Our Savior Lutheran Church - Muscatine, Iowa, USA

Three trees are mention in Genesis 2:9. The Tree of Life. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The trees of the world whose fruit is good. Those three trees also match up with the three crosses on which Jesus and the two thieves died. This sermon follows the trees to Christ and His atonement for your sin. and was preached on the Second Wednesday in Lent at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Muscatine, Iowa.

The temptation of Christ takes place in the wilderness after receiving baptism and forty days and nights of fasting. What is the unexpected gift from Jesus for us? This sermon was preached on the First Sunday in Lent, also known as Invocabit Sunday, at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Muscatine, Iowa.

The classic text for Ash Wednesday is “From dust you came and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3). And then the Lord sacrificed an animal so that he could cloth them and cover their shame. Why did He do that? It was the first sacrifice. The text for tonight is Hebrews 9:22, “Without blood there is no forgiveness of sins”. Let us follow the blood and receive the forgiveness of our sins.

The Parable of the Sower is both told and explained by Jesus. The seed is the Word of God. This seed is a working Word. It is powerful to do what is was sown to do. The Law of God digs up the hardened path. Baptism waters the new ground. Absolution keeps the ground moist. The Seed is sown. The soil is made rich with Holy Communion. Let us remain having the Word of God sown into our hearts and become mature Christians.

How generous is Jesus? Matthew 20:1-16 is the Parable of the Vineyard. This parable is all about the grace and generosity of God our Father in Jesus Christ. This sermon was preached at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Muscatine, IA on Septuagesima Sunday, February 9, 2020.

The Transfiguration of Jesus is recorded in Mark 9. Peter is amazed but confesses that we have something better. We have the Holy Scriptures. This sermon was delivered at Our Savior Lutheran Church on Sunday, February, 2020.

You are rescued from more than a bad day through Jesus Christ. Though we are sinners and therefore bound to return to the dust from which we came, and we remain subject to suffering, death, and decay, our Lord has healed us from the eternal consequences of our sin. And while our bodies break down, we know that they will rise again and be free of all sickness and infirmity. For Jesus has the authority to forgive us our sins, and he has done it. This sermon was preached on January 26, 2020 at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Muscatine, Iowa. Matthew 8:1-13

The changing of water into wine is a miracle, one by which Jesus manifests His glory. But the miracle doesn’t look glorious at all. Kind of like the manger. Kind of like the cross. Kind of like how Jesus normally works to save, manifesting His glory behind the scenes. This sermon was preached on February 19, 2020 at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Muscatine, Iowa. John 2:1-11.

Jesus does more than change water into wine. He reveals His glory in this miracle. Few notice. Jesus does not change water into wine for you but does something even greater. This sermon was preached on January 19, 2020 at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Muscatine, Iowa.

Twelve year old Jesus travels with His extended family from Nazareth to Jerusalem for the Passover. Great! However, He stayed in Jerusalem after they returned home. He stayed at the Temple listening to the teachers and asking questions. Joseph and Mary search for three days. But who found whom. This sermon was preached on January 12, 2020 at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Muscatine, Iowa.

Don MeyerDonald Carlton Meyer, age 84, of Moscow, IA, passed away Sunday, January 5, 2020, at his home. A Memorial Service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Friday, January 10, 2020 at Bentley Funeral Home in Wilton, IA. Burial will take place in the Moscow Cemetery following the service. Memorials may be given to Our Savior Lutheran Church or the Muscatine Humane Society.Don was born on April 12, 1935 to Carl and Dorothy (Lenker) Meyer in Wilton, Iowa. He graduated from Wilton High School. Don married Irene M. Iserhott on March 24, 1956 in Wilton. After 62 years of marriage, Irene preceded him in death on April 15, 2018.Don worked as a machinist for J.I. Case, Bettendorf for 30 years before retiring. He was a member of Our Savior Lutheran Church, Muscatine. Don enjoyed living in Moscow and working with animals. He enjoyed watching sports, especially Iowa Hawkeye basketball and football. He also enjoyed dancing, stock car races and traveling to Branson, Missouri with his wife, Irene.Don is survived by his children: Rebecca (Doug) Taylor of Park City, Utah, Thomas (Diane) Meyer and Michael Meyer both of Muscatine, Jeffrey Meyer of Cedar Rapids, and Diane Meyer (Kevin Stewart) of West Des Moines; 5 grandchildren: Heather and Matthew Meyer, Hana Meyer; and David and Christine Taylor; 4 great grandchildren; and his sister, Shirley (Joe) Stroud of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Joseph flees to Egypt with the young Child Jesus and His mother Mary after warned by an angel in a dream that Herod seeks to destroy the Child. Jesus escapes. Many boys two and under did not. What comfort is there for parents who lose their children? This sermon was preached on January 5, 2020 at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Muscatine, Iowa.

Merry Christmas. Christ is born for you. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, tabernacles (dwells) among us in the flesh. God bless you all.

Jesus Christ is born for you. It is received by faith in the promise and by baptism. Let us explore the Gospel of Luke 2:1-20 and hear how Jesus’ birth is yours by faith on this holy nigh and what that means for you.. This sermon was delivered at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Muscatine, Iowa on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2019.

John the Baptist gives a clear confession of the Christian Faith, saying “I am not the Christ.”. Let us explore the Gospel of John 1:19-28 and related passages to find out what this means. This sermon was delivered at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Muscatine, Iowa on the Fourth Sunday in Advent, December 22, 2019.

The Hope Candle is the first candle on the Advent Wreath. Tonight’s sermon is focused on the hope of the Old Testament prophets and then looking at how our hope as New Testament Christians is similar but different. (Deuteronomy 18:15-19 & Luke 1: 5-24 & 57-66)

This Matins Service is in Commemoration of St John of Damascus (AD 675-749). He is known as the great compiler and summarizer of the orthodox faith and the last great Greek theologian.

Today's sermon is titled, "Behold, Your Righteousness Is Coming To You" from the text of Matthew 21:1-9 for the First Sunday in Advent, December 1, 2019.

1 Timothy 2:1-4 is the text for our Thanksgiving Day sermon. Welcome to Our Savior Lutheran Church in Muscatine, Iowa and thank you for joining us in giving thanks to the God who desires all to be saved.

The End Times began with Christ’s Ascension and will continue to His Second Coming. Today we focus on how to wait until His Second Coming on the Last Day.

Continuing to focus on the Last Days before Jesus' Second Coming, we hear how we remain steadfast in Jesus without spot of sin and blameless.

In today’s sermon, no one is left behind. There is no rapture. We begin to focus on the Last Days before Jesus' Second Coming. We give thanks that the Lord will not forget those who died in the faith (they will be resurrected) nor those who remain in God's Word (they will be changed in the twinkling of the eye). Thank you for listening.

Today is All Saints’ Day. Jesus emphasizes the blessings you have by faith in Christ. The first is that yours is the kingdom of heaven. Where is heaven? Who are the poor in Spirit? These questions will be addressed in this sermon…for your blessing! Thank you for listening.

"Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord" (Matthew 23:39). Welcome to our Matins Prayer Service (offered every Wednesday at 9 a.m.) with a devotional sermon from St. John Chrysostom from the early Church.

Welcome to Our Savior Lutheran Church in Muscatine, Iowa. This Matins Service was officiated by Rev. Jeff Pautz on October 30, 2019 on the observance of All Saints’ Day.

Welcome to Our Savior Lutheran Church in Muscatine, Iowa. This sermon was preached by Rev. Jeff Pautz on October 28, 2019 on the observance of the Reformation. The text is John 8. Jesus teaches, “If the Son sets you free, You are free indeed.” Thanks for listening.

Welcome to Our Savior Lutheran Church in Muscatine, Iowa. This sermon was preached by Rev. Jeff Pautz on October 20, 2019. The text is Luke Deuteronomy 10:12-21 and Matthew 22:34-46. Jesus teaches, “Keep God’s law by circumcising your heart.” How do we do that? Hopefully you will know by the end of this sermon. In the meantime, the Lord bless you by keeping you in His good and gracious Word. Thank you.

Welcome to Our Savior Lutheran Church in Muscatine, Iowa. This sermon was preached by Rev. Jeff Pautz on October 13, 2019. The text is Luke 14:1-11 when Jesus heals a man with dropsy. The Lord bless you by keeping you in His good and gracious Word. Thank you.

Welcome to Our Savior Lutheran Church in Muscatine, Iowa. This sermon was preached by Rev. Jeff Pautz on October 6, 2019. The text is Luke 24:44-53 regarding evangelism as given by Jesus. The Lord bless you by keeping you in His good and gracious Word. Thank you.

Welcome to Our Savior Lutheran Church in Muscatine, Iowa. This sermon was preached by Rev. Jeff Pautz on September 29, 2019. The text is Luke 10:17-20 regarding the commemoration of St. Michael and All Angles. The Lord bless you by keeping you in His good and gracious Word. Thank you.

Welcome to Our Savior Lutheran Church in Muscatine, Iowa. This sermon was preached by Rev. Jeff Pautz on September 22, 2019. The text is Luke 17:11-19 regarding the healing of the ten lepers. The Lord bless you by keeping you in His good and gracious Word. Thank you.

Welcome to our weekly Wednesday morning spoken Matins Service. The Order of MatinsA Hymn of invocation may be sungP – O Lord, open Thou my lips.C – And my mouth shall show forth Thy praiseP – Makes haste O God, to deliver me.C – Make haste to help me, O God.Glory be to the Father and to the SonAnd to the Holy GhostAs it was in the beginning, is now,And every shall be; world without end.Amen. Hallelujah!The InvitatoryP – O come, let us worship the Lord;C – For he is our MakerThe VeniteO come let us sing unto the LordLet us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;And make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms.For the Lord is a great GodAnd a great King above all gods.In His hand are the deep places of the earth;The strength of the hills is His alsoThe sea is His, and He made it;And His hands formed the dry land.Oh, come let us worship and bow down;Let us kneel before the Lord our makerFor He is our GodAnd we are the people of His pastureAnd the sheep of His hand.Glory be to the Father and to the SonAnd to the Holy GhostAs it was in the beginning, is now,And ever shall be; world without end. Amen.The LectionP – But Thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.C – Thanks be to Thee, O Lord.The SermonThe Te Deum LaudamusWe praise Thee O God, we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord.All the earth doth worship Thee, the Father Everlasting.To Thee all the angels cry aloud, the heavens and all the powers therein;To Thee cherubim and seraphim continually do cry;Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth;Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of Thy glory.The glorious company of the Apostles praise TheeThe goodly fellowship of the prophets praise Thee;The noble army of martyrs praise Thee;The holy Church though all the world doth acknowledge Thee;The Father of an infinite majesty; Thine adorable true and only Son,Also the Holy Ghost, the Comforter.Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ.Thou are the everlasting Son of the Father.When Thou tookest upon Thee to deliver man;Thou didst humble Thyself to be born of a virgin.When Thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death,Thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.Thou sittest at the right hand of GodIn the glory of the Father.We believe that thou shalt comeTo be our judge.We therefore pray Thee to help Thy servants,Whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious blood.Make them to be numbered with Thy saintsIn glory everlasting.O Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine heritage.Govern them and lift them up forever.Day by day we magnify Thee,And we worship Thy name ever, world without end.Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin,O Lord have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us,O Lord, let Thy mercy be upon us, as our trust is in Thee.O Lord, in Thee have I trusted; let me never be confounded.The KyrieLord have mercy upon us,Christ have mercy upon us,Lord have mercy upon us.The Lord's PrayerOur Father, who are in heaven, hallowed be Thy name;Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;Give us this day our daily bread andForgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil;For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory;Forever and ever. Amen.The SalutationP – The Lord be with you.C – And with thy spiritP – O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God,Who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day,Defend us in the same with Thy mighty powerAnd grant that all our doings, being ordered by Thy governanceMay be righteous in Thy sight;Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord,Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy GhostEver one God, world without end.C – AmenThe BenedicamusP – Bless we the LordC – Thanks be to GodThe BenedictionP – The grace of our Lord Jesus ChristThe love of God and the communion of the Holy GhostBe with you all.C – AmenSilent Prayer

Making Friends of God with Unrighteous WealthThe Ninth Sunday after Holy TrinityAugust 18-19, 2019Luke 16:1-9 The Dishonest ManagerGrace and mercy to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.IntroductionVictor Hugo may have had the parable of the unjust steward in mind, when he wrote the famous candlestick scene with the bishop and Jean-Valjean. The main character of Victor Hugo’s famous book had just been released from prison and was unable to find work or a place to stay. When he was finally invited to eat and then spend the night with the kindly old bishop. Early in the morning full of bitterness Jean stole silver plates and utensils as he left the house. He was caught by the police that same morning and brought him back to the bishop. The bishop pretended that he gave Jean the silver as a gift. And on top of that the bishop gave him a pair of matching silver candlesticks which he had not stolen to add to the gift. Les Miserable Means We Need MercyIt is quite a picture of mercy. And that by the way of the word miserable. It means in need of mercy. That is what we mean when we confess that we are poor miserable sinners. We need mercy.In any case in the novel this event re-birthed Jean Valjean and drives the whole story. The SurpriseThe parable of the unjust steward portrays a similar surprise. It is not unlike giving silver candlesticks to a thief who has already stolen plates and silverware. The steward or manager in our translation had stolen from the rich man. He had wasted his property. When called to give an account he stole even more. Using bribes to win friends. We expect the rich man to be outraged. To be infuriated and frustrated. We expect that justice would require this man who wasted property and then stole more. Instead, the rich man commends the thief for stealing.God Is Not Like UsThis is not a parable to show us how much God is like us. God is not like us. The fruit of the parables is in the distinction, in the surprise, how God is not like us.This is not the way we behave. Justice wants those who steal to pay it back. It doesn’t commend them for it. But here is how God is different than us. God wants to give His kingdom away. However it was that the steward was wasting the rich man’s property it was rectified when the rich man’s debtors were forgiven the debt, not when they paid it back. Here is the point: God wants to give His goods away to those who sought to steal from Him. He wants as sons and daughters the very people who murdered His beloved Son. And He wants to bestow His kingdom upon rebels who plotted against Him. We are not worthy of such mysteries and joys but God bestows this Good News upon us in His Holy Word. But Those Who Have Ears To Hear, Hear This:Our Lord interprets this parable when He says “make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into eternal blessings. This is the key. For who can receive you into an eternal dwelling? Only God.Therefore our Lord tells you to make a friend for yourself of God through unrighteous mammon and wealth that you might be received into eternity. What unrighteous wealth could you use to bribe God? Stolen wealth. Only that which belongs to another. Which is not yours by right. That which you cannot buy or earn so it must be stolen. The innocent die for the guilty. That injustice is the very foundation of the kingdom and of creation.The Shocking Character of GraceAnd this is the shocking character of grace. God wants to give away His goods to the very people who stole from Him. To the very people who murdered His beloved Son. And He wants to bestow His kingdom on rebels guilty of treason who plotted against Him. The father forsakes the son in order to have you. He declares that the guilty are innocent. And he accepts payment from the son for your debt.Then He goes so far as to say you were never guilty. And He has even more to give. More than you tried to steal. He adds candlesticks to plates and spoons. It is not “write down 80 when you owe 100.” It is not even “write down 0.” He takes the pad and He adds a credit. You end up with more than you sought to steal. You are not less in debt or even with God but you are actually rewarded for trying to steal from Him. He pays more than justice demands; our cups overflow.And that is the unrighteous wealth. The stolen wealth that makes God a friend of sinners. It is the blood of Jesus Christ from the cross and the chalice that welcomes sinners into eternal dwellings as God’s own friends when this creation fails. What Are We Supposed To Do Now?Our Lord also says that we are to be faithful with unrighteous wealth. That is we are to be faithful in thievery. To be faithful in this thievery is to recognize that the blood of Jesus Christ is desirable to want it to honor it to love it and to keep on taking it. The blood of Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection. His innocent, substitutionary suffering is the currency of heaven which is given in perfect generosity to thieving sinners who receive even more than what they sought to steal. The Psalmist asks what shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits of the Lord to me. And he answers, “I shall take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. What shall I give to the Lord for all the things He has done to me. The Psalmist says, I will take more. I Will Take More. God wants to give away His goods. He wants sons and daughters declared out of the very people who murdered His very son. And he wants to bestow His kingdom upon rebels guilty of treason who plotted against Him; in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.The peace of God, which passes understanding, guard and keep you in body and soul through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

The catechetical writing is from the Apology (Defense) of the Augsburg Confession IV (II) 62, 64-67References are linked to www.bookofconcord.org as well as the whole Book of Concord.62] Christ, in the last chapter of Luke 24:47, commands that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name. For the Gospel convicts all men that they are under sin, that they all are subject to eternal wrath and death, and offers, for Christ's sake, remission of sin and justification, which is received by faith. The preaching of repentance, which accuses us, terrifies consciences with true and grave terrors. [For the preaching of repentance, or this declaration of the Gospel: Amend your lives! Repent! when it truly penetrates the heart, terrifies the conscience, and is no jest, but a great terror, in which the conscience feels its misery and sin, and the wrath of God.] In these, hearts ought again to receive consolation. This happens if they believe the promise of Christ, that for His sake we have remission of sins. This faith, encouraging and consoling in these fears, receives remission of sins, justifies and quickens. For this consolation is a new and spiritual 63] life [a new birth and a new life]. These things are plain and clear, and can be understood by the pious, and have testimonies of the Church [as is to be seen in the conversion of Paul and Augustine]. The adversaries nowhere can say how the Holy Ghost is given. They imagine that the Sacraments confer the Holy Ghost ex opere operato, without a good emotion in the recipient, as though indeed, the gift of the Holy Ghost were an idle matter.64] But since we speak of such faith as is not an idle thought, but of that which liberates from death and produces a new life in hearts, [which is such a new light, life, and force in the heart as to renew our heart, mind, and spirit, makes new men of us and new creatures,] and is the work of the Holy Ghost; this does not coexist with mortal sin [for how can light and darkness coexist?], but as long as it is present, produces good 65] fruits, as we will say after a while. For concerning the conversion of the wicked, or concerning the mode of regeneration, what can be said that is more simple and more clear? Let them, from so great an array of writers, adduce a single commentary upon the Sententiae that speaks 66] of the mode of regeneration. When they speak of the habit of love, they imagine that men merit it through works, and they do not teach that it is received through the Word, precisely as also the Anabaptists teach at this time. 67] But God cannot be treated with, God cannot be apprehended, except through the Word. Accordingly, justification occurs through the Word, just as Paul says, Rom. 1:16: The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. Likewise Rom. 10:17: Faith cometh by hearing. And proof can be derived even from this that faith justifies, because, if justification occurs only through the Word, and the Word is apprehended only by faith, it follows that faith justifies.

You Are RighteousSixth Sunday after Holy TrinityJuly 28-29, 2019Matthew 5:20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. In the Name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.It is possible to twist the good news of God’s love into something perverse. Anyone who says: “God forgives my sins so my sins don’t matter and I can do what I want” is a blasphemer.Jesus warns against this in today’s Gospel. He says: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” The Law is not evil, nor is it arbitrary. Its moral code and patterns are good. They embody and express God’s good and gracious will. It was not an accusation when God told Adam not to eat the forbidden fruit in the garden. Nor did it damn him. It was simply good. It instructed Adam. It taught him who God was and who he was. The Law is still good even though our fallen flesh hates and chafes against it. The Law has not been abolished and it cannot be abolished. It has, however, been fulfilled and thus in being fulfilled it instructs the Christian more fully than before.The Law is fulfilled by Our Lord’s active and passive obedience. His active obedience is that He did not sin. He lived according to the Law of Moses. He did not engage in lustful thoughts or envy or drunkenness. He loved his neighbor as Himself and held nothing back. He was good the way that we are evil. For He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mary without sin and, though He was sorely tempted throughout His earthly life, and had to live among sin with sinners and with the consequences of other people’s sins, Jesus did not sin. He kept the law.His passive obedience is the mirror image. Even though He was without sin He suffered the full punishment due to sinners. He accepted the punishment meant for others. He fulfilled all of Justice’s demands against us. So He fulfilled the Law by doing everything it said to do and refraining from all that it forbid. He also fulfilled the law by allowing it to do to Him all it should have done to us. In this way, He ended the Law’s accusations against us and won our salvation to give to us as a gift without merit or worthiness in us. God be praised!But this did NOT render the accusations and demands of the Law stupid or meaningless. The Law was never arbitrary. Jesus did not jump through hoops for us. He kept the Law. The Law is God’s will for our lives. The active obedience of Jesus Christ was not only substitutionary. It is also an example. Fulfilling the Law shows Christians how to live and how to die. He not only resists temptation in our place and tells us to resist temptation but He also shows us how to resist temptation. He inspires us to fight harder because we love Him as sons love their Father and we want to be like Him. He shows us how to live, what is good, what love looks like.Jesus did NOT give Himself as an example because He wanted to make you feel guilty. He gave Himself as an example that you might rejoice and grow up in Him. Imagine the little boy who sees his father chopping wood and wants to be like him. Does the boy feel guilty that when he tries he does not do as good of a job as his father? No. He basks in his father’s attention and is eager for the day when he will be like him.The Law does NOT pass away.The Law is of interest to weak Christians and strong Christians, to the theologically immature, and to the theologically sophisticated. You can’t be a Christian and despise God’s Law. Having been fulfilled and embodied in Jesus Christ, the Law is more eternal, more substantial than ever. It does not pass away and to love Jesus is to love His Law.His passive obedience is also in our stead and is an example for us. He shows us how to live by faith, to trust in God’s goodness in the midst of evil, how to make a good confession, even, really, how to be a Christian, because He shows us how to die as He dies for us. He shows us not just how to resist temptation and keep the Law but also how to live in a world that is full of sin and sorrow and injustice. Allowing the Law to do to Him what it should have done to us He makes the Law more real, more solid and lasting than it was before.When God gave the Law through Moses, it was only an outline of God’s will. Now, in Christ, the innocent Man crucified, the Law has flesh and bones and is everlasting. Jesus is the very opposite of the man of lawlessness. Jesus is the Law in the Flesh, obedient to His Father in perfect joy.For the sake of those who are in danger of despair, whose sins weigh heavy on them, who are disappointed in the messiness and pain of their lives, caused by their sins and the sins of others, Jesus has offered us a refuge of pardon. Jesus is quick and glad to forgive. Jesus receives and eats with sinners. The Law has been fulfilled in Jesus for you. Your sins are not too big or too shocking or too old. His grace is for you.And because of those who are in danger of taking His mercy for granted, for the sake of those who might be deluded by delays and think their sins are insignificant or even honorable, Jesus has made the day of death uncertain. No one knows when his last hour will come. You do not know and you should fear God’s wrath and the possibility that the last day would come in the midst of your sin. You should repent and not become arrogant in hope as though it were a right. Even as we should not give in to despair but should trust in Christ’s fulfillment and promises, so also we should believe that Jesus has not come to abolish the Law.Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery: “There is no one to accuse you, nor do I condemn you.” She was thereby secure in the past. Her sins were not counted against her. She was not condemned. Neither are you. Jesus loves you. Your past is forgiven. But then Jesus said to her: “Go and sin no more.” His law is not a recommendation or suggestion. Sin not only angers God. It also places the soul in peril. To you He says: “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”The gentle kindness of the Lord is not weakness or uncertainty. Sin is never trivial. Repent. Set your heart and mind once more to be free of sin, to amend your life, to bear fruits of repentance. And rest in the pardon bestowed constantly through the Word of God, prayer, and the Holy Sacraments. The crucified and risen Lord is every bit as serious in His promises and grace as He is in His holy Law.Again: imagine the boy chopping wood with his father and basking in his father’s attention, who knows that his father loves him. That does not pass away. Your Father loves you. In Jesus’ Name.

Jesus Is the Lord of His ChurchFifth Sunday after Holy TrinityGrace and mercy to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.It it is written, Do not be afraid, said Jesus. From now on you will be catching men. And when they brought in there boats to land. They left everything and followed Jesus. Thus far the text.There are several things that scare me. That cause great fear. One has always been horror films of any kind. The kind when someone just jumps out and you just watching knowing that it is just a tv show or movie you still jump out of your skin. I am one of those guys. I’ve never liked horror. But then there are other things that scare me. One is a certain person who likes to knock on my door every once in a while and see me jump out of my chair. That is not as scary as horrorAnd then there are other things that cause me fear. They don’t cause me to jump up. But it is just looking at the Lord’s church. And I think it is a shared fear. That we see the church in it’s current state. The church in general. And it seems to be shrinking. It seems to be not a popular. It seems to almost be passing out of our culture. This causes anxiety. Anxiety itself is a type of fear. So we are afraid.Jesus says to not be afraid.That is also a phrase that doesn’t really work on me. When someone tells me to stop being afraid, I can’t do it. Maybe it works for you. But when someone tells me to stop feeling a certain way, I am not able to just stop feeling what I’m feel.But Jesus says, do not be afraid.Do not be afraid for His church. For what the Lord is doing is that He is calling people to His church. In my fear, I will tend to forget that. Maybe you do to. Because there are popular ways to build up the Lord’s church. But they are not linked here to our church.Agree with Like Minded People - EmotionalismOne way, a very popular way, if we are going to build the church from the ground up is to find people are like minded. People who like worshiping the way we like to worship. People who love Jesus they way we love Jesus. If we are all like-minded and we are all thinking and feeling the same thing then there is great unity in the church and people want to join that because people want to people. So we could build a church by finding like-minded people to gather together.But, what happens when one person in the group is not like-minded. When there emotions are not identical to ours. Then the unity begins to break apart. It’s one of the problems of building up the church by finding like-minded people.Agree on a few doctrines - FundamentalismThere is another popular way to build up the church. To give it a secure foundation. If we can just agree to a few teachings of Jesus. If we can just agree that Jesus is God - that is a good thing. If we can just agree that the Bible is God’s Word - that is a good thing. We will add in a few others. As long as we hold to a few doctrines, then people will flock into the church and the church will grow.Agree to disagree - EcumenismThere is a third popular way to build up the church. That is to agree to disagree. That we are all so different. Different denominations. Different doctrines. Different minds. Different feelings. We are all so different. We will say that is ok as long as we say we are Christians. We will gather as Christians. Regardless of different teachings. Regardless of different feelings. It is a popular way to build up a church with a common foundation.But all three of these have something missing. They don’t speak precisely of what Jesus is doing. They don’t speak of Jesus alone being the Lord of His church. They don’t speak of Jesus creating His church by calling people to Himself.Our text for today, is all on Jesus. And when Jesus does His work, first people are flocking to Him. He is doing miracles. He is speaking. And He is speaking strangely from the point of view from all the other religions in the worldly. Different teachings. Different feelings. He is not saying we should agree to disagree. But He speaks and people are gathered around Him.What is Jesus saying in His sermon? The text skips over the words. It says He got into the boat. And He taught them. And when He was finished then He spoke to those fishermen. Put out your net. And they caught fish like they never caught fish before.What was Jesus saying? He was saying the same things that are recorded in the Old Testament. He was speaking of Himself as being the Lord of Moses. Speaking of Himself as the Lord of all those Old Testament sacrifices. Speaking of all those Old Testament prophecies that are fulfilled in Him. Jesus witness of Himself as being God. And Jesus spoke all things that the Father commanded Him to teach.And the people listened.And then Jesus confirmed all these things by the miraculous catch of fish.What was the reaction to the work of Jesus, the work of God in that location according to this Bible text? Simon-Peter, who has been listening very closely to all of this. Simon-Peter who let down his net even though he knew that catching anything is next to impossible. He catches so many fish. Peter falls on his knees before Jesus and says, “Depart from me, a sinner.”Peter was not afraid of Jesus until Jesus confirmed His message with the miracle.Then Peter’s response is fear. For what Jesus speaks He does. What Jesus promises He gives. And now Peter is terrified. After Jesus does His work Peter recognizes his sin. Before this God, there is nothing Peter can do or give. His emotions are disordered before Jesus. Peter is not like Jesus. Peter holds to a few teachings of Jesus but not all. Peter is struck by God Law. Peter is struck by how far he has fallen short by all the things Jesus said. Jesus does not agree that it is ok for sinners to disagree with His Father. Peter is struck by his sin. He falls to his knees in terror.This is not awe and respect at this point. This is knee-knocking terror. Lord, depart from me.That is our reaction to one of Jesus’ teachings. We react in fear and terror. Like a horror movie. It is almost like Jesus jumps out at Peter and scares him so bad that Peter falls down in terror. This is too scary.But as Jesus does, even when He sends His angels to speak to His people, Jesus begins with His response with a very different teaching than one that makes people afraid. It is a completely different teaching. It is the Gospel.Jesus says, Do not be afraid. From now on you will be catching men.That is the Gospel. Do not be afraid.Jesus shows you that you should be afraid in all of His law teaching of the Law. His Father’s requirements. He shows you how far you how far you have fallen from the Father. He shows you that you should be terrified. We even confessed at the beginning of this service that we deserve temporal and eternal punishment. That should give us knee-knocking fear even as we say it.But then the Gospel. Do not be afraid. All your falleness. All your sin. All your unbelief in which you deserve punishment. Do not be afraid because Jesus does not hold it against you.Why? Because going to the cross, Jesus receives the temporal and eternal punishment that you deserve. Jesus dies in that punishment.Jesus rises and says that your death and punishment is paid. Now, do not be afraid to come to Jesus and receive the forgiveness of your sins. Do not be afraid to receive Jesus’ life. Jesus’ righteousness.This is how Jesus builds His church. Death cannot break down the kingdom of God. Not anymore. Now that Jesus is risen from the dead.We should be afraid of our sins.But we should cling to Jesus who does not hold those sins against you eternally.Jesus has gently caught you in the net of His Gospel.Jesus has baptized you by washing away your sins. Don’t you know that you have been baptized into Jesus’ death. Jesus does not hold your sins against you to those of you who believe; in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.The peace of God, which passes understanding, protect and preserve you in Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

Greetings in the strong name of Jesus,So glad you are visiting Our Savior Lutheran Church in Musctine, IA. Here is the audio of both the sermon and service held on July 14, 2019. We are a member congregation of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS). The sermon is by our Pastor - the Rev. Jeffrey Pautz.You are invited to connect with here.Like and Follow us on Facebook Page here.You may also listen to our sermons on Apple Podcast (formerly I-Tunes) here.Again, thank you for visiting and hope you come back soon.The Lord bless you and keep you in the name of Jesus.

The Third Sunday after Holy Trinity. Service Audio and Printed Sermon by Our Savior Lutheran Church in Muscatine, IA. We are a member congregation of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. The sermon is by Pastor Jeff Pautz. You are invited to Like and Follow us on Facebook Page here. You may also to our sermons on Apple Podcast (formerly I-Tunes)

The Secon Sunday after Holy Trinity. Service Audio and Printed Sermon by Our Savior Lutheran Church in Muscatine, IA. We are a member congregation of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. The sermon is by Pastor Jeff Pautz. You are invited to Like and Follow us on Facebook Page here. You are also invited to Like and Follow us on YouTube here.

A Commemoration of the Augsburg Confession. Service Audio and Printed Outline & Links to the Augsburg Confession at www.bookofconcord.com. This service was conducted on June 26, 2019 at our normal 9:00am Wednesday morning Matins Service at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Muscatine, IA. We are a member congregation of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. The service is conducted by Pastor Jeff Pautz. You are also invited to Like and Follow us on our Facebook Page which you can find here.

The First Sunday after Holy Trinity. Service Audio and Printed Sermon by Our Savior Lutheran Church in Muscatine, IA. We are a member congregation of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. The sermon is by Pastor Jeff Pautz. You are invited to Like and Follow us on Facebook Page here.