Greetings all,
If you would like to hear the sermon preached at Trinity Lutheran Church in
Layton, Utah this past Sunday (Easter 3), go to:
http://tinyurl.com/csj6mk
Have a blessed week as citizens in God's city of peace.
Pastor Hering
Here is the preaching manuscript:
"Life in the City of God"
TEXT: Luke 24:36-49 36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus
himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."
. . . 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.
46 He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise
from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins
will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You
are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has
promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from
on high."
My dear citizens of Jerusalem, the city of peace in Christ. He is risen! He
is risen indeed!
Yes, you have come to the city of peace that is Christ's church.
Outward appearances, especially present circumstances hardly look that way,
yet still . . .
"Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring
peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a
daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law';
36 and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.' Matthew
10:34-36
Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come
together not for the better but for the worse. 18 For first of all, when you
come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in
part I believe it. 19 For there must also be factions among you, that those
who are approved may be recognized among you. 20 Therefore when you come
together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper. 1 Corinthians
11:17-20
Peace is not something that comes naturally to sinners.
Which is precisely why-- Jesus himself stood among them and said to them,
"Peace be with you."
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him
to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in
heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were
alienated from God and were enemies in our minds because of your evil
behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through
death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from
accusation-if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved
from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and
that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I,
Paul [and every pastor], have become a servant. Colossians 1:19-23
God takes those that are not His people and makes them His people. It is the
only way for Him to have people.
Jerusalem, Urusalim "i.e. founded by Shalem, the god of dusk" is said to
have been founded by Amorites and Hittites [Ezek. 16:3,45]; enemies of the
Israelites. In time, however, the second part of the name became associated
with shalom ("peace") in Hebrew minds, and Jerusalem came to mean "city of
peace."
Just as Jerusalem the pagan city become the city of peace by the work of the
Son of God, the name we give the highest Holy Day of the church, Easter,
comes from the name of a false god of fertility of the land of Canaan
(Ashtera) but has been transformed and given new, everlasting meaning by the
resurrection of Jesus the Christ. And so it is true of us as well. Pagan
enemies of God brought to faith in Jesus the Christ the Son of the living
God.
Rom 9:25-26 As he says in Hosea: "I will call them 'my people' who are not
my people; and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one," and,
"It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are
not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.'"
From the city founded as an enemy of the One true God, comes the salvation
of all; from a pagan festival founded on the worship of a false god, God
makes a true holiday celebrating He who is the resurrection and the life;
and from individual enemies of God, he makes a people to call His own.
36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them
and said to them, "Peace be with you."
37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said
to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39
Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does
not have flesh and bones, as you see I have."
40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while
they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them,
"Do you have anything here to eat?" 42 They gave him a piece of broiled
fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.
44 He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you:
Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses,
the Prophets and the Psalms."
Peace, I am not a ghost.
Lev 19:31"'Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be
defiled by them. I am the LORD your God. (NIV)
Luke 16:26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been
fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone
cross over from there to us.' (NIV)
Touch me. I did not come to deceive. A spirit has not flesh and bones. He
says the same to us in H.C.
45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He
told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from
the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be
preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are
witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has
promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from
on high."
Peace, forgiveness of sins begins here in Jerusalem, the city of my chosen
people. Here in my church, the gathering of my chosen people. Sinners
forgiven.
And this is the only way and the only message by which men might be saved.
Our reading from the book of Acts 3 18But what God foretold by the mouth of
all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19Repent
therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, 20that times
of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send
the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21whom heaven must receive until the
time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his
holy prophets long ago.
[And next week] Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other
name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
Romans 9:27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the
Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved.
(NIV)
Our Epistle lesson: 1See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that
we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world
does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 1:8-2:2
This is THE message Jesus the Christ sent out with His disciples. It is THE
message He sends out with us today. If we want others to know this message
we must start by identify ourselves as sinners, pagans, residents of
Urusalim who have been forgiven and made residents of Jerusalem, given the
righteousness of Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God.
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for
the sins of the whole world. And we are witnesses of these things. Ones who
have seen, experienced and now share this good news that comes only through
Jesus Christ. And more than this we are martyrs-those whose life comes from
dying with Christ and living by His Word alone.
My dear citizens of Jerusalem, the city of peace in Christ--He is risen! He
is risen indeed!
You people of God at Trinity, YOU are witnesses, yes even martyrs, of this
wonderful thing. While you are surrounded by a hostile world, even still
your Lord comes to you today to give you Life in the City of Peace,
forgiving you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit. Lord grant the increase of Your city Jerusalem throughout
the world and here at Trinity through the lives of her citizens whom you
have called to faith in the forgiveness of sins and whom you now send as
messengers of peace. Amen!
____________________________________________________________
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