Grace Lutheran Church Sermon Fourth Sunday in Lent, March 18, 2007

The Rev. Evan Gaertner

Fourth Sunday in Lent “New in Christ”

March 18, 2007 2 Cor. 5:16-21

In his book, I Married You, Walter Trobisch recounts an experience during a visit to Africa during which he gave a series of lectures on marriage and family matters. During this particular stay in Africa, Trobisch was driven around by a driver called Maurice. Maurice desired to be a righteous man of God. Maurice wanted to marry, but insisted that when he did, it would be to a virgin—a condition not easily met among adults in that part of the world. Early one morning, during the close of his stay in Africa, Trobisch woke up with a start and felt a strong inner compulsion to go to a bridge in the city. Maurice saw to it that he got to the bridge in a hurry. When the two arrived, they saw a woman standing in the middle of the bridge, looking down into the swiftly flowing flooded stream below. She was deeply distressed, and preparing to commit suicide.

Trobisch knew the woman and her background. He had already been trying to help her. Her life had been one of moral and spiritual chaos. She was tormented by the memories of her many illicit love affairs and her numerous other gross sins. She felt she could not bear the burden of these memories any longer. However, Trobisch was able to persuade her to not kill herself, and eventually God used him, and others, to bring her to a joyous faith in Jesus as her forgiving Savior and loving Lord.

While Trobisch was talking to the woman on the bridge (her name was Fatma), Maurice remained in the car and prayed.

The day came when Trobisch and his wife Ingrid left Africa to fly back to Europe. A number of friends came to say farewell to them. Among them was Maurice—with Fatma standing next to him. As Trobisch left the terminal to board the aircraft, Maurice handed him a letter, asked him to read it only after takeoff, and to send him reply as soon as possible.

After the plane took off, Trobisch read the following:

Walter, when I prayed in the car on the bridge while you were talking to Fatma, a voice came to me as clear as a bell. It said, “This girl whom Walter is talking to will be your wife.” It was crazy. I had never seen her before and had no idea who she was, or what she looked like. Could this have been God’s voice? Please send me a telegram “Yes” or “No” from the next stop.

Trobisch shared the letter with his wife and commented, “Poor Maurice. He wanted so much to marry a virgin, and looks like he’ll finish up with Fatma.” Ingrid thought for while, and eventually responded, “But Walter, Fatma is a virgin now. She has been washed in the blood of Jesus. She is without spot, without wrinkle, without blemish—as the bride of Christ. Maurice will indeed marry a virgin!” The Trobischs sent Maurice a prompt reply: “YES!” (excerpted from Road to Coronation, p. 24)

I want Grace Lutheran Church to be a place where people can come and be seen for who they are in Christ. Indeed we are all sinful since our births. Not one of us is above the law. With humility we approach this throne of grace, this altar, and receive the forgiveness of sins. Through the work of Christ on the cross the Almighty Father no longer sees us according to our trespasses. We are a new creation in Christ. We have been reconciled to the father.

We have an opportunity to see the world with the living eyes of faith that have experienced the wonder and joy of reconciliation. You have the opportunity to see a person with the living eyes of faith. Consider a person who may have grown up in this congregation. She is remembered for problems, disruptions, and other notable behavior. Is she welcomes at Grace with the love of God instead of seen with their past mistakes. You may say, “Yes, of course!” But here is the next question: How does she know that she would be welcome at Grace with eyes of love, instead of glares of accusation and memory? We are called to be ambassadors of Christ, this is a call for action.

This reconciliation is concrete and real. I am not sharing with you abstract ideas.

Tim and Rita Nickel from the Eastern District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod several years ago left New York and began to do missionary work in Kyrgyzstan. After the end of the cold war there was suddenly a new planting ground for the seeds of the gospel in this formerly communist country. Kyrgyzstan is largely a Muslim country. Tim and Rita went to be ambassadors for Christ. The Holy Spirit was at work.

I want to tell you about Alla, the mission office manager & lead secretary, translator, linguist, "house church" Bible study leader! She is about 50 years old and has been serving since 1999 with Tim & Rita Nickel in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. She is one of the Christ-honoring great witnesses who speaks to the power of the Gospel to bring new life.

Alla told Rev. Dave Belasic, the former District President of the Eastern District during a trip he made to visit the Nickels, that during communism they were told there was no god. She walked around with dead eyes and carried around her guilt. When she heard the good news that her sins were forgiven by Jesus Christ and that her guilt had been removed, she said her dead eyes were replaced with living eyes. With living eyes she now sees the power of God’s word and shares the good news of Jesus Christ with others. She brings the light of Christ to people that only knew the darkness of sin.

In your own life how you can share the excitement of being reconciled to Christ. Recently, a 21 year old man was struggling with his faith life. He said it was not a question of whether he believed in Jesus or not but that he just wasn’t experiencing the same joy in worship and his life that he used to. A friend responded to him that the best way to get out of a spiritual rut of boredom is to share Jesus with someone else.

This is excellent advice. If you are not feeling afire with your faith, I want you to find the joy of Christ by sharing Jesus with someone else. It is remarkable how the Holy Spirit works.

I want you to consider that when meetings, finances, and just general church business get me down the best thing for me spiritually is to pick up my communion kit and visit a shut-in. It is in that sharing of Jesus with another brother or sister that the spirit works to refocus my heart upon Jesus and not the things of this world.

Our Lord has promised to use us not according to our sins but according to his promises. In Deuteronomy we hear the Lord God promises, “Now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, says the Lord of hosts, For there shall be a sowing of peace; the vine shall yield its fruit, the ground shall give its produce, and the skies shall give their dew.” (Dt. 8:12) No matter what you may think are your shortcomings may be, you have been called to be a witness to the reconciliation you have received in Christ.

If you feel unprepared to talk about your faith in Jesus Christ, first of all have faith that the Holy Spirit will give you the words. Jesus promised his disciples, “do not worry about how you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say.” (Lk 12:11-12)

To equip you to share the joy that lives within you, April 21, Grace Lutheran Church will host an evangelism workshop called, Equipping to Share. At this workshop we will learn everyday techniques of how to share the joy of Jesus with others.

We are a new creation in Christ with living eyes of faith. Please allow the Holy Spirit to work through you to bring this wonderful reconciliation to others. You are ambassadors for Christ.

Soli Deo Gloria

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