Delighting in God's Word

                                                        Delighting in God's Word

                                                 Second Sunday after the Epiphany

Grace and mercy to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Amen)

Before Adam and Eve fell, our Lord created and gave holy marriage. Not just for Adam and Eve but for all their children, too, including us. The Lord delights in marriage.

Before Adam and Eve fell, procreation was the only purpose for marriage. For children are a blessing from God. A gift from God.

After the fall, the Lord continues to delight in marriage. Children continue to be a blessing from God for our God is the God of life even unto the resurrection of the dead.

After the fall, there is an additional benefit to marriage. It is armor against concupiscence. Concupiscence is our desire to sin, which is a sin. We were conceived and born with an appetite to sin against the Lord and against each other.

Holy Christian Marriage, properly practiced, is a gift cools our desire to covet. To delight in the gift of children; to receive children as a blessing from God (which He says they are) is an antidote to materialism. To desire a new shinier car, expensive education, a larger house. The more children you have; the more blessings you have the less time you will have to rise the corporate ladder, farm multiple new acreage, social prestige and the like.

Holy Christian Marriage, properly practiced, is a gift that also cools our desires for fornication, cohabitation, adultery, sodomy, pornography, rape, abortion, trans gender and a host of sexual sins that plague our people and our land.

This morning, let us rekindle our delight in marriage as Christ has given it.

To do that we need to learn and receive repentance for our desire to despise holy marriage.

The Journal for Lutheran Mission, special December issue, analyzed the reasons for the decline of our congregations, which applies to congregations and church bodies across North America and Europe.

There are two stand out reasons and none of us will like it.

First, we agree with the culture around us that 1.5 children per family is enough. Children are expensive and deprive us of our wealth. So, we sterilize ourselves. (I know, not comfortable)

Second, why is it that one Christian family raises faithful Christian children into adulthood and an equally faithful Christian family raise unbelieving children? The difference is what happens in the home. One family practices the faith at home and teaches the faith at home whereas the other family goes to church but nothing else. A mixed marriage between a faithful Lutheran and a faithful Baptist is trouble when the first child is born. To baptize or not to baptize. Parents fight over these issues and our children are lost. (Again, I know this is not comfortable and it is often true that in some circumstances parents can do everything well and yet raise unbelieving children and also that parents could do everything poorly and still raise a child who trusts Christ).

A solution is available in the lines before our Epistle lesson:

15Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

You know the will of the Lord. You pray for the Lord's will be done. What does that mean?

When God breaks and hinders every evil counsel and will that would not let us hallow the name of God nor let His kingdom come, such as the will of the devil, the world, and our flesh. Instead, He strengthens and keeps us steadfast in His Word and in faith until we die. This is His gracious and good will.

Continuing with Ephesians:

18And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

How is one filled with the Holy Spirit? Three steps:

19 singing to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs

20 thanking God the Father for all good things in the name of Jesus Christ

21submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ

Singing, thanking, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. This is a fruit of repentance long before we even speak of marriage. Singing, thanking, submitting. This is what we do when we assemble together every Sunday and feast day. This is walking wisely with our Lord.

Here is our needed repentance:

A wise man submits to his heavenly Father as Christ submitted submitted His will to the same Father. No longer is sex and wealth and power the most important gods in his life.

A wise woman receives what her Savior gives as the church submits to the forgiveness sins from the same Savior. No longer is sex and wealth and power the most important gods in her life.

But, here is our needed absolution:

For Christ has shed His blood for your sins of materialism. Christ gave up all He had, all His wealth, honor, power, everything that rightly belongs to the true God, Christ gave up everything even His life so you may be forgiven of your materialism and receive His kingdom.

For Christ has shed His blood your sexual sins. Christ despised the shame of the cross, even when stripped of all clothing, exposed on that tree for all to see and jeer Him so that you may be covered with the clean, white, holy robe of His righteousness.

This is our needed absolution so that we may delight again in God's Word.  and now we could go on to speak of marriage and children.

A quote from a father our our church body has this to say (followed by a hymn verse to conclude):

That so many have not yet found peace of soul in Christ is undoubtedly another cause for so many unhappy marriages. They seek in marriage happiness and rest for the empty hearts. Whoever seeks this in marriage seeks in vain. Even this state can never satisfy the yearning heart of man. A person must be saved in Christ and his grace. IF a person has acquired this treasure, then his married life will also become a quiet, peaceful, and happy one. yes, the less a Christian seeks his happiness in his marriage but in Christ alone, the happier his marriage will be. -CFW Walther

LSB 536, especially the first stanza goes really well with this

One thing's needful; Lord, this treasure teach me highly to regard.
All else, though it first give pleasure, Is a yoke that presses hard!
Beneath it the heart is still fretting and striving,
No true, lasting happiness ever deriving.
This one thing is needful; all others are vain-
I count all but loss that I Christ may obtain.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

The peace of God, which passes understanding, guard and keep you in Jesus Christ. Amen.

You Are Righteous Because Jesus Takes Your Place

Uploaded by Jeff Pautz on 2017-01-13.

Jesus comes to be baptized by John and John says Jesus should baptize him. But our Lord says, "Let it be so now in order to fulfill all righteousness." Warning! Big church word alert! "Righteousness." It's one of those big words we hear in church and don't really know what it means. Do you know what "righteousness" is? Do you have any? How do you get some. What good does having it do you? It's really not as complicated as all that. Jesus comes to be baptized in order to fulfill all righteousness. Right there, in the Jordan River, we learn everything we need to know about what "righteousness" is. So are you ready? Ears open? Paying attention? Here is everything you need to know about "righteousness." Here, in simple terms, is a definition of "righteousness" that's easy to remember and repeat. Ready? Here it is: "Righteousness" means "Jesus takes your place." Practice that. Everybody say, "Righteousness means, 'Jesus take my place.'" You got it. It's that simple. Now you can answer the question, "Are you righteous?" Answer? "Of course! Jesus takes my place." Do you have righteousness? Of course! Jesus takes your place? When you read in the Bible the words "the righteousness of God," what does it mean? You got it...Jesus takes your place. God the Father desires to save you from your sins. Our sinfulness means we have no righteousness. So the Father sends the Son and makes Him into a sinner and in that way makes us into His children. That's our salvation. That's our righteousness.
    What was John the Baptist doing in the wilderness? He was baptizing sinners. The Gospel say that John came "preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." So if you had sins, the Jordan River was the place to be, because John was washing those sins away by water and God's Word. Now, we know that Jesus is sinless. He is the pure and spotless Lamb of God. He is the one sinless and perfect man. Even John knows that! Even John figures that since Jesus is perfect and holy and doesn't have any sins, He should be doing the baptizing. So what a surprise when Jesus comes to get baptized by John! If He's sinless, why does He need to get baptized? The answer is this: He doesn't get baptized for Himself. He gets baptized for us. When JESUS is baptized, the sins that were washed away from sinners all stick to Him. At His Baptism, Jesus comes to be a sinner covered with our sins. And not just one person's sins. He comes to take on EVERY person's sins ever! And that tears open heaven. And it puts a huge smile on the Father's face. When Jesus gets baptized, Matthew writes that "Heaven was opened to Him" and we hear the Father's voice, "This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased!" Even the Holy Spirit is there, landing on Jesus and pointing out: This is the Guy! This is the One who is becoming the sinner for the sake of sinners to make sinners into children of God! He takes on our sins and then takes them to the cross and flushes them away with His blood and water that gush from His side. Jesus takes on our sins and then goes to die and take them away. He doesn't just take them and keep them. He takes them from us, takes them to the cross and buries them forever in the tomb from which He rose!
    Now understand something. God the Father is pleased with Jesus because Jesus does what He is told and takes the place of sinners. It's His doing what His Father says and taking our place that makes us right with God. Nothing else. In fact, if you read this Gospel closely, everything good is said about Jesus. Heaven is opened to HIM. God the Father is pleased with HIM. The Holy Spirit lands on HIM. But wasn't all this about Jesus taking YOUR place? It's great for Jesus that heaven is open to Him and He's got the Holy Spirit on Him and the Father says, "That's my boy!" But how does that do us any good?  At His Baptism, Jesus takes your place. On the cross, Jesus is taking your place. But how does that benefit you? The circle is closed when what Jesus did is delivered to you and bestowed upon you. Where does that happen? It happens in YOUR Baptism! When YOU are baptized, that is God's promise and seal that Jesus took YOUR place. That He died for YOUR sins. That YOU are a child of God. In other words, Jesus is Baptized for you and you are baptized to be given His place as God's Son! Salvation is accomplished by Jesus taking your place and delivered to you when you were Baptized.
    Another way to put it is this: since Jesus, the true Lamb and Son of God takes your place, everything that He does and accomplishes and everything that happens to Him is now yours. Because you are washed with water and the Word in Baptism, heaven being opened to Jesus means that now heaven is opened to you. Because you are baptized, the Holy Spirit who lands on Jesus has come upon you, giving you peace with God. Because you are baptized, the Father speaking of Jesus is now the Father speaking of you: "This is my beloved Son!" Because you are baptized, Jesus' defeating the Devil in the desert is your defeating the Devil. Because you are baptized, Jesus healing forgiving is your healing and forgiveness. Because you are baptized, Jesus death on the cross is your death, His paying for your sins means your sins are paid for. Because you are baptized, Jesus resurrection is your resurrection and the promise of you too rising from the dead. Because you are baptized, Jesus' Ascension and sitting at the right hand of the Father is your ascension and being seated in heavenly places. Because you are baptized, Jesus' eternal glory and the defeat of all enemies on the Last Day is your victory for all eternity over every enemy. Get it? Whatever is Christ's is now yours through Holy Baptism. All that God is and has and does for you is given to you as a gift at that font, by the washing of new birth by water, the Word and the Holy Spirit.
    But be careful! Being baptized means that just like Jesus was a marked man who was attacked and assaulted by the world and the Devil, so those enemies will come after you. The Devil will tell you over and over NOT to trust in your Baptism. The world will tell you a thousand and one ways to find God, none of which are your Baptism. The world will tell you that "righteousness" is all about how you live. The Devil will tell you that your sins keep you from being a child of God. And the great temptation you will have, brothers and sisters in Christ, is to live as if you Baptism didn't actually do anything. That your Baptism hasn't changed anything. That you aren't any different because you are baptized. That you can have some religion and find God apart from your Baptism. That if you a live a good life you can make up for your sins. All lies! Apart from your Baptism, you don't have Jesus, heaven is shut, the Holy Spirit is nowhere to be found and God the Father calls you cursed and not His child. But in Holy Baptism, all of that is yours because it is Christ's. Therefore repent of any despising of your Baptism and learn to live in it each day. Learn to make the sign of the Holy Cross and begin and end each day with your Baptismal name.
    So, are you all clear on what "righteousness" is? It's Jesus taking your place. Are you all set on where that righteousness is given to you? In your Baptism. The world and even the church are filled with people who want to make anything other than Baptism the big deal. But Baptism isn't ours. It's the Lord's. Sure, He used my hands but it is HIS water and word. Baptism is God's work and gift! As you pass by the Baptismal font this morning why not make the sign of the cross to remember your Baptism and to confess to the world that by that Baptism, Christ has taken your place and taken everything bad that is yours—your sin and death—and given you everything good that is His—heaven opened, the Spirit of Peace, and a heavenly Father who claims you as His own. Jesus was Baptized to take your place. Now in your Baptism, you have His place, as the dearly beloved Son of God for all eternity. In the Name of Jesus. 

His Name Is STILL Jesus

             His Name Is STILL Jesus

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb (Luke 2:21)

Grace and mercy to you from God our Father and our Savior Jesus Christ.

Happy New year! Regular year, that is. The Church Year already started over in Advent over a month ago. How was your 2016? Good? Bad? How will your 2017 be? Good? Bad? Full of broken resolutions? Better times ahead? Worse things to expect? Who knows? For many people, a new year means new beginnings. At least for a few days and then it’s business as usual. Same struggles. Same problems. Same sins. Same self. Most times a “new” year is just more of the same. But today is also eight days after Christmas. It’s the day when the Babe of Bethlehem was given His name officially. It’s the day He first shed blood under the Law when He was circumcised. We tend to measure a year by whether we thought there was a lot of good or a lot of bad in it. But let me tell you something: 2016 was an awesome year! Why? Because God’s name was Jesus. And 2017 will be an wonderful year. How can I know that? Because God’s name is STILL Jesus! 

Jesus. The Name given to the Child before He was conceived in the Virgin Mary’s womb. Jesus. The Name St. Joseph was instructed by the angel to call the Child when He was born. Jesus. The Name given to the Child after eight days when He shed the blood of His circumcision in accordance with the Law of Moses. Jesus. The Greek name for Joshua. The Name which means, literally, “Yah-Sus: The Lord saves.” Because Jesus will save His people from their sins. It’s all there in His Name. Jesus. The Lord saves. Saves you. Saves me. Saves the world. Jesus is the Lord and He does the saving. And He does it the same way He is named: by shedding blood. When Jesus receives His Name, He is circumcised. Blood is shed. Pain is inflicted. It’s the Law. But Jesus doesn’t have to keep the Law. He WROTE the Law. Why on earth would the Son of God have to be circumcised? He does it for the same reason He became man in the first place: for you. To fulfill the Law for you. To save you. That’s what His Name means. 

Jesus. It’s the Name of the One who opened the eyes of the blind, the ears of the deaf and loosed the tongues of the dumb. Jesus. The One who preached Good News to the poor in spirit. Jesus. Who fed thousands. Jesus. Who raised the dead. Jesus, the one from Nazareth who was handed over, tried, beaten, spit upon, scourged, dragged to Calvary and crucified. Jesus. The One who bled and died. Jesus. The One the Father crushed with the weight of our sins. Jesus. The One who was wrapped up and laid in the tomb. Jesus. The One who was alive. Not in the grave anymore. Risen just as He said. All that Jesus said and did for you is wrapped up in that one name “Jesus. The Lord saves.” Jesus. For you. 

Jesus. The Name taken on the lips of those cursing and swearing. Ever notice anyone yell “Buddha!” or “Mohammed!” when something happens they don’t like? Because they aren’t the Lord. Jesus is. So His Name gets used like a cuss word. How silly! Jesus. The Name that means “The Lord saves.” Yet we forget. We figure it means, “God is watching. God is gonna get you.”Jesus. The Name the world thinks means “Fantasy. Pipe dream. Myth. Nonsense. Crutch. Can’t think for yourself.” Jesus. The Name the world mocks and laughs at. The Name we should call upon in every trouble but instead we hide it. Jesus. The Name that embarrasses us. That bothers us. Instead of stirring us up to give thanks for the Lord’s grace and call upon Jesus when we are in trouble and praise the Name of Jesus, the Name grows cold in our ears and useless on our tongues. But Jesus is still Jesus and the Spirit gives us repentance to once again see His holy Name as a treasure greater than all others!

Jesus. The Name put upon you at the font. Jesus. The One who gives you his body and blood to eat and drink. Jesus. The Name put upon you at the end of the service just as Moses was instructed to do it. When you walk out, a blessing of Jesus once again. Jesus. His Name was given in blood. The blood of a baby cut for the Law. That name was given to you in that same blood. The blood of that Savior sprinkled upon you in the waters of Baptism. The blood given with His body to feast upon in His holy Supper. The blood of His crucifixion preached and smeared upon you in Holy Absolution. Everything Jesus is about is the fulfillment of His name: Saving you. Forgiving your sins. Prepping you for eternal life. Jesus. The Name that gives you life. 

So no worries in 2017, whatever it may bring. It’s a Happy New Year because while the year is changing, Jesus’ name is still Jesus. And Jesus still means “The Lord saves.” So whatever 2016 brought and whatever 2017 has in store, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Nothing to worry about. Nothing to get discouraged about. Nothing to fear. The same Lord who was conceived in Mary’s womb, born on Christmas, named on New Year’s and who grew up to suffer, die and rise and ascend is the same Lord who, every time we are gathered in the Lord’s house, is marked upon you as the blessing of what God is all about: Saving you. Being your Savior. Accomplishing and delivering your salvation. So celebrate the New Year by taking the Name of Jesus upon your lips in the glad and joyful confession of what that Name means. The Lord saves. That’s why Jesus is called Jesus! Happy New Year...in the Name of JESUS! Amen.

The peace of God, which passes understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Jesus.