God’s Word Divides

August 17, 2025

Text: Luke 12:49-53

SN: 0090

What do you think of when you hear the word division? Perhaps you think of the numerous problems in our world because people just can’t seem to get along with one another. Maybe you think of the bitter divisions that exist between different countries that lead to war and suffering. Maybe you think of the bitter divisions that mar our political system and lead to frustrating gridlock in Washington. Or maybe you think the far more important and irreconcilable division that exists between Cubs and Brewers fans.

But you probably don’t think of Jesus as someone who causes division. After all, one of Jesus’s titles is the Prince of Peace. We think of him as someone who came to heal strife and division, not cause it. After all, at his birth, the angels proclaimed, “Do not be afraid. For behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all people: Today in the town of David, a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude from the heavenly army, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward mankind”.

But in our Gospel lesson, Jesus makes a shocking statement to his disciples, “Do you think that I came to bring peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” This statement of Jesus challenges us because it seems to run counter to how God wants us to live. God wants to show love and kindness to others. He wants us to mirror the love of our Savior. And while this is certainly true, we need to remember that we are also called to proclaim all of God’s Word in its truth and purity. We are proclaiming a message of absolute truth to a world that wants to make its own truth. The preaching of God’s Law and Gospel causes division because it is a message the world does not want to hear.

The message of the Law causes division because the world, and even our own sinful hearts, do not want to be reminded of the terrible division that exists between us and God. When Adam and Eve disobeyed the word of God in the Garden of Eden, they brought division into God’s perfect creation. Sin has divided us from God, and God’s Word reminds us of this terrible division and our inability to do anything about it. This is not a message that we want to hear. We don’t like hearing that we are sinners who deserve God’s wrath and punishment. We don’t like being told that there is absolutely nothing we can do to rescue ourselves. What our itching ears want to hear is that we are, in general, pretty good people, and if we just try our best, God will see that and reward us. This is the message that so many “Christian” churches proclaim today.

But this is not the message of God’s Word. God tells us that by nature we are dead in our trespasses and sins and are enemies of God. We are completely and utterly incapable of doing anything to save ourselves from this wretched state. But God, in his great love and mercy, did not want to leave us in this lost and pitiful condition, so he sent his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to this world to save us. But even the beautiful message of the Gospel causes division. By nature, people want to believe they can save themselves. Surely it is too easy that all we have to do is believe that Jesus is our Savior, and we will be saved.

But this is exactly what God reveals to us in his word. In Ephesians 2, God says, “Indeed, it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” God’s Word causes division because it breaks to pieces the false and prideful belief that we can in any way contribute to our own salvation. Our just and holy God demands complete and total obedience to his will. To earn our salvation, we would need to live a perfect life, 100% free from sin. This is impossible for any human being to do. Only God’s Son, who was both true God and true man, could do this. Christ came to this world and placed himself under God’s law to keep it perfectly in our place. Christ lived a life 100% free from sin and perfectly in line with God’s will.

Think of the temptation Christ faced every day of his life. He knew with perfect knowledge exactly what God’s will was for him. Jesus says, “But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is finished!” The baptism that Jesus is talking about is the suffering and agony he would endure on the cross. Imagine living each day with the knowledge that the physical agony of the cross and the spiritual agony of suffering all the torments of hell for the sins of the world was in your future. Yet Christ never wavered in his obedience to God’s will. Instead, as the end of his earthly life drew near, Christ resolutely set his face toward Jerusalem.

Our Savior loved you so much that he was willing to undergo the painful baptism of the cross to suffer and die in your place. He offered his perfect life to make full and complete payment for your sins. He was punishedin your place so that you could receive the forgiveness of sins. By his death, Jesus repaired the division thatexisted between you and God. This is the peace that the angels sang about on the night of our Savior’s birth. Itis a spiritual peace that was won for us by the death and resurrection of our Savior. It is a peace that is only available to those who have faith in Christ as their Savior.

This is why Jesus said, “Do you think that I came to bring peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” The message of the Gospel will always be opposed by Satan and his allies. While we await the glorious return of our Savior on the Last Day, we will live in a world that is marred by strife and division. Everywhere the Word of God is preached, Satan will stir up people against it. We should not be afraid of this division because this has been true for all of God’s people. We see how the prophets of the Old Testament faced opposition whenever they preached the truth of God’s Word. Christ faced opposition as he preached about the kingdom of God. And we, as his followers, will face hatred and division as we proclaim the message of the Gospel.

As we face division and hatred from the world, we must be careful to avoid the temptation to compromise on the truths of God’s Word. This is a very real temptation that Satan uses to undermine the Word of God. We want people to like us. We want people to speak well of us. But when we proclaim the unwavering truths of God’s Word, we will be hated and despised by the world. The world will tell us that it is unloving to call sin, sin. The world will tell us that it is wrong to say that there is only one path to salvation found through Christ alone. The world will tell us that a loving God would welcome people of all faiths who do their best, not just a few who believe in Jesus.

But we are not afraid to proclaim the truth of God’s Word because we are compelled by love. We are filledwith the love that our Savior showed us. We know all that he suffered and endured to free us from the slavery ofsin. As we proclaim the truth of God’s Word, we know that we will cause division. The world will hate us. We may even face suffering and persecution. But we also know all that Christ did for us, and so we are willing to endure the hatred of this world. Even if we suffer for our faith, we know that our reward in heaven is far greater than any suffering we will endure in this life. For I conclude that our sufferings at the present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.

We are also compelled by our love for others. Each of us knows someone who does not believe the message of the Gospel. And we know the harsh reality that those who do not believe in Jesus as their Savior cannot be saved. We want to tell them about Christ. We want them to know the peace that we have with our Savior. The peace that is ours because Christ has removed our sin, which divided us from God. And so, wecontinue to proclaim God’s Word in its truth and purity. We know that his powerful Word is like a hammer thatbreaks rock into pieces. We pray that by our preaching, the hard hearts of those who do not know the love of our Savior would be broken so that they may join with us in the eternal glory that was won for us by the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.

We Walk by Faith and Not by Sight

August 10, 2025

Text: Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

SN: 0089

Our readings this morning talk about something that many of us, if not all of us, at one time or another, struggle with: worry. We worry about many things in our lives: will we be able to pay our bills, will we be able to find a job after getting laid off, will our loved one recover from their illness, will the test result I’m waiting on be good or bad news? We tend to worry and fret about things that we have absolutely no control over. And if you’re like me may be there are many nights that you wake up in the small hours of the morning, unable to sleep because you are filled with worry.

In our Gospel lesson this morning, Jesus says to his disciples, “For that reason I tell you, stop worrying about your life, about what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear…And who of you by worrying can add a single moment to his lifespan?” It sounds easy, right…listen to Jesus and stop worrying! But what’s the problem? If you’re like me, then you’re probably worrying right now about how much you’re worrying. This is the tension that exists within us. On the one hand, our New Man wants to follow the command of our Savior and not worry, but our sinful nature likes to worry. Satan loves to fill us with worry because he knows that worry can erode our faith.

But, if you stop and think about it, isn’t worrying the opposite of faith? Because what is faith? The writer to the Hebrews tells us, “Faith is being sure about what we hope for, being convinced about things we do not see.” So often we worry about the things that we can’t see and have no control over. The danger is that worry can grow into doubt and fear that God is not going to keep his promises. We don’t see God keeping his promises in our lives, and so we doubt him. We want to live by sight, instead of by faith.

The writer to the Hebrews was addressing people who were filled with doubt and fear. Many of his early readers were Jews who had turned away from the faith they had been raised in, the faith of their ancestors, and embraced Christianity. But they were filled with fear. The Emperor Nero had outlawed Christianity and was persecuting Christians. There was a very real temptation to abandon Christ and return to the safety of Judaism to avoid the danger of persecution.

In Chapter 11, the writer to the Hebrews gives us powerful examples of believers from the Old Testament who went through times of trial and hardship in their lives. They had every reason to doubt the promises of God. And yet again and again they clung to those promises because they walked by faith and not by sight. They didn’t worry but trusted that God would be faithful to his promises. Imagine yourself as Abraham for a moment. Picture yourself standing under the sky filled with stars and hearing the promise that your offspring will be as numerous as the stars in the heavens. But there was a problem. Abraham and his wife were beyond the age they could have children. Yet Abraham did not worry; he trusted that God would be faithful and keep his promise.
By faith Abraham also received the ability to conceive children, even though Sarah herself was barren and he was past the normal age, because he considered him faithful who made the promise. And so from one man, and he as good as dead, descendants were born as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand along the seashore.

Abraham serves as an example of how we can live our lives. He knew that he would not see the complete fulfillment of God’s promise, and yet he trusted that God would remain faithful. Hebrews 11 is a wonderful chapter because it reminds us of the faithful believers who have gone before. This section is often called the “Heroes of Faith” because of the examples that are laid down for us in the pages of the Old Testament. But what is truly amazing is that these heroes didn’t have superpowers. They weren’t powerful beings from another planet. They were regular, flawed, sinful human beings who lived their lives by faith and not by sight. They knew that they were not saved by their own power, but by the power of God, who accomplished mighty things for them. Think of the example of David, a shepherd boy who killed a giant with a sling, or Joshua, who brought the walls of Jericho tumbling down with a trumpet blast. They trusted God and knew that God would be faithful to his promises.

All of Hebrews 11 is an encouragement for us to trust the promises of God and to know he is always
faithful. The heroes of the Old Testament saw God keep some of his promises, but they never saw with their own eyes the fulfillment of God’s promise to send a Savior. At the end of chapter 11, he writes, “And what more should I say? There would not be enough time for me to continue to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. By faith they conquered kingdoms, carried out justice, obtained things that were promised, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edges of the sword, were made powerful after being weak, became mighty in battle, and caused foreign armies to flee. Women received back their dead by resurrection. And others who were tortured did not accept their release, so that they may take part in a better resurrection. Still others experienced mocking and lashes, in addition to chains and imprisonment. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were tempted; they were killed with the sword; they went around in sheepskins and goatskins, needy, afflicted, and mistreated. The world was not worthy of them as they wandered in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. All of these were commended in Scripture by faith, yet they did not receive what was promised, because God had planned something better for us, namely, that they would not reach the goal apart from us.”

This, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, is why we can live without worry. We don’t need to doubt the promises of God because we have a record of everything he has done for his people. We can see on the pages of Scripture how much God did to save those who trust in him. And what is far better is unlike the believers of the Old Testament, we know the fulfillment of God’s promise that he made to Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John tell us the amazing truth. That when the time had fully come, God sent his one and only Son to suffer and die for us. In a mystery of mysteries, God clothed himself with human flesh and made his dwelling among us. He gave up the joy and glory of heaven to live a human life so he could place himself under the requirements of his own law and keep it perfectly in our place.

Jesus lived a perfect life, never worrying or doubting God’s promises but remaining perfectly faithful
and always trusting God so he could over his perfect life as a substitute for your sins. By his death, he paid the price you could never pay and freed you from your slavery to sin. By his resurrection, he gave to you the wonderful promise that death holds no fear for you. Christ has destroyed its power over you and given you the certainty of eternal life. Like the believers of the Old Testament, this is a promise that we have not yet seen. Like them, we live by faith and not by sight. Like them, we are longing for a better land—a heavenly one. For that reason, God is not ashamed to be called their God, because he prepared a city for them.

As sinners, there will be times when we are filled with worry and anxiety. There may be times when we are filled with doubt and fear. When we face times of hardship, suffering, and trial…when we face times of pain and loss, we can be tempted to wonder if God is being faithful. Will he keep his promises? At those times, we can look to the heroes of Old and see their example of faith. We can see clearly on the pages of Scripture all that God has done for his people. When we are plagued with worry and doubt, we can put our trust in God. As the Apostle Paul reminds us, “Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

One of my favorite examples of this comes from another hero of the Old Testament, King Hezekiah.
King Hezekiah had received a letter from the King of Assyria telling him to surrender or Jerusalem would be destroyed. Hezekiah knew that he did not have enough soldiers to fight back, so he took the letter to the temple and laid it before the Lord. The Lord heard his prayer and sent his angel to destroy the army of Assyria. God hears the prayers of his people. God is faithful and keeps his promises. So free your minds from worry, knowing that your heavenly Father will watch over you and protect you. Lay your worries and concerns before the throne of God and let him take care of them in his way. Keep your eyes fixed on the city he has prepared for us and live by faith and not by sight.

07/06/2025 The Harvest is Plentiful Pastor Klusmeyer

Text: Luke 10:1-12, 16-20

SN: 0084 07/06/2025

Have you ever driven past a field of corn or grain that seems to go on for miles and miles? Look at the field on the screen and marvel at how many hours it must take to plow, plant, and then harvest a field like that. Now, imagine that you were given the task of harvesting that immense field by hand with just a few other workers. How would you feel about that task? What kind of attitude would you have toward your boss who gave you such an impossible task? You would probably feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and perhaps a little angry that you are not being given the necessary tools to do the job correctly.

But isn’t that a perfect picture of the task that God has given to his church? We have been called to be workers in his harvest field. But we have also been told that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Thoughts of doing the work of God’s kingdom can often leave us feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. It seems like the task is too big for us to accomplish on our own. Not to mention all the hurdles we need to overcome as we go forth to work in God’s harvest field. This is why our Gospel lesson this morning is so beautiful. It reminds us to despair of our own efforts and success and instead to put our trust in the powerful work of our Savior, who destroyed the works of the devil and wrote our names in the Book of Eternal Life.

In our Gospel lesson for last week, we heard how Jesus was determined to go to Jerusalem. He knew the time of his earthly ministry was drawing to a close, and so he appointed 72 disciples to go out and prepare the towns and villages in the surrounding area for his arrival. Jesus emphasized the urgency of this outreach effort with the list of commands he gave to his disciples. He told them not to burden themselves with extra items, but to take only what was absolutely necessary for their journey. They were to journey from town to town, healing the sick and preaching the message of the kingdom of God.

However, he also warned them that they would encounter opposition from some of the towns they visited. He warned them that he was sending them out like lambs among wolves. As Jesus entered this last phase of his earthly ministry, many people would reject his Word. The chief priests and elders of the people were actively plotting against him, and many of his followers had already deserted him. Jesus told his disciples that when they encountered resistance to his message, they were to leave that town and travel on. But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, “Even the dust from your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this: The kingdom of God has come near.”

The 72 followers of Jesus knew that they would face challenges and setbacks in their ministry, yet they went forth and carried out the command of our Savior. We know what it is like to face challenges in our ministry as well. Like those disciples, we have been sent as workers into the harvest field of the Lord. We also know how, at times, this can feel like a daunting and overwhelming task. There may be times when we feel like those workers who were asked to harvest an immense field of grain without the proper tools or help. When we face these challenges, we can be tempted to doubt the wisdom of our God. We may even grow resentful that God is not giving us the necessary support to carry out the work we have been commanded to do.

As workers in the harvest field of the Lord, we face many challenges. Perhaps we often feel as helpless as lambs who have been sent out among wolves. The forces of evil in this world are arrayed against us. Many people do not want to hear the message of our Savior. The view Christians as old-fashioned and unloving. When we face opposition, we can be filled with fear and doubt. As we look at all the evil in the world, we can be tempted to wonder if God is really in control. We can be tempted to wonder if many of the wicked people in this world even deserve to hear about God’s grace.

Or perhaps we grow frustrated at the lack of results from all our hard work and efforts. We want to carry out the will of the Lord, but we seem to always fall short. After all, the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. You know the frustration of this very well. As we are entering into a new era in our congregation, some of you may be wondering how God will continue to bless our work at Water of Life. You remember the frustration as a few years ago you issued call after call for a second pastor, only to have those calls returned. Now we are in that same situation, and you once again may be wondering what God is thinking. You may be filled with doubt, fear, and uncertainty about the future of our congregation.

As we face these times of uncertainty, we can sometimes lose sight of the big picture. We can get so focused on the problems and challenges of our own little corner of God’s kingdom that we forget the glorious truth of our Savior. As the 72 disciples returned from their mission journeys, they were filled with joy. They had seen the power of God in action. Jesus praised them for their efforts but reminded them of the bigger picture. They were not to focus on the success of their mission, but instead were to focus on the success of Christ’s mission. He told them, “I was watching Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Look, I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy. And nothing will ever harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names have been written in heaven.”

This is the glorious truth of the Gospel! By his death on the cross, Jesus destroyed the work of the devil. This is why the Son of God appeared: to destroy the works of the Devil. Jesus Christ came to this world to live a perfect life in our place. Unlike us, who sometimes grow frustrated and question the plans and wisdom of our Heavenly Father, Christ was perfectly obedient to his will. Christ lived a life free from sin so he could offer that perfect life as a ransom to pay for the sins of the whole world. Wherever the glorious message of the death and resurrection of our Savior is preached, the plans and power of the devil are cast down. Satan can no longer accuse us of our sin because we have been declared not guilty by God himself. The holy blood of Jesus Christ has washed you free from all your sins and given you the certainty of eternal life. This is what Jesus meant when he said he saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Whenever the Gospel is heard and believed, Satan loses his standing in heaven. He can no longer bring accusations against us who are God’s elect.

We will certainly face challenges as we go out to work in the harvest field of the Lord. The church on earth goes through seasons of change. At times, God’s Word will flourish in one place, and the church will experience rapid and amazing growth. At other times, the Word of God may fade out in a place. This is why it is so important not to focus on our own successes and failures. God will bless our work in his way and in his time. The numbers of a congregation may go up and down. There may be times in the church when, like now, it seems like the harvest fields are massive and there are nowhere near enough workers. At those times, we remember that the things of this world may pass away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.

As we go through times of change in our congregation, we cling to that truth. The Gospel of our Savior endures. As workers in his harvest field, we have been called to share the message of Christ with others. We can do this in many different ways. The first is to do exactly what our Savior himself commanded us to do, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field.” Pray that God would continue to send workers into his harvest fields. You can also support and encourage those who have been led by the Lord to serve publicly in his fields. Support the called workers in our congregation and pray for them. Pray for and encourage the young people in our congregation who are considering going into the public ministry, and encourage others to do the same. Consider supporting the work of our Synod as it trains and encourages others to work in the fields of the Lord. And even if you are older, consider that calling as well.

The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Just as Jesus gave his disciples an urgent mission to preach the kingdom of God in the towns and villages of Galilee and Judea, we too have an urgent mission to share the message of the Gospel with others. The Bible is clear. We are living in the Last Days of the Earth. At any time, our Savior could return again with all his glory and power on the Last Day. Only those who believe and trust in his name will be saved. Christ wants as many as possible to be gathered into his heavenly kingdom on the Last Day. So let us go forth and continue spreading the message of the Gospel so that near and far the power of the devil may be broken and the freedom of the Gospel proclaimed.

Swift as lightning falls the tyrant from his heav’nly perch on high, as the word of Jesus’ vict’ry floods the earth and fills the sky. Wounded by a wound eternal now his judgment has drawn nigh!

06/22/2025 Fan the Fire of Truth Pastor Klusmeyer

Text: 2 Timothy 1:3-10

SN: 0083 06/22/2025

There’s something magical about a good campfire. The flickering flames and smell of woodsmoke make for a wonderful evening of sharing stories, eating s'mores, and enjoying fellowship. But what happens if you stop putting wood on the fire, or it starts to rain? The fire that was once a roaring blaze can be reduced to a bed of smoldering coals and even go out completely. But it's also amazing how you can sometimes take a fire that seems to be completely burned out and get it to restart. As you slowly add fuel and air to the fire, the fire that had guttered out and almost died roars back into flame.

This is the picture that Paul wants us to have in mind with the words of encouragement he shared with his dear friend Timothy. Paul had known Timothy for a long time. He had met Timothy as a young man on his Second Missionary journey when he went to Lystra and Derbe. Timothy had an excellent reputation, and Paul decided to take him along on his journey. Over the next few years, Paul trained Timothy as a pastor and at times sent him to various churches on Paul’s behalf. Timothy was a good and faithful student, and Paul viewed him as a son.

Word had now reached Timothy that Paul had once again been imprisoned in Rome and was facing the threat of execution. Paul knew that this turn of events had discouraged Timothy in his faith and ministry. Paul did not want the fear and shame caused by the news of his imprisonment to cause Timothy to stumble in his faith. Instead, Paul wanted Timothy to remember the power of the Gospel, which had created that faith within him. He wanted Timothy to fan into flame the fire of his faith by remembering the faith taught to him by his mother and grandmother. Paul encouraged Timothy to remember that God had not given him a timid spirit, but a spirit of power. Paul wanted to fan the fire of Timothy’s faith and remind him of the power and certainty of God’s word. For this reason, I am reminding you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a timid spirit, but a spirit of power and love and sound judgment. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me, his prisoner. Instead, join with me in suffering for the gospel while relying on the power of God.

There may be times in our lives when we find ourselves feeling like Timothy. We may become discouraged and filled with fear. Our faith is like a campfire that has burned down to embers and may even be close to going out. This can happen for a number of reasons. Perhaps we have allowed a certain favorite sin to take hold in our lives. We let anger or rage, or lust dominate our lives. We let a loose tongue spread gossip and lies about others. We may always be filled with discontent and constantly complain that nothing ever seems to go our way. We know that these sins are wrong, but we love the feeling of false joy when we commit those sins. But sin is harmful to our faith. If we continue finding joy in those sins, the fire of our faith may eventually be snuffed out.

Perhaps the fuel for our fire is being consumed by worry, doubt, and fear. The relentless attacks of the world against our faith can be a constant struggle. We feel drained and exhausted knowing that each day we have to face a world that is hostile to our faith. The constant barrage of mockery can leave us feeling drained and depressed. This is what Satan wants. He wants the fire of our faith to grow low, to begin to flicker and fade. He wants us to neglect adding fuel to our fire by reading and studying God’s Word and refreshing ourselves with the sacraments. He wants us to put other priorities before going with others in worship, so he can isolate us and attack us. Satan wants nothing more than to snuff out the fire of our faith.

That is why Paul reminded Timothy and us to fan into flame the gift of God. Think of the times you have gotten a fire going. What have you done? You blow on the embers to get them to glow hot again. The Holy Spirit blows on the embers of our faith through the Word of God. When we are tempted by sin, we can turn to the Word of God to be strengthened in our faith. When we are filled with guilt and shame for the sins that we have committed, we can read and hear the sweet words of the Gospel. We remember the glorious truth that God loved us so much that he sent his one and only perfect Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer and die for our sins. By his sacrifice on the cross, Jesus has paid the debt our sins deserved and removed our guilt and shame.

When we are troubled by the assaults of the world or are plagued with doubts, the Holy Spirit works through the power of the Word to fan our faith into flame. We are reminded that our faith is not based on made-up stories, but on the very Word of God. We are assured that even though it seems at times that we are facing overwhelming odds; our enemies have already been defeated. On the cross, Jesus destroyed the power of the devil, and by his glorious resurrection from the dead, he removed the sting of death. Our victory is assured, and we know that when we die, we simply fall asleep and wake in the glorious joy of our Savior’s presence. This is the certainty of the faith that has been handed down to us, which Paul reminds Timothy of: He saved us and called us with a holy calling, not because of our works, but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, and it has now been revealed through the appearance of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

The power of the Gospel is the flame that burns within us. Just like fire gives light and life in the cold and dark. The fire of the Gospel gives light and life to a world that is lost in the darkness of sin. Christ has given each of us a mission to share that fire with others. When we hear the word “mission,” we can be tempted to think of something that is far away. Mission work is something that is done by the church in a faraway land. And that is certainly true, and it is certainly good and right for us to support those efforts by our offerings, but we also need to remember that we have a mission field right in front of us.

Paul praises Timothy’s mother and grandmother because they shared their faith with Timothy. They taught and instructed him in the Word of God and shared the fire of their faith with him. God has called each of us to different roles in our lives. In each of those roles, we have opportunities to share the fire of our faith with others. If we have been called to be parents, then we can teach our children the Word of God. We can model for them what a Christian life looks like. We can do this as grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Many of us have members of our family who do not know the peace and joy of forgiveness that is found in Christ alone, so we ask God to give us a spirit of boldness to proclaim the message of the Gospel.

Our Synod is emphasizing every member outreach as a reminder that we have all been called to serve in the mission field. Think of the demon-possessed man from our Gospel lesson, whom Jesus told to go to his hometown and tell his friends and neighbors what God had done for him. We know the impact that Christ has had in our lives. We know the joy of forgiveness and the relief of being freed from our burdens of guilt and shame. Outreach doesn’t have to be difficult. It can be as easy as inviting your neighbor over for a beer or talking to your friend about what you learned at church.

I think one of the biggest obstacles we face in sharing our faith with others is a spirit of timidity. It is hard to share our faith with someone else. I encourage you to find opportunities to have a conversation with your friends, family, or neighbors. Share with them your story, and more importantly, listen to their stories. Help them know the peace and joy that you have found in your savior. Maybe at some point this summer, you’ll have a chance to be sitting around a fire talking about life, and maybe you’ll be able to use your faith to fan into flame the fire of someone else’s faith. Amen.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.

06/01/2025 Unity in Christ - Pastor Klusmeyer

Text: Psalm 133

SN: 0082 06/01/2025

True unity and harmony are rare and precious commodities in our world. Turn on the television or read a news article, and you quickly see a world marred and broken by hatred and division. People willingly and eagerly divide themselves based on race, nationality, social status, religion, and political party. The pledge undying loyalty to their chosen group and view all others as hostile and dangerous enemies that either need to be avoided or destroyed at all costs. Hate and bitterness cause deep and lasting wounds that make unity difficult, if not impossible to find in this fallen world.

Unity is a precious and beautiful blessing that God has gifted to his church. We have unity with God through Christ, and we enjoy fellowship and unity with one another as we a one body under Christ. God wants us to treasure the unity we have in Christ and live contrary to the patterns of this world. God wants us to be able to set aside our petty differences and differing opinions and unite around the blessing of our joint faith. Jesus so deeply desired that the people of his church be unified that he prayed for unity on the night he was betrayed, “I am praying not only for them, but also for those who believe in me through their message. May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they also be one in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me.”

Unfortunately, we are aware of how easily the unity of the church can be destroyed. Disagreements and arguments can shatter the unity of a congregation and rob us of the joy that comes from unity. King David understood the pain of God’s people fighting among themselves very well. He had fought for years in a bitter civil war as King Saul tried to murder him. He knew what it was like to see God's chosen people fighting tribe against tribe. Later, he knew the bitter pain of having his son Absolam rise against him and divide the nation once again. David knew how precious the blessing of unity among God’s people could be and how easily it could be lost. Psalm 133 is his hymn of praise to God for the peace and joy that come from being united in God’s household. A Song of Ascents, of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, coming down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard, coming down upon the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing—life forever.

David describes the joy of our unity of faith like precious anointing oil that was poured on the head of Aaron the high priest. We, too, have been anointed with the Holy Spirit through the waters of baptism. Through the power of the Spirit working through the Word of God, we have been called out of our sinful way of life and have been reborn as children of God. Like Aaron, Jesus is our Great High Priest who offered himself as a sacrifice once for all, which paid for all our sins. Through the waters of baptism, we have been united with our Savior, as Paul says in Romans 6, “Or do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him by this baptism into his death, so that just as he was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too would also walk in a new life.”

Because of our baptisms, we are all members of one body with Christ as our head. We have unity with our Savior and unity with each other. But this does not mean that we are all the same. Each of us has been given different gifts and abilities that we use to serve the body of Christ. Our diversity is one of our greatest strengths. We seek to use all our different gifts and abilities to the glory of God and to help our neighbor in their life of faith. But because we have different talents, we may at times have different priorities in our lives. We are not always going to agree on the direction our church should go. It is ok for us to have these disagreements, but we must always be careful that this does not lead to strife and division.

Our enemy, the devil, wants to do everything in his power to shatter the unity we have in Christ. Satan loves to sow the seeds of discord. He wants to divide us so that he can hinder the mission of the church. We know how easily this can happen. Our fellow Christians make a decision we disagree with, so we grumble and complain about how unfair it is, or we grow bitter and separate ourselves from the fellowship of believers. We are not happy that someone else got their way, so we gossip about them and try to destroy their reputations to make ourselves feel better. Our sinful natures love to cling to bitter grudges. We don’t want to forgive and forget the wrongs and slights that have been done to us. We love to try to get even and ultimately get our own selfish way. All these sinful attitudes destroy the unity we have as a body of Christ and advance the schemes of the devil.

We need to be on constant guard against the devil’s relentless assaults against our unity in Christ. We know what a precious and wonderful thing it is to be united in the work of our Savior, and we know how quickly that unity can be destroyed. When we face times of controversy in the church, we certainly can make our voices heard. But we must do so with gentleness and respect. We must be careful to speak the truth in love and not in bitterness or anger. Many of the early Christian congregations were filled with factions and disunity. Paul shared these words of encouragement with the congregation in Ephesus: “As a prisoner in the Lord, therefore, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called. Live with all humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in the one hope of your calling. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all.”

There are going to be things we disagree about in the church: mergers, service times, music, decaf or regular, or which is better, donuts or kringle. These things fade in importance when we remember that we have been united in one faith for one mission. Each of us has been called to be a witness of our Savior, lights shining in this dark and fallen world. We cannot accomplish this mission on our own. The forces of evil that are arrayed against us are vast and overwhelming. The unity we have in Christ and the fellowship we have as Christians united in our faith give us a respite from the attacks and assaults of the world.

How good and pleasant it truly is for us to dwell together in unity. Our faith unites us as we face the storms and trials of life. David describes our unity of faith like the dew of Hermon coming on the mountains of Zion. Imagine a hot and sweltering day. Think of how refreshing it is to feel a cool breeze and a tall glass of water glistening with condensation. The unity and fellowship we enjoy with one another are just as refreshing. We live in a world that is filled with disunity and anger. The church of God is a safe harbor from the storms of life. Here we can find respite and comfort as we share our struggles with others. We can learn from their wisdom and find strength as we deal with the trials of life. Here we can find refreshment and forgiveness as we eat and drink the body and blood of our Lord and Savior.

I often begin my sermons with the greeting: my dear brothers and sisters in Christ. I think at times we take that greeting for granted. Because of our faith, we truly are brothers and sisters united under God our Father. We all share the same struggles against the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh. We know the battle we face each day for our lives as we strive and contend for the faith. We know what it is like to find comfort in the grace of God and the peace we have knowing that our sins have been forgiven by the death of our Savior. And we all look forward to the glorious day when our earthly struggle will end and we will join together in joyous and never-ending fellowship that exists in the eternal glory of heaven. May God quickly speed the coming of that glorious day. Amen.

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears this say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who wants the water of life take it as a gift. The one who testifies about these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

5/18/2025 Paradigm Shift - Klusmeyer

Text: Acts 11:1-18 Easter 5C

SN: 0078 05/18/2025

Paradigm Shift

A paradigm shift is a radical change in how a person or society views something. A few examples of this: Nicolas Copernicus proposing the radical idea that the sun, not the earth, was the center of the universe, the idea that germs, not “bad air,” spreads disease, Einstein’s theory of relativity, the Civil Rights Movement, and the advent of the digital age. All these events forced people to evaluate their long-held beliefs and change their thinking. This kind of change is never easy, and people can often be reluctant to set aside long-held beliefs.

The early Christian church faced such a paradigm shift soon after the events of Pentecost. At his Ascension, Jesus had commanded his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, but the implications of that command had not really sunk in. The early church leaders thought this meant converting their fellow Jews to Christianity and then teaching the Gentiles about the Gospel and having them conform to a Jewish way of life, following all of the requirements of the Mosaic law code. But this was not God’s plan. God did not want to limit the Gospel to one specific group of people; he wanted his Apostles to go out into all the world and proclaim the good news that because Jesus had offered his life as a sacrifice on the cross, all people had been freed from their sins and the requirements of the law. The Apostles were not quite ready for this. They were still set in their old way of thinking. God used the example of Cornelius and his household to shatter the Apostles' preconceived notions and prepare them to accept the rapid growth of Gentile believers as Paul proclaimed the message of the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

One day, while Peter was staying in Joppa, he went up on the roof of the house he was staying at to pray. While he was praying, he received a vision from God. A great sheet was lowered down from heaven, containing all sorts of different kinds of animals. A voice from heaven commanded Peter to “Get up! Kill and eat.” Peter was shocked to his very core because the sheet contained many animals that he was not allowed to eat according to the Law of Moses. Peter simply could not believe that God would be commanding him to do something that he knew was against God’s law. Peter replied, “Certainly not, Lord, for nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.”

But the voice from heaven responded, “What God has made clean, you must not continue to call unclean.” This happened three times, emphasizing that this was an important vision from God. Peter was dumbfounded. He had no idea what this vision could possibly mean. Suddenly the Spirit said to him, “See, three men are looking for you! Now get up, go downstairs, and don’t hesitate to go with them, because I have sent them.” At that very moment, three men came to the house and asked to speak with Peter. They said that they had been sent by a Roman Centurion named Cornelius, who had been visited by an angel who told him to seek out Peter. Peter suddenly realized that this was the meaning of his vision. God was telling him to set aside his preconceived notions of God’s will and welcome Gentiles into the family of God without hesitation.

Peter journeyed with the men to the house of Cornelius. When Cornelius saw Peter, he fell on his feet. Peter immediately helped him up and explained that he was just another servant of God. Peter then had a paradigm shift in his way of thinking. All his Jewish upbringing told him it was wrong to enter into the house of a Gentile, eat his food, and have fellowship with him. But this is exactly what Peter did. He eagerly went into Cornelius’s house and shared the message of the Gospel with him and his entire family. As Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit suddenly came upon Cornelius and his household, and they began to speak in tongues just like the disciples had on Pentecost. Peter now understood that God wanted Gentiles to be part of his chosen people, and he immediately baptized the entire household of Cornelius.

Word of this quickly spread, and many Jewish Christians began questioning why Peter had done something that so clearly went against the law of Moses. They could not understand how Peter would eat with someone who had not been circumcised. Peter told the people questioning him exactly what happened, and they understood that this was God’s plan for his church. God had set up the laws of the Old Testament to keep his people separate so that the Savior could be born. Now that Jesus had come, God no longer wanted his people to be separate, but to go out into all the world and share the message of the Gospel. So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to try to stand in God’s way?” When they heard these things, they had no further objections, and they praised God, saying, “So then, God has granted repentance that results in life also to the Gentiles!”

The story of Cornelius teaches us an important lesson. Like the people in Jerusalem who questioned why Peter had done something so radical, we sometimes are not very accepting of those who are different. We like to separate ourselves into armed camps. We insist that our way is the only right way, and those who are different must conform to our way of thinking. We don’t like to be loving towards those who are different from us. We judge people based on their race, culture, political party, appearance, mannerisms, or even worse, which sports team they support. We justify our general unfriendliness or even hatred by making the excuse that, because they are different from us, we don’t need to love them. This is the thinking of the world. We place our needs and our opinions before the needs of others. We insist that our way is the correct way and hate those who are different. But Jesus has given us a paradigm shift. He has called us to no longer conform to the patterns of the world but to do something radically different. Instead of hating and despising those who are different from us, we are called to love them. “A new commandment I give you: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, so also you are to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

This is the paradigm shift that Christ himself gave to us. Because of our many loveless and selfish sins, we deserve only God’s wrath and punishment. We do not deserve forgiveness, but Christ in his great love died to save us. While he was on earth, he showed perfect love to those who were not accepted by his society. He loved Samaritans, tax collectors, and other sinners. He showed that God’s grace was for all people, not just a chosen few. He showed perfect and selfless love to all people by his death on the cross. He offered his perfect life as a sacrifice that paid for our sins. By his death, all the times that we are not loving to those who are different from us, or when we selfishly demand that others conform to be like us, have been completely forgiven.

This is the message that we have been called to proclaim to the entire world. The message of the Gospel is not just for those who agree with us or are part of our tribe, it is for everyone in the world. As Christians, we are called to show love and compassion to all people. This is not an easy task. We know how hard it can be to love people who share our values and opinions. It is far more difficult to love those we don’t agree with. But this is exactly what Christ has called us to do. We are to be his witnesses in the world who reflect the amazing love that he showed to us. Think of how Paul describes this love: Love is patient. Love is kind. Love does not envy. It does not brag. It is not arrogant. It does not behave indecently. It is not selfish. It is not irritable. It does not keep a record of wrongs. It does not rejoice over unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

The early church went through a paradigm shift as it struggled with the idea that Gentiles could become part of God’s household without first adopting the Jewish way of life. We, too, struggle with accepting those who are different than us. We get caught up in our own prejudices and insist on our way of doing things. We fail at times to show selfless love to others. But we remember why we love. We know that we are exactly the same as every other person in this world who stands condemned by the holy law of God. We know that we have been saved not because of anything we have done but only by the grace of our Savior. And so filled with the amazing love of our Savior, we seek to serve as his disciples and share the love of Christ with all. We set aside our prejudices and opinions and seek to lavish others with the love of Christ. Amen.

Hear these words of encouragement from the Apostle Paul: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility consider one another better than yourselves. Let each of you look carefully not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Take Your Stand by Pastor Klusmeyer

Take Your Stand

They stood their ground facing a vast and overwhelming force. 300 men against an army of 300,000. They knew that there was no way they could win, and yet they were confident that they could hold off the Persian horde long enough to allow the other Greeks to withdraw from the battle. When the Persian emissary approached King Leonidas and his 300 brave Spartans, he pointed out the reality of the situation and told them to lay down their weapons and surrender. Leonidas confidently replied, “Μολον λαβε- come take them.”

King Leonidas was confident in his warriors' abilities because Spartan warriors were renowned for their exceptional fighting abilities due to a combination of rigorous military training from a young age, a culture that emphasized discipline and teamwork, and a society structured around warfare. Their commitment to a lifelong military lifestyle made them a formidable force on the battlefield. Leonidas was ready to take a stand to protect his land, his people, and his very way of life.

In Ephesians chapter 6, the Apostle Paul encourages us to take our stand against a powerful and overwhelming foe. Unlike King Leonidas and his 300 brave Spartans, we do not face an enemy of flesh and blood, but a spiritual enemy who wants to lead us away from God and rob us of our salvation. The Apostle Peter reminds us of this when he writes, “Have sound judgment. Be alert. Your adversary, the Devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him by being firm in the faith.”

The book of Ephesians is an encouragement for Christians of all generations on how to stand firm in the faith. In the first half of his letter, Paul reminds us of the amazing power and love of God. He says that because of God’s grace, we are all united with Christ. Because we have been united with Christ, we are to live as children of God. This means living in harmonious unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ and living a pure and holy life according to our stations in life.

Paul concludes his letter by reminding us that part of living a Christian life is contending for the faith and fighting against evil. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can stand against the schemes of the Devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Confirmation is a special day when we make a solemn vow before God that we will take a stand against the schemes of the devil. Satan hates this. He wants to do everything in his power to lead us away from God and break the promises that we have made.

As Christians, every day of our lives is a constant battle. Like the 300 Spartans, we face an overwhelming force; a trifecta of evil in the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh. The devil is a vicious and evil enemy who constantly schemes against us. He lies and tries to convince us that God does not really love us. He tempts us the same way he tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He wants us to believe that God is holding out on us, and if we just listen to Satan, he will give us the things that will make us happy. He uses his allies in the world to mock and ridicule the truths of God’s word. He wants us to be tempted by the allure and glamour of the fleeting pleasures of this world that may satisfy the cravings of our sinful hearts for a time but ultimately lead to our destruction.

There will be times when we fall for these lies of Satan and listen to the sinful desires of our hearts. There may be times when we break our promise to be faithful to God’s Word and wander away from the church. We make the things of this world a higher priority than God. At other times, we may be outwardly faithful to our confirmation promises, but inwardly we cling to our favorite sins and break God’s commandments. We know what we are doing is wrong and against the truths that we were taught, and yet we continue to do them anyway.

When we fall into temptation and do things contrary to God’s will, our enemy loves to assault us with other terrible lies. He shoots his flaming arrows of doubt at us. He wants us to doubt God’s love and forgiveness. He wants to lead us into despair and foolishly believe that our sins are too great for God to forgive. Or he wants us to believe that we need to do something to make up for the evil that we have done. Both lies further lead us away from God and down the path to hell.

We have a terrible enemy who assaults us every day. On our own, we are powerless to stop the attacks of the devil. But God has not left us defenseless. Paul reminds us that God has provided us with a full set of

mighty armor that we put on to resist the attacks of Satan. The armor is not based on our own strength or ability but on the mighty power of God himself.

As we take our stand against Satan, we remember that he has already been defeated. On the cross, Jesus destroyed the power of the Devil. He crushed the head of the ancient serpent who led the world astray. While we may at times be unfaithful, Christ was always faithful. While we listen to the lies of Satan and fall into temptation, Christ perfectly resisted the attacks of Satan and lived a perfect life in our place. Christ then willingly allowed himself to be arrested, humiliated, and crucified in our place. On the cross, Jesus offered his perfect, holy life as a payment for all our sins. We have been washed and purified by the blood of our Savior, and all of our sins have been forgiven. Because of his sacrifice, we have been declared not guilty by our heavenly Father.

The certainty of our salvation is the mighty armor that allows us to take our stand against the attacks of the devil. We stand firm in our faith, knowing that our sins are forgiven. God has also given us a powerful weapon to attack the lies of Satan. The Word of God is our mighty sword that tells us the truth of our salvation. The writer to the Hebrews tells us that the Word of God is sharper than the sharpest sword of his day. The Word of God is sharper and more powerful even than a lightsaber. Think of what God’s Word has done. By his mighty Word, he spoke the universe into creation; by his Word, he parted the Red Sea; by his Word, he raised Jesus Christ from the dead; by his Word, he brought you to life through the waters of baptism and by his Word he forgives your sins through body and blood bread and wine.

This is the Word of God that you have been instructed in. This is a powerful weapon that allows you to resist the attacks of the devil. But any soldier will tell you that a weapon is useless if it is not used and maintained. A soldier needs to be constantly ready and trained to face the enemy. On your confirmation day, you promise to remain faithful to God’s Word. You do this by using the weapons God has given to you. Read your Bible, study your catechism, and pray on all occasions. Regularly come to worship so you can train with your brothers and sisters in arms and be strengthened with the body and blood of our Savior. Do this so and take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to take a stand on the evil day and, after you have done everything, to stand.

Leonidas and his 300 brave Spartans were able to face their enemy because they were filled with confidence in their abilities as warriors. At the Battle of Thermopylae, in an attempt to intimidate the Spartans, a Persian emissary told them that their arrows would blot out the sun. The Spartans responded, “Then we will fight in the shade.” We have far greater confidence. Our shield and armor are better than anything made in this world. Our armor is the salvation that was won for us by our Savior on the cross. We have been equipped with the very Armor of God, and so equipped, we take our stand against the devil and lies. Amen.

You are given a mission by Pastor Zarling

You are given a mission

Acts 5:12,17-32 Many signs and wonders were done among the people through the hands of the apostles. With one mind, they all continued meeting in Solomon's Colonnade. 17The high priest rose up, along with his associates (that is, the party of the Sadducees), because they were filled with envy. 18They arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, brought them out, and said, 20“Go, stand in the temple and keep on telling the people the whole message about this life.” 21After they heard this, they entered the temple courts at daybreak and began to teach.

When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin (that is, the whole council of elders of the people of Israel). Then they sent orders to the jail to have the apostles brought in. 22But when the officers arrived, they did not find them in the prison. They returned and reported, 23“We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside!” 24When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these words, they were puzzled about them, wondering what could have happened.

25Then someone came and reported to them, “Look! The men you put in prison are standing in the temple courts and teaching the people.” 26Then the captain went with the officers and brought the apostles in without force, because they were afraid that the people might stone them. 27After they brought them in, they had them stand before the Sanhedrin. The high priest asked them, 28“Did we not give you strict orders not to teach in this name? Look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you are determined to bring this man's blood down on us!”

29But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men. 30The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you arrested and killed by hanging him on a cross. 31God exalted him to his right hand as Ruler and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and the forgiveness of sins. 32We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Grace to you and peace from him who is, who was, and who is coming, and from the seven spirits that are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth (Revelation 1:4-5). Amen.

James Bond, Ethan Hunt, and Jason Bourne. Gru and Lucy, Carmen Sandiego, and Inspector Gadget. Spies. Secret agents. This is the way my favorite spy showed up for the first time: Major Monogram says, “Good morning, Agent P. The evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz is up to his old tricks. … Find out what he’s up to and put a stop to it. As always Agent P, it is imperative that your cover identity as a mindless domestic pet remains intact. Now, get out there. We’re all counting on you.” Agent P with his fedora is also known as Perry the Platypus from Phineas and Ferb.

Secret agents are given a mission. Beat the bad guy. Foil evil plans. Save the world. Be silent. Be sneaky. Work behind the scenes. Lead a double life. Be a master of disguise. Use wits and gadgets.

You are given a mission. As we’ll see from the example of Peter and the apostles, it is not the mission of a spy or a secret agent. Your mission is out in the open, public, visible and audible. We pray that you are as courageous and resilient as Peter and the apostles. Also, notice that not everyone is excited about your meaningful mission.

The apostles were rapidly making enemies, especially since these events were happening only a few months after these same religious authorities had condemned Jesus. Jesus’ followers were branded a cult. They were labeled as freakish disciples promoting the teachings of a dead rabbi

whom they claimed had risen from the dead. As the apostles’ message began to spread, so did opposition to their message.

Peter and the apostles were facing the Sanhedrin – the same religious council who presided over Jesus’ phony trial. The Sanhedrin were made up of Pharisees and Sadducees. The Pharisees were “not fair you see” because they opposed Jesus on Old Testament rules and Messianic prophecy. The Sadducees were “sad you see” because they did not believe in the resurrection. The Sadducees opposed Jesus’ apostles because they kept preaching about Jesus’ resurrection.

Earlier in the temple courtyard, Peter and John met a man lame from birth. Peter said to him, “In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk” (Acts 3:6)! The Sanhedrin called Peter and John before them because of all the commotion in the temple courtyard. They commanded the apostles not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:18). Peter and John answered them, “Decide whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God. For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20). The Sanhedrin threatened them some more but let them go.

The Holy Spirit blessed the mission of the apostles. Luke writes, “Many signs and wonders were done among the people through the hands of the apostles. … More and more believers in the Lord were added to their group, large numbers of both men and women” (Acts 5:12, 14). People were being healed of their illness, lameness, and demon possession by the apostles’ touch and words. People were even healed if Peter’s shadow fell on them (Acts 5:15)!

Luke adds some strange commentary, “No one else dared to join [the apostles], but the people held them in high regard” (Acts 5:13). The people were afraid. The Sanhedrin had the authority to kick people out of the temple. To be barred from the temple was like being ostracized from society. If this happened, other Jews would not be allowed to communicate or do business with them. It was a powerful card to hold, but the Sanhedrin was not shy in playing it.

The members of the Sanhedrin discovered that crucifying Jesus did not stop the movement he started. They were surprised. And they were jealous (Acts 5:17)! This conflict was about religion. But it was also about power and politics. So, they arrest the apostles and throw them in prison (Acts 5:18).

But God’s mission will not be stopped! His messengers will not be muted! His witnesses will not be silenced! The Lord sends an angel who opens the prison doors. The angel reminds the apostles that God had given them a mission. “Go, stand in the temple and keep on telling the people the whole message about this life” (Acts 5:20). So, the apostles go back to the temple courtyards at daybreak and begin to preach about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.

The Sanhedrin is puzzled about what happened to the apostles. Until someone reported to them, “Hey! These guys you put in prison for preaching about Jesus are back in the temple courts preaching about Jesus” (Acts 5:25)! The temple guards go out and arrest the apostles again. This time very timidly and politely because they are afraid of being stoned by the people. The Sanhedrin challenge the apostles, “Did we not give you strict orders not to teach in this name? Look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you are determined to bring this man's blood down on us” (Acts 5:28)!

Peter and the apostles reply, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). It is this obedience that fuels their witness even in the face of ostracization, beatings, imprisonment, and eventually a martyr’s death. They tell the Sanhedrin they have been given a mission from God, “The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you arrested and killed by hanging him on a cross. God exalted him to his right hand as Ruler and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and the

forgiveness of sins. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him” (Acts 5:30-32).

God has given you a mission. You don’t have to save the world. You are to tell the old, old story that Jesus has already saved the world through his crucifixion and resurrection. You get to tell people that Jesus not only saved the world, but he also saved them. You are going up against the biggest bad guy of all – the Devil. But Jesus has already beaten this bad guy. You get to tell people that the Devil no longer has to have influence over them. Jesus now rules for our good by being exalted to God’s right hand as Ruler and Savior.

On this mission, you don’t have to lead a double life as a normal person and a secret agent. You can tell people about your normal life – your known sins and your secret sins, but how you repent of them and receive forgiveness from Jesus. Then you lead people to Jesus’ cross and open tomb so they can repent and receive forgiveness, too. You may not know what to say, but Jesus has sent you the Holy Spirit in your Baptism. Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will give you the right words to say at the right time (Luke 12:12).

God has given you a mission. This mission is not going to be easy or pleasant. People are naturally resistant to Jesus’ message because they are hostile to God by nature. We are not to expect popularity, but persecution. We will not receive unflagging adulation, but ardent flogging. We will not receive applause and gratitude, but arrest and the grave.

Jesus’ words will come true, “All men will hate you because of me” (Luke 21:17). We as twenty-first century Christians and modern-day witnesses do not go looking for trouble – enough trouble will find us. It has been said that where Christ builds a church, the devil builds a chapel. Wherever the gospel is proclaimed, Satan must attack. Wherever we soldiers of Christ lift high the cross, Satan’s minions dig a grave. Wherever Christ reigns as King, this world’s prince still scowls.

Remember this as you suffer at the hands of governments, unbelievers, social media bullies, and so on. Their opposition will be about religion. It will also be about power and politics. We don’t take revenge. We leave room for God’s vengeance. Until then, we turn the other cheek, forgive seventy multiplied by seven times, pray for our persecutors, and live as lights in the darkness. God will bring trouble on those who trouble us. St. John prophecies, “Look, he is coming with clouds, and every eye will see him, including those who pierced him. And all the nations of the earth will mourn because of him” (Revelation 1:7).

Sadly, we often cower from our God-given mission. We keep our heads down and our mouths shut. We don’t want to be judged in the court of public opinion. We don’t want to be vilified on social media. We don’t want to offend anyone, so we accept the sin that is all around us, even within our own homes, rather than confronting it. We are afraid to go on the offensive.

Or we try to avoid the sinful culture altogether. We hide in our churches, schools, and homes, and shut the door on the evil that influences our culture. We are hunkered down on the defensive. But Jesus challenged his followers to go on offense — to proclaim the truth without shame.

Our churches and schools should become staging areas rather than fortresses – places that equip God’s people to confront a sinful world instead of hiding from it. Church memberships may shrink, and churches may close their doors, but the Christian Church will never die out. It can never be defeated. “Steeples may fall and spires may crumble, but bells still are chiming and calling the young and old to rest, but above all the soul distressed, longing for rest everlasting” (CW 856:1). Jesus promises, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last— the Living One. I

was dead and, see, I am alive forever and ever! I also hold the keys of death and hell” (Revelation 1:17-18).

On Wednesday, I gave my last chapel at WLS. I dressed like this (picture on screen) – black suit, black hat, sunglasses, and earpiece. I was trying to look like a spy. The point I’m making is that God is giving you a meaningful mission. Unlike a spy, you are not to keep it secret. You are not to be silent. You don’t need to work behind the scenes. You don’t have to be a master of disguise or lead a double life or use nifty gadgets. You don’t have to dress all in black and look cool. Although, the hat is always a nice touch.

Dress however you want. Be yourself. Speak normally. But know that God has given you a mission. You don’t have to save the world. Jesus has already saved the world. He will use you to save souls, though. Jesus has defeated the biggest bad guy and given the victory to you. You may be ostracized from society, mocked in the college classroom, and bullied on social media. The government may oppose, fine, and jail you. That’s to be expected. You obey God rather than people. You are going right back to the temple courts, to the public square of social media, and to the homes of your friends and family. Be bold. Be courageous. Be resilient. Like the apostles, you aren’t afraid. You won’t keep your head down or your mouth shut.

You are on a mission from God. God’s mission will not be stopped! His messengers will not be muted! His witnesses will not be silenced! Amen.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his own blood and made us a kingdom and priests to God his Father—to him be the glory and the power forever (Revelation 1:6). Amen.

It Was God’s Will to Crush Him by Pastor Klusmeyer

It Was God’s Will to Crush Him

There once was a man who had a young son he loved very much. The father worked as the bridge keeper for a railroad bridge that needed to be raised and lowered to allow ships to pass. The son loved to go with his father, watch the trains, and see the important work that his father did.

One day, a ship approached the bridge and was allowed to be let through. The bridge keeper did what he was supposed to. He changed the warning lights to let approaching trains know that the bridge was being raised to let a boat through. But there was a problem. The train conductor was distracted and didn’t see the warning light, and failed to slow the train. The bridge keeper didn’t know anything was wrong and went about his normal work. However, his son saw the train approaching and realized there was a problem. He called for his father, but his father didn’t hear him.

The son knew he needed to do something and remembered that his father had once shown him a special way to lower the bridge in an emergency. But the son didn’t know what he was doing, he slipped and fell among the mechanisms of the bridge. His father suddenly heard the train whistle and realized what was happening. He knew he had to act quickly, but suddenly realized his son was missing. Faintly, he hears his son’s cries for help and realizes what has happened. The father is horrified as he realizes he needs to make a terrible choice: does he save his beloved son and allow all the people on the train to die, or does he sacrifice his beloved son to save a train full of strangers who will never know the cost of their salvation?

The father makes his choice: he sacrifices his son for the good of the many. This is a difficult story to hear. We don’t want to imagine being in such a horrible situation. Our hearts go out to the father who sacrificed his son that day. But imagine if we later found out that the father had planned the whole thing. How would we feel then? We would likely think the father is a monster for doing such a terrible thing. But isn’t this exactly what Good Friday is all about?

Isaiah tells us that, “it was the LORD’s will to crush him and to allow him to suffer.” God created this world to be a paradise free from pain, suffering, disease, and death. But when Adam and Eve sinned, God knew there was no way they could save themselves. God did not want to leave humanity lost in the darkness of sin and death forever. But our God is holy and just. He must punish sin and cannot leave the guilty unpunished. There was a debt that needed to be paid, and it was a debt that fallen humanity could never pay. As Adam and Eve realized the depth and consequences of their actions, God provided a solution. God himself would pay the debt our sins deserve. God promised Adam and Eve that he would send a Savior to rescue them and their descendants from the sting of death and sin. God promised, “I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel.”

God fulfilled this promise by sending his one and only Son to suffer in our place. For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. This is the story of Good Friday. This is what the two pictures at the front of our church show. The sin of rebellion that put all humanity under the curse of sin and the terrible price that was paid to free us from the sin. Hundreds of years before the events of Good Friday, the Prophet Isaiah, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, foretold the pain and suffering that our Savior would endure. This was God’s holy and righteous plan. A plan that makes no sense to our sinful, human way of thinking. God should have crushed us and allowed us to perish because of our rebellion. But our God is merciful and loving. He did not want any of his beloved children to perish, so he did the unthinkable. He saved his fallen children by crushing his perfect only-begotten Son.

Good Friday reminds us of the depths our Savior went to save us. The picture that Isaiah paints is not pretty or glorious. It is a picture of pain, suffering, and humiliation. Isaiah tells us, “He grew up before him like a tender shoot and like a root from dry ground. He had no attractiveness and no majesty. When we saw him, nothing about his appearance made us desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man who knew grief, who was well acquainted with suffering. Like someone whom people cannot bear to look at, he was despised, and we thought nothing of him.” Jesus gave up the joy and splendor of heaven to be born as a helpless child. While he lived in this world, he lived a life of poverty. He knew what it was like to feel pain and loss. Jesus did not look like a King or a Savior. He was not what the people of his days expected; he is not what people today expect, and so he was despised and rejected.

Isaiah foretold the hatred the people would have toward Jesus. He gives us vivid details of the suffering our Savior endured for our sins. How he was flogged and beaten, so that just as many were appalled at him, his appearance was so disfigured that he did not look like a man, and his form was disfigured more than any other person. Isaiah reminds us of the injustice that our Savior endured—He was taken away without a fair trial and without justice. Even Pilate himself decreed that he had found Jesus guilty of no crime, and our Savior was still sentenced to death. The death our Savior endured was humility and horrible. Crucifixion was a punishment that was reserved for the most despised of crimes. Even God himself had declared that everyone who hangs on a tree is a curse. But this was the plan that God had ordained from eternity. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. As it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.”

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this is the message of Good Friday. Good Friday is a day of injustice because God crushed Christ instead of us. We sin every day of our lives, and we break God’s commands in countless ways. As Isaiah says, “We all have gone astray like sheep. Each of us has turned to his own way.” God could rightly crush us for the guilt of our sins, instead, he crushed Christ. The message of Good Friday, the message of the Gospel, is that Jesus Christ willingly offered his perfect life as payment for our sins. We could never pay the debt of our sins, but Jesus, because he was both God and man, could. He could offer his perfect life as payment for the sins of the whole world. As true man, he could die, and as a true God, his death paid for all of our sins. This is the beating heart of the message that Isaiah wants to reveal to us. Surely he was taking up our weaknesses, and he was carrying our sufferings. We thought it was because of God that he was stricken, smitten, and afflicted, but it was because of our rebellion that he was pierced. He was crushed for the guilt our sins deserved. The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all have gone astray like sheep. Each of us has turned to his own way, but the LORD has charged all our guilt to him.

Good Friday is a day of sorrow and sadness because we know that it was because of our sins that God crushed his only Son. But we also know the story doesn’t end on Calvary or even in his tomb among the rich. No, we know that God’s righteous plan included our Savior rising victorious from the grave and conquering death and hell once and for all. This is the hope that Isaiah began with as he described the suffering of God’s Servant, and it is the hope we leave with as we look forward to the joy of Easter. Look, my servant will succeed. He will rise. He will be lifted up. He will be highly exalted. Amen

He was crushed for the guilt our sins deserved. The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Jesus’ Last Will and Testament by Pastor Zarling

Jesus’ Last Will and Testament

Jeremiah 31:31-34 Yes, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 32It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers, when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant of mine, although I was a husband to them, declares the Lord. 33But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I will put my law in their minds, and I will write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34No longer will each one teach his neighbor, or each one teach his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,” because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord, for I will forgive their guilt, and I will remember their sins no more.

Let us hold on firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful. (Hebrew 10:23). Amen.

I helped my parents write their will several years ago. We decided that 10% of their assets would be gifted to the Lord’s kingdom for mission work in the WELS. My dad commented that the remaining 90% could be divided equally in thirds for me and my two younger sisters.

I told my dad that in the Old Testament, the eldest son received a double portion of his parents’ inheritance. That meant I would receive 60% and my sisters would each receive 15%.

My dad thought about that for a while and then said, “I don’t think your sisters will like that.” I replied, “I know they won’t. But I was only teasing.”

In Jeremiah, God the Father is promising a new covenant – a new will – for his children. “Yes, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers, when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant of mine, although I was a husband to them, declares the Lord. But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I will put my law in their minds, and I will write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will each one teach his neighbor, or each one teach his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord, for I will forgive their guilt, and I will remember their sins no more” (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

God had treated the Israelites like children with the old covenant. Like when you tell your children that if they get good grades, they can go out for sports. Or when their room is clean, they can have friends sleep over. God told his children that if they fulfilled their end of the covenant, then God would bless them nationally, physically, and spiritually.

But the rules and regulations of the old covenant were so detailed and different than the nations around them that the Israelites had difficulty separating themselves from their pagan neighbors. In fact, they often joined their pagan neighbors.

Every one of you had parents who challenged you after you did something stupid with your friends. “If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you jump, too?!” The children of Israel did jump. They jumped right into the sin of idolatry of their pagan friends.

The rules and regulations of the old covenant were difficult to keep, but the Israelites’ old sinful nature made it impossible to keep the covenant. Israel’s kings were weak and corrupt. They corrupted their people’s faith in the true God by setting up altars on high places to pagan gods. Israel’s priests were cheats and drunkards. They allowed the people to do what they wanted. The

people worshiped fertility gods like Baal and Asherah. They sacrificed their children to demonic gods like Molech and Chemosh.

As God’s modern-day children, we aren’t any better than those Old Testament children. We follow our unbelieving friends, our unchristian family, and our pagan culture by jumping off the bridge into their same sins. We worship false gods like the pillow god, the liquor god, or the money god. We fall into the sexual sins of Baal and Asherah. We do not strongly speak out when we see women going to and our government funding the sacrifice of unborn infants to the gods of Molech and Chemosh. Any time we are not putting the true Triune God first we are placing him behind gods of our own making.

We often behave like the naughty children we see screaming and running and pitching a fit in the grocery stores. We think to ourselves, “Those kids are out of control. I would never let my kids act like that. If they tried it one time with me … it would be the last time.”

Yet, we are those kids. Except as teenagers, as grown-ups. We cry when we don’t get our way with a promotion at work or a team we try out for. We roll our eyes and argue with our parents – whether our parents are in their 30s and 40s or in their 70s and 80s. We complain when God allows hardship or health issues to visit our homes. We whine about bullies, not realizing how much we bully other people to get our way. We whimper when others are mean to us, not recognizing how mean we are to others – to their face, behind their back, and on social media.

We are out of control! Why would God ever let his kids act like that?!

We behave like children of Satan – because that’s what we are by nature! God should treat us like children of Satan. He should punish us for our wickedness. He should let us die for our trespasses into dangerous areas. He should damn us to hell for our insubordination. He should at least write us out of his will. He should remove our inheritance.

God gave his people a new covenant – a new promise. But it was actually an old promise. This was God’s promise to send the Crusher to stomp on the head of the Ancient Serpent, the Devil (Genesis 3:15). This was God’s promise to send a perfect Passover Lamb, One without blemish or defect, who would be sacrificed for the sins of the world. The Seed of the Woman crushed Satan’s head. He received the venom of the Serpent into his perfect body to spare you this deadly venom. He shed his holy precious Lamb’s blood on the altar of the cross so Death would pass over you.

God does deal with our hurtful words and our harmful behaviors. He does deal with our idolatrous worship of pagan gods. He does deal with us for breaking his covenant with us. He deals with all of it on Christ’s cross. The new covenant relationship with God won’t be based on what people do. It will be based on the One in whom they believe.

In the Upper Room on Holy Thursday, Jesus and his disciples were gathered to celebrate the Passover meal. There was roasted lamb, unleavened bread, and grape wine. Jesus replaces the Passover meal with the Lord’s Supper. He replaces the old covenant with a new covenant.

Luke records this momentous event. “He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, he took the cup after the supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is being poured out for you’” (Luke 22:19-20). You’ll notice that the EHV has the word “testament” instead of “covenant”. It’s beneficial to hear what the EHV commentary says about this. “The Greek word diatheke may be translated testament or covenant. These two English terms overlap. A covenant or solemn promise is made by someone who expects to

continue living while the agreement takes effect. A testament is made by someone who expects to die before the agreement takes effect. In Holy Communion, we have the last will and testament of our Savior, the God-Man who died so that we would inherit forgiveness and eternal life. But we also have the covenant of the God-Man who rises from the dead to live forever, in order to give us a place at his heavenly table.”

In the Lord’s Supper, Jesus is giving us his last will and testament. That’s why we know that when Jesus says, “this is my body” and “this is my blood,” he’s not playing word games. He doesn’t really mean “this represents my body” or “this symbolizes my blood” as many non-Lutheran Christians believe. If you have made out your will, your lawyer makes sure your language is very clear. It is very precise. This is Jesus’ last will and testament. He is very clear and precise with his language. “Is” means “is.”

When you are giving your heirs their inheritance, you are very specific with who gets what. Your eldest son gets the double portion while the other siblings get smaller percentages. I’m teasing. You list who gets Grandma’s fine China, who gets Grandpa’s woodcarving tools, and so on.

Jesus is very specific about the inheritance God’s children – Jesus’ brothers and sisters – will receive in this Holy Meal. St. Paul explains, “Brothers, I am speaking in human terms. When someone has established a last will and testament, no one nullifies it or adds to it” (Galatians 3:15). Jesus’ true body is really present with the bread and his true blood is really present with the wine in Holy Communion.

The Lord promises, “I will forgive their guilt, and I will remember their sins no more.” The all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful God forgets. He has amnesia when it comes to your sins. He forgets to punish you for your wickedness. He forgets to penalize you for your trespasses. God forgets your rolling eyes, talking back, complaining, bullying, and downright meanness. He forgets to give you the death penalty for your murder of his Son. He forgets how you fail to live up to the standards of his old covenant by replacing it with his new covenant.

Wickedness forgiven. Sin forgotten. Trespasses pardoned. Jesus promises you this inheritance in his last will and testament. No strings attached. No fine print at the bottom of the page. No surprises when the will is read. This is a one-sided, unilateral covenant sealed and secured with Christ’s signature written in divinely human blood at the bottom.

Imagine the surprise of God’s unfaithful children when they hear their heavenly Father proclaim, “I will be their God and they will be my people.” That’s a promise. God is determined to be faithful to it. God promises to come to his people with grace and forgiveness. This is the surprising message Jeremiah proclaimed to the unfaithful children of Israel. They were not cut out of the will.

God also promises to come to you. He comes to you in the unleavened bread that is also Jesus’ broken body. He comes to you in the wine that is also Jesus’ shed blood. You taste forgiveness. You have grace on your lips. You have mercy on your tongue. Since Jesus is really present in this Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, this is one-on-one time with the very Son of God.

This is the surprising message Jesus proclaims to you this Holy Thursday. You are not cut out of the will. The Sacrament upon the altar is Jesus’ last will and testament to you.

When your parents die, Lord willing, everything will be equal for you and your siblings in the inheritance left for you. Before Jesus died, he proclaimed his last will and testament. He wills us his body and blood. He wills us his forgiveness of sins. This is the new covenant, the new testament, in his blood. Jesus so fervently desired his siblings to have these blessings that he

willed us his estate the night before he died. Then on Thursday evening through Friday afternoon, he proceeded to his death to accomplish those blessings upon which his last will and testament depend.

You will taste God’s forgiveness in a few minutes after reviewing the terms of the new will and testament in the words of institution, “This is my body given for you. This is my blood shed for you.” Amen.

So let us approach with a sincere heart, in the full confidence of faith, because our hearts have been sprinkled to take away a bad conscience, and our bodies have been washed with pure water (Hebrew 10:22). Amen.