The Hammer of God

In 1941 a young Swedish pastor named Bo Giertz wrote a novel about three Lutheran pastors and the challenges they faced in their ministries as they fought against the false teachers and the false doctrines that threatened their flocks.

The novel was entitled “The Hammer of God”—a phrase that Pastor Giertz borrowed from the passage that we have before us today where Jeremiah says that the Word of the Lord works against the lies of men like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces. Pastor Giertz chose that title because he wanted to show in his novel how the Word of God crushes the vain human wisdom and pretense that tries to set itself up against the Word of God.

His book is required reading for seminarians in our church because its message is so timely and relevant-- for false teachers and their lies are not unique to a particular place and time-- but are always found where the devil plants them along side those who speak the truth among the people of God—just like in Jeremiah’s day.

Thus says the Lord of hosts: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, 'It shall be well with you'; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, 'No disaster shall come upon you.' "

Jeremiah’s message for the people of that day and place was primarily a message of judgment: because of the people’s sins and because of their lack of repentance God was going to judge them at the hands of the Babylonians.

But almost immediately, as Jeremiah began to give that true message from the Lord, false prophets also began to tell the people just the opposite: that what they had done wasn’t as bad as all that—that God would not really judge his covenant people—that they had nothing to fear. Truth and lies being spoken side by side among the people of God.

That phenomenon is not confined to that day—it has always been that way among the people of God: Jesus said to watch out for false prophets because they are ravenous wolves. Paul said to mark those who cause divisions among you contrary to the apostolic doctrine and have nothing to do with them. John confronted those who said that Jesus had not really come in the flesh and put them out of the church.

In our own day: there are church bodies who say that what the Bible calls sin is not sin at all. There are movements within the Church that say that if you get “left behind” when the Lord comes again you’ve still got another chance. There are church leaders who add doctrines never taught in the Bible which they say must be believed for salvation. Truth and lies being taught side by side among the people of God.

Just this last week, Bishop Matti Vaisanen was removed from the clergy roster of the Lutheran Church in Finland for opposing homosexuality & the ordination of women.

Of course it is not just the people of Jeremiah’s day-- or other people in other churches in our day—who are affected by this kind of thinking that wants to distort God’s Word and blunt the hard edge of his Law—it’s us too.

We are tempted to believe that some sins deserve God’s punishment and others are not so bad. For example, we take strong stands against abortion and homosexuality—but we are not nearly as concerned about people not coming to church or those who are destroying people’s reputations through slander and gossip.

But now as then, God’s judgment always follows sin—every sin-- whether we think it big or small—and to tell people that their sins are not really sins--to tell them that even when Jesus comes, they’ll still get another chance--to rail against one sin and ignore another sin-- is to lead people to hell because these lies provide what the Lord calls “a vain hope”—a hope that things are O.K. between me and God apart from sincere, heart-felt repentance and faith in Christ alone. Then and now, these kinds of “vain hopes” are the product of sinful, human thinking-- not the revealed word of God --and very simply God says: Do not listen to them! Do not listen to them!

Do not listen to the words of the secular prophets who want to deny God’s Word—do not listen to false teachers within the church--do not listen to your own flesh that wants to mute God’s law to suit yourselves—do not listen to them-- for they are not speaking God’s Word!

Who among them has stood in the council of the Lord to see and to hear HIS word, or who has paid attention to HIS word and listened? Behold, the storm of the Lord! Wrath has gone forth, a whirling tempest; it will burst upon the head of the wicked. The anger of the Lord will not turn back until he has executed and accomplished the intents of his heart. In the latter days you will understand it clearly. "I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied.

The Lord’s judgment on false prophets and their words is that they had failed to hear and to heed his Word—because if they had, they would have known what Jeremiah knew—that judgment was coming for the people of God and it was just as certain as though it were already at hand.

So it is for the Church today—we too are to preach the judgment of God upon sin—we too are called to stand for the truth—we too are to warn folks that there is a day of reckoning and wrath that is no less certain for it being in the future-- because the Lord has promised it.

And all who deny or downplay that message in one way or another—do not speak for the Lord -and are not sent by the Lord- and are not helping those they speak to, but assuring their damnation because they are robbing them of the God-given means to repentance and faith—which is his Word of Law and Gospel.

God’s judgment can be ignored and ridiculed only for a time. The lies of the false prophets who tell their flocks that sin is not sin and that even if Christ comes they will get another chance can continue to deceive only for a time. And then as certainly as the Israelites were carried into exile at the hands of the Babylonians-- so will God’s final judgment fall without mercy on those who speak lies and those who believe their lies.

But it doesn’t have to be that way for us—there is still time for us to hear the truth of God’s Word and be saved-- which is what God wants for all people:

If they had stood in my council, then they would have proclaimed my words to my people, and they would have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their deeds.

The task of the faithful prophet is very simple: to speak God’s Word and only God’s Word—not his opinions and not his ideas and not what he would prefer and not what he thinks—but God’s Word and God’s Word alone: when people want to hear it and when people don’t—when there is good news and when there is bad—when those words hurt and when those words heal. The faithful man of God limits himself to speaking God’s Word. And the task of the people of God is very simple: that you would demand to hear nothing else.

The Lord’s voice is the only voice that is to be heard among the people of God because it is the only means which God has given to accomplish his saving purpose: to turn men from evil and to turn them in faith to the Lord. That is why he spoke so forcefully to his people through Jeremiah—to break their hard hearts like a hammer upon stone—to get them to see how desperate their spiritual condition really was—that he would not- and could not- abide forever with their sin and faithlessness—but that he would punish them if they did not repent of their sins and believe in him.

The Lord works the same way through his Word today—to turn us from our sins to faith in him. To bring that about, we have to hear things about ourselves that we don’t want to hear: that we too are sinners—that we haven’t listened attentively to God’s word like we should—that instead we have listened to what our itching ears want to hear.

In a recent devotion, Pastor Scott Murray mentioned an article in the New York Times entitled, “Congregations Gone Wild” by Pastor Jeff MacDonald who was told by the advisory committee of his congregation that he was “to keep his sermons to 10 minutes, tell funny stories, and leave people feeling great about themselves.”

Dear friends in Christ, people go will right straight to hell listening to that kind of preaching. And so the Lord tells us-- with the same kind of certainty that he told Israelites that judgment is coming-- but he also assures us that there is a way of deliverance—a way of forgiveness and restoration that he alone provides.

"Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah…For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

That new covenant that the Lord promised through Jeremiah was not a covenant based upon the people’s obedience to the Law. Instead, it was a new covenant based upon the shed blood of the Messiah—a new covenant based upon the forgiveness that Jesus earned for the world by his life, death, and resurrection—a new covenant that is given as a free gift of God’s grace in preaching and Baptism and Eucharist. That is what they looked forward to in faith—that is what we know to be the finished work of our Savior and our one true hope from sin and death.

So long as we are living and breathing there still remains a day of grace when we can turn from our sins and turn in faith to the salvation that God has provided to the world in his Son Jesus Christ. But for that to happen the church must be about the work of the Lord—speaking his Word of Law and Gospel to the world-- and fighting against the false teachers and their lies that threatens to mute those words of truth and life.

This is a battle that the church must wage. We are not permitted by God to remain on the sidelines-- or take a “live and let live” attitude to lies that are spoken among the people of God in the name of the Lord. Instead we are to fight the good fight of faith with the hammer of God in hand knowing that the Lord looks on.

"Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord. I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, 'I have dreamed, I have dreamed!' How long shall there be lies in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart, who think to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, even as their fathers forgot my name for Baal?

When it comes to what is said in the Church, let there be no doubt: there is a God who hears- and there is a God who sees- and no one who speaks lies in his name will escape his judgment. The Israelites and their false prophets certainly weren’t going to escape. Just as Jeremiah the man of God had prophesied, they would indeed suffer enslavement and exile at the hand of the Babylonians because they had forgotten the Lord and believed the lies of false prophets.

They had forgotten that the Lord was holy and demanded holiness of his people. They had forgotten that he was righteous and would judge the evildoer.

But they had also forgotten that he was merciful and gracious and willing to forgive and so refused to turn to him in faith for forgiveness. Instead, by their lies, they turned aside from the one true God to an idol that they could manipulate and mute.

False teachers and their lies still work the same way to try to make us forget about who God really is: when they tell us that sin is not sin, they deny the holiness of God--when they tell us that our works contribute to our salvation, they deny the graciousness of God and the sufficiency of his Son’s sacrifice on the cross---when they tell us that God is not the Creator of all, they deny the power and greatness of God.

And slowly but surely their lies try to turn our hearts from the God who sees all things and knows all things and fills the universe-- into an idol that can be carried around and rubbed like a rabbit’s foot or Genie’s bottle when we need something. But I am telling you dear friends in Christ—the One true God will not abide with that attitude forever. He says:

Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the Lord. Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?

Right up unto the Last Day of God’s judgment there will be tares in the wheat—there will be wolves in sheep’s clothing among the flock—there will be false teachers who lie and true prophets who faithfully speak the Word of God. There is a difference-- and it is as stark and as clear as the difference between wheat and straw—between truth and falsehood—between wolves and shepherds.

The Good News for us today is that our faithful Lord has the last word and at his Word the wheat will be separated from the chaff which will be burned in unquenchable fire-- but those who have been broken and re-shaped by the hammer of God--they will live forever. Amen.

Rev. Franke's Theme Thoughts

Pentecost 12, Series C August 15, 2010

Lessons for Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost (LSB Proper 15)

Jeremiah 23:16–29 ~ False prophets preached a false hope that encouraged rebellion against God.
Psalm 119:81–88 (Antiphon: Psalm 119:87)
Hebrews 11:17–31 (32–40) 12:1–3 ~ The cloud of witnesses who lived by faith direct us to trust in Jesus.
Luke 12:49–53 (54–56) ~ We anticipate the weather better than we recognize God’s kingdom in Christ Jesus.

GATHERING THE TEXTS: Peace for All Time
British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain bargained to win "peace for our time" before the outbreak of World War II. He was prepared to give up rights and compromise principles to preserve the peace. God's ultimate goal is not peace for our time, but for all time. Prophets who encouraged unholy alliances were expendable. God’s people of faith were sustained in difficult times as they stood firm in God’s covenant. Jesus warned that division, confrontation, and finally judgment and sacrifice would be necessary to bring about his mission, which was not peace on earth, but salvation for God's fallen creatures.

PRAYER BEFORE THE SERVICE: Holy God, You know I don't like conflict; my heart longs for peace. Too often I try to make peace when Your truth is at stake. Never let anything I do or say stand in the way of Your redemption for all people. Help me share Your gift of peace for all time with others. Amen.

STEWARDSHIP THOUGHT: When we use our material blessings to accomplish our hopes and dreams, we should make sure that they are in line with God’s plans for His kingdom and for our eternal well-being, and not ours alone, but also the eternal salvation of our neighbors.

OFFERING PRAYER: Lord, give us dreams consistent with Your will
And hopes based firmly on Your Kingdom’s grace.
Then bless these offerings; give us purpose still
To share Your love and show the world Your face.

CONVICTION AND COMFORT: We anticipate the weather better than we recognize God’s kingdom in Jesus, and we don’t predict the weather very well! We let our hopes for short term goals cloud our vision of God’s long term promises, so that we are ready to sell out eternity for present pleasures. The cloud we should pay attention to is the host of faithful people who have lived by trusting God’s Word. Then we would be able to endure short term suffering, rejoicing in the redemption Christ has won for us, as we share this vision with others.

In What Does Life Consist?

I bring you grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Gospel writers tell us that the people of Jesus’ day were amazed at his teaching because, unlike the Pharisees and traveling rabbis that filled the countryside, he taught as one who had authority. There was no “hemming or hawing” or “well on the one hand, yes, but on the other hand”—there was a simple, straight-forward message that claimed to be-- and was indeed—the truth of Almighty God.

But because Jesus’ words have the authority of God himself, then and now, there is a very real temptation for us to use his words as a tool to manipulate others. We think of some husbands’ readiness to remind their wives that the Bible says that she is to submit to him while being oblivious to those words a few verses later that call him to love her sacrificially and lead his family as a Christ-like servant.

This misuse of Jesus’ authoritative Word was what was going on with the man in the beginning of our lesson who came to Jesus with a problem involving money. He correctly recognized that Jesus’ word possessed the authority of God himself—but he wanted to misuse that authoritative Word to get his own way.

Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." But Jesus said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?"

Jesus simply wasn’t having it—not with that man and not with us. Jesus does not speak to us so that we can use his words as a tool to manipulate others—as leverage to get what we want. Instead, he speaks to us so that we might be changed. That’s especially important for us to remember as we hear Jesus speak to us today about the place and role and importance that money has in our lives.

We are tempted to tell ourselves that this parable of the rich fool really doesn’t apply to us because-- after all—we’re not rich—or at least not as rich as some. We are tempted to look around the sanctuary to make sure that this person or that who it really applies to-- is listening. But in these temptations we are just like the man that Jesus rebuked who wanted to use the authority of the Lord’s words as a tool designed for others. But it’s not—it’s a word of divine authority--from God--for us—to change us.

Jesus speaks these words to each of us today because the point of the parable is not really about how much money we have—it’s about what’s first in our hearts-- no matter what we have. The parable is not really about what we posses—but about what possess us. Jesus says:

"Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

There are a couple of different ways of numbering the Ten Commandments and in the way shared by Lutherans and Catholics, nine and ten both deal with the sin of covetousness—a sin of the heart. When I talk about these commandments with our confirmation kids I always make the point that this probably a good way to number them—giving two commandments on covetousness-- because all of the other commandments—and whether or not we keep them—begins in our hearts.

Adultery begins in the heart with a lack of appreciation and thankfulness for the spouse that God has given to us and a sinful desire for another’s spouse. Stealing begins in the heart with a lack of satisfaction for the material gifts that God has given to us and a sinful desire for other’s things. Idolatry begins in the heart with a lack of satisfaction for our “creatureliness” and the sinful desire to be our own god. Covetousness is a spiritually deadly sin. James writes in chapter 4 of his epistle:

“What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.”

The man who came to Jesus out of the crowd that day thought he had an inheritance problem that a proper disposition of money could fix. But he didn’t. He had a spiritual problem that only Jesus could fix—and that spiritual fix began with recognizing that the problem was in his own soul. It begins in the same place for us—with recognizing and confessing the sins of our heart.

Jesus says, “…be on your guard against all covetousness.” We do have to be on guard because this sin can sneak up on us. There are economic disparities. There are differences in people’s gifts and abilities and resources. And the shift in our hearts from thankfulness and satisfaction for what we do have-- to greed and covetousness for what we don’t have-- can almost be imperceptible until we’re overcome by it. Especially in our “market-place” economy, these disparities and differences are exploited by marketers who tell us that life really is about what we have or don’t have.

Jesus tells us just the opposite. He says: “Life does not consist in the abundance of one’s possessions.” We know this don’t we—at least intellectually? We know that no matter how rich we are or successful or powerful we are, life itself is much more than mere things--that all of the wealth of the world will not extend our life one breath or beat of the heart beyond that day that God has already ordained for us ( to say nothing of the utter meaningless of material things when it comes to eternal life!)

We know in our heads the truth of what Jesus says (that life does not consist in the abundance our possessions) but how hard it is for us to remember it and re-order lives accordingly! And so Jesus tells us this parable of the rich fool to illustrate his point about the place and importance of material things in our lives in a memorable way.

"The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' And he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.'

One of the very first words our kids learn is the word: “mine”. Children have to be taught to share. It doesn’t come naturally to them anymore than it does to us because our sinful flesh is turned in on itself-- and we see the truth of human self-centeredness so clearly in the rich fool’s words. My crops—my barns—my grain—my goods—my soul. But how wrong he was! Because as much as he thought all these things were his—Jesus tells us the truth about the real source of his wealth. Jesus says, “…the LAND of a rich man produced plentifully.”

Now the truth of the matter is that farming is both an art and a science, and to be successful at it you have to be both smart and a hard-worker. But it is also true that no matter how smart you are and no matter how hard you work and no matter how much modern technology you bring to bear in your work as a farmer—a crop simply will not be produced if there is not adequate sunlight and rainfall and fertile soil and dry weather for harvest—there are gifts that only the Creator can give.

The vast majority of farmers that I have ever known recognize it and that knowledge produces humility and a faith in God’s provision. But there are exceptions—and this man was one of them--for he had completely left God out of the picture. He said: What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?'

I want you to notice what he didn’t ask. He didn’t ask: “Lord, what would you have me do?” “Seeing as how you have so abundantly and richly blessed me, how can I serve you and your people with these your blessings?” God never even enters into his thinking. It simply never occurs to him that the God who has blessed him-- might have something to say about the blessings he has bestowed. What about us?

When we get a raise or a promotion or a bonus is our first thought: “Lord, what would you have me do?” Or is it, “What will I do with more money?” It is so easy for us to forget that-- behind our hard work and behind our intellect and behind our wise investing is the God who gives it all-- down to each and every breath and heart-beat—and instead of humility and thankfulness for God’s gifts—much too often it is pride that fills our hearts over what we have done—just like that fool in the parable who said,

'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

Once again I want you to hear what he doesn’t say: “I will do this.” “I will return a tithe to the LORD as the Giver of it all.” “I will help those in need around me”. “I’ll do give an offering for the temple of God.” Instead he planned to build a monument to himself that would show everyone around him how rich and how successful he was.

In the early part of the 20th century a German economist and philosopher, Thorstein Veblun, came up with a phrase that describes the man’s plan for bigger barns and the vulgar, material excess that we see all around us in our culture today: “conspicuous consumption”: the purchase and use of material goods-- not because we genuinely need them—but as signs to demonstrate to others how rich and smart and sophisticated we are.

We can’t be Paris Hilton but we can carry her purse if we have the 1500 dollars. We can’t play golf like Tiger Woods but we can use his driver to duff around the course. We’re not Wall Street tycoons but we can use the same Mont Blanc pens as they do. The labels on our shirts and the stripes on our shoes and the nameplates on our cars are all intended as a testimony to others as to how well off and smart we are.

But what they really reveal about us is the poverty of our souls and the emptiness of our lives—just like the rich fool who said to himself. Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' And of course he was right! He had every thing he needed for many years—EXCEPT—the many years. Only God can give those years-- just like he gives every other gift of body and life.

We can deceive ourselves into believing that the material things that we have are of our own making-- but that delusion will come to an abrupt halt when we come face to face with the real Giver of those gifts. We can delude ourselves into believing that we are the captains of our souls and the masters of our destiny-- right up until we come face to face with the One who really is.

The people around the rich fool- and himself at the top of the list-- thought he was the brightest, most successful, and wisest man they knew. But God thought differently.

God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich in God."

The fool went to sleep that night just as he had every other night of his life believing he had the world by the tail—but that night was not like every other night—it was his last night. He had not-- and would not-- commend his soul into the hands of his Creator and Redeemer and so his soul would taken from him in eternal death in hell.

And with that most precious possession lost—all that remained of him—all of those things that he called his own—all those things that he valued above God-- would be given to others-- who would fuss and fight over them just like the man at the beginning of our lesson. Such is the end of all those who covetously lay up treasures and are not rich in God.

But thanks be to God, that moment has not yet come for us! This is a moment of grace for us—this is a day of salvation--a God-given opportunity for us to re-evaluate our lives and turn in repentance from greed and covetousness—a day to topple the idol “mammon” off the throne of our hearts and receive in faith the one true God who lives and endures beyond the grave.

All of the riches of Christ are set before us today—his Word that calls us to repentance and faith—his body and blood which assure us that his death and resurrection are for us individually and personally—his abiding presence that makes our lives-- no matter how humble-- very rich indeed.

The Good News for us today is that our Lord Jesus Christ did not fail to keep first things first as we so often do. He came to do the will of his Father—and he did it—perfectly. He did not come to be served but to serve. And he did not count his own life too high a price to pay to secure the salvation of our souls and to free us by his resurrection from the fatal bondage to the things of this world.

Life—true, unending life with God--does not consist in the abundance of our possession—but it consists—from beginning to ending-- of Christ-- who is our life.

God has graciously and providentially brought us to this time and this place to receive in faith the riches of his grace in Christ-- so that as we lay our heads down tonight—even if it is our last night—we can commend our souls into the hands of our merciful, forgiving Father and sleep at ease-- knowing that through faith in Jesus we are rich beyond measure. Amen.

And now may the peace of God that passes all understanding keep your heart and min in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.

July 28 Johann Sebastian Bach, Kantor

“Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was certainly the zenith of the composers coming out of the Reformation. His music was a direct result of the Reformation culture and the biblical Christianity of the time, which was so much a part of Bach himself. There would have been no Bach had there been no Luther. Bach wrote on his score initials representing such phrases as: “With the help of Jesus”—“To God alone be the glory”—“In the name of Jesus.” It was appropriate that the last thing Bach the Christian wrote was “Before Thy Throne I Now Appear.” Bach consciously related both the form and the words of his music to biblical truth. Out of the biblical context came a rich combination of music and words and a diversity with unity. This rested on the fact that the Bible gives unity to the universals and the particulars, and therefore the particulars have meaning. Expressed musically, there can be endless variety and diversity without chaos. There is variety yet resolution.”

“How Then Should We Live” p. 92 Francis A Schaeffer
Crossway Books Wheaton, Illinois

Rev. Franke's Theme Thoughts

Pentecost 10, Series C August 1, 2010

Lessons for Tenth Sunday after Pentecost (LSB Proper 13)

Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-26 ~ God makes our activities enjoyable, but amassing goods robs us of joy.
Psalm 100 (antiphon: vs 3)
Colossians 3:1-11 ~ In Christ, the old self is put to death on the cross, and we receive a new life in Christ.
Luke 12:13-21 ~ Life is not measured by the possessions we own, but by the One who possesses us.

GATHERING THE TEXTS: Raise Your Sights!
The Teacher in the First Lesson looked at all his work and the approaching end of his life in utter frustration, but he recognized that satisfaction in labor comes only from the hand of God. In the parable of the rich man, Jesus pointed out that when we only value “our” possessions, we miss the wealth of God. St. Paul urges us to set our minds on things above as we remember that our lives in Christ are redeemed for a greater purpose and an eternal goal.

PRAYER BEFORE THE SERVICE: O Lord, help me lift my eyes above all the attractive things that I value so much in this world, that I may see the wealth of your eternal gift of Life in Christ Jesus, my Savior. Help me measure my life by your grace rather than by my accomplishments, that I may have great gifts of love to give to others. Amen.

STEWARDSHIP THOUGHT: The treasures we gather in this life don’t begin to measure how much God treasures us! To measure God’s love for us, we must look to Christ, who died to possess us for eternity. When we learn to use our goods to share this new meaning of life with others, our lives are filled with joy.

OFFERING PRAYER: Lord, shield us from the useless times,
When barns are full but hearts are empty.
Fill our days with joyful deeds
Through which we share Your gifts of plenty.

CONVICTION AND COMFORT: We define our lives by possessions; we think how much we have and how great they are, determines our importance on earth. That desire for amassing power drives us to abuse our relationships with other people. The truth of the matter is, it doesn’t matter how much we have, but how much God loves us. In Christ, God has made us His possessions for eternal life. He has done away with our old values and made us of much greater value through Jesus’ self-giving on our behalf. In Christ, our lives are filled with meaning as we share this new joy with others.

This Week at Mt. Olive

Good evening, fellow redeemed!

As the story of Abraham interceding with God over Sodom and Gomorrah, it becomes evident that there is another lesson at work here: boldness in prayer. In these verses (Genesis 18:20-33), Abraham doesn't shy away from the audience granted by God. Maybe that's why the prayers of the Bible are so instructive. They are bold, staking God to His promises. As one old seminary professor once told us, we pray to God the Father, through Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit. Christ is our mediator before the Father, and through Him and by the Spirit, we are God's dear children. I cringe whenever I hear "just" prayers or when I hear children instructed to pray only for those things they can't do themselves. I scoff at the request to pray a "little" prayer. The God to whom we pray is the Creator of the universe, yet He has time to listen to us. A "just" prayer is simply not acceptable when we pray with "all boldness and confidence," as we're instructed in the Small Catechism. There are no little prayers, either, for the God to whom we pray has purchased us with the blood of His own dear Son.

A hot topic in today's world is identity protection. Numerous services are available to prevent identity theft. This week, on Wednesday evening right after Zumba, there will be an Identity Theft Prevention workshop held in the Fellowship Hall. Included in this workshop is ice cream! Bring your favorite ice cream to share, and learn some basics of identity protection.

A true story about identity - from David Simonds (I have his permission to use this story).
Several weeks ago, David received a letter asking him to appear in court concerning an auto accident in Salem, Massachusetts. He said he thought it was a joke and ignored it. A couple of weeks later, there was a knock on his door. A postal carrier delivered a certified letter containing a summons for David to appear in court in Salem, Mass. After consulting his attorney and sending documentation, the mix up concerning David was resolved. As he researched the situation, David learned that the attorney in Massachusetts had simply Googled "David Simonds" and came up with his name.

While this may not be the classic identity theft story, and certainly doesn't have the devastation of many identity theft incidents, it does highlight the ease with which identities can be compromised.

Many of you expressed your sympathies at the death of my aunt Stella a couple of weeks ago. Not only was I and my family appreciative, but I also conveyed those sympathies to my mother while in Austin this past week. She and my dad were most thankful for your expressions. Thank you very much for your concern, your expressions of sympathy, and your prayers for my family.

Prayer Concerns:
Those who serve in our armed forces and their families: Rob Vadney (Afghanistan), John Miller's niece (Afghanistan), Andrew Epley (Iraq), Richard Rhode (North Carolina), Ryan Radtke, John Sorensen, Dru Blanc (Corpus Christi)
Burt Nelson, recovering from surgery
Pastor Matthew Harrison, newly elected president of the LCMS

This Week at Mt. Olive:
Monday, July 26
6 p.m.
Zumba Aerobics

6:30 p.m.
Elders

Wednesday, July 28
6 p.m.
Zumba Aerobics

7 p.m.
Identity Theft Prevention Workshop and Ice Cream Social

Thursday, July 29
STARC

God bless!
PKJ

Lord, Teach Us To Pray!

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I bring you grace, mercy, and peace fro God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

What I’ve always wondered about this scene of the disciples asking Jesus to teach them to pray is this: who is the one who gathered up the courage to admit that he didn’t really know how to pray? After all, every little Lutheran knows that prayer is “speaking to God in thoughts and words”? We all know that, but during my years as a pastor, questions about prayer come up in Bible class and private pastoral conversations more than just about anything else. We all have concerns about our prayer life.

What should I pray for in this or that situation? How can I know I have received God’s answer? Is it o.k. to pray for certain things and outcomes? What can I do to have a more consistent prayer life? How can I learn to truly pray: “Thy will be done”? Prayer is the most basic spiritual practices of the child of God, it really is the simplest thing to do, and yet we continue to have questions and concerns about our life of prayer.

And so the Lord speaks to us in his Word today, and invites us to join the circle of disciples as they listen to him and learn more about our life of prayer. The Bible says:

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”

Jesus was a man of prayer. Yes, he was and is God—but God in human flesh--a real human being in every single way that we are human-- except without sin. And as a real human being—he needed prayer. Throughout the gospel accounts of those first-hand witnesses of his life, Jesus is shown praying-- again and again.

He attended the synagogue on the Sabbath-- and he traveled to the temple for the high holy days—but this public worship was not the whole content of his worship life—he was also a man of personal, private prayer.

He got up early to pray—he sought out solitude to talk to his heavenly Father-before his meals and before big events in his ministry—he prayed. He was God in human flesh—his messianic mission was vital—the press of human need was constant—and yet Jesus always made time for prayer. His prayer life was so deep and so profound that it made a powerful impression on all those who knew him-- and they wanted the same kind of prayer life for themselves—and we should too.

Our attendance at public worship is important and there is no substitute for it—but it is still insufficient—all by itself-- to give us all of the spiritual benefits and blessings that the Lord wants to bestow upon us as his children. Many of those come through private, personal prayer.

I think that most of us know that—but it’s that same importance of prayer that can be an impediment to our life of prayer: are we praying for the right things?—do we pray with confidence?—can we expect good things when we pray? That is why we can join our voice to the disciples and ask Jesus to teach us to pray: Jesus to them and us, “When you pray, say: “Father…”

In many, many ways --that we are to address the living God of the universe as “Father”-- is the most important thing that we are going to learn about prayer from Jesus—it is certainly the foundation for our life of prayer. God is truly our Father and we are truly his children and that relationship exists ONLY because of Jesus Christ. Jesus said of himself: “I am the way and the truth and the life—no one comes to the Father except by me”. John said of Jesus that “No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.”

The Bible is perfectly clear: our access to God—our confidence to come to his throne and ask him for what we need—comes only in one way—and that is through faith in his Son Jesus. The Bible says:

Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God…let us then with CONFIDENCE draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Jesus Christ has removed the sin-barrier that stood between us and God. His sacrificial death has opened the way for us to be restored to what we were created to be—and that is God’s children.

And so, it is only through faith in Jesus that we can enter into God’s presence and expect that our prayers will be heard. That is what it means to pray in Jesus’ name—not as a magical formula—but in firm faith that God really is my Father and I really am his child on account of Jesus and so we can go to him and ask him for what we need just as children go to their earthly fathers. And so what should we ask for? Jesus says:

Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.”

Out of all of the things that Jesus teaches us to ask for in prayer—only one of them pertains to material things—and that petition (for daily bread) is only for the basics of life. Now, does this mean that God doesn’t care about our jobs and fields and investments and elections and all of the other things that make up modern life? No! He is our Father and he cares about --what we care about-- down to each hair on our head.

But that there is just one petition in the Lord’s Prayer for material things-- does demonstrate the vast chasm that exists between those things that we really care about and pray about-- and what God wants for us first and foremost.

I think it’s fair to say that most of our prayer requests are about material things and earthly blessings—our jobs and our finances and our families—and there is nothing wrong with asking for these things.

But God’s priorities for us are first and foremost-- and ultimately-- spiritual. He has loved us from eternity and chosen us to live with him forever. He has sent his Son Jesus to save us from our sins. He has called us into fellowship with himself by the power of the Holy Spirit and he works in our lives to keep us in faith until the day we go to live with him in heaven.

Our salvation is what God is most concerned about and so our prayer life ought to take on those same priorities: 1. that his name would be made holy through what we say and how we live our lives and what is taught in our congregations—2. that we would do our part to bring about his kingdom by making sure that we remain in the Christian faith and raise our children in the Christian faith and support the mission of the church—3. that we would abide in his forgiveness and because he has forgiven us—we would be forgiving of others—forgiving them in the same way we have been forgiven by Jesus—and 4. that the Lord would guide our steps each day of life’s journey to preserve us in faith and keep us from times of temptation where we could lose our faith.

The spiritual priorities of the Lord’s Prayer is a wonderful corrective to our prayer lives that are often times filled with things that only matter for the here and now. We learn from Jesus himself what our primary focus ought to be in this life—our own salvation-- and we re-order our prayer priorities in keeping with our heavenly Father’s loving will that we would live with him forever.

Every earthly, material, temporal petition has to be prayed: Thy will be done—but these spiritual petitions of-- hallowing God’s name and advancing his kingdom and living in forgiveness and avoiding temptation--can be prayed for with absolute confidence because God himself has promised them to us. Jesus tells a little parable that exemplifies the confidence that we ought to have when we pray:

Jesus said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.

Anyone who has a proper knowledge of God cannot help but amazed by what a precious gift he has given us in prayer. The living God of the universe who is holy and righteous and mighty and powerful in ways that we cannot even begin to comprehend—invites us poor sinners (whose life is but a breath) for Jesus’ sake, to address him as Father and ask him for what we need. And Jesus tells us this story to illustrate just how audacious and unexpected this is.

In the ancient world, bread was baked as needed. For the friend’s needs to be met, the man in the home would have to get up in the middle of the night, remake the fire, warm the oven, mix the dough and bake the bread. And not only would he do that—he would give his friend whatever else he needs. Jesus says that this kind of overwhelming generosity that can imposed upon at the most inconvenient times is not something that exists between friends—who would ever do that!--but really exists between us and God.

Jesus’ point is this: We are not bothering God with our prayers. We are not inconveniencing him. We are not asking for more than he can deliver. He is our Father and we are his children and there is NOTHING that we cannot talk to him about in prayer—for he has promised to hear us. Jesus says:

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

In Luther’s Small Catechism, the question is asked: Why do we pray? And the answer is: Because God’s commands us to pray and promises to hear us. God wants us to be people of prayer—he wants us to speak to him in prayer and he desires that we would listen to him as he speaks to us in his Word. And to assure us that we are not just speaking to an empty cosmos or engaging in an exercise of futility—he promises to hear our prayers.

You hear people say “Well, there’s nothing left to do but pray.” But for the child of God, prayer is not a last-ditch effort when everything else that we have tried has failed—it is the first, middle, and last thing we do in an on-going conversation with our heavenly Father about the things that matter to us—prayer is not an act of futility—but of faith. The Bible says that we are to ask for what we need:

“…in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord...

For Jesus’ sake, God hears and answers our prayers. We have Jesus’ promise that asking we will receive and seeking we will find and knocking the way will be opened unto us. But does this mean that if you and I ask the Lord for the winning lottery tickets he is bound to give them? No. He promises something infinitely more valuable—a life with God. Jesus says:

What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

All of us have enough sense to give our children good things. None of us would intentionally give something to them that would harm them. And that is not just true of Christians but of all people—even unbelievers. And if this is true of us—how much more is it true of God! God is good—good beyond anything else than we can imagine—good beyond comparison to anything else that we call “good”. He has demonstrated his goodness to us once for all in the gift of his Son. The Bible explains it like this:

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

The God who gave his Son for us is our Father—that we believe this is because he has also given us the Holy Spirit—the presence of God in our lives who is the down-payment—the earnest money—the guarantee that all of the riches and wonders of God are also ours in Christ Jesus.

THAT is why we can pray “Thy will be done” with perfect confidence for our lives and for our families and for everything and everyone that we care about. We know what God’s good and loving will is towards us because by the power of the Holy Spirit we know his Son Jesus as our Savior. God has already done that for us and so, as we pray for our daily needs, we can be confident that in all things—no matter what they are—God is graciously ordering the world FOR OUR GOOD.

The lessons that Jesus teaches us today concerning prayer are lessons that we will need to learn again and again over the course of our lives but they are only learned as we begin to be people of prayer. May God grant this to us all for Jesus’ sake! Amen.

And now may the peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.