St. Timothy Lutheran Church » Jesus http://www.sainttimothy.org Sharing the Joy! Thu, 05 Aug 2010 18:29:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 2006-2008 hiddenvorlon@msn.com (St. Timothy Evangelical Lutheran Church) hiddenvorlon@msn.com (St. Timothy Evangelical Lutheran Church) posts 1440 Religion, Jesus, Life, church, Christianity, Spirituality, Christ, God St. Timothy Evangelical Lutheran Church: Sharing the Joy! A member of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod. St. Timothy Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lombard Illinois Podcast. This podcast contains sermons from our worship services. St. Timothy Evangelical Lutheran Church St. Timothy Evangelical Lutheran Church hiddenvorlon@msn.com No no http://www.sainttimothy.org/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpg St. Timothy Lutheran Church http://www.sainttimothy.org 144 144 Heaven – We Already Have It http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/08/05/heaven-we-already-have-it/ http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/08/05/heaven-we-already-have-it/#comments Thu, 05 Aug 2010 18:29:00 +0000 HiddenVorlon http://www.sainttimothy.org/?p=352 In popular thought, the judgment of God of individuals is something still to come.  It is as though God has yet to make up His mind about us.  This can be properly understood, in the sense that those who endure unto the end will be saved, as Jesus said, Revelation 2:10,” … Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.“

But what of those who are faithful now, are believers now?  Is God still waiting to make up His mind about you?  No! In faith you already possess what God wants to give you:  Forgiveness, life, and salvation!  You have already been brought to the eternal life that will last forever, as today’s text says, “Since, then, you have [already] been raised with Christ …”

The fact is that our relationship with God is a “done deal.”  We are reconciled with God.  He does give us spiritual life that is not of this “present evil age,” this “dominion of darkness”
As a result, the arrival of Christ on the last day is not a moment of fear or wondering, but a moment of incredible joy, for, “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

As Christians we do focus on this new life, yet when we think about it we want to do so much more than we do.  It is this “otherworldly” orientation that makes the Christian church such an oasis in this spiritually dark and barren and hostile world.  So that this may be true more and more, we fervently reflect upon “things above” so that we, those we love, and those whom we seek to know may be embraced by the grace of our Lord, and freed of their burdens.

]]> http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/08/05/heaven-we-already-have-it/feed/ 0 The Prayer of the Church Is the Voice of Faith http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/07/29/the-prayer-of-the-church-is-the-voice-of-faith/ http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/07/29/the-prayer-of-the-church-is-the-voice-of-faith/#comments Thu, 29 Jul 2010 21:59:47 +0000 HiddenVorlon http://www.sainttimothy.org/?p=350 Jesus catechizes His disciples in the way of faith by teaching them how to pray. He promises us: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Luke 11:9). If earthly fathers know how to give good gifts to their children, “how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him” (Luke 11:13). Thus, father Abraham was bold in his prayer because he believed the gracious promise of the Lord, that he would “surely become a great and mighty nation . . .” (Gen. 18:18). When we pray in Jesus’ name, we also hold “fast to the Head” (Col. 2:19), “rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith” (Col. 2:6–7).

 

]]> http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/07/29/the-prayer-of-the-church-is-the-voice-of-faith/feed/ 0 Don’t Settle For Less http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/07/15/don%e2%80%99t-settle-for-less/ http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/07/15/don%e2%80%99t-settle-for-less/#comments Thu, 15 Jul 2010 19:56:00 +0000 HiddenVorlon http://www.sainttimothy.org/?p=349 As we work our way through some of the Epistles this year, we see the sacred writers dealing with issues that arise in the churches.  In Galatians, it was those who wanted to make salvation dependent upon keeping certain laws.  The Letter to the Colossians provides our texts for today and the next three Sundays.  In this letter the issue is what he calls “hollow and deceptive philosophy” that combines some of the laws of Judaism with a sort of “spirituality” that supposedly connected with the spiritual powers of the universe. 

The self-appointed rules and observances offered a feeling of special holiness while the supposed insights and even visions encouraged a feeling of possessing the keys to a special knowledge not known to others.  But it was hollow and deceptive.  Any holiness we might feel falls far short of the holiness that Christ gives, and any spiritual powers are nothing compared to the Creator who has redeemed us and made us his own.

Yet today also many are attracted by the pop spirituality and grow indifferent to the real treasure that we have in Christ.  Because of a “consumer mentality” toward faith, many view religion like a popular song, something they go to for the feelings that it gives until something else comes along, and helpful for coping with the troubles of life.

But as Paul points out in his letter to the Colossians, we shouldn’t settle for so little, because God doesn’t just have some cool things to say to help us cope, “…He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves…” (Col 1:13).  God Himself speaks to us through His word and gives us His own comfort of forgiveness and salvation.  In speaking His law and gospel to others, we are already ruling with Him in His kingdom of light that lasts forever.  When we think about it, who would want to give that up for just a little pop spirituality?

 

]]> http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/07/15/don%e2%80%99t-settle-for-less/feed/ 0 Pastors Are Bound To The Gospel http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/06/17/pastors-are-bound-to-the-gospel/ http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/06/17/pastors-are-bound-to-the-gospel/#comments Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:23:06 +0000 HiddenVorlon http://www.sainttimothy.org/?p=348 (Regarding Galatians 2:11-21)

In this part of his letter to the Galatian churches Paul is doing at least two things.  First, he continues with the point we looked at last week that this gospel is something that is NOT of human origin, but of divine origin.  Because of that, as the preceding verses tell us, this gospel is proclaimed consistently by all of Christ’s apostles throughout the church, as all received it directly from Christ, without collaboration.  Nevertheless when they DID get together they were unanimous in their confession.

BUT also because this gospel is from Christ it is the standard that governs all practice in the church, and when the practice falls short of the gospel as Peter’s practice did, the divinely given gospel MUST be upheld even to the point of rebuking an apostle.  While the apostles did not err in their inspired preaching they were still sinners and might still err in their practice from time to time.

As with Peter, pastors tend to like people and be influenced by what people think of them.  In this case, Peter was afraid of what the Jews, the people with whom he had identified all his life, would think of them.  He therefore acted as though they were more pleasing to God because of their retention of Jewish practices.

That idea leads inevitably to salvation depending upon our obedience.  We must bind our pastors to preach and practice only according to the God-given gospel.

The second thing going on here is Paul’s restatement of the gospel before Peter, and in light of Peter’s hypocrisy.    This raises the question of how  THE SAVED-BY-GRACE CHRISTIAN DEALS WITH SIN.  This is what we will cover in this week's sermon.
 

]]> http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/06/17/pastors-are-bound-to-the-gospel/feed/ 0 Jesus Raises Us from Death to Life http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/06/10/jesus-raises-us-from-death-to-life/ http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/06/10/jesus-raises-us-from-death-to-life/#comments Thu, 10 Jun 2010 19:59:17 +0000 HiddenVorlon http://www.sainttimothy.org/?p=346 St. Paul’s apostolic office was not a self-chosen pursuit, but a divine call to preach the Son of God “among the Gentiles” (Gal. 1:15–16). What he preached was “not man’s gospel” (Gal. 1:11), but the revelation of Christ Jesus. The Old Testament prophets also preached the same Lord Jesus in many and various ways.

Though death is a harsh reminder of sin (1 Kings 17:18), Elijah’s raising of the widow’s son confirmed that the Word of the Lord is truth (1 Kings 17:24). It pointed forward to the death and resurrection of Christ. So also, when Jesus raised the widow’s son at Nain, He anticipated His own Resurrection. Just as “He came up and touched the bier” (Luke 7:14), so He takes our sin and death upon Himself in order to atone for our sin and destroy our death by His cross and Passion.

]]> http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/06/10/jesus-raises-us-from-death-to-life/feed/ 0 Rescued From This Present Evil Age http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/06/03/rescued-from-this-present-evil-age/ http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/06/03/rescued-from-this-present-evil-age/#comments Thu, 03 Jun 2010 18:13:13 +0000 HiddenVorlon http://www.sainttimothy.org/?p=345 This Sunday we begin a series of six lessons from the Epistle of Paul to the Galatians.  The Galatian churches were those to whom Paul had brought the saving gospel of Christ during his second missionary journey.  These were the cities like Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe.

Paul had brought them the good news of what Christ had done to save them from the eternal judgment that dooms sinners.  He pointed them to Christ atoning life, death and resurrection as the only hope for sinners rather than any obedience or sacrifice that we could offer.  Our hope of salvation doesn’t depend upon our having kept the law, but on Christ’s righteous life and his sacrificial death and victorious resurrection. 

It all depends on Christ.  HE is the one who saved us from this evil; age of the world.
But now come some apparently well-meaning teachers with the message that salvation depended upon a proper obedience to the laws of Moses.  Undoubtedly they said many things that were true, but the thrust of their teaching was to make salvation conditional on something we would do.  In the final analysis, such faith is not faith in Christ but in self, and a return to the present evil age from which Jesus saved us.

As we go through these lessons we will learn how important it is to cling to the absolute truth of Scripture because even a “little” error can destroy faith and lead to damnation.  We will also learn that in every way our hope is in Christ and not in our obedience to the law.  In fact our obedience, imperfect though it may be, is a result of our being rescued from this present evil age and is a result of the same saving power that brings us to spiritual life and faith.

]]> http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/06/03/rescued-from-this-present-evil-age/feed/ 0 The Good Shepherd Cares for His Sheep http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/04/23/the-good-shepherd-cares-for-his-sheep/ http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/04/23/the-good-shepherd-cares-for-his-sheep/#comments Fri, 23 Apr 2010 01:32:23 +0000 HiddenVorlon http://www.sainttimothy.org/?p=342 Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came from the Father and became flesh among us in order to rescue us, His sheep. He laid down His life for us and took it up again in order to give us eternal life. By the preaching of His Gospel, He calls His sheep to Himself and keeps them with Him forever. As they hear His voice and follow Him, “they will never perish” (John 10:28), for “no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand” (John 10:29). In the same way, faithful pastors (literally, “shepherds”) “care for the church of God, which He obtained with His own blood” (Acts 20:28), “testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). Therefore, with all the company of heaven, the Good Shepherd gathers his flock in worship, as they cry: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Rev. 7:10).
 

]]> http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/04/23/the-good-shepherd-cares-for-his-sheep/feed/ 0 God’s Beloved Son Has Redeemed Us http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/03/19/god%e2%80%99s-beloved-son-has-redeemed-us/ http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/03/19/god%e2%80%99s-beloved-son-has-redeemed-us/#comments Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:04:21 +0000 HiddenVorlon http://www.sainttimothy.org/?p=338 Our life and works apart from Christ, no matter how impressive they may be to the eyes of the world, are ultimately garbage and no righteousness. Rather, it is in the scandalous cross of Jesus that we find our righteousness alone “through faith in Christ” (Phil. 3:9). By such faith, we “know Him and the power of His resurrection” (Phil. 3:10). For the same God who brought Israel out of Egypt, has done a “new thing” for us in Christ Jesus. He has sent his “beloved Son” into his vineyard—to be killed by sinful men and to become “the stone the builders rejected.” Yet, the One rejected by men “has become the cornerstone” of His Church (Luke 20:17). Through the waters of Holy Baptism, he provides us daily refreshment in our earthly pilgrimage—”a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Is. 43:19).

 

]]> http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/03/19/god%e2%80%99s-beloved-son-has-redeemed-us/feed/ 0 Reconciled To God http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/03/05/reconciled-to-god/ http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/03/05/reconciled-to-god/#comments Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:21:03 +0000 HiddenVorlon http://www.sainttimothy.org/?p=337 2 Corinthians 5:14-21

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

]]> http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/03/05/reconciled-to-god/feed/ 0 Jesus Rescues Us from Death and Brings Us into Heaven http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/02/25/jesus-rescues-us-from-death-and-brings-us-into-heaven/ http://www.sainttimothy.org/2010/02/25/jesus-rescues-us-from-death-and-brings-us-into-heaven/#comments Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:22:03 +0000 HiddenVorlon http://www.sainttimothy.org/?p=336 The prophet Jeremiah faithfully preached “all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people” (Jer. 26:8). He called the people to repentance, lest the Lord’s judgment come upon them. The violence that Jeremiah suffered for this preaching foreshadowed the cross and Passion of Christ Jesus, who suffered the judgment of God for the redemption of all people. For Jesus “comes in the name of the Lord” (Luke 13:35) in order to lay down His life for the sins of the world.

Earthly Jerusalem was blind to His gracious visitation, and so put Him to death like the prophets before Him. Yet, His sacrifice upon the cross was the cornerstone of the new Jerusalem, His Church. He visits us today in mercy with His preaching of forgiveness, to gather us to Himself within that holy city, “as a hen gathers her brood under her wings” (Luke 13:34). For “our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20).

 

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