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Christmas Eve Carols and Lessons

Christmas Morning Divine Service with Communion

2016 Immanuel Lutheran Children's Christmas Program

Pastor Moline and Pastor Filipek on Cross Defense for KFUO radio

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Advent 4 - Rorate Coeli - G - 2016 - Mary points us to the Word of Jesus

Shirley Wahler Funeral Sermon

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Advent 3 - Gaudete - Guest Preacher Rev. Patrick O'Brien

Advent 2 - Populus Zion - G - 2016 - Security in Christ

Advent 1 - Ad Te Levavi - G - 2016 - Christ Rides in to Make Us Christian

Itroit 

To you, O Lord, I lift | up my soul.*
O my God, in you I trust;  let me not be | put to shame;

let not my enemies exult | over me.*
Indeed, none who wait for you shall be | put to shame;

Make me to know your ways, | O Lord;*
teach me | your paths.

Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my sal- | vation;*
for you I wait all the | day long.

May integrity and uprightness pre- | serve me,*
for I | wait for you.

Redeem Israel, | O God,*
out of all his | troubles.

 Glory be to the Father | and to the the Son *
and to the Holy | Spirit

As it was in the be- | ginning *
is now, and will be forever.  | Amen. 

To you, O Lord, I lift | up my soul.*
O my God, in you I trust;  let me not be | put to shame;

let not my enemies exult | over me.*
Indeed, none who wait for you shall be | put to shame;

Gradual

None who wait for you shall be | put to shame; *
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly | treacherous.

Make me to know your ways | O Lord; *
teach me | your paths.

Collect of the Day:

Stir up your power, O Lord, and come, that by your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.  

Thanksgiving 2016

500th Anniversary of the Reformation T-Shirts

Christ the King Sunday - Last Sunday of the Church Year - 2016 - G - Coronation of Jesus

Evening Prayer - November 16, 2016 - Luther's Large Catechism

Proper 28 - G - 2016 - The Day of the Lord

Evening Prayer - November 9, 2016 - Luther's Large Catechism

The Feast of All Saints - 2016

Christian Funeral Services for Janice Schiltz

Prayer Service:

Funeral Service:

The Festival of the Reformation - 2016

St. James of Jerusalem - E - 2016 - Taking Faith for Granted

Evening Prayer - October 19, 2016 - Luther's Large Catechism - 6th Commandment

Proper 24 - G - 2016 - Itching Ears

Evening Prayer - October 12, 2016 - Large Catechism 6th Commandment

Sermon From Oakes Last Sunday

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.  Our text today comes from the epistle lesson, especially these words, “The Lord knows those who are his.”  Thus far our text. 

Dear friends in Christ.  For the second time in a little over a year, you have a vacancy coming up in your congregation.  And I can only imagine that it feels uncomfortable and challenging, after all you were served by the same faithful pastor for decades.  And even the last year, following his retirement, another faithful pastor has served you.  But soon vacancy will come again.  Soon, your flock will be without an under-shepherd called to serve you here in this place – at least for a time. 

And it is in times like this, as you prepare for a second vacancy in as many years, that it’s important to consider what the job of a pastor is, what you are looking for in the call process, and what the purpose of a pastor is. Luckily for us, we have for our epistle lesson the book of 2^nd Timothy. 

Timothy was a pastor.  One of the first in fact.  He had converted from Paganism to Christianity due to the preaching of St. Paul.  After spending time learning from St. Paul, he began to be a pastor himself, serving the church in Ephesus at the time of St. Paul’s martyrdom.  And our Epistle lesson is the farewell letter from Paul to Timothy – the final words written from Paul to his good friend. 

What was that final message?  To go on propagating the gospel just as he had begun doing.  Or as our lesson says, to “rightly handle the word of truth.”  To speak God’s Word in and out of season.  And to remain true to that calling, not to be distracted by bickering, or “irreverent babble.”  Not to take part in foolish ignorant controversies.  Paul says stick to the Word of Truth.  For St. Paul, that Word is the most important thing that Timothy needs to deal with. 

And you too, dear friends in Christ, need to hear this message.  You need to call a pastor who will bring God’s Word to you faithfully, just as your last pastors have done.  And there is nothing else more important in your call of a pastor than guaranteeing that you will hear that Word. 

But that’s not what the world teaches us, is it?  No, our world tells you that other things are more important.  It tells you to seek a pastor who worships in the style you think will bring in more people.  It tells you to seek a pastor who is charismatic and avoids the issues people don’t like to talk about.  They need to preach a sermon that is only 7 minutes long but tells you how to live your life so that you are healthy, wealthy and wise.  You want them to be relatable to the youth.  The world wants you to look at whether or not his wife will play the organ, and whether their kids will benefit the local school’s football team.  And on top of all these things, so often we want a pastor who will do things the way we want them to. 

What is it, dear saints, that you want in a pastor?  What things are important to you?

When we look for a pastor based on worldly characteristics, every person in a congregation has a different idea of what they want.  And fights arise over what item is most important.  Bickering becomes common.  Disagreements reign.  Congregations fall apart.   All over their own silly perceptions about who their pastor should be. 

I know it sounds ridiculous that this could happen, but I’ve seen it firsthand.  I grew up in a non-Lutheran church in Lincoln Nebraska.  A well liked pastor retired, and the time arose for a new pastor.  Everyone brought their own opinions on who should be there pastor – and those opinions were usually based upon the people’s own self-interest.  I remember the voter’s meeting where the decision was made on the new pastor, and when the decision was announced, 1/3 of the members left never to return.  A small group remained who sought to undercut the new pastor at every turn, so that soon the new pastor grew weary and left.  The church soon fell apart completely. 

Dear friends, St. Paul tells Timothy that those things are peripheral.  He tells Timothy that the most important thing for the pastor to be about is the Word of truth – the Word of Jesus.  And the same is true for you as a congregation as you look again for a pastor.  Look for the Word of God before you look at the number of children the pastor’s family has.  Look for the Word of truth before you consider how handsome or homely the man may be.  Look for the Word of truth as the first and foremost as you look for a pastor. 

Why?  Because it is the Word of Truth that brings you Jesus.  It’s the Word of God that brings forgiveness straight to your ears.  It is the Word of truth that gives you the promise of eternal life with God forever.  Because that Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us – as St. John writes.  That Word is Jesus.  He lived among us, preaching repentance because His kingdom was near.  And then to bring that kingdom about he went to the cross.  He was crowned with thorns, he was dressed in purple robes, and seated upon the throne of a cross – all of it for you.  There he bled for your sin, he suffered for your weakness, he was mocked and tortured for your bickering and fights.  He died, so that you might live.  And in case you didn’t believe it, he rose from the grave, declaring that all who trust in him also shall live.  That is the message of the Word of God, that is the message that Paul tells Timothy to hold to, that’s the message that you want your next pastor to bring to your ears in sermon and hymn, as well as in baptismal waters and in the sacrament of the altar. 

For, as Paul writes just before our text begins this morning, “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel… (so that) you may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.  The saying is trustworthy, “if we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him, if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful.” 

Dear saints of Oakes, ND, do not take that word of truth for granted.  Do not think that just because you have faithfully received the Word of God these last 40 years, that it will automatically continue.  Make that Word of truth your first priority as you seek a new pastor.  And trust that Word to continue to work in your lives and in your congregation as you go forward day by day in the grace of Christ, crucified and risen for the forgiveness of sins. 

I pray that God will send you a faithful pastor like Timothy, who will bring God’s Word of Truth to you.  And I know that God will do this thing for you.  He may be old, or young, handsome, or not, funny or awkward, married or single – I couldn’t tell you that now.  But, none of that matters, so long as he “rightly handles the Word of Truth in this place.  IN the name of Jesus.  Amen.  

Proper 23 - G - 2016 - Guest Preacher - Rev. Jonathan Fisk

Altar Guild Instruction Meeting

LWML Southeast Zone Fall Rally

Part 2

Evening Prayer September 28, 2016 - Luther's Large Catechism Commandment 5

LWML District Counselor's Article - How Christians Should Approach the Election

LWML October Article:

Dear Friends,

Soon you will cast your ballot, won’t you?  You’ve heard the parties put forward their beliefs, much like churches do.  Which church are you a part of?  The Church of Hillary or the Church of Trump?

Here’s what I mean:  The campaigning has been going on for over a year now.  Each campaign has been proclaiming to you their doctrine. 

The Church of Hillary tells you that she is the only logical choice, that she ALONE can save our country from the various challenges and struggles present in our modern world.  It’s Hillary for America!  After all, she has the plan in place to restore our country, to maintain its financial wellbeing, and to help those who need help.  Plus her church doctrine is clear – Trump is a buffoon.

The church of Trump says he is the only logical choice, that he ALONE can make America great again, keeping it strong in the face of the various challenges and struggles present in our modern world.  He has the plan to restore our country, to maintain its financial wellbeing, and to build a wall to keep others out.  His church doctrine is clear – Hillary is a buffoon.

More this year than ever before, you also have the third church, those who are political but not partisan – they feel they can’t really vote for either because they think neither candidate is any good, neither will keep America safe or help it grow.  Their main belief is that BOTH Trump and Hillary are buffoons. 

We have friends and family who fall into one camp or another.  And they are passionate, aren’t they?  If you disagree with their opinion, they’ll hardly talk to you again until after the inauguration. 

So what’ll you do?  In whom do you trust?  To which Church do you belong?

Well, the answer is you are a Christian, a member of the Lutheran Church.  That’s your identity.  As a Lutheran, you know that your fear, love and trust is to be in God above all things.  You trust in the words of the psalms that say, “Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation,” (Psalm 146) and “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.  It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.” (Psalm 118)  Your trust is in the God who baptized you, and marked you with His salvation in Jesus name, and who promises you a kingdom without end where He rules upon the eternal throne of David.

As a Lutheran, you also trust the words of the 4^th commandment, so you fear and love God so that you honor all authorities.  You vote your conscience, voting for the candidate you think will do the best job in keeping you safe in this sinful world, while upholding your Christian values most carefully.  You’ll honor them, serve and obey them, (unless they blatantly oppose God in a matter) and you’ll love and cherish them.

Whoever wins, as a Lutheran you’ll pray for your leaders and rulers, because they need your prayers in Christ’s name.  You won’t bad mouth them, you won’t complain when they make mistakes, because being a temporal ruler is difficult, and after all, they are forgiven by Christ also.  You’ll speak up for the values you hold dear in a kind and caring manner, not cursing or swearing and thus breaking the 2^nd commandment, or hurting the reputation of the one elected, breaking the 8^th commandment. 

Most importantly, you, as a Lutheran, will look to Christ as the salvation of your soul.  You realize the sinful state of this world.  You know that no politician will ever be perfect.  You put your trust in the one who is perfect instead, who displayed His love for you by suffering, bleeding, dying and rising again for you and for your forgiveness.  Jesus is the one who suffered even for the sins of all politicians, judges, rulers, police and firefighters and more.  He even suffered and died for your sins of failing to pray for, support, honor and cherish your political leaders.  He forgives you for trusting in worldly leaders more than in Him.  His blood covers it all.  In Christ alone do we trust.  He alone is the one who makes the World new by His cross and empty tomb. (Rev 21:5)

We still can and should partake of the process of the world, but we do so looking for the world that is to come, knowing that’s where our eternal citizenship lies.  Kingdoms may rise and wane, political parties spout and sputter, but the “Word of the Lord remains forever.” 

God’s Blessings, 

Pastor Moline, Sr. Counselor

Proper 21 - G - 2016 - Hell or Heaven

Due to a camera problem, we only captured audio this week.

Enjoy

Evening Prayer September 21, 2016 - Luther's Large Catechism 5th Commandment

Proper 19C - G - 2016 - Neither Forgotten nor Abandoned But Cherished

Hymns:  839 609 805

Divine Service Setting II

Ezekiel 34:11-24 1 Timothy 1:5-17 Luke 15:1-10

Proper 18 - OT - 2016 - Life or Death, Blessing or Curse

Sound issue should be resolved!

Proper 17 - G - 2016 - The Saving Humiliation of Christ

Proper 16 - G - 2016 - The Narrow Door

Video from this week is not available.

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  Our text today is from the Gospel lesson just read, especially these words, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, ²⁴ “Strive to enter through the narrow door”  Thus far our text. 

Dear friends in Christ.  The world would have you believe that the door to salvation is wide.  That all who are judged good people by the court of the world are saved.  That Love Wins.  That all faiths worship the one God in different ways.  We are taught and believe that all religions have an equal claim to truth.  In fact even beyond organized religion, our world today believes that every person can claim their own truth and that they are all equal valid.  Wide is the way that leads to God, so the world would have you believe. 

And so many of believe that the details of the faith aren’t important.  We can skip learning the bible, because its not important.  We can skip church, because love wins.  We can do what we want to in our lives, because God we’ll be saved if we want to be saved.  The path is wide, so how can we misstep?  The door is wide, so it will be easy to enter. 

But Jesus says something different in our Gospel lesson.  He speaks of a narrow door.  A door that one must agonize to enter.  The Greek word translated as strive in our text is the same one we get that word agonize from.  It’s the same word used in Timothy when Paul says, “Fight the good fight of faith,” – literally agonize the good agony of faith.  So agonize to enter the narrow door. 

What does that mean?  Well it would seem at first that it would be about us.  We need to fight to get in the narrow door.  To keep ourselves on the straight and narrow path.  And we try to do this, don’t we?  But the problem is we fail at that endeavor.  When we deal with the law we find we fall short time and again.  We fall short.  We sin.  No matter how hard we strive, we’d fail to enter through the narrow gate by our own work or merit.  We’d be shut outside, shouting to enter in, but the response would be, “I do not know you.”  And outside there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

So what does it mean to enter by the narrow gate, to agonize to do so?  To understand we have to focus on the very first words of today’s pericope.  “Jesus went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem.”  These word set the stage for our entire text for today.  They echo words found earlier in the Gospel of Luke, “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.”  Why is he going to Jerusalem?  To go to the cross.  To die for sin.  To shed his blood for sinners.  To forgive you by his agony and death.  And his blood speaks the words of forgiveness for us. 

By his death the narrow gate is swung open.  In his death sinners are pulled through that gate into the joys of eternal paradise.  Even you can be forgiven by the death of Jesus, even you can be saved by Christ’s Agony. 

And you share in the agony of Christ’s path through the narrow door.  You experience the agony of Christ in your life as a baptized Christian.  You experience the forgiveness of the agony of Christ in your eating and drinking of his body and blood from this altar.  You travel along the narrow path of salvation by hearing regularly the word of God, and in joyful response confessing your faith.  Jesus is the narrow path of salvation.  All other paths fail.  All other paths lead to destruction. 

It is as Jesus himself says, “I am the gate, whoever enters through me will be saved.” (John 10).  “I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes the father except through me.” (John 14) God through his word and sacraments focuses us on Jesus so that we may enter through the narrow gate.

And this informs everything we do as Lutherans.  We follow the liturgy in our services because it focuses us on Jesus.  We begin in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit so all we do is in Jesus’ name.  We announce forgiveness of sins in the stead and by the command of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We read the holy scriptures which point to Jesus.  We sing the hymns that tell us the truth of who Jesus is – even when there are 15 verses.  We distribute Christ’s body and blood as often as possible for forgiveness of sins.  All that we do points us to Jesus.  We don’t just mindlessly do these things week by week – or atleast we shouldn’t, we do them because they focus our faith upon Jesus, the author and founder of our faith.

And so, in Jesus, wide open stands the gate for us who are in Christ.  We are brought through on the narrow path of Christ.  We enter heaven because of Christ, we are saved because of Christ.  We have hope for this life and the life to come only because of Christ. 

In the name of Jesus.

Amen.  

Confirmation Parent Meeting Slideshow - What's expected of your child.

Proper 15 - G - 2016 - Cloud of Scoundrel-ous Saints

Higher Things Bread Of Life North Dakota Recap!

Off to Higher Things

Days One and Two

White Water Rafting

Day Three

Days Four and Five

Day 6

Extras

Proper 14 - G - 2016 - O Little Flock Fear Not the Foe

Irene Gabbert Funeral

Proper 13 - G - 2016 - Died With Christ

Proper 12 - G - 2016 - Prayer Starts with God, Not the Heart

Sermon Catch Up

LCMS Convention Update

Please see President Harrison's Report from our ongoing LCMS National Convention.

http://livestream.com/thelcms/convention-july10/videos/129402336

Also feel free to visit the live streaming at this site.

LWML Convention Closing Sermon

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  Our text today is from the Gospel lesson, especially these words, “(Jesus) set his face to go to Jerusalem.”  Thus far our text. 

Dear friends in Christ, Jesus has come for one reason and one reason alone:  To go to Jerusalem, to get nailed to the cross and to die for all sin, shame, guilt and wrong.  That’s what he has set his mind to do in our text, he is focused on Good Friday, because that’s where your forgiveness is earned and won.  And that’s what he cares about, forgiving you your sin.  And nothing will distract him from that.  He won’t get distracted turning to the right or the left, as we so often do in this world.  He won’t make excuses, or complain.  He’s on his way to die for YOUR sin.   

Jesus can’t be like Elijah, hiding in a cave when the threat of death arrives.  No, Jesus faces it head on – rebuking those who would distract him. He must rescue those who believe in in Him, even if it’s just a small remnant, and the way he rescues is by the cross.  Jesus can’t be like Elisha, stopping to kiss his parents good-bye, and feeding some hungry people with the oxen he was recently plowing with.  No, Jesus sets his face towards Jerusalem and torture.  After all, he’s on his way to die for YOUR sin. 

And Jesus won’t be distracted by those who have no time for the cross, like those of the Samaritan village, who turn him away, our text says, because his eyes were set on Jerusalem.  Yes, there are some who want a cross-less Jesus.  One we can praise, one who always smiles, one who fits our expectations, one who is our un-bloody friend, an example and that is all.  But Christ won’t have any of it.  His eyes are set on the cross to die for YOUR sin.  So he avoids that Samaritan town all together, and goes somewhere else. 

And Jesus has no time for the self-righteous either – the disciples who want to call down fire and punish that Samaritan village, as if they were more holy than those of that town.  They aren’t, they’ve sinned just as much.  No, Christ knows the punishment for sin must be upon his own shoulders – no one else’s, because he alone is the spotless lamb of God.  He must die for YOU, and he means to, in Jerusalem when he arrives.  So he rebukes the disciples who decide it’s their job to punish sin, and continues onward.

He runs into a man who shouts out, “I’ll follow you Jesus, wherever you go.”  But Jesus has no time for those who think they can “Decide to follow him.”  He knows the truth, that the sinful hearts of humankind won’t allow them to keep that promise, that they are so sinful as to not be able to “Decide for him,” so He replies curtly, “Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but I have no place to lay my head.”  Well, except in a tomb in Jerusalem, for that’s where he’s going, his face is set.  He goes to lay His head in a tomb for YOUR sake. 

On the other hand, Jesus calls out to another man, “Follow me.”  His call doesn’t come with earthquakes, not with fire, not with wind, but with the small still voice of His Holy Word.  The same word your pastor preaches to you.  But the man replies, “Yes, Lord, but first let me go and bury my dead family member.”  But Jesus has no time for waiting – the judgment of sin comes soon, upon the cross.  So He replies, “Leave the dead to bury their dead, my eyes are on Jerusalem where I go to die for all the dead, Go and proclaim this message.  The message of Christ crucified and risen so that YOU too will rise from death because of me.”

And finally further down the road, Jesus runs into an Elisha copycat who says, “I will follow you Lord, but first, I must say good bye to my family.”  And Jesus looking only ahead to his own fate, replies, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.  I’m not looking back,” Jesus said, “I go to my fate, to make all things new for YOU AND YOUR SIN.”

Dear friends in Christ, do you see the pattern?  Jesus is focused on the cross for your sake.  You can’t add to it, you can’t subtract from it.  You can’t change it in anyway.  You can’t distract him from his mission – to save sinners.  He has come to rescue you, and sets his face to accomplishing that goal. 

And it is good that the Lord is focused in such a way.  For your sin IS great.  And perhaps I’ll be in trouble for saying so, but even you LWML ladies have great sin.  And yes, even pastors, LWML members, leaders of the church and world sin daily, and greatly.  You sin in thought, in word and in deed.  You get angry at your husband or spouse.  You borrow without asking – or as God calls it stealing.  You find other things you need to do first – before church.  You make excuses for why you can’t be in church on Sunday.  You want Jesus to come to you on your terms your timing.  “First, let me do xyz…”  You gossip and spread rumors, breaking the 8^th commandment – in fact, let’s be clear you break all the commandments, all 10 of them.  So do I, so does everyone. 

And then we self-justify it.  We say, “Well Lord, this only happened because of life circumstances.”  “We won’t worry about that will we God?  After all, I served treats at the last LWML meeting.”  “That sin, well it’s not really my fault.”  “I didn’t mean to, after all, I’ve promised to follow you.”  But in all our excuses and our self-justifying, we lose sight of the great cost that Jesus is paying for our sin – we forget that his eyes are fixed upon our salvation in Jerusalem. 

Christ will have none of your excuses.  His face is set towards Jerusalem, towards Golgotha, towards the cross FOR YOU.  He won’t swerve away.  He won’t change his mind.  He won’t be diverted.  He is absolutely set on forgiving you all your sin.  It will be done by his beating, bleeding, suffering, nailing, crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection.  All those things which he does, he does in your place, for your sin, without any excuse, without any payment due.  It’s all for you and for YOUR SIN. 

He gives that forgiveness earned by His cross and empty tomb to you in the preaching of His word.  In fact he has given each one of you a pastor whose job it is to give you that Word, not on their own terms or times, not with their own opinions or understandings, but only as Christ gives it to the church in scripture.  Jesus gives you that forgiveness through Baptism where Water and Word washed away your sins and marked you as forever belonging to Jesus Christ.  And, to top it off Jesus gives you the Sacrament of the Altar, where he gives you his own body and blood to eat and drink ON HIS TERMS, for YOUR forgiveness, life and salvation.  And by these gifts – you are saved from your excuses, complaints and sin. 

And so, dear friends in Christ, you go forth today in the forgiveness that Jesus gives.  So put away your excuses, your complaints, your terms, and your understandings, and live in the Word and promise of Jesus Christ.  For he will not be distracted from saving you.  He will not swerve from his grace.  He will be where he has promised, and do what he has come to do.  His eyes are set on Jerusalem, on your salvation.  In the name of Jesus.  Amen.  

Proper 7 - E - 2016 - Self Identity, or Christ Identity?

This week was the Church Picnic, held at St. John's, therefore there is no video recording.  

²³ Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. ²⁴ So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, ²⁶ for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.²⁷ For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.

4 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, ² but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. ³ In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. ⁴ But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. ⁶ And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” ⁷ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  Our text today is form the epistle lesson, especially these words, “So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”  Thus far our text. 

Dear friends in Christ.  You’ve seen it in the news lately, the whole talk about Self-Identification.  People deciding who they are based upon who they feel they are.  The cases dealing with this have been increasing at a steady pace.  For example, a few years ago, there was Rachel Dolezal, who according to her own words “Was biologically born white to white parents, but identifies as black.” 

Then, a few months later, there was the 52 year old Canadian father of 7, who suddenly self-identified as a 6 year old girl, even going so far as to find an adoptive family to care for him.  In his picture in the news story, he is in a onsie sucking on a pacifier.  

And now, we here in the US are told by presidential mandate not to have bathrooms based upon "biological plumbing" but instead based upon how someone self-identifies their gender.  Marriage is no longer between a man and his wife, but rather by a group of people who self-identify as “in love.”  And all of these ideas of self-identification cause a big mess for us as Christians. 

You see Christians are not called to self-identify.  They are not called to determine for themselves if they are “Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female.”  Instead, we are called to be “Christ-identified.”  Hence we call ourselves “Christians.”  We are to be identified not by what we think about ourselves, but instead by who we belong to and what He has said about us.  Anything else is idolatry, putting our own words above the words of Christ – and that’s a first commandment issue.

It isn’t easy to avoid self-identification.  And I’m not talking about the ridiculous stuff on the news.  I’m talking about you.  And me.  We self-identify all the time, don’t we?  Are you a republican or a democrat?  And what would you think if someone misidentified you in that regard?  I’m not saying its bad to be in a party, but if your entire identity swirls around whether you vote one way or another instead of around Christ, you have a problem. 

Or is your self-identity found in being primarily a citizen of this country.  It is good to live here, but if we worship George Washington or Abraham Lincoln more than we worship the God who created those leaders of our nation, we have a problem. 

Or do you self-identify by your wealth.  Are you rich – and proud of it to the point where you look down on others?  Are you poor, and use that as the catalyst to worry more about being angry at the rich?  Do you self-identify as an important person, so you treat others poorly.  Do you self identify as worthless, and so are depressed. 

In the end, it doesn’t matter what it is that you self-identify as, because it’s the word “Self” that is the problem in self-identity. 

As I said earlier, we as Christians are defined not by how we self-identify, but rather by how Christ identifies us. 

Our identity in Christ begins with baptism.  In water and the word, God calls us to be his own children.  He marks us both upon our foreheads and upon our hearts as belonging to Christ the crucified.  The cross of Christ is put upon us.  And as it is, we are baptized into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  We become God’s possession for eternity, safe in his hands no matter what.  Our identity is thus found in him. 

And in case you worry that your sin could corrupt that identity, it cannot, for in baptism we also are covered with blood, the blood of Jesus, that covers all our sin and marks us as pleasing and acceptable in God’s eyes.  Jesus suffered on the cross and died so that your identity in Him might never be taken away or destroyed. 

And God also identifies you in more ways.  He gives you vocations – jobs – that you do according to his definitions.  For example, this morning is Father’s Day – did you know that is a vocation that God has given to many of you?  And he explains what it means to be a Father, he shows us by his own actions.  It doesn’t mean making your child happy, or giving them lots of gifts.  No being identified as a Christian father means teaching your family the faith.  Christian fathers are to teach the faith to their family, to make sure their family is in church, to sit themselves next to their family in church.  Why?  Because Christ has identified them as a Christian Father. 

Same with Mothers.  And God also gives you the vocation as child, as brother or sister, as a Christian citizen of this world, as a member of this church and more.  And in these vocations he teaches you not to look at your self, but to the service of those around you, much in the same way that he serves you through Jesus. 

And so, dear friends, you are not self-identified, but Christ identified.  That means you cannot be rich apart from the riches that Christ has and shares with you.  You cannot be worthless because Christ has purchased you with something more valuable that gold or silver.  You cannot be sinful, because your sin is taken away forever in the cross of Jesus.  You cannot find your identity in your self, in your feelings, in your thoughts, but only in our Lord, for he has died for you, claimed you in baptism, and made you his holy and righteous possession forever. 

In the name of Jesus. 

Amen.  

Proper 5 - 2016 - G - Jesus Ruins Funerals

VBS Closing Program

VBS Day Three

Crafts

Games

Bible Story

Snacks

Preschool

Various Other Fun