“Thanksgiving, a Path to Peace” (Philippians 4:4-9)

Philippians 4:4-9

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Pastor Tom Johnson, November 24, 2016

The Christian faith promises peace. It is like no other peace. You will not find this kind of peace in all the universe. Even with all of its assets and natural resources, this world cannot give to you the peace that Jesus gives. The source of this peace is the Prince of Peace. Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” We as a church family “exchange the peace” together. We welcome one another with the words, “The peace of the Lord.” We greet one another with God’s peace. The height of our service is the Body and Blood of our service and the pronouncement of the “Peace of the Lord be with you always!” Our worship ends with “peace” in the benediction. The goal of worship is to launch us out into the world as God’s peace-benefactors and his peace-makers. “So, don’t be anxious,” Jesus says to us, “Stop your worrying. Don’t let fear get the best of you. Live your life with the reality of peace.”

Our Scripture today for Thanksgiving says “Do not worry about anything.” When we worry, we needlessly live our lives without peace. We actually are denying ourselves true peace. Paul tells us, “Don’t do that.” “Don’t worry” challenges us to have the courage to pursue for peace in our lives. It challenges us to hold God to his word and boldly ask him for this peace. It challenges us to surrender our worry and illusion that we are in control. But Paul does not just tell us what not to do. He tells us what to do: “but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” In other words, hand your anxiety and worry over to the One who can take it away. Surrender to the Prince of Peace. He lived and died to take away every threat to body and soul. He rose to give us the assurance we need and a hope that will not be disappointed. When we turn to Jesus, we have begun to count our blessings with the greatest blessing of all: Jesus. He is the sure antidote to strife, anxiety, and fear. And continue to count your blessings. Consider all the blessings you do have even if you feel like they are overshadowed by the bad.  Our Scripture encourages us to approach “everything…with prayer and thanksgiving.” Thanksgiving is prayer. Thanksgiving is an act of worship. Thanksgiving is a work of God in us. And he promises to lift our spirits into the reality of his Kingdom. He leads us through our dark valleys on a path of peace.

That is what our Scripture promises: “The peace of God which surpasses understanding—peace that transcends comprehension—will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Our brains’ circuitry cannot fully process how wonderful God’s peace is. We will never fully comprehend the height, depth, and width of God’s love for us in Christ Jesus. God’s power does not need our understanding to work in our lives. But God does use our prayer with thanksgiving. Giving thanks to God for the things that come to mind will help us along this path toward peace. And as his peace comes, it does not depend on our understanding. His peace transcends our comprehension. So that we have a peace that may be difficult to explain but no less real. And the catalyst is the gift of God’s Son through our prayers of thanksgiving.

In a few minutes from now we will receive Holy Communion—what we sometimes call the Eucharist. It is based on the New Testament word eucharisteo. The eu means good and charis means grace. In this Meal, we experience the good grace of God. Like Spanish and other Romance languages, thanksgiving is based on the word grace. We give thanks. Some of us still refer to praying at the dinner table as saying “Grace.” It is living life mindful of the grace of God with hearts filled with gratitude. It is prayerful recognition of God’s loving work in our lives. We gather around a Table this morning around the grace-filled Bread and Wine and Body and Blood of our Lord. We are mindful of God’s blessings particularly the gift of his Son, Jesus Christ.
Later today, we will gather around the table with friends and family. It is another opportunity to share this wonderful truth—that we can surrender all our worries and anxieties to God. And that with prayerful thanksgiving, God will give you and yours peace.

“Christ the King” (Luke 23:33-43)

Luke 23:33-43

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Pastor Tom Johnson, November 20, 2016

The word for criminal in our Gospel reading means evildoer. Mark’s Gospel identifies them as revolutionaries—insurrectionists (Mk 15:7). They were being crucified for crimes against the state. In this case, the Roman authority. We know that insurrectionists would go into public places with concealed daggers and knife Roman citizens and officials and then run away. You might call these evildoers first century terrorists. They were at war trying to make a way to become an independent nation again. Their tactic was violent aggression. They would have just witnessed how Barabbas was set free in the place of Jesus of Nazareth. What a cruel irony! The one who could have been their messiah—the king to lead them to independence and freedom—is sentenced to death. They are all three crucified together in a row. Two evildoers with Jesus in the middle with the sign “King of the Jews” in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew over his head. This, so that everyone would get the cruel joke: “Here is your king!” “This is what we do to anyone who challenges our power and control over you.” Pontius Pilate, King Herod, the religious authority, the temple soldiers, the Roman soldiers, the crowd, and even one of the two crucified laugh at this cruel joke. “You are the Messiah—you are King, are you not? Get off that cross and take us with you. Be the savior from death and oppression that a king is supposed to be.

A miracle happens. One of the criminals sees who is really going to have the last laugh. He may very well be the first New Testament prophet, preacher, and evangelist. It is a brief ministry; perhaps only a few minutes. But his sermon followed by a prayer is one of the clearest messages in all of Scripture. He turns to the other criminal who was mocking Jesus and says, “Do you not fear God since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds.” He says, “Guilty as charged.” He humbly and powerfully points out sin. He is quick to include himself as a sinner. He realizes he was deceived by sin. He understands that he has been betrayed by a lie that God’s kingdom will come by violence. “For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh,” Scripture says, “but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12).

Like the evildoers who will die with Jesus, we all have transgressed God’s Law. We have failed to trust God to be our champion the way he chooses to win the victory for us. Like the insurrectionists, we sometimes impose our concept of justice to those around us and hate, name call, and kill. Like them, we also should say, “Guilty as charged.” We fail to understand what mercy is because we do not take the condemnation of the Law seriously. Mercy is God withholding what we deserve—judgment, punishment, and death.  Mercy presumes we accept the truth of what the criminal says, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, but...”

“But…this man has done nothing wrong.” That is also the sting of the Law. Jesus is the only one “who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin” (Heb 4:15). He is the perfect righteousness of God. He is absolutely righteous. He does not need mercy because he has not been condemned justly. The criminal is preaching against the powers. He has become a non-violent resister to the Roman authority. His words declare Pontius Pilate to be the one who is unjust toward this one he mocked as king. Now his defiance against injustice is rooted in the righteousness of Jesus. He has nothing to lose. What more can they do to him? He will speak out and raise his voice against a cruel and unjust system.

And then the criminal turns to his righteous King and says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He likely heard Jesus say just hours before to Pontius Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest” (John 18:36). He sees, hears, and believes the truth of this Jesus of Nazareth: he is Christ the King. He is true Lord and Messiah. No one can take his rightful reign away. No one can stop or silence his Kingship. He heard Jesus say, “Forgive them for they do not know what they are doing?” He heard the King extend his mercy to those who wrongly crucify him. The One wearing the crown of thorns has the power and authority to take away sin. There is a wisdom that comes to the criminal as he stands at the threshold of his mortality. The reality of death does not crush him because he knows that death will not be the end of his King. Instead, he lives with the hope of eternal life.

“Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” “I believe you are King of heaven and earth, Jesus. Extend your grace to me as you have extended your mercy. Bring me with you so that I can see the fullness of your Kingdom. Jesus’ response, “Truly, today you will be with me in paradise” is the assurance of this grace. It is a gift purchased by the blood of Jesus on the Cross. The paradise in the Garden of Eden lost by our parents’ first sin is restored by the King today.
He has broken the curse of sin and death for us. And he gives our brief lives hope and meaning to pray and see his Kingdom come.

“Living Generously” (Romans 12:8; Luke 21:9-16)

Romans 12:6-8

Luke 21:9-16

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Pastor Tom Johnson, November 13, 2016

The Scripture we chose for this Stewardship Sunday is a call for us to live generously. It reminds us that God has given us many diverse gifts. And that we, by his grace, exercise those gifts—we re-gift God’s gifts to those around us. God has given us varied gifts. “…if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully” (Rom 12:8). We are, after all, stewards of God’s gifts. And those gifts include our time, talents, and treasure. God has given us so much. He created us in his image. He gives us all that we need for life and godliness (1 Pet 1:3). The eternal Son of God came to give his life to us—to purchase us—not with gold or silver but with his precious blood (1 Pet 1:19). And the Holy Spirit enables us—by that same grace and gift—to live our lives to bless our neighbor and glorify God. That, in a nut shell, is the message I wanted to share with you this morning.

Then life happens. In the United States of America, more specifically, Election Day happened. Some of us woke up elated on Wednesday. Some of us woke up saddened. Some of us are hopeful. Some of us are frightened.  My first thought was that since this would be on so many people's minds, that it would complicate our plans to emphasize stewardship this Sunday. But then I realized that the words of Jesus in our appointed Gospel lesson take us to the heart of the matter:

“They will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify.” “This will give you an opportunity to testify.” Adversity leads to opportunity. Conflict will be an opportunity to glorify God. Suffering purifies us just as a refiner’s fire removes dross from gold and silver. “So make up your minds,” Jesus says, “not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict,” Jesus says. In other words, God will make us better stewards. He not only commissions us, he equips us. He not only calls us, he enables us. Like the pillar of fire by night and the pillar of cloud by day that safely led God’s people out of slavery in Egypt, so God goes ahead to make a path before us and protects and defends us from behind.

Sadly, it is in our nature to not recognize all the good gifts God has given. We can be so absorbed in our problems and challenges that we are not aware of the generosity of God toward us. And we can be so self-absorbed we do not see the same giftedness in others. The result? We are not vested. We have not bought in fully into the mission God has given us as individuals nor as the people of God. We do not truly believe that God has graced us so richly and diversely as the Body of Christ. We do not fully trust that God is generously vested in us. He believes in you and me. He trusts that we will use our resources—material and spiritual—to advance the Kingdom of God.

Adversity and suffering can help us see what really matters. It will redefine our values. Like the prodigal son who is lost and staring hungrily at the pig fodder, so we, like him, come to our senses. We realize the goodness of the Father. “Nation will rise up against nation,” Jesus says—there will be political battles, wars, trials and tribulation. But, Jesus says, “This will give you an opportunity.” What others have meant for evil, God means for good (Gen 50:20). One window will close and a door will open. God will answer the prayer he taught us to pray: “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done.” “Do not worry about what you will say,” Jesus says, “I will give you words and wisdom.” “This will give you an opportunity.”

God continues to be generous—our cup runs over with his grace and goodness. And it will spill out of our mouths and lives to bless those around us. This is want it means to be blessed to be a blessing. Just as Jesus said, “It is better to give than to receive” (Acs 20:35). This is what it means to fulfill our mission here at First Saint Paul’s:  to proclaim Christ, nurture faith, and serve others. We follow God’s lead in Jesus Christ. We believe in our mission. We believe in one another. And we vest ourselves in one another. We invest our time in one another just as the Eternal Son of God stepped out of eternity into time to become human flesh. We share our talent just as Christ spread the good news and healing in his earthly ministry. We give our treasure just as Jesus gave his all on the cross to give us all in the resurrection and renewed creation. We are saved by grace and the gift of God. And we proceed through life to eternity by that same grace and gift of God. God has given us an opportunity. He gives us a chance to bear witness. To Christ alone be all glory, honor, and praise.

Lord, we pray that we, Your people
Who Your gifts unnumbered claim
Through the sharing of Your blessings
May bring glory to Your name.                
                              (Refrain from "Gracious God You Send Great Blessings," LSB 782)

“Reward in heaven” (Luke 6:23a)

Luke 6:20-31

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Pastor Tom Johnson, November 6, 2016

Wednesday evening is one of the greatest sporting events of my life. But it is not just the outcome of the World Series that has me so excited. There are four things about Wednesday night’s game that have drawn me into the beauty of what we celebrate this All Saints Sunday.

First:

In the six inning, two Cubs players—Rizzo and Ross—shared a vulnerable moment that was broadcast on television. Rizzo, his hand and arm around the older Ross, told him that he was an emotional wreck. “It’s understandably so, buddy,” says Ross, “I hear ya. It’s only going to get worse. Just continue to breathe. That’s all you can do, buddy.” I know it was not a life and death struggle. I know that it is just a game. “Just breathe,” Ross says. Jesus knows that we too will be emotional wrecks, physically assaulted, and spiritually attacked. He hears our cries in our battles. He knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust (Ps 103:14). The people of God will experience poverty, hunger, grief, hatred, and persecution. At the same time we are called to an impossible challenge: to love our enemies, to do good to those who hate us, to bless those that curse us, to pray for those who abuse us…to do to others as you would have them do to you. Just breathe. We are called to love freely, sacrificially, and against our sinful nature—to overcome our hatred, retaliation, and curse of death. Yes, God calls us to do the impossible—to go against the grain of the world that often seems so against us and to love—to breathe in the grace of God and breathe it out back to those around us. We are on the same team. Be sisters and brothers in Christ; put your arms around each other. Lean on each other. Jesus said it may only get worse. Be teammates. Share the struggle. Encourage one another. Just as Jesus breathed the Spirit on his Apostles, breathe encouragement and strength into one another.

Second:

That smile. It was an extra, tenth inning after a rain delay. The Cubs just need one more out to be World Series champions. Third baseman Bryant sees his opponent hit a slow, rolling ball and throws it to Rizzo at first to get the out. Cubs win! But even before that final moment there was that smile. The smile said, “This is it. We are almost there. We will have the victory.” The slow motion replay reveals just how much he was grinning from ear to ear even before he picked up that ball. “Rejoice. Leap for joy. Your reward is great in heaven,” Jesus says.  “Go ahead and smile since you know what is coming.” Just minutes before there was a rain delay. Later ABC news was spelling rain R-E-I-G-N. That is kingdom language. That is how Jesus wants us to live—as citizens of his Kingdom where the reign of God has already begun to break through the darkness and evil—so that we smile and leap for joy since we know what is coming. Smile. We are almost there.

Third:

The curse. Baseball fans can be a superstitious lot. Many people truly believe a curse has been broken. People talk about it as a matter of fact with straight faces even on television. The curse has been broken! Dear child of God, the curse of sin, evil, and death has indeed been broken. What our first parents brought upon us will be reversed. Yours is the Kingdom. You will be filled with good things. You will laugh. You and I will rejoice and leap for joy and reap our heavenly reward. We will celebrate the victory Christ has won for us.

Fourth:

The cloud of witnesses. One man listened to the game on the radio right upon his father’s gravesite because they made a promise—to share that moment of victory one day together. The grave was not going to separate father from son. People flocked down to an empty Wrigley Field and said they felt the presence of parents and grandparents that have long since left us. What they shared in the ball park together could not be destroyed by death. Fans told stories of how loved ones brought them to games over the last 108 years and never lived to see them win it all. It brought out a generational love—a love that is passed down through the ages and transcends time. How much more of a reality do we have as citizens and co-heirs of the Kingdom of God?

We are part of an international coalition of believers. We share love from the Kingdom of God to a sometimes hostile world. We participate in the celebration that has begun in heaven. Nothing separates us from heaven and its reward. With angels, archangels and the whole company of heaven we receive the Body and Blood of Christ given for our forgiveness and assurance of eternal life. We are part of a team with a multitude that no one can number—sinners transformed into saints—those who shared our struggle but now have begun their eternal reign. Our reward is great in heaven; and the Kingdom’s blessings overflow to us now.

Oh blest communion, fellowship divine!
We, feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
Yet all are one in Thee, for all are Thine.

And when the fight is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave again, and arms are strong.

The golden evening brightens in the west;
Soon, soon to faithful warriors cometh rest;
Sweet is the calm of paradise the blest.
          (For All the Saints Who from Their Labors Rest, LSB 677, vv. 4-6)