St. John's Lutheran ChurchWarrenton, MO

Wed., Dec. 4, 2013

DEVOTION:

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

People are dying everywhere. Trouble seems to be a daily occurrence in just about everyone's lives. Storms seem to be getting worse and worse with every weather forecast. The world is just a horrible mess.

In steps Jesus. In steps the real comfort we need. In steps the Savior of this dark and dreary world who comforts us with the comfort we need to be able to comfort others.

We can try to find comfort in other things, but it never lasts. We can try to make ourselves as comfortable as possible in our nice homes and our comfy chairs, but it only makes us feel more uncomfortable when we have to get out of them. We can try to find comfort in artificial means like alcohol or drugs, but we know exactly where that will get us.

The only way we can find real comfort and peace is through the forgiveness that Jesus brings through his suffering, death and resurrection. Then, when we truly find comfort in the fact that God has given it to us and we in turn are able to give that same comfort and joy to others with the power and assurance that our salvation gives us.

Today we begin our series of three midweek Advent services. If you are feeling uncomfortable at all today, make a stop in to church for a wonderful fried chicken supper and stay for a nice, easy, and restful half hour of worship to comfort you with Christ's love and peace.

Let us pray: Lord God, keep me from trying to find comfort in worldly earthly things that don't provide Help me instead to repent and turn to You for the real comfort that only You can provide. Amen.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
TUESDAY'S QUIZ: fill in the blank: If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is __________ and so is your ________. (NIV)

useless/faith

_________________________________________________________________________________________
WEDNESDAY'S QUIZ: (A little bit harder question for today and one that you will have to go outside of the Bible text to find an answer to.) When was the second letter to the Corinthians written?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
CALENDAR
Wed- Jonesburg Nursing Home worship 10:30am; Supper 5:30; Worship 6:30
Sat- Vendor, Craft and Bake Sale 9-3; Clark/Jordan Wedding 2pm; worship 5pm
Sun- worship 8:30 and 11; Sunday school and adult Bible class 9:45; elders meeting at noon
and give it. If it is money, then money, if it is food, then food, if it is prayer, then prayer, if it is forgiveness, then forgiveness. Whatever it is, give it today!!
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FRIED CHICKEN AND POTLUCK SUPPER (5:30) and WORSHIP (6:30) TONIGHT!! What could be better?

Come for supper at 5:30!! Stay for worship at 6:30!!

If you are in elder groups 1, 2, or 3, you are responsible for bringing the food!!

Our worship will focus on the theme "Beautiful Savior, King of Creation"   showing us how Jesus is much bigger than the 33 years he spent on the earth!!
______________________________________________________
CRAFT SALE, BAKE SALE, and VENDOR FAIR THIS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 9-3!!!!

Come and get your Christmas shopping done and get some goodies to eat at the same time!!!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MEN'S BREAKFAST CHANGED TO THE 14th!!!!
Since the Fair and Sale is going on this Saturday we are changing men's breakfast and Bible Study to the 14th. Please get the word out and invite your friends and neighbors.
____________________________________________________
MANY OF YOU STILL NEED TO BUY YOUR BOOKS FOR THE STORY!!!
The beginning of THE STORY is just a month away!! Are you excited? Do you have your books yet?

Adults may buy their books for $6 a piece before or after worship!!

Kids will get their books at Sunday school, but if they miss Sunday school they can get them after worship as well!!!

There are about 70 adult books left. Get them while they are still available!!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
BRING SQUEEZABLE JELLY (all flavors are acceptable) FOR OPERATION BACKPACK FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER!!
Please put them in the proper receptacle either upstairs or downstairs.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
GIVING TREE IS UP!!
There are 18 families who need help this Christmas. 57 kids need gifts! Come to church this Wednesday or this weekend and take an ornament or two!
_________________________________________________________
THE STORY: AN EXCITING NEW EXPERIENCE FOR OUR WHOLE CONGREGATION!!
What is it? THE STORY is a book compiled and written by Max Lucado and Randy Frazee, which takes sections of the Bible and divides it up into 31 chapters and adds commentary and study notes to it. The best way to describe it is to call it a Reader's Digest condensed version of the Bible. It is not split up into chapters and verses but reads more like a novel, and it doesn't include every bit of the Bible, but most of the main sections and stories.

How will it work? As a family and as individual members of the congregation you will each get a copy of the book. There are different versions for adults, teens, older elementary age and younger children. You will get these and read chapter 1 before January 5. Each week we will go through a chapter of the book in every part of the church's life: in Worship, Bible Studies, Confirmation and in the Home for personal devotions.

Why are we doing this? This is a great opportunity for all of us to read through the Bible TOGETHER in 31 weeks and for us to all literally be on the same page. The materials are excellent. It is a fantastic way for us to grow together as a church and or us to reach out to the community with the Gospel!

What about special weeks like Holy Week and Easter? We will take several weeks off throughout these eight months, one for Life Sunday in January, one for Easter and another two or three when I am going to be gone for Spring Break and other vacations. A specific schedule will be coming out in the next week or so.

How do we get the books? Each adult will be asked to buy a book for $6. A table will be set up in the narthex to buy them before and after services for the next several weeks or you can call Marilyn in the office at 456-2888 to purchase your during the week.

What about the kids? All children will receive a copy that is age appropriate courtesy of the Janet Wagner fund. There will be a table set up for the next several weeks for adults to buy books. Kids will get theirs in Sunday school .

What kind of help is needed to make this a success? We have several volunteers already to sell books, but could use a few more to sell before and after services until everyone who wants a copy of the book has one.    I would also like someone, a man or a woman, who would be willing to lead a study of it during the week.

Can I order books for family members who are not members? There will also be an order form for those of you who want to buy books for your children, grandchildren, relatives, and friends. PLEASE NOTE THAT PRICES WILL FLUCTUATE ON FUTURE ORDERS DUE TO PRICE CHANGES WITH BOOK DISTRIBUTORS AND PUBLISHING HOUSES.

Where can I go to get more info? Please go to www.thestory.com for more info.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

For Marilyn Foster's sister MARCIE, who is having major back surgery TODAY to remove a cyst from around her spinal cord and around some metal that she already has in her back.

For the family of CHAD LEWIS, son of Randy Lewis (a friend of many in the congregation) as Chad was killed in a hunting accident on Sunday.

For WILMA WEIGLE who is back at the nursing home and is doing a bit better.

For NANCY SPINIOLAS as she is home and recovering well from hip replacement.

For JONAS BORCHERT, grandson of Don Nolte, who is dealing with bad cancer in his lungs.

For RICK SPINIOLAS as he continues to battle his pancreatic cancer.

For JOYCE PIETZSCHKE who is recovering from a fractured shoulder.

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Pastor's sermon from Sunday

Check it out, especially if you missed worship.

http://youtu.be/owdkNAfa0BA

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Daily Devotion: Tues., Dec. 3, 2013

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
By Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).

"The Right Destination"
December 3, 2013
(Jesus said) "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." Matthew 6:13
In life a person can make mistakes he will never live down.

Included on my uncomfortably long list of never-forgotten errors is the time I congratulated a lady on the fact she was expecting. Then I asked her when the baby was due. Long story short: there was no due date because she wasn't expecting. Then there was the time ... but, enough about me. I'm sure you have such moments of your own.

High on the list of never-live-downs now belong to the pilot of a cargo-carrying jumbo jet who landed at a small Kansas airport instead of his intended destination: McConnell Air Force base in Wichita. After the landing the pilot and two air-traffic controllers tried to figure out which airport was currently hosting the jumbo jet. In the course of the conversation the pilot gave his coordinates, but in doing so he mixed up east and west. He apologized by saying, "I couldn't read my handwriting."

Now I'm pleased nobody was hurt and the jumbo jet eventually did reach its proper destination. Still, I imagine that pilot will never again be able to enter a room filled with airmen without seeing smiles breaking out and someone asking him, "Hey, pal! Where you goin' today?"

Yes, the story is an amusing one.

Amusing does not describe the situation of millions of souls in this world who, with a terrible pilot in control of their lives, are headed for a very bad landing. If things don't change, on Judgment Day these folks will find that their pilots, sin and Satan, have deliberately taken them to the undesirable destination we call eternal damnation.

And they will never, not through all eternity, ever be able to live it down.

Now the worst part of these sad stories is this: all the tragedies were totally unnecessary. More than 2,000 years ago God's sinless Son came into this world to do everything necessary to make sure our final landing would be in heaven.

So that God might once again take control of our lives, it was necessary for Jesus to carry our sins, resist every temptation, and die the death our transgressions had earned. It was a sacrifice that was unparalleled in commitment and unequaled in completion. Jesus' third-day resurrection from the dead shows He finished the work of redemption, which had been entrusted to Him.

Now all who believe on Him and trust in Him are forgiven and saved.

In other words, because of Jesus, we are going to land in the right place.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks that by the Holy Spirit's power You are in control of my final destination. Today I pray for the many millions who are headed for a disastrous landing, a landing they will regret for eternity. Please touch their hearts, bring them to repentance, and take them safely to heaven. This I ask in the Name of Jesus, my Savior. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour^®
Lutheran Hour Ministries

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___________________________________________________________________________________________________
MONDAY'S QUIZ: Where are the Words of Institution (the words I use before communion) found in Scripture? Hint: It's in 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 11:24-25 (Good job Dianne)
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
TUESDAY'S QUIZ: fill in the blank: If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is __________ and so is your ________. (NIV)
_________________________________________________________________________________________
CALENDAR
Tues- Quilters 9-2; Bible Study 11:30-12:15
Wed- Jonesburg Nursing Home worship 10:30am; Supper 5:30; Worship 6:30
Sat- Vendor, Craft and Bake Sale 9-3; Clark/Jordan Wedding 2pm; worship 5pm
Sun- worship 8:30 and 11; Sunday school and adult Bible class 9:45; elders meeting at noon
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
YOU'VE HEARD OF BLACK FRIDAY AND CYBER MONDAY. TODAY IS GIVING TUESDAY!!!!
Think about who really needs something today and give it. If it is money, then money, if it is food, then food, if it is prayer, then prayer, if it is forgiveness, then forgiveness. Whatever it is, give it today!!
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FRIED CHICKEN AND POTLUCK SUPPER (5:30) and WORSHIP 6:30!!! THIS WEDNESDAY (TOMORROW)!!!! What could be better?

Come for supper at 5:30!! Stay for worship at 6:30!!

If you are in elder groups 1, 2, or 3, you are responsible for bringing the food!!

Our worship will focus on the theme "Beautiful Savior, King of Creation"   showing us how Jesus is much bigger than the 33 years he spent on the earth!!
______________________________________________________
CRAFT SALE, BAKE SALE, and VENDOR FAIR THIS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 9-3!!!!

Come and get your Christmas shopping done and get some goodies to eat at the same time!!!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MEN'S BREAKFAST CHANGED TO THE 14th!!!!
Since the Fair and Sale is going on this Saturday we are changing men's breakfast and Bible Study to the 14th. Please get the word out and invite your friends and neighbors.
____________________________________________________
MANY OF YOU STILL NEED TO BUY YOUR BOOKS FOR THE STORY!!!
The beginning of THE STORY is just a month away!! Are you excited? Do you have your books yet?

Adults may buy their books for $6 a piece before or after worship!!

Kids will get their books at Sunday school, but if they miss Sunday school they can get them after worship as well!!!

There are about 70 adult books left. Get them while they are still available!!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
BRING SQUEEZABLE JELLY (all flavors are acceptable) FOR OPERATION BACKPACK FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER!!
Please put them in the proper receptacle either upstairs or downstairs.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
GIVING TREE IS UP!!
There are 18 families who need help this Christmas. 57 kids need gifts! Come to church this Wednesday or this weekend and take an ornament or two!
_________________________________________________________
THE STORY: AN EXCITING NEW EXPERIENCE FOR OUR WHOLE CONGREGATION!!
What is it? THE STORY is a book compiled and written by Max Lucado and Randy Frazee, which takes sections of the Bible and divides it up into 31 chapters and adds commentary and study notes to it. The best way to describe it is to call it a Reader's Digest condensed version of the Bible. It is not split up into chapters and verses but reads more like a novel, and it doesn't include every bit of the Bible, but most of the main sections and stories.

How will it work? As a family and as individual members of the congregation you will each get a copy of the book. There are different versions for adults, teens, older elementary age and younger children. You will get these and read chapter 1 before January 5. Each week we will go through a chapter of the book in every part of the church's life: in Worship, Bible Studies, Confirmation and in the Home for personal devotions.

Why are we doing this? This is a great opportunity for all of us to read through the Bible TOGETHER in 31 weeks and for us to all literally be on the same page. The materials are excellent. It is a fantastic way for us to grow together as a church and or us to reach out to the community with the Gospel!

What about special weeks like Holy Week and Easter? We will take several weeks off throughout these eight months, one for Life Sunday in January, one for Easter and another two or three when I am going to be gone for Spring Break and other vacations. A specific schedule will be coming out in the next week or so.

How do we get the books? Each adult will be asked to buy a book for $6. A table will be set up in the narthex to buy them before and after services for the next several weeks or you can call Marilyn in the office at 456-2888 to purchase your during the week.

What about the kids? All children will receive a copy that is age appropriate courtesy of the Janet Wagner fund. There will be a table set up for the next several weeks for adults to buy books. Kids will get theirs in Sunday school .

What kind of help is needed to make this a success? We have several volunteers already to sell books, but could use a few more to sell before and after services until everyone who wants a copy of the book has one.    I would also like someone, a man or a woman, who would be willing to lead a study of it during the week.

Can I order books for family members who are not members? There will also be an order form for those of you who want to buy books for your children, grandchildren, relatives, and friends. PLEASE NOTE THAT PRICES WILL FLUCTUATE ON FUTURE ORDERS DUE TO PRICE CHANGES WITH BOOK DISTRIBUTORS AND PUBLISHING HOUSES.

Where can I go to get more info? Please go to www.thestory.com for more info.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

ALL LADIES CHRISTMAS PARTY, MONDAY, DEC. 2, 6pm at BREWSKIES.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

For Marilyn Foster's sister MARCIE, who is having major back surgery to remove a cyst from around her spinal cord and around some metal that she already has in her back.

For the family of CHAD LEWIS, son of Randy Lewis (a friend of many in the congregation) as Chad was killed in a hunting accident on Sunday.

For WILMA WEIGLE who is back at the nursing home and is doing a bit better.

For NANCY SPINIOLAS as she is home and recovering well from hip replacement.

For JONAS BORCHERT, grandson of Don Nolte, who is dealing with bad cancer in his lungs.

For RICK SPINIOLAS as he continues to battle his pancreatic cancer.

For JOYCE PIETZSCHKE who is recovering from a fractured shoulder.

AVENUE OF SAINTS LAST SUNDAY IS THIS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8

You read that right. Bill Rowe, the guitar player for Avenue of Saint, is moving and so they won't be around to play for our worship service anymore. Your last chance to see them and hear them lead us in worship is this Sunday at the 11am service.

Come and sing some good Christmas songs and wish Bill and Corey God's blessings on their new endeavors!

Daily Devotion: Mon., Dec. 2, 2013

DEVOTION: The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers. 1 Corinthians 6:7-8
(For the whole story read 1 Corinthians 6:1-8)

This passage from Paul writing to the Corinthians could have just as easily been written in 2013. It was actually written around 60 A.D. As I read through this passage today I was reminded of the many instances that I have experienced and the many more I have heard of in which Christians have fought with each other, and even brought each other to court to get retribution for wrongs done to them.  Brothers against brothers, families against families. Christian against Christian. It hurts my heart and my soul every time I hear of this.

It hurt Paul's soul too.  These Christians were new and just growing in their faiths and they were already having such difficult problems to deal with among them. When he says, why not rather be wronged or cheated, he is simply saying that it isn't worth the fight. it isn't worth the struggle.  There is no amount of land, of property, of money, of ANYTHING that I worth a lawsuit among Christians. Instead they should work it out in Christian love and fellowship among themselves so that they can keep the unity of the spirit in a bond of peace.

I am pleading with you today that if you have something against your brother or sister in Christ or they have something against you that you reconcile TODAY! Make amends for wrongs done. Forgive any grievances. Overlook things that don't really matter. DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO RESTORE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS IN CHRIST!!!

Please, please, please! Don't be defeated by Satan in these matters. Get your lives and your relationships straight so that the Lord can have a strong foothold in your life and so that Satan gets kicked out of your relationships completely!

Prayer: Lord God, help me to get rid of my grievances, to forgive, to be forgiven, and to restore my relationships to God pleasing ones in Your sight. Amen.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
TUESDAY'S QUIZ: Why did Paul rebuke Peter?

"Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and
separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________
MONDAY'S QUIZ: Where are the Words of Institution (the words I use before communion) found in Scripture? Hint: It's in 1 Corinthians.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
CALENDAR
Mon- Confirmation 5-6:15; Ladies Christmas Party 6pm at Brewskies
Tues- Quilters 9-2; Bible Study 11:30-12:15
Wed- Jonesburg Nursing Home worship 10:30am; Supper 5:30; Worship 6:30
Sat- Vendor, Craft and Bake Sale 9-3; Clark/Jordan Wedding 2pm; worship 5pm
Sun- worship 8:30 and 11; Sunday school and adult Bible class 9:45; elders meeting at noon
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FRIED CHICKEN AND POTLUCK SUPPER (5:30) and WORSHIP 6:30!!! THIS WEDNESDAY!!!! What could be better?

Come for supper at 5:30!! Stay for worship at 6:30!!

If you are in elder groups 1, 2, or 3, you are responsible for bringing the food!!

Our worship will focus on the theme "Beautiful Savior, King of Creation"   showing us how Jesus is much bigger than the 33 years he spent on the earth!!
______________________________________________________
CRAFT SALE, BAKE SALE, and VENDOR FAIR THIS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 9-3!!!!

Come and get your Christmas shopping done and get some goodies to eat at the same time!!!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MEN'S BREAKFAST CHANGED TO THE 14th!!!!
Since the Fair and Sale is going on this Saturday we are changing men's breakfast and Bible Study to the 14th. Please get the word out and invite your friends and neighbors.
____________________________________________________
MANY OF YOU STILL NEED TO BUY YOUR BOOKS FOR THE STORY!!!
The beginning of THE STORY is just a month away!! Are you excited? Do you have your books yet?

Adults may buy their books for $6 a piece before or after worship!!

Kids will get their books at Sunday school, but if they miss Sunday school they can get them after worship as well!!!

There are about 70 adult books left. Get them while they are still available!!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
BRING SQUEEZABLE JELLY (all flavors are acceptable) FOR OPERATION BACKPACK FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER!!
Please put them in the proper receptacle either upstairs or downstairs.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
GIVING TREE IS UP!!
There are 18 families who need help this Christmas. 57 kids need gifts! Come to church this Wednesday or this weekend and take an ornament or two!
_________________________________________________________
THE STORY: AN EXCITING NEW EXPERIENCE FOR OUR WHOLE CONGREGATION!!
What is it? THE STORY is a book compiled and written by Max Lucado and Randy Frazee, which takes sections of the Bible and divides it up into 31 chapters and adds commentary and study notes to it. The best way to describe it is to call it a Reader's Digest condensed version of the Bible. It is not split up into chapters and verses but reads more like a novel, and it doesn't include every bit of the Bible, but most of the main sections and stories.

How will it work? As a family and as individual members of the congregation you will each get a copy of the book. There are different versions for adults, teens, older elementary age and younger children. You will get these and read chapter 1 before January 5. Each week we will go through a chapter of the book in every part of the church's life: in Worship, Bible Studies, Confirmation and in the Home for personal devotions.

Why are we doing this? This is a great opportunity for all of us to read through the Bible TOGETHER in 31 weeks and for us to all literally be on the same page. The materials are excellent. It is a fantastic way for us to grow together as a church and or us to reach out to the community with the Gospel!

What about special weeks like Holy Week and Easter? We will take several weeks off throughout these eight months, one for Life Sunday in January, one for Easter and another two or three when I am going to be gone for Spring Break and other vacations. A specific schedule will be coming out in the next week or so.

How do we get the books? Each adult will be asked to buy a book for $6. A table will be set up in the narthex to buy them before and after services for the next several weeks or you can call Marilyn in the office at 456-2888 to purchase your during the week.

What about the kids? All children will receive a copy that is age appropriate courtesy of the Janet Wagner fund. There will be a table set up for the next several weeks for adults to buy books. Kids will get theirs in Sunday school .

What kind of help is needed to make this a success? We have several volunteers already to sell books, but could use a few more to sell before and after services until everyone who wants a copy of the book has one.    I would also like someone, a man or a woman, who would be willing to lead a study of it during the week.

Can I order books for family members who are not members? There will also be an order form for those of you who want to buy books for your children, grandchildren, relatives, and friends. PLEASE NOTE THAT PRICES WILL FLUCTUATE ON FUTURE ORDERS DUE TO PRICE CHANGES WITH BOOK DISTRIBUTORS AND PUBLISHING HOUSES.

Where can I go to get more info? Please go to www.thestory.com for more info.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

ALL LADIES CHRISTMAS PARTY, MONDAY, DEC. 2, 6pm at BREWSKIES.

PRAYER REQUESTS:
For the family of CHAD LEWIS, son of Randy Lewis (a friend of many in the congregation) as Chad was killed in a hunting accident yesterday.

For WILMA WEIGLE who is back at the nursing home and is doing a bit better.

For NANCY SPINIOLAS as she is home and recovering well from hip replacement.

For JONAS BORCHERT, grandson of Don Nolte, who is dealing with bad cancer in his lungs.

For RICK SPINIOLAS as he continues to battle his pancreatic cancer.

For JOYCE PIETZSCHKE who is recovering from a fractured shoulder.

Decorating Church

We need folks to come to or stay at church at noon today to help decorate the church for Christmas! Please consider it! Thank you.

The Lutheran Hour: December 1, 2013

-------- Original message --------
From: Lutheran Hour Ministries <lh_min@lhm.org>
Date: 11/30/2013 9:16 PM (GMT-06:00)
To: revklaus@hotmail.com
Subject: The Lutheran Hour: December 1, 2013

Sermon Text for December 1, 2013

"Where There's a Way, There's a Will" #81-13
Presented on The Lutheran Hour on December 1, 2013
By Rev. Gregory Seltz, Lutheran Hour Speaker
(How Can God Forgive Me?)
Copyright 2013 Lutheran Hour Ministries

Text: Revelation 22:1-5

Grace and peace to you in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and in the certainty of the coming kingdom of God. Amen.

You've heard it said, "Where there is a will, there is a way!" But, I'm here to tell you today that with God and His work in the world, where there is a way, there is a will. You see, today, we're not talking about our ways or our wills, even about our cultures or our kingdoms; today we're talking about God's will in action for you, for all; that God has a kingdom, here, now, for you; that God's blessing of life and salvation are available here and now for all who put their trust in Him.

The Bible proclaims that God is at work in this world. In Him there is a way for life because there is a will for your salvation. Jesus Christ Himself says, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life" and He invites us to trust in Him and to pray, "Our Father who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name! Thy kingdom come, thy will be done!"

So the question for today is not "How can I make God's kingdom come into this world;" no, God's kingdom has come, on His terms, His way, through a suffering servant Savior and a message that is the power of God for eternal life.

The big question for today is "How can you and I be a part of the eternal kingdom of God that has come into this world for real, for all?" And, how can we be active participants in His kingdom so that others might receive it for themselves as well?

The Kingdom of God has come; the victory of God has been won. This is the time of repentance and faith, this is the time to receive the gracious invitation of God's eternal kingdom; this is the time between the end of the fighting and the ultimate declaration of victory day.

Sometimes in the reality of victory, there are those who refuse to believe that the war is over. Why? Because there are still some battles going on because people haven't heard.
For instance, in WWII, even after President Truman bombed the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, causing the immediate surrender from the Emperor of Japan, there were still battles raging in the South Pacific, battles that the Japanese army was willing to fight to the death. The proclamation of "Nike, Nike, American victory," hadn't fully set in.

You might say the kingdom of the west had come, the battle was done, the resistance was futile. The only question left was how would Japan receive it. Would they receive it as part of a future victory or stubbornly part of certain, ultimate defeat.

Historically, it is worthy to note that the Japanese culture received this foreign coming kingdom, making the best of it for their own people.

They not only surrendered, but they regrouped, even receiving America's help with a little faith in what was yet to come. They allowed American technology to be used in rebuilding their country, and then, some say, in the automobile and electronics industries, they may have even beat the States at their own game.

That's just one example in history of how people received a kingdom that was coming for sure, and received it for their benefit!

But today I'm not speaking about something so temporal as an earthly victory or an earthly kingdom. Such kingdoms, even when they are at their best, are flawed.

Today Jesus is speaking about the kingdom of God; inviting you to pray for its coming into your life; to pray for its ultimate appearance when Jesus Christ comes again.

He says, "Pray, Thy Kingdom come, Father, Thy will be done, Father, on earth as it is in heaven."

His Kingdom, His rule, the fact that all things are under His feet, in His hands; this Kingdom you can't stop it, but you can receive it. You can't thwart it, but you can offer it to others in His Name.

In fact, it's the most important thing that you can belong to in your life. Don't believe that yet? Well, let the Apostle John give you a glimpse of what this Kingdom looks like eternally. He says, "The angel showed me a river that was crystal clear and its waters gave life. The river came from the throne where God and the Lamb were seated. Then it flowed down the middle of the city's main street. Never again will night appear and no one who lives there will ever need a lamp or the sun, the Lord God will be their light and they will rule forever."

What a picture; what a Kingdom. But things sure don't look like that just yet, do they? And, truth be told, St. John is painting a picture of what is coming, that's for sure. But the fact of the matter is this: the Bible proclaims that God's Kingdom is here, right now for you and me by faith in Jesus Christ. There is a way home to God, right now. There is a way for forgiveness with God, right now! There is a Kingdom in this world that can't be shaken with a Word that endures forever, with promises that will all be fulfilled, right now!

Where there is a way, a gracious way by faith in Jesus, there is God's will for your life, God's Kingdom as your home, now and forever.

So, make no mistake. Whether it looks like it at the moment or not, this kingdom is already established! And, it had nothing to do with your will or mine!

In fact, our will often gets in God's way, doesn't it? This is because, apart from the work of God's Spirit, our will is a sinful one, a broken one; one that repeatedly fails even when it is trying to do what is right and good. For we, as sinful people, don't have the capacity to really do things as God intends, the way my neighbor really needs it done. And, truth be told, all too often we actually love what is sinful, harmful, and destructive in our lives. Our will when it comes to the things of God, is often eager to rebel first, to accept no blame, to arrogantly puff out our chest and sing boldly, "I did it my way." Have you ever noticed that about yourself? I've noticed it in my life, that's for sure. But, that's why the grace of God in Jesus is so special, so wonderful.
When we pray, "Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done," we are praying as those who cling to the way and the will of God for our lives, in our lives.

We're praying Lord, we know that Your will, in fact, will be done; we can see the way that you have already set it into motion; from that first promise to Adam and Eve, to the promise for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob for all; to the Kingdom of David finally realized in the Babe of Bethlehem, the Christ of the cross, the resurrected King of all Kings.

Lord, we have heard of it. We have seen it. Please, Lord, let Your will be done, Your Kingdom come into our lives today.

So, when the Bible talks about will, there's our sinful, fallen will and there's God's will.

There's bad will rebelling and there's God's good will hunting in the cross of Christ for those who don't deserve it at all. When Christ said, "It is finished," the gracious, eternal Kingdom of God was established forever in this world. On the cross of Calvary; Satan, the world, and our flesh, they were defeated by the gracious will of our God in action. And now, right now, Jesus Christ, the Lamb who was slain, who has risen from the dead, He has begun His reign. He is seated at the right hand of God and is coming again to judge the living and the dead; and His Kingdom will have no end! What is true by faith 100% now is also going to come crystal clear one day soon before our very eyes! Get ready, He's coming.

In Max Lucado's book the "Applause of Heaven," speaking about the invitation to this Kingdom, he says, "Even though by the book I'm guilty, by God's love I get another chance. Even though by the law I'm indicted, by mercy I'm given a fresh start,

'For it is by grace you have been saved ... not by works, so that no one can boast.'

No other world religion or man-made philosophy offers such a message. They all have some form of do this or don't do that and only if you do all things well, will you be blessed. The demands never end, and those who take life seriously, either are crushed by the expectations or arrogant in the false notion that we have somehow risen to the tasks.

God doesn't play those games. His will, His way, His Kingdom, they're radically different that any we can imagine. It is a Kingdom for the broken, the crushed-in spirit, the poor, the powerless. It's a Kingdom where joining is not within one's grasp, but given fully nonetheless as a gift. It's a Kingdom that comes with adoption papers and full rights as sons and daughters because there is a way established by the will of God for you and for all! Arrogance and fear, those things are replaced with thanksgiving and joy!

Martin Luther says, "God's Kingdom comes without our prayers." In this prayer we pray, "Lord, let it come among us!"

That's why the Lord's Prayer is a prayer of faith. We pray not to some generic god who we hope will bless us, and guard us, and maybe even love us. No, we pray to the Father whose love we trust, in the Name of the Son who made a way of salvation possible for us, in the power of the Holy Spirit who empowers us even when our words and will give out.

The Lord's Prayer is a prayer for real life, for when the rubber hits the road for us all. No matter the circumstance, no matter the trouble we face, no matter the hurt we've endured, there is a way through, because there is God's eternal will of grace at work in this world for you.

Nike, Nike, the victory is won, receive the Kingdom of God.

Lord, teach us to pray. And He says, "Pray this way, Thy kingdom come, Father, Thy will be done, Father, on Earth as it is in heaven."

So, will you accept Christ's teaching and learn with me to pray this way? Will this prayer continue to be an important part of each of your days and nights? These are simple, yet powerful words because one can see God's will and God's way in them for us all and for our salvation.
In fact, please take note of how this invitation to pray is offered, how this Kingdom is made available to you and me.

It is not the edict of a monarch, but the invitation of a Friend. It's not the fiat of a dictator, but the gentle call of One who truly cares for you.

In fact, this eternal invitation to this unparalleled Kingdom is truly unique in all the world. This invitation comes through a servant-King with a word of forgiveness, a status of true freedom (not bondage) with an answer of justice and a real offer of mercy, for all, forever.

Nike, Nike, the victory is won. So, my friend, receive this kingdom of grace through faith, know that your Father loves you and forgives you in the work of Jesus Christ as your Savior. Won't you talk to the One who invites you to pray to Him in the power of His kingdom in His gracious will for your life?

But, Jesus is still not done with us yet. There is even more good news in this petition.
Praying for His will, for His Kingdom, is praying in the power of His Kingdom alive in your life today!

Praying, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done" moves us from talk of God's Kingdom to action, to how we get to live in His Kingdom that lasts forever.

God's will for you in Christ is not only that you belong to His Kingdom, but to live in that kingdom. There is a way, by the power of His Spirit, through His Word and sacraments, for His will to transform your very life.

Praying this petition by faith, your life gets to change.

Author Phillip Yancy says, "The people of God are not merely here to mark time, waiting for God to step in and set right all that is wrong. Rather, they are to model the new heaven and the new earth, and by so doing awaken longings for what God will someday bring to pass."

And even as we wait for that, we get to let God do with us what is best and blessed, for us and for others.

Maybe you've sung the popular hymn, "Just As I Am Without One Plea." But, do you know the story of how and why that was written?

Charlotte Elliott was a sickly English woman who had developed a long history of refusing to do the things she was asked to do because of her illness. Her brother, who was a pastor, had been particularly persistent in trying to get her out of herself, to try to get her involved in doing something positive. But Charlotte had always refused. "I'm not feeling up to it," she would say. "I'm an invalid, you know. I just don't think I can."

In 1834, her brother asked one more time. They were trying to raise funds for a school for young women. Charlotte Elliott was asked to help or at least to just go to the event and do something, anything. But again she refused; again she spoke of being too tired, too sick. And so the family all went off and left her home alone.

That night, Charlotte Elliott began to think about how sickness was literally taking over her life. She realized that her brokenness had become the most important thing, maybe the only thing, in her life. And that night Charlotte Elliott heard the call of God. Out of her restlessness, out of her self-hatred, she wrote, "Just as I am, without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me, and that Thou bidd'st me come to Thee, 0 Lamb of God, I come. Just as I am, and waiting not... just as I am, with many a conflict, many a doubt. Yes, just as I am, poor, wretched, blind... just as I am, I come." Yes, I'm a mess, Lord, but I am coming. No more excuses. Without one plea.

Charlotte Elliott saw through her sickness the very way and the will of God for her eternal life and her work has blessed millions with her personal, prayerful, melodic adaptation of "Father, Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done!"

With faith in Jesus Christ, life in God's kingdom becomes not my kingdom, but yours surround me; not my will, but yours direct me; not my life, but yours be my provision and strength.

Jesus teaches us to live as we pray; to live for others as He lives for us; to love others as He loves us; to forgive others as He forgives us; to show others the way home for them by the gracious will of God for them; to pray a prayer of grace with them because there is a kingdom for them that never ends.

Jesus Christ challenges our will, our personal kingdoms. He challenges us to give up the false notion that we are in control of our own destiny and then He invites us to receive His Kingdom, follow His will, and, ultimately, let His future become our own.
That's why Jesus says, "When you pray, say, 'Father, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done!'" Lord, we pray may it be done to us as you have said!

Amen!

LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for December 1, 2013
Topic: How Can God Forgive Me?

ANNOUNCER: Now, Pastor Gregory Seltz responds to questions. I'm Mark Eischer. Today a listener says he feels guilty for his sins and wants to know how can God really forgive him.

SELTZ: Wow. Guilt, especially during the holidays, even in our modern world, it's a real issue, a real problem. And forgiveness is not always easy to grasp or believe, Mark.

ANNOUNCER: Even in the "Lord's Prayer," forgiveness is a main theme, isn't it?

SELTZ: It sure is, and we're going to talk about that in 2 weeks right here on the Lutheran Hour. So, tune in. But our listener's problem is everyone's problem...the need for forgiveness is very real in life. When people have a clear sense of their own sin and guilt, the gravity of their wrongs, it's easy to wonder how anybody could ever forgive them, let alone God.

ANNOUNCER: That's a heavy weight, when you realize you really do deserve God's punishment, not His forgiveness, especially during this season.

SELTZ: Right. But, that's why Christmas and the Christmas and Easter message of forgiveness is so remarkable. God is doing the forgiving. In fact, that's why there is joy in the world!

ANNOUNCER: You have to admit, though, that kind of talk is so foreign today in our culture. We're often so quick to criticize and to condemn.

SELTZ: Right. And that's why the church needs to keep proclaiming real repentance and mercy as God's solution for our guilt-ridden lives. Our listener asked how God could forgive. The simple answer is because He loves us so much.

ANNOUNCER: We think here of that timeless verse, John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16 ESV).

SELTZ: And that verse directs us to exactly how the forgiveness of our sins was accomplished. You see, God is holy. Sin and impurity cannot stand in His presence. Sin is rebellion against God and His holiness and the consequence of all of that sin is death.

ANNOUNCER: And that's why animals were sacrificed back in Old Testament times.

SELTZ: Yes, God accepted substitutes in our place--animals that received the death we deserved. The Bible says, "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." That's Hebrews 9:22. But those animals could never pay the ultimate price. Their power to forgive was their connection to the Lamb of God who was to come. And so, as you quoted from John 3:16, in His love, God incredibly sent His Son as the ultimate sacrifice for the whole world.

ANNOUNCER: Jesus was then, also the perfect substitute because as both God and Man, He could literally pay the price for sins.

SELTZ: Well said. The Bible does proclaim that through the death of the Babe of Bethlehem on the cross, our sins were completely paid for. Jesus fulfilled God's just demands in our place. When God the Father looks at those who trust in Christ, He sees completely forgiven people.

ANNOUNCER: Forgive means "to let go," "to release."

SELTZ: Right, and that's exactly what God does just that as the Bible says: "As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us" (Psalms 103:12 ESV).

ANNOUNCER: Now, for our listener, how does he receive this forgiveness?

SELTZ: The amazing thing about God's forgiveness is that it is a gift. Ephesians 2 tells us that. And then the Bible goes on to tell us that God delivers this gift through His gracious means. Romans chapter six tells us: "all of us who were baptized into Christ were buried into his death....We were buried therefore by baptism into His death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:3-4 ESV).

ANNOUNCER: So, then, baptism is one way in which God delivers to us what Christ earned for us on the cross.

SELTZ: Right. God saves us by grace, and He even graciously delivers His grace to us, through words we can understand, water we can feel, bread and wine we can taste. Titus chapter three declares: "He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:4-6 NIV).

ANNOUNCER: Our listener, then, can trust in the kindness of God shown to us in Christ.

SELTZ: And that's the point. Through God's gifts of Word and Sacraments, the work of Jesus, the Babe of Bethlehem, the gift of His earned forgiveness, is offered to us for our very own. So, our listener can take heart that, just as the Bible says, "In [Jesus Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Ephesians 1:7 NIV). That's very good news especially at times when we struggle with why God would forgive us.

ANNOUNCER: And it comes as a real Advent and Christmas blessing for us and for our listeners. Thank you, Pastor Seltz. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.

Music Selections for this program:

"A Mighty Fortress" arranged by Chris Bergmann. Used by permission.

"Savior of the Nations, Come" performed by Erin Bode. From Be Still My Soul by Erin Bode (© 2013 Erin Bode)

"The Advent of Our King" From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)

"Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word" From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)