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Exodus 8:16-24 Ephesians 5:1-9 St. Luke 11:14-28 February 12, 2023 +INJ+ Amen. Our God is a God who speaks, but who’s listening to Him? Being a called and ordained servant of the Word, I have plenty of opportunities to talk with people. Walmart, bookstore, dentist’s office, coffee shop, you name it; wherever there are people, there’s someone with a question for a pastor. For them, a clerical collar is an open-door invitation, which I love. As we talk, they usually ask where I serve as pastor. First Lutheran Church, of course. In response, I’ll ask where they attend church or if they have a church home at all. Then I’ll ask my favorite question: “Why do you go there?” This really gets to the heart of where they place their faith. Why do you go to church? Why do you go to a specific church? Quite often, though, something is missing in their replies: “I really like the atmosphere there.” “They have a lot of activities for the kids.” “It’s the biggest Methodist church in the KC area, that’s why I drive an hour from Osawatomie.” But where’s Jesus? Does God go to your church? Our God is a God who speaks, but too many Christians are listening to other voices. “Blessed … are those who hear the Word of God and keep it” (Luke 11:28). But too many churches keep God’s Word safely on a shelf next to the other history books. Sermons are Ted Talks. Evangelism is replaced by social justice. And the only cross to be seen is on bedazzled jeans. All criticizing aside, people who make the effort to go to a church on Sunday morning do desire blessings from God. Whether they hear God’s Word or keep it – that’s another question. So how do you individually, how do we as a congregation hear and keep God’s Word? Let’s break it down. First, how do you hear God’s Word? Our Gospel reading begins with a man who could not hear God’s Word. Our translation said that Jesus was casting out a demon from a “mute man.” The Greek word for “mute” and “deaf” is the same (κωφός). This makes sense: if you can’t or don’t hear, then you won’t know how to make the correct sounds we call speech. Like so many modern Christians, if you never hear what church is supposed to be about, if you never hear the Law that convicts and condemns every sinner, if you never hear the Gospel of sins forgiven by Jesus’ death on the cross, if you never hear this, then you will never speak this. This is the first great challenge of our Gospel reading: simply hearing God’s Word. This deaf-mute man did not choose to hear God’s Word or believe it. The miracle didn’t come from him. It came from Jesus. When God’s Word is spoken, it demands a listening ear. Jesus spoke to this deaf and mute man and healed him. The God who created those deaf ears can speak to those same ears. Our God is a God who speaks, and He will be heard. Why then isn’t every deaf ear opened? Why do so many turn a deaf ear to God’s Word? In our Gospel, there were three responses to the miracle. Some marveled at the miracle and believed in Jesus; these are the Christians who go to church to hear God’s Word because they believe it. Others blasphemed against God and attributed Jesus’ miracle to demons; these are the unbelievers who totally reject God’s Word and only go to church for activism and self-affirmation. Still others remained unconvinced and wanted the magic show to continue; these are the folks who only go to church for the show, the atmosphere, and the entertainment. All three groups heard God’s Word and saw the miracle, but only a third believed. Why? There’s a difference between deaf ears and a hard heart. One is ready for healing. The other rejects the medicine and rejects the healing. Like Pharoah in Egypt (Exodus 8:16-24), even when he saw plague after plague after plague – 10 whole plagues – he wouldn’t repent or believe. Even when Pharoah’s magicians couldn’t keep up, he wouldn’t repent or believe. Even when Pharoah heard Moses’ message time and time again, he wouldn’t repent or believe. Why? Pharoah hardened his own heart against God’s Word. It was like he plugged his ears and screamed at the top of his lungs to stop from hearing or believing. So how do we hear God’s Word? This moves to the second part of keeping God’s Word. What does this mean? The same Greek word (φυλάσσω) is used for “keeping God’s Word” as is used in verse 21 where the strong man guards his own palace. Now, think about someone on guard duty. Do they make one pass around the perimeter, check a box, and claim they have successfully guarded the property for their entire shift? No, of course not. Guarding is active, ongoing, a return to the same place again and again. The same is true for keeping God’s Word. You can’t simply hear God’s Word once in your life, check a box, and claim you have successfully kept God’s Word. It just doesn’t work like that. Keeping God’s Word means a continual return to the Scriptures to hear God speak once again. This is why we, as a congregation, follow a lectionary throughout the year. This keeps us on schedule so that we keep on hearing God’s Word constantly. This keeps us from cherry picking our favorite verses and ignoring the uncomfortable parts. What about on an individual level? What keeps you from keeping God’s Word? Plenty of things, right? It could start with simple intimidation from the book itself. Your Bibles contain 66 books from various authors, ancient times, and far off cultures. Its hundreds if not thousands of pages long. That’s pretty intimidating. Add to that an intimidating world. Christians are on the out. You’re told that you can be a Christian in the public work force, but you must remain mute like the man in Luke 11. As the cherry on top, we have busy schedules that leave little wiggle room for us to dive into a book we struggle to understand. But what would it take to keep God’s Word daily? At an average reading rate, if you read your Bible for 8 minutes each day, you could read through it in a year. Would you understand every part of it? Probably not. But if you read just 8 minutes each day for a second year, you’d understand more. Here’s the point: Jesus didn’t say, “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and understand it,” He said, “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.” Keeping God’s Word is a central to your Christian faith. If you hear God’s Word but don’t keep it, then you’re like a house swept clean. Sins are cleared out, demons are evicted, and the whole place is spick-and-span. But if the house remains empty, if the service ended right after the Absolution, you’d have a false sense of security. You’ve heard God’s Word – check! But your demons would go and find seven more demons to come check out the place. What are the demons? Sexual immorality, impurity, covetousness, filthiness, foolish talk, crude joking, and idolatry, just like Paul lists in Ephesians 5. Sin is crouching at your door and is eager to move in. This is why we must continually be in God’s Word, hear God’s Word, and return to God’s Word. Where can you return to God’s Word? You can open your Bible once again, but there are even better places. The best place is your baptism. In your baptism, God’s Word was not just a book of ancient times and far off cultures. In your baptism, God’s Word came to you. It was spoken over you. You were joined to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Even if your infant ears – or even, your adult ears – didn’t understand God’s Word and were all but deaf to God’s Word, event still, God spoke into your ears. Like the deaf man in Luke 11, God’s Word makes ears listen. Along with baptism, return to the Words of Christ: “This is my body; this is my blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of all your sins.” In the Lord’s Supper, the Word of God is spoken, and Christ’s body and blood are joined to bread and wine. Will you understand all of God’s Word the first time around? No, but this is the Word made flesh for you to taste and see that the Lord is good. No longer are you just a swept house, but you are filled with heavenly food. In these Sacraments, you hear God’s Word and keep it, and you are blessed indeed. So next time you find yourself talking with a pastor in public and he asks where you go to church and why you go there, be sure to include Jesus. Mention God’s Word. Our God is a God who speaks. As Christians, we listen to His Word and are blessed unto life everlasting. +INJ+ Amen. Pastor Schultz Trinity Lutheran Church Paola, Kansas Return to Top \| Return to Sermons \| Home \| Email Church Office

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Exodus 8:16-24

Ephesians 5:1-9

St. Luke 11:14-28

February 12, 2023

+INJ+

Amen.

Our God is a God who speaks, but who’s listening to Him? Being a called and ordained servant of the Word, I have plenty of opportunities to talk with people. Walmart, bookstore, dentist’s office, coffee shop, you name it; wherever there are people, there’s someone with a question for a pastor. For them, a clerical collar is an open-door invitation, which I love. As we talk, they usually ask where I serve as pastor. First Lutheran Church, of course. In response, I’ll ask where they attend church or if they have a church home at all. Then I’ll ask my favorite question: “Why do you go there?” This really gets to the heart of where they place their faith. Why do you go to church? Why do you go to a specific church? Quite often, though, something is missing in their replies: “I really like the atmosphere there.” “They have a lot of activities for the kids.” “It’s the biggest Methodist church in the KC area, that’s why I drive an hour from Osawatomie.”

But where’s Jesus? Does God go to your church? Our God is a God who speaks, but too many Christians are listening to other voices. “Blessed … are those who hear the Word of God and keep it” (Luke 11:28). But too many churches keep God’s Word safely on a shelf next to the other history books. Sermons are Ted Talks. Evangelism is replaced by social justice. And the only cross to be seen is on bedazzled jeans.

All criticizing aside, people who make the effort to go to a church on Sunday morning do desire blessings from God. Whether they hear God’s Word or keep it – that’s another question.

So how do you individually, how do we as a congregation hear and keep God’s Word? Let’s break it down.

First, how do you hear God’s Word? Our Gospel reading begins with a man who could not hear God’s Word. Our translation said that Jesus was casting out a demon from a “mute man.” The Greek word for “mute” and “deaf” is the same (κωφός). This makes sense: if you can’t or don’t hear, then you won’t know how to make the correct sounds we call speech. Like so many modern Christians, if you never hear what church is supposed to be about, if you never hear the Law that convicts and condemns every sinner, if you never hear the Gospel of sins forgiven by Jesus’ death on the cross, if you never hear this, then you will never speak this.

This is the first great challenge of our Gospel reading: simply hearing God’s Word. This deaf-mute man did not choose to hear God’s Word or believe it. The miracle didn’t come from him. It came from Jesus. When God’s Word is spoken, it demands a listening ear. Jesus spoke to this deaf and mute man and healed him. The God who created those deaf ears can speak to those same ears. Our God is a God who speaks, and He will be heard.

Why then isn’t every deaf ear opened? Why do so many turn a deaf ear to God’s Word? In our Gospel, there were three responses to the miracle. Some marveled at the miracle and believed in Jesus; these are the Christians who go to church to hear God’s Word because they believe it. Others blasphemed against God and attributed Jesus’ miracle to demons; these are the unbelievers who totally reject God’s Word and only go to church for activism and self-affirmation. Still others remained unconvinced and wanted the magic show to continue; these are the folks who only go to church for the show, the atmosphere, and the entertainment. All three groups heard God’s Word and saw the miracle, but only a third believed. Why?

There’s a difference between deaf ears and a hard heart. One is ready for healing. The other rejects the medicine and rejects the healing. Like Pharoah in Egypt (Exodus 8:16-24), even when he saw plague after plague after plague – 10 whole plagues – he wouldn’t repent or believe. Even when Pharoah’s magicians couldn’t keep up, he wouldn’t repent or believe. Even when Pharoah heard Moses’ message time and time again, he wouldn’t repent or believe. Why? Pharoah hardened his own heart against God’s Word. It was like he plugged his ears and screamed at the top of his lungs to stop from hearing or believing.

So how do we hear God’s Word? This moves to the second part of keeping God’s Word. What does this mean? The same Greek word (φυλάσσω) is used for “keeping God’s Word” as is used in verse 21 where the strong man guards his own palace. Now, think about someone on guard duty. Do they make one pass around the perimeter, check a box, and claim they have successfully guarded the property for their entire shift? No, of course not. Guarding is active, ongoing, a return to the same place again and again.

The same is true for keeping God’s Word. You can’t simply hear God’s Word once in your life, check a box, and claim you have successfully kept God’s Word. It just doesn’t work like that. Keeping God’s Word means a continual return to the Scriptures to hear God speak once again.

This is why we, as a congregation, follow a lectionary throughout the year. This keeps us on schedule so that we keep on hearing God’s Word constantly. This keeps us from cherry picking our favorite verses and ignoring the uncomfortable parts.

What about on an individual level? What keeps you from keeping God’s Word? Plenty of things, right? It could start with simple intimidation from the book itself. Your Bibles contain 66 books from various authors, ancient times, and far off cultures. Its hundreds if not thousands of pages long. That’s pretty intimidating. Add to that an intimidating world. Christians are on the out. You’re told that you can be a Christian in the public work force, but you must remain mute like the man in Luke 11. As the cherry on top, we have busy schedules that leave little wiggle room for us to dive into a book we struggle to understand.

But what would it take to keep God’s Word daily? At an average reading rate, if you read your Bible for 8 minutes each day, you could read through it in a year. Would you understand every part of it? Probably not. But if you read just 8 minutes each day for a second year, you’d understand more. Here’s the point: Jesus didn’t say, “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and understand it,” He said, “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.”

Keeping God’s Word is a central to your Christian faith. If you hear God’s Word but don’t keep it, then you’re like a house swept clean. Sins are cleared out, demons are evicted, and the whole place is spick-and-span. But if the house remains empty, if the service ended right after the Absolution, you’d have a false sense of security. You’ve heard God’s Word – check! But your demons would go and find seven more demons to come check out the place. What are the demons? Sexual immorality, impurity, covetousness, filthiness, foolish talk, crude joking, and idolatry, just like Paul lists in Ephesians 5. Sin is crouching at your door and is eager to move in. This is why we must continually be in God’s Word, hear God’s Word, and return to God’s Word.

Where can you return to God’s Word? You can open your Bible once again, but there are even better places. The best place is your baptism. In your baptism, God’s Word was not just a book of ancient times and far off cultures. In your baptism, God’s Word came to you. It was spoken over you. You were joined to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Even if your infant ears – or even, your adult ears – didn’t understand God’s Word and were all but deaf to God’s Word, event still, God spoke into your ears. Like the deaf man in Luke 11, God’s Word makes ears listen. Along with baptism, return to the Words of Christ: “This is my body; this is my blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of all your sins.” In the Lord’s Supper, the Word of God is spoken, and Christ’s body and blood are joined to bread and wine. Will you understand all of God’s Word the first time around? No, but this is the Word made flesh for you to taste and see that the Lord is good. No longer are you just a swept house, but you are filled with heavenly food. In these Sacraments, you hear God’s Word and keep it, and you are blessed indeed.

So next time you find yourself talking with a pastor in public and he asks where you go to church and why you go there, be sure to include Jesus. Mention God’s Word. Our God is a God who speaks. As Christians, we listen to His Word and are blessed unto life everlasting.

+INJ+

Amen.

Pastor Schultz
Trinity Lutheran Church
Paola, Kansas

Return to Top | Return to Sermons | Home | Email Church Office

Pastor Schultz Trinity Lutheran Church Paola, Kansas

Pastor Schultz
Trinity Lutheran Church
Paola, Kansas