessed tree. It is the means for securing the only gift that matters in the end. The Scripture says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’”1 And again, “God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away; nailing it to the cross.”2 This Christ died for you in the flesh. He rose bodily from the grave in the flesh. He ascended to the Father’s hand of power in the flesh. The apostle says, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”3
So, celebrating we are indeed! God IS present with His people. The love which became incarnate in the manger could not be conquered by the grave. He lives! He reigns! The Christmas tree is a symbol. All the images of crosses we have are symbolic. But the crucifixion was not symbolic. It was the event that made Christmas more than an event of passing significance. On that blessed tree the Son of God was sacrificed for the salvation of the world. The tree of death was the means to life. The tree that stood on the hill of Calvary surpassed the one that stood in the middle of the Garden of Eden. Their purpose was the same- to support and sustain life; life that is undying, life that is ever new.
We enjoy that new life now, today. We have been absolved of our sins. Our baptismal inheritance is secure. The Christmas feast is before us. The Bread of Heaven is our food on this high and holy day. The blood of Emmanuel carries His grace and forgiveness. He said, “Take and eat; this is My body…drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant.”4 Only this food can nourish our souls, and when our souls are well fed our entire wellbeing is on solid footing. When we participate in this meal- a sacred fellowship of holy things- we celebrate with the whole host of heaven. The same angels who joined in the announcement of the nativity saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased.”5 are the same angels that attend the triune God in His majesty.
Yes, Christmas has a cause, and we have reason to celebrate. Sin cannot win the victory over us. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”6 Angels sing. Shepherds bend the knee. Magi come later bearing gifts. But He is gifted to us. “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; He is Christ, the Lord.”7 May your hearts be filled with His profound peace and exuberant joy during this holy season and beyond. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Nativity of our Lord
Christmas Day
25 December 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Galatians 3:13
2 Colossians 2:13-14
3 John 1:14
4 Luke 26:26-28
5 Luke 2:14
6 Isaiah 9:6
7 Luke 2:10-11
Text: Luke 2:11
Theme: The Reason Christ Came
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Excepting God Himself, everything has a cause. Sometimes causes are easy to pinpoint. Other times they are mysterious, complex, or in this life, simply unknowable. There is a reason also for the incarnation of the Son of Man. Now, I suppose, the assurance that God is present with us is enough to justify the incarnation in one sense. However, God walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden in the cool of the day and we have no evidence they lacked certainty about His presence with them1. The pre-incarnate Emmanuel was with His people from the beginning.
Christmas is about more than the spirit of giving or even God’s presence per se, regardless of how endearing or sentimental our images of the nativity may be. The Messiah came for the unique and grueling task of rectifying sin- our sin. So, you see, It’s not actually a pleasant thing- the reason for Christmas. It’s not surprising that many efforts are made, even by Christians, to push it aside, to just reference it passing. Why dwell on the negative after all? We’re supposed to be celebrating! Our hearts are supposed to be filled with merriment and ‘the spirit of the season.’ And indeed, they should be! Yet, Christ became enfleshed because we are sinners.
The Spirit knows exactly which sins we need to be convicted of. He knows our well-disguised habits as well as our more candid transgressions. Imagine if our sins were displayed like ornaments on a tree? Imagine if each decoration represented a fault, a failure, a faux pas? What would be the garland? What sins would shine like lights, twinkling, flashing, drawing attention to the whole spectacle? And what would be the star? What would crown the top of our display of unrighteousness? What incidences of betrayal would be prominent? What examples of selfishness would stand out?
For many the Christmas tree itself is more or less, a symbol of affluence, self-indulgence or simply a cosmetic accoutrement of the season. But, decorations of sin and shame are not what our Saviour allows to adorn the believer’s life. He exchanges our unrighteousness for His holiness. He takes all of our sins off the tree and He carries them to another tree. He leaves not a single bulb, ornament, or decoration. He leaves no strands of lights or a shred of tinsel. He removes the symbol of idolatry that crown the top- the guilt that is the consequence of all efforts to establish ourselves as worthy human beings apart from the grace of the Almighty. He strips our trees of sin and shame bare, and He carries everything to His tree. His tree is not very pretty. It doesn’t twinkle with lights. It’s not decorated with tinsel. Gifts are not piled up at its base. It is not attractive in the eyes of the world. It is repugnant to human sensibilities. It is the tree of death.
But it is the beautiful tree, the blessed tree. It is the means for securing the only gift that matters in the end. The Scripture says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’”1 And again, “God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away; nailing it to the cross.”2 This Christ died for you in the flesh. He rose bodily from the grave in the flesh. He ascended to the Father’s hand of power in the flesh. The apostle says, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”3
So, celebrating we are indeed! God IS present with His people. The love which became incarnate in the manger could not be conquered by the grave. He lives! He reigns! The Christmas tree is a symbol. All the images of crosses we have are symbolic. But the crucifixion was not symbolic. It was the event that made Christmas more than an event of passing significance. On that blessed tree the Son of God was sacrificed for the salvation of the world. The tree of death was the means to life. The tree that stood on the hill of Calvary surpassed the one that stood in the middle of the Garden of Eden. Their purpose was the same- to support and sustain life; life that is undying, life that is ever new.
We enjoy that new life now, today. We have been absolved of our sins. Our baptismal inheritance is secure. The Christmas feast is before us. The Bread of Heaven is our food on this high and holy day. The blood of Emmanuel carries His grace and forgiveness. He said, “Take and eat; this is My body…drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant.”4 Only this food can nourish our souls, and when our souls are well fed our entire wellbeing is on solid footing. When we participate in this meal- a sacred fellowship of holy things- we celebrate with the whole host of heaven. The same angels who joined in the announcement of the nativity saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased.”5 are the same angels that attend the triune God in His majesty.
Yes, Christmas has a cause, and we have reason to celebrate. Sin cannot win the victory over us. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”6 Angels sing. Shepherds bend the knee. Magi come later bearing gifts. But He is gifted to us. “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; He is Christ, the Lord.”7 May your hearts be filled with His profound peace and exuberant joy during this holy season and beyond. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Nativity of our Lord
Christmas Day
25 December 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Galatians 3:13
2 Colossians 2:13-14
3 John 1:14
4 Luke 26:26-28
5 Luke 2:14
6 Isaiah 9:6
7 Luke 2:10-11
Christmas Eve 2018
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 2:11
Theme: Fulltime Saviour
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Christmas can be frenetic for the average person. The expectations of family, friends and society can become too much. The quiet stillness the Prince of Peace brings is sacrificed. Yet, Christmas also lends itself to escapism. Christmas has the power of arresting the turbulence of life, of holding it in suspended animation. It enables people to temporarily push aside many of the pressing headaches, the heartaches, and the anxieties that dominate our attention so regularly. The resolution or collapse of other things can wait a little bit longer…if we can just pause to enjoy the season.
And yet the desire of God’s Son is not that we pause for a moment to peer reverently into the manger. He seeks to enter right into the turbulence of your life and accompany you over the peaks and through the valleys. He didn’t come to provide a brief distraction from the daily grind. He didn’t come so we could add another public holiday onto the annual calendar. He came to bear sin and conquer death. He came to journey with us all the way to the grave and beyond. So, Christmas is not really an opportunity to escape per se. It’s an opportunity to embrace the presence of God in human flesh. "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel (which means, God with us).”1
Our society is moving away from objective truth in preference to validation of the experience of the individual. The implications are far-reaching. Therefore, the historical grounding of the Christmas narrative is important. The modern tendency is to ask, “What does Christmas mean to you?” And then to answer that with any number of subjective responses. They may focus on the gathering of family, of activity and indulgence, of tightly held traditions, both religious and secular. None of these are necessarily wrong in and of themselves. But they may be incomplete. They may be skewed. They may be naive.
The intention of the angels, of the shepherds, of the evangelist is not to communicate what Christmas might mean for individuals, but what it does mean for all humanity. Our personal views, ideas, and tendencies must be filtered through the prism of truth. We can’t see clearly until we see through the lens of faith. The Child lying meek and mild is strong and mighty. The Child in the manger is our flesh and blood. The Scripture says, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.”2
The manger is filled with gentleness, but it is also filled with strength. It is hallowed with purity but is not an ivory tower for an aloof Lord. The Child of holiness will immerse Himself into the filth of sinfulness. Bethlehem is His portal to the fallen world. A cross will soon cast a shadow over the manger.
Dear friends, the meaning, the message, and the truth of the nativity gospel is that God came to stay, He’s playing for keeps. So, if you have a God that’s only present in your happiness you only have a “fractional” God, a part-time deity. He may or may not get passing or partial credit for your prosperity. Other times you take credit for your own success or call it good fortune. God is then left sitting in the background. The Holy Spirit calls us to repent of such ideas because a part-time deity is really no God at all.
And if You only have a God who’s present in your joy, you only have a half-time God. He’s conveniently absent in the difficult times. The Scriptures tell you that you have a God who is present in your darkness. He is present in your mountain peaks of joy and in your deep valleys of sorrow. He is present in your struggles and failure, there in our deep disappointments. He is the only one that can truly understand grief. This God, your God, the Child of Bethlehem and Redeemer of Calvary: The Wonderful Counsellor and Prince of Peace3 is 24/7 all in, all of the time.
It was a difficult Christmas in the year 1524 for one particular family. Katie and Martin Luther’s daughter, Magdalena had died in September of that year. She was the tender age of thirteen. The grief was palpable. Yet, the Luther’s had the quiet, firm confidence that Child born in the manger would raise their daughter from the sleep of death. They would see her again because the Boy of Bethlehem is also the resurrection and the life4. Hope is never lost when it’s placed rightly.
Maybe this is your most difficult Christmas? Maybe it is your most relaxed, your most lavish, or your most peaceful? Maybe it is none of the above, just an average Christmas for you and your family? If your heart is filled with anxiety hear the word of the angel, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.”5 If you are skeptical about God’s presence hear the ancient word of the prophet long since fulfilled in Bethlehem, “God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”6 May the newborn ChristChild fill your hearts with joy, your minds with peace and your lives with love. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Nativity of our Lord
Christmas Eve
24 December 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 1:23
2 Hebrews 2:14
3 See Isaiah 9:6
4 John 11:25
5 Luke 2:10-11
6 Psalm 46-5, 7
Text: Luke 2:11
Theme: Fulltime Saviour
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Christmas can be frenetic for the average person. The expectations of family, friends and society can become too much. The quiet stillness the Prince of Peace brings is sacrificed. Yet, Christmas also lends itself to escapism. Christmas has the power of arresting the turbulence of life, of holding it in suspended animation. It enables people to temporarily push aside many of the pressing headaches, the heartaches, and the anxieties that dominate our attention so regularly. The resolution or collapse of other things can wait a little bit longer…if we can just pause to enjoy the season.
And yet the desire of God’s Son is not that we pause for a moment to peer reverently into the manger. He seeks to enter right into the turbulence of your life and accompany you over the peaks and through the valleys. He didn’t come to provide a brief distraction from the daily grind. He didn’t come so we could add another public holiday onto the annual calendar. He came to bear sin and conquer death. He came to journey with us all the way to the grave and beyond. So, Christmas is not really an opportunity to escape per se. It’s an opportunity to embrace the presence of God in human flesh. "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel (which means, God with us).”1
Our society is moving away from objective truth in preference to validation of the experience of the individual. The implications are far-reaching. Therefore, the historical grounding of the Christmas narrative is important. The modern tendency is to ask, “What does Christmas mean to you?” And then to answer that with any number of subjective responses. They may focus on the gathering of family, of activity and indulgence, of tightly held traditions, both religious and secular. None of these are necessarily wrong in and of themselves. But they may be incomplete. They may be skewed. They may be naive.
The intention of the angels, of the shepherds, of the evangelist is not to communicate what Christmas might mean for individuals, but what it does mean for all humanity. Our personal views, ideas, and tendencies must be filtered through the prism of truth. We can’t see clearly until we see through the lens of faith. The Child lying meek and mild is strong and mighty. The Child in the manger is our flesh and blood. The Scripture says, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.”2
The manger is filled with gentleness, but it is also filled with strength. It is hallowed with purity but is not an ivory tower for an aloof Lord. The Child of holiness will immerse Himself into the filth of sinfulness. Bethlehem is His portal to the fallen world. A cross will soon cast a shadow over the manger.
Dear friends, the meaning, the message, and the truth of the nativity gospel is that God came to stay, He’s playing for keeps. So, if you have a God that’s only present in your happiness you only have a “fractional” God, a part-time deity. He may or may not get passing or partial credit for your prosperity. Other times you take credit for your own success or call it good fortune. God is then left sitting in the background. The Holy Spirit calls us to repent of such ideas because a part-time deity is really no God at all.
And if You only have a God who’s present in your joy, you only have a half-time God. He’s conveniently absent in the difficult times. The Scriptures tell you that you have a God who is present in your darkness. He is present in your mountain peaks of joy and in your deep valleys of sorrow. He is present in your struggles and failure, there in our deep disappointments. He is the only one that can truly understand grief. This God, your God, the Child of Bethlehem and Redeemer of Calvary: The Wonderful Counsellor and Prince of Peace3 is 24/7 all in, all of the time.
It was a difficult Christmas in the year 1524 for one particular family. Katie and Martin Luther’s daughter, Magdalena had died in September of that year. She was the tender age of thirteen. The grief was palpable. Yet, the Luther’s had the quiet, firm confidence that Child born in the manger would raise their daughter from the sleep of death. They would see her again because the Boy of Bethlehem is also the resurrection and the life4. Hope is never lost when it’s placed rightly.
Maybe this is your most difficult Christmas? Maybe it is your most relaxed, your most lavish, or your most peaceful? Maybe it is none of the above, just an average Christmas for you and your family? If your heart is filled with anxiety hear the word of the angel, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.”5 If you are skeptical about God’s presence hear the ancient word of the prophet long since fulfilled in Bethlehem, “God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”6 May the newborn ChristChild fill your hearts with joy, your minds with peace and your lives with love. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Nativity of our Lord
Christmas Eve
24 December 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 1:23
2 Hebrews 2:14
3 See Isaiah 9:6
4 John 11:25
5 Luke 2:10-11
6 Psalm 46-5, 7
Sunday, December 23, 2018
Fourth Sunday of Advent (C) 2018
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 1:42
Theme: Blessed To Be A Blessing
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The Lord works in mysterious ways. An obscure First Century Judean woman was chosen to be the mother of God. She wasn’t the daughter of a king. She wasn’t part of the royal establishment. She had no special notoriety. And why endure gestation and childhood anyway? Why not just rend the heavens and appear as a mature man? Yet the mystery of the incarnation is the means of our salvation. The virgin birth is not an optional part of Christian truth. It’s not coincidentally mentioned in the historic creeds. The Man who is “begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God”, was also “incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary.” 1
When Mary greeted Elizabeth the Bible says, “the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”2 We’d be hard-pressed to find a Scripture verse more relevant to the sanctity of life than this one. John the Baptist is blessed by Jesus in utero. He responds with a gymnastic expression of faith. It’s a fantastic reminder that human life begins at conception, a truth that advancements in science are continually making clearer. The presence of the Emmanuel is just as vital to the newly conceived as it is to mature saints on their deathbed.
Mary’s response, also known as the Magnificat, understandably found its place in the liturgical life of the Christian church. The words are lyrical, and it’s quite possible Mary herself sung them. They express profound gratitude for the mercy of God. The Messiah, through the Holy Spirit, will become incarnate in her womb. “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me- holy is His name.”3
The enormity of the matter defies description. The entire biblical witness is dedicated to understanding it. How could the incomprehensible deity, the One who is eternal, omniscient, and almighty be contained in this small human form? The Creator of the universe takes up residency in the flesh and blood of the man Jesus. As the Scripture says, “For in Christ all the fulness of the Deity lives in bodily form.”4 Christmas is a celebration of the divine mystery of the incarnation. But the purpose of the incarnation wasn’t just to give humans something to marvel at. Jesus Christ came in the flesh to tackle the crisis of sin.
Christ came to judge, but for the purpose of restoration. Jesus did not come to destroy life; He came to redeem it. He did not come to abolish those made in the divine image but to affirm them. He didn’t come to publicly wash His hands as Pilate did, but to openly immerse Himself into the sinful milieu of fallen humanity- to embrace it and to redeem it.
You’ve probably heard it said, “God hates the sin but loves the sinner.” It’s worth considering whether the claim holds up to biblical scrutiny. Separating the sin from the sinner is an impossible task for humans. All attempts are doomed to fail from the start. Efforts at impartiality are impossible due to the total depravity of sin. The blind cannot argue about the clarity of what they see. The deaf cannot debate the quality of sound. The dead cannot discuss the conditions of life. Those who are in the eye of the hurricane cannot assist others in avoiding the storm.
So, the task must be left to Him who is immortal and undefiled. But, if it’s our hope that God will judge our sin and not ourselves as sinners, we’d better stop and think about what that really means. There is no sin apart from the sinner. Sin is not a self-existing reality. It does not have independent existence. It does not have a life of its own. Sin is transgression of God’s holy will. It is disobedience, lawlessness. It is both the condition (like a disease) and the act of self-assertion against God’s rule.
But doesn’t God forgive our sin? Absolutely! But more to the point, He forgives repentant sinners. Baptism, like absolution, doesn’t is set sin aside, ignore it or leave it unaccounted for. It means the guilt and punishment is removed from the eternal experience of the sinner. The Bible says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”5 The punishment for the sins of believers is remitted in the next life. That is very, very, good news. It is rightly the central cause for our joy. It is the foundation of our conviction. It is secured by the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Whether or not the punishment for sin is remitted in this life is another matter. God must discipline as He sees fit. Our sanctification does not happen accidentally or haphazardly. The Holy Spirit attends to us according to the specifics of our circumstance. The Spirit condemns and convicts as well as comforts. That means our sins have consequences that may involve punishment. Repentance, no matter how heartfelt, does not eliminate this reality. So, if it’s your plan to plea-bargain with God in order to avoid being chastised, whether it involves embarrassment, shame, or dealing with the fall-out from the tangled web you weave, you should understand that God doesn’t work that way. He may choose to punish your sin. But that doesn’t mean you’re not forgiven. God disciplines those He loves6.
Advent reminds us to throw ourselves on the mercy of God. He will not forsake you. The repentant person can never fall so hard or so quickly as to not land on Christ. Christmas assures you that you won’t be landing on a theoretical concept or a philosophical idea, you’ll be landing in the strong arms of Him who was born in Bethlehem and stretched out those arms on the cross. The angels sang of Him. The shepherds worshipped Him. The Magi presented Him with royal gifts. Later, skeptics jeered Him, and all of our sins pinned Him to the cross. Still, the miracle of Christmas did not come to naught because the Lord of life triumphed on Easter morning.
When the shepherds knelt at the manger did, they know they were kneeling on the threshold of heaven? When we kneel at the altar we intrude upon the easement of Christ’s kingdom. But believers are not trespassing. We are honoured guests. We are His baptized. Mary was an ordinary woman of her time and place. Yet God graced her with a matchless privilege. Through those events He honours us, ordinary people, and makes us extraordinary members of His kingdom. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fourth Sunday of Advent
23 December 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 The Nicene Creed
2 Luke 1:41
3 Luke 1:46-49
4 Colossians 1:9
5 Romans 8:1
6 See Hebrews 12:7
Text: Luke 1:42
Theme: Blessed To Be A Blessing
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The Lord works in mysterious ways. An obscure First Century Judean woman was chosen to be the mother of God. She wasn’t the daughter of a king. She wasn’t part of the royal establishment. She had no special notoriety. And why endure gestation and childhood anyway? Why not just rend the heavens and appear as a mature man? Yet the mystery of the incarnation is the means of our salvation. The virgin birth is not an optional part of Christian truth. It’s not coincidentally mentioned in the historic creeds. The Man who is “begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God”, was also “incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary.” 1
When Mary greeted Elizabeth the Bible says, “the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”2 We’d be hard-pressed to find a Scripture verse more relevant to the sanctity of life than this one. John the Baptist is blessed by Jesus in utero. He responds with a gymnastic expression of faith. It’s a fantastic reminder that human life begins at conception, a truth that advancements in science are continually making clearer. The presence of the Emmanuel is just as vital to the newly conceived as it is to mature saints on their deathbed.
Mary’s response, also known as the Magnificat, understandably found its place in the liturgical life of the Christian church. The words are lyrical, and it’s quite possible Mary herself sung them. They express profound gratitude for the mercy of God. The Messiah, through the Holy Spirit, will become incarnate in her womb. “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me- holy is His name.”3
The enormity of the matter defies description. The entire biblical witness is dedicated to understanding it. How could the incomprehensible deity, the One who is eternal, omniscient, and almighty be contained in this small human form? The Creator of the universe takes up residency in the flesh and blood of the man Jesus. As the Scripture says, “For in Christ all the fulness of the Deity lives in bodily form.”4 Christmas is a celebration of the divine mystery of the incarnation. But the purpose of the incarnation wasn’t just to give humans something to marvel at. Jesus Christ came in the flesh to tackle the crisis of sin.
Christ came to judge, but for the purpose of restoration. Jesus did not come to destroy life; He came to redeem it. He did not come to abolish those made in the divine image but to affirm them. He didn’t come to publicly wash His hands as Pilate did, but to openly immerse Himself into the sinful milieu of fallen humanity- to embrace it and to redeem it.
You’ve probably heard it said, “God hates the sin but loves the sinner.” It’s worth considering whether the claim holds up to biblical scrutiny. Separating the sin from the sinner is an impossible task for humans. All attempts are doomed to fail from the start. Efforts at impartiality are impossible due to the total depravity of sin. The blind cannot argue about the clarity of what they see. The deaf cannot debate the quality of sound. The dead cannot discuss the conditions of life. Those who are in the eye of the hurricane cannot assist others in avoiding the storm.
So, the task must be left to Him who is immortal and undefiled. But, if it’s our hope that God will judge our sin and not ourselves as sinners, we’d better stop and think about what that really means. There is no sin apart from the sinner. Sin is not a self-existing reality. It does not have independent existence. It does not have a life of its own. Sin is transgression of God’s holy will. It is disobedience, lawlessness. It is both the condition (like a disease) and the act of self-assertion against God’s rule.
But doesn’t God forgive our sin? Absolutely! But more to the point, He forgives repentant sinners. Baptism, like absolution, doesn’t is set sin aside, ignore it or leave it unaccounted for. It means the guilt and punishment is removed from the eternal experience of the sinner. The Bible says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”5 The punishment for the sins of believers is remitted in the next life. That is very, very, good news. It is rightly the central cause for our joy. It is the foundation of our conviction. It is secured by the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Whether or not the punishment for sin is remitted in this life is another matter. God must discipline as He sees fit. Our sanctification does not happen accidentally or haphazardly. The Holy Spirit attends to us according to the specifics of our circumstance. The Spirit condemns and convicts as well as comforts. That means our sins have consequences that may involve punishment. Repentance, no matter how heartfelt, does not eliminate this reality. So, if it’s your plan to plea-bargain with God in order to avoid being chastised, whether it involves embarrassment, shame, or dealing with the fall-out from the tangled web you weave, you should understand that God doesn’t work that way. He may choose to punish your sin. But that doesn’t mean you’re not forgiven. God disciplines those He loves6.
Advent reminds us to throw ourselves on the mercy of God. He will not forsake you. The repentant person can never fall so hard or so quickly as to not land on Christ. Christmas assures you that you won’t be landing on a theoretical concept or a philosophical idea, you’ll be landing in the strong arms of Him who was born in Bethlehem and stretched out those arms on the cross. The angels sang of Him. The shepherds worshipped Him. The Magi presented Him with royal gifts. Later, skeptics jeered Him, and all of our sins pinned Him to the cross. Still, the miracle of Christmas did not come to naught because the Lord of life triumphed on Easter morning.
When the shepherds knelt at the manger did, they know they were kneeling on the threshold of heaven? When we kneel at the altar we intrude upon the easement of Christ’s kingdom. But believers are not trespassing. We are honoured guests. We are His baptized. Mary was an ordinary woman of her time and place. Yet God graced her with a matchless privilege. Through those events He honours us, ordinary people, and makes us extraordinary members of His kingdom. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fourth Sunday of Advent
23 December 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 The Nicene Creed
2 Luke 1:41
3 Luke 1:46-49
4 Colossians 1:9
5 Romans 8:1
6 See Hebrews 12:7
Sunday, December 16, 2018
Third Sunday of Advent (C) 2018
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 3:4-6
Theme: God’s Living Will
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Advent builds momentum as it presses forward. Expectation grows. Like a woman in pregnancy, there’s no going back. The matter must come to resolution. Sin must be accounted for. Unbelief must be judged. Faith must be rewarded. The coming of Christ in glory will bring all these things to finality. Meanwhile, these things are continually being sorted out as we speak. One person comes to repentance and faith. Another falls away in unbelief. One by one we reach the limits of our mortality. Each of us must meet our Maker. The moment of truth cannot be avoided. In the process the will of God is either fulfilled or rejected.
John the Baptist comes proclaiming the will of the Lord today. He does it with clarity and conviction. What is the will of God? The answer is a simple as it is profound; as straightforward as it is complex. The prophet calls people to repentance. He condemns their hypocrisy. He instructs them in their sanctity. It is the will of God that we turn from our sins. It is the will of God that we have eternal fellowship with Him. What could be more important?
Throughout all seasons of the Church Year we are not only celebrating the accomplished activities of God- as we do in Christmas celebrations- we are being challenged, convicted, shaped, formed, and blessed by His presence. The Holy Spirit is not deceased. Christ is not aloof. God’s will is dynamic and pervasive. The will of God, of course, can only be discerned on the basis of Scripture. There are clear absolutes. There are also situations, though these don’t put our salvation risk, where the will of God is not so easy to discern.
Consider just one example in the life of the Saint Paul. In Acts 16 we find these words, “They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.”1 Why on earth would the Holy Spirit prevent His eminent apostle from preaching the word of God anywhere? Paul preached in prison and from prison, to Jew, Gentile, and Greek, to the receptive and unreceptive, to the apathetic and the riotous. Why on earth would Asia be excepted? I’m afraid I won’t be able to answer that one for you. The task, apparently, was for another person at another time.
Consider a more modern moral dilemma. In 1939 Albert Einstein wrote a letter President Roosevelt warning him the German government had plans to develop a nuclear weapon. He proposed the Americans look into their own research. Though Einstein never played an active role he struggled with the moral implications of nuclear capability. He later regretted his decision to even write the letter. The Manhattan Project was the code name for the development of the atomic weapon that effectively ended World War II. Was it the will of God that so much destruction could be unleashed by a single device? Was it the will of God that some of the best scientific minds of the age were employed to such an end? Now, if you think I’m going to answer that question satisfactorily for you, don’t get too excited.
In discussing the will of God in vexatious circumstances, we don’t mean to say that the Bible is unclear or that we can change the parameters. The biblical teaching on both sin and grace are very clear. It is God’s will, for example, that husbands be faithful to wives and wives be faithful to husbands. There is nothing unclear or uncertain about God’s commands. The Sixth Commandment, like all commandments is not a rough moral guideline. Our subjective opinions are not decisive. The commandments carry the threat of punishment because their intent is to protect, preserve, and promote life.
Just as clear as God’s commandments are His acts of mercy. His will is not in doubt. We can say with absolute certainty that it was the Father’s will to send His Son to the cross. No teaching of the Bible is more undeniable than the gospel. Jesus Christ was sacrificed upon the cross to atone for the sins of the world. He was our substitute in death. He rose bodily from the grave on the third day. He did these things for us and for our salvation. The Scripture says, “It was the Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer.”2 And again, “This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.”3 The Father willed His Son to be the sacrifice of reconciliation and the Son willingly submitted to the Father.
We can also say with certainty it is the will of God that our faith is expressed in actions. The crowds asked John the Baptist what they should do, and he offered very practical advice. Be generous with your resources. Don’t resort to dishonesty. Don’t abuse your authority, are a few examples of how John exhorted them to follow God’s will. Faith is active in love. Follow God’s will. Obey His commands. Believe His promises.
God never says this will be easy. Our faith will be refined and our character proven time and time again. What were the Israelites doing for 40 years in the desert? They were being tested and tried. They were being prepared to cross into the Promised Land. And so it is with our pilgrimage on this earth. Do you think it is God’s will to test us and try us before we enter into the promised land of heaven? Yes, it must be so because our sinful nature cannot subdue itself. It never wants to take the narrow road, but the broad, easy road. The Old Adam has no ability for self-regulation. All of the feedback loops are broken. The sinful nature must be crucified and raised to life again, as the Scripture says, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”4
Luther says in the Large Catechism that if you could see how many knives, darts, and arrows are at every moment aimed at you, you would be glad to come to the Sacrament as often as possible. He was speaking of Satan. He wasn’t fear-mongering, He was simply communicating biblical realism. As the Scripture says, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith.”5 That is the message of Advent. How do we resist him? We come to the Lord’s Table. In that meal we are strengthened, and he is weakened, we participate in Christ’s victory while Satan is reminded of his own defeat. The body and blood of Christ is the food of immortality. It is a foretaste of the feast to come.
Dear friends, advent is a time for serious but joyful expectation. We are frail, but our strong God comes to us. We are sinners, but the Righteous One comes to clothe us in His majesty. It won’t be painless. That’s why Jeremiah pleads, “Correct me, O LORD, but in justice; not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing.”6 The Child of Bethlehem is the Redeemer of Calvary. He will bring the Father’s will to completion. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Third Sunday of Advent
16 December 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Acts 16:6
2 2 Isaiah 53:10
3 Acts 2:23
4 Romans 8:13
5 1 Peter 5:8-9
6 Jeremiah 10:24
Text: Luke 3:4-6
Theme: God’s Living Will
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Advent builds momentum as it presses forward. Expectation grows. Like a woman in pregnancy, there’s no going back. The matter must come to resolution. Sin must be accounted for. Unbelief must be judged. Faith must be rewarded. The coming of Christ in glory will bring all these things to finality. Meanwhile, these things are continually being sorted out as we speak. One person comes to repentance and faith. Another falls away in unbelief. One by one we reach the limits of our mortality. Each of us must meet our Maker. The moment of truth cannot be avoided. In the process the will of God is either fulfilled or rejected.
John the Baptist comes proclaiming the will of the Lord today. He does it with clarity and conviction. What is the will of God? The answer is a simple as it is profound; as straightforward as it is complex. The prophet calls people to repentance. He condemns their hypocrisy. He instructs them in their sanctity. It is the will of God that we turn from our sins. It is the will of God that we have eternal fellowship with Him. What could be more important?
Throughout all seasons of the Church Year we are not only celebrating the accomplished activities of God- as we do in Christmas celebrations- we are being challenged, convicted, shaped, formed, and blessed by His presence. The Holy Spirit is not deceased. Christ is not aloof. God’s will is dynamic and pervasive. The will of God, of course, can only be discerned on the basis of Scripture. There are clear absolutes. There are also situations, though these don’t put our salvation risk, where the will of God is not so easy to discern.
Consider just one example in the life of the Saint Paul. In Acts 16 we find these words, “They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.”1 Why on earth would the Holy Spirit prevent His eminent apostle from preaching the word of God anywhere? Paul preached in prison and from prison, to Jew, Gentile, and Greek, to the receptive and unreceptive, to the apathetic and the riotous. Why on earth would Asia be excepted? I’m afraid I won’t be able to answer that one for you. The task, apparently, was for another person at another time.
Consider a more modern moral dilemma. In 1939 Albert Einstein wrote a letter President Roosevelt warning him the German government had plans to develop a nuclear weapon. He proposed the Americans look into their own research. Though Einstein never played an active role he struggled with the moral implications of nuclear capability. He later regretted his decision to even write the letter. The Manhattan Project was the code name for the development of the atomic weapon that effectively ended World War II. Was it the will of God that so much destruction could be unleashed by a single device? Was it the will of God that some of the best scientific minds of the age were employed to such an end? Now, if you think I’m going to answer that question satisfactorily for you, don’t get too excited.
In discussing the will of God in vexatious circumstances, we don’t mean to say that the Bible is unclear or that we can change the parameters. The biblical teaching on both sin and grace are very clear. It is God’s will, for example, that husbands be faithful to wives and wives be faithful to husbands. There is nothing unclear or uncertain about God’s commands. The Sixth Commandment, like all commandments is not a rough moral guideline. Our subjective opinions are not decisive. The commandments carry the threat of punishment because their intent is to protect, preserve, and promote life.
Just as clear as God’s commandments are His acts of mercy. His will is not in doubt. We can say with absolute certainty that it was the Father’s will to send His Son to the cross. No teaching of the Bible is more undeniable than the gospel. Jesus Christ was sacrificed upon the cross to atone for the sins of the world. He was our substitute in death. He rose bodily from the grave on the third day. He did these things for us and for our salvation. The Scripture says, “It was the Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer.”2 And again, “This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.”3 The Father willed His Son to be the sacrifice of reconciliation and the Son willingly submitted to the Father.
We can also say with certainty it is the will of God that our faith is expressed in actions. The crowds asked John the Baptist what they should do, and he offered very practical advice. Be generous with your resources. Don’t resort to dishonesty. Don’t abuse your authority, are a few examples of how John exhorted them to follow God’s will. Faith is active in love. Follow God’s will. Obey His commands. Believe His promises.
God never says this will be easy. Our faith will be refined and our character proven time and time again. What were the Israelites doing for 40 years in the desert? They were being tested and tried. They were being prepared to cross into the Promised Land. And so it is with our pilgrimage on this earth. Do you think it is God’s will to test us and try us before we enter into the promised land of heaven? Yes, it must be so because our sinful nature cannot subdue itself. It never wants to take the narrow road, but the broad, easy road. The Old Adam has no ability for self-regulation. All of the feedback loops are broken. The sinful nature must be crucified and raised to life again, as the Scripture says, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”4
Luther says in the Large Catechism that if you could see how many knives, darts, and arrows are at every moment aimed at you, you would be glad to come to the Sacrament as often as possible. He was speaking of Satan. He wasn’t fear-mongering, He was simply communicating biblical realism. As the Scripture says, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith.”5 That is the message of Advent. How do we resist him? We come to the Lord’s Table. In that meal we are strengthened, and he is weakened, we participate in Christ’s victory while Satan is reminded of his own defeat. The body and blood of Christ is the food of immortality. It is a foretaste of the feast to come.
Dear friends, advent is a time for serious but joyful expectation. We are frail, but our strong God comes to us. We are sinners, but the Righteous One comes to clothe us in His majesty. It won’t be painless. That’s why Jeremiah pleads, “Correct me, O LORD, but in justice; not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing.”6 The Child of Bethlehem is the Redeemer of Calvary. He will bring the Father’s will to completion. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Third Sunday of Advent
16 December 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Acts 16:6
2 2 Isaiah 53:10
3 Acts 2:23
4 Romans 8:13
5 1 Peter 5:8-9
6 Jeremiah 10:24
Monday, December 10, 2018
Address to confirmees (Dec 9, 2018)
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Philippians 1:9-11
Theme: Knowledge of Truth
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Dear candidates for confirmation; Kye, Riley Darcy, Keely, Quinn, Bryce, Reese;
Knowledge…in the Bible reading from Philippians St. Paul prays that believers would, “abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.”1 But what kind of knowledge is he talking about? There is practical knowledge- how to do things and get places. There is academic knowledge, information about math, sciences literature, history…and the list is endless. There is vocational knowledge, the ability to be competent in your career. What about depth of insight? There are different kinds of insight too. Insight into how to properly manage relationships. Sensitivity to the struggles others are going through. When we want a quick answer to things today what do most people do? They Google it! The Bible is on Google too. That’s good news.
But we can’t obtain the knowledge and insight Paul is talking about simply by googling. St. Paul is speaking about knowledge of salvation and the wisdom of God.
In a few moments you will each be asked a series of questions and the final one you will be asked to respond to is this: “Do you intend faithfully to conform all your life to the divine Word, to be faithful in the use of God’s Word and sacraments, which are his means of grace, and in faith, word, and action to remain true to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, even to death?” Now that’s a big promise and if you take it seriously it will not be an easy promise to keep. Why?
Firstly, God knows you. That is bad news in a way. He knows that you are sinners. He knows you will constantly be tempted to think of yourself first and forget about what God says. No one knows exactly where life will take any of you, but we do know where Satan and the unbelieving world would like to take you: As far away from God’s word, His truth, His house, and His kingdom as possible. The devil has proven to be very effective at this in recent times. Also, the world is filled with darkness. It is deep and sinister, but it is often disguised in a way that appears attractive and appealing.
Secondly, remember God knows you and that is also very, very good news. Christ went to the cross where He shed His blood for you. He overcame death and the grave for you. Crucified and risen He lives to intercede for you. He promises to never leave you or forsake you. There is nothing that will come your way in life that is too difficult for God to handle, even, and especially, death itself.
To know God isn’t just a matter of knowing some facts about Him. You’ve learned the Apostles’ Creed the Ten Commandments and much more. But knowing God involves a relationship. It involves communication, reception, commitment. You cannot make God into someone or something else. As soon as you try to do so you have made an idol. But God can and has and will make/made you into someone else. The Holy Spirit gives you faith and as He grows you in that faith. He shapes you into a unique person with a unique place of service in His kingdom.
The Bible is the only source of knowledge that matter in the end. It is God’s love letter to you. Each of you has been assigned a Bible verse on this day of your confirmation and that’s just one little piece of God’s knowledge and insight. The vow you are making to day is like signing a blank piece of paper, having it notarized and trusting in God to fill in whatever He thinks if best. Your focus isn’t on what great adventures, what hardships, or what joys God may fill in that blank space. Your focus is on Him, His trustworthy character, His promise. He loves you more profoundly than you’ll even know. But the cross does give us the closest picture we have.
Christ is light. He is forgiveness. He is salvation. Confirmation is not graduation. It is just one step in your life-long baptismal journey. And it is a journey you never travel alone. May God bless each of you now and from this day forward and may the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, your Saviour, keep you strong until the day you meet Him face to face. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Second Sunday of Advent
Rite of Confirmation
9 December 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Philippians 1:9
Text: Philippians 1:9-11
Theme: Knowledge of Truth
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Dear candidates for confirmation; Kye, Riley Darcy, Keely, Quinn, Bryce, Reese;
Knowledge…in the Bible reading from Philippians St. Paul prays that believers would, “abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.”1 But what kind of knowledge is he talking about? There is practical knowledge- how to do things and get places. There is academic knowledge, information about math, sciences literature, history…and the list is endless. There is vocational knowledge, the ability to be competent in your career. What about depth of insight? There are different kinds of insight too. Insight into how to properly manage relationships. Sensitivity to the struggles others are going through. When we want a quick answer to things today what do most people do? They Google it! The Bible is on Google too. That’s good news.
But we can’t obtain the knowledge and insight Paul is talking about simply by googling. St. Paul is speaking about knowledge of salvation and the wisdom of God.
In a few moments you will each be asked a series of questions and the final one you will be asked to respond to is this: “Do you intend faithfully to conform all your life to the divine Word, to be faithful in the use of God’s Word and sacraments, which are his means of grace, and in faith, word, and action to remain true to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, even to death?” Now that’s a big promise and if you take it seriously it will not be an easy promise to keep. Why?
Firstly, God knows you. That is bad news in a way. He knows that you are sinners. He knows you will constantly be tempted to think of yourself first and forget about what God says. No one knows exactly where life will take any of you, but we do know where Satan and the unbelieving world would like to take you: As far away from God’s word, His truth, His house, and His kingdom as possible. The devil has proven to be very effective at this in recent times. Also, the world is filled with darkness. It is deep and sinister, but it is often disguised in a way that appears attractive and appealing.
Secondly, remember God knows you and that is also very, very good news. Christ went to the cross where He shed His blood for you. He overcame death and the grave for you. Crucified and risen He lives to intercede for you. He promises to never leave you or forsake you. There is nothing that will come your way in life that is too difficult for God to handle, even, and especially, death itself.
To know God isn’t just a matter of knowing some facts about Him. You’ve learned the Apostles’ Creed the Ten Commandments and much more. But knowing God involves a relationship. It involves communication, reception, commitment. You cannot make God into someone or something else. As soon as you try to do so you have made an idol. But God can and has and will make/made you into someone else. The Holy Spirit gives you faith and as He grows you in that faith. He shapes you into a unique person with a unique place of service in His kingdom.
The Bible is the only source of knowledge that matter in the end. It is God’s love letter to you. Each of you has been assigned a Bible verse on this day of your confirmation and that’s just one little piece of God’s knowledge and insight. The vow you are making to day is like signing a blank piece of paper, having it notarized and trusting in God to fill in whatever He thinks if best. Your focus isn’t on what great adventures, what hardships, or what joys God may fill in that blank space. Your focus is on Him, His trustworthy character, His promise. He loves you more profoundly than you’ll even know. But the cross does give us the closest picture we have.
Christ is light. He is forgiveness. He is salvation. Confirmation is not graduation. It is just one step in your life-long baptismal journey. And it is a journey you never travel alone. May God bless each of you now and from this day forward and may the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, your Saviour, keep you strong until the day you meet Him face to face. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Second Sunday of Advent
Rite of Confirmation
9 December 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Philippians 1:9
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)