From the Pulpit

Posted on December 10, 2017 by pastorkevinjud

Like a child on a leash, stay connected to Jesus in the wilderness.

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Advent 2 2017
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
December 10, 2017
Isaiah 40:1-11, 2 Peter 3:8-14, Mark 1:1-8

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Have you ever been at a mall or an amusement park and seen a child that is on a leash. You know like a cute harness that looks like a monkey hugging the child’s upper body with the parent holding the other end. It’s cute, but the whole concept of children on leashes can seem a bit strange. However, I fully understand why parents do it. The parents love their children and they don’t want their child to run away and get lost. I understand. I was one of those children in the days before cute monkey leashes.

I have heard stories from my mom and dad that once I learned to walk they would tie me to a tree in the back yard in Indiana to make sure I didn’t run off into the cornfield behind the house. Once the corn is over your head it is easy to get lost in acres of corn and so my mom tied me to a tree on a tether so I couldn’t wander away. I know this is shocking, but apparently I was not much for listening to or obeying my parents; I just did whatever I wanted to do at the moment and so my parents were afraid I’d wander off into the corn and get lost.

The same thing happened when we went camping in the woods. My parents would tie me to a tree with a length of rope to make sure I didn’t run off into the forest. I was kind of a rotten, impulsive kid and wasn’t big on listening or obeying. I was all about me, me, me, and doing what I wanted to do and my parents were afraid I’d get lost.

I am older now and so far Jeannette lets me roam free when we go camping and the back yard is fenced and we live in a subdivision so not as much worry about as far as me running off into the corn.

I do like to wander in the woods. When I go hiking alone I make sure that I stay on the marked paths so I know where I am. I get worried about becoming lost in the woods alone so I try to stay on the trails. With a group I am more adventurous in going off the beaten path and wandering around in the woods. /Although in the state parks around here there isn’t too much concern about getting lost with roads and lakes and creeks bordering the woods and worst come to worst my phone can show me where I am and how to get back to civilization.

My parents used to worry about me getting lost; now I worry about me getting lost because being lost is a terrible feeling. It is pretty easy today to avoid getting lost, but in the days before the Global Positioning System and cell tower triangulation getting lost was remarkably easy.

Getting lost is scary. Whether you are walking in the woods or in a city or driving around in the country it is distressing and disorienting to realize that you don’t know where you are and you don’t know how to get to where you are trying to go.

A youth called me once to tell me she was trying to get to my house but she was lost and had no idea where she was. She sounded distressed so I asked her to look around and tell me what she could see. She told me, “trees.” I had to dig a little deeper to help her out. Being lost is frightening; panic can set in. You are going along just fine and then you realize that nothing looks familiar. Nothing looks like it should. It is scary to get lost. It would be really scary to get lost in the wilderness. The wilderness is dangerous.

There is a whole genre of realty television based on crazy people who live in the wilderness. I look at those shows and think. “Not for me. I am too afraid of getting lost.”

The wilderness is dangerous and frightening and you think I would never want to live there and yet, you do indeed live in the wilderness. It is not the wilderness of Alaska or Montana, but it is very much a wilderness and probably more dangerous.

You are in the dangerous wilderness and too often you don’t listen or obey; you can be, at times, rotten and impulsive. You can think it is all about me, me, me, me. You are in danger of wandering off the path and getting lost…forever.

You live in the wilderness of the internet with its endless possibilities. It is where you can instantly get all kinds of cute cat videos or lookup cookie recipes or get history questions answered or access Christian devotions and online Bibles, but it is also where you can access all kinds of depravity and perversion and hatred and evil and falsehood just as fast. It is easy to stray off the path on the internet and end up lost in the wilderness.

You live in the wilderness of greed and covetousness where you are repeatedly told about the importance of money and possessions. Nearly every advertisement is trying to get you to be discontent with what you have and always wanting more, more, more, more. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil and you live in the wilderness of money loving.

You live in the wilderness of false gods and false teaching where people can just make stuff up and start a church. L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, once said, “You don’t get rich writing science fiction. If you want to get rich, you start a religion.” And he did and people still practice it. There are so many false gods and false teachers; so many wolves in sheep’s clothing. There are so many dead end religious paths in the wilderness; it is easy to get lost.

You live in the wilderness of substandard sexual ethics. Is it any wonder that so many actors and politicians and others are getting exposed for illicit and abusive relationships? People have almost completely rejected any concept that intimacy belongs only within the bonds of the marriage union of a man and a woman and, instead, have adopted an ethic of anything goes. Powerful men use their power for evil to take advantage of others and cause great harm. Not so powerful people try to do the same thing. In the wilderness you are told over and over that anything goes and it leaves a brutal trail full of hurting and damaged people.

You are in the dangerous wilderness and too often you don’t listen or obey; you can be, at times, rotten and impulsive. You can think it is all about me, me, me, me. You are in danger of wandering off the path and getting lost…forever.

You live in the wilderness and the wilderness is a place of danger, testing and temptation. You can get lost and the wilderness can turn you into a beast of prey or a beast of burden. Being lost in the wilderness is scary and disorienting; you can find yourself where nothing looks familiar. In the frightening and confusing wilderness a voice cries out, “Prepare a highway! A highway in the wilderness! Someone is coming for you!” Someone is coming to lead you out of the wilderness.

2,000 years ago John the Baptist was that voice crying in the wilderness. John’s message is still needed today. “Repent for the rule of God is at hand.” Jesus is coming! Prepare! Prepare the way.

Jesus is the way. Jesus is the straight path out of the wilderness. Jesus is the way to the Promised Land. Jesus goes into the wilderness for 40 days to be tempted by the devil and Jesus overcomes the devil. Jesus overcomes the wilderness in His death and resurrection. Jesus comes into the wilderness of this world to rescue you. Jesus prepares the way for you. Jesus is the way through the wilderness. Jesus is the straight and level highway to the Promised Land.

During this Advent season and throughout the year be prepared for Jesus’ return. Stay connected to Jesus during your journey through the wilderness. Stay connected to Jesus so you cannot wander off the highway and get lost. Like an impulsive child on a leash stays connected to her parent, stay connected to Jesus by remembering your baptism, hearing His words of forgiveness, and receiving the body and blood of Jesus into your own body. Stay connected to the Church so you don’t wander away and get lost.

Don’t get lost in this wilderness. Stay on the path. Stay connected to Jesus. You know the way. Jesus is the way. Amen.

Posted on December 3, 2017 by pastorkevinjud

Set the alarm, buckle your seat belt, lock the doors. Jesus is coming back.

door_6978cnp Advent 1 2017
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
Dec. 3, 2017
Isaiah 64:1-9, 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, Mark 13:24-37

There is a burglar and fire alarm system here at church. In the sixteen years that I have been here there has not been one time, thank God, when the alarm system was set off by someone breaking into the building or by a fire. We’ve had false alarms. We’ve had it set off by a raccoon chewing threw a wire, we have had it set off by a lightning storm, we have had it set off for no apparent reason. For a while we had a gremlin in the system and it would set the alarm off even while we were in the building and the alarm wasn’t set. The alarm system is a source of lots of aggravation and issues and not once, in my memory, a real burglar or fire. But you know, I still make sure I set the alarm every time I am last to leave. Because…you never know.

We set alarms, buckle seatbelts, lock doors, all to try to be prepared for the unexpected and yet so many people remain completely unprepared for the greatest unexpected event of all.

I buckle my seatbelt every time I am in the car. So far in life I’ve never once needed it, but I buckle it every time because…I never know when I might get in an accident.

I check the deadbolt locks on my doors at home each night before I go to bed to make sure the house is secure against any possible break in. No one has ever tried to break in that I know of, but I still bolt the doors because…you never know when someone may try.

I take precautions at home, on the road, here at church because you never know when something might happen and I want to be ready.

We set alarms, buckle seatbelts, lock doors, all to try to be prepared for the unexpected and yet so many people remain completely unprepared for the greatest unexpected event of all.

Jesus is coming back.

Jesus is coming back and we don’t know when.

We have entered the season of Advent; the four Sundays before Christmas when we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ first arrival as God in flesh; His humble arrival as that little Jewish baby boy born in Bethlehem. It is a time of anticipation of the celebration of Jesus’ birth; the celebration of God taking on human flesh to save you from your sin.

In Advent we also look forward to Jesus’ second arrival when He returns on the last day; judgment day. When He returns again it will not be as a humble baby but rather He will return in power and great glory. On that awesome day everyone, everywhere will know that Jesus has returned. For those clothed in Christ’s righteousness the second coming will be a wonderful day of restoration and new life. Jesus will return to destroy evil and sin and sickness and death and mourning forever. Jesus will return and there will be no more divisions; no more hatred, no more warfare. Jesus will return to raise the dead from the grave and everyone will be caught up in the air for the judgement. Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead. Those in Christ will be judged based on Jesus perfection given to them and those who have rejected Christ will be judged based on their own actions. Those in Christ will receive eternal life with the Lord forever in the heavenly city; those outside of Christ will receive eternal torment in the lake of fire.

Jesus is coming back and you need to be prepared. Jesus is coming. Be prepared. Stay prepared. Now if Jesus left yesterday and said be prepared for my return it would be easier; but it has been a long time. How long can you stay ready? Jesus ascended into heaven almost 2,000 years ago.

A rich man leaves on a trip and leaves his servants in charge of his mansion and estate. He tells them that he doesn’t know how long he will be gone but they should be ready for Him to return at any time. They should keep doing their normal jobs. Days go by, then weeks, then months, then years. At first the servants are very attentive to their duties and keep on doing what they are supposed to be doing anticipating the boss’s return at any moment. For days and weeks they keep doing their duty, but then as weeks drag into months and months into years the servants get sloppy and lazy. They stop working to keep things in good shape and start to drink the owner’s good wine and whiskey and swim in his pool and sleep in his bed. They begin to let the mansion and estate sink into disrepair. The longer the owner is gone the worse it gets. The servants figure that it has been a long time, so the owner must not be coming back. It is hard to remain prepared for a long time. It is hard to wait.

Jesus is coming back. Be prepared. Stay awake.

It is easy to be lulled into a sense that since it has been a long time, Jesus is never coming back so why bother doing what you are supposed to be doing? It is very easy to just get lazy and sleepy and let things slide and adjust to living as if Jesus is never coming back. But Jesus is coming and you don’t know when. It could be today. It might not be for another 2,000 years.

So set the alarm, buckle your seatbelt, lock the doors and be prepared.

Set the alarm. Set the alarm to go off when someone tries to teach lies and say that it is the Word of God. Set the alarm to go off when someone teaches that the Bible is about living your best life now or dreaming big dreams or achieving great things. We love to hear messages about being successful and happy and fulfilled, but that is not the message of the Bible. It is too easy to listen to false teachers and be led astray; too easy to believe that there are many ways to the Father. Set the alarm. Cling to the true Word of God in the Bible. Know the true word. Read the Bible. Study the Bible. Hear the word. In this world full of counterfeit religions there is only one true faith. Know the truth of the Bible so well that you can easily spot a counterfeit. Lots of people like to quote the Bible but that doesn’t mean they are teaching the truth. Set the alarm.

Have your seatbelt on keeping you in your place each Sunday gathered together with other believers looking forward to Jesus’ return. It is too easy to let other things become just as important, or more important, than coming to church each Sunday to hear God’s Word taught and receive the forgiveness of sins. Jesus is coming back! Be prepared. Stay prepared. What can be more important than that? Well…maybe a sporting event…maybe a youth athletic league…maybe staying out late the night before…maybe just sleeping late…maybe getting a jump on the yard work…maybe just not feeling it. The danger is that a week or two missing from church can quickly lead to a month or two, and to a year or two, and you give up your place in the family of faith waiting for Jesus to return and you just fall spiritually asleep and you are no longer prepared for Jesus’ return. Keep your seatbelt on.

Lock the doors. You are the light of the world and yet you live in a world of great darkness. Lock the doors to keep the darkness from pushing into your life from all around you. The pornography, the sexual immorality, the hatred, the lies, the anger, the coveting, the abuse of alcohol, the abuse of drugs, the violence, the love of money, the self-centeredness, the neglect of others. Lock the doors. The darkness of the world wants to flood into your life and take it over and extinguish your light. The darkness wants to take the place of the true God and become your idol; the darkness wants to be the thing that you fear, love and trust above anything else. So lock the doors against the darkness.

Stay prepared. Jesus is coming back, and no one knows when. The next time someone claims to know when Jesus is coming back know this. They are lying. They don’t know. You don’t know. I don’t know. No one knows. The angels don’t know. God the Son does not know. Only God the Father knows.

Jesus is coming back and He has left you to do what you are supposed to be doing until He returns. So keep on doing what you have been given to do and stay prepared for the greatest arrival of all time. Stay prepared for Jesus to return and make all things right in the world. Bring the light of Christ to those around you in your gentle love and care for those you encounter.

You have Jesus who is the light of the world; the light that overcomes the darkness. Live in the light waiting for Jesus to return doing what you have been given to do.

Set the alarm. Buckle your seatbelt. Lock the doors. Stay awake. Stay prepared. Jesus is coming back for you. Amen.

Posted on November 26, 2017 by pastorkevinjud

Sheep work is never futile.

Print Last Sunday of the Church Year 2017
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
November 26, 2017
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24, 1 Corinthians 15:20-28, Matthew 25:31-46

The alarm clock buzzes and you hit snooze…twice. You finally wake up and drag yourself out of bed to start another day; another day of doing the same stuff once again. Every day a lot like the last. Sometimes it can seem so futile, like you are just going through the motions. What is the point?

You catch the bus and ride to school and get to your classroom and sit at your desk and listen to the teacher and write down the homework and come home and do the homework and go to practice and then repeat; the next day and the next. Sometimes it can seem so futile, like you are just going through the motions. What is the point?

You are out the door in the morning before the sun comes up and fight the traffic for 45 minutes to get to work and push through the day’s assignments and drive home late in the dark just to get to sleep and be able to do it all again the next morning. Every time it looks like you are catching up on the paperwork the boss comes and dumps another big pile on your desk. It feels like the only reward for working hard is getting more work. It can all seem so futile, like you are just going through the motions. What is the point?

You get up early to make sure the kids are awake and dressed and fed and out the door on time. You quick bake a batch of cookies for the school bake sale that the kids forgot to tell you about until that morning and quick get in a couple of loads of laundry before heading off to your part time job to work a few hours and still be home before the kids. The more you do, the faster you go, it seems like you just get further behind. It can all seem so futile, like you are just going through the motions. What is the point?

You face another day of being married to that same old person. The excitement of the early years has long ago faded and it feels like everyone else has exciting and fulfilling relationships while you are stuck in the boredom of the same old same old; just doing the same things with the same person. It can all seem so futile, like you are just going through the motions. What is the point?

You volunteer and keep busy running here and there and everywhere to help out your kids and grandkids and the church and grandkid’s schools and the community. But as much effort as you put into all of these activities nothing seems to change. It can all seem so futile, like you are just going through the motions. What is the point?

All of your hard work; all of the things you do for everyone else all day long, it can feel like just an exercise in futility. Why bother? What is the point?

Why bother? The answer is in Jesus’ parable for us today. The story of the sheep and the goats.

Now, this is a hard parable. It is a difficult text; because it is so clear. If this was the only teaching we ever got from Jesus it would appear that Christianity is a religion of works; that you earn your salvation by doing good things for others. Sheep do acts of kindness and receive praise from Jesus on judgment day and go to their heavenly reward. Goats don’t… and get hell. It is a tough parable.

But this is not the only teaching of Jesus that we get. We get a complete teaching from Jesus in which we learn that salvation is not earned by us. We don’t buy our way into eternal life with our works. And as we look more carefully at this text we can see that even here the truth about salvation is evident. Jesus speaks to the sheep. Matthew 25:34 (ESV) ³⁴Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.^[1]

The sheep are sheep because God has made them sheep. They are chosen, predestined, elect. They are not sheep because they decided to be sheep. They are not sheep because they did acts of kindness. They are not sheep because they worked hard to become sheep. They are sheep for one reason; because God has done it. God makes them sheep. God makes them righteous. God makes them sheep and then these sheep live like His sheep. They go out into God’s creation; out into their ordinary lives and they take care of those around them. Sheep live their ordinary lives in extraordinary ways. They care for the sick; they feed the hungry; they visit the imprisoned. They clothe the naked. They do sheep things. Sheep act like sheep.

The goats? The goats choose what God never planned. They choose to ignore the call of God and ignore the cry of their fellow creatures. They reject grace and they choose death and so in return God gives them what they choose. Matthew 25:41 (ESV) ⁴¹“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.^[2] Hell was never intended for people, but so many choose to share the fate of Satan and his demons.

The Lord is your shepherd, you are His sheep. So you live like one of the Lord’s sheep. You go out into God’s world and you do what you have been given to do. You meet the needs of fellow creatures who cry for help. That’s what sheep do. And when sheep do what God has given them to do, futility is gone. Futility is wiped out completely.

But not you. You are a sheep. You have come to the font just like little Bradley this morning and you have been marked as one of the sheep in the Lord’s flock. God has made you His own in the waters of baptism. God has given you His name. The Lord is your shepherd, you are His sheep. So you live like one of the Lord’s sheep. You go out into God’s world and you do what you have been given to do. You meet the needs of fellow creatures who cry for help. That’s what sheep do. And when sheep do what God has given them to do, futility is gone. Futility is wiped out completely. That is the point of the parable.

This is not an exhortation to be a sheep and not a goat. Sheep have no choice. God does the choosing. You are a sheep because God chose you. You are the Lord’s sheep and what sheep do as sheep is never wasted and never lost. There is no futility. This means your daily work is transformed. Whatever you do for the sake of those around you is never pointless and futile. Whatever you do in fulfillment of your God-given vocation of serving and preparing for service is not wasted. Whatever you do as a child, parent, husband, wife, student, worker, employer, citizen; in whatever vocation you have, your service to others is never futile.

Your motivation to work hard and do what you have been given to do is not about what makes you famous. It is not about making more money or getting ahead.. It is not about awards and good grades. It’s not about what makes you happy. It’s not about what makes you feel good. None of this determines the validity of what you do. The only thing that counts is that do what you have been given to do in service to others.

All your work and effort is redeemed by God. So pay attention in school and do your homework, keep on keeping on in your daily commute and work and completing endless task after task, keep serving your children and your spouse and your grandkids and your community and do it all with commitment and passion because this is holy work.

You do what you have been given to do with energy and zeal because what you do is holy work.

You change your baby’s diaper for the fifth time and wipe their milky spit up off your shoulder again and you do it with awe and wonder and gratitude at the sheer holiness of the work you are doing. Caring for your baby is holy work.

You tie the first grader’s shoes and give him a smile and patient, kind words to encourage this student who never seems like he can get things together. You do it with patience and care and love because this is holy work.

You don’t need work that is more meaningful. You don’t need more excitement and fulfillment in your relationships. You don’t need more prestige and power. You do holy work in whatever it is the Lord has given you to do.

You do holy work when you do what you have been given to do and care for those around you. You are doing incredible holy work just the way God intended it to be done and that is work that is always worthwhile.

That is the way it is with sheep. You are a sheep. You are the elect of the Good Shepherd, chosen by God, washed with forgiveness at the font. You are righteous before God. You see the needs of those around you and you give them what they need from you. You treat others with kindness even when you don’t receive kindness in return. You see needs and meet needs. You fulfill your vocations.

You are a sheep and sheep are righteous twice. Righteous before God in your election. Righteous before creation in your vocation. You are a sheep. You live without fear. You live without futility. You know your labor is never in vain. No deed is insignificant. God saves you and your labor.

You are a sheep, and that changes everything, everything about you and everything about what you do, forever.

Amen.

[1] The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. Wheaton : Standard Bible Society, 2001

[2] The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. Wheaton : Standard Bible Society, 2001

Posted on November 22, 2017 by pastorkevinjud

God’s Stress Relief.

crane_14408ac Thanksgiving Eve
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
November 22, 2017
Deuteronomy 8:1-10, Philippians 4:6-20, Luke 17:11-19

A young mother holds her infant girl in her arms and looks into that sweet baby’s eyes. The mother thinks about all the future holds for her little girl. A future of great promise and a future of heartache and trouble. Will my baby be happy; will she be loved and cared for by others as she grows and matures, or will she be picked on and bullied? Will she be able to navigate adolescence and early adulthood wisely, or will she get caught up in the traps of drinking, drugs and promiscuity? Will she find a fulfilling vocation which she will love going to work and be able to pour her heart and soul into her labor, or will she be trapped in a job where she will dread going to work in the morning. Will my baby find a good husband who loves her and builds her up, or will she find someone who belittles and abuses her? The mother holds her sweet little baby in her arms but in her heart she holds great anxiety and worry.

There is a lot to worry about in this life; money, health, family, politics, crime, safety. It seems that every night on the evening news there is a report about something else that is going to hurt you or kill you. People who have very little worry about not having enough. People who have lots worry about maintaining and protecting all their stuff. We have lots of worry in this life; lots of anxiety. Holidays bring their own stress. How many of you have your bodies sitting here tonight, but your minds are working out the game plan for how to get everything on the table on time tomorrow and feeling the stress of too much to do and not enough time to do it?

Into our lives of stress and worry and anxiety we get these words from St. Paul. Philippians 4:6 (ESV) ⁶do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.^[1]

Do not be anxious about anything. Easy to say…hard to do. But what does Paul give as the antidote for worry? It is not some type of breathing exercise. It is not to imagine your happy place. It is not physical exercise. It is not medication. It is not counseling. What is Paul’s remedy for anxiety?

Take it to the Lord in prayer. Prayer and supplication. Supplication is another word for prayer; to make humble and earnest petitions. To bring your needs to someone who has the power to grant a request.

But what does Paul give as the antidote for worry? It is not some type of breathing exercise. It is not to imagine your happy place. It is not physical exercise. It is not medication. It is not counseling. What is Paul’s remedy for anxiety?

Philippians 4:7 (ESV) ⁶do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.^[1]

In the Large Catechism Martin Luther writes about prayer, “We have now heard what we must do and believe, in what things the best and happiest life consists. Now follows the third part, how we ought to pray. For we are in a situation where no person can perfectly keep the Ten Commandments, even though he has begun to believe. The devil with all his power, together with the world and our own flesh, resists our efforts. Therefore, nothing is more necessary than that we should continually turn towards God’s ear, call upon Him, and pray to Him. We must pray that He would give, preserve, and increase faith in us and the fulfillment of the Ten Commandments. We pray that He would remove everything that is in our way and that opposes us in these matters.”[2]

Pray. Pray; it is what you do. Because you are a baptized child of God covered by the blood of the Lord Jesus, you have a direct line to the creator of the universe. You have a hotline to God. You can bring your requests and concerns to the Lord of the Universe. So pray.

It is nice to know someone in local government because if you need something to be discussed or accomplished at least you have someone who will listen to your requests and desires. You have that very thing with God. In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Take your requests and desires to God with thanksgiving for all that the Lord has done for you already. Give thanks for all that Lord has given you physically and spiritually.

In this nation we are blessed with great abundance; we have so much to be thankful for with modern technology and conveniences. Clean hot and cold running water coming out of pipes in the wall. Indoor plumbing. Electric lights. Heat and air conditioning. A great abundance of food. Good dentists and doctors and medicine. Good government. We have so much to be thankful for in our families. We have much to be thankful for as a congregation here as the Lord has blessed us for 121 years.

So bring everything to the Lord in prayer with thanksgiving. Live with an attitude of gratitude. Live life in prayer and supplication to the Lord. Daily give your worries and concerns to the Lord. Commend yourself, your loved ones and all people into the Lord’s care. Pray continually. And the Lord will give you peace. And not just a fleeting peace, but the peace of God; the peace of God which surpasses all understanding. A peace you cannot understand; an out of this world peace. A peace that is incomprehensible. This is the peace that the Lord offers to you.

In this world full of stress and anxiety it is a difficult, ongoing struggle to take everything to the Lord in prayer. This spiritual discipline is not easy and it takes a lot of practice and you will experience many fits and starts. You will never master it completely this side of paradise, but it is a spiritual discipline that will bring you peace. “In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Focus on the Godly things of life as Paul writes: Philippians 4:8-9 (ESV) ⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ⁹What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.^[3]

Keep your focus on the Lord Jesus and all He has done for you. Keep your hope in the promises the Lord made to you. Trust in the Lord Jesus and in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God.

Amen.

[1] The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. Wheaton : Standard Bible Society, 2001

[2] Concordia, The Lutheran Confessions, 2006, pg. 408

[3] The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. Wheaton : Standard Bible Society, 2001

Posted on November 19, 2017 by pastorkevinjud

What kind of people are always thinking about Jesus coming back?

hands_2727c Pentecost 24, 2017 Proper 28
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
November 19, 2017
Zephaniah 1:7-16, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, Matthew 25:14-30

Have you ever been channel surfing through the religion channels and come across a television preacher who keeps warning that Jesus is coming back? Over and over the warning is there. Judgment day is coming. Jesus is returning. Be prepared. It can sound like some sort of crazy idea; all this talk about Jesus coming back.

What kind of people are always thinking about Jesus coming back; what kind of people get caught up living life always thinking about Jesus returning. What kind of people would do that?

I’m looking at some of them right now…if I take you at your word. You are those people. Every time you confess the Nicene Creed you say, “I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.”

“I look for the resurrection of the dead.” You look for judgment day to come. You look for the judgment day to come when there will be no more sin, no more temptation, no more evil, no more hatred, no more sickness, no more mourning, no more death. That is really something to look forward to. Those in Christ we have buried will rise from the dead to eternal life with the Lord. For those in Christ, the judgment day will be a day of relief and comfort and restoration.

You look for Jesus to return, but you don’t know when. Paul says this in our Epistle reading today, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 (ESV) ¹Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. ²For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.^[1]

So, unlike the TV preachers, we do not try to figure out the day when Jesus is coming back, but we still look for Jesus to return. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.

But judgment day will not be good for everyone. So many people go through life believing they don’t need Jesus. They think all is well. Everything is great. There is peace. There is security. But they don’t realize Jesus is coming back. And when Jesus returns it will be terrible for those who have rejected Jesus. There will be sudden destruction like labor pains coming on a pregnant woman. Destruction will come upon them and there will be no escape. For those outside of Christ; those living in the darkness, the judgment day will be a terrible day. It will be the first day of an eternity of suffering for those in the darkness.

1 Thessalonians 5:4 (ESV) ⁴But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.^[2]

You are all children of the light, children of the day. You live in the light of Christ. You live with the forgiveness of the Lord Jesus flowing into your life and forgiveness flowing out of you to others mingled with love and service.

You are children of the day waiting for the day of the Lord to come. You are children of the day that has already happened on that hill called Calvary outside Jerusalem. You are a child of the day when Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the whole world, suffered, died and rose again from the dead. And you are children of the day looking forward to the day when Jesus returns.

1 Thessalonians 5:5-6 (ESV) ⁵For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. ⁶So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.^[3]

Keep spiritually awake. Remember, you are baptized. Remember who you are in Christ. Read your Bible. Pray always. Come to church to be refreshed with the Lord’s blessed forgiveness in His Word and in His Body and Blood. And be sober. Spiritual and physical drunkenness are dangerous.

To be clear, drunkenness is not having a couple of drinks. Drunkenness is being a fool and everyone else realizes it except you. They mock you and you are unaware. Drunkenness is stumbling and falling and being unable to get up. Drunkenness is being defenseless; helpless and vulnerable. You can’t see danger coming. Physical drunkenness is dangerous. Spiritual drunkenness is even more dangerous as you are blown about by every wind and new idea; defenseless against false teaching. To be drunk; to be a child of the darkness; to begin to forget you are baptized; to forget who you are in Christ, is a terrible, shameful, deadly thing.

You are a child of the light. Be awake and sober. When you are awake and sober physically and spiritually you can see things clearly. You can see beauty in the world around you. When you are awake and sober you can see truth. You are strong and you can love and serve your neighbor with resolve. When you are awake and sober you can follow the master. You are wise and can live well. When you are awake and sober you are open to real and lasting joy, truth and beauty. You have your wits about you and can see to avoid danger. When you are awake and sober you are dressed well. You are protected by the breastplate of faith and love; faith in Christ and love from God to you, and love from you to your neighbor.

You are one of those people who are always looking forward to Jesus coming back.

When you are awake and sober you have a helmet; the helmet of hope. You know Jesus is coming. You are protected by the hope of salvation through Jesus Christ. To be sober is good, waiting for the Lord to return.

And since you are waiting for Jesus to return, be your baptized self. Since you are waiting, remember who you are; live out who you are. Who are you? You are a child of the light; a child of the day. Live in the light. And one more thing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (ESV) ¹¹Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.^[4] What an amazing thing to be able to gather together each week with other children of the light; to gather with all these here and countless millions around the world; children of the light who are looking forward to Jesus’ return. How wonderful to be able to encourage one another through the trials of this life and the struggles against sin. How incredible to build one another up so you know you are not alone when things are going badly.

Life is messy and full of crud. But we have a God who entered into this messy, cruddy world, in a messy, humble way as that baby born to His virgin mother and laid in a manger in Bethlehem. You have a God who took on Himself all of your messy, filth and paid the price for your sin so He could give you the pure, white robe of His righteousness.

You have been ransomed and cleansed by the blood of God in flesh; Jesus Christ. You are a child of light; a child of the day. You are one of those people who are always looking forward to Jesus coming back.

Open your bulletin to page 15. Let’s say it together. Open your bulletin to page 15 and let’s speak together the last two lines of the Nicene Creed.

“and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.”

You are children of the day. Encourage one another and build one another up as you look for the resurrection of the dead. Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again. Amen.

[1] The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. Wheaton : Standard Bible Society, 2001

[2] The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. Wheaton : Standard Bible Society, 2001

[3] The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. Wheaton : Standard Bible Society, 2001

[4] The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. Wheaton : Standard Bible Society, 2001

Posted on November 5, 2017 by pastorkevinjud · 1 Comment

The Church does what it does because it has a future.

A08saintoc All Saints Day, 2017
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
November 5, 2017
Revelation 7:9-17, Psalm 149, 1 John 3:1-3, Matthew 5:1-12

You have a past, a present and a future. I have a past, a present and a future. My ancestral past goes back to Europe; to Germany, Norway and England. In college, when I was studying for a semester in Germany I visited my Great-Grandmother’s hometown of Altenbruch near Cuxhaven. I found the family house and some of my grandfather’s cousins. I myself have a past growing up in Indiana, New York, Missouri and Virginia. I have a present as husband, father, pastor, a resident of Ohio. And I have a future, but I am not sure all of what that will be.

You have a past. You live in the present. You have a future. You can look back and look forward, but you live in the present where you learn one thing for sure is true; life is hard. Life is a struggle. School is hard. Work is hard. Marriage is hard. Being single is hard. Raising a family is hard. Even retirement is hard. Life is hard.

We all have a past. We live in the present. We look to the future. We look to the future through our children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and this can hold great promise and great worry. The future can be frightening and troubling as we see turbulent times and know that our days are numbered and in the end we all face the grave

Knowing you face death can make the future seem bleak, but the grave is not the end. The struggles of this life are not all that there is. You are more important than that. God has made great promises to you. You are a baptized child of God. In the waters of Holy Baptism you have been set apart from the multitude of unbelievers. You are a part of the Holy Christian Church, the Communion of Saints.

You are part of the Church, the Body of Christ here at Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church and School in Hamilton, Ohio. The Church has a past. A past here at Immanuel which has been a congregation in Hamilton on Front Street and Main Street for 121 years after breaking away from Zion Lutheran in 1896. Immanuel is part of the Missouri Synod which was formed in 1847 by German Lutheran immigrants to America. Lutherans trace their history back to Martin Luther and the Reformation and back further to the Roman Catholic Church, back to missionaries to Europe, back to the early Church all the way to first disciples of Jesus and Jesus Himself. And before Jesus’ incarnation back to the prophets and King David and Jacob, Isaac and Abraham. All the way back to Noah and back to Adam and Eve.

How long will we preach the Word and administer the sacraments? How long? Until Jesus returns. The Church has no choice but to do what She has been given to do until Jesus returns in Glory.

The Church has a past. We did not invent something new here that we are doing, we are doing what has been given to us to do from the Lord Jesus Himself; to preach the Word and administer the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion. We see this past and present in the verses immediately before our First Reading from Revelations where the 144,000 from the 12 tribes of Israel are assembled as the Church Militant doing the Lord’s work on earth. The church militant protected by the whole armor of God standing firm against the schemes of the devil as we learn in Ephesians. Ephesians 6:12-13 (ESV) ¹²For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

And so the Church lives this out in the present doing what it has been given to do. We gather each week to again put on the whole armor of God by hearing the Word of God read and preached. We continue to baptize infants, children and adults as we saw with little Samuel this morning, to seal them as children of God. We continue to gather to receive the Body and Blood of Christ in Holy Communion for the forgiveness of sins. And how long will the Church continue to do these things that She has been given to do? How long will we preach the Word and administer the sacraments? How long? Until Jesus returns. The Church has no choice but to do what She has been given to do until Jesus returns in Glory. The church continues to live out what She has been given to do baptizing, preaching, teaching, communing and burying those who die in Christ. And we will continue to do this until the judgement day.

The Church lives out the present standing firm against false teaching and sin and selfishness. The Church lives out the freedom of Christ. Not using freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serving one another. And this is tough; loving and serving one another. Being Salt and Light to the world is exhausting. Love is messy and inefficient. Love takes great patience and perseverance as we struggle through this life on the way to the grave.

And when we bid farewell to a loved one at the cemetery it is not goodbye forever, but rather, see you later. The cemetery is not the end. The Church has an eternal future. Those who are in the Church have an eternal future. You are part of the Church that we hear about in our first reading. Revelation 7:9-12 (ESV) ⁹After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” ¹¹And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹²saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”^[1] The future church sings praises in the presence of Jesus, the Lamb of God.

As a repentant, baptized follower of Jesus, you will be in this multitude wearing a white robe and waving a palm branch. Life now is hard being poor in spirit, mourning, meek, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, being merciful, pure in heart, a peacemaker and being persecuted. Life is hard, but you have a future in the great multitude before the Lamb where God will wipe every tear from your eyes.

Today we remember all those who have died in the faith and now wait for the Lord’s return and the resurrection of the dead. We remember them and look forward to the great reunion in heaven. This is the future for the church. This is your future.

This is why we do what we do in the present; because we have a future. This is why we gather together to hear God’s promises; and what great promises God makes to you in Christ Jesus. This is why we sing to Jesus in the Kyrie, “Lord, have mercy.” Because where two or three are gathered in His name Jesus is here with us. This is why we gather and sing the Gloria Patri which is the song of the angels sang at Jesus’ birth because Jesus was present with His people. This is why we sing, “This is the feast”, as we celebrate Jesus’ death and resurrection, “Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain, whose blood set us free to be people of God…For the Lamb who was slain has begun His reign.” That is why we sing the Alleluia verse that declares that Jesus is the one with the Words of Eternal life. This is why we sing, “Praise to you O Christ” after hearing the words of Jesus. This is why we sing the Sanctus with words of the Seraphim singing in the presence of God, witnessed by Isaiah, and the words of the crowds in Jerusalem waving palm branches and welcoming Jesus into their midst on Palm Sunday, “Hosanna in the Highest!” This is why we sing the Agnus Dei with the words of John the Baptist as he sees Jesus, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” This is why we sing the Nunc Dimittis which is the song of Simeon who held the little Lord Jesus in his arms at the temple and knew that now he could die in peace. We sing words of the Bible about Jesus’ presence because Jesus is present here with us today in His Word and in His Sacraments. The Lord is present with us here for the forgiveness of sins. The present church sings praises in the presence of Jesus, the Lamb of God.

The present is a struggle but you have a future. You have a future because you are part of the Church; you have been baptized into Christ. You have an eternal future with all the Church singing praises to the Lord in the heavenly city forever. You have a past, you live in the present, you have a future in Christ.

Amen.

[1] The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. Wheaton : Standard Bible Society, 2001

Posted on October 29, 2017 by pastorkevinjud

It’s not about Martin Luther.

Reformation Day 2017
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
October 29, 2017
Psalm 46:1-11, Revelation 14:6-7, Romans 3:19-28, Matthew 11:12-19

We dream of glory and greatness. Boys imagine themselves hitting the winning grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the ninth in game seven of the World Series. Or catching the winning touchdown pass as time expires in the Super Bowl. Or hitting a buzzer beating basket to win the NBA championship. Girls dream of winning a gold medal in the Olympics. Scoring with final goal to win the World Cup. Breaking the glass ceiling and being the first female president. I think we all have visions of glory. Dreams of victory. We all want to be winners.

Today we find ourselves celebrating the 500^th anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation. 500 years ago on October 31, 1517 Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. Luther was not looking to start a new church or do anything anti Catholic. He wasn’t looking for anything except a discussion about the sale of indulgences. The people were being taught that if they bought an indulgence the penalty for sins would be eliminated either for themselves or someone else; dead or alive. Luther wanted to discuss this abuse and warn the archbishop and the Pope. Luther didn’t know that the archbishop and the pope were the promoters of indulgences and so Luther ended up entangled in the church politics of money and he was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church and a warrant was issued that he to be captured, dead or alive.

Despite the many efforts to get rid of Luther and the Lutherans, here we are 500 years later; still alive and kicking. We kind of want to make a face at the Pope and say nah, nah, nah, nah, nah. We want this to be a day of triumph, a day to celebrate winning. We want to bask in the greatness and glory of Martin Luther and his incredible bravery in the face of the threat of being burned at the stake. We want to celebrate Lutheran victory. We want to boast in our history, but we don’t have anything to boast about…except Jesus.

It’s still all about Jesus.

We are tempted to celebrate the greatness of Luther the man, but Luther was not about promoting Luther. Luther knew the truth. It’s all about Jesus.

The Reformation was a good thing in rediscovering the truth of Jesus, but it wasn’t all good. It opened the door for a splintering of Christianity. We see this as we look around at the spiritual landscape in America. It is pretty disconcerting to see the fragmented mess of hundreds of denominations and thousands of churches who claim no denomination. Religion in America is chaos. With a constitutional guarantee of religious freedom America is a breeding ground for anyone who wants to make up their own religion. We have the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Scientologists, and Christian Scientists along with homicidal messiah figures like Jim Jones and David Koresh.

We have the so-called mainline churches which have abandoned the Bible and are falling all over themselves trying to adjust and erase ancient church teachings to keep up with an ever-changing sexual morality and political correctness.

We have churches for which numerical growth is the most important thing and they are willing to do whatever it takes to fill the pews. Worship becomes entertainment and sermons focus on self-improvement and success and dreaming big dreams and achieving big things.

There are churches that claim they are about deeds, not creeds. That it doesn’t matter what you believe it’s all about what you do. There are churches where week after week the sermon is about feeding the hungry and helping the poor.

There are churches that are very quiet and regimented and there are churches where emotionalism is highly valued.

American religion is a mess. It is easy for churches to go astray in the quest for success or just survival. But it is not about making up your own religion, or chasing cultural trends, or having more people in the seats, or achieving your dreams or doing great things or helping the poor or being quiet or being emotional. It’s not about those things. It is still all about Jesus.

Jesus on the cross is not how you would imagine God to be. No one would make up a God who does what Jesus does. Jesus on the cross doesn’t make sense. What kind of God is beaten and naked and bloody hanging on a cross? It is still all about Jesus.

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

It is still all about Jesus. It is about Jesus ruling as Lord of your life. It is about Jesus being God in flesh; God with us. It is about Jesus reigning from the throne of the cross.

It is still all about Jesus on the cross for you.

You want it to be about success and power and winning, but you get the cross. Jesus on the cross is not an image of success and power and winning, even so, it is still all about Jesus and that is good. Because your greatest need is not success and power and winning. Your greatest need is forgiveness and eternal life.

Jesus on the cross is not an easy sell to others. It is still all about Jesus.

Jesus on the cross will not make you rich or powerful or healthy. It is still all about Jesus.

Jesus on the cross reminds you of the seriousness of your sin and that is uncomfortable. It is still all about Jesus.

Jesus on the cross is not how you would imagine God to be. No one would make up a God who does what Jesus does. Jesus on the cross doesn’t make sense. What kind of God is beaten and naked and bloody hanging on a cross? It is still all about Jesus.

Jesus on the cross shows you God’s great love and sacrifice for you. It is still all about Jesus.

And there is victory. There is Jesus’ victory for you. Jesus is victorious over sin, death and the devil. Jesus dies on the cross for your sins and then rises from the dead to conquer death for you. Because of Jesus you will rise from the dead on the last day to live forever with the Lord in the Heavenly City. For now, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear….Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” It is still all about Jesus.

Listen to Jesus. Obey Jesus. Follow the Ten Commandments. Love God and Love your neighbor. Do what God calls you to do; love and serve one another. Tell others the Good News that it is still all about Jesus.

It is easy to say and hard to do. Telling others about Jesus is difficult. The kingdom of heaven has suffered violence and it continues to do so. It is not easy. People reject Jesus and sometimes will reject you because of Jesus. They need Jesus, but don’t know it and don’t want it.

We so much want to have a method that if we say just the right words in the right way people will have to come to faith in Jesus. We want a way that we can advance the kingdom of God with deliberate efficiency. We want to way to make people believe that it is still all about Jesus. We want a method to easily eliminate sin and temptation from our lives and the lives of others. But we don’t get any of that. We get Jesus. It is still all about Jesus.

This Reformation Day as you remember Martin Luther getting things started 500 years ago remember what Luther was trying to do. He was trying to get back to basics. He was trying to have everyone know that it is still all about Jesus.

Luther was troubled by his sin and guilt and could find no peace; no forgiveness. The Roman Catholic Church over the years had so buried the truth of scripture under a pile of traditions and bad translations and a system of payments that it took Luther a long time to uncover the truth; it is still all about Jesus.

And what great peace and comfort you get from knowing that in the equation of salvation Jesus does 100 percent and you do zero percent. It is not about you. It’s about Jesus for you. Jesus does it all. Jesus brings you into the Kingdom of Heaven in Holy Baptism. Jesus gives you the gift of salvation and eternal life. Jesus continues to forgive you and feed you with His Body and Blood.

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Struggle against sin and seek to love and serve your neighbor. You are a child of God because of Jesus. You are a winner, but only because it is still all about Jesus.

Amen.

Posted on October 22, 2017 by pastorkevinjud

False Choices: God or Caesar? Self-righteousness or Despair?

coins_16232c Pentecost 20, 2017, Proper 24
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
October 22, 2017
Psalm 96:1-9, Isaiah 45:1-7, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, Matthew 22:15-22

Sermons online:
Text:                                      pastorjud.org
Audio:                                  pastorjud.podbean.com
itunes:                                   bit.ly/pastorjud
Full Service Audio:            bit.ly/ImmanuelWorship

Whenever you encounter communication of any sort, three things are vitally important to consider; context, context, and context. This is true when listening to a speech. This is true when reading a book. It is true when watching the news. This is especially true when working with the Bible.

We need some cultural context to make sense of our Gospel lesson today and understand how bizarre the situation really is. The Gospel we just heard tells us that some disciples of the Pharisees and some Herodians came together to confront Jesus.

The Pharisees are extremely nationalistic Jews. They believe Jerusalem should be ruled by Jews, not by the Gentile Romans. After all, the Law of Moses states in Deuteronomy 17, Deuteronomy 17:15 (ESV) “¹⁵you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.^[1]” The Pharisees hate the Romans and their occupation of the land. They hate the Romans, but at this time they are not bold enough or stupid enough to rebel against the powerful Romans by force; that would be suicide.

The Herodians are just the opposite. As you might guess by their name, they support Herod. Herod Antipas is a puppet king of the Roman Empire in Galilee and a son of Herod the Great. The Romans had put his father in power and they kept Herod Antipas in power after his father’s death. Herod’s family members are not Jewish descendants of Abraham and Sarah but converts to Judaism and often considered to not be real Jews but only Jews for political purposes. Herod’s clan’s first loyalty is to Rome. So, if you are a Herodian, you are a fan of Herod, and, since Herod is a puppet of Rome, you are a fan of the Roman’s and Roman occupation.

They have the perfect question that will put Jesus between a rock and a hard place. With this question they can trap Jesus with His words: “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” They think there are only two answers.

Ordinarily, the Pharisees and the Herodians are at each other’s throats … if not literally, at least figuratively. The fact that these two groups are working together to attack Jesus shows how much they hate Jesus.

And they have a plan. They have the perfect question that will put Jesus between a rock and a hard place. With this question they can trap Jesus with His words: “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” They think there are only two answers. If Jesus says yes to Roman taxes, He is against God’s Word and the Pharisees and the Nationalist Jews will hate him. If He says not to pay taxes He is against Caesar and the Herodians will report Jesus to the Roman authorities to be arrested for rebellion. If He does not answer at all, the crowd will label Him a coward. The Herodians and the Pharisees think they have Jesus in a no-win situation.

Of course, it is not so easy to trap Jesus in His words. Jesus sees the fallacy in their plan. There aren’t just two possible answers to their question. There is a third answer: “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” You can be for God and still pay taxes to Caesar.

The Gospels record many interactions like this between Jesus and His opponents. The opponents come up with some sort of plan to trap Jesus, embarrass Jesus and destroy His influence. But every time, Jesus turns things around on the Jewish leaders and embarrasses them. Plans to trap Jesus in His words always backfire.

We are tempted to believe that Jesus won all these debates because He was such an excellent debater. We are tempted to believe that it was His superior skill and knowledge that won all these debates. While Jesus was the perfect human being and had flawless thought; that was not His main advantage. His main advantage was that He knew the truth and He never wavered from it. Making your case based on truth gives anyone a tremendous advantage over those who depend on lies.

The opponents in today’s Gospel engage in a logical fallacy called the false dilemma. This is a logical fallacy that falsely offers only two possible alternatives even though a broad range of possible alternatives are really available. An example would be a child who says to their parent, “Either you buy me this book I want right now, or you don’t think reading is important.” The opponents offered two possibilities: either you pay your taxes or you don’t. Either you are for God or for Caesar. Jesus simply exposes their faulty reasoning by showing that there actually are other answers. We can pay our taxes, and give our offerings, and care for our families. God is gracious enough to give us the resources to do all three and maybe even have a little left over for recreation. The opponents try to trap Jesus using a dilemma that does not exist.

Your enemy, the Devil, often presents you with false dilemmas. One that involves your very salvation is the dilemma between self-righteousness and despair. It goes something like this. And remember this is a fallacy; it is false logic.

As you read the Bible, you see that God gives you a lot to do. Do you do what God says and go to heaven, or, are you failing and on the road to hell? This false dilemma is all that the unbeliever knows. He does not know that there is another way. He thinks, good guys go to heaven, bad guys go to hell. Are you good or bad? How good do you have to be in order to be good enough? This is the false dilemma of the law. Are you a good guy or a bad guy? Am I a good guy or a bad guy?

Now, I can deny the truth of my sin and insist that I am one of the good guys that go to heaven, but this is self-righteousness which directly contradicts John’s epistle: [1 John 1:8, 10] “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us … If we say we have not sinned, we make [God] a liar, and his word is not in us.” To say “I hope I am good enough to go to heaven,” is an arrogant sin of pride. To believe I am good enough is just lying to myself and calling God a liar. Self-righteousness is one choice.

My other choice, according to this false dilemma, is the utter honesty of recognizing my sin and believing I have no hope. This is despair. Here too, there is a strange sort of pride … the belief that my sin is more powerful than God. My sin is so terrible that there is nothing that God or anyone else can do. In the case of Judas, the pride of his despair is so great that he takes justice into his own hands and murders himself.

What a comfort and relief it is to learn that the two choices offered by the law are a false dilemma. Just as Jesus provided a third answer to the Pharisees and Herodians, He provides a third answer to the false dilemma of the delusion of the law. In the middle of John’s condemnation of our sin, we hear, [1 John 1:9] “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Here is the way that God forgives our sin and cleanses our unrighteousness. God has given us a third answer in Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the one who does the work that makes this third answer possible. Jesus actually does what God gives Him to do. He keeps God’s law perfectly. He goes to the cross and endures the punishment we deserve for failing to do what God commands. In this way, He provides the third answer … the third answer that shows the futility of self-righteousness and the vanity of despair. You are not responsible for your own salvation. Jesus has taken that responsibility for you. Jesus earns forgiveness for you. Jesus cleanses you of all your sin. Jesus forgives you and gives you new life in the waters of Holy Baptism as we saw with baby Keith this morning. Jesus forgives in His words of absolution and in His Body and Blood in Holy Communion.

Jesus proves the benefit of His third answer by rising from the dead and ascending to the Father. Jesus invites all to trust Him and receive this blessing. God invites you to trust Him. God will raise those in Christ to immortality on the Last Day and join body and soul once again. On that day there will be a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and earth will have passed away. Then our Lord [Revelation 21:4] “will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

The Pharisees and the Herodians in today’s Gospel try to make Jesus irrelevant by asking a trick question. When that doesn’t work, they give up on questions. They decide that the only way to remove Jesus from the scene is to remove Him from this life – to kill Him. During the next few days they carry out their plan and arrange to have Jesus crucified. When Jesus lies dead, the powers of sin, death, and the devil think they have won. They don’t understand. They don’t understand that the death of Jesus is His greatest victory.

It is by Jesus’ victory that you receive forgiveness, life, and salvation. It is by Jesus’ victory that even though you die, you will rise again. Jesus’ resurrection is the assurance that the work He did on the cross is the ultimate victory for you … the assurance that you don’t have to choose between self-righteousness and despair. The devil’s options are a false dilemma. In Jesus Christ there is another way, the only way, the way of the cross, the way to life everlasting. Amen

[1] The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. Wheaton : Standard Bible Society, 2001

Posted on October 15, 2017 by pastorkevinjud

There is hell to pay if you ignore this wedding invitation.

horse_16243c Pentecost 19, 2017 Proper 23
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
October 15, 2017
Isaiah 25:6-9, Psalm 23, Philippians 4:4-13, Matthew 22:1-14

It is a beautiful wedding reception. Everything is tastefully decorated with the latest styles the bride learned from Pinterest. There is an incredible buffet line with turkey and prime rib carving stations and an amazing number of selections. At the end of the buffet line there is magnificent tiered wedding cake just waiting to be cut.

The bride, groom, wedding party and guests are all dressed up in their finest; it is a lovely celebration of a man and woman being joined together in marriage. All is going well when the father of the bride sees a young man at the buffet. This man, dressed in an old t-shirt, shorts and flip flops makes his way down the buffet piling his plate high with all the delicacies. Something isn’t right here.

The father of the bride comes over to the man and asks him why he isn’t dressed for the wedding. The man doesn’t answer. The father asks the man if he knows the name of the bride or the groom. The man doesn’t answer. The father signals for the reception hall staff to come over and remove the man from the party. He doesn’t belong. He doesn’t know the bride or the groom.

That’s bad news for the wedding crasher.

It’s bad news when you get thrown out of a party because you don’t belong.

What do you do with bad news? How do you handle it? Do you serve it straight up? The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, or do you try to water it down; soften it up, lie a little to make the truth sound better, less harsh.

I think often we will lie to children about things to try to protect them from the harsh realities of life and death. With little children parents need to choose how much to share when a family member is caught up in addiction, or grandma is really sick or when a pet has to be euthanized. With children sometimes we want to soften the truth.

But what do we do with Jesus’ harsh truths. How do we handle them? How should the pastor handle them? Should I water them down and soften them up to make them less intense? Should I lie about them to make them sound better?

Today it is tempting because in our Gospel reading we have a tough teaching.

Many are called, but few are chosen. This is a harsh warning from the Lord Jesus. Few are chosen. This is not what we want to hear from God about salvation.

There is only one way to the salvation celebration; there is only one way…through the front door. Jesus is the door. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Jesus. This is a strict warning.

This is a strict warning from God and we don’t like that and sometimes, when we don’t like something, we simply pretend it isn’t true. We just make up lies about it to make it seem better. We just deny what Jesus says and make up our own answers to difficult questions. Doing theology in many churches today involves ignoring what the Bible says and making up your own truths to fit an ever changing world. People believe that there are many ways to heaven and everyone is going to get there somehow. We want to believe that there is a back door into the heavenly banquet. We want to believe there is a secret passage. We want to believe that we can make up our own way into the feast, but we cannot. Many are called, but few are chosen.

There is only one way to the salvation celebration; there is only one way…through the front door. Jesus is the door. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Jesus. This is a strict warning. Jesus is the only way. Many are called, few are chosen. To be chosen is to believe that Jesus is the king; to believe that Jesus reigns; Jesus rules; Jesus is indeed God, Jesus is your Lord and Savior. So many refuse to believe that Jesus is in charge because they want to be in charge of themselves. They want autonomy; self-rule. They want to ignore the King’s invitation to come to the banquet. The Lord God invites them and they refuse. They want to live their lives their own way and in the end they will be cast into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. As much as we hate the idea, Hell is real; the Bible teaches this. This is a terrifying thought. The reality of Hell is a terrible reality, and we do not get to make up our own alternative. But many do try.

We live in a time when false teaching is spreading quickly. Churches that once held to the truth of the Bible have taken to making up lies to fit their own desires and understandings. Recently, Elizabeth Eaton, the Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, told a reporter for the Chicago Sun Times that she believed, “There may be a hell, but I think it is empty.” That is a lovely idea. I wish that were true, but I do not get to make up the truth. When we hear Jesus’ teaching in today’s Gospel reading is there any doubt that those who reject the king’s invitation are outside salvation? This is a hard teaching, but it is Jesus’ teaching. The ELCA Bishop is telling lies about the bad news of the Bible.

Now there is bad news in today’s Gospel reading, but it is not all bad news. There is also great Good News. The great Good News is the King is so very generous. The great Good News is that you are invited to come to the heavenly feast. The King, the creator of the universe, God Himself, invites you to come to feast. So come to the feast.

You entered into the Kingdom of Heaven; the reign of heaven, when you were baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection. You are in the Kingdom of Heaven right now washed clean in the waters of baptism, forgiven by Jesus’ words of absolution; fed with the very Body and Blood of Christ in Holy Communion which is a foretaste of the feast to come. You are in the Kingdom of Heaven and you are on your way to the eternal banquet. You know the truth. You know Jesus is the way. You know Jesus is the door. You know Jesus, on the cross, for you, has paid the price to ransom you from sin, death and the devil. You are on your way to the eternal banquet.

But there are many dangers on the way to the feast.

The busyness of life and the deceitfulness of wealth can choke out the great Good News that you have been invited to the feast. Far too many get so busy with all the other things of life that that just don’t have time to gather together to hear God’s Word and partake of the foretaste of the feast to come.

Some are so hardened in their own understanding that they do not want to listen to the King’s servants. Pastors warn people about ongoing sinful situations, but too often folks just ignore the pastor’s warnings and remain in their ongoing sin.

Are you too busy for Jesus? Do you have too many other things to do? Are your sins too precious? Beware that you do not refuse the call of Jesus to love your neighbor; the call to speak the truth in love that Jesus is the only way to the Father. You have been invited to the great wedding feast of the Lamb, come to the banquet through the front door.

In our Gospel reading, the King has thrown a wedding feast for his son and there is a man at the wedding who does not have on wedding clothes. The king comes to the man and asks, “Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?” Despite the king’s friendly approach, the man remains silent. He has no explanation. He does not apologize. He does not ask for mercy. Everyone was invited, the good and the bad, but this man is not prepared for the wedding. He does not know the Groom. He remains silent. He did not enter into the banquet through the front door. He must have snuck in another way. But there is no other way. And the man is bound hand and foot and cast into the outer darkness.

We want to believe there is another way into the Kingdom of God. We want to believe there is a back door, a secret door, but there is not. These are just lies we tell ourselves. There will be no sneaking into the heavenly feast, no breaking in, no way to bust down the doors to the banquet with military or political force. There is only one way to eternal life with God and that is through Jesus Christ and His life, death and resurrection. It is through Jesus alone.

This is humbling. It is not about you. It is about Jesus for you. You are a natural born sinner who needs Jesus. You cannot do it yourself. You do not prepare the Feast, but you are an invited guest. The Lord of hosts is the one who prepares the feast of rich food and well-aged wine. The Lord is the one who prepares a table before you in the presence of your enemies. The Lord is the one who anoints your head and chooses you to be His own. The Lord is the one who fills your cup to overflowing with love, goodness, mercy and forgiveness.

The King has invited you to the wedding feast of the Lamb in His Kingdom. Come to the feast. Live your life as a guest at the wedding feast of the King. Speaking the truth in love that Jesus is the only way. Speaking the truth in the face of opposition. Speaking the hard truth that Jesus is the only way because that is Jesus’ truth.

On November 10, 2013 in the city of Speyer, Germany, in the Memorial Church of the Reformation, a Muslim Imam was invited to take part in an interfaith prayer service for peace. The Imam began his call to prayer shouting Allahu Akbar! Which means Allah is greater; greater, they mean, than the Christian God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. At this call a German Christian woman named Heidi Mund could not contain her anger at this false teaching in a Christian Church dedicated to Martin Luther and the Reformation. She rose up with a German flag that proclaimed Jesus Christ is Lord and shouted the same. Jesus Christus ist Herr! Jesus Christ is Lord. She proclaimed, “Here I stand, I can do no other!” “Save the church of Martin Luther.” This brave German woman stood up to false teaching.

You know the truth. There is only one way into the banquet and that is through Jesus. The King has invited you to the wedding feast of the Lamb in His kingdom. Come to the feast. Amen.

Posted on October 1, 2017 by pastorkevinjud

Who does Jesus think he is?

temple1c Pentecost 17 2017, Proper 21
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
October 1, 2017
Psalm 25:1-10, Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32; Philippians 2:1-4, 14-18, Matthew 21:23-27

Betty owns a small business that sells and installs high end blinds, draperies and area rugs. She has built the business from just herself in a spare bedroom to having her own showroom and 10 employees. Betty has been out of town on a sales call and returns to her showroom at 4 PM on a Friday to find her 10 employees and others having a party with catered hors d’oeuvres and an open bar. Betty runs a pretty tight ship and she doesn’t know anything about this party, so what is her first question?

“Who authorized this?”

Jed is an 8-year-old boy sitting playing video games in the family room and his mother calls to him and says, “please turn off the game and help set the table for dinner.” Jed ignores his mother so she goes into the family room and repeats her instructions. Jed looks at his mother and screams, “No! I don’t have to listen to you!” What is the problem here? Jed is directly defying his mother’s authority and that cannot stand. Jed may not be able to sit for a little while.

Anyone who has been on a sports team or in the military knows about authority. You do what the coach or the sergeant or the officer says to do. You obey without question. When I was briefly in the Navy going to Officer Candidate School to be a Navy pilot much of the training revolved around learning to follow orders without question. If you are taking off from an aircraft carrier and they tell you to eject you eject immediately; if you pause to ask why you will likely be dead before you finish the question.

When someone has authority you are supposed to obey them. But that is not so much the way we operate currently. Something changed in our nation especially in the 1960s and 70s. There was a movement to question authority; to not trust anyone over 30.

Now, living in a democratic republic, there is need for healthy skepticism of our leaders and we need to hold them to account. But there is great danger in always questioning authority. There is eternal danger in questioning God’s authority.

That is exactly what the scribes and elders are doing to Jesus in our Gospel reading today; they are questioning God’s authority. The day before, Jesus entered into Jerusalem in a grand procession down the Mount of Olives and then he went to the temple where He drove out all who sold or bought in the temple. As outsiders came into Jerusalem they needed to change money and they needed to buy animals for sacrifice. The temple had been turned into a stockyard and there was a bit of a hustle going on. The people needed to bring animals for sacrifice that would meet the temple standards. The Jewish leaders determined whether or not an animal met standards. Eventually instead of bringing their own animals, people would buy a pre-certified animal for sacrifice from the Jewish leaders who would take a cut of the sale price and make extra on changing money. Because they are in charge, the Jewish leaders set up a nice side business.

But whose temple is it? It is God’s house, but the Jewish leaders think they are in charge and can do whatever they like. Then Jesus shows up. Jesus comes to the temple and overturns the moneychanger’s tables and the chairs of the ones who sold pigeons. Jesus tells the Jewish leaders, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you make it a den of robbers.”

The Jewish leaders must be quite puzzled by Jesus’ actions and teaching. Who is this guy from Galilee? Who do you think you are telling us what to do? We don’t have to listen to you; we run this place. We are in charge. This is our temple. But Jesus doesn’t listen to them and cleanses the temple.

As Jesus comes back to the temple the next day the chief priest and the elders confront Him in regards to His authority.

Matthew 21:23 (ESV) ²³… “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”^[1]

Basically, “Who do you think you are?”

The question is, “Who is Jesus?” In our world today we face the same question, “Who is Jesus? Who is Jesus to tell me what to do?” Who is Jesus and does Jesus have authority?

The Jewish leaders try to trap Jesus into either denying His authority or outright claiming to be God which would be, in their eyes, a blasphemy worthy of death. They are trying to trap Jesus in His words, but they don’t know who they are dealing with. Jesus gives it right back to them and questions them about John the Baptist’s authority to baptize; is it from heaven or from men.

The Jewish leaders sense Jesus’ trap for them and refuse to answer and so Jesus refuses to answer. The Jewish leaders think they speak for God because they are the temple leaders and yet here they are speaking to God in flesh and disregarding what He is saying. They have some authority in the Temple but instead of using it to help the people they use their authority to profit off of the people by selling animals and changing money. The Jewish leaders appear to be holy and say they believe in God, but then reject God when He comes in the flesh. The tax collectors and prostitutes don’t appear to be very holy but they know they are not worthy and they need a savior and that savior is Jesus of Nazareth; Immanuel; God with us.

Jesus has come to fulfill Old Testament prophecy as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus comes with authority. All authority in heaven and in earth has been given to Jesus. Jesus has demonstrated his authority. Jesus has authority over the laws of nature. The wind obeys him; He can turn water into wine. Jesus has authority over sickness and heals people. Jesus has authority over blindness and restores sight. Jesus has authority over demons and drives them out. Jesus has authority over death itself and raises people from the dead. Jesus has authority to forgive sins and this is what He came to do. Jesus has authority to lay down His life and authority to take it up again. Jesus has the authority to be the sacrificial Lamb of God and pay the price for the sins of the world.

Jesus has authority because of who He is; He is God in flesh. Jesus is God with us.

Jesus has authority, but you are in danger of falling into the same trap as the Jewish leaders. You can start to think that you know what is the right thing to do and you don’t have to listen to Jesus.

You try to take authority away from Jesus by pretending that you have some authority to forgive your own sins; that you can do something to work off your sins. In our study of the Reformation we learned that in the Latin translation of the Bible called the Vulgate the Greek word for repentance was translated as “do penance”. Because of this the Roman Catholic Church taught that very thing. Instead of repent; turn away from sin and turn back to God, they taught that you must do penance, do acts to pay for your sin.

But you do not have authority to pay for your own sins. This doing penance eventually morphed into gaining an indulgence by going on a crusade to then being able to buy an indulgence that would get you an exemption from doing penance. The church leaders found a way to profit off of forgiveness. But buying an indulgence or doing penance does not earn forgiveness. You can’t earn forgiveness; it must be granted to you by the one who has authority.

Only Jesus has that authority. And what a wonderful thing that Jesus exercises that authority to forgive you. Jesus has the authority to forgive sins which He gives to the Church who calls a pastor who declares forgiveness on behalf of the Church. Jesus pours out forgiveness in His words, “I forgive you all your sins”, in the waters of baptism and in His Body and Blood in Holy Communion. Jesus has authority, but too often you want to challenge Jesus’ authority.

You challenge Jesus’ authority when you disobey His teachings. When you decide that one of Jesus’ laws doesn’t apply to you, you are declaring that Jesus does not have authority over you. But Jesus has authority. You are to follow all His laws. Jesus’ teachings are not a buffet where you get to pick which ones you like and which ones you don’t. Jesus’ teachings are like eating dinner at my mother’s table when I was growing up. You eat what you are served whether you like it or not. I remember to this day having ridiculously heated battles of the will with my mother over having to eat what I was served. I remember a couple were over stuffed manicotti and stewed zucchini. Looking back it would have been easier to be more like my siblings and just listen to my mother and obey, but I was not known for doing things the right way or the easy way. I wanted to take authority away from my mother.

That is so much how we are nowadays. Listening and obeying is so contrary to the way we want to live life today. But with Jesus’ authority we are called on to listen and obey even if Jesus’ teaching is not something that we like; even when it is difficult.

When you find yourself engaged in some activity that you wonder, “Is this sinful?”, ask yourself, “Who authorized this? Am I pursuing God’s will, or am I obeying the devil, the world, or my own sinful flesh? Repent. Turn from sin and turn back to God.

Who is Jesus? He is God in flesh. He is God with us. Jesus is Lord. Jesus is your Lord. Does Jesus have authority? Yes. Jesus has authority to forgive your sins. Jesus’ words cleanse you from all sin. Jesus has authority to raise you from the dead. On the last day Jesus will descend from heaven and the dead in Christ will be raised to new life. Jesus has authority. Jesus is Lord. Amen.

[1] The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. Wheaton : Standard Bible Society, 2001