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The Church needs to remember who we are and what we should be doing. The church, the people of God who have put their faith in Jesus, needs to be busy living their lives as followers of Jesus.

One thing we should be concerned about is customer service. That may sound strange, but we are a people who have been called to serve.

Have you ever had that person “waiting” on you who just doesn’t seem to care. We have had that happen more times than I care to remember. The person who is supposed to be serving us ignores us and does not seem to have any desire to help us. You get the impression that we didn’t matter at all to that person.

Have you ever had a server like that? Have you ever BEEN a server like that? Something we tend to forget is that in the church, we are not the customers. We are to be the servants. Jesus tells us that repeatedly. He gives us the example to follow, like He did during the Last Supper when He washed the feet of His disciples and said…

John 13:15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

That same evening, when the disciples were jockeying for position, arguing who was most important among them, Jesus said:

Luke 22:27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.

This same thing had been addressed earlier when the mother of James and John asked if one of her sons could sit on Jesus’ right and one on His left in His kingdom. Jesus puts everthing back into proper perspective saying:

Matthew 20:26–28 … whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— ²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The one who came to offer Himself as payment for the sins of the world also came to show us how to be servants to the world. The problem we have is that having a servant sounds so much more appealing than being a servant. We want to be the ones who are served, not the ones who serve others. But that is not the life to which you have been called. When Jesus gets a hold of you, you belong to Him. You want to follow Him because you know what He has done for you. And that means you take on the role of a servant.

How can you show Jesus the gratitude you have for what He earned for you with His suffering and death and resurrection? Be a servant, the kind of servant Jesus was.

I came across an article entitled “The Wisdom of the Dakota Indians.” The tribal wisdom of the Dakota Indians, passed on from one generation to the next, says that when you discover that you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount. That sounds self-evident. It is good advice. It makes sense. If you find yourself riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount. So why don’t we follow it? How many of the following strategies have we tried in dealing with a dead horse?

• Purchase a stronger whip
• Change riders
• Appoint a committee to study the horse
• Arrange to visit other places to see how they ride dead horses
• Lower the standards so that dead horses are acceptable
• Reclassify the dead horse as “living impaired.”
• Harness several dead horses together to increase speed
• Provide additional funding to increase the dead horse’s performance
• Do a study to see if lighter rider’s would improve the dead horse’s ability to function
• Declare that the dead horse carries low overhead and therefore should remain in use.
• Hope that the dead horse will come back to life

We all have to deal with a dead horse from time to time. Back in 2010, the congregation I served made the difficult decision to abandon a building program that we had been working on for more than three years and had spent well over $100,000 on architect fees. It was a trying time.

I reminded the congregation that the church was not our planned facility, nor was it the current facility with its bad plumbing and foundation problems. People make up the church. Buildings are simply tools for us to use as we go about our business of making disciples. If a building keeps us from doing that, it has no place in our lives.

The word church is the most common translation of the Greek word “Ekklesia” and it literally means the “called out ones.” It is not used in Scripture to describe a building, but the people that have been called out of this world to be disciples, believers, followers of Jesus. We have been brought together by the assurance that God loves us. He demonstrated that love with a cross and an empty tomb. We know that Jesus is our Savior from sin and death. We rejoice in sin forgiven and life eternal. We live in confident victory. And that is true whether a group of believers owns a building, rents one, or worships in people’s homes.

In the church, at times there will be disappointments and setbacks. Sometimes you need to abandon “dead horses.” Just remember who we are, the redeemed and forgiven children of God who make up the church, the church Jesus promised to build, the one of whom He said  “The gates of Hades will not overcome it.” (Matt. 16:18) Jesus was talking about His Church. Not buildings. Not facilities. He was talking about the Holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, all true believers in Christ. In spite of disappointments, the Church goes on.

I recently watched a movie about a woman whose brother was convicted of a murder. He appealed, but lost that case, too. He was sentenced to life without th3 possibility of parole. There was nothing he could do about it. However, his sister was convinced he was innocent, and vowed to do everything in her power to exonerate him. She got a college degree and went to law school. She passed the bar and became an attorney. He was convicted before DNA testing was a possibility. After an long search, she found the evidence after sixteen years, and waited for the DNA testing, which took over a year to come back. Finally, it proved that the blood at the scene did not belong to her brother. She had dedicated her life to helping her brother, all because she was convinced of his innocence.

We have a different story. We have someone who knew without a doubt that we were guilty and sentenced to death. Yet He willingly dedicated His life to making sure we would not have to die eternally. There was nothing we could do to get out of our sentence. But Jesus did what it took, taking our place in punishment, even though we were guilty and deserved to die.

Romans 5:6–8 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Remember and rejoice in that fabulous love that God has for you on this Lord’s day.

I heard a story years ago at an LWML Convention from Pastor Kim DeVries. He spoke about his first church in Mississippi. He was preaching at an evening service when a thunderstorm knocked the power out. He also went silent, not knowing what to do, until a voice called out, “Keep preaching — we can see Jesus even in the dark!”

John wrote at the beginning of His Gospel: The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.  Some translations have the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:5 RSV).  We live in a world of darkness, and it is all around us. That darkness makes its presence known in so many ways in our lives.

My daughter told me recently that her three-year-old daughter was watching one of her favorite shows, Peppa Pig. She came into the kitchen and told her mom, “That show was so silly. One of the kids said she had two mommies.” We see depictions of “alternate” lifestyles in almost every movie and television show these days. If we say we disagree, we are vilified and attacked. And that is just one example.

Our nation faces crises because people have turned away from God and His Word as a standard. Society has redefined marriage, implemented health care policies that tell us we cannot follow God’s Word and our conscience, and is demanding that churches fund things that go against our beliefs. The darkness deepens, Lord, with me abide.

There is darkness in our personal lives as well. We all struggle with our demons that seek to drag us down and away from God. We often listen to them and act as though there is no hope. The darkness is near.

But we have the light. It has shined on us.

2 Corinthians 4:6  For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Jesus has conquered the Prince of darkness and earned victory for us through His sinless life, His death of sacrifice and His resurrection triumph. The Light has shined on us. We can see Jesus even in the dark, because He overcomes the darkness. And now you have been called to let your light shine, the light that shined on you.

Wherever you go, whatever you do, keep the light of Jesus shining. It will have an impact whether you realize it or not. A little verse makes more and more sense to me the older I get:

Only one life, twill soon be passed. Only what’s done for Christ will last.

1 Timothy 4:10 … we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.

If Jesus died for everyone, why isn’t everyone saved? I googled that question a few years back, and the articles I found all said something different.

• Universalists believe that because Jesus died for everyone, everyone will be saved, whether they believe in Jesus or not.
• Our Calvinist brothers and sisters maintain that Jesus did not die for everyone, but only for those who He knew would believe in him, using the Scriptural term the “elect.” This is often called Limited Atonement.
• There is the position that says that the invitation to be saved is offered to everyone, but some reject it and do not receive the benefit of what Jesus did.

These different positions all refer to Scripture to support their understanding. Scripture clearly says that Jesus died for the sins of all people.

• 1 John 2:2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

However, we also find in the Bible that not everyone will be saved.

• In the days of Noah, the wicked died unsaved in the flood (Genesis 6-9)
• When Sodom and Gomorrah were obliterated (Genesis 19) those people died unsaved
• But it was not just an Old Testament thing. When Jesus was crucified, one thief was told he would be with Jesus in paradise. The unrepentant one on the other side was not told that.

People die unsaved. You have probably known some people like that.  So the question remains: If Jesus actually died for the sins of everyone who ever lived, then why does anyone go to Hell?

Again, one answer is to say that Jesus died only for those he knew would believe in Him. They will cite passages to support their position. Matthew 25 talks about Jesus separating the sheep from the goats, and John 10 has Jesus calling Himself the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. So they say Jesus died for the sheep, but not the goats. And in Ephesians 5 it says “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her”, which they understand to say that He died only for the church and not for those who are not believers.

So how do we reconcile those passages to the ones like this?

• 1 John 4:14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
• [Jesus] is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.

The teachings about Jesus as Savior of all has been a source of disagreement in the church for a long time, and most likely it will be until Christ returns. Let me affirm that anyone who puts their faith and confidence in Jesus as his or her Savior from sin has been saved. If you have faith that Jesus is your Savior, you are saved. That is true whether you believe Jesus died for everyone or not. If you believe He is your Savior, if you trust that His death made payment for your sin, you get the benefit of everything He accomplished for you.

Our Lutheran understanding of this issue is that all of the passages cited above are God’s Word, so they are all correct. Even if they appear to contradict, we are willing to live with that seeming conflict. If you are saved, it is God’s doing, not your own, and He deserves all the credit and honor and glory. If a person is not saved, it is because he or she rejected God’s grace, and the blame lies with that person, not God.

I heard someone explain this teaching using the illustration of a meal. God has prepared a meal and you have been called to “come and get it.” It has already been done for you. When you eat the meal, you receive it and get the benefit of it. Your eating of the meal does not make it real. It was already there and existed. The eating simply receives what was prepared for you. In the same way, faith does not cause God’s forgiveness – that was earned by Jesus. Faith receives what Jesus earned.

 [Jesus] is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.

Jesus is the Savior of all people and some people are not being saved. They will not eat the meal that has been prepared for them. Jesus died for all and is the Savior of all men. It is available for everyone. And those who put their faith in Jesus as a result of the Spirit’s work in their lives will reap the benefits of all Jesus earned.

Luke 12:32 Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.

When I was in my late thirties I started waking up early every day. We were living in town back then, so I decided to get up and walk/jog. I was up anyway, and it was nice and quiet out at that time. It gave me time to think and to pray while I got some exercise. The first morning I was out, I was walking down a street in my neighborhood, deep in thought, when all of a sudden I heard a ferocious barking. I stopped in my tracks, my heart skipped a beat, and my eyes strained in the darkness to see this beast that was surely going to take a big bite out of me. It took me a few seconds to realize that this was the house where they kept their dog tied out in the front yard. Assured that he was securely tied, I continued on, my fear subsided. Day after day I walked past in the darkness and the dog sounded the alarm. Then one morning I walked past that house and there was no barking. Now I was afraid all over again. Was the dog loose, lying in wait in the shadows, ready to pounce on me for having taunted it all those mornings, walking by just out of his reach?

Fear is a funny thing. It is often irrational, yet it can take over your life in an instant. Your heart races, you break out in a cold sweat, your mouth goes dry. Fear seizes control of your entire being. It comes in so many forms: Fear of old age, fear of being alone, fear of losing a job, fear of disease, fear of heights, fear of death. Fear can be a terrible, even crippling thing for some people.

All too often, fear becomes the guiding force in the lives of people. Fear dictates their decision-making more than God’s Word and His promises. How many times has your fear of what others might think led you to do something that you know is wrong? It all goes back to sin. Fear is the result of sin, just as it was in the Garden of Eden. After Adam and Eve had sinned, when God came looking for the beloved crown of His creation, they were hiding. When asked why, Adam replied “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid … so I hid.” (Genesis 3:10).  Scripture gives us plenty of other examples of people letting fear influence their decisions.

• Abraham’s fear led him to lie about Sarah being his wife
• Moses was afraid after he killed the Egyptian
• Samuel was afraid to tell Eli of the vision God had given him.
• Isaiah felt fear in the presence of God
• Jeremiah was afraid when called to be a prophet
• The disciples were afraid in a storm with Jesus sleeping in the boat

Fear is a result of sin. Some people will defiantly proclaim, “I’m not afraid of anything. Don’t mess with me!” But we all have our fears. Most people are afraid when they should not be and not afraid when they should be. People will fear men, fear animals, fear the world, fear situations, but they will not fear GOD! That is the fear you should have:

The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread (Isaiah 8:13)

If you have the fear of God in your life, recognizing Him as the one in control, respecting Him as your God. knowing that He loved you, became your Redeemer, and was sacrificed for your sins … if you have that fear, Jesus is speaking to you when He says, “Have no fear, little flock.” You do not need to fear anything else. Christians can have no fear if you have the right fear!

The Psalmist reminds us The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; (Psalm 111:10) We respect Him and with awe recognize who He is, what He has done, the love He has shown. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. You do not need to fear because the one who is in control of everything has given you His kingdom. You Rule with Him. It is not just something for the future, but yours now.

Sometimes people describe their fears saying, “It scared me to death!” Jesus tells you that instead of being scared to death you should remember that He loved you to death. Have no fear, little flock. God can help you overcome your fears because He has overcome the problem of sin. All your sin was placed on Jesus Christ, and He carried it to the cross in your place. Not only did He pay for your sins with His death, but He rose again to assure you that you have the Kingdom. He loved you to death and keeps on loving you. You have been given the kingdom. Have no fear, little flock.

Over the next six months, we have a lot of trips planned. Most of them would be considered “vacations.” As I have been preparing for these trips, I’ve been thinking about the ones we used to take when our girls were younger. I remember one trip in particular, a trip to Disney World.

This took place when our daughters were 15, 14, and 11. We were going to meet Cheryl’s family in Orlando right after Christmas. Because I have a sister in Atlanta, we took my mom with us and went to see my sister for a few days. We left mom there and drove the rest of the way to Disney World.

We met Cheryl’s entire family there: Her parents, aunt, siblings and their families. There were 21 of us in all. We spent time with the family, wandered around Epcot and MGM studios, but we spent most of our time at the Magic Kingdom. We took pictures with Mickey and Pooh and a host of other Disney characters. Disney provided a wonderful atmosphere that allows you to forget about things for a while. There is always someone sweeping up after you, smiling employees who are willing to cater to you, characters dressed in bright costumes, people singing patriotic songs. Even though the girls left all the money they had saved and pooled together for the trip sitting on Bethany’s dresser, Dad bailed them out so they could buy their souvenirs. We enjoyed the rides, exhibits, and did things that everyone had put on their lists. It was good to spend time together as a family. Most everyone seemed happy. An ideal environment, so much so that as we were leaving the Magic Kingdom for the last time to start our trip home, Leah was kind of moping. She said to her mother, “I don’t want to leave. It’s so nice and fake here!”

There are some comparisons with that vacation and our faith journey through this life. The first had to do with the season we finished just before our trip: Advent, a time of preparation, waiting for the promise to be fulfilled. Just as the wait for Christmas seems to go on forever, so our wait for that trip stretched out. We talked about saving money, not doing some things so we would have more to spend at Disney world. Yet as we talked and planned, it always seemed like it was somewhere in the distant future, a long way off. But then, just like Christmas sneaks up on you, the time came and we found ourselves standing in the Magic Kingdom. The promise held out for so long was fulfilled.

That is how it was with God’s promise of a Savior. He made it to His chosen people, and they trusted Him, but it seemed to be far removed from them. Then all at once in a Bethlehem stable God kept His promise to send one who would pay for sin, reconcile us to God, and assure us of a place in His Kingdom. Unlike our short stay in Disney’s Magic Kingdom, our place in God’s Kingdom, secured by Jesus blood, is eternal. Just as certain as Jesus came once is God’s promise of His return, something for which we need to prepare. It seems to be in the distant future, a long way off. But it, too, will be here before we know it.

Another comparison is the way Disney puts a sugar coating on everything, a veneer, pretending that everything is just right. It is a great place, but as Leah so profoundly observed, it is fake. And in spite of their best efforts, even the Magic Kingdom is still a part of the real world. Even though the employees/cast members are clean cut and courteous, that doesn’t mean the guests are. People pushing and shoving to get at the front of the line. There was also moaning and groaning about the long wait in lines, some of which came from my mouth. And even 25 years ago Disney was promoting an agenda that is contrary to what we find in God’s Word.

Christians often try to put the same kind of sugar coating on their lives, pretending everything is fine, while just below that veneer lie all the problems of the real world. We put on a brave front, but there is turmoil all around us. Family tensions, financial concerns, personal problems.

It was into this real world that a real Savior came. Jesus was not born in Disney like surroundings. He came as an average run-of-the-mill guy. He knew all about hardships and adversity, because He experienced them first hand. Scripture tells us he was tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin. (Hebrews 4:15) He came into our real world and went through all we experience. He knows it is difficult. He knows your problems. He knows you are not perfect. And that is why He came. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  (2 Corinthians 5:21)

I mentioned earlier that the girls left the money they had saved behind, so I paid for their souvenirs. In fact, they would not have had enough for the things they wanted, they would have been short anyway. So I paid for them. That reminded me of what God has done for us in Christ. He bails us out when we would otherwise have no chance. All our efforts to please Him fall short. We would have no hope on our own. But Jesus tells us, “Don’t worry. I’ve already paid for you. You wouldn’t have had enough, anyway. I’ll take care of it.”  That is what He did with His death and resurrection. He paid your way and gives you your place in God’s Kingdom.

Vacations are nice. It is even better knowing that we have God’s forgiveness every day for Jesus’ sake.

Ever been blamed for something you didn’t do? Sure you have! It happens to everyone, some more than others. And it doesn’t feel good. It happens a lot in ministry. I can’t even begin to count the number of times people would come up to me and say, “Why did you decide to do …” and then complain about a change that was not my decision. Sometimes I didn’t even know what they were griping about!  But most of the time it was something that had been done by others.

I’ll give you an example. Our congregation had two worship services on Sunday mornings. Sunday School and Bible Class were in between the two services. Someone on our Board of Education at that time heard about a congregation that had a Summer Schedule with only one worship service at the time Sunday School was the rest of the year, which would then be followed by Sunday School. Her idea was that it might increase the attendance at both Sunday School and Bible Class. She reasoned that if families with children were already there for worship it would be easier for them to stay for Sunday School. They took their idea to the Elders, who approved it, and we started announcing that we would alter our Sunday morning schedule between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

That is when the complaints started. One was, “Who gave you permission to change our schedule?” “Nobody asked my opinion on this!” “Why can’t we just keep doing things the way we always have!”  (Which was funny because at this point, we had only had two services for about three years).

I tried to explain to each of these people that it was not my decision or even my idea, but I supported it and hoped it would indeed boost our attendance at Sunday School. And you know what? It did!  We had more people in both adult and children’s classes during that time. And just so you know, I didn’t take credit for that. I was unwilling to take credit for something I didn’t do just as I didn’t want the blame for something I didn’t do.

Think about how often we blame God for everything that is wrong in our lives. And then think about what Jesus has done for you. He came to this earth to take the blame for us. We have all sinned and fallen short of what God would have us do. We deserve condemnation. But Jesus took the blame, even though He was innocent of any wrongdoing. And He offered His perfection as the payment for the sins of the world. Faith in Him receives what He did for you and makes you clean and forgiven in God’s sight.

2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

We need to be careful not to try to take the credit for what God has done. We didn’t earn our salvation. We earned punishment. But Jesus made it possible for us to stand before God with His righteousness.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for taking the blame I deserved.