+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen +
Text: Matthew 10:40-42
Theme: Everything In Christ’s Name
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Christianity is not a philosophical system. It’s not a frame of reference to help us identify with the beliefs of our ancestors. It’s not merely a cultural perspective on society or a set of principles to address civilization’s challenges. Christianity is the life and salvation we have in and through Jesus Christ. It was first called the “Way”1 because it is a comprehensive way of believing and living, of praying and hoping, sharing and rejoicing. Christianity orientates and orders the lives of believers in relation to God and humanity, in time and eternity. Christ is not our consultant. He is not our patron. He is our Saviour.
Now that implies there is something or someone to be saved from. Our focus in Matthew 10 over the past couple of weeks reminds us of the gravity of this truth. The Scriptures provide us with clarity regarding ultimate things. Dear friends, it’s an immeasurable distance between imperfection and hell. That is, our natural reason allows us to accept that we’re not flawless; we’re not perfect. The ego can deal quite comfortably with this. But seldom does the ego accept the fairness of eternal punishment. The conscience, unenlightened by the Spirit cannot bear it. The charge of total depravity, the verdict of guilt meriting eternal punishment can be received only in faith. There could never be enough evidence; never enough proof.
Reason and logic will never be satisfied. Surely God could not be so unfair that He would not overlook some of our indiscretions! Surely He can see the good in us! Human nature always clings to the claim that at least a smidgeon of goodness can be found within and with patience and persistence be nurtured into a person worthy of God. That’s why repentance is never about being convinced the punishment fits the crime. It’s never about being just good enough. God must be taken at His word. We cannot sit in judgment.
The Scriptures are consistent in their teaching of sin and grace, law and gospel. God always addresses us with the purpose unencumbering our egos and bolstering our trust in His promises. The Spirit’s managing of us is often challenging, even taxing. Today Abraham is a peerless case-in-point. To grapple with Genesis 22 is to wrestle with the deepest complexities of the faith. Abraham is asked to sacrifice Isaac. Isaac is the son of the promise. Abraham follows God’s command to the point of drawing the knife. Then God intervenes. From a human perspective the whole ordeal appears cruel, nearly insane. Yet it was a preview of the sacrifice of Christ for the sins of the world. Of course that doesn’t make it more sensible or less profound. Christ was already in view. He is the only Son that surpasses all only sons. Yet how was Abraham able to muster the strength? Hebrews chapter 11 tells us, “Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.”2 God grant us such faith!
Faith can be weak, it can be vulnerable; it can be frail. Faith can be misinformed or confused. But faith can never be piecemeal. It is never incomplete. We have all of Christ or we have none of Him. If our faith is not in the Christ who died and rose for us then it is a deception. The Spirit always points to Christ. Christ always gives access to the Father. Jesus says to His disciples, “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives the One who sent Me.”3 Our God raises the dead. We are raised already in baptism and our baptismal life is immortal because it carries us right into eternity.
Baptismal faith exists in repentance. The dynamic of grappling daily with sin and clinging to God’s promises in Christ is what constitutes the life of a believer. Dear friends, we are sinners of our own making. We are saints of Christ’s making. We are both at the same time. We are self-made sinners. We are Spirit-made saints. From human perspective these truths are logical contradictions. One cannot be both utterly sinful and completely holy. But from God’s perspective we are truly righteous because He sees us through the lens of the cross. He sees us through Christ. And in Christ He sees pure holiness.
Our salvation is purely by grace for Christ’s sake. We cannot prepare for it, merit it, contribute to it, or earn it in any way, shape or form. We are justified, declared righteous and holy in God’s sight purely out of God’s unconditional mercy. We receive His divine favour through faith, which is itself a gift of the Holy Spirit. Our Scripture says, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”4 Christ is passionate for every soul. His love burns with intensity. It drove Him to the cross. His love also motivates us to serve others.
Today Jesus says, “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”5 How do we handle this promise of reward? It certainly is not an incentive to gain favour with God. We can never earn our salvation or accumulate credit with Him. The promise that the reward will not be lost is an encouragement to be faithful. It is inspiration for us to persevere in helping others. God does notice. It does matter. God will not turn His back on His people. He will attend to our needs now as well as into eternity. The simplest act of kindness or charity done in Christ’s name has immeasurable value. Monetary values cannot be placed on sacrificial acts of service.
Dear friends, we are the body of Christ. The body has many parts. Not all have the same function. But all serve the common good. All work together, the stronger for the sake of the weaker, the greater for the sake of the lesser, the courageous for the sake of the timid, the joyous for the sake of the sorrowful. You or I are not the church individually and we cannot exist as independent spiritual entities. The Bible knows of no such thing as strictly private life faith. The church exists in community. As such we bear Christ’s truth into the world.
A cup of cold water may appear to be a trivial gesture. Yet it can be the avenue for the Water of Life. The world is spiritually parched. But the blessings of God are extravagant. In Christ’s name, through His power, in His presence, the simplest things are sanctified for His purposes. Bread and wine become the bearers of His body and blood. Water becomes the instrument of the Holy Spirit. The words of the pastor “I forgive you all your sins.” become the declaration of the Almighty God. There is no higher authority. The Scripture says that even “If we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.”6 Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 See Acts 9:2
2 Hebrews 11:19
3 Matthew 10:40
4 Romans 6:23
5 Matthew 10:42
6 2 Timothy 2:13
7 1 John 4:18
Third Sunday After Pentecost
29 June 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Monday, June 30, 2014
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Second Sunday After Pentecost (A) 2014
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen +
Text: Matthew 10:31
Theme: Of Fear, Faith, Hair and Sparrows
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The fallen sparrow is noted. Not one perishes apart from the heavenly Father. Truly that is a stunning thought to consider. The Almighty God, occupied with the rule of the universe, managing powers and principalities for the sake of His church- cares for sparrows. And His care is not merely a matter of generic omniscience, that is, because God is all-seeing and all-knowing we might think the fallen sparrow is merely logged somewhere in the divine record books. No, Jesus Christ wishes to convey to us the intimate care He has for His creation. Sparrows can illustrate the gospel.
But, of course, sparrows aren’t the primary subject of our Scriptures today. They are referenced only for comparative purposes. Today Jesus strikes right at the heart of the issues of fear and faith. He sets in juxtaposition temporal concerns and eternal security. The vulnerability of Christians is characterized by their lack of trust when facing opposition for following the truth. Fear can easily overcome us, but in the final measure God must be our refuge or we prove that our faith was only hollow in the end, or at least misplaced. Jesus said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”1
Now what kind of application does this have in a context in which Christianity is not yet prohibited, but increasingly marginalized? The relevant question is, “What do we fear?” How many indeed, are the fears that nag us, cause us anxiety, and even incapacitate us! One of the most common symptoms of fear is worry. Worry is among those particularly persistent sins. We worry about our finances. We worry about our health. We worry about other people’s opinions. We worry about our safety. We worry about the future. We worry about being opposed or ridiculed for our Christian faith. And the list of lesser things that we worry about can be multiplied without end.
Often our fears are hidden. We become masters at disguising them. We cleverly avoid things we should be able to face. We make excuses and absent ourselves when we know our presence is needed. Worry eats up our time and energy. Sometimes people are none the wiser. But we are probably transparent to those who know us best. We are certainly transparent to God. Many things that we worry about never even come to pass.
At the root of the problem is lack of trust. We prioritize our worries and fears- sometimes subconsciously- often giving little thought to God’s warnings or promises. Jesus says, “Whoever disowns Me before men, I will disown before My Father in heaven.”2 Do you think it is not an offence to Him when we fail to pray to Him in time of need and banish any thought that He is willing to help? It is no small sin (though often excused away) when we only turn to God in the last resort. It denies to Him compassion, power, and glory. We must continually be convicted for such lack of trust. The sun will shine and the rain will fall because He is benevolent. Do you really think God is aloof? Do you really think He will fail you?
Falling sparrows and numbered hairs teach us otherwise. God is not full of empty words. The Scriptures are not obsolete historical narratives. Remember Christ said last week, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”3 He said before that, “I will give you another Counselor to be with you forever- the Spirit of truth.”4 Christ left the glories of heaven and humbled Himself by assuming our human flesh. In so doing He embraced the full range of human frailty. Jesus Christ faced a greater fear than we could ever imagine. As the cross loomed before Him He prayed in the garden, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”5 Was it not there, before He was even on the cross that He suffered the greatest agony of soul to the point that His sweat dripped as blood? Yet He made the sacrifice, paying the price for our sins and defeating death, hell and Satan.
We can face even the deepest fears knowing He lives to give us life. As we live in our baptisms we know that all things- even our greatest failures- are resolved by Him in the end. Baptism has eternal implications precisely because it depends not only on the Holy Spirit’s work, but because it connects us with the power of Christ’s death and resurrection. The apostle says we are participants through baptism in His sacrificial death and His victorious life. “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him…in the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”6
What does it mean to count ourselves dead to sin but alive to God? It means we have no need to be self-serving. It means that the power of the Spirit at work in us is greater than the power of fear. It means Christ is not only our example, but our strength, our refuge, our constant companion and attendant. Satan’s main tactics are fear and deception but He is no match for God’s defences. We have the unshakeable promise of forgiveness. We have the fellowship of the one, holy, Christian and apostolic church. For those who receive it in faith Holy Communion is also an antidote to fear. It contains the promise and power of reconciliation. Reconciled to God, under His care, there is no power that can contest His love.
What could be more insignificant than a sparrow? What is more trivial than a single hair? Yet they do not escape His notice. They are incomparable to the value Christ places on your life. His own blood secured your salvation. The Bible says, “Perfect love drives out fear.”7 He is perfect love. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 Matthew 10:28-31
2 Matthew 10:33
3 Matthew 28:20
4 John 14:16-17
5 Matthew 27:39
6 Romans 6:8-9, 11
7 1 John 4:18
Second Sunday After Pentecost
22 June 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Text: Matthew 10:31
Theme: Of Fear, Faith, Hair and Sparrows
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The fallen sparrow is noted. Not one perishes apart from the heavenly Father. Truly that is a stunning thought to consider. The Almighty God, occupied with the rule of the universe, managing powers and principalities for the sake of His church- cares for sparrows. And His care is not merely a matter of generic omniscience, that is, because God is all-seeing and all-knowing we might think the fallen sparrow is merely logged somewhere in the divine record books. No, Jesus Christ wishes to convey to us the intimate care He has for His creation. Sparrows can illustrate the gospel.
But, of course, sparrows aren’t the primary subject of our Scriptures today. They are referenced only for comparative purposes. Today Jesus strikes right at the heart of the issues of fear and faith. He sets in juxtaposition temporal concerns and eternal security. The vulnerability of Christians is characterized by their lack of trust when facing opposition for following the truth. Fear can easily overcome us, but in the final measure God must be our refuge or we prove that our faith was only hollow in the end, or at least misplaced. Jesus said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”1
Now what kind of application does this have in a context in which Christianity is not yet prohibited, but increasingly marginalized? The relevant question is, “What do we fear?” How many indeed, are the fears that nag us, cause us anxiety, and even incapacitate us! One of the most common symptoms of fear is worry. Worry is among those particularly persistent sins. We worry about our finances. We worry about our health. We worry about other people’s opinions. We worry about our safety. We worry about the future. We worry about being opposed or ridiculed for our Christian faith. And the list of lesser things that we worry about can be multiplied without end.
Often our fears are hidden. We become masters at disguising them. We cleverly avoid things we should be able to face. We make excuses and absent ourselves when we know our presence is needed. Worry eats up our time and energy. Sometimes people are none the wiser. But we are probably transparent to those who know us best. We are certainly transparent to God. Many things that we worry about never even come to pass.
At the root of the problem is lack of trust. We prioritize our worries and fears- sometimes subconsciously- often giving little thought to God’s warnings or promises. Jesus says, “Whoever disowns Me before men, I will disown before My Father in heaven.”2 Do you think it is not an offence to Him when we fail to pray to Him in time of need and banish any thought that He is willing to help? It is no small sin (though often excused away) when we only turn to God in the last resort. It denies to Him compassion, power, and glory. We must continually be convicted for such lack of trust. The sun will shine and the rain will fall because He is benevolent. Do you really think God is aloof? Do you really think He will fail you?
Falling sparrows and numbered hairs teach us otherwise. God is not full of empty words. The Scriptures are not obsolete historical narratives. Remember Christ said last week, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”3 He said before that, “I will give you another Counselor to be with you forever- the Spirit of truth.”4 Christ left the glories of heaven and humbled Himself by assuming our human flesh. In so doing He embraced the full range of human frailty. Jesus Christ faced a greater fear than we could ever imagine. As the cross loomed before Him He prayed in the garden, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”5 Was it not there, before He was even on the cross that He suffered the greatest agony of soul to the point that His sweat dripped as blood? Yet He made the sacrifice, paying the price for our sins and defeating death, hell and Satan.
We can face even the deepest fears knowing He lives to give us life. As we live in our baptisms we know that all things- even our greatest failures- are resolved by Him in the end. Baptism has eternal implications precisely because it depends not only on the Holy Spirit’s work, but because it connects us with the power of Christ’s death and resurrection. The apostle says we are participants through baptism in His sacrificial death and His victorious life. “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him…in the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”6
What does it mean to count ourselves dead to sin but alive to God? It means we have no need to be self-serving. It means that the power of the Spirit at work in us is greater than the power of fear. It means Christ is not only our example, but our strength, our refuge, our constant companion and attendant. Satan’s main tactics are fear and deception but He is no match for God’s defences. We have the unshakeable promise of forgiveness. We have the fellowship of the one, holy, Christian and apostolic church. For those who receive it in faith Holy Communion is also an antidote to fear. It contains the promise and power of reconciliation. Reconciled to God, under His care, there is no power that can contest His love.
What could be more insignificant than a sparrow? What is more trivial than a single hair? Yet they do not escape His notice. They are incomparable to the value Christ places on your life. His own blood secured your salvation. The Bible says, “Perfect love drives out fear.”7 He is perfect love. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 Matthew 10:28-31
2 Matthew 10:33
3 Matthew 28:20
4 John 14:16-17
5 Matthew 27:39
6 Romans 6:8-9, 11
7 1 John 4:18
Second Sunday After Pentecost
22 June 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Holy Trinity (A) 2014
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen +
Text: Matthew 28:19-20
Theme: Life With The Trinity
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Life is complicated. But not by design. By design life is unimaginably rich, let’s say, sophisticated. Yes, even complex. You heard the creation account moments ago. Complexity is an inbuilt blessing of the Creator. The complication is introduced by sin. Sin is the curse of poisoned complexity. The richness of life was compromised by the pitfalls of independence. So the sinner, in the honest, transparent reality of complete vulnerability before God is reduced to one necessity: Amnesty with Him. The Bible calls it peace, reconciliation, restoration, and eternal salvation, to name a few.
It’s no coincidence that our appointed Scriptures on this Holy Trinity Sunday include both the account of creation and the directive to proclaim the gospel to all of humanity. The God who creates is the God who redeems. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit work in concerted effort to rescue sinners and reconcile them to Himself. He desires to restore to us the rich treasures of abundant life. Under Christ, the New Adam, the Head of the church, the Holy Spirit gathers, baptizes, and re-orders the people of God. Creation can only be understood in view of Christ’s work of restoring it to Himself.
There can be no human comprehension of the way in which God created the universe. We cannot peer back to the moment before time and matter came to exist. Science will never ‘re-enact’ the beginning of all things. It’s an impossibility! The Almighty God exists eternally- a concept beyond the limitations of our minds. God, in inaccessible and unknowable eternity, called creation into existence. He placed into being something completely other than Himself. There was now not only God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, self-existing, but there was also the object of His love. Creation was the benefactor of His expansive benevolence. Human beings are the crown of His creation. But things were soon in chaos.
Dear friends, if the peerless claim of the gospel is to be meaningful we must understand that the intent of God is a holistic and radical rescue of creation. The church doesn’t exist to simply mitigate the consequences of living in an imperfect world. Greater things are at stake.
The Bible says that all human beings are born in slavery to sin. Without help all souls would be lost inevitably to eternal destruction. Life is not about temporal peace and pleasure but communion with God. These truths are acutely relevant. They are pertinent to you. They are the context for the call of repentance.
Unload your sins. Pile them at the foot of the cross. Lay down your bitterness and resentment, your greed and your lust, your fear and your anxiety, your arrogance and indifference. He can bear them all. There is nothing too heavy for Christ to lift and nothing so sinister that He will turn away. There is no darkness that cannot be penetrated by His light. No one is beyond the reach of His redeeming embrace. He went to the cross to shed His blood for you. His sacrifice silenced Satan’s stinging accusations against you. His greeting of peace on Easter Sunday quenched the furor of death.
God’s word accomplishes things. Christ speaks the life-giving words of the Spirit. He raises us from the death of sin. He does this spiritually already in baptism. Ezekiel stood on the valley floor and prophesied to the dry bones and they came to life. Christ stood outside the tomb of Lazarus and commanded him to come forth. He says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.”1 In the tension of this dying creation we can have peace, hope, and the certainty of eternal life. And in this truth we have the purpose of our existence.
The triune God says, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”2 This is the purpose, the privilege, the calling of the baptized corporately, as the community of faith. It is a monumental challenge. But it’s not meant to be somber or intemperate. The call of Jesus is not to leave behind our jobs, our families, our friends, and passions. We’re not meant to be super-spiritualists showing our obedience by escaping the world. His call is to transform the world in those very vocations in which He has placed us.
Yes, we do have to take leave of our sinful desires and selfish agendas. Repentance demands humility, transparency, and self-denial. We can’t be serving Christ if we are unashamedly serving ourselves. Sacrifice is involved. Baptismal living means infusing the lives of those we are called to serve with love, hope, and truth. Typically this involves doing the hard yards of bearing with others in their difficulties. The glory of living out our calling, of participating in the making disciples of all nations and teaching them is not usually the high-profile experience of seeing people make dramatic conversions of faith. There is no promise we will convert others by our charisma. The Holy Spirit changes hearts.
We are called to faithfulness. Our high, holy, and priestly work involves the everyday modeling of integrity, persevering with others in the midst of their sicknesses, addictions, and weakness. It is life in the trenches; life under the cross. When the masses were organized for the allied D-Day landing in Normandy, France, only a few prepared in the security of distance and had the privilege of observation. Most were in the dark hulls of ships soon to be exposed on the beaches, bound for life in the trenches.
The Lord says, “Go!” The Spirit leads. Go. Go where? Go where people need the love of Christ. You don’t need a map. Go to your job, your school, and your retirement activities. Go to the hospital, the nursing home and the lonely dwellings of widows and the depressed. Don’t go with pretense but with sincerity. Go with your offering to support the mission of the church at home and abroad. Go with your prayers, your visits, your texts, your Facebook posts, and your tweets. Invite others to hear God’s word. Honestly tell them that here your life intersects with the Holy Trinity and the community of the faithful. Here is your true identity. Here you receive food for the soul. Here is peace that the world cannot give.
Perhaps your life is not as simple as you’d like it to be. Like me you’re a sinner and your life is surrounded by others like yourself. That complicates things. Things get messy. But Christ isn’t a hands-off coach or a distant consultant. He is with you in the midst of struggle. He says, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”3 He says, “I am making everything new!”4There is nothing we lack. We have His promised inheritance. Our place in His kingdom even now isn’t aimless; it serves the greater complexity of His rich design. “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”5 Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 John 11:25
2 Matthew 28:19-20
3 Matthew 28:20
4 Revelation 21:5
5 2 Corinthians 13:14
Holy Trinity
15 June 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Text: Matthew 28:19-20
Theme: Life With The Trinity
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Life is complicated. But not by design. By design life is unimaginably rich, let’s say, sophisticated. Yes, even complex. You heard the creation account moments ago. Complexity is an inbuilt blessing of the Creator. The complication is introduced by sin. Sin is the curse of poisoned complexity. The richness of life was compromised by the pitfalls of independence. So the sinner, in the honest, transparent reality of complete vulnerability before God is reduced to one necessity: Amnesty with Him. The Bible calls it peace, reconciliation, restoration, and eternal salvation, to name a few.
It’s no coincidence that our appointed Scriptures on this Holy Trinity Sunday include both the account of creation and the directive to proclaim the gospel to all of humanity. The God who creates is the God who redeems. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit work in concerted effort to rescue sinners and reconcile them to Himself. He desires to restore to us the rich treasures of abundant life. Under Christ, the New Adam, the Head of the church, the Holy Spirit gathers, baptizes, and re-orders the people of God. Creation can only be understood in view of Christ’s work of restoring it to Himself.
There can be no human comprehension of the way in which God created the universe. We cannot peer back to the moment before time and matter came to exist. Science will never ‘re-enact’ the beginning of all things. It’s an impossibility! The Almighty God exists eternally- a concept beyond the limitations of our minds. God, in inaccessible and unknowable eternity, called creation into existence. He placed into being something completely other than Himself. There was now not only God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, self-existing, but there was also the object of His love. Creation was the benefactor of His expansive benevolence. Human beings are the crown of His creation. But things were soon in chaos.
Dear friends, if the peerless claim of the gospel is to be meaningful we must understand that the intent of God is a holistic and radical rescue of creation. The church doesn’t exist to simply mitigate the consequences of living in an imperfect world. Greater things are at stake.
The Bible says that all human beings are born in slavery to sin. Without help all souls would be lost inevitably to eternal destruction. Life is not about temporal peace and pleasure but communion with God. These truths are acutely relevant. They are pertinent to you. They are the context for the call of repentance.
Unload your sins. Pile them at the foot of the cross. Lay down your bitterness and resentment, your greed and your lust, your fear and your anxiety, your arrogance and indifference. He can bear them all. There is nothing too heavy for Christ to lift and nothing so sinister that He will turn away. There is no darkness that cannot be penetrated by His light. No one is beyond the reach of His redeeming embrace. He went to the cross to shed His blood for you. His sacrifice silenced Satan’s stinging accusations against you. His greeting of peace on Easter Sunday quenched the furor of death.
God’s word accomplishes things. Christ speaks the life-giving words of the Spirit. He raises us from the death of sin. He does this spiritually already in baptism. Ezekiel stood on the valley floor and prophesied to the dry bones and they came to life. Christ stood outside the tomb of Lazarus and commanded him to come forth. He says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.”1 In the tension of this dying creation we can have peace, hope, and the certainty of eternal life. And in this truth we have the purpose of our existence.
The triune God says, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”2 This is the purpose, the privilege, the calling of the baptized corporately, as the community of faith. It is a monumental challenge. But it’s not meant to be somber or intemperate. The call of Jesus is not to leave behind our jobs, our families, our friends, and passions. We’re not meant to be super-spiritualists showing our obedience by escaping the world. His call is to transform the world in those very vocations in which He has placed us.
Yes, we do have to take leave of our sinful desires and selfish agendas. Repentance demands humility, transparency, and self-denial. We can’t be serving Christ if we are unashamedly serving ourselves. Sacrifice is involved. Baptismal living means infusing the lives of those we are called to serve with love, hope, and truth. Typically this involves doing the hard yards of bearing with others in their difficulties. The glory of living out our calling, of participating in the making disciples of all nations and teaching them is not usually the high-profile experience of seeing people make dramatic conversions of faith. There is no promise we will convert others by our charisma. The Holy Spirit changes hearts.
We are called to faithfulness. Our high, holy, and priestly work involves the everyday modeling of integrity, persevering with others in the midst of their sicknesses, addictions, and weakness. It is life in the trenches; life under the cross. When the masses were organized for the allied D-Day landing in Normandy, France, only a few prepared in the security of distance and had the privilege of observation. Most were in the dark hulls of ships soon to be exposed on the beaches, bound for life in the trenches.
The Lord says, “Go!” The Spirit leads. Go. Go where? Go where people need the love of Christ. You don’t need a map. Go to your job, your school, and your retirement activities. Go to the hospital, the nursing home and the lonely dwellings of widows and the depressed. Don’t go with pretense but with sincerity. Go with your offering to support the mission of the church at home and abroad. Go with your prayers, your visits, your texts, your Facebook posts, and your tweets. Invite others to hear God’s word. Honestly tell them that here your life intersects with the Holy Trinity and the community of the faithful. Here is your true identity. Here you receive food for the soul. Here is peace that the world cannot give.
Perhaps your life is not as simple as you’d like it to be. Like me you’re a sinner and your life is surrounded by others like yourself. That complicates things. Things get messy. But Christ isn’t a hands-off coach or a distant consultant. He is with you in the midst of struggle. He says, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”3 He says, “I am making everything new!”4There is nothing we lack. We have His promised inheritance. Our place in His kingdom even now isn’t aimless; it serves the greater complexity of His rich design. “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”5 Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 John 11:25
2 Matthew 28:19-20
3 Matthew 28:20
4 Revelation 21:5
5 2 Corinthians 13:14
Holy Trinity
15 June 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Sunday, June 8, 2014
The Day of Pentecost (A) 2014
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen +
Text: Acts 2:1-21
Theme: The Work of the Spirit
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The actions of God always have restorative power. Mortals experience the passing of time by succumbing to decay. Time moves along and our bodies and minds progress from maturity to deterioration. The eternal God, however, reverses decay and suspends the eclipse of time. The implication for believers is that even in the midst of this fallen existence we can participate in Christ’s new and eternal creation. Christ is the means. The Holy Spirit is the facilitator. Baptism is the ‘method’. On this Day of Pentecost we rejoice that through the Spirit’s work we have become recipients of Christ’s redeeming work.
The giving of the Holy Spirit is not limited to the historical out-pouring at Pentecost. God is not bound by time. The Holy Spirit lives and works among and within us concurrently with Christ through His word. The Holy Spirit is not merely the energy, dynamism, or power of God. The Spirit doesn’t relate to the Godhead like our soul relates to our body. He’s not just an intangible force that animates the commands of God. The Holy Spirit is fully God, fully divine, and yet a distinct person of the Trinity distinguished from the Father and the Son. As such He is to be worshipped and glorified.
False teachings on the nature of the Holy Spirit’s being were largely remedied in the early centuries of the church. (Though they have re-appeared in sectarian teachings like that of Mormonism and the Jehovah’s Witnesses.) Yet the work and presence of the Holy Spirit is still commonly misunderstood. The Holy Spirit is not a sort of religious “catch all” to sanction whatever we deem to be our valid spiritual interests. The issue at stake is both the source and authority of our religious knowledge.
A prevalent teaching of our day is the validation of truth and authority based on our individual feelings. Decisions are made accordingly. In certain contexts this is just the logical outcome of preferences. Suppose you are wondering if it’s cold enough outside that you need to dress more warmly. How do you know? You might go outside and notice that it feels cold. So you plan your day accordingly. Or you might hear the weather forecaster has predicted a high of 15 degrees, and without feeling for yourself you take similar measures. Either way, the result was the same. But if the forecast is wrong you will adjust accordingly.
However, this analogy cannot be universally applied. Consider this example. Suppose you feel capable enough to drive home after having a few drinks. But if you let your feeling be the sole measure of truth you could soon be in for a lot of trouble. The number you blow when breath-tested is much more important than how you feel. The source of your knowledge is important, as is the authority that it has.
What we imagine or intention spiritually has no basis of certainty apart from the word of God. Inclinations or intuitions- regardless of how intense- are not necessarily the promptings of the Holy Spirit. A situation in which we may feel comfortable or content may well be in conflict with God’s truth. Conversely, we may feel nervous or uncertain in another context, yet God’s word should assure us that we have His blessing. God’s word has authority because He is its author. The Holy Spirit speaks through it.
Pentecost began a reversal of confusion and chaos. Those scattered at Babel are brought together at Jerusalem as a preview to the heavenly Zion. Christ re-established God’s authority; not as a maverick working independently, but at the fulfiller and advocate of the Scriptures. We can be certain that His word of law and His gospel message have validity. Our trust follows accordingly. For example, true repentance, says Luther, “does not debate what is or is not sin. Rather, it hurls everything together and says: Everything in us is nothing but sin, there is nothing in us that is not sin and guilt.”1 It’s useless to spend time and energy rationalizing, negotiating, or bargaining. Our pride must be set completely aside. God wishes to forgive us only on His terms.
The natural knowledge of God is still accessible to all people. It is revealed in the created order. It follows logic. It makes sense to us. Rebellion invites punishment. Obedience curries reward. Acknowledging that violence and harmful behavior must be kept in check doesn’t require the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. Society must only come to agreement on acceptable parameters. But to abolish guidelines altogether invites judgment. To use a culturally sensitive issue, homosexuality is not a widening of the parameters. The difference is not a matter of degree- adjusting the boundaries-, but of kind- rejecting the whole pattern.
Saving knowledge of God, however, is possible only through special revelation. God as the unconditional Lover that condescends to creation; God as merciful redeemer who intervenes to rescue humans from impending doom; this God is only made known to us through the Scriptures. Only through the Holy Spirit can we understand the God who sets in place the natural order as the Saviour who takes extreme measures to rescue us from the final collapse of that same natural order. This truth can only be nonsensical to unbelievers.
In other words, Christians see the world from a different point of view. The apostle Paul says, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”2 Paul certainly isn’t saying that there is some kind of secret knowledge for insiders or the elite. Christianity is nothing like Masonry or Mormonism. The work of the Saviour is not covert. Nothing happens underground. The clearest truth ever proclaimed, the clearest news ever circulated, the clearest knowledge ever taught is the death of Jesus Christ for the sins of the world. Every language group, nation, and race is the intended audience of the message of the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation, in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit has no other aim and no other purpose than to grant saving faith in Him who was crucified for the sins of the world.
Pentecost sets the pattern for the global communication of the gospel. The apostles articulated the Good News to those present in their native tongues. Inwardly the Holy Spirit was illuminating hearts. Saul of Tarsus was a pre-eminent example. The scales fell from Paul’s eyes. His spiritual blindness was cured. A lifetime of progressive persecution was turned to passion for people to know the gospel of the forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ. It took centuries, but the world was dramatically changed.
In most of the West Christianity has again lost the influence of strength in numbers. In current parlance we might say that it’s lost mechanism of peer pressure- for good or for ill. Taboos or expectations of a majority Christian segment of society would influence the choices and opinions of others not directly associated with the faith. Now the situation is nearly reversed. Christian voices are often a minority in an increasingly secular world that howls down anything it believes challenges its freedoms or ideals.
But true freedom is found in Christ. We are His baptized children. “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”4 We are fed by His body and blood. We have the Spirit of Truth, the Paraclete, the Advocate, the Helper, the Counsellor, and the Comforter. You can be absolutely certain God says this to you in real time: Your sins are forgiven. Christ has made amends. He alone can make it valid for eternity. Rejoice on this day of Pentecost in knowing that when you have God’s word the Spirit is with you. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 Luther, Smalcald Articles
2 1 Corinthians 2:14
3 Hebrews 1:1-2
4 Titus 3:5
The Day of Pentecost
8 June 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Text: Acts 2:1-21
Theme: The Work of the Spirit
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The actions of God always have restorative power. Mortals experience the passing of time by succumbing to decay. Time moves along and our bodies and minds progress from maturity to deterioration. The eternal God, however, reverses decay and suspends the eclipse of time. The implication for believers is that even in the midst of this fallen existence we can participate in Christ’s new and eternal creation. Christ is the means. The Holy Spirit is the facilitator. Baptism is the ‘method’. On this Day of Pentecost we rejoice that through the Spirit’s work we have become recipients of Christ’s redeeming work.
The giving of the Holy Spirit is not limited to the historical out-pouring at Pentecost. God is not bound by time. The Holy Spirit lives and works among and within us concurrently with Christ through His word. The Holy Spirit is not merely the energy, dynamism, or power of God. The Spirit doesn’t relate to the Godhead like our soul relates to our body. He’s not just an intangible force that animates the commands of God. The Holy Spirit is fully God, fully divine, and yet a distinct person of the Trinity distinguished from the Father and the Son. As such He is to be worshipped and glorified.
False teachings on the nature of the Holy Spirit’s being were largely remedied in the early centuries of the church. (Though they have re-appeared in sectarian teachings like that of Mormonism and the Jehovah’s Witnesses.) Yet the work and presence of the Holy Spirit is still commonly misunderstood. The Holy Spirit is not a sort of religious “catch all” to sanction whatever we deem to be our valid spiritual interests. The issue at stake is both the source and authority of our religious knowledge.
A prevalent teaching of our day is the validation of truth and authority based on our individual feelings. Decisions are made accordingly. In certain contexts this is just the logical outcome of preferences. Suppose you are wondering if it’s cold enough outside that you need to dress more warmly. How do you know? You might go outside and notice that it feels cold. So you plan your day accordingly. Or you might hear the weather forecaster has predicted a high of 15 degrees, and without feeling for yourself you take similar measures. Either way, the result was the same. But if the forecast is wrong you will adjust accordingly.
However, this analogy cannot be universally applied. Consider this example. Suppose you feel capable enough to drive home after having a few drinks. But if you let your feeling be the sole measure of truth you could soon be in for a lot of trouble. The number you blow when breath-tested is much more important than how you feel. The source of your knowledge is important, as is the authority that it has.
What we imagine or intention spiritually has no basis of certainty apart from the word of God. Inclinations or intuitions- regardless of how intense- are not necessarily the promptings of the Holy Spirit. A situation in which we may feel comfortable or content may well be in conflict with God’s truth. Conversely, we may feel nervous or uncertain in another context, yet God’s word should assure us that we have His blessing. God’s word has authority because He is its author. The Holy Spirit speaks through it.
Pentecost began a reversal of confusion and chaos. Those scattered at Babel are brought together at Jerusalem as a preview to the heavenly Zion. Christ re-established God’s authority; not as a maverick working independently, but at the fulfiller and advocate of the Scriptures. We can be certain that His word of law and His gospel message have validity. Our trust follows accordingly. For example, true repentance, says Luther, “does not debate what is or is not sin. Rather, it hurls everything together and says: Everything in us is nothing but sin, there is nothing in us that is not sin and guilt.”1 It’s useless to spend time and energy rationalizing, negotiating, or bargaining. Our pride must be set completely aside. God wishes to forgive us only on His terms.
The natural knowledge of God is still accessible to all people. It is revealed in the created order. It follows logic. It makes sense to us. Rebellion invites punishment. Obedience curries reward. Acknowledging that violence and harmful behavior must be kept in check doesn’t require the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. Society must only come to agreement on acceptable parameters. But to abolish guidelines altogether invites judgment. To use a culturally sensitive issue, homosexuality is not a widening of the parameters. The difference is not a matter of degree- adjusting the boundaries-, but of kind- rejecting the whole pattern.
Saving knowledge of God, however, is possible only through special revelation. God as the unconditional Lover that condescends to creation; God as merciful redeemer who intervenes to rescue humans from impending doom; this God is only made known to us through the Scriptures. Only through the Holy Spirit can we understand the God who sets in place the natural order as the Saviour who takes extreme measures to rescue us from the final collapse of that same natural order. This truth can only be nonsensical to unbelievers.
In other words, Christians see the world from a different point of view. The apostle Paul says, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”2 Paul certainly isn’t saying that there is some kind of secret knowledge for insiders or the elite. Christianity is nothing like Masonry or Mormonism. The work of the Saviour is not covert. Nothing happens underground. The clearest truth ever proclaimed, the clearest news ever circulated, the clearest knowledge ever taught is the death of Jesus Christ for the sins of the world. Every language group, nation, and race is the intended audience of the message of the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation, in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit has no other aim and no other purpose than to grant saving faith in Him who was crucified for the sins of the world.
Pentecost sets the pattern for the global communication of the gospel. The apostles articulated the Good News to those present in their native tongues. Inwardly the Holy Spirit was illuminating hearts. Saul of Tarsus was a pre-eminent example. The scales fell from Paul’s eyes. His spiritual blindness was cured. A lifetime of progressive persecution was turned to passion for people to know the gospel of the forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ. It took centuries, but the world was dramatically changed.
In most of the West Christianity has again lost the influence of strength in numbers. In current parlance we might say that it’s lost mechanism of peer pressure- for good or for ill. Taboos or expectations of a majority Christian segment of society would influence the choices and opinions of others not directly associated with the faith. Now the situation is nearly reversed. Christian voices are often a minority in an increasingly secular world that howls down anything it believes challenges its freedoms or ideals.
But true freedom is found in Christ. We are His baptized children. “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”4 We are fed by His body and blood. We have the Spirit of Truth, the Paraclete, the Advocate, the Helper, the Counsellor, and the Comforter. You can be absolutely certain God says this to you in real time: Your sins are forgiven. Christ has made amends. He alone can make it valid for eternity. Rejoice on this day of Pentecost in knowing that when you have God’s word the Spirit is with you. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 Luther, Smalcald Articles
2 1 Corinthians 2:14
3 Hebrews 1:1-2
4 Titus 3:5
The Day of Pentecost
8 June 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Monday, June 2, 2014
Seventh Sunday of Easter (A) 2014
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen +
Text: John17:9
Theme: Prayer In Action
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Christ prays for His church. Today we hear how magnificent His requests to the heavenly Father are on our behalf. He prays that we would come to know the glory of the Father. He prays for eternal salvation. He says, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”1 Christ’s prayer is unique because He alone can bring His own prayer to fulfillment.
Recall what He said to His disciples before the ascension, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”2 He was referring to the writings of the Old Testament from Genesis to Malachi. They were typically divided under three groupings, the Books of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. It’s the same Old Testament Scriptures we have today. Jesus is the infallible interpreter of the Scriptures. His word is conclusive because His word is truth. He speaks not simply as an expert in spiritual and theological matters; He speaks as the Son of God. The Bible says, “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son.”3
Christ speaks to us His word of law and word of gospel. Our response is both humble prayer and joyful praise. The church of Jesus Christ is the church of repentance. It is a community of forgiven sinners always confessing its shortcomings and seeking grace. Only those who are reconciled to God can be agents of restoration for others. Luther said, “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ``Repent'' (Mt 4:17), He willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”4 Now, what is the nature of this repentance? Firstly, repentance is initiated by God Himself. The Holy Spirit must convict the heart and convince us of the true guilt of sin.
To be confronted by God means facing things as they really are. There are no charades with the Almighty. Christ does not forgive fabricated offenders. We can play our games- offering to confess our lesser sins to conceal our greater ones. The tactic of distraction has always been widely deployed for political means. Personally too, it’s a strategy that’s hard to resist. If we can keep God occupied with our petty offences perhaps we avoid addressing our more sinister deeds. Our conscience always flirts with false security here. Like the clever criminal who frames the unwitting citizen we think we can play God the fool. But God’s word is a double-edged sword. It swiftly severs us from the safety of game-playing and boldly confronts us with the reality of our unrighteousness.
Secondly, our repentance involves not only a turning away- turning away from sin, selfishness, and idols; but a turning to- we turn to Christ, we look to His word of promise, we cherish our baptism and the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. This aspect of repentance entails recognizing where we really stand with God. You don’t have anything to offer God. Nothing! In a society of affluence, opportunity, and accomplishment you are empty-handed before Him. Your piety, your charitable works, your efforts at keeping His commandments- none of these can merit God’s favour. Christ has done it all for you. He is the complete sacrifice for sins. His forgiveness is free and unconditional. Through Him we participate in an eternal victory.
The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ stand immovably as the pivotal events in history. Nothing can supersede them. Jesus is not a part player in a bigger drama. He is not one spiritual colour in a kaleidoscope of deities, demi-gods, or spiritual truths. He is the source, the purpose, and the fulfillment. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Demonic powers cannot manipulate Him. Earthly authorities are paper tigers before Him. No one can supply Him because there is nothing He needs.
But as Christians, we are never empty-handed before our neighbour. We always carry with us His blessing of peace. We always have to offer whatever resources God has put at our disposal. Our love of God flows through our neighbour. We can love selflessly because we are provided for generously. Many hearts remain closed to the gospel. But Christ opened the eyes of the blind and He can bring light into the darkest spiritual lives. After His resurrection Christ opened the minds of His own disciples. What Christ opens no one can close. What He closes no one can open. In His light we see light. “For God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”5
Christ is the high priest. He prays for His church. He intercedes on behalf of believers.
Thomas Watson once said, “Christ went more readily to the cross than we do to the throne of grace.” Therefore the writer to the Hebrews encourages us, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”6 And let us have confidence that Christ intercedes for us even when we do not know how to pray as we ought. Like the young boy who been sent to his room because he had been bad. A short time later he came out and said to his mother, "I've been thinking about what I did and I said a prayer." "That's fine," she said, "Did you ask God to help make you good boy" "Oh, I didn't ask Him to help me be good," replied the boy. "I asked Him to help you put up with me."
Dear friends, think of how patiently God puts up with us! Thursday was the Ascension of Christ. His enthronement at the right hand of God the Father marks His position of rule and authority. He lives to continually intercede for His church. Yet His ascension does not mean He is absent from us. He is present in the word of the gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit. He is present bodily through His body and blood in Holy Communion. Our faith is not sustained by some distant memory of His past activities, but by His blessings to us here and now. In prosperity and adversity Christ attends to us- and always for the purpose of drawing us to Himself. May the Holy Spirit grant us firm confidence in His unconditional love. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 John 17:3
2 Luke 24:44
3 Hebrews 1:1-2
4 Martin Luther
5 2 Corinthians 4:6
6 Hebrews 4:16
Seventh Sunday of Easter
1 June 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Text: John17:9
Theme: Prayer In Action
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Christ prays for His church. Today we hear how magnificent His requests to the heavenly Father are on our behalf. He prays that we would come to know the glory of the Father. He prays for eternal salvation. He says, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”1 Christ’s prayer is unique because He alone can bring His own prayer to fulfillment.
Recall what He said to His disciples before the ascension, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”2 He was referring to the writings of the Old Testament from Genesis to Malachi. They were typically divided under three groupings, the Books of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. It’s the same Old Testament Scriptures we have today. Jesus is the infallible interpreter of the Scriptures. His word is conclusive because His word is truth. He speaks not simply as an expert in spiritual and theological matters; He speaks as the Son of God. The Bible says, “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son.”3
Christ speaks to us His word of law and word of gospel. Our response is both humble prayer and joyful praise. The church of Jesus Christ is the church of repentance. It is a community of forgiven sinners always confessing its shortcomings and seeking grace. Only those who are reconciled to God can be agents of restoration for others. Luther said, “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ``Repent'' (Mt 4:17), He willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”4 Now, what is the nature of this repentance? Firstly, repentance is initiated by God Himself. The Holy Spirit must convict the heart and convince us of the true guilt of sin.
To be confronted by God means facing things as they really are. There are no charades with the Almighty. Christ does not forgive fabricated offenders. We can play our games- offering to confess our lesser sins to conceal our greater ones. The tactic of distraction has always been widely deployed for political means. Personally too, it’s a strategy that’s hard to resist. If we can keep God occupied with our petty offences perhaps we avoid addressing our more sinister deeds. Our conscience always flirts with false security here. Like the clever criminal who frames the unwitting citizen we think we can play God the fool. But God’s word is a double-edged sword. It swiftly severs us from the safety of game-playing and boldly confronts us with the reality of our unrighteousness.
Secondly, our repentance involves not only a turning away- turning away from sin, selfishness, and idols; but a turning to- we turn to Christ, we look to His word of promise, we cherish our baptism and the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. This aspect of repentance entails recognizing where we really stand with God. You don’t have anything to offer God. Nothing! In a society of affluence, opportunity, and accomplishment you are empty-handed before Him. Your piety, your charitable works, your efforts at keeping His commandments- none of these can merit God’s favour. Christ has done it all for you. He is the complete sacrifice for sins. His forgiveness is free and unconditional. Through Him we participate in an eternal victory.
The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ stand immovably as the pivotal events in history. Nothing can supersede them. Jesus is not a part player in a bigger drama. He is not one spiritual colour in a kaleidoscope of deities, demi-gods, or spiritual truths. He is the source, the purpose, and the fulfillment. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Demonic powers cannot manipulate Him. Earthly authorities are paper tigers before Him. No one can supply Him because there is nothing He needs.
But as Christians, we are never empty-handed before our neighbour. We always carry with us His blessing of peace. We always have to offer whatever resources God has put at our disposal. Our love of God flows through our neighbour. We can love selflessly because we are provided for generously. Many hearts remain closed to the gospel. But Christ opened the eyes of the blind and He can bring light into the darkest spiritual lives. After His resurrection Christ opened the minds of His own disciples. What Christ opens no one can close. What He closes no one can open. In His light we see light. “For God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”5
Christ is the high priest. He prays for His church. He intercedes on behalf of believers.
Thomas Watson once said, “Christ went more readily to the cross than we do to the throne of grace.” Therefore the writer to the Hebrews encourages us, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”6 And let us have confidence that Christ intercedes for us even when we do not know how to pray as we ought. Like the young boy who been sent to his room because he had been bad. A short time later he came out and said to his mother, "I've been thinking about what I did and I said a prayer." "That's fine," she said, "Did you ask God to help make you good boy" "Oh, I didn't ask Him to help me be good," replied the boy. "I asked Him to help you put up with me."
Dear friends, think of how patiently God puts up with us! Thursday was the Ascension of Christ. His enthronement at the right hand of God the Father marks His position of rule and authority. He lives to continually intercede for His church. Yet His ascension does not mean He is absent from us. He is present in the word of the gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit. He is present bodily through His body and blood in Holy Communion. Our faith is not sustained by some distant memory of His past activities, but by His blessings to us here and now. In prosperity and adversity Christ attends to us- and always for the purpose of drawing us to Himself. May the Holy Spirit grant us firm confidence in His unconditional love. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 John 17:3
2 Luke 24:44
3 Hebrews 1:1-2
4 Martin Luther
5 2 Corinthians 4:6
6 Hebrews 4:16
Seventh Sunday of Easter
1 June 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Monday, May 26, 2014
Sixth Sunday Of Easter (A) 2014
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen +
Text: John 14:16
Theme: The Paraclete With Us Forever
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God desires a deep connection with all people. Christ came to reconcile. But unbelief and the Holy Spirit are utterly incompatible. When human arrogance or apathy rejects the word of God the Holy Spirit is driven away. That doesn’t mean all hope is lost. Still, we can never say when the final opportunity is for conversion in someone’s life. The Shepherd seeks for lost sheep. The wind blows where it will. To speculate on such things is to infringe upon the jurisdiction of God. Still, these matters are critically relevant to us because they concern the well-being of souls. We don’t know when the window of opportunity for repentance will end. But we can be sure that conversion is always an act of grace. It is always facilitated by the Word of truth. No one can will it to come to pass. No one can put demands on God.
How can it be that “God our Saviour desires all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth,”1 and yet there will be many who are lost forever? All who are lost eternally bear their own guilt. All who are saved, are saved only by grace. The Scripture says, “For it is by grave you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works.”2 Why do some reject the love and mercy of God? We cannot say. Sin is a deep abyss. God’s love is deeper still. Christ died for all.
Mysteries will remain. Yet even when we don’t understand- and perhaps our reservations are sometimes serious- we nevertheless take God at His word. He instructs us to test the spirits, that is, to measure all teachings against the truth of His word. The world is full of half-truths and we’re prone to swallowing them hook, line, and sinker. But we are never to test or challenge His word. It only invites judgment. The Scriptures are often passed over so lightly today you’d think they were nothing but an obsolete resource or a novel curiosity. Even among Christians the Bible often carries little weight. Satan changes His guises more often than a snake sheds its skin, but his tactics always involve subverting God’s word and drawing people away from it.
We easily rationalize to ourselves the bending of God’s commands. The Third Commandment says we should Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy3, yet many consider their church attendance to be only optional. The Fifth Commandment says we should not murder, 4 yet we often fail to support our neighbour like we should, speak out against abortion, and euthanasia, and support the sanctity of life. The Sixth Commandment says we should not commit adultery, 5 and yet divorce, living together, and sexual immorality are nearly as high among Christians as the rest of the population. Are we not flirting with disaster? No unrepentant sinners are exempt from judgment. There are no exceptions. Any conscience at peace while in direct disobedience of God’s will is experiencing a false peace.
Dear friends, a conscience at ease is a conscience that takes refuge in the promises of Christ. His Good News rings out clearly today. Here it stands. The irrefutable promise of Christ, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”6 Strong, tender, and compassionate, these words are pure gospel. In the face of opposition, in the face of loneliness, in the face of marginalization, in the face of death, their Lord and Master will not desert them. His promise stands in the context of the sending of the Spirit and the revelation of the Father. Jesus is the image of the Father and the convener of the Spirit. Then He says, “Because I live, you also will live.”7
What proof do we have that this Jesus is trustworthy? The Holy Spirit directs us to the pinnacle of His work. On the cross it all hangs in the balance. The angels cover their eyes in terror and vexation. The crowds mock and jeer Him. His followers flee in cowardice and fear. The heart of the Father is rent. But the sacrifice is completed. The atonement is accomplished. The Lamb’s blood is shed. Your slate is wiped clean. Heaven stands open. Christ holds the key. No one can snatch you out of His hand.
It is not coincidental that the great events of history have connotations for our participation in Christ’s kingdom. The apostle says the flood of Noah symbolizes baptism. St. Peter references one of the most cataclysmic events in history to draw a parallel with the radical nature of Christian baptism. Just as God purified the whole world with the flood He cleanses the individual through baptismal water. Both are the fulfillment of divine promises. Both involve putting to death the old and bringing to life the new. Think, dear friends, how humbling it is that the Almighty God gave His only Son into death so that you might be buried and raised with Him in baptism. In Christ you are a new creation.
Now, I hear some of you saying that you don’t feel very new. Life knocks us around and often tempers our optimism. Yet, that is the beauty of Christ’s promise and His presence. It goes far beyond our fickle feelings. Faith is anchored to something much deeper, much more stable. The tempests rage around us but the foundation is unshakeable. Don’t confuse your feelings with faith. Faith takes us beyond us, beyond the narrow confines of our earthly horizons. God does not lie. The power of death has been overcome. Understanding this perspective allows us to live sacrificially for others. A great proportion of the world remains enslaved to their fear of mortality. But they can see light and freedom- liberty to love unconditionally- reflected in us. Consequently our text says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience.”8 Paul stood publicly in the midst of the great thinkers of the day and proclaimed to them the one true God in Jesus Christ. How alone must he have felt!
Christ could foresee the struggles His disciples would go through. His consideration of us is no less thoughtful. If you are feeling alone, abandoned, deserted or neglected, know that you have fellowship in the company of believers. If you are feeling orphaned emotionally, or psychologically, or physically; know when you receive His body and blood that you are participating in the sacred meal of the whole heavenly family. The intimacy we have with God in this way extends beyond anything we have on this earth. Christ didn’t endure the crucible of the cross to later abandon us. He lives and in Him we have life. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 1 Timothy 2:3-4
2 Ephesians 2:8-9
3 See Exodus 20:8
4 See Exodus 20:13
5 See Exodus 20:14
6 John 14:18
7 John 14:9
8 1 Peter 3:15-16
Sixth Sunday of Easter
25 May 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Text: John 14:16
Theme: The Paraclete With Us Forever
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God desires a deep connection with all people. Christ came to reconcile. But unbelief and the Holy Spirit are utterly incompatible. When human arrogance or apathy rejects the word of God the Holy Spirit is driven away. That doesn’t mean all hope is lost. Still, we can never say when the final opportunity is for conversion in someone’s life. The Shepherd seeks for lost sheep. The wind blows where it will. To speculate on such things is to infringe upon the jurisdiction of God. Still, these matters are critically relevant to us because they concern the well-being of souls. We don’t know when the window of opportunity for repentance will end. But we can be sure that conversion is always an act of grace. It is always facilitated by the Word of truth. No one can will it to come to pass. No one can put demands on God.
How can it be that “God our Saviour desires all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth,”1 and yet there will be many who are lost forever? All who are lost eternally bear their own guilt. All who are saved, are saved only by grace. The Scripture says, “For it is by grave you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works.”2 Why do some reject the love and mercy of God? We cannot say. Sin is a deep abyss. God’s love is deeper still. Christ died for all.
Mysteries will remain. Yet even when we don’t understand- and perhaps our reservations are sometimes serious- we nevertheless take God at His word. He instructs us to test the spirits, that is, to measure all teachings against the truth of His word. The world is full of half-truths and we’re prone to swallowing them hook, line, and sinker. But we are never to test or challenge His word. It only invites judgment. The Scriptures are often passed over so lightly today you’d think they were nothing but an obsolete resource or a novel curiosity. Even among Christians the Bible often carries little weight. Satan changes His guises more often than a snake sheds its skin, but his tactics always involve subverting God’s word and drawing people away from it.
We easily rationalize to ourselves the bending of God’s commands. The Third Commandment says we should Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy3, yet many consider their church attendance to be only optional. The Fifth Commandment says we should not murder, 4 yet we often fail to support our neighbour like we should, speak out against abortion, and euthanasia, and support the sanctity of life. The Sixth Commandment says we should not commit adultery, 5 and yet divorce, living together, and sexual immorality are nearly as high among Christians as the rest of the population. Are we not flirting with disaster? No unrepentant sinners are exempt from judgment. There are no exceptions. Any conscience at peace while in direct disobedience of God’s will is experiencing a false peace.
Dear friends, a conscience at ease is a conscience that takes refuge in the promises of Christ. His Good News rings out clearly today. Here it stands. The irrefutable promise of Christ, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”6 Strong, tender, and compassionate, these words are pure gospel. In the face of opposition, in the face of loneliness, in the face of marginalization, in the face of death, their Lord and Master will not desert them. His promise stands in the context of the sending of the Spirit and the revelation of the Father. Jesus is the image of the Father and the convener of the Spirit. Then He says, “Because I live, you also will live.”7
What proof do we have that this Jesus is trustworthy? The Holy Spirit directs us to the pinnacle of His work. On the cross it all hangs in the balance. The angels cover their eyes in terror and vexation. The crowds mock and jeer Him. His followers flee in cowardice and fear. The heart of the Father is rent. But the sacrifice is completed. The atonement is accomplished. The Lamb’s blood is shed. Your slate is wiped clean. Heaven stands open. Christ holds the key. No one can snatch you out of His hand.
It is not coincidental that the great events of history have connotations for our participation in Christ’s kingdom. The apostle says the flood of Noah symbolizes baptism. St. Peter references one of the most cataclysmic events in history to draw a parallel with the radical nature of Christian baptism. Just as God purified the whole world with the flood He cleanses the individual through baptismal water. Both are the fulfillment of divine promises. Both involve putting to death the old and bringing to life the new. Think, dear friends, how humbling it is that the Almighty God gave His only Son into death so that you might be buried and raised with Him in baptism. In Christ you are a new creation.
Now, I hear some of you saying that you don’t feel very new. Life knocks us around and often tempers our optimism. Yet, that is the beauty of Christ’s promise and His presence. It goes far beyond our fickle feelings. Faith is anchored to something much deeper, much more stable. The tempests rage around us but the foundation is unshakeable. Don’t confuse your feelings with faith. Faith takes us beyond us, beyond the narrow confines of our earthly horizons. God does not lie. The power of death has been overcome. Understanding this perspective allows us to live sacrificially for others. A great proportion of the world remains enslaved to their fear of mortality. But they can see light and freedom- liberty to love unconditionally- reflected in us. Consequently our text says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience.”8 Paul stood publicly in the midst of the great thinkers of the day and proclaimed to them the one true God in Jesus Christ. How alone must he have felt!
Christ could foresee the struggles His disciples would go through. His consideration of us is no less thoughtful. If you are feeling alone, abandoned, deserted or neglected, know that you have fellowship in the company of believers. If you are feeling orphaned emotionally, or psychologically, or physically; know when you receive His body and blood that you are participating in the sacred meal of the whole heavenly family. The intimacy we have with God in this way extends beyond anything we have on this earth. Christ didn’t endure the crucible of the cross to later abandon us. He lives and in Him we have life. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 1 Timothy 2:3-4
2 Ephesians 2:8-9
3 See Exodus 20:8
4 See Exodus 20:13
5 See Exodus 20:14
6 John 14:18
7 John 14:9
8 1 Peter 3:15-16
Sixth Sunday of Easter
25 May 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Fifth Sunday of Easter (A) 2014
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen +
Text: John 14:9
Theme: Knowing the Father in Christ
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God is never detained by frivolous matters. Yet the detail of His care extends to the minute and personal particulars of our lives. Christ knows us and through Him we have intimacy with the Father. Faith dares to enter where reason cannot tread. There are no shortcuts on our Christian journey. We must tread the path laid out for us. The Spirit leads us on the road to the Father, a road that can only run through Christ. Jesus is the way to the Father. He is the gate of the sheep, the door to heaven.
Today’s gospel reading is commonly requested at funerals; understandably so. Jesus gives believers supreme comfort about heaven and eternal life. Few things are more unsettling than facing our mortality. Stephen faced the violent death of martyrdom. He was notable as the first of his kind. Thankfully not all encounter death in the same way. Many believers gradually succumb to age and frailty. Yet our core belief is still tested. As Christians we do not use our faith as some kind of gimmick. We take refuge in Him who bled for us. He has supremacy over death. “Do not let your hearts be troubled,”1 Christ said.
Jesus’ words were meant to be reassuring. He was going to prepare a place in the Father’s house. Yet for some of the disciples His statements were still unsettling. Philip initiates the conversation that ensues, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”2 He just wanted something a little more tangible; a peak into heaven, a glimpse of the Father. He wanted what human nature always wants to bolster its confidence- proof. But once proof becomes the decisive criterion there is no need for faith. “Jesus answered: ‘Don’t you know Me Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.”3
Evidence was important to show that Jesus was the Messiah. The contemporaries of Jesus were privileged to be eye-witnesses. Healing the sick and even raising the dead He soon drew huge crowds. The validity of His miracles was incontestable even for the highest authorities. The Pharisees acknowledged His power and even King Herod hoped to see a sign from Him. Jesus Himself commends the miraculous evidence to those struggling to believe who He was. As we look back in historical perspective we can see that Christianity can point to people, places, times, and events that corroborate and authenticate the biblical witness. No world religion can present even a fraction of the data in its own defence. Christianity is exceptionally well-grounded historically.
That doesn’t mean we dismiss the supernatural. God is, by definition, not only the One who can suspend the laws of nature, He created them. The personal nature of God becomes relevant to us in Christ. The majesty of God was hidden in the humanity of Jesus. In the womb of Mary the Holy Spirit conceived the Son of God in human flesh. The miraculous nature of this truth cannot be forfeited. In Christ God entered the world in human form. This same Christ died bodily on the cross to make atonement for the sins of all people. Three days later He threw off the chains of death guaranteeing that He has the power to overcome death for us too. These miracles also are nonnegotiable.
So, until we are fully released from the consequences of sin the role of faith can never be eliminated. Otherwise we would be in constant need of affirmation that the divinity of Christ hadn’t faded or that the Almighty God hadn’t become incapable or apathetic in addressing our concerns. The descendants of Noah forgot the miraculous rescue of their ancestors on the ark. The Israelites more quickly forgot the parting of the Red Sea. The crowds who followed Jesus famously altered their cheers of “Hosanna!” to cries of “Crucify Him” in less than a week. Would we fare any better? As long as we exist in this fallen realm there will always be the need for faith just as there is always the need for forgiveness.
Dear friends, at the core of any expression of sinfulness- our greedy thoughts, our unkind words, our selfish actions- is a lack of fear that God will punish and a lack of trust that God is reliable. On the one hand Satan works hard to convince us our transgressions aren’t that bad and God will overlook them. On the other hand, when guilt burdens our conscience he wants us to think God will not forgive. Repenting is easy when we’re comfortable with the consequences. But then the guts of the matter have been ripped out. The Bible says, “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.”4
Can we relate to Stephen? Let’s not piously pretend that we can. Let’s not, in false humility, claim that our struggles or our commitment compare to his. Let’s reflect solemnly on and pray fervently for those whose lives are in danger for holding to the truth. The persecution of Christians around the world is rarely reported in our media. Many risk their lives and their livelihoods to confess Jesus as Lord. Freedom to worship is privilege that is largely taken for granted as evidenced by widespread apathy in the churches of the West.
It’s always good have our problems put in perspective. Doing so keeps selfish complaining in check and cultivates gratitude. But it must be done biblically. It’s not as simple as reminding ourselves there is always someone worse-off. Christ doesn’t expose us to unnecessary trials for no reason. He doesn’t bless us to make us lazy and presumptuous. In the tension of sin and grace, law and gospel, threat and promise our baptismal journey is navigated through prosperity and adversity. Without Christ at the centre we lose our bearings.
You see, the event of your baptism has a reciprocal relationship with your faith. Your baptism has more certainty than your religious fervor, sentiment or feelings about God or faith at any point in time. The strength of our conviction (a measurement subjective to ourselves) can never outweigh the validity of God’s promise. In the very words, “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit,” the Holy Spirit promises to grant faith and forgive sins. Every time you repent and believe you return to your baptism.
Christ is trustworthy even when we are full of doubt and falling to pieces. He is faithful to His own nature. His covenant with us is not rash. Our trust is not free-floating because His means of grace are sacred and reliable. His word, His promise, His presence make the sacrament what it is. It is His body given for you. It is His blood shed for you. It is His covenant, His seal, His unalterable pledge of grace. Let His words ring in your ears and lift your hearts: “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.”5 Christ is the way to the Father, the gate to heaven.
Dear friends, much of our struggle in this life is due to our inability grasp the full consequences of His promises. How limited is our imagination! “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.”6To dwell in His eternal kingdom means we will not be vulnerable to boredom, not exposed to fear, not open to sorrow, not laden with worry, not lacking in knowledge, and not deficient in joy. Luther inspires us with these words, “This everlasting kingdom, however, contains in addition such immeasurable, glorious blessings as forgiveness of sins, peace with God, security against everlasting death and all evil, communion with the Divine Majesty and with all angels and saints, joy and pleasure in the whole creation, even in a physical sense. For this same body, which is now the old body, shall also become new, together with the whole creation, as the soul has already begun to become new in faith.”7 May God safeguard you in Him who is the way, and the truth, and the life. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 John 14:1
2 John 14:8
3 John 14:9
4 Hebrews 12:4
5 John 14:3
6 1 Corinthians 13:12
7 Luther, AE 35:290
Fifth Sunday of Easter
18 May 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Text: John 14:9
Theme: Knowing the Father in Christ
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God is never detained by frivolous matters. Yet the detail of His care extends to the minute and personal particulars of our lives. Christ knows us and through Him we have intimacy with the Father. Faith dares to enter where reason cannot tread. There are no shortcuts on our Christian journey. We must tread the path laid out for us. The Spirit leads us on the road to the Father, a road that can only run through Christ. Jesus is the way to the Father. He is the gate of the sheep, the door to heaven.
Today’s gospel reading is commonly requested at funerals; understandably so. Jesus gives believers supreme comfort about heaven and eternal life. Few things are more unsettling than facing our mortality. Stephen faced the violent death of martyrdom. He was notable as the first of his kind. Thankfully not all encounter death in the same way. Many believers gradually succumb to age and frailty. Yet our core belief is still tested. As Christians we do not use our faith as some kind of gimmick. We take refuge in Him who bled for us. He has supremacy over death. “Do not let your hearts be troubled,”1 Christ said.
Jesus’ words were meant to be reassuring. He was going to prepare a place in the Father’s house. Yet for some of the disciples His statements were still unsettling. Philip initiates the conversation that ensues, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”2 He just wanted something a little more tangible; a peak into heaven, a glimpse of the Father. He wanted what human nature always wants to bolster its confidence- proof. But once proof becomes the decisive criterion there is no need for faith. “Jesus answered: ‘Don’t you know Me Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.”3
Evidence was important to show that Jesus was the Messiah. The contemporaries of Jesus were privileged to be eye-witnesses. Healing the sick and even raising the dead He soon drew huge crowds. The validity of His miracles was incontestable even for the highest authorities. The Pharisees acknowledged His power and even King Herod hoped to see a sign from Him. Jesus Himself commends the miraculous evidence to those struggling to believe who He was. As we look back in historical perspective we can see that Christianity can point to people, places, times, and events that corroborate and authenticate the biblical witness. No world religion can present even a fraction of the data in its own defence. Christianity is exceptionally well-grounded historically.
That doesn’t mean we dismiss the supernatural. God is, by definition, not only the One who can suspend the laws of nature, He created them. The personal nature of God becomes relevant to us in Christ. The majesty of God was hidden in the humanity of Jesus. In the womb of Mary the Holy Spirit conceived the Son of God in human flesh. The miraculous nature of this truth cannot be forfeited. In Christ God entered the world in human form. This same Christ died bodily on the cross to make atonement for the sins of all people. Three days later He threw off the chains of death guaranteeing that He has the power to overcome death for us too. These miracles also are nonnegotiable.
So, until we are fully released from the consequences of sin the role of faith can never be eliminated. Otherwise we would be in constant need of affirmation that the divinity of Christ hadn’t faded or that the Almighty God hadn’t become incapable or apathetic in addressing our concerns. The descendants of Noah forgot the miraculous rescue of their ancestors on the ark. The Israelites more quickly forgot the parting of the Red Sea. The crowds who followed Jesus famously altered their cheers of “Hosanna!” to cries of “Crucify Him” in less than a week. Would we fare any better? As long as we exist in this fallen realm there will always be the need for faith just as there is always the need for forgiveness.
Dear friends, at the core of any expression of sinfulness- our greedy thoughts, our unkind words, our selfish actions- is a lack of fear that God will punish and a lack of trust that God is reliable. On the one hand Satan works hard to convince us our transgressions aren’t that bad and God will overlook them. On the other hand, when guilt burdens our conscience he wants us to think God will not forgive. Repenting is easy when we’re comfortable with the consequences. But then the guts of the matter have been ripped out. The Bible says, “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.”4
Can we relate to Stephen? Let’s not piously pretend that we can. Let’s not, in false humility, claim that our struggles or our commitment compare to his. Let’s reflect solemnly on and pray fervently for those whose lives are in danger for holding to the truth. The persecution of Christians around the world is rarely reported in our media. Many risk their lives and their livelihoods to confess Jesus as Lord. Freedom to worship is privilege that is largely taken for granted as evidenced by widespread apathy in the churches of the West.
It’s always good have our problems put in perspective. Doing so keeps selfish complaining in check and cultivates gratitude. But it must be done biblically. It’s not as simple as reminding ourselves there is always someone worse-off. Christ doesn’t expose us to unnecessary trials for no reason. He doesn’t bless us to make us lazy and presumptuous. In the tension of sin and grace, law and gospel, threat and promise our baptismal journey is navigated through prosperity and adversity. Without Christ at the centre we lose our bearings.
You see, the event of your baptism has a reciprocal relationship with your faith. Your baptism has more certainty than your religious fervor, sentiment or feelings about God or faith at any point in time. The strength of our conviction (a measurement subjective to ourselves) can never outweigh the validity of God’s promise. In the very words, “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit,” the Holy Spirit promises to grant faith and forgive sins. Every time you repent and believe you return to your baptism.
Christ is trustworthy even when we are full of doubt and falling to pieces. He is faithful to His own nature. His covenant with us is not rash. Our trust is not free-floating because His means of grace are sacred and reliable. His word, His promise, His presence make the sacrament what it is. It is His body given for you. It is His blood shed for you. It is His covenant, His seal, His unalterable pledge of grace. Let His words ring in your ears and lift your hearts: “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.”5 Christ is the way to the Father, the gate to heaven.
Dear friends, much of our struggle in this life is due to our inability grasp the full consequences of His promises. How limited is our imagination! “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.”6To dwell in His eternal kingdom means we will not be vulnerable to boredom, not exposed to fear, not open to sorrow, not laden with worry, not lacking in knowledge, and not deficient in joy. Luther inspires us with these words, “This everlasting kingdom, however, contains in addition such immeasurable, glorious blessings as forgiveness of sins, peace with God, security against everlasting death and all evil, communion with the Divine Majesty and with all angels and saints, joy and pleasure in the whole creation, even in a physical sense. For this same body, which is now the old body, shall also become new, together with the whole creation, as the soul has already begun to become new in faith.”7 May God safeguard you in Him who is the way, and the truth, and the life. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 John 14:1
2 John 14:8
3 John 14:9
4 Hebrews 12:4
5 John 14:3
6 1 Corinthians 13:12
7 Luther, AE 35:290
Fifth Sunday of Easter
18 May 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)