WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.400 --> 00:00:03.200 From the first chapter of James. 2 00:00:04.900 --> 00:00:08.800 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial for when he has 3 00:00:08.800 --> 00:00:09.400 stood the test. 4 00:00:09.400 --> 00:00:11.500 He will receive the Crown of Life. 5 00:00:12.700 --> 00:00:14.900 Which God has promised to those who love him. 6 00:00:16.100 --> 00:00:17.600 But no one say when he is tempted 7 00:00:17.600 --> 00:00:19.300 I am being tempted by God. 8 00:00:20.600 --> 00:00:24.800 For God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself temps no one. 9 00:00:26.200 --> 00:00:29.900 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own 10 00:00:29.900 --> 00:00:30.300 desire. 11 00:00:31.700 --> 00:00:36.700 Then desire when it has conceived to gives birth to sin and sin when 12 00:00:36.700 --> 00:00:38.700 it is fully grown brings forth death. 13 00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:43.400 Do not be deceived my beloved Brothers. 14 00:00:44.600 --> 00:00:47.300 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above. 15 00:00:48.700 --> 00:00:50.500 Coming down from the Father of Lights 16 00:00:50.500 --> 00:00:55.300 who with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 17 00:00:56.600 --> 00:01:00.600 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth. 18 00:01:01.700 --> 00:01:04.099 That we should be a kind of firstfruits 19 00:01:05.300 --> 00:01:06.100 of his creatures. 20 00:01:10.100 --> 00:01:15.000 The name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Fellow 21 00:01:15.000 --> 00:01:18.800 brothers and sisters redeemed by the life-giving Cross of Christ. 22 00:01:21.300 --> 00:01:25.300 Because of Christ and his innocent suffering and substitutionary death 23 00:01:25.300 --> 00:01:28.500 death days become Festival days. 24 00:01:31.200 --> 00:01:34.500 For hundreds of years Christians have designated the year of a 25 00:01:34.500 --> 00:01:36.500 believer's birth with a symbol of a star. 26 00:01:38.100 --> 00:01:42.300 And the year of a believer's death with a symbol of Christ's cross. 27 00:01:45.600 --> 00:01:50.200 Under the innocent suffering and death of our Lord Jesus a death day 28 00:01:50.200 --> 00:01:53.900 becomes a day of giving thanks and praise. 29 00:01:56.400 --> 00:02:00.700 We honor Christ and we honor the one who sent him when we honor his 30 00:02:00.700 --> 00:02:01.800 work in the life 31 00:02:02.900 --> 00:02:04.800 and the death of the faithful. 32 00:02:08.300 --> 00:02:11.200 Everyone wants to commemorate and give thanks on a birthday. 33 00:02:11.200 --> 00:02:15.500 But who won today's falling and darkened World desires to commemorate 34 00:02:15.500 --> 00:02:17.000 and give thanks on a death day. 35 00:02:18.700 --> 00:02:21.200 Check out the card section of your local drugstore. 36 00:02:23.900 --> 00:02:28.100 The closest they refuse to believe in Christ and his innocent suffering 37 00:02:28.100 --> 00:02:33.300 and substitutionary death world gets to a proper and God blazing 38 00:02:33.300 --> 00:02:37.300 observance of our death day is the wish of some kind of memorial. 39 00:02:38.900 --> 00:02:41.900 The setting up of the stone, the setting up of a brass plaque 40 00:02:43.000 --> 00:02:46.800 the setting up a memorial bank account that bears the name of the deceased. 41 00:02:49.600 --> 00:02:52.300 But memorials in the name of a departed loved one 42 00:02:52.300 --> 00:02:55.000 fall short in redeeming a death day. 43 00:02:56.500 --> 00:03:02.200 They simply soften the death punch upon helpless creatures in a sin 44 00:03:02.200 --> 00:03:03.300 infected world. 45 00:03:06.300 --> 00:03:07.200 This morning 46 00:03:07.200 --> 00:03:11.300 we are reminded that when the word of the Lord comes to us, it does a 47 00:03:11.300 --> 00:03:11.900 double work. 48 00:03:13.000 --> 00:03:15.800 And that first work is a clear diagnosis. 49 00:03:17.400 --> 00:03:21.600 We have failed in honoring the innocent bitter sufferings and 50 00:03:21.600 --> 00:03:25.800 substitutionary death of Christ by properly honoring the death of his 51 00:03:25.800 --> 00:03:25.900 saints. 52 00:03:28.900 --> 00:03:32.400 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. 53 00:03:34.500 --> 00:03:36.100 And what about in our sight? 54 00:03:38.900 --> 00:03:43.800 Our old stubborn Adam wants to make light of death days or pretend 55 00:03:43.800 --> 00:03:44.200 they don't exist. 56 00:03:46.100 --> 00:03:50.200 But even non Christian counselor is admit that a strange sense of 57 00:03:50.200 --> 00:03:55.300 unease and anxiety can occur when we try to suppress the annual 58 00:03:55.300 --> 00:03:58.700 observance of the loss of a family member or a child, 59 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:01.400 a parent, a sibling 60 00:04:02.900 --> 00:04:06.400 or if a fellow brother or sister in in the faith. 61 00:04:08.800 --> 00:04:12.100 You see Christ is not honored and we are not well-served 62 00:04:12.100 --> 00:04:16.200 when our diaries commemorate the day of the Super Bowl, but fail to 63 00:04:16.200 --> 00:04:19.899 mention the death date of saints like Martin Luther. 64 00:04:22.600 --> 00:04:26.300 When was the last time any of us reviewed the procession of the Saints 65 00:04:26.300 --> 00:04:29.400 Feast days in the front matter of our hymnal? 66 00:04:31.300 --> 00:04:35.600 We honor Christ and his death when we honor the death of his Saints. 67 00:04:39.700 --> 00:04:43.100 And as he stepped over the threshold he spoke into your hands 68 00:04:43.100 --> 00:04:45.500 I commend my spirit you have redeemed me, 69 00:04:45.500 --> 00:04:47.400 Oh Lord God of Truth. 70 00:04:48.800 --> 00:04:53.300 And he began saying oh my heavenly father God and Father of our Lord 71 00:04:53.300 --> 00:04:55.800 Jesus Christ, God of all comfort, 72 00:04:55.800 --> 00:04:57.000 I thank you. 73 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:03.300 That you have revealed to me your beloved Son Jesus Christ in whom I 74 00:05:03.300 --> 00:05:03.800 believe. 75 00:05:04.900 --> 00:05:08.800 Whom I have preached and confessed. Whom I have loved and 76 00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:09.100 worshipped. 77 00:05:10.700 --> 00:05:14.500 Whom the retched Pope and all the ungodly dishonor persecute and 78 00:05:14.500 --> 00:05:15.200 blasphemy. 79 00:05:17.200 --> 00:05:18.600 I beseech you 80 00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:24.800 my Lord Jesus Christ, accept my little soul into your keeping. 81 00:05:26.900 --> 00:05:27.800 Oh Heavenly Father, 82 00:05:27.800 --> 00:05:31.600 oh, I must leave this body and be torn away from this life. 83 00:05:31.600 --> 00:05:35.700 Yet I certainly know that I will dwell with you forever and no 84 00:05:35.700 --> 00:05:37.500 one can snatch me from your hands. 85 00:05:39.600 --> 00:05:40.400 He continued. 86 00:05:42.300 --> 00:05:45.700 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever 87 00:05:45.700 --> 00:05:47.700 believes in him should not perish 88 00:05:49.400 --> 00:05:50.400 but have eternal life. 89 00:05:52.500 --> 00:05:57.600 We have a God of salvation and a Lord God who brings us out from the 90 00:05:57.600 --> 00:05:58.300 midst of death. 91 00:06:00.100 --> 00:06:02.400 Then he said three times in a row father, 92 00:06:03.500 --> 00:06:07.600 into your hands I commend my spirit you have redeemed me, 93 00:06:07.600 --> 00:06:08.500 oh God of truth. 94 00:06:10.800 --> 00:06:12.500 Then he fell silent. 95 00:06:14.500 --> 00:06:15.000 Dr. 96 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:20.000 Jonas and Master Coleus cried emphatically to him. Reverend father 97 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:25.300 is it your intention to die steadfast in Christ and his doctrines as 98 00:06:25.300 --> 00:06:26.500 you have preached them? 99 00:06:28.600 --> 00:06:29.600 Luther said 100 00:06:30.600 --> 00:06:32.200 so that I could be heard plainly. 101 00:06:34.100 --> 00:06:34.500 Yeah. 102 00:06:37.900 --> 00:06:41.200 This is the way life goes for the baptized. 103 00:06:41.200 --> 00:06:43.900 This is the way of faith for the faithful. 104 00:06:45.400 --> 00:06:48.900 This is the way of redemption and eternal life for the redeemed. 105 00:06:52.900 --> 00:06:54.500 While serving in the parish 106 00:06:54.500 --> 00:06:55.400 it was a regular occurrence 107 00:06:55.400 --> 00:06:59.400 non-Lutheran's would attend a funeral and walkaway scratching their 108 00:06:59.400 --> 00:07:01.300 heads while the congregation while congregation 109 00:07:01.300 --> 00:07:03.900 joyfully sang "For All the Saints." 110 00:07:06.800 --> 00:07:08.900 How can you sing such a joyful song 111 00:07:08.900 --> 00:07:10.200 they would say? 112 00:07:11.800 --> 00:07:14.800 Have some respect for the dead and those who are mourning. 113 00:07:16.700 --> 00:07:21.200 Well, yes, we mourn, we mourn the death of our fellow believers. 114 00:07:22.400 --> 00:07:24.000 We mourn the death of our loved ones. 115 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:27.500 We mourn the death of those Christians who give their very life unto 116 00:07:27.500 --> 00:07:28.000 death. 117 00:07:29.700 --> 00:07:31.500 We mourn for our loss. 118 00:07:34.100 --> 00:07:37.300 And this morning we mourn the death of the reformer Martin Luther. 119 00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:42.100 We mourn the fact that there will never be another Martin Luther at 120 00:07:42.100 --> 00:07:47.300 least if you believe that he was the angel foretold in Revelation 14 121 00:07:47.300 --> 00:07:53.100 that angel that was emblazoned on every issue of Der Lutheraner. 122 00:07:55.900 --> 00:08:00.900 In these last days of chaos and contempt in these last days of 123 00:08:00.900 --> 00:08:02.500 selfishness and self preservation. 124 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:08.500 In these last days when love grows cold and true saving Faith becomes 125 00:08:08.500 --> 00:08:11.300 the exception and not the rule. 126 00:08:13.100 --> 00:08:16.800 Today serves as a once-a-year reminder that the Christian Life is full 127 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:19.800 of repentance morning 128 00:08:21.600 --> 00:08:23.700 but always with a faith inspired hope. 129 00:08:27.200 --> 00:08:30.700 This day we give thanks to God for every good and perfect gift that comes 130 00:08:30.700 --> 00:08:31.700 down from above. 131 00:08:33.900 --> 00:08:38.100 For every good and perfect gift is a fruit of Christ and his cross. 132 00:08:39.200 --> 00:08:40.700 His cross that brings new life 133 00:08:42.200 --> 00:08:43.100 out of nothing. 134 00:08:44.300 --> 00:08:48.000 Brings life out of what was only sin and death 135 00:08:49.000 --> 00:08:50.700 and unbelief and despair. 136 00:08:53.800 --> 00:08:58.600 Because of Christ and his redeeming cross Stephens death was redeemed 137 00:08:58.600 --> 00:08:59.700 and sanctified. 138 00:09:01.100 --> 00:09:04.600 Because of Christ and his redeeming cross Luther's death was redeemed 139 00:09:04.600 --> 00:09:05.600 and sanctified. 140 00:09:08.600 --> 00:09:12.400 Because of Christ and his redeeming cross the believers death is 141 00:09:12.400 --> 00:09:17.100 sanctified and redeemed. Christ continues to be faithful to his own. 142 00:09:18.800 --> 00:09:22.600 Even in the midst of suffering and death and loss. 143 00:09:24.900 --> 00:09:26.300 As he comes in his word. 144 00:09:27.600 --> 00:09:29.500 As he comes in his sacrament. 145 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:40.700 As Elijah watched he cried out my Father, my Father the chariots and 146 00:09:40.700 --> 00:09:41.800 horsemen of Israel. 147 00:09:43.600 --> 00:09:46.500 And he saw Elijah no more. 148 00:09:50.600 --> 00:09:56.600 Today with God given at our baptism faith in the life-giving Cross of 149 00:09:56.600 --> 00:09:56.800 Christ 150 00:09:56.800 --> 00:10:02.200 we give thanks to God for the saints that have gone before us Stephan, 151 00:10:03.400 --> 00:10:04.200 Elijah, 152 00:10:05.400 --> 00:10:06.300 John the Baptist, 153 00:10:07.900 --> 00:10:08.800 Martin Luther. 154 00:10:11.300 --> 00:10:15.800 We trumpet what Christ and his word have done through them. 155 00:10:17.000 --> 00:10:18.300 And we treasure their faithfulness. 156 00:10:18.300 --> 00:10:23.600 Their good confession at the end at their death on the day when 157 00:10:23.600 --> 00:10:28.300 they were brought into the presence of their crucified and Risen for them Lord 158 00:10:28.300 --> 00:10:32.100 to sing that unending hymn of praise. 159 00:10:35.800 --> 00:10:38.800 Because of Christ and his innocent suffering and substitutionary 160 00:10:38.800 --> 00:10:39.200 death 161 00:10:39.200 --> 00:10:43.900 we commemorate this day February 18th with thanksgiving and joy. 162 00:10:46.100 --> 00:10:48.300 We commemorate Christ work 163 00:10:49.200 --> 00:10:51.400 through his servant Martin Luther. 164 00:10:53.300 --> 00:10:57.000 We gladly here and learn and take to heart Luther's faithful 165 00:10:57.000 --> 00:10:58.700 confession of Christ and his word. 166 00:10:59.800 --> 00:11:02.000 The life given to confessing Christ. 167 00:11:03.800 --> 00:11:08.200 Life that culminated in a quiet but resolute 168 00:11:09.500 --> 00:11:10.200 Amen. 169 00:11:12.800 --> 00:11:16.800 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial for when he has 170 00:11:16.800 --> 00:11:17.300 stood the test 171 00:11:17.300 --> 00:11:20.000 he will receive the Crown of Life. 172 00:11:21.300 --> 00:11:24.400 Which God has promised to those who love him. 173 00:11:26.500 --> 00:11:29.000 In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.