Sermon Texts

May 18, 2025 Text: Acts 11:1-18

Dear Friends in Christ,

Most Lutheran people know what we call the “Common Table Prayer” which most of us say before meals: “Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest, and let thy gifts to us be blessed. Amen”. We call it common, but how common is it outside of Lutheran circles. Other folks may wonder if it is inspired or just brief and to the point. One thing I have noticed over the years is that when a Lutheran marries a non-Lutheran, and even if they attend the non-Lutheran Church, the family still says the common table prayer at home and in the restaurant.
For many in our world, the commo n table prayer is not so common. It united us as Lutherans, but it may exclude others. This is the way it was with circumcision and unclean foods in the first century or with modern divisions we ourselves create. By contrast, our text today calls us to see that God’s grace and promise goes to all people because we are…
“BOUND TOGETHER AS JESUS’ CHURCH”
Maybe we do get a little concerned about the Lord bringing the faith to those outside our little area of the world. The Jewish Christians did this with Peter. They were not supportive of him taking the Gospel message to the Gentiles. After all, in Deuteronomy 7 God himself had established a distinction of Israel from the Gentiles. Jews even thought that eating a meal with these Gentiles would make them unclean.
God had forbidden Israel to eat many foods that the Gentiles ate. But please remember what Jesus did. He ate with sinners. He sat down with the unclean. He did not stay away from certain foods. Jesus went well beyond in his effort to reach people with his message.
How about us? We have our comfort zone. Most of us like our space. You remember the joke at our house. I was already leaving in a covid world before we had even heard of the word covid. Relatives remarked that I wouldn’t have to change, because I was already giving people space. Are you the same way? Or are you like the people always behind me in the grocery line who think the closer they are to me the quicker the conveyor belt is going to move. “Let me pay please, thank you!”
What might disturb your comfort zone? The friend who wants to argue with you about our stance on Holy Communion? The relative at the family gathering that always has to engage you on infant baptism. How about the acquaintance who calls us the “exercise” church because we are always up and down?
God includes everyone. That is part of our confession. God made that very clear to Peter. God gives Peter a miraculous vision. Others were there to affirm the message and in the last few verses of our text God left no doubt.
Today, God affirms his promises to include all people by the testimony of His Word. The new covenant has been instituted with the shedding of Jesus’ blood. By Jesus dying on the cross, the sins of every man, woman, and child; past, present, future, has been paid for. Through the cross of Jesus, the gifts of forgiveness and eternal life have been given to all who believe. This plan of salvation means we can step out of our comfort zone. The gift of faith is for all. We see them differently. Not as a conflict lover, but as someone that Jesus would go to the cross for.
In the end, God calls all to faith through the same Word and Spirit. Whether by infant Baptism or the Holy Spirit working faith in adults, it is the same Word for everyone. The Gospel message is beyond our little corner of the world. God works the faith when He wants, with the soul that He wants. We don’t question, we just praise Him for His grace. We are “in” with Jesus because He paid for our membership by dying for us. Let us not stand in the Spirit’s way and we want to praise God when He brings others to faith.
Babette’s Feast was a 1987 Dutch film that showed people at odds with one another brought together by food and a gracious hostess. Babette was a servant in 19th century Denmark who devoted herself to bringing people together in a small and austere religious sect. She spent all that she had to prepare this feast for people that didn’t always get along. She introduced new foods and as they sat around the table together, beautiful things started happening.
As with Babette’s guests, Peter once questioned who he should dine with. Jews and Gentiles had always been at odds. But now Christ was gathering all who believed in Him to join as his feast, and how could Peter or the Church refuse? We can’t because we are bound together as Jesus’ Church.
Amen.

May 11, 2025 Text: Revelation 7:9-17

Dear Friends in Christ,

Most of us have heard of the unwritten rule that you should not wear white before May Day or after Labor Day, but where does this come from? In the Gilded Age of the 1870’s – 1900’s white was worn only in summer when you left the grimy city for summer vacation. White was also at one time a status marker for wealthy families. A more plausible explanation might be this one – white is harder to keep clean in non-summer months where we have four seasons.
This unwritten rule is basically outdated. Toni has given me the business in jest when I put on my white sport coat and break this rule. Here is what your Pastor says – wear what you want and whatever time of year you want because white has great symbolism for the Christian. It is in our text from Revelation from this morning. I look out at all of you this morning and with the Apostle John we say together . . . .
“YOU LOOK GOOD IN WHITE”
We hear it said: “Dress for success; you are what you wear.” Ever since Adam and Eve made a fashion statement with the fig leaf, our garments have been important. Why else do we dress up for a wedding, for prom, for church, dinner on a cruise? The criminal on trial even cleans up and walks into the courtroom. What we wear matters on some level.
It matters to our faith as well and our life in Christ. Steven A. Hein, in his book entitled The Christian Life Cross or Glory? writes: “We incompetent and disqualified sinners are clothed with the righteousness of Christ, a constantly worn garment that gives us saintly status and life as God’s children. With His righteousness, we are outfitted – made totally fit – for sainthood and citizenship in His Kingdom. And then miraculously, the robe of righteousness also creates and develops us on the inside into a mature image of the righteous Son of Man.”
Scripture supports this. Isaiah in 61:10: “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation.” In the New Testament and the Book of Galatians: “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Gal. 3:27)
Before we can put on white, we get rid of our soiled clothes. How have we soiled ourselves? We get splattered with dirt when we put ourselves into situations we should not be in, places we shouldn’t go, friends we shouldn’t hang with. Sometimes the puddle splashes when we try to jump too far by ourselves. “I can make it.” But we can’t. And then once in a while, like my mud volleyball days at Illinois State, you get so dirty that you are cleaning your body for a week. That troublesome sin that leaves arms and legs but still gets in between your toes.
“Who are these? Who are you?” “Who are these clothed in white robes and where have they come from?” Then the answer, “Sir, you know…these are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
The vision of John is for every generation and time. Those of us still here on earth living faithfully are part of the gathering. Our worship is our fellowship of this praise. White in the blood? It’s a paradox. White is the color of purity, and Christ’s people are purified by His shed blood for them. Christ has washed our robes and made them white. He is the dry cleaner; we just make the pick-up in faith through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Our white garments are a symbol of our Christian righteousness. All that dirt that we accumulate is sprinkled away in the water of Holy Baptism. In this Sacrament we put off the old man and put on Christ. If you wore a baptismal gown, I can almost guarantee it was white. Symbolism means something, signifies something. You are clean through Jesus Christ and He says to you today . . . YOU LOOK GOOD IN WHITE.
Amen.

April 20, 2025 – Easter Text: Isaiah 65:17-25

Dear Friends in Christ,

One of the top episodes, as voted on by fans of “The Andy Griffith Show” is called “Man in a Hurry.” A businessman’s car breaks down outside of Mayberry, but he can’t get anyone to fix it because it’s Sunday. He doesn’t understand the slow pace of this small town. He finally has had it when he can’t make a phone call because the line is tied up by two sisters. He blurts out, “outrageous, sheer idiocy a public utility being tied up like this. You people are living in another world. This is the 20th century, don’t you realize that? The whole world is living in a desperate space age. Men are orbiting the earth. International television has been developed. . . and here a whole town is standing still because two old women’s feet fall asleep.”
Our last soap opera in our Lenten sermon series is “Another World.” It was broadcast on NBC from 1964-1999. It was the first soap to go to one hour. The show in it’s later years had a theme song by Gary Morris and Crystal Gayle entitled, “You Take Me Away To Another World.”
What a beautiful theme for our Easter. Christ is Risen. He is Risen Indeed and that means when we die we can look forward to . . . .
“ANOTHER WORLD”
I feel like Mr. Tucker on the “Andy Griffith Show.” I’m living in Another World. We don’t get mail service every day. College sports is unrecognizable. I have been in places where they won’t take cash for a $3 bottle of water. We get a bill in the mail that the company charges us $3.49 for them to send us a paper bill. We are the consumer! Don’t get me started with cash, it’s ridiculous. Are we trying to push people into debt? It is like I am in Another World. What is going on? And now AI wants to give me a synopsis of an e-mail. People took the time to write me, I want to read the whole thing. Do you see the point? So-called advancement is no advancement when it disrupts lives.
Why is the music of the 70’s and 80’s still played in stadiums? Why are nostalgia businesses doing so well? Why are young Catholics and young Lutherans fighting so hard for the historic liturgy of the church? Because sometimes life does move too fast in Another World.
The prophet Isaiah lived in a world he was questioning. Good times. Bad times. The Lord’s people had it good, but it led them to depravity. Folks had things come to them much too easy. Isaiah was called into this world to call people to repent. In this hostile world he was reminding the people to stay faithful. Sin and death surrounded them.
You see the world never changes, it just takes a different look. Only once did it look different. Creation had another world. Perfection. No depravity. No entitlement. Two people got along at least for a while. You think your marriage is difficult? Shortly after Adam and Eve were united by God in marriage, they fight. I ate and shouldn’t have . . . my wife gave it to me. Thanks a lot you two. You had a whole world, couldn’t one of you run off to cool down? Naked – we see sin. Pain it’s coming. Death that too. No living forever. Couldn’t you go to any other tree?
See what I just did there? Blamed them. Yep, guilty. See how easy it is to go to the wrong place or be with the wrong people or let the devil invade our thoughts? We can’t reform our sinful ways. We can’t create another world here on earth. Ain’t gonna happen.
What does Isaiah see? A new heaven and new earth. No more weeping. No more crying. Wolf and lamb together. No hurting. Another world. I want that world. Do you want that world? I’ll have cash but it will do no good. You can’t pay to get in. An advance team, made of three in one, one in three has already paid the entrance fee. It took blood, and sweat, and tears on a cross. It was death that would pay for my death. It was a death that would pay for your death. “He is not here, but has risen.” He lives and you will live. He ascended to the right hand of the Father, where he reigns over Another World. Death does not have a final say in this world. Christ has promised you will never be abandoned.
He comes alive today in the small town and the big city. He comes for the debit carders and the cash lovers. He comes with intelligence and grace and mercy and all things good. Nothing is artificial. You can smell the flowers and see the non-potholed golden roads. The center of attention is no longer you, it is Him. You surround His throne. You worship the Holy of Holies. It is grand. It is glorious. Frankly, it is indescribable, but it awaits you because of Easter. Christ has won your salvation. He waits . . . for you . . . in
ANOTHER WORLD.
Amen.

April 18, 2025 – Good Friday Tenebrae Texts: Psalm 103:1-4, John 5:21-24
Dear Friends in Christ,
Just like last night, tonight we have another ABC soap opera that was very popular in its heyday. It was broadcast from 1968-2012. It showed ethnically and socioeconomically diverse characters. It was a soap that had very strong male characters. It settled before going on the air to be titled, “One Life To Live.” The original proposed title though was: “Between Heaven and Hell.”
Isn’t that a great way of looking at Good Friday? As Jesus was on the cross, he was between heaven and hell. He was obedient in his calling from the Father in heaven, but he was suffering hell on behalf of us because of it. He would even traverse to hell after his death to declare victory over the forces of evil. He entered our world to save the world. He could accomplish this because he had . . .
“ONE LIFE TO LIVE”
This one life affects the life of every other human being. It moved King David to write, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, and heals all your diseases.”
We are diseased people, are we not? Suffering from justifying ourselves. Somebody eats a whole pizza but wants to tell you they will take a walk later. A friend buys a great piece of clothing but reminds you it was on sale. We lie to keep up the façade that we got everything under control. But do we?
This cannot be escaped. Yes, you use bad language, but you recycle. You cheated on your spouse, but you don’t smoke. You manipulated your neighbor, but you gave a contribution to “Citizens Saving the Salamander.” Everyone knows self-justification.
John writes, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” How did this promise come about? Jesus taught the resurrection before there was a resurrection. He had one live to live as this man who could have justified himself, but he chose not to. He went to trial.
He wasn’t here to change the political scene. He believed in paying taxes and not injuring others. He taught and healed and did so in a peaceful manner. Why is he even here? Because the hateful, evil people got their way. This is where mob mentality was born. “Crucify him, crucify him!” Their self-justification overwhelmed them.
A crime has been committed. A crime against God. Jesus was getting what was coming to him – one life to live. Jesus allowed this travesty to continue – one life to live. He is keeping his mouth shut in the face of accusations – one life to live. He doesn’t justify, he doesn’t lawyer up – he has one life to live – and he is taking that life to a hill on Golgatha, to be crucified between two convicted criminals.
One of the hallmarks of the soap opera is the close-up shot. Right in there close. Getting the emotion on the face. They love to do this right before they fade to black and go to a commercial. I want you to picture the close-up of the face of Jesus as he suffers and dies for you. What do you see? It is going to fade to black in the middle of the day, the earth will shake, the temple curtain will reveal God and man coming together. Self-justification fades away in the darkness of the moment. Don’t look away. This one life may suffer death but he is going to live. A character enters the scene sensing this same thing, “Surely he was the God.” Let’s update the script: “Surely he is the Son of God.”
Jesus suffered this one life to see you with Him forever. We leave here somber as we await the good news. The show is not over.
Join us Easter Sunday on this same station for . . . “Another World.”
Amen.

April 17, 2025 – Maundy Thursday Texts: Deut. 6:4-9, 1 Cor. 11:23-26, Mark 10:13-16

Dear Friends in Christ,

Tonight and tomorrow night we get to two soap operas that I probably am most familiar with. That is because these were two of the soap operas that my mom and sister watched in my formative years. Tonight is the ABC soap “All My Children.” It was on for 41 years and was set in the fictional town of Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. The character most identified with the show is Erica Kane. In the days of VCR’s it was the most recorded TV program in the United States. Agnes Nixon, the creator of “All My Children” said this which is appropriate for tonight. “The great and the least, the rich and the poor, the weak and the strong, in sickness and in health, in joy and sorrow, in tragedy and triumph, you are all my children.”
Those are words that could have been uttered by Jesus when speaking about us, His children. Like a parent with their child, Jesus is always there for us. Tonight, we look at a holy meal that binds us together in the Lord’s family. The Lord sacrificed for . . .
“ALL MY CHILDREN”
The words children and child are scattered throughout all of Scripture. It began after Adam and Eve sinned and the Lord told Eve that she would have pain when she delivered children. From the beginning the Lord was involved.
The Lord in Deuteronomy, our Old Testament lesson, instructed parents in how to teach God’s Word to their children. They are to do it faithfully and repeatedly. In the house, when walking along the road, when lying down, like before be, and when the children get up. As parents we take every opportunity, no matter how mundane to discuss what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.”
He does love all His children, don’t you know? He gets a little perturbed when the disciples try to hinder the children from coming to Him in our Gospel. The disciples did not think that children were important. Jesus makes clear that they are. They are part of “All My Children.” The youngest to the oldest. From every nation and continent. Every person who has ever been born is the direct result of a creator God.
What is the beauty of a child. Their trust. They trust what they are being taught. They are not afraid to express their faith in Jesus. Somewhere along the way, we lose that childlike trust. It is nice to have independence but not when it makes you independent from Jesus. We need to trust the Lord like a child trusts a parent. All people, like helpless children, receive Jesus’ blessing and enter the Kingdom through faith in Him.
One of those blessings is the Sacrament of Holy Communion. The apostles passed this teaching of Christ on to the Apostle Paul, and he wrote it down in our Epistle from 1 Corinthians. This sacrificial meal looks ahead one day to the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. When he broke the bread it parallels the sacrificial breaking of Christ’s body on the cross. “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” What do we remember? The shed blood of Jesus during his trial and crucifixion. It all points to our forgiveness and salvation.
As we commune, we do so as God’s family. We make a confession of our faith. A foretaste of the feast to come. We are given this privilege by our Savior. His Scripture gives us these promises. “To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12). “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” (1 John 3:1)
This meal is for us his children. It is not about what we are doing, it is about what He is doing for us. His body and blood being handed to you is His service to you. It is His love to you. Come all my children, the feast prepared for you.
Tomorrow is one of the holiest days on the Christian calendar . . . Good Friday. Join us on this same station for . . . “One Life To Live.”
Amen.

April 6, 2025 Text: Luke 20:9-20

Dear Friends in Christ,
While you may not find this highlighted in their academic handbook, many colleges and universities have courses that students view as “weed-out” courses. They are named that way because they are intended to weed out the average student. The tests have to be curved just so some students will pass.
Students complain. Administrations warn departments against having them. Nonetheless, the courses are helpful. They produce humility in students who need to be humbled. Some students think more of their academic abilities than are there. These courses weed out the students who need to find a different path and direction in life.
In the Gospel today, we see the Son coming to crush misguided hopes and dreams. He destroys the goals of the wicked tenants – and even our own self-centered goals. But in so doing, he lays a cornerstone from which we are built up, together with all the Church, to a much better goal. We are built up to life with God, life that has God-centered and other centered, rather than self-centered, goals.
What happens when God’s authority is questioned, and tenants try to take over? They are on a collision course as we ask . . .
“WHO RUNS THE VINEYARD?”
With both the tenants in the parable and in our own lives, we perceive that God’s authority prevents us from getting what we want. This is the situation with the tenants. But it is nothing new. The authority of Jesus has been opposed throughout Luke’s Gospel.
Now the authority of the vineyard owner is not the only thing challenged. The tenants also challenge the delegates sent by the owner. These servants that are sent represent the many prophets God sent to his people – Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah, Amos, John the Baptist are just a few that Israel rejected. All three servants are beaten and wounded. The Greek for these words gives us our English word “trauma.” These servants needed immediate help in the local ER.
What is the owner going to do now? Who is running this vineyard? I got it. I will send my son, “perhaps they will respect him.” This is either naïve or strategic. The owner is giving the tenants an opportunity to repent. Bad plan. With the son they don’t want to just wound him, they want to kill him. They believe that the inheritance is theirs. These tenants are like a rabid dog, they bite irrationally. Is there any reasonable planet where a man whose three servants have been mistreated and his son killed who would have his lawyer draw up a will giving the vineyard to those who did these terrible deeds? What are these tenants thinking? Well, they are not.
Do we ever get irrational? Do we ever think we own the vineyard or run a little part of it? Do we ever get in cahoots with the world? Are there things that we want to do but this whole Jesus thing is holding us back? Who runs the vineyard?
The owner makes it pretty clear. He is going to destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. The owner gives that direct look we have all faced either from a parent, a coach, or a teacher. It is an unpleasant experience, but it established who the authority is. The owner even warns future unbelievers, “Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” (v. 18).
God wants us to know He is in charge. He wanted Israel to know that He had been using and blessing them all along. No matter how bad the sin, like the upcoming crucifixion of Jesus, the Lord’s people can still repent. It is always God’s desire to give.
We have been given the vineyard. Congratulations. Christ Jesus died for all the times we have challenged God’s authority. Christ has risen to give us a new lease – a new lease on this vineyard and a new lease on life. So put down the pruning fork. Don’t mess with the plan. God is holding nothing back from us. He gives us everything truly good as a gift. God wants us to understand that He still runs things. This is how He exercises His authority. The Father and the Son desire us to see their authority not as withholding but as giving.
“Fear not little flock,” Jesus says, “For it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you” not just the vineyard but also “the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). Giving is His style in running the vineyard.
Amen.