“Encourage One Another” (Hebrews 3:13)

S-1340 20SAP/3B 10/14/12 Hymns: (O) #827; (S) #850; (C) #832 LSB

Text: Amos 5:6-7, 10-15; Hebrews 3:12-19; Mark 10:17-22

Theme: “Encourage One Another” (Hebrews 3:13)

Question: “Have you encouraged anyone this week?” Mission Sunday for Mt. Calvary Huron

Faithful followers of the Savior, Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia! The text for our Mission Fest is from the Epistle lesson: “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13).

My beloved and His beloved, I remember the day vividly as it if t was yesterday. The year was 1997 and I was attempting my first Bike For Life (BFL) ride—a ride that is over 100 miles long from Armour to Sioux Falls, to save babies.

Before the BFL event, I sent out a message to all of the congregations of our Beloved District asking for people to pray, give financially and riders to join me. That year only one rider answered the call (David Olsen) from Our Redeemer, SF. David drove out the morning of the ride. Please remember I had never attempted anything like this before. We started out and he began to tell me what I needed to do, how to pace myself, what to eat on the road and encouraged me all along. When we got to the 70s miles, I was hurting; pain was taking its toll I wanted to quit. But David wouldn’t let me. He kept encouraging me. The pain got more intense and my bottom began to hurt even more. With each crack in the road, I would get off my seat. By the time we got to the 90s miles, tears began to roll down my cheeks and I said to David, “I just can’t go on. I am hurting; my bottom can’t take it anymore.” David was my Barnabas that day. He said, “Pastor, let’s just rest for sometimes and see what happens.” I laid flat on my back, ate two more bananas and after 45 minutes, I was ready to go. I rode the final 16 miles refreshed and rejuvenated. Completed the task and was elated! 15 years later, we are still riding with more than 40 riders to save babies and by the grace of God raised over $18.000 dollars last year and this year we are approaching $10.000. SDG.

In today’s text the author to the Hebrews writes: “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today.” Another word, encourage one another today and not tomorrow. Use the time to change someone’s life for the better and introduce them to Jesus the Savior of the world. We need more people like David to be encouragers on the journey of life. God has put us on this earth for a reason—to make His name known to the world. To give hope to the hopeless, light to those in darkness, and life to those dead in sin and trespasses!

On this Mission Sunday I challenge each and every one of you to look at the opportunities the Savior has given you to share with others. I exhort you in the name of Christ to look for ways to be part of expanding His kingdom, edifying your family of faith and exalting Him. I implore you to be the man, woman, boy and girl for God desires for you.

You who are blood-bought and heaven-bound, I want you to join me to be an encourager for Christ. When a person is working for God we should encourage them to continue on. As the Baptized children of the heavenly Father, we want to help Christians keep going – keep on – and do their best to be a light and salt to those around them. We want Christians to become bolder and braver disciples. We want Christians to stand taller. We want Christians in Humility and by the power of the Holy Spirit to give their best effort. We want them to be the voice of Jesus in this dark world—to be an encourager. PAUSE.

Please remember, we can’t do it alone, but we have someone who will walk with us along the way—an encourager.

The word for “exhortation” in the Greek is Parakaleite that is to say someone who walks right along the road with you. It is the same root word for the Holy Spirit promised to walk with us (John 15:26). paráklētos, that can signify “one who consoles or comforts, one who encourages or uplifts; hence refreshes, and/or one who intercedes on our behalf as an advocate in court”. Although we won’t know the human writer to the Hebrews until all is revealed, yet by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit He has encouraged us to be faithful to Him in teaching others the truth of the salvation that our Savior has earned for us on Calvary’s cross.

Encouragement includes the giving of courage, hope, confidence, support and help. The apostle Paul ties the act of encouragement to the process of building up one another: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thess. 5:11).

This is what the Savior of the world wants of us—to be an encourager, an exhorter for His cause and ministry. Because life with Christ matters, it brings hope and help, it brings life and love, and it brings joy and happiness.

Once again in the name of Christ Your Savior and Lord I challenge you to be an encourager to someone else. Everybody can be a servant of the Most High God. You don't have to have a college degree to be an encourager. What you need is have the vision of Christ to expand His kingdom, a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love and a hand stretched out in mercy. I encourage you to be an encourager with this story:

Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball hat, a glove and a small tape recorder. Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles. Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the burden. As they walked Mark discovered the boy’s name was Bill, he loved video games, baseball and history that he was having lots of trouble with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend.

They arrived at Bill’s home first and Mark was invited in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and some shared small talk, then Mark went home. They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated from junior high school. They ended up in the same high school where they had brief contacts over the years. Finally the long awaited senior year came, and three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.

Bill reminded him of the day years ago when they had first met. “Do you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?” asked Bill. “You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn’t want to leave a mess for anyone else. I had stored away some of my mother’s sleeping pills and I was going home to commit suicide. But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I realized that if I had killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow. So you see, Mark, when you picked up my books that day, you did a lot more. You saved my life.”

You, who are precious in His sight, we have an Encourager now and every day. He walks with us and talks with us along life’s narrow way. He is the One who guides and guards our hearts and minds to know Him as our Lord and God. He is the One who gives us His Word, assures us of our future with Him and helps us to see that there is more to life than just living on this earth—but that He prepared for us a home in heaven. For this reason, we want to be “The Barnabas” to the world” Barnabas is the Son of an encourager. In the book of proverbs we read: “As iron sharpens iron so does a man sharpen the countenance of his friend” (Pro. 27:17). Sharpen your friends to know Jesus as Lord and God.

Saints in Christ remember what President Ronald Reagan said: “No matter where we live, we have a promise that can make all the difference. A promise for Jesus to sooth our sorrows heal our hearts and drive away our fears. He promised there will never be a dark night that doesn’t end. Our weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. He promised to love us always without exceptions. And by dying for us Jesus shows how much our love should be ready to go—all the way to help others who do not know the One who was sent by God. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

I pray that the Holy Spirit the One promised to walk with us would use us to be an instrument to encourage others. What a great blessing as we are able to encourage and exhort one another daily, because the time is at hand as we share the Gospel in/with the Body of Christ!

Today, I give thanks for David who encouraged me to finish my ride, and I pray that you will be encouraged to live and share the love of Jesus, the One who loved you and still does even now and exhorts you to walk with Him hand in hand as you share His love with others. Amen.

Now the peace…

SOLI DEO GLORIA

“Rise and Go!” (Acts 8:26-31)

S-1316 4SAE/3B 5/06/12 Hymns: (O) #193; (S) #498; 496; (C) #658

Text: Acts 8:26-40; 1 John 4:1-11; John 15:1-8

Theme: “Rise and Go!” (Acts 8:26-31)

Question: “Have you taken a missionary journey for the Lord?

Immanuel Jamison and Grace Lutheran is in Burton (Preaching in Burton

Faithful followers of the Savior, Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia! The text for this Mission Sunday is from Acts: “Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over and join this chariot.’ So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’And he said, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.” (Acts 8:26-31).

Saints in Christ and fellow servants of the Most High God, Dr. Luke in this account describe a most moving picture of the evangelist Philip and what the Lord has asked him to do. It is so very important that we grasp how the Lord of the church operates. He employs the service of angels for brining the first Gentiles into His kingdom. Here the Ethiopian eunuch, and in chapter 10 of the same book Cornelius the centurion of the Italian regiment.

We don’t know much about the angel. But what we do have is the command He gives to Philip “Rise and Go!” It is also noteworthy to see it in the Greek language to help us grasp the urgency of the commission given to Philip. “Rise” is in the aorist verb form meaning definite past action with the word “Go” in the durative form meaning continue to go because the road is long. Rather than head north the angel asks him to head south towards Gaza about 50-60 miles for an extended period. This is similar to the great command the Lord gave His disciples before He went to heaven asking them to seek the lost and to make disciples of all nations.

And Phillip…does. He heads down the road towards Gaza. Just ahead of him a eunuch is in his chariot reading the scroll of Isaiah. He is reading it out loud which (was the custom of the day), and the Spirit again asks Philip. “Go over and join this chariot,” another way to say it, “Keep company with Him!” and he does. We see how the Holy Spirit used this evangelist to explain the story of salvation from Isaiah since that is all they had. He showed them Jesus in the O.T.

The eunuch must have had great wealth to own his own scroll. But He was richer spiritually because he would make a point of going to Jerusalem to worship the Lord God. It is a journey of a little bit of walking and a little bit of talking like the Emmaus disciples’ trip described by our author in his other book (Lk. 24). While on the Emmaus road Jesus taught the disciples about His suffering, death and glorious resurrection and the story of salvation all from the O.T. (since the NT had not been written yet.)

It is not uncommon for the Holy Spirit to call us to go on trips that is unknown to us or the destinations we are to take. This trip is similar in nature as the trip Patriarch Abraham was called to take to the Promised Land. By faith He believed and obeyed and his offspring became the Children of Israel who would one day worship the True God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit also asks us to go not only for 50 miles, but our entire life ought to be one of seeking the lost and erring. Our life’s mission should be looking for opportunities to tell the greatest story ever told—the story of the Man who hung on the cross for 6 hours one Friday and changed history and our lives. This is to say, that our whole life should be one of going and going and going and going; like the Eveready Battery. A little bit of walking and a little bit of taking. PAUSE.

In his book, “In My Seat” Steve Scheibener tells the distinct privilege to live for Christ. Steve Scheibener an American Airline pilot was scheduled to fly flight 11 from Boston to LA on 9-11 but at the last moment he was bumped by a another pilot Tom McGuinnes. Steve had written 20 years earlier his life’s objective which is: “To seek, trust and glorify God through humble service and continual prayer. To raise up qualified disciples as quickly as possible, so that one day I might hear God say: “Well done thou Good and faithful servant.”

Steve goes on to say that two people have died in my place. Literally he took my seat. Tom took my seat in flight 11 and Jesus took my place on the cross; Tom and Jesus. Tom can’t take away my sins, but Someday I want to stand in the presence of God and hear Him say, “Well done thou Good and faithful servant.” That is what is on my plate. That is what is driving me these days. Why does God take one and leave another. It is not because I am a better person, or God wanted to do more with me, than He wants to do with Tom. I think in God’s providence that is obviously His choice.

What has stuck with me all these year is the fact He did leave me behind. I need to act that I am living on borrowed time; because I am. I can look and see my smoking hole on national TV. I saw where I should have died but I didn’t. Now there is an obligation that comes with that. I need to live my days with the sense of urgency. Trying to make sure I can get the most out of them. Not the most for me. We live in a world where everybody trying to get the most for them. It is not about me. This is about the distinct privilege I have been given to knowing that somebody died in my place. What I know is that somebody died in my place not once, but twice. That is where God comes in for me. Tom sat in my place and by all rights; I should have sat in that seat that day. But I didn’t. But Tom literally sat in my seat. Tom didn’t die for my sins.

God sent His own Son to die for my sins. Jesus Christ is the other one who died in my place. He hung, and He bled, and He suffered on the cross to pay a price for me, that I wasn’t qualified to pay. I couldn’t have hung on the cross. I didn’t have the same qualifications. So one guy sat on the seat that I should have sat in, and the other hung and bled on the cross. One is far more significant than the other. This is not to trivialize what happened to Tom, but to elevate and glorify what God did for me and mankind on the cross. PAUSE.

What an honor that the Lord of the Church bestows upon us to be His servants, rising and going, walking a little and talking a little and doing it all in His name. This is the privilege you and I as forgiven children of the heavenly get to do—proclaim to the world that Christ is our SOLE Savior from sin death and the devil. This is an awesome blessing the Lord of the Church calls us to be His ambassadors. Consider the honor, the privilege and glorious opportunity the Holy Spirit grants us to share a story like none other to make more disciples to be His followers.

We are told in the text, that after a little bit of riding in the chariot as Philip was talking to him the eunuch said: “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And we are told that the Ethiopian Eunuch left rejoicing after He received the grace of God in Baptism. This man was happy because he had been touched by the hands of Jesus in the miracle of baptism and was the happiest many alive. He understood what it means to be blessed, loved and cared for. He understood how much His Savior, Jesus suffered, died and rose for Him to grant him eternal life.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, do you know that today, in Ethiopia there are more Lutherans than there are in the USA? Could it be this Gentile told them about His experience? Could it be that they are the offspring of the work of this man? It well could be!

As joyful we are about the eunuch being baptized and leaving rejoicing, think of what it means for us too, that we have been touched by the Savior’s hands in Baptism. Envision in your mind what heaven is going to be like—a little bit of walking and a little bit of talking, not with Philip, not with the angel, and not even with the happy eunuch, but with Christ our Savior. Oh, the joy of doing a little bit of walking and a little bit of talking with Jesus, hand in hand. No wonder we are rejoicing now and will forever. PAUSE.

Oh, you have been touched by the One who died and rose for you know this, today, the Holy Spirit, asks us to “Rise and Go” in His name to other places. He asks to teach others the grace of God. He asks us to be His companions on the long road of life. I pray that we would be faithful in our efforts to be evangelists sharing the Good News with all people—Gentiles and believers alike. To God be the glory as we Rise and Go by His might and power to make disciples of all nations. In Jesus’ name Amen.

Now the peace…

SOLI DEO GLORIA

“Sacramental Certainty with Evangelical Risks!” (Ephesians 2:8-10)

S-1276 19SAP/3C 10/22-23/11 Hymns (O) #826; S#823; (C) # 722 LSB

Text: Isaiah 52:7-10; Ephesians 2:8-10; Matthew 14:22-31

Theme: “Sacramental Certainty with Evangelical Risks!” (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Question: “Are you a risk taker?” Mitchell, SD

Faithful followers of the Savior, Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia! The text for the 19^th Sunday after Pentecost is the Epistle lesson: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Introduction: In Nomine IESU

It is a great honor and privilege for me to be with you as you celebrate and observe your Mission Festival. I pray that the Holy Spirit will help me to encourage you, enable you and empower you to live a life of a missionary.

Children of God, often instead of sharing the good news we joke about our heritage as Lutheran Christians: We say things like:

You Might Be a Lutheran If...

…You only serve Jell-O in the proper liturgical color for the season.

...a midlife crisis means switching from the old hymnbook to the new one.
...you forget to put water in the baptismal font but never forget to put water in the coffee pot.

...you think a meeting isn’t legitimate unless it’s at least three hours long.

...you make change in the offering plate for a ten.

...you have more than five flavors of Jell-O in your pantry.

...you think hotdish is one of the major food groups.

...you think butter is a spice.
...the church is on fire, and you rush in to save the coffee pot.

But why joke about who we are? We have every reason to be thankful and proud that we are Lutheran Christians. Not selfish pride, but the pride of knowing our Sacramental Certainty and Evangelical Risks.

Yes, you and I as Lutheran Christians have what many other Christians don’t have—the Sacramental Certainty. In this Sacrament Christ has placed His name upon us in the marvelous and majestic waters of Baptism. On that day your parents brought you to the Font, as the Pastor was marking you with the sign of the cross; the Lord of the Universe was claiming you as His very own child for time and for eternity. That day you received forgiveness of your sins, life and salvation.

But there is more Sacramental Certainty for us Lutheran Christians; Christ comes to us in His Body and Blood and feeds us so that we can taste the forgiveness. He comes with the sweet honey of the Gospel found in His broken body and shed blood. He comes to us in His Word inviting us, so that He may bless us as only the TRUE God can and does.

Oh, the certainty we have as Lutheran Christians—the Sacramental Certainty, that no matter how our feelings are, no matter how many other Christians laugh and mock us, we can be certain of God’s Holy, Life-giving and Life Changing Word and promises. For this reason, we, should be joyful and celebrate life like no other Christians; because we know who we are—and whose we are!

With this joy comes the great and blessed privilege of taking the evangelical risks of living the life of a missionary not once a year when you observe Mission Fest, but every day of your life as the Baptized, Redeemed, Forgiven, Blood-bought and Heaven-bound child of the King of kings and Lord of lords—Jesus the Christ. PAUSE.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, A few years back I took some of our youth to Shoshone Base Camp in Idaho for a servant event. I know some of your youth had been there too. One of the activities on sight was climbing a 150 foot a Grand Fir tree. 45 feet up on that tree is a platform for a zip line. The zip line is attached by a cable to another tree 300 feet away. The cable is 3/8" galvanized Aircraft cable, and has a breaking strength of 12,000 lbs.

As you are standing on the ground, the activity seems safe and sound. But as they begin to harness you up for the jump; you begin to get squeamish and maybe even fearful. You climb ever so slowly and sit at the platform for either you jumping or being pushed off. Looking down is totally different than looking up. It appears so risky and so dangerous. But once you are off and zipping down the line you realize you are safe and you may even want to do it again, as some of our kids did.

Certainly there is a risk. You are putting your trust in that cable that at first appearance doesn’t seem strong enough to hold you. And worse yet, that you have never taking a leap of faith like that.

The life of a Christian is a life of risk. The risk is this: We get to go out on limp and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others. From the safety of this place we feel so secure. But as we leave here, we begin to wonder, how strong we are. It is just like being on the zip line. But we ought to remember that line is anchored in the Grand Fir tree. (Here move from the pulpit to the boat)

You my brothers and sisters have been called by the Gospel to share with the hurting world about Your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But we don’t like to do that. We would rather joke about being a Lutheran Christian rather than share the good news.

But Paul exhorts us to do what God has called us to do. Listen again to what I call the most forgotten Lutheran Bible verse in all of Scriptures: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). Almost every one of us here knows by heart Ephesians 2:8-9. We have been taught that well, but verse 10 somehow doesn’t make it into the recess of our memory.

Even the Gospel lesson for today exhorts us to take a risk like Peter did—evangelical risk of getting out of the boat and share that wonderful and blessed news the world so desperately needs to hear. For this is the greatest news you and I as Lutheran Christians are privileged to share.

Saints in Christ, yes, we have the Sacramental Certainty—with Evangelical Risks. But we don’t have to fear anyone or anything; for we are grounded not in a 150+ years old Grand Fir tree, but in the Tree of the Cross of Jesus Christ. That tree is sturdier and stronger than any tree in the world. That tree held the heaven-sent Savior who died for the sins of the whole world. That tree guarantees our freedom, our hope and our heaven.

The Tree of the Cross is what makes us move out of the comfort zone and step out in faith taking risks for the Kingdom’s work. The Old Testament Prophet Isaiah declares: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands; (Isaiah 49:15-16).

Yes, my beloved saints in Christ, the pierced Palms of the Savior, Jesus, are stronger than any aircraft cable. The cable may hold up to 12,000 lbs; but Jesus carried all of your sins to the Tree of Calvary. On that tree He erased every stain and stench of sin. And when He rose again on the 3^rd day, He blessed His disciples and sent them out to tell the world of His Salvation work. They took risks, some even died for the faith. And we, His 21^st century disciples can do no less. Not because we have to, but because we want to be a shining light to the rest of the world about our Sacramental Certainty and Evangelical Risks.

God grant you the strength and ability to go zipping around, getting out of the boat and sharing the greatest story ever told—Jesus dying and rising for you. Amen.

Now the peace…

SOLI DEO GLORIA