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 01/08/12

#Appreciate the Truth

Rev. D. Free

 01/15/12

#Christ’s Call, “Follow Me.” 

Rev. Peter Sulzle

01/22/12 

#Follow Me  

Rev. D. Free

01/29/12 

#Jesus is the Highest Authority 

Rev. Peter Sulzle

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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1/8/12 – Epiphany – Rev. D. Free

 

Appreciate the Truth

1.  As you look at John

2.  As you look at Jesus

 

Mark 1:4-11

     And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him.  Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

     John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.  I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

            At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.  And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." 

  

It can be downright depressing at times when you compare yourself to others. Some people just seem to have it all: musical ability, academic excellence, athletically talents, common sense, a good work ethic, and so kind. We’re happy for them but at the same time we’re kind of jealous. We find ourselves sitting back and letting them do everything. And then we feel guilty for letting them do it all. It’s a vicious circle. But it can be broken when we understand the truth by looking at John the Baptism and at Jesus.

 What’s your reaction to John the Baptist? Listen as Mark tells us about his ministry, “John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down to untie. I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

 Just think about the ministry of John the Baptist. Would you give it much of a chance of being successful? Think first of all where he carried out his ministry. He isn’t in some large city or small town. He isn’t standing in the temple courts where the people are or sitting in a synagogue where the people gathered. He conducted his ministry in the wilderness. There’s no building, elaborate or simple; no tent to shade the people or to protect them from the wind or blowing sand. He isn’t dressed to kill. His clothing is simple.

 His message? It wasn’t the type of message that made you feel good about yourself. He didn’t offer self-help hints. He simply told the people to repent. You know what that means. It means to change your mind about your sinful lifestyle. It means that you hate those sins and want to put those sins completely out of your life. John was calling the people out, accusing them of sin. Luke tells us he called them a brood of vipers. He spoke about the judgment of hell fire for those who didn’t repent. Is that an attractive message.

 And finally what was the rest of John’s message, I’m not that important. There’s another fella coming after me who’s so much greater. In fact He’s so great that I don’t feel worthy enough to do the work of a slave, untie his sandals. How different than the philosophers of that day wanted to be the center of attention, wanted people to hang on and accept every word they said. John’s message was the one coming after me must increase while I must decrease. Who’s going to want to hear what John has to say.

 Mark tells us who wanted to hear, “The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.” People were willing to walk 20 miles in a wilderness so that they could listen to John. And his message had a wonderful effect. People saw the danger of their sins. They admitted their spiritual failures and were baptized. Through that baptism their sins were washed away. Faith in Jesus as their Savior was either created or strengthened.

 Amazing. A humble man, in a humble setting, sharing a humble message producing stunning results. And what do we learn. Don’t underestimate yourself. Appreciate the possibilities in your life. God has called all of us to be John the Baptists. He says, “Go and make disciples”; “Declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light”; “Preach the good news to all creation.” We don’t have to be trained at the Seminary, a smooth talker, or an impressive person. All we have to do is do what John did.

 Simply, but sternly, call people to repent. Speak God’s law so that people can see their sins and realize its damning power. And when the Lord leads them to confess and repent of their sins then we have the opportunity to tell them the Gospel, the good news, the great news of God’s love and of their complete forgiveness through the suffering and death of Jesus. We can take them to Jesus’ manger and cross and tell them how He lived to die for them so that when they die they can live with Him forever in heaven.

 After telling them that wonderful message of God’s forgiving and saving love, we can be at peace. We don’t have to be jealous of other’s eloquence or knowledge. We know what God said about His Gospel. It’s the power of God for salvation. We know God’s promise regarding His Word. His Word will not return to Him empty. His will, will be done. You’ve done what He called you to do. Just don’t give up. Don’t underestimate yourself. Realize and appreciate the eternal possibilities. Simply speak as John spoke.

 But we don’t. We’re too embarrassed to comfort people with God’s Word when they’re hurting; too afraid to call sin a sin to lead people to repent. We don’t want to be labeled extremist so we don’t talk about Jesus. We fail to do the most faceless thing we could do for people who need to know Jesus – pray for them. We fail to do what God tells us to do. As a result we put another brick of sin on the wall of sin that separates us from God. We mare ourselves with another sin and disqualify ourselves from His family and the eternal glory of heaven. It’s easy to despair.

 But let’s not underestimate Jesus. Mark tells us what happened to Jesus, “Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, He saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” After Jesus was baptized the Spirit came down on Him. We’d say that was Jesus’ inauguration. He was publically appointed as the one who would save the world from the curse of its sin.

 Jesus didn’t shrink from that mission. He knew what it meant for Him. He was going to have to offer His life as a ransom for the world. He prayed fervently and feverishly that He could avoid the suffering that His Father placed before Him, if that was His Fathers’ will. But when His Father said there’s no other way, Jesus didn’t turn back. He went to meet those who came to arrest Him. We’re told that He considered it a joy to endure the cross to save us from the curse of our sins. He wouldn’t fail in this mission.

 He didn’t fail. God the Father said that He loved Him. He was well pleased with Him. Let’s understand why God the Father was pleased with Jesus. First, Jesus had already obeyed a very difficult command. He became a human. He came to this earth. He experienced hunger and thirst. People became angry with Him and hatred Him. He was rejected and felt pain. He had already perfectly obeyed His Father doing something that we’d consider so difficult; He humbled Himself and opened Himself up to pain.

 His Father was pleased. Jesus had obeyed Him. He was obeying Him. He’d continue to obey Him. He’d just been baptized. Jesus tells us why, “To fulfill all righteousness”. Jesus didn’t need to be baptized. He had no sin to be washed away. He didn’t need to have faith created in His heart. He was God. Jesus was baptized because that’s what His Father wanted. He perfectly obeyed every command of God. And He’d continue obey God’s commands throughout His life. God the Father loved that and was pleased with that.

 The ultimate obedience – going to the cross. Jesus knew how His life would end. He wouldn’t die in His sleep or of a heart attack. He wouldn’t die of old age or slip into a coma. He faced the cross to which nails would hold Him, where His joints would be dislocated, thirst would torment Him, where He’d suffer the full brunt of God’s anger for our sins; the agony of hell. That’s the death God commanded for Jesus. He didn’t bat an eye. He went to that cross to offer His life as a ransom for us, to earn forgiveness for all our sins.

 Realize what Jesus accomplished can be yours. The Bible says, “Abraham believed God and it was credited to Him as righteousness.” When the Spirit leads us to believe that Jesus perfectly obeyed His Father, God will give us His perfection. His perfection covers us. Forgiveness is offered. The Bible says, “A man is justified by faith.” When the Spirit leads us to believe in Jesus, God credits Jesus’ effort to you. What He earned on the cross, forgiveness, is yours. As a result we can live with Him forever in heaven.

 That means God’s forgiven us for the times we’ve underestimated ourselves and failed to be like John, telling people about Jesus. And when that sin re-appears in our life, threatening our place in God’s family and our eternal joy in heaven, repent. Be genuinely sorry. Desire to stop committing that sin and God will forgive you again and again and again. That’s why while we’re sorry for our sins, we don’t despair. We don’t underestimate Jesus. He loves us. He did everything necessary to clean us up from all our sins.

 It’s easy to feel lousy as you compare yourself to others and as you think of your sins. But appreciate the truth. Look at how God used John and blessed His ministry. He can use us just as well. And appreciate the truth about Jesus. He’s earned your forgiveness; purchased a place for you in heaven. He’ll use you to lead others to enjoy what you enjoy through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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 1/15/12 – Epiphany 2 –  Rev. Peter Sulzle

 

Christ’s Call, “Follow Me.” 

A Call to Speak 

A Call to Faithfulness 

A Call to See Great Things

 

John 1:43-51 –

43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” 48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” 50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that.”

  

            We receive many calls to action every day.  Employees get called into work.  Employers get called to figure out the problem at work.  Children call to parents for help.  Parents call on the children to do their chores.  Friends call on you for advice.  Teachers call on students.  Students call on teachers.  We receive many calls to action.  But every day, you hear a call that is far more important than all the others.  It comes from your Savior.  Just like Jesus called the first disciples, he calls us saying, “Follow me.”  Are you going to answer his call?  If you are, how are you going to answer?  We’ll find out as we hear Christ’s call, “Follow me.”  It’s a call to speak.  It’s a call to faithfulness.  It’s a call to see great things.

             Jesus didn’t waste any time in calling his first disciples.  Last week we heard about his baptism.  The Spirit anointed him to carry out his ministry as the Savior of the world.  The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee.  When he got to Bethsaida by the sea of Galilee, he found Philip.  He said to him, “Follow me.”  The call was simple.  It didn’t need a lot of explanation.  Jesus wanted Philip to accompany him as his disciple. 

            That’s how the call of Jesus comes to his children.  First he calls them to faith through baptism and his Word.  Then on a regular basis, he calls his children in his word to follow his ways.  Philip showed right away how to answer God’s call.  Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found…Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”  For Philip, this was hot-off-the-press kind of news.  Jesus, the promised Savior, was here.  Not only that, but he had called Philip to follow him!  It was like the rock star asking the die hard fan to go on tour with him. 

Yet Nathanael was a little skeptical.  “Nazareth!  Can anything good come from there?”  It probably wasn’t that Nazareth had a bad reputation.  Nathanael probably knew the Savior was to come from Bethlehem.  Faced with that objection, what was Philip to do?  Get angry: “Why don’t you believe me?”  Give up: “Forget you.  I’m outta here.”  Philip didn’t get angry or give up.  He did what true disciples do.  He answered the call to speak for Jesus.  “Come and see,” said Philip.  Nathanael listened. 

That’s how simple the answer can be to Christ’s call, “Follow me.”  Just speak a few words: “Come and see.  I believe in Jesus.  Jesus died for your sins.  Believe and you will be saved.”  But sometimes we see the gospel as so important and so precise and so full of divine teachings that we don’t want to mess it up.  When someone calls into question what we believe, we don’t want to say something wrong or speak foolishly.  So you know what happens?  We don’t say anything.  We know enough to be saved, but we’re too scared and ashamed to tell others they have been saved too.  That’s failing to answer God’s call to follow him.  Too often we’ve let the Nathanaels of our lives just pass by.  We’ve missed the opportunity.  That left them without the opportunity to see Jesus. 

            Let’s learn from Philip.  I think Jesus chose common men like him to teach us that any believer can answer the call to speak for him.  When the skeptic says, “I know all about churches.  I’ve even tried a few out.  But I don’t need buildings and books.  I don’t care for those who spout prayers and spew hymns.  They aren’t any different than me.”  When that happens, don’t get angry or give up.  Just say, “Come and see.”  Sometimes you might have to say, “I don’t have all the answers.  I’ll check it out for you.”  But you still say, “Come and see.”  You know what that does?  It gives Jesus a chance to talk to them.  It gives them a chance to hear the Word.  It lets the Holy Spirit do what he does – convince them of the truth.  Answer the call to speak for Jesus.

             Just look at how it worked for Nathanael.  Nathanael became faithful to God.  God’s call is also a call to faithfulness.  Nathanael is a good example of faithfulness.  As he walked up to Jesus, Jesus said, “Here is a true Israelite in whom there is nothing false.”  A true Israelite is a true believer.  Paul told the Romans, “Not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.”  Not all who are physical descendants really believe.  Nathanael had true faith.  Nothing about him was false.  He didn’t cover up his faith like an actor who puts on a mask.  He was not hypocritical, phony, or two-faced. 

            Jesus saw Nathanael’s true heart.  He said, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”  What an impression that made!  Jesus had called him to faithfulness.  Now surely he would believe and be faithful.  He proclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”  He professed his allegiance to Jesus.

             Just as Jesus searched Nathanael’s heart for faithfulness, he searches ours as well.  He doesn’t want to see hypocrisy, not living what you believe.  He doesn’t want to see a phony heart, trying to cover up wickedness by looking good on the outside.  You might have heard the fable about a goat who wanted more than anything else in the world to be a lion. He told himself that if he could learn to walk like a lion, talk like a lion, and go where lions go, he would be a lion. So he practiced.  He even tried to turn his bleating into the deep roar of the King of beasts.  Finally, he convinced himself that he really looked and sounded like a lion.  Now all he had to do to be a lion was to go where lions go.  And so he marched into lion territory one day at lunch time. You know the rest of that story!

             Friends, sometimes people think that if they just talk and act like a Christian, they are really Christ’s disciples.  Maybe they can fool other people, but the Lord knows those who are his.  As Jesus evaluates our hearts, and years for faithful followers, can he say, “Here are true Israelites in whom there is nothing false” or does he see people who sometimes think they don’t need him as much as others.  Does he see people who trust wholly in his work to remove our sin and make us his children or does he see people who are itching to work their way to heaven by bartering their good works.  Does he see people who make weekly trips to the house of the Lord and then run daily into the devil’s playground?  Too often he sees the latter.  Too often we are unfaithful and undeserving of his call to follow him.  He should say, “Don’t follow me.  Depart from me, you who are cursed into the eternal fire.”

             So a faithful follower of Jesus bows down before God recognizing his or her sin as an offense before our precious Lord.  We despair of anything we can do to change our path of wickedness which leads to hell.  We cry out, “God have mercy on me.”  We realize that confessing our sins is an act of faithfulness and an answer to his call.  Following Jesus means trusting in the forgiveness he won by his suffering and death and then turning from sinful ways to his ways.  He calls us to stay for away from sin and close to him. 

            Never underestimate the power of God’s call.  It was powerful enough to create faith in those who didn’t want to be faithful.  It is powerful enough to help us live faithful lives as his true disciples.  And as we do, he assures us that we will see great things.  That’s what Jesus assured Nathanael.  Take another look at Nathanael’s confession: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”   Jesus is Rabbi – the greatest teacher.  He is the true Son of God, born to live a perfect life in the sinners place and set the sinner free.  He is the true King of Israel.  He won the victory for his people by his death.  He still lives and rules today. 

Has he not earned the thanks and obedience of his servants?  He deserves faithful followers who make the true confession of who he is.  God wants us to live that confession.  Live the Apostle’s Creed.  Live John 3:16.  Live your favorite Bible passages or hymn verse.   Confess Christ and you will see great things from the Savior you follow.  Jesus told Nathanael, “You believe because I saw you under the fig tree.  You shall see greater things than that.” This great Savior says to Nathanael: "You were impressed because of my ability to see the details of your life.  You haven't seen anything yet!  There are those great miracles of healing and helping still to come.  There’s my crucifixion when you will see the Lord of life submitting to death so that all sin may be forgiven.  There’s my resurrection which assures every disciple that whoever lives and believes in me shall never die!  And eventually you will see my glory in heaven!”

When each believer comes to faith in this great Savior, we, too, see all those great things Jesus has done.  When you follow him, there are still greater things to see.  Every day Jesus promises great things.  Every day he seeks you out, finds you, and forgives you.  Every day you see his personal care for your personal problems and his special power for your special needs.  Every day you see him work all evil things for your eternal good.  Through it all, we hear the echo of his words, “You will see greater things than that.  I have so much in store for you.”  For those who confess him as Savior, one day, we will see him surrounded by his angels when he calls the dead out of every grave and tells us: "Follow me!" 

Many calls ask for and receive our attention every day.  But the call of our Savior rises above all the others.  We learn from Philip and Nathanael how to answer God’s precious call.  Speak for him.  Be faithful to him.  As we answer, we see the great things he has done.  Listen to the call of Jesus, “Follow me.”  He will lift you up, encourage you, and strengthen you to answer.  So we answer with this prayer, “Faithful Lord, abide with me.  Savior, lead I follow thee!”  Amen. 

 

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1/22/12 – Epiphany 3 –  Rev. D. Free

 

Follow Me

1.   Know where He leads

2.   Understand what He asks

 

Mark 1:14-20

      After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.  “The time has come,” he said.  “The kingdom of God is near.  Repent and believe the good news!”

      As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”  At once they left their nets and followed him.

      When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets.  Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

  

There’s usually something that so catches our attention that it makes us instantly stop what we’re doing. It could be the frantic scream of a child, our spouse’s shriek for help or a friend’s cheer as they watch the game while we’re getting the snacks. Usually it takes something pretty major to get us to immediately stop what we’re doing. For the four men in our reading it was the call of Jesus, “Follow me.” That call led them to drop everything because they knew where Jesus was leading and what He was asking them to do.

This wasn’t the first time these four men had met Jesus. Andrew was there when John the Baptist pointed to Jesus and said, “Look the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Andrew spent that day with Jesus. He also got his brother Peter to come see Jesus. After meeting Jesus these two men returned home. They didn’t follow Jesus. We don’t know when John and James met Jesus the first time, but it’s apparent from their reaction to His call that they knew Jesus and had heard Him teaching before.

 This time when Jesus came to them He invited them to follow Him, “As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fisherman. “Come, follow me,’ He gave the same invitation to James and John, “Without delay He called them.” They knew Jesus’ message. They heard it before. Mark tells us what it is, “Jesus went into Galilee proclaiming the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven is near’.” Jesus wanted to lead them into the kingdom of heaven.

 They knew that the kingdom of heaven referred to God’s family. It’s Jesus’ rule in our heart and life. Jesus was inviting them to be a part of and remain in His family. But what He really wanted was to lead them to heaven’s glory. Jesus’ invitation to follow Him was one of those frantic screams that grabs your attention and gets you to drop what you’re doing. That’s what happened. Andrew and Simon “left their nets and followed Him.” James and John, “Left their father in the boat with the hired men and followed Him.”

 Simon and Andrew had been casting their fishing nets into the lake. James and John were ready to do the same. They were fisherman. That was their occupation, how they supported their family. But when Jesus called them to follow Him they left it all to follow Him, They knew He’d lead them to blessings in this life. They knew He’d lead them to the ultimate glory of life in heaven. They couldn’t pass that up. They dropped everything that instant; no hesitation, no looking back, no regrets and followed Jesus.

 Jesus has given us that same call. When we were baptized or came to believe in Him as we heard His Word, He said, follow me. We know where Jesus leads. He leads us into God’s family, finally to haven. But can we be a part of that family. Look at us. We’re sinners. We listen to friends rather than follow God’s will. We let hobbies and work derail us from following God. We run after sinful habits – drug use, sexual sin, drunkenness - rather than follow God. We know sin separates us from God. It keeps us out of heaven. We can’t follow Jesus into the God’s kingdom. Sin distracts us and eliminates us from His family.

 But what did Jesus preach – repent. Jesus says have Godly sorrow for your sins. Be sorry that you did what was wrong, that you hurt God and let Him down. Show that you’re sorry. Jesus tells us how to show that we’re sorry, “Go out and sin not more”. No, we can’t be perfect. Jesus is simply telling us to try with His help try to stop sinning. Try with God’s help to do what He wants us to do. And should we succumb to temptation and commit that sin again; repent again. And guess what God will do. He will forgive again!

 He will forgive because that’s what Jesus came to this earth to earn for us. He came to offer His life as a ransom for us. He came to suffer God’s anger for us  – and He did, once and for all when he suffered the torture of the cross. He came to suffer the curse for our sins, which He did once and for all when He endured hell on the cross. He came to erase our sins once and for all which He did with His blood shed on the cross. Because of what Jesus did God is able and happy to say to all who repent – I forgive you.

 Now when Jesus says, follow me, the path into God’s family is clear. In that family we enjoy incredible blessings. The psalmist reminds us that God is a shield around those who fear Him and that from the Lord comes deliverance and that God will open His hands and satisfy all our desires. He promises to turn bad into good, curses into blessings. And the greatest blessing – He’ll lead us through death’s valley to heaven’s eternal glory. Follow me Jesus says and all of these blessings, and more, will be yours.

 But like the four fishermen that means we have to give stuff up. What might distract us from following Jesus: a job that keeps us from the house of the Lord, certain family members or friends who try to talk us out of following Jesus, a sinful habit that separates us from God, sports or a hobby that make God and His Word of love and forgiveness take a back seat in our life. How often don’t we feel the tug of these distractions and quit following Jesus just so we can follow things that can only give temporary joy.

 Think of what we could be losing if we don’t drop all to follow Jesus, our place in His eternal family. When we find ourselves drifting, Jesus comes to us and says, repent. Believe in what I earned for you on the cross. And then He’ll call us again. He’ll give us another chance to follow Him as He leads us into God’s family, and keeps us in that family where we can be sure of blessings in this life and in the one to come.

 Jesus’ call to these men wasn’t just, follow me and enjoy eternal blessings. He expected them to serve. “Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’” These men were experienced fishermen. That was their comfort zone, what they knew. Now Jesus was asking them to step outside that comfort zone and do something they didn’t know – tell others about Him. And notice. They didn’t ask for time to think about it or to consult their families. They dropped everything. They were willing to serve.

 That’s what God expects of us. Yes, He wants us to follow Him so that we can be a part of His family and enjoy incredible blessings throughout our life and all eternity. But He also wants us to serve. He wants us to be fishers of men. His command to all His followers, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” Simply put – tell people how they can become a part of my family and live with me forever in heaven. We hear that our stomach churns. That’s outside our comfort zone. We’ve never done that. We don’t feel comfortable.

 But we probably didn’t feel real comfortable when we started that new job, skied for the first time, or learned to ride a bike. But we did it and are now we’re comfortable doing it. Just like practice made perfect that’s what happens when we follow this call to be fishers of men. And Jesus equips us with the bait that will make us effective fishers of men. He gives us the law that makes people aware of their sins, and that opens their eyes to where they’re headed due to those sins, death and the eternal pain of hell.

 But then He also gives us the Gospel. The Gospel tells sinners that in spite of their sins, God really loves them. The Gospel tells people how much God loves them – that He sent His Son on a suicide mission that resulted in His torturous death on a cross so erase their sins and spare them the hell they earned with their sins. The Gospel leads people to believe in Jesus, to love Jesus. And the Gospel makes that incredible promise – believe in Jesus and you’ll be saved. God equips us with His Word for our service. 

And then He makes a promise, “My Word will not return to me empty.” He says the Gospel is the power of God for salvation. He says, faith comes from hearing the message. He promises us success. Just do the work, Jesus says, and I’ll bless your efforts. Think of how effective Jesus was with the law and Gospel. The promiscuous prostitute, the cheating tax collector, the condemned thief, these fisherman came to faith. And 3,000 people came to faith when Peter preached law and Gospel on Pentecost Sunday.

 How powerful and effective is that message of God’s saving love. How faithful is Jesus in keeping His promise that His Word will lead sinners to repent and embrace Jesus as their Savior? It worked on us right? We were dead in our sins. We were on the fast track that was going to lead us to hell. But someone came to us with this message and the change is awesome and eternal. We’ve been led to confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior. And now we’re ready give up all distractions so that we can follow Him to heaven.

 Jesus says, “Follow me.” When we realize where He wants to lead us and what He’s asking us to do, that’s a call that leads us to drop everything so that we can follow Him to eternal glory and serve Him until we’re there with Him in heaven.

 

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1/29/12 – Epiphany 4 – Rev. Peter Sulzle

 

Jesus is the Highest Authority 

1.  His Words Have Authority 

2.  His Works Prove His Authority

 

Mark 1:21-28

21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him.”

 

            Who are the authority figures in your life?  We have authority figures all around us.  Police.  Government.  Parents.  Teachers.  Bosses.  These are the people we ought to obey and respect.  So how do you view the authority figures in your life?  A growing portion of society lives by the mindset, “Question authority.”  Just because someone is in a leadership position doesn’t mean you should trust them or listen to them.  Don’t believe everything you’re told.  We probably question authority because so many authority figures have abused their authority.  So is there anyone we can completely trust and look up to who will never let us down?  His name is Jesus.  Jesus is the highest authority.  We see from Scripture that his words have authority and his works prove his authority. 

            We begin reading in Mark…Jesus and his disciples went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.  Jesus didn’t just take over.  This was pretty ordinary.  Most synagogues had no permanent ministers.  When traveling teachers came, the people often asked them to speak. 

The people were amazed at his teaching because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.  The teaching of Jesus was different.  Many teachers of that day just quoted other teachers instead of the Bible.  But Jesus spoke the truth.  Many of the preachers would major on the minors.  They would expand on God’s laws and regulations, society and culture.  A sermon on this lesson today might have a long discussion on Capernaum and its culture and then a description of demon possession.  They didn’t really get to the heart and core of Scripture and what it really meant. 

            But Jesus was different.  He impressed them.  He spoke of the important things – grace, salvation, and eternity through his life and death.  His teaching was perfect.  The disciples and worshipers were face to face with the final authority.  The buck stopped at Jesus.  President Harry Truman had a plaque on his desk with those words, “The Buck Stops Here.”  It meant that he had authority.  His word was the final word.  He would not pass the buck on his responsibility to someone else.  That’s Jesus.  The buck stops at Jesus.  He is the highest authority. 

            It’s important for us to understand that, because many in this world question authority.  They challenge God’s Word.  It’s been like that from the beginning.  Almost every book of the New Testament was written to defend the Word of God because people challenged it.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said a number of times, “You’ve heard it said, but I tell you...”  Human words vs. the Word of God.  Who comes out on top?  Humans sure try.  We see the clash of authority between evolution (man’s idea that this world evolved over millions of years) and creation (God’s truth that he made this world in six 24 hour days by his Word).  See the clash between life and death.  The abortionist fights for the murder of unborn babies.  But God says, “I give life and you must respect it and preserve it.”  See the clash between relative truth and God’s truth.  Human beings say you get to your heaven your way and I’ll get to heaven mine.  God says, “Jesus is the only way, truth, and life, no one comes to the Father except through him.”  See the clash of those who condone sexually immoral lifestyles saying they were born that way or it feels so right and God who says it’s a sin that condemns.

             That clash with authority is engrained in us by our sinful nature.  We want our words to hold more weight than God’s.  We follow the words of mere mortals and forsake the righteous words of an immortal God.  We clash with him when we question his Word of truth.  Foolishly we think we can pit our authority against God’s like a hundred pound eighth grader wrestling an Olympic heavyweight gold medalist and we think we’ll come out all right on the other side.  But that’s foolish.  The heavyweight of God’s justice says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  My Word is truth.”  Then the heavyweight of God’s justice pins down our pride and insubordination humbling us and sending us to where our sins deserve – eternal destruction. 

            Jesus is the ultimate authority.  What he says will stand no matter what philosophizing or theorizing human beings do on this earth.  Sadly many will not realize that until they are forced to kneel before him in the end when eternal destruction comes upon them.  God’s Word will always stand whether it goes against human reason or not. 

I pray that everyone here would say, “When it comes to spiritual matters, we don’t need or want the opinions of our sinful flesh, other people, or even our pastors.  We want the truth.”  Only when we hear and believe the truth can we come to grips with our sin.  The truth is we are proud and insubordinate sinners.  But the truth is also that Jesus paid for our sins.  The truth is God wants all to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.  That’s why Jesus said to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven.”  He said to his disciples, “Peace be with you.”  He said, “I have authority to lay down my life and authority to take it up again.”  That’s what he did.  He says, “Trust in me and live.  Believe in me and receive forgiveness and eternal life.” 

Believe that Word of God.  It’s amazing how powerful the Word of Jesus is.  Only Jesus can speak a word of life to free his children of sin and death, a word of grace to free his children of guilt and fear, a word of light to free those in darkness, a word of salvation instead of condemnation.  He’s always got the final Word.  And if we’re not amazed enough at his Words, Jesus amazes us with his works.  He is the ultimate authority.  His works prove it. 

            Satan doesn’t want us to believe Jesus’ words, so he’ll try to discredit Jesus’ works.  That’s what he tried to do in the synagogue of Capernaum.  “Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?  Have you come to destroy us?  I know who you are – the Holy One of God!”  Jesus was the Holy One of God.  But he didn’t want Satan to witness to the truth.  If people believed what the devil said, that meant Jesus was in league with the devil.  So right away Jesus said, “Be quiet!”  And he cast the demon out.  The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this?  A new teaching – and with authority!  He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him.”  Jesus had turned the authority of his Word into action.  He made the demons obey him.  He proved his ultimate authority with miracles.  He cast out demons.  He calmed storms.  He healed the sick.  He raised the dead. 

            Isn’t that the kind of authority figure we need today – a miracle worker?  We need someone who is going to follow through on his words and promises.  We need Jesus in our lives as much as that demon possessed man needed him that day.  You know why?  There’s an evil spirit in each of us.  I’m not talking about demon possession.  We each have a sinful nature that gives us spiritual delusions.  Have you been deluded into thinking that a behavior you’re involved in is not sinful and deserving of God’s punishment?  Have you been deluded into thinking that such an evil behavior is not having any harmful consequences in your life?  Have you been deluded into an attitude of tolerance for the sinful behavior of a friend or family member?  Or is your demon the delusion that your sin is so horrible that it can’t possibly be forgiven?  Does your sinful nature throw you into confusion about your Savior’s love because you’re struggling through such difficult times and feel like your drowning?  These are all demons in our lives.  We need Jesus to take them away.  

            The question is…does Jesus have the authority to get rid of all your earthly demons?  Many in this world think that Jesus was nothing but a wise teacher whom we can pattern our lives after.  But that’s not who Jesus is.  Jesus is God.  Jesus is a miracle worker.  Jesus has a miracle for you.  In the Christmas miracle he took on flesh and blood for us and submitted himself to God’s law.  In the miracle of his life, he perfectly satisfied God’s demands for us.  In the miracle of the cross, we see the transfer of our guilt and shame to him.  In the miracle of the empty tomb, we witness the defeat of death and see the doors of heaven open.  Because of it all, we experience the miracle of forgiveness.  Your sinful delusions are gone.  Don’t let your sin demons haunt you.  Jesus has removed them and replaced them with peace.  

Now he enables you to live in that peace.  Each time Jesus speaks, he begins or continues the miracle of saving faith.  Each time the sacrament of baptism is employed, Jesus is sending his Holy Spirit to work the miracle of faith.  Each time you receive the Lord’s Supper, it’s a miracle of forgiveness and spiritual life.  Isn’t it a miracle also when you come to God’s house full of fear and you leave fearless – when you come all riled up about life and you leave at peace with God – when you come confused and misguided and you leave with purpose and direction for a life of service – when we come a little stubborn and God softens our hearts so that we’re motivated to change with God’s help.  These are miracles that come straight from the words and works of the ultimate authority – Jesus.

             We have a lot of authority figures in our lives.  Let’s remember though that Jesus is the highest authority.  The world may want us to question authority.  But take a look at Jesus’ words and works.  They prove his authority and more importantly, his love in our lives.  It’s a pure joy to have Jesus in our lives because what he says and does will always be for our best interest and it will last forever.  Amen. 

 

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