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Posted At: 7:36am by Brent Kuhlman
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Presentation of the Augsburg Confession Immanuel Lutheran Church
25 June 2006 Eagle, NE
15th Ordination Anniversary of the Reverend Scott Porath
+ Jesu Juva +
Isaiah 55:6-11
“Seek the Lord,” the text says. OK. Go ahead. Be my guest. You wouldn’t be the first. Where would you start? Climb the beanstalk. All the way to the top. Peek your heads through the clouds. Seek the Lord. Way up there. Maybe you can find out what He’s up to. See if what’s been leaked about God way up there is true.
You know. He’s feverishly forevermoreingly keeping score. A heavenly Auditor. Appraising your life. Some of you are in the first quarter. Others are in the fourth quarter. Some of you are near the final buzzer. What’s the score? Are you in the red? The black? Who knows? Better try harder to add to your account. Otherwise, when He adds up the score of your life . . .
So yes, you’d better seek the Lord while he may be found -- way up there in His oak-paneled penthouse suite. Maybe you could cut a once in a lifetime Deal Or No Deal offer. Offer your promise to be a better person, cut down on the cigarettes and boozing, lower the cholesterol, read the Bible a little more, and pray. That ought to tip the salvation scorecard in your favor. SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? BETTER START CLIMBING UP THAT BEANSTOCK ASAP! Seek the Lord at his calculator while He’s doing the audit of your life. And maybe, just maybe, you can get Him to juggle the accounts in your favor.
Take a good hard look while you’re up there. Why? Because you’ll be surprise by what you find. No. What you won’t find. Look as hard and as long as you want way up there and you’ll never find God.
“But Reverend, the text says to seek the Lord.” I know. And I’m glad you’re listening to the text. But He’s not way up there. He’s way down here. In the crib and cross. Do you see that Baby in Mary’s lap? Behold your God. Do you see that beaten, bloody Man nailed to the Tree? Behold your God. There’s no other. The Word made flesh. He’s so near – so way down here with us – that His skin smokes. He lived and died for you.
In that Good Friday death God announced once and for all that He’s closed the bookkeeping department forever. “It is finished,” means it is finished. What Jesus says He does. He’s not the least bit interested in examining anyone’s books ever again. All is forgiven. All debts are paid in full. No more score cards.
Now you see that God’s thoughts are entirely different than our thoughts. His ways are so entirely different than ours. We’re positively addicted to keeping records and remembering scores. God isn’t. He’s never in a mood for that.
Now if you insist on keeping score and wanting God to get out the books, well, that’s just pulling a theological Three Stooges. And more. It’s just plain stuck on stupid, wicked, and evil. So give it up.
And call on the Lord while He is near. He is. So near. In the Body of crib and cross Jesus. In the water of your
Baptism. In the Word preached in your ears and hearts. In the bread and wine of the His Supper. He’s there for you. To have mercy. To pardon you. No matter what you’ve done. No matter what you haven’t done. There’s no sin too big for Jesus. There’s no sin He didn’t die for.
At Augsburg, on this very day in 1530, our Lutheran fathers confessed this Jesus before the emperor, the world, and God. The Lutheran pastors, taught by Dr. Luther, preached Jesus only as Savior in their congregations. And that faith alone in Jesus is what God is most pleased with. Faith alone in Jesus is the highest worship of God. And for this, not only their pulpits, but also their necks were on the line. Then in 1547 the Reformation appeared to be lost when the Lutherans were defeated by the armies of the emperor at Mühlberg.
And yet here you are in 2006. Theological descendants of these defeated, jailed, and murdered Lutheran confessors. How can that be? Because the Lord’s Word “accomplishes” what He “desires.” Because the Lord’s Word “achieves” the “purpose for which He sends it.” Faith in “I am the true vine” Jesus through the Word preached. In freedom or under persecution. In the 16th or the 21st century. Fruitful branches still hooked to Vine Jesus.
For 15 years the Lord has been using a man as His instrument, Scott Porath. For the preaching of His Good Friday and Easter Gospel. First, at Central City, then for a time in Wisconsin, and now here at Eagle. He’s put here by the Lord to be His mouth. Mouthing out the Lord’s words. For you.
The Lord sends rain and snow to do the work of watering. For flowers to enjoy. For wheat to grow, grind and bake. Bread for your eating. So too the Lord has given you His Word to give what He promises and says.
The Lord is very near. From His mouth comes His Word. Through mouth of the Lord Porath He prunes you. He cleanses you. He raises you to the life of faith only in Jesus. Faith in “I am the vine” Jesus who doesn’t keep score. Refuses to. Because He’s merciful. Because His death is pardon for everything that’s wrong with you! Everything! Even your incessant bookkeeping and scorekeeping that would turn you into an unfruitful withered branch fit for being thrown into the fire.
“My thoughts are not your thoughts.” “Your ways are not my ways.” Indeed.
For Jesus is not an accountant. He’s not the shadowy unknown figure way up there in the Deal Or No Deal skybox. He’s the very near crying in the crib Baby. He’s the very near Suffering, Crucified, and Dead Servant on the Cross. He’s the true Vine. You are branches hooked to Him. He lords His death over all your sin through the Word preached from Pastor Porath’s mouth. Seek the Lord in His Word preached.
For as Porath’s mouth confesses, speaks and preaches Jesus the Lord very near: for you. Doing, giving, accomplishing, achieving what He wants: faith. Faith only in “I am the true vine” Jesus. He’s everything.
In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
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