Sermon Audio: Matthew 10:5a, 21-33, June 25, 2017

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on June 25, 2017 at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on Matthew 10:5a, 21-33. The text of this sermon may be found by http://apastoralapproach.blogspot.com/2017/06/sermon-text-matthew-105a-21-33-june-25.html and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon Text: Matthew 10:5a, 21-33, June 25, 2017

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 10th chapter:

These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “…Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household. “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,
     I don’t know what it’s like to be black in America.  Some of you here do, some of you don’t.  I don’t know what it’s like to be a person of color in America.  I believe that we should all have the same opportunities, regardless of color, but I know that’s not always possible.

     I don’t know what it’s like to feel like you may have to watch your back at any moment for discrimination.  I don’t know what it’s like, even, to wonder if your child is going to come back to you safe or if you’re going to a coroner’s call in the middle of the night.  I don’t know.

     What I do know is that we have had a very tumultuous few years as pertains to race relations in the US.  I don’t know what it is about this country, but race relations, politically, have never been okay.  Other countries, even other countries where the abomination slavery was had for a long time and then abolished, don’t seem to have quite the same problems we do.  There are organizations that won’t let you in if you’re not white.  There are groups that try to intimidate anyone who isn’t black.  The police and justice systems seem systemically skewed against minorities.  Young, urban kids take to the streets to spread their gangland territories and destroy communities.

     Obviously, these are generalizations.  There are good police men and women.  There are wonderful, positive kids who come from the worst parts of the city.  Men and women, white and black, work together to restore relationships and build up communities.  But, we all know that these issues exist.  Between that God-awful video of Philando Castille being released in which we see a scared police officer shoot a man to death who apparently was both trying to do good according to the law, but still may not have been heeding the officer’s directions, and the acquittal of Dominique Heaggan-Brown, the Milwaukee police officer who shot an unarmed man last year, and pretty much anything else that happens when you turn on your television today, race relations seem to be at all time low.

Sermon Audio: Matthew 9:35-10:8, June 18, 2017

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on June 18, 2017 at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on Matthew 9:25-10:8. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon Text: Matthew 9:35-10:8, June 18, 2017

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 ninth and tenth chapters:

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,
     What is the Kingdom of Heaven?  That phrase is mentioned often throughout the New Testament.  The Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of the Father, the Kingdom of Christ and God, the Kingdom of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Kingdom of Our God.  These are all the ways that Jesus and His apostles talk about this “kingdom.”  But what is it?

     I mean, whenever Jesus talks about it, it’s like it’s a place, right?  He says the Kingdom of God is at hand, the Kingdom of heaven is in their midst, the Kingdom of God is coming, the Kingdom of God is preached.  This place, this thing, whatever it is, does a lot, apparently.  And we should talk about it, recognize it, preach about it.  That’s what Jesus says.

Sermon Audio: Matthew 28:16-20, June 11, 2017

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on June 11, 2017 at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on Matthew 28:16-20. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon Text: Matthew 28:16-20, June 11, 2017

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 28th chapter:

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” 

Thus far the text.

Alexis, Hosanna, Gianna, Layla, and my dear friends in Christ,
     A few months ago, a movie came out that has the potential to do more damage to the Christian faith than even the heresies that brought about the need to confess the Athanasian creed.  It was based on a book that was published a decade ago.  It’s called “The Shack.”  You’ve probably heard of it.  I’m not going to spend this sermon criticizing each and every point of the book, since I promised you this would be a shorter sermon given all that’s going on here today, and if we really wanted to tear it apart, it would take more than a few hours.

     However, this book is so dangerous to the Christian faith because it may lead people to believe something about the Holy Trinity that isn’t true.  This matters.  It matters that we not think of a god who calls himself “Papa” but shows himself as a large, African-American woman, a holy spirit who calls himself Sarayu and is overly interested in the randomness of creation, and a somewhat-sorta-accurate portrayal of a guy called Jesus.  That’s the god of  “The Shack,” and that’s no god at all.

Sermon Audio: Acts 2:1-21, June 4, 2017

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on June 4, 2017 at St. Peter–Immanuel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, on Acts 2:1-21. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon Text: Acts 2:1-21, June 4, 2017

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 Acts of the Apostles, the second chapter:

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.” But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,
     So, I guess when I think about Pentecost, I would tend to think that it’s all about the Holy Spirit.  After all, mighty rushing wind.  Tongues of fire.  Baptism stuff.  I mean, that’s all Holy Spirit stuff, right?

     Sure, it is.  That’s totally all Him.  But the day isn’t about Him in the least.  I mean, okay, fine, it is a little, in that we see His work, but it’s about Him as much as it is the Father.  And when I say that, I really mean to say that it’s really all about Jesus.  Always.  It’s always about Jesus.