Lost Connection
To make a long story short…my phone is no longer able to download email from a certain email provider. It’s never ever been a problem before.
Will I be able to endure this “hardship?”
Maybe.
The email provider blames the wireless carrier. The wireless carrier blamed the company that made the phone until a technician actually called that company (Samsung) and found out that no adjustments can be made to enable my phone to download email from this particular email provider.
The real reason for the problem? The email provider updated its server and changed the protocols (its incoming and outgoing addresses).
I am not happy. Spending over an hour on the phone with various representatives of the above-mentioned entities did not lighten my mood.
The solution is to trade in my “dumb phone” for a “smartphone.” Not happening soon, not if I can help it.
If only people (including me) got this upset with a lost connection to God. Upon discovering an intermittent or non-existent connection with the Almighty, further investigation would always reveal a defect on our part (not God’s). We simply drift away. We fail to be truly attentive to God’s Word on a daily basis.
A lost or intermittent connection with God weakens faith, sours one’s outlook on life, and gives fear and anxiety an open door to our hearts. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
Have you read Psalm 119 lately? Eight different words for the “Word” used multiple times, at least once in each of the 176 verses. Fresh perspectives, spiritual energy, and a closer connection with the Lord await.
Sermon for February 19, 2012 “E.P.I.C. Families Are Made Up of Individuals” (Luke 15:1-7)
A shepherd is taking the roll of his flock of 100 sheep. 95, 96, 97, 98, 99… oops, one missing. What to do? Seriously, one sheep? The smart thing to do, the business thing to do is to let it go, write it off, he still has the 99, still retains 99% of his assets. For a business, this is an acceptable loss. Businesses write off losses at the time. The one thing you don’t do is leave the 99 behind and go after the one.
But that’s exactly what the shepherd does. Because he’s a shepherd, not a businessman. Knows each sheep by name (this one’s name is probably Fluffy or Snowball), his heart aches at the loss of just this one, so much so that he leaves the 99 behind and goes looking for that lost sheep: searching, calling, looking everywhere – no cave goes unsearched, no valley unexplored, no forest untouched. Looking, searching, calling until he finally sees a puff of white off in the distance, he keeps calling, and the sheep comes. He’s found it.
Then what? Yelling, scolding, finger pointing, lecturing, “how could you be so dumb,” (oh, what am I saying, you’re a sheep)? None of that. He picks it up, “joyfully” puts it on his shoulder, goes home, and throws a party.
Why? It’s just a sheep. One sheep. A lost sheep. Sheep can be described with a variety of unflattering words, let’s limit ourselves to d-words: dumb and dumber, dense, dull, directionless, defenseless, doomed when all alone. Why bother? None of us would make such a fuss over one lost sheep.
But none of us is Jesus. And he’s the one telling the parable of the lost sheep, which tells us more about the shepherd than the sheep. He tells this in response to the Pharisees and their friends asking, “Why do you hang out with such losers? Why do you hang out with sinners? What kind of religious leader hangs out with tax collectors and prostitutes, the dregs and scum and lowlife of society?” Jesus answers with this series of “lost” parables in Luke 15– the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son that provide insight into his compassionate shepherd’s heart.
But still, to make such a fuss over one lost sheep? What if the lost sheep someone you know? A loved one? What if the lost sheep is you? Would it matter to you if you remained lost or would you rather be found? We’re not talking about getting lost at the mall or disoriented at IKEA, this isn’t about your local grocery store remodeling and putting spices in aisle 4 when they used to be in aisle 7. This isn’t losing one of your kids at a theme park, which my family forever reminds me I did once at Legoland. It was one of my daughters – I didn’t really lose her for those three or four minutes. I just didn’t have visual contact with her. I knew the general area where she was, just not exactly.
When Jesus talks about lost sheep, lost souls here, he uses in the original language of the New Testament (Greek) the same word found toward the end of John 3:16. You know the verse. “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The word for “lost” here? “Perish.” Whoever believes in him shall not perish/be lost (same word in the Greek) but have eternal life.” Bring that back to our parable here and we have the parable of the perishing sheep, which is much more dire and accurate than to be merely “lost.”
Just how spiritually dumb and dumber, spiritually directionless, spiritually defenseless and spiritually doomed are we on our own? Let’s throw out another d-word, dead, as in spiritually dead/sinful by nature. We are so dead in sin that when God holds out promises of deliverance, we shrug them off as foolishness – “God, I don’t need you or your Word as much as you think I do. I’m doing just fine, thank you. Lord, you can call it lust, you can say that even thinking about someone else (who is not my spouse) in an intimate, inappropriate way is adultery, but how can it be so bad if it feels so good. And no one else knows – it’s just a thought-life thing, closet immorality, no one’s getting hurt.
“You call it coveting and stealing, greed, I call it getting what’s coming to me. God, you say that angry words and hateful thoughts, and bitterness make me a murderer, but isn’t that a bit extreme? I’m no Charles Manson, no child-killer. I only get angry at people when they deserve it. Satan has us so convinced that we’re living rightly/life to the full when in fact we’re helpless, hell-bent, and hell-bound – in a hurry.
What does God do with such a lost soul/lost sheep? He leaves behind the 99/all the rest of the flock for the moment, and tracks us down – God on the prowl – hunting, searching hillsides and ravines, caves mountains and streams, office buildings, factories, job sites, homes, schools, in our cars stuck in traffic – wherever we are, whatever it takes, he does it. He does it, the Bible says for all, for everyone. Since that’s the case, he does it for anyone, for just one.
In the church year, today we mark transfiguration of our Lord, shows just how far God was willing to go. He sent his Son, his only Son. Just how far was Jesus willing to go for you/me/all? He did what a Good Shepherd does. He put himself on the line, in harm’s way. He absorbed the attack of the wolf/Satan, the suffering our sins deserve, the pounding of the nails, the guilt our sins deserve. He went to the cross, to the grave, to hell and back. The message here? Please don’t miss it. The God of creation/universe, the God who came absurdly/incredibly near to us, to be here with us/here for us through his Son Jesus Christ, he says, “You matter to me. All of you. Each of you. I gave my life for you. That’s how much I value you.”
And he took it back again. On Easter morning, Christ rose from the dead triumphantly, powerfully to prove that he has redeemed and restored us, his lost sheep. Through Word and Sacrament, he tracks down each one of us, brings us to repentance, makes us part of the flock, part of his family. He isn’t a hired hand, he isn’t just any old shepherd, he is the Good Shepherd, the one who knows us, and not just by name or by social security number – he knows us inside and out – our griefs and fears, our hopes and joys. He pulls out the thorns, heals the wounds, and holds us in his arms. This is the one who relentlessly seeks us when we lose our way.
And when he finds us…then what? Yelling, scolding, finger pointing, lecturing, “how could you be so dumb,” (oh, what am I saying, you’re a sheep)? None of that. He picks you/me up, “joyfully” puts us on his shoulder, goes home, and throws a party.
How important are individuals? How important is one soul? Heaven goes crazy when one repents and comes back. “There is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” It’s better than Linsanity at Madison Square Garden, it’s bigger than the ecstasy of your team winning the Super Bowl, more overwhelming than when the Cubs win the World Series sometime in the next century – only this joy is deep, real, never-ending.
Rejoice, brothers and sisters in Christ, parents and children, husbands and wives – you bear by God’s grace the name of Christ. You are a child of God, sheep of the flock of the Good Shepherd. You belong to him. All of you. Each one of you.
The value of one soul. Jesus makes it clear. Do we? Do we convey how valuable each soul is? Do our children get from us the same sense of awe Peter conveyed in the presence of the transfigured Jesus, that our loved ones who’ve gone on to heaven get to convey in his presence, “Lord, it is good for us to be here!” Do others get the sense that we truly care for them as we lovingly, patiently encourage them and share Christ with them so they may not be lost, worse, perishing?
How would we be different…my family, your family, this church – if we consistently pursued the attitude Jesus encourages here? Instead of, “There’s so and so, we don’t see eye to eye, we don’t get along, I really don’t want to deal with her,” say, “There’s a fellow child of God. There’s a floow sheep of the flock of the Good Shepherd.” Instead of “Did you hear what happened to them…hmmm, they’re really having some struggles,” say “It’s great that they’re here, to seek God’s counsel and strength.” Rather than “I wonder where that family’s been, well, at least I keep coming to worship” think “Maybe I should give them a call or text or message on Facebook.”
Cultivate an atmosphere of genuine celebration – cheer one another on, encourage one another, appreciate one another, listen sincerely to one another. And, one more thing – respond to the urgent need to find more people and bring them into the safety of the flock of the Good Shepherd.
This scene repeats itself at every major disaster scene, but the scene during the days following 9-11 is still clear in my mind. We watched as dozens of tiny figure moved up and down the rubble of the World Trade Center. Like an army of ants, rescue workers – firemen, police, volunteers searched and searched. Not for crushed fire trucks and rescue vehicles, computers, business records. They searched for lost comrades, missing loved ones, all people caught in the disaster. They hoped to find many – hundreds, dozens, would have been happy to find one. They raced against time, determined not to give up. Finally, the mission changed from search and rescue to mere recovery of the dead.
Our Lord Jesus still leads us on an active soul search and rescue mission. It isn’t about finding life, but giving it, to one precious soul at a time. Rejoice that though you were lost/perishing, you have been found. Now go, search and find. Go with urgency. Go with joy. Go with God.
Pastor Stephen Luchterhand, Deer Valley Ev. Lutheran Church (WELS), Phoenix, AZ
Happy Birthday, Arizona!
The state of Arizona is 100 years old today, a relative newbie in terms of United States history. I’m told there is much going on to celebrate the occasion. My lack of knowledge of this can be traced to three things:
1) I no longer subscribe to the local newspaper
2) I don’t watch local television news
3) Today is a typical day of helping to get four children to four different schools at four different times while trying to keep my head above water both at work and at home
I did see a new “Centennial” sign on I-17, southbound at Pinnacle Peak (two miles from my home)…
Perhaps the federal government will withdraw current or pending lawsuits against lady Arizona as a birthday gift…
Maybe I feel underwhelmed by the “celebration” because of my personal ambivalence/indifference toward my own birthday. It arrives, then passes, then comes pretty quickly again. Too quickly, it seems! I enjoy my children’s birthdays immensely, but prefer muted mention of my own.
Perspective is everything. I live in a God-blessed state filled with unique natural resources. Arizona has become home (going on 15 years). I live in an amazingly God-blessed nation equipped with cherished – though severely challenged freedoms. But above all, by God’s grace, I live as a citizen of his Kingdom, recipient of gifts and blessings beyond measure.
I will celebrate Arizona’s birthday this afternoon with one of my favorite Arizona pastimes – a hike in the desert hills near my home (rain or no rain!). I will seek to celebrate all the blessings showered upon me by my gracious God as husband, father, pastor, citizen of two kingdoms (earthly and heavenly) by seeking to live fully in each moment.
”The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)
Sermon for February 12, 2012 “E.P.I.C. Families Have Proper Priorities” (Matthew 6:33)
What are the things that are most important to you? If you were to make a list of top five priorities, what would they be? Family? Spouse, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren if so blessed? Job? School? Health, exercise? Home? Hobbies? Recreation? How about God’s Word? Does God make your top five?
Know how we could find out what your priorities are? Two ways: 1) Follow you around 24/7, see how you spend your time; 2) Look at your checkbook/bank statement, see how you spend your money. People will devote their time and money to the things they feel are most important.
Is it possible that a careful search of how you and I spend our time and money would reveal a disconnect between what we say and do? Between our stated priorities and our actual priorities? There is one more way to identify a person’s true priorities, and that is to look into the heart, but that’s something only God can do.
And when God looks into your heart and mine, what does he see as our priorities? Have you heard of the secret of the snake? I’m not in the habit of handling poisonous snakes, any snakes at all, but I do know this: more people are bitten trying to let go of snakes than when they grab them.
Easy to grab, hard to let go. Sin is like that. And so are the “priorities” our sinful nature holds dear. #1 is me. #2 is me. #3 is me. We could keep on going. More specifically, selfishness, greed, overwork, overindulgence in alcohol/food, use of drugs, pornography, bitterness, anger, deceit, lying. Back in the Garden of Eden, the serpent – Satan in a barely concealed disguise – injected the venom of sin and death into Adam and Eve, and through them, into all humanity. There is no cure, no antidote, no antivenin, no self-help program, no rehab or detox that can erase the effects of sin and death. Nothing in this world that can stop our inevitable slide toward spiritual and eternal disaster.
Jesus Christ is not of this world. Son of God and Mary’s Son – both divine and human. Perfect, sinless, righteous. This one verse before us offers more guidance for time/life management, for goal/priority setting than a hundred $1000/person seminars on the subject. “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” But we can’t do this – seek God, seek spiritual things, have proper priorities – unless and until God first seeks us.
Which he did. We couldn’t/can’t come to God, so he came to us in Jesus Christ. Rather than offer a mere group hug or an encouraging, “Come on, you can do it, give it your best shot” to dead-in-sin, unable-to-do-it human beings, Jesus chose an extremely difficult path. He did what had to be done for us, in our place. He offered himself as the perfect once-for-all sacrifice on Calvary’s cross – not just to oppose Satan and get him to back off – but to crush him and to defeat sin and death and hell. His innocent blood shed there paid the debt of sin demanded by God for all. Proof of his approval is the resurrection, the empty tomb, which very clearly declares: Your sins are paid for; there is life beyond this life.
Talk about making priorities and sticking to them. Jesus did exactly that. Mark 10:45 – “The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” In Luke 9:51, “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem” and continued on all the way to the cross and through the grave.
This vast reservoir of grace enables us to find forgiveness for failings and strength to keep first things first, to have proper priorities. Let’s examine a couple…
Are you married? We’re offering couples a chance to renew vows today, so let’s talk about marriage a bit. If you are married, I’m about to tell you something you won’t hear from the world/culture around us: marriage is a tremendous blessing. And if you are married, this is a huge priority in your life. Are you making your marriage a priority? No one takes a vow of marriage and plans on ending up in divorce court. But it happens, it happens when priorities are off, when they’re not kingdom priorities/God’s priorities. God says that your spouse is more important, more valuable, more precious to you day by day than work, sports, hobbies, friends, money, and anything else put forward by your sinful nature.
How can you keep your marriage strong? You and I could come up with all kidns of good suggestions: Spend time together, communicate, have eyes and ears and heart only for your spouse, be accountable to your spouse in this temptation-filled world, especially be digitally and electronically accountable to your spouse in this temptation-filled world. Sure, all these things are important…and challenging. How can you accomplish them?
Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, seek Christ and his Word first. Ask, not what’s in this for me, what do I want, but how do I honor Christ? How do I keep Christ first in my marriage? I’m going to reference Ephesians 5. “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.” (Eph 5:22) Notice it doesn’t just say, “Wives, submit.” Or, “Wives, submit to your husbands,” but “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.” What does this mean? Love, honor, and respect your husband, acknowledge that he is the God-appointed spiritual leader in the home, acknowledge that this is a challenging role, and support him in that role. That’s seeking first the kingdom of God, keeping Christ and his Word at the center.
“Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church.” (Eph 5:25a) Not, love here because it’s Valentine’s Day in two days, or “love her like a love song.” Love her as Christ loved the church! There is no higher standard. You’re a leader yes, but not a tyrant/dictator/bully, you are a servant leader. Put her needs above your own. Treat your bride as Christ treats his bride – us, the church – with love, respect, devotion, willing to lay down your life for her. Together, husbands and wives, repent of your sins/failings, together look to Christ and find forgiveness and renewed focus in him.
Are you a parent? This is a huge blessing in your life. This is a huge priority in your life, that can often seem overwhelming. No one has children and plans on being so busy with meetings and work and personal activities and then running the kids all over the place that you end up a distant, polite stranger whose primary purpose is to serve as ATM and chauffeur. It’s a wonder more of our kids don’t think their names are Come On! Hurry! Let’s Move It. If you want to be in a hurry, moms and dads, if you want to be busy pursuing/seeking something, here it is: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,”
What does that mean exactly? It means to be in the Word. It means that the Word of God is in you. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. The more we seek God in Word and Sacrament, the more we pursue spiritual priorities, the less we’ll worry about material things, the less we’ll worry about what we accomplish. The more we seek God in Word and Sacrament, the more we will understand God’s will and his principles for living life to the fullest, the more we will see God and his power at work in our lives.
Nowhere does Jesus lay out a list of five or ten top priorities, only one. This one. “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Seek this priority in everything – at home, with family, at work, school, in your health, relationships – God’s kingdom, God’s righteousness, God’s will, God’s Word and blessings beyond measure will spill over into every aspect of your life.
Practically, how do we prioritize, how do we seek first God’s kingdom? Is there a program for this, a magic bullet? Nope. Again, be in the Word. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. Worship, Bible study, spirited spiritual conversations, more worship, more Bible study, continued Bible study day by day. But you’re looking for more, something eminently practical. Try this…
I have 2 pads of Postit notes. One has the letter “T” on it and one the letter “E.” T stands for temporary. E stands for eternal. What are the things that are temporary and what are the things that are eternal? Let’s mark them…
Altar, flowers, building, pews, glasses, clothes, hair, phone/computers/ipod/ipad/all things digital and electronic – let’s think outside the box/building – car, job/work, house/apartment, money/savings/investments, world (the earth and everything in it is schedule to be destroyed by fire). I dare you to go home today and put stickers/Postit notes all over your stuff, inside and outside. What will the neighbors think? Maybe you’ll get to talk to them about this and make them think about proper priorities.
Now, what’s eternal? What lasts forever? What endures beyond this life? What do you get to take with you into the next life? Two things: the Word of God. And people. Souls. Souls last forever. People are precious.
God be with you as you seek to align your priorities with his will and Word. Temporary or eternal. Things that last and things that don’t. Things that truly matter and things that don’t. “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Pastor Stephen Luchterhand, Deer Valley Ev. Lutheran Church (WELS), Phoenix, AZ
Funeral Sermon for Larry Spoehr, February 9, 2012 “The Last Word” (Revelation 1:17,18)
The last word I heard from Larry? It was about ten days ago on a Sunday, the same word I heard from him every Sunday – “Have a great week!” It was never about himself or his struggles. He never wanted to complain. Didn’t like to talk about himself. He was always thinking about others. Everyone here today can testify to this.
But now there are no more words from Larry. And we are at a loss for words. It feels like a punch in the stomach, terrible blow to the kidneys, and we’re still trying to catch our breath. He’s been taken away. It feels like death has had the last word, the final say.
This Scripture might seem like an unusual choice for a funeral sermon. But not for this funeral, not for the man we remember today and the Savior we worship today. If Larry had passed away four years ago or more, we might not be here in God’s house listening to his Word and seeking his comfort. It’s not something Larry might have wanted.
But something happened nearly four years ago. On a chilly Sunday morning, March 23, 2008, Larry and Charlene attended worship here for the first time. Not at the 8 or 10:30 a.m. services. They came to a 6:30 a.m. service, held outside, in 40 degree weather. Easter Sunrise. Thankfully, they came back the following week at a more reasonable time and rarely missed after that. That spring, Larry and Charlene took the Bible Information Class in order to become members here. And on June 29, 2008, a true highlight in Larry’s life: Larry William Spoehr was baptized, marked as God’s own precious child through water and the Word.
That Easter morning four years ago – this was the first word they heard, the Scripture for the sermon. “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”
The apostle John, describes this encounter with the risen Lord Jesus. How appropriate that it was the first word Larry and Charlene heard here. Because it tells us that death doesn’t have the final say or Satan the last word. Jesus does. He is the Living One, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and Omega. He holds the keys of death and Hades/hell. And the one who holds the keys has control.
It didn’t look that way on Good Friday, when Jesus was crucified on Calvary’s cross. On his shoulders were Larry’s sins, your sins, my sins, the sins of the world – not just a few oopses or mistakes here and there, but countless sins of thought, word, and deed which earn for us the wages of sin, which is death; physical death, which we’re facing here today, but even worse are spiritual and eternal death –separation from God forever. We like to think, “Well, my sins aren’t so bad. There are some really nasty people out there doing some really nasty things. It’s not like I’ve done anything deserving of a headline on the front page of the newspaper or on a website.” But with the apostle Paul, each one of us must say, as Larry himself confessed, “I am the worst sinner I know. I deserve everything that’s coming to me.”
Jesus stepped into the breach, to take on himself everything we deserve because of sin. But the last word we heard from Jesus on Good Friday was, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” Then death took him, and there was only silence, sadness, grief, and gloom. Death and Satan, it seemed, had the final say, the last word.
Not so. Easter morning arrived, and with it the discovery of an empty tomb and a risen Lord Jesus. That’s what Larry re-discovered on a chilly Easter morning four years ago. The resurrection of Christ means sin’s guilt is wiped out. Satan is crushed. Death is defeated. Oh, they’re still spooking around – all scary and loud and frightening. But the bark is worse than the bite. Satan’s been relegated to pest status. And while death stings, while death hurts, it can’t hold you or your loved ones who’ve died in Christ. Death is done, defeated, merely the door to life. “Where O death is your victory? Where O death is your sting. Thanks be to God, he gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor 15:55,57)
Just like a guy named Job, who lived 1000 years before the resurrection of Christ, we can get feisty and shake our fist at death. Here’s what Job had to say, “I know that my Redeemer lives and that in the he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes; I, and not another.” (Job 19:25-27) Can’t you just see and hear Larry doing exactly that, shaking his fist at death thanks to Jesus? Do you hear that, death? So what if I die? You’re done, you can’t hold me. If I die, I join my Savior in eternity. You don’t get the last word. He does.
Who says? Jesus does. Listen again: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” What an awesome picture for us. Something to look forward to. But for Larry right now, it’s more than a picture, more than mere words. He sees this now. He is in the presence of God himself right now. He is int eh presence of the Lord Jesus right now.
Ever since we heard the news, we’ve all been remembering things about Larry. We remember his kind demeanor, his concern for others, his quick smile even when racked by pain and weakness. We remember his love of his Harley and hunting and hiking. And of course, his Charlene. But what Larry wants you to remember above all is his Savior, the One who holds the keys, the One who forgives sins, the One who has taken him to heaven. His God and Savior. Your God and Savior. For God’s people, this separation here is temporary. The reunion will be amazing. It will be, to caricature Larry’s sentiments, more than a “great week,” it will be a great and amazing eternity. No more last words, no more goodbyes, because Jesus has the last word. Amen.
Pastor Stephen Luchterhand, Deer Valley Ev. Lutheran Church (WELS), Phoenix, AZ
Playing Politics With Morality
Life begins at conception.
Did you notice the period at the end of the previous sentence? Life begins at conception, period.
This is the Biblical view, which means this is God’s view. David wrote, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” (Psalm 51:5) Look up Isaiah 7:14, Luke 1:31, 41. How does the Bible describe what is in the womb? Hint: it’s far more descriptive than “fetus” or “potential life.”
Try reading Psalm 139:13-16 and then imagine such an entity (a person, a human being!) not worthy of all the protections and blessings of life.
These are moral issues on which God has spoken clearly.
Planned Parenthood speaks otherwise. Among the many services provided for women are counseling for and assistance with abortion. Abortion isn’t just a “procedure.” It is the extinguishing of human life, along with eternal implications for a child unable to hear and believe the Gospel.
The recent uproar over the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Foundation’s decision to withhold funding from Planned Parenthood, the subsequent firestorm of criticism (much of it from government entities and officials), and the lightning-quick reversal has been instructive, even destructive. More playing politics with morality.
Another lightning-rod issue is the government’s insistence that funding for abortion services be provided in all healthcare plans, even those provided by religious organizations. Exemptions are possible, but not likely for all. More playing politics with morality. We are to render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, but life choices like these are not Caesar’s to make. Capital punishment is the exception.
Christians, be vigilant. Know what God says. Live it. Share it. Lovingly. Lives are at stake. Precious souls are in the balance.
Sermon for February 5, 2012 “E.P.I.C. Families Have Spiritual Energy” (Colossians 1:29)
How do you do it? How do you get through a typical day with all of the demands, commitments, responsibilities, all of the unexpected twists and turns that present themselves in just one day? You need energy. Where do you find it? How do you get it? (Mountain Dew!? Coffee!?) Seriously, now, here are some of the things we’re supposed to do in order to maintain good energy levels. How many apply to you…
- 8-10 hours of sleep every night
- Exercise
- Daily time for rest and relaxation, peace and reflection
- Healthy eating habits
- Healthy interpersonal relationships heavy on effective communication and forgiveness
OK, that’s what the experts tell us we should be doing. Let’s get real. Where do you get your energy? Red Bull or other hyper-caffeinated energy drinks? By the can or by the gallon? Gatorade? Triple shot espressos? Multiple cups of coffee? Mountain Dew? Energy bars? Sugar, sugar, and more sugar?
One thing energy boosters like these have in common – what goes up must come down. Which makes us dependent on something else to energize us again, for a time. It’s an unhealthy rollercoaster ride. Which only makes the actual rollercoaster ride of life even more dizzying.
How did Paul do it? Red Bull? No doz? Pots of church coffee? Espresso by IV? All those missionary journeys, thousands of miles, dozens of new churches. All the hardships. At the time of this writing, about 60 AD, Paul is under house arrest in Rome for the first time. A few years earlier, he had compiled a list of hardships he’d endured: “Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.” (2 Cor 11:24-28)
How did Paul do it? He explains in this one verse “To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.” (Colossians 1:29) While Paul is speaking specifically in the context of the public ministry, of his work as an apostle, proclaiming Christ to as many people as possible in as many ways as possible as often as possible, you and I can take these words to heart for ourselves and for our families as we begin February Family Focus month here at Deer Valley. E.P.I.C. Families Have Spiritual Energy.
“To this end I labor,” Paul worked hard to proclaim Christ. The word in the original language for “labor” implies difficulties and troubles, of which he had many. He continues, “struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.” There are some real power words in this verse, literally, words for “power.”The Greek language has six words for “power,” one of them is used twice here. The word eνeργεια is a noun for energy, power, especially supernatural power. The verb form of this is also here, “so powerfully works in me.”
Think Energizer Bunny, remember it keeps going and going and going, but better, because batteries eventually do wear out. It isn’t his energy/strength/power that keeps him going, but God’s energy which works so powerfully in him. Where can we find this? Same place Paul did. Only in the Word and the Sacraments.
No big surprise here. You know this. I know this. What’s surprising is how we tend to take this for granted, and fail to use the full power of God’s Word, God’s source for spiritual energy. People tend to treat Bible like an owner’s manual. You have owner’s manuals for all sorts of products. Guys tend to just put them aside and never refer to them. But they can be useful. Your vehicle has an owner manual. Have you seen looked through it? Not the kind of thing you read recreationally. Not what you’re going to take to the beach this summer. You don’t sit down in front of the fireplace and curl up with a good owner’s manual. You just look things up to find out how things work and to fix what’s broken. How do I move the seat? Why is that orange light on in the dash? Flat tire – how do you fix that? Where’s the jack, tire?
A lot of people think the Bible is supposed to operate like an owner’s manual. What should I do when I have doubts? Page 32. What’s the right belief about the end times? Page 64. How do I fix my kid? Pages 75-390. But the Bible’s not arranged like that. You need to immerse yourself in the supernatural power of the Word of God. Don’t just swoop in for a practical morsel here and there and leave it sit on the shelf collecting or in your digital device collecting digital dust. This isn’t a Bandaid or Bactine or Neosporin, something for the owie and then move on. The power here is for every aspect of life, here and hereafter, now and forever.
Just how powerful is God’s Word, our source of spiritual energy? Listen to another passage where this word for energy is used, here as an adjective: “The word of God is living and active (energetic/powerful). Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrew 4:12) The short sword carried by the Roman soldier was very sharp and with its double edge could cut in any direction. God’s Word is sharper. It divides even the indivisible. Who can tell where soul and spirit touch or divide? Who can cut so cleanly and deeply as to divide the joints between bones or even penetrate the bones themselves and find the marrow? This is a picture of how deeply the Word penetrates into our innermost being, exposing our most secret thoughts, our most secret sins.
No one can hide from God’s Word. Nothing can be hidden from God and his Word. The Word cuts to the deepest corners of our hearts, it judges the thoughts and attitudes of our hearts. Everything is laid bare before God. Selfish thoughts, sinful pride, a lack of trust in God, slow drifting away from God and his Word. Everything is exposed and we must give account.
The thought of giving account and making amends to a just and holy God stirs up thoughts of sheer terror. It should. It must. If not done during this life, the terror will then be eternal. Thank God for the power of his Word, which moves us to repent of our sins daily. Thank God for the Holy Spirit’s working through Word and Sacrament, to bring us to faith and keep us in faith. Clinging to the sacrifice of Christ for our sin and rejoicing in the empty tomb, we find great comfort here. Even though God knows about all of our sins and weaknesses and shortcomings, in Christ he’s forgiven us and in Christ he provides all that we need. It is true, as God himself said in Isaiah, that the word will accomplish what he desires and achieve the purpose for which he sends it. The Word works. It is powerful. It is effective. It is nothing less than the supernatural power of God at work in our hearts and lives.
With such an incredible power source available to us, why would we not want to use it to the fullest? For our families – and for each one of us – to have spiritual energy, the ability to make it through each day, faith intact. I assume you live life with your eyes open – you see the struggles and the challenges and the hardships. To use Paul’s words here, it’s labor, literally, hard work attended by difficulties and troubles. You and I are no stranger to these things. We’re no stranger to the “struggling of which Paul speaks here. In the original language, it’s ἀγωνίζομαι, you hear “agony?”
Surely you heard the agony in Job’s words in our first reading. He’d lost his ten children, much of his property, and his health all in one day. “Does not man have hard service on earth…I have been allotted months of futility, and nights of misery have been assigned to me. When I lie down I think, ‘How long before I get up?’ The night drags on, and I toss till dawn…My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and they come to an end without hope. Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath; my eyes will never see happiness again.” (Job 7:1a,3,4,6,7)
Many of you know what he’s talking about. You can relate. You know the agony and struggle of living in a fallen world. How do you handle it? You don’t do it alone. You have all “his energy, which so powerfully works in (you).” Use it! Use the spiritual energy God provides here in his Word, there in the baptismal font (remember that he’s claimed you as his own through water and the Word, you belong to him!), here in Holy Communion (which proclaims this truth, Your sins are forgiven!). And seek this energy often. Don’t just peek in for bursts of energy/strength like a five hour energy buzz, you’ve got to immerse yourself in God’s Word. Don’t wait until you or a loved one are in the hospital or caught up in some kind of crisis.
God’s Word has incredible saving and sustaining power, but not if it isn’t used. When difficult days come, when a crisis heats up, when the agonizing and the struggling and the laboring are overwhelming and leave you exhausted, you won’t have time or interest to search for promise here or there. If you are in the Word, then the Word is tucked away in your heart and you have access to God’s power and promises. You know the promise of your Good Shepherd, that “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4) You know the promise of today’s second reading: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those two love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” This gives you energy, encouragement, the strength to go on. And there’s more: “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” (Romans 8:28-30)
But how can I do this? When can I find time for the Word? Someone recently told me (this was a person I’d been encouraging to get back into worship and into God’s Word), “Pastor, I’m so busy. If you can find a way to pack a few more hours into the day, I might have time to come to church.” I said that I would pass the request on to the only One who could do something about that. God’s people don’t speak this way. Just do it. Follow Jesus’ example in the Gospel. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35) It’s simple, really. Get off the internet. Stop texting so much, stop emailing, stop facebooking once in a while, stop procrastinating, and putting other things and people ahead of the Lord and spend time with him in prayer and meditation on his Word.
So the coffee’s cold by now (Dew is warm), making the temporary energy it would provide less tasty. But here is power that never fades, never fails. God’s Word is high octane, high energy fuel for the soul. It’s “his energy, which so powerfully works in (you).”
Pastor Stephen Luchterhand, Deer Valley Ev. Lutheran Church (WELS), Phoenix, AZ
Bible Translation Issues – Originals or Copies?
One objection raised concerning the reliability of God’s Word: We no longer have the original copies of the manuscripts of the Bible; so isn’t it possible that all kinds of errors or legends may have gotten written into the copies we have. You all know in the ancient world, there were no printing presses. Everything was copied by hand. How do we know we have accurate copies?
Some perspective will serve us well.
Did you know that there are no surviving original manuscripts of any of William Shakespeare’s 37 plays (written in the 1600s) and scholars have been forced to fill some gaps in his work? You don’t hear complaints of unreliability there. Julius Caesar’s The Gaelic Wars. There are ten relatively ancient manuscripts in existence. The earliest of them, there’s a thousand year gap between when Caesar died and when that manuscript was copied. They’re considered reliable. Herodotus’ History, eight manuscripts. Earliest one, 1,350 years after he died. It’s quoted all the time, considered reliable. The Harry Potter series, over 400 million copies sold. Not relevant here, but so-well known…
Homer’s Iliad, the most renowned book of ancient Greece, is the second best-preserved literary work of all antiquity, with 643 copies of manuscript support discovered to date. No originals, just copies. Now in those copies, there are 764 disputed lines of text. In the New Testament – less than 100 lines of text involving a few words here and there, and none have to do with points of doctrine. The earliest manuscripts date to the 3rd & 4th century AD. Total number of manuscripts for the best-preserved literary work in all of history – the New Testament? More than 5000 Greek manscripts. Add manuscripts in other languages – Latin, etc. – and there are over 24,000 ancient manuscripts in existence.
What about the Old Testament? The ancient Jews were fanatical about careful copying of the OT Scriptures. They copied letter by letter, and if they finished a scroll, say Genesis, and were off by even one letter, they burned it and started over. Now, back in the 1940s, the earliest OT manuscript we had was from about 1000 AD, 1000 years after the NT was written. Then in 1947, the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, all kinds of OT manuscripts that dated to the time of Christ, including an entire scroll of Isaiah. Comparisons were made between these documents dated 1000 years apart – virtually identical, no changes. God preserves his Word.
These are historical evidences/proofs, if you will, for the reliability of the Word of God. But the real proof is in the Word itself, the power here that changes lives. It makes wise for salvation, it is powerful practical and useful for everyday life. It is God-breathed. It is the Word of God himself. And if there’s a challenge to confront, if there’s encouragement need, there’s always a Word to help. Here are just a few:
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). “God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). “(God) will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear” (1 Corinthians 10:13). “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1) “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20). “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are” (1 John 3:1).
“Uncle Abraham – I’ll take that land over there, toward the east.” When Abraham said yes, Lot couldn’t believe it. He thought he’d outsmarted his uncle, made the better business decision, and was on his way to riches. It was a choice that led instead to ruin and destruction. In the end, Lot lost everything.
After moving some 40 miles from Mesopotamia to Canaan, Abraham had given his nephew Lot first dibs on which area of land to settle. He “saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar.” (Genesis 13:10) So he chose to go east while Abraham went west, into the land of Canaan. Chilling words that foreshadow impending disaster then appear: “Lot pitched his tents near Sodom.” Even people who don’t know the Bible well need no introduction to Sodom. No one names a city Sodom anymore. Continuing in chapter 13: “Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD.” (v. 13) When they parted ways, the first thing Abraham did was to build an altar to the Lord. Lot flirted with temptation, building a house of cards that would soon come tumbling down.
We’re not even going to talk about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah today. That’s in Genesis 19. Here in Genesis 14, war breaks out, the first recorded war in the Bible. Four kings, led by a guy named Kedorlaomer, attack five other kings, including the rulers of Sodom and Gomorrah. Kedorlaomer and company win a resounding victory, plunder all sorts of goods and food and, one more item that they would later regret: “They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.” Oops. From “near” Sodom to in the city itself, to now whisked away as a captive.
What can Abram do? (he’s not yet known as Abraham, though I will call him that throughout) He’s just one man, a wealthy man (considerable property, servants) but against him are four kings likely in charge of a force of a few thousand, maybe 10,000. He goes after them. Really. He’s got a private, personal militia. 318 well-trained men. Abraham leads them (again, only 318 men against a army of thousands) on a pursuit covering more than 150 miles – from the very southern tip of Canaan to the northernmost part. He catches up with Kedorlaomer and company, routs them with his 318 men, chases them another 50-plus miles north, in effect saying “Get out and stay out!” then returns with all of the possessions and people that had been stolen, including his nephew Lot who by the way went back to living in Sodom.
An amazing feat. An incredible against-all-odds victory. We’d expect a little chest-thumping here, some foam fingers among the fellows declaring “We’re #1,” a Gatorade dousing of “coach” Abraham, then Abraham lifted up on the shoulders of his men as they shout, “A-bra-ham! A-bra-ham!” Not with Abraham. It wasn’t his victory. He knew that. It was God’s victory, made clear by the event in our text, made especially clear by the name for God we find here.
Upon his return, he was met by Melchizedek, King of Salem. He was also “priest of God Most High,” in Hebrew, EL ELYON. Melchizedek speaks a blessing in which he uses this name for God, El Elyon twice more. “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hands.” This isn’t a case of “My Dad is bigger than your Dad. My SUV is bigger than your SUV. My kid gets better grades than your kid. My God is bigger than your god.” There’s no debate. Our God isn’t in the top 100, the top 40, or the top 10. He is El Elyon, God Most High.
Are there other gods? Yes, pick a religion and you’ve got a god (small g), some sort of deity, in the case of Hinduism, more than 200 million gods. Inside every human heart (yours and mine, too) is a god of self that seeks to put self on the throne of one’s heart. Just because billions of people believe these other gods are real doesn’t make it so. Paul writes, “For even if there are so‑called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.” (1 Corinthians 8:5,6)
There is one God, El Elyon, God Most High who is above all others. He is, Melchizedek says, “the Creator of heaven and earth.” Everything you are and everything you have comes from El Elyon. He creates, he provides, he sustains – from the food in your pantry to the roof over your head to the job that provides income to the family that you have – El Elyon supplies it all.
Something else he provides:”Blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hands.” Abraham trained his men well, employed good tactical strategy, but in the end, God Most High delivered him from his enemies. Rather than “high five” each other, Melchizedek and Abraham give praise, and honor and credit to whom it belongs, to God Most High.
Do you have enemies? Let’s put it this way – what are you afraid of? What are the things that really grip your heart and create ongoing anxiety? What causes you to lie awake at night? 20 minute sermons? Economic difficulty – job, income, home, assets, retirement; sky-rocketing health care costs? Crime, illness, disease, difficult relationships, difficulties in school? Are you afraid of the past, afraid of the future, afraid of failure? Afraid of losing a child, spouse? Afraid of death and dying?
For the challenges that face us, for the adversities that beset us, for the difficulties that weigh us down, we don’t need a second rate, second class god, a god who isn’t self-sufficient, a touchy-feely god who needs encouragement from mere mortals to carry out his will, a god who if he/she/it fails needs us to say “OK, god, nice try, do it again. Come on, I know you can do better.”
We have El Elyon, God Most High, the God who says, “Don’t be afraid!” We don’t have to be afraid because the God Most High came to rescue us. Look at these three verses from the Psalms. “They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer” (Psalm 78:35). “My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart.” (Psalm 7:10). “I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me” (Psalm 57:2).
An even greater deliverance is embedded in this Scripture and fulfilled some 2000 years later. This mystery man Melchizedek is a type of Christ, a picture of the Savior. This isn’t just a suggestion on my part. Psalm 110 says it’s true, as de Hebrews 5 and 7. Melchizedek is described as a king and priest. Jesus is also described as our king and priest. The name Melchizedek means “King of righteousness.” Christ is our righteousness, he lived the perfect life we cannot. Melchizedek just appears on the pages of Scripture, he has no genealogy, no beginning or end, which suggests an eternal quality beyond mere humanity, parallel to Christ’s divinity alongside his assumed humanity.
Christ is El Elyon. Remember the song of the angels the night he was born? Glory to God in the highest! Echoes of God Most High, El Elyon. On one occasion, Jesus confronted a man who was possessed with a large number of demons. Listen to the name given to Jesus by the man: “When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, ‘What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?’” (Mark 5:6-7). Jesus is the Son of El Elyon. He delivered the man from the power of the demons. He is El Elyon. He delivered us from the power of the devil, sin, and hell, all the sources of all those fears that spook around in our hearts and lives.
This he accomplished as our flesh-and-blood brother, the God-man, come to be our Savior. Think of it. God Most High became God Most Low, God right here, God with us. His righteous life lived in our place, his bloody sacrificial death to pay for our sin, his glorious and powerful resurrection to assure us of our own resurrection and eternal life with God. He rescued us. He saved us. No other “god” does this, does everything necessary to save his people and gives them repentance and faith through his Word. No other “god” even thinks of doing something like this. He is El Elyon, God Most High, our Savior, who delivers us from all our enemies.
Abraham’s response to El Elyon is summarized in this short sentence. “Then Abram gave him (Melchizedek) a tenth of everything.” This is worship. It’s an enthusiastic, generous response to the amazing, generous grace and power of God.
A part of you is cringing because you know what’s coming next. “And we should be like Abraham and give God a tenth of everything.” You’re wrong. We’re headed in that direction, but think of this… Is 10% an adequate expression of thanks? Everything you and I have comes from God. Period. 100% comes from him. Now, what do you tip a waiter/waitress for good service? 15% is the standard right? And all a waiter does is greet you and seat you and bring you water and take your order and bring your food and keep coming back to check on things and keep your drinks topped off. Remember, you paid for all this – the food and drink, the right to sit at that table in the restaurant for a while. And you still tip someone an extra 15% to bring it to you.
Everything we have comes from God’s hand, and when it comes time to expressing our thanks to him, do we give him thoughtful, generous, firstfruits or what’s leftover, what we can afford? I’m talking offerings, I taking talents, I’m talking time. Percentage giving is a good idea, but let’s not aim too low. Our God isn’t God Most Low, God Barely Adequate, he is El Elyon, God most High.
10%? A worthy goal. The Old Testament command. You brought your 1040 to the rabbi, he looked at your gross income and said, “You will give 10% of this. And you will like it!” We live in the New Testament era which means we’re free from that demand…free, not to minimize, but to maximize. Free to do more, free to respond to the encouragement in Proverbs 23:26, “My son, give me your heart.” Free to respond to Paul’s encouragement in Romans 12:1 “In view of God’s mercy, offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.” Your whole life, your whole being, in one constant liturgy, one continuous pattern of worship in thought word, and deed, day after day, night after night.
El Elyon gave us his all, his only Son. He continues to provide all we need. Blessed be God Most High. Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.
Pastor Stephen Luchterhand, Deer Valley Ev. Lutheran Church (WELS), Phoenix, AZ
E12
Are you ready for E12?
Our church body, the WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod) will begin offering materials to help congregations use Easter Sunday 2012 as an outreach opportunity.
From a press release: “Materials available include text studies, sermons, worship folders, choir material, outreach postcard templates, door hanger templates, bulletin inserts, visitor follow-up templates, a prospect management database, and devotional material. Customizable full-color outreach postcards will be available to order at five cents apiece; a grant from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans helped subsidize the cost. All other materials are free.”
Deer Valley will not be able to spend a considerable amount, if any, on such outreach materials. We will use what we can.
Do we have to rely on an effort like this to reach out with the Gospel this Easter? We can use it, sure, and we will. But can’t we just invite people to worship? Can’t we just introduce them to a living Savior?
Whom will you invite? To whom will you say, “Come and see!” Who is in your sights to receive the Good News: “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…” Save souls (by God’s grace) and save money at the same time?!
Are you ready for E12?
