Where is God? This is one of human beings' most frequently-asked and incorrectly-answered questions. We are tempted to believe that evidence of God's presence is found in outward circumstances. We equate good fortune with God's favor and bad fortune with his judgment. So, as long as nothing terrible is happening, God must not be too angry with us, right? We are free to go on sinning. Such foolish assumptions must be crushed. Therefore, God must constantly remind us where he intends to be found—in the gospel. He makes himself present in Word and sacraments. Because he is always present, we realize the urgent need to turn away from the sin he despises. Because his presence is graciously hidden, we are drawn to him for forgiveness rather than driven away from him in fear.

Last week we talked about temptation. This week we see what is at the center of every temption: a promise of a shortcut to glory. Even in a world as sharply divided as ours, there is near universal agreement that the preferred path to glory is the shortest and easiest. To walk the path our Savior puts us on, one on which the cross comes before the crown, puts us out of step with the world. Thankfully, the determination required to walk this path starts with our Savior and not with us. Because of his determination, we are offered a glory far superior to anything the world can offer.

It was a custom known as "battle by champion." Two opposing armies would each send out their best warrior to fight each other. That is what we see this week. The demons send their champion: Satan. Humanity's best warrior, Jesus Christ, steps forward to meet him. In this fight he does not use his divine power. He uses the same weapon we have, God's Word. Because Christ fought the battle against Satan as one of us, he won that battle for all of us. Jesus is our perfect substitute. Even as the devil still seethes in rage against us, we can face him and his temptations unafraid, confident that our champion has already won the victory.

"Advent" is a Latin word that means "coming." The season of Advent is the four week period before Christmas that the Church uses to connect the two "comings" of Christ. The first time the Lord came into our world it was as a tiny, helpless baby, born in a manger in Bethlehem. However, when Jesus comes again, it will be in all his power and glory with his angelic army behind him. He will be coming as judge at the end of time. Let us use these four weeks to see how the events of Jesus' first coming remove all our fears about his second coming. We can hold our heads high when the Lord comes near.

“Every why hath a wherefore.” That was Shakespeare’s poetic way of saying that very little happens by chance. Generally there is an agent behind an action. There is cause and effect. And to navigate life well, it is vital we understand both. If you want to enjoy the physical effects of a healthy heart, you need to know the causes of heart disease. Before a major purchase causes you to go into debt, you need to think about the effect that will have on your budget. If you want the peace of being close to God, you need to know what causes that effect.  Again, to navigate life well, it is vital we understand cause and effect.

We are nearing the end of the Church Year. This past year, we have reviewed Jesus’ life and teaching. The Scripture readings in these final weeks recall some of the major themes that are woven throughout the Church Year. In this final series we will be looking at those themes with the understanding that “every why hath a wherefore.” We conclude the year by talking about cause and effect in God’s Kingdom.

What is the Kingdom of God? People often use that phrase as a synonym for heaven. Scripture does indeed refer to “the kingdom of heaven.” Yet, the Kingdom of God is way more than that. When we talk about a “kingdom,” we are referring to all the territory that is under the authority and care of the king. And so, when Jesus would heal the sick or drive out evil spirits, he would sometimes say, “The kingdom of God has come near you.” King Jesus was proving that disease and demons are under his authority. Likewise, when Jesus taught us to pray, “Your Kingdom come,” he wasn’t simply encouraging us to ask for heaven. In that prayer, we are asking King Jesus to reign within us.

Near the end of Trinity’s mission statement, we express our desire to “build God’s Kingdom.” As we conclude this worship series, we explore what that fully means. It is not just that Trinity would grow statistically so more people might enjoy heaven. We pray that Jesus would sit on the throne of our heart and rule over our lives with his grace. 

The American novelist William S. Burroughs coined the phrase, “When you stop growing you start dying.” Burroughs was referring to personal development. When individuals stop acquiring knowledge or developing skills, they may become stagnant, lose motivation, and feel unfulfilled. However, that phrase can be applied to our spiritual lives too. Believers will seek to grow in their relationship with God and their understanding of his Word. If they don’t… if believers stop growing spiritually… that can lead to diminished joy and a weakened ability to serve and witness.

Scripture drives this point home when it frequently compares believers to trees. Apart from the life-giving water of the Word, the believer’s faith starts to wither and perhaps even die. But fed by the Word, our faith grows. Our love for Christ grows. Our ability to apply God’s Word to life grows. Our desire to serve God and our neighbor grows. That is Trinity’s next mission objective. Through Trinity’s gospel mission, we pray he would lead our faith to blossom, bearing abundant fruit.

Connection. Identity. Validation. Survival. Purpose. Social psychologists will explain those are the top reasons that people seek to belong to a group. Connection: belonging to a group allows us to form relationships which are essential for our emotional and mental well-being. Identity: belonging to a group gives us a sense of who we are and what we are all about. Validation: belonging provides affirmation of our beliefs and values, as we see others in our group that share them. Survival: belonging to a group provides protection, shared resources, and mutual support. Purpose: belonging to a group provides the opportunity to help and serve others, as well as take part in a collective mission.

So, the next of Trinity’s mission objectives is “belong.” We not only want people to join Trinity, but we want our church to be a close-knit community. Our prayer is that through the gospel, the Spirit would lead us to actually think of our church as family to whom we belong, for connection, identity, validation, survival, and purpose.

“We believe and therefore speak” (2 Corinthians 4:13). Scripture repeatedly connects one’s heart and mouth. If you have sincere faith in Christ, you will tell others about him. Scripture does not say “you might tell others about Christ” nor “You should tell others about Christ.” It says, if you believe, you will tell others. You cannot help it, precisely because you sincerely believe Christ is the only way into heaven. It is the rhythm of the Church. Believers share the gospel with those that God brings into their life. Through the gospel, the Holy Spirit creates new believers. Those new believers share the gospel with others, and the Spirit creates yet more believers. And God’s salvation rolls on and on and on.

As we begin this worship series on Trinity’s mission, let us realize this fundamental truth. Because we believe in Christ, we gladly take up that mission – to boldly proclaim the gospel of Christ – so that others might come to believe in Christ. And on and on and on.

A mission statement summarizes an organization’s raison d'etre, it’s “reason to be.” Thus, it defines the justification for the organization’s existence. So, let us consider Trinity’s mission statement.

The members of Trinity Lutheran boldly proclaim the gospel of Christ to the Waukesha community and its neighbors that all might believe in Christ, belong to our spiritual family, blossom in faith, and build God’s Kingdom.

Note the subject: “members of Trinity.” This mission is not one that belongs only to Trinity’s pastors and teachers. If you are a member of Trinity, this is your personal mission.

Note the verb: “proclaim the gospel.” It doesn’t say “preach” or “teach.” The verb “proclaim” stresses that Trinity’s mission is accomplished, not only in a pulpit or classroom, but anywhere and anytime we have the opportunity to good news of Jesus: talking with a neighbor, having dinner with a friend, etc.

Note the object: “the Waukesha community and its neighbors.” We want to serve everyone in our community—all ages, all ethnicities—with the gospel. 

A good mission statement also contains objectives—what we hope happens as a result of our mission efforts. Trinity has four objectives. The Spirit empowers people to believe in Jesus Christ. They chose to belong to our Christian community. They blossom in their faith, growing in knowledge of the Word and service of others. In this way, we build God’s Kingdom!

In this next worship series, we ask the Spirit to empower and embolden us to take up that noble mission and accomplish those objectives.

There are more than 2,300 Bible passages that speak about money. Why? Money is a master Satan frequently tempts us to serve. In fact, out of all the masters competing for our service besides God, money is probably at the top of the list. Money provides us with a false comfort and sense of security. Money serves as a source of pride. This week, Jesus’ sharp words identify the impossibility of serving more than one master. More, Jesus teaches that if we dedicate our lives in service to money, money will always let us down. In contrast, God has proven that he is a master worth serving. When we serve God, money is put in its proper place. Instead of it being a master to serve, it becomes a tool in our service of our true Master.

“He’s lost.” We use that term not only to refer to someone who is bewildered about where they are but also to refer to someone who is in a helpless, hopeless state. Mankind’s natural state is one of complete spiritual helplessness, a profound lostness. It manifests itself in countless ways. The one who simply wants God to leave him alone: lost. The one who feels she can handle life on her own: lost. The one who thinks he has the right to repent of his sins on his own timetable and terms: lost. The one who thinks God owes her in some way: lost. Wandering around physically lost can lead to winding up in bad places. Jesus’ wounding words this week teach that wandering around spiritually lost puts you in the worst place of all. Fortunately, Jesus does not leave us in our lostness. He relentlessly seeks us. He involves the rest of the Christian community in seeking the lost and rejoicing over the found.

This week Jesus’ sharp words expose our desire to pursue comfort and avoid pain at all costs. Jesus explains that following him will be hard. Jesus’ disciples will be called to let go of things they love and embrace things we all naturally loathe. Jesus promises that discipleship comes with crosses—a unique type of pain. So, Jesus tells us that we must count the cost of following him. He wants us to do that now, ahead of time, rather than waiting until we are in the heat of the moment and emotions are running high. However, our calculations must not only consider what we might give up for Jesus. They also entail calculating what we get through him! When we perceive the infinite blessings we find in Christ, the decisions we make, while difficult, will be clear. Whatever is lost as we follow Jesus pales in comparison to what we gain.

Everyone knows that humility is a positive trait and pride is a negative one. So, why bother talking about what we already know? Because in spite of that knowledge, we still helplessly fall into the trap of pride. We all desire acclaim, recognition, and praise. Jesus’ sharp words this week teach us that seeking exaltation in futile and fleeting in ways that will only result in receiving the opposite. Those who attempt to exalt themselves will eventually be humbled by God. In contrast, Jesus promises that those who leave their exaltation to God will receive honor and glory far greater than any that can be awarded in this life. Our exaltation does not need to be our responsibility, because Jesus has already made it his.

When it comes to the uncomfortable topic of who goes to heaven and who goes to hell, it is natural to want to avoid the issue. One way we do that is to direct our attention to more theoretical questions. “What is heaven like?” “How old will we be there?” Today someone asks, “Lord, are only a few going to be saved?” Jesus brushes all such questions aside. Instead, he answers the question we should be asking. “How might I be saved?” Jesus explains there is only one way—entering through a very narrow door. Jesus’ words cut deep! For he teaches that it is very easy to develop a false sense of security about our standing before God based on some superficial familiarity we have with him. Jesus warns that many who think they are on the path to heaven will end up shut out. These wounding words of Jesus provide healing, pushing us toward that narrow door: faith in him.

Not all wounds are bad. A skilled surgeon takes a deadly sharp scalpel and cuts through flesh and muscle. The result of that wound: not harm, but healing. In the same way, we often say that words cut us to the heart. Words can wound. Sometimes, however, those painful words provide the very healing we need.

“Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem” (Luke 13:22). Jesus knows that when he gets to Jerusalem, he is going to die. So, with a sense of extreme urgency, Jesus shares truths we need to hear, even though it hurts to hear them. In this series, we might not like everything that Jesus says. Yet, to ignore what Jesus teaches is to court eternal death. Hard as it may be, let us listen and take all that Jesus says to heart. For while Jesus speaks words that wound us, his intent is to heal our very soul.

We often divide humanity into groupings that are not really significant: this ethnic group versus that one, men versus women, wealthy versus poor. Yet, every ethnic group is under God’s law. That law equally convicts men and women of sin. Because of sin, both the wealthy and the poor will die. Only through faith in Christ is sin forgiven and the sting of death removed. God’s Word creates that saving faith, but not in everyone who hears it. Fallen mankind retains the awful power to reject the Word and God’s gift of faith. Therefore, God’s Word produces the only people distinction that matters: believers and unbelievers. We desire to live in peace with other people. But Jesus teaches, this side of heaven, that desire is a pipe dream. Those who embrace the gospel in faith will inevitably face hostility. Following Jesus will come at a price. Yet he promises that our perseverance will be rewarded.

Last week Jesus warned us against overvaluing earthly wealth. This week Jesus warns against undervaluing heavenly treasure. Last week, Jesus exposed the folly of greed. This week, Jesus exposes the folly of worry, even when faced with the prospect of having a seeming shortage of resources. This week might be the bigger challenge! When it seems we lack providence or protection for our daily lives, it can be hard to avoid worry. So, Jesus asks us to give our undivided attention to him, that he might take our worries away. Jesus points to creatures that do not labor or toil yet eat every day. Even more, Jesus points to our Father who promises to give us the heavenly treasures of his kingdom. Jesus assures us that our Father will throw in any needed earthly possessions as well. We can rest from our worries, confident that our loving Father knows all we need.

Money. Possessions. Perhaps more than anything else, those things have the power to turn our attention away from what is truly important. It is no surprise, therefore, that Jesus frequently teaches about wealth. Christ wants us to understand that it is our Heavenly Father who provides us with those useful resources. But we need to know why our Father gives them: what they are useful for, and what they are not useful for. Those resources cannot give purpose of meaning to our lives on earth. They cannot give us security for life after this earth. However, the blessings God provides can bring some joy to our lives. More importantly, our wealth is extremely useful in our efforts to serve God and others. This week let us give our undivided attention to what Christ says about the useful resources our gracious Father provides to us.

In a sense, prayer comes naturally to us. We want so we ask. We hurt so we cry out. We are frustrated so we vent. We are blessed so we give thanks. Natural! What does not come naturally, however, is a proper understanding of the privilege of prayer. Prayer is a privilege, based entirely on the unique and unearned relationship we have with God, our Father. And the purpose of prayer is really not to tell God what we want, but to claim that which God wants for us. Prayer provides the opportunity to bring our will into conformity with God’s will, not the other way around. This week, we give our undivided attention to what God says about this access we call prayer. Along with Jesus’ disciples we say, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1).

Most would agree with Jesus’ teaching that “Few things are needed” (Luke 10:42). We understand that people often confuse their wants with needs. We might want many things; but in reality, we only need a few things. So, we would agree with Jesus. “Few things are needed.” However, Jesus said more. “Few things are needed – or indeed only one.” Now we might object. There seems to be more than one true need. We need water, food, clothing, shelter, friendship, etc. Yet, what Jesus said is true. Because only one thing—the gospel—can create and sustain the faith that makes one God’s dear child and an heir of the everlasting Kingdom. If you didn’t have water, you would die in a few days; without oxygen, in a few minutes.  But without Jesus speaking to us through his Word, there is no hope for eternal life in heaven. We literally need the gospel more than water or oxygen. So, let us listen to Jesus speak, giving him our undivided attention.

We tend to think of distraction and focus as opposites. If someone is focused, they are not easily distracted by random events and encounters. If someone is focused, every decision about how to spend time and resources is calculated. Apart from Christ that type of focus spells disaster for our neighbor. We may dismiss the needs of our neighbor thinking, “If I spend time heling him, that will distract me from other things that need my attention.” This week, Jesus teaches us that he has set us free to live a life of such distraction. No matter the neighbor and no matter his need, we are free to give him our undivided attention, even if that seems senseless. Christ has set us free to bear any cost and go any distance to serve a neighbor as Christ himself would serve them.

In recent weeks we learned that everyone who has seen the grace of God will, whenever the opportunity arises, serve as a witness for Christ. However, Scripture teaches that there is also a need for individuals for whom gospel proclamation is their full-time focus. There are many different terms for these workers: shepherds, pastors, teachers, ministers, missionaries, etc. These workers are called by God himself through the Church to proclaim law and gospel in some public capacity. Called workers carry out their calling, not because of what they might gain from the flock, but because of what the flock might gain from Jesus through public ministry. Jesus taught there will always be a want for such workers. “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few” (Luke 10:2). So, this is a topic worthy of our undivided attention.

There is the type of fan who follows his team if they make the playoffs. Then there is the type of fan who, regardless of his team’s record, watches every game and knows the stats for every player. There are different types of followers: the half-hearted versus the committed. Jesus is uninterested in followers who pay attention to his Word and will only when their other pursuits provide the time. Jesus wants followers who are all-in… who love him above all things… who would be willing to leave everything else behind if that were what it would take to be with him. We simply do not have it inside us to produce that level of commitment. But in the gospel, we see how Jesus went all in for our salvation. As we witness the way Jesus made our eternal happiness the focus of his undivided attention, the Spirit creates within us the very commitment that Christ seeks.

We tend to think of mission work as being “over there,” something done in a far-away place. It is good and right to support foreign mission work with our prayers and offerings. However, something is off if we allow our appreciation for “over there” mission work to take our eyes off the mission that is right before us. Here is the two-fold reality worthy of our undivided attention this week. First, if we have seen the grace of God, we will serve as witnesses for Christ. Second, we need not cross the ocean to share the gospel. We can simply cross the street. In our various callings—parent or grandparent or sibling, friend or neighbor or coworker—God will provide one opportunity after another to serve as the witnesses Jesus has made us to be. So, let us continue to pray for and support “over there” mission work. But let us also give our undivided attention to the mission that God had placed right before each of us.

The way people typically attempt to assuage their troubled conscience is by minimizing their guilt. “Sure, I’m far from perfect, but…” It is foolhardy, for two reasons. First, it denies the reality of how often and easy we sin and how devastating that sin is to others and, indeed, to our faith. Minimizing our guilt is like putting perfume and makeup on a corpse and saying, “See! Not that bad.” But secondly, minimizing our guilt demonstrates a lack of understanding of how forgiveness works. It’s a simple concept. Those who think they have been forgiven little love little. But those who realize they have been forgiven so much by their gracious God in turn love God from the very bottom of their forgiven heart. This week, we give our undivided attention to the power of forgiveness. God’s forgiveness doesn’t just give us peace. It gives us power—the power to love.

When Jesus rose on Easter, he destroyed any fear of condemnation, since his resurrection proves his payment for our sin was complete. So, Jesus destroyed the devil’s claim to our soul. Jesus defeated so many enemies on that day! However, on Easter Sunday we read, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:26). Death still gets our attention, for it remains a future inevitability. However, while death outwardly continues its march, its power has been drained. Death progresses only as a shell of its former self. For since Christ rose, proving that we are forgiven, we know that death is not the doorway into a nightmare, but it is the transition to a new and glorious reality. Death is not the end, but just the beginning. For believers, the enemy of death is already defeated. And on the Last Day, when Jesus raises us from the dead, that last enemy will be totally destroyed. This week we celebrate on the delivered deliverance over death.