St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church
Watertown, WI
Sermon by Pastor Anthony E. Schultz
January 25 + 28, 2007, Psalm 115:1
This is God’s Word!
People of God—rescued from the flaming lake of fire in hell by the innocent blood of the very Lamb of God:
Jason was 22 years old. He was a Marine. He signed up to stay in Iraq 2 more months—because he wanted to stay with the men he had fought with—until they all came home together. One day in April—two years ago—an American convey was ambushed—came under attack. Jason and his men hurried to the rescue. They stopped and began to search cars leaving the area. A terrorist got out of his car—grabbed Jason by the neck—and dropped a live grenade. Jason realized the soldiers around him were in danger—so he covered the grenade—with his helmet and with his chest. He saved the soldiers around him—at the price of his life! God’s Word says—Jesus said—greater love has no man than this—that he lay down his life for his friend! It is a wondrous thing—when—in a moment a soldier willingly gives up his life—to save the people around him. How great is the love God the Father has lavished on us—that he should sacrifice his one and only Son—to save you and me from all our sins. Jesus died to rescue us. That’s why today and every day we give all glory to Him!
Today we say: Amazing Grace, How Sweet The Sound!
1. All glory to the LORD…
2. Because of His love and faithfulness.
Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory… Not to us. Not to us! People of course love glory. But earthly glory is very fleeting. Take for example Academy Awards—like Best Actor of the Year! Now that’s big—that’s huge—actor of the year—isn’t it? Do you remember who won best actor of the year in 2003? Anybody? In 2003 it was a man named Adrien Brody. He won actor of the year—the academy award for playing the part of Wladyslaw Szpilman—a man who played the piano—during World War II! Did you remember that? Earthly glory fades incredibly fast. The Winter Olympics—surely that’s great earthly glory isn’t it? Remember last year—last February—the Winter Olympics? Where were they? Turino, Italy! Can you name a hand full of gold medal winners—say—some ski jump winners—or some luge winners—or the guys that take that stone with the handle on it—and go with the brooms in front of it. Who is the best in the world at that? People train a lifetime—to win gold medals that they end up hiding—literally hiding in show boxes under their beds or in sandwich bags in the back of their freezer behind freezer burned pot roasts and bags of vegetable medley? The examples could multiply. Who won Emmys or Golden Globes or Grammy’s or Tony’s just a few years ago? Do you know? Can you remember? Do you know who won Pulitzer Prizes for writing novels or short stories or poetry? The ancient Greeks had it right—when for the Olympics they awarded a laurel wreath—a couple of twigs woven together. In a day or two it would grow dry and brittle. The leaves would fall off and the whole thing would fall apart. So it goes with earthly glory. The glory that belongs to the LORD is forever and eternal. It will never fade or end. It is to give glory to God that we gather here today and every Sunday!
Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory… If the truth be told—we like glory. We like to be recognized. We like the winner—not the loser—the one who gets to hold up the trophy. We are in the middle of the two week buildup to the Super Bowl! If the team we like wins—will we claim some of that very brief glory for ourselves? And if they lose—will we be sad and disappointed from now on—because we can’t buy that baseball cap and sweatshirt that says Super Bowl Champions? It is only when the Holy Spirit works repentance in your heart that you can begin to have the attitude expressed by Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront. Brando said, “You don’t understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum which is what I am!” “A bum which is what I am!” I am not a bum! I am a good person. I come to Church every Sunday. I stay for Bible Class. I bring my Thankoffering. I help put up the Church Christmas tree and I vacuum up the needles after New Year’s! I shine my shoes every Saturday night. I built this church! It’s tempting to think that way—until you stand at the foot of Jesus’ cross and see all that he endured to save me. A bum which is what I am! Jesus came to save sinners of whom I am the worst—when you just begin to consider all the instruction I have had in God’s Word—and still I keep making the same old tired mistakes again and again and again! Jesus came to save sinners as bad as I am!
Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory… Last Sunday I preached at Peace congregation in Loves Park, IL—Loves Park—the north end of Rockford, IL. Peace was my first congregation. Peace is 35 years old—celebrating her 35th anniversary. Again it is tempting to think a lot has changed in 35 years. And yet—maybe not. It was 35 years ago—that there was such a threat of airplane hijacking—that they said we have to start screening passengers and their luggage from now on—no exceptions! The year Peace began—people were concerned that all the violence on TV might be having an effect on children. Oh, people who made TV said—oh, sure—if you were already a really aggressive person—watching violent TV wouldn’t help. But—really—children watching hours and hours and hours of people being shot and stabbed and blown up and strangled and run over—how harmful could that be? When Peace congregation began—it was in all the papers—scientists were concerned about global climate change! The warnings were ominous. The whole world was on the brink of another ice age. Everything was getting colder—and soon we were in danger of the same extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs! An avalanche would begin at the poles—and soon ice, famine, starvation and destruction would be everywhere! The first two women to join the FBI were sworn in. One was a former marine—and one was a former nun! The stock market surpassed 1000 and people thought—if only I could make more money—I would be happy! Rich and famous people grew depressed and some despaired and self-destructed. People won the 6th Super Bowl—America won 3 gold medals in the Winter Olympics in Japan—Bobby Fisher beat the Russian Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union—and what does it matter? It doesn’t! All that stuff is truly trivial. And while it might win you a million dollars from Regis Philbin it won’t win you anything from your Heavenly Father! All that matters—all that counts is the fact that Jesus took all your sins away. All that matters still today is the fact you have an inheritance incorruptible—stored up in Heaven—safe for you forever!
Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. The LORD—the Great I AM—the Holy One of Israel—is always the same. His love is the same today as it was 650 years before baby Jesus was born. The same when he had the prophet Isaiah write, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?” Read that verse in a nursing home to little grandmas and they will literally call out no! Can a mother forget her baby? And yet—just the other day one did! It’s not a little ironic that this little baby boy was named Isiah (actual spelling). Little Isiah was just 2 months old. He was just one foot three inches tall—just 12 pounds. He has beautiful gray eyes. He was wearing a Winnie the Pooh sleeper—a white little stocking hat and an I love my dad bib. His mom was abusing drugs and alcohol out of town. She somehow drove home and realized—hey—where’s my baby? She didn’t know. She couldn’t remember! How sad is that? God’s Word says, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?” Can her heart be so cold—so hard—so dead? Yes! God’s Word says, “Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.” Isaiah 49:15 Jesus’ love never changes. Jesus’ love never fails. It is the same yesterday, and today and forever! Jesus’ forgiving love will never fail. He has engraved on his hands the forever marks of his dying love. Jesus has engraved on his hands the forever nail marks that say we are forgiven because he died and rose to save us. Jesus died to forgive us and he rose from the dead. The guarantee that all our sins are washed away. Jesus rose from the dead. And that blood bought forgiveness is at the same time our strength to live in the warm light of his forgiveness in this sin darkened sin spoiled world!
Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. We give glory to the LORD by how we live. How we live our day to day life—in the most practical way—either gives glory to His saving reputation or it doesn’t! I was at the hospital the other day—leaving the parking garage. The person in front of me took a little while—fumbling—finding that little piece of thick paper—their parking ticket. Then it took them a while—fumbling—digging—looking for the exact change—where is that quarter? I’m sure I have one here—some place—maybe under that can of soda—in the crack of the seat—it’s got to be here somewhere! Aha! There it is—no—there it is! They paid. The little gate goes up and down. Now—at last it’s my turn! I hand the lady my little ticket—and she says—thanks for being patient! I say—hey—that’s ok. I need to practice what I preach—and I preach patience! Well, she said—most people aren’t! How can you tell? They wait for the little gate to go up—and they drive out about 100 miles an hour! How sad is that? The slow person ahead of me—how long did they take—in real actual time? 60 seconds—90 seconds—really? Are we in such a hurry we can’t wait? People all around us hurry—going faster and faster—racing and chasing after what? More money? More things and stuff? Chasing after what has no real and lasting value? And then suddenly someone we love is in the hospital—in the ER—in intensive care. Suddenly someone we love is in a terrible car accident and we are reminded in the most graphic and powerful way—the things and stuff of this world have no lasting worth. All that really matters—all that really counts is the fact that Jesus took all our sins away. The peace we have from sins forgiven and heaven won is all that will matter one moment after we die. One moment after Judgement Day comes!
Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. We give glory to the LORD by how we live—how we act—how we treat the people all around us for Jesus’ sake! There is a commercial for Kleenex—for those thin little pieces of paper to wipe the little dribbles of salt water that overflow the eve trough of our lower eye lid. Little pieces of paper to blow your nose on—until your phyltrum—those little lines under your nose get red and sore. In this commercial a guy puts a couch and a box of Kleenex on a busy street sidewalk. People are walking past—and he invites them to stop—to sit down and to talk to him—to very literally let it out. To tell him—a complete stranger what it is that is so emotional—to let it out—to say it out loud—will cause them to need a Kleenex. The next thing you know—people are wiping away tears—hugging this man and thanking him for what? For simply listening to them. Again—how sad—that these people are so desperate to share what is in their heart they are relieved to tell a complete strange? We need to be there for each other for Jesus’ sake. And we will be—when the Holy Spirit makes us strong each day—to give all glory to the LORD!
Last Sunday we were at Peace, Loves Park—to celebrate their 35th anniversary. 35 years ago—a small clump of believers had to decide what to name their congregation. What are the obvious choices? Well—any of the disciples—Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip or Bartholomew. They could have chosen the Physician Luke, the Apostle Paul, Timothy or Titus, Silas or Barnabas. They could have chosen names for Jesus—Christ the Lord—Our Redeemer. Trinity or Abiding Word. There are lots of possibilities. But they chose Peace. Like—Don’t be anxious about anything! Don’t be anxious about your small children or grandchildren being snatched. Don’t worry about your credit card debt. Don’t worry about your marriage or your family or your job. Don’t worry about terrorism. Don’t be afraid—and we will not be terrorized! Don’t be anxious about anything! That kind of calm and courage only comes through the means of grace—the Gospel! And the peace of God—which surpasses all understanding—will keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus. That’s God’s amazing grace. Amen!
To God alone all glory!
Rev. Anthony E. Schultz