[Machine transcription]
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, amen. Brothers and sisters, looking at that
first reading from the book of Acts, the conversion of St. Paul for the lesson,
please be seated. Wow, a church named after me.
Interesting. My name, first of all, was Saul, but anyway, there I was, minding my
my own business and taking a little trip to Damascus.
Well, okay, I really wasn’t minding my own business.
You see, back then, my business was getting into
the business of the people of the way.
Those followers of that Rabbi Jesus who died
and now they were saying He had risen from the dead.
And later on, they became known as Christians and my business then was persecuting them.
Oh, and I was good at it.
Back in Jerusalem, I led a house-to-house rampage, dragging these people of the way
to prison.
and now with threats and murder I was being sent to Damascus to persecute them
there. And somewhere along the way it happened. A light from heaven shone
around me and I fell to the ground and I heard a voice, Saul, Saul why are you
persecuting me all I could get out of my mouth was who are you Lord I am Jesus
whom you are persecuting he said Wow it was that dead rabbi he he’s alive
yeah you can bet this was a life-changing event I’m scary too my
life wasn’t the only thing that got changed that day but something that
didn’t change was my destination Jesus told me to get up and go to Damascus and
wait so I went and what did change was why I was being sent there I was sent to
Damascus now for something different instead of going there being sent there
to persecute Christians I was sent to meet with one of them Ananias oh that
poor guy. He knew about my reputation and he must have been scared too. In fact, he
even protested to God about it, but God sent him to meet me. This is what God
said to Ananias. He said, go! He is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my
name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. So there I was
one who was sent to persecute Jesus and his followers and yet he considered me a
chosen instrument chosen for what first of all I was chosen to receive God’s
forgiveness and grace and mercy let me read to you from a letter that I wrote
to a guy named Timothy.
Yeah, I know, I wrote this
and I should have it memorized,
but that was a long time ago.
And I wrote it in Greek.
Okay, so give me a break.
I’ll read it.
I thank Him who has given me strength,
Christ Jesus our Lord,
because He judged me faithful,
appointing me to His service,
though formerly I was a blasphemer,
persecutor and an insolent opponent but I received mercy because I acted
ignorantly in unbelief and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the
faith and love that are in Christ Jesus the saying is trustworthy and deserving
of full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of
of whom I am the foremost.”
Jesus came into the world to save sinners
of whom I am the foremost.
The foremost.
That means the worst.
The worst of sinners.
The chief of sinners.
There’s even a song to remind me about that.
That I am the chief of sinners.
and you named a church after me are y’all crazy because it’s all true that’s
what I am I was a blasphemer and an insolent opponent a persecutor of Jesus
and his followers but all that was forgiven in his death and resurrection
Jesus paid for my sins I was the chief of sinners but Jesus is the chief of
forgivers and I was chosen for that.
I was a chosen instrument to receive that
forgiveness.
But I was also chosen for another thing.
I was a chosen instrument of God,
chosen to be sent.
Jesus changed me from a persecutor to an apostle.
And apostle, the word apostle means one who is
sent I was sent to Damascus to persecute Jesus but now ironically Jesus is sending
me sending me to proclaim that yes indeed he has risen from the dead he is
risen because that is true I encountered him on that road to Damascus and was
completely changed and in fact then chosen to be His instrument, chosen to
receive His mercy, but then also chosen to be sent to tell others about this,
about the forgiveness of sins of all who will call on His name. I was sent to tell
people that and I’m here to tell you that today because you need to hear this.
Yeah, I did some terrible things in persecuting Jesus and His followers.
I’m ashamed of that.
But maybe you’ve done some terrible things too.
You’re not off the hook today, alright?
Maybe you’ve persecuted people by saying or thinking things that are mean or false.
Said things that just kind of amounted to just being gossip.
They were hurtful and unfair.
or you’ve done things that were against God’s teachings maybe you’re ashamed of
that maybe there’s times you feel like you’re the chief of sinners maybe you
should feel that way but but like me you’re chosen to you’re a chosen
instrument of God chosen like me to also receive the forgiveness and mercy and
grace of Christ, forgiveness for even the worst of your sins, chosen to receive
grace for the chief of sinners. Jesus forgives me, He forgives you. By His death
and resurrection, Jesus changes you today, changes you from chief of sinners to
foremost of forgiven Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners to save
you to save me even the most chief and foremost of all sinners he forgives you
and like me you’re a chosen instrument you too are sent maybe maybe not sent as
an apostle but as a representative of Christ you’ve been sent out of your
sins and into the loving gospel of the life death and resurrection of Jesus but
he also sends you to tell people that good news Jesus sends you to carry his
name and good news to people wherever you are and whenever you’re there and I
bet you know people who need to hear this you know people who are hurting
and people who are burdened by sin
and maybe just even burdened
just by life itself.
They want to hear some good news.
And you’re sent to tell them.
Tell them that Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners
and to save them.
They need to hear this.
They need you to carry
the name of Jesus to them.
Now you church here with my name, St. Paul Lutheran Church, you gather here to
receive God’s grace and forgiveness that are sent to you in word and sacrament
but you have a special unique sending. God sends this church into the heart of
a city that is full of foremost chief sinners. You’re a chosen instrument sent to opponents
of Christ, even persecutors of Him and His followers. But they are people who are hurting,
needing to hear the good news of that risen Rabbi.
They need to hear the name of Jesus
and what He’s done for you and that He’s done for them.
They need to know that Jesus came to save them too.
And this church has a unique sending in that,
in its location, in its people, in the people you know,
God is sending you into that world to carry His name there.
And I understand that God is sending you a new shepherd
to lead you in your sending.
He’ll give you the grace and forgiveness that Jesus sends to you.
Your shepherd will always do that for you.
and He will help send you, He will help send this church to carry the name of
Christ and His good news into this city. St. Paul Lutheran Church, you have a
unique special sending and a shepherd coming to help lead you in that sending.
I pray that you have great joy in this, great joy in being ones who are chosen
to receive His mercy,
but also, you’re being sent by God changed.
Changed from your sin
into His grace and forgiveness.
Changed by His forgiveness for you.
I pray that you have that great joy
as you go out into this world
with His name
and proclaim that forgiveness
for so many people who need to hear it.
Amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding
keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen.
