Todd A. Peperkorn, STM

Messiah Lutheran Church

Kenosha, Wisconsin

Lent 2 – Reminiscere (February 28, 2010)

Matthew 15:21-28

TITLE: “Prayer Answered”

This year is a year of prayer for Messiah. We have a lot of things to pray about here. We pray for the needs of our congregation members, health, jobs, families, money, and even more. Prayer is a good and wonderful thing. It gives focus to our needs. It makes it so that we are never truly helpless, because God promises to hear our prayers, always.

The problem with prayer from our perspective is that it seems so wispy, so intangible and difficult to really nail down. If we are honest with ourselves, we treat prayer like a cop-out, a “Hail Mary” pass of desperation when things get really bad. Oh no! Things are so bad that we have to resort to prayer? That is serious.

The other alternative is that prayer becomes rote, like Come Lord Jesus or even the Our Father. Prayer becomes a habit that has no meaning, like brushing your teeth or making sure you put your socks on before you walk out the door. You may even be unconscious that you are doing it!

So why do we have such a hard time praying? Let’s take a look at our Gospel for today to learn why.

In our story for this morning we have a woman with everything against her in first century Palestine. First of all she’s a woman. We don’t see in our story where her husband is, but one thing is for sure is that women did not simply go up to men at that time and beg for anything. It was simply not done. Second, she’s a Canaanite. You know, the people that God told the Israelites to kill when they took over the land of Canaan? Then third, her daughter is possessed by a demon. This does not bode well for her in terms of getting help. At this point she was probably thinking in terms of that prayer-as-hail-mary-pass.

So she goes to Jesus and begs, have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon! If ever there was a request that seems reasonable to grant, this seems like a pretty good one. After all, we sorta believe we can take care of the normal earthly problems, but demons? That’s out of our pay grade.

Jesus, however, is silent as a tomb. Have you ever felt that way about God and how He answers prayer? I think every week about the things we pray for here at Messiah. We pray for our shut-ins, expectant mothers, confirmation students, the Academy, Racine Lutheran High School. We pray for people who are sick or in prison. We pray for good stewardship and that God would bless our efforts here at Messiah. This doesn’t even include the fears that we have lurking in our hearts at night, the things we are too afraid to pray for out loud because we don’t want to be disappointed.

So for all of the things we pray for, do you believe that God will answer them? Are you afraid that God doesn’t even care? That certainly seems to be the first answer this woman got to our prayer. Silence. Sometimes God is silent when we think He should be talking, and talks when we wish He would be quiet. Sometimes prayer feels more like we are wrestling with God than it is that we are praying to Him. Prayer has an amazing way of exposing our own fears when it comes to God.

You and I may well have given up, but not this woman. She keeps asking, even to the point where the disciples beg Jesus to give her what she wants and send her away. You can certainly imagine the scene. She is crying and begging and asking and making this scene, much like blind Bartemaeus from a couple weeks ago. The disciples don’t want a lesson in persistent prayer. They want a little dignity!

Jesus then goes on and says He is only sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Certainly this seems like a put-off on Jesus’ part. This woman, though, doesn’t want to get into a theological debate with God. She just keeps on asking, Lord, Help me!

Then the ultimate insult, at least it looks that way. It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs (v. 26). In any culture, calling someone a dog is a bad thing, and this is no exception. The Jews in Jesus’ day would call the Gentiles “dogs” as a way of emphasizing that they aren’t God’s chosen people. So Jesus here is really highlighting the fact that she isn’t a Jew.

But this woman catches Jesus in His words. Of course, Jesus wanted to be caught. She replies, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” In other words, she confesses that while she’s a dog, she is His dog. She is a part of the family. The important thing is not where you sit. The important part is that you are at or at least under the table.

So what do we learn about prayer from this woman? This is what I want you to take home from this text:

1. God doesn’t answer prayer when or even how we want or expect. Sometimes God uses silence to great effect, because it may help us focus on what we truly need. He may also use silence to draw attention to the grace that He will give in His own time and way.

2. God does answer prayer. It is really that simple. Prayer is not a last-ditch effort of a desperate person. It is the cry of faith to the one and only person who can actually help in your time of need. Even in your darkest night and most painful moments, God will answer.

3. God answers with His Word. I don’t have to speculate or wonder about God’s will for me. I know His will for me, that is, I know that He wants me to live and to be with Him forever. That is His good and gracious will. What I don’t know is all of the details on how He will get me there and keep me there.

4. Finally, Prayer is all about trust. We pray to God trusting that He will answer us. That is God’s promise to you. He will answer your prayers. Don’t give up on God. He certainly has not given up on you.

So be at peace, dearly baptized. God is with you. He hears your prayers and answers them with your greatest need. He gives you Jesus. The rest of it will come in His time and way, and frankly, that is really far better than anything you or I could ever want or imagine. Believe it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Todd A. Peperkorn, STM

Messiah Lutheran Church

Kenosha, Wisconsin

Invocabit Sunday (Lent 1)

February 21, 2010

Genesis 3:1-21, 2 Corinthians 6:1-10, St. Matthew 4:1-11

Lent 1 – Invocabit Sermon Audio

TITLE: “Jesus’ Temptation in the Wilderness”

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text for today is from our Gospel lesson just read from St. Matthew chapter four.

Today we talk about temptation. Temptation in our culture is a popular topic. It usually involves something about eating forbidden fruit, and has taken on an almost sexual quality today. Being tempted is almost viewed by many as a good thing, not as a bad thing at all.

But temptations are one of the ingredients that make up everyday life as a Christian. Jesus even says “it is necessary that temptations come.” Temptations, it seems, are maybe the perfect example of a necessary evil. We know, however, that God tempts no one (Sixth Petition explanation from the Catechism). So if they don’t come from God, where do temptations come from in the first place? To answer that, let’s take a second and review the Small Catechism on the Sixth Petition. If you want, you can follow along in the hymnal on page 324. It goes as follows:

The Sixth Petition

And lead us not into temptation.

What does this mean?

God tempts no one. We pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Although we are attacked by these things, we pray that we may finally overcome them and win the victory.

So temptations really come from two places, inside us and outside of us. When we talk about outside temptations, we really are talking about the devil and the world. He is the Prince of this World and it is his domain, so it should not surprise us that he will use whatever he can in order to lead us away from Jesus in into him. His strategy is very simple: create doubt. “Did God really say” as we heard in Genesis 3. The devil’s goal is to make it so that you don’t believe that God has your best interests at heart. His goal is to entice you to believe that God hates you, that you are in this all by yourself, and that you might as well live it up, because you are all alone.

This is how Satan tempted our Lord in the wilderness. He tempted our Lord to use His powers to His own benefit. If you think about it, that’s kind of an odd temptation, isn’t it? I mean, doesn’t God want us to use what God has given us? Surely God wants me to use my talents, my gifts, my money, everything that I have.

This part of temptation brings us to the second way we are tempted. We are tempted by our own desires. James writes in his epistle, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.” We are tempted always to act selfishly. We are tempted to do our own thing, to not worry about the consequences, and to let everyone else deal with their own problems. That make work okay in business, I guess, but that is not the way that God works.

The radical thing about Christianity is this crazy idea that God takes care of us, and so God puts people into my lives so that God can use me to take care of others. That is really the point of the ten commandments. Love God with your whole heart, and love your neighbor as yourself.

Now I don’t know about you, but I am not real fond of loving my neighbor as myself. I would like to love my neighbor on my terms, when it is convenient for me, not when they need me. But that is the essence of temptation to sin. I am tempted to take care of my own body the way I want and not to help others. I am tempted to be faithful to my own desires and not the desires and needs of my spouse. I should try and help others keep the things God has given them, not just take them when I can. I should speak well of others, not gossip and lie about them. I should be content with what God gives me, not long for what others have and are.

Heaven knows there is plenty of temptation to go around. It is important to note, though, that being tempted isn’t a sin. We have enough sin all on our own without having to pile imaginary ones on top of them all. We are all tempted, even our Lord Himself was tempted. That’s not the sin. The sin comes in giving in to temptation.

So what is the solution, what is our weapon against the temptations that plague us inside and out? The answer lies in the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God. Satan’s scheme is to get you to think your own thoughts and not hear God’s thoughts. So the best defense in this case is a good offense, and that is God’s Word. “It is written,” Jesus declares! It is written that God forgives you. It is written that you are not simply trapped, but that you are free by the blood of Jesus. It is written that you are going to heaven, and that the temptations of this world will last for but a short time.

What this means for you is not that there won’t be temptations. There are and there will be. Some of these temptations which you face are pure evil. The sad reality is that in this life, sometimes you sin whether you zig or zag. Sometimes no matter what you do is going to hurt someone. But Jesus is here for you. What I mean by that is first of all He understands your temptations. Remember that He was tempted just like we are, yet without sin (Heb. 4:15). But Jesus is not simply here for you. He stands before the devil, the world, and your sinful nature in your place. Where you fail, and you do, He succeeds. He resists the temptation because you cannot. And guess what? You get all the credit. It is written, the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s son, cleanses us from all sin (I John 1).

Hold fast to Jesus Christ and His Word of Promise! He has gone through all things for you. He loves you. He endures all things for you. Come into His presence. He turned down the bread of the devil so that He might give His body and blood to you for all time. He is faithful. He will see you through it. Believe it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Todd A. Peperkorn, STM
Messiah Lutheran Church
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Laetare – Lent 4 (March, 22, 2009)
John 6:1-15

For an audio MP3 of this sermon, CLICK HERE

TITLE: “God’s Heavenly Provisions”

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text for today is the Gospel lesson just read from John chapter 6, Jesus’ feeding of the 5000. This morning’s sermon is about trust in God for all things in our life.

God delivered the people of Israel from the hand of Pharaoh in Egypt with a mighty hand. Their slavery had lasted for generations, four hundred years and more. There was hardly a memory in their midst of a time when they weren’t in slavery. But God freed them. It began with a meal, really. The passover, the night when the angel of death went through the camps of the Egyptians and struck down the first-born. Then through Moses, the deliverer, God led the people out of the camps of Egypt, through the Red Sea on dry ground, and promised to be their God. He promised to provide for them and for their children. And he did. Time and time again. The manna and quail in the wilderness. The water flowing from the rock. Canaan, the land flowing with milk and honey. For as long as Israel was a nation, God provided for them as a father provides for His children. He disciplined them when they rebelled, and forgave them when they repented of their evil. God loves His people. He always has. He always will.

Today we look at another passover, or an event right near the passover. The people had followed Jesus up the mountain, just like the people of old had followed Moses to Mt. Sinai. They listened to Jesus’ words, and they had seen the signs. He healed the sick. Everything with Jesus’ pointed to the fact that He was more than another prophet. He was not just another teacher. Jesus was something special, He, like Moses, acted as the finger of God, pointing the way to Heaven, and using His healing touch to heal the people of all their sicknesses of body and soul.

So before we move on with our story, let’s ask the question: what do you look for in Jesus? Or to ask it another way, why do you go to Church? Do you go to church to be healed? Do you go to church in order for God to do something for you, or in order for you to do something for God? So often when we examine our lives, and the reasons we do things, it is not nearly as clear and as Gospel centered as it should be. I go to church because my spouse wants me to. I go to church because my parents make me. I go to church because I think I’m supposed to go. I go to church because I think that if I do my part, God will take care of me. Our sin this Lent is believing that we do these things for God. We make bargains, strike deals, and try to placate God with the Law, but it never works. As long as you are trying to satisfy God with your behavior, you will fail. But even more than that, you miss the greatest gifts that God has to give you in this place. Repent. You are not sons and daughters born into slavery (Gal. 4), but you are children of the promise. That promise is for you and for your children.

So back to Jesus on the mountain. The disciples don’t understand how Jesus is going to feed all these people, five thousand men plus women and children. How often do we understand how God provides for us? Jesus miraculously feed all the people. He feeds them until they are satisfied. He feeds them so that there is more than enough left over. That’s what God does. He takes care of His people, day in, day out. Luther’s words to the Fourth Petition certain come to mind here:

The Fourth Petition
? Give us this day our daily bread.

What does this mean?
?God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil people, but we pray in this petition that God would lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.

What is meant by daily bread?
?Daily bread includes everything that has to do with the support and needs of the body, such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, home, land, animals, money, goods, a devout husband or wife, devout children, devout workers, devout and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, self control, good reputation, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.

Now let’s bring this down to earth and understand what God is promising here. God promises to give you everything you need to support this body and life. Everything. Period. He doesn’t promise you how He is going to do it. He promises that He is going to do it. Nor does He promise you what exactly you need. Some of those needs are obvious. He promises food and drink, clothing, a roof over your head and the like. Notice, though, that He promises to provide you with you you need, not what you think you need. He is God, not you. You may not need as big of a retirement plan as you thought or hoped. You may not need even family or friends or neighbors as you think. It may be that they need to be with Him in heaven more than you need to have them here. Again, He is God and you are not.

Most importantly, though, you need Jesus. No matter what happens in your life, you sin, you break His commandments, and you break and hurt your relationships with those around you. So He gives you Jesus. He is our priceless treasure above all others. Specifically, He gives you Jesus in the forgiveness of sins. That, more than anything else, is why He gives you the Sacrament of the Altar, the Lord’s Supper. He gives this to you to forgive your sins. He gives Himself to you so that you may learn to trust Him in all things. The Christian lives by the Lord’s Supper. It is what it means to be a disciple, a follower of Jesus. It is our discipline as Christians. I don’t mean discipline in the Law sense. I mean discipline in the sense that God teaches us to follow Him, to be His disciple, in the Sacrament.

This is true no matter what is happening in the economy. This is true no matter how far behind you are in your bills. This is true here in our congregation, as we continue to seek our Lord’s guidance with our finances, and how to continue to serve the people of God in this place. God promises to provide. Period. He has given us what we need, both as individuals and as a congregation. Trust that when our Lord says that He loves you that He means it. Know that when He says I will provide for you and your little ones, that those are not idle words. Believe that Jesus’ death and resurrection seals and guarantees that God’s mercy to you and your family lasts forever. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in true faith, unto life everlasting. Amen.

TITLE: “Cross+Words: Redeemer”

In the name of the Father and of the † Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Our text for the beginning of our series on Cross+Words is taken from Isaiah chapter 43 and 1 Peter chapter 1.

Redeemer and redemption are words that we are quite used to using all the time, but don’t actually appear all that often in the Bible. There are a few instances of redemption that come to mind from the Scriptures. Ruth and Boaz. The slave Onesimus and his release negotiated by St. Paul in the book of Philemon. In the Old Testament the word redeem is most commonly used in connection with the Exodus, how God saved His people with a mighty arm from the hand of Pharaoh and cruel Egypt. Most of the time when we think of the word redemption, we basically mean either save or deliver or something along those lines.

But Luther latches on to something else about redemption. It doesn’t just mean to deliver or to save. Listen again to Luther’s explanation to the Second Article of the creed:

I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord. Who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.

Notice what the key thing for Luther is when it comes to who Jesus is and what He does for us in redeeming us. For Luther the key element of redemption is the price. Jesus delivered us by paying the price. Luther really quotes almost verbatim our Epistle for this evening from I Peter:

“…knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”

(1Peter 1:18-19 ESV)

Your ransom, your redemption, cost something. There is no simply forgetting about the debt we owe to God because of our sin. God doesn’t just say “nevermind” or “it’s okay, it doesn’t matter”. Your salvation comes with a price. And the price of your redemption is the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son.

There is Law in this, because this reminds us of our sin and shows us our great need. But more importantly, there is sweet Gospel. You see, dearly beloved, God has pay the price. Your redemption is secure. There is no questioning whether or not you will be set free. The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin. This is the ultimate price of redemption. God has put up a tremendous price for your salvation and freedom.

This night and every night we can rest in peace, because the price of redemption is paid. You are free because of the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son. Be at peace. You have been bought with a price. In Jesus’ name.

Teacher Notes on the Seminar

Covenant Sermon

Reconciliation Sermon

Propitiation Sermon

Hymn and Text Suggestions

If anyone else gets any sermons or other notes written on this series, please let me know so I can post it!

-LL

As a result of this fine work, I’ve also put together our schedule of hymns and readings for the midweek series. Here they are:

2009Crosswords.doc

2009Crosswords.pdf

I will post PDFs of the sermons as soon as I get them scanned. Enjoy!

And thanks, Pr. Beisel, for an excellent presentation.

-LL

A Lenten Preaching Seminar

The Presentation of Our Lord and the Purification of Mary

February 2, 2009

Hosted by
Messiah Lutheran Church
Kenosha, Wisconsin

Cross + Words

The holy apostles used several words to preach about the work of Jesus on the cross. Among them are “reconciliation,” “redemption,” “justification,” “covenant,” and “propitiation.” These words were not drawn, as it were, out of thin air but were already part of the Biblical vocabulary of God’s Old Testament people. By examining these “cross words” in their Old Testament contexts, one will gain a deeper appreciation of what the apostles meant when they used them to proclaim the atoning death of Christ. Based on the book by Leon Morris, The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross, this Lenten Preaching Workshop will explore the Old Testament roots of these words and give suggestions on how to develop this theme into a Lenten sermon series.

Come and learn about the art and gift of preaching in Lent, flowing from His Holy Word, leading to His Body and Blood, and giving us the very gifts of heaven.

WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE

* The forgiveness of sins, life and salvation.

* Great insights into the art of preaching.

* Practical advice about how to preach in Lent.

* Sample outlines which may be used.

ABOUT OUR PRESENTER

Rev. Paul Beisel is a 1997 graduate of Concordia University in Nebraska, where he majored in English and pre-seminary studies. He is a 2001 graduate of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, where he recived his M.Div. He also recived his S.T.M. in exegetical theology from CTS in 2004, where his thesis was on the Gospel of Matthew. He is the pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Warsaw, Illinois, and Messiah Lutheran Church Keokuk, Iowa. He is also an Adjunct Instructor for John Wood Community College. He and his wife, Amy, have four children.

THE SCHEDULE

Registration 10:00-10:30 a.m.

The Feast of the Presentation
of our Lord and the Purification
of Mary (Festival Divine Service) 10:30 a.m.

The Reverend David Juhl, Preacher

Welcome and Opening Remarks 11:15 a.m.

First Presentation 11:30 a.m.

Lunch 12:30 p.m.

Noonday Office 1:15 p.m.

Second Presentation 1:30 p.m.

Break 2:30 p.m.

Third Presentation 2:45 p.m.

Break 3:45 p.m.

Q&A and Closing Comments 4:00 p.m.

Vespers 4:15 p.m.

OPTIONAL

Check into hotel & supper on your own 4:30 p.m.

Evening Event TBD 7:00 p.m.

Evening Prayer 8:30 p.m.

TUESDAY MORNING

Matins (with Academy) 8:15 a.m.

HOTEL INFORMATION

There are several excellent hotels in the area. The one we recommend is the Country Inn and Suites. To make a reservation, please call:

COUNTRY INN AND SUITES

7011 122ND AVE

KENOSHA, WI, US 53142

(262) 857-3680

We will also be providing housing by congregation members for those interested, as it is available.

HOW TO REGISTER:

You may either email me (toddpeperkorn +at+ mac dot com)

Or call 262-551-9081

if you have any questions

Let us know you’re coming so we know how much food to prepare!

www.messiahkenosha.org

Todd A. Peperkorn, STM
Messiah Lutheran Church
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Palm Sunday (March 16, 2008)
For an audio MP3 of this sermon, CLICK HERE

TITLE: “Hosanna!”

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text is the Gospel lesson for Palm Sunday from St. Matthew chapter twenty one as follows: “Hosanna (wJsanna») to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!”

Years before our Lord entered into Jerusalem, another unrecognized King came into the Holy City. A young man, David by name, had been anointed king by the prophet Samuel. He had defeated the giant Philistine, Goliath. Although he was little more than a boy, God had made him a king and a mighty warrior. How is it that this boy defeated his enemies? He defeated them by trusting in the Word of God. He defeated them not because he was strong or sneaky or fierce. He defeated them because David knew that it was the Lord that fights for us, and not we ourselves. So it was that when he entered into Jerusalem with King Saul, the women of the city sang to one another:

“Saul has struck down his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.” (1 Samuel 18:7)

You can imagine that King Saul was not happy with this turn of events. David had done nothing wrong. He had done everything right, in fact. He had defeated Goliath. He had become King Saul’s right-hand man. King Saul’s son, Jonathan, had befriended him. All he did was serve the King. The people recognized this, and cried out to him in love and support.

Let’s come back to Jesus now. It is Palm Sunday as we know it, a week before the Passover. Jesus came into His city, Jerusalem, to celebrate the Passover with his friends and disciples. Jesus, the Son of David of Bethlehem, had come to His city. Jesus, the Son of God, had come to redeem His people from their sins. He entered into the city on a donkey, an animal of peace. He came because He loved them. He came to die.

The people on that day spread their coats on the road, and they cut down palm branches from the trees and spread them along the road so that the dust would not be stirred up. As they did this they cried out and sang to Jesus,

“Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!”

Hosanna is an Aramaic word which means “save, I pray” or “help us now, I pray”. It’s the cry of a people who knew what Jesus could do. He had healed the sick and diseased. He had forgiven sins and walked on water. He had preached in their synagogues and on the steps of the Temple. He had raised the dead, even Lazarus, who had been dead four days. It was right they call out to Jesus to save them. That’s what Jesus does. He is the Savior, after all.

So what does this mean for you, dearly baptized? What does this mean for you, who languish in your sins, who suffer under the weight of sickness and death, and who long for the peace that passes all understanding? What it means is this. Christ our Lord entered into Jerusalem much like his forefather, David, did. Jesus was anointed to be your Messiah, your savior from sin, death and hell. When He entered into Jerusalem on a donkey, He did so for you. He did this so that you would not be afraid of Him, so that you would know that He has entered into our domain humble and lowly, and so that you would be at peace.

He did this by defeating the devil at his own game. David defeated Goliath by trusting in the Word of God and not in His own strength and might. Our Lord in the same way defeated the devil by humbly trusting in God’s Word. He knew that the Devil could never understand the depth of God’s love for sinners like you and I. One early Christian pastor put it this way:

So that He might deliver man from the bonds of the death-bringing transgression, Our Lord Jesus concealed the power of His majesty from the fury of the devil. Instead, He offered him the weakness of our inferiority. For had this proud and cruel enemy known the plan of God’s mercy, he would have tried not inflame the Jews with evil hate, so that he might not lose the slavery of all his captives. And so the devil was tricked by his own wickedness. He inflicted a torment on the Son of God which was changed into a medicine for all the sons of men. He shed innocent Blood, which then became both the price and the drink which restored the world. (St. Leo the Great)

He gives that drink today in His Holy Sacrament. This week we journey with our Lord to His cross and death, and He gives us holy food and drink to sustain us on the journey. You king has come to you now, humble and lowly. He comes to lift you up from the depths. He comes to raise you up to the right hand of God Himself. Come now. All things are ready. Come now and meet Him where He is. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in true faith, unto life everlasting. Amen.

Todd A. Peperkorn, STM
Messiah Lutheran Church
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Judica midweek service (March 12, 2008)
John 11:1-44, Matthew 27:27-55
For an audio MP3 of this sermon, CLICK HERE

TITLE: “Triumphant from the Grave”

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text for tonight is the resurrection of Lazarus from John 11 and the death of our Lord from Matthew 27.

Lazarus was dead. He was so dead, in fact, that he was beginning to stink. He had been ill, we don’t know with what. So while Jesus tarried, he died. Mary and Martha, Lazarus’ sisters and dear friends of Jesus, sent word to Jesus that Lazarus had died.

Even to our Lord, who knows all this, the death of Lazarus was a shock. Our text says that Jesus wept when he heard the news, and that he was deeply moved by it. Death, even to God Himself, is a shock. It is so wrong, so clearly not how God intended the world to work, that there is just no working around it or making it fit into some great plan. Death stinks. It’s just that simple.

But death is a part of our existence. We live with it every day. It is always around the corner, in a friend or a relative, or even closer to home. Death is the great enemy, that seeks to rob us of our hope in Christ and of a future in Him. So it should not surprise us that death is always at the door, waiting for his time to come. Even for Lazarus. Even for you.

Our Lord goes to see His friend who has died. He knows that the body is never simply a body. This is the body of one of God’s holy children, beloved by Him. Jesus goes to them and says that Lazarus will rise from the dead. It is too good to be true. They assume that Jesus must be consoling them with the hope of the Last Day. But Jesus has something better in mind. He says,

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” (John 11:25-26).

Everyone who lives in me shall never die. How can this be? This can only be so because of our Lord’s death. When He breathed His last, death was defeated. All of its power disappeared in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Death died on that holy day.

Lazarus, come forth! Jesus cried out. So at the voice of the Son of God the one who was died was alive again. Jesus’ death is what made this possible. His death not only made it possible for Lazarus, but for you as well. Jesus called out to you when you were baptized. He marked you as His own, and applied His death to you. Even though you die, you will live. Jesus will raise you up again. This is why our Lord died for you, so that you might never die. Believe it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in true faith, unto life everlasting. Amen.

Todd A. Peperkorn, STM
Messiah Lutheran Church
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Judica, Lent V (March 9, 2008)
John 8:42-56
For an audio MP3 of this sermon, CLICK HERE

TITLE: “The Taste of Life”

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text for this morning is from the Gospel lesson just read from John chapter 8. We focus particularly on Jesus’ words, If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.

One of the things we have largely lost in our culture is a sense of transcendence. It is difficult for people to think about spending money or time or energy on things that will last, because we live in a day and in an age where up-to-date-and-speedy is much more important than enduring and steady. Whether you’re talking about a fast food menu, a car, the music on the radio, a computer, or the look of the furniture in your living room, if it isn’t the newest, the freshest, and the neatest, then, well, it just isn’t worth the effort is it? Why spend time or money on things that will last when they will be out of style in three years?
Transcendence means something that goes beyond its own time, reaches back into the past and forward into the future. Transcendence is one of the characteristics of God. But sin, of course, is almost always about the moment. Instant gratification rather than humble service, self-promotion rather than sacrifice, do what feels good now, and worry about the consequences later. That is the way we all operate, to one degree or another.

This is, I believe, a big part of why the church, if it is truly being the church, is always so far out of step with the society and culture of the day. When we say something like don’t live together before you’re married, don’t gossip, don’t covet, or honor your father and your mother, or any of the rest of God’s Laws, we are out of step with what our culture considers important.

This, though, is not about cultural analysis or even simple family priorities. It is about you, who you are before God and before your neighbor. For Jesus’ death and resurrection for the forgiveness of your sins changes you, who you are and what is important to you. Jesus says before Abraham was, I am. What that means is that the things that matter in your life are not the things at all. What matters in your life is that your very life is worth more to God than His own life.

Now let’s think about that for a minute, because it is profound and changes everything. God Himself says that He loves you so much that He is willing to sacrifice everything, suffer everything, give up life itself for you and for your salvation. What does that mean about the importance of your life? What does it mean about your understanding of sin and grace, forgiveness and eternal life?

What it means is that the things in this world which we consider important, the toys we have, the stuff we acquire, that these things are not what life is all about. Who you are in Christ is infinitely more important than what you have in this world.

This is what our Lord is talking about when He says that Abraham rejoiced to see His day. Abraham went up the mountain to kill His Son, but the angel of the Lord stayed his hand. In the place of Abraham’s son, Isaac, a ram was found for the sacrifice. That ram points us to Jesus, for He is the one who fulfills the sacrifice of Abraham. Jesus’ death is the center of all human history, the pinnacle of God’s love for mankind. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the prophets, the saints of old, indeed, all of heaven itself peers down and watches to see the drama of our Lord’s life and death and life again unfold.

But the key to this is understanding that it is all for you. For you he lived and was baptized. For you he preached and healed the sick. For you he raised the dead and comforted the brokenhearted. For you he suffered. For you he died. For you he rose again from the dead. He did all this for you so that you would never taste death. The bitter gall of sin cannot sour and poison you. All it can do is kill you, and it cannot even do that right. When you die He completes what He promised to you in your baptism. God promises to see you to Himself in heaven.

Abraham saw Jesus’ day and rejoiced. You, too, see our Lord’s day here, in the Divine Service. Here our Lord comes to you with all of the gifts of forgiveness, life and salvation which only He can give. As we come near the end of Lent and we journey with our Lord to His cross, remember this: He does it all for you. You are holy and precious in His sight. Rejoice now with heaven and earth, as God Himself brings you into His holy presence. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in true faith, unto life everlasting. Amen.