Humility - Sep 1, 2013

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SERMON:

Modern culture tells us that it is healthy for person to be proud of who they are. For the past few decades we’ve been told, over and over, that we all aught to think highly of who we are and what we’re capable of. We have been coached to develop a strong sense of self-esteem.

Through our Bible readings today, God will lead us to seek a different character trait. A trait that God says is precious when found in the human heart—humility. (1 Peter 3:4)

Old Testament............................................... Proverbs 25:6-7 (NIV)

⁶ Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,

and do not claim a place among his great men;

⁷ it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,”

than for him to humiliate you before his nobles.

▬

The book of Proverbs was mostly written by King Solomon. When he was a young king, the Lord came to Solomon and basically said, “Ask for whatever you want, and I’ll grant it”. Solomon didn’t ask for riches, or honor, or power, or even long life. Solomon asked for wisdom, so that he might rule God’s people justly. Part of the wisdom that Solomon received has been preserved, for us to absorb, in the book of Proverbs.

In the verses we just read, Solomon’s wisdom tells us NOT to brag ourselves up. That’s certainly different than what our modern culture teaches. Today, every football player has an end-zone dance, and celebrities constantly manufacture publicity for their own self promotion.

But Solomon warns us, if you talk yourself up, those with real authority may come and put you back in your place, and in a most embarrassing way. A much safer approach is to be humble concerning yourself. Then if there is any change in position, that change will bring you honor instead of disgrace.

▬

As God’s people we don’t need to push ourselves forward. We don’t need to seek fame and recognition from others, we have the love of our Creator.

One of my favorite Christian authors confessed on his blog that while he was jogging one day, he asked God to make him famous. In a split second he felt like God answered him with a laugh, saying:

“Ha! You want fame? The creator of the universe knows your name. The Alpha and Omega knows who you are and what you care about. That’s as famous as you’re ever going to be. Whose acknowledgement of you is going to stand up next to mine?” (Stuff Christians Like by Jon Acuff)

Humility can grow from a lot of different soils. But for us, it starts at the cross of Christ. There God’s Son took our sin. There God’s Son suffered our hell. There Gods Son died our death. There we became free.

Yesterday, God’s own Son willingly suffered so that we could be free. Maybe today, we can reflect our Savior’s humility, as we interact with people.

▬

Psalm of the Day............................................................ 119:1-16 (ESV)

      P:      Blessed are those whose way is blameless,

      C:      who walk in the law of the Lord!

      P:      Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,

      C:      who seek him with their whole heart,

                              who also do no wrong,

               but walk in his ways!

      P:      You have commanded your precepts

               to be kept diligently.

      C:      Oh that my ways may be steadfast

               in keeping your statutes!

      P:      Then I shall not be put to shame,

               having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.

      C:      I will praise you with an upright heart,

               when I learn your righteous rules.

      P:      I will keep your statutes;

               do not utterly forsake me!

      C:      How can a young man keep his way pure?

               By guarding it according to your word.

      P:      With my whole heart I seek you;

               let me not wander from your commandments!

      C:      I have stored up your word in my heart,

               that I might not sin against you.

      P:      Blessed are you, O Lord;

               teach me your statutes!

      C:      With my lips I declare

               all the rules of your mouth.

      P:      In the way of your testimonies I delight

               as much as in all riches.

      C:      I will meditate on your precepts

               and fix my eyes on your ways.

      P:      I will delight in your statutes;

      C:      I will not forget your word.

 ▬

In this Psalm the Psalm writer expresses a deep humility. But not just humility in a general sense. The Psalm writer expresses humility toward God.

Look again at the first few verses here. The Psalm writer is praising other people. He’s totally impressed by these people because they know God’s Word, love it, and honor God by using his commands as the playbook of their lives.

Then we get to a transition in verse 5. The Psalm writer says,

“Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!” (Psalm 119:5 ESV).

Basically, the Psalm writer sees people living by God’s Word and he says, “I want to be like them! They’re the blessed ones! I don’t have that now, but that’s what I want to be like.”

▬

When the Magi brought their gifts to the young Jesus, they bowed down before him in reverent worship. They gave his parents expensive gifts expressing their respect and awe. This Child was the promised Savior. Throughout Jesus’ ministry many other people had the opportunity to bow down before him in physical worship.

We don’t have a visible Jesus to bow down before. But even so, every time we hold the Bible to be more trustworthy than our own personal thoughts, we are expressing the same attitude that those people had toward God’s Son.  

True humility toward God must include respect for what he says in the Bible.   

In Isaiah 66 God speaks, saying…

“…’Heaven is my throne,

and the earth is my footstool.

Where is the house you will build for me?

Where will my resting place be?

² Has not my hand made all these things,

and so they came into being?’

declares the Lord.

‘These are the ones I look on with favor:

those who are humble and contrite in spirit,

and who tremble at my word’” (Isaiah 66:1-2 NIV).

Prayer: Lord, give us the wisdom and faith to always put your Word above our own thoughts and above the ideas of mere humans. Make us humble in heart and mind, humble toward your greatness and toward all you reveal to us in your Holy Word. Amen.

NT Letter.............................................. Hebrews 13:1-8 (ESV)

Where the writer of Psalm 119 SPOKE about keeping God’s commands, Hebrews 13 describes how to do what God says in specific, practical ways.

13 Let brotherly love continue. ² Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. ³ Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. ⁴ Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. ⁵ Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” ⁶ So we can confidently say,

       “The Lord is my helper;

I will not fear;

       what can man do to me?”

⁷ Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. ⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

▬

It’s easy enough to express humility with words. But, to live out humility in our lives is something different. It’s easy enough to want to live “the Christian life”, but how do we define “the Christian life?” Too often we take the world’s definition of “the Christian life” and leave God’s definition untouched in the pages of Scripture.

Here the writer of Hebrews gives us a description of things that we should be doing.

We should seek to be loving our fellow Christians with a brotherly love. A family love which forgives and forgets.

We should seek to show hospitality to strangers in need, not just showing care and politeness toward people we’re acquainted with.

We should be visiting people that we know who are in prison, or people who are mistreated, instead of forgetting about them or thinking, “Oh, what can I do?” We can BE there, that’s what we can do! Sometimes being there is more than enough.

We should be honoring marriage by what we say and do. We shouldn’t join the world to denigrate marriage, or treat it like it’s not important, or encourage un-Christian behavior by one spouse toward another.

We should be shunning all sources of lust, and the temptation to break our marriage vows. We should be putting our spouses first.

We should cultivate an attitude of contentment in our homes, instead of an attitude of always clawing after what’s new.

We should be boasting in the Lord, and not worrying about the future since we have God’s promise that he won’t abandon us.

We should look to those people who have been good spiritual examples to us. Solid Christian men and women, and we should seek to model our lives after theirs.

These aren’t things that the proud and self-righteous do. These things take a humble attitude to accomplish. An attitude that doesn’t push self to the front. An attitude like our Savior’s.

Interesting that this text from Hebrews brings us back around to Jesus. It says,

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8 ESV).

God’s Son is just as serious today about our following his example as he was yesterday. And Jesus is just as compassionate toward us today, as he was when he took those nails for us. He is unchanging, as is the forgiveness that he has won for us. May that unchanging forgiveness bet your focus as you seek change according to the Holy Spirit’s Biblical directing.

Sermon Reading............................................. Luke 14:1, 7-14 (ESV)

14 One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully.

⁷ Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, ⁸ “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, ⁹ and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. ¹⁰ But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. ¹¹ For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

¹² He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. ¹³ But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, ¹⁴ and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

▬

That first part sounded pretty familiar didn’t it? Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted? The whole story mirrors our Old Testament reading from Proverbs. Don’t seat yourself high, or you might be lowered. Take the lowest spot instead, that you might be lifted up.

After his little Old Testament lesson, Jesus turned to the host of the party and said something even more remarkable. He told him that he aught to invite people who haven’t earned his attention, and cannot repay him. Invite the poor, crippled, lame, and blind. And why? Because the payoff is better, for God will make sure the generous are paid back in the end.

This is the type of attitude a Christian is to cultivate. An attitude that trusts that God will take care of everything in the end. If you know that God will punish the wicked in the end, why would you need to take revenge? If you know that God will repay you in the end, why would you worry about spending resources on people who can’t repay you.

This type of attitude is only possible through faith in Christ Jesus. This would be foolish if there were no afterlife, and no guarantee of heaven. But those who long for that great Heavenly City can approach this earthly life very differently. With our future secure because of Jesus, we can learn to joyfully use the resources we are blessed with in this life, to God’s glory.

This is humility taken to a whole new place isn’t it? It’s one thing to say, “Lord I’m going to play this game according the rules. If you want to give me a win, that’s cool”. It’s a larger step of faith that says, “Lord I’m going to live MY LIFE your way. If you want to give me success in this life, cool. But if not in this life, I’ll see you in heaven”. 

▬

May the Lord grant that in our dealings with others we are humble, putting them first. May the Holy Spirit move us to always bow to his Holy Word, instead of to our own thoughts and ideas. God grant that we have the strength of faith to live according to what God’s Word actually says. The Lord grant that we place our hope in his promises, and travel through this life learning patience and humility—always keeping our hope centered on Jesus, who was humbled for us, and who has lifted us up in the hands of eternal forgiveness.

Amen. 

Marriage Counsel From God - Aug 25, 2013

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SERMON:

Ephesians 5:22-31

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.

Dear fellow-redeemed:

What do people think of marriage anymore? Judging from the careless attitude with which many jump in and out of it, the answer might be, “Not much.” It seems like there is always some movie star or celebrity getting married and then getting divorced shortly afterward. This kind of behavior is not just confined to the rich and famous. A glance at the local newspaper’s divorce notices reveals that there are many marriages which do not even see their first anniversary.

As Christians, we take a higher view of marriage because we recognize that it is not a social institution created by men, but it is something which God designed in the earliest days of the world’s history for our blessing and benefit.

Nevertheless, in Christian marriages too there can be times of trouble and tension because we are all sinners. Christians too can be tempted to divorce for ungodly reasons. We who are married need to be reminded again of the Lord’s plan for husbands and wives, and those who are unmarried can also benefit from learning what God says about the marriage relationship—not only because you might be married one day, but because the marriage relationship is also a reflection of the relationship Jesus has with all believers.

This portion of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians contains important MARRIAGE COUNSEL FROM GOD—direct words from Him on the subject.

I.

These words, however, are a stumbling block for some. The Bible says: “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church…” [vv.22-23] At the mere mention of this there are some women who roll their eyes and turn away from everything else God says about marriage, thinking, “What's up with that! I’m sure not going to play ‘second fiddle’ in my house!”

Unfortunately, in our American culture, when we hear that word “submit,” we have a knee-jerk reaction that thinks inferiority or slavery. We think that someone who submits to somebody else must naturally be less important or less valuable. But this is clearly not what the Lord has in mind, for He makes no statement whatever about the relative worth or importance of the spouses to one another.

No, this is a matter of roles in marriage. Marriage is a team effort and you can’t have everyone playing the same part. One Christian writer has pictured this in terms of a baseball game. The husband is the catcher and the wife is the pitcher. Both are on the same side and have the same goal—to win. Yet it is the catcher who decides what pitch will be thrown and gives the signal, the pitcher submits to the catcher’s decision and lets the ball fly toward the plate. This is the way it works best out on the field. Now, that doesn’t mean there won’t ever be differences of opinion about the catcher’s choice of pitch. Sometimes there will even be a conference on the mound! But the catcher and pitcher both have their jobs—that’s teamwork.

In marriage there must be teamwork between husband and wife. They are each given their roles. For the wife, it is a submissive role. She is to recognize that God has given her husband the responsibility of leading the family and she supports him in his effort to do that. That doesn’t mean there won’t be “conferences on the mound.” It doesn’t mean that the wife has “no say” in family matters—in fact she has quite a lot—but she recognizes that ultimately it is the husband who must answer to God for leading the household and she does not despise his God-given role, ignore his leadership, or treat it carelessly.

Notice wives, that the Apostle is talking to you as Christians. These verses about submission are not spoken to your husbands as if they are to go out and enforce this submission upon you. The role of the wife in marriage is a role that she willingly takes out of love for God who designed marriage. When thought of in this way, it is not a difficulty or hardship. The apostle explains this when he says, “…just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything…”[v.24] Notice the grand comparison: “As the church submits to Christ.” The Bible holds up the relationship between Christ and His believers—the Church—as the model for the marriage relationship.

Is it hard to submit to Jesus Christ, our Head? Do we grumble and complain that we have been placed in an “unfair” position because the Son of God has been given a leadership role and we a submissive role? No! Rather we see and recognize the great blessings that come from that arrangement as it stands. We, as members of the body of believers, are blessed beyond measure because Christ is our Head.

Likewise in marriage, God intends the role of the wife to be a blessing both to her and to the family as a whole. Her husband needs her support! She ought not view herself as a second-class citizen of the family. Her role is for the good of the team so that things can go as they are supposed to go on the field.

II.

Now, to husbands the apostle also gives great responsibility. Husbands have been given the leadership role in the family, that is true, but you are also expected not to abuse or misuse that leadership. To husbands God says: “Love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.” [v.25]

Again, a parallel is drawn between the relationship between Christ and His believers and the relationship between husbands and wives. In this case, it is Jesus’ example of self-sacrificing love that is held up as the standard for Christian husbands. The Lord showed His great love for mankind by laying down His life on Calvary’s cross.

There at the cross is where we see love in action. Jesus, who was innocent of all crimes, allowed Himself to become the scapegoat for the world’s guilt. He offered Himself as the Lamb of sacrifice for our own salvation, so that by His offering we might stand without any wrinkle or shadow of sin in God’s eyes. Christ gave Himself in order to forgive us our trespasses, to sanctify and cleanse us, and by Baptism grant to us a washing that would prepare us for eternal life. He wanted us to be held up as holy and spotless, without stain or blemish—so He put His own life on the line to make that happen—to present us to God His Father as a glorious Church.

When Scripture says “Husbands, love your wives,” it is this kind of love which God has in mind! It is not the kind of love that you “fall in and out of.” It is a love of understanding, purpose, and action. It is a love in which the husband understands the needs of his spouse and is sensitive to her. It is a love that lives for the purpose of protecting and sustaining her. It is a love that is willing to go out and even lay down its life for the loved one. This is the kind of love Jesus had for us. This is the kind of love the Lord expects from husbands. There is no room in this kind of love for selfishness or harshness, for careless or thoughtless actions and words.

The husband’s role in the home and family is one of leadership, but that leadership must be characterized by love—just as Christ loved the church!

In politics, when someone is elected to office, the assumption is that the new leader will simply have his way and do whatever he wants. We tend to think and act as though leadership is all about what the leader wants. If the Democrats get elected, they think, “Now we get what we want. Now things will be as we say.” If the Republicans are elected, they act the same way. But a good leader does not simply say, “My way or the highway.” He needs to look to others for support. He needs to listen to the words of others. In love, he needs to do what is best for those whom he has been called to govern—not what is best for his own personal life or welfare. He forsakes himself so that others may benefit.

It is that way for the husband in the home. The Lord calls upon him to be a wise and thoughtful leader, doing in love what is best for the family. A Christian husband will not lord his position over his wife and children like a tyrant who is only concerned about getting his way, for this would not reflect the self-sacrificing love that Jesus has shown us. He is called upon to consider the needs of everyone in the house and do his best to carry out his role in the family with a gentle and loving hand.

The roles of husband and wife in marriage as God has ordained them really do fit together—no big surprise considering the Designer! The roles as God desires them complement one another, balance each other, and work together for the good of the family. The wife is called upon to submit herself to her husband as the head of the house just as she submits herself in love to her Lord Jesus. At the same time, the husband is called upon not to abuse his role, but to show the same self-sacrificing love to his wife that Jesus showed to all of us on the cross. This is the teamwork of marriage.

The fall into sin fouled up the marriage relationship. Prior to the Serpent’s deception in the Garden, Adam and Eve did not struggle in their God-given roles. Everything was ideal, lovely, blessed, and perfect. But now, by reason of sin, wives are tempted to seek to rule over their husbands and husbands are tempted to dominate and trample upon their wives with unloving actions.

Even our Christian marriages are littered with our failures to live our marriages the way God intends, the way that reflects the relationship He has with us as believers. But lest we give up in despair and frustration, let’s all remember again that cross of Christ. For on that cross our Lord was more than just an example of unselfish love, on that cross He forgave us all. Husbands and wives—all are forgiven by Jesus’ blood. In that forgiveness we can “bear with one another in love,” start each new day with a clean slate, and by that forgiveness we are also given the strength and desire to follow His Word and will. Amen.

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

Sermon written by Pastor David P. Schaller and provided through the CLC’s “Ministry by Mail”. For more, go to www.lutheransermons.org

First Things First in the Fellowship - August 4, 2013

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SERMON:

A couple of months ago we began a study of Paul’s letter to the Galatian Christians. Today we’re going to close our study of the book of Galatians with a look at the last chapter of that book.

▬

Now, if you haven’t been here to hear about the Galatian congregations, the story is pretty simple. Paul started these congregations on one of his mission trips.

Some kind of a medical problem caused an extended stay in the Roman province of Galatia. While Paul was there, he told people about how a man named Jesus made it possible for people to know the true God. This Jesus made it possible for sinful, broken humans to actually commune with the Holy God because this man took away the sins that had separated God from man. Paul told the people about how in Jesus, God the Son had become human, and had offered himself to suffer hell in the place of sinners. In summary, Paul told them the Gospel message. Through Jesus, we stand forgiven of all our evils.

Now, as Paul communicated this message, followers of Christ grew and formed congregations. And then, apparently as Paul’s medical problems were alleviated, he moved on. But he continued to communicate with these groups of Christ followers that were living in Galatia.

▬

The book of Galatians that has been preserved for us to read was written by Paul as a response to some troubling news that he heard about the Galatians. Apparently some new people had come into contact with the congregations there and were leading them away from faith in Christ.

These new teachers were advocating a “different gospel”. Instead of simply trusting in Jesus for the complete package of forgiveness that he offered, these new teachers said that full forgiveness was something that a person had to earn for themselves. They said that forgiveness was earned by, yes,  trusting in Christ, but also through observing certain religious ceremonies. In other words, these new teachers were saying that Jesus didn’t do enough to save sinners, and that sinners must add their own religious devotion to obtain forgiveness from God.

Paul’s letter to the Galatian Christians is a call for them to return to Christ. To abandon the idea that we can earn forgiveness by our actions, and to trust in Jesus alone for eternal salvation.

▬

In chapters one and two Paul scolds the Galatians for so quickly deserting Christ and turning to this new, and false, gospel of salvation by works. He defends the true Gospel and his own ministry by showing that this message of his wasn’t something he learned from ordinary religious teachers, but a message that was given to him by the risen Jesus himself.

In chapters three and four Paul proves from the Old Testament that forgiveness of sins cannot be earned. No human being, Paul says, will stand before God on the last day and be declared holy because of their own words and actions. But all who trust in Jesus for forgiveness are clothed with HIS righteousness, and will be considered as holy as the Son of God because of their faith connection to him.

In chapter five Paul moves on to speak about how the Gospel of Jesus doesn’t give the Christian license to sin, but instead the forgiveness that comes through Christ frees us from the fear of punishment, and moves us to live lives that conform to God’s will. Since the Gospel makes us spiritually alive, we then live our daily lives to him—serving our Savior God instead of listening to our inner sinful desires.

In talking about how the Christian lives on a daily basis, Paul eventually gets around to how the Christian will live in the context of the church. How we treat our fellow Christ followers. How the Christian lives and moves in the fellowship is what Paul deals with in the final chapter of Galatians, chapter six.

▬

Now, as we’ve been studying through this book, we’ve been using a theme to help us through. The theme has been, “First Things First”. The idea is this, that when we come to believe in Christ, he becomes our head, we become his body. And with Christ as our head, the Spirit of God begins to shift our priorities. We begin to change, putting God’s ideas and ways of living first.

In the back of the sanctuary here at redemption we have a small sound mixer, or a sound board. On this soundboard there are all kinds of little dials and slides that determine what sounds are pushed forward, and what sounds are muted back. The whole idea of the Christian life and putting “First Things First” is like those dials and slides.

Imagine each area of life has it’s own cluster of slides on this board. We can decide for ourselves which ones we will push up, and which ones we will slide down. But God has his own prescription for which ones need more volume, and which ideas, habits, and behaviors need to fade away.

In this last chapter of Galatians, God uses Paul to describe how we should set our soundboard at church, and everywhere that we interact with the followers of Christ.

To begin with, let’s read…

Galatians 6:1-5 (ESV)

6 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. ² Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. ³ For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴ But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. ⁵ For each will have to bear his own load.

▬

In examining God’s will for the Christian’s life, Paul looks both out and in. Looking out, Paul says that we should pay attention to our fellow Christians, putting their spiritual condition FIRST. When we see them caught in some sinful behavior it is our responsibility to do something about it. When we speak up to each other in order to correct and guide each other by our God’s Word, Paul says we are “bearing one another’s burdens”.

It’s great to help someone pay off a debt, or find a new job, or move into a new home, etc., but a God has a greater calling for us in Christ—to love each other’s souls. To watch over the faith of our fellow Christians, and as far as it is in our power, to prevent sinful behaviors from severing their faith connection to Jesus. Paul says that when we bear each other’s sin-burdens like this we are“fulfilling the law of Christ”. In other words, when we hold each other accountable and gently guide each other back to the forgiveness that we have in Christ, then we are truly LOVING one another. That is the so called, “law of Christ”.

We are to put the spiritual needs of our fellow Christians first.

▬

But Paul also directs us to look inward here. When we look at our own service to Christ, Paul says that we are not to think too highly of what we’ve done for Jesus. When we Christians get arrogant it usually comes from two sources. Either we evaluate our own lives in COMPARISON to others, or we evaluate our lives on the basis of what others SAY about us. Paul says that both of these are a bad idea.

C.S. Lewis wrote a neat little book called the “Screwtape Letters”. The book is a fictional collection of letters from a senior demon to a demon in training. In one chapter the senior demon describes how to make the Christian’s time in the church pew serve the devil’s agenda. The younger demon is to encourage his charge to look at all the people around him and meditate on their faults and failings. This will prevent him from getting anything out of church. And, constantly judging others will prevent this Christian from doing any real self-examination.

This is what happens when we compare our lives with those of our fellow Christians. As sinful human beings we’re real good at justifying our own sins, and condemning others for theirs.

On the other hand, as sinful human beings we’re also real good at accepting praise for the things we actually get right. But we have the ugly tendency to inflate the goodness of those actions beyond what they deserve.

Again, Paul says, bad idea. Instead, when we evaluate our own service to Christ it aught to be done in a vacuum. In other words, we aught to evaluate ourselves on the basis of what opportunities and strengths God has given us, and what we’ve actually done with those. When we honestly do this, it’s hard to be arrogant. Which of us can say we’ve always spoken up for Christ when the opportunity arose. Which of us can say we’ve even seen each opportunity? How many of these have slipped by while were  focused on something  inconsequential?  

When we look inward at our own lives, we are to put God’s standards first, resisting the temptation to compare our lives to others, and ignoring the praise that may skew an honest look at our own goodness.

In verse 5 Paul says, “Each will have to bear his own load”. In other words, before God both COMPARISON TO OTHERS, and PRAISE FROM OTHERS has no weight. Only what we have done with what we have been given comes into play. That is, at least, when it comes to evaluating how successfully we have been conforming to our Lord’s will.

Thankfully, it is not our success in being more Christ-like that saves us from hell. What Christ did on the cross, in our place, THAT is what washes our sins away.

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In verses 6-10 Paul moves on to another area of interacting with our fellow Christians.

Galatians 6:6-10 (ESV)

⁶ Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. ⁷ Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. ⁸ For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. ⁹ And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. ¹⁰ So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

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Here Paul speaks about how we interact with the Gospel message itself. When Paul says, “Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches”, he’s directing us to put the Gospel ministry first in our lives by supporting the teachers who teach it.

We put this into practical application when we pay our pastors and teachers. We don’t pay them by the hour, for how could we put an hourly value on the word of God? Instead, we simply supply what our called workers need so that they can keep leading us into God’s Word.

Again, Paul look both out and in. Looking out he says, the Gospel student should share all good things with his Gospel teacher. Looking in, Paul says, let’s make sure that we’re putting our efforts into planting Gospel behavior into our lives instead of planting the seeds of sinful behavior.

Paul imagines the life of a Christian like a field ready for seed. If we spend our energy following our sinful desires, we’re planting seeds that will grow up and fill our lives with corruption.

A recently heard a preacher say, “The price of a sin is never posted out in the open”. Sometimes we think of sin like it’s not connected to anything. Like it won’t have consequences if someone else doesn’t see it. But that’s just nonsense. Sin is poison. Sin is acid. Every sin has a consequence. Even if nobody sees it, it still destroys and eats away God’s will for our lives. Or to follow Paul’s image, each sin, though it lies invisible in the field will grow up into a noxious weed if left to do so.

The wisdom of the Holy Spirit teaches us to plant good seed instead. Often, doing the right thing goes unnoticed by others. Sometimes it even leads to judgment that comes from others. Sometimes it leads to some kind of personal loss. We file our taxes honestly, and don’t get as much money in our tax return. We hold our tongue from gossiping, and fail to get attention for a juicy story. But Paul says, Don’t worry! Doing the right thing is just like farming—you gotta wait for the good stuff to grow up before you get to harvest it. But the harvest WILL be yours if you don’t abandon the field.

Christians, let’s listen to what the Spirit says through Paul, and not grow tired of doing our Savior’s will. Eventually, we will see what is produced by planting to the Spirit. Maybe it’ll be the respect of others who see our quiet character. Maybe it’ll be the inner self-control that grows stronger when it is exercised. Maybe it’ll be the praise that comes from God in heaven when he says,

“Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord” (Matthew 25:23 NKJV).

Either way, when we put shoulder behind the Gospel message, or into cultivating Gospel behavior, we can expect good things to come from it. That is the promise of God!

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In the final verses of Galatians, Paul revisits the main reason he began writing this letter in the first place—to counter the effects of the fake gospel of earning forgiveness from God, and to hold high the grace of Jesus, which is our only hope.

Galatians 6: 11-18 (ESV)

¹¹ See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. ¹² It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. ¹³ For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. ¹⁴ But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵ For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. ¹⁶ And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

¹⁷ From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

¹⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.

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Again Paul looks out, and in. When he looks out he sees the false teachers that had filtered into the congregations of Galatia. These false teachers were people who were not putting “First Things First”. They were Jews who wanted to be associated with the name “Christian”, but who didn’t want their more strict Jewish friends to persecute them for it. So they tried to mix the Gospel of free forgiveness from Christ with the work-righteousness teachings of Judaism. It sounds strange to our ears today, but they were telling the Christian men in Galatia that they needed to become circumcised if they really wanted God’s forgiveness. If these false teachers  could just win over the Galatian Christians, they could brag about it to others, and they could avoid persecution for being Christ-followers.

It’s a sad thing when people let the opinions of others paint over the clear Word of God. It’s a sad thing when people let fear of persecution lead them away from the grace of God.

That’s what Paul saw when he looked out at the false teachers in Galatia. But when Paul looked in to his own soul, he saw the faith that the Holy Spirit had worked in his heart by the Gospel of Christ. He saw a heart that had been moved to lift Christ up over all things. He expresses this fact by saying that as far as he was concerned the godless world was dead to him, and he was dead to the godless world. Christ was his boast! Christ was the source of his new spiritual life!

Paul couldn’t care less if the world judged of his personal faith, because he knew that God cherished and cared for him. Paul couldn’t care less what persecution came his way, because he knew that in Christ, his final destination was the Father’s house in heaven.

Let’s absorb Paul’s attitude and make it our own. We have the same great Savior after all. A Savior who put us first. We’re dirty, floundering, back-sliding sinners. But he put our sins on his holy shoulders, and declared us the Children of God. He put us first. Let’s revel in that grace. Let’s live in it each day, lifting up our successes to glorify God, and bringing our sinful failures to him to receive cleansing.

Let’s put first things first—and stand in the Gospel always.

Today we close our meditation on Galatians with the final words the Spirit inspired Paul to write. Words written both for the Galatian Christians, and for us…

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen” (Galatians 6:18 ESV).

Lean on the Reliable Ladder of the Lord - Pentecost 10, 2013

Today we heard from guest preacher Pastor John Hein. He is the pastor of our sister church, Grace Lutheran, located in Fridley, MN. To  DOWNLOAD an MP3 of this message, first right click here then choose "save link as" or "save target as". Older audio is removed to conserve server space, but is available by request. -Pastor Caleb Schaller

First Things First: Who's Your Master?

To  DOWNLOAD an MP3 of this message, first right click here then choose "save link as" or "save target as". Older audio is removed to conserve server space, but is available by request.

SERMON:

In 2006 the United Nations World Drug Report called meth the most abused hard drug on the planet. Seven years ago the number of meth addicts in the world was 26 million. That’s about four times the current population of Washington state.

Meth has hit the West coast especially hard. In 2005 more than half the inmates in Portland were meth users. At that time, meth was the leading cause of property crime in Oregon, as well as the leading cause of children being placed in foster care.

When meth enters the body it targets the reward center of the brain and releases huge amounts of the pleasure chemical called “dopamine”. Meth then holds the dopamine against the brain’s receptors causing an intense and extended feeling of euphoria. For this reason, few people are capable of trying meth only once.

But along with that feeling of euphoria come grim consequences. Meth users experience a variety of hallucinations and psychotic behaviors. Some see shadow people, or feel as if they’re being constantly watched. Others hear voices; either a cacophony of jumbled words, or distinct voices telling them to do specific things. Meth addicts commonly imagine that there are bugs burrowing just beneath their skin, and cut or scratch themselves to get them out.

In just a few months of use, meth begins to break down the body causing teeth to crumble, bone and muscle density to wither away, and the heart to malfunction—either racing dangerously fast, or slowing to a near stop.

Without intervention, meth, and  the lifestyle that accompanies it, will end in death.

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So, what if I told you that scientists have come up with vaccine for meth-death. Not a cure for the addiction, or the side-effects, but a death preventing inoculation. If you took this meth vaccine then you could have as much of the drug as you wanted, and it couldn’t kill you. It would still have all the same effects, good or bad, but you couldn’t die from it.

How would that sound? Good deal?

No, not so much. Who cares if you couldn’t die from it, your life would still be ruined by it. A meth-death vaccine just wouldn’t be enough.

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Through Jesus Christ you and I have received a sin-death vaccine. Our sins are many. But Jesus took them all on himself. He suffered hell for my sins and for yours when he died on that cross 2,000 years ago. And God showed that he accepted that offering by raising Jesus from the dead. Now, through Christ we have been set free from the ultimate consequences of our sins. We are forgiven, and eternal death can no longer touch us.

But for God, that’s not enough. He wants to give us more than an eternal home in heaven. When the Holy Spirit approaches people through the Gospel of Christ, he intends to save them from both the ultimate consequences of sin, and the immediate side effects of sin.

Just as meth becomes the master of person who uses it, sin also rules over the person addicted to it. But in Christ Jesus we are set free.  

Today we continue our study of Paul’s letter to the Galatian Christians. Here Paul speaks of the freedom that we have in Christ. Freedom from sin’s ultimate consequences AND freedom from sin’s immediate side effects. We read…

Galatians 5:1, 13-25 (NASB)

    1   It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

  13   For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

  14   For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

  15   But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

  16   But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

  17   For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

  18   But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

  19   Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,

  20   idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,

  21   envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

  22   But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

  23   gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

  24   Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

  25   If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

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To begin with, I’m going to address verse one. Listen to that verse again.

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1 NASB).

Here Paul is encouraging the Christians of Galatia not to be enslaved by work-righteous teachings. False teachers were telling the Christians in Galatia that they needed to observe certain religious ceremonies in order to earn God’s forgiveness.

The Gospel of Christ reveals that our sins are forgiven because of what Christ did for us, not because of anything we do. So accepting any system of working your way to God is like putting a heavy wooden harness back on your shoulders. Paul says, “No! It was for FREEDOM that Christ set us free! Why would we go back to some hopeless attempt to earn forgiveness when Christ has already given it to us as a gift?!”

Because of Christ we stand free from sin’s ultimate consequences.

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But Paul knew that it’s hard to escape a master that lives within. A slave can escape from an abusive master, or slavery itself can be abolished in a country. But what do you do if your vindictive master lives inside you?

That is the case with every human being that is born into this world. We are born with a sinful nature. An inner evil self which seeks all that is selfish, perverted, sick, and ugly. The B ible calls this inner nature our “flesh”.

Now, when Paul uses this term, he isn’t referring to our physical flesh and blood. When Paul says, “flesh” think “sinful flesh” or “inner sinful nature”. 

The Bible teaches that in heaven we’ll have perfected bodies. There will be no sinful nature lurking inside to trip us up. But in  this life we have to struggle along with a traitor inside. But the Holy Spirit wishes to free us from this traitor’s daily influence.

When the Holy Spirit comes to a person and creates faith in Christ through the Gospel message, the Holy Spirit comes to stay. He takes up residence in a person’s heart and mind. And through the Bible—read from the page, and retained in the heart and mind—the Holy Spirit begins to work against our sinful flesh.

Look again at verse 13. Paul writes…

“13   For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

         14  For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

         15  But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

         16  But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

         17  For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

         18  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law” (Galatians 5:13-18 NASB).

In the first verse that we read for today, Paul set up two opposing masters: Christ as Savior vs. the Law as Savior. Here, Paul sets up two other opposing masters: the Holy Spirit as our guide in life vs. the Flesh as our guide in life.

The question is, who’s your master?

You see, after the Spirit brings us to faith in Christ, we still have choices to make in life. And when it comes to right and wrong, these choices all boil down to either choosing the way our sinful flesh directs us to go, or following the way the Spirit leads us.

Some boil Christianity down to “trust in Christ and you’ll be saved”. And while that is true, God has things for us to do in this life. Not things that we need to do in order to be saved, but still God has work for u s to do. Through the Gospel message, the Holy Spirit has called us to live the remainder of our earthly lives serving one another in love. Living lives that reflect the life of our great Savior, who loved us and gave himself for us.

When we follow the guiding of the Holy Spirit, we actually begin, in little ways, to keep the law of God from the heart. Not because we’re afraid of being punished, but because the Holy Spirit is creating a new and perfect us inside.

You remember that Old Testament story about Joseph, Jacob’s son? He was sold into slavery by his brothers and ended up in Egypt. While there he became an important slave at a rich man’s estate. But the rich man’s wife wanted to have sex with Joseph. And when she propositioned him Joseph replied,

“Behold, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge. There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:8-9 NASB).

This was the Holy Spirit working in Joseph. Joseph avoided adultery NOT because he was afraid of punishment, but because it would be an offense against the God he loved and trusted!

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It’s human nature to think that if you want to change behavior, you need to make more laws. But laws don’t change behavior. Even if your police force can watch each citizen, their hearts will still rebel against you.

Paul says, the real way to avoid carrying out the sinful desires of the flesh isn’t to make more laws. The real way to shun temptations is to hear the Holy Spirit’s voice.  To listen for and order your steps according to the Spirit’s direction. He’s the one who brought us to faith in the first place, I think we can trust him!

There’s going to be fighting inside, because the sinful flesh and the Holy Spirit don’t get along. But there is comfort even in the middle of this fight. Paul knew that the Galatian Christians were struggling against sin. And so he gave them some Gospel comfort from Paul in  verse 18. There he reminds them…

“…if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law” (Galatians 5:18 NASB).

In other words, fight the good fight against sin, but remember, with Christ as your Savior, and the Spirit as your guide, you are not under law’s condemnation.

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Back in Paul’s day, some people had the idea that since the Gospel offered complete forgiveness, Christians could then indulge in sinful behavior as much as they wanted. But this isn’t the Holy Spirit’s teaching at all.

The Holy Spirit who creates faith through the Gospel message, leads us to serve one another in love, not to selfishly gratify our own desires. The Holy Spirit leads us to love each other, not bite at each other like animals. The Holy Spirit leads us to do good things, not celebrate wickedness.

But again, Paul knew there’s a fight going on in each of those Christians at Galatia. The sinful flesh inside each of them was at war with the Holy Spirit, battling for mastery over the individual. So Paul laid out a list of behaviors to avoid. Behaviors to avoid because they come from the flesh. Look at verse 19 again…

“ 19  Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,

   20  idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,

   21  envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21 NASB).

It’s pretty simple. Paul says, if you’re led by the Spirit, you’re going to fight against these behaviors. But if you’re practicing these, if one of these is your accepted lifestyle, then the flesh is your guide, not the Spirit, and you will not enter God’s kingdom.

Sometimes we don’t know any better. We just follow our instincts, and don’t realize that the things we want so bad are rally harmful to us. But the Holy Spirit loves us, and through His word he teaches us better ways. Like a gardener who has taken over a rioting garden, he patiently weeds, and seeds, and waters, and prunes until our garden begins to produce good fruit. Things like…

“…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” (Galatians 5:22-23 NASB).

It’s not hard to see which list is more desirable. Which master is better to serve.

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We started today by talking about meth and how it masters and destroys people. It’s tragic how a single dose almost always begins a life of hardship. Even if a person gets help, it’s going to take a lot of work to resist the temptation to slide back into using.  

And it’s the same thing with the forgiven sinner. Our last verses say…

“ 24  Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

   25  If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:24-25 NASB).

Much like the drug addict must say “goodbye” to the person they once were, and let that person die. The Christian must also let go of the sinful nature and let it die. In fact, Paul gets more graphic than that. Paul says we must crucify the flesh with its passions and desires. Each day we do this in prayer when we confess our sins and ask God to forgive us because of Christ. This crucifying the flesh needs to be an ongoing thing until God removes us from this world and seats us at his side. Until that day, we need to let that last verse ring in our ears…

“If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25 NASB).

You and I are spiritually alive, connected to God, because the Holy Spirit brought us to faith in Christ. Let us now live our lives the way that the Holy Spirit directs us to in the Bible. Then we will be sure of blessing in the next life, as well as in this one.

We are alive because of the Spirit. So, let’s live our daily lives by his direction also.

Amen.

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