Author: Evangelism

June 7, 2026                                                                                   Text:  Matthew 9:9-13

Dear Friends in Christ,

            I ran across this recently on the internet, “11 things to look for in a Pastor.”  I will share a few you might enjoy.  “Should know Greek and Hebrew, makes him sound like he knows something about the Bible.” “Diehard NFL fan.  Gets you out of church by noon.”  “Must enjoy a wide variety of casseroles.”  “Willingness to preach boldly against sins you don’t personally commit.”  “Must be friendly and always available, but not all up in your business.”  “Is a man.  This one’s non-negotiable.”  And this last one, “No more than 6 disqualifying sins in his past.”

            That last one might be a little hard for our main character today – Matthew.  Let’s see what made him such a bad candidate for the ministry.  He is an IRS man of his day.  Despised by the people.  He probably gouged people to line his own pockets.  His Jewish name was Levi.  Being from the tribe of Levi made him eligible for the priesthood, but he goes in almost the complete other direction.  Could this have caused him to despise himself?  We better put this guy into the “do not call” pile.

            But you see we are not doing the call.  Jesus is running this show.  He sees something in this publican that the world does not.  Jesus understands this is . . .

“THE CALL OF THE IMPERFECT”

            The text begins, “As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’  And he rose and followed him.” (v. 9). Like many of the other disciples called, Matthew just gets up and followed.  I am always amazed at this dedication.  He may have known of Jesus’ ministry and Jesus had just come from healing the paralytic, but this imperfect man still was able to get on board.

            “And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples.  And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners.?’” (vs. 10-11).  During this time in history, sharing a meal was as important as sharing life itself.  The Pharisees who thought their own righteousness made them right with God, could not stomach Jesus’ table fellowship with these imperfect people.

            Jesus is ready with the answer for the imperfect.  “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’  For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (vs. 12-13).  Jesus is telling these pompous Pharisees to go back to school.  They did not see that mercy was the point of God’s work.  Hosea condemned the same thing with Israel in our Old Testament Lesson.  He told them to “return to the Lord…I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” (Hos. 6:1a, 6).

            We are imperfect people called to follow the Savior.  “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him.”  These words in our Catechism show the language of repentance.  We have no merit or worthiness to make a decision for Jesus.  The Holy Spirit has called us by the Gospel.  The perfect man died and rose for the imperfect Matthew and the imperfect you and I. 

            Matthew talked and ate with Jesus.  We have this same presence with Jesus.  Word and Sacrament.  The preaching of the Gospel and the eating of Jesus’ body and blood.  Basic elements of human existence but raised to a higher level by the presence of Christ.

            The church is not just a collection of people.  It is a hospital filled with sick, sick people.  Our doctor knows what horrible thoughts and actions can come from the patients.  He knows we need Him.  We need a Physician for our imperfections.  We need a Savior for our sickness.  We need the Lamb of God for our lethargy.  We need a Redeemer for our restless heart.  Speak to me Doctor.

            When He speaks we hear the call of the imperfect.  We join Matthew, Peter, and John and the other imperfects in our calling.   David Burgess wrote this, “In the future, the most important test of the Christian church may not lie in the wisdom of our planning or the skill of our preaching but in the plain, stubborn, devoted commitment of people like ourselves, who are not wise enough or good enough to deserve the name of Christians but who resolve to follow Christ in everything we do.”

                                                                                    Amen.        

May 31, 2026 – Trinity Sunday                                               Text:  Matthew 28:16-20

Dear Friends in Christ,

            The mystery of the Trinity is beyond us, but people still try to explain it.  How about ice?  Water can be a liquid.  It can be ice.  It can be heated to be steam.  In each state it is water.  Three in one.  This fails in one crucial way.  You can’t have ice, steam, and liquid all at the same time.  You either have steam or ice or liquid.  But the father is always God; never is there a time he is not Gode.  The Son is always God; never a time he was not.  The Holy Spirit is always God; never a time he was not.  All three persons are always and fully god at the same time. 

            Attempts at grasping this all far short.  And they should.  Who can know the workings of God?  Look at our Old Testament reading.  Creation.  Can you comprehend how God did it?  I have no idea either.  The Hubble telescope has sent pictures of the universe that scramble the brain.  Remember from science class that light travels 186,000 miles per second or about six trillion miles in a year.  It would take over 158,000 light-years to reach even one of the closest galaxies.  The universe is about 96 billion light years in diameter, and expanding even farther and farther every minute we’re in church.

            Very simply the triune God is beyond us.  But he has revealed himself as Father, son, and Holy Spirit.  Three in One.  The Trinity.  We believe and confess it.  Even while . . .

“THE MYSTERY OF THE TRINITY IS BEYOND US”

            And that is ok.  We don’t need to be the smartest people in the room.  We need to be the faithful people in the room.  I don’t know how my car works, but I counted on it to get me to church.  I don’t know much about a computer, but I knew I could type my sermon on it.  I don’t under the physics of our fridge, but I put the milk in there this morning and I have faith that same milk will be cold tomorrow.  See how this works.

            Thankfully, our Triune God is not only beyond us.  He is also with us.  The last words of our text.  “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (v. 20)  Wit that, everything changes.  He is not the too big God.  He is God with us.  This Jesus who had a miraculous virgin birth.  This Jesus who was baptized by John.  Why be baptized?  He was taking his stand with us.  A few years later he is on a cross.  He is taking on himself anything and everything that would keep us at a distance from God.  He takes our awful deeds, the death we should die and even hell – separation from God – he takes it all for us.  What we deserve, Jesus serves.  We are promised eternal life, now and in eternity.  God is always with us.  His resurrection is the proof. 

            We believe this because we have been baptized in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  That water poured over us, along with the words spoken, brought us into the eternal presence of our triune God.  We should all have our baptismal certificates framed and displayed.  At Good Shepherd we have so many blessed with banners who prayerfully have them hung in a prominent place.  We are God’s children.

            Beyond us – yes.  With us – indeed.  And more, He is in us.  In being baptized we are also instructed to “observe all that I have commanded you.” We turn the teaching into learning.  How does it happen?  The power of the Holy Spirit working in God’s Word.  In these means – a sermon, a Bible class, a devotion, a conversation – The Spirit works to teach us what Jesus has said and done.

            When we look at creation – we praise God.  When we look at the people He has placed in our lives -we praise God.  When we look at our calling or our daily bread – we praise God.  How can our lips do this?  The Holy Spirt shapes and transforms us. 

            We will not grasp the mystery of the Trinity, although we confess it.  We will not comprehend how immense and majestic God is, but we will believe he is always with us as the Living Lord.  We will not understand how he is three persons yet only one God, but we learn what he has done for us and we praise him for it.

            While the mystery of the Trinity is beyond us, our Creator God is always present with us through the exaltation of His Son and in us by the sanctifying gift of the Holy Spirit.

                                                                                                                                                Amen.      

May 24, 2026 – Pentecost                                                                     Text:  Acts 2:1-21

Dear Friends in Christ,

            Recently I told Toni that I am a common sense person living in a nonsensical world.  This is especially true with language.  I have shared some of my experiences in other sermons.  Here is one I haven’t shared.

            This one involves the church.  A few months ago, we got a new copier.  Simple enough and we got a better deal.  We had leased the other copier back in 2016 for five years.  As part of the lease, we were to get toner, service etc.  Because of changes in the church office and Covid, we didn’t realize all of this.  We also shouldn’t have been charged after 2021, but we were.   After getting the new copier, we had to return the old copier.  That became a communication challenge.  They finally came and got it.  All good.  Not quite, my Lutheran friend.  They continued to bill us.  Phone calls were made, but while speaking English nobody seemed to know what was going on.  They are aware we did everything we were supposed to and hopefully after some office personnel frustration this will come to an end.

            Do you ever wonder if your fellow man or woman is speaking your same language?  I have experienced more language problems in America than I did in Germany two years ago.  Today is Pentecost, 50 days after the Passover Sabbath.  Language is a mess.  Everyone is talking in a different language.  Is anybody listening?  A good question to ask . . .

“ARE WE UNDERSTANDING THE LANGUAGE?”

            OK, so what is happening here?  The apostles and believers come together after Jesus’ Ascension and the calling of Matthias.  The Holy Spirit comes and people are speaking and hearing in their own language.  Pentecost is the time when the message of Jesus is going beyond the bounds of Israel.  It will be taken to the world.  There was amazement and perplexity and of course the mockers. 

            Just as some rejected the earthly Jesus, so mockers and skeptics have always dismissed the church’s message.  In this instance they figure the men must be drinking.  At this point Peter gets up to give his Pentecost sermon.  He answers the naysayers.  They aren’t drunk.  It is only 9 o’clock in the morning.  We also know that the Jews only drank wine with meat and meat was only served at the evening meal. 

            Now it is time for some language clarity.  What better place than God’s Word.  Peter quotes the prophet Joel.  He prophesied around 870 B.C.  By drawing from the Old Testament, Peter is showing this event is part of God’s plan.  This is nothing new.  Peter and the apostles are building on the foundations that God had earlier prepared.  This is what was going to happen before the Lord returns.  The Lord would pour out his Spirit and send signs and wonders. 

            One of those signs is in language we understand.  “Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness.”  (19b-20a). Blood and fire and vapor of smoke appear together at the time of wars and great calamities of nature.  As far as bloody wars are concerned, we have seen this sign often enough, and the Scriptures hold out no hope that it will not be repeated until the very end.  Just in the last year or so we also saw the sun turned to darkness.  These things continue to happen.  The Lord speaks.

            In verse 12, the people asked, “What does this mean?”  Explain the words uttered.  That is what Peter is doing.  He concludes our text in clear language that all can understand, “And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (v. 21).  I understand that.  Do you?

            In one of our beautiful mission hymns, LSB 835, it says, “On Galilee’s high mountain Christ gave the great command In words of strength and promise Which all can understand.”  The Holy Spirit fights for us and fills us through Word and Sacrament.  None of us is any better than anyone else we see on the street.  Yes, people are speaking a different language, but the strength of the Holy Spirit keeps us in the true Word.  The Word that died on the Cross.  The Word that rose to forgive and promise us eternal life.  His actions spoke a language all could understand.  It is a language lesson for every day.  Through the Spirit we clearly communicate through the Church.

            The world’s language of confusion isn’t going anywhere.  They will continue to confound with their fancy words and nonsense.  With the Spirit poured out upon us, we stay clear of junky jargon, and we hear and speak the language of a Savior who loves us.  “Preserve Your Word and preaching, The truth that makes us whole, The mirror of Your glory, The pow’r that saves the soul.  Oh, may this living water, This dew of heav’nly grace, Sustain us while here living Until we see Your face.” (LSB #658 v. 4)

                                                                                                                        Amen.      

May 17, 2026                                                                                     Text:  Acts 1:12-26

Dear Friends in Christ,

            Matthias was called to an office job.  Not in the clerical administrative way.  His office job was a position of public authority and service.  The Oval Office.  It was around long before Donald Trump or Joe Biden.  The office of the President of the United States is bigger than anyone who holds it.

            Still bigger was the authority given to Matthias to proclaim the crucified and risen Savior.  He was called to be an apostle.  The sent ones.  They were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ death and resurrection being sent to proclaim this Jesus.  After Judas’ disgraceful betrayal, they needed to fill his position.  Two men are put forward.  Barsabbas and Matthias.  After the assembly of believers prayed, “they cast lots on them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.” (v. 26)

            Pastors are called into the apostolic ministry.  They are not eyewitnesses to Jesus’ death and resurrection, but like the apostles, they are called and ordained to say what Jesus said, nothing more and nothing less.  For the Lord’s words, not ours, are the words of eternal life.  That’s why we say . . .

“YOUR PASTOR HAS AN OFFICE JOB”

            In this office job, your Pastor works in the stead and by the command of Jesus Christ.  Pastors are not their own boss.  It is God’s Work and Word at work in and through them.  Pastors are called and ordained servants.  The call makes a Pastor.  When I graduated seminary if I hadn’t received a call to Emmanuel Lutheran in Littlefield, Texas, I might still be sitting in Ft. Wayne.  Good Shepherd hasn’t had a call meeting in years because your Pastor just won’t leave.  But someday you will.  You will then decide – do we call from the field or the seminary?  If you call from the field, you will get a list of names, pray about it and issue a call.  Not much has changed since Matthias was called.

            No matter which avenue you take you can be confident that whoever you call is well trained.  He will have taken 139 hours of credit hours, he will have made calls at a nursing home and a hospital, he will be assigned to a local church and do the liturgy, preach and teach.  His 3^rd year, he will serve that full year in vicarage.  He will be given even more responsibility and learn the day-to-day life of being a Pastor.  He will return for his 4^th year and use that knowledge to grow in the ministry.  After receiving his call, if it is anything like your Pastor, he and his wife will get out of a U-Haul truck, and everybody welcomes him and calls him “Pastor.”  He looks around for the Pastor and realizes it is him.

            The men called to this profession are not perfect.  Like the Apostle Paul, they have blemishes in their past.  A few months ago, my seminary brother was here and commented that he and the brothers were surprised I went into the ministry.  Why the comment?  Because I had my less than perfect moments during my undergrad days.  Every called Pastor has their own stories.  But our socialization makes us who we are.  Paul is considered a great apostle because his past guided his future.

            What are the expectations for the congregation members?  Let’s cite The Brief Statement of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod adopted in 1932.  “Although the office of the ministry is a divine ordinance, it possesses no other power than the power of the Word of God, that is to say, it is the duty of Christians to yield unconditional obedience to the office of the ministry whenever, and as long as, the minister proclaims to them the Word of God.”  It is quite simple.  If the Pastor is doing his job, respect the office.

            Pastors and lay people say and do things that fall short of the glory of God.  It gets us into trouble.  Your Pastor is put into his office, like Matthias, to carry out Christ’s mission for you.  His stole is a reminder of the vow he made at ordination to preach and teach the Word of God faithfully and administer the Sacraments in accordance with the Lord’s Word.

            Jesus prayed, “This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3). When you hear your Pastor proclaim Jesus’ words, words that forgive sins, words that are spirit and life, you know that you are forgiven, you have eternal life.

            If you don’t like the sermon today, see the Lord about it.  I only work here.  This is an office job that is good for you and me.  This office exists to proclaim the Word of God written for us so that, as John writes, “you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31)

                                                                                                                                    Amen.    

May 14, 2026 – Ascension                                                                   Text:  Acts 1:9-11

Dear Friends in Christ,

            The Babylon Bee is a Christian satirical website.  They recently wrote this.  “Once again, a perfect day has been ruined by the existence of people.  Local man Paul Jennings had woken up in an incredible mood, had a great prayer time followed by delicious bacon, only for his perfect day to come crashing down with his first interaction with people.  ‘Every time,’ sighed Jennings.  ‘People, man.  Every single time I have a perfect day going there are people.  Then, the day is longer perfect.  People are killing me.’  According to surveys, every perfect day thus far in history has been ruined, at some point, by people.  While perfect days seem to have a variety of origins, its destruction by people appears to be universal.”

            It has been that way since two became one – sin in the world.  Then God added two more and we had murder.  People.  You’ve seen it haven’t you?  On your airplane.  On the roads.  In the grocery store line.  At the sporting event.  Family gatherings.  And lo, God forbid, even at a church voter’s meeting.  Interaction with people can cause us to drop our head.  Here we go again.  My congregation knows my solution is headphones.  But there has to be something better than that.  It is the day of Ascension and while you want to hang your head, we have some better news . . .

“THINGS ARE LOOKING UP”

            Our text begins, “And when they had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.”  An awed silence.  Eyes wide with astonishment as they follow him.  Far aloft they see the holy body of Jesus until at last the clouds fold him in.  They gaze but He is gone.  He has ascended into heaven.

            This could be a down time.  The Savior was no longer with them.  We need you Jesus.  We have all these people to deal with.  How can we go on?

            When we deal with loss, our heads too fall southward.  How can we go on?  How can we face people?  What will we do?  What else causes you to drop your head to the ground?  I have been a pitcher in both baseball and softball.  Some of you have played alongside me and know I am quite reactive.  Hits, runs, and the head starts shaking.  I look at the dirt.  What about you?  Is it a bad diagnosis?  Family problems?  National and international news?  Or maybe, just maybe, it is the people you have to deal with.

            The Lord understands all this.  Look at what he does in our text.  “And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?  This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”  Where else have we seen angels?  Big events, right?  Where people had concerns.  The annunciation, Jesus’ birth, Jesus’ temptation, Jesus praying in the Mount of Olives before his betrayal, and then of course at His resurrection.  These angels, as God’s messengers were there to explain the significance of these events.  Let’s get our heads up.  Things are happening.

            Things are looking up.  He will return again and for that we need to have our gaze upward.  Jesus is present here now as he promised when we gather in his name.  He did not leave us to run things in the Church as we see fit.  That would be a decapitated Church.  And there are lots of those.  No, he is here where his Word is preached, and his Sacraments administered.  He is here with his forgiveness when you have to deal with people, or they have to deal with you.  Look up as he stands beside you in your diagnosis or family challenges.  Look up to see that he still rules the world.  Look up and know that he is right beside you loving, encouraging, lifting. 

            Remember his promise in John 12, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”  He has made atonement for everyone’s sin.  He will draw people out of every nation to form His Church.

            When he comes again we have to look up because Revelation 1:7 says,  “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him.  Even so.  Amen.”

            Yes, we pierced him, head hung in shame, but his piercing led to a crucifixion and resurrection.  Heads up.  Forgiven and saved.  He is coming again.  Let’s be ready.  I pray you see it.  Things are looking up.

                                                            Amen.           

May 10, 2026                                                                                       Text:  Acts 17:30-31

Dear Friends in Christ,

            Do you have an appointment book?  Or an appointment calendar?  Or maybe, just maybe if you are technologically savvy you have places that you have to be on your phone.  What appointments might we have?  Doctor, dentist, accountant, lawyer, financial advisor, barbershop, beauty parlor, prayer time, Bible study, community group, sporting event and time for a vacation.  With some of these you get that reminder phone call, “Hello Mr. Smith, this is Gertrude at Dr. Hammer’s office, you have an appointment with us on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.  If you can’t make it or need to reschedule, please give us a call.”  If you don’t go to the doctor or dentist very often, you probably know of the appointment.  If you are running to these type of appointments, and I have seen some your calendars, a call may come in and you say, “That’s right, I forgot about that appointment.”

            In one sense life can be described as a series of appointments.  Such is the direction of the sermon this morning.  It is a call from Scripture . . .

“THIS IS TO REMIND YOU OF YOUR APPOINTMENT WITH GOD ON . . .”

            One thing I do not get complacent about as a Pastor is death.  I have conducted close to 100 funerals in my clergy lifetime.  Brothers and sisters, dads and moms, children, and grandparents.  I can recall some detail about every one of them.  I have many very interesting funeral stories during my clerical collar days.

            One thing we know for sure.  There is an appointed day for every human being.  Solomon said:  “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:  a time to be born, and a time to die.” (Eccl. 3:1,2a)

            In our text the Holy Spirit says through the Apostle Paul:  “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed (that’s Jesus); and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

            God has overlooked times of ignorance has he not?  There has been a lot of idolatry that went unpunished, but it will be punished on the Day of Judgment.  He has a day that He has fixed, and which is appointed.  To think, that man thinks he controls his destiny.

            God has set appointments.  What about this one?  “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son…” (Gal. 4:4).  An appointed time.  In Job it is written, “Since (a man’s) days are determined and the number of months is with you, and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass…” (Job 14:5). Our life is days and months.  Short, Brief.  Unknown but to God.  This isn’t being negative.  This is the Word of the Lord.  We face it.

            Our appointment with God is unknown to us.  He has a set time for each of us here.  Recall with me the words that Paul wrote to Timothy.  “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure has come.” (2 Tim. 4:6). Paul didn’t live in morbid anticipation even as he could see his death before him.  How did he look at it?  His words, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Phil. 1:21)

            We all make statements  that echo something like this. “I am suffering, but it’s better than the alternative.”  “At least I am six feet above ground and not six feet below it.”  Our flesh does recoil at the reality of death and dying.  Staying on this earth indefinitely is not better than the alternative for the child of God in Christ.  Jesus promises forgiveness and eternal life, “whoever believes in Him will not perish.” (Jn. 3:16).  He says to his disciples and says to us, “Let not your hearts be troubled…I will come again and take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (Jn. 14:1,3)

            We have to keep it straight.  It has been said before, but we hear it again today:  “The goal of life isn’t to stay alive.  The goal of life is to glorify God.”  Don’t shove Scripture to the side or fluff your mind with contemporary theology.  Fill your life with God’s Word.

            Here’s a verse from that Word before we leave this sermon behind.  “And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 Jn. 2:17).  Do you have a better understanding?  This is to remind you of your appointment with God on…the day He has set for you, as well as me.  All glory be to Christ!

                                                                                                                                    Amen.