Sermons from "The Old Rev" Mark Matthews - Concordia Lutheran Church Berwyn

[Juliet]

I have talked with the Pastor about sharing his weekly sermons in this forum.  He will email them to me, and I will post them for you.  I hope they will inspire you, entertain you, make you think, make you laugh and make you reflect on the presence of Jesus in your lives.

Mark Matthews is the Pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church
3144 S. Home Ave.
Berwyn, IL

Services are at 8:30 am & 11:00 am every Sunday, with alternating Communion Services.

Sunday school and adult Bible classes are scheduled in between services.  All are welcome to attend.

A special Women's Bible study is held Thursdays during the school year at 1pm in the Preschool Room.  Mothers are welcome to bring their small children to play in the room while they are meeting.

[Juliet]

May 1, 2005.."A Member of The Family" 1 Peter 3

This has been a real "family" week for me. Last Sunday, we had a surprise birthday dinner for Mrs. Matthews and I secretly invited her sisters. She was overjoyed; after all, they're family. This past week I conducted a funeral service for a little three-year-old who tragically died. He was a Baptized member of Concordia. He was family. Yesterday we were in Grand Rapids. My Godson, Marcus graduated from college. Had to be there, after all, he's family.

It seems to me that we become part of a family in one of two ways, either by blood or by heart. We are born into a family by blood with parents, siblings, cousins, grandparents, etc. Then we often choose to be a part of a family, as we love special people in our lives; co-workers, fellow church members, neighbors, etc. We become family together in our hearts. To want to be in some sort of family is a natural need that we all have. God has planned it that way from creation when He first made Adam and Eve as His family.  God created the concept of family to be a blessing and a comfort in our lives.

One family of God we know about from the Bible is Noah and his family. Noah had three married sons. In Genesis we read that the world was so evil God wanted to erase the sin and the people, and start over. As He looked around the world He had created to be His family, only eight people in the entire world loved Him back. God had only eight family members in this sin-filled world. When He sent the Flood, these eight and the animals were the only ones who were saved. God took care of Noah, his wife, and family because they were God's family.

Sad to say, because of our sinful nature, we all have chosen not to be a part of God's family. Though God made us to be His family and wants us close, we don't want His Name or to be identified with Him. We tell ourselves that it seems a lot more fun to be on our own rather than tied to God, His church, His Word, etc. We choose to turn our back on Him and walk away. "Take me out of the will, God" "I don't need anything from You" "I'll make a name for myself, I don't need Yours!"

This might seem like fun at first, but what we eventually find is that life apart from God's family is a life in a dysfunctional family. Apart from the Lord, we live only for ourselves, our wants, and our pleasures. In this dysfunctional family of sin there is no forgiveness, often lots of anger, disrespect, intimidation, no communication, and lots of negativity. If this sounds like your life, and you're feeling cold, rejected, and alone, it might mean that you're living in the wrong family.

This saddens God because He made you to be His. He wants you back in the family so badly that He would pay any price to bring you back. His love for you was so great that He sent His Son, Jesus to pay the price by the shedding of His blood on the cross, to buy you back from your dysfunctional family of sin. By His blood, Jesus redeemed us, bought us back, cleaned us up, to be members of the family again. Through faith in Jesus in our hearts, we are His adopted sons and daughters, back in the family, our names are back in the will, loved, welcomed, finding great worth, hope, joy, and all those things that family is supposed to be.   

By Jesus' blood, we are adopted members of God's family. Through faith and love in our hearts we respond as family members, thanking Him through worship, prayer, Bible Study, and forgiving each other as God has forgiven us. What a comfort to hear Jesus say, "Come, be with Me forever. After all, you're a member of the family."  Amen...Pastor Matthews

[Juliet]

May 22, 2005..Trinity Sunday.."What's Most Important?"

The story is told of a lady who bought a talking parrot. She brought it back to the store the next day saying that it didn't speak. The clerk suggested a mirror. Parrots like to talk to their reflection. Next day, she's back again, nothing. He suggested she buy a little ladder. They love to walk up and down and talk. Next day, nothing! Try a swing, he suggested. They are happy when they swing. The next day she returned with a sad face. The parrot had died. Nothing worked! "I'm sorry," the clerk replied. "Did he ever say anything?" "Well," the lady replied, "Just before he died, in a weak little voice he said, "Don't they sell food at that store?' In the midst of everything else, she forgot what was most important.

I think we can identify with the lady in our story. God has told us again and again what's most important, but we just don't seem to hear Him or to care. We read in Matthew 22 the words of Jesus to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, all of our soul, all of your mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself. Commandment Number One also tells us to have no other Gods. Pretty straight forward. There is no room for confusion in this one! Jesus says give God ALL, not part of, not a section of, not a token amount. Love your neighbor by sharing the Good News of salvation through faith in Jesus. When God is Number One, then we have won.

Because of our pride-filled, sinful nature, we want to be Numero Uno with everything and everyone following behind. "You're not the boss of me, now" the song goes. We want God around, but only at our call, our need, our desires. We are looking for what some preachers preach about today, a "VENDING MACHINE GOD." God sort of sits around, twiddling His thumbs, waiting for a little of our time, our energy, our money to be thrown His way, and then He gladly coughs out the blessings. This means that we have His goodies, but we are still in charge. Like Adam and Eve, we aren't happy being close to God, we want to be God and enjoy the fruit too! However, Adam and Eve opened themselves to God's judgement and we do too. Our sin only leads to ultimate sadness and pain as we separate ourselves from the presence of God. When God is Number Two, then we are through!

The joy of Trinity Sunday lies in the fact that in spite of our sin, our God is totally committed to us and wants to bless all who love Him. We didn't know what was most important, but God did! God the Father Who created us wanted us with Him in heaven, so He is always there to love, protect, and guide us. God the Son sacrificed Himself on the cross so all who believe in Him have forgiveness of sins. God the Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts through Word and Sacraments and brings us to a heavenly home. As God's children, we are of the greatest importance to Him. Faith responds in saying "Lord, You are Number One in my heart too."

I've mentioned before that we are all born with a hole in our hearts shaped like God. Once the Lord fills that hole, we are complete and find real peace, hope, and joy that were never there before. When trouble comes, and it will, and we struggle with our marriage, our family, our job, when people near and dear to us get sick, loved ones die, and life seems so empty and hopeless, how wonderful if we could remember what's most important. Sad to say, when troubles come, we try all the junk food that life offers first. We try to feel better by buying things, running away through drugs and alcohol, having pity parties, blaming others, living with guilt that eats away at our heart, and all the rest. These ultimately make us sicker and can lead to a dead end! The real answer is found when our faith in Jesus as our Lord is Number One. Psalm 34:8 tells us to taste and see that the Lord is good. We taste God through His Word, through His Body and Blood in Communion, through worship, and prayer. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Remember what's most important and dig in! amen..pastor matthews   

[Juliet]

June 12, 2005… “Concordia’s Lemonade Stand”  Matthew 9

I heard a story of a group of children who set up a lemonade stand in front of their house. Maybe you did this as a child too. They were selling ice-cold lemonade for 25 cents a cup. A neighbor came by and wanted to help them out. He ordered a cup, gave them the quarter and began to walk away. With that, one child chased him down and asked if he was finished drinking yet. It seems that they only had one cup and they needed it back. It’s difficult to run a successful lemonade stand with one cup. The same can be said of a church. If the only time we offer to share God’s love is on a Sunday morning during a church service, it’s like a one-cup lemonade stand; nothing really wonderful will happen. 

When we read in Matthew 9 of Jesus calling His disciples, He never said that they should sit around the temple, hoping people will show up, then share that one cup of love at that time and in that place only. He told them to “GO.” GO to the lost sheep who need to hear of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. GO with your own cup of love to share. GO because one cup in one place doesn’t do the job.   

The Devil approves of a one-cup lemonade stand church because the message of Jesus as Savior stays at a worship service in the building. He’s willing to lose a couple of hundred at a church service in the building with their one cup, to gain thousands outside the building for eternal death. It’s a fair trade. You can share that one-cup of love in church, while family, friends, and neighbors go to hell. Satan loves it! He leads us to think that by going to church now and then, we are wonderful people! God is certainly pleased with you. Just keep it in the building!

Concordia is doing a good job of sharing that one-cup, in worship, in the building. Aside from our Preschool, Kindergarten, Sunday School, VBS, and Nursing Home services which actually dare to offer more cups of Jesus’ love to more people in an out of the building, we do our best to keep the love of Jesus contained. 

To keep Concordia a one-cup lemonade stand church, the following are needed:
#1..Don’t ever let others know that you are a Christian.
#2..Don’t ever invite a family member or friend to join you for worship.
#3..Don’t pray for a stronger faith and God’s strength.
#4..Stay away from Bible Classes and Bible Study.
#5..Let all meetings, activities, and gatherings focus on material, not spiritual things.
#6..Keep things like time, talents, and treasures for your own personal enjoyment.
#7..Hold on to grudges, past hurts and troubles, by refusing to forgive others.

This, of course, is not what our Lord wants from His people. The disciples found that trusting our Lord brought hope and joy in a hopeless world and they reached out to others.. Our world today is the same. So many see only the here and now and are filled with sadness, depression, and hopelessness. Hearing of a Savior Who loves you, died and rose for you, watches over you now and for eternity is life-changing! Jesus tells us to GO and bring the word of hope to a hopeless and sad world. How can we settle for less?

There is a wonderful legend about St. Francis, the 13th century monk. One day he called his vicar to join him as he traveled to another town for a preaching mission. As they traveled, there was a homeless man who was starving. St. Francis shared his food with him. Later there was a lady crying because she felt worthless, unloved, and a failure at life. St. Francis sat with her and told her of Jesus’ love and the forgiveness of sins won for her through the cross, and second chances that God gives us. This brought a smile to her face. Later, a man was lying by the side of the road with heat exhaustion. St. Francis offered his hat and water to comfort the man. As the sun was now setting, St. Francis and the vicar turned for home. The vicar asked, “I thought we were going to that town to preach to the people?”  St. Francis answered, “My young friend, that’s what we’ve been doing all day.”  So, do we want to stay here as a one-cup lemonade stand church or is it time to GO and share His love?   Amen..pastor matthews

[Juliet]

June 5, 2005…”Confirming Your M & M’s”  Matthew 9

I always thought that M&M’s were made for me. After all, Mark Matthews, right? I came to learn that actually they were first out in 1941 by Mr. Forest Mars and Mr. Bruce Murie. They were very popular among the military in WWII because they were easy to keep and share with comrades. After these M&M’s, the Mars Company built a candy empire with many different selections.

Speaking about building, I read a story recently of Hurricane Andrew that swept through Florida in 1992 devastating everything. One area looked like a battle zone, except for one house that was left standing, firmly anchored to its foundation. The owner was asked why his home stood in the hurricane and he said that he had built it by the Florida code that said it would withstand a hurricane and sure enough it did! Building by the code made all the difference.

The first M in our M&M’s reminds of this too. As we build our lives by God’s code, His Word, His standards, we first begin with the Lord. “Follow Me” Jesus said. M if for Me, Jesus, the Messiah. The Messiah chosen by God to be our Substitute, taking the punishment for our sins on the cross so we have forgiveness and hope during the hurricanes of life.

Sadly, the world, our sin-filled nature, point us to other foundations. We don’t need Jesus, we need lots of money to stand on, or our good looks, or good health, or even fun as our foundations. No matter how good they seem to be, they can all easily crumble around us. We need the Rock of the Messiah, not the sands of this life. Recently, the Tower of Pisa, which was built some 800 years ago, underwent a $25 million renovation. The 185’ tower was leaning some 17’ in one direction. They soon realized that the tower was fine, but the sandy foundation was causing it to fall. Confirm in your life that your Messiah is indeed your Lord and Savior and with Jesus as your foundation, you will never fall.

When we do weaken, it’s difficult to fulfill the second M of our M&M’s, which Matthew 9 describes as showing Mercy. Mercy is the undeserved kindness God shows us that we in turn show others. This is the Ministry God has given to us all. M for Mercy or M for Ministry. Being the person God wants to be and showing Mercy can be very difficult and often involves trials and troubles.

I read a story about cod fishermen in the Northeast having trouble transporting the fish around the country. Everything they tried left the meat soggy and tasteless. Then they decided that by putting live cod in containers, each with one catfish, their natural enemy, great things happened. With the cod swimming around to avoid the catfish, they arrived healthy, strong, and with an even better taste. So it is as we live as Ministers of our Lord. The catfish God allows in our lives are there to strengthen our faith and Mercy. It’s easy to forgive and show Mercy to another cod, but to show mercy to a catfish, well that’s a whole different struggle for us. Whether you are a student, a teacher, a secretary, businessperson, retired, unemployed, whatever, our lives are our Ministry for our Lord. Hopefully, a ministry of Mercy to others as we share the Good News of our Messiah, Jesus..

John Beck was the chaplain for the Olympic Team years ago. He often commented that the Church of God should be like these trained, disciplined athletes, always striving for their best regardless of the pain. One day he was invited to watch the Special Olympics. These are young people who are challenged in many ways, physically, and mentally. A 100 yard dash took place with eight contestants. They took off together and were doing fine, when one child fell to the ground and began to cry. The other seven, not taking advantage like we might do to win, all stopped and came back to their friend. They lifted him, dried his tears, and together they walked to the finish line. Our world tells us to be Number One, these children showed what being Ministers was all about. They showed Mercy. This is indeed what God’s Church should be like.

As you carry your M&M’s, remember Messiah first, then your Ministry. They go hand in hand as you share the candy and share God’s love. Amen..pastor matthews

[Juliet]

June 19, 2005 “I’ll Always Be There For You” Father’s Day

I read a beautiful story that happened in 1989 when the country of Armenia was flattened by an earthquake that killed some 30,000 people in less than four minutes. In the midst of the confusion, a father arriver at his son’s school only to find it flattened like a pancake. He remembered that he had always promised his son, “No matter what, I’ll always be there for you.” With tears in his eyes, he viewed this seemingly hopeless situation and remembered his words to his son. Knowing that his son’s room was in a rear corner, he went there and began digging in the rubble. Many others came and screamed at the loss of their children. Over and over firefighters and other rescue workers told him to stop and go home. He never stopped pulling one rock away, then another. He dug for 8 hours, then for 12, then for 36 hours. Finally, after some 38 hours, he pulled back a boulder and heard his son’s voice. “Armand” he cried. “Dad, it’s me!” “I told the other kids that you promised to save me and they didn’t have to worry, you would save them too.” “Here you are, Dad. You kept your promise.”

Just as with the father in the story, our loving God has made that same promise to you. In Joshua 1, our heavenly Father says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Our Lord Jesus reflects His Father’s promise when in Matthew 28 He tells us, “I will be with you always, even to the end of the age.”  What an amazing promise that is for us.

We live in a world that is so lonely that people need to know that someone will be there. People can be physically alone, emotionally alone, and spiritually alone. We try T.V. or the radio, or even pets for company. They might help a little. Our faith is often so weak that we don’t even know if God is always there. When we are feeling abandoned, depressed, falling behind in paying bills, in need of a job, trying to pay for meds, we wonder if God even cares, much less staying with us. The God we can’t see with our eyes is often experienced by the presence of special people. When there is a flesh and blood person there to encourage us, support us, smile at us, it can make a difference in our lives.   

Today I especially want to remind the guys, and of course all of us, that “always being there” for loved ones is a top priority. People who are physically alone need to have someone there. I heard recently, right or wrong, that some 90% of people in Nursing Homes have one or less visitors in a year. Is it any wonder that people waste away and die? If you have a Mom or Grandmom or loved one that you haven’t seen recently, they need to know someone is there. Go, make a call, make a visit!

Emotionally, all people often feel unloved and unappreciated. This can be all ages from childhood through senior years like me. I asked a couple recently going through some pre-marital counseling, “When is the last time you told one another that you were proud of them?”  They had no answer. When do we tell our children, spouse, and even an ex-spouse that they have done something good? When do we say, “I’m proud of you”? As children of God, we need to look past what the world says and try to always be there to support one another.

Spiritually, people need to be reassured that Jesus loves them, died for them, and is with them eternally. One of the best ways to reinforce the heavenly Father’s presence is by an earthly, father, grandfather, uncle or male role model’s presence in worship. Sending children to church or Sunday school is a cop-out. “What a great parent I am” we say as we drive away. BOLOGNA! Bringing them, staying with them can strengthens their love for the Lord and their commitment to Him and to His church.

I lost my Dad when I was only 17 years old. Though we only had a few years together, he was always there for me. That has made a difference in my growing up and in the kind of father I’ve tried to be. We are not perfect, but we have a heavenly Father Who understands, forgives, and strengthens us through Christ, our Lord. Like the little boy in our story we can tell the other kids and adults that we have a heavenly Father Who will always be there. He has saved me, He will save them too.
Amen..pastor matthews

[Juliet]

 I read a story recently of a young college student who was writing a doctoral thesis and to do this, he had to spend one year with the Navajo Indians on a reservation in the Southwest. He lived there, ate with them, worked with them, and slept in their hut. He developed a strong friendship with an old grandmother, even though she couldn’t speak a word of English. They really bonded and spent lots of time together sharing a language of love and support. Over the year, he even learned some Navajo phrases and the old grandmother learned some English. When it was time to go back to school, the tribe held a going-away party for him that was filled with sadness for they had come to like him and would miss him. As he filled up his truck and prepared to go, the little grandmother came up to say good-bye. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she held his face in her hands and looked him in the eye and said, “I like me best when I’m with you.”

“I like me best when I’m with you” is a phrase we hopefully can share with loved ones, but especially with our Lord Jesus. “Jesus, I like me best when I’m with you.” We feel that way because our Lord brings out what’s best in us. When we are close to our Lord in faith, in worship, in prayer, in His Word, we find peace, hope, joy, and self-worth. The cares of this life go behind us as we look in His loving eyes. No matter what others may say or how rotten a sinner I have been, He forgives me and gives me a self-esteem that comes from Him, not our fickle world. He smiles at us with forgiveness in His eyes. As our faith grows through His Word and Sacraments we find that it’s so true, “Jesus, I like me best when I’m with You.”

The parable of the Sower and the Seed in Matthew 13 affirms this truth. For those who love the Lord and are open to His presence and His Word through faith, there is the joy of producing God-pleasing fruit. We can accomplish much for our Lord when “I like me best when I’m with You, Jesus.” Our faith can shine forth in many ways.  Those, on the other hand, who have rejected His Word of love and salvation through Christ our Lord, only dry up in God’s sight. Those who would rather look in the face of earthly rewards and values ultimately do not feel good about who they are and there is no spiritual fruit that pleases God.  When I’m with my favorite sin, I often like me least.

Knowing that “I like me best when I’m with Jesus” should encourage us to want to share the seed of that Good News of Jesus with others. Your family members, friends, neighbors who don’t feel good about who they are need to have the seed of God’s Word tossed their way. Those folks sitting next to you this morning who smile on the outside while crying on the inside need that seed of the Word of love tossed their way. Young and old alike in our world by the millions don’t like who they are because their worth is based on the world’s values, the words of others, and Satan’s accusations of hopelessness. Tossing the seed of the Word to them allows the Spirit of God to work forgiveness and hope in their hearts.

As you pray for others, as you invite them to worship, as you tell them that “you like you best when you’re with Jesus” because He died and rose to wash away your sins and open heaven for you. The Spirit can work faith and love in their hearts. The Holy Spirit can help them realize how true it is, “Jesus, I like me best when I’m with you.” We all need that love.
Amen…pastor matthews 

[Juliet]

Singing “This Little Gospel Light Of Mine” reminds me of a story of a man who was dying in a dark hospital room. He told his two sons that he had a challenge for them. Whichever son could think of a way to fill the room in some way would receive his business. The first son thought of a feather pillow. He took the pillow and shook and shook. For a brief moment most of the room was filled with feathers, but they soon fell to the ground. The second son brought out a candle, turned off the lights, and lit the candle. As light filled the darkened room, his father, with a smile on his face, gladly turned the business over to him. A shining candle can make a big difference in the darkness.

In our reading from Matthew 13, we read that those who reject the Lord will be lost eternally and those who love the Lord will shine. Our world needs more light! Looking around, we see lots of darkness, sadness, and loss. We see children suffering during divorces..families breaking apart for dumb reasons..elderly folks feeling lost and alone..lots of tears..gloom and doom. Our sinful nature tells us, So What? If it’s not me or my family, who cares? I don’t need to get involved! I have enough hassles in my life. Just leave me alone! Let someone else do that stuff.

God’s people are the someone elses that do this job as they SHINE through faith in Jesus as Savior.. The acronym SHINE can tell us to SHARE HIS INNER NATURE EXTERNALLY.  This is great, but how do we do it? How do we SHINE like the Son, for the Son?

S is for Study. We can’t be like Jesus until we understand what Jesus is like. We find that in God’s Word. Revelation 1 tells us that blessed are those who read God’s Word, hear God’s Word, and take it to heart. Taking it to heart makes it a part of who you are so you trust it and it shows in your life. We SHINE through Bible Study.

H is for Hold His Name up in worship.  Our faithful worship that praises our Lord in Word and Sacraments blesses us too. Finding forgiveness of sins in our Baptism and Holy Communion holds up the Name of Jesus as Lord and Savior. Our music, words, offerings, and actions hold up Jesus Who died and rose for our salvation. We SHINE through faithful worship.

I is for Invite others to worship and activities. If Church activities are important to you, let others know as you invite them for worship or for fun-type activities. Vacation Bible School children invite and invite and invite. Some invite for spiritual reasons, others mostly for contest points. Regardless, their friends hear about a Savior Who loves them. This could be life changing for a child who has lived in darkness her whole life. If it would help, I’d give prizes for visitors brought too. Whatever it takes! Many of your friends live in the darkness of sin just hoping that you will invite them into the light. So??  We SHINE as we invite others.

N is for Nurture one another. People around us need a little piece of our time. Take a little time to talk with one another. Take a little time to encourage others in their life struggles. Those who are alone, those who are sick and dying, those who have lost loved ones, and so many more need a kind word of encouragement. I love you! Jesus loves you! You’re in my prayers. I was thinking about you. We SHINE as we nurture one another.

E is for Exude joy. Christians should be the happiest people on earth, for we have our sins washed away, a loving God Who is with us in our struggles, and a place in heaven. Yet when visitors look at you do they see the joy of the Lord or an apparent obstruction in your lower digestive tract?  Are you filled with the Master or Maalox?  Our Prophet, Priest, and King Jesus or Pepto-bismal? Hide it under a bushel? NO! Let it shine. Amen..pastor matthews

[Juliet]

Having a Father who was a funeral director meant that my younger years were spent in places like funeral homes, morgues, and cemeteries. While wandering around cemeteries and looking at headstones, I still do that today; I found it fascinating to realize that a dash on a headstone between date of birth and death represented a whole life. If the person was 20, 50, or 100, their life was represented by that little dash. Recently I ran across a poem about this dash that I modified a little to make it more spiritual. I use this now and then at funerals if it's appropriate for the person's life. Here's a part of it;

I READ OF A MAN WHO STOOD TO SPEAK, AT THE FUNERAL OF A FRIEND.
HE REFERRED TO THE DATES ON THE TOMBSTONE, FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END. (Another verse goes)
FOR THE DASH REPRESENTS ALL THE TIME GOD GAVE UPON THIS EARTH. ONLY THOSE WHO FELT TRUE LOVE, KNOW WHAT THAT LITTLE LINE IS WORTH.
FOR IT MATTERS NOT HOW MUCH WE OWN; THE CARS, THE HOUSE, THE CASH. WHAT MATTERS IS OUR FAITH AND LOVE AND HOW WE SPENT OUR DASH.

For the child of God, these are the God-pleasing priorities. Faith and love for the Lord first, then for the blessings of this life. When our hearts' treasures are faithfully first with our Lord Who died and rose for our salvation, then on the treasures of family, friends, and stuff, we are promised that we will have all the treasures of heaven along with our loved ones for eternity. Matthew 6 promises that where are treasures are, there our hearts will be forever. When our Treasure is the Lord first, then others, we will have a heart that will live with Him eternally. 

Sadly, the opposite is also true. When we live only by our sinful nature, then our treasures are those things of this life. When Judgement Day comes and all earthly things are destroyed, our hearts will be destroyed eternally too. Where are treasures are, there our hearts will be too. For those who reject Jesus the poem goes;
FOR IT MATTERS LOTS HOW MUCH WE OWN; THE CARS, THE HOUSE, THE CASH. WE HAVE LITTLE TIME FOR FAITH AND LOVE AS WE SPEND OUR DASH. Because of sin, all things of this life that control us now will eventually corrode and waste away. A sin-filled heart tied to them will be lost in hell forever, too.

Knowing this, I pray that Jesus is your Living Lord and Savior; your Treasure.  He lives to forgive your sins when you confess and repent in faith. He lives to comfort you when you cry. He lives to give you hope when you hurt. As a child of God for you the poem read at your funeral will end:
SO WHEN YOUR EULOGY'S BEING READ, WITH YOUR LIFE'S ACTIONS TO REHASH, HOW PROUD OUR LORD WOULD BE, ABOUT HOW YOU SPENT YOUR DASH.  Amen..pastor matthews

[Juliet]

August 14, 2005 "A Faith That Grows And Shows"  Matthew 15

There is a wonderful little story about a survivor of a shipwreck who washed up on a small, deserted island. He prayed and prayed for help, but none came. He worked hard gathering driftwood and made a small shelter to protect him from the elements. One day, after scavenging around the island for food, he returned to find the small shelter in flames, with smoke billowing to the sky. He was sad, hurt, and angry. Shaking his fist to heaven he cried out, "God, how can you do this to me?" Early the next morning he was awakened by the sound of a ship that had come to rescue him. The sad, tired man asked the Captain, "How did you know I was here?" "We saw your smoke signal," he answered. Like the man in the story, we find it easy to become discouraged when things go badly, but we need not lose heart because God is always working in the lives of His children, even through pain and suffering. When our shelters seem to be burning to the ground, it might just be a smoke signal for God's blessings that will be coming. 

The story in Matthew 15 of the Canaanite woman is such a story. Her daughter is going through a terrible experience, possessed by demons. The mother could have gotten angry, screamed, yelled, blamed God, etc. yet in her faith, she seeks out Jesus. After a small test of faith, Jesus assures her that her daughter would be healed and proceeds to praise her in front of everyone there by saying, "you have a great faith." Even during a time when her shelter was burning, this happens when loved ones suffer, doesn't it, her faith was growing stronger and showing through as she reached out to Jesus for the answer.

This week one of my funerals was for a member who showed a faith that would grow during painful times and show in many ways. This dear lady did not fear to be in the valley of the shadow of death because she knew that Jesus was her Light to guide and comfort her. Struggling with cancer can certainly be a burning shelter, but she knew Jesus suffered for her, died on the cross and rose for her. Her faith grew during her trials and troubles and showed through to family and friends as she continued to seek the Lord. The loss of her earthly shelter made way for the blessing of an eternal home in heaven.   

Like the man in our story, when our sinful nature takes over we all find it easy to blame God when our shelters burn. A burning shelter can be the loss of a loved one, health problems, financial difficulties, troubles, trials, and tensions that others bring on you. Our normal reaction, like the man on the island is to shake our fist at heaven and blame God, blame the church, hold on to anger, grudges, pity parties, and all the rest. We are filled with either anger or depression, fear or hopelessness as we look only to ourselves for answers.

The Canaanite woman, and our dear member have shown us the way. Their faith could grow and their faith would show, especially during burning shelter times. That hope and joy has to do with the focus of our faith. The Canaanite woman looked to Jesus as the Great Healer and found healing. Our dear member looked to Jesus as her Light, and she found that light. The Son of God is there for you. He died and rose to defeat death and the devil and all the burning shelters life can bring. As we worship, study His Word, attend Holy Communion, bring our little ones for Baptism, pray, etc., our faith will grow. Then we give God the thanks and the glory for all our unexpected and undeserved blessings and our faith shows through, especially when your shelter is burning. Amen..pastor matthews   

[ruffian]

Juliet, just wanted to let you know I appreciate the posts.

[Juliet]

There is a story of a Pastor using an object lesson for his sermon. He took four live worms and put each in a jar. The first was put in a jar of alcohol. The second was placed in a jar filled with cigarette smoke. The third placed in a jar of chocolate. The fourth placed in a jar with clean soil. Following the sermon, the worms were examined. The one in the alcohol was dead. The one in the cigarette smoke was dead. The one in the chocolate was dead. The one in the clean soil was alive. He then asked the congregation, "What does this show us?" A lady from the back called out, "If you drink, smoke, and eat chocolate you won't get worms!" Somehow, I don't think that she got the message he was trying to share.

In a similar way, Jesus asked His disciples if people are getting His message. Many have heard Jesus preach, seen His miracles, watched Him heal people, and all the rest. Now He asked them, "Who do people say I am?"  They answered that people believe Him to be a great spiritual leader, teacher, or maybe the reincarnation of a prophet.  They haven't gotten the message. Then He asked what the disciples believe about Him. Peter, usually bolder than the rest, spoke up that Jesus is the Savior, the Son of God. Jesus commended him for that response. 

Questions were one of Jesus' favorite ways of teaching.  In the Gospels, I believe that Jesus asked some 100 questions to see if people were getting the message. Let's pretend that Jesus has asked us a question this morning, "Are you a Christian or are you Christian?" "Of course I'm a Christian," we answer indignantly. " I'm a member of a church." " I have a Bible at home." " I know the Lord's Prayer by heart."  "I'm a better person than he is." " I even put a little in the offering."  These are nice, easy responses that even our sinful nature can appreciate. There is no commitment here, no sacrifice, no effort.

Jesus would tell us,  "You haven't gotten the message. Are you a Christian or are you Christian?"  To be a Christian is to believe that Jesus is my Lord and Savior Who died and rose to forgive my sins and open heaven for me.  When we hold Christ in our hearts as a Christian, then we start to really take our faith in our Lord seriously and our life changes. Being Christian is the way we live that life of faith.   

As a Christian I've gotten the message that Jesus died for my sins. The blood was really shed for me. As Christian, I've gotten the message that Jesus wants us to serve Him in Church and outside of Church. He has blessed me in special ways that are needed by Concordia and by others too. If you love children, why aren't you helping with Sunday School or Confirmation Classes? If you have a heart for older folks, why are you not helping Visiting Outreach and those who go to Nursing Homes to share God's love?  When we ask "How can I serve the Lord here at Concordia," we're finally getting the message.

Some believe that committing to the Lord is like placing a $1000 bill on the altar for the Lord to use. "Here I am, I'm here for You." Actually, when we get the message we know that the Lord desires us to take that $1000 to the bank and exchange it for quarters. Each day we give away a little here and a little there. This could be a call to a friend who's hurting, a visit to a Nursing Home, a Prayer said, a note to someone who's ill, and offering a little of your time at Church. Jesus gave up everything for our salvation and has called us to live a life pleasing to Him. Which worm lived? Are you really living?  Got the message? Amen, pastor matthews

[hvychev]

Juliet, I will be honest with you. I have not read much of what you posted here but I have to say that you are a good woman. You are doing a good thing. Keep it up.

[Juliet]

It's not about me, but thank you anyway.  If just one person can find inspiration, comfort or peace from one of Pastor Matthews' sermons, then I am glad.

[Juliet]

I believe that "have it your way" was coined by the Burger King people. We like the idea of food coming the way we like it. Burgers with cheese, onion, pickle, and brown mustard are my favorites. Mushroom and Swiss is good too. We have our favorite foods and our favorite restaurants. When we go to Lake Geneva, Mrs. Matthews loves the crème brulait at Houlihans and the Swedish pancakes with fruit at Scuttlebutt's.

The Bible talks about food many times. Adam and Eve enjoyed all the Garden of Eden offered. Moses and the Israelites had manna and quail sent by God. Elijah was tired and hungry and God sent angels to feed him. Jesus fed His disciples after Easter. I can't help but think that if those men who doubted Him had fish, maybe Jesus went to another part of the Lake and made scrambled eggs and waffles for the women who trusted Him.

We watch what we eat and try to select what's best. The food pyramid suggests fruits and veggies and lots of water. We schedule our meals so we can get two or three big ones each day or maybe three or four smaller ones. We choose a good setting for our meals. Not so much where, but who we are with. Doing Jury duty meant lunch alone, but when the kids are home, family meals are the best!

Not only do we read of food that's good for us physically in the Bible, but also spiritual food as well. Jeremiah talks of eating God's Word, taking it in for every part of him, and finding it to be a joy and his heart's delight. Ezekiel writes that we should not be rebellious, but eat what God gives us in His Word. Holy Communion brings us bread and wine, but also the body and blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus suffered and died on the cross, came alive to pay the price for our evil. Holy Communion reassures us of that blessing as sins are forgiven.

For our spiritual health, we need to take in God's Word as food for our souls. We either take it in God's way or our way. Selecting the right food, God's way, brings us His Word the Bible, for love and support. If we did it our way, we'd rather take in the TV Guide, Paper, or our magazine at the checkout stand.   

Scheduling God's Word in our life is important. God's way would have us in His Word daily. We take it in a meal, or even as a snack when reading a devotional booklet. Our way would settle on once a week at church, or even once a month, depending on how often we attend.

The setting of our spiritual meal is important too. God's way would say that time alone with Jesus is fine. He would also encourage groups or classes that share the Good News of Jesus. Our way would not to do it at all. We're too busy for Bible study. It's not that important! It's just boring.

Sadly, a life of spiritual "our way" will lead to a sick faith, doubts and fears, and possibly eternal death. A spiritual diet of "His way" as Jeremiah wrote, leads to great joy, a stronger faith during tough times, and our heart's delight. Jesus loves us and always wants what's best for us, lets stay in the Word of God, His way. Amen...pastor matthews

[Juliet]

Over the years, I'm sure many of you have visited the "Taste Of Chicago" Festival. As you know, you can buy a "taste" of what this or that restaurant offers. You can buy a "taste" of chicken, turkey, beef, whatever. They offer a "taste" of the complete menu of the restaurant.

I mention this because Hurricane Katrina that recently devastated the Southern United Sates left what I would call a "taste of hell" after the storm passed. Hell, as we know, is the place of eternal pain, loss, and separation from God for all those who have rejected our Lord.  Hell leaves us eternally hopeless and helpless. Hell is a place of eternal death, destruction, and disease. If you've ever suffered a serious burn, that pain is like hell. Wounds, paper cuts, and all the rest are a little like hell's pain.

The Hurricane left us a "taste of hell" in many ways. We see death, destruction, and disease all around. People are starving, suffering, being raped, robbed, and left for dead. A picture of a body floating on Elysian Ave., was interesting for me. In mythology, the Elysian Fields were the place of peace and harmony. This place of supposed earthly peace was now a place of death. Take the disease, death, and destruction, add snakes and alligators in polluted water to it..definitely a "taste of hell" for all who are there.

The one big difference between eternal hell and a "taste of hell" is that those down South have hope. Hell is hopeless! The people down South look for a sign of life and that sign for them is the Red Cross. The Red Cross means life. It brings food, water, and much needed medicine and support. The Red Cross brings hope and life to this "taste of hell."

Most of us understand that "taste of hell" in our lives. After all, hell has been around a long time. Adam and Eve knew hell when Cain killed his brother, Abel. History, with its wars, famines, and so on, give us an on-going taste of hell. The Romans liked to punish prisoners by shackling live people to dead ones. Every sight and smell was of rotting death for this prisoner. A definite "taste of hell."   Our Lord Jesus understood what hell was like as He suffered and died for our sins. He felt separation from God, a real hell. Jesus knew hell and so do we.

Many of us have suffered a "taste of hell" with death, disease, and destruction in our lives. We know the pain and hurt and helplessness it brings. We watch loved ones die, heard of a church member who fell from a tree and crushed parts of his spine. We know of families who are fighting. We choose to hold on to grudges, guilt, and blame that eat us up inside.  Thankfully, we have hope in our times of hell. Our hope is only in the Red Cross of our Lord Jesus. It is a Red Cross because it is stained with the blood of our Savior, Who died and rose for the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus' Red Cross brings us hope in seemingly hopeless times. We try all types of other answers from alcohol to sex, yet only through the Cross is there real, lasting hope from our hell.

Through faith in our Lord, we can make it through the times we "taste" hell. The hope we have in the Red Cross of Jesus brings God's promise that though we "taste" hell in this life, and we will, there is a banquet for blessed, a feast for the faithful, a supper for the saved awaiting us in heaven.   Remember that Hell's terrible taste is only temporary but the sweetness of salvation is eternal.   Amen...pastor matthews

[Juliet]

Life is full of changes. When Mrs. Matthews and I first dated, almost 40 years ago, we had lots of cheap dates. In fact, our first date was an ice cream cone at Petersen's. Things have changed. Last week Mrs. Matthews said to me, "Take me some place expensive!" So I did, I took her to a gas station! Life is full of changes.

Drawing from the Book of Ecclesiastes, the Turtles had the song, "Turn, Turn, Turn." many years ago, written by Wilson Phillips. Seasons change, life changes; a time to be born and a time to die, a time to laugh and a time to weep, a time for war and a time for peace, to everything there is a season the song tells us. As Fall approaches, the colors of the leaves will change, and turn brilliant. The weather will change and it will turn cold. In fact, the Jiffy Lube Company exists for one reason; change! The car runs better when your yucky oil is changed for clean stuff.

Isaiah, one of the first to encourage a Jiffy Lube for Israel, called to his people to change, to turn, turn, turn away from their evil and turn to the Lord in faith and find His forgiveness and joy. Seek the Lord, Call upon Him, Forsake your evil ways, and turn to Him for mercy and forgiveness Isaiah encouraged. Blessings from God are there for those who turn and trust Him.

Isaiah began by saying that we should use our energy to Seek the Lord. The opposite or sinful side is to simply care less where God is or even if He is. We would rather use our energy to seek after the world's goodies; money, fun, and power. Seeking God involves a new life that turns away from the world and takes energy to go in God's direction as we worship, read His Word, attend Holy Communion, etc. As our faith grows, we will be blessed with comfort and hope.

Call upon the Lord involves time for prayer. Our sin-filled nature doesn't have the time or the will to want to pray. Time spent in front of the TV, computer screen, and Gameboy is more important. These give us temporary pleasure at best. Prayer, communicating with God, on the other hand, brings lasting hope and joy for ourselves and for loved ones we pray for daily. Turning away from the screen and fixing our eyes on the cross reminds us that our Savior died and rose so we could talk with Him 24/7. This time spent brings us closer to Jesus in faith.

Forsaking our evil actions and thoughts is difficult because we like them. We all have our favorite sins that bring us pleasure in some way, at the expense of our soul or the expense of others. Turning away from evil thoughts and actions involves realizing that they do exist and that they weigh us down with guilt, worry, and pain. When we admit this to ourselves, confess to God that this evil is true for us, we begin walking in Jesus' footsteps and the burden gets lighter and lighter.

Repenting of our evil is what turn, turn, turn is all about. Repent means to go in a different direction. The fact that we all need to turn to God tells us that we are all poor, miserable sinners who are all walking away from Him in some way. Walking away from God only leads to an eternal crash and burn. God helps us change; turn, turn, turn, to Him. Through His Word and the Sacraments, God gives us not just a Jiffy Lube, but a Jesus Lube. Jesus came to earth for one purpose, change! He shed His blood on the cross so we would change from our evil ways, trust in Him as Lord and Savior, turn to Him in faith, and find His mercy, and His forgiveness freely given. Seek Him, Call to Him, Forsake the evil, and turn to Him. Let the Jesus Lube change you not just today, but for eternity. Amen..pastor matthews   

[Juliet]

The story is told of a lady out in a boat in the Ocean. Suddenly the boat capsized and she was holding on for dear life. Her cell phone had enough power for one call so she called a friend. "I'm in the Ocean. My boat has capsized. Please come and save me!" The friend called other friends and they decided that the best thing they could do is plan a Welcome Home party for their friend. They would make this a real celebration with decorations, food to eat and some meals for the freezer so she wouldn't have to cook for a while. "Who should we invite?" We'll invite her family, neighbors, people she went to school with, and so on. They went to the Party Store, and the Supermarket to get things ready. They waited and waited, but she never made it to the Celebration. Because in their busy-ness to make party plans, they forgot what was most important; going out to save her. No one went to save her and she was lost at Sea.

In God's Word in Philippians 2, Paul writes about how God's people should be thinking. What is really important? What really matters? Paul tells his people that they should think like Jesus. What was most important to our Lord? We read that Jesus was the Suffering Servant, humble before God and man, all the way to the cross and His death and resurrection for our salvation. Like Jesus, we should want to be kindhearted, compassionate, loving, of one mind, and like Jesus, always with eyes on the cross. All the love and kindness has meaning when it's done at the cross and for the cross. Jesus was the perfect Servant, reaching out to others, but always with eyes on the cross, so all might come to be saved through faith and have eternal life praising the Name of the Lord together. That's the real celebration.

Sad to say, when we look at our earthly celebrations, often times find it easier to focus on the food we serve rather than the faith we hold. We focus on giving the gifts, rather than giving the Gospel. We focus on fun rather than forgiveness. We focus on what I have done rather than what God has done. Making money takes precedent over saving souls.  Even with the best intentions, our earthly thoughts are stained with sin, aren't they? What makes for a real celebration is the cross. Jesus' ultimate victory over sin, death, and the devil brings the forgiveness of sins that we really need.

Today, Sept. 25, we celebrate Mrs. Matthews' Mom's 86th birthday. We celebrate not only the fact that she has lived 86 years in this life, but the celebration for Grandma is that she will live eternally in heaven through faith in Jesus. That's a real celebration! We have a Baptism this morning. We celebrate with little Jonathan and his family, not just in his birth, but in his rebirth as a child of God and Jesus' promise of life eternal for His little ones. That's a real celebration today.

Is today a day for celebration in your life? You could celebrate your age, your home, your car, your job, your family, your friends, your health, and hopefully, if you do, always with your eyes on the cross. Thanks to the grace of God, through the death and resurrection of our Lord, we have many blessings in this life. With hope in our hearts, we can be kind to others. We can really celebrate, because we know we have a place in heaven. Knowing we are saved through faith in Jesus, we look forward to an eternal Welcome Home Party in heaven. Now that's a real celebration.  Who do you need to invite?                  Amen..pastor matthews 

[Juliet]

Lots of T.V. shows today feature something called the Extreme Makeover.  The ones I've seen have a rather drab looking lady transformed into a babe! Professionals do their hair, make-up, clothes, etc. and they are transformed from the proverbial Plain Jane to Wow! These ladies always appear with a big smile on their face. The T.V. show Nip/Tuck deals with transformation by means of plastic surgery. The show has no real redeeming value, but the question they ask each client is "What don't you like about yourself?" This leads to all kinds of surgeries, enhancements, etc., many of which leave emotional scars with their patients.

Changing ones appearance can be a good thing if it makes you healthier, ala Weight Watchers, and in many cases, help us feel better about ourselves. Over time, many of us have come to realize that the most important feature we have isn't the great bod, but our hearts and our heads. A loving heart, combined with a certain amount of wisdom is what a really beautiful person is all about. Granted, as a young person, we are almost psychotic about how we look, how we dress, do we fit in, etc. Times seems to soften that way of thinking until we realize that God has made us to be who are and that's fine. Ya get what cha get!

Sad to say, the head and the heart are often not as beautiful as our Lord would like them to be. Our sinful nature easily takes control and all I care about is ME! That self-centered way of thinking that makes me my own god, and cares less about the feelings of others, is what Paul is writing about in Philippians 3. He talks about the control of sin that leads to destruction, eternal death in hell, because our god is our stomach, our self, we delight in our shame, our own passions and feelings, and the earthly things that bring pleasure, which points to ME one more time.

No work by a professional hairdresser will stop the effects of eternal death. No efforts of a plastic surgeon make us look good to our Lord when our hearts are infected by sin.  Just like no drug or drink can really make us like ourselves. The one Extreme Makeover that makes us look good to God, and find peace and joy is the one that Jesus has done for us through His death on the cross and His rising from the dead. This makeover is so Extreme that it literally takes us from the road to hell turns us around and places us on the path to heaven. The surgery we need is not Plastic Surgery, but Priority Surgery by Dr. Jesus with His Word as the scalpel that cuts deep into our sin-filled heart, and leads us to repentance.  No makeup in the world can do what the blood of Jesus can to clean up our sin-filled hearts and make us beautiful children of God. Only His Word, through the power of the Holy Spirit cuts deep into our hearts and minds to show us the infection of our sins and bring us to faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. With Christ in our hearts and minds, we are indeed beautiful to God and welcome in His heavenly home. God's Word and Sacraments are the instruments He uses for His eternal surgery.

I read a story recently of a man having dinner with a very wealthy, Christian. He asked his wealthy friend how he was able to live for the Lord and not be corrupted by so much worldly wealth. The rich man replied that at an early age his father taught him that what they owned could either be an idol or a tool. With sin in control, they become idols to be worshipped above God and all else. However, with Jesus as the Lord of my heart and my life, they become tools I can use to serve God and help others. This is a God-pleasing Extreme Makeover by the blood of Christ. This is what the Priority Surgery of Dr. Jesus is all about. Do you need to schedule an appointment today? Amen..pastor matthews

[Juliet]

One of the reasons I look forward to going to heaven, aside from seeing my Mom and Dad again, and not having to attend meetings, is having eternal peace and contentment. Real contentment can be hard to find in this life, can't it? Things have happened to us over the years; Wars and destruction, 9-11 to Katrina, and our own trials and troubles at home; sickness, death, financial problems, family hassles, work's a pain, paying the bills, people who hassle us, and so much more make contentment very difficult.

Rodney Dangerfield talked about how he and his wife tried to keep peace in the home. Twice a week they would go out to eat; a nice meal, candlelight, good conversation; he went on Tuesday and she went on Friday. Separate beds helped them too, his was in Cincinnati and hers in Florida. He wrote that she tried a new diet to look better, coconuts and bananas, she didn't lose and weight but Wow can she climb a tree!

In Philippians 4, Paul wrote about the peace and contentment he had found in this life. Paul tells us that whether things were good or not so good, he found the secret to contentment. For a man who lived with some type of a possible deformity, a thorn in his side Scripture calls it, spent time in jail, was harassed by people for his faith, he was content. How could that be? What's the secret, Paul?  Don't be anxious about anything, Paul wrote. The Greek word for anxious means "divided mind" When our mind is divided, we worry, fear, are filled with guilt, and chew ourselves up. How can there be peace in a mind that's literally cracked, broken, and divided?

Sin always divides, separates, and breaks apart. For our "divided minds" filled with anxiety, we've tried all kinds of answers from alcohol to sex and everything in between to find peace, but no way! We shop till we drop and can't find contentment. We leave family and job behind seeking a new life in a mid-life crisis and still can't find contentment. Our minds are still divided. Things and other people are not the answer to a contentment that needs to last longer than a one-night stand.

Paul shows us that finding true peace and contentment away from Jesus is impossible. Away from Jesus, with sin in control, our minds are broken and cracked.  So, the closer we are to our Lord, the less divided our mind will be.  Closeness to Jesus brings closeness to the peace that passes all human understanding. Jesus is that Peace! A mind fixed in faith on our Savior Who suffered, died, and rose for our salvation is not a divided mind. Jesus found peace through all of His trials because His mind was one with His Father. Paul found that peace when his mind was one with Jesus. We too can find that the love of Jesus is the real glue for a divided mind.

That Jesus we need is here for us right now. As we read His Word, sing His praises, attend Holy Communion, bring little ones for Baptism, and share the Good News of our Savior with others, and say our prayers, we know that through faith we are of one mind with the Lord. Only in Christ does our divided mind find healing and real peace. Through faith in Christ, a faith that heals and helps our broken and divided minds, there is peace. We don't have to wait to go to heaven for that one. Amen..pastor matthews