One Foundation – The Church is militant

Matthew 16:21–26 ²¹From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he had to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised again.

²²Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “May you receive mercy, Lord! This will never happen to you.”

²³But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a snare to me because you are not thinking the things of God, but the things of men.”

²⁴Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. ²⁵In fact whoever wants to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. ²⁶After all, what will it benefit a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? Or what can a person give in exchange for his soul?

Crowns and thrones may perish, Kingdoms rise and wane, But the Church of Jesus Constant will remain. Gates of hell can never ’Gainst that Church prevail; We have Christ’s own promise, And that cannot fail. Amen. CW: 537 v3  

The submarine doors slam shut. The klaxon horn sounds, and the skipper gives the order, "Dive! Dive! Dive!" Diesel engines firing, propellers whirling, they descend into the depths, safe from enemy attack. That was submarine life aboard the USS Finback stationed in the South Pacific Ocean during World War II. It was their tenth patrol, and so most of the crew was accustomed to this way of life, but for the five airmen that they had just rescued this way of life would take some getting used to.

The submarine had been assigned to lifeguard duty. That meant that they patrolled the waters behind enemy lines to rescue any airmen who had been shot down and survived the crash into the sea. And they had just pulled five of them out of the ocean, rescued them from certain death. But the rescue wasn't the end of the story for those five airmen.

The submarine still had a full month of patrol duty left, and they couldn't just take them to safety. The only option was for those airmen to become a part of the crew. The rescued would join the rescuers on the mission.

This is what is happening in our Gospel lesson. Jesus has taken his twelve disciples to the northwest corner of Galilee, to the city of Caesarea Philippi. This is the enemy’s territory. The devil has captured the hearts and minds of the people in that heathen city with his lies and idols. The residents of that region are trapped in their pagan worship of false idols, fertility gods and demons.

In the middle of this enemy territory, Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answers for the group, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replies, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah … And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overpower it.”

Peter gets it right. He confesses that Jesus is the Christ. His friends give him high fives. He’s pretty pumped. With the Christ on earth the disciples can now expect that there will be no more Roman armies, no more diseases, no more hunger, no more demon possession, no more suffering or death. With Jesus on our side, the world will cower in fear before Jesus’ followers.

That’s what Peter really wants. He wants a life of ease and comfort … and expresses that with Jesus on his side, he’s going to get it.

Isn’t that what we also want? Isn’t that what we expect?

As followers of the Christ, life should be easier. No more sickness, sadness, depression or poverty. Our Old Adam - our sinful nature - wants the fun, the glory and the crown.

The high fives stop and the cheering ends as Jesus teaches his disciples about his true mission. “Jesus began to show his disciples that he had to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised again.”

Jesus is going behind enemy lines The Serpent-Crusher is going to be struck in the heel by the Ancient Serpent. The Son of God is going to lay down his life on the Father’s altar. Jesus is going to be rejected by the people he came to save. He will be arrested, spat on and blasphemed by the religious leaders who should have been the first ones exalting the Messiah in their midst. The Son of Man is going to exchange  his life as a ransom for all humanity. Then he will rise again on the third day. The disciple rebukes his Master, “Lord, this will never happen to you!”

Peter, like us, wants a different kind of Jesus. We don’t want a suffering Savior. We don’t like the God-Man denying himself glory. We don’t desire the Messiah going to the cross.

That’s because we know that if the Savior suffers, his followers must suffer. If the God-Man denies himself glory, we must tolerate humility. If the Messiah endures the cross, we will have to endure the cross.

Peter is shocked when Jesus rebukes him, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a snare to me because you are not thinking the things of God, but the things of men.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. In fact, whoever wants to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Jesus calls all of us Peters to repentance. Following Jesus isn’t about fun. It is about facing the fury of Jesus’ enemies who are now our enemies. It isn’t about glory, but about suffering in the name of Christ. Carrying the cross comes before wearing the crown.

We must recognize that the entire world is the enemy’s territory. We are living in a world that’s ruined. Rather than embracing the ruin of this world, Jesus calls us to something better, something greater, something far more glorious than the fun the devil promises. Jesus calls us to himself, his cross, suffering, death and resurrection. There on the cross is the denial of our Old Adam’s sinful fun. There on the cross is the destruction of Satan’s illusions. There is the end of the eternal consequences of our sin.

Jesus goes to the cross to free us from the devil’s tyranny, our sinful nature’s slavery and death’s mastery. With his innocent suffering, sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, Jesus frees us and all humanity.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are in a war. I know there’s a lot of fighting going on right now. Fighting on social media about the presidential election. Fighting in the streets about skin colors. Fighting in our culture about “Cuties” on Netflix, “Mulan” on the Disney Channel and “diversity” in the Oscars.

As Christians, these are all worthwhile causes to be involved in, to voice our opinions on, and to be a calming influence over.

But understand these are all side skirmishes. Devote time to them, but not all your time. The devil enjoys it if you are too concerned with what is going on over there with these worldly skirmishes. Then you forget the real spiritual battle that is right in front of you.

That real battle is for people’s souls.

People are trapped. Their souls are in jeopardy. They are captured by the devil’s forces and headed straight to the eternal flaming prison of hell.

Scripture reminds us, “While we were sill sinners, God saved us.” You and I are like those five airmen in the ocean, as good as dead, lost at sea behind enemy lines. But Jesus sent his soldiers and sailors out to rescue us. The rescuers then aid in the rescue of others. Saved to serve.

That’s why WLS exists – to rescue those children and families who don’t realize they are trapped behind enemy lines.

That’s why Epiphany and New Hope exist – to equip God’s people with the gospel armor and teach them to swing the sword of the Spirit. To train soldiers to go on the offensive against the forces of hell.

That’s why we are discussing a merger of Epiphany and New Hope. It is always easier to fight when we have more soldiers alongside one another. To do more together than we can do separately. And it can only be the blessing of God if we succeed in this merger in a time of Covid, shutdowns and societal unrest!

Some think that this military image is offensive. They believe that the best and only course left open to the Church is to offer a pale echo of whatever the world thinks, says and does. But the love that rescued us is strong and powerful. It is a love of crosses and denials. It is a love that rebukes and calls for repentance. This is the Savior who marched to the cross, through hell and out of the grave before ascending to the right hand of the Father. He has the power to forgive the worst sinner, to buy back the least redeemable person and rescue those who are unwittingly trapped behind enemy lines.

Fellow redeemed and rescued saints, we are part of the Church Militant – that means the fighting Church. We are daily engaged in a battle – not for the presidency or racial equality or ending poverty or salvaging morality. Christ is our general. We are his foot soldiers. Our weapons for this war are the written, spoken and sung words of God, the water of Baptism, and the body and blood of the Lord’s Supper. That’s it. But those humble means convert souls, save babies, forgive sinners and comfort dying saints.

We are the singles using God’s Word to remain faithful to God against so many sexual temptations. So we can rescue others who have given in to their lusts.

We are the married who use God’s Word to remain faithful to our marriage vows. So we can rescue others who are worn out in their marriages.

We are Christians who wrestle weekly against avoiding worship for sleep, dismissing Bible study as unnecessary, and skipping the Sacrament as irrelevant. We worship so we can hold onto our faith, so we can then invite others to worship, study God’s Word and grow in faith alongside us.

We are parents who use God’s Word to nurture and raise godly, believing children. We teach them to know the Lord’s name, to call upon him in every trouble, to pray, praise and give thanks.

We are the Church Militant who is still at war. The enemy has been mortally wounded, but he is still fighting. And he will come to destroy you; he will drop his depth charges on you to try to sink your faith and get you to turn back and find your identity and security and meaning in those things—those things that will disappoint you, those idols that will destroy you.

One of those airmen rescued by that submarine, got to see God's plans unfold for him in his life. He was rescued by the USS Finback on September 2, 1944. This man was a Christian, a follower of Jesus. He was only 20 years old at the time. He was the youngest pilot in the United States Navy. His biographer, Joe Hyams, wrote a book about him titled “Flight of the Avenger: George Bush at War.” This young man was lieutenant junior grade, George H. W. Bush, who 45 years later, would go on to be the 41st President of the United States.

Lieutenant Bush said that the best part of that month aboard the submarine was when he was assigned to the night watch. The sub would surface at night and float on the Pacific Ocean. And Bush remembers it was absolutely dark in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The nights were so clear and the stars so brilliant. It was a wonderful, energizing time, a time to talk to God. And later President Bush reflected on this moment. He said, "I had faced death, and God spared me. I had this deep and profound gratitude and sense of wonder. What did God have in store for me?"

God spared you. He has something in store for you. Jesus fought, suffered, bled and died to rescue you. Today is calling you to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow him. He went behind enemy lines to rescue you. You were rescued to go rescue others. Give them what you have been given. You are saved to serve.

“Onward Christians soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before.” Amen.

Like a mighty army Moves the Church of God; Brothers, we are treading Where the saints have trod. We are not divided, All one body we, One in hope and doctrine, One in charity. Amen. CW: 537 v2