Where Do You Find Truth?

Text: John 16:5-15

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

Where do you go to find truth? Yes, where do you go to find the certainty of truth? Well, I guess it depends. In other words, I suppose if you are trying to find the true spelling of a word, you will go to a dictionary. If you want to discover the true weight of an object, you will go to a scale. And to determine the true distance between two cities, you will most likely go to a map. But what if you want to find out the truth about things such as who you are, where you are going after death, and how you will get there? Then what? Where do you go to find the truth about these things? Indeed, where do you go to find the truth about who you are, where you are going after death, and how you will get there?

One of the ways to answer these important questions is to search your thoughts.  Yes, clear your mind, and then you can search your thoughts for the truth regarding your purpose, identity, and life after death. But there is a bit of a problem with searching your thoughts. And the problem is this, how do you know the difference between truth and the lies coming from your mind? How do you know if something is true or if you are making it up as you go along in your mind? And what if your thoughts are telling you what you want to hear? Furthermore, how do you know if your thoughts are a dream or grounded in reality? It seems that our own thoughts are limited at best.   

Well, if you cannot trust your thoughts to know truth, maybe you can trust your feelings. But how can you understand your feelings? It has been said before that you can understand your feelings by paying special attention to your stomach, heart, throat, head, arms, and legs. They say that as you ponder questions of truth, you need to be aware of the feelings of pain or pleasure in your various parts of your body.  That is right; as you try to discover truth regarding your purpose, identity, and life after death, you need to see if you feel anxiety, stress, anger, or irritation, for if you do, then what you are pondering is most certainly false. However, if you feel happiness, peace, love, joy, and delight, then what you are pondering must be true. Bad feelings indicate that something is false; good feelings indicate that something is true. But there is a bit of a problem with this too. And that problem is this, how do you know that your negative feelings are attached to what you are pondering and not attached to indigestion from the most recent hamburger and fries that you ate? How do you know that your happy feelings are tied to a standard of right, and not caused by the caffeine in that Diet Coke you just drank? Indeed, your feelings are not there to guide you to know truth. Contrary to what some well-intentioned psychologists say, your feelings are not here to guide you in understanding the truth and to guide you when you are stuck in lies. Feelings are not an accurate or consistent guide of truth.

So, if you cannot go to your thoughts and feelings to know the truth about who you are, where you are going after death, and how you will get there, where else shall you go?

A third option to find truth might be to not look within oneself but to look outward to what others are saying. You and I can say to ourselves,

“God would not let all the people of the world remain in error for a long time. Besides, there are so many pious and holy and wise people in the world, it would probably be best just to figure out what the ‘majority’ of the people are believing is true, and go with that.”   

Dear friends, if you and I expect to find truth about our identity, purpose, and life after death from what the majority of the people believe and teach, we will also be severely mistaken. You see, truth does not depend on popular polling. Truth does not care what the popular crowd thinks. Truth is not a reed blowing in the wind of popular fads.  Truth is not like a chameleon that changes colors according to the color of its surroundings. And so, you and I cannot base truth on what other people have determined and concluded, no matter how many people agree.

So, we are again back to our question, where do we go to find truth? Yes, where do we go to find the certainty of truth?

Dear friends, we cannot cling to our thoughts, for our thoughts are often short-lived and misinformed. And we cannot cling to our feelings, for feelings easily betray us. And our ears cannot cling to the lips and pens of people or groups, for that would be like the blind leading the blind. So what can we rely upon for knowing truth?

In our Gospel reading from the Apostle John, we hear Jesus saying that the Holy Spirit will guide us into all the truth. Yes, the Holy Spirit will guide you.

Now, this is one of the blessings of being a Christian. You and I do not have to wonder where truth is found. You do not have to try to discern the dreams of your minds, you do not have to try to dig around in the emotions of your hearts, and you do not have to chase after the changing opinions of crowds, but rather, the Holy Spirit guides you into the truth. Yes, like a guide who introduces a traveler to an unknown destination, the Holy Spirit guides Christians into all truth!

But we still have not answered exactly where this truth is found.

Baptized Saints, the Holy Spirit is not a fortune teller, and He does not point you to some theoretical version of truth held in the halls of academia. The Holy Spirit does not lead you on a wild goose chase so that you might find a supposed treasure of truth at the end of a rainbow. The Holy Spirit also does not guide you back to yourself – to your thoughts and feelings. No, this is not how the Holy Spirit guides. The Holy Spirit is not a skeptic. He does not proclaim doubt or mere opinions. Instead, the Holy Spirit guides us to Jesus and Jesus’ words. And as we hear from John’s Gospel, the fourteenth chapter, Jesus is the way, ‘the truth,’ and the life.

You and I must never forget that truth is not some ideology. Truth is not a thing hidden in our hearts or something buried deep in our subconscious mind. Instead, the truth regarding who you are, where you are going after death, and how you will get there, is connected to the person and work of Jesus. Truth is not an idea, but instead, truth is a person – Jesus Christ.

So, dear friends, whatever is not Christ is not the way, but error. Whatever is not Christ is not life but death. Whatever is not Christ is not truth, but untruth. And that is why the Holy Spirit guides you to Jesus. To be very precise, this is why the Holy Spirit guides you to Jesus’ Word and gives you Jesus’ Word.

And in Jesus’ Word – the Bible – you find and receive truth! This is why you and I must stick to the Scriptures. Truth is in the Lord’s Word; there you will be safe; there you will find reliableness and faithfulness – completely, purely, sufficiently, and constantly.[1]

The Holy Spirit guides us to the Word, for there in the Word of God, the Holy Spirit works to enlighten us and give us all truth.

So, if the masses of people around us cry out a different so-called truth than what is presented in Jesus’ Word, you and I shall not be troubled, for without the truth of Jesus we know that there is no such thing as certainty but only self-deception.

And when your feelings contradict the Word of God, in repentance and faith, you shall cry out, “Create in me a clean heart O God.”

And when your mind leads you into fanatical dreams, you shall make the sign of the cross remembering that you are captive to the Word of God and the Word of God alone.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth, for He works to place Jesus before your eyes, ears, minds, and hearts so that you would know with certainty the work of Jesus – for you.

Blessed Saints, truth is never apart from the Word and Holy Spirit, but comes to you in the Word and Sacraments, so that you might know that you are the baptized – forgiven, cleansed, claimed unto Christ; destined to everlasting life with Christ, with resurrected bodies which will be free from sin.

Indeed, truth is here in the Word where the Holy Spirit works.  Yes, truth is here in the Word for you.

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

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[1] Martin Luther (SL 15, 1565). 

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This Life Is Only A 'Little While'

Text: Matthew 16:16-22

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

Go for it now, for the future is promised to no one.

Celebrate your life now. Do not wait until it is over.

Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you might die.

You only live once, so now is the time to live.

Party now, sleep when you are dead.

Laugh at the odds and live your life to the fullest so that death will be afraid to take you.

These are several of the catchphrases circulating in our modern day and age. And in case you did not pick up on it, all of these slogans have the same thing in common. What they have in common is this: these sayings believe that the present is good whereas the future is bad. That is to say; these slogans view life now as full of success, pleasure, and happiness that need to be seized, whereas the future is full of sorrow, pain, sadness, and death. Simply stated, life goes from good to bad with these catchphrases, because death is the final killjoy! Death is the nail in the coffin – the end of goodness.

But is this necessarily true? Does life go from good to bad?  Does life go from happiness to sorrow? Is this the trajectory that we are on, meaning that we need to seize the moment for tomorrow may never come?

In our Gospel reading, Jesus says quite the opposite. He shares that you Christians will not encounter success, pleasure, and happiness in your life right now, but quite the opposite. You will meet sorrow and distress and pain. Indeed, you will cry and groan with pain in this life. You will hurt in this life. And to make things worse, while you are hurting and suffering, the world will dance and party around you. Indeed, life for the Christian is tough. Life will knock you down and keeps knocking you down. It does not let up. Even the Apostles tell us flat out: “In this world, you will have trouble.” Yes, all kinds of troubles. Your heart will break. You will grow old and begin to fall apart. You will have disappointment and heart-ache and trial upon trial.

The reason why it is like this is that you and I live in what is called the valley of tears. Yes, we live in what is called this valley of tears. You and I enter into this valley at the beginning of our life, and we stay in this valley until our last dying breath. And unlike a pleasant valley, this valley of life is dark. The valley contains hardships, suffering, loss, grief, persecution, and pain. It is a valley that is clouded with gloom, where we experience the attacks of the devil, the struggles with the sinful nature, the persecution of the world, and the sting of death itself.

Perhaps you are wondering at this point if I forgot to take an anti-depressant pill this morning. Or maybe you might be wondering if I am a natural pessimist, seeing the glass as half-empty? No, this is not the case. You see, what I am describing about this valley of tears is reality. This is how things are for you as a Christian in this life – in this valley of tears.  Yes, Jesus says that in this life that you will weep and mourn and that you will have pain. As a Christian you live, breathe, and have movement not on the mountaintops of life, but within the valley, the valley of tears.

I can tell you this, though, we do not like the reality of suffering. We do not like hearing about this valley of tears.  We do not like the darkness. So, we Christians like to pretend that our lives are not in this valley of tears. That is right; we love to avoid the valley of tears at all costs. It makes us uncomfortable, and it goes against the view of the world that things are supposed to be great. So, we try to make peace with the darkness of the valley. We try to turn the lemons of the valley into lemonade. We convince ourselves that we are overcomers. We say, “When we get knocked down, we get up again.” And then when we stand as supposed overcomers, we look into the dark valley of tears, and we roar as if we are invincible.   But we are not.  We are fooling ourselves. 

No matter how hard we try to climb out of the valley of tears or deny it, there is no escape – you Christians are in this valley where the walls are too steep and where it is too dark. No matter how hard you wipe away the tears of hurt, they keep flowing in life – they keep flowing until your last dying breath. No matter how much you try to dull the pain and hurt, it keeps twisting and stabbing you. In this life, the devil continues to attack, the sinful flesh always longs to sin and wreak havoc, and the world continues to spew forth lies. There is no end to this stuff.

So, the reality for you, dear Christians, is that you are not high on a mountaintop, but you are deep in the valley. It is like this because Christ predicted that there would be trials and suffering and pain in this life. He certainly did.  From your birth to your last dying breath, you will experience these hardships, the daily grind, the struggle of the soul, the heaviness of life, the chaos of sin. However, our Lord Jesus Christ also said that this valley of tears would only be a ‘little while.’ In other words, the day is coming that the valley of tears will end and all things will be made anew. Yes, sadness lasts only ‘a little while’ and then will change into gladness. All grief lasts just ‘a little while’ and then is swallowed up in the end. Pain last only ‘a little while’ and will be remembered no more. You see, life does not go from good to bad. But rather, it is the other way around, it goes from bad to good, and it only takes ‘a little while.’ 

Dear Baptized Christians, learn to say these words to yourself: ‘A little while.’ Yes, when the shadows of the valley of tears press in upon you, say, ‘a little while,’ because you know that in a little while it will all be over. It will all be over soon because Jesus promises to see you in His kingdom. After a little while, Jesus will wipe away the tears from all eyes, and He will heal all the hurt. After a little while, He will give eternal joy to you. You see, because you are baptized in Christ, you are a Christian, and as a Christian, you wait for the Lord, you know that there is an end to the pain of the valley of tears. You know that at the end of the valley there will be no suffering, but there will be the unspeakable joy of seeing Jesus and Him seeing you, as He pulls you from this valley of tears to His eternal goodness.  Yes, in death the Lord pulls you to Himself and will resurrect you to eternal life. And when He does, oh, the laughter and unending joy. It will fill your heart and make you dance, and it will cause you to laugh and sing for eternity.

Dear Baptized Saints, do not lose heart and do not grow faint this day. Do not panic and do not fret. Be still this hour and be still at this moment; hear right now. The valley of tears does not last forever; there is an end to the valley. There is an end to the tears, an end to the suffering, an end to the persecution, an end to sin, an end to pain, and an end to the devil. It is only a little while. Be patient, wait it out, take courage!

And as you wait it out, dear Baptized Saints, to get you through, the Lord gives you His Word and Sacraments. Therefore, cling to the promises of God’s Word – the promises that are for you. Hang your body and soul upon His Word. Continually receive the Sacrament of the Altar – that is given and shed for you. Remember your Baptisms – where God’s name was placed upon your head and heart, marking you as one of the redeemed. Patiently endure any misfortune, while comforting yourself with the truth that the Lord is with you. He does not abandon you in the valley. Yes, comfort yourself with Jesus’ Word that this life is only a ‘little while.’ Know that as tough as it gets in this life that the Lord holds not only the beginning but the end of this world.

Baptized Saints, hang on!. It is just a little while. And then you will see Jesus face to face where your sorrows, sadness, and pain will be turned into joy.   

In the name of Jesus Christ: Amen.

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How To Distinguish Between Good And Bad Pastors

Texts: Ezekiel 34:11-16 and John 10:11-16

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

How do you distinguish between a good pastor and a bad pastor?

In other words, what qualities and characteristics should a church look for in a good pastor and what things should be avoided?

In a 2017 article from the HuffPost, Kelly Battles, answers these questions by saying that good pastors are characterized by the following attributes and features:

• A good pastor has an open mind.
• A good pastor is more spiritual than traditionally religious.
• A good pastor writes sermons that are relatable, current, practical, and that help you walk out of church with the tools and motivation to lead a better life.
• A good pastor integrates a heavy dose of humor and the arts, as well as prayer and the Bible, into the lesson.
• A good pastor makes everyone they meet feel like family.
• A good pastor finally, has a healthy appreciation for pet participation, children squirming in the pews, and people in bike shorts and sports uniforms, all regular occurrences in the church life of her local church.[1]

Ms. Battles goes on to say that in selecting a good pastor that the most important thing is to identify the traits, characteristics, and experiences that best fit with the church’s plans, vision, and priorities.

Now, is Kelly Battles right? Has she described what makes a good pastor in our modern day and age? 

Unfortunately, she has not described what makes a good pastor in our modern day and age, but instead, she has described merely what many churches ‘want’ in a pastor in our modern day and age. And what churches ‘want’ in a pastor is often different than what churches actually ‘need.’ That is to say; what churches often want in a pastor is at odds with what the Lord calls pastors to be and do.

Dear friends, to identify a good pastor, we must not consult and survey the wishes and opinions of mankind. Yes, to distinguish between good and bad shepherds, we must not appeal to the feelings and wishes of mankind, but we must hear what the Lord says about this subject.

In our readings from Ezekiel and the Gospel of John, we hear about the differences between good shepherds and bad shepherds – good pastors and bad pastors. We can also look throughout the rest of the Bible as well, to hear about the criteria of what makes a good pastor.[2] And what we hear is that we can distinguish a good pastor from a bad pastor not by how much humor he has in a sermon or how much he makes a person feel like family, but upon the pastor’s doctrine and life. Yes, the criteria that the Bible lays forth in identifying the differences between a good shepherd and a bad shepherd is what the pastor teaches and how the pastor lives.

Now, regarding doctrine, a good pastor preaches and teaches the Bible to the flock, not his own opinions. In fact, the majority of the time of the pastor is to be preaching and teaching the Holy Scriptures to his flock. He is to be applying Law and Gospel. Law to confront the sins of his flock and Gospel to absolve those sins. From the pulpit, the bedside, behind the desk, and on the streets, the pastor is called to proclaim God’s Law unto repentance and God’s Gospel unto faith. The pastor is not captive to the desires and wants and rules of the congregation but is captive to the Word of God and the Word alone.

Bad shepherds, on the other hand, may well preach and teach with a friendly smile, but will consistently remove the sting of the Law that reveals sin and then condition the Gospel that reveals Jesus. Yes, they will tickle the ears of the congregation by downplaying the seriousness of God’s Law and will undercut the singlehanded sufficiency of the Gospel. By doing this, nobody will feel bad because sin will not be confronted by a stern Law and everyone will be able to have a place in accomplishing their own salvation because the Gospel will no longer be dependent upon Jesus alone, but upon the will-power of the parishioner. As a result, sin is allowed to run rampant in the church, Jesus is pushed off to the side, and a one-way ticket to hell is handed out.

Furthermore, bad shepherds will slobber a bunch of manmade doctrines all over God’s Word, covering God’s Word with meaningless babble. Yes, bad shepherds will say a lot, but when closely examined, their chatter is empty. Their mouths are full of a bunch of empty sounds that have the appearance of knowledge but in reality contradict the Bible.[3]

Dear friends, doctrine is one of the things that distinguishes good and bad pastors. A good shepherd is faithful to the Word of God in season and out of season, telling the church what they ‘need’ to hear, not what they ‘want’ to hear. Bad shepherds, however, will tickle the ears of the congregation, telling them not what they ‘need’ to hear, but what they ‘want’ to hear.[4]  

Good and bad shepherds are also distinguished by their life. A good shepherd lives according to God’s Word and demonstrates his doctrine with good examples in his life. This is not a life of perfection, for no man is perfect, except Jesus alone. But instead, this is a life of upholding what is good, right, and true according to God’s Word. It is a life aspiring to want to do better and confessing sin when failure arises. A good pastor neither conceals sin nor celebrates it, but is quick to apologize to his flock and others when he errors and depends solely on Jesus for his identity, forgiveness, and life.

Bad shepherds, though, live contrary to God’s Word in their life when they conceal sin or celebrate sin. Bad shepherds also make many rules for their church that are not in the Bible and keep few of the rules themselves. To make things worse, bad shepherds run at the first sign of danger from wolves. Furthermore, they do not strengthen the weak, they do not heal the sick, and do not bind up the injured by the Word and Sacraments because they have not only forsaken the Word and Sacraments but are also too fat and lazy in their spiritual apathy – only serving their agendas and appetites.

Indeed, doctrine and life are that which help us distinguish between good and bad pastors. But why are the doctrine and life of pastors so important? Why this criterion? You see, it is quite simple.

If the church were a social club and Jesus was its group leader, then good and bad pastors would be judged upon their personalities, popularity, and relatability, not doctrine and life.

If the church were a business and Jesus was its CEO, then good and bad pastors would be judged upon business principles and financial ratios, not doctrine and life.

If the church were a social justice organization and Jesus was its social justice leader, then good and bad pastors would be judged upon their community campaigning abilities.

But the church is none of these things. And Jesus is none of these things as well. Instead, the church is often referred to in the Bible as a flock – a flock of sheep. And pastors are called to be shepherds of the flock. In fact, the word ‘pastor’ is from the Latin word that means, ‘shepherd.’

So, if the church is like a flock and pastors are like shepherds, what does this mean about Jesus? It means that Jesus is the chief Shepherd. Jesus is the good – the ultimate good – Shepherd. He is the good Shepherd that laid down His life for the sheep. Jesus is the chief Shepherd of our souls, by whose blood we are purchased and redeemed. And as our chief Shepherd, Jesus places pastors into churches to feed and preach the Gospel to ‘His’ sheep according to ‘His’ example and according to ‘His’ Word. Simply stated, good pastors are those who live by faith in Jesus and teach according to Jesus. Bad pastors disregard Jesus’ example and Jesus’ doctrine. That is why a pastor is judged upon doctrine and life. Is the pastor speaking the doctrines of Jesus? Is the pastor living by faith in Jesus? Or is the pastor peddling something else?

Dear Baptized Saints, if your pastor ever strays from the chief Shepherd or if your ears are ever tickled away to a bad pastor, beware! Whoever strays from the chief Shepherd – Jesus – does not have peace and safety but will have to contend with the wolves, that devour souls. 

You, though, are sheep. You hear and follow the shepherd’s voice. Together you and I know that we cannot help ourselves but depend on Jesus’ protection and help and His Word and Sacraments.  

So, dear Baptized Saints, when I step into this pulpit, wear this clergy alb, and place the stole around my neck, may I be faithful in doctrine and life to proclaim and give you Jesus’ Word. May I be faithful to proclaim to you Jesus and Him dying for your sins.

And when you have marital struggles, a new job, a failed pregnancy, a death of a spouse, and whatever this life brings, may you always have an open ear to hear about Jesus and Him dying for your sins.

No matter the circumstance, pastor and congregation must speak, hear, and trust in the message of Jesus dying for them. No matter the situation, the message of Jesus – His Word and Sacraments – must never be compromised because Jesus is the guardian of our souls, our rescuer in death, the hope of everlasting life, and our good and chief Shepherd, now and forevermore.

In the name of Jesus Christ: Amen.

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[1] Kelly Battles, “What Makes a Good Pastor in 2017?,” HuffPost, https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/what-makes-a-good-pastor-in-2017_us_597b70fee4b06b305561d02b (accessed April 12, 2018).

[2] Take special note of the Pastoral Epistles that outline the criteria of Pastors.  

[3] See 1 Timothy 6:20.

[4] See 2 Timothy 4:1-5.

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Your Body Will Be Resurrected Because Jesus Lives

Text: Job 19:23-27

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

Every single day over 55 million people die on the planet earth.  That is over 38,000 deaths every minute and over 600 deaths every single second. 

Of the 55 million deaths from today, the majority of them will eventually end up being buried in the ground, where they will be forgotten after several generations.  Names will be forgotten, faces will fade from memories, the sound of their voices will turn to whispers, and tombstones will be covered with dirt.  If these dead people are lucky, someone will mow the grass above their grave and maybe even visit them from time to time.  However, for most of these people, they will be forgotten, and their tombstones will eventually crumble into small pieces, due to the wearing effects of the weather. 

Dear friends, the world bleeds daily.  Death knocks at the world’s door every day and sin pays out its wages.  Death occurs every single second, every single hour, every single day – 365 days a year.  There is no stopping it. 

I do not have to tell you that this is most certainly depressing.  Yes, it is indeed sad and enough to make you want to throw up your hands and say,

‘What’s the point?”

It is almost enough to make you kick the dust and say,

“Blech!  Good grief!  Who cares!  Let’s just go home and go back to bed.”

But despite this depressing reality, you are all still here today.  Yes, you are gathered here together into this church.  And the reason why?  You are here because of an event that changed everything.  You are here because one man defied death.  You are here because your Redeemer lives and overcame the grave.  Yes, Jesus lives.  And because He lives, He will stand upon your grave at the Last Day with compassion, glory, honor, and power.  He will stand upon your grave because He will not forget you in death and because He intends to undo death and raise you to life once again.   

So, while the world is bleeding around you and while the darkness of death hovers everywhere you look, you are here in this church service today because Jesus did the unthinkable and the impossible – He rose from the grave.  In other words, if Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, were not alive, you would have no reason to be here.  You would have no reason to care. You would have no reason for hope.  If Jesus were still in the grave, you would still be in bed.  However, because He lives, everything changes.  Because He lives, you know that death does not have the final say.  You know that the Last Day is not a day of dread, but a day of hope.

In our Old Testament reading from the book of Job, we hear that at the Last Day, Jesus will stand upon the grave of Job to raise Him up out of the grave to newness of life.  Now, this is not some half-baked reincarnation, where Job’s soul will come back into an animal or Job’s soul will come back in a different body.  No, this kind of stuff is complete nonsense, the sort of thing that makes up fairy tales and sci-fi fiction movies.  We also do not hear from our reading in Job, that when we die that we become annihilated (that we will cease to exist), but instead, we hear that our soul lives on, to be reunited with our bodies at the resurrection of the dead.  In other words, from our reading in Job, we hear that we can expect the Redeemer to raise our bodies to life once again. 

Dear friends, what our Old Testament reading is are talking about is a full and complete and whole resurrection of the body. The resurrection of the body will be a complete resurrection.  We will have resurrected bodies just like we have now, but without the effects of sin and death.  A 2.0 body, if you will.  It will be a renewed body that will allow you to see the Lord with your very own eyes.  Mark this, in death you will not be forgotten in dust and ashes, and you will not become an eternal floaty spirit bouncing on the clouds of heaven without a body, but rather, you will be raised from the grave imperishable because Jesus has risen from the grave Himself.  As Jesus has a body and is resurrected to life, you too will be raised with a renewed body unto eternal life.  Indeed, this changes everything, does it not? 

And so, today we gather here in this church to hear the bold promises that Jesus is alive and will not forget us in death.  We gather here in this church to hear the valiant promise that the grave is not our final resting place.  We gather here to hold to the Lord’s promises, against all appearances, that even though our world is shrouded in death, that we will be raised bodily on the last day. 

In a way, your gathering here today is a gathering to protest sin, death, and the devil.  Actually, it is so much more than a mere protest.  You are here to laugh and mock sin, death, and the devil.  It is a gathering this day to declare that you are children of God.  Dear Baptized Saints, you belong to Jesus because you are baptized into His life, death, and resurrection!  Yes, you are children of God, and you can gladly say this because the Redeemer lives.

So, today you and I confess with a boldness that sin cannot disturb our souls any longer, for our Redeemer lives.  You and I snub our noses at the evil foe, for our Redeemer lives.   You and I chuckle at death, for our Redeemer lives.

Yes, today’s service is us mocking, scorning, snubbing, and laughing at sin, death, and the devil because our Redeemer lives.  So, lift up your heads, raise your chin, smile, laugh, and tell sin that you have comfort even stronger, Jesus cleansing sacrifice.  Tell Satan that He can drop his ugly accusations because his tyranny is unraveled.  Tell death that it cannot end your gladness, for it has been swallowed up in victory. 

Dear Baptized Saints, mock, scorn, snub, and laugh at sin, death, and the devil because your Redeemer lives and your Redeemer is your sure defense.  Jesus is your power, might, and victory. 

Jesus Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father so that we might walk in newness of life.  Jesus lives.  This is most certainly true.  This is the message of Easter, for me, for you, and for the entire world.   

Blessed Baptized Saints, Alleluia! Alleluia! Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Our Redeemer lives!  Alleluia!  

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