Sermon in Minneapolis 14.05.2006

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, let us begin our services this morning with opening prayer and thanksgiving.

Holy and righteous God, our dear Heavenly Father, again this morning we wish to thank you for this opportunity that we can gather together around your holy and unperishing word. We thank you for those many temporal gifts you have given unto us. We especially wish to remember you and thank you for our mothers, our spouses, our wives on this Mother's Day, for that great love that they have shown unto us and unto our families.

But even a greater love of which we wish to thank you is the love that you, dear Heavenly Father, have ultimately shown unto us when you gave your Son as that ultimate sacrifice to pay the price of redemption, to purchase us, win us back, and free us from under sin, death, and the power of the enemy of souls. All of this we can own as a gift of faith through the Holy Spirit.

So we ask that you would again be with us this morning. Warm our hearts with this love to the Holy Spirit. Feed us with your word. Guide us. And lead us on this narrow way of life. Protect us in living faith. And bring us all one day to our eternal home in heaven. Amen.

All of this we ask in the name of your dear Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Today is the fourth Sunday after Easter. And the theme for today is being citizens of two countries: our temporal homeland for most of us, the United States of America, and also that spiritual homeland, the kingdom of God, where we can be members by faith.

A gospel text for this Sunday is from the gospel according to St. John, its 15th chapter. And I'll read verses 10 through 17.

If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love. Even as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a friend lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knows not what the Lord does. But I have called you friends. For all things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you. You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you, that you should go forth and bring fruit, that your fruit should remain. That whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, that you love one another. Amen.

This is a small portion from the farewell speech of Jesus that he gave or delivered that Holy Thursday evening, after celebrating the Last Supper and instituting the Lord's Holy Supper or Holy Communion, one of the New Testament sacraments. He spoke these words either while still in the upper floor of that home where they had the Last Supper or while walking with his disciples from there out toward the Garden of Gethsemane.

Earlier in this chapter, Jesus pulls a parable of the vine. He says that I am the true vine, and you, my followers, my believers, my disciples, are the branches in that vine. He also speaks about what is the twofold commandment of God. We know that in the Old Testament, God gave unto Moses the law of the Ten Commandments. And these Ten Commandments can be summarized or condensed down into two commandments. And that is why we have two tables on which they were written.

The model says that we would love God with all of our heart, all of our mind, and with all of our souls. This is the first commandment. And the second is that we would love our neighbors as we love ourselves. And we know that we as human beings are incapable of fulfilling this twofold commandment of love, for we are sinners, sinful human beings, and imperfect with many blemishes.

So, the fulfillment of this commandment, by which alone is access or gives access to the glory of heaven, was only through Jesus Christ, God's only Son.

We remember the Apostle Peter as one of the disciples and followers of Jesus, who was very spontaneous, very quick to speak out, and often answered before anyone else on his own behalf and on behalf of the other disciples. Just before, or just about the time Jesus was delivering this farewell sermon from which we read a portion, Peter was feeling very strong and sure in himself.

Jesus gave a warning to his disciples as they were walking out for the Garden of Gethsemane. "Lord, this evening, you and my disciples, all of you will become offended in me."

Peter quickly responds that, "I don't know about the others. Maybe they will become offended in you. But I will not. I will follow you in your footsteps, even if it leads to death."

"Peter, this evening, before the rooster crows, you will have denied me three times."

But Peter, remember, when you return, receive the grace to return back to faith again. Go and strengthen your brethren.

So that evening, Peter did deny his Lord and Savior three times. And the last time, even with an oath, with a curse, "I do not know that man."

At that moment, Jesus was being led across the courtyard from the palace of the retired high priest and the palace of the high priest who was then in office, Caiaphas. And the rooster then crowed. The gaze of Peter met the gaze of Jesus. And I'm sure it was a very penetrating gaze from the eyes of Jesus that cut deep into the heart and soul of Peter.

He then remembered, I'm sure, the words of Jesus that were loud as thunder in his mind and heart. "Peter, this evening, you will deny me three times."

Peter went out and he wept bitterly.

Several days later, after Jesus rose from the grave, then he appeared unto his own several times after that first Easter. At some point in time, Peter received the grace of repentance. Where and when it happened, the Bible does not relate. And who was the person who preached the gospel to Peter? The Bible does not relate this either. But this we know, that Peter received the grace of repentance.

Because after Jesus rose from the grave for the next 40 days, he only appeared unto his own disciples, the true believers.

So when the disciples, along with Peter, had been fishing all night long on the Sea of Tiberias, when morning then dawned, they noticed from the boat, somebody was standing at the shore, breaking bread and frying fish on the coals, on the embers, on the seashore.

Peter recognized that it was Jesus, couldn't wait for the boat to arrive at shore, but stripped his robe, dove into the ocean, and swam quickly to the shore.

There, Jesus and Peter again were able to meet each other. And Jesus had a discussion with Peter. They, I'm sure, had many things to talk about. But then, Peter was again to be installed into the office of ministry.

But before this, Jesus wanted to ask Peter several questions. Three times, Peter had denied his Lord and Savior several days earlier. So now, Jesus asks a question three times.

"Peter, do you love me?"

"Peter, do you love me?"

And the third time, when Jesus asked the question, "Peter, do you love me?" Peter was sorrowful. But he said, "Lord, you know all. You know that I love you."

I'm sure Peter wished to, as if, take a hold of his heart and remove it and show it to Jesus. "Jesus, you know that I am a sinner. I am a sin-fallen human being. Wretched. I have denied you. But I have received the grace of repentance. You know my heart. You know my thoughts. You know my will. You know that I love you."

So Jesus then exhorts Peter, "Peter, feed my sheep. Peter, guide my lambs. Peter, feed my sheep."

Two times he mentions feed, and one time he mentions to guide.

Last evening some of us were able to attend a wedding and we endeavored to talk about the topic of love. We know that the Greeks have six different words that we translate in the English language as love. When we look in the English dictionary there are as many as 102 definitions under the term love.

We know that some people have pets that they love. Other people may love their mink coat. Some people love to swim. Children especially love ice cream. Spouses love each other. The husband loves the wife. And the wife likewise loves the husband.

So we can see that there are many definitions for the word love. But here the apostle John, who is known as the apostle of love for he speaks about this topic so much in his writings, in his gospel, and especially in his letters.

When John is using this word that we translate in the English language love, as love, what is that love he is referring to? It is not a feeling or an emotion, but rather it is more of an action. It is not a noun, but it is a verb.

John is referring to divine heavenly love, a love that even newly married spouses are not able to tease or coax or divorce or produce, even though they feel such strong romantic emotions between themselves.

This heavenly love, divine love, is a gift from heaven. And its roots are so far back in time. They are in eternity, even before the earth and the cosmos was created.

God, the heavenly Father, who was the creator, was visiting and conversing with his Son, Jesus Christ. The Father says to his Son, "I will create, Son, will you redeem mankind?"

For they knew that Adam and Eve would eventually fall into sin. The Son replies to the Father, "God, willingly I will do what you wish. For it is my joy to be among in the midst of mankind."

God, God, so herein are the roots of this divine heavenly love, this godly love. For God so loved the world that he knew would fall into sin, that he gave his only Son, his only begotten Son, as that one perfect and ultimate sacrifice, so that all who would believe in him, upon him, would have no need to perish, but by faith they would have everlasting life.

So, John, the apostle of love, says that herein is love. Not that we as human beings have first loved him, loved God, but it is rather in this, that God has first loved us. He took the first step and he gave his Son as the ultimate sacrifice to be the propitiation for our sins.

The Old Testament prophet says, "I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness, have I drawn you unto me."

And another prophet says, "I drew them with cords of a man. I drew them with the bands of love."

It is contrary to our human mind love. But this love of God through his Son, Jesus Christ, shone most brightly and most powerfully at that moment when he was experiencing the deepest humiliation.

When he was carrying that heavy cross toward the hill of Calvary to be erected on the middle cross of Golgotha, he who had been beaten with a whip forty times minus one, he who had been spit in the face, and people had mocked him and ridiculed him, wearing a crown of thorns upon his head, and dragging this heavy cross, the cross member of the cross, toward the hill of Golgotha.

But there it shone most brightly when he was hanging between heaven and earth by nails, nails in his hands and feet, and last of all, a spear that was pierced between his ribs.

As has been beautifully said, he who was that perfect, unblemished lamb of God, who was that ultimate sacrifice, was being roasted while on the cross on the hill of Golgotha. He was being burned or roasted with two fires.

On one side was burning the fire of God's wrath. God hates sin. But then on the other side was burning the fire of God's love. God hates sin, but he loves the sinner.

And no greater love, says the apostle John, in this portion that we read, is than this, that a person would give his life on behalf of his friends.

So at his greatest moment of humiliation, suffering, and agony, we could say the fire of God's love was burning most brightly and most powerfully.

"Father, into my, into your hands, I give my life."

And he had fulfilled the will and the work of God, the heavenly Father.

Love.

So, herein is this love of God, its sources and roots which go beyond and before the creation of the world.

But then, how does one receive, own, and possess this gift of God, this divine heavenly love? If it cannot be teased, coaxed, or forced, or produced by us as human beings.

We are able to receive it alone as a gift by faith through grace. As Paul writes to the Galatians, that the love of God has been shed into our hearts by and through the Holy Spirit.

So, it is a gift of faith. It is the first fruit of faith that Paul writes of when mentioning the fruits of faith to the Galatians.

So, when one who is in unbelief receives the grace of repentance, at that moment of conversion, the love of Christ, this divine heavenly love as a gift is shed into the hearts, into the heart of that person.

It kindles love with that person toward God, their creator, toward also the other members, the children of God, the members of God's kingdom.

So, then, when Jesus once was visiting with that sinful woman in the house of the Pharisee, that sinful woman who perhaps was Mary Magdalene who had and possessed at one time the seven devils, perhaps she was the same woman who was caught in the act of adultery, and the Pharisees were about to stone her to death according to the laws of Moses in the Old Testament.

And at that moment Jesus happened upon that occasion and told those ready to stone this woman, "Whoever finds themselves to be sinless or blameless, cast the first stone."

When Jesus stooped down to the ground, began to write something in the sand, it also got inscribed on the hearts of these Pharisees. Those who were ready to stone this woman, and every last one fled and departed in every direction.

When Jesus stood up, there was that sinful woman, I'm sure not even able to look him in the eyes, but I'm sure stooped over.

We can imagine Jesus taking that woman by the hand, straightening her up, looking at her in the eyes, and asks, "Has anyone judged or condemned you?"

The woman replies, "No, no one."

Jesus says, "Neither do I condemn you, but rather forgive you your sins," and he says, "Go and sin no more."

So when Jesus is in the house of Simon the Pharisee, dining with this Pharisee, Simon and his friends, this woman comes in through the front door, and I'm sure everyone is aghast, "What is she doing, coming here as an uninvited guest?"

Jesus had come as an uninvited guest, but Simon the host had not even washed his feet, which is, and was, a typical gesture of hospitality at that time.

But now, this uninvited guest, the sinful woman, comes in through the front door, falls at the feet of Jesus, with her tears, washes the feet of Jesus, and with her hair begins to dry Jesus' feet.

Jesus then turns to speak to Simon the Pharisee who was questioning this woman's arrival, and said, "A person who has received many and a multitude of sins forgiven, that person also loves much."

This woman had received her debt of 10,000 pounds forgiven, and now her heart was filled with love toward her Redeemer, her Savior, and now wished to come in some way to pay homage or service unto her, unto him, and was washing his feet and drying them with her hair.

So the Bible says about love that love constrains us. Love through faith does works.

So faith, which is invisible, something that cannot be seen, it becomes manifest or it manifests itself automatically through faith. And this is evident through love.

Faith through love begins to show itself by doing works. A tree that is made good begins to produce good fruits.

And so we have to admit that we as human beings are prone to sin. We are sin-fallen human beings. We are poor, wretched, and unworthy.

The Pharisees had this thought and idea that the Bible, I don't know where they got this idea from, but we're assuming that they could, and it's easy to love your friends.

But then they continued that it was justifiably so that they could hate their enemies.

So love your friends, but hate your enemies.

Jesus had to correct this, and especially in that parable, or that story, about the good Samaritan.

And he showed that this love is directed toward all people, not only to your ethnic people, your fellow Jewish brethren, but also to people of all nations, creeds, and gender, friends, and enemies alike.

Jesus illustrates this when that person who was beaten, and wounded, and fell into the hands of thieves.

The fellow Jewish brethren, the priest, comes, and quickens his face, and walks by.

The Levite, a fellow Jewish brethren, likewise comes down that same road, sees this wounded Jewish fellow, walks by on the other side of the road, does not stop to show compassion to this person.

But then Jesus wishes to illustrate, last of all came a Samaritan, who was, and Samaritans were, bitter enemies to the Jew.

So, a Samaritan, an enemy to the Jew, comes and sees this wounded Jewish man, lying in the need of help.

That Samaritan falls down, pours oil into the wounds of the wounded one, binds up the wounds, brings the person into the inn, and gives the innkeeper money to care for that person, and says, "When I return, if you have spent all that I have given you, I will repay you all in full."

Herein is ultimately that love of Christ Jesus, which was through him the fulfillment of the demanding law of God, that no human being would be capable of fulfilling, to love God with all your heart, and to love your neighbor, neighbor including, not only your friends, but your enemies as well, people of other ethnic backgrounds, other languages, and other creeds, and other genders.

But Jesus was able to fulfill his two commandments of love, the ten demanding, ten commandment law of Moses.

And therefore, he has fulfilled it on our behalf, and by faith when we own Christ Jesus in our hearts, we then at the same time own and possess the fulfillment of the demanding law of Moses.

So, Jesus then says that herein is a sign of my believers, and it is in this that you love one another.

So, by faith we own and possess this greatest of all gifts, this love of God that has been shed into our hearts through the Holy Spirit as a gift of faith.

But we are still sinners on our own part because we have this old Adam, that old man that we have to contend with, that has not made repentance, and will not make repentance as long as we are in this mortal body, walking upon the face of this earth.

But then the Bible speaks of sin. Sin in the nature of sin is this, that it wishes to break that connection between God and a believer, a human being.

And also the nature of sin is this, that it causes the relationships between believers and people to wax cold.

For Jesus says in this way, and because of iniquity or sin, that it, when it abounds, the love of many shall wax cold.

When the Apostle John was later on the Isle of Patmos and received many visions and was asked to write these down and send them as letters to the seven different congregations in Asia Minor, he writes one letter to the preacher or the angel of Ephesus and said to him that I have something against you because you have left the first love.

So what is the first love? When a newborn baby is born into this world, what is that child's, that baby's, that infant's first love? Isn't it placed upon the stomach of the mother? And that is the first tie or bond between mother and child.

So in the spiritual sense, what is this first love? Isn't it between a child and its mother? Mother and the mother?

In the Bible is a picture of God's kingdom, which is here upon this earth. It is the new Jerusalem which has come down from above. It is free and it is the mother of us all.

Love.

When love waxes cold between two believers, it will not work or will not help to just make repentance over the lack of love.

For there is always a reason for why the love was broken.

And to especially illustrate this, often has been mentioned about a meeting that took place in Finland in 1945, which was about 12 years after a heresy had departed the small firstborn heresy.

There are some people who got this idea to gather together members of the new the small firstborn heresy and the believers to have a meeting of reconciliation to try and get the two groups back together.

So they visited several days and then at the conclusion of the meeting a letter was written and published in the Christian paper at that time.

And the people who wrote that letter were very delighted and happy. We are now brothers and sisters again in living faith. We have been reunited.

And those that had gone into heresy had made repentance because they had just broken their love.

When there had been heresy made repentance over this that they had just broken the love.

When there had been doctrinal differences and a difference of spirit. They had been living in heresy.

There would be many interesting things to relate of the aftermath of this meeting but does not perhaps pertain to a sermon now this morning.

But this only in illustration that it will not work and it does not work when the love waxes cold.

The love is broken between two believers.

But when one just asks for forgiveness of the lack of love expecting that now the relationship would then return to normal.

But isn't it amazing when the reason or the cause of the breaking of the love that sin is then forgiven and removed as far as the east and the west.

How automatically that love returns which is the first fruit of living faith.

So we have this love that is kindled in our hearts.

And this constrains us and exhorts us to help one another to be our brother's keeper here upon this narrow way of life as we are on our pilgrimage through this strange and foreign land toward our everlasting destination the glory in heaven.

It is not correct love if we see a brother or a sister falling into sin and living in sin that we would as if just look between our fingers or turn our heads and turn our backs and walk away.

But love would constrain us that with compassion we could approach that person and come at the same level or as if from below to uplift that person to visit in a kind gentle and loving way.

Not coming in a harsh way coming at the throat but no coming from below in a very gentle merciful and gracious way that I am just as great a sinner as you are no better or no worse but concern over your undying soul that you would not be left on the slippery slope that you would not go astray and be led out of God's kingdom.

And so in this way we could visit together about matters of faith so that they could be taken care of and washed away and grounded in the depths of the sea of grace to be remembered no more.

And so brothers and sisters this morning may this love of Christ warm our hearts and souls.

Jesus Christ has given his life he has shown this self-sacrificing love and self-giving love he has done all on our behalf done more than could ever be even expected of any person he showed that greatest love that he gave his life on behalf of his friends.

And so he wishes to even this morning approach us who may be tired wearied doubting or tempted and wishing to in his gospel message outstretch his wounded hands toward us lift us up into his bosom and carry us and wishes to even bring us to the destination.

So even now we can as we find ourselves uplift our hearts to believe sins forgiven in his name and precious atonement flood unto peace freedom and joy in Jesus name amen.

The Lord bless us and keep us.

The Lord make his face to shine upon us and be gracious unto us.

The Lord lift up his countenance upon us and give us peace.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen.