EDITOR'S NOTE: On Oct. 23, 2021, I was ordained as a minister of word and sacrament in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and installed as pastor at Faith Lutheran Church in Wolverton, Minn. I also served the same church for four years from October 2017 to October 2021 a synodically authorized minister. The journey together these past four years has been an amazing one, full of learning, growing and a deepening of my theological mind. This sermon took place on Nov. 14, 2023.
This week's scripture: Romans 8:38-39
38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The message:
This was the centering text from this weekend’s Middle School Youth Gathering that we attended. … And I mean what a powerful text for a bunch of Middle Schoolers to hear, right?
“nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” … Amen?
So if you think about it, you know what that means LYO students?
It means that no matter who you are … that no matter how far from God’s love you may feel … for whatever reason … and also no matter what anyone else thinks of you …
You … Are … Never … Separated … From … God.
Whoa! … If that’s not mind blowing for you this morning, then I can’t imagine what would be!
So, let’s do this one more time …
Students … and Faith Family at large … Listen to me: There is nothing on this earth that can separate you from God. … Now, if you aren’t sitting here right now with tingles, you are far more composed than I am.
Because that message right there is life changing!
Boiled down to its simplest terms, you know what that means students? … Do you know what that means Faith Family?
It means everything actually, but if you remember nothing else from today. … Remember this.
The fact that there is nothing at all on this earth that can separate us from God means … you are enough.
You are enough … and you are enough … and you are enough.
You … in all of your imperfection … and you with all of your self doubt … and you with all of the anxiety you keep bottled up inside … and you who constantly thinks about all of the things that you could be better at in life … none of that matters.
Because all of you … are enough …
I want everyone in the pews this morning to work with me here … Close your eyes … take a nice deep breath … inhale and exhale … now keep your eyes closed and ears open … Because I want you to hear this …
You … are … enough … Ok, open your eyes.
So that was the message that we dwelt in for the 24 hours we were at the Middles School Youth Gathering yesterday. … And it got me to thinking that there couldn’t be a better message for a Sunday like this when we are filled with youngsters.
Because you all need to hear this …
Given some 26 years of being a dad … and given the time I’ve spent with you students … I know that at some point in your young lives you’ve become overwhelmed by the thought that you are not enough.
Someone … be that a mean kid in school … a teacher … a coach … a neighbor … a boss … maybe even someone very special in your life … I know that someone has told you that you are not enough.
Maybe they told you that you weren’t smart enough, or cool enough, or pretty enough, or athletic enough, or didn’t wear the right clothes, or hang out with the right people … or any number of other things you fell short on.
The point being … someone has told you that you were not enough.
Think about this students … and larger Faith Family … we learned this weekend at the retreat that the average student these days will see between 4,000 to 10,000 advertisements every … single … day … telling you that you are not enough.
4,000 to 10,000 advertisements every day!
Now imagine the effect that has on each of you, right? … And that number is just the media messages you are hearing each day.
That doesn’t even take into account all of those other influential people that surround you.
So thousands and thousands of times a day you are hearing that you are not enough … It’s enough to make the daddy heart in me break. … It’s enough to make the pastor's heart in me weep.
As I’ve dwelt in this text over the last 24 hours … I think I’ve come to the conclusion that the “er” suffix … might be the most dangerous suffix in the English language.
Everyone knows what a suffix is, right? … Ok.
And so when do we use the “er” suffix in our language? … What happens when we add it to the end of a word? … it makes the word more, right?
Let’s try it … If I say I’m strong … but you are STRONGER … it makes you something more right? …
The “er” suffix. … It’s dangerous … and let me prove it.
Everyone close your eyes once again … and I want you to closely listen to the following list. …
Tougher … smarter … prettier … wealthier … a better parent … a better worker … wiser … a better cook … a better friend … thinner … bigger … taller … a better athlete … more generous … more giving … a better Christian … a better volunteer … faster … stronger … more agile … a better student … better artist … better musician … kinder …gentler … braver … funnier
Ok … everyone open their eyes …
Now students I want you to keep your hands down and look at me … but Faith Family … I’m going to ask you to be vulnerable with me for 30 seconds for the benefit of our students sitting here.
Faith Family … if you’ve ever in your life once felt that you need to be one of those things I named off because you weren’t enough … please raise your hand. … And, again, I’m asking you to be vulnerable with me today for our students’ sake.
Now students turn around and take a look at that …
Every single one of us adults in this room … has been in your shoes. … We know what it is like to feel like we are not enough. … We know what it is like to have someone who has influence over us tell us … we are not enough.
You are not alone. … And while that isn't’ even to take away the devastation you feel when you feel that you are not enough. … I want you to understand that we understand what you are feeling.
… But here is the challenge, we didn’t grow up in this world that you are growing up in.
Remember that stat earlier about the number of advertisements you see in a day … Thousands, rights? … You know what that number was when my generation was growing up … 400.
That’s right … in the world of my youth, where the internet was essentially nonexistent, and we had far less media in our lives … we didn’t face the pressures that you face.
So if you feel like what you’re experiencing is mighty challenging … you are correct. … You have every right to think to yourself, man this growing up stuff is tough. … Because you are correct.
But, today, we are here to talk about the good news … I hope that you have heard me use those words before. … I hope somewhere along the way here at church you’ve noticed that I try to end every sermon with those very words … And that is the Good News for this Sunday … blah, blah, blah … sound familiar?
Good, OK … and what does the Good News mean … well, it means the gospel. … Or you could say that gospel means “good news.” … That’s the definition. … And the gospel … or good news … is (are) the promises that God makes to us as faithful people.
So, each week when I sign off by saying … And that is the Good News for … What I’m really saying is … and this is the promise that God has made to you.
So students … this is the promise that God is making for you today. … If you listen to our scripture that we started with …
"38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
You are promised that there is NOTHING … on this earth that can separate you from God. … NOTHING! … Not one thing … that will make God not love you.
So if that is true … then simply … you are enough. … Just the way you are. … just the way God made you. … That’s it, my LYO friends.
No matter what anyone else in your life tells you … you are enough. … You can take all of those “ER” words and just set them on a shelf. … You don’t need them to identify who you are. … Because God already has.
And you know what that identity is … you are a beloved child of God. … And that my LYO friends is … enough. … In fact, it’s all you ever need.
You can just take all of those other opinions about you … and dump them in the trash. … Because not a single one of them is even remotely as important as God’s opinion.
And so students … and Family Faith … I want you to close your eyes with me one last time. … I want you take a deep breath in and exhale … and whisper to yourself … I am enough.
Students … you face a tough world out there. But when you leave this church today, I want you to forever remember … that you are enough and you can never be separated from God … ever. … And that is the Good News for this Sunday, Nov. 19, 2003 …
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