Truth for the "Self-Sufficient"

[This is a presentation shared last evening, during a dinner following a charity golf tournament supporting Whole Truth Ministries. Whole Truth is a Christian ministry that helps the addicted community to transition successfully to healthy, productive lives. If you would like more information on Whole Truth or to donate, here is a link to the ministry's website.]

Months ago, when Jim Lopez conveyed the invitation to me to speak here tonight, I was honored to be asked and because I so believe in the work of Whole Truth, I immediately said, “Yes!” 

When, a few days ago, Jim reminded me that last year’s speaker was Anthony Muñoz, I wondered whether I hadn’t made a big mistake. 

But if you’re willing to scale down your expectations to about a guy at 5’8” and 150 pounds, with no past or present athletic ability, I want to spend a few minutes sharing my heart with you about Whole Truth Ministries.

Now Jim, who is a member of the congregation I serve as pastor, Living Water Lutheran Church, was the first one to tell me about Whole Truth. Once a month, Jim takes a spread he prepares for women and men served by this ministry. Several years ago, he asked if I would be willing to tag along with him and provide a Bible study.

I need to make a confession. When I agreed to do the Bible study, I had two reactions.

The first was wondering whether the men and women in recovery to whom Whole Truth ministers would be interested in what I had to say. Over the past thirty-nine years, I’ve gotten asked to do lots of presentations to groups. Usually, Bible study for these groups has been nothing more than a box to be checked.

My second reaction, the one of which I’m most ashamed, was thinking that in doing a Bible study, I would be the one giving and the folks sitting around those tables at dinner would be the ones receiving. What a lot of egotistical rot!

Never have I been around a group of people who, almost universally, were so hungry for the Word of God, so hungry for Jesus, “the living bread who comes down from heaven” and the “living water…” that becomes a “spring…welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14) In their desire for Jesus and the new and everlasting life that only Jesus can give, the recovering folks I’ve met and interacted with at Whole Truth have given me far more than I have ever given them.

Above all, they’ve given me an important reminder. Jesus once told His disciples–and you and me, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; [and then He said] apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing. Do you believe that?

You know what I think? 

I think that when our lives are going reasonably well, when things are OK at work, when our families are healthy, when we’ve got a comfortable home and get to take nice vacations, it’s easy for us to think that we can handle life without Jesus. Jesus, at most, becomes an add-on accessorizing our lives. We’re sure that through our brain, brawn, willpower, and stick-to-it-iveness, we’ll be OK. We even think that our charitable works–even these good things we do, speak to our self-sufficiency, our personal agency. 

We think this even though God’s Word tells us, “... it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:8-10) 

The truth is that even your being here tonight, raising money for Whole Truth Ministries, is a good work that God already created for you beforehand. You’re only walking in it here this evening. (I don’t know whether he wanted you to walk into your double bogey or not. That’s another issue.)

But here’s the thing: Though we may doubt Jesus when He tells us, “Apart from Me, you can do nothing,” the recovering community served by Whole Truth Ministries doesn’t doubt that. 

The reason for that is simple: When you’ve come to the end of yourself and Jesus Christ is all you’ve got, you realize that Jesus is all you need. 

The folks with whom I’ve shared the Word of God at Whole Truth are often already steeped in the Word of God because, down in the bottom of life, in the lowlands of human experience, the God revealed in Jesus Christ reached out to them through His Word and the work of Whole Truth, which is built on His Word!

Whole Truth is a ministry of God’s Word. Its primary ministry is to serve the Word of God to the people it serves.

The New Testament says that “the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword…” (Hebrews 4:12) 

The two edges of God’s Word, the two ways God speaks to us, are Law and Gospel. 

The Law gives us the will of God and leads us to recognize that we’re sinners who, no matter how hard we work to fool ourselves into believing we’re self-sufficient, good people, without Jesus Christ, we can do nothing. Nothing that matters. Nothing good. Nothing helpful. Nothing lasting. The Law means to drive us to the ends of ourselves to the foot of the cross where Jesus freely gave His life for self-sufficient sinners.

The Gospel is God’s good news that He covers those who are at the end of themselves and come to Jesus by faith, with the righteousness, life, grace, peace, and hope that only come from Jesus Christ. 

People who have been reached by Christ and His gospel are those who recognize the delusion of self-sufficiency, lay aside their defenses, and compelled by the Word of God, confess that “Jesus is Lord. Not me. Jesus alone.” 

It is the Gospel, the good news of forgiveness, new life, fresh starts, and everlasting hope freely given to those who turn to Jesus, that I see in the people served by Whole Truth Ministries. 

They may have once thought when they were abusing various substances that they were making their own decisions, even as their lives spiraled out of control. The Word of God given to them by Whole Truth, turns them from the self-destruction that happens when we cling to the lie of self-sufficiency and shows them Jesus, “the way, and the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)

Whole Truth Ministries has helped me see this more clearly and I thank everyone involved in it for their ministry to me in Jesus’ name. 

I also thank you for the support you’re giving to Whole Truth, making it possible to reach even more people who need this ministry.

Finally, I want to remind you that the Word of God about Jesus Christ, the gospel, the good news, that is changing the lives of so many through Whole Truth Ministries can transform all of our lives. You aren’t and you don’t need to be self-sufficient either. The power of God, given in Christ, can lead us each day and change our eternity. 

The Gospel of Mark records only one sermon preached by Jesus, encompassed in a single verse: “The right time has come…and the Kingdom of God is near! Turn away from your sins and believe the Good News!” (Mark 1:15, GNT)

If we all are reminded by Whole Truth Ministries to turn away from sin and the garbage that bedevils, distracts, and harasses us in this life, and to turn in trust to Jesus, our Good News, its work will impact more than the just community it directly serves. It will impact and change for the better the lives of all who are part of it. 

Thank you.

Wheat, Weeds, and the Harvest

[Below, you'll find the text of the message shared during both worship services of Living Water Lutheran Church in Centerville, Ohio today. You'll also find live stream video of both the traditional and modern worship services.]

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

I once heard the pastor of a megachurch describe two questions he used to prepare all of his so-called “sermons”: “What do I want them to know? What do I want them to do?” It’s no surprise then, to learn that his messages were basically TED TALKS, motivational speeches with an occasional side of Jesus. He saw himself and the Church as being in the business of telling people what they would look like if they were holy disciples of Jesus and then giving them the steps, the ladder they could climb, to make themselves look like holy disciples.

There are at least three big problems with this approach. The first problem is that the focus isn’t on Jesus Christ and what He has done for us through His death and resurrection. And the focus isn’t on what He’s doing for us today–the means by which He promises to come to us and give us saving faith in Him–in His Word, in Holy Baptism, in Holy Communion, or in the fellowship of believers.

The focus in this approach, which is endemic to the United States these days, is turned away from the God revealed to us in Jesus and instead, is put on us: what we’ve done, what we’re doing, what we’re accomplishing.

But, friends, if we could attain the forgiveness of our sins or a holiness that would make us fit for eternity with God, then Jesus would not have needed to go to the cross to pay the penalty for our sins.

Christian faith isn’t a self-improvement project. It is not about becoming or being a moral person, because none of us is capable of obeying God’s moral law perfectly. Is that not correct.

Christian faith is about God coming to us in the crucified and risen Jesus to give us His forgiveness, His life, and His righteousness even though we don’t deserve any of these things.

The apostle Paul reminds us of this: “When we were still helpless [that means unable to save ourselves or make ourselves holy], Christ died for the wicked [that’s you and me] at the time that God chose.” (Romans 5:6, Good News Translation)

We are saved and we are made holy by Jesus alone and not by our Christian self-improvement efforts!

Quickly, the two other problems that this approach leads to must be clear. It leads either to spiritual pride or to spiritual despair. 

People who take this false preaching to heart will either be certain that they are holier than others because of all the good things they think they do or they will look at their repeated failures to free themselves of sin and temptation and give up on the Christian life altogether.

Either way, they are driven away from Christ and the life of righteousness only He can give to us. And that’s eternally tragic!

Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel lesson that it is the evil one himself, the devil, who works to delude us through the false gospel of Christian self-improvement and thereby, turn us away from reliance on Christ alone for our forgiveness and life with God.

In the lesson, Jesus tells a parable, which He leaves obscure and uninterpreted for the crowds looking for a religious how-to lesson. He then explains the parable to the disciples, people like you and me who turn to Jesus for forgiveness and new life with God.

In the parable, Jesus talks about the Kingdom of Heaven, that is, the Church, where the Gospel is rightly proclaimed and the Sacraments rightly administered. Until the day of Jesus’ return, what the Bible calls the Day of the Lord, the Kingdom of Heaven comes to us in God’s Word and the Sacraments, within the fellowship of the Church. 

In Jesus’ parable, a Sower, who is Jesus, the Son of Man, plants good seed in the world.

The good seed are disciples who trust that, Jesus is the way and the truth and the life and that there is no other way to forgiveness and life from God but through Jesus. (John 14:6)

The weeds are people on the membership rolls of Christian, even Lutheran Christian, churches who are like that megachurch pastor; they think that being holy is all about doing religious works which they’re sure they do.

Weeds are like the Pharisees who were horrified that Jesus spent time with sinners, proclaiming God’s forgiveness of their sins.

Weeds have been the cause of much evil in Christ’s Church. They start church fights, accuse fellow members of not being real Christians, work to rid their churches of what they regard as undesirables.

The enemy who plants these weeds among the wheat, of course, is Satan. 

In this parable, Jesus is warning Christians of a truth: The devil’s number one target for chaos, division, and false teaching is the Church, the Kingdom of heaven on earth.

Also in Jesus’ parable, servants, concerned that the Master has allowed his enemy to plant weeds among the wheat–that is, false disciples among the true–ask if the Master–Jesus Himself–wants them to pull up the sprouting weeds.

If the megachurch pastor were asked that question, he probably would answer, “Yes.” But, Christ the Master says, No. There’s no need for you to be vigilante harvesters, He basically says, “because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest.” (Matthew 13:29-30)

Jesus later explains that there will be a harvest. On the Day of His return to usher in the new heavens and the new earth, His angels will be the harvesters of His Church. They will yank up all the weeds, those who have trusted in their own righteousness, rather than trusting Christ’s righteousness, and send them to the fire of hell for all eternity. The angels will also bring the wheat, Christ’s disciples, sinners, like you and me, made righteous through their faith in Jesus, into eternity with God!

So, what are we in the Church to do about the weeds in our midst within the Church?

Sometimes, we’ll have to fight against their false teaching and point to Jesus and that He gives His righteousness to those who trust in Him.

Sometimes, we’ll leave one church or church body to be united with Christ through a different church or church body.

But, Jesus tells us today, our call isn’t to rid the Church of those we suspect of being fake Christians, weeds.

You see, even if a church is forced to excommunicate someone for spreading false doctrine or living in unrepentant sin, the excommunication should be done in the hopes of bring such folks back into the fellowship of Christ’s Church.

Why is that?

For one thing, we could be wrong in our judgments about our fellow church members. We may mistake wheat for weeds. God told the Old Testament judge, Samuel: “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 6:7)

Another reason we shouldn’t presume to tear those we think are weeds from the Church is that the Word of God–faithfully given in preaching, teaching, witnessing, Holy Baptism, and Holy Communion–can change weeds into wheat. (Isn’t that what He’s done and is doing to you and me? I know that I can be more weedy than wheaty sometimes.)

The Gospel Word of Jesus can leave even notorious weeds to confess, as The Small Catechism confesses: “I believe that Jesus Christ–true God…and also true man…has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, and has freed me from sin, death, and the power of devil…with His holy and precious blood and his innocent suffering and death…” It all depends on Jesus alone!

Until Jesus returns, our call as the Church is to proclaim the Good News, the Gospel, to wheat and weeds within and to the world outside the Church.

We share what the apostle Paul told his fellow Jews in Antioch: “...through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.” (Acts 13:38-39)

We are made righteous not by anything we do, but solely by what Jesus Christ has already done for us. Jesus promises in today’s lesson that those made “righteous [by Jesus and His grace] will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” (Matthew 13:43)

Friends, in Jesus Christ, you are eternally right with God. You are right with Him now!

I declare to you that, through Him, all your sins are forgiven, eternally buried by Christ.

By grace through faith in Jesus, you are righteous.

Don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise!

Those who have ears, let them hear.

Amen

Don't Fear, Follow Christ No Matter What

[Below is the message shared during both worship services with the people and friends of Living Water Lutheran Church in Centerville, Ohio. 

[We were joined by Claire Brown Kriel during the announcements at the beginning of both services. Claire and her husband Shaun were with us to share updated information on the ministry Claire founded and directs in South Africa, Lydia's Mission. Living Water is happy to be partnered with Lydia's Mission, which empowers women to move out of poverty and also provides ministry to children and to the elderly. 

[If you watch the video of the 8:45 AM service, you'll note that I flubbed-up the opening of the sermon...but God is gracious!]

Matthew 10:5a, 21-33

As Christians, we take comfort from the promises of God found in places like the last verse of our second lesson for today: “​​For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Not everyone finds comfort in God’s promises though. To be told that Jesus says, “Whoever believes in [Jesus, God the Son] is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son,” arouses their anger. (John 3:17) They get angry too when they hear Jesus claim, “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

You see, we all are born under the condemnation of the Law. The Law is, essentially, the moral law of God as given to us in the Ten Commandments which Jesus summarizes in the Great Commandment: Love God and love neighbor.

Apart from faith in Jesus and the power of His death and resurrection to save us from sin and its result, death, we human beings, incapable of perfectly obeying God’s Law, are condemned for all eternity.

People have all sorts of reactions to hearing that they live under condemnation by God’s Law.

Some deny the existence of God or of things like right and wrong. These folks try to wriggle out of responsibility for their actions when confronted with God’s will by telling Christians, “That’s your truth.” But there is only one truth. Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” (John 14:6)

Other people live in self-righteousness, convinced they are decent, righteous people whose every second is lived above reproach. A prominent Baptist theologian told of the student who, beaming, told him after class one day that it had been three years since he had been tempted to sin. The theologian told him, “That’s about the worst thing I’ve ever heard.” For the student to have been unconscious of temptation may have meant that he was so deeply mired in self-righteousness that he was insensitive to the constant temptations presented to God’s people by the devil, the world, or our sinful selves.

Other people live in constant fear of God’s condemnation. They think their salvation depends on them being perfect moral beings. Every time they become conscious of their sins, they think that until they make things right, they’re damned for all eternity. Many of these people give in to despair and give up on having life with God.

All of these folks–and you and I who are prone to falling into precisely these patterns of thinking at different times in our lives, first of all need to hear–really hear–God’s Law.

The Bible tells us that we were born in sin (Psalm 51:5) and “were by nature deserving of wrath” from the moment of our conception (Ephesians 2:3).

Lest we try to evade this truth about ourselves, we also need to hear what sin is spelled out for us.

We sin when we worship God’s creatures rather than God the Creator; when we dishonor our parents or those in authority; when we murder in thought as well as deed; when we use God’s gift of sex outside the bounds of heterosexual marriage; when we speak falsely or uncharitably of others; when we swipe what’s not ours; or when we covet what others have.

We need to hear this Law to remind us of the distance we are, by our natural inborn inclinations, from God and from life with God.

We all also need to hear the Gospel.

“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus, Who died and rose to set you from sin and death, “whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24)

We need to hear Jesus tell us again this morning: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” (John 11:25-26)

We need the Word of God for us again this morning: “...a person is justified by faith [in Jesus] apart from the works of the law.” (Romans 3:28)

In today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus sends the twelve apostles out to share His Word with the people of Israel.

Their mission foreshadows the mission that you and I have, to make disciples of all nations.

Jesus says that not everyone will want to receive God’s Word, Law or Gospel. The message of Christ to repent and believe in Him always arouses opposition.

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death,” Jesus warns. “You will be hated by everyone because of me, but [then He promises] the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 10:21-22)

But, how do we stand firm in our faith in the face of opposition? Jesus goes on to tell us how in our lesson.

First, Jesus tells us, “Do not be afraid of [those who come after you for following Him], for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.” (Matthew 10:26-27)

In the past few weeks alone, I’ve been called “a tool” and judgmental by different people when I’ve tried to share God’s Word in love with them.

But friends, we need not fear Christ’s opponents! The plans God has revealed to those who listen to His Word, will one day be revealed to all. Christ will return. Then death and everything that intimidates us in this world will die.

What we see today by faith through the power of God’s Word--that Christ has triumphed over sin and death, and that all who trust in Him live with God now and forever--will only then, on His return, be seen by those who reject Christ today. We take comfort from knowing that even now, we live in Christ’s eternity and we belong to Him!

Second, Jesus says, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)

Don’t be afraid of the world, Jesus says. The most it can do is kill us.

Instead, we should have a holy fear of God, the One Who can condemn people to hell.

When we die, our bodies and souls are separated. Our bodies decay in this world, but the souls of those who trust in Jesus will rest in His presence until the Day of Jesus’ return.

Meanwhile, the souls of those who refuse to trust in Jesus will be in torment.

On the day Jesus returns to this world and establishes the new heaven and the new earth, our bodies will be raised and gathered again with our souls.

Those who have refused Jesus will be sent to eternal condemnation.

But those who trust in Jesus will hear Him say, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” (Matthew 25:34)

Those who trust in Christ know that nothing “in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39)

Finally, Jesus says, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31)

If you follow Jesus, you will encounter opposition, ridicule, maybe even persecution or death. But Jesus will never leave you nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5) Jesus says elsewhere, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

As, by the power of the Gospel at work in the Word and the Sacraments, you turn to Christ in daily repentance and faith, you live in the certainty that your sins are forgiven and you belong to God forever!

At the end of our lesson today, Jesus tells us, “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33)

Friends, I love telling you what God has called me to tell you: In Jesus Christ, all your sins are forgiven and your eternity with God is secured.

Acknowledge Jesus as your Savior and Lord by turning to Him each day for the forgiveness of your sin and for life with God.

No matter what this world may say about you, think about you, or do to you, you can trust in Christ to be Your Savior for all eternity.

Amen