“An Enlarged Heart” (Psalm 119:32)

S-1390, RS/C 11/03/2013 Hymns: (O) #907; (S) #708; L.S. #783; #623; #629; (C) #878

Texts: Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Philemon 1:-21; Luke 14:25-35

Theme: “An Enlarged Heart” (Psalm 119:32)

Reformation Sunday preached at Clarinda, IA

Faithful followers of the Savior, Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia! What an honor privilege to be with you on this Reformation Day. I would like to take a moment and thank my congregation for granting me the blessing to be God’s mouth piece and for you for the kind invitation to share with you the marvelous Word of our only God and Savior, Jesus Christ. The text is from the Introit: “I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!” (Psalm 119:32).

INTRODUCTION: In Nomine Iesu.

Beloved in the Lord, in January of this year, I had open heart surgery to fix my descending aorta’s aneurysm. After 7 days in the hospital and over a ¼ million dollars I became bionic and was sent home. I recovered well and announced that I will be returning to the pulpit the Sunday after Easter to proclaim God’s precious truth.

However, beginning of Holy week, I began to cough and get weaker by the minute. On Maundy Thursday I went to church but shouldn’t have because I was indeed sick. That night, I couldn’t sleep because breathing was difficult and I prayed earnestly for the Lord to give me comfort and sleep. Sleep never came. I spent the whole night in my recliner chair and prayed like David, for the morning to come (Ps. 130:6).

I headed to the clinic to visit my doctor. After some tests, he informed me of the bad news “That I have an enlarged heart and need to head to the emergency room of the heart hospital in Sioux Falls.” I was rushed to the emergency room on Good Friday; after further testing they determined that my heart was suffocating and I’m in need of another surgery. I was told I don’t have an enlarged heart but fluid wrapping the sack of my heart, causing my heart to function only at 50% capacity. I’m thankful that the doctors were able to put me back together and I’m feeling well again to serve my Lord and His Church. PAUSE.

To be sure we don’t normally think of our hearts unless there is something wrong as was the case with me. Add to that when we hear of an “enlarged heart” then we think of it negatively. However, today, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit David tells us in Psalm 119 that God is in the business of enlarging hearts. Yes, you heard me correct an ENLARGED HEART!

Remember people of God, that when the writers in the O.T. spoke of the heart that was the seat of understanding and knowledge. The heart is the center of our being. David has good news for us about hearts today, because of what God is doing—He is enlarging our hearts to fill them with wisdom and God’s Word.

This is what David is sharing with us today saying: “I will run in the way of Your commandments when You enlarge my heart!” To fill the heart with wisdom is God work. To fill the heart with discernment is God’s work. To fill the heart with joy, love and peace is God’s work is totally. The Holy Spirit continues to work on our hearts that they may be enlarged. Our hearts are enlarged so that we may gain the insights and blessings of knowing who this God is and what He does to save sinners like us.

Think of how God enlarged Solomon’s heart—filled it with wisdom so that when two prostitutes came to him to solve the problem of a dead and living son; he was able to do it by the grace of God. Think of Dr. Martin Luther who was given a large heart to know that what was being taught by the Catholic Church was contrary to the teachings of Scripture.

That is why the Reformation matters—because it enlarges our hearts to know this Amazing, Awesome and Almighty God who save us by grace alone, through faith alone, by Scripture alone and on account of Christ alone. Our churches are known for teaching the truth as revealed in Holy Scripture, nothing more and nothing less. We stand on the enlarged hearts of the lay people who stood before Charles V, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire at the Diet of Augsburg of June 25, 1530 which resulted in the Augsburg Confession.

Today, our Lutheran churches have, as your church does in front of your building a “ceremonial stone” with these inscriptions UAC (show the picture). These three letters stand for the Unaltered Augsburg Confession.” And anyone who enters here knows what this church is all about. There is no confusion. We hold that whole Bible from the opening words, “In the beginning God… till the final words, “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.”

Like David and Solomon, Luther and Melanchthon and thousand others, we have an enlarged heart to know the wisdom of God that leads to eternal life. Because of what Christ Jesus endured—on Calvary’s cross—a broken heart; we receive an enlarged heart. This heart is different from the old one. This heart loves Him, serves Him and obeys Him. An enlarged heart that knows the Commandments and lives by them faithfully.

This enlarged heart has been given us the by the Master Surgeon who performs the greatest surgery of exchanging our hearts of stone to a heart of flesh. This He has done in our Baptism. In Him we have the large heart that leads to eternal life. PAUSE.

But there are many who don’t have an enlarged hearts yet. Therefore, God calls us again as His baptized, redeemed, forgiven, blood-bought and heaven-bound children to introduce people to the Master Surgeon—Jesus Christ so He can change their hearts and enlarge them too. Reformation matters because we are privileged to share the hope of eternal life with others daily.

David understood the work of God in His life. By the working of the Holy Spirit, he pinned these words for us to exhort us and encourage us to remain faithful as the God of the Church works on our hearts. David stated, “I will run in the way of Your commandments when You enlarge my heart!” David’s purpose of running towards God is that he may know the commandments well. He ran so that nothing can hinder him from reaching the great knowledge of what God is doing in his life.

To be sure, God’s commandments enlarge one’s heart. This heart has more understanding. Through this understanding, the commandments give us more room to roam, more freedom to travel. Nations and cultures that reject or distain God’s commandments have less freedom, less understanding, less progress, more war. They run to the extremes of lawlessness or legalism both which God commands to avoid. Don’t go too far to the right and left commanded God to Moses in Deut. 5. The Ten Words are the Ten Commandments that lead our footsteps into freedom. They enlarge one’s understanding on the boundaries of love, God’s mercy and grace provided in His Son, Jesus Christ.

We should heed and hear the command of God as Paul teaches his son Timothy in the faith and us saying God’s words frees us from the slavery of false teachings which shrink our understanding of God, love, freedom, (1Timothy 6). The Word of God enlightens our hearts and expands our mind to know the truth that sets us free to serve and love Him above all else.

Because of the enlarged hearts we have, we are blessed and privileged to gain the message of the Gospel. Through that Gospel message our understanding is enlarged to know the will and command of Christ for our lives. Through this Gospel, we hear of the Divine declaration that the whole world has been declared not guilty for Jesus sake.

All of God’s commands enlarge our hearts to grasp the beauty and blessings of who this God is, who loved us by sending His Son to be the propitiation of our souls. Because of His mighty miracle as the Chief Heart Surgeon we get more understanding about Him and His message and Ministry.

We see this playing out in Luther, how God’s commands enlarged his understanding, also C.S. Lewis, Blaise Pascal, Augustine....men of mammoth minds whose thoughts soared on the heels of God’s commands and especially the evangelical commands where God gives what he commands.

Since my surgery, I need to take pills daily @ 6:30 a.m. and p.m. These pills help my heart run smoothly. Likewise it is for us. We need to take into our hearts and mouth daily the Word of God and His precious Sacrament. Through these means, God continues to enlarge our hearts as we digest and chew on His gifts.

Oh, what joy to know that I have an enlarged heart and so do you. Oh, thank God with me for the blessed surgery He has done on our hearts of stones to give us a heart of flesh that loves Him, obeys Him, serve Him and our neighbor.

Today, we join the many saints who have had heart procedures to make their hearts alive again through the Gospel of Jesus Christ forever. Amen and Amen.

Now the peace…

SOLI DEO GLORIA

“The Son of Honor!” (Mark 10:46-47).

S-1144 10/25/09 21SAP/3B Reformation Day Hymns: (O) #10; (S) #376; (C) #437

Texts: Revelation 14:6-7; Romans 3:19-28; John 8:31-32-31

Theme: “The Son of Honor!” (Mark 10:46-47).

Question: “Have you been honored lately?” SOLI DEO GLORIA, Armour, SD

Faithful followers of the Savior, Christ is Risen! He is Risen! Indeed! Alleluia! The text for our Reformation celebration is from the Gospel of Mark: “Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and His disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’” (Mark 10:46-47).

Introduction:

Saints in Christ, on August 31, 1972, I was about to embark on the long journey from Israel to the United States. As I was saying goodbye to my family, my father took me in his arms, looked me in the eyes and gave me two pieces of advice: 1). “Son, remember your family name. Always bare that name with honor and don’t make it mud.” 2). “Stretch your feet as long as your mattress is.” Those tid-bits of my father have been guiding my steps ever since I came to this country.

In 1501 another young man from a different country, was leaving his family to head to the University to study. Martin grew up as a son of miner. His father Hans wanted him to become a lawyer. To honor his father, the dutiful Martin went to the University of Erfurt and began studying law as his father desired. But something happened that changed the life of this young man and the world as we know it today. Luther loved his father Hans very much and wanted to honor him, but He had a greater love for His heavenly Father and wanted to honor Him even more.

Luther became a monk because he wanted to please and honor his heavenly Father. While studying the Scripture, he came to know the truth that set him free from the tyranny of the law, its requirements and the fear of being punished by the wrathful God and filled his heart with the sweet message of the Gospel of the crucified and risen Christ.

As we observe the Reformation today, we remember that Luther stood against papacy, princes, and powerful men of the Church. In 521, when Luther was commanded to recant his teachings uttered these words, “Here I stand, I can do no other, may God help me!” His conscience was held captive by the Word of God. This was the fulfilment of Psalm 119:46, I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame. The glory and the power for the confession made by Luther then, and you and me this Afternon is found in the nail marks, the scourged body, the thorn encrusted brow, the spear-pierced side of Him who set the heavens in their places, who breathed the breath of life into Adam: Only Christ! Luther is the first to tell us that the power and the honor and the glory are God’s ALONE. Soli Deo Gloria.

In our Gospel reading today, we hear of another strong confession made by a blind beggar, from Jericho. We know him as Blind Bartimaeus, but that name simply means “Son of Timaeus,” or “Son of Honor.” It would be like calling me “Son of Subhi!” This blind beggar’s name is not important. What God wrought in and through his life is what matters. What God brings to be in and through your life is the matter of Reformation. Only Christ can transform a mighty historical movement from Germany almost 500 years ago – to bring glory and honor to His holy name. Today, our loving and gracious God in Christ continues to speak forgiveness unto renewal and reformation every day - to you - and.... through you to a lost and hurting world.

The story of the Son of Timaeus is telling. Beggars would be left in public places - sometimes near temples or storefronts, or as in the case of this blind beggar, along the main roadway by the temple in Jerusalem. His family stationed him there, day in and day out. A shawl would be wrapped around the back and shoulders of such a beggar as he sat to keep him warm and protected from wind and cold. As people went by they dropped few coins of pity into that cloak.

All these beggars had was that cloak and the few coins - these were their safety net, their livelihood. One thing this beggar-man had that worked perfectly was his hearing. He had heard of this Rabbi and His strange new teaching - or was it the faithful keeping of the Old Testament?! It was the teaching of truth, and this man’s sight being gone, well, his ears would pick up and distinguish between truth and error. He heard the joyous truth of Jesus. He cries out in faith, yes, faith and not desperation (Remember, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God! –Romans 10:17). Timaeus’ son cries out in faith: “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!”

Was this man courageous? Did he have some hidden, inner strength? No, and no! Ah, but the One who is able to bear the sins of every soul in His flesh, who has the strength to be handed over to sinful men, be killed by crucifixion and three days later rise, He has this beggar, a poor man now infinitely rich! He cries out all the more, not desperately, but with faith, silencing his silencers.

Jesus’ ears also work well for He stops His march and says: “Call him!” Indeed, he has already been called... by the Gospel. He is a captive of hope and help. So, when the disciples call for him to come to Jesus, this man is not careful with his cloak nor his coins. He is blind and he may be able to find neither if the darkness of his eyes remains - he will be cold and penniless. We are told that he sprung up and threw off his cloak. Nothing else mattered besides Jesus. This is a heart that has been reformed and transformed. On this Reformation Sunday behold the cloak-less, coin-less, joy-filled son of Timaeus, son of God.

Yes, like Luther some 15+ centuries later, this blind beggar made his confession with the rest of the Church, I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.... Both men knew what we know, and what we need to be reminded of daily as we confess our sins and confess His faithfulness - that Jesus has come to make the lame to walk, the deaf to hear, the blind to receive their sight (Matthew 11:2-6; Isaiah 42:18). Yes, He has come to heal the broken hearted, to defend us against all our enemies (our own heart, the devil, and the world), to restore the remnant. As we make confession, it is in this place in a special, Word directed way, so that it will also be in our every-day lives.

Christ calls us - and we beggars on the journey of life, are to cast off cloak and coin, everything familiar but not Him. This is hard; it is not natural according to our fallen, sinful self. It can only be done because He calls and in that call is the means to answer. Yes, He calls us, calls us to ask Him for healing and to honor Him with our lives of service as did the Monk from Germany—Luther.

Luther left everything he had. His law books were given to others, but he took one book (lift it up high) the most important book—God’s holy Word which brought Him hope, help and heaven. This book he held near his heart and in his hand was God’s gift to man to show him the way of salvation. And through that book we too have come to know of the confession of the son of Timaeus. And the history books teach of Luther’s bold confession here I stand I can do no other.

Yes, the boldness of Luther, the boldness of the son of Timaeus, and your boldness to witness and to love and to give and to endure even as you walk through the valley of the shadow of death with no fear is because He abides with you. The son of Timaeus received back his sight - more than just what his eyeballs could perceive - he saw Jesus as Savior and Lord. Yes, it is this sight that is the joyous gift of the Reformation. Yes, it is this sight that is given and gifted to the world through your witness. Yes, He has called you today to follow Him.

When I left my country over 37 years ago, I attempted to honor my father with all of my power, but I must admit to you that I have failed many times. When Luther left Eisleben to Erfurt he too, tried to honor his father, but alas he failed too. But there is another son, who left His Father and He brought honor and glory to Him in all things.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God left the beauty and majesty of heaven and came to earth and became man. As the honored Son of God, He did honor His Father in Word and Deed. He honored Him by giving His life on the tree of the Cross for the sins of the world. And because this Son honored His Father, we are now the honored sons and daughters of the Father of all mercy and compassion.

Therefore, I say to you precious children of God, “Go your way; your faith has saved you!” This is the call and the gift of the Reformation. And as sons and daughters of Christ, you and I shall stand before kings and not be put to shame. He who promises this is faithful. Stand firm then, in His courage and confessing Him and be not afraid. Even so, Amen!

Now the peace…