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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Trinity 9 2011 – “The Unjust Steward” – Luke 16:1-9

21. August 2011
Trinity 9
Luke 16:1-9

For the faithful Christian, there is a proper use of the wealth given to us by our Father. We have been given all that we need to support this body and life. Not only do we have clothing, shoes, home, land, and animals, we also have automobiles for transportation, farm equipment to make the toil of the land a little easier, cell phones and internet to communicate with the world, wells and city water for easy relief from thirst, air conditioning to beat the heat, and more. While we could live without some of these things, they have been given to us by our Father for our benefit, out of his goodness, and mercy.

The Gospel parable of the Unjust Steward is not about the gifts given to benefit our life. The parable is concerned with simply money, but mammon, that is, the greed for that which is more than the basic needs of the body. In other words, money in a derogatory sense, the idol that is worshiped, craved, and greedily sought.

As a parent, I spend a great deal of time distinguishing for my children the difference between what we need and what we want. How often we are convinced that we have only what we need! We are convinced have no mammon. The parable is spoken by Jesus because he knows we have been given more than we need. Jesus knows there is a great danger of greed, squander, or ill-gotten gain with this God-given surplus.

This is the sin of the Steward. He also said to His disciples:  “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. 2 So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’ 

The steward of the parable wasted his master’s property and got caught. Instead of being satisfied with his wages, he consumes his master’s wealth. He squandered it just as the Prodigal Son had squandered his own inheritance. He is a reckless caretaker of his master’s wealth. Those who care for another’s property should use it to benefit the owner.  His actions make the mammon unrighteous.

The proper use of God’s gifts is more than simply being thankful. We sing “We give Thee but Thine own, What-e’er the gift may be; All that we have is Thine alone, A trust, O Lord, from Thee.” Certainly it is our duty to thank and praise, serve and obey him. Also, in service to God, we also use this wealth to the benefit of those neighbors around us. Where God gives, he gives in excess. God gives this excess so that you may give to others in public confession of His work for you.

The challenge of a surplus is discerning its best use. Extra wealth doesn’t take long to burn a hole in your pocket. It is no surprise that the steward could squander away the rich man’s wealth. Wasteful spending is all around us, not just with our own finances but in business and in government. Many are lacking the wisdom to spend mammon appropriately and for the most benefit.

The steward, after hearing of his pending job loss for wasting the possessions, calls in the debt of his former master’s debtors to gain some positive reputation with them. Not only had the steward squandered his master’s assets, now he was giving away even more… changing the bills of debtors.

3 “Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’ 

5 “So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’

We shouldn’t place all the blame on the steward. Likely the debtors collaborated with him, knowing they were next to give an account before the rich man. The sons of this age are interested in self gain, saving face, and all this through dishonesty and waste. Their sinful actions make the mammon unrighteous. There’s plenty of sin to go around.

So, then, why does Jesus say: So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. 9 “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.”

Does Jesus advocate following the example of the dishonesty of the steward? No, the dishonest manager is commended for his shrewdness, not for his dishonesty. Shrewdness is having a sharp sense of judgment. He is commended for his quick thinking in working with the debtors to win their favor. Although the sons of this generation are dishonest, unjust, wasteful, and greedy, they act with quick judgment with the mammon they have. They use this wealth shrewdly for the benefit of making friends. They serve their mammon with faithfulness and devotion, using it in service to the worldly kingdom.

If the sons of this age act shrewdly with dishonest, unrighteous, dirty money… how much more should the sons of light act shrewdly with the wealth of this world! The sons of this age believe mammon is their own, to do with as they please. The sons of light are in the Father’s graces. The sons of light know that the surplus they have is a gift from God and to be used for God’s purpose.

And so Christ says to his disciples “I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth…” We use this worldly wealth for the benefit of those around us. “Making friends” is benefiting those in need and endearing ourselves to them. The wealth of this world is made unrighteous by corruption, evil, greed… sin. In the hands of the sons of light, mammon is made good by God, to be used wisely for his purposes.

Jesus continues: 10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own? 

The parable is not just about temporal blessings, those that benefit the body. It is given as an example of how we ought to treat the treasures of the church, the Holy Gospel. We have been given the stewardship of the Gospel, the best of gifts.

Some act recklessly with this gift, showing little concern for its integrity. They suggest that we need to dress up this message, smooth out the rough edges, and package it in simple sayings. These marketing gurus sell the Gospel short of its message by reducing Jesus merely to a Mr. Nice Guy who gave good advice. Offensive messages such as describing man as a sinner in need of forgiveness are removed. In the process, these gurus destroy the need for Christ’s death and resurrection. The justification of the sinner is sidelined in the interest of a cheaper Gospel of righteous living and meaningful life.

In contrast, God wisely gave us means of His Word, His Baptism, and His Supper to speak the whole truth of His Gospel. We should not listen to the marketing gurus and discount His Gospel by stepping back from the whole ministry He has given us. Reducing the Gospel to merely words without its proper teaching and means of grace makes us no different from any of the cults around us.

Messages of moral teaching can be found by listening to Mohammed, Buddha, or Joseph Smith. There we hear the same message of life change that these marketing gurus suggest. Those who could benefit from the truth of forgiveness of sins and life eternal are instead left to “price shop” not just to Christian churches but the cults for the morality that best fits their perceived needs. We are poor stewards of the Gospel and act without wisdom if we alter the Gospel and waste its gift of salvation.

God provides the mammon of this world out of the same goodness and mercy as his gift justification of the sinner,. We receive the earthy excess in view of His justification of us. All good gifts come through Jesus Christ our Lord, who died for our sin.

How should we use these earthly gifts? Jesus says, “And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.”  How can these friends won through mammon welcome us into these eternal dwellings, that is, heaven? Is Jesus suggesting that we should use the wealth of this world to gain entrance into heaven as has been falsely taught by the church of Rome or the ascetics of the wilderness who gave away everything and escaped to the wilderness? Are those of heaven who were fed, clothed, or sheltered by us in this world going to welcome us into heaven by virtue of these works?

No, these works merit us nothing towards heaven. Had it not been for Christ’s death and resurrection, these works would be no different from the unrighteous sons of this age. Indeed, there would be no sons of light if the true light of the world, Christ, had not come into the world. “Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you… While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” (Jn 12:35-36) To be a sons of light is to be separate from this world, distinct from the outer darkness, distinct from the unrighteous sons of this age.

As a son of light, your use of mammon is not unrighteous like the steward. Your mammon is made righteous by God. Those born of Christ produce fruit in keeping with their faith. As we learned last week, a good tree produces good fruit. Christians, freed from the curse of sin by Christ give freely of the wealth given to them. Their conscience is not burdened by identity, status, who is their friend, or how to get ahead in business… as with the sons of this age. Rather the Christian is free to act as God’s benefactor for the good of the neighbor. The wealth used in faith is purified by God. It is used for his purpose and in his wisdom. It is made righteous.

When we are welcomed into the eternal dwellings by these friends, they will thank us for demonstrating our faith to them by clothing them, feeding them, or housing them. They will remark how Christ was proclaimed in our lives. We will not enter on account of these deeds, but we will be joined by the faithful throng whose lives saw and heard faith which was not dead but alive… a faith given in baptism but proved by good fruits. They will give thanks to God for the confession of the gospel of Christ expressed not just in words but in deeds.

The life made right with God at the cross is lived in this grace. The grace of God comes to us in His Word and Sacrament where the Holy Spirit makes us new, retooling us for righteous use of his gifts. The steward squandered his master’s wealth and yet shrewdly used what little capital he had left to gain some friends. How much more can we be faithful stewards of his gifts and gain not just friends here on earth but by God’s grace,  friends into eternity.

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

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

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