March 23, 2022 – Lent                                        Text:  John 18:12-27

Dear Friends in Christ,

    He was a professional thief who evoked fear throughout the Wild West.  He terrorized the Wells Fargo stagecoach line from 1875 to 1883 and stole thousands of dollars.  No victim ever saw him.  No artist ever sketched him.  No sheriff could ever track his trail.  His name?  Black Bart.

    John introduces another Black Bart.  If you’ve ever felt shame and disgrace, it was his whisper that crushed your heart.  If you’ve ever felt useless and no good, it was his accusing finger in your face.  He doesn’t just want your money.  This Black Bart comes to destroy everything.

    What’s his name?  Guilt.  What sucked you under?  A one-night stand?  A fight you shouldn’t have had?  Did you steal something?  Language you used on another?  Maybe it wasn’t a moment but a season.  You failed as a parent or spouse.  Your career was not what you thought it could be.  You squandered time and talent.  The result?  Guilt.

    We’re in a series called Witnesses to Christ.  Today we meet Peter.  In the courtyard we see guilt.  Beyond the courtyard – we see grace.

“GRACE FOR PETER AND GRACE FOR US”

    To get some context, let’s rewind the tape.  In John 13 Peter told Jesus he would lay down His life for the Savior.  Peter and Jesus had been through many life events together.  Calling this fisherman.  Peter walking on water.  Peter with Jesus on the mountain.  The disciple with the Lord in the Garden.  No wonder Peter makes the claim, “I will lay down my life for you.”

    We’ve all made that claim.  When we got confirmed, “Do you intend to live according to the Word of God, and in faith, word, and deed remain true to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, even to the point of death?”  We said, “I do!”  “Will you take this man to be your wedded husband?”  And you women said, “I do!”  “Will you take this woman to be your wedded wife?”  And we men said, “I do!”  The claim.  The claim?  That’s easy.

    As we read the events in the courtyard it is like watching a tall building slowly imploding.  A denial.  The building starts to shake.  Another denial.  The building is collapsing.  A third denial.  There it goes…dust and ashes and building on the ground.  Guilt.

    Our collapse may happen with, “Just one more drink.”  “Just one more fling.”  “Just one more lie.”  One more just cracks the building and then boom…guilt enters.

    After the rooster crowed Peter felt left out and rejected.  That is what guilt does.  It turns us into miserable, weary, angry, stressed-out people.  Who loves rejected people?  God does.  God gives grace.

    How does that happen?  In the case of Peter we fast forward the tape to John 21, where Jesus asks Peter if he loves him.  Jesus asks the questions three times – once for every time Peter had denied his Lord.  Each time Peter confesses, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”  Peter confessed his guilt.  How could this be?  Because while Peter was denying Jesus, Jesus was suffering for Peter.

    Jesus doesn’t wait until we get it all together.  Jesus doesn’t wait until we overcome temptation and conquer our sin.  “God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  (Rom. 5:8). In our courtyard, we see guilt.  Beyond the courtyard – at the cross – we see grace.  And grace means what?

    The comeback.  Who preaches the sermon on Pentecost?  Peter.  Whose sermon converts 3,000 souls?  Peter’s.  Who writes two New Testament books?  Peter.  Listen closely.  Comebacks don’t depend on how much we love Jesus.  Comebacks depend on how much Jesus loves us.  Comebacks don’t depend on what we do for Jesus.  Comebacks depend on what Jesus does for us.  Comebacks don’t depend on us giving our life for Jesus.  Comebacks depend on Jesus giving His life for us.

    Remember Black Bart?  He was eventually found and nothing to be afraid of.  He was a mild-tempered businessman from Decatur, IL.  The man storming the Wild West was so afraid of horses he rode around in a horse-drawn buggy.  Black Bart was Charles Boles – the bandit who never once fired a bullet, because he never once loaded his gun.

    See guilt for who he really is.  A deadly monster?  Yes.  A painful feeling that can do great harm?  No doubt.  The tormentor of our souls?  Bet on it.  But know this – guilt is a defeated enemy who has no bullets left in his gun.

    What’s that mean for us?  Our story isn’t over when Jesus is in it.  We can all come back from guilt.  How?  The best G-word of all.  Grace.  Grace for Peter and Grace for us.

                                                Amen.    

March 20, 2022                              Text:  Ezekiel 33:7-20

Dear Friends in Christ,

    Ok.  You can’t fool me.  I know you didn’t maintain pure thoughts this week.  You’ve got a few fantasies floating around up there right now that we won’t mention.  By the way…did you take account of those harsh words you used this week to a family member or fellow driver or some talking head on your TV screen.  And what about that promise to God to stop doing . . . what you keep doing . . . but don’t want to do?  When are you going to do what’s right?

    You can’t fool me because I know you.  I know you because I know myself.  Despite our differences we are all the same before a holy God.  We can’t fool each other because God says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Rom. 3:23)

    We are born in sin.  We are born without trust in our Lord.  We daily need to be repenting.  We also need to be concerned about one another.  We need to have love for one another.  Are you ready to be a watchman?

“WATCHING OUT FOR EACH OTHER”

    As many of you know I was the oldest sibling in my family.  I was also the oldest grandchild on both sides of the family.  It all starts to make sense why I am the way I am, right?  Anyway, being the oldest always put me in a position of responsibility.  “Watch your sister tonight, we have a PTA meeting.”  “You are going to watch your cousins because the adults are going out for dinner.”  In sports I was always getting voted a captain because they trusted that I would watch out for teammates and get the best out of them.

    This was great preparation for being a Pastor.  I have been the watchman over souls from Texas to Kansas to Illinois.  But God has not just called me to watch out for others, he has placed this wondrous work at your feet as well.  People around us our dying.  Family we love and cherish.  Lifelong friends.  Co-workers.  Teammates.  The issue is eternity.  Jesus said, “My command is this:  Love each other as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:12,13)  So the question:  Are we – you and I – willing to lay down everything for the sake of someone’s soul? 

    What was Ezekiel suppose to do in our text?  Warn the house of Israel.  To speak to them about their iniquity.  To warn them to turn from their wicked ways.  And if he didn’t then the Lord would require his blood.  The Lord appointed him to watch over these souls.

    Those are some heavy, heavy words for us.  Not just words for Pastors but words for the Priesthood of believers.  I know many of you have that burden on your heart this day.  You are watching out for someone that just doesn’t seem to be listening.  Don’t give up.  You have a responsibility.  Listen to this.

    Back on January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean.  The blame was on faulty O-rings that failed at cold temperatures.  The night before the launch, Allen McDonald, director of the project for Morton Thiokol, refused to sign off on the launch because the temperature dipped below freezing.  They went ahead with disastrous results.  For telling the truth, McDonald was demoted.  Later, he was vindicated by a presidential commission and given his job back.  He led the redesign of the boosters.  After 110 successful flights, the astronauts believe the solid rocket boosters to be the safest part of the shuttle.

    God calls you.  God calls me to issue that kind of warning for the eternal safety of those we know.  It may pain us.  We may get blowback.  We may even get demoted in the eyes of those we warn.  But our sharing of God’s Word saves lives through the work of the Holy Spirit.  Can’t you say someone watched over you?  A parent?  A Pastor?  A Sunday School teacher?  Grandma?  Grandpa?  Good friend?  Maybe the Lord even used a casual acquaintance.  

    Why do it?  Out of love.  Paul writes, “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently.  But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.  Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal. 6:1, 2)

    Gently…gently.  C.S. Lewis once pointed out, “Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have something to forgive.”  I draw your attention to Romans 5:8:  “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  He didn’t die for me after I made improvements.  He died for you and me in our sin.  As enemies of the cross, God sent Jesus to forgive and love and restore us.  He is always watching out for us.

    You know how we offend our Lord in thought, word, and deed?  Here’s the best part:  Christ is always there to love and restore.  He pronounces love and assurance in absolution.  In Baptism we are buried with Christ and clothed in His righteousness.  He feeds me forgiveness in Holy Communion – given and shed for you. 

    This forgiveness is every day.  The Lord’s interest is to grant me eternal salvation.  He loves this wretch standing before you that much.  And He loves the wretches sitting in front of me the same way.  We couldn’t love each other or others differently.  Watching out for each other because Jesus is watching out for us.  Amen.