The Attitude of Opportunity

Mid-week Lent #6

March 25, 2015

Zachariah 9:9-10

The Attitude of Opportunity

“What a King!”

What kind of King do we want to rule over us? Though we do not have a king we do have a president; and in the midst of a national election year that is the question that many are asking themselves these days “what kind of leader do we want to lead us as a people?”  

This can lead to a number of questions for us to consider.  Who or what is the master (king) of your life?  In our lesson for today, we are told that the King is coming.  Is the King (Messiah) coming to take charge of your life?  Jesus offers to be our king in fulfillment of the promise “Lo, your King comes to you.”  What kind of King would He be?

A humble King – “humble and riding on an ass”. The Messiah comes riding on a common beast of burden. He is a humble king. He does not ride a horse, which is reserved for a mighty king.  An ass is a humble animal, which symbolizes peace.  The ass carried the Christ to the people. Today we see this same humble king coming to us to take away our sin. He has stilled God's anger and taken away our reproach. His innocent suffering and death save us.

A victorious King – “triumphant and victorious is He” Jesus began the week as He rode into the city of Jerusalem triumphant accepting the claim and the praises of the people.  By the end of the week, He was condemned to die with two common thieves.  His early success turned to scorn along with it the horrors and tragedies of Good Friday.

And yet, we too can triumph with Jesus even though we know that it meant the cross. Even in the midst of pain and gore, there is joy.  Jesus endured the cross for the joy, which was set before Him.

The joy is that the Savior is coming to die for our sins and to assume His rule over us in our daily lives. Because of the cross, Jesus truly is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Yes, He is a victorious king.

A peaceful King – “He shall command peace to the nations.” His victory over sin, over death, and over the power of the enemy guarantees for us peace with God. He has become our peace.  Not a peace, which is only temporary.  He gives us a peace that lasts.  And of His kingdom, there shall be no end!  Jesus has come to bring blessings and life.  In Him, there truly is peace on earth and good will to men. Rejoice in His mercy and the peace that He alone can give.

This is how God chooses to come to us.  He chooses to come to us in a sacramental way. This is how He chooses to deal with us.  We do not come to the King.  Rather, the King chooses to come to us. He comes to us personally to bless us.  We do not decide for Christ. Rather, He decides for us.  We do not choose Christ, but Christ chooses us. God initiates the act of grace. And we live and dwell in safety under the watchful eye of our gracious and humble peaceful king.

Words –464

Passive Sentences –5%

Readability –86/1%

Reading Level -4/0

The Attitude of Sacrifice

Mid-week Lent #5

March 18, 2015

Jeremiah 31:31-34

The Attitude of Sacrifice

“The Coming Days Have Come”

“The Days are coming” when God will make a new covenant with His people. If this is only a promise of a future new relationship with God, where is the good news other than hope for the future? Christians have more than a promise; they have the fulfillment in Christ who affected the new covenant. The days are not coming; they have come in Christ. This is the good news for this day!

Because of Christ and His sacrifice…

1.                  A new covenant has been made v. 31 "I will make a new covenant with the house of Judah and with the house of Israel."

What is new about a covenant between God and man?  After all, there had been a number of covenants made in the past between God and His people. There was Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses.  The making of a covenant is nothing new, but this promised covenant would be new - brand new!

This covenant would not be one like those of the past.  The covenants of the past were only renewals. Here is a whole new deal. God is going to give Israel another chance to be His own people. This new covenant will be made through the blood of God's own Son Jesus Christ.

2.                 A covenant in which we know God in Christ v. 34  " And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother saying 'Know the Lord' for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them says the Lord…"

The people are told you will know God. When God is loved with the whole heart, there is no longer any more need to teach someone who God is or anything about God.  They will know Him intimately. That person will know God instinctively.  To know God is not a mere intellectual exercise or a mere understanding of the concept of God. To know God is to have a relationship with Him, a personal, deep, personal experience with God, which is based on trust. This new covenant is what brings us back to God when God instructed us to fear, love and trust in God above all things.  This knowledge of God comes through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

3.                 We experience forgiveness through Christ v. 34 “…for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

Here we find the effect of this new covenant.  God must forgive the people past sins that they may begin anew in their relationship with God.  To have this new relationship with God there must be the forgiveness of sins. The sins and misgivings of the past must be removed so that God and man can begin anew in their relationship with God as though nothing had happened.

God not only promises to forgive but to forget!  He tells us that He will remember our sins no more. This is wonderful news!  This good news is that when we confess our sins and are forgiven, those sins are blotted out and will no longer be brought up at judgment day.  God keeps no record of wrong. There are no tapes for playing back all of our sins.  He buries them in the sea of forgetfulness and remembers our sins no more!

This new covenant is given to us in Baptism, and is lived each day our lives. We live under this new covenant; it's based on trust, on love and on hope. It's God's final word to us.  It is a word that He will not break.  Thank God for this amazing mercy and grace.

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Words –632

Passive Sentences –23%

Readability –81%

Reading Level – 5.0

The Attitude of Cleansing

 Mid-week Lent #3

March 4, 2015

Exodus 20:1-17

The Attitude of Cleansing

“They All Boil Down to Three”

The Ten Commandments, “The Big Ten” have received a lot of notoriety in recent years. Congress is considering whether these laws ought to be posted inside the schoolhouse door and within the halls of our governmental buildings.  Some contend that these laws our outdated and too restrictive. Still others maintain that they are given for our everyday living.  A recent billboard simply read “What part of Thou Shalt Not can’t you understand?” signed –God.

What is the purpose for such laws in our society today?  They all boil down to three.

1.      What to do – These commandments were given for our practical living.

As a result, God has told us plainly in His Word what we are to do. Have no other gods, remember the Sabbath day, honor your father and your mother. By following these laws, we are given a better way of living.

God calls us to live a life that is higher and nobler then we would dare to go.  Like an athletic trainer or a demanding teacher, God calls us to become what we, of ourselves, could never obtain.  The gracious pupil gives the greatest compliment saying, “I could have never done it without you” Likewise, we benefit by following the particulars of God’s directives that we might live better and more productive lives.  These commandments are given to us that we might live a better life.

2.      What not to do – Left up to our own devices we would each perish.

Therefore, God has given us restrictions. They are not meant to fence us in. To the contrary, by following these restrictions we avoid the trappings and the temptations of this sinful age.  Man is his own worst enemy; therefore, God has given us these commandments to avoid the pain and the misery of sin’s consequences. Do not take God’s name in vain, do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, and do not covet.

In actuality, these restrictions do not limit us. To the contrary, they free us so that we do avoid the pain associated with sin. It would do us well to heed these commands of God as a means of avoiding the demons of our own fallen nature that would rob us of a life that is pleasing to God.

3.      How to live – “That man a godly life might live God did these commandments give.”  {TLH #287 stanza 1}

These commandments were never intended to help us gain salvation. Our fallen nature prevents us from obtaining moral perfection. Yet, God has given us a standard by which we can measure our conduct as well as obtain a clear perspective by which we see the need of a Savior who followed the will of the Father and was obedient, obedient unto death. 

Jesus Christ followed the Father’s will perfectly for us. He exchanges our sinful way of life for His own perfection and goodness. Follow Him and the standard that He gives you, to be His dear children as He is our loving and gracious Father who loves us enough to discipline us and direct us. 

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Words –550

Passive Sentences –19%

Readability –71%

Reading Level -7.3

The Attitude of Suffering

  Mid-week Lent #2

February 25, 2015

Genesis 28:10-17

The Attitude of Suffering

“Surprised By God”

Jacob was surprised that God was present. He thought he was alone and far from God because God, he thought, was restricted to his geographical area. Are we surprised to find God in places other than in a church?  Would you be surprised to find God in a cocktail lounge, in a jail, in nature, in a hospital?  God comes to people wherever they are in need, regardless of the place.

When God comes to you…

1.            Be aware of His presence v. 16 “Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it."

A.              God is truly with us always! I will never leave you. I will never forsake you.  I am with you always.

B.            Especially at those times when we did not expect it or recognize God’s presence in our lives.  He comes in Word & Sacrament to sustain and forgive.

2.             Be reverent v. 17 “And he was afraid and said, How awesome is this place!”

A.              Are we respectful of the holy?  What is our reaction once we have encountered God? Are we changed? Are we different?

B.             This was a life changing moment for Jacob.  What are those life-changing moments in our lives? They ought to be awesome for us as they were for him.

3.            Be cognizant of its significance v. 17 “This is the house of God… the gate of heaven”

A.             Jacob grasped what God was doing in his life. He would never be the same.

B.             Likewise, in those encounters with God may we walk away changed and different people.

“Let us ever walk with Jesus, Follow His example pure

Flee the world which would deceive us, And to sin our souls allure.

Ever in His footsteps treading, Body here, yet soul above.

Full of faith and hope and love, Let us do the Father’s bidding,

Faithful Lord, abide with me; Savior, lead, I follow Thee”. {TLH #409 stanza 1}

Words –350

Passive Sentences -0%

Readability – 85%

Reading Level -3.8

Ash Wednesday - The Attitude of Testing

Ash Wednesday

February 18, 2015

Genesis 22:1-18

The Attitude of Testing

“Here I am Lord”

God tests Abraham’s faith by commanding him to sacrifice Isaac.

“Here I Am Lord”

There was once a commercial, which said: “Delta is ready when you are!”  In our lesson for today, Abraham is always ready when he is called and needed. In each case, he replies, “Here I am”. Abraham is always ready and willing to respond. He is always there when you need Him.  What an example for us! When a job needs to be done, who will say, “Here I am”? When you need someone desperately to help in time of need, does the Christian say, “Here am I”?

A Christian is ready when called…

1.    A Christian is ready when God calls. Vs. 1  tells us  “Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."  - The call of Abraham was  a call to obey.  True, it was an awesome task, to sacrifice his only Son. But clearly Abraham knew that the Lord would provide.  Do we trust God at His Word? When summoned to obey God do we trust Him at His Word? Abraham trusted God at His Word.  We can do nothing else. During this 40-day pilgrimage may we trust God at His Word. Following Him as we listen to His Word. When He speaks - we listen. When He commands - we follow. As He leads may we follow willingly, trusting in Him to will and to do what He has promised.

TRANSITION: The Christian is ready when God calls and  listens to God. But we are also ready when we listen to the call of our neighbor. We are ready to say “here I am”…

2.    When man calls. Vs. 7 tells us  “And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" – Abraham was given a question to answer.  Isaac had a legitimate question. Where is the lamb?  Abraham could only tell his son what he knew to be true, that the Lord would provide.  We live in a world in which many are searching for meaning in life and answers to their problems.  Where are people to be directed?  When seeking direction where do we lead people? Do we give them our own words, do we given them advice and words that we think they will want to hear?  We must point people in only one direction and that is to the person of Jesus Christ.  He is the way, the truth and the life. 

 No one comes to the Father except through Jesus.  “Jesus is the answer for the world today” so goes the words of the old spiritual.  May we point people to Jesus the joy of man’s desiring – Jesus our only hope in desperate times. During this 40-day period of Lent may we point people to Jesus our strength and our redeemer.

TRANSITION:  We follow Christ and His word. We point people to Christ. We also say “here I am” when angels call.

3.    When angels call. Vs. 11-12 says,“But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." And he said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."  –  This angel of the Lord - The angel of the Lord is Jesus Himself who gives us a call to receive grace.

On that day Abraham’s son Isaac was spared and a lamb was provided.  God would not spare His only Son.  Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, was sent into this world to take away the sins of the world.  The hymn tells us“A lamb goes uncomplaining forth, the guilt of all men bearing”  That lamb was Jesus. He went to the cross to suffer and die. He went to the cross to take away our sin.  He went to the cross to win for us salvation and life.

And that’s what Lent is all about!  It’s about Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  Lent is a time when we think about what Jesus did for you and for me.  During this 40-day journey may we walk with Jesus as He makes His way to the cross on Good Friday. When He speaks to us in His word we will say with Abraham of old “Here I am” when others ask “who is this Jesus? We will say “here I am” to witness of what we know and what we have seen. When Jesus speaks we will say “Here I am” and He will simply say “I am with you always, even unto the end of the age!”

Image: Abraham sacrifices Isaac, Schnorr von Carolsfeld woodcut (c)  WELS permission granted for personal and congregational use

Words –850

Passive Sentences –7%

Reading Ease –87.6%

Reading Level –3.9

The Attitude of Testing

Ash Wednesday

February 18, 2015

Genesis 22:1-18

The Attitude of Testing

“Here I am Lord”

God tests Abraham’s faith by commanding him to sacrifice Isaac.

“Here I Am Lord”

There was once a commercial, which said: “Delta is ready when you are!”  In our lesson for today, Abraham is always ready when he is called and needed. In each case, he replies, “Here I am”.

Abraham is always ready and willing to respond. He is always there when you need Him.  What an example for us! When a job needs to be done, who will say, “Here I am”? When you need someone desperately to help in time of need, does the Christian say, “Here am I”?

A Christian is ready when called…

1.     A Christian is ready when God calls. Vs. 1 tells us “Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."  - The call of Abraham was a call to obey.  

True, it was an awesome task, to sacrifice his only Son. But clearly, Abraham knew that the Lord would provide.  Do we trust God at His Word? When summoned to obey God do we trust Him at His Word? Abraham trusted God at His Word.  We can do nothing else.

During this 40-day pilgrimage may we trust God at His Word. Following Him as we listen to His Word. When He speaks - we listen. When He commands - we follow. As He leads, may we follow willingly, trusting in Him to will and to do what He has promised.

TRANSITION: The Christian is ready when God calls and listens to God. But we are also ready when we listen to the call of our neighbor. We are ready to say, “Here I am”…

2.     When man calls. Vs. 7 tells us “And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" – Abraham was given a question to answer.  Isaac had a legitimate question.

Where is the lamb?  Abraham could only tell his son what he knew to be true, that the Lord would provide.  We live in a world in which many are searching for meaning in life and answers to their problems.  Where are people to be directed?  

When seeking direction where do we lead people? Do we give them our own words?

Do we given them advice and words that we think they will want to hear?  We must point people in only one direction and that is to the person of Jesus Christ.  He is the way, the truth and the life. 

 No one comes to the Father except through Jesus.  “Jesus is the answer for the world today” so goes the words of the old spiritual.  May we point people to Jesus the joy of man’s desiring – Jesus our only hope in desperate times. During this 40-day period of Lent may we point people to Jesus our strength and our redeemer.

TRANSITION:  We follow Christ and His word. We point people to Christ. We also say, “Here I am” when angels call.

3.    When angels call. Vs. 11-12 says      “But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!"

And he said, "Here I am." And he said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."  – This angel of the Lord - The angel of the Lord is Jesus Himself who gives us a call to receive grace.

On that day Abraham’s son, Isaac was spared and a lamb was provided.  God would not spare His only Son.  Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, was sent into this world to take away the sins of the world.  The hymn tells us “A lamb goes uncomplaining forth, the guilt of all men bearing” That lamb was Jesus. He went to the cross to suffer and die. He went to the cross to take away our sin.  He went to the cross to win for us salvation and life.

And that’s what Lent is all about!  It’s about Jesus. The Lamb of God.  Who takes away the sin of the world.  Lent is a time when we think about what Jesus did for you and for me.  

During this 40-day journey may we walk with Jesus as He makes His way to the cross on Good Friday. When He speaks to us in His word, we will say with Abraham of old, “Here I am” when others ask, “who is this Jesus? We will say, “Here I am” to witness of what we know and what we have seen. When Jesus speaks, we will say “Here I am” and He will simply say, “I am with you always, even unto the end of the age!”

Words –850

Passive Sentences –0%

Reading Ease –87.6%

Reading Level –3.9