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“The Gift of Empty Hands”

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Philemon 1,7-21

Sunday, September 7, 2025

Pastor Nate Walther

            When you think of a good gift, what comes to mind?  Maybe there’s that person in your life who is a gift-giving maestro – they always have the right thing picked out, and you just can’t wait to open their gifts!  Or, maybe you feel like nobody understands what you want – they never have the right thing picked out, and you always wish they got you something else instead.

            Regardless of what we think of as a good gift, I bet none of us pictures this: “the gift of empty hands”, of lacking something!  But that’s the gift God describes today in our sermon text from Philemon.  Here the Apostle Paul is writing to a man named Philemon about his servant, Onesmius, who had run away from him and come to Paul.  I’ll read the whole text since we didn’t hear it earlier with our readings, and I’ll add some commentary along the way.

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, which was literally the case. Paul wrote this from house arrest in Rome, he was imprisoned for sharing the Gospel.  And (also) Timothy, our brother, who was with Paul at the time.  To Philemon, our dear friend and coworker…  That makes it sound like Philemon was a faithful man and a good Christian… and he was!  7 For I have received great joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother. To put it in another way, Philemon was very much the last kind of person from whom you’d expect God to withhold a gift… but God had.  He had taken his servant from him, leaving him with empty hands!  Given how Paul describes Philemon, there’s no reason to think he had warranted that by mistreating Onesimus.  Being a slave or servant back in those days wasn’t necessarily what we may think of.  Still, Onesimus had run away.  So listen to what Paul says to Philemon:

8 For that reason, even though I have plenty of boldness in Christ to order you to do what is proper, 9 I am appealing to you, instead, on the basis of love, just as I, Paul, am an old man and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ…With these words, Paul hints at what a blessing Onesimus must have been to him while he was imprisoned.  He wouldn’t have wanted to give up Onesimus’s company!  And, if anything, Paul could have ordered Philemon what to do, including letting Onesimus stay!  As he will hint in a few verses, God had used Paul to bring Philemon to faith, which meant Philemon really owed Paul his soul!  However, 10 I am appealing to you on behalf of my child Onesimus. I became his father while I was in chains. 11 There was a time when he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me. 12 I have sent him (who is my very heart) back to you. Welcome him. 13 I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might serve me in your place while I am in chains for the gospel. 14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your kindness would not be the result of compulsion, but of willingness… 

Notice that, as Paul talks about all these things he wants Philemon to do, he models them himself.  Paul willingly lets go of Onesimus himself.  Paul models genuinely, Christian love himself.  Later, Paul will even offer to take on Onesimus’s debts… Why?  15 Perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while: so that you would have him back forever, 16 no longer as a slave, but as more than a slave, as a dear brother. He certainly is dear to me, but he is even more of a dear brother to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord…  Isn’t that interesting?  Before, it seems Onesimus had not been a believer, or a “brother”, as they called each other back then… now he was.  And that’s why Paul did this.  Paul was all about making more believers.     

17 So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 And if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, Paul, have written this with my own hand: I will repay it—not to mention that you owe me your very self. 20 Yes, brother, I am asking for a favor from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask… The Word of the Lord. 

The lesson in our sermon text is a simple one.  By losing Onesimus, Philemon would get more back – not just a servant, but a brother in Christ & a willing servant.  Likewise, by willingly letting go of Onesimus, Paul would get more back – he would be able to preach the Gospel message of Christ’s love in a more effective and powerful way.  Finally, could it be that God does the same thing when our hands are empty?  He’s freeing them up so we may receive even more back from him? 

It’s hard to see it like that.  Take the question we started with: did any one of us picture the gift of empty hands?  No, we picture gifts only in terms of what we possess or what others can give us.  Conversely, when we don’t have those things or they are taken away from us, it only seems bad.  That classic question of, “why Lord, why did you let this happen?”  It almost always involves loss or lacking something.  But do we need such loss?  Since we cling to whatever is in our hands – “you’d have to pry it from my cold, dead hands!” – is that why God must sometimes force the issue?  Not “killing” us, mind you, but gently prying back our fingers from whatever thing, whatever possession, whatever relationship we think we cannot live without – but which will only exist for this life?  Is that why God does this – not because he hates us, but because he loves us, and he wants to fill our hands with something better?

It’s kind of like a small child clutching something tightly in their hand with white-knuckles!  To them it’s the most valuable thing in the world: maybe it’s stone they found on the ground with specks of their favorite color, or it’s a candy wrapper from their favorite candy, or It’s a really cool and interesting (but, also dead) bug.  Of course, as their parent or grandparent you see something entirely different: a dumb rock that will just add to the clutter in their room, a worthless scrap of paper, an unsanitary bug – and you know that you have something better for them: a toy they’d much prefer, or their favorite treat, or a gentle hug and a safe nap… so firmly you peel back your child’s fingers from their prized possession – despite their cries, despite protests, despite inevitable explosion that occurs! – and you replace their loss with something that quickly lights up their face, something they could not have received without empty hands.

The lesson for us is simple, but before we apply it to ourselves, do we realize this is exactly what God the Father experienced on a cosmic scale… and, willingly.  He loosened his grip on the most precious thing he had, without anyone forcing his fingers.  And in his case, it was no worthless trinket.  God experienced the pain of the loss of the closest family – his only begotten Son, with whom he had a relationship for all eternity; Jesus was more a part of the Father than you and I are one even with our spouses in marriage! – yet the Father forsook his Son & let him go on the cross, leaving him with empty hands… He did this so that his hands may be filled with something more.  Not just receiving his own Son back in the resurrection, but you and me now as Jesus’ dear brothers and sisters – as God’s dearly loved children, bought back with the blood of Christ from our sins of whatever we desperately cling to (but which can never save us), claimed by the Holy Spirit through the washing waters of baptism! 

That’s why God also asks us to accept empty hands: maybe it’s that we let go of some time, or talent or treasure; maybe it’s even that we would let go of the close relationship of a friend or family member, but one which is leading us away from Christ.  It’s all so that he can fill them with more: things that last, relationships that last, a relationship with him that lasts.  That will lead to blessing for you, personally.  But it’s not just for you. When we start owning this truth in our faith life, it impacts others as well.  Take Paul.  Onesimus (evidently not a believer!) went to Paul (clearly a believer), perhaps only because of how well Paul had lived out his faith (after all, that was Onesimus’s point of contact with Paul through his master Philemon)… and after spending time with Paul, Onesimus is ready and willing to return to his master (as a believer!).  That’s stunning.  When we model the gift of empty hands, it leaves a strong impression on others.  It might even be the way God places something in their hands for all eternity.

So what’s a good gift?  That may look different for each of us. I’m sure that in a few months when Christmas approaches, you kids will have tons of ideas & long lists!… In all of this, don’t forget about the gift of empty hands.   When you let go of everything else you might grab, and you simply receive what God puts there, he’ll give you even more back. Amen.

Woe & Whoa!

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August 24, 2025

Pastor Horton

Isaiah 66:18-24

If you happen to be a lover of movies, you may be familiar with something called the ‘Spielberg face.”  It’s a look one of his characters gives at a pivotal moment as the camera may slowly zoom-in to their startled expression.  Sometimes the character is experiencing sudden shock, or remembering their past, or finding humanity in that moment within themselves or another person.  You can find this close-up filming technique in Spielberg movies such as Jurassic Park the first time the main characters see the dinosaurs, or in Saving Private Ryan as a veteran thinks back to his wartime experience, or in Indiana Jones as Indy turns and realizes a giant boulder is now rolling directly towards him.  That’s the face.  It’s a look of “Whoa.”

You can’t help but wonder if the audience Isaiah is writing to is filled with wonderment and “whoa” at these words.  God is proclaiming his will to save in a far reaching way: extending grace beyond the Jewish believers to all Gentiles and to all people.  In our verses, God is speaking about both the New Testament times in which we still live and even beyond that to eternity.  

How did we arrive at this point in the book?  Previously in Isaiah, the people were told about their coming deliverance from Babylon and about their redemption thanks to the Lord’s Servant, Jesus.  This, the final chapter in Isaiah, begins with a remarkable moment, for we are told that Zion, the holy mountain of spiritual Jerusalem, is about to give birth.  And here’s a moment to stop and say “whoa,” as right around verses 7-8 as soon as she feels labor pains she gives birth to children.  The picture is this: with great ease the Lord will deliver the New Testament church from the Old Testament church and advance his gospel of salvation.  And we have seen such moments come true in the book of Acts as 3,000 were baptized on the day of Pentecost thanks to the work of God the Holy Spirit.  Swift and effective is the work of our Lord!  And mighty is this spiritual city for God dwells within her.  Up go the banners over the city walls proclaiming: comfort and consolation, banners of pardon and peace are raised.  

Not so for those who stand opposed.  Woe, spelled “W” “O” “E” is theirs.  Listen to this leadup to our verses….verse 15, “ Look, the Lord will come like fire, and his chariots like a whirlwind, to pour out his furious anger,” verse 16, “For the Lord will bring judgment on all flesh,” verse 17, “Those who try to sanctify themselves…together they will be swept away, declares the Lord.”  Those who are unfaithful and who are not amongst the believers will be judged and will be destroyed.  They will be “thrown outside” the city of God says Jesus in our gospel reading, where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth” for eternity.  Listen to God in verse 24 as we are given a glimpse into hell, “They will go out, and they will see the corpses of the ones who were rebelling against me, for their worm will not die, and their fire will not be quenched, and all flesh will be horrified by them.”  Dead and yet still suffering in pain and in fire for eternity!  That is shocking “woe!”

What’s more alarming, is because of our sinful nature, you and I should be found among those corpses.  The fall into sin kicked all of humanity out of that perfect relationship with God.  Eliminated is any natural “right” you or I think we might have to the glories of heaven.  And yet we still find in ourselves that inbred notion of sanctifying ourselves: “What’s the magic key to unlock heaven that I can accomplish?  Keeping my name on the membership books?  Giving a couple of bucks to a local charity?  Maybe scaling back one or two cuss words from my often ripe vocabulary?  Surely then God should take my efforts into account!”  But the fervent works of our desperate hands, the occasional good will of our fallen minds, and the emotional wants of our selfishly polluted hearts can not ever do enough or be enough to be sanctified and be able to make ourselves holy, and pure, and spotless.  We can not be perfect as God in his righteousness demands.  

And yet today, do not despair, for you and I can look at this text and still say “Whoa,” “W” “H” “O” “A”.  For God has been at work through Jesus to gather all nations that many might hear and believe and see God’s glory.  We can not help but say “Whoa” as we look at our reading with a “Spielberg face” at the great and gracious saving work of our God.  Verse 19, take note as God says: “I will set up a sign among them, and I will send out survivors from among them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, to those who are archers, to Tubal and Javan, to the distant coastlands, who have not heard my message and have not seen my glory.  Then they will declare my glory among the nations.”  And we have seen this sign carried out even within the first generation of believers following Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension.  The gospel would go to these locations in Spain, North Africa, Asia Minor, Greece, and various Mediterranean islands just as God said it would hundreds of years prior through Isaiah.  Even though all rightly deserved to be destroyed, God would not have that happen.  His gospel message has been mobilized to save souls.

And his word does not return to him empty, but accomplishes his desires.  “Then they will bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering…to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, in the same way that the people of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel to the Lord’s house.”  No longer will Jewish believer look down on Gentile believer, but rather brothers and sisters from all across the globe will be converted and brought into spiritual Jerusalem according to God’s guiding hand – cleansed and found acceptable for service thanks to the blood of Jesus.  The Word of God accomplishes a return – and the thank offering of souls are placed at Jesus’ feet.  

In fact, our reading continues, “Even from among these people I will take priests and Levites, says the Lord.”  And we have seen that haven’t we?  God calling and installing leadership in his Church on earth from every continent and people group.  “Gentile priests” may have sounded strange (even offensive) to the Old Testament reader, but here is God’s promise to provide for the continued advancement of the gospel by equipping and training those very same redeemed souls for service from all over the world.  

What’s really a “Whoa” is that the continued fulfillment of this prophecy given through Isaiah has been taking place right here at Eastside.  The New Testament church has been continuing forward under the direction of God the Holy Spirit for some 2000 years.  In just over a month from now we are about to celebrate 100 of those 2000 years here at Eastside: as we have seen God’s gracious hand here in our families, in our congregation, and in our community.  100 years out of 2000 years?  That’s 1/20 or 5% of the timeline of the New Testament church (so far) finding fulfillment right here among you.  That’s 100 years of proclamation, declaring Jesus as the only way to heaven, the truth, and the life.  That’s 100 years of baptisms into God’s family.  100 years of Jesus’ body and blood distributed to us for the forgiveness of sins.  100 years of young men and women standing before God as they are confirmed in their faith and publicly declaring they will remain faithful even to death.  100 years of marriage vows before (and sustained with the help of) the Almighty.  100 years of resurrection joy while hosting Christian funerals here as we wiped away our tears and looked forward to heaven through Jesus.  And as our reading shares, 100 years of equipping pastors, teachers, and church leaders for kingdom work, educating our youth in the Word which makes them wise for salvation, and making ready our congregation for a lifetime of service to Jesus.  We have witnessed 1/20 of this prophecy has happened right here.  Whoa!  And in a month we’re going to praise God for it!  

What’s next?  Well, God gives us a peek ahead to the future in verses 22-23, “For just as the new heavens and the new earth that I am making will remain standing before me, declares the Lord, in the same way your offspring and your name will stand.  As often as one new moon follows another and one Sabbath follows another, all flesh will come to worship before me, says the Lord.”  It’s been said that “the church on earth now is but a courtyard for the glorious eternal mansions in heaven.”  The strict and rigid timeline for celebrations the Old Testament church once had will one day flow endlessly and joyfully in eternal worship and praise.  And the heart of God in Jesus?  He encourages us to continue today to share this precious gospel, for he wants others to join the many who will be home in heaven on that day.I don’t know if when you heard our reading you actually made a Spielberg face this morning and said “Whoa”.  Maybe, but probably not.  In the movies those are big, amazing moments of realization.  On our day of grace today, I’d still encourage you to consider these words and, in faith, recognize what God is sharing with us about his heart, his great ability to save, and his incredible desire to have many more (and to have you) in that eternal city of heaven all thanks to Jesus.  Amen.

“Divided We Stand”

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Passage: Luke 12:49-53

Pastor: Pastor Walther

Date: August 17, 2025

As we begin our new worship series, WOUNDS THAT HEAL, we’re talking about those words of God that cut to the heart, which seem to inflict wounds… but they are words God actually uses to heal us.  We begin with our sermon theme today: DIVIDED WE STAND. 

Maybe you’re wondering, “Did I hear that right?  Isn’t it supposed to be ‘UNITED’ we stand!?’”  That’s what people usually say, and even the Bible would seem to agree with it.  In Luke chapter 2, which we hear every Christmas, what did the angels say? “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth PEACE to men on whom his favor rests (Peace… not division!).”

            I promise I’m not just trying to stir the pot with this theme.   Because 10 chapters later in Luke – we have today’s sermon text from our Gospel reading, where Jesus himself says, “I did not come to bring peace but division…” And that’s a harder message than the message of the angels.  Maybe it’s even a passage you and I are tempted to ignore.  “I don’t get it, so I’m not going to worry about this one!” But these are words worth listening to… especially when God uses such wounds to heal us! 

            Perhaps the easiest way to understand these words is to focus on verse 50 of our sermon text, and feel free to follow along with our Gospel reading in your bulletin. Notice what Jesus says, I have a BAPTISM to undergo, and how DISTRESSED I am until it is finished!  Usually, we think of baptism as something good, but Jesus talks about this baptism as causing him distress, even as something he has yet to undergo.  Here ge cannot be talking about our water baptism, which he had already received from John the Baptist earlier in his ministry.  Instead, Jesus is talking about baptism in a different way: he’s using this word as the Bible sometimes does, in a figurative sense to picture being flooded or overwhelmed with something bad…  In this case, he’s talking about the cross, which was starting to loom over him as he set his eyes on Jerusalem near the end of his ministry.  And that would cause anyone distress: “baptism” in the fires of hell!  But that’s what Jesus was willing to go through, all because these were WOUNDS THAT HEAL.  Jesus knew that only through his perfect sacrifice as the Son of God could he save us from the fires that he talks about in verse 49!… And by the way, THAT’S the context. It’s only after that where Jesus goes on to talk about how he would bring division, even among the closest of family members.

            That really is key to understanding this whole text, because it reinforces the truth that Jesus DOES want us to have peace: in particular, peace with God, which is what that Christmas passage is all about: “glory to GOD and peace to men on whom HIS favor rests.”  But that also implies to a second, much more terrible truth: the whole reason we needed Jesus to be born in the first place is because without him we lack this peace, we have sin that would otherwise divide us from God… and ultimately, that sin will divide us from others as well.

            It’s just not how people see it.  It’s why many people started abandoning Jesus by the end of his ministry when he started to speak words like these that cut to the heart.  They didn’t want to hear about their real problem that they were sinners in need of a Savior.  It’s why some people – like the Jewish leaders – instead thought they could earn their way to heaven: “my sin isn’t so bad, I can do enough good things to balance it out!”  It’s why many more people – like the crowds who initially followed Jesus – sought to make Jesus a bread king: “my biggest problems aren’t the spiritual problems I face inside of me, but physical threats that come from the outside… Likewise, aren’t we prone to think the same? “My sin isn’t too bad, I can overcome it on my own, with enough effort!”  Or, “There are bigger problems in the world around us, that’s what the church should be focused on!…”  When we think this way, we miss the whole point. Jesus didn’t come down from heaven to earth to pat us on the back for doing such a good job, nor did he come to fix all the problems we see around us… He came to undergo a baptism of fire for us.

            With that in mind, return to our topic today and the DIVISION that Jesus talks about in the final verses of our sermon text.  It calls to mind the biblical teaching of church fellowship, which is all about how we should practice our faith with others who agree with us on ALL of Christ’s teachings.  This was once the practice of many Christian denominations, but now our church body is almost unique in following this.  And I get it, it’s hard!  “You mean we shouldn’t always pray with other Christians?  We really should have Lord’s Supper only with the members of our own church body?  But shouldn’t Christians be more UNITED!?  How can we let a few things DIVIDE us when we agree on so much!?…”  When we think that way, do you realize it’s the devil working on us?  He’s trying to get us to think that our sin isn’t so serious, and our differences (caused by sin) aren’t so divisive, so we can ignore what God says about how he wants Christians to come together; after all, we can overcome these differences on our own and maybe focus on other things!  No, to BREAK us of that –  in love, to heal us! – Jesus cuts us to the heart with words like these… He came to divide.

            After all, that’s what will happen anyway.  Think of it, for a world that preaches, “united we stand”, there sure is a lot of division!  In the news or on social media, how often do you see someone who is an “ally” to a cause – who agrees with the group think on EVERY. OTHER. THING. – but they get “cancelled” over just ONE thing?  It’s not just there where we see it, it also strikes close to home.  How quickly do you see even the closest of relationships face conflict – husbands & wives, parents & children! – and even in our own families?  That’s because sin is still there in each and every human heart, and it will always ruin that peace like it first did in the Garden, that’s just what sin does!… So, Jesus must also DIVIDE; that is, divide us FROM sin!  And because Jesus alone brings healing for our sin through his death on the cross, He must be the ultimate dividing line!… even if it comes at the expense of unity with others.

            That’s the fine line we need to walk as Christians.  We want peace and unity – of course we do, we should always want that—but it can never be at the expense of Jesus and what he teaches!  So we do what Jesus did: we sacrifice for others (at great loss to ourselves) and love them (even when the world no longer will).  Jesus never came to divide in those ways… but we uphold all of Jesus’ teachings, even when it DOES divide.  That includes teachings about fellowship and prayer and Lord’s Supper; or teachings about the law and sin, speaking up and warning others when these things rear their ugly head; and especially, teachings about the gospel, and witnessing to friends and family about God’s love.  We do all of this, and we don’t let fear of division prevent us from doing something God says or prompt us to do something differently.

            Because again, there will always be division in this world. That’s not the question, whether or not we can get rid of it.  The real question is this: will you face division with or without Christ?  Because that’s the one place where it’s truly reconciled: at his cross – in that most infinitely terrible baptism where Jesus was engulfed in all the fires of hell for you and for me, so that we could have unity with him and with each other in the resurrection of the dead.  That’s what Jesus meant when he says he came to bring division: it wasn’t to hurt us – it was never to hurt us! – it’s to heal us.  And he wants us to heal us by helping us find true peace.  When we can’t find that, he doesn’t want us to settle for a cheap replacement.  Instead, he wants us to let heaven be heaven – free of sin and division entirely – and whenever we don’t find that here on earth, don’t pretend it’s something it’s not. If it’s division, it’s division… then, long for something better someday, and look to Jesus to provide it, which he is so glad to give to us.

            So… DIVIDED WE STAND, Yes!…  Divided from sin, so that we can be united in an even better way: without sin, without the division, without the pretending and the lies that we so often put on.  Instead, we are united by Christ and his teachings, and we practice real forgiveness with others.  And when you find that kind of relationship with your loved ones and friends and other Christians, not even Satan will be able to divide you!  On the other hand, when you don’t find that, thank God for the many blessings he still provides through these people, but working towards that goal, and never compromise on Jesus.  Only with him do we stand.  Only by him are we healed.  That’s worth it, even if it leads to some division here. Amen. 

Faith Looks Forward

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Pastor: Pastor Horton

Date: August 10, 2025

Passage: Hebrews 11:1–3,8–16

Three summers ago we began to receive the first images from the James Webb telescope.  It is unique because it’s in orbit and therefore free from earth’s atmospheric interferences.  And what has this powerful telescope been able to see?  Hundreds of billions of stars both, for the lack of better terminology, being born and passing away, massive black holes, and galaxies even beyond where human science assumed to be the border of the big bang.  This telescope has allowed us to look forward through traveling light years, and see the illuminated expanses of the created universe.  We’re told today that “By faith we know that the universe was created by God’s word.”  It’s humbling to look forward through the cosmos and to be able to see what God has done. 

The people of the Hebrews were being asked to look forward as well.  They didn’t have a telescope, but rather they had the inspired word of God, which was more powerful and more useful when it came to their salvation.  They were to fix their eyes on Christ by faith, and look forward to salvation won through Jesus alone.  And yet we’re told: that came with hardships for them.  Because they had an Old Testament way of life with its regulations and cultural heritage and family traditions all attached to the past.  To look forward instead to all that they had in Jesus was a much needed reminder.

In this famous chapter from Hebrews 11, the listeners are asked to consider the founding father of their people, Abraham, as he looked forward by faith.  There must have been hardships for Abraham as well.  After all, as the reader was reminded, his family and his heritage was not that of a native believer from Israel, but rather he was the son of Terah from a place called Ur, beyond the Euphrates River.  His religion?  The family already had at least one.  Scripture tells us that his father’s house already had “other gods.”  And his wealth?  He had earthly means and didn’t need to relocate or restart or rebuild his life.  To ask Abraham to blindly go wherever God would send him and become a tent-living traveler and stranger and foreigner in the land?  That’s a big request!  I may have been tempted to say “no thank you, I’m okay right where I am.  I know what I have here and it’s a lot, but out there, who’s to say?”

And yet marvel at our words for today, “By faith Abraham obeyed.  By faith he lived as a stranger in the Promised Land, as if it did not belong to him, dwelling in tents along with Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.  For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”  Home, as he knew it was no longer behind him, but ahead of him in heaven.  Home in heaven wasn’t going to be temporary or transient – as if it’s something one hopes for one day and gone the next.  No!  Home in heaven was secure in the promise of his coming Savior.

And did you notice that these timeless truths were passed on to the future generations in his family?  Promises echoed to Isaac and Jacob and later Joseph and beyond.  God had Abraham look forward by faith and see that his wife would conceive at an old age.  “Impossible!” shouts human reasoning, for this senior citizen and his barren wife!  But not impossible when it comes to God.  Abraham “considered him (God) faithful who made the promise.”  And from God’s faithfulness in fulfilling the fullness of that promise came a numerous people, and a spiritual Israel as vast and diverse as the galaxies in the sky (you are part of that promise fulfilled), and that promise included a Savior for the world.  That’s an impressive sequence of fulfilled events illustrating God’s faithfulness – all in that promise made to a man who was “as good as dead” and standing under the starry sky.

We find in those early patriarchs people whose faith continued to look forward to their heavenly home.  Far from perfect people they lived in a far from perfect world with sin and died.  “One by one, all of these died in faith, without having received the things that were promised, but they saw and welcomed them from a distance.  They confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth….Instead, they were longing for a better land—a heavenly one.”  We have the same God they do, and the same Word full of truth, and are given faith like they were.  But what about those days when I feel like my faith can’t compare to theirs?   

What exactly is this faith given by God?  Faith is not merely a human hope or a human feeling.  As in “I have faith that the Brewers win the World Series since they have the best record in baseball and swept the Dodgers twice.”  That kind of faith is based upon my wants and wishes.  Faith, as described in the Bible, is far better than that.  Faith is assurance in God’s Word as the Holy Spirit has converted your heart and drawn you closer to Jesus through the saving gospel.  Faith is trust and confidence that God is and will work all things out for the eternal good of his children.  And faith is based securely upon Christ Jesus, who is today risen, living, ascended, and in total control of all things and who dwells actively in your heart.  This is faith according to Scripture, a gift from God graciously given to you and to me and to Abraham.  And faith points our focus forward and to Jesus and throws wide open the promise of heaven.

There with God in heaven is that “better land” the early believers longed for.  There is the goal of our faith.  There is an eternal country beyond our best dreams.  The leader there is never corrupt or tyrannical, but selfless in serving and providing for all our needs.  There our enemies have no voice – fear and sorrow gone forever.  There in that land exists the very best health plan where we will be completely free from sin and death and all that disturbs the body, mind, and heart.  There in that heavenly land, constructed by God with you in mind, we will have perfect relief, perfect contentment, perfect stability, perfect joy, and perfect love.  This is what the believers of old, by faith, “saw and welcomed from a distance” and is ours through Jesus.

Like those Hebrew believers we need that constant reminder to look through the lens of the Word at what is coming through Christ.  How often do we try to convince ourselves that we can have that better land right here and now apart from Christ by thinking, “if only that family or financial situation was fixed, or I have that new job or new relationship, or the country improves – then everything will suddenly be better!”  Maybe sometimes better, but not perfect.  And we become so earthly minded that we forget where our true home is and where our true treasure is.  Pastor Lauersdorf, the People’s Bible commentator, wrote beautifully, “‘I’m but a stranger here, heaven is my home,’ we love to sing, but in life’s reality it is often so different. “Eyes that should be raised heavenward are riveted on earth.  Feet which should be marching toward Canaan’s shores are mired in earth’s swamps.  Hands that should be reaching for eternal treasures are wrapped around gaudy marbles.  Backs that should be straining in effort for the kingdom are bent over in valueless pursuit of earthly wealth and gain.”  And yet try as we might, this place will never be our real home.  The gift of faith in Jesus helps you and I to look forward.

By faith Abraham and the fellow believers, our brothers and sisters in the Old Testament recognized this fact. They lived in mobile tents and in earthly bodies.  These men and women passed away without receiving the Promised Land and without meeting the Savior.  Yet they died knowing he would come to earth, knowing he would die and rise for them.  Why?  Because God is faithful.  That’s why the author says, “Faith is being sure about what we hope for, being convinced about things we do not see.  For by this faith the ancients were commended in Scripture.”  And there the Bible, in both Old Testament and New, Jesus is held up, who is the foundation of our faith.

Consider all that your God-given faith sees and knows.  Faith sees Christ lying in a manger.  Faith sees Jesus living a sin-free life in your place.  Faith sees Jesus being heavenly-minded all the time – he even speaks that way: “the kingdom of heaven/God is like, I want to be with my Father, etc.”  Our heavenly-minded Savior set the wants of the world aside, he went to the cross to win forgiveness for you before God, he gave you his perfect life, he covered you in his righteousness like a glorious dress, and he rose from the grave so that heavenly land is yours one day.  That is what our faith sees and believes.  Like Abraham, faith sees a glorious heaven and looks forward to it.  Faith understands that in this day of grace, we have work to do in sharing Jesus, and yet faith also longs for that day when we will pass over the threshold of death to life, and say, “Thank you, Jesus, I’m finally home.”

Dear brothers and sisters, as you take that final summer camping trip, or find yourself under a starry sky, remember God’s promises to Abraham.  We have a God who is faithful, we can do the impossible, and who gives us a faith to hear, believe, and rejoice in his promises.  Press on, share the good news with those inside and outside your home, and keep your eyes on the coming Christ.  The good land and heavenly home awaits.  And by faith we look forward.  Amen. 

“Prayer is a Privilege, not a Right”

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Passage: 1 Timothy 2:1-7

Pastor: Pastor Walther

Date: July 27, 2025

Is it a privilege or a right?  We don’t always like to think in those terms. “I have a RIGHT to protest whenever & wherever I want!…” “I have a RIGHT to bear whatever firearm however I want to bear it!…”  “I have a RIGHT not to wear a mask, or not get a vaccine!…”  “I have a RIGHT to insist that people use my pronouns and accommodate my needs!…” Do you?  Or, are some of those privileges rather than rights?

Don’t worry, I’m not here to give you my opinion on these matters.  As your new pastor I’m not going to be preaching politics from the pulpit.  But it’s this classic debate between rights and privileges that frames our look at God’s Word today as we consider a vastly more important topic than any I just mentioned: a topic that doesn’t just affect our lives here on earth, it affects our souls forever in heaven.

That topic is prayer.  Perhaps we’re tempted to think of prayer as a God-given right we’re born with, where we can ask God for whatever we want whenever we want it!… But under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul presents prayer more as a PRIVILEGE than as a right.  And far from that limiting our prayers, God actually uses it to give us more. Listen again to some of what we we heard earlier in 1 Timothy 2,

1 First of all, then, I urge that that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made… which is really every kind of prayer!  Petitions: that’s asking God for things – often for yourself!  Intercession: that’s also asking God for things – but this time for others!  And (also) thanksgiving: don’t forget to thank God when he answers those prayers and pours out his blessings on you!  But notice what Paul adds: (Make such prayers) for ALL people—for KINGS, and ALL those in authority….  As you think back to some of the politically-charged topics I mentioned earlier, do you really want to pray for all people, including those in government?  God tells us to do so here, and for good reason: so that we may live peaceful and quiet lives.  Simply put, when things go well for those in authority, life under them tends to go better also.  That’s why it’s worth praying for them.  And there’s also this: 3 This is good, and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. Why wouldn’t we want to please God?  Not only does he want all people to be saved, he backed up his talk with action:  5  There is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all. It’s something we hear all the time, but we just continue to marvel…  God sent his own Son into the world to pay for the sin of every person?  Even that politician who had an affair, or who stole from others, or whose actions led to someone’s tragic death?  Even me, with the ugly thoughts that run through my mind or the wicked things these hands have done?… Yes, Christ Jesus gave himself as a RANSOM for ALL. And as Paul wraps up our reading, he makes it clear that’s what his ministry was all about… Mine too, as your new pastor. 

We all need to hear this. Like me, did you just bristle at some of those words?  Pray?  For the government!?!  Maybe that’s hard to do with the current local or state or federal leaders above you.  Maybe that was hard to do with previously elected officials.  And it just goes to show, we are tempted to treat prayer as more of a right – as something we’re born with, that’s all about what we should demand for ourselves

But prayer isn’t just some right we inherently possess.  Not when we were born in the sinful image of our parents, separate from God as the Father to whom we pray.  I mean, you want to talk about rights?  Our right is that God would absolutely ignore our prayers, just like you would ignore someone’s petitions who hurt you, hated you, and rejected what you wanted.  That should lead us in great humility to approach God on our knees, only in terms of what he wants.  Yet how often do we spit in the face of what he wants and continue to pester him only regarding what we want?  One way we see that is by failing to honor and respect the government he has placed over us.  We also see this whenever we reject God’s plans in any other area of our lives with our money, our relationships, or our possessions.

Finally, it’s why Paul said we need a mediator – a word that implies there is conflict between two parties. And make no mistake, our sin means there is war between us and God – or at least, there would be, had there not been a mediator who came in God’s perfect image as a proper son, who had every right to petition God as Father.  Jesus paid exactly the ransom we needed for our every sin against the government.  Remember those Sunday School stories where Jesus always perfectly obeyed and respected his authorities, whether they had earned it or not?  It’s just like he did for our every other sin through his perfect life and innocent death on the cross. 

With that price paid, God has now adopted us through his Spirit in baptism.  It’s why we can approach God in prayer – not with fear & trembling as his subjects, but with confidence & joy as his children, just like Jesus described in today’s Gospel – God has granted us that privilege.  In fact, you could almost say it is a right, but God defines this right not as we so often think of it – in terms of entitlements and what we’re owed.  Rather, it’s a right defined by the values of his family – in terms of grace and mercy.

For example, how about the “right” to quiet and happy living – not on our terms, but on God’s terms –by faithfully respecting & following & praying for our governing authorities?  We may think we have it bad – and to be fair, life will never be perfect here, this isn’t heaven! – but think of what God still gives us through the governing authorities in this country?… A few of you may be aware that my dad is a pastor who does Hispanic ministry over in Watertown.  And one thing he’s heard again and again from the people he serves is that they find life so “tranquilo” here: peaceful!  They love living here under our government, and it’s because of what they left behind in some parts of Mexico…. You consider that, and then you look at some of what we have – honestly great infrastructure & roads, more wealth than any people on earth has amassed, history’s most powerful military – and we have it so good.  Of course we do.  If the Almighty God loved us enough to give us his own son as a ransom for sin, we can trust that he’ll bless us in other ways too. 

So, trust the Lord.  Along with it, trust his will.  And as you do so, God urges you through your pastors to pray.  Pray as a privilege.  Pray not just for what you want, or you feel you’re owed; rather, pray for what God wants, to whom you and I owe everything!…  So yes, pray for your governing authorities.  Pray especially for those with whom you disagree!  Then lead quiet lives in piety, godliness, and submission, not because you always agree with those above you, but because you always agree with God.  That mans you trust God will always bless you through your leaders, no matter who they are.  Then thank God for those blessings when they come.  (And they will come!)

If that’s not enough reward for such prayer, how about one more: it pleases God… it pleases GOD – who loved you and me enough to give us his own Son, who has given us the privilege to come to him in prayer And he doesn’t just yank that privilege away whenever we sin, he just continues to forgive us in Jesus.  He even wants to forgive us in Jesus, as he reminds us today.  We don’t always want to forgive others when they wrong us, but he does!  I mean, why would we not want to make our God happy?  We DO!…  So, like Abraham in our Old Testament reading, see prayer as a privilege.  He knew he had no right to come before God, but still he appealed to him on the basis of his mercy & love, and God was pleased to listen.  God delights in listening to you as well, even though he owes you nothing.  Be amazed at his love for you.

That’s ultimately what it was about for Paul as he told his people what to do & how to pray.  That’s also what it’s about for me or Pastor Horton or any other pastor as we tell you to do things.  It’s not about what we want, but about what God wants.  More than that, it’s about his love for us which explains what he wants, even if we have trouble seeing it.  So see prayer as a privilege, not as a right.  Granted, Christ HAS given us the right to come before God the Father in prayer, but not as we so often think of rights: to seize things only to satisfy ourselves.  Rather, this is a right we’re privileged to have.  And how much better would politics and so many other things in this world be if we just remembered that?  God grant us strength and ability to be his instruments to bring peace and quietness to this world.  We start by praying for all people, including those above us.  Amen.  

“A Blessing That Lasts”

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Author: John H. Boggs

Passage: Numbers 6:24-26

Date: June 15, 20205

I’ve used the NPH book “Sermon Texts” a lot in ministry. It not only brings you through the proposed texts & readings for Sundays of the church year, but also includes suggested texts for special festivals. The “Easter” section is full of suggestions, as is “Christmas” & others. “Trinity Sunday”, though, is a little light on texts. There were a few I looked at and thought, “that might work”, but nothing really jumped out. Thankfully, when I dug a bit deeper my search was complete as I turned to Numbers 6 (read text). While there are others that would do, the words before us are perhaps the PERFECT passage for Trinity Sunday. Why? Because, it includes A Blessing That Lasts, sharing 1) A promise of protection; 2) A gift of Grace; & 3) An Assurance of Peace- All of which come from Father, Son, & Holy Spirit.

Israel was one year removed from the first Passover in which God freed them from Egypt’s slavery. They had crossed the Red Sea & been recipients of water from a rock and manna from heaven. They had witnessed God flex His muscles against their foes. Now they camped at the foot of Mt. Sinai, where they would receive His expectations in the form of the 10 commandments. It’s here where he would also reveal Himself as LORD- the God of the covenant who loved them, who would protect them, who would bring them much more than they deserved. This same LORD told Moses, “‘Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites’”. What follows is a blessing so powerful it has stood the test of time & is how God’s called NT servants dismiss their people, as well.

There is no missing the mystery of the Trinity in these verses. Three blessings, each specific to the part the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit play in the lives of God’s people. The Father’s work is evident in vs 24, “The Lord bless you and keep you.” Whether OT or NT ears, what a privilege to hear these words spoken! Martin Luther writes in his explanation to the first article of the Apostles’ Creed, “I believe that God created me and all that exists, that He gave me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my mind and all my abilities.” My how the Lord has blessed us! In different amounts; in different ways; but He has blessed us- The house which keeps us dry. The car that’s faster than walking. The ability to provide for self & others. The blessings of sight, learning, comforting, leading, following- the list goes on. Take a second and think how God has blessed you… amazing. There’s more, though, “The Lord bless you and keep you” We pray to our heavenly Father in the prayer He taught us, “Deliver us from evil.” We ask Him to keep bad things away from us, to deliver us from them when they do come, to make them work out for our good and to His glory. And He does! The One who created all things, the One who parted seas and provided for 2 million people wandering through the desert cares about each of us so much He not only blesses us beyond imagination, He protects us when Satan, this world, & even our sinful selves get in the way. That’s God our Father.

The blessings keep coming in our text, “The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you;” I love the personal nature of the words here as we see the work of our Savior, Jesus, “The Lord make His face shine upon you.” I’ve gotten away in my ministry from using the phrase “What would Jesus do.” I understand what it means and that it was popular years back. When I look at my life, though, and ask WWJD & then compare that to myself, I’m horrified. I picture Jesus looking at me with his face downcast like a hurt mother or disappointed father. I ask myself WWJD and it’s so often not what I’ve done or contemplated or spoken. Oh, how I don’t deserve the blessing in this verse. And yet Jesus loves the unworthy. He loves the unlovable. He loves those who deserve wrath. God the Father is seen in the first verse of our text as LORD, “Yahweh”- the God of an undeserved, one-sided covenant. How much more for the second member of the Trinity we worship. It’s the same love revealed in Exodus, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” (34:9-10) As if this weren’t enough, we also hear, “The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;” Luther states that this Jesus “has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death.” 1500 years before that Good Friday outside the gates of Jerusalem, we today- at the foot of Mt. Sinai- see the effects of our Savior’s love, “The LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.” That’s what undeserved love does! It looks on us & doesn’t see our warts and all. It sees us as blood bought souls because of the One who laid down His life for us. It sees us as new creations, as heirs of eternal life.

Finally, the Aaronic blessing concludes with the words, “The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” The Holy Spirit often gets the short end of the Trinity stick, doesn’t He?! I know He gets Pentecost, but throughout the Church year, Christians focus more on the work of the Father & Son than this “behind the scenes” member of the Trinity. Not today, though. The One who both creates faith in us and strengthens this faith through the Gospel in Word and Sacrament is revealed as we hear the timeless truth that God does indeed ‘turn His face toward us.” Luther continues, “But the Holy Spirit has called me by the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.” There is nothing worse than when you are talking to someone and they- either because of anger, boredom, or distraction- turn away to focus on something else. Wow is that frustrating. It’s also something that never happens in life for those who call on the name of the Lord! The faith created in our hearts by Water & the Word gives us access to a God who never sleeps, vacations, or gets bored with ‘turning His face toward you.” Think about that- the Creator of the universe, the Savior of our every sin, partners with the Holy Spirit to answer our every prayer, to conquer our every fear, to be attentive to our every need. Only because this is true can we hear the final words of our text, “The LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace”- Peace in the middle of a messed up marriage; peace bigger than a hurting back or body ravaged by cancer; Peace when sleep deprivation hits us or financial crisis is an everyday reality or when life seems to either be passing us by or hitting us in the face again and again. This peace that the triune LORD gives us assures us that in Him we can handle any situation. And why?! For the same reason Paul could proclaim, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This blessing of peace is not built on me, myself, & I. It’s built on Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

I’m going to read the words of our text again with the understanding that the original Hebrew uses the 2nd person singular every time the word “YOU” is said. Hear these words spoken directly to you today, dear friends. Know this blessing first spoken 3,500 years ago is just as valid today as it was at Sinai. It’s a blessing powered by our Triune God- Father, Son, & Holy Spirit. Hear these Words and know that this same God continues to shower His love on you and gives you His peace (read verses; end with “That is the Word of the Lord- AMEN.”)

Gains for God

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