Sermon Transcript Tone Analysis

I want to take just this opportunity to say a word of thanks.

My job as District President is working with you and 214 other congregations in North Wisconsin District, which is Northern Wisconsin, Upper, Michigan.

The Wisconsin, North Wisconsin district has been here since 1916, as part of Missouri Synod, and there's 35 districts, of which we're one of them.

But over the years, I've known and come to know this congregation.

In fact, I've had relatives that are members and still are members of this congregation.

So I've known it a long time.

In fact, I remember roller skating a long time ago, back in the gymnasium.

But I want to thank you, because through your support, and especially it's through financial support that you've helped out the North Wisconsin District.

And just to let you know, you know, when the money just started disappearing from here and goes away, it just doesn't go in a black hole.

It does do some good.

And some of the things that it's doing is especially when it comes to mission work, is that we're supporting work of a French-African ministry that is meeting a Good Shepherd in Appleton.

And there's a man there by the name of Robert, who's been studying to become a future pastor to that congregation there.

We also have campus ministry over at Stevens Point, at the UW campus.

And Andy Wiedens is the campus pastor there.

And we also support campus ministry up at Michigan Tech at Holton and also at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan.

Along with that, we also have deaf ministry that's supported up in Rib Mountain Lutheran up at Rib Mountain, Wausau area.

And Pastor Swanson is a pastor at Rib Mountain and does part-time help out, meeting with those that are deaf there and leading worship there.

And the other unique one, I think that, is that at Kings Veterans Home at King.

And there, we have a chaplain, Ben Schroeder.

The good news is not only is he a chaplain to all the veterans over there, but he too, is also still connected with the military, which makes a good combination in talking to veterans that live there at the home.

We also do work that we support down in Peru.

On October 24th, is was my privilege to be down there, and we ordained, of all things, Elvis.

Elvis Carrera.

So he was in the building at the time of his ordination.

And so, anyway, he's a native of Lima, and he's the first man from down there to be a Lutheran pastor, and so we rejoice that.

And out of every dollar that you send, 40% helps do the work that we carry out throughout the Synod.

So on behalf of all these ministries and everything else, I want to thank you for what you do.

And oh, by the way, Brian Betts is also a member of the Board of Directors.

So if you have more questions, just ask him.

He's got all the answers.

Okay, this morning, we took a look at Jeremiah, and there is one verse at the end of that chapter which we didn't read, which said these words: they will fight against you, Jeremiah, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you.

This morning, Tara asked the children, she said, what do you want to be when you grow up?

It's a common question.

We had some artists and pizza makers up here this morning.

It's also sort of interesting when you get to the other end of the spectrum.

It's sort of like, well, what are you going to do when you retire?

The good news is a couple weeks ago, I finally figured out what I wanted to do.

I want to be a butcher.

Sounds really good to me.

You know, a lot of protein.

And so anyway, though, but we stop and think about these things.

And so, as the children grow up, we stop and think about, you know, what are you going to become?

What are you going to be?

And so, through grade school, they have some ideas, and then in high school, it starts to get more real, because you have to stop and think about: do I want to go on to college or not.

Mom and Dad said, "before we spend all that money, I hope you had a good idea what you're going to study and do."

And then, you get there, and we find out that sometimes people change their major, because they find out what they are going into, may not - the job market may not be so good.

They find out other things, and so they change the major, then they graduate, and then they still don't even get the job that they had studied to get.

It happens.

And so it is, though, that we come to a guy this morning who's about 20 years old.

His name's Jeremiah.

He was a preacher's kid, he was the son of a priest, and he was living in the area of Jerusalem.

And so it was when he was there, the year was around 628 BC that he was there, and God comes to him.

And regardless of whatever he was planning to be, God had a specific mission for him.

And that was to be a prophet to the children of Israel.

Now, sort of a quick, quick snapshot about Jeremiah, is that he's going to be doing this for about 40 years in which he's going to tell the children of Israel: you need to shape up or God's going to ship us out.

You need to worship the Lord your God.

And the reality was, was that 40 years later, they got shipped out.

The Babylonians came along, and they destroyed Jerusalem.

And so, Jeremiah, though, starts off with this call from God, in which God says to him these words, really, of consolation, in which he said: now the word of the Lord came to me - Jeremiah - saying, before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you.

God knew Jeremiah before he was born.

God knew Archer before he was born.

God knew you before you were born.

This isn't just a god of the masses.

This is a God who comes to Jeremiah, and Jeremiah finds out from Him, is that: hey, I know you, and you are mine.

And I've known you ever since the time you were conceived.

You know, those had to be words of comfort to Jeremiah.

He just wasn't something that God comes along and finds.

And so it is, you see, we stop and take a look at those words, and we, too, take them to heart, in which God says to each and everyone of us, is: I knew you in the mother's womb.

Because you're precious in the sight of God.

And so it was that just as Jeremiah was, so we are, so is Archer, and so all of us, when we, too, entered the waters of baptism, who are God's special people.

He watches out and cares for us, which we always need that assurance.

But after his job, what he was supposed to do were these words,.

He said, I appoint you as a prophet to the nations.

So, he also is wise enough to know what a prophet's job was to be, and that is to speak God's words.

And he also knew that many times, when prophets spoke, people didn't listen.

There is the old guy named Howard Cosell, who said "telling it like it is."

Well, that was the job of Jeremiah.

He is supposed to say what it is that God had him to speak.

And yet, he knew, on the other hand, there would be people who wouldn't be influenced by what he said.

There had been a poll of Americans saying who influences society, or who has an influence on what you think, and it came back 63% that pro-athletes are more influential than faith leaders, which were only 20%.

And so it is, there were people like Tebow and Kurt Warner and Steph Curry and Russell Wilson and Chris Paul and Albert Pujols, who are athletes that we know by name, but also find out that they're Christians and saying, wow, that's great to know that they are Christian, and that in a sense, they have more influence than those of us who maybe proclaim God's word from a pulpit.

And so, it is that into that kind of situation is what Jeremiah finds himself, is that he's basically thinking, you know, if I speak, will anyone listen?

And so, he has this idea.

He says, Jeremiah says, "Ah, Lord, behold, I do not know how to speak for I am only a youth."

Sort of sounds like someone else we know.

Moses.

Moses, remember, God appeared to him in the burning bush.

And God says, "I want you to go to Egypt now and get them out of there."

And Moses says, "You know, I'm 80 years old.

I don't speak very well.

I think you need to find someone else."

And God said, "You're the man."

He also said, "I'll give you Aaron, your brother.

He's going to be a mouthpiece for you."

In this situation, there was no one else besides what God wanted.

He wanted Jeremiah to take on this job to speak.

And so it was that just as Jeremiah knew there were probably going to be people that weren't going to like him, it's not the first time.

Moses was concerned that the people would say, who are you?

For that matter, just stop and think about the Gospel lesson last week.

Last week, Jesus shows up in His hometown in Nazareth, and He goes to the synagogue, and He opens up and He reads from the prophet, Isaiah.