LWML Sunday/Ablaze
LWML Sunday
10/5/08
Text: Luke 24:13-35
Title: God sets hearts ablaze
I can’t think of a more appropriate scripture passage than our Gospel reading for this morning to use on LWML Sunday. Just as the hearts of those two disciples were set ablaze that day, the women of the LWML hearts are ablaze. It is truly amazing how much money is collected by the mite boxes; millions and millions of dollars each year, all of which is spent on mission projects.
There lived a long time ago; that shameful time in human existence where it was, for most the world, acceptable for people to be sold and bought as slaves, a man by the name of John Newton. John Newton was a slave trader. He was known as one of the vilest slave traders of the time. He considered himself to be a libertine. He mocked God and those who believed in God.
As he traveled back and forth across the ocean plying his despicable trade he came close to death many times. He would, as many of us when we have close encounters with death, tried to live a better life. He was not doing this out of love for God, but trying the best he could to avoid God’s punishment.
As time went on, he was introduced through a woman that later became his wife to the Word of God. He did not stop his evil business overnight, but as the end results show his heart was being warmed up, ready to burst into flame. In time after reading the Bible he even became a pastor.
While that is wonderful in itself God through his Word set his heart ablaze for Jesus Christ. In this blazing movement he wrote the words of a hymn that we all cherish; Amazing Grace. “Amazing grace-how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found. Was blind but now I see!
We are quick to point out the great sinners of the past and the present. We all know who they are; Hitler, rapist, child molesters, thieves, slanders, gossipers, and such. We can watch them on our favorite television shows, like “Entertainment Tonight” and “Access Hollywood” to see what a mess stars have made of their lives. We watch CNN, and Fox to see the latest mess our elected officials have gotten themselves into.
We like that, but truth be told we don’t have to watch television, listen to the news on the radio, or read newspaper to see people stumbling around in the darkness of sin. We only need to look down the street, at our own extended family, and far too many times our own homes to see people who need the light of Jesus Christ in their lives.
Toward the end of his life, Pastor John Newton wrote, “When I was young, I was sure of many things; now there are only two things of which I am sure: one that I am a miserable sinner; and the other, that Christ is an all-sufficient Savior.” God opened John Newton’s eyes. God opened our eyes, but sometimes, Christians close their eyes.
That is what we see in our Gospel lesson this morning. The disciples, leaving Jerusalem were walking along with their faces, as the text says, “downcast when Jesus asked what they were discussing as they walked along the road.
These two disciples were not unbelievers or ignorant. They know who Jesus claimed to be. Why, they even knew about the report of the women that they had been to the tomb and it was empty. Still they were downcast. And so Jesus tells them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory? And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, whose symbol is usually a dove or fire; a dove to represent peace when faith is given and fire which represents the power of that faith in that faith sets one’s heart ablaze for the Lord.
God’s Word set the disciples hearts ablaze and in his breaking of bread at supper they saw him for who he is; a valuable lesson for all of us. We must be in the Word of God to truly know Jesus. We must be in the Word of God to have our hearts set ablaze, for when one is not in the Word of God once cannot learn about Jesus and his will.
I have seen that take place in Bible studies where people have grown spiritually and many have been set spiritually ablaze. It is a wonderful thing to see people grow spiritually and to become the people that God wants them to be. Will they ever be a great pastor or Christian teacher? Will they ever be high up in the church body? Will they ever give great sums of money to help the poor or spread the Word of God to those who do not know of Jesus?
I would doubt it. But what they will do is live their lives in a God pleasing manner. They will be more forgiving. They will be more inclined to serve others. They will be more inclined to give more of their time and money as God has blessed them. But most importantly they are more willing to share what Jesus Christ means to them; each in his own way.
Just look at what our congregation has done and is doing as the Holy Spirit has set many of our members’ hearts ablaze. We, as a kingdom congregation are on fire for the Lord. We serve the Lord in numerous ways, from staying true to the Bible and the Lutheran Confessions to helping people in the community and world. That is a wonderful thing, for it shows that we are not inward focused but outward focused.
Our Synod is in the midst of a campaign of setting the world ablaze with the good news of Jesus death and resurrection. It is good news because without Jesus death and resurrection, we, all of humankind would be doomed since there is no way that we can appease God’s commands. We never could and never will. It is all about Jesus and his saving work on our behalf.
Jesus tells us in Acts 1: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” You can say that promise only applies to the first disciples and not us. You could say that but what do you do with 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
You see the promise that God gave the first disciples applies to all of us today, for we too are to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria. Jerusalem is our city. Judea is our country. And Samaria is the world. We have been given the command to go, with the promise that we will not be alone. The Holy Spirit is here and I will guarantee that someone or maybe a bunch of someone’s are feeling a strange warming in their hearts this morning.
It is not by my speaking that is for sure. It is not because we are sitting here this morning. It is not because we are Lutherans. It is because the same thing that happened to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus is happening to us today. God is speaking to us this morning through our liturgy, the readings, and later he will speak to us through the Lord’s Supper.
Today we honor the women of the LWML which was founded for the purpose of serving the Lord with gladness by supporting Gospel outreach from local churches to the farthest parts of the world. Untold numbers of people have been given the gift of faith in Jesus Christ through the mission work that has been supported by mites from the women of LWML. Many other people have benefited from the numerous acts of charity, the quilts, the gifts of food and clothing, all lovingly by these women who working as a worldwide group.
They are on fire and we need to follow their example, for each one of us today still has to confess before God and each other, “Amazing grace-how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found. Was blind but now I see!” We see the truth and the truth sets us free from the condemnation that we all still deserve. Praise God. Amen.
10/5/08
Text: Luke 24:13-35
Title: God sets hearts ablaze
I can’t think of a more appropriate scripture passage than our Gospel reading for this morning to use on LWML Sunday. Just as the hearts of those two disciples were set ablaze that day, the women of the LWML hearts are ablaze. It is truly amazing how much money is collected by the mite boxes; millions and millions of dollars each year, all of which is spent on mission projects.
There lived a long time ago; that shameful time in human existence where it was, for most the world, acceptable for people to be sold and bought as slaves, a man by the name of John Newton. John Newton was a slave trader. He was known as one of the vilest slave traders of the time. He considered himself to be a libertine. He mocked God and those who believed in God.
As he traveled back and forth across the ocean plying his despicable trade he came close to death many times. He would, as many of us when we have close encounters with death, tried to live a better life. He was not doing this out of love for God, but trying the best he could to avoid God’s punishment.
As time went on, he was introduced through a woman that later became his wife to the Word of God. He did not stop his evil business overnight, but as the end results show his heart was being warmed up, ready to burst into flame. In time after reading the Bible he even became a pastor.
While that is wonderful in itself God through his Word set his heart ablaze for Jesus Christ. In this blazing movement he wrote the words of a hymn that we all cherish; Amazing Grace. “Amazing grace-how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found. Was blind but now I see!
We are quick to point out the great sinners of the past and the present. We all know who they are; Hitler, rapist, child molesters, thieves, slanders, gossipers, and such. We can watch them on our favorite television shows, like “Entertainment Tonight” and “Access Hollywood” to see what a mess stars have made of their lives. We watch CNN, and Fox to see the latest mess our elected officials have gotten themselves into.
We like that, but truth be told we don’t have to watch television, listen to the news on the radio, or read newspaper to see people stumbling around in the darkness of sin. We only need to look down the street, at our own extended family, and far too many times our own homes to see people who need the light of Jesus Christ in their lives.
Toward the end of his life, Pastor John Newton wrote, “When I was young, I was sure of many things; now there are only two things of which I am sure: one that I am a miserable sinner; and the other, that Christ is an all-sufficient Savior.” God opened John Newton’s eyes. God opened our eyes, but sometimes, Christians close their eyes.
That is what we see in our Gospel lesson this morning. The disciples, leaving Jerusalem were walking along with their faces, as the text says, “downcast when Jesus asked what they were discussing as they walked along the road.
These two disciples were not unbelievers or ignorant. They know who Jesus claimed to be. Why, they even knew about the report of the women that they had been to the tomb and it was empty. Still they were downcast. And so Jesus tells them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory? And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, whose symbol is usually a dove or fire; a dove to represent peace when faith is given and fire which represents the power of that faith in that faith sets one’s heart ablaze for the Lord.
God’s Word set the disciples hearts ablaze and in his breaking of bread at supper they saw him for who he is; a valuable lesson for all of us. We must be in the Word of God to truly know Jesus. We must be in the Word of God to have our hearts set ablaze, for when one is not in the Word of God once cannot learn about Jesus and his will.
I have seen that take place in Bible studies where people have grown spiritually and many have been set spiritually ablaze. It is a wonderful thing to see people grow spiritually and to become the people that God wants them to be. Will they ever be a great pastor or Christian teacher? Will they ever be high up in the church body? Will they ever give great sums of money to help the poor or spread the Word of God to those who do not know of Jesus?
I would doubt it. But what they will do is live their lives in a God pleasing manner. They will be more forgiving. They will be more inclined to serve others. They will be more inclined to give more of their time and money as God has blessed them. But most importantly they are more willing to share what Jesus Christ means to them; each in his own way.
Just look at what our congregation has done and is doing as the Holy Spirit has set many of our members’ hearts ablaze. We, as a kingdom congregation are on fire for the Lord. We serve the Lord in numerous ways, from staying true to the Bible and the Lutheran Confessions to helping people in the community and world. That is a wonderful thing, for it shows that we are not inward focused but outward focused.
Our Synod is in the midst of a campaign of setting the world ablaze with the good news of Jesus death and resurrection. It is good news because without Jesus death and resurrection, we, all of humankind would be doomed since there is no way that we can appease God’s commands. We never could and never will. It is all about Jesus and his saving work on our behalf.
Jesus tells us in Acts 1: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” You can say that promise only applies to the first disciples and not us. You could say that but what do you do with 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
You see the promise that God gave the first disciples applies to all of us today, for we too are to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria. Jerusalem is our city. Judea is our country. And Samaria is the world. We have been given the command to go, with the promise that we will not be alone. The Holy Spirit is here and I will guarantee that someone or maybe a bunch of someone’s are feeling a strange warming in their hearts this morning.
It is not by my speaking that is for sure. It is not because we are sitting here this morning. It is not because we are Lutherans. It is because the same thing that happened to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus is happening to us today. God is speaking to us this morning through our liturgy, the readings, and later he will speak to us through the Lord’s Supper.
Today we honor the women of the LWML which was founded for the purpose of serving the Lord with gladness by supporting Gospel outreach from local churches to the farthest parts of the world. Untold numbers of people have been given the gift of faith in Jesus Christ through the mission work that has been supported by mites from the women of LWML. Many other people have benefited from the numerous acts of charity, the quilts, the gifts of food and clothing, all lovingly by these women who working as a worldwide group.
They are on fire and we need to follow their example, for each one of us today still has to confess before God and each other, “Amazing grace-how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found. Was blind but now I see!” We see the truth and the truth sets us free from the condemnation that we all still deserve. Praise God. Amen.
posted by Pastor Rhoads | 4:27 PM
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