Sermon October 5, 2014 – Walking With Purpose (Eph 5:1-9)

October 5, 2014 – LWML Sunday                             Text:  Ephesians 5:1-9

 Dear Friends in Christ,

             Educators have done studies on how children spend their days at school – how many minutes spent reading at their desks, how many minutes spent going to the restroom or the drinking fountain, how many minutes sharpening their pencils and so on.  Down to the minute.  Down to a science.  Blocks of time devoted to all sorts of things you’d expect children to do in school.  Plus at least one activity we might not expect:  “walking with no purpose.”  That’s right:  “walking with no purpose.”  Studies have found that in a normal day, a very normal child will spend a certain number of minutes walking from here to there for no good reason.  Curious and interesting.

            We are children of God, and our lives as Christians are often described as a walk, as St. Paul does in our text today, our Epistle from Ephesians 5.  Are we walking with no purpose?  Paul exhorts us in our text to be . . .

“WALKING WITH PURPOSE”

            The fact is it’s not just schoolchildren who walk with no purpose.  People of all ages, spend their lives walking through life not really knowing what it is all about.  Paul calls this darkness in our text.  “For at one time, you were darkness.” (v. 8a)

            We live in a world of darkness.  People are entangled and enslaved by sin.  We can try to redefine it, excuse it, redecorate it, or hide it, but sin is at the bottom of what makes life and relationships difficult, hurtful, sick, and dying.  Trying to hide this darkness just brings about “deception” and “empty words.”  These things serve no purpose.  Paul lists some of them:  filthiness, crude joking, foolish talk, sexually impure, covetous.  These are all common in the world around us.  So common, but they serve no purpose.

            Sin can do that.  Because of sin, we use God’s name only to condemn others or justify ourselves.  Because of sin, we ignore or despise God’s Word and do not worship him.  Because of sin, our relationships with others – father and mother, husband and wife, parent and child, enemies and friends, co-workers and strangers – all these are disrupted and destroyed.  And none of these actions serve any meaningful purpose.  By nature, we are children of darkness with no purpose.

            Because we cannot free ourselves from this darkness, God in his mercy determined to save us.  His mercy shone like a beacon of light when he promised Adam and Eve a Savior from sin.  This light of salvation burned as hope in God’s people through the centuries until that light exploded like a supernova over Bethlehem when “the Word became flesh.” (John 1:14)  When life and death went at each other on the cross it looked like darkness was winning.  But the light of salvation could not be put out.  It was stronger than the darkness.  The reign of death was ended.

            Suddenly, we see things in a whole new way.  We see God for who he really is:  not distant or disinterested in our lives, but he is here, present, eager to have a relationship with each one of us.  That is what Jesus lets us see in his light.  God is not angry and keeping score on how well we keep his Commandments, but forgiving, not counting our sins against us, because Jesus took them upon himself on the cross.  That is what we see as children of light.  “Now you are light in the Lord.”

            As “light in the Lord” we are now able to “walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true.)” (vs. 8b-9)  We now have a purpose.  We walk in repentance and faith.  We walk in forgiveness.  We walk with a purpose to invite the world to the glorious light of salvation in Jesus Christ.

            Today is Lutheran Women’s Missionary League Sunday.  Lutheran women who also walk with a purpose.  These daughters of Zion and many others in our congregation give pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, and dollars in the interest of missions.  Combine ours with the rest of Synod and some wonderful mission projects are funded.  Walking with purpose.

            When we all with faithful obedience, study the Word of God, when we dwell together in unity, when we faithfully hold the confession of the church in this perverse generation, when we speak faith, when we love one another, fragrant offerings and sacrifices rise up to the nostrils of our merciful, holy, and gracious God and Father.  Walking with purpose.

            Every work of the saints of God from quilt sewing to helping with a funeral dinner all serves a purpose for the greater good of Christianity.  Christ’s kingdom is extended in these works of mercy.

            May the Holy Spirit lead you out of darkness into His marvelous light.  Walking in the light of Christ is to walk as children of God with purpose.

                                                                                                                                    Amen.

October 5, 2014 Bulletin Announcements

Next Sunday  October 12th will be our 2nd Sunday Offering for Reverend Michael Kearney and Seminarian Christopher Suggitt.

Portals of Prayer  The October – December Portals of Prayer are available on the bookrack located in the narthex.  Large print also available.  Pick up your free copy today.

Thank you  The church has received a “Thank you” note from Seminarian Chris Suggitt thanking the congregation for your continued support.  The letter is posted on the bulletin board outside of the church office.

Fellowship Hosts  The sign-up for help with coffee/doughnuts is posted on the wall by the north stairwell.  We need an individual/family to sign up each week to pick up the donuts and make the coffee.  If no one is signed up by Friday of each week, the order will be cancelled.  We thank everybody who continues to help with this part of our church fellowship.

LWML Lutheran World Relief  The LWML ladies will be working on Health Kits again this year.  We would like to solicit your help in purchasing items for the Health Kits which will be sent to Lutheran World Relief.  The stores will soon have these items marked down for the college students that will be returning.  This is a wonderful opportunity to get great specials.  A list of items needed is on the table in the narthex.  If  you have questions, please feel free to call Joann Hart.  Thank you.

The Lutheran Hour  Today’s the Day for God’s Grace for All is the topic for next Sunday.  The sermon text will be from Revelations 7:9-12.  The ruins of ancient Pompeii show how life can change in an instant.  (Footsteps of St. Paul; Part 4)  The speaker will be Reverend Gregory Seltz.  Hear this Sunday’s message on the Lutheran Hour on WGN (720 AM) at 6am; WJWR (104.7 FM) and WJWR (90.3 FM) both on Sunday at 3pm.  Also, if you can receive Lincoln, IL radio station WLLM (1370 AM) the program is broadcast two times on Sunday at 7am and 7pm.  Tune in!  You can listen to the Lutheran Hour on your personal computer at RealAudio, www.lhm.org

Celebrating October 2014

Birthdays

Thomas Anderson           10/1

E.F. Bud Barnett              10/2

Stacia Dowell                  10/10

Fern Noth                                10/10

Barry Hamlin                   10/11

Jessica Isaac                  10/11

Payton Biddle                  10/12

John Hardy                      10/12

Travis Henson                 10/15

Maria Kirchner                 10/15

Jacquelyn Semelka         10/17

Shane Miller                    10/21

Sierra Parker                   10/22

Audrey Gronert                10/23

Chloe Hitch                      10/23

Teresa Casselman          10/24

Abby Biddle                     10/25

Cheryl Reichert               10/28

Baptismal Birthdays

Eli McNeely                     10/2

William McNeely             10/2

Chad Lueck                     10/3

Brian Dirks                       10/4

Cortney Brewer               10/9

William Huber                  10/9

Andrea Reichert              10/9

Ryne Brewer                    10/13

Jessie Brown                   10/13

Michalene Hull                10/20

Cleo Korte                       10/20

Steve Davis                     10/27

Pastor’s Notes, October 2014

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

Young children like to pretend they are adults.  How many of you women – when you were young – used to dress up in your mother’s clothes or put on her makeup?  How many of you men would sit in the car and pretend you were driving?  I use to stand in the pulpit and pretend that I was preaching.  When we are young, we want to grow up so that we can do grown-up things. 

We are proud of our kids when they mature and learn to do new things.  We say things like, “Cammie can now ride her bike.”  “Donavan is really learning to treat people with respect.”  Parents know what their kids need to grow and mature. 

How about in the church?   

At Good Shepherd we have in our bulletin announcements every week this:  “We believe children belong in worship.”  And they do, you know?  Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me.”  Isn’t it such a blessing to watch our kids mature in their faith?  They learn by our example to participate in the liturgy, to sing the hymns, to pray the Lord’s Prayer.  They see older siblings serve as acolytes or ushers and then they move into that role.  We nurture our children in the worship life of the church. 

I have always given my wife Toni a lot of credit for this with Karson and Holden.  She was the one in the pew with them.  I was leading worship.  I am proud of all of their accomplishments but to see them worship their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the greatest gift the Lord can give a parent.  I look forward to them being the spiritual leaders of their own household. 

Many times over the years it has been the children of the parish that point out something amiss in the liturgy or something not positioned right in the sanctuary.  They even like to point out when the Pastor speaks an incorrect word!  To me, that is a blessing because they are paying attention. 

We are all part of the church together – what a blessing!  May the Lord lead us to help one another to grow in our Christian faith. 

In Christ, 

Pastor 

October Usher and Elder Schedule

Date
8:30
Elder
10:30
Oct 5Jeff Piper, John Hardy, Matthew Holland, Steve ParryBarry HamlinMike Huth, Theron Noth
Oct 12David Orr, Gerald SemelkaCraig CulpBud Kessler, Curt Kessler, Marvin Huth, Ryan Kleiboeker
Oct 19Daryle Schempp, Lucas Schempp, Mike Field, Paul GerikeCurt KesslerBryan Reichert, Karson Lueck
Oct 26Joshua Parry, Steve DavisPaul GerikeBrian Dirks, Greg McNeely, Holden Lueck, Travis Henson