Bible Study: Job 13:1-11, November 30, 2014

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 30, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 13:1-11.

The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.

A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Mark 13:24-37, November 30, 2014

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 30, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Mark 13:24-37. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.

Sermon: Mark 13:24-37, November 30, 2014

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Mark, the 13^th chapter:

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.” 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,

     Our lesson in Mark appears to pick up where we left off the last month in Matthew, darkness and the great day of the Lord.  But, remember, my friends, Jesus Christ is light of the world, the light which no darkness can overcome.  Should the sun go out and all the stars of the heavens, the light of Jesus Christ cannot be overcome.

     The admonition that we hear Scripture give us, stay awake, everyone here should consider for the Last Day, even our own last day upon this earth.  If we do not, we will fall asleep, slumber, rest, without knowing that our day is coming, and there we shall suddenly realize that we have fallen away from Jesus and we are no longer His.  So stay awake in Word and Sacrament.

     We continue to look to that Last Day, for it reminds us that every man will have to give an accounting to God.  Either we shall make our case solely on Christ and His merits, as we do through those Sacraments, or we will make our case on our own merits.  There are no other choices.

A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: 1 Timothy 2:1-4, Thanksgiving, November 26, 2014

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 26, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on 1 Timothy 2:1-4. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.

Sermon: 1 Timothy 2:1-4, Thanksgiving, November 26, 2014

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The text this evening is from Paul’s First Letter to Timothy, the second chapter:

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,

     I try to think of myself in a place like St. Louis this week and I cannot imagine that I would feel that there was much to be thankful for.  With rapt attention, we’ve been watching the television and reading news reports.  I’ve been watching as businesses have burned down.  I’ve seen protestors and reporters tear gassed.  I’ve watched people crying over the devastation of their neighborhood.  And we’ve all seen the heart-wrenching pain of a family losing a son, and the fear behind the man’s eyes who took that son’s life while he was doing his job.  There’s not a lot to be thankful for, it seems, in Ferguson, Missouri tonight.

     I know, perhaps you came tonight thinking that the pastor is going to give some wonderful little sermon about how to be thankful to God.  How to pray.  How to sing.  How God has blessed us all in Christ.  All that’s true.  But, thanksgiving also requires that we first put ourselves in the proper place, the place of sinners.  We are Ferguson.

Bible Study: Job 12, November 23, 2014

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 23, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 12.

The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.

A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Matthew 25:31-46, November 23, 2014

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 23, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Matthew 25:31-46 The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.

Sermon: Matthew 25:31-46, November 23, 2014

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The text this morning is from the Gospel of Matthew, the 25^th chapter:

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,

     Have you ever heard of a triptych?  A triptych is a piece of work that is divided into three panels.  They were very popular during the Reformation, as the painting itself could help educate people on Biblical narratives, like Abraham and Isaac, Adam and Eve, and, of course, the life of Christ.  A triptych could depict something like the crucifixion of Jesus in the center panel, with John praying at the foot of the cross on the left panel, and Jesus’ mother, Mary, weeping on the right panel.  Basically, the whole thing is showing one major scene, one major depiction, using three perspectives.

     What’s going on in Matthew 25 is a triptych of sorts.  The parable of the 10 virgins, the parable of the unfaithful steward and the talents, and now the telling of the Last Judgment.  These are three pictures that are telling the same story, the same story from three perspectives, the story of faith.

With the virgins, we had the perspective that you cannot buy your way into your eternal reward, but that you should be ready and watchful for the end.  With the unfaithful steward, we had a man who rejected the gift of God given to Him and squandered it unfruitfully.  And now, we have this story, not so much a parable, but a glimpse of what will happen when our Risen and Victorious Lord descends from heaven and brings the Last Judgment with Him.

Bible Study: Matthew 25:31-46, November 19, 2014

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on Matthew 25:31-46 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on November 19, 2014. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday.

The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.

A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Matthew 25:14-30, November 16, 2014

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 16, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Matthew 5:14-30. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.

Sermon: Matthew 25:14-30, November 16, 2014

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Matthew, the 25^th chapter:

“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away… But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ …He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,

     Fast on the heels of the parable of the 10 virgins, where our Lord spoke of two groups of women, one who waited for the bridegroom, and one who forsook their duty in welcoming the bridegroom and tried to earn it all themselves, Jesus flips the table, so to speak.  Now, instead of unwise, foolish, and moronic virgins trying to buy their way into the kingdom of heaven, we have an unwise, foolish, moronic servant wasting the gift of the master and getting himself thrown out.

     As it was in last week’s parable, the small object that seems to serve as the biggest plot device stands for something.  Last week, it was oil and faith, especially the faith given to us in our Baptisms, strengthened in the Supper, and persevering in the Word.  So, certainly, our Lord has got to be switching it up today, right?  I mean, He wouldn’t tell the same kind of story twice in a row, would He?

A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Matthew 25:1-13, November 9, 2014

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 9, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Matthew 25:1-13. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.

Sermon: Matthew 25:1-13, November 9, 2014

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Matthew, the 25^th chapter:

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,

     These last three weeks of the Church year begin to take a dark turn.  We have just celebrated in our church the reclamation of the Gospel in the Feast of Reformation Day.  We are saved by grace through faith alone by Christ.  We have His assurance that we are His.  And we celebrated the feast of All Saints, looking at the care our Lord has given to our loved ones who have passed on from this mortal coil, this vale of tears into the beginnings of eternal life with their Savior, Jesus Christ, and with the whole entire Church for eternity.

     But, now we turn our eyes to the sky and we begin to see the darkness.  We not only see our sun setting earlier and earlier, but our world begins to grow colder and colder.  We wonder if this is the end of days.  This world and all that is in it is beginning to die off, trees shedding the leaves that were so healthy this summer, grass becoming brown and stained, dirt becoming hard and unforgiving.  Is this the end? 

Bible Study: Matthew 25:1-13, November 5, 2014

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on Matthew 25:1-13 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on November 5, 2014. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday.

The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.

Bible Study: Job 11:7-20, November 2, 2014

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 2, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 11:7-20.

The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.

A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Matthew 5:1-12, November 2, 2014

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 2, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Matthew 5:1-12. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.

Sermon: Matthew 5:1-12, November 2, 2014

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Matthew, the fifth chapter:

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,

     These beatitudes are so good for us, but they often go so wrong.  People tend to make them about the idea that these are attitudes you must be, be-attitudes.  You must be meek, you must be poor in spirit, you must be a peacemaker.  And if you don’t become these things, then, at best, you’re not blessed, and in the middle, you’re an awful Christian, and at worst, you’re not a Christian at all.

     But that’s not what’s going on here.  Jesus our Lord is speaking to all the people who were coming to Him for healing from all manner of sickness and disease.  And the thing to remember is that these people, many of them, were dragged to Jesus because they had no power of their own.  They were powerless.  In their society, they were the welfare state.  They were the ones to whom everything had to be given.  They were those who were not allowed to go to the Temple in Jerusalem to worship their God because according to God and man they were ceremonially unclean and could not approach their Lord.

     They were set apart from God.  They were never allowed to enter the Temple.  They never saw a sacrifice of atonement that was made for them.  They never offered their sacrifice on the altar.  They felt they were still in their sins.  There was nowhere to run, there was nowhere to hide; in their minds, God was coming to get them, take them down, and shove them into the pit of hell.  They had no assurance, no means of grace.  They had no object for their faith.