Road Work Ahead by Pastor Klusmeyer

Road Work Ahead

You are driving down the road when you suddenly see a familiar orange sign that says: road work ahead. What is your first thought? If you’re like me you probably sigh, roll your eyes, and wonder how much time this will add to your trip. Road construction can be frustrating. It slows traffic down and seems to take forever to get done. Sometimes it seems like they just put orange barrels out because they don’t have anywhere else to keep them. But can you imagine the alternative? Potholes, washed-out roads, and even slower traffic. Road construction is frustrating while it’s happening, but the final product is amazing. There’s nothing quite like the feel of cruising down smooth pavement.

When you stop to think it is amazing how much work and effort it takes to make a smooth and level road: the mountains of dirt that are moved, the valleys that are filled in, and the rivers that are bridged just so we can get from place to place. Modern construction moves really fast. Go and take a look at the new Microsoft development for an example. Now imagine that you needed to build a road through mountains, valleys, and deserts without any modern construction equipment. It would be a monumental if not impossible task. As difficult as that task would be we have been given a far more difficult task: preparing our hearts for the coming of the Lord.

The season of Advent is a time of preparation. We get our churches and houses ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus by putting up lights and beautiful decorations. It is also a time of personal preparation and reflection. As we look forward to the coming of Jesus at Christmas, we also remember that our Lord will come again on the Last Day. John the Baptist had been called by God to prepare the hearts of the people for the coming of Christ. He was, “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight. Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low. The crooked will become straight, and the rough ways smooth.’”

We are told that the Word of the Lord came to John just like it came to the prophets of the Old Testament. He was to go into the wilderness and preach a message of repentance because the hearts of the people were not ready for the coming of Jesus. Many of the people had a wrong understanding of what the work of the Savior would be like. They expected Jesus to come and throw off the oppressive rule of the corrupt and wicked Romans. They were looking for a restoration of the throne of David; a new king who would once again make them a great and powerful nation. John had come to remind the people that God's kingdom was not about political rulers or wealth or power. God’s kingdom existed in their hearts and the people needed to prepare their hearts for the advent of their King.

The Prophet Isaiah wants us to picture our hearts as vast and desolate deserts filled with high mountains and deep valleys. The roads going through this expanse are crooked and rough. Our hearts are no fit place to welcome our heavenly king. They are filled with deep dark valleys of sin and mountains of pride. We daily sin against our holy God in countless ways with our thoughts, words, and actions. We love to wallow in the deepest valleys of sin. We covet the blessings of others because we aren’t content with the blessings God has given to us. We lie and gossip about others. We look at and say things that we know go against God’s holy will. We love to stand on the mountains of pride. We ignore and minimize our own sins and compare ourselves with others foolishly thinking that we are better than we are. Are hearts are filled with the crooked and rocky paths of a whole host of sins. Our hearts are no fit place to welcome our heavenly king. Our hearts deserve God’s righteous wrath and anger.

There is roadwork ahead. We are just like the people who went to hear the message of John the Baptist in the wilderness. We need to have a massive construction project in our hearts to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. This is a monumental project that we have no hope of completing on our own. In the same way that it would be impossible for you to move a massive mountain or fill in the Grand Canyon using only a shovel, it is impossible for you to fill in the valleys of sin and level the mountains of pride in your own heart. We as sinners can do absolutely nothing to make our hearts acceptable and pleasing to God our Father.

John did not give the people a set of instructions or rituals to follow. John did not command the people to simply try harder and do better. Instead, John preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John told the people not to trust in their own works for salvation, but to trust that God would save them. John’s

baptism was an amazing blessing. It gave people the forgiveness of sins as a free gift from God. John knew that he was a herald who was preparing the way of the Lord. John pointed the people to Jesus because he knew that Jesus was the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world.

Dear friends we cannot prepare our hearts for the Lord. We can do nothing to save ourselves. There is roadwork ahead, but it is God who has done all the work for us. He does this through Word and Sacraments. Through his holy Law God tells us that he is holy and righteous and that we are sinners. We can do nothing to earn his grace and favor and deserve only his wrath. In the Gospel, we hear the beautiful truth that God sent his one and only Son Jesus Christ to suffer and die for the sins of the world. This is the miracle of Christmas. That Jesus Christ, true God from eternity clothed himself with human flesh and made his dwelling among us. He lived a perfect life in our place. The heart of Jesus had no valleys of sin or mountains of pride. The heart of Christ was perfect. In his great love for us, Christ offered that perfect life on the cross for us. He took all our sins on himself and suffered the torments of hell in our place. In return, he has given us his perfection.

Through the power of the Gospel the Holy Spirit changes and renovates our hearts. Through the water and the Word of baptism, we are reborn. Our sinful nature is crucified and buried with Christ, and we arise as a new creation who desires to live a new and holy life. We want to smooth out the rough places of our hearts and make the crooked ways straight. This is what repentance is. Now, strictly speaking, repentance consists of two parts. One part is contrition, that is, terrors striking the conscience through the knowledge of sin. The other part is faith, which is born of the Gospel or the Absolution and believes that for Christ’s sake, sins are forgiven. It comforts the conscience and delivers it from terror. Then good works are bound to follow, which are the fruit of repentance (AC).

Repentance is not something that we do once. Repentance lasts our entire lives. As Christians, we are both sinners and saints. Repentance is a daily struggle against our sinful nature. It is a desire to live as God commands us. Each day we strive to put God first in everything we do. We use our time, talents, abilities, and possessions to his glory. We seek each day to selflessly love our neighbor. We seek to turn away from evil and do good. But we are going to fail and when we fail, we turn to Christ. We put our faith not in the good works that we have done. Instead, we trust in what Christ has done for us. We remember that in baptism our sins have been forgiven. We remember that when someone forgives our sins in the name of Jesus they are truly forgiven and have been removed as far as the east is from the west. We trust that in the Lord’s Supper, we receive the forgiveness that was won for us on the cross as we eat and drink the very body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who suffered and died to save us.

Dear friends, there is roadwork ahead. Our hearts need to be prepared for the coming of our Lord. But this massive construction project is not something we do on our own. It is a lifelong struggle to live as children of God. We have confidence that this massive work of renovating our hearts has been done by Christ. Jesus has already prepared our hearts. Every valley has been filled and every mountain has been laid low by the death and resurrection of our Savior.

The Tree of Rebellion by Pastor Zarling

The Tree of Rebellion

Genesis 3:1-15 Now the serpent was more clever than any wild animal which the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden, 3but not from the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden. God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it. You shall not touch it, or else you will die.’”

4The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die. 5In fact, God knows that the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was appealing to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate. She gave some also to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7The eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for their waists. 8They heard the voice of the LORD God, who was walking around in the garden during the cooler part of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

9The LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10The man said, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” 11God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?” 12The man said, “The woman you gave to be with me—she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 13The LORD God said to the woman, “What have you done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

14The LORD God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all the livestock, and more than every wild animal. You shall crawl on your belly, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. 15I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel.

I have some relatives who wrote in a group text that their Christmas tree is up and decorated. I received that text on November 3! Their tree has been up for a month already!

I immediately texted a picture of a shed with the caption: “Here is a picture of my Christmas tree. It’s still in the shed … because it’s November!”

We are now in the season of Advent. This is the normal time to put up your Christmas tree and other decorations. Whether your Christmas tree is a real one you cut down yourself or an artificial one you pulled out of the shed, the Christmas tree is a special part of the Christmas celebration.

In our midweek Advent services, we will be looking at some Christmas trees. They are not evergreens, nor are they artificial, nor are they decorated with lights or ornaments. Instead, we will look at three trees in Scripture that point us to the Christ. These Christmas trees remind us why the birth of Jesus Christ is so important … and so worthy of celebration. Tonight, we examine the tree of rebellion.

From the very beginning, trees were an important part of God’s creation. God created a garden paradise filled with a variety of trees for his two children. In the middle of this garden, God put two special trees – the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

God gave his children the opportunity to love and obey him by not eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. It’s like how you tell your children not to eat the Christmas cookies. So, when they pass by the cookies and grab a piece of fruit, they are showing you love and obedience.

Why is Christmas necessary? Satan had led a rebellion of angels in heaven. Satan was then cast down to earth. Satan slithered into the garden to lead God’s children in a rebellion.

Satan led God’s children into questioning God’s words asking, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’” (Genesis 3:1)? He led the children to believe that God was holding out on them by saying, “You certainly will not die. In fact, God knows that the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5). Satan tempted them to believe that he was good, and God was evil. Though God said, “You will surely die,” they believed the serpent when he spoke, “You certainly will not die.” Instead of listening to their Creator, they listened to one of the fallen creation and ate the forbidden fruit.

Satan had successfully made Adam and Eve God’s enemies. There was hostility between them and God. The effects of sin were instantaneous. Like the flip of a light switch, the world that God had filled with the light of his perfect touch turned dark.

God had placed trees, animals, and nature into the hands of the crown of his creation. But now the crown was broken and tarnished. They had plunged themselves and their new world into the darkness of sin and death.

Before they had the knowledge of good. They didn’t know evil. Now they did. Before they were in harmony with God. Now they were hostile to God, hiding from him, blaming each other, even having the audacity to blame God for their predicament. Before they had a perfect relationship with their Creator and Father. Now they had rebelled against their God and made friends with the devil.

We think of evil as selling drugs to kids, kidnapping, and terrorism. We think of heinous crimes like mass murder and child abuse. We think of rebellion as violent protests with casualties.

Eating fruit doesn’t seem evil, does it? It doesn’t seem heinous. Maybe it seems a little naughty … but not rebellion. If your kids ate Christmas cookies, you wouldn’t kick them out of the house. But Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and God kicked them out of their paradise home.

That’s because evil in the eyes of God is loving anything more than him. Evil is listening to fallen creation – either the devil, the culture, or our sinful selves. Evil is putting anything ahead of worshiping God – kids’ practices, sleep, work, or whatever.

The evil inside of humanity led to the heinous crime of killing the Son of God. This evil leads us to daily rebel against God and his holy will – to do what we want, when we want, and as many times as we want.

Evil is so much more than just eating some fruit from a tree. Eating the fruit made the sacred tree into the tree of rebellion.

To call us back from the side of Satan, God made a promise to the serpent, “I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel” (Genesis 3:15).

Did you notice that the first promise of a Savior wasn’t spoken to Adam and Eve but to Satan? This was a threat to the devil and a promise to us. God promises to put a wall of hostility between us and Satan. We had become friends with the devil. God promises to break up that friendship. We had become enemies with God. God promised to send his Son to restore the relationship of children with their Father.

Why did there need to be a Christmas? Because God promised there would be so he could restore everything we had lost. The Son of God was born as the Seed of the Woman on Christmas so he could die on a tree on Good Friday.

Our Christmas trees – real or artificial – are beautiful when decorated. The tree of the cross was ugly and bloody. It was cursed. St. Paul referenced Deuteronomy 21:23 when he wrote to the Christians in Galatia, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. As it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” (Galatians 3:13). Jesus took on himself the curse of dying a criminal’s death. The curse of humiliation and shame of being crucified. The curse of a painful and torturous death.

But the worst curse is that Jesus was innocent of any wrongdoing. Yet Jesus willingly took on himself the curse of the cross so he can make the cross the tree of life for us.

St. Peter, who didn’t see Jesus on the cross, nevertheless tells us what Christ on the cross means: “He himself carried our sins in his body on the tree so that we would be dead to sins and alive to righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24). Jesus bore our sins in his body on the tree of the cross so we might be free of our sins and be saved.

The wages of sin is death, but Jesus died in your place.

He was numbered with the transgressors so you could be counted with the saints.

He was found guilty so you might be found innocent.

He was covered in the filth of your sin so you might be covered with his righteousness.

He was stripped of his clothes so you might wear your white baptismal gown.

He was abandoned so you might be adopted.

He was forsaken so you would be forgiven.

He endured our evil so we might be made good in God’s eyes.

He took our heinous crimes and made us in harmony with our Father.

People can put up their Christmas decorations whenever they want. Although, I thought it was a little odd for my relative to have her Christmas tree up on the inside of her house with her Halloween decorations still up on the outside of her house.

Why is there a need for Christmas? Because at Christmas we can look back at the tree of rebellion in the Garden of Eden. We can look back at how the Babe in Bethlehem came to be the crucified Christ on the tree of the cross. The tree of the cross now makes your Christmas tree a tree of reconciliation. Amen.

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign by Pastor Zarling

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign

Luke 21:25-36 “There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And on the earth nations will be in anguish, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the surging waves, 26people fainting from fear and expectation of the things coming on the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28But when these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near.”

29He told them a parable. “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30As soon as they are sprouting leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is actually near. 31So also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. 32Amen I tell you: This generation will not pass away until all these things happen. 33Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

34“Watch yourselves or else your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and the worries of this life, and that day may come on you suddenly. 35For it will come like a trap on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36Stay alert all the time, praying that you may be able to escape all these things that are going to happen and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

May the Lord increase your love and make it overflow for each other and for all people, just as ours does for you (1 Thessalonians 3:12). Amen.

As part of my theological research this week I listened to the Five Man Electrical Band singing, “Sign, sign, everywhere a sign, blockin’ out the scenery, breakin’ my mind, do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign?”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is talking about signs. The disciples had heard Jesus talking earlier in the temple courtyard about the End Times. Now they are on the Mount of Olives looking over the temple area (Mark 13:3). Three of the disciples ask Jesus when these End Times will be and what signs will precede them. Jesus gives his answer in Luke 21.

Jesus says, “There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars” (Luke 21:25a). Last week astronomers saw a huge flare that erupted from the sun. Astronomers discovered a small asteroid roughly the size of a bus orbiting the earth like a “mini moon.” Astronomers are also studying black holes sucking in stars far out in space. You have to be pretty geeky with science stuff to notice these signs.

Jesus continues, “And on the earth nations will be in anguish, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the surging waves, people fainting from fear and expectation of the things coming on the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Luke 21:25b-26). You don’t have to be geeky to notice these signs. You just need to pay a little attention to the news. Last week NATO’s Admiral Rob Bauer warned businesses to prepare for WWIII because of the war between Russia and Ukraine. Hurricanes Milton and Helene brought devastation across many southeastern states of the US. There were deadly floods in Nepal, Spain, Tanzania, and Kenya. There were earthquakes in Japan and Turkey. Tiawan was struck by a super typhoon.

Christ left his Church with a catalog of calamities that will characterize life in the last days. The unbelieving world sees these great terrors and faints with fear. We Christians are tempted to look at these worldly signs and become afraid, too. We see nature rise and we doubt that Christ is in control. As we see creation falling apart, we might believe that the Lord of creation is no longer in charge. We fear that evil has taken over the world.

Jesus tells us why he gives us these signs in nature. Every time we hear of wars or natural disasters, they are to remind us that Christ can return at any time. Jesus teaches, “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near” (Luke 21:27-28). Unbelievers see these signs and bow their heads as they cower in fear. Christians who are looking forward to Christ’s return see these signs, lift up our heads, and wait. We continually pray, “Come, Lord Jesus.”

These signs mean our final redemption. They signify our final deliverance from all the evil in the world – sin, death, and the power of the devil. For good reason Jesus urges disciples to lift their heads in hope when these End Time signs begin to unfold.

Jesus moves from discussing the signs in nature to the signs of summer when he tells them a parable, “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. As soon as they are sprouting leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is actually near. So also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near” (Luke 21:29-31).

We don’t have a lot of fig trees around here. We are more familiar with apple, pear, and cherry trees. When the branches become fat with sap, the buds appear ready to burst, and the leaves look ready to break out, those are the signs that summer is near. So, it is with Christ’s eternal kingdom. We see the signs of the End Times all around us and realize that our world is in the dead of winter. But the signs Jesus gives to his disciples are not signs of death, but of life. The fig tree is budding. That means that summer is near for God’s saints, even in the dead of our winter.

Perhaps you wonder every Wisconsin winter like I do, “Why do I live where my face hurts?!” It can be difficult and dreary living during a brutal, gloomy, blistering cold Wisconsin winter. It can be even worse when we remember we are living in a brutal, gloomy, depressing, dreariness of this world’s winter.

Look around you. Read the signs. Christ is coming soon. His Advent is near. When you step outside it feels like winter, but when you look at the Scriptures, when look at the signs in the world, and when look up to the sky in faith, you can see that summer is coming. This world’s winter is almost over. Christ’s first Advent was God entering our world as Man in the dead of its spiritual winter. Jesus came to our spiritual darkness and barrenness. He lived among all the signs of death – leprosy, lameness, tears, and graves everywhere he went. He took on real desolation and physical hardship.

Christ has gone through this world’s spiritual winter for us. He endured the cold-hearted rejection by the world. He suffered the wrath of his heavenly Father upon humanity’s sins. He was stripped of all his divine beauty and majesty. The God-Man lay dead upon the dead tree of the cross. His dead body was buried in a borrowed tomb with soldiers making sure his corpse was not disturbed.

It appeared as if God was dead, and Satan was supreme. It seemed like sin had succeeded. It looked like death had displaced life once and for all. This world appeared brutal, gloomy, and depressing – like we would endure the endless dreariness of this world’s winter.

But the Son of God did not stay dead. Jesus had sacrificed himself for humanity’s sins on the bloody cross. Three days later he burst forth from the dark tomb. He brought light and immortality upon the world. He brought the summer of life upon the earth.

Jesus’ first advent was humble and quiet. He entered our world once in the manger. Jesus continues to enter our world humbly and quietly. Christ now enters our world in the waters of Baptism, in the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper, and in the spoken, sung, and read Word of God.

The kingdom of God that Jesus talks about is Christ’s activity in the hearts and minds of his people. The kingdom of God is near every time you remember what Christ accomplished for you in your Baptism. The kingdom of God is near every time you receive a vertical unity with Christ and a horizontal unity with Christ’s disciples in the Lord’s Supper. The kingdom of God is near every time you hear a sermon, study your Bible, or sing a hymn, because you are listening to words that will never pass away. Jesus promises, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Luke 21:33). In his Word and Sacraments, Christ comes to you and brings you life and light – he is bringing summer to your soul.

Jesus talks about signs in nature, the signs of summer, and then he concludes by telling us to look for signs in ourselves. “Watch yourselves or else your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and the worries of this life, and that day may come on you suddenly. For it will come like a trap on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth” (Luke 21:34-35).

Jesus is warning us to watch ourselves. We can get sucked into the sexual sins that are so prevalent in our culture. We can go to a college or end up in a workplace where our Christian theology is constantly under attack. We can give in to our addictive behaviors of drugs or alcohol. Those are certainly real ways where we may give up our faith. But the greatest danger is apathy. Look at declining worship attendance in churches – in our church. People are not giving up their faith because of some great crisis. They are giving up their faith because of boredom and busyness.

The relentless ticking of the clock and perpetual flipping of the calendar can lull us to sleep. They convince us that Jesus’ return is a distant, future event. In the meantime, we easily become preoccupied with both the pleasures and worries of this life. Weighed down by these concerns, we risk the day of Christ’s advent springing on us like a trap.

Jesus offers us a remedy to getting sucked into sin. He encourages us, “Stay alert all the time, praying that you may be able to escape all these things that are going to happen and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36). Instead of filling up your life with basketball practices, holiday parties, and Christmas shopping, fill up your life with spiritual vigilance and prayer. Your hope is not in your flesh or in this world. Your hope is in the One whose first Advent was as a Baby laid in a cradle and then the Christ laid on a cross. Your hope is in the One whose second Advent will be the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

How many of you have been to Buc-ee’s? Since we’re talking about signs, there’s a new sign going south on I-94 in Kenosha that reads, “469 miles to Buc-ee’s.” That’s a lot of signs and a lot of miles to arrive in Richmond, Kentucky so you can get beef jerky, BBQ brisket sandwiches, homemade fudge, beaver chips, and, of course, fill up your gas tank.

Jesus is promising us something far better than anything we might get at a Buc-ee’s or a Wall Drug or any destination we see signs for. Jesus is giving us signs in nature, the signs of summer, and the signs within ourselves so that we remain alert and praying all the time. We want to be prepared for Jesus’ second Advent. Lift up your heads, because your redemption is near. Lift up your head and look at the signs. Sign, sign, everywhere a sign. Amen.

May the Lord establish your hearts as blameless in holiness before our God and Father, when our Lord Jesus comes with all his saints (1 Thessalonians 3:13). Amen.

Don’t forget by Pastor Zarling

Don’t forget

Deuteronomy 8:10-18 Then you will eat, and you will be filled, and you will praise the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you. 11Be very careful so that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and ordinances and his statutes that I am commanding you today. 12When you eat and are satisfied, and you build nice houses and move into them, 13and your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold increase, and everything that you have prospers, 14watch out so that your heart does not become arrogant and forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, where you were slaves. 15Do not forget the Lord, who led you in the great and terrifying wilderness, where there were venomous snakes and scorpions, where the thirsty ground had no water, but the Lord made water come out of a flint rock for you. 16Do not forget the Lord, who in the wilderness fed you manna, which your fathers had not known before, to humble you and to test you so that it would be good for you later on.

17You might say in your heart, “My ability and the power of my hand have earned this wealth for me.” 18But then you are to remember that the Lord your God is the one who gives you the ability to produce wealth, to confirm his covenant that he promised to your fathers with an oath, as he does to this day.

My God will fully supply your every need, according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19). Amen.

What are some things that your mom told you that you’ve never forgotten? “Don’t swim after eating.” “Don’t run with scissors.” “Don’t play with matches.” “Don’t talk with your mouth full.” “Don’t talk to strangers.” Especially with your mouth full.

“Call me when you get home.” “Wear clean underwear in case you’re in an accident.” “Wear a jacket or you’ll catch cold.” And then one of my favorites. “Finish your dinner. There are starving children in China.” Or Africa. Or wherever.

Did your mom ever say things like that to you? … Maybe your mom still says those things. That’s fantastic.

Our moms love us. They are concerned about their children. They want them to stay healthy and safe. They want what’s best for them. That’s why they remind their children of things that are important. They don’t want them to forget.

In the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses is playing the part of mom. His children are the Children of Israel. He’s been their leader for the past 40 years. During that time, he’s developed a close relationship with them. He must have felt like a parent to them. He led them. He taught them. He felt responsible when they messed up. Then he had to discipline them. I wonder how many times he yelled at the people, “Knock it off back there or I’m turning this whole caravan around!”

But now their relationship was coming to an end. Like children moving out of the house, the Children of Israel were finally moving out of the desert. They were moving into their new home of the Promised Land of Canaan. But Moses would not be going with them. Because of his own sin, Moses was only permitted to see the Promised Land from a distance.

Before they left him and followed Joshua into Canaan, Moses offered them some words of encouragement. Like any good parent, Moses reminds his spiritual children of some important things. The theme of what he tells them in Deuteronomy 8:10-18 is “Don’t forget.”

“Then you will eat, and you will be filled, and you will praise the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you. Be very careful so that you do not forget the Lord your God by not

keeping his commandments and ordinances and his statutes that I am commanding you today” (Deuteronomy 8:10-11). Don’t forget the Lord and his commandments. God’s people had been given directions on how to live. They were going to be living in a land filled with heathen unbelievers. God’s people were to stand out by living differently than everybody else. They were to live for God rather than live for themselves.

God has given us the same commands on how to live. We are living in a nation filled with unbelievers. We Christians are to stand out because we live differently from everybody else. As sanctified saints, we are to live for God rather than for ourselves.

“When you eat and are satisfied, and you build nice houses and move into them, and your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold increase, and everything that you have prospers, watch out so that your heart does not become arrogant and forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, where you were slaves” (Deuteronomy 8:12-14). Don’t forget the Lord who brought you out of slavery. The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt. They were used and abused. They were oppressed and mistreated. Slavery was their way of life. There was no way they could regain their freedom as a people.

So, the Lord rescued his children from slavery. God poured out his wrath with plagues – blood, frogs, gnats, flies, livestock, boils, hail, locusts, and darkness. God then brought death upon the Egyptian tyrant and his nation by striking down the firstborn in the families. Pharaoh finally relented to Moses’ repeated call to “Let my people go.”

When the Israelites were trapped between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army, God provided a strong wind that parted the Red Sea waters so his people could walk safely to the other side. When Pharaoh and his army were in the middle of the Red Sea, God caused walls of water to come crashing down and drowning the mighty Egyptian army.

God had freed his people from their slavery. He would bring his free people home to Canaan. This freedom was won only by the hand of the Lord.

We are blessed here in American to be a free people. We enjoy way more freedoms than anybody else in the world. The freedom to speak, assemble, protect ourselves, vote for our leaders, and even disagree with our leaders. We especially enjoy the freedom to worship.

God has granted us these freedoms by his grace. We should not take these American freedoms for granted. Use these freedoms to glorify God as sanctified saints. But we can also abuse these freedoms to indulge our sinful nature and bring shame upon God’s holy name.

God has especially freed us from the slavery of sin and death. Satan is a terrible tyrant. We were used and abused. We were oppressed and mistreated. There was no way we could free ourselves from this slavery. We were hopeless. We were helpless. We were doomed to live in misery forever.

God used his only begotten Son to bring death to death. He broke the stranglehold Satan had on humanity. Jesus endured the wrath of God upon humanity’s sins. Jesus paid the price to win our freedom from sin, death, and the power of the devil.

We should not take these freedoms for granted. We glorify God as we live freely as sanctified saints. We shame God when we put ourselves again under Satan’s tyranny. As Christians, we are not to use our freedom to do what we want, but rather to do what we ought.

“Do not forget the Lord, who led you in the great and terrifying wilderness, where there were venomous snakes and scorpions, where the thirsty ground had no water, but the Lord made water

come out of a flint rock for you” (Deuteronomy 8:15). Don’t forget the Lord who rescued you from the wilderness. The Israelites had to deal with extreme heat and cold living in the desert. The sand was everywhere – their clothing, their eyes, even in their mouths. They had to deal with scorpions and snakes. There wasn’t a whole lot of food in the desert. There was no Chick-Fil-A or Starbucks or a Kwik Trip on every major corner.

God has blessed us in America with heated houses, running water, and indoor plumbing. We enjoy restaurants, grocery stores, refrigerators, freezers, stoves, microwaves, grills – and my new favorite toy for making lunch tomorrow – a smoker. We have hills, mountains, lakes, oceans, rivers, forests, and deserts. We have sunshine and rain, warmth and snow – possibly all in the same week in Wisconsin.

“Do not forget the Lord, who in the wilderness fed you manna, which your fathers had not known before, to humble you and to test you so that it would be good for you later on” (Deuteronomy 8:16). Don’t forget the water from the rock, the quail to catch, and the manna that fell from heaven. The Israelites did not need refrigerators or pantries. That’s because they didn’t have any food to store for the next day. They would go outside each morning to collect manna. They would go out every evening to catch quail. They were to thank God for this daily bread and meat.

We are blessed to have turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls, corn, green bean casserole, apple pie, and pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. This isn’t just a one-day blessing. God blesses us richly with daily bread and meat.

The Israelites were hungry and thirsty, hot and dusty, cold and stinky. They were bitten by scorpions and venomous snakes. Even in those difficult times, Moses is reminding his children to still thank God.

We are reminded to be thankful when we don’t have cancer, or we escape the serious car accident, or we don’t struggle financially in this economy. We can still be thankful when we do get that cancer diagnosis, or we are seriously injured in an accident, or we lose our job in this tough economy. Because as difficult as these hard times are, we know these times are driving us closer to God. God uses difficulties – like the fathers of the Israelites had known and like our own forefathers have known – to test us. This testing makes us stronger. It develops more trust. It builds our Christian character.

When we have a lot of success, that can actually be detrimental to our faith. That was the warning Moses gave. “You might say in your heart, ‘My ability and the power of my hand have earned this wealth for me.’ But then you are to remember that the Lord your God is the one who gives you the ability to produce wealth, to confirm his covenant that he promised to your fathers with an oath, as he does to this day” (Deuteronomy 8:17-18).

We often have two-way covenants with people – even our children. We say to our kids, “If you clean your room, we’ll go out for ice cream.” Your parental response is based on your kids’ good behavior. It’s a good thing that God’s covenant with his children is not a two-way covenant. Based on our poor behavior, we would never get any ice cream … or anything else.

So, God established a one-way covenant. His covenant is established through his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus signed the covenant contract with his holy blood shed on the cross. That covenant means God loves us and calls us his children no matter how poorly we behave. He desires to give us ice cream … and so much more. He has prepared a banquet table of foods better than anything you’ll have tomorrow.

This covenant means that though you may struggle and suffer, God is using it for your eternal benefit.

This covenant means that though you miss your Christian loved one who isn’t here to celebrate with family tomorrow, they are enjoying a better banquet feast in heaven.

This covenant means that through there may be times when it feels like we are oppressed by the devil … or living in the wilderness of this world … or thirsty, hungry, crabby, grumbling, cold, hot, dusting, and stinky … we are content. For one day soon, our Joshua – Jesus – will lead us into the Promised Land of heaven.

Another thing I’m sure your mom always reminded you was to say, “Thank you.” She would remind you, “Write a Thank You card. Do it now.”

Moses is reminding his children of Israel – and you children three thousand years later, “Don’t forget to say Thank You to the Lord. Do it now. Do it often.”

Gratitude is the fruit of the love we have for our Lord and our Lord has for us. The first thing we ought to be thankful for every day is that relationship of children and heavenly Father. If we say Thank You every day and perhaps throughout the day, then we will treat others well. We will be grateful for the people God has placed into our lives. People will notice and become grateful for us being in their lives.

We are grateful to our waitress or service worker for a job well done. We are grateful to our teachers for the way they are helping us educate our children. We are grateful to our government leaders – even those we disagree with a little … or even a lot – they are fulfilling the work of God’s civil servants.

Be more intentional in being grateful of who we are and what we have as children of God. Don’t forget. Amen.

Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever! Amen. (Philippians 4:20). Amen.

A King Who Doesn’t Meet Our Expectations by Pastor Klusmeyer

A King Who Doesn’t Meet Our Expectations

What do you picture when you hear the word “king?” Maybe you think of the coronation of the British monarch that took place in the recent past. You picture wealth, pomp, and majesty. Perhaps you think of someone sitting on a golden throne wearing an ermine cape and holding a gold scepter. Maybe you think of a mighty and valiant warrior clad in armor and valiantly leading his soldiers into battle. Your first thoughts are probably of power and glory, might and honor. Those are our expectations about what a king should be. But what do you picture when you think when you picture Christ as your king?

Jesus is a king who doesn’t always meet our expectations. On the one hand, we think of the power and glory of Jesus sitting at the right hand of God. We think of him coming again on the last day when every knee will bow, and every tongue confesses that Jesus is the Christ. Jesus as that kind of king meets our expectations. But what about the Jesus who was born in a manger; the Jesus who was crowned not with gold, but with thorns; the Jesus who continues to rule all things for his church, but still lets times of persecution, sorrow, and suffering afflict his people? This is a king who may cause us at times to question if he is really ruling all things for his church. This is a king who is a paradox. This is a king who doesn’t always meet our expectations.

Pontius Pilate found himself early on a Friday morning conversing with a king who didn’t meet his expectations. Sitting before him was a poor and wretched man who had been brought before him for judgment. He wasn’t rich or powerful. He had a band of followers, but they were few in number and not a mighty army. There was nothing glorious or majestic to Jesus’s appearance as he sat before the governor. So, Pilate questioned Jesus about his kingship and the answers Jesus gave only confused Pilate. Jesus was not doing any of the things that someone who claimed to be a king would do. He was not trying to seize power or liberate his people from the oppressive rule of Rome. He wasn’t ordering his followers to free him from the hands of Pilate. Instead, he sat meekly before the governor and tried to explain that his kingdom was not of this world. Pilate feared a king who would rouse the people against him. He knew what to do with that kind of king, but he didn’t know what to do with this king who didn’t meet his expectations.

Many of the Jews including the Jewish leaders didn’t know what to do with Jesus either because he didn’t meet their kingly expectations. Instead of being born in a palace, Jesus was born in a stable. Instead of amassing wealth and power, he lived a life of service and poverty. Instead of using his power to rule and conquer, he used it to heal. Instead of preaching a message of glory, he preached a message of selfless love. The people of Jesus’s day wanted a king who would restore their nation to the heights of glory that it knew under the rule of King Solomon and King David. Jesus did not meet their expectations because he did not come to establish an earthly kingdom, but a heavenly kingdom in the hearts of those who listened to his voice.

In the same way Jesus as our king today does not always meet our expectations. The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 2: It is as great as the working of his mighty strength, which God worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule, authority, power, and dominion, and above every name that is given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. God also placed all things under his feet and made him head over everything for the church. We know that Jesus is ruling over all things for the good of his church, but as we look at the world today, we can be tempted to wonder, “Where is our King?” It doesn’t seem like things are working out well for the church. Believers throughout history have faced times of persecution and suffering. In our own country, we are mocked and ridiculed for proclaiming the truths of God’s Word. We look at our own congregation, see the empty pews, and wonder, “Where is our king?”

During times of persecution and suffering when we are tempted to wonder if our King is still ruling all things for the good of his church, we remember that our suffering is for our good. Our suffering keeps us humble by reminding us that the kingdom of God is advanced according to his wisdom and not ours. We remember that success in the kingdom of God is not a reward for our efforts, but a gift of his grace. Suffering gives us patience and teaches us to rely on Christ alone. Paul reminds us of this in Romans 5 when he says, “Not only this, but we also rejoice confidently in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces patient endurance, and patient endurance produces tested character, and tested character produces

hope. And hope will not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who was given to us.”

We think this because our human expectations are not the same as God’s expectations. Our sinfulness clouds our vision and warps our thinking. We want the glory and power of our king now. Like the people of Jesus’s day, we want Jesus to come and smite our enemies. We want Jesus to smash the nations with an iron fist and bring justice for the suffering we have endured. We forget that the kingdom of Christ is not of this world. Jesus does not promise us glory in this world, but in the world to come. In this life, Jesus promises that his followers will be persecuted and suffer just as he did. Jesus says, “Remember the saying I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too. If they held on to my word, they will hold on to yours as well. But they will do all these things to you on account of my name because they do not know the one who sent me.”

In the same way, the suffering of Jesus does not meet our expectations. We expect that a righteous and holy God would punish sinners. We expect that we need to do something to earn God’s love and forgiveness. But God did something unexpected. He sent his one and only Son into this world to be a sacrifice for the sins of all people. Jesus tells Pilate that this is the whole reason he came into this world. Jesus came to live a perfect life in our place. He came to willingly suffer God’s wrath in our place and die on the cross to pay for our sins. This is the truth that Jesus wants Pilate to understand. All people are sinners. We can do nothing to save ourselves. We need a Savior to rescue us from our sins. The only way to be saved is to have faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God who came to free the world from sin.

When Jesus talks about his kingdom he means his rule in the hearts of those who listen to his voice. The kingdom of Jesus is not about wealth or power. It is not advanced by strength of arms. The kingdom of God grows by one person sharing the truth of Jesus with another. It seems so simple and easy. And yet we know how difficult it can be to talk to someone about our faith. Satan attacks us on many fronts. He uses the kingdoms of this world to openly oppose and attack the church of God. He uses our own fear and guilt to keep us from sharing our faith with another. But Satan cannot stop the spread of the Gospel. God promises that wherever his Word is preached there will be results and hearts will be changed. Just as the rain and the snow come down from the sky and do not return there unless they first water the earth, make it give birth, and cause it to sprout, so that it gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater, in the same way my word that goes out from my mouth will not return to me empty. Rather, it will accomplish whatever I please, and it will succeed in the purpose for which I sent it.

Jesus is truly a king who does not meet our expectations because he is far greater than any expectation we could ever have. By his life he has freed us from the requirements of the law by fulfilling them for us, by his death he has washed us clean of all our sins, and by his resurrection, he has given us the crown of eternal life. As we live in this world of sorrow, we will face times of persecution and suffering. We will be tested in our faith. But we cling to the certainty that Jesus has defeated all our enemies. Satan may rage against us, but he cannot defeat us. Christ has won for us the victory. We know that Jesus is ruling over all things for the good of his church in his wisdom. We seek to advance his kingdom through the spread of his powerful Word. And we look forward to that great and glorious day when our King will return with all his power and glory. We eagerly look to the skies and wait with expectant hearts for that day when we will be taken to the eternal kingdom of Christ our King.

Psalm 2:10-12 So now, you kings, do what is wise. Accept discipline, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, or he will be angry, and you will be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. How blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Snatch them out of the fire by Pastor Zarling

Snatch them out of the fire

Jude 20-25 But you, dear friends, continue to build yourselves up in your most holy faith as you keep praying in the Holy Spirit. 21Keep yourselves in God's love as you continue to wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, which results in eternal life. 22Show mercy to those who are wavering. 23Save others by snatching them out of the fire. Show mercy to still others with fear, hating even the clothing that is stained by the flesh. 24Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless in the presence of his glory with great joy, 25to the only God, our Savior, be glory, majesty, power, and authority through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all time, now, and to all eternity. Amen.

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless in the presence of his glory with great joy. Amen. (Jude 24)

Everyone was tired from the hunting trip. Paul was sleeping in the back seat. For some reason, he woke up at just that moment. He looked out the window and said, “Guys, that house back there is on fire.” They blew him off. “You were just sleeping. How could you see anything back there?”

“No, really!” Paul said. “That house is on fire. Turn around and check it out. If I’m wrong, I’ll buy each of you a beer at the bar.” They kept driving. Paul countered, “OK. If I’m wrong, I’ll buy all the beer for next year’s hunting trip.”

Suddenly, the car was doing a U-turn.

When they drove to the trailer home, it was on fire. The four guys got out of the car as they saw a man walk out of the house carrying two pots of water and dumping them on the flames. Paul asked the man, “Is there anyone else in the house?” The man just looked at them. They followed him into the home when he went back to fill up his pots. The guys saw three people sitting in the living room. The guys asked if there was anybody else in the home. The people didn’t reply. They just stared at each other.

Eventually, the four guys were able to get the four people out of the trailer home before it burned down. The four people were in shock. They didn’t know what to do. They didn’t know how to react. They didn’t even know how to save themselves.

By the way, this is a true story from one of our members. By the grace of God, these four guys were in the right place at the right time. They were able to snatch others out of the fire.

There is a reason why we do fire drills in our schools and workplaces. Some people may be in shock and not know how to react during a fire. We want to be well-trained and well-prepared to snatch others out of the fire. Perhaps out of the fire of a burning house to save their lives. But certainly, to snatch them out of the fires of hell to save their souls.

St. Jude is writing to followers of Jesus living in the Roman Empire. Like us who are Jesus’ followers today, these early Christians were living in a culture that was out of step with the holy life of Jesus. Some of those out-of-step behaviors Jude mentions earlier in his letter are things like rejecting authority, extreme sexual immorality, behaving like animals without reasoning, living according to the lusts of the flesh, grumbling, and speaking harsh words. First century Rome was very much like twenty-first century America.

If people continue to live according to their flesh and live without faith in Christ in their spirit, they will end up in the fires of hell. Jesus is calling us to be firefighters. St. Jude writes, “Save others by snatching them out of the fire” (Jude 23). Jude encourages us to snatch from the fire and save those who will spend eternity in hellish flames. We are to call others to repentance and

faith in Jesus. Jesus doesn’t want anyone to perish but all to come to faith in him as their Rescuer and Redeemer.

A firefighter trains and gets stronger. I don’t know any lazy, weak, overweight, or complacent firefighters. If Jesus wants us to be spiritual firefighters, we need to train and be spiritually fit. Jude writes, “But you, dear friends, continue to build yourselves up in your most holy faith as you keep praying in the Holy Spirit” (Jude 20).

In my pastor visits with the teens and parents, I ask everyone about what they do for daily Bible reading and devotions. They were honest and the majority said they don’t do much. I told them that Pastor Klusmeyer and I will create a Bible reading challenge for the new year. We know that our sanctified spirit should want to read God’s Word often. But we also know that our sinful nature will find any excuse to not read God’s Word at all. Personally, I need a challenge, something to encourage my sanctified spirit, and something to keep my sinful nature in check. Maybe you’re the same way.

It is also part of our rugged American individualism to think we can be Christians on our own. But remaining apart from the body of Christ is a recipe for failure. Christianity is about community. It is Christ being wherever two or more are gathered in his name. It is growing stronger together, encouraging one another, and challenging each other.

Jude writes, “Keep yourselves in God's love as you continue to wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, which results in eternal life. Show mercy to those who are wavering” (Jude 21-22). The way we build ourselves in the most holy faith and keep ourselves in God’s love as we wait for God’s mercy is reading God’s Word, praying about what we’ve read, remembering our Baptism daily, and receiving the Lord’s Supper often.

Jesus is building us up so we are prepared to snatch others out of the fire. But realize that there are temptations as we do this work of spiritual firefighters. We know our children have not baptized our grandchildren. We see our sister living with her boyfriend, our cousin living in a homosexual lifestyle, or our niece imagining she’s our nephew. We see our neighbor dislikes anyone who disagrees with her politics and our coworker who calls all Christians hypocrites. What do we do?

On one hand, we can become complacent in our calling, stay silent, and assume someone else will do the job.

On the other hand, we can become rude in how we interact with others without faith.

On another hand, we can soften God’s stance on sin so we have become accepting of our culture’s sins.

On still another hand, we can become arrogant because we’ve never been drawn to those temptations.

That’s a lot of hands! … But that’s a lot of sin inside of us.

Jude says that as we snatch them out of the fire, we also are to “show mercy to still others with fear, hating even the clothing that is stained by the flesh” (Jude 23). We hate their filthy spiritual clothing that’s stained by contact with their sinful flesh. We want to help them exchange their filthy, stained clothing for the saintly white robe of Christ’s righteousness.

We want to speak the truth in love. We want to hate their sin but have compassion on them as sinners. We want to speak up but speak gently and with mercy. These family members, friends, co-workers and others are trapped by the lusts of their sinful flesh. They believe the delusions of

the devil. They are in shock because their way of living is so out of step with Christ’s way to live. They are in denial of the reality of the hellish flames that are in their future.

These are people who are living without Christ. That means they don’t know how to speak with compassion to you. They don’t know how to show mercy to others. They don’t know how to express love to those around them. They are only doing what comes naturally.

Can you imagine their lives? Without Christ, they only know how to be aggressive, harsh, and bitter. Christ is calling you to do something unnatural – something spiritual. Christ is calling on you to forgive their aggressive behavior, their harsh words, and bitter feelings. He’s calling you to demonstrate love, mercy, and compassion to them.

Why? Because Christ has shown love, mercy, and compassion to you.

God saw how we were consumed by our shock, confusion, despair, and lusts. He knew we were destined for the eternal fires of hell. In mercy, God sent his Son from his heavenly throne to come to earth to be born and laid in a feeding trough. Christ showed his compassion without contaminating himself with our sin. He was never complacent about calling sinners to repentance. He was able to speak truthfully without being harsh or rude. He was never arrogant about his holiness.

Jesus went to the wooden cross and laid in the dark tomb. He died to pay for our complacency, rudeness, arrogance, and apprehension. He rose from the dead so we would not spend an eternity apart from him.

In his mercy, Jesus sent someone to tell you the true story about himself and the rescue he won for you. Now he is inviting you to do the same for others.

A beautiful example of this happened last Sunday here in church. Our WLS students came to the front to sing. One of the girls was crying really hard. Her classmate, not knowing what was wrong, just put her arm around her friend. That’s compassion.

Everyone learned later in the Prayer of the Church that the student had a very good reason to cry. We prayed for her family because she had family members who had died recently in a house fire. Her friend didn’t know that. She just knew that her classmate was hurting and needed love.

That’s a great example for us, isn’t it? There are a lot of people in our world, in our workplace, in family, who just need love. Give them a hug. Give them compassion. Give them the mercy that Jesus has given to you.

Imagine that my neighbor’s house is on fire. Because I’m old and don’t sleep, I notice it and go outside immediately. My other neighbors run into the cul de sac and looking at the burning house, they ask me, “Hey, did you wake up the neighbors?!” I reply, “No. I didn’t want to be rude.”

That’s silly! But how often aren’t we called rude and uncaring and unloving because we want to wake people up from their spiritual slumber, so they don’t burn in hell? Ignore those people who call you rude. Listen to St. Jude. Show mercy. Demonstrate compassion. This is a true story. By the grace of God, you are in the right place at the right time. Save others by snatching them out of the fire. Amen.

Now to the only God, our Savior, be glory, majesty, power, and authority through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all time, now, and to all eternity. Amen. (Jude 25)

Live Without Fear by Pastor Klusmeyer

Live Without Fear

You are filled with fear as the men carry away the two charred bodies from the Tabernacle. What does this mean? How could God strike down two of his own priests? You listen attentively as Moses explains to you that the two sons of Aaron were struck down because they disobeyed the Lord’s command. You are filled with fear because you have seen the power of God firsthand. You trembled as the angel of the Lord passed over your house on the night of the Passover, you watched in awe as God brought the waters of the sea crashing down on the armies of pharaoh, and you were filled with terror as you saw the holiness of God revealed at Mt. Sinai. Moses has told you that God has given you the priests to intercede with God on your behalf. Yet you ask yourself, “If God’s own anointed priests weren’t worthy to stand before God, how can I ever be worthy enough?”

This same kind of fear and doubt can fill us as we think about Judgment Day. Think of the artwork, movies, and books that talk about Judgment Day. Most of them give us the impression that this is a great and terrible day that should fill us with dread and fear. It is a terrible thing to stand before the throne of an angry God. On the one hand, this makes sense. We understand that death is the ultimate consequence of sin. We know that when we die we will stand before the throne of God and be judged just as Jesus tells us in our Gospel this morning, “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come out. Those who have done good will rise to live, but those who have practiced evil will rise to be condemned.”

When we die or when the Lord comes again on the Last Day is the end of our time of grace. There are no more second chances. We will be called to account for the evil that we have done. Look at the faces of those who stand at the left hand of the throne of Christ. That thought should fill us with dread. We know that we are by nature sinners. We know that we daily sin against God in our thoughts, words, and actions. We have not loved God with all our hearts, all our souls, and all our minds. We have not loved our neighbor as ourselves. Our sins are like a massive credit card debt. They feel good when we initially run up that debt, but later that debt comes due. We owe God a massive debt that we can never repay. There is no way that we could ever do enough good in our lives to make up for the evil we have done.

When we focus on our sin and think of how unworthy we are we wonder how we can ever be saved. We look at Jesus sitting on his throne and we only see an angry judge who is waiting to pronounce his sentence against us. This is exactly where Satan wants us. He wants us to be focused on ourselves. He wants us to live in fear of an angry God and doubt the love and mercy of our Father in heaven. But God does not want us to be afraid. God wants us to live without fear confident that our sins have been washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ.

God did not want the Israelites to be afraid either. He wanted them to approach him with confidence. But the truth remains that on our own we are not worthy to stand in his presence. Sin must be atoned for. In Leviticus 16 God gives Moses instructions for how the high priest of Israel needed to make atonement each year for his sins and the sins of the people. It was only on this day that the high priest was supposed to enter the holy of holies and stand in the presence of the ark of the covenant. To do this the priest needed to sacrifice a bull for his own sin and sprinkle its blood before the Lord. He then needed to bring two goats and present them as offerings before the Lord. One goat was slaughtered as a sin offering and its blood was sprinkled before the Lord. The priest would then place his hands on the head of the second goat and confess the sin and rebellion of the people. This goat was then led into the wilderness bearing away the sins of the people. The priest did this each year so that on the most holy day, the most holy person (the high priest) performed the most holy rite in the most holy place with the most holy blood of the most holy animals so sinful Israel could have safe access to their God.

The writer of Hebrews wants us to have this picture of the Great Day of Atonement in our minds as we think about the death of Christ. The children of Israel lived without fear because they knew the priest was making atonement for them. The high priest had to offer these sacrifices again and again because he was just a man. The blood of bulls and goats could not pay for sins. The sacrifices of the Old Testament were pointing forward to a far greater sacrifice that would make full and complete payment for the sins of the whole world once and for all. This is why the writer of Hebrews says Jesus appeared once and for all, at the climax of the ages in order to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Everything in the Old Testament pointed forward

to Christ. He is the fulfillment of all of God’s promises. And we who live after his death and resurrection enjoy the salvation that he won for us on the cross by his sacrifice.

In Jesus Christ, we have a great high priest who offered himself as a perfect sacrifice to pay for the sins of the whole world. Because Jesus Christ was both true God and true man, he was able to do something that none of the high priests of the Old Testament were able to do. Jesus was able to offer a perfect sacrifice to God. Only Jesus as true God and true man was able to live a perfect life free from sin. Only he was able to offer himself as a perfect Lamb without blemish or defect. His blood was the holy blood of God and by his death, he was able to make atonement for the sins of the whole world. By faith in him, we have been washed clean by his holy blood. We have been made pure and holy in the eyes of God.

As our Great High Priest, Jesus continues to intercede for us before the throne of God. This is why we can live without fear. We know that through the death of Jesus, the debt of our sins has been paid. That massive amount of credit card debt has been wiped away as if it had never existed. We don’t fear death because we know that by his resurrection Christ has destroyed the power of death and given us the certainty of eternal life. We don’t live in fear of Judgment Day because we know that we have already been declared not guilty by the blood of Christ and no one can bring any accusation against us as Paul says in Romans 8, “Who will bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies! Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus, who died and, more than that, was raised to life, is the one who is at God’s right hand and who is also interceding for us!”

For Christians Judgment Day is not a day of fear and dread, but a day of rejoicing! Just as the high priest purified the tabernacle with blood, we too have been purified with the blood of Christ. We receive that blessed forgiveness again and again as we eat and drink his body and blood in the Lord’s Supper. We have been clothed in the white robe of his righteousness. On that great and glorious day, we will stand at his right hand and receive the crown of eternal life. Dear Christian live without fear because all your sins have been removed. Satan loves to torment us with the guilt of our sins. Just as the goat carried away the sins of the people our sins have been placed on Christ and he has carried them away as far as the East is from the West.

Dear friends live without fear! Live without guilt or shame! Our Great High Priest has made full and complete payment for all our sins. Nothing more needs to be done. On the cross, Christ cried out that his work was finished. He paid our debt in full. He received the punishment that we deserve. As the writer to the Hebrews says, “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” We can approach the day of our death free of fear because Christ has defeated the power of the grave. We can look forward to Judgment Day in joyful anticipation. And so, we pray, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus! Come! Amen!”

Hope at the cemetery by Pastor Zarling

Hope at the cemetery

John 11:32-44 When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and troubled. 34He asked, “Where have you laid him?” They told him, “Lord, come and see.” 35Jesus wept.

36Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” 38Jesus was deeply moved again as he came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39“Take away the stone,” he said. Martha, the dead man's sister, told him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, because it has been four days.” 40Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” 41So they took away the stone.

Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” 43After he said this, he shouted with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44The man who had died came out with his feet and his hands bound with strips of linen and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus told them, “Loose him and let him go.”

He has swallowed up death forever! The Lord God will wipe away the tears from every face (Isaiah 25:8). Amen.

They were very good friends. Jesus liked to hang out with Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha. Since Jesus didn’t have a place of his own (Matthew 8:20), he liked to stay with friends. The home of Lazarus and his two sisters was in Bethany. It was a small suburb only two miles outside of Jerusalem. So, instead of spending money on a motel when he visited Jerusalem to preach and teach, Jesus liked to stay at the home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. It was kind of alike a bed and breakfast … but better.

Lazarus and Mary liked to tease Martha about the time Jesus had gently scolded her the last time he visited them. Jesus taught them that since he was the one thing needful – more needed than food and drink.

Some time has passed. Jesus has not seen his friends for a while. The last time Jesus was in Jerusalem, his Jewish opponents became so irate with Jesus they attempted to stone him (John 10:22-39). So, Jesus left the area and went across the Jordan River to where John had been baptizing. Jesus stayed away from the city. The city and country people came out to him.

That’s when Jesus receives word that his good friend Lazarus was sick (John 11:3). But then Jesus does something odd. He stays put for two days. He finally told his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea” (John 11:7). But his disciples are concerned that Jesus’ enemies haven’t gotten over their animosity. They are probably carrying a stone in their pocket just case Jesus shows up again (John 11:8).

Jesus has made up his mind. He’s going to Bethany. He tells them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up” (John 11:11). The disciples naturally conclude that if he’s fallen asleep than he’ll get better (John 11:12). They didn’t understand that Jesus was equating sleep with death. That’s because they thought of death as final. The Son of God views death as nothing more than sleep.

When Jesus gets to Bethany, Martha runs out to meet him on the road. She says, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21). There is no anger in her voice. No bitterness. With a calm confidence born from faith, she states a fact. If Jesus would have come to visit his friend, he could have healed Lazarus from his illness.

Martha continues, “But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you” (John 11:22). Martha’s words again verbalize her faith. She doesn’t know exactly what Jesus has planned, but when the Son of God shows up at your house, you trust something miraculous and marvelous can happen.

Jesus gives her a glimpse of what is going to happen when he says, “Your brother will rise again” (John 11:23). Jesus is giving Martha a glimpse into the grave. Martha again verbalizes her faith in Jesus, “I know that he will rise in the resurrection on the Last Day” (John 11:24). She is rightly thinking of the resurrection of the dead from all cemeteries on the Last Day.

Jesus is talking about the resurrection of the dead from the Bethany cemetery on that day! Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even if he dies. And whoever lives and believes in me will never perish” (John 11:25-26).

Mary then comes to Jesus. She says the same thing as her sister, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:32). There is still no blame in her tone. But there is more hurt. She had really hoped that Jesus would come in time to heal his good friend. When Jesus sees her weeping, he starts weeping, too (John 11:35).

The Son of God is not some stoic divinity without emotions. He is both a God of compassion and a human with emotions. There is no tougher or stronger Man than Jesus … and yet he cries in the cemetery of his dear friend, Lazarus. Jesus sees the effects that sin and death have brought upon his beloved creation. He feels the effects of sorrow on these two sisters at the loss of their brother. He feels the effects of sadness at the death of his good friend.

Mary and Martha take Jesus to the tomb in the Bethany cemetery. The tomb is a cave with a stone rolled in front of it. Jesus declares, “Take away the stone.” Martha objects, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, because it has been four days.” Jesus replies, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone (John 11:39-41).

After Jesus offers a prayer to his heavenly Father, he shouts in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out” (John 11:43)! Lazarus has no choice. The dead man comes out.

The crowd is amazed. They’ve seen Jesus heal lots of people. They’ve heard two stories about a little girl and a young man that Jesus raised from the dead. But this is pretty miraculous! Marvelous! The sisters run to hug their once-dead, but now very-alive brother. Their tears of sadness have turned to tears of joy.

Jesus waits his turn. Then he hugs his good friend. Now it’s Jesus’ turn to tease Lazarus. He reminds him, “You’ve been dead for four days. You stink! You need a bath!” Their tears of sorrow have turned to tears of laughter. There is hope in the Bethany cemetery.

All of us face death. It can be the death of a child, or a spouse, or a parent, or a friend. We will eventually all have to face our own death.

We can figure that since Jesus is our Friend, he should be able to heal us. Cure our kid’s cancer. Improve our dad’s dementia. Heal our spouse’s heart issues. Treat grandma’s stroke symptoms.

If Jesus comes here, our loved ones won’t get sick and die. Except when we try to pray Mary and Marth’s words, they are often spoken with hurt and anger, bitterness and blame.

Death exists in God’s once immortal human race as a punishment for human evil and rebellion. It is not nice or natural. What was once spoken as a curse on Adam and Eve; what has been spoken over countless cemetery committals; will also be stated as a matter of fact upon your

death. “For dust you are and dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19). Death is the clearest expression of God’s hatred over our sins.

We often try to blame God when someone dies. But it is death who is the enemy. Death takes our loved ones away from us and leaves us a hole. And whether it happens suddenly or slowly, to a grandparent, spouse, sibling or child, it really doesn’t matter, does it? The pain is great. The brokenness is absolute. The hurting is unbearable.

What God has joined together, death has torn asunder.

We’re not much help for those grieving. We leave them alone, so they grieve too long. Or we can force them to get over their grief too quickly. We say things like “I’m sorry” because we don’t know what else to say. Or “Call me if you need anything” knowing they won’t call. We bring over a casserole and hope that will be enough.

Only God stands tall and bright in the dark valley of death. God was there when death intruded upon his perfect creation. Immediately after the fall into sin – as funerals and cemeteries would soon be filling the world with prolonged sadness – God brought immediate hope with the promise of the Savior and Serpent-crusher (Genesis 3:15). In the Bethany cemetery, Jesus wipes away tears as he stands near the tomb of his dear friend, Lazarus, and speaks. And Jesus wipes away tears upon the hill of death as he tells the repentant thief, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

Though we don’t understand God’s divine will for our lives, we trust that when he allows illness, suffering, and even death, it is for our eternal benefit. It’s according to his overall plan. It’s part of his divine will for his good friends. We don’t know exactly what God has planned, but when the Son of God shows up in our lives, we trust that something miraculous and marvelous can happen.

Jesus is our Friend. He’s a Friend who is a Man of Sorrows and familiar with our pain (Isaiah 53:3). The only reason he would put himself through pain, suffering, punishment, and death … is you. He endured all this to sin you a home in heaven. Now he allows you to undergo pain, suffering, persecution, and death so you can enjoy your home in heaven with him.

God promises that through Jesus, “He has swallowed up death forever! The Lord God will wipe away the tears from every face (Isaiah 25:8). He promises that you and your Christian loved ones are sinners now, but one day – through faith in your crucified and risen Savior – you will be made saints. You will be given a white robe to wear. A palm branch to hold. A golden crown for your head. One day you will sit on a throne in glory and judgment.

Jesus lets suffering, illness, persecution, and death happen. What kind of Friend is that?! The kind of Friend who loves us so much he promises an end to suffering, eternal healing of all our illnesses, justice for our persecution, and life after death. Only a Friend like Jesus turns death into a sleep – a sleep that he will awaken us from on the Last Day. That’s an awesome Friend!

A Friend who turns tears of sadness into tears of joy. Who can even turn sorrow into laughter.

A Friend who says to death on that Last Day, “Loose him. Loose her. Let them go.”

That is what gives us hope in the hospital, in the hospice home, in the funeral home, and at the cemetery. Amen.

On that day it will be said, “Look, here is our God! We waited for him, and he saved us! This is the Lord! We waited for him. Let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation!” (Isaiah 25:9). Amen.

I will mobilize everything against them by Pastor Zarling

I will mobilize everything against them

Daniel 3:16-28 Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “We have no need to answer you about this matter. 17Since our God, whom we serve, does exist, he is able to save us from the blazing fiery furnace. So, he may save us from your hand, Your Majesty. 18But if he does not, you should know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods, and we will not worship the golden statue that you set up.”

19Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and the expression on his face changed against Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego. He said to heat the furnace seven times hotter than it was usually heated. 20He ordered some men, who were soldiers from his army, to bind Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego in order to throw them into the blazing fiery furnace. 21So these men were bound in their coats, their pants, their turbans, and their other clothing, and they were thrown into the middle of the blazing fiery furnace. 22Because the king's order was urgent and the furnace was extremely hot, those men who carried Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego were killed by the intense heat of the fire. 23But these three men, Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego, who had been tied up, fell into the blazing fiery furnace.

24Then King Nebuchadnezzar was startled and immediately stood up. He said to his advisors, “Didn't we throw three men, who had been tied up, into the middle of the fire?” They answered the king, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” 25He said, “Look! I see four men, who are untied and walking around in the middle of the fire, unharmed. What is more, the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” 26Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the blazing fiery furnace. He said, “Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out!” Then Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego came out from the middle of the furnace. 27The satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the royal advisors gathered together and looked at these men. The fire had no power over their bodies. Not a hair on their head was singed, their robes were not damaged, and the smell of fire had not stuck to them. 28Nebuchadnezzar said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego, who sent his angel and saved his servants, who trusted in God and ignored the king's command. They gave up their bodies and did not pay homage or worship any god except their God.”

Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Amen. (Revelation 14:17)

“Do you recant?”

That was the question posed to Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms. The diet was an imperial assembly at the city of Worms, Germany. The diet (or meeting) was convened by Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor.

Luther was asked to retract or stand by his books, pamphlets, and other writings. Luther stood up before the king, court, and council and concluded with these now famous words: “Since your most serene majesty and your highnesses require of me a simple, clear, and direct answer, I will give one, and it is this: I cannot submit my faith either to the pope or to the council, because it is clear that they have fallen into error and even into inconsistency with themselves. If, then, I am not convinced by proof from Holy Scripture, or by cogent reasons, if I am not satisfied by the very text I have cited, and if my judgment is not in this way brought into subjection to God's word, I neither can nor will retract anything; for it cannot be either safe or honest for a Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.”

You may have heard Luther’s words before. Perhaps you haven’t heard the emperor’s words in response: “A single friar who goes counter to all Christianity for a thousand years must be wrong. I have decided to mobilize everything against Luther: my kingdoms and dominions, my friends, my body, my blood, and my soul.”

“Will you bow down and worship the statue I made” (Daniel 3:15)?

That was the question posed to Shadrach, Meshak, and Abednego by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. The king had built a 90-foot golden statue and demanded that everyone bow down and worship it. Shadrach, Meshak, and Abednego stood out by standing up in the crowd. King Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage. He demanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than normal. Shadrach, Meshak, and Abednego were thrown into the blazing fiery furnace (Daniel 3:19-20). It was as if the Babylonian king was mobilizing everything against these three men.

“See how many charges your people are bringing against you. Aren’t you going to answer anything” (Mark 15:4)?

That was the question posed to Jesus by the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Jesus remained silent before the Jewish religious leaders. He wouldn’t answer Pilate’s questions. He wouldn’t perform miracles before King Herod.

Pilate sent Jesus over to Herod. Pilate and Herod hated each other, but they cooperated in Jesus’ trial. The Pharisees and Sadducees were bitter enemies, but they agreed on one thing – Jesus had to die. All the religious and political leaders were mobilizing everything against Jesus.

King David prophecies in his Messianic psalm: “The kings of the earth take a stand, and the rulers join together against the Lord and against his Anointed One” (Psalm 2:2). I mighty humbly add “the kings of the earth join together against the Lord and against his Anointed One … and against the Lord’s anointed ones.” That’s you and me who have been anointed by the Spirit’s baptismal waters. The one thing that the governments of the world can agree on is their hatred of Christ and Christ’s followers.

“Why are you so unloving?”

This is the question posed to you anytime you speak the truth into our culture. It can be the truth about marriage, sexuality, the unborn, the elderly, and so on. However and wherever you preach God’s truth, you will be labeled as unloving. Your social media account may be canceled, your business badgered, and your freedoms removed. The old evil foe of the devil, the world and its culture, the kings and governments of the world will mobilize everything against you.

The three men in Babylon, Luther in Worms, and Jesus in Jerusalem were all bold witnesses in the face of persecution. What about you? What do you do? How do you respond in the face of these enemies of the gospel mobilizing everything against you?

Let’s be honest. We often retreat from our boldness. We do not fight the good fight. We run away from God’s mighty fortress. Before the devil can mute us, we mute ourselves. We soften the hard edges of God’s Word to make it more palatable to sinners. We acquiesce to the culture. We imagine that if we remain quiet the world will ignore us. We pretend that if we keep our head down and our mouth shut, things will eventually get better on their own.

Admit it. We’re afraid. We’re afraid to be singled out. Afraid to be excluded. Afraid to be called names. Afraid we’ll have to find new friends. Afraid we’ll feel uncomfortable at family gatherings. Afraid we won’t be liked.

But if the Church wants to be liked … we have already lost! Jesus promises, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated me first” (John 15:18).

Satan hates you. The world hates you. Our culture hates you. The government hates you. Scripture makes that clear. And there’s nothing you can do to change it. So just accept it.

So, admit your fear. Acknowledge your meekness. Repent of your quietness. Confess your muteness.

Look to Jesus. He had a quiet strength to compensate for your weakness. He was bold before Pilate to cover your meekness. He remained purposefully quiet before the Jewish religious leaders to make amends for your timid quietness. He resisted the command to perform like a circus clown for King Herod’s amusement for the times we don’t resist the ridiculous decrees of our government.

Jesus also went to the cross to pay for your fear, meekness, weakness, quietness, and muteness. Everything Jesus did during his ministry, dying on the cross, rising from the grave, ascending into heaven, and now ruling all things at God’s right hand was for you. This should give you boldness, strength, and courage for your witness.

This gave Luther boldness. He didn’t know how his bold speech for God’s Word would turn out. Still, many years after the Diet of Worms, Luther told a friend about his appearance before the emperor, "I was fearless, I was afraid of nothing; God can make one so desperately bold.”

This gave the three men boldness. They didn’t know how their bold stance for the true God would turn out. But they boldly confessed, “Since our God, whom we serve, does exist, he is able to save us from the blazing fiery furnace. So, he may save us from your hand, Your Majesty. But if he does not, you should know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods, and we will not worship the golden statue that you set up” (Daniel 3:17, 18).

Jesus did know how it would turn out. He boldly and purposefully went to the cross. He allowed Satan to conspire with the Jews and Romans to put him to death. In this way, the Victim became the Victor. The One cursed to be crucified brought blessing upon humanity. The One who appeared as a criminal was crowned the King of kings. Christ’s death meant Satan’s defeat.

We don’t know how everything will turn out in this lifetime when the world, the culture, and the government mobilize everything against us. But that shouldn’t make us afraid. Because of Jesus we know how everything will turn out in the next life.

So be bold. Be courageous. Stand out by standing up and speaking up.

So now, what are you going to do? In your boldness, you stand outside the abortion clinic and pray. You go to the school board meeting to speak out on their woke policies. You refuse to go along with your company’s DEI initiatives. You and your spouse protest the sexually graphic children’s books introduced into your library. You stand with your daughters when they decline to play sports with a boy in girl’s clothing on the opposing team. You promote your local, state, and presidential candidates because you know that politics is nothing more than the application of God’s spiritual kingdom truths into God’s earthly kingdom activities.

Whew! You’re busy!

Besides, if we don't do it, we leave it to our kids and grandkids to do it.

Satan, the world, the culture, and the government will mobilize everything against you!

So what? What can they do to you?

They can take away your stuff. So what? All your stuff will eventually be burned up on the Last Day anyhow. All you need is the “everlasting gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth, to every nation, tribe, language, and people” (Revelation 14:6).

They can remove your freedoms. So what? You have already been set free from sin, death, and hell. All your other freedoms are skibidi. (If you don’t know what that means, ask a teenager.)

They can take away your food … or your house … or your family. So what? Jesus has promised you a seat at his eternal wedding feast. He has promised you a mansion in heaven. He has promised that you will see your Christian loved ones around God’s heavenly throne.

They can take away your life. So what? Then you get to live with Jesus. Christ died and rose from death for you. He now lives eternally. So, when you die, you can rise to live with him eternally.

This means those who hate you can mobilize whatever they want against you. They can’t do anything to you. Not really. They can’t make you recant. They can’t make you bow down and worship. They can’t make you speak or perform. They can’t make you afraid by calling you names or threatening your business or removing your freedoms. They can’t do anything to you. God has made sure of that.

So, be bold! Be courageous! Fight the good fight! Put on the gospel armor. Remain close to God’s mighty fortress. Speak the one little word of the name of Jesus to make Satan shudder and the demons cower. Be a powerful witness to the truth before kings, courts, and councils. The Holy Spirit will give you the right words at the right time.

Speak like Luther. Stand like Shadrach, Meshak, and Abednego. Live and die for Jesus who lived and died and rose for you. Amen.

Worship him who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and the springs of water. (Revelation 14:17) Amen.

“What do you want me to do for you?” by Pastor Zarling

“What do you want me to do for you?”

Mark 10:32-45 They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was leading them. The disciples were amazed, and the others who followed were afraid. He took the Twelve aside again and began to tell them what was going to happen to him. 33“Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the experts in the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles. 34They will mock him, spit on him, flog him, and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.”

35James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached him and said, “Teacher, we wish that you would do for us whatever we ask.” 36He said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37They said to him, “Promise that we may sit, one at your right and one at your left, in your glory.” 38But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink or be baptized with the baptism that I am going to be baptized with?” 39“We can,” they replied.

Jesus told them, “You will drink the cup that I am going to drink and be baptized with the baptism that I am going to be baptized with. 40But to sit at my right or at my left is not for me to give; rather, these places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.” 41When the ten heard this, they were angry with James and John. 42Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43But that is not the way it is to be among you. Instead, whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant, 44and whoever wants to be first among you will be a slave of all. 45For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord (1 Timothy 1:2). Amen.

The family looked at about 50 houses before they found the right one for their family. It was perfect. … A perfect dump.

The garage door couldn’t open. Every room in the house needed to be gutted. Because the house was in foreclosure, the previous owner took everything he could. He removed the doorknobs, the hardwood flooring in the dining room, the air conditioning unit, and the panel fencing in the yard. He even used a chainsaw to cut down and removed the previously permanent gazebo.

That house is our house. A decade ago, many of you came over and helped us fix up our house. You looked around and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”

That was awesome! That was much appreciated! That is Christian love and service!

Instead of you asking the pastor or his wife, “What do you want me to do for you,” imagine that it is the Lord Jesus asking you, “What do you want me to do for you?”

In back-to-back episodes in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus asks this question. And he gets two very different responses. Jesus had just told his disciples for the third time about his Passion – how he is going to have to suffer at the hands of Gentile Roman soldiers and Jewish religious leaders. James and John respond by saying to Jesus, “Teacher, we wish that you would do for us whatever we ask” (Mark 10:35).

A few verses later, we hear blind Bartimaeus calling out to Jesus, “Son of David, have mercy on me” (Mark 10:47)!

Jesus answers all three men with the same question, “What do you want me to do for you” (Mark 10:36)?

First, on the way to Jerusalem, the so-called Sons of Thunder – James and John – tell Jesus they want something from him. He responds, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Promise that we may sit, one at your right and one at your left, in your glory” (Mark 10:37). They want seats of honor on Jesus’ left and right. They desire key positions in the new earthly administration when Jesus takes up residence in Jerusalem reigning from David’s throne.

And why not? They were among the first of the disciples, after all. They left their father’s fishing business and followed Jesus for three years. They deserved this. They earned it. They are in the inner circle of three disciples of James, John, and Peter. They go with Jesus on special assignments like the raising of Jairus’ daughter and the Mount of Transfiguration. So, James and John put in their claim for the top spots … before Peter can open his big mouth.

Our Lord says in essence that he can’t grant this request for those places are reserved “for those for whom they have been prepared” (Mark 10:40). Jesus is teaching that these places of honor are given by grace, not earned by merit or work.

Later, on their way to Jericho, Jesus encounters the blind beggar Bartimaeus. He cries out to Jesus to have mercy on him. Our Lord stops as Bartimaeus is brought to him. Jesus asks him, “What do you want me to do for you” (Mark 10:51)? The blind man asks to see again. Our Lord replies, “Go. Your faith has made you well.” Immediately he received his sight and began following Jesus on the road (Mark 10:52).

Jesus asks the same question of the two groups of men. One desire is granted. The other is not.

If Jesus was asking you, “What do you want me to do for you” what would be your response? This is a very real question. Every day God puts this question before us. We don’t hear his voice, but the question is there. How do you respond with your answers, your prayers, and how you live your life?

Be aware that your sinful nature is alive and well. It will always look out for number one. It believes the world revolves around you. It believes the world is here to serve you. It even believes that God is here to serve you.

You want peace, prosperity, and plenty. You want glory, grandeur, and greatness. You want health, healing, and a home.

Now, you’re not like James and John asking to be enthroned on Jesus’ left and right. But you would at least like a seat at the head table.

You give God your time, your worship, your prayers, your offerings. You expect him to give you health, money, success, and ease. You expect him to remove pain, suffering, poverty, and death.

Notice what we have done. We expect the Lord to serve us … instead of us serving our Lord.

So, what made the request of Bartimaeus different than the request of James and John?

The brothers in their fullness wanted more. The blind man in his emptiness sought mercy.

The brothers wanted independence. Bartimaeus admitted to his dependence.

The brothers want to follow Jesus to get something from him. Bartimaeus begins following Jesus because he has already received something from him.

It’s good to come to God asking for healing, to ask for success in your business, to ask for leadership skills at home, at work, at school, and at church. It’s good and right to desire to do more, be better, be healthier. It’s wrong when we feel we’re owed these things. When they are

our reward for faithful service. When we feel we deserve an easier life, fewer hospital visits, less hassles, and more income – all because we’re Jesus’ disciples.

Jesus told the brothers that they didn’t know what they were asking for. The ones who were on Jesus’ left and right when he came into glory in Jerusalem were not James and John. Nor were they Andrew and Peter. But two nameless thieves crucified on Jesus’ left and right.

Jesus challenges the brothers. “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink or be baptized with the baptism that I am going to be baptized with” (Mark 10:38).

“We can,” they said, having no idea what they were saying or what Jesus was talking about (Mark 10:39). Jesus’ cup and his baptism are his death, where he drinks the poisoned cup of sin and death – the cup of God’s wrath poured out against sinful humanity. It is where Jesus is baptized into death for us, washed with our sin, drowned in the flood of God’s wrath. His death on a cross is a cup and a baptism - his alone to drink and be baptized with.

“You will drink the cup that I am going to drink and be baptized with the baptism that I am going to be baptized with” (Mark 10:39). Jesus’ disciples will have a share in Christ’s suffering and death. He drinks the cup of wrath so that they - and you - may drink Christ’s cup of forgiveness. He drinks the accursed cup on the cross of death so that you might drink the cup of blessing at the Sacrament that offers life. With the cup and the bread of his Supper, Jesus gives you a share in his death and life, in his suffering and sacrifice. And in his glory.

So also, with baptism. Jesus is baptized into our death so that we might be baptized into his death. His baptism puts him on a cross where he dies for our sins. Your Baptism joins you with Jesus into his death and life so that you may live in him now by faith and in the age to come by the resurrection of the dead.

Jesus comes as a suffering Servant to serve. Jesus left the glories of heaven to be born in humility and laid in a manger. He endured hellish temptations by looking the devil in the eye for forty days in the desert. He was betrayed by Judas to the Jewish chief priests. He was flogged and crucified by the Gentile Roman soldiers. He was mocked, spat on, and killed. On the third day he rose again (Mark 10:33-34). This is how Jesus fulfilled these words: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Jesus served and saved us for all our sins of failing to serve him and those around us.

You – Jesus’ followers, his baptized believers – you share Jesus’ cup as you lay down your life for Jesus and those whom Jesus loves. Greatness in Christ’s kingdom is not about power, but about sacrifice. “Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you will be a slave of all” (Mark 10:44). That’s how the kingdom of God looks in this world. Humble, self-giving servants of the Servant of all.

The way of this world is to struggle for glory and power, and when you get it, to use it for your own advantage. But that’s not the way it is in Christ’s kingdom. The way of greatness in God’s kingdom is the path of service. To serve others in love.

Perhaps you can ask Jesus, “What do you want me to do for you?” Here are some ideas.

Are you a parent? Serve Jesus and your children by being a selfless servant in your home. Serve your spouse and children with loving acts of service, even though they don’t always deserve it.

Are you a student? Serve Jesus and your teachers with attention and respect, even if they are boring at times.

Are you an employer? Serve Jesus and your employees with a deserving wage and a listening ear.

Are you an employee? Serve Jesus and your employer with honest, faithful work and respect for your boss.

Are you a member of Water of Life or have children at WLS and Shoreland? Serve Jesus and your pastors and teachers by thanking God for those whom he has called to serve you with Word and Sacraments.

And so it goes. Servanthood equals greatness in God’s kingdom.

Serving Jesus and serving in Jesus’ name often means suffering for Jesus’ sake. We want to follow Jesus by carrying our cross. We want to be counted worthy of suffering in Jesus’ name. We want to be placed before kings and authorities to give our testimony before they throw us in prison for our Christianity.

Every morning the Lord asks you, “What do you want me to do for you?” We may not have the opportunity to help the pastor fix his dumpy house. We may simply want to be healthy again. Or the economy to be better. Or less tension in our culture. These are good and godly things to give in your answers. But in addition to those petitions, let your answers also include this:

“Make me like you Jesus. You served me. Make me your servant.”

“Make me like St. Paul. Make me weak so I may serve the weak.”

“Make me like the apostles – even James and John later in their ministry. Make me a humble example of perseverance during persecution.”

“Make me like blind Bartimaeus. Make me a grateful beggar for your mercy.” Amen.

No matter what your vocation in life, remember it’s all about service. “For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Amen.