I thought about you when I found my burger flipper in the lilac bush. You heard that right. It was what really made me chuckle after what was a crazy fourteen hours. You see, I found it after cleaning up the million pieces of glass shards from the patio table that blew over in the storm we had Thursday night. That was the storm that woke up my two youngest children at midnight. There was no consoling them, they were scared, so I just told them, “Come sleep in my bed.” And it’s not like I was sleeping anyway, because Caleb and I had just finished a pizza (well, mostly Caleb) and a Pokemon episode. We were only up that late because we just got back from the ER. But, I had to wake Caleb up to go to the ER. He had taken a shower and went straight to bed. He was tired, but I promised our neighbor and his boys that I’d grill hamburgers, and I wasn’t really sure we needed to go to the ER, so Caleb was sleeping while I was flipping burgers and serving our guests worried if we should go to the ER or not. But Caleb slept because he was tired from the pain he was in when he broke his wrist. That’s because he fell backwards into the fire pit (no fire). That happens when your friends are trying to splash you with water. That’s what boys do when the inflatable pool is deflated. And, you have the boys over when your wife and mom are gone hanging out with friends in Iowa. (My Father’s day gift better be really big this year!)
So, when I found my burger flipper in the lilac bush I thought of you. Because I thought maybe you need what I needed at the end of a crazy fourteen hours. You know me. I normally wouldn’t be so “cheerful” after a series of events like that when dealing with them without the woman who keeps everything together in our house. But I had been preparing to be with you this morning, studying God’s Word from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians for this sermon. After studying what Paul wrote--and learning again what we have in Christ--the Holy Spirit led me to realize what we have in Christ changes everything down to our very being and governs and guides every phase of our lives. And I needed that reminder because those fourteen hours--the chaos with our company, the broken bone, the sleepless children, the broken glass, the burger flipper where it’s not supposed to be--all smack me with the reminder that we’re not in glory yet. And when that happens we may think and act and speak as if this crazy world is the best there is. And that can cause us to be down and discouraged when things don’t go the way we initially dreamed.
And that might be the case for you as you close New Hope. As much as God will bless your efforts with Water of Life Lutheran Church, that wasn’t the initial dream of the founders of this congregation. In 1975 when this congregation was formed, the congregation was small but dreams were big. There were dreams of reaching the lost in this community as you began worshiping and meeting in the Caledonia Community Center. Soon after you purchased this land and built your first building. After many canvassing and outreach efforts with First Evan, Epiphany, seminary students, while sharing a pastor with Abiding Word (Pastor Schultz, Pastor Mund) you built this building, hoping to grow large enough in size for building expansions and possibly a school. Carrying on in your own identity as New Hope Lutheran Church among many other churches in this area. But New Hope will no longer be New Hope. And as much as all of you are on board with the new plans and the new congregation on two campuses, I’m sure there was some sadness, frustration, regret, disappointment. If so, the Apostle Paul and I have something to share with you that I pray will not only help that, but transform how you see and do everything in this new congregation and in your lives.
The Holy Spirit could really do that with the first three words of our lesson from Paul’s letter. “For this reason.” Paul is so filled with praise to God at the beginning of this letter that he almost can’t help himself. In one really long sentence he praises God for the blessings these Ephesian Christians--converts from Judaism and Gentiles--have in Christ. He praises God for their eternal election in Christ, redemption won by Christ, and their faith in Christ sealed by the Holy Spirit. “For this reason”--because of all of that! Paul says he has “not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.”
Paul could see the impact that their election, redemption, and faith had on them. He saw first hand and later heard again about their faith and love for all their fellow believers. Thank you, God, for these people and the faith and love you’ve worked in them!
I’ve prayed that many times, too. In fact, people at WLA have heard of your love as well. I hope I don’t embarrass Rachel, but on my last Sunday here she gave me a story about a goose on a roof. I never thought she remembered the day I told her about that goose I saw on the roof and asked her to write a story about it. But she did and she gave me a very special gift that I shared with students at WLA, thanking God for what he had given you. Because that love was emulated for her at her home, just like in so many of your homes. It was also displayed for her in this congregation. She wasn’t the only one who showed me and my family love. And after I left I continued to hear about the love you showed to the vacancy pastors, Pastor Scoggins, the people in the community, and in neighboring congregations. You kept the soccer camps going to reach families in the community. You continued to host Worship at the Cross so that special members of our community could hear that Jesus loves them. Thank you, God! What you have done for the Ephesians, for New Hope, is so undeserved! Thank you!
But we’re not in glory yet. As much as you would have liked to be your own congregation, plans changed. As much as Paul had reason to thank God for the Ephesians, they would experience trouble that might cause them to forget God’s grace.
Which is why Paul prayed what he did. “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” You could have a forty page commentary on just these words alone. Like I said, Paul couldn’t help himself. He was so filled with joy and praise to God. Permit me to highlight the essence of what he is praying for.
First, he is asking that God give them spiritual wisdom so that they may know God all the more--what he is like and all that he has done for them. Then, he prays that the eyes of their hearts may be enlightened--really, how they view God and the things of this world, and their emotions, will, and actions based on that--may be enlightened with three things: the hope to which God called them, the riches of his glorious inheritance, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
This is what changes everything! No matter what the Ephesians would face in their lives on earth they had the sure and certain reality that since God had elected them to salvation and called them to faith in that promise, that is what they have. This hope isn’t like, “I hope it rains (or doesn’t rain)” or “I hope we all stay healthy.” This is like saying, “I hope Jesus died on the cross and rose again for the forgiveness of our sins.” That happened! It’s a fact! And just as certain is your hope of eternal life. That’s because it is not based on what you do. It is based on what God has done for you in Christ. He died for you. He lives again for you. And he is preparing a place in heaven for you right now.
Paul wants them to remember that. They, and you may have nothing here on earth. You may have a lot and lose it all. Or you may have a lot and get even more. None of it can compare to the inheritance God has promised you in heaven. Not only does God give you eternal gifts in heaven, he gives you himself. In him, you have everything. You didn’t earn it. God just wanted to give it to you because in spite of all your sin and failures he loves you and has made you a saint. If you think of how often the Bible speaks of being with God, and how it is better than the best things on this earth, just wait till you actually get to experience it! By faith, all God has is yours!
But it wasn’t easy to bring you to faith. In fact, the very next verse after our lesson says, “As for you, you were dead in your sins.” In order to bring you to faith God would have to use his power over death. And he did! The same power he used to bring Jesus to life again from the dead and seat him at his right hand in heaven after he accomplished our salvation is the power God used to bring you to faith and keep you in the faith. Because Jesus did everything he needed to do--and did it perfectly--God placed him above everything and everyone. There is no title or force of this universe that has more authority and more power than him. And using that same power Jesus is working out all things for the good of his church--you. Because Jesus doesn’t consider himself complete until he has his believers with him. He’s not going to lose any of those who are his.
Thank you, God! That changes everything! You give us a certain hope of heaven because Jesus did it all! You give us an incredibly rich inheritance in heaven because you brought us to faith in Jesus. You used the same power to bring us to faith that you used to raise Jesus from the dead and bring him back to heaven and seat him at your right hand. If you do all that, what do we need to fear, worry, or be down about? Nothing!
There may be a little sadness at what ends today. There may be a little anxiety about what lies in the future. But when we remember God’s promises; when we remember all he has done for us in eternity to give us eternity--we can have nothin but a positive outlook on everything. If this plan works, great! If not, God will still accomplish his good will like he always does. He will always find the lost. His gospel message will always produce what he desires. He will always love his church. He will always work everything out for our eternal good. So, here you go!
Whether you have days where you find your hamburger flipper in the lilac bush or worse, just remember what God has done for you--forgiveness is yours, heaven is yours, God’s power is yours, Jesus is yours. Thank you, God! Thank you for all the blessings you’ve accomplished through New Hope and all her members and pastors throughout the 46 years of her existence. Thank you for all the souls brought close to you by the work we have humbly done. Thank you for the opportunity to continue gospel ministry with more people. Thank you, Lord. Be with us. Be with Water of Life. Amen.