As Christmas approaches, we want to be ready and we want everything to be in place. We hope that the will of God is to bless us -- as we see blessing -- in every way. And this is where we can struggle. Just what IS the will of God? Too often it is presented as something very difficult to know.

Tomorrow we will bask in the beauty and simplicity of the will of God. We will receive a sense of relief that it is not about manuevering through a maze and it most certainly does not depend on us. The Lord is in control and for our good and nothing is more His will than that we would know His eternal love and mercy for us in Jesus.

Most importantly we will receive the Body and Blood of Jesus in Holy Communion. The divine service is where the Lord promises His special sacramental presence in Holy Communion. It is where we can find God ready to forgive and to help our faith.

This is why we gather and flowing from this, to love and encourage one another. Tomorrow we also celebrate a holy baptism (for Harper Grace Gilman, grand-daughter to our very own Steve and Sharon Fischer). We will have many guests. Let us reach out to them, share greetings, and be the family of God that the Lord has called us to be sharing His light and His love.

I look forward to serving you tomorrow morning.

An excerpt from tomorrow's sermon:

“The Will of God: Three Things” (1^st Thessalonians 5:16-18)

For Your Life in Christ the Third Sunday in Advent

December 14^th, 2014

Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church of Irvine, CA (LC-MS)

Pastor Espinosa

 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Knowing God’s will can in some respects seem like a very tricky thing. When I first received my call to serve as pastor to Saint Paul’s in 1996 -- when we were in Laguna Beach -- I was excited when I realized that I was being given the opportunity to serve alongside an exceptional congregational president in John W. Lottes. He was the president of the Art Institute of Southern California and a truly exceptional Christian leader gifted in the realm of administration. I remember my deliberations about the call back in ’96 and while I knew that parish council leaders had limited tenures, I felt strongly that serving with John during the first few years of my new pastorate would represent a powerful start for my new calling. When I accepted the call I was excited to get to work with John. Not long after arriving to Saint Paul’s, however, our congregation was rocked with the news that John was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. I remember living in a state of disbelief: “How could this be?” And the enthusiast in me actually thought surely what I had determined to be the will of God (namely that I would serve with John Lottes) should not be deterred even by cancer. In the early stages of my ministry to John, I prayed for a miracle.

 

In time it became evident that my brother in the Lord John was dying. No, the Lord did not answer my prayer for exceptional healing (as I understood it at the time) – or affirm that what I believed to be His will was in fact His will – but what the Lord did do was generate a different kind of miracle: I saw the Word of Christ permeate John’s heart and he testified to actually growing in his faith during this time. As a matter of fact I witnessed him as becoming radiant in the faith. As weak as his body became, there was no diminishing his spirit. It was amazing to see! His wife Nancy also matured in ways that she did not expect; testifying to the comforting ministry of the church when one of her members is suffering. All her life she had been a giver, but for the first time she allowed others to give and she realized that to accept the love of Christ from others was in itself an invaluable service in the kingdom of God (blessing both those who give and of course the one who receives). God’s will was for a different course, another way…one which at first I did not suspect and did not know. What became apparent was the fundamental lesson about the will of God in individual situations: God always knows what to do and we oftentimes have not a clue.

 

One of my favorite seminary professors Robert Preus once taught us this about prayer:

 

1. God always answers the prayers of His children.
2. He usually does not answer them the way we think He should.
3. But He always answers them in the way that is best for us.

 

So true and the Lord keeps His promise to work all things out

for our good (Romans 8:28).

 

I remember being especially uptight and worried when the first of our eight children was getting ready to go to high school and then later getting ready to go to college. Where should he go? Where would he be safe? Which institution would offer the best environment? What kinds of influences would impact him? What was God’s will? What was God’s will?!!! He ended up attending a very liberal institution in New Haven, Connecticut! I prayed for him. At that liberal institution, he met the most wonderful young woman (couldn’t ask for a better daughter in law; smart as a tack and full of faith in the Lord); and then a few years into his undergraduate studies, my son informed me that he had decided to go to seminary to also become a pastor. God worked through it all even while I had some Christians intimate that we had made the wrong decision sending him to such a liberal environment. But God was in control, not us.

Fast forward and our third child goes to Chicago – and another liberal institution! -- and meets her future husband. Just one interesting caveat: this young man was from Germany and he would return to Germany to continue his studies while preparing to become a pastor in Germany. But the Lord forges us over time: the fact is that I had nothing to worry about. The word for this new situation was our daily prayer to God: “Thy will be done!” And the truth remains: God is in control! My daughter could not be more blessed and I could not have a better son-in-law for her. It was meant to be. God be praised, even if it was not exactly what I had in mind for God and my daughter…but His way is so much better!

 

But be warned dear Christians, some unfortunately take the beautiful teaching of God’s Word and unnecessarily make it complicated beyond words:

 

One book that I don’t recommend to you is entitled, Finding the Will of God in a Crazy Mixed-Up World. Here is a quick summary of the book that I’m not recommending to you, but making you aware of: God’s known will or universal will is different than God’s specific will or individual will and it should be our goal to know both so that we may live in the center of God’s will. To do this you need to follow a specific roadmap. That roadmap includes following 6 commands so that then you can be in a position to know God’s specific will in 3 areas of your life: everything that represents your major decisions, then your moderate decisions, and finally your minor decisions. Now here is where things get really exciting (according to this book): if you practice the 8 additional road signs for making the right decisions about the will of God then you may experience God’s individual will for you at the level of God’s good will, or if you are more successful, God’s acceptable will – or if you do an exceptional job in your spiritual walk – His perfect will in your life. But remember to take into consideration in your preparation to find God’s will the 4 temperaments. Depending on your temperament, you’ll need to make unique adjustments in your pursuit for discovering the will of God in your life.

How ‘bout that? There are many problems with this approach, but one of them is that it raises a terrible anxiety. First it sets us up for failure. It gives us the sense that we can predict outcomes. William Miller predicted that Jesus would come again in 1843. He was wrong. Hal Lindsey predicted 1988. He was wrong. Harold Camping predicted May of 2011 and then October of 2011. He was wrong. Tim LaHaye has predicted on or before 2024. What does all of this do for you and me? It raises fear, not faith. And furthermore, it turns your walk with God not about faith, but about following a program that can be fine-tuned and controlled. But what if you aren’t doing it right? What if you mess up on your calculations? What if? What if? What if? And in the end the spirit is exhausted and the mind is confused…and the poor soul who has completely mistaken the will of God begins to blame God and often abandon faith (or at least their impression of faith).

 

Where will you be in 5 or 10 years?

Where will your kids go to school?

How will your marriage mature?

What will your health be like?

Where will you be living?

 

We all know the answer: we don’t know. But what we do know is that our gracious Lord Jesus Christ is in control and His plan is – always – to bless His children and often in ways that we do not expect.

 

You’ve heard of the K.I.S.S. principle right? It means “Keep It Simple Studious [One].” Don’t follow the mazes and complications of those who only appear to be spiritual and religious. Stick to the Word of Christ! The good news is that God doesn’t expect us to get our heads spinning when it comes to “knowing His will” and trying to peer into the future! His will for us is clear and direct; and it is much more focused on what really counts.

 

The Christians in Thessalonica had some major issues:

1. They were so in tune to the imminent coming of Jesus Christ that they were worried about what would happen to their loved ones who had died. Christ was coming, but what about those no longer with them? How would they be included in the coming of the Lord?
2. The second issue was much more practical: because they were so transfixed on the future, they were “checking out” of today, they were losing their focus on their immediate call and vocations; they were forsaking their responsibilities and they were letting go of their daily duties. So St. Paul wrote 1^st Thessalonians to lead them to get back on course and in so doing the Lord taught them about His will.

 

Part I: So Let’s Major in Majors When it Comes to the Will of God

1. What does God really want you to do? Now I know if you’re a Raider fan like I am, this will be hard to believe: But God doesn’t care about whether you root for the Oakland Raiders or the Green Bay Packers; He is actually fine with whatever you decide to have for lunch today; and He really isn’t that worried about your next business move (because if it doesn’t work out, He will still have your back)! He has more fundamental things on His mind when it comes to His will for you. And when we focus on what is really His will, then everything else has a way of panning out!
2. He calmed the Thessalonians by revealing the simplicity of His will and gave them (and us) three little basic things that flow from our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. And here my dear brothers and sisters in Christ is the will of God for your life! [the Greek has no definite article, so this includes God’s will, but is not exhaustive of it]

1^st Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray without ceasing, ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

In Jesus' Love,

Pastor Espinosa

When John the Baptist preached he was doing so to prepare people for the coming of Christ. What a golden opportunity this is for us. How do we prepare for Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, the Judge of all people, and the Shepherd of the flock of God? John told us, "make his paths straight." (Mark 1:3)

He elaborated on this through his ministry which was "proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness sins." (Mark 1:4) Even his lifestyle and dress helped convey his message: "Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey." (Mark 1:6)

A brand new Church Year starts tomorrow. The season is called "Advent" that means "coming." It refers to the coming of Christ the Lord. It is the first season of the church year that ushers in Christmas when God was born to save us from sin and death! It is a season of special reflection in preparation for our Coming King!

Tomorrow we will focus on this prayer cry: "Hosanna!" Why is this the perfect word to welcome God's coming? The word itself helps us understand why we need the Lord to come and for what purpose He comes. The meaning strikes at the heart of what threatens our peace and joy; the meaning uncovers the mission of God in Christ that is about a victory; about a winning of war; about an advancement of a kingdom for your benefit...for your good. Come let us worship tomorrow in this theme of "Hosanna!"

ALSO:

This year I intend to send you a daily Advent devotion. The first installment is for tomorrow, November 30th the first day in the Advent season, and I am including it here one day early so that you have it going into day one. Tomorrow I intend to send you the devotion for day two, Monday, December 1st, etc. The devotions are from Lutheran Hour Ministries.

Here is #1 for the first Sunday in Advent, November 30th:

Let's face it: we're being inundated by the advertisements for "black Friday" which has now spread to today (Wednesday) and the rest of the weekend...where is Thanksgiving along the way? Where is the faith? From the racial tensions sparked by the events in Ferguson, to ongoing terrorism, and to rampant commercialism, we need the Word of the Lord for "man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." (Deut. 8:3)

Let us gather to receive the Word this evening as we enter into Thanksgiving. Tonight is a simple service of the Word, a beautiful Vespers service, some good sacred music, and of course the sermon. I am preaching: "Christ Brings Hope."

I will relate our lives to Deuteronomy 8 and consider what the Lord is actually calling us to be thankful for. There are things in this text that we aren't naturally thankful for: things like being disciplined. Who wants to be thankful for that?! But we're going to back up and reflect: how does the Lord really lead us to know thanksgiving? In Christ we come to know true thanksgiving. He is our hope and in Him we have the true basis for thanksgiving.

Invite a friend. Again, this is a simple and beautiful service of the Word.

May the Lord fill our hearts with thanksgiving for the love and mercy of God that we know in and through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Here is an excerpt from tonight's sermon:

“Christ Brings Hope”

(Deuteronomy 8:1-10)

Pastor Espinosa

 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. For the national day of thanksgiving our assigned Old Testament reading is from Deuteronomy. This is a reading that requires some explanation as we try to relate to it. It isn’t easy, but it is most definitely worth the effort. Moses is speaking to God’s people as they have completed their 40 year wilderness wanderings and they are about to enter the Promised Land. It’s true that they have much to be thankful for having finally come to the fruition of God’s great promise to them leading them into a land in which they will “lack nothing (Dt 8:9).” Talk about a blessing: being led to a place where your every need is met! Perhaps such a conviction about a blessed place is not far removed from what the first colonists thought about America as they realized the abundance of this land. In a short time, it wasn’t difficult for many of the Christians who came here to describe America as the new Jerusalem. We aren’t quite so idealistic, but even in the face of so many cultural maladies, it is still easy to count the many blessings the Lord has permitted us in our land. Indeed we have much to be thankful for!

But in order to engage in proper thanksgiving, not only did the Lord point His people in Deuteronomy to look forward, but just as importantly – if not more so – the Lord led them to look back. And this is where the word of explanation becomes necessary in trying to relate to the words of Moses from this last book in the Pentateuch: the proper comparison is not at all in treating our new Jerusalem as the United States of America, but the proper comparison is to treat our Promised Land, our new Jerusalem as our promise of heavenly glory. To begin to relate to these words therefore we need to ask ourselves about where our wilderness wanderings come in. Answer: we’re in them right now. And this is where Deuteronomy, especially becomes helpful to us today. The Lord is recounting reasons to be thankful in Deuteronomy. We are called to be thankful not only for the glory that is to come when we shall lack nothing, but we are called to “look back” but for us the “looking back” is to look at our lives now.

From the perspective of the Israelites their “now” (at the time) included the following:

• They were humbled as they were tested (verse 2).
• They were permitted to hunger as they were taught that they did not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (verse 3).
• They were provided for and in an amazing way their provision did not wear out (verse 4).
• They were disciplined (verse 5).

Now I don’t know about you, but if I took the time this Thanksgiving to actually count my blessings, I’m not exactly naturally inclined to list those things in my life which have caused humiliation, painful testing, times of hunger (in its various forms), including times of apprehension about  things running out or wearing out, and of course, times of being disciplined. These aren’t the things that I consider – at least at first glance – of those things worthy of thanks. Discipline for example can come upon us in the most unpleasant ways. What some have called “the dark night of the soul” or what Scripture calls “the day of evil,” times when we are tested in ways that we suspect we’re about to die, when we wonder if this is what a nervous break-down feels like, when we believe that we’re experiencing the actual definition of despair and/or depression; when life tastes bitter and when the soul becomes familiar with fear. When these times come, we are tested. In some of these moments, Moses himself was willing for the Lord to take his life.

C.F.W. Walther, the first president of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, an amazing theologian, an astounding pastor once wrote these words about his time of discipline: “I may and must now reveal to you that the last half of the previous year has been one of the most difficult times of my life. I was physically incapable of attending to even half the office that I am dignified to carry out among you in unworthy fashion. Even more, the prospect that I would again be capable of the same became gloomier and darker month by month. I owe it to you to be transparent. I was tormented night and day by the thought that through my fault in many different ways, our congregation would withdraw with quick strides from the path of the first love and simplicity. And more than that, my own relationship with my God and Lord filled me with deep aversion and vexation. God placed before me, as never before, my entire past. He let me see my misery as I had never seen it before. I was filled with misery and distress. It appeared to me as though God had cast me away from His countenance. It seemed as though He regarded me as a rejected instrument, as if I were not a worker but a stumbling stone in His vineyard, which He must finally cast aside. It appeared to me as though God desired to take away all the blessings that He had thus far brought about through my witness to His truth, and this through a horrid end of my effectiveness. My only hope was a blessed death.” (Matthew C. Harrison, At Home in the House of My Fathers, Lutheran Legacy: 2009. 143)

But Walther went on: “But what happened? When the distress had reached its greatest intensity, help came.” (Ibid, 143) It’s sometimes hard for us to admit, but we can’t really be thankful nor can we properly handle the blessings we’re permitted to enjoy without having been properly forged through testing. This was why the Lord reviewed the hard times with His people, because they were about to receive rich blessings (because without humility all is lost). Luther taught: “the occasion which prosperity and abundance provide for transgressing the First Commandment. They turn the heart away much more strongly than adversity and want do, as he says in his song (Deut. 32:15): ‘Having become swollen, fat, and thick, he rebelled’; and (Prov. 1:32): ‘The prosperity of the foolish destroys them’; as is said also in the German proverb: ‘You need strong legs to hold up under good days.’ For man endures evil more easily than good, as the poet says, ‘Luxury has invaded as a deadlier foe.’” (Luther’s Works, American Edition Volume 9: 92)

Please come to service tonight for the rest!

You support a ministry that exists to put the salvation and hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ before people who suffer on account of the sin that has entered into the world. Yesterday I received a call from a member of the community who shared with me the heartache her family is going through since the death of her nephew this past summer. As the holidays approach, she is very concerned for her brother (the young man's father) and the rest of the family. They miss their loved one and she wanted to know how -- while they are a family of faith in Jesus -- they can live through the real bereavement they are going through.

The heartache of the Christian I met for the first time on the phone is an indication of the tribulation of the time of the end. St. Paul was teaching the Thessalonians about how to live during these end times. He was dealing with a practical question: "What will happen to our loved ones who have died before the coming of Christ?" [it is comforting to see that St. Paul refers to the death of Christians as a "falling asleep"...they are safe and alive with the Lord and we will see them again!] and St. Paul was dealing with a practical concern: "How do we live in the interim?" [or simply, "How do we live in the face of the end?"]

For the Christian confronted by all of the birth pangs of the end times, the answer is to not live in fear; not to give in to the many temptations for discouragement. The answer lies in Jesus -- the God of the LIVING -- and the answer lies not in living in isolation, but in an active engagement in the words of St. Paul:

"But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation." -- 1st Thessalonians 5:8

This is the life we are called to; this is the life that is already yours through your baptism into Jesus; this is the life already yours as you will be filled with the life of Christ once again as you receive the blessed Sacrament tomorrow morning.

I'm excited! Tomorrow we will be reunited. Pastor Mueller and myself look forward to seeing you, the blessed people of God that the Lord has called us to serve and to love. Come to the feast! Jesus is giving Himself to us tomorrow morning -- giving to us the victory already won; the forgiveness already secured; the eternal life already guaranteed -- and in the face of the end we will experience once again why we have nothing to fear.

May the Lord powerfully bless our worship tomorrow morning!

In Jesus' Love,

Pastor

p.s. Tomorrow:

8:15 am Set up for worship

9:30 am Divine Service

10:45 am Fellowship

11:00 am Adult Bible Study and Sunday School

12:00 pm High School youth will wash our van-bus

3:00 pm Confirmation

p.s.s.

I am hosting our LC-MS regional Vice President tomorrow evening, Rev. Dr. Scott Murray, and I'm hoping he will be able to address our confirmands tomorrow.

I have just gotten caught up with news this evening (Friday, October 24th): deadly shootings in Washington and in California, the Ebola virus in New York, and someone deliberately smashing into the Ten Commandments monument in Oklahoma City, etc...and in the midst of this we will CELEBRATE the Reformation this Sunday.

Could anything be more irrelevant -- or, wait a second -- could anything be more relevant?

In the face of the terrible things going on in our world, if there was ever a time for the message of the Reformation to be clear, then that time is now. The visible Church had once -- at least at the popular level -- lost the Gospel of Christ, but you will see red paraments and stole this Sunday to remind us of the Holy Spirit's powerful movement of restoring the Gospel of Christ to His Church during the Reformation. And He did so by restoring the true preaching of the Gospel and the right administration of the Holy Sacraments.

So what? The answer is that the Gospel restored to Christ's Church is the ground for hope in the face of madness; light shed upon darkness; and God's grace in Christ which will not permit death to reign. And as the Holy Spirit moves through Christ's Reformation Word and Sacraments, you -- the people of God -- become as salt and light in this world so inundated with fear. That is the celebration of the Reformation is faith facing the world head on knowing that the Lord is in control; giving life even in the face of death. This is a sure and certain hope; and one which the world desperately needs to know.

Part 2: We live out our faith also by helping those in need. Robby Flores is our congregational representative for the Life Ministry at Concordia University Irvine and he is asking that you bring some supplies this Sunday to donate to Mary's Shelter. Here is the list:

Diapers

Liquid laundry detergent

Dreft liquid detergent (for babies)

Plastic dishes (bowls, cups, plates)

Towels (face, hand and body towels)

Personal hygiene products: shampoo, razors, face wash, deodorant, lotion

Place mats (8 to 10 for each house)

Baby wipes

Non-perishable food for our emergency supply

Children's Tylenol

Plastic Tupperware with lids

Oven mittens

Diaper rash cream

Cleaning sponges

Bring some of these and place in the box that Robby is bringing to church this Sunday! Thank you!!!

Part 3: Sunday, November 2nd is the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed...please fill out the form available THIS Sunday and submit it back to the designated collectors OR send the information directly to me, Pastor Al at my email address: give me the name or names of loved ones and the date of their entry into glory...we will name your loved one in the service and hear the tolling of a bell to symbolize their eternal life in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is an important tradition for us at Saint Paul's and we hope you will participate!

May the Lord bless your weekend so that you continue to abide in Christ's faith, hope, and love, rejoicing that in Him not some, not many, not most, but ALL your sins are forgiven through His life, death, and resurrection. Some people say, "Nothing is free!" There is, however, one thing that is: God's love and forgiveness in Jesus! This is His free gift to you...it is true of course that it cost HIM dearly...but as for you, this is God's GIFT to you: life and forgiveness in His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

In His Love,

Pastor Al Espinosa

We live in two kingdoms so that we carry out what Jesus taught: we give to Caesar and we give to God, but does this mean that our Lord was teaching that He was not somehow King even of the civil realm? Of course not! He is King of all kings; He is Lord even of all emperors, presidents, and monarchs. This has far-reaching implications. For one, the Lord is in charge; He is in control, even if things seem to be completely out of hand. Alarmist theology that insists that Satan is NOT bound is just that, alarmist and inappropriate. God isn't sweating in heaven and worried because of liberal forces that reject Him. If anything, He laughs: "He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision." (Psalm 2:4) Needless to say, the child of God -- truly -- has nothing to worry about.

This, however, does not mean that we sit back and do nothing. Since the Lord of glory reigns, we are to advance and be proactive, showing good works in the civil realm, sharing the Gospel and being -- as Christ describes us to be -- salt and light.

Part 2: After the worship service, I am presenting what may be the single most important report I've given to our voter's assembly since the restart here in Irvine. I've prepared a powerpoint and I assure you that I will be clear and quite excited about a developing vision. I was inspired by Dr. Russell Dawn who spoke up at our last voter's meeting (in so many words): maybe -- in respect to our property search -- we've been thinking too small. I went into vacation this past summer with his words stuck in my conscience and tomorrow I will share with you how these words have come to fruition. Come and help your church. This is an important discussion about our future.

I rejoice to serve you. Who is the pastor to serve? He serves the Lord first; His stewardship is defined by his master. The Master is Jesus. So I serve Him, but to serve Him is to serve the One who HImself came not to be served, but to serve. To serve whom? To serve YOU! I am, therefore, also your servant. What I will serve -- with Pastor Mueller -- is the Word of Christ and the Sacrament of Christ. Jesus said, "Do this..." in respect to His Holy Sacrament. So many churches nowadays have diminished His command (to say nothing of how they have diminished the meaning and significance of the Supper)...at your congregation, the Holy Sacrament is given every Sunday. Jesus said, "Do this..." so that is what we do.

And the benefit? It is for salvation, comfort, and strength. It is pure blessing.

I look forward to serving you!

Here is an excerpt from tomorrow's sermon:

“Give To Caesar, Give to God” (St. Matthew 22:15-22)

Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church of Irvine, CA (LC-MS)

For your life in Christ the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

October 19^th, 2014

Pastor Espinosa

Introduction: Total and Complete Separation of Church and State?

1. The idea is foreign to the U.S. Constitution.
2. In Separation of Church and State, Philip Hamburger, John P. Wilson Professor of Law at the University of Chicago challenges (as stated in the introductory synopsis):

“the conventional assumption that the separation of church and state has a historical foundation in the First Amendment. The detailed evidence…shows that eighteenth-century Americans almost never invoked this principle. Although Thomas Jefferson and others respectively claimed that the First Amendment separated church and state, separation became part of American constitutional law only much later…separation became a constitutional freedom largely through fear and prejudice. Jefferson supported separation out of hostility to the Federalist clergy of New England. [Some] Protestants…adopted the principle…to restrict the role of Catholics in public life. Gradually, these Protestants were joined by theologically liberal, anti-Christian secularists, who hoped that separation would limit Christianity and all other distinct religions.”

1. The First Amendment reads: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
2. Jefferson wrote in referring to separation: “…thus building a wall of separation between Church & State.” (Letter to the Danbury Baptist Association, 1802).
3. The great irony confronting those who perpetuate the “wall of separation” is that when theologically liberal, anti-God humanists and naturalists misuse the First Amendment, they are in fact perpetuating and encouraging, guess what? Answer: Their own religion! Consider the fact that ANY position that touches on God is a theological/religious For example, atheism is a theological position.

 

1. Christians and other theists are not the only ones with resultant MORAL positions that come from their THEOLOGICAL positions. Not at all: Darwinists also have a moral position called “moral relativism.”
2. When morality is based on the individual, it is called
3. When morality is based on what society says, it is called
4. Which one does Christianity support? Answer: Neither!

 

Part I: Christ Spoke Truth

1. The people who came to Him as recorded in today’s Gospel (St. Matthew 22:15-22) were disciples of the Pharisees (v 16) and then there were also Herodians (v 16). Two distinct groups with different views about the Roman government.
2. The Pharisees considered paying taxes to a pagan/anti-God government as sinful and so disagreed with the Herodians. To them, it was BAD to pay taxes.
3. The Herodians were Jews who supported the dynasty of Herod the Great and therefore believed that paying taxes was obligatory. To them, it was GOOD to pay taxes.
4. But they had one thing in common: they didn’t like Jesus!
5. This tag-team of disciples of the Pharisees and Herodians came to Jesus with flattering words, but their intent was to trap the Lord:
6. If Jesus spoke in Rome’s favor, it would cost him popular favor among the Jews.
7. If Jesus spoke in the people’s favor, it would set Him against the government and He would be guilty of sedition.
8. The point is that the enemies of God attack God. Do not think that they sit idle and say, “We have no opinion,” no way, they actually attack the truth.
9. If anyone thinks there isn’t a battle for truth, morality, and God in the world, then they are probably kidding themselves.

The enemies of Christ knew the kind of man Jesus was and they approached Jesus with flattering words.

St. Matthew 22:16: “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.”

1. Actually where the ESV states “you are not swayed by appearances,” it is trying to bring out: “You do not look at the face of men.”
2. Many people gauge what they will say based on how they perceive people’s faces. Not Christ. He just spoke the truth period. So he tells it like it is!
3. The Lord knew what was going on, verse 18 says, “[He was] aware of their malice.”

Come to church tomorrow morning and get the rest!

 

In Jesus' Love,

 

Rev. Al Espinosa, Ph.D., senior pastor, Saint Paul's Lutheran of Irvine