It feels strange that just when we enter into a season in which everything seems to get busier and more taxing, that the Church also gets busier. Are we trying to add to the madness and stress? Much to the contrary, we are countering it!

In times as these, we need the Word of Christ more, not less. We seek to serve your spirit and your peace; keeping you full with God's consolation while protecting and guarding your soul. In this third week of Advent in which we celebrate the joy the coming Christ gives, we have this theme in tonight's reading that reminds us of the basis for this joy: restoration.

How much we need it! When we add up all that stands against us, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Thanks be to God for His ministry of restoration for us in and through Jesus!

Please come tonight at 7 pm. It is a shorter service of the Word. This is a good service to invite a friend to. We hope to see you!

In Jesus' Love,

Pastor

Two other things:

1. You're also invited to stay for our last choir practice...this is the Christmas Eve choir. We would love to have you.

2. I plan on bringing The Teen Project box. Remember that we are collecting $10.00 gift cards to fast-food, grocery, or coffee shop for teens on the streets. Teen Project is doing a great joy in demonstrating God's mercy to those in need and going through tough times. You can slip in your gift card or $10.00 into the box.

You are invited to our annual congregational Christmas Party tonight at 5 pm at Light of Christ Lutheran Church in Irvine (located at 18182 Culver Dr., Irvine).

Then tomorrow morning we celebrate the Third Sunday in Advent and have a fantastic epistle text from Philippians 4:4-7. The sermon is "Joy In All Circumstances." How is this even possible? The Lord not only says that it is, but teaches how. Let us gather to receive this much-needed proclamation and be blessed through the transforming Word of Christ!

We will also receive the precious body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus commands us to "do this," and He promises the forgiveness of sins. This is our spiritual food; this is our most important nourishment, not only to remain in our salvation, but to be strengthened in our walk with the Lord. Come and receive His gifts!

Pastor Mueller and I hope to see you this evening and tomorrow morning!

In Jesus' Love,

Pastor Espinosa

Tonight I have the privilege of preaching from a fantastic text in the book of Malachi. It is designed to keep us in full preparation mode for the coming of our Savior! It is about our RETURNING to God in our lives and Malachi provides tremendous insight and comfort. By God's grace, we daily RETURN to Him and by His grace, He RETURNS to us!

Hope to see you tonight. Remember this is a shorter service of the Word (about 40 minutes long) and this is a great opportunity to invite a friend!

Here's the manuscript for tonight's sermon:

“Thanksgiving for Returning”

(Malachi 2:17-3:1-7)

Pastor Espinosa

 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. The sermon is entitled, “Thanksgiving for returning,” but God’s words to us, “return to Me,” don’t occur until the very end of our reading. There are many other words leading up to that and we need them, because without the context we can’t know what this Advent gift of “returning” is all about. In fact it’s the words leading up to “returning” – another way of saying “repentance” – that Malachi by inspiration of the Holy Spirit masterfully uses to explain and break down what “returning” to God is all about.

 

This portion of God’s Word is absolutely invaluable. Never underestimate the value of the Old Testament and for that matter the Minor Prophets that don’t get the press that the more popular books of the Bible get. We are blessed to be able to receive God’s Word from Malachi this evening. His name means “my messenger” and in our text tonight he has plenty to say about messengers...we need to know about them, esp. the main One to know about returning to God.

 

First of all, Malachi 2:17 describes what was going on in the hearts of God’s people at the time. They were discontent and murmuring; they were losing – or had already lost – their faith. They were tired of waiting for things to get better. Malachi tells us what they were saying (and yes, their discontentment had gotten really serious). They said: “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” and “Where is the God of justice?” They said these things because as far as what they could observe with their eyes, unbelieving people living for themselves and their own pleasure were prospering, but as for the faithful, they were suffering.

 

People dedicated to idolatry, greed, immorality, evil, lust, and power, these people were advancing in life. These people were getting stronger, but those who stood for the truth, for love, forgiveness, and true faith in God, these people often wound up with the short-end of the stick and so again, they murmured, they complained. And what happens when all we do is complain? We complain and complain, our skepticism and pessimism starts to take over our minds, our hearts, our thoughts, our words, and before we know it, our faith is gone!

 

I often remind my son Bryan, “Athletes will play like they practice.” The athlete who trains hard will play hard; the athlete who exudes intensity and precision in practice, will do so in the games. In drama, you must conduct “dress rehearsals”...you are aiming to do just as you will do for the “real” performance. If we call ourselves Christians, we don’t wait for church on Sunday mornings to “act like Christians,” we seek to live in the faith 24/7, when we feel like it and when we don’t, when it seems easier and when it seems very hard. So in those “moments” if we allow ourselves to spew frustration, anger, judgment, hardness...our “practice” might just turn into what we are. We already know that sinning -- whether it flows through our eyes, our mouths, our hands, etc. -- comes from within, it comes from our hearts. We live in accord with what we are. Yes, Christians are sinners, but they do not claim allegiance to it. They do not follow it. They do not permit it to become their master so that they play, “follow the leader” with sin. As sinners we do sin, but we also despair of it, and more than anything – when it comes to sin – we want it to be washed away; we want it outta here!

 

Well the people of God in Malachi had harbored in their hearts so long and so hard their pessimism, their frustration: nothing was seeming to get any better! Look at how our problems only seem to get worse! What of our observations today? Is our national debt less? Less??? Are you kidding me? It continues to climb! Are we closer to solving the threat of terrorism? Are the threats increasing or decreasing? And what about immorality? Is it finally trending down? Are you kidding me? Not only is it not in a downtrend, but it is more and more approved of! So some ask in the face of these things: where is God? Maybe, He approves...maybe, He doesn’t care...maybe Deists and Agnostics have a case. Why am I being so stupid as to wait for the Lord’s coming? Maybe the skeptics and atheists are right, maybe I am a fool to hold to the Christian faith!

 

Malachi’s time – about 430 years before Christ – mirrors our time and centuries after Malachi, St. Peter warned about the scoffers (they never go away; and indeed by virtue of our sinful nature, we have one whose taken up residence within each of us): 2^nd Peter 3:3-4: “knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.  ‎⁴They will say, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.’”

 

And dear Christians, the moment this mindset settles in the heart, then watch out, because that is the moment when we start to permit ourselves to serve sin. You know the saying, “when the cat is away, the mouse comes out to play,”...that’s when we permit ourselves to believe that God isn’t coming – or more to the point, that God isn’t here – so who cares how we live? What difference does it make? I’ll just do whatever I feel like doing. Disaster!

 

Malachi teaches and prophecies about two comings of the Lord: the first coming that we will soon celebrate this Christmas; and the second coming when this same Jesus will come in glory to judge the living and the dead. Think about it: how many years did the Old Testament people of God wait for Messiah to come? If you were living in Abraham’s time, then you had to wait for 2000 years! But He came! Some skeptics will continue to complain, “But why so long?” Easy answer: “Because God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1^st Timothy 1:4) God is patient, so that more and more people would come to saving faith instead of perishing without saving faith! Malachi records God’s Word! The Father declared, “Behold, I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me.” (1:1a). This is a prophecy regarding John the Baptist who came to prepare the way for the Lord (just like the prophecy describes). And the wise ones, the faithful ones never gave up their faith; they never stopped waiting and they never stopped living for God! They never stopped resisting their flesh that said, “Stop waiting already and follow sin!” Instead – over and over again – they turned away from sin and RETURNED to God!

 

On the heels of the first messenger was the main and saving messenger: the Lord Jesus Christ. Malachi began to prophecy of Jesus: “And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple...” Augustine says that His temple was His body (ACC OT XIV 299)...this is a reference to the Incarnation, God taking on flesh; but perhaps it is good to be reminded that just as Malachi was writing to the whole Church, that Malachi is saying that when the Messenger Messiah Jesus comes He will come for His body the Church...for you and for me...His Temple, His Church, His People, The Royal Priesthood, His Living Stones that Make up THE building of God! You are His Temple...He came for you!

 

But He will come again. Again, Malachi describes both comings and when He comes again in glory (in His second coming that we are waiting for today), He will come to judge all people. How will we endure? How will we poor sinners stand? We will stand by virtue of His causing us to RETURN to Him through HIS work in our lives...His work in your life by grace through faith in Him! This saving and ongoing work of Jesus is what causes you to RETURN to God so that He will in mercy – even on the last day – return to you in grace, in love and mercy! But how do we know His work in our lives that makes us RETURN to God? We know through His cleansing work in us today. Through Holy Baptism and Holy Communion the Lord – the saving Messenger of God – works in us so that faith is not overrun by complaining. Instead, as He works in us, He effects a very different experience: we learn to become more aware of sin; and we become more familiar with the pain it causes, so that we hate it, confess it, and turn from it...all the while it is the work of Jesus that is taking place. This work causes us to daily RETURN to Him!

 

This work of God for repentance in you and me is presented in a magnificent way in Malachi: “For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. ³He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord.” Luther: “Christ is not merely the Purifier but also the purifying Agent. He is not only the Blacksmith but also the Fire; not only the Creator but also the Soap.” (AE 18:410) As you know, fire purifies metals, and fullers’ soap makes white. This soap contains alkali “which eats deep into the tissues. And this fire burns, [it] consumes what the sinner so dearly loves.” (Laetsch, The Minor Prophets, 535) This is a severe process, the fuller, washer and cleaner kneads, massages the clothes by treading and trampling them. (Ibid., 534)

 

We need this work of Jesus upon us. It makes us become aware of our sin and our need for Him to wash us. David at Psalm 51:2 says simply: “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!” and He prays to God to “purge me...wash me” (v 7). We need this. Otherwise, we will only complain and our faith will be lost and we will reject God, never RETURNING to Him. You are the “sons of Levi” Christians, you are the ones daily refined and washed by your Savior! As a result – having already been cleansed of your sin through the blood of Jesus which washes you; and His Gospel which refines you – you bring offerings to God in righteousness. You are holy priests made holy in Jesus. His life is your life; His righteousness is your righteousness! As St. Peter says, “you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1^st Peter 2:5)

 

“The Hebrew...for ‘refiner’ and ‘purifier’ describes His work as going on continually throughout the believer’s life. This is necessary, since the believer’s flesh ceaselessly battles against the new spiritual life. Daily the Refiner purges away the dross and takes away all tin. Even if this tin may seem like precious silver to the believer, it remains tin. No matter how highly polished, it is worthless dross, and as such is removed by the Purifier, the Searcher of hearts. Though painful it is a necessary, a blessed work, for which the believer will in time and eternity thank his Refiner, made of God unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Cor. 1:30).” (Laetsch, The Minor Prophets, 535-536)

 

And on account of His cleaning and refining work, given to us through Word and Sacrament, and experienced in us through RETURNING to God and turning from sin, we are made ready for His coming! This RETURNING delights to take God more seriously than anything in our lives. We are not like those who do not return to God and who “do not fear [Him]”. (v 5) The source of all sin is the lack of the fear of the Lord. (Kretzmann, Popular Commentary, Old Testament Vol. II, 723) Disregarding God, losing all fear of the One who judges every man makes us susceptible to any sin taking us over.

 

But what truly motivates us to hold to the Lord? It is not any threat from God that would cause us to melt in despair, but His love for us. Malachi records the Lord’s words to you this night Christian: “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” Because the Lord does not change – as we know Him in Jesus – His love for you does not change, His mercy for you does not change. God’s grace is not a fickle attribute of God. It is solid, stable, 100% reliable, totally guaranteed. Why? Because the Lord – as we know Him in Jesus – does not change. And “His grace makes it possible that [our] sorrow will become a godly sorrow working repentance unto salvation...” (Laetsch, 537)

 

This is what it means to RETURN to the Lord. We know He does not change, His mercy is new to us every morning and in this light, it is our true desire to turn from the complaining of unbelief that kills faith; instead we RETURN to the Lord. Turning from sin that only destroys, no matter the world’s deception and lack of patience, and we gladly RETURN to the Lord. This is how the Lord keeps us ready. RETURNING to Him day in and day out as He refines us, and as He washes us.

 

The church father Cyprian wrote: “And while God is provoked with frequent and continual offenses, he softens his indignation, and in his patience waits for the day of retribution, once for all determined. And although he has revenge in his power, he prefers to keep patience for a long while. [He bears], that is to say, mercifully, and puts off, so that, if it might be possible, the long-protracted mischief may at some time be changed, and humanity, involved in the contagion of errors and crimes, may even though late be converted to God, as he himself warns and says, ‘I do not will the death of him that dies, so much as that he may return and live.’ [Ezek 18:32] And again, ‘Return unto me,’ says the Lord.” (ACC OT XIV 304) And by His Word and by His grace, we do. We have RETURNED again. You have RETURNED and have thanksgiving for RETURNING!

In Jesus' Love,

Pastor Espinosa

This is a season of preparation, but are we really engaging in the most important kind? In preparing for the coming of the Lord, we properly prepare by bearing the "fruits" of repentance. What is that? Where does it come from? How is it produced? And how do we experience this in our lives? How do these "fruits" effect and impact us so that we are truly prepared for God in Christ to come again?

This is what tomorrow's message is about.

Tomorrow we will also receive the true body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Please remind yourself that:

1. This gift was given to the Church by the Lord Jesus Himself.

2. He commanded and commands us to "do this."

3. He promised and promises the forgiveness of sins in and through it.

4. He made arrangements for us to be specially united with Him in this life through it.

5. Our faith is strengthened in the Sacrament.

6. The ancient and early Church recognized the real presence of Christ in the Sacrament and did neither taught nor nor confessed the modern-day, watered-down version of memorialism or mere symbol (you can always tell how faithful a church is based on how frequently or infrequently they celebrate the Sacrament).

7. Our Church continues in the biblical and early-church tradition.

8. This is one of the chief ways that God Himself keeps us in the faith and keeps us prepared for His coming!

But heads up: your flesh/sinful nature will once again resist receiving this precious gift tomorrow. We can all count on the resistance against what is good and commanded by God. We will resist also His promise regarding all of the rich benefits. We will be tempted to compromise once again. Let us therefore encourage one another and all the more as the day approaches.

And remember: just as you start to list all of the reasons not to come, remind yourself that everyone else who will come is just like you: a sinner. We're not there to put each other down, but to lift each other up.

Let us gather in God's house to receive His gifts. We shall be blessed!

Here is the manuscript for tomorrow's sermon:

“Bear Fruit In Keeping With Repentance” (Luke 3:8)

Pastor Espinosa

 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. The Advent season is a season of preparation; even the worldly versions of this “Holiday Season” recognize the need for preparation. The preparations take on many forms: the shopping that must be done; the greetings whether digital, in card form, or in person should not be forgotten; big projects at work must be completed before Christmas and the new year; the parties have to be planned and attended (not only to have fun with friends, but in some cases to rub shoulders with the right people so as to take care of clientele...yes, even ambition and the “brass ring” is served during this season); the lights need to go up (esp. if you want to avoid the title of “neighborhood slouch” or “ba-hum-bug”-man); the trees trimmed, the stockings hung, and then there are other more qualitatively important types of preparations.

 

Some of us make it a point to receive more counseling (be it professional, support group, or self-help) for the fact that this season that is supposed to be the most cheerful is often the most difficult as we miss loved ones or when we see what is lacking in our lives in comparison to the glitter and glitz that make us terribly self-conscious about what we don’t have. And again, the more qualitatively important preparations that include -- for the wise -- the simple and true realization that this is the season for prayer and watchfulness, because how much easier it is to get dissipated and do something foolish, harmful to ourselves, our families, and/or our neighbor or neighbors. There is nothing like the combination of stress + drink + impulsiveness to turn the season into disaster or self-destruction. We need to prepare ourselves so as to be protected from the pit-falls of a season in which the world engages not in the sacred, but in the sinful.

 

So yes, there are many, many preparations. These are part of the festive nature of the season; part of its beauty, but they are also part of proper preparation’s dissolution and compromise if all of the preparations are only of a certain type or kind, and not in accord with THE preparation of this season which rightfully prepares for Christmas. We are called by God to properly prepare by living in repentance and -- to ensure that we are truly doing so -- to bear fruit in keeping with repentance. This is Godly preparation, true spiritual preparation; real preparation; faithful and faith-oriented preparation. This is Christian preparation; in-Christ preparation, and this is the preparation we truly need in getting ready for the coming of the Lord. Without this preparation, all of the other types resemble a hamster going round and round on one of those wheels in a cage: you’ll exert all kinds of energy, but get absolutely nowhere.

 

OK so we all need the true preparation called repentance and its fruits, but what are these? What exactly are we talking about? “Repentance” is one of those words that we hear about on pretty regular basis in Church or a word we encounter when we read the Bible, but are we really clear as to its meaning?

 

The word is from the original word “metanoia” that means “change of mind.” Repentance is a change in the way you think; it is a change in your commitment or think of it in terms of a real change in how you live. It is also God’s work. It is not something we effect, but something God effects through the power of the Holy Spirit working through God’s Word (that’s why John the Baptist was preaching: so that God would turn hearts and minds around 180 degrees). According to Psalm 51:5 we were sinful from the time we were conceived. And this spiritual disease means we are helpless to turn ourselves around in repentance. We need God to do this. We need HIM to turn us around in repentance. That is why we seek the Word of Christ and it is why we are in Church this morning.

 

When this turning...this proper preparation – takes place called “repentance” then we experience two basic things within our hearts: contrition and faith. We truly sorrow – experience deep concern for our souls – because of offending the most important One in our lives, the One who gave us life. Have you ever felt guilty for hurting someone? Then magnify that exponentially...this is the guilt and sorrow we feel for having offended the Lord. And then the other thing we know in our hearts which must follow this deep sorrow (if we experience true repentance) is faith: faith that God in Jesus forgives you. Not partially – as though you’re on probation – but totally and completely. Why? Because of God’s amazing grace; on account of His love and mercy in and through Jesus who bore your sorrows and who bore your sins. When the heart grasps this, heaven opens to us, we are born again, we have renewed hope; we are right with God and we are taken from sorrow and sadness to joy and gladness. This is repentance.

 

But John the Baptist in our Luke 3 Gospel text this morning was concerned that even though he was preaching the Word of God, that some stubborn hearts were resisting the Word of God; resisting God from turning their hearts in repentance. So John calls these “brood of vipers,” yes, a very harsh thing to say, but John was calling the situation for what it truly was: these who were resisting the Holy Spirit were behaving like the devil (THE snake, THE viper), rebelling against God and fighting against Him. So foolish, so insane, and yet, it is what the spirit of darkness does when Satan tries to convince some to love destruction instead of life.

 

So when such a concern exists – indeed the most serious of all concerns for another as to whether or not a person has true repentance – then what should follow? We need some firm foundation for spiritual recognition and discernment. And talk about opening up a can of worms at this juncture. What I’m now describing sounds like “judging” the spiritual condition of another. If that is what it sounds like, then you’re perceptive. Of course we have to be careful here. First of all, what we are not doing is condemning anyone. That is not our call. That is God’s call. But the very possibility of condemnation should make us very concerned about the spiritual condition of the people around us. This should drive us to love them and to share the gospel so that they would indeed know repentance; and the forgiveness of sins and eternal life in Jesus assured to those who repent. But when Jesus says in Matthew 7:1 “do not judge” He means don’t take on God’s role. We do not say who goes to heaven or who goes to hell. God does, so in this sense don’t judge, don’t ever judge, this is not for you and it is not for me. However, this does not mean that we are not to judge the signs of danger and concern. God through St. Paul teaches at 1^st Corinthians 5 that within the church, we are to judge those things that could devastate and harm our brother or sister. St. Paul writes: “For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?” A rhetorical question answered with: “Yes, it is for us to judge within.”

 

And that is what John the Baptist was doing. The people were gathered in a very churchly-context with crowds coming to be baptized (Luke 3:7). In this context, John was judging in the only way one can. He could not look into anyone’s heart, but he pointed out that which can always be judged: the fruit. Where there is repentance – sorrow for sin and joy in Jesus – there is always fruit that God produces in the life of the one with faith. It is inevitable. As the sun radiates rays of light; so the believing heart radiates good in their real life; as an apple tree produces apples, so the believing heart produces works of faith. This is axiomatic. It is absolutely true. It is what must be. There are no alternatives. So John warns those who are behaving as if they are resisting the Word, “bear fruits.” Let’s see the evidence of repentance so as to have assurance that you are saved from sin and death! Let’s see the evidence! Let’s see the signs so that you know repentance has taken place by the powerful working of God. Let’s be sure we are being properly prepared for the coming of Christ! For our own good!

 

From the Apology of our Lutheran Confessions (Ap XII, Triglotta 259): “In order, therefore, to deliver pious consciences from [much confusion], we have ascribed to repentance [or conversion] these two parts, namely, contrition and faith. If any one desires to add a third, namely, fruits worthy of repentance, i.e., a change of the entire life and character for the better [good works which shall and must follow conversion], we will not make any opposition.”

 

We go on to believe, teach, and confess (Ap VI, Triglotta 291): “We say that good fruits, good works in every kind of life, ought to follow repentance, i.e., conversion or regeneration [the renewal of the Holy Ghost in the heart]. Neither can there be true conversion or true contrition where mortifications of the flesh and good fruits do not follow [if we do not externally render good works and Christian patience]. True terrors, true griefs of mind, do not allow the body to indulge in sensual pleasures, and true faith is not ungrateful to God, neither does it despise God’s commandments. In a word, there is no inner repentance unless it also produces outwardly mortifications of the flesh. We say that this is the meaning of John when he says, Matt. 3, 8: “Bring forth, therefore, fruits for repentance.” Likewise of Paul when he says, Rom. 6, 19: “Yield your members servants to righteousness;” just as he likewise says elsewhere, Rom. 12:1: “Present your bodies a living sacrifice,” etc. And when Christ says, Matt. 4:17: “Repent,” He certainly speaks of the entire repentance, of the entire newness of life and its fruits;”

 

“Likewise Chrysostom says: ‘In the heart, contrition; in the mouth, confession; in the work, entire humility.”...Good works ought to follow repentance; it ought to be repentance, not simulation, but a change of the entire life for the better.” (Ibid., 305)

 

This real change of heart and life are the “fruits” that follow repentance. These things are the work of God in your life, both the repentance and the fruits, but these fruits are not ambiguous or mystical, they are very practical, so our confession continues (Ap VI, Triglotta 305-306): “But we have already frequently testified that repentance ought to produce good fruits; and what the good fruits are the [Ten] Commandments teach, namely, [truly and from the heart most highly to esteem, fear, and love God, joyfully to call upon Him in need], prayer, thanksgiving, the confession of the Gospel [hearing the Word], to teach the Gospel, to obey parents and magistrates, to be faithful to one’s calling, not to kill, not to retain hatred, but to be forgiving [to be agreeable and kind to one’s neighbor], to give to the needy, so far as we can according to our means, not to commit fornication or adultery, but to restrain and bridle and chastise the flesh, not for a compensation of eternal punishment, but so as not to obey the devil, or offend the Holy Ghost; likewise, to speak the truth. These fruits have God’s injunction, and ought to be brought forth for the sake of God’s glory and command; and they have their rewards also.”

 

You see John was trying to help those who were resisting God’s work of repentance and fruit-bearing. Why is this such a big deal? Because where there is no repentance, then it must be that the only Savior from sin and death has been rejected. Talk about a reason to be concerned and this is why John warned the crowds to prepare for the coming wrath. (Luke 3:7) With Jesus Christ, God’s wrath is taken away from us; but without Jesus Christ, God’s wrath remains on us.

 

Fascinatingly the early church treated the need to see the fruits of repentance – our true preparation – as something very serious indeed. “Hippolytus’ Apostolic Tradition from around A.D. 215 offers an [early] witness to...prebaptismal examination... ‘And when those who are to receive baptism are chosen, let their life be examined: have they lived good lives when they were catechumens? Have they honoured the widows? Have they visited the sick? Have they done every kind of good work? And when those who brought them bear witness to each: “He has”, let them hear the gospel.’ A ‘hearer of the gospel’ was a technical term for a catechumen who, after three years of instruction, was enrolled in the final stage of catechesis before Baptism.” (Just, Concordia Commentary, Luke 1:1-9:50, 151 f.n.) This was how important the early Christians considered the fruits of repentance!

One Lutheran expositor points out: “[Repentance] is invisible; hence we judge its presence by the [fruits], which are visible [fruits]. We dare judge in no other way. We often encounter a superficial repentance; it brings forth fruit that is different from that which is demanded by the Baptist, namely a passing regret, a few tears, perhaps, and a transient emotion, a few sighs, an excuse or two, a wish to be different, a resolve to change by one’s own efforts, a brief outward betterment, and the like. The Baptist demands a repentance which is true conversion that is wrought by God himself through the very preaching of the Baptist, and is thus easily and clearly attested in the resultant life.” (Lenski, 188-189)

 

That is to say this proclamation is not designed to try to make you try harder. If that is your impression, then we go forth wrongly. No, this for you’re the Word of God to do its work: to convict us of how far we have fallen short of God’s standard; to cut us to the heart and to know – as part of the best preparation for this season – that we have sinned against God and have therefore hurt others and have hurt ourselves. And this – when God is working in us – causes great alarm...not just a few sighs or a few tears, but terror in our hearts knowing something is wrong (that we are wrong)...great alarm about our condition...and this – the most important part of repentance – to know that in great mercy...pity for the one in misery – God sent His Son for you. He did not hesitate in the greatest love you’ve ever known to do something about your condition. So Jesus came and lived for you – counting His holy life for you – so that your sinful life is now covered by His perfection; He came to die for you – to take your sin, all about your life that has offended God and others upon Himself – so that by His blood and through His stripes you are healed. He came to rise for you, to conquer the grave that awaits sinners who die, but on account of their Savior Jesus, turns the grave into a failed prison: His life for you means that your life cannot be confined by death. Death cannot hold you, the life of Jesus shines to brightly in you; you are a child of God and life prevails.

 

This is your preparation for Christmas Christian: repentance and bearing the fruits. Repent! Experience the work of God in your life through His Word and Sacrament! Bear fruits! Experience the work of God in your life through His Word and Sacrament! You have come to the feast this day, the feast of new life that leaves behind the old life. Don’t be ashamed, it is fruit...it is God’s sign in your life that you belong to Him; and that you are prepared for Jesus! Thanks be to God!

In Jesus' Love,

Pastor Espinosa

Choir practice will immediately follow! We need your help! Please join the Christmas Eve choir if you're able!

Tomorrow we can say, "Happy New Year!" It is the first day of the new Church Year, Advent begins. "Advent" means "coming" and this is the season in which we prepare for the coming of Christ.

I am excited for what the season means for our congregation, for each of us as we walk with the Lord. Part of its significance is that it hallows the time of preparation for Christmas. It helps us not to get sucked into the culture's "Christmas season" that tries to make it about things (shopping) and many other distractions from the sacred faith.

Instead, we insist on preparation. Advent is a penitential season. It leads us to reflect on our need to "be still and know that God is God." It provides the opportunity to confess our sins. It ushers in humility as we reflect on what the coming Christmas season is really about: Christ comes! The King of kings comes! This indeed leads us to see the need to prepare our hearts.

Let us be people of preparation as we contemplate tomorrow's Gospel from Luke chapter 19. At first glance the gospel seems out of place. It is mostly associated with Palm Sunday, when Christ enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey, but tomorrow we will focus on how people react to His coming in general. How do we respond? How will we respond? This will be our meditation and the sermon is intended to help you -- by the Word of God -- to greet the coming Lord in a way that is salutary and in a way that shows true faith. The Word itself forms this proper preparation; this proper greeting.

As always, the Lord Himself will prepare us through the forgiveness of sins given in the Holy Sacrament. Why do we keep coming for forgiveness? Answer: because we always sin. It is that simple. Yes, your baptism has put you into Jesus and the forgiveness of sins, but the battle continues. Trust God, He knows what He is doing. You cannot receive His forgiveness too often.

Pastor Mueller and I hope to see you in the morning.

Here is the manuscript from tomorrow's sermon:

“We Must Cry Out” (Luke 19:40)

Pastor Espinosa

 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our coming Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Advent greetings to you dear Christians. We commence our season of preparing for the coming of Jesus. As the rest of the world draws you to jump directly into Christmas of the commercial type and hype, we say Christmas is not here yet. Instead, we prepare in the beautiful penitential season of Advent. We speak of how to prepare for the King so that when He comes we are not choking on the stuff of the world, but have a faith that is prepared and properly waiting.

 

When Jesus approaches, God approaches. What is that like? It is momentous. It is full of power. Imagine what it is like when certain mere mortals approach. What is it like when a president comes to town? Roads close, traffic is redirected. Whole cities are impacted. What if someone famous comes walking towards a crowd? People converge, they want to see. My family was in Manhattan to sight see when we had gone out for my eldest son’s graduation from college in New Haven, CT. We woke up that morning to “Good Morning America” staged in Times Square only this time Times Square was directly below us, about 30 floors below. My teenaged daughter at the time – Danielle – got pretty excited for an Olympic skater who was down there. She couldn’t get dressed fast enough to run down to see the heart-throb. In the army, all of the chaplain candidates were gathered in an auditorium, when the Major General came walking down the aisle, we all stood up and collectively saluted him. He couldn’t “just walk by,” his presence demanded a response.

 

In a movie called “Evan Almighty,” the actor temporarily gets the power of God. He’s in a car and he decides to conduct a modern-day parting of the Red Sea, but this time he parts the traffic...all of the cars move out of the way to clear his path so that he can zoom down the street in his fancy ride. The scene is silly in this comedy, but what is not lost is that the presence of someone special impacts the environment. It’s inevitable.

 

I inject this concept into my pre-marital and marital pastoral counseling. The one to whom you are joined to in marriage, should receive the highest honor of any person in your life. That person has top ranking. They complete you, they are your complement from God. No one under God is more important, so act like it. The sinful flesh of course fights against this high call. But your spouse is a gift from heaven, so we “make way” when they walk into the room. We become attentive, we refuse to take them for granted, we strive to show how precious they are to us. We should train ourselves to greet each other with hugs and kisses, and with “I love you’s.” Compared to anyone else who might walk by you: a celebrity, a sports star, a politician, a decorated military hero, etc., these pale in comparison to your spouse walking into the room. The couple that honors one another will properly care for their marriage.

 

Again, the point is that when someone special walks by, something happens. You can’t be silent. You shouldn’t be or in some cases, you should be...you might be so silent that you bow down and hit your knees to the ground (this is the instinctive and understandable response when a person finds themselves in the presence of one of the holy angels, though when this happened to the apostle John, the angel was quick to correct his response, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” (Revelation 22:9)

 

But again, if you find yourself in the presence of someone very special, something’s gotta give. Something must happen. Again, it’s inevitable. And no one impacts us so much as when God comes. When our Creator and Savior comes, we can’t do nothing. Something must happen. Something happens now when He comes. Something will happen when He comes again in glory.

 

We have a snap shot of this very thing having actually occurred. Here’s what is recorded in Exodus chapter 33:

 

“Moses said, ‘Please show me your glory.’ And [the Lord] said, ‘I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name “The Lord.” And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,’ he said, ‘you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.’ And the Lord said, ‘Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.’” (vss 18-23)

 

The day is coming when all people will be inevitably impacted when the Lord comes again in glory:

 

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)

 

We shall be in His presence and we shall bow and we shall confess. There’s no negotiation here. This must happen. This will happen.

 

In our gospel at Luke 19, the Pharisees in the crowd, however, were offended by those crying out, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (v 38) As a result they demanded that Jesus would instruct them to stop. (v 39) To this Jesus our Lord replied: “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” (v 40) One expositor says, “If men should be silent, a stupendous miracle would have to take place, and the very stones about them would have to testify.” (Buls quoting Arndt, Exegetical Notes: Gospel Texts, Series C, 3)

And yet this is what the Pharisees wanted, that is, they wanted the people to be silent. They wanted to be silent and in their own way, they were silent...this is a terrible inconsistency, it is against the order of things, it is evil, it is wicked...and it depicts the sinful heart. God comes to us constantly through His Word and Spirit. He is always coming to all through the ministry of His Church and when He comes His desire is to always create faith by the Holy Spirit working through the Word of Christ and the Holy Sacraments, but when these are resisted and rejected, it is beyond sad. And yet this is what the flesh does.

 

We confess in our Small Catechism that when the Lord teaches us to pray, “Thy kingdom come,” that this means that “The kingdom of God certainly comes by itself without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may come to us also.” The catechism goes on to ask, “How does God’s kingdom come?” Answer: “God’s kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity.” That is, when He comes already through His Word, His presence is definitely impacting us: we pray that His kingdom comes to us and fills us; we pray for the Holy Spirit so that by grace we have a living faith and lead godly lives. Talk about an impact. Talk about responding to the Lord who comes even now!

 

But the nightmarish reality that is as nothing to the world today is that one would have no reaction to the Lord’s coming; that His presence would have no effect. That people would ignore Him and consider Him as irrelevant or insignificant, and what is worse, would tell others to stop worshipping Him. To live in such a way that the Lord’s presence has no impact is horrifying. It is the height of irony that one would stare and be transfixed towards a celebrity who will turn to dust, but completely be unaffected by the One who is the eternal God who will judge all men.

 

This is why we must properly view these words of Christ, they are words of judgment. They are intended to wake us up so that we are not caught sleeping in our sin when He comes again in glory. Lenski explained: “Jesus speaks prophetically of a time when ‘these’ [in the crowed mixed with true disciples] shall, indeed, cease their acclaim, and when the lifeless stones shall, indeed, ‘yell’ with piercing shrieks when not one stone is left upon another in Jerusalem itself. That yelling will be the voice of judgment for rejecting the Messiah-King. By wanting the disciples to be silent these Pharisees were asking that this yelling of the stones begin now.” (Interpretation of Luke, 966)

 

This commentary struggles with the crowd. The fact is that they represent the range of people which persists to this day: the text says at verse 37 “the whole multitude of his disciples,” – there were genuine believers even if some of them were shouting for the wrong reasons if their shouting was for the miracle-worker Jesus and not the humble Savior who was going to give His life as a ransom for many, others were surely just observers, they were curious, and then finally, there were those against Him like the Pharisees, but reactions were abounding and varied. They still are.

 

Some will cry out with joy and thanksgiving; calling out for mercy; calling out in faith; but others cry out to silence the gospel; to reject the Savior, to make others compliant to their idea of political correctness (which term now is no longer politically correct since all views are to be honored and none of them put down including political correctness...except for the Christian faith that is, this is the one view that will continue to be outwardly attacked, and this is everywhere approved). Again, Jesus keeps raising a response...hotness or coldness, even while some imagine that lukewarm-ness is a safe-zone (it isn’t).

 

But in Jesus’ words of warning about the stones also strikes another imagery: from John the Baptist we learn that “stones” are a metaphor for Gentiles. The Pharisees were among His own people rejecting Him, but in time God would raise up Gentiles to “gladly accept the mission of announcing his presence.” (Just, Concordia Commentary, 748) One way or another, proper worshippers of the Christ would come, the Word and the Spirit always create faith. God always retains a remnant of true believers.

 

So what about us? Who do you say Jesus is? How do you respond to His presence? In the book of Acts when St. Paul proclaimed there were three reactions: 1) Some scoffed and rejected the gospel; 2) others scratched their heads and said, “I want to hear more;” and 3) and yet still others believed and followed. (Acts 17:32f.)

 

What about us? We must surely recognize this One who comes and must surely have the right response. This One who comes is the “Blessed One,” He is the Lord; this One who comes brings peace. He comes through His life-blood to establish peace between us and God. He covers our sins so that we can stand before God, so that we would know true joy since we are not condemned and since life is not something that ends for you, but rather something that flows and abounds forever, real life, true life. We therefore are very much impacted by His coming. We are full of joy, and full of hope; we are full of the knowledge that we are right with God through this One who comes and our response is inevitable: we must cry out. We too say, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” We are the stones who out-cry the Pharisees. We are the poor sinners and beggars delivered from the shackles of sin and death. We must respond, we must react, we can’t just sit back and do nothing. Jesus is coming, the Life of the World has entered our lives. We are now the people of God, full of His light, full of His love and mercy.

 

He comes again Christian in the Holy Sacrament. We must therefore cry out again. We cry out “Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us!”...We see Him come and then we cry out as He passes by, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation.” We keep crying out. We can’t help it! And all of this crying out will keep you awake, it will keep you watching, so that when He comes again in glory, you’ll be ready Christian. You will be ready to greet Him as one of the stones raised from death to life. Cry out, never stop crying out: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” “He has saved me; He is saving me; He will save me! He is Jesus. I am one of His stones, and nothing will keep me from crying out to Him for by His grace, I now cry out.” This is what you do Christian. This is what you are! A saved one who cries out to Jesus! Thanks be to God!

In Jesus' Love,

Pastor Espinosa

Tonight we gather at Good Shepherd Chapel at Concordia University Irvine, located at 1530 Concordia West, Irvine, 92612.

The service is at 7 pm, 7 pm, 7 pm.

It is a shorter Service of the Word without Holy Communion.

We will receive God's Holy Word, sing to the Lord, and pray to the Lord. That is, we will enter Thanksgiving in the best way possible.

Tonight you will receive the true basis for lasting thanksgiving; what is yours in Jesus Christ!

Please come! Invite a friend! I hope to see you this evening!

Here is tonight's manuscript for my sermon:

Thanksgiving for Righteousness

(Isaiah 51:4-6)

Pastor Espinosa

 

Text: “⁴Give attention to me, my people, and give ear to me, my nation; for a law will go out from me, and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples [I will make rest]. ⁵My righteousness draws near, my salvation has gone out, and my arms will judge the peoples; the coastlands hope for me, and for my arm they wait. ⁶Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath, for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed.”

 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. God’s people suffer and God’s people also receive the greatest news of the most wondrous salvation, so wonderful because we are guaranteed the day in which we will not be able to remember what we have suffered. I think of what I witnessed when my wife gave birth: first there was pain, but then after the birth there was great joy. Things went from one extreme to another. We suffer now, the world is in turmoil, we see it in wars throughout the world and we see it in the tumultuous conditions and heightened alert within our own cities. Warnings to our entire nation have gone out about travel that we once thought was safe; and cities in this nation are seeing a heightened security that resemble in some cases military zones. Closer to home, families suffer with illness, depression, anger, and fear. But there is something coming: look up to the heavens and look at the earth beneath, these seem so permanent, solid, unmovable, but there is something you have Christian that is more permanent, solid, and unmovable.

 

The fact is that the heavens and the earth will wear out, but what has been given to you in Christ is truly permanent, absolutely solid, and there is no force able to move it out from under you: the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ endures forever (Isaiah 40:8). This has been given to you, it is in you, in your ears, in your mind and in your heart: His law, His justice, His light, His rest, His mighty arm for you, His righteousness, and His salvation make you immovable, “A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but [destruction] will not come near you.” (Psalm 91:7)

 

These things I speak of Christians are the basis for true thanksgiving. I don’t want to seem as a kill-joy for some of the more simple pleasures. They too are important. There is great wisdom for example in Ecclesiastes – don’t take your troubles too seriously, they are serious, but they do not define your life – so as Solomon wrote, “Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.” (Ecclesiastes 9:7) If you are blessed to have a feast tomorrow, have it, thank God for it, take joy in it. But let’s face it, we can’t base our thanksgiving on these things. Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited for tomorrow: Traci got a big turkey, she’s making me a lemon meringue pie, Bryan is getting a pecan pie, Christina a pumpkin pie...Katherine’s getting all of them; Christina has already made my deviled eggs, there will be a ton of food, but I stand a good chance for indigestion and the Dallas Cowboys will probably lose...no my thanksgiving can’t be based on these things. If the heavens and the earth will not stand, these won’t even come close to standing.

 

And yet we try desperately to invest our greatest thanksgiving in the things that will pass. This is our sin: mistaking our greatest joys, our greatest hopes, and our greatest thanks in things that are created as we forget about the Creator; treating things as if they will save us – give us joy, give us hope, give us meaning – while forgetting the Redeemer. We want to turn the things of the world into the things of heaven, while treating the true gifts of heaven as if they were unreal, irrelevant, and insignificant. In our sin, we’ve got it all backwards. And this backwardness kills the soul. It makes us desperate, hopeless people in whom little thanksgiving resides.

 

Israel once stood strong and they started to trust in themselves: God’s people brought to the promised-land and they forgot about God. Then, their nation was taken away. They were defeated. They went into exile. What once seemed solid was no more. But the Lord then brought amazing news to them and what is exciting about this Old Testament word is that it includes us too...you’re included though it was spoken so many centuries ago.

 

Things were going to change for the Israelites who had seemingly lost it all. In chapters 44-48 of Isaiah they hear of their freedom from exile, but in chapters 49-55 they hear of the One who would bring this freedom and who would bring the greatest freedom: freedom from sin; freedom from hopelessness, and freedom from death. In these chapters they hear of the Suffering Servant who is also the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords; they hear of the Christ who is also your Savior dear Christian! Be clear as to who this SERVANT is, He’s your Savior! Know Him, and you know true thanksgiving!

 

Luther: “[Isaiah] is calling us away from errors and therefore showing us someone else...The prophet points us to the Incarnate One and says that in this Head alone, in the unity of faith, we who were formerly scattered must be brought together...This was not written for Christ’s sake but for ours, so that we may be sure, about His work, and teaching and may have certainty about the emptiness of our idolatry. Nobody understands these things unless he believes. You must believe that Christ is a servant. It is as Paul says (1 Cor. 2:2): ‘I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.’...This Christ is an offense to the whole world. Therefore, in order to give us certainty, this commendation of Christ is necessary. We see from experience that nothing is more absurd to the wisdom of the flesh than Christ, the Servant, and His Word. All are offended because of Him. All of us want to be God’s servants while we please ourselves. Everything will be taken up and entrusted to Him alone. We should receive this with thanksgiving...’” (AE 17:60-61)

 

So we know what true thanksgiving must be about: remember Jesus! He has opened the Kingdom of God to you; He has invited you to the eternal feast. He the reason for our true thanksgiving!

 

To help us realize how important our Savior is, Isaiah 51:4-6 describes what Christ brings! Again, He brings the real, lasting gifts, not the kind that are here today and gone tomorrow, but the gifts which include -- again -- His law, His justice, His light, His rest, His mighty arm for you, His righteousness, and His salvation. This is what the servant brings.

 

This is good news, this is the Gospel. The Lord sees us in our helplessness and how easy it is to feel helpless. Helpless in the face of all that sin has brought into our lives, impacting our bodies, our minds, and our spirits. In our condition, we cannot initiate hope and freedom. We are truly helpless, so at Isaiah 51:4 what the Lord gives will “go out from [Him]”...these gifts are sent to us. God doesn’t wait for you to come to Him (He knows you can’t, so He sends salvation...He comes to you!). Talk about cause for true thanksgiving!

 

There are many gifts that go out and they are all important. In this reading from Isaiah 51:4-6, the law is God’s torah, His instruction which includes the Gospel of salvation. His Law is a royal law, the golden law, the law of victory, the law of God’s love and mercy which cannot be overcome by sin; and He sends justice that is His justice in Jesus: Jesus fulfills all justice and Jesus becomes our light – He is the light of the world – and Jesus gives us rest. The word “rest” is in the Hebrew here at Isaiah 51:4, but not in our English translation: Jesus comes and showers you in the light of His grace; and this love and mercy is your true rest in Christ: “[Jesus says:] Come to me all of you who are tired and with a heavy load and I will give you rest!” (Matthew 11:28)

 

Later in the text, He speaks of His mighty power in the imagery of His arms and His arm. These exert the judgment against all that threatens us; and is the basis for our hope as His arm is strong to save us. Then He gets to the climax of our reading at verse 6: consider how solid, how certain, how permanent and how immovable your salvation is. The heavens and the earth will “wear out like a garment,” but for you, God’s righteousness and salvation will keep you enduring, because the Word of the Lord endures FOREVER and since this Word is in you, YOU will endure FOREVER Christian in the love of God.

 

But I want to highlight being thankful for God’s righteousness. This is a word – “righteousness” – that we hear a lot of in church, in the Bible, in the talk of God and faith, but it is not really that familiar to us. We don’t typically use it in our “everyday” language and way of communicating to one another. It is a special word and takes on different shades of meaning depending on the biblical context, but here it is all good. It is a word that we want to know; it is a word that is good news for you this Thanksgiving. We should be exceedingly thankful for this righteousness.

 

This attribute of God called “righteousness” means that God does the right thing – in His love and mercy – to keep His promise of salvation. His righteousness is directly related to His faithfulness and this righteousness is not on us (that is something we fulfill), but on Him (something He fulfills). God is love. God is mercy. And His righteousness fulfills who and what He is; it guarantees that His righteousness will save us. Let’s read of this righteousness from the Psalms. This is the basis for our true thanksgiving:

 

Psalm 5:8: “Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.”

 

Psalm 31:1: “In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me!”

 

Psalm 71:2: “In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me, and save me!”

 

Psalm 89:15-16: “Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face, who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted.”

 

Psalm 119:40: “Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life!”

 

Psalm 143:11: “For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life! In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!”

 

As we trust in God’s righteousness as Abram believed and was counted righteous (Gn 15:6), so are we! God’s righteousness for us in in Jesus. Now we know He passes over our sins! God is righteousness becomes He justifies you; because He declares you righteous in Jesus as you trust in Him! Your faith is now counted as righteousness (Ro 4:5)! This righteousness which God gives IS His salvation for you Christian! In it, you are delivered from sin and death; pardoned for all guilt and shame; renewed just when you were sinking in death, and promised a glory that will outlast the heavens and the earth.

This is our thanksgiving. Technically, tomorrow is a civic holiday, not a sacred one, but for you, thanksgiving is always sacred: it leads you back to Jesus, your righteousness who took your sin; your righteousness who conquered your death; and your righteousness that will make you outlive the heavens and the earth. Have your feast tomorrow, but don’t forget the eternal feast that Jesus has won for you. Be thankful for this!

In Jesus' Love,

Pastor

The church year is no random exercise. It leads us to follow the life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And part of that life of Christ is that which is yet to come: He will come in glory, on the clouds, with the holy angels. We Christians call this "The Second Coming." That day will be the end of the world as we know it. That day will include the resurrection of all flesh and the great judgment of all humanity. It will also include the joyful gathering of all of God's people at the right hand of the Lord Jesus. It ends climatically with the descent of a new heaven and a new earth. (Revelation 21:1) Thank God that since you are in Christ, washed by His blood, that we know the verdict for you already! "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1)

Knowing that this Day is coming, it impacts the way we live. The little-known book of Jude (which is only a single chapter long) includes wisdom on how to live, keeping us in the grace of God as we await the glorious day. Tomorrow's proclamation is based on this little book with a message to keep you strong in the Lord Jesus!

We have so much to be thankful for in our little church. Today was the holy baptism of Erin Rose Morris (which was held at the Good Shepherd Chapel at Concordia University). Tomorrow is our third new member Sunday in as many months. This one welcomes Kathy Witt (transferring in), Tina Wang (adult confirmation), Jon Crosier (adult confirmation), Veronica Steele (adult confirmation), and Erin Morris (adult confirmation).

Also: Just a couple of extra announcements:

1) This Wednesday is our Thanksgiving Eve service at 7 pm at the Good Shepherd Chapel at Concordia University. This is a service of the Word only, a shorter service, but one that is the perfect way to usher in Thanksgiving! This is a great service to invite a friend to. Please come!

2) The offer for a free Christmas Tree still stands. If you would like a free tree or know someone who might really appreciate it, please let me know.

In Jesus' Love,

Pastor Espinosa

It was with heavy hearts that we received the news yesterday about the terrorism that struck Paris. As of reports at around 11:30 am today: 129 dead, 352 injured (99 of these in critical condition). The violence is representative of evil. There is no good answer for trying to explain why. Evil is chaotic; it is darkness and the evil one seeks to paralyze us with fear and with loss of hope.

We shall not succumb to this. Instead, we will run to Jesus who will continue to give us hearts of faith as we know that He has overcome the world (John 16:33); that He has already given us the victory over evil. When disciples came to Jesus to ask Him about the terrible events in the world, Jesus' reply was very focused and clear:

"There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."  (Luke 13:1-5)

Here is the manuscript of tomorrow's sermon:

“Tell Us, When?” (Mark 13:1-13)

Pastor Espinosa

 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. Signs are important. They provide directions and can even save your life if you pay attention to them. It is, however, also important that we interpret them properly. Caltrans developed a yellow freeway sign that depicts a man and a woman running across the freeway, the woman is pulling along a little girl with pigtails. The sign was intended to warn drivers of illegal immigrants trying to cross the interstate. The signs were generated after more than 100 illegal immigrants were hit by oncoming vehicles and killed. The sign doesn’t have any words on it. It is merely a sign with the image of a family running. It avoids words so as to deal with the language barrier. Spanish-only or English-only speakers would be able to interpret the sign. The problem, however, is in the interpretation of the sign. Was this sign actually communicating a warning to drivers? Or was the sign communicating an invitation to those who want to cross? Is the sign communicating that this is a location where running across is permissible? A whole new problem has developed regarding this sign.

 

In our gospel this morning the Lord predicted Jerusalem’s destruction: “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” (v 2) The Lord’s prediction came to fruition in A.D. 70. Josephus describes the destruction in great detail -- and many of the details are horrifying -- but he concludes his description with the fact that “Caesar ordered the entire city and the temple smashed to the ground.” (Maier, trans., Josephus: The Essential Writings, 369)

 

The disciples who heard about the Lord’s terrifying prediction were most likely stunned by it and it is understandable that they would want to know about the sign leading up to this. Some of them asked the Lord as recorded at verse 4: “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” This was their question, but we know from a parallel passage in Matthew 24:3 that the disciples were asking not only about the sign for the end of Jerusalem, but also about the sign of the end of the world. Matthew 24:3 records: “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?” As a result, we know that in these texts we are dealing with two things:

 

1. The destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
2. The end of the world that is still to come.

 

Our Lord Jesus then goes on to discuss not a single sign,

but many signs. And these signs are not only applicable to what the disciples in the text -- in the first-century -- would experience, but appear applicable to what is also experienced before the end of the world. From the list in our gospel from St. Mark, we have these signs:

 

1. False Christs will appear.
2. Wars and rumors of wars.
3. Nation rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
4. Earthquakes in various places.
5. Famines.
6. The disciples would experience persecution from the outside (the world would come against them).
7. The disciples would experience persecution from the inside (even some of their own family members would betray them).
8. The followers of Christ will be hated by all on account of the name of Christ.
9. They who would remain faithful will be saved.

 

But the clearest statement of the end is related to verse

10 which says, “And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations.” The parallel in Matthew 24:14 is the concluding sign on the list and simply states: “And the gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

 

Take note of this very important point: the disciples wanted to know “when?” Sinful nature wants to live wrongly. We are tempted every single day to live wrongly and to focus on “when?” That way, the evil one leads us astray from “today.” Instead of praying today, helping those in need today; instead of sharing the gospel today, instead of living in this moment that we have as we should and as Scripture teaches: “this is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24); “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor. 6:2); “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” (Hebrews 3:7; 3:15; and 4:7); “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious about itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34), instead of living this way, our sinful flesh and the evil one tries to move us beyond today. And the moment we take on the anxiety of the future, we lose our peace today. Then we are too anxious to fill our hearts with the Word of Christ, when instead our minds are filled with the worries about tomorrow.

 

So there are many times when we think we want to know; when our curiosity is piqued and when we want to know when. When will the end come? The question is hotly pursued by many people and it’s a great way to get yourself into trouble and to distract yourself from the faith. On the internet there is actually something called a “the rapture index” which tries to rate the severity of the signs already mentioned in this sermon. When the severity of these signs seem very high, then a percentage is presented indicating the likelihood that today is the last day. This is a very popular website that has been going on for years and is obviously one that many people pay attention to. It is an open-invitation to dabbling with a question that Jesus Himself chose not to answer. It was the Lord’s way of saying, “don’t worry about it; it’s none of your business.”

 

And yet He does answer the disciples’ question from the standpoint of giving many signs. This was of course quite intentional. With this information, the process is easy: go down the list. Have there been false Christs? Yes indeed! Have there been wars and nations rising against nations? But of course! We see this before our eyes on the news almost every day! Earthquakes? They alarm us as they are all around. Famines? Even in this technologically advanced age, this remains a fundamental plight on our planet. God’s people persecuted? It is a painful reality. Is the Gospel being proclaimed throughout the world? As a matter of fact, yes it is. So what does this tell us? Our Lord clearly wanted us to know that we are living in the end times. This is something every Christian should just know.

 

So our Lord – in His great love and wisdom – wants us to know this:

 

• The signs are all around us and we are indeed living in the end times.
• Still, we do not know; He will not tell us exactly when.

 

Is He being cruel? Much to the contrary, He is being extraordinarily loving. It’s been several years now since the movie Titanic came out. It is one of the all-time highest-grossing movies. There is one scene that has particularly stuck with me for whatever reason. The ship is sinking. Almost everyone on board is panicking, but there is a quiet and peaceful scene going on, on one of the lower decks. A loving mother chooses to spend her time comforting her children, tucking them into bed and keeping her love before the eyes of her children. She refused to join the panic. She insisted to treat that night as any other. This was her way of facing the end. I found it to be most profound.

 

The signs are given to you and me for one reason: The Lord is saying that the end – either our personal end or yes, perhaps even the very end of the age is at hand – so what should we do? His call to us is simple: repent. Live in your faith Christians. Hold to Jesus. Turn from sin and turn towards your Savior Christ!

 

The last and greatest sign of the gospel being preached to the whole world is not given so that we would try to gauge and measure it so as to predict the last day, but so as to remind us as to what the constant occupation of the people of God is all about. We are the people of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. Every day the good news is the most important news – not about wars, not about earthquakes (these will always be in this world and yes, we should view these as our call to pray and our call to serve those in need) – but the news that is to stick in our souls is not the news of terror; not the news for anxiety, but the news of peace, the news of consolation, and the news of eternal life. The news that leads us to know that we don’t have to worry about the end, because the Lord Jesus who will come at the end is already constantly coming to us through His Word and through His Holy Sacrament. It is His way of training us for the last day by viewing this day as the most important day because we know that the Lord of glory is already with us today!

 

We are on the inside of God’s perfect plan for protecting us and shielding us from the terrors of the world. See Christ comes now. You are not called to worry about “when” in the future, but rather to be full of joy for the “now” of the moment. This time, this day, this moment Jesus comes to you. You will be ready for the end, because you’ve been on the receiving end of Jesus coming to you over and over again; He comes as the One who took your sin upon Himself and covered it with His blood; He comes as the One who has conquered death for you by rising from the grave; He comes as the One who gives you the Kingdom which is quite simply impervious to the end. It can’t end.

 

This is how and this is why dear Christians that at the very end of our gospel in Mark 13 the Lord is recorded as saying, “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Your reception of Jesus continuously coming to you is what causes you to endure. You know the saying applied to physical conditioning or to the mastery of certain skills: “use it or lose it.” Christ has placed you into the rhythm of constant “use” of the Word and Sacraments. This is how He protects you. By His grace, you’ll never lose it. Your faith will endure.

 

So to the question, “Tell Us, When?” Let us say, “Today!” This day the Lord has come to me; this day the Lord has saved me! This day my sins are forgiven! I’m ready for anything.

Today is Reformation Day. This is the day of the return to the Gospel -- that we are saved through faith alone in Jesus -- and it is ALSO (this evening) All Holy Saint's Eve. This is an important time in the life of the Church, in the life of Faith.

In Christian freedom, there are many things we can do when the rest of the world celebrates its own day called "Halloween," having lost the true meaning of the night. It is now a night that besides having Christian roots, is now associated with the culture's strange romance with the entertainment value of being frightened; however, it also mixes the night with occult themes, the things of darkness and things belonging to the realm of the devil and demons. It is a confusing time and in some cases, a dangerous time. Be careful dear Christian.

In Christian freedom, some Christians may dress up and despise the evil one; ignoring the enemies desire for more attention. Instead, snubbing him and making the day about having fun as Captain America or your favorite candy! Other Christians might distribute with candy, tracks or pamphlets on the Gospel. Others focus on the liturgical themes and offer special prayers of thanksgiving for the saints who have gone before us. Back at St. John, Covina when I served there as pastor from 1991-1996, we held a family event in our school (pre-school - 8th grade) gym on All Hallow's Eve. It included a costume contest. I became known as the pastor who was also known as Batman in a pretty sharp costume (ah yes, the glory days)!

But in getting back to the theme tonight -- the real theme, the holy theme -- we celebrate the promise of eternal life, the glory of heaven, our certain inheritance, but we celebrate esp. the lives of Christians in glory. This is the reason we gather in Divine Service and pray with (not to) angels, archangels, and all the company of heaven. We believe, teach, and confess in the communion of saints.

Remember to keep the definition of "saint," the biblical definition: "holy one," one who was given the gift of faith in Jesus Christ. In Christ, this one is made holy (declared holy). They are holy in Jesus, the HOLY ONE. Thus St. Paul wrote to the Christians in Ephesus: "To the saints in Ephesus..." they were living, breathing Christians -- like you -- and St. Paul called them "saints." This is what "saint" means. You are -- therefore by the definition of God's Word -- a saint. You are a holy one baptized into Christ, given the gift of faith from God having worked through the Word and Sacraments. You are holy in Christ. God sees your sin no more since Jesus covers it!

By virtue of God's declared holiness upon us, our hearts and minds are full of thanksgiving and having been given the gift of the Holy Spirit (through Word and Sacrament), we eagerly seek to serve God as we love Him and serve our neighbors as we love them. Let us love people tonight on this All Hallow's Eve. Let us show all the love of Jesus. If you hand out a candy, consider doing so with the declaration: "Jesus loves you!" It's your house, your candy...go for it!

Tomorrow morning is quite special. It is our annual prayer of thanksgiving to God for the saints who have gone before us, loved ones who died in Christ. We will pronounce their names and have a tolling of the bell connected to each name. If for some reason you missed submitting names, you may give a name or names to Pastor Mueller or myself BEFORE the service and we will add them to the prayers!

Pastor