Sermon Archive - November 26th 2008

<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>OFC:  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="id362.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="URL Calendar Home Link"><U><B>CALENDAR</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 - November 26th 2008</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= 20 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="20" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="421" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>“Humbled and Hungry”</B></div> <div> Deuteronomy 8:1-10</div> <div> Thanksgiving Eve: November 26, 2008</div> <div> Pastor Mark Wiesenborn</div> <div> St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Houston, Texas</div> <div>       </div> <div>      <I><B>May the words of my mouth and the meditations of the assembled hearts be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.</B></I> [<I>Psalm 19:14</I>]</div> <bR> <div>      <B>The FEAST was about to begin!  </B>Eagerly surveying this unexpected and undeserved opportunity, “Sam” paused for a moment wondering whether to begin with the oven-roasted Butterball turkey breast or the fragrant dressing covered with gravy; whether to fill up on cranberry sauce or green bean casserole or sweet potatoes, or to be daring and go straight for that holiday favorite pecan pie.  Overwhelmed by the sight and the smells, “Sam” whispered a quick prayer of thanksgiving and then surrendered to the joy of the moment.  It was a glorious day to be alive!</div> <bR> <div>      I suspect that by now, <I>some of you have a picture in your mind</I> of this occasion.  Perhaps you have imagined “<B>Sam</B>” sitting down alongside your family and friends for the big Thanksgiving feast you probably have already begun preparing.  So forgive me as I <I><B>enlarge your vision of the Feast</B></I>, to see whether this changes things:</div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00008000.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">First, how would you react if I informed you that <B>Sam</B> is <U>a large gray rat</U> who is happily climbing into the garbage dumpster that sits behind a Luby's restaurant, preparing to feed on leftover scraps that have been thrown away?  After all, this is his home and he is surviving at a fairly comfortable standard of living.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00008000.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">As a credible alternative, let's consider that “<B>Sam</B>” - or <I><B>Samantha</B></I>, as she used to be called last summer back home in Galveston - is <U>an eleven year old girl whose parents died</U> in the floodwaters of Hurricane Ike.  She is one of many who was quickly referred for foster care but has now fallen through the gaps in a social welfare system that is supposed to be a safeguard for children like her against poverty.  This is her first Thanksgiving meal from a Luby's dumpster, but beggars cannot be choosers and so she is thankful that God has provided this gift.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00008000.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">And finally, if you are troubled or offended by this setting let's say that the meal is being served at the best table in one of Houston's finest five-star restaurants.  The white linen napkins and tablecloth are immaculate; in fact, the table is even adorned with a large vase of gladiolas.  The host has already invited the guest to order as much as desired from the elegant menu selection, and there will be absolutely no charge.  Several impeccably-dressed waiters stand ready to respond to every request.  But this time, “<B>Sam</B>” is <U>a sixty-something-year-old man dressed in a cheap suit, who has neither bathed nor shaved since he was released from prison one week ago</U>.  He had often wondered whether he would ever even have the opportunity to taste freedom again, and is expecting this undeserved dream to end at any moment.</div> <bR> <div>      <B>The way that we react</B> to stories like these tends to take into account our attitude towards the characters involved.  Is the recipient WORTHY of the gifts they are receiving?  Are the gifts GOOD ENOUGH for the one who receives them?  We easily find ourselves <U>slipping into value judgments</U>, and that is why you may have responded with <I><B>indifference</B></I> to the large rat but with <I><B>pity</B></I> for a helpless orphan girl sharing the very same meal from a dumpster, and then possibly with <I><B>disdain</B></I> or even a little bit of <I><B>annoyance</B></I> to the suggested possibility of an ex-convict living much better than many of us could afford or would choose.</div> <bR> <div>      I used these illustrations hoping to open your hearts and minds to an important message for Thanksgiving Eve based upon the Old Testament lesson, which says:</div> <bR> <div> “<B><U>He humbled you and let you hunger</U></B><B> and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that </B><I><B>man does not live by bread alone</B></I><B>, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”</B></div> <bR> <div>      Dear friends in Christ, the FEAST is about to begin - but before we whisper a quick prayer of thanksgiving and then surrender to the joy of the moment, our Lord wants to accomplish a transformation within each of us.  He wants us to come to His table not only <I><B>hungry</B></I>, but also <I><B>humbled</B></I>.  Before our lives can be changed, our eyes must be opened to the GIVER and to His gifts.  It is only by the faith offered to us by His grace that we come to understand <B>the connection between our unworthiness and our King's generosity</B>.</div> <bR> <div>      This message would be so much easier if the SINFUL rat-race of this world did not <U>invite us to eat from a dumpster</U>, while deceiving us into accepting that it provides a fairly comfortable standard of living and that everyone else is doing the same thing.  As a Pastor, I often find myself trying to teach good people who truly love their Savior that the guidance found in His Word is established as their spiritual food, as daily bread given to keep them from all harm and danger.  But when we try to rationalize envy and anger and jealousy and gossip; when we condone alcoholism or abusive relationships or couples living together without seeking God's blessing of Christian marriage - then we are mocking God and climbing into a dumpster of decay that will only cause us to become sicker and weaker!  Forgiveness of our transgressions against God and reconciliation with one another can only begin with <B>humbled hearts</B> and <B>repentant spirits</B>.</div> <bR> <div>      “<I><B>When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom</B></I>.” [<I>Proverbs 11:2</I>]  Brothers and sisters, as you honestly reflect upon the way that your life has been going lately - I must ask whether you think of your reservoir of spiritual blessings as being HALF EMPTY or HALF FULL?  Do you wonder whether God has abandoned you, like that eleven-year old orphan girl left all alone to survive one day at a time?  <B>Have you been humbled for a little while </B>by circumstances of health, or finances, or relationships, or <U>have you found hope and taken refuge beneath the cross of Jesus Christ</U>?</div> <bR> <div>      “<I><B>Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you</B></I>. So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him.” [<I>Deut. 8:5-6</I>]</div> <bR> <div>      How can our worldly value judgments <I><B>accept the truth</B></I> that Jesus has <U>forgiven</U> our sins and <U>set us free</U> from captivity to this world, and then freely offered each of us an opportunity to receive spiritual blessings beyond our boldest dreams?  <B>Are you hungry</B> for an extra helping of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness or self-control? [<I>Galatians 5:22-23</I>]</div> <bR> <div>      A young woman named Mary was blessed beyond her imagination.  While she was still carrying the Christ child in her womb, she said “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.”  And then she said, “<I><B>He has filled the hungry with good things</B></I> but has sent the rich away empty.” [<I>Luke 1:46-48,53</I>]</div> <bR> <div>      This happens not by our choice, but by the will of God: <B>we find ourselves both humbled and hungry</B>.  It is all a part of His master plan for the salvation of the world.  As the apostle Paul wrote:</div> <bR> <div> “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. <I><B>I can do everything through him who gives me strength</B></I>.” [<I>Philippians 4:12-13</I>]</div> <bR> <div>      The Feast is ready,  <U>and we are invited to come to the Feast</U>: to confess our sins in humility and to worthily receive both spiritual and physical blessings in the name of Jesus Christ, and <I><B>for His sake alone</B></I>.  This is a glorious day to be alive!  “Let <I>us</I> give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” [<I>Psalm 107:8-9</I>]</div> <bR> <div> “And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good <I>things</I> he has given you.” [<I>Deut. 8:10</I>]</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen!</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>OLD TESTAMENT READING</B> - Deuteronomy 8:1-10 [ESV]</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Franklin Gothic Book" >     1</FONT> “The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers.  <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Franklin Gothic Book" >2</FONT> And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Franklin Gothic Book" >3</FONT> <B>And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord</B>.  <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Franklin Gothic Book" >4</FONT> Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years.</div> <bR> <div>      <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Franklin Gothic Book" >5</FONT> Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you.  <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Franklin Gothic Book" >6</FONT> So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him.  <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Franklin Gothic Book" >7</FONT> For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and hills, <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Franklin Gothic Book" >8</FONT> a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey,  <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Franklin Gothic Book" >9</FONT> a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper.  <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Franklin Gothic Book" >10</FONT> <U>And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you</U>.</div> <bR> <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><B>~  </B><A HREF="id99.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="LCMS Links"><U><B>LUTHERAN</B></U></A><A HREF="id99.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="LCMS Links"><U><B> LINKS</B></U></A><B>  </B><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> © 2008  St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Houston, TX - All Rights Reserved</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>