heaven Archives - Faith Lutheran Church, Wesley Chapel

Kurt Steinbrueck May 11, 2021

Blog 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, Apostles creed, blaspheme, death, deny, heaven, life everlasting, Polycarp, Resurrection, risen, worship

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I Believe In the Life Everlasting

“I believe in … the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.” – The Apostles’ Creed

What will happen when you die?

One of the truths that change the life of a Christian is the coming resurrection and the fact that our lives are eternal. We do not simply die. We are promised that through faith in Jesus Christ we will be raised to eternal life, just as Jesus was raised from the dead.

“So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.” – 1 Corinthians 15:42-44

This changes our perspective on everything.

We do not need to fear death.
We can live boldly for Christ, even when that brings persecution.
We understand that suffering and illness are temporary.

While we still mourn the loss of loved ones, we do so with hope for those who die in Christ.

There is a church tradition that tells of the martyrdom of Polycarp, a student of the Apostle John. He was arrested for being a Christian and refusing to worship Caesar, a crime that carried the punishment of death.

Polycarp was 86 at the time and the proconsul didn’t want to execute him. The proconsul pleaded with him to simply say something in the worship of Caesar and he would let him go.

“86 years have I have served him (Jesus),” Polycarp declared, “and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?”

The proconsul told Polycarp he would be burned to death and Polycarp responded,

“You threaten me with fire which burns for an hour and is then extinguished, but you know nothing of the fire of the coming judgment and eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly.”

The Persecution of Christians Still Exists
Countless other Christians have also faced persecution and death and refused to deny Christ. Today, there are still many who live under this threat. It is the power of the Holy Spirit and our belief in the resurrection and eternal life which allows us to face death and remain faithful. We fear not the judgment of men for we are chosen by the one who will judge the world.

Yet, it’s not just persecution for which this matters. We need not fear the terminal illness for we know we will be raised in bodies that will not know disease or injury. As we lay to rest our Christian friends and family, we miss them, but we know death has no hold on them and we will see them again.

To proclaim the resurrection of the dead and the life everlasting is to proclaim the victory of Jesus over death and hell and our trust that He will bring us to be with Him forever.

So, let us proclaim the resurrection of the dead and the life everlasting boldly. Let us proclaim it to ourselves in our suffering and let us proclaim it to the world that has the terminal illness of sin.

Dear Jesus,

You walked the hill of Calvary and suffered death that we may live. When we suffer or even face death, remind us of the hope we have in You and give us peace, comfort, and strength.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck June 15, 2020

Blog Citizenship, heaven

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Not Our Home

“But our citizenship is in heaven—and we also eagerly await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,” – Philippians 3:20

In the movie The Bridge on the River Kwai, (spoiler alert) British soldiers are captures in WWII by Japan. The Japanese force their British captives to work on building a rail bridge over the River Kwai. It is a strategic supply connection for their war effort.

At first the British happily comply, but intentionally work slowly and constantly sabotage their work. Their commander, Lieutenant Colonel Nicholson oversees the building of the bridge and decides that, in order to maintain his men’s morale and professionalism, they should work to build the bridge properly. His men complain, but comply.

Near the end of the movie, the bridge is nearly completed. The British military had discovered the building of the bridge, however, and sent a group in to destroy it. They plant the charges and wait until morning to destroy it while the first train is going over it, but Nicholson discovers the explosives and tries to prevent them from destroying his bridge. In the end, several British soldiers are killed and Nicholson realizes he is trying to save the enemy’s bridge, and detonates the bridge.

Nicholson got lost captivity. He was so focused on doing a good job building the bridge he forgot it was not his bridge. He forgot it was not his home. The bridge was always supposed to be destroyed.

Sometimes we forget our home. We live in this life on earth for a short while. Heaven is our true citizenship, our true home. We can get so caught up in building our bridges (bigger homes, work promotions, accolades, etc.) and forget this will all be destroyed.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:19-21

Heavenly Father,

You have made me a citizen of heaven. Help me to remember where my home is. Focus my eyes and my mind on things that have eternally lasting value and not be distracted by the temporary pleasures of this world.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck June 1, 2020

Blog heaven, Peace, rest, Revelation

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The Ultimate Rest

“And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’” – Revelation 21:2-4

When was the last time you really rested?

Rest is an interesting concept. It involves slowing down and pausing, but there’s more to it than that. It also involves peace. After all, how restful is it if you take a break, but your mind is worrying about something?

What do you think of when I say “Sabbath?”

Do you think of Sunday?
Do you think of Saturday?
Do you think of worship?
Do you think of rest?

Sabbath is a very important concept in the Bible. In fact, you could say that the Bible is all about Sabbath and Sabbath is all about rest.

You may be familiar with the Sabbath Day. It was the last day of the week for the Israelites and was a day of rest and worship. However, the Sabbath Day was instituted to physically, mentally, and spiritually remind the People of Israel about the seventh day of creation, the day when God rested.

God’s Rest
God didn’t rest on the seventh day because He was tired. The concept of rest we see on the seventh day involves completion and perfect peace. God had completed the creation of the universe and everything was good. Everything was at perfect peace with God and all other things.

No Rest for the Wicked
Then sin entered the world and that rest was broken. Creation was no longer at peace with God nor were the creatures at peace with each other. The Sabbath Day was instituted to remind the people of the peaceful rest that was intended for them and all creation. Jesus’ death and resurrection was done to provide a way for true Sabbath to return, giving us peace with God and with each other. Jesus’ return will fully bring back that Sabbath.

Find True Rest
While we wait for that day when there will be complete Sabbath rest, we can still experience that true rest, now. Through faith in Jesus, we are made at peace with God. We do not have to strive to earn our way with Him, simply trust in the work of Jesus. That’s what Jesus means when He says,

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:29-30

You can rest.

You can rest from the fear and shame of your sin.
You can rest from trying to earn your righteousness.
You can rest knowing God will provide for you.
You can rest knowing God will never leave you nor forsake you.

Heavenly Father,

You have given us peace through the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus. You give us peace in our relationships through forgiveness and grace. Help me to rest in His finished work. Help me to rest in Your promises until that day when Christ comes again and we experience the full return of Your Sabbath.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck March 13, 2020

Blog Comfort, Faith, heaven, hope, New Creation

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Light at the End of a Dark Tunnel

light at the end of a dark tunnel

“Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” – 2 Peter 1:4

How’s your life going?

Is it perfect or are there some things that aren’t going well, maybe many things which are seriously wrong?

We live in a fallen world corrupted by sin and that leads to all kinds of sin, suffering, and pain. We suffer through abuse, disease, loneliness, financial uncertainty, addiction, sin, and more. Even outside our own lives, we look at the state of our nation or world and it can be scary. At times it may feel like you are in a dark tunnel with no end. However…

There is hope.

Christ has overcome this world. He will not let this go on forever. There is hope in the world around us. Moreover, He makes us His children by faith. There is hope in our own lives. He is the light of the world and He is the light in that dark tunnel.

When we suffer through the corruption of this sinful world, it can be easy to get lost in it, but God reminds us that through Christ we also overcome this world. We may suffer for a while now, but we will be with him in a new heaven and new earth one day with no such corruption and suffering.

Even in the midst of the darkness of this world, God shines His light here and now through His Word and through His people, the church.

In our suffering and the craziness of the world around us, let us remember who we are in Christ and keep our eyes focused on Him and His promises. Let us look to the one who gives peace in the storm. Let us set our hope in Jesus.

Dear Jesus,

This world can be pretty scary at times and seems to be falling further and further away from You. My own life has times of hardship and suffering that can take me to a dark place. Please lift me out of the darkness. Set my eyes on You. Remind me of Your promises and help me to trust them. My hope is in You, Lord.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kimberly November 6, 2019

Sermons Fix Your Eyes on Jesus, heaven, hope, LCMS, lutheran, Persecution, Revelation, Revelation 7, suffering, The Great Multitude, The Great Tribulation, Wesley Chapel

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Coming Out of the Tribulation

Faith Lutheran Church in Wesley Chapel, FL
Sermon for November 3, 2019
Pastor Kurt Steinbrueck
Visit us at https://faithwesleychapel.com/
Follow us at facebook.com/FaithWesleyChapel/

Join us for worship this Sunday at 4 pm.

We use the dance studio at Song and Dance to hold worship services.

Song and Dance, Inc.
27221 Foamflower Blvd.
Wesley Chapel, FL 33544

See you Sunday and God bless!

For more sermon videos please visit our Service Archive.

Kurt Steinbrueck June 27, 2019

Blog god, God's will, heaven, lord, lords prayer

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What is God’s Will?

“Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” – The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:10)

My two-year-old has a will and he loves letting the rest of us know what it is. Whether he’s telling me he wants to ride his bike or doesn’t want to go to bed, he lets me know.

If I contradict his will…he lets me know his displeasure with my choice. On more than one occasion he has tried to send me to time-out for not doing what he wants. What he doesn’t know is I would be fine with a time-out. 😉

Eli knows what he wants, but not what he needs. Sometimes what he wants would actually hurt him. As he grows up, hopefully, he’ll start to trust me a bit to know what is best. Even more, I hope he grows up to trust that God’s will is best. After all, I’m far from perfect.

God, however, is perfect, He is wise, and He loves us. We can trust His will.

My wife, Melissa, periodically gets kidney stones. The last time she got one we went to the emergency room. They treated her, ran some tests, and got the pain to a manageable level. Before we left, the doctor prescribed some medicines. We asked the doctor which meds could be taken together and how often to take them.

Melissa followed the doctor’s directions for the medication not because she had no choice, but because she trusted the doctor knew what he was talking about and that he had her best interests in mind. She knew that going against the doctor’s directions was risky and could even be fatal.

I used to think praying for God’s will was me surrendering in a power struggle. If I wanted to follow Jesus, I had to be willing to give up my way, which was pretty great, and give into His will. However, I’ve come to realize that it isn’t so much a power struggle as a realization that God’s way is much better than mine.

Melissa not only trusted the doctor’s direction but sought it because she realized she didn’t know enough to make a wise decision on her own. Her doctor did. This is trust we see from Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane right before His arrest.

“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” – Mark 14:36

Jesus trusted the Father’s will was good and right even though it would be hard.

When we pray for God’s will to be done we do so because we realize His will is good and right. It is the best. We seek His will because we see we don’t know enough and sin has corrupted our wisdom. We aren’t saying, “Okay, fine. We’ll do it Your way this time.” We are saying, “Please, Lord, save me from my ways. Let Your will be done instead. I need Your will to be done.”

Heavenly Father,

You are good and perfect and so is Your will. You love me and Your will is loving towards me. You say it is Your will to save me and to break the plans of the enemy. May Your will be done in my life and in the whole world. Help, save, comfort, and defend us gracious Lord.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

heaven

I Believe In the Life Everlasting

I Believe In the Life Everlasting

Not Our Home

Not Our Home

The Ultimate Rest

The Ultimate Rest

Light at the End of a Dark Tunnel

light at the end of a dark tunnel

Coming Out of the Tribulation

Coming Out of the Tribulation

What is God’s Will?

What is God’s Will?

Faith Lutheran Church in Wesley Chapel, FL serving Lutz, Zephyrhills, Land O’ Lakes, and New Tampa, FL