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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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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