When we hear things like our time in "exile," it sounds so austere, weird, and/or religious...hard to relate to at first glance. But God is teaching us that our lives in Christ do not mean that we simply say, "I believe in Jesus" and then go on autopilot through our lives. Being in Christ means that we live differently and we confess a new relationship not only with God but with the world.

We are in temporary residency...we are just passing through. If we hold to anything in this life as if it is our source of identity, peace and happiness, then we are making a big mistake. This is not to say that we can't enjoy the good gifts in this life. Of course we're supposed to, but we view the things in this world differently..they are passing and there is only ONE thing that lasts: our being in Christ. In our Lord and in Him alone we have lasting peace and lasting joy. So we fear God -- in the right way -- and fear nothing else.

Come to Church and grow in your walk with the LIVING and Resurrected Lord Jesus Christ!

Also, come and receive the Holy Sacrament and receive the real body and blood of Christ for the absolute assurance of the forgiveness of sins!

We will of course also offer Bible Study and Sunday School tomorrow at 11:00 am. There is confirmation for the youth at 3:00 pm.

ALSO: You are invited to the FREE Catechism Convocation for the People NEXT Saturday, May 10th at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Escondido at 1087 W. Country Club Lane, Escondido from 9 am to 3:30 pm. Our special keynote speaker is Dr. Rod Rosenbladt who will present on sharing the Gospel while in your everyday vocations in a simple and non-threatening way. There will be two others speakers who will cover our relationship with the Church and with the Government. These are timely and important topics.

I will have the privilege along with Rev. Samuel Schuldheisz to serve all young confirmands and high school students...we are offering two break-out sessions to the YOUTH.

Again, it is ALL FREE! Please come! I would love to see you there.

Here is an excerpt from tomorrow's sermon:

“The Time of Your Exile”

(1 Peter 1:17-25)

Pastor Espinosa

 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. The Word of the Lord from 1 Peter 1:17:

 

“¹⁷And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,”

 

This verse is about praying as a Christian and living as a Christian; as one who puts themselves into the picture of today’s worship bulletin: you go through life walking with the Risen – victorious over sin, death, and the devil – Living Lord Jesus Christ! The picture itself depicts the two disciples and Jesus on the road to Emmaus, but it is a reminder of the life we are called to live (remember in verse 15 of 1^st Peter 1 -- just before today’s epistle -- it is God who calls you, so that in response you may call on Him as verse 17 says). God calls you to a living faith in the Living Lord and He does so through His Word…remember that those Emmaus disciples said that their hearts burned within them as Christ spoke to them (Luke 24:32)…in the same way we know we are truly walking with Jesus today when He continues to speak to us every, single day through His Word causing our hearts to burn with a living faith. But if you take away the Word, there is no faith; and if there is no faith, then we are not walking with Jesus, but we’re walking alone with all of the worthless things (the “futile ways” and “perishable things” that St Peter refers to in verse 18). There are only two ways to live: on the road that leads to eternal life with the Living Lord; or on the road that leads to eternal death without the Living Lord. These are the only two options.

 

Don’t ignore Him Christian, because He is the only life…every other form of so-called “life” will turn to dust and lead to death! But in this section of 1^st Peter everything hinges on the way you live and how you conduct yourself. Let me say it again because what I just said sounds blasphemous in relationship to being saved by grace alone, but it is biblical and as I will demonstrate completely consistent with God’s grace alone as our salvation: “everything hinges on the way you live and how you conduct yourself.” 1^st Peter 1:17 has the main verb in a very long sentence that extends from verse 17 through 21: the verb anastraphete which is translated as “behave, conduct oneself, live.”

 

            The Word of the Lord here at 1^st Peter 1 is teaching on HOW…how are we to behave, conduct ourselves, and live? That’s the question and it teaches you point blank how to live as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ; as a true child of the Living God. Everything is known in proper context.

First in regard to your prayer life which is of course an extension of your faith life, ask yourself “how do I pray?” Answer: you pray to God and present yourself before the Lord every single day knowing that “God judges impartially according [to your deeds].” This truth must be put into the framework of Law and Gospel. You come before the Father who is an impartial Judge who deals with you ONLY on the basis of Law and Gospel. There is no other criterion. And because there is an objective universal criterion, God is truly impartial and treats all people the same. The way God judged St. Peter is the way He judges you; the way that God judged Moses is the way that He judges your pastors; the way that God judged the martyrs is the way that He judges your children; the way that God judged St. Mary is the same way that God judges your enemies. He is 100%, totally and completely impartial:

 

Romans 2:11:  “For God shows no partiality.”

 

Ephesians 6:9: “Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.”

 

Colossians 3:25: “For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.”

 

Acts 10:34: “So Peter opened his mouth and said: ‘Truly I understand that God shows no partiality,’”

 

And here is the verdict when God judges according to His Law: we are completely and utterly condemned “because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).” This past week the media has had a heyday indicting and elaborating upon the sin of Los Angeles Clipper’s owner Donald Sterling for his racist remarks and his reprehensible treatment in the past in regards to housing discrimination towards minorities. But here’s the thing: we bask in self-righteousness. We love to accuse someone else of their wrong-doing; we delight to gossip about the bad things that other people do; and this makes every man a judge; it makes every man prove that in accord with the sinful nature we want to be God. It is a sad commentary on our culture, because in God’s courtroom being banned from the NBA for life and being fined 2.5 million dollars is nothing, but being banned from heaven and eternal life is everything! When God judges impartially and only our bare sin is laid before Him, then Donald Sterling has nothing on us, because we are all sinners deserving condemnation.

 

But the text clearly says that He judges each man’s deeds. How on earth does the Gospel ever come into play here? Luther: “There is no faith where there are no good works. Therefore link faith and good works together in such a way that both make up the sum total of the Christian life. As you live, so you will fare. God will judge you according to this…Works are evidence of our belief or unbelief…They show whether you have believed or have not believed…The works are fruits and signs of faith and that God judges people according to these fruits, which certainly have to follow, in order that one may see publicly where belief or unbelief is in the heart.” (Buls, Exegetical Notes: Epistle Texts, Series A, Festival Season Sundays, 119).

Praise the Lord! Jesus is risen! He is risen indeed! Praise the Lord! This is our celebration tomorrow morning dear Christians. What most people refer to as "Easter," a word that reminds us of the rising of the sun, but for us Christians it is a word that reminds of the rising of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ! This is the pivotal event of the Christian faith and it is the single most important Sunday of the entire year.

Please invite friends and family to church tomorrow. The message is entitled, "You Have Been Raised With Christ" (Colossians 3:1-4). This year we are going to delve into the relevance of Christ's resurrection as impacting our lives. Because Christ is risen and because we are baptized into Christ, we experience a spiritual resurrection as we anticipate our own physical resurrection. But what of this spiritual resurrection? What does it look like? What does it feel like? How do we live in it?

In the meantime, we abide in this day, Holy Saturday, the last day -- the 40th day -- of Lent. An important part of Christian tradition is to offer services also on this day. As we are still growing and developing as a congregation we are not offering a service on this day as of yet. However, here is the collect (thematic prayer) for this day:

For Tomorrow:

7:15: Early Set-Up For Any Brave Soul Who Wants To Help

9:00: High school youth group comes to practice with choir

9:30: WORSHIP

11:00: Easter Breakfast sponsored by our high school youth group

11:15: Easter Egg Hunt (children up through 6th grade may participate)

May the Lord richly bless our worship tomorrow morning to His glory and to our great benefit as we live out our lives in the Risen One, the Lord Jesus Christ!

Here is an excerpt from tomorrow's sermon:

In the meantime we have to learn to recognize that this indestructible life with all hope and all blessing through ANY struggle or hardship is something that we see not with our physical eyes but through faith. Verses 2-3: “³Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ⁴For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

 

First be clear that to set your mind on things above is very specific: set your mind on Christ. Some people get all weird with this passage so that they start talking about “heavenly things” to the extent that before you know it, they become other-worldly and detached from living here are on earth. That’s wrong. God loves His creation and He wants you here for a reason and everything created by God is good (1^st Tim. 4:4). But as you live here, serving your family, doing your work, encouraging others, sharing your faith, living in love, do these in such a way that you live in Christ…knowing that in Him who conquered death, everything you do has eternal weight and glory. Oh I know, so often we feel as though we are wasting our time; we are constantly tempted to cry out: “what’s the use,” but don’t give in Christian, because the greater reality is Christ who has conquered everything that could possibly mess up your real life. Your real life is secure!

 

So keep your heart, mind, and soul – all of you – on Christ who is risen! But as you do, just remember that your real life is hidden and this is where we typically struggle.

 

“Luther describes the contrast between the high dignity of Christians and the lowly form of their life on earth in these words: ‘We are even now the children of God, and through faith and Baptism have been put into possession of eternal salvation….But who among men recognizes the children of God? Who will call those men children of God that are thrown into prison and are so tortured and tormented in every conceivable way that they appear to be the children of the devil, condemned and accursed souls? For that reason St. Paul says that the glory of the children of God is now hidden, but shall be manifested in them later (Col. 3:3-4). So long as God’s children are here upon earth, they are not clothed with [the clothing of God], but wear the devil’s [clothing]….The right order is reversed: those who are God’s children are called children of the devil, and those who are the children of the devil are called God’s children.” (Pieper, Francis, Christain Dogmatics, Volume III, 68-69, quoting Luther, St. L. XII:729f.)

 

You know Luther he was quite vivid and powerful in his writing, but he was just saying that sometimes even though we have the resurrection life of Jesus Christ, it doesn’t always seem that way. There are times when it feels like we wear the clothes of the weak one, the suffering one, not the victorious one, but the defeated one. Sometimes as Luther said, “the right order is reversed.”

 

But whenever you feel this way, simply go back to this one habit of faith: “seek the things that are above…set your [mind] on things that are above.” Return to Christ who went through His humility, His passion, and His crucifixion to save you, but then remember the rest of the story…He rose! In imitation of Jesus, you are now a little Christ, you too go through your versions of weakness, of humiliation, of struggle, of suffering…but remember your life dear Christian, your real life: Jesus who has conquered even death has shared His resurrection life with you!

In Your Service and To His Glory,

Pastor Espinosa

There is no question about the fact that Christians are commanded by the Lord to know His joy in Christ (Philippians 4). With the Holy Spirit one cannot help but know a new assurance and confidence in life, because the Lord is at your side and He has promised never to leave nor forsake you.

At the same time, there is more to the story of our lives. We continue to bear our sinful nature (the old man, the flesh) and this means that sin is still wrapped around our necks. And this means that we resist the good things of God...even the blessed vocations we have been studying over the Lenten season.

Tonight -- on this 38th day of Lent -- we move into a vocation that we hardly ever hear about: being a Communicant, one who regularly and frequently receives The Lord's Supper. Why do we? Because we are tired and we are weak in faith; we do so because we so often fail miserably in our other vocations. These things, however, are ironically used as reasons to stay away from the Supper...until we do better and until we feel more "qualified" or "deserving." Banish these thoughts! Holy Communion is for the weak in faith; the Sacrament of the Altar that Christ gave on the first Holy Thursday is for those who feel as failures in the other things they are called to do since sin pervades in those things too. Receiving Communion is perhaps the most powerful way of confessing that you still need Jesus as much as ever!

Come tonight, thirsty for God's grace; come eager for the forgiveness of sins!

Here is an excerpt from tonight's sermon:

Sermon

“To Communicants”

Rev. Dr. Alfonso O. Espinosa

 

          Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. We have been journeying through a series on section 3 of Luther’s Small Catechism called “Table of Duties.” We had guest pastors during this 2014 Lenten pulpit exchange and I’ve come home from the congregations I visited -- over the last several Wednesday nights -- eager to ask my wife Traci, “So how did it go?” I’ve enjoyed my wife’s summaries to me. Her reports are pretty interesting. They have included giving me a sense of attendance, perceptions about the music, special comments made by the guest pastor, etc., but the most important aspect has been her evaluation of the sermons and one thing my wife looks for is a balance between Law and Gospel.

 

Often times there are assumptions made that if one is going to preach on the “Table of Duties,” then obviously there must be – as even sheer logic would seem to dictate – preponderance on law. After all the table of duties are about your vocations; how you live in this world whether you are a parent, a child, a worker, a student, an athlete, a musician, a citizen, etc. These are the roles and functions the Lord has given to each of us and we all have several vocations. In all of them, we must live out our faith. This implies action and action implies -- to the Christian anyway -- living in accord with God’s law. How does one live as a husband? How does one live as a wife? How does one live as a child? A student? A friend? The inherent task here invites a description of what you do…and what you do – esp. if you do it in faith – will seek to honor God’s law in relation to whatever it is you’re doing.

 

But I’d like to back up to challenge (somewhat) this assumption…which is not to say that it is all wrong, because indeed you must live out and act out your vocations, but…there is an unfortunate tendency in all of us to think in terms of the “God stuff” (that I’ll put in a box over here) and then the “me stuff” or the “my stuff” that I’ll put in another box over there. The “God stuff” box will include my Bible, my worship attendance, and all of the things about faith…and when I’m feeling esp. inspired, I will take more time to pray; or think “God thoughts”…but for the rest of the time, we are going to live in the other box. The “me stuff” or “my stuff” box and for this box we don’t really need the God stuff. The my stuff is everything else in this world and in my life…these are the things that are up to me; these are the things that require my energy, my attention, my time, my effort, my ingenuity. Just like when I carry out my vocations: these things depend on me and who can blame even the well meaning pastor when what ensues about such things is an emphasis on Law (well maybe you should blame the pastor since he’s called to preach the Word of God accurately)!

 

But the God stuff and my stuff box division is all wrong. Know this clearly Christian: there is nothing you have and nothing you do that is not from God. And while this seems fairly simple to grasp intellectually, we have a way of forgetting it in the middle of our vocations. God enables you to breathe, God enables you to have faith; God has created your physical body; God has created your living spirit. The Word of God says, “In [God] we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28). That is our whole lives are permeated with grace (The Father giving good gifts motivated by love and mercy through His Son).

 

By grace you are saved through faith in Christ. By grace you have clothes on your back. By grace you have food. By grace you are enabled to put the food in your mouth, chew the food, and digest the food. But what is even more profound and amazing when it comes to vocation -- whatever you do in whatever role you have in life -- is that it is God Himself living and acting in and through you. When mom changes a diaper for her baby, God changes the diaper; when dad gets lunch for his kids, God gets lunch for His kids; when a teacher teaches, God is equipping the students; when a plumber fixes your water leak, God fixes your water leak.

 

Ezekiel once recorded God’s message to His people which brings out this grace-orientation of our whole lives (when you hear “I” it is God speaking and describing what He will do): “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you…And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” (Ezekiel 36:25-27)

 

God does it all. Christ is both our justification – the One upon whom God’s declaration of “righteous!” upon you is based – and Christ is our sanctification – the source of our lives set apart to God to live in His service and to His glory. Christ is the life of those truly living; Christ is your life!

In Jesus' Love,

Pastor Espinosa

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday also known as Passion Sunday. Why the two designations? Palm Sunday marks our Lord's entrance into Jerusalem when He was heralded with shouts of "Hosanna," acknowledged as the Son of David come to save! Passion Sunday reminds us, however, that He would save in a way not anticipated or understood...He came into Jerusalem to suffer and to pay for our sins with His blood.

Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday also commences Holy Week. The services really form a single unit:

Psalm Sunday/Passion Sunday: He comes for victory over sin and death.

Maundy Thursday: He institutes His Supper to keep us in that victory.

Good Friday: He wins the victory through His death on the cross.

Simply said, without Holy Week -- without this backdrop of Christ's victory -- Easter Sunday loses its meaning: the victory I describe above during Holy Week is dark, shrouded, and hidden...the world sees no victory in suffering and dying. It is Easter, however, that demonstrates the victory being won and won during Holy Week in an unmistakable and glorious way. But first things first: we need to enter Christ's victory in the way God ordained and in the only way our sin could be dealt with.

We enter starting tomorrow the most important week of worship leading up to the most important single day (Easter Sunday) in the Church Year. My sermon is entitled, "My God, My God, Why?" (Matthew 27:46). Have you ever asked God "Why?" in the midst of your suffering, fear, or anxiety about something? You're not alone...Jesus did too and He did so for us.

Invite a friend. Share the message. Confess and receive -- once again -- the victory over sin and death!

Here is an excerpt from tomorrow's sermon:

Sermon

My God, My God, Why? (Matthew 27:46)

Pastor Espinosa

Sunday of the Passion, April 13^th, 2014

 

          Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. As a good Christian there are some things that you should never say; some things that you should never ask. One of those questions is “Why?” “Why?” implies a lack of faith. “Why?” implies the need to understand. But the Lord says in Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” The Word says, “trust,” not “ask why.”

 

One day Job asked, “What would be my portion from God above and my heritage from the Almighty on high?” (Job 31:2) He cried out, “Let the Almighty answer me!” (Job 31:15) He wanted an answer. In effect Job was asking why he was suffering so much in light of the righteous life he was committed to living and had in fact been living. When the answer finally came, it wasn’t exactly what Job was looking for. Job 38:1-2: “Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: ‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?’” Job reconsidered his position recorded at Job 42:1-2: “Then Job answered the Lord and said: ‘I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.’”

 

This is why dear Christians that St. Paul by inspiration of the Holy Spirit declares this about those who live in true faith: “for we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Cor. 5:7) It’s true that the great Anselm of Canterbury confessed that he was engaged in faith seeking understanding, but even for Anselm understanding never preceded faith, but faith preceded understanding. So there you have your moral lesson for the day: “Don’t ask ‘why?’!” Cut it out! Knock it off! Stop doing it! Well, doesn’t it just feel great to get that out of your system?! Now you’ll probably never do it again! Right? If only it was that simple.

 

Thanks be to God that the Lord is always having mercy on us poor sinners. He never said that the Scriptures would answer all questions, but He answers many and it is only because we choose not to study the Word of Life that we are deprived of so much that would otherwise help us more than we know. The Holy Scriptures reveal much regarding the reasons we suffer. Two reasons are universal, true for both believers and unbelievers alike: (1) The fact that sin entered the world, so that now we endure the ramifications of this entry (e.g. bystanders who suffer the results of war or violent crime); (2) The fact that we suffer the consequences of our own active and actual sins (e.g. when we get a speeding ticket, or hurt our bodies due to our vanity).

 

The other reasons, however, are reasons for believers specifically, which is to say that there are many more reasons why believers are permitted to suffer. Aren’t you glad that you’re a Christian? Here are some:

[Please come tomorrow for the rest...]

In Your Service and To Christ's Glory,

Pastor Espinosa

From today's Lutheran Book of Prayer: "Lord God, You have given me another day, a day to live in Your service and for the good of my fellow-men, I am indeed a poor tool in Your hand and deserving to be cast aside. Forgive me all my sins for Jesus' sake, and by Your Spirit grant me the fitness to work for You this day....Amen."

Tonight is our last Lenten Wednesday Night service in the Good Shepherd Chapel at Concordia University. The service of Vespers starts at 7 pm. Invite a friend! Tonight we continue through the Small Catechism on the Table of Duties and focus on "To Parents and Children."

Thank you for supporting me to support SCCMI (Southern California Campus Ministry Initiative) last Sunday in Pasadena so that Pastor Jasa could be an evangelist at a special event over the weekend in which he distributed 1500 personal invitations to the local church while sharing the saving Gospel! See the Lutheran Witness (April, 2014) on this vital endeavor (you'll see the name of our congregation on page 10)!

Servants of the Word and a Catechism for the People exists to unify and bolster our rich Lutheran heritage and tradition in the Lutheran Confessions which so magnificently proclaims the Word of Christ. This is why we do the pulpit exchange and the convocation. Law/Gospel preaching, Sacramental theology, emphasis on the Sacraments, the beautiful liturgy of our tradition, etc. are put forth in the 21st century in a winsome way. Thank you for your prayers and support of this. The convocation is Saturday, May 10th at Gloria Dei, Escondido.

This Sunday is Palm Sunday/Sunday of the Passion. We will process with palm fronds and crosses from the parking lot into the sanctuary. Try to be a little early. Service begins at 9:30 am in the parking lot at Crean Lutheran High School. I will proclaim: "My God, My God, Why?" based on Matthew 27:46.

In Your Service and To Christ's Glory,

Pastor Espinosa

We confess the Lord Jesus as our Prophet, Priest, and King. He is our Prophet because it is His Word proclaimed in His office of the ministry in His Church localized in His congregations. He is Guest tomorrow to give you His Word and His body and blood in the Holy Sacrament!

The sermon, "First Appearances Can be Deceiving" will remind us that our Lord hides Himself. He hid Himself when He came as a baby in a manger; as He died on the cross, as He comes to you in, with, and under bread and wine; and He hides Himself in you. These things do not lend accuracy in "first appearances," as none of these are very impressive to the world. In truth, however, these things are the things of forgiveness, eternal life, and God in our midst.

After the Divine Service, the Bible Study will be conducted by Prof. Steve Parks as he continues tomorrow on "Confronting Culture." He will finish his segment on answering Neo-Darwinism.

What a Sunday this will be:

1) you will receive Holy Absolution.

2) you will be equipped in the Word of God in John 11.

3) you will receive the body and blood of Christ so that you will never die.

4) you will be equipped on how to answer culture's confrontations against faith.

Here is an excerpt from tomorrow's sermon:

“First Appearances Can be Deceiving”

John 11:17-27, 38-53

Rev. Steven P. Mueller

Many things we encounter are not what they first appear to be.

Even divine things may not always be what they appear to be

Isaiah 45:16 “Truly you are a God who hides himself.”

 

Luther made this a major part of his theology. God is Deus Absconditus – the hidden God. Luther also called this the “theology of the cross.

Do not to look for God merely in external might and glory. Look where God promises that He will be.

But we are always tempted to look for God in places he has not promised to be.

Today’s readings show us several examples of times when outward appearances were deceiving – when God hid His work from human eyes, only to reveal it at just the right time.

 

A living Lazarus was hidden in death until Christ revealed him

John 11 tells us about Lazarus’ sickness and death – and Jesus’ strange reaction.

John 11:5–6 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶ So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

 

Martha meets Him, and says, “If you had been here my brother would not have died… but even now I know that God will do whatever you ask.” What a great statement of faith. But when they get to the tomb, she wavers.

Martha was caught up in external appearances. But Jesus was not. With a word, he called Lazarus out, and the dead man rose.

The appearance – the reality of death – was not the final story. God was doing something greater. God’s life was hidden there, and Lazarus lived.

May we rejoice in these gifts!

Invite a friend.

Worship starts at 9:30 am; Bible Study at 11:00 am.

In Your Service and To Christ's Glory,

Pastor Espinosa

The Lord bless you on this evening of the 22nd day of Lententide!

Our Lord once said to the Pharisees: "If you were blind, you would have no guilt, but now that you say, 'We see,' your guilt remains." (v 41)

Every Christian should yearn on a daily basis to confess their blindness. We must, because we are sinners. This is how the Holy Spirit leads us, especially during this season of Lent. This is the confession forged by grace through faith in Jesus.

When it is made -- by the leading of the Spirit -- we are permitted by the Lord to see the only comfort that saves: that Christ came for sinners; He came for the blind; and He came for the lost.

It is easy for us to slip into treating this, however, as only applying to "once upon a time before my conversion," but that would be a mistake. As long as we have our sinful nature clinging to us, we must confess our blindness and we should yearn to see the Lord's grace as amazing each and every day as we continue to live in our baptismal grace.

May it ever be until we are in glory.

Invite a friend to tomorrow's divine service. Jesus is both host and guest and will be there to keep us in the forgiveness of sins.

Here is an excerpt from tomorrow's proclamation:

“The Keen Sight of Blindness” (John 9:1-41)

Pastor Espinosa

 

Text: “³⁹Jesus said, ‘For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.’ ⁴⁰Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, ‘Are we also blind?’ ⁴¹Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would have no guilt, but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.”

 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. John Newton (1725-1807) wrote the hymn Amazing Grace and was raised in the faith. As a young boy he had memorized the Westminster Catechism, all of its Scripture texts, and all of Isaac Watts’ hymns for children. But he fell away from the faith. As one historical summary puts it, “During his military service Newton tried several times to adhere to his mother’s religious principles, praying, reading Scripture, and even fasting, but some skeptical literature finally convinced him to discard them.” (Precht, Lutheran Worship Hymnal Companion, 714)

 

Hard experiences followed: he deserted the navy, was caught, whipped, and demoted; he was treated badly by the sailors who disliked him and his superior attitude as a midshipman. By his own account, it was only the memory of his girlfriend that kept him from suicide. He eventually transferred from the navy to work for a slaver off Sierra Leone, but nothing really improved; the ill treatment continued and he owned nothing but the clothes on his back and the food the slaves would share with him. He was miserable, and so like a prodigal son sought help from his father.

 

The help came and he found himself on a voyage back to England and during that voyage, “Newton read Thomas a Kempis’ Imitation of Christ and began to reflect on his forgotten religious training. The ship became waterlogged in a storm, and, manning the pumps for hours on end, Newton prayed ‘like the cry of the ravens, which yet the Lord does not disdain to hear.’ (Duffield, English Hymns) Newton dates his spiritual birth from that experience on March 10, 1748.” (ibid, 714) Years later in 1764 he was ordained deacon and priest the following year. He carried on a fantastic evangelical ministry and never retired. “In his old age, he would be accompanied at the pulpit by a servant who helped him read his texts. He died December 21, 1807…his tombstone was inscribed with his own words:”

 

“John Newton

Clerk

Once an Infidel and Libertine

A Servant of Slaves in Africa

was

by the Rich Mercy of our Lord and Saviour

Jesus Christ

Preserved, Restored, Pardoned,

and Appointed to Preach the Faith

he had long labored to destroy.” (ibid, 715)

          I am greatly impressed by his epitaph because immediately after his name and title, John Newton essentially confesses his sin (now there’s a legacy!) and then gives all glory and honor to the Lord Jesus Christ and then after briefly describing his life in the faith (namely “appointed to preach”), again confesses his sin in writing “[the Faith] he had long labored to destroy.” Ask yourself, what do you want to be remembered by? John Newton answered by saying, “that I was a sinner and that “by the Rich Mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ [was] Preserved, Restored, Pardoned.” Again, how’s that for a legacy!? It is easy to have a feverish need to do this, and to do that, to accomplish x, and to accomplish y, but is there a better thing you could possibly say about your life -- if it is lived well -- than what Newton wrote in the hymn that we just sang moments ago: “Was blind but now I see!”?

In Jesus' Love,

Pastor Espinosa

Blessings to you on this 19th day of Lententide. We are almost half-way through Lent. The 40 days are reminiscent of our Lord's 40 days in the wilderness to face temptation from the evil one FOR US which He overcame to save us. The 40 days are also reminiscent of the 40 years of the wilderness wanderings of God's people in the Old Testament. 40 is symbolic of our entire lives.

So how are you doing this Lententide? We already know the answer (at least to an extent). Like the rest of us, it is fluctuating: your new man striving to walk with God; and your old man getting in the way. The battle continues. But we cry out to the Lord and -- in Christ -- He hears us and He is merciful (through the vicarious satisfaction of Jesus...His blood shed for the sins of the world).

Come worship tonight! We gather at 7:00 pm on the campus of Concordia University.