Categories
Reaching Out

Spiritual Conversations – How to Talk About Your Faith

Most of us struggle with how we can talk about our faith without being embarrassed or offending people. The Spiritual Conversation Curve, developed by Lutheran Hour Ministries, sheds light on this important topic. It shows that the path a person takes toward faith in Christ is a process with several steps (and may take place over a period of time). The following scenario describes what this might look like:

Source of Image: Lutheran Hour Ministries
CHAT: You are in the waiting room at an auto repair shop, waiting for your car to be serviced (or in your doctor’s waiting room or on an airplane) and you start visiting with the person next to you. You just talk about ordinary things. You mention how hot it is outside, you ask if they have noticed how prices of everything have gone up, or if they were impacted by the tornado that came through town a few weeks ago.

RELATE: At some point, you ask: “What is your name? My name is _________” and you give your name, and probably shake their hand. You will probably see their countenance brighten, as you have uttered the most precious words in the world to them – THEIR NAME. And you have now entered into their world by asking who they are; you have expressed an interest in HEARING THEIR STORY.

ASK AND SHARE: You continue the conversation, asking what they do or work, if they are in school (if younger), or if they are retired (if older), and where they are from originally. You are inviting them to tell you THEIR STORY OF WHO THEY ARE AND WHERE THEY CAME FROM. Of course you share your story as well. You might ask if they still have family back home, and if they have family here. Then you ask: “What was your religious background?” This usually is the beginning of A SPIRITUAL CONVERSATION with the other person, starting with a non-threatening question.
A spiritual conversation, which can take place anytime, anywhere, with anyone, is a conversation about spiritual matters – God, faith, doubt, heaven, hell, Muhammad, or Buddha. Two atheists in a bar talking about how naive Christians are, are having a spiritual conversation.

CONNECT: A good second question is: “Are you still involved in that church (or religion or belief system)?” If they say no, you can ask where are they now in this regard, and you can then (briefly) tell them the story of your spiritual journey and where you are now on that journey. You share how you see our Lord working in your life.

EXPLORE AND CLARIFY: You have launched a SPIRITUAL CONVERSATION, and you can explore questions they have and clarify the good news – the love and truth of Jesus Christ, Who came to set us free from sin and the fear of death.

Key Points

· BE CURIOUS and interested in who they are as a person and their life experiences. You can learn things from them that you never knew, and they don’t care how much you know if they don’t know how much you care.

· BE OPEN and be willing to share about your own life and life experiences. You have nothing to hide, nothing to fear, and nothing to prove in this conversation.

· REALIZE that they might even become a friend of yours, and you a friend to them. True friends warm you with their presence, trust you with their secrets, and remember you in their prayers.

· BE TOTALLY NON-JUDGMENTAL – it is not our job to judge others (that’s God’s job), and if we are judgmental, they will clam up, and the conversation is over (or worse – we get into an argument). Instead, be sympathetic; everyone we meet has lost something, loves something, and has a hope or fear.

· LISTEN ACTIVELY, asking questions to learn more about what they have experienced in life and what they now think and believe. The more we know about who they are, what they have experienced, and what they now think and believe, the better able will we be to relate to them as a person and their soul.

· PRAY SILENTLY, asking the Holy Spirit to guide you in this conversation, to give you the words to say to this person. And remember that there are always three persons in a spiritual conversation – you, the other person, and the Holy Spirit.

Every day we encounter souls who are lost and would welcome a SPIRITUAL CONVERSATION. So let us go forth to converse with them with the love and truth of Christ as if God sent us, BECAUSE HE HAS.

To God be the glory

Categories
Reaching Out

Spiritual But Not Religious

Some old friends mention that they are “spiritual but not religious”. This is a great opening for a SPIRITUAL CONVERSATION. It is also time to ask questions, because we can’t relate to people if we don’t know where they are on their spiritual journey.

Start by Asking Them What They Mean by “Religious”
Common responses:

· They see no need for “organized religion”, which means churches, denominations, doctrine, or other religions; i.e. any system that impinges on their personal freedom and asks something of them.

· They may see Christian doctrine as paternalistic, authoritarian, and oppressive, in contrast to true spirituality and freedom.

RESPONSE:

· Be sure to listen and ask questions to clarify issues they raise in a non-judgmental manner. When you start judging them, THE SPIRITUAL CONVERSATION IS OVER.

· You might ask them if they have had bad experiences in churches to learn more about their religious viewpoints.

· State that you are not defending Christianity as an organized, historic religion, because it has a lot of baggage (much of which contradicts Christ’s teaching), but a personal relationship with the sovereign, living God of the universe.

· You might share with them that:

o If they expect churches to be places where perfect, loving people gather (rather than a hospital for sinners), they will be disappointed.

o You have found attending a church to be liberating, as you set aside a special time devoted to the Lord, your relationship with the Lord deepens, and you enjoy fellowship with other believers.

Then Ask Them What They Mean by “Spiritual”
Our Lord created us with a spirit and desire to have a relationship with Him, so we shouldn’t be surprised if someone says they are spiritual. However imperfectly, they are expressing that desire. Typically they are not referring to the God of the Bible, but to one of two religious worldviews.

Worldview #1: God is a God of Love and Everyone is Going to Heaven
This is similar to Christianity, but departs from historical Christian beliefs in saying that everyone is going to heaven, regardless of beliefs or behavior. They see different religions as different paths to heaven. THIS IS UNIVERSALISM. In contrast, Jesus said:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

RESPONSE:

· This denies the holiness, justice, and mercy of God – the God who has revealed Himself through the prophets, Christ, the Bible, the Holy Spirit, saints throughout history, and fulfilled prophecies.

· They are rejecting the necessity for Christ to die on the cross, because everyone is going to heaven anyway.

· It also means there is no ultimate justice in life, with Hitler, Mao, and other mass murderers – all unrepentant, evil people going to heaven, paying no price and suffering no consequence for their evil deeds. Is that the kind of world you want to live in?

Worldview #2: We Are All One and We Are All Spiritual
The second world view sees you, and me, and them, and the entire universe as sacred, holy, and spiritual (i.e. we are all GOD). It acknowledges that there is something transcendent about the material universe, and claims we can experience this divine reality and live a transcendent life of connectedness with all that is. And when we die, we become one with all that is – the ultimate Oneness. THIS IS PANTHEISM.

RESPONSE:

· How can we develop a personal relationship with an impersonal God-that-is-all-that-is? And then in death in pantheism, like a drop of rain that falls into the ocean, we lose our identity forever.

· In contrast, when we repent and receive Christ as our Savior, we become indwelt by the Holy Spirit and develop a personal relationship with the God who created us in His image and seeks to have a loving relationship with us into eternity.

· Although God has revealed Himself in nature which He created, He is separate and distinct from it, just as we are separate and distinct from some work of art that we create. We see that in the first verse of the Bible:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
Genesis 1:1

In summary, while being spiritual but not religious sounds liberating, it rejects historic, Biblical Christianity that has been proven by multiple fulfilled prophecies and provided meaning, purpose, and joy for millions of people in their lives and into eternity. It also leads to lives that are devoid of a personal relationship with our Lord, that worship a false god, and are on the broad path that leads to the Lake of Fire forever and ever. They may be in touch with the spirit world, but it is not the Holy Spirit.

So let us go forth to reach people with the love and truth of Christ, for time is short, eternity is a very long time, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.

To God be the glory
Board of Evangelism

Categories
Fellowship

August First Sunday Fellowship Lunch

Join us on Sunday, August 6th, for fellowship and lunch immediately following the 10:30am worship service.

Members and guests are welcome and this event is free! All you need to bring is an appetite and some good conversation.

Menu

BBQ Chicken Legs and Sausage

Cole Slaw

Potato Salad

Dessert

We appreciate and accept free-will donations that benefit our Fellowship Committee that allow our church to continue to offer free meals.

Categories
Reaching Out

Spiritual Conversations

When Christ came to live among us, he fed and healed people’s bodies, he cast out demons, he taught, and he had SPIRITUAL CONVERSATIONS. Research from the Barna Group that shows that people talk less about spiritual matters than they used to, but we all can become more intentional in our outreach and actually enjoy sharing Jesus with others when we do.

Christian researcher George Barna painted a picture of the Eager Conversationalist – a person who had conversations about faith more than ten times a year. Looking at these individuals – these eager conversationalists, five common characteristics emerged, depicted in this EAGER Profile:

The EAGER Profile

Eager conversationalists are people who:

· EMBRACE THE GOSPEL. They have a clear and certain understanding that salvation comes from belief in Jesus Christ alone and forgiveness of sins comes only through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

· APPLY SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES. Not only do they say faith is very important in their everyday lives, but they actively seek to grow their faith through prayer, reading the Bible, and attending worship regularly.

· GRASP THE CALLING. These individuals know that are part of the “priesthood of all believers”. They accept a personal responsibility to share their faith other people.

· EXPECT SPIRITUAL CONVERSATIONS. While some actively seek opportunities to share, many say spiritual conversations happen unexpectedly. This group is ready and willing to participate when they happen.

· RESPOND CONFIDENTLY. Overall, these individuals feel qualified to share their faith and are glad when they do. They feel peace and joy; they laugh; they aren’t afraid even though they know these conversations are sometimes difficult.

Source: Lutheran Hour Ministries – lhm.org
Key Insights

· TIME: This process may take place over a period of weeks, or in just an hour or two with the person next to you on an airplane.

· RELATIONSHIPS: It’s all about developing a relationship with that person. They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

· COMPASSION is key; Jesus had compassion on people, so He reached out and ministered to them.

· SURPRISE OR PLANNED: Spiritual conversations may happen unexpectedly, but they may be in fact divine appointments in which our Lord arranged for us to meet a particular person at a particular time and place. (In a divine appointment, three people are present – you, the other person, and the Holy Spirit.)

· A DIVINE APPOINTMENT may be you having lunch with a friend, talking with the plumber who comes to your house, or a brief conversation with the person holding a sign and asking for help at the street intersection.

· DON’T WORRY: We are not to worry about what to say; the Holy Spirit will give us the words to say. It’s about being ready to respond when the opportunity presents itself. And sometimes we just plant seeds.

· SLOW DOWN: When we slow down from our busy schedules and take a few moments to smile and relate to the people who come across our paths, it can be a totally different experience.

· OPEN THE DOOR: Everyone has some religious experience, often with a church. So we can ask them where they are from, what was their religious background, and if they are still involved in that church (as we share our background as well). This can open the door to a spiritual conversation.

· RELIGION HURT: Many people have had hurtful experiences with churches or other religions. We need to be aware of that, and minister to them with the love of Christ.

Everyone has a story, is broken, and needs our Lord. So let us reach out and engage them in spiritual conversations with the love and truth of Christ, for time is short, eternity is forever, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.

To God be the glory

Categories
Reaching Out

GUILT – OUR WORST ENEMY OR OUR BEST FRIEND

How to Get Rid of Guilt

“If you have guilt in your life, just get rid of it so you can get on with your life,” stated a vice president of a midwestern state university, giving a pep talk to faculty about life and careers. Although this high-ranking official recognized how detrimental guilt can be in our lives, she did not mention repentance as a way to get rid of it.

None of us like to feel guilty – the realization or belief that we have done something wrong, and the feeling that we will suffer consequences for our actions. And yet we will all experience guilt in our lives because of our fallen, sinful nature – our propensity to sin and our inability to keep the law perfectly. Thanks to Jesus, we can become free of guilt, but we must be able to distinguish between TRUE GUILT and FALSE GUILT.

We experience TRUE GUILT when we commit true sin, because the Holy Spirit convicts us of that sin – an offense against God and probably our fellow man. When we repent, we are forgiven, and restored to a right relationship with our Lord. Our Lord then wipes that sin off of the books, for He is merciful and loving:

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in mercy… He does not treat us as our sins deserve, nor punish us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His mercy for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:8-12

Of course there may be temporal consequences to our sin. If we rob a bank, even if we repent, we may go to prison. (Our governmental legal system is not as forgiving as our gracious Lord.)

We experience FALSE GUILT when we feel badly because someone – perhaps a loved one, a friend, our boss, or the culture, wants us to do something that is unnecessary or even wrong. Perhaps they claim you need to purchase a new car, a bigger house, a fancy vacation, etc. because your neighbors (the Joneses) have one, and that you are A BAD AND UNCARING PERSON if you do not comply with their wishes.

Another example of false guilt is the notion that white people should feel guilty of racism because four hundred years ago white people enslaved black people in this nation. Although we should try to make amends for past atrocities and injustices, we cannot be guilty of something we did not do.

Guilt Can Become Our Worst Enemy When:

· FALSE GUILT – We feel pressure from others to do certain things that are unnecessary or wrong, but do not have the discernment and courage to reject it because it is false and often a manipulation. So we give in to their wishes, or resist and live a life of guilt, condemned by their (Godless) value system.

· TRUE GUILT – We experience true guilt, but are unwilling to repent to get rid of the sin in our lives (which would eliminate the guilt).

Guilt Can Become Our Best Friend When:

· We know the difference between true guilt and false guilt and just dismiss false guilt, for it is fake, and a reflection on our loved one, friend, boss, or culture.

· We realize true guilt is like a flashing warning sign that we are about to step off the narrow path that leads to Heaven, onto the wide path that leads to the Lake of Fire. So we repent, make things right, and get back on the narrow path. If we ignore the warning signs, or can’t distinguish between true guilt and false guilt, we will be on the wrong path, headed for perdition.

Not sure if what you are experiencing is true or false guilt? Hold it up to our Lord: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Given how our culture has become increasingly post-Christian, pressures will increase on Christians to conform to a godless culture. Therefore, it is critical that we spend time with our Lord each day so that we will be discerning and able to cope with true and false guilt.

Everyone we meet has to deal with guilt, and are doing so with varying degrees of success. So let us help them with their struggle to discern and dismiss false guilt, and repent of true guilt, so they may be free from the shackles of sin and experience the joy and love of our Lord.

To God be the glory

Categories
Sermon

Sermon for 07.09.23 “Prisoners of hope”

Pentecost 6 (Proper 9), July 9, 2023
Text: Zechariah 9:9–12
Theme: Prisoners of hope
Other Lessons: Psalm 145:1–14; Romans 7:14–25a; Matthew 11:25–30

A. In the Name of the Father…Amen.
B. The Old Testament lesson serves as our sermon text for this morning.
C. Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God our heavenly Father through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
D. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:
King Jesus, accept our joyful shouts of praise for Your saving work. Rule
in our lives, now and always. Amen.

Introduction

A. Have you noticed that things aren’t how they should be?
1. There’s selfishness, tragedy, heartbreak, pain, evil, and injustice all
over.
A. And that is just on the outside!
2. All that is inside each of us too.
A. Even St. Paul cries out in today’s Epistle:
Romans 7:19 (NASB95)
For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I
do not want.
B. There’s not a night where we can put our head on the pillow and say,
“Thank you, God, for enabling me to live a perfect day.”
3. Every day, sin afflicts us.
A. Every day we fail even those we love.
B. Every day, others fail us too.
C. We’re a mess.
D. Not just a mess, but a hot mess.
4. Indeed, we deserve nothing but God’s punishment now and forever.
A. How we need an even more powerful and compassionate rescuer to take over!
B. Thankfully, the Lord announces to us through Zechariah:
Zechariah 9:9 (NASB95)
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of
Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with
salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a
donkey.
C. King Jesus Comes to Bring You under His Reign of Peace, Freedom, and
Hope.
1. Jesus restores God as your king.
A. When the Lord brought his people out of Egypt, he wasn’t just their God;
he was also their King.
1. But God’s people weren’t content having God as their King.
2. Other nations had earthly kings.
3. Israel wanted one too.
4. God warned them through the prophet Samuel:
a. a king will tax you,
b. send your sons to war,
c. take your daughters to himself,
d. and will ultimately fail you.
e. But Israel insisted on having a king.
5. Yahweh gave them the desires of their hearts in the form of a king,
Saul, and yes, he did indeed fail them terribly.
a. After David was anointed as king, the Lord promised that one of David’s
descendants would rule on his throne forever.
B. Even David failed.
1. He murdered a loyal soldier to hide his adultery and steal his wife.
2. Solomon, David’s son, was given great wisdom, yet he failed, being led
by his 700 wives and 300 concubines into allowing the worship of false
gods.
3. After Solomon, the kingdom was divided and grew weaker.
4. King after king couldn’t measure up to Israel’s true King, the maker of
heaven and earth.
5. Eventually, the last king, Zedekiah, was taken to Babylon in chains.
6. He died in captivity, alone.
C. By Zechariah’s time in 520 BC, it looked as though God’s promise had
failed.
1. The Jews had no king.
2. They had been in exile for seventy years.
3. They’d now returned, and the temple was being rebuilt, but Jerusalem was
still in ruins.
4. Yet, Zechariah was given this powerful promise by the Lord:
Zechariah 9:9 (NASB95)
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of
Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with
salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a
donkey.
D. A king is coming, and he is the Lord himself coming to save us!
1. He is a righteous, faithful, good king.
2. He will sit on David’s throne.
3. He has salvation.
4. All things that have gone wrong are going to be set right.
5. Zechariah’s words are filled with:
a. joy
b. Peace
c. freedom
d. and hope.
6. These words are a breath of fresh air for God’s people.
7. They only had to wait five hundred-plus years until these words were
fulfilled on Palm Sunday as Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem.
8. Jesus was coming to be King and Savior for all, to restore God as our
King.
2. Jesus is a humble king.
A. Your king, though he is almighty God, doesn’t mount a horse or chariot
to ride into battle with impressive flair.
1. Jesus is a humble king.
2. He rides a donkey into Jerusalem as he chooses to serve you in humility:
Zechariah 9:9 (NASB95)
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of
Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with
salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a
donkey.
3. Your King doesn’t tax His people but freely gives forgiveness and mercy
to them.
4. Your King doesn’t send you or your sons into battle first.
5. No, first he makes himself an army of one to defeat sin, death, and
Satan by humbly bearing the sins of the world and their deserved punishment
and damnation.
6. Then He enlists us to follow Him in His eternal victory.
7. Your righteous King perfectly fulfills all that is demanded of you and
credits that righteousness to you as you receive Him:
a. in His Holy Word,
b. Holy Baptism,
c. and His holy body and blood.
8. Your King doesn’t force subjects to bow down to Him.
9. Instead, He graciously serves you with His word of forgiveness and
peace, which causes us to rejoice in His abundant mercy and eagerly receive
Him in reverence and joy.
B. Your King looks so utterly gentle and lowly as He first reigns on the
cross, but there He establishes a kingdom that will never fail.
1. Though humble, He is powerful.
2. Though He seems weak, He alone defends us, cutting off the chariots and
warhorses and battle bows.
3. He destroys death from the inside so that it is only an empty shell of
itself.
4. He is a powerful warrior!
5. He is able to set us free!
3. Jesus offers the peace of His kingdom to all.
A. So Zechariah rejoices:
Zechariah 9:10 (NASB95)
I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; And
the bow of war will be cut off. And He will speak peace to the nations; And
His dominion will be from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the
earth.
B. The word for “nations” here is the word for Gentile nations.
1. King Jesus is king for all people.
2. He is King for you, whoever you are.
3. Jesus offers peace to all.
4. Oddly enough, Israel wanted a king so they could be like all the
nations, but now in Christ Jesus, God gave His people a king who is for all
nations.
5. The one whom all the nations desperately need.
C. Zechariah 9:10 (NASB95)
I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; And
the bow of war will be cut off. And He will speak peace to the nations; And
His dominion will be from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the
earth.
1. King Jesus doesn’t just speak peace.
2. He delivers peace—that is, peace with God.
3. He doesn’t give some sort of peaceful feeling.
4. Nor is His peace the mere absence of warfare.
5. But it is a rich peace of harmony, wholeness, and blessedness.
6. Through His saving death and resurrection, right now Jesus speaks peace
to you:
a. Forgiveness–restoration as his dearly beloved brothers and sisters.
b. He also guarantees that the day of resurrection is coming when, as you
remain in Him, all illness, weakness, and pain will be banished and you
will be set free from sin forever, basking in His eternal peace.
D. And already today Jesus comes humbly right into our midst.
1. Today Jesus speaks peace in his word of absolution, cleansing our sin
from us, and in:
Zechariah 9:11 (NASB95)
As for you also, because of the blood of My covenant with you, I have set
your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
2. He rides in on bread and wine, His very body and His blood of the new
covenant—the new testament—the blood-bought promise of God himself.
3. From the world’s point of view, the Lord’s Supper isn’t a powerful
event.
a. It appears to be a very small, little meal.
b. But you know from the words of King Jesus what’s actually happening.
c. Heaven invades earth right here.
d. Jesus comes to all in His body and blood.
e. Make no mistake about it: He is a powerful King coming into our midst, a
King who can destroy and condemn eternally.
f. But thankfully, to you who repent of your sins and trust Jesus’ saving
work, He comes gently:
1) to touch you,
2) to cleanse you from the inside out.
3) He forgives you.
4) He strengthens you.
5) He meets you,
6) He dines with you,
7) and He encourages you.
8) He gathers you at the table with his Father and the Holy Spirit.
E. King Jesus sets you right again with the Father.

1. Your mighty King, He defends you from Satan’s attacks.
2. He cuts off the chariots, warhorses, and battle bows and keeps you safe
in his peace.
3. As Martin Luther wrote to encourage Christians to the Sacrament of the
Altar as a defense against Satan, the world, and our sinful nature:
a. “If you could see how many knives, darts, and arrows are every moment
aimed at you [Ephesians 6:16], you would be glad to come to the Sacrament
as often as possible. But there is no reason why we walk about so securely
and carelessly, except that we neither think nor believe that we are in the
flesh and in this wicked world or in the devil’s kingdom” (LC V 82).
Psalm 91:1 (NASB95)
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of
the Almighty.
b. How does that happen?
1) By letting Jesus defend you and fight for you in His saving body and
blood.
4. Jesus’ reign has room for you.
A. The Lord urges us through Zechariah:
Zechariah 9:12 (NASB95)
Return to the stronghold, O prisoners who have the hope; This very day I am
declaring that I will restore double to you.
B. Zechariah started his book with these words:
Zechariah 1:3 (NASB95)
“Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Return to Me,”
declares the LORD of hosts, “that I may return to you,” says the LORD of
hosts.
C. To return to the Lord is:
1. to repent of our sin,
2. That is, to turn away from our sin,
3. to turn from trying to save ourselves,
4. to turn from despair and hopelessness,
5. to come home again trusting our gracious Father, who longs to greet us.
6. In a sense, every time we’re gathering around our Lord’s Word, we’re
returning home.
7. We confess our failure,
8. rejoice in our Lord’s mercy,
9. and turn back to the only one who can rescue and deliver us.
10. We come out of exile into the joyful liberty of God’s holy people.
D. Admittedly, we cannot see the reign of Jesus.
1. All we can see is a cosmos in chaos.
2. We are heartbroken by sin and what sin has destroyed.
3. But our Lord’s Word does not fail us.
4. He keeps His promises.
5. He is reigning.
6. He will visibly return to set His faithful forever free.
7. And Jesus’ reign has room for you.
8. In King Jesus, you will live a full life forever.
E. In the meantime, we’re “prisoners of hope.”

1. That is, we have hope.
2. Not the vague wish for a better future.
3. We have the certain, joyful confidence of what is coming in Christ.
4. Our certain hope is that Jesus will:
a. visibly return,
b. the dead will rise,
c. and we will be changed;
d. that sin will be no more;
e. that death will no more burden us;
f. that pain, heartbreak, and trial will be over;
g. that we will sin, disappoint, and fail no more.
h. The clock is not ticking down to our end but to the fullness of the
reign of our eternal King.
i. Our King has come and continues to come for us.
5. This hope in Christ:
a. holds us,
b. keeps us,
c. guards us in protective custody until our hope becomes sight.
F. Thanks be to God, King Jesus comes to bring you under His reign of
peace, freedom, and hope.

Conclusion

A. The Isenheim Altarpiece is the masterwork of a German artist named
Matthias Grünewald, painted in the 1500s for a monastery in northeastern
France.
1. Look for the picture of it on the last page of the bulletin.
2. It features Jesus’ crucifixion.
3. Jesus’ hands are wrenched upward:
A. showing both his agony and his trust toward his Father.
4. One of the unique features is the marks on Jesus’ body.
A. These depict the stripes inflicted by the Roman army’s experts in
cruelty.
B. But the scars look like the marks of the deadly, infectious disease that
many suffered at that time there in Isenheim.
C. The monks ran a hospital to help the ill.
D. In other words, if you had that terrible disease, you could see Jesus
bearing your griefs and carrying your sorrows, or if you were treating
those with this disease, you could see Jesus bearing its ugliness too.
B. So imagine how this sinful world must have appeared to Jesus’ divine
senses.
1. In His coming to us as our Brother, what did Jesus see, feel, and smell?
2. And how great the challenge to turn all of this around?
3. But He rode right into it.
4. He came not holding his divine nose but coming humbly, speaking peace.
5. Remember the opening words of our sermon text:
Zechariah 9:9–10 (NASB95)
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of
Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with
salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a
donkey.
10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem;
And the bow of war will be cut off. And He will speak peace to the nations;
And His dominion will be from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of
the earth.
6. He:
A. drove out demons,
B. healed every manner of illness and disease,
C. blew away the stench of death,
D. and replaced broken hearts with hearts of flesh.
C. So how do we live under Jesus’ reign?
1. We gather to celebrate His reign over us and to receive him.
2. We rejoice and shout aloud encouraging one another by our Lord’s song of
victory.
3. We generously forgive those who sin against us, knowing the fullness of
Jesus’ forgiveness for us.
4. We live as those confident of our joyful future:
A. every burden,
B. heartbreak, trouble,
C. and pain will not last, but our life under King Jesus’ reign will
flourish.
5. Like our King, we long for all to live with us under His reign.
6. And we wait in joyful, confident hope.
7. Our King has come, still comes to us today, and will come again to set
us free. Amen.
D. Let us pray:
Dearest Jesus, I praise You that when we are yoked to You, no burden is too
heavy. Amen.
E. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
F. In the Name of the Father…Amen.

Categories
Reaching Out

Two Quarts Low

“I checked your oil, and you are two quarts low.” Those of us who are chronologically blessed (are older), remember taking our cars to service stations where when we pull up to the gas pump, a service attendant would come out, and we tell him (usually a him): “fill ‘er up and check the oil”. This was before self-service gas stations. The attendant would then wash our windshield, fill up our gas tank, and check our oil, antifreeze, and tires, all without expecting a tip. And we all knew that if our car was two quarts of oil low, this was serious. It needed the oil level to be filled, as the engine was getting dangerously low on oil. No oil and the engine freezes up and we are stuck on the highway.

There is even a story about oil in the New Testament. It is a parable told by Jesus and is known the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins:

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” Matthew 25:1-13

This parable has obvious implications for all of us – when Jesus comes (or when our time is up on earth and it is time to stand before the Lord in heaven), we better be SPIRITUALLY READY – spiritually clean by repenting of our sins, forgiving others, and walking with our Lord on a daily basis. If we are not, if we are like the Laodiceans described in Revelation 3, who are comfortable in the world and enjoying its pleasures, but LUKEWARM toward Christ – our heavenly bridegroom, then He will vomit us out of His mouth. He will have no part of us, and we will have no part in Him. And the door to eternity in heaven will be closed to us.

There is another dimension of this parable that relates to us. What is the oil that we are to have in our lamps? The oil would be the peace, joy, and love of God that dwells within us. But we can only get that oil by spending time with our Lord in His Word, repenting of our sins, forgiving others, and seeking His will for our lives, which includes meeting the divine appointments He has for us each day.

We need to go to the Holy Spirit and say: “Fill ‘er up and check the oil”. And when we are filled with the oil (the anointing) of the Holy Spirit, we need to light it on fire, so we can be on fire for the Lord, like the apostles after Pentecost, or Moses when he came down off the mountain.

If we don’t take time to spend with our Lord each day, our lamps might be full of worldly stuff, but they will not shine with the light of Christ, and we will have nothing supernatural – the peace, love, and joy of the Lord – to share with others. And then when we are called upon to share this light with others, we will be unable to do so. We will have failed to respond to His calling on our lives.

None of us know when our Lord is coming back for us, nor do we know when our time is up here on earth. But we do know that He is coming, and that one day our time here is up. So let us fill our lamps with oil from the Holy Spirit and share the light of Christ with all who come across our path, for time is short, eternity is forever, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.

To God be the glory

Categories
Reaching Out

Take the Short Worship Quiz

Worship is:

a) * Going to church every Sunday

b) * Just how we feel about God

c) * Available to anyone – Christians, Buddhists, Moslems, Jews, and even pagans, and it all counts

d) * Vastly overrated – why bother; I have gone to church for 30

years and nothing has ever changed in my life

e) * Vastly underrated – most of us just go through the motions

and don’t take it seriously

f) * A service where we encounter the living God of the universe through prayer, confession, singing hymns, hearing the Word of God and inspired preaching

g) * Available to anyone, but it only connects with our Lord when we repent of our sins, forgive others, and surrender to the Lord.

h) * All about God, not us.

Answers
The World says: a through d
The Word of God says: e through h

“Why did Christ come? Why was He conceived? Why did He rise again? Why is He now at the right hand of the Father? The answer to all of these questions is in order that He might make worshipers out of rebels.’ A.W. Tozer

Famous author and statistician George Barna stated: ‘Virtually every church in the nation provides opportunities for worship, yet we rarely worship God. Most Christians admit they seldom feel like they have connected with Him.’ So how can we connect with our Lord through worship?

Worship is the single most important thing a Christian can do, because it means a divine encounter with God. The Greek word for worship is “proskuneo”, which means to bow down, fall down, adore, show absolute reverence, homage, or submission. It means to prostrate oneself or touch one’s nose to the ground. Throughout Scripture we see how the saints always fell on their faces, bowed down, or prostrated themselves before the Lord when they worshiped. [THEY HIT THE DIRT WHEN THEY ENCOUNTERED THE DIVINE, HOLY PRESENCE OF THE LIVING GOD.]
Proskuneo is something that is done on the “inside” – in our spirit, defined by Jesus in John 4:23-24: ‘…the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth.’ It’s asking nothing of Him, but losing ourselves in adoration, reverence, and homage.

Worship expresses our realization of the holiness of God, manifests our relationship towards God, and makes everything else secondary. It is not merely an act of our will, but an all-consuming yearning in our spirit, and an overflowing of our gratitude and love. Worship communicates to our Lord that WE ARE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT HIS BEING THAN HIS GIFTS.

Jesus wants us to become so lost in our love for Him that we’re able to experience His presence even in the midst of difficult circumstances in which we find ourselves. Experiencing His presence is what will bring us unfathomable joy, and restores the thrill of our salvation. ‘Only in His presence is fullness of joy.’ Psalm 16:11

The Lord wants us to be so consumed in the fire of His love that we are able to withstand anything that He allows in our lives. We must be passionately in love with the Lord.”*

1) How many of us come into His presence on a daily basis, fall down on our faces, and worship the Lord in our prayer closets – our secret place of the Most High?

2) How many of us have caught fire with the love of God and are being absolutely consumed by it?

3) How many of us are walking around exceedingly joyful (regardless of our circumstances) simply because we are in the presence of the Lord?

4) How many of us come to church on Sunday, spiritually clean of all sins, hungry for the Word and Sacrament, and looking forward to an encounter with the sovereign, living God of the universe?

Most people we encounter do not have an intimate relationship with our Lord; they do not worship Him in spirit and truth. But our Lord invites us all to a close relationship with Him so that we may experience the joy of the Lord, and His wisdom that will take us through the challenges of this life into eternity. So let us reach out to them with the love and truth of Christ, for time is short, eternity is a very long time, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.

*Excerpts from “Private Worship – the Key to Joy” by Nancy Missler
To God be the glory

Categories
Reaching Out

Thoughts on Stewardship

1. Truths to remember

• The Diversity of Gifts
○ Matthew 24:14 (NASB95)
“This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a
testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
• Stewards, not Owners
○ Luke 19:13 (NASB95)
“And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them,
‘Do business with this until I come back.’
• Faithfulness Required
○ 1 Corinthians 4:2 (NASB95)
In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found
trustworthy.
• Life a precious gift
1 Corinthians 6:20 (NASB95)
For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
• A Sacred Treasure To be Kept
○ 1 Timothy 6:20 (NASB95)
O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty
chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”—
○ 2 Timothy 1:14 (NASB95)
Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has
been entrusted to you.
• Ministering as Stewards
○ 1 Peter 4:10–11 (NASB95)
10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one
another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of
God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which
God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus
Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
• Stewardship is personal
○ Proverbs 9:12 (NASB95)
If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, And if you scoff, you alone
will bear it.
○ Ezekiel 18:20 (NASB95)
20 “The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for
the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the
son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself,
and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.
○ Galatians 6:3–9 (NASB95)
3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives
himself.
4 But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for
boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.
5 For each one will bear his own load.
6 The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one
who teaches him.
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he
will also reap.
8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap
corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap
eternal life.
9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we
do not grow weary.

2. Accountability

○ Matthew 12:36 (NASB95)
“But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give
an accounting for it in the day of judgment.
○ Matthew 18:23 (NASB95)
“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished
to settle accounts with his slaves.
○ Luke 12:20 (NASB95)
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of
you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’
○ Luke 12:42–48 (NASB95)
42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom
his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations
at the proper time?
43 “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.
44 “Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his
possessions.
45 “But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in
coming,’ and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and
drink and get drunk;
46 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him
and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him
a place with the unbelievers.
47 “And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act
in accord with his will, will receive many lashes,
48 but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a
flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much
will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all
the more.
○ Luke 19:15–17 (NASB95)
15 “When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these
slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might
know what business they had done.
16 “The first appeared, saying, ‘Master, your mina has made ten minas
more.’
17 “And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave, because you have been
faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten
cities.’
○ Romans 14:12 (NASB95)
12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
○ 1 Peter 4:1–6 (NASB95)
1 Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also
with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased
from sin,
2 so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts
of men, but for the will of God.
3 For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the
desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts,
drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries.
4 In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the
same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you;
5 but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and
the dead.
6 For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are
dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the
spirit according to the will of God.

3. Stewardship of the Gospel (the good news of Jesus Christ)
• 1 Corinthians 9:17 (NASB95)
For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I
have a stewardship entrusted to me.
• Galatians 1:6–7 (NASB95)
6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the
grace of Christ, for a different gospel;
7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you
and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
• Colossians 1:25 (NASB95)
Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God
bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the
preaching of the word of God,
• 1 Thessalonians 1:2–5 (NASB95)
2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our
prayers;
3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and
steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God
and Father,
4 knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you;
5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in
the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men
we proved to be among you for your sake.
• 1 Timothy 1:6–11 (NASB95)
6 For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless
discussion,
7 wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand
either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident
assertions.
8 But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully,
9 realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for
those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the
unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for
murderers
10 and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers,
and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching,
11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have
been entrusted.
• Titus 1:1–4 (NASB95)
1 Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith
of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to
godliness,
2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long
ages ago,
3 but at the proper time manifested, even His word, in the proclamation
with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior,
4 To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the
Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

Categories
Sermon

Sermon for 06.25.23 “The Son of Man comes to us”

Pentecost 4 (Proper 7), June 25, 2023
Text: Matthew 10:5a, 21–33
Theme: The Son of Man comes to us
Other Lessons: Jeremiah 20:7–13; Psalm 91:1–10 (11–16); Romans 6:12–23

A. In the Name of the Father…Amen.
B. The Gospel lesson serves as our sermon text for today.
C. Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God our heavenly Father through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
D. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:
LSB 659:1-2 Lord of Our Life
Lord of our life and God of our salvation,
Star of our night and hope of ev’ry nation:
Hear and receive Your Church’s supplication,
Lord God Almighty.

See round Your ark the hungry billows curling;
See how Your foes their banners are unfurling
And with great spite their fiery darts are hurling,
O Lord, preserve us.

Introduction

A. A Lutheran pastor had a second full-time job outside the church—as a
painter at an auto body shop.
1. This is what is called being a worker-priest.
2. One of his fellow employees, also a Christian but not Lutheran, was a
funny guy who almost on a daily basis would yell at the pastor, “Look busy!
Jesus is coming!”
3. This, of course, meant to compare Jesus with a boss who would punish an
employee for being lazy.
B. Sometimes, the pastor would jokingly yell back things to the other guy
to have a good laugh but also to teach him.
1. One time, the pastor might say, “Oh, Jesus already came. Didn’t you meet
him?”
2. Another time, the pastor would yell, “If Jesus is coming, you’re in big
trouble!”
3. Once, the pastor said, very seriously, “Jesus comes to our church every
Sunday.
A. He speaks to us through the Word,
B. He forgives us,
C. and He gives us heavenly food to eat and drink in his presence.
D. Would you like to join us?”
E. That pastor was right.
F. Jesus is always coming to us in the Divine Service through his Word and
Sacraments for our forgiveness, eternal life, and communion with God
(Matthew 10:5).
C. But it rather difficult to know exactly what Jesus meant in our text by
the phrase “the Son of Man comes.”
1. He told the disciples that they would not complete going through all of
the towns of Israel until the Son of Man comes (verse 23).
2. Hadn’t he already come with his incarnation when he was conceived in the
womb of the Virgin Mary?
3. Hadn’t he already come when he was born?
4. Hadn’t he already come when he was baptized by John in the Jordan River?
5. Hadn’t he already come in his public ministry?
A. The answer to all these questions is: Yes!
6. What then does he mean by “the Son of Man comes”?
D. What are the possibilities surrounding this phrase: the Son of Man
comes?
1. Perhaps Jesus was looking ahead to his coming at His glorious
transfiguration.
2. Or He was talking about His coming on Palm Sunday when He rode
triumphantly into Jerusalem—
A. only to be betrayed,
B. tried,
C. suffer,
D. die,
E. rise again,
F. and then ascend back into heaven.
3. Another option is that He was talking about His coming to judge the
world on the Last Day.
E. These comings all did or would happen.
F. What if we might add one more option.
1. What if Jesus comes to us even now?
G. Pastors, Bible scholars, and students of the Holy Scriptures have
struggled for centuries with interpreting just what Jesus means when he
says “the Son of Man comes,” but let’s look at the possibilities
1. The Son of Man came at his incarnation.
A. The incarnation happened when Jesus was conceived in the womb of the
Virgin Mary.
Luke 1:30–35 (NASB95)
30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor
with God.
31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you
shall name Him Jesus.
32 “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the
Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;
33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will
have no end.”
34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the
holy Child shall be called the Son of God.
B. Jesus is both Son of God and Son of Man because of the incarnation.
1. Jesus was born into the world as both God and man, fully divine and
fully human.
Matthew 1:21–23 (NASB95)
21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will
save His people from their sins.”
22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through
the prophet:
23 “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY
SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.”
2. Jesus lived a perfect life as God and man for us under God’s Law to
fulfill it on our behalf.
2 Corinthians 8:9 (NASB95)
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich,
yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might
become rich.
3. Jesus ministered as both God and man, preaching, healing, and serving
for our salvation and eternal life.
Luke 4:18–19 (NASB95)
18 “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE
GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND
RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED,
19 TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.”
2. The Son of Man came to redeem us.
A. Jesus’ redeeming acts intensified after he rode into Jerusalem on Palm
Sunday and began to be rejected by the people later that day.
1. On the same night that Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, Thursday of
Holy Week, he was betrayed by one of his own disciples.
Matthew 26:14–16 (NASB95)
14 Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
15 and said, “What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?” And
they weighed out thirty pieces of silver to him.
16 From then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Jesus.
Matthew 26:21–25 (NASB95)
21 As they were eating, He said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will
betray Me.”
22 Being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I,
Lord?”
23 And He answered, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one
who will betray Me.
24 “The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that
man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that
man if he had not been born.”
25 And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?”
Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself.”
Matthew 26:47–50 (NASB95)
47 While He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came up
accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief
priests and elders of the people.
48 Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss,
He is the one; seize Him.”
49 Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, “Hail, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.
50 And Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Then they
came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him.
2. All of this led to his trial, beating, and being crowned with thorns:
Matthew 27:27–29 (NASB95)
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and
gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him.
28 They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.
29 And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head,
and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked
Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
A. This then led to Jesus suffering and dying on the cross according to
God’s plan to atone for the sins of the world.
Matthew 27:33–35 (NASB95)
33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a
Skull,
34 they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall; and after tasting it, He
was unwilling to drink.
35 And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among
themselves by casting lots.
B. After Jesus rested in the tomb to fulfill the Sabbath law, he was
gloriously resurrected on the third day.
1. The Son of Man came back to life!
Matthew 20:18–19 (NASB95)
18 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be
delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to
death,
19 and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify
Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.”
2. So now he offers eternal life to all and gives it to everyone who
believes in him.
John 11:25–26 (NASB95)
25 Jesus said to [Martha], “I am the resurrection and the life; he who
believes in Me will live even if he dies,
26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe
this?”
C. Forty days later, Jesus ascended into heaven and was enthroned at the
right hand of God to prepare a place there with him for all who believe in
him as their Redeemer.
Luke 24:50–53 (NASB95)
50 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and
blessed them.
51 While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into
heaven.
52 And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
53 and were continually in the temple praising God.
3. The Son of Man will come again in glory.
A. Just as Jesus ascended into heaven on the clouds of glory, so he will
come again on the clouds of glory on the Last Day.
1. Everyone who has died will be raised in their bodies from their graves
and will stand before him.
1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 (NASB95)
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are
asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring
with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive
and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have
fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ
will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in
the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the
Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
2. All who are still alive when he comes will be changed, their bodies made
ready for eternity, and will fly up into the air to meet him.
1 Corinthians 15:51–52 (NASB95)
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be
changed,
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the
trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will
be changed.
B. Jesus will judge all who have ever lived.
1. He will put the believers on his right (the sheep) and the unbelievers
(the goats) on his left.
Matthew 25:33–34, 40 (NASB95)
33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are
blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world.
40 “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the
extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of
them, you did it to Me.’
Matthew 25:41, 45-46 (NASB95)
41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed
ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his
angels;
Matthew 25:45–46 (NASB95)
45 “Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you
did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’
46 “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into
eternal life.”
2. Those who believed in him he will judge as righteous, and their works
will give evidence;
A. unbelievers will have nothing good to show.
1. Their “good works” seen as “filthy rags”.
3. All will be assigned to their eternal dwellings, either in heaven or in
hell.
4. The Son of Man comes now to save us.
A. Jesus instituted the apostolic and holy ministry and empowered his
pastors by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to carry on his own ministry until
the Last Day.
1. Jesus commanded his holy ministers to:
A. preach the Holy Word purely
B. and to administer rightly the Sacraments of Holy Baptism, and Holy
Communion.
2. By these means, the Holy Spirit creates and sustains in people faith to
receive forgiveness and eternal life through Christ’s gifts.
A. Explanation to the Third Article of the Creed:
I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus
Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the
Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true
faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the
whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one
true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my
sins and the sins of all believers.
On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to
me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.
B. In this way, Jesus himself comes to us now in the Divine Service.
1. He is really, truly present with us through his Word and Sacraments.
2. He himself:
A. purifies us of our sins,
B. sanctifies us to share in God’s holiness,
C. and blesses us in our relationship with God and one another.
Conclusion

A. We may not be able to discern exactly what Jesus meant when he used the
phrase “the Son of Man comes,”:
1. We do know and believe that he came with his incarnation when he was
conceived in the womb of Mary to be born, live, and minister to us.
2. We do know and believe that He came to redeem us:
A. by his suffering,
B. his death on the cross,
C. his resurrection from the dead,
D. and his ascension back into heaven.
3. We do know and believe that He will come again in glory on the Last Day
to judge the world.
4. And we do know and believe that He comes to us now through His Holy Word
and Holy Sacraments in the Divine Service to bring us heavenly forgiveness
and eternal life.
A. Therefore we rejoice that the Son of Man has come to us this day and is
present with us now in this place. Amen!
B. Let us pray:
LSB 659:3-4 Lord of Our Life
Lord, be our light when worldly darkness veils us;
Lord, be our shield when earthly armor fails us;
And in the day when hell itself assails us,
Grant us Your peace, Lord:

Peace in our hearts, where sinful thoughts are raging,
Peace in Your Church, our troubled souls assuaging,
Peace when the world its endless war is waging,
Peace in Your heaven.
Text: Public domain
C. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
D. In the Name of the Father…Amen.