July 8-10, 2023 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Matthew 11:25-30 (EHV) “JESUS MAKES IT EASY!”

 

PENTECOST 6

July 8-10, 2023

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Matthew 11:25-30 (EHV)

 

“JESUS MAKES IT EASY!”

1.     To know the truth.

2.     To bear life’s burdens.

 

          Some people make it look easy. Like taking off from the top of the key to dunk a basketball. Giannis makes it look easy, but it is not easy. I’ve tried it. Doesn’t work. Not easy. Or accomplished musicians. Watch an accomplished pianist work the ivories, hand over hand, so fast you get lost in the motion, beautiful music. They make it look easy. But it’s not easy. Then there are some folks who actually make it easy. Try to do a home or auto fix. You try what makes sense. Impossible. But ask a DIYer or auto mechanic who knows the tricks, go to youtube and watch someone do the fix the right way and hey, that was easy. Our Lord Jesus comes to us today in His word and makes some difficult things easy for us.

          Like knowing the truth. People struggle with that. At this time in history when so much information can easily be spread so quickly and so far whether it is true or not, that’s a problem. There’s news, fake news, real news with a spin. Everybody seems to have an agenda. How do you know what’s true? It spills over into what’s really important, God’s truth. So many different world religions, how do you know your religion is the right one? So many different Christian churches, how do you know your church’s teaching are correct? This is not new. At Jesus’ time there were all kinds of religions. At Jesus’ time the Jewish pastors were teaching many different things. So Jesus made it easy.

          “At that time, Jesus continued, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from clever and learned people and have revealed them to little children. ²⁶ Yes, Father, because this was pleasing to you. ²⁷ Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wants to reveal him.” Did you hear that? Jesus makes it easy to know the truth. Refuse to act like clever and learned people and be like a child. He’s talking about what God has revealed in the Bible. Specifically the truth that Jesus is the way the truth and the life and no one, no one comes to the Father except through Him. The clever and learned Pharisees read their Bibles and got so full of their own smarts that they could not see the simple message of sinners in need of a Savior . They didn’t know that truth when they were staring at Him! But Simeon, Anna, Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph, Zacchaeus, Mary Magdalene, Mary and Martha and Lazarus did know they truth. They were childlike in their faith and to them God reveals the truth. Not to the wise and learned.

          Nothing new under the sun, friends. The Devil can’t undo what Jesus has done for all so he tries to confuse people on the truth. He works through people. So many mainline Christian denominations have their wise and learned pastors reading their Bibles and saying Jesus is one of many ways to heaven, not the only way, despite what the Bible plainly says. And I’ve had all I can stand and I can’t stand no more of the fake Lutheran church body, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. I am not saying this is true of all their people but the church body is not Lutheran. It is fake Lutheran. It does not hold to the Lutheran pillars of grace alone, faith alone and Scripture alone. Don’t do this before you eat or after you eat or you will lose your appetite or your lunch but look up the Sparkle Creed used in a fake Lutheran church in Minnesota, you will see what I mean. So clever and learned and blasphemous. Be on your guard when you hear people say, “We have better scholarship now, the words don’t mean what they say. Marriage isn’t just between a man and a woman. The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was not same sex sex but a lack of hospitality toward strangers. Abortion is not specifically prohibited so it is permitted. We are wiser, more clever and more learned, let us tell you what God meant to say or should have said.” Blasphemy. Arrogance. As though only 21^st century Americans are the  ones smart enough to really know what God has revealed and all the rest of the people for the past 2000 years our holy loving God let down. Brothers and sisters, you must reject every inroad of that kind of thinking. It is Satan trying to obscure Bible truth so he can hide the Truth of Jesus as only Savior. You young people here today, be strong. I know you are getting bombarded by social media and pressured by your peers but you are the ones people in our country need. You will keep proclaiming God’s truth so that people can be saved and so you can continue to do that Jesus has made it easy for you. Don’t listen to all the wise and clever Bible twisting arguments. Be a child when you read and listen to Scripture. God says what He means and means what He says. That’s easy. Jesus did that for you.

          Jesus also makes it easy to bear life’s burdens. And life has burdens. There are the burdens of sickness, disease and body parts wearing down. The burdens of broken family relationships. The burdens of deaths of our loved ones, especially when they are too young by our standards. The burdens of hopes unfulfilled. The burdens of disappointments that may last a lifetime. The burdens of real or perceived economic or workplace unfairness. Everyone has those.  And for those who know the truth there come more burdens. For followers of Christ who take His words seriously and want to live, talk, breathe in a way that honors Him there are the burdens of sin, the frustrating inability to get it right no matter how hard you try that Paul verbalized, the guilt, the shame. For followers of Christ who know God is all powerful and in control there is the burden of impatience and perceived unfairness from the hand of God. How long O Lord until you make things right? How long until evil is revealed for what it is? How long until the desire of my heart is fulfilled? Why do you let the wicked thrive and your people languish? Burdens! Our Lord Jesus knows, cares and makes our burden bearing easy.

 “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Now, don’t misunderstand me. The burdens we carry in a sinful world are burdens. And Jesus makes no promise to take them away. He promises to make bearing them easy by giving us His strength to carry them. “Come to me,” says your Lord Jesus. This is an invitation to bear burdens His way. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” For all of us non ranchers, the yoke is a device that connects two animals. Normally one strong and experienced with a younger weaker animal. By yoking them together the younger, smaller learns from the older stronger and is often carried along by the older’s strength. “Be yoked with me,” offers Jesus. “You don’t have to fix these burdens, I will. You rest. I know you can’t get it right. I did that for you. You have my righteousness and I’ve already taken your sin. You have the Father’s unconditional love.” Look at me!” says Jesus. “There were times the Father let me struggle, there were times, He made me wait, there was that time at the end when He said No to what I asked. But everything had a plan and a good purpose. And in the end the Father makes it right. So rest and wait, you’ll see. Yes, I know your body hurts right now. I know it does not work right. Just wait until you have your resurrection body! Come to me daily with those problems and my strength will carry you. Let go of having it your way and trust mine and those burdens will feel lighter and lighter until they are gone.

And they will be gone. All of them. Jesus’ words not only provide needed hope for this life but also have us looking forward to that day when we will have perfect rest from every burden and every struggle. Sin will be gone for good. We will not chafe because we don’t understand God’s wise whys of dealing with us or others. Jesus will make everything new! He keeps our eyes on our heavenly goal. And there again Jesus makes something that is so difficult, it is impossible for people, easy. For when it comes to getting to heaven it all depends on Him. His life, His death, His resurrection, for you. Amen.

 

 

 

June 17-19, 2023 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Matthew 9:35-38 “LOOK!!”

 

PENTECOST 3

June 17-19, 2023

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Matthew 9:35-38

 

“LOOK!!”

1.     Look around!

2.     Look up!

3.     Look out!

 

Matthew 9:35-38 (EHV) “Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. ³⁶When he saw the crowds, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were troubled and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. ³⁸Therefore pray that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers into his harvest.”

 

          What do an officer from the Southern California Humane Society, Jesus and St. Jacobi members have in common? More than you might think! According to a newspaper report a while back officer Tori Matthews of the Southern California Humane Society got an emergency call one day. A boy’s pet iguana had been chased up a tree by a neighbor’s dog. It had then fallen from the tree into a swimming pool where it sank like a brick. Officer Matthews came with net in hand, dove into the pool and seconds later emerged with the iguana’s limp body. She promptly began mouth to mouth resuscitation. As she later told the reporter, “I thought, well, you do CPR on a person and a dog, why not an iguana? Now that I look back on it,” she said, “it was a pretty disgusting animal to be kissing but the last thing I wanted to do was go back to that little boy and tell him his pet had died.”

          You see when Tori Matthews looked at that iguana she didn’t see a water logged lizard, she saw a little boy’s beloved pet. She did what she had to do to keep it from dying. That’s what Tori Matthews has in common with Jesus. You heard from Matthew’s Gospel how when Jesus looked around He didn’t see a bunch of disgusting sinners. He saw people who were loved by God and that moved Him to do what He needed to do to keep them from dying eternally in Hell. And that’s also what you and I have in common with Jesus. When we look at the people around us, we also see human beings who are loved by God.

          Now with the way our country is going that is getting harder and harder to do, isn’t it? Let’s look to Jesus for help. Jesus was in the part of Israel known as Galilee. Matthew tell us, " Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness.” Jesus saw people who needed Him. That’s who He had come for and that’s who He ministered to. But what did Jesus see when He saw people?

          Even though we aren’t specifically told we know what He would have seen because nothing has really changed in this world we live in, at least when you are talking about people. Jesus would have seen people whose lives were a mess because of sin’s presence in their world and their own sinfulness. He would have seen people who abused alcohol, who sold themselves as prostitutes or to prostitutes. He would have seen people who abused their spouses and neglected their children. He would have seen people whose greed, pride and hatred spilled from their mouths and showed in their actions. He would have seen people who did these things even though they knew better.

          As the sinless Son of God, the One whom the Father has appointed to be the Judge of all people you would think His holy blood must have boiled when He looked around at those people who were living in rebellion against God. You could just imagine Jesus with his hands over the red destruction button ready to put an end to the sin with His righteous Judgement. You would think He would look around at those people and say, “If you want to live separate from God then so be it, forever, in Hell.” That is what they deserved.

          But what did Jesus see when He looked around? “When he saw the crowds, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were troubled and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus didn’t just see sinners. He saw sinners who needed a Savior. He didn’t just see people who were running away from God. He saw people who needed to be led to God. He didn’t see enemies of God but victims of God’s Enemy, the Devil. He didn’t see creatures that were disgusting to Him, He saw creatures dearly loved by the Father and the last thing He wanted to do was to tell His Father they were dead. Jesus had compassion on them.

          What do you see when you look around? I’m not talking about the people here. I’m talking about the people you work with, that you see on the news. What do you see when you look around? It’s not hard to see people who don’t know God or even care. It’s not hard to see disgusting people you really don’t want anything to do with. This is to be expected. This is what the Bible prophesied about our times. (2 Timothy 3:2-5 EHV)  "For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemous, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ unloving, not able to reconcile with others, slanderous, without self-control, savage, haters of what is good, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, puffed up with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ holding to an outward form of godliness but denying its power."

          It’s not hard to see people like that when you look around, is it? It is hard to see them the way Jesus saw them. There is a remedy for that though. Before you look around at others, look at yourself. In the mirror. Not the mirror hanging in your bathroom. Try the mirror of God’s law. If you take a good hard honest look, you will see a person “who loves him or herself, loves money, is proud and abusive, has been disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unloving and unforgiving.” And still Jesus had compassion on us. Compassion that led Him to do not to something simple like kissing an iguana, but to something most unimaginable and least desirable—death on the cross with the full burden of everyone’s sins on Him.

          The compassion that Jesus had moved Him to action. Knowing full well what He would do for the sins of the world Jesus turned toward His disciples and said, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” In other words, “I’ve paid for the sins of all people. How few there are that are willing to tell them!” Imagine being one of the 12 disciples called to be witnesses for Jesus looking at all those people. 12 disciples for an estimated world population of 300 million at the time. Kind of like 1200 souls at St. Jacobi for an estimated world population of 8 billion right now.

          What a daunting task for them and us, to tell that many people! It’s no wonder Jesus told these men to look the only place they could find help. Up. “Look up!” Jesus said to those who would be His witnesses. “Therefore pray that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers into his harvest.” Pray. It can be intimidating  to look at all people and see them as troubled and downcast sheep rather than ugly iguanas you want gone. It can be intimidating to look at all the people who need to know Jesus save them. What a monumental task! How can we do it? It starts with prayer. We can’t do it on our own. God can. Prayer works. Pray for people to be witnesses.

          Do you think God will answer that prayer? Will He really provide the workers needed for such a great harvest? Immediately after telling the disciples to pray, do you know what Jesus did? He sent the prayers out. These 12 men were the answers to their own prayers. They were the workers they asked for. That’s why I say to you look out! Look out because you also are the answer to your own prayer for God to provide workers for His harvest. You are His witnesses. Some of you boys need to seriously think about becoming WELS pastors and some of you boys and girls need to think seriously about becoming WELS teachers. However, the privilege and responsibility for telling others that only Jesus saves is not reserved for workers called into the public ministry. It belongs to everyone who has experienced God’s grace and compassion. It belongs to everyone who received God’s grace in Baptism. It belongs to everyone who knows and appreciates what it means that God says you are forgiven for the sake of His Son Jesus. Look out when you pray for more witnesses for you are the answer.

          Brothers and sisters, I suspect that if present trends continue we will find ourselves wishing that it was iguanas that God placed before us instead of people. People are messy and getting messier. Some are following lifestyles and ways of dressing that make us sick to our stomachs rather than filled with compassion. But remember, the real enemy does not have skin on. Until you know that a person is a willing servant to the Devil it is better to view them as troubled and downcast and spiritually abused. Someone you don’t want to tell the Father he has lost. So be nice. Be respectful. If God has placed them before you, He may have picked you to be an answer to prayer. So look. Look around, look up, look out and always, always, look at Jesus. Amen.

PENTECOST May 27-29, 2023 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: 1 Corinthians 12:3-11 “THANK THE SPIRIT!

 

PENTECOST

May 27-29, 2023

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: 1 Corinthians 12:3-11

 

“THANK THE SPIRIT!

1.     For giving us faith.

2.     For giving us gifts to live our faith.

 

          Thank the Lord! Thank God! I think you can all recognize those phrases. Maybe you have heard them. Maybe you have said them. Hopefully, always as a prayer. Those phrases developed in human language at a time when people were much more mindful of their reliance on God’s blessings than they are today. People said, “Thank the Lord!” or “Thank God!” and meant it. Gradually over time those phrases became too common and did not flow from faith. Oftentimes today they really just serve as exclamation points, but not from us. You and I do know how totally dependent on God’s goodness we are so we can rightfully say, “Thank the Lord!” and “Thank God!” to all kinds of recognized blessings. You know what I’ve never heard people say? Thank the Spirit! Today we celebrate the Church Festival of Pentecost. In the reading from Acts you heard how the promised and needed blessing of the Holy Spirit was given to the Apostles in a special way giving them needed gifts. And He is still with us and blessing us with needed gifts. But just like the 3^rd important celebration of Jesus’ ministry, Ascension, tends to go forgotten by God’s people, so too the 3^rd person of the Triune God, the Holy Spirit, tends to be forgotten as well. We change that today as God’s words for us lead us to make, “Thank the Spirit!” a regular and meaningful prayer.

          Thank the Spirit for giving us faith. “Therefore I am informing you that no one speaking by God’s Spirit says, “A curse be upon Jesus,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.” At the time Paul wrote his first letter to the Christians at Corinth the church at Corinth was a sick church in a sick city. Corinth was that time’s sin city. If you think America is bad, we have a long way to go to sink to the depths of sexual depravity of Corinth. And they were proud of their sexual filth. The church at Corinth was sick in a different way. It was marred by a lack of unity. There were factions and cliques in the congregation. They were immature spiritually. Some were puffed up with their own importance and looked down on those in the congregation with different gifts than they had. Some thought they were more gifted because they deserved to be. They needed a God’s eye view of who they were and how they got there. They needed to thank the Spirit for his gifts to them.

          Most important among those gifts is the ability to believe in Jesus as Savior. The Corinthian Christians had been idol worshipers. But now they were believers in Jesus. How did that happen? The Holy Spirit went to work in their hearts. When the good news that they had a Savior from sin was proclaimed to them the Spirit opened their hearts to believe. They made the confession of faith, “Jesus is Lord.” Why? The Holy Spirit. There is nothing hard to understand about this word of God. No one can say Jesus is their Lord and Savior unless the Holy Spirit enables them. None of the Corinthian Christians were better than the others. None could take credit for being a believer. All need to say, “Thank the Spirit! Thanks for the gift of faith.

You and I can say that too. If you were brought to faith in Christ as a baby through Baptism you likely cannot remember a time when you weren’t saying Jesus is Lord. Those of you brought to faith in Christ later in life can probably remember a time when Jesus meant nothing to you. You may even have used his name as a curse. But not any more. Now you say, “Jesus is Lord,” thanks to the Holy Spirit. What a blessing that is! When is the last time you just pondered the fact that the Holy Spirit’s work in you pulled you out of Hell so that you breathed a sigh of relief at what the Spirit did for you? Or do you like me have to sadly confess that you probably felt more relief that the officer you passed going 10 mph over didn’t pull out after you? Thank the Spirit! Thank the Spirit for giving us faith.

And thank the Spirit for giving us gifts to live our faith. “There are various kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ There are different kinds of ministries, and yet the same Lord. ⁶ There are various kinds of activity, but the same God, who produces all of them in everyone.” You noticed the clever connection between different and same. The Spirit gives different gifts. There are different ways of serving the Lord. God works differently in different people. Yet it’s the same God, the Triune God, who is behind it all. He has a single purpose. “Each person is given a manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” The purpose is the common good. When the Spirit gives spiritual gifts it’s so that everyone may benefit. That the common good of doing the Lord’s work may get done. Did you notice something very encouraging in that verse? “Each person is given” the manifestation of the Spirit. Have you ever felt worthless, wondering why God left you here on this earth? Do you feel like you don’t have anything to contribute? Yes you do. God says so. He has given you value and worth. Each one of you have been given gifts so you can live your faith.

          What might some of those gifts be? “To one person a message of wisdom is given by the Spirit; to another, a message of knowledge, as the same Spirit provides it; ⁹ by the same Spirit, faith is given to someone else; and to another, the same Spirit gives healing gifts. ¹⁰Another is given powers to do miracles; another, the gift of prophecy; another, the evaluating of spirits; someone else, different kinds of tongues; and another, the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹One and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them to each one individually as he desires.” This list is by no means exhaustive. Wisdom: spiritual wisdom, the ability to apply God’s Word in a Godly way. Knowledge: having a storehouse ready of what God has said. Faith: the ability to remain calmly trusting in trying times. Healing and miracles: think of the Apostles ability to cure disease and do miracles as a way of authenticating their preaching before the Bible was complete. Prophecy: the boldness to proclaim clearly what God has clearly said. Speaking in tongues and interpreting tongues: how nice to be able to tell people in their own language the great things God has done for them. Remember how the Apostles were given that ability without even studying those languages! We could add others mentioned in Scripture, encouraging, generosity, leadership, administration, witnessing and many, many more. All kinds of gifts given as the Holy Spirit determines for the common good. Thank the Spirit you are using those gifts here at St. Jacobi for the common good of worshipping our Lord, praying for others, of making sure we stay faithful to God’s Word and on task with the mission our Lord Jesus entrusted to us, helping in so many ways for our common proclaiming of God’s word to continue and grow.

But these gifts from the Spirit aren’t just use them at church gifts. They are gifts to use regularly in your homes as you pray daily and devote to God’s word, as you Jesus’ name regularly, but not in vain. As you model and teach those in your sphere of influence, children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, friends what a faith in Jesus life looks like.  As you do that and use the gifts the Spirit has given you, you will get opportunities to be the one God will use to connect people to the Holy Spirit so they can say Jesus is Lord and join us in the mansions of heaven some day. Thank the Spirit! Thank the Spirit for all His gifts.

Gift giving can be a little tricky. This weekend I have my daughter’s birthday and with June comes Chris’ birthday month. Yes, you heard right. That’s how she rolls. A birthday month. I’m going to be giving some gifts and that can be a little tricky. You know when you’ve chosen well when the gift is appreciated and you can tell it’s appreciated when it is used. The Holy Spirit has given us the gift of faith which is the golden ticket to heaven. He’s also given each one of us exactly what we need to live our faith so we can fulfill God’s purposes for us and be a blessing to others. He has given us the Word and Sacraments to strengthen and cultivate that faith and those gifts. Best way to thank the Spirit? Use them. Amen.

May 13-15, 2023 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Acts 17:22-31 “CONNECT THE DOTS!

 

EASTER

May 13-15, 2023

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Acts 17:22-31

 

“CONNECT THE DOTS!

 

          At one point or another we’ve all done them. Dot to dot or connect the dot puzzles. Both in school and at home children of all ages have enjoyed connecting the dots to see what picture was revealed. Sometimes our children’s worship bulletins have them too. Today in God’s words for us we have a verbal dot to dot presented to us by the Apostle Paul. He was on what is known as his Second Missionary Journey. (PICTURE of missionary journey) After he was invited to leave Berea by the Jews who rejected Jesus Paul went to Athens and waited for his missionary companions, Silas and Timothy, to join him there. After visiting the Jewish synagogues in Athens to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah Paul did some sightseeing. Though not as prominent as it had been when Greece controlled the Mediterranean area Athens was still an important city in the Roman Empire. It was considered a center both for worldly wisdom and philosophy and at the same time pagan idol worship. One historian quipped that there were more gods than people in the city of Athens.

          Paul saw this and was distressed. As we ought to be too. Idol worshipping people go to Hell. Paul found a way to talk with these people about what was important. “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious in every way. ²³For as I was walking around and carefully observing your objects of worship, I even found an altar on which had been inscribed, ‘To an unknown god.’” Paul found some common ground, their natural knowledge of God. “You are religious people. That is a good thing. You are even covering your bases just in case there is a god you missed. Well, there is one, the only one. Let me tell you about Him.”

“Now what you worship as unknown—this is what I am going to proclaim to you. ²⁴“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made with hands. ²⁵Neither is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything, since he himself gives all people life and breath and everything they have. ²⁶From one man, he made every nation of mankind to live over the entire face of the earth. He determined the appointed times and the boundaries where they would live. ²⁷He did this so they would seek God and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.” “The God you didn’t know about before this is the Creator. He doesn’t need our worship, but He wants us with Him. No coincidences. God determined when and where you should live so you will know Him. That’s why I’m here.”

“For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘Indeed, we are also his offspring.’ ²⁹“Therefore, since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and planning. ³⁰Although God overlooked the times of ignorance, he is now commanding all people everywhere to repent, ³¹because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he appointed. He provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” No more excuses. You aren’t stuck any more with just the natural knowledge of God that tells you there is some god. Think it through, a god you have to make is no god at all. Let me reveal the true God. Jesus. The proof. God raised Him from the dead.

Here Paul begins to connect the dots. The first one is resurrection, Jesus’ resurrection. Because He is true God who will come to judge the living and dead, repent. Connect the dots. Jesus’ resurrection is the reason for repentance. Turn from the false gods to the only one who saves. Looking religious isn’t good enough. Worshipping some god isn’t good enough. Only Jesus saves. Turn to him and you will be saved. You will get new life. Connect the dots. Jesus’ resurrection leads to repentance and your own resurrection.

Now Paul knew exactly what he was talking about. He lived it. Paul died that day when he was on the road to Damascus when he was converted to faith in Jesus. Back then he was known as Saul. He looked more religious than most of his fellow Jewish people. He zealously served the god he had made up in his own mind and so he tried to wipe out everyone who believed that Jesus was God. Can you imagine the fear, the shame, the “what have I done?” feeling when he saw the blinding light from heaven and heard the voice of God declare, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting!” All his zeal, all his religious efforts were not only wasted but worse, a direct attack on the only one who could save him. Saul, who would be Paul, died that day. He died to his sinful way of making God in his image when he realized Jesus lives. He had a complete change of mind, repented, and was given a new life as a follower of Christ. All his zeal was now put into service for Jesus. Connect the dots. Resurrection. Repentance. Resurrection. Having lived that he called the men of Athens to do the same.

And his words call us to do the same. If Paul walked around our community what comments might he make? I see you are a very religious people, or maybe used to be. Look at all the fine churches you have built. In some places of your city there is one on every block! Look at your money. “In God we trust” it proclaims. But do you? Too many of those churches are empty waiting to become artists’ workshops, unique apartment and air Bnbs. Your claim on your money appears to be empty too. Your trust is not in God. You give the glory He is due as Creator to your own dreamed up cockamamie lie called Evolution. Your money should say In Science we trust or In ourselves we trust. You offer rainbow and unicorn prayers as your legislators meet to pass laws to legally protect mothers and doctors who murder babies and slowly erode the rights of your citizens who want to worship the true God. Connect the dots. Resurrection. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. He will be judging. So Repent. Have a complete change of mind so that you can honestly say “In Jesus we trust.” And then live a new life that shows it. Resurrection.

That’s what Paul might say if he walked around our communities. But what if he visited our homes? I can see, people of Jacobi, that you are a religious people. You all have a Bible or two in your homes. Some of you have a cross and a picture of the Lord Jesus. You make a point of actually warming a pew in church, at least when it is convenient and does not interfere with other family items, or when mom asks you to for Mother’s Day, but I don’t hear a lot of talking to Jesus in your home. Why does that Bible have dust on it? From your calendar and budget books it looks like your Triune God is actually, recreation, entertainment and personal comforts. Worshipping God only when and how it is convenient for you is not worshipping God but self. And having a one hour a week relationship with God is not acceptable to Him. In the past He did not overlook that among His people but gave them over to be conquered by foreign nations. Do you think it will be different for you? Connect the dots. Resurrection. Jesus lives! Do you understand the privilege you have to be chosen by God to know and believe in Jesus as Savior? He lives and loves you. His death paid the price for all of your sins. He rose to prove it. Connect the dots. So repent. Have a complete change of mind about just going through the motions of having faith. You need to die a little each day. Die to sin so you are alive for Jesus. Connect the dots. Resurrection. Jesus died for you so that you should no longer live for yourselves but for Him who loves you and freed you from your sin by His blood. New life. Resurrection.

Look with me please at a portion of the worship summary in your bulletin. It reads in part, “True love involves obedience. Jesus did not simply say he loved his heavenly Father. He proved it by obeying his Father, even when that obedience meant dying on a cross for our sake. Love for God who lives in us leads us to a life of obedience. The God who lives in us calls us to live for him. It is as simple as that. Love for our risen Lord means obedience to his commands.” On this Mother’s Day every mom here knows this. Children, it is your willing obedience that shows love for mom. That’s a gift she will cherish every day. Jesus is much greater than mom. He deserves far greater obedience. Connect the dots!

I’ve done many dot to dot or connect the dots puzzles in my life. The real joy in a dot to dot is seeing what the picture finally looks like. Paul has connected the dots for us between Jesus’ resurrection, our need for daily repentance, and our own resurrection. This is what the final picture looks like. (Welcome into heaven).

April 9, 2023 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: John 20:1-18 (EHV) HE LIVES! What Easter Means to Me:

 

EASTER!

April 9, 2023

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: John 20:1-18 (EHV)

 

HE LIVES!

What Easter Means to Me:

1. John: I am free from my doubts.

2. Peter: I am free from my guilt.

3. Mary: I am free from my grief.

 

Christ is risen! A blessed Easter to all. Do you have everything ready? House clean? Got all the food? Goodies for the kids? If you forget something that will be a problem. Even if you have it all ready, there may still be problems. I was reminded a week ago of the infamous Krutz Easter when the dog grabbed the ham off the counter and made a run for it. That’s a problem. But as inconvenient as forgetting something or a doggy dash may be, there are bigger problems we face, aren’t there? It’s easy to believe in the goodness of God when things go well in your life but what happens when there are troubles and problems?  Is God for real? Am I maybe being punished for something? Maybe you are dealing with grief over a major disappointment or a first Easter without a loved one. Come along with me today and see what it means that Jesus lives. Let’s join others who also dealt with doubt, guilt and grief.

“Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. She saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. ² So she left and ran to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved. “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb,” she told them, “and we don’t know where they put him!” ³ So Peter and the other disciple went out, heading for the tomb. ⁴ The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first. ⁵ Bending over, he saw the linen cloths lying there, yet he did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter, who was following him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there. ⁷ The cloth that had been on Jesus’ head was not lying with the linen cloths, but was folded up in a separate place by itself. ⁸ Then the other disciple, who arrived at the tomb first, also entered. He saw and believed. ⁹ (They still did not yet understand the Scripture that he must rise from the dead.)¹⁰ Then the disciples went back to their homes.”

The Gospel of John’s Easter account draws our attention to three people. Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, the Gospel writer who calls himself “the other disciple.” All of them had problems, big problems that the Easter message, “He is risen!” solved. John’s problem was doubt. Can we blame him? Given that fact that he would live around 70 years after Jesus rose and ascended he was likely a very young man at this time. He was one of the three that Jesus allowed to see His glory at the Transfiguration. With the idealism of youth, I’m certain he gladly saw Jesus as the promised Messiah and put his faith in Him. And then the Garden of Gethsemane happened. Jesus arrested. The disciples running away in fear. Then Good Friday happened. Jesus crucified. Jesus dead! How can this be? To be fair, Jesus had told his disciples multiple times that he was going to Jerusalem where he would be handed over to the chief priests, where he would suffer and die and after three days rise again. But is that something you could believe without seeing? If I told you that tomorrow I would fly like Superman around the moon and back would you believe me? I could tell you that plainly twenty times and you would not believe until I did it. John had his doubts. Until he ran to the empty tomb and found that Jesus is risen. While he did not understand yet all the why about what happened he tells us he believed. Ask John what Easter means and he would tell you “I am free from my doubts.”

What about Peter? Maybe the reason John got to the tomb before Peter was that he was faster. Or maybe Peter wasn’t all that eager to really go to the tomb of Jesus. After all, the last time Jesus had seen Peter, Peter had been cursing up a blue streak to try to get people to believe that he didn’t know Jesus. That night in the high priest’s courtyard, Peter cursed and swore and said, "I don't know this Jesus you're talking about. I've never met him." Then Jesus walked by and looked at him. Peter had a guilty conscience. He wept bitterly. All that Friday, while he watched Jesus die, Peter had to remember that look on Jesus’ face. All day Saturday, while the disciples sat in stunned silence, Peter recalled Jesus’ face. Peter would never forget that look. His last act for Jesus was to deny Him.

Unless Jesus lived. Unless He was exactly who He said he was. Unless Jesus’ death was done purposefully to pay for sin. Unless Jesus would forgive him. The Bible tells us that after the events of Easter morning Jesus appeared to the disciples as a group. He was alive. Before that though Jesus came to Peter alone. Can you understand why? Peter’s guilt. Don’t you wish you could have been there to hear Peter blurt out, "Lord, I'm sorry! I didn't mean those words"? Did Jesus wipe away the tears of sorrow from Peter’s eyes and look into his face and say, "Peter, I forgive you"? The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly what happened between Jesus and Peter that day, but we do know that Jesus forgave Peter and Peter’s last act was not to deny Jesus but gladly tell people everywhere about wonderful forgiveness provided by Jesus. Ask Peter what Easter means, what it means that Jesus lives and he will say, “I am free from my guilt!”

On to Mary Magdalene. “But Mary stood outside facing the tomb, weeping. As she wept, she bent over, looking into the tomb. ¹² She saw two angels in white clothes sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and one at the feet. ¹³ They asked her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She told them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have laid him.” ¹⁴ After she said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not know it was Jesus. ¹⁵ Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” Supposing he was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you carried him off, tell me where you laid him, and I will get him.” ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and replied in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means, “Teacher”). ¹⁷ Jesus told her, “Do not continue to cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father—to my God and your God.’” ¹⁸ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” She also told them the things he said to her.”

Mary was overcome with grief. Jesus had driven seven evil spirits from her. Her gratefulness led her and several other women to followed Jesus and support his ministry out of their own means. She must have loved Jesus deeply. That’s why she was among the first to come to the tomb that morning to cover his dead body with spices. When she discovered Jesus was gone, she ran back in distress and confusion to tell the other disciples that someone had stolen his body. When she returned she just stood outside the tomb crying. She had lost more than a friend. The One in whom she believed was dead. How could she follow a dead Savior? But He wasn’t dead. He lives! Jesus appeared to her and her grief turned to joy. “I have seen the Lord!” Ask Mary what Easter means and she will tell you “I am free from my grief.”

So what does Easter mean for you? He lives. Do you struggle with doubts? All of us do at some time. Our belief and trust in God is easy for us when things go our way. But then tragedy strikes. The diagnosis is not good. The country and state you love moves further and further away from God’s good and gracious will. Doubts can creep. Are you real God? If so where are you? He is real. Jesus lives! He is in control even when it looks like everything is going wrong. For this time or any time when you struggle with doubts run to the open tomb. Jesus lives and will keep every promise to you. Or maybe guilt is your bigger problem. If not now it will be there at some point. When the bad things happen in life and the mind says “I know why. It’s because I did …” Listen. You can’t take back sin. You can’t undo it as badly as you would like to. Sin can only be forgiven. But that’s why Jesus died and rose. The very reason Jesus gave up His life was to pay for sin in full. Your sin in full. Everything, no matter how bad. The reason Jesus rose from the dead specifically so we would know today we stand forgiven, declared not guilty for every sin. One the price was paid Jesus came back to life. He lives! Or is grief what weighs on your heart? Some disappointment where something did not go the way you thought, hoped or prayed for or is someone missing from this year’s gathering? Just like with Peter John and Mary God might have you wait a bit to see the wonderful way He will work it out so while you wait go with Mary to Jesus’ empty tomb. He lives and because He lives we will too. Death is not the ending but the beginning. Jesus proves it. Jesus knows your grief and because He lives a day is coming when every tear will be wiped from your eyes.

Jesus lives. That’s the message of Easter. Now it may be that your life is so perfect you don’t need a living Jesus, eggs and bunnies will do, but I doubt it. Into every life comes doubts, guilt and grief and so for everyone comes Jesus. He lives. So what does Easter mean to me? I’m free, free to give up doubts about God when they come, free to let go the guilt of forgiven sin and free to let any grief turn to joy in Jesus, all because He lives. I pray the Spirit give you that meaning too! Amen.

 

April 6, 2023 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Mark 14:12-26 (EHV) His Final Steps Led to the Upper Room

 

MAUNDY THURSDAY

April 6, 2023

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Mark 14:12-26 (EHV)

 

His Final Steps Led to the Upper Room

1. Where a lamb that had died was carefully prepared.

2. Where the Lamb that would die carefully prepared.

3. So that His lambs who would die were also prepared.

 

          Ask any Jewish person and they will tell you, it’s takes a lot of preparation. I am of course talking about the Passover meal. If you like, you can do a google search on how to celebrate a Passover meal and you will find mostly uniform instructions and you will see it’s going to take a lot of work, so many preparations. The true removal of all yeast from the home, certified by a spring cleaning most of us would never want to do. All the right foods. Sections of Old Testament Scripture to be read at the proper time. So many preparations. Ask any Jewish person and they will also tell you it’s all about the lamb, the specially chosen Passover lamb, what it signified and how everything in the meal changes once the lamb is present. We see those truths combine tonight as our journey with Jesus continues as Jesus final steps lead him to an upper room where a lamb that had died was carefully prepared.

          “On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” ¹³ He sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and there a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. ¹⁴ Wherever he enters, tell the owner of the house that the Teacher says, ‘Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ ¹⁵ He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” ¹⁶ His disciples left and went into the city and found things just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover.” The celebration of the Passover is part of the Old Testament Ceremonial law that God gave the Old Testament church. One of its purposes was to help them remember how God had rescued their ancestors from slavery in Egypt and chosen them to be a special nation on earth. The way God had done that was by sending progressively worse plagues on the nation of Egypt to incentivize the Pharaoh to let God’s people go. The worst plague was the final plague where God sent the angel of death to kill the firstborn son in every household in the land of Egypt unless the blood of a lamb had been painted on its doorframe. When the angel saw the blood on the doorframe he passed over that household. It was spared from death. And so the name Passover. At Jesus’ time hundreds of thousands of people would be visiting Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover near the Temple. Thousands of lambs that had died were prepared. Jesus and his disciples got one of them.

          That preparation of the lamb by itself was no small deal. That’s because, for the Jews who were looking for the Biblical Messiah to come, the Passover was a whole lot more than their version of the 4^th of July. The whole Passover was designed by God to keep the people’s eyes on their need for a Savior. They could not save themselves. They were doomed to die eternally. Only the Messiah could save them. Like the lamb of the Passover, he would die in their place. So the Passover lamb could not be just any lamb but a perfect year old male lamb now carefully prepared.

          With New Testament hindsight we know that the Old Testament Passover lamb pictured Jesus. The real slavery of all people is the slavery to sin and the Devil. The only way for freedom was a the sacrifice of the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. So his footsteps led him to the Upper Room where he carefully prepared to do what He came for, to die. “When it was evening, he arrived with the Twelve. ¹⁸ While they were reclining and eating, Jesus said, “Amen I tell you: One of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.”¹⁹ They began to be sorrowful and said to him one by one, “Surely not I?”²⁰ He said to them, “It is one of the Twelve, one who is dipping bread with me in the dish. ²¹ Indeed, the Son of Man is going to go just as it has been written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

          We talked about this when our Lenten journey started. What do you do, what do you focus on when your time with someone is short? Important things. As Jesus, the Lamb of God sent to take away the sins of the world prepared to die he stayed on mission. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn people but rather to save people. While those who refuse to believe in Him condemn themselves everyone who believes is saved. One was there at the Passover meal whose love for money had crowded out faith in Jesus as his Messiah. Judas, the Betrayer. What does Jesus do? In love reaches out to him yet again. What do you suppose happened when Jesus said, “One of you who is eating with me will betray me?” Did his face flush? Or was his control that good that he should have been playing on some world poker tour? We don’t know what Judas did other than join the others in saying, “Surely not I?” But Judas is not important here. Jesus is. He knew exactly what would happen and so He carefully prepared to die. And if you want to hear more of what Jesus said when His time with his disciples grew short you can read about it in the Gospel of John chapters 13-17.

          A lot of time was spent by our Lord in the upper room where Jesus made sure his lambs who would die were also prepared. John’s Gospel gives us for instance these super comforting words spoken by Jesus in the Upper Room. “Do not let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that you may also be where I am.”  See how Jesus prepared His lambs for death, His and theirs. Don’t be troubled. Heaven has mansions prepared just for you. That’s where I will be going to and then when the time is right I will come back for you and take you with me. That’s all physical death will be. How kind and thoughtful Jesus is for His lambs. Of all those sitting around that table only the Apostle John would live to see old age. All the rest died young.

          And Jesus did more to prepare His lambs for their death. He provided a faith building and faith proclaiming meal. “While they were eating, Jesus took bread. When he had blessed it, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “Take it. This is my body.” ²³ Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them. They all drank from it. ²⁴ He said to them, “This is my blood of the new testament, which is poured out for many. ²⁵ Amen I tell you: I will certainly not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” ²⁶ After they sang a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” The Lord’s Supper. You know what it is. Jesus tells you exactly. He took bread. “This is my body.”  Not a representation, symbol or picture. Is means is. A miracle. He took the cup filled with grape wine. “This is my blood.” Not a representation, symbol or picture. Is means is. But wait there’s more. It is the blood of the new testament or covenant. This is the covenant God has made with us, to forgive us our sin and remember them no more. Jesus is preparing us, His lambs. Your sins are forgiven. You can live that way right now. No guilt in life. And no fear in death. With sins you forgiven heaven is your home. But wait there’s more. Jesus said He would not drink of the cup until that day when he drinks again in the kingdom of God. Look ahead lambs of Christ. Feasting is coming. Banqueting, with Jesus. Not only does Jesus prepare us to look at the ending of earthly life without fear but even with longing. Jesus, our Savior, face to face!

          That’s why Jesus’ steps led Him to an Upper room. Preparation. And lambs. Jesus carefully prepared to finish His work as Savior so that we and all His lambs are prepared. Soon the Passover replacement meal will be celebrated in this service. It has been carefully prepared for you. As you watch or participate as appropriate, remember, it’s all about the Lamb who has taken away the sins of the world. That means you too! Amen.

 

March 25-27, 2023 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Mark 10:35-43 “SERVING: A SIGN OF GREATNESS!”

 

LENT 5 (150^th Service Sunday)

March 25-27, 2023

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Mark 10:35-43

 

“SERVING: A SIGN OF GREATNESS!”

 

          It doesn’t sound right at first. People want to be called the G.O.A.T. You wouldn’t think people would want that until you understand that G.O.A.T. is an acronym for Greatest Of All Time. Aaron Rodgers believes he is the G.O.A.T. Packer quarterback. Debatable. Many consider Tom Brady to be the G.O.A.T. for all NFL quarterbacks. Major league baseball has pitchers and hitters and the NBA has ballers that all want to be the G.O.A.T. Muhammed Ali made the claim. But it’s not only athletes who want to be considered great, musicians do too. They have come up with several awards invented by musicians for musicians. The Grammys. CMA. But it’s not limited to musicians either. Actors have made awards for actors. The Emmys, the Oscars. This past go round I saw a report that the stunt people were miffed that there was no Oscar for stunt actors. One quipped, “It’s not like were the Teamsters who just drive the trucks around.” MMM. And if there were no teamsters driving their trucks…? Noting this trend of groups of people wanting and creating awards for themselves I, in the past, have suggested to Pastor Waldschmidt and some other pastors that we should create an award for ourselves. We could call it “The Pastors!” I can see it now holding up the golden Luther statue. “First I want to thank my wife and children and my mom and dad and the ghostwriters for my sermons…” Okay, I guess that does sound a little silly. No wonder none of the other guys have jumped on my bandwagon.

          But it’s not just people in the entertainment industry who want to be considered the greatest, Jesus’ own disciples did too. “James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached him and said, “Teacher, we wish that you would do for us whatever we ask.” ³⁶ He said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” ³⁷ They said to him, “Promise that we may sit, one at your right and one at your left, in your glory.” Hey, Jesus, we want to be the greatest. Give us those positions in heaven that we think have the most prestige. Jesus’ reply to them exposed how foolish it was to think of heaven in earthly terms. Glory comes from suffering for the kingdom. That’s what Jesus meant by the cup he would drink and the baptism he would undergo. That’s when the rest of Jesus’ disciples got in on the act.  ^“When the ten heard this, they were angry with James and John.” Now why do you think the other 10 were angry? You know. They wanted to be the considered the greatest themselves!

          Foolish athletes. Foolish musicians. Foolish actors. Foolish disciples. So concerned with their own greatness. Good thing we don’t do that. Or do we? In almost every area of life our sinful nature prompts us to desire recognition and honor from other people. It can happen when kids misbehave or pull pranks in school so other students will think they are the greatest in the class. Or where high school students’ days are made or lost by how many likes or followers or shares or retweets they get or don’t get. It goes on to the workplace where in subtle or blatant ways we portray ourselves as the smartest one in the room. Hey you dummies. Listen to me! I am the greatest. It is in our family life. Pay attention to me. Do what I want. Do it my way. Validate me!

          How good it is to have a Savior who forgives us and sets us straight.  ^“Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. ⁴³ But that is not the way it is to be among you. Instead, whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever wants to be first among you will be a slave of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” I hope you noticed that Jesus did not rebuke His disciples for wanting to be the greatest. People were created to do things to the best of their ability and desire approval. The question is, whose approval are we looking for and whose standard of greatness are we using. If our primary desire is the approval of people we show ourselves to be idolators and if the standard of greatness we seek to attain is the world’s we will never be great. But it’s not, is it? The one whose approval we crave is Jesus. He really is the Greatest of All Time. He is the greatest preacher, the greatest teacher, the greatest to ever where human flesh. And yet he was not allowed to walk red carpet but rather the dusty ground stained red by his blood. He lifted up no golden statue but instead was Himself lifted up on a rough wooden cross. He received no cheers and applause but only the jeers and taunting of those He came to save. This world is not worthy of Him. And yet just like James and John and the other 10 Jesus has chosen us of all people to follow Him.

          He has shown us the path to greatness. It does not come from demanding attention and the respect of others. It’s not gauged by likes and retweets. It is not measured by how many other people share our opinions on matters important only to us. It comes through serving others as our Savior served us. He took care of our needs. Friends when Jesus came to earth as the Holy Son of God it was not because He was bored with the glory and perfection of heaven and the perfect praise provided by the angels. He came because we needed Him to provide us with the perfect obedience we lack. And so Jesus came to serve. To do the job no one else would want to do and no one else could do. He came to the sinful cesspool called earth and let himself be surrounded by sin and sinners so He could undo what Adam and Eve had done and continually resist every temptation Satan threw at Him. And when He allowed Himself to be lifted up and that shame filled Roman cross it was not because it was something He liked doing and He was gravitating toward his strengths rather He was covering our weaknesses, our sins that condiment us to the Hell we have earned. So as disgusting as it was Jesus took off my shoulders and your shoulders every shameful lust and every bit of selfishness and all our filthy words and every bit of drunkenness and drug abuse and became every sin for us. Because we needed Him to give His life as a ransom for many. Serving is the sign of greatness.

          And Jesus wants you to be great. For the past 150 years the ministry of St. Jacobi has been blessed with members who serve, who do what needs doing whether they like it or not, who take their God given gifts, their professional skills, their abilities learned at home or in the workplace and placed them into the service of the Savior so that this congregation could survive and thrive at its mission: knowing Christ and making Christ known to as many as we can. That has happened because for the past 150 years Jesus is Lord here and people have valued the ransom He paid for us as the priceless treasure it is. Look on page 17 of your bulletin and you will be able to put in your name or the name of a loved one in several of those categories. Marvel with me at how much serving is done by volunteers. It is my estimation that if we had to pay market value for all of this work that is being done we would easily have to double our Operating budget from $1.7 million dollars to 3.5 or more. God has not given us that money but He has given us you. You who respond to appeals for help, not just doing what is fun or easy for you but what needs to be done. Never have I heard anyone say, “Hey, look at me. Recognize me.” You are not looking for the approval of people but the approval of Christ. That is a sign of greatness.

          And it goes further to your homes. Where you are serving faithfully in your roles as parents and children, good neighbors, reliable and trustworthy citizens. Praying grandparents and aunts and uncles. I seriously doubt that there will be an Oscar for best laundry doer or an award for most diapers changed in a single year. Nor will there be one for best supporting taker outer of the elderly neighbor’s garbage or most kind and encouraging note writer of the year. But I know a day is coming when the Lord Jesus will separate believers and unbelievers before him like sheep and goats and sadly those many who have rejected Him and desired to be an earthly G.O.A.T will find that lifestyle has led them to become and eternal goat while those who followed the Savior who did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for them will hear Him say the words that ought to have us racing to be the first ones to scrub the toilets. “Well done, good and faithful servant. Come and share your master’s happiness.” Happy serving. It’s the sign of greatness. So says Jesus. So say we. Amen.