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PENTECOST 5
YEAR A EXODUS
19:2-8 ROMANS
5:1-8 MATTHEW
9:35-10:9 JUNE 14, 15,
2008 As we gather for
worship today we remember many that are struggling because of the flood
waters. We gather and we hear words of promise and hope in the midst of
this disaster that leaves many out of their homes. The easy thing for me
to say is that the Lord has not turned away from you. The Lord cares so
much about your life and God is here to provide for you in this time. It
is easy for me to say this but perhaps more difficult for you to believe.
I do not say these words thinking that simple words will ease the burden
of flood waters covering so much in so many places. Words will not make
the water go away more quickly and words will not make it better but when
we trust in the Lord there is hope and there is strength. There is even
peace that others do not know. I thank God that many from our congregation
were out working among those filling sandbags. Many of our kids and some
of our adults were working to help where they could. I just want you to
know that we have some pretty good kids at Our Savior’s and we have some
adult leaders that are not afraid to get their hands dirty. You and I know
that the work is just beginning and there will be many more opportunities
for God’s people to share the burdens with our brothers and sisters. You
and I hear the call of our Lord to reach out in love. We hear the call and
we respond in faith as we struggle with those that are
hurting. Matthew
9:35-38
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in
their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing
every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had
compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep
without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is
plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest
to send out laborers into his harvest.” As we experience
this flood in Jesus does even
more than this. Jesus sends disciples out as well. The apostles have been
learning from the Master. They are not yet ready to teach others but they
are ready to be sent out. When they go from place to place they are to
proclaim what Jesus tells them to say. They are to heal the sick and cast
out demons. They are to proclaim to the people they are sent to that the
Our Lord ends
you and me out. We do not teach until we have enough knowledge of the
Lord. We do not teach others with a half truth but with the entire truth.
Our Lord does send some out to teach and preach. There are many appointed
to teach our children and adults. We are all sent out to heal the sick and
cast out demons. We are all sent out to proclaim that the You might wonder
about people with healing power in their hands or those that cast out
demons. The thought sometimes makes us uncomfortable. We have been taught
that healing does not happen this way any longer. We have been taught from
movies that casting out demons are some dramatic two-hour event. We must
remember that our Lord would not have sent the apostles out to do these
things without giving them the power to accomplish the goal. There is
healing in our hands. The Lord gives healing power to the church and we
have the authority of our Lord over unclean spirits. James 5 tells us
about the healing power of laying on hands. We pray for the sick, we
anoint them with oil and we lay hands on them. We claim the healing power
of our Lord and people are healed. The same is true of casting out demons.
The name of the Lord and the power of the Lord Jesus are more powerful
than the power of Satan. Every time Jesus encounters a demon possessed
person the demons are afraid of Jesus. They know his power and they know
his authority. You that claim the name of Jesus have that same power. You
have the power of the gospel on your lips and you have the power of the
Lord Jesus in your life. When you claim the power of our Lord by faith,
you also claim power of Satan. Matthew
10:5-8 These twelve Jesus sent
out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and
enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the
house of What else are
you sent out to do? You and I are sent to care for those that are hurting.
When they tell us to conserve water they mean everyone, not everyone but
you. We care for others enough to be a bit uncomfortable and a bit dirty
so that others will also benefit. We ask, “What can I do?” We do not get
in the way of those that are working just because we want to see. We pray
for those working and for those that are losing property. Some times your
prayers will be answered with these words, “You do it!” The Lord works most often through
people like you and me. The Lord calls you and me to go out to share the
good news through the things we do. We might not even need to share God’s
word by the words we use but by the things we do in the name of Jesus
Christ. The apostles
were sent out. They must have been a bit nervous about going out to the
Jews. They knew how many reacted to Jesus and his ministry. The apostles
might also have felt inadequate in their ministry. They might have felt
unworthy to go to give healing and to cast out demons. They might have
felt inadequate to proclaim God’s word. Jesus sent them and told them what
to do. It could be they really did not want to do what Jesus told them to
do but when you are a disciple of our Lord you eventually become an
apostle. You are sent out to do what our Lord calls you to do. Most often
it means going places you would rather not go. It might mean going to
people you would not usually talk to. When the Lord
sends you out you response is to go. You go where the Lord sends you. You
reach out to those in need of healing and especially to those that need to
hear the good news. The Good News is that Jesus our Lord was born, he
lived and died and rose again. The Good News is that he did it for you and
me that we would have life. What Jesus did for people in that time he does
for people in this time. When there is sickness our Lord offers healing.
When demons need casting out our Lord provides you and me with authority
over the unclean spirits. When there are floodwaters our Lord provides us
with compassion to fill sand bags and to help with clean up. It will be a
pleasant time but God us still God and you are still God’s people. The
waters of a flood cannot destroy God’s people. As people of God we have
hope and we have peace. Jesus was Lord last week. He did not stop being
Lord just because a river chose to flood the state of |