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St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Door County serves Sturgeon Bay and surrounding areas.
Address: 316 W. Main Street, Forestville, WI 54213
Phone: 920-856-6420
Text: Mark 13:1–13
Liturgical Date: Pentecost 26, Proper 28 B
Calendar Date: November 17, 2024
Location: Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church in Door County
Preacher: Rev. Dr. Christopher D. Jackson
The following transcript was generated through the assistance of AI to make it more easily readable as written text. It does not match 1:1 the sermon as preached.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Christ our Lord said, “The one who endures to the end will be saved.” St. Augustine, reflecting on the many passages in Scripture about the end of the world, once noted that we should not become so consumed with the world’s final day that we forget our own final day in this world.
Yes, there will be a last day for the world, but each of us also has a last day. Whether it comes with Christ’s glorious return or the day of our death, we are all called to endure to the end. That is our theme today: Christian endurance.
We will explore how to gain endurance in the faith so we can stand firm in Christ until the end of our earthly lives, whether that end comes at our death or the return of our Lord.
I recall what seemed to be the last day for a beloved member of our sister congregation, St. John’s in Rankin—someone many of you may have known, Laverne Medkey. Laverne lived on a farm just south of Forestville but was more connected to the Rankin congregation. To this day, she is the oldest member I’ve ever served, living to the age of 102. I do have another member who may reach that milestone—he’s doing quite well at 99—but so far, Laverne holds the record.
When Laverne was about 100 and a half, I received a call from her family: “Pastor, Laverne is dying. Please come and minister to her.” I went to see her at Algoma Long-Term Care, where I had brought her communion many times before. When I arrived, it looked as though her time was near.
I ministered to her in the usual way: performing the commendation of the dying, reading Scripture, praying with her, and singing a hymn. But she seemed completely unresponsive, oblivious to everything around her. She appeared unconscious. Still, I ministered to her as I always do.
A week and a half later, I received another call: “Pastor, Laverne woke up—and she wants to see you!” So I returned to her room. As I walked in, I exclaimed, “Laverne, you’re alive!” She responded, “Yes, Pastor, I’m alive.”
Her family added, “She has a question for you.” It turned out that one of the first things she had asked upon waking was: “What was the hymn the pastor sang to me?”
This is something to keep in mind when you are with your loved ones nearing their end. They may seem unaware, as though they cannot hear you, but more often than not, they do know you’re there.
I told Laverne the hymn was “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded.” Without missing a beat, this 100-year-old woman belted out the words at the top of her lungs:
“O Sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down…”
The faith that had been nurtured in Laverne throughout her life—the hymns, the Scriptures, the Word of God—was so deeply embedded in her that even when her body grew frail, her faith remained strong. Her legs no longer carried her to church. Her eyes were blind, unable to read devotionals. Her hearing was so diminished I had to raise my voice significantly when I visited. Yet the fire of faith burned brightly in her heart.
This is what Christian endurance is all about: that the faith be so firmly rooted in our hearts and minds that, on the last day—whether it is our death or Christ’s return—we may stand strong and inherit eternal life.
How do we achieve this kind of endurance? First, through right doctrine—a solid understanding of Christian teaching and convictions.
We live in a time where doctrine is often dismissed or overlooked. Many claim that what matters isn’t what you know but how you feel. Yet Scripture warns us that our hearts are flighty and unreliable. As Isaiah reminds us, “The word of the Lord endures forever.” This enduring word is our foundation.
The importance of doctrine is clear in today’s readings. Christ himself warned the disciples about false teachers:
“See that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and they will lead many astray.”
How do we guard ourselves against being led astray? Through well-formed convictions rooted in sound doctrine.
The writer of Hebrews echoes this when quoting the Old Testament:
“This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts and write them on their minds.”
The work of the Holy Spirit is to move God’s Word from something external—words on a page or spoken aloud—to something internal, written on our hearts and minds. This is what Jesus meant when he told his disciples not to worry about what they would say when brought before councils:
“The Holy Spirit will teach you what to say in that hour.”
Jesus wasn’t suggesting that the Holy Spirit would magically beam the right words into their minds. Rather, he was giving them confidence that the Word they already knew—the Word they had been trained in—would be brought to their lips when needed. The Holy Spirit works through what is already implanted in us.
This is why, for instance, I insist on memory work in catechism class. Time and time again, I’ve had senior members tell me they’re thankful their pastors made them memorize Scripture, the catechism, and hymns. Sure, they may have grumbled about it as kids, but as they’ve grown older, they’ve realized how valuable it is.
I suspect this is how Laverne knew “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” by heart. She likely learned it in school or during her confirmation instruction. Memorizing Scripture and hymns ensures that God’s Word becomes part of us—not just something external we access occasionally, but something we carry within us always.
This is also why we worship the way we do. Our worship is repetitive and doctrinally rich for a reason. The hymns we sing and the liturgy we follow aren’t merely about stirring emotions; they are designed to embed God’s Word in our hearts. As St. Paul says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.”
For example, let’s try something together. I’ll start singing, and when you remember the words, join in:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Thy presence,
And take not Thy Holy Spirit from me…”
You just sang a portion of Psalm 51. Even if your memory faltered for a word or two, you could rely on the voices of those around you to carry you along. This brings us to our second point: we gain Christian endurance through the mutual encouragement of the Church.
The writer of Hebrews exhorts us:
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
Your brothers and sisters in Christ need to be strengthened in their faith, and that is a significant reason why we gather as the Church. Yes, coming to church is about being served—we’ll talk about that shortly—but it’s also about serving one another.
When you say the Creed, for instance, your fellow Christians hear those timeless words of faith from your lips. Those words resound in their ears, reinforcing their convictions and building them up in the faith. Similarly, when you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, you help embed God’s Word not only in your own heart but also in the hearts of those around you.
Psalm 51, which we sang earlier, is a perfect example. You likely learned it because others sang it with you, teaching you as you participated in worship. This communal act of faith—this shared confession and song—builds us up as a Church, uniting us in the truth of God’s Word.
Your presence, your voice, your time, your talents, and your treasures all contribute to the ministry of the Church. When you give, you support Sunday school teachers who instruct our little ones. You enable pastors like me to preach, teach, and minister. Through your contributions, you empower countless acts of service that strengthen the body of Christ.
And here is the beauty of God’s economy: as you serve, you are also served. Your fellow Christians build you up in the faith through the Word, through teaching, and through their own acts of service. In this mutual ministry, we gain endurance as we press on together in the faith.
Finally, brothers and sisters in Christ, we gain Christian endurance when we focus on the things that endure—the eternal gifts of God—rather than the temporary things of this world.
So often, we get this backward. Many Christians, consciously or not, seek only practical tips for improving this earthly life. One of the saddest moments in my ministry happened early on, nearly 18 years ago, in my first parish in Lexington, Kentucky. A Lutheran elder—an elder of the Church, mind you—once came to me after a sermon and said, “Pastor Chris, I’m tired of hearing about forgiveness and heaven and eternal life. I just want you to teach me how to be a better businessman.”
How fleeting is a career? Forty years? Maybe fifty? And then what?
The disciples, too, struggled with this perspective. As they left the temple, they marveled at its grandeur: “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” The temple was awe-inspiring, with its oldest sections dating back centuries and newer portions constructed with massive, seemingly indestructible stones.
Yet Jesus warned them: “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
And so it was. Within 40 years, the temple lay in ruins, destroyed by the Romans. Even something as seemingly permanent as the temple had an expiration date. The same is true of everything in this life—careers, wealth, even our very lives.
But the grace of God? That endures forever.
The merit of Christ, won for us on the cross, has no expiration date. His sacrifice covers even the greatest of our sins, and his grace far surpasses anything this world can offer. As the Scriptures promise, the blessings of eternal life are immeasurable. In the new Jerusalem, gold is so plentiful it will pave the streets!
When we set our hearts on these eternal things, we gain the endurance to persevere in faith. This eternal perspective strengthens us as we serve one another in the Church, as we are served by the Word, and as we hold fast to sound doctrine.
That, dear friends, is my ultimate goal for you—not only that you live as Christians but that you die as Christians. May the Lord grant us all a blessed end, through the power of his Word and our mutual ministry in Christ.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.