LENT 5, C – March 21, 2010

SCRIPTURES – Isaiah 43:16-21; Phil. 3:8-14; Luke 20:9-20; Psalm 3

Right now across the country millions of people are filling out their census forms. Our government wants to know such things as who you are, where you live, and who lives with you. There are just ten questions the government wants you to answer. One question you will not find on the census form is: are you a follower of Jesus Christ? This is not a question for the government, but it is vitally important for us. There is nothing more important than being believers in the Triune God and followers of Jesus Christ!

In his letter to the Philippians the apostle Paul declared:

“I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him… Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own… I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

These are strong words. In order to follow Jesus Paul did not just make a change in his lifestyle here and there, such as giving up cigarettes or not swearing. Becoming a Christian, changing from Judaism to Christianity, meant far more than simply changing his day of worship from Saturday to Sunday. “I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him.” His entire life was changed, and all the things of his life that were so important before:

‡       his heritage, nationality, and people;

‡       his circumcision, which was for him the sign of his faith and commitment to God;

‡       the life he chose, of living as a Pharisee;

‡       his efforts to learn and follow God’s commands, and to make sure others also honored and obeyed God;

all of this he now turned his back on and rejected. It wasn’t just that it was no longer important; it was rubbish, garbage that was smelly and worthless because it could not do what he thought it would do: make him righteous before God! Knowing Jesus, believing in Him and receiving the righteousness Christ had gained for him, being raised from the dead with Him and receiving the prize of eternal life in heaven – this was all that mattered.

Is knowing Christ, gaining Him and His righteousness and being found in Him, the most important thing in your life? I hope you would say it is. But, is it really? Does your life show that there is nothing more important to you than your faith in Christ? Do you live it?

I often wonder. We people of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS) are known as people who take God and His Word very seriously. Did you know, for instance, that within just 20 or so years after our Church was established in this country, in the years before and during the Civil War, LCMS people were known for their opposition to slavery? We opposed it because God made all people in His image and Christ died for all. We were not popular in many parts of the country because of this belief. To this day we are known as people who follow what the Bible says. When society changes and looks at things differently, we don’t reinterpret the Bible and change what we taught before in order to get along. Some say that we’re stubborn, unreasonable, old fashioned, even foolish. We say that we’re faithful to Christ.

We should be. God expects this, as Jesus says: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard.”  We are God’s vineyard, His planting, and He expects fruit from us, just as a farmer expects crops. Are you producing fruit? And, not just any fruit, but the fruit that God expects? As I said before, I wonder. Few of us attend any Bible classes to learn more clearly what God says. I guess we’re satisfied with what little we know. We’re nervous about praying out loud, even with each other. And, as far as worshiping our Lord: on any given Sunday, just one out of every three members of the LCMS is in church. This is true of our congregation, also. How can we say we’re producing good fruit if we cannot even be bothered to be in God’s house to honor Him with our listening ears, our voices, and our hearts? We’re hard working people who strive to get ahead in life and be more successful, but “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” is not clearly in evidence. When he was confronted with his sins Paul turned his back on his life, saying, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” If how we live is challenged we often rationalize and make excuses for not changing, and in this way turn our backs, not on ourselves, but on God and changing to do what He says.

The owner of the vineyard will come one day to collect the fruit you’re producing. Jesus will return from heaven and say, “Ok, show me your fruits. Show me what you have produced with the life I gave you.” Your life, your fruits will be the focus then. You had better make them your focus now, while there’s still time to pull up the weeds, fertilize the soil, and change.

“But, we’re all sinners! Our church teaches this very clearly.” Yes, we’re sinners. But, don’t make that an excuse. Make it a reason to change!

God gives sinners great hope for changing and living confidently, for looking forward to “the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Christ is our hope and our confidence! I’m not just talking about the Jesus of history, the One who we know died for us on the cross. Yes, our hope begins here and rests upon His sacrificial death for us. What amazing mercy to sinners does God show us in giving His Son to die for us! If you or I were that vineyard owner who sent several servants to collect the rent from the tenants but had our servants sent back empty handed, or worse, beaten and thrown out, we would not then say, “What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.” How foolish! Yes, God’s desire to save sinners is foolish, contrary to anything we would do. Thank goodness for His incredible mercy! Seeing God giving His Son into death for us, seeing Jesus willingly going to Jerusalem and dying for us, we should have no doubt that God desires to forgive us and take us to heaven.

But, Jesus must be more than just a figure of history. The devil himself knows the Jesus of history and believes in Him better than you do. Jesus must be yours now. He must be with you now as your Savior who forgives your sins and brings forth good fruit from you.

The apostle Paul knew this Jesus. Did you hear what he said? “Not that I have already obtained this [resurrection from the dead] or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own.” Was he sure that heaven would be his own? Yes!, “because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” Jesus was a living Savior who was holding Paul, teaching and guiding him with His Word, defending him, and helping him to endure the things he suffered because of his faith. Paul was sure that he would bear fruit for God in this life and be welcomed into heaven because Jesus his Savior was with him to bring forth fruit.

You can have this same confidence. For, Jesus hasn’t changed. He made you His own in your baptism, in which He raised you from your sin and death to a new life in Him. You have His Bible, His words. They are not just an historical record of past events and people, but Christ’s living, powerful voice of change and life. He gives Himself to you in His body and blood, to give His life to you and bring forth from you the living fruit of a life of good works. Receive Him by them. Live in them, in Him!, and with the writer of Psalm 3 you will say:

“You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.”

He will sustain us forever, unto life eternal in heaven!