Company is Coming - Dec 4, 2011

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This sermon was written by Pastor Michael M. Eichstadt and provided through ”Ministry by Mail”. For the text of this sermon, click here. For more “Ministry by Mail” sermons, go to lutheransermons.org)

How to be in the Right Place at the Right Time - Apr 20, 2008

How to be in the Right Place at the Right Time

Acts 8:26-40 (NKJV)

²⁶Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. ²⁷So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, ²⁸was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. ²⁹Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.”

³⁰So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

³¹And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. ³²The place in the Scripture which he read was this:

“He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;

And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,

So He opened not His mouth.

³³ In His humiliation His justice was taken away,

And who will declare His generation?

For His life is taken from the earth.”

³⁴So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” ³⁵Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. ³⁶Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”

³⁷Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.”

And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

³⁸So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. ³⁹Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. ⁴⁰But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.

▬

In the name of our ever-present Lord, dear fellow Christians:

Have you ever been in the right place at just the right time? I was on a certain summer day. The whole neighborhood was having a garage sale, so I walked from house to house looking for bargains. But the stacks of clothes had already been picked over by others, and the household goods were not things I could use or even wanted. Then in one garage I spotted among all the other odds and ends what looked like a laptop computer. I opened it up, checked it out, plugged it in, and found it worked perfectly. I bought it for $20, and have used it ever since.

It’s exciting to be in the right place at the right time: to be in the right spot in the outfield bleachers to catch the homerun ball, to be at the grocery checkout just as a new line is opened, or to pull into a busy parking lot just as some else is backing out of a spot. But things don’t always work out that way, and it often seems to be only a matter of chance.

What if we could learn the secret of how to always be in the right place at the right time, and not just with the minor circumstances of everyday life, but with what is most important—the mission the Lord Jesus entrusts to us? He tells us that He has left us here on earth to go into all the world and preach the good news that He is risen from the dead as the Savior of all. To be in the right place at the right time to do that is truly exciting! The Lord shows us how to do this through the example of Philip.

I.

Philip was one of seven deacons appointed by the church at Jerusalem to help the apostles. As a result of persecution, Philip ended up in Samaria and preached the Word there. He was blessed with phenomenal success. He cast out evil spirits, healed people, and many were brought to faith. There was so much to do, he couldn't keep up, so Peter and John came to help. Every night Philip must have drifted off into peaceful and happy sleep eager to continue with the work in the morning. He was in the right place at the right time.

But then came the startling message of the angel: “Leave here and head south along the road through the desert between Jerusalem and Gaza.” [cf. v.26] Philip must have wondered, “why?” From an earthly perspective it seemed all wrong: Why leave a bustling, thriving congregation with countless mission prospects and go off to the middle of nowhere?

This teaches us about God’s priorities. His first concern is not impressive numbers and statistics. Each and every sinner is precious to Him. He does not want anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. He loved the crowds of Samaria, but He also loved the Ethiopian eunuch, the woman at the well, and the robber on the cross. So when Philip found himself on that desolate stretch of road, contrary to all appearances, he was still in the right place at the right time.

Today, church growth groups say that the way to carry on mission work is to study the demographics of an area, look at the potential for population increase, and then target a specific segment of people, for example, young middle class families. That may well be a way to quickly build up numbers, but it is not God's way. Instead, like Philip, we are to follow the Spirit's direction wherever He may lead. He doesn't contact us directly through an angel, but He does guide the course of our entire life. David says, “Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16 NIV).

We don’t know for sure where we will be tomorrow or ten years from now. We don’t know what situation we will be in, but the Lord knows. It may be completely different than what we might expect, but wherever we are or whatever the situation, we can be sure that with the Spirit's direction, we are in the right place at the right time to spread His Word.

Parents are in the right place to teach the Word to their children. Children can reach their friends and classmates. e have opportunities to speak to relatives and co-workers. A confirmation class may be in the right place to speak of their faith as they canvass a neighborhood around the church. Even the seemingly most unlikely places and times can be the right time and place for the Spirit. Look at Philip on the desert road. Look at Joseph when he was in prison and how he spoke to Pharaoh’s cup bearer and baker.

I once ministered to an elderly Christian who was discouraged. He had been very active in the congregation’s outreach efforts, as well as on a personal level. Then he became seriously ill, was homebound, and eventually had to be hospitalized. He felt that he might as well be dead because in his view there was nothing he could do to serve the Lord any longer. I assured him that the Lord would certainly give him opportunities even in the hospital. A day or two later I visited him again, and he could hardly wait to tell me how he had been able to have several conversations with nurses and others about the Savior. He didn't think so at first, but by the Spirit's direction, he was in the right place at the right time.

Do you know someone who needs to hear the Word? Have you been intending to do it for some time, but just haven't gotten around to it? Why not do it this week? Have you looked at the people you know and meet with that goal in mind? Don’t write off anyone as a lost cause. The Lord doesn’t!

II.

But when the Lord gives us the opportunities, what should we say? Notice that in Philip’s case, before he said too much, he listened. He listened as the eunuch expressed confusion over what God was saying in Isaiah about someone being led to slaughter as a lamb. The man wanted to know whether the prophet was referring to himself or someone else and what that meant then for the eunuch’s life. The eunuch had worshiped God in Jerusalem. Yet, he must have felt somewhat disconnected from God because, according to the Jewish religion, he was a second class citizen and wasn't allowed to enter the temple. He had to remain in an outer courtyard.

How did Philip respond? He didn't sidestep the man’s question or give his own opinions and philosophy on life. He didn’t even quote the respected rabbis of the time. He preached Jesus to him. Literally, the Greek says, “He preached the good news of Jesus.” He explained that the Lamb is the holy Son of God and that He was led to death on the cross as the substitutionary sacrifice for all mankind. By His death He paid the penalty for all sin and reconciled the world to God. Philip assured this foreigner that whoever believes and is baptized shall be saved. He urged him to trust in Jesus as his Savior too, and he spoke about God’s seal of salvation in baptism. It was the same message Jesus Himself preached. While the Pharisees loaded people down with rules and obligations and dire threats of punishment if they would disobey, the Lord simply said, “Repent and follow me. I am the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

When the Spirit puts us in the right place at the right time, what are we going to say? May we learn from Philip and first listen. Listen to the troubles, fears, and longings of others with a caring heart. Listen to the questions others have about God and their relationship with Him. Listen and then preach the good news of Jesus. That is what the words evangelize and evangelical mean.

Evangelism is not giving someone a self-help program and saying, “Here are the commandments and here is how God wants you to live. Turn your life around and live like a Christian and you are saved.” Evangelizing is not saying, “What would Jesus do? Now you do it!” It is saying, “Look at Christ alone and all He did for you. He fulfilled the whole Law for you. He paid for all your sins on the cross. He rose from the dead so you can be sure of eternal life. He did it all! Believe it! It is a free gift from Him! When the Spirit puts us in the right place at the right time, let’s say the right thing. May the Lord open our mouths to speak the good news of Jesus.

III.

Does the Gospel work? It doesn’t seem to at times. We speak about Jesus and invite someone to church and he doesn’t come. We bring the Word to someone, and we see no response at all in his life. We preach Jesus together as a church body, and yet we don’t see mass conversions and packed stadiums.

But just because we don’t see immediate, dramatic, visible results doesn’t mean the Gospel isn’t working. It is. It must, just as the rain causes our lawns and gardens to grow. “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish…so is my Word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11 NIV).

That gospel Word completely changed the life of the Ethiopian eunuch. Outwardly, things remained the same. He went back home to his job in the royal court. But inwardly, everything was different. He was filled with joy, for now he was a baptized child of God and heir of heaven. No matter what would happen, he was safe and secure with the Lord. With his having been evangelized, we can be sure he became an evangelist himself who preached Jesus wherever and whenever he could. History tells us that a very strong Christian community developed in the area of northern Africa where the eunuch was from, and it could well have begun with him. Preaching Jesus is the ongoing mission of all believers. The Word spreads out from them like the ripples from stones thrown into a lake.

Where will we be a week from now, next year, or ten years down the road? We might have an idea or a plan, but we don't know for sure. But we can be positive of one thing: By following the Spirit’s direction we can be sure that wherever we are, we will be in the right place at the right time to tell the good news of a Savior from sin; and that life-changing, soul-saving results will certainly follow. God bless you in that most vital mission! Amen.

Lord, gather all your children
Wherever they may be
And lead them on to heaven
To live eternally.
With You, our loving Father,
And Christ, our brother dear,
Whose Spirit guards and gives us
The joy to persevere.

[Worship Supplement 2000, 772:5]

—Pastor Michael M. Eichstadt

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Cheer for Our Hero - Mar 16, 2008

Cheer for Our Hero

Zechariah 9:9-10

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem; the battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be 'from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Dear fellow-redeemed:

It’s fourth down and two. Eight seconds remain on the game clock and your team is down by a field goal. It’s the biggest game of the season. The national championship is on the line. You’re sitting on the edge of the sofa cushion in front of the TV afraid to watch, yet at the same time, afraid even to blink. The quarterback steps up to the line of scrimmage, calls the signals, gets the ball, and throws a bullet down the sideline into the waiting arms of an open receiver—touchdown! You leap up, startle the dog, and cheer loudly enough for the neighbors to hear. The next day you proudly wear your official NFL team jersey with the winning quarterback’s name printed on it. His picture makes the front page of the newspaper, and a few weeks later he is signed to a new contract with a multimillion-dollar bonus. He is the popular topic of conversation and the hero of the moment.

We look up to and admire heroes for accomplishing great things which are far beyond our abilities. Yet those same heroes have their own limitations. The quarterback who wins one game may throw five interceptions the next. He may be paid millions of dollars to lead his team to a championship on Sunday, but he cannot lead us to victory over our real-life enemies and problems during the rest of the week.

But there is one hero who is different. He is overlooked and rejected by most people, but one Sunday cheering crowds lined the streets of Jerusalem to welcome Him. He was not paid millions of dollars to appear. Instead, He paid a price that cannot be calculated with money. He is greater than all other heroes combined, and He came for us. Therefore, the prophet says, “Rejoice and shout!” This is a hero to really cheer for!

I.

Sometimes, however, we feel more like crying than cheering. The longer we live, the more we see the depressing effects of sin in the world. Unprovoked terrorist attacks kill or maim hundreds of people who are just going about their ordinary lives. Problems burden our own lives and families. It is not just sin around us. There is also sin within that drags us down. As Paul wrote, “The good that I want to do, I do not do; all the evil I do not want to do, I keep on doing” (Romans 7:19). What is there then to jump up and cheer about?

The Old Testament people of Zechariah’s time knew all about the reality of a sinful world. After decades of captivity, they came back to a city in ruins. Reconstructing the temple and building fortified walls with their meager resources seemed as hopeless as flying to the moon. Powerful enemies opposed every move, and they were still not free people, but subjects of the king of Persia.

Yet God told them: “Rejoice! Stand up and cheer! Your King is coming!” [v.9] Israel had many kings over its long history. Some were heroic like Saul, David, and Solomon. Others did far more harm than good. But this coming King would be different than any other. This one would be the King of kings!

He would not fit the typical profile of a king, however. The Jewish people were looking for a grand and glorious king in royal robes, leading an army, who would rule from a palace in Jerusalem. Many today look for a king like that who will make their earthly lives easier and match their own expectations.

But that is not whom the crowds were cheering on Palm Sunday. There was “no tramp of soldiers’ marching feet,” only a ragged band of disciples as an honor guard. Jesus did not enter the city wearing robes of royalty and riding on a prancing white stallion. He sat on an ordinary beast of burden which walked on a makeshift carpet of palm branches and clothes. We see presidents and other world leaders make far more impressive entrances than that.

Why cheer for such a humble king as Jesus? Because, though He is God Himself, “[He] did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:6-7 NIV). Jesus’ humility is not a sign of weakness, but of love for us. He came not to be served, but to serve. Can you picture the CEO of a large corporation serving as a janitor? Can you imagine him taking the elevator from his top floor office to the basement, taking off his thousand-dollar suit, putting on coveralls, and picking up a mop and broom? Would the President as the Commander-in-Chief put on the uniform of an infantry soldier and fight in Iraq?

That is not going to happen, but what did happen is far more astonishing and awesome! God’s Son became man for us. That is cause to stand up and cheer, because it means He can sympathize with everything we face in life. He knows what it’s like to be lonely, tired, and discouraged. More than that, He did for us everything we could never do for ourselves. He kept the Law of God perfectly, just as God requires of us, so that we could receive His righteousness. “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man they many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19 NIV).

That same obedience led Him to Jerusalem to fight the battle we had lost. King David won countless victories over many powerful enemies, but he could not defeat sin. He was just as guilty as we are. He confessed in the Psalms: “My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear” (Psalm 38:4 NIV). We were like corpses on the battlefield, casualties of sin. King Jesus came to win the victory for us by laying down His own holy life in payment for sin.

The crowds would shout “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pontius Pilate would give the order. The Jewish leaders would smile with smug satisfaction, and Satan would appear to get his way. But through it all, the King’s plans would be carried out. He would die as He said, but by death He would conquer, and by His resurrection on the third day He would show His victory to the whole world.

Stand up and cheer! We have a King to rejoice in. He is God, yet became man for us. He was rich, yet became poor for us. He is Lord of all, yet became the servant of all. He is holy, yet took on Himself all sin. He was crushed and defeated, and yet He won!

II.

When your favorite team wins, you shout it out. For weeks afterwards, you talk about the perfect, last-second pass and the come-from-behind victory against all odds. And that’s just a game. We truly have something to really shout about in Jesus’ victory on the cross, because it brings us into His eternal kingdom. We are citizens of two kingdoms. As citizens of the United States we have rights, privileges, and security. However, as citizens of Jesus’ kingdom, we have even greater spiritual blessings.

First of all, Christ’s kingdom is not restricted to a specific territory on earth. Jesus assured Pilate that He was no threat to the Roman Empire. He told the Pharisees: “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20-21 NIV). The kingdom is the Lord ruling in our hearts by faith.

The great benefit of that kingdom is peace. There is no need for an army or weapons. “I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off.” [v.10] There will always be wars and rumors of wars as long as the earth stands, but there is always perfect peace in God’s kingdom, because the decisive battle has already been fought and won once and for all. Sin is paid for, the devil is defeated, and there is peace between sinners and God. God promises, “Never again will an oppressor overrun my people, for now I am keeping watch!” (Zechariah 9:8 NIV).

That is something to shout about! No matter what is going on around us, we have peace through Christ. No matter how dangerous or uncertain the situation, we have peace with God and from that, the peace of knowing that the Lord will be us wherever we are to protect us with His holy angels, and to ensure that all things serve for our eternal well-being.

When sickness, money concerns, or other worries make you feel anything but peaceful, remember you still have that peace of God which passes all understanding. It doesn’t depend on our feelings. It is an objective, unchanging fact through Jesus’ life-saving death. No matter how hectic things become, you can be sure that all is well between you and God. He is not angry with you, because all His anger against your sin was taken out on Jesus. You can confess your sins, receive His free and full forgiveness, and count on His help in every trial. “Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea” (Psalm 46:2 NIV).

Christ’s kingdom is something to shout about, but how often do we actually do it? We are good at shouting the praises of our favorite sports team, but what about telling the news of our Savior King? The Lord urges, “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:20). At the beginning of many Palm Sunday services worshipers walk into the sanctuary carrying palms and singing the Lord’s praises. May we keep on walking and praising!

May we walk over to the unchurched neighbor’s house and speak of our loving King. May we walk over to the person troubled by guilt or groping for some kind of hope and direction, and share the peace through Christ. May we walk into the lives of others, and be ready to forgive as freely as the Lord has forgiven us. May we, through our mission offerings, shout the praises of the King even in places we cannot personally set foot. May we walk through every day of our lives with hosannas in our hearts and praises on our lips. Cheer for our Hero, for He is the King of kings who has won the victory and given it to us! Amen.

Now He who bore for mortals’ sake
The cross and all its pains,
And chose a servant’s form to take,
The King of glory reigns.
Hosanna to the Savior’s name
Till heaven’s rafters ring,
And all the ransomed host proclaim:
“Behold, behold your King!”

(Worship Supplement 2000 - 725:4)

—Pastor Michael M. Eichstadt