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

[Juliet]

We read in Luke 5 that Jesus is at the seashore preaching and teaching. He used a boat as His pulpit for the day. Off to the side are the fishermen, fixing and cleaning their equipment after a long night of fishing that ended up with empty nets. Jesus finishes the sermon and speaks to the fishermen encouraging them to go and fish one more time. Though they are tired and not sure what Jesus knows about fishing, they go because Jesus is the One Who asked them. Their catch is so big that the nets almost break apart. They return to shore and Jesus then tells them to Aspire to Inspire before you Expire…or words to that effect. Jesus respects what they do, but offers them something more. These fishermen, Peter, James, and John are called by the Lord to Aspire to Inspire before you Expire.

First of all, to aspire to something is to eagerly desire something greater. We have a job that’s o.k., then we go back to school for a degree so we can do something we like better; that’s aspire.  We start off in a lower position at a company and work hard to move up the ladder; that’s aspore. Jesus tells these men that they can be more than fishermen; they can become fishermen-disciples, fishciples, and fish for people and share the message of salvation to a world drowning in sin. Another interesting aspect of Aspire from the dictionary is to “breathe upon.” As we breathe upon others the Good News of our Savior Jesus, the Holy Spirit uses those words to bring life and hope to others.

Through the work of the Holy Spirit, these words “breathed” upon others can work in their lives to Inspire them to be God’s people in this world. Inspire, in the dictionary, has to do with being aroused by divine influence. The Word of God, breathed on another can bring them new life and hope. A person could have stopped breathing due to illness or an accident. If they don’t begin soon, they are lost. CPR is performed on them. Breath is brought back into their lives and with breath comes life. Family and friends could be dying around us and need spiritual C.P.R., Jesus, the Breath of Life in their hearts and lives. As a disciple of God, He wants us to use C.P.R. on them. Let them know that Christ our Personal Redeemer brings life on earth and through faith, a home in heaven. Finding that Breath of Life, Jesus, can encourage them to follow Jesus and become  fishciples too, or maybe a bankerciple, a teacherciple, studentciple, policeciple, retireeciple, a scoutciple, and if you happen to be a father, a popciple. 

Jesus wants us to Aspire to Inspire before we Expire. Before it’s too late, breathe on those you love with the Word of God like God breathed on Adam the breath of life in the Garden of Eden. Because God is Good…All the Time, breathe on someone you love with the message of love and hope through faith in Jesus Who died and rose for our salvation. Breathe on them God’s Word to Inspire them to serve our Lord before it’s too late and we’re all casketciples. Amen..pastor matthews

[Juliet]

I don’t know about you, but as we read of Jesus’ temptations in Luke 4, I understand. The problem is, for me, I usually say yes to the temptations, while thankfully, Jesus always said NO! Someone once said that it’s easier to believe there is a Devil as opposed to if there is a God because I spend lots more time with the Devil. Sad, but true!

Temptation in itself is not evil. The evil comes in the way we respond to it. The root of temptation is the belief that I will be happier if I give in to it. I read that there is a place in Death Valley called Dante’s View. Maybe some of you have been there. I am told that if you look down, you will see the lowest place in our Country, a place called Bad Water some 200 feet below sea level.  However, if you look up, you will see the highest peak in our Country, Mt. Whitney, some 14,500 feet above sea level. Up or down; which way will we go?

Let’s face it; it’s easier to walk downhill to a Bad Water place than uphill to Mt. Whitney. Our sinful nature likes to take the easy way out, the one that we believe will make us the happiest, and the one that feeds our fragile egos. Satan is a Master of making our favorite temptations look so appealing. He knows us better than we know ourselves and feeds on that to lead us away from our Lord. Our pride is fed when we take that downhill walk that makes us think we’re so special. There’s a story of a lion who thought he was the king of beasts; the king of the jungle. He grabbed a tiger by the throat and asked, “Who’s the king of the jungle?” “You are,” the tiger answered. Later he found a bear and grabbed him. “Who’s the king of the jungle?” “You are,” the bear answered. He then came upon a huge elephant. The lion jumped on his back and roared, “Who’s the king of the jungle?” With that the elephant grabbed him with his trunk, threw him down, stomped on him and tossed him against a tree. Beaten and battered the lion responded, “Just because you don’t know the answer you shouldn’t get so rough.”  Pride comes before the fall. Pride also leads us away from the cross.

Walking uphill over rocks and steep ground isn’t easy, but that path for a child of God leads to the greatest peace and joy we will ever find. Doing the Lord’s will might be difficult, but the rewards are eternal. A pastor wanted to raise funds for a new building. To encourage giving, he wired the seats in church. He asked “Who will donate $100?” He pushed the button and 20 people were shocked and stood up. “Who will give $500?” He pushed the button and 20 more stood up. Having wired the seats of the church leaders, he asked, “Who will give $1000?”  He pushed the button and no one stood. 20 church leaders were electrocuted to death that morning.  Love of money can block the path to the cross too.

As Lent begins this year, we all find ourselves with a view. We can look down at the easy way out and comfortably travel towards Bad Water-like living.  Because God is Good…All The Time we have hope and help climbing up. Climbing up towards Jesus, the Living Water Who died and rose for our salvation could include faithful worship on Sunday and Wednesday, reading a Lenten devotional book every day, attending a Bible Class each week, or giving an extra quarter or two in a coin folder. The Spirit of God will bless all we do for our Lord through faith and give us strength to fight off the lion, and courage to stand for our Lord. Amen..pastor matthews

[Juliet]

In our Gospel lesson from Luke 13, Jesus refers to King Herod as an old fox; cunning, crafty, and ready to eat those animals weaker than he. Kind of reminds us of the old proverb about not putting the fox in charge of the henhouse. Interesting that this proverb goes back to the 1500’s with “Ovem lupo commitere;” setting the wolf to guard the sheep. Herod was the one who killed John the Baptist. Herod was an evil, power-hungry politician. Herod cared about Herod and not the fate of his people. He would exploit whoever he could for his own purposes.

It’s interesting to note that Jesus basically tells Herod to get lost. Jesus is going to continue to preach and teach the Good News of God’s love and forgiveness. In doing so, Jesus refers to Himself as an animal too. Interesting, isn’t it that Jesus doesn’t call Himself the lion; king of the jungle…a powerful eagle; symbol of power and grace…even a white stallion; a symbol of victory. Jesus refers to Himself as a hen. He likens Himself to a mother hen watching over her chicks. Jesus is there, not to destroy, but to love, comfort, feed, and protect His little ones. Jesus is there like the mother hen, will sacrifice His body to save His little ones.

There are stories of hawks attacking the chicks and the mother hen placing them under her wings. While the hawk attacks, wounding her, clawing at her, the hawk never gets to the chicks. The hen is big enough that the hawk won’t carry her away. After so many attacks, the hawk flies away leaving the hen wounded but the chicks are safe. She was willing to give her life to save her chicks.

Can you see where Jesus is going with this one? He allowed Himself to be battered, bruised, cut, and nailed to the cross so His chicks, those who trust Him as Lord and Savior could be saved from the attack of the Evil One. He put His body between us and Satan and death, so we could have life and hope eternal.

Whether we like it or not, there is a reason that Jesus refers to us as sheep or chicks. Because of our sinful nature, we are weak and vulnerable to attack by the Evil One. Our pride tells us that we are strong and in control. We look at ourselves in the mirror and see warriors, WWE wrestling stars with big muscles, sports heroes; yet in the sight of God we are lambs and chicks. Satan is the lion out there seeking whom he may devour…Satan is the wolf out to kill a lamb. Satan is the hawk out to kill the chick. 

The little lambs are safe only as they stay close to their Good Shepherd. The chicks are safe only as they stay close to their mother hen. Jesus is our Good Shepherd, our Mother Hen desiring only to protect us, feed us, and care for us. If we choose to wander too far from our Shepherd or our Mother Hen, we are in danger of getting chewed up. We are saying, “Come and get me, Devil. Eat me up for breakfast.” This happens when there is no time for worship, no time for prayer, and no time for Bible Study. We become easy targets for the wolf or the hawk.

Jesus shows us that God Is Good…All The Time. We can see Him on the cross with His arms outstretched like the wings of the mother hen, calling to us to find shelter from life’s storms and real safety as we huddle near His cross, safe in His arms. What are you waiting for? Amen..pastor matthews 

[Juliet]

I read a story this week about former world chess champion, Bobby Fisher. Supposedly as a young man he was in a museum and saw a picture dealing with chess. Legend has it that the picture was entitled “Checkmate.” It showed an older man with his head down on the board, having lost the contest.  His face was filled with exhaustion and pain; the agony of defeat. His opponent, obviously Satan Himself had a grin of defiance pride, having crushed his opponent. Looking closely at the picture for quite a while, Bobby called out to his mother, “He has one more move!” Bobby had noticed that the artist had painted the picture with one more move that the man could have used to defeat the Devil. A move the man never took!

I don’t know if such a picture exists or not, but I like the point of the story; against Satan we don’t have to ever give up, there is always one more move for the child of God. That final move is to call out to our Lord Jesus for help. Satan has never and will never defeat our Lord at anything! The message of the cross and the open grave show us that Jesus is victorious.

We never have to give up because our God never gives up on us. Adam and Eve disobeyed God, but God didn’t give up on them. Moses murdered a man and ran in fear, but God didn’t give up on him. Jonah ran from God and God didn’t give up on him. Peter denied even knowing Jesus and God didn’t give up on him. The disciples ran from Jesus but God didn’t give up on them. What does that say about this poor, miserable sinner; God won’t give up on you or me, ever!

Satan wants you to think that God will give up on you. He wants you to think that God doesn’t care and you’ve lost! Life is over, he tells us. Why not desert your family? Why not abuse drugs and alcohol to deal with the pain? Why not live with a permanent pity-party of depression? Why not simply end your life? Satan wants you to quit…to think you’re checkmated…while you really have one more move.

Our one more move is to focus away from our enemy, away from the game we’re playing, and look to the cross of Jesus. Jesus hung there to take away all of our sins and give us eternal hope. Calling out to Jesus in faith will bring an answer. Trusting that He died and rose for me means I always have one more move. Satan deals with FEAR while God deals with HOPE. F.E. A.R. stands for False Evidence Appearing Real. False evidence that tells us we’ve lost. Satan is the King of Liars. H.O.P.E. assures us that Heaven’s Our Possession Eternally. God is the King of Truth. In Joshua 1, God promises Joshua what He promises us; He will never leave us or forsake us.

Because God Is Good…All The Time, trusting in Jesus means we always have One More Move! Amen, pastor matthews

[Juliet]

I usually do the food shopping for our family. I have a list of the things we need and some stuff I want. No matter what it is, I always check the price first. Low salt green beans for $1.29 or .79. Same stuff, different label. I go for the .79 one. What’s it cost? What’s it really worth? I want to know before I take it home. This is true for food shopping and for us as well. I was reading that the human body does have value for the minerals inside. We have enough iron in us for a nail, enough sugar to fill a sugar bowl, enough fat for seven bars of soap,(some of us provide more Lifeboy than others) enough lime to whitewash a chicken coop, enough phosphorus for 2200 match heads, and much more. On today’s market, we are worth $7.50 each. We’re pretty worthless people.

We look at the Prodigal Son, the Lost Son, and he’s worth the $7.50 and not much more. His money is gone. His pride is gone. His clothes smell like a pig pen. Yet, his real value came not by what he had in his pockets, but in the fact that he belonged to someone; he had a father who loved him. I was reading that some 5000 children run away from home each year. This is very sad. But, if one of them was my child, there is nothing I would not do, nothing I would not spend to find them. My children, and grandchild, are more valuable to me than any house, car, or bank account. Because they are my children I will do anything to have them with me. They are worth more than gold to me.

What a comfort it is to know that our Heavenly Father feels that way about us. Let’s face it, we can all identify with either the Prodigal Son who ran away thinking only of himself, or the older son who didn’t appreciate his father and held a grudge against his brother, thinking only of himself. Like the Prodigal Son, our sinful nature has led us away to “do our own thing” from God, from His Church, from His Word, and from His Body and Blood. We have found or still find ourselves wanting to be our own King. The opposite side of the coin is acting like the older brother. We can act like jerks, we can judge others, we can refuse to forgive them, and hold that grudge, all to lift our fragile egos. We want to be our own King too.

If all I have is ME, I become pretty worthless in God’s sight, check that; worth $7.50. Whichever way we have been living our lives, jovial or judgmental, we thankfully have a Heavenly Father, Who is ready to welcome us back as we admit our sin, ask for His forgiveness, and reach out in faith. Coming before our God as poor, miserable sinners, who trust Jesus as Lord and Savior, that heavenly hug is ours. God loves us and shows us how much we are worth by sending His Son Jesus to suffer and die on the cross, rise from the dead to take away our sins and lead us to a home in heaven. God gave His Most Valuable Possession, His Son, to bring you back to His family, because you’re worth it!

If God had a shopping list of those things He wanted, you are on that list. Because God Is Good…All The Time, He gave everything, regardless of the cost, to redeem you, buy you back and take you home forever. To God, you’re worth it!  Amen..pastor matthews

[Juliet]

The San Francisco Chronicle highlighted a story back in December of 2005 of a humpback whale that had been caught in some crab trap lines. The 45’-50’ female had been migrating between Northern California and Baja when she was caught in some heavy nylon ropes. Once the situation was evaluated, it was decided that divers had to go into the water around the whale and cut the lines. This was extremely dangerous because a flip of her tail can easily kill a man. At first the divers didn’t think she had a chance. She was trapped in some 20 crab-pot ropes, 240’ each, with weights every 60 feet. Ropes were wrapped around her tail, her fin, and even in her mouth. The ropes were so tight; they were visibly cutting the whale. The weight was pulling her down so her blow-hole could barely stay above water. She floated passively as they cut the ropes. Once free from the ropes, she swam in circles for a while and then came back and carefully nuzzled each diver as a way to say “thank you.”  This humpback whale said thank you for setting her free. If this creature of God can say thank you for her freedom from the ropes, why is it we often take our freedom from the ropes of sin for granted?

How sad that we can be critics of God, His Church, His people, totally forgetting that without the cross of Jesus and the open grave, we would remain tied in the ropes of sin and be lost forever . We have so much to be thankful for from our God that each day should be a day of thanksgiving not a day of griping and complaining, blaming God, and living more as a critic than a Christian.

We live in a world where many doubt if there is a God, look for their own gods, think He’s a woman, or could care less. As His children who know Him as Lord and Savior, God needs us to be His ambassadors into a world that’s lost, confused, and tied up to many false beliefs not found in the Bible. God doesn’t need critics, He needs Christians. He doesn’t need moaners, He needs missionaries. God doesn’t need gripers, He needs grateful believers. He doesn’t want us to complain, He wants us to confess with our mouths that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. 1 Thessalonians tells us; “Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

A Hindu, a Rabbi, and a Critic were caught in a storm. They stopped at a farm and were told that there was room for two inside and one in the barn. The Hindu graciously said that he was used to hardship and would sleep in the barn. A few minutes later he was knocking at the door. It seems there was a cow in the barn and the cow was sacred to him and he felt uncomfortable. The Rabbi said he’d gladly go to the barn. A few minutes later there came a knock at the door. The Rabbi said there was a pig there and they were unclean and he felt uncomfortable. The Critic said he would go to the barn. A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door; it was the cow and the pig.

With Holy Week approaching, now is a good time to do a spiritual about face and speak up for our Loving God, His Church, and His people. Now is the time to invite family and friends to join you for worship and Bible Study so they can learn about Jesus, Who died and rose for our salvation. Now is the time to ask God to cut us free from the ropes of pride and ego that are pulling us down. Because God is Good…All The Time, we can give Him the thanks and praise. That’s a whale of a good idea! Amen..pastor matthews

[Juliet]

I only know one donkey story. I’ve told it before but…why not? A man was just married and he took his bride up to their mountain top home. As they traveled up the mountain, a donkey was carrying their luggage. Part way up, the donkey slipped and a basket fell off. The man looked the donkey in the face and said, “That’s one!” They went a little further up the narrow path and the overloaded donkey slipped and a suitcase fell. The man again looked him in the eye and said, “That’s two!” Further up the mountain, the donkey slipped again; lost pachage. The man took out a gun and shot and killed the donkey. At this, his bride lashed into him for being so cruel…how could he do this?...that was terrible!…what’s wrong with you?  At this, he looked her in the eye and said, “That’s one!” 

Donkeys don’t have to worry about that kind of thing when it comes to being with Jesus. We know that a few days before His birth, Jesus was on a donkey going to Bethlehem. When we read about Palm Sunday, we know that a few days before His death, Jesus rode on a donkey. What an honor for these little donkeys; to carry the Lord where He needed to go.

I recently read of a Missionary in China who refers to herself as “The Lord’s Donkey” as she humbly does God’s work and carries Jesus to those who need to hear about the Lord. I like the idea. It ties into the work of the donkey of Palm Sunday. Three things come to mind; #1 Jesus wanted a donkey to carry Him to Jerusalem. He didn’t ask for a horse or chariot; just a donkey. #2 To serve the Lord, the donkey had to first be untied. #3 The donkey had to be ready and willing to carry the Lord where Jesus wanted to go. These really speak to each of us today.

#1 In John 15 we read the words of Jesus, “You didn’t choose me, I have chosen you to bear fruit in the world.” You are special to the Lord and He wants you to be His donkey. This is important because our sinful nature tells us we have little worth or value in our world. “What can I do?” we ask. “I’m nobody special.” “My life has made me pretty much worthless to God” Satan tries to convince us. Jesus wants you to be His donkey. He died for you so you could always be with Him. He gives His body and blood “FOR YOU” for the forgiveness of sins.

#2 To really be of help to our Lord, we need to unburden ourselves and get untied from whatever holds us back. Our favorite sins always get in the way and weigh us down. Whatever those sins are, we are easy targets for the Devil’s attacks. In Matthew 19 Jesus tells us that money is one of those things that keep us from the Kingdom. For the camel to go though the eye of the needle (a small door in the city gates) the camel has to be unloaded and go down on its knees. When we give our burdens to the Lord and humble ourselves before Him, we become useful to Him.

#3 Faith in Jesus, Who died and rose for our salvation defeats our pride and ego and wants Jesus to be control of where we go. On our own we go in the wrong direction, don’t we? Someone once said that if God is your Co-pilot, change seats! Thy will, not my will be done allows Jesus to use us for His Kingdom and to carry Him and His Word and His love to the world around us. We don’t know where we’re going, but He does and that’s all that matters. Because God is Good…like the donkey in our story, we might slip, but Jesus forgives and wants to lead us up His mountain to life eternal. Amen, pastor matthews

[Juliet]

It seems that we live at a time in history when everything seems very confusing or unsettling. We read of earthquakes, storms, violence, financial troubles, family break-ups, and so much more. We all need a little comfort during these uncomfortable times. Around our house if Marco falls, Grandma is always there for him to hold him, rock him, and bring the comfort he needs. God tells us the same thing in Hebrews 13:5, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”  I’d like to look at the real comfort this short message from our Loving God brings to us.

In the original Greek language, the word “never” is kind of a compound word that multiplies its meaning. God is telling you, I will never, no, not ever, never leave you or forsake you. It’s a forever never from God to us; a powerful promise of comfort.

He tells us He will never leave us. In the Greek, this means to leave behind, abandon, give up on, or even send back. God is saying to each of us who trust in Jesus as our Risen Savior that He will never, no, not ever, no never leave you behind, abandon you, give up on you, or send you back.

Moving to forsake in the Greek; we find that this means to leave in a helpless state or disregard. Along with this we understand it means no to relax His watchfulness over us. So, this short verse brings great comfort as Jesus assures us; I will never, no, not ever, no never give up on you, abandon you, leave you behind, cause you not to survive, leave you helpless, nor relax concerning keeping My presence with you. Wow! What a message of comfort to the uncomfortable!

Let’s face it; our sinful nature can make us very uncomfortable. When I depend on me, I can get very scared. If I have to work my way to heaven, how good is enough to get there? If I know I’ve been a bad person, does God really want to help me? Understanding God’s Word to us brings comfort. God tells us He loves us, is ready to forgive when we repent and assure us that through faith in Jesus, the message of the cross is a message of comfort for all who are uncomfortable. 

A story by Leslie Flynn tells of a little boy in a frontier town who lived with his grandmother. A fire broke out and the grandmother died trying to save the boy. As the boy cried for help, the flames and the smoke only got worse. People stood around because there wasn’t a fire department in this place. Suddenly, a man ran through the crowd and began climbing the iron drainage pipe which ran from the ground to the roof. The pipe was very hot by now, but he kept going to the second floor, found the boy, put him on his back and carried him down that very hot iron pipe to safety.

A few weeks later there was a public meeting to see who would take custody of the lad. A farmer got up and said that he had room and could teach the boy a trade on the farm. A teacher got up ands said that she could take him and give him a good education. The town banker got up to say that he had money to provide a fine home and upbringing.  The judge asked if there was anyone else who would like to speak. A man from the back got up and said that he didn’t have lots of land or education or money, but he could offer lots of love. Taking his hands out of his pockets, the crowd let out a gasp to see the horribly scarred hands of the man who climbed up and down the hot pipe. The boy recognized the man who had saved his life and ran into his waiting arms. Everyone else sat down; they realized that the scarred hands of the man proved he could give more love than all the others. For us, the scars on Jesus hands show us that He gave everything as He died and rose for our salvation. That’s the real comfort we have from our Lord Who tells us that never will He leave us; never will He forsake us. Amen…pastor matthews

[Juliet]

tour of heaven. He saw an old friend and was surprised to see that he had a chain on his leg and was dragging a large, smelly bag of garbage. When asking Peter why, he was told that because the man wasn’t perfect on earth, this was his punishment. Walking along, the Pastor met another friend and was surprised to see that he had a large chain and huge, smelly, dripping bag of garbage to drag around. Peter told him that the friend had done lots of bad things on earth and this was his punishment. Walking further, he saw another church member but noticed that he too had a large chain, but attached to his chain was Dolly Parton. “Wow!” though the Pastor, “He must have led a really good life on earth.” “No,” said Peter, “He’s Dolly Parton’s punishment!” SURPRISE!

We know heaven won’t be like that, but we might be surprised at who we find there. 
Two of our Scripture readings for today; Acts 9 and John 21 have to do with how our Loving God is a God of Surprises. We read about Saul and how he persecuted Christians for the longest time. There is no way he’ll be in heaven for all of his evil. Yet, Jesus got a hold of his heart, led Saul to repent and we have…SURPRISE…the great missionary for our Lord, Paul. We also read of Jesus by the seashore talking with the disciples who have worked all night for nothing. These disciples had doubted Jesus, run away from Him, and disobeyed many times. Could there be hope for them? Jesus tells them to let down the nets on the other side. They listened to Him and did so… SURPRISE… their nets are filled with fish and Jesus invites them to have breakfast with Him. They obeyed Him and were blessed. They became faithful followers sharing the Good News that Jesus died and rose for our salvation and …SURPRISE…have a heavenly home.   

From Creation until today, God has been a God of Surprises. Adam and Eve sinned, yet God offers a Savior from sin…SURPRISE!  Throughout history God’s people rebel against Him, yet He forgives and gives second chances…SURPRISE! The Son of God is born in a stable? SURPRISE! The Son of God riding to Jerusalem on a donkey? SURPRISE! The Son of God suffering and dying on a cross? SURPRISE! After three days, Jesus came alive from the grave? SURPRISE! God loves me, a poor, miserable sinner? He wants me to repent and look to Him and find forgiveness?  Jesus wants me to be His ambassador into the world and bubble over with His love? LOTS OF SURPRISES FROM GOD.

God took a killer named Saul and transformed him into the great missionary, Paul. God took disciples who were doubting and unfaithful and strengthened them to share their faith up to their death. It has been said that God doesn’t choose the equipped to serve Him, He equips the chosen. Because God Is Good…All The Time...He has chosen you to bubble over with His love to your world. Now it’s time for you to surprise God.
Amen…pastor matthews

[Juliet]

I read a story recently that came out of San Antonio, TX a few years ago. It told about a mother who accidentally left her baby locked in her car, windows up, 99 degrees out. Realizing what she had done, she began screaming for help. As they tried to unlock the door with a coat hanger, the baby was crying, turning blue and foaming at the mouth because of anxiety and heat. Finally, a tow truck driver named Fred pulled up. He grabbed his hammer and broke out a window to free the baby. Was he a hero? Maybe not! He was quoted in the paper as saying that the mother was mad at him because he had broken a window in her car. He said that he figured the baby was more important than the window. Priorities?

An elderly couple wanted to take a helicopter ride through the Grand Canyon but argued that the cost of $25 each was too much. The pilot told them that if they went on the ride and didn’t say a word for the whole ride, he would refund their $50. Off they went and the pilot pulled out all of his stunts; diving, spinning, flying upside down, and yet, not a word. He landed and looked back to see only the elderly man. “Where’s your wife,” he asked. “Well, she fell out part way through the ride and I was going to say something, but $50 is $50.” Priorities?

In the Book of Revelation, John writes of a vision of the New Jerusalem, the holy city of God, coming down from God like a bride to be united with her Husband, Jesus. A voice from the throne of God calls out that the dwelling place of God is with His people. The Maker of the Universe, Who could live wherever He wants, wants to hang out with us! How cool is that? We like to hang out with people we like. While in Detroit at the LWML Convention, I hung out with my Brother and Sister-in-Law and the people from Concordia. Because of His great love for us, God chooses to hang out with us; His  #1 priorities. 

Now, because He wants to hang out with us, He wants us to hang out with Him in heaven where there will be no more pain. How does this happen? God made each of us His #1 priority and to prove it, sent His Only Son to die for us so that through faith in Jesus, we can be with Him eternally. The punishment of sin that separated us from God has been broken by the cross of Jesus; an act of love for those who are His #1 priorities. Jesus chose to take that punishment because He loves us so much it hurt. Priority?

Sadly our sinful nature has trouble with that. When we honestly look at ourselves in the mirror, we know that we don’t deserve God’s love, His forgiveness, a home in heaven. We deserve nothing but pain, death, and an eternity in Hell. We’re so rotten, we deserve to be left for dead.  How could Jesus want to suffer and die for someone like me? Because of God’s mercy, we don’t get what we deserve. Because we are God’s #1 priorities, we get the home in heaven won for us by Jesus on the cross. Priority?

We are His #1 priority, shouldn’t He be ours too? Do people around you know what God has done? Do you praise your Lord every day, giving thanks for His blessings in your life? Do your friends and family know that Jesus died for you and for them too? A father was listening to his sons talk about what they saw in church. One son asked his older brother, “At the end of the service, what does it mean when the pastor does this? (he made the sign of the cross) The older brother responded, “It means that when you leave, some of you go this way, and some of you go that way.” As God’s priorities, He wants us to go into the world with His love. As God’s priorities we should know and believe that what’s important about a church is not how many it seats, but how many it sends. Because God is Good…and we are His #1 priorities, how wonderful it is to know that like the tow truck driver, Jesus broke through the gates of hell to give us life. For that we will thank Him forever.   Amen...pastor matthews

[Juliet]

One of my fondest childhood memories was a time our family drove from Michigan to Florida for a vacation. Along the way, Dad told me I could have whatever I wanted for breakfast. That was my very first cheeseburger with onions breakfast sandwich. Thinking back, Dad took good care of us. He had that vacation planned out pretty well; where to drive, where we stayed, and all the rest. This reminds me of the story of the young boy sitting in a plane, calmly reading a book while the plane rocked and rolled in a storm. The person next to him asked how he could be so calm in the storm. The boy answered, “My Dad is the Pilot and he’s taking me home.” He had faith in what his father was doing too. How great to have someone who makes you feel secure.

Sadly, life isn’t always that way, is it?. Over the years we learn about the sinful nature we all struggle with and the fact that people can’t be counted on to be supportive. People let us down, lie to us, forget about us, use us, reject us, and find us not to be a priority for them.  It’s as though we learn not to trust. We find ourselves filled with stress, fears and worry. As young people, like our Confirmation Class, we fear the future; will I do well in high school or college, will I be popular and have friends, will I be good at something, will I fall in love, or will I be a failure, sad, and alone? As we get older, we fear for our jobs, our relationships, and the future. Will I be able to retire? Will I have good health and money to do some things?   Where do I turn for comfort and security?

The message of Jeremiah 29:11 gives us the answer. For those who love the Lord, God says that He has a plan for you; a plan of prosperity and not calamity, for a future and for hope.

God has a plan especially for your life. Trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior Who died and rose for your salvation and God promises;
Prosperity; Not necessarily money, but good things, blessings, a promise that God Himself will take care of you. He cares about your welfare.
Not Calamity; this doesn’t mean that bad things won’t happen, they will, but a promise that they will never defeat you because God never abandon you to evil.
A Future; Never a dead end, but the assurance that God will bless you and pick you up when you fall and walk with you on earth and forever in heaven.
Hope; No matter what happens, God will see you through. In His plan for you, no matter how it looks around you, you will come out on top, His way, His time.

In a story written by Tim Hansel we read of a boy who met Jesus and rode with Him on a tandem bike; the boy in front, Jesus in the back. Jesus kept suggesting they change places and once the boy trusted Him in front, life changed dramatically! Jesus led him on a great adventure, through mountains, around scary turns, over rocks. “Where are you taking me?” the boy would ask and Jesus just replied, “Pedal.”  Jesus took the boy to people who had gifts he needed such as love, help and healing, money and possessions, joy and peace, and they pedaled off, Jesus told him to give the gifts away, they were only baggage for the journey. The boy gave them away and more came his way to give away too. The boy realized that at first, he didn’t trust Jesus to control his life. Once he did, life became more meaningful, and more fun. Since then Jesus has taken him to wonderful places, through scary places, with a beautiful view of life. When the boy gets tired and feels lost, Jesus just turns around, smiles at him and says, “Pedal.” This story reminds us that God Is Good…All The Time. Amen..pastor matthews 

[Juliet]

Pentecost, the birthday of the Christian Church was celebrated in the Old Testament as First Fruits, an offering to the Lord. Ties in nicely as we see those first disciples filled with the Holy Spirit through rushing wind and fire going out and speaking about all Jesus had done through His suffering, death, and resurrection for their salvation. It had to be a noisy Celebration with each disciple speaking in a different language at the same time.

The Holy Spirit came to them with the sound of rushing wind. Wind brought new life to old disciples. We remember the Creation story when God brought the mud-man Adam to life with His breath. Everyone here today received a red balloon; a deflated red balloon. It just kind of lays there on the pew or in your bulletin. Not of any real worth without air inside, is it? A deflated balloon is like a person who claims to be a church member, yet never worships, never attends Bible Class or Holy Communion. They claim to know Who Jesus is, but they don’t trust Him as their Savior. Without the wind of the Spirit, the Breath of God, they will sadly dry up and rot away like the balloon.

It’s a truth of life, without air, we die. When we’re not breathing, we need CPR to bring us that life-giving air. CPR tells us spiritually that Christ is our Personal Redeemer. That breath comes from God Himself. He fills us with His love and faith that brings us everlasting life. Through the Word of God, our Baptism, and Holy Communion the Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts that brings new life. We know in our heads and our hearts that Jesus died and rose for me.

Knowing that is true, Jesus speaks to each of us in Matthew 28 to GO into the world and make disciples. He doesn’t say SIT and wait for them to come to you. He doesn’t say SNOOZE until Judgment Day. He tells us to GO and spread the Good News of salvation. His Spirit leads us where He wants us to go. We might be led to reach out to family, friends, neighbors, and strangers with an act of kindness. We might speak to someone at work, school, or in a Nursing Home or Hospital about Jesus.  Maybe you’ll share a kind word to lift their spirits. That’s what Christians do, right? A word of blessing to a check-out girl can be special too. Like our balloon filled with air and let go, you never know where it’s going, do you? You never know who it will touch.

Two men are watching a church burn down.  One man says to the other, “You’re a member right? I don’t remember you coming here.” The other replied, “I don’t remember the church being on fire.” Good point for us; a church on fire for the Lord is a church where the Spirit is blowing. If we could all fill our balloons and hold them; remembering that God Is Good…All The Time and He fills us with faith, hope, and love so we can celebrate going wherever He leads us and share our faith in Jesus and show kindness, often with lots of noise. Let the balloons go, NOW! Amen..pastor matthews

[Juliet]

My earliest memory of time with my Dad was my brother’s Baptism in 1948. I remember standing in the back of the church with Mom and Dad holding my hands. Growing up, there were many times I would go out with Dad to shop or for a walk. I learned very quickly that it was better for him to have a hold of me than vicey-versy. He would keep me from slipping and falling or getting lost. While walking, I enjoyed hearing what he had to teach me about sports or good manners; like opening the door for a lady to go through first, or the funeral business or church. One constant was that I never worried that Dad wouldn’t get me home safely. Holding, hearing, and home were all parts of a walk with Dad. God has that same comfort as we walk with Him.

The pen that we gave the men for Father’s Day has the words;  MEN WHO WALK WITH GOD NEVER WALK ALONE.  Remember the song from Carousel; When you walk through the storm keep your head up high and don’t be afraid of the dark…walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart and you’ll never walk alone. Hope in dark times comes from walking with the Lord.  Joshua 1: 9 assures us “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God (walks) with you wherever you go.” Adam and Eve walked with God. Enoch walked with God. We can walk with God and never walk alone. 

Our walk begins with faith in Jesus Who died and rose for our salvation. Faith reaches up to our heavenly Father Who takes hold of us. When we worship, God takes hold of us. In Holy Communion or Baptism, God takes hold of us for the walk. If our sinful nature pulls away from Him and His hold, we easily fall for whatever evil is around to hurt us. Once God does have a hold on us for the walk, we want to hear what He has to say to us. This reinforces the importance of Bible study, Sunday School, etc. His Word warns us against sins that will hurt us…He leads us in the paths of righteousness. If we put on the headphones and don’t want to hear His Word in Bible Study or Prayer, then we can very easily walk the path that leads to everlasting death. Finally, our walk with our God leads us to our heavenly home. His promise to us in John 3:16 is that faith in Jesus will lead us to eternal life.  He is a Father Who keeps all of His promises!

It isn’t easy to be a Man of God in our world. So many trials and troubles like the economy and worldly temptations can keep us from a faithful walk with our Lord. However as a Man of God, holding the hand of the Creator with one hand, can reach down and take the hand of a little one so they can walk with you and their Savior. This little one could be your own, a family member, friend, or neighbor. This little one could be a child in Sunday School or VBS or a teenager. Hold them as you are held by God so they can hear His Word and have the comfort of a heavenly home.  When others look at you guys, they might have all kinds of names for you, but, would they describe you as a man who walks with God? I hope so. I also hope you’ll make the effort to take a child’s hand for your walk. Because God is Good….He wants to walk with you both. Amen..pastor matthews

[Juliet]

While away at Mike and Amy’s wedding, we had breakfast at a place called Scuttlebutts in Lake Geneva. This is Mrs. Matthews’ favorite breakfast place. I had eggs over easy, hash browns, and a wonderful slice of ham. Mrs. Matthews gets Swedish pancakes with Lingonberries. Ham and eggs are my favorite. Someone once said that when it came to ham and eggs, the chicken was involved, but the pig made a commitment!

In our Scripture readings for this weekend, we read of the prophet Elisha getting rid of his possessions to make the commitment to follow God and Elijah. As Jesus talked with His disciples in Luke 9, Jesus told them that to follow Him takes a commitment on their part, not just an involvement. God is looking for pigs, not chickens. In Isaiah 29, we read the words of our God about chickens versus pigs; “they come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”  They want to look like pigs, but they are chickens at heart.

Our sinful nature often does that to us.  We dress up for worship, smile at those around us, throw a couple of bucks in the plate and in our minds, fulfilled our “duty” for the week. Sin makes chickens try to look like pigs. Our “OINKS” are really “CLUCKS” in God’s sight. We’re involved but not committed. Being involved is to follow Jesus at a comfortable distance. We want Jesus around to forgive us, hear our prayers, and take us to heaven, but to stand up for Him and with Him is too much to ask. To actually dig down to support our church and Preschool is too much to ask, it’s uncomfortable. To volunteer time to assist with worship, Sunday School, VBS, and other groups is too much to ask, it’s uncomfortable. To stay for Bible Class infringes on more important things, making it uncomfortable. Thankfully, when Jesus was suffering and dying for our sins, He didn’t think it was too uncomfortable, too much to ask, and walk away. If our Jesus was a chicken on our behalf, then our proverbial goose is cooked!

Psalm 37:5 tells us to “Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him and He will do this.”  That’s what Jesus did for us through His death and resurrection. He showed us that He is the Way to heaven and wants us to trust Him above the possessions of this world with the promise that He’ll care for us. Faith in Jesus as your Lord and Savior that shows itself in your words and actions is what being a pig is all about.

You can hang out with Colonial Sanders and Frank Perdue, their food is excellent. As a child of God, Jimmy Dean points us in a more heavenly direction. Because God is Good…All The Time, He wants you to be His pig in a world of chickens.
Amen…pastor matthews

[Juliet]

We were in New Jersey at Bethany Lutheran Church for some 6 ½ years. We enjoyed the people, the Shore, Silver Queen corn, and renting a bus and taking a trip into New York City. While traveling into New York back then; we saw the Twin Towers, other sights, and took a trip to the Statue of Liberty.

This 4th of July Weekend brought to mind that trip. The Statue is some 305’ feet tall, made of copper. It was dedicated in 1886 and the light of the torch was a saving light for millions of immigrants coming to America. Maybe you had ancestors that made that trip and found a new home in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. Lady Liberty, originally known as “Liberty Enlightening the World” is a wonderful symbol for the freedom we find in the Country and a reminder of the freedom we have from sin, death, and the Devil through our Lord Jesus.

Three things stand out for me as I think of Liberty Enlightening the World; the torch, the tablet, and the broken chain under her feet. These three also help us understand the freedom God has for us in Jesus.

#1. The Torch viewed by millions coming from old lands of tyranny to a New Land brought hope and comfort. In John 8:12 Jesus says, “I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness.”   Trusting in Jesus as the Light of our lives brings us eternal hope and comfort.  The priorities of this world can lead to selfishness, pride, and spiritual death. Jesus brings hope and life in this dark world. As we look at Him, we see that He is God’s Torch of Light for each of us. When our Little Gospel Light shines, we are reflecting Jesus, God’s Torch of Light to a dark world.   

#2. The Tablet has the dates of the Declaration of Independence inscribed on it. The Word of God in a similar way brings a message of Independence from sin, death, and the Devil. We read this inspired Word of God to us that assures us of God’s love and support and the promise of sins forgiven through faith in Jesus. In John 8:32, Jesus tells us of His Word, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”  That truth is that Jesus died and rose for you! Our Gospel Light shines with that truth!

#3. The Broken Chain under Liberty’s feet can remind us of the broken hold of slavery; whether slavery in this Country or of evil governments around the world enslaving people. In 2 Timothy 2:9, Paul talks of the chains he had to endure in prison but that the Word of God will never be chained. We struggle with the chains of sin in our own lives, we all have our favorite sins, but we are assured that faith in Jesus will break those chains as we reach out in repentance.  Our Gospel Light tells of that freedom.

This weekend you’ll probably see lots of pictures of Liberty Enlightening the World with her raised torch. Because God is Good…All The Time...He has chosen us to raise our Gospel Light with the message that eternal freedom comes only through Jesus! Amen…pastor matthews

[buzz]

I think you have a lot of freakin' nerve.
Last time you posted, full of vengeance b'cause of MoM, you were handing out torches to the villagers, ready to light torches for the villagers, scouring the countryside, searching for an IP Address because someone disagreed with you and MoM.
Hypocricy, absolute hypocricy.
Go shove your sermons.

[billyjean]

I think you have a lot of freakin' nerve.
Last time you posted, full of vengeance b'cause of MoM, you were handing out torches to the villagers, ready to light torches for the villagers, scouring the countryside, searching for an IP Address because someone disagreed with you and MoM.
Hypocricy, absolute hypocricy.
Go shove your sermons.

Buzz, that was uncalled for.  You must be drunk or sumthin.

[Rt. 66]

I think you have a lot of freakin' nerve.
Last time you posted, full of vengeance b'cause of MoM, you were handing out torches to the villagers, ready to light torches for the villagers, scouring the countryside, searching for an IP Address because someone disagreed with you and MoM.
Hypocricy, absolute hypocricy.
Go shove your sermons.

Buzz, that was uncalled for. 

Apparently you missed the flap:
http://www.berwyntalk.com/smf/index.php?topic=9607.msg163215#msg163215

[buzz]

Buzz, that was uncalled for.  You must be drunk or sumthin.

Don't drink.  Just post.
Uncalled for ?  Please explain.

[Juliet]

Pastor Mark Matthews is nice enough to share his sermons for those who enjoy reading it.