Church Sermon - June 20, 2004

Rev. Bernt P. Tweit

Old Testament Lesson; 1 Kings 17:17-24
Gospel Lesson; Luke 7:11-17
Sermon Text; Galatians 1:11-24

Through all three of those readings for today, we are reminded of that one simple principle.

Let us start today, by looking at the two pictures on the front of our bulletin this morning. On the right hand side, we see a picture of our Old Testament Lesson. There we see the prophet Elijah stretched out over the widow’s son, who was dead. And yet, after Elijah had called out to the LORD three times, and asked that God would let this boy’s life return to him, we see the boy’s arms stretched out. The boy, who once was dead, was now alive!

We also look at the picture on the left hand portion of our bulletin cover. There is Jesus, from our Gospel Lesson this morning. Jesus and His disciples had come into the town of Nain, where they came upon a funeral procession. A widow’s son had died. Jesus had compassion on the woman. He went up to the coffin, put His hand on it, and simply said, "Young man, I say to you, get up."

There (in the picture), we see the boy rising up from that coffin. Jesus presented that man, her son, back to her, alive!

Our reading in Galatians is much the same this morning too. Here Paul was dead. Oh, he might not have been physically dead, like those widows’ son, but he was spiritually dead. But then Jesus appeared to him, on the road to Damascus. Jesus had taken someone who was spiritually dead and made him spiritually alive.

Going back to the other Scripture reading, think of the message that the widow’s son in Elijah’s day would have been able to share with other people, after he had been raised back to life. "Look at what God has done for me, through the prophet Elijah."

Or think about the message that the widow’s son in Jesus’ day would have been able to say, to other people. "Look at what Jesus has done for me."

Certainly we know the message that Paul shared. In no less than 13 books of the New Testament, Paul was very open to share. "Look at what Jesus has done for me. I, who once was spiritually dead, am now alive through Christ."

It is in our scripture reading for today that Paul wanted to be very clear who he received this message from. The message that he was preaching to the church in Galatia wasn’t a message that he made up by himself. It wasn’t even a message that he had first hand from the disciples. No. Paul received this message from Jesus, Himself, on the road to Damascus.

After Jesus had appeared to him, he didn’t go to Jerusalem right away. He didn’t go to see the disciples right away. He went into Arabia for a period of three years, before going to see the disciples and going to Jerusalem.

The message that he had wasn’t a message that he made up. It was a message that came to him directly from Jesus, Himself.

It is now in our scripture text this morning that three things stand out, that Paul shares with us. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. One of the first things that Paul says in our text for today is how it is that he came to faith. Paul says that God had set him aside from birth. Now Paul didn’t come to faith because of any merit or worthiness in his own. Paul didn’t come to faith because he was zealot Pharisee. Paul didn’t come to faith because of his bright mind. Paul didn’t come to faith because he was a tenacious learner. No. Paul came to faith because God had set him aside from birth. Even before he was born, even before he was created, God knew that He was going to use Paul to come to faith and be an ardent and zealous preacher of the Christian faith in Jesus, as our Savior.

The second thing that Paul wants to be made very clear in our text for today is that he was called by God’s grace. In our confirmation classes, when we look at the word grace we often times say that the word grace simply means - God’s undeserved love for sinners. A second way of looking at the word grace is to take each of the five letters in the word. G – R – A – C – E and make a little phase out it. I have used this before.

Grace then is simply God’s riches, the treasures that He has stored up for us, of everlasting life in Heaven. The treasures of heaven that have been given to us, because of the expense that Christ paid with laying His life down for us, on the cross, being our substitute. Grace is God’s undeserved love for us, who are sinners, and giving us the riches of Heaven, at the expense that Christ paid.

Paul not only says that he was set aside from birth. Not only does Paul say that he was called by God’s grace, but then Paul goes on to share the result of what happened through his preaching, through his being set aside, through his being called to faith. The very last few words of our text for today Paul says, "They praised God, because of him."

Notice they didn’t praise Paul, because of his message. They praised God, because of the message he had brought to them, that message that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and forever, the message that through faith in Jesus, as our Savior, we will not die, but have eternal life.

Today it is important for us to examine ourselves. We are just like the widow’s son in Elijah’s day. We are dead. We are just like the widow’s son in Jesus’ day. We are dead. We need to look at ourselves just like Saul was. We are spiritually dead, because of our trespasses and because of our sins.

In the Old Testament book of Psalms, in Chapter 116, it says,

"The cords of death entangle me.

The anguish of the grave has come over me."

Certainly it is the cords of death that entangle us. Certainly it is the anguish of the grave that comes upon us. Having come to faith in Jesus as our Savior is not because of any merit or worthiness in us. It is not because of anything we have done. It is simply because of the grace of God, sharing His undeserved love for us, who are sinners.

Every year, here at Holy Cross, we have about 20 to 24 funerals. Every time there is a funeral, here at Holy Cross, the casket is front and center. And when the lid on that casket closes for the very last time, it is a not so subtle reminder of the result of our sin, the result of our sin, leading to death.

As the funeral service begins, and the family comes down the front and center isle and fills in the very first few pews, what words can be spoken to them? What words can be spoken to us, as we see and stare death straight in the face? We can be reminded of all three of our scripture readings for today. First of all, words of comfort are the forgiveness of sins. Through faith in Jesus, as our Savior, our sins are forgiven. Jesus, our brother, our substitute laid down His life in death for us, so that we would not have to be dead, eternally, in Hell. As the forgiveness of sins are given to us, through Jesus our Savior, we receive a benefit. That benefit is not death, but that benefit is eternal life in Heaven.

And so, even as we stare death in the face, knowing that death is going to come upon us all, we can have smiling, happy faces, just like the widows did, as we read about in our Old Testament Lesson and in the Gospel Lesson for this morning. For even though we know that death will come upon us, we know that God has set us aside from birth. We know that God has called us by His grace. The same power of Jesus, that raised the widow’s son in Elijah’s day, that raised the widow’s son in Jesus’ day and brought Paul from spiritual death to life, is also given to us, eternal life in Heaven. May the result in Paul’s day be the same result we have in our day, having come to faith, sharing what Jesus has done with us to other people, so that God may be praised through you.

Jesus Christ

is the same

yesterday, today and forever.

Amen.

Top of Page || Church Sermons || Return to Home Page