[Sermon Archive] - [Weekly Devotional Guide]

This Week's Sermon THE SIXTH SUNDAY of EASTER 17 May 2009 "Chosen by Christ to Love" John 15:9-17 LSB Series B Vicar Gerald D. Heinecke Soli Deo Gloria!

I love you man. I love you my sweet. I heart you. Greeting card companies love the word love. If I had to guess the number of cards that are sold that have love in some fashion on them it has to be at least 50% most likely higher. People throw the word around carelessly. We love our wife or husband, our children, our family. We love our friends, our country, our freedom. In our Gospel text Jesus says, "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." This command of Jesus sounds so easy to follow. There are so many to love, we just think we can pick and choose who we will love.

But in our text we are reminded that we did not choose Jesus, but rather that he chose us. This just begins to shed light on why he must give us the commandment to love. In this age of the flippant use of the word, we see anything but love occurring. Divorce rates are through the roof, we continue to hear about violent crimes committed against loved ones. It is just a horrific world out there as people continue to commit crimes of hate rather than acts of love.

That does not mean we give up on this important command of our Lord and Savior. For intimately tied to it is our salvation. It brings to mind one of our Gospel texts from Lent. For God so loved the World that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Jesus is the pinnacle of love, and we are chosen to be part of him.

Our text today is actually on the third use of the law which we know as the guide. The Formula of Concord describes it as after one has been reborn (that is through baptism)-since nevertheless the flesh still clings to them-that precisely because of the flesh they may have a sure guide, according to which they can orientate and conduct their entire life. (FC Ep, VI, 3) Jesus tells us in the gospel reading that the conduct of our life is to be one of love.

Yet, while this simple command should be easy; we find it very difficult. What makes it difficult is the fact that the flesh still clings to us. With the fall into sin we stopped loving others and began to love ourselves. Sin causes the unbeliever to do all things that would appear to be love for others to become self love. In Acts we learn that the early Christians were truly motivated by love. They were selling their possessions and belongings and were distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. Soon thereafter though, we learn about Ananias and Sapphria. They were motivated by self-love. They wanted to appear to give everything of the sale to the church, but in truth only gave some.

With the recession going on groups are constantly seeking donations. In today's society our Lutheran schools, colleges, seminaries, and even churches must employ a development person or even an entire office in order to ensure that these institutions and churches can operate and serve the people. Why does it seem that these places must do this? Because today we seem to love ourselves more than Christ.

Yet we drop the ball, if we think love and stewardship is all about money. In today's economy of lost jobs and pensions we may have to cut back on our generous giving and focus on other aspects of love. Lost income, while difficult, give us the opportunity to focus on what stewardship truly is. Yes, it includes money, but this is but one small piece of the puzzle. The greatest part of love is found in what Jesus calls his disciples, not servants, but friends.

What do friends do? Go, look at the table of duties in the catechism. Friends help each other through their various vocations. This help truly manifests itself in time in such things as volunteering. A great example, a number of people came to the church a couple weeks ago to help clean up the neighborhood. This was an act of stewardship. To clean up the neighborhood picking up trash, not only makes the neighborhood look good but also assists those who may not have the time or ability to pick up the trash, such as the sick and elderly.

Another example is the youth of the congregation have begun providing childcare for parents to come to Bible study on Wednesday evening. This stewardship is like the widow putting in her two mites. Our youth have busy lives today and for them to take the time to watch our children so that the adults of the congregation may study God's Word is a precious gift of love. Still not sure how to help? VBS is right around the corner and we still a need a lot more help. See the sign up sheet in the fellowship to learn more!

The Formula of Concord reminds us what the true meaning of third use of the law is. We do not do good works because we are coerced through the pressure of punishment and the threat of God's wrath. No, these are works of the law. Rather believers, do without coercion, with a willing spirit, insofar as they are born anew, what no threat of the law could ever force from them. This brings to light our first reading from Acts. Up until Acts 10, very little had been done amongst the gentiles as far as mission work. The Christians were mostly concerned about work amongst their fellow Jews and those that converted to Christianity were also expected to adopt the Jewish laws. In Acts, though, we see the love of Christ extended to the gentiles, just as they are, as they receive the Holy Spirit and are baptized by Peter.

Here in lies the difficulty. The Jews did not want to love the gentiles. What good could come out of loving someone like that? Nothing. That's exactly what makes it love and a good work. Another part of stewardship is completed. For here we see that the Gentiles have been taught and led to believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior! There was no benefit for the Jews; these foreigners were nothing like them.

Here we see our difficulty, too. We want to know exactly how our acts of love will benefit others. Yet it is not up to us to know whether the seeds that we sow. Will bear fruit or not. That is the work of the Holy Spirit to make that seed grow. This is our challenge. We see exactly whom we are called to love-not those who will love us back and not those in whom we will always see the seed burst forth into bloom. Rather it is those who do not deserve it, who give no benefit to us.

Good works do not earn us anything. Rather they are a result of your faith they flow forth from your faith in your Lord Savior. Good works show the love of Christ to those who need it most! Good works are the power of love.

Yet what gives us the power to love? It is found not only in Christ's redeeming work of salvation that we recognize in his death and resurrection, but it is found in the simple words of our text. You did not choose me, but I chose you.

The greatest act of love is found in this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. There are numerous stories in war of one man sacrificing himself by jumping on a grenade in order to save his platoon from having multiple deaths. He doesn't do it because his comrades deserve to be saved, but rather because he loves them and wishes them to be saved. Yet these great acts of love pale in comparison to the greatest act of love.

This is found in Jesus who laid down his life for us. In this we know that through Jesus' work he can choose us. Jesus' death epitomizes Holy Week and Easter, as well as our ability to truly love. Our text takes place during Holy Thursday while Jesus is in the upper room. He tells them, You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. Wow, Jesus has made known to the disciples all that the Father has told him and with this they are called friends. You also are friends of Jesus for you have been told what the Father has told Jesus through the disciples! Nothing has been kept secret from you.

That is what makes Christianity such a great religion. Right up front there is no hiding of rituals as we find in the Mormon church, Islam, Masonic or other animal lodges, or fraternities. Everything is available to see because the church desires that you know, learn, and believe. There is no reason to hide anything because it is as the text says, You did not choose Jesus, rather Jesus chose you. He choose to know and save all people. Sadly though, people reject this no-strings-attached friendship. They reject the great love that flows forth from Jesus in this friendship. They dismiss his ability to love and thereby die for each of your sins.

We love for exactly this reason! It is because Jesus died for our sins that we can genuinely love our neighbors, doing good works for them even to the point of giving up our lives for them. This is done, not for us to win anything, but rather that they recognize the love of God as it flows forth from your words and actions. It is why we continue to support mission work both locally and abroad because there are people out there who continually work towards the good of the church. Not only do we support others who do the work of the church, but we do those good works which the Holy Spirit has given to us to do. We help those who are in need.

It is with this intent that we show our love through our support of the mission of the church. It is never fun to talk about money, but if we talk about love, if we talk about stewardship and doing good works, money will come into the picture. Because we love Christ, we give of our first fruits, which we celebrated last Sunday. Here is the beauty of love. When we give whatever gift we bring to Christ we give with a cheerful heart. We give because we love, not because we have to. If this is about have to, then we speak the law. Stewardship and love have no place in the law, rather they are based solely on the gospel!

Remember this is why Christ gave himself up for us-not because he had to. He could have let us die in our sin. Jesus did not have to jump on the grenade of sin but he did because he loves you. His motivation was one of true love for each of you and even for each of those who are not present today. He chose you through the waters of Holy baptism and declared his great love for you. It is with this knowledge that we embrace the opportunity to love others through a variety of God-pleasing ways in order that those who do not believe may see the love of Christ, flow from you.