Monday, October 31, 2016

October 29-31, 2016 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: John 8:31-47 “TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES!”


REFORMATION

October 29-31, 2016

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: John 8:31-47



“TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES!”

1.     At Jesus’ Time.

2.     At Luther’s Time.

3.     In our Time.



People in America have always enjoyed game shows on TV. There are some long running ones that all seem to know about like Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy and the Price is Right. There have been hundreds of others. One was called “Truth or Consequences.” Do any of you remember it? The contestants were asked a question and if they got it right, truth, they would go on. If they got it wrong there were consequences, usually some gag or stunt was done that got everybody laughing. As we observe the 499th Anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation today it’s a good time to remind ourselves about truth or consequences in another way. However in this case, it’s not a game. And the consequences are no laughing matter.

We start in Jesus’ time. To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, “If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. 32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”33They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can You say that we shall be set free?” 34Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37I know you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are ready to kill Me, because you have no room for My Word. 38I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you do what you have heard from your father.” When Jesus first started His public ministry he seemed to be popular. Crowds flocked to hear Him and see His miracles. Those crowd gathering miracles gave Jesus the chance to proclaim the truth. He was the God sent Messiah. All were sinners and needed Him. Many did not like to hear that message. Jesus reminded the people of the importance of the truth, God’s truth. Holding to that truth proclaimed in Jesus’ teaching is a sign of authentic discipleship. Knowing that truth sets you free from the slavery to sin. If you reject that that truth there are consequences.

“Abraham is our father,” they answered. “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do the things Abraham did. 40As it is, you are determined to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. 41You are doing the things your own father does.” “We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.” 42Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on My own; but He sent Me. 43Why is My language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me! 46Can any of you prove Me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe Me? 47He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

          At Jesus’ time many simply did not want the truth. God had given them the truth in the Old Testament through Moses and the prophets. God demanded holy living. Man could not do this. Man sinned. Sin was offensive to God. Sin needed to be paid for. Man could not do this. No offering was good enough. No amount of good deeds could make up for even one sin. God would send a Savior. He would do it. Sadly over time God’s truth was replaced by lies. If you have the blood of Abraham in your veins you are good enough to God. Only blatant breaking of the commandments mattered. Not the sins of the heart. God’s truth was rejected and there were consequences. 44You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. 47He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

          We know that Jesus restored the truth to God’s people. After His ascension the Apostles carefully held to Jesus’ teachings. The Devil tried many times and in many ways to substitute his lies but it didn’t work. God’s people held to Jesus’ teachings because they were really His disciples. Creeds like the Apostles, the Nicene and the Athanasian were developed to clearly proclaim the truth from God’s word in short ways, memorable ways and clear ways and to point out there were consequences for rejecting the truth. Those who did not hold to the Creeds were not allowed to be part of the Christian church. While the church was constantly fighting against the Devil who kept trying to get people to buy his lies for several hundred years it didn’t work.

          Things began to change. Just like what happened to the Old Testament church the teachings of man began to replace the truth of God. Instead of looking to the Bible for truth people looked to the church leaders called bishops. Headed by the bishop of Rome who called himself the pope various teachings were added as coming from God himself. Salvation was found in the church. While Jesus’ sacrifice paid for eternal punishment in order to pay of the temporal debt of sin man had to do things before he could get to heaven: venerate relics, say certain prayers and then of course by Luther’s time, buy indulgences, pieces of paper that promised forgiveness for a certain amount of the temporal debt of sin.

          By God’s grace and at his working a monk named Luther started studying the Bible more and more. He found the truth that set him free. We are forgiven not by what we do but because of God’s grace, his undeserved love. We are forgiven through faith in Jesus and what He has done. Only the Scripture is the truth and authority for what God says. You can see how grace alone, faith alone and Scripture alone became this simple ways of proclaiming the truth. Luther wanted everyone to know that truth and he sought to share it but his church at the time rejected it. They threatened Luther with death if he continued proclaiming the truth. Luther did anyway. He knew that it is truth or consequences. If he didn’t get the truth out many people would live their lives in fear without knowing the comfort, peace and joy of being set free from their sins. Because he was an authentic disciple he held to the truth.

          Now it’s our turn. Once again it’s truth or consequences. The truth of God’s word in America is under attack. It has been for some time with the lie of evolution proclaimed instead of the truth of Creation, with a free love instead of married love and with God’s truth about marriage of one man and one woman replaced with the Devil’s lies. And while those things certainly get us shaking our heads the worst lie was pointed out to you a couple of weeks ago by Pastor Waldschmidt Jr. All gods are equal. There are many ways to heaven. Truth is relative. What is true for you does not have to be true to me. How clever Satan is! We feel the pressure already. While there are appropriate times and places and inappropriate times and places for proclaiming God’s truth I’m sure we can all think of a time we kept our mouth shut when it should have opened. Do we let our own view of right and wrong change because the wrong is going on in our family? And so for instance when a man and woman lived together and had sex before was a sin but now when it’s my son or my daughter, my grandkids, it’s not so bad. More pressure is likely to come.

          But remember my friends it’s truth or consequences for all of us. If we give up the truth then Jesus says we are children of the Devil. If we stop proclaiming truth how will people who need to know that Jesus has set them free hear it? It’s truth  “To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, “If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. 32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Or consequences 47He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” Let’s make sure we choose truth. Hold to Jesus’ teachings. No matter what. Then you really His disciple. And the win is much bigger than a game show prize. It’s that glory of of heaven! Amen.


Tuesday, October 11, 2016

October 8-10, 2016 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: 2 Timothy 2:8-13 “A CHRISTIAN SURVIVAL GUIDE”


PENTECOST 21

October 8-10, 2016

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: 2 Timothy 2:8-13



“A CHRISTIAN SURVIVAL GUIDE”

1.     Remember Christ.

2.     Resist the easy way.

3.     Rely on God’s promises.



2 Timothy 2:8-13 (NIV 1984) Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my Gospel, 9for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s Word is not chained. 10Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 11Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with Him, we will also live with Him; 12if we endure, we will also reign with Him. If we disown Him, He will also disown us; 13if we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.”



                 In case you haven’t noticed we are in an election year. Haven’t noticed? Are you kidding? Non stop commercials. Unsolicited phone calls, e-mails, mailings. Debates bumping out your favorite shows. Almost non stop news coverage. Some people have jokingly (I think!) offered Election survival guides. They urge you to get the sleep mask, the sound deadening headphones or to binge watch every episode of Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune. Anything to get you past the November election. How am I ever going to survive? We may say that tongue in cheek for the Election but maybe we should be asking that in a more important way. How will we Christians survive? We are past the time when Christian themes and morals were dominant in our country, probably in the time when Christian themes and morals are tolerated and probably moving to the time when Christians can expect persecution. Cause for worry? Remember what we talked about last week? There’s nothing new under the sun. The word of God we get to look at today was written by the Apostle Paul nearing the end of his life to encourage a young pastor named Timothy. He provided a Christian survival guide for him that serves us too.

                 He urges us first to Remember Christ. Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my Gospel, 9for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s Word is not chained.” At the time the Apostle Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy he was sitting in a Roman prison. This was his second imprisonment. Unlike the first time when he was basically under house arrest, this time it seems he was in the real prison, chained like a common criminal. He took the time to pass on to Timothy truths he would need to survive. “Remember Jesus Christ!” he said. Sounds strange. Who would forget Jesus? Paul knew how clever Satan is a distracting believers. He’s still pretty good at it. Think of the many different things in life that demand your attention. Job demands. Health needs of your children or your parents.  Crime. Elections. Buzzing cellphones. Children’s activities. The latest gossip on Facebook. I’m not sure what Timothy faced but we sure have a lot of things going on and if we are not careful they distract from what or rather who is most important. I don’t think I’m wrong in saying that if I polled you on the importance of daily Bible reading most if not all of you would say that it is very important. And if I polled you to answer honestly whether it is happening or not I would get less than a majority. I think the same thing is true for weekly worship. Yet it does not always happen. Think of what prevents you. It’s not that you think it is unimportant. You get distracted. I have to this and there and this needs getting done. Remember Christ. If we are going to survive and thrive as Christians we need to deliberately Remember Christ who died but rose again. Who promised that where 2 or 3 come together there He is, who gave us a faith sustaining meal called the Lord’s Supper where we remember Him. Remember Christ.

                 And resist the easy way. “Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.” When things get hard for Christians because they are Christians a very natural response is to seek the path of least resistance, take the easy way out. Paul could have done that. He was in prison for proclaiming Jesus Christ as the true God and Lord, the Savior of the world. He could have gotten out of prison by keeping his mouth shut and calling Caesar Lord. But he refused to take the easy way. He endured. He stayed in prison. Why? For the sake of the elect. So that others would be saved. Even though Paul was in chains God’s word was not chained. There was work to be done.

                 Resist the easy way is another tool we need to remember so that we survive and thrive as Christians in a country that isn’t so Christian anymore. When pressures are brought to bear when there are more people belittling the Bible than believing the Bible when Christian truth isn’t popular any more the easy way is to shut up and go away. Or to practice our faith privately. Or to give in and give up what we know is true. Resist the easy way. The easy way is often not the right way. If we stop living our lives with Christ as Lord, if we stop living our lives as lights for Jesus those around us who need Jesus lose out. They need us. They need us to stay faithful to Jesus so they can be pulled to Him too.

                 But to do that we will need to rely on God’s promises. “Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with Him, we will also live with Him; 12if we endure, we will also reign with Him. If we disown Him, He will also disown us; 13if we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.” It seems from the way this was originally recorded in the Bible that the early Christian church used this trustworthy saying as maybe a hymn or a creed, something everyone could hold on to because they needed it. If we died with Him, we will also live with Him. Notice it says “died.” Past tense. When did we die with Christ? The same Apostle Paul who is writing here wrote this to the Christians in Rome, “Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. We were therefore buried with him through Baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Romans 6:3-4 NIV 1984) At your Baptism you died with Him. Don’t try to figure it out. Just enjoy that it is true. God’s promise is that we will live with Him. Jesus is with us now and we will continue to live with Him in heaven. That brings us to our second promise. If we endure we will also reign with Him. Endure. Don’t give up. Don’t give up if trusting in Jesus means you have to be chained like a common criminal as Paul was. Don’t give up if you get made fun of at work or college. Don’t give up is some family members turn on you. Endure, hold on to the faith entrusted to you at your Baptism and God promises you will not just live in heaven you will reign with Jesus. Again, don’t try to figure it out, just enjoy that it is true. And to help us when the going gets rough this is also true. If we disown Him, He will also disown us. Paul is just paraphrasing what Jesus said, “Whoever acknowledges me men, him will I acknowledge before my Father in heaven and whoever disown me before men, him will I disown before my Father in heaven. There is no more devastating sin consequence wise than disowning Jesus, giving him up. Young people here today, remember this. You are often the Devil’s prime targets. You go off to college. Your faith gets challenged. You get distracted from remembering Jesus. You forget to regularly worship. You forget to remember Jesus at Lord’s Supper. Somebody special comes into your life and in your love for that person who does not believe and does not want you to believe you disown. Don’t do that. You will force Him to disown you. This too is a promise from God that we can rely on. Now if some of you are worried that this has happened to your children or grandchildren hold on to this promise as well. If we are faithless he will remain faithful. He cannot disown Himself. It’s not too late. God has clearly proclaimed in His word His joy at seeing the straying return. He remains faithful to that and no disowner who returns to own will be turned away.

                 Remember Christ. Resist the easy way. Rely on God’s promises. As Paul’s life drew to a close he passed on those survival truths to Timothy who would need them. And there’s nothing new under the sun. We need those truths too. Thank God we have them. Amen.

Monday, October 3, 2016

October 1-3, 2016 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 “THE RIGHTEOUS WILL LIVE BY FAITH!”


PENTECOST 20

October 1-3, 2016

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4



“THE RIGHTEOUS WILL LIVE BY FAITH!”

1.     An often asked question.

2.     A most certain answer.

3.     A “simple” solution.



Habakkuk 1:1-3, 2:1-4 (NIV1984) “The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet received.2How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? 3Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. 1I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what He will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. 2Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. 3For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. 4“See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright—but the righteous will live by his faith.”



          King Solomon said it some 3000 years ago. In fact God had it written down in the Bible so you know it’s true. There’s nothing new under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:9) Things that happen today have happened before and will continue to happen. Certainly that’s true when it comes to what goes on in the hearts of God’s people. Things that you and I experience other believers have experienced too. Things that make us happy. Things that bother us. Things that worry us. There’s nothing new under the sun. How thankful we can be that God knows this about us and has provided what we need to live as God’s people in our time and our place.

          He does that for us today through a prophet named Habakkuk. His short three chapter book provides a Bible quote that was repeated in the New Testament and those of you familiar with Lutheran history hold on to and appreciate. The righteous will live by faith. Let’s see what led up to that truth.

          “The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet received.2How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? 3Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.” Habakkuk lived about 600 years before Jesus was born. It was not an easy time for those who loved God and trusted in Him. The government wasn’t doing its job very well. There was violence in the streets. Not exactly safe for law abiding citizens to live their lives. There was injustice.  Guilty people going free. The people of God were hurting so Habakkuk voiced their complaint. It’s an often asked question. How long O Lord? How long O Lord until you do something about it? Here is the heart of the matter and why it is so important for you and I to study this word of God today. Look at what has happened to the view of God that his people back then had. Habakkuk is the emissary, the spokesman for all of God’s people but look at how he talks…to God. Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? There is an edge there. Blaming God. Resentful toward Him. Doubt that He knows what He is doing and is really in control.

          Now there is nothing new under the sun. We also live at a time and in a place where there is violence in the streets, when many people feel the government is not doing its job. We hear or voice many complaints about injustice in our country. Many of you who served in WWII or have loved ones who did wonder what’s going on. As you have seen immorality grow into blatant rejection of Jesus you say, “This is not what we sacrificed for. This is not why they died.” How long O Lord will you let this go on? How much worse will you let it get? Then it goes to our personal lives. Perhaps a loved one is dealing with cancer or addiction. Maybe there is family strife or a child dealing with difficulty or straying or disobedient. You have committed the matter to the Lord in prayer. Nothing has changed. Lord how long? Why aren’t you listening? When will you come and help me? How long O Lord?” There’s nothing new under the sun. It’s an often asked question.

          Habakkuk was trying to be a good pastor, to represent the needs of his people to God. He said, “I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what He will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.”       I don’t think this is the attitude of arms crossed angry posturing toward God. His heart hurt. The people’s heart hurt. They were hoping to hear from God. They were not disappointed. “Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. 3For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.” God had an answer for His people, a certain answer. It was so certain he wanted it written on tablets, written in stone. That message revealed in the rest of Habakkuk was that the evil government would not last. God would topple it at just the right time with some invaders known as the Babylonians. And when God was done using the Babylonians He would get rid of them too. God had it covered. It was all in His control. He was using the evil and injustice to advance His real plan which is the salvation of souls. They simply needed to wait for the appointed time.

          Brothers and sisters, there is nothing new under the sun. When you and I see things going on in the world, terrorism and injustice, when we see things going on in our own country, dirty politics, when we find ourselves struggling in our families or personal lives, chronic issues that don’t seem to go away. People seeming to get away with ongoing evil. God has a certain answer for us. I’ve got it. It’s under control. I am working as I have always done on the primary goal of the salvation of souls. Any action that needs to be done simply is awaiting its appointed time.  There’s nothing new under the sun. God has it under control.

          And now we get to that well known phrase which offers a very simple solution to those whose hearts are hurting and wonder how long they have to wait for God to come and help. “See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright—but the righteous will live by his faith.” The puffed up one here refers to the evil doers that were bothering Habakkuk and his people. God opposes the proud. They would get theirs. But then that phrase. “The righteous will live by his faith.” When the Apostle Paul quoted this passage in the New Testament he emphasized the fact that we are declared righteous by faith in Jesus Christ alone and what He has done for us. But there is another nuance here. Those who are righteous through faith in Jesus will live, need to live now, by faith. Faith is believing in what you don’t see. Faith is trusting in God to come through for you before He has come through for you.

          That’s why in the service folder when I wrote a “simple” solution I put simple in quotes. It really is a simple concept. It’s really difficult to consistently live. Here is the simple concept. If God said it, you can trust it, 100% all the time. So when He says He has plans for you and they will prosper you and not harm you, you can trust that all the time. You can trust it when your plans seem to go the way you want and when what you wanted to accomplish fails. It’s His plans that you can trust, not yours. When He says that He works all things for good and you have an unexpected health problem you can trust that all even means a cancer or a fall. When He says that the blood of Jesus His Son has cleansed you from every sin you can trust that even when your conscience tells you you are still guilty.  The righteous will live by his faith. He trusts what God says even when his eyes don’t see the evidence or his mind and heart tell him the opposite. A simple concept.

          But not easy to do. Brothers and sisters living by faith and not by sight is not something you can talk yourself into. You can’t go to a big faith pep rally get all whooped up and come back with the ability to live by faith. That ability is given by God through His word. “Faith comes from hearing the message,” God said. We can trust that to be true. If you are having a hard time living that simple concept, if the hurts and worries of life are driving a wedge between you and God, check your daily schedule. Is there time each day where you hear the word? Faith comes from that and then you, the righteous, will live by your faith. Amen.