ADVENT

Our Savior is Always Seeking Us

Title:   Our Savior is Always Seeking Us By Pastor Lohn Johnson

Luke 15: 3-5  3 So he told them this parable:  4 "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?  5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

INTRODUCTION: My dear friends in Christ, Years ago a man named Thor Heyerdahl wanted to test the theory that people from South America could have settled the Polynesian Islands in the South Pacific long before Columbus sailed to the New World.  So Heyerdahl took a small team of men to Peru, where they constructed a raft out of balsa logs. These logs were tied together with rope much as a group of sailors might have done in earlier times. Heyerdahl named the raft the Kon-Tiki. He and his crew of five set out on the Pacific from the coast of Peru on April 28, 1947. They sailed the raft over 4,300 miles across the Pacific Ocean before smashing into a reef in Polynesia 101 days later. They had accomplished their goal. While the venture was successful, it was not without difficulties. Two months into the voyage and thousands of miles from land, one of the men, a man named Herman, lost his footing and fell overboard. The raft, driven by a strong wind in heavy seas, moved ahead faster than Herman could swim. The five remaining men were naturally horrified. They tried to throw Herman a life belt on a rope, but the wind blew it back at them. In seconds, Herman was all but lost to their sight in the mass of waves. Suddenly one of the men, a man named Knute, grabbed the life belt and dove into the water. He swam back to Herman and wrapped his arm around him, holding his exhausted friend and the rope while the men on the boat pulled them both back to the safety of the raft. (1) All six of the men subsequently finished the journey unharmed.  All I could think of when I heard this was: “That would have been a big ocean to be lost in."

I. And for us we have a big world to be lost in too.

A. And let’s not be mistaken here we are All lost, more lost than Herman would have been.

1. Even those self-righteous Pharisees in our text were lost.

a. They saw the signs of God’s presence but refused to believe.  b. They claimed they have not need of repentance.  c. They even thought they had the right to judge Jesus.  d. They weren’t obviously lost, but they were lost nonetheless.

2. And we too are lost.  All of us.  Sin makes us lost. We are all sinners. And sin causes us to be and act lost.

a. For one thing, we do not get along great with all the other sheep.  We're always bumping into each other.  We're putting our dirty feet on the grass where other sheep are grazing. We have words with each other, and not always very nice words.  And we like to place blame upon the other sheep within our family, within our congregation.  But when we look to the Word of God and hear His accusing Law, we know full well that we are as sinful as all the other sheep in the flock.  Then we know we are lost. b. And, also, we always tend to be wandering off and getting lost.  Sometimes we're a sheep who wanders away from the flock.  We're tempted by something out there in the world, and off we go.  And before long we're lost in our sins.  c. Sometimes we're a coin that gets lost right there in the house.  We're still in the House of God week after week, but we're just as lost as a lost sheep.  We listen to the words that are spoken, but our hearts are not hearing them.  Our sins and weaknesses have pulled us away from the Savior.  We're still sitting there in His House, but we're lost in the darkness of our sins.  d. It reminds me of a story of a husband and wife who had been married for 15 years and the wife is sitting buckled in on her side of the car and the husband is sitting buckled in on his side of the car. The wife says, "Dear, why don't we sit as close as we used to?" The husband turns and says to her, "Well, honey, who moved?" Why isn't God as close to us as he used to be? The question is, "who moved?" Who is lost?  God has not moved; God is not lost. We are the ones who get lost.

B. In our lost-ness some turn this around and see God as the lost one and not us.

1. Years ago a Religious bumper sticker saying, "I Found It" was popular. It implied something to do with finding faith and with finding God.  As I thought about this bumper sticker something seemed wrong with that Idea.  Then it hit me: We need to remember who is looking for whom. The bumper sticker really ought to say, "God Found Me." 2. The familiar hymn "Amazing Grace" which we will sing during Communion captures the idea when it says: “Amazing grace!  How sweet the sound that saves a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found, Was blind but now I see.”  God reaches out to us.  He entered into our lives seeking to bring us the message of his love.

III. So God seeks us actively in love

A. His seeking began with our rescue.

1. His seeking can be seen like this: If you visit a certain ship in the Baltimore harbor, you can hear a guide explain the rescue system in case anyone fell overboard.  He proudly shared how well it worked, and why.  The captain had sewn some life jackets into a dummy which looked like a person.  Without notice, the captain would throw this dummy overboard, expecting that within seconds someone would see it in the water and sound the alarm.  When the alarm sounded, everyone on board the ship immediately focused total attention on the rescue.  If necessary, even the ship itself would be turned around.  Within three minutes the dummy would be rescued, and the crew would proudly present it to the captain.  Similarly we are lost at sea and God has sent a rescuer to find us.  Like the man from the Kon Tiki raft who jumped off to save Herman. 2.  Likewise God focused everything on saving us through Jesus.  It took everything that God’s Son had.  The rescue, the saving, cost.

a. Jesus entered our sin-darkened world, became one of us. He carried our burdens as He lived a perfect life – the life we could not live.  He carried our burdens to the cross.  There He was punished for our sin.  To find and reclaim His sheep, Jesus had to go to hell and back. He had to ransom His sheep by suffering the punishment we deserve.  The Shepherd carried on His shoulders the burden of the lost sheep.  Without the shouldering of this burden there is no rescue.  He died. b. But on the third day He rose from the dead.  He won rescue, He won salvation for us.

B. And this is the same Shepherd who loves sinful sheep today.  He seeks us until He finds us, and with joy He brings us home.

1. Jesus was sending out His seeking word as He told these parables.  That word is God’s finding tool.  God is not lost He is right there in the Word for all to see.

a. The Word is at work today too.  It finds us and it gives us the message of how God in Christ has worked salvation for us.  Sin is forgiven.  God loves us.  The word works in us and gives us the salvation that Jesus has won. b. We are called to be like the little girl who came home from church and told her mother that the pastor had spoken about her in his sermon. She said that in fact the pastor had read her name from the Bible. The mother couldn’t really believe what she was hearing, so she asked her daughter what verse the pastor had read. She said that it was that verse that says, “Jesus receives sinners and ‘Edith’ with them.” We should all hear him speak our names and believe that the gift of the cross is just for us. c. The word goes out.  Baptism transforms.  We are found. The Salvation which Jesus won is given to us.  It does not matter the type of lost-ness we suffered.  We are made part of God’s family.

2. Jesus joyously welcomes all sinners into His presence.  Especially you and me.

a. You and I have been found by a merciful Lord.  Jesus forgives us.  And when we believe this, why would we ever want to run away into sin again?  We are forgiven; so why would we ever want to run away from His House of Mercy? b. Stay with your Shepherd.  Keep yourself where His voice is heard, where His flesh and blood is given for you to eat and drink.  Keep yourself where you receive the good and gracious gifts of our Shepherd.  c. Now we are made of the seekers, too.  Is it possible that the woman with the lamp searching her house for the lost coin is a symbol of the church?  The Illumination that comes from the lamp is like the Word of God, which the church brings to those who are assembled for worship. Then Our job becomes the carrying of the word to all who are lost.  And as we do we rejoice as God’s word works, as God’s word saves.

CONCLUSION: Yes, we were lost – all of us whether we realize it or not.  And we can’t find God on our own.  But fortunately for us God seeks us.  He comes through Jesus first and foremost to win our salvation.  Then He finds us through the Word and Sacraments to give out that salvation.  And through these means we are we are found and given a place in His family.  Then He moves us to desire to remain where His voice is heard.  And He moves us to be seekers too.  Now we seek to tell others about our seeking God.  Amen.

Persevere with Prayer

Title:   Persevere with Prayer By Pastor Lohn Johnson

Luke 11:5-8  5 And he said to them, "Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves,  6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him';  7 and he will answer from within, 'Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything'?  8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.

INTRODUCTION: My dear friends in Christ,  a number of years ago a man was arrested in Ohio because He stood in a public telephone booth for two hours, dialing and dialing and dialing and dialing, desperately trying to call up God.  People said that he was abnormal, berserk, crazy, demented, a fool; and they hurried him off to an insane asylum.  But what that man was doing in his demented state, you and I -- in our right minds – are asked to do in this text.  We’re supposed to dial God’s number again and again and again and again.  Sometimes, though, prayer may seem crazy to us too; like an exercise in futility.  But calling on God is not futile – far from it.  But knowing some basics can help remove this feeling of futility.

I. First we need to know who we are calling.  Have you ever gotten one of those calls where the caller says, “Who’s this?”  I always answer, “Who did you call.”  If you call someone you really need to know who you are calling.  We need to know God to call Him in prayer.  Knowing Him removes futility we may feel when we pray.

A.  Prayer is helped when we understand the awesomeness of God

1. In prayer we are talking to the all-powerful Creator of the universe.  He is the source of every good thing.  He made everything and He continues to own everything.

a. On one hand we should have a strong element of awe or reverence or maybe even fear when we talk to God.  b. But on the other hand knowing the scope of our God can be a great help in prayer.  With Him nothing is impossible.

2. Our God is not in any way a small God.  He is not a God who is too small to bother.  Like this: Bill Keane, who draws the popular Family Circus cartoons, portrays a father who is fast asleep on the living room couch, his back facing outward and his face buried in the pillows. Anticipating being bothered by his little boy, this father has cleverly pinned a paper sign across his back that reads, "Go ask Mommy." The little tyke, unable to read, does just what his dad hopes he won't do: he tugs and tugs at his dad's shirt, asking the question, "What does that sign say, Daddy? Daddy?"  God is not like a tired father not wishing to be disturbed.  He never says, “Go ask Mommie.”

3. And also God is not an impersonal God.  He’s not just a force. a. He is a personal being.  He is someone you can talk to, especially when you consider the fact that Jesus is a man like us.  b. He is not some unreachable god.  He is personally concerned for each of us.

B.  And also we need to know that God is totally holy.  He has no sin and cannot abide sin.  Nothing sinful can come into His presence.  This affects our relationship with God in two ways connected to prayer.

1. First this is why God sometimes seems to be distant.

a. Because of His holiness He hides Himself to protect us.  If we come to Him in our sin we will be destroyed. b. But even though He is hidden He has revealed Himself in special ways that are safe for us.  Knowing God means that we know the safe ways in which He has revealed Himself to us-- In Jesus, In the Word and in the Sacraments.

2.  Second, His holiness means whenever we ask for things that He would consider sinful the answer is going to be “no.”

a. It does no good to ask God for things that will be used in sin or things connected to sin even if we don’t realize it.  b. God loves us and will not give us something that will harm us.  He will not give us a snake or a scorpion.

II. Next we need to have a correct picture of ourselves.  When you call someone on the phone you should know who you are.  You should know the relationship you have with the person you called.  This same thing is necessary when we pray.

A. The best picture of us would probably be a totally unworthy beggar standing before the highest king.

1. In other words we have no right to ask for anything.  On our own we have no relationship with this awesome God.  2.  Our hands are empty, we have nothing to offer God.  WE have nothing to bargain with before God.  So prayer is never an exercise in bargaining between us and God.

B. Nevertheless God invites us to pray to Him.  Jesus instructs us to call God “Father” implying a relationship that is above and beyond a beggar.  How can this be?

1. Our relationship has been established with God through Jesus.  Here we see another aspect of our God – His love.

a. In love God sent Jesus to live a perfect life for us.   b. He went to the cross voluntarily.  There He paid for our sin.  He took all the sin ever committed upon Himself.  He died on that cross.  He rose from the dead.  All this is done out of God’s love for us.

2. Now what Jesus has done is brought to us in Word and Sacrament.  Through these means God’s love is brought to us.  Through these means we are brought to believe what Jesus did was for us.

a. Now in Christ – because of His perfection – because He paid for our sin – we now have a relationship with God.  b. Now in Christ we can call Him Father too.  Now instead of a beggar we are loved children.  Anything a son or daughter can ask a loving father we can ask of our Father in heaven.

III. Now we know a bit about whom we call in prayer; we know who we are in relationship to the one we call upon; and now we need to know what we are to say.

A. The emphasis in this text is on the Father.  It is about how He is the giver of all good things.

1. And when you look at the text carefully you see that most of it is concerning what we would call spiritual things.  So we are to pray for spiritual things first.

a. For example: His name is hallowed only when the Spirit is in us therefore here we are praying for the Spirit to come into us more abundantly so His name would be hallowed in us also. b. His kingdom comes to us in word and Sacrament therefore we are praying for these spiritual gifts here too. c. Even the daily bread has a spiritual element too.  Jesus is the Bread of life, sustaining our faith. And the Lord’s Supper is bread sustaining faith too. d. Forgiveness is the Spirit in action in us.  First He gives us forgiveness then He moves us to live that forgiveness. e. Avoiding “Temptation” is the Spirit’s work in us to keep us from succumbing to the devil’s wiles.  This whole prayer is about keeping us in the one true faith – about receiving the Father’s spiritual gifts.  So we are to pray most about spiritual things.

2.   When we keep spiritual things in mind it removes much of the futility of prayer, because God delights in giving these good gifts. When we spend a lot of time praying for spiritual things our growth is enhanced and we see the results of His actions more clearly.

B.  And Yes we can pray for and about everyday things too.  God invites and encourages us to do so.  The term “Daily bread” makes this clear.

1. But once we have considered who we are talking to, our relationship to Him, and about all the spiritual things we have been given, how we pray for the everyday things changes.

a. They become less and less selfish.  More and more directed away from our wants to the needs of others.  b. Like this: I asked God to take away my pride, and God said no. He said it was not for him to take away, but He will move me to give it up.  I asked God to make my handicapped child whole, and God said, "No, her spirit is already whole. Her body is only temporary."  I asked God to grant me patience, and God said no. He said that patience is the byproduct of tribulation. It isn't granted; it's earned.  I asked God to give me happiness; God said no. He said he gives blessings; happiness is up to me.  I asked God to spare me pain, and God said no. He said some pain would come as He prunes me in order to make me fruitful.  I asked God if he loved me, and God said yes. He said He gave me his only Son who died for me, and I will be in heaven some day because I believe.  I asked God to help me love others as much as he loves me, and God said, "Ahhh, finally! Now you have the idea."

2. So God invites us to pray and encourages us to persevere in our prayers.  Maybe we can see it humorously like this: Paul Harvey told about a 3-year-old boy who went to the grocery store with his mother. Before they entered she had certain instructions for the little tike: "Now you’re not going to get any chocolate chip cookies, so don’t even ask."  She put him in the child's seat and off they went up and down the aisles. He was doing just fine until they came to the cookie section. Seeing the chocolate chip cookies he said, “Mom, can I have some chocolate chip cookies?” She said, “I told you not even to ask. You’re not going to get any at all.”  They continued down the aisles, but in their search for certain items she had to back track and they ended up in the cookie aisle again. “Mom, can I please have some chocolate chip cookies?” She said, “I told you that you can’t have any. Now sit down and be quiet.” Finally, they arrived at the checkout. The little boy sensed that the end was in sight, that this might be his last chance. He stood up on the seat and shouted in his loudest voice, “In the name of Jesus, may I have some chocolate chip cookies?” Everyone in the checkout lanes laughed and applauded. Do you think the little boy got his cookies? You bet! The other shoppers moved by his daring pooled their resources. The little boy and his mother left with 23 boxes of chocolate chip cookies. When we pray we are to persevere, but maybe not quite like that boy.

CONCLUSION: Prayer is a mysterious wonder.  To an unbeliever it is crazy – as crazy as that man calling God on the phone.  And even to many Christians it seems futile at times.  But when we understand who we are talking to, when we know about our relationship to Him and when we know what we are to pray for all that futility evaporates.  Prayer becomes a powerful tool for us all.  Amen

Showing Compassion and Love

Title:   Showing Compassion and Love By Pastor Lohn Johnson

Text: Luke 10: 25  On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"  26  "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"  27  He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' ; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"  28  "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

INTRODUCTION My dear friends in Christ, Years ago I liked a show called Early Edition.  This show is a fantasy in which the hero, Gary Hobson, gets the Chicago newspaper a day early.  He then is supposed to help people because he knows what is going to happen – a real Good Samaritan.  Gary’s sidekick, Chuck Fishman is always trying to get at the paper for personal gain, a no--no.  If you know what team or what horse is going to win you can make a lot of money.  But Chuck is always thwarted in one way or another.  In one episode he fails miserably and someone mentions to him that he really should change.  He should try and help people too, like Gary.  He says why not and tries it. He helps an old bag lady across the street.  The next day the woman’s representative comes to Chuck with a huge reward check.  It seems that the woman poses as a helpless bag lady to see who would help and then rewards the Good Samaritan. The check changed Chuck’s life.  And the message from this episode seems to be: “Be a Good Samaritan and it will change your life.”

I. Now it would be easy to encourage each of you to go out and emulate Chuck Fishman and also the Good Samaritan of our text – Be a good neighbor, it will change your life.  But I’m going to resist that temptation, because that’s not the real message of this parable.

A. Yet the lawyer who approached Jesus saw himself as a Good Samaritan.

1. And with regard to his life, he was a decent, God-fearing man--a Good Samaritan from many perspectives.  But he approached Jesus to test Jesus--to trap Him with a well devised question. And this spells out for us the heart of the problem.   2. Really Good Samaritans do not see the need for Jesus. This lawyer had no need for Him, nor does anyone today who sees himself as a Good Samaritan.

B. Now I think it's true that we would much prefer to see ourselves as Good Samaritans.

1. Like Chuck we are quick to point out when we are a Good Samaritan to our neighbor.  We sleep better at night when we dwell upon all the ways in which we have helped others.    2. But allow me to burst your bubble.

a. Not one of us are Good Samaritans.  We're not even close.  Nor does God want you to be a Good Samaritan.   b. When Jesus told the lawyer to go and do likewise, He wanted him to learn firsthand that he was a failure at being the Good Samaritan.

II. And of course God doesn’t want us to be like those awful robbers, in our text.

A. They were selfish, greedy, caring nothing about their fellowman. They waited for a traveler to pass by and then they beat him up and left him half-dead on the road.   B. And of course none of us would liken ourselves to those awful robbers.

1. But if you search your own heart you're going to find that same selfishness, that same greed.

a. This does not mean that you and I ever lie in wait to rob and beat up other people on the road.    b. But if you have ever acted in selfishness; if greed has ever caused you to act in a sinful manner; if you have ever treated your neighbor in an unkind way then you are like them.

2. You and I are closer to being those robbers than we might want to admit.

III. And of course we never think of ourselves as if we were like the Priest and the Levite in our text.

A. They see the dying man, yet they do not stop.  They offer no help whatsoever.

1. They committed sins of omission.  By their refusal to help they were just as guilty as the robbers were of breaking the Fifth Commandment.    2. These guys can’t have any connection to us can they?  But it’s true; isn’t it, that almost daily you and I resemble the Priest and the Levite

a. Whenever we neglect our neighbor's needs; whenever we could help someone whom God has set before us, but we pass by on the other side, we become the Priest and Levite in the story.   b. Whenever we withhold our offerings; whenever we let the plate pass us by, giving little to nothing, we like the Priest and Levite, fail to be people through whom God could work for the welfare of our neighbor.

B. The attitude of the Priest and Levite has taken up residence within each one of us.

1. We don’t have much compassion within our hearts.  We think that our agenda is the most important; our schedule is busiest; our needs are most urgent, and others will just have to wait.   2. It all plays out like this:  Some of you remember the Seinfeld show.  It was popular several years ago.  The main characters were Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer.  In its final Episode, aired several years ago, Jerry and his friends were stuck in Lakeland Massachusetts. Killing time wondering around on the sidewalks in this quaint New England town, they become innocent bystanders and witnesses of a car jacking.  Being New Yorkers and the kind of people they are they make fun of the guy who is being robbed. Kramer, who has a camcorder in his hands, films the incident as a curiosity. They never lift a hand, never shout out; they are 10 yards away, and could care less. They just stand there and casually watch! The robber speeds off with the car and the police arrive late on the scene. With the excitement over, and the poor victim standing dazed in the street, Jerry turns to his friends and suggests they go get something to eat.  They turn to walk off when the officer stops them and says, "Alright, hold it right there."  Jerry: “What?”  Officer: “You’re under arrest.”   Jerry: “Under arrest, What for?”  Officer: “Article 223 dash 7 of the Lakeland county penal code.”  Elaine: “What, we didn’t do anything.”   Officer: “That’s exactly right. The law requires you to help or assist anyone in danger as long at its reasonable to do so.”   George: “I never heard of that.”  Officer: “It’s new, it’s called the Good Samaritan Law. Let’s go.” The series ends with them serving time. We can learn a lesson here.   In a way we are like Jerry and his friends, destined for jail not only for failure to help but also for failure to love.

IV. Really we have to step back for a second and see that the story begins with this victim encountering robbers, and so does ours.  Yes, more than any other we are the helpless man.

A. We have encountered the most ruthless robber of them all—the devil.  Even before birth he robbed us of everything.  Satan took from us all of God’s good gifts, including our place in heaven.

1. We are born in sin, robbed of innocence, an enemy of God.

a. No one could help.  All the world can only pass us by on the other side.  There is no one who can save us from hell.    b. The world cannot restore to us what Satan took from us.

2. Reading this parable, it’s important to take note of who is doing the action.

a. The robbers acted to destroy the traveler; the Samaritan acted to save him.  The Priest and the Levite didn’t act at all to help.   b. But the man in the road could not act; he could do nothing to act on his own behalf.  Again, that’s our story.  We do not save ourselves by what we do for God or for others.  He saved us by acting on our behalf.

V. If you look carefully at this parable there is only one Good Samaritan -- Jesus. The story of the Good Samaritan is all about Jesus, who sees us in our wretched state and comes to our aid.

A. Jesus sees you lying wounded in the road, dead in your trespasses and sins.

1. He climbs off His donkey and goes to the cross for you.

a. He allows that vicious robber, Satan, to strip Him of all that He has.  He allows him to take away even His own life.  He is beaten and left for dead, but He rises from death.   b. He does this so that your sins become His; your sufferings He takes; your punishment He endures; He dies your death; and all that was His becomes yours.   c. Jesus is your Good Samaritan even though we do not deserve Him. He is your Good Samaritan even though we do not like to see ourselves as the dying man lying in the road.

2.  In your baptism He pours on you His healing oil and wine.  He carries you to His church where He takes care of you with His Word and Sacraments.

a. And He tells the innkeeper, your pastor, to take care of you preaching and teaching His words of life into you, until that great day when He shall return.   b. Even though our lives are a broken, bloody mess, He pours out for you the cup of salvation.  Jesus comes to you in His Supper not because you are so good and decent, but because you are a broken sinner.    c. Those people who don’t think they need Jesus’ grace and forgiveness are not usually found here where Christ comes to us in Word and Sacrament.  But if you are here because you need your Savior, then rejoice, because He is here for you.

B. Our Good Samaritan is full of compassion for us. He does forgive us all our sins. And here in the inn of His church He is taking care of us until He comes again.

1. And once we know this; once we believe this; once we admit the truth that we are not the Good Samaritan, but that we are the man who was robbed and beaten, then He brings us to be grateful and thankful that our Good Samaritan, has acted for us--then He, day after day, acts through us.  We are not the Good Samaritan, but the Good Samaritan lives within us and through us.    2. So now, as recipients of His love and mercy, we will be Good Samaritans to others because it is Jesus living His life through us.  We can serve in church, we can tithe with our offerings, we can be kind to our neighbor, not to inherit eternal life by being a Good Samaritan, but because we have a Good Samaritan who has saved us from sin, death, and devil, and He now lives within our thankful hearts.

CONCLUSION: This parable teaches us that the Good Samaritan walks the streets and sidewalks right here wherever we display Christ by how we live. He is the Good Samaritan who has saved us.  He is the Good Samaritan who, through us, is reaching out in mercy and compassion to those around us.  So now through us the hands of the Good Samaritan reach all over the world. Amen.