June 8-10, 2024 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Revelation 20:1-6 “CHRIST’S COMPLETE CONTROL OF SATAN”

 

PENTECOST 3

June 8-10, 2024

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Revelation 20:1-6

 

“CHRIST’S COMPLETE CONTROL OF SATAN”

 

          This is going to be hard for you young people to understand but there was a time when you could only watch cartoons on Saturday mornings. Most kids who could get away with it would get up early to watch those once a week treats. As an adult you wonder why. They always ended the same. Dick Dastardly would try his worst but in the end be forced to say, “Curses, foiled again!” Wile e Coyote would always be caught in the traps he set for the Roadrunner. Tweety and Sylvester. Popeye and Bluto. The list goes on and on where the plot lines are the same. Good beats evil. And we loved it. And there is a reason for this. But it goes beyond cartoons and movies. I’ve told you before about my wife, Chris. She’s a cheater. When she gets a book, she reads a few pages to see if it is interesting and then reads the last chapter to make sure it turns out the way she wants. It’s unAmerican, but I understand why she’s doing it. It gets worse. We like to watch Packer games but don’t like watching commercials so most of the time we record them so we can skip the commercials. Once we get started watching the recording all of the sudden she has to go to the bathroom. And she goes upstairs and I’m thinking, “Why is she doing that when we have a perfectly good bathroom downstairs about 20 feet away from the family room.” You know what she’s doing. She’s checking the score real time to see if she wants to watch. It’s not funny. It’s mean. I can tell from her body language and interest or lack thereof in the game how it’s going to end. I don’t like it, but I understand why she does it. Good must triumph over evil. That Packers must beat the Bears!  But you know in one way or another we are all like that. We all love a happy ending. There’s a reason for it. It’s part of the natural knowledge of God. Ever since the Fall into sin in the garden of Eden part of the natural knowledge of God tells people that there is evil and there is good and they want good to win.

          That’s why the book of Revelation is such a wonderful part of the Bible. It’s the last book because almost every picture or symbol used there has already been used by God earlier in the Bible. It’s important to read Revelation the way God intended it to be read. How is that? He tells us right away in the first verse of Revelation (1:1) “The revelation from Jesus Christ that God gave him to show his servants the things that must soon take place. Christ expressed this revelation by means of symbols sent through his angel to his servant John.” In Revelation God uses symbols and pictures to communicate truth. You are reading it as intended then when you do not take pictures and numbers literally but as a picture that communicates God’s truth. The second thing God said right off the bat is this in Revelation 1:3 “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear it and hold on to the things written in it, because the time is near.” You are blessed, made happy, when you read Revelation and hold to what it says. So if you read Revelation and it makes you scared or unhappy, you are either reading it wrong and need to reread verse 1 or you are a follower or Satan who should be scared.

          You are no followers of Satan so let’s see how a right reading of Revelation makes us blessed and happy! The Apostle John who received the Revelation tells us, “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven. He had the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. ² He seized the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, bound him for a thousand ears, ³ threw him into the abyss, locked it, and set a seal on it, so that he could no longer deceive the nations until the thousand years come to an end. After this he must be released for a short time.” It’s a picture. What do you see? A great beast that would be scary except it is chained. Controlled. No new pictures here. The Bible already has identified Jesus as the Angel of the Lord who controls Satan and the abyss as another name for Hell. The 1000 years is not a literal time period any more than Satan is literally a dragon with a literal chain. It signifies a long but already determined timeframe controlled by the Lord. It’s a picture designed to give the Apostle John and every other believer until Jesus comes back comfort. Christ is in complete control of Satan.

          But what about when Satan seems to be having his way? What about the times we know from history where Christians were persecuted and many even killed for their faith? What about what we know is now happening with in Nigeria and other parts of Africa where Christians are being killed for their faith? What about when you live in a country where evil seems to win? Back to the book that you are blessed when you read it! “Then I saw thrones, and those who were sitting on them were given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshipped the beast and his image, and they did not receive his mark on their forehead and on their hand. They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. ⁵ (The rest of the dead did not live until the thousand years came to an end.) This is the first resurrection. ⁶ Blessed and holy is the one who has a share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them. Instead they will be priests of God and of Christ. And they will reign with him for a thousand years.”

          Remember. Pictures. Symbols. Nothing new in the book of Revelation. The 1000 years is not a literal number but the long time period from the time John received the revelation until Jesus comes back. The beast is a picture of Satan. The mark of the beast is not literal. What is it that signifies someone is following Satan? Rejection of Christ. That’s the sign or mark of the Beast Satan. All of us who were originally dead in our trespasses and sins and made alive in Christ as stated in Ephesians 2 know that the first death is from sin and unbelief and the first resurrection is being brought to faith and when that happens the second death at the end of your life has no power over you. You don’t cease to exist. You are not separated from God. You continue to live reigning with Jesus until He comes back at the end of the world. And when that happens the second resurrection for believers will be when Christ raises our mortal bodies and makes them like His glorious body and the fun really begins. The meaning of this vision is clear, simple and comforting. Christ is in complete control of Satan and everything else and He has set the time when He says enough and blows this world up and makes everything new. Until that time, He is in complete control over Satan and his followers. They are chained, controlled, only allowed to do what the Lord will use for His plans and for good. And even death is nothing to fear for the followers of Christ.

          And now look how we are blessed for reading this! We know what’s going on. Satan is behind the evil in our world, our country our homes. And no matter what he tries, like my dear wife, we have peeked at the last chapter and we know what happens at the end. Jesus wins! So Satan, try your worst. Mess up our country by blinding the minds of unbelievers so that they take pride in defying God and parade their defiance for all to see. Go ahead and twist people’s morality so that they call sin good and God’s good evil. Trick them into thinking the kind of love that is permissiveness of sin and tolerance of perversions is really love when it is actually a kind of hate that keeps people from experiencing the true love of God. We may shake our heads but we will not wring our hands because Jesus has you leashed and you’re going to have to say “Curses! Foiled again!” Satan, try your worst and persecute and murder believers around the world. Try it here. All you do is start the reigning of God’s people early. And they rule over you! Satan, try your worst, trick us into messing up our marriages or destroying our families, put us through hardships, afflict our bodies with diseases like you did with Job, we know what’s going to happen. Our Lord Jesus is going to string you up by that leash he has you on and then make everything new for us.

          Christ is in complete control of Satan. This is good news God wants you to know so you can have comfort and confidence no matter what you see or experience. He wants you to know this so that you will stay faithful even to the point of death. So be faithful even unto death and Jesus will give you the crown of life. Amen.

 

May 18-20, 2024 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: John 15:26-27 “HARVEST TIME!”

 

CONFIRMATION/PENTECOST

May 18-20, 2024

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: John 15:26-27

 

“HARVEST TIME!”

1.     The Holy Spirit does His work.

2.     We do ours.

 

John 15:26-27 (EHV) “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me. ²⁷ And you also are going to testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.”

 

          It’s a big weekend for the St. Jacobi church family. We are celebrating Pentecost. Pentecost is often called the birthday of the Christian Church. As you heard in the reading on that first Pentecost day the Holy Spirit gave special gifts to the Apostles so the Gospel message could be heard by people in their own language. Many were added to the Christian church that day. It’s also Confirmation weekend here at St. Jacobi. 18 more young people will be added to the communicant membership of our church as they make their public promises to faithful to Jesus. Lots to celebrate.

          Now if we were Old Testament believers, we would still be celebrating on Pentecost but something a little different than we are today. We would be celebrating a Harvest Festival. Kind of like an old time Thanksgiving. Because of the affluent times we live in we don’t always realize just how important a successful harvest is and how thankful we can be for a good harvest. Back in Jesus’ time they found it much easer to be thankful that they’d gotten another year’s harvest in safe from drought, insects and raiders. They could live another year.

          It strikes me that the harvest, Pentecost and Confirmation have some similarities. There is work only the God can do and there is work for us to do. Jesus words in John 15 remind us of that. He was with His disciples in the upper room. It was the night he was betrayed, the night before He gave his life on the cross. He was building up those disciples and us, praying for them and us and providing them and us what we need. The Holy Spirit. This is what He told them, “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me.”

          Can you imagine how Jesus’ disciples must have felt? Jesus had told them He would be leaving them. All the details of what would happen that night, on Good Friday and Easter were too much for them to absorb. The leaving part they probably could. Jesus told them that they would be the ones who would go throughout the world teaching all the things He had taught them. How would that work? How would they know what to say? No worries. The Holy Spirit, called here the Counselor, would do His work. And there are some things only God can do. Just think of harvest time. While there is plenty of work for farmers to do, only God controls the weather, the rain, the temperature and the sunshine. Only God controls the path of the locusts. Only God makes photosynthesis work. So He does His work.

          Same thing for Pentecost and Confirmation. So on Pentecost the Holy Spirit gave the Apostles the understanding of Scripture that they needed. Peter who had poorly wielded a physical sword thinking that was what Jesus needed when He didn’t, all of the sudden is an expert at wielding the sword of the Spirit which is God’s word, making all the connections between Old Testament prophecy and what was happening. Peter’s boldness, which had so often been used to promote self now promotes Christ. The other Apostles speak in the foreign languages they were immediately gifted to speak and are no longer concerned with an earthly kingdom but connecting people to Christ and His eternal kingdom. And there was a harvest of souls for the Lord. Harvest Time! A time to celebrate.

          Just like today is a time for us to celebrate. The Holy Spirit is doing His work among us. Your very presence here today in a church which holds to all of the Bible’s teachings is evidence of that. In case you haven’t noticed being with an only Christ as Savior church and only God’s morality as right and wrong will not get you elected to public office or make you the talk of the workplace in a positive way. Yet here you are. You are here because the Holy Spirit has been working in you, adopting you into God’s family through Baptism, feeding your faith every time you have heard the Word. Now you are part of the harvest of souls for Jesus He has made.

          And you are part of harvesting souls for Jesus too. Just like in a harvest of crops. There is some work people need to do as well. They plant seeds. They cultivate. They weed. They fertilize. They gather in the crops that they didn’t make grow but now get to enjoy. Jesus told the disciples there was some work for them to do for His harvest.  ^“And you also are going to testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.” The job of Jesus’ disciples on Pentecost was to testify, to be witnesses that Jesus is the Messiah, the world’s one and only Savior. They did their job, not just on Pentecost, but also for the rest of their earthly lives until Jesus took them to eternal life they did their work.

          Today on this Confirmation weekend it’s good to remember there is work for us to do. All of you here either were confirmed at one point or are looking forward to it and if you know nothing about it please speak with me after service.  It took work to get to that point, hours spent learning God’s Word. All the time the Holy Spirit was doing His work. Now, like the Apostles of Jesus we have ongoing work to do. Testify. Tell the truth. God’s truth. That all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. That Jesus is the only solution. We don’t have to convince anyone of these truths. We do need to testify. Our families need us to. Our community needs us too. Our country needs us to. And then look forward to Harvest Time!

          Like a pebble dropped in the center of a pond the Gospel message proclaimed at Pentecost caused a ripple that has spread and grown and continues to grow. The Holy Spirit does His work. We do ours.  An Old Testament Pentecost was a cause for rejoicing. There was a new harvest. God had done His work. His people had done theirs. And it was time to enjoy. On this Pentecost and Confirmation day we do the same. We thank God for a new harvest of young people that will join us in testifying. We rejoice and celebrate. And we look forward to the time when we will know just how much harvesting God got done through us. Amen.

May 4-6, 2024 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Acts 9:36-42 “AND MANY BELIEVED IN THE LORD!”

 

EASTER 6

May 4-6, 2024

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Acts 9:36-42

 

“AND MANY BELIEVED IN THE LORD!”

1.     Because of Christ’s love in action.

2.     Because of our love in action.

 

          “I don’t have to, but I have to!” That well turned phrase has been running through my head recently. I heard it first from Pastor David Scharf who teaches religion at MLC. He was the emcee at a gathering to raise money for financial aid at LPS. He was speaking broadly about why we live our lives for Christ and specifically why we would want to give of our wealth to encourage students considering being pastors and teachers. “I don’t have to, but I have to!” You all know what he was talking about because you have done it yourselves in small ways and are doing it constantly in big ways. In a small way you present a thank you gift to someone who has helped you. They say, “That is so nice. You didn’t have to do that.” You say, “I know but…” In other words, I don’t have to, but I have to! And that really sums up our lives as followers of Christ. All the things we do from worshipping to volunteering to giving to what we are going to talk about today. I don’t have to! Jesus paid it all. Jesus lived perfectly. Jesus takes me to heaven. There is nothing I have to do. I don’t have to. But I have to. I have to thank Him. I have to live my life for Him. I have to reflect His love. My living faith in the living Lord Jesus will allow nothing less. Neither will yours.

          And as we do that, many will believe in our Lord as we do. We see a great example of that in the reading from Acts. Acts describes the life of the early Christian church and we can learn a lot from our fellow believers. Today we learn from a woman named Tabitha. “In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was always doing good deeds and acts of charity.” In that passage one word jumps out. Always. She was always doing good deeds and acts of charity. And the inquisitive mind wants to know why. Why was she that way? That’s explained by a second word. Disciple. Follower of Jesus. One who has learned from Him. What had she learned? Love. What it means to be loved. She became a believer in the Lord because of Christ’s love in action.

          A word on love because there are all kinds of definitions and understandings for what love is. For many Americans love is a feeling. Being loving is letting the collective opinion of your society determine what is right and wrong. Love is accepting people for who they are. Love is being kind. Some of those understandings have elements of truth. Some are far afield. Christ’s love is not a feeling. It is a commitment. A commitment to do what it takes for people to be cleansed of their sins so that the relationship with God is restored for now and forever. Christ’s love does not let the shifting opinions of society determine what is right and wrong but only God Himself because only He knows what is really best and right and wrong for the people He created. Christ’s love moves Him to accept sinners where they are at, but not leaving them there pursuing a happiness by pursuing sin. No instead the Lord Jesus would consistently tell the tax collectors and sinners, “Go and sin no more!” That’s love.  And Christ’s love moved Him to acts of kindness, providing for people’s needs. And so He came and lived a perfect life of love that followed the commands of God. And since there was no other way, He let Himself be covered with the sins of all people and received the punishment for them in full. And He commissioned every one of His followers, His disciples, to be living Bibles, who, wherever they go and whatever they do, proclaim His truths and His love. And the result of Christ’s love in action is that many believe in the Lord. Tabitha was one. You and I are many more.

          And when followers of Christ who know His love in action show their love in actions many more believe in the Lord. Look at our sister Tabitha! “At that time she became sick and died. After they had washed her, they laid her in an upstairs room. ³⁸Since Lydda is near Joppa, when the disciples heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, who urged him, “Come to us without delay!”³⁹Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing him the robes and clothing that Dorcas made while she was still with them. ⁴⁰After Peter sent them all outside, he got down on his knees and prayed. Then he turned toward the body and said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. ⁴¹He gave her his hand and helped her stand up. After he called the saints and the widows, he presented her to them alive. ⁴²This became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.”

          We are not told a lot about Tabitha but it is very obvious that she made a huge impression on the people around her. How? She put her love into action. She made robes and clothes for people in need. I doubt she was featured in a news story by Joppa 7 news now. I seriously doubt the movers and shakers of Joppa considered her special. But she was. She put her love into action. She didn’t have to, but she had to. Had to let her love show. I think she knew what many of us overlook that it is the little things that count and the unnoticed acts of service that catch Jesus’ attention. And the attention of other people. Look at how God used her love in action. A crowd gathered because of her death. Through Peter God demonstrated His power over death. And…And…? And many believed in the Lord.

          And the same thing happens when you and I put our love in action. We are all different, with different gifts and the Lord provides us with different ways and opportunities to serve others at different ages in life. When kids are little many of our acts of love will be directed to them. But when nests are empty, other opportunities arise. Maybe it’s taking care of an elderly neighbor’s lawn or grocery shopping or rides to appointments. Maybe it’s visiting with someone who is lonely. Maybe it’s volunteering in a school. Christ is risen! And He lives in each one of us. We hear the voice of Jesus. “Love one another as I have loved you.” Sacrificial love. We hear His apostle John. We can’t say I love God and hate one another without being a liar. Our sinful natures need to hear again that being self-centered, self-serving and selfish is not OK. It is sin. Where there is no love in action, there is no love and Jesus is not in us. But Jesus is in you. So let it show. Look for the little ways to serve God. It will not get your name mentioned in the Bible like it did with Tabitha. The Bible is complete. But since your names are written in the Lamb’s book of life it will get you mentioned by Jesus on the Last Day when He says,” I was lonely and you visited me. I need a ride and you gave it to me.” Love in action. It’s the little things that count. We don’t have to. But we have to! And honestly, because of Jesus, we want to.

          Now, I think you all realize that this Tabitha that was raised by to life died again later. That provided another opportunity for people to gather and if her pastors did their job the people gathered again heard about what made the difference in Tabitha’s life, her Lord Jesus. As you and I show put our love in action there is a part of us that is hoping we will get that opportunity to tell them about Jesus. That might not happen while we live. But what about when we die? One of my favorite Bible stories growing up was Sampson and his great strength. Remember how his life ended? He pulled down the pillars to the temple of the idol Dagon which was filled with God’s enemies, the Philistines. Sampson’s story ends with this phrase, “Thus he killed many more when he died then when he lived.” When you and I put our love in action people notice. They will come to your funeral. If your pastors do their job all these people will hear about Jesus, the only one who turns death into life. Then it may be said about you, “And so she witnessed to many more people in her death than in her life.”  And…And…” And many believed in the Lord. God grant this for Jesus’ sake! Amen.

 

March 16-18, 2024 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: John 12:20-33(EHV) “SUCH COMMITMENT!”

 

LENT 5

March 16-18, 2024

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: John 12:20-33(EHV)

 

“SUCH COMMITMENT!”

1.     From Jesus, for us.

2.     From us, for Jesus.

 

Commitment! More and more that seems to be a hard thing to find. It used to be that commitment was one of those stereotypes used as the world tried to pit men versus women instead of them being together as God designed things. The man’s fear of commitment in a relationship was the foil for many sitcom episodes. Now fear of commitment or lack of commitment is popping up in other places. Recently whatever algorithm is watching my computer browsing popped up this teaser. “Seventeen reasons people have stopped attending church.” Now you can’t tease a pastor with that tidbit and not expect him to click on it. So I did. There were many different reasons given. One was that Christ’s teachings don’t seem relevant anymore.  But you can really boil most of the reasons given down to this: commitment, or rather not wanting to commit. With the hustle and bustle of family life they didn’t want to commit to being at in person church. People wanted their church to be more accepting of sinful lifestyles and did not want to commit to a church that expected people to actually follow Jesus’ teaching. They also didn’t like to feel they had to make a commitment to support a church through going, serving or giving. I guess it’s not just guys that have commitment issues, is it? But Jesus doesn’t! He is fully committed to you and to me. That’s what the Gospel lesson from John showed us.

The events described there happened on Tuesday of Holy Week. Jewish people from all over the world and converts to the Jewish faith from all over the world were in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Some of those converts were from Greece. Somehow they had heard about Jesus and they wanted to see Him. When Jesus’ disciple Andrew told Jesus this He said, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴Amen, Amen, I tell you: Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it continues to be one kernel. But if it dies, it produces much grain.” Jesus knows. He knows the time has come for Him to die. He knows the purpose. Like a kernel of wheat must “die” to produce the wheat that will follow, He must die so that others can follow Him to the Father. But this will be no ordinary death. He will not just die physically but die spiritually as he will take on Himself the filthy weight of the sins of all people. And how awful this is we will never understand but it helps us understand Jesus when He says, “Now my soul is troubled.”

And here is where the weak willed human being would have the chance to back out, to demonstrate a lack of commitment. “You know I really like you but… But Jesus is not weak willed. Such commitment!  “And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, this is the reason I came to this hour. ²⁸Father, glorify your name!” A voice came from heaven: “I have glorified my name, and I will glorify it again.” ²⁹The crowd standing there heard it and said it thundered. Others said an angel talked to him. ³⁰Jesus answered, “This voice was not for my sake but for yours. ³¹“Now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be thrown out. ³²And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” ³³He said this to indicate what kind of death he was going to die.” Jesus says, “Bring it on!” His Father voices approval. Both tell us that Jesus’ commitment will result in glorifying God’s name, His reputation. First by putting Satan, the God wannabe who thinks he is the ruler of this world, in his place. By being lifted up on the cross Satan’s damage would be undone. His hold on people and ability to accuse them of sin would be taken away as Jesus took away the sins of the world. Satan is exposed for the liar and fake that he is. Jesus’ commitment to us and all others did not waver. Whatever the cost to Him, whatever the sacrifice needed, he would make it. Such commitment by Jesus for us.

And that commitment by Jesus would glorify God in another way. It changes people and changes hearts. Jesus said His commitment would draw all people to Him. What, you mean people would be committed to Him? Yes! Absolutely. The information in the worship summary box is 100% correct. The heart of Christianity is God’s devotion and commitment to us. A commitment so strong it put God, Jesus, on the cross. It is not our commitment to Christ that is at the center of Christianity but Christ’s commitment to us. At the same time Christ’s commitment to us does something. It draws people to Him. Those Greeks who asked Philip to see Jesus were drawn to Him. The disciples of Jesus were drawn to Him. Yes, in a couple of days their commitment to Him would prove shaky. Peter would deny. Others would run away. And yet when Jesus rose from the dead proving He is the Christ and the Devil had been defeated they responded with a commitment that showed as they went away rejoicing when they were whipped for talking about Jesus, that saw then traveling from Judea to Samaria to the ends of the earth to be His witnesses, that saw all of the but John dying a martyr’s death rather than denying their commitment to Jesus. John just died in exile. And millions, yes billions of followers of Christ who have never had the privilege of seeing Jesus face to face have shown commitment by striving to willingly follow His commands, by gathering to glorify His name publicly and by working together to be His witnesses to a world that needs Him as Savior whether they know it or not.

This is no surprise. Jesus said, “Anyone who loves his life destroys it. And the one who hates his life in this world will hold on to it for eternal life. ²⁶If anyone serves me, let him follow me. And where I am, there my servant will be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” Followers of Jesus are different. They understand this life for what it is. Temporary. Filled with blessings but not always pleasant. Imperfect in so many ways. So they don’t love it. They love eternal life with Jesus. So they serve Him knowing the best is yet to come and their service is expressed in commitment to Him. Yes, our commitment is imperfect and shaky and sometimes in our own ways we deny or run away. But Jesus keeps drawing us back to Himself with His unwavering love and commitment. That’s why you schedule time to publicly worship Jesus when many of your fellow Americans think that’s insane. That’s why, when able, you give your time and abilities so that our ministry can be the best it can be, not to glorify Jacobi’s name but Jesus’ name. That’s why you give your offerings so we and many others may continue to be taught to obey everything He has commanded us whether that’s popular or not. And to do that for Jesus is a privilege.

I can’t help but think of one your St. Jacobi brothers who is now a saint in heaven, Clarence Benz. By the time I got here Clarence was no longer physically able to make it to church so we pastors would visit him. He had some kind of throat condition or was taking some kind of medicine with the result that his throat was constantly raw. I remember the first several times I gave him communion and when he drank the wine we use he would wince and his eyes water as it burned going down. I would ask if he was OK. Finally one time I said, “Clarence, we can water that wine down. It does not have to burn.” “No!” said Clarence very adamantly. “If my Lord Jesus can take the burn of Hell for me the least I can do is take a little burn for Him.” Kind of sounds like commitment, doesn’t it. Oh and that first reason some gave for no longer attending church? That Christ’s teachings are no longer relevant. Ask Pat Betram about that the next time you see him. Amen.

March 6, 2024 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Luke 23:1-12 (EHV) “GOD ON TRIAL: Misconceptions!

 

MIDWEEK LENT 4       March 6, 2024      Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Luke 23:1-12 (EHV)

 

“GOD ON TRIAL:

Misconceptions!

 

          We have been following the theme GOD ON TRIAL for our special worship services. If you have watched any TV lawyer shows like Perry Mason or Law and Order you know that there can be misrepresentations of the truth and misconceptions about witnesses and defendants. When God gets put on trial the same thing happens. Its roots go back to the Garden of Eden. God created Adam and Eve in His image. Then the God wannabe, Satan, tempted Adam and Eve to try to be more than they were, to be like God. They fell for it. And they fell. And since that time sinful man has been trying to create God in our image. So many ideas of what God should be like and God should do. And as you heard when our Lord Jesus was put on trial the same misconceptions are thrown around.

          Luke tells us a whole group of them took Jesus to Pilate. This whole group was the chief priests, the experts in the law, the members of the Sanhedrin. What were their misconceptions about Jesus? “We found this fellow misleading our nation, forbidding the payment of taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.” First misconception. Jesus is misleading the nation. Why would they say that? Because Jesus was leading the people away from the Pharisees and teachers of the law. That was true. The whole assembly had been leading the nation away from the God. They were the misleaders. They had replaced God’s truth and holy law which revealed the need for a Savior with their teachings and a keepable law so they needed no Savior. What Jesus was actually doing was correctly leading the nation back to God and salvation. Second misconception. Jesus forbids paying taxes to Caesar. I don’t even know what to do with that one. They had heard Jesus say, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.” Third misconception. Jesus claims to be Christ, a king. Partly true. He is Christ. But he is not a king. He is the King and not of puny earthly kingdoms but of the entire universe. But this group’s misconceptions about Jesus really started with misconceptions about themselves. They thought they were righteous on their own. They thought their good deeds were good enough. The didn’t think they were sinners. And there is no worse misconception than thinking you are right with God and can get to heaven on your own. That misconception is what led to their other misconceptions about Jesus. They didn’t need a Messiah to save them from their sins so Jesus couldn’t be the God sent Savior.

          But the whole assembly was not the only ones who had misconceptions about Jesus. Pilate did too. “Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” “It is as you say,” Jesus replied. ⁴ Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.” Pilate’s misconception? Jesus is a nobody who will not affect anyone’s life. Jesus correctly answered Pilate’s question. He is the King of the Jews and all people. But Pilate could not get past what his eyes saw. A simple Jewish man, despised and hated by his own people. A nobody. So Pilate wanted to let Jesus go. But the whole assembly would not have it. They put more pressure on. “But they kept insisting, “He stirs up the people, teaching all through Judea, beginning from Galilee all the way here.”

          Pilate saw an out. If Jesus was from Galilee he wasn’t Pilate’s problem. Herod the puppet king of Galilee could deal with him! So Pilate shipped Jesus off to Herod. I wonder if this Herod had any idea that his father, also named Herod, had tried to kill Jesus by murdering all the baby boys in Bethlehem when Jesus was born. At any rate Luke tells us that “When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad. For a long time, he had wanted to see him, because he had heard many things about him. He hoped to see some miracle performed by him.” Herod’s view of Jesus? An entertainer, kind of like a court jester only better. He could do miracles. Only he didn’t for Herod. Silence, even when falsely accused. Disappointed Herod got what entertainment value he could out of Jesus, having his soldiers mock and ridicule Jesus before sending Him back.

          All these misconceptions about who Jesus is what He should do. Sadly, they are still around today. Sometimes they creep into our own hearts. Jesus, we like how you tell us to love all people and be kind that’s a message everyone wants to hear and is popular. But that only through you can people get to heaven, that any use of sexuality outside of the one-man one-woman marriage is sin, that our bodies aren’t our own and we can’t do whatever we want or kill another life growing inside of us? That makes people mad at us. Are you misleading us, Jesus? Lord, I have prayed and prayed to you and you still have not done what I asked/told you to do. Are you really a king? Or are you a nobody? Jesus, there are so many cool things in our world. I can stream movies and shows and play video games. They all entertain me. Shouldn’t worship of you be really about entertaining me too? All misconceptions.

          So many misconceptions of Jesus as God was put on trial. I did hear one correct one in the word of God before us. The whole assembly as they tried to pressure Pilate said, “He stirs up the people!” He stirs up the hearts of His people. Brothers and sisters, you are Jesus’ people!  You know why He stays silent when falsely accused and does not correct every misconception made about Him with the force and power He commands as the Son of God. Here it’s because He wants to go to the cross for you. He is willing to let it seem like people have power over Him so He can show His great love for you by taking away the offense of your sins through His sacrifice. He puts up with misconceptions that sometimes creep into our minds, because He understands our weakness and the hurt living in this sinful world brings. He allows people today to try to make Him in their image, He refuses to entertain with miracles that demonstrate His power because He wants people whose hearts are tied to Him through His word. That’s you. People stirred up by His teaching. May the Holy Spirit bless us so that people who watch us and listen to us will have no misconceptions about what we think of Jesus. Our Lord and Savior. Amen.

 

 

Luke 23:1-12 (EHV) “The whole group of them got up and brought him before Pilate. ² They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this fellow misleading our nation, forbidding the payment of taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.” ³ Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” “It is as you say,” Jesus replied. ⁴ Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.” ⁵ But they kept insisting, “He stirs up the people, teaching all through Judea, beginning from Galilee all the way here.” ⁶ When Pilate heard this, he asked if the man was a Galilean. ⁷ When he learned that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem during those days. ⁸ When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad. For a long time, he had wanted to see him, because he had heard many things about him. He hoped to see some miracle performed by him. ⁹ He questioned him with many words, but Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰ The chief priests and the experts in the law stood there, vehemently accusing him. ¹¹ Herod, along with his soldiers, treated him with contempt and ridiculed him. Dressing him in bright clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. ¹² Herod and Pilate became friends with each other on that day. Before this they had been enemies of each other.”

 

February 24-26, 2024 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Romans 5:1-8 “OH, THE JOY OF BEING A CHRISTIAN!”

 

LENT 2

February 24-26, 2024

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Romans 5:1-8

 

“OH, THE JOY OF BEING A CHRISTIAN!”

1.     We get to rejoice in who we really are.

2.     We get to rejoice in our full access to God.

3.     We get to rejoice, even in suffering.

 

          Can you imagine seeing a job application that had some of these qualifications? Looking for people. Can be any age. No special skills needed. Must be willing to put the company’s mission ahead of personal likes. Suffering for belonging to the company is expected. Now how many people do you think would apply for that job? How many of you would? Actually, you all are a part of this company. You belong to Christ. That made up job description comes from Jesus’ own words. He wants all nations to be His disciples. To follow Him, you must deny yourself, that means put personal likes second, take up a cross, suffering and follow Him. And that’s a good thing.

          The Lord Jesus had the Apostle Paul make that abundantly clear to us in his letter to the Christians at Rome. Paul, who suffered much as an apostle of Christ Jesus and who made many sacrifices to proclaim Jesus, focuses our attention, not on what is given up for following Christ, but what is gained. Joy.

          First there is the joy of owning up to who we really are: ungodly sinners. That’s not something most people want to own up to. The normal way of dealing with sin and ungodliness is making excuses, hiding or justifying it. You know how people do that right. They sin against you and say, “I’m sorry but…” and then say something to explain away what they have done. Or “I know it’s wrong but…” and then follows some justification for what was done. People will do that. Their sin, ungodliness gets minimized so they don’t look so bad. And the stuff that everyone would call bad, people try to hide. What are we saying? It’s not just other people who do that. We do that too. But we don’t have to. We can actually rejoice in who we are. Listen to what God had written. “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Did you hear that? Did you hear what God did so we don’t have to lie about our sinfulness and weaknesses? So we don’t have to justify them? And even if we try to hide them from other people God still knows and that’s OK? Christ didn’t die for perfect people. He didn’t come to save those who can save themselves. God shows His love by having His Son die for the ungodly, the powerless, the sinners. That’s me. That’s you. So rejoice! Jesus came for you and me just as we are.

          We also get the joy of having full access to God. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” Have you ever gotten special access to something normally off limits? This holds no appeal for me but girls, what if you got access to Taylor Swift’s private suite to watch the Super Bowl? I’d rather have what newest Packer Fan Hall of Fame member, Dan "Bogie" Bogenschuetz, received: sideline passes to a Packer game. God has so much better for us. Since we are justified through faith, that means declared innocent of our sins because of what Jesus has done, we are at peace with God. He holds no anger against us for sinning against Him. We have access by faith to God’s grace and undeserved love. That means that God listens to your prayers always. You get to go straight to Him and pour out your heart, give Him thanks and ask boldly for anything. So, pray, Christian, pray. Unlike access to people some think are special, or events that are here and gone, your full access is to the almighty God, maker of heaven and earthy, and it never ends. Anytime. Anywhere. You get to pray directly to God as your dear Father in heaven.

          And then there is joy even in an area of our life where we would think there can be no joy: suffering.  “And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. ³Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.”  The word translated suffering here really means afflictions or things in life that press on you, stress you, take you down. It includes physical suffering from accidents or disease and cancers in your body. It includes emotional suffering that comes from family strife, a broken relationship, loneliness. The hurt of being left out or manipulated. And it most certainly includes those crosses we carry as followers of Christ, from ridicule of beliefs that are “old fashioned” to things we miss out on because we put Christ’s mission first in our lives and that takes a chunk out of our checks and our schedules. Notice it does not say we rejoice because of the suffering. “I’ve got cancer. Yay!” It says in the suffering. While we endure it.

          You see suffering without purpose is meaningless. Worse, allowing suffering without purpose is cruel. God does not do that. When He allows any kind of suffering He takes no joy in it anymore than a loving parent takes joy in disciplining their child. No, when God allows suffering there is not just some purpose but a good and loving purpose. We are in the Church Year season of Lent and it shows us clearly that God’s allowance of suffering has good and loving purpose. Fix your eyes on Jesus. We follow Him in His passion. His suffering. Look at the good God had! Jesus suffers in our place. Jesus pays for our sins. He does that because in His great love He did not want us separated from God in Hell but with Him in heaven. Only one way to punish sin and free the sinner. A perfect substitute. Suffering with meaning and purpose. A loving purpose.

          Brothers and sisters, this is why you and I can rejoice when we are experiencing sufferings. They are normed by God’s love and they have a good purpose. When we go through them clinging to God and His mercy, trusting His plans for us, they produce perseverance in us, that’s stubbornness used for good! You go through that a few times and it becomes a part of your character so that no matter what the Devil or other people throw at you, you are able to have peace, and patient enduring, know God will work it for good. I heard a great story that illustrated that truth one time. It goes like this. There was a young man who lived in a cabin in the woods at the foot of a small hill. He earnestly wanted to serve the Lord and prayed every day to know and understand his purpose in life. One day as he stood before a large boulder at the foot of the hill he heard a voice from heaven say, “Push!” Delighted to know a way to serve the Almighty the young man began to push the boulder determined to get it to the top of the hill. All day he pushed. Breaking only for meals. He pushed until nightfall. Nothing happened. The next day he went at it again. From dusk to dawn he pushed. Days went by and then weeks. Though he pushed with all his might the boulder would not move. Spring turned to summer. Summer to fall. He pushed. But the boulder did not move. Finally in despair and sadness the young man called out to God. And God answered, “What do you want?” The man said, “I heard your voice telling me to push and I have been pushing faithfully for days, weeks and months and nothing has happened. It is no closer to the top of the hill than it was before. I am tired. I want to give up.” But the Lord said to him, “What I told you to do was push. I didn’t tell you to move it. I can do that myself. But now look at you. Your arms and legs and back are strong! And now you are ready to be a blessing to other people.” Suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character. And character hope. Patient waiting for God’s good solutions. So we can rejoice even in suffering.

          Oh and I forgot something in the Christian job description I showed you. Yes, it’s true that there is nothing special about the applicants. Yes, it’s true that some reprioritization and sacrifices are part of being a Christian. But I forgot to tell you about the benefits. Out of this world. And they last forever! Oh the joy of being a Christian. Amen.

February 14, 2024 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Matthew 26:57-64 GOD ON TRIAL “ACCUSATIONS!”

ASH WEDNESDAY

February 14, 2024

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Matthew 26:57-64

GOD ON TRIAL

“ACCUSATIONS!”

 

          “From there He will come to judge the living and the dead.” How many times do you think you personally have confessed that truth the concludes what we call the 2^nd Article of the Apostles Creed? If you are in worship weekly it’s about 28 times a year if you want to try doing the math. Those words have us looking forward to the end of the world, Judgment Day. And the right order of things is this. All people will stand before Jesus. They will be on trial. He will serve as Judge and pronounce the verdict. That’s the right order of things. Our Lenten worship series this year focus our attention on a time when the order was reversed, when God was put on trial by people. During this journey we will find faith to forgive and to love even our enemies. We will find strength to endure trial and to testify faithfully. God is on trial and it starts with accusations.

          Matthew 26:57-64 (EHV) “Those who had arrested Jesus led him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the experts in the law and the elders were assembled. ⁵⁸ Peter was following him at a distance and went as far as the courtyard of the high priest. He went inside and sat down with the guards to see how it would turn out. ⁵⁹ The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death. ⁶⁰ They found none, even though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward ⁶¹ and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’” ⁶² The high priest stood up and said to him, “Have you no answer? What is this that these men are testifying against you?” ⁶³ But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I place you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God!” ⁶⁴ Jesus said to him, “It is as you have said. But I tell you, soon you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

          We are joining Jesus after His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. He is put on trial. Caiaphas, the High Priest, the chief priests and experts in the law, the Jewish ruling council known as the Sanhedrin will stand in judgment over Jesus. They need some evidence to convict Jesus. Witnesses are procured. They accused Jesus falsely. Now we all know the power of an accusation. Have you ever been accused of something you did not do? It hurts. It’s not fair. Accusations have such power that, even if they aren’t true, they can ruin reputations, and irreparably damage relationships. How many people have lost jobs, or had to step down from positions of leadership simply because they were falsely accused? It’s bad enough when people do that to other people. Here they did it to God! “The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death. ⁶⁰ They found none, even though many false witnesses came forward.”

          We can’t help but get righteously angry with them. And with ourselves. We too have falsely accused God. We have done so in so many different ways. Why are you letting this happen to me God? Accusation: You don’t love me. I know you said you won’t give us more than we can bear, Lord, but this too? Accusation: you don’t really know what you are doing. Lord, what did he do to deserve this? He’s such a good man. Accusation: Lord, you are not fair. Lord your grand idea of grace stinks. Some of us deserve better than others. We put God on trial. Now I want you to think of the last time you were falsely accused? How did you feel? How did you respond?

          How about Jesus? Silence. He takes no umbrage. There is no complaining that this is not fair. No vigorous defense and exposure of the false accusations. Finally though a true accusation. Then the high priest said to him, “I place you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God!” Now remember what is going on here. This is a kangaroo court, a sham trial with one purpose, to publicly get to what has already been decided privately. Jesus must die! False witnesses who can’t agree won’t get you to a verdict deserving of death. Even though we and they knew that when Jesus talked about destroying the temple and raising it again in three days, He was talking about His body, that wouldn’t cut it either. What was needed was a provable charge of blasphemy, claiming to be God or taking the glory of God for oneself. Out came the accusation. Are you the Christ, the Son of God? “Jesus said to him, “It is as you have said. But I tell you, soon you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” There you have it. As far as Caiaphas, the chief priests, the experts in the law and the Sanhedrin were concerned they had a confessed crime worthy of death. Blasphemy. Claiming to be the Son of God and Savior of the world. One problem. It’s true. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. It’s as though you would say to me, “Are you Tim Spaude, pastor at St. Jacobi? And I said Yes. What Jesus confessed to is absolutely true. He is the Son of God, the world’s Savior, so that means our Savior.

          And that is what will make the difference when the right trial is held, when Jesus comes back to judge the living and the dead, when He comes back at the right hand of power coming on the clouds of heaven. At that time all kinds of accusations will be made—by Satan. In fact, that is what that name for him means, Accuser. Can you imagine what it would be like to have to stand before God and all other people while Satan starts going down the list of all the sins he and his fellow demons have seen you commit? What do you do when he lists the words you said about other people and how you really feel after you were so nice to their face? What if he brings up all those things you did in secret because you knew they were wrong? Then as you stand before the Lord, the Judge of all, all the times you put God second, or third, or never thought about Him at all, until you were in trouble. Oh the shame and embarrassment we will never feel! Because Jesus went on trial instead of you and instead of me. Because when Jesus was falsely accused He kept silent so the sham trial would continue. Because Jesus made sure to own the true accusation that He is the Christ, the Son of God, so that the ones putting Him on trial would become convinced that He must die.

          Because that is exactly what Jesus came to do. And He did it so that when He comes to judge the living and the dead He will shut Satan the Accuser down and so for you and me and every believer in Him the only evidence brought will be the blood of the Lamb cleansing us from every sin and the good deeds which are evidence of our faith in Him. No shame. No embarrassment. Just the absolute joy of belonging to Jesus. Today we have begun another Lenten journey. We will follow Jesus as He walks to the cross. Often the tone of our worship will be somber. The tunes of our worship will be sad. It’s the right response because we know Jesus is on trial instead of me. But never forget, this is something He wanted to do. Lent’s message is better than any valentine because it shows Jesus’ great love for you. Amen.