The Lutheran Hour
-
"Terrible With Faces"
- Download MP3 No bonus material MP3
-
Text: Text: Luke 13:25b
-
Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Those words of resurrection victory are grand and glorious words of love from God. He who created us, who gave His Son to save us, extends an invitation of eternal life to all who will believe.
In the 1800s, it was not unusual for a household servant to work six days a week, and a 12-to-15 hour day. Such was the life of a 19-year-old servant girl who lived in London. I would like you to hear what she wrote: “Lord of all pots and pans and things, since I’ve no time to be a saint by doing lovely deeds or watching late with Thee, or dreaming in the dawn’s light or storming Heaven’s gates, make me a saint by getting meals and washing up the plates! Although I may have Martha hands, I have a Mary mind; so when I black the boots and shoes, Thy sandals, Lord, I find! I think of how they trod the earth each time I scrub the floor. Accept this meditation, Lord; I haven’t time for more. Warm all the kitchen with Thy love, and light it with Thy peace. Forgive me all my worrying and make all grumbling cease. Thou who didst love to give men food in room or by the sea, accept this service that I do – I do it unto Thee.”
I know nothing more about that girl. I have no name for her, no picture, no information about what joys and sorrows life brought her. I can’t tell you if she married, had children, or lived her entire life blacking someone else’s boots in someone else’s kitchen. I don’t know anything about that girl, but what I do know is enough. She had a repentant heart and she knew Jesus as her Savior. I’m looking forward to meeting her in paradise someday. I hope my home in heaven is within driving distance of her mansion.
Eighteen hundred years before that young girl wrote her devotion, the Good- news teller, Luke, related the words of another man. As the man hung upon a cross, as he was dying, he turned to another criminal, who was also being executed. To his fellow sufferer, he confessed, “We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this Man (he meant, Jesus) has done nothing wrong.” Then, turning to Jesus who was dying for the sins of the world, he made a one-line request: “Jesus, remember me when you come into Your kingdom” (Luke 23:41-42).
I know nothing more about that man. He has no name, we have no picture, no information about his crimes, or what joys and sorrows life had given him. I can’t tell you if he was married, had children, or how he had spent his life. I don’t know anything about that man, but what I’ve been told is enough. He had a repentant heart and he confessed Jesus to be his Savior. I am looking forward to meeting him in heaven. I know he’ll be there, because Jesus, through His pain and suffering, looked at the man and answered: “I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). That is God’s promise for all who believe.
This radio broadcast to which you are listening, “The Lutheran Hour,” has for almost 75 years, been trying to introduce people to their Savior. Three years after Al Jolson appeared in the first commercial talking picture; three years before Adolf Hitler was sworn in as chancellor of Germany, we began telling people that Jesus Christ is their Savior. Every Sunday we have tried to share with people that there is no other name other than that of Jesus, which can wash them of their sins and can guarantee eternal life. Every Sunday we’ve done our best to share the Word of God, as clearly and as simply as possible. Every Sunday we tell listeners that Jesus alone, is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Almost 75 years is a very long time, longer than many of you listeners have been alive. And how has “The Lutheran Hour: done over these last seven-and-a-half decades? Well, I’m afraid, we haven’t done very well at all. Oh, don’t get me wrong, the Holy Spirit has used “The Lutheran Hour” to touch a great many lives. Still, much of the world is headed in a most perilous direction, has set its foot upon a most precarious path. A few months ago at our St. Louis airport, I had a discussion with a man about heaven. Pointing at the board of arrivals and departures, he said, “If I want to get to Dallas from here, I can take Northwest Airlines, or American, or… well, I can go any number of ways. If I want to get to heaven, I can believe in any number of deities; Jesus, maybe, Buddha, possibly, Allah, perhaps. They’re all gonna get me where I want to go.”
If that man were editing the Bible, I’m sure he would change Jesus’ words to read, “I am One of the ways, Part of the truth, and One kind of life. No one can get into heaven unless they have some kind of religion, are good and gentle and generous and sincere in what they believe.” My friends, lest you never hear it again, I want you to know, Jesus didn’t say He was one of the ways to heaven, or even the best way to heaven. Jesus said He was the only way to forgiveness, salvation, and eternal joy.
Jesus’ resurrection from the dead proves to any logical, levelheaded listener that His claims are legitimate. To not believe Him when He says He is the Resurrection and the Life, is playing with fire (John 11:25). Many of you remember the nuclear accident which took place at Chernobyl. You may not know how it happened. The night of the disaster began with two engineers in the control room. They decided to play with the machinery. They were trying to see how long the turbine could keep going when they turned down the power. In order to do what the Soviets later called, “unauthorized tests,” they had to shut down six separate computer-activated alarm systems. One after another, the computers came on line and said, “Stop! This can be dangerous! Do not proceed.” Those two engineers shut off the alarms and kept going. Now, I believe those engineers were sincere in what they were doing. I believe they were sincere in their beliefs. But no amount of sincerity has the ability to override the truth. Their false sense of sincerity brought death to many of the courageous people who had to try to contain the catastrophe. Their sincerity sent a cloud of contamination around the world.
That is, I am sorry to say, what will happen to those who ignore Jesus as Savior; who slam the door shut on salvation; who prefer to seek the God they want, rather than being led to the God that is. Jesus warns, on the day when He returns to this world in judgment, the world will be divided. On that day, His people will be received into everlasting bliss and those who ignored Him will be told, “I don’t know you.” Sincerity in a false set of beliefs won’t cut it. Can you imagine the coldness which will be felt by those who hear those words, “I don’t know you.” Understand when Jesus says, “I don’t know you,” it doesn’t mean He is terrible with faces and doesn’t recognize us. God made us. He knows the hairs on our head, and if that doesn’t apply to you, He knew you would be bald. He knows your sins; He knows your shortcomings; He knows your sadnesses and your sorrows.
More than just knowing you, God cares about you. He knew you could do nothing to set right your sorry, sinful situation. Yes, I know it’s fashionable for people to talk about how civilization is climbing upward, and how society is becoming more sensitive and sophisticated. Don’t you believe it. Watch the evening news and see, I mean really see, what we’re doing to each other. Invest a night watching reality television shows and see what greed can do to people who are lusting for a prize; watch the talk shows and be amazed at how sick human beings can be. If that’s not enough, look into your heart. Honestly look and see the anger, the rage, the hurt, the desire for revenge that you feel. Look inside and feel the frustration, the fear, and the fury that is kept in there.
God saw all of that, in each one of us. Having seen, He sent His Son into the world: not to condemn the world, but to save it; to take our place; to live the life we should have lived, but could not. To carry our sins and, on Calvary’s crest, cross them off. So that you might have a heavenly family, God turned away from the suffering and crucifixion of His Son. So much does He love you. Still, Scripture tells us, the day will come when the Lord will say to some, “I don’t know you.”
Maybe you’re among those listeners who say, “Can’t happen. God is a God of love, and He won’t do that.” In your car, in your home, at your cabin, wherever my words are reaching you, odds are you might be thinking, “If God cares so much, He simply can’t do such a thing.” Some with counterfeit confidence throw in, “I’m not so bad,” or “I know others who are far worse.” Folks, that won’t cut it. On that day, on “too late” day, the only critical questions will be, “Do you know Jesus,” and “Does Jesus know you?”
Think about those questions. The first one: “Do you know Jesus?” I’m not talking about merely being able to recognize His Name. The devils are familiar with Jesus’ Name, and that Name makes them shudder and shake in their asbestos shoes. Nor am I talking about the fact that you come from a religious background. The Pharisees of Jesus’ day had more religion than they knew what to do with. They could have bagged it up and sold it by the pound. Still, without faith in the Savior, they were condemned by the Christ. I’m not talking about the fact that you had every intention of becoming a Christian sometime, someday. Do you know Jesus? Do you believe on Him as your Savior? Do you trust Him completely, relying upon Him as your Divine Deliverer? That’s the kind of knowing we’re talking about. If you don’t know Jesus as Savior, then the Savior will say, “I don’t know you.”
Which takes us to the second question of Judgment Day. Does Jesus know you? If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you a few theoretical questions. Stay with me on this, because it’s important. I know that you can all name the head of your government. It doesn’t make any difference if he’s a president, a prime minister, or some other kind of potentate. You’ve seen him on the news; you’ve read about him in the paper. You know his spouse’s name, his children’s ages, maybe even the name of his cat or dog. You may know where he went to college, his record in the military, his opinion on abortion, homosexuality, taxes, civil defense, the environment, the armed services, and his foreign policies.
Good. You know all that. Now this is where we get hypothetical. Suppose, since you know so much about your leader, you tried to go up to the front door of his residence and tried to get in and see him. Maybe, in this day of heightened security, you might get to the front gate. There you’d be confronted by a guard. You tell the guard you’d like to see the boss. How far do you think you’re going to get? Do you think the guard will say, “No problem, come on in. The boss is always glad to have strangers show up off the street.” Do you think the security department is going to make a call up to the big house to see if the boss is receiving visitors? Not likely, is it?
In all probability, the guard would check his list to see if your name appeared there. He might ask, “Do you have an appointment? Are you expected? Are you one of his supporters? Does the boss know you?” What do you think would happen if you said, “Well no, the boss really doesn’t know me. Matter of fact, I never voted for him. Not once. Didn’t get involved in any of his campaigns. Found his policies too confining for my taste. Disagreed with a fair number of his positions, too. Indeed, upon occasion I actually criticized him; not often mind you, not severely, just among some of my friends.” Having heard that, I think the best you could expect out of the guard would be, “I’m sorry, sir, the boss doesn’t allow strangers to walk in unannounced.”
Now, as long as we’re being theoretical, suppose at that exact moment another person showed up at the gate and the guard waved him through. Some people might think that pretty unfair, a double standard. Who could blame you if you demanded an explanation? “Hey, I thought you said the boss doesn’t allow strangers to walk in. How come that bozo gets waved on through, and I’m kept out here on the street?” Would you accept the guard’s explanation, “Oh, that fellow is part of the boss’s family. He’s a blood relative. He can go in any time he wants.”
Now, you might reluctantly accept that excuse, but that doesn’t mean you have to stay out there forever. You go up to the guard and say, “I want to see the boss.” Usually at that point in time, the guard would call security and have you escorted away. But suppose just this once, the guard said, “Look, just how long do you think your visit with the boss will take? Ten minutes? Fifteen? A half hour? How long do you think you’ll want to be staying?” To which you say, “Well, I actually haven’t thought about this as a visit. I really thought I’d come and live here.” Hardly able to contain himself, the guard might say, “Let me get this straight. You don’t like the boss; have no use for the boss; have made no appointment with the boss; have maligned the boss; have taken no interest in the boss, and now you want to come in and freeload off the boss for the rest of your life? Buddy, you’re nuts. It doesn’t work that way. Get out of here. We don’t know you.”
Yes, that’s the way it would be if you, uninformed, unannounced, and unexpectedly tried to go and live with the president, prime minister, or potentate. And that’s the way it will be for those who try to get into heaven without any kind of relationship with the Savior. If your name isn’t written in the Book of Life; if you don’t have an appointment; if you spent your days ignoring the Savior who suffered so you could be saved; if you think what He has said to you is silly; what He has asked of you is stupid, why should He let you in? Why shouldn’t He say, “Get away, I don’t know you?” And that is exactly what He says will happen.
Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be that way. You can get into heaven. Many years ago, a Scottish minister sat beside the driver on a trip along a lonely Highland road. Eventually, in the distance, they saw an old woman who looked longingly toward the coach. As they came nearer her face showed, one after the other, the emotions of anxiety, hope, fear, and when the coach had passed, disappointment. The minister asked the driver if he could explain what they’d just seen. The driver said, “Everyday that lady comes out as we go by. She’s waiting for her son. He left years ago and has forgotten her. She hasn’t forgotten him.” My friends, God hasn’t forgotten you. He’s inviting you home. This message is part of His invitation of extraordinary love. His is a love worth having. It certainly shouldn’t be ignored. If you want to know more about God’s love in the Savior, Jesus, call us at the number we will give during this broadcast. Come on home to the Lord who has given you life, who knows you better than you know yourself. In Jesus, come on home. Amen.
Lutheran Hour Mailbox (Questions & Answers) for September 5, 2004
Topic: How to Handle Conflicts in the ChurchANNOUNCER: And now it’s time for questions from listeners. I’m Mark Eischer here with Pastor Ken Klaus. First we’d like you to know how much we appreciate the many positive comments we receive concerning this part of the program. And yes, these are real questions from real listeners. Now, if you have a question or comment you’d like to hear us discuss, you can reach us at our toll free number 1-800-876-9880. Today we have one about problems in the church. A listener writes, “It seems there’s so much jealousy among church leaders. How can we get back to doing God’s work?”
KLAUS: A question about work – how appropriate for Labor Day weekend. Since you didn’t say, I can only assume that we don’t know too much about the jealousy or the work of the Lord that’s being neglected, so let’s deal with those thoughts one at a time. First our listener says, “There is so much jealousy among church leaders.” I have a problem with that thought.
ANNOUNCER: Why is that?
KLAUS: I think it’s too narrow.
ANNOUNCER: How so?
KLAUS: The Church has many more problems besides jealousy. How about vanity, greed, laziness, spite, anger, unbelief, insults, rudeness, distrust, fear, disobedience ….
ANNOUNCER: Ok, I think we get your point.
KLAUS: I’m not done. We have a multitude of sins and problems that are not confined to just the leaders of the Church. You can find all of those sins among the members. I’d like to make a couple of points. First, it is precisely because we have such problems that Jesus came into this world. If we were perfect, we would hardly need a Savior. The truth is, the Lord came to seek and save the lost. Church members once were lost sinners, but now they are forgiven and saved sinners.
ANNOUNCER: I’ve heard it said the church is a hospital for sinners, not a health club for saints.
KLAUS: That’s absolutely right. My second point is, “What a wonderful witness we have here to the power of the Lord.”
ANNOUNCER: What do you mean?
KLAUS: If you read Church history, you’ll find the Church has always been this way: sinners trying to lead a Christian life, but not always succeeding so very well. Yet, in spite of all our shortcomings, the Lord has blessed His Church, through His Word and Sacraments, He keeps the Church going and growing in spite of us sometimes, rather than because of us.
ANNOUNCER: So you’re really saying the Church’s problems can actually be a witness to the power of the Lord.
KLAUS: I am.
ANNOUNCER: But you’re not implying that we should then wish for more problems, that outsiders can see how really great God is?
KLAUS: No. Paul dealt with that question in Romans 6 (v. 1,2). There he said, “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”
ANNOUNCER: Our listener also wants to know how we can get back to doing God’s work.
KLAUS: I’m getting to that. Let’s try to answer it this way. Mark, I know you’re married; I also know that yours is a happy marriage. That’s because you and your wife believe marriage is a 50-50 proposition, right?
ANNOUNCER: Now that’s a trick question – I know even you don’t believe that. You’ve told me marriage is more like 100-100.
KLAUS: And so it is. There are times when the wife gives more, times when the husband gives more, times when the wife takes more, and so on. More than that, there are times when the marriage is great, times when it’s OK, and times when it just plain stinks.
ANNOUNCER: Would you say that goes for churches as well?
KLAUS: It does, indeed. That’s life in a fallen, but redeemed world. ANNOUNCER: So, what do we do?
KLAUS: There are a few passages from Scripture that might be of some help. Here’s one from Philippians (2:3-4), “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
ANNOUNCER: So, God is saying, “Don’t try to promote yourself, instead, elevate others”?
KLAUS: He is. Here’s one from Romans 12 (v. 3-5), “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”
ANNOUNCER: And here St. Paul is trying to say, “Don’t get caught up in being a superstar; Instead, you need to realize you’re part of a team; a team that’s all working together toward the same goal, which is to share the Gospel with the world.”
KLAUS: And so we are, Mark, a team that the Lord can use to accomplish His purpose and further His Church.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor Klaus. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.