What does it mean to be the Church - Waterville Lutheran 9/27/09

What does it mean to be the Church?

Key Point: The Church can be defined as: A building - when asked what church you go to people are asking where you go to church. This is not a Biblical understanding of the church - but it is the definition that has evolved over time. We have become a people defined by our space, our buildings, and in some respects have limited ourselves by being only a building. A people - The word church comes from the root word ekklesia in Greek meaning "the called out ones, the assembly". Here the Bible defines the church as people. Romans 16:5 says “… greet the church that is in their house.” Paul refers to the church in their house—not a church building, but a body of believers. The body of Christ - Ephesians 1:22-23 says, “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” The body of Christ is made up of all believers in Jesus Christ from the day of Pentecost (Acts chapter 2) until Christ’s return. The place for Word and Sacrament - "The Church is the congregation of saints, in which the Gospel is rightly taught and the Sacraments are rightly administered." Augsburg Confession.

Ole and Sven went fishing one summer and decided to rent a boat from the resort instead of fishing from the shore. They rowed out a ways and started to fish. They caught one fish after the other. Ole says to Sven, "I wish we could mark this spot. It's the best fishing I've seen since I was a boy." Sven replied, "I got some chalk in my tackle box, so why don't I put an X right here on the bottom of the boat?" Ole laughed, "You goofy brother of mine...What if we don't rent the same boat next time."

Sometimes we wish that we could mark the spot and return to those days when attendance was high, Sunday school children were filling the basement, and our budget was within reach. We want to stay in the comfort of knowing that things were going to be "just fine". But this another summer - and perhaps like Ole and Swen we have to figure out how to find the best fishing spot - for catching the hearts of those hungering and thirsting for the Gospel in our own backyard.

Applying the Scripture to Daily Life
Three Steps Toward Obtaining New Life as a Church

1. Be a church that listens to what God asks of us.
1. does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
2. We can be a church that makes a real difference when we listen to the needs of our neighbors, evaluating the changes around us, and when we wait quietly on the Lord as His Holy Spirit directs and guides us.

3. After the service a young couple talked to a church member about joining the church. He hadn't met the husband before, and he asked what church he was transferring from.

   After a short hesitation, he replied,"I am transferring from the Municipal Golf Course."

4. People are drawn to congregations that are actively pursuing justice, kindness, and walking humbly with God. It is evident in what we do in this place. This congregation has been a place of mission, a family embracing each other in good and in ill.
   
5. What is God asking of us in the future?
   
2. Be open to the direction and invitation of scripture.
1. It is nothing magical in the formula given in Acts chapter 2. We can own that same model and reality in our own situation.
   
2. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
3. Fellowship, worship, teaching, and awe came upon them.
   
4. The importance of gathering around Word and Sacrament.
5. 4All who believed were together and had all things in common; ⁴⁵they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
6. How can we live out the calling to hold things in common and distribute as need arises?
3. Embrace the power we have in the Great Commission.
1. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

What a man does for himself, dies with him; what he does for his community, lives long after he is gone."

Theodore Roosevelt

St. John Lutheran - 17th Sunday After Pentecost

How to Deal with Temptation and Sin

Key Verse:

¹⁹My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, ²⁰you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Sin can leave us feeling like we are "caught in a trap" and "can't let go". When we are knee deep in our own misdeeds, when we have fallen into sin - what leads us back? Jesus' words today are harsh, radical, and down right scary. We hear today in the Gospel promise and warning to those who bear his name. Whether we cause one to sin or put ourselves in the way of sin this becomes a stumbling block to participating in the life of the kingdom. Jesus wants our total and complete commitment.

The sins of others can bring ill effect on us as well. Families left in crisis over the sins of another. Sin is all around us even in the church. How do we deal with those even in our own body of have sin and fallen away? What words of grace can we speak to them - how shall we live as the body of Christ in a world consumed by sin?

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

This hymn brings guidance and comfort to the weary soul. We realize the importance of prayer, of listening to the Word of God, and trusting in the grace of God which will forgive sin and grant new life.

A Sunday School teacher had just concluded her lesson and wanted to make sure she had made her point. She said, 'Can anyone tell me what you must do before you can obtain forgiveness of sin?"

There was a short pause and then, from the back of the room, a small boy spoke up. 'Sin," he said.

Through the Gospel we have a plan. God grants to us complete forgiveness because of the saving death of his only Son Jesus. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that all who believe in him may not die but have eternal life." We hear the plan to salvation from sin throughout the story of the Gospel - from Jesus declaring sins forgiven and life granted to people choosing because of this new life to walk away from lives once ruined by sin.

So how to we deal with sin day to day? What are we to do with others around us who are trapped in sin and cannot free themselves? How now shall we live as Christians called to this new life?

Applying the Scripture

1. God gives to us power through His name to accomplish mighty things!

1. ¹³Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. ¹⁴Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. ¹⁶Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.
2. Bear with one another the burdens of the every day and those burdens which seem unbearable. Some sins however bring shame upon the one caught up in sin and those around. Speaking the truth in love let us confront each other, comfort each other, and bring the gifts of the Gospel to each other.
3. ⁴¹For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.
4. You and I are we are conduits for the grace of God. God uses you and I to communicate the grace and freedom given through Christ. The reality of "go and sin no more."
2. In dealing with sin may we remove all stumbling blocks.
1. Radical amputation!
   
2. ⁴²“If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. ⁴³If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. ⁴⁵And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. ⁴⁷And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, ⁴⁸where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.
3. Are we daring enough to help others remove stumbling blocks - to see sin as it is and help one who has stumbled come back to the body?
   
4. ⁷The king rose from the feast in wrath and went into the palace garden, but Haman stayed to beg his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that the king had determined to destroy him. ⁸When the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman had thrown himself on the couch where Esther was reclining; and the king said, “Will he even assault the queen in my presence, in my own house?” As the words left the mouth of the king, they covered Haman’s face
5. Do we see others in their begging for life and freedom from sin? Have we turned a deaf ear and eye to those who honestly wish to seek life?
   
6. May this be a place where stumbling blocks are removed and road maps given.
3. Sins forgiven and new life granted we must continue in confidence the call to commitment.

1. ⁴⁹“For everyone will be salted with fire. ⁵⁰Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
   

2. Purification - to live a new life apart from sin.
   
3. Confession embraces two parts: the one is, that we confess our sins; the other, that we receive absolution, or forgiveness, from the confessor, as from God Himself, and in no wise doubt, but firmly believe, that our sins are thereby forgiven before God in heaven.

What does it mean to be Lutheran - Waterville, September 20, 2009

What does it mean to be a Lutheran Christian Today?

The five Essential Beliefs of the Lutheran Reformation

1. 1 Sola scriptura ("by Scripture alone")
2. 2 Sola fide ("by faith alone")
3. 3 Sola gratia ("by grace alone")
4. 4 Solus Christus or Solo Christo ("Christ alone" or "through Christ alone")
5. 5 Soli Deo gloria ("glory to God alone")

You Might Be a Lutheran If...

...you only serve Jell-O in the proper liturgical color for the season.

...you didn't know chow mein noodles were a Chinese food.

...when someone mentions red and green (in terms of Christmas), you immediately think of a battle over hymnals.

...during the entire service you hold your hymnal open but never look down at it.

...during communion you hum the hymns so you can see who's at church that Sunday.

...rather than introducing yourself to a visitor at church, you check their name out in the guestbook.

...you think Garrison Keillor's stories are totally factual.

...you have your wedding reception in the fellowship hall and feel guilty about not staying to help clean up.

...a midlife crisis means switching from the old hymnbook to the new one.

...you forget to put water in the baptismal font but never forget to put water in the coffee pot.

...the pastor skips the last hymn to make sure church lasts exactly 60 minutes.

...you make spaghetti at your house with the little macaroni noodles because they're not so messy then.

...you don't make eye contact when passing someone in the hall because you think it's impolite.

...your choir believes volume is a fair substitute for tonality.

...you don't know what was sooo funny about dat movie "Fargo" then.

...in response to someone jumping up and shouting "Praise the Lord!", you politely remind him or her that we don't do that around here.

...you think a meeting isn't legitimate unless it's at least three hours long.

...peas in your tuna noodle hotdish add too much color.

...you make change in the offering plate for a ten.

...your dad's name is Luther N., your brother is Luther Hahn and you are Lew Theran.

...you think butter is a spice.

...the church is on fire, and you rush in to save the coffee pot.

...you have more than five flavors of Jell-O in your pantry.

...you know what a "dead spread" is.

...you talk to someone else and look at their shoes first.

...you have more than three friends whose first names have the letter "j" as the second letter.

...the only open pew is up front, so you volunteer to shovel the sidewalk.

...Ole and Lena are really the names of your relatives.

...you know what a Lutheran Church Basement Woman is.

...you give a party and don't tell anyone where it is.

...you think hotdish is one of the major food groups.

...http://www.luthbro.com is one of your bookmarks.

...your five-year-old recites the Old Testament books as Genesis, Exodus, Lutefisk...

...someone asks you after church if there's any "decaf coffee" and you laugh because you KNOW that if it doesn't have caffeine, it can't be coffee!

...you think anyone who says "casserole" instead of "hotdish" is trying to be uppity (or maybe even Episcopalian!)

...you think the term "Jell-O salad" is redundant.

...you freeze the leftover coffee from fellowship hour for next week.

We are a law and Gospel People:

What Does God Say of All These Commandments?

Answer.

He says thus (Exod. 20:5f): I the Lord, thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me, and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and keep My commandments.

What does this mean?--Answer.

God threatens to punish all that transgress these commandments. Therefore we should dread His wrath and not act contrary to these commandments. But He promises grace and every blessing to all that keep these commandments. Therefore we should also love and trust in Him, and gladly do [zealously and diligently order our whole life] according to His commandments.

We are law Gospel people. The law seeks to condemn us - it orders society - "You shall not" because God loves us we are given good order. What happens when we break his commandments? Showing mercy and granting pardon we have a Savior Jesus who declares sins to be forgiven, sinners given new life because of his death in our place once and for all.

We are a community living in and because of God's amazing grace.

"But God who is rich in mercy out of great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our sins, made us alive with Christ...by grace you have been saved."

When Billy Graham was driving through a small southern town, he was stopped by a policeman and charged with speeding. Graham admitted his quilt, but was told by the officer that he would have to appear in court.

The judge asked, "Guilty, or not guilty?" When Graham pleaded guilty, the judge replied, "That'll be ten dollars -- a dollar for every mile you went over the limit."

Suddenly the judge recognized the famous minister. "You have violated the law," he said. "The fine must be paid--but I am going to pay it for you." He took a ten dollar bill from his own wallet, attached it to the ticket, and then took Graham out and bought him a steak dinner! "That," said Billy Graham, "is how God treats repentant sinners!"

We are a people centered in the Word of God

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...The light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not overcome it."

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has made a commitment to encourage all members of our congregations, from children to adults, to dig deeper into our book of faith, the Bible. The Book of Faith Initiative recommends a new model for our church—a grass-roots approach embracing a common vision in which all are invited to open scripture and join the conversation.

"The Bible unfolds to us as we are met, guided, drawn on, and made to grow by the grace of God." Martin Luther

16th Sunday After Pentecost - St. John Luana

Community of Believers:

How now should we live as the body of Christ?

Who is wise and understanding among you? Show it by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom!

All that I needed to know about ministry I learned from the rural church.

Gallup Poll

In a yet-to-be-released poll, George Gallup, Jr., reported seven needs of the average American:

1. The need for shelter and food

2. The need to believe life is meaningful and has a purpose

3. The need for a sense of community and deeper relationships

4. The need to be appreciated and respected

5. The need to be listened to and be heard

6. The need to feel one is growing in faith

7. The need for practical help in developing a mature faith

As a church in the community of Luana St. John you have an awesome opportunity to be a provider of many of these needs, give direction on how a person can meet these needs, and be a place of belonging for those who are desperately hungering for purpose and meaning. Do we know our neighbors? Do our neighbors know us? Are we seen as "just another building in town" or a place where it is know that God is here in Word and Sacrament?

"Anyone who thinks sitting in church can make you a Christian must also think that sitting in a garage can make you a car."
— Garrison Keillor

What is this new obedience we are called to as disciples of Jesus Christ? How ought we to live as followers and believers of what Jesus taught and lived?

From earlier in James we hear - "But be doers of the Word and not hearers only." The call to discipleship is a living thing - actively leading us to be hope and peace, presence and friend to our neighbor and for the world.

"For to you I have committed my cause" Few things in this life come with clear instructions:

Migratory birds in the U.S. were tagged by the Department of the Interior with metal strips reading “Wash. Biol. Surv.”—for Washington Biological Survey. The code was changed, so the story goes, after a farmer from Arkansas wrote to the department:

“Dear Sirs, I shot one of your crows, My wife followed the cooking instructions attached—she washed it, boiled it and served it. It was the worst thing we ever ate.”

What instructions are we following as we pursue the life of being a disciple and a member of the Christian community?

Behold, God is my helper; it is the Lord who sustains all life.
Alleluia, Lord to whom shall we go, you have the words of eternal life, Alleluia.
Lead me Guide me, along the way. For if you lead me I cannot stray. Lord, let me walk each day with you. Lead me O Lord my whole life through.
Search and find the "life's little instruction book" in the instruction book - the Word. See how it comes to life before our eyes in the spreading of the table and the invitation to the feast today. "Take eat, drink - this is my body and blood."

Applying the Word to Daily Life

"For to you I have committed my cause."
How do we live as the body of Christ?
What does it take to build each other up in the faith?
How can we apply the teachings of scripture today to our current situation here at St. John?
Are we servant leaders?

Commitment

A woman's husband had been slipping in and out of a coma for several months, yet she had stayed by his bedside every single day. One day, when he came to, he motioned for her to come nearer.

As she sat by him, he whispered, eyes full of tears, "You know what? You have been with me all through the bad times. When I got fired, you were there to support me. When my business failed, you were there. When I got shot, you were by my side. When we lost the house, you stayed right here. When my health started failing, you were still by my side... You know what?"

"What dear?" she gently asked, smiling as her heart began to fill with warmth.

"I think you're bad luck."

1. Don't be afraid to ask questions when we do not understand.

1. In building up the body of Christ and living out our faith in the community of believers we need to ask questions.
2. "But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him."
3. Would we look stupid if we ask for help? How about directions? Would we rather be lost and save our face or found in knowing fully the story of salvation as was this case? Help us to understand Jesus.
   
4. Share the wealth of knowledge that is around us - if we do not understand how to change a tire - wait around long enough looking stupid and some one will help.
5. God rescues us in our lack of understanding as well. Giving us the larger picture.
1. Make peace a priority for our life together as a church and live it out in the community.
1. "And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace."
2. In the words of Cat Stevens,

   Now I've been crying lately,
   thinking about the world as it is
   Why must we go on hating,
   why can't we live in bliss

3. The impact of Peter, Paul, and Mary.
   
4. My peace I give to you, I do not give as the world gives, I give more.
5. All I am saying is give peace a chance. Peace however is not the absence of conflict but rather the commitment towards unity, the ultimate goal of living in a bound of love.
   
6. "Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they come from your cravings that are at war within you?"
2. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.
1. "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
2. Few souls understand what God would accomplish in them if they were to abandon themselves unreservedly to Him and if they were to allow His grace to mould them accordingly. Ignatius
3. We struggle with greatness, fitting in, being the best, finding success - and here Jesus takes a child and uses a child as a model of acceptance and welcome.
   
4. With open hearts we welcome children into our lives, in the life of the church, and we are called to live this example out to teh community in which we serve.
   
5. Drawing near to God then we welcome others into this devotional practice:
1. In worship we gather to hear the Word and receive the sacraments. Hear the Gospel and receive Christ.
2. Through personal Bible study and in our times together we read the stories of faith, the proclamation of promise, and the hope that God gives to us through Jesus.
3. God exists in the everyday - be it in the phone call to remind a shut in that there are treasured, an extra touch of grace ad love for our spouse or children, and in the actions we take as a community of faith to declare this as a place of grace.

15th Sunday After Pentecost - St. John Luana

But who do YOU say that I am?

Suffering Messiah, Suffering Servant, and Savior

Who do these people say that I am?

As a child I received instruction both in the Bible and in the Talmud. I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene....No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life. --Albert Einstein

Jesus Christ was an extremist for love, truth and goodness. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Do we really believe in that story or do we just like to hang out with nice people and listen to organ music? There are advantages, after all, to being in the neighborhood of people who love their neighbors. If your car won't start on a cold morning, you've got friends. Garrison Keeler

Standing naked in our doubt who do we say Jesus is? Do we join the crowds of onlookers who see Jesus as a good moral teacher? Perhaps a righteous dude who loved to tip over tables, set people in their place - and occasionally spit in peoples eyes to cure them? Who do we say that Jesus is when asked? Do you believe in all that stuff they talk about in church?

Yes I believe you are the Christ, the Son of the living God, the Messiah, my Savior - the hope of the world. Redeemer, comforter, God in human form. You are, in short Jesus.

Who does the church say that Jesus is (a response from the Augsburg Confession):

Also they teach that the Word, that is, the Son of God, did assume the human nature in 2] the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary, so that there are two natures, the divine and the human, inseparably enjoined in one Person, one Christ, true God and true man, who was born of the Virgin Mary, truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and 3] buried, that He might reconcile the Father unto us, and be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for all actual sins of men.

4] He also descended into hell, and truly rose again the third day; afterward He ascended into heaven that He might sit on the right hand of the Father, and forever reign and have dominion over all creatures, and sanctify 5] them that believe in Him, by sending the Holy Ghost into their hearts, to rule, comfort, and quicken them, and to defend them against the devil and the power of sin.

6] The same Christ shall openly come again to judge the quick and the dead, etc., according to the Apostles' Creed.
Enter into the story today - be drawn in by this intimate conversation. Here the Gospel writer gives us the opportunity to peel back the layers like an onion and get to the heart of the matter.

²⁷Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” ²⁸And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” ²⁹He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.

Applying the Text to Daily Life
Formulating an Answer to the Question - Who do YOU say that I am?

1. Let us "stand up together" and confess confidently who Jesus is today.
1. “Who do people say that I am?” ²⁸And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” ²⁹He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.”
2. “If a man wishes to be sure of the road he treads on, he must close his eyes and walk in the dark.”

   St. John of the Cross quote

3. Are we absolutely sure in our beliefs about Jesus - the words we say together in the Apostles' Creed?
   
4. How did these disciples arrive at this point? To clear up any confusion Jesus continued to teach them - setting the record straight.
   
2. Let the Word and the actions of Jesus shape our understanding of who is and what He has done for us.
1. ³¹Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. ³²He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ³³But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
2. Peter had the answer - or did he. Did he truly get who Jesus was or was he projecting his definitions of who Jesus was to be based on his history, his knowledge of what a Savior ought to be, and wanting to have the answer.
   
3. "Suffering, rejection, killed" - can you feel the sigh and the sorrow in Peter's heart. Spending 1 year on a senior paper that could of said it in one short page. I completely missed the point. Striving and looking - "missing the forest through the trees."
   
4. This business about suffering Jesus and facing rejection will get you know where in this world. You need to be full of glory and majesty.
   
5. The Real Danger with OUR idea of formulating a Savior - a theology of glory verses a theology of the cross: God is there for you and your happiness. He has some rules and principles for getting what you want out of life and if you follow them, you can have what you want. Just “declare it” and prosperity will come to you. (1) God as Personal Shopper.
   
6. This is why I am a Lutheran. We identify with the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus wholeheartedly.
   
7. "Since the Lord in many passages is given the name of Savior and Helper in suffering, the one who is unwilling to suffer as much as he can deprives Christ of His true titles and names. Thus to this person there will be no Jesus, that is, no Savior, because that person is unwilling to be damned; for them there will be no God the Creator because they are unwilling to be nothing, so that God may be their Creator. God will be no power, wisdom, or good to that person, because they do not want God to uphold them in their weakness, foolishment, or their punishment" (LW Volume 25, page 290)
8. Who then is Jesus in light of these texts? Are we setting our mind on human things or devine things when it comes to defining who Jesus is?
   
3. Know that the call to discipleship will lead us down the path of self denial, death, and in the end resurrection to new life..
1. To deny oneself is to be aware only of Christ and no more of self, to see only Him who goes before and no more the road which is too hard for us. … All that self-denial can say is: "He leads the way, keep close to Him." "…and take up his cross." … Only when we have become completely oblivious of self are we ready to bear the cross for His sake. If in the end we know only Him, if we have ceased to notice the pain of our own cross, we are indeed looking only unto Him. If Jesus had not so graciously prepared us for this word, we should have found it unbearable. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Discipleship.
2. Are we ready today to confess Jesus for who He is today? Are we ready to walk down the road to discipleship?
3. We begin another Sunday school year - may it be a learning for all of us.

What does it mean to be Evangelical? (Waterville Lutheran - Sunday, September 6, 2009)

Sermon Series on what it means to be a congregation of the ELCA today:

Evangelical - "What does it mean to be Evangelical in our love for our neighbor?"

Texts

Ruth 1:6-18

⁶Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had considered his people and given them food. ⁷So she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah. ⁸But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back each of you to your mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. ⁹The Lord grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband.” Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud. ¹⁰They said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” ¹¹But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? ¹²Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons, ¹³would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the Lord has turned against me.” ¹⁴Then they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. ¹⁵So she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” ¹⁶But Ruth said, “Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; Where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. ¹⁷Where you die, I will die— there will I be buried. May the Lord do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!” ¹⁸When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.

Romans 12:4-21

⁴For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, ⁵so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. ⁶We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ⁷ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; ⁸the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness. ⁹Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; ¹⁰love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. ¹¹Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. ¹²Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. ¹³Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. ¹⁴Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. ¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. ¹⁶Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. ¹⁷Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. ¹⁸If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. ¹⁹Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” ²⁰No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” ²¹Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Luke 10:25-37

²⁵Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ²⁶He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” ²⁷He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” ²⁸And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” ²⁹But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” ³⁰Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³²So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. ³⁴He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ ³⁶Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” ³⁷He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Living Life the Samaritan Way

Go and Do Likewise Religion

What does it mean to be evangelical?

There seems to be much noise in the conversation centering around the term evangelical. What do you hear and understand when the news media coins - "evangelical"? Often times the shift is made towards a particular denomination or political group - especially in this last presidential election. The term has polarized many in this country - and I feel has made us uncomfortable with our identity.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America understands "evangelical" as emphasizing the gospel or good news of salvation received apart from human works and, based on this, the ELCA values worship forms and confessions of faith of the historic Christian tradition.

What is this Gospel that compels us to action? What are we emphasizing as a church here in Waterville? What is God calling us to do and be?

A survey was made of 4000 laymen in 114 evangelical churches across the U. S. They were asked, 'Do you feel the preaching on Sunday relates to what's going on in your life?" Over 83% saw virtually no connection between what they heard on Sunday morning and what they faced on Monday morning.

What does this mean? It means that as a pastor I have much work ahead of me. It means that our worship and gathering together on Sunday should look like a team huddle before the big game. It should be about equipping the saints for service in the community, in our places of work, and in school. It should drive us to go forth to proclaim the saving and loving name of Jesus Christ. That our worship models our evangelical nature as a church - Gospel believing, Gospel living.

Applying the Text

1. Becoming evangelical in our thinking.
1. ²⁵Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ²⁶He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” ²⁷He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”
2. Every time the man next door headed toward Michaels's house, Michael knew he was coming to borrow something.
   "He won't get away with it this time," muttered Michael to his wife. "Watch this."
   "Er, I wonder if you'd be using your power-saw this morning," the neighbor began.
   "Gee, I'm awfully sorry," said Michael with a smug look, "but the fact of the matter is, I'll be using it all day."
   "In that case," said the neighbor, "you won't be using your golf clubs, mind if I borrow them?"
3. This goes way past mere tolerance - it drives us to loving our neighbors - those around us - all humankind in the manner Jesus taught us.
   
4. To be evangelical in our love means that we are driven by the good news to be proclaimers - messengers of good news.
   
2. Becoming evangelical in our hearts.
1. ¹⁵So she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” ¹⁶But Ruth said, “Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; Where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. ¹⁷Where you die, I will die— there will I be buried. May the Lord do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!” ¹⁸When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.
2. ¹²Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. ¹³Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. ¹⁴Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. ¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. ¹⁶Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. ¹⁷Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. ¹⁸If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. ¹⁹Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” ²⁰No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” ²¹Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
3. Becoming evangelical in our actions.
1. ²⁹But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” ³⁰Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³²So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. ³⁴He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ ³⁶Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” ³⁷He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
2. “One act of obedience is better than one hundred sermons” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
3. What possibilities lie ahead for us as a church? Are we limiting ourselves because of fears?
   
4. But be doers of the word and not only hearers.
5. ⁹Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; ¹⁰love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.

Let love be genuine. Go and do likewise. Let us stand firm in the Gospel - the good news of salvation for all. Let us be confident in the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us be dynamic and bold in our love for our neighbor.

Who will save your souls? A sermon for the 14th Sunday After Pentecost (St. John Luana)

Who will Save Your Soul?

So many options out there that promise salvation from the world and its woes...

In the words of pop singer, Jewel:

Who will save your soul when it comes to the very very end
Who will save your soul after all the lies that you told, boy
Who will save your soul if you won't save you own?

Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime,
Therefore, we are saved by hope.
Nothing true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history;
Therefore, we are saved by faith.
Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone.
Therefore, we are saved by love.
No virtuous act is quite a virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as from our own;
Therefore, we are saved by the final form of love which is forgiveness. Reinhold Niebuhr

"Say to those who are fearful of heart, Be strong and do no fear! Hear is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you."

Salvation unto us has come - yet do we believe it? In the midst of incredible changes all around us - be it the current crisis facing the family dairy farm, the unsettled markets, the job losses, the rise in family violence and divorce. When will the day of salvation come? Will the Lord act?

"Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped." God acts as we hear it in the first lesson and in the Gospel. Where will you put your trust?

Applying the Word to Daily Life

1. Salvation is possible!
1. The London firemen's strike of 1978 made possible one of the great animal rescue attempts of all time. Valiantly, the British Army had taken over emergency fire fighting and on January 14 they were called out by an elderly lady in South London to retrieve her cat which had become trapped up a tree. They arrived with impressive haste and soon discharged their duty. So grateful was the lady that she invited them all in for tea. Driving off later, with fond farewells completed, they ran over the cat and killed it.
   
2. ²⁵but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. ²⁶Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. ²⁷He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” ²⁸But she answered him, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” ²⁹Then he said to her, “For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.” ³⁰So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. ³¹Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. ³²They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. ³³He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. ³⁴Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” ³⁵And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.
3. Out of what seems impossible Jesus breaks free the one held in prison by demons, heals the sick, opens the eyes of the blind - what could he do for you?
   
4. With such a possibility happening before their eyes they could not contain their joy. Jesus ordered them to tell no one about this amazing event that happened before their eyes - yet even so the more zealously proclaim it.
5. What keeps us from zealously proclaiming the work of the Lord to bring about salvation in our lives? How God has taken the impossible and made life possible?
   
2. Salvation is for all!

   2My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? ²For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, ³and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there,” or, “Sit at my feet,” ⁴have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? ⁵Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? ⁶But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? ⁷Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?

   ⁸You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ⁹But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
1. Can we show partiality when Christ calls us to love God and love neighbor without limits? It is tough stuff to love our neighbor and equate it with our love for God.
   
2. ⁸You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ⁹But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. ¹⁰For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. ¹¹For the one who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but if you murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. ¹²So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. ¹³For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
3. Even more we must be ready to share the story of God's amazing, tangible, real presence in Word and Sacrament in this place St. John Lutheran. To be beaming with the light of Christ ready to point others in our community to the place where the life-giving presence of God is found.
4. We can be consumed by the ins and outs of defining boundaries. To the sinner, to all sinners - . 21 So what advantage did you then get from the things of which you now are ashamed? The end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
3. Salvation compels us to act!
1. ¹⁴What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? ¹⁵If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, ¹⁶and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? ¹⁷So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
2. 'Do not waste your time bothering whether you 'love' your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this, we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more. If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less." C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.
3. Who stands firm? Only the one for whom the final standard is not his reason, his principles, his conscience, his freedom, his virtue, but who is ready to sacrifice all these, when in faith and sole allegiance to God he is called to obedient and responsible action: the responsible person, whose life will be nothing but an answer to God's question and call. Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
4. The Lord who has set this captive free from sin is the same Lord that has sent us out to "go and do likewise."
   

You are facing a new day as a congregation. How can we communicate the Gospel confidently in these days ahead?

• Build up your leadership through daily prayer.
  
• Strive in all things to increase ways of communication.
• Love each other and live by the law of love.
• Act in ways of service and be "doers and hearers of the Word.