Today’s Old Testament reading is filled with anticipation, expectation and urgency! “Ready or Not… Here He Comes!” Do these words remind you of the childhood game we all played, “Hide-‘n-Seek?” Whoever was “It” would count and then call out loudly, “Ready or not, here I come!” Each player attempted to be “ready” so that they would not be caught “in the open” and unprepared!

Long ago, Malachi, one of the Lord’s prophets/spokesmen under the inspiration of God, cried out a message of warning and urgency. “See, I send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me.” God was sending, and had sent, those messengers, including Elijah one of the greatest Old Testament prophets, throughout human history to His people. After him, God sent the New Testament Elijah, John the Baptist. (Jesus Himself said, “For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. He who has ears, let him hear.” (Matthew 11: 13-14; see also Matthew 17: 10-13)

The sense of expectation grows as the prophet proclaims, “Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to His temple; the Messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come, says the Lord Almighty.” (Malachi 3: 1) This Messenger is none other than Jesus Christ Himself. This Messenger is the One whom Isaiah had seen in a vision, “I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of His robe filled the temple.” (Isaiah 6:1) This same Jesus was BOTH the messenger of the Father’s love as well as the message itself! He came among us, in the flesh, to bring us the message and assurance of the Father’s mercy, care and love for us; but more than that, His coming, His life and His death in our place, actually give us the gift of forgiveness and eternal life! He IS the Good News of our salvation! We have Life in and through Him!

When He comes in all His glory, “Ready or Not,” He will purge out every spot and stain of sin. He will come in judgment and call to account false believers, the immoral, liars, cheaters, those who do not show compassion and those who are unjust in their dealings with others. (Malachi 3:5) “But who can endure the day of His coming? Who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver… and refine them like gold and silver.” (Malachi 3: 2-3)

In His mercy and all-knowing love, He allows us to go through trial, difficulty and even heartache in order to refine us and mold us into His image. Through this process “then the Lord will have [people] who will bring offerings in righteousness, and [their] offerings… will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.” (Malachi 3: 3-4) By His grace, we are then able to give ourselves and all that we have to Him as a righteous offering of thanksgiving.

As our loving Heavenly Father, His urgent call and promise to us is “Return to Me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty.” (Malachi 3: 7) And we do return to Him through the only way He makes possible, through His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ!   Another Old Testament prophet asks the rhetorical question, “With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” Of course not! “He has showed you… what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6: 6-8)

By His grace and work within us, may we do so as we eagerly await His coming, because “Ready or Not…” He IS coming!

See you in church!

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Snow

Sermon Audio

There are times when it’s easy to rejoice:  when the Shockers get back on a winning streak; family coming home for the holidays; the birth of children and grandchildren; safe return of military from dangerous and active duty overseas; good medical report and many more.

And there are times when it is hard to rejoice: lost job or unemployed and can’t find a job; terrorist on the news; shootings in your neighborhood, concern for family members far away; mourning the death of a loved one; member of the family in prison.

This weekend we have two Scripture readings about two men who were imprisoned – John the Baptizer and St. Paul, the apostle – both imprisoned because they spoke the truth of God’s Word.  Paul writes: “Rejoice in the Lord always!” and John asked, “How can I rejoice when I’m sitting here in this prison?”

John the Baptizer was in prison because Herod was trying to silence him from speaking out against his sins. John sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are You the One who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” This question is surprising because it comes from John, the man who baptized Jesus – “who saw the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus in bodily form like a dove and a voice from heaven said, ‘You are My Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” This question comes from the man who said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29, 36)  But now John was in prison, knowing that it would most likely end in his death. It appears that John was struggling and questioning why God didn’t do something – NOT UNLIKE the times we ask “Where are You, God?” “Why don’t You do something about my terrible situation?” “Why does God let so much bad happen in my life?”

In obvious contrast, Paul, also imprisoned because of following God’s will, writes: “Rejoice!”  What a contrast!  How can this be?

Rejoice? Yes, God’s Word says, “Rejoice in the Lord always!”  Those three words “in the Lord” are absolutely necessary if we are to understand the “rejoicing” that God’s Word commands of us.

First of all, God’s Word NEVER says that Christians will never experience anxiety nor depression / there ARE times when we will ask honest questions (as John is doing).  In fact, God’s Word tells us when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane He said, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” (Matthew 26:38)  Luke, the physician, writes: “And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”  (Luke 22:44)

Note Jesus’ answer to John’s question: Jesus didn’t rebuke John for asking an honest question, but merely pointed the men to what Jesus was doing and had done – “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cured, deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the person who does not fall away on account of Me.” / i.e. when trials and troubles come, don’t let them distract you from what Jesus Has done, Is doing and Promises to do for His children.

Jesus never promised that our lives would always be pleasant. Rather, Jesus clearly tells us that “in this world we will have trouble.” But Jesus promises: “take heart, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)  Jesus promises: “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.”  (Hebrews 13:5) and  “Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:38-39)

Simply put, Scripture teaches “Rejoice in the Lord always!”…  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

When life gets hard, worldly joy leaves us. Our rejoicing doesn’t depend on the things of this world. Our rejoicing depends on the Lord Jesus Christ, and He is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. That is why we: “Rejoice in the Lord always.”

See you in worship this weekend as we continue to receive His blessings, pray and praise Him and “rejoice in the Lord, always!”

Pastor Myers

Sermon Audio

Luke 19 is filled with familiar events and a parable, which many of us have heard from our early days of Sunday School. First, we hear of Zacchaeus, “a wee little man; a wee little man was he” who was too short to see Jesus through the crowd so “he climbed the sycamore tree to see what he could see, to see what he could see!” Jesus invited him down from the tree, went to his house and brought salvation to Zacchaeus’ heart and home that very day.

As Jesus left Jericho, “He went on to tell them a parable, because He was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.” (Luke 19: 11) With the parable of the “minas” (an amount equaling about three months wages), Jesus instructed His first hearers, and us, to “keep on working for God and for the sake of the Gospel” as diligently as possible, until His ultimate return on the Day of Judgment.

“After Jesus had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As He approached… He sent two of His disciples, saying… ‘Go to the village… and find a colt tied there… Untie it and bring it here.’” (Luke 19: 28-31) They did as He had instructed, and they found everything – exactly as He had described it!

The crowd put their coats on the colt and on the roadway, and with excitement and great joy, they began waving palm branches. “The whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen.” (Luke 19: 37) They had seen and heard how He had miraculously given sight to the blind; hearing to the deaf; raised the dead; driven out demons; and performed many other signs and wonders showing that He was the promised Messiah sent from the Father. In their joy, they quoted the words of Psalm 118, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” Peace in heaven and glory in the highest! (Luke 19: 38)

These beautiful words of praise bring to mind other words which were proclaimed some 33 years earlier when “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.’” (Luke 2: 13-14) These words of praise and promise foreshadowed Jesus’ earthly ministry and purpose – to suffer and die for the forgiveness of the sin of all mankind, thus bringing peace between God and Man once again.

But, of course, not everyone in the crowd echoed this same sense of jubilation. “Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, rebuke Your disciples!’ ‘I tell you,’ He replied, ‘if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.’” (Luke 19: 39-40)

As we read the pages of sacred scripture, we can see “the signs of the times” in our world today – the increase of natural disasters (earthquakes, tornados and fire); that love grows cold (abortion); and the threat of wars and rumors of war (terrorism) grows daily. We, too, like the disciples who first followed Jesus, must speak out, testify and witness to the coming of our Savior, Lord and Advent King – Jesus! There are those “missing from the pews here at Holy Cross” and those who have never heard the message of saving grace, faith and forgiveness which comes only through Christ. We don’t want to be “set aside” while He “raises up the stones who will cry out” if we fail to do so!

We jubilantly sing our praises and cry out, “Come Quickly, Lord!” into our hearts, our homes and our families!

See you in church!

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Snow

Sermon Audio

Luke 19 is filled with familiar events and a parable, which many of us have heard from our early days of Sunday School. First, we hear of Zacchaeus, “a wee little man; a wee little man was he” who was too short to see Jesus through the crowd so “he climbed the sycamore tree to see what he could see, to see what he could see!” Jesus invited him down from the tree, went to his house and brought salvation to Zacchaeus’ heart and home that very day.

As Jesus left Jericho, “He went on to tell them a parable, because He was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.” (Luke 19: 11) With the parable of the “minas” (an amount equaling about three months wages), Jesus instructed His first hearers, and us, to “keep on working for God and for the sake of the Gospel” as diligently as possible, until His ultimate return on the Day of Judgment.

“After Jesus had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As He approached… He sent two of His disciples, saying… ‘Go to the village… and find a colt tied there… Untie it and bring it here.’” (Luke 19: 28-31) They did as He had instructed, and they found everything – exactly as He had described it!

The crowd put their coats on the colt and on the roadway, and with excitement and great joy, they began waving palm branches. “The whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen.” (Luke 19: 37) They had seen and heard how He had miraculously given sight to the blind; hearing to the deaf; raised the dead; driven out demons; and performed many other signs and wonders showing that He was the promised Messiah sent from the Father. In their joy, they quoted the words of Psalm 118, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” Peace in heaven and glory in the highest! (Luke 19: 38)

These beautiful words of praise bring to mind other words which were proclaimed some 33 years earlier when “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.’” (Luke 2: 13-14) These words of praise and promise foreshadowed Jesus’ earthly ministry and purpose – to suffer and die for the forgiveness of the sin of all mankind, thus bringing peace between God and Man once again.

But, of course, not everyone in the crowd echoed this same sense of jubilation. “Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, rebuke Your disciples!’ ‘I tell you,’ He replied, ‘if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.’” (Luke 19: 39-40)

As we read the pages of sacred scripture, we can see “the signs of the times” in our world today – the increase of natural disasters (earthquakes, tornados and fire); that love grows cold (abortion); and the threat of wars and rumors of war (terrorism) grows daily. We, too, like the disciples who first followed Jesus, must speak out, testify and witness to the coming of our Savior, Lord and Advent King – Jesus! There are those “missing from the pews here at Holy Cross” and those who have never heard the message of saving grace, faith and forgiveness which comes only through Christ. We don’t want to be “set aside” while He “raises up the stones who will cry out” if we fail to do so!

We jubilantly sing our praises and cry out, “Come Quickly, Lord!” into our hearts, our homes and our families!

See you in church!

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Snow

Sermon Audio

Sermon Audio

“Whoever stands firm to the end will be saved.”

Monday, Nov. 2, CNN news: “Another come-from-behind win. And, for the first time in 30 years, a World Series win for the Kansas City Royals. And what a way to do it: Down 2-0 coming into the top of the ninth, the Royals scored two runs to tie the game. Then, in the 12th, they racked up five more to seal the win.  The Royals had come from behind again for the eighth time in their 11 postseason games, securing their first World Series title since 1985.”  The team that plays hard to the end wins the series!

This is pretty basic in baseball – it’s important to hit the ball, to run to first base, reach second, and then third base.  But the most important part of the game – the only thing that finally matters – is to reach home!  What a great disappointment for a ball player to reach third base, but the third out comes – it is said, “the player died on third” – they never reached home!

I pray that this baseball analogy will help us hear what Jesus is telling us in the Scripture readings this weekend so that no one “dies on third”- as Jesus warns: “Watch out … be on your guard… he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Mark 13:5, 9, 13)

In Mark 13, as Jesus and His disciples left the Temple in Jerusalem, “one of His disciples said… ‘Look, Teacher!  What massive stones!  What magnificent buildings!’” (v.1)  Herod the Great had been constructing this Temple for 46 years and it still wasn’t finished!  USING THIS AS AN OBJECT LESSON Jesus replied, “Do you see all these great buildings?  Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” (v.2)  [This was literally fulfilled some 35 years later when the Romans completely destroyed the Temple.]  Jesus wanted His disciples to know, WITH CERTAINTY, that WHAT SEEMED to be FOUNDATIONS in this WORLD would ALL BE SHAKEN.  By themselves they would NOT be able to “stand firm to the end,” Jesus wanted them (and us) to “safely reach home!”

Jesus warned against FAULTY FOUNDATIONS as He says: “Watch out that no one deceives you…” (Mk.13:5) – deceptions that SUBSTITUTE anything for Christ, or seek to remove Christ.  Satan’s best work is done in secret, (like termites destroying the foundation of a building) – without people realizing what he is doing.  So many in America today are being quietly deceived as the “foundation” of Christian morals / marriage and family / the pictures and symbols of Christ / are being “removed” from our society.

Jesus says: “nation will rise against nation” – warning against the “faulty foundation” of political power: how much security in Social Security; taxes; a peace agreement that endures; ISIS and radical Muslim groups continue to destroy and terrorize as in Paris this week; (and the list goes on and on!).

THE ONLY CERTAINTY, of THE Kingdom “which cannot be shaken” is our “citizenship” in the Heavenly Kingdom of God through Jesus Christ!  God’s Word tells us in Hebrews 12: “we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken (the Kingdom of God, as we pray, “Thy Kingdom come”), (therefore) let us be thankful, and  worship God acceptably with reverence and awe…”  (Hebrews 12:28)  After all the military strategies, political speeches and promises; financial and social plans; all the hopes and promises in this earthly kingdom – we KNOW that they are temporary at best.  In reverence to God, we honor, respect and pray for all those “whom God has established” (Romans 13:1); knowing that “we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken (the Kingdom of God).  For God’s Word ASSURES us: “No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ!” (1 Corinthians 3:11)

A Christian man in his early 40’s, was flying home.  The man sitting next to him looked familiar, and turned out to be a High School classmates!  As they sat and “caught up” on each other’s lives, the Christian man told of his faith in Jesus and then listened as his friend sadly shared that he was no longer a Christian because of so many bad things that had happened to him in his life.  He said he had not been to church for many years, nor had he read his Bible or prayed because he just didn’t feel like God cared at all about him.

The Christian man took from his pocket a Bible and his pen, saying, “May I show you how I can make this pen stand up on its end in spite of the movement of this plane?”  Thinking that this was some kind of trick, and happy to change the subject, his friend agreed, wondering how it could be done.  When the Christian man said he was doing it, his friend protested: “Oh, but you are holding it!”  “Why, of course I’m holding it,” came the reply.  “It’s impossible for a pen to stand on its end without being held up!  In the same way, you are not able to have faith in Jesus without being held up by God, and He does this through His Word and Sacraments!”  And the Christian man encouraged his friend to once again “be supported” by becoming active in a local congregation; worshiping with fellow believers; read the Bible regularly; and receive the ministry of pastor and congregation.

Today Jesus tells us in His Word: “(whoever) stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Mark 13:13b)  And He tells us that it won’t be easy / we won’t be able to do it on our own!  Jesus stood firm to the very end – suffering and dying for our sins, taking our place – remaining firm and faithful to the end. He promises us His grace and power through His “Means of Grace” – His Word and the Sacraments.

At Holy Baptism, God gave us the gift of faith (first base).  At baptism we promise to teach the child God’s Word – place into their hands the Bible, etc. as we also provide confirmation instruction and come to the Lord’s Supper, “given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins” (second base).  The rite of confirmation is another step in the life of faith – we continue to study and grow in the faith (third base) and continue strong throughout our lives – until we reach “home!”  How serious for those who “die on third” or maybe “second” leaving or turning away from Word and Sacrament, like the classmate in the illustration.  But God’s desire is that we “remain firm to the end” and so His Word continually encourages us to read, listen and put into practice His Word as well as being strengthened in the Sacraments.

Don’t miss out on “making it safely home” as God upholds us through our daily Bible reading, our meeting together in worship and Bible Study and the many opportunities to “stand firm in Jesus to the end.”

Praying that we’ll be “firmly” together in worship this coming weekend and “all the way home!”

Pastor Myers

Sermon Audio

 

In both the Old and New Testament readings for today, we meet women who were in desperate situations! Both of these women were widows with no apparent means to support themselves or those who might depend upon them. In those days, there were no “social welfare safety-nets,” no “survivor benefits,” no “Aid to Dependent Children” from which they might seek assistance or on which they might hope to rely. They were completely “on their own” – or at least it appeared that way!

In the first reading (1 Kings 17), Elijah carried a word of judgment to the wickedest king of Israel, Ahab, after which the prophet fled to Kerith Ravine where he was miraculously fed (bread and meat) each morning and evening until God told him to leave there to go to the northern town of Zarephath were he would meet a woman who would feed him.

Elijah did meet her at the city gate, and asked her for water to drink and bread to eat. She said to him, “As surely as the Lord your God lives, I don’t have any bread – only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it – and die.” (1 Kings 17: 12) By the promise of God, Elijah told her to make bread for him and then for her son and herself. If she would put her trust in God and do this, he said, “The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land.”  (1 Kings 17: 14) Miraculously, she believed, put her trust in God and God provided!

In the Gospel reading, Jesus was teaching in the Temple where He warned his hearers against the arrogant and prideful Teachers of the Law who wore fancy robes, and made a show of their religion by their prayers and their giving in such a way as to seek the admiration of those around them. Just then He “watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny… Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out to their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on.’” (Mark 12: 41-44) Miraculously, this widow, too, believed and put her trust in God to provide!

God calls each of us, today, no matter what our circumstances, to place our trust in Him; to believe; and He will also miraculously provide for us! Some among us are very wealthy; some live on fixed incomes, are unemployed or underemployed – and all the rest of us are somewhere in between. God knows our situation and calls us to give our hearts, our wallets and our very selves to Him!

We give ourselves into the hands of Him who gave Himself for us. Jesus’ sacrificial death in our place forgives us all our sins – our sins of selfishness, greed, arrogance, lack of trust and unbelief.

By His Spirit working within us, we do place our trust in Him!  “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.” (2 Corinthians 5: 14-15) God knows our every need, and everything we have comes from His gracious, loving hands. “For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.” (Luther’s explanation to the First Article of the Apostles’ Creed) “Where is your trust?” – in Him and Him alone!

See you in church!

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Snow

Sermon Audio

“Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:13-14)

We confess it each time we say the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in the Holy Christian church, the Communion of Saints.” This weekend we join with fellow Christians in celebrating All Saints’ Day. Who is included in your understanding of “the Communion of Saints?” (Take a minute and make a mental list of at least five “saints.”)

As you think about saints…

• Were some of them from the Bible “St. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John” … “St. Peter, St. James, St. Paul, St. Thomas?”
• Were any of them St. Nicholas, St. Valentine, St. Patrick, St. Francis of Assisi?
• Or “church fathers” – St. Augustine, Martin Luther?
• Did you include a grandparent or other family member; your spouse; your child; what about the person sitting next to you; the people living in your neighborhood? Did you include your name? Would others include your name on their list of “saints?”

Our list is determined by the definition we use for a “saint.”

A number of years ago, a former Jesuit missionary named Junipero Serra was being recommended for sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church. Back in the middle 1700’s he had started dozens of missions all over Mexico and the area that is now California. But he wouldn’t make the roster of saints unless there was evidence of at least two genuine miracles that he performed! This would define a saint because of what they have done! – including at least two miracles?!? Is that your definition of a saint? If so, I would guess that your list would be quite short – and would you dare to include yourself on such a list?Quite obviously, if it depends on what we have done, none of us are saints. We truthfully confess: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive yourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8) We know that on our own we are sinners, not saints!And yet the Apostle Paul, writing God’s Word, begins most of his 13 letters with the words: “To the saints in Christ Jesus at: Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi, etc.” In fact, someone has

ONLY BY GOD’S GRACE. God’s Word clearly says: “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders, nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the Kingdom of God. (And what other secret personal sins would we also add to this list?) And this is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthian 6:9-10) God’s Word defines “saints” as “sinners who are washed (baptism), sanctified (made holy by the working of the Holy Spirit), justified (our sins have been charged against Jesus, and Jesus’ righteousness has been credited to our account!) in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

With the Apostle Paul we confess, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” (1 Timothy 1:15) With the hymn writer we rejoice, “Chief of Sinners though I be, Jesus shed His blood for me!”

Jesus includes us in our text for today (Revelation 7), through faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord, we see ourselves as a part of the “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) and we are assured that this “great multitude” is made up of all “who have come out of the great tribulation” (life in this anti-Christian world), and (who) “have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (v.14)

Thanks be to God that it is not up to us – nor anything we do! God assures us through His prophet Isaiah, “Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” (Isaiah 1:18) St. John, the apostle writes, “the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, purifies us from all (every) sin.” (1 John 1:7) That is what absolution, the forgiveness of sins, is all about! That is also the daily blessing because of our Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. This is the message Jesus gives in today’s Gospel reading (Matthew 5), as nine times Jesus declares us “Blessed,” and as Jesus directs us, “Rejoice and be glad, because great is Your reward in heaven.” (Matthew 5:12)

On this All Saints’ Day weekend, and each day of our lives, we continue to rejoice that God has washed, sanctified and justified us so that as we live in this world, we are able to hear and be assured by God’s own Words, that as we continue to struggle against sin, God works faith in us, declaring us to be “Blessed” – “saints” along with all those who are already in God’s presence – because we also, have been washed and made white in the blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

See you this weekend in worship again – as God continue to bless us with public worship together and the receiving of God’s most precious gifts.

Pastor Myers

Sermon Summary

Ever since the beginning of creation – since the time of our first parents, Adam and Eve – God has promise that He would send a Savior (the Messiah) into the world who would redeem His creation from sin, death and the power of the devil through His own sacrificial death. The Law and the Prophets bore witness to the same plan and promise of God. His almighty and merciful kingdom would come and His perfect will be done!

This is exactly what we pray in the first, second and third petitions of the Lord’s Prayer… “Holy Be Your Name; Thy Kingdom Come; Thy Will Be done…” In these petitions we pray that we would reverently use His sinless, perfect name; that His kingdom rule would come into our hearts, minds and souls; and that we would do His will as completely and fully as it is done in His Heaven Kingdom above. Luther reminds us in the Small Catechism that His name is holy (set apart) in-and-of itself and that His kingdom and will are accomplished without any assistance on our part. As Jesus said, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing…” (Matthew 11: 12) Ultimately, there is nothing that can stand in the way of His Kingdom coming or of Him accomplishing His holy and perfect will!
But there have always been (and always will continue to be) those who war against His kingdom – who “forcefully lay hold of it,” such as the Scribes, Pharisees and Teachers of the Law. There were many who stood against Jesus’ ministry, the coming of His Kingdom, and the proclamation of His life-giving Gospel.

Of these Jesus said, “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’” (Matthew 11: 16-17) Jesus was saying that these petulant, rebellious children would never be satisfied. They wanted their own will to be done. They wanted everyone else to “dance to the tune they chose” rather than to the perfect and gracious plan of God. How true that was in that generation and at that time! How true that is in our generation and at our time!

So our Heavenly Father in His infinite mercy and love, sends His ambassadors throughout history to bring His people back to Himself. In today’s text, and at that time, it was John the Baptist. In the 1500 and 1600s, it was Martin Luther whom God used to call an errant church to repentance and reformation through the power of His almighty Word.

He continues to use that same almighty Word to call us to repentance and saving faith in the Messiah – the Sent One of God – Jesus, the Savior of the World! And He calls us to be His ambassadors of the Gospel in our time, to our world, to our generation.

“He who has ears, let him hear.” (Matthew 11: 15) May God give us eyes to see, ears to hear and hearts filled with compassion and the love of God as we work, and watch, and pray that His Kingdom would come and His will be done!

See you in church!

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Snow

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