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“Reasons to Rejoice, in Whatever Situation” (Philippians 4:4-13)Maybe you saw the story in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch this weekend, “Worrying makes things worse.” It begins like this: “If there’s one word you heard more than any other to describe the mood of the economy last week, it was: fear. Fear was in the faces of traders on newspaper front pages and cable TV. Fear was quantified in the hefty drops in stock markets each day, in the 18 percent plunge the Dow Jones industrial average took between 8 a.m. Monday and 3 p.m. Friday. And all week, fear threatened to...

“Fuhgeddaboudit! It’s Who You Know. Press On” (Philippians 3:4b-14)OK, let’s get this out of the way first. That part in today’s Epistle where it says, “Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss. . . . Indeed, I count everything as loss. . . .” No, St. Paul was not a Cubs fan! Just wanted to clear that up right off the bat. But now to more serious matters. . . . We just said, when we confessed the Nicene Creed, “And I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.” OK, so...

“A Manner of Life Worthy of the Gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:12-14, 19-30; 2:1-18)Is the Christian life just about “pie in the sky when you die and the sweet bye-and-bye,” or does it have to do also with how we live our lives in the here and now? Obviously, by the way I ask the question, you know I’m going to say the latter, that the Christian life does have a lot to do with how we live our lives during these days. The fact that we have eternal life does not mean that our life now is unimportant. Our...

“Forgiveness Doesn’t Count” (Matthew 18:21-35)“Forgiveness Doesn’t Count.” Oh, don’t get me wrong! I don’t mean that it’s not important. No, forgiveness counts for a lot in that respect. In fact, it’s everything. We’d be lost without it. But when I say, “Forgiveness Doesn’t Count,” I mean it in the way that Jesus teaches it, which is to say, forgiveness doesn’t keep score. Forgiveness doesn’t count--it doesn’t keep score or keep track of--how many times it has to forgive or how much sin it has to have mercy on. That’s the way it is with God toward us, and that’s the...

“Joshua, ‘The Lord Saves’” (Joshua 1:9; Matthew 1:21)Today we are observing the Commemoration of Joshua. Let me explain. If you will turn in the very front of your hymnal to Roman numeral pages xii and xiii, you will see a list of Commemorations. And on page xiii, under September, you’ll see listed for September 1, Joshua. Now September 1 was this past Monday, but we’re observing it today, on the first Sunday in September. The Commemoration of Joshua. What exactly is a “commemoration,” and why do we do it? The word “commemoration” simply means “remembrance,” to honor the memory of...

“Our Church Is a Loving Family” (Romans 12:9-21)Our church is a loving family. Yes, it is. I am confident it is, and I am confident in appealing to you to think and act as such, because God says that’s what we are--a loving family. That’s what he made us to be, that’s who we are, so let’s think of ourselves in that way and let’s let our lives demonstrate that love in action. That’s kind of a summary of today’s Epistle lesson, from Romans 12. Listen to some of the things St. Paul says to the church in Rome: “Let...

“Remembering Edna” (Isaiah 43:1-3a, 25; Psalm 25:6-7; Hebrews 10:12-23; Luke 23:33-34a, 39-46; 24:1-8)It’s funny, sometimes, what we remember--and what we don’t remember. Oftentimes that’s the case with how we remember someone who has just died. Because the events leading up to that person’s death are so recent and so vivid, that may be what we tend to focus on. Or we think about that person only as they were in their last few months or their last couple of years. But really, there’s a whole lifetime of memories of that person we can be thinking about. Take our dear friend...

“On This Rock I Will Build My Church” (Matthew 16:13-20)Everyone is interested in building the church, growing the church. Uh, let me rephrase that. Everyone who is already in the church and active and involved in the church is interested in building and growing the church. People on the outside, as well as those with only a loose connection to the church--they don’t give a rip. But those of us at least who are here regularly in church, we care about the church being built up and growing. Nobody wants to see the church fail or decline or decrease in...

“Jesus and the Canine-ite Woman” (Matthew 15:21-28)How is it with your faith? Do you have a strong faith, strong enough to persevere, in spite of obstacles? Or is it a faith that easily gives up? How is it with your faith? Or to put it another way: How do you view God? Do you see him as holding out on you? As being stingy with his gifts? Unwilling to help? Or do you see him, rather, as rich in mercy, abounding in grace, ready and willing to help? What kind of faith, in what kind of God--that is the question...

“The What and the Why of the Weeds and the Wheat” (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43)Last week we heard Jesus tell us the Parable of the Sower, from Matthew 13. Today’s Gospel reading likewise comes from Matthew 13; it’s the Parable of the Weeds and the Wheat. In fact, Matthew 13 is a whole chapter full of parables, seven of them altogether. Some of these parables are shorter, some are longer. Some are explained by Jesus, some of them are left unexplained. Today’s parable is one of the longer ones in the chapter, and Jesus does explain it. Therefore, what it means...

“The Parable of the Sower” (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23)Many of you have gardens. And all of us--whether we’re gardeners with a green thumb, or just simply couch potatoes whose thumb never gets off the remote control--all of us probably know something about planting seeds. We know that not all the seeds which are planted into the ground end up as full-grown plants. Some of the seeds which are planted don’t make it along the way, for a variety of reasons. But even so, we know that the seeds we plant will, in many cases, produce plants and yield a crop of...

“Rest for the Weary” (Matthew 11:25-30; Romans 7:14-25a)“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Jesus here issues a wonderful invitation and makes a wonderful promise. “Come to me” is the invitation, and “I will give you rest” is the promise. And to whom does he address this invitation and this promise? To “all who labor and...

“Two Battles: The Battle from Without” (Matthew 10:34-42)Over today and next Sunday I want to talk to you about “Two Battles.” These are two battles every Christian is called upon to fight, from the time we are baptized till the day we die. There is no opting out. You are engaged in these battles whether you realize it or not. So the thing to do is to fight them well, and that means we need help. For on our own we would not be strong enough to prevail. What are these two battles? Simply put, they are, first, “The Battle...

“Don’t Be Afraid to Confess Christ” (Matthew 10:5a, 21-33)What are you afraid of? I mean, what are you afraid of, as far as being a Christian? Are there things to be afraid of, that might happen to you because you are a Christian? Let’s think about that today. That’s what Jesus talks to his disciples about in the Gospel reading for today. He tells them, yes, there are things that might scare you, there are some bad things that might happen to you, precisely because you are my disciples. But the bigger thing Jesus tells them is what he will...

“The Compassionate Authority of Jesus Extended” (Matthew 9:35 – 10:8)“And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.” So we read in our text for today from the Gospel of Matthew. That particular verse is Matthew 9:35, but its sounds a lot like a verse we read about five chapters earlier, in Matthew 4:23: “And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.” The...

“Follow Me, the Doctor of Mercy” (Matthew 9:9-13)As many of you know, this is the “Year of St. Matthew” in our lectionary series. Matthew’s Gospel is the one that we’re following this year. But in our text this morning, we see Matthew himself doing the following. St. Matthew hears the call to follow, and we, the people of St. Matthew Lutheran Church--we hear it also, the call of Jesus, “Follow me.” St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, had something in common with quite a few pastors today (including this one): He was a “second-career man” in the ministry. The only thing...

“Location, Location, Location” (Matthew 7:24-27)Real estate agents will tell you there are three things that determine the value of a house: 1) location; 2) location; and 3) location. That old line may be somewhat exaggerated, but the point is clear enough: Location is extremely important in determining value. Where a house is located can make a huge difference in its value. Now if that saying about “location, location, location” is true of the physical houses we build, how much more important is it when we talk about the spiritual “house” that everyone builds for him or herself. Where you build...

“From Baptism to Burial--and Beyond” (Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:3-5)Today we began the service with the Invocation and a Remembrance of Baptism. Why did we do that? What does that have to do with a funeral service? What comfort does that give to us, Millie’s family and friends, to hear those words about baptism? Lots, actually. May these words give you great comfort now, as we go “From Baptism to Burial--and Beyond.” We began with the Invocation, “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” That’s appropriate, for those are the words--that is the...

“Don’t Worry, Be Trusting” (Matthew 6:24-34)Welcome to the Non-Worriers Hall of Fame. In our exhibits you will meet some of the most famous non-worriers in history. These are the champions of carefree living, down through the centuries. Stress was a stranger to these advocates of the anxiety-free life. Here in our first display we meet Alfred E. Newman, the goofy-looking cover boy of Mad Magazine. Alfred’s motto is as famous as his gap-toothed grin. It’s the simple question, “What, me worry?” Next in our Hall of Non-Worriers we come to the well-known singer Bobby McFerrin. Bobby captured the airwaves in...

“Great Is the Lord, and Greatly to Be Praised” (Psalm 145:3)“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised.” So goes the Gradual for today, from Psalm 145. Yes, the Lord is “greatly to be praised.” But what does that mean? How do we do it? How do we “greatly praise” the Lord? Let’s explore that a little bit. It’s certainly fitting that we consider this theme today, on this day when we dedicate new hymnals for the praise and worship of God. How do we greatly praise the Lord? Maybe part of it is that we use great materials....

“From Feast to Feast to Feast” (John 7:37-39; Acts 2:1-21)Today is the Feast of Pentecost, a major festival in the Christian church year. Today we celebrate the giving of the Holy Spirit, whom our ascended Lord Jesus Christ poured out on his church, as we read about in the second chapter of Acts. That was the beginning of the worldwide spread of the gospel, and you and I are here today as Christians because of what began on that first Pentecost. Actually, though, that was not the first Pentecost. For the Christian Feast of Pentecost has its roots in the...

“He Cares for You” (John 17:1-5; 1 Peter 5:6-7)“He Cares for You.” Yes, he does, God cares for you very much. St. Peter tells you this when he encourages you to be “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” So that’s what we want to do today. We will cast all our anxieties on God, and we will hear how, and how much, our God cares for us. What are your anxieties, and what is God’s care that deals with those anxieties? Those are the questions we’ll be asking. The first and greatest anxiety that people...

“Ascension Day, the Forgotten Festival” (Luke 24:44-53; Acts 1:1-11)Welcome to the Forgotten Festival! Today is Ascension Day--or to put it more fully, the Festival of the Ascension of Our Lord. But there is reason to call it, as I say, the “Forgotten” Festival. Even though Ascension Day is classed in the church year as a major festival, and thus a day for to church to gather for the Divine Service of Word and Sacrament, the sad fact is that in recent decades many congregations and many Christians have forgotten all about celebrating this important festival. It used to be that...

“The Hope That Is In You . . . Comes Out You” (1 Peter 3:13-22)During this Easter season, we are hearing a lot about hope. A few weeks ago the Epistle reading from 1 Peter 1 told us that God “has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” Last week’s sermon said that we in the church are “Living in Camp Hope,” that we have hope for an eternal future because our Lord Christ has gone to prepare a place for us. Hope--the hope that we have in...

“Living in Camp Hope” (John 14:1-14)Yesterday our Men’s Club held a big fundraiser for Camp Hope. Camp Hope is a place where disabled veterans can come and find a little “R & R,” rest and relaxation, or you could say, rest and recuperation, rehabilitation, and recreation. Camp Hope is a place where these men can find healing, help, and hope. Hope. These disabled veterans need hope. These men go off to war healthy and whole and vigorous, and they come back wounded--physically, to be sure, but often mentally and emotionally wounded also. Now they have the rest of their lives...

“Suffering Sheep and Their Good Shepherd” (1 Peter 2:19-25)This day is known in the church as “Good Shepherd Sunday.” The readings from Psalm 23 and John 10, the Collect of the Day, the hymns--all these carry the theme of the Lord as our Good Shepherd. The images that come to our mind on Good Shepherd Sunday usually are very peaceful and pleasant ones. We think of sheep safely grazing in green pastures, being led beside still waters. We picture Jesus carrying a lamb in his arms or a sheep across his shoulders. This is all well and good. The shepherd...

“Redeemed: From What? With What? So What?” (1 Peter 1:17-25)First of all I want to say that, from what I’ve seen of it over the last couple of years, the English Standard Version overall is a very good translation. But as with any translation, you come across a place here and there where you wish they would have translated it a little different. Today is such a case, in our Epistle from 1 Peter 1. In verse 18 the ESV has, “knowing that you were ransomed.” All the other major English translations--the New American Standard Bible, the New International Version,...

“On the Road and at the Table” (Luke 24:13-35)Many of you I’m sure have seen this painting before. The original German title is “Gang nach Emmaus,” the “Walk to Emmaus,” by 19th century Swiss artist, Robert Zünd. It’s a picture of Christ and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Of course it’s based on the Holy Gospel for today. It’s a lovely painting. And what a wonderful walk it must have been! To have Jesus there at your side as you walk along! You feel like you’d like to put yourself into the picture, so you could just...

“Believing Is Better Than Seeing” (John 20:19-31; 1 Peter 1:3-9)The disciples were pretty lucky, weren’t they? I mean, getting to see Jesus in the flesh, to travel around with him, to see him perform his miracles, to actually see him risen from the dead, to see him with their own eyes. What could be better than that? No wonder they had such a strong faith! Too bad we can’t have that kind of faith in our day. Just look at the advantage they had! Easter day, that evening, Jesus himself comes to them, shows them his hands and his side....

“He Is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!” (Matthew 28:1-10)Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus...

“The Big ‘Why’ Question” (Matthew 27:45-46)Why? The question is as profound as it is short. Why? Who, what, when, and where--those are usually easy to answer. But “why,” that is the big question. That’s the case today with our Gospel reading. Who? Jesus of Nazareth, a Roman governor and soldiers, the Jewish religious leaders. What? Jesus is beaten, mocked, and crucified. When? On this day we call Good Friday, close to 2000 years ago. Where? A place called Golgotha, just outside Jerusalem. But then the question, “why,” that’s a little harder to answer. Why did things happen as they did?...

“There Will Be Blood” (Exod. 24:3-11; Heb. 9:11-22; Matt. 26:17-30)“There Will Be Blood.” When God saves a people and takes them for his own, there will be blood. There always has been. There had been blood on the night of the Passover, the exodus from Egypt, when the Lord God brought his people Israel out of bondage. On that night, death was coming to every household in Egypt. But the Lord provided a way of escape. “Tell the people, Moses, to take a lamb without blemish or spot, slay it, and take the blood of the lamb and spread it...

“In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb” (Matthew 21:1-11; 26:1 – 27:66)“In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb.” Have you heard that saying before? It’s used in reference to the month of March. The idea is that usually March comes in “like a lion”--the weather to begin the month is harsh and cold--and then at the other end, March goes out “like a lamb”--the weather is fair and mild. This year March started out with a few days of lamb-like weather, then the lion roared into our area, and now we’re sort of in-between. What’s in between a...

“‘Follow Me’: The Cross and the Crown of Discipleship”“‘Follow Me’: The Cross of Discipleship” (Matt. 10:38-39; 16:24-25)“Take up your cross and follow me.” “Follow me, and you will have treasure in heaven.” This is the twofold word our Lord has for us this evening, under the theme, “The Cross and the Crown of Discipleship.” Originally, the plan was to consider these as two different messages, “The Cross” last week and “The Crown” tonight, but the snowstorm caused us to combine the two into one. And that’s OK, because there is no “Crown” without the “Cross,” and there is no “Cross”...

“Raising the Dead, Arousing Faith, and Rousing the Opposition” (John 11:1-53)Our text today is the account of the raising of Lazarus, from John chapter 11. In this chapter Jesus does three things: He raises the dead. He arouses faith. And he rouses the opposition. Three things, and what he does, he does for you. The most obvious thing Jesus does is to raise a dead man. Think about that. Jesus raises a dead man. Who has ever heard of such a thing? The man’s name was Lazarus. He was a friend of Jesus and his disciples. His sisters you’ve heard...

“Jesus Opens Your Eyes--and Tongue” (John 9:1-41)Today’s Gospel is the story of the man born blind, John chapter 9. That’s the thing about John’s gospel, the chapters are very identifiable. The woman at the well, John 4. The raising of Lazarus, John 11. Very memorable, these chapters in John. Often they involve Jesus in a one-on-one conversation with a person he meets or helps: Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman, and so on. And often there is some misperception: Nicodemus doesn’t understand about being “born again,” the Samaritan woman doesn’t understand “living water.” They’re just thinking in merely earthly categories, while Jesus...

“‘Follow Me’: The Candidates for Discipleship” (Matthew 9:9-13)“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. “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?’ But when he heard it, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but...

“The Man at the Well” (John 4:5-30, 39-42)It’s natural to want to be accepted. We want people to accept us for who we are. But from time to time we all experience a gnawing, nagging sense that we are not accepted, a sense of alienation--from others, from God, maybe even from ourselves. We want to be accepted. But if we’re honest with ourselves, we see some things in our character and behavior that are really unacceptable. “I want to be accepted, but if people really knew me for who I am, why should they accept me?” It’s like Groucho Marx...

“‘Follow Me’: The Cost of Discipleship” (Matthew 8:18-22)“Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. And a scribe came up and said to him, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ Another of the disciples said to him, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.’”...

“‘Follow Me’: The Call to Discipleship” (Matthew 4:18-22)Today we begin a series of five messages based on the “Follow me” sayings of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew. We were going to start this series this past Wednesday night, but the ice kept that from happening. So we begin today, and then we’re back on schedule for this coming Wednesday. “‘Follow Me’: Jesus Calls Us to Discipleship” is our series theme. Note: Calls “us.” For as we hear Jesus calling disciples in the first century, he is also speaking to us in the twenty-first century, saying to us even now,...

“What Kind of a Son Are You?” (Matthew 4:1-11)“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” So came the Father’s voice at Jesus’ baptism. And again later, at Jesus’ transfiguration, as we heard last week. “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Yes, Jesus is the Son of God. And we know also from the rest of the New Testament that Jesus is the Son of God in a unique sense, a one-of-a-kind sense, in his very being. As we confess in the creeds, Jesus Christ is God’s “only Son,” “the only-begotten Son...

“Renewed in Practicing Your Righteousness” (Matt. 6:1-6, 16-21)Every year the church has a season of renewal, and it’s called Lent. Today, Ash Wednesday, is the first day of Lent, the first of forty days. During this time of year, the sun is getting stronger, the days are getting longer. That’s how Lent got its name, by the way. This is when the days “lengthen,” and so it’s called the “Lenten” season. And just as Lent begins in the dead of winter and presses forward into spring, so the Lord will bring his people from deadness to life, from coldness to...

“Every Picture Tells a Story” (Matthew 17:1-9)Today is the Transfiguration of Our Lord. “Trans-fig-uration?” you say. “What’s that?” That’s a word you don’t use every day. And that’s OK. Because this was an event you don’t see every day, either. And one, if you did see it, you would never forget. That’s why Peter, writing many years later, remembered it so vividly. He says of Christ: “We were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is my beloved Son, with...

“See the Light, Be the Light” (Matt. 4:12-25; 5:14-16)This year, because Easter will be falling on March 23, the earliest date in any of our lifetimes, we are having the shortest possible Epiphany season we can have. As a result, some of the Gospel readings we would normally hear on the Sundays after the Epiphany are being cut out. One of those readings would be from Matthew 5, and I’ve printed a few verses of it in your bulletin for today. Matthew 5:14-16, where Jesus tells his disciples: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a...

“Three Evangelism Pointers: Point, Invite, and Find” (John 1:29-42a)The Epiphany season traditionally is a time for emphasizing the church’s work of evangelism and missions. Why is that? Well, think of the event celebrated on the Epiphany festival: Wise men from the east, being led by a star to find the Christ child--in other words, the spread of the gospel to the Gentiles. Or think of the word, “Epiphany”; it means “manifestation,” “appearing,” literally, a “shining forth.” In the Gospel readings during the Epiphany season, we see Jesus shining forth into a sin-darkened world. And now, in our day, the church...

“Baptized with Sinners, Anointed for Service, Manifested as God’s Son” (Matthew 3:13-17)On this first Sunday after the Epiphany, the Gospel reading every year is the account of the Baptism of Our Lord, that great event when our Lord Jesus Christ was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. Heaven was opened. The Spirit of God descended on Jesus like a dove. And the Father’s voice came from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Today I want to say three things about this baptism, three things on which your very salvation depends:...

“We Have Come to Worship Him” (Matthew 2:1-12)The Epiphany Festival on January 6 has long been a part of the church’s worship. In the early church, Epiphany was perhaps even more prominent than Christmas. This was because, while at Christmas Christ was revealed to the Jews, at Epiphany Christ was revealed to the Gentiles. At Christmas, remember, the angels said to the shepherds, who were Jews, “I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people,” meaning, the Jewish people. But then at Epiphany, that good news of great joy was extended also to...

“The One That Got Away” (Matthew 2:13-23)Christmas is a joyous, happy holiday. At this time of year we celebrate the “good news of great joy,” that to us is born a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. With the angels who give glory to God in the highest, with the shepherds who return glorifying and praising God, with the wise men who rejoice exceedingly with great joy, we too join in the joy of Christmas. Yes, Christmas is a joyous, happy holiday. That is true within the church. But perhaps even more so, it’s true in the culture around us....

“Confessing the Word Made Flesh” (John 1:1-18; 1 John 4:1-16)And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14) Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not...

“Three Christmases” (Luke 2:1-20)“Merry Christmas!” But which Christmas do you mean? I can see three Christmases that people might be talking about: “Pop Christmas,” “Folk Christmas,” and “Real Christmas.” First, there is what I call the “Pop Christmas” (“pop” as in “pop culture”). This is the tacky, plastic Christmas that doesn’t have a whole lot to do with the real thing. “Pop Christmas” is all about selling stuff and putting on a surface show of empty cheer. “Pop Christmas” has even been politically corrected: It’s been downgraded to “happy holidays,” but without the “holy days.” To be honest with you,...