“Built on Jesus”
September 3, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters, grace and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Coming up this December will mark twenty years since, by the grace of God, I was first ordained into the ministry of Word and Sacrament. And I would be lying if I said that those twenty years have been smooth sailing, without any major challenges, and have been free from stresses and changes. That’s definitely not been the case: as many of us are aware, various issues, many having to do with hot-button social topics or church governance, have created shifts in congregational alliances and denominational memberships. Changing demographic realities in certain areas have caused churches to look at new ways of reaching out to their communities. As certain church buildings have aged, realities of maintenance have caused new hardships, such as we experienced with our roof not long ago. Covid certainly created major changes in church attendance habits, and attitudes towards church in general; finances have created tensions and stresses, with some churches even questioning their future long-term existence. New insights into various issues have been gained and accepted; new approaches to different things have been adopted; new ways of reaching people, especially with a more relationships-based approach, as well as updated technology, are being used. And the challenge for churches has been how to adapt to the world as it is, while at the same time keeping true to who we are, and what our mission where we are is. However, I’d just as equally be lying if I said that there haven’t been some things that have remained the same. Thankfully, there is one thing that will always remain the same, and, despite all other changes, will remain unchanged. And the one important thing, above everything else, that will remain unchanged, and that we need to get back to, is this:
It’s all about Jesus. Even though we’ve heard it several times before, we still have to keep being reminded of it again and again. In our own existence, many things have changed: the language we worship in, the hymnals we use, the styles of songs we sing, the pastor leading worship up front, all of these have changed over time. But one thing has remained unchanged: Jesus is still our purpose, the reason why we’re here, and why we do what we do. We are here because we believe Jesus came, died, and rose again for us, and He is still here with us in power. He alone is in charge of this church, and it is His guidance and direction we follow. He alone is to be the inspiration for anything we undertake, because what we do, we are to do for the purpose of reaching out and bringing people to Him. We’re still in many ways emerging from the damage caused by the pandemic, and we’ve had a number of growing and learning experiences throughout the past couple of years. But now it’s time for us get back to what we’re really supposed to be all about: preaching Jesus, teaching about Jesus, showing Jesus, being like Jesus.
What we especially believe about Jesus is that He is the way God does everything He promises. In today’s First Reading from Exodus, God says to Moses that He, God, has heard the cries of His people, who are in slavery in Egypt, and is putting a plan into action to bring them out and to their rightful home. What we see is that, as we’ve heard before, the God of the Old Testament is the same as the God of the New Testament: a God who is faithful, who keeps His promises. Which is what He means when He says He “remembers His covenant”: when He says He will do something, He’ll do it, no matter how impossible it may seem, and no matter what may stand in His way. He will overcome all obstacles, and everything else, to cause what He wants to happen to take place. He promised to free His people from their oppression, and that’s exactly what He did. In the same way, He promised to send someone to save the whole world from slavery to sin, the powers of evil, and eternal death. So He sent His Son to heal, cast out demons, and raise the dead, showing His victory over everything which would seem like it has power over everything, and showing Himself to be the ultimate power instead. If He can defeat death, there isn’t anything He can’t defeat. Now is the moment for us to cast aside everything else: our worries, fears, thoughts about what could go wrong, and instead believe in what Jesus can do, and gain new confidence from believing and trusting in Him.
Even though Jesus has been used to try to justify various causes or opinions on many sides of the political, theological, or moral spectrum, He actually stands above politics, or any other source of division. To try to use Him, or His words, as the basis for any partisan or sectarian conflict is to misuse Him and ignore what He’s for in the first place. His message and example is one of looking beyond any labels, divisions, or anything else. This means, as we follow and believe in Jesus, we are free from having to add anything else on to the message of Jesus, or putting extra qualifications on who can or can’t follow Jesus. Instead, we are free just to believe in Jesus as He is: our friend, brother, God, Savior, and King. He is not only our friend and Savior, He is the friend and Savior of everyone who believes in Him. He heals everyone who asks Him for a new life, habits, or direction. He helps everyone who comes to Him for answers. He accepts all those who accept Him as Lord and God. He also welcomes all those who, as Peter did, confess Him as Messiah, Christ, and Son of God. He also accepts the worship, praise, and prayer of everyone who calls on His Name, wherever and whenever it happens.
We’ve heard for years that believing in Jesus as Lord, God, and Savior means that we are saved for eternity, to live with Him forever. But there’s a lot more to it: Who you say Jesus is not only determines your eternal destiny, but what you live for in this life. The reason we come to church each week is hopefully far more than just to come see our friends, or sing a few inspiring songs. It is to worship Jesus, re-center and refocus ourselves in Jesus, and recommit ourselves to following Him and believing in Him throughout the week. The life we live, we live for Jesus, to be like Jesus, showing His love and compassion to all people, and doing so unconditionally, as Jesus does for us. In just a few minutes, we will be receiving Jesus Himself as He gives Himself to us in the bread and wine of Communion. And today, I want to invite all of you: as you come forward to the altar, pray to invite Jesus into your heart anew, and to accept Him as your Lord, God, and Savior once again. Pray for the power to believe in Him even more strongly than before, and for your faith to be unshakeable, committed, and enduring. Pray to receive His power to become more like Him, especially in how you act towards other people this week. Pray also to receive answers to anything you’re struggling with – believing that Jesus can overcome all the impossible.
Also, as we look forward to the coming Fall season, and, as the new year approaches, work to figure out what direction God is leading us in, now is a wonderful opportunity to show others what we’re really all about. Today’s world needs Jesus. More than ever, people need Jesus. Believing in Jesus also doesn’t require any special intellectual or theological training: it is simply trusting Him in your heart and believing He does for you what He promises. Jesus also even helps and saves all those who, for any reason, can’t say out loud or express any kind of visible faith in Him. Since Jesus has all this kind of power, it’s time for us to build our faith, and our church, on Him again. Now is the time for us to get back to what’s really important, why we’re here: it’s all about Jesus – and only Jesus.
Now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
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