+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 3:5-6
Theme: Water and New Birth
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God has no peers. Any claim to see or understand things on His level is complete deception, a symptom of idolatry. We are all foolish in comparison to the Almighty. Yet God reveals Himself to fools. Nicodemus was one such ‘fool’. Nicodemus was surprised. He was confused. He was a member of the Jewish ruling council and yet he couldn’t come to terms with the teachings of this itinerant rabbi named Jesus. How could participation in God’s kingdom involve such passive reception? How could the dilemma of sin be rectified without the contribution of the sinner?
Lent is a season in which we seek to understand sin better so that the love of God might shine that much more vividly. Lent doesn’t issue any free passes. The road of repentance is arduous. Jesus spoke of carrying the cross daily. We are never free from temptations to sin. We are never excused from the selfish actions that hurt others. No perfection exists here; in our persons or in our communities. Penitence is always relevant. The traditional denials of Lent- the practice of ‘giving up’ things should never be construed as a means ‘appeasing’ God. As if it were permissible to live like the prodigal son most of the year but then make atonement during this one season where it’s more fashionable to acknowledge that we are sinners.
All events that are observed annually become associated with their own rituals. Rituals lend order to observance. But traditions and customs must continually be reviewed lest they end up communicating and teaching exactly the opposite of their intent. For example, the Christian church has for a long time had a custom of foregoing hallelujahs during Lent. Christ is risen; He is living. Yet, the living Christ is also the crucified Christ. Apart from this sacrifice we have no access to the Father. The omission of hallelujahs soberly reminds us of this redemptive act. Yet, the idea is not to restrict joy but to underpin it with a deeper foundation and fertilise it so that it may bloom all the more gloriously when we arrive at Easter. When we ‘give up’ things for Lent the proper motivation is that “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”1, not because we believe we are making compensation for our sins.
The conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus today revolves not only around salvation generally, but baptism particularly. “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”2 These words of Jesus underscore the significance of baptism. It’s not merely an outward ritual with a spiritual meaning. It is a means by which God regenerates- that is, brings people from unbelief to faith, from darkness to light. Here also is where we get the terminology of being born again. Rebirth is a passive activity. The newborn benefits from the efforts of another. The same is true for our spiritual rebirth in baptism, the Holy Spirit brings it to pass and we have new life.
Jesus was tested in the wilderness immediately after His baptism. His baptism, along with all His redemptive work, is what gives our baptisms power. Baptism is no false economy. It's not an investment with diminishing returns. That is, it doesn't claim to put us in God's good graces initially but then fail to carry us through the temptations of life. It doesn't promise what it can't deliver. You are baptized for life and for eternity. It's a simple sacrament of water and word, but it is God's word, His promise. His word silences Satan. His word reconciles sinners. His word breathes new life. His word is the first word, the last word, the eternal word.
In your baptismal identification with Christ you are both cleansed from sin and also removed from the grip of its power. The saving work of Jesus involves both crucifying the sin within the sinner and removing the sinner from the dominion of darkness. The addict must undergo "detox", something which is suffered passively, and be shielded from external temptation. This is the power of baptism. We don’t have the strength or willpower to give up our selfish ways. The Holy Spirit must slay our sinful natures and breathe new life into us. He must cleanse our filthy souls and clothe us with the righteousness of Christ.
Jesus’ act of atonement was all-encompassing. It was universal. It left no transgressions hanging in the balance. It was sufficient for even the most reprobate sinner. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son.”3 Not a single person of the human race past, present, or future is excluded. His sacrifice was more than adequate to atone for the sins of all. He freely bestows His mercy on all who believe. “For our sake He made Him [Christ] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”4 In Christ we are righteous; holy, blameless, loved and cherished.
The promise God made to Abraham is the same promise He makes to us: Salvation is by grace. There aren’t any qualifications we need to have or thresholds we have to meet. Hear again the Scripture that says, “It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. For if those who live by the law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless.”5 You see, the one excludes the other. The moment other qualifications are needed for the “salvation checklist” then grace has been nullified. God is as good as His promise. He if full of grace, mercy, and compassion. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”6
Not only has Christ died, risen, and ascended for you, He also intercedes before the Father’s throne. He sends you His Holy Spirit. He feeds you with His very own body and blood in Holy Communion. He is preparing your place that was secured from eternity. He gives you the privilege of serving others. Like the stars in the night sky He sets you out to shine brightly in a dark world. We can invest everything in the well-being of others because Christ has invested everything in us.
God has no peers. But the Spirit has children; believers born of water and the word. Christ has no equals, but He has sons and daughters; true children of Abraham. The journey of Lent is not a linear journey from point A to point B. It is a trek from the baptismal font to the communion rail and back again. In the power of baptism we depart from our dark and selfish selves- through honest remorse over our sins- and we step into the light of Christ’s presence through the forgiveness He offers. Nicodemus came by cover of darkness to query Jesus full of doubt and uncertainty. He arrived at the cross buoyed by the promise that life really was found in this Jesus. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Second Sunday in Lent
12 March, 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Acts 20:35
2 John 3:5
3 John 3:16
4 2 Corinthians 5:21
5 Romans 4:13-14
6 John 3:17
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Friday, March 10, 2017
David Jaeschke Funeral (March 10th, 2017)
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Romans 8:28
Theme: The Goodness of God
Dear family, friends, and loved ones of David, his children Melissa, Karina, Carlene, Lauren, Grant, Shaun, and especially you; Judy,
“We know that in all things God works for the good of those love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”1 This is a statement of pure faith. Yes, we have circumstantial, and incidental, and anecdotal evidence of God’s blessings. We might even say tangible indications. We experience those blessings every day. But, rock solid empirical proof that God is always working good through the most dangerous or difficult, or depressing circumstances, no, if that were the case we would already be in heaven. We would already be relieved from the constraints of sin and abiding in the unveiled presence of the Holy Trinity. That, in fact, is the situation for David Jaeschke; but not for us. And that’s precisely why we are here. If we truly grasped what we are missing we could be excused for being more than a little jealous of David. David is in the company of saints and angel; and us, well, we’re in the company of us! We’re still under the influence of sin. But do not despair, the angels are here as well as “there”, as is Jesus, the Spirit, and the Father.
Grief is never something to pass over lightly. It involves an honest grappling with the will of God. He decides when He will call His children to Himself and we may be left pondering: Why this person? In the way? At this time? Stunned by grief Job was still able to say, “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."2 Today we acknowledge that the Lord has taken away from us. But we also rejoice in what the Lord has given. Firstly, He has given David eternal rest. But that He also gave David as a gift to us for these many years.
Anyone who knew David at all knew he was serious about his faith. There was nothing artificial or pretentious about his Christian life. He was sincere and gentle. He was a man of few words but he was never absent from the hearing of God’s word or receiving the sacrament. David was an avid proponent and generous supporter of disseminating the Scriptures. He believed everyone should have access to the Bible. He cherished the sanctity of life. The unborn are especially vulnerable and David had a heart for their well-being. He wanted all people to participate in the life of Christ for eternity.
It is perseverance and humility that make otherwise unremarkable people remarkable; faithfulness in daily vocation, steady reliability. David was one of those people. He didn’t intend to set the world on fire or turn it upside down. He didn’t devise any grand schemes. But he influenced the lives of many people for the better. He was a pillar of the church and an icon of stability in the community. He was a faithful husband, a dedicated father and grandfather, and always carried in his demeanor a true humility that showed concern for others.
But if David got even an inkling that we may be extolling his virtues too highly he would be very displeased. He knew all the credit went to God. David was a sinner, just like the rest of us, and he understood what that meant. He had no leg up on anyone when it comes to gaining God’s favour. No one works their way into heaven. No one charms their way. No one forces their way in. No one successfully negotiates with God. Jesus Christ is the gate of the sheep. He is the door. He is the way, and the truth, and the life. All are under the wrath and condemnation of God from conception. Only one sacrifice could appease the divine wrath. Mortality must be faced by us all and only divine truth can carry us through.
Jesus said, "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. For as the Father has life in Himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in Himself.”3 He says, “In My Father’s house are many rooms…I am going there to prepare a place for you…I will come back and take you to be with Me.”4 Again, He says, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though He dies.”5 Christ died and rose again for David. He died and rose again for you.
Consideration of death is also an opportunity to reflect on the big picture. Why are we all here? What does it all mean? How much can one expect to accomplish in a lifetime? What difference can a single person make? Can lives be changed? Can the course of history be altered? Can reputations be built and legacies established? Certainly, in life joys are shared; sorrows too. Failures are lamented. Successes are celebrated. But the Scriptures remind us, “As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.”6 We can be robbed of vitality in an instant. Life is a gift that we never have control of. It is in the hands of the Maker. We are gifted each breath, each heartbeat. We are spared from accident and disease only by His grace. Should He withdraw His hand the world would collapse in an instant.
And yet, God is a God of grace who constantly renews life. David Jaeschke was already walking in newness of life; even in the midst of His illness. David was already born again. David was baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus, the new Adam. David was already a citizen of heaven. In Christ the present and the future are absorbed into an eternal reality. David has crossed that threshold. David is at peace. He has been released from the burden of sin. His conscience is at rest. He awaits the glorious resurrection of the body.
David only found out he had cancer late in the game. Some would reflect on that as a tragedy. That perspective must be acknowledged. But it is also a reminder that life is precious and fragile, something we easily take for granted every day. Every day, as the sun breaks across the horizon, it is already “late in the game” for each of us. But in Christ, what seems like the end is just the beginning. Martin Luther once said, “It is an outstanding gift of the Holy Spirit to believe that when God sends evil, He is still gracious and merciful.”7 David Jaeschke had this outstanding gift. He believed that in all things God works for the good. His trust has not been misplaced. Judy, when you think of David, think of that gift.
For David life, has come full circle. He was baptized at Bookpurnong and that is where His remains will be put to rest. But his soul is already in the presence of the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the saints and the angels. David is at peace. His faith has been rewarded. He was promised a heavenly inheritance in his baptism and that inheritance he has now received. He has the crown of life. In the last moments, David opened his eyes. It was a rare occurrence in his final days. He opened his eyes wide open. He was not looking at Judy but through her. He was probably seeing the magnificence of angels and the Lord Jesus Himself. He now experiences goodness that we can’t even imagine. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian Burial of David Jaeschke
10 March 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Romans 8:28
2 Job 1:21
3 John 5:26
4 John 14:2-3
5 John 11:25
6 Psalm 103:15-16
7 Luther’s Works 12, p.374
Text: Romans 8:28
Theme: The Goodness of God
Dear family, friends, and loved ones of David, his children Melissa, Karina, Carlene, Lauren, Grant, Shaun, and especially you; Judy,
“We know that in all things God works for the good of those love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”1 This is a statement of pure faith. Yes, we have circumstantial, and incidental, and anecdotal evidence of God’s blessings. We might even say tangible indications. We experience those blessings every day. But, rock solid empirical proof that God is always working good through the most dangerous or difficult, or depressing circumstances, no, if that were the case we would already be in heaven. We would already be relieved from the constraints of sin and abiding in the unveiled presence of the Holy Trinity. That, in fact, is the situation for David Jaeschke; but not for us. And that’s precisely why we are here. If we truly grasped what we are missing we could be excused for being more than a little jealous of David. David is in the company of saints and angel; and us, well, we’re in the company of us! We’re still under the influence of sin. But do not despair, the angels are here as well as “there”, as is Jesus, the Spirit, and the Father.
Grief is never something to pass over lightly. It involves an honest grappling with the will of God. He decides when He will call His children to Himself and we may be left pondering: Why this person? In the way? At this time? Stunned by grief Job was still able to say, “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."2 Today we acknowledge that the Lord has taken away from us. But we also rejoice in what the Lord has given. Firstly, He has given David eternal rest. But that He also gave David as a gift to us for these many years.
Anyone who knew David at all knew he was serious about his faith. There was nothing artificial or pretentious about his Christian life. He was sincere and gentle. He was a man of few words but he was never absent from the hearing of God’s word or receiving the sacrament. David was an avid proponent and generous supporter of disseminating the Scriptures. He believed everyone should have access to the Bible. He cherished the sanctity of life. The unborn are especially vulnerable and David had a heart for their well-being. He wanted all people to participate in the life of Christ for eternity.
It is perseverance and humility that make otherwise unremarkable people remarkable; faithfulness in daily vocation, steady reliability. David was one of those people. He didn’t intend to set the world on fire or turn it upside down. He didn’t devise any grand schemes. But he influenced the lives of many people for the better. He was a pillar of the church and an icon of stability in the community. He was a faithful husband, a dedicated father and grandfather, and always carried in his demeanor a true humility that showed concern for others.
But if David got even an inkling that we may be extolling his virtues too highly he would be very displeased. He knew all the credit went to God. David was a sinner, just like the rest of us, and he understood what that meant. He had no leg up on anyone when it comes to gaining God’s favour. No one works their way into heaven. No one charms their way. No one forces their way in. No one successfully negotiates with God. Jesus Christ is the gate of the sheep. He is the door. He is the way, and the truth, and the life. All are under the wrath and condemnation of God from conception. Only one sacrifice could appease the divine wrath. Mortality must be faced by us all and only divine truth can carry us through.
Jesus said, "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. For as the Father has life in Himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in Himself.”3 He says, “In My Father’s house are many rooms…I am going there to prepare a place for you…I will come back and take you to be with Me.”4 Again, He says, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though He dies.”5 Christ died and rose again for David. He died and rose again for you.
Consideration of death is also an opportunity to reflect on the big picture. Why are we all here? What does it all mean? How much can one expect to accomplish in a lifetime? What difference can a single person make? Can lives be changed? Can the course of history be altered? Can reputations be built and legacies established? Certainly, in life joys are shared; sorrows too. Failures are lamented. Successes are celebrated. But the Scriptures remind us, “As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.”6 We can be robbed of vitality in an instant. Life is a gift that we never have control of. It is in the hands of the Maker. We are gifted each breath, each heartbeat. We are spared from accident and disease only by His grace. Should He withdraw His hand the world would collapse in an instant.
And yet, God is a God of grace who constantly renews life. David Jaeschke was already walking in newness of life; even in the midst of His illness. David was already born again. David was baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus, the new Adam. David was already a citizen of heaven. In Christ the present and the future are absorbed into an eternal reality. David has crossed that threshold. David is at peace. He has been released from the burden of sin. His conscience is at rest. He awaits the glorious resurrection of the body.
David only found out he had cancer late in the game. Some would reflect on that as a tragedy. That perspective must be acknowledged. But it is also a reminder that life is precious and fragile, something we easily take for granted every day. Every day, as the sun breaks across the horizon, it is already “late in the game” for each of us. But in Christ, what seems like the end is just the beginning. Martin Luther once said, “It is an outstanding gift of the Holy Spirit to believe that when God sends evil, He is still gracious and merciful.”7 David Jaeschke had this outstanding gift. He believed that in all things God works for the good. His trust has not been misplaced. Judy, when you think of David, think of that gift.
For David life, has come full circle. He was baptized at Bookpurnong and that is where His remains will be put to rest. But his soul is already in the presence of the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the saints and the angels. David is at peace. His faith has been rewarded. He was promised a heavenly inheritance in his baptism and that inheritance he has now received. He has the crown of life. In the last moments, David opened his eyes. It was a rare occurrence in his final days. He opened his eyes wide open. He was not looking at Judy but through her. He was probably seeing the magnificence of angels and the Lord Jesus Himself. He now experiences goodness that we can’t even imagine. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian Burial of David Jaeschke
10 March 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Romans 8:28
2 Job 1:21
3 John 5:26
4 John 14:2-3
5 John 11:25
6 Psalm 103:15-16
7 Luther’s Works 12, p.374
Sunday, March 5, 2017
First Sunday In Lent (A) 2017
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Matthew 4:7
Theme: Humility Not Force
Dear friends of the Suffering Servant,
Jesus is not an interloper. He’s not some alien supernatural lifeform who swept down to redeem the human race. Jesus Christ is the new Adam, fully God and fully human. His act of salvation was organic with His nature as the incarnate Son of God. So, on this first Sunday in Lent, in which we find Jesus meeting the challenge of Satan in the wilderness, we’re firstly taken back to the fall of Adam and Eve into sin. Where Adam succumbed, Jesus withstood. The significance is more than historical or rhetorical. Christ is our Saviour and Lord; He is also our Brother.
Again, we journey through the season of Lent. Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden, but Jesus wrested the flaming sword from the cherubim1 and opened again the entrance to Paradise. All events that are observed annually become associated with their own rituals. Rituals lend order to observance. But traditions and customs must continually be reviewed lest they end up communicating and teaching exactly the opposite of their intent. The Christian church has for a long time had a custom of foregoing hallelujahs during Lent. Christ is risen; He is living. Yet, the living Christ is also the crucified Christ. Apart from this sacrifice we have no access to the Father. The omission of hallelujahs soberly reminds us of this redemptive act. Yet, the idea is not to restrict joy but to underpin it with a deeper foundation and fertilise it so that it may bloom all the more gloriously when we arrive at Easter.
We don’t have to search too hard for a starting point for our Lenten journey. We are sinners called to repentance. Humility is an inescapable aspect of mortality. We are not divine, limitless creatures. Christians either learn humility or they suffer it. Usually it's a combination. There are no exceptions. A believer cannot go through life without learning humility or being humbled. If we don't understand that humility is the persona of Christ which reflects the very nature of God then we have grossly misunderstood the Scriptures. An unbeliever, of course, can go through life from start to finish in arrogance, being successful, and, perhaps, even well-liked. But the great humbling will then come when it's too late. When the heavens are rent and the Son of Man descends in glory the hour of repentance will be past. The harvest will be reaped, the tares will be separated from the wheat, and the leopard will not change its spots. The ego of the arrogant will be crushed and suffer eternal consequences for its rebellion.
Meanwhile, we traverse through the same landscape of humanity that all generations have. Quoting from Moses St. Paul referred to His age as a "crooked and twisted generation"2. Our is no different. The task of assessing and responding to the challenges of the culture is something we are never exempt from. It can be taxing. Yet it is not a cause for despair but an opportunity for witness. Support for one another is critical, whether in our daily vocations or in our fellowship as members of the body of Christ. Most importantly, we remember God has already promised to resolve we could never accomplish. Therefore, we say with the apostle, “I will come back (or do this or that) if it is God’s will.”3
What a blessing to know that God has revealed His will for our eternal salvation. The will of Christ is the will of the Father. And the will of the Son and of the Father is the economy of the Spirit. There is no dissidence within the Trinity, no disagreement. It was the Father's will to redeem sinners and it was the Son's will to be perfectly obedient to the Father. The Scripture says, “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”4
The journey of Lent, then, is a microcosm of the Christian pilgrimage. Something happens in the humbling experiences of life, in the traumas and emergencies which are beyond your control; God changes you. He moulds you a little more into the shape of that petition that says, "Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." "On earth" means in your heart, your soul, your life. It is His intention for your will to be indistinguishable from His will. No cries of unfair, no veiled secret motives, no shows of false humility, no pretence that we are trying to love our neighbour as ourselves. Rather, the actual struggle of baptismal living. Rather, the confession that apart from Christ we possess nothing of value.
Jesus was tested in the wilderness immediately after His baptism. His baptism, along with all His redemptive work, is what gives our baptisms power. Baptism is no false economy. It's not an investment with diminishing returns. That is, it doesn't claim to put us in God's good graces initially but then fail to carry us through the temptations of life. It doesn't promise what it can't deliver. You are baptized for life and for eternity. It's a simple sacrament of water and word, but it is God's word, His promise. His word silences Satan. His word reconciles sinners. His word breathes new life. His word is the first word, the last word, the eternal word.
In your baptismal identification with Christ you are both cleansed from sin and also removed from the grip of its power. The saving work of Jesus involves both crucifying the sin within the sinner and removing the sinner from the dominion of darkness. The addict must undergo "detox", something which is suffered passively, and be shielded from external temptation. This is the power of baptism. It is also the value of Holy Communion. Where God meets us in this blessing Satan has no power.
The Scripture tells us that Christ did not consider equality with a God something to be grasped. Yet, He already possessed this equality, being the Word which existed from eternity, God of God, Light of Light, of one substance with the Father. Still, in His role as substitute, as sacrifice for the sins of humanity, He did not demand honour. He bore shame. He did not avoid persecution, rejection, slander, and abuse. He did not flee from public humiliation or challenge His unjust trial and condemnation. He spoke only when the truth needed to be confessed. He was silent when the deafening noise of evil raged chaotically…until in the darkness it was hushed. Until…it was finished. The guilt and shame that would condemn you and I to an eternity of hellish torture was laid to rest. Christ breathed His last and the Father whom He had never left received His sacrifice. Life was reborn, renewed, immortalised. Believers in Christ participate in that immortality. This stunning truth is the sum and substance of Christian hope. No death, tears, grieving or pain. No separation. No broken lives. This complete restoration is the destination of Lent. Easter guarantees that it will come to pass. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
First Sunday in Lent
5 March, 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 See Genesis 3:24
2 See Philippians 2:16
3 Acts 18:21
4 Philippians 2:8
Text: Matthew 4:7
Theme: Humility Not Force
Dear friends of the Suffering Servant,
Jesus is not an interloper. He’s not some alien supernatural lifeform who swept down to redeem the human race. Jesus Christ is the new Adam, fully God and fully human. His act of salvation was organic with His nature as the incarnate Son of God. So, on this first Sunday in Lent, in which we find Jesus meeting the challenge of Satan in the wilderness, we’re firstly taken back to the fall of Adam and Eve into sin. Where Adam succumbed, Jesus withstood. The significance is more than historical or rhetorical. Christ is our Saviour and Lord; He is also our Brother.
Again, we journey through the season of Lent. Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden, but Jesus wrested the flaming sword from the cherubim1 and opened again the entrance to Paradise. All events that are observed annually become associated with their own rituals. Rituals lend order to observance. But traditions and customs must continually be reviewed lest they end up communicating and teaching exactly the opposite of their intent. The Christian church has for a long time had a custom of foregoing hallelujahs during Lent. Christ is risen; He is living. Yet, the living Christ is also the crucified Christ. Apart from this sacrifice we have no access to the Father. The omission of hallelujahs soberly reminds us of this redemptive act. Yet, the idea is not to restrict joy but to underpin it with a deeper foundation and fertilise it so that it may bloom all the more gloriously when we arrive at Easter.
We don’t have to search too hard for a starting point for our Lenten journey. We are sinners called to repentance. Humility is an inescapable aspect of mortality. We are not divine, limitless creatures. Christians either learn humility or they suffer it. Usually it's a combination. There are no exceptions. A believer cannot go through life without learning humility or being humbled. If we don't understand that humility is the persona of Christ which reflects the very nature of God then we have grossly misunderstood the Scriptures. An unbeliever, of course, can go through life from start to finish in arrogance, being successful, and, perhaps, even well-liked. But the great humbling will then come when it's too late. When the heavens are rent and the Son of Man descends in glory the hour of repentance will be past. The harvest will be reaped, the tares will be separated from the wheat, and the leopard will not change its spots. The ego of the arrogant will be crushed and suffer eternal consequences for its rebellion.
Meanwhile, we traverse through the same landscape of humanity that all generations have. Quoting from Moses St. Paul referred to His age as a "crooked and twisted generation"2. Our is no different. The task of assessing and responding to the challenges of the culture is something we are never exempt from. It can be taxing. Yet it is not a cause for despair but an opportunity for witness. Support for one another is critical, whether in our daily vocations or in our fellowship as members of the body of Christ. Most importantly, we remember God has already promised to resolve we could never accomplish. Therefore, we say with the apostle, “I will come back (or do this or that) if it is God’s will.”3
What a blessing to know that God has revealed His will for our eternal salvation. The will of Christ is the will of the Father. And the will of the Son and of the Father is the economy of the Spirit. There is no dissidence within the Trinity, no disagreement. It was the Father's will to redeem sinners and it was the Son's will to be perfectly obedient to the Father. The Scripture says, “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”4
The journey of Lent, then, is a microcosm of the Christian pilgrimage. Something happens in the humbling experiences of life, in the traumas and emergencies which are beyond your control; God changes you. He moulds you a little more into the shape of that petition that says, "Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." "On earth" means in your heart, your soul, your life. It is His intention for your will to be indistinguishable from His will. No cries of unfair, no veiled secret motives, no shows of false humility, no pretence that we are trying to love our neighbour as ourselves. Rather, the actual struggle of baptismal living. Rather, the confession that apart from Christ we possess nothing of value.
Jesus was tested in the wilderness immediately after His baptism. His baptism, along with all His redemptive work, is what gives our baptisms power. Baptism is no false economy. It's not an investment with diminishing returns. That is, it doesn't claim to put us in God's good graces initially but then fail to carry us through the temptations of life. It doesn't promise what it can't deliver. You are baptized for life and for eternity. It's a simple sacrament of water and word, but it is God's word, His promise. His word silences Satan. His word reconciles sinners. His word breathes new life. His word is the first word, the last word, the eternal word.
In your baptismal identification with Christ you are both cleansed from sin and also removed from the grip of its power. The saving work of Jesus involves both crucifying the sin within the sinner and removing the sinner from the dominion of darkness. The addict must undergo "detox", something which is suffered passively, and be shielded from external temptation. This is the power of baptism. It is also the value of Holy Communion. Where God meets us in this blessing Satan has no power.
The Scripture tells us that Christ did not consider equality with a God something to be grasped. Yet, He already possessed this equality, being the Word which existed from eternity, God of God, Light of Light, of one substance with the Father. Still, in His role as substitute, as sacrifice for the sins of humanity, He did not demand honour. He bore shame. He did not avoid persecution, rejection, slander, and abuse. He did not flee from public humiliation or challenge His unjust trial and condemnation. He spoke only when the truth needed to be confessed. He was silent when the deafening noise of evil raged chaotically…until in the darkness it was hushed. Until…it was finished. The guilt and shame that would condemn you and I to an eternity of hellish torture was laid to rest. Christ breathed His last and the Father whom He had never left received His sacrifice. Life was reborn, renewed, immortalised. Believers in Christ participate in that immortality. This stunning truth is the sum and substance of Christian hope. No death, tears, grieving or pain. No separation. No broken lives. This complete restoration is the destination of Lent. Easter guarantees that it will come to pass. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
First Sunday in Lent
5 March, 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 See Genesis 3:24
2 See Philippians 2:16
3 Acts 18:21
4 Philippians 2:8
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Ash Wednesday 2017
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: 2 Corinthians 5:21
Theme: Mortality and Resurrection
Dear Sojourners to the Cross,
This bowl contains a small pile of ash. This is what your physical life will come to. There is no escaping it. There are no exceptions. I’m not talking about a decision you may or may not make one day to be cremated. Can you picture this for yourself? On this Ash Wednesday, as we begin the Lenten season, we are scripturally-bound to consider what this symbolizes for our existence. “For dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return.”1 Our conception has been corrupted by sin, and the consequence of sin will run its course, but sin will not win the day. Christ will bring us to a different conclusion. Lent is all about facing the reality of sin head-on so that our transitory lives may find permanence. You cannot excuse yourself from this confrontation. To do so is to divorce yourself from Christ. Facing sin head-on is the activity of repentance. Repentance is the only type of change that leads to permanence.
We live in a society that relishes change, but craves stability. We are always wanting something new, something different, something fresh, something on the cutting edge. Yet at the same time we must have the security of permanence and things that do not change. Only in Christ can both be attained. God the Father spoke and matter came into existence. Adam sinned and that existence became temporary. Christ became incarnate and temporal things were invested with everlasting status. Repentance involves repudiation of the transient self, and trust in the permanent Christ.
No amount of coercing, exhorting, demanding, commanding, condemning, or accusing can force a person into true repentance. The hardened heart cannot be softened with a thousand blows of an iron sledge. This work is the work of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word alone. When one truly knows what sin is, he knows also if he is truly sorry for his sin, despite what the evidence might show. Contrition, sorrow for sin, can be contrived even to the point of self-deception. Its authenticity is, of course, then not recognized by God. And then despite all outward actions, the heart remains unchanged. But a changed heart must have a new master. That new Master is the Suffering Servant. He first takes rule of our hearts from the cross.
In the forgiveness of our sins, we understand the reality of sin for what it is. A healthy doctor does not fully understand what cancer is by studying it. One understands the potency of cancer by having it and being cured of it. Faith is the medium by which reality is viewed as God says it exists. Reality is this: “God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.”2 Reality is this: “All of [us] who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death.”3 In Lent, repentance is revealed as the reality of Christian life. Christ is not the physician who cures sin with the tools available to Him. Jesus endured the cancer. The sin was piled on Him. One day He will cure us all from the cancer of sin. He is the resurrected and living Lord.
Repentance never ends in despair, but always presses on to hope. Contrition crucifies, forgiveness vivifies. Sorrow over our utter failure is dispelled by our receiving of utterly serendipitous grace. We delight in being something that, in and of ourselves we are not: blameless objects of Christ’s devotion. This is no longer pretence. It is the way of the cross. On the cross Jesus said, “It is finished.”4 The Holy Spirit is the initiator of repentance, but as in all things, the Lord Jesus Christ is the finisher. In Christ, the baptized are buried, the dead are raised, the faithful are glorified. In Christ, ashes are immortalized. In immortality we will experience a constant newness, it involves participation in the very glory of God. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Ash Wednesday
1 March, 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Genesis 3:19
2 2 Corinthians 5:19
3 Romans 6:3
4 John 20:30
Text: 2 Corinthians 5:21
Theme: Mortality and Resurrection
Dear Sojourners to the Cross,
This bowl contains a small pile of ash. This is what your physical life will come to. There is no escaping it. There are no exceptions. I’m not talking about a decision you may or may not make one day to be cremated. Can you picture this for yourself? On this Ash Wednesday, as we begin the Lenten season, we are scripturally-bound to consider what this symbolizes for our existence. “For dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return.”1 Our conception has been corrupted by sin, and the consequence of sin will run its course, but sin will not win the day. Christ will bring us to a different conclusion. Lent is all about facing the reality of sin head-on so that our transitory lives may find permanence. You cannot excuse yourself from this confrontation. To do so is to divorce yourself from Christ. Facing sin head-on is the activity of repentance. Repentance is the only type of change that leads to permanence.
We live in a society that relishes change, but craves stability. We are always wanting something new, something different, something fresh, something on the cutting edge. Yet at the same time we must have the security of permanence and things that do not change. Only in Christ can both be attained. God the Father spoke and matter came into existence. Adam sinned and that existence became temporary. Christ became incarnate and temporal things were invested with everlasting status. Repentance involves repudiation of the transient self, and trust in the permanent Christ.
No amount of coercing, exhorting, demanding, commanding, condemning, or accusing can force a person into true repentance. The hardened heart cannot be softened with a thousand blows of an iron sledge. This work is the work of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word alone. When one truly knows what sin is, he knows also if he is truly sorry for his sin, despite what the evidence might show. Contrition, sorrow for sin, can be contrived even to the point of self-deception. Its authenticity is, of course, then not recognized by God. And then despite all outward actions, the heart remains unchanged. But a changed heart must have a new master. That new Master is the Suffering Servant. He first takes rule of our hearts from the cross.
In the forgiveness of our sins, we understand the reality of sin for what it is. A healthy doctor does not fully understand what cancer is by studying it. One understands the potency of cancer by having it and being cured of it. Faith is the medium by which reality is viewed as God says it exists. Reality is this: “God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.”2 Reality is this: “All of [us] who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death.”3 In Lent, repentance is revealed as the reality of Christian life. Christ is not the physician who cures sin with the tools available to Him. Jesus endured the cancer. The sin was piled on Him. One day He will cure us all from the cancer of sin. He is the resurrected and living Lord.
Repentance never ends in despair, but always presses on to hope. Contrition crucifies, forgiveness vivifies. Sorrow over our utter failure is dispelled by our receiving of utterly serendipitous grace. We delight in being something that, in and of ourselves we are not: blameless objects of Christ’s devotion. This is no longer pretence. It is the way of the cross. On the cross Jesus said, “It is finished.”4 The Holy Spirit is the initiator of repentance, but as in all things, the Lord Jesus Christ is the finisher. In Christ, the baptized are buried, the dead are raised, the faithful are glorified. In Christ, ashes are immortalized. In immortality we will experience a constant newness, it involves participation in the very glory of God. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Ash Wednesday
1 March, 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Genesis 3:19
2 2 Corinthians 5:19
3 Romans 6:3
4 John 20:30
Monday, February 27, 2017
Transfiguration of our Lord (A) 2017
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Matthew 17:1-21
Theme: Something More Than Meets The Eye
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
There was more to Jesus “than meets the eye”. Epiphany means revelation, so the event of Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountain is a fitting focus for this last Sunday of the Epiphany season. The contrast of Lent lies before us. A privileged glimpse, for a select few, of the glory of the divine Son of God will soon be replaced by the horrifying spectacle of the crucifixion. Could those disciples, who were overcome with His majesty, have believed they were about to witness the atrocity of the cross? These were challenging times. On the Mount of Transfiguration Peter wanted to linger. Before reaching mount Calvary he fled.
Peter's contrasting reactions are a microcosm of human nature. We gravitate more easily to a God of power putting His magnificence on display. A Saviour suffering the fate of a common criminal is another story. How exhilarating it would have been to witness Christ in blazing glory! The privileged trio, Peter, James, and John, were overcome. It would have been no different for us. A God who flexes His muscles in the face of adversity is one who appeals to our human nature. Might makes right. The Holy Spirit is required for us to see a different side of God, a side we don't naturally want to be associated with. Christ was ridiculed and He endured it without retaliation. He was persecuted and did not strike back.
St. Peter tells us in his first letter that he relates an eyewitness account of the transfiguration. He was there. He heard the voice of the Father commending Jesus as His beloved Son. He has recorded it for posterity. The integrity of the Scriptures depends on the historical reality of the events of Jesus' life. The Bible is not a collection of human opinions or perspectives on moral or religious matters. It is the testimony of the Holy Spirit. It is God's own word. Its contents and purpose have been validated by Jesus' incarnation, His life, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension. Certainly, the Bible has much to say about morality, civility, and proper focus and goals for humanity; we're not meant to chart our own course and just figure things out as we go along. Christ is the centre. He is the head of all things. The unbending parameters of God for our lives are not ends in themselves. He doesn't restrict us simply for His own pleasure, His laws and commands serve our well-being.
Today, the disciples felt unworthy in the presence of the divinity. We share their concern. We are sinners who cannot extricate ourselves from the consequences of sin. The condemnation of sin is no trivial matter. It carries the weight of death and hell. It merits separation from the God who creates and redeems. We can make excuses for our lies, our selfishness, our capitulation to the ways of the world, but none are valid before God. And none should soothe our consciences either. Knowledge of our sins should send us running, sprinting, in heartfelt repentance, to the Saviour whose work alone merits forgiveness.
Genuine repentance is the Spirit’s work. Remember, your repentance is not subject to anonymity before God. He does not hear confession in ignorance. You can't fly in under the radar or go incognito. Nor are there any group confessions. The woman who touched the fringe of His robe could not be healed anonymously. God knows us intimately. He hears you as His baptized child and He responds in accordance with the baptismal promise. He doesn't treat you generically. Your name is written in the palms of His hands. He says, "I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”1
Dear friends, today’s glimpse of Jesus’ majesty is a preview of the future. But it shouldn’t give us the wrong idea about Him. The glory of Christ is in His suffering. That is the only access we have to Him now. This Lord of the mountain, Suffering Servant, and glorious King comes down from the mountain to meet us here in the valley. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”2 He meets us in the bread and wine, serving us with His body and blood. In Holy Communion we receive the forgiveness earned at the cross and are buoyed by the promise of resurrection glory. He died for your sins and He has risen again to give you life.
Peter, James, and John could have hardly guessed what they would witness that day. The details of our future experiences in this life- the joys and traumas, the accomplishments and failures- are not transparent to our knowledge. God restricts this information for our own good. Though all the days ordained for us are written in His book3, it's not an open book. Only He knows the details. Only He foresees the future. Attempts to peer into the future through the fashionable occult practices of our age only tempt God and dabble in Satan's schemes.
Sometimes we make life more complicated than it needs to be. We engage in overly dramatic responses to situations and events that should be handled with sanctified common sense and godly wisdom. Sometimes we do this because we want to indulge our sense of being treated unfairly, especially by those who are closest to us. We should remember that one of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control. We don't need to contrive theatrics in hope that God notices us. We can be transparent. The Holy Spirit promises there is not one detail of our lives that God is unconcerned about.
By the time of the transfiguration the disciples had already seen Jesus perform many miracles. They were eyewitnesses to His power over sickness, nature, Satan, and death. Some miracles were low key, others were dramatic. All served the same purpose, to reveal that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. Still, the transfiguration knocked them flat. It was more than they could take in. The same is true for believers today. Mature Christians have also witnessed many miracles. Some seem low key, the daily blessings and graces that preserve us in time of struggle and doubt. Other miracles are more dramatic; escape from near certain death in an accident, recovery from terminal illness, the mending of bodies, souls, and relationships when it seems impossible. The same Redeemer is at work now as was then. Perhaps we don't recognise God's providence and power for what it is? But the eyes of faith see His presence. The universe is not a random collection of atoms that is somehow self-organized. God is in control. And greater things than even the eyes of faith can see await us. The glory that is in store for us far exceeds anything that we can now imagine. We believe in "the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come."4 There is more to Jesus than meets the eye. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Transfiguration of our Lord
26 February, 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Isaiah 43:25
2 Psalm 23:4
3 See Psalm 139:16
4 The Nicene Creed
Text: Matthew 17:1-21
Theme: Something More Than Meets The Eye
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
There was more to Jesus “than meets the eye”. Epiphany means revelation, so the event of Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountain is a fitting focus for this last Sunday of the Epiphany season. The contrast of Lent lies before us. A privileged glimpse, for a select few, of the glory of the divine Son of God will soon be replaced by the horrifying spectacle of the crucifixion. Could those disciples, who were overcome with His majesty, have believed they were about to witness the atrocity of the cross? These were challenging times. On the Mount of Transfiguration Peter wanted to linger. Before reaching mount Calvary he fled.
Peter's contrasting reactions are a microcosm of human nature. We gravitate more easily to a God of power putting His magnificence on display. A Saviour suffering the fate of a common criminal is another story. How exhilarating it would have been to witness Christ in blazing glory! The privileged trio, Peter, James, and John, were overcome. It would have been no different for us. A God who flexes His muscles in the face of adversity is one who appeals to our human nature. Might makes right. The Holy Spirit is required for us to see a different side of God, a side we don't naturally want to be associated with. Christ was ridiculed and He endured it without retaliation. He was persecuted and did not strike back.
St. Peter tells us in his first letter that he relates an eyewitness account of the transfiguration. He was there. He heard the voice of the Father commending Jesus as His beloved Son. He has recorded it for posterity. The integrity of the Scriptures depends on the historical reality of the events of Jesus' life. The Bible is not a collection of human opinions or perspectives on moral or religious matters. It is the testimony of the Holy Spirit. It is God's own word. Its contents and purpose have been validated by Jesus' incarnation, His life, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension. Certainly, the Bible has much to say about morality, civility, and proper focus and goals for humanity; we're not meant to chart our own course and just figure things out as we go along. Christ is the centre. He is the head of all things. The unbending parameters of God for our lives are not ends in themselves. He doesn't restrict us simply for His own pleasure, His laws and commands serve our well-being.
Today, the disciples felt unworthy in the presence of the divinity. We share their concern. We are sinners who cannot extricate ourselves from the consequences of sin. The condemnation of sin is no trivial matter. It carries the weight of death and hell. It merits separation from the God who creates and redeems. We can make excuses for our lies, our selfishness, our capitulation to the ways of the world, but none are valid before God. And none should soothe our consciences either. Knowledge of our sins should send us running, sprinting, in heartfelt repentance, to the Saviour whose work alone merits forgiveness.
Genuine repentance is the Spirit’s work. Remember, your repentance is not subject to anonymity before God. He does not hear confession in ignorance. You can't fly in under the radar or go incognito. Nor are there any group confessions. The woman who touched the fringe of His robe could not be healed anonymously. God knows us intimately. He hears you as His baptized child and He responds in accordance with the baptismal promise. He doesn't treat you generically. Your name is written in the palms of His hands. He says, "I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”1
Dear friends, today’s glimpse of Jesus’ majesty is a preview of the future. But it shouldn’t give us the wrong idea about Him. The glory of Christ is in His suffering. That is the only access we have to Him now. This Lord of the mountain, Suffering Servant, and glorious King comes down from the mountain to meet us here in the valley. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”2 He meets us in the bread and wine, serving us with His body and blood. In Holy Communion we receive the forgiveness earned at the cross and are buoyed by the promise of resurrection glory. He died for your sins and He has risen again to give you life.
Peter, James, and John could have hardly guessed what they would witness that day. The details of our future experiences in this life- the joys and traumas, the accomplishments and failures- are not transparent to our knowledge. God restricts this information for our own good. Though all the days ordained for us are written in His book3, it's not an open book. Only He knows the details. Only He foresees the future. Attempts to peer into the future through the fashionable occult practices of our age only tempt God and dabble in Satan's schemes.
Sometimes we make life more complicated than it needs to be. We engage in overly dramatic responses to situations and events that should be handled with sanctified common sense and godly wisdom. Sometimes we do this because we want to indulge our sense of being treated unfairly, especially by those who are closest to us. We should remember that one of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control. We don't need to contrive theatrics in hope that God notices us. We can be transparent. The Holy Spirit promises there is not one detail of our lives that God is unconcerned about.
By the time of the transfiguration the disciples had already seen Jesus perform many miracles. They were eyewitnesses to His power over sickness, nature, Satan, and death. Some miracles were low key, others were dramatic. All served the same purpose, to reveal that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. Still, the transfiguration knocked them flat. It was more than they could take in. The same is true for believers today. Mature Christians have also witnessed many miracles. Some seem low key, the daily blessings and graces that preserve us in time of struggle and doubt. Other miracles are more dramatic; escape from near certain death in an accident, recovery from terminal illness, the mending of bodies, souls, and relationships when it seems impossible. The same Redeemer is at work now as was then. Perhaps we don't recognise God's providence and power for what it is? But the eyes of faith see His presence. The universe is not a random collection of atoms that is somehow self-organized. God is in control. And greater things than even the eyes of faith can see await us. The glory that is in store for us far exceeds anything that we can now imagine. We believe in "the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come."4 There is more to Jesus than meets the eye. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Transfiguration of our Lord
26 February, 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Isaiah 43:25
2 Psalm 23:4
3 See Psalm 139:16
4 The Nicene Creed
Sunday, November 13, 2016
Twenty Sixth Sunday After Pentecost (C) 2016
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Isaiah 65:17-25
Theme: Paradise Restored
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Every single day we are beneficiaries of God’s goodness. But being beneficiaries doesn’t make us proper receivers. God causes the rain to fall and the sun to shine on the righteous and unrighteous. God gives. Everyone benefits. But not all receive gratefully. Believers should receive in humility. Unbelievers are likely to receive presumptuously. We pray the Holy Spirit would engender in us true gratitude for our faith, life, and salvation, not only on this Lord’s Day, but at all times.
Today gospel promises flow from the prophet Isaiah as if he had seen Jesus with his own eyes. Centuries of separation are no barrier for the scribes of the Holy Spirit. Isaiah is privileged to see- through the eyes of faith- the beginning, middle and end. Everything revolves around the Messiah, the Christ. When He brings this fallen world to its proper end, then true life will begin.
The coming glory of that kingdom is Isaiah’s concern today. The restoration of Paradise will involve harmony that can be grasped now only by faith. Harmony, stability, and vitality are things we have some concept of. Our understanding of these blessings is shaped by experience. We learn to recognize distinctions that inform our assessment of whether something is positive or negative for our well-being. If we can no longer distinguish between love and hate, chaos and peace, good and evil, truth and falsehood, then not only have the Scriptures lost their influence in maturing our faith, but our consciences themselves have become seared. The unbeliever too can distinguish chaos from harmony insofar as the conscience still functions.
Christ makes it clear today that before His Second Coming turmoil in the world will reach unprecedented proportions. “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.”1 The cause, of course, will be less constraint of the consequences of sin. Ungodliness will become more prevalent. No one will be immune. And no one will be without guilt. Jesus’ words about His return are a sober reminder that we are sinners who should never take for granted God’s mercy. None us deserves His grace.
Dear friends, God promises that in the end all evil will be banished from His presence. It's not easy to grapple with the truth of the eternal punishment of evil. People who depart this life estranged from God will be forever separated from His goodness. Many people think the penalty is much too harsh. It’s an affront to our sensibilities. Devoted Christians too, struggle with the reality of hell. Couldn’t there be another way? Speculation is risky at the best of times. It is extremely dangerous when we make assumptions about matters that relate to eternal welfare. It’s no good arguing with the Almighty. What leverage do we have to define His justice?
In society today we are living under a veneer of ‘godliness’. St Paul warns against those who are “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God- having a form of godliness but denying its power.”2 The cultural elites present themselves as enlightened, humane, and defenders of the rights of the vulnerable. Meanwhile, greed, power, and control dominate the agenda. Public discourse is often carefully choreographed. The parameters of discussion are changing. Our society talks occasionally about ethics, but not about morality. We are being desensitized to evil but hyper-tuned to political correctness. We are over-exposed to sexuality; and ridiculed for modesty. We are zealous for rights but dismissive of responsibilities. We expect to be indulged, but are reluctant to be self-sacrificing. We want to be served rather than to serve. God is not revered as Creator or feared as Judge.
Dear friends, it’s no good having a distant, disconnected, and dis-embodied Jesus. A do-gooder Jesus relegated to the annals of history is no God at all. A God who is inaccessible is no God at all. A God who is impotent is no God at all. A God who is ignorant is no God at all. But we have a God who has come in human flesh. He has lived, died as our substitute, been raised from death and ascended to the place of power. We are baptized into His name. We are fed with His rich treasures.
We are not set free from sin, released from Satan’s accusations, and spared eternal condemnation simply by God’s general attitude of benevolence. Remember, the sun shines and the rain falls on the righteous and the unrighteous. A listless feeling of good will on God’s part does not save us. We are redeemed by the active and targeted intrusion of a holy God who came to sinful humanity. “He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight.”3 Christ “entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.”4 The love of God is not an extrapolation of the hope that more good exists in the universe than bad. Those who rely on the triumph of the inherent goodness which exists in humanity will have their hopes bitterly shattered. Humanity is rotten to the core. We see it in the news every day. We’ve seen it for far too long in the election coverage. And yet people still look to human strength and ingenuity for the ultimate security
But God didn’t intervene by engendering ideals of positivity, equality, and sensitivity. He reached down and planted a cross. He embedded an instrument of torture and hung His Son upon it. The Holy Spirit preaches this gospel into our hearts and there is no other. The Holy Spirit always seeks out struggling souls in the dark corners of humanity. He knows what ails us. He knows the shame, the guilt, the apathy, the regret. He knows the cycles abuse, despair, greed, and arrogance that scar our lives. He carries these burdens and promises to reconcile and restore us.
In Isaiah, He says, “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.”5 The Lord will commence to illustrate the blessings of this new creation but it is notable that first He says the collective memory will be cleansed. The point is not insignificant. Any possibility of comparison, any longing or yearning for “what was or used to be” will be eliminated from the equation. Our joy will not relate to what was in the old creation, but what is in the new creation.
God will be so attuned to His people that His grace will anticipate their every desire. Isaiah writes, “Before they call I will answer, while they are still speaking I will hear.”6 Even now we have such attentiveness from our Lord. As the Psalmist says, “Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.”7 He knows us better than we know ourselves and yet He loves us unconditionally. We certainly look forward to the news heavens and the new earth. But we remember the Saviour is already with us. In Him, the end is just the beginning. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Twenty Sixth Sunday After Pentecost
13 November, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 21:10 2 2 Timothy 2:4-5 3 Colossians 1:22
4 Hebrews 9:12 5 Isaiah 65:17 6 Isaiah 65:24
7 Psalm 139:4
Text: Isaiah 65:17-25
Theme: Paradise Restored
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Every single day we are beneficiaries of God’s goodness. But being beneficiaries doesn’t make us proper receivers. God causes the rain to fall and the sun to shine on the righteous and unrighteous. God gives. Everyone benefits. But not all receive gratefully. Believers should receive in humility. Unbelievers are likely to receive presumptuously. We pray the Holy Spirit would engender in us true gratitude for our faith, life, and salvation, not only on this Lord’s Day, but at all times.
Today gospel promises flow from the prophet Isaiah as if he had seen Jesus with his own eyes. Centuries of separation are no barrier for the scribes of the Holy Spirit. Isaiah is privileged to see- through the eyes of faith- the beginning, middle and end. Everything revolves around the Messiah, the Christ. When He brings this fallen world to its proper end, then true life will begin.
The coming glory of that kingdom is Isaiah’s concern today. The restoration of Paradise will involve harmony that can be grasped now only by faith. Harmony, stability, and vitality are things we have some concept of. Our understanding of these blessings is shaped by experience. We learn to recognize distinctions that inform our assessment of whether something is positive or negative for our well-being. If we can no longer distinguish between love and hate, chaos and peace, good and evil, truth and falsehood, then not only have the Scriptures lost their influence in maturing our faith, but our consciences themselves have become seared. The unbeliever too can distinguish chaos from harmony insofar as the conscience still functions.
Christ makes it clear today that before His Second Coming turmoil in the world will reach unprecedented proportions. “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.”1 The cause, of course, will be less constraint of the consequences of sin. Ungodliness will become more prevalent. No one will be immune. And no one will be without guilt. Jesus’ words about His return are a sober reminder that we are sinners who should never take for granted God’s mercy. None us deserves His grace.
Dear friends, God promises that in the end all evil will be banished from His presence. It's not easy to grapple with the truth of the eternal punishment of evil. People who depart this life estranged from God will be forever separated from His goodness. Many people think the penalty is much too harsh. It’s an affront to our sensibilities. Devoted Christians too, struggle with the reality of hell. Couldn’t there be another way? Speculation is risky at the best of times. It is extremely dangerous when we make assumptions about matters that relate to eternal welfare. It’s no good arguing with the Almighty. What leverage do we have to define His justice?
In society today we are living under a veneer of ‘godliness’. St Paul warns against those who are “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God- having a form of godliness but denying its power.”2 The cultural elites present themselves as enlightened, humane, and defenders of the rights of the vulnerable. Meanwhile, greed, power, and control dominate the agenda. Public discourse is often carefully choreographed. The parameters of discussion are changing. Our society talks occasionally about ethics, but not about morality. We are being desensitized to evil but hyper-tuned to political correctness. We are over-exposed to sexuality; and ridiculed for modesty. We are zealous for rights but dismissive of responsibilities. We expect to be indulged, but are reluctant to be self-sacrificing. We want to be served rather than to serve. God is not revered as Creator or feared as Judge.
Dear friends, it’s no good having a distant, disconnected, and dis-embodied Jesus. A do-gooder Jesus relegated to the annals of history is no God at all. A God who is inaccessible is no God at all. A God who is impotent is no God at all. A God who is ignorant is no God at all. But we have a God who has come in human flesh. He has lived, died as our substitute, been raised from death and ascended to the place of power. We are baptized into His name. We are fed with His rich treasures.
We are not set free from sin, released from Satan’s accusations, and spared eternal condemnation simply by God’s general attitude of benevolence. Remember, the sun shines and the rain falls on the righteous and the unrighteous. A listless feeling of good will on God’s part does not save us. We are redeemed by the active and targeted intrusion of a holy God who came to sinful humanity. “He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight.”3 Christ “entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.”4 The love of God is not an extrapolation of the hope that more good exists in the universe than bad. Those who rely on the triumph of the inherent goodness which exists in humanity will have their hopes bitterly shattered. Humanity is rotten to the core. We see it in the news every day. We’ve seen it for far too long in the election coverage. And yet people still look to human strength and ingenuity for the ultimate security
But God didn’t intervene by engendering ideals of positivity, equality, and sensitivity. He reached down and planted a cross. He embedded an instrument of torture and hung His Son upon it. The Holy Spirit preaches this gospel into our hearts and there is no other. The Holy Spirit always seeks out struggling souls in the dark corners of humanity. He knows what ails us. He knows the shame, the guilt, the apathy, the regret. He knows the cycles abuse, despair, greed, and arrogance that scar our lives. He carries these burdens and promises to reconcile and restore us.
In Isaiah, He says, “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.”5 The Lord will commence to illustrate the blessings of this new creation but it is notable that first He says the collective memory will be cleansed. The point is not insignificant. Any possibility of comparison, any longing or yearning for “what was or used to be” will be eliminated from the equation. Our joy will not relate to what was in the old creation, but what is in the new creation.
God will be so attuned to His people that His grace will anticipate their every desire. Isaiah writes, “Before they call I will answer, while they are still speaking I will hear.”6 Even now we have such attentiveness from our Lord. As the Psalmist says, “Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.”7 He knows us better than we know ourselves and yet He loves us unconditionally. We certainly look forward to the news heavens and the new earth. But we remember the Saviour is already with us. In Him, the end is just the beginning. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Twenty Sixth Sunday After Pentecost
13 November, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 21:10 2 2 Timothy 2:4-5 3 Colossians 1:22
4 Hebrews 9:12 5 Isaiah 65:17 6 Isaiah 65:24
7 Psalm 139:4
Monday, November 7, 2016
Twenty Fifth Sunday After Pentecost (B) 2016
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 20:36
Theme: Children of the Resurrection
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Every Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection. And it’s not only a joyous remembrance; it’s a participation in the life and power of the living Jesus. Christ is in our midst through His word and Spirit, and His body and blood. We gather as the baptized people of the heavenly Father and we are strengthened for life and witness in confused and chaotic world. And as we think about the faithful who have gone before us we remember that Jesus says today that He is the God of the living. He has ultimate authority because He has silenced death.
The authority of Jesus was routinely challenged during His earthly ministry. Today the Sadducees refer to a tradition of the Levites in which a man would marry the widow of a deceased brother in order to keep the family name alive. They do so, however, with the intent of trapping Jesus. The circumstances proposed are nearly impossible to imagine. It is theoretically possible that six brothers in the same family die in succession while seeking to extend the family name of the first brother; but it is basically absurd. Jesus doesn’t even address the particularities of the custom because they have the matter all wrong anyway. Earthly marriage is transcended in heaven by the believer’s union with God. All human relationships are perfected and superseded in eternity. Like the angels, we will be beyond the institution of earthly marriage. So, that question is mute. Jesus moves on to other matters.
The Sadducees didn’t believe in a physical resurrection (or in the existence of angels). This is the point Christ will focus on. Here is a remarkable statement from Jesus, “In the account of the bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive.”1 Even now, Jesus says, the faithful of the past generations are alive with God.
Believers do not become angels when they go to heaven. Human beings are not turned into angelic beings. For some time now the idea has been circulating that when so and so dies they float up to heaven, become an angel and watch over people on earth. There is no biblical basis for such sentimentality. Believers will be bodily resurrected on the Last Day and will experience heaven in a perfected physicality. This promise is the basis for our hope and joy.
Dear friends, our great challenge and privilege to live in this world in such a selfless manner that people will take notice. Satan, of course, will do everything he can to prevent it. People mistakenly think that Christians are not prone to temptation. But it's when the Holy Spirit is active in your hearts that the struggle is engaged. A tussle ensues; a spiritual battle. The believer is still vulnerable to sin, but the very thought of it is a burden to the conscience. The flesh vies with the Spirit. The believer is still beset by selfishness, greed, impatience, uncharitableness, and many other temptations. On the one hand, the believer desires to follow God’s will and so wants to actively resist anything that transgresses His commands. On the other hand, selfish desires spring forward and the will of God and the welfare of the neighbour are easily forgotten. Sometimes it seems to be a hopelessly confused situation. Truly we are saints and sinners at the same time.
Still, this is not a cause for fear, but a reason for hope. God knows our shortcomings. He knows exactly when we are vulnerable. The Scripture says, “God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”2 In this life we will never be free from the temptation to disobey God and please ourselves. It often seems that transgressions go unnoticed by Him. But judgment is certain. Repentance is always in order. There is no perfection this side of heaven. Guilt is either borne by Jesus in His sacrificial work on the cross or it remains with the sinner who chooses to reject God’s divine mercy. The Holy Spirit always seeks out struggling souls in dark corners of humanity.
The world is becoming a dark place. In the West, we still have some semblance of what the Bible refers to as a “form of godliness”, but there’s no evidence that hearts and minds have been changed. St Paul warns against those who are “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God- having a form of godliness but denying its power.”3 We are now living under a veneer of ‘godliness’. The cultural elites present themselves as enlightened, humane, and defenders of the rights of the vulnerable. Meanwhile, greed, power, and control dominate the agenda. Public discourse is often carefully choreographed. The parameters of discussion are changing. Our society talks about ethics, but not morality. We are insensitive to evil but hyper-tuned to political correctness. We are zealous for rights but dismissive of responsibilities. We want to be served rather than to serve. God is not revered as Creator or feared as Judge.
In this gathering darkness (a darkness that glitters with artificial twinkle) the guiding light of Christ does not falter. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”4 We can have confidence that evil will not finally prevail. We know that the Bible and all the plans and purposes of God revealed there will fail us. In the midst of turmoil, we have the steady presence of the Spirit so even Jesus’ return will not panic us. Remember Paul’s advice today, “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to Him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come.”5
Dear friends, it’s no good having a distant, disconnected, and dis-embodied Jesus. Thankfully, that’s not what we have. He said to His disciples, “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.”6 The crucified Jesus is risen. We are His baptized. We dine at His table. We are being prepared for greater things to come. Heaven involves the experience of God’s blessing without the need for mediation. The future life will not be lacking a physical dimension any more than the present one is. Sin’s power is already broken, but in the future life all consequences of evil will be completely nonexistent. We will be enthralled with the majesty of the almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are children of the resurrection. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Twenty Fifth Sunday After Pentecost
6 November, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 20:37-38 2 1 Corinthians 10:13 3 2 Timothy 2:4-5
4 Hebrews 13:8 5 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 6 John 14:2-3
Text: Luke 20:36
Theme: Children of the Resurrection
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Every Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection. And it’s not only a joyous remembrance; it’s a participation in the life and power of the living Jesus. Christ is in our midst through His word and Spirit, and His body and blood. We gather as the baptized people of the heavenly Father and we are strengthened for life and witness in confused and chaotic world. And as we think about the faithful who have gone before us we remember that Jesus says today that He is the God of the living. He has ultimate authority because He has silenced death.
The authority of Jesus was routinely challenged during His earthly ministry. Today the Sadducees refer to a tradition of the Levites in which a man would marry the widow of a deceased brother in order to keep the family name alive. They do so, however, with the intent of trapping Jesus. The circumstances proposed are nearly impossible to imagine. It is theoretically possible that six brothers in the same family die in succession while seeking to extend the family name of the first brother; but it is basically absurd. Jesus doesn’t even address the particularities of the custom because they have the matter all wrong anyway. Earthly marriage is transcended in heaven by the believer’s union with God. All human relationships are perfected and superseded in eternity. Like the angels, we will be beyond the institution of earthly marriage. So, that question is mute. Jesus moves on to other matters.
The Sadducees didn’t believe in a physical resurrection (or in the existence of angels). This is the point Christ will focus on. Here is a remarkable statement from Jesus, “In the account of the bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive.”1 Even now, Jesus says, the faithful of the past generations are alive with God.
Believers do not become angels when they go to heaven. Human beings are not turned into angelic beings. For some time now the idea has been circulating that when so and so dies they float up to heaven, become an angel and watch over people on earth. There is no biblical basis for such sentimentality. Believers will be bodily resurrected on the Last Day and will experience heaven in a perfected physicality. This promise is the basis for our hope and joy.
Dear friends, our great challenge and privilege to live in this world in such a selfless manner that people will take notice. Satan, of course, will do everything he can to prevent it. People mistakenly think that Christians are not prone to temptation. But it's when the Holy Spirit is active in your hearts that the struggle is engaged. A tussle ensues; a spiritual battle. The believer is still vulnerable to sin, but the very thought of it is a burden to the conscience. The flesh vies with the Spirit. The believer is still beset by selfishness, greed, impatience, uncharitableness, and many other temptations. On the one hand, the believer desires to follow God’s will and so wants to actively resist anything that transgresses His commands. On the other hand, selfish desires spring forward and the will of God and the welfare of the neighbour are easily forgotten. Sometimes it seems to be a hopelessly confused situation. Truly we are saints and sinners at the same time.
Still, this is not a cause for fear, but a reason for hope. God knows our shortcomings. He knows exactly when we are vulnerable. The Scripture says, “God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”2 In this life we will never be free from the temptation to disobey God and please ourselves. It often seems that transgressions go unnoticed by Him. But judgment is certain. Repentance is always in order. There is no perfection this side of heaven. Guilt is either borne by Jesus in His sacrificial work on the cross or it remains with the sinner who chooses to reject God’s divine mercy. The Holy Spirit always seeks out struggling souls in dark corners of humanity.
The world is becoming a dark place. In the West, we still have some semblance of what the Bible refers to as a “form of godliness”, but there’s no evidence that hearts and minds have been changed. St Paul warns against those who are “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God- having a form of godliness but denying its power.”3 We are now living under a veneer of ‘godliness’. The cultural elites present themselves as enlightened, humane, and defenders of the rights of the vulnerable. Meanwhile, greed, power, and control dominate the agenda. Public discourse is often carefully choreographed. The parameters of discussion are changing. Our society talks about ethics, but not morality. We are insensitive to evil but hyper-tuned to political correctness. We are zealous for rights but dismissive of responsibilities. We want to be served rather than to serve. God is not revered as Creator or feared as Judge.
In this gathering darkness (a darkness that glitters with artificial twinkle) the guiding light of Christ does not falter. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”4 We can have confidence that evil will not finally prevail. We know that the Bible and all the plans and purposes of God revealed there will fail us. In the midst of turmoil, we have the steady presence of the Spirit so even Jesus’ return will not panic us. Remember Paul’s advice today, “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to Him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come.”5
Dear friends, it’s no good having a distant, disconnected, and dis-embodied Jesus. Thankfully, that’s not what we have. He said to His disciples, “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.”6 The crucified Jesus is risen. We are His baptized. We dine at His table. We are being prepared for greater things to come. Heaven involves the experience of God’s blessing without the need for mediation. The future life will not be lacking a physical dimension any more than the present one is. Sin’s power is already broken, but in the future life all consequences of evil will be completely nonexistent. We will be enthralled with the majesty of the almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are children of the resurrection. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Twenty Fifth Sunday After Pentecost
6 November, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 20:37-38 2 1 Corinthians 10:13 3 2 Timothy 2:4-5
4 Hebrews 13:8 5 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 6 John 14:2-3
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