"God's New Name"

Sermon: Holy Trinity Sunday (A) June 19, 2011
“God’s New Name”
Rev.  Jeff Springer

I have heard it recently said that the biggest threat to the future of Christianity is the attack on the doctrine of the Trinity.  These attacks are throughout American culture. They come from religions outside of Christianity; the Mormons who claim to be Christians,  the Jehova’s Witnesses who claim Jesus in his pre-incarnate state a created angel and the growing influence of Islam in this country who claim that Jesus is merely a teacher. 

 The most damaging threat comes from liberal main-line protestants who are moving more and more closely to Univeralism in their view of God.  The Universalist believes that everyone worships the same god. Allah, Jehova, Yahweh,  the Hindu gods, the god of Buddah are simply facets of the same god each providing a different path or teachings to reach enlightenment and eventual union with God.  It also means that we all pray to the same God, when we say, “O God.”

 In the recent airing of Oprah’s final show she said the following, “For all of you who get riled up when I mention God and you want to know which God I am talking about. I am talking about the same one that you are talking about; the Alpha and the Omega, the omniscient, the omnipresent, the ultimate consciousness, the source, the force, the all of everything there is, the one and only G-O-D.    How have we lasted 25 years?  I non-jokingly say, ‘My team and Jesus.’”  (Oprah at her final show)

 
Well, Oprah, I’m still riled up and not sure what god you are talking about.  Yes we do have on our Altar here the symbols of the Alpha and the Omega. We teach in our catechism the characteristics of God which are omniscient, all knowing and omnipresent, present everywhere.  There are other important ones that she misses such as love.

 However, I get lost at the terms “ultimate consciousness , the force, the all of everything there is.”  Perhaps it gives her hearers comfort to know that when you pray you are praying to the same God that Luke Skywalker prays too.  “Feel the force Luke!”

 Am I accusing Oprah of being a Universalist, I will let you be the judge when before she describes her god she says, “I am talking about the same one (god) that you are talking about.”

 My question is that in hearing her description of god could any of the world religions previously mentioned have any problem with it.  The fact is that natural man without the Spirit could come up with a similar description, there is nothing distinctively Christian about it.

 Why am I picking on Oprah this morning?  Some of you may be fans of her show and are grieving the loss. It is not my intention to pick on you or upset you but Oprah is influential and has made public statements regarding her beliefs.

 Her influence is so great in American Spirituality that Dr. Michael Lindsey, new president of Gordon College quoted by USA Today observed, “We are the land when 9/11 happens where the memorial service to help the nation grieve is not hosted by Billy Graham, it is not hosted by a Roman Catholic Arch-Bishop, and it is not hosted by the lead Rabbi of New York City. It is hosted by Oprah.  And that she represents the face of what is now normative civic pop religion in America.”

 Oprah’s spirituality has either influenced and or reflected back American spirituality over the past 25 years.  She is an evangelical charismatic in how she uses emotional human stories of change and transformation and you can hear a little prosperity gospel in her “my team and Jesus” talk.

 Interestingly, her message is more mainline liberal protestant. Her message is essentially “accepting who you are.”  This is a religion without a cross and without repentance.   Her show is about confession, confession of mistakes, but in the end the remedy is therapeutic not redemptive.   This is reflected in our culture as country-wide seminaries graduate more people with degrees in counseling then with an Masters of Divinity, but this trend is not helping the church.

 Terry Mattingly of getreligion.org writes that “in an age where main line protestant churches have seen a 45% decline in attendance Oprah is perhaps the most successful main line protestant ever.  Her view of religion sells well at the mall. It works well as a consumer product but it does not put the families with children in pews.”  (Terry Mattingly getreligion.org)

 Liberal mainstream Protestantism since its criticism of the scriptures and its adoption of cultural norms over scriptural norms has driven people from church. Still if you want to sell books, just make claims that the Gospels were all forgeries as a recent book by Dr. Bart Erhman puts it. All this does is to serve as ammunition for Muslim apologists who believe these Christian critics and teach that the Old and New Testaments are human contrivances rather than scripture from God.

 If you do not believe the scriptures then you will deny the true name of God revealed to us by Jesus in today’s text, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

 The therapeutic approach of Liberal Mainstream Protestantism has de-masculated the name of God.  I recall early in my seminary career comparing notes with an Evangelical Lutheran Church of America school classmate of mine.  Yes, I went to school K-8 at an ELCA school in Ft. Wayne and later converted to the LCMS our church body in college.  My elementary school classmate was attending the ELCA seminary in Columbus, Ohio while I was attending Concordia Theological Seminary, in Ft. Wayne. 

 He told me that some of his professors were teaching to baptize in the name of the creator, the redeemer and the sanctifier, in effect bypassing the masculine names of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I asked him why they were teaching this. And he said the masculine names of Father and Son presented a barrier to reaching people who were abused by their fathers or men in general.

 Mission at the expense of Divine truth?  This is a false dichotomy.  How can one call upon the name of the Lord if you have the name wrong?  And is it truly a baptism, if we are not using the divine name Jesus has given to us.

 I am by no means being insensitive to those who have suffered abuse from fathers, step-fathers and other men.  What they have done is sinful and it is the consequence of a sinful fallen world.  But the Father in Heaven, the true and model Father is one who loves what He has created and He continues to sustain believers and unbelievers alike.  He give his gifts to the undeserving and He sends His Son to redeem what he has created and His Spirit to enliven and keep the church in His truth.

 What a person does is not what a person is, each of us has a personal name. It is true that we are fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, engineers, accountants, librarians,  etc… but that is not who we are essentially. The same goes for God. He is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient. He is a creator, a redeemer and a sanctifier.  However his personal name revealed by Jesus is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

 This is the name we pray too. This is the name we call upon in the time of trouble.  We can call God, Father because when He looks upon us He sees His Son. We do not call Him “Father God” like many do, this implies three Gods instead of one, “Our Father” or “Heavenly Father” will do. This is the name Jesus gives us to pray.  When praying as Jesus would have us pray we are assured that God will hear our prayers.

Father, Son and Holy Spirit is the new name or the New Testament name revealed by Jesus for us to use. There were other names in the Old Testament for God in particular Yahweh or I am that was used to deliver the Israelites from the captivity of Egypt.  Yahweh put his name on the Tabernacle and later the Temple so that He may be locally present with His people.

Now this new name delivers you from sin, death and the devil when it is wedded to the waters of baptism. To be baptized into name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit means that He has placed His name on you and that He has claimed you as His own.

Yes, I do believe that the doctrine of the Trinity is under attack from both outside the church and within especially by those who try to separate mission practice from doctrine.  It will become even more important in the future for us to confess what the bible teaches about the Trinity and to continue to support ministries that do.  The name of God is a gift that is essential to our salvation and we are witnesses to that gift of faith.   Amen

God be with you

Sermon Graduation Service: June 15, 2011
Trinity Lutheran Church and School
Rev. Jeff Springer
 
Grace, Mercy and Peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the text chosen for this year’s class is from 2 Corinthians chapter 13 starting with verse 11. Which begins,  “Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.  Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints send their greetings. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” 

Much like the end of this school year this text is taken from the end of the letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to the troubled Corinthian congregation, so it is filled with salutations.  From what precedes these verses in the letter we do not get the sense that St. Paul is saying farewell forever.  In fact he does plan to see them again. 
 
St. Paul has struggled with this congregation.  This is because the Corinthians are the model congregation for doing everything wrong. They were divided over doctrines, entertaining among them false teachers who were preaching a different Gospel then Paul. They tolerated in their midst sexual immorality. 

At fellowship or communion meals they actually segregated some members from others while not distinguishing between common food and that which had been consecrated as the body and blood of Christ. They also put more emphasis on spiritual gifts like tongues rather than love for their neighbor.  In addition some accused St. Paul of being a false apostle, saying that he was pocketing the offerings designated for the church in Jerusalem. 
 
Still just as Christ claims all humanity from the cross,  St. Paul claims this congregation. He recognizes that through their baptism that Christ called them and made them his own so Paul does not give up and He continues to admonish them and preach the good news to them through this letter.  In His final words He assures them of God’s grace.
 
We too are in need of these words for we too have strayed from God’s word.  We are not perfect. We Christians are not of the same mind. We too are divided in doctrine and practice.  A large portion of the Christian church tolerates sexual immorality and many do not recognize that they are receiving the true body and blood of Christ at their altars.
 
Still Christian through your baptism our Lord has claimed you.  He has promised to be with you always even unto the end of the world.  Through your baptism you have been given the Holy Spirit who calls you by the Gospel to turn away from your self-centered sinful desires and turn to God’s word of promise.
 
As sinners we fear that God may forsake us because of our sin and rightly so. When we sin against God we separate ourselves from Him and His mercy. When we reject God and His word we no longer fear Him and we reject our only means of salvation.

To be without God to separated from Him is a frightening experience especially when facing death.  The only way that these fears are assuaged is to hear the promises of the one who rose from the dead who conquered sin and death for you.  “I will be with you always even unto the end of the age.” 
 
As this letter is read to the Corinthian congregation there is a way that Paul is with them and so at the end of the letter he begins the salutations, the farewells, the good-byes. He gives to them some final blessings and graces if you will. 

I heard that this verse was selected by the class because this NIV translation has the word “good-bye.” “ Finally brothers good-bye.”   Good-bye is an abbreviation of the old English phrase “God be with ye” or as we would say God be with you.  This of course is a word of blessing an assurance of our Lord’s graceful and merciful presence with you.
 
It gives what our Lord has already promised to give, His presence with you always. This assurance is for the baptized, the gifted, who have been transferred from the kingdom of the devil to the kingdom of Christ, so that God is no longer an enemy but is now Father.

But the blessings do not stop there, St. Paul writes, “Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” 
 
At first glance this may not sound like a blessing or gift but a to do list. This translation puts the emphasis on you being the actor instead of God and so instead of Gospel or good news it Is interpreted as law.  A better translation from the original Greek reads,  “be perfected; be encouraged to the same mind; be at peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.” 
 
Instead of the word being information for you to act on, it is a power unto salvation. This word is performative.  It does what it says.  “Be perfected, be encouraged to the same mind, be at peace.”

Just as God said let there be light and there was light, the hearers are being perfected, they are being encouraged to be of the same mind united in the preached doctrine in their hearing.   They are given peace because they have heard from St. Paul the truth that sets them free and God is consequently with them.

Graduates and school families shortly we will be saying good-bye to you.  For the graduates we say good-bye because  you will not be attending here next year but you are moving on to your next level of education. However, this does not mean we will never see you again in fact we hope and pray that you come back to our campus. Know that you are always welcome here. 

For the rest of our families we say good-bye for the summer and we anticipate your return to campus in the fall.  Through both of these separations, our wish for you as a church congregation and as a school staff is that “God be with you.”  We confess and say to you what our Lord already promises, to be with you always.  One of His names is Immanuel through Jesus Christ which means God is with us.

We pray that you remember what you have received here.  The education that you have received to reach your academic goals and later your vocational goals and the formation you have received through God’s Word.  These are truly things to rejoice over.

Finally Christians be perfected, be encouraged to be of the same mind as Christ, and be at peace!  Continue to hear and abide in God’s Word for through it He will continue to shape you.  He will complete you through it and give you the mind of Christ.  We salute you.

Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

"Thirst Quenched!"

Grace, Mercy and Peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

In today’s Gospel reading (John 7:37-39) Jesus locates the source of “living waters.”  He is the source. And for those who believe in Him, they too will become sources of this outpouring upon the world by the power of the Holy Spirit.  

During the seven day Feast of Tabernacles or tents where God’s preservation of the people of Israel in the wilderness is celebrated, there is much water being poured out at the temple.  On each of the seven mornings a priest fills a golden pitcher with water as the choir repeated words from Isaiah 12:3 “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” Water was then poured on the base of the altar and on the seventh day, the priest poured water seven times into a silver funnel surrounding the altar.

 It is in this context that Jesus stood up on the last and greatest day of the feast and answered the people’s prayers for water in a way that was totally unexpected.  He stood and cried out, “"If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink!”  Jesus identifies himself as the source. He is the well of salvation from which one draws for life.

 But this message is only good news for the thirsty. Not thirsty in a mundane sense where we are looking for a drink to satisfy our physical thirst.  Jesus is not giving out bottled water or six packs of your favorite libation. 

Jesus is providing the solution for spiritual thirst. He is the solution for those who are burdened by the Law. He is for those who have examined themselves against the measure of God’s Word and have fallen short.  He is for those who realize they are unable to keep the law even though it is commanded and fear the consequences. It is for these souls that Jesus’ message comes as a welcome satisfying and thirst quenching message.  "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink!”

The problem is that the world and our flesh are not looking for this type of solution. In our natural state we thirst only for that which moistens the throat, which increases our bank accounts, which satisfies our egos.  And in our pursuit for happiness Jesus becomes a solution looking for a problem. 

Among the religious the problem comes in the search for holiness.  It comes from trying to keep the law.  Are we like the rich young ruler who looks at his works and decides that he is doing a pretty good job of keeping the letter of the law.  He did not murder anyone. He takes care and honors his parents. He does not lie at least too much.  He neither steals or is jealous or at least so he thinks.

This self righteous man does not come to Jesus looking for forgiveness or righteousness but more suggestions as to how he can further perfect the perfect life he believes he is leading. Perhaps he was looking for Jesus to complement him on his progress in living the sanctified life and walking the walk.  This is what he was getting from the other Rabbis, suggestions on how to honor God.

 But instead Jesus preaches repentance by exposing the young rich man’s idolatry.  His quest to become perfect in honoring God was itself an idol. This man was dry and thirsting and did not realize it. He had forgotten that he is a sinner and that only God could save him.

 I can tell you from personal experience that looking upon your works to judge your relationship with God is a futile and unsatisfying exercise.  There was a few times in my illness as I laid on my bed in the hospital that I thought I may not survive this.  And as a consequence started to take account of what I had accomplished in my life. I can tell you this exercise gave me no comfort in fact it made me spiritually thirsty. I was crushed by my sins.  

 I called Pastor Jones from St. Paul’s of Long Beach and he came to see me.  Pastor Jones did not try to assuage my thirst with his own personality by telling me funny stories or telling me that I am a good person and I will be alright but he went right to work listening to my confession and absolving me. He gave me Jesus through God’s Word and through the Sacrament.  My thirsty soul was quenched. 

As my health improved I became less thirsty. And I am afraid that is how it is, the further from danger we perceive ourselves to be, the less we desire His forgiveness.

Jesus is there for the thirsty He is not for the self satisfied, but for the thirsty. He does not disappoint and causes through the Holy Spirit fountains of living water to flow from the Christian. 

In the Gospel of John it is on the cross, where Jesus is glorified,  that He gives forth the Spirit.  From His pierced side flow both water and blood the two witnesses as John later calls them.  The water and the Spirit from Jesus’ pierced side flows to our baptism. The Spirit is the Spirit of life. Jesus gives this Spirit this life to all who believe in Him as Savior and it is this gift of faith that we receive through the living waters of baptism.

In the instructions on baptism found in the Didache, a first century Christian written in use during the apostolic age, it is recommended that “living waters” or flowing waters are used to baptize.  If this is not available then the pastor is to pour the water over the baptized three times in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The waters of baptism with the Spirit are a flowing and a pouring deluge.

 This happened dramatically on the day of Pentecost when the Spirit was poured out in a flood like fashion upon the Apostles and disciples of Jesus. In this deluge they were enabled and equipped to preach the Gospel in many languages. But the miracle isn’t just found in the manifestation of languages but in the preaching of Jesus in all its truth.  This resulted in a flood of water needed to baptize three thousand repentant thirsty people.    

For you Christian, Jesus promises from a cleansed heart these same living waters flow. They flow when you bring your children to the font. They flow when we bring your family to church. They flow when you teach your children the faith and when the family gathers to pray. They flow when you support the ministry. They flow when you serve your neighbor in your vocation. 

Again from the prophet Isaiah,

With joy you  will draw water from the wells of salvation.  And you will say in that day:
“Give thanks to the Lord,  call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples,
  proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
  let this be made known in all the earth. Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
  for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”  (Isaiah 12:3-6)

The Holy One of Israel is in your midst here in this place. He provides you through the testimony of the water and blood with the Holy Spirit satisfaction for your thirst for righteousness. Jesus thirsted for your righteousness on the cross where He became sin and bore your sin. His thirst was satisfied as the Father accepted His sacrifice and restored and resurrected Him so that you may be clothed with righteousness.

With the joy of forgiveness draw water from the well of salvation!
Glory be to the Holy Trinity! Amen! 

Everlasting Extras: A Christian Primer on Anger

Sermon: Glorified (John 17:1-11)

Sermon 7th Sunday of Easter

June 5th, 2011

John 17:1‐11

“Glorified”

Grace, Mercy and Peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, ever since Dr. Luther wrote the Heidelberg Disputation of 1518. Lutherans have shied away from glory talk. And for good reason, in this writing Luther distinguishes between theologians of glory (bad) and theologians of the cross (good). The theologians of glory look to be glorified by the Heavenly Father through their works without the cross. The number 1 theologian of glory was Satan when he offered to give Jesus the world without the cross. And still the followers of Satan today preach a Christless prosperity gospel that is predicated on your prayers, your positive thinking, your choices and your works.

However for as much as Lutherans put a caution around “glory talk” we find it throughout our liturgy, in the Gloria Patri that we find at the end of a psalm or our in our hymn of praise the Gloria in Excelsis, these are fine examples of giving God the glory or right praise. Another word for it is orthodoxy. The Greek word for glory is doxology. We have all sung the doxology prior to a meal. In it we acknowledge that all blessings come from God, we exhort all creatures below on earth and all creatures above, the heavenly hosts to praise Him and together we praise His revealed Name, Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Our place in glorifying God is one of recipient. We receive all good things from God especially that which we receive from Jesus Christ. We receive our lives from Him as His creatures and we receive His saving Name that delivers from the power of sin, death and the devil. If there is any giving on our part it is in the sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise which is given by the priesthood of believers by the power of the Holy Spirit but this is a result of receiving God’s gifts.

In our text today, Jesus high priestly prayer that He prays to the Father contains lots of “glory talk.” He asks the Father to glorify the Son in order that He, the Son, may glorify the Father. Jesus prays that on earth, He has already glorified the Father. Jesus then also requests to be glorified in the presence of the Father as He was before the world existed. Finally, Jesus prays that He is glorified in those that the Father has given to Him.

Unlike our place as recipient, God’s place is that of giver. The Father is giving, the Son is giving and in this way they glorify each other. Jesus could hardly be accused of being a theologian of glory because Jesus embraces the cross. The context in which He is to be glorified is in the hour that he would be betrayed by Judas to the chief priests who would
put Him to death. Jesus is to be glorified on the cross where He the Lamb of God is sacrificed for the sins of the World. The result is the gift of eternal life for all who know of this act of redemption by the Father and the Son. Jesus is giving His life for the World for you and the Father is giving His Son as a sacrifice to the World for you and in this act of giving the Son glorifies the Father and the Father glorifies the Son.

This saving knowledge or revelation was given by Jesus as he taught and preached. Jesus revealed the Father’s Word and will and in this way the Father was glorified. Outside of Jesus and His Word we do not and cannot know God. Without the revealed Word, God is either a malicious being who allows all sorts of evil through natural disaster or He is
too weak to do anything about or He is simply disinterested. This is what natural man comes up with based on what He sees in nature.




Missouri Governor Jay Nixon
after the Joplin tornado

 

Sadly to prove my point I was listening to the governor of Missouri Jay Nixon as he was being interviewed on national television by a reporter regarding the tornado disaster in Joplin. In the interview when asked about the support he expected to get from the federal government and other agencies, Gov. Nixon said, when “God does these things then
we need to do our part in cleaning it up.” Yes, you heard it. God is the bad guy and it is our job to clean up his messes. Why would you ever want to pray or call out to God for help if this is your view of Him?

Rather Christ the Son reveals Him to us as Father, a Father who gives us are lives and still sustains them. And He gives us His Son sacrificed for the sins man in the world. Sinful and selfish mankind is the real cause of natural disasters, diseases and the problems we face. In the Word, it is revealed to us that God is behind the rescue and relief workers and the
government agencies that will provide support. He will be working through various congregations and pastors to provide spiritual and bodily support. These disasters provide an opportunity for both giving and sharing the gospel. The Father has given us the Son and through His teaching on earth and the preparation of the Apostles Jesus has glorified the Father. Jesus in His High Priestly prayer next asks the Father to be glorified in the presence of the Father as He was before the world existed. In this request we can see that Jesus the Man clearly understands that He is God. Anyone who claims that Jesus did not know or understand His divinity denies this verse. Jesus, the begotten Son, existed with the Father before the world existed and in that state, in the mystery of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit glorify each other.

Jesus in the upper room in the context of the Passover was teaching His disciples that He was preparing to leave them at least twice; once for a little while as He would suffer and die on the cross for their sins, your sins and the sins of the world, and secondly in order to be glorified by being given by the Father all authority over Heaven and Earth and to prepare a place for His disciples in Heaven.

Last Thursday was the feast of the Ascension where we celebrate our Lord taking His place at the right hand of God from where He has the power to be bodily with every congregation as they celebrate the New Testament Passover, the Lord’s Supper and from where He sends the Holy Spirit to build up and sustain the Church. Jesus being placed in this seat of power enables Him to keep His promise to be with His church always even unto the end of the World. The glorification of Christ at the right hand of God enables Him to give of Himself all the more to you and to His church. He does this through the office of the ministry which He gave to the church in His ascension. The Holy Ministry is a continuation of His mission on Earth; baptizing, teaching, preaching, forgiving, healing and eating the Holy meal, proclaiming His redeeming death until He returns.

St. Paul writes in the 4th Chapter to the Ephesians starting with verse 10, He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:10‐16)

Jesus in His glorified state at the right hand of God is still giving of Himself for the sake of the church. Finally Jesus prays that He is glorified in those the Father has given to Him. Jesus here is not praying for the World He is praying for the elect, those that God has given to Him from the beginning of time. How do we know if we are elect? The elect are those who are baptized, confess and abide in His Word. The elect trust in the promises given in the Word and Sacraments. You Christian are elect not by your own reason or strength but by the power of the Holy Spirit given to you in Holy Baptism.

Judas Iscariot , even though He was counted as one of the twelve, was not elect. He in time relied on His own reason and strength and not on Jesus. Judas, after seeing what he had done in betraying Jesus was wrong in the sight of God, tried to redeem His own actions by trying to return the blood money, and by giving his life by hanging himself on a tree. This did not work. We cannot redeem ourselves. We cannot justify ourselves. We cannot glorify ourselves. Only Christ can do that for you and I and in Him and only in Him are we elect.

Sadly, there are far too many like Judas both in the church and in the World. Yes it is possible to be in and around the church and still not trust in Christ for your salvation. They are the hypocrites. And there are much more outside the 3 church because they know nothing else but to rely on themselves as they ponder their status before God. Unless these people are brought to repentance by the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the gospel and the reception of the sacraments, they will be as lost as Judas.

Jesus taught in the upper room that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one, that is absolutely no one comes to the Father except through Him. This is one of those absolute exclusive statements that the World does not want to hear.

The World reasons, isn’t God bigger than that; certainly he would provide multiple paths to attain heaven; look at all the different religions of the world. Or, how can it be fair that God would punish someone who grew up in a non

These reasons deny the depravity of man. The world religions that have evolved have done so out of the perversion and denial of the true religion. The fact that Christianity does not exist in some countries and tribes is because of deprived man’s persecution of Christians. The children will suffer at the hands of their father. This is a just fate. But our Lord through His church continues to reach out since it is revealed in His Word that He desires that not one sinner would perish.

The Father gives to the Son His elect and therefore there is no decision theology. If the Father elects us in Christ how can we claim or as some churches teach that our salvation is based on a choice or decision we make? Rationally we cannot. Election by God and decision by us regarding our salvation are mutually exclusive. We are given to Christ, we do not choose to join up and in this way the Father and Son are glorified.

How then is Jesus glorified in those whom the Father is given Him? It is in the confession of the true faith by the elect. It is in suffering for that true confession as our epistle from 1

 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:1‐6)

Christ is glorified when His Truth is preached among us for in that Truth we are unified. Yes besides glory Jesus prays for unity which when He is rightly glorified will occur. This unity is not as the world sees it such “reconciled diversity” or “agreeing to disagree.” This is not unity at all in fact these are irrational oxymorons. No, Jesus is speaking of unity in doctrine, in the truth we teach. Jesus glorified the Father by teaching His Word not something else.

As the Apostle Paul teaches earlier in Ephesians 4,  I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:1‐6)

Paul teaches here that there are not multiple faith teachings but one, there are not multiple teachings on baptism but one, and there are not multiple teachings about God but only one.

There is one faith the true faith given to us in the apostolic teachings. The church does not maintain different teachings on baptism. There is one teaching, that it is water with the word, that the Holy Spirit is given through it, that the forgiveness of sins is given through it, that we are given the promise of resurrection through it, that the promise is for children too, that it is regenerative, that we receive Christ’s robe of righteousness through it and that through it we inherit Christ’s kingdom and we are saved. Anyone who teaches other than this one baptism teaches falsely. Anyone who denies baptism to infants teaches and practices falsely and Christ is not glorified in him.

And there is only one true God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is the name of God the Son has revealed to us and given to us in baptism, not Jehova, not Allah none of these names save. And to say as a Christian that there are other paths to salvation is a denial of our creed, our one faith and Christ is not glorified.

But here at Trinity Lutheran Church in Whittier, CA He is, as we are about, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes in the Lord Supper. Christ is glorified by the Father as He gives to us the fruit of the cross, the very Body and Blood of His Son for the life of the World for your life for your body’s resurrection.

We have been called, gathered and enlightened by the Holy Spirit this morning as we have heard the Gospel preached to us, unifying us in truth in preparation to receive the Holy Supper.

Perhaps you have noticed how this divine service follows the liturgical pattern of Jesus. The Passover meal included teaching that proceeded eating and prayers before, during and after. Hymns were also sung. Following in our Lord’s steps this is our pattern as well. Jesus prayed for unity and the early church mirrored this prayer in a Eucharistic prayer found in 1st century document called the Didache.

“We give Thee thanks, O our Father, for the life and knowledge which Thou didst make known unto us through Thy Son Jesus; Thine is the glory for ever and ever. As this broken bread was scattered upon the mountains and being gathered together became one, so may Thy Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into Thy kingdom;” (Didache)

We hear in this prayer similar petitions to what Jesus prays in His High Priestly prayer given at the institution of the Lord’s Supper. Giving thanks for the life and knowledge, acknowledges what Jesus prays in his petition when he says, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. And acknowledging in the prayer “and being gathered together became one” answers Jesus prayer for unity as He and His disciples are gathered around the table of the Holy Supper.

I invite you to listen closely to the prayers of the liturgy of the sacrament of the Altar. Listen to how it reflects and acknowledges what Jesus prayed for and listen as the both the ancient hymns such as the Agnus Dei “Lamb of God” and the Sanctus “Holy, Holy, Holy” and the newer hymns glorify God by proclaiming death and resurrection of Christ the truth of the real presence of Christ for the forgiveness of sins.

Glory alone be to Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen

Mercy

Beloved in the Lord, it is with great joy that I can report that the stem cell transplant was successful!  Our Lord has heard my cry and yours for mercy. Still there are weeks of recovery ahead of me. The disease has left its marks and some may be permanent. First of all, I am still being treated for a blood clot. Second, the high dose of chemo has left my gastro-intestinal in shambles. I am on anti-nausea medicine to help me keep food down. I also have sores in my mouth and on my tongue. It will be weeks before these organs are healed. Thirdly, twelve hours of my week will dedicated to dialysis because of my renal failure.  And, I am still battling low pressure (hypotension). Despite these challenges, I am fortunate to be alive for my family.

 

One encouragement that I did receive from the UCLA medical staff is that they are looking to refer me to a kidney doctor that specializes in kidney transplants. I can only interpret that to mean that they believe the disease is arrested.    

 

I am at the moment writing to you from the Tiverton House. It is about two blocks from UCLA hospital just off the campus.  It has been a great place to rest and I can stay somewhat isolated since I am still immune suppressed.  I see the doctor today (April 15^th) and hopefully he will release me to go home to Whittier. Once again I am grateful for Nancy, Ryan and my parents, who will be returning to Ft. Wayne, IN next week.  I am also grateful to the Lord for all of you who offer your support and prayers. Prayers are being answered for mercy, that our Lord so lovingly grants.

Lenten Journey

Remember your word to your servant,

  in which you have made me hope.

This is my comfort in my affliction,

  that your promise gives me life.

(Psalm 119:49-50)

 

This week, along with all of you, my Lenten Journey begins in a very concrete fashion.  Nancy and I received the good news that my much needed stem cell transplant has been approved by the insurance company and the medical team at UCLA.  I also signed the consents and we now have a schedule. It has been a small battle staying healthy and out of the hospital but I am grateful for the Lord’s mercy in being at home for over a week.

 

I find in the schedule signs of our Lord’s assurance that He is with me.  Today, the day after Ash Wednesday, I have begun to receive Neupogen injections which stimulate stem cell production in the bone marrow. Stems cells can mature into platelets, red or white blood cells. They also can divide to form more stem cells.  The Neupogen injections will also cause these extra stem cells to be released from the bone marrow into the blood stream.  The week of March 13, beginning on Monday, is when Nancy and I will travel daily to UCLA in order for stem cells to be collected from my blood. This is far less painful then extracting them from the bone marrow. 

 

On Monday, March 21, I am scheduled to be admitted to UCLA Hospital where I will receive a very high dose of Melphalan, a chemotherapy drug, that will have the effect of killing all the cells in my bone marrow.  My bone marrow will literally die. It will be unable to produce any blood products.  This Melphalan does not distinguish between good and bad cells, so in order to get the bad the good has to killed too.  Obviously this puts me at risk since the immune system in my body will be compromised entirely. It also means that I will need to depend on transfusions for blood.  The 21^st will be my “Good Friday” for, in order to live, I must die.

 

Tuesday March 22, is a “day of rest” a Sabbath if you will. It reminds me of Holy Saturday where are Lord rested in the tomb. Yes, on the schedule UCLA calls it a “day of rest.” However on Wednesday, March 23^rd they reintroduce the stem cells that were collected the week prior. This is considered day zero. It is considered the day of rebirth.  It will be another eight days before there are signs that the stems cells have engrafted to the bone marrow and have begun producing blood.  The significance of eight days is not lost upon me.  The eighth day was the day of circumcision.  It is also, in our “last days,” considered the day of resurrection, since, in seven days the Lord created the earth, the eighth day is the day where the creation is reborn.  Many orthodox churches are eight-sided, and so are Christian baptismal fonts.

 

The time between the 21^st and the 31^st of March will be a critical time for me. Your prayers during this time will be warmly welcomed. If everything works according to plan, I may be released from the hospital the week of April 3^rd and then moved to a hotel near the UCLA campus called the Tiverton House in order to continue my recovery for another two weeks.

 

These signs in the schedule speak to me as I enter into my Lenten journey with my Lord.  This whole process could have begun in Epiphany but it has started immediately in Lent.  I see our Lord’s promises in these signs that come from the Lord and it does give me comfort in my affliction. I have the promise in my baptism that I have been crucified, buried and raised with Christ. Regardless of the outcome, that promise cannot be taken away.