Oct. 28, 2018 – Reformation/All Saints Text: Romans 5:1-2
Dear Friends in Christ,
It was October 1975 and a nine-year old boy was looking forward to a football game between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. With it being a Sunday he went with his family to church. It was time for the children’s sermon and he didn’t want to go as he thought he was getting a little too old for this. His parents wanted him to take his little sister up. This did not make the young man happy. But he went. Once up front he decided to stand against a beam in the church. The Pastor asked if he would sit down. The boy refused. He tried again, “Please have a seat.” The boy said he would stand. Children’s sermon went on. Church and Bible Class were over. The family headed home. The boy thought nothing of his actions until his parents let him know he should have sat down when the Pastor asked him to. He would have to suffer the consequences. There was no joy in the little berg that day as the young man could not watch the Bears game. He always wondered was it such a big deal he stood when he should have been sitting?
Did Martin Luther ever ponder that question? Did Jesus? What about you? We just stood for “Stand Up, Stand Up, for Jesus.” I then said to all of you, “Please have a seat.” What if one or two of you decided you didn’t want to sit? Would it matter? Today we are celebrating Reformation and All Saints in one glorious Sunday. When we think of those who have gone before us, what strengthens us for our journey ahead? This is what strengthens me and I pray it strengthens you. What did they do when the world told them . . .
“PLEASE HAVE A SEAT”
The world would be happy if as Christians we just sat down and kept our mouths shut. Or if we just kept to ourselves. Or if we didn’t believe everything in the Bible. There are people out there trying to sit us down on marriage, abortion, what gives salvation, and who is Jesus. Well, it isn’t going to happen because that is not who the Lord wants us to be.
Who are we? Paul reminds us in our text, “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”
We are first and foremost justified by faith through Jesus Christ. We do not stand before God through our performance. Judaism has 613 commandments to keep. Buddhism has its eight-fold path. Islam has its five pillars. These are lists of actions to take to be right with God. Keep them and you will get approval from the deity. Recent research continues to show this is how a majority of Americans see things. Be good or do enough good things and heaven is yours.
This was the struggle of Martin Luther. Could he do enough good things? He found his outside actions didn’t change who he was on the inside. Inwardly he was still greedy, lustful, and selfish. He had no peace or assurance of salvation that he was good enough for God.
This is also our problem. God’s standard for our performance is holiness. God doesn’t grade on a curve. We are either fully holy or we are not. We cannot stand on our works before God. Please have a seat – sinful human being.
Luther and the saints before us were able to stand because of “grace in which we stand.” The princes and pope and church leaders were asking Luther, “Please have a seat.” He answered in some form or fashion, “I don’t believe I will. God has done everything to rescue me. He has done it all through Jesus Christ.” Jesus stood before Pilate. He stood up under the weight of the cross. He stood on Golgotha’s hill for the world to ponder. The centurion who stood by proclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God.” He stood as He ascended to heaven to prepare a place for you and me. I know, I know you are thinking, “But now he sits at least that is how we confess it in the Creed.” This is because he has accomplished our salvation. Nothing more needs to be done. “Please have a seat O Savior.” “I think I will at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.” The work of redemption is complete. May the work of the Holy Spirit keep us standing in this one, true faith.
Christianity is not a doing religion. It is a done reality. We look forward to the hope. For our loved ones who died in the faith, they are living this hope. They didn’t cower in the corner when the pressure of life got too hard. They didn’t sit down with nothing to look forward to. They stood for the faith in their worship life, and prayer life and the faith they passed on to us. O how we miss them but we stand strong in the faith they possessed and we look forward to standing with them in heaven some day.
I’m not here to excuse the nine-year old boy who wouldn’t sit. He should have been a little more obedient toward his Pastor. Those moments that the Lord allowed to happen in his life were preparing him to stand before you today…in this church…in this pulpit…strengthened in his faith by those who have gone before him. I pray this day that we can all stand together. I know we are not all in the same place when it comes to telling the world, “I don’t believe I will have a seat.” Some of you will stand to the end. Some will stand strong depending on the issue. Some of you want to sit to keep the peace or not cause waves. As Lutheran Christians, loved and saved by our Lord, I don’t see this as an option. Listen to these words of the last verse of our hymn
Stand up, stand up for Jesus; The strife will not be long.
This day the din of battle, the next the victor’s song.
The soldiers overcoming, Their crown of life shall see
And with the King of Glory Shall reign eternally.
Amen.