WEBVTT 00:01.000 --> 00:05.100 Grace, mercy and peace, be unto you from our Lord and Savior Jesus 00:05.100 --> 00:05.900 Christ. 00:06.300 --> 00:06.900 Amen. 00:09.000 --> 00:14.200 I did my first hospital visit in April of 1985. 00:16.600 --> 00:20.300 I was an elder at Grace, Lutheran Church in Fayette Iowa. 00:21.100 --> 00:23.400 And I was asked to go and see Elma. 00:25.100 --> 00:30.600 I knew Elma and Don quite well, they were part of my Elder family. 00:33.500 --> 00:35.800 Don and Elma were busy people. 00:37.100 --> 00:38.400 They both worked. 00:40.200 --> 00:43.900 They loved to spend time with their children and grandchildren. 00:45.000 --> 00:50.800 And they had a cabin on the Mississippi River, which they like to go 00:50.800 --> 00:52.400 to every weekend. 00:53.800 --> 01:00.900 So Elma and Don were also on my non participating in church and Bible 01:00.900 --> 01:02.600 study group. 01:05.500 --> 01:11.300 When I went into Elma's hospital room, I could tell that something was 01:11.300 --> 01:11.800 wrong. 01:15.000 --> 01:18.900 She looked like one of my children standing by my bedside in the 01:18.900 --> 01:22.600 middle of the night after a bad dream 01:23.900 --> 01:26.900 or a terrible thunderstorm. 01:28.800 --> 01:29.800 As we talked 01:31.000 --> 01:34.900 Elma told me that her cancer had returned. 01:37.900 --> 01:39.100 In the late 70s 01:39.100 --> 01:41.500 Elma was diagnosed with breast cancer. 01:41.800 --> 01:46.900 She took treatments and then the cancer went into remission. 01:49.200 --> 01:52.900 But now the doctor told her the cancer had returned. 01:54.700 --> 01:58.900 She said that her husband, Don and her had visited with the doctor. 02:00.300 --> 02:04.500 And the doctor told her that there was nothing they could do and that 02:04.500 --> 02:06.500 her cancer was terminal. 02:08.600 --> 02:10.400 Why she wanted to see me 02:10.400 --> 02:18.100 she said, over the years that I was there, Elder. I had told them about 02:18.100 --> 02:25.100 coming to worship coming to Bible study and how God delivers his gifts 02:25.100 --> 02:26.800 in Word and Sacrament. 02:27.700 --> 02:34.000 And how God delivers that gift to each and everyone who attend and 02:34.000 --> 02:35.200 hear the Word of God. 02:36.100 --> 02:40.400 And that God builds up our spiritual bank account. 02:42.200 --> 02:48.200 So Elma said, to me, my spiritual bank account is depleted. 02:49.100 --> 02:52.300 And I am afraid to meet God. 02:53.700 --> 02:56.800 I am afraid to meet God. 02:59.700 --> 02:59.800 In 03:00.100 --> 03:06.000 scripture, we hear word similar to this, the thief on the cross. 03:07.300 --> 03:10.000 One of them railed at Jesus. 03:10.400 --> 03:14.900 The other one said, aren't you afraid of God? 03:17.100 --> 03:19.200 The pastor to the Hebrews says, 03:20.800 --> 03:26.700 It is fearful to fall into the hands of the Living God. God destroys 03:26.700 --> 03:29.100 everything that is contrary to him. 03:30.200 --> 03:32.500 Our God is a consuming fire. 03:34.600 --> 03:39.200 And the gospel writer, Luke says, let me give you some advice. 03:40.300 --> 03:41.400 Fear the one 03:42.700 --> 03:47.000 who after death can judge you to hell. 03:48.900 --> 03:51.000 The Judgment of God. 03:52.600 --> 03:58.700 Christ coming again, our crucified risen and ascended, Lord coming 03:58.700 --> 04:02.200 again to judge both the living and the dead. 04:04.900 --> 04:08.800 Luther says in the Large Catechism, this confession of ours, that 04:08.800 --> 04:13.100 Jesus will come again to judge both the living, and the dead is no 04:13.100 --> 04:14.400 children's message. 04:16.600 --> 04:22.900 He says this should be taught and preached as often as we can. 04:24.600 --> 04:29.100 And so, we have that opportunity this morning. Paul's second letter to 04:29.100 --> 04:33.300 the Thessalonians, the Judgment at Christ's coming. 04:34.600 --> 04:38.000 And Paul says that day will be a day of division. 04:39.600 --> 04:45.200 A day when those who do not know God, those who do not obey, the 04:45.200 --> 04:49.800 gospel will receive the punishment of Eternal destruction. 04:51.500 --> 04:53.900 Total separation from God. 04:55.300 --> 04:57.100 The loss of everything. 04:59.100 --> 05:04.100 And those who believe the testimony the Word of God, the Word that has 05:04.100 --> 05:09.900 become flesh and has dwelt among us Christ himself. 05:11.200 --> 05:14.200 Knowing Christ believing in Christ. 05:14.800 --> 05:21.400 Christ will allow his glory to be placed on those who believe. 05:23.200 --> 05:28.100 Our life will be in Christ forever. And St. 05:28.100 --> 05:32.200 Paul says, this will be a day of relief. The word 05:32.200 --> 05:38.000 he uses here is like a loaded spring, that's released. 05:39.200 --> 05:43.800 Or like Marion told me yesterday at the Care Center. 05:44.100 --> 05:48.900 When she heard this text in this word relief, she put her hands on her 05:48.900 --> 05:51.500 chest and she said, ah, 05:52.900 --> 05:55.300 an answer to my prayer. 05:56.200 --> 05:58.500 Come Lord, Jesus. 06:02.500 --> 06:05.500 But as we wait, there is tension. 06:08.400 --> 06:12.800 There is tension because when we examine ourselves, when we look into 06:12.800 --> 06:16.800 our hearts and our minds, we see nothing, but sin and death. 06:18.200 --> 06:21.200 And we cannot deliver ourselves from sin and death. 06:22.200 --> 06:24.000 In sin did my mother conceive. 06:24.000 --> 06:29.000 me. If God kept a record of sin who could stand? 06:30.100 --> 06:32.600 And scripture speaks of death as an enemy. 06:33.400 --> 06:38.000 The last enemy, the wages of sin is death. 06:39.600 --> 06:44.500 And yet everyone who calls upon the Lord will be saved. 06:45.500 --> 06:50.700 This tension between judgment and salvation. 06:52.700 --> 06:56.500 And once again, we go back to the thief, on the cross 06:56.700 --> 06:58.100 to hear that tension. 06:59.300 --> 07:01.600 He says, aren't you afraid of God? 07:02.200 --> 07:05.700 But in the same voice, he calls out to Jesus. 07:06.200 --> 07:10.200 Remember me, when you come into your kingdom. 07:11.500 --> 07:13.600 And let's pause for just a moment. 07:14.300 --> 07:17.500 Think about how Jesus responds. 07:19.000 --> 07:22.600 He doesn't ask the man about his crime. 07:24.000 --> 07:29.400 He doesn't bring up repentance and forgiveness. He doesn't ask him 07:29.400 --> 07:30.900 about any other sins 07:30.900 --> 07:31.900 he's committed. 07:33.200 --> 07:37.700 He doesn't ask him about his worship life. 07:39.100 --> 07:43.300 He doesn't ask him about any guilt or shame 07:43.300 --> 07:51.400 he's still carrying. He says, today you will be with me in Paradise. 07:52.800 --> 07:59.300 Mercy at the cross today, you will be with me in Paradise. 08:00.500 --> 08:03.500 And our Jesus is still the same today. 08:04.400 --> 08:10.200 He speaks to each and every one of us that he has taken upon himself 08:10.300 --> 08:11.700 all of our sins. 08:13.200 --> 08:14.500 He shed his blood 08:15.500 --> 08:18.600 for the forgiveness of all of our sins. 08:20.000 --> 08:23.800 He died our death, our Eternal death. 08:25.200 --> 08:29.400 God raised him on the third day so that we might have life, the 08:29.400 --> 08:34.799 certainty of life, not only today but for eternity. 08:36.600 --> 08:38.799 Mercy at the cross. 08:39.900 --> 08:48.400 Our God comes to save the lost. To seek the lost. To redeem those who 08:48.700 --> 08:49.600 are broken. 08:50.800 --> 08:57.500 To those who are in sin and death. Mercy at the cross. 09:00.200 --> 09:05.300 There's a Chinese proverb that says the best time to plant a tree is 09:05.300 --> 09:06.500 25 years ago. 09:08.300 --> 09:11.200 The second best time is today. 09:13.000 --> 09:18.400 The best time for Elma to have believed that God had given her new 09:18.400 --> 09:19.900 life in Christ 09:21.100 --> 09:23.900 according to the proverb would be 1960. 09:25.500 --> 09:30.800 The second-best time April 1985. 09:32.300 --> 09:37.200 I never asked Elma if she was afraid to meet God that day that we met, 09:38.500 --> 09:41.500 or if she was afraid to meet God at death, 09:42.500 --> 09:48.300 or if she was afraid to meet God on that day, Judgment Day. 09:49.400 --> 09:53.000 As we hear in scripture this morning when Jesus is revealed with his 09:53.000 --> 09:56.900 mighty angels and we have this fire and all these things that we'll be 09:56.900 --> 10:02.000 going on, was that the day that Elma was afraid? 10:05.700 --> 10:11.400 I don't know, but all of those days are wrapped up in, Christ's death 10:11.900 --> 10:16.500 and Resurrection. In Christ's death and Resurrection 10:17.800 --> 10:24.500 He defeated sin and death. He made sin and death powerless. Powerless 10:24.500 --> 10:32.700 on April, 1985. Powerless today, powerless in death. 10:33.800 --> 10:37.400 And powerless on that day, Judgment Day. 10:40.300 --> 10:44.300 God gave Elma several more years of good life. 10:45.800 --> 10:48.300 The doctors could not explain her recovery. 10:49.400 --> 10:53.500 Elma would simply say to God be the glory. 10:55.300 --> 10:57.000 I learned from Elma 10:58.700 --> 11:03.300 how to share the gospel to share our lives 11:03.300 --> 11:06.000 concerning that day. 11:08.200 --> 11:13.900 Elma was always quick to tell others how she was afraid to meet God. 11:15.500 --> 11:19.300 But how she had met God at the cross 11:20.500 --> 11:26.200 in Jesus. To know the certainty of the life that God had given to her 11:26.200 --> 11:34.200 in Christ and her prayer was come, Lord, Jesus. Come Lord Jesus. 11:36.700 --> 11:41.500 Sharing the gospel, sharing our lives. 11:42.800 --> 11:44.400 How will you this day 11:45.400 --> 11:46.800 share the gospel? 11:48.200 --> 11:49.900 Share your life 11:51.200 --> 11:52.800 concerning that day? 11:55.600 --> 11:56.100 Amen. 11:57.700 --> 12:00.600 The peace of God, which passes all understanding. 12:00.700 --> 12:03.800 Keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus 12:03.800 --> 12:05.200 until that day. 12:06.600 --> 12:07.600 To life eternal. 12:08.200 --> 12:08.600 Amen.