March 4, 2015 - 3rd Wednesday Lent service
Sermon by Pastor Paul G. Eckert
Sermon text - Mark 14:12-21

   Thirty pieces of silver.  That is the amount for which Judas had
agreed to betray Jesus.  That brings to mind another betrayal that
involved silver.  It is recorded in the 16th chapter of the Old Testament
book of Judges.  Do you remember about the strong guy named
Samson and about his girl friend Delilah?  Samson was too strong for
his enemies.  They could not overpower him.  So they talked to
Delilah, his girl friend.  They offered to give her silver to find out the
secret of Samson’s strength and to betray him by giving them that
information.  To get the money, the silver, she agreed.  Then she
betrayed him.  And then Samson’s enemies did overcome him, bind
him, blind him, and put him into captivity.
    That wasn’t the end of the story.  But it does make a person think of
how silver, money, was also enough to make a man named Judas,
someone who had spent three years as a disciple with Jesus, betray
Jesus who in our text in advance said to His disciples, including Judas:
“I TELL YOU THE TRUTH,
ONE OF YOU WILL BETRAY ME.”
I    THE BETRAYED  (12-16)
    1. The Passover was being observed.  (12a)
On the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was
customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, ---.
        a) Think back to when God brought the nation of Israel out of its
            long stay in Egypt.  For that He had chosen Moses to be the
            leader, and sent 10 plagues to convince Egypt to let Israel
            leave.  The last plague was the convincing one.  God had
            directed the Israelites to put the blood of a lamb on the door
            posts of their houses.  If that was not done, the firstborn son in
            every family would die - and that happened to the Egyptians. 
            But the angel of death passed over the Israelite houses.  They
            escaped death.  They left Egypt.
        b) This event, which pointed ahead to when the real Lamb of
            God would shed His blood to save us from eternal death, was
            then regularly observed by the Israelites, as Jesus and His
            disciples were doing on the Thursday evening in our text.
    2. The disciples asked where to observe it.  (12)
On the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was
customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked
him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you
to eat the Passover?”
        a) This wasn’t a small group that could easily find a booth in a
            restaurant.  Nor was this a simple meal where you could just
            order some burgers and coffee or soda.
        b) Nor could they use smart phones to make a reservation.
    3. Jesus gave specific instructions.  (13-15)
So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and
a man carrying a jar of water will meet you.  Follow him.  Say to
the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my
guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 
He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready.  Make
preparations for us there.”
        a) Could Jesus have made this arrangement with somebody in
            advance?  Sure.  Or, more likely, could He, as the Son of God,
            just arrange this on the spot?  Sure.
        b) However He did it, He gave specific enough details so that
            the disciples could easily find the location.  No GPS needed.
    4. What did this prove about the one betrayed?  (16)
The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus
had told them.  So they prepared the Passover.
        a) We could ask, “Jesus, how did you know all these details?”
        b) But we don’t have to ask.  This is just another example of who
            Jesus is.  He is God with the Father and the Spirit. While He
            had set aside the full use of His knowledge and power to come
            to this earth to be our Savior, He did let glimpses of His power
            become evident here and in His many miracles.
        c) Yes, the one betrayed is God’s eternal Son.  But now let us
            move on from the one BETRAYED to the BETRAYER.  
II    THE BETRAYER  (17-20)   
    1. The betrayer had already made his arrangements.
        a) The verses before our text tell us about this: “Judas Iscariot,
one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.
They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money.
So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.”
        b) Judas did this secretly, thinking he could get away with it.
    2. Now Jesus again showed His omniscience.  (17-18)
When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve.  While they
were reclining at the table eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one
of you will betray me - one who is eating with me.”
        a) Do we sometimes think, like Judas, that God doesn’t know?
        b) Here Jesus chose to use His omniscience as God’s Son.  And
            please remember that He knows our hearts and actions too.    
    3. The other disciples could not imagine this.  (19)
They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely not
I?”
        a) One of their number, 1 of 12, would consider betraying Jesus?
        b) Wouldn’t you and I join in saying “Surely not I?”?    
     4. Let’s apply this to ourselves. (20)
“It is one of the Twelve,” he replied., “one who dips bread into the
bowl with me.”
        a) Instead of the 12, let us think of the over 1200 children and
            adults in our congregation, all of us who confess to be
            followers of Jesus.  1 of 12 is a little over 8%.  8% of 1200 is
            about 100.  How terrible if 100 in our congregation, like Judas,
            actually rejected Jesus.
        b) But let’s think not only of Judas, of 1 of 12.  What about the
             other 11?  Shortly after this evening meal Peter denied 3 times
            that he even knew Jesus.  That makes it 2 of 12.  And what
            about the other 10?  Matthew’s Gospel records these words:
“Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.” 
        c) Do you see where we fit in?  Pray God it’s not with Judas who
            rejected Jesus.  But we are with the 11, aren’t we!  We are
            weak.  We fall into sin.  We can let things like 30 pieces of
            silver or money, the wrong pleasures of the world, the
            temptations that come on our TVs or computers or phones, the
            lusts of wrong sexual pleasure be chosen ahead of Jesus.  Or
            we don’t worship and serve as faithfully as we should.  And
            our lives don’t always show how important our Savior is to us. 
            And what is Jesus’ RESPONSE?
III THE RESPONSE  (21)
    1. Jesus would fulfill Old Testament promises.  (21a)
“The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him.” 
        a) Would Jesus, God’s Son, say, “Tough on you!  If that’s what
            you’re going to do, then I’m done.  I’m wasting my time.”
        b) Never would God’s Son, our Savior, say that.  For us He had
            become the Son of Man so that He could die in our place and
            pay the wages of our sins.  No matter what, He would go to the
            cross as our Passover Lamb, so that the angel of eternal death
            would pass over us and heaven could be our home.
    2. Consequences of rejection would remain.  (21b)
“But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man!  It would be
better for him if he had not been born.”
        a) Reject Jesus, like Judas?  Then you have thrown away, lost,
            what Jesus won for us, and chosen hell as your eternal home.
        b) I don’t even want to think about what that would mean.  I hope
            that all 1200+ in our congregation would say the same, that not
            even 1% are among those who reject Jesus.
    3. So take Jesus’ warning to heart.  (21b)
“But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man!  It would be
better for him if he had not been born.”
        a) This is a deadly and eternally serious warning.
        b) Take it seriously!
    4. And rejoice in Jesus’ fulfillment.  (21a)
“The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him.” 
        a) Jesus in His love for us did go to the cross as our substitute.
        b) He then came out of the tomb alive and guaranteed His victory
            for us.
        c) Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved!














Prayer

    1 of the 12?  Heavenly Father, with Your Son and the Holy Spirit,
You know that we are weak, that sin comes into our lives, that we are
sinners all, that we are 12 of 12.  But may Jesus not have to say of any
one of us here, “You will betray Me, reject Me in unbelief.”
    Instead help us to thank You for Your blood-bought forgiveness,
and to show that thankfulness by our lives, by our worship, our church
attendance, our offerings to do Your work here in St. Jacobi and
elsewhere through mission work and helping others, by our daily lives
at home and at work.  Help us to make it evident that we never want to
betray or desert our Savior, but that we want to be what You have
made us to be, people who can daily rejoice to hear Jesus saying to us,
“I tell you the truth.  You are my forgiven people.  I paid for your sins.
You are my own, and will be mine forever.”
    Thank You, Lord God almighty.  And hear us also now as we come
before You with the prayer our Lord Jesus taught us. 

February 25, 2015 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Mark 14:1-9 “FRUITS OF FAITH WILL BE REMEMBERED!”

MIDWEEK LENT 2

February 25, 2015

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Mark 14:1-9

“FRUITS OF FAITH WILL BE REMEMBERED!”

Mark 9:1-9 (NIV 1984) “Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. 2 "But not during the Feast," they said, "or the people may riot." 3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. 4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly. 6 "Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.

9 I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

          It seems a little strange to be talking about harvesting fruit this time of year. If you go outside to the apple trees on the parsonage lawn you will not find any apples. It’s too cold. It’s the wrong season for fruit, at least that kind of fruit. But it’s not the wrong season for what we call fruits of faith. Fruits of faith is the term used for the things that believers do out of love and thanks to God, things that are pleasing to Him. And this time of year, Lent, when we pause to remember Jesus’ suffering, is not a bad time to look for fruit at all. And as we continue our look at the “I tell you the truth,” statements of Jesus we find that the truth is fruits of faith will be remembered.

          Our text takes place during Holy Week. Let’s find out what the unbelievers were up to. “Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. 2 "But not during the Feast," they said, "or the people may riot." Nothing new here. The enemies of God always think they are smarter than God trying to figure out the best way to carry out plots, completely unaware that their plot was part of God’s plan.

          What are some believers up to? “While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.” Believers were busy showing love to Jesus, producing fruits of faith. Simon the Leper invited Jesus to his home. And a woman anointed Jesus with nard. We know from the other Gospels that this woman was Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. We know from historians that nard was a very expensive perfume and that a jar such as the one Mary used cost somewhere in the $30,000 to $40,000 range. That’s a lot of money.

          Not everyone agreed with how that money was spent. “Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly.”   What do you think? The practical side of us I think would agree with the objectors. Do you spend $30,000 to $40,000 on some perfume that is used once, smells good, and then gone? Wouldn’t it be better to put that money towards helping people’s needs? Two things.  First we know from the other Gospel accounts of this event that the objector was Judas. He actually didn’t care about the poor but used that objection as a front. Judas was the disciples’ treasurer and he used to help himself to money that was supposed to be used for the poor and wanted access to more. Secondly those who objected were only looking at the what and not the why and with the Lord the why is very important.

          "Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.” Jesus called what Mary did a beautiful thing. It was a fruit of faith,  a pre death preparation for Jesus even though she probably did not realize it. What she had done was done for Jesus. She wanted to show love and thankfulness to the Savior who had defended her love for the Word when Martha was upset with her, who had raised her brother Lazarus from the dead, and who would lay down His life for her sins. And that leads to our truth statement.  “I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." Jesus always tells the truth and we are evidence of it. The fact that we are reading this Gospel lesson and talking about is one more proof that what Jesus said is true, fruits of faith will be remembered.

          Mary’s were and ours will too. Remember fruits of faith are those things believers do out of love for God and that are pleasing to Him. They come in all shapes and sizes. They might look very ordinary and be things you don’t even really think too much about like showing kindness to our classmates, obeying our teachers, keeping our rooms clean at home, doing your homework to the best of your ability, coming to worship, reading your Bible at home. They might look extraordinary like Mary’s was, something big and planned like a special money offering of thanks to God or a deliberate planned and ongoing witnessing of your faith to a neighbor or co worker, or committing yourself to a volunteer project for Jesus’ work that is going to mean a lot of your time. All of these and so many more.

          But now let’s talk about what holds us back from doing fruits of faith. Well we all know that the cold holds back fruit on fruit trees. It’s also the cold that holds back Christian’s fruits of faith. The cold of fear for instance. You younger Christians know how that goes. Someone decides for you that you can’t play with that girl and still be friends with me but Jesus wants you to play with everyone. But if I do that this girl I want to be friends with won’t be friends with me. Fear holds you back. If I put my church in my will my family will be mad at me. If I speak up about Jesus they might think I’m weird. Cold hard fear holds back fruits of faith. Sometimes fruits of faith are left undone because love has grown cold and been replaced with selfishness. Jesus did tell us that as it grows closer to the end of the world the love of many believers would grow cold. I don’t want to clean my room and where is love for parents? I want to sleep in or play a game instead of worship and where is love for God first?

          The answer to both the coldness of fear and selfishness is the warmth that the Son provides. Jesus tells us the truth, fruits of faith will be remembered. He will remember them. The Father will remember them. They will be pointed to like Mary’s gift as thing pleasing to God, fragrant offerings to Him, evidences of our faith on the last day. Jesus is the truth to fight selfishness. We too, like Mary, have all kinds of reasons to want to thank Jesus. He defends us when the Devil attacks and accuses and points to all the reasons God shouldn’t love us. He’s raised us from the death of unbelief so we get to live our lives as believers. He’s given eternal life to our parents and grandparents, spouses and children who have died in the Lord before us. He took our place in Hell.

          And so we want to thank Him. That’s why you are here right now spending time worshipping Jesus. That’s a fruit of faith and it as well as all the other you get to do will be remembered. Jesus tells the truth. Amen.

February 14-16, 2015 Pastor Timothy J Spaude Text: Mark 9:2-9 “A LITTLE TASTE OF HEAVEN!”

TRANSFIGURATION

February 14-16, 2015

Pastor Timothy J Spaude

Text: Mark 9:2-9

“A LITTLE TASTE OF HEAVEN!”

1.     To keep the mission in perspective.

2.     To soften the sting of suffering.

3.     To keep eyes on the prize.

Mark 9:2-9 (NIV 1984) “After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.5 Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) 7 Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" 8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. 9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.”

          “Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down in a most delightful way,” at least that’s what Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins told us. There’s truth to that isn’t there? Something sweet to make something difficult but good for you easier. Medicine people do know that. I can remember getting some antibiotics for my girls one time and they had all of these flavors that could be added. How about Pepto Bismol? My dad always had these round pink candies in his desk. We called them Pepto Bismol drops because there was a similar taste. I remember my brothers pretending to have stomach aches to get some Pepto Bismol. God did a similar thing with the Transfiguration of Jesus. He used a little taste of  heaven as a blessing for Jesus, Peter, James and John and you and me too. Let’s find out why.

          As regular Bible readers and listeners there was something niggling in the back of your mind as you heard the reading from Mark. It began “After six days…” and that niggle you felt was telling you that you wanted to know what had happened six days before the Transfiguration. Six days before Peter had rightly confessed as spokesman for the disciples that Jesus is the Christ, the God appointed Messiah that they had been waiting for. After which Jesus for the first time told them that as Messiah He would suffer many things, be rejected by the religious leaders of the Jews, put to death and rise again in three days. That didn’t sound very Messiah like. So go to guy Peter responded. Never Jesus! This message was hard to swallow. A spoonful of sugar perhaps?

          “After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.” This describes a taste of heaven. Jesus in glory. Believers dead and gone from this earth right before your very eyes. This helped keep Jesus’ mission in perspective. I don’t know if Jesus needed the encouragement or not but how neat to have good friends, other servants of God who went through tough times there to talk with. Peter, James and John sure needed it. Because the religious leaders of the Jews didn’t think their sin stinked they didn’t want a Messiah from sin but the rule of God here on earth. That’s why Peter reacted so badly to Jesus’ prediction. This little taste of heaven authenticated what Jesus had said. The Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah) the entire Old Testament testified that the mission of Messiah was to save from sin by being the Lamb led to slaughter. What Peter and the rest simply needed was to keep that mission in perspective. And listen to the voice of God from the cloud which said, "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"

          We need to listen to Him too. Jesus didn’t come to set up an earthly kingdom. It’s not supposed to be all peaches and cream for those who follow Christ. Are we going to chafe when Christian influence in our country wanes? Yes. We don’t like that. Is it going to rub us raw when those who follow Christ seem to languish while those who don’t seem to prosper? Of course. The cheater gets the good grade, better than the one who did it right. The sleazy lying candidate wins the election. Someone who throws a football around makes more playing 16 games than a Gospel proclaimer makes his whole life. That’s not fair! So many more. Just a little taste of heaven to keep the mission in perspective. Jesus is not about making this world fair. He came to open the doors to heaven. Following Christ isn’t about getting what you deserve here on earth. It’s about getting what you don’t deserve—forever! Heaven. Transfiguration was just a little taste.

          Who wants just a little taste though? We can understand what Peter said next. “Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." Like my naughty brothers pretending they had a tummy ache to get more Pepto Peter wanted to stay and get more heaven. It was that awesome. Frightened as he was in the presence of glory he wanted to stay. But he couldn’t. Heaven would come for Peter James and John. This little taste of heaven would help them later when they had to watch Jesus suffer and then when they would suffer for Him. Remember in Acts when the religious leaders ordered the Apostles to stop talking about Jesus and had them whipped to reinforce that order. This is what we are told in Acts 5:41. “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.” That little taste of heaven softened the sting of their suffering.

          It will do it for you too. Do I really want to envy those who reject Jesus whose eternity is Hell? Would I trade a better grade for Christ’s approval? Will Jesus be handing out awards to those who score the most points or to those who in His name give the Gospel to the little ones who believe in Him, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, help the sick. Those are the ones who will hear, “Well done good and faithful servant!” The people brought to faith through the Gospel our offerings proclaim here in the Milwaukee area and afar in the Malawi area. These are our treasures and trophies in heaven that will last when everything else is destroyed. Do we live a little with things unfair? Sure. So Christ isn’t valued now like He should be. So maybe it gets worse and harder for us Christians living in America. But we know Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people mock you, persecute you and insult you because of me. Great is your reward in heaven.” And the Jacobians left their church rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for His name. We know what’s coming folks. So have a little taste of heaven to soften the sting of Christian suffering.

          And to keep our eyes on the prize. Life coaches sometime suggest putting a picture on your bathroom mirror or refrigerator door or any other place you see regularly of some important goal you have in mind. A slimmer you. A vacation. A pink Cadillac. The last mortgage payment. It seems that when we see or visualize something it helps keep the focus. What do you suppose the Olympic athlete would put up? What about a Christian? Well heaven is the goal of course. How many times have you thought about, asked about or been asked about what heaven will be like? We don’t know a whole lot but we get a little taste here. Believers are there. They are their own personal selves and you know them. It’s filled with dazzling glory and it’s good to be there so good you can’t imagine being anywhere else. Jesus is there. Here’s your picture. Here’s the prize. Hold any other honor, award trophy next to the glory of Jesus and watch it fade out of sight next to the glory of what’s in store. A little taste of heaven to keep our eyes on the prize.

          When Jesus’ transfiguration was over, “Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.” This appears to be a timing thing. But now it is after Jesus has risen from the dead so guess what? This little taste of heaven is something to talk about. May Jesus bless all the ways you do that yourself and through the work of your church. Amen.

Epiphany 5 February 8th, 2015

VIDEO OF CHURCH SERVICE
Mark 1:29-39

BRING YOUR TROUBLES TO JESUS!

                                                                           I.  Trusting In Him  II.  Listening to Him.

In the name of Jesus , the Savior with a heart for sinners, dear fellow redeemed children of God;

There are certain sounds that just sort of stick in your mind- like the sound of people crying out when they are hurt.  Like the cry my brother made when his fingers got pinched in the car door.  There was also a little boy at school when I served in Michigan who was playing “Hide-N-Go Seek” and ended up with his hinge in the door when the “seeker” came through the door.  I can remember the cry of my Grandmother when she fell and broke her hip while visiting at our house.  That same night while waiting for xrays in the hospital emergency room, I heard the cry of a middle aged woman in the next room whose husband had just passed away suddenly from a heart attack.  Though it might be quiet here in church right now,  I would imagine that there are hearts and minds crying in pain and heartache.  JESUS SAYS, “BRING YOUR TROUBLES TO ME.”  Let’s bring our troubles to Jesus   I.  Trusting In Him.  II. Listening to Him. 

     Do you know anyone who is like Peter?  A person who once something is on his mind, it just has to come out of their mouth or it seems their head might explode?  Sometimes Peter just had to talk. Remember on the Mount of Transfiguration when he blurted out his plan to make three tents up there on the mountain.  Or think of how just hours before he denied even knowing Jesus, he bragged to his Lord about how he would never leave him.   Sometimes it was a good thing that he could not keep quiet, like when the Sanhedrin told him to stop telling people about Jesus.  Peter respectfully replied that keeping still about the Savior was something they could not do.  Yes, sometimes there were things he should not have said, but on this day he had something that was good to tell to Jesus.  Peter and the others brought this important matter to Jesus trusting in his power.

      Peter was born in the town of Bethsaida, but later moved to Capernaum-maybe he followed his bride there.  At any rate, his mother in law was staying with them.  The Bible tells us, “As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever.”   She hadn’t gone to the synagogue that day because she was sick with a fever.  It seems it wasn’t just an ordinary fever.  In his Gospel, the physician Luke says that she was suffering from a high fever literally burning up with this fever.  You know how it is with fevers-they can be kind of a scary thing.  There can be all kinds of things to worry about.  What did they do?  God’s Word tells us, “So  they told Jesus about her.” Remember the hymn we just sang, “Oh what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear- all because we do not carry-everything to God in prayer.”  There might be all kinds of reasons why we don’t bring our problems to Jesus.  Maybe we  underestimate his love or his power-thinking that he doesn’t have time or doesn’t care about the little things going on in our lives.  Maybe we overestimate our abilities- thinking that we can get out of this problem all on our own. 

       Look at how Jesus’ takes care of things!  “So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.” Jesus took her by the hand and helped her up. And immediately she was all better!  Normally, what happens when a fever goes away? Isn’t a person just sort of worn out?  When Jesus helps her with this problem, it’s clear he is the one who made the fever go away.  It wasn’t something that just had run its course.  Jesus is someone we can take things to trusting in his power.

       Soon everyone had some problem to bring to Jesus. “That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door.”  What was Jesus reaction as the whole town showed up at the door with sickness and trouble?  I would have been all flustered or maybe even mad thinking, “I can’t handle this.”  But look at Jesus. “ …and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons.”   How did the demons react to Jesus?  We don’t know because our powerful Lord Jesus would not let them speak. That’s right!  They were silent!  “He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.”  Notice that Jesus doesn’t tell us how he kept  the mouths of the evil angels closed tight. He also doesn’t tell us why.  We might think of a couple of reasons that show us how smart the Savior is. If you lived in Capernaum, you had probably heard these demons talk before through the people they had possession of.  The lowest kind of filth and perversion laced their lies and threats.  Would you have believed them, if they had spoken the truth about Jesus?  Also when the demons were not busy spewing filth, they were working hard to distract people from the Savior and his mission.  So Jesus makes sure they cannot distract anyone by speaking.  There may be many other reasons Jesus would keep their mouths shut. 

Jesus doesn’t always tell us how He does things, nor does he always explain for us why he does things.  He doesn’t explain for us why his way of helping a person is sometimes to make them well again immediately and other times to make them completely well by taking home home to heaven.  He doesn’t always explain for us how the bad things he allows to happen in our lives will always be turned and work for our good.  But we do know that He loves us.  He tells us that in His Word.  That’s why it is so important that as we bring our problems to Jesus  that we listen to His Word.    

     Do things in your life get so busy that you forget to pray? Jesus was way busier than I am-busier than you are.  He was on a mission to save the world!  But listen, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”  Now certainly that was Jesus doing everything perfectly in our place.  But it was also Jesus giving us an example about what is important in our lives.   In the middle of all of these busy things, many of them good things, Jesus takes time to talk with His Heavenly Father.  When Scripture records Jesus conversations with His Heavenly Father, often they were talking about that rescue mission of saving sinners rather than all the people he had been helping by cleansing their leprosy or giving them something to eat.  As Jesus helped people with their earthly problems he preached to people about the problem of their sins and how he would lay down his life for them so that they too could can God their Father.  He even says, "This is why I came." Peter and the others searched for Jesus and must have thought he had done a disappearing act.  When they finally found him, they said, "Everybody's looking for you!"  That tone seems to imply that Jesus should be doing what the people want.   But that's not why he came!  Jesus patiently taught them that He came to seek and to save those who were lost.

      When Jesus says “Let’s go somewhere else”, it shows His great love for others and for you.  He wanted to preach the gospel in other villages too. There were others who needed to hear the good news that God had sent a Savior who would live a perfect life. He would carry our sins to the cross and pay for them all when he died on Calvary. He would rise from death with our forgiveness.  “So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.”  Jesus wanted you to one day hear and believe that He is the Savior.   He is the one who has helped with our biggest problem.  He is the one who is there to help with our other problems.

      Jesus wants to hear about your concerns about where our country is headed.  HE is the one who will be with us no matter what happens. His Word says, “The Lord upholds those who fall.”   Jesus wants to hear about the sin that poking our conscience or the temptation that’s crouching outside our door.  He is the one who paid for sin in full.  He says in His Word, “It is finished!”  He is the one will help us to peel off the grip of temptation on our hearts.  He says in His word that He “breaks the power of canceled sin.”  Jesus wants to hear about our neighbor or our family member whose souls we are worried about.  Through the miracle of prayer, our concerns come to the ear and heart of the Father. His Word tells us of the praying of Daniel and Abraham and Paul and Hannah and Solomon and the tax collector.   Is there a problem pressing on your heart today?  Let’s take our problems to Jesus!  Amen. 

January 24-26, 2015 Pastor Timothy J Spaude Text: 1 Kings 19:19-21 “THE WORK OF THE LORD GOES ON!”

EPIPHANY 4

January 24-26, 2015

Pastor Timothy J Spaude

Text: 1 Kings 19:19-21

“THE WORK OF THE LORD GOES ON!”

1 Kings 19:19-21 (NIV 1984) “So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. "Let me kiss my father and mother good-by," he said, "and then I will come with you." "Go back," Elijah replied. "What have I done to you?" 21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant.”

          It’s a mess. The country is in a state of immorality. The rulers, hard to see exactly where they are leading, certainly not toward the one true God. So many scandals as though they are above the law. Enemies are threatening. And the church? So many people are not worshipping the LORD, they choose instead the fake gods and religions that tell you what you want to hear. Even when God does something or allows something big to wake people up the effect only lasts a short time and then people return to their self-serving lives. You know of course that I’m talking about the state of affairs at the time of the prophet Elijah. Maybe I was even a little too nice in my description. Our text today follows Elijah’s great
“cave” in to all the pressure. Remember what happened? Because of all the immorality and idolatry God had sent a drought that caused a three year famine to wake the people up to their need for Him. That had led to the showdown with the prophets of Baal where God demonstrated He is the only true God when fire came down from heaven to burn up Elijah’s sacrifice while Baal’s just sat there. The people woke up for a time. They killed all the prophets of  Baal. But after that no one rallied to Elijah’s defense when Jezebel determined to kill him. Elijah had had it. That was it. He ran and hid in a cave. His country was going to Hell in a hand basket and no one else cared. He was done. Game over.  But then the LORD came to Elijah in the still small voice of His word and set Elijah straight. No whining. God would take care of the bad rulers of Israel in His time and His way. And he wasn’t alone. There were still 7000 true believers in Israel and help was on the way for Elijah. A man named Elisha. You know why? Because the work of the Lord goes on!

          Whether you fell into my trap or not to think I was describing our own times we can all at times find ourselves feeling like we’re getting to be all alone. Doing our utmost for God does not matter. People don’t listen. They don’t care. No one seems to join our rallying cries against immorality or for Christ. And where is God? He seems unaware or unwilling to do anything about it despite our cries to him for help. But nothing is further from the truth. As it was in the days of Elijah and Elisha, so it is right now. The work of the Lord goes on. Let’s look at this part of God’s word and figure out where we fit in.

          “So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him”. God had told Elijah to do this, to anoint Elisha as his successor. It’s interesting to note whom God uses. In our first reading we heard about Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, Manaen, Saul (Paul) and John. In the Gospel reading Jesus called fishermen. We don’t know all kinds of details but in that listing there are young and old. The very well educated Paul and the brothers whose only school was fish. There were working class poor and nobility. We know a little about Elisha. He was a farmer, and a rich one. Twelve tractors and the servants to drive them. Elijah threw his cloak around him. There must have been something about that cloak that said “prophet.” Maybe it was like a pastor’s robe. We wear these to indicate we are in our role as spokesmen for God. And it’s a pastor’s robe, not a pastor’s dress, as two girls I know like to say. A robe. Not a dress.

          Elisha understood what the cloak meant. “Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. "Let me kiss my father and mother good-by," he said, "and then I will come with you." "Go back," Elijah replied. "What have I done to you?" Elisha is ready to go. He asks for a chance to say good-bye. Elijah grants it. He understands that this call to do the work of the LORD means changes. “What have I done to you?” Elisha would find out. He would find out some neat things when God would give him the power to do miracles like healing the leprous Naaman and making an axe head float. He would find out the hard things when some young people from a town made fun of him because he was balding. I should mention that those who made fun of the balding word of God speaker were mauled by two bears! “So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant.” The work of the LORD goes on. Elisha became Elijah’s attendant. That’s like an apprentice. A student who learns by watching, the doing under supervision, the doing on his own. All of Elijah’s worrying, despair, his pity party were needless. God had everything under control and the work of the LORD goes on.

          Now what can we learn from this? It is to learn to trust what God says instead of what we hear in the media and see with our eyes. It is to take comfort and have confidence because the work of the Lord goes on among us too. And each one of us is an Elijah or an Elisha, of maybe a combination of both. Many of you are of the generation of Elijah. At your Baptism the Lord marked you as his own. He brought you into his service. You have been involved in the work of the Lord for many years. Your parents brought you up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Your grew up. You married. You were careful to train your children in the way of the Lord. You lived through the times where there were these things called family values and Protestant work ethic. While your country was careful not to interfere with religion many of its laws mirrored God’s morality. People generally agreed that America was a Christian country. And now things have changed. It feels downright discouraging. The country’s morality is degrading daily. Work ethic? What’s that? Just give it to me. While for you worshipping the LORD weekly is a given many in the younger generations, your own kids, seem to feel worship isn’t that important and God doesn’t mind second place. Oi!

          Get up Elijah! The work of the Lord goes on. He’s got generations following you behind who will do His work when you are basking in the glory of heaven. Don’t judge with your eyes. Your work is not yet done. There are Elishas to be trained. Their rulers will be more like Ahab and Jezebel than yours were so let’s make sure we train them well. This is why our work across the parking lot in our school and in our high schools is so important. Whether you have kids there or not can we see things in the bigger picture and talk about our kids, the next generation, the new Elishas? What kind of training do we want to give them? What kind of spiritual armor? If they were going to fight ISIS we would insist on the best money could buy would we not?  Strong Elisha’s for tough times. Elijah’s cloak, put over Elisha. New generations of trained workers to carry out the work of the LORD. Yes it is expensive to carry out Christian Education at every level. Let’s find a way to do it. Would some of you Elijahs consider making that happen by placing St Jacobi or WELS or Wisco or Prep in your will, especially if you can’t trust your heirs?

          Then there are the Elishas. You younger people. When grandpa or grandma or mom and dad start bemoaning things, when they fear for your future, smile. Understand it’s coming from love. But then ignore them. They are forgetting that the work of the LORD goes on. Elijah judged with his eyes and was wrong. Elisha served God and  found faithful people for many years. You will too. You don’t have to leave behind your oxen and plow but maybe can you leave behind your generation’s live for the moment mentality, fixation on things and social media addiction and take seriously God’s words in your life. You will need them.

          You will need them because the work of the Lord goes on. Until the Lord Jesus himself returns, the work of the Lord goes on. And you know what’s really neat? Young and old, rich and poor, different levels of education, male, female, man, woman and child, God has chosen each of us to be a part of it! That’s quite an honor. Amen.