In the Gospel and the Epistle speak to the fiery trials that Christians will face. Almost all the apostles died a martyr’s death. Life in worldly terms was not easy. Still isn’t. Martin Luther throughout his life dealt with persecution and health issues. Many Christians since the apostles on have had lives that have been filled with nothing but persecution and pain. Now that you all have decided to call a pastor you are going to be more intensely attacked. The enemy is going to try and thwart every effort for you to remain true to the Word and Sacrament. Most likely he will try and be sly about it trying to nudge you away from the truth. For example, abandoning the liturgy to hopefully bring in more people, cutting out the law so that people don’t feel bad about themselves, allowing anyone to take communion so no one feels alienated. Maybe it is changing hymns out for more catchy music. I am not saying you are going to do any of this, but you will be tempted. This is why Christ has said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.
He, Jesus, clearly tells the disciples what they will have to face. From the fall of Adam in scripture you see what the people of God have had to face. The devil, the world and even your own sinful selves are at battle against you. The goal is to get you to take your eyes off of Christ. This is why we talk of the church militant. This is also why the Word speaks of the armor of God to avoid the fiery darts of the devil, and satan prowling like a lion seeking whom to devour. The unholy trinity tempts you with no suffering, to give you relief from your situation, but it only leads to damnation. Your life may feel overwhelming, you might feel like everything you do ends in disappointment or failure, or everyone is out to get you. The dream of escaping and getting away from it does seem nice, but so does a mirage. Maybe it’s more insidious and the people you love most or care about most continually get on your nerves. So you wish they were different. Maybe you question the choices you made and you wish you could take things back because life would be better now if you had. These things are sinful. These things take your eyes off of Christ and put you at the center of everything. Repent and trust in the Lord.
The epistle tells you to be self-controlled and sober-minded in your prayers. Love each other earnestly. Show hospitality to one another. Use your gift to serve one another. Here in Good Shepherd as you move forward these are crucial so that you are of one accord. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. Why? So Christ is glorified. So that either Christian or not, people will look to your church and see it is the work of God and not of man. Rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed.
How are you supposed to do all of this and face suffering? The Gospel tells you, Christ tells you. The Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me, meaning Jesus! Next week at Pentecost the Holy Spirit comes to the apostles so that Christ will be glorified. Here you hear of the Holy Trinity. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are in one accord. The three Persons, in One God are here to serve you. In your hour of need He will give you the strength to face any situation. How do you have this strength because of what Christ has done. It is His through Christ’s suffering and sacrifice that you are healed. It is because He paid for your sin, when you have turned away from God and fallen to the enemies fiery darts or fallen in your trials. He remained steadfast, He remained unblemished and died for you. Through His payment He has covered you with His blood to wash you clean, to make you righteous. You now have the shield of this faith that can extinguish those darts. Knowing that Christ has died in your place you can confidently say that you are saved. That even in suffering, that even when things look bleak you have joy that this world can never understand or know.
The Holy Spirit, which gives you the truth that you are redeemed, girds you with the truth that no matter what comes your way you can declare that you are baptized. You know that the victory has been won. The unholy trinity has been defeated by the One True God is victorious. Jesus, the Lamb who was slain has begun His reign. This truth comes to you in Word and Sacrament. God has given you these gifts so that you will remember what Jesus has told to you.
The OT gives witness to this truth. God declares I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, 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 remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. Christ, the Messiah, the Redeemer of the World has always been promised and what joy for you that He has already given this to you.
How do you know about all of this? The Holy Spirit has revealed the truth to you in His Word. He has given you the Gospel. The love God has for His people, for His creation. The steadfast love He continually shows His people even when they falter and sin. He remains steadfast and His love endures forever. You have this fact, it is pronounced in the Word, in His sacraments, and in your liturgy. This love God has for you, is found in Christ, this is the cornerstone of the church upon Him the church is built.
Understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. Yes, fiery trials will continue to come on this side of life, but Christ is with you. God’s promise to you is a fact. He does not abandon you and will give you strength in your hour of need. The suffering you face, is not fun and I don’t want to make light of it, but He is with you in your struggle. He gives you His very Spirit so that in all situations you can look to HIm in hope and joy knowing that you are His. His Glory, the glory of the cross is and has been revealed to you. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is with you now and forever.
SDG
Pr. Daniel Holm
John 15
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
16
1 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.
Ezekiel 36
22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, 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 remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
1 Peter 4
7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.