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A sermon is a manner of oral communication and therefore words and sentence structure/order would be added, altered, or deleted at the moment of delivery. + In Nomine Jesu + The Rev. Evan Gaertner Following Jesus brings to us the challenge of finding ourselves not following our own purposes, agendas, missions, but to humbly follow our Lord. It would be fun at times to call upon the fire and lightening of heaven down upon our enemies. James and John showed Jesus that very human desire. Jesus had sent messengers ahead to make preparations for him. When they arrived in a Samaritan village the people did not receive Jesus. James and John, who are known elsewhere as the sons of thunder said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” With our own personal desires the power to call down fire to consume someone could end up to be a very dangerous power. Could you imagine the way this power could be used during rush hour? While not many of us have realistically expected to have the power to call fire down upon someone, we do have the challenge of faithfully following the mission and ministry of our Lord instead of our own. When Jesus set his face towards Jerusalem he defined for us who he is. The Son of Man has come to save lives. This mission is not easy. It would be easier if the lives that he was sent to save were worth saving. But honestly if given a mirror into my life I would want to look away in disappointment. Jesus set his face towards Jerusalem, towards the cross because of his heart of mercy. Jesus told someone that desired to follow him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” The grace of our Lord has no home in this world. The Son of Man has come into this world because the faith, hope and love that he brings is desperately needed. There have been movements of optimism in humanity that have been shattered by the reminders of sin, weakness. After World War I, Woodrow Wilson believed in a League of Nations to settle disputes. The 1920’s were the happy times that became shattered by the Great Depression and the aggression of Germany. Again after World War II hope was again placed in working together in the United Nations. But the Cold War with the Soviet Union reminded us for decades of the hostility of humanity. Jesus invites us to trust that where he is going has a different ending than the loop of hopes shattered. Jesus reminded those that desired to only partially follow him that his call is a complete. We cannot bring any of our own agenda into the kingdom of God. We don’t get to define the kingdom. This last weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the National LWML convention in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I am the junior counselor to the Eastern District and they wisely figured that I would be strengthened by attending this convention. The theme was R.O.C.K. Rest on Christ the King. I tell you these women rocked. Someone asked me if I felt surrounded by these 5500 women. I don’t know, but I know I was encouraged seeing so many women standing upon the rock of Jesus Christ. I have unfortunately become accustomed to pastor gatherings to become confused and distracted events by politicized conversations. Not republican or democrat but about what one pastor called the three W’s – Wine, Women and Worship. The women of the LWML would not have any of that distraction. They were gathered for a purpose. I believe that any hint of discord would have been met by a cold stare. It was so wonderful to find so many women drinking from the spring of life and alive by and for their faith in Jesus Christ. The Lutheran Women’s Missionary League is about being Lutheran Women in Mission. Indeed in Sioux Falls there was a wonderful emphasis on the mission of Jesus Christ. Thursday night opened with gathering around the Word of God and the Body and Blood of Christ. Rev. Dr. Dean Nadasdy reminded worshippers of their safe place in the hands of Christ but he also cautioned us to not play it safe but to become dangerous in our service to God. I call upon all of you today to have confidence that whenever and wherever you are, if you are in the Lord’s hands you are safe. Have confidence that you can be dangerous, not dangerous like James and John with fire of heaven, but dangerous with grace and mercy. Friday began the business sessions of the convention. But to call them business sessions does not begin to capture the mission focus. They discussed their mite goal for the next two years of $1.7 million. There were no questions of possibility but prayer and trust that the Lord would provide from his goodness. 18 mission grants were chosen, included were training deaf-ministry leaders, providing portable medical clinics in Sudan, building 10 Lutheran churches in India, expanding a Lutheran school in Bangladesh, supporting a Christian family counseling center in St. Petersburg, Russia, and some local projects like assisting Lutheran City Ministries in its outreach to homeless and addicted people in Detroit. John Brunner, the president of our Eastern District said, “Nothing got discussed at the convention that was not directly related to mobilizing the women of the LCMS to become involved in the support of missions.” Some of my personal highlights included a presentation by Rev. Dr. Bob Roegner, the head of LCMS World Mission. He looked back over the 65 years of the LWML and picked a mission project from each decade that the LWML supported through their mites. He showed how the seeds that were planted continue to bear good fruit. For instance in 1948 the LWML gave a grant to build a Lutheran Church in Japan that continues to be the heartbeat of the message of Law and Gospel in the land of the rising sun. The LWML supported a project to train Nigerians to share the gospel with their neighbors. The LCMS missionaries are now unnecessary in Nigeria because the church has matured enough that they themselves are now sending missionaries outside their borders. He went over the last 65 years and reminded me that the seeds of ministry planted by the Holy Spirit will bear good fruit pleasing to the Lord. Another highlight was the presentation by People of the Book Lutheran Outreach, POBLO. POBLO a mission to Muslims has over the years received essential support from the LWML. I give thanks to God for the power of his Word at work. A woman from Afghanistan that was in the USA received support from POBLO. She converted to Jesus Christ. This put here in grave danger, but she did not allow the devil to silence her. She has since her baptism into Christ brought the gospel to her family and by the power of the Spirit brought 52 members of her family to Jesus. I know that we all have desires for our congregation. We have frustrations and disappointments as well. But one thing is clear to me. We must trust in our Lord. He will shelter us from the storms and he will be the one that lead and guide us. If we find our own sin filled hearts getting in the way we must go to the Lord and seek his forgiveness. He will forgive. Safe in the Lord’s tender hands we go into this world confident that nothing can separate us from the Love of the Lord Jesus Christ. Soli Deo Gloria |
