Sermons from Lord of Lords Lutheran Church

Lord of Lords Evangelical Lutheran Church of Casper, WY
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Christianity

Located in Casper, Wyoming, Lord of Lords is a friendly, conservative Lutheran church offering life-related messages and opportunities to praise our great Savior, Christ Jesus

  1. Jun 28

    Fight the Good Fight of Faith

    View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.lordoflords.org/sermons/fight-the-good-fight-of-faith/Watch this sermon directly on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFap-OcDgGgThere was great religious division in Germany in the early 16th century between the Lutherans and the Catholics. The lands controlled by the Emperor were divided among Lutherans and Catholics. They disagreed on doctrine and did not get along with one another. Charles V, the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, called for a meeting between the Pope's theologians and the Lutheran reformers because he wanted to put this "silly" religious disagreement behind him, so he could get on with the important matter of the day -- uniting the empire for a military battle against the Muslim Turks. Charles called a diet -- a meeting -- in the German city of Augsburg. The night before the Lutherans were to present their confession of faith, Emperor Charles and his brother Ferdinand, the King of Austria, met privately with the Lutheran princes. They ordered the Lutheran princes to forbid any Lutheran preaching in Augsburg during the meeting. They also commanded the Lutherans to attend the Catholic Corpus Christi -- the Body of Christ -- festival the next day with the Emperor. George, Margrave of Brandenburg, spoke boldly for the Lutherans. He refused to concede to Charles' demands, saying, "Before I let anyone take from me the Word of God and ask me to deny my God, I will kneel and let them strike off my head." The Emperor was clearly taken aback by George's boldness. Charles sputtered in broken German, "Not cut off head, dear prince. Not cut off head." (Introduction to the Augsburg Confession, Book of Concord, p. 25). On June 25, 1530, a group of faithful Lutheran princes and electors met in Augsburg, Germany, to present the confession of their faith to the Emperor. This was a time in the Roman Catholic Church when the Papacy was a superpower, and dissent was handled at the stake or at the rack. All the efforts of reform by previous reformers had fallen on deaf ears or resulted in death. But, by the grace of God, this Lutheran Reformation was turning out differently. The Emperor and the Pope had the power to arrest and kill anyone who disagreed with them. The Lutherans decided there was only one thing to do -- confess. These were not theologians that were standing before the Emperor. They were courageous Lutheran laymen -- like yourselves. They confessed their faith and told the Emperor and the Roman Church what they believed, taught, and confessed. They relied on the promise of God's Word, as contained in Psalm 119:46, "Then I will speak of your testimonies before kings, and I will not be put to shame." The Augsburg Confession was presented as a statement of biblical truth and a proposal for true unity in the Christian faith. It has never been withdrawn or found in error. This confession caused a stir as soon as it was read. The Bishop of Augsburg, who was faithful to the Pope and in whose palace it was read, said that it was all true and could not be denied. One of the princes who was loyal to the Pope asked the Pope's head theologian if it could be refuted. Dr. Eck replied: "I can't refute it using only Scripture." The prince was stunned and asked: "Do you mean to say that these Lutherans sit inside Scripture, and we outside?" All of us -- pastors and people -- are to make bold confessions of our faith. St. Paul puts it this way, "Fight the good fight of faith" (1 Timothy 6:11). Faith alone makes us Christians. Confession alone marks us as Christians. St. Paul describes the relationship between believing and confessing, "Certainly, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and it is with the mouth that a person confesses, resulting in salvation" (Romans 10:9-10). Jesus also says, "Everyone who confesses me before others, I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32). Our confession of sins may be private, but there is no such thing as a private confession of faith. Our confession of the Christian faith is public for the whole world to hear. In our Epistle lesson, St. Paul gives four clear charges of confession for the battlefield to young Pastor Timothy and all Christians -- Flee. Pursue. Fight. Seize. First, we flee. St. Paul encourages, "But you, O man of God, flee from these things" (1 Timothy 6:11). What are these things we to flee from? Paul tells us in the previous verses, "Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge them into complete destruction and utter ruin. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evils. By striving for money, some have wandered away from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains" (1 Timothy 6:9-10). Spiritual warfare is not fight or flight; it is fight and flight. We do battle with temptation, but we also do our best to avoid temptation altogether. Paul warns that we are too often distracted by the want of more money. It's a trap that we easily fall into. We feel we need two incomes, our kids need to be in every expensive sport, and our family needs all the latest toys, gadgets, and vehicles. All these things can cause us to wander away from the church, personal Bible reading, and family prayer. We end up squandering our Christian faith. Paul says elsewhere, "Do not give any thought to satisfying the desires of your sinful flesh" (Romans 13:14). Jesus says that, if necessary, we are to cut off our hand our gouge out our eye if the offending body part is causing us to sin (Matthew 5:29-30). This means we go to extraordinary lengths to flee the sin we know would ruin us. Spiritual warfare, however, is not only fight and flight, but also pursuit. "Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness" (1 Timothy 6:11). These virtues directly counteract the greed and pride we are to flee from. Righteousness, godliness, and faith focus on our relationship with God. Love and gentleness are putting our faith into action. Perseverance is endurance under pressure. Fellow reformers, are you pursuing faith in Jesus -- not just keeping faith, but pursuing faith? Are you making time each day to be alone with God in his Word? Are you weaving prayer into the unique rhythms of your life? Are you committed to Lord of Lords, and intentionally looking for ways to grow and serve here? Are you asking God to show you other creative ways you might pursue these Christian virtues? Third, we fight. "Fight the good fight of the faith" (1 Timothy 6:12). Whom or what are we fighting? Too often we get caught up fighting with each other over politics, sports or culture. Satan loves to pit us against each other. Those are all silly temporal things. The fight is not against people, but against sin, unbelief, false doctrine, paganism, Satan and his demons. How can a fight be good? Usually, fighting is bad. We encourage our kids not to fight. Just as there are "Just Wars," so there are times for righteous fighting. We are fighting God's enemies who are coming after us, our families, and our churches. Fight the good fight. You cannot change the world by being complacent. The only way to be in shape to fight is by daily training. But we like to sit on our couches binging Netflix and playing on our phones. That's not fighting the good fight. That's not even getting training for the fight. The good fight of faith is the constant battle in this world between God and Satan, between truth and falsehood, between the new nature and the sinful flesh. Fourth, we seize the new life God has given us. "Take hold of eternal life, to which you were called and about which you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses" (1 Timothy 6:12). "Taking hold of eternal life" means living in the present reality of our future inheritance. It's gripping Christ's promises so tightly that the temporary distractions of this world lose their grip on us. We live every day as God's confident saints. We know the prize of eternal life is already ours. Christ has already won it for us. Now we're just finishing the contest of this life. We live never being afraid to witness or live righteously or oppose evil because we know we're the winners. The unbelievers who are teasing, trashing, and taunting us are all losers! Paul writes, "I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who made a good confession as a witness before Pontius Pilate" (1 Timothy 6:13). Why bring up Pilate here? As the Roman governor, Pilate held earthly power of life and death, yet Jesus boldly confessed the truth of his kingdom. Paul reminds us that facing hostile cultural or political authorities is the standard setting for Christ's servants. Jesus is the example of making a bold confession as he faced death. More than that, Jesus' bold confession covers over our weak, feeble, or non-existent confessions. Paul anchors this charge to "the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Timothy 6:14). Christ's second coming on Judgment Day provides eternal perspective. Daily frustrations, lack of visible results, and criticism shrink in significance when compared to the fast-approaching day of Christ's return. When we feel beaten down and lowly, we need to remember that Jesus Christ is going to be returning in all power, majesty, and glory. Moses and the prophets, the apostles and early Christians, Luther and his fellow reformers, knew that Jesus' words would come true, "Do not think that I came to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." (Matthew 10:34). We as twenty-first century Christians and modern-age reformers certainly do not go looking for trouble -- enough trouble will find us. It's been said that where Christ

  2. Jun 21

    Stick with Sound Doctrine

    View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.lordoflords.org/sermons/stick-with-sound-doctrine/Watch this sermon directly on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMjikAmZAAwTwo Saturdays ago, was our last men's Bible study on Nehemiah. Ten minutes into the lesson, a stranger walked into the church with his Bible. I thought, "Fantastic!" I introduced myself as Pastor Zarling. He introduced himself as Karan. For a while during the class, he called me "Pastor Darling", which I was fine with. During the discussion, Karan mentioned that he's a street preacher passing through Casper on his way to the state of Washington. Everything was polite and respectful during the lesson ... until the lesson was over. Then the mood and the conversation changed. It became less than fantastic. Matt, Steve, and Chuck left. Jon stayed with me in Karan. Jon later said that he stayed because he felt something was off. You can usually find differences between denominations on two specific topics -- the nature of Jesus and the Sacraments. The Sacraments are what set Karan off. He started talking about Transubstantiation. Transubstantiation is where the Catholics believe that the bread and wine change substance into Christ's body and blood. The elements look and taste like bread and wine, but now they're only body and blood. I told Karan that Lutherans believe the Bible teaches Real Presence in the sacrament. We believe that Christ's body and blood are really present in, with, and under the bread and wine in the Lord's Supper. I quoted Jesus instituting the Lord's Supper. He said, "'Take, eat, this is my body.' Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it all of you, for this is my blood of the new testament, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins'" (Matthew 26:26-28). I said that "is" an only and ever mean "is." It can never ever mean "symbolize" or "represent." Then I quoted where St. Paul discusses that we receive four things in the Lord's Supper -- bread and wine, body and blood. "The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a communion of the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a communion of the body of Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:16)? Karan disagreed ... vehemently. He started to raise his voice. But I really set him off when we discussed Baptism. He's like most Reformed and non-denominational Christians that don't believe in God's gifts in the Sacraments. He insisted that we are saved by faith alone and not Baptism. I agreed that we are saved by grace alone and faith alone. I added that Baptism saves. I then quoted St. Peter, "Baptism now saves you" (1 Peter 3:21). Karan disagreed ... vehemently. He raised his voice again. He started calling me to repent for what I was teaching. The conversation was no longer beneficial to either of us. I know what Scripture teaches on the Sacraments. He refused to listen. Instead, Jon and I ushered toward the door. Karan kept shouting loudly, "Repent! Repent! You need to repent!" While everything was cordial during the Bible study, Karan had mentioned that we should be more like Nehemiah with no divisions or denominations. Except, he later proved why there are divisions and denominations. There are currently over 45,000 different Christian denominations around the world. There are about 70 different churches in Casper, each with its own unique teachings. So, if there is only one Lord and only one Bible, where is why is there so much variety? Pastor Paul answers that question in his letter to young Pastor Timothy. These are some of his last words before he died a martyr's death. These words are meant specifically for pastors, but they can also be applied to lay Christians. He encourages all of us to stick with sound doctrine. During the lesson on Nehemiah, I had mentioned catechesis and confirmation. Karan asked what those were. I explained the Catechism, youth confirmation classes, and adult instruction classes. When I later reflected and re-told the story to the guys who had left before the fireworks began, I mentioned that I should have paused the conversation to get my Catechism. The Catechism wonderfully lays out the Scriptures on the saving power of Baptism and the Real Presence of the Lord's Supper. The Catechism helps us stick with sound doctrine. Paul begins, "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom: Preach the word. Be ready whether it is convenient or not. Correct, rebuke, and encourage, with all patience and teaching" (2 Timothy 4:1-2). Paul solemnly charges Christians to preach the Word -- both in formal settings when we're surrounded by like-minded confessional Lutherans and when we're in informal and uncomfortable settings. He says this is a "solemn charge" -- one that we don't take lightly. For Lutheran pastors, preaching is a divine mandate, not a mere career choice. At one time or another, all of us have probably felt like the prophet Jeremiah. Those who opposed God's truths tried to stop him from preaching. Passhur, the chief officer of the temple, heard Jeremiah preaching and had him beaten and put in a stocks. Jeremiah says that he wished he would have been able to stop preaching, but he couldn't. He could not hold in the Word. It was like a fire in his heart that had to pour forth from his mouth. "Whenever I speak, I cry out. I cry out, 'Violence and destruction!' But the word of the Lord has brought scorn on me. I am mocked all day long. If I say, 'I will not mention him or speak in his name anymore,' then there is a burning fire in my heart, shut up in my bones, and I am weary of holding it in. I cannot" (Jeremiah 20:8-9)! We are to preach this Word, "whether it is convenient or not." Always be ready to preach the truths of God's Word, even when these truths are not popular or acceptable in society. Perhaps you've heard about Major League Baseball disciplining three San Francisco Giants' pitchers. It was Pride night at the Giants' stadium. All the players were to be wearing rainbow baseball caps. These three players wore the caps, but they wrote Genesis 9:12-16 next to the rainbow. Genesis 9 is where God gives the reason for the rainbow. The rainbow was given as a sign of God's promise to never again destroy the earth with a worldwide flood in his righteous judgment. But the rainbow has been co-opted by those who want to celebrate their degenerate and deviant sexuality, thereby calling God's righteous judgment down on them. It wasn't convenient for those players to stand up for the truth, but they did it. Now they are facing backlash for it from pagans, idolators, and even weak, misguided Christians. You probably have similar issues in your workplace, in the Casper community, or in your own family. It's easy to shut our mouths, keep our heads down, compromise and equivocate to the bullies. Christians have been doing this for far too long in America. We are much more willing to offend God than offend our idolatrous culture or adulterous family member. Follower of Christ, it's time for you to stand up and stand out. Be bold. Proclaim God's truths, whether it is popular and convenient or countercultural, inconvenient, and dangerous. True Christianity remains faithful regardless of trends. Perhaps we are dealing with so much filth and foolishness today because pastors and people have stopped preaching God's Word into the pagan culture. We're afraid. We've become risk adverse. We count the cost ... and it's too much. But every time we remain silent, the Devil keeps talking, he keeps gaining ground, while the Christian Church keeps losing ground. Paul gives the reason why paganism abounds, Pride Month is celebrated, and so many denominations exist. "For there will come a time when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, because they have itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in line with their own desires. They will also turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths" (2 Timothy 4:3-4). People won't put up with sound doctrine. Many people only want to hear things that make them feel good. They'll avoid topics of God's Law that will make them feel guilty. They want to hear false teaching out of the mouth of Satan that confirms their sexual sins. Unbelief avoids the truth. There's a difference between what people want to hear and what they need to hear. They need to hear sound doctrine. The pure teaching of the divinely inspired and inerrant word of God. Unfortunately, many people are looking for preachers and teachers who will tell them what their itching ears want to hear, even if it contradicts the truth of the Bible. Thankfully, Paul doesn't just describe the problem; he also gives the solution. "Preach the word. Be ready whether it is convenient or not." Stick with the Bible's sound doctrine, not only when it's popular but especially when it isn't. Paul commands pastors and people to "Correct, rebuke, and encourage, with all patience and teaching." Rebuking and correcting are using God's Law to expose sin and pride. True love for the sinner means you show them they are lost and condemned creatures who deserve God's punishment now and forever. This is never fun or easy or convenient, but it is always necessary. If you ignore their sin, then they will too. If they have no sin, they have no need for a Savior. When you point out their sin, that's correcting and rebuking. Then you can share the good news of the gospel to encourage them. You tell them how Jesus has taken on God's punishment, so they can now be reconciled with God now and forever. You tell them how Jesus humbled himself for their sinful pride. How he as God in human flesh died for the way they make their flesh their gods. How he is the truth to remove all their false beliefs. He is the one who cares when they change their bodies, minds, and sex

  3. Jun 16

    Funeral Sermon for Doris Miller: Faithful Unto Death

    View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.lordoflords.org/sermons/funeral-sermon-for-doris-miller-faithful-unto-death/Watch this sermon directly on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VdyEzsPZwIIn Jesus Christ's Revelation to Saint John, Jesus is speaking in chapters 2 and 3 to the seven churches in Asia Minor. In verses 8 through 11 of chapter 2, Jesus is speaking directly to the church in Smyrna. He says, "I know your suffering and your poverty―but you are rich. And I know the blasphemy that comes from those who say they are Jews but are not; rather, they are a synagogue of Satan." Smyrna was one of the finest seaports in the Roman world. Smyrna had exclusive rights to export myrrh, which was a valuable spice. Smyrna is named after myrrh. This is like the valuable spice in Star Wars with Han Solo's Kessel Run. Jesus noticed that the Christians in Smyrna were enduring a great deal of persecution or pressure. There was an ancient torture where a victim was laid on his back while a series of weights were laid on his chest. The three weights on the chest of the church of Smyrna were poverty, blasphemy, and persecution. It was a poor church -- a sitting duck for the afflictions Satan wanted to pour out on its members. Yet Jesus commends them. Despite their monetary poverty, because they held on to their faith in Jesus Christ, they were eternally rich. The angel at Jesus' open tomb tells the women, "Do not be afraid! I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here. He has risen, just as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay" (Matthew 28:5-6). The resurrected Christ later tells the women, "Do not be afraid. Go, tell my brothers that they should go to Galilee, and there they will see me" (Matthew 28:10). The ascended Lord Jesus tells the Christians in Smyrna, "Do not fear anything that you are about to suffer. Look, the Devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you will be tested, and you will suffer for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Revelation 2:10). The force of the verbs in Greek is "Stop being afraid." Stop being afraid -- not just once -- but always. Stop being afraid, because there is no one and nothing that can defeat you, overwhelm you, or take you out of the nail-scarred hands of your Good Shepherd. St. Paul gives this encouragement to the Christians in Rome, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor rulers, neither things present nor things to come, nor powerful forces, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). Jesus gives the goal for every Christian to be faithful in enduring whatever pressures he may allow Satan to set on our chests. Jesus desires Christians who are willing to suffer for him. Then they will receive the crown of eternal life. The crown is given to God's saints as they enter the glories of heaven. Jesus Christ is victorious as he sits on his higher throne, wearing his golden crown and robed in glory. Jesus -- our King, Savior, and Shepherd -- gifts his faithful saints with a crown as they gather around his golden throne for all eternity. Our faithful God gave physical life to Doris on October 6, 1933, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He then gave the gift of spiritual life through water and the Word when Doris was baptized at St. Lucas Lutheran Church in Milwaukee on October 14, 1933. Doris attended Sunday School and Catechism classes at St. Lucas during her childhood years. On May 25, 1947, she made her vows of faithfulness to her faithful God in her confirmation at St. Lucas. Doris was asked similar questions as these at her confirmation, "Do you intend to continue steadfast in this teaching and to endure all things, even death, rather than fall away from it? Do you intend faithfully to conform all your life to the teachings of God's Word, to be faithful in the use of the Word and Sacrament, and in faith and action remain true to God---Father, Son, and Holy Spirit---as long as you live?" The response to both questions is, "I do, and I ask God to help me." Doris chose Revelation 2:10 as her confirmation verse. "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." By God's grace and the working of the Holy Spirit, Doris took her confirmation vow seriously. It was a vow of life and death. Doris made another vow of faithfulness to Bob and the Lord on December 6, 1952, at St. Lucas. By God's grace, Bob and Doris remained faithful in marriage for 58 years, until God called Bob to receive his crown of life in 2011. God blessed Bob and Doris' marriage with seven children. You can witness Doris' faithfulness in her various vocations as wife, mother, and employee. In Milwaukee, Doris was employed as an office worker. When she lived in Casper, she served as a medical records clerk, she volunteered as an office worker for the Casper Police Department, and volunteered for Meals on Wheels. She was always busy packing lunches, doing (I'm assuming lots of) laundry, cooking meals, cleaning the house, and cleaning up after seven children. It was a challenge to get seven children to church, but they always made it. Doris was a good cook. She made peanut butter sandwiches served with chocolate milk. She made excellent potato pancakes. She even made tater tots taste good! She would get up early to ask how her kids were doing before they started the early shift at work. She made sure her children made it to doctor or dentist or ophthalmologist appointments. She volunteered to help with crafts at the St. Lucas Girls Club -- but not in her kids' classes -- to the chagrin of her children, who heard from other students, "Your mom is so nice!" She would play the organ in the family room, often taking requests. "Hernando's Hideaway" was the most popular request of her children. It seems that Star Wars theme music became popular with her grandchildren. Bob served in the U.S. Air Force. While Bob was stationed in Tripoli, Libya, Africa, he, Doris, and the first of their two children lived in an apartment building. During the day when Bob was at the airbase, an Arab man knocked on the apartment door. Doris opened the door, and the Arab man began insisting that he babysit the two daughters. The man continued to insist, trying to work his way inside the apartment, while Doris kept telling him to leave. This had no effect. So, she reached grabbed the shotgun on the wall, that was there for emergencies and pointed it at him. The Arab screamed and ran down the hallway. He never returned. I wonder why. Doris was faithful in protecting her family ... with a shotgun, if necessary. The family has great stories to tell. I encourage you to ask them to go more in-depth later in the fellowship hall. The beautiful part of a Christian funeral is that God is able to mix laughter and joy with our grief and tears. When Bob and Doris moved to Casper in 1981, Lord of Lords was small and only had a handful of members. You can imagine that those members were excited to see the Miller clan in church because they doubled the size of the congregation! Ruthie volunteered her mom to Pastor Russow to play the piano for worship. She played for a long time, until her fingers didn't cooperate. Doris made many of the banners that beautify our sanctuary. These were ways that the Lord of the Church used Doris and her vow of faithfulness to the Lord for his kingdom work. The members here miss Doris making coffee for them in the coffee pot every Sunday morning. When Doris became homebound, I took on that task of making coffee. That lasted two weeks ... until I was banned from making coffee. You can also ask me later to tell you the story of that misadventure. As faithful as Doris was in her vocations as a wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, employee, organist, and church member, she did not do it on her own. Because of her inborn sin passed on to her from her parents Edward and Emilie, and because of her actual sins, Doris could not be faithful. None of us can be faithful for the same reasons. Not to our spouse or our children or our employers ... and especially not to our God. By his grace, God both calls us to be faithful and gives us the sanctified ability to be faithful. All through the faithfulness of his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus makes us faithful. Jesus knows from experience about the pressures on his chest. The pressures of being born into a world that did not want him -- where the king of the country tried to murder him as an infant. The pressures of the Devil's 40-day desert temptations. The pressures of his hometown neighbors attempting to throw him off a cliff. The pressures of the Jewish religious leaders opposing everything Jesus claimed about himself. The pressures of the gates of hell being opened, so the demons possessed so many people. The pressures of one of his closest friends betraying him, another denying him, and the rest deserting him. Jesus was perfectly faithful in worship to his heavenly Father, faithful in respect to his earthly parents, faithful in his protection of life, faithful in his sanctity of marriage, and faithful in the way he never coveted a home, a meal, or even a pillow, since he didn't own any of those things. Why did he do this? Because he knew that Doris, and we as Doris' family and friends would not and could not be faithful. We don't always worship the Lord -- we skip worship if the weather is too nasty or too nice. We disrespect our parents and are frustrated with our children. We don't protect the lives of the most helpless among us. We are not faithful before marriage or during marriage. We have been given so much, yet we still covet more. Jesus was faithful, so he could give his faithfulness to cover our unfaithfulness. Jesus was perfect to cover our imperfections. Jesus was holy to cover our unholiness and then make

  4. Jun 14

    Compassion is Love in Motion

    View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.lordoflords.org/sermons/compassion-is-love-in-motion/We were blessed to have a team of 7 teen girls and 1 teen boy with Pastor Matt Hennig from Living Word Lutheran Church in Montrose, Colorado join us this week as a mission team. We kept them busy. In the morning, the team ran our soccer camp at Mike Seder Park. We had 25 campers, ages 5-13 for 3 days. The campers learned about passing, dribbling, shooting, and teamwork on the soccer pitch. In the devotion time, they learned about Zaccheus. Though he was a tax collector, Jesus had compassion on Zaccheus by calling him down from the sycamore tree and eating dinner at this house. They learned about Nicodemus, who visited Jesus at night because he was afraid of his fellow Pharisees. Jesus had compassion on Nicodemus by teaching him that God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son ... who was sitting and talking with Nicodemus that night. They also learned about Elijah. Though Elijah had a great victory over Baal's prophets on Mt. Carmel, Queen Jezebel issued death threats to Eli that terrified him. God showed compassion on his fearful prophet by whispering his word into his ears and heart through the wind. The kids loved camp! They didn't care about the cold. They didn't complain about the wind. We received lots of positive feedback from parents that their kids wouldn't stop talking about camp on the way home. One of the parents told me that her son played his first soccer game on Wednesday night and scored a goal. She said she could tell he got better during just those first two days at camp. Except for the snack and devotion time, the campers were always in motion. They played soccer, but they also played games like wheelbarrow races, three-legged races, shepherds/sheep/and wolves, and "Ouch!". "Ouch" is where the campers try to kick the ball and hit the coach to make her yell, "Ouch!" They also enjoyed the oversized soccer ball and the pool noodles. Jesus was a man in motion. He healed a paralytic, a sick woman, and two blind men. He raised another man's daughter from the dead. He called 12 men to be his disciples. He answered the questions posed by searchers and skeptics. All that in Matthew chapter nine! Matthew then writes, "Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness" (Matthew 9:35). Whew! Jesus was humanly busy! He was also divinely talented. Why all this activity? Why all this urgency? Because the people were harassed by false prophets. They were harassed by forces of evil in this dark world. They were harassed by the guilt of their own sin and the fear of eternal death. By themselves, they were helpless to do anything about it. Matthew explains, "When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were troubled and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36). We kept our missionary team of teens busy. Last week, we placed flyers on 750 homes in neighborhoods around Casper College, telling them that we would be coming by Tuesday through Thursday from 6 to 8 pm. Our team was going to the door to collect food for the Casper College students' food pantry. The team received mostly positive responses at the door. However, there were a handful of negative reactions. One young woman opened the door, saw our team of young ladies, dropped the F-bomb on them, and closed the door. There were a few who refused to open the door and were just hiding in the kitchen. There were some who slammed the door in their faces. And there was one man on Thursday night, when he saw their Lord of Lords t-shirts, not so politely said, "No, thank you". When we talked Thursday night about their highs and lows, the team shared these stories. I reminded them that the people who responded like this are like sheep without a shepherd. I assured them that these people most likely do not have a church home or a pastor and possibly do not believe in Jesus as their Savior. Otherwise, they wouldn't act like that. So, their reactions are normal for an unbeliever. These are the lost people that Jesus specifically targets for us to find. That's hard to do! But Jesus did it. Why? He had compassion on them. Jesus was a man in motion. But he took the time to stop and spend time with people -- the people he had come to save. With divine compassion, Jesus healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, and hearing to the deaf. But Jesus also sat and listened. He stood and taught. He certainly must have held hands, gave hugs, cried together, laughed together, and prayed with and for those who were hurting. He did all this because of his compassion. Compassion can be defined as "love in motion". That's why Jesus was a man on the move. He had compassion for the lost, troubled, and downcast like us. His love moved him into motion. To have compassion for someone does not mean wallowing with them in their misery. Rather, it's listening to them. Spending time with them. Helping them. Those are all action verbs. Love in motion. It's helping them by pointing them to something greater than themselves, their sins, and their problems. It's sharing Jesus with them. He is the cure for their ailments, the forgiveness for their sins, and the mercy for their mistakes. Jesus told his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore pray that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers into his harvest" (Luke 9:37-38). Jesus sends us out to put love in motion. On the last day of camp, I was talking to a grandmother of one of the campers. She really loved the camp. I was telling her I was new to Casper. She said, "I'll pray for you. And I'll pray for Lord of Lords." She was putting Jesus' words into action: "Pray that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers into his harvest." So, we pray for the teens from Living Word. And we pray for the teens and adults from Lord of Lords who helped with soccer camp, canvassing, meals, hosting, giving monetary donations to feed the teens on the drive home, and more. You are all workers in this harvest. We've already set it up with Pastor Hennig for him to come back next year with his teens. Lord willing, camp will be even bigger and better. In the abstract, we feel compassion for lost sinners. In the concrete, however, compassion comes with much greater difficulty. We may help with prayers or groceries. We may lend a hand or offer some assistance. But we're busy people. We lead daily lives to meet our personal needs, earn a living, and keep our family together. Having true compassion takes time, effort, and investment that we don't really want to be part of. Oh, we may respond to a mission sermon or a plea for help. But normally, we don't think about the lost. It's not that we don't care. It's more that we don't think about taking the time to care. How different is the single-minded compassion of Jesus for lost sheep? His immaculate conception and perfect life to replace humanity's sinful natures and imperfect lives. His baptism in the dirty Jordan River to take away the grime of humanity's sins. His temptations in the desert to defeat the power of the Devil. His redemption on the cross to pay for humanity's crimes against a holy God. His resurrection that gives the promise of eternal life to all who believe in him. His ascension puts him at God's right hand to rule all things for the good of his people's salvation. That is Jesus' divine compassion for the lost. Jesus' compassion for us moves us to have compassion for others. So often pastors and people get stuck in mainly doing "come" strategies. Just getting people to come to the church for worship, events or activities. Notice what Jesus does with his brand-new 1st century disciples. Matthew, who is among the twelve, writes, "Jesus sent these twelve out and commanded them, 'Do not go among the Gentiles, and do not enter any town of the Samaritans. Go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near!' Heal the sick. Raise the dead. Cleanse lepers. Drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give'" (Matthew 10:5-8). Jesus sends us as his 21st century disciples to go into the community. Flyers on doors, social media reels and stories, a soccer camp in the park, canvassing for food, and more. When I did the training with the outreach team on Tuesday afternoon, we talked about not only collecting the food and moving on but asking what our church could do to reach out into the community. And if possible, ask for prayer requests and even pray with them at the door. That last one took a lot of courage. But these teenagers were great at it! Despite the handful of negative reactions, the team had a lot of positive experiences. They were able to summarize their Lutheran Christianity in their conversations. They talked about what they liked about the church. One team helped an older lady get her Corgi back inside the house. One lady who works at Casper College talked about how parents will come during midterms to give hugs to all the students. She suggested we do something like that. We discussed doing something similar and encouraging ... but without the hugs. That would be a little weird. When the team asked what our church can be doing in the community, most answered, "This! Keep doing things like this." Though they didn't use the words, they were really talking about doing compassion ministry. Most said that what we were doing for Casper College students was important. One gentleman added that this would create goodwill in his neighborhood toward our church. One person even suggested, "Can you entice politicians to be nice?" ... Probably not. But you know me, I'll try. Like Jesus, our team prayed for and with people on the front porch. One lady asked for a prayer for health for herself and a

  5. Jun 7

    Ministry is Based on Mercy

    View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.lordoflords.org/sermons/ministry-is-based-on-mercy/Moses was the newborn son of Hebrew slaves. After he was found floating in a reed basket in the Nile River by Pharaoh's daughter, she adopted him into the royal family. Moses received a noble Egyptian education. But he remained a Hebrew. When he was 40 years old, Moses saw an Egyptian guard beating a Hebrew slave. Moses struck and killed the guard. Then he fled into the Sinai mountains and became a shepherd for 40 years. That's when the Angel of the Lord -- the pre-incarnate Jesus -- appeared to Moses in a burning bush. The Lord didn't see a weak, whining, inadequate shepherd. He saw a man who would speak face-to-face with God as a friend; who would be his chosen servant to speak face-to-face with Pharaoh and say, "Let my people go"; and would lead God's people out of Egyptian slavery and into the Promised Land of Canaan. Jesus -- as the Angel of the Lord -- appeared to Moses to call him into his public ministry. Matthew was a tax collector. As a Jew, he was employed by the hated Roman Empire to collect taxes from his own Jewish people. Tax collectors were notorious for their greed and corruption. When Jesus came upon Matthew's booth, he didn't see a sinner to shun. He saw a soul sick with sin that the Physician of body and soul could save. He saw a man who would no longer take taxes from people. He saw his future disciple, apostle, and evangelist who would give God's Word to the people. Jesus appeared to Matthew to call him into his public ministry. On the road to Damascus, the ascended Lord Jesus appeared to Saul as a bright light. Jesus knocked Saul off his horse and onto his self-righteous butt. In Paul's own words, "Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 1:13-14). The voice of the crucified One spoke from heaven: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me" (Acts 9:4)? And suddenly the shoe was on the other foot. The arrester was arrested. The slayer was slain. Saul was struck down and made blind. But three days later, he was baptized. His sight was given back. His life was given back -- a new life, a difficult life, and with this new life he was given a new name -- no longer would he be known as Saul, but now as Paul. Through Christ's grace and mercy, he was no longer a persecutor, but a preacher. No longer hunting those with Christ's name, but he was now a missionary serving in Christ's name. The ascended Jesus appeared to Paul to call him into his public ministry. Who would want these guys as their pastors? A murderer and run-away scaredy cat. A hated traitor to your culture and suspected cheater. A violent man who hunted your Christian siblings, threw some in jail, and killed others. Yet, these were some of the greatest leaders, apostles, and missionaries in the Bible -- Moses, Matthew, and Paul! God used them for his ministry. God used Moses' leadership, Matthew's wisdom, and Paul's passion. That's what he was looking for in his pastors. The Lord in his mercy called Moses, Matthew, and Paul into his public ministry. He said, "I want you. Leave your old life and follow me in a new life. No longer as a shepherd, but as my chosen leader. No longer as a tax collector, but as an apostle. No longer as a persecutor, but as a missionary." And for countless generations, the Lord has called men so they are no longer a farmer or businessman or builder or soldier or student or whatever, but as a pastor of God's people. What do you look for in a pastor? What are his duties? What is his role in the congregation? The pastor is a leader, yet he is also your servant. He is a shepherd, yet he is also a sinful sheep. He heals, skillfully using the double-edged scalpel of Law and Gospel. He is an evangelist, a teacher, a preacher, a confidant, a counselor, a scholar, an entertainer, and a friend. He visits the sick, marries those in love, comforts the grieving, buries the dead, admonishes those who sin, chases down the wandering, and feeds the faithful. He plans worship services, teaches Bible classes at church and in homes, visits members in the hospital or when they're homebound, goes out for coffee with members and outreach prospects, canvasses homes, organizes events like soccer camp and for WELS Wyoming Youth, does counseling, records podcasts, creates social media content, and more. So, when he posts pictures on Facebook of his hiking exploits, some friend will always ask, "Do you work?" The Scriptures have some demanding qualifications for every man who is called into the public ministry. Here are just a few of God's qualifications: He must be above reproach, self-controlled, respectable, an example for believers in life, in love, in faith and purity, watching his doctrine closely, blameless, upright, holy, and disciplined (1 Timothy 3:2-7; 1 Timothy 4:12,15-16; Titus 1:6-8). Ministry is based on mercy. Christ shows the minister mercy. Then the minister shows Christ's mercy to those to whom he is called to minister. The minister does not do his job to speak to an audience but to preach God's Word to God's people. It's not about gaining glory but about being used by God to gain souls for God's Kingdom to his glory. It's not about receiving prestige or power, but about becoming weak so Christ can be his strength (2 Corinthians 12:10). There is both honor and humility for a pastor when he sees God using men like Moses, Matthew and Paul in his public ministry. If God can use "losers" like these three, well ... then God can use a loser like your pastor, too. If God could convey his message through a staff-turned-snake to stir Pharaoh (Exodus 7:10), and teach a lesson to an unhappy preacher through a vine (Jonah 4:10) or speak to Balaam through a donkey (Numbers 22:28) ... then God can speak through someone like your pastor. It's through Christ's mercy that both pastors and people confess with Pastor Paul: "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-- of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life" (1 Timothy 1:15-16). Do you remember playing dodgeball in grade school? I shared a meme this week that dodgeball felt like being a rebel on the planet Hoth dodging laser bolts from AT-ATs. Most of us weren't good at dodgeball. No arm. Slow. Can't catch. Can't dodge. Just getting pummeled! Paul doesn't sugarcoat it. Satan pummels us with our sins! Don't worship. Don't pray. Don't respect our leaders. Don't evangelize. We curse. Cuss. Gossip. Despair. Cheat. Hate. Retaliate. Lust. We're mean. Lazy. Greedy. Hypocritical. We are the worst of sinners! Chief of sinners, though I be! The surprise for Paul was that God chose him despite whom he had been. The surprise is that God chose a man to be your pastor despite who he is. The surprise is that God chooses you despite whom you had been ... and still are. Understanding that we are the worst, God sent Jesus to display his unlimited patience, to forgive us, give us faith, call us to follow him, and grant eternal life. What a stunning expression of mercy! Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "We hold this treasure in clay jars to show that its extraordinary power is from God and not from us" (2 Corinthians 4:7). What a stunning expression of mercy that God continues to convey his treasure of salvation through a cracked pot like your pastor. By his mercy, God uses men like Moses, Matthew, Paul, me and other pastors to preach, teach, absolve, counsel, and administer the sacraments. It is both in humility and with great honor that the pastor is the voice of Christ to speak his Word of forgiveness to sinners and proclaim comfort to the suffering and grieving. He is the man Christ has appointed to exercise his keys -- locking heaven for the unrepentant and unlocking heaven for the repentant. Your pastor may not be the greatest orator, but it is the pen of the Holy Spirit who gives your pastor the words to preach. The pastor may dress up to look classy or dress down to look cool, but that's why your pastor wears a clerical robe. Then you don't focus on the man and his clothing but focus on the message and Christ's righteousness which covers the man like a white robe. The pastor may not be the greatest counselor, but he has compassion for the wounded sheep and hurting lambs in his flock. Your pastor may not be the greatest singer, but as one of my previous organists pointed out, "Pastor, we should write music for the three notes you can sing." At one time you may have a pastor who is fresh from the Seminary, but your sins are still absolved even though the pastor lacks experience, for Christ is speaking through your pastor and Jesus has plenty of experience forgiving sins. Another time you may have a pastor who is older, getting close to retirement age, his cadence may be slow, but Christ's voice is still clearly heard and the gospel still purely preached. You may have a pastor who is no longer as young and energetic as he once was, but God still works through him to grow his kingdom, feed his sheep, and baptize and commune his family. You may have a pastor who grew up working on a farm so working hard is what he expects of himself. Through his mercy, Jesus uses men like Moses, Matthew, Paul, and your pastors to minister to you with Word and Sacraments. Through his mercy, Jesus brings sinners like you into his church. To pray. To praise. To confess. To listen. To sing. To support his church. I visited Bob Albrecht this week as a shut-in visit. We talked about God bringing new families to our church. Bob is one of

  6. May 31

    United in the Trinity

    View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.lordoflords.org/sermons/united-in-the-trinity/The local youth are spending too much time in the billiard parlor. That's going to lead to bad habits of smoking cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and reading dime novels. It will lead to bad language like "swell" and "so's your old man." It will lead to loitering, missing school, and mocking public officials. Harold Hill starts to influence the townsfolk by singing, "Ya got trouble ... Right here in River City! With a capital T and that rhymes with P and that stands for Pool!" Harold Hill starts this moral panic out of thin air. He wants to scare parents into buying band instruments from him. There's a lot of division in River City. The School Board is constantly bickering until they start singing in a Barbershop Quartet. The old ladies don't like the young, pretty librarian. The mayor doesn't like his daughter's boyfriend or the idea of a boys' band. St. Paul didn't need to create any division in the Corinthian congregation. There was plenty there. Read Paul's first letter to the Corinthian Christians to hear him tell the story. Paul begins his letter by writing, "I ask that you all express the same view and not have any divisions among you, but that you be joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment" (1 Corinthians 1:10). In the Corinthian church, the people were divided over their favorite pastor; some were boasting of their acceptance of sin; some were bringing lawsuits against other Christians; others were partaking of the Lord's Table on Sunday after eating at the table of demons on Saturday; some were boasting about their spiritual gifts; and others were trying to discredit Paul and his gifts. Their church was filled with disorder and division. These problems caused the church to be splintered and hostile. Paul could very easily have written in one of his letters, "Ya got trouble ... Right here in Corinth City!" Paul knew that Jesus desired for his Church to be unified. So, as Christ's called apostle, he worked to lead God's people to repent and forgive one another. Paul spoke strongly and lovingly about the work of Satan among them, begging them to leave their wicked ways and to unite around God's truths. Paul could not accomplish this unity on his own. That's why he closed his second letter to the Corinthians with this threefold blessing: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all" (2 Corinthians 13:14). Disunity and division aren't limited to Corinth or River City. There's plenty of disunity and division in America. People are divided over politics of Left or Right. They're divided over issues like immigration, Iran, and data centers. Wyoming residents are divided over Colorado residents. Well, not really. It seems Wyomingites are united that Coloradans should stay in their own state. 😊 Christians can be divided in the church. It can be divisions over long-range vision, worship times, budget items, color of carpeting, and so much more. Jesus once prayed that God's people would be as close and unified as the closeness and unity of the Triune God. Jesus wants his followers to be as one just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one. Jesus prayed, "May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me, and I am in you. May they also be one in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me" (John 17:21). Unfortunately, that's not what we experience in our churches, homes, or nation. Among God's people there's bickering, quarreling, and dissension. There's trouble right here in America ... in Casper ... in our church. We need this same threefold blessing spoken over us. We need to be united in the Trinity. St. Paul was writing to Christians who had all kinds of issues within their congregation. They were slow in forgiving their offending brother. They were disorderly in their worship. They had been consumed with the sexual sins of their culture. They tended to fracture into factions instead of being united around the gospel. Paul blessed them, "The grace of our Lord Jesus ... be with you all." They desired this grace. They needed this grace. They cherished this grace. We, too, need this grace. Are we 21st century Christians really any different from those 1st century Christians? The times and locations have changed ... but the sin and sinners have not changed. We still deal with sexual sins in our culture and in our own bodies. We are slow to confront sin and equally slow to offer forgiveness. We easily splint into factions and cliques at home, at work, in school, and even in church. We need to repent of all these sins. We desire grace. We need grace. We cherish grace. What is grace? Grace is God's undeserved love. Shelley and I have noticed there don't seem to be mosquitoes in Casper. I'm guessing it's because of the high winds and lack of humidity. I don't know, I'm not an entomologist. But we're grateful! Where we lived in Wisconsin, it seemed there were enough mosquitoes to drain your veins like tiny vampires. What do you do with a miserable mosquito? You squash it under your hand. If you didn't get it in time, there's going to be a bit of blood with the mosquito corpse. God has every right to squash us like mosquitoes under his righteous right hand. We are just as guilty of drawing blood from Jesus as were Pontius Pilate, the Roman soldiers, and the Jewish religious leaders. The blood of Jesus is on us and on our children. It was us and our sins that drew blood when we slapped Jesus with the high priest's hand, when we tore his back with the soldier's scourge, when we nailed his hands and feet to the Roman cross, and when we pierced his side with the spear. We are worse than bloodsucking insects for we know better. We are worse than bloodsucking insects for we have drawn blood and killed the Son of God. But God doesn't squash us. He forgives us! He covers us with the innocent blood of his Son, Jesus Christ to pay for our sins and remove them from us. Instead of turning his righteous anger on us, Jesus absorbed his Father's anger. Instead of squashing us, God nailed his Son to the cross. That's grace! That's powerful! That's magnificent! God unites us to himself and each other through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul continues with his blessing, "The love of God ... be with you." Our love is often fickle. We love if it suits our needs. We love if we have the time. We love if it's convenient. We may feel like we are in a loveless family. We may check social media and read all the loveless comments. We often respond with less than charitable words and actions. We need to repent of our lack of love toward God and absence of love toward those around us. On February 10, 1970, John Baca led his army unit through intense fire to rescue a platoon in South Vietnam. After they were successful in setting up a protected firing position, Baca and his pals started to fight back. That was when a grenade was thrown into the middle of the unit. Baca covered the grenade with his helmet and then he covered the helmet with his body. ... Then the grenade exploded. That was love. Not the smoochy-smoochy type of love people celebrate on Valentine's Day. Instead, it's the type of love we remember on Memorial Day. It's the type of love that led John Baca to receive the Medal of Honor. It's also the kind of love that St. Paul mentions in "the love of God." It's agape love -- a self-sacrificing kind of love. The kind of love that is willing to die for friends. It's the love Jesus taught about, "No one has greater love than this: that someone lays down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). That's the kind of love John Baca had for his pals. That's the kind of love Jesus has for us. Well, that's not quite right. Jesus has a love far greater than that of John Baca. You see, while Baca was ready to die for his friends, he was also willing to shoot at his enemies. Jesus, though, allowed his enemies to crucify him. Jesus died for his enemies. Scripture says, "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners [enemies], Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). That's love. That's agape love. The love God the Father has through Jesus Christ, his Son. We need this love. We desire this love. We cherish this love. No matter how difficult your family life is or how divisive your workplace is or how dysfunctional our American political system is -- you have the comfort of knowing that the God of the universe loves you. Paul completes his threefold blessing by saying, "The fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you." Fellowship involves sharing, connecting, and enjoying things in common. The Corinthian Christians certainly needed that blessing of fellowship. One of their problems was factions within the congregation -- separate cliques standing around in holy huddles. God's work was not getting done. That's why Paul urged them, "Finally, brothers, rejoice. Set things in order. Be encouraged. Agree with one another. Be at peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you" (2 Corinthians 13:11-13). We talked in this week's Thirsty podcast about what Paul means when he writes, "Greet one another with a holy kiss." Pastor Klusmeyer teased about "liturgical smooching." ... We're not advocating that, by the way. However you choose to demonstrate love -- a hug, handshake, or holy kiss --it reflects the type of love Jesus has for you. When we separate into cliques, holy huddles, or factions within the church, we need to repent of our lack of fellowship. Then God's work is not getting done. Because of the grace of Jesus Christ and the love of God, now we have fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Because of our sin, we are separated from God because a three-time holy God cannot be in the presence of sinners. But through the sacrifice and resurrection of t

  7. May 17

    Resist the Roaring Lion

    Last weekend, I completed Hunter Safety Classes. It was me and about thirty 11 and 12-year-olds. On the last day, we were given instructions on what to do if you spot a bear while hiking or hunting ... or for me -- biking. If you spot a bear, walk quickly and quietly away.If the bear sees you but seems disinterested, stay calm and walk away. Never turn your back on the bear.If the bear becomes interested and begins to approach, back up slowly, avoid eye contact, and speak in a soft monotone.If the bear continues to approach, stand your ground. Be prepared to use bear spray.If the bear makes physical contact, drop, and cover. Lie flat on your stomach, interlace your fingers, and place them on the back of your neck. Do not fight back.That's for a bear that is acting in a defensive/aggressive manner. But if the bear is not defending anything -- like its cubs or kill -- and it's interested and deliberately approaches you, then it's a predatory bear. Do not back away. Instead, stand your ground.Make yourself look as big as possible. Hold your arms out, use your coat, or stand on a rock or log.Yell at the bear in a loud, firm voice.Use rocks and branches to deter the bear.Use bear spray or a weapon to protect yourself.There were grizzly attacks last week in Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. So, these instructions are necessary. I'll be honest with you. When we watched the video on encountering a bear, I thought, "If a bear wants to gnaw on me, I don't care if it's a defensive or predatory bear. I'm assuming it's predatory. I'm going to fight back!" There are plenty of physical predators in Wyoming that will enjoy you as a meal -- grizzlies, mountain lions, and wolves. St. Peter writes about a spiritual predator who also wants to make a meal out of you. "Your adversary, the Devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). The Devil is like a lion looking to devour you. With his hellish demons and worldly followers, they'll stalk and surround you. Sometimes, they'll come straight at you with bold and blatant attacks. Other times, they'll fake and feint, then strike from a different direction. Like real-life lions, they'll pick on the young, weak, and alone first. They'll come at the elderly. So, even though they know better, I've heard the elderly Christian say as they near death, "Do you think I've done enough good to get into heaven?" They'll come at the injured. I've heard Christians in the hospital after their surgeries or parents who have suffered a miscarriage, "What did I do wrong that God is punishing me like this?" They'll come at the young. They'll use temptations that older Christians don't deal with as much -- anxiety, sexuality, social media, identity, and inclusiveness. People in our nation have become captured by the Adversary. Because they will not listen to God's truths, their conscience, and even sound logic, they will listen to whatever is popular in the culture at the time. They are listening to what the Devil and the world are whispering into their itching ears. They have turned away from God's truths to the popular myths of this current age. The institutions of American culture have been taken captive to these dangerous philosophies -- public schools, universities, government, military, Hollywood, music, news and media, etc. First, they tolerate, then accept, and then promote. Finally, they will persecute those who disagree. These issues of believing the Devil's lies aren't just "out there" in the world. They're also in here -- within our own hearts. We've bought into these lies that the Devil tells and the world promotes because we have lost God's holy image. Therefore, we're susceptible to these lies because our sinful nature is hostile to God and his truths. At the same time, we are naturally inclined to the Devil's untruths because they are scratching our itching ears. In addition to believing these lies, we also don't stand up for God's truths. Instead, as Christ's modern-day disciples, we are often drawn away from God's truths and his Christian Church. We want to belong. We don't want to be left out. We don't want to be weird. We want to appear "nice." Standing up for God's truths is hard. God's truths are polarizing. Sitting quietly on the sideline while other Christians are fighting is much easier and safer. We show love to those who are trapped in the Devil's lies by ourselves first resisting the Devil and his lies. We submit ourselves to God, his will, and his truths. Then we share God's will and truths with others. We can't get upset at unbelievers. They are trapped. We work to free them from their imprisonment by telling them about a Savior and Conqueror who has come to set them free. We understand that most won't listen to us. Instead, they'll hate and oppose us. They refuse to love God's truth and be saved. Still, we keep on speaking the truth in love. We unleash the Holy Spirit upon them through God's Word. He's the only one who can convert them. He can replace their fallen human image with God's divine image won by Christ Jesus. As we learned in our Everyone Outreach workshop, we are called by God to help others resist the roaring lion of the Devil. We call a sinner to turn from the error of his ways. Why is that loving? You are being used by God to win a soul for heaven. We speak the truth in love. We speak the truth -- Jesus is Truth Incarnate, for he is the true Word in the flesh. We speak this truth in love for God so loved the world that he gave us Jesus. We speak this truth in love, even if it breaks the 11th Commandment of "Thou shalt be nice". Peter is writing to Christians who are suffering from persecution. That's why he writes, "Dear friends, do not be surprised by the fiery trial that is happening among you to test you, as if something strange were happening to you" (1 Peter 4:12). Don't be surprised that the world considers you an enemy for speaking the truth. They try to win you over to their side through their falsehoods. You lovingly win them to Christ's side by speaking his truth. Peter writes, "Therefore humble yourselves under God's powerful hand so that he may lift you up at the appointed time" (1 Peter 5:6). Remain humble as you speak to others about their sin. Remind them you were once trapped in sin and unbelief like they are. Remind them, also, that you remain a sinner. You appreciate the love and forgiveness of Christ so much that you want to share this freedom with others. As a church, we cannot be silent about where we see the Devil and his lies confusing people and causing chaos in our culture. We must be willing to speak up -- pastor, parents, grandparents, teens, and so on. Silence doesn't work. If Christians remain silent, then the only voices that will be heard are those of Satan and his followers. Perhaps we've gotten to this place in our culture where there is so much chaos and confusion in government, Hollywood, music, public schools and universities, etc., precisely because Christians and the Christian Church have remained silent for far too long. We must speak Christ's truths in our churches, schools, institutions, governments, and so on, so that we can combat the Devil's lies and unleash the power of the Holy Spirit. He's the one who changes hearts and minds through his Word. The Devil is the ruler of this world (John 12:31). So, we must go on the offensive to break Satan's stranglehold on our culture. Jesus wants to use his Word to bring freedom for those enslaved in sin and hope for those deluded by temptation. It's not our goal to change the culture, but to preach Jesus Christ and him crucified into the culture -- then the culture will either reject him and continue in chaos or accept him and change for the better. "You are from God, dear children, and you have overcome the false prophets, because the one in you is greater than the one in the world" (1 John 4:4). Though the pressures on us are enormous, we remember that we are from God. Jesus has already defeated the Devil and all his false prophets. We just need to witness that to people. "So, submit yourselves to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). Keep on resisting the Devil. When you use God's Word, Christ's cross, and Christ's name, the Devil will flee from you. These spiritual weapons that we use to resist and terrify the Devil are God's Word and Sacraments. They appear foolish to the world, but they make the Devil scream and demons flee. "In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight." (I know you're grateful I didn't sing that for you.) This song was written and recorded in 1939 by South African, Solomon Linda. Linda grew up as a herder who spent his time protecting the cattle from bush lions. His hauntingly hypnotic song contains two words, "Mbube Zimba". It's the cry of a child cattle herder pleading, "Lion, stop!" Like Solomon Linda's original melody, the apostle Peter wrote about a lion that does not sleep. The Devil has been prowling and devouring unsuspecting victims throughout the world since the beginning. We should not be lulled into a false sense of security that we are safe in God's peaceful village. We need to be vigilant. Peter says, "Be alert" (1 Peter 5:8). While hiking, biking or hunting, keep an eye out for predators. Look for signs like footprints, claw marks or scat. Although, I was advised that you can be alert and not spot a mountain lion. Unlike a bear that may be defensive or predatory, the roaring lion of the Devil is always predatory. He always and only wants to consume your soul. So, be alert. Peter urges us to stay alert, have sound judgment, and stand firm in the faith. Stay alert because that lion masquerades as an angel of light. Have sound judgment because that old evil foe knows your weaknesses. Stand firm in the faith because one little word can fell him. This roaring lion is vicious; but he has no power against the victorious Lamb of God. Jesus' crucifixion took

  8. May 10

    I Will Not Leave You As Orphans

    An 11-year-old girl is living in a run-down orphanage. She carries with her a locket and a note from her biological parents -- hoping that someday they will return for her. She and the other girls in the orphanage are living in harsh conditions and endure the cruelty of their alcoholic matron. Life changes for the little orphan girl when a cold-hearted billionaire decides to host an orphan at his mansion for a week to improve his public image. The little girl quickly charms the staff and breaks through the billionaire's tough exterior. Seeing how much she longs for her parents; the billionaire offers a $50,000 reward to find them. A corrupt couple plots to claim the reward by posing as the long-lost parents. After a tense chase and rescue, the villains are caught. The orphan learns her real parents passed away years ago, but she finds a new family when the billionaire officially adopts her. What is the name of this red-headed little orphan girl? Annie! She's adopted by Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks. The plot and songs of the movie are seared into my memory. It's a fine movie. The songs are memorable. But this is why I remember it so well. We didn't go to the movies too often as children. One time my mother took us to the movie theater, my sisters and I got to pick the movie. It was either "Annie" or "Star Wars" -- which was being replayed in the theater that May of 1982. I was outvoted by my two sisters. It's been 44 years. ... I'm almost over it! Today, Jesus talks to us about being "Little Orphan Annies." He's not going to leave us in a dumpy orphanage. He knows we'll feel alone and afraid. He understands that we'll be confused. He is aware that unscrupulous people will try to take advantage of us. He appreciates that we need human and divine relationships. That's why Jesus teaches, "I will not leave you as orphans" (John 14:18). The disciples are gathered in the Upper Room. It's Thursday of Holy Week. The past few weeks, Jesus has been talking about being betrayed, arrested, and put to death. Now he reminds them that we won't be with them much longer. "Dear children, I am going to be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come" (John 13:33). Jesus will soon leave to return to his heavenly Father. The disciples must be filled with all kinds of feelings -- confusion, fear, and anxiety. Much like an orphan. The orphan feels like she is alone. Her parents are gone. There's no one to care for her. Those who are around are untrustworthy and dishonest. We may feel like orphans at times, too. We discussed in our recent Bible study on Artificial Intelligence about how social media connects people instantly and from around the world. Yet, people feel more lonely than almost any time in human history. Roughly 57% of Americans reported feeling lonely in 2024 -- an increase of 46% since 2018. The elderly and middle-aged adults can certainly feel lonely. But it is the young adults ages 18-34 who report the highest-levels of loneliness. Some surveys show up to 79% of Gen Z experiencing these feelings of loneliness. That's because relationships are hard work. Young women have bought into the feminist lie that they are equal to men in every way, so they don't need a man in their life. The women say they want a man who agrees with their thinking. But when they find these men, they are disgusted by them because they're weak, soy boys. Young men have encountered these feminist women and don't want anything to do with them. So, they stay in their parents' basements playing video games and watching porn. Women turn to AI to create a "man" who agrees and affirms them. Men turn to AI to create a "woman" to meet their needs. I told both the teens and adults when we studied AI that I wonder if AI is used in these ways by people who are in stable, healthy relationships with their spouse, children, friends, church, etc. God created humans to be social people. He desires that we desire relationships with others. It's not good for us to be alone -- even if we're introverts who like to be alone. I also wonder if AI is used by people who are in a stable, healthy relationship with their divine God. Jesus promises that his disciples of all ages will not be orphans because he's going to send them the Holy Spirit. Jesus teaches, "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see him or know him. You know him because he stays with you and will be in you" (John 14:16-17). Jesus says he will send the Holy Spirit as "another Counselor." The Greek word translated as "Helper" or "Counselor" is the word "Paraclete." "Paraclete" literally means "someone called to a person's side to help." Up to this point Jesus had been the disciples' counselor/helper. Now the Holy Spirit will assume that role. A Paraclete refers to someone who is needed for admonition, comfort, guidance, and so on. The title was sometimes used for an advocate or defender in court. In my role as pastor, I've served as a Paraclete as both a counselor and an advocate. After a couple had their children removed by Social Services, I counseled the couple on their biblical roles as husband, wife, and parents. Then I served as the advocate in the courtroom. I also spoke with the judge in his private chamber on behalf of the parents to get their children back. John records Jesus' words about the Holy Spirit being our Paraclete in the Upper Room. John later uses that word Paraclete in his Epistle. John writes, "My children, I write these things to you so that you will not sin. If anyone does sin, we have an Advocate before the Father: Jesus Christ, the Righteous One" (1 John 2:1). In this verse, Jesus is our Paraclete. He is our Advocate before the Father, pleading our case for forgiveness by his blood before the throne of God. In John's Gospel, the Holy Spirit is our Counselor or Advocate, pleading God's case to human hearts, bringing them to faith. Here Jesus is promising to send the Holy Spirit. This was fulfilled in a special way on Pentecost in Acts 2. We'll hear about the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in two weeks. The Holy Spirit comes to create a relationship with us and our heavenly Father. By nature, we are separated from God. The Holy Spirit reunites and reconciles us through the waters of Baptism. John's fellow disciple, Peter, writes in today's Epistle lesson, "In this ark a few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water. And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you―not the removal of dirt from the body but the guarantee of a good conscience before God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 3:20-21). When we are feeling like orphans, we remember that the Holy Spirit has brought us into God's holy family through Baptism. We are now children of God through water and the Word. Being a part of this divine family means that the people around you are your brothers and sisters in Christ. You are never alone because you have others who are just like you -- people who are at times lost, alone, confused, and afraid -- that you are called on to love, comfort, console, and counsel. At other times, you are the one who feels like an orphan. Your Christian brothers and sisters can be the ones fulfilling Christ's command, "If you love me, hold on to my commands" (John 14:15). Jesus sends the Holy Spirit, so you don't feel like orphans. Jesus also gives you himself to keep you out of the spiritual orphanage. He teaches, "I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will see me no longer, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. The one who has my commands and holds on to them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I too will love him and show myself to him" (John 14:18-21). Orphans are left alone. Like Little Orphan Annie until Daddy Warbucks comes to adopt her. Jesus promises that although the unbelieving world will not see him again, his disciples will see him when he comes to them. He will come visibly and physically on the Last Day. But as Lutherans, we also believe that he comes to us invisibly and humbly through the Means of Grace of Word and Sacraments. We are confused by a world that doesn't know what a woman is. We hear Jesus' voice speaking clearly, "From the beginning of creation, God made them male and female" (Mark 10:6). We are angered by a culture of death that celebrates the slaughter of the unborn. We hear Jesus' voice speak clearly through his psalmist, "For you created my inner organs. You wove me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:13-14). We are disheartened by a society that discards the elderly and dying. We hear Jesus' voice speak clearly in his Levitical laws, "You must rise in the presence of gray hair and show respect in the presence of an elder, so that you fear your God. I am the Lord" (Leviticus 19:32). Because we oppose fundamental cultural doctrines like transgenderism, abortion, and euthanasia, the world will oppose us. This will make us even lonelier and more afraid. But Jesus says the world will always oppose us, "He is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see him or know him. You know him because he stays with you and will be in you" (John 14:17). The unbelieving world will not -- and cannot -- receive the Spirit. The world will not see Jesus after he leaves, so they will oppose Jesus, his followers, and his teachings. Jesus' disciples of all ages will continue to see and hear Jesus with the eyes and ears of faith. The disciples will know that Jesus and the Father are one; they will keep Jesus' commands; and live. The world will not enjoy any of these blessings. Not onl

See All (429)

About

Located in Casper, Wyoming, Lord of Lords is a friendly, conservative Lutheran church offering life-related messages and opportunities to praise our great Savior, Christ Jesus

Information

  • Creator
    Lord of Lords Evangelical Lutheran Church of Casper, WY
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    429
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    Copyright © 2014-2026 Lord of Lords Evangelical Lutheran Church.
  • Show Website
    Sermons from Lord of Lords Lutheran Church