Rejoice in How Ready Christ Makes You

In the Name of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh.

^7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ^8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ^9 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” ^10 “What should we do then?” the crowd asked. ^11 John answered, “The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.” ^12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” ^13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them. ^14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”  He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”  ^15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. ^16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ^17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” ^18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

The third week of Advent stands out from the rest.  The other weeks are preparation and repentance, getting ready for that greater One, the One more powerful than John, getting ready for Jesus.  But this third week is different.  Paul told the Philippians:  Rejoice in the Lord always. The prophet Zephaniah explains:  Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. We take a break from Advent preparations to burst into song.  And yet, our Gospel lesson doesn’t seem to fit in with that theme, does it?

Once more we find ourselves taken to a moment from the ministry of John the Baptist.  Jesus’ cousin didn’t mince words, did he?  He calls people snakes.  He says God could find better among the stones.  He says the tree is about to be cut down.  He says that the more powerful One comes to separate useful wheat from worthless chaff.  He says a fire is being prepared and some of you will be thrown into it.  That message just oozes joy, doesn’t it?  Where’s the comfort and peace?  It seems John didn’t get the Advent 3 memo, did he?

But that would be putting our expectations on John and the Word. 

In the book of Exodus, we find out that the Egyptian pharaoh was terrified of the Israelite slaves living in his land.  Convinced that one day they would overtake the Egyptians in numbers and overwhelm the country, he implemented a murderous program:  “The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, ‘When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live” (Exodus 1:15-16).

A similar plan, but for different reasons, is carried out in countries like China, where they have a “one child” policy, limiting families to only one baby.

But now, in all the discussion regarding global warming and climate change such a pharaonic policy is being recommending by a Canadian newspaper.  Read The real inconvenient truth.

⁴⁴ Dr. Luther also says in his book On the Councils and the Church [1539]:

We Christians should know that if God is not in the scale to give it weight, we, on our side, sink to the ground. I mean it this way: if it cannot be said that God died for us, but only a man, we are lost; but if God’s death and a dead God lie in the balance, His side goes down and ours goes up like a light and empty scale. Yet He can also readily go up again, or leap out of the scale! But He could not sit on the scale unless He become a man like us, so that it could be called God’s dying, God’s martyrdom, God’s blood, and God’s death. For God in His own nature cannot die; but now that God and man are united in one person, it is called God’s death when the man dies who is one substance or one person with God. [LW 41:103–4]

Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article VIII:44, Concordia : The Lutheran Confessions. 2005 (Edited by Paul Timothy McCain) (588). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.

The second in our series of midweek Advent meditations on Paul’s letter to the Romans.

Understand the Scriptures

In the Name of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh.

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.  May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, ^so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs ^so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name.”  Again, it says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”  And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples.”  And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.”  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Back when I was a vicar in North Carolina, I had occasion to listen to the “Dr. Laura” show now and again.  She’s still on the radio, though I haven’t heard her for a while, and after one particular show, I vowed not to listen to her anymore.

A woman called in who was dealing with serious family trauma.  Her daughter had been murdered.  And the alleged murderer wasn’t only out free, but he was living in the same area as the mom and there was contact between them.  Anger, fear, depression, and frustration ravaged this mother.  She wanted justice, but it didn’t seem to be coming.  She wanted vengeance on the man she thought murdered her daughter.  She wanted comfort and peace, hope and joy, in a time of darkness.  But she couldn’t find it.  She wrapped up by telling Dr. Laura that she had been reading the Bible, especially the Psalms, looking for comfort from God.

Finishing her tragic tale, the mom naturally wanted some advice from Dr. Laura.  And Dr. Laura gave it.  Just about the first words out of her lips were, “There’s really no hope or comfort I can give or offer you.”  For all her education and training, for all her experience and success, Dr. Laura is really just a dope.  A dummy.  A dolt.  And for this woman she was the exact opposite of helpful.  She was wrong.

Nothing Has Changed

In the Name of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh.

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar – when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene – during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God’s salvation.’”

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“What have you done for me lately?”  If something succeeds, we use it.  If something fails, it’s done.  Advertisers copy successful selling methods.  Athletic teams mimic what brings championships.  Books fill best-seller lists detailing sure-fire methods to lose weight, make millions, raise a family, fall in love.  And before you can say “sequel” those methods are discredited by new bestsellers.  “New” often equals better.

Some apply this to the Church and her work.  We have to look-out, they say, for the best ways to get people into church, to attract them to your church, to assimilate them into your church, to keep them in your church, to keep them giving.  Flier after flier crosses my desk advertising can’t-miss fundraising ideas.  Book after book promotes the latest sociological studies identifying how to get the unchurched churched.  Often this includes “Change!”  Do things no one else does so that you can accomplish things no one else accomplishes.

Now, to be fair, some of these ideas are simple common sense.  It makes sense that we would want to keep our grounds well-maintained.  It makes sense that we want to exude joy and friendliness, not just to each other, but to everyone who enters this house of God.  Some pieces of advice are nothing except specific ways in which we glorify God and love our neighbor as we seek to preach Jesus to them.  And when these ideas help us glorify God, love our neighbor, and preach Christ crucified, so much the better.

But many idea-men, while trying to look out for the Kingdom, have forgotten something.  They’ve left behind the Holy Spirit.  Nicely kept grounds, snazzy promotional materials, a laid-back coffee shop type atmosphere, or any atmosphere at all, brings nobody into the Church.  They might attract people to enter a building, but they won’t make Christians.  Only the Spirit does that.  And He uses the Word to do it – the Word preached, the Word applied in Baptism, the Word distributed in Holy Communion.  And because this is so, we can say that since the time of John, since sin entered the world, NOTHING HAS CHANGED.

[John] went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John’s message was identical to the message that the LORD proclaimed to Adam and Eve, identical to the message of Jesus’ first sermon, Repent and believe the good news! John preached nothing but the law and gospel of God, just as the LORD did when He asked Adam, Where are you? and then promised the Seed of the Woman who would crush the devil’s head.  He preached the hard law of repentance – “Turn from your evil ways!  Produce fruit in keeping with repentance!”  And he preached the gospel of Jesus, Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. That, and only that, made John a successful prophet.  That, and only that, brought sinners to faith in their Savior.

And though the results don’t appear incredible, we preach the same message.  We preach the same law and gospel, because the situation remains the same.  We’re surrounded by and confess ourselves to be the same sinners Adam and Eve were, those crowds who came to John were, and the many to whom Jesus preached were.  We need a Savior.  We remain sinners, even though through faith in Christ we’re declared sin-free saints!  Nothing changes.  We preach repentance and forgiveness because we need it, as Luther said:  Let none think that they will ever in this life reach the point where they do not need this forgiveness. In short, unless God constantly forgives, we are lost.

And because we constantly need forgiveness, we constantly go where Christ offers the cross-won forgiveness.  The message we preach doesn’t change, neither do the means we use.  John preached and baptized.  He foreshadowed Jesus’ great command:  Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing…and teaching. John baptized and taught.  Jesus’ disciples baptized and taught.  We baptize and teach.  Why do we continue to do this when the statistical results are pretty poor?  Two-thirds of the world rejects Jesus.  We do it because of the promise:  baptize and teach and disciples are made.  These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and by believing have life in His name.  He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. God doesn’t lie.  That Word came to John.  That Word has come to us.  And, as if that weren’t enough, our Savior, seeing our great need gave us one more gift.  He gave us His body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins.  A new means offering the same forgiveness.  A new comfort giving us the same gifts won at the cross.  And what’s been good enough for 6,000 years continues to be good enough for us.  Nothing has changed.  Not the message we preach.  Not the means we use.  Because the power of the message hasn’t changed.

John’s message was simple:  Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.  Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God’s salvation. John’s message demanded a lot.  Repentance is radical change.  It’s turning away from everything that your sinful nature desires to everything God desires.  It’s a change that I cannot effect on my own.  I’m blinded by sin.  I can’t comprehend and understand the Spirit’s message.  I can’t say “Jesus is Lord” except the Holy Spirit makes me, which makes John’s message seem mocking.  “Why are you asking me to do things I can’t accomplish?”  It seems like a snippet from Bill Cosby’s “Noah” sketch.  When asked by neighbors why He’s building a boat, Noah responds, “I can’t tell you, ha ha ha!”  Some see God’s preaching of repentance in the same light.  “If it’s impossible to please God without faith, if I can’t bring myself to faith, why are you telling me these things and demanding this of me?  Why are you condemning me to hell?”  It’s as if God is saying, “You can’t do it, ha ha ha!”

But He’s not, because God’s Word, that powerful Word, is the Word written so that you believe.  It’s the Word that makes you wise.  It’s the Word more powerful than any weapon, the word that penetrates to your very soul.  It’s the message that brings with it the faith you need.  The ways prepared, the paths straightened, the valleys filled in, the mountains made low, the rough spots made smooth, are prepared, straightened, filled in, made low, and smoothed by the Holy Spirit as He enters your hearts and lives through His instruments – Word, Baptism, Communion.  There He turns you around 180 degrees.  There He leads you to ask with those soldiers and tax collectors, “What can I do?”  There He produces fruit in your lives before you know it.  Because when the Holy Spirit shows you Jesus, you see God’s salvation.  And there’s the power.  Paul wrote about this, The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. Christ is a life-changer.  Christ changed everything.  He offered the sacrifice of atonement.  He reconciled the world to God.  And now He offers that to you as a gift – the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, life everlasting.  Nothing has changed.  Not the message we preach.  Not the means we use.  Not the power of the message.  Because Jesus Christ hasn’t changed.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  He is still the atoning sacrifice for your sins, and for the sins of the whole world.  And through the Holy Spirit you have the faith that prepares you.  Here’s the change.  You were blind, but now you see.  What has God done for you lately?  He made the change you can believe.  Amen.

This is the first of three sermons in our Advent series, “Paul Aids Our Advent Understanding,” based on his letter to the Romans

Understand the Present Times

In the Name of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh.

And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ^The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. ^ Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

It’s time to get up.  It’s time for a nap.  It’s time to go to bed.  It’s time for work.  It’s time for a break.  It’s time for dinner.  It’s time for the game.  It’s time for church.  It’s time to go home.  It’s time for a doctor’s appointment.  It’s time for class.  It’s time to do homework.  Time’s up.  We understand time very well.

That understanding serves the Christian well, because time plays a role in the Christian’s life.  Paul says, Do this, understanding the present time. “This” refers to something he’d just written:  Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another. We love – God and neighbor – because we understand the present time.  We get it.  We know it.  As a Christian you cannot claim ignorance.  You know Jesus, and you’ve heard Jesus.  You are fully aware that the clock is ticking on this world.  Or, as Paul put it today:  The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. The night that is this sinful world is fading fast.  Malachi’s healing Sun is rising.  And so we take to heart the words of Peter, another who knew Jesus and heard Jesus, and who wrote to Christians like you:  The day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.  Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.  But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.  So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. ^Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you.

It’s almost time, so get up.  Be ready.  And Paul, in line with Peter, in line with Jesus, describes what getting up means:  Let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. ^ Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

The Christian who understands the present time will be on his or her guard against becoming a foolish virgin.  You remember them?  Ten virgins were getting ready for a wedding party with torches to light the way.  Some had brought plenty of extra oil.  Some brought none.  When the groom arrived, half were ready, half had to run off to try and find oil, and when they got back, it was to a locked door and darkness.  Jesus would have us understand this of those who belong to the Church.  You know the general time of Jesus’ arrival – soon.  You don’t know the specific moment.  But you know it’s coming, you see the sun rising.  You know you’re supposed to be prepared.  You’re very aware of the time.

And yet…knowing what you know, you live how you live. 

St. Mark will begin it’s preparation for the coming of Christ tomorrow, Wednesday, December 2, with the first of three midweek Advent services.

The theme guiding our worship this year is “Paul Aids Our Advent Understanding.”  Hearing the Spirit speak through Paul in Romans will help us

• Understand the Present Time (Romans 13:11-14), December 2
• Understand the Scriptures (Romans 15:4-13), December 9
• Understand the Manger (Romans 1:1-7), December 16

The Divine Service begins at 6:30pm.  Holy Communion will be offered following the normal schedule (Wednesdays preceding 1st and 3rd Sundays).

We unanimously believe, teach, and confess the following about the righteousness of faith before God, in accordance with the comprehensive summary of our faith and confession presented above.  A poor sinful person is justified before God, that is, absolved and declared free and exempt from all his sins and from the sentence of well-deserved condemnation, and is adopted into sonship and inheritance of eternal life, without any merit or worth of his own.  This happens without any preceding, present, or subsequent works, out of pure grace, because of the sole merit, complete obedience, bitter suffering, death, and resurrection of our Lord Christ alone.  His obedience is credited to us for righteousness.

These treasures are brought to us by the Holy Spirit in the promise of the Holy Gospel.  Faith alone is the only means through which we lay hold on, accept, apply, and take them for ourselves.

– The Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article III: The Righteousness of Faith (Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, Reader’s Edition)

Beginning on Thursday, December 3, 2009, St. Mark will be offering a new evening opportunity that’s really a two-in-one.  It will be both a Bible class and an evening of ESL instruction called “Looking at the Lectionary.”

This class, beginning at 6:30pm on Thursdays will take a look at the three Bible lessons appointed for the next week’s worship and discuss them.  For our members, it provides an evening Bible class opportunity.  For those seeking ESL instruction, it provides an evening of conversation, using the Bible as the topic of that conversation.

The goals of this class are

• to get into the Word!
• to provide opportunities for those learning English to read and discuss the Bible with each other and other English speakers!
• to grow in our understanding of how the lessons chosen for a given Sunday fit together, and to better understand the cycle of the Christian Church year!
• to aid the pastor in his sermon preparation!

Each class will last about an hour (6:30-7:30pm) and will be held in the Education Building at St. Mark.  If you have any questions, please contact Pr. Benjamin Tomczak at 972-298-0891 or at catokafka@yahoo.com.

All are welcome!  All are invited!

Thank You Jesus for the Ministry of Reconciliation

In the Name of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:  that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

There used to be a church billboard on I-35 heading south towards Hillsboro advertising “Spirituality without the religion.”  That billboard reflected a thought of our age.  Surveys indicate a rising trend of people that consider themselves spiritual, yet not religious.  They prefer not to identify with any particular denomination or organization.  The net result is that while church attendance declines, so-called “spirituality” is on the increase.  It would seem that for some (many?), if so-called “organized” religion just rolled up and blew away, it wouldn’t be much of a loss.  After all, we can commune with God in so many other ways and places than in boring church services with authoritarian pastors and hierarchies telling us what to think, believe, and do.

Some of this animosity towards “organized” religion, towards the Christian Church, comes from the sins of the Church.  You can’t surf the net or listen to the news too long without hearing another story about pedophile priests, a church leader’s misuse of funds, a televangelist with a golden toilet or private jet, or some other shocking scandal.  History books are filled with the sins of the Church.  Nor do you have to look too far to find the sins of individual church-goers, which leads to the charge of “Hypocrites!”  You get the sense that a person with this sort of animosity wouldn’t be saying “Thank-You” on Thanksgiving for the Church, for organized religion, for pastors and teachers, for the means of grace administered and distributed.

And so, on the one hand,