Mark 4:35-41. Who is this, Jesus? 25/6/06

(35) That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." {36} Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. {37} A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. {38} Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" {39} He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. {40} He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" {41} They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

Yes, that is the question, isn’t it? Who is this Jesus? How significant is he really for our lives? What power does he really have? Now to answer these questions we have two options: we either look to God and his Word, or we look to what we and the world around us thinks.

Now we and the world around us operate like the disciples in our reading. We sail through life with the idea that everything will or should basically go well for us. She’ll be right, the world is a relatively good place, and we’ll get by. Where it is not we just need to work harder to overcome the problems that arise. We can handle most things: the disciples were fishermen and so they knew how to handle a boat in all conditions: they trusted in their abilities and so do we.

Today it is even worse, because we are much smarter than people of years gone by. We have a much better education system, and most of us have had the opportunity to be involved in higher studies; so we know how things should work. On top of that we have the technology and the money to get us through life with ease and comfort. So by and large we are quite confident that we can handle most things, or given time, money, and knowledge will overcome them. We’ll be right mate. We’ve got it all under control.

The trouble is, that the winds and waves of life sometimes dishes out the unexpected, and then we are left floundering. All our experience and knowledge counts for nothing as the troubles, sickness or death threaten to drown us. Even our technology and money can not get us through those situations and we are left helpless and hopeless. Because we have put all of our confidence in ourselves and the things of this world, we are left stranded.

What happens when our world comes crashing down around us? We like the disciples then scream out to whoever is within ear-shot; ‘Don’t you care, that we are in trouble?’ We wallow in our situation, and hope that somebody else may then be able to get us out of our mess, and put us back on track. Or at least they can feel helpless along with us. Our world has fallen apart because the things we have trusted in have let us down, and we have got nowhere else to go.

But of course that is not us; is it? Because we have got it all together: We know what we are on about: and so we’ll be right. We are good people; we go to church; and we even believe in Jesus, so we’ll be right.

Well let me assure you, that all of us at some time or other will get to that point if we look merely to ourselves and the things of this world. Even when we put our trust in our own faith in Jesus, the winds and waves of life will overwhelm us. We too, will only be able to say, along with the rest of the world, ‘Lord don’t you care if we drown?’ ‘God, why have you done this? Why have you …..?’ ‘It is all your fault!’

Here today we need to hear, what this Jesus did, at that point, and at another telling point in history, so that we can have confidence in the very worst of situations. Here on that lake Jesus simply stood up and rebuked the wind, and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. With a simple word, Jesus here did, what we with all our knowledge, strength, technology and money cannot do. His simple words controlled the very worst that nature or anything else can throw at us. Yes even the wind and the waves obey him!

At that, we too, along with the disciples, can only be terrified: ‘Who is this Jesus?’ ‘Who is this one who can even make the wind and the waves obey him?’ Is he just the figment of someone’s imagination; a fairy tale in and old dust-covered book, or is he who he really says he is, and who does have power to even control the wind and the waves? Is he God’s very own Son come into our world to help us out or not?

Let us also remember that at another point in history this very same Jesus, who did miracle after miracle and yes, even told the wind and waves what to do; he allowed himself to be strung up on the cross, and to die. His power and his love meant that he willingly took on himself all of our sins; all of our failures; all of our being less than perfect: our very rebellion against God himself. He took it all on himself, and there on the cross allowed his Father to punish him for all of our sin, so that we might be forgiven and accepted once again into God’s family. Then he rose again from the dead three days later to be Lord of life and death: and so that we can be sure that we have life and salvation.

“Who is this Jesus?’ He even loved us that much, that he was prepared to take the full brunt of God’s anger against our sin, onto himself, so that we might have forgiveness of sins and the absolute certainty of life and salvation. Here is our saviour who loved us so much that he made sure that nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from his love.
To top it all off, he gave us baptism, so that each one of us personally can be incorporated into his love for us: his death and resurrection. So that we can know that he has forgiven us and accepted us into his family. Then he also gave us Holy Communion so that week after week we might receive his very body and blood which he shed on the cross for us, so that we can be sure that we have forgiveness of sins, life and salvation, and that our Lord himself goes with us throughout our lives.

“Who is this Jesus, who has done all of this for us? Surely this is a holy and awesome God, who can do all of this? He has immense power. He has absolute control over all things, so that even the winds and the waves obey him. He created all things and he keeps it all going.

However because we have chosen not to obey him and live in that close loving relationship with him, we have brought all kinds of difficulties and evil into our lives. We now have to suffer many and varied hardships, and we cannot blame them onto God. It is because of our sin that these are part of life for all of us.

But now we have God’s assurance that he will not let them harm us. He will watch over us, and see to it the nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God. Yes, he will allow difficulties and even disasters to come our way, but he assures us that he is now using them for our good or for the good of others. Even if we should lose everything in earthly terms; even our life; we know that nothing can take away the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation that the Lord Jesus has won for us.

So now there is no need for us to be afraid, when even the most difficult of circumstances comes our way. We know that they cannot destroy us. We now can have faith. We can go forward with a confident hope. But now, not in ourselves and the things of this world, but in the Lord Jesus Christ and what he has done for us and continues to do for us. We can trust him in every situation, for we not only know that the wind and the waves obey him, but that he loves us so much that he came into our world to die on the cross for us, so that we may have forgiveness of sins, life and salvation as a guarantee.

‘Who is this Jesus? He is God almighty himself: the second person of the Trinity. He is Lord and Saviour! He is our all important one who we can look up to and trust. He is THE one that we truly can rely on in life, and especially when the going gets tough. So let us put our faith in him alone, and then go forward confidently to live and be the people he wants us to be in the midst of this life.

To God alone be all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Toowoomba

2 Corinthians 5:14-17. You are new person/creation?? 18/6/06

{14} For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. {15} And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. {16} So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. {17} Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

'Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that Jesus died for all.' That is a very interesting statement; and one that is worthy of much thought, by all of us. Now for Paul, there was no choice: the love that Jesus had for him was so great that he just had to live and speak of nothing else but Christ and what he has done for us. For him the 'old life’ has gone, and the new has come. Because of Jesus' life saving death, Paul now has no choice but to push aside his old selfish way of living, and to now seek to live and be this new person that God has made him in Jesus Christ. No ifs - no buts: he is under the compulsion of Christ's love for him and all people.

But that was Paul: what about us here today? Does Christ's love compel us to live to the fullest the new life that has been given to us? Do we really want to be this new person and creation that we now are, because of the forgiveness that has been extended to us? Do we really believe that Jesus died for us in order that we should no longer live for self, but for the Lord? Do we see ourselves as his ambassadors? Serious questions, that have far reaching implications.
I think you would all have to agree, that we all fall a long way short of even grasping what these questions mean us; far less living them out. For many of us, we even find it difficult to just make church regularly, far less live out this new life every day. We have trouble understanding the relationship between what God has done for us through Jesus and his death and resurrection, and that new life that we are now called to live. We either seem to fall into the trap of thinking that we are saved, therefore we can live as please, within reason, without regard for God and his Word. Or else we think that the way we live our lives is going to determine whether we are acceptable to God or not.

But it is here that we see that we too often want to hang on to so much of our old selfish human lifestyle. We want to feel as though we are in charge of our own life. We want to be involved in and do the things that we want to do. And we so often get it wrong and mess things up for ourselves and for others. So it is a real struggle to try to live and be this new person: this new creation that Paul talks about here.

Even for me it is a struggle: I too get distracted and fail; I am not always the pastor that I should be. Many times I also would like to run and hide - bury myself into farming or something else. But I can't! Christ's love for me and the people of this area compels me to go forward and do what has to be done - despite my failings. I have to live and be that which by nature I am not. This new creation of God's is pushed forward to do some of what is needed to be done. I have been made right with God through Jesus and his death and resurrection; and have been brought back into God's family by God’s good grace. Since my baptism I have been given the responsibility to go and live and be the person that God wants me to be. Now I am called into this community to lead and guide you: to share, and to stand firmly on the truth of God’s Word. This is a struggle: and it is a struggle because I too often fail to look to and keep my focus on Jesus Christ. Instead I look to myself and my own abilities, or should I say lack of abilities; and are distracted by things around me and my own failings. I like Paul and you too, I am sure, seem to get pulled this way and that because the old nature, far too often, comes to the fore.

The reason that we have this problem in coming to a fuller understanding of these things, is that we fail to come to grips with the depth and extent of Christ's love for us. We again and again need to think first of all, of the reality of who we really are. We need understand how utterly hopeless and helpless we are without God; and how totally undeserving we are of God's help because of our sin. There is absolutely nothing in us that makes us acceptable to God. We all deserve the full extent of God's punishment and be totally forsaken by the Almighty God. We all deserve to be cut off from God and anything good forever. We all deserve to die - both physically and spiritually.

But God's love would not allow that; despite who are. He cares too much for us. So he sent the Christ into our world to die the death that should have been ours. Though he has done absolutely nothing wrong, he was punished for every single misdeed, sin and failing in our life. He died so that we no longer need live with and for ourselves and so consequently bring destruction on ourselves. He died so that we no longer need to live with fear, loneliness and alienation. Our whole life no longer has to revolve around the things that are so important to others in our society; and which ultimately drags them down.

Instead we can live with and for this One who has loved us so much and who has a much better way for us to live. In connection with Christ we have died to all that sin, wickedness and selfishness that hangs on to us and threatens to make life so difficult. No all that side of life has been taken care of – removed. It hangs there on the cross. Our failures, rejection by God and eternal death, has died - it now gone. It no longer binds us and hangs over us.

So now we don't have to live as though God is some distant ogre who is out to get us and make life difficult for us. Or that we have to struggle to know and work out what is important for us and how we can live. That we have to live for the prestige that is so important to our society around us. We don't have to be a sporting hero, the best business person, or whatever, so as to be acceptable and valuable. We don't have to live in fear - fear of failure – fear of others, and of God. That side of life has died with Christ - it hangs there cross.

Now we are free to live and be the people that God has created us to be. Free to live for Christ and for others. Free to love with the love that he has for us. We now are a new creation - a creation of love, joy, peace, patience, and all those other great gifts of God. The old has gone, and the new has come.

Yes, God has and continues to do great things for us in and through Jesus Christ. He is with us now guiding and empowering us to live as his people; strengthening and encouraging us all the way; assuring us over and over again that we are forgiven and accepted as his new creation. We are free to now be better people; and that He has the power to enable us to live and be new people every day.

That is the love that Christ has for us - despite our miserable past. And it is that love that now compels us to go forward and do the best that we can for our Lord. His love for us here, and for all others, leaves us with no choice but live for Christ and for others. To help them see the greatness of what God Almighty, himself, has done for us all.

Surely the love that Jesus has for us is so great that we just have to live and speak of nothing else but Christ and what he has done for us. For us the 'old life’ has gone, and the new has come. Because of Jesus' life saving death, we now have no choice but to push aside our old selfish way of living, and to now seek to live and be this new person that God has made us in Jesus Christ. No ifs - no buts: we are under the compulsion of Christ's love for us and for all people.

So like Paul, let us go from here as new people; motivated by the love that Christ has for us; totally convinced that Jesus, and his death and resurrection was and is all important for our changed life. Let us no longer live so selfishly, but instead seek, with God's help, to live for Christ, and Christ alone. Let us set about working harder at bringing this message of Christ and his love, to all those who so desperately need it. All the while continually keeping Jesus Christ as the main focus and source of inspiration for our lives. After all he has done for us, he is our all and everything. To him alone be all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN

Pastor Roger Atze
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Toowoomba
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John 16:4-15. Holy Spirit our Counsellor/Lawyer. 4/6/06

(John 15:26-27) "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. {27} And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.
(4) I did not tell you this at first because I was with you. {5} "Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' {6} Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. {7} But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. {8} When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: {9} in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; {10} in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; {11} and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. {12} "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. {13} But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. {14} He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. {15} All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

Today we celebrate another important day in the Church year – Pentecost. Now Pentecost is often referred to as the birthday of church; and in many ways, that it is. But here we are reminded that there is much more to this celebration than simply acknowledging a birthday. The greatest aspect to this day is the reminder by Jesus of the gift of the Holy Spirit, who gave birth to the Church and of his ongoing work of calling, gathering and making holy the Church down through the ages.

Today reminds us that Jesus wants to give to his Church; us, something that will be able to help us all, where ever we are, as his people, to enable us to be drawn into the Church, and to live with confidence in the difficulties that we face in this life. To help us live with the same confidence that would be there if Jesus were visibly present alongside us and to help us in the midst of the anxieties that we face: to help us all as we live in between Jesus ascension and his coming again as Judge at the end of time.

This great gift and helper is the Holy Spirit - who Jesus calls Counsellor. And here today I would like us dwell on this whole aspect of him being Counsellor. To help us understand and appreciate what he is here for and to do in our lives I would like to use the whole courtroom scene which in one way represents life for us.

Think about it. As we live out our life, we are living with the reality that when we die we face the Almighty Judge himself. The Lord Jesus will judge whether we spend eternity in heaven or Hell; and that decision is made in light of what our thinking and attitude is in this life. That then, makes our decisions and what happens in our daily life critical. Now that is scary thinking, were it not for Pentecost: Were it not for the fact that the Holy Spirit is our Counsellor. In a number of ways he is like our legal counsel with us every day. It is this image of the Holy Spirit that I will be focussing on today. Here, let us see how this plays itself out in our daily life, in light of what Jesus says here in this text.

Now what happens as we go through life. We are faced with all kinds of decisions and we do all kinds of things as a result; both good and bad. But, what is the right thing to do? Is our society right; other religions; our Lutheran church; ‘what I want’; what do we base our decisions and actions on? Can I be sure? And remember our decisions have eternal consequences, so how do I ensure that I am certain? To add to that the devil keeps whispering in our ear a whole pack of lies; and when things go wrong or a tragedy occurs he seek to lead us to despair. On our own, without good help, we are in trouble, if we are going to seek to take life seriously.

Now can you imagine facing the judge on all of these issues and decisions, without legal counsel all along the way. We would be very anxious indeed. In fact knowing human nature to be what it is we might as well give up.

But thankfully that is why Jesus ascended and sent the Holy Spirit to be with us and help us. Here Jesus says that he will be the Counsellor in our midst. He will stand with us as we go through life to help and guide us in our decision making: to remind us of what is true and good: to point out what is wrong and the judgement that results: to ever keep before us the truth.
Jesus says here that this Counsellor comes to do three things for us in this world. Take note of these in light of a lot of contemporary thinking with regard to the Holy Spirit.
Firstly we are told that the Holy Spirit will convict world of guilt in regard to sin. So we are reminded that he is here as ‘chief prosecutor:’ to point out sin for what it is – rebellion against God and deserving of eternal punishment in Hell. His aim is to convict us all that we are ingrained with this nature that wants to try and live independently from God and be self-centred and selfish. Through God’s Law he seeks to point these things out to us so that we understand that we are dead in our sin and need the forgiveness and salvation that Jesus Christ brings. So the Spirit firstly seeks convict us in regard to sin, because men do not believe in Jesus.

That is where Jesus reminds us that the Holy Spirit will then also convict us with regard to righteousness. Because Jesus was going to the Father - where we can’t see him, he sends the Spirit now to remind us of righteousness - the right relationship with God, that the Lord Jesus has made possible through his death on the cross. Knowing that we are sinful, with no way humanly out, the Holy Spirit leads us to know that Jesus has died for our forgiveness and he rose again for the certainty of our salvation. He assures us that Jesus Christ has done all that is necessary for our salvation, and he leads us to simply trust that this is the case, so that we can go forward with confidence and certainty. The Holy Spirit continually reminds us in the face of our distresses and doubts that, nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

So Jesus reminds us that the Counsellor’s work goes even further – To convict us in regard to judgment:: To remind us that the devil already stands condemned. The Spirit reminds us that the prince of this world did not defeat Jesus when he had him strung up on the cross, instead that there he himself was defeated. Consequently all who listen to him and follow his lies, instead of looking to Jesus and placing their trust in him, will face judgement. In fact they have already judged themselves through their unbelief. Yet all those who look to and place their trust in Jesus Christ and his death on the cross have the assurance that the final judgment will be in their favour.

So there in these three aspects of the Holy Spirit’s work, Jesus reminds us of the work that is done by the Counsellor. His is ‘counsel for the prosecution’ of the world. At the same time he is ‘counsel for the defence’ of all believers; and he is witness to and advocate for the truth.

That last point is in many ways the real key to the sending of the Holy Spirit: to lead us and guide us into all truth. Luther simply and succinctly puts it: the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. He does all that by making us aware of our sin and then pointing us to the truth of all that God has done for us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. His work is to give glory to Jesus, and him only. To do that, he uses and does his work through the Word and Sacraments - through the truth that God has already given to us. So wherever the Word is used, read and heard, there the Holy Spirit is; Where the Sacraments are rightly used, there the Spirit is: and there he is at work reminding us of all that is important. There, having done that, he has done his most important work.

This is the great gift that we are reminded here today that Jesus sends to be with us as we go through life. He is here at work among us in this way; and also in our community and world, as this work is done. Yes the Holy Spirit is here as Counsellor, advocate and lawyer. As we look back through the past 2,000 years we can see how he has done this tremendous work; and are thereby assured that he continues to work with power and with truth amongst us even today. So let us heed him, listen to him and allow him do his work in us and through us to those around about us. In so doing then, all glory will continue to go to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. For to him alone belongs all glory and honour, now and forever. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Toowoomba