The Fifth Sunday of Easter & Saude Confirmation – Pr. Faugstad sermon
Text: St. John 16:5-15
In Christ Jesus, who spoke the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, because He is the truth, dear fellow redeemed:
Do you remember what happened the first time you told your parents a lie… and got caught? You lied because you didn’t want to get in trouble. You wanted to get away with something that you know you shouldn’t have done. But it didn’t work. Your parents found out. I am confident they did not respond by saying, “It’s no big deal.” Or, “You almost got us that time!” Or, “We’re glad to see you pursuing your truth.” You had to face the consequences, not only for the wrong thing you did, but also and especially for lying about it.
We are taught from a very young age to tell the truth. We must be taught it because it does not come naturally to us. The problem is, hardly anyone these days seems to agree on what exactly is true. We hear often enough, “What is true for you is not necessarily what is true for me.” Or, “One person’s truth is just as valid as another’s.” This makes all truth relative, totally dependent on what each individual thinks is right and wrong. But no society can actually function like this. With no truth boundaries in place, we would destroy each other.
This is why some people look to the government to establish truth. But government officials are not perfect. Laws that encourage and reward harmful activity can be put in place, and good laws can be changed by bad actors. What about the visible Christian Church? Can that establish truth? Church officials are sinful too. And what one church might call true and good, another might call false and evil because they don’t agree about what God wants them to teach and do. Should it be each household or community determining what is true? That just puts us back to truth being relative, decided by what seems right to each individual or small group.
The problem with all these options is that they start with humanity. They start with what we can do to create a peaceful, well-ordered society. If we were capable of this, or even moderately good at it, wouldn’t we see a lot more peace and order in history and a lot less violence and trouble? Jesus makes it clear that we sinners are not going to be able to raise ourselves out of the continuous conflict and suffering of the world. We need someone to come from the outside in, someone who is not held back by the same weakness and sin that we are.
Jesus was a Person like this. He did not come from the world; He made the world. John 1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (vv. 1,3). Then the evangelist writes, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
The Son of God took on human flesh by being born of the virgin Mary. Because He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, He entered the world without sin. He was “full of grace and truth,” and He came to save the world (Joh. 3:17). He came to offer up His holy life as the payment for all sin, to make satisfaction for it by His death on the cross. Jesus spoke the words of today’s reading the night before He was crucified. He knew that He would suffer, that He would die, and that He would rise again on the third day. This is what His heavenly Father sent Him to do (Joh. 10:18).
After His work was complete, Jesus told the disciples that He must return to His Father. He would no longer be visibly present with them to teach them, answer their questions, and encourage them. This filled their hearts with sorrow. How could they go on without their Teacher and Lord? Jesus had the answer. He told them He would send the Holy Spirit to guide them into all the truth, to declare to them the things that were to come, and to take what was His and declare it to them.
When the disciples heard Jesus’ words before His death and resurrection, they could not make sense of any of it. After His resurrection, they began to understand Jesus’ purpose and plan for the salvation of the world. And then at Pentecost, ten days after Jesus ascended into heaven, it all became clear. God the Father and God the Son sent God the Holy Spirit to them just as Jesus had promised.
The Holy Spirit not only guided these chosen disciples to preach boldly in the name of Jesus, He also guided them to write histories and letters, so that others after them would hear the truth and would learn how to discern truth from error. We still have those Spirit-inspired writings today. They are collected in the New Testament of the Bible, along with the inspired words of the prophets in the Old Testament. We believe that the entire Bible is given to us by God. It was written down by men, but it contains no human opinions, no human errors, and no actual contradictions. It is the Word of God, which means it is true.
This is the truth that has gone out into the world and still goes out. It has changed the world and still changes it. But you might say, “If the Word of God is so powerful, if it is true, why isn’t the world a better place?” If you filled up on food at a recent meal, why do you keep more food in the cupboards and fridge? If a cut in your skin has healed, why do you keep bandages around? You know that just because you ate today and were in good shape today, that there will be hunger and other troubles tomorrow. We live in a fallen, sinful world, and each one of us is sinful.
One of the Holy Spirit’s duties is to expose the sinfulness of the world and of our own hearts. Jesus said that at the Spirit’s coming, “He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” The unbelieving world does not know how lost it is, how far it has fallen from the glory of God, and how deeply it is stuck in sin. It does not understand that its best deeds and greatest accomplishments are garbage compared to God’s goodness and righteousness. It does not see that if it continues to reject the salvation won by Jesus, it will be eternally condemned along with the devil.
That’s the truth, and it’s a hard truth. It is difficult to speak this message in the world because the world does not want to hear it. No one likes to be told that he or she has a major problem. Unbelievers do not want to hear that no matter how good they have tried to be toward their neighbors, or how much they have tried to make a positive difference in their communities, that none of it counts for their salvation with God. It isn’t good enough. Unless they repent, they cannot be saved. As long as they reject Jesus’ saving work, they are on the way to hell. No matter what our culture says today, not everyone who dies goes to “a better place.”
This sounds harsh. People who hear this wonder why we Christians think we are so much better than others. They can name a whole bunch of Christians who seem to be worse people than they are. It isn’t hard to find a sinful Christian. We do not speak to others about sin, righteousness, and judgment because we think we are so good. We speak the truth of God because we know we are just as sinful as everyone else, and we know that no one can be saved apart from the grace of God.
We speak the truth because we want others to have the forgiveness and comfort that we have. We want them to know that Jesus fulfilled the holy Law of God for them and died to pay for their sins and rose again to conquer their death. He did this for the whole world, for all people of all time. He did not leave anyone out or fail to pay for anyone’s sins. Every single wrong we have done, every single unkind word or action toward others, every single lie we have spoken or lived, Jesus suffered the wrath of God for it and shed His blood to wash it all away.
This is the truth. It is not my opinion. It is not make-believe. I can tell you with one-hundred-percent certainty that your sins are forgiven because Jesus paid for them. He commanded that this Gospel message be shared with the whole world (Mat. 28:18-20, Joh. 20:22-23). The Gospel “is the power of God for salvation” (Rom. 1:16). It is powerful because it is not man’s word; it is God’s Word. The Holy Spirit works through the Word to guide you into all truth, to point you to Jesus’ work for your salvation, to take what is His—His righteousness, His perfection, His life—and declare it and give it to you.
You breathe in the Spirit and power of God whenever you listen to His Word and receive His Sacraments in faith. And you breathe out these gifts to others when you speak the same promises and blessings of God to them. You believe, and so you also speak (2Co. 4:13). When you speak the truth, you do not need to worry about how it will be received. That burden is not on you. The Holy Spirit will do all the heavy-lifting. He will open ears, He will work repentance, He will plant faith in hearts—just as He has done for you.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.
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(picture from stained glass by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, c. 1660)
The Last Sunday of the Church Year – Pr. Faugstad sermon
Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
In Christ Jesus, the Light and Day, who drives the night and gloom away; the Light of light, whose Word does show the light of heav’n to us below (ELH 571, v. 1), dear fellow redeemed:
In the Scripture readings for today, we get a very strong sense of time—time moving, the days advancing, the sun dropping down toward the horizon as dusk sets in. The Holy Gospel describes a bridegroom delayed, light giving way to darkness, drowsiness and sleep overcoming those who watch and wait (Mat. 25:1-13). These are fitting readings for this time of the year when the daylight is diminishing and we reluctantly head into the cold of winter. They are also fitting readings for this time in the church year as we make preparations for the sunset of our life and for our Lord’s return.
In his inspired First Letter to the Thessalonians, Paul acknowledges what those believers already knew, “that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” In other words, nobody will be able to guess when it is that Jesus will come in glory to judge the living and the dead. That hasn’t stopped some from trying. A simple internet search lists hundreds of predictions throughout history of the end of time. Many of you remember the increase in these predictions leading up to the year 2000 and then again with the Mayan calendar excitement in 2012.
The people who try to predict the end on the basis of the Bible have a way of reading prophecies and adding up dates, so that they think they can discover secrets from God. They are trying to sort out “times and seasons” in a way that God has not invited them to do. Jesus said very clearly, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Mat. 24:36). He said this during His state of humiliation when He was not making full use of His divine powers. Now in His state of exaltation Jesus knows that day, but no one else does know it or can know it.
We can, however, see the signs that the end is near. Jesus prophesied that false christs would appear and lead many astray. There would be “wars and rumors of wars,” “earthquakes in various places,” and “famines” (Mar. 13:6-8). We see these things all around us. They should make us prepare for Judgment Day and look for it. Today’s reading indicates that many are not looking for Jesus’ return. His return will catch them by surprise: “While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”
How is it that you can stay prepared, so “sudden destruction” does not fall upon you? Paul writes, “you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.” Being in darkness means living in unbelief. It means going along with the world, whether along with the world’s worries or the world’s sins. It means being spiritually asleep and spiritually inebriated or impaired when we need to be spiritually alert and sober.
Now you are not unbelievers, dear friends, but you are tempted. You are tempted to look out into the world’s darkness and think that is actually light. We like the idea, for example, of unchecked freedom, freedom to say whatever we want, do whatever we want, use our bodies however we want, satisfy our every desire with food or drink or fun. It looks like freedom, but it is actually slavery—slavery to sin, slavery to the devil, and ultimately slavery to death. If freedom to do whatever we want is the recipe for happiness, then why are so many people so hopeless?
We do not live for this day, for getting as much as we can in the present. We live for that day, for Jesus’ return, when all our present sadness and trouble and pain will come to an end. We look for that day with eyes wide open. “For you are all children of light, children of the day,” writes Paul. You can see everything clearly. You can see how empty the world’s promises are. You can see how much damage the devil has done to families and friendships. You can see your own weaknesses and failings.
But you also know what God has done to rescue you from the darkness. God sent His Son to shine the light of His forgiveness and life into the deepest, darkest corners of the earth and into the deepest, darkest corners of your heart. He willingly accepted every sin done in the dark and suffered the eternal agony of hell for them all. He died on the cross as the sacrifice for your sins, and then He rose from the dead on the third day in total and complete triumph over your death.
You have His light and life in you by faith in Him. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me—believes in me—will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (Joh. 8:12). At another time Jesus said, “You are the light of the world” (Mat. 5:14). His light of love shines in you, and it shines through you. “[L]et your light shine before others,” He said, “so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (v. 16).
The light of faith that shines in you, connecting you to the true Light, is why our reading refers to believers as “children of light, children of the day.” Children of the day stay awake and sober, alert and clear-minded. They put on “the breastplate of faith and love,” so they are ready for the devil’s accusations and the attacks from the world and our sinful flesh. They wear as a helmet “the hope of salvation,” which means minds that are filled with the promises of God, with His holy Word, which assures us that we will be kept safe until the day of our Lord’s return.
But what if you don’t feel completely confident about this? You don’t feel like you can see clearly to the last day. You have doubts. You have fears. Will you be accepted by Jesus when He comes? Will He look on you with grace or with anger? Will He judge you favorably or unfavorably? These are common questions and concerns that Christians have. We are always anxious about things in the future that we have never experienced, things that are out of our control. And we know how often we have sinned against God’s Commandments.
The best way to address these questions and concerns is to pray for God’s peace in your mind and heart, and then to listen to His Word where He delivers that peace. This is exactly what happens each week in the Divine Service. We confess our sins and pray for God’s mercy, and then we hear His Word of grace, His absolution, which frees us from our sin and strengthens us. Through the Word and Sacraments, God pours His light into us. It flows in and searches out the darkness of our doubt and despair. Like good medicine, His Word brings us healing. It improves our spiritual health, so we lift up our eyes and look forward with eagerness.
We have heard the cry go out, “Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” (Mat. 25:6). We know Jesus is coming. He tells us He is coming soon (Rev. 22:20). It is not for us to know more about it than that. We wait with our lamp of faith burning brightly, and we supply fuel to it through our continued hearing of God’s Word. We prepare for the last day especially on the Lord’s Day, when we gather together at church. This is what God teaches us to do. Hebrews 10 says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (vv. 24-25).
“The day is surely drawing near / When God’s Son, the Anointed, / Shall with great majesty appear / As Judge of all appointed” (ELH 538, v. 1). We don’t need to know exactly when He is coming; we just need to recognize that He is. We have hope even as darkness settles in around us. We believe what God says to us, that He “has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with Him.”
We don’t need to despair in the darkness of these days. We don’t need to be afraid at what the future holds. Our Lord Jesus is with us always, “even to the end of the age” (Mat. 28:20), through His Word and Sacraments. And He promises that He will come again in glory on the last day to take us to be with Him. The Bridegroom is coming. The marriage feast is prepared. This feast is for you and me and for all the children of day.
The day of our Lord’s return is a day worth waiting for. It is a day to watch for and stay awake for. “‘Wake, awake, for night is flying,’ / The watchmen on the heights are crying, ‘Awake, Jerusalem, arise!’… The Bridegroom comes, awake! / Arise! Your lamps now take! / Alleluia! / With bridal care / Yourselves prepare / To feast with Him, your Groom most fair” (ELH 544, v. 1).
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.
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(picture from 11th century painting from the Rossano Gospel)