Be Reconciled Every Day In Your Calling As Christians

 Over the past weeks we have focused on a number of crosses that Christians are called to bear. This week we see how it ties together. Each one of our “little” crosses connects us as believers to our Savior’s Cross. The servants are not above the master. God’s blessings this week as we focus our attention on Him. 

Romans 5:9-15 

9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ

12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—

13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.

15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!

 

Ichthyophobia

CHRISTIANS & CROSSES

Fear can be a cross the Christian bears. Believers, both recent converts and long time Christians, can be wracked with fear when it comes to facing even the possibility of persecution. This week we see how Christ conquered fear, and therefore our fears.

Luke 5:1-11
One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,[a] the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

Between the “Already” and the “Not Yet

For the next few weeks our sermons will be following an overarching theme. This theme is titled: Christians and Crosses: this will be the theme of the Sermon series based on the selected readings in the coming weeks.

We turn our attention this week to how the Christian is called to be patient and enduring. This is perhaps a
cross that we don’t even know we carry. Yet it affects many aspects of the Christian life. God’s blessings as
we focus on the patience in the face of hardship that our Savior Jesus endured for us!

The Theme for today’s sermon is “Between the “Already” and the “Not yet”” It is based upon a reading for this, the fifth Sunday after Pentecost from Romans chapter 8 verses 18 through 23.

Present Suffering and Future Glory
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[a] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.

Carry the Cross of Confession!

CHRISTIANS & CROSSES

This week we focus on the cross of confession. We’re not talking about sitting in a booth and confessing our sins. We are talking about confessing or proclaiming our faith. Today marks the anniversary of the presentation of the Augsburg Confession— the moment we mark in history when our Lutheran forefathers made this clear confession of faith before the princes of the Catholic Church. God’s blessings as we worship and “confess” what he has done!

Matthew 10:32-39
32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn

“‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’[a]

37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.