Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

What great readings from the Word of God today. The widow of Zarephath was about to bake her last amount of flour so herself and her son could eat it and die. Imagine having no hope. That all was spent. No resources left no other place to turn that her only choice was to use what was left and then her and her son would perish. She has thrown in the towel. Then Elijah tells her to bring him something to drink and bake him some bread. What does the widow do? She tells Elijah everything and He tells her
“Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.'”

Then you hear what Jesus has to say in Matt. about the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. The birds do not feed themselves, they do not store up food, nor do they plant it waiting for their harvest. The lilies do not toil or work to make their beauty, but it is given to them by God. What is Christ telling you? Do not be anxious. O you of little faith?
Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
Do not be anxious about how much money you are bringing in, how many members you have, how long you will stay open. This is my last time with you for a while and it’s good that God gives you this gospel on this day. He tells you “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Do not misinterpret this as to wantonly spend your time and money on selfish things, because everything is futile. That is not at all what God is saying here. If the focus is on “Well I only live once so I better get mine as much as I can while I am here. Then you are serving mammon verses serving God because you cannot serve two masters. Nor does it mean that you can sit back and do nothing treating God as your butler to only serve you and your needs. This is definitely not what God is saying.

What do the birds and lilies do? What did the widow do? They trusted in God. The widow hopeless hears the Word of God through Elijah and does as commanded. She who thought she was about to die is given hope through God and what does she do takes what she has left and uses it for God. This faith this widow had is similar to that of Abraham. It is similar to the birds of the air. The birds have faith that they will be fed tomorrow and the next. This is why they do not store up. They have faith that their meal will come.

Good Shepherd Yucaipa. Do not worry about tomorrow. Focus on today. How can you serve your neighbor today? How can you show love to those around you today? How can you avoid sin and do His will today? Restore each other in gentleness, keep watch over yourself and bare each others burdens. Care for each other, forgive each other, love each other. Keep in the Spirit. Seek first the kingdom of God!

Focus on His Word today, focus on what Christ has done for you, focus on the sacrifice He made in your stead so that you can be free. Focus on your baptism, the washing you have received, the forgiveness you have been given, the grace and the love that has been poured out upon you. Focus on Christ. Just as the birds trust in their food today. Just as the lilies are dressed. Just as the widow trusted her remaining flour to Elijah. Trust in the Lord.

Why do you not need to worry about tomorrow? You don’t have to worry about tomorrow because God values you! He sent His only Son to this world so that the sin of the world would be placed on Him so that He could pay for it through His sacrifice of dying on the cross. His victory is in the resurrection solidifying the defeat over sin, death and the devil. This is why you do not need to worry about tomorrow because you have His grace today. You have it right now. Yes Good Shepherd you do have your worries about the future, but remember who has you and who’s you are. You are God’s people. You have been brought into His family by Him. He put His name upon you and you are His child.
What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Good Shepherd Yucaipa remember your name. He, Christ, is your Good Shepherd and you are His flock. He is the one that will lead you to lie down in green pastures and beside still waters. Even when you are in the valley of the shadow of death you do not have to fear evil because He is with you. He prepares a table before you here at the altar you get His very body and blood and this happens in the presence of your enemies this includes your fear your doubts, satan and this world; He anoints your head with oil you are pronounced holy and chosen because He has mad you His people; your cup overflows. Do you not have a super abundance of grace that comes from His nail pierced hands. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life because He is with you He has given you His Spirit to be your advocate, and you shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever because you have already died in your baptism and made a new creation in Christ.

You are not the birds of the air and you are not the lilies of the field. You are God’s children. Yes He gives you everything you have: your life, your health, your wealth, your home, your family, your clothing. This is important, but also know that He feeds you with His very body and blood. He gives you the bread of life. The food that takes away all hunger and thirst. He gives you His Word, the precious Gospel that gives you hope and peace. He clothes you. He robes you in His righteousness. He has cleansed you and purged you with hyssop so that you are whiter than snow. His blood has washed your sins away and His righteousness through His all availing sacrifice has put upon you and your raiment is more beautiful than any field of flowers. It is more lovelier than the rainbow because it pronounces you saved eternally.

Good Shepherd no matter what the future holds here on this side of heaven, here at this physical location. Do not be anxious! You are the sheep of the Good Shepherd, you are the children of God. He will never leave you nor forsake you. His Word is the promise that you can cling to today and hope in tomorrow because you know that you are His. He cares for you, He loves you. He died for you so that you can be with Him forever.
Just like the widow of Zarephath. The Word of God gave her hope where she had none. She had faith to do what needed to be done today because God would take care of her tomorrow, the next day, the day after that unto eternity. You too Good Shepherd have that same guarantee. You have the peace that surpasses all understanding. You have the hope that this world does not have. You have Christ, He is pronounced here in the Word and He comes to you in the Sacraments. He is with you today, tomorrow and forever. You are a blessed people. He has done this for you so that you can rejoice in Him today and look forward to tomorrow.

It truly has been a blessing to be here with you. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.

SDG

Pr. Daniel Holm

Matt 6
24 No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

1 Kings 17
8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” And she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.” And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.'” And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.

Galatians 5
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Ch. 6
1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.
Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.