Sermon 9/28/20 Philippians 2:12-18 Shine Like Stars Pastor Nelson
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
Imagine freshman orientation. At least orientation most years. There are lots of opportunities to be involved in different things. In Mankato we usually set up a table in the student union. Some see the WELS logo and stop, some you see a lot, others not again. Is college a time to let your light shine or a time to hide for a while and find your own path?
This September is not just the start of a new school year, we are celebrating 100 years of Campus Ministry in the WELS and all the blessings that have come from it. And we’d like to take some time today to ask you to continue to pray for and support WELS Campus Ministry all the more for the next 100 years, Lord willing, as we look to continue to expand to new areas, assist congregations and pastors and laypeople as they work with collegians and enhance what God has already blessed us with up to this day!
Students have studied the truths of the word in confirmation and made their promises, but they still get disconnected. It’s no secret that when you travel down the halls of different churches and view pictures of confirmation classes of old it’s not great news. A few years ago the WELS Committee for Congregational Counseling conducted a study that was presented at Synod convention – here is a quote from that document. .From 2005 through 2010 there were 40,580 baptisms in WELS, children who would be ages 6 to 11 at the end of 2016. Yet, the demographic survey showed WELS had only 20,730 members in that demographic at the end of 2016, a decline of 34.66%. That percent decline increases in high-school and college years to just over 47%. It peaks with the Millennial generation at approximately 54%. Approximately 20 years ago, it was estimated that WELS lost about 40% to 45% of its youth confirmands by the time they finished college. Today, it appears to be closer to 50%
Our synod has been taking these numbers to heart, and even more importantly, we’ll be taking God’s word to heart. God’s word gives our college students encouragement to stay faithful, even during these challenging years. It also gives us encouragement to stay faithful and encourage those students. Listen to what Paul writes – Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Paul just finished pointing to Christ as our strength to humbly listen to and follow God. Now he encourages Christian living even more. College students have a big change going on as they are likely no longer in your presence as a pastor and as parents. They are adults with opportunities to explore who they are and what they believe. Our prayer, including our synod for 100 years, is that they can stay connected to Christ and grow even deeper in the faith. There is an application for us too during Covid, right? It’s easy not to come to worship, to be absent from spiritual leaders and friends. Paul urges us to love our Christian lives much more vigorously, even when there is an absence of spiritual leadership.
The words he uses sound strange don’t they? Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. We know that the Bible says we do not do anything, any good works to be saved. It is by grace you have been saved not by works so no one can boast Eph 2:8. Paul can’t be talking about salvation in the sense of our justification, of our sins being forgiven and us being brought to faith. He talks about our life on the road to salvation. Our life of living for Christ, our sanctification. He urges us to live this life that has been transformed by the salvation of being rescued for heaven. But how can I do that? You can’t, not perfectly, certainly not on your own. Thankfully, Paul goes on – 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. He immediately clarifies that the reason you can push hard to the goal of salvation is because God is the one doing the work in you, both the desire and the action. The energy and the effective power. We’ll see that this is fueled by Word and sacraments, holding onto the word of life (and holding it out).
Paul then encourages us to 14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”
That’s the concern that we have for our students isn’t it? That they are going out into a warped and crooked generation. The more things change, the more they stay the same. In dealing with collegians for the past few years, I have to say that not many of them have observed that the way it’s portrayed in the movies is what they’ve experienced. On film, Professor So and So says on day one that if you’re a Christian it is my goal in life to make you not one anymore by the end of this class. I don’t know if it’s good or bad that this isn’t what happens. It does seem to coincide with how Satan works though. Not always a full frontal attack, but he chips away, little by little, piece by piece. A compromise here and a compromise there. I’m so lonely away from home – I need something to fill that void…what will it be? A relationship? A job? Beer? Sports? Where does God’s Word fit in? I have SO many people around me who believe SO opposite of what I believe regarding things like gender and sexuality and the sanctity of life and heaven and hell and God and the devil and morality in general! Is it possible that I can be right, and they ALL are wrong? Or maybe I’m the one who has it wrong? These men and women who are teaching me every day have a lot of letters behind their names and they are the experts – they never affirm biblical principles that I have lived by my whole life – in fact a lot of what they declare as facts are things that I know aren’t true — but they’re the experts and I’m 18. Maybe I need to think about this. This is where WELS Campus Ministry fits in.
But before I focus on the students, let’s not miss what Paul says. It’s not just the college students that are connected to a warped and crooked generation. It’s us too. And it’s not just those people out there who are warped. Paul said to do everything without grumbling and complaining. God cares about our attitude as we work for his good purposes. Paul warns us about grumbling, muttering in a low voice. It’s a symptom of disunity and sin creeping within. How does it show up for you? Urrr stupid masks, government, outdoor weather, generations that aren’t my generation…When we think about college students or the next generations is there a lot of complaining and blaming? It’s easier to grumble about someone else than to repent of our own sins and reach out to encourage others in love.
Think about all that Christ did for us without complaining or arguing. Like a lamb he was silent as he went to the cross to die for our sins. It’s the word of life that tells you that. It fills you with light and life so that you can help but shine as you hold onto that word. Because of the blood of Christ, you and your sons and daughters that you have sent off into college are blameless and pure children of God. Our sister churches, pastors, and campus ministries throughout the country are here to remind you of that.
Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life.
Instead of simply worrying about the state of the world, there are things you can do to help your sons, daughters, grandchildren and friends hold onto the word of life. Here are some very specific things you can do that help. Go to the church and/or campus ministry with them when you are bringing them to school or checking out schools. Say something like, “This is my daughter, she will be coming to church here. Are there people who could help with rides?” Sign up on wels.net or have your young people do that. It is really hard to get in contact with students if local pastors have no idea they are there and don’t have any contact information. They can also get free mailed copies of mediations and forward in Christ.
I want you to know that it’s not all doom and gloom out there. There is light, and it’s beautiful. Campus ministry is fun work. Every day I see students shining like stars in the universe.
This summer we took a vacation up north to Gooseberry Falls, and in the middle of the night the stars were shining so bright. Even a little light can look bright in the darkness. Even on the lowest level the light from a cell phone might keep your spouse awake in an otherwise dark room. Students who stay connected to Christ through college are brightness in a dark world. The name of our campus ministry is The Beacon. We want to be a light on campus and the students are lights on campus.
Shine like stars in the universe16 as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. Hold out the word of life or hold onto the word of life? Theologians debate about the best way to translate that. Both are important. It starts with holding onto it. Holding onto the words of salvation tightly. We need to hear it and make it our own. But we don’t just hold onto it, we share it. Friends, I have to tell you my college students are hands down, some of the best evangelists. As campus pastors talk you here about students. Students who are quiet. But the continue to bring friends and roommates regularly to church and campus ministry. Students go places in groups, asking to come to church for dollar dinner is not that hard. We try to make it as comfortable as possible. You are going to be loved, and we are going to try not to be weird. Stay as long as you are comfortable.
We are rejoicing and thankful for the opportunities that God gives us in Mankato and throughout the synod through campus ministry. When students in our public universities and tech schools come to a Bible study during the week, or worship on a weekend, a special prayer of thanks is offered. There are SO MANY OTHER THINGS they could be doing. But, they remember to hold firmly to the word of life. But they don’t just hold firmly to the word, they hold it out and share it!
And that doesn’t even mention the significant others who are brought along and, wouldn’t you know it, they want to take a new member class! Wouldn’t you know it, “Hey Pastor, we’d like you to marry us.” And, wouldn’t you know it, they just bought a new house and are having a baby and want to transfer to St Someone Lutheran Church and start their lives together there. It’s the students who bring a roommate or a friend who might be hurting and just need to get away from life for a while and they ask, “Why don’t you come with me to campus ministry? We don’t have much compared to a lot of groups on campus – but I guarantee you will find out just how much God loves you.” Maybe that roommate never takes a class, or joins the church, but maybe in God’s grand plan of eternal election that little campus ministry room, for an hour that night, was what he used to bring them Jesus as their Savior from sin.
And now, if I could – I would ask you to keep these young adults in your prayers. So many changes in their lives, so many new opportunities, some good, some bad. So much freedom. So many new pressures and responsibilities. Pray that they continue to hold onto the word of Christ. Pray that their faith is strengthened in what they were taught. Pray for the future of our church body as the next generation holds on to the truths of God’s Holy Word and many, many more come to see through the hollow and deceptive philosophies of the world and that the light of the world continues to shine brightly through our students, our campus ministry, our churches, and individually through each member! Amen.