+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Romans 4:5
Theme: Gospel Magnificence
Dear followers of the Saviour,
The gospel is magnificent beyond comprehension and there is no single way to express it. The gospel, properly understood, speaks only to those who come to understand there is an irresolvable deficit between the human being, the sinner, and God. The hearts, minds, and ears of those who are satiated with self-righteousness remain closed. God’s word of indictment must do its work before the Good News can be received for what it is. Lent is as good a time as any to sharpen our focus on this core truth of Christianity.
The letter of saint Paul to the Christians in Rome is one of the most brilliant and resolute expressions of the gospel in the biblical witness. He says today in chapter four, “When a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.”1 The historical reference is to Abraham who is upheld as the primary example of a man of faith. In this regard, the Bible considers every true believer, including you and me, to be children of Abraham.
How do we come to acquire this righteousness of God- the righteousness credited to Abraham? Well, it’s not of human origin. Philanthropy is not the gospel. Altruism is not the gospel. Optimism is not the gospel. Being charitable to everyone in every circumstance is not the gospel. The gospel is not a philosophical perspective on human virtue. The collective accomplishments of humanity’s best efforts do not qualify as the good news that prevents the demise of the human race.
The gospel is the divine declaration that through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ the condemnation due us for our sins has been abolished. Note that there is condemnation due us for our sins. At the beginning of every Divine Service it’s proper to reflect specifically on what some of those sins are for us: Lust, greed, dishonesty, disobedience, laziness, selfishness, over-indulgence? Generic repentance is not likely to lead to a conviction of guilt or the reception of grace. In other words, if our confession is nonspecific, we’re not likely to be led to true contrition or rejoice in forgiveness. The Holy Spirit works concretely.
The ways and means of the Spirit cannot be curbed by us, but His means are self-limited. In regard to divine truth, we can say no more than what God has said. To venture further is to engage in speculation. Writing to the believers in Corinth, St. Paul warned them “not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favour of one against another.”2 Ultimately, to explore spirituality beyond the limits of what Scripture records is to wander past seemingly harmless speculation into the dark domain of Satan. His is a labyrinth with illusory exits. He lures many not through the temptations of the flesh, but through the appeal of spiritual self-definition and of wanting to define our own terms of righteousness. Such risky indulgences are more commonplace than we may think.
So, we can say no more than God has said, but we are obligated to say no less than the Spirit has said either. To do so is to deprive others of the full counsel of God. There are many things God hasn’t told us, but the things He has revealed have been disclosed for a purpose. It’s only through His written word that we know the saving acts of God. Nature can reveal His omnipotence and providence, but not His intention to redeem sinners. The gospel is not imprinted in nature. The gospel is not intuitive to the human mind. We could never deduce the gospel with our ability to reason. It cannot be derived from a philosophical system.
Only the Holy Spirit can teach the gospel. Only through faith can we receive it. Without that Spirit-given faith, the historical events that constitute the gospel- from the incarnation of Jesus through to His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension- remain only information. Luther calls this historical faith, not saving faith. Saving faith is the preeminent miracle of the Holy Spirit. It’s “second nature” to God, after all, everything He does is aimed at creating and sustaining life. His punishment of sin and crucifying of the Old Adam3 within us is to prepare us for resurrection to new spiritual life. Sin cannot be reformed or remodeled. It must be destroyed. This work goes on in baptism. It goes on whenever we receive Holy Communion.
Dear friends, whenever you’re tempted to doubt the genuineness or efficacy of forgiveness you can be assured the devil is agitating. The Holy Spirit always brings certainty. The presence of the Holy Spirit is never marked by doubt over the favour of God. The Scriptures call the Spirit a Comforter, a Counselor, an Advocate. And what kind of Comforter do you think He is? Does He coddle us like a doting mother does a spoiled child? Does He indulge us like an over-protective father does a bratty kid? Does He pander to our selfishness or stroke our egos? Would the Holy Spirit ever minimalize or marginalize the consequences of our sin? Would He foster self-righteousness within us? Not for a moment in any measure!
But, without exception, the Spirit embraces the repentant heart with the sweet, sweet assurance that gospel is not a generic message for imaginary sinners. It is a personal pledge of emancipation for the cherished child of God. You are His baptized. You have been reconciled to the Father through the blood of Christ. The Scripture says, “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”4
You are pardoned, you are forgiven, you are freed to start anew from the moment the words of absolution strike your ears. That divine forgiveness is not contingent upon any conditions that remain to be met. It is not invalidated by any of your sins of the past. The Spirit does not drag out an historical record of your transgressions (Satan does that of course). The Holy Spirit points you to the cross and reminds you why the Son of God hung there. In fact, He hangs your sins on the body that hung there for you. He drapes your transgressions over the sacrificial Lamb who leaves all of the eternal punishment you deserve for those sins in the grave.
The penalty- a penalty meriting eternal separation from God- has been remitted. Rescue from Satan’s jurisdiction is achieved through Christ’s triumph. So all wrangling about the worthiness of sinners to be received into the eternal presence of God is resolved. Every accusation of unworthiness is silenced. The sacrifice of Jesus was sufficient. This good news has no parallel and cannot be duplicated or supplanted. It will never become obsolete. It is magnificent beyond compare.
And it is our privilege to own it and to promote it. The necessity of publishing the eternal gospel is a divine mandate. The mission of the church is not to attract clients who become convinced their lives can be improved by some spiritual self-help strategies. Neither is it the primary mission of the church to alleviate suffering and misery in people’s lives. The church is the assembly of the redeemed, the body of Christ on earth. Our God is not only living, He has already been through death. May we, through the Spirit, in this season of Lent come to a renewed appreciation of our Saviour, of Whom the prophet says, “He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.”5 Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Second Sunday in Lent
8 March 2020
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Romans 4:4 2 1 Corinthians 4:6
3 See Luther’s Small Catechism 4 Romans 5:1
5 Isaiah 53:5
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Dulcie Westbrook Funeral (4 March 2020)
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Revelation 21:4
Theme: The End of Pain and Grief
Dear family, friends, and loved ones of Dulcie; and especially you Lew and Aileen, her children,
The end of all pain, suffering, and death is not a childish fantasy. It is the eternal reality of those who have crossed into the presence of God. This is the promise we have just heard from God’s holy word. When we reflect on the gravity of mortality no words of comfort really matter except those of Him who has defeated death and thrown open the gates of heaven. So, we gather with solemnity but also with joy, knowing that Dulcie has reached her final rest. Her journey is over. Her struggles are ended. Thanks be to God for His merciful love!
A Christian funeral necessarily has a confronting element because we can’t make light of serious realities. Consideration of mortality often evokes a guttural reaction. Death is menacing. It is dark and consuming. It has an inevitability that we cannot overcome. Death is not the natural way of things that some claim. It’s not part of some grand cosmic cycle that was intended from the beginning. Death is the mature consequence of sin. It is punishment leveled against the sinner for offending God’s holiness. Death severs all of our relationships and if left unresolved separates us from God’s goodness eternally.
Jesus Christ is the only One with the authority to offer resolution and reconciliation. Everything stands or falls on His sacrificial work for sinners. Our salvation is only by grace, only through faith. If grace in Christ is a fantasy, then hope is finally lost. If divine love is a fallacy, then ultimate meaning is shattered. If God’s promises are hollow, then existence itself comes unhinged. If the resurrection of Christ was only pious legend, then eternal death prevails. But, dear friends, Jesus Christ is indeed risen from the dead. The grave could not hold Him. Death could not bind Him. Hell could not subdue Him. Satan could not silence Him.
He says to us, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.”1 And the Scripture says, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”2 It sounds so simple and in one sense that’s true. But in another sense, it’s the most difficult thing in the world. There are many challenges to faith and the Holy Spirit is required for it to be maintained.
God, of course, knew what struggles Dulcie would endure and what blessings she would enjoy. From the moment of her baptism He reclaimed her as His unique creation and promised her an eternal inheritance. Dulcie understood the challenges of farm life, of family, and of relationships. Farming in the Mallee demands an astute gage of one’s capacities. If you don’t learn to adjust it can quickly break you. Dulcie learned to adapt even under trying circumstances. She knew she was a fallible human being- a sinner like all of us. She would have had her share of regrets, disappointments, and sorrows in life. But she also knew she was God’s child. She knew God had greater things in store for her.
The Scriptures encourage us to eagerly anticipate being released from all the consequences of sin. Consider these words of promise, “Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.”3 Again, “We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is”4 And again from Revelation 21, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”5 Dulcie is now freed from all the burdens of this life.
Of course, we still remain in the old order of things and we must carry on. What do we learn from those who have gone before? We do we learn about the value of things temporal and things eternal? We have memories of the beloved. These memories are important. Inevitably such memories involve a mixture of joy and sorrow. People tend to be glorified at death, but we know that every life is fraught with fallibility. Every person needs forgiveness. And isn’t that all that matters in the end: Forgiven relationships? Our relationship with God and others?
The Scriptures tell us not to leave overtures of reconciliation too late. The Bible says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”6 This isn’t meaningless ‘religious’ advice. Relationships that remain fractured at the point of death are the cause of much regret and heartache. Dear friends, Christ forgives the eternal offence of our sins. Any sins of others that we pardon pale in comparison. That doesn’t mean we are to discount the seriousness of the transgressions others have committed against us. Forgiveness is not about downplaying. Forgiveness is about valuing the sinner over the sin. Life is not only too short to bear grudges; our own sanctity is too limited to allow us to be self-righteous. The Scripture says, “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”7 If the subject is too difficult to broach, seek outside assistance.
Lew, Aileen, the emptiness left by the death of your mother cannot be filled by any means that we possess. The poignancy of grief is a recognition of the irreplaceability of the loved one. The blessing that she was to you and to others is her legacy. But know that for the believer the end is always a blessed end. From human perspective dying may seem downright cruel. Physical pain and psychological trauma are suffered by many in the twilight of life. Frailties of body and mind rob life of even the smallest pleasures. Dulcie endured a long battle with dementia. While others can sympathize and even empathize, no two people trod the same path. Yet, at that point when the threshold is crossed, the believer is released from every burden of this fallen existence. The Psalmist says, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.”8
Dulcie was a baptized child of God. What she knew at the end is not nearly as important as the fact that she was known. God knew her. Christians believe “in the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.” Dulcie now awaits the resurrection of the body on the Last Day. But her heart is already at peace. Her mind has already been grated full clarity. Dulcie’s confirmation verse was from John 8. “Jesus said, ‘If you hold to My teaching you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”9 Dulcie has truly been set free. Thanks be to God! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian Burial of Dulcie Norma Westbrook
4 March 2020
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 11:25-25
2 Romans 10:9-10
3 Philippians 3:20-21
4 1 John 3:2
5 Revelation 21:4
6 Romans 12:18
7 Colossians 3:13
8 Psalm 116:15
9 John 8:31-32
Text: Revelation 21:4
Theme: The End of Pain and Grief
Dear family, friends, and loved ones of Dulcie; and especially you Lew and Aileen, her children,
The end of all pain, suffering, and death is not a childish fantasy. It is the eternal reality of those who have crossed into the presence of God. This is the promise we have just heard from God’s holy word. When we reflect on the gravity of mortality no words of comfort really matter except those of Him who has defeated death and thrown open the gates of heaven. So, we gather with solemnity but also with joy, knowing that Dulcie has reached her final rest. Her journey is over. Her struggles are ended. Thanks be to God for His merciful love!
A Christian funeral necessarily has a confronting element because we can’t make light of serious realities. Consideration of mortality often evokes a guttural reaction. Death is menacing. It is dark and consuming. It has an inevitability that we cannot overcome. Death is not the natural way of things that some claim. It’s not part of some grand cosmic cycle that was intended from the beginning. Death is the mature consequence of sin. It is punishment leveled against the sinner for offending God’s holiness. Death severs all of our relationships and if left unresolved separates us from God’s goodness eternally.
Jesus Christ is the only One with the authority to offer resolution and reconciliation. Everything stands or falls on His sacrificial work for sinners. Our salvation is only by grace, only through faith. If grace in Christ is a fantasy, then hope is finally lost. If divine love is a fallacy, then ultimate meaning is shattered. If God’s promises are hollow, then existence itself comes unhinged. If the resurrection of Christ was only pious legend, then eternal death prevails. But, dear friends, Jesus Christ is indeed risen from the dead. The grave could not hold Him. Death could not bind Him. Hell could not subdue Him. Satan could not silence Him.
He says to us, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.”1 And the Scripture says, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”2 It sounds so simple and in one sense that’s true. But in another sense, it’s the most difficult thing in the world. There are many challenges to faith and the Holy Spirit is required for it to be maintained.
God, of course, knew what struggles Dulcie would endure and what blessings she would enjoy. From the moment of her baptism He reclaimed her as His unique creation and promised her an eternal inheritance. Dulcie understood the challenges of farm life, of family, and of relationships. Farming in the Mallee demands an astute gage of one’s capacities. If you don’t learn to adjust it can quickly break you. Dulcie learned to adapt even under trying circumstances. She knew she was a fallible human being- a sinner like all of us. She would have had her share of regrets, disappointments, and sorrows in life. But she also knew she was God’s child. She knew God had greater things in store for her.
The Scriptures encourage us to eagerly anticipate being released from all the consequences of sin. Consider these words of promise, “Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.”3 Again, “We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is”4 And again from Revelation 21, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”5 Dulcie is now freed from all the burdens of this life.
Of course, we still remain in the old order of things and we must carry on. What do we learn from those who have gone before? We do we learn about the value of things temporal and things eternal? We have memories of the beloved. These memories are important. Inevitably such memories involve a mixture of joy and sorrow. People tend to be glorified at death, but we know that every life is fraught with fallibility. Every person needs forgiveness. And isn’t that all that matters in the end: Forgiven relationships? Our relationship with God and others?
The Scriptures tell us not to leave overtures of reconciliation too late. The Bible says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”6 This isn’t meaningless ‘religious’ advice. Relationships that remain fractured at the point of death are the cause of much regret and heartache. Dear friends, Christ forgives the eternal offence of our sins. Any sins of others that we pardon pale in comparison. That doesn’t mean we are to discount the seriousness of the transgressions others have committed against us. Forgiveness is not about downplaying. Forgiveness is about valuing the sinner over the sin. Life is not only too short to bear grudges; our own sanctity is too limited to allow us to be self-righteous. The Scripture says, “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”7 If the subject is too difficult to broach, seek outside assistance.
Lew, Aileen, the emptiness left by the death of your mother cannot be filled by any means that we possess. The poignancy of grief is a recognition of the irreplaceability of the loved one. The blessing that she was to you and to others is her legacy. But know that for the believer the end is always a blessed end. From human perspective dying may seem downright cruel. Physical pain and psychological trauma are suffered by many in the twilight of life. Frailties of body and mind rob life of even the smallest pleasures. Dulcie endured a long battle with dementia. While others can sympathize and even empathize, no two people trod the same path. Yet, at that point when the threshold is crossed, the believer is released from every burden of this fallen existence. The Psalmist says, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.”8
Dulcie was a baptized child of God. What she knew at the end is not nearly as important as the fact that she was known. God knew her. Christians believe “in the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.” Dulcie now awaits the resurrection of the body on the Last Day. But her heart is already at peace. Her mind has already been grated full clarity. Dulcie’s confirmation verse was from John 8. “Jesus said, ‘If you hold to My teaching you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”9 Dulcie has truly been set free. Thanks be to God! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian Burial of Dulcie Norma Westbrook
4 March 2020
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 11:25-25
2 Romans 10:9-10
3 Philippians 3:20-21
4 1 John 3:2
5 Revelation 21:4
6 Romans 12:18
7 Colossians 3:13
8 Psalm 116:15
9 John 8:31-32
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