+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: 1 Corinthians 10:4
Theme: “That Rock Was Christ”
Dear family, friends and loved ones of Austin; Alan and Simon, his sons, and especially you, Leslie;
Aussie has reached maturity. He hasn’t done it under his own steam. The Almighty has swiftly carried him out of this life. Aussie was baptized, right here in this church as a mature-aged man and the promise of his baptism has now been realized. You probably noticed that his baptism text was quite an unusual one, including God’s warnings and promises, and that is probably because of that maturity. At that point he’d already experienced a thing or too in life. He knew the dangers and temptations that were out there. He wanted to avoid them. Now all of his worries, struggles, or regrets are finished.
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.”1 That’s it! The way of salvation is not complicated. Cast yourself on Christ’s mercy, believe in His promises, He is “the way and the truth and the life.”2 But, dear friends, it is also unimaginably difficult. The devil, the world, and our sinful natures throw at us a million different distractions, priorities, and temptations. The Holy Spirit always tries to draw our focus beyond the fallenness of this life to the salvation Jesus brings. To do this He directs us to the cross. Only Jesus can forgive sins.
Without the cross there could be no salvation, only darkness, death and despair. Only the atoning sacrifice of Jesus paid the price for our sins and opened the gates of heaven. In His resurrection Jesus gained victory over the power of death. All who believe in Him can look forward to sharing in the immortality of His life.
Dear friends, reflecting on mortality should always cause us to reassess our priorities in life. What do we value, and why? Where are our time and energy invested? In what or who do we ultimately trust? Do we have our blinders on, or are our heads buried in the sand? Are we happy to just live with sin and brokenness, or do we want them resolved?
Aussie’s sudden passing is a vivid reminder that tomorrow is not guaranteed to us. Each day is a gift. Unless the Lord comes back first- and that is His prerogative- all of us are going to be part of this scene we’re experiencing right now. There are no exceptions. No power that we have, individually or collectively, can bring us across the threshold to the heavenly life. Only Christ can do that. He does it by grace through faith.
Aussie’s congenial personality and amiable ways endeared him to those he met. We thank God for the blessing that he was to those who knew and loved him. Austin has been relieved of all the burden’s and cares of this mortal life. He’s at peace. He’s enjoying the inheritance of his baptism. But we’re still here and grieving is clear evidence of our humanity. Aussie won’t be replaced, no one can be. But life must go on. We are here to farewell and take leave of Aussie, but there’s nothing more we can do for him. God’s words, His truths, His warnings, His promises are directed at us.
Leslie, you’ve had more than your share of grief, having lost two husbands previously and a son. You’re a veteran of these affairs. But that doesn’t automatically make it easier. Grief brings scars, and scars, by definition are something we carry with us for the rest of our lives. Indeed, nobody goes through this life without accumulating scars. We might think we can cover them with cosmetic solutions much like those who chase eternal youth resort to all kinds of cosmetic enhancements to make themselves look younger (and supposedly better) than they really are. But that doesn’t work in the end.
Responses to losing a loved one can include denial, withdrawal, anger, apathy, and despair. Everyone is different. There is no formula for grieving, but grief is best faced head on. If we try to deny it, it won’t go away. If we try to suppress it, it will boil over at some point. But Christ can bear the burden, He can carry the weight. God is bigger than death. Christ was not and will never be defeated. The Holy Spirit gives us light and hope even in the darkest times. God created the universe out of nothing. He can raise the dead just as easily and He promises to do it. “God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”3 In the Saviour’s blessed name, Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Funeral of Austin (Aussie) Craig Atkinson
19 September 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Romans 10:9 2 John 14:6
3 John 3:16
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Monday, September 16, 2019
Installation of Pastor Dean Mills Berri-Barmera 15 September 2019
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Romans 12:4-8
Theme: One Body, Different Vocations
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God wants us to have certainty about the most important things. He desires that we have a confident trust in His promises. The Holy Spirit is always working towards this goal. Sin, of course, is always destabilizing our confidence and Satan works that angle relentlessly and often, efficiently. The devil’s tool is doubt. Surely God is impotent, careless, or apathetic! Just look at the balance of the empirical evidence. But God is unfazed. His powers to create, to forgive, to resurrect from death will be vindicated in due course. Meanwhile, faith perseveres through the prosperities and adversities of life.
We’re here today because God wants us to have conviction that His truth is both relevant and reliable. Therefore, God ordains locations of access to His blessings. The primary ones are the word, baptism, and Holy Communion. He does this for the purpose of certainty. He wants us to know that in and through those gifts the Holy Spirit is present and working. We don’t have to search clumsily or desperately around wondering where we might make contact with God’s truth. Don’t get me wrong, people will continue to search in all different kinds of interesting and uninteresting, innocent and dangerous, places to find God. But these will prove fruitless in the end.
When was the last time uncertainty made you feel vulnerable? Maybe you lost your keys, your mobile phone, your handbag, or your wallet. Maybe your financial stability is as risk due to unforeseen circumstances. Maybe an important relationship is full of tension and unease. Maybe the medical tests are in and you’re waiting for the results? We go to great lengths to mitigate uncertainty. That’s why people purchase insurance for such a wide range of things. If you knew for certain that the contents of your home would never be damaged by theft, fire, or flood, would you still pay for home and contents insurance? And why would you? If you knew for sure that you would never be sick for a day in your life, but that God would swiftly call you home when you reached the century mark, would you take out health cover? What happens when people don’t know where to turn for answers, where to go for assurance?
Today, we’re here to celebrate a particular way that God provides certainty: Through the gift of pastors and their vocation. The certainty that comes with the office of the ministry is probably not appreciated for what it is. But think only of the implication of your pastor standing before you in the Divine Service and saying, “I, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God to all of you, and on behalf of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”1 You’ll note that the word ‘Word’ is capitalized. Jesus is the Word. So, it’s no small privilege or insignificant responsibility. You have called Pastor Dean for the very specific reason of speaking Jesus’ words to you.
Now, you may, over the course of time, find that Pastor Dean has limited capacities. You may even notice tendencies, preferences, and God forbid- biases. You might even disagree or become offended by something he says or does. (I do pray that the merger of the two congregations has initiated a new honeymoon phase and that it will last for a very long time.) But, in stressful times, remember that he is a fallible, sinful human being just like you and me. He’s not Superman; but he is entrusted with the stewardship of supernatural things. The Holy Spirit has, through the agency of these congregations (not through the sanctity of his personal character) called him to this office of service.
Remember that like you, he is a child of God. He holds the office, but he doesn’t have a mark of indelibility. He too is restored and sustained by the same forgiveness. Remember he has a wife and family, and that they are not called to the same office. No one can be all things to all people. In the body of Christ each one is gifted in a way that contributes to the well-being of the whole. Pastor Dean, like you, is baptized. That makes him, like you, part of the priesthood of all believers. Baptism gives all believers equal status before the Almighty. All are justified by grace, through faith, for Jesus’s sake. God declares believers righteous and He does so not by mere fiat, that is., force of will, but on the basis of the atoning death and life-giving resurrection of Jesus. Baptism makes us participants of these powers and blessings. But baptism doesn’t determine vocation. God has other ways to determine vocational identity.
The apostle Paul says in Romans, “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts according to the grace given us.”2 You see, we’re in this together. Each of you is gifted in a way that contributes to the common good of God’s people. Pastor Dean is not here to do your work. He’s not here to take over the witness, the worship, and the identity of the people of these congregations. And don’t think for a moment that God considers Pastor Dean’s vocation more holy than yours.
In teaching about the importance of everyone’s vocation, everyone’s contribution, everyone’s gift in service of the whole, Luther used this example from his day, “I recall two leading jurists at Erfurt. When the time came for them to die, they said to each other, sighing deeply: ‘Oh, if we had not been doctors of law but monks, how much more blessedly we would die!’ …And so it was that only one remedy remained. They demanded that, in addition to the sacred rites which they bought at a high price, their bodies should be shrouded in a monk’s cowl so that they would be buried in the monastic habit. Did these men not show clearly enough that they did not know they had served God in their own office?”3
Dear friends, uneasiness and uncertainty will always be part of the human condition. We’re inclined to dip a toe in the water instead of taking a leap of faith. It’s a little like Uncle Oscar who was apprehensive about his first airplane ride. His grandchildren, eager to hear how it went, asked if he enjoyed the flight. "Well," commented Uncle Oscar, "it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be, but I'll tell you this. I never did put all my weight down!" Dear friends, we can put all our weight down on Christ. His plan of salvation is not going to crash to the ground. His mission is not going to fail. He will not leave us behind when the going gets tough. He’s been to the cross. He triumphed over death. He desires that we share in His immortal life. Pastor Dean is not here to push you, but he is here to hold your hand as you take the leap of faith.
It would be remiss of us to overlook the fact that today’s appointed gospel reading contains the parable of the lost sheep. The Greek word for pastor is the word for shepherd. It’s one of the most endearing images in the Scriptures. The seeking Shepherd locates the lost sheep and brings it home. Your minister speaks to you the words of the Good Shepherd, cautions you with His warning, assures you of His promises, communicates His wisdom. That doesn’t make him a plagiarist, a copy-cat or a redundancy. It makes him a pastor, an undershepherd of the Chief Shepherd. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Installation of Dean Mills Berri-Barmera
15 September 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 LH p.7 2 Romans 12:4-6
3 LW 12, p71
Text: Romans 12:4-8
Theme: One Body, Different Vocations
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God wants us to have certainty about the most important things. He desires that we have a confident trust in His promises. The Holy Spirit is always working towards this goal. Sin, of course, is always destabilizing our confidence and Satan works that angle relentlessly and often, efficiently. The devil’s tool is doubt. Surely God is impotent, careless, or apathetic! Just look at the balance of the empirical evidence. But God is unfazed. His powers to create, to forgive, to resurrect from death will be vindicated in due course. Meanwhile, faith perseveres through the prosperities and adversities of life.
We’re here today because God wants us to have conviction that His truth is both relevant and reliable. Therefore, God ordains locations of access to His blessings. The primary ones are the word, baptism, and Holy Communion. He does this for the purpose of certainty. He wants us to know that in and through those gifts the Holy Spirit is present and working. We don’t have to search clumsily or desperately around wondering where we might make contact with God’s truth. Don’t get me wrong, people will continue to search in all different kinds of interesting and uninteresting, innocent and dangerous, places to find God. But these will prove fruitless in the end.
When was the last time uncertainty made you feel vulnerable? Maybe you lost your keys, your mobile phone, your handbag, or your wallet. Maybe your financial stability is as risk due to unforeseen circumstances. Maybe an important relationship is full of tension and unease. Maybe the medical tests are in and you’re waiting for the results? We go to great lengths to mitigate uncertainty. That’s why people purchase insurance for such a wide range of things. If you knew for certain that the contents of your home would never be damaged by theft, fire, or flood, would you still pay for home and contents insurance? And why would you? If you knew for sure that you would never be sick for a day in your life, but that God would swiftly call you home when you reached the century mark, would you take out health cover? What happens when people don’t know where to turn for answers, where to go for assurance?
Today, we’re here to celebrate a particular way that God provides certainty: Through the gift of pastors and their vocation. The certainty that comes with the office of the ministry is probably not appreciated for what it is. But think only of the implication of your pastor standing before you in the Divine Service and saying, “I, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God to all of you, and on behalf of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”1 You’ll note that the word ‘Word’ is capitalized. Jesus is the Word. So, it’s no small privilege or insignificant responsibility. You have called Pastor Dean for the very specific reason of speaking Jesus’ words to you.
Now, you may, over the course of time, find that Pastor Dean has limited capacities. You may even notice tendencies, preferences, and God forbid- biases. You might even disagree or become offended by something he says or does. (I do pray that the merger of the two congregations has initiated a new honeymoon phase and that it will last for a very long time.) But, in stressful times, remember that he is a fallible, sinful human being just like you and me. He’s not Superman; but he is entrusted with the stewardship of supernatural things. The Holy Spirit has, through the agency of these congregations (not through the sanctity of his personal character) called him to this office of service.
Remember that like you, he is a child of God. He holds the office, but he doesn’t have a mark of indelibility. He too is restored and sustained by the same forgiveness. Remember he has a wife and family, and that they are not called to the same office. No one can be all things to all people. In the body of Christ each one is gifted in a way that contributes to the well-being of the whole. Pastor Dean, like you, is baptized. That makes him, like you, part of the priesthood of all believers. Baptism gives all believers equal status before the Almighty. All are justified by grace, through faith, for Jesus’s sake. God declares believers righteous and He does so not by mere fiat, that is., force of will, but on the basis of the atoning death and life-giving resurrection of Jesus. Baptism makes us participants of these powers and blessings. But baptism doesn’t determine vocation. God has other ways to determine vocational identity.
The apostle Paul says in Romans, “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts according to the grace given us.”2 You see, we’re in this together. Each of you is gifted in a way that contributes to the common good of God’s people. Pastor Dean is not here to do your work. He’s not here to take over the witness, the worship, and the identity of the people of these congregations. And don’t think for a moment that God considers Pastor Dean’s vocation more holy than yours.
In teaching about the importance of everyone’s vocation, everyone’s contribution, everyone’s gift in service of the whole, Luther used this example from his day, “I recall two leading jurists at Erfurt. When the time came for them to die, they said to each other, sighing deeply: ‘Oh, if we had not been doctors of law but monks, how much more blessedly we would die!’ …And so it was that only one remedy remained. They demanded that, in addition to the sacred rites which they bought at a high price, their bodies should be shrouded in a monk’s cowl so that they would be buried in the monastic habit. Did these men not show clearly enough that they did not know they had served God in their own office?”3
Dear friends, uneasiness and uncertainty will always be part of the human condition. We’re inclined to dip a toe in the water instead of taking a leap of faith. It’s a little like Uncle Oscar who was apprehensive about his first airplane ride. His grandchildren, eager to hear how it went, asked if he enjoyed the flight. "Well," commented Uncle Oscar, "it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be, but I'll tell you this. I never did put all my weight down!" Dear friends, we can put all our weight down on Christ. His plan of salvation is not going to crash to the ground. His mission is not going to fail. He will not leave us behind when the going gets tough. He’s been to the cross. He triumphed over death. He desires that we share in His immortal life. Pastor Dean is not here to push you, but he is here to hold your hand as you take the leap of faith.
It would be remiss of us to overlook the fact that today’s appointed gospel reading contains the parable of the lost sheep. The Greek word for pastor is the word for shepherd. It’s one of the most endearing images in the Scriptures. The seeking Shepherd locates the lost sheep and brings it home. Your minister speaks to you the words of the Good Shepherd, cautions you with His warning, assures you of His promises, communicates His wisdom. That doesn’t make him a plagiarist, a copy-cat or a redundancy. It makes him a pastor, an undershepherd of the Chief Shepherd. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Installation of Dean Mills Berri-Barmera
15 September 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 LH p.7 2 Romans 12:4-6
3 LW 12, p71
Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost (C) 2019
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 15:5-7
Theme: The Seeking Shepherd
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The angels are prayerfully hopeful. About what? What are angels hopeful about? They are hopeful about the conversion of sinners. Angels are not self-absorbed. They are neither oblivious to, nor uninterested in human fate. The image of guardian angels assisting people in need is widely understood, so it would be inaccurate to claim that people think angels are completely aloof. But apart from their vocational role of assisting us on an ad hoc basis, it’s easy to assume they are mostly absorbed with the worship of God. The Scripture describes “thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly.”1 Yet here, Jesus tells us about something else that fills the angels with joy. He says, “There is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."2 It’s a marvelous mystery that angels are concerned with our welfare and it will be awesome to share their company in heaven.
The angelic joy is occasioned by the finding of the lost which Jesus connects here with repentance. Remember, the occasion for Jesus speaking this parable of the seeking shepherd is the disgust of the Pharisees and scribes that tax collectors and sinners were coming to Jesus. They deemed them to be unclean and unworthy; lost causes. They judged them to be beyond the scope of interaction for anyone who claimed- as Jesus did- to be a messenger of God. In short, they thought the holy blessings of God were not meant for the sinful people of the world. The lost would have to see to themselves.
But, dear friends, Jesus Christ comes seeking the lost. Many are distant from God, lost in sin, and they don’t even know it. God doesn’t wait. He doesn’t sit around fretting about whether people will miss Him in their lives. He goes looking. He doesn’t set up a control centre so He can remotely direct a search and rescue operation. God didn’t remain in heaven hoping for the best after Adam and Eve fell into sin. Jesus came searching. He came to the darkness. He left the place of perfection and came to the state of corruption. He left unity and came to discord. He left the communion of truth and came to the chaos of falsehood. He left the realm of life and came to the dimension of death.
The Bible makes it clear that in spite of all that we experience in this world that is good and beautiful and desirable, we live under the specter of death. The vitality of this existence is a borrowed vitality. We do not possess it independently or autonomously. In short, the Scriptures call on us to recognize that life- in all its aspects and with all its struggles- is truly a gift from the Almighty. There is not a single child that is conceived and born that we should not consider to be a miracle. (Kye Jachmann is certainly no exception.) There is not a ray of sun that shines or a drop of rain that falls that we should fail to credit to the generosity of God. Can we bring these things to pass under our own power? Can we cause the heart to beat one single time apart from the power of God? And in spite of this preserving power of God, the consequence of sin is still death. No one can escape it.
So, Jesus came bringing the power of incorruptible life. He didn’t come with an attitude of self-preservation but of sacrifice. He didn’t come in arrogance, but humility. Jesus came, the all-powerful Son of God wrapped in swaddling clothes. He came, the holy and blameless Messiah, and subjected Himself to a cruel and unethical crucifixion. But not even that- not even His death- could stop His pursuit of our salvation. He marched right out of the grave securing for believers immortal life. He lives. He reigns. He will come again in glory.
Meanwhile, through His word and His Spirit and His sacraments, He is seeking the lost. In baptism He comes to those still in the darkness of unbelief and gives them the light of faith. The Scripture says, “He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son.”3 In Holy Communion He comes to baptized, instructed, and repentant believers with food for the journey. It is easier for Satan to lead the spiritually emaciated off the narrow road. God fortifies us against his schemes.
Maybe you’re feeling a bit lost? Maybe that’s why God has brought you to His house today? Maybe some of your most important relationships are fragile or full of conflict? Maybe your financial footing is not very stable? Maybe you’re struggling with temptation, addiction, or depression? Maybe you’ve suffered abuse or have yourself been hurtful or domineering towards others? Maybe you’re anxious about what the future holds?
Active Christians too, can feel lost. Temptation is always before us and even faithful believers head off in the wrong direction away from the will of God. The biblical examples can be multiplied many times. Noah got lost in drunkenness after his epic journey on the ark. Lot’s wife got lost in regret turning back to what was instead of forward to what would be and turned into a pillar of salt. King David was lost in the sins of adultery and murder. God sent Nathan the prophet to him and turned him in repentance. Hannah was lost in grief, God sent her a son. Thomas was lost in doubt, Peter was lost in denial, Judas was lost in betrayal. Only Judas despaired, hardening His heart and remaining determined to not be found by the Lord.
So, don’t hide from your sins. Don’t deny your shortcomings. Don’t waste time and energy trying to justify yourself before God or others. Christ is the one who justifies you. He gave His life for it. Don’t pretend to be someone or something you’re not. God knows you inside out anyway. Nothing can be hidden from Him. And people figure us out too- sooner or later. So, it’s no good trying to keep up appearances.
Believe God when He says to you, “Now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation.”4 Again, when He says, “Everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins though His name.”5 And again, “I, even I, am He who blots our your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”6 Christ never turns away those who cast themselves on His mercy. The repentance of one sinner fills angels’ hearts with joy. Even more importantly, it fills the Saviour’s heart with joy and that of the entire community. What does Jesus say about finding the lost sheep today? “When he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’”7 Jesus is the Seeking Shepherd. He intends to bring us home. Thanks be to God!
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost
15 September 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Hebrews 12:22 2 Luke 15:10
3 Colossians 1:13 4 2 Corinthians 6:2
5 Acts 10:43 6 Isaiah 43:25
7 Luke 15:5-6
Text: Luke 15:5-7
Theme: The Seeking Shepherd
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The angels are prayerfully hopeful. About what? What are angels hopeful about? They are hopeful about the conversion of sinners. Angels are not self-absorbed. They are neither oblivious to, nor uninterested in human fate. The image of guardian angels assisting people in need is widely understood, so it would be inaccurate to claim that people think angels are completely aloof. But apart from their vocational role of assisting us on an ad hoc basis, it’s easy to assume they are mostly absorbed with the worship of God. The Scripture describes “thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly.”1 Yet here, Jesus tells us about something else that fills the angels with joy. He says, “There is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."2 It’s a marvelous mystery that angels are concerned with our welfare and it will be awesome to share their company in heaven.
The angelic joy is occasioned by the finding of the lost which Jesus connects here with repentance. Remember, the occasion for Jesus speaking this parable of the seeking shepherd is the disgust of the Pharisees and scribes that tax collectors and sinners were coming to Jesus. They deemed them to be unclean and unworthy; lost causes. They judged them to be beyond the scope of interaction for anyone who claimed- as Jesus did- to be a messenger of God. In short, they thought the holy blessings of God were not meant for the sinful people of the world. The lost would have to see to themselves.
But, dear friends, Jesus Christ comes seeking the lost. Many are distant from God, lost in sin, and they don’t even know it. God doesn’t wait. He doesn’t sit around fretting about whether people will miss Him in their lives. He goes looking. He doesn’t set up a control centre so He can remotely direct a search and rescue operation. God didn’t remain in heaven hoping for the best after Adam and Eve fell into sin. Jesus came searching. He came to the darkness. He left the place of perfection and came to the state of corruption. He left unity and came to discord. He left the communion of truth and came to the chaos of falsehood. He left the realm of life and came to the dimension of death.
The Bible makes it clear that in spite of all that we experience in this world that is good and beautiful and desirable, we live under the specter of death. The vitality of this existence is a borrowed vitality. We do not possess it independently or autonomously. In short, the Scriptures call on us to recognize that life- in all its aspects and with all its struggles- is truly a gift from the Almighty. There is not a single child that is conceived and born that we should not consider to be a miracle. (Kye Jachmann is certainly no exception.) There is not a ray of sun that shines or a drop of rain that falls that we should fail to credit to the generosity of God. Can we bring these things to pass under our own power? Can we cause the heart to beat one single time apart from the power of God? And in spite of this preserving power of God, the consequence of sin is still death. No one can escape it.
So, Jesus came bringing the power of incorruptible life. He didn’t come with an attitude of self-preservation but of sacrifice. He didn’t come in arrogance, but humility. Jesus came, the all-powerful Son of God wrapped in swaddling clothes. He came, the holy and blameless Messiah, and subjected Himself to a cruel and unethical crucifixion. But not even that- not even His death- could stop His pursuit of our salvation. He marched right out of the grave securing for believers immortal life. He lives. He reigns. He will come again in glory.
Meanwhile, through His word and His Spirit and His sacraments, He is seeking the lost. In baptism He comes to those still in the darkness of unbelief and gives them the light of faith. The Scripture says, “He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son.”3 In Holy Communion He comes to baptized, instructed, and repentant believers with food for the journey. It is easier for Satan to lead the spiritually emaciated off the narrow road. God fortifies us against his schemes.
Maybe you’re feeling a bit lost? Maybe that’s why God has brought you to His house today? Maybe some of your most important relationships are fragile or full of conflict? Maybe your financial footing is not very stable? Maybe you’re struggling with temptation, addiction, or depression? Maybe you’ve suffered abuse or have yourself been hurtful or domineering towards others? Maybe you’re anxious about what the future holds?
Active Christians too, can feel lost. Temptation is always before us and even faithful believers head off in the wrong direction away from the will of God. The biblical examples can be multiplied many times. Noah got lost in drunkenness after his epic journey on the ark. Lot’s wife got lost in regret turning back to what was instead of forward to what would be and turned into a pillar of salt. King David was lost in the sins of adultery and murder. God sent Nathan the prophet to him and turned him in repentance. Hannah was lost in grief, God sent her a son. Thomas was lost in doubt, Peter was lost in denial, Judas was lost in betrayal. Only Judas despaired, hardening His heart and remaining determined to not be found by the Lord.
So, don’t hide from your sins. Don’t deny your shortcomings. Don’t waste time and energy trying to justify yourself before God or others. Christ is the one who justifies you. He gave His life for it. Don’t pretend to be someone or something you’re not. God knows you inside out anyway. Nothing can be hidden from Him. And people figure us out too- sooner or later. So, it’s no good trying to keep up appearances.
Believe God when He says to you, “Now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation.”4 Again, when He says, “Everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins though His name.”5 And again, “I, even I, am He who blots our your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”6 Christ never turns away those who cast themselves on His mercy. The repentance of one sinner fills angels’ hearts with joy. Even more importantly, it fills the Saviour’s heart with joy and that of the entire community. What does Jesus say about finding the lost sheep today? “When he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’”7 Jesus is the Seeking Shepherd. He intends to bring us home. Thanks be to God!
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost
15 September 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Hebrews 12:22 2 Luke 15:10
3 Colossians 1:13 4 2 Corinthians 6:2
5 Acts 10:43 6 Isaiah 43:25
7 Luke 15:5-6
Sunday, September 8, 2019
Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost (C) 2019
+ 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
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
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
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