Sermons from Lord of Lords Lutheran Church

(Listen to the hymn "Jerusalem the Golden" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7SLjwzKfCw)Watch this! I am about to create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered. They will not come to mind (Isaiah 65:17). Amen.Bernard of Cluny was a Benedictine monk in the 12th century. The verses of "Jerusalem the Golden" are a minute portion of a three-thousand-line poem written in meter form. Bernard of Cluny's poem was a bitter satire on the fearful corruptions he saw in the year 1145. He contrasted those corruptions with the magnificent glories of what heaven will be like for God's saints. This hymn gives the opposite of what we see and experience.What are we seeing and experiencing? The National Guard has been deployed to multiple violent cities like Washington, D.C., Portland, and Memphis. The United States government has been shut down for several weeks. Food pantries are being flooded with requests. Aggressive protests have been in various places.Over 7,000 Nigerian Christians have been killed by Muslims the past few weeks. Slaughters like this upon Christians have been going on for a long time. President Trump is the only president in my lifetime who has called attention to this slaughter. More than that, he's willing to put American military might behind his statement to put an end to this massacre.Here are some stories you may not have heard of. Last week, several infected monkeys escaped in Mississippi. A mom shot one to protect her kids. An American father and teen son were stung to death by Asian hornets while ziplining in Laos. A logger in Malaysia was trampled by a herd of elephants that attacked their camp. He survived with two broken legs. But while he was recovering in the hospital tent, the bull elephant returned and trampled the logger to death.All of this serves to remind us that we are no longer in the perfection of Eden anymore. Sin infects our hearts and affects our lives continually. We daily feel God's curse upon humanity and nature because of Adam and Eve's fall in the Garden.That's why we Christians are more comfortable and confident in the future than we are in the present. The present is filled with uncertainty in our elected officials. There is doubt about our safety with the violence in our streets. We cry out at the deaths of so many Christians. We know that the end of time must be near as evidenced this last Sunday when the Packers lost to the Panthers and the Vikings beat the Lions."Jerusalem the Golden" proclaims this confidence in the future. Please open to this hymn in your Supplement so you can follow along. You'll be spared. I'll be reading the verses … not singing them."Jerusalem the golden, with milk and honey blest." This is a beautiful picture of what the Israelites would find when they entered the Promised Land of Canaan. Our Promised Land is heaven."The sight of it refreshes the weary and oppressed." We have been living in the desolation and desert of this sinful, barren wilderness. We are worn out and weary. We are oppressed by a culture that hinders the vocal expression of our faith. But we are excited and refreshed to come home to heaven.Here in church we receive a foretaste of our heavenly home. This is where heaven meets earth. The pillars of Jerusalem the Golden are based within the Christian churches of earth. Here in worship is the place where we can feel at home. We are refreshed in the words of absolution as our sins are forgiven. We are washed clean once again in the baptismal waters of our youth. It is at the font where we have God's Triune name placed on our foreheads (Revelation 22:4). We hear the voice of Jesus and behold his face in the Scripture readings. We physically dine with our fellow earthly saints as we eat Christ's sacramental meal. We spiritually dine with our fellow heavenly saints around Christ's banquet table as we come to the Lord's sacramental feast. We receive the peace of God's threefold benediction."I know not, oh, I know not what joys await us there, what radiancy of glory, what bliss beyond compare." This is not a neutral place that Christ has won for us. It is full of bliss and glory. We cannot know what joys await us there. We cannot even begin to imagine what heaven is like – perfection, holiness, without sin. We have tastes of it in absolution and Communion. But we cannot fully understand or appreciate it until we arrive in the new heaven and new earth. There in the New Jerusalem, "the wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox" (Isaiah 65:25)"To sing the hymn unending with all the martyr throng, amidst the halls of Zion resounding full with song." The halls of Zion are Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the holy city. It was where God was. God was in the temple. God's temple on earth is the Christian Church. We gather together here in church as the halls of Zion. Christ in us and us in Christ – a mystical union. Our house is not our home. Our church is our real home on earth. This is where we feel most at peace and at rest. For we are with the saints at Lord of Lords. Even more than that, our voices are joining with the martyr throng of saints that have already gone home to heaven. Our combined voices shake the halls of Zion."Oh, sweet and blessed country, the home of God's elect! Oh, sweet and blessed country That eager hearts expect." As patriotic Americans, we love this country. But we are citizens of a sweeter and more blessed country. We are God's elect - chosen in eternity to be with God for eternity.Revelation 22 is the fitting conclusion for the events of Genesis 3. Because of the Fall, humanity was driven out of the Garden and the Tree of Life was barred by the angel with the flaming sword. But God promised to send the seed of the woman to destroy the serpent and to bring the blessing of life once more to dead and dying humanity, to remove the curse brought by sin. That promise was kept when the woman's Son came into the world to destroy the power of the Ancient Serpent.We see that promise fulfilled in Jerusalem the Golden. As St. John writes, "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him" (Revelation 22:1-3).In the Garden of Eden, a river went out to water the garden. In the New Jerusalem, John sees a river watering the inhabitants of the city. The river of life flowing out from the throne reminds us that the source of our salvation is not to be found in anything we have done or merited. The sole source of our salvation is God, not just any god, but that God who has prepared his salvation for us through the Lamb, who now sits with him on the throne.The Tree of Life is transplanted on either side of the river. The tree is no longer in a garden but in a city. Because of sin, Adam and Eve never got to eat from the Tree of Life. Now, because of what Jesus accomplished on the barren tree of the cross, we will be able to eat from the Tree of Life for all eternity. Its fruit bestows immortality. Its leaves serve to heal the nations. "No longer will there be any curse" (Revelation 22:4). Cancer, broken hips, torn up knees – Jesus provides healing. The appearance of the tree and river help show that the end will be like the beginning … only better."Where they who with their leader have conquered in the fight forever and forever are clad in robes of white." The pierced Lamb sitting on his throne is holding his captain's flag. This is an apocalyptic war. Here on earth, we are part of the Saints Militant – we are saints at war – at war with our sinful nature, at war with Satan and his demonic horde, at war with the enemies of the gospel. But in heaven we will become a part of the Saints Triumphant – our sinful nature will be gone, Satan will have been hurled down into the abyss once and for all, and the enemies of Christ will be locked up in their hellish prison. The curse of sin that we feel in this world will be gone once and for all (Revelation 12:3).The saints are clad in robes of white. We will wear our white baptismal gowns for eternity. We are pure. We are sacred. We are holy. The only reason why we will be able to stand before a holy God and see his face (Revelation 22:4) is because Christ has made us holy in baptismal waters."Jesus in mercy bring us to that dear land of rest where sings the host of heaven your glorious name to bless." Jesus should bring us to the hellish land in his justice. Instead, he brings us to his dear land of rest in his mercy. It is because of this mercy that we will join in singing to the Lamb for eternity. We often think that we are silenced upon our death. Not so. We will join with the martyr throng. As Christ's martyrs, sometimes our voices are louder and remembered longer after our death. But that means we need to be speaking loudly and boldly as pastors, parents, and grandparents to the next generations."The Christ is ever with them; the daylight is serene. the pastures of the blessed are ever rich and green." Jesus died outside of Jerusalem. He was the sacrifice. He died in the darkness so that there is no more darkness. He is the light of the world so there is no need for the sun in heaven. "There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light" (Revelation 22:5). The pastures are ever rich and green. The tree of life produces twelve crops of fruit, one crop each month. We will be well fed and refreshed."There is the throne of David; and there from care released, the shout of them that triumph, the song of them that feast." The King is coronated on the throne of David. Jesus is crowned with thorns. The cross is Christ's glory. In suffering we see God's true glory. Jesus was hanging naked on the tree so that he is now robed in glory for eternity. It is because of Christ's suffering, wounds, and death, that we can inherit this New Jerusalem. It is ours already right now. But it is only when we finally arrive in Jerusalem the Golden will we be released from all cares – free from sickness, sin, death, the devil.That's why we have shouts of triumph. We are with our Leader. There at the throne of David, our Leader is coronated as the King over all creation. The one who reigns and his feet are resting upon the earth."To God enthroned in glory the Church's voices blend, the Lamb forever blessed, the Light that knows no end." The Church's voices blend – all saints of all places and all times. Not a church confined to Casper. But the Christian Church that combines heaven and earth. We join with the saints in singing praises to the Lamb upon his throne. It is one long continuous liturgy – it is the work of the people in praising God; it is the work of God in being present among his people.This morning, instead of private confession, take the time for private praise. Bow your head and praise God for inviting you into Jerusalem the Golden.Private praise."Jerusalem the Golden" is an ancient hymn that has found new life in our churches. There are two versions of this hymn in the new hymnal. We'll sing another version next Sunday. We'll use this hymn for festival services and Christian funerals. It is a hymn that comforts and consoles, while at the same time proclaiming and professing our faith.It is a faith that announces that we Christians are more comfortable and confident in the future than we are in the present. Isaiah, Revelation, and "Jerusalem the Golden" all together proclaim our confidence in the future. Because our future is with the Lamb on his throne gathered with the saints triumphant in Jerusalem the Golden. Amen.Rejoice and celebrate forever, because of what I am creating. Watch this! I am about to create Jerusalem to be a source of gladness, and her people will be a source of joy (Isaiah 65:18). Amen.View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/jerusalem-the-golden/

Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57). Amen.Last week, Conner Smith took his son, Charlie, to a new candy store in Riverside, California. They found the store was closed but had been left unlocked. Uptown Candy Shop had only been open for about a week. Since the store is in a shopping mall in the greater LA area, there was a real risk of it being looted.So, Conner and his son stood guard in front of the unlocked door. They found the phone number for the security company at the mall. Then they waited in front of the candy shop until a guard arrived to lock up. The grateful candy shop owner shared the security footage of the dad using this situation as a teaching moment for his young son. The video went viral. The store owner told CBS LA, "We wanted to properly thank them, so we posted it on TikTok to get the word out there. We figured TikTok finds the bad guys really fast, so let's see how long it takes them to find the good guy."The author of the letter to the Hebrews is giving encouragement to Christians who are being persecuted. He lists great heroes of faith. He finds the good guys. He's using this as a teachable moment. "And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets,who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again" (Hebrews 11:32-34).Gideon defeated the mighty Midianites, even though his army was outnumbered 135,000 to 300. Deborah and Barak defeated the army of Sisera because God sent a flood that wiped out the enemy army. Samson killed 1,000 Philistines using the jawbone of a donkey. Jephthah slaughtered the Ammonite army. David slayed the mighty giant Goliath with a sling and a stone. Samuel was a prophet and a judge. Daniel survived the lions' den. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego survived the fiery furnace. The widow of Zarephath and the woman of Shunem both received their sons back from the dead.These are known and named good guys and gals. But the author goes on to list unnamed, but still remembered, good guys and gals. "Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection.Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison.They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword – they went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated" (Hebrews 11:35-37).The Devil hates these good guys and gals! That's why he sends his bad guys to hunt, hurt, harass, and commit homicide on God's good guys and gals. The ways of the Devil are always violent and destructive. While John the Baptist was in prison, the people were asking Jesus about John. Jesus responded, "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force" (Matthew 11:12). Early Christians suffered violence for being citizens of the kingdom of heaven. Throughout the history of the Christian Church, Christians have been held captive as prisoners, had bounties on their heads, been bludgeoned, beheaded, burned at the stake, fed to the lions, crucified, and any of numerous creatively macabre ways to be killed. In every age, the kingdom of heaven is threatened by the allies of hell. We should expect nothing else.The ways of the Devil remain violent and destructive. The Christian Church, with her proclamation of a crucified Christ, continues to appear weak and wimpy in comparison. We are living in the Church Militant – the Church at war.Christ and his apostles tell us to expect this violence against us. The bad guys will always be coming after Christ's good guys and gals. Jesus promised, "Then they will hand you over to be persecuted, and they will put you to death. You will be hated by all nations because of my name" (Matthew 24:9). St. Paul wrote to the Thessalonian Christians to let them know that Timothy was sent to them to prepare them for suffering, "We sent him to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, so that no one will be shaken by these trials, for you know well that we are destined for this. In fact, even when we were with you, we told you ahead of time that we were going to suffer" (1 Thessalonians 3:2-4). St. Paul told the Philippians that by God's grace they were given both the gift of faith in Christ and also the gift of suffering in Christ's name: "For it has been graciously granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him" (Philippians 1:29).This violence against Christians and the Christian Church will continue to come. Satan is described in Scripture as a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. That's an apt description provided by the Holy Spirit's inspiration. Lions will come in force. They may also come one at a time. They feint and fake and then attack from a different direction. Lions will pick off the weak, the young, the elderly. Then they'll come for the strong and healthy.What do you see Satan doing? He's coming after our children through media, music, public schools, inattentive parents, and more. He's coming after our elderly through disinformation and misinformation. His attacks are sometimes sneaky and sometimes bold. He really only has two temptations. They are the same ones he first used as the serpent in the Garden of Eden. He'll ask, "Did God really say?" And, "Does God really love you?" They're simple, strategic, and effective. Once Satan picks off the weak, young, and elderly, he turns his attention to the older, wiser, and stronger.The baptized saints of God are not being sent into a fairy tale world where everything is rainbows and unicorns. The bad guys are always attacking God's good guys and gals. That's the way it's always been. That's the way it will always be. But the violence will not prevail. The Devil and his demonic horde have already gone down in defeat. But like a lion caught in a trap, the roaring lion of the Devil is unwilling to surrender. He continues to thrash, claw, and maul. Satan and his allies will do whatever they can as they "wage war against the saints to overcome them" (Revelation 13:7).In the face of threats of violence, we proclaim the eternal gospel to every nation, tribe, language, and people (Revelation 14:6). We stand upon the solid rock of Jesus Christ. We will not simply endure; we will prevail against the forces of Satan. In the end, the good guys and good gals always win! That's the singular point of the whole book of Revelation.God's baptized saints are equipped as soldiers of the cross. Whether you were in the 1st century hearing the letter to the Hebrews for the first time or you're here in the 21st century hearing this letter to the Hebrews another time, do not fear anything you suffer. You have received and believed Christ's promise that when you are faithful unto death, he will give you the crown of life" (Revelation 2:10).Fellow soldiers of the cross, we are in a war! That's what it means to be in the Church Militant. But the way for us to win the war for our children's souls and the hearts of people is by using the same weapons we've always been given – God's Word and Sacraments. These weapons seem like weakness in the face of the enemies' onslaught. Yet the Lord promises, "He is the one who gives strength to the weak, and he increases the strength of those who lack power" (Isaiah 40:29). We join with St. Paul as we rejoice in our weaknesses so that we can rely on the strengths of our Almighty God: "I will be glad to boast all the more in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may shelter me. That is why I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For whenever I am weak, then am I strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).We listen to God's Word so that we can then share that Word with those who have closed their ears and hearts to the Lord. We are called to share God's truths with those who have been trapped by the Devil's lies. We fight against the bad guys so by God's will and through his Word, the Holy Spirit might win the bad guys over to his side! He can turn the bad guys into the good guys – just like he once did with us! We remember that we have been made heirs of heaven through our Baptism so we can invite those claimed by the Devil to be baptized and dispossessed of the Devil. We rejoice in the forgiveness of our sins so we can encourage others to find acceptance in Christ instead of searching for acceptance in the world. We celebrate our unity when we commune together at the Lord's Table as we invite others to set aside their petty differences about skin color, political party affiliation, or anything else the Devil uses to divide us into little tribes. With these humble means of Word and Sacrament, we are advancing forcefully into the Devil's domain.Take the time right now to bow your head to confess your fear of fighting the Devil and his band of bad guys.Silent confession.Fellow saints, Jesus Christ has paid for your fear. He gives you forgiveness that he boldly won for you on the cross and out of the grave. He calls you to trust his promise that violence will come upon us as his Christian soldiers. His promise doesn't end there. He also promises to rescue you from this current violence, just like he rescued his chosen people out of Egypt. He will deliver you from spiritual oppression and destruction. He will enable the citizens of his kingdom to conquer all things, and – yes – to endure all things for the sake of his name. The ultimate promise is that he will one day transfer your membership from the Church Militant to the Church Triumphant in heaven.The Uptown Candy Store invited Conner and his family to their chocolate factory for a tour and sweet treats. Many on social media said the family deserved the Golden Ticket. It's great when the good guys get recognition.The author of Hebrews gives the saints in his list recognition by saying that the world was not worthy of such good guys and gals. "The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect" (Hebrews 11:38-40). The world thinks that people who are suffering and sacrificing like this are unworthy of honor. Yet, God thinks the world is not worthy of having these men and women of faith living among them.As you undergo persecution for your faith from the bad guys, take comfort in this great verse. You are judged by God's divine standards, not the world's flawed standards. The world's rejection of you reflects its own fallen nature. It does not reflect your inferiority. The world is not equipped to value saints of profound faith. So, the way it handles you is with mockery and derision. Your worth is not measured by worldly success like power or popularity. Your worth is in the way God's Son came, bled, died, and rose for you. Your worth is in your faithfulness and obedience to God's calling, even in the face of suffering.Why doesn't God prevent all persecution? He is planning something better. Together with us, those persecuted saints will be made perfect in heaven. That's way better than a Golden Ticket! Together, we have been made God's glorious saints. Those who have died already shine in that glory of God. We who remain on the earth struggle. But when you struggle, remember the glory God has in store for you one day!Through God's Word, through the washing waters of Baptism, and through his holy Supper, you are made one of God's saints. You are among the list of unnamed heroes of faith. By God's grace, you are one of the good guys and gals. Amen.Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58). Amen.View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/the-good-guys-and-gals/

Jesus said, "If you remain in my word, you are really my disciples. You will also know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31-32). Amen.It is the climactic scene of the movie "Braveheart". The mighty and numerous English army is lined up for battle on one side of the field. On the other side is the ragtag group of Scottish peasants. William Wallace, who has been leading Scots in guerilla warfare against the English, rides his horse back and forth in front of the Scottish army. He addresses the men shouting, "Sons of Scotland, I am William Wallace … and I see a whole army of my countrymen, here, in defiance of Tyranny. You've come to fight as free men, and free men you are. What will you do without freedom? Will you fight?" There are murmurs and denials from the soldiers.One soldier admits, "Fight? Against that? No!" Soldiers yell in agreement. "We will run! And we will live."Wallace challenges, "Aye. Fight and you may die. Run, and you'll live ... at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days, from this day to that, for one chance – just one chance – to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives - but they'll never take our freedom!"We love freedom! Especially here in America where colonialists fought the Revolutionary War for freedom from England, and the greatest generations fought in two World Wars to allow freedom to reign around the world. We love our freedom. So, we will blink back tears when we see brave soldiers returning home to the love and hugs of their families. These soldiers go to war to fight for our freedom of . But what are those freedoms? Patriotic Americans will clear their throats, square their soldiers, and speak confidently the words from the Declaration of Independence, "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."In our text, Jesus clears his throat, squares his shoulders, and speaks confidently to the Jews who believed in him, "If you remain in my word, you are really my disciples. You will also know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31-32). The Jews countered with an untruth, "We are Abraham's descendants, and we have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say, 'You will be set free'" (John 8:33)? Their Jewish ancestors had been slaves in Egypt, Babylon, and Persia. These Jews standing before Jesus were presently under Roman rule.These Jews were looking for a Messiah who would come to overthrow the tyranny of Rome and win their freedom from their oppressive lives. But the coming Messiah was already standing right in front of them. He was there to give them a different kind of freedom. It was a freedom from slavery to Satan and the shackles of sin that ensnared them. Jesus answered, "Amen, Amen, I tell you: Everyone who keeps committing sin is a slave to sin. But a slave does not remain in the family forever. A son does remain forever. So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free" (John 8:34-36).In the sermon today, I'm going to tell you several stories of freedom. After hearing these stories, I want you to do two things. Think and pray about your own story of freedom through Jesus. Then consider how you can use any of these stories, in addition to your own story in witnessing to someone you love who has been enslaved by Satan and shackled by their sin. Let them know that Jesus has come as their Messiah to win their freedom!Mary Magdalene had been possessed by seven demons (Luke 8:2). We aren't told what had happened to her or by her to allow these demons to take possession of her body and mind. We only know that she must have been tormented by these demons.Yet the Son of God has authority over these fallen angels who torment his beloved people. Somewhere, Jesus interacted with Mary, and with the power of his words, he dispossessed her of those seven demons. In response, Mary became one of Jesus' most devoted followers. Along with other women, Mary helped financially support Jesus and his disciples. Because he had freed her from the demons' possession, she possessed a strong faith and love for her Freedom Fighter. She was among the group of ladies who gathered at Jesus' tomb on Easter Sunday. Before Jesus appeared to his disciples, his mother, or anyone else, he blessed Mary Magdalene by appearing to her first after his resurrection from the grave.Martin Luther had been oppressed by the devil. Luther struggled mightily with his sin. As a young monk in the monastery, Luther would often flog himself as a form of penance to atone for his sins. He would often wake up at 3 am, fast to an extreme, and enumerate his sins to his father confessor.Luther's self-punishment stemmed from a deep-seated obsession with his own sinfulness and a desperate desire to atone for it. This was because at this time in his life, Martin Luther saw Jesus not as a gracious Savior from sin, but as an angry Judge over sin.Legend has it that the great Reformer once threw an inkwell at the Devil who had been incessantly accusing him. Whether or not this is true, Luther certainly had remarkable fits and fights with the old, evil foe who now means deadly woe.Luther hated the justice of God where he punishes sinners. But by the grace of God, that all changed one night in 1519 in Luther's "tower experience." I'll let him tell you his story in his own words: "But I, blameless monk that I was, felt that before God I was a sinner with an extremely troubled conscience. I couldn't be sure that God was appeased by my satisfaction. I did not love, no, rather I hated the just God who punishes sinners. In silence, if I did not blaspheme, then certainly I grumbled vehemently and got angry at God. I said, 'Isn't it enough that we miserable sinners, lost for all eternity because of original sin, are oppressed by every kind of calamity through the Ten Commandments? Why does God heap sorrow upon sorrow through the Gospel and through the Gospel threaten us with his justice and his wrath?' This was how I was raging with wild and disturbed conscience. I constantly badgered St. Paul about that spot in Romans 1 and anxiously wanted to know what he meant."I meditated night and day on those words until at last, by the mercy of God, I paid attention to their context: 'The justice of God is revealed in it, as it is written: 'The just person lives by faith.' I began to understand that in this verse the justice of God is that by which the just person lives by a gift of God, that is by faith. I began to understand that this verse means that the justice of God is revealed through the Gospel, but it is a passive justice, i.e. that by which the merciful God justifies us by faith, as it is written: 'The just person lives by faith.' All at once I felt that I had been born again and entered into paradise itself through open gates. … I exalted this sweetest word of mine, 'the justice of God,' with as much love as before I had hated it with hate. This phrase of Paul was for me the very gate of paradise." Luther had been set free!By God's grace, our Wisconsin Synod was established 175 years ago as German Lutherans came to America for religious freedom. Through all these years, Christ has been with us in established congregations, home mission churches, and foreign mission fields.Several years ago in an established congregation, I counseled a wife who was having marital issues with her husband. We'll call her "May." In the middle of our counseling, she confessed, "I cheated on my husband 10 years ago. Every time I come into church, I ask God to forgive me for my affair." Her guilt was her penance. This was one of the saddest things I have ever heard. I told her, "Sweetheart, the first time you asked for forgiveness, you were forgiven. 'Satan' means 'Accuser.' He is accusing you day and night of your sin. Your guilt can't make up for your sin. But know that Jesus bled for your sin. He paid for your affair on the cross. His faithfulness to you is more powerful than your unfaithfulness to your husband. He's even removed your guilt. You're free!"These last two stories are from friends of mine who served in the WELS foreign mission field. Rachel tells the story, "Kelly came to the capital to study to be a tour guide back in her hometown. A friend of hers invited her to our Christmas party. They came together. Kelly came not knowing what to expect. She was then invited to an 'English study' at our apartment. She heard God's Great Exchange and began crying because she felt such a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders."Kelly said, 'Why didn't anyone ever tell me this before? I never knew this!' She then studied with us regularly before returning to her hometown. She was so happy to have learned about the Savior. She was hungry for the words of Scripture. It was awesome to see and so encouraging to all of us too!" Kelly had been set free!Josh, who does one of the podcasts with me, tells this story, "In China, I was speaking to Sam, a college student who was interested in Christianity. I explained the whole story – creation, the fall, redemption, and salvation. Then he spit the whole thing back at me! He said, 'Is this all true?' 'Yes,' I said. Sam replied, 'Then please tell me, is there any reason I should not kill myself tonight? I want to go [to heaven] now!'"Josh explained that purpose was not found in any pursuit outside of Christ, but that also means that here on earth Christ has a purpose for our existence. It also meant not only embracing Jesus as Savior, but also submitting to his will as Lord. It also means that all murder is wrong – even self-murder.Josh continues with his story, "Sam continued Bible study for the rest of the year. He taught me how to properly cook rice … I was doing it wrong. And we spent time together rock climbing the University of Beijing. I baptized him a few weeks before I returned home. This is an experience I count amount the greatest privileges of my life." Sam had been set free!Like Mary, Martin, May, Kelly, and Sam, you are slaves to your sinful nature. You will often feel oppressed by demons. Satan will keep accusing you by first telling you the sin isn't so bad and then after the sin telling you that God can't love a sinner like you. You'll attempt to do penance by overwhelming yourself with guilt. When you look at the evil in our world, you are convinced there are people out there possessed by demons. I don't disagree.Bow your head and admit to God how acutely you feel this slavery and oppression.Silent confession.Brothers and sisters of Jesus, the Messiah of the new covenant has come and he has set you free. The Son of God left his throne in heaven to be nailed upon a wooden cross. He left the right hand of his heavenly Father so he could be forsaken by his heavenly Father. On the cross, Jesus put himself in our dark dungeon and released us into the light. He removed not only your sin, but also the guilt for your sin. Jesus didn't just talk about freedom to the Jews, he won freedom for all people - Mary, Martin, May, Kelly, Sam, and you.You are fully and eternally free from all punishment for your sins. Jesus signed your pardon papers with his blood. He placed his seal on the papers when he broke the seal on his grave. He broke you free from the shackles of your sins. He released you from the guilt that imprisoned you. He gives you hope as you face the very real terror of your inevitable death. You have been set free from all the fear, sin, guilt, and death because Jesus crushed the power of sin, death, and Satan once had over you. You are no longer a prisoner, but a perfect, and perfectly free, child of God.These are stories of freedom. Even more powerful than the story of freedom won by William Wallace against the English. These are stories we are blessed as Lutherans to believe and blessed through the ministry and mission of the WELS to share. Listen and believe these stories of freedom. Apply them to your life. But don't stop there. Share these stories with your loved ones who remain trapped by the devil's lies. Tell them the story of Jesus winning them freedom. Tell them the stories of Mary, Martin, May, Kelly, and Sam. Listen to their story. Respond with your story. Remind them, "If the Son sets you free, you really will be free" (John 8:36). Amen.It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not allow anyone to put the yoke of slavery on you again (Galatians 5:1). Amen.View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/freedom/

All these things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). Amen.The Wisconsin Synod began in 1850 with three pastors. By 1862, the new synod president, John Bading, recognized that for the Wisconsin Synod to continue growing and remaining faithful to the Scriptures, it would need to develop its own source of pastors in the United States. The mission societies in Germany had been sending money and pastors to the New World. They were appreciated. But President Bading noticed issues for this new, fledgling church body. The monies and numbers of men were inconsistent. Also, the mission societies intentionally wanted men who were trained to serve both Lutheran and Reformed congregations. Confessional Lutheranism was not something that interested those sending the men.President Bading's plea to the 1862 convention was insistent: "Old synodical congregations have been standing orphaned for many months. … Requests for preachers coming from new congregations who had not as yet joined the synod could not be granted even a hearing. … We cannot and dare not rely on Germany. … We must dig a well in our country, in our Synod, that will supply the workers. If we expect to wait with the institution until we are well-fixed financially, it will never materialize (Christ Through Us, p. 31).The Wisconsin Synod established its own seminary in 1863. This was the same summer the Battle of Gettysburg was fought on the campus of one of the oldest Lutheran seminaries in the United States. Classes began in September of 1863 in a house in Watertown, Wisconsin with one student. By November, another student arrived. Within a year several more students were taking classes. The seminary was off and running.The synod purchased 5 acres of land and broke ground on their first building in 1864. By September 1865, the synod had a seminary, a college, and a preparatory high school all on the same campus. "For now, a well had been dug in the Wisconsin Synod. With God's blessing, the new institutions would produce well-trained pastors to proclaim Christ in and through the synod." (Christ Through Us).Already at the first convention in 1850, it had been resolved that pastors should engage themselves in the education of the youth, conducting day schools in addition to Sunday School. Usually, the local pastor was the teacher of the school. Not every one of these was an all-day, Monday through Friday institution. Classes were held as the pastor's time allowed, and farming work kept many children home from school. By 1860 nearly half of the synod's congregations had a weekday school. Some of the larger congregations in Milwaukee and elsewhere soon called teachers to free up the pastors from these school duties. Since there was a desire for better trained teachers and a steadier supply of them, a teacher training course was added to the Watertown college in the mid-1870s.Our church body was founded to continue preaching and teaching God's salvation in churches, classrooms, and living rooms. It was founded to put into practice the words of Moses in Deuteronomy 6: "Listen, O Israel, and be conscientious about doing those things, so it may go well for you and so you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your fathers, promised you. Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God. The Lord is one! Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words that I am commanding you today are to be on your heart. 7Teach them diligently to your children, and speak about them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you get up" (Deuteronomy 6:3-7).Did you notice how intense Moses is here? He describes a way of life that is totally saturated with God's Word inside and out. Perhaps many today would consider Moses' intensity to be overkill.God's Word should be so well known that it becomes internal – "on your heart" – on the hearts of you and your children. God's Word is to be an ever-present reality on the hearts, minds, and lips of God's people. It isn't something we just hear and read, pray and sing on Sunday mornings. God's Word should capture our conversations – "speak about them." It should absorb our actions – "when you sit and when you walk." They should thread through our thoughts – "when you lie down and when you get up."How do you start your day? Do you grab your phone to start scrolling social media? That doesn't set a good precedence for the day. How do you end your day? Do you watch videos on your phone while lying in bed? That doesn't allow you to get a good night's sleep. These are also a waste of the precious, limited amount of time God has given you.What might be a better use of your time? In his Small Catechism, Martin Luther suggests making the sign of the cross, repeating the Apostles' Creed and the Lord's Prayer, and then praying his morning prayer. "Then go to your work with joy, singing a hymn, like one of the Ten Commandments or what your devotion may suggest" (The Small Catechism).Gather your children together for prayer and a family devotion. Take 5 to 15 minutes a day in prayer, confession, and meditation on God's Word. Use online or written devotions from the WELS, read a portion of the Bible, and listen to podcasts of sermons, Bible studies, and discussions. (I think your pastor has a few podcasts you can listen to.)Luther has similar advice for the evening. He again suggests making the sign of the cross to remind you of your Baptism, then reciting the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and his evening prayer. "Then go to sleep immediately and cheerfully."Gather your children together for prayer in the evening. Read a portion of Scripture or a family devotion. Pray a written prayer and add your own prayers from the heart. Turn off the lights. "Then go to sleep immediately and cheerfully."The Israelites were to obey God's laws. "Now this is the body of commands, and these are the statutes and the ordinances that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, so you may carry them out in the land to which you are crossing over to receive as a possession, so that you may fear the Lord your God by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I am commanding to you, as well as to your children and grandchildren, all the days of your life, and so that your days may be long" (Deuteronomy 6:1-2). Not only were they to listen to them, but they were to take them to heart. They were to put them into practice.What is one of the best ways to learn how to do something? By teaching it to somebody else. Who better to teach than our children and grandchildren? But what do we do? Probably not that.Take the time right now to bow your head. Confess to God how you fill up your heart with nonsense and the unimportant, instead of filling up your heart with what is important, essential, and eternal.Silence for private confession.Children of the heavenly Father, Jesus Christ has forgiven you. St. Paul writes, "God made him, who did not know sin, to become sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus made a Great Exchange. Because you fail to love God with your whole being, Jesus loved God above all things. Because you don't set aside Sunday as your Sabbath rest in the Lord, the Son of God worshiped the Triune God in the synagogue on the Sabbath. Because you fail to meditate on God's Word, Jesus is the Word made flesh to reconcile you to God. Because you fail to pray, Jesus went off to pray on his own, and taught his disciples to pray the Lord's Prayer.The Pew Research Center released a study two years ago that found that only 35% of parents said that it was either "extremely" or "very" important to them that their children have beliefs similar to their own. 22% said it was "somewhat" important. While a shocking 43% said it was "not at all" or "not too" important that their children share religious beliefs similar to their own. They consider Moses' intensity to be overkill.Another study found that 23% of Christian parents are worried their little ones might be rejected by their classmates if their faith becomes a public thing. God has laid out a plan in Deuteronomy 6 to pass the faith to the next generations. But sadly, there are many parents and grandparents who have devised their own plan – if kids don't know anything about their faith, they won't say anything about their faith; and if they don't say anything about their faith, no one will pick on them. Their logic is flawless … if the greatest duty of parents is to make sure their offspring have playmates. On the other hand, if you are concerned about seeing your children and grandchildren in heaven, then you will be sharing Jesus' salvation story when you are sitting at home, walking on the sidewalk, getting ready for bed, and getting ready for the day.Parents and grandparents, there is no substitute for you. We are blessed at Lord of Lords to have active Sunday School teachers to train our little ones. We will be starting a youth group soon for regular Teen Bible studies and activities. Lord willing, we'll be making a trip next summer to the WELS International Youth Rally.We are blessed to have 362 early childhood ministries, 284 Lutheran elementary schools, 29 area Lutheran high schools, 2 Preparatory schools, Martin Luther College, and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in the WELS. You support this Christian education in our church and church body with your offerings, prayers, efforts, and encouragement.But the primary responsibility for the spiritual education and edification of children continues to reside with parents and grandparents. Not putting God's Word into the hearts, souls, and minds of your children is like sending your kids to school with no shoes, no lunch, and no lunch money. They are unprepared for the world.Your children and grandchildren are little lambs in Christ's flock. Christ is the Great Shepherd of the sheep (Hebrews 11:20). He has assigned you to be his under-shepherds in the pasture of your home. The Devil is a roaring lion roaming around, seeking to devour your little lambs (1 Peter 5:18). He is the Enemy who seeks to rip faith from your child's soul.Swing the sword of the Spirit against the lion's neck. Strike the lion against the cheek with your Catechism. Save the lambs from the lion's mouth by reminding them of their Baptism. Call upon God's angelic warriors for protection with your prayers.As you read God's Word together, have spiritual discussions of how to put God's Word into practice. Discuss school events, political events, and current events with a Christian worldview.Talk about your faith regularly and how it influences the decisions in your life. This allows them to know Christianity is not confined to one day a week. It influences every activity whether walking or talking, in the morning, afternoon, or evening.Model your faith. Demonstrate repentance. Accept Christ's forgiveness. Joyfully serve the Lord in all you do. Your kids and grandkids will notice. Then they'll want to emulate you.In the words of President Bading, a well has been dug in our synod. Now it's up to you to saturate yourself and your family in God's Word – inside and out. We thank the Lord of the Church for digging this well of the Water of Life with our Seminary, colleges, high schools, prep schools, elementary schools, and Sunday Schools. But you parents and grandparents are on the front lines. Research confirms you are the most significant influence on your young people's spiritual development. What you do now will influence the rest of their lives. This is Christ working through you. "Teach them diligently to your children, and speak about them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you get up" (Deuteronomy 6:7). Amen.God has entrusted to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, inasmuch as God is making an appeal through us (2 Corinthians 5:20-21). Amen.View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/christ-through-us/

He came to what was his own, yet his own people did not accept him. But to all who did receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:11-12). Amen."On the 300th anniversary of the Reformation (1817), one of the most powerful rulers in Germany attempted to unify both Lutheran and Reformed churches into one Evangelical church. The government mandated a common confession that blended Lutheran and Reformed beliefs. Those who opposed the policy had two choices: establish a free church, deprived of government financial support, or leave Germany. Some of them left and sought religious freedom in the United States. They were known as the Old Lutherans, or Strict Lutherans, and wanted to be free to practice their Lutheran faith" (Christ Through Us, p. 4)."When they came to the American West, they carried their German Bibles, hymnbooks, and copies of devotion books from the old country and gathered in homes for worship, hymn singing, and Bible reading. Often there were no pastors to teach them or conduct services. Someone would be chosen to lead the singing and perhaps also to read. With so few pastors on the frontier, differences in doctrine were ignored. The German Christians, Reformed and Lutheran, simply agreed to disagree. The Lutheran Confessions remained silent protests to set aside for the sake of unity and convenience When the people established congregations, sometimes they were gatherings of both Lutheran and Reformed protestants" (Christ Through Us, p. 5)."In reality, opposing doctrines often stood side by side in silent opposition and tension. The sound of axes and the struggle to create families, homes, and productive farms were more important" (Christ Through Us, p. 5).Three pastors - John Muehlhaeuser, John Weinmann, and William Wrede – founded a new synod called the "German Evangelical Lutheran Ministerium of Wisconsin," which later became the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. The official founding of the synod was on May 26, 1850, at Salem Lutheran Church in Granville, which is now part of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.Though Strict Lutherans had fled Germany because of religious persecution, these three pastors did not care for the restrictive views of the Strict Lutherans. They preferred a Mild Lutheran synod that would allow them to also minister to the Reformed in their communities. The founding of our church body was not with strong, doctrinal, confessional Lutheran convictions. The beginning of the WELS was indeed small, even weak. We will discover over these three sermons and our ten-week Bible study on the history of the WELS, that this young Wisconsin Synod did something almost unheard of among Christian church bodies. By God's grace, it grew more biblically sound over it's 175 years.Today we examine the blessing of Christ for us. It's a rare blessing from the Lord that any church body teaches the gospel with remarkable clarity, much less for 175 years. We haven't done anything to deserve this blessing. Instead, Christ has done everything for us. He died for us, he rose for us, he saved us, and he reconciled us to God the Father. St. Paul lays all this out for us in Romans 5.Paul writes, "God shows his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Paul explained earlier that what makes us sinners is that we are "ungodly" (Romans 5:6). Being godly means doing the will of God. But we do the opposite of God's will. We don't put God first in our lives. We take his holy name in vain. We don't worship God. We don't honor God's representatives in the home or government. We allow our temper to get the better of us. We lust, steal, covet, and gossip. All this makes us ungodly sinners.And yet, while we were ungodly, Christ, the perfect God-Man, died for us. In our place. As our Substitute. Look at Jesus hanging dead on the cross and then think of all the biblical stand-ins – the ram that spared Isaac (Genesis 22:13); the Passover lamb (Exodus 12:21); the scapegoat of Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16:21), the Suffering Servant of Isaiah: "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). Christ is the stand-in for sinners. Christ is the vicarious Victim.Paul explains that being ungodly sinners, we are God's natural-born enemies. "Therefore, since we have now been justified by his blood, it is even more certain that we will be saved from God's wrath through him. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, it is even more certain that, since we have been reconciled, we will be saved by his life" (Romans 5:9,10)You may consider yourself a good, decent, hard-working, church-going, right-decision-making Christian. Still, even you are an ungodly, sinful, enemy of God. Yet, this is how God shows his love for us – while we were still sinners and God's enemies, Jesus Christ died for us. He took the place of his enemies. Not his family. Not his buddies. He died for those who wanted him dead. For those who wanted nothing to do with him. That's you and me.One life in exchange for another. He becomes the sinner in place of every sinner; and we in him become the saint – holy and righteous before God. That's what Paul means when he says, "Since we have now been justified by his blood, it is even more certain that we will be saved from God's wrath through him." By saving us from God's righteous wrath, Jesus changed our eternal destination from hell to heaven. When God looks at you, he doesn't see your sin any more, but he sees the blood of his Son covering your sinfulness. He sees only little Jesuses. Even though your sins are many and great, Jesus' divine blood is greater. He became your sin in his death, and you received his life.St. Paul continues, "For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, it is even more certain that, since we have been reconciled, we will be saved by his life. And not only is this so, but we also go on rejoicing confidently in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received this reconciliation" (Romans 5:10-11)."Reconcile" means to win enemies over to friendliness. When I was playing soccer in college, there were players on a certain team that were taking me out. I was slide tackling them, too. It was rough! The ref had to get involved. But after the season was over, the players on that team invited me to their college to play indoor soccer on their intramural team. We had been sworn enemies. But we were reconciled.Most of the time, when there is reconciliation between bitter opponents, warring nations, fighting spouses, or arguing neighbors, each party has to give a little to get a little. That's not the way it worked with our reconciliation with God. We were God's bitter enemies. While we remained enemies, Christ made peace with us. We weren't doing the work that was assigned to us. We cheated on God. We were unfaithful followers and disloyal children. Still, Jesus entered our world to restore peace between us and God. We didn't give up anything ... except our sins. Christ is the One who gave up everything – he gave up heaven to suffer hell on the cross; he gave his perfection to us; he who cannot die as God, became Man so that he could die.On Good Friday, in the darkness of Jesus' death, God said to the world, "I am at peace with you." In your Baptism, when water was poured on you in the Name of the Triune God, the Father said, "I am at peace with you." In the Supper, with Jesus' own Body and Blood as his gift to you, God says again, "I am at peace with you."Brothers and sisters, take the time right now to bow your head and repent of your being God's natural-born enemy – an enemy that killed the Son of God with your sins.Silence for private confession.Reconciled children of our Heavenly Father, you are forgiven. Your name is written in the wounds of Jesus. Christ has dipped his pen in the crimson ink of his divinely human veins and written your name in the Lamb's Book of Life. Jesus promises, "I certainly will not erase his name from the Book of Life, and I will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels" (Revelation 3:5). Jesus has engraved your name on the palms of his hands. God promises, "Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands" (Isaiah 49:16). Jesus has now set up his divine kingdom within your heart. That means he rules over your soul, mind, and body. Jesus says, "The kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21).You were once at war with your heavenly Father. Like Adam and Eve, you ran away and tried hiding from God. But Jesus came as the Seed of the Woman and the Serpent-Crusher (Genesis 3:15). You are the flesh that will return to dust. But the Son of God is the Word who became flesh and dwelled among us (John 1:14). Jesus did all this to reconcile you to your heavenly Father. He has forgiven you. You are now God's friend. God's saint. God's child.You did nothing to bring about this reconciliation. God did it all through Jesus Christ. In Baptism, you didn't commit yourself to Christ; he committed himself to you. In those waters he crucified you with himself, laid your body with his in the tomb, and he carried you forward into the light of eternal life. Jesus promises, "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16). That faith is not a conviction you created but a gift you received. By the Holy Spirit you confess, "Jesus is Lord" (1 Corinthians 12:3).Reconciled. Do you realize the implications? It isn't a matter of you "getting right with God" but of you believing that Christ has made you right with God. You weren't reconciled and made a Christian because you were so great a person, or had a heart that was so pure, or because you were so awesome that God just had to have you. Nope. It was because you were so unrighteous that Christ covered you with the clothing of his righteousness. It was because you were living for yourself that Christ lived for you, and then died for you, and then lives for you again. It wasn't because you asked Jesus to be your Savior that you were saved. It was because while you were still a sinner, Christ died for you, chose you, called you, and washed you clean in his own divine blood.You might have heard people say, "God loves you just the way you are." That sounds nice and loving. But when people say that they are often using those words to excuse someone's sinful lifestyle and harmful choices.A better way to speak is to say, "God loves you just the way you are. ... But he also loves you too much to let you stay that way."God loved you while you were still a sinner and his enemy. But he didn't let you remain in your sin or continue as his enemy. You were an enemy that Jesus saw needed changing. He didn't leave you the way you were. What would be the point in that?If you were going to stay the same, then what would have been the purpose of Jesus living and dying for you. No, while you were still an enemy of God, Jesus reconciled you to himself. He chose you while you were his enemy so he could make you a child of God. He chose you when you were a sinner so he could remake you into a saint. He chose you while you were still friends with the devil so he could remake you into a brother or sister of Christ.By God's grace, this is the message of Christ for you that generations of Lutherans in the Wisconsin Synod have been blessed to hear for the past 175 years from pulpits in our churches, learn in the classrooms of our grade schools and high schools, receive from the water in the baptismal fonts, and accept in the Body and Blood at the Lord's Table. By that same grace of God, this is the message of Christ for you that has been proclaimed here at Lord of Lords for the past 45 years.In this small church body we call the Wisconsin Synod, God has done something that is almost unheard of among Christian church bodies. "While most other church bodies have merged into larger bodies and lost their bodies and lost their distinctiveness or simply folded and disappeared into the mists of history as the decades have passed. But not the Wisconsin Synod" (Christ Through Us, viii). Our little Wisconsin Synod has grown more biblically sound over the past 175 years. That has only happened because we, always by God's grace, continue to proclaim a message of reconciliation – of Christ for us. Amen.The Word became flesh and dwelled among us. We have seen his glory, the glory he has as the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Amen.View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/christ-for-us/

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:2). Amen."My husband, Charlie, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life. On the cross, our Savior said, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.' That young man, I forgive him." Those are the words spoken two weeks ago by Erika Kirk at the funeral of her husband, Charlie Kirk.It doesn't matter your political views. These were the heartfelt and heart-rending words of a widow to a man who had left her without a husband and their two young children without a father. Yet, she was able to extend Christ's forgiveness from the cross to her husband's murderer.What about you? Are you able to forgive someone who has hurt you? Damaged you? Taken something valuable from you?The widow of a slain Sheridan police officer made a powerful victim impact statement in court this week, saying she will "forever live with the agony" of what happened to her husband. She also said that she often finds it difficult to quell the "rage and bitterness" that remain with her since her husband's death. You can understand and appreciate her words, can't you?Can you forgive your parents who were verbally abusive and physically unloving to you while growing up? Can you forgive the grown child who has forsaken your family and destroyed all relationships within the family? Can you forgive your former spouse for his harshness or her vindictiveness? Can you forgive the supervisor and coworkers for the toxic work environment you were exposed to? Can you forgive the pastor or teacher who failed you? Can you forgive the neighbor whose dogs and loud pick-up truck have no concept of time or noise?Those are great questions. Perhaps all of them can be summed up with this question: "Do I have the faith to forgive?"Jesus gives us a hard task when he teaches us about rebuking and forgiving. He says, "If your brother sins, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him" (Luke 17:3-4). Both of these commands to rebuke and forgive are extremely difficult to put into practice. It's challenging to lovingly rebuke a fellow believer. Rebuke means to offer a strong correction of sinful behavior or to reprimand disordered actions. Rebuking is challenging. We'll be tempted to remain silent to keep the peace. Or be silent for fear of retribution. Or be silent for worry of being called a "hypocrite" or "self-righteous." Rebuking is also difficult because when we do speak up, we'll be tempted to be too harsh or too personal with our criticism. Or we speak up and we open old wounds or create new ones. So, we can harm people with no rebuke or damage them with too strong of a rebuke.We are called by Jesus to rebuke with the purpose of leading the person to repentance, restoration, and Christ's forgiveness. Rebuking serves to redirect someone who has gone astray, leading them to return to the path of Jesus Christ.Equally challenging is to forgive the person who has hurt you. We may think we are letting them off the hook if we forgive quickly. Or we are giving them a license to keep on sinning against us if we forgive too often. Or we may question the sincerity of their sorrow when they start doing the same thing over and over. Or we may want them to show us proper contrition with tears, guilt, and some form of penance. We want them to "earn" our forgiveness with their actions.It's more natural to ignore an offense or to allow it to fester within our heart than to lovingly rebuke. It's more natural for us to seek revenge or to hold a grudge than to forgive.You know from experience how difficult it is to forgive. And then others make it even more difficult! Your coworker apologizes for some minor offense by saying, "I'm sorry." You reply, "I forgive you." Then your coworker takes offense. She feels that what she didn't wasn't so awful that she needed forgiveness!You also know from experience that when Jesus encourages you to turn the other cheek, people will then line up to swat you on the other cheek. When Jesus invites you to forgive seventy-seven times, people will sin against you another seventy-six times.There were plenty of people on social media who criticized Erika Kirk for her forgiveness. On a side note – social media can be fun, informative, and a unique way to share the gospel. It is also a cesspool of evil. Reading and responding to social media comments on my podcasts are a level of hell that I don't like dipping my toe into!Some were saying on social media that it was weak for Erika to forgive her husband's killer. They don't understand the divine strength it takes to forgive in Christ's name. Apparently, those critics believe we're only supposed to forgive people once they give a perfectly worded apology. One comment read, "God only forgives those that ask for it. Forgiving someone when they haven't asked for forgiveness is not godly, its virtue signaling."Jesus doesn't present forgiveness as an encouragement or a suggestion. It's a command. Jesus says multiple times in our Gospel, "Forgive him." We pray in the Lord's Prayer that if we withhold forgiveness, we should not expect forgiveness from our Father in heaven. "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." St. Paul echoes this, calling believers to forgive, "just as God in Christ has forgiven us" (Ephesians 4:32).Forgiveness is not about excusing sin or excusing justice. It's about personally reflecting God's mercy. Remember, Jesus asked his Father to forgive us on the cross, even while we remained unrepentant, "Father, forgive them for they don't know what they're doing." St. Paul puts it this way, "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).Others mocked Erika that she could smile and laugh at her husband's funeral. Some of the biggest smiles and loudest laughs I've ever heard have been at Christian funerals. Like St. Paul says, we Christians do not mourn as those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Our smiles, memories, and peace in the face of heartbreaking tragedies are not signs of denial or weakness. They are rooted in Christ's resurrection from the grave. One comment summarized this well, "If you can't fathom how Erika Kirk could dare smile today, maybe it's because you need to meet her God."The apostles had met their God. He was standing right in front of them in the person of Jesus Christ! They realized how hard it was to forgive … and keep on forgiving. They responded, "Increase our faith" (Luke 17:5). The apostles recognized how humanly impossible it is to forgive. The sinful nature within every human refuses to rebuke, delays forgiveness, and harbors grudges. Cognizant of their own weakness and inability to carry out Jesus' command, they cried out to Jesus, "Increase our faith!"What a beautifully simplistic prayer for us to bring to the Lord each day. Just as we are to daily pray for forgiveness, so we are to daily pray for an increase of faith so we can forgive. Include praying the Lord's Prayer to increase your faith to forgive. Pray the Lord's Prayer on your own. When you are upset with someone, pray with them. Then, pray the Lord's Prayer with them. It's hard to stay mad at someone when you're praying with them.Jesus responds to their prayer for increased faith by saying, "If you had faith like a mustard seed, you could tell this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you" (Luke 17:6). Jesus knows how impossible it is for us to keep forgiving someone over and over again for the same sins. Still, he commands us to forgive. What Jesus commands us to do, he empowers us to do. So, when we ask, "Do I have the faith to forgive," Jesus answers with a definitive "Yes!" He gives you the ability to forgive through the power of the Holy Spirit through faith in him as your Savior. This is a faith that was instilled in you through Baptism or conversion. A faith that grows through constant use of Word and Sacraments.Jesus was not teaching us to fling trees into oceans. That's good! Because where we live, we have very few trees and even fewer oceans.Even a faith as small as a mustard seed can enable us to forgive and then do everything else we need to do as God's kingdom servants. If you trust in Jesus, you have enough faith to forgive even as you have been forgiven. You have the faith to do impossible things for Christ's kingdom.We're going to do something right now that I haven't done before in a sermon. But I think this will be helpful today and going forward in future sermons. Please bow your head. Speak to God as you privately confess your sins of failing to forgive someone for their sins against you.Silence for private confession.Brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus has forgiven you for your lack of forgiveness. He does not withhold forgiveness from you. Instead of drowning you in the depths of the sea with a millstone necklace, he has drowned your sins in the deep waters of the baptismal font. Instead of demanding that you toss around mulberry trees, Jesus was crucified upon the tree of the cross. Jesus did not wait for you to be repentant before he forgave you. He prayed on the cross, "Father, forgive them – these unrepentant sinners – for they have no clue what they're doing." You are forgiven. Go in peace.Jesus teaches, "Which one of you who has a servant plowing or taking care of sheep will say to him when he comes in from the field, 'Come at once and recline at the table'? Won't the master tell him instead, 'Prepare my supper, and after you are properly dressed, serve me while I eat and drink. After that you may eat and drink'? He does not thank the servant because he did what he was commanded to do, does he? So also you, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, 'We are unworthy servants. We have only done what we were supposed to do'" (Luke 17:7-10).The Lord who calls you to repeatedly forgive has not grown weary of forgiving your daily trespasses. The Lord who calls for humble plowing, shepherding, and table-waiting within his kingdom, also wrapped a towel around his waist to wash his disciples' feet. Now he wraps a towel around his waist to wash away your sins with his baptismal waters. He doesn't expect you to prepare a table for him. Instead, he invites you today to his holy table. The Lord, to whom we owe eternal service, chooses to serve you through his means of Word and Sacraments. The Lord, in whom you put your faith, promises to be the power behind even your tiny, mustard seed faith.With an increase of faith in our gracious and powerful Savior, we can defy the laws of nature and science. With our Master serving us, we simply do what we are commanded to do as his grateful and unworthy servants. We can forgive unconditionally. We can serve faithfully.Tim Allen, the star of shows like Home Improvement and Last Man Standing, expressed how much of an impact Erika's speech had on him. Allen's father died in 1964 after a drunk driver's vehicle collided with his vehicle. Allen was 11 years old at the time of his father's death. Tim Allen posted on X, "When Erika Kirk spoke the words on the man who killed her husband: 'That man … that young man … I forgive him.' That moment deeply affected me. I have struggled for over 60 years to forgive the man who killed my Dad. I will say those words now as I type: 'I forgive the man who killed my father.' Peace be with you all."We can rightly ask like Jesus' apostles, "Do I have the faith to forgive?" Yes, you do. Because Jesus' forgiveness gives you both the faith and the ability to forgive. Jesus' words forgive you. Your words forgive others. And your words of forgiveness releases others to forgive. Believe these words. Live these words. Pronounce these words. These words that you are blessed to hear in worship: "God, our heavenly Father, has forgiven all your sins. By the perfect life and innocent death of our Lord Jesus Christ, he has removed your guilt forever. You are his own dear child. May God give you strength to live according to his will." Amen.We are always praying for you, that our God will make you worthy of your calling and use his power to fulfill every good desire and work of your faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and you in him (2 Thessalonians 1:11, 12). Amen.View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/do-i-have-the-faith-to-forgive/

Sermon Overview: There is a war going on. There is a spiritual fight for souls that is being fought. As Christians, we are squarely in the middle, caught between heaven and hell here on earth. But that's why this festival of St. Michael and All Angels is so important. It reminds us that Satan and his minions have been conquered – not with gold or silver, or moneybags or knapsacks, not with guns or tanks or even flaming swords. "[The angels] overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony." Satan has fallen. He has been struck down by a lamb on a stick – Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God on a cross. Dragons should easily defeat lambs, but not when the Lamb is the Son of God! The wounds of the Lamb mortally wounded the dragon. Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ (Revelation 12:10). Amen.He was a Christian apologist – a defender of the Christian faith through discourse and debate. He hadn't always been a strong proponent of Christ. But then he encountered a Christian who challenged his philosophies and encouraged him to the deeper calling of the higher religious authority of Jesus Christ. This became this young man's turning point.That interaction ignited a new passion within him. He dedicated his life to teaching and defending the Christian faith in the public square. He welcomed debates. He debated life issues and the sexual deviancy of the culture by always pointing to Jesus Christ – his morals, virtues, and salvation. For this debate, his voice was silenced. He met his death with a blow to the neck by his enemies.This was the life and death of Justin Martyr, an early Christian apologist, who was martyred for his faith by being beheaded in the second century AD.God's people have been murdered for their faith almost from the beginning. Abel was killed by his brother because of Cain's jealousy. The infant boys in Jerusalem were slaughtered by King Herod's soldiers because of their proximity to the Christ child. Stephen was stoned to death and became the first martyr of the Christian Church because he boldly and bluntly preached Jesus to Christ's enemies.It has been said that the blood of martyrs is the seed of the Christian Church. When Christians are persecuted, the Church propagates. When Christians suffer, the Church spreads. When Christians are imprisoned, the Church becomes impassioned. When Christians are martyred, the Church matures and multiplies. The blood of Christians is shed because we Christians are in a war.This is a war that has been raging since the beginning of time. It's a war that continues to this day. It's a war that will continue until Judgment Day. You feel the wounds. You bear the scars.The war began in heaven. St. John writes: "There was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down-- that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him" (Revelation 12:7-9).The Lord kicked Satan out of heaven. God called upon St. Michael and his fellow angels to be his enforcers. The devil became a trespasser on God's property, and the holy angels were the military force who made sure he left. Satan is pictured as a huge, red, seven-headed dragon, the ancient serpent from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1). The dragon and his angelic allies did not want to go quietly. It became necessary to boot them out by force. So, there was war in heaven, a titanic struggle between the hosts of heaven and the hosts of hell. Jesus witnessed their ultimate demise with his crucifixion and resurrection, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven" (Luke 10:18).The great news for us is that St. Michael and his angelic army are more powerful than Satan and his angelic allies. The bad news for us is that this spiritual war in the heavenly realms has been brought to earth. "He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. ...Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short" (Revelation 12:9, 12).There is an ongoing war in our society. It is a culture war for the hearts and minds – and souls – of our young people. We are in a war against those who want to destroy the Christian faith, those who are acting in allegiance with the Father of Lies.Satan is filled with furious rage against God. He knows he has a limited time before Judgment Day ends all his wicked activity forever. So, he is busy, attacking ferociously like a dragon. One goal of Satan is to silence Christians, Christian churches, and Christian pastors. How does he do this?You've probably been told that churches and pastors should not engage in discussing anything political. So, what does Satan do? Everything that used to be moral is now political. Everything that used to be spiritual is now social. Everything that used to be theological is now cultural. Transgenderism, gay marriage, abortion, justice, race, male and female relations, etc. Today, those are all political issues. But they are cultural issues, first. Before that, they are moral issues. And moral issues mean they are ultimately theological issues. Therefore, we need to speak to them to apply God's powerful and eternal Word to solving these issues.People – especially young people – are looking for answers. Specifically answers on social, cultural, and political issues. What happens if pastors and churches are not giving them the biblical answers to their cultural questions? They'll seek their answers elsewhere. From another church. From another pastor. From secular society – which is where Satan reigns as the Prince of this World.We – pastors, churches, people – need to be willing to discuss social, cultural, and even political issues. This is how we bring Jesus and his Word into the discussion. This is how we introduce and engage people with our Lord and Savior. We can tell them he is the One who lived perfectly in their place to exchange his righteousness for their unrighteous living with sexual sins, mistreatment of the opposite sex, having an abortion, and so on. We can tell them that Jesus rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is seated on his glorious throne ruling all things for the good of his people. He is in control amid injustice, racism, political upheaval, mass shootings, and assassinations. We preach that Christ is the glorious King of Kings who always defeats the lowly Prince of this World.Satan desires for Christians to be silent on cultural, moral, and political issues. Then the only ones talking are him and his minions. Christ desires for Christians to speak on cultural, moral, and political issues. Then we unleash the power of the Holy Spirit in the words that come from our mouths into the ears and hearts of those who are trapped by the lies of the Father of Lies.The so-called "Christian" culture of the past fifty years was a delusion of Satan to create a merely superficial, Sunday morning faith. That faith won't hold up in the Last Judgment, nor will it hold up in our modern culture. Christianity cannot be something we engage only on Sunday mornings. Our Christian faith must permeate everything we think, say, and do at home, work, school, athletic field, political rhetoric, etc. Christianity is not a club we belong to or a job we go to. Christ living in our hearts and reigning in our lives is our very core as Christians.Christians are often on the defensive in this cultural and spiritual war. Look at who we are going against! A dragon! A demonic horde! Enemies who want us canceled, imprisoned, and killed. Of course, we're afraid and on the defensive!Yet, what does Jesus promise? He says that the gates of hell cannot stand against his Church (Matthew 16:18). This is a clear statement of fact, a declaration of spiritual reality. It is a call for Christians to be confident in the clear Word of God, and to apply this Word in our lives even as we declare its truth to a culture that purposely ignores it. We often see that those who hate Christ are more outspoken than those who love Christ. We have fought this spiritual war poorly. We've been lackadaisical, indifferent, apathetic – even pathetic – in this war. We've laid down our weapons, silenced our mouths, and shut our Bibles.Fellow soldiers of the cross, we need to go on the offensive again. Not with the physical weapons of modern warfare, but with the ancient and time-tested weapons of the gospel. St. Paul gives us our marching orders: "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can stand against the schemes of the Devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. For this reason, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to take a stand on the evil day and, after you have done everything, to stand. Stand, then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness fastened in place, and with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace tied to your feet like sandals. At all times hold up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the Evil One. Also take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:10-17).Christians are called to speak up in the public square and on social media platforms about good and godly things. We received this directive from St. Paul: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if anything is excellent, and if anything is praiseworthy, think about these things. The things that you learned, received, heard, and saw in me: Keep doing these things" (Philippians 4:8,9). We think about these things to protect them – and speak about these things to project them.The Devil is the Ruler of this World (John 12:31). But we must go on the offensive to break Satan's stranglehold on our culture. Jesus wants to use his Word to bring freedom for those enslaved in sin, and hope for those deluded by temptation. It is not our goal to change the culture, but to preach Jesus Christ and him crucified into the culture.The devil hates order. That's why Satan attacks marriage, family, and life. He fosters confusion. That's why he makes people imagine there are dozens of genders. He loves chaos. That's why he creates violence in our cities. He champions death. That's why his sacrament is the murder of the unborn. The devil's goal is to hate, kill, and destroy.Speaking the truth in love is a form of spiritual warfare. All lies come from the Father of Lies. All truth comes from Jesus Christ who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). Preaching truth isn't about siding with a political party. It's about proclaiming God's design, God's justice, and God's grace into every area of life. When we do this boldly, but with love, the gospel shines brighter. We remind people that Christ is not only Savior of their souls, but also the Lord over all creation. Satan wants silence, but Jesus commands proclamation. That means speaking truth, with grace, into every sphere – personal, cultural, and yes, even political, so that hearts are transformed and God is glorified.We have been equipped and sent by the Lord. We don't rejoice that we can trample on snakes or scorpions. We rejoice that Christ has already won the eternal victory. He saw Satan fall like lightening from the sky. He has granted us his victory by writing our names in the Book of Life through our Baptism and conversion.Now, as his baptized and equipped soldiers, we don't wait. We don't sit still. We don't remain silent. We fight. Not with fists, but on our knees. We pray for Jesus' kingdom to come and Satan's kingdom to be defeated. We pray for God's will to be done and Satan's will to be broken. We pray for God to deliver us from the Evil One. Demonic shrieks, screams, and shouts cannot drown out our prayers. "The Lord is far away from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous" (Proverbs 15:29).God has promised that St. Michael and his angelic army are fighting for us in the spiritual realms. All the plans of the Evil One will ultimately fail. We may be canceled, but more importantly, Christ has canceled our sins. We may be imprisoned, but more importantly, we have found freedom in Christ's forgiveness. We may be martyred, but more importantly, we will have gained our ultimate victory of being with Christ Jesus. The Word of Christ still drives out demons, and his Church will prevail against the gates of hell. The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Christian Church. Amen.They conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony (Revelation 12:11). Amen.View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/heavens-war-brought-to-earth/

Sermon Overview: There are more than 2,300 Bible passages that speak about money. Why? Money is a master Satan frequently tempts us to serve. In fact, out of all the masters competing for our service besides God, money is probably at the top of the list. Money provides us with a false comfort and sense of security. Money serves as a source of pride. This week, Jesus' sharp words identify the impossibility of serving more than one master. More, Jesus teaches that if we dedicate our lives in service to money, money will always let us down. In contrast, God has proven that he is a master worth serving. When we serve God, money is put in its proper place. Instead of it being a master to serve, it becomes a tool in our service of our true Master.But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we certainly cannot take anything out (1 Timothy 6:6-7). Amen.You've been dreading this day. Your dad passed away a decade ago. Last week you moved your mom and a few of her things into assisted living. Now you have to go into your parents' house to clean it out and get it ready for sale. Your parents raised you and your siblings in that house. They've owned it for the past fifty years. ... And there's fifty years of accumulated stuff in that house.Your dad's clothes are still there. It was difficult for your mom to go through them. Your high school athletic trophies, your sister's Barbie's and Cabbage Patch dolls, and your brother's grade school artwork are all there. The kitchen cupboards are full of Tupperware. The bathroom cabinet still has Avon bottles. The living room shelves have Hummel figurines collecting dust. The garage is filled with old tools, jars of nails and screws, and half-finished projects.You know what I'm talking about. Your parents' houses are filled because they never threw anything away. Their generation horded because they lived through depressions and recessions.You know what I'm talking about. Your house is filled because you keep buying stuff on Amazon or at Wal-Mart or Menards'. Your house is full. Your garage is full. You may even have a storage shed that's full. Our generation throws things away so we can buy more things. Our generation is hoarders, too.We all hoard to one extent or another. We are guilty of taking something beneficial and twisting it into something that wastes time, consumes our focus, or crowds out what is godly. We may hoard our favorite hobby, our kids' athletic schedules, our binge-watching of videos, or the constant scrolling on our phone. We can hoard money, food, clothing, entertainment, activities, family time, work time, and so on.King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 5 warns that anything in the world – even the good and godly gifts of God – can become temptations to hoard. This hoarding will harm us. The hoarding can harm us physically when the piles fall and crush us. More likely, the hoarding will harm us spiritually because these piles of stuff create a barrier between us and the God who gives us all the stuff.Solomon writes, "Anyone who loves money is never satisfied with money, and anyone who loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is vanishing vapor" (Ecclesiastes 5:10). The homeless person desires a better shopping cart or park bench. We desire a bigger raise, a better neighborhood, or a newer truck. If we live according to what our sinful flesh wants, whatever we have will never be enough. No amount of money can satisfy a person's deepest longings. We will just keep hoarding."When goods increase, so do those who eat them. What profit, then, does the owner get, except to see these things with his eyes" (Ecclesiastes 5:11)? Maybe you have a house, garage, yard, and shed – all filled with stuff collecting dust. Does hoarding all that stuff make you happier? We can only use so much. Everything else sits there for us to look at."The worker's sleep is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but a rich person's abundant possessions allow him no sleep" (Ecclesiastes 5:12). The homeless person will worry about losing his tent to the police. The middle-class person will worry about losing his RV to the Wyoming winds. The wealthy person will worry about losing his yacht to the economy. Wealth causes us to worry."I have seen a sickening evil under the sun―wealth hoarded by its owner to his own harm, or wealth that is lost in a bad investment. Or a man fathers a son, but he has nothing left in his hand to give him" (Ecclesiastes 5:13-14). We can hoard wealth in bank accounts, the stock market, and 401Ks, so we are able to retire comfortably and leave an inheritance to our family. But Solomon reminds us that our futures and fortunes can be lost through a moment of misfortune – a long illness, a stock market crash, a natural disaster, an expensive nursing home – and the nest egg is wiped out. We are left with as little at the end of our life that we had at the beginning of our life. "As he came out from his mother's womb, so he will go again, naked as he came" (Ecclesiastes 5:15).Solomon ends with this dark expectation. "Just as he came, so he will go. So what does he gain, he who works for the wind? Besides this, during all his days he eats in darkness, with great frustration, sickness, and anger" (Ecclesiastes 5:16-17). If we are attempting to find safety, security, and satisfaction in our wealth, or peace and contentment in our possessions, or happiness and joy in our stuff, it's all futile. It's like trying to catch the wind.Jesus does not abandon us to our sinful hoarding impulses. Instead, he pursues us, calls us to repentance, and embraces us with his gospel. Jesus understands how much we are tempted to hoard all of God's blessings and turn them into curses. That's why there are over 2300 Bible verses that speak about money. Money is a master that Satan wants us to serve. Jesus knows this. That's why he told the parable about the rich man and the wicked manager. Jesus summarizes the parable saying, "No servant can serve two masters. Indeed, either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon" (Luke 16:13).We need to repent of our hoarding. We want to replace the hoarding with hard work. Hard work is good and godly. But we can hijack and hoard hard work, just like anything else. So, before we can focus on our hard work, we must first appreciate and accept Jesus' hard work.Jesus Christ did the hard work of leaving his throne room in heaven to be born in a manger. He did the hard work of being baptized for our sins and going into the desert to defeat the devil's temptations. He did the hard work of refusing to hoard anything, but instead lived without house, garage, or shed. He had to borrow places to sleep, a donkey to ride, and even a grave to lay in. He did the hard work of suffering for humanity's sins, being forsaken by his Father, and giving up his life as a ransom for many. He even did the hard work of rising from the dead on the third day.Jesus found great joy in all that hard work. His reward is seeing us believe in him as Savior so he can transfer that hard work to us. He found great joy and reward in redeeming our body and soul for the life to come.We also rightly believe – but perhaps forget to emphasize – that Jesus redeems our body and soul for this life here and now. Jesus loved God above all things so you can love God above all things. Jesus loved his neighbor so you can love your neighbor. In everything Jesus ever did he glorified God. It is through faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit gives you the occasion, motivation, and sanctification so "whether you eat or drink, or do anything else, you do everything to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).The only way St. Paul's words to Pastor Timothy make any sense is if you have faith in Jesus redeeming your body and soul, work and possessions. "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we certainly cannot take anything out. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be satisfied" (1 Timothy 6:6-8). Jesus being present with you provides joy in your home, satisfaction with your work, and fulfillment with your education. You are content whether you are blessed with a lot or a little.We find satisfaction first in Jesus' hard work in saving us. That is our motivation to do any hard work in his name. We talked about this today in Bible class. It is the doctrine of vocation.There is a difference between a job and a vocation. A job is something you go to, do, get paid for, and leave. A vocation is something you do first for God, then family, and then neighbor. It is putting your faith into practice. You may or may not get paid for it. The reimbursement is not important. Your motivation is what's important. A vocation is something you do ... and you can't help doing it.You find satisfaction in your vocation as you do the work God has given you to do. You are glad to do it – and you don't need a lot of money as payment for continuing to do it. The reward is not in all the stuff you get from your job. The reward is serving God in whatever you choose to do within your vocation.Instead of hoarding, Solomon encourages us to hard work. "So then, here is what I have seen to be good: It is beautiful to eat, to drink, and to look for good in all a person's hard work which he has done under the sun, during the few days of his life that God has given him, for that is his reward. Likewise, for everyone to whom God has given wealth and riches, if God has also given him ability to eat from it, to enjoy his reward, and to rejoice in the results of his hard work―this is a gift of God, for the man seldom reflects on the days of his life, since God keeps him busy with the joy in his heart" (Ecclesiastes 5:18-20).You find reward as you realize all your hard work, callouses, sore muscles, and exhausted mind, are gifts of God for a job well done. You can end each day with reflection and prayer – on your own, with your spouse, with your family – thanking God that he kept you busy with Christ's joy in your heart.The parents find joy in the struggles with their children to sit still and stay quiet during church because they are teaching their children the way they should go so they do not depart from their Christian faith.The wife finds satisfaction in being a stay-at-home mom – even though it will be difficult living on one income – because she knows no one will love, care for, and nurture her children better than her.The husband finds contentment passing on a promotion, so he has evenings free with his wife and weekends free to take his kids fishing.The members find fulfillment with their offerings, their efforts, and the tithes in their wills for the ministry of their church because they have just prayed in the Prayer of the Day, "Move our hearts to seek you and your kingdom, that all good things may be given to us as well."The couple finds reward in having an elderly parent move in with them because they know no one will love, care for, and nurture their parent better than them.The elderly lady finds peace that though she has lost her independence, she is allowing her children or her care workers to show their love for her and glorify God in all they do for her.The Christian apologist finds satisfaction in going into the lions' dean of college campuses to challenge the demonic doctrines of the day.Without faith in Jesus, our lives are like vapor. With faith in Jesus, our lives find value. Without the focus on God's Kingdom, our work is just hard. With the focus on glorifying God in all we do, our hard work is a reward. Without Christian love motivating everything we do, we are just busy. But when we emphasize loving God and loving our neighbor above all things, we find joy in our busyness.Because Jesus worked hard for us, now we work hard for him. Our life is not in what we can hoard. Our life – both this life and the next life – is in Christ and what he's given us to do with the hard work within our vocations. Amen.Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and willing to share. In this way they are storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life (1 Timothy 6:18-19). Amen. View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/hard-work-or-hoarding/

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his own blood and made us a kingdom and priests to God his Father—to him be the glory and the power forever (Revelation 1:5–7). Amen.A few weeks back, a Kentucky nurse rescued the life of a baby raccoon by performing CPR on it. Misty Combs, a 21-year nursing veteran was at work at her health center, which is located next to the Kentucky Mist Moonshine distillery. Combs and her coworkers noticed a panicked raccoon darting through the parking lot. Then, they heard a commotion from a nearby dumpster. Combs realized the mother raccoon was frantic to find her babies which were lost in the dumpster next to the distillery.The two baby raccoons had gotten stuck in the dumpster. Combs grabbed a shovel and scooped out the first raccoon, who ran to be with its mom. The second raccoon, however, was face down in the bottom of the dumpster, which was filled with water and peaches soaked in moonshine.The raccoon was drunk as a skunk ... or maybe it was a tipsy trash panda.She grabbed the raccoon by the tail and pulled him to safety. But she realized that he had drowned in the moonshine. So, she began performing CPR on the little guy. After a while, the raccoon was revived and later returned to its mother.How far would you go to save a baby raccoon? Would you perform CPR on it? How far would you travel to find a lost sheep? How long would you look to find a lost coin? Would you be able to welcome back a wife who had become a prostitute, like God was calling the prophet Hosea to do with his harlot wife? Would you be able to welcome back into your church a young man who had repented of an incestuous relationship with his stepmother, like St. Paul was encouraging the Corinthian congregation to do?Or, with the events of this week, how far would you go in forgiving someone who celebrated the assassination of another citizen?How far would you go in looking for the lost? And then rejoicing when they are found?Today we see how far Jesus goes in looking for us when we become lost. We also discover how much rejoicing God and his angels do in heaven when we are found.Most of us, at one time or another, have felt wasted like the raccoon, or gotten into trouble like a dumb sheep, or disordered our lives and the lives of others because of our sexual choices, or said and done extremely cruel things on social media or in person. As a result, we have felt unloved, unwanted, unappreciated. Alone, apart, abandoned. We're pretty sure that if we became lost, nobody would notice.If that's the way you've felt or feel, I've got some good news for you. God notices and God most definitely cares. So that you will never be alone, so that you will never be completely unappreciated, so that you might be forgiven and saved – Jesus comes and searches for you. Some people might not like us all that much, but Jesus loves us that much!God searches for every lost sheep, every lost coin, every lost soul. He never resigns himself to accepting the loss and moving on. He never thinks 9 out of 10 or 99 out of 100 is good enough. He doesn't believe in "acceptable losses." There is no price too high for Jesus to pay to save us from our brokenness. There is no suffering too painful that Jesus won't endure to restore us through his forgiveness. There is no length of time too great that Jesus won't wait for us to be found.There were some in Jesus' day who recognized this and came "flocking" to him. The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to Jesus and he was delighted. These were the outcasts, the downcast, the dregs of society. Yet, Jesus would accept them just as they were, without one plea. He would look at such people and see that they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36). He had come to help them. Not by approving of their sin, but by taking it away. Not by ignoring that they were trapped by their addictive behavior, but by setting them free from their bondage to sin. Not by confirming their alternate lifestyle, but by giving them a new life to live. A life of hope. A life of faith. A life of being different than they once were. All by being their Good Shepherd.But many of the religious leaders in Jesus' day did not understand this kind of grace. Sadly, many Christians in our day do not truly understand the grace of their Good Shepherd. They look down their noses at the unwed mother, think poorly of the divorced dad, are afraid of the convict, disown the addicted son, or abandon the child trapped by sexual sins. These Christians behave like the hypocrites so many in society believe we are.These hypocritical Christians want a God who acts more like they act! They want a God who is always watching and waiting, with judgment on his lips and lightning bolts in hands. A God who is willing to promote those who appear righteous and who is ready to punish the imperfect.Does that describe how you feel at times? A little self-righteous? And a lot hypocritical?But that's not the kind of God Jesus describes, is it? This is a God who is like a man scrambling around in the arid Judean wilderness, desperately searching for one lost sheep. This is a God who is like a pitiful woman on her hands and knees, scraping the dirt floor of her home, grubbing around for a coin worth a day's wage. Isn't that beneath God? Isn't God acting rather desperately, irrationally, shamefully?That's why the scribes and Pharisees criticized Jesus when they saw him acting like that – "welcoming sinners and eating with them" (Luke 15:2). They must have been thinking, "He may claim to be God or a prophet from God, but if he really was, he wouldn't be associating with tax collectors and prostitutes!" That's like the President joining the grass cutting crew in front of the White House, with cargo shorts and black socks with his sneakers! Or like the Pope sweeping St. Peter's Square after Easter services. It's just not done. Oh, maybe for a "photo op," but not really. That's beneath them. Associating with lost souls is beneath God and his holiness, too, isn't it?Well, apparently not! For God came into our world literally on his hands and knees, as a baby, crawling to find you. He came to love the children of Israel who kept committing idolatry and adultery with foreign gods. They were prostituting themselves, just like Hosea's wife. Yet, God welcomed them back as a husband welcomes back his unfaithful wife (Hosea 3:1-5). He came for those "overwhelmed by excessive sorrow," like the repentant Corinthian church member who had been in an incestuous relationship with his stepmother (2 Corinthians 5:7). He came for the chief of sinners and shed his blood for me" (CW: 385).We need Jesus to come looking for us. For we are dying – dying of hostility as much we are of cancer. We are dying of despair as much as by disease. We are dying of the stubborn, self-righteous pride that threatens us as much as any murderer's bullets or terrorist's bombs.Think about who we really are. We are worse – far worse – than a coin that becomes lost through no fault of its own. We are ones who have left our Savior willingly, following the sinful desires of our hearts and delighting in our sin. We are worse, far worse than a dumb sheep who has wandered off, seductively lured away by the promise of a greener pasture. We are ones who have deliberately turned our back on the Good Shepherd; trespassing where we know we should not go; transgressing to do what we know we should not do; gossiping to speak what we know we should not speak; craving to desire what we know we should not desire. We are the worst of sinners – the chief of sinners.God sees us worshiping false gods of money and success. He sees us bowing down to golden calves fashioned out of premarital sex and alcoholic binges. He sees us glorifying the idols of Sunday sporting events and kids' athletics. He sees all this and he has every right to say, "Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them" (Exodus 32:10).We could not blame God for being angry with us. Angry at us ungrateful, sin-worshiping people. Angry sitting on his heavenly throne with judgment on his lips and lightning bolts in hands. And yet where is our God? He is here, calling us back to himself. He is here, in his Word and Sacraments, surrounded by sinners. Sinners in the community, sinners in the pews, and the sinner in this pulpit. He is not here in judgment, but with mercy on his lips. He is not here with lightning bolts, but blood on his hands. Not here with anger, but with grace.God invites you to come near to him each worship service, so he may draw near to you. He washes you in his baptismal water of new life. He feeds and strengthens you with his body and blood on the Lord's altar. He restores you with his forgiveness, binds up your wounds, and heals you with his words of absolution. Like God did for King David, he does for you. He hides his face from your sins and blots out your iniquity (Psalm 51:9). He finds you, holds you, and blesses you with his nail-scarred hands.There is nothing that your Shepherd would rather be doing, and no place he'd rather be, than here for you. Not because you're good, but because he is good. Not because you're lovable, but because he is love.It is a mercy – undeserved love – that we beg for, crave, and sing about. In our confession we pray, "Merciful Father in heaven ...". In our communion liturgy we sing, "Lamb of God, have mercy on us." In our psalm we chant, "Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned." For without God's mercy, we are nothing. Without his mercy, we will be destroyed. "Lord, have mercy" is the prayer of the lost, repentant sinner; a prayer of the found who is grateful to God for looking for him or her.There are some things we would like to hear, but we probably never will. From our car mechanic we'd like to hear him say, "The quote I gave you is way too high; I was able to do the job for $200 less than I thought." From a policeman we'd like to hear, "You know, I'll bet my radar gun is probably off. I don't think you were speeding after all." From the store clerk we'd like to hear, "Don't worry about the ‘next lane, please' sign. I'll take my break right after I finish ringing up your purchase."Nope, no matter how much we wish for it, we probably won't ever hear anybody say those things.In contrast to the things people will never say to us, God continues to surprise us with the wonderful things he tells us. When you feel unloved, God tells you he cares. When you feel alone, he reminds you he is by your side. When you are feeling too weak to go on, he gives you strength. When you are blind, he makes you see. When you are reminded of your sinfulness, he assures you he has made you into his saint. He tells us we are found and forgiven, found and free to serve, found and empowered to tell others of Jesus who says what we need to hear.We may find it difficult to perform CPR on a drunk raccoon. Or hiking great distances for a lost pet. Or deep cleaning the house to find a missing coin. Or forgiving a cheating spouse. Or being friends with someone in an icky incestuous relationship. Or demonstrating love to those trapped by the evil of the devil. But our God does all of that for us. He finds and forgives us. He throws a party with his heavenly angels when we are found. ... And now he wants you to go out looking for the lost. Inviting them into your church. Sitting down to have a meal with them. Throwing a party in their honor. You are following the example of your Savior and Shepherd. You are looking for the lost. Amen.May the LORD our God be with us, just as he was with our fathers. May he never leave us or abandon us. May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways (1 Kings 8:57-58). Amen.View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/looking-for-the-lost/

Sermon Overview: This week Jesus' sharp words expose our desire to pursue comfort and avoid pain at all costs. Jesus explains that following him will be hard. Jesus' disciples will be called to let go of things they love and embrace things we naturally loathe. Jesus promises that discipleship comes with crosses—a unique type of pain. So, Jesus tells us that we must count the cost of following him. He wants us to do that now, ahead of time, rather than waiting until we are in the heat of the moment and emotions are running high. However, our calculations must not only consider what we might give up for Jesus. They also entail calculating what we get through him! When we perceive the infinite blessings we find in Christ, the decisions we just make, while difficult, will be clear. Whatever is lost as we follow Jesus pales in comparison to what we gain. Love the Lord your God, walk in his ways, and keep his commandments, his statutes, and his ordinances. (Deuteronomy 30:16) Amen.George Armstrong Custer had not lost a battle he had fought in during the American Civil War or in the American Indian Wars. Until … the Battle of the Little Bighorn. There Custer met a combined force of Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes led by Crazy Horse and Chief Gall.The U.S. 7th Calvary, a force of 700 men went up against a force of between 1500 to 2500 Indian warriors. Even though they were outnumbered more than 2 to 1, the Army troops had guns and bullets versus the arrows and spears of the Indians.Custer made several mistakes that led to his only and lasting defeat. He didn't send advanced scouts because he was afraid of giving away his position. Without proper reconnaissance, Custer didn't know the exact size or location of the Indian village or the number of Indian warriors. (I don't know if you've ever noticed this, but the West can have some pretty wide-open spaces.)Custer could go for days without food or sleep. His soldiers and their horses could not. Custer had force-marched his troops through the mountains to reach the village quickly. His men and horses were exhausted and not in peak fighting condition for battle.Perhaps the biggest mistake Custer made was dividing his 700 men into three battalions. He sent Major Marcus Reno to attack the southern end of the village with three companies of 140 men. Custer sent Captain Frederick Benteen to scout and prevent the escape of the Indians to the south with three companies of 125 men. Custer led five companies with 210 men.At the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Lt. Col. Custer was killed, along with 268 soldiers, with another 55 severely wounded.At the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Lt. Col. Custer lost his life and the lives of so many soldiers because he did not count the cost – the cost of sending out scouts, of taking a day to rest, and especially keeping his forces together.Today Jesus tells you to count the cost of following him. He says, "For which of you, if he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, everyone who sees it will begin to ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build, but was not able to finish.' Or what king, as he goes out to confront another king in war, will not first sit down and consider if he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if he is not able, he sends out a delegation and asks for terms of peace while his opponent is still far away" (Luke 14:28-32). Jesus gives two rhetorical parables about counting the cost of following him. Who builds a tower without making sure he has enough money to finish the project? What king goes to war without calculating whether his force can defeat the opposing king's forces? Jesus summarizes his point in these parables saying, "So then, any one of you who does not say farewell to all his own possessions cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:33).Either you are willing to give it all up for Jesus – family, friends, possessions, freedom, even life – or you cannot be his disciple.Jesus gives us a good reminder that following him comes at a cost. Having a close relationship with Jesus will cost us time, money, promotions, family, freedom, and much more. It could cost a relationship with a future spouse because you disagree on Jesus, his Word, and his Sacraments. It could cost you a relationship with your child when you called him to repentance for moving in with his girlfriend. It could cost you a relationship with your daughter when you remind her of the importance of baptizing your grandbabies. It could cost you a relationship with your extended family because you won't celebrate your niece's abortion, but instead counseled her to give the baby up for adoption. It could cost you a relationship with your parents when you try to honor them by telling them it's time to move into an assisted living place, but they think you're being disrespectful because they're stubborn and ornery.It could cost you your job when you refuse to put your preferred pronouns in your email signature. It could cost you your education because you refuse to keep your hand down and mouth shut when your college professor spouts Woke nonsense. It could cost you friendships because your Christian beliefs influence your political beliefs, and you aren't shy about sharing either one.Jesus tells us that we must count the cost of losing relationships with those we love so we make sure to hold onto the relationship with the God who loves us more. "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26-27).When Jesus says to "hate" your family members, the Greek word doesn't carry the emotion of our English word "hate." A close parallel would be "renounce." We must be willing to renounce any relationships that might interfere with our relationship with Jesus.But that's hard, isn't it? We don't like hard. We prefer easy, manageable, and convenient. We'll hike as long as it's fairly flat. We'll bike, as long as it's not with Pastor Zarling. We'll travel some distance for God, but not as far as Abram did in the Old Testament. We'll carry a cross for Jesus, as long as it doesn't hurt too badly. We'll work together in the church, until someone disagrees with our ideas. We'll worship, as long as the service is under an hour. We'll support the ministry of the church, as long as we have enough for our personal expenses and entertainment. We like the pastor's sermons to be relevant, as long they don't hit too close to home. We are committed to God, as long as it all fits into our packed schedule.We've counted the cost, haven't we? If following Jesus doesn't cost too much money, too much effort, too much time, too much commitment, or too many relationships, then we're fine. But it gets iffy when following Jesus costs too much.We like our Christianity to be easy, manageable, and convenient. We are content with a Christianity with no accountability or requirements. We like our Christianity to be confined to one day a week. We like Christianity that allows us to keep quiet in our culture, keep our head down at work and school, and keep looking the other way as our society promotes the doctrine of demons with so-called "gender-affirming" surgeries, critical theory, and abortion on demand.None of that is true Christianity, though. None of that is what Jesus wants from us.Jesus wants us to put our faith into practice. Like the Lord challenging the Israelites to calculate between life and death. Like St. Paul encouraging his friend, Philemon, to give up the cost of a slave and accept Onesimus as a free man and a brother in Christ. Like Jesus' disciples who had left their boats, their businesses, and their families to follow Jesus. Like two thousand years of martyrs who gave up their lives for Jesus. Like the countless believers through the millennia who were exiled from their community, family, and freedom because they loved Jesus more than their possessions. All because they desired to be Jesus' followers.If you've ever gone hiking with someone more experienced, you will hear them say, "It isn't very far." "It's not too steep." "It's just over the next incline." You realize quickly your "friend" is either lying to you or doesn't know what he's talking about. Jesus is truthful. He's open and honest. He knows what he's talking about when he relates the kind of pain that will accompany following him. Jesus told his disciples of all ages and eras that they are going to suffer in his name. He used the expression, "carry his cross." This cross-carrying entails humiliation, extreme pain, and death. It also implies being treated as a criminal.Why would Jesus' disciples ever want to do that? It's because Jesus has made us disciples into different people. We were once on the road to hell, but now we have the sure promise of eternal life in heaven. We used to live in guilt, but now we live in forgiveness. Being a disciple of Jesus is worth all the suffering. There is glory that will be revealed in us.We are afraid. We are quiet. We want it easy. Let's just admit it … we cannot be the kind of disciples Jesus desires.Except what Jesus desires he also does. Jesus desires us to be his cross-carrying disciples so he makes us his cross-carrying disciples. Not by us volunteering for a cross. But by Jesus placing a cross on our backs. Jesus creates faithful disciples. He changes us into committed Christians.Jesus is speaking to the crowds as he is headed to the cross in Jerusalem. Already from eternity, the Son of God counted the cost. He ran the numbers in collaboration with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He is willing to have his own Father forsake him on the cross. He lays the foundation for the Christian Church upon his death and resurrection. He is the King of Kings who goes into battle against the Prince of this world. It is a battle of the Lion of Judah against the seven-headed red dragon. Jesus is alone – not against 10,000 or 20,000 soldiers, but against a mighty demonic horde from the depths of hell.While the crowds were coming to Jesus to bug him for miracles and divine favors, Jesus wins God's divine favor with the miracle of the Lord of life dying a very human death. While Jesus knows you and I will bug him to make our earthly lives a little more convenient and a lot less stressful, Jesus gives up his life to grant us heavenly lives that will be eternally easy and without stress. Jesus knows how hard it is to renounce our family, friends, or freedom. Yet Jesus renounced it all – family, friends, freedom, glory, power, and his own life. He did this to save humanity. To save you. Jesus counted the cost of your salvation and considered you worth the price of his divine blood.Jesus concludes with, "Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its flavor, how will it become salty again? It is not fit for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away" (Luke 14:34). The American Indians in this area of Wyoming used to get salt form the white alkali on the rims and floors of lakes in the vicinity of Independence Rock. The Indians did not use the salt for preserving meat. Instead, they relied on smoking or drying the meat to make jerky. The Indians would instead use salt for purification rituals, healing, seasoning their food, and for trading. Whether it was in Jesus' time or the time of the American Indians in Central Wyoming, or today, if salt loses its saltiness, then it's useless.With his reference to salt, Jesus is teaching us to persevere and preserve in our faith. If our faith loses its faithfulness, what good is it? If our Christianity is without a cost, how useful is it? If you're looking for easy, Jesus says not to bother following him. Either give it all up or you give up being his disciple. You're either in or you're out. You're either a salty, cross-carrying disciple following Jesus or you're an unsalty, couch potato headed for the manure pile. Our faith functions like salt. It preserves us from corruption and decay. Then we can face each day with fresh confidence.Jesus counted the cost of your salvation and considered you worth the price of his divine life. Now it's on you. Count the cost of faithfully following Jesus. You may lose your relationship with your family, but you retain your relationship with your Savior. You may lose your income or your freedom, but you gain the treasures of heaven and the freedom of forgiveness. You may lose your life, but you have been granted eternal life with Jesus. In these ways, you count the cost and realize you have won everything even as you have lost everything. Amen.Choose life so that you and your descendants may live by loving the Lord your God, by listening to his voice, and by clinging to him. (Deuteronomy 30:19, 20) Amen.View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/count-the-cost/

Sermon Overview: Everyone knows that humility is a positive trait and pride is a negative one. So, why bother talking about what we already know? Because in spite of that knowledge, we still helplessly fall into the trap of pride. We all desire acclaim, recognition, and praise. Jesus' sharp words this week teach us that seeking exaltation in futile and fleeing ways will only result in receiving the opposite. Those who attempt to exalt themselves will eventually be humbled by God. In contrast, Jesus promises that those who leave their exaltation to God will receive honor and glory far greater than any that can be awarded in this life. Our exaltation does not need to be our responsibility, because Jesus has already made it his.You set a table for me in the presence of my foes. You drench my head with oil. My cup is overflowing. Surely goodness and mercy will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:5-6). Amen.We all have our favorite seats – midfield for sporting events; the middle of the movie theater; front row for our grandchild's graduation; aisle seats for our cousin's wedding; near the stage for a concert; front seats for a roller coaster. We even have our favorite seats in church.No church has assigned seating. I'm still new, so I'm not sure where all of you like to sit – if you have your favorite seats every Sunday or if you prefer to move around from week to week.In my previous congregation, Janice had her favorite seat in church. It was on the left side, the back pew. Janice had a hard time hearing, so it always seemed strange that she sat as far away from the pulpit and speaker as possible. Her children explained the reasoning for that seating choice. Her husband, Lyle, had hurt his back as a Racine firefighter. He liked that particular back pew because it's a little shorter lengthwise than the other pews. That way, if his back started to bother him, he could stretch out his legs into the aisle. And if his back felt really bad, he could walk out of church without disturbing many of the worshipers.But Lyle and Janice weren't the only ones who preferred that pew. We had another family who liked the back pew, also. This was before my time at the church, but the story was recounted to me by the children. Bob was the first service head usher. He liked that pew so he could count worshipers and get up easily for ushering duties. So, one Sunday, Bob and Bev were sitting in the back pew. So, the next Sunday, Lyle and Janice would arrive a few minutes earlier to get the back pew. Then, the next Sunday, Bob and Bev would arrive a few minutes earlier to get the back pew.Their children came to learn that there was a price to pay for that seat in church. The price was arriving 30 minutes early for worship. Every Sunday. They were vying for the best seat.St. Luke tells that one Sabbath Jesus was invited to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee (Luke 14:1). That sounds nice. Polite. Kind. But then we read, "Jesus was being carefully watched." His enemies had arranged this banquet and attempted to orchestrate this situation hoping that Jesus would say or do something they could pounce on and shout, "See! He's not the Messiah!" Interestingly, while they were watching him, Jesus was observing them.Jesus noticed how the Pharisees – the religious leaders among the Jews – scrambled for the best seats at the banquet. I don't know if they were arriving 30 minutes early, but these guests were playing a game of choosing chairs of honor for themselves. Jesus stopped the game of musical chairs to teach them a lesson that not only applied to dinner parties, but also to the kingdom of God.St. Luke writes, "When [Jesus] noticed how they were selecting the places of honor, he told the invited guests a parable. 'When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline in the place of honor, or perhaps someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him. The one who invited both of you may come and tell you, 'Give this man your place.' Then you will begin, with shame, to take the lowest place'" (Luke 14:7-9).Jesus isn't only speaking to the Pharisees in the seats of his time. He's also speaking to us in these seats in our time. We must admit that we aren't all that different from those glory-seeking seat-grabbers. We like to choose seats of honor at a party, brag about our accomplishments, and show favoritism to the popular and wealthy.All three Scripture readings today speak about humility. That's good, because humility is a hard concept for us to grasp in our culture. Politicians try to get you to vote for them by puffing up their accomplishments and downgrading their opponent. Parents yell from the sideline for their child to be the star on the athletic team. We push for a promotion by putting ourselves up on a pedestal for all to see.We want praise. We crave recognition. We desire people to tell us how good we are. We puff ourselves up with pride. But pride can quickly turn into false security, making us feel invincible. We start to believe our own press releases, which puffs us up even more. But then we are shamed when someone comes along to move us to a lower place. We get knocked off our pedestal when we don't get the promotion … or worse, we're let go. Our child isn't the star; he doesn't even get off the bench. Our preferred politician is proven to be a liar, or our political stance is an abject failure. We're denied, dishonored, and deflated. We are shamed as someone else is given our seat at the table.Jesus continues with his parable, "But when you are invited, go and recline in the lowest place, so that when the one who invited you comes, he will tell you, 'Friend, move up to a higher place.' Then you will have honor in the presence of all who are reclining at the table with you. Yes, everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 14:10-11). Jesus is placing into his parable the wisdom of Solomon in our Old Testament lesson, "Do not honor yourself in a kings presence. Do not stand in a place reserved for great people, because it is better to be told, 'Come up here,' than for you to be humiliated before a ruler whom your eyes have seen" (Proverbs 25:6-7a).Mary, in her Magnificat, says of God, "He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones. He has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, but the rich he has sent away empty" (Luke 1:51-53). Both James and Peter, in their epistles, quote the same verse from Proverbs when they write: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).Jesus' parable can apply to proper etiquette at dinner parties or neighborhood barbecues or in the workplace environment or the athletic field or lots of other places in real life. But Jesus' real point is teaching us a principle that will hold true in the kingdom of God.There is a temptation to think God should be impressed by the things we've done. That he'll look at our worship attendance record, or our offering totals, or how well our kids have turned out. And while we may try to boast about what we've done for the Lord, we need to remember that it is the Lord who sets the standard. We may do some very good things, yet none of them achieve perfection. St. James reminds us, "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it" (James 2:10). James teaches that our favoritism is the same as murder. Robbing others of the glory they deserve is the same as theft. Building ourselves up while putting others down is the same as gossip and slander.When we compare our deeds with God's desire for perfection, we can only hang our heads in shame. It's impossible for us to attain God's standard of perfection. Jesus promises, "Those who exalt themselves will be humbled" (Luke 14:11). Better to humble yourself than to have Jesus humble you. Get down on your knees in repentance, so Jesus may lift you up with his forgiveness. Stand with your head bowed in shame so Jesus may lift your head to see the glories of heaven. Admit that you are a sinful wretch so that Jesus may call you his blood-bought saint. Instead of running to the best seat, allow Jesus to invite you to his seat of honor.Jesus teaches, "When you make a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed" (Luke 14:13-14). We are the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind – the sinners. And yet, King Jesus puts his own words into action as he invites people like us to his wedding banquet.And so, we come into Christ's kingdom, not with braggadocio saying, "Hey, look at me!" Rather, we approach God's presence in lowliness, with repentance, in confession, and with humility, begging, "Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner."We don't come into God's kingdom exalting ourselves. Rather, we exalt Jesus. Jesus put his own words into practice by humbling himself. He had the best seat in the house – in God's house. Jesus sat at God the Father's right hand in the heavenly realms. Jesus gave up that seat upon his golden throne so he could lay first in his mother Mary's womb, then lay in a feeding trough. As the Son of a carpenter, Jesus may have learned how to make chairs and benches for people. But Jesus himself owned no home, table, or chairs of his own.Jesus humbled himself as he sat upon the Roman cross for six hours. Then his corpse sat upon the cool stone of Joseph of Arimathea's tomb for three days. But Jesus did not stay dead! He rose from the grave and forty days later he ascended to heaven. Now he is once again seated in the best seat upon his golden throne at God's right hand.We are not to come, finding the best seat for ourselves. Jesus comes to find us. He then seats us at the best seat at the wedding feast of the Lamb in the kingdom of God.The four people I mentioned earlier who were vying for the best seat in church, aren't vying for that seat anymore. That's because they are all sainted and in heaven. Bob and Bev, Lyle and Janice, are all enjoying different seats. They are seated around the throne of the Lamb in heaven. St. John saw a great multitude around the throne of the Lamb in his vision of heaven, "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:9).Bob and Bev, Lyle and Janice, were all very humble people. By faith and with humility, they gladly accepted the best seats at Jesus' wedding banquet. These are seats that Jesus offers to each of you. He invites you to the best seats in his house. When you come to him with humility – confessing your sin, admitting your guilt, acknowledging your hurts, and disclosing your messes – then Jesus forgives your sin, removes your guilt, absolves your hurts, and forgets about your messes.Jesus offers you these best seats. They are free to you. But they came at a great price. Jesus paid for these seats with his holy precious blood, and with his innocent suffering and death. He has slammed shut the gates of hell and opened wide the gates of heaven so his saints who believe in the Master of the Banquet can sit in his seats.With this parable, Jesus is not teaching us about manners, but God's mercy. As James writes, "Mercy triumphs over judgment" (James 2:13). God's mercy allows us to sit – not where we imagine we deserve – but in faith where he places us based precisely upon what we don't deserve. It is God's grace that exalts the humble. You can sit wherever you want in the church … although I think the front row have the best seats in God's house. But the beauty of this parable is that through God's kindness, he allows you to sit in the front row at his wedding feast, next to the King, the Host, our Lord. Amen.To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and thanks and honor and glory for ever and ever (Revelation 5:13). Amen.View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/the-best-seat/

Sermon Overview: When it comes to the uncomfortable topic of who goes to heaven and who goes to hell, it is natural to want to avoid the issue. One way we do that is to direct our attention to more theoretical questions. “What is heaven like?” “How old will we be there?” Today someone asks, “Lord, are only a few going to be saved?” Jesus brushes all such questions aside. Instead, he answers the question we should be asking. “How might I be saved?” Jesus explains there is only one way—entering through a very narrow door. Jesus' words cut deep! For he teaches that it is very easy to develop a false sense of security about our standing before God based on some superficial familiarity we have with him. Jesus warns that many who think they are on the path to heaven will end up shut out. These wounding words of Jesus provide healing, pushing us toward that narrow door: faith in him.The Lord says, "The time is coming for me to gather people from all nations and all languages. They will come, and they will see my glory" (Isaiah 66:18). Amen.You've heard that there's no such thing as dumb questions. Except, you and I have been asked plenty of dumb questions over the years. We want people to ask us questions, but they're not always the right questions, appropriate questions, or well-worded questions.When I was at the Seminary, I'm sure my classmates and I asked plenty of silly, inappropriate, or poorly worded questions. One of our professors at the Seminary, Professor Panning, was always able to take our dumb questions, twist and turn and turn them, so that with his answer it sounded like we had asked very intelligent questions.As Jesus is making his way to Jerusalem for his Passion, he passes through Judean towns and villages (Luke 13:22). Someone asked Jesus, "Lord, are only a few going to be saved" (Luke 13:23)? Jesus is even more skilled than Professor Panning. He responds to the question that should have been asked. With his answer, Jesus is urging people not to speculate on how many people will be saved, but instead to strive to be among the people who will be in heaven. The better question to ask is, "Am I going to be saved?" Followed by, "Will my loved ones be saved?""Lord, are only a few going to be saved?" That's a nice abstract question, isn't it? Let's ask the religious teacher a question about religion. But in a hypothetical way. Not too personal. Talk about people out there. Keep the discussion at arm's length.But Jesus is never content to do just that. He makes his answer personal. Not at arm's length. But he hits at the heart. He wants to be in your heart. Jesus answers the question that should have been asked. "Strive to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able" (Luke 13:24).Jesus describes salvation in terms of doors. Specifically, narrow and wide doors. He says, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door." "Make every effort" is really one word in the Greek. It is the word "agonizomai." You can hear our English word, "agonize" in there. "Agonizomai" means to strive, to struggle, to exert enormous effort like in an Olympic wrestling match. Wrestlers will "agonizomai" to win the contest and prevail in the end. That's how the word is used here when Jesus says, "Agonize to enter through the narrow door."This agonizing doesn't come from worrying about our salvation - if we are really on the guest list or not. This agonizing doesn't come from working hard for our salvation by limiting our sins and doing plenty of good works. This agonizing doesn't come from being part of the right faith heritage - Abraham's, Luther's, or otherwise.Rather, salvation is already yours. You are already on the guest list. The narrow door to heaven is already open to you. So where does the agonizing come in?Right here. Right now. In this lifetime.You know this agony. You feel this agony. There are three behemoth wrestlers on the other side of the mat ready to tag-team against little old you.You strive to come to church, but your sinful flesh wants you to work hard during the week, party harder during the weekend, and rest on Sunday morning. It feels like agony to get out of bed and sit in the sanctuary for an hour.You make every effort to live the Christian life at work and at home, but you are so tired, your kids are so aggravating, and your boss is so irritating. You know what temptations are alluring; which lust is addicting; which sin is habit-forming. It is hard to bite your tongue, to overcome temptation, to live the Christian life. It feels like agony as the devil turns his onslaught against you.Flesh, then the world, then the devil - each tagging in, one right after the other. Each taking a turn to see if they can defeat you and pin you to the mat. All these forces are trying to keep you from entering through the narrow door.So, you see what we're up against. It is indeed an effort - an agonizing struggle - to live as a Christian and to keep the faith. It's like St. Paul explains: "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). Being a Christian is not easy. It calls for a continuous effort. That's why Jesus says here, "Strive - make every effort - to enter through the narrow door."What does Jesus mean by "the narrow door"? The door into heaven is "narrow" because there is only one way into heaven, not many ways. Jesus said, "No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). Apart from trusting in Jesus as your Savior, you will not be saved. Jesus taught, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 16:16). St. Peter proclaimed, "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12.)But the door to heaven is also wide open to all people because Jesus paid for the sins of all people. The Lord spoke through Isaiah, "The time is coming for me to gather people from all nations and all languages. They will come, and they will see my glory" (Isaiah 66:18). St. John wrote, "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the whole world." (1 John 2:2) Because of his sacrifice, God has declared all people "not guilty" in his courtroom. St. Paul writes, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:23-24).The door is narrow. That doesn't mean that you have to squeeze to fit in. It means that there is only one way to enter. But the door is wide open for you. Jesus has opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Trust in him - only him - and you will be saved.That's why Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. There on a scarred hill outside Jerusalem, Jesus' arms were extended far and wide upon the cross. Those divinely human arms bore the full weight of the world's sins upon them. Those perfectly scourged arms opened wide the doorway to heaven so that all who believe in him might be saved. Those crucified and resurrected arms are waiting in heaven to embrace you into his heavenly kingdom. The door is open. Enter in.Yes, it's agonizing to struggle and strive and wrestle against the unholy trinity. It's hard work keeping the faith, sharing the faith, spreading the faith. But Jesus already did the ultimate agonizing work for your salvation. He agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane, telling his disciples, "My soul is overwhelmed to the point of death." Then he agonized as he prayed to heaven, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup [of agony] be taken from me" (Matthew 26:38-39). The next morning, Jesus struggled under the weight of the cross and needed Simon of Cyrene to carry it to Golgotha's hill (Luke 23:26). The next afternoon, Jesus cried out from the cross in agony with a timely question, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me" (Matthew 26:46)?Jesus struggled, and strove, and agonized to open the door of salvation to all who believe in him as their crucified and resurrected Savior.Only those who trust in Jesus for salvation receive the benefit of his sacrifice. Those who do not enter into glory cannot blame God. The fault will be entirely their own.There will be people who are surprised they didn't make it into heaven. There will also be those who are surprised they made it into heaven. "Once the master of the house gets up and shuts the door, you will begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, 'Lord, open for us!' He will tell you in reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from.' Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.' And he will say, 'I don't know where you come from. Depart from me, all you evildoers.' There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown outside" (Luke 13:25-28).Jesus warns that those who had only an outward attachment to him - but do not have faith in him - are left without forgiveness. So, they are left without salvation.We need to make your relationship with Jesus personal. So, here's a good question. Do you only have an arms-length connection to Jesus? You call yourself a Christian, but you don't make Christ your number one priority. You claim to be a member of the church, but you infrequently walk through the church doors. You assert faith in Christ, but you take the easy way out whenever your faith in Christ is challenged. God desires for you to enjoy his fellowship meal with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the rest of his saints, but you aren't hungry.You aren't striving. You aren't repenting. You aren't struggling, wrestling, and agonizing.Here's another good question. What does your life look like with Jesus close to your heart and in your heart? Because Jesus made you his priority, you make Jesus a priority in your prayers and praises, in your words and actions, in your decisions and calendars. Because Jesus invites you to walk through the narrow door to his salvation, you faithfully walk through the doors of your church for worship, Bible study, and fellowship. Because Jesus agonized upon the cross as he was striving to win your salvation, you agonize as you carry your cross in Jesus' name, striving to struggle against the unholy trinity of Satan, the world, and your sinful flesh. Because Jesus invites you to his banquet feast in heaven with the patriarchs of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, you come often to enjoy the banquet feast of salvation in the Lords' Supper.I don't know how you feel about President Trump. I don't really care. But I do want you to care about his eternal soul. This week President Trump said on Fox News, "If I can save 7,000 people a week from being killed … I want to try to get to heaven if possible. I hear I'm not doing well. I hear I'm really at the bottom of the totem pole. But if I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons."What do you think about his statement? He's humble. He says he's at the bottom of the totem pole. He recognizes he lost. He recognizes he's last. He's striving to enter the narrow door. But President Trump is typical of many American Christians. They think they can work their way into heaven. They believe God will take their good lives to balance out their bad sins.How do we respond to our president and other people we know who are asking the wrong questions about how they're saved? Because they're asking the wrong questions, they're coming to the wrong conclusions.We need to be like Jesus and have good answers. We say, "That's not how it works. Give me or my pastor a call.""All you have to do is believe in Jesus as your Savior.""We do good works not to get into heaven through ourselves, but to show we're going to heaven through Jesus."We quote St. Paul, "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8).The real question we need to be asking is, "Am I going to be saved?" Followed by, "Will my loved ones, my Casper neighbors, even my president be saved?"The answer to those questions is, "If you aren't striving to enter the narrow door through faith in Jesus, then Jesus will say to you, 'Depart from me.' If you are striving to enter the narrow door through faith in Jesus alone, then Jesus will say to you, 'Come and recline at my table in the kingdom of God.'" Amen.They will bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the Lord. They will bring them on horses and chariots and wagons and mules and dromedaries to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord (Isaiah 66:20). Amen.View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/asking-the-real-question/

Sermon Overview: The Lord Jesus himself warns us that, as his children, we will experience severe trials. Jesus teaches, “Do you think that I came to bring peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division” (Luke 12:51) Our faith might even be tested to the point of having to choose between submitting to the false beliefs of those who are near and dear to us or following the true way of Christ. We will not give up the faith. There is too much to lose: our dear Savior, forgiveness, and everlasting life. Our gracious God, who sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for sin, gives us all that we need for our body and soul.Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us get rid of every burden and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and let us run with patient endurance the race that is laid out for us (Hebrews 12:1). Amen.Harold fell in love with his next-door-neighbor when she was a teenager. As their relationship progressed, he told her that he wouldn't marry her unless she converted to being a Lutheran. That didn't sit very well with her very Catholic parents. It caused a division within the family.Maggie came to the U.S. as a foreign exchange student to attend classes at an area Lutheran high school. As part of the curriculum, she had to take "Introduction to Christianity" and "Introduction to Lutheranism." Her host family were also insistent that she attend worship with them every Sunday morning and also take their pastor's adult confirmation classes. Maggie was eventually baptized and confirmed in her new Lutheran Christian faith. Her atheist family back in China were not pleased. They had sent her to the U.S. for an education, not a conversion.Kim was a quiet young woman, raised in an "unchurched" family. When her friend invited her to visit his church, she accepted. She got hooked on the message that God loved her despite all the wrong things she had done. But then the trouble started. Kim began attending worship every Sunday to learn more about God's love. Her parents felt left out. They felt God was taking their daughter away from them. Every Sunday morning when Kim left for church, her father called out after her, "See you later, hypocrite!" Her mother scheduled family picnics and events on Sunday mornings. When Kim chose to go to church instead, she heard from her mom, "You love these strangers more than your own family!"Harold, Maggie, and Kim sound harsh, don't they? They're dividing families. They're displeasing parents. They're causing rifts and separation where there had once been peace and calm.What happened in the families of these three people are exactly what Jesus said would happen when he's involved. "Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division." Then Jesus goes on to describe that division: "From now on there will be five divided in one household: three against two, and two against three. They will be divided: father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law" (Luke 12:52-53).Jesus sounds like a homewrecker and a Fourth Commandment breaker, doesn't he?!Just when you think Christians are supposed to be focused on the family, Jesus comes along and says you have to hate your family in to follow him. This is one of those Bible verses that atheist types love to parade around to show how crazy Christianity can be. On the one hand, you're supposed to love your enemies. Then on the other hand, you're supposed to hate your family. On the one hand, you are commanded in the Fourth Commandment to honor your father and mother. Then on the other hand, you're told you must hate your father and mother, along with the rest of your family."Fire on the earth ... baptism to undergo ... division". What is Jesus talking about here? Jesus' baptism was the fire of the cross and hell he suffered for us. Our lives, as blessed as they are, will be filled with the fire of battling temptation and rejection for the sake of the cross. Jesus is saying that people will become divided over him and his teachings.You've experienced what Jesus is talking about. You've had discussions with your family and friends. Discussions that turned into disagreements. Disagreements that turned into divisions.The hard thing to do is to speak out. But that's what Jesus wants you to do! Even if it causes division. You forsake earthly peace for the hope of eternal peace. The easy thing to do is to look the other way and keep silent. That's what the devil wants you to do. Because that way you keep peace in the family. An earthly peace that he hopes will lead to eternal torment.There is a very real temptation to be close-mouthed and open-minded. To shirk from confronting sin or shivering from challenging false doctrine. To practice outward unity when there is no spiritual unity. This is a very real temptation in our lives, our church, and in our Lutheran church body.You tried calling your sister to repentance after she moved in with her boyfriend. You told your son how disappointed you are that he left his confirmation vows to join a different Christian denomination. You've had the discussions at work about infant baptism and closed communion. You've debated in your family the struggle of attending your cousin's gay wedding. You want to demonstrate love for your family, but you don't want to appear like you're approving of your family's sinful choices.When you've spoken out you've been called "rude," "unloving," "hateful," "close-minded," and a whole host of other unpleasant adjectives.Didn't the Christmas angels announce that Jesus was born to bring "peace on earth" (Luke 2:14)? Yes, they did! Isaiah prophecies that Jesus will be the Prince of Peace. "There will be no limit to his authority and no end to the peace he brings" (Isaiah 9:6-7). Yes, he is! Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and he did come to bring peace – but not worldly peace. Instead, Jesus came to bring peace between sinful human beings and his holy, heavenly Father. "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:1)Jesus is the Prince of Peace – by his standards, not the world's. Human nature loves to unite around what promotes outward peace especially at the cost of the heavenly peace that Jesus brings. The world teaches that if you get rid of religion, there will be freedom of expression. But Christianity is the only religion that allows humanity to have real, lasting freedom from sin, Satan, and eternal death. The peace and freedom that the world promises are only a façade. To all such facades of peace, Jesus is a bull in the world's China shop.In a world filled with false ideas about "relative truth" or "my truth," Jesus and his teachings are divisive since he proclaims absolute truth. Jesus said of himself, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father, except through me" (John 14:6) We are either for Jesus or we are against him. Jesus says, "The one who is not with me is against me. The one who does not gather with me scatters." (Luke 11:23) There is no room for neutrality where Jesus and his work are concerned. Either Jesus is our Lord, or he is not. There's no middle ground when it comes to Jesus. You either stand up for Jesus on one side or you stand against him on the other side.The Prince of Peace calls us to war. It's a war of words – his words over the world's words. It's a war of gods – the true God of heaven and earth versus the gods of ego and money. It's a war of teachings – teachings that rebuke, correct, and forgive against teachings that permit decadence, debauchery, and death.You've felt the fire. You've experienced the hate. You've lived this division. You've been in the trenches of this war. … And none of it is pleasant!The fire you've felt is only a small taste of the fire Jesus felt for you. He teaches, "I came to throw fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already ignited. But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is finished" (Luke 12:49-50)!John the Baptist promised that Jesus would "baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Luke 3:16). James and John were ready to call down the fire of judgment on the Samaritan village that would not welcome Jesus (9:54). The rebuke they received makes it plain that the time for fiery judgment had not yet come. But the day of fire will come. The Master will return. The wish that Jesus expresses that the fire "were already ignited" suggests that he would like to get it over with since it is so dreadful to contemplate.Before Jesus brings a baptism of fiery judgment upon the earth, he must first undergo his own baptism as he receives God's judgment upon sin on the cross. This baptism is God's judgment for our sins. Jesus receives an infinity of fiery judgment during his finite time upon the cross. He was divided from his heavenly Father for a time so that we who believe in him can spend an eternity united with our heavenly Father.As Jesus makes his way to Jerusalem to undergo this baptism of fire, he makes it clear that others are not ready to accept his message of salvation. The Christmas angels sang of the peace that the Messiah would bring upon the earth. But when people reject that peace, then they will receive judgment in its place. Families were divided by Jesus two thousand years ago. That division of families continues to this day. What Simeon foretold, Jesus sees happening: "This child is destined to cause the rising and falling of many in Israel" (Luke 2:34).Are you ready to endure this fiery division Jesus brings? Even when it gets personal? Even when it shows itself not just on our TVs or phones but within our homes and families?The questions come quickly: Who do you love more – Jesus or your family? What do you cherish more – God's teachings or peace in the family? What is your ultimate goal in life – to see your family and friends in heaven – or to keep the religious arguments to a minimum?Harold was adamant that his future wife becomes Lutheran. She did. Those are my parents. Because my dad would not compromise, I'm here as your pastor.Maggie is the Chinese foster daughter of a retired pastor who served with me in Racine. I was blessed to baptize and confirm Maggie as a high school senior. My daughters teased me that I didn't tear up at their baptisms, but I did at Maggie's. I told them that I knew they were going to be raised in a Christian home. When Maggie went home to China, she didn't have that at all. No support from her pagan family. No Lutheran church in the area of her pagan country.Kim's abuse continued for months. Why would anyone – especially a meek young woman – put up with this? Why not skip worship to appease her parents? What could be worth the hurtful comments and long guilt trips?God's love for her! For the first time in Kim's life, she had experienced a Father's perfect love. Her heavenly Father knew her darkest secrets. She could hide nothing from him. As God said through Jeremiah, he is a God who is both near and far away. No one can hide from him. He fills the heavens and earth (Jeremiah 23:23-24). God knew Kim … yet he still loved her. He had been willing to sacrifice his Son to make her his daughter. No matter what she did, he would never stop loving her.This amazing, unselfish, sacrificial love changed Kim's heart and life. She could endure the division in her family on earth. It didn't make her happy. She wished her parents understood. She tried to explain it to them. Whether they understood or not, Kim wasn't going to lose her heavenly family. She knew the love of the Father, who created her, the Brother who died for her, and the Spirit who gave her peace despite the insults and guilt trips.Her new family was worth the trouble with the old family. Kim only hoped that one day, her old family could be part of her new family, too.Brothers and sisters, do you have the same willingness to join with our Brother in Christ and be divided from your physical brother and sister? Are you willing to be separated from your earthly parents all because you will not be separated from your heavenly Father?These are very real questions because the Prince of Peace calls us to war. But during this war, the Prince of Peace gives his followers a peace that is beyond all understanding. A peace only he can provide. Amen.Hebrews gives us this encouragement about Jesus enduring the fire of the cross: Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who is the author of our faith and the one who brings it to its goal. In view of the joy set before him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of God's throne (Hebrews 12:2). Amen.View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/the-prince-of-peace-calls-us-to-war/

Faith is being sure about what we hope for, being convinced about things we do not see (Hebrews 11:1). Amen.Have you earned a degree from the University of Anxiety? You may go to sleep worried that you won't wake up. You may wake up worried that you didn't get enough sleep. We may worry that the experts will discover that lettuce was fattening all along. We worry that someone's mom used us as a bad example for her kids.Today we are discussing worry. Maybe you're like me. I'm blessed that I'm not a big worrier. Yet, I always get an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach before we leave for a big vacation or when I'm sending my teenage daughter home on a plane by herself ... or anytime I take my kayaks somewhere (that's a story for another time).Maybe you're like my lovely wife. She's getting better with her fear of heights, but she was still closing her eyes and white-knuckling the door handle as we drove up Old Fall River Road in Rocky Mountain National Park this week.What do you worry about? Moms worry about their teens out late on a date. Dads worry about providing for their families in this economy. Teens worry about fitting in and being popular. Young adults worry about paying off loans, getting a job, and finding a spouse. Senior citizens worry about retirement, health, and their grown children.Whew! That's a lot to worry about! And I'm only scratching the surface.Jesus knows how much we worry. He knows how worry consumes our minds. It ruins our mental health. It wrecks our physical health.Jesus knows that worry comes from a weak faith or a minimal faith. He says, worry is "of little faith" (Luke 12:28). Worry is essentially a lack of trust in God. Last week we heard Jesus teaching about greed. This week Jesus teaches about worry. Greed and worry go together. Greed can't get enough. Worry is the fear we won't have enough.Jesus knows what damage worry does – to our faith in God, our relationships with others, and our outlook on life. That's why he commands, "Stop worrying!" It's not a suggestion. It isn't a simple statement. It's a command, "Stop doing this!" "Stop worrying about your life," he says (Luke 12:23).Wouldn't you love to just slam on the brakes and stop worrying? Just like that. Worry today. No worrying tomorrow. You worry about the physical and emotional weather that pelts you here in Wyoming. Could you use a strong shelter from the pelting of life's harsh elements? God offers you that. The possibility of a worry-free life. Not just less worry ... but no worry.Let's be realistic. We can't stop worrying just because we're told to stop worrying. Jesus knows that, too. So he gives us reasons why we can stop worrying. "I tell you, stop worrying about your life, about what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear" (Luke 12:23).Jesus says don't be anxious about food or clothing. Most of the world is anxious about having food or clothing for each day. We're blessed in America that we have lots of food and even more clothes. So, we worry about having better stuff. Good food, healthy food, food that delights the senses ... and we become gluttons without realizing it. We have clothes, but we want the items that adorn our bodies to be comfortable and noticeable – jewelry, tattoos, boots, hats, bikes, trucks, homes, income, investments, etc.Jesus gently lifts our eyes from the things of this world to look up to the things of the world to come. Instead of focusing on things we put in or on our bodies, we look to the body of the Son of God. The Son of God who adorned his human body with humility, dust, and bloody wounds.The first way to stop worrying is to lift your eyes from the food that goes in your body and the clothes that go on your body. Fix your eyes on the divinely human body of your Savior, Jesus Christ. If God loves you enough to take care of your eternal soul by sending his Son to be the Living Bread from heaven, he loves you enough to take care of your earthly needs with daily bread (John 6:51).Jesus continues, "Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap; they have no warehouse or barn; and yet God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than birds" (Luke 12:24)! You are not the result of some random occurrence of events that took billions and millions of years to get to you. You are the result of God forming and fashioning you in the womb of your mother, begotten of your father. You have been wondrously and wonderfully knit together in your mother's womb. God spoke at creation and called everything into existence – the ravens, the wildflowers, and the grass of the field. Yet, God got his hands dirty forming Adam out of the dust. He performed surgery making Eve out of Adam's rib. He molds your parents' DNA to uniquely create you. That's something that can't be claimed by the birds of the air or the lilies of the field. Another reason not to worry is that you are quite literally the handiwork of God.Jesus continues, "And who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his lifespan? Since you are not able to do this little thing, why do you worry about the rest? Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. But I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of these. If this is how God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will he clothe you, you of little faith" (Luke 12:25-28)? We can accomplish nothing through worry. Why worry about the things you can fix? If you can fix them, then work on that and move on. Why worry about the things you can't fix? If you can't fix them, then give them over to the Lord and move on.Even without worry, the ravens are fed, the wildflowers grow, and the grass is alive – even in the high desert. So, why worry whether the same thing will happen to us? Even with all our worry, we cannot add a single hour to our lives. In fact, worry seems to subtract hours from our lives.Jesus continues, "Do not constantly chase after what you will eat or what you will drink. Do not be worried about it. To be sure, the nations of the world chase after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need them. Instead, continue to seek the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you. Do not be afraid, little flock, because your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:29-32). Our God knows how our hearts must cling to something for certainty, security, sustenance, and salvation. We have been created this way.As sinners, we can be like Abraham who was anxious about having an heir, so he slept with his maidservant, Hagar, who gave birth to Ishmael, or he thought he would need to make his manservant, Eliezer, his heir. As saints, we can be like Abraham who had the faith to believe God's promises for that heir of Jesus Christ. We hear in our Epistle lesson, "By faith Abraham also received the ability to conceive children, even though Sarah herself was barren and he was past the normal age, because he considered him faithful who made the promise. And so from one man, and he as good as dead, descendants were born as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand along the seashore" (Hebrews 11:11-12).Abraham was seeking after the kingdom of God. God then added other things to him as well. God wants you to seek after his kingdom. His kingdom treasures will help you stop worrying about this world's pleasures.The kingdom of God is found and claimed by you here at Lord of Lords in Word and Sacrament. Here is the Water of Life, poured out on you and your children from this font.Here is his ordained servant, washing sinners clean with the words of absolution as they go out to live in an unclean culture.Here is the Sacrament of the Altar to nourish your soul to strengthen you for holy living in an unholy society.Here eyes are lifted from circumstances and situations to the bloody cross, the empty tomb, and the heavenly throne of our Savior.Here weak knees are made strong to bear the burdens of our vocations.Here the broken are made whole by the God who calls planets into existence and who knits our bodies together in the womb.Here immoral souls are claimed and changed with immortality.Here the timid receive power from on high. Not to conquer the world, but to have faith in what we hope for and confidence in what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1). Faith that Jesus has conquered sin with his redemptive sacrifice, has crushed the Ancient Serpent under his bloody heel, and defeated death with his glorious resurrection. It all happens here. It's proclaimed here. It's given to you freely here. Here is where God gives you his kingdom. When you seek after these spiritual kingdom blessings, God will add to you other physical earthly blessings, as well.Jesus concludes, "Do not be afraid, little flock, because your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the needy. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not become old, a treasure in the heavens that will not fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Luke 12:32-34). This is not a command to sell everything and live like a monk, nun, or beggar. Jesus is teaching that as Christians we are not to be engrossed with the things of this world. We can live as minimalists as we maximize the treasures that Jesus has won for us, given us, and promised will never be taken from us.We stop worrying when we allow faith to overcome our fears, the Almighty to crush our anxieties, and worship to replace our worries.She seemed to lose everything. Her husband left her for another woman. She was left to raise her three children on her own. It was difficult to afford basic things like food and clothes. Carting kids to school and after-school activities was difficult. Then there were the unexpected medical costs. Life was tough.Maybe you've been in her position. Maybe, even with far more, you worry. You worry about the rising cost of food, clothes, housing, and utilities. You worry about paying your bills and preserving your savings.She used to worry like that, but now she sees things differently. She was blessed to speak with her pastor. Her pastor reminded her of what she already knew. But it's easy to forget God's promises in the middle of Satan's poundings. Her pastor reminded her that Jesus left heaven to live in her place, to walk in her shoes, to fight against the temptation to worry and every other temptation she faced, and to overcome. She was reminded that even Jesus' closest friends and his heavenly Father abandoned him when he needed them most. For her, for you, and for me, he died, giving up everything to give us everything. Then he came back to life to assure her that her worry, lack of trust in God, fears and failures were all forgiven. He came back to life to promise that this life is not the end. Those who trust in him will live with him forever in heaven, where there is nothing to fear and no temptation to worry.That news changed her life. She still works hard to meet the challenges she faces every day. But now she knows that she has an eternal home waiting for her. She has a loving God caring for her. She doesn't need to worry. Whether things are tough or life is good, she has learned to focus on God's Word, God's promises, and the treasure God won for her in heaven. Her focus on heavenly treasure drives out worry.You can learn from this unnamed woman, you can learn from named Abraham, and you can learn from the teachings of Jesus. Stop worrying. Amen.We can also learn from the Old Testament saints. The writer to the Hebrews says of them, "They were longing for a better land—a heavenly one. For that reason, God is not ashamed to be called their God, because he prepared a city for them (Hebrews 11:6). Amen.View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/stop-worrying/

Because you were raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1). Amen.There were issues at home. Their dad died leaving his property to his sons in doubt. The younger of the two sons was among the thousands in the crowd listening to Jesus that day (Luke 12:1). When Jesus paused in his teaching, one son took the opportunity to call out, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me" (Luke 12:13). According to Jewish law, the older son received two-thirds of the inheritance and the younger son the remaining one-third. Evidently, there was a problem in settling the amount of the inheritance between the two brothers.But Jesus refused to judge the case. He had not come to judge in earthly matters, but to be the Judge of heaven and earth. Jesus was busy teaching about eternal inheritance. He wasn't interested in delving into earthly inheritance. He replied, "Man, who appointed me to be a judge or an arbitrator over you" (Luke 12:14).Jesus then uses this as a teachable moment. He calls out to the crowd, "Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because a man's life is not measured by how many possessions he has" (Luke 12:15).We can so easily become possessed by our possessions. Our lives can be driven by what we have and the selfish desire to keep it from the government and anyone else who wants to take it from us. Whether we have little or we have much, we are all prone to greed. Both the rich and poor can be fools about money. The rich can become slaves to the money and possessions they already have. The poor can become slaves to the money and possessions they want. People in all social and economic classes can see money and possessions as salvation from their problems.In our Old Testament lesson and throughout the book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon carefully documents his own personal experiments with every lifestyle possible. He tried wine, women, and song. He tried hard work. He tried hard play. He tried travel. He tried false gods. In the end, he concluded that if this life is all there is, then everything is meaningless, utterly meaningless. Everything is vanity and a chasing after the wind (Ecclesiastes 1:14). Without God, there is no meaning to life.It's not that wealth is bad. It's not wrong to enjoy life in the here and now. It's when that all gets out of perspective, when we lose sight of our life in relation to God – that is the problem. Your life does not consist in the abundance of your stuff. It's not about possessing possessions. The life of the Christian is about being possessed by Christ.But how often don't we find ourselves as fools with misplaced priorities? We chase after money and make it the idol to which we bow down. We covet possessions so we place overtime ahead of time with God. We desire more things so we worship God less. We want to have it made – no worries, no problems, no bothers – forgetting that we already have it made in Jesus.Someone once asked John D. Rockefeller, who at one point was one of the richest Americans of his time: "How much wealth does it take to satisfy a person?" He reportedly replied, "Just a little bit more." The Romans had a proverb: "Money is like sea water; the more you drink, the thirstier you become."Jesus said, "Watch out and be on guard." With those strong and urgent words, Jesus is addressing a sin we are tempted to consider trivial and harmless. He's talking about greed. We may consider the sin of greed to be trivial, but God doesn't. That's why he has three commandments – 7th, 9th, and 10th, designated to show the mirror of his law against stealing and coveting that resides within our hearts.Coveting doesn't get a lot of airtime when talking about the commandments – like murder or adultery – but it should. We covet admiration and we become indignant when we feel slighted by those who don't notice us. We covet possessions and then we are stingy when it comes to supporting God's ministry work with offerings. If you've paid attention this week, you've noticed people becoming upset about a young lady wearing blue jeans. We covet attention and then we get angry when others are getting the attention we think we deserve.Jesus knows what a danger the sin of coveting is. That's why he tells the parable of the rich fool. A rich man harvested a bumper crop from his fields. The farmer appears respectable on the exterior, but on the interior lurks the heart of an idolater. He has a lot of wealth. But inwardly he is very poor. Though his physical body has much, his spiritual soul is starving to death.The problem was not that the man was rich, but that the man was a rich fool. Wealth is not the problem. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, David, and Solomon were all extremely wealthy. Jesus had disciples who had made lots of money. The Magi who worshiped the toddler Jesus had the means to offer him gold, frankincense, and myrrh as gifts. Joseph of Arimathea was wealthy enough to lend his tomb to Jesus for three days. Lydia, the first convert in Europe and Mary, the mother of Mark the Gospel writer, were wealthy patrons of the church. Wealth is not the problem. The problem is letting wealth become a substitute for God. It's making wealth the source of our security and comfort. It's forgetting that wealth, like everything else, is a gift from God and not its own god. The sin is not money or having money or working hard for more money. The sin is in the attitude toward money.The rich man had a sinful attitude toward his money. He wanted to "eat, drink and be merry." Take life easy. Live a life devoted to indulging all his physical appetites. Though the man thought himself to be rich and wise, God called him a fool – one who is ignorant of what the real situation is. He thought that his wealth would assure him a life of ease for years to come. However, that was not to be. "This very night," on which he had laid all his plans for the future, God declared his life would end. All the preparations he had made were useless. All his wealth and crops and barns were now meaningless. Even worse, now he would be standing before God as a beggar. He faced the final judgment with no spiritual resources. He was indeed a fool!And so is everyone who sets their hearts upon earthly riches more than the treasures God grants through Jesus Christ. Our Lord knows how attracted we are to the circumstances of the rich man in this parable. He knows how easy it is for us to fall into the trap of greed. Listen to our Savior's warning. Our life is not in what we own … but in who owns us.As a Christian, being rich is not something you have to pursue or even work towards. The riches of God are something you already have. You are wildly wealthy. For Jesus Christ "became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9). Jesus has an economy all his own. Although he is the Creator and Owner of all things, he lived among us as a poor person. Although he has all authority in heaven and on earth, he lived under the authority of Roman and Jewish law. Although he has all power and glory, he made himself helpless and submitted to the punishment we deserved. Although forgiveness, life, and salvation are worth more than we could ever pay, Jesus offers them to us as a free gift. Although Jesus deserves our unending service, it is his desire that he serve us. It is Jesus who makes us rich toward God.When Jesus did all this, he gave you the biggest treasure you could have – forgiveness from your greed, the breath of eternal life to replace chasing after the breath in this life, and the spiritual wealth contained in the waters of Baptism, the spoken, read, and sung Words of Scripture, and the body and blood of Christ in his Sacrament. Now the grave has no more power over you. Now you have what it takes to pass the test on that night when your soul is required of you. You may lose the barns of this world, but through Christ you have already gained the mansions of the world to come.How do we become rich toward God? Through Christ. Christ alone. St. Paul writes in his letter to the Colossians: "Because you were raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory (Colossians 3:1-4).Christ is your life, your true life, the only life that lasts. If you don't have Christ, you're dead already. You're sunk, you're lost, you have no hope and no future. Your sins will drag you down to the grave. What good will all your stuff do you? Your soul will be required of you. A life apart from God, a life apart from Christ, a life apart from the Spirit, will not last. It will be a "vapor, nothing but chasing wind" (Ecclesiastes 2:26).This changes our perspective on things, doesn't it? It frees us up. No matter our crummy circumstances, we have a joy that cannot be taken from us. We know where our true life is found, and it isn't in our stuff. When we have things in the proper perspective, then we can go ahead and enjoy the blessings of this life. And that's what Ecclesiastes ultimately is telling us: "There is nothing better for a man than to eat and to drink and to find joy in his work. This too, I saw, is from God's hand. For who can eat or enjoy himself apart from him" (Ecclesiastes 2:24-25).The picture on the sanctuary screen is a picture of my family farm on fire. Somehow this week, the huge hay barn caught on fire. The fire spread to the other outbuildings. Thankfully no one was living there anymore, so there were no people or animals injured. Also, we are grateful that my parents sold the farm last month. Those buildings were going to come down anyhow. They just came down much more quickly and violently than the new owner had planned.I'm showing you this picture because it's a reminder of how quickly and violently what we've worked so hard for can be destroyed. It can be a fire, an accident, cancer, disease, a heart attack, a stroke, old age … really anything. Everything we worked so long for can be gone in an instant. A puff of smoke. Vapor. Then it can all seem meaningless.That's why we find our meaning in Jesus Christ. The second son in the Gospel wanted his portion of the inheritance, but Jesus Christ has already given you an inheritance in heaven. Your inheritance is that he has made you royalty – sons and daughters of the King.My royal brothers and sisters, use and enjoy the things of this world that you have been given. But don't put your trust in them or covet them. You don't have to eat, drink, and be merry now, for in Christ you will be eating, drinking, and joyful for eternity.As Christians we remember that life does not consist in the material, but in the spiritual; not in the temporal, but in the eternal; not in worldly goods, but in heavenly blessings; not in what we can do for ourselves, but in what God gives us in Christ. In Christ Jesus, we are rich in this life and rich for the life to come. Only a fool thinks otherwise. Don't be a fool. Be a son or daughter of the King. In this way, you are rich toward God. Amen.Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory (Colossians 3:2-4). Amen.View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/rich-toward-god/

For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time (1 Timothy 1:5-6). Amen.The Lord had come to visit Abraham and Sarah to give them the great news that by this time next year they would give birth to their long-awaited son (Genesis 18:1-15). The Lord, with two of his angels, visited Abraham in human form.As his dinner guests get up to leave, Abraham politely walks and talks with them. The Lord allows Abraham to purposely overhear his plans for the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham was in a special relationship with God where God considered Abraham his "friend" (Isaiah 41:8). So, the Lord said, "Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very flagrant, I will go down now and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has come to me. If not, I will know" (Genesis 18:20-21).The two angels leave the Lord and head southwest toward Sodom, forty miles away. When the Lord says he will go down to see about the outcry he has heard about Sodom, he is ascribing human actions to himself to allow Abraham and others to better understand his divine actions. God wants everyone to understand that he passes no judgment without possessing the facts of the case. He does not act arbitrarily.The outcry to the Lord could have been from the intense plea of travelers who had made the mistake of passing through Sodom and Gomorrah. It could have been the stench of sin that had risen to the highest heaven from these godless cesspools of immorality. Our family visited the hot springs of Thermopolis this week. There is a distinctive odor in the hot springs due to hydrogen sulfide gas. The stench of wickedness of Sodom was as repulsive on earth as it was offensive to heaven.Abraham knows the reputation of the cities in the valley since he and his herdsmen moved their flocks and herds all over the area. Abraham's nephew, Lot, had also unwisely settled along the plains of the lower Jordan River, and eventually moved into the city of Sodom.Abraham is concerned about his family in Sodom. So he prays for Lot by praying for all the righteous believers in Sodom. Abraham approached [the Lord] and said, "Will you really sweep away the righteous along with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep them away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? You would never do such a thing, killing the righteous along with the wicked, treating the righteous the same as the wicked. You would never do such a thing. The Judge of all the earth should do right, shouldn't he?" The Lord said, "If I find fifty righteous people within the city of Sodom, then I will spare the entire place for their sake" (Genesis 18:23-26).Abraham respectfully argues God down – first with fifty righteous, then forty-five, thirty, twenty – until God agrees on the final amount of ten. Abraham sounds like a used camel dealer. [The Lord] said, "I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten" (Genesis 18:32).Abraham is relieved. As wicked as the city is, surely there are at least ten believers within Sodom. Ten. That's the number of people on the population sign for Hiland between Casper and Thermopolis. But there weren't ten believers within Sodom. So, God destroys the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, while having his two human-looking angels pull Lot and his family out of the city before its destroyed.Look more at Abraham's bargaining. He prays six times for the same result. Each time lowering the number of believers that needed to be found to spare Sodom. He feels comfortable telling God exactly what he thinks. He has courage and audacity to speak to the Creator and Judge of heaven and earth. Abraham is bold because he is made in the image of God. He is a child of his heavenly Father through circumcision. He is a son talking to his Dad.Abraham is humble. He admits he is nothing but dust and ashes. He knows Adam was made from the dust of the earth. He knows that when he dies, he will return to the dust of the earth. He is humble, knowing that he has no right to expect the Creator and Judge of heaven and earth to lower himself to take his prayers into consideration. Yet, he asked anyway because he knew that God is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in love and mercy (Psalm 145:8-9).How about you? How do you pray? If you are like most Christians, you probably don't pray often enough. You are not availing yourself of the power and promises of your almighty God. You probably aren't coming to God in the morning, afternoon, and evening with your prayers, petitions, intercessions, and thanksgiving, like St. Paul encourages in the Epistle lesson (1 Timothy 2:1).When you pray, are you weak with your prayers? Are you asking only for little things? Are you coming to God's throne only after everything else you've tried has failed.Are you proud in your prayers? Are you expecting God to answer only according to your plans? Are you forgetting your limited human knowledge compared to God's divine omniscient (all-knowing) knowledge?Do you give up too easily with your prayers? Do you not like God's answers of "no" or "wait," so you stop praying? Have you forgotten all the instances where Scripture speaks of being persistent with your prayers? Do you recall how annoying it was when your kids kept begging and nagging you for something? And you don't want to become annoying by begging and nagging your God?How can Abraham talk like this to God? Abraham is a child of his heavenly Father. He can say things to his Dad that strangers cannot say. And God welcomes it.God wants you to talk to him like this, too. He isn't looking for distant worshipers, people who are afraid to say "boo" to him. He's looking for people who will trust him as a child trusts a good father.On your own, you are a stranger before God. Your inborn and active sins have estranged you from your Maker and Creator. But Jesus Christ came into our world to reconcile you to God, to make you God's child in Holy Baptism, to redeem you to make God your Father. Jesus has come to be our Mediator, to restore the broken relationship between sinful children and their holy heavenly Father. "For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time" (1 Timothy 1:5-6).Jesus mediates for us. He perfects our imperfect prayers. He humbles our prideful prayers where we are only asking for ourselves. He emboldens our weak prayers where we come too shyly before God. This is why we consistently end our prayers by praying "in Jesus' name."Jesus motivates us to pray early, late, often, regularly, and persistently. God does not see repeated prayers as nagging or begging. Jesus taught his disciples the parable of the persistent widow and the unjust judge. St. Luke writes, "Jesus told them a parable about the need to always pray and not lose heart … ‘Will not God give justice to his chosen ones, who are crying out to him day and night? Will he put off helping them'" (Luke 18:1, 7)?Jesus challenges in our Gospel, "Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives. The one who seeks finds. And to the one who knocks, it will be opened" (Luke 11:9-10).Through the redemption and reconciliation accomplished by Jesus on the cross; through the mediation and intercession of Jesus as our Great High Priest, we can now approach God's throne of glory with our prayers. Just like you should not be afraid to ask your dad for anything, you should not be afraid to ask your God for anything. Jesus teaches, "What father among you, if your son asks for bread, would give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, would give him a snake instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, would give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?" Luke 11:11-13)Like Abraham, we are nothing but dust and ashes. We approach God with proper humility, fully understanding that as sinners we have no right to be heard by a holy and just God. We certainly have no right to expect him to answer and grant what we have asked for. This is why we end our prayers with humility, praying like Jesus, "Not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42).Like Abraham, we are the blood-bought children of God. We approach God boldly like a child approaches his or her dad. The waters of Baptism have washed us clean and made us holy and righteous believers in his sight. Now we are confident that we can bring our repeated prayers and persistent petitions to God for any request – big or small.One of the first shut-in members that I visited when I became the pastor at Epiphany in Racine was Rose Wirt. When I visited Rose twenty-one years ago, she would call me "Kiddo." She meant no disrespect. I looked a lot younger than. I was a lot younger then – twenty-one years younger to be exact. Rose told me I was the age of her grandchildren.One day when I visited Rose in the nursing home, she told me she had to repent. She felt guilty because she had told God in her prayers what she wanted him to do. She said, "Kiddo, I told God that I'm tired of living and I want to go home to heaven. I shouldn't tell God what to do."I told her, "Rose, God wants you to be bold in your prayers. It's OK if you tell him that you're tire or lonely or miss your husband, so you want to go home to be with Jesus. It's a beautiful prayer when you tell God what you think, as long as you pray with humility, ‘Not my will, but yours be done, Lord.'"In that way, Rose, you, me, and other Christians can be like Abraham praying with bold humility.It's good to have a relationship with your physical father, your spiritual father, and your heavenly Father where you feel comfortable to say what's on your heart, to tease, to be open, to be honest. Hopefully, your children can speak to you as fathers knowing that you love them. Your children can take the conversation into uncomfortable directions because they know you won't take offense. They feel safe with you as their father. Abraham, felt safe with God. He trusted God to take his asking the right way—and to show mercy to him and his nephew.What about us? We, too, are in a close relationship with God. We are his children by adoption through Jesus our Savior. And so, when we need to, we can come boldly into God's presence, asking for what we need. You are not a stranger in God's presence anymore. Through your faith in Christ, you are now family. You belong in God's presence. Act like you belong there. Be bold when you pray. Claim your blood-bought identity. You are not irritating God with your boldness. You are honoring his invitation and promise.Fellow sons and daughters of our heavenly Father, what are you praying for right now? Ask! Seek! Knock! Approach God's throne. Pray with bold humility. Amen."I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives. The one who seeks finds. And to the one who knocks, it will be opened" (Luke 11:9-10). Amen.View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/pray-with-bold-humility/

To the holy and faithful in Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. (Colossians 1:2).Martha is busy. Jesus, the Messiah, the great Healer and Teacher everyone is talking about is coming for a visit. Plus, he's bringing twelve of his closest friends with him. So, Martha is busy. She has to roast the lamb, cook the vegetables, bake the bread, and make a special pie for dessert.Her sister Mary is busy helping her in the kitchen. Then there's a knock on the door. Jesus has arrived at their Bethany home. Martha and Mary put down their knives and bowls, brush off their hands on their aprons, and rush to the front door. They give Jesus a big hug and show him and his disciples into the living room.Martha excuses herself to go back into the kitchen. After a few minutes she notices that Mary isn't in the kitchen with her. She peaks into the living room and becomes upset because Mary is just sitting there at Jesus' feet, listening to him tell stories.Martha goes back into the kitchen. Now there's a little more oomph in her cutting and chopping. She's ticked! And she's become more ticked as the minutes tick by!Martha jabs the fork into the lamb, jams the spoon into the vegetables, and bangs the cupboards closed. The temperature in the kitchen is rising … and so is Martha's temper! She finally snaps. She slams her spoon down on the counter and storms out of the kitchen. And who does she lash out at? Not her sister! No. Her guest! The reason for all her preparations. She lashes out at Jesus!“Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me” (Luke 10:40). “Lord, don't you care that I'm in the kitchen slaving away over a steaming stove while she sits here all doe-eyed at your feet doing nothing? How about cutting the chit chat and telling her to get her lazy rear end in the kitchen to help me?!”Martha has gotten her priorities all mixed up. She wants to serve Jesus. But Jesus has come to Martha's house to serve her. It was good that she stressed family and friends and a clean house and good food. But stressing all those good things only made her stressed out. But Jesus has come to her home to give her rest. It was good that she wanted to labor for her Lord, but it would have been better if she had first joined Mary in listening to her Lord.Jesus calmly replies to Martha's temper tantrum, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is needed. In fact, Mary has chosen that better part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42). I hear Jesus paraphrasing the knight in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, “You have chosen poorly.”Strong words. Stinging words. But words that reveal much about Martha's – and our relationship – with the Savior.It's easy for us to get our priorities out of order, isn't it? We place the urgent over the important. We put the fun over the mundane. We do the easy over the difficult. That happens at home, in the workplace, in school. It especially happens within the church.We become hyper-focused on our vocations as parents, employees, citizens, retirees, students, athletes, etc. Those are good and godly pursuits. God wants us to focus on those things. Those are Second Table of the Law commands from God. Those are labors of love that we give to God and to those whom God has placed into our lives. They become issues, though, when those labors for the Lord come before or in the place of listening to our Lord. They become problems when the Second Table of the Law of loving our neighbor consumes more time and energy than the First Table of the Law of loving the Lord.Martha chose a good thing in wanting to labor for her Lord. Mary chose the better thing of first listening to her Lord. This isn't an issue of be Mary and don't be Martha. It's more an issue of first be Mary so you have the spiritual strength to be Martha. It's all about priorities.Martha's problem was not her service, but her lack of priorities. She wanted to please Jesus. She wanted to impress him with her house and a nice dinner. She wanted to serve him with her very best. And yet, it all failed. She wound up yelling at Jesus and being angry at her sister. She was occupied with many things, when one thing was needful. She was busy preparing a seven-course dinner, but Jesus would have been content with grilled goat cheese and tomato soup.It was not Martha's labor that Jesus wanted. It was Martha. Jesus came not to be served but to serve. He came to give, not to get. He came to be where two or three are gathered in his name – even if those two are two sisters. He came not to be the guest, but to be the Host, to lay down his life as a sacrifice for sinful humanity, to offer himself up for the life of the world, to be the Bread of Life and wine from heaven to bring refreshment, forgiveness, life, and salvation to all. As far as Jesus was concerned, Martha's house could have been a wreck, she could have laid out cold cuts and sandwich bread, she could have simply offered a loaf of bread and a dried fish. What mattered most to Jesus was that she make him and his words her priority.Jesus desires our service. He calls us to labor for the Lord. The Holy Spirit through his Gospel writer Luke places the story of Mary and Martha right after the story of the Good Samaritan. That parable of the Good Samaritan was all about serving the Lord by serving our neighbor. So, the Holy Spirit is teaching us that service and labor to our Lord and his people is certainly important. But that labor for the Lord must follow listening to the Lord.We want to obey God's first three commandments of loving the Lord above all things, keeping his name holy by worshiping and praying to him, and then spending time in God's house on the Sabbath Day. When we are loving the Lord with those first three commandments, then we are prepared to love our neighbor with the last seven commandments. After we listen to the Lord, we are prepared to labor for our Lord.Jesus doesn't criticize Martha for serving. He does not discipline her for failing to sit beside Mary at his feet. In fact, he doesn't scold Martha at all. When Jesus responds to her complaint, he states the obvious - she was anxious and worried about a lot of things. His only word to her is about the goodness of what Mary is doing. He seems to be saying to Martha that, while her serving is good, Mary is doing something even better.The better option is listening to Jesus. If we back up just a little farther in Luke's Gospel, we see the importance of Jesus' words. After the seventy-two returned from their successful mission, Jesus “rejoiced in the Holy Spirit” (Luke 10:21) and then described the gracious will of the Father. God wills that no one knows him “except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wants to reveal him” (Luke 10:22). In listening to Jesus, Mary was getting to know the Father through the Son. Such things the prophets and kings of old longed to see and hear. In the end, the first great commandment must be the starting point for the second great commandment.But the second flows from the first, which is why Martha should be commended. She welcomed Jesus into her home (Luke 10:38). She followed the example of Jesus as loving service to her neighbor. She got a little cranky at Mary, which is where things started to go slightly awry, but not enough to get her in trouble. Mary's portion, listening to Jesus, was not better than something bad, but better than something good. And because it is better, it will not be taken away from Mary.The good news for you is that the better will not be taken away from you, either. As good as it is to labor for our Lord, it isn't even better to listen to the Lord first. For in the words of Jesus we hear the gracious promises of the Father. These promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation enliven us, transform us, and empower our good works of loving service.Priorities: Focus on God's business. Then focus on your busyness.Study the Bible. Then serve your neighbor.Worship the Lord. Then work for the Lord.Come to Jesus' Table. Then invite others to your table.Fill up with the one thing needful. Then fill your time with the other necessities.Let God fulfill his promises to you. Then fulfill your godly vocations in the world.Priorities: Sit at Jesus' feet like Mary. Come to worship every week to have a conversation with God. Stand in our Lutheran worship as you talk to God in your confession of sins, your prayers, your songs of praises, and in your confessions of faith. Sit as you listen to God speak to you in his Scripture lessons from the Old Testament, Psalm, Epistle, and Gospel. Then have these Scriptures explained and applied to your life in the children's devotion, hymn of the day, and sermon.Attend the Sunday morning Bible study. I'm so impressed and excited to have so many of you here early on a Sunday to dig deeply into God's teachings. I plan to start another weekly Bible study in the fall.Make use of the devotional materials in the church entryway - Grace Moments, Meditations, and Forward in Christ. Listen to our Thirsty podcasts and other Lutheran podcasts. Read your Bible and have personal and family devotions daily. When I email you the written and recorded sermon this week, I'll also send along several devotions and podcasts you might find edifying. I'll also send you a daily Bible reading plan. In these ways you are sitting at the feet of Jesus. Then you are Mary – receiving the forgiveness of sins, strengthening your faith, and being comforted. You are finding rest from your work, and comfort from your anxiousness. You are coming to worship and Bible study where Jesus promises to be where two or three or fifty or sixty are gathered.There is nothing more needful in this life than the words and promises of Jesus. Nothing! Listen to the Lord. Surrender to his voice. Find peace in his presence. Through Jesus' Word and Sacraments – here in God's house and in your house, the Lord change our hearts. He rebukes so we repent. He warns so we slow down. He chastises so we cherish the rest we find only in him.Learn a lesson from Mary. But also learn a lesson from Martha. After you have listened to the Lord, then labor for the Lord. One of the reasons I accepted your call was when talking to you and the pastors who were serving you during the vacancy, I learned you were ready to get to work. We'll have open forums soon to talk about some of that work like outreach, fellowship, and worship.After worship today, some of us will be meeting to discuss outreach to the students at Casper College. I would love to invite them to fellowship events at Lord of Lords. All of us will be talking together soon about some things we might want to do to enjoy each other's company. I'd love to hear your ideas. We'll think of things that might appeal to children, teens, college students and young adults, as well as more seasoned adults. Perhaps showing a Wyoming football game or showing the Packers beating the Vikings. Perhaps an outdoor worship service or a picnic at the park. Perhaps an egg hunt or Bingo – everyone loves Bingo!Whatever we decide to do, we'll have fun laboring together for our Lord. That labor follows the fun of listening to our Lord. Because those are our priorities. Amen.The Father rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:11, 12).View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/priorities-listening-then-labor/

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not allow anyone to put the yoke of slavery on you again. (Galatians 5:1) Amen.To teach a lesson to a religious expert, Jesus tells a story about a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho who falls into the hands of robbers. He says, “They stripped him, beat him, and went away leaving him half dead.” Beaten, bruised, and bloodied this mess of a man lies there waiting for someone who might be able to help.Thankfully a priest approaches. Certainly, a deeply religious man like a priest will lend aid. Nope! He sees the beaten and bruised man in the ditch and passes by on the other side.Then a Levite approaches. Surely a man who works in the temple will stop to help. Nope! He leaves the bloodied mess of a man lying there and continues on.We can hear the excuses running through the heads of the priest and Levite as they avoided the man in need. We've probably used the excuses ourselves. “It's his own fault this happened.” “If I stop to help, I might put myself in danger.” “He needs more help than I'm able to provide.” We can always create excuses to avoid serving our neighbors.The priest and Levite were people the religious expert would consider his friends and neighbors - the buddies he wants to hang out with. But they weren't very friendly. They weren't very neighborly.So, Jesus adds some intrigue by making the hero of the story a neighborly Samaritan man, someone a good pious Jew would consider neither a neighbor nor a friend.Jesus continues: “A Samaritan, as he traveled, came to where the man was. When he saw him, he felt sorry for the man. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. He put him on his own animal, took him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day, when he left, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. Whatever extra you spend, I will repay you when I return.' Which of these three do you think acted like a neighbor to the man who fell among robbers?” “The one who showed mercy to him,” he replied. Then Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”The behavior of the Samaritan could not have been more different than the Jewish men. He had less reason to stop. He had much farther to travel. The more details Jesus adds about what the Samaritan did, the less sense his behavior makes. Unlike the religious expert, he wasn't looking to avoid as many neighbors as he could. He willingly became the neighbor of the man in need.I'm sure there have been plenty of sermons over the years that teach, “Don't be like the bad priest or Levite. Instead, be like the Good Samaritan.”There is certainly room for pastors in the pulpit or teachers in the classroom to talk about helping the hurting, mending the marred, or curing the casualties. But there is so much more to Jesus' story than “don't do this but do this instead.”The religious expert is asking about what he should do. Listen to his question that prompts Jesus' story. “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Did you hear the crux of the question? “What must I do …?”This guy is all about doing, activity, good deeds. It's all about what he can achieve. He sees himself as the one in control. He's not looking at what he needs. He doesn't think he requires God's grace. This guy is an expert in the law. He knows the Scriptures well. He knows the Jewish priest and the Jewish Levite are good, pious people. He knows the Samaritans are half-bloods and heretics. So, when Jesus has the priest and Levite leave the wounded man in the ditch, the expert doesn't want to be like either of those guys. But then Jesus includes the Samaritan in the story. The expert would rather be a hypocritical priest than a heretical Samaritan. The lawyer would rather be a phony Levite than an apostate Samaritan. A pure-blood Jewish descendent of Abraham could never imagine himself being like a half-breed from Samaria.The expert doesn't want to see himself in the priest or the Levite. He certainly doesn't want to see himself in the Samaritan. Then who is left in the story? Jesus wants the expert to see himself as the one who was left by the robbers in the ditch.Jesus wants the expert to realize he doesn't have it all together. He's not in control. He's not the priest or the Levite. He's not even the Samaritan. Jesus wants the expert to realize he's the bruised, beaten, and bloodied half-dead man lying by the side of the road. He's in need of mercy. He's in need of care. He's in need of a Good Samaritan.The Holy Spirit includes this story in Scripture for us to learn from. We can be like the expert and look around at what others are doing or look down on others for who they are. We consider ourselves to be good people, the ones in control, the ones who don't really need any help.But that's not reality. Not even close. That's why we need this parable.We are the poor soul lying in the ditch. We have been beaten up by our sin, bruised by our culture, and bloodied by the devil. We are left for dead along the side of the road, for Scripture says, “The soul who sins is the one who will die” (Ezekiel 18:20).There are certainly plenty of people in our world who will rob us of our wealth and health. Plenty of demons in the spiritual realm who will rob us of our innocence. But the worst part is that we inflict many of our wounds upon ourselves with our sins, making the situation even worse.We are the beaten, the bruised, and the bloodied.We've been beaten by robbers who steal our joy and replace it with suffering. We've been bruised by our failures to obey God. We've been bloodied by our interactions in the workplace and our homes. We've been left half-dead by a culture who demands righteousness from us – but only if it fits their current Woke righteousness.Face it. No one in our world cares. No one is coming to your aid. No one is coming to rescue you. That's because they are all in the same situation as you. Beaten, bruised, and bloodied. Lying by the side of the road. Left in the ditch to despair and die.Until a Good Samaritan comes along. Well, not merely a Good Samaritan. … A Great One! The nameless Good Samaritan is someone whose name we know very well – Jesus!Jesus doesn't come for the healthy. He comes for you, the sick. He doesn't come for the strong. He comes for you, the weak. He doesn't come for those who think they have it all under control, who boast of their achievements, and who are trying to do enough good to enter eternal life. Jesus comes for you because you've admitted you've lost control of your life – you who are lonely, afraid, smelly, down, and destitute. He comes for you when you finally admit you are dead in your sin and unbelief. “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3).The Good Samaritan in the parable couldn't leave the injured man lying by the side of the road. He took the injured man to an inn, poured oil and wine on his wounds, bandaged them up, and then provided for any additional expense.Jesus couldn't just leave us at the mercy of the robbers of the devil, his demons, and this world. Instead, the Good Samaritan showed mercy to us. With his incarnation, he got down into the ditch with us. He couldn't leave us lying there dying in our sins. He was lifted up on the cross so he could lift us up to life again. He cared for our wounds by being wounded on the cross.But he continues to do so much more. He continues to provide the necessary spiritual medical attention we need. He provides the oil and wine of his baptismal waters on us every time we hear his words of forgiveness and see the sign of the cross. He lifts us up and carries us with his Word to the inn of his Christian Church. He puts us in the care of his innkeepers – his pastors. He provides us with food in his Sacramental meal at the Lord's Table.Our Good Samaritan covers all the expenses – not with gold or silver, but with his holy, precious blood and his innocent suffering and death (1 Peter 1:18). He sees our misery and mess and rescues us.I want you to see the expert in the ditch. Then see yourself lying right next to him. You look down the ditch and you see all of us lying there. Our Good Samaritan of Jesus comes along to rescue all of us – one by one.After you see Jesus as the Good Samaritan who rescues you, then as a sanctified Christian, you will desire to be a Good Samaritan who rescues others. You love because Jesus first loved you. Because Jesus left his home in heaven to be your neighbor here on earth, you can be a neighbor to those around you here on earth. Because Jesus has freed you from your prejudices, hesitancy, and excuses, you can help those who are different from you.Lucas and Skyler, both 18-year-old cousins, were on an inflatable raft on Beck Lake in Cody on the afternoon of July 4. A thunderstorm suddenly swept over Cody, churning up the calm waters. The guys were in the middle of the lake when the inflatable raft capsized, sending Lucas and Sklyer into the water. They weren't wearing life vests. Even though both guys were very good swimmers, because of the heavy swells and current, they weren't able to swim to the side of the lake. So, they started calling for help.A man who was at the dock with his canoe, heard and saw them. He grabbed two life vests from his canoe and swam out to the guys. They grabbed onto the life vests, and he swam them back to shore. After checking that the two teens were OK, the man left, without giving his name to them.That stranger was a Good Samaritan. I pray that any of us would be willing to help whenever the need arises. Not because we have to. Not because we'd feel guilty if we didn't help. Not because we are trying to inherit eternal life. We act like Good Samaritans because we already have eternal life. Because we are sanctified and want to put our faith into action. Because we get to follow the example of Jesus, our Good Samaritan.You are the beaten, bruised, and bloodied half-dead messes in the ditch. Jesus comes along to be your Good Samaritan. He washes you up, bandages your wounds, brings you to the inn, feeds you, and pays for your continued care. Now when you find others in the ditch who are just as beaten, bruised, and bloodied as you were, bring them to the inn of our church. Together let's wash them with baptismal waters, feed them with Christ's sacramental meal, bandage their wounds with God's forgiveness, and assure them their continued care has been paid for by Jesus' redemptive sacrifice on the cross.Then you will be a Good Samaritan, too. Amen.Serve one another through love. In fact, the whole law is summed up in this one statement: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:13, 14). Amen.View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/beaten-bruised-and-bloodied/

Sermon Topics: But how do we know that we have faith?But how do we know that we love God's children?But how do we know we have overcome the world?View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/by-our-god-given-faith-we-are-united-and-are-sent-out-into-the-world/

Sermon Topics: He is the living shepherdHe is the shepherd of (eternal) lifeHe is not a shepherd for worldly gainHe is the shepherd with a powerful voiceView this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/jesus-is-the-good-shepherd/

View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/christs-resurrection-gives-you-peace-2024/Watch this sermon directly on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9an8rPnr42E

View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/how-could-you-miss-this/Watch this sermon directly on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2A7BWRQmsE

View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/what-kind-of-martyr-are-you/Watch this sermon directly on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQFRw31cSEg

Sermon Topics: As with Christ we think in selfless accord and look out for each otherChrist being true God chose the glory of His graceHe set aside His Godly glory to serve man by becoming manHe served us by living perfectly and dying on the crossView this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/see-the-depths-of-the-god-mans-service/Watch this sermon directly on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH-4r-5vdt8

View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/how-could-you-do-this-to-your-family/Watch this sermon directly on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sAvkeNESc8

View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/why-are-you-naked-and-exposed/Watch this sermon directly on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBl4EIVYb8A

View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/what-kind-of-king-is-this/Watch this sermon directly on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yo1jrEe9pc8

Sermon Topics: God's Word gives eternal life and mature wisdomOur new person wants to glorify God and uses God's Word as a guideView this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/gods-glory-is-revealed-in-his-word-and-demonstrated-in-your-life/

Sermon Overview: Herod (before he was king) once stood before the Sanhedrin and secured a not guilty verdict by a show of force and by having the right connections. Why didn't Jesus use his Godly power and authority to overcome those corrupt leaders and avoid being crucified, especially since he was innocent? View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/if-you-are-so-great-then-why-are-they-questioning-you/Watch this sermon directly on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5l-aH2gzAo

View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/the-lord-is-always-with-you-even-when-it-seems-the-opposite/

View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/how-could-you-do-this-to-your-friends/Watch this sermon directly on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3hkA9t0AFQ

View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/how-could-you-let-a-friend-betray-you/Watch this sermon directly on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH-F1Tcmeos

Sermon Overview: Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a mountain, where they saw Elijah and Moses, and then God the Father spoke to them. Afterwards, Jesus told them not to tell anyone until after he had risen. This encounter may seem strange to us, and probably raises some questions, but in this sermon Pastor Schurman explains the context and points out that, while it may not be the glory we want, the glory we need is Christ on the cross.Sermon Topics: Why only three disciples?Jesus usually hides his Godly gloryMoses and Elijah's glory was dim in comparisonWe glorify Christ when we listen to His WordView this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/is-this-the-glory-we-want-or-the-glory-we-need/

Sermon Topics: Jesus spoke God's Will, not human speculations or opinionsJesus Spoke with God's authorityJesus was not teaching something newWhoever is correctly teaching and applying the Word of God has this authorityView this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/the-word-of-the-lord-has-all-authority/

Sermon Overview: Jonah begrudgingly preached a message of warning to the people Nineveh at God's direction, but he did so without compassion and instead wanted God to punish them. Despite Jonah's intent, the people Nineveh took the message to heart and truly repented of their evil ways. God saw this and spared them from the disaster he had warned them about. In today's sermon we examine the difference between true repentance and simply wanting to avoid consequences.View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/what-does-true-repentance-look-like/

Sermon Overview: Our sinful nature often prevents us from having a servant's attitude towards God and His Word, but through Jesus our new man eagerly listens and joyfully serves. In this sermon we see ways in which Samuel was called by God, and how those situations apply to us today, including warning our children (young and old), and even our friends' and neighbors' children, when they stray from God.View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/do-we-really-say-speak-o-lord-for-your-servant-is-listening/

Sermon Overview: Mary asked the angel "How will this be?" after being told she would give birth to the savior, even though she was a virgin. Pastor Schurman examines how Mary's question was different than Zechariah's similar question to the angel ("How can I be sure of this?"), and we look at other miracles that show nothing is impossible for God.View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/how-will-this-be/Watch this sermon directly on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU02fabh5dI

Sermon Overview: Zechariah asked the angel "How can I be sure of this?" after being told he and his wife would be the parents of John, who would announce the coming of the savior to the world. Through the faith given to us by the Holy Spirit, we can be sure of everything the Bible tells us. This Christmas season we should also remember to spread the message of salvation to others.View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/how-can-i-be-sure-of-this/Watch this sermon directly on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_jASf2XMD0

Sermon Overview: God's timing is perfect. We confidently expect the savior to return, but according to God's plan. In the meantime, we remain strong by hearing and reading His Word, and we spread the gospel message to others.View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/why-so-long/Watch this sermon directly on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mU5nqQrSJbA

Sermon Topics: He reigns in all His gloryHe reigns with all believersHe reigns for all believersHe reigns in providence for all creationHe reigns worthy of all adorationView this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/christ-is-ruling-as-king-over-all-creation/Watch this sermon directly on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH0hoBD4oH4

Sermon Topics: They needed the true and faithful witnessTheir inability to distinguish themselves as Christians was disgusting to GodA lack of crosses may divert our eyes from ChristChrist can make us hot or cold in union with HimThose who are hot or cold conquer by using the Word of God View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/are-we-lukewarm/

Sermon Overview: Christians delight in the good news of free salvation in Jesus Christ, but unbelievers resent that message and those who deliver it. That should not stop us from sharing the message with others, though, just as Martin Luther did not stop when he was faced with persecution during the Reformation.View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/the-powerful-news-of-salvation-in-christ-is-sweet-and-sour/

Sermon Topics: Christ is the true and holy keeper of the keysFaithfulness to the Word has nothing to do with a congregation's size or resourcesTheir open door was conversion of Gentiles and many Jews who had persecuted themOur open door is evangelism through faithfulness to the WordFaithfulness to the Word gives God's protectionThe door remains open as we remain faithful to the WordView this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/what-door-is-the-lord-opening-for-us/

Sermon Topics: Christ sends His Holy Spirit to give lifeThe Holy Spirit works through the Word to give and maintain lifePersistently ignoring the Word leads to death and judgmentThose who are alive conquer by hearing and using God's WordView this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/do-we-look-alive-despite-being-dead-on-the-inside/

Sermon Topics: Christ's omniscience and omnipotence are the attributes needed to prevent and cureThe Word will grow the fruits of faith in union with ChristIgnoring the problem will not make it go awayGod will not ignore the sinStay in the Word of God, do not even dabble in the things of SatanHolding tightly to God's Word means we will conquer by hearing and using itHolding tightly to God's Word assures us of His promises View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/do-we-allow-jezebels-teachings-by-ignoring-the-problem/

Sermon Topics: Holding tightly to God's Word is the only prevention and cureUsing the forgiveness Christ has won for us as an excuse to sin is to deny ChristHolding tightly to God's Word means we will repent and admonish those who do notHolding tightly to God's Word means we will conquer by hearing and using His WordView this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/are-we-holding-tightly-to-the-teaching-of-balaam/

Sermon Topics: When we are faithful we will gather together around God's WordWhen we are faithful we will cling to Jesus as the Eternal God, who suffered death, and defeated it with His resurrectionWhen we are faithful we will cling to God's Word even if it causes earthly affliction, poverty, and slanderWhen we are faithful we will not fear any suffering that comes from adhering to God's WordWhen we are faithful we will conquer by hearing and using God's WordView this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/are-we-faithful-to-the-point-of-death/

Sermon Topics: When we love God we will gather together around His WordWhen we love God we will trust in His protectionWhen we love God we will work, labor, and persevere for the good news of salvation in ChristWhen we love God we will not put up with anything that does not do good (i.e. does not glorify God)When we love God we will test those claiming to be sent by Him using His WordWhen we love God we will bear His nameWhen we love God we will always remember the grace we have, live in repentance, and do His workWhen we love God we will hate what he hates (false teaching)When we love God we will conquer by hearing and using His WordView this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/have-we-abandoned-our-first-love/

Sermon Overview: Jesus is ruling over this world for the Christian church, past and present, regardless of how much the Devil and this world persecute believers.Sermon Topics: He is comforting John and the churches that are facing persecutionPersecution, separation, the sea, and the land are all common themes in this revelationJohn is bearing the cross, and he is writing to churches that have born, are bearing, and will bear the crossHe is ruling for the church, even when persecution makes it seem like He isn'tJohn's description of Jesus shows many of the ways He rules over this worldFind comfort: He is also ruling for youView this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/why-is-jesus-christ-among-the-seven-gold-lampstands/

Sermon Overview: When God told King Solomon to ask for anything and God would grant it, Solomon asked for wisdom to judge the people of his kingdom justly. However, it seems that God had already gifted Solomon with such wisdom. Using God's answer to King Solomon, we can evaluate ourselves to see if we have (and use) Christian wisdom.Sermon Topics: Do you look at the lord's loving mercy in the past?Do you see how ignorant and inexperienced you are?Do you hear the Word and your neighbor's cry for help?Do you discern between Good and evil?View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/do-you-have-christian-wisdom/

Sermon Topics: Is your heart a hardened path?Is your heart shallow soil?Are the thorns of this world choking you?Has the Word made your heart fertile soil?View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/how-receptive-are-you-being-toward-gods-word/