PENTECOST 13 September 6-8, 2014 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Matthew 15:21-28 “FAITH THAT DELIGHTS!” (Or “THE JOY OF BEING GOD’S DOG!”)

PENTECOST 13

September 6-8, 2014

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Matthew 15:21-28

“FAITH THAT DELIGHTS!”

(Or “THE JOY OF BEING GOD’S DOG!”)

Matthew 15:21-28 (NIV 1984) “Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession." 23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." 24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." 25 The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. 26 He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." 27 "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." 28 Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.”

          Her day began much like every other day, at least since the time the demon had entered her daughter. She was tired. It’s hard to sleep well when you’re always scared about what’s going to happen next. Her heart ached at what her daughter was going through. The demon would make her daughter hurt herself. She would act like an animal. Try to hold her down? Impossible when the demon was at work. Then her daughter had superhuman strength. The filthy things her sweet girl would say. What was going on these days? The older women of the village said it wasn’t always like this. A case of demon possession used to be rare if it even really happened at all. Now it seemed like every village had a case. It was as if the gates of Hell had opened and poured forth its hordes on the land and was going to war against something or someone. Something was different about these times. Some of her Jewish friends said it was because the Messiah had come.

          Messiah! Oh how nice that would be. Thanks to her loving Jewish neighbors she had come to believe in the LORD, the God who saves. Oh He was so much better than the idols her parents had told her to worship. Mean ugly looking things carved by the craftsmen in town. You always had to do something for them in the hopes they’d give you good crops and live births. Some in town had whispered that her daughter’s demon possession was because she had forsaken the Baals. But what she had heard about  Messiah was different and pulled at her heart. He loved and cared about His people. When He came He would make things right, they said. Could it really be true that the Messiah was here? There had been others who claimed to be Messiah but they were fakes. They just wanted to fight the Romans. The one they called Jesus was different. He talked about forgiveness of sins and acceptance by God. He said God was filled with mercy and loved His people. He had done miracles too. It’s true! He healed the paralyzed and blind. People were still talking about the food He had provided. Some said it was a trick but everyone there said for sure that he had just 5 loaves and bread and two small fish and there was enough for everyone with leftovers too. And demons. They said He had power over the demons. He told them to leave and they left. Would He heal her daughter? Some of the Jews in town had made it quite clear that when Messiah came He would only be for the Jews and no one else. But she had to try. What’s a mama to do when her child is hurting?

          One day the news came, excitement hit her town. Jesus was coming. He had crossed the Sea of Galilee and landed on the western shore. Word was the people there had brought their sick and Jesus had healed them all. Then some of the Jewish religious leaders had questioned Him and he was leaving that area and heading her way. This was her chance. No, her daughter’s chance. She had to try. There He was! "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession."  Surely He would help! But the only answer was silence. Jesus didn’t say anything. Well, if at first you don’t succeed… So she called again and again. The men following Jesus weren’t very nice. You know what they said to Jesus? "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." How would they feel if their daughter was suffering, foaming at the mouth, spouting filth, throwing herself off buildings and into fires. Jesus did answer them but not what she wanted to hear. "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." Still she had to try. "Lord, help me!" This time He did respond. "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." Now that didn’t sound very nice but it gave her just the opening she was looking for. "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” And then Jesus’s face lit up and he said, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.”

          Brothers and sisters, John told us at the end of His Gospel, “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” Not all miracles were recorded, not all healings of demon possession. So why this one? Yes, it shows us Jesus’ complete power over Satan and every evil. Yes, it shows us that Jesus is for every race, not just the Jews like the other readings also showed. What stands out here is this woman’s faith. While Jesus often had to address His disciples as ones of little faith, there are only two people that Jesus praised for great faith and this woman is one of them. This is written so we too will believe in Jesus and have great faith. You know, all she did was take Jesus at His word. Normally you call a woman a dog and she’s not going to take it so well but this woman gladly claimed dogship because it meant being Jesus’ dog. It is a commonly accepted practice that what falls from the table on to the floor is the domain of the dogs, even if it’s just crumbs. But when it’s a crumb from God great things happen. So this woman took Jesus at His word that she was a dog and she claimed what belonged to the dogs. She took Jesus at His word. That’s the kind of faith that delights our Lord and brings a smile to His face.

          And you and I can do this too. We can bring a smile to Jesus’ face when we take Him at His word. When you take your needs to Jesus remember Whom you are talking to. He is the Messiah, the Son of God. He does have all power. And He is filled with mercy. You can go to Him with your problems too and take Him at His word. No, this doesn’t mean you can tell Jesus what to do and He has to do it if you believe enough. He is not your dog to tell what to do. But we can be His dogs and get the powerful crumbs that fall from His table. Read those Gospels and find the words of Jesus that you can hold on to. Like “Come unto me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” I know we have some weary and burdened people. Some of us are weary of dealing with a family problem or marriage issues. Some are weary with the burden of debt and not enough money issues. Some of us are struggling with sins that are kind of addictive and the good we want to do we don’t do. Some of us are tired of the guilt hiding in our hearts. Some of us are weary and burdened because in His wisdom God has allowed us to battle cancer or care for an aged parent. Go to Jesus. Cling to Him. He has not promised to end every sin struggle or heal every disease or make every problem disappear. But what did He promise? Rest. We are God’s dogs so we get that. He has to give us rest because He said so and He loves it, it delights Him, when we hold Him to that. There are so many more. “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,” Jesus said to those worried about the needs of today, “and all these things will be added to you as well.” “This is my blood for the forgiveness of sins.” We can hold Him to that. When we or our loved ones are staring death in the face, we can remember the words of Jesus, “Be faithful even to the point of death and I will give you the crown of life.” That’s even better than a crumb from our Master’s table. And we can hold Him to that. And that kind of faith is delightful to our Lord. Oh the joy of being one of God’s dogs. Amen.

PENTECOST 10 August 16-18, 2014 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Romans 8:28-30 “ALL!”

PENTECOST 10

August 16-18, 2014

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Romans 8:28-30

“ALL!”

1.     God knows all.

2.     God plans all.

3.     God works all.

Romans 8:28-30 (NIV 1984) “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”

          In our the first reading today from 1 Kings God told King Solomon to ask for anything.  Just think, he could have asked for money or power, the ability to eat as much as he wanted without getting overweight. He could have asked for his team to always win the big games. But he didn’t. He asked for wisdom, that wisdom that begins with the fear of the Lord. That was more valuable. Jesus in the Gospel reading told some parables to picture how valuable being part of the kingdom of heaven is. It’s so valuable that you give up everything you have for it. If you’ve been in worship with us the past few weeks you have heard sermons based on Romans chapter 8. Such a comforting portion of God’s Word to have bookmarked. It helps you understand why God’s spiritual blessings are so valuable.

          Today we continue going to that well for good news from God and it revolves around the little word “all.” You know there are some things God has created that are pretty small but very powerful. Think for instance of the ant. Did you know an ant can lift 100 times its own weight? That would be like a 200 pound man lifting 20,000 pounds. Or think of a little acorn that grows into the mighty oak. All is a little word in our language but it is very powerful when it comes from the mouth of God. Listen again to how it governs or rules our entire text. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” What great news for the children of God. God works all, knows all and plans all.

          “For those God foreknew.” This is talking about God knowing before the creation of the world those who would be His children and it reminds us of the overwhelming truth that God knows all. The technical term for that characteristic of God is omniscience. He knows everything. What do you think about that? On the one hand it’s kind of scary, isn’t it? God knows everything. You know those things you try to hide from your parents or maybe a spouse? God knows those sins. How about the thoughts we have and our motives, why we do and say the things we do and say. Yes, He knows that too. That’s not so nice to know. You can’t hide from God. On the other hand it’s really comforting that God knows everything. Have you ever had it happen that you are going through a tough time and some well-meaning soul talks to you and says, “I know just how you feel.” And you think, “you have no idea how I am feeling.” That’s true. But God does know and He cares and helps.

          When you put together the fact that God knows all and knows beforehand things like people it really highlights God’s grace. Those of you who play fantasy football will be drafting your teams soon. What kind of players do you go for? If you knew beforehand that a quarterback would be the league leader in interceptions or throw only half the touchdowns that he did the year before would you pick him? How about the running back that would have the most fumbles or the defense that would give up the most points? We wouldn’t pick them if we knew beforehand they would be like that. But God did. He knew beforehand all our sins, our fumbles, all the right things we would fail to do and He still picked us! What a wonderfully loving God we have. The God who knows all.

          And the God who plans all. “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” One of the jobs I had working my way through college was for a construction company.  I remember seeing our foreman look at the blueprints the very first time. What a mess. Page after page of what looked like endless and meaningless impossible to understand drawings, numbers, notes. Didn’t make sense. After a while though he taught me what to look for and all those pages began to make sense. Paul lets us have a peek at God’s blueprints for our salvation. We have to remember that since we are untrained at salvation some of the plans might not seem to make sense to us. We know that since God knows all things He knew Adam and Eve were going to sin. He knew that going ahead with Creation meant the sacrifice of His Son. According to the plans God drew up before the Creation of the world then God predestined or predetermined to conform us to the likeness of Jesus. That means that we will be like Jesus in true holiness some day. Then as the plan gets revealed through time He called us to faith in His Son. Through faith in Jesus we are justified, that means declared innocent of our sins and granted citizenship in heaven. From God’s timeless perspective we are also glorified. Now that part of the blueprint hasn’t been unfolded for us to see yet but God already has it all planned.

          And that’s what gives us the comfort for whatever we face in this life. God works all. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” First of all understand brothers and sisters, that you are the ones Paul is talking about here. You have been called according to God’s purpose. Because of everything He has done for you from creating you, taking care of you, redeeming you through His Son Jesus Christ, you love God. You are those who love Him. And do you know what we know about those who love God? We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him. There’s that little word “all” again. It’s a little word but it’s a powerful word. For what does all mean but all?

          All covers good health and sickness and diseases like cancer. All covers births in the family and deaths. All covers job offers, job promotions,  job rejections and layoffs. All covers where we live and where we go to school. All covers accidents. All covers storms and fires and floods. All covers good weather and bad. All covers even the evil that men do and the plots and traps of the Devil. All covers, well, all. And if ever you are having trouble believing this let your thoughts and attention return to the cross of Jesus Christ. Rewind and review what happened there. How could God let them do that to His Son? He could and did because in all things God works for the good of those who love Him. And what good God accomplished there, freeing us from our sin burden and all punishment and opening the way to real life, the glory that is to come. Oh what peace we often forfeit. Oh what needless pain we bear not only because we don’t remember to take everything to God in prayer but also because we in times of trouble we have a hard time believing God’s truth that in all things He is working for our good.

          I’m sure that all of us can look back at some difficult time or trouble or hardship we went through that was very difficult at the time but now we see a bit of God’s plan, the good He worked. That blueprint makes sense. There are I’m sure plenty of other times we look back and still don’t see or recognize the good God worked. But the measure of truth is not what you and I see or recognize. The measure of truth is what God says. And God has not given us this word for the purpose of  looking back but to give comfort for right now. What is it that causes your heart to ache, your mind to worry? Hear the word of the Lord. We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him. And all means all. Amen.

         

July 26-27, 2014 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Romans 7:15-25a “THERE’S A WAR GOING ON (IN THERE)!”

PENTECOST 7

July 26-27, 2014

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Romans 7:15-25a

“THERE’S A WAR GOING ON  (IN THERE)!”

1.      Fighting its battles gives glory to God.

2.     The war’s victory is the glory of God!

Romans 7:15-25a (NIV 1984) “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

          The wife and children have gone to bed. The Christian man sits alone at his computer. The temptation comes to surf the net, look at a little porn. He knows it’s wrong. What will he do? The Christian alcoholic sits alone, the desire to open the bottle so strong. What will she do? The Christian student looks at the test and panics. “I don’t know this stuff! But if I sit up a little bit I should be able to see her paper.” Will he cheat? The social group is together again. Once again the character assassination begins. She knows she should speak up and defend. After last time she promised herself she would speak up. Will she? Brothers and sisters, these real life examples and many more typify the struggles with sin that go on many times each and every day in the lives of Christians. There’s a war going on in there! It’s a war between the desires of our own sinful nature and the desire of our true self, the Christian, follower of Christ that we really are. Oh, thank you, Holy Spirit, for having someone like the Apostle Paul own up to it so the rest of us can talk about it in the joy of the Gospel. We do that today as we acknowledge before God and each other, there’s a war going on in there!

          The first thing we need to remember is that fighting its battles gives glory to God. A war is made up of many battles. You can win many battles and still lose the war. Likewise you can lose battles and still win the war. When it comes to the sin war inside of us we get to rejoice that there are battles to fight. Really? Why? Having those battles, those conflicting desires between what sin wants and what Christ wants is a sign that your faith is alive and active. If there is no struggle against sin and temptation faith is dead or so weak it can’t even speak. And you know what? The closer you grow to Jesus the more sin struggles you’ll feel. It’s like going into your basement with the lights off and all looks well. Then you turn on the lights and you see there is a stain on the carpet, cobwebs in the corners. When we are far away from Jesus we might think we look OK but when you draw near Jesus in His word and your life is held up to the standard of holiness that covers deeds, words, thoughts, motives, Oh my, you see your sinfulness and once you are aware, like the Apostle Paul, the Christian response is to fight, fight the sin battles. It gives glory to God to call sin sin and want it out of our lives.

          Some of those battles you will win. “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.” Paul points to sin living in him getting him to do some things he hates. Paul is also reminding us that the real us, the Christian, loves God’s law and calls it good. In other places Scripture says resist the Devil and he will flee from you. No temptation comes except what is common to man and God will always give you a way out. In Ephesians 6 Paul reminded us of our spiritual armor and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s Word to defeat temptation. Jesus showed us how it is done perfectly when He used God’s Word to defeat the Devil’s temptations for us. And the better you know God’s word when those temptations come to peek or to cheat or to keep quiet when you should speak up the Spirit will be with you reminding you of the Word and you will win some of those sin battles. That gives glory to God! And if you are a believer who has to fight some of those sins that have addictive qualities like alcohol or drug abuse or pornography, keep fighting, and know that there are believers who have won those battles.

          But what about the battles we lose? Paul owned up to if well for himself. “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.” You know how it goes. You beat one temptation and another pops up. Satan does not give up on us easily. He keeps at you. The sinful nature is real. There is no sinful nature bypass surgery we can have. There is no heart transplant that takes out all our sinful nature desires and replaces them with only good. Paul acknowledges that for us too. “So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am!”

          No, what a wretched man I am. What wretched folks you are. Be honest. God already knows. He knows the lust thoughts we entertain like guests instead of kicking out as the enemies they are. He knows our cheating hearts, our greed and discontent, our shading of the truths, half truths and outright lies we tell to protect ourselves, make ourselves look good or someone else bad. He knows how we weakly sit by while someone else’s reputation is trashed but quickly and proudly defend our own name. He knows the foul mouth we try to hide behind closed doors or at least when the pastor’s not around. He knows that we like Paul know that His law is good and we don’t keep it anyway. What wretched men, women and children we are. We are helpless to win this war. With the Apostle Paul we cry out, “Who will rescue me from this body of death?”

          And before we even asked, God answered. We aren’t  just wretched men, women and children. We are wretched men, women and children who know Christ! “Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Oh, yes, there’s a war going on in there. Some of its battles we win and some of them we lose but the victory in the war belongs to God. Granting us that victory is the glory of God. Did you notice that in the Old Testament reading where Moses wanted to see the glory of the Lord? What did God say? "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” God’s glory is to have mercy and compassion on sinners. What did Jesus say in the Gospel lesson? Oh, beautiful words for sin sick sinners who are disappointed with themselves again. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” It is the glory of God that the victory in the war was won by Jesus. It is the glory of God for Jesus to give that victory to newborn babies brought to Him at Baptism and to the aged Christian with all the sin scars that come along with life. It is the glory of God to give that victory to those who despair of their own worthiness and to withhold it from those who arrogantly think they are “good enough” on their own.

          “But, Pastor,” you might say, “I’m tired of it all. I just want to be done and get it right for a change.” Hear God’s Good News. You have. You can. You will. You have. God already sees you as a perfectly obedient child, a perfect sin fighter in Jesus. You have His righteousness. You can. With the help of the Lord we overcome. Fight the battles. You can win some. The fact that you are fighting is the real joy. You will. While you can’t get rid of your sinful nature on earth, it won’t follow you into heaven. At death God separates it from you for good. How fun will that be! Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord indeed! Amen.