Messages from St. Andrew Lutheran Church of Middleton, Wisconsin.
Normally, it's not such a compliment to be called a sheep. Sheep aren't fierce, dominant, or self-sufficient. Sheep need help, protection, and guidance. But now you know why Jesus calls us sheep! More than that, the shepherd is the one who helps, feeds, protects, and guides the sheep. But now you know why Jesus calls himself our Good Shepherd! Welcome to the sheep pen where we gather under the beautiful care and watchful eye of our Good Shepherd, Jesus.
The five-year-old squirrels away buttons, bows, shells and rocks in a box under his bed. It's his treasure. What's your treasure? We all treasure something, even if we can no longer fit it into a box under the bed. One of the most famous things Jesus said was, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." We're glad you're with us today. May Jesus open our eyes to our real treasure.
Do you remember intertwining the fingers of your hands and saying, "Here's the church. Here's the steeple. Open the doors, and see all the people!” It's a neat little reminder that in the Bible, the church is never a building, but it's always people—people Jesus lived and died for and brought to trust and love him. But maybe it's a little misleading, too, because where are all the people? Sure, they're in church, but they're also "out there" where God has called us to live, work, and play. This weekend, remember and celebrate that Jesus is alive. The tomb is empty. And he's with his people in church and out. He's with you. He's with us, St. Andrew, as we pursue his vision for our church.
What would you say has been a crucial time in your life? Was it a time when you made a decision about a career, a move, or marriage? Was it a time when someone else made a decision to reduce staff, offer you a job, or cause an accident? Those were crucial times. But think bigger. What would you say has been the most crucial hour in the history of the world? That distinction belongs to what took place 2,000 years ago. Jesus of Nazareth paid his last visit to Jerusalem and there determined the destiny of mankind. Never in all of history were the stakes so high or the results so far-reaching. This Holy Week, we'll examine the biblical record of Jesus in his most crucial hours. May the Holy Spirit bless you with a greater understanding and a deeper appreciation of who you are and what you have because of Jesus' crucial hours.
We will be suspending our Matthew series until the end of May to accommodate Holy Week and our A Place of Peace series. So, this weekend it's . . . Matthew. Ha, but not where we were; we will skip ahead to chapter 21 where shouts of “save us now!” were heard on Palm Sunday. The question we need to ask is this: from what are we asking for salvation?
Turn the other cheek--that's probably one of Jesus' most famous statements. No one criticizes Jesus' command to "turn the other cheek" or to "love your enemy" because to do so would be vile or disgusting. Everyone agrees such actions would be lofty and admirable; but to do it is just impossible. Who can do that? Who wants to do that? Only those radically changed by the love of God in Christ can begin to see how it's possible. What would it look like in your life to "turn the other cheek" or to "love your enemy”? Gather with other radically altered brothers and sisters and seek God's answer in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:38-48.
A Lenten devotion by Minister for Nurture Mark Kjenstad
Have you ever been called a prude for the way you think about sex and marriage? Or maybe for not going along with the messages many movies and much music send about sex and marriage? The living Jesus has something to say to us about that. In the sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) Jesus offers us the most relevant, free, and attractive way to think about everything in life.
Everyone has standards. Some have double standards. Read Jesus' words in Matthew 5:17-26, and you'll know that the Son of God upholds standards and the penalties for not living up to them. He says something alarming in verse 20, but he also gives us a solution. Hint: it's not getting rid of all our standards.
Everybody knows about salt and light, so they should make for easy spiritual comparisons, right? But when Jesus calls you the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16), the difficulty does not lie in understanding, but in embracing and responding. May our Lord and Savior enable and empower us to make everything salty and bright.
A Lenten devotion by Pastor Jon Bilitz from Wisconsin Lutheran Chapel.
This week we come to Matthew 5:1-12, one of the most famous sections of the Bible, the Beatitudes. They sound so appropriate and so honorable. And they are. But when you read them, you must also be horribly unsettled. What do we do when we haven't lived them out? Find an answer in this the first and longest of Jesus' sermons we have on record. Read Jesus' introduction to his sermon on the mount, then gather with others seeking to live out the Beatitudes and find an answer to what to do when we don't.
What happens when you come alongside the hurting? You are, in Paul's words, "participating in Christ's sufferings." Oh, you're not suffering as the substitute for sinners. You're doing it to show the love of Christ, our substitute, to the person who is hurting. That's better than any physical healing. All of Jesus' miracles teach us something about Jesus, but his healing miracles prove who he is, point to where he will take us, and give us a pattern of how he has saved us. May Jesus' healing for you, for others, or for people who walked the earth with him give you evidence that strengthens your trust in his promises.
If you like what you see in some social media apps, you're invited to "click, like, and subscribe." Other apps are more direct and simply say, "If you like what you see, follow me." They stole that from Jesus! Early in his ministry, Jesus invited four people to "follow me." They did, but why? What did they see in Jesus that made them "click, like, and subscribe"? What do you see in him that makes you do the same, and what does it look like? May God use his Word to help you find those answers today.
What comes as second nature to you now, was once a beginning. That goes for everything from walking to driving a car to writing a computer program. After about 30 years of living a "normal" life, Jesus began his public ministry. Matthew records this beginning with some unique details. What he began then, continues now. By his Word, Jesus continues to live among us and teach us. We're thrilled that you're here to receive gifts only he can give.
Imagine that you lived 2,000 years ago and Jesus invited you to follow him. Your first question might be, "Who are you?" Matthew's first record of Jesus' "active ministry," after his baptism, would have given you the answer. He's the one who's not tricked by Satan. He's the one who puts the will of God first. He's the one who won't let his feelings dictate his actions. He's the one who perfectly obeys the Father. He's still that one. He invites you to follow him. May your time with him, his Word and his people today help you do that.
With what or whom are you well pleased? Was it the same a decade ago? Will it be the same in a decade? In Matthew 3, God the Father said he was well pleased with Jesus, and he never withdrew that status. Can God say the same about you? Why or why not?
Of all the good things you can do, and you can do plenty, what could be better than pointing someone to Jesus? That good thing could have eternal results. That good thing was also the special role God gave to John the Baptist and the special role God gives to us, too. Today, the Spirit will not only teach us about John the Baptist, but he will encourage us and give us wisdom for pointing others to Jesus.
Are you impressed by people born in impressive places? A small restaurant chain in the south is named for a man born while his parents were climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, inspiring his parents to carry him to the top. Or was it all a marketing gimmick? Still, no one would name a restaurant after someone born in Possum Grape, Arkansas or Burnt Corn, Alabama. You might not expect much from towns like those. That's the way people felt about Jesus' childhood home of Nazareth. But Jesus turned the world upside down. Smart sophisticated people (like you) don't have a lock on the truth; Jesus does. He unlocks it for all; but maybe not the way you expect. Welcome to a time to marvel at who Jesus is, what he came to do, and his message and ministry.
No one likes a detour. It always means a longer drive in a direction you didn't want to go. It's one thing to encounter a detour on a trip, it's quite another to encounter a detour in your life, a change of plans you can't avoid and don't like. On that kind of detour, when your life takes a turn for the worse, it's tempting to hear Satan's muttering that God has left you. But a detour doesn't mean you won't arrive at your destination; only that you won't arrive as you planned. After Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, the Lord led Mary, Joseph, and Jesus home via quite a detour. That was his plan to protect, help, and save them. He's leading you home, too, even if it's not the way you planned. He's leading you home by another way. May the Spirit encourage you by the Lord's plan for his Son, for the people around his Son, and for you, too.
Come far to follow him. That's what the wise men, or magi, did. Join us to celebrate the Epiphany of our Lord, which means Jesus was revealed not only to one people, but to all nations. May our response to Jesus' presence be like that of the wise men. We're glad you're here to worship the Savior of the nations with us.
Right on the heels of the joy of Christmas comes the reality of another year. Undoubtedly some of it will be easy to take; some of it will be hard to take. We all pray for more of the former and less of the latter. But we don't know, do we? How do you plan to face the unknown or even the unpleasant of 2025? God's children can do so much better than whistle in the dark, think positive thoughts, or hope for the best. Let the inspired author of Psalm 27 fill you with the One Thing you need for the new year, and every year.
One of the privileges of having a child is the authority to name that child. Parents get to name their child because it's their wonderful privilege to manage their child, to help him or her find his or her talents, to find his or her capacities, to develop their child, and to bring their child to fullness. It's a wonderful thing to be a parent. But Mary and Joseph were not allowed to name their child. They would care for him, sure; but they wouldn't manage him. He would manage them. Why? Because their son is not just their son. He's God with us. He will manage you. It's a bit frightening, don't you think? Until you know who he is and why he's come. Then it's only gloriously joyful. We're glad you've joined us to worship him this Christmas Eve.
The story of David and Bathsheba is probably one of the best-known stories of all time, but not because it's such a good example for anyone to follow. Still, when you think of it, if God was going to take on a human body through a human mother, what choice did he have but to do so through sinful human beings. That's all there are. The most wonderful thing about the story of David and Bathsheba is that through them, they and we received a Savior from sin. Welcome to St. Andrew. We're glad you're here to give thanks for how our Savior came to earth the first time and to encourage one another until he comes again in glory.
One of the women Matthew includes in his record of Jesus' family tree is Ruth. Her life would seem to be a series of misfortunes and lucky breaks. But no way. The Lord God was at work through her, her mother-in-law, and her husband Boaz to accomplish his plan to send his Son to be the Savior of the world. We aren't in Jesus' family tree, but the Lord would want us to know he's just as much at work in our lives. It's not luck. It's not fortune. It's the Lord who has promised to take care of us. He daily invites us to repent of our sin, trust that he's already rescued us, and be part of his way of working things out. We're glad you're with us today. Please accept as our gift to you a copy of the Matthew study book from the atrium.
Drama. Political spies. Seamy and seedy locations. Life-threatening danger. Chase scenes. Does all that sound like a John le Carré or Ian Fleming novel? Those elements are also part of the story of Rahab, one of five women Matthew includes in the family tree of Jesus. We're glad you're with us to not just gain fascinating information about this woman and the events around her, but to recall the unmistakable work of God to redeem a fallen world through her. Rahab isn't ancillary to God's plan to save; she's at the very heart of it.
Isn't it amazing how a minor disagreement can grow into something bigger than you would have thought possible? And maybe even hurt more people than you would have thought possible? Maybe you've met someone who said about a friend or a spouse, “I don't know exactly when it started. We both got so irritated with each other, and it just grew and grew. We never thought it would end like this.” But it did. When someone hurts us, our natural response is to get defensive—build a wall. But then there's war and far-reaching consequences. There's another way. Today, in our worship series “You Need a Friend,” we'll learn from two early church leaders with feet of clay (like ours): Paul and Barnabas. Here's our prayer: Lord, help me to be friend when we disagree.
Isn't it amazing how a minor disagreement can grow into something bigger than you would have thought possible? And maybe even hurt more people than you would have thought possible? Maybe you've met someone who said about a friend or a spouse, “I don't know exactly when it started. We both got so irritated with each other, and it just grew and grew. We never thought it would end like this.” But it did. When someone hurts us, our natural response is to get defensive—build a wall. But then there's war and far-reaching consequences. There's another way. Today, in our worship series “You Need a Friend,” we'll learn from two early church leaders with feet of clay (like ours): Paul and Barnabas. Here's our prayer: Lord, help me to be friend when we disagree.
"Why can't we all just get along?" You've heard that or even said it. Wouldn't it be nice if we could? Because of the world we live in and the condition of human nature, it won't always happen. You will be attacked by sickness, Satan, and, possibly, even friends. What then? You'll need a friend. Today, may the Lord bless you as you learn from two characters in the Bible, David and Jonathon, about the importance of friendship… especially when you're attacked. We're glad you've joined us to worship the greatest friend imaginable, Jesus, and receive from him the greatest gift possible: grace.
Public health journals are filled with studies demonstrating the importance of friendships for a person's well-being. A recent survey (The American Perspectives Survey) finds that Americans report having fewer close friendships than they once did, talking to their friends less often, and relying less on their friends for personal support. It's one thing for us to imagine why that is; it's something else for us to value friendship for what it is: a gift from God. Who gives the gift of friendship to you? To whom are you giving the gift of friendship? This weekend we begin a three-week series on friendship. Each week we'll ask the Spirit to teach us through biblical models of friendship and determine how we might put what we learn into effect in our lives. This week: You need a friend when you're depressed.
Our celebration of the Reformation this weekend is less about lauding Martin Luther and company and more about maintaining God's Word as is. We thank God for preserving his message of free salvation by grace through faith. The "re-" in "reformation" tells us that we are doing something again or going back to something. With God's Word, we never need anything new; we only need to go back to it and read it again and again.
When circumstances force you to rearrange your budget, you still only have so many dollars. When you take a stand in hopes of some kind of a reset, you are still only one person. Ultimately, you don't have much control, and you're usually going to be working with the same resources you had before. How much difference was there between what went into the ark and what came out of it? In some ways a lot, but in other ways very little. We find peace in the God who knew the flood was coming and had a plan for it.
Isn't it nice to have an opportunity to reset? This might come with a new house, new job, or new school. For Noah and his family, it came with a new world. After the flood, everything went through Noah. His family established the beginning of culture and civilization. God gave some rules for this reset. Read through them in the first part of Genesis 9. But even in our age, what better time than the present to commit to reestablishing ourselves as God-fearing people? Let's examine the abundant blessings of our lives and consider how we are responding to God's immeasurable grace.
Have you ever felt as though God had forgotten you? Maybe a relationship wasn't working out as you had planned. Maybe your health took a sudden turn for the worse. Maybe the job you thought you'd keep for a long time is going away. God, where are you? The opening words of Genesis 8 are not only written for you; they're written about you. We're glad you're here today and pray the Spirit blesses you through his Word
Do you stand by the microwave and tap your fingers? Is your finger ready on the horn if the car ahead of you doesn't move on green? Most of us aren't very patient. God is. Genesis 6 – 9 not only leads us to a deeper understanding of God's covenant of grace, but along the way we grow to appreciate his patience. We're glad you're with us today and pray that the Spirit blesses you with valuable lessons about ourselves and about God.
"Righteous" is a word that usually has either a theological connotation or "self-" in front of it. Genesis 6 describes Noah as righteous and blameless. Read the chapter and see his actions. He didn't say a word, but he acted. But these actions showed his righteousness; they didn't establish it. Like ours, Noah's righteousness was through God. Like Noah, our righteousness results in God-pleasing action.
The book of Genesis isn't just about what happened, it's also about what is happening. This weekend, we begin a fall series on the Covenant of Grace described in Genesis 6 – 9. Our day is more like Noah's than we realize. We have cars and power tools, but hearts haven't changed. God warned the people of Noah's day judgment was coming, and he warns people of our day. Just like God was incredibly patient then, he's patient now. Now is our time to live in his patience, walk with him, and finally enjoy the safety not of an ark, but of his grace by faith in Jesus Christ. We're so glad you're with us and invite you to let us know if there's some way we might serve you.
Finishing a book of the Bible is a big deal. It's been God's source of truth and inspiration for us for all of 2024. We'll miss you, Romans. But not really. We still have and we still need the message of Jesus we find in Romans. It's not going anywhere, except going more deeply into our hearts as we read it again. We're glad you are with us today for the closing words from Paul through the Holy Spirit. Next week, we begin a six-week study on God's “covenant of grace.” Those are two church-y sounding words, but by the end of the series we pray they are words you treasure.
After Paul plumbed the depths of the knowledge of God for 15 chapters of Romans, he concluded by naming 29 church members and 6 groups of church members in the final chapter. Why? The Spirit wants us to know God's Word matters, and the Spirit wants us to know God's people matter. It's true, we don't know much about Tryphena and Tryphosa. But we know this: they're in the Bible. That's more than I can say about myself or anyone I know. Wouldn't it be embarrassing to get to heaven, meet Tryphena, and say, "I don't think I've ever heard of you." After today, you need not worry about that. You'll be able to say, “Oh, I read your name in the Bible!” More than that, the Spirit works through the Word you'll hear to get you there.
“Let the gospel predominate” is an old Lutheran preacher's maxim. As sinners, all of us (not just preachers) have ways of binding up the gospel of Jesus. We hide it. We water it down. We empty it of its comfort. The end of Romans 15 is one part of Scripture that shows us the apostle's Spirit-led thinking: let the gospel not be bound by time, space, culture, or even human deficiencies. Let's be intentional about the unbounded gospel.
Teachers, parents, and even returning students are often surprised by changes that have occurred over the summer. Some examples from the past week: "You got new furniture in the atrium!!" And, "You must have grown six inches over the summer!" And, "You got glasses! I love them." Those kinds of changes are nothing compared to the changes you see in a person when God the Holy Spirit shows up. Sometimes it's a slow process, and sometimes everything changes at once. One thing is sure, though: when the Spirit shows up, there is change. Paul encouraged the Roman church by pointing out the changes he noticed. May the Spirit encourage you today as you encounter him in his Word.
The first 13 verses of Romans 15 show a theme of acceptance. Acceptance is a word and a concept with a positive connotation in most contexts, but what does God's Word say? How and why have you been accepted? Whom should you accept? How and why? We're glad you're here to explore this with us.
Imagine a rich uncle tells you that for your birthday he'd like to buy you a car, "Just go pick it out." You go to the used car lot and choose a 20-year-old rusty compact with 200,000 miles. You didn't fully understand your uncle's offer. He meant for you to pick out a new Cybertruck or Eurocar. You were thinking too small. In his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul corrects our small thinking about the kingdom of God. In chapter 14, he probes the depths of what the kingdom of God. Don't settle. This is big. We're glad you're here with us today to revel in the riches you have in the kingdom of God.
Do you remember COVID? Unless you're a newborn or have a failing memory, of course you do. Remember the unknowns, the fear, the divisiveness, and the decisions? Leaders of St. Andrew prayed often as we entered that season that the Lord would guide us to make decisions that would reflect our love for Christ and his people, weak or strong. COVID is in the rearview mirror, but we'll always have to make decisions that have potential to hurt or help. Where do you draw the line? Don't expect pat answers; expect the God who cared enough to die for you to guide you. Today, he does so through his Word (Romans 14) and the mystery of the Lord's Supper.
The first half of Romans 13 tells us to give to everyone what we owe them, even to the government. The second half of the chapter gives us one more specific thing we owe everyone. Then, we are encouraged to conduct our lives as if we live in the light, not the darkness. Clothed with Jesus, we stand out.
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