Sermons

What is preaching? St. Paul writes in Romans: “Whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14-15)

Therefore our Lutheran Confessions state: “It is also taught among us that one holy Christian church will be and remain forever. This is the assembly of all believers among whom the Gospel is preached in its purity and the holy sacraments are administered according to the Gospel.” (Augsburg Confession VII:1-3)

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St. Mary, Mother of God 2011 – Luke 1:39-55

15. August 2011
St. Mary, Mother of God
Luke 1:39-55

Last year was probably the first occasion that most of you celebrated this festive day. You may recall that this day (as well as the Beheading of St. John the Baptist) fell on Sunday. Thus, it was fitting for us to consider the proper remembrance of the saints.

St. Mary is due honor as one of the saints of God. As a matter of fact, Lutherans honor all their departed each year on the Festival of All Saints Day, November 1st. I suppose that its easy to honor the dearly departed if they are blood relatives. Many Christians who rest from their labors hold special places in our heart. I remember fondly grandparents for their Christian witness who now sleep and will rejoice with all the saints and angels in heaven. I remember high school classmates who died tragically and yet now live in bliss with Jesus.

St. Mary ought be no different. She shared in the same faith, the same Lord, the same forgiveness that every Christian receives. The son of her womb died for her sins and for the sins of the whole world. Her son made bloody atonement for her as much as for us. Her son elected her unto salvation as much as he has us and all the those who from their labors rest.

St. Mary is different. She was chosen for a special duty, a noble calling. Like women before and women since, she carried a child in her womb. She sheltered a child from the assaults of the world and of Satan while he yet grew. She nourished him, umbillically sharing in all that was needed for his body. Even after his miraculous birth, she and Joseph protected the infant God from Herod’s death sentence and wickedness. She nourished him from her breast, carried him in her arms, teaching him to walk and talk.

St. Mary is different. She ought to hold a special place in our heart, much like all the saints of our lives. The Holy Spirit has quickened our hearts with the knowledge of salvation. We know that our redemption from sin was in the flesh of the child she bore. We know that our God gestated in the sanctuary of her flesh. THe Holy Spirit fills us, so that we proclaim with St. Elizabeth, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”

St. Mary is different than other women. She holds a special place. Not because she was holy in and of herself. Despite pious traditions to the contrary, we know nothing of an immaculate conception of Mary. For all we know, she was conceived, born, lived, and died just like you and me. For all we know, she was a sinner, same as us.

St. Mary is still different. For unlike all other women, who conceive and bear children according to God’s good and gracious will, St. Mary was blessed to conceive not by knowing a man but by the immediate gift of the Holy Spirit. She received the Spirit, conceived by the Spirit, her voice quickened St. John and inspired Elizabeth by the Spirit, and by this Spirit she sang.

This Spirit is none other than the Spirit of the Father and the Son. St. Mary received the gift of God, Spirit and Son in her very own body. This blessing and no other made her womb suitable to carry her Lord. The only-begotten of the Father is given to her out of sheer grace. She neither merited nor deserved such a wonderful blessing.

That’s how blessings go. You received them, then you rejoice in them. First, you are blessed and then you are considered blessed. This wasn’t the first time St. Mary had been blessed. Apart from all the first article gifts, St. Mary had already received the blessing of faith. St. Elizabeth tells us “blessed is she who believed that there would be fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Even before Jesus took up residence in her body, St. Mary believed the Word spoken by the angel Gabriel. That Word of God, “behold you will conceive” caused the very thing it predicted to be. She heard and believed. That’s why her song began like this: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.” The Lord visited her not because she was more noble, more special, or even more holy. He visits her simply because she has been made receptive through the Word.

St. Mary, like every pious messianic woman, was waiting for their savior. They knew from Isaiah chapter six that he would be born of a virgin and they knew he would be born of the house and lineage of David. St. Mary was prepared for this Word, as unbelievable as it may seem. In all things, she submitted herself in humility to serving the Lord in His Word.

The angel speaks to her simply and in pious reverence she listened. The blessing is the Word, now conceived of flesh in her womb. “For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me and holy is his name.” The gift of the child is special but the gift of the savior is great. The Father has begotten his Son for St. Mary, through her ear, and into her womb. Not just for St. Mary but for everyone who believes.

The child of St. Mary is the Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. We call Mary blessed because the Father blessed her with the Son who would save her. It is said that women will be saved through childbirth (1 Timothy 2:15). The bearing of children is a blessing, one to be received in faith and devotion. St. Mary exemplifies such receptivity despite the scandal of her virgin birth.  Even more so, this child is both blessing to her and a blessing to everyone who calls on his holy name.

We are all saved through childbirth, if we mean the birth of Jesus. “And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.” St. Mary is rightfully called the theotokos, the mother of God. The holy one who appeared before patriarchs and saints of old now has taken on flesh, joining together the impossible. God and Man are united in Jesus, who sits enthroned first in St. Mary’s womb. His throne is not so mighty, nor his strength great. The tiny King dwells in St. Mary, who is the beginning of the new Israel, the holy catholic church.

In this holy church, we each began like little Jesus. This sanctuary is a womb made holy by the Word of God. In this fertile seedbed, the heavenly Father grants new life to sinners. Through the saving flood of these uterine waters, the Father conceives new children in Holy Baptism. When we burst forth in new life, the blessings continue. We nurse on the pure Spiritual milk. We are grow in the knowledge of God and His holy Word. Our faith and life of love flourishes.

Blessed is St. Mary among women, who believed the fulfillment of the hope of Israel was the tiny blessing of the fruit of her womb. Blessed are all the true offspring of Abraham, the new Israel, who are reborn in Him, redeemed by His blood, sanctified by His Word, and nourished by His holy Sacrament. Blessed are you!

In Name of the Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Rev. Christopher R. Gillespie
Grace Lutheran Church
Dyer, Indiana

Trinity 8 2011 – Matthew 7:15-22

14. August 2011
Trinity 8
Matthew 7:15-22

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

Jesus himself commends us today in our Gospel to show great care and concern for the preachers you follow and the content of their preaching. Yes, its true! Not everyone who proclaims God’s Word share the same doctrine of the Holy Scriptures that has been confessed by the Christian church. Not every steward of the mysteries keeps the Gospel pure. Christ warns us to beware of false prophets. They are real. They may have all the appearances of being but a faithful Christian but in reality are wolves in sheep’s clothing.

You must take seriously the faithfulness of every teacher and preacher you follow. I don’t care if they stand in this pulpit, proclaim on the radio, smile their perfect teeth on TV, or dribble onto the latest bestseller, paper or electronic.

Everyone who claims to speak with God’s authority to you is your preacher. Everyone of them claims to expound for you the sacred mysteries of the LORD. No everyone of them is faithful. Not everyone of them subjects himself to the Word in reverence and fear. Not everyone of them seeks for you to know only the one who forgives, who took away your sins and the sins of the world. Some (and perhaps most) of what claims to be Christian is far from.

His caution is well-founded. Consider Christ’s analogy: If any bad trees are planted within the forests of young saplings, maturing trees, and majestic ancients, you know that their bad fruit may be too tempting for the weak and infect the soil, trunk, and air around the good, consuming them like a virus. Their infection will destroy the willing forest, dooming it to rot, decay, and the eternal fire. This is a real danger. Your faith, the faith of your children, the faith of this whole community is at stake.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

How do you judge these prophets? You know the nature of these trees by the fruits of their lips. Do they confess, the good fruit, Christ and Him crucified? Do the speak with the sweetness of the figs or grapes of the good tree of Jesus? Our Lord commends to us criteria to judge all those who claim to speak His Word. The criteria of faithfulness of the prophet is whether they do the will of the heavenly Father. This will is not simply the words of the mouth but also the actions born of my heart. We look to the public confession and also character and virtues. Some-of-the-wolves-in-sheep’s-clothing will say:

 “‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” 

The kind of shepherd Jesus wants for his flock is one who not only preaches and teaches the Word of God but lives a godly life according to it. This is nothing less than he expects from every Christian. The lives of every Christian are a testament to the faith they have received and the Holy Spirit at work in their hearts. But he who is called to be shepherd of our Lord’s flock on earth has a special duty to attend to his outward life. He is the most public figure and greatest witness to the faith within the church.

Paul commended Timothy in his first epistle a number of virtues for those aspiring to the office of overseer in his letters to Titus and Timothy. (e.g. 1 Timothy 3:2-7) It is appropriate for that the church be concerned for the life of her pastors and teachers. Recent disgraces highlight the importance of being above reproach. A great disservice has been committed against the Gospel by those who call themselves pastor or priest and then lead lives in accordance with sin and not the Father’s will.

Men have coveted money and wife and as a result stolen  from congregation and committed adultery. Other men have scandalized the Gospel with heinous sexual sin. Such public transgressions certainly disqualify a man for office. The qualifications for overseer are nothing less than the fruits of a sanctified life—a life where the Holy Spirit dwells and is active.

Ah ha! you say. The Scriptures give us a free pass to criticize our pastors! Not so fast. Judging can also be dangerous. Jesus is not suggesting we judge those who serve as pastor by petty matters such as the quality of their dress, the intellect or lack thereof, hobbies and interests, or even like-ability. Sometimes you expect more from your pastor for than Christ demands. This man serves as the steward of Christ for you. His faithfulness is all that matters.

It grieves me when pastor, congregation, and church are unjustly criticized for how they conduct themselves outwardly, and yet no one first asks why they do so. We don’t behave with reverence towards the Lord’s sanctuary, conduct ourselves in an orderly way with regular liturgy, or adopt and maintain pious practice towards the Lord Supper simply because we want to. We do these things not because we have to. We do them because of who we are. We are Christians, holy and forgiven children of the heavenly Father.

Ask yourself – who am I in Christ? Am I yet a heathen, submitting to bondage of the flesh? Serving demons and idols in ignorance? Or am I baptized into the holy name of Jesus? Was I adopted into a holy family, forgiven of transgression, born again to live in righteousness and fear of God forever? If so, if this is true, then how ought I behave? What is the fruit of the new tree born within me? Not mere outward living but a new and clean heart!

Jesus calls a wolf the one who clothes himself as a sheep but whose life shows only bad fruit. His wicked nature remains despite his outward signs of piety. This man is a hypocrite. He says one thing and does another. Think for a moment what he is to say. The pastor has been instructed to preach the Law and the Gospel. The good fruits of this preaching ought to be repentance from our sin, forgiveness of those who trespass against us, and godly lives lived according to the Ten Commandments.

Those who cannot confess with the congregation that they are sinful and deserve nothing but God’s wrath and eternal death are wolves in sheep’s clothing. Those who cannot forgive their neighbor for their sin, who can administer the Office of the Keys sincerely are wolves. Those who openly transgress against God’s command are false shepherds who lead the flock astray. The prophet Jeremiah records our Lord’s Word regarding these wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, ‘It shall be well with you’; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, ‘No disaster shall come upon you.’” (Jeremiah 23:16-17)

Not only does the wolf gloss over his own sin, he will gloss over yours. He will give you hope were there is none. He will say to you: “just try harder next time” or “you’ve lived a good life, that’s got to be worth something.” These are vain illusions of those whose hope is in themselves and not the Jesus Christ. The true prophet does not neglect his flock by preaching so false hopes. Instead he preaches repentance for the forgiveness of sins, all as a free gift of God in Christ Jesus.

“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 23:1-2)

In today’s Gospel he tells us what kind of attendance he will give to those wolves. They will be cut down  like thorn bushes and poisonous trees and thrown into the fire. Every pastor can’t help but quake in his boots at this Word of Law from God. It calls the faithful steward of the mysteries of God to repent of those times he has sinned against the Lord in thought, word, and deal and receive those comforting words of forgiveness.

Our own merit and qualifications do not make us a true prophet. Rather the true prophet is led by Spirit who preaches and teaches according to the Word of God. Even more so, the the true prophet speaks of the righteous branch, Christ, who was raised up for us and our salvation. The voice of the God’s prophet gives credit for heaven to nothing else than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. By him we may dwell securely in the hope of the heaven He won for us.

I pray that I have demonstrated the fruitfulness that Christ commends to us in the Gospel. Despite the shortcomings of this pastor, I am thankful that you have forgiven me where I have fallen short of expectations, where I have caused offense, or have been quarrelsome. As Paul said in today’s Epistle

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Romans 8:17)

As I consider the one year anniversary of my ordination, it is my prayer that you will continue to suffer, grieve, rejoice, and pray with me. We’re in this together. Tell me when I fall short and forgive me where I fails. Do this as you would do for me, just as you do for each other, living according to the Father’s will who is in heaven.

Listen to my words and judge them according to God’s Word. Pray for me that I remain faithful, standing firm on the rock of Christ. Heed Christ’s warning, that were the truth of God’s Word is absent, ravenous wolves will quickly enter in and consume you with their false teaching. But never fear, God will not allow these wolves to pursue you unless you have abandoned your hope, love, and trust in Him alone.

May the Lord grant in us the wisdom to recognize those wolves in sheep’s clothing that prowl around us, filling us with vain hopes of freedom without Christ or salvation by our own good deeds. May He grant His Holy Spirit to His pastors that they might preach and teach the Word of God in its truth and purity, administer the forgiveness of sins truly in present in the Sacraments with faithfulness, and lead holy and decent lives to the glory of God. May He preserve His Word among us and so shelter us from the ravenous wolves that threaten our faith and His eternal promise. Amen.

In Name of the Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Rev. Christopher R. Gillespie
Grace Lutheran Church
Dyer, Indiana

Trinity 7 2011 – Mark 8:1-9

7. August 2011
Trinity 7
Mark 8:1-9

Jesus draws great crowds to Him by His teaching, preaching, and mercy. Not too long ago, Jesus walked on water. He healed the sick in Gennesaret. He rebuked the Pharisees. He taught us that “what comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, comes evil thoughts [and deeds]. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” He has healed the Syrophenician woman’s daughter and commended her faith. Finally, he has healed the deaf man by spitting on His fingers, placing them in the man’s ears, and calling out “Ephphatha,” that is, “be opened!”

Jesus doesn’t merely walk about the earth, waiting for the time to ripen for His death and resurrection. He is actively involved in the lives of the people, first – teaching and preaching and second – providing for their needs of body and soul. Jesus establishes this two-fold pattern through the narrative of his ministry. He cares first for the spiritual needs of the people and then the physical needs.

His method shows great wisdom. Providing us with with food, drink, house, and home does not give us faith. Without faith, we just as easily attach these blessings to ourselves. We says silly things like, “I deserve this new car” or “I’ve earned a comfortable life.” Jesus, in His divine wisdom, first provides for the spiritual needs of the people. He teaches us about sin, which comes from within, and mercy, which comes only from Him. It is a truly great gift that we are not expected to save ourselves but rather are taught to acknowledge our great weakness of flesh. We daily sin much and deserve nothing but punishment.

On first glance, this doesn’t seem empowering but actually destroying. But as St. Paul teaches us in the Epistle, this is quite true. He uses the analogy of slavery to help us understand. In sin, we are slaves to impurity and lawlessness. To many, this is freedom. To live, enjoying all the pleasures of the flesh. By this is is truly slavery, for it binds us to the eternal fate of hell.

On the other hand, the Christian is made a slave to God. To many, slavery or bondage is negative. But slavery to our Lord’s righteousness, we are given a sanctified life, lived according to His commands, and  leading to eternal freedom with Him in heaven.  This free gift of God is eternal life, says Paul. Sounds a lot better than wages of sin, I’d say?

Jesus begins by teaching us about our nature. We think freedom is means we can do as we please. But true freedom that leads to everlasting life is nothing something we do, but something we receive as a free gift. A good gift is something that benefits the person. Our Lord truly cares for what kind of spiritual food we receive, as He demonstrates in His own life. He nourishes his people not with freedom to sin but instead slavery to Him and his good and righteous will. We subject ourselves to his lordship, calling his the Most High, recognizing that he is the great king over all the earth.

In his humility, the Father sent His son to die for us. Our sin was nailed to the tree with Him and His death was our death. The unreasonable gift was exactly the thing we needed. Without His intervention, the world would continue to lay in bondage to sin, doomed to death. He preached repentance for the forgiveness of sins, so that we might come to His saving waters and be redeemed from the cursed life. Jesus also healed the deaf, mute, the sick, and the lame. By His healing, He taught us that He had all power over our sinful flesh and could remove its dreadful curse from us. He is Lord of all creation, able to make dead bones walk.

But after he preached by voice and action, he provided for the people in the most fundamental of ways. He gave them food. Already he performed a great miracle, feeding 5000 men plus their wives and children at the shore of a desolate place. Then, where no food could be found, Jesus provided for the great crowds that followed after Him. Despite Jesus’ desire to mourn for the death of His friend and prophet John, he had compassion upon the people and from five fish and two loaves, he fed them all. Amazing!

You will recall the disciples reaction then. They said, “send them into the villages and countryside to buy themselves something to eat.” The disciples were falling into the same trap, forgetting that Christ, the Son of the Living God, is the Lord of all creation. All authority in heaven and earth had been given to Him. If anyone can feed the multitude, its Jesus. They should first trust that He will provide for the people.

But just as before, the disciples have forgotten that He is the true source of every need, both in soul and body. Again they ask, “how can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” To our ears, its such a naive question. How could these disciples not know that their rabbi, their teacher, who had revealed His power over water, flesh, and demon, would not also have the power to provide for the needs of the many.

A short time thereafter in the Gospel appointed for today, Jesus finds himself in the same position. A great crowd has joined Him. They have listened attentively to His Word. Just as before, the Lord knows the hunger not just for the pure spiritual milk but also require sustenance for their bodies. He looks upon them and has compassion. Literally, he pours himself out upon them. He gives them all that they need. Here too they have bread and fish which He miraculously distributes to the 4000 men plus their wives and children.

These words are here written that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Just like the disciples, we easily refuse the gift of faith. We refuse to believe in all the Jesus is and has promised to be. We are just like the disciples and need to hear. When we hear the Gospel account of the feeding of the 4000, we are hearing of our own weakness to see that God will take care us in every time of need. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. These promises are underscored by His daily granting us our daily bread as we pray when we wake and when we go to bed.

There is a lesson to be learned from Christ’s own pattern of life. He is concerned for providing the staples  needed for the people to continue to hear His Word and to return to their homes in safety. But His priority is that they first hear His Word and believe it. Daily bread keeps them alive in this earth but not to life in the next. He comes with His own body, the Bread of Life which nurtures and sustains for everlasting life.

We are all newborn babes who crave the pure Spiritual milk, His Word and His blessed Sacraments. Our Lord feeds us with Himself… the best gift our soul can possibly receive. It needs no attempts to richen or sweeten. Its chef is none other than the Father Himself, the author and creator of all. Just as our Lord taught the Law with all its sternness and the Gospel with all its sweetness, so we too pass this same preaching on to our children, because in them, is life.

From Christ’s example we learn that primary task of the father and mother is the spiritual nurture of their children. The first priority of every one of us and especially the spiritual father of the household is the proper nourishment of the soul. We rightfully critique everything that our children eat in order that their faith my be strengthened and not weakened. We desire first for their salvation, then for their well-being of body.

Not every gift is good. The 4000 would not have been properly fed if our Lord had given them a hors d’oeuvres of sardines on saltines. Instead they needed a full meal of fish and chips. But even more so He first fed them with the pure Word of His Law and Gospel. Without this gift which grants faith, we would not recognize Him as the giver of all things on earth.

Let us not worry about the things of this earth but let our Lord provide them to us as he sees fit. Better to be a beggar in heaven than well-fed and in hell. Let us keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Let us who feed those who are in need of hope, life, and salvation the pure Word of God, without alternation and modification to fit the whims and fancies of sinful man. Let us not preach the artificial sweetener of works-righteousness but rather the pure sweetness of our Lord’s body and blood, given and shed for all of you for the forgiveness of sins.

“The greatest, most God-pleasing work of faith a person can do, is to follow the example of Christ by helping people’s souls, so they don’t end up going to the devil.” (M. Luther) “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.” (Matthew 6:25,34 ESV)

Instead, let us be anxious for our salvation and for those who have not received our Lord’s abundant blessing, especially as be breaks bread at altars of Christendom for the forgiveness of sins. Let us pray that those who need his Spiritual food would come to recognize that He comes to them here, at this altar, and that would would receive His good gift with thanksgiving.

In Name of the Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Rev. Christopher R. Gillespie
Grace Lutheran Church
Dyer, Indiana