Pastor Jon Vieker is the Assistant Director of the Commission on Worship for our church body. I’ve never met him but he must have something going for him to be selected to such a position. When he was just a college student he had the privilege of having a meal with Oswald Hoffmann, the Lutheran Hour Speaker. In his ‘salad days’ Hoffmann was as important to Lutherans as the Pope is to Catholics. Vieker had taken just enough theology in college to make him dangerous. So this kid started talking preaching with Hoffmann. Vieker had a professor in college who advocated preaching from the assigned lessons given each Sunday – preaching from the lectionary, is what we call that.

The conversation that day went like this, “And yes, Dr. Hoffmann, preaching on the lectionary also helps to keep the preacher from preaching on his same favorite topic Sunday after Sunday.” (Vieker said he intoned his speech in a very knowledgeable manner!) But Hoffmann, who has preached here before, I believe, said, “Young man there is only onetopic that you have given to preach every Sunday – Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And don’t you ever forget it!!” Vieker said that he never forgot that meeting with Oswald Hoffmann and he never forget his words.

Today is a recognition of the Lutheran Reformation. That day, October 31, 1517, almost 500 years ago now, is important not because it gives some recognition to Martin Luther and the changes that he brought about, but because he directed us to the one and only message that can bring life and peace and lasting hope – Jesus Christ. Today is also the day when I ask you to make a commitment concerning your gifts of time and service and financial pledges to this congregation. It is my hope that both themes, the reformation of the church and the gifts that we give, carry with it a single theme – “Give me Jesus!”

“Give me Jesus” is the cry that we make because we are people in great need. When Paul writes his letter to the Corinthians he had to spend some time defending himself because some looked at him and his ministry as being inferior to others who had been among the Corinthians. You would think he would speak about himself in glowing terms in order to win back the congregation. But that was not the case. He spoke about his weaknesses and his failings but directed his listeners to Jesus. In the opening verses in the text he says, “Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.” (II Corinthians 3:4-5) He had said about the same thing in the opening chapter, “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” (II Corinthians 1:8-9) Paul stepped aside and let Christ be at the center of all this work and all this ministry and of this congregation.

“Give me Jesus”, that is the cry for the Reformation today. A survey was taken of Lutherans a few years back, (and these were Lutherans who actually came to church), and they were asked to respond to this statement, “The main emphasis of the Gospel is on God’s rules for right living.” Over 60 percent said they “agreed” or “probably agreed” with that statement. If that was on “Family Feud” I hope that XXX’s would cover that answer and that blaring sound would catch our attention that such an answer was wrong!! Either preachers haven’t made the truth of God’s salvation clear, or people haven’t heard. Today find the only comfort that is comfort, the only righteousness that makes us righteousness, the only work that brings us eternal salvation. The work for us is all Jesus and Jesus alone.

In the Gospel reading for today Jesus talks about a truth that sets us free. “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:34-36) There is no freedom in self-righteousness, nor in self-salvation. Freedom comes through the confidence we have that Jesus died for our sins and rose again on the third day and makes us alive when our heart finds confidence in Him alone!! The Epistle for the day says, “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe…Where then is boasting, it is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.” (Romans 3:21-22, 27-28)

Give Me Jesus!! That is the cry of the Reformation today. Not self. Not works. Jesus. We stand by God’s working, His graces, given in Jesus. We hold to Jesus in faith. We receive the news of Jesus, I hope, in every aspect of the service, every time you open the Scriptures, every time you remember your Baptism or celebrate a Baptism, every time you receive the gift of Jesus at this table of grace. When Pope John Paul II was ready to assume office some years ago, a reporter asked people what they do if they had become the Pope. One little girl said that she would cover all the communion wafers with chocolate. It would make them sweeter than they already are!! “Give me Jesus.” “Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.”

Today is also the day when you are asked to commit yourself to the work of Ascension Lutheran Church. Today I want you to commit yourself to regular worship and the receiving of the Lord’s Supper. I ask you to come to Bible Class and Sunday School. I ask you to serve your Lord through service at this place. And I ask you to pledge money so that what we do in this place can continue and even increase. I ask that your gifts are the first part of your spending, that you give an offering not from your leftover, after everything else makes its way onto your plate, but that which is a primary gift from your heart and your budget.

Later on in this book Paul encourages the Christians in Corinth to give gifts. Christians from another church had given gifts and he wants the Corinthian Christians to do the same. He says, “Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will. So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring to completion this act of grace on your part. For just as you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us – see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” (II Corinthians 8:3b-7)

When you give you are giving Jesus to others. We are in the Jesus business here at Ascension. When you give your offering, part of that money pays for Stephen Pruitt to give Jesus to all who worship here through our music programs and in our youth programs. (Diane pays for her slippers on her own!!) When you give an offering, part of that money is used to pay for Kathy Johnson in her work to give Jesus to our children and youth and adults in our educational programs and youth ministry. Part of your money gives Jesus through Kathie Harvey in the work in our office and to Larry Westra so our building and grounds are a place where people can learn about the Savior. And you support me and my family, generously, so that I can give the news of Jesus to many people during the week. And, at least 10% of our offerings go to other groups and organizations, to our district and synod so they can give Jesus to a world that desperately needs Jesus!! Can you see that the dollars that are placed into the offering plate are transformed into ministry and care to many people so that they too can have Jesus!!

About 14 months ago our biggest Atlanta Braves and Oklahoma Sooner fan, “Shorty” Campbell died. On the day of his service Brenda Rolling sang, Give Me Jesus. Today we sing it. It is the message that our salvation, forgiveness and relationship with God is based upon the work of Jesus. Jesus and His love is the motivation for our life and our desire to do things that please God. And by our service and life we desire to give Jesus to everyone that we can!! Please turn to our hymnal supplement, With One Voice, and sing Give Me Jesus, #777 with me. Amen!!