The Lutheran Church of Madison, Connecticut
9 Britton Lane, Madison, CT 06443; 203-245-4145
A congregation of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
Pastor Volker Heide
LCofMadison@aol.com
SUNDAY WORSHIP, 10:00 AM.
SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY, 9:00 AM.
YOUTH SUNDAY SCHOOL, 9:30 AM.
SATURDAY WORSHIP, 5:00 PM. (No Service on April 20.)
WORSHIP NIGHT, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 7:00 PM.
ELISABETH VON TRAPP CONCERT, MAY 8, 7:00 PM
9 Britton Lane, Madison, CT 06443; 203-245-4145
A congregation of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
Pastor Volker Heide
LCofMadison@aol.com
SUNDAY WORSHIP, 10:00 AM.
SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY, 9:00 AM.
YOUTH SUNDAY SCHOOL, 9:30 AM.
SATURDAY WORSHIP, 5:00 PM. (No Service on April 20.)
WORSHIP NIGHT, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 7:00 PM.
ELISABETH VON TRAPP CONCERT, MAY 8, 7:00 PM
"LET GO AND LET GOD": A sermon on Luke 4:31-44
Luke tells us, “Jesus went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath in their synagogue and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority.” Jesus teaches God’s Word and the people are amazed. His teaching had real power and authority. The people in Capernaum realize that there is something special and unique about this man.
In the synagogue that day was someone who also immediately recognized this power and authority. He cries out with a loud voice, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!” This demon cries out in fear and terror. He knows he is standing before the very Son of God himself. Then, Jesus speaks his Word of power and authority. “Be still and come out of him!” Immediately, the demon has to obey. The man who was possessed is healed and set free.
Christ now leaves the synagogue, and he goes to visit the home of Simon Peter. When they tell Jesus that the mother-in-law of Peter is sick with a high fever, he immediately heals her. Then, Luke tells us, “When evening came, the people of Capernaum brought all their sick to Jesus and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. Moreover, demons came out of many, crying, You are the Son of God! But Jesus rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Son of God.”
Again, notice how the demons recognize that this is the Messiah. This is the very Son of God! The demons instantly recognize the identity of Christ. The devil and all of his demons know all about the Son of God who comes to us in the flesh. They know all about the Triune God, and they are filled with fear, dread, and dismay. As James says, “You believe that there is one God – good for you! Even demons believe that – and shudder in fear.”
Notice also, how the people of Capernaum recognize that Jesus has the very power of God: He has divine power to heal and save. This is clearly evident by the actions of Christ. He is doing things that only the one true God could do. These people all knew that Jesus could set people free and change their lives forever.
But what about us? Do we have such a faith? Do we believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God? Do we believe his Word is powerful and effective? Do you truly believe in Christ as your Savior? Is he your Lord? Have you committed your whole life to him? Is Christ the most important person in your life?
In our reading from Luke, we see how Christ stands at the center of all the action. The Lord is teaching, healing, rebuking the demons and preaching the good news of the kingdom of God. He is incredibly busy. It is just non-stop action. In these 13 verses from Luke, Jesus is mentioned 28 times. He is at the center of all the action. He is the key to everything. He is the focus of everything that is happening. It’s all about the Son of God.
What about us? Is Christ the center of our life? Do we realize he is the key to everything? Do we recognize that this is the Son of God, the Messiah, and the Holy One of God? Is he the one we turn to when we need help? Do we confess that Christ has the power to help us in our time of need? Do we cry out to him in times of trouble?
In our reading, we see how Peter and his family turned to Jesus for help. You can almost hear Peter saying, “Lord, it’s my mother-in-law. She is so sick. Can you help her? Please, Lord, do something!” Peter recognizes that Jesus has the power to change this situation.
In the same way, the people of Capernaum brought all their sick to Jesus because they knew he could do something about it. They recognized that this carpenter from Nazareth had the power to heal and save. And so, these people act in simple faith. They trust. They believe. They turn to Christ in a humble and sincere faith.
Most of us have a hard time living with such a faith. We have a hard time believing the Word of God. We doubt God’s promises. We are skeptical and suspicious about the Lord. We constantly question his wisdom and resist him every step of the way. Simply put, we do not trust the Lord Jesus, as we should. That is why we neglect him and push him aside.
Let’s be honest: Christ is not the center of our life, we are. We think we are in control. We are the center of the action. We know all the answers and what is best. We don’t need Christ or his saving help, because we can fix our problems by our own wisdom and strength.
Instead of putting our faith in Christ, we put our faith in ourselves. Instead of relying on Jesus, we rely on our own power. Instead of turning to the Lord, we turn away from him. We think we can fix everything in our life. We can do it all by ourselves.
However, something then happens that reminds us we do need the Son of God after all. Something happens in our life (and it is usually something quite bad). We then suddenly realize just how helpless we really are. We do need help. We do need Jesus.
Listen: What we need to do is this. We need to let go of all of our foolish pride and let God take control of our life. Just let go and let God! Just let go of everything that is wrong in your life, and let God take over. Let go of your frustration, fear and worry. Let go of trying to fix all of your problems by yourself. Let go of your anger, unhappiness and anxiety. Get rid of your doubts and uncertainty.
Let the Triune God get to work. Let the Lord Jesus take over all of your life. Let the Holy Spirit fill you with faith. Let God the Father bestow his grace upon you. Let God do his work in your life, and you will then discover something wonderful and amazing.
This reminds me of a poster that I once saw. It was a picture of a big handwritten memo. The memo said:
I am God.
I will be handling all of your problems today.
Please remember that I do not need your help.
If something happens in your life that you can’t handle, do not attempt to resolve it by yourself. Just give it to me.
I will handle the matter in my own way
and in my own time.
And once the matter is placed in my hands, do not hang on to it.
Just let go of it.
Remember, I am the Lord, your God.
Let go and let God.
“Let go and let God.” That is the powerful message of our reading from Luke. When Christ arrives in Capernaum, he just takes over. He starts preaching and teaching; he’s healing the sick and casting out demons, left and right. Non-stop action. Then, the next day, Jesus says, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” That’s how it is in God’s kingdom. The Lord Jesus Christ steps into your life and he says, “I’m going to take over now. I will be handling all of your problems today. From here on out, I’ll lead the way; you just follow. You just let go and let me get to work. For I was sent for this very purpose.”
I think we often forget what it really means to confess that Jesus Christ is our Savior. If Christ is our Savior, then it means we stop trying to save ourselves. If Christ is our Lord, it means that we stop trying to play God with our life. If Christ is the Son of God, then we turn everything over to him and we say, “I need your help, Lord!”
We say, “O Lord Jesus, I need for you to save me! I need for you to heal me and set me free from my sin-sickness. O Lord, cast out the demons that are trying to destroy my faith. Help me to trust in you again! Renew my faith and help me to always put you at the center of my life!”
So many times, we want to handle our problems by ourselves, or even worse, we want to tell the Lord how to handle them. But that makes things worse. What we need to do is just turn the matter over to Christ in faith. We need to call upon Jesus and let him act in grace. This point can be illustrated in the following story.
In the big textile factories, threads are woven into fabrics by complex machines. In one such textile factory, there was a sign above each machine. The sign read in big red letters, “If the threads become tangled, call the supervisor.”
A new employee was working at his textile machine. The threads on his machine got totally jammed up. They become badly tangled. Frantically he tried to untangle them by himself, but that only made matters worse. The supervisor came by and said, “Why didn’t you call me?” The worker replied, “I was just trying to do my best.” He then told him, “Doing your best includes calling the supervisor.”
And so, in the very same way, doing our best means calling upon the Lord Jesus. We need to call him when the threads of our life get tangled. We turn to our Supervisor when we need help. “Doing your best includes calling the supervisor.” We trust that the Lord will act in our life with his power and authority. We know he will go to work to help us. Just let go and let God! Let the Lord preach the good news of the kingdom into your heart and soul. Let his grace take over your entire life. Let the powerful love of Christ renew your faith. His amazing power can set you free and change your life forever.
Today, Jesus Christ says to you, “I was sent for this very purpose. This is why I have come. Listen! I have some good news for you - you are loved! You are saved; you are healed. Always remember, you are special to me and I am with you! Go now in peace, live each day by faith, and trust that I will help you. Because together, we have some work to do for the kingdom of God.” Amen!
Pastor Heide
Luke tells us, “Jesus went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath in their synagogue and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority.” Jesus teaches God’s Word and the people are amazed. His teaching had real power and authority. The people in Capernaum realize that there is something special and unique about this man.
In the synagogue that day was someone who also immediately recognized this power and authority. He cries out with a loud voice, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!” This demon cries out in fear and terror. He knows he is standing before the very Son of God himself. Then, Jesus speaks his Word of power and authority. “Be still and come out of him!” Immediately, the demon has to obey. The man who was possessed is healed and set free.
Christ now leaves the synagogue, and he goes to visit the home of Simon Peter. When they tell Jesus that the mother-in-law of Peter is sick with a high fever, he immediately heals her. Then, Luke tells us, “When evening came, the people of Capernaum brought all their sick to Jesus and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. Moreover, demons came out of many, crying, You are the Son of God! But Jesus rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Son of God.”
Again, notice how the demons recognize that this is the Messiah. This is the very Son of God! The demons instantly recognize the identity of Christ. The devil and all of his demons know all about the Son of God who comes to us in the flesh. They know all about the Triune God, and they are filled with fear, dread, and dismay. As James says, “You believe that there is one God – good for you! Even demons believe that – and shudder in fear.”
Notice also, how the people of Capernaum recognize that Jesus has the very power of God: He has divine power to heal and save. This is clearly evident by the actions of Christ. He is doing things that only the one true God could do. These people all knew that Jesus could set people free and change their lives forever.
But what about us? Do we have such a faith? Do we believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God? Do we believe his Word is powerful and effective? Do you truly believe in Christ as your Savior? Is he your Lord? Have you committed your whole life to him? Is Christ the most important person in your life?
In our reading from Luke, we see how Christ stands at the center of all the action. The Lord is teaching, healing, rebuking the demons and preaching the good news of the kingdom of God. He is incredibly busy. It is just non-stop action. In these 13 verses from Luke, Jesus is mentioned 28 times. He is at the center of all the action. He is the key to everything. He is the focus of everything that is happening. It’s all about the Son of God.
What about us? Is Christ the center of our life? Do we realize he is the key to everything? Do we recognize that this is the Son of God, the Messiah, and the Holy One of God? Is he the one we turn to when we need help? Do we confess that Christ has the power to help us in our time of need? Do we cry out to him in times of trouble?
In our reading, we see how Peter and his family turned to Jesus for help. You can almost hear Peter saying, “Lord, it’s my mother-in-law. She is so sick. Can you help her? Please, Lord, do something!” Peter recognizes that Jesus has the power to change this situation.
In the same way, the people of Capernaum brought all their sick to Jesus because they knew he could do something about it. They recognized that this carpenter from Nazareth had the power to heal and save. And so, these people act in simple faith. They trust. They believe. They turn to Christ in a humble and sincere faith.
Most of us have a hard time living with such a faith. We have a hard time believing the Word of God. We doubt God’s promises. We are skeptical and suspicious about the Lord. We constantly question his wisdom and resist him every step of the way. Simply put, we do not trust the Lord Jesus, as we should. That is why we neglect him and push him aside.
Let’s be honest: Christ is not the center of our life, we are. We think we are in control. We are the center of the action. We know all the answers and what is best. We don’t need Christ or his saving help, because we can fix our problems by our own wisdom and strength.
Instead of putting our faith in Christ, we put our faith in ourselves. Instead of relying on Jesus, we rely on our own power. Instead of turning to the Lord, we turn away from him. We think we can fix everything in our life. We can do it all by ourselves.
However, something then happens that reminds us we do need the Son of God after all. Something happens in our life (and it is usually something quite bad). We then suddenly realize just how helpless we really are. We do need help. We do need Jesus.
Listen: What we need to do is this. We need to let go of all of our foolish pride and let God take control of our life. Just let go and let God! Just let go of everything that is wrong in your life, and let God take over. Let go of your frustration, fear and worry. Let go of trying to fix all of your problems by yourself. Let go of your anger, unhappiness and anxiety. Get rid of your doubts and uncertainty.
Let the Triune God get to work. Let the Lord Jesus take over all of your life. Let the Holy Spirit fill you with faith. Let God the Father bestow his grace upon you. Let God do his work in your life, and you will then discover something wonderful and amazing.
This reminds me of a poster that I once saw. It was a picture of a big handwritten memo. The memo said:
I am God.
I will be handling all of your problems today.
Please remember that I do not need your help.
If something happens in your life that you can’t handle, do not attempt to resolve it by yourself. Just give it to me.
I will handle the matter in my own way
and in my own time.
And once the matter is placed in my hands, do not hang on to it.
Just let go of it.
Remember, I am the Lord, your God.
Let go and let God.
“Let go and let God.” That is the powerful message of our reading from Luke. When Christ arrives in Capernaum, he just takes over. He starts preaching and teaching; he’s healing the sick and casting out demons, left and right. Non-stop action. Then, the next day, Jesus says, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” That’s how it is in God’s kingdom. The Lord Jesus Christ steps into your life and he says, “I’m going to take over now. I will be handling all of your problems today. From here on out, I’ll lead the way; you just follow. You just let go and let me get to work. For I was sent for this very purpose.”
I think we often forget what it really means to confess that Jesus Christ is our Savior. If Christ is our Savior, then it means we stop trying to save ourselves. If Christ is our Lord, it means that we stop trying to play God with our life. If Christ is the Son of God, then we turn everything over to him and we say, “I need your help, Lord!”
We say, “O Lord Jesus, I need for you to save me! I need for you to heal me and set me free from my sin-sickness. O Lord, cast out the demons that are trying to destroy my faith. Help me to trust in you again! Renew my faith and help me to always put you at the center of my life!”
So many times, we want to handle our problems by ourselves, or even worse, we want to tell the Lord how to handle them. But that makes things worse. What we need to do is just turn the matter over to Christ in faith. We need to call upon Jesus and let him act in grace. This point can be illustrated in the following story.
In the big textile factories, threads are woven into fabrics by complex machines. In one such textile factory, there was a sign above each machine. The sign read in big red letters, “If the threads become tangled, call the supervisor.”
A new employee was working at his textile machine. The threads on his machine got totally jammed up. They become badly tangled. Frantically he tried to untangle them by himself, but that only made matters worse. The supervisor came by and said, “Why didn’t you call me?” The worker replied, “I was just trying to do my best.” He then told him, “Doing your best includes calling the supervisor.”
And so, in the very same way, doing our best means calling upon the Lord Jesus. We need to call him when the threads of our life get tangled. We turn to our Supervisor when we need help. “Doing your best includes calling the supervisor.” We trust that the Lord will act in our life with his power and authority. We know he will go to work to help us. Just let go and let God! Let the Lord preach the good news of the kingdom into your heart and soul. Let his grace take over your entire life. Let the powerful love of Christ renew your faith. His amazing power can set you free and change your life forever.
Today, Jesus Christ says to you, “I was sent for this very purpose. This is why I have come. Listen! I have some good news for you - you are loved! You are saved; you are healed. Always remember, you are special to me and I am with you! Go now in peace, live each day by faith, and trust that I will help you. Because together, we have some work to do for the kingdom of God.” Amen!
Pastor Heide
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Pastor Heide posts Sermon and Bible Studies on his Substack.
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His blog is called, "Jesus Christ Is Alive."
Click the link below to check it out.
His blog is called, "Jesus Christ Is Alive."
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