In the Pastor's absence, the sermon this morning has been prepared by
Rev. Paul Naumann, Pastor of Ascension Lutheran Church in Tacoma, WA

FOLLOWING CHRIST INTO THE NEW YEAR
Matthew 16:24-26

To Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or
think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by
Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever, Amen. Today we look to the
16th chapter of Matthew, beginning with the 24th verse, as follows [KJV]:

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life
shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what
is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or
what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? So far the Holy Word.

In Christ Jesus, Who came that we “might have life, and have it more
abundantly,” Dear Fellow Redeemed,

Interesting times we live in, aren't they? We recently entered the new year of
2008. And 2008 certainly seems like a year that presents us with a lot of
uncertainty. Perhaps first two weeks are something of a preview. If so, we're in for a bumpy
ride. Against all predictions, the U.S. commander in Iraq declared that 2007 saw
reduced casualties - rather than greater - as compared with the year before.
Benezir Bhutto, an important political leader in Pakistan, was assassinated. In
the Iowa primary elections, two people whom no one had even heard of a few
short years ago ended walking away with first place in their respective contests.

And that's just a sample. The real estate slump, the wildly-fluctuating stock
market, the alarming rise in gas prices - the only thing anyone seems certain of
is that there’s a lot of uncertainty about the new year ahead of us. And that can
be somewhat frightening. But there is one way we can overcome all our
uncertainties about the future, and that is by following Christ into the new year.
In our text for today, Jesus tells us just what’s involved in following Him. He
doesn’t whitewash the picture, either. He tells us what we stand to lose as His
disciples...and what we stand to gain. This morning I ask you to consider with
me the theme:

FOLLOWING CHRIST INTO THE NEW YEAR

I. It won’t be easy.
II. But it will be worth it!

If you ask me, anyone who says a Christian’s life is easy has got the wrong
definition of the word ‘Christian’. A Christian is a disciple of Jesus, someone
who walks in His footsteps. And if you know anything about Bible history, you
know that Jesus’ path through life was not a very pleasant one. Then said Jesus
unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take
up his cross, and follow me.

Jesus never leads you through places He Himself didn’t go. If Jesus tells you
that your life will be one of self-denial, you can be sure that He experienced
more self-denial than you ever will! Our text for today is a good example...

The Lord had just warned the disciples that His upcoming trip to Jerusalem
would be His last; He explained to them how He would have to suffer at the
hands of the Jews, and finally die on the cross. Simon Peter was shocked! He
said, Far be it from You, Lord; this shall never happen to You! And, of course,
Jesus could have agreed with Peter. He could have taken the easy way out -
turned around and fled from Jerusalem then and there. Instead, He turned on
Peter and said, Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me for you are not
mindful of the things of God but the things of men. Then Jesus spoke the words
of our text, reminding His disciples that not only would the Master inevitably
suffer at the hands of the world, but so, too, would His followers.

Following Christ into the new year won’t be easy. Being a Jesus’ disciple always
involves self-denial. Unfortunately, that’s a concept that almost nobody in our
contemporary society understands. This is the “ME Generation.” People today
are used to getting what they want, indulging themselves in every pleasure,
gratifying their every desire. People today are used to denying themselves
absolutely nothing. The world is unashamed to take as their motto, “If it feels
good, do it!” And if it’s bad now, you know it’s going to be worse in the years to
come! That’s why it’s especially jarring for Americans in this day and age to
hear Jesus’ harsh-sounding call to discipleship: Whosoever he be of you that
forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:33.

What does our Lord mean? -He means that following Him isn’t just a matter of
fixing up one’s old life. You can’t just quit a few bad habits, get your name on a
church roster somewhere, tack on a few good works and think that now you’re
really following Christ. No, becoming a Christian is a total transformation.
When the Holy Ghost works faith in a person’s heart, the old life is left behind.
A new life is begun. You see, it’s the difference between two completely
opposite lives! For most people in the world, Christ has no part in their lives.
For ‘part-time Christians’ (and there are a lot of those!) Christ is one small
segment of their lives. They go to church on Sunday for pretty much the same
reason they go to PTA on Tuesday and the Bridge Club on Thursday. But for
real disciples, Christ is the very center of their lives, and everything else in their
lives emanates from Him, and corresponds to Him. The Gospel isn't part of
their life. The Gospel is their life!

And it’s not an easy life! Scripture reminds us that We must through much
tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. Jesus tells us beforehand that there
will be crosses to bear - certain things that we suffer for the specific reason that
we are Christians. In the 1960’s, for instance, members of our sister CLC congregation in
White River made a stand against the Lodge. And they bore a cross of hatred in
that community for having the courage to refuse to go along with the idolatry
and work-righteousness of the Lodge. They learned the painful lesson that being
for the gospel of salvation in Christ alone also means being against every form
of idolatry and work-righteousness. And that’s not always easy. And if you want
to stand firm in God's Word, you are definitely going to discover the truth of
that statement! The world says homosexuality is an "alternate lifestyle;" God's
Word, in Romans 1, calls it a "vile passion." The world says abortion is a
choice; King David, in Psalm 22, says, "From My mother's womb You have
been My God." The world says that if men are pastors then women must also
be pastors; God says, in I Timothy 2, "I do not permit a woman to teach or to
have authority over a man." It doesn't matter what society around us says. It
doesn't even matter what we ourselves think, or what our "gut feeling" happens
to be. What matters is God's Word! We stand on what God says!

Like a lot of other things in our lives, following Christ in matters such as this
will be a difficult cross to bear - it will often make us despised and
misunderstood by the people around us. But God tells us not to be discouraged.
In fact, if we suffer for the gospel’s sake, we should rejoice! Peter says, Let none
of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in
other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be
ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. 1 Pet 4:15-16.

As we prepare to follow our Savior into the new year, we know that it won’t be
easy. But we also know that it will be worth it.

One New Year's Eve a few years back a certain news program interviewed six religious leaders. What made this particularly interesting to us here in Bismarck is that among those interviewed was a man named Richard John Neuhaus, who
was a classmate of Pastor Warren Fanning. These ministers were supposed to assess the role of religion in recent years, and
predict what role religion would play in the years to come. Well, that sounded
interesting, and it was, but not in the way we would expect. During the entire length of the 30-minute
discussion, not one word was said about saving people with the gospel! All they
could talk about was how the church should help alleviate world suffering, lift
the underclasses to a higher standard of living, and fight for the civil rights of
minorities. -Lofty ideals, no doubt, but that’s certainly not the main mission of
the church. That's not primarily what we're here to accomplish! We’re supposed
to save people’s souls! One would have liked to ask those six ministers the
question Jesus asks in our text, For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the
whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for
his soul?

Think about that question - it’s a good one. Is there anything in this world
that’s worth risking our souls for? Obviously not. If we’re ever tempted momentarily to
compromise our stand on the gospel, this thought draws us back: we know that
we can never go wrong if we’re walking in Jesus’ footsteps. Following Christ
into the new year will inevitably lead to self-denial, cross-bearing, and difficult
sacrifices...but it’s well worth it!

Do you remember the time Jesus was visiting in the home of Mary and Martha?
Mary sat at Jesus’ feet, listening to His Word, while her sister Martha worked
alone in the kitchen, preparing the meal. When Martha finally complained about
Mary not helping her, Jesus said, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled
about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good
part, which shall not be taken away from her. Luke 10:41-42. Despite all the
activity in our modern lives, we Christians know that, when all is said and done,
there’s really only one thing that is needful.-That’s listening to the Word of our
Lord Jesus, and finding our hope and life in Him. That's the good part, and that will
never be taken away from us!

With all the fluctuations in the stock market recently, a lot of people are taking
a much closer look at where their money is invested, and how safe their savings
are. In the investment world, the general rule is: the riskier the investment, the
higher the possible profit. Very safe investments are not very profitable, and
vice versa. How strange that the exact opposite should be true of the Christian
life! In fact, there’s no way you can fail to reap huge profits from following
Christ! When you’re here in church to listen to the preaching of the Gospel;
when you hold family devotions in your home; when you find a quiet half-hour
to read the Bible to yourself...then you know for certain that you’re not wasting
time. The time you spend is well worth it! When you do that, Jesus says, you’re
laying up treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where
no thief can break in and steal. When you invest your life’s resources - your
time, your talents, your money - in Christ, you shall not lose, but rather gain.
When you make difficult personal sacrifices for the sake of your faith, you shall
not lose, but rather gain. Look at Jesus’ original twelve disciples; they gave up
everything to follow their Master. But Jesus told them in no uncertain terms
that that kind of investment always pays off: Verily I say unto you, There is no
man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the
kingdom of God's sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present
time, and in the world to come life everlasting. Luke 18:29-30.

Paradoxically, following Christ is also the safest kind of investment there is,
because it promises guaranteed returns. Forgiveness of sins and eternal life is
guaranteed to you through the blood of Jesus Christ. Through faith, His perfect
life becomes your perfect life; His righteousness becomes your righteousness.
and His innocent suffering and death is the ransom price that has covered all
your sin. Your Savior Jesus gives you His absolute guarantee that heavenly bliss
is waiting for you on the other side of eternity. What is the whole world
compared to that?

One writer said that when he was young, he always thought of heaven and
eternity as a dream world, far removed from the realities of day-to-day living.
As he grew older, though, and his faith grew deeper, he finally came to realize
that heaven isn’t the dream world at all...this world - the one we’re living in
right now - is the dream world! For a few short years we hustle about on this
earth, and then our life is past, like a breath of wind. The true reality lies in
eternity - that eternity to which every human being is headed.

Just because nine-tenths of the world is ignoring that reality doesn’t mean we
have to. Let’s live every day with a view to eternity! Again, the old proverb
reminds us, “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will
last!” So let’s follow our Savior boldly into the new year. Two things we know
going in: it won’t be easy, but it will be worth it! So. Come what may. Bring it
on. "Our God is beside us, His strong arm will guide us." AMEN.

Scripture Readings and Sunday Bulletin for January 13, 2007

^NKJ Acts 10:34-38 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. ³⁵ "But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. ³⁶ "The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ -- He is Lord of all -- ³⁷ "that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: ³⁸ "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

^NKJ Matthew 3:13-17 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. ¹⁴ And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" ¹⁵ But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him. ¹⁶ When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. ¹⁷ And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

^NKJ Matthew 16:24-26 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. ²⁵ "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. ²⁶ "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

ST. PAUL EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH

2510 E. Divide Ave.

Bismarck, ND 58501 (701) 223-4885 Cell: (701) 425-5483

Website – www.bismarcklutheran.org

Mr. Mark Johnson, President (222-1855) Mrs. Eileen McEnroe, Organist

Michael Roehl, Pastor

Sunday after Epiphany/ Baptism of Jesus – January 13, 2008

The Opening Prayer by the Pastor

The Opening Hymn ‑#22- (Red Hymnal)

"Lord When We Bend Before Thy Throne"

The Order of Service – Supplement page 12ff. (Brown Hymnal)

The Scripture Lessons: (Printed on the back page of this bulletin)

The Epistle Lesson: (Acts 10:34-38) During Epiphany we celebrate the inclusion of the gentiles in God's plan for salvation. Acceptance that the gentiles would share in the gospel did not come easily for the Jews. Our Epistle lesson tells about when Peter came to this understanding, after his contact with Cornelius.

Psalm 121 (Supplement page 42) (Brown Hymnal)

The Gospel Lesson: (Matthew 3:13-17) Jesus came to earth to fulfill all righteousness – to keep the law perfectly for us. It was therefore not as surprising as it might have been that He allowed himself to be baptized. Jesus had no sin to wash away, yet He submitted Himself to every command and ordinance of God – all in our stead. He placed himself under the demands of the law, though He Himself was the Creator of all law. All this He did that He might pay for our sins through the shedding of His own, innocent blood.

The Confession of Faith ‑

The Apostolic Creed – page 15. (Brown Hymnal)

The Pre-Sermon Hymn ‑#130- (Verses 1-4) (Red Hymnal)

"O Jesus, King of Glory"

The Sermon – Text: Matthew 16:24-26 (Printed on the back page)

"Following Christ into the New Year"

The Offertory – (Supplement page 16 insert)

The Post-Sermon Hymn ‑#130- (Verses 5-6) (Red Hymnal)

"O Jesus, King of Glory"

The Offering Hymn ‑#788- (Verses 1 & 3) (Brown Hymnal)

"Lord You Love the Cheerful Giver"

The Prayers of the Day followed by the Lord's Prayer

The Benediction

The Closing Hymn -#433- (Red Hymnal)

"Jesus My Truth My Way"

Silent Prayer

Attendance ‑ Last Sunday (53) 2008 Average (56)

This Week at St. Paul:

Today -10:00 a.m. – Worship Service

-11:00 a.m. – Fellowship Hour

Wednesday -6:00 p.m. – Confirmation & Bible History

-7:00 p.m. – Midweek Bible Study

Next Sunday -8:45 a.m. – Sunday School and Bible Class

-10:00 a.m. – Worship Service w/ Holy Communion

-11:15 a.m. – Fellowship Hour

Pastor Out of Town – Pastor Roehl and his family are in Eau Claire, where he is conducting meetings for the ILC Building Committee. Plans call for a return later this evening. The Pastor can always be reached on the church cell phone at 701 425-5483.

Outreach Committee Meeting – The Outreach Committee met this past week and outlined many different ideas for outreach. Full minutes of the meeting are available upon request. This serves as a reminder that outreach is the calling, responsibility, and privilege of every Christian. Please consider how you too might participate in this vital work. For more information please see either the Chairman of the Outreach Committee Mike McEnroe or the Pastor.

Family Fun Night – A reminder that an evening of family games, etc., has been scheduled for January 25^th. Please see Eileen McEnroe for more details – and keep that night open.

Lay Servants – In the Pastor's absence, the Word of God is being presented to us this morning by two of our laymen. Our thanks to them, and especially to our God for providing dedicated servants willing to serve both God and their neighbor.