Sermon Archive - August 15th, 2010

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=3 height=130 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="12ba6e903.jpg"> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="11fcbc320.jpg" border=0 width="700" height="50" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>OFFICE:  713-526-5731      5315 MAIN STREET, HOUSTON TEXAS 77004      FAX: 713-524-1709</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="St. Matthew Lutheran Church Houston, Te"><U><B>HOME</B></U></A><B>  ~   </B><A HREF="id39.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Worship Schedule"><U><B>WORSHIP</B></U></A><B>  ~  </B><A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Map Directions"><U><B>LOCATION</B></U></A><B>  ~   </B><A HREF="mailto:info@stmatthewhouston.org?subject=Website Inquiry" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:info@stmatthewhouston.org?subject"><U><B>EMAIL US</B></U></A><B>  ~  </B><A HREF="id452.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Site Map"><U><B>SITE MAP</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=155 BGCOLOR="#660000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="123030970.jpg" border=0 width="48" height="151" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <A HREF="id464.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Welcome"><U>Welcome</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id465.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lutheran Beliefs"><U>Lutheran Beliefs</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id466.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="How to Join"><U>How to Join</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id467.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Local Missions"><U>Local Missions</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id468.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Global Missions"><U>Global Missions</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id508.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Parish Education"><U>Parish Education</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=280 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div> Sermon Archive - August 15th, 2010</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="568" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#990000" BORDERCOLORDARK="#FFCC99" FRAME="VOID" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#FFCC99 HEIGHT= 18 WIDTH="134"><div> <A HREF="id563.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="St. Matthew Sermon Archives"><U><IMG SRC="157a270e0.png" border=0 width="39" height="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#990000 WIDTH="421"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="18" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="421" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>“Surrounded by so Great a Cloud of Witnesses”</B></div> <div> <B>Hebrews 12:1-3</B></div> <div> <B>The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost: August 15, 2010</B></div> <div> <B>Pastor Mark Wiesenborn</B></div> <div> <B>St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Houston, Texas</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>     Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  The sermon text for our message today is taken from the Epistle Lesson, where we are reminded of the great faith of people long ago, including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and those who came after them.  And then WE are encouraged to live according to that same kind of great faith:</B></div> <div> <B>“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>     Dear friends in Christ, lately I have been thinking a lot about some of the wonderful people whom I have known during my six years of service as your Pastor, who are no longer with us.  Each of these made a significant lasting impact either through their positions of service or by the positive example they provided for us.  Just to name a few, in no particular order: Marjorie Lottman, Gloria Lehmann, John Higgins, Mary Kay Poe, Steve Halverson, Ruth Bratton, Nancy Martin, Elvera Barstow, Josephine Boyd, Charlie Geyer, Doris Tomol, and Andy Komarchuk.  I am confident you can think of others like them, either here or in other congregations.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>     When they departed this life to be at peace in the presence of their Savior, many of us felt that bittersweet heaviness of heart that comes from such times.  Yet they also left behind empty seats in the Sanctuary where we used to worship together; and empty chairs where we previously enjoyed fellowship together, and even served on Church ministry boards together with some.  And then I find myself wondering: Who will step forward to take the place of these Saints who have gone before us?  Who will become part of the “Great Cloud of Witnesses” that surrounds those who are new to the faith, to welcome them and encourage them and teach them what it means to grow in faith and in faithfulness?  Who will be the Saints of tomorrow?</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>     Part of the answer to this question can be found in Scripture, where time and time again God has raised up faithful men and women to accomplish the work that He was setting before them.  But the second part might come as a surprise: God is raising up people in this congregation – right here, and right now – to carry on the mission and the ministry of St. Matthew Lutheran Church.  Look around you, at those people seated near you; even the children.  Maybe I’m talking about some of them. And maybe I am also talking about YOU!  God already knows what is to come, even as we are still in the process of discovering, developing, and deploying the spiritual gifts with which He has equipped each of us.  This is why I would like to ask you this morning to consider what is preventing YOU from living according to the great faith of those who have gone before us.  Why NOT live “by faith”?</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>There is a great story that author Ken Davis shares in his book titled “How to Speak to Youth” (pp 104-106), that offers one possible answer to that question:</B></div> <div> <B>“In college I was asked to prepare a lesson to teach my speech class. We were to be graded on our creativity and ability to drive home a point in a memorable way. The title of my talk was, ‘The Law of the Pendulum’. I spent twenty minutes carefully teaching the physical principle that governs a swinging pendulum. The law of the pendulum is this: A pendulum can never return to a point higher than the point from which it was released. Because of friction and gravity, when the pendulum returns, it will fall short of its original release point. Each time it swings it makes less and less of an arc, until finally it is at rest. This point of rest is called the state of equilibrium, where all forces acting on the pendulum are equal.”</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>“I attached a three-foot string to a child’s toy top and secured it to the top of the blackboard with a thumbtack. I pulled the top to one side and made a mark on the blackboard where I let it go. Each time it swung back I made a new mark. It took less than a minute for the top to complete its swinging and come to rest. When I finished the demonstration, the markings on the blackboard proved my thesis. I then asked how many people in the room BELIEVED the law of the pendulum was true. All of my classmates raised their hands; so did the teacher. He started to walk to the front of the room thinking the class was over. In reality it had just begun. Hanging from the steel ceiling beams in the middle of the room was a large, crude but functional pendulum (consisting of 250 pounds of metal weights tied to four strands of 500-pound test parachute cord).”</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>“I invited the instructor to climb up on a table and sit in a chair with the back of his head against a cement wall. Then I brought the 250 pounds of metal up to his nose. Holding the huge pendulum just a fraction of an inch from his face, I once again explained the law of the pendulum he had applauded only moments before, ‘If the law of the pendulum is true, then when I release this mass of metal, it will swing across the room and return short of the release point. Your nose will be in no danger.’ After that final restatement of this law, I looked him in the eye and asked, ‘Sir, do you believe this law is true?’ There was a long pause. Huge beads of sweat formed on his upper lip and then weakly he nodded and whispered, ‘Yes.’ I released the pendulum. It made a swishing sound as it arced across the room. At the far end of its swing, it paused momentarily and started back. I never saw a man move so fast in my life. He literally dived from the table. Deftly stepping around the still-swinging pendulum, I asked the class, ‘Does he believe in the law of the pendulum?’ The students unanimously answered, ‘NO!’”</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>     Why NOT live “by faith” more than we do?  What does it mean to “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and run with endurance the race that is set before us”?  Let me take a minute to identify three specific problems, and I would ask you to reflect on how these are interconnected:</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>1)     Because of our sinful nature, we suffer from a lack of trust in what God can and will do on our behalf. Our Christian faith depends on a foundation of Biblical knowledge that is tested by life experiences to reinforce our ability and our willingness to believe, and that leads us to an ever-deepening trust.  That is why I will continue to preach that we should not only expect miracles when we are faced with challenges in our health or finances or relationships, but that we should even depend on them and joyfully give thanks to God from whom all blessings truly do flow!</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>2)     Even though we are God’s redeemed and sanctified people, we can still become discouraged and live with low expectations for what our mission and ministry here at St. Matthew might be able to accomplish.  During my vacation in Port Aransas a few weeks ago I was able to go fishing on three different occasions; I only caught a total of three fish, but I had a great time because I was able to relax and enjoy watching the sunrise over the ocean.  Fishermen have to be optimists or they would not keep going back!  And even when it may seem that our efforts to reach out with the Good News of Jesus Christ and to bring more people into the church are not producing immediate results, we have to hold onto a sense of hopeful expectation so that we will not grow weary and we will not lose heart.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>3)     Even after we count our blessings, we can be hesitant to make a meaningful commitment in the area of Christian stewardship; in other words, to “be rich toward God” in a sacrificial way with our time and talents and treasures.  God has blessed you in order to be a blessing to others.  Furthermore, He invites us to test Him in this.  Jesus is both the founder and also the perfecter of your faith!</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>     Through faith we can believe in things that we can’t see, based upon God’s revelation that they do indeed exist.  You have probably heard the story about a man who fell off a cliff one night, but managed to grab a tree limb on the way down. The following conversation ensued, as he was holding on for dear life in total darkness: </B></div> <div> <B>Out of desperation, he called out: “Is anyone up there?”</B></div> <div> <B>From above, a voice answered: “I am here. I am the Lord. Do you believe me?” </B></div> <div> <B>“Yes, Lord, I believe. I really believe, but I can’t hang on much longer.” </B></div> <div> <B>“That’s all right, if you really believe you have nothing to worry about. I will save you. Just let go of the branch.”</B></div> <div> <B>There was a long moment of silence, then he said: “Is anyone else up there?”</B></div> <div> <B>He eventually lost his grip, and fell. The ground was only three feet beneath him.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>     So far I have described living by faith as a challenge of learning to trust in God more than you do in your own abilities; trying to figure out what it means to have spiritual gifts; hoping to avoid being crushed by the weight of your problems; and desperately holding on to those things that offer false security.  Maybe none of these seem relevant to your situation, so here is another example.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>It has been said that three elements of personality are involved in making any significant decision.  They are the emotions, the intellect, and the will.  Although we are careful in the Lutheran church to say that coming to saving faith in Christ is entirely the will and the work of God, taking the next step to live by faith is a matter of Christian freedom that includes decisions and also commitments.  So consider the example where a young man meets a young woman. They are immediately attracted to one another. Before long they might each be saying to themselves, “Now there is someone I would like to marry.” At that point, if the emotions had their way, there would be a wedding. But the intellect intervenes, questioning the impulsive emotional response. Would we be compatible? What is she really like? Can I afford to support her? Both conclude it would be better to take some more time and answer a few questions before they proceed. So the two begin spending more time with each other. He eventually concludes that she is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. Now his intellect has sided with the emotions on the idea of marriage.  But the final and heaviest vote remains to be cast – that of the will. It stops the march toward the altar with the questions, “Am I willing to give up this lifestyle for another? What about my freedom – is it worth the trade? Am I willing to assume the added responsibility?” The marriage will occur only when the will finally agrees with the emotions and the intellect. And so it is in coming to living and active faith in Christ. [Jim Peterson, Living Proof, NavPress, 1989, p. 170]</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>     Brothers and sisters, our freedom in Christ has been accomplished at great cost.  This is why we are called to run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>I especially like the way that Martin Luther expresses this: “God our Father has made all things depend on faith so that whoever has faith will have everything, and whoever does not have faith will have nothing.”</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>What does it mean to live by faith? One night a house caught fire and a young boy was forced to flee to the roof. The father stood on the ground below with outstretched arms, calling to his son, “Jump! I will catch you.” He knew the boy had to jump to save his life. All the boy could see, however, was flame, smoke, and blackness. As can be imagined, he was afraid to leave the roof. His father kept yelling: “Jump! I will catch you.” But the boy protested, “Daddy, I can’t see you.” In a clear, strong voice his father replied, “But I can see you and that’s all that matters.”</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>     In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen!</B></div> <div> <B> </B></div> <div> <B>EPISTLE LESSON – Hebrews 12:1-3 [ESV]</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>     1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>     3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.</B></div> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=155 BGCOLOR="#660000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="122e30960.jpg" border=0 width="48" height="150" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <A HREF="id499.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Meet Our Leaders"><U>Meet Our Leaders</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id114.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tour Our Church"><U>Tour Our Church</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id493.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Read Our History"><U>Read Our History</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id626.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Arts and Music"><U>Arts and Music</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id136.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Special Events"><U>Special Events</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id515.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photo Gallery"><U>Photo Gallery</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=70 BGCOLOR="#660000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <A HREF="id423.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bible Search"><U><B>BIBLE SEARCH</B></U></A><B>  ~  </B><A HREF="id99.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="LCMS Links"><U><B>LUTHERAN LINKS</B></U></A><B>  ~  </B><A HREF="id100.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Online Devotionals"><U><B>DEVOTIONALS</B></U></A><B>  ~  </B><A HREF="id563.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="St. Matthew Sermon Archives"><U><B>SERMON ARCHIVES</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> © 2011  St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Houston, TX - All Rights Reserved</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>