{"id":1395,"date":"2015-10-08T10:21:14","date_gmt":"2015-10-08T15:21:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/?p=1395"},"modified":"2015-10-08T10:52:05","modified_gmt":"2015-10-08T15:52:05","slug":"broken-but-made-whole-in-jesus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2015\/10\/08\/broken-but-made-whole-in-jesus\/","title":{"rendered":"Broken but made whole in Jesus"},"content":{"rendered":"

A note to the reader. \u00a0This is my first sermon at Calvary Lutheran, Minong WI.<\/a>
\nAfter just moving in, I was not \u00a0able to find my video camera or voice recorder. \u00a0However, it was found this week and future sermons will be recorded.<\/p>\n

Sunday, October 4, 2015 | After Pentecost
\nOld Testament<\/i> Genesis 2:18\u201324
\nNew Testament<\/i> Hebrews 1:1\u20134, 2:5\u201312
\nGospel<\/i> Mark 10:2\u201316<\/p>\n

When I looked at the gospel lesson for today, all I could do is say, REALLY, my first Sunday here at Calvary and this is the text I get?\u00a0 Sermons sometimes can be hard enough to write but mix our Gospel in with moving to Minong and the multitude of things that did not, well lets just say, did not go as smoothly as we would have liked.\u00a0 Overall, I have been feeling pretty comfortable about starting this call here at Calvary.\u00a0 Not that I had a comparison to any other calls but it is not like I have not been a pastor before.\u00a0 After all, I spent 4 years as an associate pastor, albeit not ordained.\u00a0 Much of the last year and up until July, I have been the sole pastor for a congregation in Fulton IA.<\/p>\n

I had a spiritual director tell me once, Doug, ever time you are feeling comfortable, what I am hearing is that you had better duck.\u00a0 God seems to have curve balls that come and shake me up.\u00a0 It is kind of like laying all comfortable in a frying pan that is just keeping you warm, then all of a sudden the pan is tipped and you are tossed into the fire!\u00a0\"butt I told that to a friend of mine and next thing I know she was sent me a picture of someone running with their back end on fire.<\/p>\n

The next image I saw was Jesus laughing.\u00a0 Not because He thought it was funny that I had to deal with what he said but because I was missing the whole point.\u00a0 That laughing Jesus helped me to focus, not just on the words but deeper into the meaning of what was going on in the text.<\/p>\n

\"Laughing<\/a><\/p>\n

Sure, it was easy to just see the words that were said by Jesus. \u201c\u2026what God has joined together, let no one separate.\u201d [1]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 \u201cWhoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; 12\u00a0<\/sup>and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.\u201d [2]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> On the surface, that might seem like salt into the wound of some.\u00a0 Adultery, is sin and Jesus says to the Pharisees, who came to test him, that despite a divorce, that adultery is committed by those who re-marry another after a divorce.<\/p>\n

As we know from the Bible, Moses had many conversations with God.\u00a0 He not only brought God\u2019s laws to the Israelites, but he also became an intermediary, an advocate for the people who continued to sin, even after given the laws.\u00a0 Moses grants divorces, not because there was something wrong with God\u2019s law.\u00a0 The law is still the law but God, instead bends to the needs of God\u2019s people and divorce is allowed.\u00a0 Even though divorce is allowed, God\u2019s law is still the law and\u00a0 \u201cTherefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.\u201d[3]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

All that being said, it was the people that had a hardness of heart.\u00a0 A heart that despite knowing right from wrong, still did and even today does wrong.\u00a0 I try to do what is right but I still do what is wrong, despite me wanting to do what is right in the eyes of God.\u00a0 Paul said it in his letter to the Romans, \u201c14\u00a0<\/sup>For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin. 15\u00a0<\/sup>I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.\u201d[4]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

Jesus is speaking to the bigger issue when he responds to the Pharisees.\u00a0 He is not just speaking about divorce and adultery but takes the opportunity to speak to the law and sin and the brokenness of people.\u00a0 No matter how hard we try, we cannot be saved through the law.\u00a0 It is the Jews who have a covenant with God, in the law.\u00a0 Gentiles, all those who are not Jews, have no covenant with God in the law.<\/p>\n

Paul in his letter to the Galatians said, 10\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, \u201cCursed be everyone who does not abide by<\/p>\n

all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.\u201d[5]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 Note that all things, not just some things written must be followed.\u00a0 The law is not to be taken cafeteria style, picking and choosing what we like to follow and what we do not like to follow.<\/p>\n

Sin and brokenness is surrounding us everywhere.\u00a0 We can\u2019t hardly turn on the T.V. without hearing of some sort of conflict, war, hunger, and killings, happening all around the world.\u00a0 Is it that we have become accustomed to hearing so much sin, that we have become numb and thus the sinful nature is allowed to propagate?\u00a0 In Oregon this week, we had another mass murder take place.\u00a0 Brokenness everywhere we look, every place we turn.\u00a0 When we hear of these things, how do we respond?\u00a0 Where is Jesus in all of this brokenness?\u00a0 We must not murder, we must not covet and the list of 10 goes on.<\/p>\n

Where does that leave you and I and the rest of the world?\u00a0 We do not have a covenant with God in the law.\u00a0 We do have a Covent sealed in the blood of God\u2019s Son, Jesus the Christ.\u00a0 From the book of John, \u201c16<\/sup>For God so loved the world that [God] gave [God\u2019s] one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17<\/sup>For God did not send [the] Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18<\/sup>Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God\u2019s one and only Son.\u201d[6]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

\"jesus-on-the-cross\"<\/a><\/p>\n

No matter how much we want to follow the law, we will not be able to do this on our own.\u00a0 It is in our response to God for what is done for us through Jesus, that we rely upon Spirit to guide us, to keep our paths straight and that we try and succeed, sometimes that is, in following the law.\u00a0 Not for our salvation but out of a grateful response to a loving and compassionate God who showers us in grace through the Son.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[1]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version<\/em> (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), Mk 10:9.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version<\/em> (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), Mk 10:11\u201312.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version<\/em> (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), Mk 10:9.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version<\/em> (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), Ro 7:14\u201315.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> The Holy Bible: English Standard Version<\/em> (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Ga 3:10.<\/p>\n

[6]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> The Holy Bible: Today\u2019s New International Version.<\/em> (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005), Jn 3:16\u201319.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A note to the reader. \u00a0This is my first sermon at Calvary Lutheran, Minong WI. After just moving in, I was not \u00a0able to find my video camera or voice recorder. \u00a0However, it was found this week and future sermons will be recorded. Sunday, October 4, 2015 | After Pentecost Old Testament Genesis 2:18\u201324 New … [Read more…]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[87,76,28,78,3,10,5,66,58,83,39,4,31,6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"entry","1":"post","2":"publish","3":"author-admin","4":"post-1395","6":"format-standard","7":"category-christ","8":"category-commandment","9":"category-eternal-life","10":"category-gospel","11":"category-grace","12":"category-jesus","13":"category-law","14":"category-marriage","15":"category-response","16":"category-sermon","17":"category-sin-2","18":"category-spirit","19":"category-theology-of-the-cross","20":"category-works"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2m6h5-mv","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1526,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2016\/05\/02\/pick-up-your-mat-and-respond\/","url_meta":{"origin":1395,"position":0},"title":"Pick up your mat and respond","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"May 2, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Below is the link to an audio version of a sermon delivered at Calvary Lutheran in Minong. http:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/sermons\/?sermon_id=77 Sunday, May 1, 2016 | Easter Sixth Sunday of Easter Year C First Reading Acts 16:9\u201315 Psalm Psalm 67 New Testament Revelation 21:10, Revelation 21:22\u201322:5 Gospel\u00a0 John 5:1\u20139 Revised Common Lectionary (Bellingham,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Acceptance"","block_context":{"text":"Acceptance","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/acceptance\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2688,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2021\/11\/08\/true-sight\/","url_meta":{"origin":1395,"position":1},"title":"True Sight","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"November 8, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Sunday, October 24, 2021 | After Pentecost Old Testament Isaiah 53:4\u201312New Testament Hebrews 5:1\u201310Gospel Mark 10:35\u201345","rel":"","context":"In "Evangelism"","block_context":{"text":"Evangelism","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/evangelism\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2700,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2021\/11\/10\/multifaceted-giving\/","url_meta":{"origin":1395,"position":2},"title":"Multifaceted Giving","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"November 10, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"All Saints SundayOld Testament 1 Kings 17:8\u201316New Testament Hebrews 9:24\u201328Gospel Mark 12:38\u201344","rel":"","context":"In "All Saints"","block_context":{"text":"All Saints","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/all-saints\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1533,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2016\/05\/08\/jesus-take-the-wheel\/","url_meta":{"origin":1395,"position":3},"title":"Jesus Take the Wheel","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"May 8, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Sunday, May 8, 2016 Seventh Sunday of Easter First Reading Acts 16:16\u201334 Psalm Psalm 97:1-12 New Testament Revelation 22:12\u201314, 16\u201317, 20\u201321 Gospel John 17:20\u201326 Click here for the audio of the sermon","rel":"","context":"In "Baptism"","block_context":{"text":"Baptism","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/baptism\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1641,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2016\/11\/28\/christ-the-king-over-all\/","url_meta":{"origin":1395,"position":4},"title":"Christ, The King over All","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"November 28, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Below is the video version of the sermon. 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