7^th Sunday of Easter

Texts: Acts 1:15-26, 1 John 4:13-21, John 17:11b-19

Have No Fear!

This evening will mark the beginning of Lutheran Church-Canada’s East District convention in Kitchener. Philip, and I will be representing our congregation. The theme is: “With Great Boldness – Call on His name.” Because Christ died to forgive our sins we can approach our heavenly Father with great boldness. No longer is fear or punishment an issue. Fear has died with him on the cross. And because we now have God on our side, who shall stand against us? Shall we still be fearful of our future? Certainly not, for God’s perfect love drives out all fear, as the Apostle John writes. This love from the cross is God’s gracious gift to us, and today I would like to mine our Bible texts for other gems that speak of God’s grace to us which drive out our fear.

Incidentally, at the District convention, Pastor Richard Wukasch will be honored for his 50-year anniversary of ordination. Back in the late 70’s and in the 80’s, he served has a hospital chaplain in Toronto and his wife served our congregation, among other things, as organist and choir director. This is another example of God’s grace that we can praise him for.

This afternoon the Korean Lutheran congregation celebrates their 15^th anniversary. Together with them we also praise God for his abundant grace that has carried them to this important milestone.

Today our congregation will also have reason to thank God for his blessing us with our own parish worker. In just a few minutes Jannie will be installed as our Director of Parish Services—Parish Missionary. In the year that she has been with us completing her internship, she has helped organize our Sunday school and our ushers, and she has started up a children’s choir and a youth group. Last weekend 9 youth attended the youth retreat—another first in many years! It is certainly only by God’s grace that it has been made possible for Jannie to work among us as our parish worker.

We see evidence of God’s grace at work all around us. Next week as we celebrate Pentecost—the pouring out of God’s Holy Spirit on his people, we will take the opportunity to formally welcome many of our new members who have joined us over the past few months. The Sunday following we will celebrate our own anniversary: It has been 71 years since new immigrants to Canada started this congregation. This month will certainly be a time to be emboldened by God’s grace and say “good-bye” to our fears.

Our Bible texts give us a good list of God’s gifts to us for that encourage us in our troubled and uncertain times. Allow me to share with you these awesome resources God gives you to meet the challenges of life:

1. First God gives us his Son to be our Savior (1 John 4:14). Jesus gave us his life for the forgiveness of our sins and frees us death.

2. The second gift is Love. God’s love for us in Jesus is the greatest love story in all the world. As those loved by God and in whom God’s love is made complete, all fear is driven out (1 John 4:16-18) and loneliness is transformed by the union we share with God (John 17:11b).

3. Jesus also gave us God’s Word of truth, which has the power to make us sinners holy and acceptable to God and to guide us unto righteousness (John 17:14, 16). For this living Word shows us our sins and leads us to the Savior in whom we find righteousness and holiness.

4. The Spirit is another awesome gift. God actually comes to live in us! Through his indwelling Spirit we know God and we are assured of our election as his beloved children who are called to be holy (1 John 4:13, 16).

5. Perhaps the most powerful thing we receive is God’s name. You received that name when you were baptized into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Having that name means that you are now a member of God’s family. Jesus says to those who bear his name: “I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:27-28). This name of God protects us as Jesus prays: “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me. … Protect them from the evil one (John 17:11, 15).

6. Another gift we receive is faith (1 John 4:15). The Holy Spirit together with the Word produces a living faith in our hearts. A faith that overcomes doubt and negativity; a faith that can see beyond the troubles of today—to see our loving Father who is with us and sees us safely through each difficulty until we reach our heavenly goal.

7. Finally, God gives us something to do. We are given a mission. Jesus says: My prayer is not that you take them out of the world… As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world” (John 17:15, 19). We are no longer useless, but God makes each of us useful servants in his kingdom. We are given an important mission: To demonstrate our love for God in how we love our brother (1 John 4:19-21). This mission gives our lives meaning and purpose. As we are loved by God we are enabled to love each other.

This is truly an awesome but by no means complete list of God’s gifts to us: His precious Son, his abundant love, his living Word of truth, his comforting Spirit, his powerful name, a true faith and a wonderful and exciting mission. These are the gifts, which we celebrate on this special day. These are the gifts will continue to bless and inspire us for faithful service to God in our ministry in this parish and in our own personal lives.

With all these gifts that God gives us you would think that life should be smooth and easy for us. However, that is not the case. Jesus tells us that because we have believed in him and trust his word, the world hates us because we are no longer of the world (John 17:14). We no longer share the same feelings and desires as those whose hopes are limited to this world and whose lives are attached to the things of this world. We have found a greater love, a more significant peace and a more meaningful hope. Because of that we are viewed with suspicion and at times as traitors. When our values clash we may even have to endure hatred and persecution. Jesus warns us that if that is how they have treated him, then we who follow him should not be surprised if we experience the same.

Often we are afraid to confess our hope in Christ to others and especially people we care about because we fear rejection. Right now a bill is before our Parliament that would criminalize “hate-speech” against homosexuals. Considering that certain sections of the Bible dealing with homosexual behavior have already been deemed “hate speech” by some courts, it may not be very long before we may have to decide whom we fear more: God or Cesar (the government).

We must admit that fear is a great part of our lives. Unless we allow God’s grace to drive it out, the peace and joy Jesus promised us will be shallow and short-lived. The troubles that God allows to enter our lives are intended to turn our attention to the one who is the source of true joy and pleasure: Our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one through whom we receive the grace of God that drives out fear and brings true joy and peace.

The Bible talks about these spiritual blessings of God as treasures in earthen vessels (2 Corinthians 4:7-18). We, and the world we live in, are those earthen vessels that contain that great treasure of God. And as our earthen vessels wear away and break, the treasure that is within becomes exposed and more visible. Too often we try to preserve our bodies that we neglect the far more valuable grace that God has placed within us. It would be better for us to focus less on what is wrong with us and our world and more on the gifts that are ours in Christ. Then we will experience a renewed love, joy and peace that are from God.

That renewal will find its final fulfillment when Christ returns to raise us from the grave and clothe us with new and glorious bodies like his own resurrection body; bodies that will not see corruption or decay, sickness or suffering. On the one hand, our earthen vessels, our bodies are wasting away. But on the other hand, the treasure of God’s grace shines brighter each day as we near our heavenly goal—when our mortal bodies will be transformed into immortal bodies.

Now may God’s grace remove all fear from your hearts and minds and keep them at peace in Christ.