We are so excited that tomorrow we receive the newest members to our congregation!

Please praise God with me as we welcome:

1. Miss Sarah Barrick transferring from Grace Lutheran Church, Blairstown, Iowa (LC-MS).

2. Rev. Herb & Gladys Geisler transferring from Peace Lutheran Church, North Tustin, California (LC-MS).

3. Dr. Russell & Sharon Dawn — and daughters Bethany Grace & Meredith Rose — transferring from St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Des Peres, Missouri (LC-MS).

4. Dr. Herb & Kiu Geisler transferring from Abiding Savior Lutheran Church, Lake Forest, California (LC-MS).

For the sermon we will proclaim God’s Word based on Hebrews 4:9-10 and the title of the sermon is simply, “Rest.” You know what that is right? 🙂 It is an important question, because sometimes we feel like we’ve totally forgotten! At times the word “busy” doesn’t do justice to just how crazy life can get…it is in fact easy to feel that maybe we’re pushing the accelerator a little too hard and putting a little too much on our shoulders. In the midst of being “busy,” we miss out on the proper rest, the biblical rest, the christological rest: resting in the Word of Christ and enjoying the relief of sins forgiven and God’s peace to those abiding in His love. This doesn’t mean that we cease activity. In fact, God’s Word is clear that those who are in Christ and living on this earth work with the might of God Himself…God works in and through you, so yes we keep working. Philippians 2:13: “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” and Colossians 1:29 where St. Paul discussed the work in his ministry: “For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” Still, even in the midst of this sanctified work, there is also rest. Christ gives us rest (Matthew 11:28) which while certainly anticipating our eternal rest (Revelation 14:13), leads us also to taste rest right here and right now. This is the rest of relief that God is with you; the rest which fills us with peace that the old man who once condemned us to damnation where the worm does not die (where rest is never found) is now overcome by the new creation of Christ which knows even now the inexhaustible assurance that even in our most hectic and stressful days we may continue to cry out and fall into His arms of grace.

Come to Church and receive the means of grace — Word and Sacrament — for these are the means of rest as well!

Here is an excerpt from tomorrow’s sermon by way of a summary chart of Luther’s commentary on rest in application to the three chambers of man: the sensual man, the rational man, and the spiritual man. Take note that it is only in the Word of Christ that we ever ultimately find rest!

	Sensual Man	Rational Man	Spiritual Man
Outward Rest/Rest positively:	Takes pleasure in perceptible	Pleasant thoughts	In the Word
Disturbed & Troubled:	That thing taken away	Sad thoughts	Word withdrawn
Inward Rest/Rest negatively:	When rational man takes over	When spiritual man takes over	Lifted up by faith & Word
Disturbed & Troubled:	Confused or sad	Danger of losing faith	No inward disturbance/No evening on 7th day

B.      But why does the cycle end with “no inward disturbance”? Because just as there was no evening on the 7^th day, there is no evening on the 8^th day, so that there is no evening on you the new creation. Darkness cannot cover you, because your eternal REST is Christ your Savior! Your rest remains eternal; your rest remains strong, because your REST is in CHRIST!

See you in God’s house!

 

In Your Service and To Christ’s Glory,

 

Dr. Espinosa