House Installation

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +
          Tom, members of Redeemer Lutheran Church, friends and visitors here today, Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Our text for this evening is one that we hear normally the Sunday after Easter, and is set on the very evening of Easter itself.  And our text presents for us a wonderful contrast.  There it is, Easter Day.  Peter and John have been to the empty tomb, they have seen the burial cloths lying there emptied.  And yet, what do we hear?  “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews…”  We hear fear.  Locked doors.  Terrified men.  Terrified men who see all around them danger and suffering and death and pain and sorrow.  Even as on the one hand the tomb is empty, there’s still that fear of danger and death that threatens to overwhelm them.

          This, dear friends, is the situation we ourselves live in now in this fallen world.  We know the tomb is empty, but what do we see around us?  Violence.  Wars and rumors of war.  Economic uncertainty, towns crumbling and decaying.  Culture falling apart.  And even if we try to circle the wagons, simply look at our own congregations, our own families, what do we see?  Fights, hurt feelings, pain, anger, failure, disappointment, arguments.  Or even if we try to circle the wagons even further, even if we ignore everyone else – what do we see when we look inside our own hearts?  Anger, fear, pain, sorrow, lust, greed.  Sin and death.  And so in many ways we are in the exact same position as those disciples there on Easter Evening – we see two realities – we know the Empty Tomb, but always threatening to overtake us, to overshadow that Empty Tomb is the world and Satan and our own sinful flesh, and we can be tempted to cower in fear, to lock the doors, to run and hide and simply wait for the end.

          That’s what the disciples were doing.  Simply cowering.  The world around them was too much for them, the events of Good Friday terrorized them, made them forget Maundy Thursday.  And so, as they sit there huddled in fear, what does our Lord do?  “Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’”  In the midst of their fear and sorrow, even as they are sitting there and thinking the world and sin and death is going to crush them once they manage to break through that door, Christ Jesus comes to them, and He blesses them, says to them “Peace be with you.”  Understand what Jesus is saying here – He’s no freeze dried hippie.  No, when our Lord says “Peace be with you” He is saying, “I know your fear, your sin, your terror, your doubt – and I cast it out.  Your sin is forgiven, your fears are conquered, your terror relieved, your doubt removed, and in their place I give you My peace, my security.”  “When He had said this He showed them His hands and His side.”  Look here disciples, were you worried about death, were you worried about what the world has done to me?  Take heart, I have overcome the world, and because I have died and have risen again your sin is forgiven, you are at peace with God, and you have life in Me. 

          And so of course the disciples were glad.  Of course they rejoiced.  That’s what happens when we hear God’s peace.  But now, what of you here, my friends at Redeemer?  What of you?  It’s nice that Jesus appeared to those disciples back then in the midst of their fears, but what about right now, what about this time, this place, what about 2012 here in Enid, Oklahoma?  “Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you.  As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.  And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.’”  When Jesus appeared to the disciples in that upper room near 2000 years ago, He knew that there was plenty of terror and sin and fear in the world, and so when He spoke Peace unto those disciples, He took them and He ordained them to be His own Apostles, to be those whom He would send out to speak forth His own forgiveness and peace to the world around them.  That’s what the book of Acts is – it’s a record of these mean speaking Christ’s peace and forgiveness.  It’s what the Epistles are – it’s these men preaching Christ’s peace to the Church scattered throughout the world.  And you here, you here at Redeemer Lutheran Church are part of that same one Holy, Christian, and… Apostolic Church.  Just as Christ Jesus sent out those Apostles to preach to the people in their day and age, so too, my friends, Christ Jesus has sent a man to you to proclaim His peace to you here.

          Tom, that is the charge and duty that is laid before you, the call that has been given to you.  That you are to stride boldly into the midst of this congregation, this community, and in the middle of all terror and sin and strife you are to with all boldness proclaim Peace.  To call sin to the carpet and to forgive people who desperately need Christ’s forgiveness.  As the Father has sent Christ, as Christ sent the Apostles, even so too He has sent you here to preach His Word of truth to these people He has entrusted to your care.  This is a joyous task, but it is also a weighty one, a heavy one.  We, your brothers in the office will support and encourage you in this, even as we ask that you will support and encourage us in our own duties in our own congregations.  For you will need encouragement.  You come to Redeemer at a time when they are on the edge of great joy.  A new pastor – and the celebrations that come with that.  A new and gorgeous sanctuary – and the right and proper celebrations that come with that.  And Octoberfest and Christmas in a new sanctuary, and all that joy and merriment.  But even with that joy – life out there will still be going on, still wearing your sheep down.  And then, there will come winter, and the Christmas decorations will be put away, and months of joy and excitement will have passed, and that worn and weary deflating feeling will return.  And people will feel all the more intensely the weariness and the fear that we face in this world.  Leading up to that, indeed, through that, through thick and thin, through whatever storms lash this congregation, through whatever trials and strife Satan sends this way – do what you have been called to do.  Speak the peace of our Risen Lord and Savior.  Do not give into the temptation to come up with your own wonderful plans and schemes – those are nothing but locking the door in fear, but rather with all boldness and with all love, preach Christ and His peace.

          And members of Redeemer, you too have a charge that is laid upon you this day.  You are vowing to receive this man as your Pastor – that you will listen to him as He preaches the Word of God in its Truth, that you will hear the peace that He proclaims unto you, and that you will support him as he does God’s work in your midst.  And this will not always be easy – and no, this isn’t me saying something about Pastor House, I love him like a brother.  It’s simply this – those disciples had heard that the tomb was empty, but they still decided to lock themselves in the upper room.  Fear and sin and our old sinful flesh have strong holds on us fallen men – and God has sent Pastor House to take on that sin, to call it out.  There will be times you won’t like it.  Pastor House is to be your teacher – and no student likes getting the test back with a bunch of red ink on it.  Pastor House is to be your spiritual doctor – and sometimes the Doctor will tell you things you don’t want to hear.  And in those moments your sinful flesh will want to lash out, will want to ignore him and stop up your ears, you will be tempted to lock yourself away from Pastor House and the Word of God that He preaches.  That’s just the way of it in the sinful world, and even we Pastors are not immune.  I know Pastor House and I have both preached sermons that make us squirm even while we were preaching them.  Do not give in to your sinful nature when you think of your Pastor, for God has sent Him here to preach God’s own peace to you, and that Peace drives out sin and terror and fear… the only problem is that often sin and terror and fear don’t like to go quietly.  So, do not ask Him to preach what you want to hear, some watered down feel good poison that pats your sinful flesh on the head and lets it be – no, be faithful Christians, and demand of Him that He preach the whole counsel of God, the Law in its severity, the Gospel in its sweetness, and support Him, pray for Him so that he doesn’t given into temptation himself and wimp out in his preaching, for in preaching the Word He is giving God’s care and love to you, He is giving you God’s peace.

          We live in a wild and wooly, sinful, fallen place.  But Christ Jesus your Lord knows that, and so, out of His great love for the members of Redeemer, out of His great love for you, Tom, He has called Pastor House here, to speak forth the same peace spoken by our Risen Lord and Savior, so that together, united in the preaching and hearing of God’s peace, united together in the distribution the reception of Christ’s Baptism and Supper, this congregation, pastor and members together, might stand and be a beacon of light and love and forgiveness in this community, giving forth Christ to sinners who so desperately need His forgiveness and peace.  Over and against the realities of Sin, Christ Jesus has sent this congregation a preacher, so that first and foremost you may see and remember that Christ has been crucified for those sins that pester you, that He has been raised to defeat that death that threatens you.  He made this congregation to be a place of peace, and He has sent to you a pastor to proclaim His peace.  Know that God will bless you in this, in your preaching and in your hearing; cling fast to Christ and His peace that He speaks here through His servant for His servants.  In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +

Trinity 14 12 - Draft

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost +
          Ah yes, the “thankfulness” text.  The healing of the ten lepers.  The text we hear twice a year, both today and on Thanksgiving Day where we get the lecture, the waging of the finger – you little boys and girls need to be thankful, so you better go turn around right now and tell God Thank You!  And if the preacher is a bit unscrupulous… or maybe if the budget seems tight, you might even hear “and by thank you I mean put more money in the plate you ungrateful slobs.”  To often this text is treated as an occasion to just hammer people for ungratefulness – to say “God wants you to be thankful… or hell be mad at you” – as though God is petty and only gives blessings simply to hear his praises.  No, God blesses us purely out of His Fatherly divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worth in us – and He doesn’t need our thanks.  So this becomes the question, the question our text will answer today – why, if God doesn’t need our thanks, does He want us to give thanks?  Let’s dive into the text.
          “On the way to Jerusalem He was passing along between Samaria and Galilee.”  The very first thing to note is this – Luke tells us that Jesus was headed to Galilee.  In Luke’s Gospel, that’s not just a note, a factual snippet.  The second half of Luke’s Gospel over and over repeats that Jesus is headed to Jerusalem – and why?  Because it is in Jerusalem where Jesus wins salvation for us by His death and resurrection.  Luke 18:31-33 explains this focus – Jesus says: “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished.  For He will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging Him, they will kill Him, and on the third day He will rise.”  Over and over in Luke, we are reminded of Jesus being on His way to Jerusalem, on His way to the Cross to win salvation.  So – that is the background of this text, what we need to have in our heads – this text will be teaching us about Christ’s struggle against sin and death, it will be teaching us about His death and resurrection – He is on His way to Jersualem.
          “And as he entered a village, He was met by 10 lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.’”  And then He is approached by 10 lepers who cry out “Lord have Mercy”.  The same thing we have already cried out today here in Worship today several times.  They are approach Christ seeking mercy – and mercy He will show.  “When He saw them He said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’  And as they went they were cleansed.”  Under the law of Moses, if you had leprosy, had a skin disease, you were exiled.  Had to be for the good of the community.  But, if you were healed, then you could go and show yourself to the priest, who would examine you and let you be restored to the community.  And Jesus says, “show yourselves to the priest” – but did you note.  They weren’t clean yet – it was only as they went that they were healed.  That, my friends, is faith.  Jesus says, “Go” – and even as they look at themselves they see their sores and wounds – yet they go, because Christ has said so.  And again, we too are often in this same position.  Christ has said to you, “Go, you are forgiven, your sins are no more.”  And yet, when we look at ourselves, so often we see more and more sin, more and more flaws.  Christ has said that we were washed clean in Baptism, that we are a new creation, that we will have the life everlasting – yet often, it doesn’t look this way.  I wrote the rough draft for this sermon on Monday morning, and even as I wrote it I knew that there would be countless way between Monday and Sunday where I would do stupid, foolish, hurtful, sinful things – wretch that I am.  Yet, over and above what I see, what we see in our lives, our regrets, our shame, our guilt – Christ Jesus has said that we are clean, that we are forgiven – that he has presented us as His own Bride without spot or blemish – and thus in faith we believe what Christ has said, we trust His forgiveness.
          And now we get to the turning point of our Gospel lesson.  “Then one of the 10, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks.  Now he was a Samaritan.”  Literally, the turning point.  One of the lepers, seeing that he is healed, turns around, praises God and gives thanks.  And Jesus looks at this a bit wryly – “Then Jesus answered, ‘Were not ten cleansed?  Where are the other nine?  Was no one found to return and give thanks to God except this foreigner?’”  Now, here is the danger for us in reading this – we can read this and suddenly want to go and condemn the other 9, say “ah, those evil, wicked nine – bad bad bad!”  This isn’t our Lord angry – we don’t hear “And then Jesus cursed those other nine with leprosy nine times worse.”  No – they are still healed, they are forgiven, they are showing themselves to the priest just as Jesus had commanded.  But because they did not return to praise God and give Him thanks, they miss the most wonderful thing.  “And [Jesus] said to him, ‘Rise and go your way, your faith has made you well.’”  Jesus explains everything to this leper, and only he understands fully because he returned for praise and thanksgiving.
Now, there are two very, very important things we need to notice to understand this.  Let’s work backwards – Your faith has made you well.  We don’t hear this rightly as Americans. We hear the phrase “your faith” and we think it’s talking about how strongly we believe, or how dedicated we are.  That’s not the point.  Jesus isn’t saying to this man “You are well because you really really really believed.”  This is the type of claptrap we hear today – oh, if only you really believed then X will happen, you’d get the new car you want, your kids would behave better, your life would be great… if only you believed more.  That’s not what Jesus is saying – Jesus is talking about the “object” of this man’s faith, talking about who this man believed in.  This man believed in Christ, and because of Christ he has been healed.  Consider – what if this leper had really really really believed that the Greek god Apollo would heal him?  He’d still be a leper.  No, it was faith *in Christ* that brought about this healing. 
And what does the one who has faith in Christ hear?  “Rise and go”.  Now, we miss it because we don’t speak Greek – “rise” is a resurrection word.  Jesus isn’t just saying “stand up and get out of here” – He literally says “you are rising and going” – you are being raised, you are being giving life.  Jesus isn’t simply saying, “Go away kid, you’re bothering me” – He’s giving the man life and salvation, so that the man sees and understands what it is that He has.  You, leper, you are receiving now what I am going to Jerusalem to win for you – you are receiving now the fruits of My death and resurrection as you are being raised and given new life now even as you will be totally raised and totally given everlasting life on the Last Day.  This is forgiveness of sins and life and salvation.
And that fact, dear friends, let’s us know what this text is about.  It’s not an admonition to be thankful – it’s not the wagging of the finger.  It’s a call to worship.  This text is telling us, teaching that we benefit from worship together.  Consider – what does the leper do, seeing God’s goodness to him?  He praises and gives thanks?  Now, where do we generally turn from our normal everyday lives, enjoying the blessings God has given us, and pause and praise and give thanks to God?  Worship – here, Sunday mornings.  And again, if we knew Greek, it would stand out more so.  Where do we generally gather for communion?  Here in Church – and what is one of the common names for the Lord’s Supper – the Eucharist.  And the word Eucharist means “He gave thanks” – it’s from the words of institution – and on the night when He was betrayed, He took bread, and when “He had given thanks”.  Again – in the Scripture “thanks” isn’t just personal thing, a feeling of gratitude – it was always tied to worship.  Thanks means going to the temple, it means praising and worshipping God and receiving His gifts.
And this is the point of this text – we are called here to this place for worship – to receive from Christ His good gifts of salvation.  And this isn’t because we have to prove anything to God by our diligence.  It isn’t as though if we miss too many Sundays suddenly we are off the salvation gravy train.  Rather this – Christ Jesus your Lord loves you, and He would have you constantly know and receive His love, His mercy – have it preached to you, have it fed to you in His Supper.  He knows what life in the sinful world is like.  He knows that you sin daily and often, so over and against that He would have you hear forgiveness proclaimed often, He would have you taste His forgiveness as often as you eat and drink the Supper.  He knows that life in the world beats us down, that if we listen to the world we forget the wonders of His blessings for us and instead become shaped by greed and lust and earthly power – so He calls us out of life in the rat race so that we can see and know what is going on.  Yes, you are still and sinner in a sinful world, but over and above that another more wondrous truth stands out.  Christ Jesus has died for you, He has risen for you, and He is raising you.  He raises you now so that you may face the trials of this life standing upon Him, resurrected by Him.  He shall raise you forever more on the last day.  Whatever you see this week, whatever happens, whatever the world looks like this week – Christ Jesus is still your Lord, He still has had mercy upon you, and He will still call you to this place so that you may hear, may receive His mercy and forgiveness and love over and over that you may stand fast and enjoy all of His blessings to you, come what may in this world.  Christ Jesus has gone to Jerusalem, He has defeated sin and Satan and death, He has overcome the world – and we are raised and have life in Him.  In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost +