Every Sunday morning we, along with billions of Christians across the world, gather together in worship.  It is quite an amazing thing, really, that despite everything that has happened throughout history, the diversity of world cultures and languages and persecution and apathy, that approximately 1/3 of the world’s population is Christian. It takes Divine Intervention.  In fact, that’s actually the whole point.  We sometimes treat going to church like it’s a club, where we gather together with likeminded members of our community.  But Scripture tells us a very different thing.

St. Paul writes, “You who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”  Notice the verbs here, “have been brought.”  That is in the passive tense.  You are not the ones doing the bringing, but God is the One who is doing the work.  Luther explained this well in his explanation of the 3^rd article of the creed, “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him…” You see, Christianity is not like a ladder that we climb to try to reach God.  That is what the tower of Babel attempted, and we all know that didn’t work out well.  Luther continues though, “but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.”

This is what St. Paul is talking about.  You want to draw closer to God?  Good.  But remember this: our sin separates us from God.  And our sin keeps us from God.  It makes all us equal opportunity offenders toward God.  Dead in our trespasses and sins, separated from God, far away. But in the incarnation, God draws close to us. He comes down from heaven to dwell with sinners.  And He draws sinners to Himself, He draws sinners together around Himself.

God gathers a people to Himself. These people are to be holy and blameless. Notice what He doesn't say. He doesn't say God gathers the perfect.  He doesn't say God gathers the righteous.  He doesn't say God gathers those who have it all together. But God gathers, strangers, aliens, those with no hope, the godless.  Broken by the weight of our own sin and that of the world. Needy. Beggers. Not even able to go to God.

This is what Jesus is doing today, here, now. Through the waters of your baptism, He has gathered you to Himself.  And through His very body and blood, He draws you to partake of Himself, to receive His forgiveness and life.  And finally, to build you up into a temple of living stones, who breathe with the Spirit’s breath.  Israel not of the flesh, but of the Spirit, a church incorporating children of Abraham who believe as he believed in the Christ to come.  Built upon the prophets and apostles, founded upon Christ Himself, with the cross standing high and proud.

There is a place for you here, because there is peace and reconciliation for all in the body of Jesus. All believers have been brought near—to God and to one another—by the blood of Jesus (3:13). He killed the hostility for all on the cross. No longer is any believer a stranger or a foreigner here in the assembly of the baptized. All share the same foundation, the same cornerstone; Jesus Christ.  It is through the bestowal of the Triune name of God in our Baptism that we receive our place in the temple, the dwelling place of God.  That’s why we begin our service with the Trinitarian invocation and make the sign of the cross.  It’s not just a tradition, not just a reminder, but it is reality. We belong here, because Christ has come near to us and brought us near to Him.  And in Jesus Christ all belong here as citizens with the saints and members of God’s household.

Member of God’s household.  The Christian church is communal.  That’s why we confess that we believe in the one holy Christian and apostolic church, the communion of saints.  That’s you the Creed is talking about, people of God, gathered together by His Spirit into one faith, by one Lord, through one Baptism. We find ourselves brought near to God, but also to each other. 

This shapes our relationships with one another and with the world.  No longer are sinful divisions to exist among us, because Christ has died to bring us together. “When you try to maintain your hatred or your anger or your separation, it’s as if you are reaching into the wounds of Jesus—where all of that sin went—and pulling it out again. Give the separation up! Let go of the anger! Leave it in the wounds of Jesus. He has reconciled you to God, his Father. Now, be reconciled to one another! For you are saved by grace, through faith, and this is not of yourselves so that no one may boast, but it is a gift of God.

You are brought to Jesus by the blood of Jesus.  Come now, for the table is set, the body and blood of Jesus give for you, offering you the peace of God that passes all understanding, the forgiveness of your sins, life and salvation.  

Our Epistle reading for this morning begins 8 weeks of reading through St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.  What we heard today is a prayer that the themes that he will discuss later on as he delivers God’s word to his hearers.  And so it serves the same for us, introducing many of the themes that we will be focusing upon during our next 8 weeks.  And it all centers around who God is, what He has done in Christ, and who you are in Christ. 

But the most wonderful thing is, He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before Him.  Think about this for a moment. God has elected His people before the foundation of the world.  Before the heavens and the earth, the sun and stars, the plants and animals, Adam and Eve, God had predestined His people for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ.

God who has invested so much in us that He chooses us from the beginning will keep his promises to us. Paul emphasizes the holiness and blamelessness of those adopted by God. God has done all of this because of the riches of Christ’s work on the cross, where He has redeemed us and forgiven us all things. God is rich toward us both according to his grace and according to the gifts he lavishes on us, including wisdom and understanding.  But make no mistake, this is purely by grace.

We live in an age of entitlement.  We often look at things in life as that which we deserve.  Our culture is wrapped up in this over and over again.  Who has the right to do this or that?  As Christians, we fall into the same type of trap.  Too often we pay lip service to salvation by grace alone through faith alone, yet we act as though God owes us blessings.    Make no mistake, God does not owe us anything, not His Word, not His Spirit, not His grace.  We do not deserve Jesus.  That is how serious sin is. That is how corrupted our nature is.  No injustice is done to those who are punished and received the wages of sin.

Solely out of God’s love, in Christ, He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places/matters.  God’s blessings of life, salvation, forgiveness are yours.  And here’s the key, this is all accomplished and delivered “in Christ.”  Without Jesus, there is no life, salvation, nor forgiveness. Without Jesus, there are no spiritual blessings.  Make no mistake, there is no salvation, no forgiveness, no spiritual blessing outside of faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified. These benefits have their manifest fulfillment at the cross, where the long–term plans of God are revealed and fulfilled for those with eyes to see by faith, but where those who choose not to believe see nothing worthwhile and have their hearts hardened.

But in Christ, we obtain His inheritance.  What Jesus deserves as the only begotten Son of God, that He gives to those who believe in Him.  Our election is founded not on our godliness or virtue, but on Christ’s merit alone and on the Father’s gracious will.  Therefore, when we His children sin and stumble, He calls us to repentance again through the Word, and the Holy Spirit wants by that Word to be effective in us for conversion – for out justification and our sanctification. 

This is truly amazing, but there comes that nagging voice in your head, the whispers of the devil and guilty conscience, placing doubts within you.  “Is God really talking about me?  How can I know for sure if I am part of this, or if I just think I am?  Am I really part of the elected faithful, or am I just going through the motions.” Our pride tempts us to trust in our commitment to God; doubt makes us worry that we are committed enough.

St. Paul has an answer, which centers in Christ.  “When you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory.” Jesus blesses us by leading us to repent of our sinful pride and calms our worried hearts.  Our election, our salvation is sure, not because of what we do, not because of how much we believe, but because God has acted in Christ.  In your Baptism, He adopts His children and seals us with a guarantee, the Holy Spirit. Through His Word and by His Spirit He sustains us in the truth faith to life everlasting. By the body and blood of Christ, we are fed the food of immortality. According to the riches of His grace, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, that He has lavished upon us in Christ.

The righteousness of God in Christ Jesus has provided us with the abundant assurances and benefits of being God’s special people, chosen by Him from the beginning.  We are predestined by God in Christ, and He does as He wills. Our life is therefore a manifestation of His praise and glory. It is through these promises applied to us that we find both the faithfulness and strength to love our neighbors, marking us as those distinctive people God has chosen from the beginning.  It is in the assurance of our salvation in Christ, in our justification, being made righteous, we may begin to do good works and to obey God’s Law.  We receive the Holy Spirit for the very reason that new life may produce new works, new dispositions, the fear and love of God, hatred of lustful desires, to serve and love others with the grace of God in Christ.

By faith in Christ, O people of God, you are the elect of God in Christ.  Sins forgiven. Life bestowed.  To the praise and glory of God, in Christ. The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Last Sunday, over 4500 women and a few hundred men gathered together for the national convention of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League. Among other things, they voted on where to send $1.8 million in grants throughout the world for missions.  One of the most memorable things I remember hearing was from one of the invited speakers, Rev. Dr. James Lamb, director of Lutherans for Life.  He was speaking to the LWML about the work of Lutherans for Life and how they try to equip normal, everyday people to be faithful witnesses to Christ in life and death issues.  He explained nicely what Lutherans for Life was trying to do: "Get the pious posteriors of God’s people out of the padded pews into the public square with the proper motivation."

There you have it.  That’s what the Gospel reading for today is all about.  Jesus commissions His Twelve Disciples to do just this.  As the Twelve Disciples went out into the world, they had to rely solely upon the good will of the people that they came across and the provision from God. They go out two by two, preaching repentance in the stead and by the command of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is nothing else than the preaching that John the Baptist and Jesus Himself proclaimed concerning the Kingdom of God.  This probably scared them, for at the beginning of Mark 6 we hear of Jesus’ not so warm welcome in his hometown of Nazareth, the offense they took at Jesus, and how He could hardly do anything because of the ramped unbelief of those there.  And now Jesus is telling them to go out with the same word, to do the same work, and to expect the same response. 

Now, our text doesn’t say how they were received as they went out.  It doesn’t give us an idea of who received them and who rejected them.  Most likely, that’s on purpose.  The point is that they were sent out by Christ to proclaim the Word of Christ and to depend upon Him to provide for them in doing this.

The Lord is still doing this. He sends pastors out to serve God’s people with His Word and Sacraments. He sends those wet with Baptism and fed with the body and blood of Christ out into the work place, into the home, into the schools, with the same Gospel. That is why we get our pious posteriors out of the padded pews into the public square because we have the proper motivation-for Jesus’ sake, our sins are forgiven. And what are we to expect as we go?  The same treatment that Jesus received – the cross, and the glory of God.

We live in a culture, in a country, that legalizes sin over and over again.  You, the Church, the bride of Christ, are sent out into the world that is hostile, that is frustrated, that is angry, that is dead in their trespasses and sin, that is lost in despair and hopelessness for this life and eternity.  And the worst part is, so many don’t even realize it!  This is the world in which we live.  This is the culture in which we find ourselves.  Lord, have mercy.  Some will receive you as you go in the name of Christ. Some will reject you as you go in the name of Christ.

But do not lose heart.  We have a word of hope that the world does not have and does not want, but desperately needs.  And though the world will take offense, may shun, chastise, hate, and reject, the Word of the Lord remains forever.  The preaching of repentance will be proclaimed in connection to faith in Jesus Christ.  Repent, for the kingdom of God has come in the advent of Christ. This Christ has been crucified. Christ has shaken off the dust of death, for He is risen.  No matter how great the sin, no matter how evil the heart, Christ died for sinners.  This is the same word that the Twelve were sent out with.  We share that Word with the prayer simply that the Holy Spirit would work through the Word of Christ, to create and sustain faith.

This is the beauty of it all.  The power is in the Word, used by the Holy Spirit, spoken by the lips of sinners to sinners.  The Word brings to the font to the altar into the world to proclaim the Word which brings to the font to the altar and then into the world… This is how it worked for you.  Who was it in your life whom God sent to you with this saving Gospel?  Your parents?  Your spouse?  Your boyfriend or girlfriend? A friend, a coworker, a pastor, a teacher, a student.  Whomever it was, you have heard the preached word of Christ.  The Holy Spirit has called, gathered, enlightened, and sanctified you.

The Lutheran Hour gets this right.  The Lutheran Hour is the longest running religious radio broadcast in the world. Does anyone here remember what their motto is?  “To bring Christ to the nations and the nations to the Church.”  That could be a motto of every Christian.  When you leave this place this morning, you don’t go alone.  Jesus does not send you out by yourself nor ill equipped.  But He sends you out with His Spirit, equipped with His Word. Get your pious posteriors out of the padded pews into the public square because we have the proper motivation—Christ died to save sinners. Christ is risen. 

When I was young, we lived for a few years in central Texas.  One of my favorite parts about living there were the big thunderstorms that used to come up every now and then.  I remember going to school and having tornado drills, though we never had a tornado where we were. But I also remember running outside on occasion when one of those big storms was coming.  To stand there and feel the thunder shake you down to your bones and the smell the rain coming in the dry air.  Once the storm came, I didn’t stay outside, but my brothers and I would watch it from the living room window, fascinated by the lightening and thunder, the wind and rain. 

In our Gospel reading, the disciples weren’t all that excited about a storm as I was as a child.  Many as fishermen knew the dangers of such wind and rain and waves while out on the Sea of Galilee.  It could sink boats and drown people.  They had a healthy and realistic fear of such things, which led them to wake Jesus up from sleeping through the storm.  “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” they cried out.  You can almost hear the panic.

And so Jesus wakes up and deals with the situation, both with the storm and the disciples.  It’s interesting, the storm shows a greater recognition of Jesus’ divine power than the disciples.  All it takes are some short words, “Peace! Be still!” and it was so.  It was instantaneous and complete.

The Disciples ask, “Who is this that the even the wind and the sea obey Him?”  This Jesus is not just a miracle worker. Not just the Christ.  But He is the Christ who works miracles upon creation because He is the Creator.  Just as God spoke, “Let there be” and there was, so He speaks “Peace! Be still!” and there was.

He still speaks these words today, both over His creation out there in the world, and in here in this building. He speaks this to us as well.  God’s Word does not simply describe something, but it performs it. It does what it says.  And yet, the storm still listens better than we do. We look around at the world, we feel as though we’re being tossed about, up to our neck in worry, in debt, in trouble, in fear.  Life doesn’t seem all that peaceful when we hear of shootings in churches. Life doesn’t seem all that peaceful when we hear of wars, famine, trouble on the horizon.  Look up, for your redemption is drawing near. The King of Peace comes into His creation to restore His creation.  He comes to give His life for you, and to take that life up again never to die again.  He has defeated the cause of strife and conflict and a creation groaning from the effects of sin.  His peace is yours, because you are His.  So be still, and know that Jesus is the Lord. 

This peace and stillness is what we need.  Stillness is hard for us.  We are uncomfortable with it.  Especially the younger generations have a hard time, but it affects us all.  In an age with radio and television, computers to ipads and smart phones, stillness is hard.  In fact, we don’t like stillness much.  It’s uncomfortable.  When was the last time you sat down in a chair or on your couch and were just still for more than 5 minutes without simply falling asleep?  I don’t know the last time I did that…

But this being still isn’t the same as turning off your mind or twiddling your thumbs.  To be still is only the first step, then to listen. The stillness of the storm came by hearing the Word of Christ proclaimed and responding to the will of God.  How much better if we were to regularly be still and listen carefully to hear God speak in His Word.  How much better if we were to hold our hearts still from fretfulness, hurt and fear so that we could be more receptive to God as His gives Himself to us in His Word and Sacraments.  How much better it is when we simply sit still and simply be the children of God who we are and let the Word of the Lord do what it says.

Peace, be still.  Listen not to the wild racing feelings of our own hearts, but to the sure and certain promises of God’s Word.  This is the greatest thing in worship and in relationship with our Lord.  Simply be still. Hear the Word of the Lord. Receive God’s peace that He gives in His Word and Sacraments.  After the Words of Institution, the pastor stands before congregation and says or chants, “The peace of the Lord be with you always.”  This isn’t just a greeting, not just a nice thing to say, it’s not a question, nor wishful thinking.  This is the same peace that Jesus spoke calming the storm. This is the peace that comes from the body and blood of Christ given and shed for you for your forgiveness.  This is the peace that surpasses all understanding and that which keeps your heart and mind on Christ Jesus.

These are stressful times for Christians.  Uncertainty is everywhere, sin and evil are rampant giving rise to storms and waves that threaten to sink the ark of the Christian Church.  But we need not fear.  For the Creator still works in His creation and our Lord promises that not even the gates of hell will prevail against His Church.  We as the Church look past the constant storms that come up in life. We look beyond the uncertainty, the fear and confusion of being tossed around and beaten up by a sin effected creation.  In Christ our Lord, we have in every age a hope and a future.   

Some of the info in this sermon, especially in regards to being still, is reworked from Harold Senkbeil, “Engaging Our Culture Faithfully”, Concordia Journal, 40:4. 311.

Mark 4:26-34

Church Growth

Proper 6B

June 14, 2015

There’s a panic that is going on Reports that the number of people who consider themselves to be Christians is on the decline. This kind of thing is not new. There’s always talk about the ups and downs and church attendance and the Christian character of society. There’s many conclusions and ideas and theories as to why and what to do about it all. 

We like our numbers. We put in our bulletin each week how many people attend church or Bible study or Sunday School. It’s easy to compare this to previous years, do we have as many, or less.

But my favorite question of all is this one I heard last week, “Is your church growing?” We’ve all heard that question, maybe even asked it a time or two.  What we really mean is do we have more people in pews on Sunday morning, or in Sunday School, or enrolled at Zion Christian School, or our Daycare.

What causes growth in the church, and what does that growth look like?  Those are the deeper questions.  We try to come up with new programs, new things to do, new ways to attract the culture.  As if treating the church like a business, where if we just change the logo, get a catchy slogan, that’ll appeal to more people There’s a danger when we feel like we need to be relevant to the culture.  This is a major motivations sometime behind changing worship service styles, music, instruments.  Change the way the church talks, using language that the culture will understand better. 

The church is not relevant to the unbelieving world.  There is no faith there, and where there is no faith then the words of the Lord, the Gospel has no meaning. At best it is a nice story, a moral.  

The parable of the mustard seed shows us the great wonder of the working of God through His means of grace.  Though it seems small and lowly to the world, irrelevant to the felt needs of the culture, this is how God works in the world.  We do not always know how or why, just that it is.  Sometimes it happens overnight, other times over a lifetime, or even longer.

Whenever we try to make the church grow by our own efforts, it frankly won’t work.  It is God who grows the church, not us.  Remember in Matt 16 when Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, Jesus responds "on this rock, on this confession that is confessed, I will build My church and that the gates of hell shall not prevail against her.”  Growth of the Church centers on the Grower of the Church.    It is Jesus who builds the Church, it is Jesus who plants the seeds of faith, it is Jesus who makes the Church grow, it is Jesus who harvests the Church, it is Jesus who dies for His Church, it is Jesus who is raised from the dead for His Church, it is Jesus who forgives your sins, it is all about Jesus.

How can my faith be stronger, how can it be larger.  First, this is the wrong question.  This question is focused on us.  Our focus needs to be on Jesus.  Where does Jesus feed and water us?  Where does Jesus cause our faith to grow? Growth comes from the Word and from the Sacraments.  Our job then is not to cause growth, but to simply throw the seeds of the Gospel throughout the world by speaking the Word, water with Baptism, to feed with the Sacrament of the Altar.  These are the marks of the church, and where these take place, the church is because where these take place Jesus is.

Go to church, for it is here that God works on you.  Be in the Word at home, daily devotions and regular prayer.  Do this with your family, or your friends.  Do we want our numbers to grow? Of course we do!  We want our pews filled.  We want our School and Daycare filled.  We want the Kingdom of God filled with poor miserable sinners, who are brought in and grown in the faith of Jesus.

God’s kingdom grows mysteriously of itself, at its own pace, and through the power of the Word. This reality often causes frustration among those who eagerly long for a rapid expansion of the Kingdom, and all the more as we only have a short-term view of things. But God’s kingdom grows according to His plan and timetable. And it is a great blessing that things ultimately depend on Him and not us, for only He is able to bring home a great harvest for life eternal.

Jesus’ parables reassure believers that over time the kingdom of God will grow incredibly large, far beyond its unassuming beginnings. Pray that God continues to make that happen here.  Precisely because the Kingdom grows so slowly and its Lord is so patient, believers tend to become discouraged and its enemies are emboldened. But in the end, the Kingdom alone will stand, and everything else will be overthrown.  Fear not, for the kingdom of God is headed towards a goal, the consummation of the age, the final judgment with Christ’s return, the salvation of all who believe in Him, the growth of the Church.

Mark 3:20-35

Water is Thicker than Blood

Second Sunday after Pentecost B

June 7, 2015

There’s an old saying “blood is thicker than water.”  No one is really sure where this came from, nor exactly what it is referring to.  We know that it is used in reference to the ties of family, that the relationship between parents and children, brothers and sisters, are strong. And this is extremely important.  There’s even a commandment concerning family, “Honor your father and your mother.”  Family is the building blocks of society, the basic vocation in which God has placed each and every one us.  The loyalty and connection of family is something that is not easily broken.  And still, families are messy.  Great hurt and pain can exist with families, but so does great love and forgiveness.  Even when there’s a black sheep in the family, and we all have those weird aunts or odd siblings, we are still family. 

In our Gospel reading today, Jesus’ family has some concern about Him.  After a confrontation with some scribes, His mother and His brothers seek Him out.  Most likely they had heard the scribes charge that Jesus has gone crazy.  They claim He is casting out demons by the prince of demons.  They claim that Jesus is possessed by an unclean spirit.  That He’s off the rocker, lost His marbles, taking the train to crazy town.

So Jesus’ family approaches Him. How ironic that those who think they know Jesus the best are trying to stop Him from fulfilling His mission.  The scribes want to seize Him, His family probably just wants to shut Him up.  Maybe even involved in all this was two of the half-brothers of Jesus, James and Jude, who ended up writing book included in the NT.

Regardless, some others come to Jesus and tell Him that His mother and brothers are outside, seeking Him.  And here is where Jesus really shakes things up.  Again, it is said, blood is thicker than water.  Jesus stands this truism on its head.  For Him, water-namely, the water of Baptism-is thicker than blood!  While his mother and brothers are outside, Jesus states that those around him, the ones doing the will of God, are part of his family.  And what is the will of God? To sit at the feet of Jesus, to hear His Word, to receive His gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation.

Jesus comes to raid the house of the strong man, the devil.  He “first binds the strong man,” Satan, by atoning for the sins of the world, thereby removing the condemnation of the Law and the fear of death (Mark 3:27). Now He plunders the devil’s house by calling all men to repent, and through the water of Baptism He delivers His people from the power of the devil.  Though He appears to be “out of his mind” (Mark 3:21), He fulfills the will of God and makes of us His own brothers and sisters.

Jesus still does outstanding things.  He still casts out demons with water and His Word at baptism.  Since the earliest centuries of Christianity, the baptismal liturgy has included the threefold renunciation of the devil, his works, and his ways.  One of my favorite parts of early Lutheran baptismal rites includes this little exorcism, “Therefore, depart, you unclean spirit and make room for the Holy Spirit in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”  Wonder of all wonders, this is what He did today, plundering the house of the devil to claim Arron as a child of God.

That means that each and every one of you have two families, the one you born into and the one you were born again into. Earthly families are crucial and important it this life, there’s no doubt about it.  One’s relationship to God and His family of faith form an eternal communion.  Family of God transcends even the human family. Which means my wife is first a sister in Christ and second my wife. Because of this she is more to me then if she was my wife first. When we approach each other first as brothers and sisters in Christ, then our other relationships are strengthened as husband and wife parents and child friend and neighbor.

What it would look like here at Zion if we actually treated one another like this kind of family?  We say we are, so what if we acted like it.  What would happen if we noticed that someone hasn’t been in church for a while, rather than complaining about it, you called your brother or sister and asked them how they were.  Or if they were caught in a sin, that you would call them out and try to bring them back. Families do not abandon each other, because Christ did not and will not abandon us.  Though we were selfish, sinful, and secluded, Christ died for us. If when we argue and bicker that we come together at the table of the Lord to receive His forgiveness given in His body and His blood and share in the communion we have with Him and with one another.

This household of God is brought together and maintained solely by the grace of God in Christ.  This family is held together by Jesus, by His work on the cross, by His forgiveness, by His grace and mercy.  Those who refuse to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God and acknowledge His works as manifestations of the Spirit remain under the kingdom of Satan.  A kingdom divided cannot but fall. But Jesus has overcome Satan and His kingdom.  No matter how hard the devil tries to inhabit this place, your lives, and divide God’s people, Jesus has and does use His power to cast Satan out and bring him and all evil to an end.

Therefore, do not lose heart despite the suffering, sin and death that we experience in this fallen world.  Family squabbles will happen, personalities will conflict, sin will occur.  But where there is repentance over sin and faith in Christ, there is forgiveness.  By His grace, we are “being renewed day by day.” For the Gospel is daily bringing us into His presence, not for punishment, but for “an eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:14–17), as the family of God through faith in Christ. The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds on Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Judah had known no king like Uzziah since the time of Solomon.  He was an effective administrator and military leader.  The county had grown in every way under his kingship.  How easy it must have been to trust in such a person and in the county at the time.  A country that prospers, a people who are proud of their heritage and future.

But what happens when that time is past?  When the king is dead, the country is going downhill in terms of the economy, the morality, and an enemy from the East is pushing nearer and nearer?  In moments like these, it is easy to lose hope and trust, at least for this life and in earthly rulers.

It is in the middle of such conflicted times, that God calls Isaiah to serve as His prophet to His people.  At a time when God’s people are in serious trouble, the Lord reveals Himself.  Isaiah looks and sees the Lord sitting upon His throne.  And as He is revealed, we hear the voices of the seraphim, those heavenly beings, singing out, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.”

This word of holy is often misunderstood in today’s world.  The word “holy” in Hebrew means “separate” or “set apart.”  Holiness is a state of being, from which flows an ethical behavior.  God is not just holy, He is thrice holy, He is completely set apart, different from His creation in His perfection, power, glory, and loving-kindness. It is in His character. In His morality.  In His very being. Which is why the only natural reaction to being in the full presence of the holiness of God is one of fear and trembling.  This is not the lovey-dovey God of pop-culture.  This is the Lord of Hosts, the General of the armies of heaven, sitting on His throne where just the train of His robe fills the entire heavenly temple and His glory fills the earth!  This Holy One of Israel is uncompromising in His holiness and in His expectation of faithfulness from His people, anything less brings destruction.

Isaiah understand this all too well.  As the seraphim fly back and forth about the throne of the Lord singing of God’s glory, the sound of their voices cause the very foundations to shake.  Naturally, this scared Isaiah, “Woe is me!” he cries out.   He knows that no one can look upon God and live.  Isaiah is very aware of His sinfulness, of his unholiness. The sin and guilt which Isaiah recognizes is that same as ours.  It is that arrogant self-centeredness which refuses to bow the knee to the King of kings.

And what depths of God’s grace!  Isaiah has no hope, no way out, nothing but unclean lips.  Even though he does not actively seek purification, purely out of the grace of God, it is given to him.  Out of the smoke comes a seraph with a purifying coal, taken from the altar of God.  Isaiah does nothing, but stands there in shock and awe as the seraph touches his mouth with it.  “Your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”  Likewise, in Holy Communion, a messenger from God takes from His altar and delivers those same blessings as the body and blood of Christ touch your lips. In this act we see the proper work of the Lord of hosts – that God does not reveal Himself to destroy us, but to redeem us! He comes to His people to make them holy, to set them apart, as He is holy!

This is radically different than anything else in the world.  Over and over again, we hear that the Church must change or die.  That we must change the way we worship or it won’t appeal to younger generations. That we must change the way we believe about the sins of homosexuality, abortion, euthanasia. The thing is, this is backwards, and it just isn’t true nor does it work.  Conforming to the culture will bring about death, not prevent it.  The church cannot conform to the world and be holy.  Holiness comes only from God-from the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit.  It is God in Christ who conforms people to Him.  He who is holy, who is separate, separates others for Himself. 

As the Lord calls Isaiah to be His prophet, so through Baptism and His Word He has called you to share that good news of Christ crucified and raised from the dead to take away the guilt and atone for your sins.  He has called you to proclaim the mighty deeds of the Lord of Hosts who makes holy ones, saints, out of sinful, broken, and unholy people through that same Word and Sacraments.  The answer for His people’s sinful lives, for our sinful lives, for a struggling economy, a struggling nation, broken families, hopeless situations, and an uncertain future is to receive the salvation that He offers.  In His holy love for His people, He gives His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  Through Jesus, we have complete and pure forgiveness of our sins, for as St. Paul declared to the Colossians, “He has now reconciled in His body of flesh by His death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before Him” (Colossians 1:22).

So that as the one, holy, Christian and apostolic church, we might act differently, for different we are.  We have been set apart by Christ and so we act separately from the unredeemed.  We are to love more, serve more.  We ought to behave better than the rest of the society.  You are not of the world, so stop acting like it!  Repent! And this is the mark of one who has been made holy by our Triune God-repentance and faith in Christ. It's not that we are "better" than everyone else, but that we are holy . When we mess up, because we will, we return to the Holy One of God in repentance to receive His forgiveness and power to make us holy again and again and again and to keep us in His grace.

As you strive to live as the saints, the holy ones, God created and redeemed you to be, you are not alone.  Your old sinful nature urges us to give in to the unholy trinity-the devil, the world, and your sinful nature.  But the thrice holy God-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-is with you always.  When your sins burden your soul and your hope in this world is failing so that you cry out, “Woe is me!” consider Psalm 16:8–11 for our Introit this morning drives one beyond the poetic confidence of a long-dead king and to a living confession of the Christ who though crucified has now risen: God will not let His holy one see corruption.  He did not with His Son. He will not with you who are holy by faith in His Son. With Isaiah, with angels and archangels and all the company heaven, you laud and glorify His glorious name, evermore praising Him and saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth; heaven and earth are full of Thy glory.”  In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!