Rev. Dustin ParkerA Sermon by Deacon Mark
A New Hope
May 9th, 2010 Sermon
Brothers and Sisters. Greetings from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who through His sacrifice redeemed us all and made us His.
Alleluia, Amen
In the greatest movie ever made, yes I am talking about Star wars episode 4, A new hope, Obi Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker receive a request for help from Princess Leia, “Help me Obi Wan Kenobi, you are my only Hope.” After receiving the message, they must get to the planet Alderan to deliver some critical news and information that is vital to the rebellion and will save the galaxy from certain destruction and the iron hand of the empire. They have to get there as fast as they can, so they hire two smugglers, Han Solo and Chewbacca to take them there on their spacecraft. It is so important that they offer to pay everything they have and then some to get there as soon as possible and to avoid any imperial entanglements or delays. They needed to go directly there.
Our text today begins with Paul receiving a vision in the night. The vision was of a man from Macedonia urging Paul to, “ Come over to Macedonia and help us.” After Paul had seen the vision He and his posse immediately sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that God was calling them to preach the Gospel to those people. God was summoning them to share His love and plan of salvation and grace.
They set sail from Troas without delay and made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis and from there to Phillipi, which was a leading city of the district and a Roman colony. This was no backwater, Podunk town. It was not like Luke’s home planet of Tatooine which was at the farthest reaches of the galaxy. It was like Alderan, a crown jewel in the empire. It was an important city much like Los Angeles or New York. You could call it a mosaic of people and culture. It was a center for trade and an important strategic military base for Rome with an influx of Roman citizens.
Like Obi wan and Luke who needed to get to Alderan to deliver the data, Paul and his group had critical news and information to share with the people of that region and that city. They had to get there as fast as possible. Priority air or in the time of Paul, priority shipping. Nothing could stand in their way. No extra stops along the way. No layovers in Denver. Only a chartered direct flight would work. Why? It was simple:
God has always wanted the people to know His grace and mercy and His love. He wants them to know who Jesus Christ is and what he has done and is continuing to do for them. God wants to be our God and us to be His people.
It seems like times haven’t changed much in a couple thousand years have they? Sure, we have made huge leaps and bounds through technology, Instead of taking days to get from Troas to Phillipi it would probably take a couple hours but boil it down and the same thing comes to the surface that has always been there:
God has always wanted His people to know His incredible love, grace and mercy that He has for them. He wants them to know who Jesus Christ is and what He has done and continues to do for us and that because of Christ we are free. God wants to be our God and us to be His people.
There is a sense of urgency in this. When Paul receives the vision to come to Macedonia and help them, its not, “ hey when you have time and if you are not busy could you come help us?” It was a plea of utmost importance. It was a plea for help that they cannot find on their own. They desperately needed the Gospel but they didn’t know it. God knew it. He knew that these people needed to hear His message just like people today. It was urgent. The Holy Spirit was calling Paul to be God’s instrument to go and share the good news that Jesus had triumphed. The victory had been won because of God and his infinite love for His people and God used him to proclaim that.
Today, (much like the time of Paul) the world and even we need desperately to hear these words of love and grace and mercy!!!!
Luther states in the Large Catechism, the Third article of the creed:
All those outside of the Christian community, even though they believe and worship the one true God, nevertheless do not know how He is disposed towards them. They cannot confidently look toward Him for His love and blessing. They remain in eternal wrath for they do not have the Lord Jesus.
What does this mean?
People are lost in a world of sin, but God in His grace and mercy desires to show them the way. He wants them to know who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for them and continues to do for us.
People in our world, people in our country, people in our city and neighborhood, people that you may call friends and probably even family members say they believe in God or a universal spirit. Is that like the force? Did you know that In England, the Jedi religion from Star Wars is now an official religion?
Sure, they say they believe in God but is it the God who loves us so much that He sends His son to die for them? I wonder if they believe and know who Christ is and that our God loves His children so much that he doesn’t make us go to Him but instead humbles Himself to live among us.
I wonder if they understand that Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself on that horrible chunk of wood so that all would be made new creations in the eyes of our Father. Do they know that because Jesus died and came back to life we do the same? The fact that our Savior wants nothing more than to walk with His children through all the trials and tribulations in their lives needs to be known! Does the world know that all these things come from the Triune God who is the universal source of everything good and perfect. People are stumbling around and walking into walls because they do not know who the Savior of mankind is. Whether they will admit it or not they are searching for some kind of something. They are trying to ease their pain and their struggle on this earth.
They are not aware that no matter what pain or hurt we might be experiencing or that when we cry out in anguish Jesus extends his arms out to wrap around and protect you and comfort you? We can lash out with our arms flailing but His arms are wrapped around you like a mother who loves her child and will do anything for and sacrifice anything to make sure that child is safe, protected and loved. No matter what you have done and how badly you have sinned and how horrible and heinous the sin was, God never stops calling to you. He never stops loving us. Our sin can overwhelm us even as believers and the guilt can feel unbearable. Sometimes, it feels like we are in this by ourselves. I know, I went to court this week and lost and it felt terrible. I was angry with God, How could this happen? It can feel like you are put in a box with no air and you are suffocating, you are trying to get out on your own and it just gets worse, but through, Christ’s suffering and death, God cleanses us and breathes life into you and sustains you. You can go on because of Him. The guilt is taken away as we confess our sins, as He promised. It was in our baptism. It is when we partake of His body and blood. Always. Always!
You have been made His. He is always faithful.
Paul and his posse stay in Phillipi some days and they share the good news and then on the Sabbath go outside the gate to the riverside to a place of prayer and they sat down and spoke to the women who were gathered there. They were worshipping God but did not know that God had sent His Son to die for all. As Luther said, ”They were worshipping in vain.” They couldn’t know God because they did not know Christ. They didn’t know! But God would take care of that. Scripture reports that one woman was Lydia who would listen to Paul. And it describes why:
The Holy Spirit opened her heart to what was said by Paul. Lydia’s heart that was hardened but God knowing her heart, operated on that heart with His grace and mercy and love. He healed the scars of sin and made her His. The heart that did not know Christ was made new. Because of God and through the Holy Spirit, Lydia’s heart opened. She now knew Christ !! What did she do next? Verse 15 tells us that not only was she baptized in Christ but her household as well. The dam had burst and the waters of grace flowed over Lydia and all of her household. Victory! Through God calling Paul to share the Gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit, her heart was opened and she and her family knew God and were received through the waters of baptism. They were washed and made new. Through Christ they had become believers.
As Luke and Obi Wan try to make their way to Alderan to deliver the critical data, they come out of hyperspace into what they think is a meteor storm. The reality is what they are flying through is all that is left of the planet they were so desperately trying to get to. It was too late for them.
It is never too late for God’s timing. God’s time is not man’s time. The good news of salvation and forgiveness of sins is for our town, across the street, next door, at work, at home and everywhere on this planet. We can share the news of the God who because of Jesus redeems His people. Because of God’s love and grace and mercy for His people, Jesus dies and is resurrected for all and because of that we share in that resurrection.
We know as children of God that because of God that we will live on and we know what Jesus Christ has done and continues to do for us.
God has always wanted the people to know His grace and His mercy and His love. He wants them to know who Jesus Christ is and what He has done and what He is continuing to do for them. God wants to be our God and us to be His people and in Christ- God’s desire has been accomplished.
He is our God, we are His people!
Alleluia, amen!
And now may the God who uses us to proclaim and bare witness to His name and to what He has done keep you and bless you on your journey, amen.
May 9th, 2010 Sermon
Brothers and Sisters. Greetings from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who through His sacrifice redeemed us all and made us His.
Alleluia, Amen
In the greatest movie ever made, yes I am talking about Star wars episode 4, A new hope, Obi Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker receive a request for help from Princess Leia, “Help me Obi Wan Kenobi, you are my only Hope.” After receiving the message, they must get to the planet Alderan to deliver some critical news and information that is vital to the rebellion and will save the galaxy from certain destruction and the iron hand of the empire. They have to get there as fast as they can, so they hire two smugglers, Han Solo and Chewbacca to take them there on their spacecraft. It is so important that they offer to pay everything they have and then some to get there as soon as possible and to avoid any imperial entanglements or delays. They needed to go directly there.
Our text today begins with Paul receiving a vision in the night. The vision was of a man from Macedonia urging Paul to, “ Come over to Macedonia and help us.” After Paul had seen the vision He and his posse immediately sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that God was calling them to preach the Gospel to those people. God was summoning them to share His love and plan of salvation and grace.
They set sail from Troas without delay and made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis and from there to Phillipi, which was a leading city of the district and a Roman colony. This was no backwater, Podunk town. It was not like Luke’s home planet of Tatooine which was at the farthest reaches of the galaxy. It was like Alderan, a crown jewel in the empire. It was an important city much like Los Angeles or New York. You could call it a mosaic of people and culture. It was a center for trade and an important strategic military base for Rome with an influx of Roman citizens.
Like Obi wan and Luke who needed to get to Alderan to deliver the data, Paul and his group had critical news and information to share with the people of that region and that city. They had to get there as fast as possible. Priority air or in the time of Paul, priority shipping. Nothing could stand in their way. No extra stops along the way. No layovers in Denver. Only a chartered direct flight would work. Why? It was simple:
God has always wanted the people to know His grace and mercy and His love. He wants them to know who Jesus Christ is and what he has done and is continuing to do for them. God wants to be our God and us to be His people.
It seems like times haven’t changed much in a couple thousand years have they? Sure, we have made huge leaps and bounds through technology, Instead of taking days to get from Troas to Phillipi it would probably take a couple hours but boil it down and the same thing comes to the surface that has always been there:
God has always wanted His people to know His incredible love, grace and mercy that He has for them. He wants them to know who Jesus Christ is and what He has done and continues to do for us and that because of Christ we are free. God wants to be our God and us to be His people.
There is a sense of urgency in this. When Paul receives the vision to come to Macedonia and help them, its not, “ hey when you have time and if you are not busy could you come help us?” It was a plea of utmost importance. It was a plea for help that they cannot find on their own. They desperately needed the Gospel but they didn’t know it. God knew it. He knew that these people needed to hear His message just like people today. It was urgent. The Holy Spirit was calling Paul to be God’s instrument to go and share the good news that Jesus had triumphed. The victory had been won because of God and his infinite love for His people and God used him to proclaim that.
Today, (much like the time of Paul) the world and even we need desperately to hear these words of love and grace and mercy!!!!
Luther states in the Large Catechism, the Third article of the creed:
All those outside of the Christian community, even though they believe and worship the one true God, nevertheless do not know how He is disposed towards them. They cannot confidently look toward Him for His love and blessing. They remain in eternal wrath for they do not have the Lord Jesus.
What does this mean?
People are lost in a world of sin, but God in His grace and mercy desires to show them the way. He wants them to know who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for them and continues to do for us.
People in our world, people in our country, people in our city and neighborhood, people that you may call friends and probably even family members say they believe in God or a universal spirit. Is that like the force? Did you know that In England, the Jedi religion from Star Wars is now an official religion?
Sure, they say they believe in God but is it the God who loves us so much that He sends His son to die for them? I wonder if they believe and know who Christ is and that our God loves His children so much that he doesn’t make us go to Him but instead humbles Himself to live among us.
I wonder if they understand that Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself on that horrible chunk of wood so that all would be made new creations in the eyes of our Father. Do they know that because Jesus died and came back to life we do the same? The fact that our Savior wants nothing more than to walk with His children through all the trials and tribulations in their lives needs to be known! Does the world know that all these things come from the Triune God who is the universal source of everything good and perfect. People are stumbling around and walking into walls because they do not know who the Savior of mankind is. Whether they will admit it or not they are searching for some kind of something. They are trying to ease their pain and their struggle on this earth.
They are not aware that no matter what pain or hurt we might be experiencing or that when we cry out in anguish Jesus extends his arms out to wrap around and protect you and comfort you? We can lash out with our arms flailing but His arms are wrapped around you like a mother who loves her child and will do anything for and sacrifice anything to make sure that child is safe, protected and loved. No matter what you have done and how badly you have sinned and how horrible and heinous the sin was, God never stops calling to you. He never stops loving us. Our sin can overwhelm us even as believers and the guilt can feel unbearable. Sometimes, it feels like we are in this by ourselves. I know, I went to court this week and lost and it felt terrible. I was angry with God, How could this happen? It can feel like you are put in a box with no air and you are suffocating, you are trying to get out on your own and it just gets worse, but through, Christ’s suffering and death, God cleanses us and breathes life into you and sustains you. You can go on because of Him. The guilt is taken away as we confess our sins, as He promised. It was in our baptism. It is when we partake of His body and blood. Always. Always!
You have been made His. He is always faithful.
Paul and his posse stay in Phillipi some days and they share the good news and then on the Sabbath go outside the gate to the riverside to a place of prayer and they sat down and spoke to the women who were gathered there. They were worshipping God but did not know that God had sent His Son to die for all. As Luther said, ”They were worshipping in vain.” They couldn’t know God because they did not know Christ. They didn’t know! But God would take care of that. Scripture reports that one woman was Lydia who would listen to Paul. And it describes why:
The Holy Spirit opened her heart to what was said by Paul. Lydia’s heart that was hardened but God knowing her heart, operated on that heart with His grace and mercy and love. He healed the scars of sin and made her His. The heart that did not know Christ was made new. Because of God and through the Holy Spirit, Lydia’s heart opened. She now knew Christ !! What did she do next? Verse 15 tells us that not only was she baptized in Christ but her household as well. The dam had burst and the waters of grace flowed over Lydia and all of her household. Victory! Through God calling Paul to share the Gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit, her heart was opened and she and her family knew God and were received through the waters of baptism. They were washed and made new. Through Christ they had become believers.
As Luke and Obi Wan try to make their way to Alderan to deliver the critical data, they come out of hyperspace into what they think is a meteor storm. The reality is what they are flying through is all that is left of the planet they were so desperately trying to get to. It was too late for them.
It is never too late for God’s timing. God’s time is not man’s time. The good news of salvation and forgiveness of sins is for our town, across the street, next door, at work, at home and everywhere on this planet. We can share the news of the God who because of Jesus redeems His people. Because of God’s love and grace and mercy for His people, Jesus dies and is resurrected for all and because of that we share in that resurrection.
We know as children of God that because of God that we will live on and we know what Jesus Christ has done and continues to do for us.
God has always wanted the people to know His grace and His mercy and His love. He wants them to know who Jesus Christ is and what He has done and what He is continuing to do for them. God wants to be our God and us to be His people and in Christ- God’s desire has been accomplished.
He is our God, we are His people!
Alleluia, amen!
And now may the God who uses us to proclaim and bare witness to His name and to what He has done keep you and bless you on your journey, amen.
