Uncategorized
SERMON TEXT 11.23.2025 — “THE LORD WILL REMEMBER YOU”
November 23, 2025 Text: Malachi 3:13-18
Dear Friends in Christ,
This week kicks off the holiday season. From now until the end of 2025 it is a busy time of family gatherings. I heard about an article where 50% of people were already mapping out their communication topics for these get-togethers. What will people be avoiding? In this order are the top 5: politics, finances, personal appearance, job/dating, and religion. People even have their outs – a phone call they may or not be receiving or a trip to the bathroom. Why are things so difficult? Because with many of these topics we may say hard words that people don’t want to hear. We may make it personal. We may offend. So, talk about the turkey or ham or how nice the centerpiece is. But do not ask if they have found a boyfriend or girlfriend yet.
In our text for this last Sunday in the church year, Malachi the prophet writes of people who have spoken against God. These are His children, the ones whom He created, and they come to the family gathering with harsh things to say. But He also remembers in our text His children that fear Him and heard Him and paid attention to Him. These also gather together because we are His.
“THE LORD WILL REMEMBER YOU”
The text starts out, “Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test, and they escape.’” (v. 13-15)
How would you like that said at the dinner table? Harsh, critical. They are calling the Lord out. These children of Jacob continued to resist the Lord’s Word. They found no benefit in serving the Lord. They found no gain in following God’s Law. They think the arrogant and evildoers are getting away with their behavior.
Do you ever hear anything similar from your friends or family? Who doesn’t like to stir the pot by wondering why their serving God is doing no good? Who can light a spark and get into an argument about God’s Word and what it says? Who wonders aloud where God is with all the evil that seems to be occurring? Can anyone really expect to cajole God into doing what we want? Can we put Him to the test or bend His will?
Prayerfully we realize that we can do none of that. What happens when the Lord remembers? He says we are engraved on His hand. God keeps His promises. Malachi is the last book in the Old Testament. It is God’s last word to Israel before the fulfillment of his greatest promise. The next time God comes around it is going to be in person – in the person of the promised baby in Bethlehem. It is going to be four hundred more years of waiting, but He is going to come. What God’s Word says, happens.
The Lord will remember you. “Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name.” (v. 16) The Lord wasn’t pleased about the words He heard against Him, but He does respond positively to the words of the believers. They are remembered and written in the Book of Life.
The text goes on, “They shall be mine says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.” (v. 17). The irony here is that, while a man spares his son, in the case of this son, the Son of God, God did not spare him, did not have compassion on him, but sent him to the cross. He gave himself up to suffering and death. And Jesus could not save himself from the cross if he wanted to save us. But God did all of that to have compassion on us, to put our sins on Jesus, to make us His sons and daughters.
Turn from your questioning of God. Don’t needle that relative that might strike back, don’t poke the bear who might growl. Don’t test the faith if it is not an appropriate time to do so. Let the Holy Spirt lead you His treasured possession to when the time is right.
The Lord helps us to remember like the last verse says between the “righteous and the wicked,” “the one who serves God and one who does not serve him.” You go out from here as God’s treasure. You know Jesus is King and you have peace with Him. The Lord knows you and will remember you on the Last Day. He is returning you know. You have His table ready, don’t you?
Amen.
Good Shepherd 30th Church Anniversary Celebration – August 24, 2025
Come celebrate our 30th anniversary on August 24, 2025.
9:15 AM – Bible Study
10:30 AM – Service
12:00 PM – Catered Meal
Meal tickets are $12.00 and will be available later in June. For those coming from out of town, a special rate is available at the Holiday In Express – 309.662.4700, ext 7016.
Additional information can be found on the Good Shepherd Facebook page. If you have any questions, please contact the church office.
Usher Schedule – 2022
| July 17 | Greg and Garrett Sheely |
| July 24 | Jeff and Lucas Piper |
| July 31 | Gerald Semelka and Craig Culp |
| Aug. 7 | Barry Hamlin and Mike Huth |
| Aug 14 | Nick and Tanner Hitch |
| Aug. 21 | Gene Fuller and Karson Lueck |
| Aug. 28 | Richard Ross and Holden Lueck |
| Sept. 4 | Mike Field and Dale Dunavan |
| Sept. 11 | Paul Gerike and Brian Dirks |
| Sept. 18 | Randy Reinhardt and Bob Love |
| Sept. 25 | Greg and Will McNeely |
Sermon Text 2022.04.15 — Are you a fan of red?
April 15, 2022 – Good Friday Text: John 19:25-37
Dear Friends in Christ,
Are you a fan of the color red? Some of you are. Many of you know I am not. Go through my closet. No red ties. Go through my drawers. One torn up red t-shirt. Even a remnant from my ISU days is a white sweatshirt with a splash of red. Why? Two reasons. A certain pro team that plays baseball in a neighboring state and a certain university in a neighboring state that had a maniacal coach when I was growing up. This is going to sound crazy, but I wasn’t too excited to come to Illinois State with their red. They had the best TV broadcasting school in the state and the rest is history.
Tonight, I appreciate the red we are about to witness. I pray you do too.
“ARE YOU A FAN OF RED?”
Why do we need the red of Jesus? Because we never measure up to his standards. We fail so miserably. We project sin on others. Blame the husband. Blame the wife. Blame the kids. Blame the parents. Blame the teachers. Blame the government.
If not blaming, we are rationalizing. “I only hurt myself.” “It was just this once.” If that doesn’t work then let’s compare. “Think I’m bad, you should see my creepy boss.” “My sister has a lot more problems than me.”
Another way is to be so busy with distractions that you collapse in bed at night and have no time to haunt your mind with your sin. If you must think about it then pop a pill, smoke a joint, get liquored up and maybe the thoughts will go away. None of it works. You cannot escape the reason for this night. Yea, that’s right. Your sin. My sin.
The only solution? Stand under Christ’s cross with John. “He who saw it has borne witness – his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth – that you also may believe.” (v. 35). John was there at the cross. John saw it all happen. Christ’s blood alone washes away sin. And the color of blood is . . .
Before getting to the cross the blood was all over the Savior. A crown of thorns on his head – blood. Flogged by the Romans – blood. Whipped with spikes – blood. Deep lacerations. In our day he would be stitched up. Not this day. The blood would keep pouring out. Clot up and tore open again.
He gets to the cross and the nails bring bleeding from hands and feet. His bones and muscles burn as he tries to push up so he can breathe. This lasts for six hours. He is exhausted. He went into respiratory acidosis – which leads to an irregular heartbeat. He knew death was near. He died of cardiac arrest.
“One of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness – his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth – that you also may believe.” Peter Paul Rubens, a 17th century artist, depicts these events in John’s Gospel. Rubens’ masterpiece is called The Descent From The Cross.”
Black clouds are in the back. Jesus is in the foreground. Christ head dangles to one side and the body is limp. Mary, the sister of Lazarus is there, with Jesus’s foot resting on her shoulder. She once sat at Christ’s feet. Another woman is there with tears. Mary Magdalene. She is crushed. So much so that on Easter morning, she runs frantically, searching for Jesus. We will learn more about that and her, on Easter. Joseph of Arimathea is on a ladder. Joseph looks at a man in black. It is Nicodemus who came to Jesus at night. Then we get to the color of the night. Are you ready? Don’t be afraid.
The person under Nicodemus is dressed in red. Red. I said it. It’s John, the Gospel writer. It’s John, the beloved disciple. It’s John, who has instructions from Jesus to take care of his mother. But why is John dressed in red? That is what Rubens wants us to ask. Why is John dressed in red? St. Louis Cardinal fan? Indiana University fanatic? Supporter of Illinois State? None of it. It is a bloody answer. As the blood drips from Christ’s head, and hands and side it continues downward until it pours directly on John
John is dressed in red because he is covered in blood. He is saturated. John is washed in Christ’s blood. And John says that same blood is for you. Are you a fan of red?
At the bottom right corner of the paper is a piece of paper with the Latin inscription INRI with a rock on top of it. These letters stand for Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum – Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. Next to the inscription and rock lies an offering plate that holds the crown of thorns and more blood. Blood is in the offering plate. Why? It is Christ’s offering. It’s Christ’s gift for you. More cleansing blood.
Peter Paul Rubens invites us to stand at the cross, like John. To hold on to Jesus, like John. To allow the Savior’s blood to wash us, like John. Why? Because Christ’s blood is the only solution for our sin.
So we stand at the foot of the cross, like John, clothed in red, yes red, forever forgiven.
Amen.