The Lutheran Hour
-
"Freedom in Action"
- Download MP3 Reflections
-
Text: Galations 6:1-18
-
The Apostle Paul says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia.
If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be? You heard me correctly. Right now, if you could change one thing-a current situation, a challenge from the past-anything-what would you choose to change?
Some of you are thinking about your health. I know some of you who listen every week; I know you struggle with illness, the challenges brought on by aging and physical hardship. I want you to know that we here at The Lutheran Hour pray for you each we as we prepare to bring you this Word from God! I know it’s not easy to lose your ability to do the things you like to do, to endure the loneliness that often comes with life-changing health issues. Changing your health for the better, that would be great, wouldn’t it?
Of course, some of you are thinking about other circumstances in your life-current relationships, your job, personal decisions and habits. You would make some changes in order to be happier, to have time for people you love, to eliminate stress and complications. You would change things so that you could have peace.
Now, others of you who hear this question, “What would you change;” you might immediately think beyond merely your own personal life. You might look at the world and answer, “I would change the political squabbling, the wars, and strife around the world. I would change the pain and violence that seem to be everywhere.”
What a blessing to be free from all these burdens, right?
Last summer, a company in London asked a group of older women what they would change about their lives if they were young again. One woman said, “What I wouldn’t give for an extra five minutes on the dance floor while my legs were still strong enough to carry me.”
Another said, “How about an extra second of cuddling my babies before they were too big to hold?”
The theme of the promotion was: “Find Your Sanctuary.” The research results were summed up by a woman who noted, “It’s time…to stop stressing…and to let go.”
Oh, to be able to live out from underneath the pressure, the stresses, and the burdens! Is it possible? Is it possible to be free from what weighs you down, to live in freedom that lasts?
I want to tell you up front and I want to tell you right away: the answer is yes. Yes, it is possible to be free from what weighs you down. It is possible to live out from underneath the pressure, stress, and burdens of life. The answer is yes-not because you can redo your past, not because of a new miracle drug, and not because the world will somehow become perfect this side of eternity. The answer is yes because there is someone who gives freedom and who removes burdens: the risen Savior Jesus Christ. Freedom is possible for you today. It is not a pipe dream. The gift of freedom can be in your life. But how?
Find your sanctuary? Does it even really exist?
The Apostle Paul says, yes, but not the way you think. It’s not find your sanctuary; it’s God’s sanctuary, God’s peace, God’s freedom that finds you. All throughout the book of Galatians, Paul is speaking to the people about the uniqueness of the freedom that comes by faith in Jesus Christ and all that He has done for us.
Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, because of God’s love for you, because He reaches out to you today through His living Word, there is real sanctuary; real peace for you in Him.
Jesus said even more pointedly, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NIV). We can’t find our own sanctuary, but Jesus came to be the sanctuary you and I need. He provides real relief and rest from the burdens you carry every day.
That’s where the let-go phrase from that advertising campaign comes in. You may have heard the beautiful and freeing phrase from the Bible: “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you.” That’s from Psalm 55. The Apostle Peter repeated it when he wrote to stressed-out believers in the first century: “Humble yourselves,” he said, “under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).
You don’t have to carry your heavy burdens every moment of every day. You don’t have to let it run your life and occupy your mind. Jesus really cares for you! In Jesus Christ, you are free. Let go. He carries your burden. He is your sanctuary.
That’s why the Apostle Paul’s statement in Galatians 6 is so important. As people tried to place burdens on him, as high-pressure legalists tried to load up Christians in the region of Galatia with guilt and shame and a large spiritual to-do list in order to show that they had the right spiritual stuff, Paul said that he doesn’t place his hope in his own accomplishments or his own status in this world. He said, “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14). With his hope in Jesus, Paul had a sanctuary from life’s relentless pressures; he had a place to cast his burdens.
You do too. Even if, at the moment, you can’t change your health, your life circumstances or the world, you are still free because your Savior Jesus carries the ultimate load of life and sets you free even in the midst of your struggle. He walks with you in your struggle. He will get you through it. He gives you hope when you’re feeling hopeless because your life is eternal with Him. He promises that your suffering and challenge will be completely gone one day when you and all things are restored in eternity. You are free from the dominating rule of your burdens.
In fact, you are free to help others to be free as well. Paul tells us how to put Christ’s freedom into action in our lives. In Galatians 6 he simply says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). That’s what Christ’s Church is all about, that’s what being a Christian family is all about. Instead of living by the law of paying your dues or the law of everyone being out for themselves, the restored people of God live under the beautiful law of Christ-the blessing of His grace and self-sacrifice. We love because He first loved us. We strive to bear each other’s burdens not out of coercion, but out of His gracious love for us.
Earlier this year, Hunter Gandee decided to encourage people to embrace anyone who has a disability. He decided to walk 111 miles to the steps of the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing. That’s a long walk. Hunter is sixteen years old and he loves his brother, nine-year-old Braden, who suffers from cerebral palsy. But Hunter didn’t walk alone. This teen from a small town in Michigan took that walk while carrying his nine-year-old brother, Braden, on his back. Can you imagine the challenge of that? The struggle? Better, can you imagine how Braden feels because he has a brother like that? Love means bearing each other’s burdens. Of course it does.
But please understand, God’s love for you is even deeper for Jesus carries your burdens, your pains, and your sin. On the cross and through the grave, He took you on His back so that you could make it through this life all the way home. He’s still carrying you today. He lifts you up through His Word of life and He cradles you in His arms through the gift of baptism. He takes your burdens and fills you with a new life through His presence in Holy Communion. You are free by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ and you are free to bless others-just like Hunter did.
Isn’t it a wonderful thing to know that you’re not only freed from burdens, but freed for doing good, for showing Jesus’ love to others? Now that’s a purpose for living each day. You have a wonderful purpose-no matter what your circumstances are right now. In fact, God makes you His instrument of grace and blessing even amidst your circumstances.
Paul highlighted the fact that no burden or struggle is wasted by God. He said, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). You are freed for doing good, free for bringing blessing even then.
Take Nicole Heintz, for example. She stopped for gas on her way to work as chilly winter winds whipped through the air in Apple Valley, Minnesota. While she was pumping gas, she saw a man crying as he stared at the gas pump. In the car next to him were his wife and two teenage girls. The girls were huddled under a blanket in the back seat. She approached the man and asked what was wrong. He replied, “I can’t even provide for my family.” So Nicole responded. She offered to buy gas for the family. She said, “Jesus Christ the Son of God died to provide for you.” And she showed that man and his family how true it was. In addition to the gas for their car, Nicole happened to have a bag of give-away clothes in her back seat. She had just cleaned out her closet. Nicole invited the mother and her daughters to take their pick of what they wanted. Then more people joined in. Someone gave the family a gift card. Another man gave his jacket to the father. Nicole said, “The love of God can be so contagious. God’s love is greater than anything, and we get to be a part of that love changing lives.”
That is freedom-freedom from being weighed down by your burdens and freedom for bringing Christ’s blessing to others.
As you cast your burdens on Jesus your Savior and as you find sanctuary in Him, you begin to see so many opportunities to bless others in His Name. Freedom in Christ means you are no longer immobilized in your life-in whatever situation you might find yourself. When the Bible talks about doing good things, it’s not to get God off of your back. No, it’s exactly the opposite. It’s to show God’s love, a love you and I have received as a gift of grace, to others by love! Paul says it this way, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:9-10 NIV).
You need this love, the world needs this love and as believers in Jesus you have it to share.
That’s a freedom that lasts. That’s a freedom that has purpose for today and purposes for forever. In the opening verses of Galatians 6, one of Paul’s main messages is that because of freedom in Christ we don’t have to dwell on ourselves and get caught up in all of the entanglements and burdens of this life. We are free.
It’s not the burdens, even as real as they are, that deserve first attention. It’s not the craziness of this world that sets the tone. It’s not our own fallen and frail selves that run the show. The main thing in our lives is to be right with God and being right with God comes through Jesus Christ. Or, as Paul says, what counts is a new creation. Or he says it this way, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Can you believe it? In spite of your struggles, your sins, your burdens, you are a new creation in Christ! In Christ, the burdens are carried. In Christ, you have a sanctuary for real rest and restoration. In Christ, you are free right now! You are free from being ruled by your burdens and you are free to do good for the glory of God.
I can still remember the joys of turning our focus away from ourselves, our struggles and simply sharing with others what God had so richly given us in Jesus. Every Christmas in Brandon, Florida, right after the Christmas Eve 11:00 service, I would go home and put our daughter Devin to bed, but Yvette would do one last errand before coming home for our private Christmas celebration. Do you know what she did? Well, we didn’t have much money then, so she went and got some small hors d’oeuvres from Bennigan’s to be shared with a bottle of wine at home, but before coming home, she would stop at the Village Inn (that’s the place we most of the time could afford to eat), she would stop to give gifts to the waitresses there who had to work Christmas Eve. I can’t tell you what joy we received for many months thereafter from her sharing gifts with those who were truly not expecting it!
I also read about a similar joy of a mom who saw the plight of new parents in a restaurant. She wrote on their lunch receipt, “I wanted to offer to hold your sweet baby while you both ate lunch, but my husband said I’d look like a stalker. So, I’m buying your lunch instead. Enjoy that sweet baby. We have teenagers and I know what’s ahead for you, so snuggle your wee one while you can! Love and smiles.”
There are so many ways that you can be a light of Christ to others, a power of grace to others who think such power doesn’t exist in this sinful, destructive world. One couple did a simple gesture for their neighborhood that got people to thinking about what we could all be doing for others in Christ. When a hurricane knocked out power for a community, one house that still had electricity ran extension cords out their front door and hung surge strips on their front gate with this sign, “We have power. Please feel free to charge your phone!” Dozens of grateful people plugged in.
Christ is the power, He calls us to Himself, plugs us in to His gracious love. But in Him, in freedom, you’re the conduit of His life-giving grace, power, and love for the people you get to serve in His Name! Freedom to live life in Him, by Him, for others; that’s freedom. So, I’m asking you, will you get up every day this week and say, “Lord Jesus, you saved me, you’ve freed me, what can You do with me today for someone else,” and then put that freedom to work. You and others will be glad that you did.
Amen.
Action in Ministry for July 3, 2016
Guest: Dr. Dale MeyerANNOUNCER: You’re listening to The Lutheran Hour and this is Action in Ministry. Pastor Seltz, thank you for today’s message about the freedom that we have through faith in Christ.
SELTZ: Mark, just as our eternal freedom came at a price so does the freedom that we enjoy in our country. Our listeners are actually celebrating that freedom this week here in the United States.
ANNOUNCER: Now there are often questions about how church and state, religion and politics relate to each other. Joining us today is Dr. Dale Meyer. He’s the President of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis and a former Lutheran Hour Speaker.
SELTZ: That’s right.
ANNOUNCER: He’s also the host of a video resource titled We The People: Citizens of Two Kingdoms.
SELTZ: Dr. Meyer, it is so good to have you with us today.
MEYER: Thank you, Pastor. I’m glad to be back. These are familiar haunts and I’m glad to see some fresh faces.
SELTZ: Glad to be called fresh. Dr. Meyer, we’re not talking about politics here today but we do want to discuss how God relates to secular government and where we, as believers, fit into all of this.
ANNOUNCER: Now Martin Luther taught that God has established and rules over two parallel kingdoms and as Christians, we’re dual citizens, of sorts. Tell us a little bit about that.
MEYER: Yeah, it actually goes back to the Bible itself. Jesus says, “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.” So, to be a Christian living under government but also in obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ, we have to be pretty sophisticated about our citizenship and about our lives. We have to discern among many other things when am I operating in the kingdom of the right, that is the Church, and when am I functioning in the kingdom of the left. Sometimes those two things will seem to collide with one another and that’s why we have discussions like this, and that’s why we have our Bible study, and resources that we get ourselves into.
SELTZ: As Christian believers under government authority then, how do we discern when to exercise-and I think that’s what you’re talking about-when to exercise our rights versus standing by as the government might be moving away from Biblical, in this case, principles.
MEYER: The First Amendment acknowledges that there are two sovereigns in our life. One Sovereign is God; but the other sovereign is tacitly acknowledged in the First Amendment is the government. Now what do we do when these two come into conflict? I don’t think the answer is necessarily to resolve the conflict according to Biblical principles in the public sphere. You and I are supposed to live according to Biblical principles all the time. That’s our life; the revelation in the Bible. But when we are in the public arena, it’s Constitutional provisions and the judgment of courts over the years that are the way we advance whatever it is we want to advance. Sometimes you have success, sometimes you don’t.
SELTZ: I call that putting in the basement floor of life. You’ve got to have a basement so that your society can actually be stable; but we’re shooting for the roof in the church and there it is.
MEYER: Talking about the basement, that’s a good analogy. For us individually, no other foundation could be laid than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ. For our society, the basement has been crumbling because the center, which has held this country together, either explicitly or implicitly, is the Judeo-Christian tradition and that has crumbled. We are in a greatly different time in American and world history. Absolute truth no longer holds sway. The tradition that this country was founded on, Biblical principles, that’s gone and you hear everybody say it, “Well, you have your opinion, I have mine. Who are you to tell me that I am wrong?”
SELTZ: Again, what’s one of the very best ways that a citizen can be involved in both of these kingdoms?
MEYER: Well, obviously, to vote; and to vote intelligently; not just on the basis of what you see on a news clip. To do something very archaic is to read the newspaper and not just what flashes up at the start of AOL.
SELTZ: Yeah.
MEYER: But another thing we have to do; we’re not going to turn this country around, at least from our perspective, in this generation or the next generation. Teach civics. Don’t just teach the Bible and catechism to our children; also teach civics.
ANNOUNCER: When you feel that there are times that the political situation is either out of control or hopeless, what do you say then?
MEYER: Jesus. Dear Jesus.
SELTZ: He’s still a great preacher.
MEYER: It’s all about Him. As Reverend Arnold Kuntz, a former pastor, a retired pastor, said, “Life narrows down and there in the narrow place stands Jesus.”
SELTZ: Always. Cross and the resurrection. As Christians and citizens of two kingdoms, we do have dual responsibilities. We’ve been talking about that today. The situation may be daunting, but when you look back in history, it’s always been daunting. There’s always been hope. What a great discussion. What a great resource. Dr. Meyer, it’s been great to have you here with us today.
MEYER: My pleasure. Thank you.
SELTZ: And that’s our Action in Ministry segment for today to bless, to empower, and strengthen your life in Christ for others.
ANNOUNCER: Today’s resource is titled: We the People: Citizens of Two Kingdoms. You can view or download this content for free at our website. You’ll also find more of our conversation with Dr. Dale Meyer. Go to: lutheranhour.org and click on Action in Ministry. That’s lutheranhour.org. For information on ordering a DVD copy call 1-855-john316. That’s 1-855-564-6316. Our email address is: info@lhm.org.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for July 3, 2016
Topic: Can Christians Influence the Nation?ANNOUNCER: Now Pastor Gregory Seltz responds to questions from listeners. I’m Mark Eischer. Pastor, we live in a charged political environment these days. The question is can Christians do anything to influence the nation?
SELTZ: Christians have tried, haven’t they, Mark?
ANNOUNCER: Well, we think of different organizations on both the left and the right throughout history.
SELTZ: They all try to use Christian or Biblical morality to influence political action.
ANNOUNCER: With mixed results.
SELTZ: Well, yes and no. We can go all the way back to things like the prohibition movement where some Christians tried to impose their view of things, which in that case was a disaster. But, much of the laws of this country too have, as their root, the Judeo-Christian ethic (which has been a blessing to many, many people). The Ten Commandments, especially 3 through10, are foundational to so many of the laws of this nation.
ANNOUNCER: And the Bible contains other clear teachings that we as Christians want to uphold.
SELTZ: Right, because many of the truths are not just a blessing to us, but to all. And, part about being salt and light in the world, as Jesus said in Matthew, chapter five; is to do our best to see that God’s values are honored in our nation and in our communities. Respecting life, for instance, is a Biblical mandate and it has been a blessing to many, many, many people, even those who don’t believe in Jesus.
ANNOUNCER: But didn’t Jesus also say “His Kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36)?
SELTZ: Right and that’s where we need to make a very important point about the role of the Christian in our nation. On the one hand we respect and submit to the governing authorities, as the Apostle Paul talks about in Romans, chapter 13. Christians do need to be good citizens no matter where they are. On the other hand, we do need to obey God rather than men as Peter and the apostles declared in Acts, chapter 5-especially if the governing authorities are acting contrary to God’s clear Word.
ANNOUNCER: More and more we see government and the culture bringing pressure to bear on religious liberty.
SELTZ: So we’ve got to engage. But, Mark, there is a greater role though for the Christian in the nation. That role is to be the bearer of all that transcends earthly kingdoms. Think about it. What stood out to the Roman officials when they encountered Jesus? And what about the followers of Jesus in the first-century Roman Empire; what made that impression on so many of those communities?
ANNOUNCER: We have stories of Roman officials who came to Jesus in order for loved ones to be healed and they acknowledged Him as Lord; and the centurion at the crucifixion said, “Surely, this was the Son of God.”
SELTZ: Exactly. People were moved and influenced, not because Jesus pushed legislation or constructed a political system to make a sinful world a little bit better; no, their lives were transformed because He brought God’s power and grace through humility and service. Jesus brought the presence, the love of God, not with coercion. He was crucified, rose from the dead, and He did it for all people, even His captors and even His enemies.
ANNOUNCER: After Jesus ascension, His disciples made a similar impression on people.
SELTZ: Yeah, people were blown away by the way the disciples proclaimed the Gospel, how they lived. Let me read you an excerpt from Acts, chapter two: “Awe came upon every soul…. And all who believed were together….they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God, sharing all things, having favor with all the people” (Acts 2:43-47 ESV). They did this stuff freely!
ANNOUNCER: People saw this new life God gave through faith in Jesus and it made a positive impression. People loved each other because God was doing things to change people’s lives.
SELTZ: That’s the way Christians can ultimately influence a nation. We are God’s servants to bring the love of Jesus, the forgiveness of sins, and the certain hope of eternal life. That Gospel message and action breaks the chains of lovelessness and aimlessness.
ANNOUNCER: Laws can “force” people to do what is right….
SELTZ: …but more powerful than even good laws, Jesus changes hearts. And those changed hearts want to give honor to God and walk in His ways. That’s really the only way things can really change!
ANNOUNCER: At the same time, we’re called to vote, to vote our conscience, as good citizens.
SELTZ: Yes, but God’s people can be the greatest influence in the world-not just by joining the political fight, but by showing the blessing of being a new creation in Jesus. For more about this, people can call in, email, or write for our video, “The Intersection of Church and State.” Remember, in all things; business, politics, whatever vocation….Christians seek to be a positive influence for all people. And that’s always more than just making new laws.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor Seltz. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music Selections for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by Chris Bergmann. Used by permission.“Jesus Has Come and Brings Pleasure Eternal” From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)
“Before You, Lord, We Bow” From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)