Posts tagged christ

Jesus… does not fail. Where we are tempted like Adam and fall, he stands before Satan and does not waver. Whereas I am grass, he is GOD. Whereas I am WEAK, he is the LION OF JUDAH. Whereas I seek comfort in signs like the Jews and wisdom like the Greeks, he is CHRIST CRUCIFIED, the lamb of God who comes to take away the sins of the world.

-Aj Neugebauer LCMS pastor

This is how we are supposed to live. Not harbouring secret grudges. THAT is not life in Christ. But speaking of evil, in order that EVIL MAY BE DESTROYED by the giving of forgiveness; and then, peace and love may reign among us; just as the PRINCE of peace and the GOD of love will reign over for us forever in the Kingdom to Come.

-Aj Neugebauer LCMS pastor

So the positive things you identify yourself with? The roles your play; the job you have; the things you enjoy; all those things you can see through this truth: you are a child of God. You belong to Jesus Christ. And so you can serve others and work and play and have EVERYTHING you do flow from the fact that Christ has first done everything for you!

-Aj Neugebauer lcms pastor

SATAN IS A LIAR. He WILL not win; Jesus LIVES! He LIVES! ALLELUIA HE LIVES! And he returns and you and I will live forever in a Kingdom where sin and death and satan are no more!

You see. Satan has lost. The battle is already won. We know this by faith which God himself has poured out on us.

-Aj Neugebauer LCMS pastor

Listen, people of God: you have been SO blessed. And, with the Spirit of God living within you, you have something that many others are not so blessed to have. Do not let your extreme blessing turn into arrogance over those we meet who act in wicked ways.

Instead, treat them as Christ has first treated you:

Look upon them, and have mercy. Look upon them, and speak to them the love of Christ.

In many of these situations, what is RIGHT to do may be hard to see. But when these times come upon you: STOP; pray; and seek God’s Will. He will present to you opportunity to serve him. For he is with you.

-Aj Neugebauer LCMS pastor

We DO need to hear that we are sinners, and that our sin is a very big deal, and that NOTHING that we could DO would ever be enough to make up for the evil we have done, and that has infected our hearts even from birth.

Now in our society, where everyone is just worried about making people feel good about themselves all the time, that sort of message is not just dismissed, but is actually looked at as a BAD THING. Don’t tell people they’re not good enough! You’ll make them feel guilty! You’ll kill their self-confidence! You’ll send them into a depression! God, stop telling people that they’re not OKAY just the way they are! You’ll send them into despair!

But GOD says: I tell you this… TO SEND YOU SOMEWHERE. I tell you this… to send you to Christ.

-Aj Neugebauer LCMS pastor

Come back to hear Jesus; the God of all; the one who loved you enough to DIE for you; hear HIS voice in the still of the night; hear it in the hospital room; in the school room; in the doctor’s office; in the darkest moments;

hear this voice; and SEE the light of Christ break in.

-Aj Neugebauer LCMS pastor

Wave after wave, the troubles come.  And the disciples need to
be reminded of the promises.  And Jesus KNOWS THEIR NEED.

Now here's what I want you to do.  Imagine that YOU are the 
one huddled around Jesus on that country side.  Imagine that
YOU are the one who sees Jesus' face, knowing that the world 
that surrounds you often enough HATES you, just as it hates him. 
Remember that Jesus, looking at you, knows the troubles that you
have just gone through.  And Jesus, knowing you, knows what 
troubles lie for you ahead.  And those troubles that the disciples 
have gone through?  Replace them in your mind with the difficulties you have faced. 
Tell them to Jesus;  tell them to him right now.  

And then hear Christ's message for you: 
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed. 
You are my good seed;  watered by your baptism and growing in the
world until I gather you to myself.  But the evil one has sown bad seeds
in the field. 
These are the troubles and the people and the evils of this world. 
And you, right now, are here
among the evil of the world.  But look:  I tell you, it WILL BE ALL RIGHT. 
It will be all right.  
It will be all right.  For a day will come when I will destroy all
the evil ones, and I will gather 
you to myself, and in the Kingdom of your heavenly Father...
YOU WILL SHINE LIKE THE SUN...
and trouble, and strife, and wickedness will be NO MORE.”

-Aj Neugebauer LCMS pastor

But now that we are saved, what does our life look like? Now that we do not live, but Christ lives in us, what does that “life in Christ” consist of?

Does it look like ignoring God? Does it look like using God as a self help guru? Does it look like viewing God as a buddy or a friend who never makes any demands of you?

Or does it look like a life with the cross at its center; directing every thought and decision and movement; and being the only source of all our joy and hope?

Which way is the way of Christian life?

That can only be answered by another question, that we began with, and that I leave you with today:

redeemed children of God; washed by the blood of the lamb; called to be living sacrifices in the time before the time to come:

Who do you say he is?

I tell you, he is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. And his death means your salvation.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

-Aj Neugebauer LCMS pastor

WORSHIP is not a solo performance, but an interactive work of and for the people, in fellowship with the pastor, as designed by Scripture. It has a rhythm, from God to us, from us to God, then back again, and then from us to the world.

WORSHIP points us away from ourselves and toward God. God’s promises to us are fulfilled through the divine service.

-A Lutheran perspective on worship