Midweek Lenten Worship
February 24, 2016 
Matthew 26:36-46
Paul G. Eckert, Pastor Emeritus 

36  Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called
Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there
and pray.”
37  He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and
he began to be sorrowful and troubled.
38  Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to
the point of death.  Stay here and keep watch with me.”
39  Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and
prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from
me.  Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
40  Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. 
“Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked
Peter.
41  “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  The
spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
42  He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is
not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may
your will be done.”
43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because
their eyes were heavy.
44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third
time, saying the same thing.
45  Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you
still sleeping and resting?  Look, the hour is near, and the Son of
Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
46  Rise, let us go!  Here comes my betrayer!” 

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    It is good to pray together with others.  We do that publicly as a St. Jacobi family in our church services, in our school.  We can do that privately at home in our families.  Table prayers and the Lord’s Prayer are easy examples of that.  My wife and I pray together regularly also with our devotional readings, and in bed before going to sleep and after waking up.  We enjoy these opportunities to pray together.
    It also is good to pray alone.  Especially after we have  prayed aloud together in bed, I like going on quietly alone to include by name my wife, all of our children and grandchildren - and that’s quite a few; and to include also others, every once in a while some of also you by name.
    Praying together or privately, of course, would make no sense if nobody would be listening or able to answer prayer.  That, however, is not the case.  God’s Son, our Savior, took care of that.  He made it
possible, whether praying with others or alone, to have the confidence that our almighty God hears us and is able to answer our prayers in the correct way.  Conclusion?  Pray with others, and pray alone.
    In our sermon text Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.   Others were in the vicinity, but they weren’t joining in or in any way encouraging or supporting Jesus.  So, thinking of Jesus’ prayer in
Gethsemane, let’s speak of it as A Lonely Prayer coming from A Lonely Pray-er  who received no help from those around Him. A LONELY PRAY-ER (OR PRAYER) I    SOME WERE WITH JESUS - OR WERE THEY?  (36-40,43)
    1. Not all of the disciples were with Jesus  (36a) Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane,
        a) Just before Gethsemane all 12 disciples  had been with Jesus 
            at another place where they celebrated the Passover meal
        b) At that meal one of them, Judas, was identified by Jesus as 
            His betrayer.  Judas then must have left the group before Jesus 
            instituted the Lord’s Supper - left to make arrangements with 
            the church leaders to lead them to a place where they could 
            arrest Jesus without a lot of people around
    2. For His prayer Jesus chose privacy   (36-38)
Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”  He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he
began to be sorrowful and troubled.  Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.  Stay here and keep watch with me.”
        a) Jesus wanted company; so He took 11 disciples with Him, and 3 of those somewhat closer  
        b) But He also wanted privacy - lonely, but not completely alone
    3. Listen to His private prayer  (39) Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground andprayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.  Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
        a) Was there another way to save us? - What He had to face was terrible: God’s innocent Son condemned for all of us the guilty  
        b) But in love for us Jesus would carry out God’s saving will 
    4. For this He now was a lonely prayer  (40,43)
Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping.  “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter.  ---  When he came back, he again found them sleeping,
because their eyes were heavy.
        a) They were there, but they might as well not have been
        b) They disappointed Jesus; He obviously felt lonely
        c) What about us?  Do we disappoint Jesus at times?
II    WE ARE WITH JESUS - OR ARE WE?  (40-41)
    1. The disciples were with Him, but weren’t (40)
Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter.
        a) Yes, physically they were present
        b) But Jesus had to express His disappointment
    2. Are we like them at times?
        a) Can we sort of daydream, or like the disciples “sleep” our way through prayers without thinking about what we are praying?
        b) What about table prayers? - at our school, at home; or what about speaking the Lord’s Prayer? - at church speaking without thinking, going so fast can’t think, looking around at others, words coming from our lips but not from our hearts?
    3. Jesus warns about this (41)
“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
        a) As believers we are willing, we want to pray properly
        b) But as sinful human beings we are weak, all of us
    4. Thank God it is for us too that Jesus was praying here
        a) If we were perfect, also in praying, we wouldn’t need a Savior
        b) But even if we tried our best, we still would never be perfect
        c) And that’s why Jesus did more than just pray for us here
III  HE ALONE COULD CARRY OUT HIS TASK  (39,42-46)
    1. This was a totally impossible task for us
        a) Sin’s wages call for death, and we all are in the process of doing exactly that: dying, and then facing eternal judgment
        b) There is no way that we the guilty can make ourselves unguilty
    2. Notice here the difference in Jesus’ prayers (39,42)
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.  Yet not as I will, but as you will.”        
        a) First Jesus had asked if there was another way possible besides God’s innocent Son taking the sins of all the guilty on Himself
        b) Then He accepted that there was no other way; He would take our guilt on Himself, pay the wages of our sin as our Substitute He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not
possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
    3.  How well that will is expressed in the words we all know  “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.” 
    4. This will Jesus proceeded to fulfill (43-46) When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.  So he left them and went away once more andprayed the third time, saying the same thing.  Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting?  Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us go!  Here comes my betrayer!” 
        a) Now disciple 12, Judas, showed up to betray our Savior
        b) Jesus, fully knowing the horror of what He faced, went to carry out God’s will for us that we might live with Him in glory
        c) ”Your will be done” Jesus said - and it was!  Jesus did it! 
    And God the Father heard and accepted and answered a LONELY PRAYER from a LONELY PRAY-ER for our eternal salvation. 

Prayer

    Heavenly Father, graciously accept this prayer and all of our prayers, and receive our special eternal thanks that Jesus prayed “Your will be done” and did it.  Thank You for giving us the privilege of being able to come to You with our prayers, a privilege made possible because Your Son carried out Your will that we might be a part of Your family and can approach Your throne.
    When it comes to praying, forgive us for any neglecting of prayer personally and at home.  And forgive us for poor praying here at church if just words come from our lips but you could almost say that
we are like the disciples in Gethsemane and sleeping because we aren’t thinking at all about what we are praying.  Please forgive us, because this can often happen.  Thank You, Jesus, that doing our Heavenly Father’s will included paying for also these sins and weaknesses when it comes to our prayer life.  And please send us Your Spirit’s strengthening to try harder to pray better and to love You more.
    As we thus pray, keep us also from being selfish.  Help us to include others, and not only for physical needs, but above all that loved ones, others, might share by true faith in the victory of Jesus, won on the cross and guaranteed by His resurrection from the dead so that we can look forward to heaven as our eternal home.    
    In such confidence we now join in the prayer our Lord Jesus taught us, and ask that as we speak it You strengthen us not just to speak words, but to think about what Jesus told us to ask as we join to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.  Give us today our daily bread.  Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.  Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever.  Amen.

February 20-22, 2016 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Luke 13:31-35 “JESUS WON’T GO AWAY!”

LENT 2

February 20-22,  2016

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Luke 13:31-35

“JESUS WON’T GO AWAY!”

1.     Even when His presence is not wanted.

2.     Even when His love is rejected.

3.     Especially when His love is returned!

Luke 13:31-35 (NIV 1984) “At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” ³²He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ ³³In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem! ³⁴“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! ³⁵Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

          Go away! Think of different situations in your life when you have said that. It may have been when someone was pestering you. Just last week I was yelling that at a squirrel. I had filled the bird feeders outside of Chis’ classroom to attract birds for her and the kids to watch but who was there robbing the feeder? A squirrel. “Go away!” I yelled and pounded on the window. It just sat there stuffing its cheeks and mocking me. Sometimes we do that with people we shouldn’t, though don’t we? Maybe you had a hard day and your mom or dad or spouse wants to comfort you or talk you through and you say, “Just go away. I want to be alone.” Today in God’s word we have a situation where some people wanted Jesus to go away. But He didn’t. Let’s see why.

          It was during Jesus last year of ministry. He was taking the long way to Jerusalem going through Galilee and Perea. This is the area that the Herod known as Herod Antipas was ruling. He’s the guy who had delivered the head of John the Baptist on a platter to his step daughter Salome. Not a nice guy. Luke tells us “At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” “Go away!” the Pharisees said to Jesus. What’s not clear is why the Pharisees told this to Jesus. Is it possible this threat to Jesus was true and they were looking out for Him? Or maybe did they just want Jesus off their turf out of jealousy and thought the threat of  Herod would work? We don’t know. It doesn’t matter. What matters is how Jesus responded. “He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ ³³In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!” Jesus wouldn’t go away. Even when His presence was not wanted. Why not? He had work to do. He was going through Galilee doing the works that proved He was the Messiah, driving out demons and healing people. Then He would go to Jerusalem and do the work of the Messiah, lay down His life for the sheep, be killed so that through His blood we receive the forgiveness of sins.

          Jesus won’t go away even when His presence is not wanted because He has the salvation of souls in mind. That’s good for us to remember. Jesus won’t go away even when He’s not wanted. Maybe we think of how things are going with more and more of our fellow Americans not wanting Jesus in their lives. We worry for our kids, their future. Jesus won’t go away. He can’t be bullied or intimidated. He doesn’t respond to empty threats. He is the Son of God. Maybe we should remember that in another way. Sometimes we are the ones who don’t want Jesus around. Kids in school fooling around in the bathroom or looking at things on a cell phone that they should not don’t want Jesus around. But He is. He doesn’t go away. Adults at a party where the character assassination is taking place or drunkenness don’t want Jesus around but He is. He doesn’t go away. Just because we want to indulge our sinful desires Jesus doesn’t say OK, let me know when you are done. He watches. He sees. He won’t go away even when His presence is not wanted.

          Jesus won’t go away even when His love is rejected.  Thinking of His work in Jerusalem made Jesus think of the people of Jerusalem. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! ³⁵Look, your house is left to you desolate.” Jerusalem had the Temple, the religious leaders. By all rights the people of Jerusalem should have known God’s words and ways the best. Yet the history of the people of Jerusalem and their religious leaders is a history of killing God’s prophets, slaying the messengers because they didn’t like the message God sent calling them to repentance. Yet through it all the only thing God wanted to do was save the people. He uses the picture of a mother hen protecting her young chicks under her wings. That’s what Jesus wanted to do with the people of Jerusalem. Gather them together and save them from their sins. It didn’t happen. Why not? “But you were not willing!” Those are chilling words. Jesus’ love was rejected.

          He still didn’t go away. He didn’t call off the trip to Jerusalem. He would give His life for all even those who rejected His love. Remember that when you are dealing with a family member or friend who at this time is rejecting Jesus’ love. Most often you will see it happen when someone’s heart is hurting. They are mad at God, mad at Jesus that He didn’t save someone they loved from death. Mad that God allowed some other problem in their life or the life of a loved one. They don’t want anything to do with God. Hang with them if you can. In your words and actions let them see why you cling to Jesus. It’s because of His love.

          That’s why Jesus won’t go away. His love for people. He wants souls with Him for eternity. He’s got bigger plans then the temporary problems of this life that so often consume our time and energy. In His love He wants people to enjoy the life that is real life, the joy and glories of heaven. That’s why He didn’t go way here. He was on the mission of salvation.

          That’s why Jesus won’t go away from you either. You know as you are reading your Bibles and studying God’s word one technique is to try to see yourself in the story. Where do we fit here? We aren’t like the Pharisees who really want Jesus out of our lives. We aren’t the people of Jerusalem who aren’t willing to have Jesus taking care of us. So where are we then? The unmentioned people who do love Jesus. And friends, Jesus won’t go away especially when He’s loved in return. And we do love Him. We love Him because He first loved us. We love Him because He laid down His life for us. We love Him because of the eternal life He’s given to our loved ones who have died believing in Him. We love Him because of the sure hope we have that not even death can separate us from Him.

          Jesus won’t go way from those how love Him. Hold on to that truth, brothers and sisters, the next time you have a trial, a hardship, a heartache in life. While God will keep His promise to work it out for good, the Devil will try to use that hardship to drive a wedge between you and God, to get you to tell Jesus to “Go away!” Remember that when in weakness you fall into sin and something happens in your life that makes you think God has given up on you. He hasn’t. Jesus won’t go away. Instead He will keep His promise to never leave you nor forsake you, to be with you always even to the end of the age. You can always return to Jesus in repentance. It is never too. Jesus won’t go away.

          “Go away!” is something we can find ourselves saying to pesky squirrels raiding bird feeders. You might even say it to another person who just won’t leave you alone. Perhaps when you are upset or hurt you might say it to someone who really loves and wants to help. But don’t bother trying that with Jesus. His love for you is that great. His resolve to have you in heaven that firm. Jesus won’t go away, not when His presence isn’t wanted, not when His love is rejected and especially not when He’s loved in return by people like you. Amen!

February 10, 2016 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Matthew 26:1-5 PORTRAITS OF OUR SAVIOR FROM MATTHEW: A REJECTED TEACHER!

ASH WEDNESDAY

February 10, 2016

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Matthew 26:1-5

PORTRAITS OF OUR SAVIOR FROM MATTHEW:

A REJECTED TEACHER!

1.     Watch out so you don’t reject Him.

2.     Rejoice that He was rejected!

Matthew 26:1-5 (NIV 1984) “When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2 “As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4 and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 5 “But not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.”

          So when is the last time you looked at a family photo album? It’s interesting now that we have digital pictures you can take so many more. I wonder if they get looked at as much without being put in an album. It’s kind of fun though to look back and see what people used to look like or to be reminded that I was on crutches when I was confirmed and had to kneel with a full leg cast sticking out the back of my robe! For our Lenten series this year we are going to go through Jesus’ photo album, looking at the pictures taken by Matthew in His Gospel. No, kids they didn’t have cameras back then so Matthew takes his pictures with words, God’s Words. As we begin to page through the first picture of Jesus we see is that of a Rejected Teacher.

          As we look at this picture we can see it’s during Holy Week. Jesus had been to the Temple and kicked out the money changers and animal sellers that were making it hard for God’s people to worship. He had spent quite a bit of time teaching in parables, those earthly stories with spiritual meanings. If you look at the content in your Bibles in Matthew 23-25 you will notice that in His teaching Jesus gives several strong warnings against rejecting Him. He teaches about signs to watch for about the end of the world that really help all believers to always stay ready. He teaches and encourages faithful use of gifts that God gives. Clearly this teacher cares for those He teaches.

          And the result of His careful loving teaching? “When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2 “As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4 and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 5 “But not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.” The result? Jesus the perfectly loving teacher got rejected. Rejected by the ones who had the opportunity to know best. Did you notice who did the rejecting? The chief priests, the elders, the High Priest! They were the ones who should have known God’s Word best. How did this happen? Simply put Jesus wasn’t the kind of  Son of God/Savior they were looking for. They didn’t care about being forgiven and released from the Hell they deserved. They wanted someone who would stroke their egos, tell them how great they were and pleasing to God and help them continue to live the easiest life this world could offer. So they rejected the Teacher who really loved them.

          You know if we fast forwarded this picture to our times who would be the rejecters of Jesus today? Well at St. Jacobi it would be all the pastors and teachers, those who by all rights should know God’s word the best. Now we don’t reject Jesus but we would be foolish as we look at this rejected teacher if we don’t take warning against rejecting Him as well. What kind of a Jesus do you want? Is your first desire a Savior from sin? Or are their “more important” problems on your mind? I’ve regularly told people who’ve come through our Bible Information Class and joined our congregation that the closer you grow to Jesus the more sinful you will become. Not that you sin more but you become more aware of your sins and especially those sins of the heart. The opposite is true too. The further away you are from Jesus the less sinful you think you are. You aren’t bothered as much. You find that you get more upset about what others do than your own weakness. A little later in this service you will have the  opportunity to speak these words: “Almighty God, merciful Father, I, a troubled and repentant sinner, confess that I have sinned against you in my thoughts, my words, and my actions.  I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved others as I should.  I am distressed by the sins that trouble me and am deeply sorry for them.” Search your hearts. Are you troubled by your sins? Do they distress you? What kind of a Savior are you looking for? These are important questions to answer right so we don’t become rejecters of Jesus.

          And so we rejoice to see Jesus rejected. What? Rejoice that Jesus was rejected? Yes! Here’s why. “When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2 “As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” While Jesus was a great teacher that was not His only mission on earth nor His main one. He points to the main one when He says the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified. The Son of man. That’s a title for the Messiah, the God sent, God chosen Savior. Crucified. That’s how Jesus would take care of the problem of sin. He would be obedient to death, even death on the cross. On that cross Jesus was fully punished for every sin. Those sins that distress you, already punished. No punishment for you. Those sins that stick to you despite all your efforts to get rid of them and never repeat them. Done away with! Paid for in full! Those sins you can’t forget, that you hope special people in your life never find out? God already knows and has removed them from you. You may not forget but God already has. Because Jesus got rejected which led to His crucifixion.

          Wow! That’s a lot of info just looking at one little picture. You notice that when you look through those family photo albums. When is the last time you looked through yours? Some here will urge you too. They’ll do that because they went through old photo albums when they got ready for a loved one’s funeral. They’ll tell that they look through them more often now. Looking at pictures of our loved ones, what they did, what they used to look like can bring many fond memories. But you know what’s better than memories of our loved ones? Seeing them in person. Because Jesus was rejected and has paid for sins in full the day will come when we will not look at Him with pictures in words but see Him face to face. We won’t look at pictures of our loved ones who have died in the Lord, we will see them face to face too. Thank you Jesus! Amen.