The Lutheran Hour
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"Only the Essentials"
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Text: Philippians 3:8
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Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Today the Holy Spirit offers the resurrection reality as He calls us to the Christ. His invitation is extended to all: come, see, and be given Jesus’ blood-bought gift of salvation. The crucified and risen Savior is God’s grace; the one treasure which is needed and necessary. May God grant these spiritual riches to us all. Amen.
It’s a shame that Patrick Henry, the firebrand of America’s fight for independence, is known only for the sound byte: “Give me liberty or give me death.” How much better it would be if his entire quote would become part of our collective memory. The expanded version says, “There is a just God that presides over the destinies of nations. The battle sir, is not of the strong alone. Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death.” Of course, I imagine it’s too much to ask people to remember that whole paragraph. I’ll have to be content with people remembering that which Henry considered to be of paramount importance, that for which he was willing to sacrifice his life. With his words, “Give me liberty or give me death”, Patrick Henry told everyone that slavery to a foreign power was unacceptable.
On a more modern and mundane level, a few years back a fellow by the name of Dave Bruno ended up saying much the same thing, albeit to a different antagonist. Bruno’s fight was not against the domination of another government; he wanted to wage war against the tyranny of stuff. Amazed at how much belongings and things were weighing him down; Mr. Bruno decided to see just how many things he could do without. Indeed, he challenged himself to whittle his possessions down to 100 things and live with just those 100 things for an entire year.
He forced himself to put a value on handed-down family memorabilia; he wrestled with the value of expensive items which he himself had saved up to purchase. He asked, “Are these items really precious to me if they have been forgotten and gathering dust in the garage or attic for the last ten years?”
Patrick Henry went on record as saying slavery to a foreign power is unacceptable; Dave Bruno has gone on record as saying slavery to worldly things is equally intolerable. They, like so many other prudent men and wise woman, have taken time to separate the valuable from the valueless, dividing the important from the inconsequential. It is something every reasoning man or woman ought to do, but it is especially necessary when it comes to salvation and knowing Jesus Christ as your Savior.
When it comes to following Jesus Christ as your Savior from sin, your Redeemer from death and devil, it is not only prudent, it is right and proper for you to logically consider, mentally calculate whether you are ready, willing, able to pay the price which may be demanded of you.
I know my words may well sound strange. That is because we live in a world where many denominations and even more congregations keep lowering the bar of Christianity. Damnable sins, sins which are condemned in both the Old and New Testament, have, in recent times, been downgraded to minor aberrations of lifestyle and peculiar personal preferences. These transgressions which God first condemned in the human heart and later inscribed on Sinai’s stone tablets are now being written off by preachers and pulpits; preachers and pulpits who maintain these rules were only written for ignorant people, superstitious, callous and uncaring people who lived many centuries ago. How sad.
It is equally sad that in our day the Savior who was there at the creation; who gave His life as a ransom for sinful humankind, has been minimized and modified. How sad that the committed and courageous Savior, the sinless Son of God, the Redeemer who endured the whip, who suffered the crown of thorns, who bore the beatings and the bruisings, who carried the cross so He might die as our Substitute on Calvary has been reduced to being nothing more than a colorless, no-opinioned nice Guy. Forgotten is the Savior who spoke with authority. Forgotten are Jesus’ verbal sparrings with the Pharisees and Sadducees; ignored are the times when He stood alone in defense of sinners who desperately needed His forgiveness and salvation. Erased from memory is the power, the presence, the Person of Jesus who, in far too many locations, has been transformed into a Person who wants nothing, asks for nothing, hopes for nothing, and is content with whatever leftovers that fall from our table.
This Savior is not a savior shown in the Scriptures. This is not the Savior who walked the earth and spent His life winning our redemption. This is not the Savior who remained perpetually dedicated to the conquering of humankind’s enemies: sin, devil, and death. Truly we do an injustice to the Christ and a disservice to His work when we weaken and water them down so they might become more palatable. Far better for us to encourage everyone to consider and calculate whether they are willing and prepared, to pay the cost of discipleship.
And what is that cost? Tradition says, for Jesus’ first followers the cost included, but was not limited to being dragged to death, run through with a spear, being sliced up with a sword. They were stoned, clubbed to death, skinned alive, shot with arrows, and crucified. Subsequent generations discovered the cost of discipleship meant they were victims of man’s most inventive cruelties. What is discipleship’s cost today? Who can say with exactness? For one person discipleship may suggest giving away all he owns; for another discipleship may mean leaving family and friends without a final farewell. For some the sacrifice called for in following the Savior can lead to public derision, persecution, and personal and professional loneliness. The cost of discipleship comes in different ways to different people. But at its core, true discipleship always has had an unshakable belief in Jesus Christ crucified and risen. Keeping Jesus first, trusting in Him, believing on Him is the cost of discipleship. Salvation comes to us freely through the Savior’s sacrifice, but for many having faith in that which is blood-bought and freely given is a price they cannot pay, a hurdle of faith they cannot clear; a leap of logic left untaken, a song of the soul left unsung.
That is true for many; but it is equally true that there are millions, many millions who have logically investigated and thoroughly considered the sensibility of following the Savior. So many are buying into the world’s theological profiling which says we are people who are to be pitied; we are emotionally unstable; we are prudes and perverts, naïve, narrow-minded, and narcissistic. Now it’s true, some of us are that. How could it be otherwise since we are all sinners and in desperate need of a Savior? But it is your need, and not our reality which allows you to lump us together in this way… in a way you would be reluctant to do with anyone else.
The more complete and better reality is this: many men and women, some of the best, the most moral, the most intelligent of humanity have thoroughly investigated the claims of Scripture and received faith in the reality of the resurrection. Moreover, they have concluded that faith in the Christ is not only prudent and proper it is the only sensible course of action open to them. Michael Faraday, one of the world’s greatest scientific experimenters said, “Our hope is founded in the faith which is in Christ….” William Harvey spent his life teaching the world about the circulatory system, but his will carries this witness of faith: “I do now humbly render my soul to Him that gave it and to my blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” Sir David Brewster was an expert on optics and that expertise formed his death-bed statement, “I shall see Jesus, and that will be grand; I shall see Him who made the world.”
Yes, I know many contemporary scientists join their voices of disapproval with that of
unbelieving William Halley, comet discoverer and astronomer. But there are also many
brilliant individuals who agree with Sir Isaac Newton who countered Halley’s criticism of
Christianity with the words: “I am always glad to hear you when you speak about
astronomy … because that is a subject you have studied …. But you should not talk of
Christianity, for you have not studied it. I have and I am certain you know nothing of the
matter.”If we wish to hear from one man who has studied Christianity, first as an enemy and then as a friend, it is right for us to look and listen to the Apostle Paul. Hear him as he says, “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him …” Paul sounds like a stuck record as, not once, not twice, but three times in three verses he tells the world, ‘everything I once was, everything I once considered valuable, everything I once owned is garbage compared to the joy which has come to me because I have been forgiven and saved by Jesus Christ.’
And if you summarily dismiss Paul’s position by thinking, “Oh, that kind of comment is to be expected. After all, was not Paul the last apostle Jesus appointed?” My friend, if that is all you know about St. Paul’s life, then you should also be made aware that before there ever was a disciple named Paul, there first was Saul the rabid Pharisee. Saul was a man who was completely committed, totally dedicated to erasing the Name of the Savior and correcting or killing any and all who said Jesus is the Christ.
But there’s more. You should also know that Paul does not write these intensely personal words from some plush penthouse suite on Madison Avenue; he was not about to board his corporate jet to fly to a conference where he would be making the keynote address; he did not set his staff to answering the thousands of letters which had come in that week from adoring fans. When Paul wrote his letter to the Philippian church, he was under arrest. Deprived of freedom; unsure of what tomorrow would be like, or even if there would be a tomorrow, the cuffs and chains chafed Paul’s wrists as he wrote. As he reflected upon recent events, he was forced to acknowledge there is nothing of his old life left.
Long since his friends, his ex-friends, the Pharisees, had condemned him. The traditional religious leaders of the Jews had plotted against him and even some of his Christian friends had deserted him. He had been beaten; he had been stoned; he had been cold, naked, hungry, and shipwrecked. These are the circumstances under which these words were written … and even in those dire and difficult days, Paul remained solid: Again and again and yet again, Paul bears witness: “If I have Jesus and can claim nothing else, I remain rich; but if I own everything this world can offer but remain bereft of the Savior and the salvation He offers then my poverty is complete, my sins remain, my soul is lost and I am of all men to be most pitied.”
In his chains Paul had no delusions; the cold cell would have set aside all blinding emotionalism; the possibility of the headsman’s sword would have put all things in a cold, clear light. Who can doubt Paul logically weighed what he had given up and all he had received? If you were to ask him, “Paul, have you no regrets, no second thoughts, no misgivings?” I am confident he would review the facts: “Jesus’ friends and enemies all agree He was crucified. They all agree when they took Christ down from His cross He was dead. And I know He is alive. I have seen Him; I have heard Him. He is alive, and because He lives; because He has paid the price for my sin and died the death I deserved, I am forgiven and saved. In the face of such facts how can I; how can anyone deny God’s gracious gift which gives eternal life?” Paul had decided what was important. Paul was ready to pay the cost of discipleship.
But how about you? Do you understand the importance of salvation which comes to all who believe in Jesus Christ, the Savior? Do you understand that when the Holy Spirit calls you to faith it is not necessary to shut off your brain? On the contrary, inspect and investigate, examine and evaluate the claims of the Christ. Do not parrot the criticisms made against Christianity without checking out the facts for yourself. Search the Scriptures. If you do, you will find the words of eternal life. If you do, you will find that which is truly and everlastingly important. If you do, you will find the Holy Spirit has brought you to the point where the temporary and transitory is discarded for the Savior’s true treasures which neither fade nor can be replaced.
It is not a hard choice to make. Here, let me explain. Imagine if you were a sailor who was signed on with Sir Francis Drake as he sailed near Lima, Peru in 1579. The lookout calls out that he has spotted a Spanish treasure galleon in the distance. You know that such ships are usually laden with gold and rumor has come to you that this particular ship, the Cacafuego is carrying 80 Ibs of gold, a golden crucifix, jewels, 13 chests full of royal plate, and 25 tons of silver. There is only one problem: the Spanish galleon is faster than your well-provisioned vessel and it will soon be out of sight.
If Drake called for every man to lend his hand to lighten the load of the ship so they might move faster, would you object, grumble, and complain or would you willingly cas.t over the side anything which was not absolutely needed and necessary? And if someone were to ask you, ‘Why are you getting rid of all this perfectly useful stuff, would you not shout over your shoulder as you went below decks to bring up another load, “Anything we lose now will be more than paid for if we can only capture the great prize.” That is what St. Paul was saying when he wrote, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”
At the beginning of today’s message I spoke of Patrick Henry and his most memorable quote … a quote which spoke of his priorities. As this Lutheran Hour message comes to a conclusion, let me give you one more wise saying from this famous man. This quote comes from his last will and testament. This is what Patrick Henry said, “I have now disposed of all my property to my family; there is one thing more I wish I could give them, and that is the Christian religion. If they have that and I had not given them one shilling, they would be rich; and if they had not this, and I had given them all this world, they would be poor.”
Jesus Christ crucified and risen … that is the treasure Paul and Patrick Henry valued; it is the treasure the Lutheran Hour holds out to you this day. If you need to know more of this true and lasting Treasure, please, call us at The Lutheran Hour. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers)
March 21,2010
Topic: God Punishes HaitiAnnouncer: And now, Pastor Ken Klaus responds to a widely-publicized comment that was made after the devastating earthquake in Haiti. I’m Mark Eischer.
Klaus: Yeah, if it’s possible, can we deal with these remarks in a sort of general way, without identifying the person who made them?
Announcer: Certainly, this is not to castigate a particular personality who may have said it, but others probably thought it.
Klaus: Even so, it’s a reminder that people do listen to what we Christians say, and we need to be careful when we speak into a microphone or look into a TV camera. We need to be careful we speak only what God has clearly revealed to us in His Word, and be responsible in the comments we make.
Announcer: All right. Having said that, on January 12, a terrible earthquake devastated Haiti. Hundreds of thousands were killed outright and others were left with little or nothing. The recovery effort is going to take years.
Klaus: You know, “The Lutheran Hour” is good friends with organizations that are doing on-the-ground help, including LCMS World Relief & Human Care, Lutheran World Relief; Orphan Grain Train. Mark, if somebody wants to do something to help the folks in Haiti but they haven’t made a connection up to this point in time or don’t know how, could we put them in touch with one of these groups?
Announcer: We can certainly point them in the right direction.
Klaus: OK. Great. So, there was a devastating earthquake in Haiti. And we’re talking about something that was said immediately afterward.
Announcer: Right, the comment was made that this earthquake was God punishing the people of Haiti because their ancestors had allegedly made a pact with the devil centuries ago. And, even some Haitians were reported to have wondered whether God was upset with Haiti because of what some people are doing there nowadays.
Klaus: Pretty open question. I do have some feelings about this. First, as a spokesman for God. When I read the Old Testament, I see that when God was upset with His people, He’d send a prophet or even a number of prophets to straighten out those people. The prophet would get up in front of them and say, “God’s upset with you for your sinning and your idolatry, and you’d better straighten out, God’s going to punish you if you don’t straighten out.” If the people got straightened out, the Lord blessed them; if they refused to get straightened out, they were zapped. But God never, as far as I can tell, ever had a prophet who showed up after the punishment and said, “See, look what your sins have done. You deserved it.”
Announcer: Now, the other question is: does God even really work that way? Does He punish people because of something their great-grandparents did?
Klaus: Mark, those words are in the Bible. Deuteronomy 5:9 says, “I the LORD your God am a jealous God, I visit the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.”
Announcer: but, does that mean God does punish people for the sins committed by their ancestors?
Klaus: Well, It’s this way–I am a sinner because my parents were sinners. They were sinners because their parents were sinners. In that respect it works that way. It goes back in time that way. BUT–to say my house is going to fall down on top of me because my father was a horse thief-that’s a big stretch. In Scripture, we have the story of King Saul. He was angry. He was furious and he got really weird. He had a son who was a perfectly nice guy by the name of Jonathan. You know there isn’t always that kind of direct connection. That’s a big stretch to make.
Announcer: Well, what does the passage mean?
Klaus: Simply this: if my father sins, I, having observed him, will most likely grow up and repeat that sin. My son will grow up and do the same sort of thing he saw me do.
Announcer: But, God doesn’t hold me personally accountable for something my grandparents did.
Klaus: Yeah, we can look at Ezekiel 18, where God says He takes no pleasure in the death of anybody. Repent and live! There’s one place where God punished sin, once and for all-and that place is the cross. There’s one Person who took upon Himself the punishment for sin, once and for all-His name is Jesus-His resurrection certifies that the payment for sin was complete. All the sacrifices of the Old Testament point forward to the cross, and all our preaching today should point backward to Christ and His cross because that’s where the punishment for sin was settled, once and for all.
Announcer: Thank you, Pastor Klaus. For more information on those relief organizations we
mentioned earlier, call our toll-free number: 1-800-876-9880. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.Music selection for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by John Leavitt. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“Jesus, Priceless Treasure” performed by the Concordia Seminary Chorus. Used by permission.
“Jesus, Priceless Treasure” arr. Arthur L. Preuss. From Sacred Organ Originals by Arthur L. Preuss (© 2006 Arthur L. Preuss)
“Drawn to the Cross” arr. Chris Loemker (© Concordia Publishing House)