Pentecost 14 Sermon: Our Home the Untouchable Mountain

Preached on Hebrews 12:4-29
The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost — Proper 16C
21 August AD 2016

Title: Our Home the Untouchable Mountain (MP3 Audio)

Summary: In the history of Israel, Sinai was an important — even essential — mountain, but it wasn’t part of the Promised Land. For although He also proclaimed grace and blessing from its heights, the Lord primarily used Sinai to declare His Law, to instruct and discipline — even to terrify — His people.

Zion was the mountain of blessing. After the Ark of the Covenant entered Jerusalem, it was the place where God established His rule. Zion was the mountain where the Lord invited His people to come to receive forgiveness of sins.

As he compares and contrasts these mountains, the author of Hebrews also compares and contrasts the Exodus with the Christian life of pilgrimage to our final resting place. We won’t reach the Promised Land by dwelling at the foot of Sinai, striving to fulfill a Law that is beyond our keeping. We look toward Zion and to the new Jerusalem, the heavenly city, the resting place of the saints.

Given earthly form in Christ’s Church, the fulness of Zion is yet to be revealed. We can only touch it in part but we still receive full forgiveness. Although we still await eternal residence, we already inhabit Mount Zion, living even now by faith as residents of “the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.”

Text: In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.”

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken — that is, things that have been made — in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:4-24 (25-29)

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Audio: Click to hear the MP3 of Our Home the Untouchable Mountain

NB: A few people have had problems trying to play the inline audio with Windows Media Player. If this occurs, you can either change to QuickTime or another default browser player, copy and paste the link directly into a selected player, or download it to your computer, where it seems to work regardless of which player. Several folks have suggested VLC Player from VideoLAN.

Other Readings: Psalm 50:1-15; Isaiah 66:18-23; Luke 12:22-30

Pentecost 3 Sermon: Interruption Interrupted

Preached on Luke 7:11-17
The Third Sunday after Pentecost — Proper 5C
5 June AD 2016

Title: Interruption Interrupted (MP3 Audio)

Summary: Imagine the audacity: Deep in grief, you sit in a funeral car, following your dearest loved one to the cemetery. Suddenly, a man blocks the road, halting the procession. He strides to the back of the hearse, flings open the door, and demands that the dead one get up and out of the coffin.

Now imagine your astonishment when the “dear departed” isn’t departed anymore! Death’s interruption is itself interrupted. Sorrow without depth immediately becomes joy without bounds. Life refills not only the one who was dead but also the loved ones whose own lives seemed so empty scant moments before.

The prophets Elijah and Elisha foreshadowed the greatest Prophet. Through the Lord, they called grieving mothers’ sons back to life. Jesus went beyond this, calling this widow’s son and his dear friend Lazarus back from death before completely interrupting death by dying Himself and then returning to life.

Likely, the previous interruptions were temporary. The sons of the widows of Zarephath and Nain, the Shunamite’s son and Lazarus — each probably lived for a time before death once again claimed them. But when Jesus returned from the grave, He effected a permanent interruption of death and of the sin that brings it into our lives.

We know that even if we die, no matter the time that passes afterwards, we remain alive in Christ and will be called forth in glorified resurrection bodies to live forevermore. The valley of the shadow of death transformed into the eternally sunlight land of life. The pit of the grave replaced by the mountain of the Lord’s glory. The burial shroud swallowed up by the Lord of Life.

Text: Soon afterward [Jesus] went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”

Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.

Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country. Luke 7:11-17

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Audio: Click to hear the MP3 of Interruption Interrupted.

NB: A few people have had problems trying to play the inline audio with Windows Media Player. If this occurs, you can either change to QuickTime or another default browser player, copy and paste the link directly into a selected player, or download it to your computer, where it seems to work regardless of which player. Several folks have suggested VLC Player from VideoLAN.

Other Readings: Psalm 30; 1 Kings 17:17-24; Galatians 1:11-24

Easter 2C Sermon: Baby Food

Preached on 1 Peter 2:2-3
The Second Sunday of Easter — Quasimodogeniti
3 April AD 2016

Title: Baby Food (MP3 Audio)

Summary: The sermon is based on the antiphon from today’s introit.* The opening words from the ancient Latin text give the 2nd Sunday of Easter its traditional name, Quasimodogeniti, “Like newborn babes.”

But it’s not only addressed to believers new to the faith or new to life itself. This verse also benefits mature Christians who’ve been in the Church for many years.

Both Paul (1 Corinthians 3:2) and the author of Hebrews (5:12, 14) encourage Christians to be ready for the “solid food” of in-depth Scripture study and theology. Yet regardless of how much knowledge and wisdom we achieve in matters religious, we never outgrow our need for “pure spiritual milk.”

What is this “milk” that Peter encourages us to crave? Nothing other than the Gospel — God forgiving sins for the sake of Jesus Christ. Truly, we can say that Christ Himself is this nourishment as we receive Him in Word and Sacrament.

The fulness of true theology can be weighty and sometimes confusing. But God still moves us to nibble, chew on, or dig in to the meat of His Word. However, the most complex doctrines cannot be swallowed unless we wash them down with the pure milk of the Gospel. And in times of trial, doubt, and worry, sometimes the milk is all we can take in — yet it remains ever enough for our needs.

So even as you sink your teeth into the solid food of God’s Word, remember that a childlike faith still needs the same nourishment that sustained it in spiritual infancy. And whether chewing on the meat or sipping on the milk, you will continue tasting “that the Lord is good.”

Text: Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation — if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 1 Peter 2:2-3

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Audio: Click to hear the MP3 of Baby Food.

NB: A few people have had problems trying to play the inline audio with Windows Media Player. If this occurs, you can either change to QuickTime or another default browser player, copy and paste the link directly into a selected player, or download it to your computer, where it seems to work regardless of which player. Several folks have suggested VLC Player from VideoLAN.

Other Readings: Psalm 148; Acts 5:12-20 (21-32); Revelation 1:4-18; John 20:19-31

Illustration: Detail of Maternity by Pablo Picasso (1905).

*The introit is a set of verses sung responsively at the beginning of the service. Normally, it is composed of portions of selected Psalms. The antiphon is sung at the beginning and end of the introit and — as happens today — may be from a Psalm or can be drawn from other parts of Scripture or from ancient liturgical texts.

Holy Thursday Sermon: Dining with the Lord

Preached on Exodus 24:3-11
Maundy Thursday, One Year Lectionary
24 March AD 2016

Title: Dining with the Lord (MP3 Audio)

Summary: Imagine their surprise. After the warnings, the rumblings, and the flashings, the Lord now invited the elders of Israel to join Moses and Aaron in His holy presence. First, they heard God’s unequivocal command to stay off of His mountain. Now they hear His invitation to come up to dinner.

He who cannot tolerate any sin or corruption in His presence invites sinners to eat and drink and while they are there, He doesn’t “lay his hand” on any of “the chief men of the people of Israel.” Instead, covered by the blood of the Covenant and trusting in the Word of the Lord, they come to Him in trust.

Now we, sinners all, are also invited to eat and drink in the presence of the Lord, trusting that we are not only covered in the blood of the New Covenant but that we will actually consume this holy blood, along with the body of the sacrificial Lamb, in Christ’s Supper. We come to the altar knowing that God will not only withhold His hand of judgment but will extend His hand of mercy, not ending our miserable lives but transforming them.

Text: Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.”

And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord.

He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord. And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar.

Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness.

And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank. Exodus 24:3-11

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Audio: Click to hear the MP3 of Dining with the Lord, preached to the saints of God at Faith Lutheran Church, Knob Noster, Missouri.

NB: For some reason, a few people have had problems trying to play the inline audio if Windows Media is their default MP3 player. If this occurs, you can either change to QuickTime or another default browser player, copy and paste the link directly into a selected player, or download it to your computer, where it seems to work regardless of which player. Several folks have suggested VLC Player from VideoLAN.

Other Readings: Psalm 116:12-19; Exodus 12:1-141 Corinthians 11:23-32; JOhn 13:1-15 (34-35)

Palm Sunday C Sermon: Hosanna, Jesus!

Preached on John 12:12-19
Sunday of the Passion, Series C
20 March AD 2016

Title: Hosanna, Jesus! (MP3 Audio)

Summary: The people of Jerusalem understood the word play as they called out to Jesus during His triumphal entry — yet they remained unaware of what they were asking for. Hosanna and Jesus stem from the same Hebrew word, meaning “to save.” They point to the same fact: The Word became flesh to save us from our sin. That’s why the angel told Joseph to name Mary’s Child “Jesus” (Matthew 1:21).

The crowd called upon the Savior to save them from Roman occupation, to restore the Davidic Kingdom in the Promised Land, and to restore Israel to its long-lost glory. What they got was a Savior who came to save them from satanic oppression, their own sinful natures, and God’s wrath.

Often, we are similarly unaware of our own full need for a Savior. Our cries of hosanna too often address the effects of being sinners living in a sinful world rather than the root cause of all our troubles. While we may not be looking for a new king to be crowned, we can certainly invent our own theologies of glory.

Yet even when we aren’t completely mindful of the extent of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, He remains mindful of us. The fulness of His victory is ours in Word and Sacrament, by the power of the Holy Spirit. He saves us in Baptism, in the Absolution, in His Supper. He saves us by bringing us into the community of the Church. He saves us by giving the angels charge over us. He saves us by holding fast to us, even though our grip on Him often fails.

Text: The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”

And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.

The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.

So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.” John 12:12-19 (Palm Sunday Processional Gospel)

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Audio: Click to hear MP3 of Hosanna, Jesus!.

NB: For some reason, a few people have had problems trying to play the inline audio if Windows Media is their default MP3 player. If this occurs, you can either change to QuickTime or another default browser player, copy and paste the link directly into a selected player, or download it to your computer, where it seems to work regardless of which player. Several folks have suggested VLC Player from VideoLAN.

Other Readings: Psalm 118:19-29 or 31:9-16; Deuteronomy 32:36-39; Philippians 2:5-11; Luke 23:1-56 or Luke 22:1-23:56 or John 12:20-43

See Aardvark Alley for more on Palm Sunday.