Easter Means No Fear of Speaking

Confirmation Sunday at Star of Bethlehem is the culmination of three years of study for both parents and students.  This past Sunday our three confirmands gave a confession of their faith by reading an essay for the congregation.  They did a great job.  I am proud of their hard work over the past three years.  It has been a joy to see the Spirit go with God's word and grow in their hearts.  Please consider these discussion questions as you read the sermon below.

• What do you think of Hawking's comment that he is not afraid to die?
• Why might speaking be a very real fear for Christians, especially ones of confirmation age? (~8th grade)
• Which comes first: justification or sanctification?  Chronologically and logically?
• What would you say to one of these three young Christians as they face temptations and trials that may make them want to "lose hope"?
• How do you fix your eyes on "what is unseen"?

2 Corinthians 4:13-18

^13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, ^14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. ^15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

^16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ^17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ^18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Last month Stephen Hawking told the world that there was no such thing as heaven and hell.  Yes, the physicist from England, who suffers from Lou Gehrig’s disease, said "I have lived with the prospect of an early death for the last 49 years, I'm not afraid of death, but I'm in no hurry to die.  I have so much I want to do first.”  He compared the brain to a computer that just stops working when the components fail.  To him people are the same.  He added: “There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.”

I really like a lot of what he said.  He said that heaven or afterlife is for people who are afraid of the dark.  That used to be me.  The thought of death, ultimate darkness – that one day the coffin lid will close and never open again... well that is until Jesus comes back and flips my body like a coin from the tomb.  Heads I win, tails death loses.  Paul reminds us of this fact in verse ^14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. 

I don’t agree with his comment about a fairy story.  There is nothing fictional with any part of the Bible, especially the Easter accounts.  Jesus is alive!  Do you remember what our theme has been throughout this Easter season?  Easter means… No Fear – We’ve covered Death, Poverty, Insignificance, Pain, Guilt, Judgment, and today on this confirmation Sunday we’ll see that Easter means no fear of speaking.

Over the past three years Michael, Adrienne, and Carmen have not had speech class.  In fact there have been no class reports.  They only had class with me on average once a month.  The majority of the instruction was with their parents or grandparents.  Why does Easter mean no fear of speaking?  ^13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak,  Today we are talking about the faith of Adrienne, Michael, and Carmen.  What is it that they believe?  Reading a few passages, answering a few questions, memorizing a few passages, studying the catechism, and then taking a quiz, doesn’t necessarily make a Christian.  Yet we have God’s promise that faith comes from hearing the message.  The passages, the lessons, and the quizzes were just a framework – an organized way so that Adrienne, Michael, and Carmen could get to know their God.  Their confirmation is only a starting point.  Listen to verse 14 once more ^14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence.

Jesus being raised from the dead – is known as justification.  If you are justified in your actions – it’s ok to do them.  The problem is that you don’t need that cookie before bed, you won’t starve in your sleep.  You didn’t need to hit your sibling back – that’s not self defense.  When you sin you are justified before God when he takes your sin to the cross and leaves them there.  That doesn’t make you a better person – that just means that you forgiven.  Jesus rising from the dead proves it!  and present us with you in his presence – if you make it to heaven the only way you’re going to look is holy, perfect, spotless.  Starting the second you believed Jesus died for your sins the Holy Spirit started working on you.  Changing you into the wonderful you man and women you are today.  He’ll keep working on you the rest of your days.

^15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

My benefit?  How?  Um Heaven right – NO you get to tell people.  Easter Means No Fear – We believe therefore we speak.

After such uplifting message Paul’s next few words may seem curious at first.  Therefore we do not lose heart.  Why would we lose heart?  Because the Christian is a mix.  We do believe that God loves us, but the nagging doubts will never go fully away, because this side of the grave, our sin will never fully go away.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  Everyday we can wake up ready to attack the sinful flesh and master it.  Sure troubles will come, we will make new messes despite our best efforts.  After defeating one sin, another will wriggle in where we are weakest, but day by day we can go back to the cross to be reminded that our God still loves us.

            We need not be overwhelmed by what is right in front of us.  It only gets better.  17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  Remember light and momentary include getting ship wrecked.  Having large rocks thrown at you and covering you until you can hardly breath.  Falsely accused, imprisoned, and punished. Enduring the fevers of malaria.  Being betrayed by friends.  Yes, Paul experienced a few light and momentary troubles.  But he had something waiting for him that far outweighed them all.  He focused on what was to come.

            So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is, seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  All of Paul’s troubles including malaria, unwanted weigh gain or hair loss, a bad credit history, all of the troubles that were right in front of him, he didn’t focus on.  Because no matter how bad they may seem, they are all temporary.  For the rest of the week the little boy wouldn’t get a cookie, but next week his mother would buy him more.  He fixed his eyes on the unseen things.  For the rest of your life you will endure temptation, sin and the consequences that go along with it, but don’t focus on the rest of your life, focus on eternity.  Focus outside of yourself on the promises of God that will never go bad and will never end.

            There is the story of an English captain whose son was just confirmed.  That Sunday evening the two were in the captain’s cabin talking.  The captain took a candle and lit it.  Then he handed it to his son and told him to go up on the deck.  It wasn’t stormy, but there was a strong wind that night.  The son thought this was unwise because the wind would surely blow out the candle.  At the captain’s insistence the son went up to the deck.  After a few steps with constant turning the son successfully made one lap around the deck and returned to the cabin with the candle still lit.  The Father said, “Well done!  Your faith is like this candle.  Even though you have vowed to stay faithful to your God, unless you shield your faith from the trials and temptations of the world it will surely go out.”

That’s a great story.  I understand the point, as I’m sure you do.  However I like a slightly different version.  The boy received the candle from his father.  He goes up to the deck and at the first wind the candle is extinguished.  He returns to his father disappointed and broken, but his father lights the candle again and sends him back up the to the deck.  Again and again the candle is extinguished.  Again and again the boy returns to his father where it is lit once again.  That, my young three, is being faithful.  You cannot stop sinning.  You are hopeless.  Even though God has promised that there will always be a way to escape from every temptation, you won’t be able to do so.  I’m not trying to set you up for failure, but to remind you how gracious and faithful your God is.  Return to him.  Return to the empty tomb.  See once more that Easter means no fear. 

Stephen Hawking says that he is not afraid to die.  This fear is based on ignorance.  He’s content to simply not know.  God has told you everything.  You know what’s coming when you die.  You know that when your eyes close, the next time they open you will be in paradise with your Lord.  That belief is why you can speak.  Witness to any who will listen all that God has done for you.  Yes, Easter means no fear of speaking.  Amen.

Easter Means No Fear of Pain

There are plenty of people who try ans escape pain in many ways.  Come and read or listen what your Good Shepherd does for those who hurt.  The sermon from May 15th is based on 1 Peter 2:19-25.  The Apostle Peter points us and his persecuted readers back to the Shepherd and Overseer of their souls.

• The Marines have their own idea found in the slogan above.  What do you think pain is?  
• What do you think about the story of the shepherd and the runaway sheep?
• Why is it important to know that Jesus "has been there" when it comes to pain?
• How do you handle people who are afraid?
• How do you handle your own fears?

Pain is weakness leaving the body.  At least that’s what the marines say.  Pain is a real day to day thing for many of you.  Pain can cripple you.  Make you bitter.  Give you perspective on life.  On this 4^th Sunday of Easter we continue our theme of Easter Means No Fear of Pain.  

The 4^th Sunday of Easter is Good Shepherd Sunday.  The picture of a Good Shepherd is one that Jesus himself draws for us.  He calls himself the Good Shepherd.  In our Gospel lesson we are one verse short of those famous words.  In our gospel lesson Jesus contrasts himself with the bad shepherds – the Pharisees, who didn’t care about the sheep at all.  Before we talk about our Good Shepherd, I want to talk about the sheep.

Peter is talking to sheep – new sheep who have only known their Good Shepherd for a short time.  These new sheep have had it pretty rough.  ^19 For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God.  In school it’s not easy to be the “idiot” who believes that God created the world.  At the water cooler tomorrow it’s fun to talk about weekend conquests outside of marriage.  The path that your Good Shepherd lays out for you is clear but rocky.  Don’t expect people support regular church attendance or Bible study.  If this is your lot you are to be commended for your suffering.  Peter isn’t saying anything new.  Our Good Shepherd wrote in the gospel of Matthew, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Why do sheep suffer?  It may be that all of the suffering in your life is because you are God’s sheep.  Wolves are waiting to rip you from limb to limb.  What if you are one of those sheep who loves walking on the edge of the cliff?  Do you like to frolic in the stream going ever deeper until it’s too late?  ^20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it?  Here Peter is talking about the other side of the coin.  People aren’t picking on you for walking away from a dirty joke – you’re under probation for showing up late and leaving early!  The boss doesn’t trust you because every other word out of your mouth is a lie!  Now we’re getting into a few different ways that people suffer.

I want to tell you a story – and I want to get your reaction.  This is difficult because I’m not actually going to take questions, but it’s a good one as we see how our Good Shepherd drives away our fear of pain.

There was a sheep that continued to run away.  First he was caught in a thicket.  His wool was hopelessly hooked into the thorns.  He was bloody and easy prey for a passing wolf.  The second time he fell down a ravine – and it was flash flood season.  The shepherd found him just in time.  After the third time the shepherd took the sheep and broke its leg, not because he hated the little sheep but because he love him.  Now the sheep couldn’t run but as it limped it stayed by the shepherd’s side.

That story is strong and in many ways very good, but we need to be careful with how we use it.  How do I feel if my 4-year-old twins take a table knife to the nearest power outlet over and over again?  After the third or fourth time, might I swat their little finger? The problem is that not all pain is your fault.  Another problem is that Satan works overtime to convince you that it is your fault. 

I want to take you to the center of out text where Peter writes.  ^24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. ^25 For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.  No matter what you think you’ve done, do you see that you are forgiven.  Even clearer is the Apostle Paul in Romans – There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  There is no sacrifice for sin left – says the author to the Hebrews.

That might leave you in an awkward place.  Carry the thought out to it’s logical end and God can only give you pain for a blessing.  You’re left with a few questions.  Why might be one of them.

^21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

^22 “He committed no sin,

and no deceit was found in his mouth.”

^24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

Peter is tracing the path for persecution.  Understand that this world is a veil of tear and your Savior knows where you’ve been. There was an unruly parent at one of my soccer games yesterday.  He wasn’t tased, but only of the referees explained to me that if you want to have a taser, you need to be tased.  Every police officer, security guard, or deputy has felt the jolt.  In the same way Jesus knows your miserable agony.  That means I can go to him when I suffer.  He knows what it’s like and he can help me. 

But that doesn’t answer the question why, does it?  Why is there pain?  I have to say pinch yourself.  Do you have flesh?  Is it sinful?  Does it lead you astray?  Turn on the news.  How is the content?  Is there any question that our world is sinful.  Read the Scriptures and you’ll find that your old evil foe is waiting for you – to pounce and destroy you.  He would have already had he not been beaten back by the Good Shepherd.  That is why there is sin. 

Why do I have to suffer through it?  Go to your Good Shepherd.  Pray to him, “Please take this suffering away.”  What are the possible answer?  It might be YES!  I can’t stand seeing my sheep suffer.  It might be wait or it might be no.  That can be a hard answer.  He doesn’t give us any information.  If he says wait or no he promised to give you the strength to bear up under it or he might take you home.  He might deliver you not by taking the pain away from you, but by taking you away from the pain.  You will be by his side.  Safe, secure and pain free.

This doesn’t answer the question directly.  How does Easter mean no fear of pain?

^25 For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.   On Easter Sunday I told you about how my three girls were trapped by a bee.  The terror was real.  For Emmerson that terror is still real.  Almost every night – including last night – she’ll reduce herself to a ball of tears because of bugs.  How do you comfort a four-year-old?  You don’t lecture.  Threats can work, but there’s a better way.  I take her to the window.  It’s closed and locked.  I remind her that she hasn’t seen a bug in her room ever.  I take every chance to tell her that she is one hundred times bigger than the bugs.  I give her a hug and kiss and she reluctantly lays down and goes to sleep. 

When you are afraid, go back to the empty tomb and look in.  There is a reason that the Easter season of the church year lasts seven weeks.  We need to go back again and again.  We forget so quickly.  The fears keep coming back.  That is how Easter drives away fears.

I think that the marines are wrong.  I don’t think that pain is weakness leaving the body.  I think that pain is one way God keeps us close.  Pain is one way that God keeps us safe.  Pain is one way that we know that God loves us – not because he loves to see us suffer, but because it forces us to trust his promises.  There’s nowhere else to go.  If it drives us back to the cross, it can only be good.  Easter means no fear pain.  Amen.