Because I will be gone again early this week (Iowa District West conference),
I'm posting a late draft of the sermon that is still too long and too rough.
It should be okay to read, though, for ideas. I hope to come back from Fonda
and cut some stuff out and add Bible references for the two Sunday services.
This prints out on two sides of a single sheet of paper, two columns with .4"
margins all around in Times Roman 12 point (readable). May the Lord bless you
thru this reading - in Christ's Name.
Pastor Michael Harman,
St. Peter LCMS - Newell, IA
vacancies at ...
Immanuel, Pomeroy
First Evangelical, Fonda
Sept. 25, 2010. Luke 16. Lazarus and the other guy (who shall remain nameless
--- forever).
We know from the catechism there are two kinds of death. Physical death
is the separation of the body from the soul. Spiritual death is separation of
the body and soul from God. All creation since The Fall IS spiritually dead.
Your body and soul are united, but they are apart from God. Only when God
sends His Spirit into us are we born again from above. God makes us alive
spiritually.
When a person dies, the soul and body separate. The body decays. The
soul, ego, or 'personality' lives on forever. Christians continue in joy with
Christ awaiting the personal, bodily resurrection. All who are not saved by
grace thru faith in Christ alone depart to exist in torment continuing their
spiritual death forever.
There is a term "soul sleep". What it means is a person does not know what
is going on in the world, just like when you sleep you don't know what is going
on. We are still alive when we sleep! But when a "soul sleeps", they know
where they are - in heaven or hell - but not what goes on here on earth. The
word 'cemetery' means 'sleeping place'.
Do not think of Judgment Day as the first time when the godly & ungodly
are divided. Think of it as the full and final separation. Physical death is
not an interruption of our fellowship with God. Our life with Christ continues
thru the valley of the shadow of death. All who die in genuine faith are with
angels, archangels & all the company of heaven waiting for us to join them.
Luke 14-17 is Christ's long encounter with self-righteous people. They
felt: "if God loves you, He blesses you with riches. When He hates you, you
are poor and miserable." They laughed when they heard you can't serve money &
God. The theological term for this is "theology of glory". It is a lie that
says if you are suffering, God does not love you. The theology of glory is not
in the Bible, but it is in the heart of every fallen, sinful creature.
Jesus reported a story. A man lived in luxury every day: big color TV,
nice car, good home, more than enough food, respect from others, and a lot like
you in other ways. He was not an evil man in that sense. He was a good friend
and neighbor to many folks.
Lazarus means, "God IS my help." Looking at him, most would say it was a
poor choice for a name. He ate garbage the rich man threw away. He begged for
assistance and got no mercy. He grew weak. He got no medicine. So he got
weaker. Then he died.
Now a federal, state, or local program may bring water, food, or medicine
to people and help them greatly; for which we thank God. BUT it needs to be
said that any act a government does is useless in God's plan of salvation. Why?
Governments can not believe and go to heaven; individual souls go. The rich
man's crimes against humanity are his lack of compassion, pity, and mercy for a
person God put literally at his doorstep. God put an opportunity to show love
for his neighbor; and he willingly ignored the situation and the person.
He wasn't humanly bad. He had no faith; so he wasn't good. If we do good
things to others to show how good we are, God says we already have our reward.
Only when we do good without thought of any rewards from God or others, then
God calls them good.
Lazarus believed in God, and his faith was counted as righteousness. He
knew God was not punishing him. He was being disciplined as a child of God to
grow in His faith and trust. When life is rough and dangerous and all the
"stuff" we feel is so important fails: that is often when we turn to God's
mercy. It seems Lazarus' personality was alive in that confidence.
As each believed, so each lived. As each lived, so they died. Lazarus
was unknown to man and had no funeral/burial. Although the rich man may have
been remembered fondly by men at the funeral he was unknown to God. He did not
have his name written in the book of life. As each died, so each was judged
and remains: FOREVER.
Jesus speaks plainly about what happens beyond the grave. There was no
relief for the rich man. There is no way to make hell more comfy. No second
chances, either.
As I've said before, "heaven is more strange than we can imagine." Lazarus
does not feel joy or pity over seeing his fellow Israelite in hell. I don't
know how but we won't either. We won't know what is happening on earth, but we
will see across eternity. This is not a parable about rich versus poor, or
doing good to avoid hell and get to heaven. It's about faith in God's Word.
Both men heard God's Word and promises. The rich man trusted things of
this life as the sign of God's approval. Lazarus trusted only in God's
promises. Life experience did not teach Lazarus about God's love & mercy;
God's Word did; and he believed it. "Faith comes by hearing" and not by
feelings, actions, or miracles.
The rich man had a low opinion of God's Word and His House. If it is not
fun, exciting, entertaining, money-making, or all-about-me: then it is not
important; it is boring, and he stayed home.
This is a parable about faith in the One and Only God. Jesus Christ truly
died and was buried. He rose from the dead. More than 5 brothers heard it.
Most who heard of His Easter Resurrection didn't repent and believe; tho it was
a miracle. People may do a lot of earthly good, but they will be totally and
forever rejected from heaven without faith in Christ.
Our Lutheran Confessions (Formula of Concord Epitome, Article XI,
paragraph 12) state: "the reason (some are not saved even tho God wants them to
be) is that they either do not at all hear God's Word, but willfully despise
it, stop their ears and harden their hearts, and in this manner exclude the
ordinary way to the Holy Ghost, so that God cannot perform His work (of faith)
in them, OR, when they have heard it, make light of it again and they do not
heed it, for which (they perish) not by God or His election, but their own
wickedness is responsible."
Jesus, by & in this parable, points to Himself. He is the fulfillment of
all Scriptures: the Law and the Prophets. Christ is the Word of God in the
flesh. The Son of God is the One rejected by the people who accept God's
blessings as if they are due them, feel rich in their own righteousness, are
unwilling to eagerly help those in need, and they won't believe God's promises.
God in Christ demands repentance: an Authority far higher than a beggar
risen from the dead. If a soul will not repent (terror for their sins & faith
in Christ's full rescue), (AC XII) in the power of God's Word alone, no miracle
can save them.
But you and I, who believe in Christ as our only Savior from all sin and
Lord of our lives, can have peace, hope, confidence, strength, and joy. It
does not matter what goes on in life. In Christ, heaven is already ours by
God's grace (we did not earn it).
When difficult times come (they will!) we are sure God has blest us with
more than money can buy: faith in Christ. God blessed you in Holy Baptism.
You are baptized into Christ. He claimed you as His own dear child. Nothing
in all creation can separate you from His love in Christ Jesus.
The water included in His command and connected with His Word rescues from
death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe it. The
Word and promises of God declare this.
The LORD Who made you and claimed you now shapes you. He continues to
feed your faith in Holy Communion and His Word (liturgy, hymns, Bible reading,
solid devotions, sermons). The consequence, outcome, or result of God's gift
of faith is daily repentance - turning away from sin, and turning toward
Christ. Actions of mercy, compassion, and joy RESULT from faith; these are
good works in God's opinion.
The obedience to the Ten Commandments, loving God and our neighbor with
our actions, comes as an outcome of faith. The life of Lazarus indicated his
faith "God helps" and saves. The life of the unnamed rich man did not hint at
his faith. It was not the obedience, but the faith that saved Lazarus. Faith
in the Triune God is what saves us. It rests NOT in our feelings or actions,
but in the completed payment of Christ on the cross.
God may send you money or poverty. He may send you fame or obscurity. He
may send health or disease. He does this all for your eternal good. He uses
these to chase us to His rescue of Christ's cross, and to discipline us in His
salvation: as we see in the parable of Lazarus.
God works in you so you are in Christ. He opens your eyes and heart and
strength to reach out to serve others in unconditional love: just as He loves
you, without conditions.
You are living in the Last Days. God has made you alive in the cross and
Resurrection of Christ. By grace thru faith you live before God in
righteousness & purity forever. Pray in faith this week's Collect each day
this week when you get up in the morning. God grant that the faith God has
given us may shine to others, that they may see our good works & glorify our
Father in heaven. Amen.
Not included/preached. Ecclesiastes is a book of the Bible that talks about
how life is without God's work for us. He says life without God is pointless
vanity. Some satanic cults use selected verses from here to teach
"annihilation". They ignore the rest of the Bible, even verses in Ecclesiastes
that say we shall ALL stand before God (3:21, 12:14, etc.) Isaiah 66:24, Mark
9:44; Rev. 20:10; Phil 1:23-24; 2 Cor 5:8; etc.
Oh God, You are the strength of all who trust in You, and without You we
can do no good thing. Grant us the help of Your grace, that we may please You
both in will and deed; thru Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, Who lives and
reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forevermore. Amen.
