Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity

I am once against struck by the timeliness of God’s unchanging word, which applies to every situation in every generation. This week we learned that none of the flood damage at St. Paul will be covered by insurance, that everything must be paid for out of pocket. And this week, according to the ancient schedule of the Church, our Lord says to us, “Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on” (Mt 6:25). We could easily add, “nor your church building, how you will pay for restoration” to the list.

God has provided for you every day of your life so far. He will continue to provide until he takes you to himself in heaven. In the same way, God has provided for St. Paul Lutheran Church of Byram as part of the whole Christian Church for almost 120 years. He will continue to provide for the Church Militant on earth until it is finally joined with the Church Triumphant in heaven.

Why then do you worry? If we drew up a list of sins, I don’t think worry would make the top ten. In fact, many Christians don’t even consider worry to be a sin. But it is. Worry is the opposite of faith. It’s the opposite of trust. If a man had been unfaithful to his wife, she’d have a reason to worry every time he went on a business trip. In the past he had proven himself untrustworthy. But God is trustworthy. He has never broken a promise. Ever. So when we worry about the things that God has promised to provide, we are in effect saying to God: “I know you promised. But I don’t think I can trust you.” This is the opposite of faith. It is sin.

Don’t be anxious. Don’t worry. Why not? Because your heavenly Father has promised to take care of you. His promise is strengthened by the fact that he takes care of birds and flowers. Are you not of more value than they? And there’s another reason not to worry: It never does any good. You can make yourself sick with worry, literally. You can allow your peace and joy to be stolen away with fear about tomorrow. You can become paralyzed with dread so that you’re no good to anyone. And for what? It doesn’t fix anything.

Lots of people worry about death. Does that prevent it? No. If anything, it only hastens it. And yet, because faith in God is foreign to our sinful nature, we are preprogrammed at birth to worry. The news industry makes its money peddling fear. As soon as one catastrophe is over, a new one appears. Listen to these newspaper headlines from the last sixty years: 1962: Nuclear Holocaust Inevitable. 1967: Dire Famine Predicted: 1969: Pollution will End Humanity. 1970: Scientists Predict a New Ice Age. 1974: The Ozone Is Depleted. 1976: Global Cooling. 1980: Acid rain. 1988: Drought. 2000: The Y2K bug. 2001: Terrorists. 2004: Global Warming. 2008: Recession. 2009 Swine Flu. 2012: The Mayan Calendar. 2014: Ebola. 2019: COVID. 2021: Delta Variant.

You should know by now that there will never come a time when the world isn’t selling a message of fear. The next big disaster is always coming. But you should also know that there will never come a time when your heavenly Father will stop providing for all your needs. He has safely brought you through every trouble so far. He’s not going to start breaking promises now.

In the first and greatest commandment God says, “I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me.” Whatever you fear, love, and trust in is your god. Search your heart and ask, “Do I fear God above all things, or do I fear the latest hype more? Have I loved God above all, or have I loved my physical health, seeking to save and protect it at any cost? Do I find my security in God, or does it come from having a good stash in the checking account? Repent, and believe in God. Repent, and trust in the One who has never yet broken one of his promises. Repent, and return to faith in the tender care of your heavenly Father.

The heathen are terrified of death. For them, there is nothing beyond this world, and so nothing could be more terrible than to lose one’s life. But you need have no fear of death. A new life of joy unimaginable awaits you. As a Christian, you believe your heavenly Father’s promise that nothing can harm you. Consider again the beautiful confession of faith that we sang before the sermon: “What God ordains is always good; This truth remains unshaken, Though sorrow, need, or death be mine, I shall not be forsaken. I fear no harm, For with His arm He shall embrace and shield me; So to my God I yield me.”

Here is a living and active faith in God’s providence. Whatever he sends, even if it is death, it will be for your good! Does this mean that a Christian is immune to floods and viruses? No. It means that nothing, not even death, can harm you. Death is a certainly for all of us, unless Christ returns first. You know this. What you don’t know, is the exact manner by which God will choose to call you home. The hour of your death is of his choosing, but of this you can be sure: it will be for your good. Your heavenly Father shall deliver you from the perilous pestilence and from every other fear. No evil shall be fall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone (Psalm 91:10–12).

When the hour of your departure comes, you have God’s promise that his angels will come to bear you to your heavenly home. And until that blessed day, you can take content what He has sent, knowing that even if His hand sends you sadness, He will turn your tears to gladness. Therefore, do not worry. Do not take thought about your life. Why? Because Jesus has already taken every thought for your life here on earth and your life in eternity in heaven. His great care for your life compelled him to the cross of Calvary, where he filled the chalice of our salvation with his precious blood. And no poison can ever be in that cup.

The whole world in enslaved through the fear of death. But we who were joined to Christ in Holy Baptism have nothing to fear. Does your heavenly Father not care for the birds and the flowers? Then how much more will he not provide for your every earthly need? He will take care of you and he will take care of his church. What exactly does that guarantee look like? Does it mean that the Lutheran church in Greenwich will always meet in this or that brick and mortar building? No. It doesn’t. Buildings come and go. Organizations come and go. But the Church that Christ purchased with his blood remains forever. This is guaranteed. Long after the last crisis has come and gone, you and every other member of the Holy Christian Church will be with Jesus in eternal joy. Amen.