Sermon on Minneapolis 13.06.2010

May the grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the love of God our Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with each and every one of us, now and always.

Let us join in opening prayer of thanksgiving. Dear Heavenly Father, giver of all good gifts, we draw nigh unto you in prayer asking for your presence and blessing that you would divide onto us from your word of grace and truth those things that you see fitting for this time as you know we have need. And we include all of our petitions as your Son has taught us to pray.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

I shall read a portion of the letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians, the sixth chapter, the first four verses, the following holy words of God. Amen.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise, that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Amen.

In this last chapter of this letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesian congregation, he starts out, and from the brief research that I did, it appears that it is the only place where Paul directly and intentionally addresses children. In many other places in the scriptures, both, of course, in the teachings of our Lord and Savior, and also in other writings, children are referred to. But here the Apostle Paul says, children, obey your parents.

In other words, it's almost like in looking at the scope of what the Apostle wrote about in this letter to the Ephesians, where he instructed them in matters of faith, in love, hope, doctrine, life in the congregation, life in the kingdom of God, the work of the gospel, and so on. In the fifth chapter, he deals directly with the married life. And then he now starts this sixth chapter with these very direct words to children.

And he is, of course, quoting from the fourth commandment of the law, as God gave it. When we look at that ten commandment law, God wrote it on the tables of stone for Moses. With very express purpose, God put those first three commandments on that first table.

I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. And remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.

In other words, as Luther teaches, God wanted to very explicitly set forth for us that this is first and foremost for each and every person, for each and every one that is here in this world, for each and every adult, for each and every child. That is what establishes that priority that we need for faith and life.

But then, in starting the second table of the law, by starting it with this fourth commandment. Honor thy father and mother, that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. God is placing parents at a special position, in a special role.

Just think what it requires. God sets before every single person the requirement that we love one another. Because love does no harm. Love doesn't allow evil for one's neighbor. It is, as the scripture says, and it is that one lawyer that when he was questioning Jesus, he responded, Love your neighbor as yourself.

And that commandment, of course, includes everyone in its requirements and does not allow somebody to exclude anyone. So it's an extremely, if we could say a demanding set of requirements set before us that we must love as we love ourselves. And of course, it is such a demanding requirement, none of us can attain it.

But look what God says for parents. He says, Honor them. Luther points out some very great length as is typical of his writings. He points out that when God says that parents are to be honored, he is giving them a position of respect. And Luther even uses the term majesty that is close to God himself.

In other words, just as we are to fear, love, and trust in God above all things, honor and revere him, respect him. This is also where God places parents.

So, dear children, it puts before you something that is more than just love. Of course, it requires love, but it also requires that measure of respect, honor, humility, and responding to your parents with those acts and deeds that show what is in your heart and what is in your mind. That you do honor and respect them.

And what happens? That you do not respect and honor their parents. Do not respect and honor authority. Do not obey in school. Do not do that which is right and proper. And it is very close to each and every one of us that such reaction, such behavior would also come into our lives.

It is so important that we do not allow it to do so. But that we maintain. And Luther says, no matter how peculiar or how eccentric or how poor or feeble they appear in our eyes, it does not give us, it does not give us any justification for not honoring and respecting them. They are the parents that God gave us. It is his doing and his will.

And so we wish to so do. To so obey and honor and respect our parents.

And then Luther points out that if this is in order, this commandment is taught, then all of the rest of the commandments, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not commit adultery, and so on. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox. Anything that is thy neighbor's. Those aren't necessary.

Because one has the correct foundation and priorities for one's life and faith. Established already from the smallest stage on.

Oh, how important it is for each and every one of our lives that such is the case. And oh, how healthy it would be for our nation and our communities that such would be the case.

And I can't help but say, because it so aptly brings out the experiences we had with a foreign exchange student from Finland when he went to high school in Buffalo the one year that he was here. He was bold enough to ask his other classmates that are families in America healthy?

And probably all his classmates didn't want to admit to a foreign exchange student that things weren't going well in America. And they said, oh yeah, yeah, everything's right, everything's great. We don't have any problems here.

And then he pointed out that in Finland we consider a family to be the core unit of society. And if families are healthy, then society is healthy.

And then he asked that if everyone grew up feeling loved, respected, with a positive self-image, positive image of self-worth, would we have so much crime and violence in our society as we have today?

And the class, of course, went silent because they all knew, as we all know, how great is the measure of evil that happens around us every day in our communities and our societies.

So it is that when the word of God is not followed and taught, people suffer, we suffer, our communities suffer, our nations suffer.

Oh, how good it is that this promise of which the Apostle Paul refers to, that you may live long on the earth, refers to, of course, physical life.

And Luther describes that which pertains to a good life, his health, his employment, his families, his friends, but it's actually also good government. All of that pertains to us being able to live a good life at peace with our neighbors, securely.

But even more so, if these things are in order, just think, it also means a long life in the congregation of God here on earth, and then once, eternally in heaven.

Oh, how important it is that such could be the portion of every single one of us, of every one of you listeners, that you could hear already own the peace of God, which will pass all human comprehension. Peace here on earth, and once then, eternal joy in heaven.

May God so bless each and every one of you to so comprehend and understand those blessings of God.

But Paul then turns, after speaking to the children, he turns to the parents. He uses fathers as the prime issue, probably, from what he was seeing in his experiences with the families in both, I'm sure, in Ephesus as well, in the other cities where he had done missionary work.

He said, fathers, provoke not your children to wrath. In other words, anger is not the proper tool for raising children.

But then he says, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Anger, of course, is not a proper tool or not a proper response in any condition. For wrath is, of course, a reaction of the flesh.

And in the difficulties of raising little ones, the flesh is close. We all experience that. We all know that it is a battle. The old portion is close.

So what is necessary? Here, Paul uses the words nurture and admonition.

It is so important, as Jesus pointed out, that we are in that small home congregation. And given these little seedlings from heaven to raise as God desires them to be raised, to be nurtured, fed with the gospel, with the word of God, but also to be guided, to be shown the boundaries of life and living and faith so they are secure in living and growing up and believing and understanding what pertains to life, that which pertains to faith.

What is sin? What is contrary to the word of God?

Oh, how good it is that as poor and failing parents we have access to something that is stronger and greater and more powerful than us, that cleanses, that heals.

And how good it is, and how important, that the children, you boys and girls, also have access to that same source of strength and that same healing power.

And where do you find it? It is in, of course, the gospel. The good message of salvation in Jesus Christ.

In his name and through his blood we have forgiveness, remission of our sins.

And that is why it is so important that that little home congregation, the gospel is used, where poor and failing parents can turn to their children and ask again to have their sins forgiven, their failings forgiven in the name and blood of Jesus.

And also children can ask from their parents for their failings and their disobedience is even forgiven.

And here again, for their own soul and heart that their sins are forgiven in the name and blood of Jesus.

And thus we all grow. We grow in grace. Grow knowing how much we have need of the grace of God.

So then we are not left as orphans. We are not left outside looking only at how good we should be.

But we are learning always more and more that we have a good loving Heavenly Father. He knows how much we have need of His grace.

Jesus knew that He had to come and suffer and die on our behalf so that He could one day take us home to Heaven.

And so He did. He came here suffered the ignominious death on the cross so that we can have peace. Peace which passes all human comprehension.

It is the peace of conscience when sins are forgiven. When sins are forgiven here on Earth they are also forgiven in Heaven.

Jesus didn't take His keys to the Kingdom with Him to Heaven but He left them here for His own.

It is the office of the Holy Spirit where a brother can say to a brother and a sister to a sister your sins are forgiven unto you.

Mothers to fathers children between each other and between the parents and children.

And thus we grow. Grow in grace seeing that God is a good gracious Father and will take us once to the glory of Heaven.

May this Word of God be encouraged each and every listener to seek for that peace which is found only there where the Gospel is preached through the power of the Holy Spirit calling those who are seeking calling to peace and joy.

It is Heaven on Earth. It is that wonderful source of strength which God gives to His own to His children.

Jesus said suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom of God.

When the disciples were attempting to debate amongst themselves which should be greatest, He told them, unless you are converted from such thought, turned from such false thinking, you will not be able to be a child of God, to enter into the kingdom of heaven.

And that is why He gave us that example.

And that is why you boys and girls also are able to preach the Gospel. You are partakers of the same royal priesthood as Peter calls it.

And as John writes of it, that you can be a high priest of God and of Christ.

As you are able to proclaim because, as the prophet said, I will pour out my spirit in the latter days.

So He pours it out on all those who believe.

So you are able to proclaim and able to believe. Able to endeavor to take steps in this ever-worsening world.

I was at a father's camp or weekend retreat once.

And of course, like all fathers, besides talking about matters of our time and faith and other issues, we had to talk about technology.

And we looked at technology with fear and trepidation.

Because how do you know how much evil it brings into our homes?

And how do you establish with your children the boundaries of faith with such each new piece of this technology that is brought into our world?

So much of it is good, but so much of it is used for evil.

And so we look at all those things and we wonder how is it possible to be saved?

But Jesus comforts, dear brothers and sisters, comforts you with that thought.

He said, in the world you will have tribulations, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.

He overcame sin, death, and hell so that we could be free, free children to follow him in life, in suffering, and in doctrine.

May the peace of God preserve your hearts, souls, and minds. Jesus' name, amen.

The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make his face shine upon us and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up his countenance upon us and give us his eternal peace.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen.