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The episodes are the weekly sermons from 922 Ministries (St. Peter and The CORE) of Appleton, Wisconsin.
Blessed
Week 1 - St Peter
Pastor Tim Glende
Welcome to Week 1 of #Blessed. And I'm so thankful that you are here. Some of you passed the test. McGee didn't know what, but on your way into church today, I was #testingyou. Like, I asked many of you. The question. How are you doing?
And you all pretty much did exactly the same thing that the person behind you or the person before you did. Did it with one of the common answers that we usually give? Like almost 95% of the people. I asked that good or well or excellent. One word, answers, simple answers. Ones that you'd expect over and over again. Only once today have I gotten terrible. And I'm like, honest, thank you.
I mean, we, I've asked the question of thousands of people throughout my lifetime. When you walk in a church, as you leave church there, people coming to my door at my office. When I get together with family and friends, it's just a common greeting. How are you doing today? And usually those responses are very fairly similar, but you probably know this. There are certain people in your life who have there there, go to answers that are not the norm. They're a little bit more than one word.
Like my good friend Pastor Ski is some of you maybe know him you maybe were here, what have been members here when he was here. His response, always to that question, how you doing ski better than I deserve every time? And sometimes he asked me in return. How are you doing? I'm like better than you deserve.
That usually stops him for a little while.
We had a member at 922, who no longer is a member here, but every time he would come to worship, he come to serve. I'd ask him. How you doing today? And his response was always the same, it was pretty good for a Sunday or Monday, a Tuesday, the day would change, but the phrase was the same pretty good for a blank. And my wife has an uncle who to every time. You'll ask him, how are you doing? Uncle Scott. His response is Blessed. Like I know what he means by that but sometimes I just want to poke a little bit and say are you sure? Why do you say that? Like why is that your response to how are you doing?
And I don't because I probably don't want to hear it because I think I know it.
But I think everyone would agree when he says that, whether you're a neighbor, a friend, a family member that in that response to, how are you doing with this would be true. We would all agree with this. If you're taking notes, it's kind of what I want you to think about today. As we get into week one being blessed like that response. I'm blessed this whole concept of hashtag blessed. Being blessed is a good thing, right? Like would all of you agree?. Like any of you who are on social media and you have friends who hashtag this that and another thing like you probably have had a friend who brought home a baby and they maybe use the hashtag as a part of their celebration and their introduction to their friends. #blessed. Like people talk about being blessed when they graduate from high school or college and are moving forward in life people with #blessed on their social media post, when they get a new job when they buy a new house when they get good news about something going on their life. Like we all understand that and would agree that being blessed Is a good thing.
But the way the world hashtags it and uses it is an overused thing.
Like, for many people. It's become so overused that when people do it and use it and say it, it's almost like your #bragging. Not truly being thankful for the blessing that you have.
And that's why I want you to have this in mind and understand what we're going to talk about today. Like we use the phrase blessed in our life, to refer to things like health and Financial Resources. We use the word blessed when we have friends and family and people in our lives. But here's the thing, if that's what you mean by blessed, money can be lost and gone. Your health can be taken away from you in the snap of a finger. Like family and friends, as great as they are, sometimes they move, they're no longer here. Like they may be no longer literally on Earth because they passed away. Like if material things, our possessions, our circumstances of Life are the things that make us blessed. Those are good things and being blessed is a good thing, but my friends, that's not enough, that's not what true blessing from God is all about, but they are from God, but being blessed is not just a good thing that blessings were going to talk about in this series are much more than that.
I think my uncle knows that and uses the phrase because of that and And even though he's been blessed in this life, be like many Christians throughout the pages of scriptures who might say blessed, understood that things and life, we can be blessed in. Those are good things, but there's so much more to it. King David would be one of those like King David who literally lived, 3,000 years ago understood that being blessed was a good thing. He said and went in and sat before the Lord and talking to Lord said, who am I, Sovereign Lord? And what is my family that you have brought me this far?
This country boy from Bethlehem, this youngest of all the siblings who Rises up through the ranks becomes, a hero for slaying the giant, endures the Kings attacks becomes the king himself, has palaces and armies, and wealth, and money, and everything. The world can offer King, David knew that being blessed is a good thing. But King David knew that really being blessed is not just about good things.
Being blessed was a God thing. Like at the end of the section in his prayer and conversation, we think we've got, he said now be pleased to bless the house of your servant that it may continue forever in your site for you, for you Lord have spoken and with your blessing, the house of your servant will be blessed forever. Like the blessing David was talking about was not just about his Palace, his country, his kingdom, he was talking about God's kingdom, that Reign forever through Jesus Christ. Now that my friends, Is what being blessed by God is all about. And that's what this series is going to be all about. But being blessed is a good thing. But if you're taking notes for the next three weeks, I want you to see that being blessed and I put it in all caps for a reason. Being blessed to make it stand out from how the world will use it. Being blessed is a God thing. It is a God thing. King David knew it, it is a God thing he wants us to know it. Being blessed is a God thing. Which is why for the next three weeks we're gonna go back to 1500 years before Jesus was born. We're going to go back 3500 years from where we are today. And see, God literally say that and speak that. And asked for his people to hear that.
See the words that we use, at the end of every service, we call the blessing or the benediction. Go back that far. They go back to God and his people to Moses and Aaron having just left Egypt and wandering in the desert, which many people who were probably seeing them wander around aimlessly. In the desert for 40 years, had to wonder, you are not blessed. Like the food, you're eating every day that Manna, it comes down, six days, set aside enough for the seventh day. Like could you imagine eating the same thing like Manna like bread for 40 years? Like I could probably eat pizza just about every day of the week for about 40 Years of you have different toppings, but it would get old after a while. Like steak, potatoes, every once in awhile makes my heart Happy. But their food had been awful, like they're wandering aimlessly the nation's might have laughed at him.
And so, in the middle of all that, God told Moses to tell Aaron, who was the high priest to do this. Let people know that being blessed, is a God thing. It's one of the spiritual blessings that God gives to us. The Apostle Paul says, he's blessed us with every spiritual blessing. So, in this series, we're going to see those spiritual blessings found in the blessing. And here's that blessing 1500 years ago, I was got inspired Moses to write. It found in the book of Numbers. One of those books we often times stopped at like, there's a census taken, there's a whole bunch of rules in it. Whole bunch of this is how the priest should dress and what they should wear. And you probably stop reading your Bible in a year when you get to Numbers. Its early on. If you missed out on where the blessing is at, it’s in number 6, verses 22 to 27, “tell Aaron and his sons, this is how you are to bless the Israelites, say to them the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you, and be gracious to you. The Lord turn his face toward you. And give you peace. So they are in and the Levites will put my name on them and I, this is God speaking, I will bless them.
500 years ago, Martin Luther when he developed and wrote up what is commonly known as The Divine Liturgy for the Lutheran Church. He brought the the blessing the benediction into it to here on a weekly basis. These words from God as God's people, go out into the world. And you know how important that is that as you leave this place, you go with God and his Blessing because the world God wants you to hear that. He blesses, because the world is a mess. Life is hard. The things that you are going to face on the outside of these walls are going to tempt you to believe that the ultimate blessings that being blessed is all about things. What you accumulate, what you have, how popular you are. How many likes you have on social media and all those things, my friends are now what it means to be blessed. From a spiritual perspective and they do not last.
So, for the next three weeks, we're going to look at three phrases of the blessing, and we're going to see that in those words, some amazing things that God wants you to have, hold on to remember and celebrate and truly appreciate that you are blessed.
And before we get into today's, I just want to, have you keep a few things in mind about the overall blessing, because I'm going to shrink it down to one little phrase each and every week, I want you to truly see it all together, which is why I just had it on the screen. If we can go back to and put it up there, that'd be great. You see the name for the Lord? That's used. That's his, his saving name, his compassionate and gracious. God name his special name in the Old Testament? The Great, I Am. God wanted the name spoken over his people to be the one that they would hear over and over again. Oh, how he loves us? Like we just say,
It said multiple times, literally the Lord, the Lord, the Lord. And while the blessing of God reminds us that he is one God who gives us all these things. God is also Triune. The Bible is filled with reminders of the Triune God in the Old and New Testament. Like holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. And so what we're going to do and unpack in this series, we look at his take each one of those phrases and see the unique work of one person of the Trinity as a part of the United godhead. So, here to talk father and how his son and how he we are blessed in Jesus and holy spirit, unique flavor, to the blessing. That is definitely got the trinity in it by the three times being repeated blessing. I want you to see as you see it all together as a last phrase. This is not a wish. Like sometimes you've heard Pastor say may the Lord bless you and keep you. And it could be understood correctly, but God is not making a wish here. He's not saying it is a might here, it's not saying that, it depends anything on, you know, God is making a promise here. This is, what God does this what he wants you to? Hear is what he wants. You to know that as you go out, as you hear this from God, he will do it.
That's all good. How big, how loving God is?
So, let's get into The first phrase.
And here it is. You saw it on the screen, the Lord. Bless you. And keep you.
Like the word blessed in and of itself covers the entirety of what is being spoken here. So the the first real blessing is found in the second to last word in that phrase. God's keeping I can maybe you're wondering. What does that mean? That one of God's greatest blessings is his keeping? Like some of you keep animals in your backyard like chickens and things like that, you might have keeping in mind. Like I keep things that I want to hold onto that. So maybe we have the wrong kind of Tatian of what it means that God promises to keep you. But maybe mom's can relate to this. Today, those of you who've had your kids grow up, like I do, there are certain days where I think my wife would just love to be able to keep her kids at home.
But they're grown up now and that lasts about two days when they're home. Love you guys. But do you think of keeping like, closeness, like you're holding pulling someone in keeping his about protection, Mom's right? You keep your kids close to you to protect them. They can maybe that helps. You have the connotation of what God is promising. Here is keeping The Lord bless you and keep you. God, the father wants you to hear his promise and be assured of his Blessing that as you go out into the world as you live your life, he will keep you in. Does keep you in two ways. Physically spiritually. That's God. The father's keeping. Like Martin Luther, summed it up this way. Like member the first article, I believe in God, the Father Almighty maker of heaven and Earth, The Giver of Life. The creator of all, that's the father that's God, his role. What he does uniquely aren't Luther summed up this way. If we go to the first explanation of the first article, I believe that God has made me and all creatures that he's giving me my body and soul Eyes Ears. All my members, my reason, and all my senses and here's just keeping still preserves them that
Richly and daily provides me with food and clothing home and family property and goods and all that. I need to support this body and life. Physically God's and his promise is his Blessing to you. And to me is that he does that He does that.
By giving you Body, Soul, Eyes, Ears, talents, and strengths. Like if you want to celebrate God's keeping today, if you ever wondered about the blessings of God, just look right now at your hands. That they work. That they're holding a bulletin and taking notes that God's blessed you with eyes to see the screen and join in Songs of Praise that he gave you feet and the ability to get here today that he's giving you strengths and talents and abilities to earn a living. So that you can take care of yourself. Clothe yourself, feed yourself feed your family, help others, like that's God's keeping, you might think you are the most talented person in the world with the greatest abilities in the world, but those could come from God. Which is in keeping with his promise to bless and keep you.
You know, I sometimes we struggle with With God's keeping. We sometimes forget that it's the daily providing.
Like God doesn't keep us the way we want to be kept with all the extras.
Like God doesn't keep me, like he keeps my neighbor with all the extra toys.
So maybe just maybe, today and I know it's Mother's Day, but when you go home today, don't whether you're young or old go look around your house at all the stuff, Like count the TVs.
Look at the shelves?
Look in your closet.
Consider how many times in your life? You've had garage sales to purge as you have so much. And humbly celebrate that you are blessed in the spiritual way by God's physical key be like God is amazing.
And He keeps us.
And yet in this sinful World, bodies break and health declines, and possessions rust, which is why remembering that his keeping is far more than just physical blessing and providing. It's guarding and protecting us from all evil.
Like spiritually, When you pray, the Lord's Prayer, Jesus wanted you to remember and ask for God to keep you in specific ways that are all spiritual. Like look at the words of Jesus. In Matthew, 6 and disciple, say, teach us how to pray and he starts with the words, Our Father, the work of the Father, the keeper, He said this, if we as we look at Matthew and Jesus words in The Sermon, on the Mount on prayer, this is how you should pray, pray to Our Father in heaven. And in these petitions, six of them spiritual, one of them physical. See, how many of them did you know this? That when you're praying, The Lord's Prayer, you're actually praying for God to keep you spiritually and physically. Like to keep you spiritually your kingdom come, that's not Jesus return. That's God. Calm. Father reign in my heart. Keep me in faith. Send your spirit to strengthen me work on my heart, through the means of Grace to keep me spiritually like make my heart Your Dwelling Place. Heavenly Father, keep me. Faithful and full of faith.
Give us today, our daily bread. We pray for God's keeping to give us today what we need for today. The needs the DAILY bread. Not daily wants, not all the asks, what we need.
And then we pray lead us not into temptation but Deliver Us from the evil one like literally God the Father, you know howhe keeps you? Like he doesn't stop Temptation from happening. You live in a sinful world when you leave this place, you know how messy it is. Like, it's hard to be remember that. You are blessed. You're going to face challenges and temptations. But you know what God says, if you walk out into the world? One of my ways of help keeping you spiritually is to provide a way out in every Temptation. It might be a friend, it might be your parents and their advice. It might be the Book as you read it, it might be all sorts of things that God makes a promise, that he will keep you by providing a way out for you and tempted. And the ultimate, keeping of God that we pray for that He’ll one day deliver us home to heaven and our prayers. Lord keep us in the faith. Heavenly Father. Keep us spiritually. Strong until the day. We breathe our last.
One will experience the ultimate deliverance and enjoy the Eternal keeping by your side.
Like I know all too often. We forget the amazing love of God, that and the keeping that he does. We get consumed by tomorrow, my friends Jesus said, tomorrow has enough worries of its own but seek first, his kingdom, and his righteousness, referring to God, his father seek first, his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things what you need tomorrow's will be taken care of all. These things will be given to you as well. Trust is keeping Jesus says, celebrate his keeping.
Which maybe, just maybe, is what I want you to. Just remember from this verse, I know in some ways this series going to be so basic to some of the others we have done here but being truly focused on the fact that we are blessed is life-changing, do not minimize that, do not forget it. Maybe this week, can I convince you each and every day at some point in your week? Like I love to start each day. Praying Lord, thank you for what you did for me in my baptism. Lord, thank you for what I know you'll do. For me one day in heaven but right in the middle of that sandwich. Thank you, Lord, for what you're doing for me today, that's his keeping like this week as you pray to God, celebrate maybe beginning and end of the day for keeping you see how he kept you. Like, how many times has he not sent his angels guarding you to keep you safe in all your ways that you don't know about, like the amazing keeping of God physically and spiritually of brothers and sisters? I want you to remember this, celebrate this, as you hear the blessing now and going forward. Remember, one of the greatest blessings, Of the Father, the father's keeping. Is the fact that we are blessed, go ahead and fill it in and your blanks. The father's keeping makes us blessed on a day-to-day basis and will fraternity the Apostle Paul knew it to be true. He said this
As he wrapped up a book, when he was in jail, when things would not have been called blessings for him, people would not have said, he is blessed. He said, my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory. In Christ, Jesus, he will keep you. The Apostle Paul said, he'll provide for you, he will keep you spiritually. So to God, be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Which made me think about one of those people who whose answer to my question? How are you doing?
And God's keeping. Like, as I wrote that sermon, that introduction was done on Monday. That man, I talked about who every time you asked him was named Roger Biermann, he served here at St. Peter for many years, he volunteered in many ways. He lived across the road. He's parent of members of ours here. Roger moved to Arizona a few years ago. I remember every time he come on a Thursday night to help with communion, Roger, how are you doing?
“Pretty good for a Thursday.” And I wrote the introduction on Monday. And on Tuesday, as I was literally writing my conclusion, Pastor Jim came in my office and said Steve Paap called. His father-in-law, Roger, passed away this morning.
Now, I don't know about you.
But I think Roger knew and appreciated that he was blessed by God throughout his life. And as God promised and blessed him each and every week through those words on Tuesday, God kept and fulfilled that promise to him, by taking him home.
And I wonder if when Roger opened his eyes and saw Jesus and God face-to-face for the first time of Jesus said, Roger, how are you doing?
“Really good for a Tuesday.”
Or maybe he responded blessed.
The Lord bless you. And keep you. Amen