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Monday, August 11, 2008
NATIONAL NIGHT OUT
Last Tuesday was my first ever public performance. It took place during
the National Night Out hosted by my church - Trinity Lutheran Church, Menasha, Wisconsin.
I was scheduled to perform
between the hours of 4:30 - 8:00 pm, so I set up a schedule to sing three songs each half hour. This amounted to about two
hours of singing in all.
To begin with, I sang the album in order, three songs at a time. It's amazing how much work
it is to prepare a public performance of your own material! I practiced for weeks to be able to sing my songs without forgetting
the words, etc. I also wanted to be sure I could actually have the endurance to sing that long. When the show started, I
still wasn't sure how it was going to come off.
And there was also the issue of nerves. You may recall my learning
experience in Nashville. In retrospect, I wish I had been able to do the National Night Out first, because it really helped
to calm the whole nervousness thing. By the end of the evening I was feeling really comfortable and now I have a much better
sense of how I want to be "on stage."
One of the things I was really pleased with was that my voice held up well.
I wasn't really tired by the end of the night. When I got home (Liz had a class and couldn't stay the whole evening) I was
so happy to greet my wife with a voice that showed no signs of fatigue. And when I woke up the next day, my voice felt fantastic!
So
I'm thinking: Man, I can really do this! I can't wait to do it again!
I do wish I had a band, though. Singing to
tracks is better than nothing, but I think it would be fun in the extreme to perform with a live group. I pray God will lead
me in that area.
BTW, if you want to hear me sing live, feel free to contact me. All I'm asking right now is for a
free-will offering and travel expenses. So just drop me a line, and let's see what can be arranged, ok?
Thursday, August 7, 2008
CALL ACCEPTED
It was with great joy that I announced this past weekend that I was accepting
the Call extended to me by Trinity Lutheran Church and School of Menasha, Wisconsin.
We've got a lot of work to do,
but I'm excited to roll up my sleeves and get to work.
The circumstances of my moving here after getting married -
without a Call - without a job of any kind - have so overwhelmingly affirmed God's grace and mercy not only in my own life,
but in that of my wife and the lives of the faithful at Trinity.
The Lord continues to bless me beyond my wildest dreams.
He is so very good!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
E.A.A.
It stands for Experimental Aircraft Association, as it is held every year here in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Liz and I went Sunday afternoon - the last day. It was great! We
got to see a lot of aerobatic flying, as well as a Navy F-22 Raptor! Wow!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
CALL RECEIVED
Please keep my family in your prayers as I deliberate
the Divine Call extended to me by Trinity Lutheran Church and School of Menasha, Wisconsin.
This is the congregation
I have been serving as Vacancy Pastor for a couple of months and where I have been preaching regularly since February.
They
are a very loving and welcoming family of believers with their own set of challenges - just like every congregation. I would
be honored to serve them, provided it is the Lord's Will that I do so. Please pray that God would make it clear to us one
way or the other.
Thanks!
NO OTHER ROCK
Rev. Steven S. Billings
Pentecost 10
Sermon
7-20-2008
Isaiah 44:6-8
6 "Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer,
the Lord of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God. 7 And who can proclaim as I do?
Then let him declare it and set it in order for Me, Since I appointed the ancient people. And the things that are coming and
shall come, Let them show these to them. 8 Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and
declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.'"
Let
me say this clearly and succinctly: There is only one True religion and Christianity is it, because there is only one True
God and this is the religion He gave us.
Christianity has always claimed an exclusiveness that the world finds repugnant,
but it does so because our Lord claimed it first. Jesus Christ Himself says, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, and no
one comes to the Father but by Me" (John 14:6). The Apostle Peter states in Acts 4: "Salvation is found in no one else, for
there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). And here in our text God says, "Is
there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one."
Christianity is exclusive. It's exclusive
in that it worships the only True God and teaches that there is no other way for someone to be saved but by the grace of God
in Jesus Christ. It's exclusive because it claims to be the only Truth in a endless sea of myths. It's exclusive because
its message is one of grace, while all the other religions in the world offer nothing but salvation by works.
But Christianity
is also inclusive, because it's open to everyone. "God would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the
truth" (1 Timothy 2:4); "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should
not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16); and Jesus Himself cries out: "Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened
and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).
So Christianity is exclusive, but also inclusive.
For so many years
God’s people mocked Him with their waywardness, with their tendency to seek help in time of trouble from just about anybody
else besides Him - from other nations and even from false gods. In their actions they showed how unfaithful they were with
God's claim of exclusivity.
In Isaiah’s time, it was King Ahaz who promoted this unfaithfulness.
Seeing a threat
from both Assyria and Babylon, Ahaz tried to make alliances with other nations, rather than put his trust in God.
But
the word of God’s displeasure came to Ahaz and the people through the prophet Isaiah: "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for
help, and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but who
do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the Lord!" (Isaiah 31:1) "Alas, sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt,
a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel
and turned their backs on him" (Isaiah 1:4) "Is there a God besides Me? Indeed, there is no other Rock."
Here's the
thing: God is not willing to share His kingdom with some made-up god.
Israel got the point when God allowed other nations
- pagan nations - to be the instruments of His chastening. Despite their efforts to handle things on their own, their enemies
marched in, destroyed their cities, ransacked their places of worship, carried their men, women and children away into exile
and made them live as slaves. God will not share His throne with anyone, let alone a figment of some spiritually perverted
imagination. "The Lord is God; there is no other" (1 Kings 8:60b).
Tolerance is a much-spoken word in our day
which makes today's Old Testament so relevant to us. Tolerance, in all things, is said to be a great virtue. How
often have you heard - or perhaps even thought - that all religions are the same; they all worship the same God - they just
do it in different ways?
Some time ago a letter was written to the editor of The Lutheran Witness responding to a previous
letter in which a pastor wrote: "all other gods are false gods, nonexistent, the figment of men’s imagination."
The
individual responding to that statement wrote: "If Islam and Judaism believe in the God of Abraham, and the God we Christians
believe in is the God of Abraham, how can you say the God of Abraham is a figment of men’s imagination?"
Well, the
answer is: God, as He has revealed Himself to us in His Word, is a Triune God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. All three of
the Creeds of the Church clearly confess that teaching, and martyrs have gone to their graves defending it. In other words,
God is a package deal; you can't claim to worship the Father - the God of Abraham - and yet, at the same time reject the Son
and the Holy Spirit. Does the follower of Islam or Judaism worship the same God as the Christian? What does Scripture say?
"We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son
of God, God abides in him, and he in God" (1 John 4:14-15) and "Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he
who acknowledges the Son has the Father" (1 John 2:23).
It should be clear to anyone that if you only recognize the
Father - whether you call Him Jehovah or Allah - you do not have the same God worshiped by Christians.
But what do
you and I do with this notion of religious tolerance that suggests that all religions are the same, or that all religions
are equally valid? What do we say about the world’s religions, knowing that Christianity is exclusive and that there is only
One True God, and only "one Name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved?"
To begin with, we are, as Isaiah
says, "God’s witnesses." "Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides
Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one."
As those called out of darkness into God’s marvelous light, we
have been given the privilege, and the duty, to declare the wonders of God’s salvation in Christ.
While we might,
in the end, respect a person in their belief, we never give credence to that belief, for since God is true, all others will
be found to be liars (Romans 3:4). Our place in this maze of world religions is to be faithful to the One True God, to call
the world out of darkness into the marvelous light of Christ, to say, with all boldness: "there is no God’s besides Him.
Indeed, there is no other Rock."
You know, tolerance never brought anyone to faith! Tolerance never rescues a man’s
soul from the fiery pit of hell! It may bring temporary peace, but it will never bring lasting peace, eternal peace! "Thus
says the Lord, the King of Israel, and His Redeemer, the Lord of hosts; I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there
is no God." This is the One who gives faith! This is the One who rescues from hell! This is the One who brings true peace!
God
- Father, Son and Holy Spirit - is the Rock, and there is no other. On the day when God rescued David from all his enemies,
David said this: "The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield
and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge, my Savior" (2 Samuel 22:3).
God’s claim’s are exclusive;
no doubt about it. But this same God, the Rock of your salvation, calls you even today, to "come to Him" - with your burdens,
your troubles, and, most importantly, your sins, and as your Rock, He will crush all that would crush you. He will render
powerless anything that threatens to harm you. Indeed, He Himself was crushed for you, and He gives you that broken body
and flowing blood today so that you can have His forgiveness.
I suppose that's what it all boils down to: forgiveness.
No other religion in the world offers "salvation by grace through faith." In fact, some even find the forgiveness of God
to be offensive, something that is beneath the image of the god that they have created.
The True God, however, takes
our sin upon Himself and gives us His righteousness. And in that, He shows Himself to be the only Rock. "Oh come, let us
sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation, Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods." In the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
PEACE AND STRIFE
Rev. Steven S. Billings
Pentecost 7
Sermon
6-29-2008
St. Matthew 10:34-42
34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on
the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 "For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER
AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; 36 and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS
OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. 37 "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter
more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
39 "He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it. 40 "He
who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. 41 "He who receives a prophet in
the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man
shall receive a righteous man's reward. 42 "And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little
ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you he shall not lose his reward."
Now, here’s a Gospel message
that'll set you back a step or two: Jesus comes to break up families and turn them against each other!
But don’t take
my word for it; take His: "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.
For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law';
and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household."
See? Jesus Himself declares that He has come to break up
families. Just wait 'til your cousin, the skeptic, asks you to explain this one! What are you gonna say?
Let me see
if I can help.
First of all, believe it or not, this is good news! Yes, it is, for Jesus proclaims in today's Gospel
that He has come to replace bad peace with good strife.
Good strife? What?! Let me explain: When Jesus talks about
turning family members against each other, He's actually quoting an Old Testament prophecy from Micah.
In the book
of Micah, the prophet bemoans the rebellion of Israel against God and His Word, which had led to some awful circumstances.
On
the national scene, rulers were corrupt and judges were easily bribed. And because the authorities were so crooked, there
was no justice for anyone.
Locally, friends could not to be trusted. True friendship requires loyalty and trust, but
sin had turned people to selfishness and greed.
And on the personal level? Micah mourns that the family structure
is being destroyed.
In families where everyone follows the Word of God, there is a kind of spiritual harmony. But,
when there are family members who reject God's Word, there are terrible consequences; and this is the verse that Jesus quotes,
Micah 7:6: "For son dishonors father, Daughter rises against her mother, Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man's
enemies are the men of his own household."
When you've got some family members who are believers and some who aren't,
brothers and sisters, you're going to have strife. Lookit, when a believing father goes to correct an unbelieving son for
his sinful behavior, that son is going to rebel. And if a daughter-in-law objects to her mother-in-law’s false religion,
don't you think that mother-in-law will become more critical than ever? She's going to complain about her daughter-in-law
at every possible turn.
It's a timeless truth, my friends: When a family is made up of believer and unbelievers, there
will always be strife because there are different gods being worshiped in that household. There's really only two ways for
that family to find peace: Either they'll all come to believe in the same God, or they'll decide that religion doesn’t really
matter.
Now, clearly, giving up on God altogether - or simply letting everyone go their own way and making God a taboo
subject - this just isn't an option for believing Christians. So, how do we get everybody on the same page when it comes
to faith? Is the religious chaos in your family something you're just stuck with, without any hope of resolving it? Not
at all. And that's part of what Jesus is telling us in this text.
Here is your hope: Jesus has come to undo the consequences
of sin.
You know we all deserve eternal damnation, because we're all sinful, and the wages of sin is death. But Jesus
has come to undo this: He died so that we could be forgiven. Apart from Christ, we face God’s eternal judgment. But, because
of His death and resurrection, Jesus has undone this; by giving His life for us, He has been judged in our place and has taken
the punishment we deserve.
Jesus has come to undo the wages of sin.
But let's examine how this impacts us on
a daily basis. It's not necessarily what you might think. Sin brings death; Jesus gives life. But here's the paradox: Life
is often stressful.
As we go through life we suffer all sorts of strife. We get sick, we find ourselves in need, we're
often disappointed or saddened by the experiences we encounter. When people die, they often look far more peaceful than they
did when they were living. In fact, they often look far more peaceful than we who are still living! But this is the
point: they only look peaceful. The reality is: they're dead! This is not a good peace!
If a dead person
came back to life, he'd be returning to a world full of strife. He wouldn't appear to be as peaceful, but he would be alive,
which is certainly better than being dead, don't you think?
Now let's go back now to the statement Jesus made in our
text: "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to 'set
a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; and 'a man's enemies
will be those of his own household."
Here's the point: When the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is preached,
it brings people to faith. Often, the person coming to faith lives in a home where no one else is a Christian. Now, prior
to this person becoming a Christian, there was no religious strife in that family. In the eyes of many it appears to be a
peaceful, happy household. The trouble is, the reason for their peace is that they're all dead - spiritually dead - dead
in their trespasses and sins.
But now there's a Christian in that house, and Christians desire to live quite differently
than unbelievers. Their actions begin to change, and they try to share God's Law and Gospel with their family. They'll warn
other members about the dangers of promiscuity and worldliness. They'll lovingly tell them about God's grace and mercy toward
them in Christ Jesus and the forgiveness He earned for them at the cross. They'll try to guide their loved-ones in the way
of Truth.
And this is where the battle begins. Sons and daughters don't want to abandon their worldly lifestyle, so
they rebel. In-laws don't want to abandon their false religion, so a wall of hostility goes up. Parents - who usually do
know better than their children - consign the gospel to merely a “stage” their kids are going through. And this is only the
beginning! Things can often get a whole lot worse before they're through.
But we have to ask: Which is better? A
dead peace or a lively strife?
There's no doubt that, in such cases, strife has replaced peace, but think about it:
The family was peaceful because they were all spiritually dead! Strife has come up because one of them is now alive. Struggle
has ensued in that family because one of its members is trying to shake the others out of the grip of death by speaking God’s
truth, and when the voice of God is heard through His saving Word, the formerly stagnant ground begins to tremble. The pillars
of unbelief are crumbling and the roof is about to cave in. It's terrifying at first for many who huddle in the cramped dank
cellar of doubt. Such light as they've never seen is streaking through the floorboards. Through that one vibrant soul God
is moving to drag the others into the light of day.
This is the strife that Jesus brings: Deliverance from sin, forgiveness,
faith and everlasting life. He raises believers from spiritual death. When everyone was dead there was no strife because
nobody cared about God or His Word. But when life enters in, there will be strife as the battle between life and death rages
on.
The good news is: Jesus brings good strife to conquer bad peace. He brings life where there was death.
He brings forgiveness where there was only sin. He brings faith where there was rejection and unbelief. The world sees
this as causing trouble, but for such "trouble" we give Him hearty thanks!
Now, look at the struggle you are currently
in - at work, at home, at church or at school. Understand that Jesus is working in that situation. He is bringing about
His will and leading others to a closer relationship with Him. And just maybe, the person who needs to come closer is you.
Martin
Luther once wrote that the most troubling times in his life were when he had no troubles at all. He figured he'd gotten so
far off track that the devil didn't need to afflict him anymore.
Beloved, where Jesus is, there will be strife, because
the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh will oppose Him. But only where Jesus is will you find true lasting
peace in the midst of struggle, for it is peace with God, peace which declares that He no longer holds your sins against you,
peace that comes from sins forgiven and the assurance that He is working all things together for the good of those who love
Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
SLAVES TO WHOM?
Rev. Steven S. Billings
Pentecost 6
Sermon
6-22-2008
Romans 6:12-23
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body,
that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin,
but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Shall
we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that to whom you present
yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading
to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that
form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of
uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have
then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set
free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For
the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
St. Paul was quite the Lutheran
preacher, wasn't he. By that I mean that he preached a thoroughly Lutheran sermon, which is to say that he preached both
Law and Gospel.
Such preaching has been a hallmark of the Lutheran Church since the time of the Reformation. We've
been known as the singing church, the sacramental church, and the liturgical church. But the one thing that separates us
from other churches is our devotion and commitment to Law-and-Gospel preaching.
This is an important distinction.
We don't preach the Law or the Gospel. We don't preach the Law at the expense of the Gospel. We don't preach
the Law disguised as the Gospel. We preach the Law and the Gospel.
Every Lutheran pastor is taught to
preach Law and Gospel; it's one the first things we learn in our homiletics classes. One of the first books we read is one
by C.F.W. Walther called The Proper Distinction between Law and Gospel. It's a collection of lectures given by Dr.
Walther - the founder and first president of our Synod - nearly a century and a half ago, and these lectures have been the
standard for good Lutheran preaching ever since.
In Thesis 2 he states: "Only he is an orthodox teacher who not only
presents all articles of faith in accordance with Scripture, but also rightly distinguishes from each other the Law and the
Gospel," and again in Thesis 4: "The true knowledge of the distinction between the Law and the Gospel is not only a glorious
light, affording the correct understanding of the entire Holy Scriptures, but without this knowledge Scripture is and remains
a sealed book."
Friends, let me ask you: If your pastor doesn't understand the Scriptures, how can he possibly preach
correctly? How can he teach the Scriptures if they remain closed to him? And if the Scriptures are closed to the pastor,
how can they ever be opened for his congregation?
Luther lamented the ignorance of the pastors in his day. The preaching
was so bad they thought the Law was the Gospel! They thought that you were saved just by obeying the Law! Yikes!
Obviously,
the problem has not gone away. If you were to examine some of the best-known preachers across the country, you'd find that
most of them didn't get to be popular by rightly dividing the Law and the Gospel! Instead, they package the Law in such a
way that they entice people to buy their books and send them their life's savings to help keep their TV show on the air.
They seduce people into thinking that by doing this or some other "good work" they'll get into heaven.
You may know
people who've bought the snake oil promoted by these charlatans. Maybe even you yourself have been snookered from time to
time. But Dr. Walther warns us: "The Word of God is not rightly divided when an attempt is made by means of the demands or
the threats or the promises of the Law to induce the unregenerate to put away their sins and engage in good works and thus
become godly" (Thesis 23). Those who buy into the false theology of today's false prophets have become slaves to the Law,
enslaved to the Law's demands and to their own sinfulness, namely, the sin of rejecting the pure Gospel when they hear it,
because they don't even recognize it to be the blessed message of salvation that it is.
Now, before we go shaking our
heads, we need to understand just how easy this is. Be honest with yourself; how often have you heard sermons with such awful
theology - and liked them!? The fact is: we like Law-based sermons - because they tell us what to do. We're
not nearly as enthusiastic about Gospel sermons because they tell us what we can't do, namely, save ourselves. We can't save
ourselves because Jesus has done that already! It's done. Finished. Completed.
We'd rather hear that we can contribute
in some way to our salvation. We're like those people Paul wrote to Timothy about when he said: "The time will come when
men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number
of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear" (2 Tim. 4:3 NIV).
This is a big problem in the Church today:
Shepherd shopping, looking around for a preacher who will tell us what we want to hear rather than what we need
to hear. You know what we need to hear? We need to hear that we are sinners who deserve to die on account of our sins.
That's the Law. But we also need to hear that we have a Savior who has set us free from sin. That's the Gospel. We need
to hear that God has declared us righteous for His Son's sake, that we are justified by grace through faith, "not of works,
lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). But we like to boast, so we sin by trying to be our own savior, and in the process,
we enslave ourselves even more.
Walther writes: "The Word of God is not rightly divided when one makes an appeal to
believe in a manner as if a person could make himself believe or at least help towards that end, instead of preaching faith
into a person's heart by laying the Gospel promises before him" (Thesis 13). By being slaves to the Law we are slaves to
sin and slaves to the devil and we justly receive our slave-wages, and you know what those are. You heard it earlier: "The
wages of sin is death" (v. 23a).
However, when we hear the Law and the Gospel preached in their proper context, we
hear the Gospel proclaimed in all its fullness; we hear the cross, that Jesus died for our sins, that by God's grace we will
be in heaven for all eternity. As the Law and the Gospel are rightly divided, the Holy Spirit saves us through the Word and
strengthens us with the Word, especially when we need to hear the Gospel the most.
Beloved, we need to hear the Gospel
most when the storms of life blow across our bough, particularly when those storms bring death. We need to know that Jesus
Christ is our Resurrection and our Life on account of His own crucifixion and death. He took the sins of the entire world
upon Himself and carried them to the cross, where He suffered for them and died. It wasn't the nails of iron that held Him
to that cross; it was our sins that nailed Him there - your sins, my sins, and the sins of every human being that ever lived,
for we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Our Redeemer bled and died so that, through the
God-given gift of faith, we would have eternal life. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we believe in Him, and in the comfort
of the Holy Spirit we can die in peace, for we know that because He lives we shall live also. We who live and believe in
Jesus shall live with Him forever in the mansions of heaven, where we will be reunited with all who have gone before us in
this faith.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this is the Good News. This is the Gospel. Paul bids us to be slaves
to God, and this is nothing other than to believe the Gospel and to cling to our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in faith.
It's
not Law to ask someone to believe the Good News, as though believing is some sort of work for us to do. Remember what Jesus
Himself said: "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent" (John 6:28). Not only is it the work
of God, but it is also the gift of God that you believe and have life in Jesus' name.
God grant that we would
all be His slaves unto life everlasting. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
WHILE WE WERE SINNERS
Rev. Steven S. Billings
Pentecost 5
Sermon
6-15-2008
Romans 5:6-15
6 For when we were still without strength, in due time
Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone
would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ
died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled,
we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received the reconciliation. 12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world,
and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned; 13 (For until the law sin was in the
world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over
those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God
and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.
Have you ever considered the pervasiveness
of God's love? Have you ever thought: How could He possibly love me? With all the things I think, say, and do, why
does He put up with me? Why doesn’t God treat me the way I treat others? And with the way I treat Him sometimes,
why doesn't He just wipe me off the face of the earth? I certainly deserve it, don't you? Of course we do!
Yet, our
Lord loves us and helps us as we contemplate His love. For God's love goes against everything that makes sense to us. Who
on earth would have dealt with us the way He did when He sent His Son to die for our sins? And in case any of us wants to
get the idea that there's something special about us to make God love us so, our text tells us in no uncertain terms that
it was only by God's grace that He took such action.
Paul writes: "When we were still without strength . . . while
we were still sinners . . . when we were enemies . . ." It's very clear that, left to our own devices, we are powerless to
do anything about our salvation, powerless to influence God - in the slightest way - positively toward us, even if we wanted
to, which we don’t. There's nothing we can do to get on good terms with God. There's nothing that we by nature even want
to do to become godly. We are "by nature sinful and unclean."
And let's make sure we understand this: We're not sinners
because we sin. It's not like we were walking along one day, goofed up, and said: "Oh, my goodness, I'm a sinner now." No,
we sin because we're sinners; we can't help it. We were born into a state of sinfulness, born enemies of God. Contrary to
what some want to think, human beings are not inherently good; we're not even neutral. We wage war against God and His holiness.
There's nothing good in us that would move God to love us or save us.
So it's in this state of powerlessness, while
we were still sinners and enemies of God, that He did something about our relationship. In His great love He sent
His own dear Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins. God didn't wait for us to change. He didn't sit back and
wait for us to come to Him. He didn't stand by waiting to see something good in us before He took action - because there
was nothing good to find! No, God acted when we were unable and unwilling to act, at just the right time, with just the
help we needed.
"When we were still without strength, Christ died for the ungodly . . . while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us . . . when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son." Every human being
from the time of Adam until the end of the world is by nature ungodly. Yet, God's dear Son died for us all, even for those
who are eternally lost. Just because somebody is lost and on their way to hell doesn't mean that Jesus didn't die for them.
It just means they didn't take Him up on His offer of forgiveness. Which is really sad, because it's not like He doesn't
want to save them too. And that is something we often struggle with.
I have to be honest with you; there're not very
many people that I'd be willing to lay down my life for. We may be ashamed to admit it, but you probably feel the same way.
And if there were someone we'd be willing to die for, wouldn't that person have to be someone worth saving - I mean, as far
as we're concerned? Maybe your spouse or your child?
My guess is that there's many a dad in this sanctuary today who
wouldn't think twice about throwing himself in front of a bus in order to save his kid. In fact, father's lay their lives
on the line in many ways for their families, which is just one of the reasons we honor them on days such as this. Thank God
for fathers who are willing to risk their necks for their wife and children!
And I suppose someone might be willing
to put his life "in harms way" if it were his duty to do so. There are thousands of our young men and women doing that right
now over in Iraq and other places around the world.
And think of the Secret Service agents who guard our President.
More than one has "taken a bullet" for the leader of the free world. Though they might be willing to give up their
lives, but you have to know that they hope they'll never have to!
But Christ . . . He volunteered to "take the
bullet" for all of us when He was nailed to the cross. It's what He came for. His whole life was focused on "taking the
bullet" for people who hated Him, for people who were more than happy to see Him dead.
"While we were sinners, Christ
died for us." Because of Christ's death, the ultimate sacrifice has been made. But this was no ordinary death; it was the
innocent for the guilty, the spotless Lamb of God shedding His blood in the place of sinners.
And it's because of that
bloody sacrifice that we are justified, that is, declared righteous and innocent before God. And being declared innocent,
we are saved from the wrath of God because it has already been poured out on Christ in His suffering and death. Our status
has changed from ungodly to godly through faith in Christ's atoning sacrifice.
"While we were still sinners, Christ
died for us." Truly this is something to contemplate and to boast about. Really, how can we keep silent? As people reconciled
to God through the blood of Jesus we have every reason to boast and rejoice - not because of ourselves, but because of the
life that is ours through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters, tell the world! Share
your joy! In the name of Jesus. Amen
LIVING IN HIS PRESENCE
Rev. Steven S. Billings
Pentecost 4
Sermon
6-8-2008
Hosea 5:15-6:6
15 I will return again to My place Till they acknowledge
their offense. Then they will seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me." 6:1 Come, and let
us return to the Lord; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. 2 After two
days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight. 3 Let us know, Let
us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like
the latter and former rain to the earth. 4 "O Ephraim, what shall I do to you? O Judah, what shall I do to you?
For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud, And like the early dew it goes away. 5 Therefore I have hewn them
by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of My mouth; And your judgments are like light that goes forth. 6 For
I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
Today's Old Testament presents
a beautiful prophecy of the coming Messiah, the Savior of the world. This Messiah was first promised in Genesis chapter three.
God continued to promise His coming as He dealt with Abraham. And throughout the Old Testament we see how He continued to
prepare the world for its Savior.
At the time of the prophet Hosea the Kingdom of Israel was divided. Hosea was a
prophet in the northern kingdom.
Israel had developed a rather nasty habit of rebelling against God, who would then
bring difficulty upon them so they would seek His help. Throughout the Scriptures we see a cycle that repeats itself over
and over again: Israel rebels, God puts them through tribulation, they repent, God restores them, they enjoy a period of peace,
but then fall away, and the whole thing starts all over again.
Sounds kinda familiar, doesn't it. You know, people
haven't changed all that much since the days of Hosea. The pattern seen in the Children of Israel can be seen in our world
today - even in our own country, even in our own lives. We rebel against God, do things the way we want to - never mind what
God thinks - then He puts us through some experience that wakes us up and brings us back to Him. We repent, He restores us,
we enjoy peace and harmony with Him, then sin enters in and the cycle rolls around again.
When today's text was written
Israel was in a state of rebellion. Through His prophet, God had been calling them back, to repent of their rebellion, but
they wouldn't listen. Now there was the threat of attack from the powerful Assyrian army, an attack which was sure to obliterate
them. Still, they wouldn't repent. So, God said, "I will return again to My place Till they acknowledge their offense."
He
had tried and tried to get them to turn from their rebellion, but now He was going to have to allow trouble to come so they
would remember Him and worship Him again. Sometimes God has to hit us over the head with a two-by-four to get our attention,
doesn't He. Sometimes He has to put us flat on our back to get us to look up. It's not something He enjoys, but He knows
it's necessary, as He says: "Then they will seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me."
What follows
is a beautiful prophecy of what God will do for Israel. Even though He is going to make them endure affliction He will not
leave them forever. Hosea writes: "Come, and let us return to the Lord; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken,
but He will bind us up."
Yes, God does allow difficulty to come into the lives of His people, but He does not allow
it to continue forever. When His purpose has been fulfilled, when His people have turned back to Him, He removes their trouble.
"He has torn us to pieces but He will heal us; He has injured us but He will bind up our wounds."
My friend, if you've
been rebelling against God and now He's got you in a situation where you have no other option but to trust Him, maybe He's
trying to wake you up. Maybe He's saying, "Look, all I want is what I alone deserve: worship, praise, honor, obedience."
Maybe it's His way of telling you that He wants to be back in your life, to be included as a vibrant, active part of your
life. If this is the case and you're realizing it today, be of good cheer, the end is near. God has promised that He will
bring healing; He will bring restoration.
Now, understand: God brings affliction into our lives for many different
reasons; this is just one of them. A rebellious attitude toward God may not be the reason for whatever trouble you're in.
But it might be, and that's something you should consider. We know it was the case for Israel, and thanks be to God, they
knew it wouldn't last forever. God would deliver them, and you can be assured that He will deliver you as well.
By
now you may be wondering what all this has to do with the Messiah. Well, in the beginning of Hosea's book, God instructs
him to go out and marry an adulterous woman and have children by her. As the Lord puts it, "For the land has committed great
harlotry By departing from the Lord" (1:2).
The Bible often speaks of the relationship of God to His people in marital
terms. When His people have turned away, He often - as He does here - calls it adultery.
This marital relationship
comes up again in connection with Christ and the Church. In Matthew 25, Jesus tells the parable of the ten virgins who prepare
for the bridegroom, referring to the church preparing for the coming of the Lord. In Revelation 19, we read about the marriage
feast of the Lamb, also referring to Christ and the Church. Ephesians 5, which speaks of the relationship between husband
and wife, is all about Christ and the Church. With this imagery in mind, Hosea's whole life is seen as a Messianic prophecy.
He goes out to woo and win an adulterous woman, making her respectable; Jesus suffers and dies for His bride, the Church,
making us respectable in the eyes of God.
And look at the specific prophecy in our text. This is clearly Messianic.
Though we all have turned from God and deserve the punishment and injury mentioned here, it is not we ourselves who have
endured it, have we. By virtue of being sons and daughters of Adam, we are born into a state of rebellion against God (original
sin) and live out that rebellion day-by-day (actual sin). The punishment for this sinfulness is death.
But, someone
else has paid that price, hasn't He. Israel was unfaithful - the adulterous woman. Hosea stands in the stead and by the
command of God, marries a harlot, and thereby indicates that God Himself will reconcile the unfaithful nation as a groom purifies
his unfaithful bride.
Beloved, though we have deserved the wrath and punishment of God on account of our sins - individually
and collectively - our Bridegroom - Jesus - has taken that wrath and punishment on Himself. Jesus was torn to pieces for
us. Jesus was injured on our behalf. Jesus is the one to whom this text points. Indeed, Jesus is the one to whom the entire
life and ministry of Hosea the prophet points.
How clear this becomes when our text says things like: "After two days
He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up!" Jesus, the Messiah, was the One who was revived after two days.
He was the One restored on the third day.
Jesus took upon Himself what we so obviously deserved, and because He took
our punishment, because He was torn, because He was wounded, we have been spared the pain of eternal death.
All the
benefits of this passage are now ours. Because He was revived we shall be revived. Because He was restored we shall be restored.
We have been healed; He has bound our wounds.
This would make a beautiful ending. But, our text does not end here.
It goes on to answer a very important question: "So what?" So we have been healed. So what? So He has bound our wounds.
So what? So we have been revived. So what? So we have been restored. So what?
So, now we "live in His sight."
We live, walk, do everything, say everything, in His presence. As Paul said to the men of Athens: "In Him we live and move
and have our being" (Acts 17:28).
We Christians are taught from a very young age - are we not? - that Jesus lives in
our heart. You graduates have most likely heard this your whole lives. Count it a blessing that you've been raised in a
Christian home and had the immense privilege of attending a Lutheran school. Here you have been reminded again and again that
you received the Holy Spirit in your baptism and that He is always with you.
But that sort of makes you re-think the
way you do some of the things you do, doesn't it. Sometimes I have to ask myself, "If Jesus were walking beside me, would
I go to some of the places I go? If He were listening, would I say some of the things I say? If He were watching, would
I do some of the things I do?" You know what? He is!
A little girl once asked her grandfather, "Grandpa, is God bigger
than us?" He was sort-of surprised by the question; they can come up with some real winners, you know. "I suppose you could
say that," he finally answered. "Well," she replied, "if He's bigger than us and He lives inside us, shouldn't we be able
to see Him?"
Come, let us return to the Lord, for He has prepared the way, and stands ready to take our hand. In the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
THE BIBLICAL NOTION OF FAMILY
Rev. Steven S. Billings
Pentecost 3
Sermon
6-1-2008
Deuteronomy 11:18-21, 26-28
18 "Therefore you shall lay up these
words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between
your eyes. 19 "You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk
by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 20 "And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house
and on your gates, 21 "that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land of which the
Lord swore to your fathers to give them, like the days of the heavens above the earth. 26 "Behold, I set before
you today a blessing and a curse: 27 "the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command
you today; 28 "and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the
way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known."
It seems fitting as we begin the month
that contains Father's Day that we would be blessed with a passage such as this which seems to focus on what the father is
the head of; namely, the home. As head of the household, what is it that follows his leadership? When we recall that
each of the chief parts of the Small Catechism bears the heading: "As the Head of the Family Should Teach in a Simple Way
to His Household," we begin to scratch the surface of the Biblical notion of family.
We celebrate educational accomplishments
today, and well we should! But we must remember that such achievements are not purely individual in nature; they are family
achievements, as each family member is supported and encouraged by the others. Parents and children should indeed be proud
of what they, together with God's help, have accomplished.
And let us not forget that the home is the most important
element in providing a solid background for our culture. When homes break down, churches break down and nations break down.
What's happening in American homes today is, needless to say, not a good sign for the future. Most of the ills that are
trickling into the stream of our civilization are the result of weak spots in the home.
Make no mistake: the footprints
of Satan are all over our homes today. Discord and strife, bickering and contention - these all have a way of spilling over
into our church and society. The devil sees the great things God has planned and is doing everything he can do to chip away
at the very foundation upon which our church, our community, and our nation are built - and that's the family - the
family gathered around God's holy Word and sacraments - the family bound together by the blood-bought forgiveness of Jesus
Christ.
To create such Gospel-centered families, God gives a great deal of instruction about the home. You might be
surprised, if you started with Genesis and continued through Revelation, to see how often God speaks of children, of the home;
how often He admonishes, exhorts, invites, and pleads, in order to convince us of the basic truth that the home is of absolute
primary importance.
But it's like pulling teeth to get people to understand this. They'll get all excited about their
house, their lawn, their flower beds, the way their neighborhood looks. They'll complain if their street isn't plowed in
the winter or if the trash is left sitting on the curb.
We read all "better living," but what's usually meant by that
is: better menus, better furnishings, better landscaping, and so on.
But these things don't make a home. It's not
a matter of housing; it's about converting the home - whether it's a mansion or a tent - into a place of Christian
learning and living. What truly makes a home has nothing to do with its physical appearance. Regardless of how humble your
house may be, your home has to do with the spirit of the people who live there - the heart they have, the character
they possess, the idea they have of life, what their attitude is toward one another, the love they have for God and for mankind
- that's what matters in the home. If a house is to be "home, sweet home," it must be devoted to helping its occupants
respond in faith to the love of God in Christ Jesus.
To have such a Godly home, parents need to accept what God says
about the home. You know, you can't tell your kids to go to Church if you don't go yourself. Eventually your child will
say: "Hey, why should I go if Dad doesn't?"
It's to parents that God says: "Lay up these words of mine
in your heart and in your soul." Children learn by example. Parents need to make sure God's Word is in their own hearts
first, to pray that their own souls are renewed by the power of Holy Spirit so that they don't become the blind leading the
blind.
If children hear coarse language from their fathers, if they hear their mothers gossip, if they see abuses of
gambling, drinking, you name it, they're going follow in the footsteps of their parents. They don't always "get" what their
parents say, but they always "get" what their parents are.
God wants to be at home in your home. That's why
He says that His Word is to be as "frontlets between your eyes," bound as a "sign on your hand," written "on the doorposts
of your house and on your gates." Parents, you are to speak God's Word to your children "when you sit in your house, when
you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." There is no spiritual power in the world more effective than
the Word of God. Through His Word He brings us to faith and keeps us in the faith.
Of course, nowhere does Scripture
say this will be easy. You can bet that the devil will try to keep you from bringing God's Word into your home. He
will whisper: "We don't have time for family Bible reading and prayer." He'll try to get you to think: "God's Word is too
hard to understand; we've tried reading the Bible, but we don't seem to get any good out of it." He'll trick you into believing:
"You know, you can overdo this religion thing."
When you find these thoughts rattling around in your brain, remember
where such ideas come from and learn to recognize the fangs of the old evil serpent lying just beneath the surface. Don't
be fooled. Do you think such notions come from God? If you think you can keep things together without God's Word, just remember
what Jesus said: "Without Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). Parents, I urge you, don't let anything keep you from daily
Scripture reading and prayer!
And even when you do bring God's Word to your children, that doesn't mean they'll
embrace it and cheerfully follow your teaching. Some are going to rebel against it for awhile. But don't forget God's promise:
"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6).
One of
the most frightening things I hear a lot of parents say these days is: "I want my child to make up his own mind about religion."
The fact of the matter is, such a parents has already the decision for his child and has taught him that his relationship
with God isn't worth pursuing. Dear friends, it's vitally important that you raise your children to be Christians - dare
I say, to be Lutherans. Youth time is seeding time. We have to mold the formative spirit children while they're still
young, and we do that by bringing God's Word into the home and by bringing the members of our home into the church.
Thankfully,
God doesn't expect you to tackle this problem on your own. He promises to be with you. He tells you to pray to the Holy
Spirit for strength and guidance, to pray daily for the right attitude, the right approach, and the right judgment.
Our
text speaks of the rich blessing that will come to those who maintain Godly homes. So, parents, be resolved to bring God's
Word into your homes every day. Above all, bring into your homes the Biblical doctrine of salvation by grace through faith
in Christ Jesus, our Lord, which has the power to win our trust and fill us with joy. Keep in mind the Biblical record which
speaks of the life and sacrifice of our Savior. Only through God's Word will we have the true picture of our Lord, who gave
Himself as a ransom for us and by whose stripes we are healed.
Through faith in Jesus parents and children alike are
led to imitate His character. God grant all of us the resolve to do what Joshua did when he said: "As for me and my house,
we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15). Strive to make your home a place where God will be at home. This will bring your
family closer to Him and closer together than ever before. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
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For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
(Philippians 1:21)
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Be sure to get in touch so I know you're out there!
When lenity and cruelty play for a kingdom,
the gentler gamester is the soonest winner.
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