March 18, 2026 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude “THE KINGLY PRIEST”

 

MIDWEEK LENT 5       March 18, 2026     Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

 

“THE KINGLY PRIEST”

 

          Zechariah. We have come to know him as the Holy Week Prophet because so many of his Messianic prophecies that shone the spotlight on our Savior Jesus were fulfilled during Holy Week. I know, I know. The last time I presented a Zechariah prophecy I insulted your intelligence. The connection was too easy. 30 pieces of silver. The price paid by the chief priests to Judas to get him to betray. It did help us to examine how we value our Lord Jesus. Today I will challenge you a bit. See if you can figure out how this picture prophecy about Jesus was filled during Holy Week.

 

Zechariah 6:9-13 (EHV) “The word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁰ Take an offering from the exiles—from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have come from Babylon—and on that very day go into the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. ¹¹ Take the silver and gold and make a crown, and place it on the head of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. ¹² Tell him that this is what the Lord of Armies says: There is a man whose name is the Branch, because he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the Lord. ¹³ He is the one who will build the temple of the Lord. He will be clothed with majesty, and he will sit and rule on his throne. He will be a priest on his throne, and there will be harmony between the two offices.”

 

          I can imagine that Zechariah’s first reaction upon hearing the word of the Lord was, “What? Are you crazy?” I can imagine that the reaction of Joshua son of Jehozadek, the high priest, was much the same, maybe even more vehement when Zechariah set the kingly crown on his head. “The Lord forbid you do such a thing!” And then Zechariah had to tell him, “Actually, the Lord has commanded it!” Why was this shocking? The Lord was commanding the combination of church and state. You may think that the separation of church and state is an American thing but it is God who established the church and gave it the tool of His word to use to carry out its work. And it is God who established the government and gave it the tool of the sword to use to carry out its work. They are two separate and distinct institutions that God has established. Each is to stay in its lane. Many people throughout history have thought having the two together would be a good idea. Just think if all of the laws of the nation followed the principles of the 10 Commandments! No matter that you would have to use the sword to get it. Just think if all the people of a nation were forced to be Christian whether they liked it or not and if they didn’t you could throw them in prison or kill them. Wouldn’t that be a great way to build Christ’s church? Probably the only time that worked reasonably well was when Moses served as spokesman for both in a theocracy for Israel. Still read through Exodus to Deuteronomy and you will still find plenty of ick! Go through more recent history and watch millions of people killed in the Christian crusades that were not about Christianity but about power. Observe faithful men and women who tried to get their church back to faithful teaching of Jesus put to death as heretics by a government in league with the church. Watch cities and nations that try to force Christian morals on its non Christian citizens produce more Pharisees than faithful followers of Christ. In Old Testament Israel kings that tried to do the job of priests were punished by God and priests that were more interested in politics than preaching starved the faithful.

 

          And yet here it was God Himself telling Zechariah to combine the office of

High Priest and King and that it would work perfectly. There would be harmony between the two. All that consternation I’m sure changed though once the Lord announced that this was actually about the Branch. Now it made sense. This was a picture and prophecy about the Messiah. He would be both King and High Priest at the same time. He would build the temple of the Lord which is the church. He would reign forever. Though Zechariah did not know this Branch by name, you do! It’s Jesus. Now for the challenging part. Remember this is a Holy Week prophecy. Where do we see Jesus as both king and High Priest during Holy Week?

          It’s Good Friday! Oh how the current high priest and chief priests must have sneered at Jesus when He stood before them. Here was the one who claimed to be the Messiah, the Branch. The one who was supposed to be High Priest and King at the same time. Look at him now. Bound. Beaten. Blindfolded. About to be executed. But what the current High Priest and the chief priests had forgotten was the role of the High Priest. His job was to care about the spiritual needs of the people and to make sacrifices for their sins. Oh, how Pontius Pilate must have sneered in arrogant Roman disgust when Jesus was brought before him. The King of the Jews? Are you kidding me? How many different would be kings for would be people had met the same fate? Execution by the mighty conquering legions of Rome. But what Pilate was forgetting is both jobs of a king. Yes, it is to rule people, but it is also to fight and defeat the people’s enemies. So where do we see Jesus, the Kingly Priest, combining both roles during Holy Week and with harmony between them?

          It is at the cross. They made him look like a mock king with the crown of thorns and fake royal robe. Pilate thought he was being so cute as he hung the sign “King of Jews” over Jesus head but none of them saw what they needed to see, the Kingly Priest, going to the cross as High Priest to make that once and for all sacrifice for sins. Going to the cross as the King of kings to defeat the enemies of His people, sin, death and the Devil. They did not see what they needed to see, but you do.

          Are you disappointed? That is the bane of the people of God. “Yes, yes, you paid the terrible price for my sins Jesus, but what I really wanted you to do was defeat the enemy of this disease in my body. Jesus the High Priest I want you to be is the one who intercedes with the Father so He does what I tell Him, I mean, ask Him to do. Jesus can you use your kingly power and your angel army to put all the ungodly people around is in their place and show them who is boss!” Brothers and sisters there are times when I find myself disappointed in my Kingly Priest too. Shame on me! Right back to our Kingly Priest on the cross. Because of what He did for me there will be none of the shame sticking to me that there ought to be when I see my God face to face. None for you either.

          The Kingly Priest. Jesus. In complete harmony. Doesn’t work anywhere else that church and state have been combined. But did you know that God did this same thing again in another way. The Apostle Peter brought that to light when he wrote, (1 Peter 2:9) ^“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, the people who are God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” Did you hear that? You are kingly priests too. But instead of paying for sin and defeating sin death and the Devil, God has a different job for you. Proclaim His praises, the great things He has done! Amen.

 

March 7-9, 2026 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: John 4:5-26 “JESUS: EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED!”

 

LENT 3

March 7-9, 2026

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: John 4:5-26

 

“JESUS: EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED!”

 

Let’s call her Demitra, this woman more commonly known as the woman at the well. If she followed common practice of the day she would have a Greek name. Even though the Romans were now in charge, ever since Alexander the Great had taken over the then known world it was cool to be Greek, to act Greek, talk Greek, dress Greek and have a Greek name. So we’ll call her Demitra. Her day started out as normal. She knew exactly what she needed. Kind of. She needed water. That’s why she was going to the town well. No running water for normal people. A normal part of everyday life was getting water from the well. What isn’t normal is going there around noon. That’s what the 6^th hour was back then. Demitra went to the well around noon because what she needed was water. What she didn’t need was all the grief from the other women of Sychar. They went to the well in the cool of the morning. Oh, they looked all prim and proper and thought so highly of themselves, thinking they were better than she. “Homewrecker” they called her, among a number of other not so nice names. What did they know about her and her life? If their first husband had died with no sons to take care of them, what would they have done? She needed a man to take care of her, she thought. With the pickings in town so slim she had not been picky and so one after another had left her after they got what they wanted. What did the others know of the struggles she had? They might have some choice names for her but she had some choice names for them too. Greek names. The thought of letting them have it brought a smile to her face. A little bit of name calling revenge, that’s what she needed.

          Rats! As Demitra drew close, she noticed someone else was at the well! So much for flying under the radar. It was a man, A little closer and she could tell he was a Jewish man. That was better. Everyone knows that the Jews despise us Samaritans so she would not have to engage with him. “Would you give me a drink of water, please?” the man asked. Well, that’s weird. So Demitra said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” He answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” Living water? What in the wide world of Zeus and Appollo is living water? “Sir,” Demitra said, “you don't even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do you get this living water? ¹²You are not greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave us this well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his animals.” The man, (His name was Jesus) answered her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴but whoever drinks the water I will give him will never be thirsty ever again. Rather, the water I will give him will become in him a spring of water, bubbling up to eternal life.” Ah, thought Demitra! This is exactly what I need! If he has some magic water so I don’t have to keep coming to the well in the heat of the day, that would be awesome! “Sir, give me this water,” Demitra said to him, “so I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” Demitra smiled. This was exactly what she needed!

          But then Jesus told her, “Go, call your husband, and come back here.” Demitra felt her face redden. “I have no husband,” she answered. There it was again. Right in her face. Had someone been talking? Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say, ‘I have no husband.’ ¹⁸In fact, you have had five husbands, and the man you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true.” Demitra could feel the normal defensiveness grow. Time to deflect! “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. ²⁰Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, but you Jews insist that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” Nothing like a good old religious argument to get the spotlight off or her sin. Exactly what she needed!

          “Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will not worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. ²²You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. ²³But a time is coming and now is here when the real worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for those are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. ²⁴God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” Well that didn’t work, thought Demitra. He actually answered the question simply and with authority. Time for bullet dodging topic number two! The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (the one called Christ). “When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” ²⁶Jesus said to her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.” And then finally Demitra got exactly what she needed. A Savior. Up to then she thought she knew exactly what she needed, water for the day, protection from unkind tongues, a man, any man to make her feel whole. But none of those was exactly what she needed. What she needed was the Savior, the God man, Jesus Christ. The one who gave her a clean reputation through the forgiveness of sins. The one who made her whole with God by giving her His righteousness. The only one who could give her an eternal life where the problems of sin and its consequences of this life would vex her no more. Jesus, the Savior. Exactly what she needed.

          And exactly what I need and you need too! Often like Demitra we can think we know exactly what we need and sometimes we are kind of right. Food, drink shelter and clot11hing are real legitimate needs that we and all people have. God has graciously promised to supply those daily needs, though not without our working. Help in time of trouble, when facing illness or surgery or relationship problems. Those too are real legitimate needs for real temporary problems. But none of those are exactly what we need. Like Demitra we all have been led astray by what we think we need. A man, a woman, a friend to make me feel whole. Like Demitra in pursuit of perceived needs we can let our guard down and our standards down and be led into sin and bring into our lives consequences that follow us and haunt us. All of us have made decisions we are not proud of. We all have those skeletons of sin hiding in our closets and if someone gets too close to them, change the subject. Point out someone else’s sin. Anything but deal again with embarrassing truth. Like Demitra we look for our own solutions to cope. Avoid people or think you are avoiding God by staying away from worship. Abuse drugs or alcohol to help you forget. Make someone else the target of people’s anger and ridicule. Bury yourself in work or activities. None of them actually work. Most of them bring even more grief into our own lives and the lives of others. They are not exactly what we need.

          It kind of reminds me of when I was a younger child than I am now. Immature. Not understanding. Christmas time. Presents. Oh the joy the day the Sears or JC Penny or Montgomery Wards Christmas catalogue came in the mail! I remember circling all the things I thought I really needed for Christmas and prayed earnestly to get them. Would it surprise any of you to know that list was almost exclusively toys? Then came Christmas Eve. Time to open presents. Oh the disappointment when too many of those presents were needed things. “Thank you for the socks and undies, exactly what I needed.” woodenly spoken so the true message was sent. Nobody sees those anyway. What good are they.” And yet I tell you the truth it was those needed gifts that were still in use months later when the new toy was broken or cast aside because wants had changed.

          Brothers and sisters, by that illustration I don’t in any way reduce our Lord Jesus and His awesomeness to the level of socks and undies but merely seek to point out how easy it is for us to overvalue the things we think we need and undervalue what we really need. Jesus gave the woman at the well living water, Himself as Savior. He gave her hope and future. She would not always be that woman. He gave her value and purpose. Her response to Jesus’ revelation that He was her Savior was to become the MVP of her town pointing the rest of the people to Jesus. He was exactly what she needed.

          And you have Him too. You all have things going on in your life that you need Jesus for. You have real needs and perceived needs. You have little problems and big problems. You deal with consequences of past decisions and sins, some which last a little while and some that will last until your last breath. But none of them will last. Jesus is your living water that wells up to eternal life and there you will have no past, no problems, no wants no needs. Just glory. All the time. Jesus: exactly what I need! You too! Amen.

 

MIDWEEK LENT 2                February 24, 2026          Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

 

Zechariah 11:7-13 (EHV)

“WHAT IS HE WORTH TO YOU?”

 

Brothers and sisters, we are making value judgments all the time. For some a prime cut of steak perfectly prepared is worth it so they will gladly drop a hundred dollars at a fine restaurant to enjoy the experience while others will say food is food. I know what my body does with it. Chews it up and exits it. McDonalds is good enough for me. For some the experience of a concert or performance or an NBA basketball game is so worth it they will pay extra money and gladly give the extra time to travel, find parking and get as close to front row as possible to see their desired event while some will say, “That’s not worth it. I prefer the comfort of my own home and easy access to food and bathrooms for my entertainment.” It’s just a matter what it’s worth to you.

          As we continue our Lenten worship we look at another prophecy from the Old Testament prophet Zechariah. As we heard last Wednesday Zechariah is known as the Holy Week prophet. God used Zechariah’s ministry to give the signs and markers people would need to identify the true Messiah, especially the signs that happened during Holy Week. I think you’ll be able to figure out how this prophecy points to Jesus!

 

Zechariah 11:7-13 (EHV) “So I shepherded the flock which is to be slaughtered, especially the most afflicted of the flock. I took two staffs for myself. One I called Favor and the other Union. Then I shepherded the flock. ⁸ I removed three shepherds in one month. I grew very impatient with the flock, and they really detested me. ⁹ So I said, “I will not shepherd you. Whatever is dying, let it die. Whatever is being destroyed, let it be destroyed. And let those who remain devour one another’s flesh.” ¹⁰ I took my staff, Favor, and I broke it in two, to cancel my covenant that I had made with all the peoples. ¹¹ So it was cancelled on that day, and the most miserable of the flock, who were watching me, knew that this was the word of the Lord. ¹² Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, pay me my wages. But if it does not, withhold them.” So they weighed out thirty pieces of silver as my wages. ¹³ Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter, this magnificent price at which they valued me.” So I took the thirty pieces of silver, and I threw them into the House of the Lord, to the potter.”

 

          Old Testament Messianic prophecy often had a close up or immediate fulfillment and a faraway, about Jesus fulfillment. This is true for Zechariah 11. The prophet Zechariah served as a shepherd or pastor to the people. The two staffs he took symbolized the covenant God had made with them. Favor. God loved them. He was a friend to them. Union. God desired to be in unity with his people. As Zechariah did his shepherding and pastoring he had to fire 3 bad shepherds, bad pastors. A good reminder for all pastors. If you are unfaithful your congregation may not fire you, but God will! But it wasn’t just some of the pastors who were bad, the people were too. They did not value the Lord and His word so they were spiritually sick and dying. Zechariah grew impatient with the people and the people detested him as their pastor. So he quit. He broke the shepherd’s staffs that symbolized their oneness. He asked for his pay. They gave him 30 pieces of silver. When Naaman the leper came to the Lord for physical healing he brought 750 pounds of silver and 150 pounds of gold. When the people of Zechariah’s time thought about the eternal salvation giving Lord and His word they offered 30 pieces of silver. That’s what the Lord was worth to them. And just in case you think God does not understand speech and the sardonic nature of sarcasm, listen again to His response, “Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter, this magnificent price at which they valued me.” So I took the thirty pieces of silver, and I threw them into the House of the Lord, to the potter.”

          And that takes us to the faraway fulfillment that happened with our Lord Jesus. 30 pieces of silver. Do you remember where that showed up in Holy Week? 30 pieces of silver was what the chief priests offered to Judas to betray Jesus. That is how much their Messiah was worth to them. 30 pieces of silver. 30 pieces of silver that’s how much Judas accepted to betray his friend and His Messiah. 30 pieces of silver. That’s all Jesus was worth to them. But remember the purpose of prophecy. It is there to help all believers in the true God know that Jesus really is the Savior. What happened to that 30 pieces of sliver so valuable to Judas and the chief priests? Judas tried to return it and threw it in the house of the Lord. The chief priests used it to but the Potters field! God’s awfully good and controlling things, isn’t He?

 

“WHAT IS HE WORTH TO YOU?”

 

          But let’s return to the main point. What is He worth to you? Jesus that is. We make value judgments all the time. Would you betray him for 30 pieces of silver? How about for a million dollars? I know your answer: “I would never sell out or give up my Savior for any amount of money!” But is it possible that we have already valued Him at far less? Sadly, the history of the people who have identified themselves as the people of God has often showed that Jesus and His saving word and work are not worth that much. Have you ever traded Jesus for the acceptance of your peers? Have you swapped time with the Teacher for extra hours of entertainment or sleep? What’s he worth to you if you can always find time for play but rarely find time for prayer? Or when “me time” takes priority over “he time”? What do our bank statements and appointment calendars reveal about Jesus’ value to us?

          When Pastor Zechariah felt undervalued, he quit. It reminds me of what the Lord told us in Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls as men who will give an account. Obey them, so that they may do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no benefit to you.” If you make the lives of your pastors, principal and teachers miserable with endless nitpicking and constant complaining so their joy in serving is sucked away and serving becomes a groan, it will not benefit you. They may just quit, like Zechariah. But now look at Jesus. What is His response to people who value video games, sports and entertainment over Him? Who can’t wait to binge the next season of some poorly written tv show but would not even consider binging Bible? Who complain and moan and nitpick about His plans and treatment of us as though we 1^st world Americans actually have it rough? Does He quit? No, Jesus didn’t and won’t! He looked at you and me in our weakness and smiled. His response to our misplaced values was to value us more. “Christian, I will go to that cross and I will stay there until I have paid your debt in full. I will do this because the thought of having you with me in heaven fills my heart with joy!” That is your Jesus. So, what is He worth to you? Amen.

 

February 14-16, 2026 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Matthew 17:1-9 TRANSFIGURATION’S TIMELY TRUTH: “DO NOT BE AFRAID!”

 

TRANSFIGURATION

February 14-16, 2026

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Matthew 17:1-9

 

TRANSFIGURATION’S TIMELY TRUTH:

“DO NOT BE AFRAID!”

1.     If following Christ hasn’t seemed so glorious.

2.     If following Christ doesn’t seem so glorious.

 

The events described in our Gospel lesson are straightforward. Words cannot do them justice. Nor can pictures. Jesus was transfigured before Peter James and John. You are Lutherans. You are used to asking the good question, “What does this mean?” Matthew described it as best as he could. Jesus’ face shining like the sun. His clothing bright white. How many lumens is that? Moses and Elijah, great Old Testament prophets and leaders for God’s people. What did they look like? How did the disciples know it was Moses and Elijah? A bright cloud. What does that look like? God the Father’s voice from heaven. What does that sound like? Jesus’ Transfiguration has been described as a taste of heaven for Peter, James and John. If that is accurate it would certainly explain why they wanted to stay. “It is good for us to be here. Let’s make some shelters, some dwellings for us to live in.” Matthew describes the event as best he can. I guarantee you that whatever picture you conjured up in your mind if you are a creative person falls way short of how glorious it really was. I guarantee you that this artist’s rendering, as much as it tries to show the glory, falls far short of how awesome it was.

The events of Jesus’ Transfiguration are straightforward. He let his disciples see a glimpse of His true glory. The question we need to be asking is “Why?” Why did this happen when it happened? Why did the Holy Spirit make sure Matthew wrote it down, Mark and Luke too? The Transfiguration of Jesus did not happen in a vacuum. It was done on purpose by Jesus at a time His disciples needed it. Its message is just as timely for disciples of Jesus today. “Jesus approached and as he touched them, he said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” That is the truth, the lesson, that all believers get from Jesus’ Transfiguration. Do not be afraid.

Do not be afraid when you look back at your life and realize that following Christ has not been all that glorious. Matthew tells us that the Transfiguration took place “six days later.” If you let your fingers do the walking through the white pages of your Bibles, you will find that six days before Jesus’ Transfiguration the disciples had to deal with some tough truths. At first when Jesus called them to be His disciples it was, well, glorious. Jesus started doing miracles. People were amazed. Jesus taught Scripture with authority, not like the weaselly Pharisees and teachers of the law. People were amazed. Like the entourages of the famous folk today they got to bask in the glory and attention paid to Jesus. People came up to them to gain access to Jesus. Then things changed. Jesus’ message got more pointed. “Repent, all of you, or you will perish.” He started to refuse to do miracles because people wanted a show, not a Savior. He spoke in parables, only meaningful for the family of faith. Finally, Jesus helped them to come to grips with His real mission. “Who do people say that I am?” What is the word on the street? A great prophet. Nothing more. Nothing less. Not so glorious anymore. We are not told but we can certainly understand if doubts filled the disciples’ minds. Is Jesus really the Christ? If He is, why doesn’t everybody who’s been waiting for Him for forever love Him like we do? Where is the glory? So Jesus showed them. He gave them just a glimpse to help them wipe away their doubts and wipe away their fears. Do not be afraid if following me hasn’t always seemed so glorious, because glory beyond your comprehension is coming.

Good news for you and me too. Whether you have had the privilege of knowing Jesus as your Savior ever since you can remember or it’s relatively new for you, disappointment that comes from lack of understanding God’s wise ways is a part of life. You look back at the times you prayed for someone’s healing and God’s answer is not the one you wanted. You strive to live life God’s ways and friends and family can mock you instead of praising you. I know one sister in Christ whose nickname at work was June Cleaver. Those of you who don’t get the reference can use your google machine on your own to find out who she was Now, was that a compliment or an insult hidden behind a smile? Then there is the burden and hurt and disappointment borne by too many Christian parents. They raise their children in the training and instruction of the Lord. You did your sinful best but they have left the Lord behind. Lord, where are you? What about your promises? You apply yourself to the word. You feed your faith. Still that pet sin plagues you. Consequences of past sins don’t magically disappear. Where is the glory? Doubts and fears can fill our minds too. Sh!! Says Jesus. Do not be afraid. You think too little and too small. The Father’s plan is for glory beyond your imagination. Wait and you will see. Do not be afraid if you look back on your life and following Christ hasn’t seemed so glorious.

Do the same with whatever comes next! Right before the Transfiguration, after Jesus asked his disciples what other people thought about Him, he turned to them. “Who do you say I am?” “The Christ, the Son of God!” Good answer. The truth! Then Jesus told them what the Christ would do. He will go to Jerusalem, (Ooh, we like that! Probably getting ready to set up His royal palace. I wonder what my room will be like?) But Jesus went on. He would not set up an earthly kingdom, instead he would be betrayed to the chief priests. He would suffer many things and be put to death. Wait, what? Where is the glory in that?

And then everything happened just as Jesus said it would. The arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, the suffering of many things at the hands of the chief priests. His death on Calvary. The Gospel writers do not tell us all of the thoughts of the disciples. Just what they did. The fled in the Garden, but John followed. Peter denied but wept bitterly after seeing Jesus. The disciples ran, but they did gather together on Easter Sunday. Do you think at any time they remembered the Transfiguration? Did it give them comfort in their time of trauma? I think so. Jesus Transfiguration had a purpose. Do not be afraid. When things look the worst, when following me does not seem so glorious just wait, great glory is coming. That happened for the disciples too, just as Jesus said. He rose from the dead. He ascended into heaven. The disciples became bold witnesses for Jesus as you heard Peter proclaim in the second reading. The Transfiguration of Jesus enabled them to live without fear when following Christ would not seem so glorious.

Same thing for you and me. There is not a lot about our earthly lives following Jesus that we know for certain.  Will we live in a country that will become more Chirstian or keep becoming less? Will our family hold together or fall apart? Will I have easy financial times or are hard times coming? Will my health hold or is a physical or mental landmine about to explode? We don’t know. Jesus has told us to expect times when following Him will not seem so glorious. Think of the Beatitudes we heard a couple of weeks ago. “Blessed are you when people persecute you, mock you, insult you because of me,” said Jesus. Think of the testimony of the Apostles. “We must go through many tribulations to enter the kingdom of God.” Well, that won’t seem so glorious! “Do not be afraid,” says your Lord Jesus. Don’t be afraid when following Christ doesn’t seem so glorious in the future.

Why not? Real glory, eternal glory is coming. Glory so awesome words cannot not do it justice. Glory so awesome pictures cannot do it justice. Glory so awesome that when you get it, like Peter James and John, you will not want to let it go. Because of what Jesus has done for you, you won’t have to. Your sins are forgiven so the glory of heaven is coming. And it won’t just be Moses and Elijah that you will see with Jesus. Noah and Adam and Eve and the Apostle Paul, they will be there. Everyone of your loved ones who has entered heaven through Jesus will be there too. And many of your little ones that you didn’t get to know here on earth, they are waiting too. No picture or words can describe what that will be like when Jesus says, “Come you who are blessed by my Father, who sneered at earthly glory for the joy of this glory. Come and enjoy your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” But until that happens, no matter what happens, these are Jesus’ words for you, “Do not be afraid!” Amen.

 

Jan. 24-26, 2026 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Matthew 4:12-23 “ON LETTING YOUR LIGHT SHINE…”

 EPIPHANY 3

Jan. 24-26, 2026

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Matthew 4:12-23

 

“ON LETTING YOUR LIGHT SHINE…”

1.     By upholding the Scripture.

2.     By really obvious repentance.

3.     By being purposeful with people.

 

“Rise and Shine!” Some of you may remember we kicked off the Epiphany season of the Church Year with that theme. God’s Word encouraged us that because Jesus is with us we can rise above our circumstances and shine for the glory of Jesus. We did not get a lot of time to spend on how we can shine for Jesus so we will today and what better to help us do that than by looking at the words and works of our Lord Jesus who is the Light of the world.

As we do that we see one great way to let our light shine is to uphold the Scriptures.          “When Jesus heard that John was put in prison, he withdrew into Galilee. ¹³He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. ¹⁴He did this to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: ¹⁵Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, along the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, ¹⁶the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and on those dwelling in the region and the shadow of death a light has dawned.”  Why did Jesus go to live in Capernaum? Was it because he had heard John was put in prison and he was afraid he would be next? No. Was it because Mary said, “I don’t want any boomerang children! You can’t live with me!” No.       So why did He do it?” He did this to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah.” There we see it. One reason only. He was fulfilling the Scriptures. Every word of God was so important that even when it came down to itinerary Jesus carefully upheld every word of Scripture.

As we reflect the Light of the world by letting our lights shine we can do no better and must do the same. Your family needs you to. Your congregation needs you to. Your community needs you to. Your nation needs you to. Your God tells you to. I speak to all of you but especially you younger Christians here who will be the next generation of soldiers of the cross who will stand up, stand up for Jesus. If our nation continues on the trajectory it is in, you will face pressures to compromise God’s word. The pressure to accept the unscientific lie of evolution and give up the truth of creation has been around for a long time. The pressure to forsake the truth of one man and one woman marriage and God’s gift of sexuality reserved for marriage has also been around a long time. So has the lie that there is really only one god whatever you call him--or her and all religions lead to heaven. Newer is all the gender gibberish. Also newer is you. I know you don’t always believe it but your parents love you and your grandparents love you and in our desire to make life better for you or easier for you we may unintentionally have made you soft. Courageous and committed Christian faith is not for wimps. Letting our light shine for Jesus takes work, sometimes hard work and difficult decisions. I want to encourage you. First for your sinful nature if you think it is OK for you personally or to let your church compromise on Bible teaching. Who are you to tell God what part of His word is unimportant? Who chose you to write the Bible? No one did. God got written down what He wanted written down and the only right response of all the created is “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” Now for your Christian nature that loves the Lord and loves people. Who are you to speak God’s words of truth in love? You are His child. You are lights for the world and here is why letting your light shine by upholding every part of Scripture as God’s truth just as Jesus did is so important. “Faith comes from hearing the message and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” God’s word is God’s tool to transfer the gift of faith from His hand to people’s hearts. Rise and shine, brothers and sisters, by upholding every part of Scripture.

And by really obvious repentance. “From that time, Jesus began to preach: “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven is near.” The kingdom of heaven is the ruling of Jesus in the hearts of His followers. It begins when faith takes root in our hearts so we want to live for Jesus here and will extend throughout our eternity. Repentance is that complete change of mind in our hearts from only sinful nature thinking to new creation, follower of Christ thinking. By very definition this takes place in our hearts. So in reality, only God can see repentance. Changes of heart on the inside can show up with changes of action on the outside. I have reminded people of this truth, often when there is a rift in a relationship. I say, “Only God can see your heart. He knows if you are repentant. Everyone else is going to make their judgement based on what they see from you and hear from you. Now, you can make it very easy for people to believe you are repentant, or you can make it very hard. I suggest you make it very easy.”

 A similar truth as we let our lights shine brightly for Jesus. How winsome it is when the people of God own up to others the fact that we are sinners in need of forgiveness. How attractive it is when others seeing us striving to live the Christian life willingly, not out of guilt or compulsion. That repentance change of mind in the heart isn’t just about turning away from sin. It goes to our priorities and how we choose to manage our time or how we go about decision making. God knows your heart. He knows you belong to Him. Other people are going to make their judgement based on what they see from you and what they hear from you. Now you can make it very easy for people in your life to believe you are a follower of Jesus or you can make it very hard for people to believe you are a follower of Jesus. I suggest that in word and deed you make it very easy. Let your light shine by really obvious repentance.

And by being purposeful with people. “As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, since they were fishermen. ¹⁹He said to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  ²⁰They immediately left their nets and followed him. ²¹Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them. ²²Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.” How brilliant is our Lord Jesus to call into service these simple fishermen! See what He teaches us! Serving Jesus is not for the high and mighty. Everyone can do it. Fishermen. They were used to being purposeful. Their vocation was daily. Sometimes in preparation, getting their nets ready. It took work on their part. Some planning and wisdom. They had to know fish and when and where to lay down their nets. They understood that after you caught the fish you still had to clean them.

What a lesson for us on letting our lights shine! Translate fishing men into fishers of men. Be purposeful. It’s a daily task to remember I get to represent Jesus. Know your people. There is a time and a place for conversation and a time and a place to keep your mouth shut. After you catch ‘em you got to clean them. I said recently in a Bible Class that the best way to picture St Jacobi is a hospital for the sin sick but in this hospital the doctors are sick too! Only the Holy Spirit can clean us. Don’t look for what you consider good people. Look for people! Are you being purposeful? Do you live each day and pause before every person interaction to think about how it will affect your ability to shine for Jesus? I can’t help but get a little nervous every time another major issue happens in our country that lights up the internet. Will I or another Christian get tricked into be a light for whatever social issue we are facing next instead of a light shining for Jesus? Be purposeful in your postings and responses. Will this help me in my most important role as an ambassador for Jesus or will it disqualify me? Prepare yourself to let your light shine with time in the word daily like fishermen mending and cleaning their nets. Think about who you are going to be fishing for. Find joy in fishing whether you catch anything or not.

Brothers and sisters, Jesus is the Light of the world. You are I are lights too reflecting Him. So rise and shine! No, I mean it. Rise. You’ll shine when you leave!

 

January 3-5, 2026 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Isaiah 60:1-6 (EHV) “RISE AND SHINE!”

 

EPIPHANY

January 3-5, 2026

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Isaiah 60:1-6 (EHV)

 

“RISE AND SHINE!”

1.     Rise above the darkness.

2.     Shine to dispel the darkness.

 

Rise and shine! If you are not a morning person, those are words you do not want to hear. You know how it goes. You are a teenager. It is Saturday morning. You are looking forward to another 16 hours of sleep and then Mom sweeps into the room. “Rise and shine!” she says with a cheery voice. And your teenage body just wants to roll over and sleep. “Rise and shine!” the parent announces on the Monday after Christmas vacation. “Time to get ready for school.” Rise and Shine! Even when we are a little more mature those are not always welcomed words. But there are times when they are. When you are going on an awesome vacation next day. When you open presents on Christmas morning and your parents say you can’t get out of bed until it is light outside. Then you can’t wait to hear the words “Rise and Shine!”

          And when your Lord says those words. Someday, when your earthly life ends your Lord Jesus will wake you from the sleep of death with His “Rise and shine!” welcome into heaven. And today in His word we hear the same welcome words. Today we once again celebrate the Church Festival of Epiphany. Often called the Gentiles’ Christmas, Epiphany celebrates the many different ways God revealed that the Savior born to the Jews is the Savior for all people and how that changes their lives. And yet the word of God we turn to this morning was written about 700 years before Jesus was born. It served as needed comfort and encouragement to God’s people then. It does the same now.

          If you were a believer that lived in the time of Isaiah you needed comfort and encouragement. God acknowledged that when He had Isaiah tell the people, ² Look, darkness covers the earth, and deep darkness covers the peoples.” Then and now darkness was a word that brought to mind bad times. Doom and gloom. You looked at your fellow citizens. They were a blessed people, a people chosen by God but so many did not care. If they even bothered to worship God it was lip service, going through the motions. Morality had slid into the sewer. Under the cover of darkness, sexual sinning, murders, stealing had become a way of life. God had tried to help them numerous times with numerous prophets including Isaiah. They all warned that bad things happen when God’s people turn their back on Him but the people wouldn’t listen. Now enemies would come and conquer them and carry the people away, believer and unbeliever alike. Who would blame these believers if they just wanted to roll over and stay in their spiritual bed?

          “Rise and shine!” came the voice of God! Rise above the darkness. “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord is dawning upon you. ² Look, darkness covers the earth, and deep darkness covers the peoples, but the Lord will dawn upon you, and his glory will be seen over you.” Were times tough? Yes. Did things look dark? Yes. Did that matter? No! Why not? They had the glory of the Lord. This was God’s way of saying He was with them. He would take care of them. They could rise, live above their circumstances because God was in control and would work things for their good.

          So can you! Like it was at the time of Isaiah I think we have to say darkness covers our land and darkness covers our people. Shootings, murders, carjackings. Polarization and division among families and coworkers. The inability most people seem to have to disagree without getting disagreeable. You are told to follow the science when it comes to medical advice but ignore when it comes to when a baby is a baby or what sex people are.  That kind of foolishness happens when spiritual darkness covers the land. But all these issues and many more are really just symptoms of the bigger problem, the darkness of unbelief. People of America who have received so many obvious physical blessings have turned their backs on God. Most don’t even bother to pay lip service to Him. Jesus is rejected as Savior. Darkness covers the land. Add to that things going on in our personal lives. We see some of our children and grandchildren blinded by the Devil, swallowing hook line and sinker, his lies about who they are and what God made them to be. Things with addictive qualities are so accessible and bring into our homes the hurt and heartache of a family member who is caught in one of them. Kind of makes you just want to stay in bed all day. “Rise and shine!” says your Lord. Rise above the darkness. Get your chin up and put a smile on that face! You only get to give up if Jesus is dead. He is not! Jesus lives, Jesus rules. We have the glory of the Lord with us. He will not leave us or forsake us. He will work all things for the good no matter how dark things appear. You can rise above the darkness because your Lord is with you. Rise and shine!

          Not only does God’s presence among us enable us to rise above the darkness of unbelief all around us it also helps us to dispel that darkness. “Nations will walk to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. ⁴ Look up. Look all around and see! All of them have been gathered. They are coming to you. Your sons will come from far away, and people will carry your daughters on their side.” Light dispels darkness. Isaiah told of a time when people from all around the world would be coming to God’s people. That happened big time when the mystery of Epiphany that Paul talked about in his letter to the Ephesians was revealed. Jesus is Savior for all people. The Gentiles, or non Jews, were attracted to the Jews who believed in Jesus who shared the wonderful news. As they let their lights shine for Jesus they dispelled the darkness of unbelief in their time.

          You and I can do that too! The best thing you and I can do for our nation and its unbelieving people is to be who we are. The best thing you can do for your children and grandchildren is to be who you are. The Lord Jesus said “You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before people so they can see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” This is why striving to deliberately live as Christians is so important. We all know that our good deeds don’t get us to heaven but they do show others we are going to heaven and they can attract others to us so we can tell them why we are different. Our lives become a voiceless testimony to what it means to have Jesus as Savior. We are His lights. And you know what light does? It dispels darkness! What a different nation we would be if there were more and more believers in it. We can’t make people believe. That is not our lane, our job. But we can talk in such a way, work in such a way, act in such a way, that people see our light, notice our difference and are attracted to a life that has the glory of Jesus. Shine to dispel the darkness!

          Rise and shine! Welcome words from our God. They not only tell us what to do but give the power and are filled with promise. ^“Then you will look and be radiant. Your heart will race with excitement and burst with joy. For great riches from the sea will be delivered to you. The wealth of the nations will come to you. ⁶ Caravans of camels will cover your land, young camels from Midian and Ephah. All those from Sheba will come. They will carry gold and incense ,and they will announce the good news of the praise of the Lord.” These words found their first fulfillment in the visit of the Wise Men from the East. They have continued to be fulfilled as throughout the centuries millions to billions of people have offered their wealth as a way of honoring Jesus. But the best is yet to come. The riches of heaven belong to you because you belong to the Lord. So get up Christians. This is no time for pessimism and doom and gloom! It’s time to rise and shine! Amen.

 

 

 

MIDWEEK ADVENT 3           December 17, 2025         Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Luke1:67-79 (EHV)

 

GIFTS FOR US TO BRING THE COMING SAVIOR:     A Praising Mouth

 

          “Do you pray with that mouth?” I hope I don’t in any way diminish your respect for the men who have served you as pastors here and elsewhere. As you already know, pastors are just people and like all people are sinners. And young men in college who are studying to become pastors aren’t necessarily spiritually mature when they start their 8 year journey. They come from various backgrounds and live in the same society you do. So, like happens with you, some of society’s sins become part of their lives too. That was true when I started college and I’m sure it is still true today. One of those bad sinful habits of our society that sometimes get picked up by God’s people is what I call a potty mouth. A mouth that spouts the four letter words. A mouth that uses the foulest and most vulgar words to describe body parts and body functions rather than the cleanest ones. And here is the big reveal, the shocker. Some boys hoping to become pastors but not yet pastors, use them too. When I was in school, we had a way of helping each other get better. If someone slipped and said “offensive to God words” someone else would say, “Hey, do you pray with that mouth?”

          That’s a good reminder for all of us. God listens to everything that comes out of our mouths and He cares what comes out of our mouths. He does not want the mouth that He has given us to eat food with enjoyment and to communicate with others used to spout profanities and vulgarities. And in fact, there is something we can do with our mouths that brings joy to Jesus. It can be another gift for us to bring for our Savior. In addition to the two we have already talked about, a trusting heart and a humble spirit, we can bring a praising mouth.

          To learn about that we turn to a veteran pastor, one who should have been spiritually mature but wasn’t. The priest Zechariah. He and his wife Elizabeth had prayed for a child but so far God had said, “Not yet.” One day when Zechariah was serving in the Temple the angel Gabriel appeared to him and said he and Elizabeth would have a child, a special child, the one we know as John the Baptist who would prepare the way for Jesus. Instead of saying, “Wow! Thank you! This is awesome news! I can’t wait to tell my wife,” Zechariah chose to doubt God’s messenger. He used his mouth to express that doubt. To help him learn to trust God, Gabriel told Zechariah he would not be able to speak until his son was born.

          Then, of course, everything happened just as God had announced and once his son was born and following the Lord’s command Zechariah named him John, Zechariah was able to speak again. What would he use his mouth for? To defend himself and his bad decision? To correct all the misunderstandings that had happened between him and Elizabeth up until this time? No, he used it instead, to praise.

 

^“ Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited us and prepared redemption for his people. ⁶⁹ He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, ⁷⁰ just as he said long ago through the mouth of his holy prophets. ⁷¹ He raised up salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, ⁷  in order to show mercy to our fathers by remembering his holy covenant, ⁷³ the oath which he swore to Abraham our father, ⁷⁴ to grant deliverance to us from the hand of our enemies, so that we are able to serve him without fear, ⁷⁵ in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

Two things jump out us. Why Zechariah praised and how he praised. Why did Zechariah praise? He knew he had received grace and mercy from God. Two words in the Bible that are very close in meaning but slightly different are mercy and grace. If you have to split them, grace is the love of God that moves Him to give us gifts we don’t deserve and cannot earn. Mercy is the compassion of God that moves Him to free us from the punishment we’ve earned for ourselves. God gave Zechariah mercy when he allowed him to talk again. God gave Zechariah grace by giving him and Elizabeth a child.

 

GIFTS FOR US TO BRING THE COMING SAVIOR:     A Praising Mouth

 

How did Zechariah praise? Praise tells others the great things God has done. Look at all the great things God has done that Zechariah highlights. He praises God for redemption. He praises God for salvation. He praises God for keeping His word. He praises God for His mercy. He praises God for allowing people to live without fear, rather serving God because they want to in righteousness and holiness. Zechariah’s gift to the Christchild? A praising mouth.

Like Zechariah we have received grace and mercy from God. God made Zechariah unable to speak when he used his mouth to doubt God. What has God done to you and me for the times words have come out that should not have? Did God give you your mouth to gossip, to tear others down? Did God give you your mouth so you could talk like and fit in with the unbelievers in our country? Do you pray with mouth? What God gave us is mercy. He has not given us the punishment we have earned. Instead we have received grace, the gift of a Savior and free forgiveness for all our mouth sins and every other one.

That puts us in the same position Zechariah found himself in, able to bring our Savior the gift that he wants. It seems to me that gift giving in our country has changed quite a bit. When you read the stories of what life was like in America in the 1900s, especially at the beginning of that century but still somewhat toward the end, a lot of gift giving was based on needs. Socks and undies were appreciated gifts. A warm coat or new dress also appreciated. We live in more affluent times so many people in our lives truly have everything they need and more. Gift giving shifts to giving something they want. What do you give to the Savior, Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords who has everything? Something only you can give. Your praising mouths. If we put our heart into it, every word we say or sing in every worship service is something Jesus wants. It’s coming from a praising mouth. Every “Thank you Jesus,” that we let slip when we recognize God’s help with anything in our lives is a gift from us Jesus wants. Every time we get a chance to tell others of the hope and help we have because of Jesus is a gift that Jesus wants and other people need. Do you praise with that mouth? Absolutely I do, and so do you! Amen.