+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 14:33
Theme: Self-denial and Confession
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Christianity involves a radical call to self-denial. And the Bible makes no apologies for it. Jesus didn’t come to merely mitigate the impacts of sin, to just make our lives a little more tolerable- that is, make our sufferings less severe and our pleasures more enjoyable- but to rescue us from eternal judgment. He came to give us hope that we can endure until that rescue is complete. The world as we know it is not going to be indefinitely maintained. We have no future in this state of fallenness. Our future is in the resurrected state, and thanks be to God that Christ has already triumphed over death and secured for us the life to come!
The Bible was written over a period of more than 1500 years. It’s no coincidence that in every age there were multiple calls to repentance. The prophets were sent, rejected, and sent again. The apostles were martyred, but the teaching of the “one holy Christian and apostolic Church”1 continues to be confessed through the pastoral office and congregations of believers to this day. The word of God is proclaimed “in season and out of season.”2 There was never a generation of people that found God and then faithfully and consistently followed Him. We’re not living in one now. God went seeking again, and again, and again. He’s still doing it. The Good Shepherd searches for the lost sheep. He never stops. He is tireless. He is relentless.
But maybe you see things a little differently. Guilt and accountability are not widely acknowledged in our society as matters of high priority. Many try to avoid them. Maybe you’re tired of being labelled a sinner. Maybe you think it’s too depressing or too unfair? Maybe you believe that’s exactly what’s dragging the church down, making it unappealing to the next generation. It’s hard to argue with the fact that people are not exactly knocking down the doors of the church seeking the forgiveness of sins. But does that mean they have sin and all of its complications already solved? Are they in denial? Or are they looking elsewhere?
Life is all about managing our vulnerabilities. Conditions of material prosperity allow for casual associations and explorations. When we have the leisure of making poor choices, we’re more likely to take risks, believing the safety-net will protect us against significant losses. But can material prosperity be equated with spiritual prosperity? The biblical answer is clear. Dear friends, there will never come a day when you will enter into this house, sit down in the pew and be able to say, “Thank God I’m not a sinner today. Thank God I remained righteous and holy this week.” There will never be a pastor who can stand here and make that claim either. Nor will the time come when you can say, “Not to worry, my sins were trivial this time around.”
What do you think Jesus meant when He said, “Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple.”3 Selfishness is the primary expression of sinfulness. What we have that we don’t want to give up is the belief that we can get things sorted without God, that we’re not really at His mercy. We have egos. We have false notions of righteousness. We have delusions of autonomy. But if we don’t believe in a God whose primary mission is to absolve unworthy sinners and finally rescue them from eternal damnation then we don’t have a God worth knowing. If He is incapable of or unwilling to see us through this valley of sorrow to that dimension where immortal life exists, then we only have what Luther would call an ‘apple’ god; one who attends only to temporary and more trivial things.
Remember, God Himself is always the initiator of repentance. He doesn’t wait around for people self-absorbed in their kingdom-making and idol-worshipping to recognize through their own wisdom that God is absent from their lives. No one can do this under his is or her own power. No one turns from ego-building to discipleship except by the Holy Spirit. Our struggle in dealing with sin necessarily involves receiving the gospel of forgiveness again, and again, and again. The Divine Service begins in the name of the triune God, the name into which we are baptized. Repentance returns us to the power of baptism every time we are absolved of our sins. Holy Communion extends to us that same power of forgiveness.
Nothing is more valuable than this forgiveness. Still, it’s not widely appreciated. Perhaps in past ages when people were more cognizant of their mortality, they cherished it more. Maybe it seems too intangible, too irrelevant today? But God didn’t render justice for sin’s offence only in theory, He exacted it from Christ through His bodily death on the cross. The Scripture says, “When Christ came into the world, He said, "Sacrifices and offerings You have not desired, but a body You have prepared for Me [Jesus]; in burnt offerings and sin offerings You have taken no pleasure. Then I said, 'Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of Me in the scroll of the book.'"4 It says, “We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”5
You see, sin could not be punished abstractly. Sin is not an independent entity. It is not even a ‘thing’ or substance. It is a corruption. It is a defect so pervasive that it cannot be delineated. Yet it is distinct from our essence. We are full of sin, polluted by sin, tainted by sin, pervaded by sin, but we are not sin. We are sinners that God intends to save from sin’s devastation. We are so encumbered by sin that we can’t see clearly what it’s like to be without it. But we believe. We believe God can make the distinction, the separation, bring the resolution. We believe that God the Father is so completely committed to our regeneration that He gave up His only begotten Son. What does the apostle say, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God- through Jesus Christ our Lord!”6
Therefore, to the extent that we understand that Jesus Christ died for our sins we should have every confidence that the judgment of God against us has been satisfied. Here we are not dealing with possibilities or probabilities, but the established fact that His blood was poured out on the cross. When Herod was ruler of Galilee and Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Jesus of Nazareth, the acclaimed Jewish Messiah, was sentenced to crucifixion in the traditional Roman manner. He was placed in the nearby tomb of a prominent Jew. When the women came to anoint a His body on the third day He was risen. He lives and He rules.
Our struggle with sin will continue until He returns or call us to Himself. The call to self-denial is radical, but it can be no other way. Our Saviour doesn’t permit shared loyalties, not because He’s arrogant, but because He’s gracious. And He attends to us in our struggle every minute of every hour of every day. Martin Luther described it in the way, “This life, therefore, is not godliness but the process of becoming godly, not health but getting well, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not now what we shall be, but we are on the way. The process is not yet finished, but it is actively going on.”7 And God will bring it to completion in His time. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost
8 September 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 The Nicene Creed 2 2 Timothy 4:2
3 Luke 14:33 4 Hebrews 4:5-7
5 Hebrews 4:10 6 Romans 7:24-25
7 Luther’s Works, AE 32, 24
Sunday, September 8, 2019
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost (C) 2019
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 14:7-14
Theme: Humility: Gifted and Gift
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Humility can be the result of the Spirit’s work of convicting us of our sins. It can also be one of His gifts. As such, it is a gift to be practiced and nurtured. Similarly, faith is a gift of the Spirit, but it is also to be practiced and nurtured. Of course, when we are humbled against our will it means that God’s law is doing its work in us. When we are humble as an expression of our faith, it means the gospel is at work. Jesus Christ is the only perfect example of humility. Though His uniqueness may be familiar to us, it doesn’t make it any less important.
Today we find Jesus at a banquet in the home of a prominent Pharisee. The custom of the day was to be in a reclining position at the table with the seating order dictated by the importance of the guests. Scholars believe that couches or cushions were set up in groups of threes. The spot in the centre was the place of honour. Jesus observed the guests choosing places of honour for themselves. They were putting themselves in the centre. These were acts of arrogance. The guests ran the risk of being asked by the host to move to a ‘lower’ seat when a more distinguished guest arrived.
Were these calculated decisions? Probably. Some thought the reward was worth the risk. Many of the unethical decisions we make are no different. They are not brazenly immoral. They are calculated risks in which we seek to elevate ourselves at the expense of others but with the hope of not getting caught or reprimanded. Often our tactics are subtle and deceptive. Children learn them from an early age.
Jesus uses the opportunity to teach true humility. Choosing the lower seat allows the opportunity for the host to move one up to a higher seat. But guests cannot take it upon themselves to do so. Practicing true humility involves honouring others above ourselves according to the Scripture, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”1
The pursuit of self-glorification is an endless narcissistic struggle. Even if we were to gain all the praise and adulation of the world (which will always be a powerful motivator for many people), how would we ever know if our efforts were enough to please God? In fact, we do know that they’re not. The prophet says, “All of us has become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.”2 Our best efforts are still imperfect. Spiritual humility involves recognizing God’s perspective even if the world gives us a glowing review. But the marvellous thing is: Everything we do in faith is perfected through Christ in God’s eyes. So, on the one hand, an act of assistance can be very helpful to someone even though it’s done out of sinful motives, think here, false humility. Yes, God is clever enough to use sinful intentions to benefit others. On the other hand, frail and flawed efforts, when done in humble faith, are holy works in God’s sight.
Dear friends, it’s not only works done in faith that God deems to be holy. He declares that we- convicted sinners- are truly holy in His sight. We are viewed through the cross. We are washed in the blood of Jesus. The Bible says we are being renewed in God’s image through Christ. The renewal is initiated in baptism. The image of God was lost in the Fall, but in Christ it is being restored. The Scripture says, “You have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”3 So in our pursuit of God’s image we are taught to guard against the sin of false humility. It occurs when people outwardly refuse any kind of recognition or praise for what has been done but then inwardly pride themselves on their humility. People falsely think God is pleased with them for being so humble when actually the sin of arrogance has filled the heart.
Now, Jesus says today, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends, or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbours, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just."4 What are we to make of this? Is Jesus saying we shouldn’t invite our relatives or friends for dinner? The question being asked is: What’s the motivation for our generosity? If we only ever show hospitality to those who are capable of returning the favour, are we not just looking after ourselves in the end? Sure, the possibility exists that they won’t return the favour. And if they don’t, are we then put out? We shouldn’t be so naïve as to think that we’re immune to self-interested generosity.
Thankfully, the gospel does not operate under schemes of compensation. How is Christ compensated for bearing our sins? He sacrificed Himself freely, of His own will. He wasn’t seeking reward. Do parents get compensated for raising their children? They might hope to in their later years but that shouldn’t be the motivation for loving their children. How was Christ repaid for suffering for our iniquities? A place in heaven was not a reward for Him, He already had that. Majesty and glory equal to that of the Father were already His too.
The gospel is the most counter-intuitive, counter-philosophical truth that has been ever, will be ever, and can be ever revealed. None of the religions of the world have it. All require some measure of human contribution to gain access to God’s presence and blessings. Christians have the crucified and risen Jesus. You cannot buy your way into heaven. You cannot earn God’s favour. You cannot haggle, barter or negotiate. Nothing that you possess, or have done, or can do will gain right of entry, or permission to access. Christ is the price. He is the door. He is the custodian. Truly, this fact is not a burden to us but a relief. We are liberated from the task. We are freed from the obligation. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”5
His grace to us is not a philosophical concept or pious-sounding theory. His word and presence are effectual and dynamic. The Spirit washes us with baptismal water and calls us again and again to take comfort in that covenant. He offers us His sacred body and precious blood assuring us this is the food of immortality. He declares that our sins have been forgiven and that this truth is valid in heaven. He attends to us until our dying breath and promises to resurrect us to a vibrant eternal life. He surrounds us with people- yes, frail and fallible people- but people who nevertheless journey with us and support us on our pilgrimage.
We live in a culture that struggles with humility. It was apparently no different in Jesus’ day. The struggle is a real one for believers too. But it’s a struggle that cannot be lost in the end because Jesus has already won the final victory. Christ has gifted us with humility. That gift is Himself. Therefore, we can say with the apostle Paul, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”6 Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost
1 September 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Philippians 2:3-4 2 Isaiah 64:6
3 Colossians 3:9-10 4 Luke 14:12-14
5 Ephesians 2:8-9 6 Galatians 6:14
Text: Luke 14:7-14
Theme: Humility: Gifted and Gift
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Humility can be the result of the Spirit’s work of convicting us of our sins. It can also be one of His gifts. As such, it is a gift to be practiced and nurtured. Similarly, faith is a gift of the Spirit, but it is also to be practiced and nurtured. Of course, when we are humbled against our will it means that God’s law is doing its work in us. When we are humble as an expression of our faith, it means the gospel is at work. Jesus Christ is the only perfect example of humility. Though His uniqueness may be familiar to us, it doesn’t make it any less important.
Today we find Jesus at a banquet in the home of a prominent Pharisee. The custom of the day was to be in a reclining position at the table with the seating order dictated by the importance of the guests. Scholars believe that couches or cushions were set up in groups of threes. The spot in the centre was the place of honour. Jesus observed the guests choosing places of honour for themselves. They were putting themselves in the centre. These were acts of arrogance. The guests ran the risk of being asked by the host to move to a ‘lower’ seat when a more distinguished guest arrived.
Were these calculated decisions? Probably. Some thought the reward was worth the risk. Many of the unethical decisions we make are no different. They are not brazenly immoral. They are calculated risks in which we seek to elevate ourselves at the expense of others but with the hope of not getting caught or reprimanded. Often our tactics are subtle and deceptive. Children learn them from an early age.
Jesus uses the opportunity to teach true humility. Choosing the lower seat allows the opportunity for the host to move one up to a higher seat. But guests cannot take it upon themselves to do so. Practicing true humility involves honouring others above ourselves according to the Scripture, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”1
The pursuit of self-glorification is an endless narcissistic struggle. Even if we were to gain all the praise and adulation of the world (which will always be a powerful motivator for many people), how would we ever know if our efforts were enough to please God? In fact, we do know that they’re not. The prophet says, “All of us has become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.”2 Our best efforts are still imperfect. Spiritual humility involves recognizing God’s perspective even if the world gives us a glowing review. But the marvellous thing is: Everything we do in faith is perfected through Christ in God’s eyes. So, on the one hand, an act of assistance can be very helpful to someone even though it’s done out of sinful motives, think here, false humility. Yes, God is clever enough to use sinful intentions to benefit others. On the other hand, frail and flawed efforts, when done in humble faith, are holy works in God’s sight.
Dear friends, it’s not only works done in faith that God deems to be holy. He declares that we- convicted sinners- are truly holy in His sight. We are viewed through the cross. We are washed in the blood of Jesus. The Bible says we are being renewed in God’s image through Christ. The renewal is initiated in baptism. The image of God was lost in the Fall, but in Christ it is being restored. The Scripture says, “You have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”3 So in our pursuit of God’s image we are taught to guard against the sin of false humility. It occurs when people outwardly refuse any kind of recognition or praise for what has been done but then inwardly pride themselves on their humility. People falsely think God is pleased with them for being so humble when actually the sin of arrogance has filled the heart.
Now, Jesus says today, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends, or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbours, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just."4 What are we to make of this? Is Jesus saying we shouldn’t invite our relatives or friends for dinner? The question being asked is: What’s the motivation for our generosity? If we only ever show hospitality to those who are capable of returning the favour, are we not just looking after ourselves in the end? Sure, the possibility exists that they won’t return the favour. And if they don’t, are we then put out? We shouldn’t be so naïve as to think that we’re immune to self-interested generosity.
Thankfully, the gospel does not operate under schemes of compensation. How is Christ compensated for bearing our sins? He sacrificed Himself freely, of His own will. He wasn’t seeking reward. Do parents get compensated for raising their children? They might hope to in their later years but that shouldn’t be the motivation for loving their children. How was Christ repaid for suffering for our iniquities? A place in heaven was not a reward for Him, He already had that. Majesty and glory equal to that of the Father were already His too.
The gospel is the most counter-intuitive, counter-philosophical truth that has been ever, will be ever, and can be ever revealed. None of the religions of the world have it. All require some measure of human contribution to gain access to God’s presence and blessings. Christians have the crucified and risen Jesus. You cannot buy your way into heaven. You cannot earn God’s favour. You cannot haggle, barter or negotiate. Nothing that you possess, or have done, or can do will gain right of entry, or permission to access. Christ is the price. He is the door. He is the custodian. Truly, this fact is not a burden to us but a relief. We are liberated from the task. We are freed from the obligation. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”5
His grace to us is not a philosophical concept or pious-sounding theory. His word and presence are effectual and dynamic. The Spirit washes us with baptismal water and calls us again and again to take comfort in that covenant. He offers us His sacred body and precious blood assuring us this is the food of immortality. He declares that our sins have been forgiven and that this truth is valid in heaven. He attends to us until our dying breath and promises to resurrect us to a vibrant eternal life. He surrounds us with people- yes, frail and fallible people- but people who nevertheless journey with us and support us on our pilgrimage.
We live in a culture that struggles with humility. It was apparently no different in Jesus’ day. The struggle is a real one for believers too. But it’s a struggle that cannot be lost in the end because Jesus has already won the final victory. Christ has gifted us with humility. That gift is Himself. Therefore, we can say with the apostle Paul, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”6 Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost
1 September 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Philippians 2:3-4 2 Isaiah 64:6
3 Colossians 3:9-10 4 Luke 14:12-14
5 Ephesians 2:8-9 6 Galatians 6:14
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Funeral for Rex Trevor Fielke (28 August 2019)
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 10:28
Theme: ‘I Give Them Eternal Life’
Dear family, friends and loved ones of Rex; Darren, Rowan, and Crispian, and especially you, Lorraine;
God has the last word. That Word is Life. He is the only one who can speak it. There are other powerful messages spoken to us. The evidence of death lies before us. The bodily remains of Rex Fielke are in that rectangular box. It’s the reason we’re here. Death speaks and it silences all human claims of autonomy. Mortality is the most palpable, indisputable inevitability known to the human race. Taxes must remain in second place. Claims to the contrary are delusional. The shadows of our mortality lengthen, and we are powerless to reverse them. But there is One who casts no shadow for He is the source of light. He is life and in His presence Rex now rests.
Rex did not undervalue the life God granted to him. No one could say that Rex threw in the towel or gave up the fight prematurely. In the last quarter of his life the journey was arduous; a saga of the artistry of keeping the vital systems in balance. More than once Rex stood at the precipice; more than once he looked his mortality straight in the eye, more than once he soldiered on and continued the fight. Bits of his scaffolding were removed, piece by piece. It was symbolic of the struggle to prioritize what’s most valued in life. Sacrifices are made, little by little, some more painful than others. Little by little we are broken down, our energy wanes, our capacities decline… but it’s always for the greater purpose of securing what is most certain and true.
Finally, and mercifully Rex’s frailty was absorbed into God’s strength. God has called him to eternal glory, and only at the risk of betraying our selfishness could any of us begrudge him of that privilege. Of course, Rex didn’t struggle alone. If honorary nursing degrees are awarded Lorraine should be at the top of the list. The vow of marriage becomes very real when the “in sickness and in health” clause necessitates carrying an imbalanced load. Which of the two of them prayed more fervently for relief from the neuralgia, I don’t know. It was Rex’s ‘thorn in the flesh’. The words of the apostle Paul could hardly be more applicable, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”1
“My grace is sufficient for you”- that’s an apt summary of Rex’s faith and Christian life. He lived his faith comfortably, but not casually, reverently, but not somberly. He took truth seriously. Rex was not a universalist. He did not share the popular conviction that all who reach their mortality move on to a lovelier state of existence. He knew it wasn’t biblical. The punishment for sin isn’t a hoax. The Scripture says, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.”2 That is how Rex was saved. By grace through faith is the only way anyone can be saved.
Rex was a confessed Lutheran who cherished the gospel. He understood that salvation is through Jesus Christ and no one else. When Rex was commentating for the Riverland Football League, he knew what needed to be said and he said it well. His approach to God’s word and spiritual truth was much the same. The Scripture says “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”3 If there was another way to go from earth to heaven would the only Son of God have needed to assume human flesh, suffer at the hands of sinners, die an excruciating death on the cross, and rise again from the grave?
Dear friends, reflecting on mortality should always cause us to reassess our priorities in life. What do we value, and why? If the well-being of the soul isn’t a top concern, if we’re not exhausting our capacities in the love of others, then what are we doing? We see in our culture that self-indulgence is often limited only by the fear that others will dis-associate from us if kindnesses aren’t reciprocated in some way.
You should not be surprised if the consideration of mortality proves to be more than a little unsettling for you. Fear of dying is visceral, it’s guttural. Attempts can be made to soften the fear by making light of it, by laughing it off. But this isn’t a serious way of addressing it. Still, it’s a common coping strategy to parody the things we fear. It’s an effort to disempower them. We’re a little less terrified facing a tiger that’s lost most of his teeth. But death is not a toothless tiger and the visceral reaction to fear of death can’t be overcome by any human powers at all. All of our strategies are completely hollow regardless of how cosmetically convincing they are. Divine intervention is required to bring genuine peace to the soul.
A careful reading of the Scriptures shows that believers in biblical times didn’t face death with a religious attitude of pious denial, they faced it with faith. That is, they faced it entrusting themselves to the God of creation and redemption. They faced it clinging to the promise that they would not pass into oblivion. The God who fashioned Adam from the dust of the earth and breathed into him the breath of life is surely capable of raising our bones from the sleep of death. He has proven it in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. He said, “This is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."4
Rex was never far from God’s house at Bookpurnong. The Lord made His claim on him through the waters of baptism there. There the Spirit nurtured him through word and sacrament. And from that same place God will raise His ashes on the great day of the resurrection of all flesh. Rex was the local historian for the Bookpurnong congregation and community. You can imagine how fastidious his competence was. His part in this temporal history is now done, but his part in the heavenly narrative has just commenced.
Lorraine, some of your grief you will be able to share. But some will remain pertinent only to you. To the exclusion of all others, he was your Rex. The Holy Spirit will give you the wisdom to find the balance and the strength to bear the weight. Tears of sorrow are heavier than tears of joy. Tears of sorrow are weighted with finality. Tears of joy are buoyed by hope. You will experience both.
The ‘balancing act’ of Rex’s health became too complicated in the end. Rex was a tightrope walker whose rope had diminished to the width of a thread. But the Saviour had him on a tether and Rex sank safely into His arms. “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”5 The name Rex means king. Our beloved brother Rex has received his crown. He has been crowned by the “King of kings and Lord of lords”6 God has the last word. That Word is life. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian Burial of Rex Trevor Fielke
28 August 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 2 Ephesians 2:8-9
3 Romans 10:9 4 John 6:40
5 John 10:27-29 6 1 Timothy 6:15
Text: John 10:28
Theme: ‘I Give Them Eternal Life’
Dear family, friends and loved ones of Rex; Darren, Rowan, and Crispian, and especially you, Lorraine;
God has the last word. That Word is Life. He is the only one who can speak it. There are other powerful messages spoken to us. The evidence of death lies before us. The bodily remains of Rex Fielke are in that rectangular box. It’s the reason we’re here. Death speaks and it silences all human claims of autonomy. Mortality is the most palpable, indisputable inevitability known to the human race. Taxes must remain in second place. Claims to the contrary are delusional. The shadows of our mortality lengthen, and we are powerless to reverse them. But there is One who casts no shadow for He is the source of light. He is life and in His presence Rex now rests.
Rex did not undervalue the life God granted to him. No one could say that Rex threw in the towel or gave up the fight prematurely. In the last quarter of his life the journey was arduous; a saga of the artistry of keeping the vital systems in balance. More than once Rex stood at the precipice; more than once he looked his mortality straight in the eye, more than once he soldiered on and continued the fight. Bits of his scaffolding were removed, piece by piece. It was symbolic of the struggle to prioritize what’s most valued in life. Sacrifices are made, little by little, some more painful than others. Little by little we are broken down, our energy wanes, our capacities decline… but it’s always for the greater purpose of securing what is most certain and true.
Finally, and mercifully Rex’s frailty was absorbed into God’s strength. God has called him to eternal glory, and only at the risk of betraying our selfishness could any of us begrudge him of that privilege. Of course, Rex didn’t struggle alone. If honorary nursing degrees are awarded Lorraine should be at the top of the list. The vow of marriage becomes very real when the “in sickness and in health” clause necessitates carrying an imbalanced load. Which of the two of them prayed more fervently for relief from the neuralgia, I don’t know. It was Rex’s ‘thorn in the flesh’. The words of the apostle Paul could hardly be more applicable, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”1
“My grace is sufficient for you”- that’s an apt summary of Rex’s faith and Christian life. He lived his faith comfortably, but not casually, reverently, but not somberly. He took truth seriously. Rex was not a universalist. He did not share the popular conviction that all who reach their mortality move on to a lovelier state of existence. He knew it wasn’t biblical. The punishment for sin isn’t a hoax. The Scripture says, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.”2 That is how Rex was saved. By grace through faith is the only way anyone can be saved.
Rex was a confessed Lutheran who cherished the gospel. He understood that salvation is through Jesus Christ and no one else. When Rex was commentating for the Riverland Football League, he knew what needed to be said and he said it well. His approach to God’s word and spiritual truth was much the same. The Scripture says “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”3 If there was another way to go from earth to heaven would the only Son of God have needed to assume human flesh, suffer at the hands of sinners, die an excruciating death on the cross, and rise again from the grave?
Dear friends, reflecting on mortality should always cause us to reassess our priorities in life. What do we value, and why? If the well-being of the soul isn’t a top concern, if we’re not exhausting our capacities in the love of others, then what are we doing? We see in our culture that self-indulgence is often limited only by the fear that others will dis-associate from us if kindnesses aren’t reciprocated in some way.
You should not be surprised if the consideration of mortality proves to be more than a little unsettling for you. Fear of dying is visceral, it’s guttural. Attempts can be made to soften the fear by making light of it, by laughing it off. But this isn’t a serious way of addressing it. Still, it’s a common coping strategy to parody the things we fear. It’s an effort to disempower them. We’re a little less terrified facing a tiger that’s lost most of his teeth. But death is not a toothless tiger and the visceral reaction to fear of death can’t be overcome by any human powers at all. All of our strategies are completely hollow regardless of how cosmetically convincing they are. Divine intervention is required to bring genuine peace to the soul.
A careful reading of the Scriptures shows that believers in biblical times didn’t face death with a religious attitude of pious denial, they faced it with faith. That is, they faced it entrusting themselves to the God of creation and redemption. They faced it clinging to the promise that they would not pass into oblivion. The God who fashioned Adam from the dust of the earth and breathed into him the breath of life is surely capable of raising our bones from the sleep of death. He has proven it in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. He said, “This is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."4
Rex was never far from God’s house at Bookpurnong. The Lord made His claim on him through the waters of baptism there. There the Spirit nurtured him through word and sacrament. And from that same place God will raise His ashes on the great day of the resurrection of all flesh. Rex was the local historian for the Bookpurnong congregation and community. You can imagine how fastidious his competence was. His part in this temporal history is now done, but his part in the heavenly narrative has just commenced.
Lorraine, some of your grief you will be able to share. But some will remain pertinent only to you. To the exclusion of all others, he was your Rex. The Holy Spirit will give you the wisdom to find the balance and the strength to bear the weight. Tears of sorrow are heavier than tears of joy. Tears of sorrow are weighted with finality. Tears of joy are buoyed by hope. You will experience both.
The ‘balancing act’ of Rex’s health became too complicated in the end. Rex was a tightrope walker whose rope had diminished to the width of a thread. But the Saviour had him on a tether and Rex sank safely into His arms. “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”5 The name Rex means king. Our beloved brother Rex has received his crown. He has been crowned by the “King of kings and Lord of lords”6 God has the last word. That Word is life. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian Burial of Rex Trevor Fielke
28 August 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 2 Ephesians 2:8-9
3 Romans 10:9 4 John 6:40
5 John 10:27-29 6 1 Timothy 6:15
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost (C) 2019
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Hebrews 12:28
Theme: An Unshakable Kingdom
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Some of God’s promises appear mundane. They are plausible and predictable. He says He will provide our daily bread. He says He loves the widow and the orphan. He says He will seek after the lost sheep. Other promises are superlative. They are magnificent, even spectacular. He says He will raise the dead. He says He will destroy evil. He says He will sustain life eternally. The more ordinary seeming promises of God often lead to ingratitude. Because we expect these blessings it’s easy to take them for granted and not give God the credit. Conversely, the more dramatic promises of God can lead to uncertainty. Is this just pie-in-the-sky stuff, or will such astonishing promises really come true? Only the Holy Spirit can resolve both vulnerabilities.
Today God makes a spectacular promise that requires a scrupulous reaction. The Scripture says, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.”1 We are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. The future of God’s dominion is not in doubt. But the implication here is that there are other things which can and will be shaken. Our text calls these “created things”2. Ultimately, only those things which God wills will endure.
The “shaking” of some things is not a matter of chance, or fate, or natural disaster. Some things need to be shaken before they can be restored. What does need to be shaken? What does need to be knocked off its foundation and crumble? The answer is as simple as it is profound. The control of sin in our lives must be demolished. The sinner with unresolved sin will not endure in the future unshakeable kingdom. That’s why the Lord’s call to repentance in Luke 13 isn’t very gentle. He’s not trying to spare anyone’s feelings or make exceptions for weaknesses or sensitivities. He says, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered in this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”3 His call to repentance is not mellow because He knows to whom He speaks. He knows the human heart and will. He knows self-defence and self-justification are always the first responses of sinners.
He knows a favourite tactic of trying to boost ourselves up is to bring others down. In doing so we’re not actually elevating ourselves at all. But how desperate we often are to keep up appearances! We don’t easily suffer others looking better than us. We don’t want to come off second best. And so, we’re often quick to point out the faults of others while downplaying our own. The strategy of devaluing others is something we try on God too. If we can bring God down to our level- perhaps with the stated purpose of making Him more ‘approachable’- then we feel less self-conscious about our own inadequacies. If we can domesticate God, we feel more like equals in the relationship.
But our strategy is a hopeless one. God is holy. We are not. We are broken. God is not. What must be shaken is the misunderstanding that we are undamaged, naturally wholesome and righteous before God. All false confidence in our own abilities to manage sin and its consequences must be shattered. We require rescue from outside of ourselves. And God does not fail to provide it. He sent His Son. If there were no sickness, no disease, and no injury, there would be no need for medicine. If there were no brokenness, no impairment, no damage, there would be no need for healing, no need for therapy, no need for doctors. If there was no sin, there would be no need for a Saviour. If there was no transgression, there would be no need for forgiveness. If there was no danger of condemnation, there would be no need of redemption. But, dear friends, how great is the need! Our world is saturated with brokenness.
(Do you think the recent demonstrations in NWS over the proposed abortion bill are merely about political wrangling? The brokenness of humanity is on display. A struggle to understand the value of life is at stake.)
(This morning we have witnessed the baptism of James Hampel, a precious gift given by God to Nigel and Jessica) Now, baptism is one of those promises of God that fits into the second category mentioned earlier. Baptism has the appearance of ordinariness. After all, the connection between water and cleansing is easily understood. Baptism washes clean the soul. The magnificent reality is, however, that this action is not simply symbolic. The Holy Trinity is present and working, bringing spiritual life and salvation. In baptism, the claims of Satan are confronted, his assertions of falsehood are rebuked, and he is deposed. A very similar thing happens every time we confess our sins and receive absolution in Jesus’ name. The jurisdiction of Satan is overthrown. It happens too, in Holy Communion.
Dear friends, the crucified and risen Jesus is neither restricted in His capacities, nor lacking the will to pursue His purposes. His ways may often be mysterious to us, but they are not ineffective. Five-year-old Billy had a pivotal verse to recite in an Easter program at the local Christian school. The verse assigned was from Luke 24: “He is not here, he is risen”. Unfortunately, Billy could not remember what to say, and the director had to quietly remind him of his line. He then confidently went to the microphone and instead of saying “He is not here, he is risen” he triumphantly shouted, “He’s not here; He’s in prison!”
Well, what was intended to be a bold proclamation of the Easter gospel ended up instead being a declaration of defeat. But, dear friends, Christ has not been defeated. Jesus was crucified, but He is risen. The bondage of death has been broken. The fortress of hell has been shattered. We are free. The Scripture says, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”4 We are freed from sin’s eternal punishment. We are liberated from Satan’s accusations. We are emancipated from the horrors of hell.
Still, Christians sometimes mope around as if all hope had been lost. Satan loves to throw the wet blanket of despondency over us. He tries to convince us that God has forsaken us, and he often finds a listening ear. He knows we are prone to crying “unfair!” He knows we like to grumble. But His claims are hollow. His words are propaganda- misinformation with the intent of fostering doubt and suspicion. He peddles his hidden agenda with smooth and plausible words.
The promises of Christ, however, are the clearest truth. His purpose is salvation, healing, and life. Jesus has no hidden agendas. The gospel is the most public and transparent truth ever revealed. Those who trust in God’s forgiveness possess that forgiveness exactly as it is offered and described. Everlasting life is also a present possession. We are already part of the kingdom. Therefore, believers have joy that cannot be measured by any human standard.
Maybe that joy is not very tangible to you. Pray that the Holy Spirit would enable you to grasp it by faith. Pray that God would surround you with others to support you in your journey, to encourage you in your faith. Pray also that the Spirit would mature you in such a way that you are assisting others in their progress and not hindering them. A husband and wife were riding a tandem bicycle up a fairly long and steep hill. After much effort, they finally made it to the top and paused to catch their breath. The front rider, the wife, said, “That was a tough ride.” To which the second rider, the husband, replied, “It sure was, and if I hadn’t kept the brake on, we might have slipped backwards.”
The Scripture says, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.”5 The Christian life, the sanctified life, the baptismal life of cross-bearing is a continual exercise in the nexus, the interconnection, between joy and reverence. One day, in the resurrection, all these things will be resolved with perfect clarity. Meanwhile, if you think the promises of God are too mundane, just reflect for a little while on the kingdom that cannot be shaken. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost
25 August 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Hebrews 12:28 2 See Hebrews 12:27
3 Luke 13:2-3 4 John 8:36
5 Hebrews 12:28
Text: Hebrews 12:28
Theme: An Unshakable Kingdom
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Some of God’s promises appear mundane. They are plausible and predictable. He says He will provide our daily bread. He says He loves the widow and the orphan. He says He will seek after the lost sheep. Other promises are superlative. They are magnificent, even spectacular. He says He will raise the dead. He says He will destroy evil. He says He will sustain life eternally. The more ordinary seeming promises of God often lead to ingratitude. Because we expect these blessings it’s easy to take them for granted and not give God the credit. Conversely, the more dramatic promises of God can lead to uncertainty. Is this just pie-in-the-sky stuff, or will such astonishing promises really come true? Only the Holy Spirit can resolve both vulnerabilities.
Today God makes a spectacular promise that requires a scrupulous reaction. The Scripture says, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.”1 We are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. The future of God’s dominion is not in doubt. But the implication here is that there are other things which can and will be shaken. Our text calls these “created things”2. Ultimately, only those things which God wills will endure.
The “shaking” of some things is not a matter of chance, or fate, or natural disaster. Some things need to be shaken before they can be restored. What does need to be shaken? What does need to be knocked off its foundation and crumble? The answer is as simple as it is profound. The control of sin in our lives must be demolished. The sinner with unresolved sin will not endure in the future unshakeable kingdom. That’s why the Lord’s call to repentance in Luke 13 isn’t very gentle. He’s not trying to spare anyone’s feelings or make exceptions for weaknesses or sensitivities. He says, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered in this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”3 His call to repentance is not mellow because He knows to whom He speaks. He knows the human heart and will. He knows self-defence and self-justification are always the first responses of sinners.
He knows a favourite tactic of trying to boost ourselves up is to bring others down. In doing so we’re not actually elevating ourselves at all. But how desperate we often are to keep up appearances! We don’t easily suffer others looking better than us. We don’t want to come off second best. And so, we’re often quick to point out the faults of others while downplaying our own. The strategy of devaluing others is something we try on God too. If we can bring God down to our level- perhaps with the stated purpose of making Him more ‘approachable’- then we feel less self-conscious about our own inadequacies. If we can domesticate God, we feel more like equals in the relationship.
But our strategy is a hopeless one. God is holy. We are not. We are broken. God is not. What must be shaken is the misunderstanding that we are undamaged, naturally wholesome and righteous before God. All false confidence in our own abilities to manage sin and its consequences must be shattered. We require rescue from outside of ourselves. And God does not fail to provide it. He sent His Son. If there were no sickness, no disease, and no injury, there would be no need for medicine. If there were no brokenness, no impairment, no damage, there would be no need for healing, no need for therapy, no need for doctors. If there was no sin, there would be no need for a Saviour. If there was no transgression, there would be no need for forgiveness. If there was no danger of condemnation, there would be no need of redemption. But, dear friends, how great is the need! Our world is saturated with brokenness.
(Do you think the recent demonstrations in NWS over the proposed abortion bill are merely about political wrangling? The brokenness of humanity is on display. A struggle to understand the value of life is at stake.)
(This morning we have witnessed the baptism of James Hampel, a precious gift given by God to Nigel and Jessica) Now, baptism is one of those promises of God that fits into the second category mentioned earlier. Baptism has the appearance of ordinariness. After all, the connection between water and cleansing is easily understood. Baptism washes clean the soul. The magnificent reality is, however, that this action is not simply symbolic. The Holy Trinity is present and working, bringing spiritual life and salvation. In baptism, the claims of Satan are confronted, his assertions of falsehood are rebuked, and he is deposed. A very similar thing happens every time we confess our sins and receive absolution in Jesus’ name. The jurisdiction of Satan is overthrown. It happens too, in Holy Communion.
Dear friends, the crucified and risen Jesus is neither restricted in His capacities, nor lacking the will to pursue His purposes. His ways may often be mysterious to us, but they are not ineffective. Five-year-old Billy had a pivotal verse to recite in an Easter program at the local Christian school. The verse assigned was from Luke 24: “He is not here, he is risen”. Unfortunately, Billy could not remember what to say, and the director had to quietly remind him of his line. He then confidently went to the microphone and instead of saying “He is not here, he is risen” he triumphantly shouted, “He’s not here; He’s in prison!”
Well, what was intended to be a bold proclamation of the Easter gospel ended up instead being a declaration of defeat. But, dear friends, Christ has not been defeated. Jesus was crucified, but He is risen. The bondage of death has been broken. The fortress of hell has been shattered. We are free. The Scripture says, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”4 We are freed from sin’s eternal punishment. We are liberated from Satan’s accusations. We are emancipated from the horrors of hell.
Still, Christians sometimes mope around as if all hope had been lost. Satan loves to throw the wet blanket of despondency over us. He tries to convince us that God has forsaken us, and he often finds a listening ear. He knows we are prone to crying “unfair!” He knows we like to grumble. But His claims are hollow. His words are propaganda- misinformation with the intent of fostering doubt and suspicion. He peddles his hidden agenda with smooth and plausible words.
The promises of Christ, however, are the clearest truth. His purpose is salvation, healing, and life. Jesus has no hidden agendas. The gospel is the most public and transparent truth ever revealed. Those who trust in God’s forgiveness possess that forgiveness exactly as it is offered and described. Everlasting life is also a present possession. We are already part of the kingdom. Therefore, believers have joy that cannot be measured by any human standard.
Maybe that joy is not very tangible to you. Pray that the Holy Spirit would enable you to grasp it by faith. Pray that God would surround you with others to support you in your journey, to encourage you in your faith. Pray also that the Spirit would mature you in such a way that you are assisting others in their progress and not hindering them. A husband and wife were riding a tandem bicycle up a fairly long and steep hill. After much effort, they finally made it to the top and paused to catch their breath. The front rider, the wife, said, “That was a tough ride.” To which the second rider, the husband, replied, “It sure was, and if I hadn’t kept the brake on, we might have slipped backwards.”
The Scripture says, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.”5 The Christian life, the sanctified life, the baptismal life of cross-bearing is a continual exercise in the nexus, the interconnection, between joy and reverence. One day, in the resurrection, all these things will be resolved with perfect clarity. Meanwhile, if you think the promises of God are too mundane, just reflect for a little while on the kingdom that cannot be shaken. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost
25 August 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Hebrews 12:28 2 See Hebrews 12:27
3 Luke 13:2-3 4 John 8:36
5 Hebrews 12:28
Monday, August 19, 2019
Tenth Sunday After Pentecost (C) 2019
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Hebrews 12:2
Theme: The Race of Faith
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The race of faith is not a sprint. It’s a marathon. All that matters in the end is the finish. Today the believers of old are commended for their faithfulness in the race of faith. Many of them ran the gauntlet. But God did not forsake them. Hebrews Eleven says, “Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute persecuted and mistreated- the world was not worthy of them.”1 Yet God was pleased to be called their God.
The Bible says, “We walk by faith, not by sight.”2 This involves being alert to dangers that can’t at first be seen. A woman driving an SUV was coming to a green light in a quiet city suburb. Suddenly another motorist driving a sporty sedan shot through the red light. The woman alertly applied the brakes and swerved, narrowly missing a pedestrian waiting at the far cross walk. Evasive action was required to avoid accident and injury. A commercial airline pilot was circling above a busy international airport waiting for permission to land. Unexpectedly, one engine failed forcing an emergency landing. The pilot maneuvered the aircraft to safety- a difficult task given the congestion at the airport. Evasive action was necessary to avoid catastrophe. A marathon runner was on the last leg of the race. The pace had picked up for the finish. Suddenly, two contestants ahead of him got their legs tangled and went down causing a third to runner to stumble. Evasive action was required to finish the race.
Dear friends, walking by faith also requires evasive action. The Bible says, “Flee from idolatry.”3 We are to avoid at any cost everything that would cause injury to our faith. We are to shun every temptation and falsehood that would take us off the narrow road. Our Scripture says, “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”4 That means in our daily walk of life- including our understanding of the world, our decision-making processes, our method of valuing things, our determinations of what constitutes success or failure- Christians trust that God’s will and His truths are the surest foundation.
It’s not a fait accompli, it’s a struggle. As the years pass the distinction between a Christian worldview and a secular one becomes more and more clear. Our culture says we should walk by feeling. Do whatever feels best to you! Our decisions and valuations should be made accordingly- society says. Truth is becoming cultural and contextual, if it’s even recognized at all.
Critical and constructive methods of scrutiny- of determining right from wrong, truth from falsehood- are being thrown to the wind. Sometimes they’re labelled as restrictive and even oppressive. In their place comes the revered self and the privilege of personal choice. Now, to be sure, there are many benefits to the personal choices we have available to us today. But can it really be that truth is relative? Can everyone’s personal opinions, ideas, preferences, and values be just as valid as everyone else’s? Or, are some things more or less objective? And is that objectivity defined and measured by a higher authority?
I’m begging the question, of course, not because we don’t know the answer, but because we don’t want to know the answer- we don’t want to hear it. Sinners never do. The sinful human nature relishes the idea of being the definer and arbitrator of truth. We can play God, even it’s just in our limited spheres of influence and experience. The tendency is inborn- a consequence of original sin. We aspire to manipulate God and elevate ourselves at the expense of others. It starts from the earliest age. Consider, for example, these short letters written by children to their pastor: Dear Pastor, please say in your sermon Peter Peterson has been a good boy all week. I am Peter Peterson. Sincerely, Pete, age 9. Dear Pastor, I liked your sermon on Sunday. Especially when it was finished. Ralph, age 11. Dear Pastor, I know God loves everybody, but He never met my sister. Yours Sincerely, Arnold, age 8.
Don’t think for a moment that in adulthood such self-interested thinking ceases. Dear friends, even our consciences know intuitively that higher authority exists- we’re not God. We might be pretty good at ignoring God’s wisdom and keeping Him at the margins of our lives, but He’s out there and He can only be deferred for so long. He’ll not only come into the picture at some point, but He’ll turn the whole scenario upside down- everything in our lives- if we’re not already firmly on His foundation.
Today Jesus labeled as hypocrites those who could look at the clouds and predict the weather but couldn’t interpret the signs of the times5. We can’t construct our own truths. This issue strikes right at the heart of our understanding of existence. Can some of us have been created in God’s image while others of us were descended from apes? Can adultery be good for some and bad for others? Can lying or gossip benefit some but harm others? Can abortion be beneficial to one mother and not to another? Is it ever beneficial for the baby? Can the earth be flat and round at the same time? Can two plus two equal four for some people but five for others? Can God be whoever and whatever we’d like Him to be? Will there not be consequences for false belief, for the blind and whole-hearted following of fabricated reality?
Walking by faith requires evasive action but we can only do it because Christ avoided nothing when it came to our salvation. He didn’t avoid the shame, the rejection, the suffering, and most of all, the experience of death. He went to the cross. Today Jesus says He has a baptism to undergo. He says He’ll be in distress until it’s completed. The ‘baptism’ He refers to is His crucifixion. He will be immersed in the fire of divine wrath against sin. He will be drowned in the sea of our transgressions. His crucifixion was a baptism of blood.
The life of the divine Son of God was given over to sacrifice so that the souls of sinners could be spared. Christian baptism connects us directly into the redeeming work of Christ according to the Scripture that says, “Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”6 In baptism the punishment for our sins is laid in the grave and just as Christ rose from death, we are raised to new spiritual life. [That’s what has happened for Milla Fieldhouse this morning.]
Baptism enters us into the race of faith. It’s a race we never run alone. The Good Shepherd is always in the lead. The Holy Spirit runs at our side. The great cloud of witnesses accompanies us. We can have the certainty of the Psalmist who says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for You are with me.”7 We are fed by the body and blood of the Saviour, holy food for hungry souls. When the race becomes too much we’re never left along the way. The Saviour carries us to the finish. He puts us on His shoulders, like the lost lamb, and brings us home rejoicing. Therefore, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame…”8Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Tenth Sunday After Pentecost
18 August 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Hebrews 11:36-38 2 2 Corinthians 5:7
3 1 Corinthians 10:14 4 Hebrews 12:1
5 See Luke 12:56 6 Romans 6:3-4
7 Psalm 23:4 8 Hebrews 12:2
Text: Hebrews 12:2
Theme: The Race of Faith
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The race of faith is not a sprint. It’s a marathon. All that matters in the end is the finish. Today the believers of old are commended for their faithfulness in the race of faith. Many of them ran the gauntlet. But God did not forsake them. Hebrews Eleven says, “Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute persecuted and mistreated- the world was not worthy of them.”1 Yet God was pleased to be called their God.
The Bible says, “We walk by faith, not by sight.”2 This involves being alert to dangers that can’t at first be seen. A woman driving an SUV was coming to a green light in a quiet city suburb. Suddenly another motorist driving a sporty sedan shot through the red light. The woman alertly applied the brakes and swerved, narrowly missing a pedestrian waiting at the far cross walk. Evasive action was required to avoid accident and injury. A commercial airline pilot was circling above a busy international airport waiting for permission to land. Unexpectedly, one engine failed forcing an emergency landing. The pilot maneuvered the aircraft to safety- a difficult task given the congestion at the airport. Evasive action was necessary to avoid catastrophe. A marathon runner was on the last leg of the race. The pace had picked up for the finish. Suddenly, two contestants ahead of him got their legs tangled and went down causing a third to runner to stumble. Evasive action was required to finish the race.
Dear friends, walking by faith also requires evasive action. The Bible says, “Flee from idolatry.”3 We are to avoid at any cost everything that would cause injury to our faith. We are to shun every temptation and falsehood that would take us off the narrow road. Our Scripture says, “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”4 That means in our daily walk of life- including our understanding of the world, our decision-making processes, our method of valuing things, our determinations of what constitutes success or failure- Christians trust that God’s will and His truths are the surest foundation.
It’s not a fait accompli, it’s a struggle. As the years pass the distinction between a Christian worldview and a secular one becomes more and more clear. Our culture says we should walk by feeling. Do whatever feels best to you! Our decisions and valuations should be made accordingly- society says. Truth is becoming cultural and contextual, if it’s even recognized at all.
Critical and constructive methods of scrutiny- of determining right from wrong, truth from falsehood- are being thrown to the wind. Sometimes they’re labelled as restrictive and even oppressive. In their place comes the revered self and the privilege of personal choice. Now, to be sure, there are many benefits to the personal choices we have available to us today. But can it really be that truth is relative? Can everyone’s personal opinions, ideas, preferences, and values be just as valid as everyone else’s? Or, are some things more or less objective? And is that objectivity defined and measured by a higher authority?
I’m begging the question, of course, not because we don’t know the answer, but because we don’t want to know the answer- we don’t want to hear it. Sinners never do. The sinful human nature relishes the idea of being the definer and arbitrator of truth. We can play God, even it’s just in our limited spheres of influence and experience. The tendency is inborn- a consequence of original sin. We aspire to manipulate God and elevate ourselves at the expense of others. It starts from the earliest age. Consider, for example, these short letters written by children to their pastor: Dear Pastor, please say in your sermon Peter Peterson has been a good boy all week. I am Peter Peterson. Sincerely, Pete, age 9. Dear Pastor, I liked your sermon on Sunday. Especially when it was finished. Ralph, age 11. Dear Pastor, I know God loves everybody, but He never met my sister. Yours Sincerely, Arnold, age 8.
Don’t think for a moment that in adulthood such self-interested thinking ceases. Dear friends, even our consciences know intuitively that higher authority exists- we’re not God. We might be pretty good at ignoring God’s wisdom and keeping Him at the margins of our lives, but He’s out there and He can only be deferred for so long. He’ll not only come into the picture at some point, but He’ll turn the whole scenario upside down- everything in our lives- if we’re not already firmly on His foundation.
Today Jesus labeled as hypocrites those who could look at the clouds and predict the weather but couldn’t interpret the signs of the times5. We can’t construct our own truths. This issue strikes right at the heart of our understanding of existence. Can some of us have been created in God’s image while others of us were descended from apes? Can adultery be good for some and bad for others? Can lying or gossip benefit some but harm others? Can abortion be beneficial to one mother and not to another? Is it ever beneficial for the baby? Can the earth be flat and round at the same time? Can two plus two equal four for some people but five for others? Can God be whoever and whatever we’d like Him to be? Will there not be consequences for false belief, for the blind and whole-hearted following of fabricated reality?
Walking by faith requires evasive action but we can only do it because Christ avoided nothing when it came to our salvation. He didn’t avoid the shame, the rejection, the suffering, and most of all, the experience of death. He went to the cross. Today Jesus says He has a baptism to undergo. He says He’ll be in distress until it’s completed. The ‘baptism’ He refers to is His crucifixion. He will be immersed in the fire of divine wrath against sin. He will be drowned in the sea of our transgressions. His crucifixion was a baptism of blood.
The life of the divine Son of God was given over to sacrifice so that the souls of sinners could be spared. Christian baptism connects us directly into the redeeming work of Christ according to the Scripture that says, “Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”6 In baptism the punishment for our sins is laid in the grave and just as Christ rose from death, we are raised to new spiritual life. [That’s what has happened for Milla Fieldhouse this morning.]
Baptism enters us into the race of faith. It’s a race we never run alone. The Good Shepherd is always in the lead. The Holy Spirit runs at our side. The great cloud of witnesses accompanies us. We can have the certainty of the Psalmist who says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for You are with me.”7 We are fed by the body and blood of the Saviour, holy food for hungry souls. When the race becomes too much we’re never left along the way. The Saviour carries us to the finish. He puts us on His shoulders, like the lost lamb, and brings us home rejoicing. Therefore, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame…”8Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Tenth Sunday After Pentecost
18 August 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Hebrews 11:36-38 2 2 Corinthians 5:7
3 1 Corinthians 10:14 4 Hebrews 12:1
5 See Luke 12:56 6 Romans 6:3-4
7 Psalm 23:4 8 Hebrews 12:2
Monday, August 12, 2019
Ninth Sunday After Pentecost (C) 2019
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Hebrews 11:2
Theme: The Faith of the Ancients
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God delivers on His promises. Some of these deliverances are tangible, demonstrable, and even dramatic. When we are spared injury by accident, suffering from illness, or harm from violence our prayers of thanksgiving ascend to God with some buoyancy. We consciously recognize we have escaped by the grace of God. And we may (in fact, should) reflect in a measured way also on how God has sustained us through some of the more difficult challenges and phases of our lives. Often such recognition happens only in hindsight. We look back and see God’s guiding and protecting hand. Outcomes that would have been humanly impossible for us to orchestrate God managed with subtlety and certainty. Often with surprise to us. Are you where you thought you’d be 10, 25, or 40 years ago?
But the Bible says, “We live by faith, not by sight.”1 So it’s the promises of God that aren’t tangible to us that present a different challenge. This is precisely the focus of our second reading from Hebrews today. Hebrews Chapter Eleven is one of the great biblical reflections on faith. Speaking of past believers, it says, “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.”2 Notice it says they did not receive the things promised yet they lived firmly believing they would not be forsaken by God in the end. They were still living by faith when they died.
Now, regarding the certainty of God’s presence and actions, we should be mindful that the threats of God often don’t seem tangible to people either. The conscience is evidence that God’s laws were written on the human heart. The law is intuitive. Still, nothing is so easily deceived and prone to betrayal than the heart. The conscience typically understands that murder is a transgression of the will of God.
But the conscience can become so seared and deceived that even this recognition becomes effaced. Therefore, the Lord says unequivocally in the Fifth of His commandments, “You shall not murder.”3 God makes His threat tangible by having it enforced through civil authority. That is, if the proper restraint for committing bodily harm isn’t functioning (that restraint being the belief that doing injury to others is ungodly and inhumane) God arranges concrete and quantifiable punishment. Judge and jury become authorized agents on God’s behalf.
Still, because many of God’s threats for disobedience appear intangible or unenforced (that is, they may have no immediately evident consequences)- think here of things like; lying, gossiping, sexual misconduct, disobedience to parents and other authorities, jealousy, coveting, expressions of anger, etc., - people continue to ignore God’s will thus bringing harm to themselves and others. Still, God promises that judgment and punishment will be rendered. Believers too, must repent both of their willful disobedience and their sins of weakness. Self-righteousness is an offence to God. Christ came not for the righteous (of whom there are none) but for sinners.
But the intangibility of God’s promises of grace is something different altogether. Faith becomes a pivotal part of the picture. Again, it’s the central theme of our Scripture from Hebrews chapter eleven today. Faith trusts what the eyes cannot see, and the hand cannot touch. Some of God’s providential blessings are obvious. They are visible and measurable. Believers recognize that God causes the sun to shine and the rain to fall. The world, humanity included, would collapse in upon itself if not for God’s sustaining preservation. Death would quickly gain supremacy over all expressions of life. But God’s most precious blessings are often not as tangible to us- the forgiveness of sins, protection from Satan, hope, joy, peace, the certainty of heaven- they can seem more like wishful thinking, or even mirages.
Faith perseveres even when the empirical evidence is lacking. As our Scripture says, “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.”4 It doesn’t mean, however, there is no evidence. The Bible is a record of the historical account of God’s actions in the world. Modern archeology has uncovered amazing evidence that supports the credibility of the Scriptures. Ultimately, though, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the primary answer to the concern that the gracious promises of God are finally insubstantial. Our God speaks. But if we have a God whose words are ineffective and lacking substance then we are mightily deceived.
No one can prove to you that God exists. But the magnificent order and complexity of the universe is a monumental testament to a Creator. No one can prove the bodily resurrection to you. No human authority, that is, the Holy Spirit must do it. Still, there are credible and consistent witnesses to the physical death and bodily resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Understanding the implications, the apostle Paul said, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.”5 Do you see what he says here? Everything that matters is lost if Christ didn’t really rise from the grave. Sin remains unatoned for and still leveled against us and heaven becomes a mirage. “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.”6
The ancients were commended for their faith in the Messiah who was to come. How much more privileged are we to live after that same Messiah hung from the cross and said, “It is finished!”7 When the women went to the tomb to anoint His body the angel said, “He is not here; He has risen, just as He said.”8 The blessing we have that most clearly spans that chasm between faith and tangibility is the Lord’s Supper. Holy Communion is food for faith. It strengthens us in anticipation of the heavenly banquet. It points us forward to the future consummation. But communion is also a participation in a tangible reality. Christ has already died and risen. This meal is already invested with His power, His peace, and His blessing. We don’t have to wait for future fulfillment to receive its benefits. It communicates His forgiveness in real time.
What does the Lord Jesus say when cautioning about anxiety and obsession over the temporary things of life? He says, “The pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.”9 God knows what we need, and He provides our daily bread. Then Jesus goes on to say, “But seek first His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid, little flock, for Your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”10 This is a magnificent promise. It should not only put our minds at ease, but also inflame our hearts with a passion for living and spreading God’s truth. If the Father has been minded to give us the kingdom, if we are co-heirs with the Son11, if we are sealed by the Holy Spirit12, if “the Lord knows those who are His”13, if we are clothed with Christ in baptism14, if Satan is crushed under our feet15, if “we will be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet”16 and be raised to immortality, what do we have to fear?
Ahh, yes, these things aren’t tangible…enough!!! But as surely as you stand upon this earth, God created it. And more surely than the sun will rise tomorrow, Christ is risen from the grave! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Ninth Sunday After Pentecost
11 August 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 2 Corinthians 5:7 2 Hebrews 11:13-14
3 Deuteronomy 5:17 4 Hebrews 11:1-2
5 1 Corinthians 15:17-18 6 1 Corinthians 15:20
7 John 19:30 8 Matthew 28:6
9 Luke 12:20 10 Luke 12:31-32
11 See Romans 8:17 12 See Ephesians 1:13
13 2 Timothy 2:19 14 See Galatians 3:27
15 See Romans 16:20 16 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
Text: Hebrews 11:2
Theme: The Faith of the Ancients
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God delivers on His promises. Some of these deliverances are tangible, demonstrable, and even dramatic. When we are spared injury by accident, suffering from illness, or harm from violence our prayers of thanksgiving ascend to God with some buoyancy. We consciously recognize we have escaped by the grace of God. And we may (in fact, should) reflect in a measured way also on how God has sustained us through some of the more difficult challenges and phases of our lives. Often such recognition happens only in hindsight. We look back and see God’s guiding and protecting hand. Outcomes that would have been humanly impossible for us to orchestrate God managed with subtlety and certainty. Often with surprise to us. Are you where you thought you’d be 10, 25, or 40 years ago?
But the Bible says, “We live by faith, not by sight.”1 So it’s the promises of God that aren’t tangible to us that present a different challenge. This is precisely the focus of our second reading from Hebrews today. Hebrews Chapter Eleven is one of the great biblical reflections on faith. Speaking of past believers, it says, “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.”2 Notice it says they did not receive the things promised yet they lived firmly believing they would not be forsaken by God in the end. They were still living by faith when they died.
Now, regarding the certainty of God’s presence and actions, we should be mindful that the threats of God often don’t seem tangible to people either. The conscience is evidence that God’s laws were written on the human heart. The law is intuitive. Still, nothing is so easily deceived and prone to betrayal than the heart. The conscience typically understands that murder is a transgression of the will of God.
But the conscience can become so seared and deceived that even this recognition becomes effaced. Therefore, the Lord says unequivocally in the Fifth of His commandments, “You shall not murder.”3 God makes His threat tangible by having it enforced through civil authority. That is, if the proper restraint for committing bodily harm isn’t functioning (that restraint being the belief that doing injury to others is ungodly and inhumane) God arranges concrete and quantifiable punishment. Judge and jury become authorized agents on God’s behalf.
Still, because many of God’s threats for disobedience appear intangible or unenforced (that is, they may have no immediately evident consequences)- think here of things like; lying, gossiping, sexual misconduct, disobedience to parents and other authorities, jealousy, coveting, expressions of anger, etc., - people continue to ignore God’s will thus bringing harm to themselves and others. Still, God promises that judgment and punishment will be rendered. Believers too, must repent both of their willful disobedience and their sins of weakness. Self-righteousness is an offence to God. Christ came not for the righteous (of whom there are none) but for sinners.
But the intangibility of God’s promises of grace is something different altogether. Faith becomes a pivotal part of the picture. Again, it’s the central theme of our Scripture from Hebrews chapter eleven today. Faith trusts what the eyes cannot see, and the hand cannot touch. Some of God’s providential blessings are obvious. They are visible and measurable. Believers recognize that God causes the sun to shine and the rain to fall. The world, humanity included, would collapse in upon itself if not for God’s sustaining preservation. Death would quickly gain supremacy over all expressions of life. But God’s most precious blessings are often not as tangible to us- the forgiveness of sins, protection from Satan, hope, joy, peace, the certainty of heaven- they can seem more like wishful thinking, or even mirages.
Faith perseveres even when the empirical evidence is lacking. As our Scripture says, “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.”4 It doesn’t mean, however, there is no evidence. The Bible is a record of the historical account of God’s actions in the world. Modern archeology has uncovered amazing evidence that supports the credibility of the Scriptures. Ultimately, though, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the primary answer to the concern that the gracious promises of God are finally insubstantial. Our God speaks. But if we have a God whose words are ineffective and lacking substance then we are mightily deceived.
No one can prove to you that God exists. But the magnificent order and complexity of the universe is a monumental testament to a Creator. No one can prove the bodily resurrection to you. No human authority, that is, the Holy Spirit must do it. Still, there are credible and consistent witnesses to the physical death and bodily resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Understanding the implications, the apostle Paul said, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.”5 Do you see what he says here? Everything that matters is lost if Christ didn’t really rise from the grave. Sin remains unatoned for and still leveled against us and heaven becomes a mirage. “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.”6
The ancients were commended for their faith in the Messiah who was to come. How much more privileged are we to live after that same Messiah hung from the cross and said, “It is finished!”7 When the women went to the tomb to anoint His body the angel said, “He is not here; He has risen, just as He said.”8 The blessing we have that most clearly spans that chasm between faith and tangibility is the Lord’s Supper. Holy Communion is food for faith. It strengthens us in anticipation of the heavenly banquet. It points us forward to the future consummation. But communion is also a participation in a tangible reality. Christ has already died and risen. This meal is already invested with His power, His peace, and His blessing. We don’t have to wait for future fulfillment to receive its benefits. It communicates His forgiveness in real time.
What does the Lord Jesus say when cautioning about anxiety and obsession over the temporary things of life? He says, “The pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.”9 God knows what we need, and He provides our daily bread. Then Jesus goes on to say, “But seek first His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid, little flock, for Your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”10 This is a magnificent promise. It should not only put our minds at ease, but also inflame our hearts with a passion for living and spreading God’s truth. If the Father has been minded to give us the kingdom, if we are co-heirs with the Son11, if we are sealed by the Holy Spirit12, if “the Lord knows those who are His”13, if we are clothed with Christ in baptism14, if Satan is crushed under our feet15, if “we will be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet”16 and be raised to immortality, what do we have to fear?
Ahh, yes, these things aren’t tangible…enough!!! But as surely as you stand upon this earth, God created it. And more surely than the sun will rise tomorrow, Christ is risen from the grave! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Ninth Sunday After Pentecost
11 August 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 2 Corinthians 5:7 2 Hebrews 11:13-14
3 Deuteronomy 5:17 4 Hebrews 11:1-2
5 1 Corinthians 15:17-18 6 1 Corinthians 15:20
7 John 19:30 8 Matthew 28:6
9 Luke 12:20 10 Luke 12:31-32
11 See Romans 8:17 12 See Ephesians 1:13
13 2 Timothy 2:19 14 See Galatians 3:27
15 See Romans 16:20 16 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost (C) 2019
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 12:15-20
Theme: God’s Valuations
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Divine truth is never antiquated. From the first word of God in Genesis to His closing promises in Revelation, the teachings of the Scripture are always relevant. The challenge often is understanding the context and how it applies in a contemporary way. The Bible is full of historical events that may now seem distant, but the same God rules now as did then. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today and forever.”1 As much as human nature craves a certain degree of change (indeed, changes can be exciting and invigorating) learning to appreciate eternal truths and their implications brings its own kind of excitement.
As much as we’d like to think it’s possible, the fundamental nature of people doesn’t change. Definitions of sin may be debated, redefined, denied, or ignored- and this happens in real time- but the human-divine dynamic remains unaltered. Sinners are still sinners and trying to change the definitions or move the goal posts doesn’t actually change reality. Humanity as a whole has always had an inflated sense its abilities. The Tower of Babel stands out as a notorious biblical example. Collectively, our ambitions typically out-pace our capacities. When I say “ambitions”, I’m not meaning the godly use of our energies and resources. I mean our warped perspective on the way things are valued and how we think we can attain them.
It’s hard to find a parable of Jesus that is more readily applicable than the one He speaks today. Frank, and relevant, there is no mistaking the point Jesus wishes to make. The wealthy farmer has problem. He has more grain than he can store. What does he decide to do? “‘I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and all my goods.”2 Now, that seems reasonable- it’s a business decision- and on the surface of it there isn’t anything particularly ungodly about it. The next description of his attitude reveals the deeper issue. “And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’”3 The response from God is direct and sobering, “But God said to him, ‘You fool!’ This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself.’”4
Now, the man isn’t labeled as a fool because he was uneducated or ignorant. He was probably competent and enterprising. He was called a fool because he didn’t understand that which was of greatest value. The warning here is against idolatry. An idol is anything people put their trust in other than the true God. When hope, joy, meaning, and purpose are sought in material things, or people, idolatry is being practiced. The problem isn’t money per se. Money is merely a tool, an instrument, a means given by God for our stewardship. The problem is the attitude towards it- the greed and selfishness which is so prevalent in the human heart. The Church Father St. John Chrysostom once said that the poor are not those who have little, but those who want much; and the rich are not those who have much, but who are content with little. Discontentedness, malcontent, is common regardless of material status. The wealthy are often just as discontented as the poor. As the image on the front of the bulletin says, “Some people are so poor, all they have is money.”
Dear friends, none of us should be so arrogant or naïve as to think that we don’t need to repent of the sin of idolatry. It is the chief sin and is indicative of unbelief. Remember, unbelief lies at the heart of all actual sin. We shouldn’t think either, that we’re not affected by this materialistic mindset the farmer is condemned for. Materialism absolutely saturates our culture. It requires constant vigilance to avoid the temptation of being drawn into it. St. Paul directs the focus of the baptized away from temporary things when he says today, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”5
But that doesn’t mean we hide ourselves away or sit around staring into the sky dreaming of what heaven will be like. We have vocations. And our vocations involve the stewardship of all of God’s blessings. When we properly understand that we are stewards, then the proper valuation of things follows suit. Remember, faith is not self-interested. It is not self-serving. Faith is ‘interested’ in the truths of God. It rests in His promises. It seeks to serve Him by serving one’s neighbour. Faith is not an independent, solitary reality. It exists only in relationship, firstly to God, then in relationship to others.
Dear friends, no one can have an exclusive relationship with the Almighty because faith necessarily entails the desire to see God’s love extended to others. We cannot serve God directly. He doesn’t need anything we can offer. The verticality of our faith is proven genuine by its horizontal expression. It’s a fanciful little delusion to sit back in isolation and say to one’s self, “I believe in God, so everything is ok. I’m happy and comfortable in my own little world running my own affairs without any of the complications of dealing with others. I’m happy with my self-interested faith. God can be God, I can be me, and others can see to themselves!”
Jesus said that it was easier for the camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. But everything must be understood in context. It’s impossible for anyone at all to enter heaven under his or her own power. The debt of sin is too great. The obligation is humanly insurmountable. The Son of God was required to meet the demand. And He met it willingly and whole-heartedly. What does the Scripture say, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He become poor, so that you though His poverty might become rich.”6 How did He become poor? He divested Himself of the divine glory of heaven and came to our fallen, sin-polluted world. He submitted to a criminal’s death by crucifixion. He rose again and He now has stewardship over all creation and especially His church. Christ values His church by freely forgiving sins and feeding her with His own body and blood. And He gifts His people with the certainly of salvation. Don’t ever underestimate the value of a clear conscience. Peace of mind about our relationship with God is worth far more than money could ever buy. The farmer did not understand this critical truth.
Dear friends, the promises of the Spirit to us are as ageless as God Himself. His word never loses its potency. This world with all its pomp and circumstance, its death and destruction will pass away, but a new creation awaits. As believers deteriorate towards death- as far as their physical and mental capacities go- they simultaneously advance towards life. For the followers of Christ Jesus physical death is the gateway to eternal life. Money can’t buy heaven. Thankfully, God doesn’t value things the way humans typically do! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Eighth Sunday After Pentecost
4 August 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Hebrews 13:8 2 Luke 12:18
3 Luke 12:19 4 Luke 12:20
5 Colossians 3:1-4 6 2 Corinthians 8:9
Text: Luke 12:15-20
Theme: God’s Valuations
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Divine truth is never antiquated. From the first word of God in Genesis to His closing promises in Revelation, the teachings of the Scripture are always relevant. The challenge often is understanding the context and how it applies in a contemporary way. The Bible is full of historical events that may now seem distant, but the same God rules now as did then. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today and forever.”1 As much as human nature craves a certain degree of change (indeed, changes can be exciting and invigorating) learning to appreciate eternal truths and their implications brings its own kind of excitement.
As much as we’d like to think it’s possible, the fundamental nature of people doesn’t change. Definitions of sin may be debated, redefined, denied, or ignored- and this happens in real time- but the human-divine dynamic remains unaltered. Sinners are still sinners and trying to change the definitions or move the goal posts doesn’t actually change reality. Humanity as a whole has always had an inflated sense its abilities. The Tower of Babel stands out as a notorious biblical example. Collectively, our ambitions typically out-pace our capacities. When I say “ambitions”, I’m not meaning the godly use of our energies and resources. I mean our warped perspective on the way things are valued and how we think we can attain them.
It’s hard to find a parable of Jesus that is more readily applicable than the one He speaks today. Frank, and relevant, there is no mistaking the point Jesus wishes to make. The wealthy farmer has problem. He has more grain than he can store. What does he decide to do? “‘I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and all my goods.”2 Now, that seems reasonable- it’s a business decision- and on the surface of it there isn’t anything particularly ungodly about it. The next description of his attitude reveals the deeper issue. “And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’”3 The response from God is direct and sobering, “But God said to him, ‘You fool!’ This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself.’”4
Now, the man isn’t labeled as a fool because he was uneducated or ignorant. He was probably competent and enterprising. He was called a fool because he didn’t understand that which was of greatest value. The warning here is against idolatry. An idol is anything people put their trust in other than the true God. When hope, joy, meaning, and purpose are sought in material things, or people, idolatry is being practiced. The problem isn’t money per se. Money is merely a tool, an instrument, a means given by God for our stewardship. The problem is the attitude towards it- the greed and selfishness which is so prevalent in the human heart. The Church Father St. John Chrysostom once said that the poor are not those who have little, but those who want much; and the rich are not those who have much, but who are content with little. Discontentedness, malcontent, is common regardless of material status. The wealthy are often just as discontented as the poor. As the image on the front of the bulletin says, “Some people are so poor, all they have is money.”
Dear friends, none of us should be so arrogant or naïve as to think that we don’t need to repent of the sin of idolatry. It is the chief sin and is indicative of unbelief. Remember, unbelief lies at the heart of all actual sin. We shouldn’t think either, that we’re not affected by this materialistic mindset the farmer is condemned for. Materialism absolutely saturates our culture. It requires constant vigilance to avoid the temptation of being drawn into it. St. Paul directs the focus of the baptized away from temporary things when he says today, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”5
But that doesn’t mean we hide ourselves away or sit around staring into the sky dreaming of what heaven will be like. We have vocations. And our vocations involve the stewardship of all of God’s blessings. When we properly understand that we are stewards, then the proper valuation of things follows suit. Remember, faith is not self-interested. It is not self-serving. Faith is ‘interested’ in the truths of God. It rests in His promises. It seeks to serve Him by serving one’s neighbour. Faith is not an independent, solitary reality. It exists only in relationship, firstly to God, then in relationship to others.
Dear friends, no one can have an exclusive relationship with the Almighty because faith necessarily entails the desire to see God’s love extended to others. We cannot serve God directly. He doesn’t need anything we can offer. The verticality of our faith is proven genuine by its horizontal expression. It’s a fanciful little delusion to sit back in isolation and say to one’s self, “I believe in God, so everything is ok. I’m happy and comfortable in my own little world running my own affairs without any of the complications of dealing with others. I’m happy with my self-interested faith. God can be God, I can be me, and others can see to themselves!”
Jesus said that it was easier for the camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. But everything must be understood in context. It’s impossible for anyone at all to enter heaven under his or her own power. The debt of sin is too great. The obligation is humanly insurmountable. The Son of God was required to meet the demand. And He met it willingly and whole-heartedly. What does the Scripture say, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He become poor, so that you though His poverty might become rich.”6 How did He become poor? He divested Himself of the divine glory of heaven and came to our fallen, sin-polluted world. He submitted to a criminal’s death by crucifixion. He rose again and He now has stewardship over all creation and especially His church. Christ values His church by freely forgiving sins and feeding her with His own body and blood. And He gifts His people with the certainly of salvation. Don’t ever underestimate the value of a clear conscience. Peace of mind about our relationship with God is worth far more than money could ever buy. The farmer did not understand this critical truth.
Dear friends, the promises of the Spirit to us are as ageless as God Himself. His word never loses its potency. This world with all its pomp and circumstance, its death and destruction will pass away, but a new creation awaits. As believers deteriorate towards death- as far as their physical and mental capacities go- they simultaneously advance towards life. For the followers of Christ Jesus physical death is the gateway to eternal life. Money can’t buy heaven. Thankfully, God doesn’t value things the way humans typically do! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Eighth Sunday After Pentecost
4 August 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Hebrews 13:8 2 Luke 12:18
3 Luke 12:19 4 Luke 12:20
5 Colossians 3:1-4 6 2 Corinthians 8:9
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