Sep 27, 2020  SERMON ARCHIVE

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ! Amen.

The text for our meditation roday is the Epistle Lesson from Philippians chapter 2. There we read these words:

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others...Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.

We begin in the name of Jesus, AMEN

Toward the end of today's Epistle from Philippians chapter 2, St. Paul speaks rather audaciously about his own death: "Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering," he writes, "I am glad and rejoice with you all."

These words not only refuse to shrink back in fear of death, but these words almost seem to mock the thought of death. Paul is just as happy to die as he is to live. He is equally content to be away from his body as he is to remain in his body. Paul believes, as you heard from last week's Epistle, "For me, to live is Christ but to die is gain." In short, Paul lives and dies as though he has nothing to lose.

Paul's attitude toward his own death is very beneficial for all of you, even for those of you who are younger who think yourselves to still be very far away from death. Paul's attitude is very important for you for this reason: whether death is near or far, your attitude toward your death will chart for you the way you live your life.

Christians are not in the habit of jumping out in front of speeding trains, just to see what will happen. To be sure, we have many promises from God our heavenly Father, assuring us that our lives are-now and forever-fully in His care. These promises from God include:

Psalm 91:11-12 - "He will command His angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways." Luke 12:4 - "I tell you , My friends, do not fear those who [harm and] kill the body, and after that have nothing more they can do." Hebrews 13:6 - "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear, what can man do to me?"

On the value of these promises, and many other promises like them in God's Word, Christians believe that God the heavenly Father shall yet guard and preserve them in everything. They remain convinced of this protection from God no matter what violence or what evil may befall them at the hands of this godless world.

And no, you still should not jump out in front of speeding trains, just to see if God will act. You are forbidden to put the Lord your God to the test (Matthew 4:7). For this reason you must do nothing to take your lives into your own hands by needlessly exposing your bodies to harm and danger. For example:

If you will not accept the fact that God has given your government to you, and through this government God requires you to wear a seatbelt in your car, then at least look at your seatbelt as a good gift from God, given to you for the preservation of your body and your life.

More significantly, if you look into the mirror and if you so dislike what you see that you wish no longer to live, then force yourself to take a second look!

Look into the mirror and see yourself the way God your heavenly Father sees you: carefully created by His loving care (Psalm 139:13-14), fully redeemed and washed free of every sin and blemish by the blood of Jesus His Son (1 John 1:7); sanctified and holy by the indwelling Spirit of God, the Spirit of your Baptism! (Galatians 3:27-4:5).

In today's Epistle, Paul speaks about his eventual death: "Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering," he writes, "I am glad and rejoice with you all."

With these words, Paul is by no means tempting God or entertaining suicidal thoughts or hoping to throw his life away. To the contrary, Paul is living and dying on the certainty of his salvation through Jesus Christ. Paul believes that, because he was baptized into Christ, he has died and his life is now hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3).

Paul believes that, though Baptism, he was crucified with Christ, that is, nailed to the cross with Jesus and placed into the tomb with Jesus. "It is no longer I who live," he declares, "but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).

"Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering. I am glad and rejoice with you all." Here is what makes Paul's words about his death so important for you, both for your life and for your death:

You have the same gracious heavenly Father, the same redeeming Christ, and the same indwelling Holy Spirit of your Baptism. In other words, you and Paul have in common "one Lord, one faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all" (Ephesians 4:5).

You also share with Paul the same divine gift of faith, given to you through God's miraculous Word and through His sacrament of Baptism. Paul's faith is not superior to yours because he was a hand-selected apostle. By no means!

You have been given a faith of equal value to that of Paul, Peter, Mary, and all the saints of the Old and New Testaments. The same Christ who forgave Paul's sins likewise forgives yours. The same Christ who defeated death and the grave for Paul likewise defeated these enemies for you. The same Christ who shall raise Paul bodily from the grave on the Last Day shall likewise raise your body, together with all the bodies of all the saints.

What does all this mean for you, in light of today's Epistle? Simply this: If you have the same God, the same faith, and the same salvation as Paul has, you also can have the same audacious attitude toward death as Paul expresses here: "Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering. I am glad and rejoice with you all."

These words are also your words, given to you by the life and salvation Christ won for you on His cross. You also can boldly say to yourself, to your friends and to your loved ones, "Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering. I am glad and rejoice with you all."

You can look your fears dead in the eye and beat them back with the confession of faith, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me."

With this bold attitude that God's Word gives you toward death, how much more boldly shall you live your life?

In other words, if death has lost its grip and power over you-as it certainly has by the resurrection of your Lord-how much more powerless are the other things that cause you to fear?

It has been written in God's Word for you, "Whether we love or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and of the living" (Romans 14:8b-9).

"Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering. I am glad and rejoice with you all."

None of this gives you the right or the permission to go out and jump in front of a train, just to see if God will act.

All of this promises you freedom from your fears, so that nothing in life or in death may ever again hold you in bondage.

All of this does reaffirm the truth,

Christ is Risen.

AMEN