Red: The Color Of Fire, Fervor, And Blood

Text: Matthew 14:23-31 and Acts 2:1-21

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

Annika, Anna, Allie, and Howie, today is Pentecost Sunday. You can tell because of all the red at the front of the church.  It is one of those few days in the church we get to see red on the altar, the pulpit, the lectern, and the pastor.    

Now, Pentecost is celebrated 50 days after Easter, which is where the ‘pente’ of Pentecost comes from.  You see, ‘pente’ means 50.  And 50 days after Easter is the day that the Crucified, Risen, and Ascended Lord Jesus poured out His promised Holy Spirit on the church.  You heard about this pouring out of the Holy Spirit in today’s Gospel reading from Acts. 

Indeed, in the book of Acts, we heard about a mighty rushing wind that must have sounded like a tornado.  We heard about tongues of fire resting on each one of the Apostles. 

And so, that is where the red of Pentecost comes from, the color of fire and fervor.  We use the color of red 50 days from Easter to show how the Holy Spirit was poured out on the church. 

Now, keep in mind that when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Apostles, everything changed.  Yes, everything changed because, before that Pentecost day, these same men trembled in fear.  They were silent.  They were afraid; often hiding.  But everything changed and they were no longer able to keep silent since the Holy Spirit led them to do what they feared to do.  That is to say; after the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them, they stood up among the crowd in the temple and began to preach in languages they had never learned with confidence and boldness. 

They were not just babbling nonsense, but they preached in the languages of the people who had come to Jerusalem.  People from all over the world were there and these people heard the Apostles speak of the mighty acts of God.  These formerly fearful Apostles now spoke boldly about Jesus who is the Son of God, who was crucified for the sins of the whole world, and who rose again from the dead.  They spoke of forgiveness and eternal life in Jesus name.  The Apostles had no fear but proclaimed Jesus. 

Now, none of this would have ever happened if it were not for the wind and the fire of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.  And so today we have red as a reminder of how the Holy Spirit came down upon Christ’s church.  We have red that reminds us of the fearful Apostles being turned to boldness to preach God’s holy Word of forgiveness, to a world bound by sin. 

You see, the Lord has this pattern of using weak, fearful, and unqualified people to proclaim His Word.  The Lord used fearful and weak disciples to speak His Word, and through that Word brought sinners to Jesus that they might be saved.  And here is the catch, the Lord still uses fearful and weak disciples, disciples like me and like you confirmands. 

Annika, Anna, Allie, and Howie, it is like this, your confirmation today is like a Pentecost.  Maybe we could say, your second Pentecost.  Your first Pentecost was on the day you were baptized.  That is when the Holy Spirit was first given to you, along with the gift of faith and forgiveness in Jesus’ death and resurrection.  But today is sort of another Pentecost, because today through receiving the Lord’s Body and Blood in communion for the first time, you will be strengthened in faith and love – kept steadfast in the Christian faith.  Today, you will make a vow and be prayed over to suffer all - even death - than fall away from the Christian faith. 

Yes, Annika, Anna, Allie, and Howie, today you are reminded by way of God’s blessing that you have received His Spirit and so you will be used to give a witness to your faith in Jesus Christ, to speak of the mighty acts of God that He has done by giving His Son to die for you and the world. 

But it won’t be easy, people do not like to hear about their sin or their need for a Savior. They are much more content with empty religious clichés or foolish television preachers who babble nonsense.  

This brings us to the other reason we have red today.  Red is the color of blood, of suffering, and affliction.

You see, before that Pentecost day, the disciples were paralyzed with fear, their mouths were stitched shut with trembling because they knew if they spoke about Jesus that they would be killed as He was.  They knew that giving a witness to Jesus would not lead to partying and dancing but would lead to suffering and blood.  And so we have red. 

In fact, the word ‘witness’ in the original Greek is actually the word ‘martyr.’  A martyr is someone who suffers and dies because they cannot be silent about the joy and eternal life that they have by faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection. 

And as it was on the first Pentecost day when the Holy Spirit led the Apostles to speak of the mighty acts of God to the people, so it is today for you.  The Holy Spirit will lead you to do what you alone are too fearful to do: to give a bold witness to your Lord Jesus Christ, in what you think, say, and do. 

And the way things are going for the Church in the world today, you may well find what it is like to be a martyr, just like the Apostles did. 

You see, right after Jesus promised to send His Holy Spirit to His church, He also said:

“The time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers a service to God.” 

That time did come for the Apostles. 

Bartholomew: skinned alive and beheaded.

Thomas: burned alive.

Matthew: nailed to the ground

and beheaded.

Peter: crucified upside down.

Paul: beheaded by the emperor of Rome.

Others were stoned to death or killed in terrible ways too graphic to mention this day.  And so we have red, the color of the martyrs on Pentecost, the color of blood.

As we hear this today, we may think that it would be wise to be silent about Jesus – to not rock the boat.  But the Holy Spirit will not let your fear keep you silent.  He will use you in life, and perhaps even in death to be a witness to the joy that you have by faith in Jesus Christ.

Annika, Anna, Allie, and Howie frankly stated, it is difficult to give witness to a world that hates to hear of sin and forgiveness.  It is difficult to give a witness in your own house, to your family, and to your friends and neighbors.  And you all will fail at times, in fear you will be silent though the Spirit would urge otherwise.  In trembling, you will deny your Lord Jesus when you ought to speak and give a clear witness to Him and His Word of Truth. 

The world will accuse you and at times want to kill you.  The devil will accuse you and show you how awful your sins are to try and lead you to despair and condemnation so that you might be silent.  Even your own conscience will accuse you, telling you that you aren’t worthy to witness to Jesus Christ.

But always remember that the Holy Spirit is with you.  You are baptized.  The Holy Spirit will continually bring you to Jesus and to this altar to fill you with forgiveness, life, and salvation.

Yes, when you sin, when you fail. When you deny your Lord in fear instead of confessing Him and giving a witness to Him in what you say and think and do, listen to the Holy Spirit as He calls you to repentance and brings you back to Jesus.  Cling to the promise of Jesus,

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Know that the promise of peace from your Lord is yours even unto the end of time through the power of His Holy Spirit who brings you to Jesus, and fills you with Jesus and all that is His.

Annika, Anna, Allie, and Howie, today, for your very first time you will receive the Body and Blood of your Lord Jesus Christ to eat and drink for the forgiveness of all your sins, for the strengthening of your faith, for your spiritual refueling.  As you receive, pay special attention as the Cup is raised up before your eyes and the Holy Spirit reminds you that Jesus has given His Body and Blood that “the peace of the Lord be with you always.”  Pay special attention that you are drinking peace – Jesus who our peace. 

That peace is real peace, peace with God, peace in turmoil and persecution, peace from all your fears, peace that passes all understanding.  A peace that will strengthen and preserve you steadfast in the true faith unto life everlasting.

So though you have every reason to fear and to tremble.  There need not be fear any longer.  You can take heart and courage and remain steadfast in this confession and faith even unto death.  Not because of what you have done or will do but because of the Holy Spirit who is given to you, on this your Pentecost Day. 

And so today Annika, Anna, Allie, and Howie, we have red, the color of fire and fervor, and faith and even the blood of the martyrs.  The color of the Holy Spirit who is with you always.

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

Note: This sermon is borrowed in large parts from Rev. Joshua Reimche's Pentecost Sermon at Our Savior Lutheran Church of Bottineau, ND. 

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Above It All

Text: Acts 1:1-11

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

I have this theory about mankind.  It goes something like this: 

We do not like looking up, because when we look up, we realize just how small we are. 

For example, a person going to the Big Apple – New York City – will look up at the tall buildings, get dizzy and feel small.  And some people even get a shortness of breath when looking up at tall skyscrapers. 

Another example would be this.  Looking upon a clear night towards the stars can be overwhelming.  A person named Cory once said this,

“I am utterly speechless when I stop and look up at the night sky.  The cosmos has to be the most majestic thing ever.  I feel so small, and I feel so helpless when I gaze into the universe above me.” 

And so, I believe that most people are much more comfortable keeping their heads down.  We feel better when we can see, touch, and feel things below us.  That is right; when we cannot reach something above us or when there is something mightier above us, well… we get uncomfortable and overwhelmed.  This may be the reason why we keep our heads down so much of the time.  Indeed, if our heads are down, we like to think that are in control and the world seems smaller.  However, when we look up, we become smaller, and the world becomes bigger. 

Now, why do I mention this? 

I mention this because today’s reading from the Book of Acts causes us to look up, not down.  Yes, in the Book of Acts we hear about the Ascension of Jesus, which causes us to lift up our chins and look up towards heaven. 

You see, in the story of the Ascension we hear about Jesus being lifted up out of the sight of the disciples some forty days after His resurrection from the dead.  That is right; Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father.  He was lifted up - a cloud took Him out of the sight of the disciples to heaven. As can be imagined, the disciples gazed up into heaven.  Their eyes stretched as far as they could see, without moving or flinching.

So, is the meaning and purpose of the Lord’s Ascension, for us to simply lift up our chins and gaze into heaven, like the disciples? 

Dear friends, we must keep in mind that the story of the Ascension does not necessarily mean that Jesus is somewhere above us in outer space.  In other words, just because Jesus ascended upward, does not mean that heaven is located up in space somewhere.  We cannot take a spaceship to heaven.  Heaven is not a physical destination located next to Jupiter or Saturn.  One cannot simply take exit 13 at the fourth moon of Saturn to get to heaven.  Heaven is indeed a real place, but not a place ‘within’ our time and space.  But rather, heaven is ‘beyond’ our time and space.

So, if heaven is not physically located in outer space, why did Jesus ascend the way that He did? Why was He lifted up instead of vanishing in a puff of smoke? 

Dear friends, even though God’s kingdom of heaven is not somewhere above us in space, it is still above us.  You see, when Jesus ascended into heaven – when He was lifted up – this was intended to show and remind us of His kingdom’s immenseness and majesty and power.  The Ascension of Jesus to the right hand of power was to show that Jesus resumed His full divine qualities.  It was to show that the time of Jesus’ humiliation was over.  No more suffering, no more dying, and no more agonizing cross for Jesus!  Instead, Jesus reigns alive with a fully resurrected body, as the all-present Savior, who can intervene anywhere and anytime with His saving presence.

So, is it wrong to look up to the Lord when we pray?  Is it wrong to gaze upward when we think of heaven?  No, it is not.  It is quite natural to look up, for that is the direction that Jesus went when He ascended.  It is only naïve to make heaven into a physical location on a space map or believe that we can get to heaven with GPS and enough rocket fuel. 

So, when we lift up our heads towards Jesus in heaven or when we think of heaven above us, we are affirming that Jesus ascended far above all of creation to the right hand of the Father.  Yes, when we lift up our heads, we recognize that Jesus is greater than us.  We realize that He is more powerful than us.  We know that He is big and that we are small.  We understand that He leads His church.  We understand that He is over all of creation.

So, dear friends, when we look up, we should indeed feel small and tiny and insignificant.  We are nothing compared to a 110 story skyscraper.  We are insignificant compared to the millions of stars over our heads.  And we are especially small compared to the Lord Jesus seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven.  But this should not discourage us.  We should not become dizzy or weak or fearful when we look above us to the Lord Jesus at the right hand of the Father.  Indeed, the fact that we are small and the Lord is big is good.  In other words, isn’t it good that Jesus is above every created thing?  I mean, think about it.  What kind of God would Jesus be if He didn’t rise from the dead?  He would be a dead god.  And what kind of king would Jesus be if He was not above the powers and kingdoms of this world?  He would be a no-name average king.  What if heaven was a flimsy kingdom that could give way at the smallest outbreak of war?  Well, we probably couldn’t call it a kingdom.  What if Jesus couldn’t have ascended to heaven and was stuck here on earth?  Well, we probably would try to seize Jesus, as so many did before, and try to make Him do what we want, not what we need.      

Dear Baptized Saints, the fact of the matter is this, all the kingdoms of this world will rise and fall.  Kings will come to greatness only to be stung by death and buried 6-feet under.  Buildings will rise to scrape the sky and then be demolished by great earthquakes.  Even the sun, star, and galaxies have limited time, with stars continually burning up and losing their twinkle.  But Jesus?  He is not like other kings.  He has ascended higher than any other king has ever ascended.  And the kingdom of heaven, well… this kingdom will last forever for it is not of this world.    

And so, the Ascension of Jesus to heaven is not an end to the ministry of Jesus but a display of Jesus’ power, authority, and majesty.  His ascension shows us that He is above all. His throne is above us, which is why we can lift our heads with confidence.  Jesus and the kingdom of heaven are not like us and not like this world.  They are free from the limitations and sin of this world.    

Yes, Jesus is alive, Baptized Saints, at the right hand of the Father, where He will come again one day soon just as He left.  Yes, Jesus will come again, visibly, and with great glory - just as the disciples watched Him go in His Ascension. He will come again because He is not too big to not care for you.  Yes, even though Jesus ascended to heaven, He has promised that He will come again, for you.  He will not come in secret to rapture a few away, but will come suddenly, visibly, and with great glory.  He will come again, with great glory to call you unto eternal life.  And you, whether you are alive or sleeping in that grave, will hear His voice, and will find yourself before the Lord Jesus who ascended to heaven, and came back especially to bring you into the new heaven and earth. 

Until that day comes, we can rest in the assurance that we are never alone.  Christ our Lord, true God and true man, is always with us.  We have His forgiveness, His love, His comfort, and His strength in the Word and Sacraments and through the Holy Spirit. 

Baptized Saints, the world will do all it can to separate us from Him.  It will discourage us.  It will attack us.  It will persecute us.  Jesus Himself warned us, "In the world, you will have tribulation."  Nevertheless, He also said, "Take heart; I have overcome the world." 

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

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Letting The Word Slip Through Your Ears?

Text: James 1:22-27

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

The Apostle James comes against hypocrites in today’s Epistle Reading.  He is confronting Christians who are hearers of the Word but not doers of the Word.  In other words, he is trying to expose that there are individuals that say that they are Christians and act like Christians, but in reality, they are not Christians.  Instead, they are hypocrites. 

Now, let me caution you right now.  As you consider today’s Epistle reading, your mind may drift to other people that you know who fit James’ description.  In other words, I caution you from letting your mind shift the Epistle Reading away from your ears towards someone else.  You see, it is easy to hear a sermon and then think,

“Wow, this is good, I hope Johnny and Susie are listening.” 

Yes, when you hear a sermon and begin thinking about someone else needing to hear it, you are then not hearing it for yourself, which means that you become the very thing that you are condemning. 

So, James is confronting individuals that say that they are Christian – those who are merely hearers of the Word and not doers of the Word.  These are individuals who range from individuals called CEO Christians (Christmas and Easter Only Christians) to individuals that attend every function of the church, give tithes, serve on boards and walk the straight and narrow, yet the Word has not been received by faith. 

Yes, James is confronting individuals who are just hearers of the Word and not doers of the Word, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Some are not very involved in the church, and others are very faithful attendees of the church.  Some think they are Christians, but deep down they know that they do not believe what is being taught from the Bible.  They roll their eyes at the Bible when it doesn’t agree with their opinions.  They even dismiss the teachings of the church as too dogmatic and old fashioned, yet they hide their disagreement and pretend to be one of the church family.  Yes, they are hearers only of the Word and not doers of the Word. 

There are also individuals who hear the Word and agree, for the most part, but the Word never goes any farther.  They listen, perhaps and even enjoy what they hear, they think it is true, but then 5 minutes after these individuals hear the Word they forget it, leave it, and forsake it.   Yes, they are hearers only of the Word and not a doer of the Word.

So, the disturbing question for you to ponder right now is, are you a hearer of the Word only and not a doer?

But what does James mean when he says that you and I are not to be just hearers of the Word but doers too? 

It is easy to jump to the conclusion that James is calling everyone not only to hear but to perform some good deed or some Christian action along with hearing. However, this is not what James is confronting in our Epistle reading.   What James is confronting are individuals who merely hear the Word, and then the Word does not take root.  James is talking about people who hear the Word but hear it without faith. 

So, what this means is that to be a doer of the Word means that the Lord has His way with you by the power of His Word.  It means that what the Word says will happen, actually does happen.  For example, to be a doer of the Word means that you will experience repentance of sins from God’s Word of Law and faith in Jesus from God’s Word of Gospel. 

Dear friends, the Word of God is not dead.  It is living and active.  The Holy Spirit through God’s Word of Law brings about repentance of sins.  The Holy Spirit through God’s Word of Gospel brings about Faith.  The Word does something to you.  To be a doer of the Word is to be one that not merely hears the Word and then nothing happens.  To be a doer of the Word is to hear the Word and have the Word invade you.  To be a doer of the Word is to be one who experiences conviction of sin and faith in the Gospel.  To be a doer of the Word is to possess living faith! 

Keep in mind that scripture says that to do the will of God is to believe the Gospel.  We also think of the Philippian Jailer who says, “What Must I Do To Be Saved?” And Paul and Silas respond by saying, “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.”

So, dear friends, you are a doer of God’s Word, when you believe the Gospel.

Put another way, here is the main problem.  Can you imagine looking in the mirror, seeing who you are and then 10 minutes later forgetting who you are, what you are about, and what you do for a living?  Can you imagine taking a good look in the mirror and then 10 minutes later you forsake your whole history, your whole life story, your career, your vocation, and your memories.  That is crazy.  People who forget who they are after looking in a mirror are those that we would classify as having a severe case of Alzheimer’s.  People who forget who they are after looking in the mirror are individuals who may have amnesia, short-term memory loss, or are in need of medical help.  It doesn’t make sense.  However, this is what so often happens regarding Christians and the Word, and this is what James is confronting. 

Dear friends, too many times we will hear of our sin and God’s forgiveness towards us.  We will hear about the price that Christ paid on the cross for us. We hear that the blood-stained cross of Christ pays for every single sin that we have committed – that in Christ the wrath of God has been satisfied. And then, 10 minutes later after the Divine Service, the circumstances of life, our jobs, our projects, and the things of the world enter in, resulting in the message of God’s Word vanishing.  Puff!  Gone!  It is lost and forgotten.  The Word becomes disconnected.  It goes in one ear and falls out the other.  This is what it means to be a hearer of the Word only. This is the way of hypocrisy.   This is what is concerning to the Apostle James in our Epistle reading. 

You see, the original readers of the Epistle of James were like a husband who hears his wife when he is watching football, but nothing of what she says is absorbed, heard, or understood.  The readers of the Epistle of James were like children who hear mom yelling to come and eat but then are entirely sidetracked by beating level 8 on the video game Halo.  The readers of the Epistle of James were like wives who were pondering the words of their husband only to be distracted by a 30% off coupon to a fashion store.  To just hear the Word is like someone who looks in the mirror and then forgets how they look.  There is no lasting memory, nothing lasting about it.  It results in hypocrisy.  This is James’s concern.  So, James is, in essence, shaking things up calling us to take a good look in the mirror to not only hear but also to believe what the Word says about us.  The Word of God is not dead, which means that faith should not be dead.  And if there is no faith, well… that is not because of the Word but because of the person.    

So, dear friends, listen up today!  Do not let God’s Word slip through your ears on to the floor.  Repent of your apathy towards God’s Word. Repent of your hypocrisy.  Repent of your indifference, laziness, coldness, disinterest, and unresponsiveness towards God’s Word.  Repent and hear what God’s Word has to say about you.  Repent and hear God’s Word that is especially for you: 

The Lord has chosen not to leave you in your predicament of sin. 

You, who have ears, hear something profound: 

God was not content to let you slip into hell.  

Listen, dear Saints:

From eternity, God had a plan, and that plan was to send the God-Man, Jesus Christ to come, live, and die – for you.

Yes, hear:  

Jesus took the sin of the world upon Himself on that cross, which includes every single one of your sins.  And on that cross, Jesus absorbed the wrath of God on account of your sins.   

And so, you who once were spiritual orphans are now adopted as children of God.  You who were once dead in trespasses and sin have now been resurrected to life.  You who were guilty of sin are now justified and declared innocent of sin. 

Oh, dear Saints, may God the Spirit continually grant us ears to hear!  May He continually grant us faith to hear that our sins are forgiven and that we have life and salvation in Christ.    

May God the Spirit continually give us faith and assurance to know that Jesus has done everything necessary for our salvation, and in so doing, we will not be mere hearers of the Word, but doers. 

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

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