What Is a Christian?
Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
August 13, 2023 • Pastor Greg Stenzel • Romans 8:28–39
Wherever faith clings to the promises of God, doubt is always lingering in the back of our mind, constantly asking the serpent’s garden question, “Did God really say?” How striking to think that one must have faith in God before it is even possible to doubt him! It is not uncommon that, in times of adversity, doubt rears its ugly head—doubts about God’s care, God’s promises, God’sprovidence. In those times, the true answer to doubt is not found in some great miracle that removes adversity but in the still small voice of our Savior God whispering to us in his Word. Through that Word, Christ reaches out to us with nail-scarred hands, proof of his great love. Jesus gently says, “Why did you doubt?” Our faith is restored. The Christian answers doubt with faith because Jesus makes it so.
Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
July 30, 2023 • Pastor Greg Stenzel • Matthew 13:44–52, 1 Kings 3:5–12, 1 Timothy 6:17–21
THE CHRISTIAN SEEKS SPIRITUAL WEALTH What do you consider your life’s priorities? If you made a list, what would be near the top? Faith, family, and friends would probably head the lists of many. Financial security and health would be right up there. Reputation and recreation would likely make the cut. But perhaps a more interesting question than “What do you consider your life’s priorities?” is “Which of the items on that list would you be willing to sacrifice to save your top priority?” What if you had to give up the whole list—family, friends, finances, health, reputation, recreation—to save just one priority: faith? This week we are given an honest assessment of what really matters in life. The kingdom is worth everything. Worldly wealth can buy the things of this world, the type of things that rust and decay, things that will not last. True wealth is spiritual wealth. It can be found only in God and his eternal blessings for us in Christ. The Christian seeks spiritual wealth first and will sacrifice anything to obtain it.
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
July 23, 2023 • Pastor Greg Stenzel • Isaiah 44:6–11, Romans 1:18–25, Matthew 13:24–30, Matthew 13:36–43
THE CHRISTIAN LIVES AS WHEAT AMONG WEEDS The wheat that grows in the Middle East is a variety that looks much like wild grass or weeds. It is difficult to tell wheat and weeds apart until shortly before harvest time when the wheat stalks develop a head containing the kernels of grain. Try and pull the weeds out of a wheat field, and you will likely pull up a fair amount of wheat accidentally. So you need to wait for the harvest to separate wheat from weeds. In Part 4 of our series "What Is a Christian," Jesus uses that image to illustrate life on this side of heaven. Christians are pictured as wheat planted by the Lord. Evil and unbelieving evildoers are pictured as weeds. We might want God to take care of evil now—to pull up all the weeds. But he tells us to wait for the harvest. God will fix the problem of evil in this world, but it might not be today or tomorrow. What does God want us to do while we wait? He wants us to live like wheat among weeds, serving the purpose for which he planted us. That means being faithful, fruitful, and mindful of the coming harvest.
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
July 9, 2023 • Pastor Greg Stenzel • Exodus 33:12–23, Romans 7:15–25, Matthew 11:25–30
WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN? "THE CHRISTIAN FINDS REST IN JESUS" Without rest, we suffer. Studies show that after 36 hours without sleep, most people experience extreme fatigue and hormonal imbalances, resulting in decreased attention, poor decisions, and even speech impairment. Other studies show that if someone takes no breaks during their workday, their productivity is lower than those who take periodic breaks. We need rest. Christians know they need more than sleep or breaks. We need more than physical rest. We need spiritual rest. The Christian knows that the only place to find that type of rest is Jesus. Jesus provides more than a pause in work, more than enjoyable recreation. Jesus provides the removal of our sins, the cleansing of our guilty conscience, and a gentle new yoke of discipleship. In Jesus, the Christian finds rest from his burdens, rest from his battles, and rest forever in heaven.
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
July 16, 2023 • Pastor Greg Stenzel • 1 Corinthians 3:5–11, Matthew 13:1–9, Matthew 13:18–23, Isaiah 55:6–11
THE CHRISTIAN IS PLANTED BY THE WORD Planting seeds by hand can seem magical. In your hand, the seed looks insignificant and lifeless. Yet you put it into the soil, and the natural process of life begins. Seemingly, all by itself, the seed germinates and reaches the sun. Except when it doesn’t! Plant multiple seeds, and often only some, perhaps just a small amount, will sprout. As these few sprouts grow, birds, pests, weeds, and weather attack. The reality is that once the seed leaves your hand, you are at the mercy of forces beyond your control. Today, God uses that experience from nature to explain the supernatural process by which God calls humans to faith through the gospel. The Christian is planted by the Word. The Christian can plant the seed of the gospel into the soil of another’s heart. What happens after that is entirely beyond our control. Yet God promises us that his Word always accomplishes his good purposes. God’s Word is powerful, all on its own, without our help.
Fifth Wednesday after Pentecost
July 5, 2023 • Pastor Greg Stenzel • Exodus 32:15–29, 1 Timothy 6:11–16, Matthew 10:34–42
THE CHRISTIAN LOVES GOD ABOVE ALL Not all love is good. It is self-destructive to love bad things. However, loving good things in the wrong order is just as harmful. For example, it would seem to be a good thing that a man loves his dog. But if he loves his dog more than he loves his wife, his “love” for both is disordered. That is not in the best interests of the man, his wife, or even his dog. For love to be healthy, it needs to be properly ordered. The Christian loves God above all things, for the Christian understands that everything in this world is transitory. Relationships fail. Empires fall. Accomplishments are quickly forgotten. But nothing about God is transitory. God’s love is eternal. He promises the Christian everlasting life. And so the Christian struggles not simply to avoid loving bad things. The Christian struggles to love God above all other good things because the Christian understands that God is of ultimate value.