Sermon – May 23, 2021 – Pentecost

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Pastor Jacobson  †  Pentecost Sermon  †  May 23, 2021  †  John 14:25-27

 

25“All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

How Has the Holy Spirit Changed You?

Do you like learning? The out loud answer is “YES!!!” “I love learning!”, but the correct answer is shaking your head from side-to-side. Some learning doesn’t make sense. Take spelling. The word “fun” starts with the letter “f” as does the word “fan”, but the word “phone” starts with the letter “p”. That doesn’t make any sense. Some learning is just so much information. Take math. Visualize with me the dreaded multiplication table. Can you see it? It starts easy, 1 X 1 = 1, 1 X 2 =, 2, 1 X 3 = 3, but you keep going and then you get 4 X 4, 8 X 8, 12 X 12 and you’re supposed to get the answer just like that! GROSS!!! Learning, the process of learning isn’t fun, but learning can be fun and is fun when you finally get to that blessed point when you understand what you have been learning, when all of a sudden the light goes on, the hamster turns the wheel and you get it.

  1. Where are you at on His spiritual growth chart?

In our Gospel today from John chapter 14, the disciples of Jesus, were still in that dreaded process of learning. Their learning wasn’t fun. Their learning was troubling. If Jesus had given his disciples a theological examination when they had first met him and if Jesus had given his disciples the same examination three years later, they would have scored poorly both times. The disciples just weren’t getting what Jesus wanted them to get. They didn’t understand.

The disciples didn’t understand why Jesus said he was going away. The disciples didn’t understand why Jesus kept talking about suffering and dying. The disciples didn’t understand why Jesus taught about humility and service, about giving his life as a ransom for many when Jesus had all the power to put the Roman government in their place and all the miracles to put the false church of the Pharisees and Sadducees out of business.

Not understanding for such a long time is tough on students and can be tough on teachers as well, but Jesus was patient with this learning process and Jesus wasn’t offended that another person of the Trinity would receive the credit for the disciples’ understanding. Jesus said, “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

For three years, for more than 1,000 days with Jesus the disciples didn’t understand, but on Pentecost, a mere 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples understood. On Pentecost, Peter doesn’t give his opinion. On Pentecost, Peter quoted Scripture and tells us what that weird passage from the prophecy of Joel means. On Pentecost all the apostles were declaring what we heard Luke record in the book of Acts, “the wonders of God.” On Pentecost the apostles covered topics like creation and redemption and sanctification. Who were these men? For three years they had barely grown a spiritual inch but now thousands of people were looking up to them with awe and were hanging on their every word.

Parents and grandparents are often in awe of their children and grandchildren’s physical growth chart. Physical growth happens all the time for children, but it seems like most every child eventually comes across a period of time called a growth spurt, a dramatic increase in height in a short amount of time. We have all seen a growth spurt, and we have all been amazed at it.

Question: What does a spiritual growth spurt look like, a dramatic increase in faith in a short amount of time? Doesn’t a spiritual growth spurt look like these apostles on Pentecost? Quoting the Bible, relating the Bible to life events and talking to others about the great things God has done is all evidence of a spiritual growth spurt. Every believer, thanks to the Holy Spirit, has these abilities, but not every believer is giving evidence of these abilities like the apostles did.

Husbands, fathers, I am on record as saying, my goal is to have every husband and father view themselves as the pastor of their own home. Where are you at on your spiritual growth chart? Are you quoting the Bible? Are you relating biblical truths to your home life? Quoting Scripture like Peter and expressing the wonderful spiritual truths of God’s Word like the other Apostles is a great place for husbands and fathers to be on their spiritual growth chart.

Let’s not just talk about men though. Let’s also talk about mentors and mentees. A mentor can be defined as a person who is a little further along than you are. Mentoring doesn’t just come with age. Mentoring comes with experience. We don’t have an official mentoring program here at Grace, and I don’t think that we will, but if you have completed our Super Saturday instruction in the last five years, or if you have recently been confirmed as an 8th grader, to what more experienced church members are you looking as your examples of what you might become in the years ahead? I could give you names, or I could have you look at the older teenagers and adults who are seen studying the Bible and are seen serving in the church. Keep learning, I know learning is awful, but keep learning and trust Jesus’ promise, “The Holy Spirit WILL teach you all things and WILL remind you of everything I have said to you.”  

  1. Are you an advocate for world peace or Jesus’ peace?

And as Jesus continues in our verses this morning, Jesus makes his purpose clear to why he wants the Holy Spirit to come to his disciples. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” I don’t know if you have ever competed in a beauty pageant. I have not competed to be Mr. Arizona (if there is such a thing), but I have watched Sandra Bullock in her movie Miss Congeniality. If I were ever Mr. Arizona, I can assure you, I would be advocate for world peace. It sure would be nice to have some world peace, but in our lesson today Jesus advocates for a different kind of peace.

The peace Jesus advocates for is peace the apostles enjoyed on Pentecost and throughout their ministry. On Pentecost, critics complained of the apostles, “They have had too much wine,” but instead of succumbing to fight or flight emotions, the apostles kept calm and kept speaking the truth.  Later in their ministries, the critics of the apostles would threaten and physically abuse the apostles and they still kept calm and they still kept speaking the truth. The apostles had peace, not worldly peace. The apostles still had worldly drama, but the apostles had peace because the apostles knew God works for the good of those who love him, and the apostles knew that neither death nor life, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, would be able to separate them from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus their Lord.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have been through some worldly drama. And on this side of heaven, you know our lives will always be filled with one worldly drama after another. The best way to deal with drama is not to wish drama away (as nice as that would be), but to pray for the Holy Spirit. Pray for the peace that passes all human understanding. Pray that the Holy Spirit would help you control your emotions. There is nothing sinful about our emotions. We know Jesus once was sad and wept. We know Jesus got angry and got his point across to those with whom he was angry. But we also know that Jesus in his sadness and in his anger, did not sin. Pray that the Holy Spirit would help you with your reaction to worldly drama to be like Jesus all the time and like Peter and the apostles on Pentecost. The self-control of Jesus, or better-said, the spiritual-control of Jesus has forgiven us of all the times we have emotionally lost our control because of the drama in our lives. So feel what you feel, but don’t give your feelings away to sin. The Apostle Paul once wrote, “In your anger, do not sin.” The same is true for our sadness and all our other emotions. Because God through Jesus is at peace with you, you can be at peace no matter what is going on so the lesson we what to learn today is be at peace and God the Holy Spirit in his time and in his way will help us learn it. Amen.

Sermon – May 16, 2021 – Ascension

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Pastor Clark  ~  Luke 24:44-53   ~  May 16, 2021  ~  Ascension Sermon

IT’S ALL CLEAR NOW


44He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” 50When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

Dear brothers and sisters of the Ascended Lord,

Israel is a small country. It’s 290 miles north and south and only 85 miles east and west. It’s about the size of New Jersey, the fifth smallest state in the U.S. In 1999 I was riding in a coach between archeological digging opportunities and we were touring Israel, but I had no idea where we were going. When we were at the Dead Sea or Jerusalem or the Sea of Galilee, it was clear. But when we went to the Valley of Elah (David & Goliath), I was lost. I bought a road map of Israel that helped immensely.

There is much about life that is crystal clear for us today. There is also much that is very unclear which makes us very similar to believers in the forty days after Easter. It was great that Jesus had risen, but they weren’t very clear about what came next.

  1. The Scriptures are clear. (verses 44-47)

44[Jesus] said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.” 45Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Jesus knew they were confused, so he made it clear. They needed to see they already had the road map. It’s called, the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. You and I would call it the Bible. The Bible had shown them all along what would happen and what it meant.

So why didn’t they understand? Ever watch one of those old movies recorded in analog Black and White? It’s so different from color High Definition. That’s what the disciples were doing. They were seeing everything in analog. Or it is like trying to talk with someone on the phone when someone is talking or playing the radio in the background. The false ideas, traditions, and the culture of their day made it difficult for them to hear clearly that Jesus was the Messiah and that all the things that had happened in his life, from his conception and birth to his life, death, and resurrection had to happen exactly as they did. They had been looking at spiritual truths in a less than spiritual way.

It would have been so easy for them to look at Jesus in a self-interested manner, to be concerned about themselves and their families and their own personal relationship with Jesus. Jesus wanted them to see clearly that he was there for everyone. He did that by making the Scriptures clear in a way it hadn’t before.

There are so many false assumptions today about Jesus. Some see him as a lawgiver, the one who will tell me how to live my life so that I can be more successful or happier. People look at Jesus as being all about their definition of love, someone who healed the sick and fed the hungry. Still others see Jesus as a rebel who overcame the corrupt politics of his day. Some see him as a special decoration you pull out at holidays or a medical insurance card you use only when you are sick.

Jesus is first and foremost our Savior. And the most important thing he came for was not to give you more laws or to point out the failures of the government. He came because of our spiritual failures. It was clear to him that we are sinners who fail each other and God every day. We act in our own self-interest and want Jesus to say just what we want him to say and nothing else. Jesus came not only to preach repentance for these failures but to overcome them. The Scriptures make that crystal clear.

  1. Our mission is clear. (verses 48-52)

That’s why Jesus came. But what about when he left? What then? What happens after the graduation service is over? At his Ascension, Jesus told them: 48You are witnesses of these things. 49I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” 50When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

Jesus did not train his disciples to be better tax collectors or fishermen or doctors. He didn’t train them to be better fathers or husbands. They were going to be all those things, but it wasn’t their first priority. While they were being those things, they were going to be what he DID train them to be – his witnesses.

They were uniquely qualified to show who Jesus was through the Scriptures. They were also uniquely qualified to tell others about the nail holes and the spear wound. They had touched him and had eaten with him after he rose.

They also were uniquely qualified to glorify this ascended Jesus through the example they set in their lives and as the importance they put on worshiping him. He didn’t take them up the mount of Ascension for the experience. They needed to be clear about what was next.

That is why you and I are here. God has gifted us to do many things on this earth, not the least of which is to provide for our families, train our children, and be good stewards of the blessings he has shared with us. But none of them is our mission in life. Our mission is to be witnesses of the nail marks and the spear wound. Our mission is to proclaim Jesus in our words and with our lives and by worshiping and praising him.

This is the road map for what’s next. We are his witnesses. IT’S ALL CLEAR NOW. Amen.

Sermon – May 9, 2021 – Easter 6 – Sanctity of Life Sunday)

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Pastor Jacobson  †  Sanctity of Life  †  May 9, 2021  †  Deuteronomy 32:39

“See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.”

My Life Is the Lord’s

Life can seem so random. A child is conceived by a couple who doesn’t desire to have that child all the while a husband and wife can desperately try to conceive a child and are unable to do so. And on the other side of the life span an elderly adult can live on for what seems to be forever without a strong desire to live so long while the life of a younger adult or child comes to an end in what seems to be before their time. Life can seem so random, so out of our control. That’s what life can look like to our human eyes. We can all think of someone we know who fits at least one of these scenarios.

The words we have for our meditation this morning were sung by Moses in what could be described as his swan song. These words were sung by Moses on the same day Moses died. These words describe God as the one who is firmly in control even in a world that seems so out of control. And when we think of the life of Moses we see that, don’t we?

Do you remember the circumstances of Moses’ birth? At his birth Moses was sentenced to die. That was the order of the government in Egypt. The leaders of Egypt were concerned about the high birth rate of the Israelites and so they tried to control it. Their first effort was to make the Israelites work day and night. And after this effort failed they ordered the midwives of Israelite mothers to end the life of Israelite boys. And after this effort failed Pharaoh ordered all his people to throw every Hebrew boy into the Nile River. This was the chaos Moses was born into, and as Moses could reflect on many other times his life was in danger, from his confrontations with Pharaoh to his forty year journey in the wilderness, Moses knew his life and all life was subject to the Lord Almighty.

Moses sings of the Lord, “I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.” “I…I…I…I” Four “I’s” and a “my” in this sentence, all reflected the total control the Lord has over every person’s life in this world. This truth from Moses was also reinforced from our lesson from Jonah. In one day the Lord gave life to a leafy plant and the leafy plant provided shade for Jonah. Over the next night the leafy plant died. And as surely as the Lord planned the life and death of that singular plant, so also the Lord has planned the life and death of every single person.

In the beginning God gave special attention to human life. He created Adam from the dust of the earth and Eve from the rib in Adam’s side. King David in his Psalms talks of God knitting us in our mother’s womb. I have never knitted, but I have seen others knit. Knitting is tedious and time-consuming. Every stitch is made with care. God makes us different from one another, but one way God makes us the same is with a conscience. A conscience is that voice within us that tells us whether or not what we are thinking is right or wrong. A properly working conscience tells us to take care of our family. The Apostle Paul once taught, “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).

How can Christians, who believe in the Bible, be worse than an unbeliever, who doesn’t believe in the Bible? Simple. God has given all people a conscience, but believers have a conscience as well as the Word of God. In regards to life, the Bible says, “You shall not murder.” From the catechism, a book of instruction, we teach abortion is murder, euthanasia or mercy-killing is murder, suicide is murder.

According to Christian Life Resources there have been 62 million abortions in the United States since 1973. According to the CDC suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. Every day, 123 Americans die by suicide. Why doesn’t the Lord put a stop to these sins? Has God perhaps lost at least some of his divine control to put to death and to bring to life? Is God calling on us as Christians to get political about right-to-life topics and to peacefully protest?

As citizens of this country we have the right to vote our conscience and the responsibility to stand up and speak for what we believe is best for our country. But let’s not forget the higher law we have as Christians, the law of love. Jesus taught, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). The Bible teaches us, “Anyone who hates his brother is a murder” (1 John 3:15).

And in the Bible God shows us this love. God sent Jesus to be born in our chaotic, seemingly out of control world. In our Gospel lesson today, Jesus approached a woman the people had labeled as sinful and did not condemn her. Jesus didn’t condemn her because she hadn’t done anything wrong. She was in the wrong as was the man in this adultery, but Jesus did not condemn her or him because Jesus took their condemnation of himself. Jesus willingly surrendered his own life so that he could defend her life. And what Jesus did for her, Jesus has done for you and me, too. You are guilty. Whether you have had an abortion or not, whether you have assisted in a lethal injection or not, you are guilty of breaking the 5th Commandment, but Jesus has taken on your condemnation. Jesus has taken on my condemnation. Even in the chaos of sin Jesus is firmly in control. Jesus proved that control on Good Friday and Easter morning. Jesus forgives all of our sins. And if Jesus can do that, forgive us of all of our sins, Jesus can also help us raise a child we did not anticipate raising and live our lives until Jesus decides to call us home to heaven.

And so how should we as Christians respond to this grace? Shouldn’t our response start with gratitude? Gratitude for the gift of life. Sure. Gratitude for moms who gave us birth. Of course. More than that, though. Gratitude to God for not holding our sins against us. Gratitude to God for sending Jesus to right our wrongs and to restore us as holy before God. Gratitude is a good first response. Gratitude causes us to be mindful of God and his ability to do for us what we can’t do for ourselves. And yet gratitude, genuine gratitude, leads us to consider what we can do for God and for others.

What can you do to help people who need help? Can you pray for them? Will you pray for them? Can you fill a baby bottle with coins for them or cut a check for them? Will you refer a woman in need to the Alpha Pregnancy Center or another appropriate agency that helps? These are some of the simple things we can do, but maybe you are able to help in a greater way. Maybe you can be a foster parent. Maybe you can adopt. Maybe you can be an advocate for an aging adult. Maybe you can help drive someone to their appointments and make sure they take their medications. It’s important for us to help. Helping not only helps the person in need, but helps the helper, too. There comes times when roles change, when we can’t help, but instead need help. Helping others can help prepare us to receive help from others in our time of need instead of making sinful choices based on despair.

My life is the Lord’s. That was true for Moses. It was true for Moses at his birth. It was true for Moses at his death. It was true for Moses all the days of his life, and it is still true as he lives for God in heaven. “My life is the Lord’s” is true for us, too. He lived for us, and now we live for him. Amen.

 

            

 

Sermon – May 2, 2021 – Easter 5

Printable PDF:  5-2-2021 Easter 5 Sermon

David R. Clark  ~  1 John 3:18-24  ~  May 2, 2021  ~  Easter 5

DO YOU LOVE ME?

18Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 19This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

 

Dear beloved of God,

          It’s a devastating question caused by a question. The question? Do you love me?

          Husbands love their wives, but if a husband forgets his wife’s birthday or their anniversary, that could cause doubt. She might ask, “Do you love me?” Wives love their husbands, but if a wife tells all her friends how foolish she thinks her husband is, it might lead him to ask, “Do you love me?” That’s uncomfortable. On the shores of the Sea of Galilee Jesus asked Peter this same question three times. The Scriptures say Peter was hurt that the question was asked. So what if Jesus asks you, “Do you love me?”

 

  1. Love Jesus’ truth. (verses 18-21)

18Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 19This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.

When John talks about love, he doesn’t mean it to sound harsh. We are addressed as his “children” and “friends.” John shows we can answer, “Lord, we do love you,” because we know three great truths. The first is that we sin every day. Sin is the reason there is doubt about love. Jacob and Rebekah sinned when they conspired to steal the birth rite. Esau could easily have asked, “Do you love me?” Jacob sinned when he showed favoritism to Joseph. The jealousy of his older brothers made them question their father’s love. Where there is sin, there is no love for God or anyone else.

Which is why the second great truth is that God loves us. This is more than just words. His actions also show his love. God sent Jesus out of love. Jesus lived for our lack of love for God and each other perfectly. He paid for our lack of love through the cross. He loved us enough to rise so we could be saved. That is true love.

The problem is we don’t always feel loved. People don’t always feel forgiven. How can we feel loved when we still feel guilty for stealing a long time ago, or our acts of impurity from the past, or the times we should have shut up, but we barged right in? Even after we have been forgiven, Satan can tempt us to feel guilty for sins already taken away. That guilt keeps us from knowing God’s love.

Which is why John shares this third great truth: No matter what we think, no matter what our hearts tell us, God is greater than our hearts. His love for us is so great that even when we doubt, he remains faithful. God is more gracious to us than we are to ourselves. His love overcomes our hearts. God loves you no matter who you are or what you have done, whether you feel his love or not. That’s the truth about God’s love.

 

  1. Love Jesus with actions. (verses 22-24)

So do you love Jesus? The answer is not as simple as a card or call on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. Many people at John’s time said they loved Jesus. But that’s all it was, words. When it came to putting that love into practice, it was difficult for people not to hold on to sinful attitudes or a sinful lifestyle. Yet, if asked they would say that they loved Jesus. So what does it mean to love Jesus?

22[We] receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us:  We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

It’s pretty clear that loving Jesus is more than lip service. Loving Jesus is also about what we do. That means showing love to God by believing in him and keeping his commands. Which commands? We can start with, “having no other God,” “not misusing his name,” and “remembering the Sabbath Day.” They are crystal clear.

But loving Jesus doesn’t end there. John says later in this letter: whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 1 John 4:20 (NIV) Loving Jesus means loving him the way he wants us to, not the way we choose to.

We can start by having the Ten Commandments direct us in all of this. But that’s not the whole story. Perhaps a better way is to look to Jesus. Jesus certainly made clear what and how he wants us to love each other. When Jesus talked about love, he wasn’t talking about an emotion. He was talking about actions. Jesus didn’t say he loved us and then remained in the comforts of heaven with a bowl of popcorn watching to see how it would all turn out. He put you and me and our welfare and our needs before himself. He honored his Father in heaven with obedience to his purpose on earth and carried it out with great enthusiasm. This is the love we needed more than anything else. That is the love Jesus means when he asks us if we love him.

In a world of deception and self-interest, man-things are not clear. It also doesn’t help when people want to define “love” to mean whatever they want. This can do nothing but cause all kinds of questions for Christians. But here is one we will always be able to answer, “Do you love me?” We can say the same thing Peter told Jesus, “Yes, I love you, Lord. You know all things.” Amen.