+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Colossians 2:12
Theme: Buried, Raised, Living
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
You have already experienced a resurrection. The apostle Paul reminds us today,“…having been buried with Him in baptism, and raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.”1 Your spiritual life has been resurrected from the abyss of unbelief. The Scriptures also talk about this in Revelation 20, “Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them.”2 The first resurrection is the resurrection of faith, the spiritual resurrection. Physical and eternal death have no power over believers. The second resurrection, the bodily resurrection, will follow as a matter of course. But we’re not there yet.
Many people have experienced more than one spiritual resurrection. Faith can be lost. It can die. Believers can and do reject God’s truth and wander so far from Him that their faith is destroyed. The Bible constantly warns us about falling away from the faith. We can easily fall into the thinking that sin only involves those obvious transgressions that harm others and show unfaithfulness to God; lying, selfishness, dishonesty, hard-heartedness, sexual immorality, jealousy, anger, arrogance, disobedience, bodily, psychological, and emotional injury, and the list goes on indefinitely.
Indeed, these are all manifestations of sinfulness. But the root cause is unbelief in all of its expressions. People harm others because they don’t believe God is providing or will provide sufficiently for them. This includes fearing His judgment and trusting His promises. People are selfish because they don’t believe God is generous. People are deceitful because they think they can escape God’s judgment. People get jealous because they don’t trust God’s promises. Unbelief is at the root of all sin. Ultimately people fear, or get angry about, or despair over their mortality because they don’t carry the hope that Christ has triumphed even over death itself.
The person of faith, the believer, struggles not only against all types of temptations, he or she believes God speaks the truth and will finally give deliverance from every affliction. It’s important that we understand our faith- especially how it is nurtured- without being too introspective about faith’s quality. Faith is not an autonomous reality. It is a gift of trust that is completely dependent on the Holy Spirit. Through the word of promise the Holy Spirit interacts with the human heart, mind, and will. Just as an infant, even before birth, becomes attuned to its parent’s voices, and then through constant communication is fostered and formed by their influence, so too, the Spirit nurtures our faith in a similar manner. If we do not regularly have God’s word communicated to us, our faith will not be nurtured. If a child is kept in isolation and never spoken to it will not develop a proper relationship with its parents.
Because faith is a little like a muscle it must be exercised to remain fit. The Bible often calls this testing. St. Peter says, “Though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith- of greater worth than gold, which perished even though refined with fire- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.”3 Faith is proved genuine through trials. Only believers can truly see trials as beneficial. Oswald Chambers once said, “Faith for my deliverance is not faith in God. Faith means, whether I am visibly delivered or not, I will stick to my belief that God is love. There are some things only learned in a fiery furnace.” In other words, our faith cannot be self-serving, self-interested. We don’t ‘believe’ in God in hope that He will save our necks. We believe in God because He is always true to His word and He can save us from anything.
Our faith is also tested through bearing our crosses. Bearing the cross is not a self-chosen burden. God lays crosses on us through our particular circumstances. He even allows Satan to play his role. That doesn’t mean Christ doesn’t have power over the devil. It means He uses the devil as His lackey. When Satan schemes to destabilize us, God uses those very same circumstances to strengthen us. God never intends to demoralize us. He never intends to drive us to despair. But He does need to break our sinful, selfish wills. He does need to thaw our cold and frozen hearts. He does need to dethrone our idols. Such tasks require formidable resources and determined efforts. They are beyond human ability.
Dear friends, faith is receptive, it’s not causative. Faith is instrumental in receiving God’s blessings but not influential in determining them. Your belief about God doesn’t change one single thing about His nature, His person, or His work. There is a parallel in Holy Communion. Faith is necessary to receive the blessings of Holy Communion, but it doesn’t determine them. They are what they are because of God’s word. Holy Communion is both the meal in which we enjoy the food of the sacrifice- the Lamb of God was slain on the cross for our sins- and the food in which we participate in the resurrection. Through the body and blood of Christ we are empowered with the life of the resurrected Jesus. These blessings are realized by grace through faith.
God is unalterable. He cannot be manipulated by us. We cannot outwit Him, over-power Him, or outlast Him. His life is indestructible. We can’t cleverly negotiate with Him or selfishly appeal to His sense of pity. God can’t be duped. (That doesn’t mean that plea-bargaining with God isn’t a common practice. It’s not unusual for people to try and hold God ransom, making some vow to do this or that if God delivers on the person’s request. In reality, deals with the devil are taking place while trust in God’s mercy is what is actually needed.)
Our confidence is not in our faith. Our confidence is in God. God cannot, and does not, and will not fail us. (It may appear from human perspective that God has forgotten us. But beyond our limited horizon there is always the shadow of the cross and the light of the resurrection). God sees and knows the whole picture. The Scripture says, “No matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ.”4 That’s not just a religious platitude. It’s grounded on the plain fact of the death and resurrection of God’s one and only Son. The Spirit says, “In Christ all the fulness of the Deity lives in bodily form.”5
Dear friends, the apostle Paul says, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”6 The only limits on faith are the limits God determines. In May of 2001, a man named Erik Weihenmayer accomplished something that only about 150 people per year do—reaching the top of Mount Everest. The thing that made Erik’s achievement unusual is that he is the first blind person to succeed in scaling the tallest mountain in the world. Erik was born with a degenerative eye disease, and by the time he was thirteen he was completely blind. Rather than focus on what he could not do, he pressed on with what he could do and went much further than almost anyone expected.
You have already experienced a resurrection. The Bible calls our Spirit-given faith a deposit guaranteeing what is to come7. Imagine what the future holds! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Seventh Sunday After Pentecost
28 July 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Colossians 2:12 2 Revelation 20:6
3 1 Peter 1:6-7 4 2 Corinthians 1:20
5 Colossians 2:9 6 Philippians 4:13
7 2 Corinthians 1:22
Sunday, July 28, 2019
Monday, July 22, 2019
Sixth Sunday After Pentecost (C) 2019
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Colossians 1:22
Theme: Every Fiber Reconciled
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The gospel, the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ, can never be published too widely, understood too clearly, or cherished too highly. The gospel changes the eternal destination. It alters what matters most. It’s not an over-reach to say that the gospel is like an exit ramp from the broad road to hell onto the narrow way of salvation. Yet it’s not easy to convince people that they’re going the wrong way. Only the Holy Spirit can do it. But that doesn’t mean we’re relieved of all responsibility. It is critical; it is vital; it is essential that the gospel be available to every community, language, and nation of people. It’s no wonder the Spirit showed the apostle John what he did when he wrote, “Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on earth- to every nation, tribe, language and people.”1
The proclamation of the gospel from human mouth to human ears is God’s chosen means of disseminating His truth. God typically uses ordinary means- words, water, bread and wine- to accomplish miraculous things. We don’t mean miraculous things such as the parting the Red Sed, giving sight to the blind, or healing the lame. The most critical miracle is conversion from unbelief to faith. The creation of faith is the most superlative of all phenomena. Without faith we are destined not only for the consolation-prize of transience, but, more urgently, the horror of eternal separation. The consolation-prize of transience simply means we settle for believing that our temporary life is an end in and of itself. There is no more. This is it. Live it up. Make the best of it. Make money so you can indulge. Obviously, a pleasure-seeking mindset is popular in our age and people find lots of ways to rationalize it.
But, the ‘consolation-prize of transience’ is truly a consolation prize. It’s actually a terrible deception. Eternity awaits every soul and it will either be spent with or without God. Christ makes the difference. Either we can have sin and remain masters of our own destinies, or Christ can have our sin and we can have the certainty of His forgiveness.
It’s no coincidence, therefore, that our Lutheran confessions, after explaining that we are saved by grace through faith, say, “In order that we may obtain this faith, the ministry of teaching the Gospel and administering the sacraments was instituted. For through the Word and the sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Spirit is given, and the Holy Spirit produces faith, where and when it pleases God, in those who hear the Gospel.”2 God uses people to help other people, but the power remains with God.
St. Paul explains this redeeming power of Christ with these words today, “[God] has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation- if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven.”3 It’s not an exaggeration to say that Jesus’ surrendering of His own life for sinners is the most critical event that has ever taken place or will ever take place. Forgiveness depends on it. Reconciliation depends on it. Our bodily resurrection depends on it. Our entrance into heaven depends on it. Eternity with God in heaven depends on it. None of the things that really matter are possible without it. The sacrifice of Christ was an autonomous act that singularly made atonement for the sins of all and appeased the divine wrath.
Every fiber of your being is reconciled by Jesus’ giving up of His own life. Your soul is rescued from the evil of idolatry. Your body is rescued from the trauma and decay of being enslaved to unrighteousness. Nothing in your past is left unresolved by Christ’s redemptive work; not your blackest memories, your deepest scars, not the injustice committed against you or the injustice you’ve perpetrated against others. Nothing prevents your restoration from being complete. Jesus is risen from death and death no longer has any power over Him.
You can have the confidence of Job, who said, “In know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes- I, and not another.”4
People who believe they are reconciled to God are in the best position to model reconciliation towards others. The human practice of seeking and receiving forgiveness is never perfect, but it is essential for strong, enduring relationships. If you’ve been thinking about repenting, don’t put it off. If you’ve been considering apologizing, expressing remorse, or seeking to mend particular relationships, rest assured the Holy Spirit wants you to make haste and assists you with Godspeed. It doesn’t mean we should be rash, insincere, or reckless. Some wounds are so deep and sensitive it requires considerable patience and consultation to even be able to broach the matter. A badly damaged situation can be made even worse. But sincere expressions of remorse always have divine approval.
The humble attitude is much more pliable than the arrogant one. If you don’t believe you’re in the right frame of mind to apologize sincerely then pray that the Holy Spirit would convict your heart. An insincere apology is not only discerned by the receiver, it hardens one’s heart in self-righteousness. The hardened heart can only be softened by divine intervention. That’s why regular contact with God’s word is so essential. Faith is not magical. It’s not a keepsake or adornment, or an inert possession. Faith is a living dynamic; an interaction, a communication, between the Spirit, us, and the Holy Trinity.
Regular contact with God’s word happens most consistently while in His house. The devil will constantly supply you with reasons why it’s not important to be in God’s house on any particular Sunday. He never runs out of excuses. But his list doesn’t need to be too long because the main ones are usually effective. “I’m too busy.” “I’ve got better things to do with my time.” “I’ve heard it all before.” “People won’t miss me anyway.” “I can pray to God at home.” “The church is full of hypocrites.” In today’s gospel Jesus commended Mary for listening to His word. He didn’t condemn Martha for making the preparations. But He did tell her Mary had chosen what was better.
I’m aware, of course, that I’m preaching to the choir. But the choir too, needs to be encouraged. If you don’t have the strength to answer these temptations of Satan, think only of the Lord’s Supper. The Son of God says to you, His baptised, “Take and eat; this is My body which is given for you…Drink of it, all of you; this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.”5 These, dear friends are the words of the gospel. They are words of life. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Sixth Sunday After Pentecost
21 July 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Revelation 14:6 2 AC V, 1-2
3 Colossians 1:22-23 4 Job 19:25-27
5 Lutheran Hymnal, pp.18-19
Text: Colossians 1:22
Theme: Every Fiber Reconciled
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The gospel, the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ, can never be published too widely, understood too clearly, or cherished too highly. The gospel changes the eternal destination. It alters what matters most. It’s not an over-reach to say that the gospel is like an exit ramp from the broad road to hell onto the narrow way of salvation. Yet it’s not easy to convince people that they’re going the wrong way. Only the Holy Spirit can do it. But that doesn’t mean we’re relieved of all responsibility. It is critical; it is vital; it is essential that the gospel be available to every community, language, and nation of people. It’s no wonder the Spirit showed the apostle John what he did when he wrote, “Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on earth- to every nation, tribe, language and people.”1
The proclamation of the gospel from human mouth to human ears is God’s chosen means of disseminating His truth. God typically uses ordinary means- words, water, bread and wine- to accomplish miraculous things. We don’t mean miraculous things such as the parting the Red Sed, giving sight to the blind, or healing the lame. The most critical miracle is conversion from unbelief to faith. The creation of faith is the most superlative of all phenomena. Without faith we are destined not only for the consolation-prize of transience, but, more urgently, the horror of eternal separation. The consolation-prize of transience simply means we settle for believing that our temporary life is an end in and of itself. There is no more. This is it. Live it up. Make the best of it. Make money so you can indulge. Obviously, a pleasure-seeking mindset is popular in our age and people find lots of ways to rationalize it.
But, the ‘consolation-prize of transience’ is truly a consolation prize. It’s actually a terrible deception. Eternity awaits every soul and it will either be spent with or without God. Christ makes the difference. Either we can have sin and remain masters of our own destinies, or Christ can have our sin and we can have the certainty of His forgiveness.
It’s no coincidence, therefore, that our Lutheran confessions, after explaining that we are saved by grace through faith, say, “In order that we may obtain this faith, the ministry of teaching the Gospel and administering the sacraments was instituted. For through the Word and the sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Spirit is given, and the Holy Spirit produces faith, where and when it pleases God, in those who hear the Gospel.”2 God uses people to help other people, but the power remains with God.
St. Paul explains this redeeming power of Christ with these words today, “[God] has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation- if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven.”3 It’s not an exaggeration to say that Jesus’ surrendering of His own life for sinners is the most critical event that has ever taken place or will ever take place. Forgiveness depends on it. Reconciliation depends on it. Our bodily resurrection depends on it. Our entrance into heaven depends on it. Eternity with God in heaven depends on it. None of the things that really matter are possible without it. The sacrifice of Christ was an autonomous act that singularly made atonement for the sins of all and appeased the divine wrath.
Every fiber of your being is reconciled by Jesus’ giving up of His own life. Your soul is rescued from the evil of idolatry. Your body is rescued from the trauma and decay of being enslaved to unrighteousness. Nothing in your past is left unresolved by Christ’s redemptive work; not your blackest memories, your deepest scars, not the injustice committed against you or the injustice you’ve perpetrated against others. Nothing prevents your restoration from being complete. Jesus is risen from death and death no longer has any power over Him.
You can have the confidence of Job, who said, “In know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes- I, and not another.”4
People who believe they are reconciled to God are in the best position to model reconciliation towards others. The human practice of seeking and receiving forgiveness is never perfect, but it is essential for strong, enduring relationships. If you’ve been thinking about repenting, don’t put it off. If you’ve been considering apologizing, expressing remorse, or seeking to mend particular relationships, rest assured the Holy Spirit wants you to make haste and assists you with Godspeed. It doesn’t mean we should be rash, insincere, or reckless. Some wounds are so deep and sensitive it requires considerable patience and consultation to even be able to broach the matter. A badly damaged situation can be made even worse. But sincere expressions of remorse always have divine approval.
The humble attitude is much more pliable than the arrogant one. If you don’t believe you’re in the right frame of mind to apologize sincerely then pray that the Holy Spirit would convict your heart. An insincere apology is not only discerned by the receiver, it hardens one’s heart in self-righteousness. The hardened heart can only be softened by divine intervention. That’s why regular contact with God’s word is so essential. Faith is not magical. It’s not a keepsake or adornment, or an inert possession. Faith is a living dynamic; an interaction, a communication, between the Spirit, us, and the Holy Trinity.
Regular contact with God’s word happens most consistently while in His house. The devil will constantly supply you with reasons why it’s not important to be in God’s house on any particular Sunday. He never runs out of excuses. But his list doesn’t need to be too long because the main ones are usually effective. “I’m too busy.” “I’ve got better things to do with my time.” “I’ve heard it all before.” “People won’t miss me anyway.” “I can pray to God at home.” “The church is full of hypocrites.” In today’s gospel Jesus commended Mary for listening to His word. He didn’t condemn Martha for making the preparations. But He did tell her Mary had chosen what was better.
I’m aware, of course, that I’m preaching to the choir. But the choir too, needs to be encouraged. If you don’t have the strength to answer these temptations of Satan, think only of the Lord’s Supper. The Son of God says to you, His baptised, “Take and eat; this is My body which is given for you…Drink of it, all of you; this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.”5 These, dear friends are the words of the gospel. They are words of life. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Sixth Sunday After Pentecost
21 July 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Revelation 14:6 2 AC V, 1-2
3 Colossians 1:22-23 4 Job 19:25-27
5 Lutheran Hymnal, pp.18-19
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
Esther Freundt Funeral 16 July 2019
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 14:1
Theme: Trust Rewarded
Dear family, friends and loved ones of Esther; and especially you, Ann, Sue, and Mark, her children;
The Holy Scripture says, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.”1 With these candid words the mind of God is revealed. He delights in receiving His cherished and beloved children into His eternal kingdom. Esther has been received. She has been rewarded. She has been crowned. She has been allocated her place in that realm where the sun’s light is not even a pale reflection of the brilliance of God’s glory. She is home.
Of course, heaven’s gain is our loss. Death is never a popular subject with…well, anyone really. It’s understandable. What is more eviscerating than a malevolence that has complete supremacy over us? Humans are mortal and from a purely human perspective there’s no positive way to spin that reality. The Bible acknowledges this truth with statements such as “Dust you are and to dust you will return.”2 Or, “You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning.”3 Mindful, but not macabre, the Bible teaches us to be aware of our mortality.
Life is fragile. It’s a gift, not an entitlement. It’s a privilege, not a right. Yet, how easily our expectations run ahead of our capacities. The Giver must give, and the receivers must receive. We are the receivers and the equation will never be reversed. To believe otherwise is a delusion on the grandest scale. We might scrape together some collection of possessions and accomplishments during this short time on earth and call them our own, but what is that, really, in the grand scheme? Is not our status before God all that matters in the end? Is there anything that God lacks that we can supply? Is there any achievement of ours that He need recognize? Is there any sacrifice with which He will be impressed?
Dear friends, we are sinners by nature. In and of ourselves we have no natural ability or even desire to love God above all things or love our neighbour as our self. In short, a holy and just God doesn’t tolerate unrepentant and unforgiven sinners. His justice prevents it. Yet, His heart bleeds over hardened hearts. He doesn’t abandon us to our own self-engineered demise. He sends to us His only-begotten Son.
And the Redeemer says, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”4 Again, “This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.”5 And again, “Trust in God, trust also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms…I am going there to prepare a place for you.”6 Jesus Christ was crucified, laid in the tomb, and rose again on the third day to atone for the sins of every man, woman and child, no exceptions or exclusions. That truth is decisive for eternal salvation. Nothing can usurp it. Nothing can make it obsolete. Nothing can replace what Christ has done. People are saved by grace, through faith, or they are not saved at all.
Esther knew this. In her baptism Esther was adopted into the family of the Everlasting Father. She became a co-heir with Christ of His heavenly kingdom. And Esther remined true to her beliefs throughout her life, never absenting herself from the Lord’s house for unimportant reasons. Hers was very much a lived faith and a great example to others.
Esther was an unassuming person. She learned contentment and humility from an early age, and she modeled it right throughout her life. She didn’t like to be the center of attention. If you were hoping to see a montage of her photos on the screen, then you’ll be disappointed.
Esther endured the loss of her son Dean. The grief of losing a child at any age is an exceptional strain. It pierces the heart and leaves scars that can be managed, but never fully heal. It’s not that Esther wasn’t familiar with grief. He father died in a harvest fire tragedy when she was just the tender age of four. It wasn’t easy being fatherless in the middle of the great depression. But God provided avenues of support. These challenges strengthened her character and made her into the mature woman who was a blessing to so many. She will be greatly missed.
Grieving is never easy because it reflects that which makes us distinctively human- our creation in the image of God. But the Holy Spirit attends to those who grieve, and His presence sustains their trust in God’s goodness even when feeling empty and powerless. He steadies us with these words, “We do not want you to be ignorant about those who have fallen asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.”7 You see, without biblical hope, trust that God is a good as His word, that His promises will never fail, all that those who grieve have is memories- both happy reflections and sad regrets. But Christians look forward to reunion and life. As the Scripture says, “We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.”8
The peace that Esther now enjoys is much more comprehensive than just being released from the struggle of her frailty. Esther enjoys the profound, divine peace of being united with God no longer by faith. While we still live in this fallen existence, while these fragile, fleshly frames are still our homes faith is vital. Faith is the tether, the anchor, the umbilical cord, if you will, that connects us to that which we cannot grasp with our senses.
But for Esther, as with all the saints in heaven, faith is now obsolete. Esther no longer trusts in the Father’s goodness, believes in the Son’s promises, or relies on the Spirit’s faithfulness. She experiences the uninhibited presence of the triune God- His love, His grace, His compassion, His majesty, His glory- at every moment! That is a peace to look forward to! And it is the reason that even while we grieve, we can have genuine joy. Esther is crowned with eternal life. Yes, the fantastic final day of the resurrection of all flesh- when the body is reunited with the soul- still awaits. But Esther is already free. She is home.
In her later years, Esther used to launder the altar linens that are used to clean the chalice, the cup that holds the blood of Christ distributed in Holy Communion. How long she did this, I do not know. The cloths she collected were stained red with wine. She returned them gleaming white and ready to be of service again. It’s now a fitting image for Esther herself. She is clothed in perfect righteousness according the vision of the apostle John we heard earlier, “‘These in white robes- who are they, and where did they come from?’ I answered, ‘Sir, you know.’ ‘These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’”9
Esther has been rewarded for her trust in the Saviour. She has been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. Thanks be to God for His immeasurable love! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian Burial of Esther Victoria Freundt
16 July 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Psalm 116:15 2 Genesis 3:19
3 Psalm 90:5 4 John 5:24
5 John 17:3 6 John 14:1-2
7 1 Thessalonians 4:13 8 1 Thessalonians 4:13
9 Revelation 7:13-14
Text: John 14:1
Theme: Trust Rewarded
Dear family, friends and loved ones of Esther; and especially you, Ann, Sue, and Mark, her children;
The Holy Scripture says, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.”1 With these candid words the mind of God is revealed. He delights in receiving His cherished and beloved children into His eternal kingdom. Esther has been received. She has been rewarded. She has been crowned. She has been allocated her place in that realm where the sun’s light is not even a pale reflection of the brilliance of God’s glory. She is home.
Of course, heaven’s gain is our loss. Death is never a popular subject with…well, anyone really. It’s understandable. What is more eviscerating than a malevolence that has complete supremacy over us? Humans are mortal and from a purely human perspective there’s no positive way to spin that reality. The Bible acknowledges this truth with statements such as “Dust you are and to dust you will return.”2 Or, “You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning.”3 Mindful, but not macabre, the Bible teaches us to be aware of our mortality.
Life is fragile. It’s a gift, not an entitlement. It’s a privilege, not a right. Yet, how easily our expectations run ahead of our capacities. The Giver must give, and the receivers must receive. We are the receivers and the equation will never be reversed. To believe otherwise is a delusion on the grandest scale. We might scrape together some collection of possessions and accomplishments during this short time on earth and call them our own, but what is that, really, in the grand scheme? Is not our status before God all that matters in the end? Is there anything that God lacks that we can supply? Is there any achievement of ours that He need recognize? Is there any sacrifice with which He will be impressed?
Dear friends, we are sinners by nature. In and of ourselves we have no natural ability or even desire to love God above all things or love our neighbour as our self. In short, a holy and just God doesn’t tolerate unrepentant and unforgiven sinners. His justice prevents it. Yet, His heart bleeds over hardened hearts. He doesn’t abandon us to our own self-engineered demise. He sends to us His only-begotten Son.
And the Redeemer says, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”4 Again, “This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.”5 And again, “Trust in God, trust also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms…I am going there to prepare a place for you.”6 Jesus Christ was crucified, laid in the tomb, and rose again on the third day to atone for the sins of every man, woman and child, no exceptions or exclusions. That truth is decisive for eternal salvation. Nothing can usurp it. Nothing can make it obsolete. Nothing can replace what Christ has done. People are saved by grace, through faith, or they are not saved at all.
Esther knew this. In her baptism Esther was adopted into the family of the Everlasting Father. She became a co-heir with Christ of His heavenly kingdom. And Esther remined true to her beliefs throughout her life, never absenting herself from the Lord’s house for unimportant reasons. Hers was very much a lived faith and a great example to others.
Esther was an unassuming person. She learned contentment and humility from an early age, and she modeled it right throughout her life. She didn’t like to be the center of attention. If you were hoping to see a montage of her photos on the screen, then you’ll be disappointed.
Esther endured the loss of her son Dean. The grief of losing a child at any age is an exceptional strain. It pierces the heart and leaves scars that can be managed, but never fully heal. It’s not that Esther wasn’t familiar with grief. He father died in a harvest fire tragedy when she was just the tender age of four. It wasn’t easy being fatherless in the middle of the great depression. But God provided avenues of support. These challenges strengthened her character and made her into the mature woman who was a blessing to so many. She will be greatly missed.
Grieving is never easy because it reflects that which makes us distinctively human- our creation in the image of God. But the Holy Spirit attends to those who grieve, and His presence sustains their trust in God’s goodness even when feeling empty and powerless. He steadies us with these words, “We do not want you to be ignorant about those who have fallen asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.”7 You see, without biblical hope, trust that God is a good as His word, that His promises will never fail, all that those who grieve have is memories- both happy reflections and sad regrets. But Christians look forward to reunion and life. As the Scripture says, “We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.”8
The peace that Esther now enjoys is much more comprehensive than just being released from the struggle of her frailty. Esther enjoys the profound, divine peace of being united with God no longer by faith. While we still live in this fallen existence, while these fragile, fleshly frames are still our homes faith is vital. Faith is the tether, the anchor, the umbilical cord, if you will, that connects us to that which we cannot grasp with our senses.
But for Esther, as with all the saints in heaven, faith is now obsolete. Esther no longer trusts in the Father’s goodness, believes in the Son’s promises, or relies on the Spirit’s faithfulness. She experiences the uninhibited presence of the triune God- His love, His grace, His compassion, His majesty, His glory- at every moment! That is a peace to look forward to! And it is the reason that even while we grieve, we can have genuine joy. Esther is crowned with eternal life. Yes, the fantastic final day of the resurrection of all flesh- when the body is reunited with the soul- still awaits. But Esther is already free. She is home.
In her later years, Esther used to launder the altar linens that are used to clean the chalice, the cup that holds the blood of Christ distributed in Holy Communion. How long she did this, I do not know. The cloths she collected were stained red with wine. She returned them gleaming white and ready to be of service again. It’s now a fitting image for Esther herself. She is clothed in perfect righteousness according the vision of the apostle John we heard earlier, “‘These in white robes- who are they, and where did they come from?’ I answered, ‘Sir, you know.’ ‘These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’”9
Esther has been rewarded for her trust in the Saviour. She has been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. Thanks be to God for His immeasurable love! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian Burial of Esther Victoria Freundt
16 July 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Psalm 116:15 2 Genesis 3:19
3 Psalm 90:5 4 John 5:24
5 John 17:3 6 John 14:1-2
7 1 Thessalonians 4:13 8 1 Thessalonians 4:13
9 Revelation 7:13-14
Fifth Sunday After Pentecost (C) 2019
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 10:25-26
Theme: Words and Deeds
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Words are always vulnerable. But Christ, the Word-become-flesh, the immortal, immutable God, has an incontestable existence. Nothing can be said so clearly that it cannot be misrepresented by those who doubt or disagree with the message it carries. However, things can be, and have been, and will be done that are irrefutable and can never be proven false. Faith now bridges the gap between the assertions of God and the undeniability of their truthfulness. Even after seeing the risen Jesus some people doubted the resurrection. In heaven all such suspicion will cease.
The words Jesus uses today are in the form of a well-known and vivid parable. The worst possible use of the parable of the good Samaritan is to understand it only as a spiritual moralism. That would be a misrepresentation, even if it was well-intentioned. The expert who queries Jesus is interested in eternal life. What could be more important? Can you think of a better question to ask Jesus than how to attain eternal life? Jesus, as He often does, answers the man’s question with another question and directs him back to loving God and loving one’s neighbour. But the man wants to justify himself and that’s when the parable ensues.
Now, to be clear, the Bible everywhere supports and teaches proper morality. True faith in God is evidenced by obedience to God’s will. God knows which behaviours will benefit us and which ones will harm us. The parable illustrates that truth. But the obedience of faith is not the cause of salvation. The gates of heaven are not thrown open because anyone has, or can, or ever will, truly love God and the neighbour above all things. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”1 Yet, Christ has done precisely what we are not able to do: He has fulfilled God’s will perfectly. Just as the victimized man was left for dead, so too, that would be our fate had Christ not intervened.
Dear friends, both the recognition of personal guilt- that is, failure to love God to the point of meriting eternal condemnation- and the need for undeserved grace, are never going to be palatable to the unbelieving world. The Holy Spirit can speak into such darkness and the rest of us are powerless. But that doesn’t mean we’re useless. God has purposed us for this task.
Last week we considered the following questions: Will the church adjust to being the people of God in a society that no longer shares many of its most fundamental beliefs, yet desperately needs the light of truth shining into its darkness, and the message of peace to calm its chaos? Or, will the church re-image itself to be so similar to culture that it disavows its unique identity? Will it concede the teachings of Scripture one by one until it finds itself on the sinking sand of humanistic philosophy? Will the church survive the tsunami which is already causing many within her to run for the ‘safety of society’s political correctness’?
The answer, existentially, is yes! The gates of hell will not prevail against Christ’s church. But the Christian church may not be the church as we know it today. The Bible is replete with warnings against hypocrisy. Congregations, parishes, and even entire denominations may cease to exist. Some Christian leaders believe that conceding the biblical view on a few contentious issues- think human sexuality, the sanctity of human life, and response to changes in the biosphere- will lead to a mutual truce with those in society who hold an entirely different worldview. But is this hope optimistically naïve? And should the church be looking for a truce anyway?
Christians are called to confess the truth regardless of the attitudes of the age. The Scripture says, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness…what agreement is there between the temple of God and idols.”2 Certainly we’ll need to understand better the philosophies and motivations that drive those who hold a secular worldview. The fundamental issue is the sovereignty of God in a society that is pursuing the deification of human wisdom and authority. Christ calls us to “be wise as serpents, and innocent as doves.”3 He tells us to have the faith of a child4. But He never says to be childish or naïve. We are to be lifelong students of the Word. And the Spirit teaches us to be gracious beyond what might seem reasonable, leaving the outcome to God.
The ‘good Samaritan’ gave the innkeeper the equivalent of two day’s wages and promised more. That is considerable generosity. How many of us would offer two hour’s wages on the spot, let alone two days? The generosity is highlighted further by the cultural and contextual expectations. Jewish-Samaritan interactions weren’t exactly cordial. The man who had been victimized was passed by, by both a priest and a Levite. Jesus wishes to illustrate the hypocrisy of their religious convictions. Surely, they would be the ones most likely to come to the aid of someone in need? Surprisingly it’s someone from the least likely category of people who offers help.
Dear friends, if we’re not supporting the maintenance and extension of God’s kingdom, what are we doing? What kind of legacies and reputations are we trying to achieve? Well, you say, we’re just struggling to get through life. We’re trying to make ends meet. We’re trying to survive on our pensions. We’re trying to manage our schedules and negotiate our traumas. We’re dealing with health issues and broken families. Yes, indeed! But it’s not one or the other. The joys and challenges in life can either be experienced with God or without Him. His absence may appear to make little difference in the moment, but the eternal difference is immeasurable. Eternity without God is catastrophic.
We all make decisions based on priorities. The Good Samaritan made a choice as he walked along the road between Jerusalem and Jericho. He probably didn’t leave home planning to spend two days’ wages on a total stranger. He set out to accomplish his plans for the day, the same as the priest and the Levite. God challenged the priorities of all three men. The least likely one (from a Jewish perspective) did the godly thing.
The good Samaritan is not a figure that’s meant to make us feel guilty for not being more generous. Jesus is the Good Samaritan par excellence. He intervened in our broken and dying world. He wasn’t just passing by either. He purposely descended from the magnificence of heaven to dwell with sinners on earth. We should understand ourselves as the one needing rescue. We’re unable to redeem ourselves. The wound of sin is fatal for those lacking the intervention of proper help. Only the Divine Physician will ultimately do. Only the incarnate Son of God can cure the wounds of sin. His forgiveness is our cleansing wine. His Spirit is our anointing oil.
Jesus, our ‘good Samaritan’ walked the road to Calvary obediently surrendering His life by crucifixion for our sins. Then He walked right over sin, death, and Satan, crushing their power. He is resurrected and remains incorruptible. You are His baptized. When you are in need He never passes by on the other side of the road. He brings you to His ‘inn’, His “one holy Christian and apostolic Church.”5 There He feeds you with His sacred food and supports you with fellow travelers on the road. He promises never to desert you. Words are always susceptible to distortion. But do not fear. You are in the company of Him who has “the words of eternal life.”6 They’re not empty words. They’re death-defying words. Thanks be to God! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fifth Sunday After Pentecost
14 July 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Romans 3:23 2 2 Corinthians 6:14-16
3 Matthew 10:16 4 See Matthew 18:3
5 The Nicene Creed 6 John 6:68
Text: Luke 10:25-26
Theme: Words and Deeds
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Words are always vulnerable. But Christ, the Word-become-flesh, the immortal, immutable God, has an incontestable existence. Nothing can be said so clearly that it cannot be misrepresented by those who doubt or disagree with the message it carries. However, things can be, and have been, and will be done that are irrefutable and can never be proven false. Faith now bridges the gap between the assertions of God and the undeniability of their truthfulness. Even after seeing the risen Jesus some people doubted the resurrection. In heaven all such suspicion will cease.
The words Jesus uses today are in the form of a well-known and vivid parable. The worst possible use of the parable of the good Samaritan is to understand it only as a spiritual moralism. That would be a misrepresentation, even if it was well-intentioned. The expert who queries Jesus is interested in eternal life. What could be more important? Can you think of a better question to ask Jesus than how to attain eternal life? Jesus, as He often does, answers the man’s question with another question and directs him back to loving God and loving one’s neighbour. But the man wants to justify himself and that’s when the parable ensues.
Now, to be clear, the Bible everywhere supports and teaches proper morality. True faith in God is evidenced by obedience to God’s will. God knows which behaviours will benefit us and which ones will harm us. The parable illustrates that truth. But the obedience of faith is not the cause of salvation. The gates of heaven are not thrown open because anyone has, or can, or ever will, truly love God and the neighbour above all things. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”1 Yet, Christ has done precisely what we are not able to do: He has fulfilled God’s will perfectly. Just as the victimized man was left for dead, so too, that would be our fate had Christ not intervened.
Dear friends, both the recognition of personal guilt- that is, failure to love God to the point of meriting eternal condemnation- and the need for undeserved grace, are never going to be palatable to the unbelieving world. The Holy Spirit can speak into such darkness and the rest of us are powerless. But that doesn’t mean we’re useless. God has purposed us for this task.
Last week we considered the following questions: Will the church adjust to being the people of God in a society that no longer shares many of its most fundamental beliefs, yet desperately needs the light of truth shining into its darkness, and the message of peace to calm its chaos? Or, will the church re-image itself to be so similar to culture that it disavows its unique identity? Will it concede the teachings of Scripture one by one until it finds itself on the sinking sand of humanistic philosophy? Will the church survive the tsunami which is already causing many within her to run for the ‘safety of society’s political correctness’?
The answer, existentially, is yes! The gates of hell will not prevail against Christ’s church. But the Christian church may not be the church as we know it today. The Bible is replete with warnings against hypocrisy. Congregations, parishes, and even entire denominations may cease to exist. Some Christian leaders believe that conceding the biblical view on a few contentious issues- think human sexuality, the sanctity of human life, and response to changes in the biosphere- will lead to a mutual truce with those in society who hold an entirely different worldview. But is this hope optimistically naïve? And should the church be looking for a truce anyway?
Christians are called to confess the truth regardless of the attitudes of the age. The Scripture says, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness…what agreement is there between the temple of God and idols.”2 Certainly we’ll need to understand better the philosophies and motivations that drive those who hold a secular worldview. The fundamental issue is the sovereignty of God in a society that is pursuing the deification of human wisdom and authority. Christ calls us to “be wise as serpents, and innocent as doves.”3 He tells us to have the faith of a child4. But He never says to be childish or naïve. We are to be lifelong students of the Word. And the Spirit teaches us to be gracious beyond what might seem reasonable, leaving the outcome to God.
The ‘good Samaritan’ gave the innkeeper the equivalent of two day’s wages and promised more. That is considerable generosity. How many of us would offer two hour’s wages on the spot, let alone two days? The generosity is highlighted further by the cultural and contextual expectations. Jewish-Samaritan interactions weren’t exactly cordial. The man who had been victimized was passed by, by both a priest and a Levite. Jesus wishes to illustrate the hypocrisy of their religious convictions. Surely, they would be the ones most likely to come to the aid of someone in need? Surprisingly it’s someone from the least likely category of people who offers help.
Dear friends, if we’re not supporting the maintenance and extension of God’s kingdom, what are we doing? What kind of legacies and reputations are we trying to achieve? Well, you say, we’re just struggling to get through life. We’re trying to make ends meet. We’re trying to survive on our pensions. We’re trying to manage our schedules and negotiate our traumas. We’re dealing with health issues and broken families. Yes, indeed! But it’s not one or the other. The joys and challenges in life can either be experienced with God or without Him. His absence may appear to make little difference in the moment, but the eternal difference is immeasurable. Eternity without God is catastrophic.
We all make decisions based on priorities. The Good Samaritan made a choice as he walked along the road between Jerusalem and Jericho. He probably didn’t leave home planning to spend two days’ wages on a total stranger. He set out to accomplish his plans for the day, the same as the priest and the Levite. God challenged the priorities of all three men. The least likely one (from a Jewish perspective) did the godly thing.
The good Samaritan is not a figure that’s meant to make us feel guilty for not being more generous. Jesus is the Good Samaritan par excellence. He intervened in our broken and dying world. He wasn’t just passing by either. He purposely descended from the magnificence of heaven to dwell with sinners on earth. We should understand ourselves as the one needing rescue. We’re unable to redeem ourselves. The wound of sin is fatal for those lacking the intervention of proper help. Only the Divine Physician will ultimately do. Only the incarnate Son of God can cure the wounds of sin. His forgiveness is our cleansing wine. His Spirit is our anointing oil.
Jesus, our ‘good Samaritan’ walked the road to Calvary obediently surrendering His life by crucifixion for our sins. Then He walked right over sin, death, and Satan, crushing their power. He is resurrected and remains incorruptible. You are His baptized. When you are in need He never passes by on the other side of the road. He brings you to His ‘inn’, His “one holy Christian and apostolic Church.”5 There He feeds you with His sacred food and supports you with fellow travelers on the road. He promises never to desert you. Words are always susceptible to distortion. But do not fear. You are in the company of Him who has “the words of eternal life.”6 They’re not empty words. They’re death-defying words. Thanks be to God! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fifth Sunday After Pentecost
14 July 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Romans 3:23 2 2 Corinthians 6:14-16
3 Matthew 10:16 4 See Matthew 18:3
5 The Nicene Creed 6 John 6:68
Monday, July 8, 2019
Fourth Sunday After Pentecost (C) 2019
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 10:11
Theme: The Kingdom of God is Near
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
“The kingdom of God has come near to you.”1 That was the message the ambassadors of Jesus were to proclaim in every town, village, and home. Whether they were welcomed or not, the message was to be unmistakable: God is at work in the world. That work involves the defeat of Satan, evil, unbelief and all its consequences and the rescue of sinners and their restoration to the kingdom. The nearness of the kingdom is inseparable from the presence of Jesus and the work of the Spirit. The Scripture says, “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.”2
But is that how we really see it? Oh, dear friends, how may problems seem to be solved when God stands at a distance! And how many more are solved when the devil stands there too! Perhaps on opposite sides; one on the East and the other on the West, or one on the North and the other on the South? When God is kept arm’s-length the complications and contingencies of our decisions are greatly reduced. Yes, we ‘cleverly’ keep His wisdom available for consultation, it’s right here in The Book. But access to His decrees and engagement with His presence are two very different things. The understanding of ideas does not equal interaction with the Person. Studying the history of marriage is not equivalent to entering into the bonds of holy matrimony. Reading a manual on the origin and rules of tennis is hardly the same as playing in a match.
The distancing of God is a dangerous deception. It creates the illusion of relative autonomy. As masters of our own methods we pursue the construction of our own kingdoms. These empires are not always material- properties, trust funds, legacies, and the like- they can be monuments to egos, reputations and ambitions. The sinful nature always wants to build its own Tower of Babel. The higher our egos are raised, the further we get from God.
The first deception of the distant God (and Satan) is that accountability for our transgressions can be deferred if not completely ignored. If God isn’t on-the-scene, we have time to cover our tracks. We are children playing unsupervised. In the case of the distant Satan, temptation can be deconstructed, re-imaged, downplayed, or written off. St. Paul warns us today, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.”3 God cannot be tricked. He cannot be made a fool of. He cannot be hoodwinked, duped, or deluded. Certainly, He is parodied. He is scorned, slandered, and caricatured. But it will not be without retribution. God will not leave the punishment of sin unresolved.
But the far greater danger of the deception of the distant God (which might appear to give us a nice measure of freedom) is loss of indemnity. True confidence in the immediacy of His power to intervene for our good is forfeited. Grace becomes detached from the living power to administer it. Doubt is cast upon God’s ability to act because His imminence is in question. Divine truth is not a lifeless phenomenon. God’s love is not a static ideology. God intervenes for our good. He is on-the-scene. The drowning swimmer is not helped by the lifeguard on duty at a different beach. A soldier wounded on the battlefield cannot be assisted by a comrade fighting in a different war. A hostage cannot be rescued even by highly capable police if they cannot reach the location. Mortals living in time and space cannot be redeemed by a Deity who remains confined to His own eternal dimensions.
Dear friends, rejoice that we do not have a such a God. What does the Scripture say? “When the fulness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law.”4 It says, “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.”5
Jesus is here and He is alive and well. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world6. The cross was His altar of sacrifice. The resurrection was His triumph over death. He speaks to you when you are absolved of your sins and assured of His favour. He feeds you when His body is offered, and His blood is given. He cheers you when He recalls to you His baptismal promise that you now participate in His victory over death. He doesn’t prod you to struggle to reach Him. He comes down to you, lowering Himself to raise you up.
Our God has come near to us in the person of Jesus. But, increasingly the world around us prefers to keep Him at a distance. We’re only just getting a taste of what the future struggle may be like. Will the Christian Church be able to cope with being truly counter-cultural? Counter-cultural not in a faddish way or a way that relegates it to ghetto status. Will the church adjust to being the people of God in a society that no longer shares many of its most fundamental beliefs, yet desperately needs the light of truth shining into its darkness, and the message of peace to calm its chaos? Or, will the church re-image itself to be so similar to culture that it disavows its unique identity? Will it concede the teachings of Scripture one by one until it finds itself on the sinking sand of humanistic philosophy? Will the church survive the tsunami which is already causing many within her to run for the ‘safety of society’s political correctness’?
The answer, existentially, is yes! The gates of hell will not prevail against Christ’s church. The church’s existence is a fundamental doctrine because it is tied to the unchangeability and immortality of God Himself. Jesus says, “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.”7 There will always be some who stand firm. The Living God will never cease to have servants. But the Christian church may not be the church as we know it today? Congregations, parishes, entire denominations may become deceased. A Christian presence may completely disappear from many future societies as has happened many times in the past. Believers in the West may have to meet in secrecy for fear of persecution. The chaff will be separated from the wheat. But the total destruction of the church will never eventuate. “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”8 In the future, believers will likely be more appreciative of their shared faith, understanding more keenly what it means to suffer for the name of Christ. Jesus was taunted while He hung on the altar of the cross. He endured the insults of the very people He would shed His blood for.
Dear friends, the seventy-two missionaries sent out today were met with both welcome and hostility. Yet they came back rejoicing. They understood that the kingdom of heaven had come near and they were both eyewitnesses and participants in its blessings. But lest they lose focus on the essential reason for joy, Jesus said to them, “Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”9 And, so too, us. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fourth Sunday After Pentecost
7 July 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 10:9
2 Psalm 145:18
3 Galatians 6:7
4 Galatians 4:4-5 5 1 John 4:2 6 See John 1:29
7 Matthew 24:12-13 8 John 1:5 9 Luke 10:20
Text: Luke 10:11
Theme: The Kingdom of God is Near
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
“The kingdom of God has come near to you.”1 That was the message the ambassadors of Jesus were to proclaim in every town, village, and home. Whether they were welcomed or not, the message was to be unmistakable: God is at work in the world. That work involves the defeat of Satan, evil, unbelief and all its consequences and the rescue of sinners and their restoration to the kingdom. The nearness of the kingdom is inseparable from the presence of Jesus and the work of the Spirit. The Scripture says, “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.”2
But is that how we really see it? Oh, dear friends, how may problems seem to be solved when God stands at a distance! And how many more are solved when the devil stands there too! Perhaps on opposite sides; one on the East and the other on the West, or one on the North and the other on the South? When God is kept arm’s-length the complications and contingencies of our decisions are greatly reduced. Yes, we ‘cleverly’ keep His wisdom available for consultation, it’s right here in The Book. But access to His decrees and engagement with His presence are two very different things. The understanding of ideas does not equal interaction with the Person. Studying the history of marriage is not equivalent to entering into the bonds of holy matrimony. Reading a manual on the origin and rules of tennis is hardly the same as playing in a match.
The distancing of God is a dangerous deception. It creates the illusion of relative autonomy. As masters of our own methods we pursue the construction of our own kingdoms. These empires are not always material- properties, trust funds, legacies, and the like- they can be monuments to egos, reputations and ambitions. The sinful nature always wants to build its own Tower of Babel. The higher our egos are raised, the further we get from God.
The first deception of the distant God (and Satan) is that accountability for our transgressions can be deferred if not completely ignored. If God isn’t on-the-scene, we have time to cover our tracks. We are children playing unsupervised. In the case of the distant Satan, temptation can be deconstructed, re-imaged, downplayed, or written off. St. Paul warns us today, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.”3 God cannot be tricked. He cannot be made a fool of. He cannot be hoodwinked, duped, or deluded. Certainly, He is parodied. He is scorned, slandered, and caricatured. But it will not be without retribution. God will not leave the punishment of sin unresolved.
But the far greater danger of the deception of the distant God (which might appear to give us a nice measure of freedom) is loss of indemnity. True confidence in the immediacy of His power to intervene for our good is forfeited. Grace becomes detached from the living power to administer it. Doubt is cast upon God’s ability to act because His imminence is in question. Divine truth is not a lifeless phenomenon. God’s love is not a static ideology. God intervenes for our good. He is on-the-scene. The drowning swimmer is not helped by the lifeguard on duty at a different beach. A soldier wounded on the battlefield cannot be assisted by a comrade fighting in a different war. A hostage cannot be rescued even by highly capable police if they cannot reach the location. Mortals living in time and space cannot be redeemed by a Deity who remains confined to His own eternal dimensions.
Dear friends, rejoice that we do not have a such a God. What does the Scripture say? “When the fulness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law.”4 It says, “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.”5
Jesus is here and He is alive and well. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world6. The cross was His altar of sacrifice. The resurrection was His triumph over death. He speaks to you when you are absolved of your sins and assured of His favour. He feeds you when His body is offered, and His blood is given. He cheers you when He recalls to you His baptismal promise that you now participate in His victory over death. He doesn’t prod you to struggle to reach Him. He comes down to you, lowering Himself to raise you up.
Our God has come near to us in the person of Jesus. But, increasingly the world around us prefers to keep Him at a distance. We’re only just getting a taste of what the future struggle may be like. Will the Christian Church be able to cope with being truly counter-cultural? Counter-cultural not in a faddish way or a way that relegates it to ghetto status. Will the church adjust to being the people of God in a society that no longer shares many of its most fundamental beliefs, yet desperately needs the light of truth shining into its darkness, and the message of peace to calm its chaos? Or, will the church re-image itself to be so similar to culture that it disavows its unique identity? Will it concede the teachings of Scripture one by one until it finds itself on the sinking sand of humanistic philosophy? Will the church survive the tsunami which is already causing many within her to run for the ‘safety of society’s political correctness’?
The answer, existentially, is yes! The gates of hell will not prevail against Christ’s church. The church’s existence is a fundamental doctrine because it is tied to the unchangeability and immortality of God Himself. Jesus says, “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.”7 There will always be some who stand firm. The Living God will never cease to have servants. But the Christian church may not be the church as we know it today? Congregations, parishes, entire denominations may become deceased. A Christian presence may completely disappear from many future societies as has happened many times in the past. Believers in the West may have to meet in secrecy for fear of persecution. The chaff will be separated from the wheat. But the total destruction of the church will never eventuate. “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”8 In the future, believers will likely be more appreciative of their shared faith, understanding more keenly what it means to suffer for the name of Christ. Jesus was taunted while He hung on the altar of the cross. He endured the insults of the very people He would shed His blood for.
Dear friends, the seventy-two missionaries sent out today were met with both welcome and hostility. Yet they came back rejoicing. They understood that the kingdom of heaven had come near and they were both eyewitnesses and participants in its blessings. But lest they lose focus on the essential reason for joy, Jesus said to them, “Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”9 And, so too, us. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fourth Sunday After Pentecost
7 July 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 10:9
2 Psalm 145:18
3 Galatians 6:7
4 Galatians 4:4-5 5 1 John 4:2 6 See John 1:29
7 Matthew 24:12-13 8 John 1:5 9 Luke 10:20
Wednesday, July 3, 2019
Third Sunday After Pentecost (C) 2019
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Galatians 5:18
Theme: Led By The Spirit
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Life is never absent of meaning. The challenge comes in understanding and believing that life in God, with God, and from God is never without hope. Unless you believe the universe was self-generated, that it popped into existence under its own intrinsic power, you believe in God. Unless you believe our existence is the result of random and chaotic forces, you believe there is purpose and order in creation. The Bible teaches that God’s purpose and order for creation is not generic. It has definition in Christ. Today the focus and future of Zahli Hampel’s life has been re-orientated. She is an object of Christ’s love, a member of His family, and an heir of His kingdom.
Meaning and purpose in life doesn’t mean it’s without struggle- quite the opposite. Satan is in continual opposition to God’s purposes and so are our selfish sinful natures. The apostle Paul speaks about these things today saying, “The desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”1 What are the desires of the flesh? “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”2
The pivotal medium in this struggle is our conscience (though, of course, the Bible also speaks of our heart, our spirit or soul, and our will). When the conscience doesn’t struggle against temptation, then either we have a false peace (that is, we actually don’t recognize something as being against God’s will, when it truly is), or, we’ve given into the desires of the flesh. Examples are easy to name and are virtually infinite. We’ll consider just a couple. Firstly, in the context of marriage and sexuality, many people, including many Christians, now have a falsely peaceful conscience about sexual activity outside of the bonds of marriage. They simply don’t recognize it as being against God’s will. Therefore, their consciences are not pricked. Others have their consciences stirred, but have given into the desires of the flesh, thus ignoring them. The transgression of God’s plan for sexual relationships has profound and far-reaching implications for both individuals and societies. We can see the grief and harm it’s causing all around us.
A second example is greed, which relates to the Ninth and Tenth Commandments on coveting3. Greed is widely extolled as a virtue in Western Society. It’s often cloaked in ideas and concepts that make it sound positive. The ambition to achieve easily becomes an excuse to exploit. When things become monetized- valued with dollar signs- perspectives on what gives life meaning can become badly skewed. Money can’t solve all problems. And though it can provide many comforts, it really is true that money can’t buy happiness if, happiness is understood as enduring joy. Scripture says, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”4 It also says, “You cannot serve both God and Money.”5
It’s important to remember that though we sometimes successfully hide our sins from others, we can never hide them from God. We still try, like the drunk husband who snuck up the stairs quietly. He looked in the bathroom mirror and bandaged the bumps and bruises he'd received in a fight earlier that night. He then proceeded to climb into bed, smiling at the thought that he'd pulled one over on his wife. When morning came, he opened his eyes and there stood his wife. "You were drunk last night weren't you!" "No, honey." "Well, if you weren't, then who put all the band-aids on the bathroom mirror?"
The condemning law of God causes the conscience to be in distress. He does that to drive us to repentance. Conversely, the gospel, the Good News of forgiveness, gives the conscience true comfort and peace. Yet, He does more than pardon the penitent sinner. He gives strength to battle temptation. How does Christ overcome our temptation to pursue greed, for example? He does it in two basic ways. Firstly, the Spirit teaches us that nothing we can ever possess compares to the value of the soul. Secondly, He does it by providing for our daily needs.
This includes giving us the ability to work. The Scripture says, “Do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear? For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”6
How does the Spirit overcome our temptation to lust? He does it by providing a faithful husband or wife. He does it by providing the blessing of children through the intimacy of marriage. He does it by giving our conscience assurance that we’re not missing out on God’s blessings while others pursue unrighteousness. Dear friends, none of God’s provisions mean that temptations will cease. Satan will work on our weak points until we draw our final breath. Yet, he has no answer for the manner in which Christ equips us and the Spirit attends us. The holy promises of God are not dependent on human weakness, but on divine power. In the Lord’s Supper we are nourished with the food of immortality.
Dear friends, God has plans for us beyond the present. He has chosen us for eternity. The stakes are high. Heaven is not some circumscribed place in the far-off corner of the galaxy. Hell is not on the distant, cold and dark side of the universe. Heaven is the unhindered, unmediated, glorious and majestic presence of God experienced by those freed from the confines of this fallen existence. Hell is that dimension of existence completely devoid of God’s presence and blessings. It’s the place where wickedness and evil have full expression.
God is not some magical, legendary character written into mythical sagas about fanciful times and places. He is the all-powerful Creator of the universe and Redeemer of humanity. His love is so profound that in the person of Jesus God assumed our human nature. He doesn’t make distant, detached decrees, treating us like pawns in some grand game of chess. Christ came to fallen humanity and immersed Himself in the brokenness of our world. He embraced our fallenness, our wickedness, our depravity, our deep ungodliness. He didn’t turn away from being heaped with our guilt and shame. He willingly submitted to crucifixion to atone for our sins. He triumphed over death exiting the grave on the third day.
He did this for every human soul, no exceptions. Do you think God’s concern for Zahli is any less than that of the most honoured person in history? Christ’s blood was shed for her, just as it was for us. Baptism isn’t a charming little ceremony where an adorable infant or saintly adult is symbolically wetted with a bit of water. It is an act of divine intervention. In baptism the Holy Spirit raids the domain of Satan and the world of unbelief and rescues a soul from his grasp. As the Scripture says, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.”7 There’s nothing the devil hates more than God’s word, His truth, and the presence of Christ bringing forgiveness and life. There is always a purpose for living. We are led by the Spirit and He won’t be asking Google Maps for directions. He knows the destination and He knows how to get there. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Third Sunday After Pentecost
30 June 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Galatians 5:17
2 Galatians 5:19-21
3 See Exodus 20:17
4 1 Timothy 6:10
5 Matthew 6:24
6 Matthew 6:31-33
7 Colossians 1:13
Text: Galatians 5:18
Theme: Led By The Spirit
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Life is never absent of meaning. The challenge comes in understanding and believing that life in God, with God, and from God is never without hope. Unless you believe the universe was self-generated, that it popped into existence under its own intrinsic power, you believe in God. Unless you believe our existence is the result of random and chaotic forces, you believe there is purpose and order in creation. The Bible teaches that God’s purpose and order for creation is not generic. It has definition in Christ. Today the focus and future of Zahli Hampel’s life has been re-orientated. She is an object of Christ’s love, a member of His family, and an heir of His kingdom.
Meaning and purpose in life doesn’t mean it’s without struggle- quite the opposite. Satan is in continual opposition to God’s purposes and so are our selfish sinful natures. The apostle Paul speaks about these things today saying, “The desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”1 What are the desires of the flesh? “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”2
The pivotal medium in this struggle is our conscience (though, of course, the Bible also speaks of our heart, our spirit or soul, and our will). When the conscience doesn’t struggle against temptation, then either we have a false peace (that is, we actually don’t recognize something as being against God’s will, when it truly is), or, we’ve given into the desires of the flesh. Examples are easy to name and are virtually infinite. We’ll consider just a couple. Firstly, in the context of marriage and sexuality, many people, including many Christians, now have a falsely peaceful conscience about sexual activity outside of the bonds of marriage. They simply don’t recognize it as being against God’s will. Therefore, their consciences are not pricked. Others have their consciences stirred, but have given into the desires of the flesh, thus ignoring them. The transgression of God’s plan for sexual relationships has profound and far-reaching implications for both individuals and societies. We can see the grief and harm it’s causing all around us.
A second example is greed, which relates to the Ninth and Tenth Commandments on coveting3. Greed is widely extolled as a virtue in Western Society. It’s often cloaked in ideas and concepts that make it sound positive. The ambition to achieve easily becomes an excuse to exploit. When things become monetized- valued with dollar signs- perspectives on what gives life meaning can become badly skewed. Money can’t solve all problems. And though it can provide many comforts, it really is true that money can’t buy happiness if, happiness is understood as enduring joy. Scripture says, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”4 It also says, “You cannot serve both God and Money.”5
It’s important to remember that though we sometimes successfully hide our sins from others, we can never hide them from God. We still try, like the drunk husband who snuck up the stairs quietly. He looked in the bathroom mirror and bandaged the bumps and bruises he'd received in a fight earlier that night. He then proceeded to climb into bed, smiling at the thought that he'd pulled one over on his wife. When morning came, he opened his eyes and there stood his wife. "You were drunk last night weren't you!" "No, honey." "Well, if you weren't, then who put all the band-aids on the bathroom mirror?"
The condemning law of God causes the conscience to be in distress. He does that to drive us to repentance. Conversely, the gospel, the Good News of forgiveness, gives the conscience true comfort and peace. Yet, He does more than pardon the penitent sinner. He gives strength to battle temptation. How does Christ overcome our temptation to pursue greed, for example? He does it in two basic ways. Firstly, the Spirit teaches us that nothing we can ever possess compares to the value of the soul. Secondly, He does it by providing for our daily needs.
This includes giving us the ability to work. The Scripture says, “Do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear? For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”6
How does the Spirit overcome our temptation to lust? He does it by providing a faithful husband or wife. He does it by providing the blessing of children through the intimacy of marriage. He does it by giving our conscience assurance that we’re not missing out on God’s blessings while others pursue unrighteousness. Dear friends, none of God’s provisions mean that temptations will cease. Satan will work on our weak points until we draw our final breath. Yet, he has no answer for the manner in which Christ equips us and the Spirit attends us. The holy promises of God are not dependent on human weakness, but on divine power. In the Lord’s Supper we are nourished with the food of immortality.
Dear friends, God has plans for us beyond the present. He has chosen us for eternity. The stakes are high. Heaven is not some circumscribed place in the far-off corner of the galaxy. Hell is not on the distant, cold and dark side of the universe. Heaven is the unhindered, unmediated, glorious and majestic presence of God experienced by those freed from the confines of this fallen existence. Hell is that dimension of existence completely devoid of God’s presence and blessings. It’s the place where wickedness and evil have full expression.
God is not some magical, legendary character written into mythical sagas about fanciful times and places. He is the all-powerful Creator of the universe and Redeemer of humanity. His love is so profound that in the person of Jesus God assumed our human nature. He doesn’t make distant, detached decrees, treating us like pawns in some grand game of chess. Christ came to fallen humanity and immersed Himself in the brokenness of our world. He embraced our fallenness, our wickedness, our depravity, our deep ungodliness. He didn’t turn away from being heaped with our guilt and shame. He willingly submitted to crucifixion to atone for our sins. He triumphed over death exiting the grave on the third day.
He did this for every human soul, no exceptions. Do you think God’s concern for Zahli is any less than that of the most honoured person in history? Christ’s blood was shed for her, just as it was for us. Baptism isn’t a charming little ceremony where an adorable infant or saintly adult is symbolically wetted with a bit of water. It is an act of divine intervention. In baptism the Holy Spirit raids the domain of Satan and the world of unbelief and rescues a soul from his grasp. As the Scripture says, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.”7 There’s nothing the devil hates more than God’s word, His truth, and the presence of Christ bringing forgiveness and life. There is always a purpose for living. We are led by the Spirit and He won’t be asking Google Maps for directions. He knows the destination and He knows how to get there. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Third Sunday After Pentecost
30 June 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Galatians 5:17
2 Galatians 5:19-21
3 See Exodus 20:17
4 1 Timothy 6:10
5 Matthew 6:24
6 Matthew 6:31-33
7 Colossians 1:13
Monday, June 24, 2019
Second Sunday After Pentecost (C) 2019
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: 1 Kings 19:13-15
Theme: From Confusion To Clarity
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The rage and fury of humanity can be quelled by a single, solemn word from the Almighty. The anxiety and turbulence of our hearts is pacified by the promise of Him who is not panicked by any schemes all the powers of evil can muster. He says, “Do not be anxious about anything…the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”1 And again, from the 23rd Psalm, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies,”2 that is, foes, and adversaries, including Satan himself, must look on helplessly as we enjoy God’s generous provision in the safety of His care.
This calming truth was important for the prophet Elijah today. Elijah was running scared. After defeating the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (450 against one3, mind you) queen Jezebel wanted his head. He was suddenly a fugitive in his own land. His mood was now in stark contrast to the bravery and boldness shown on Mount Carmel. The false prophets had been discredited, and the people, being gripped by God’s awesome display of power, fell prostrate and said, “The Lord- He is God! The Lord- He is God.”4 Still, the secular authorities remained in power and they were not impressed with Elijah’s revival of the worship of Yahweh, the true God. He had upset the apple cart. The wicked queen had him in her sights, so he was still very unsettled.
So, Elijah flees. Leaving his servant in safety he journeyed a day into the desert, sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. “‘I have had enough, Lord,’ he said, ‘Take my life; I am no better than my anscestors.’”5 Not surprisingly, the Lord doesn’t comply. Instead, He sends an angel who supplies provisions of food and drink, and then sends him on a forty-day journey to Horeb. Horeb, known as the ‘mountain of God’, was Mount Sinai where the Lord met Moses to give Him the Ten Commandments.
There, on the same mountain where God revealed Himself to Moses, God now manifests His presence to Elijah. In succession, Elijah experiences a powerful windstorm, an earthquake, and a fire. Yet, it wasn’t through these powerful demonstrations that God speaks to him. Instead, it was a firm, quiet word. It was time for God to have a serious heart-to-heart with His prophet. Elijah was at the end of his tether. He needed more than a pep talk from an angel. So, the Spirit moved Elijah from confusion to clarity, from doubt to certainty. Humanly, from Elijah’s perspective, the situation seemed hopeless. It was beyond Him. He couldn’t see a way forward. But the Almighty was still in control. Elijah needed to be strengthened by His presence. God came to him in his distress.
Elijah had to leave the mountain- God had things for him to do- but that didn’t mean he was being left to fend for Himself. Dear friends, the Lord never forsakes you, not even in your most acute frailty, not even in the time of your darkest sin. The Scripture says, “The word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so that you may obey it.”6
The God of Elijah is our God. He is a speaking God. His word is powerful and effective. His word must rebuke so that it can save. It must put to death our sinful, unbelieving, and selfish natures so that it can raise us to a new spiritual life that looks to Christ for every blessing. His word brings His name, His presence, His promises. His word is the word of the gospel- the Good News of salvation, the word of truth, the word of life, the word of hope. Jesus is the Word incarnate; Immanuel- God With Us.
“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”7 The same incarnate Jesus offered up His life on the altar of the cross. There He made atonement for your sins and mine. He endured the punishment that we rightly deserve. He satisfied the justice of God reconciling us to the Father. The horror of hell no longer hangs over us like an insurmountable threat. He rose from the grave securing the power of incorruptible life. We can live freely and authentically as His children.
We said last week that Christianity is not a society of spectators. The church is not a club or a charity organization. It is a hospital for sinners. It is a collection of ambassadors carrying the Good News into a bad news world. We are the fellowship of God’s people united by faith in the one Lord Jesus Christ through the one Spirit. The church is the communion of the baptised. We dine at His holy table receiving the power of His own body and blood. Elijah feared he was one of the only members of the church left. The Lord told him there were still 70008 who had not fallen away.
Dear friends, if our energies, our attitudes, and our resources aren’t going to support the kingdom, then where are they going? What are our priorities? God wills stability in society and we’re commanded to participate to that end. But He doesn’t command indulgence for selfishness’s sake. He doesn’t want us to be obsessed with worldly pursuits. He calls us to humility and self-sacrifice knowing that only His kingdom will endure eternally. Love for our neighbours necessarily entails concern for their souls. He doesn’t say it will be easy, but there are eternal rewards.
A man named Bob Vernon formerly worked for the Los Angeles Police Department. He tells of how the Department would test bullet-proof vests and demonstrate to rookie officers their value by placing them on mannequins and then shooting round after round at them. They'd then check to see if any of the rounds penetrated the vests. Invariably the vests would pass the test with flying colours. Vernon would then turn to the rookie officers and ask, "So who wants to wear it now instead of the mannequin?" You can imagine the apprehension at volunteering! How much more important still is our spiritual armor! The Scripture says, “Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”9
Today, Elijah was ready to throw in the towel. God had different ideas. His part in the narrative was far from over. How easily, dear friends, do we underappreciate the gift of life each day! We have no entitlement to it. God is not obligated to provide it. Yet, how tragic if this life is just spent in selfish indulgence while eternity in God’s presence is forfeited.
Solomon put it vividly when he said, “Anyone who is among the living has hope- even a live dog is better off than a dead lion.”10 It doesn’t matter how bleak things look from human perspective, God can raise life from the ashes. When we’re mired in darkness and doubt, the Spirit shines light and certainty into our lives. Christ lives. No truth is more important and the lives of all believers- including yours- are wrapped up in this profound mystery. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Second Sunday After Pentecost
23 June 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Philippians 4:6-7
2 Psalm 23:5
3 See 1 Kings 18:22
4 1 Kings 18:39
5 1 Kings 19:4 6 Deuteronomy 30:14
7 John 1:14 8 See 1 Kings 19:18
9 Ephesians 6:16 10 Ecclesiastes 9:4
Text: 1 Kings 19:13-15
Theme: From Confusion To Clarity
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The rage and fury of humanity can be quelled by a single, solemn word from the Almighty. The anxiety and turbulence of our hearts is pacified by the promise of Him who is not panicked by any schemes all the powers of evil can muster. He says, “Do not be anxious about anything…the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”1 And again, from the 23rd Psalm, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies,”2 that is, foes, and adversaries, including Satan himself, must look on helplessly as we enjoy God’s generous provision in the safety of His care.
This calming truth was important for the prophet Elijah today. Elijah was running scared. After defeating the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (450 against one3, mind you) queen Jezebel wanted his head. He was suddenly a fugitive in his own land. His mood was now in stark contrast to the bravery and boldness shown on Mount Carmel. The false prophets had been discredited, and the people, being gripped by God’s awesome display of power, fell prostrate and said, “The Lord- He is God! The Lord- He is God.”4 Still, the secular authorities remained in power and they were not impressed with Elijah’s revival of the worship of Yahweh, the true God. He had upset the apple cart. The wicked queen had him in her sights, so he was still very unsettled.
So, Elijah flees. Leaving his servant in safety he journeyed a day into the desert, sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. “‘I have had enough, Lord,’ he said, ‘Take my life; I am no better than my anscestors.’”5 Not surprisingly, the Lord doesn’t comply. Instead, He sends an angel who supplies provisions of food and drink, and then sends him on a forty-day journey to Horeb. Horeb, known as the ‘mountain of God’, was Mount Sinai where the Lord met Moses to give Him the Ten Commandments.
There, on the same mountain where God revealed Himself to Moses, God now manifests His presence to Elijah. In succession, Elijah experiences a powerful windstorm, an earthquake, and a fire. Yet, it wasn’t through these powerful demonstrations that God speaks to him. Instead, it was a firm, quiet word. It was time for God to have a serious heart-to-heart with His prophet. Elijah was at the end of his tether. He needed more than a pep talk from an angel. So, the Spirit moved Elijah from confusion to clarity, from doubt to certainty. Humanly, from Elijah’s perspective, the situation seemed hopeless. It was beyond Him. He couldn’t see a way forward. But the Almighty was still in control. Elijah needed to be strengthened by His presence. God came to him in his distress.
Elijah had to leave the mountain- God had things for him to do- but that didn’t mean he was being left to fend for Himself. Dear friends, the Lord never forsakes you, not even in your most acute frailty, not even in the time of your darkest sin. The Scripture says, “The word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so that you may obey it.”6
The God of Elijah is our God. He is a speaking God. His word is powerful and effective. His word must rebuke so that it can save. It must put to death our sinful, unbelieving, and selfish natures so that it can raise us to a new spiritual life that looks to Christ for every blessing. His word brings His name, His presence, His promises. His word is the word of the gospel- the Good News of salvation, the word of truth, the word of life, the word of hope. Jesus is the Word incarnate; Immanuel- God With Us.
“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”7 The same incarnate Jesus offered up His life on the altar of the cross. There He made atonement for your sins and mine. He endured the punishment that we rightly deserve. He satisfied the justice of God reconciling us to the Father. The horror of hell no longer hangs over us like an insurmountable threat. He rose from the grave securing the power of incorruptible life. We can live freely and authentically as His children.
We said last week that Christianity is not a society of spectators. The church is not a club or a charity organization. It is a hospital for sinners. It is a collection of ambassadors carrying the Good News into a bad news world. We are the fellowship of God’s people united by faith in the one Lord Jesus Christ through the one Spirit. The church is the communion of the baptised. We dine at His holy table receiving the power of His own body and blood. Elijah feared he was one of the only members of the church left. The Lord told him there were still 70008 who had not fallen away.
Dear friends, if our energies, our attitudes, and our resources aren’t going to support the kingdom, then where are they going? What are our priorities? God wills stability in society and we’re commanded to participate to that end. But He doesn’t command indulgence for selfishness’s sake. He doesn’t want us to be obsessed with worldly pursuits. He calls us to humility and self-sacrifice knowing that only His kingdom will endure eternally. Love for our neighbours necessarily entails concern for their souls. He doesn’t say it will be easy, but there are eternal rewards.
A man named Bob Vernon formerly worked for the Los Angeles Police Department. He tells of how the Department would test bullet-proof vests and demonstrate to rookie officers their value by placing them on mannequins and then shooting round after round at them. They'd then check to see if any of the rounds penetrated the vests. Invariably the vests would pass the test with flying colours. Vernon would then turn to the rookie officers and ask, "So who wants to wear it now instead of the mannequin?" You can imagine the apprehension at volunteering! How much more important still is our spiritual armor! The Scripture says, “Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”9
Today, Elijah was ready to throw in the towel. God had different ideas. His part in the narrative was far from over. How easily, dear friends, do we underappreciate the gift of life each day! We have no entitlement to it. God is not obligated to provide it. Yet, how tragic if this life is just spent in selfish indulgence while eternity in God’s presence is forfeited.
Solomon put it vividly when he said, “Anyone who is among the living has hope- even a live dog is better off than a dead lion.”10 It doesn’t matter how bleak things look from human perspective, God can raise life from the ashes. When we’re mired in darkness and doubt, the Spirit shines light and certainty into our lives. Christ lives. No truth is more important and the lives of all believers- including yours- are wrapped up in this profound mystery. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Second Sunday After Pentecost
23 June 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Philippians 4:6-7
2 Psalm 23:5
3 See 1 Kings 18:22
4 1 Kings 18:39
5 1 Kings 19:4 6 Deuteronomy 30:14
7 John 1:14 8 See 1 Kings 19:18
9 Ephesians 6:16 10 Ecclesiastes 9:4
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