Turn and Live! Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Ash Wednesday                                                     22-February-2023
Sermon Text: Matthew 6:1-6,16-21
Sermon Theme: “Turn and Live!” by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert

I.N.R.I. Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Lent calls, “Be honest!” “Stop lying!” Stand tonight before God’s Holy Law. Listen to it thunder, “Dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” Where is your treasure? Is it moth’s food? Corrupted by rust? Can thieves shatter your security? What is your heart set on? Examine your spending. What does you budget tell you? What do you spend the treasure of time on? This reveals the false idols we worship. Idols that cannot save. Idols that never bring contentment. We bring nothing into this world and we leave with nothing.
      Tonight, stop, look, and listen. Stop your self-deception. Look to the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, nailed to the cross with your sin. Listen to His forgiving voice calling you to: “Turn and Live!”
      Jesus is preaching the Sermon on the Mount. He preaches the Law in its severity. Exposing us as murderers for our anger, hate, and crushing words. He exposes us as adulterers who lust after others whom the Lord God hasn’t united us to in marriage. Treating them as mere images, or objects of our lust, rather than human beings created by God to be honored by marriage. He calls us to repent of thinking marriage is disposable, that our words don’t matter, that lies condemn us. He calls us to repent of self-worship to love our enemies, pray for our persecutors, blessing those who curse us. He ends it all calling us to be “perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect.”
      This seems impossible. How can we be perfect like our Father in heaven? He makes His rain fall on the just and unjust. He allows the sun to shine on the evil and the good. He is perfect. He is love. I am a child of Adam. Conceived and born in rebellion to God my Creator. Imprisoned by the idol of myself. Horribly turned in on the god called, “ME.” I need a new heart. David, the adulterer, liar, murderer, teaches me to pray: Psalms 51:9-10 Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. (10) Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
      Be perfected in your Father’s love in Christ Jesus! (Vs.1-4) When Christianity loses acceptance in our nation, will you stop caring for your neighbor? When all tax incentives are taken away for donating will you stop giving? Do you only show mercy to the downtrodden when others can see your gifts? Make a Tik Tok of you helping the homeless? Those who play act being a Christian - hypocrites - act this way. If they don’t get recognition for the good they’ve done in the congregation, or help they’ve given their community - they sulk off in anger. If all you are doing is pretending to love those in need - you are children of Satan - the self-glorifying actor, liar, and murderer from the beginning.
        God the Father richly this day supplied you with breath, life, food, clothing, protection, and shelter. He gathered you here tonight. Does He storm off withholding His love for you because of your ingratitude? Never. He hides Himself behind the hands of others to care for you. He masks Himself with your doctor and nurse to care for your health. Masks Himself as the farmer, processor, and grocery store workers to feed you. The policeman to protect you. He seeks only your welfare. This is the nature of Love - it gives seeking no recognition for itself.
      Turn from the father of lies to your heavenly Father. Let Him create a new heart in you through Christ Jesus, freeing you by His Spirit to pour your life out in loving service. Not keeping a ledger of good works, but rejoicing to be God’s forgiven child - freed as His love lives through you caring for the needy by your hand and pocketbook.
        Turn and live! The Law - what you do, or don’t do - cannot save you from the dust of death and the fire of a sinners just reward of hell. Salvation is God the Father’s free gift through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son. Jesus alone is the Lamb of God on whom the sins of the entire world were placed. He is our Scapegoat - slaughtered for us on the altar of the cross. That He might free us from the Father’s just wrath and declare us as reconciled - children of God through His blood. The Holy Spirit preaches through the pen of St. Paul, “ Galatians 2:19-20 For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. (20) I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
        Worship, prayer, isn’t an entertaining show that you put on for God or those around you. (Vs.5) Play acting religious people - hypocrites - make a show of their worship to God within houses of worship, and to others standing in the streets. They play act that they need nothing from Christ Jesus by staying away from Church - thinking they are good people - they don’t need all these words, meal, water, absolution, and they certainly don’t need to hear a pastor drone on and on. These people deceive themselves. Jesus warns these pseudo-Christians, “Matthew 7:22-23 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' (23) And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'” They trusted in their worship, not in Jesus ever present in His Word.
    Turn from pseudo prayer and live! (Vs. 6) Jesus teaches you to pray. He gives you His Words. He comes alongside you to pray them with you always. Pray! Ask God the Father for your greatness need - the Holy Spirit - that you might believe that you receive all lasting blessings in the flesh and blood of Jesus - crucified to pay your penalty once in full - risen to daily and richly comfort you by forgiveness through His Holy Spirit here within His Church. Prayer and worship is to receive all from God the Father through Jesus Christ by His Holy Spirit. This is worship in Spirit and Truth reconciling us to our Father.
    Lent calls us to die to self. Galatians 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (24) And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Self-control - fasting is what God the Holy Spirit works in us through Jesus’ Word. (Vs.16) Play acting Christians put on a show of fasting. They want those around them to know how much they suffer for God. They have their reward from men, not from God.
      Turn and live! (Vs.17-18) Rejoice to fast! Let the Holy Spirit sanctify your body and life with Christ’s Word. Fast from the passions and desires of your flesh. Don’t let screens, food, drink, or anything else rule over you. Don’t surrender the treasure of your baptism for the fleeting pleasures of this world. Wash your face - remember you died with Christ in your baptism. He anoints you as a child of the Heavenly Father to rule with Him. Let God the Holy Spirit root out all sin within you through Christ’s Word. He will strengthen you through forgiveness to live a joyful fast before your Father in secret.
      Turn and live! Another Lenten season is upon us - calling us to treasure the Father’s gifts sealed to us through Christ crucified and risen flesh by His Holy Spirit in baptism. Treasure cross won, empty tomb certified words of forgiveness spoken within Christ’s Church. Treasure Jesus present speaking His Word in preaching and His Word. Treasure the meal that cost Him His life to place His living flesh and blood upon your lips. (Vs.19-21) Where is your treasure? Jesus. He is my food filling me with forgiveness, life, and salvation. He is my clothing - His perfect life is robed upon me at the font. No Satanic thief, not even death itself can rob you this treasure! Hear His promise! “Christ’s you are, and to Christ you shall return.”   Amen.